Fennel soup & other Veggie Tales

In an effort to expand my and my family's horizons as far as veggies go, we have challenged ourselves to try new veggies (or new ways of preparing them) about once a week. We've only been doing this a few weeks, but we have had brussel sprouts, rutabaga, eggplant, sweet potatoes (sans marshmallows), and last night was fennel bulb. We have really enjoyed most of them, but the fennel was a huge hit! I made a soup based on several recipes I found. There is something pretty cute about a four year old shutting his eyes, lifting his eyebrows, and wafting the aroma of the soup toward his nose. After several bites, Will said, "Wow, Mama, this is DEEE-licious!" Here is my recipe:

1 fennel bulb (include stalk & leaves) - chop all parts, but discard any dark or soggy spots
1 large can chicken broth (49 oz.)
1 small onion - diced
kosher salt & pepper to taste
3 medium potatoes sliced (not necessary, but I had some I needed to use)

Saute the onion in soup pot with a little bit of olive oil. Add broth, fennel, potatoes, salt & pepper. Cook until potatoes are done and fennel is tender (not mushy). Mine took about 20 minutes.

This was delicious & delightful!! I can't fully explain the flavor of the fennel soup. It was a touch of sweet and little bit of a liquorice taste (if you don't like licorice, give this veggie a chance -- that is my best way to describe it). The chicken stock and onion were a perfect complement. So beautiful together! I went grocery shopping after dinner and when I came home, the smell in the house was awesome. I wish they made a potpourri like that. Allen picked this veggie --thanks for the idea, Babe!

The other veggies that our family loved were rutabaga (peel, cube and boil like you are going to make mashed potatoes, pour out the water when they are done, add a pinch of salt & a sprinkle of sugar, then mash,) sweet potatoes (boil & mash with a pinch of salt, brown sugar, and a handful of walnuts), and eggplant (slice, spritzed with sesame vinaigrette, baked until tender.) If you have a good eggplant recipe, please share it. What will be next? I'll take suggestions. There are so many to try.

Lessons Learned

Eleven Things Learned This Weekend
1. You can get around Denison, TX, by getting to 91 which will lead to back to 75N about 1 mile south of the Red River.
2. A memory-foam pillow will freeze solid (and sound like wood when you knock on it)
3. The ladies at Chasing Rainbows can cook great food (so much for the 5 pounds I lost this month - it's all back)
4. The people who bought our home in Kansas replaced the porch swing we meant to replace when we moved into the house in 2001.
5. When you ask Jon where his nose is, he scruches his nose and puts his hand on it, then sits down and claps.
6. Ben can walk across a room.
7. Maddie missed her Mama.
8. Will had fun at Nana and Papa's.
9. The ladies at the crop this weekend are so creative and inspiring, and they all have such sweet souls.
10. My brother-in-law and future sis-in-law set the wedding date -- Valentine's day 2009 in Mexico.
11. Allen and I decided our next big trip will be for our 10th anniversary next year: Santorini!

Well, maybe it wasn't meant to be, but I DID make it to Kansas.
After the difficulties getting products in for a class I was teaching, Brook saved the day and redesigned the class. Was I still needed? I was still planning to teach the Princess album class, so we'll say, "yes." Thursday night I had a major pain in my side and it was bad enough I was nauseous at times. I debated going to the emergency room, but I didn't end up going. The news reports said the Dallas area would have ice storms Thursday night, so I might not have been able to drive. When I woke up Friday morning, I still felt pretty bad, but after a shower, I felt a little better and decided I didn't want to miss a fun weekend in Kansas -- the roads were not icy. I left my in-laws' heading north on 75. When I got to Denison (just south of the TX-OK border) the highway was closed. I tried finding a way back on it, but several exits were blocked. I think there must have been a hundred emergency vehicles over the several miles of highway that I couldn't drive on, but I couldn't tell what happened. I got off the highway and filled the car with gas, called Jennie to see if she could make it without me if the roads in Oklahoma were bad, called my father-in-law for a road report, asked for directions for getting around the road block, and decided I really wanted to go to Kansas so I'd find a way. I pulled this info from a news report about the accident that was the road block:

Officials say a car traveling north on Highway 75 lost control on the bridge over the rail yard in Denison. The car spun sideways and a Chevrolet pickup hit it. Then two semis collided and hit the pickup. Several cars following behind the semis collided having a multi-car pile up. When the semis were being pulled apart a small fire broke out on the bridge.

Ok. That's a good reason the road was closed. I am glad I didn't know about that until now.
I got to Independence around 2 pm on Friday and stopped by the quilt store to see my dear friends Debbie & Becky. If you haven't checked out Lillie's Classic Quilts in Independence, it is definitely worth a stop. . . .and Better Homes & Gardens agrees! I was so excited to learn that American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine (a BHG publication) has selected Lillie’s Classic Quilts as one of the Top 10 Shops in the nation! The store and Debbie's own quilt design will be featured in Spring 2008 issue of the Quilt Sampler Magazine. I am so HAPPY for her! Then I went over a block and spent the rest of the day at my other home: Chasing Rainbows Scrapbook store.

