Watch Out Oscar!

The Oscar I'm referring to is the grouch in the garbage can. My kids decided, on their own, to make a difference on our road. In turn it touched more people than we can know.

On Thanksgiving, while taking a walk with Mom, they decided that there was just too much garbage on the side of the road. Unfortunately, with the college around the bend, the kids who go there litter often.

While Jim and I went to the gym (haha--Jim/gym) my parents took the kids up and down Stony Fort Road collecting garbage, and recycling.

The kids did an amazing job. A woman stopped to tell them that they inspired her to do the same with her children. I was so proud of them. They are becoming more conscious of the choices we make, and how they can affect others.

I think they were pretty proud of themselves as well :)

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Lots to be thankful for this year. New life, God's gifts, family and friends.

Jim, Dad and the boys went to a football game in the morning. During that time Mom vacuumed.

Lena watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She finally had control of the remote!

When the guys got home they were super hungry. They snacked for a while...

then snacked some more...

I made a huge loaf of braided bread for dinner. Javen wanted his picture taken with it :)

Stay tuned. More to come!

Best Seat in the Hizz-ouse

Need I say more?

Hummus - Mediterranean Style

Okay ladies and gents. Strap on your aprons and get in the kitchen. This is officially my new favorite hummus recipe. I found one on the Weight Watchers website, then tweaked it to make it my own. I notice when I cook, music makes a great accompaniment. Jack Johnson is on in the background, and I'm feeling really chill (and old...groovy!).

Remember, it's okay to follow the recipe loosely. Really, the only necessity are the beans, which is the base of hummus. So, these are the culprits. Quite the lineup.

To break it down for you, I used both garbanzo beans (chick peas) and cannellini beans. The cannellinis are a little lower in calories/fat, and add a slightly different texture to the hummus. Add two cans of the beans of your choice, drained first.

Nest is the spices. Dash of salt and pepper. Be as liberal with the cumin and curry as you want. Cumin is bitter, curry spicy. They taste amazingly earthy together. Don't worry, not earthy like dirt.

Next add about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. I used 4 cloves of garlic, which makes it super stinky. Add more or less depending on the taste you're looking for. Wait on the olive oil until everything is blended. If you use it only as a liquid to smooth the hummus, you'll end up using less than if you measure it out.

I found these neat jarred peppers at Shaws. You could always add sun-dried tomatoes if you want a different taste. I love peppers, so this worked well. I added a bunch, about 1/2 cup, then drizzled a little of the oil they are packed in.

This is what it looks like all jumbled into the food processor.
And this is what it looks like after 2 minutes of processing, on a carrot :)

Notice the mess on the counter. Because I am who I am, I'll clean up most, but leave a hint of what I did for Jim to clean up. He always appreciates my cooking messes.

That's it. Simple, to the point, and delicious. If any of you make it, be sure to let me know what you think.
I know I'm a dork...get over it!

Three Week Re-cap

I know; you don't need to say it. It's about time! Things are going well. The kids are all doing great in school. Another year of soccer is over, thankfully, and Javen is now playing basketball. This will be his first year, and he is super excited.
We may put Lena into ballet, or a ballet/tap class this winter so she can have something to do. We're still trying to convince her that reading isn't a sport :)
Meaghin came down with Addison and Owen for a week at the end of October. We had a lot of fun. Addison, as you can see, is growing up so quick. She is such a good baby. Towards the end of the trip, she finally decided I wasn't so bad.
Owen preferred to chase chickens and hang with the kids. He had no use for us old people.

Then came Halloween. We don't actually celebrate Halloween, but do have a gross dinner to look forward to. It was our third annual dinner. We had fun, and dad got waaayyy more creative this time.

Jim decided that he made a better witch than mom, which is still up in the air!

Keith and Rita came with their kids. It's nice to have friends who know, love, and expect that you are crazy, and they actually enjoy it! (No comment needed baldy.)

This is my dad's concoction. It is guacamole under half an avocado to look like a turtle. He then prompted the kids to squish it so it's "guts" came out.

Yes, these are real mouse traps. And the ants are pomegranate seeds. I'm telling you, he outdid himself.

The chickens are going crazy, laying up to 8 eggs a day. It's becoming difficult to keep up with them. I really don't like eggs that much. And I'm not baking as much so the temptation isn't in the house. Eggs anyone?
I've also been cooking applesauce. That's one of my favorite things to do in the fall. There is nothing quite like homemade applesauce. As you can see, I have a lot of work set before me. So off I go to peel and chop, and I pray that you are well.