::knit-a-square::

Guess what this is?

If you guessed "part of a blanket to keep an ophan in Africa affected by AIDS warm this winter"...you'd be right!
In my blog subs, I ran across a link to a charity calling all knitters to "Knit a Square" to help keep an AIDS orphan warm.  I thought, "Hey!  I can actually DO that!"   I'm not an expert knitter by any stretch of the imagination, but I can knit an 8"x8" square.  And that's all you really have to do.

It doesn't matter what kind of yarn you use: new, old, wool, acrylic, blends, etc.  This is also a way to use up those random scraps of yarn you don't know what to do with.  Simply knit (or crochet) an 8 by 8 inch square, darn in your ends after casting off, and leave a meter of yarn attached to your work.

How does a small square keep an orphan warm?

Knit-a-Square volunteers and grandmothers will help to sew these squares together into blankets to keep orphans warm. 

 

(photo taken from  Knit-a-Square)

If your yarn is wool or a wool blend, which is flame retardant, it will be sewn into a blanket that will go to an orphan who spends their nights outdoors, possibly around a fire.  If you use an acrylic blend, which is not flame retardant, it will go to an orphan who has a place to sleep indoors away from a night fire.  If you use acrylic, you need to note that when you mail it in.  It doesn't matter, though--use whatever you have and all you have.

I think this is a very worthy charity, and it's a unique way I can use my novice knitting skills to keep a child warm. 
If you knit, here are the instructions for your 8x8 inch square.
If you crochet, here are the instructions for your square.

And if you'd like to knit but don't know how, remember that I learned to knit this time last year by watching YouTube videos, which I have listed here for you.  These are THE videos I used, so if I can figure it out, so can you.
*Casting on
*Knit stitch (garter stitch)
*Purl stitch
*Casting off (binding off)
*Darning in tails (weaving in the ends)

So, okay, maybe you're thinking, "Who has time to knit?"  I do, but it's because I make time for it.  If we're watching a movie or anything on television (which is limited....yes, we're those people who don't have cable or satellite, but we do pick up a few things on our rabbit ears), I knit.  It's a productive hobby, and it keeps my hands busy when I want to snack (and you know I'm trying to do less of that...by the way, I've lost SEVEN pounds!). 
And now, I can use it to keep a child warm.  I like that.

Let me know if you decide to do this project!  If you're local and you want me to help you, I'll be glad to.  ;-)

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::being polite::

Today's (nearly late!) Things I Love Thursday:  being polite.

One of the things my husband really wants to teach our son is politeness.  There are so many things we want to teach him...to follow Christ, to understand what he believes, to have a love of literature, music, sports, how to make friends, to love others, and the list goes on and on.  So much we want to teach, and we're doing it tiny step by tiny step...considering that our son is only 16 months old.  One of the things that's been easy (thus far anyway) to teach at this age is to respond politely.

When I was growing up--in the South, I might add--every child was taught to say please, thank you, yes mam, no mam, yes sir, no sir.  I realize now that this is more prevalent in the South....something about southern hospitality...I dunno.  My grandfather was a stickler for good grammar and politeness.  He wouldn't answer our question or comment unless we'd formed it politely and with correct grammar.  It's one of my fond memories about him now....and it drives my innate need to mentally correct everyone's grammar.  (Come on...I *know* I'm not the only person who does this!)  I'm thankful, though, that I was taught to be polite.  If my mom called through the house to get us to do something, and we responded with "Whhhhaaaat?" she responded with "what did you say?" and then we'd quickly say, "I mean, Maaaaamm???"  Same thing happened if she told us to do something and we grumbled about it.  She'd say "Beg your pardon?"  And we'd respond with "Yes, mam" (while inserting a huge sigh, of course).


I still say "yes mam" to elderly ladies...and to my Mama.  And my grandmothers.  ;-)    So does my husband who, also being a Southerner, was taught the same thing.

We practice this for our son by always saying "please" and "thank you" when we give him something to eat or hand him a toy.  He is in a phase of wanting to give us random things: toys, books, tissues (torn up, of course), fuzz from the carpet, crumbs from his cracker, etc.  We say "thank you" regardless of what it is. 

A few days ago, I realized that our son was saying something like "day-chu" when we gave him something: his sippy cup, a snack, a toy, his pacifier.  I suddenly realized that he was saying "thank you!"  For some reason, it made me proud...I felt like I'd actually done something right for once when I feel like a failure as a parent half the time.  Now, we say "you're welcome" to his "day-chu."   It wasn't hard, and it surprised me at how quickly he caught on to it, and I have to say, I love hearing his little version of "thank you" throughout my day.  He's on his way to becoming a gentleman!

