Hi There!

Here I am again the worlds worst blogger. Why is it when I think I'll actually have a Saturday to get things done suddenly it's like filled to the max? So turns out Francis had his Scouting for Food Day today. That's where all the Boy Scouts collect food for the local food bank, which happens to have had some pretty barren shelves up until today, then they box it up for them too. Load it up into some big, huge army trucks and haul it down to the food bank. There I sat going I'll stay home with Bryce. NOT! I completely forgot about the Family Connection Day at church! So at noon we headed over and had some fun. I took some great pictures too. Which reminds me I need to get those burned onto a disk for Pastor Josh tonight. So now I have not 2 boys in the house but 4! Yep they have two friends spending the night. Then tomorrow they will go to church with us. Yeah, that was supposed to be my quiet Saturday. LOL!

Costco is HERE!

Finally at long last today was the grand opening of the Costco here in town. The kids and I spent the afternoon checking it out, and tasting all the food samples. There were so many samples the bottomless pit actually got full! I know I wasn't going to buy anything but I caved when I saw bathroom globe light bulbs for $3.49. It was a special deal with the power company that gave you an instant $7.00 off at the register. Then there was real, I mean REAL Parmesan cheese! Also there's the price of gas at the Costco pump! So I dished out the $50.00 for the renewal fee. Now I have to go back, and get socks for Francis. So that when he goes snow camping with scouts he has the right socks. I also have to take one of my empty containers of flax sprout powder, and ask them to get. That way my mom doesn't have to ship it to me from Hawaii all the time. Yippeee! Costco is Here!!!

Vegan Lasagna

I know I may have used regular cheese, but it was good. To tell you the truth I think I would have done better to just leave the cheese out. Only I just have to have cheese! Check out the blog The Thrifty Soaper and her thrifty ideas.

PMS, PMS, and PMS

Did the title tell it all? I have been in so much pain today. I just hope I get Bryce's reading lesson done. It's days like this that I feel like I'm lacking as a homeschool mom. I think I'm going to have them watch the history series that I have been recording by David Barton. If you ever get a chance you need to watch this series on TBN, on Wednesdays. Yes TBN actually has something other than preachers preaching. They even have some really good movies that I've watched on there. So don't let your pre-conceived ideas get in the way. Ugh! Yep American Heritage it is.

Were'd Fall Go???

I tell you we had one week that really seemed like fall and now the weather man says SNOW!!! Geez, guess I better go pick the rest of those green tomatoes and get them pickled. Phil and I don't care for fried green tomatoes so that's out. But pickled they are to die for! Those and maybe I'll make a relish out of those zucchini I found as big as my thigh. UGH! Tonight I'm making a vegan or vegetarian at least lasagna. I just haven't found a decent cheese replacement in this town so I will stick to just regular cheese for that part. Though I did make the tofu recotta myself.
Any ways I'm going to leave the acorn squash and the butternut squash just a little longer on the vine. So long as it doesn't snow till Saturday afternoon they should be fine. Then I'll have to bring them inside to finish ripening on the counter. Next year we are going to have a waaaay bigger garden though. So much for summer and fall, I guess winter is here!

It's a Giveaway!

The Values Driven Family Site it doing a giveaway. They are getting their home ready for sale and are de-cluttering. So they have some great homeschool, and values driven items that their giving away if you comment on their blog today or Friday! If your a homeschooler visiting then head on over and check it out.

Is it Just ME?!

Or is the world full of flakes? This is the second time I have put this stupid Omnichord up for auction and then in big letters I say "I SHIP ONLY TO THE U.S., MILITARY, AND TERRITORIES!" I don't know what the deal is maybe some people can't read well enough to have an ebay account. They bid and win the stupid thing and they're in Australia!!! I emailed them told them ok if you want it it's going to cost like a total of $60.00USD to ship it too you. That's like $250.00 AUS. So do you really want it? Do they respond? Can they have the decency to say oops sorry my mistake. NO! They just don't answer, don't respond. Just pretend you never got those emails and the seller will go away. Give me a break!!! Just tell me so I can give the next person who bid a second chance offer, before they buy a different one. NOOO, the just let it sit for a week till I fill a non paying bidder claim, then I'm stuck waiting another week before I can relist. Way too late for a second chance offer. Man this guy better not flake. I will scream!!!

