fondant fondant everywhere...

Last night I tried my hand at making fondant. Keep in mind that I have never eaten, touched, or otherwise messed with any kind of fondant, ever. Last night I made a batch and tinted it a beautiful pink color. Today I finally got to play with it, and it came out beautifully. I watched a tutorial on youtube (several different ones, actually) on how to make fondant roses, so I played with my fondant and made some. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I made marshmallow fondant after reading about how regular fondant tastes terrible, and the kids LOVED the stuff. I made some extra in each color for them and they used it like play-doh... and then ate their creations ;) I am finally calling it a night, after making 40 small butterflies, 20 roses, 6 large butterflies, and lots of little leaves. Below is a picture of just some of the things I made.



On another note, we now have a fan (vent) in our bathroom, which is good... even though the electrician knocked a chunk out of our wall and didn't fix it. Landlady brought us a gallon of white paint so I can paint the bathroom, but I won't be doing it until next week sometime. A/C guy came today and put more freon in the unit, but it is still barely trickling air and even though we have the thermostat set on 68, it stays OVER 80 degrees in the house! We are boiling here!

ugh

So we just spent an incredible weekend vacation in beautiful Brown County, Indiana. We left on Friday morning and didn't come back until Sunday evening, and we set off fireworks at my mother in law's house, even though we'd watched them on Saturday night in Brown county. Then we came home around 10 p.m., and I noticed our kitten was lethargic. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't drink, and she looked like she'd lost weight.

On Monday morning, my husband woke me up to ask me where my cell phone was (his was dead), because he was going to the ER. He'd suffered through a miserable night with itching and swelling, and he didn't know why. He had been there for about 5 hours before they decided to admit him to find out what was wrong. Turns out he had an allergic reaction to MANGOES, of all things. He'd never eaten one before in his life, and on Thursday he had two (he was completely in love with them), and begged me to buy more. Apparently the same thing that is in poison ivy and poison oak is also present in the skin of mangoes, and can cause the same reaction on skin. so they gave him big doses of benadryl and steroids, and he spent the night at the hospital.

While he was sitting in the ER, my mother in law drove me and the four girls to the animal hospital with the kitten. Turns out she was severely dehydrated, and they didn't know why - all they knew was that if I had waited to take her in, she would probably have been dead by today. :( They kept her overnight and gave her IV fluids, and today she looked good enough to come home, but she is still acting funny. I'm hoping it's just the shock of leaving and coming back.

At any rate, we've had an eventful 24 hours. I baked a ton of sugar cookies today for my niece's birthday party and decorated them all by hand - still need to make more, but I am proud of the ones I got done.





But our weekend was good before all of this stuff happened. We kicked it off with a trip to our local Krispy Kreme (my new all-time favorite doughnut is the New York cheesecake doughnut), then drove to Nashville, Indiana. We had lunch, did some light shopping, and then went back to our cabin. My sister in law and I went to the grocery and got some supplies, and then we all went swimming at the indoor water park (it was in the main lodge, and since we rented a cabin, we got admission with it). Saturday morning I was the first one up and I made breakfast for everyone - pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon, toasted bagels, coffee, and juice. Seriously, we went through two pounds of bacon in about 10 minutes! We went out and did some more shopping, had lunch at my favorite restaurant in Nashville, did some more shopping, went back to the cabin and changed, went back to the water park, watched an awesome fireworks display, went back to the cabin and ate pizza, and basically had a criminally good time laughing ourselves stupid. Sunday morning I was the first one up again (I know, so odd, lol). I made a few fried eggs, but nothing huge like the previous day, and we were off horseback riding! It was my first time ever on a horse, and I was sooooooooo nervous. It was a 2.2 mile ride, with uphill and downhill trails. My middle baby, who is horse crazy, rode her first horse and is even more in love with the animals than she was before we went out there. She wanted to go back and ride the horse again as soon as she got off of it! I was so nervous... and I had fun, but was so happy to have my feet down on solid ground again! I have enormous bruises on my inner thighs and my thumb is blistered where I gripped the saddle so hard. We did some more shopping after that, then drove home and set off fireworks at my in-laws' house. It was an amazing weekend! I was sad to see it end!

The horse I rode - his name is Patch.

THANK GOD for good landladies!!!