Now...if we could just get him to grasp the whole sharing thing....

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::phase one-ing it::

My husband and I were on vacation to the Great Smokies last week, and let me tell you...we ate some fabulous food while we were there.  There was this bowtie pasta meal with grilled chicken, garlic, bacon, and an asiago cream sauce that still has me salivating.  Oh, and then I had a mahi-mahi fish and chips dinner that met every desire for that soul-satisfying, greasy, artery-clogging fried goodness.  And a deep-fried cheesecake that....oh....well...it's probably best if I don't go there in my mind.  Anyway.   If you ever head that way, hit me up for some recommendations!

All that eating came at a steep price for both my wallet and my bathroom scale.  A few months ago I made an attempt at counting calories to lose weight, but I still found myself eating too much processed food, even if I did count the calories.  I even took up running for a while (which I WILL get back too soon, I promise!).  But I did not lose more than a few pounds.  I still felt cravings for sugar or carbs all the time. Last week on our trip, I gave into every craving because, you know--it's vacation.  You're supposed to eat crap all week and love it, right?  (If my mom is reading this, I know you hate the C word....sorry.)  Couple that with the fact that I was uber carsick all week long from the curvy, mountainous roads we were on, so I munched on crackers or granola every time we were in the car.  (For some reason that helped.)

By the end of the week, even I had met my French fry limit (who knew that was possible?).  I was determined to hop back on the healthy eating bandwagon when we got home.  And then it happened.....my husband said the magic words: "Can we go on a diet?  I feel fat."  Say WHAT?!?  That's music to my ears, Baby!

I was already trying to determine how I'd cut carbs out of my meals without doing it to his meals, too, and then have him unsatisfied with what we were eating.  This was the answer--both of us eating the same thing.  So, he agreed to do a modified version of the South Beach Diet.  I quickly moved us into Phase 1 to try and detox our bodies of all the junk we'd been consuming.   When I say modified, I mean that we don't do everything Dr. Agatston recommends for Phase 1.  I'm not a big fan of "fake butter".  Even the self-proclaimed "heart-healthy" ones.  I think too much of that artificial stuff can just make you fatter.  That's the problem with America, really.  Fat-free products (and many low-fat products) just serve to make us fatter and unhealthier.  We over-indulge in things that are altered and therefore harder for our bodies to process.  Why not just use something that's more natural (i.e., real butter) and simply use it in moderation?  At least our bodies know what to do with real butter and olive oil.  Same goes for sour cream, milk, mayo, cheese, etc.  Anyway...I digress.

The other reason for modification is that my husband is type 1 diabetic who was diagnosed as such at the young age of eleven.  Imagine giving yourself insulin shots three times per day during the 6th grade.  He's 31 now, and his diabetes has always been well-maintained. However, he can't cut all sugar out of his diet or his blood sugar will plummet to a dangerous low.  So, we add in some sugar sources that are low in fat, and I try to get him to eat protein with it to help maintain his levels.  I, sadly, do not get to indulge.  Blast my well-working, healthy pancreas!

Coming up with recipes during the most restrictive part of an eating plan is difficult, I'll admit.  It's hard to not just eat chicken and salad every night of the week....and honestly, that's boring.  I'd burn out really quickly.  My husband prefers to have a meat at every evening meal, so I can't go all vegetarian, though it might be easier at times.  I'm determined to "bring him good, not harm, all the days of [my] life," (Proverbs 31:12) and I think that could encompass doing something good both for his health and for his desires.  Not simply what I think is best.

Our first night of the diet, we had a vegetable beef soup, which I knew he would like.  I simply left out the noodles, corn, and potatoes I would normally put in it.  The next night, we had chicken breasts stuffed with a spinach souffle along with some green beans and salad.  What next?

I ran across a recipe for Black Bean Soup in a Paula Deen magazine that looked really good.  I know, right?  Paula Deen....South Beach Diet in the same sentence.  The two do NOT jive. I picked up my South Beach Diet cookbook and found an eerily similar recipe for black bean soup.  The only real difference between the two was that one of them called for crumbled bacon.  I'll let you guess which one called for the pig.  ;-) 

Now, I know, I know, I KNOW that turkey bacon just doesn't taste like regular bacon.  I've already been informed by my husband.  But you know...it's not half bad.  Or two-thirds bad.  Or mostly bad.  For the record, we discovered at breakfast this week that our 16 month old loves it.  Weird.  Cooked and crumbled in this soup, it's actually pretty good.  With less saturated fat.  You could use regular, but with all the protein we're eating right now, I wanted to cut a little saturated fat out.

