Candy Hearts (2-12-13)

Can it be true that we are four weeks away from Valentine's Day? (4) Four weeks away from cards, candy...in other words....stress for me. Add to that the pressure (you may remember last year's post) of making hand crafted cards for my son's party as we are in a Waldorf School and cards with Superman, Batman, Pokémon or Frodo Baggins are not kosher. That's okay. To be honest, there is nothing more delightful than sitting down with my children every Valentine's evening and sorting through the beautiful cards made by small hands. This year I have one in Waldorf and one that has transitioned to public school. I am a little sad that she will most likely be receiving said Walgreens cards but still wanted to create something special for her to give to her classmates. And....I had a $20 off coupon from Shutterfly....so......here's a sample of Arwyn's cards of love for her classmates. Get to gettin' folks because Cupid will be on your doorstep before you know it and if you are not careful you'll find yourself making a last minute dash to Kroger for candy hearts to tape to an index card!

Ah....Epiphany (January 7, 2013)

Epiphany

1. a. A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.

b. January 6, on which this feast is traditionally observed.

2. A revelatory manifestation of a divine being.

3. a. A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something.

b. A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization

This year the date of January 6 - the date of Epiphany - has somehow seemed important to me.  Off and on since Christmas I have been blogging about the gifts I have received.  Some may think I am blogging to brag - not so.  I am just so grateful for those gifts and felt much like a queen receiving gifts from those ancient astrologers on the days leading up to and the day of Christmas.

The gifts, though, are much more than the material objects they represent.  The gifts are of love given and of love that I will return.  The cooking gifts - the new spoons and the dutch oven - will allow me to give love back to those around my in the form of meals from the heart, the new socks will keep my feet warm at night as I lay cuddled up to the children reading them books, the healing salve will be kept in my purse - ready to soothe a skinned knee in a moment's notice.

Epiphany.  That's what I had yesterday as I sat through the ordinations service of a dear friend who is herself a light - a Joy to the world.  Yesterday's epiphany allowed me to transcend the fears I have been holding on to the last few weeks regarding big changes on my personal horizon and of those of my family.  My epiphany is when the light shined and the darkness cleared away and I could once again see.

The twelve days of Christmas, the gifts I have received, they all have meaning and lead me to an openness and gratitude.  Above all else at this point in my life, I am a Mother.  I AM MOTHER.  I must lead my children through example and my example is one of epiphany.  Let the light return and let us move toward the sun.  Happy Monday.

Mom Win or Mom Fail - You Decide

After a night of fun at Urban Grub and over sleeping this morning, I realized there was no way to get everyone ready, lunches packed, kids to camp and me to my hair appointment in a timely manner.  Whats a mom to do?  Did I mention the two peach bellinis I had last night or the fact that I got home at 12:30 am?  Thank goodness there is a Subway on the way to camp.  Mom fail or mom of the year?   You  decide. Luckily the kids are voting me mom of the year and that is all that matters.

Cornbread - the real Staff of Life

Last night was a Pinterest kinda night.  I've made these recipes before but thought I would share with you.  If you are like me  you are always looking for new recipes to add to your repertoire.  I give you Irish Stew with Mashed Potatoes and Firehouse Cornbread. 

Cornbread is a funny thing.  I grew up on beans, cornbread, mashed potatoes, traditional Southern foods.  Mama's cornbread was simple and dry.  Eggs, buttermilk, corn meal, bacon grease.  That's it.  It was mixed and poured into a cast iron skillet that was only used for that sacred bread.  I ate it each night (literally) covered with mounds of butter in an effort to moisten it.  Though my mama was an amazing cook and I rarely turned anything down she made, I longed for the sweet moist cornbread served at school.  This may explain why, as an adult, despite mastering most of what she made for us (and more), I cannot master her cornbread recipe and have been for years on the search for the perfect cornbread.  This one is close, friends.  Very close.

Oh!  If you know me, you know that I often adjust recipes to suit my needs.  With that said, the Irish Stew recipe is perfect as is.   I changed Bisquick to Pamela's Baking Mix in the Cornbread and I reduced the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/8.  Future recipes I'll only reduce it to 1/4.  It needed just a little more sweetness! 

“Her corn-cake, in all its varieties of hoe-cake, dodgers, muffins and other species too numerous to mention, was a sublime mystery to all less practised compounders.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' (1852)

Back to Basics

Do you ever just want something really simple?  Or, want your life to be really simple?  I do.  A lot!  When I woke up yesterday and contemplated what I would be bringing to the dinner table for my family, simple and homestyle was what I wanted.  So, I took out my trusty crockpot and poured in two bags of dried pinto beans.   I added a little salt (to your preference) and two tablespoons of bacon grease (yes, I said it) and turned the crock pot on low for 10 hours.  When we arrived home last night I made a 8x8 pan of cornbread and voila, simple and homestyle just like that.  

"What most moved him was a certain meal on beans." - Robert Browning

Oh Panini Press!

Welcome Cuisinart Grill to the family.  Where have you been my whole life?

 

Tenderfoot and Camp

This week Noah was given his first rank advancement in the Boy Scouts.  I was a proud Mama when Noah "pinned" me during the ceremony.  This ceremony was perfectly timed as he left today for his first residential camp experience.  Nathan and Noah just drove away to meet the rest of the troop to caravan to Boxwell.  Nathan, Noah, several adult leaders and about 15 other boys will join boys from around the country for a week of scout activities.  I guess technically this is not his first time camping away from home.  He has camped several times with his class at Linden and he and Nathan have gone on several weekend camping trips with the scouts.  But, this is the first time he is going for a week.  And, Nathan will only be with him one night.  Of course, he is so confident and easy going that it is no big deal for him.  For me, though, it is different.  As I think about having a rising 6th grader leaving for camp I am both proud and wistful at the same time. 

Being down one kid gives me the week to focus on my girl and she has lots planned including beauty day (think cucumbers on the eyes), gardening and more.  Now, if only the rain would end.....

Mommy Daughter Time

What's a mom to do who has a hubby working late and a son staying with a friend?  Add a little mommy guilt for being too focused on work and a clean house plus the need to have my nails done and you have mommy daughter date night.