I can't believe that tomorrow is D.E.C.E.M.B.E.R.!! Really?? Time has been buzzing by. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We spent a lot of time with family and did very little shopping! Jeremiah, the kids and I ran out and got a few items like bird seed, bird suet and then ran to Wal-Mart and got Christmas cards, a calendar and the boys picked up some hunting supplies. Madi got a few little items she wanted but nothing we got were Black Friday special items.
Jerm and the kids have been battling some head colds. Nothing serious but tissue use has been up! :-) Jeremiah was able to go to work but Madi had to call in sick on Monday. I have been drinking lots of water and staying consistent with my vitamins and so far I haven't gotten sick. I have two diffusers and I have been diffusing essential oils. I ordered another one on Monday because I didn't have enough for each of our bedrooms. I diffused two different kinds of oils. One was for respiratory and the other blend was to boost the immune system and fight off the germs. I also put some lavender in to help with sleeping. I also put the oils on the bottoms of the their feet and behind their ears. I'm not going to say it "cured" them but it helped their symptoms.
Since everyone has been feeling icky I have decided to stick with easy foods. One of my favorite appliances is my crockpot. I have quite a few of them. I'm thinking like 7/8 or so- maybe a few more. I really don't know. I like how easy it is to throw some simple ingredients in it and let it cook! I end up with a healthy dish to serve and I know what ingredients are in there. I use my crockpots for soups, stews, whole chickens, roasts, meat and to keep foods warm like pasta dishes. I think the crockpot is pretty versatile so I try to use it often.
I use my bread machine weekly also. I make my own pizza dough and we eat pizza frequently. I prefer homemade pizza to store bought or the local pizza shops. As you can see in the picture I also use it for bread. I have a bread recipe that I found online years and years ago. I made quite a few changes to that original recipe until I finally got one my family likes. The kids can eat half a loaf as soon as it's cool enough to slice. Ryder likes butter and strawberry jam on his slices, Madi likes butter (the one and only time she likes butter) and I will occasionally eat mine with butter and honey, otherwise just butter.
I need to get some stuff ready for tomorrow and finish loading the dishwasher. I had to let the crockpot cool and the insert will go into the dishwasher and the leftovers need to go into the fridge. I will have some leftover chicken to make into something for lunches for tomorrow. Have a great evening!
1. What takes you out of your comfort zone? Teaching Ryder math. I hate math and There is just something really wrong when you mix the alphabet and digits! I did ok with Algebra in high school but this isn't pleasant. I'm really glad I have a good math curriculum that helps aide in teaching him.
2. Your least favorite spice? I would have to say sage or nutmeg. I like the smells of those spices but as for flavor a little goes a LONG way!
3. What's a small change you'd like to make? I would like to do better at using up leftovers. I don't like having to pitch food to the chickens but my creative juices at using up leftovers is waning. I need to do better with that.
4. Do you enjoy visiting historic homes? If so, of the homes you've visited which one was your favorite? What historic home near you is open to visitors? Have you been? Southern Living rounded up eleven of the best in the southern part of the US and they're as follows-
Monticello (Jefferson's home in Virginia), Nathaniel Russel House (Charleston SC), Swan House (Atlanta), Ernest Hemingway's home (Key West), The Biltmore (Vanderbilt home in Asheville NC), Mount Vernon (Washington's home in Virgina), San Francisco Plantation (Garyville, Louisiana), Windsor Ruins (Port Gibson Mississippi), Longue Vue House and Gardens (New Orleans), Whitehall (Palm Beach FL), and Pebble Hill Plantation (Thomasville GA)
Have you been to any on the list? Of the homes listed which would you most like to visit? I haven't been to any of these homes. I would like to go to Monticello from this list. One of my favorite homes to visit is at a historical center. They have a 1830's Farmstead cabin. They have some really awesome buildings there. I am into history so this is a happy place for me. The kids even enjoy going there!
5. What's something you think will be obsolete in ten years? Does that make you sad or glad? I figure land line phones will be gone. I'm not sure how I feel about that... Last night we had company and we were talking about when credit cards came about. I worked as a secretary/receptionist at a local animal hospital and we accepted credit cards. I had to place the card in a holder and slide an arm over the card to make a carbon copy on the CC forms. Madi just looked at me like I was crazy! She also had a hard time comprehending that the stores were closed on Sundays and you couldn't get gas on a Sunday either! I can remember that some stores started to open on Sundays when I was around 10 years old.
6. Insert your own random thought here. Ryder has been learning some new guitar songs so I have been serenaded daily for several weeks. The latest song he's learning is Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven. He plays it beautifully. I'm am truly blessed with some talented children!
