An Orange Julius is one of my husband's favorite treats. Of course, we usually have to sneak around and hide them from the kids. But not anymore! Here's an easy, dairy-free recipe for your own frosty treat:
My Orange Julius:
1 8 oz. can of orange juice concentrate
1 cup of your milk (I've only used soy so far)
1 tsp. vanilla
about 8 ice cubes or so
Toss in the blender and let 'er rip!
This makes a pretty large drink, so I halved the recipe and then split it between each of my kids. Just enough for a treat.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
My Life is a Cartoon
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
No wait, that's an intro for something different.
Anyway, a long time ago my cousin Missy - who is frequently amused by my day-to-day life - made the comment that my life is like a cartoon. Today, I accept this as reality.
It's been a longstanding joke with my friends and family that my life is not low-key, or even just 'normal'. Nothing happens "a little bit" to us. Gabriel's first fever was 105 degrees and came with seizures and a trip to the ER - thanks, Roseola. First cold? ER again - pneumonia. Several of my friends told me when I first had Gabriel to watch out when changing his diaper - "beware of Old Faithful" they chuckled. Then the giggles turned to all out belly laughs when I shared this story: One of the first diaper changes I had with him involved both #1 and #2, and when I opened the diaper, Old Faithful made an appearance - all over me, and when I jumped back, all over the wall. Then, because it was cold, Gabriel scrunched his legs up and got his feet all in his diaper, which he thought was weird, so he flung his legs back out - sharing the #2 with, you guessed it - me again, and the bedroom walls. Anyway... you get the point.
So, today makes complete sense.
Graham has been sick for a while now, and so Troy and Graham stayed home from church. Gabriel went with me, and fell asleep in my lap during the worship service, which meant that I got to spend the sermon with a 43 pound snoring and drooling child leaning on me. It was great - I got to snuggle with him, which we don't get to do very much. But at the same time, sheesh, is that kid heavy!
Then we went home, I dropped Gabriel off, and went out to get my hair done. Then I went back to get Gabriel and take him to the car wash with me. Troy took his parents' truck out hunting, and it needed to be washed before it was returned. Got to the car wash and realized that I had neither cash nor coin anywhere on my person. The wash took a debit card, but the change machine only took bills. So, we washed the outside of the truck, then loaded up and drove to the bank to get cash from the ATM. You can only get increments of $20 from the ATM. The change machine only gives quarters. I did not want $20 in quarters. So, Gabriel and I drove to the gas station and bought a candy bar so that I could pay with my $20 and get change. Back to the car wash, where I parked at the vacuum cleaners. Only to discover that they only take quarters. Said quarters can be exhanged for paper money - ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. Gabriel and I walked over, got change for a $5 - because I didn't want to have to go back! - and then headed back. 20 minutes and 8 quarters later, we finally left the car wash.
After we got back home, Gabriel and I decided to wash Troy's car. So we were sequestered in the garage for about an hour while we vacuumed, sprayed, scrubbed, and wiped out the Plymouth. Now I am completely exhausted an laying on the couch watching "The Office". Today was great, but ridiculous!
No wait, that's an intro for something different.
Anyway, a long time ago my cousin Missy - who is frequently amused by my day-to-day life - made the comment that my life is like a cartoon. Today, I accept this as reality.
It's been a longstanding joke with my friends and family that my life is not low-key, or even just 'normal'. Nothing happens "a little bit" to us. Gabriel's first fever was 105 degrees and came with seizures and a trip to the ER - thanks, Roseola. First cold? ER again - pneumonia. Several of my friends told me when I first had Gabriel to watch out when changing his diaper - "beware of Old Faithful" they chuckled. Then the giggles turned to all out belly laughs when I shared this story: One of the first diaper changes I had with him involved both #1 and #2, and when I opened the diaper, Old Faithful made an appearance - all over me, and when I jumped back, all over the wall. Then, because it was cold, Gabriel scrunched his legs up and got his feet all in his diaper, which he thought was weird, so he flung his legs back out - sharing the #2 with, you guessed it - me again, and the bedroom walls. Anyway... you get the point.
