I love my laptop lunchbox

Not the most exciting lunch but my son loved it.  This was the first time I allowed him to take cheese to school.  I am allowing him small amount of cheese once a week.  Next step is to make my own cheese.

The laptop lunchboxes are pretty cool!  They are BPA free and can be configured many different ways.  Some of the containers have lids and I have a larger one that takes up half.  I have now run out of juice boxes so I pack a water bottle in the box.  The lid of the box comes down so the food doesn't move around.  My son can drop kick it accross the room and it will all still be intact.

What is in my fridge?

Do I need to clean this out or what?  I am surprised with what accumulates.

Isn't the finished product beautiful.  I am doing well at getting most plastic out of my life.  Did you notice all the canning jars in my fridge?  The top shelf is gluten free mixes the bottom shelf is homemade juice.

Here is a picture of my pantry.  Once again notice all the canning jars.  I am so organized.  Well at least the fridge and pantry are.

Look what I found!

I found a canner, 2 qt. canning jar, 1 qt. canning jar, 2 small jars with lids, and 2 oil lamps for $6.

update:  canner leaks a little so this one will be used for jelly jars and from now on used outside.

carrots: tigress can jam

This month is carrots. I found a recipe a year ago that I have been wanting to try so I am excited by the challenge forcing me to do it.

I am making Carrot Cake Jam

Yes you heard me correct carrot cake in a jar.

First thing, and hardest thing is to find a vegetable peeler. I don't usually peel anything so where could it be. I never did find one but I went to my neighbors and borrowed one. It is 7p.m. and they already think I am nuts but I have a peeler.

I add all the main ingredients to the pan it smells like I am baking a cake instead of canning jam.

I bring to a boil and then let everything simmer for 20 mins. I had to do it longer because my carrots were still tough.
Next add liquid pectin--boil 1 min

Then add sugar

A lot of sugar. Where did the jam go? I'll give it a stir.

Keep stirring. . . . . . . . . . Oh there it is! I found it!

Bring it to a hard boil and let it boil for 1 minute. Then fill the Jars
10 min process in BWB

  

Carrot Cake Jam

makes 6 1/2 pints

1 1/2c. shredded carrots

1 1/2 c. diced pears

1 (14oz) can crushed pineapples, undrained

3 T. lemon juice

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. clove

1 pouch liquid pectin

6 1/2 c. sugar

1. 
   
   Add all ingredients to pan except pectin and sugar.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 mins.
2. 
   
   add pectin and bring to a boil
3. 
   
   add sugar and bring to a hard boil for 1 minute
4. 
   
   fill hot sterilized jars 
5. 
   
   process for 10 minutes 

I enjoyed this recipe although I think it has to much sugar.

Where is my support group?

OK I am quitting coffee. There is support for drugs and alcohol and sex and cigarettes but what about me? I have no sponser to call at 2 in the afternoon when I really want a cup of coffee. How am I supposed to learn to drive without coffee nearby. I don't know what to do?

I know I sound a little crazy. It really hasn't been that hard but I won't lie and say it is easy either. A few advantages I have noticed so far are being able to go to sleep by 10pm instead of 1 am. The downside to going to bed early is getting up early. I have noticed that in the morning I have less stiffness in my joints though. I nice side effect I didn't expect. I also am not binge eating as much.

I am typing this as it is snowing outside and I really want a cup of coffee. I do have an empty cup sitting on the table. The cup is so pretty to look at I am not getting rid of them. I almost think I like the mugs as much as the coffee to put in them.

soccer fun

Jeffrey had a soccer game today. I get a kick out of him. He loves to be goalie. Personally I couldn't take the stress, even as a mom I hold my breath the entire time. Fortunately he is good at it.

Jordan on the other hand has no desire to play any sports. He is obsessed with wall-e at the moment so he sits with his toy and ignores the world. At one point he was laying under my legs. He is so funny though one of my friends was there and he walks over to her puts his head in her lap and says hi Trey's mom. Luckily she thinks he is adorable, as do I.

day 3 no coffee----almost

I am on day 3 but not quite perfect. I had a cup of instant coffee for breakfast yesterday.. That stuff is real nasty. Today I decided I really like the coffee but I am not going back. I miss holding a hot mug of something. Enter Teecino you will see my favorite flavor in the link. No caffeine made from carob, barley, chicory root, dates, orange peel, almonds, and figs. You make this just like coffee except it has no caffeine.

