Grilled Cheese Two Ways

My honey, K., and I have very different ideas about some things. My mom raised me on whole wheat bread only. She actually told me white bread was rat poison! His mom is a classic New England Yankee with a strict preference for "good, white bread," such a Pepperidge Farms Country White. Our ideas about good food are sometimes different to say the least!

On Fridays K. works from home and I have a half-day. Its become a little tradition to have a simple grilled cheese lunch and then a really nice dinner. Of course, with our varied upbringings we can't have the same grilled cheese! So out comes the long griddle and breads from the freezer. I keep bread in the freezer unless it will be used the same day it's opened. I also keep a bag in the freezer for the ends to toast them up and blitz them in the blender for bread crumbs as needed.

His is a solid white (although don't tell him I've been sneaking in some of those whole grain whites made by Arnold's and Pepperidge Farms). Mine is a 100% whole grain, multi-grain bread. His gets buttered on one side each slice. Mine gets grilled dry. We both get American cheese. ;)

He likes his with bread and butter pickles on the side. I love mine with a mug of Cambell's tomato soup, sprinkled with freshly ground black peppers and, sometimes, slivers of fresh basil. In this way we share a lunch we both really enjoy!

Itchy Fingers

When I was in high school I was an avid Victoria magazine reader. I loved first going through it and savoring it page by page but then the next order of business was to pull out my trusty scissors to carefully snip away images for decoupage and decorating my journal! Now years later those same issues are collector's items going for good money on eBay.

Believe me, I know this for a fact because I very recently shelled out the cash to purchase a "good year."

Now that I have them in my hand I don't regret it one bit! They are just as lovely as I remember!! This time, however, I am using all my self discipline to resist the temptation of decoupage.

I won't completely despair. My sweet Victoria is coming back soon. This time I may have to order two subscriptions in case the unthinkable should happen again. I will be cutting up at least one set if they come out as full of lovely images again!

A Super Yummy Lunch

I had the crock-pot going yesterday with something Miss T. could have for lunch today. It came out so well I thought I may as well share it :)

Smothered Crock-pot Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 a small bag baby carrots or 3 regular carrots peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks
2 stalks celery diced small
1 med. onion cut into 1/2 moons
1 large, fresh tomato and its juice(or 1 small can diced tomatoes)
1 tsp. salt
black pepper
dried thyme, basil, marjoram, parsley
extra virgin olive oil

Rinse chicken thoroughly in water with a splash of vinegar (any kind of vinegar will do) and pick off any visible fat. Pour a light layer (approximately 1/2-1 T) of olive oil in the bottom or your crockpot and put the thighs down in a layer at the bottom.

Sprinkle in 1/2 the salt and season lightly with pepper and the other seasonings.

Layer in the veges and sprinkle the other half of the salt on top. Season top with pepper and the other seasonings also. The veges will provide plenty of liquid for this dish but it can be handy to have a 1/2 cup of chicken broth on hand if your crockpot does not seal well and retain its moist heat.

Cook in high for 6 hours or low for 8-10. The chicken and veges will be fall apart tender which is great for little kids.

Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Christian Love

A really great post concerning Paris Hilton is here at A Gracious Home. I'm not a fan of Miss Hilton but neither am I a fan of the hatred I have seen spewed out at her via the internet. Sally of A Gracious Home has shown such a great example of an appropriate Christian response to the tragedy Miss Hilton is facing these days. I truly hope something positive comes out of her imprisonment for her. After all, God loves her as much as he does me and commands us all to love her as ourselves.

Heavenly Father,
I ask you to please bring home Your lost sheep. Humble our hearts to look beyond outward appearances and see ourselves in Your lost ones. Let us serve them for Your glory.

I pray for Miss Hilton, Lord. Please, be her Comforter in these dark hours she is facing. Let her come to know You and be a witness to Your grace in her life. may she find the joy and peace only You can provide.

In Jesus' name I ask these things, Amen

I'm Baaaaaack!

Not that I suspect anyone is reading, LOL. As a quick update, mom is doing well. She is so strong and is coping with all the changes that have come her way during her battle. It is scary whenever something comes up but so far each trial has been overcome. Thank God!

I am feeling that my work with Miss T. may be coming to a close. I am at odds with the parenting style of my employers. I am authoritative they are permissive. I don't criticize employers who have a style at odds with mine but this one in particular is difficult to deal with. This combination undermines my authority and makes working with them at home unpleasant. They are often at home which adds to the situation but it is irritating to have the lessons I work with Miss T. on during the day undone each night. Lessons such as not hitting, listening when spoken to, and being helpful I believe are very important at this tender age of two. Things become very unpleasant indeed when these are ignored.

