Baked Potatoes in the Crock Pot

  (originally posted on my old blog on April 30, 2010)

I’ve had a craving for baked potatoes and remembering that my mom & step-father made them years ago in the crock pot, I thought I’d try it.

So here is my crock pot.  Obviously not a current one with no sign of stainless steel or white ceramic.  This was actually my grandparents’ crock pot, which they bought when I was about 4 or 5, however it still works as if it were new.    I’ve been married for nearly 15 years, however the first time I actually used it was last Christmas to keep scrambled eggs warm for brunch.

Then here are my bag of potatoes.  I don’t buy the large bakers in bulk because that is just way too much potato when one includes and toppings and/or sides………..at least it is for us.

Then we have our selection of potatoes.  We only need a small amount, because our last name isn’t Duggar (by the way, I love their show!).

First of all, it’s always good to wash the potatoes (and I realize that I’m not talking to novices).  I used a dish towel because I currently don’t have a vegetable brush.  So that’s on the shopping list for next payday and I can go to our local kitchen & garden store (or as my daughter calls it “The Hippie Store”) for a really good one.

Next, prick your potatoes all over with a fork.  If you don’t, you’ll have mashed potatoes………on your ceiling.

……a bit of foil……

Well, I think you know where I’m heading here……..

That’s right, wrap them up like a present…………

Place them in the crock pot, put the lid on, and ………….

cook on “High” for 2 1/2 -4 hours.

Everyone except my son really liked the potatoes (my son isn’t really a potato fan, and he’s really particular about what he eats……even after a “try-me” bite).

So that’s my story of introducing the crock pot into my meal preparation.  I found a couple of websites with scads of recipes that I’m interested in trying (one site even has a recipe for making playdough in it.  At this time, there’s not a high demand for playdough here).

Lp

Our “Political” Venture

(Originally posted on my old blog on April 23, 2010)

A little over one month ago, something happened in our county, that unexpectedly changed whatever plans we had for our lives for the next 5 weeks following:

The powers-that-be in our state (Oregon)  and city we live in, decided to rename a long stretch of highway that runs through our town.

Now, originally, we had heard on the news, that on the following day, the city counsel & the mayor would be voting on whether to change the name from it’s current name, to the name of a former state transportation commissioner, a prominent businessman in our town, who had passed away a little over a year ago.  When we first heard about it, we didn’t think that it would happen, and didn’t seem as concerned.  However, on the following day, we heard on the news, that the city counsel and the mayor had indeed decided to change the name.    Well we didn’t agree with that idea, especially when we found out that the change was going to cost a quarter of a million dollars, of tax payers money, during a time of recession in our state, when money is tight and other roads are needing to be repaired.  When we are being asked to vote to raise taxes to maintain roads, paying for road renaming (when we have plenty of other roads, bridges, bike paths etc that are new and nameless) just didn’t seem right.

So, my husband, is a regular on Facebook and he created a page for those who were opposed to the name change and wanted to be a “fan”.   The fan base grew rather quickly (and my husband brought in a co-admin for the page) and within one week, someone came up with the idea of staging a protest, standing on an overpass over this stretch of highway.    So on a Saturday afternoon, probably 15 people (maybe more) showed up with signs (some of which my son made) and protested for a couple of hours (I didn’t go as I had told the kids that I would take them to a movie and I didn’t want to blow them off).  Well this protest caught the attention of one of our local news stations, so that night, my husband was on TV.    By this time, there were over 600 fans on the page.   After this protest, there was talk of having another one at another area of this highway, on the following Monday (“Have fun storming the castle!”).     Then on the following Friday & Saturday, there were protests again.

Now, I am not a protester, I don’t normally get involved in anything political.    However, I did go to support my husband on this issue (numbers help) and I don’t agree with the name change.   By this time, the fan base for the page had reached over 2,000 I think.

So, for the Saturday protest, my husband had our son make a new sign (maybe one day I can post a blog giving tips on how to protest comfortably and effectively, hahahaha).

My son made this sign too and it’s the sign I hid behind (because this is really out of character for me, but my husband wanted to take this picture of me).

