Purging Toys...

I'm feeling sneaky...  

Jack is still away at camp 

and Kate is petting bunnies at zoo camp...  

This is a rare opportunity 

to purge the toy bins

 of miscellaneous toys...  

The bits of broken cars, legos

 and superheroes number in the hundreds 

and they have piled up in these bins 

for too long...  

There is no way I could conduct 

this organizational chore 

with the kids present...

  

They would moan and whine 

over every last broken McDonald's Happy Meal toy, 

as if it was a long lost memento 

of their fleeting youth... 

 

 A mere five percent of what needs

to be thrown out would, in fact, 

make it to the trash...  

That is not the purpose of this exercise...  

PURGE, I say!  

If the toys have not been missed,

 languishing in the tubs forever, 

they will certainly not be missed in the alley...  

These poor Barbies are among a group of gals 

who got the wrong end of the scissors... 

Looks like playing "Beauty Shop" 

was more like "Little Shop of Horrors"...

They preferred to pose anonymously...

It was too shameful..

But I do feel a twinge of sadness 

to see the toys fade from view...  

Just as I miss Kate's squishy arms and legs 

as a baby and Jack's sweet little toddler toes 

and the way he first held his bottle... 

 Now he throws a mean fastball 

and has feet the same size as mine

 and Kate has long legs 

and talks like a tweener...   

I could not part with everything...  

Kate's play food and dress up gear

went back in the bin and up to her room...  

Jack might want his Hot Wheels some day...  

As I was sifting through the toys, 

I found a whole army of plastic military guys...  

My mind went to "Toy Story", 

and I imagined these little green men talking 

to each other via walkie talkie, 

"Ok, Men!  

Position yourselves to be seen and saved!  

That's right...  

You!  

Over there!  

No man gets left behind!"  

No, I was not half way through a bottle of Jack Daniels, 

but I couldn't throw those guys out...  

Jack might want to play with them a few more times 

or he might want to blow them up...  

You never know... 

So, I gathered every last plastic guy 

and corralled them in a Ziploc bag...  

The kids are growing up so fast, and the electronics 

are already eclipsing the dollies 

and Tonka Trucks...  

Maybe I will keep some toys around a bit longer...  

And not just for the kids...

I Was Just Thinkin'....

Tonight is the first time in a good, long while 

that I have had the chance to linger

by myself, outside, enjoying a light dinner...  

The boys are out of town, 

whooping it up at camp 

or negotiating deals, 

leaving us girls to fend for ourselves... 

Not that we are complaining...  

It is quiet...  

The house is neater...  

Laundry is not reproducing at a fast and stinky rate...  

I can actually hear myself think with the absence of bickering...  

So, I collected ten observations made recently...

1. It's Okay to Enjoy the Fact 

that Kids are Away...

Sure, I miss Jack plenty, 

but I know he is not really missing me, 

his home or his Call of Duty that much 

when he is wearing his skinny ass out 

boating, riding horses, hiking, 

eating piles of s'mores 

and playing flashlight tag until the moon is out...  

This break from each other is healing in a way...  

It will be wonderful to see his grimy, tanned face 

on Sunday and I will hug him 

until he begs me to stop...

2. It's Okay to Let the Remaining Kid 

Veg in Front of the TV, 

Watching "Despicable Me"...

First of all, the movie is hilarious 

and secondly, she needs a little down time 

after a full day of zoo camp...  

It's exhausting to pet penguins, 

I'll have you know...  

I have some Mom/Kate plans 

for the rest of the week, 

like hitting the beach post camp, 

dinner out 

and perhaps a painting session 

at sunset with brand new watercolors...  

I'll redeem my parent points then...

3.  It's Okay to Doubt your Spouse 

and Then to Be Pleasantly Surprised...

The Pearl Jam concert ran until two am 

this past Friday night 

and Tom was supposed to catch the seven am Amtrak 

to meet us at our friends' Michigan cabin the next morning...  

Honestly, I gave him about a twenty percent chance 

of showing up if the concert ended at eleven, 

much less in the wee hours of the morning... 

True to his word, T$ was hanging out with the local color, 

outside of Union Station, 

before it opened at five am 

and he made that train...  

He gets bonus husband points for making a big effort...

4.  It's Okay to Call Your New Lenses "Progressives" 

Even Though We all Know 

they are Called Tri-Focals!

Getting older is hell...  

I hate that my eyes don't work well anymore...  

I am annoyed that I have to 

tip my chin skyward to see the computer screen clearly...  

Well, I guess my neck looks better at that angle, 

so maybe it's not all bad...