There is also an issue of being directly undermined because Miss T. has learned to cry very loudly if at all corrected when Mom and Dad are home because this way she is sure to get whatever it was that was formerly forbidden or get away from whatever she was being encouraged to do, such as toy clean-up. This kind of giving in to crying is a sure formula for ensuring she will consistently cry for things and eventually tantrum for them. It always shocks me when parents virtually train their kids to be criers and whiners by not simply letting "yes" mean "yes" and "no" mean "no." When Miss T. and I are are alone together she is a joy. She knows whatever reward I tell her she will get she does but doing good things. She knows the limits even when she tests them she is easily redirected with a word or a nod. But the rest of the time there is no consistency, "yes" means "maybe" and "no" means "yes, if you cry hard enough."

But, leaving is such a hard thing for me. I get anxious as to how the children will cope with loss and change. Parents ofter develop sudden separation anxiety too. I give a month of notice for adequate time to find a replacement and a month can feel like a very LOOOONG time when there is tension.

I am very picky about the families I will work with but I think I am looking for a change in career. I have wanted to explore teaching on a formal level for a while so this is the direction I will try to go in. Until the day I have my own kiddies or until my love wants me to stay home full time I will find some decent work to do. We are saving for a home so it is pretty important for me to work right now.

God bless you, everyone!

Praying for Healing

These have been such trying days in my family. It sometimes comes to a point where it feels difficult to pray. I realize how little I understand what to ask for, what to hold on to, and what to hope for. I was reading a little this morning from Shadowlands, about C.S. Lewis's time of grief after he lost the love of his life, Joy. Every fear he ever had about giving his heart openly to someone only to feel the pain of loss came true with her passing. His doubts and anger ring so true but so does his ultimate understanding that Providence does not promise to give us all the answers but to be the answer.

When I am at a loss as to what to pray for I am perhaps most able to be still and rest in the shelter of God in silence. When it seems that there is nothing left that is secure to hold on to is when clinging to His unseen hand is most real. When all hope in is lost is perhaps when the true Hope will seem clearer. This I cannot truly say right now for my hope is still here, still flickering. It is sometimes dim and sometimes bright, but it is here. I believe while there is still life and breath in us there is still hope for healing.

Please come, our Comforter, and be our strength. Be the steady rock we can stand on and our shelter from the storm. Let not this storm of disease and disappointments wash away our faith, or hope, or love for You.

Amen

My, My! How Time Flies!

I have sorely neglected my blogging endeavor. Totally with reason, of course, but rather than go into it all I plan to just move forward from here.

I just came back last night from visiting Mom up north. My mom is doing fairly well. She faces a difficult time ahead and still needs plenty of prayer but thank God she is being treated by a doctor in whom she has confidence.

Little Miss T. has her second birthday this week and is getting more fun to work with day by day. I love twos and threes. I love to watch personalities being revealed day by day. As speech develops we get to glimpse bits of what their minds have been working on and pondering. Miss T. is definitely getting funnier. She has a bit of a bossy streak that needs curbing but she is so far very open to correction and is easily refocused to more positive behaviors.

At this age I reserve "No" for serious offenses and prefer to use positive direction. For example, when she goes after my cell phone (or the nice picture frames or remote controls or any of the myriad of forbidden objects) rather than just saying "No" I say "That is not a toy, let's find something to play with." Usually, this refocuses her toward finding something good with which to play. If she persists I physically remove her from the object she can't play with and get her going in the right direction, but at this point this rarely happens since she knows I am firm on what is and is not allowed.

I haven't yet run into any "terrible twos" with the kids that I've worked with but I have run into plenty of parents that don't let their yes mean yes and no mean no. This alone can make this time a trial. Twos, in general, are so eager to please and be seen as "big kids." They need a job to do or they will find ones that parents or caregivers don't necessarily want them doing. They like to work, as they can, by your side and they also need the time and respect to do things on their own undisturbed. I did not say "unsupervised" but undisturbed.

Adults sometimes expect little ones to come on command without considering what they might be engrossed in doing or learning. They are more than extensions of ourselves and need respect as future autonomous individuals. I express this respect by first observing what Miss T. is up to and giving a countdown warning for her to wrap things up when it is necessary to move on to something else. "We will be having lunch in five minutes," for example, precedes the final, "OK, it is time to eat." I also don't bring out activities without adequate time to do them without her feeling rushed. Painting ten minutes before lunch is not an option, but if she asks for it I give her an alternative time for the activity and stick to it. If I tell her we can do an activity after lunch then nap going back on my word is not an option either.

So, it is Happy Birthday to Miss T. this week :D I look forward to what the coming year will bring!