And here’s my husband, with his new sign.  What you don’t see, and I wasn’t ready for, was his use of a bicycle horn, and his hollering.  I have never heard him make so much noise before (considering that we’re always telling our noisy son to quiet down).  So this was new to me!  (and for being in this protest, and the one on the day before, I was treated to a dinner at the Olive Garden and a movie)

So as the weeks progress, our local paper started publishing revelations that there were some possibly unethical arrangements between the family of the new namesake, and the governor and the transportation commission.    Then, the governor and the commission decided to change the name partially and only put two new signs on the highway, one at each end, costing only $1,500 of the taxpayer’s money, and change the rest of the signs when they’ve “worn out”.   Well, who is to say that the commision or department of transportation won’t decide that the signs will have worn out within the next year and still be spending the $250,000 that was originally planned?

Kevin and his co-admin started gathering signatures  to have an initiative put on the ballot, to prevent this from happening in the future (anywhere else in the state) without the citizens of the state being able to vote on it.

The new plan was going to be voted on by the transportation commission on April 20th in a coastal town about an hour and a half away from our town and the road in question.    Several from the Facebook group (which by now boasts nearly 9,000 fans) planned to go as well.

And what kind of homeschooling parent would I be, if I couldn’t turn this into a field trip?   Not every kids has the chance to see “Robert’s Rules of Order” in action, supposedly.

On the afternoon of the 20th, we gathered at a local department store with about 12-15 other folks from the Facebook page, and everyone wrote on the car windows what our cause was.

Now, Heather looks like she’s cool with everything.  Really, she’s tuned into her iPhone, listening to the Jonas Brothers and trying to tune out the song “Convoy” and the various 70’s & 80’s tunes from her parents’ childhood that were blaring from the CD player.  Kylin was just happy to be going to the coast and despite the weather (rainy) and being told that we probably wouldn’t be going to the beach, in his mind, he was going to the coast and that means beach.   To quote Mr. Bean, “To the beach!”

One of the news vans from our town, following us to the meeting (because by now, this was a news worthy topic).

I think that our two kids were the only ones at this shindig.

After opposing testimony from about 10 people and testimony from one person in favor, who was also an employee of the family of the namesake, the transportation commission voted in favor of the name change.  So, that was a disappointment to this convoy.

After the meeting, several of us from the FB group, met at Mo’s for an early supper/snack.  For those who have never been to Oregon or at least the coast, Mo’s is famous for their clam chowder.   Our family hadn’t eaten there in several years because we don’t eat any kind of meat, and the primary purpose of this restaurant is to serve seafood.   We were able to find something meatless on the menu however, so we didn’t starve.

After our dinner, our son was very persistent about going to the beach.  It was not “go to the beach weather” at all.  It was so windy that it was shaking our van, and the rain that was coming down, was actually coming in at an angle.    The rest of us in the car, really had no desire to go outside.  However, Kylin, in his mind, was disregarding the weather.  We were at the coast and we must go to the beach.  So we found an area where one didn’t have to climb over a dune (in the wind & rain) to see the ocean.   Kevin ventured out with the boy so he could have his wish fulfilled.   Heather & I waited in the car, and stayed dry.  At one point, we did receive a text from Kevin that just read “Brrrr!”.   After about 20 minutes, they came back, and Kylin’s shoes were wet because he was close enough for the water to come up on shore and soak his feet.

So after a long day, dealing with this political venture (and in Kylin’s case, wet feet), we headed home.    Below is one of the signs we came across (several times)  on the trip:

Interesting, when you consider why we were making this trip!

LP

Miss “Fonzie”

 Originally posted on my old blog on April 19, 2010)

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any blog and since I have some recent pictures of Fonzie, I thought that I’d go ahead and post them as well as the little story of how we acquired her.

About 3 years ago, when we already had 3 young cats, this black & white cat started showing up in our yard regularly.  It tended to like to nap under our shrubs a lot.  We also were keeping our cats’ food outside as well, so that may have been the main reason that this new cat kept showing up.