So, finally.  Here's the recipe.  And HERE is where it came from. 

What?  you can't read that?  Oh, right....
You'll need:
5 slices bacon (or turkey bacon!), finely chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion (I upped it to 1 whole onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 (15.25 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed 
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth (I used chicken paste and water)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder (don't worry...it's not going to taste like chili)
S & P to taste
Garnish: sour cream, minced chives, jalapenos, shredded cheese, cilantro, salsa...whatever you like)

In a medium Dutch oven or medium soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned.  If you're using turkey bacon, add a little oil to the pan when it's done.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add beans, broth, spices.  Boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for half an hour.

Transfer half of the soup into your blende or food processor.  Process until nearly smooth.
**Tip: take the lid off your blender if you're processing hot foods.  It might explode!  Instead, place a kitchen towel over the top so it doesn't splatter, but it will allow some steam to escape as well so nothing explodes in your face.

Return the processed soup to the rest of the soup and stir.  Garnish and serve. 

I have to tell you, I LOVED this soup.  It was thick (after I added a teeny bit of cornstarch since I accidentally added too much broth) and very filling while being full of protein. It had a nice depth to it, and though it has spices I normally use in chili, it didn't taste a thing like chili.  I chose to garnish with a table spoon of sour cream and about a dozen jalapeno slices (Mazetta brand...the absolute best you'll ever taste; I could eat them out of the jar, and often do.).

It was just as good for lunch as it was for dinner.  And you know what...even with just the little bit of turkey bacon in it, my husand liked it.

It's worth a repeat, so the recipe goes into my "for keeps" binder.  Now, Paula does recommend that you serve it with cheese quesadillas, which, oh yeah, would be so stinkin' good.  But...not good for my hips.  So we skipped that part.

I'm a little late for this, but I did want to include this for Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.  Link up, if you like.

-glenna-

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::and the emmy goes to...::

Well, definitely not me; that's for sure.  Have you SEEN me do any acting lately?  Or ever?  Exactly.  I stink at trying to be something or someone other than who I am...much to my dismay, at times.  Anyway.  I digress.

I DID, however, get the "One Lovely Blog Award" that's been floating around the 'net!
My friend Jenny graciously passed it on to me.  So, I'm going to do what she did and pick five, instead of fifteen, blogs that I enjoy to receive the award.

 (No offense, but someone needs to redesign this thing.  It's a little frou-frou for my taste.)

However....to those of you who are ever so lucky as to have my endorsement (ummm....), do what you want.  You may not even know who I am and may choose to ignore that I passed along an award to you.  Or, maybe you've already won the award in the past.

Whatever the case may be...from me to you: me likes your blog.  :-)

The winners are as follows...go give them a look.  You'll like what you find.  I know I do. 

1. Allison at Life's Lost & Found 
2. Melanie at Tales From the Crib
3. Susan at Laughing & Learning
4. Mrs. U at Making a House a Home 
5. Mandi at Immeasurably More 

 There were so many to choose from...it was hard to narrow it down. And...several of the blogs I read are so widely followed that I'm sure the authors wouldn't re-post an award from little bloggy me.  But even though I keep up with these winning blogs here, they may not have the time to accept their award and pass it on in a post either so...no offense taken if you choose not to pass it on.

Thanks, Jenny, for reading my blog and giving me an award.  :-)

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::things i love thursday::

I've told my friends at church.
I've even tweeted about it.
And yes, I've been teased for how much I love this product.

But I am not ashamed!

About 2 months ago, I took my P&G coupon book to the store and finally purchased a Swiffer SweeperVac. 

A friend of mine had been on me for a while to get one of these, but I kept putting it off.  I'm not sure why, though.  It's not like I enjoyed lugging around my heavy vacuum cleaner all around the house.  I have hard surfaces all over my house.  The only carpet is a fluffy rug on my living room floor.  Everything else is either hardwood or ceramic tile.  I do not sweep.  Ever.  The broom is simply a way to clean the floors in theory.  I don't actually use it for anything other than sweeping off the porch. 

So every week, I pulled out the vaccum cleaner, put the attachments on, and vacuumed the entire house.  Lugging my heavy Hoover up the steep stairway to get all the hardwood upstairs...that's not something I ever care to repeat.  And now that I realize I did it all the time, I have no idea why I did it for so long.

Enter the Swiffer SweeperVac.

It's lightweight...really, light as a feather that! 
It's cordless (gasp!).
It also has a Swiffer cloth attached to it so that while it sucks dirt and crumbs off the floor, it also picks up anything the cloth touches. 

