Still Here

After all this time, I am still here.  I forgot my email this blog is linked to, forgot my password, too.  So many things I wanted to post about, but no access.  Now, today I come on here to close it up, and I am signed in.  Hmm...how did I do that?  And will it stay that way so I can post again?

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Have you ever craved something so bad that you knew you would eat everything else in the house if you didn't get what it was you wanted? That was me, this weekend. I was so hungry for banana bread!! Off to the store I went, and all they had were just ripened bunches. I bought 2, enough for 7 loaves, but they weren't ripe. So I knew it would be a few days before I could get my "fix". For my bread recipe, (which is the best in the world as far as I've ever tasted), I have to have a fresh orange to grate the rind off of. This store only sold oranges in bags, and hey, since I was really craving bananas and NOT oranges, I knew the rest of the bag would be wasted. So, off to a 2nd store I went. Now, I don't shop at this store often, and didn't ever expect them to have over-ripe bananas by the bag....but they did! So, I bought 3 bags of them. Yes, I was craving I said!!

This is what is left of the 2nd loaf I made:
But did I stop there? Ohhhh nooooo.....I made up 6 more batches and froze them Ü All different sizes, too.....small loaves, medium sized and regular. I am ready for more cravings I tell you.
Here is the recipe in case anyone else is craving banana bread and would like a good tried and true recipe ...

Banana Bread

3 medium ripe bananas

1/3 Cup shortening

2/3 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 Cup orange juice

1 tsp. freshly grated orange rind

1 3/4 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the shortening and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until smooth. Add the orange juice, rind and bananas and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this dry mix to the wet mix. Stir well. Pour into greased bread pan. Cook 350* for 1 hour.

~~If you want to make small loaves, this recipe will make 3... only cook for 40 min.

~~If you want to make medium loaves, this recipe will make 2... only cook for 50 min.

School

Today we have a couple hour delay.   I love the delay days!  Enough time to sleep in, scare the kids when you tell them that "Oh NO!  You're late for school!" lol, and enough time to have some fun playing games before school. 

The other best part is that we know when the school will be delayed or cancelled before anyone else does!  How cool is that?

Off to make breakfast, what should I make?  Something easy and delicious! How about this:

Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup

I love Fall! 

I love the cool air, I love layering clothes, I love cooking hearty food!  Seems as soon as it gets cool outside, I am all about cooking soups (among other things).  I have to say, that I love making soup the most.   I can't wait to have a big bowl of delicious homemade soup to warm the tummy!

This is how I made this pot of soup:

I took out 3 small steaks in the freezer I wanted to use up.  Cut them up into chunks, added them to a pot of water. 

Add a cut up onion. 

Add 3 stalks of celery cut up.

Simmer for an hour.

Add 1 can of mixed vegetables.

Add these.

Add 2 pints of canned tomatoes.

Add a handful of pearl barley.

Sprinkle top of soup with: thyme, pepper, basil.

Add a cup of broken spaghetti uncooked.

Add one cup of macaroni noodles uncooked.

Add 3Tbsp. Beef Soup Base.

Simmer for a half hour.

                                                                                 

Just looking at this makes me hungry!

Look at the broth....yummy....

What kind of soups do you make?  Do you like to use up your leftovers, too?  In this recipe, I used up my steaks, celery, frozen leftover veges, spaghetti and macaroni noodles. 

If you make this, leave me a comment and let me know how you liked it!

Enjoy!

Odie Odesimo

Meet Odie.

Also known as Odis.

Doesn't he look cute?

He is a Yorkie-Poo, which means he is half Yorkshire Terrier and half Poodle.  I think that Terrier and Poo are a good explanation.  Just sayin'.

When this little dog came into our family, we already had one dog.  Milo.  A good, sweet, lovable dog who simply adores me.  Why did we need to get one more then?  Well, the way that the Mr. figured it, Milo needed a friend.  Milo loves his friends, but needed a bro, a pal, a buddy.  So, Craigslist here we came. 

"One cute adorable puppy, who will not grow any bigger, not potty trained but good with children".  

We went, we saw, and Milo approved.

Being a baby yet, Odie was allowed to do whatever he wanted in Milo's eyes.  Want this toy? Sure!  Oh, you want my dogbone?  Sure!  Sleep in my bed?  Sure!  

And he grew.