One Saturday, Kevin and Heather thought that they could coax her to come into the house and hopefully make her a pet.

Once she was in our home, it didn’t take her long to figure out that she had it made, and from that time, she has made herself at home anywhere and everywhere in our house!

Obviously, by now, she has acclimated to her new home very well, as she seems to feel free to lay in our window sill all of the time (the problem with her sleeping in the windowsill is that after she falls asleep, she falls out of the window, unplugging our DVD player on the way down, after which, she jumps right back up to repeat the process 5-10 minutes later).

Heather gave this new cat the name of “Fonzie”.  I have no idea what made her think of this name (especially since the cat is female) as she’s never seen an episode of “Happy Days”.  Heather just thought it sounded good.

“Are you still here with that camera?  Go away, you bother me!”

(really, she isn’t as mad as she looks, however my father-in-law will pester her sometimes to see if she’ll become as mad as she looks).

Lp

Garlic Pasta (or cooking dinner on a Thursday night)

(originally posted on my old blog on March 11, 2010)

Tonight, I made one of versions of pasta that Kevin and I like, and the kids are ok with.  I found the recipe years ago in a cookbook we were given as a wedding present (always helpful to a new bride).  I’ve made it so many times over the years, that I don’t really need to consult the cookbook anymore.  It is really simple to prepare, and, because when I post on Facebook that I’m cooking something in particular, some of my friends ask for the recipe.  So I thought I’d try posting here on my blog, of what I use to prepare tonight’s meal (and some of the other things that were going on while I was cooking).

So here are the basic ingredients that I use
1/4 C of Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves
linguine (enough to feed your family, you know how much or how little they’ll consume).
1/2 C of Basil and Parsley combined (I didn’t have any freshly grown herbs on hand tonight, but these bottled ones will be fine for tonight).

Just as I was getting started, my son came in and was rubbing his hands all over the counter exclaiming “The counter is clean!” (after I put his artwork away, then yes, it was clean).

So, my water is boiling, and the pasta is going in………….

and my son came in and turned on the fan so the steam from the water wouldn’t set off the smoke alarm (it only happened once and it was caused by steam in the bathroom after a shower.  Ever since, he’s been concerned about steam setting off the alarm).

While you are waiting for your noodles to cook……….have a cookie (and if you want to enjoy it in peace, wait until the kids are in the other room)!

 

After your noodles are cooked, drained and in the serving bowl of your choice, heat 1/4 Cup of olive oil in a small pan………

mince 3 cloves of garlic and add to the heated oil, just long enough for the garlic to become a light brown color (if you leave it in too long, it will turn black very quickly!).  Then pour the oil with the garlic over the pasta and toss the noodles a bit.

Then combine 1/4 Cup of Parsley, 1/4 Cup of Basil, & 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and add it to the pasta and toss the noodles again (it will be very noticeable if you don’t).

I’m in mid toss here 🙂

While I was tossing my noodles, my husband and kids were spending “quality” time, defacing pictures in our yellow pages!   Who needs TV when you have the phone book for entertainment?

So, now dinner is ready.  The recipe calls for Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the pasta and any other time, that is what I would use.  However, I was out of Parmesan, so I used Mozzarella cheese.  No one seemed to mind.  However, Parmesan is the better cheese for this dish.

A word to the wise: be sure not to smile at others, until you’ve brushed your teeth and checked them with a mirror!

Friday, March 5, 2010

So, my husband and I had a special date yesterday.  Usually our dates include dinner at the Olive Garden and a movie (when money is tighter, it could be dinner at Subway and a movie at the discount theater).    But, this night, was a special spendier date night be date night, because it meant a trip to Portland (2 hours north of us), and a show featuring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy.  It was also a rare date night in that, after the show, we didn’t have to hurry home to relieve a sitter (our kids were spending the night with a grandparent)!  Gee, what could we do with that “free time”?  Kevin had searched the internet for a new restaurant that we could try and found one called “The Old Wives Tale” (I asked him if “young wives” could still eat there.  He never did comment on that).   The plan was to eat at the new restaurant before the show.  However, due to an accident on the freeway that held up traffic, we were delayed and arrived in time to find a parking space, find some fast food at one of the concession booths and then find our seats.  The show was great, and a lot of fun!