So, today makes complete sense.
Graham has been sick for a while now, and so Troy and Graham stayed home from church. Gabriel went with me, and fell asleep in my lap during the worship service, which meant that I got to spend the sermon with a 43 pound snoring and drooling child leaning on me. It was great - I got to snuggle with him, which we don't get to do very much. But at the same time, sheesh, is that kid heavy!
Then we went home, I dropped Gabriel off, and went out to get my hair done. Then I went back to get Gabriel and take him to the car wash with me. Troy took his parents' truck out hunting, and it needed to be washed before it was returned. Got to the car wash and realized that I had neither cash nor coin anywhere on my person. The wash took a debit card, but the change machine only took bills. So, we washed the outside of the truck, then loaded up and drove to the bank to get cash from the ATM. You can only get increments of $20 from the ATM. The change machine only gives quarters. I did not want $20 in quarters. So, Gabriel and I drove to the gas station and bought a candy bar so that I could pay with my $20 and get change. Back to the car wash, where I parked at the vacuum cleaners. Only to discover that they only take quarters. Said quarters can be exhanged for paper money - ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. Gabriel and I walked over, got change for a $5 - because I didn't want to have to go back! - and then headed back. 20 minutes and 8 quarters later, we finally left the car wash.
After we got back home, Gabriel and I decided to wash Troy's car. So we were sequestered in the garage for about an hour while we vacuumed, sprayed, scrubbed, and wiped out the Plymouth. Now I am completely exhausted an laying on the couch watching "The Office". Today was great, but ridiculous!
Monday, January 3, 2011
It's a bird, it's a plane, no! It's... Super Mom!
*pan out on Superhero theme song, image of Jessi with a cape on, holding Graham in my left arm, and Gabriel's hand with my right hand in front of the American flag*
Not really, but that's kind of how it feels today. I just looked around the house and thought "Wow, I didn't accomplish anything of any importance today. My kids were fighting, now they're both in their bedrooms screaming. We're having leftovers for dinner, which is also what we had last night, and for lunch the day before. I did some laundry - look! There it is, folded up nice and neat on the kitchen table! Wait a minute... I'm going to have to move that before I can serve my piping hot leftovers to my ungrateful screaming children. Maybe the floor in the dining room is a good place? No, wait. Didn't get to vacuum today. Stupid dog. Who needs a thick coat in the winter anyway? You live in Arizona for crying out loud. Wait, can't catch a break there - we're having some weird blizzard-cold snap-thing. And if you need it so much, howcome you're leaving 10 pounds of black dog hair on my carpet every day? Keep it on your body, genius. I did clean my bathroom today, but only because I couldn't see myself in the mirror this morning, and because I was pretty sure my sink was originally white, and not the same color as my makeup. Sure enough, it was white. Weird. I did some dishes, but now that means I have dishes that I have to put away.
And then it hit me - BAM - I got a TON of stuff done today! Let's see: I got up and packed Troy's lunch. Got the boys fed and ready to go to an early morning doctor's appointment. Made it to the appointment on time, too! That was immediately followed by grocery shopping, and then stopping at the new "Pet Food Club" store to try and find some dog food for Cheyenne that will help her with her allergies. (Again, stupid dog.) Came home, got all the various purchases put away. Played dinosaurs vs. sea creatures with the boys in their fort, made and served a healthy & well-rounded lunch, watched Toy Story 3 with the boys before putting Graham down for his nap. Then Gabriel relaxe with his own free time while I folded the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and did the dishes, AND talked to Missy of course. I was on the phone with the TUSD District Office, and with Gabriel's school arranging a meeting to stop the bullying issue. I was on the phone with Graham's Occupational Therapist (OT) and got some great resources on SPD. Went outside for a few minutes to watch Gabriel blow some bubbles. Graham got up and we finished Toy Story 3 and had a fun snack (graham crackers with frosting). Currently we just finished up making a craft - Indian Headbands, complete with feathers. Gabriel has a treasure chest that came with the pirate ship he got for Christmas, but it didn't have treasure in it, so being the crafty mommy that I am I used those glitter glue pens in red, blue, and green to artfully add some globs to his treasure chest which I convinced him are rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Graham was playing with the Mousetrap game for a minute, but then the boys started fighting over it so now Gabriel is having a time out and Graham has moved on to his sit n' spin. Troy just called and he's on his way home from getting the new tires put on the van. Holy Cow. I did all this in one day?? I must have actual magical powers!
