My (current) Favorite Fish Recipe

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.



We LOVE this recipe! I normally serve it with wild rice and a steamed vegetable. It is seriously one of Scott's favorite dishes...as long as there is enough "sauce" in the bottom of the pan to scrape out and drizzle over the rest of his food! I picked up two regular-size, and three mini rarebit dishes at an outlet, and the kids think it's fun to have their very, own fish dish. :)

I would recommend using the exact spices that the recipe calls for. And you might even find (a-hem...Jendi) that you are a fish-lover after all. :)

[Besides, 2,391 people can't be wrong!]

Shortness and 80's Woes

All I can say is, "It's hard being a tiny girl." Not only do your size 2T PJ's fall off your little hips and you need them rolled almost to your knees. Your pink pumps are waaaay too big. Tsk, tsk. It's hard being a little girl.

And speaking of shortness and fashion, I would like to make one thing clear: I am not happy about the 80's being back "in."

For one, I REMEMBER the 80's, thankyouverymuch. And the fact that I can remember the fashion from the first time around is beginning to scare me.

Secondly, the fashion of the 80's wasn't all that great back in the 80's. Really. Ballet flats? Cuffed waistbands? Leggings? No matter which way you slice it, a short momma cannot pull off ballet flats. We need some height...some help in that department. Not to mention comfort. I remember my pinched feet squeezed into that type of shoe 20 years ago. And it's not a pleasant memory.

I just KNOW Jelly Shoes are coming back in next spring. And I implore you, girls... STAND FIRM! In the name of all things decent and comfortable for your bunions...stand firm! Should you see them in the store, don't even give them 2 seconds of a reminiscent look. Walk straight past them and send a clear message to retailers and fashion experts everywhere that we want this 80's madness to stop!

I will be right there with you.

[Unless of course, they sell them in my daughters' sizes. And then I will be compelled to pick up two pair. In sparkly pink. Just like I had. Because I am weak like that. Just like I was when I spied the Strawberry Shortcake "baby" dolls and Fisher-Price Little Mommy dolls and Love-a-lot Carebears on the shelves. Just like I had. :) ]

And speaking of some 80's-ness that is actually cute...how about his darling, little tote from the Gap outlet?

Gracie needed a "Jr Church bag" since the one Lily used was history. And this one was well-priced and sports her initials (who can pass up free monogramming??!). Adorable...even if the logo is WAY 80's. :)

Organizational Tip - Control "The Paper"

"The Paper" - it's invading our home. :) My Lily LOVES artwork and all manner of papercrafts. She happily and quietly doodles, colors, draws, writes, and crafts for what amounts to hours every, single day. I am so happy that God has blessed her with a creative and hard-working disposition, but The Paper...The Paper is taking over the place!

Sooooo, I purchased this lovely, little steel-mesh basket a few weeks ago. And voila! Instant organization. This thing can hold quite a bit of her artwork. We keep it sitting on a ledge near, but off of the table. I don't have papers flying everywhere that need to be cleared in between each mealtime. She is learning responsibility to keep her things tidy and in order (I'm brainwashing....er..."training" them to be organized at an early age). And it spares her and me the pain of having to pilfer through all of her papers making the difficult decision of which to toss and which to keep, each and every night. Plus, it makes our small kitchen seem less cluttered and messy.

Joeyism #625

J - "Mommy! At Premise Maid [a chocolate/ice cream place] they have free food! [referring to the free samples]

M - "Yes, Joey, you're right."

J - "That's just like heaven. It's free!"

Aww, what a simple truth, already grasped by my four-year old. But one that so many, so much older can't seem to understand. It's free. No works, no money necessary.

Picture of Me meme

My good "bud" Kelly (sorry, Kelly, I couldn't resist!) tagged me for a Picture of Me meme. I'm normally the photographer in our family, so I really don't have many photos of myself. Above, is a recent one of me and my kids at the Zoo. I suppose it shows the "real me" as I'm corraling kids and trying to fake smile while I try to unsuccessfully keep them looking towards the camera. :)


But Kelly also said we could post a childhood photo, so I will, because I was much cuter then.

Do any of my children look like me??? Why do I have the weak genes? Please say that one of them looks slightly like me! My identity complex and self-esteem are starting to suffer.

If you would like to play along (hint, hint, Heather, Jendi, Rachel, Anne, or Katina) feel free. Just let me know, so I can snoop. As always.

Birthday Wrap-up

Gracie's "birthday week" is finally over. Well, technically it's not, because my parents are coming down to see her tonight because they were out of town last week. But almost...


We had a wild and crazy time on Friday night when all of Gracie's cousins came to her little, family party. Ten kids (all but one are age 6 and under), plus a 92-year old GG :), and only 5 adults equals much chaos and noise. But lots of fun!!


