Musical Morning Inspiration

School started yesterday. And that means getting the five other people in my house up and out the door every school morning.

There are different methods for this, of course. I prefer music. Every morning, I bring my cell phone into the bedrooms with "media volume" on full blast and play an inspirational song.

For awhile last semester, I played "Reveille" every morning. This was inspired by the one child who tells me he wants to be in the military. I was delighted to hear this, because you know what you have to do in the military? Get out of bed early in the morning. And this, son, is the very music they'll play to inform you of this! Start practicing now!

About the time that blasting trumpet started to lose its effectiveness, Christmas was almost upon us. So I switched to another loud trumpet song that served as a reminder of the excitement to come: The Tabernacle Choir belting out "Joy to the World."

I also have to get them up at the same time on Sundays to get to our 8 a.m. Mass, but that doesn't require so much musical intervention.

Now that Christmas is over, I had to find a new song. I decided yesterday that the time had come for the big inspirational guns. And that meant Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." Because if Rocky can get his face beat in in that ring over and over again, you, my boy, can get out of bed*.

I'll have to come up with something new in a few weeks when Survivor loses its novelty. Any suggestions for me?

* Edited to add: When I said this to one son this morning, he uncovered his eyes long enough to look at me and declare, "I would rather get my face beat in than go to school." So. If you've ever wondered how much boys dislike school, it's that much.

Snapshots: A Tea Party and a Trip

On New Year's Eve (morning), Poppy's friend came over for a tea party. The girls used the rolling pins my dad made to make hand pies for their tea party.

Well floured.

I continue to be amazed and delighted at how adorable little girls can be.

The finished hand pies. They were filled with apple butter, plum butter, strawberry-rhubarb jam or apricot puree, and there was no way to tell which was which. Hand pie roulette.

New Year's Day was mostly spent at church and preparing our traditional big New Year's Day dinner. 

But the day after New Year's Day, I left in the morning for my night away at the hotel. I had prepared something to bring with me for lunch, but I forgot it. So I was forced to eat a slice of pizza instead. So sad.

While reading a book, of course. My favorite way to eat, as some of you may remember.

There are quite a few shops on the old plaza, and I visited some of them before it was time to check in. One is a new shop that carries spices, teas, and medicinal herbs. 

It was so much fun to look around. The owner encouraged me to open any jars and smell the spices and teas, which I did. I bought some tea.

 

Then I had an ice cream cone.

And then it was time to check in.

The food at the hotel is certainly not the best in town, but I never want to drive anywhere to eat, so a burger and fries was just fine in the hotel bar.

And a drink, of course. Vodka and soda.

The bar has a very nice view of the plaza. I sat right next to the window.

 Artfully blurred Christmas lights on the plaza.

After dinner, I watched a movie and took a bath before I went to sleep. Nothing too exciting, which is just how I like it.

The next morning I got in my workout by going to Walmart before starting my drive home.

Two large hams (they were only a dollar a pound!) and sixty eggs helped to weight the cart nicely for my core workout.

I saw this in the meat department and thought it was very funny.

A. tells me that the Spanish people here call every kind of animal foot a "paw," so I guess this makes sense. Still funny, though. (I did not buy these.)

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.

Friday Food: Away

Friday

Short version: Birthday barbecue meatballs, garlic bread, leftover peas, brownie ice cream sundaes

Long version: I always make my own birthday dinner, because I like my own food best. But I also always find a way to make it with as little actual cooking as possible. This year, I used some meatballs I had formed and frozen some time ago, which I just broiled until brown, and then baked in (homemade) barbecue sauce.

The garlic bread was one I had baked a few days before when I was making bread. The peas were leftover from Christmas dinner.

Birthday plate.

Eldest son made the brownies for me, so we could have brownie sundaes with vanilla ice cream and a choice of chocolate syrup or salted caramel sauce. Or both! Celebrate good times!

Saturday

Short version: Different-birthday pizza and cake

Long version: This was the day I took the children to Poppy's friend's birthday party at a pool. There was pizza there. I think this is the first time my children have experienced pineapple on pizza. They were not enthused.

There were also a couple of store-bought birthday cakes. I tasted a bit of Poppy's after she informed me she didn't like the frosting. Yuck. I didn't, either. It tasted bitter. Maybe it was all the food dye. It was a very bright-pink frosting. I can't imagine you can add that much coloring to anything without affecting the taste.

Sunday

Short version: Fried ham and potatoes, leftover carrots

Long version: I just microwaved the potatoes until they were soft, then diced them and the leftover ham before frying them in some rendered beef fat I had saved from . . . something. 

I also added some cheese to the fried ham and potatoes. We currently have some extra-sharp Great Value (Walmart's store brand) cheddar that is actually extra-sharp. This means it's also extra crumbly which is handy when I don't want to grate cheese. If I slice it thinly, it just falls apart and I can throw it right into the skillet to melt. And then I don't have to wash the cheese grater. Yay.

