Go Confidently.....

First Snow: Last day of September

This cold weather lovin' family (minus miss independent, sorry sister) were absolutely stoked this morning when we woke up to this! Of course it will not last...but it's always a nice reminder that winter will come...and is on the way!

Yesterday, when there was talk it might snow.... I would have never predicted it this early. Usually before Halloween....but rarely in September! It was awesome to see it in the mountains, but it was really cool to see it in our yard!

Ani (ah-nee)

Dear Erika,
We are honored to be Ani's new family! Funny thing is, I have always said I am not a "pet person" and until Ani I did NOT want a dog, I passionately disliked the idea of having a pet even at the risk of breaking my son's heart nearly everyday of his life since he was 2 years old. We had conversation after agonizing conversation about how he could get a dog when he grew up and moved out. Rob and I held a united front on this one.... agreeing not to cave into his relentless often gut wrenching begging for a puppy. So it was to every one's surprise....when I said that we were getting a dog! Not only that but I wanted this dog. Ani changed my heart, it's that simple. I knew the day I met her... I am pretty certain it was the gentle yet serious look in her eyes. I'd like to think it was also some sort of perfect cosmic aligning of the stars, because I knew instantly that she was suppose join our family. This Alaskan Bear Dog (which is what The Hippie believes she really is) loves us. She is happy here. She is well and her spirit well taken care of. The sacrifice you have made was a true gift! She has filled a place in my life personally....who would have ever thought that among other things A DOG would have helped me catch my second wind...though NOT just any dog...this dog, Ani Girl, my-must-be-canine-soul-mate.
Blessing, Tina

PS Wish you could ship her some salmon!

Ani (ah-nee) Pictures

Remembering My Grandmothers

You know how some things can take you back...like a picture, a song or a smell. There are so many things that remind me of my Grandmothers. For instance today when I made bacon, egg and cheese biscuits a bit of a nostalgic feeling came over me. Whenever I smell bacon and/or coffee I feel like I am standing in either one of my grandmother's kitchens. They came from a time when cooking bacon regularly was not thought to be as bad for one's health as it is today...and both always had a pot of coffee on for regular morning visitors or would quickly put a pot on just as soon as they heard a car parking in the driveway.
Both my grandmother's were amazing matriarchs and from my memory they spent a lot of their days in this center room of their homes; The Kitchen. Alma was a short order kind of cook...she would have on hand a variety of meal options and prepare for each of us whatever we had chosen. Whereas Elaine would make a large meal to be taken as a family. Alma lived in the city and walked every afternoon to buy groceries and Elaine lived in the country taking infrequent trips to town for staples. My great love for cooking started with my Grandmothers.
Both of my Grandmother's have passed on...but they live forever in my heart and home.

Elaine (top)
Alma (bottom)

Notre Dame defeats Purdue, 24-21

My husband is a loyal Notre Dame Football fan - whether they are 11-0 or 0-11. If The Fighting Irish are playing….. Rob is watching…. or closely following the game, play by play from his blackberry. We tease him about his love for a team that seems to lose more games then they have won over the past few years. The truth of the matter is this….. Rob follows Notre Dame Football as if he were the biological father to every young man on the field. He is very dedicated and extremely loyal….. And so, his commitment is admirable. Yesterday was no exception; Notre Dame was facing Purdue, on the road no less. I was milling around the house, stopping to catch some sports commentary from Rob every once in a while. Things looked good for his team… it was almost half time and they were leading Purdue 17-7. It was getting dark and I wanted him to walk Ani, our dog with me during halftime. When we returned from our walk, the tide had changed and it seemed that Notre Dame was letting their lead, and the win slip away. Apparently, this was not good timing for me to sit down to make small talk. Next bad move on my part was to (accidentally on purpose) mention that it looked as if The Irish might lose this game. Rob on his best behavior looked my way and simply said “DO NOT jinx this game”. Back up THIRTEEN YEARS….It was January 1, 1996 62nd Orange Bowl; the Florida State Seminoles defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish because I (and Freddy The Hippie's Godfather) jinxed the game with our heckling. Suffice to say that Rob and Timmy (Mamacita’s Godfather) have never forgotten and will probably never forgive us. To this point, I decided not to say another word about the game. Stretched out on the couch with my blanket pulled up over my nose to hide my snickering… I watched Rob rub his well worn Notre Dame Cap like a genie was surely…almost definitely about to pop out and save the game. Who knows… it could have been Rob rubbing his cap, athletic talent or just luck… but with 24.8 seconds left in the game...ND quarterback Jimmy Clausen found tight end Kyle Rudolph for the game winning touch down. Whew…wiping sweat from my brow, Notre Dame rallied for a 24-21 win over Purdue. Thank Goodness! I could NOT have been responsible for another loss…it’s been a real burden (poking fun at my superstitious husband). Go Irish!