Here is the birthday girl very excited about "openin' pesents!"

The look of excitement has nothing to do with the gift....she hasn't even finished unwrapping it, but she's already "ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing!" :)

Here she is on her actual birthday in "big girl" class (we are teaching this month). Do you think she's happy about 2's and 3's?

...Even though she is a wee-bit short for the tables...

I was attempting to get a picture of her in her special birthday dress. But...well, this is all I could come up with. This is her "I'm not in the mood for photos, Mommy" look.

And here she is at her birthday party. The cake really did come up to her chin. And she blew those candles out right on cue with the first "puff."

Cute Quote

"Modesty is what keeps you from being an occasion of sin to others when you are young and fit, and from making a spectacle of yourself when you're not."
- Unknown

THE cake

Since Gracie is only 2 and isn't really old enough to decide for herself what kind of cake she wants for her birthday (bwahaha!), I get to choose.

And I chose the following recipe. I like to call it "Get Thee Behind Me" cake. Because that is the phrase that must be repeated when you walk past the leftover portion of it sitting on the counter the day after the birthday party. Or walk past the kitchen where it's sitting on the counter. Or walk downstairs, where it's sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Or walk into the house where it's sitting on the kitchen counter. Or get within 300 yards of the house where....

You catch my drift.



Chocolate Chip Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 C sour cream
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 c flour
1 t vanilla
1 c mini chocolate chips

I trust that you know how to cream the butter, add the sugar. Alternate liquid and dry ingredients yada, yada. Bake it at 350 until a pick comes out clean.

This recipe makes a 9 in square. Why anyone would stop at a 9 in square is beyond me, so I always double it, and it fills a 10" deep cake pan, quite nicely (as seen above). Or I would imagine it would probably fill two 8- or 9- inch cake pans, too.

And it's absolutely perfect with chocolate butter cream icing. Which may or may not have anything to do with why you see Hello Kitty pictured atop chocolate butter cream icing above. :)

Sugar and Spice Personified

Today my baby is two. {Sigh. Photos of my newborns always bring on a serious case of baby-lust.}

This little girl is the definition of sugar and spice. Sweet and girlie, but dramatic and spunky at the drop of a hat. Her creation leaves no doubt in my mind that the Lord has a sense of humor! I find it funny how He paired her enormous personality in such a pint-size package. She is spunky, zesty, happy, exuberant, fun-loving, and vivacious. Her small stature only magnifies her huge disposition!

If I had to guess what future careers Gracie might find herself in, I would choose actress, candy-striper (she could make ANYONE in a hospital smile!), saleswoman or singer (she HAS been known as the baby-yodeler these two years, after all.)

Of course, I hope she always uses the cheerful personality that the Lord has blessed her with to lift the spirits of others, particularly those in her own family, one day. She has already done so in our little family over the last 730 days.

Happy 2nd trip around the sun, baby girl! We love you so much!

The Pumpkin Patch, take 2

I don't know how it's possible, but we had even better weather today at the farm than on Thursday. Absolutely beautiful! and we got a deluxe hayride, due to the birthday party, I assume, which took us through the woods and across several streams. The skies were gorgeous...it was the quintessential fall day. More pictures can be seen here.

Pizza Night

Since my husband loves pizza more than anyone else on the planet, we officially instituted Friday night as Pizza Night at our house. (Plus I am trying out some new organization strategies in the meal-planning, recipe-organizing departments). Last Friday we started with pizza from the local pizzeria. :) But tonight I got out my recipe and made homemade crust.

(I can't tell if this photo looks appetizing due to my monitor issues, so please forgive me if it doesn't.)

I have some new recipes lined up to try. Does anyone have any tried-and-true favorites that you care to share?

All of this talk in the news...

...about over-the-counter cold meds for kids has got me thinking... Do you use them? Do you care that they are taking them off the shelves? What are your thoughts on the subject?

I, personally, agree with the first ruling, that cold meds for infants under age 2 don't work. In fact, I have only once administered cold meds to one child (Lily) under age 2 and it made her so dopey that I have never tried it again. Not to mention the fact that it didn't work. AND it was supposed to be the type of drug that made her hyper or agitated and it gave her the only case of lethargy she has had in her entire life. :) Our doctor says the same thing...don't even bother with cold meds under age 2. So when the meds were pulled from the shelf, I was unfazed.

So today, the independent panel that advises the FDA is saying that cold meds aren't recommended for children 2-6, either. In general, I abide by the same thought pattern. I am not a big "medicator" by nature, so, normally, I don't give my kids over-the-counter cold meds. But two of my children have inherited their Daddy's terrible sinuses. And about once a winter, they develop a bad, cough that lasts for a week or so. And keeps them up at night. At those times, I use an over-the-counter nighttime cough medicine. I think it's a Triaminic generic.