You have to charge this little guy up between cleanings, but it always stays charged long enough for me to get me entire 1800 sq. ft. house swept.  I change the cloth out about every 2-3 cleanings, less if I've swept more than once that week.  And often, I run the Swiffer every day in the main rooms.  It's just so easy and quick--why not do it more often?  My floors are cleaner.  I follow up about once a week with my Swiffer WetJet on the ceramic tile, and then I use another product on my hardwood less often, but I have finally gotten the sweeping issue under control.  With a 15 month old who tears leaves off the houseplants to bits, drops Cheerios everywhere, leaves a Hansel & Gretel-like bread crumb trail wherever he goes, well...I was losing my mind with how often I was having to vacuum.  It seriously felt like a losing battle.

But no more.

I'm skeptical of a lot of products on the market these days.  Some things that boast you'll spend lest time and elbow grease cleaning are merely products that have you buying refills constantly.  If you did the work by hand, you'd save money and perhaps have a cleaner house to boot, if I'm honest.  But, if I find a product that works for me, far be it from me to leave off giving credit where credit is due.

Yes...an entire post on the Swiffer SweeperVac.  It's just one of the things I love this Thursday.  :-)

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping



*Disclaimer: I have, in no way, been reimbursed or given any incentive by Proctor and Gamble to review this product. This post was written purely from my own desire to recommend a product I enjoy.  I have in no way been compensated for this review. Although, I wouldn't turn down a free Swiffer product if offered!*


::how to get out of a recipe rut::

I got an email from a friend the other day imploring me to do a post on finding recipes and coming up with dinner ideas.  It was such irony that she emailed me that day because I was sitting at the computer searching food blogs and recipe sites because I was in a major recipe rut.  And I'm still making an effort to climb out of it.

Every so often I find myself cooking the same things week after week after week.  I can usually pinpoint exactly when I'm in a cooking rut by my extreme lack of desire to be in the kitchen paired with my husband's lack of enthusiasm about what we're having, again.  Don't get me wrong--my husband is a great person to cook for because he's not picky and will try just about anything once.  And when he really likes something, he's good about letting you know that he enjoyed it.  But, I can see that look--the look that says "_______? again?  how do i tell her i'm tired of ___________without hurting her feelings?"-- come across his face when I serve __________..again..for the fourth time this month.  I normally enjoy cooking, but when I'm out of ideas, I loathe it. 

:::

So, what to do?  How do I get out of a recipe rut? 

I have only recently discovered the concept of a recipe carnival.  This is such a good idea!  You can link up with lots of other bloggers who are posting a recipe they really like.   I've run across some good recipes this way.  This blog hosts a recipe carnival every Tuesday.  Go check her out!

:::

There are also other recipe sites out there that exist solely to provide you with any recipe you care to search for.  Recipezaar and AllRecipes are two of my favorites. FoodNetwork.com is also a good resource.   It was through these sites that I discovered some of my old stand-bys such as Chicken in Basil Cream, Amish White Bread, Strawberry Mango Mesclun Salad, Sage Pork Chops, Oatmeal Muffins, Barbeque Meatloaf, the thing that fulfills my falafel craving, Lemon Basmati Rice to name a few.  :-)

:::

I feel that no recipe list is complete without the perfect biscuit recipe.  I am a southern girl, therefore I need a good homemade biscuit recipe.  I will not open a can.  No.  I won't.  No matter how much I love those Grands biscuit thingys, I refuse to buy them.  This recipe, however, is a reeeallllyyy close.  Give it a try. 

Biscuits Recipe

2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar (optional)

1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup (180 ml) milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Topping:

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use pastry blender or two knives).  Add milk and slightly beaten egg and stir until just combined.  (The texture should be sticky, moist and lumpy.)

Place mixture on a lightly floured surface.  Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.

Roll out dough to 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thickness.  Cut out biscuits with a round cookie cutter.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg and milk and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuit comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.  Serve warm with butter.

Makes about 12 -  3 inch (7.5 cm) biscuits.

 :::

I also like to hit up my friends for recipe ideas.  I like to know what they've tried recently that has been good, and I like to pass on my own finds to them.  One of my friends posted a recipe on Facebook that has become one of our favorites.  It's called Chicken Salsa Pie, and it could not be easier.

Chicken Salsa Pie (courtesy of Amy Maxwell)

Bake & season (or boil) three large chicken breasts. Shred into bite size pieces.
Add 1 can of corn (or 1 to 2 cups of frozen corn).
Add 1 can of kidney beans or black beans (whichever one you guys like).
Be sure to rinse both the beans and corn before adding.
Add 1 cup salsa or ... Read Moretaco sauce.
Mix everything together.
Shred 1 block of sharp cheddar cheese. (I think freshly shredded cheese makes a huge difference - over bagged already shredded cheese.)