Monday

Short version: Meatloaf, baked potatoes, still-frozen green beans, fresh bread and butter

Long version: I love ham, but it does get to be a bit monotonous when dealing with the leftovers. Meatloaf was a nice break.

Tuesday

Short version: Lamb steaks, rice, frozen peas

Long version: I made a sauce for the lamb steaks with red wine and cream, but this was otherwise a very un-fancy meal. 

Yes, I realize that most people would not consider lamb to be an un-fancy meal. That's because most people don't have a sheep flock.

Wednesday

Short version: New Year's Day health, wealth, happiness, peace, and joy

Long version: Pork (big pork butt), black-eyed peas, greens (beet greens from this year's garden, cooked with some of the liquid from the black-eyed peas), rice, and pecan pie. The children have assigned peace to rice and joy to the pecan pie.

Thursday

Short version: Restaurant food for me, tacos and leftover pie for the family

Long version: I was not at home this night.

Record scratch.

I try to go every year for one night at a hotel in a nearby (well, 100 miles away) small city for some time to myself after the craziness that is December in my house. This was my night. So I had a smash burger, french fries, and a vodka and soda for dinner.

I did not prepare or clean up after this in any way. Yay.

There was some ground beef taco meat at home, so the older kids used that to make tacos for dinner. And then there was leftover pecan pie and ice cream. Everyone was happy.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?

Scattered

It's Tuesday, and I should have something written right now. I do not, however, so you get whatever comes out of my brain and into my fingers to type. Whee!

The sun juuuust came over the horizon, lighting up my living room and highlighting the fact that I really need to take my pothos plants down from their shelves in the living room and rinse them off. So dusty. 

I actually got up from my chair and went all the way into the kitchen (maybe fifty feet) to take this illustrative photo for you. You're welcome.

I do appreciate how impossible pothos are to kill. The only live plants I have in my house are these two pothos and an aloe plant. I prefer to have my plants outside.

Poppy's friend is coming over in about three hours for a New Year's Eve tea party with their dolls. My dad made Poppy a rolling pin, and brought an extra for a friend if she could think of anyone who would want it. Of course she could. So I need to make some pie crust dough for the girls to roll out so they can make little hand pies--they can choose from several different jams to fill their pies--for their tea party. I think this will be a very popular activity. I just have to make the dough soon so it can chill.

This works out nicely, because the girls can use half of the two-crust recipe I make, and the other half can be for tomorrow's New Year's Day pecan pie. I promised I would make another pecan pie for the child who was sick on Christmas and couldn't eat that one. I will also, of course, make our pork, black-eyed peas, greens, and rice. It's not New Year's Day without it.

This is the last really big celebration meal I have to make. And thank goodness for that, because I am kinda over cooking celebration meals. I mean, I like it, but it gets to be a bit much by this time of the year. It starts on December 15 for A.'s birthday and continues with a son's birthday December 18, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, my birthday, New Year's Day, and usually Epiphany on January 6. It's a lot. 

I am not making tamales this year for Epiphany. I just . . . don't want to. We actually go back to school--and I go back to work--on Epiphany this year, so it's unlikely to be a very elaborate meal for that, although I do have some gingerbread I froze a couple of weeks ago, so at least I have something special for dessert without making a lot of effort.

I can hear the chickens squawking around on the porch. They're supposed to be shut up in their coop until afternoon, because then I can find their eggs without having to hunt for them. Also, if they're out all day, they just hang around the porch, making a mess right where we walk into the house. I don't know how they got out. Maybe the strong winds yesterday blew the coop door open. Guess we'll have an egg hunt today.

Okay, that's enough of that. I have pie dough to make and I'm sure you all have important things to get going on as well. Happy New Year to all. May 2025 bring us all good fortune, in all senses of the word.

Snapshots: Before, During, After

 Before Christmas we have new life.

The chickens--well, at least one or two--started laying again the very day of the winter solstice. Their laying is tied to the daylight hours, but that's pretty spot-on for the resumption of eggs.

And this little lady arrived exactly one week before Christmas. 

I didn't get a lot of pictures of Christmas Day this year. The oldest kid was sick, and we had a Christmas morning Mass this year instead of our typical Christmas Eve service, so we waited until we got home at 9 a.m. to open most of our gifts. 

By the time we got home, we were all in search of warmth, since the heat in our church hasn't been working for the past couple of weeks. I brought our space heater and a basket of lap blankets to share with anyone who needed one, and we all wore long underwear, but it was still only about 48 degrees inside the church.

The sun made it look deceptively warm, but I assure you, it was not. At all.

The younger ones did get to open their gifts to each other and their stockings before we left for church, though.

Poppy had sewed a stocking for her American Girl doll, Charlotte, and made sure there was something in it for each of her dolls. I didn't know she had done this until she had hauled them all out and started handing out their gifts.