5.  It's Okay to Jump Out of Your Spiritual Box 

and to Believe in Something New...

I am not Catholic...  

We Lutherans like to call ourselves, 

"Catholic Lite", 

as we do the communion thing, 

and we pray in similar ways, 

but Lutherans don't focus on Mary,

 the saints 

or all that Catholic guilt stuff...  

Well, a good, Catholic friend of mine 

has always extolled the virtues of the novena,

 specifically to the Infant of Prague 

and St. Anthony, 

Patron Saint of Finance and Lost Things, respectively...

  

Apparently, her mother has a statue of the Infant 

in a shrine-like setting...  

She routinely slips dollars under the statue

 and dresses the Infant in seasonal costumes, 

not unlike the similarly festooned concrete ducks 

you see gracing the front porches 

across our great nation...  

She added that the Infant and St. Anthony are buddies, 

so to speak, and to pray to both of them 

for the nine days of the novena 

can produce miraculous results, 

whether you are trying to improve your fiscal situation 

or to find those damn keys you lost last week...

So I figured I had nothing to lose... 

 I don't think God really cares if I am Catholic, 

Lutheran or a Jehovah's Witness, for that matter... 

 If I pray with an open heart, 

things might fall into place...  

So T$ and I did just that, 

for nine days, and by gum, 

on the tenth day good things happened...  

Believe and you just never know...

I've Noticed a Few Things Recently...

6.  I've Noticed That: 

Gnats, Fruit Flies, or whatever those nasty little bugs are called, 

like to sit, poolside, on my ramekin of wine, 

AKA; "Insect Trap of Death" to taunt me...  

They are supposed to take a sip of my cheap rose', 

fall in and die...  

A whole platoon of bugs 

rode along a recent banana purchase 

and they are driving me crazy...

7.  I've Noticed That: 

Farm stands may be a great venue 

to broaden kids' culinary horizons...  

Kate tasted her first apricot 

in the fresh country air the other day 

and now she is begging me to buy more...  

Maybe I will drag her to more farmer's market outings...

8.  I've Noticed That: 

Your good days are up to you...  

 

Negative, extraneous crap will fly at you

 from all directions, in valiant attempts to ruin your day, 

but you must fight it off 

like a successful game of "Space Invaders", 

shooting those Debbie Downers out of the sky!  

You don't need to be an irritating Pollyanna,

 but jeez, fight for your own happy...

9.  I've Noticed That:  

Good friends and a bottle of delicious, cheap wine 

are a perfect combination...  

I have been leaning heavily on my friends 

for my sanity lately 

and am grateful for their support...  

But again, all Dr. Depresso 

does not a good friend make from my end, either...  

It's good to just forget reality 

and to laugh while sipping Pinot Grigio, too...

10.  I've Noticed That: Summer is half over 

and I want to savor every last humid drop...  

 

 I want to remember this quiet evening on the back porch; 

the church bell tolling six o'clock, 

the AC units humming in unison, 

the water feature next door gurgling 

and the slight breeze blowing over my shoulder...   

It is peaceful and good and right at this moment, all is well...  

As my mother once said,

 "It's been a good day; nobody's throwed up yet!"

Raspberry Ice Cream...

When I was about ten years old,

the task of picking black raspberries fell to me... 

Down the west side of our property sloped a steep ravine 

that was overgrown and wooded...  

Wild black raspberries dotted the jungle-like
 terrain and my mother wanted me 

to harvest the bounty...  

To make the job of berry picking easier, 

Dad pushed the lawn mower 

along the nearly forty-five degree pitched hill 

to create a path for me... 

The incline became as slick
as a sideways ice rink,
with the goo from the newly mown weeds...

Thinking his ancient football cleats might aid in my traction 

on the slippery hill, 

Dad stuffed a wad of socks in the toes...  

Humiliated, I looked like Bozo the Clown, 

as I doggedly flopped on the path...  

Mosquitos buzzed in swarms, 

Goliath-sized Daddy Long Legs guarded every berry

it seemed, and the humidity clung to me 

like a warm, soaked beach towel...  

It took at least thirty minutes to pick 

from all of the black raspberry bushes 

and more than once that summer, I tripped, 

fell and upended the entire contents
 of the bucket, down the ravine...  

Good times...  

If my parents chirped

 "Black raspberries are red when they are green!", 

one more time, I might have lost it...  

My entrepreneurial spirit came alive that summer 

when I was allowed to sell pints of those berries 

to the local grocer, Fritz's...
 

I think I got two dollars a pint back then,
 and the grocer usually purchased 5 or 6 pints from me...
A good price for a little kid...