In a round pie pan or medium sized rectangular pan, place one uncooked pie crust on the bottom.
Pour half of the chicken mixture into the crust. Pour half of the shredded cheese on top of the chicken mixture.
(repeat layer one more time - chicken mixture and then the cheese.)
Place the other pie crust (you get two pie crusts in a box) on top of the dish.
Pinch ends together and cut slits on top of the crust.

Back at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

To this, I would add that I like the deep dish pie shells that you get in the freezer section.  I know the roll-out pie crusts are a lot easier to work with, but I think the pie shells taste better when baked up.  That's just me, though.  Feel free to use what you like.

I never did get a picture of this when it came out of the oven...we ate it right away!  It is deceptively simple, but the salsa just gives it this kick of flavor.  This one is definitely part of our meal rotation.
:::

Another way I find recipes is through my google blog reader.  I subscribe to lots of blogs about homemaking, motherhood, etc.  Many of those bloggers post meal plans weekly or monthly with links to the recipes they are using.  I have a huge folder of bookmarked recipes that I add to whenever a recipe catches my eye.  I simply take a recipe from a blog or website, copy the recipe into a Word document and save it in my recipe folder where I have a break down of categories such as : Main Dishes>Chicken or Beef, Desserts & Breads, Appetizers, Soups, Salads, etc.  If a recipe is good, it gets printed and placed in my recipe book.  I have about 20 cookbooks, and I do use them from time to time, but the recipes I use the most are in my personal recipe book.  In it are recipes from family and friends, recipes torn out of magazines, and the ones I print from the internet.

The cookbook I use the most in addition to this is my Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook.  I got this as a wedding gift, and it was absolutely priceless to me as a new bride who didn't know a think about cooking.  My mother really tried to teach me, but I was so clumsy in the kitchen that I was usually banned from it.  See, there was this incident with a George Foreman grill...and a loud crash, and lots of broken dishes.. and well...it really was better that I was banned as this was a pretty regular occurrence.

I've since grown a bit more competent in the kitchen, but there is still the occasional broken dish or pasta sauce splattered on the counter, cabinets, coffee pot, and me. I regularly wear an apron for this very reason.  I've ruined many a shirt from grease splatters, so I proudly wear my white apron with my name monogrammed on the front.

(Did I mention there is a corresponding kitchen towel with similar monogramming?  It was a thoughtful, albeit quirky, wedding gift many moons ago, but I still love it.)

Moving on...
:::
This is a super easy Popcorn Chicken recipe.  My husband and son both love it!

*I would love to give credit where credit is due, but I absolutely cannot remember where I stumbled upon this recipe.  I'm fairly certain I found it on one of the blogs I read, but I searched and cannot find it.  Apparently, this was before I started bookmarking recipes.  ;-) 

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
butter
In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, salt and garlic powder.  Using kitchen shears, cut chicken breasts into tiny bite sized pieces.   Toss chicken in flour mixture to coat well.
Smear a thick layer of butter on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.  Pour coated chicken into dish, spreading so that they are in a single layer.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Stir chicken and bake another 10 minutes.

You absolutely must use butter for this recipe.  Margarine and olive oil were both huge failures and resulted in soggy, rather than crispy, chicken nuggets.  I've also added paprika to my flour mixture.  If this were greasier, it would seriously rival Chick-Fil-A!  I'm just saying...that might be why my husband likes it so much. 

:::
I know I've posted this one before, but it bears repeating.  I've even passed it on to a friend, and she really enjoyed it.  It gives a much different flavor than your standard pot roast.  Thanks again, Allison!

Harvest Pot Roast

1 large onion, sliced thickly

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces of mushrooms, quartered
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 chuck roast (2.5 - 3lbs), trimmed of all visible fat
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp greshly ground pepper

Combine the onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and tomatoes in a slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mustard, and worcestershire sauce. Top the vegetables with half the ketchup mixture.
Place the roast over the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the remaining mixture over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until meat is very tender.
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

:::
I also must, must, must share a flatbread recipe with you.  I saw this on Food Network once while on a weekend trip (we don't have cable, thus...no food porn for me unless we're on vacation!).  My husband loves this so much he asks for it every time we fire up the grill.

Herbed Flatbread, courtesy of Sunny Anderson, Food Network. 

