Kids crack me up!

Whether it's my own kids or someone else's, I just love the things they say and do.

We were at the library for toddler time last week.
A mother was there with her two children for the first time.

The oldest seemed to be about 4. He was not happy to be there.

While waiting for it to start, I heard such things as, "Can we go home?" "I don't want to be here," and a resounding, "No it's won't," when his mother told him it would be fun.

Now, don't picture in your mind a bratty little boy. He didn't seem bratty at all, just perhaps unsure of a new place. (The only reason I heard him was because we were sitting right beside them.) His mother was also very sweet and kind in her reassurances.

Anyway, after a few more complaints the program was over and everyone was dismissed. I couldn't help but laugh as the little boy walked out saying,

"THAT WAS FUN!"

Here's a friendly reminder to read to your children everyday! ;)

Once Upon a Time . . .

There were three potties . . .

While taking my little sunbeams for a potty break on Sunday,

one little boy kept peeking into empty stalls.

I asked him to please pick one.

I finally heard him say, "Too soft."

It's important to find a potty that is just right!

Veggies on the Side

Remember this fun meal?




Well, here's the recipe for the veggies on the side.




Nana Jan's Vegetable Medley Casserole

Ingredients:

1 -2 bags frozen California mix vegetables
1/3 - 1 C sour cream (more = creamier)
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 C shredded cheese *

Place veggies in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Mix sour cream, soup, and 1/2 C of shredded cheese in a medium bowl.
Add to slightly softened veggies.
Sprinkle 1/4 C shredded cheese on top.
Return to oven for 30-50 minutes depending on how soft you want the vegetables.
Optional topping: French fried onions.

*The original recipe calls for swiss cheese, but any cheese will do!

In the picture above, I actually just added some cream of chicken soup to the veggies and sprinkled a little cheese on top. It was less creamy, but still tasty.

Super easy.

Super adaptable.

Super yummy!

DIY Pasteurized Honey - Or Not . . .

I love honey.

I've heard if you eat local honey you may have fewer problems during allergy season. I haven't tested this line of thought myself, but there's probably some truth to it. And it doesn't hurt to try!

I recently found a local lady who sells honey at a great price. It's yummy and the drive is kind of fun too. We pass goats and other farm animals on the way there.

The only thing is, the honey is not pasteurized. Does that matter? Well, the thought of getting botulism is pretty scary. It's pretty rare, but still a concern when you have children.

So, I decided to buy the honey and pasteurize it myself - after googling it of course!

I put the honey in a pot on the stove, stuck the candy thermometer in, and waited for the temperature to rise to 140. It did. And it kept rising. I tried to get it to remain at 140, but I was also feeding the girls breakfast, doing laundry and dishes (separately) and really just not qualified to be in charge of pasteurizing this honey.

So, it may have gotten a little too much heat.

And may have boiled over and made a mess all over the stove at one point.

It also may or may not have been on the stove a little too long.

(I picked the WRONG time of day to do it, really!)

All of these things resulted in honey with what I think is a slight burnt taste. My husband actually likes it. He says it tastes just the same as it did before - it's a wild clover honey and a little stronger flavor than most honey you get in the store.

But, if Mr. Picky-Pants - don't tell him I called him that! ;) - likes it, I guess it's okay and I might even attempt to pasteurize it again. With more research and fewer distractions next time!

What do you think? Do you have any experience with unpasteurized honey?

Game Over?

I use coupons when I shop. I am not a huge couponer, but I try to save money where I can.



Recently, I learned that Kroger will no longer be doubling and tripling coupons.

As a non-avid couponer, I am disappointed.

I wonder what all the avid-couponers are thinking?

Is it game over for Kroger?

One friend says she will by boycotting them as of April 15th (?), the day Kroger officially switches over.

I currently shop at both Kroger and HEB and know which things I prefer to buy from each store. There are some things I don't like from HEB, like their hand soap. It's so thick it clogs up the dispensers. Kroger's flows nicely. But how loyal am I? Will hand soap keep me coming back?

I also really like Kroger's reward points towards gas. Sounds like that incentive will get better with the opportunity to save more than just $0.10 per gallon. With gas prices going up, will it be worth it to continue shopping at Kroger for the savings in gas alone?

How will this affect you? Not at all. A little. Devastatingly.

Conference Weekend

I hope you enjoyed your weekend.

If you belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, you probably watched General Conference all weekend.





Isn't it so nice we can watch it at home now? I remember being really small and trying to sit nicely on those church pews for two hours so my parents would take us out to dinner on Saturdays.

Good memories!

Anyway, if you were able to listen to conference you probably feel a greater desire to do good. I love listening to our Prophet and the other leaders of our church. What a wonderful way to make sure we're on the right track in our lives.

I think most of us walk away from conference with a stronger testimony and goals to become better. One goal I made this conference is to be a better visiting teacher! I am excited to get ideas from this site, visitingteaching.net and do more for those I visit.

My War With Pies

My husband LOVES pies. In his world, every holiday, birthday, or celebration of any sort is not complete without a pie. For our wedding a pie the top tier of our cake.

Me? Well, I am not so concerned with pies. They're okay. Mostly yummy, but where's the chocolate for goodness sake!?!

The saddest thing about pies in our home is that I CANNOT BAKE THEM!

I have tried and failed sooo many times. The crust is what gets me. The one he likes is not really flaky. It actually reminds me of shortbread.

Then by the crust is finished I'm so stressed about the whole thing that I mess up the filling (even when it's canned because I put the wrong amount in!). Ha, ha!

I give you Exhibit A: Mike's birthday pie



The bottom crust was not rolled out. I pressed it in the pan by hand.

Part of the top crust cracked when I place it on top. I was not about to take it off with all the filling all over it. So, I repaired it the best I could and moved on.

Why did the filling ooze out? Probably another issue with my crust making skills.

Then, to top it all off, I got the wrong filling and it wasn't what my husband was hoping for. He didn't say as much, but I know my pies are always a faint reminder of the pies he had growing up. Like a tease! A cruel and disappointing tease! Ha!



So, there you have it. That is my war on pies. Or are the pies warring on ME?

I think I just need to practice more! Anyone want to eat my practice pies???