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.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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
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
Monday, June 11, 2007
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!
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!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Just a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
It is an unbelievably gorgeous day here in suburbia and I intend to do what I can to enjoy it. Took my vitamins this morning for some pep in my step but I woke up too late to make a smoothie. Part of enjoying a day like today is keeping my insides happy so I have the energy to run around in the sunshine after Little Miss T. I made do with a semi-natural protein bar. I would love to find a good recipe for a homemade alternative.
I did make sure Miss T had a good breakfast, Cream of Wheat with wheat germ, milk and homemade chunky applesauce. It reminded me of my own childhood. If I think of my mother and my childhood in the same thought it invariably brings up the image of her at the stove stirring up cream-of-something for breakfast before school. She was a big believer in a hot breakfast before school. My sis and I were never allowed cold cereal before school. Cornflakes were actually a weekend treat in our house, and those colored loop cereals were a mysterious food other kids ate until I got to college. I tried them and realized I hadn't missed much. Eggs, pancakes, and such were the weekly big, Sunday breakfast fare. Monday through Friday it was cream-of-something - farina, rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, or (of course) wheat.
By ninth grade I grew a bit whiny about it and so was told I could fix my own breakfast, and boy did that teach me a lesson. It was then I realized what a time saver it had been to have mom making breakfast while I puttered around getting dressed in the morning. I also learned it took work to stand at the stove stirring up a pot and often ended up eating that awful microwaved stuff they say is oatmeal but is really nothing like the real thing. Sometime during college I finally learned how to make it like Mom and I have passed on this family tradition to the children I have nannied. Parents are usually amazed that I get their kids to eat such "health food." In reality our recipe is a little like eating veges in the French manner. They know it takes care, flavor, and a wee bit of fat to make something healthy into something delectable.
Cream of Something
Follow package instructions for proportions of liquid to cereal. For example, on the back of my box of Cream of Wheat for one person I would use 1 1/4 cup liquid to 3 T cereal.
Rather than using water use whole milk or for a richer flavor evaporated milk reconstituted with an equal amount of water.
To this add a pinch of salt and 1 to 1 1/2 t. sugar for each serving. I use sea salt in a salt grinder and add a few twists worth. Salt rounds out and enhances sweet flavors but a little goes a long way.
Also add a splash of real vanilla extract and a cinnamon stick to the pot, if you have it. Cinnamon sticks are available relatively inexpensively in the Hispanic foods section of many grocery stores. If your stick is longer than 2-3 inches break it in half and use half a stick for a pot of up to 4 servings.
Warm just until hot to the touch to meld and release the flavors, also taste test before adding the cereal. How your milk tastes will be a good indication of how your cereal will taste. It is easier to tweak and taste test before cereal is added because once the cereal is in you have to wait until it is fully cooked and by then it will be too late for it to absorb the full flavor of your enhancements.
Add cereal. One tablespoon wheat germ per serving may also be added. It adds vitamins, fiber, and even adds really nice flavor to the cereal. I love it!
It is best to stir constantly over medium to medium low heat for a creamy, smooth texture until it is thickened. For many cereals this is only about 5 minutes but for some, like oatmeal, it could be 10 to 15 minutes. Oatmeal benefits from cooking even longer over low heat until very creamy and thickened. While you stir you can think about how much you love who you are making it for, pray for them, and add the benefits of all those blessings.
Once thickened serve immediately onto a wide flat dish. It will spread out into a pretty circle over the dish and looks lovely with a sprinkling of cinnamon over the top. Besides looking nice, serving onto a plate also helps it to cool, whereas hot cereal can stay molten lava hot for a while in a bowl. Kids can also draw a picture in it while they eat :D
I did make sure Miss T had a good breakfast, Cream of Wheat with wheat germ, milk and homemade chunky applesauce. It reminded me of my own childhood. If I think of my mother and my childhood in the same thought it invariably brings up the image of her at the stove stirring up cream-of-something for breakfast before school. She was a big believer in a hot breakfast before school. My sis and I were never allowed cold cereal before school. Cornflakes were actually a weekend treat in our house, and those colored loop cereals were a mysterious food other kids ate until I got to college. I tried them and realized I hadn't missed much. Eggs, pancakes, and such were the weekly big, Sunday breakfast fare. Monday through Friday it was cream-of-something - farina, rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, or (of course) wheat.
