3T of popcorn

1 1/2t of light flavored oil. I used Canola (what is a canola anyway?)

Paper lunch bag

Salt (Everyone recommends popcorn salt but all I have is regular salt and I was pleased with the results)

Mix the popcorn, salt and oil in a small bowl. Pour mixture into the paper bag. Close the bag by folding it a few times and creasing the fold. (Stapling is suggested but if a fire starts you didn’t read that here. Staple at your own risk.)

Microwave 2-3 minutes until the popping slows down. Be careful not to burn your popcorn. (Unless of course you like burnt popcorn. My mother did.)  Open the bag carefully, pour contents into a bowl and enjoy!

Frugal Gift Idea

Package prettily one bag of good quality popcorn, a small bottle of oil, paper lunch bags and salt (or popcorn salt of there really is such a thing.) Find the oil on sale and you will have a very nice, frugal present for under $10. Toss in a set on measuring spoons and a serving bowl if you want plus the directions for making the popcorn.

Anyone else have a frugal gift idea?

For 2 crusts:

6 cup bread flour (I love King Arthur flour)*

2 pkgs or 2 ½ teaspoons fast rising yeast

½ t sugar

½ t salt

2 cups warm tap water

1/3 oil cup, I like olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the wet ones. Mix well, kneed till smooth, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a bowl, spray with Pam type product, flip dough, spray other side, cover with a towel, let rise in a warn place, punch down as needed.

The dough with take some shaping to get it into the pans. Be patient. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake on the lower rack for 12 minutes at 450 F. Check for doneness after 10 minutes.

Easy peasy and a whole lot less than $6.95 per crust.

*Attention FTC: No I do not get paid to endorse this flour. I just think it is the best.  I am open to the possibility though.

Thinking of school, for years there was one set of books that united American children no matter where they went to school (more or less) in our quest to learn to read. Fun with Dick and Jane…..iconic reading....

  More to follow…..

     Love Aunt Carissa

Did you learn to read using Fun With Dick and Jane?

(Altogether now: See Spot run. Run Spot run.)

Once again....when we returned from the beach this summer, there was a 750ml bottle of vodka in with our stuff. We do not drink vodka but we do use a lot of vanilla.
It is easy to make your own vanilla. One vanilla bean, split open in 4 ounces of vodka. Store in a closed bottle for a month... tada...vanilla. You can refill the bottle at least 2 more times. The vanilla gets a little weaker each time you refill the bottle so add a little more if needed.

750ml of vodka is a little more than 4 cups; I need to find 8 vanilla beans to turn that bottle of vodka into a lifetime or a year long supply depending on how much baking I feel like doing.

Beans are expensive. Our local big box discount store selling them for $6 a bean!!!

Anyone have a source of less expensive vanilla beans? Even at $48 dollars to make the vanilla, it is still a bargain with real vanilla extract at $2 to $3 an ounce.  But there is no way I can explain to my husband spending $48 on vanilla beans.

Who will go pick out a pumpkin with me?  "Not I" said Ichabod. "Not I" said Tech Princess." Not I" said DH (Dear Husband). For they were all too busy.

So I did myself.

Who will carve the pumpkin with me? "Not I" said Ichabod. "Not I" said Tech Princess." Not I" said DH (Dear Husband). For they were all too busy.

So I did myself.

Who will scoop out all the yuchy goop and separate the seeds from the goop? "Not I" said Ichabod. "Not I" said Tech Princess." Not I" said DH (Dear Husband). For they were all too busy.

So I did myself.

Who will help me roast the pumpkin seeds? "Not I" said Ichabod. "Not I" said Tech Princess." Not I" said DH (Dear Husband). For they were all too busy.

So I did myself.

Who will help me clean the kitchen? "Not I" said Ichabod. "Not I" said Tech Princess." Not I" said DH (Dear Husband). For they were all too busy.

So I did myself.

Who will help me eat these deliciously roasted pumpkins seeds? "I will!" shouted Ichabod. "I will" exclaimed Tech Princess.  "I will" delighted DH. For they all suddenly has some free time.

So I ate some myself.

       And shared the rest.  THE END

Can you identify with The Little Red Hen?

Rule 2) We can do most thing your way, except rule one.

Anyone else have a rule for living in a challenging sitution they like to share?

The downside is he is always home! His life is a little out of control so there are other lives available to oversee.

Good thing for both of us one of us has a sense of the absurd (at least 29 days out of a 31 day month. The other two days, no sense at all.)

Childhood

I will never forget sitting around the dinner table at one of our customary family dinners and remising childhood with my teenage and preteen brothers, in the company of my parents and still child sister. Our conversation consisted of practically everything that went wrong in our early years collectively, which impressively could be summed up in a ten-minute discussion. However this exchange drove my mother from the table in tears. In my egocentric world of age twelve, I could not understand why my mother did not find this conversation amusing. In fact my lifelong goal (established at age three) was to point out what my mother did wrong as a parent, and by age ten I had skimmed through three of her many parenting books and decided that I would just have to show her with my own children how child rearing was done. However as the years have gone by I have come to realize what an incredible childhood I did have, something my parents worked very hard for. I have nothing but fond memories when I think about those years of my youth. My mother is a very wise women and an incredible parent. She already knows this, but I begin to realize it a little more each year.

Screen It

Plugged In  Also has TV, Music and Video Games Reviews

Kids In Mind

World Magazine  Good site for thoughtful reviews for parents with older teens

Christianity Today

Tech princess posted on Facebook that her day sucked.

I have no trouble that I know of with my teens and the major cuss words. They fall under the Scriptural prohibition, “there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Eph. 5:4).

It is the minor ones I’ m having problems with. Mostly because the kids do not agree these words are unacceptable to begin with. Words like freaking, pissed off, crap and sucks are used by the kids in our home, not always but from time to time.

I remember the first word battle I lost. The word was dang. My oldest was about 14 and he was using it in his daily conversation. In his mind the word was far enough removed from its parent word of damn not to count under the Ephesians command.  I lost this one when a one of our elders at church used it not one, not twice but three times in his sermon. This man loves Jesus well and wisely and both my son and I knew that. The debate over dang ended and my son did go on to use courser language, but that was a different heart issue.

We had company yesterday and one man used the phrase “pissed off” to describe his reaction to a certain situation. My daughter smiled. More ammunition for her in the Word Wars.

I have Napoleon Dynamite for the free use of freaking and crap because and I quote, “Everyone knows Mormons’ don’t swear Mom.”

I have been known to use a curse word once or twice,very very rarely when unduly provoked (by my teens. Before the kids becoming teenagers only my mother could be provoking enough to cause a swear word or two to except my lips...sigh). Nether my husband or I use these words in our daily conversations in either private or public.

I have noticed there is an age gap in our church family. Those in their 20’s and younger are more likely to use these word in conversation although rarely in conversation with those of us who are “older”. It is respectful on their part. Why use language that some people find offensive and you don’t, around those people who would be. Very Romans 14.

These words do not seem to trouble my kid’s conscience. They do mine. I am not free to use them.

Part of the problem is these words are used in front of us when the kids are angry with us. Using them in that context is just disrespectful and not okay.

The other consideration is these words seem to be part of teen and young adult language and are acceptable in common usage among the 20 Somethings who do love the Lord, both wisely and well. My test in these situations is WWJD?

Would Jesus use these words in His daily conversation?

I suspect depending on your age the answer will be different.

How do you handle the Word Wars (to be honest ours are more like skirmishes)with your teens or your parents?