Along the north perimeter of my parent's current property,

 there are about twenty yards of red raspberry bushes...  

They came with the house 

and after twenty three years, the bushes have grown 

into a prolific mass of berries... 

Every year, for about ten days, 

we pick the raspberries frantically, 

among the mosquitos, spiders and thorns, 

to gather as many fruits as our buckets will hold...  

It is a fleeting time, 

hot, steamy summer days when the red, juicy berries

 miraculously transform from hard and green 

to plump, soft and brilliant ruby...

Memories of picking the black raspberries 

so many years ago 

come flooding back each year...

 Once picked, the challenge is to use the berries

 in ways to honor their short existence... 

 Berries soaked in cream and sugar, 

raspberry preserves, 

raspberry tarts 

and raspberry ice cream...

I found this recipe today, courtesy of Grandbaby Cakes...

Usually I shy away from egg based ice cream recipes,
simply because I overcooked the custard once
and bits of scrambled egg peppered the ice cream...

This custard, however, I watched like a hawk...

 

Once the mixture even hinted of a simmer,
I pulled it from the heat
and added the vanilla, cornstarch and rum...

Yes!  Two tablespoons of rum!

I swear you cannot taste the alcohol
in this dreamy concoction,
but the flavor does have that extra "oomph"...



The color is a pretty, delicate pink
and the fresh raspberry flavor is decadent...

Ice cream is a great way to use up a lot of fruit...

There is plenty of raspberry puree left over to freeze
and to use for making sauces, jellies
or more ice cream!



I surely don't miss the days of gripping the slimy hill,
snatching black raspberries
 from the clutches of spiders and bugs...



Gathering the red raspberries
now is a joy in comparison
and making delicious desserts
from them is my just reward...


Red Raspberry Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
1- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup 
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup strained raspberry puree from fresh raspberries (Puree in your food processor and pour through a strainer to get rid of seeds)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon rum

Directions
Whisk together milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, corn syrup and eggs in a medium sized pan over low heat.  Heat until the mixture is warm and continue to whisk so you don't end up with scrambled eggs in your custard.  Remove from the heat once it slowly begins to almost boil and add in corn starch continuing to whisk until it thickens.  Lastly whisk in raspberry puree, vanilla extract and rum and place in the refrigerator until the mixture is cold or place over an ice bath to speed up the process.  

Add the ice cream mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to your manufacturer's instructions.  Add finished ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze for 4-5 hours.

Sleep Away Camp...

 

My boy is headed off to YMCA camp 

 tomorrow for two whole weeks...

 

Last year was his maiden voyage 

to sleep away camp 

and when we picked him up seven days later, 

Jack's first declaration was that he wished 

he could have stayed for two weeks!  

Now, I don't take it personally 

that my son did not miss me...  

I understood his desire as a statement 

of how much fun he had in that short week...  

 

Time flies when you are having fun...  

Jack has always been more 

of an independent sort anyway...  

As a toddler, he was rarely one to cling to me

 as I left for work each day...  

That is, unless Tom and I were headed out for a date, 

then he would throw a doozy of a tantrum...  

God forbid we have a night out once in a while...  

At the age of ten, 

Jack still gives us grief 

if we book a sitter for the evening...  

Is that a firstborn thing, 

or what is it?  

It's nice to know that there are still many good, 

wholesome camps where kids go mud sliding, 

horseback riding, boating and hiking...

  

I love that the electronic-age tweensters slumber in sturdy tents 

and are encouraged to clean their plates 

at meal time...  

The "slop bucket" at each table is weighed 

at the end of the meal 

and the lightest bucket wins good stuff...

It's great to know today's campers still sing around the campfire 

and play the same games we played 

at camp many years ago...  

Times are a little different, too,

and the camp pamphlet strongly recommends 

those parents with "helicopter tendencies"

to not call the camp to check in on little Johnny 

as it just creates homesickness...  

Care packages must be nut-free 

and Epi Pens fill up the nurse's desk...  

It's just a sign of the times, 

but so much has remained old school, 

which I love...   

So, Jack is totally geeked to head to the hinterlands

for fourteen days 

and I must confess I am excited, too...  

For two weeks, we will not referee sibling squabbles, 

I will not have to count to ten 

while my son talks back to me...  

There will be less laundry, 

more food in the fridge 

and less Sponge Bob...  

Kate will be at home with us, 

but two parents to one kid is a breeze...  

Zone defense beats man to man every time...  

Yes, I will miss my boy

 and maybe for a millisecond he will miss me, 

but it will be a good break for us...  