Not really, but that's kind of how it feels today. I just looked around the house and thought "Wow, I didn't accomplish anything of any importance today. My kids were fighting, now they're both in their bedrooms screaming. We're having leftovers for dinner, which is also what we had last night, and for lunch the day before. I did some laundry - look! There it is, folded up nice and neat on the kitchen table! Wait a minute... I'm going to have to move that before I can serve my piping hot leftovers to my ungrateful screaming children. Maybe the floor in the dining room is a good place? No, wait. Didn't get to vacuum today. Stupid dog. Who needs a thick coat in the winter anyway? You live in Arizona for crying out loud. Wait, can't catch a break there - we're having some weird blizzard-cold snap-thing. And if you need it so much, howcome you're leaving 10 pounds of black dog hair on my carpet every day? Keep it on your body, genius. I did clean my bathroom today, but only because I couldn't see myself in the mirror this morning, and because I was pretty sure my sink was originally white, and not the same color as my makeup. Sure enough, it was white. Weird. I did some dishes, but now that means I have dishes that I have to put away.
And then it hit me - BAM - I got a TON of stuff done today! Let's see: I got up and packed Troy's lunch. Got the boys fed and ready to go to an early morning doctor's appointment. Made it to the appointment on time, too! That was immediately followed by grocery shopping, and then stopping at the new "Pet Food Club" store to try and find some dog food for Cheyenne that will help her with her allergies. (Again, stupid dog.) Came home, got all the various purchases put away. Played dinosaurs vs. sea creatures with the boys in their fort, made and served a healthy & well-rounded lunch, watched Toy Story 3 with the boys before putting Graham down for his nap. Then Gabriel relaxe with his own free time while I folded the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and did the dishes, AND talked to Missy of course. I was on the phone with the TUSD District Office, and with Gabriel's school arranging a meeting to stop the bullying issue. I was on the phone with Graham's Occupational Therapist (OT) and got some great resources on SPD. Went outside for a few minutes to watch Gabriel blow some bubbles. Graham got up and we finished Toy Story 3 and had a fun snack (graham crackers with frosting). Currently we just finished up making a craft - Indian Headbands, complete with feathers. Gabriel has a treasure chest that came with the pirate ship he got for Christmas, but it didn't have treasure in it, so being the crafty mommy that I am I used those glitter glue pens in red, blue, and green to artfully add some globs to his treasure chest which I convinced him are rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Graham was playing with the Mousetrap game for a minute, but then the boys started fighting over it so now Gabriel is having a time out and Graham has moved on to his sit n' spin. Troy just called and he's on his way home from getting the new tires put on the van. Holy Cow. I did all this in one day?? I must have actual magical powers!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Salsa Chicken
This is a quick, easy recipe. We make it a couple of times a month and the kids just love it.
Salsa Chicken for the Crock-Pot
3 or 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (this feeds my family of 4 with some leftovers)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of kidney beans, drained
tortilla chips
Spray your crockpot interior with nonstick spray. Add chicken breasts (they can even be frozen, this works just fine), top with salsa and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. About half an hour before serving, shred the chicken with a fork. Stir in corn and kidney beans, cover crock pot and let heat through. Serve over tortilla chips as nachos, top with whatever garnish you like - we use non-dairy cheese, black olives, etc.