Girls, man. They're built different for sure.

This photo looks like a crime scene, but it was very cute in real life.

Charlotte in her new outfit, and Poppy in her new slippers.

Two days after that, it was time to celebrate again. This time, my birthday. The celebrations started with what is apparently now a traditional 5K run.

Speedy purple shoes ready to go.

This year, I ran it in 34 minutes and 31 seconds, which is my fastest time yet.

I did make my own birthday dinner, because I prefer to do that, but someone else made the brownies for my brownie ice cream sundaes.

And there was salted caramel sauce left from the cheesecake bars, just to complete the deliciousness.

And then yesterday, more celebrating, as we drove 100 miles to a swimming pool for Poppy's friend's birthday party.

I prefer to stay fully clothed at pools and function more as a lifeguard.

We still have another week of our Christmas break left, so there's time for more celebrating! Next up: health wealth, and happiness in the New Year.

There you have it! My (celebratory) life, snapshotted.

Friday Food: Christmas Food Traditions

Friday 

Short version: Lamb chops, leftover rice, carrot sticks with ranch dip

Long version: Four of the six family members had the lamb chops, which were just fried. The recent birthday boy finished the leftover shrimp, and I had a salad with some hardboiled eggs and feta in it.

Saturday

Short version: Green chili hamburger stew, crackers, molasses cookies

Long version: I spent a very long time in the kitchen this day making Grandma Bishop's molasses cookies. 

Batch seven or so starts to get a little wonky.

I double that recipe when I bake them at Christmas, so it takes a few hours. For this reason, I knew I would have no energy left to get back in the kitchen to make dinner later. That's why, while the cookie dough was chilling, I made green chili hamburger stew to have for later.

Good call. Good cookies, too.

Sunday

Short version: Posadas potluck

Long version: This was the night we went to our parish Christmas celebration. The potluck featured several stews with a ton of chili in them. I tried one piece of meat from a red chili from one of the boys' plates and almost burst into flames from the spice, so I stuck to the posole. This was made very mild, with a red chili sauce to be added as needed. I didn't need it. The bland posole was just fine for me, thanks.

I brought these cheesecake bars.

Yum.

For once, I actually followed the recipe. Except for the fact that topped them with drizzled salted caramel sauce instead of berries. I don't regret it, either.

Monday

Short version: Tuna melt sandwiches, potato chips, cucumbers

Long version: One child was sick. One child had been in a city with A., where they ate a very late lunch and weren't hungry when they got home. For the two children eating, I made some tuna salad that I used to make them tuna melts. They were very pleased with this. 

My mother had left the potato chips for us, which were also appreciated.

Tuesday

Short version: Linguine with bull bolognese, green salad with vinaigrette, eggnog and molasses cookies

Long version: I unearthed a frozen container of the second half of the double recipe of bolognese I made for the insane lasagna lo these many months ago. The night before a big holiday is always a good time to make something easy for dinner. This seemed like it would be easy and celebratory.

It was.

I use this recipe for eggnog, because it neatly takes care of the egg yolks I have after separating eggs to make our Christmas chocolate roulade. And eggnog with molasses cookies is the perfect combination. The recipe actually calls for six egg yolks. I have seven left after making the roulade. The extra egg yolk doesn't make much difference, except that I always have to thin the eggnog a little with milk after it's chilled.

Wednesday

Short version: Christmas ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots with maple syrup and butter, green peas, sauteed mushrooms, chocolate roulade

A relatively easy meal. The ham was a fully-cooked spiral sliced ham that just needed to be re-heated. I coated it in mustard and maple syrup, which was good.

I don't even use a recipe for scalloped potatoes. I just layer thinly sliced peeled potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cream, and milk in a buttered Pyrex until it's full, and then bake it uncovered until most of the liquid is gone. It always takes longer than I think, though, so the potatoes were in the oven for like an hour after everything else was done. No matter. I just stuck everything else on top of the woodstove to keep warm and we ate at 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

The roulade is probably the most labor-intensive part of this meal. I forgot to butter the parchment paper before pouring the batter on it, and I was sure it was never going to come off, leaving me with a mess of chocolate sponge chunks. With some very careful unrolling and coaxing with a spatula, however, I did manage to get it all off. So that was nice. And it was, as always, delicious. A welcome light dessert after a heavy meal.

I didn't get a photo of the buffet. Oh well. It looked pretty much like last year, anyway.

Oh! And I did find enough parsley in the garden for the mushrooms. This is always very satisfying.

Thursday

Short version: Ham and rice skillet

Long version: I used leftover rice, diced ham, peas, carrots, onions, and cheese to make a skillet meal. Very tasty. Anything with ham is.

Refrigerator check:

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?

Merry Christmas

Tidings of comfort and joy to all of you.