Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Spring...or Summer?


The past week has been incredible weather wise so we broke out the sand table and swimming pool. It was 82 degrees in Attleboro today and I was very happy since as most of you know I am a sun and hot weather kind of girl. This morning I had a conference in Boston for work but was home by 11 to play outside.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Saturday morning cartoons


Here's a great picture of Eliana and AJ watching one of their favorite shows...Jakers. I love when they're all cuddly with each other!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Quotes from my Kids

AJ: (after he did something funny I said "Where did I get you from?") His response...."Babies R Us!"
Eliana: (while putting together a puzzle of the United States) " Where's Mississippi cup?"
AJ: (after running around with Jonathan he said, " AJ I need to stop and catch my breath". His response... "Here you can have some of my breath", now picture heavy breathing sounds in Jonathan's face.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Yet another reason to consider homeschooling/alternative education in MA...

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1085399

Yummy Recipe

OK so as many of you know Jonathan and I are eating less meat (especially the red stuff) so we've been experimenting with some new recipes. Here's a great one we tried recently...you can substitute ground turkey for the tempeh if you don't want to do vegetarian.

Harvest Vegetable Shepherd's Pie with Orange Mashed Yam Crust

Ingredients:
1 lb. tempeh
1/8 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 lb. new potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 inch thick
3 cups vegetable stock
3 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. chopped sage
4 cups mashed yams
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350.
Crumble tempeh so that it resembles cooked ground beef.
Heat canola oil over med-high heat in large saute pan.
Add tempeh,onions and carrots....cook 3-5 minutes.
Add thyme,potatoes,vegetable stock and tamari.
Simmer this mixture till potatoes are cooked but still firm....15-20 minutes.
Stir in peas,corn and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Combine cornstarch in a small bowl with the water till smooth and add to simmering veggies, stirring constantly.
Stir in sage.
Place the filling in a 9-inch pie plate or casserole dish.
Top with 4 cups prepared mashed yams.
Sprinkle almonds on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until yams and almonds are golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Enjoy everyone!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Spring Cleaning

So it's April now and I have two weeks off from one of my jobs so I decided to start spring cleaning. So far I've washed half the windows in the house and now I'm working on curtains and the closets. I love when my house is EXTRA clean and tidy! Does anyone else get a great sense of accomplishment from this or am I stranger than I think?

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Preach It!

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.
'When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say ... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

-Maya Angelou