Category Archives: Twists and Turns

Changes Are Coming

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In spite of the weather outside (It just started sleeting!), I feel better today than I have in weeks. 🙂 I had enough motivation to visit Laura and her adorable bunch. It’s been a while since I felt like getting out of my jammies long enough to drive out there. Today Ysabela and I decided there was gas in the car, and we had the time and energy. We called ahead, gathered movies, dolls and hair pretties for the girls and went out. Laura is always full of cool ideas, so it was nice to be in good company. We discussed kids, school, homeschooling and life in general. She commented that I seemed happy. Honestly, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. In the last few weeks I have made some tough decisions, but I am at peace about them all. Changes are coming!

Bela took this of me with "my" two babies. Laura did all the work!

Bela took this of me with “my” two babies. Laura did all the work!

I feel that the changes for my tiny family will be positive. I’ll be busy at work while Bela will be busy at home. We are both quite excited. With that happening, I need to keep the household running efficiently. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you know I have been cooking more lately, but now I would like to take our kitchen to the next level.

I am already thinking about how to cook meals in advance to keep things running smoothly. My friends post links on Facebook all the time about making meals and freezing extra portions. Maybe I could combine forces (and resources) with a friend or two and have a baking day so we could swap some meals for variety. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time brainstorming other ways to make and save more money. My dear friend, Lisa, sends coupons on a regular basis, and I am thrilled to use them! If you have other great ideas, please feel free to leave a comment!

Unexpected Compliment

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I happened to talk to my friend Laura today. She had something interesting (and encouraging) to tell me. Last night was our town’s walkabout. Businesses set up freebies and items to buy, and the whole town turns out to check it all out. Santa greets children and adorable ponies pull a cart full of little ones. I usually make the rounds, but I stayed in this year. Ysabela went to have some fun.

Bela happened to bump into Laura’s mom. Laura wasn’t with her at the time, so Bela didn’t connect the two. They chatted for a bit, then Bela saw Laura’s daughters. Laura’s mom commented later that Bela was so respectful and nice. Laura passed that along to me, which thrilled my tired mommy heart. It was just what I needed to hear after a long, hard week. Laura’s mom went on to say that it was nice to see a teenager who was able to interact with both an unknown adult and small children. Most teens think they are “too cool” to play with little ones. (Laura, you are welcome to correct any errors and/or clarify as needed!)

That leads to me to huge point I would like to make: there is a difference between socializing and socialization. Socializing is just chatting with friends and hanging out. Kids do a lot of that at school. It can be positive or negative depending on the kids and the situation. Socialization is the ability to interact appropriately with people of all ages and walks of life in any situation. I am proud of my Ysabela because she is a sweet, generous, considerate teenager.

Scavenger Hunt?

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I have been teasing my daughter about hiding her Christmas gifts in brilliant places—right under her nose.  It’s driving her nuts.  To me, that’s half the fun!  Next Friday I will arrange a scavenger hunt so she can discover one of her gifts.  She will be beyond thrilled.  I’m working on clues for her this weekend.  I’m not horribly bothered that she’ll be using her gift before Christmas.  It’s something she wants, and she’ll be busy and happy while I’m at work.  🙂

Quiet Christmas…and a Book!

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School is winding down for Christmas vacation.  My students have been counting the days.  So have I, actually.  I can’t wait to come home and be able to stay home and do nothing!  I really am looking forward to just curling up with a good book and a blanket.  The dogs and cats will snuggle with me, of course.

All I really want for Christmas is some quiet time.  I quit putting up a tree years ago.  Ysabela is old enough to be fine with that.  Santa doesn’t come here, but she knows to ask me for things she wants.  That’s also fine.

I have found myself checking my classroom for neat books to read.  I was thinking of reading Como agua para chocolate again.  It’s a wonderful book I read in college.   This week in class, I assigned topics (people) for biographies.  One of my students was lucky enough (?) to have Laura Esquivel, so I shared some information about the book.  Once the student found a website with a summary of each chapter, she read the whole thing!  Did I get mad that she read an English summary?  No.  I was just super happy that she wanted to learn about the novel at all.  The recipes grabbed her attention, and she was a goner!  🙂  That’s the kind of book I want for Christmas!

Punchbowl Cake

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1 box of yellow cake mix (no pudding!)
1 16-oz. bag of strawberries
1 large tub of cool whip
1 16-oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 large box of vanilla pudding
1 bag of strawberry pie jell
cherries and/or shredded chocolate bar (topping)
punchbowl
Mix pie jell and strawberries, let set for 30 minutes. Make cake according to directions, let it cool. Prepare pudding as directed. Break cake in half, put one piece in the bottom of the punchbowl and cover with pudding. In layers, add half the can of pineapple, half the strawberry mixture and cool whip. Add cake and repeat. The bowl should be full. Top with cherries or a shredded chocolate bar.

