A full day of meal preperations for the week ahead

I started off my morning with Dash, he was having asthma I think, no fever. A bad cough and the desire to stay home. I saw that it was a need for him to have mom time. So off to build a Lego Mall, cafe and body shop pet store and weapons outlet too. :)
After some albuteral he was alright.
Asthma it is a real breath stealer.

I made up a batch of Apple Crumble. love this apple peeler/corer/slicer

It makes such even pieces

The rice dishes for the week are one for fish it has sushi rice with herbs de Provence and parsley powder using a chicken broth base. The other is a rice I think it is spelled arsio? with the taco mix seasoning and a little kitchen bouquet for color.

This one is for supper tonight. It has ground lamb cooked then the basmati rice, curry and turmeric in Chicken broth as well.

left ariso(?) right sushi and lower is Basmati

I will serve the lamb tonight and the others will be put up for the menu this week.

Home cooking means lots of dishes!

Ginger snaps for the kids after school too.

Well off to the garage to pack up the Christmas things. I want my car parked inside again. I really miss it being nice and warm and clean.

Herberer Theater Tonight

We have been invited by the Director and the Performer to attend

An Evening With Harriet Tubman
January 15-17, 22-24
Time: 12:10 P.M. , Doors open at 11:40
**PREVIEW NIGHT Jan 14th, 7 P.M.**

The play was amazing!
Very good historical understanding.
She was so much more than our history has ever told us.

A dramatic narrative detailing the life of American Legend Harriet Tubman. Known as "The Moses of Her People" , Harriet Tubman is said to have led over 300 of her bondsmen out of slavery. Harriet Tubman led a life of reluctant fame and adventure. Based on documented events, this original piece is written and performed by Larrissa Brewington
Directed by Kandyce Hughes

Kandyce and I have been friends many years over 20, Her husband and Beloved are best friends of well over 30 years. We loaned the play a musket riffle for the performance and as a gift to our family we have been given admission for the whole family. This aught to be a lot of fun tonight. We are both Civil War buffs.

Canyon Lake Arizona

Sunday Drive
We got a little house bound and Dash has a bit of a cough so we went for a ride. We drowe around on the new 202 freeway and then found our selves on the way to
Canyon Lake

The Lake is drained so that repairs can be made to the Dam.. with the water level down we just had to go explore.

I found a nice drift wood.

We would have water way over our heads normally so it was very interesting for the kids to see.

This area is called the Geronimo Formation. The landscape it breath taking.

If you look across you can see how low the water level is.

The children are dwarfed by the embankments this is all normally under water.

the shells were so numerous and amazing. The rocks were covered with moss that made them look hairy.

The sunset was amazing!

In the canyon is a little "town" Tortilla Flat... they actually have a post office,general store and a bar/restaurant. The kids had to have their photo on the "horses butts".
The walls and ceiling in this little place are covered with $1. bills YES real ones. They say $40,000. worth of $1. I suppose it they ever need them ...

We got the children some 6 shooters for $4 a set at the little shop, they were so excited to get to the car to open them. We gave them the choice of the shooters or the $4 to save toward there toys on the refrigerator waiting to be earned. Dash said he would rather earn the money for the toy.

Sunset in the south west is joy!

Oh the sky was just too wonderful!

The little one lane bridges were charming to cross. No one knows the rules any more and it can be a free for all.

My soul is refreshed after such a fun time together in the great outdoors.

Menu Plan Monday

Having the inventory done I was able to finish the menu quickly as I stood in the hall and listened to Daddy Man read from the Chronicals of Narnia, Prince Caspian. I love his reading voices (yes plural) he is astounding!
I placed all the meats for the first four days in the outside refrigerator to defrost.
I will pre-bake Saturdays and Sundays chicken once thawed while I make Tuesdays meal and set it aside. I like to have more free time on the weekend.
I will make Thursday and Friday's rice tomorrow to save efforts and then stow them in the refrigerator. I'll just have to fry the fish and re-heat the rice for movie night on Friday. Sundays soup will have all of the left over vegetables from the week if any and I'll amend it as necessary.
Backing will be done for breads and Grains snacks like cookies and muffins.

Join us at Organizing Junkie

Carnaval of family life. *Life Celebrated*

The Carnival of Family Life is coming to Write From Karen - AGAIN!