I agree that the mult-ingredient combo products are confusing! I have stood in front of the drug shelves thinking..."this isn't rocket science...I just want a cough medicine for my child!"

I didn't catch whether or not they were going to pull the drugs for the 2-6 age group. But do you use them? Do you care?

Random, strange things

Heather, at her Country Cottage, tagged me to post 7 strange things about myself. So here goes…

1. Getting rid of things gives me distinct pleasure. This includes giving things away, donating things to Goodwill, selling things on ebay or at the second-hand store, as well as throwing things in the trash. Basically, stuff leaving my house brings me much joy. I used to be such a clutterbug and a “piler” and now I suffer from the complete opposite psychoneurosis. :) I can’t stand clutter. I seriously can’t think when things pile up. I start to go crazy and I get in a “throw away” mood. And then I descend upon every square inch of the house in search of things to get rid of. I’m insane like that. My kids start clinging onto their valuables and begin hiding things from me so I won’t throw them away, crying and begging Mommy not to throw away their beloved stuffed animals and dolls. Ok, maybe I’m not quite that bad. But I’m close.

2. I have given birth all three times on the 24th day of the month. All spontaneous, unplanned, non-induced.

3. I am seven years younger than my hubby

4. I cannot whistle (but my Dad is the World’s Best)

5. I cannot blow bubbles with chewing gum. Further, I think chewing gum is a yucky habit, and I don’t give my kids gum because I am such a mean Mommy. :)

6. I love Post-it products and I have an obsession with Sharpie markers.

7. And lastly, I would really like to have lasik eye surgery, as my contact lens prescription is strong. But I have astigmatism, so I have to talk to the surgeon to see if I am a good candidate for lasik.

There you have seven random things about moi! :) Feel free to consider yourself "tagged" if you wish to play along. (Just let me know about it, so I can snoop at your random, strangeness, too.)

Bizarre Associations

OK, these little foam-craft, puppets we made at the park today are totally cracking me up. I am amused that a rather "cookie cutter" project- a tub full of identical pieces to make 60 of several little, animal puppets- can come out looking so different! The differences came from the hands and minds of the individual master of each project.

Call me bizarre but while I was laying out these little guys to dry and noticing their uniqueness, I kept associating them with all of the differences in the members of the body of Christ. And these verses from I Corinthians 12 kept coming to mind:

(The expressions on the monkey faces are hysterical. My favorite is the one in the lower right corner.)

14 - For the body is not one member, but many.

(Some of us are missing ears, but have an extra tongue!)

18 - But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

(Some have our ears on upside down...)

22 - Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

(...or our ears inside-out...)

23 - And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

(And some of us even have our ears inside-out AND upside-down!)

24 - For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

(And then there are some of us who have ALL SORTS of problems! Hee hee!)

26 - And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 - Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

And each one of us, even with all of our peculiarities, is important and relevant and needful in the body of Christ. What a precious promise, especially when our idiosyncrasies are evident and unmistakable. :)

OK, now that I have abundantly proven my wackiness by drawing spiritual truths from foam stick-puppets, I will close this post.

Ta-ta!

A Day at the Farm

Our M&M (Mommy & Me) group from church went to the Pumpkin Patch today! This is the third (?) year that we have visited the farm, as a group, and it was just as much fun as it always has been! The Lord gave us a beautiful morning, though the forecast did not look so good earlier this week. Here are a few pictures, though I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked. But we were invited to a birthday party at this same farm on Saturday, so I will take a few pictures that actually include pumpkins :) at that time. And I also can't tell if these pictures even turned out well, as my monitor died the other day. We were blessed to borrow an OLD monitor (circa 1996) which as Scott says is like looking into a dark, green fishbowl. But it works for the time-being. :)

Here are my my kiddos and my sister's children, too. How is it possible that we have six kids??! I still feel like a child, myself.


They are looking at some animals...goats, piglets, chickens, calves, emus...

Here are some of us on the hayride. Did I mention that the weather was perfect? When the gentle breeze blew, some colorful leaves fluttered down...so beautiful, and very fall-ish!

Here we are driving through the corn rows, looking into the first wagon. Joey was especially pleased that the tractor was pulling "piggy-back wagons" - in 18-wheeler fashion. :)

Michelle was such a sport. She rolled right up onto the scale that they use to weigh pumpkins. Now what other woman do you know who would be so brave as to be weighed in public? And let someone else photograph her doing so?? She even let me take a picture of what the scale said. Though I volunteered not to post that one for all of the world to see. But trust me when I say she has NOTHING to be ashamed of. :)

At the park making a craft for our missionary kids... (If you are a missionary reading this...please act surprised when it arrives around Christmas, OK?)