So anyway, this isn’t what the focus of my blog is about.   During various parts of the trip to Portland and then driving around Portland after the show, I saw a few things that brought up a few memories.   My mother was from Portland, and all during my childhood, we made regular trips up there to see my grandparents and my aunt & uncle.  To a kid, these trips were kind of boring, and my grandparents’ house was not the friendliest place to visit.  There are a few pleasant memories about visiting them, but not very many.  But here are a few, that are sort of nostalgic.

This is the view from the freeway.  Just miles of fields and farms, and at this time of year, herds of sheep and new lambs.
This “lovely” place took both of us down memory lane a bit.  All during my childhood, if I wasn’t paying attention to the scenery on a trip to Portland, the smell from this paper mill always told me that we were about half way there.  If I was napping in the car, the smell woke me up.  The mill is now closed and the smell is gone.  It was the first time we passed by with out that smell that says, “you’re in Albany!”.
This place, we came across while driving around Portland.  When I was 4, I stayed with my mother’s parents for a month because my parents were separating and my mother was working on getting a job and an apartment for us.  So, for 1 month, I lived with her parents.   It’s really hard to find many pleasant memories about that time because, well, let’s just say, that my grandma was dealing with a lifetime of disappointments and she wasn’t a happy person, and made sure that we all knew it.  However, one of the few pleasant memories was coming to this shopping center with her and my grandpa and we would go watch people skate at the ice rink.  I hadn’t seen this place in many, many years, and just seeing this sign took me back a bit.
So that was my day yesterday.
We have another trip to Portland coming up soon, in the area of town where my mother grew up, and I’m wondering if there is anything left from my childhood there.  I guess I’ll find out soon enough.  If there is, I will try to post about it.
Lp

I Love………

(originally posted on my old blog on February 14, 2010)

I had noticed earlier this week while reading “The Pioneer Woman’s” blog, that she had made a list of the things she loved, for Valentine’s day.  So I thought I’d do the same (it can’t hurt and it’s something to blog about).
1. Jesus (of course, and if you’ve read my posts in the past and didn’t know I was a Christian, you do now.  Mystery solved).
2.My Husband(who made breakfast this morning, and bought me a latte)
3.My Kids(who bring joy and entertainment and revelations to my life)
4.My family and extended family
5.”Steel Magnolias”
6. Chocolate!
7. Yumm Sauce!
8. My church
9. My Friends
10. “Anne of Green Gables”(I would love to live in Canada in the Fall)
11. Fall and Spring
12. Photography
13. Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken
14.Roses & Tulips
15. Purple, Blue, Red, Black
16. Coffee
17. Date nights (anytime alone with my hubby is great!)
18.  Sci-Fi movies
19.  Funny romantic movies (some of them)
20. Shopping for clothes
21. the beach
22. Road trips!
23. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
24.jewelry
25. family history
26.  sweaters
27. biographies & autobiographies
28. Home decorating magazines
29. being at my grandma’s house
30. parades
31. marching bands
32.. bluegrass music
33. 80’s music
34. steak & potatoes
35. hot showers
I’m sure that there are more that will come to mind after I publish this.
~Lisa

Our Furry Family Members Part 2: Aslan

(originally posted to my old blog on January 22, 2010)

I had intended to post a blog about one of our cats every Thursday, however, with the holidays, I was busy.  So this brief entry is about the second cat we acquired, Aslan.

Soon after we had acquired “Paws”,  my husband decided that he wanted a cat of his own.   So one Saturday afternoon, he checked the classifieds for a kitten.  He found one way out in the country about an hour drive from our house.  The lady who was giving him away had several other kittens and cats and her house smelled like it.  This particular kitten, Kevin chose and since he had been allowed to run around a lot outside, he was kind of wild.    So we brought home this wild kitten, and introduced him to Paws.  As to be expected, there was a lot of hissing between the two.  It lasted for about a week.  While this was going on, we tried to find a name for him.  The choices were narrowed down to “Aslan” and “Maverick”.  Obviously, “Aslan” won.
To this day, he is still a “wildish” cat.  The only time he looks relaxed, is when he’s asleep.    Every waking moment he has the wide eyed, wild expression.    As for being Kevin’s cat, he actually likes and has bonded with Heather more (and Kevin has bonded with Heather’s cat ).