Heredity?

"Heredity is what sets the parents of a teenager wondering about each other."
-Laurence J. Peter

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

All Purpose Pasta Sauce

Clean and dice anything you have on hand, the base of course will be tomatoes. This batch consisted of tomatoes, red pepper, zucchini, elephant garlic, onions, fresh basil and rosemary.


Toss vegetables on the roasting pan with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I also give a good shake of dried Italian seasoning.


Roast at 350-400 degrees for at least 45 minutes...maybe longer to soften vegetables like zucchini and garlic cloves. Cool and store in a Ziploc over night. (You could proceed here...however I think letting the veggies mingle over night enhances the flavor.


If using fresh herbs remove any "woody" stems the puree roasted vegetables with vegetable, beef or chicken stock depending on what you fancy. Let sauce simmer on low until the color turns a deep rich red. Season again to taste and serve.

Today I used beef stock and added ground sirloin (browned and drained) and black olives. I wish I would have had crimini mushrooms on hand instead of or in addition to meat. Cooking Tip: It really depends on the variety and season of the tomato but sometimes you have to sweeten the sauce. You can use whatever sweetener you want for this. Also, when I don't have stock on hand I use an instant gluten and MSG free powdered bouillon and it works well in a pinch. One more thing... from the previous Hearty Potato Soup recipe it calls for you to reserve the liquid, I never use all of the liquid (vegetable stock) so I usually date/freeze it for later use.

Enjoy!

The Fussy Baby- The Exceptional Child

Mamacita was born at home into the waiting hands of her sister (The Hippie) and our Midwife. I can still hear The Hippie then 3 years old singing out "it's my baby....our baby...it's our dister...our dister Mom." Mamacita was a beautiful tiny baby girl 6 pound 8oz. with a head full of dark hair. I had a wonderful pregnancy and an uncomplicated planned homebirth. I thought I was old hat at this newborn thing... Mamacita was after all my third baby and third daughter. WHAT more did I need to know.....smooth sailing........WRONG! (Screeching sound here like when you apply the brakes in an emergency stop). I knew almost immediately that her temperament was already quite different. We had attachment parented two daughters... Mamacita would be breastfed, she would sleep in our Family Bed, we would wear her in a well used sling and we would be in tune to her personal needs. I really thought we "had this." QUICKLY, we learned that her personal needs were more and different then anything we had experienced with our other children. It seemed Mamacita needed to be held ALL the time... but if I thought she wanted up then she would want down....I would put her down...and she'd want up. I thought she was hungry...she'd refuse nursing.... maybe a wet diaper...she'd be dry. I would feed her, change her, hold her, put her down, rock her, sling her, or leave her alone... and most of the time she would appear distressed and "needing" something. When she would drift off to sleep I could slide away without disturbing her to actually brush my teeth and spend some time with my 5 and 3 year old daughters. Just in case I was missing something I even took Mamacita to a well respected pediatrician just to make sure she was healthy.... I took her more then once. At one point I thought at least if there was something physically wrong with the child I could wrap my mind around her apparent misery. NOTHING! She was a perfect. And to be quite honest...driving me perfectly crazy. I read everything I could get my hands on... I even tried things that despite my better judgment I knew in my heart where not going to help....like letting her "cry it out." The only book that validated our situation and gave ANY solid usable advice was The Fussy Baby by William Sears, M.D. I could not have said it then, whilst I was in the middle of the firestorm....but I am very thankful for those early years (yes, I said years) with Mamacita....she made me a much better mother. I had no idea that ten years later my parenting skills would be tested in a much different way but that Mamacita had planted the seed of survival which I would call on again. I don't even remember when it happened but one day I looked down and Mamacita was happy, pleasant, giggly, smiling and receptive. Today she is almost 13 and a far cry from the nearly intolerable newborn, infant and toddler she was. I have said for years now that Mamacita is a delightful young lady... she is intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic and loud (we recently had her hearing checked...just to be sure)...but she is also...genuine, loving, gentle, nurturing and often the most amiable and easy going child I have. Who would have thought that after her tumultuous start on life that she'd round out her adolescence with such grace and goodness. Mamacita thanks for being such a good person, daughter, sister, friend and little mamma...I love you!