We have been wearing on each other's nerves lately 

and a little absence may make the heart grow fonder...  

I hand made some postcards 

for Jack to send to family members

 if he gets the inclination
 to share his tales of camp glory...  

  

Yes, I realize my hand looks like a lamb shank...

 

Do you know it is a challenge 

to find non-tourist postcards?  

So, I just cut some card stock to 3 1/2 x 5 inches...

I already sent one "hello" card in the mail 

so he would get one on Monday or Tuesday...  

In a few days I will bake some goodies (nut free) 

and will send along some water balloons, 

playing cards, a disposable camera and other fun things 

in a care package for him and his tent mates to enjoy... 

Some of my best memories were at Girl Scout camp 

and I hope he will have great moments

 that he will remember, too...

 
 To keep in the camping theme,
here are some good camping recipes , courtesy of Six Sisters Stuff,
for you outdoorsy folks...

Chef du Jour...

"Operation Help Out"

is on a roll...  

May was keeping one's room clean... 

June was about a tidy bathroom 

and July is the month 

of the "Culinary Expansion"...  

This month, the kids have kitchen duty...  

One supper each week, they are responsible 

for planning, shopping, cooking 

and cleaning up after dinner...  

I had serious trepidation about this task... 

I mean, let's face it, preparing family dinner myself
is so much easier...

 My domain of serenity has always been

the kitchen...

Preparing supper gives me time to myself
and I hold those short thirty minutes sacred...

With a glass of wine thrown in, of course...

To have to supervise as the children plan, shop, cook 

and clean up, with them leading the way 

is a massive loss of control...  

Oh, the mess and stress involved...

Is it worth it to teach them to make meals?

Would the kids balk at having 

to serve dinner for the family?  

Would they crumble under the pressure?  

Would they refuse to clean up 

the destroyed kitchen after dinner?  

Week one, I caved 

and did not require them to cook...  

It was the 4th of July week, after all, 

and I could not muster the energy 

to help them figure out what to make to eat...  

So this week, the cooking experiment commenced...

 Kate was first out of the dugout,
with Tuesday duties...  

She chose "Breakfast for Dinner", 

making pancakes, bacon, eggs and juice...  

For a seven year old, 

this meal was inspired stuff 

and she was a trooper, 

reading the recipe for the pancakes, 

measuring the ingredients 

and attempting to mix, pour and flip the cakes...  

Father Bear makes it look easy in "Little Bear", 

but Kate soon realized flipping those pancakes 

was fine motor skill hell...

She kept at it, though, 

and quickly the stack of hotcakes rose...  

Even Jack was cordially complimentary
as we enjoyed her dinner 

and Kate learned the finer points 

of loading a dishwasher that evening...  

Chef du Jour must not have been too traumatic 

because she is mentally planning 

what to cook next week...   

Thursday was Jack's turn at manning the kitchen 

and he decided fish was the main protein 

for supper...  

We checked out Pinterest for a good tilapia recipe 

and then he chose what starch 

and veg would round out the meal...  

Yesterday morning, before hockey camp, 

we hit Aldi to pick up the various ingredients... 

He selected the items on the list, put them on the belt 

and I paid for the items... 

$10.00 was the thrifty total...

Jack even requested I pick him up early from camp

 so he could get started
on dinner at a good time...  

Jack made chocolate ice cream 

that was a dead ringer for a Wendy's Frosty, 

a mixed green salad
with a homemade vinagrette, boxed rice and Lemon Tilapia...  

With close supervision,

 and timing assistance, 

Jack performed well in the kitchen...

His knife skills are such that I don't have to hover anymore,
and his stove awareness is much better...

He thinks he is an awesome, experienced cook 

and I am fine with that, 

even though the dear boy
is truly a beginner...  

Heck, isn't cooking like golf?  

Aren't cooks constantly learning?  

I know I am... 

Anyway, he was eager, 

enthusiastic and so happy 

when his meal turned out perfectly...  

Clean up was a bit of a struggle, 

but Jack will be ready to cook again

 and that qualifies as pure success to me...  

Here is Jack's tilapia recipe, thanks to Providence Design...  

Thumbs up!!!

Ingredients

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

 2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets

 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons butter

Lemon wedges (optional)

 Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk.

Serve sauce over fillets.

Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

An Allowance Well Spent...

So, the kids have been doing relatively well

 with "Operation Help Out"...  

They have been keeping their rooms tidy enough

and the bathrooms are better, 

sort of...  

They have earned somewhat less than two months of dollars 

stuck in the jar 

and the dough is adding up...  

Kate has been stowing her cash 

in a paper envelope in her room...  