Rice Milk Test 2

Ok, I admit I was too tired to comeback and tell you how my little test turned out. I got this great idea that converted rice tends to be harder and less starchy soooo... I got the idea that maybe that would make a better rice milk. Well this time the Soy Quick didn't boil over right away, but it still ended up boiling over. The end result was still the same goopy gloppy mess. I know it says in the book to use the multi grain button, but I'm thinking it is taking a lot more time heating the slurry than it does soy. Maybe next time I will use the soy button. It just seems like the rice milk is being over heated and cooked too long. I'll report after that test.

Shoe String Budget

With the ever increasing prices in addition to the fact I have less and less money to buy groceries with this economy is going to kill me. Remember I said that so that my family can sue Wall Street for being the cause of my death OK.
Any way I managed to get almost everything I need for meals this week on just over $13.00. Yep you heard me right. With Phil now driving all the way up to Idaho Falls it is costing more than we have. Actually the real killer was the first month that was costing a fortune that put us in a pretty deep hole. Now he's part of a different carpool and it's costing us considerably less so we're now clawing our way out of that hole. If we can just pull off another 2 to 4 weeks we should be out of it. Just pray, pray real hard that nothing goes haywire. In the mean time I plan on digging up a lot of dollar friendly meals to serve up. Hey, I may not be Ree the Pioneer Woman, but I'll at least post the recipes on the cooking blog. Then those who need that type of recipes can find them, and hopefully give their budget the much needed boost.

A Day in the 'Tater Patch

Yep, you read that right. Today was Potato Gleaning Day! At least for this bunch of homeschoolers. This time we got to see the machinery that turns the rows up pretty close. Then I got some pictures of the harvester dumping the 'tater's into the truck.

Sorry for the fuzzy picture but it was through the dust windshield of my friends van.

I'll post them in a few here. I just hope the aren't blurry. I couldn't stop sneezing. Any whoo, we got us 3 big burlap sacks of potatoes and another half that will go to another family in the church. They both lost their jobs and are out of work so it will help out some. This year we found some HUGE ones too.

One of Those Days

I guess it was bound to happen sometime soon. I think I just have to let Bryce take a little break. I've been pushing him and pushing him now that he's been doing so good on his reading. Today we've just been butting heads over his lesson. I think it's been working up to this for the last week the way he's been goofing off more, and more while we do his lessons. Today was just in the works I guess. So now I have him laying down for a nap and maybe tomorrow we will do better. Well that's been my day so far how has yours been?

Latte Yum!

So this morning I used my new Soy Quick soymilk maker to make some lattes for us. Can I say YUMMM! Just a few coffee beans and 2 measures of soybeans. 15 minutes later we just added a little simple syrup to sweeten it up a little. My new favorite drink. Matter of fact I need to soak waaay more soybeans since I think I'll be making this tomorrow morning too. Did I mention I'm really loving this new soymilk maker? Because I am.

New Soy Milk Maker!

Today I got my new soy milk maker. I waited all day and it would figure that I was the last delivery today for the UPS driver. Isn't that always the case! I know, I know I'm really poor right now, but it was a gift.