This cat has several nicknames.  “Az”, “Spaz”, “Azzie Wazzie” (to name a few).  However the oddest name was given by our son.  He started calling the cat “Mr. Dodie”.  On my mother’s side of the family, “dodie” was something that you did in the bathroom.  It was what my Scottish grandmother (who didn’t have an accent) called it because it’s what her Scottish mother (who did have an accent) called it, and it’s what we taught our kids to call it (it sounded less crude).   After awhile,  my son just started using the crude name and now calls this poor clean cat, “Mr. Poop”.

A Different Walking Venue

(originally posted on January 5, 2010)
Yesterday, I talked about getting back into the walking routine.  We walked outdoors (because my husband took the car to work yesterday), and I shared the hazard I had walking over a man-hole cover.

So, since I had the car today, I thought we’d go to our local shopping mall to walk.  It’s open very early for walkers to get their exercise in a dry environment, window shop, and then stop for a coffee when they’ve finished.

A better, less hazardous environment for the person trying to walk off their holiday pounds?  You’d think so.  However I discovered that there hazards of another kind that might slow a walker down….

The first thing I saw that made me want to stop was the coffee place.   I love the coffee here just as much as I love Starbucks!  However, I did not stop for a vanilla latte…..with 2% milk…..I was very good!  I kept walking.
Then, a few yards into one wing of the mall, puts us in the food court.  Not too bad altogether because the restaurants haven’t opened yet.   However, there is movement and food preparation in one of them, and it smelled very good……
Oh Yes!  The sweet smells of Cinnabon!  They weren’t open yet, only making the rolls for the breakfast crowd.   Mmmmmm…..
The kids had their “hazards” to slow them down as well.
The first one was….
 
The Sweet Factory……..also closed, but plenty candy within view!
Then toward the end of our walk, we came to the hazard that stopped them in their tracks………..
Build-A-Bear!
As we walked out of the mall, one last delicious smell (of something fried) met us at the door, and this was where it was coming from…..
Need I say more?
 I was good.  I behaved and I didn’t stop at any drive-thru establishments serving food on our way home.
Lp

Back to the Daily Routine

(originally posted on my old blog on January 4, 2010)
Today was the day!  The day that we start using the alarm again on a daily basis.  Kevin went back to work after a week-long vacation.  The kids and I started school again.  I can’t say that anyone was enthusiastic about the return to routine, but, it is what it is.  We can’t sit or lay on the couch forever, watching our favorite shows or spending every available minute on Facebook.

Part of the routine, that I needed to restart, was walking daily.  “Chocolate season” started at the end of October and then “family dinner” season (which has a lot of food, and delicious desserts) added to that, and I stopped walking and it’s noticeable (to me, if not to anyone else).   So, this morning, we put on our warm coats, and set out to walk around our neighborhood…..

So we set off…Heather shivering and wanting to be inside, and Kylin, pointing out every car (make and model) to us.
Kylin brought along his “whip”.  It’s made from the hoses of a toy fire truck, hooked together and taped in place with mailing tape and painter’s tape.  He rarely leaves home without it.   I’m not sure if this is all that common for autistic kids, but it works for him almost like a pacifier works for a baby.
  This cover, meant to keep folks from falling into this square hole, was actually so slick, that I slipped and fell on my knee.  Notice the smirking smile already there for any adult who trips or slips because of it’s presence!
 As we were approaching the end of the street, Kylin pointed to the field across the road (with his whip, which also serves as a pointer) and said, “Mom! That’s rural over there!”
It’s starting to get a bit windy and we’re starting to feel a few rain drops.  Heather is getting a bit cold, and so is her mother.
 Back in the house, where it’s warm.  Time for “book learnin'”.  Normally, I’d have them sitting at the kitchen table, however……
 My table is currently in service as the place to put all of the Christmas decorations before I put them away 🙂

Happy New Year!!!