Navidad…One Dish at a Time

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Are you looking forward to “eating your way through” the Christmas holiday? Do you have any favorite Christmas meals? What about special desserts? I know I sure have some favorites! When I was a kid, my mom made chocolate-covered cherries from scratch. I remember counting the days until they had been in the closet three weeks; that’s how long it took for the syrup to form on the inside. I focus on chocolate, so another great dessert is what Mom called Martha Washington balls. (Here in Nebraska they are called elephant balls. It makes for some interesting conversations!) Basically, peanut butter balls are dipped in melted chocolate. Simply amazing! Don’t even get me started on the homemade eclairs! I lurked in the kitchen hoping to snag the first one. Punchbowl cake is another favorite of ours. In case you’re wondering about the cake, I’ll post the recipe in the next few days. It’s decorative and tasty!

A main meal treat when I was a kid was Aunt Ottie’s cordon bleu chicken. It is labor intense, however. Mom fixed spiral-cut ham with a mustard glaze that is to die for! There are so many “foodie” memories….I don’t know about you, but baked macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods; Mom always cooked her noodles, put them in a baking dish and poured in a mixture of milk, flour (to thicken it) and sugar. Chicken in Mom’s barbecue sauce is a winner, too. Sorry if this is making you hungry….

Once we moved to Mexico, our family traditions changed a bit. Mom wasn’t close enough to cook for us, so we had to make do. Ysabela and I loved the tres leches cake. For those of you who have never heard of it, that means three milk cake. It’s what some call a “wet cake.”

In Seye (a small village outside of Merida), the neighbor’s family gathered to make tamales. I’m so glad they invited us over! Tamales quickly became one of my favorite dishes ever. An unexpected treat was what they called “sandwichon.” That means a big sandwich. Bread was sliced lengthwise, the crusts were cut off and layers of ham, cheese and sauce were added. There are recipes online for those who really want to know. I looked one up today to share with my students.

I guess the point is that no matter where you live, there’s always something to anticipate for the holidays. Maybe it’s a quiet meal at home with family and comfort food; maybe it’s a house full of extended family, friends and movies. Some people I know simply enjoy the time off from work and make no plans at all. Whatever your way is, enjoy it to the max!

The Chicken Chick

Meals To Go

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Ysabela has eaten chili two days in a row!  It’s amazing because this is a kid who does not like leftovers.  She even added a few more beans to it.  I didn’t see that coming….

I am a bit ahead of the game for tomorrow.  I made us each a sandwich to take to school.  For me, that sandwich will keep crankiness at bay since I normally don’t  eat breakfast or lunch.  My plan is to have “breakfast” right after my first class since I have a break.  After all, that plan worked for me today.  I made some breakfast burritos last night and had two left over for today.  I am already planning much better!  🙂

Warped Tour

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My daughter is nuts about the coming Warped Tour concerts.  I signed up for concert alerts and fan club tickets sale information and discovered that the closest concert to us is in Denver.  To Ysabela’s delight, five bands she likes confirmed their participation today.  More announcements will be coming on Wednesdays for the next few weeks.  Being the super mom I am, I even signed her up to get updates.  As you might imagine, she was thrilled.

http://vanswarpedtour.com/

I found out that there is “reverse day care” at the concerts for parents who need to rest.  They will have a tent set up with air conditioning, beverages and misting fans.  A complimentary parent admission is also included for minors attending the show.  That’s pretty cool if you ask me.

What Ysabela doesn’t know (and since she doesn’t read my blog I can say this) is that I already have her an early Christmas gift—a ticket to the Denver concert!  If you hear a scream around Christmas time, it will be her.  🙂

Mexican Food

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After a dentist appointment this morning, my daughter and I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  The food was pretty good, the service was fast and friendly, but I couldn’t help thinking that I have the skills to fix things like that at home.  One reason we went was because it’s nice to have a meal we don’t have to fix once in a while.  It’s also a treat to head out of town sometimes.  Maybe it’s because our town is so far away from everything.

In light of yesterday’s post, I was disappointed in myself for spending the money to eat out.  I have decided I’m going to try to make some Mexican food for us in the next week or so.  I lived in Mexico for five years, and I know how to cook, so it shouldn’t be that difficult.  If I get stuck, I can always ask my friend Laurie to give me some tips.  She ran a Mexican restaurant back in the day. That’s how things get added to my list!

Grocery Shopping

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Every time I head to the store, I silently vow to spend less than the month before. Every month I am disappointed in myself. I never mind spending money on food, but I do hate spending on the wrong things. My plan is to cook as much as possible. No more microwave stuff unless I have to be out of town and my daughter will have to fend for herself. We are both picky eaters, so meal planning can be a huge challenge.

Last month I bought a lot more “cooking” items, and we ate better meals that filled us up. I made a choice to focus on meats we like, and Bela has tried some new foods! Yea!!!!! I have a few more recipes that I am sure she likes instead of wasting money buying things she might eat. I enjoy making (and eating!) breakfast burritos, especially for supper. I saw a friend’s post on Facebook about bacon pancakes. They were a hit with my Bela. My friend Stacey gave me a simple chili recipe that Bela ate at her house. Success! Another success happened in the store this evening. Ysabela saw the stew meat in the cart and licked her chops. That’s a good sign! I figure I’ll add some potatoes and stuff to it in a crock pot, and we’ll have stew for a change. Bela is more of a carnivore than I am; I usually pick out the potatoes! (Now you know!)

Anyway, we’ll see how smart I can shop in the coming months. I am committed to saving money and eating better for less. (Thank you, Lisa, for sending us the coupons!)