• 1 (16-ounce) ball pizza dough (purchased from local pizza parlor or supermarket)
  
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh lemon thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Kosher salt

Roll out pizza dough to about 1-inch thick. Sprinkle evenly with onions and herbs, fold into quarters and knead 3 to 4 times to evenly incorporate herbs. Reform the dough into a ball and place in a small bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter with the garlic. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Heat a large cast iron grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Brush 1 side with olive oil and put oil side down on grill pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Brush the other side of the dough with oil, flip, and cook another 4 minutes. Remove from grill pan, brush 1 side with garlic butter and sprinkle evenly with salt. Cut into 2-inch strips and serve. 

I make my own pizza dough in my bread machine instead of purchasing it from a store.  They don't carry anything like that at my local grocery store, anyway. We put it on the outdoor grill, but I'm hoping to try it on a grill pan over the stove soon.   I also use regular thyme leaves instead of lemon thyme, because I have the regular stuff in my garden.  If you skip the thyme, you still must use the rosemary as this is the key ingredient.  I love, love, love this bread.  I'll warn you--it's dangerous to know how to make this recipe. You'll want it all. the. time.  No kidding.
:::
Meal planning.   Sigh.  We all say we're going to do it, but only the few, the proud, and the organized actually go through with it.  I do a loose menu plan each week.  I jot down the meals I'm thinking of making for dinner each night and I shop accordingly on Mondays.  If something doesn't sound particularly good that night, I'm free to switch things around.  I always try to cook enough at dinner for us to eat for lunch the next day so that I don't have to plan an entire lunch menu each week.  I rotate between toast and eggs, muffins, scones, pancakes, and cereal for breakfasts.  On the weeks I work hard on my menu for the week and stick to it, things go smoothly.  Waiting until 3:00 in the afternoon to decide what we're having for dinner is okay sometimes because life just lends itself to sporadic meal plans once in a while.  But making it an every day occurrence will result in a frantic, frenzied dinner prep.  So, while I don't stick to a strict meal plan, I find it helpful to at least have a week's worth of meal ideas posted on my fridge with the ingredients stocked for each meal.  It's always a good idea to keep some regular staples on hand for an emergency meal when you only have time to "throw something together." 
:::
It has taken me all day to work on this post.  With a nearly-16-month-old underfoot, I've had to work on this in stages, but I hope it's helpful for you if you're in a recipe rut. 

For now...I've got dinner to prepare!  Tonight it looks like we're having Spaghetti Bake. 
*I got this one online, too, but can't for the life of me remember where.  If you're reading this and I got it off your blog, please feel free to comment and let me know.  I really like to give credit when possible!

2 c. diced tomatoes
2 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. green bell pepper, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c. parsley
1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 t. seasoning salt
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt, pepper, garlic powder (mix equal amnts together)
2 bay leaves
1 pound ground beef
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. monterey jack cheese

Combine: tomato sauce, diced tomatos, onion, bell pepper, water, add seasonings, bring to boil. Brown burger and combine with sauce. Let simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Cook pasta.

In 9x13 pan put some sauce first, a layer of pasta, layer of cheese and repeat ending with sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Top with cheese and return until melted.







Bon Appetit!
-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::things i love thursday--PAINT!::

Today's thing I love is a little different, maybe, than the normal things I choose.  Right now I'm in the early stages of revamping our bedroom.  I cannot wait to get started with the painting.  What cheaper, more cost effective way is there to noticeably update a room than with paint?!?!

When we moved into this house 3 years ago (exactly 3 years today, actually!), there was a heck-of-a-lot of wallpaper going on.  There still is.  I have a plaid kitchen with dark green cabinets. (Yuck. But redoing the kitchen is a greater financial undertaking than I can afford right now.)  I have a burgundry and white striped laundry room. (I can live with it.)  I have a bedroom with hunter green walls above the chair rail and striped 90's wallpaper below it. (Sick of it, hence the revamping.) 

There was a bedroom that had nasty old wallpaper, carpet, and ratty carpet that we redid a couple of years ago.  Here are some pictures of that room when we made it over:
The room when occupied by the previous owners (*note: we do not own any dead animals)

 The way it looked for about a year or so, sans border paper which we began peeling off:

All wallpaper gone...lots of sanding and priming because the wallpaper was glued straight on to the dry wall. 

 More priming was done on the bottom half (3 coats!), and then we began painting with happy green:

We ripped up the old carpet after we finished painting and discovered beautiful original floors that matched the rest of the hardwood in the house (it's a very old house!), and this was how they looked after just mopping them.  (*note: they don't always look like this...they need to be refinished and sealed):

The completion:

Now, scroll back up to that very first picture and tell me painting does not make a HUGE difference!