(originally posted on my old blog on January 1, 2010)

Happy 2010 everyone!

My husband and I were checking our nearby Twitter pages and noticed that alot of folks were talking about where they were 10 years ago.  My husband posted that 10 years ago, he didn’t know how to spell “atheist” and now, he is one (and being the Christian wife of one, could generate a blog site of it’s own.  Tempting, but for now, I have no plans to start one).    For me, 10 years ago, I had two toddlers (3 and 1), now, ten years later, you can do that math on that one.  I also was recovering from a D & C that was the result of a miscarriage.   We were also watching the TV all day to watch the new year happen in the rest of the world.   Mostly because we’d been warned of Y2K and had been strongly encouraged to store water, food and other supplies should our power go out.  I woke up the morning of the 31st, turned on the news and the first thing I heard about was that the power was out in Paris, France.   It wasn’t due to Y2K.  Paris was experiencing a very strong wind storm.  As you all know now, Y2K didn’t happen.  There are the original naysayers that said that it wouldn’t in the first place and they like to laugh at those who were hoarding supplies.   They can laugh all they want.  If anything, the threat of Y2K, did bring about an awareness to the population that it’s a good idea to be prepared with those supplies in case of ANY emergency.

This is the second year that we’ve let the kids stay up with us to ring in the new year.   It’s exciting for them, and yet exhausting for us.  Our son, Kylin, is the type of person who is running on adrenaline every waking moment, even if that moment is at midnight.  When he goes to bed at his regular bedtime, my husband and I are mentally exhausted.  Our son spins, skips, and just stays very active until he falls asleep.  He talks as fast as he moves too (which is probably part of the reason that his sister shuts herself in her room).  He’s the boy who, after being awake for an hour in the morning, has us anxious for his bedtime to arrive.   So letting him stay up late, is a big step for us.

In preparing for this big night, I asked for everyone’s input on what to eat.

~Kevin wanted cheese fondue.  We had this last year and he really liked it.  I used a Swiss cheese sauce this time from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.  for the sauce, we had things for dipping such as Potatoes, vegetarian meatballs,  raw veggies (so that we felt we were eating healthy).    He also bought some Kettle chips, and everything one needs to make margaritas (so he won’t need to make a stop at the 7-11 for Slurpees to spike).

~The kids wanted cookies!  Oreos and Nutter Butters!

~and Root Beer! (Yes, I realize that my giving them sugar contributed to my son’s busyness, but it’s New Year’s Eve!)

We started the evening with watching the Blu Ray version of “Star Trek”.   All but Kylin had seen the movie already.  Am I a “Trek Nerd” if I admit that this movie brought some tears to my eyes at some point?   Once the Trek movie was over, we still had time to kill, so our next movie was “Napoleon Dynamite”.   That one is just plain funny!  It took watching it about 3 times to grow on me, but it’s just a fun, goofy movie.  Our last movie of the night was “Paul Blart, Mall Cop”.  Kevin really likes this one.  It was Heather’s first time watching it and I don’t think that she liked it as much as her dad did.  I had forgotten how much swearing was in it too.  More than what my kids are used to hearing anyway.

Kevin finished the night by making Margaritas.  As he was crushing the ice in the blender, Kylin came in and asked what Kevin was making and then saw the blender and yelled “Smoothies!”.  Kevin had to explain that it was a “grown up smoothie”.  I will say that I did try one, and my conclusion is that I prefer regular smoothies, not the kind with the alcohol.

Today, we’re celebrating the new year at home.  Our university’s football team (the Oregon Ducks) is playing in the Rose Bowl today!  Go Ducks!!!!

We’re sort of taking it easy today.  I didn’t have to make lunch (Kevin ordered pizza)!  I say sort of, because I need to finish the laundry and get the kids’ lessons planned for Monday as well as order some curriculum.   I was going to go grocery shopping today, but I changed my mind.  I’ll go tomorrow, when everyone else is.

Lp