Hearty Potato Soup

There has been much discussion around our table with miss i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t and The Hippie regarding lunchtime expectations during the school year. It has been the source of some angst for both the "parental units" and the teenagers. We have felt the girls should not leave campus and try to pile into one of only a few eateries close to their school. And more importantly not race the clock (and therefore the car) back to school. For Rob and I, this issue is twofold.... safety and what is cost effective. Call us crazy....right? But believe me some thoughts are often foreign to the teenager mind. First, if you didn't already know this...at one time or another individuals 13 to 19 yrs old are practically invincible, bulletproof I am telling ya. Second, Daddy Warbucks and I have a money tree outside that drops twenty dollar bills. Without going into the details, drama and disputes we've had over this issue... there was a concession. miss i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t and The Hippie are allowed to come home for lunch. It's a straight shot from school to home and I typically have lunch ready for them. This allows me an opportunity to see the girls in the middle of our day.....a time to connect albeit a quick connection...it's a routine we've come to enjoy. With permission they usually have a couple friends in tow which is perfectly fine with me. (side bar: take any chance you can to get to know the friends).

Today miss i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t and The Hippie joined by two other young ladies gratefully ate Hearty Potato Soup with obvious appreciation.

Hearty Potato Soup
6 medium potatoes diced
4 carrots
2 stalks of celery
Dice all- Boil 20 minutes in 2 quarts of water until tender.
Add 1 cup frozen corn & 1 cup frozen peas let stand 2-3 minutes.
Drain all and reserve liquid.

Sauté until soft:
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic pressed
6 tbs butter
Gradually add:
1/4 cup flour
1 tea salt
1/2 tea pepper
Stir constantly until bubbly: add 1 1/2 cups milk and cook until thick and smooth.
Stir in drained vegetables. Add reserved liquid 1 cup at a time until desired consistency.

I have added cooked cubed chicken to this soup and eaten as a soup with meat. I have also made Chicken Pot Pie by pouring half the pot into an uncooked pie crust and baked at 350 until the top crust is golden brown.

Embracing Change

I am a Midwife. It is not what I do, it is who I AM. I will always be a Midwife. The Lord Himself set my feet on the path of Midwifery and it's a calling that I will always answer. I have had the great privilege of attending birthing families in one capacity or another since I was 18 years old. The reverent honor of attending birth and witnessing new life is an equal trade off for ANY personal forfeiture I have ever had walking this journey. However, for every thing there is a season and I recently went on sabbatical from my private midwifery practice. There I said it! I do not know of a time in the past 21 years that I have not been directly involved in some way shape or form with birth. This decision will be one of the hardest to stay true to. As I take time off from midwifery... I am reminded of several things... 1. "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." 2. "When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something else." 3. "The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you." and 4. I will be sleeping at night.... a rarity for me.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This cake is wonderful! Caution: even though it has some garden grown goodness it has all the sugar, all the fat and I even used white flour. Seems everyone around here is rushing get their garden staples in...eaten or preserved before we have freezing temperatures. Winter is in the air. I am absolutely sure I can smell SNOW. This dessert topped off a really nice dinner meal at our home this evening. Barbecued steaks, steamed rice, wilted lettuce salad and locally grown corn on the cob. AND my whole family was at the table...all 6 of us. God Bless the opportunity to sit with my husband and children for dinner. Today... we are living well and I anticipate sleeping well.




Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 cup butter- softened
2 eggs
1 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups zucchini- grated
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 sour milk (1/2 tsp. vinegar added regular milk)
5 tbsp. cocoa powder

Topping: 1/2 cup nuts & 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Blend all ingredients together. Spread into 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips on top cake batter before baking. Bake at 325 F. 40-45 minutes.

Catching my Second Wind

Have you ever felt a sudden burst of energy after a period of activity induced fatigue or just plain exhaustion? All of a sudden you are ready to really move when just moments before you thought you might collapse. If so, then you know what it feels like to catch your "second wind." This is the thought behind how I feel about my life today. Recent aspects of my life started to slow me down and wear me out. The Facts: I am no longer a young woman; I am nearing my 40Th birthday. I am not a new wife; I have been married just shy of 20 years. I am not an inexperienced mother; I am now nurturing teenagers. Life as I have always known it...is different. Different Good some days and Different Bad some days. I had become quite settled with things like my routine and purpose when I started to realize that "times were a changing". The most altering of all..... my babies just aren't babies anymore. Whew.....Just when I thought I was not keeping up with my shifting world it happened and thank God it happened....I caught my second wind!

Mi Familia

Rob

Miss Independent

The Hippie

Mamacita

Sonny Boy & Ani