I don't have a good before pic of our bedroom yet, but I'll take one today, and then more as the work progresses.  I'm at a standstill with removing wallpaper because I need my husband to take off the baseboards since the wallpaper is sealed underneath them (bleh!).  But, for the time being, I'll just tempt you with this color: Scandinavian Sky.  I've already bought my paint and even painted a small section over the bed to see how well it matched the bedspread.  I'm very excited about getting the paint on the walls--what a huge difference it will make!  But for now I have to endure the tedious process of removing wallpaper, the bane of my existence.

Until next time, catch up on Things I Love Thursdays!

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::all's quiet::

And I mean that quite literally.  All I can hear is the whirring of the baby monitor and the rustle of leaves on the trees outside the open windows. 

Usually my husband takes Monday off since Sunday is a long work day for him as a pastor.  However, he has plans to meet his dad for golf tomorrow, so he went in to work today. 

My son is finishing up hour 3 of a marathon nap after our morning grocery run and mid-morning snack time.  Since he's seen fit to allow me to get some housework done, groceries are put away, dishes are washed, kitchen cleaned, dinner planned, bathrooms cleaned, toilets scrubbed, downstairs swept, kitchen & family room mopped, lunch eaten, blog pile-up finally read,  and journaling done. Lots of things checked off my list today! I'm now enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee (what else did you expect?) and waiting for the little man to wake so he can have a late, late lunch/snack, and then spend some time outside to enjoy this beautiful fall day.

When my husband gets home, we'll eat dinner and then go for a bike ride, hopefully!  A day like today makes me so very thankful summer is over.  I adore cooler temperatures.  

How about you? What are your plans today? 

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::Friday Faves::

I love to eat out.  I really do.  It relieves me of the pressure of cooking, serving, and especially CLEANING UP!  How I loathe washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after each meal, which I do three times a day nearly every day unless we eat out.

Instead of simply listing my favorite restaurants, I decided to just post my favorite anecdotes about eating out in a small town where most of those few options are either Mexican or Chinese.  Let's talk about the Chinese restaurants, shall we?

To distinguish between the 4 Chinese restaurants that are clean safe generally acceptable haven't been shut down by the health department yet in my town, we have given them names that we deem appropriate.  First of all, there's Yang's Chinese. We let them have their original name since we've never actually eaten there.  Rumor has it that Mr. Yang murdered his wife and chopped her to pieces before fleeing the country.  He was on America's Most Wanted for 10 years or so until he was caught and imprisoned in 2005.  To avoid any chance of meeting Mrs. Yang in my General Tso's, I've avoided Yang's.


The second is what we call the Chinese Bank.  A bank turned Chinese restaurant where the cooking is done in the vault.  I blogged about this on our family blog not long after we moved to this town.  It still cracks me up to go through the teller window and order my take-out.  Still...their take-out is the best.  

Third, there is China Ryan's.  Typically known as the Mongolian Grill, this restaurant moved into an old Ryan's restaurant building after the Ryan's closed, thus we call it China Ryan's.  When I say I start to panic when I walk into this restaurant, I mean it.  It's too many people in too many buffet lines looking too hungry and too persistent about getting their food.  I start to feel claustrophobic when I see the 10 buffet lines.  Plus, the last time I was there, I found a hair in my chicken with peanut sauce.  I've not been able to go back. 

Fourth, we have Long John China's.  Also known as Hunan, this restaurant not only serves Chinese food, but they apparently make a mean plate of spaghetti. The other distinguishing aspect is that this establishment occupies a former Long John Silver's building.  Appropriately, catfish is on the menu, also.  Paint the building red, yellow, and blue all you want, you can't disguise the tell-tale nautical look of a Long John Silver's!!  There is still the faint scent of fried fish in the air....or maybe that's just the catfish. 

Nevertheless...I do like Chinese food.  In fact, I may eat some for dinner tonight if my husband is open to the idea.  Where do you think I should go?  Which of the four sounds best safest like it might not kill me acceptable?

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::monday madness::

The highlight of my weekend was:  Church!  My husband's sermon was so encouraging and convicting.  I love spending time with my church family, too.  A potluck is always fun, too!  Saturday was also a highlight when my 15 month old boy was a major snugglebug.  Unfortunately, my husband was out most of the day, and since it was overcast and rainy, my son and I snuggled and played a lot.  I loved the snuggling, needless to say. 

The goals for the week are: Get this house in order, get bills, paid, and get to a much anticipated playdate tomorrow.

My marriage goal for the week is: Think before I speak.  My reactions get me into the most trouble. 

A parenting goal for the week is:  Spend some time outside with Isaiah.  It's been dreary for a few days so we've not spent much time outside lately.  He loves it, so I should make more of an effort.