Salsa Chicken for the Crock-Pot
3 or 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (this feeds my family of 4 with some leftovers)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of kidney beans, drained
tortilla chips
Spray your crockpot interior with nonstick spray. Add chicken breasts (they can even be frozen, this works just fine), top with salsa and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. About half an hour before serving, shred the chicken with a fork. Stir in corn and kidney beans, cover crock pot and let heat through. Serve over tortilla chips as nachos, top with whatever garnish you like - we use non-dairy cheese, black olives, etc.
Let them eat (dairy-free) chocolate cake!
Graham loves chocolate - almost to a fanatic extent. If he hears someone say the word 'chocolate' he'll be right at their side saying "have some?". It is so sad to have to look at his chubby little face and say "No, baby, you can't. It has dairy in it." Enter the dairy-free chocolate cake! I baked it while he was taking his nap, and when he got up he smelled it, came into the kitchen, and without even looking too excited about it asked "have some?". I could tell he wasn't expecting to be able to eat it, his little shoulders were slumped and he was looking at the floor. So I knelt down next to him, put my hands on his shoulders and said "Yes, you can, sweetheart!" The gigantic smile that lit up his face at that moment was almost as sweet as the one at the table when it was covered in frosting. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as he did. I have the feeling we'll be making it with some frequency around here :)
Crazy Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cold water
Spray a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour,s ugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Make three wells. In one well, pour the vegetable oil, in the second pour the vinegar, and in the third the vanilla. Pour cold water over all, mix well using a whisk. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite (dairy-free!) frosting.
Crazy Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cold water
Spray a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour,s ugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Make three wells. In one well, pour the vegetable oil, in the second pour the vinegar, and in the third the vanilla. Pour cold water over all, mix well using a whisk. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite (dairy-free!) frosting.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Yikes
OK, um, so I was just going through these posts and say that my lost post was November of 2009. Um, welcome to the end of 2010, Jessi! Sheesh! We've had a great year, as is evident by the lack of my time to update my blog! Right now, I'm getting the house ready to have the youth over tomorrow night, but when things calm down a bit, I'll post a year-end wrap-up of 2010 for ya!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Working From Home
The minor towers next to the citizen.
There are a ton of scams out there in cyberspace that offer your dream job - work from home, in your robe and bunny slippers, sipping coffee during your free time in the morning before the kids get up. Or in the afternoon while they're napping. Or during school hours. And then it occurred to me: Free Time??!?! What is that? I haven't had free time since I found out I was going to have a baby! Ever spare minute was consumed with kick counts, making sure I was drinking enough water, remembering to keep my feet up and rest, counting contractions (thanks to 9 months of Braxton-Hicks, I was up in the tens of thousands of contractions before labor even BEGAN!). And then AFTER the kids were born? Diapers, feedings, singing, reading, playing, sleeping - and that was just taking care of the new baby! Laundry, dishes, meal planning, grocery shopping, coupon-clipping, vacuuming, dusting... the list could go on and on.
Any how - in an attempt to supplement our income, I have signed up with a site that sponsors this blog - I hope that all goes well, and if you have any questions, please contact me!
Thanks!
There are a ton of scams out there in cyberspace that offer your dream job - work from home, in your robe and bunny slippers, sipping coffee during your free time in the morning before the kids get up. Or in the afternoon while they're napping. Or during school hours. And then it occurred to me: Free Time??!?! What is that? I haven't had free time since I found out I was going to have a baby! Ever spare minute was consumed with kick counts, making sure I was drinking enough water, remembering to keep my feet up and rest, counting contractions (thanks to 9 months of Braxton-Hicks, I was up in the tens of thousands of contractions before labor even BEGAN!). And then AFTER the kids were born? Diapers, feedings, singing, reading, playing, sleeping - and that was just taking care of the new baby! Laundry, dishes, meal planning, grocery shopping, coupon-clipping, vacuuming, dusting... the list could go on and on.
Any how - in an attempt to supplement our income, I have signed up with a site that sponsors this blog - I hope that all goes well, and if you have any questions, please contact me!
Thanks!
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