Monday Mumblings

I am looking forward to getting this move done.  I am feeling a little more on top of things right now which helps.  I had a nice day of visiting with friends yesterday, where I didn't stress about the move, or worry, or accomplish anything constructive at all.  But it actually was good because now today, I am refreshed and getting things done. 

And can I share a secret with you . . . I can? . . . oh good!  Prince Charming has the possibility of a full-time job starting 5 days after we get there!  That would be wonderful!!!! 

And the day out provided an opportunity to get some great pics of the kids playing, which always makes me happy.

Gratitude Sunday

Sunday's heart felt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Here are some things I am grateful for this week:

1. pancake breakfasts, loved by all.

2. Prince Charming knowing me well enough to know I have wanted to try plantains for a long time

3. Little Prince learning to cruise around on his own.

4. A little Princess who absolutely adores her baby brother.

5. Little Prince who is sweet and jolly even though he is hot and sweaty.

6.  One last visit with friends one last time before we move.

7. Two Princesses who love to spend all their time.

 

8. This sweet face greeting every day.

Saturday Photohunt: Unknown and Windows

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The themes this week are:  Unknown and Windows.  I actually had lots of options for these themes this week.  I decided to go with Princess Magpie and her fascination with looking out the WINDOWS in our house and watching all the UNKNOWN people in the world outside. 

Lemon Pie Oatmeal with lemon sauce

This was a huge hit in my family.  The girls all ate 2 or 3 bowls each, even Prince Charming had two bowls!

The picture isn't that pretty, I should have used my red bowls and should have garnished with a little lemon rind for color, but it really is super yummy!  And when the sauce is cold, it set up like lemon pie and Princess Belle and Prince Charming ate it like a dessert! 

Lemon Pie Oatmeal
2 cups oatmeal
4 cups water
1/4 sugar (or to taste, my kids have a sweet tooth so I added extra)
1 package instant lemon pie filling

Lemon Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons  cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Butter

1. Combine ingredients for oatmeal in a pot over medium heat. 
2. Heat, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached and then sit aside until sauce is ready.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, butter and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat.
4. Whisk constantly, to keep lumps from forming.  Bring to boil.  Boil for 3 minutes until clear and thick.  Remove from heat.
5. Serve oatmeal with sauce over it.

This would be good garnished with a little lemon rind.

This Moment: Sisters and Nanny Knit Blankets

A beautiful and fun Friday ritual. Inspired by SouleMama.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. – Amanda Soule

USES FOR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE:

• Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.
• In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.
• Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.
• Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.
• Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.
• Clean your cutting board and countertop. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. (I’ve been using it for this a LOT lately!)
• Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.
• Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
• Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.
• Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.
• Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
• Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.
• Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.
• Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.
• Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.
• Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.
• According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!
• Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad.
• Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.
• Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.
• Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.
• Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.
• Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.
• Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.
• Spray down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.
• Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.
• Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.
• Use for towels that have become musty smelling. 1/2 cup Peroxide and 1/2 cup vinegar let stand for 15 minutes wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell.
• Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.
• De-skunking solution. Combine 1 quart 3% H2O2, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish detergent, 2 quarts warm water.

Corn Fritters

My family loved these!  They were really good both savory or with a little added sugar and sprinkled with some icing sugar.

1 can cream style corn
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together then add egg to milk and mix with dry ingredients.

Fold in corn then drop spoonfuls into hot fat and fry until brown on both sides.

Drain well on paper towels.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: New Accomplishment

 

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Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday Bloggers, 5 minutes for mom, Ms. Mystery Case, Tales of a Pee Dee Mama, Only Passionate Curiosity, and Stacys Random Thoughts!

 

 

Stressed

I am feeling stressed today.  This move is coming up soon and I am worried about the logistics of it all.  Agh!  It is making me a grouchy person.

No Fail Tea Biscuits

I made these for the kids and they loved them.  I cut them in semi-circles and called them "Moon biscuits" and the kids were very excited by them. 

 Preheat oven 450 degrees F.

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup of margarine (2 blocks)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of milk (I like a wetter batter and used 1 1/4 cups)

1. Whisk together first four ingredients to blend together.
2. Then cut in margarine until it looks like cornmeal.
3. Add eggs to milk.
4. Bring all ingredients together with a fork, turn on to floured counter and knead a few times.
5. Roll or pat out until 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut with floured cutter.
7. The thickness of dough and size of cutter determines the cook time, I start peaking at about 12 minutes. But they should be done between 12-14 minutes.