God bless our landlady! She may be a little batty and have control issues, but stinkin' heck I love that woman! When our hot water heater started leaking a few months ago, we called and told her, and less than an hour later, we had a brand new one. My husband called and told her last week that our a/c was acting up, and that we had all kinds of mildew in the caulking of the tub that no amount of cleaner would get rid of. The same day he called her, she had the a/c guy out here. He changed the filter and put some more freon in the unit. Then this morning, the plumber shows up at 8:30 (we didn't know he was coming). He looked at the bathroom (and was as disgusted as I was, and if it tells you anything I had dubbed it "the scary shower"). He said he'd call her and tell her what he thought and would get back to us. Less than 20 minutes later he called back and said, "I got the go-ahead from [our landlady] - we're gonna put a new bathtub and shower unit in. Can we start now?" I practically shouted YES, and he said, "I'll have my guys there in a few minutes." Ten minutes later, they were already ripping out the gross tub! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Words can not describe how happy this whole thing makes me! And guess what? IT GETS BETTER! I know, you're wondering how it could possibly get any better than a brand spanking new tub & shower, right?? Well, the landlady came over to check out the bathroom for herself (like I said, control issues - I understand, it's her house, she wants to be sure), and looked in the bathroom. She sighed and said, "Well I guess I'd better call my electrician, too." I was baffled, but said nothing and listened as she called her electrician and said, "{electrician's name}, this is ______. I was calling to get a quote. I have plumbers at {our address} and they are installing a new bathtub and shower unit, and I figured it's about time to put in an overhead light and fan. Call me back and give me an estimate." Right now the only light we have in the bathroom is right above the sink, so the shower is dark and kinda scary unless we use 100 watt light bulbs (there are 3 in there) - so the shower is slightly more illuminated and the rest of the bathroom looks like the lights from a football field, it's so bright, lol! So the electrician is coming Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., and the plumbers will be finished by Monday evening. it's funny because they had to unhook the toilet to get the old tub out (it was sooooooo gross), so my husband was the bathroom taxi today, lol! He took the baby to Kroger to pee, then took the oldest to his mom's to pee, and then we all went to wal mart to pee! (And we wound up getting a bottle of 85 SPF sunblock, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip.) I've been taking pictures of the plumbers' progress, though I wasn't able to get in there to get a picture of the disgusting mildew that had been growing behind the thin plastic shower lining! EW!!!

The scary shower before:





after they began ripping the old tub/shower out:



This is what it looked like at quitting time today:



The only bad thing is that the bathroom is on the other side of the room my two younger girls share. Apparently in their drilling, they took a chunk out of the adjoining wall, and none of us noticed until I was tucking the girls in tonight... I just hope I remember to tell the landlady, because she'll be on the warpath!

On another high note, my stepdaughter got into the US okay in the wee hours of the morning this morning, and there's only 4 days left until we GET HER!!! OH YEAH!

I signed up online and got a coupon for a free Recipe Inspirations packet from McCormick. I chose the "Quesadilla Casserole" spice packet, and it looks really interesting. It's all the spices you need for the dish, and it has the recipe on the back. Check it out:



Quesadilla Casserole
2 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t oregano leaves
1/2 t crushed red pepper (optional)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 8 3/4 oz can whole corn kernels, undrained
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, undrained
6 8-inch flour tortillas
2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. brown beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat, drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chiles, mix well. Stir in all of the spices EXCEPT for the red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add red pepper to taste, if desired.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef mixture, and cheese.

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I'll probably omit the beans when I make it, since I personally am not a big bean fan, but otherwise it sounds really good. My oldest will probably eat it with a dollop of sour cream on top, too. She always puts sour cream on top of the tacos when we have taco night, lol.

I have been so worried about my license. Last spring I got a seatbelt ticket (I pulled into the public library's parking lot and unfastened my seatbelt before I parked, and the cop gave me a ticket. In retrospect, I should've gone to court and fought it, but it's only $20, so why bother? It's literally the only ticket I've EVER gotten), and I waited for a while before it got paid. I was afraid my license was suspended this whole time, so I've been paranoid and refusing to drive. My husband was fed up with me! We went to the BMV yesterday, and it turns out my license has been just fine since about three days after the ticket was finally paid! GAH!!!! My worrying was all for nothing!

Looking forward to Tuesday... we're going early to the theater to wait in line, since we have tickets for the midnight showing of Eclipse. My stepdaughter comes at 7, so she'll be with us. SO MUCH FREAKING FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T-minus 6 days and counting!

So my stepdaughter will be here in 6 days, and we're all so excited!!!

Today at lunch, I asked the girls what they wanted. Fifi (the baby of the family) wanted what she always asks for: "a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich, but take the peanut butter off." LOL! Lulu and Bud got the same sandwiches: dark chocolate peanut butter from peanut butter & co., topped with a bit of Nutella. I always put everything on whole wheat bread, so at least there was some nutrition in what they ate! I chopped up some beautiful big Fuji apples and smeared some peanut butter on their plates for them to dip the chunks in, and I gave them each a couple of slices of colby jack cheese (their favorite because of their Papaw, lol). Top it all off with a 100% juice juice box, and that was their lunch today. Healthy for the most part... but I can compromise and give in a little bit, especially where Bud is concerned because we have to watch her sugar intake more than the other kids. I don't mind letting her have the Nutella and the dark chocolate PB at lunch, since I don't really put too much on there and she's not allowed to have a whole lot more sugar the rest of the day. I'm making pasta salad for myself (I'm not usually a big sandwich person), and Bud will probably have some of that, too. She's the best eater I have - the only problem is that she also eats a lot!