A personal goal I hope to achieve this week is:  Get back on my running schedule.  I took last week off because of shin splints, busy-ness, and rainy weather.  It will be difficult to get back into it, but I need to do it. 

The thing I'm most looking forward to this week is: Well...I'm not exactly sure it's the thing I'm MOST looking forward to, but I am headed back to my hometown this weekend for my 10 year highschool reunion.  I feel old!

-glenna-

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::bloggy blahs::

Sometimes real life is just too real and complicated to put into a blog post (read: busy).  Sometimes I'm just too tired to string together words and ideas in such a way as to dazzle my readers (read: lazy).  And sometimes I just have nothing to say (read: nothing to say).   

Put it all together and you get one quiet blog this week.

However, I've enjoyed some time with my son who, upon getting his first set of (generic) Hot Wheels cars, promptly lost two of them as soon as I opened the box.  I later found one of them behind the bookcase but didn't discover the second one until I reached for a tissue this morning after a round of sneezing and discovered the tiny Lamborghini in the bottom of the Kleenex box.  Did I mention my son's going through a placement phase?

Currently the yellow Ferrari is being dropped behind the blinds on the back door over and over again.  Endless fun.  :-)

Maybe next week I'll feel a bit more motivated to share my scintillating life with you.

Until then...
-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::genius::

I cannot for the life of me remember where I read this tip, but I am so thankful to have read it somewhere. 

You know how most baby toys are annoyingly loud?  Even though they usually have two sound levels, the lower level is still obnoxiously loud.  My son has good hearing. He doesn't need to lose it, however, by listening to incredibly loud baby toys.  I mean, really.   Why do they have to be SO loud?  Do V-tech or LeapFrog get some sort of cut from ear doctors who see children with ruptured ear drums? 

The cure?

Place a piece of clear tape over the speaker.

And just like that, the noise is drastically reduced. 

 Genius, I tell you.  Genius.

-glenna-

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::things i love thursday::

Today's Things I Love Thursday: my hands.

Not exactly things, per se, although I guess hands are "things."  I guess.

My hands are something I've come to love.  Not because they're beautiful or manicured or anything like that.  Heavens, no.  They are scarred and often injured and characterized by chipped, broken finger nails.  But they remind that I'm a mom, which is something I don't ever want to take for granted.

A compulsive nail biter when things get tense or stressful, my nails look short on a good day.  I often say it's because I play the piano and need to keep them short, but really, who am I kidding?  I am a self-proclaimed nail biter and have been since I've had teeth.  When we were waiting on Isaiah's adoption to go through those first two days after his birth, I quickly was down to the quick...heh, heh...er, um..sorry.   (Anyway.) 

I'm inordinately clumsy.  I constantly have cuts or burns on my hands.  Today I've got two nasty spots that are healing from an encounter with my CHI straightening iron.  I was hurriedly straightening my hair one day last week while my toddler played with his toys in the next room.  In an effort to be done quickly, I went to straighten the hair on the back of my head and straightened my hand instead of my hair.  Ouch.

Just this morning I was opening a package of file folders so I could reorganize some bills and financial records, and of course I walked away with a bleeder paper-cut. There is usually a cut somewhere on my hands from using my beloved santoku knife in meal preparations.  (None today, though, knock on wood...)

I am also a compulsive hand washer.  I worked as a dental assistant for 4 years which bred in me a deep and abiding fear of germs.  I wash my hands no less than twenty times per day.  As a result, my hands are really dry, especially in the winter time.  Not a bad habit, but it is a mindless one.  I do it without realizing it.

On the rare occasion that my finger nails are actually painted (like today!) the paint is usually chipped and peeling (like today!) because I don't have the time to keep them looking nice.  It's a price I'm more than willing to pay, though, to be busy. For all the wounds and scars, I am thankful that my hands are busy with the work of motherhood and homemaking.  I guess I'll never be a hand model (there goes my dreams of millions), but I'll be content working with "eager hands" (Proverbs 31:13).

-glenna-
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

::Jesus Storybook Bible Giveaway::

I was really excited to stumble across the news that there is a giveaway for the Jesus Storybook Bible!!

This is actually THE book we had chosen to buy next for our evening devotions with our son since we are on our 5th time through The Big Picture Story Bible.  I'm pleased with how both books make Christ the center of the story...how the Old Testament is one giant arrow pointing to Jesus Christ. I'm even more pleased that there is a chance I could win a CASE of the Jesus Storybook Bibles to keep and to share!   So, to enter the giveaway, I wanted to post and spread the news.  If you want to enter, do it ASAP!  The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on September 10!!

-glenna-

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping