Poem for Daddy

I did not write this, but I found it yesterday and thought it was so sweet.  We made an art project out of it.  I put yellow paint on a paper plate and I tried to get Gwen to step in it and then put her foot on a piece of construction paper.  Um.. it didn't quite work out with Gwen, so Zeke helped me out.  Then we put the poem on the paper.  I thought it would be a nice thing for him to have at work.

Walk a little slower, Daddy,
Said a little child so small.
I'm following in your footsteps,
and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
Your'e what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you.

Meal Plan

I didn't get around to some stuff last week, so it will be repeated this week.  I've decided to make Fridays homemade pizza night here at the Barreth house and if we don't have small group, I'll invite a family to come and share dinner with us that night for fun, practicing hospitality, and to have people to play Quiddler with!

broccoli cheese soup
tamale casserole
tortellini
tilapia, salad, green beans
turkey burgers, salad
beef stew
homemade pizza
teriaki stir fry

Recipes

If you like the kind of nuts you can get at the mall, or on the street in NYC, well... these are those.  I used pecans last night and made these..but you can use any nut you want.  

Spiced Nuts


1 egg white
1 pound nuts
sugar substitute or sugar 1/2 C (you can go a little less if you want... I used real sugar instead of sugar substitute. I don't do that stuff while breastfeeding or pregnant)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

beat eggs until frothy.  Add nuts and cover them well in the egg white.  Mix other ingredients in separate bowl and then add to the nut/white mixture.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

I made homemade pizza last night using this dough recipe.  It was great!  Maybe we will try to do pizzas every Friday night and try different varieties.  That would be fun.  Does your family have a night where you make the same thing?  

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Source: http://macaroniandcheesecake.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (One packet)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Combine flours, yeast, salt, and sugar in a stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed.

Combine warm water and oil in a measuring cup.

With the motor running on low speed, gradually pour in enough of the liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.

Mix until the dough forms a ball, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 minute to knead.

Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch down and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before rolling.

*If you want to knead by hand feel free - knead for about 10 minutes.

As made, this recipe makes about 1 pound of dough.

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle a little cornmeal on a clean surface and roll out the dough, use your hands to stretch it out. Place on sprayed pizza pan and spread out to desired thinness and size.

Pre-bake dough in oven for 3-4 minutes. Add desired toppings and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 12 minutes or so.

A Smile

Zekey

At 2 months he weighs 13 lb 4.3 oz!!  81st percentile baby!

Change

See this?  This is Gwen's last pacifier that has been cut on the end and now in the trash can.  We've made the move to get her off of the pacifier now.  First we tried the cut the ends off method.  She didn't like it much, but after about 30 minutes of freak out she'd accept the nub.  I just decided it would be a lot easier to throw them away and do cold turkey.  I mean, if she's going to freak out anyway, why not right?  It really was because of Ben that we did this.  I wanted to hang on to that paci for my sanity, but Ben thought it was definitely time to get rid of it for several reasons.  It's unsanitary really, and she woke up sometimes at night when her paci fell out of bed, and the older you get the harder it is to get rid of it he thought.  She's doing really well.  She adapts well to change generally.  I know it's different with all children, but Ben's theory is that little kids deal much better with change than adults.  Ben is a big believer in change.  When the rest of his work buddies order the same thing every single Friday at the Chinese restaurant they go to... it's Ben trying something new every single week.  When we were looking for a house we were pregnant, Ben starting a new job all at the same time.  We thought it was exciting!  I wonder if he's right about kids and change.  I mean, one day I don't think Gwen can recognize any colors and the next she's saying "mother, not the chartreuse shirt!"  (she hasn't really said that yet)  Anyway, you get the picture.  If you ask dad's if kids handle change well they'd say "sure".  You ask the same question to a bunch of moms and they'd say "well, you have to be careful not to do too much."  One of my friends said that her pediatrician said not to make any big changes (like getting rid of paci) when you've been through a life change like a new baby coming home.  Then, I ask MY pediatrician yesterday and she said "get rid of it."  Can we not have a parenting summit or something and figure this stuff out???  I guess it depends on the kid...but this stuff is frustrating if you ask me.  Anyway, my baby girl is becoming a toddler!!  Woo Hoo!

Kick The Puppy

Well... I'm just kind of hanging out tonight so I guess I'll explain the "kick the puppy" comment.  When I was single I made up this phrase "kick the puppy" to tell someone to get rid of a guy that wasn't good for them.  That's kind of how it feels to get rid of someone you have feelings for and that's how it came about.  I was talking with someone and I used it in an analogy.  I said that it's kind of like a dog comes to your door and you are amused or you feel sorry for it so you feed it.  It comes again the next day.. no big deal...you feed it.  Then it starts coming every day and it starts taking up your time, your money, and emotional energy.  You know you shouldn't be feeding it, but you do.  You know you ought to find a way to get it off of your porch, but you've started developing feelings for it and you are not sure how to get it off or if you want it to really.  The thing is... you've got to "kick the puppy".  Even though it hurts you can't go on feeding this dog you can't let inside the house.  Yes, I know not all men are dogs and so forth.  I married an exceptional man myself and would never compare him to a dog.  But if I did... he'd be the giant flying dog from the Never Ending Story.  I just asked him what dog he'd like to be and he said that one. :)  That just goes to show how unique he truly is people!!

In my search for an image of the Never Ending Story dog I came across this painting someone did.  It's Jesus riding the Never Ending Story dog.  I really do not mean this to be sacrilegious, but I thought it was hilarious. 

My sister-in-law, Beki, says she took this idea global when she went to India.  She told people about it there and they latched on to it.  If you've ever had to break up with someone that wasn't good for you, well, I'll bet you identify with that analogy.

Things That Make You Go... Humm

These are dark photos, but this is a toy that we inherited from my sister.  It is a cute little dog.  I noticed something, um, special about this dog though.  I'm thinking maybe this dog does something special although I've never seen it do it.  You have to take a close look at the second photo to discover the special something.

Here are some other things that have interested me lately.

* The female European cuckoo can't be bothered to take care of her chicks.  She lays an egg in another bird's nest.  When the egg hatches, it's the other bird that does all the hard work, raising the chick.  She tricks other birds because her egg matches the others in the nest.
*Maras live in South America.  They're a kind of long-legged guinea pig.  Mara parents never join their babies in the burrow.  They whistle down the hole and the young come scampering out.
*Whale sharks lay the biggest eggs- one was found that had a 14 inch diameter.
*Each time a nine-banded armadillo gives birth, she has four identical babies.  They are either all female or all male.  This is because a single egg inside her splits into four, and all four parts begin to grow- into identical quadruplets.
*A mother harp seal's milk is so thick and rich that it looks more like mayonnaise than milk.  It's about ten times creamier than cow's milk and is such good food that you can almost see the harp seal pup growing fatter as it feeds.
*A mother tiger takes care of her cubs until they're about two years old.  But then she has another litter and ignores the older cubs.  It's not really cruel- the two year olds are grown now, and it's about time they took care of themselves.  (talk about "kick the puppy"!  If you don't know about "kick the puppy" then that is for another blog post)

Tough

Listened to this today.  It always makes me tear up.

Meal Plan

homemade pizza, salad
broccoli cheese soup, focaccia
chicken chickpea chili with brown rice, rest of edamame
coconut grilled chicken, yellow rice, black beans, curry sauce
roasted red pepper crusted tilapia, green beans and salad
tamale casserole, salad
tortellini- fast meal in case

Zeke Dedication

This is Zeke this morning at church.  He's getting chubby huh?  He is SO SWEET!!

Real Life

Thank you Lord for a sense of humor.  I honestly think I'd go insane if I couldn't laugh at myself.  Most of the time I like to keep this blog upbeat and without drama, but occasionally I like to pull back the curtain and let you see what my real life is like.  Here is what happened just this morning.


Zeke starts whining a bit in his bassinet and moving his arms about, so I sit up in bed and try to feed him.  He's falling asleep and just not into it and so I lay him back down in his bassinet and lay down myself for a few more minutes of shut eye.  Just as soon as I get the covers on and I settle in I hear Zeke go to the bathroom... #2.  So.. I sit back up and start to change his diaper.  Everything is going as planned until he starts peeing.  He pees on himself, his blanket, his face and head, outfit and the bassinet sheet before I can cover him up.  SO... I am wiping him off with cold wipes and he's screaming his head off.  I finally get a new diaper on, new outfit on, and by this time he's wide awake, so I'm feeding him.  Just as he gets started I hear Gwen wake up down the hall.  


I take Zeke into Gwen's room and finish nursing him all the while talking with Gwen, trying to sing with her.. and so forth.  She is standing in the crib, with the crib sheet almost all the way off and her diaper has leaked all over herself, but not on the sheet.  I lay Zeke down in her crib and lift her out.  I take off her clothes, change her diaper all the while giving her every stuffed animal within my reach to help her be still.  Then I set her down, pick up Zeke and tell Gwen we are going into my room so I can get into some clothes.  (I have someone coming over at 9am with their child to play)  So... I set Zeke down and Gwen is playing around pushing buttons on Zeke's bassinet to hear music and vibration and lights while I pull on my sweat pants (LOVE THEM) and brush my teeth.  There is no makeup, there is no brushing of the hair people... this is survival!  Then we all go downstairs.


I get Gwen's breakfast going, but before I can get her into her high chair she has put her stuffed animal puppy she sleeps with in the trash can.  I throw away an old empanada that she had left on her tray from last night and she comes apart.  Mind you, it is harder than a brick at this point.  So.. I get it out of the trash and put it on her tray again.  I know... I gave in.  Then I get bath water ready for Zeke.  While she's eating I give him a bath and then and only then do I have time for breakfast.  I hope this diet plan works for me.  OK.. enough real life.. let's get back to Ugli fruits and soup!!  :)

Ugli Fruit

So my neighbor came by yesterday and told me that her brother had this fruit called "ugli" fruit in his food class.  Just what are they teaching kids these days?  Anyhow... I had never heard of it before, but she said the teacher got it from Price Chopper and now I'm obsessed with getting one to try it.  I've read up on it and everything.  I'll have to report to all that read this blog just what an "ugli" fruit tastes like.  (It's supposed to be a cross between a grapefruit and a tangelo.. more on the tangelo side)  Here's a pic of it.  Now you know why they call it "ugli".

Steel Cut Oats

Someone from my small group made this for me after I had Zeke.  I thought it was so delicious that I got the recipe and made it tonight again.  It makes enough to fill a 9X13 casserole pan and it lasts all week for breakfasts.  If you've never tried steel cut oats, try them.. they are delicious and nutritious!  By the way, you can find steel cut oats in any grocery store, but sometimes they are expensive.  You can get them also at health food markets in bulk from the bins and that way they are cheaper.

Preheat oven to 325.  In a large nonstick pan, put 1 part steel-cut oats to 2 parts water.  For a 9X13, put 4 C oats and 8 C water.  Add a stick of butter, 1 C brown sugar (can cut down if it seems too much), a splash of vanilla, and a teaspoon of salt.  Add in whatever you like- cranberries, blueberries, raisins (about a cup worth).  In mine I put about a tablespoon worth of cinnamon and I added raisins.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until thick (around 30 minutes)- be sure to stir frequently.  Then pour it into a casserole dish, sprinkle brown sugar on top (I left this part out since I had it in the oatmeal as it cooked), and cook until most of the water is gone (I cooked mine for 25 minutes).  If you use a glass casserole dish you can look in there and see the water content.
If you want to make this a bit more decadent, the lady that gave this recipe to me said she's even put chocolate chips on top of the oatmeal.  She put that on after she put it in the casserole pan.  She said if you do this to skip the brown sugar so it doesn't get too sweet.

If you try it let me know. :)

Meal Plan

meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, green beans
french onion soup, salad
crock pot split pea soup
taco salad
spaghetti, salad
chicken, wild rice, lima beans
chickpea soup

This is the week of soup, as you can see.  We are trying to watch what we eat better.

Remembering Again

Me, my mom, and Preston.  Isn't my mom a fox?

Empanadas and Zeke Around Town

Well, I attempted to make empanadas today.  I made my own dough without shortening this time, but boy, was it time consuming.  I think I'm done with making little meat pies for now.  Now that I've seen what goes into pie dough, I definitely will never think the same about it.  These were ham and cheese empanadas.

This is just around the corner from our house.  Zeke's paint and design center.  I wonder if there is an actual Zeke.  I've looked online and all I can find are bars and delis and coffee shops with the name Zeke attached to them.  There aren't many Zeke's out there I don't think.  

Remembering

This is an oldie but a goodie that I got from my sister.  Here are the kids in my family.  I'm the one holding the rabbit.  I'm pretty sure this was Easter morning and I think I was very proud that I got to wear "lipstick", meaning vaseline on my lips.  Take a good look at Preston.  Doesn't he look like my kids?

Zeke's Verse

We are planning to dedicate Zeke at church on March 7th.  Here are the verses we've chosen as our prayer for him.

Psalm 27:7-8
"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!'  Your face, Lord, I will seek."

The Messes of a Toddler

This is Gwen painting with daddy.  She has paint even in her hair.  Ben got this photo and asked her to smile.  This is her attempt at smiling... :)

She just keeps the laughs going at this house.  Here she is after drinking some cocoa from mama's cup.




Her attempt at smiling again.  PRECIOUS!