She is itching to spend it, too, 

and she decided what to buy recently...  

A few weeks ago, Kate had a special birthday lunch

 with one of her BFF's at American Girl... 

Her friend received the new girl of the moment, Saige, 

as a gift from her parents 

and Kate knew then and there 

that she must own Saige, too...  

These dolls are by no means cheap 

and I hesitated letting Kate blow her whole savings 

on the doll, so I held off on the old parental approval... 

Until last week...  

I  needed to update the kids' comp photographs for modeling 

and I have been stalling the agency 

because Kate is missing her two front teeth...  

Not exactly her most photogenic stage in life 

and comps are pricey... 

Her middle teeth are finally starting to appear normal,

 and the agency has been hounding me, 

so we shot her photos last Friday...  

It was a hot, muggy, buggy day 

and Kate was a trooper, 

wearing fall clothes, sweating and trying to be all smiley 

despite the bugs nipping at her ankles...  

If there are a few things my daughter dislikes, 

it is sweat, bugs and any sort of discomfort

 in general...  

Modeling is hard work, man!    

Anyway, she did a great job 

and did not complain once, 

which was highly out of character for her...  

Earlier that morning, I stuffed her wad of cash in my purse, 

in hopes that she might show stellar behavior 

and, luckily for Kate, she did not disappoint...  

After the photo session was over, 

I told her that she deserved a surprise...  

On the way to Michigan Avenue, 

Kate grilled me with a thousand questions, 

none of which I answered...  

We found street parking (miracle) 

a few blocks from Watertower Place 

and she continued to pepper me with questions,
right into the building...  

Katherine probably had a clue by then 

of where we were headed, 

but she did not appear wise to my secret... 

When we stepped into the glorified halls 

of all things American Girl, 

Kate thought I was allowing her

to window shop only...  

When I whipped out the bundle of dollars 

and pointed toward the tower of Saige dolls, 

she about fell over... 

Then my little one bounded over, 

snatched a Saige for her very own 

and gave my legs a tight, emphatic bear hug...  

It was touching to see her over the moon 

for this doll...  

The cashier made a big deal 

about counting out her hard earned dollars, 

one by one 

and she praised her repeatedly 

for paying for the doll herself...  

Maybe this reward for keeping her room and a bathroom clean 

will be further motivation...

A mom can only hope...

This is a moment when all of this 

teaching kids to be self sufficient stuff

is worth it...

It is so much easier, sometimes,

to just pick up their rooms myself, 

to wipe and swipe the bathrooms quickly,

to just get it done...

But to see Kate and Jack work 

to earn the things they desire,

 now that is truly satisfying...

Kate and Saige were inseparable all evening 

and we had to convince her to leave her new friend behind 

as she, her brother and dad left 

for the Cubs game that afternoon...

Apparently, any angelic behavior from the prior day

had worn clean off 

and she was a whining shrew at the ballgame...  

Daddy ordered a beer or three...  

Maybe she was just tired 

from all that supermodel stuff...

All I know is that it was peaceful at home 

and the kitchen smelled like apple paradise...

Here is a recipe for Dutch Apple Pie, thanks to Cafe Johnsonia...  

Mom’s Dutch Apple Pie

Tip: use a deep, 9” pie plate.

Ingredients:
For Crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tbsp. sugar
½ cup oil
2 Tbsp. cold milk

For Filling:
5 cups tart baking apples, peeled, cored, in small chunks (I used a combo of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith)
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed (or about 2 Tbsp. bottled juice)

For Topping:
1 stick cold butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions:

For Crust:
Mix the dry ingredients together in the pie plate.  Mix the milk and oil together.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil/milk.  Mix with a fork until dough comes together.  Press evenly on the bottom and sides of plate.  Refrigerate while preparing filling.

For Filling:
Whisk dry ingredients together.  Add the apples and lemon juice. Toss to coat apples.  Spread apples evenly in pie plate. Place in fridge while preparing topping.

For Topping:
Mix flour and sugar together. Add cold butter.  Use a pastry blender, or two knives** to cut butter into the dry ingredients.  Be careful not to over do it. There should be small pieces of butter amid the flour and sugar.  Sprinkle topping evenly over filling.

Place completed pie in a large brown grocery bag. Fold the edge of the bag over and secure with staples, paper clips, or metal clamps.

Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for one hour. (No peeking!)

When done, remove from oven, but leave in bag to cool.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Wow...it smelled great in here!

Oh, and another of Kate's middle teeth fell out today...

Jack took photos earlier in the week, too...

Here are a few goodies...