For dinner I'm making coconut rice and jerk cod. Okay, so it's not really "jerk" spice as we think of it, but it's gonna be pretty spicy, so the coconut rice will cool it down. I am excited for dinner! So is Bud! :)

I have two bunches of bananas in the kitchen that HAVE to be used today. I will either make my husband's favorite (Banana chocolate chip muffins) or banana bread... or maybe even both. The banana chocolate chip muffins never last long in this house, lol... usually just long enough to cool to the point where they won't burn the kids' mouths, and then BAM! They all disappear. It's like magic. ;)

I was looking through photography tips websites last night, and got lots of ideas for the girls' pictures this summer. Just some things I want to experiment with: waterfalls, railroad tracks, mirrors. Let your imagination run wild from there, lol!

truth be told, I've tried my best

So I have begun the somewhat daunting task of getting ready for my stepdaughter's arrival in 9 days by removing ALL of her clothes from the closet & dresser and washing them afresh. I wash them every year after she leaves, but they sit there for a whole year, and it's nice to come home to freshly washed clothes that smell good and clean and not like the musty old house, I think. Plus it gives me a chance to throw anything that looks too small into a storage container for the next kid who can wear it. it's nice having all girls, since that means anything I get will get plenty of wear.

Speaking of the stepdaughter, we talked today and she has some things going on in her life that need major prayer. I know prayer can move mountains, so anyone who prays, please keep her in mind the next time you talk to the Father.

I also decided that for her birthday party I'm not going to do 15 different mocktails as planned, I think instead I'm going to have a self-serve Italian soda bar. :) It sounds so much better, and no one will have to stand there and miss out on the party in order to serve drinks, which will be fun for all. Plus people can experiment and try what they want, when they want it. I can't believe it's almost time... I am mailing out the invitations tomorrow.

My garden is out of control! Apparently when I started planting, I didn't keep in mind that most of my plants are vine plants, which means they are creepers... and despite my putting a wire contraption for my cucumbers to climb up, they have wound themselves around the fence we share with a not-so-pleasant neighbor, so I'm hoping she doesn't do anything to them until after we've harvested them. The pumpkin plants' leaves look like elephant ears, they are HUGE!!!

It is supposed to reach temperatures of 100 by Tuesday here, and I hate it. I wish we could have another summer like last year's - mild enough to go swimming if you want, but not so hot that you started to sweat just by stepping out the door. Ugh. I hate the heat.

Oh, yeah... did I mention this?

Tuesday blahs?

I woke up with a weird feeling today. Not a bad one or anything, just weird... does anyone else do that? Sometimes I get the feeling I've forgotten something important, and it eats away at me until I remember what it is. Sometimes I get a funny feeling and it lasts and lasts until I go to bed, and then somehow it's magically gone. I know it's all in my head, but still.

So this is shaping up to be a busy week for us. Yesterday the girls and I went outside and put the canteloupes, watermelon, and corn in the ground. They were all 3 inches tall or taller, so it was time. Today I have to go out in the heat and put the tomatoes in the ground - I HAVE to, or they'll die. They're running out of room for their roots in the containers they're in right now. My garden is starting to take over my back yard... right now there's: rosemary, greek oregano, common sage, sweet basil, mint, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, canteloupes, watermelons, corn, and cucumbers. Now I have to make room for the lettuce, onions, lavender, thyme, chives, parsley, and carrots. Sigh. I have a feeling I'm going to be giving some seedlings away - anyone interested? ;)

Tomorrow I take Lulu in the morning to take the NNAT to see if she gets into the gifted program at a local school. If she doesn't (which I am sure is unlikely, I have the utmost faith in her), then the girls will continue to be homeschooled next year. If she does, then she and Bud will probably go to the school, which is a little ways away from us. We should know something by the end of this week, supposedly.

On Friday, all three girls have dentist appointments in the morning for their 6 month checkup. Then in the afternoon, I have to take Bud for her yearly checkup at the pediatrician - which actually works out really well, considering that she has a plantar's wart on the bottom of her foot that needs to be burnt/frozen off, and she's started to have tiny bumps all over her face. I don't know if it's the beginnings of acne, or if it's heat rash.

Tonight we're going to the library. It's time to sign the girls up for the summer reading program, like we do every year. And my husband (God bless him) volunteered to cook dinner tonight for me - BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, and baked beans... his favorite meal, lol.

But for right now... we're all camped out on my bed, watching a rerun marathon of America's Next Top Model... lol!



parsley



lettuce



lavender




L-R: rosemary, sweet basil, greek oregano, common sage



L-R: common sage, mint, pumpkins, squash



L-R: pumpkins, squash, zucchini, cucumbers



L-R: cucumbers, canteloupes, watermelons, corn.



Chives.



Chinese Lantern flowers.



Carrots.