By ninth grade I grew a bit whiny about it and so was told I could fix my own breakfast, and boy did that teach me a lesson. It was then I realized what a time saver it had been to have mom making breakfast while I puttered around getting dressed in the morning. I also learned it took work to stand at the stove stirring up a pot and often ended up eating that awful microwaved stuff they say is oatmeal but is really nothing like the real thing. Sometime during college I finally learned how to make it like Mom and I have passed on this family tradition to the children I have nannied. Parents are usually amazed that I get their kids to eat such "health food." In reality our recipe is a little like eating veges in the French manner. They know it takes care, flavor, and a wee bit of fat to make something healthy into something delectable.
Cream of Something
Follow package instructions for proportions of liquid to cereal. For example, on the back of my box of Cream of Wheat for one person I would use 1 1/4 cup liquid to 3 T cereal.
Rather than using water use whole milk or for a richer flavor evaporated milk reconstituted with an equal amount of water.
To this add a pinch of salt and 1 to 1 1/2 t. sugar for each serving. I use sea salt in a salt grinder and add a few twists worth. Salt rounds out and enhances sweet flavors but a little goes a long way.
Also add a splash of real vanilla extract and a cinnamon stick to the pot, if you have it. Cinnamon sticks are available relatively inexpensively in the Hispanic foods section of many grocery stores. If your stick is longer than 2-3 inches break it in half and use half a stick for a pot of up to 4 servings.
Warm just until hot to the touch to meld and release the flavors, also taste test before adding the cereal. How your milk tastes will be a good indication of how your cereal will taste. It is easier to tweak and taste test before cereal is added because once the cereal is in you have to wait until it is fully cooked and by then it will be too late for it to absorb the full flavor of your enhancements.
Add cereal. One tablespoon wheat germ per serving may also be added. It adds vitamins, fiber, and even adds really nice flavor to the cereal. I love it!
It is best to stir constantly over medium to medium low heat for a creamy, smooth texture until it is thickened. For many cereals this is only about 5 minutes but for some, like oatmeal, it could be 10 to 15 minutes. Oatmeal benefits from cooking even longer over low heat until very creamy and thickened. While you stir you can think about how much you love who you are making it for, pray for them, and add the benefits of all those blessings.
Once thickened serve immediately onto a wide flat dish. It will spread out into a pretty circle over the dish and looks lovely with a sprinkling of cinnamon over the top. Besides looking nice, serving onto a plate also helps it to cool, whereas hot cereal can stay molten lava hot for a while in a bowl. Kids can also draw a picture in it while they eat :D
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Fun Videos
Great retro videos have been springing up all over the net, notably at Homeliving Helper and Charming the Birds from the Trees. Its been a nice way to lighten up my mood and inspire me to feminine pursuits.
One of my favorite feminine pursuits is home cooking. I love to care for others through my cooking. I could never honestly claim to be the world's best cook but I can make a variety of homey things. Stews, roasts, potatoes with gravies, and such lightened up with succulent salads are my mainstays. I am a soup lover but my love, K., is not so soup has been relegated to a side dish or must be accompanied with something freshly baked. This week's days are rather long but tonight I think we will need a warm curry to ward off the chill!
One of my favorite feminine pursuits is home cooking. I love to care for others through my cooking. I could never honestly claim to be the world's best cook but I can make a variety of homey things. Stews, roasts, potatoes with gravies, and such lightened up with succulent salads are my mainstays. I am a soup lover but my love, K., is not so soup has been relegated to a side dish or must be accompanied with something freshly baked. This week's days are rather long but tonight I think we will need a warm curry to ward off the chill!
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