And here are a few of our farm purchases with Mr. and Mrs. Scarecrow at our house...

Happy Fall, everyone! And thanks for making our trip to the pumpkin patch, extra-special!!

The Potty Princess

Here is my Potty Princess...sitting on her throne..haha! She is doing well, so far, with potty-training. I'm hoping things continue in this fashion. :)

And may I highly recommend the following for potty-training success:

Because really- who doesn't enjoy a little, positive motivation every once in awhile?? One or two of these, after potty-success, go a long way. We keep a tube of these stashed in the bathroom drawer, the diaper bag and at various other locations. These sweet treats have worked for us with three children now. And don't mommies deserve a little reward when their babies have successes?! We need encouragement to perservere in potty-training our kiddos, right?! :)

It's a Deadly Combination, I tell you

Baby girl + water dispenser = TROUBLE

:)

Look!

I bought this awhile back, and just got it out last week for my hubby to hang up. Pretty neat, in light of Pastor's messages!

For those of you who don't attend my church, our pastor has been preaching a tremendous series of messages on Keys to Discerning the Lord's Will. The latest "batch" of messages, begun today, deal with applying II Timothy 1:7 to decision-making. And from the looks of it (eleven sub-principles under the Sound-Mind Principle!) we're going to be parked on this verse for awhile. :) I don't mind. I'm glad I bought this a few months ago, not knowing what we would be studying. And now I have a great reminder of the messages. I guess I have no excuse to forget them, right? Or...maybe the Lord is trying to speak to me. :)

Apple Slump

Apple Slump...what a silly name for a dessert, right?! I thought so, at least, when we read this darling book that we found at the library this week. Louisa May Alcott's own recipe for the dessert, is included at the end of the book, so Lily, Gracie and I made it yesterday.

Well, I should say, "Lily and I" made it. The little girl pictured below, on her Daddy's back, basically stood on the chair and was in charge of shaking all of the vitamin bottles, spilling the water cups, stacking them together, playing with the measuring cups and coating herself with flour and sugar. :)

And here is the Slump, itself:

It was great served with whipped cream, as was suggested in the recipe. Although in the period in which Louisa May Alcott enjoyed this, they served it with sweet cream poured on top. It must be an old-fashioned, New England thing, because Almanzo enjoyed EVERYTHING with sweetened cream on it, too!

While we were baking, Joey wandered upstairs to play. Realizing that he was missing for awhile, I called for him and asked him what he was doing. Soon, he emerged at the top of the stairs, slightly rumpled at the interruption and informed me, "I have the door closed, and I am having some peace and quiet!"

Oh, well, excuse me. We, rowdy girls, were just down here doing some baking. :)

Firehouse Fun

The theme of Storytime at the library yesterday was Fire Safety, since it is Fire Prevention Month, and all. :) While there, we learned that our police department was hosting an Open House in conjunction with an area firestation. So we ventured there last night, and had a blast!

In and on the fire engines...

With the little, robotic ambulance...

The new K-9 unit did a demonstration for us, which was awesome...my favorite part. My Dad would be so pleased to learn that they only use European dogs, most often from his homeland. :) And the dogs were smart and fierce. Look at those fangs! This guy was wearing a bite suit, but was sweating after only a few seconds. He said his arm will be bruised today.

In the ambulance... (even Gracie participates!)

Fireman Joey's favorite part...in the ladder...

Playing with the controls...

Return to Normal Life

Why is it so difficult to transition back into life after a crazy week? And why can’t the post office deliver mail on Columbus Day? And why is my A/C running on October 8th? Do you know it hasn’t been this hot on October 8th in this area since 1943? I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m just wondering.

Speaking of our crazy week, revival services were fantastic! Our speaker, who resembles Andy Griffith :), was phenomenal! I hope he and his wife come back, they were so sweet! The messages were simple, direct, and heart-felt. I really enjoyed the week! And things went smoothly here on the home front, as well. But I’m slow to transition back into our normal pace. Especially when I don’t feel much like baking, but rather grilling. And laundry, schoolwork and potty-training might have something to do with it, too. :)

Since this post is very disjointed, I will share a fun, little fallish project that Lily and I did last week:
What is it about beads that make them so much to fun to play with...even for grown-ups?

Behold: the Indian Corn Magnet!

Or should that be, "Native American Corn"?? I'm having a hard time with my daughter's politically-correct, 21st century curriculum. :) Sometimes, I laugh out loud at how shockingly "rude" we were just a mere 20 years ago. Shame on us!

Anyhow, Happy Autumn everyone! I hope you are having a great Monday! I'm off to go throw a few burgers on the grill...

Scrabble at 92

If the Lord is so gracious to give me 92 years, I surely hope I am snappy enough to play a mean Scrabble game with my grandson, too!