Thursday, February 08, 2007

THURSDAY

I worked to make this day special for Nolan, though he had opted not to celebrate until Mike was home. He got a call from Mike AND the girls....and cards and letters too...so he was a happy camper. Mom, all those quarters! LOL Those were a highlight as well.

I did my first "park and grab" - free cycle. Jen and others have been talking about this for years. They get all sorts of neat things on freecycle. I checked and we have a group HERE....I signed up. OK - so you have to understand that Jen gets REALLY neat things and gives away pianos!!! on freecycle. I've been watching and have seen monitors, tvs, exercise bikes, goats, kittens, clothes etc come and go... but TODAY something came that I needed enough to make me try for my first freecycle transaction. THREE BAGS OF WALMART BAGS! ::snort:: Josiah and I had lots of laughs over this as we went to find this house. Of all the fancy things that come and I go - I got walmart bags. BUT I needed them for produce co-op. I have none and I don't want to buy any for tomorrow. LOL It WAS funny that the lady told us she lived in the back YARD of this house....and so the comments flew....but I got my bags. Maybe a milk cow next. LOL

We finished up some Israel stuff today. The one book had a photo of Cholent and it intrigued me enough to look for a recipe. I chose the one I posted below because I liked the story that came with the recipe. LOL I am looking and seeing that some add tomatoes and honey....anyone every made this before? Steph - isn't your dh Jewish? Dorothy? You do Shabbat and have studied this....

I mailed off a package to the girls and paperwork to NARHS for the boys. I had a blast writing up course descriptions for Jamin after I got into it. I'm tailoring his course load more to what HE wants to do than the traditional line of study - always being sure he has plenty of the "right" credits to graduate. LOL He IS doing Alg 2 and such...but he's also doing weight lifting and writing to publish and the culinary arts....anyway - it was much easier than I thought it would be and is in the mail. I hope to have the 1st half of the year's work off to NARHS by Monday for Josiah. Our portfolios aren't due until August but since he is graduating and will want a diploma, they say to send in 1/2 the work right away.

Worked on the newsletter for co-op and had to make another order sheets as our member list outgrew the first one....it was a paperwork day. I also had to go to the bank and cash checks for produce tomorrow.

AND it went from 81* yesterday to 39* today....same time...same bank reader.

ARRRRRGGGHHH

I've not been driving at night since last Tuesday (1 Feb). We went out to the boys' favorite haunt in honor of Nolan and Josiah. Went to come home...NO LIGHTS!!!!! Finally, I figured out that if I put them on BRIGHT I had some headlights...but still no lights on the gauges. And no headlights unless they are on bright. Could this be a fuse? Where would I buy fuses? How will I know what I need? Where is the fuse box on the van - oh YEAH I figured that out...by my feet.

Did I SAY I wanted to take care of myself? I don't mind having a husband who handles all these things for me. ::snort:: OK - tomorrow....after speech, co-op, and class, I will learn how to make lights work on a van.....because tomorrow night I'm supposed to be driving again. THOUGH I got to thinking that a flashlight would be fine to illuminate things. Shoot....if I have to limp along with the grain mill....why not limp along with the van lights too? ::snort::

Yes, dear.....I APPRECIATE YOU MORE THAN EVER!!!!!

Shabbat CHOLENT Recipe

Here is a traditional cholent updated to reflect today's more sophisticated taste and using easily available ingredients.

1 ¼ cups dry mixed beans
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
200 g (8 oz or one large) onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp pepper
¾ cup barley
1 ½ lb (700 g) potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
1 chunk (about ½ kg or 1 lb) beef brisket
1 smoked beef bone or marrow bone
6 eggs in shell, washed

You may use one kind of beans or mix several kinds. For eye-appeal, I like to mix small white navy beans and large red kidney beans or black beans. Rinse beans then soak for 5 to 8 hours in enough water to have three finger-deep water over top of beans. When soaked, drain.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté onion until transparent. Add garlic, stir for several minutes over heat then add paprika, salt and pepper, and continue to cook for a minute. Remove from heat.

Combine beans, onion mixture, barley, potatoes, brisket and bone in a large baking dish or dutch oven with a tightly-fitting lid. Carefully slip in raw unshelled eggs and bury them under cholent mix. Add water to cover.

Place tightly covered pot in oven (seal lid with aluminum foil if not absolutely tight) and bake at 100 degrees C (200 degrees F) for at least 6 hours and up to 18 hours. Check liquid level occasionally to prevent cholent from drying out and replenish if needed.
When ready to serve, dig out eggs, shell them and serve in quarters as first course with fresh raw vegetables, crackers, sour cream or yogurt. Remove brisket and slice. Serve brisket and cholent family style on serving dish. The best accompaniment with cholent is an assortment of good pickles and sauerkraut. Yields 6 to 7 generous servings.

Happy Birthday Nolan!!!!

Today Nolan turns 8. We're saving gifts and such for a big birthday bash in March. However, I did get out the seat covers, the birthday pig (will get pictures of that later), the birthday matt and sign. We had his choice of waffles this a.m. Josiah has to work tomorrow on his birthday, so we will let them chose an eat out adventure for tonight.
The Mafia Brothers - 8 and 18
This week's Birthday Boys (8, 5, 18)

The Silence of Daddy Bear



Sad...sad...sad...somehow the button in the chest of Daddy Bear got switched to record. Poor Stacia continues to hit, hug, stomp on Daddy Bear to hear "Hi Stacia, I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always...." but the Daddy Bear is strangely silent. I'm not sure what to do. Mike can record it again later on....but she loved being able to get her lovin from Daddy Bear on demand!