Waiting for Wall-e

If you remember my Tom and Jerry saga from this summer this is just like it but replace with Wall-e

I promised Jordan when he got all of his spelling words correct I would buy the wall-e wii game. Now so you don't think !wow! that is a good gift, it has been close to 3 months since we have accomplished this task. Bravo, he did it last week. The search begins: first gamestop-no luck, next blockbuster-no luck, then farm n fleet-no luck, finally back to gamestop and we got a different game. I guess I should have planned better but they had plenty last time I checked.

As soon as we got home I got on the internet and ordered the game. We are still waiting and he is starting to drive me crazy. My son has some OCD issues. I hope it doesn't show up today though because they are going to their dads and he would drive me crazy before he left.

Please Amazon gods send my game on Monday, I BEG you!!!

Bad habits are hard to break

I have a problem that has gotten out of control. Get your minds out of the gutter it isn't illegal just addictive. Coffee, caffeine, sugar COFFEE! I have been trying to stop my coffee habit for months now. I always have an excuse. I will wait until the creamer is gone because it was so expensive. Creamer is gone but there is still coffee and I wouldn't want it to go stale. I buy more creamer and the insanity starts over.

Lucky for me I woke up with a head cold this morning. I drank herbal tea for breakfast and decided I might as well start my coffee free existence today. What did I do? Am I really going cold turkey?

NO!! I almost made it though. I resisted the coffee until 2 p.m. but I had such a headache that I figured I would try just one cup. I was smart though and had a cup of instant java. YUK!!!!! It did the trick though. I feel better and did not enjoy the cup of java so one was all I had.

Hopefully my kids will find something to occupy their time while I let loose on the world in a caffeine withdrawal haze.

Pinewood derby

It is that time of year again. I need to realize that I am not supermom but I do try my best. I had a really hard time cutting the cars out all I had is a dremel. I worked on them for a week and they looked pretty bad. Luckily Uncle Fred saved the day. We took the cars out to him and he cut them with a bandsaw. Bless you uncle Fred.

Jordan is waiting for his car to race. He won the first 3 races and after the first race he asked me who won. I told him he did, he was so excited after every race from then on he had to ask unfortunately he lost the next 6. We ended up in 3rd place. Look at that trophy!!





Jordan and his car


Third place not so bad he was so happy




Now it is Jeffrey's turn!




1st Place



BOTH MY BOYS WITH CARS AND TROPHYS

Giant snow sculptures

a worm on a mushroom?



a walrus


skull-the shading was great


Our favorite 2 turtles



this was pretty cool. Of course we had drama because we always have drams. I planned ahead and had the boys pack all of their snow gear just in case. When we got there it was set up so you could just drive through. We drove through and all I heard from the boys in the back "lets get out, Let's get out, let's get out, let's get out." I decided to drive through a second time and this time we parked halfway through. I told the boys to just get out. We walked about 50 feet and Jordan was complaining the whole time I need my boots. If I was smart I would have just let him have his way. I gave in and we went back to the car for boots. He walked in a snow bank for 10 minutes and then all was good.

The boys wanted to build one too but I am still waiting for my snowman to be built so we will have to see.

School lunch

I invested in a laptop lunchbox. I love this lunchbox. Of course so far my meals have been very boring. Then again my son is a very boring eater. We have been on a grilled cheese jag for close to 4 months. I am bored but I do know what I am going to make every day.

Eat a Rainbow!

This one is NOT gluten free


No not one of these









but one of these




I made this cake for Jeffrey and Kinseys birthday. The outside is very deceiving I left it plain white and just wrote their names on it. I got the oooooohhh when I cut into the cake. It was fun to see everyone eat the cake differently. Some ate it by layers. The littlest one picked the layers and stacked on his spoon then ate.
All in all what a fun cake. No this was not my idea. I was sent a link from my good friend Ann earlier this summer. I have been drooling to make this since then. Go to whisk girl for the recipe
http://whisk-kid.blogspot.com/2009/08/say-it-with-cake.html

This cake is definately not gluten free but I am going to try and adapt the recipe so stay tuned.