Fort Kid Power

As The Laundry fly's in the breeze

Fort Kid Power
is hosting a Play Date

By using large clips and clamp, fitted sheets for the roof and flat sheets the walls summer is fun!
Too hot for them to be out doors this is a great way to add adventure

This is so fun for them
They are all doing art on the floor and the silly voices of imaginary characters are ringing through the air. I have an extra charge today. My dear friends daughter.

Well rest is over back to the many tasks at hand.

I hope your all enjoying having the children home.

Morning beading and yesterdays harvest

A dear friend of mine commissioned a necklace and quadruple earring set.
Here is the necklace so far.

I hope you like it Denise.
I loved the way the movement occured at the junktions

Yesterday's Harvest

Yesterday we cut the first melon.
We were not aware of how long to wait for the harvest and the information was a bit unclear.
I found out this morning that these melons get to be 25 -30 pounds opps.
Well I will cut into a unripe melon today I will see if it is a spent fruit.

We all went to Diann's to go swimming after the heat of the tortilla making left us longing to cool off.
The kids had a good time as so did I. Although I was just worn out tired.
Yesterday I had only a very few hours of sleep to go on and awoke tired and pushing myself into the day. Traffic school lasted so late and it took me until 2 a.m. to wind down.
That was three night in a row of little sleep.

Last night it caught up with me.
We had a nice family supper of beef barley stew and tortillas.
I went and reclined on the big bed and was visiting with the kids.
They left the room around 5:30 to run off and play.
I fell asleep and was awaken at 11p.m. by my sweet heart coming in to shower for bed.
I got up and showered went back to bed and slept until I was woke up to answer the phone at around ? 7:30.
I have the most terrible back ache today.
But I am rested.
:)

My back did not like being reclined that long.
It really hurts bad.
I have been debating with a psin killer but need to be alert to parent and do chores.

Last evening Steve and I went out to the garden and he spotted three more larger melons and a few small ones.
I had no idea that they reached 25 pound or more untill this mornings research.
The instructions showed that if the patch on the base showed loss of white and becoming a nice beige or it the tendrils nearest the melon were drying to harvest, and they were.
I found out this morning ( after harvesting the melon) that it is still a very small fruit.
I'll cut it open at lunch to see.

The retreat contest judging was held and a lovely blogger was chosen.
It was not myself but I will still do my best to finance the trip in October.
I am sorta disappointed and a bit sad for me but very happy for Mare.
Her heart is so sweet.

Well the breeze has dried the clothes on the line and it is time to go remove them and hang another.
Hope your all having a great Friday!
Ya! It is the week end again.
We have an extra child at 1:30 for a rare overnight
I Have my wheels turning on ideas for homemade fathers day gifts the kids can all make together.

Enjoy the day!

Tortilla making lesson

Let me introduce my friend Diann.
She has offered to teach the art of tortilla making to me.
So of course I will pass the lesson on to all of you.

Of course the lesson would be incomplete without the aide of our handy dandy darlings.

Allow the children to measure assisted of course

3 cups flour
2 tbs Baking powder
2 tsp salt
3 tbs Crisco

mix lightly

Then mix in approximately three cups of water and kneed to a soft dough consistency

knead and work into a ball

at soft ball stag when it is just only stick a bit in the center of the dough
Hand it over to the kids to knead some more

split the dough betwwn the kids and have them each form many small balls out of it

Show them how to knead it a bit

give them another bowl to put all the balls in

Meanwhile we moms took the balls and kneaded a bit
then flatten them and spin as your flattening them a bit.

Flour the work surface

The circle of dough is then rolled from center of ball out turn roll center out

Then each time you roll turn
It is picked up and worked or tossed back and forth.
This is an important process.
The ones that I did that I did not toss enough left flour to burn on the skillet.

from center out, tun center out turn then toss.

Look at those amazing hands...

At this point it is very thin
The thinner the better
It makes the most tender tortilla

Now here is a treat for the children called
"monkey Butts"
Yep...
That is what she said they are called.
:)

Heat two inches of vegetable oil till hot
We used the Crisco and she did not like the way it responded.
Vegetable oil is better
I just dod not have any on hand for I use almost exclusively olive oil.

For tortilla a very hot cast iron works best
We improvised with a skillet
it is a non stick
it did not work the same way.
The pan must be very very hot and that is not good for Teflon to be that hot.

These cook fast!
This process is very very fast paced roll and then cook it is an hour in the making of 12 tortillas.
After that hour your pretty tired out for it is a high speed fast paced process that is focused.

Flip and one minute and done!

have ready a towel on a plate
as soon as the tortilla is removed stack and cover.
The steam keeps the stack moist adn wonderful!

Her experience at making them really shows!
Look at that beautiful tortilla!

These are the deep fried Monkey Butts
They are VERY VERY fast paced!
In and turn in under on minute and out onto plated toweling to drain
Then shake powdered sugar on both sides .

The prize!

The children clearing the second plate of fried Monkey Butts.

What a name for a treat.

Thankful Thrusday

11:30 here that's P.M.
I just returned after 4 1/2 hours at Defensive Driving School.
YEP!
My first ticket in some 30 years.
A big ticket 11 mph over the posted speed limit.
$183. later the ticket will not go on my record with the DMV.
Good lessons though.
I was bemoaning a little bit today and Dash say's to me .

"Just consider it chance to get some more good education Mom"

It was really a very enjoyable evening.
Given my perspective of gratitude.
You know here in Arizona I never had to take a drivers test
and they are good until 65 years of ag!.
The one I took at 16 was it.
Well now at 48 I get a good refresher.
Man oh man what a good heads up!

You know here in the little city I live it is
#3 in the nation for the most red light runners
Phoenix is #1
and Tucson AZ is # 4.
WOW!
Heads up, eyes scanning and do not take it for granite that any one is doing the right thing or even cares what they are doing behind the wheel.
I am normally a pretty defensive driver.
I am sure I am going to be even more so now.
How wonderful to learn these things in a class room opposed to a car crash.

This was a good lesson for me.
Many great gains in the knowledge of our laws.


Did you know that you can be
arrested on a suspicion of impairment to the slightest
8 points on license That is a suspicion!
Then if the tests show drug or alcohol it is another ticket on top of that.
It can cost as far as up to $33,000 to get it finished after fines, legal and court costs refunding for jail time, increased auto ins if you can get it. The breath thing that gets installed in an auto of an offender and many other things he coverd!
Mandatory jail time and the jail time has to be paid back to the state at $250. first night and then $75. for each day in jail!
At least $5000 for a lawyer but they can even do little to help you.
If there is a child under 15 in a car with you it is PRISON!

I am glad I don't drink.
However prescriptions could count if they impair you to the slightest
Even an over the counter antihistamine!

Makes you thankful for the mercy given for I know there have been days when I have not been at my best.
Tell you what driving is not a right it is a privilege that can be taken away at anytime.

How very thankful I am that this was a lesson for me in the responcibilities of driving.
My ticket was due to being tired and pushing myself to keep going.

How wonderful to have that gift to stop when you are tired!

"resonable and safe to do so"
This is the base of the law here
so anything you do to cause or do not do to avoid a collision
will cause you to be sighted!

The traffic light color or the other issues do not matter
If you could of avoided it and did not....you can be found at fault!

Left turns are the worst!
I'll just avoid them in my errands all together when it is reasonable to do so.

Thankfully well educated
:)

Word Filled Wednseday