Read on …

If you’re not familiar with the Carnival of Family Life, here is a brief summary:

Goals of the Carnival of Family Life
The goal of the Carnival of Family Life is to provide readers an opportunity to sit down in front of their computers, relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, and be inspired, amused, motivated or experience a couple of “A ha!” or “Me, too!” moments while reading and considering the various entries.

In essence, the Carnival of Family Life is all about your family. The definition of family is broad and this Carnival encompasses all of those interpretations. Write about a family antedote, a funny family story, the meaning of family as it applies to you, family tips, products, etc.

Write your article, post it to your blog and then submit the permalink. I’ll compile the links and post article excerpts here on January 14th.

You can find more about the program and the guidelines here. You can also find this week’s Carnival of Family Life at Pajama Mommy (beginning January 7th).

So tell us about your family - we’re listening

Life Celebrated

Having a thing to anticipate is a way that energy is kept alive and the electricity of excitement charges the air with a tingling that races the adrenaline into every pore.
Holidays come and go monthly. seasonal celebrations of events unfold. Although we are not Jewish is is a beautiful culture,as are so many cultural events.

New year 1-1
Martin Luther 1-16


Ground Hogs Day 2-2
Valentines Day 2-14
Washington and Lincoln's Birthdays 2-20,22


Ash Wednesday 3-1
St Patric's Day 3-17
First day of spring 3-20


April fools day 4-1
Palm Sunday 4-9
Pass Over 4-13
Good Friday 4-14
Easter 4-16
Earth day 4-22

May Day 5-1
Mothers Day 5-14
Armed Forces day 5-20
Memorial Day 5-29

Flag Day 6-14
Fathers day 6-18
First day of Summer 6-21

Fourth of July 7-4
Americans with Disabilities Act 7-26

Labor Day 9-4
Grand Parents Day 9-10
Patriots Day 9-11
First day of Fall
Rosh Hoshanah 9-23

Yom Kippor 10-2
National Children's Day 10-8
Columbus Day 10-9
Harvest

Election Day 11-7
Veterans day 11-7
Thanks Giving 11-25

Pearl Harbor Day 11-7
Homukkah 12-16
First day of winter 12-20
Christmas Day 12-25
New Years Eve 12-31
Kwanzaas

Birthdays
Adoptions days
(we Celebrate the day the Judge said yes!)
Anniversaries
Weddings
Funerals

There are so many cultural events that lend them selfs to understanding through teaching and celebration (even if it is just to acknowledge them for educational purposes). The more we understand each other the more we learn to understand why folks are the way they are. History is also a large part of holiday interest.

In order to keep a budget there are many items that are exchangeable to each holiday. Things to collect are so easy to find at the end of the prior holiday after the things go on clearance.

Red can be used for Valentines and Mothers Day, Fourth of July, Election Day

Greens for St Patric's, Earth Day,Christmas

Whites for St Patric's Day,Easter, Election Day

Thanksgiving browns can be added for Ground Hog Day ,Earth Day
Pinks for Valentines, Easter and such.

You get the Idea so when a holiday ends and your out and about and see a clearance item of such color think seasonally.
Teach your children sociology through celebrations it instills a love of culture and silences bigotry as well.
When you can retroactively end bigotry you wield a powerful sword.:)

Mother and Daughter Blog Carnival

Little Dove is so wonderful and so magical in her beauty.

I have watched her emerge year by year

Her gentle playfulnesses making everything new and a wonder...

As she and her pup have grown and changed ...I have observed her and who she will become.

From early on the fiction and athletic mystery that is Dove

She has always this silliness that makes her so very charming.

Her life drastically changed when she became a sibling.

My sweet snow maiden, my Russian princess

Babies are an instant a flash in time.

The magic they hold...

Toes in the grass and eyes to the sky's

But it is that magically awe inspiring wonder...

The not knowing who or what they might one day become...

She was once so very small

When I first saw her,
It was I who was filled with so much wonder...
(match photo)

link to Carnival
We moms face many issues as we travel on the journey of motherhood. As a mom of three girls, I've found that raising girls has it's own unique set of joys and challenges, and it's fair share of DRAMA!! I looked for a blog carnival catering specifically to mothers and daughters, and I couldn't find one. This is not to say that it doesn't exist, I just couldn't find it. So I decided to start a new one. (What is a blog carnival?)