First I tried making some rice milk, and the texture was much better than the SDZ5 which is my old one. I'm still not big on the end product, but it does make me wonder what the big manufactures do to make is seem less glutinous. Kinda of suspicious isn't it? Now that I know what the real deal is like compared to the secret processed milk.
So next I jumped into making a batch of soy milk. Just so happens I like to keep a supply of soaked re-hydrated beans in the fridge ready for the next batch of milk. All you need to do is give them a good rinse, and toss them into the pitcher with the water. Put the top on and push the button for soy milk. 15 minutes later I had soy milk. I just poured the milk through a hand strainer (which comes with the maker) and the milk was done. First thing I noticed is the color and texture of the soy milk was really milky. I love the milk that my SDZ5 made, but WOW! Silk Soy eat your heart out. Add some chopped dates and even more WOW! Well I'm going to be making soy milk more often. Like almost every night now compared to 2 or 3 times a week. I really want to try the Soy Latte. Just add some coffee beans to the mix it says. Well I'm all for trying that. Think I'll do that tomorrow morning for my coffee. Oh and also on my list of too try is making some milk from oats.
Oh, did I mention that this machine is filterless. Really nice, makes for a faster easier clean up. The top starts out looking the same but it has a blender guard that has big holes in it and no bottom. The guard just slips right off everything scrubs up really easy and fast. It was all cleaned up in a matter of minutes. No filter to scrub and make sure it was cleaned good. Just run the milk through the hand strainer that's provided with the machine. You don't even have to worry about another pitcher or container to strain the milk into. It comes with that too! I thought my SDZ5 was the greatest, it figures the only thing that could do better is also made by Soy Quick. I highly recommend you give the NEW 2009 Soymilk Maker 930P by SoyQuick a try you'll be hooked for sure.

The News Coverage

Channel 6 news


Channel 8 news

Ice Comes to Chubbuck!

More to come after the press conference.
Well I guess football is more important than our kids. I mean pigskin football not soccer. (for my foreign friends) Any way channel 8 and 6 did come down and shoot some footage. We had the Mayor there and Senator's Diane Bilyue, and James Ruchetti.(sorry James I really bad at spelling your last name) They got to ride the Zamboni's around a bit too.
Come this winter we will have an outdoor ice rink! Hopefully this will bring in more attention and some major donations. The Zamboni's were purchased with funding from the Charlotte Mason Foundation, and hopefully other foundations out there will feel encouraged to help fund an ice rink with a compressor, and boards next. The end goal is to one day have an enclosed ice rink where the kids can play ice hockey year round. Wouldn't that be awesome. So I guess we are taking a break from baseball for a bit. After all Phil is now on the Chubbuck Hockey Association Board, and he found the Zamboni's in Canada for the Association. I'll post some pictures later and the video of the news coverage.

Is Just Wishful Thinking? Or Have I Changed Some?

I've noticed so far this school year that Bryce, and I are interacting very differently. Is it just my imagination? I feel like I've been more patient with him and he seems to be more patient with me. I mean today was one of those not so good days, and yet??? I think I handled the problem a lot more different than I would have a year ago. Matter of fact different than I would have a few months ago. Could I have finally had that break through I keep praying for? Will I be laughing at the whole idea of having gained some patients by next month. I sure hope not!!! I've been kind of liking this so far. Now if I can just get control of the laundry and my desk I'll be just where I need to be.

Ever Have One of THOSE Days?

Not one of those bad days. I just know that's what you were thinking when you saw that header. I meant one of those days when you feel like you got nothing done. Bryce woke up sick, I woke up with a throat that was a little sore, and now it I just feel like I shouldn't have taken that Thera-flu. It knocks me out every time, and I mean every time! So here I sit going now what? It's too late to start some chicken soup, I have to take Francis to a Boy Scout function in about an hour. So what do I do now? I guess I'll sit down with some photos and get them edited so I can do a layout or two I guess.

Who Am I

Coolest video. A friend emailed this to me awhile back.

Casseroles

The request came up last night on Fluther so I thought I would post some recipes. Not the thing to do before laying down. Let me tell you! Now I'm starving!!! Thought I would give a heads up on new recipes posted before I went to bed though.

My Baby's In The Newspaper!

Go through the gallery at the Idaho State Journal and look for the Boy Scouts. My oldest is right smack dab in the middle! He's the one with the big smile and wearing the hat. It was so hot it's a good thing he remembered his hat too. OK, done with the brag fest.