The potty training was not a joy, let's just say that he has learned.  He loves to chew socks, toilet paper, wrappers, and store his treasures under the sofa.  He likes to lay ON you, not next to you, always, his head at least is on you.  He barks to let you know someone is coming up the driveway.  Sometimes it's even our driveway.  He lets us know when people are walking past our fence.  He can dig a hole like to no other dog.  Vegetable gardens are no match for him.  There isn't anything that he is not interested in.  He is still gullible enough to believe that he will get that treat whenever he comes in from outside.  He gets sick on red dog treats.  Cries to have ice-cream.  Snarls and nips at men he doesn't like.  Has the most adorable almond shaped eyes...which have saved him many times from a hollerin'.  Yes, he is truly his own personality.

Fast forward to now.

Odie has gotten a BIT bigger than we when we got him.   He came the size of half a loaf of bread and is now the size of 2 loaves of bread.   He now stands taller than Milo (who is a Teddy Bear....half Shitzu and half Bichon).  He is just as long.  He can take Milo down faster than you can say Half Nelson.  See that toy?  It's mine.  You have a snack?  I'll just take that from you.  Your bed you say?  Mine now, sucker. 

And yet, Milo loves him.  He tolerates him.  He treats him as if he is still a baby.  He gives up whatever he has for Odie.  He lets Odie lay on top of him when he takes his nap, always.  Even if he doesn't feel well.  He does it out of patience, tolerance and love.  This is his brother.  His family. 

And Odie loves Milo, from the bottom of his younger heart, he adores Milo.  Wherever he goes, Odie goes.  Whatever Milo is doing, he wants to be a part of it.  They play tug of war with rope toys and snuggle up  to each other.  They love each other.

One day, Odie will grow older and Milo will slow down.  And feelings and attitude will shift.  Odie will become the caretaker, the giver, the one who has more patience.  He will be the one to give up, step aside, take that turn.   Until then, he remains the baby.  The little puff ball of fur that grew.

   

Family and an Owl at Midnight

I come from a big family.

You know, the kind that has a ton of Aunts and Uncles and Cousins...and siblings, too!  There are too many to count, but is is probably 150-200.  I know, mind blowing.  



Each year, the kids and I go to do a "Visiting Day", where we travel around and hit up as many of them as we can, and spend time getting to know them better.  I want my kids to know their family, close and extended.  It's important. Family will always be there, when others aren't.  That whole blood is thicker than water thing.

Every year, we bring a little token of love for our visits.  This year, we made  acorn ornaments.  I'll post how to make them soon.   They are super easy and tons of fun to make!!

We stopped at many homes, were filled with wonderful conversations, ate a delicious supper, had some sweet treats, swapped gifts and headed home after a very, very long and awesome day!  

Now, driving there takes me hours, and driving home the same.  I usually start out very early in the morning and leave very late, and the kids sleep on the way home.  We always go when they don't have school the next day, so they get to sleep in.

This particular night, I left around 11:30 p.m. to head home.  There was no moon, making it a dark night, and I like to drive in the quiet, so I didn't have the music on or a book on tape playing.  Kids were snoozing after about 10 minutes, and we were all toasty warm  and I was reminiscing about our day.  I was cruising the roads doing 60, and watching the roads for deer.  Good times.

All of a sudden, I see a HUGE white wing out of the corner of my left eye.  I mean HUGE, folks!  A millisecond later I heard a loud WHAM and felt it hit the back seat door!  What the Heck!!!??  The child in that seat by the door woke up with a sudden bolt and asked me what was THAT?  I really had no idea.  I got down the road, turned around, and saw one of these laying in the road:

A Barred Owl. 

 It was a creamy color with brown, had a heart shaped face and the hugest brown eyes.  Just beautiful.  

It turned it's head and looked at me with it's big eyes, and turned it's head again....and I felt just awful.  I wanted to take it to help, but really, where would I bring it?  It slowed down it's movements and I knew that it didn't have long, so I left it alone.  Talk about hard to do. 

How many people do you know that get ran into by an owl in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere? 

Go me.



To Haiti With Love

I forget at times that I have so many pairs of shoes. 

Most often I wear the same shoes for day to day.

Then there are those that are for certain outfits, activities, and weather.  Can you relate?  Why do I have so many shoes?

While others have only one....or none.

My friends have been to Haiti 3 times and are going back a 4th time.  Bless their hearts, they bring many items to those in need there.  Food, clothing, toys....and now shoes.  

I was able to purchase 100 pairs of flip-flops of all different sizes and colors for them.  What a wonderful feeling to know that these will benefit others.  My friend said that this should be enough to provide 2 orphanages!  This makes my heart so full Ü

Thank you friends (you know who you are) for giving me this opportunity to help others.