Oh how I missed that place -- not so much for the building, paper, and scrap supplies, but for the people. It was wonderful to get the smiles and hugs from the gals who work there and the customers who came to play. I have missed all those friends so much. I had a blast laughing my butt off on Friday while we cropped (or pretended to), I wore my legs out climbing the stairs to the ballroom upstairs -- in heels, none the less, and I restocked my own craft supplies. After an exhausting but thoroughly fun weekend, I headed back to Texas to get my hubby and kids from the in-laws. It was a great break for me. Thanks for your hospitality, Amy, I was glad to have a cozy place to crash. And please give me that recipe for the Dorothy Lynch noodle salad.

Bathtime

My babies -- all four -- LOVE bath time. Last night, I finally got a few photos, but none of them come close to capturing the joy and excitement of splashing in the water with all their siblings. Will just loves to play and "swim" in the water. He gets a bit hyper sometimes. Ben likes to put his face in the water and blow bubbles. Maddie enjoys helping (ie, rubbing a brothers head like she's shampooing, shaking her head no when they are wound up, throwning a washcloth on someone's face), Jon likes to splash. It really is fun to see them all doing their own thing yet interacting with each other. It gets a bit crazy when they are ready to get out because they all start climbing over each other. Once they are dry and in Pjs, they go back to the tub in case there is more fun to be had. It is a big job & I thank Allen for doing the grunt work while I sit and take photos and enjoy the laughter.

I See Triple Trouble brewing

See this?

This is trouble about to happen.

Why do I stop to take a picture first?

Because my camera was handy & I always want to share these moments with others.

Actually, they saw the camera flash, so they giggled and went in three differents directions while Will tried to get in the photo, too. Ben is the climber with no fear. I spend many moments shaking my head at the antics.

This weekend was pretty relaxed with not too much going on. We had no-stick snow on Friday so Will was very excited -- then disappointed that it wasn't the kind he could play in. Saturday, I ran errands and even found some pretty purple shoes on sale that I couldn't (well, I didn't) pass up. While I was at the copy & mail center, a lady walked in with a huge arm-load of sticks to mail to her son in New Hampshire. I managed to not laugh out loud until I got home, but it was a hoot. They weren't fancy or even nice-looking sticks, so I guess he just wanted a campfire. The poor guy working probably snickered while he cleaned up the trail she left on her way in. He had to find a box about 3 feet long and 18 inches square. I am still shaking my head about that one. So if that didn't have me laughing hard enough . . .

I headed to Macy's to pick up a black shirt. They had some pretty shoes in metallic purple that I loved so I asked for my size to try on. When the lady brought them out, I lifted up the leg of my jeans to get my sock thingy on and a pair of blue panties landed on my foot. At first I was confused since they seemed to appear from nowhere, then I realized they were probably in the leg of my pants. That is all I can figure out. At least they were clean -- straight from the dryer. I pretended nothing happened while I was there, but I laughed all the way home. Of course I HAD to buy the shoes after that -- and anyway they were half the price they were marked.

That's the kind of Saturday I had. I managed to get several scrapbook layouts done late at night and at nap-time. Thanks to Allen, the great laundry-folder extraordinaire, we got many loads of laundry done and [partly] put away. We tried a few more crockpot meals and watched the NFL playoffs (well at least Allen did). Jon is managing to communicate with us: he can sign "more" and "milk", and when he says them they sounk like "mmuh". Ben bangs his tray when he wants more, and Maddie signs more when we say the word (even if she doesn't want more). It is fun watching them learn more every day. Will has earned his Chuck E. Cheese visit for staying dry all day for 5 days. I think we'll wait to work on night-time potty training until spring when he is in 2 piece pajamas instead of the zip-up kind. Who knows.

I have had creative speed bumps since we moved -- mostly because I don't make time to play. Even when I have scrapbooked, it has been for the store & I just work in a different mode when I know they are samples. Here are my newest "non-store" projects.

CranApple Chicken

Last night we had a yummy dinner (cranapple chicken, couscous, and salad), and I want to share the recipe for the chicken. It's a super-easy crockpot dish:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large green apple (or 2 small) peeled, cored, sliced
1 can (15 oz.) whole cranberry sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 C. unsweetened apple cider (or juice)

Place chicken in crockpot. Put apples on top of chicken, spread them out to cover as much chicken as possible. Pour the cranberry sauce on top of the apples, spread it out, too. Mix the brown sugar into the cider and pour it all on top of the chicken and fruit. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. We sprinkled gorgonzola cheese on top when we plated it -- YUMMY! I think next time we will put a few crushed walnuts or pecans on top, too. It needed some crunch.

While that cooked, I made my fancy-scmancy name tag for the crop at Chasing Rainbows next week. I like how it turned out . . .me as a fairy princess! I had fun getting creative. I doodled me on a transparency, then cut scraps of paper to be my face, hair, and shirt, and stuck the pieces under the transparency. I used a sticker for the crown, and some cut outs of hearts for the wings. I added a few paper daisies (my favorite flowers), and lots of sparkly glitter. It has my name on it, too, but you can't see that in this part of the tag.

Today I caught Ben trying to get out of the living room. Since we have gates or doors at all entries of the living room, it is basically a giant playpen where we can keep the kids corraled and know they should be safe. I saw Ben with his left foot on the rail of the gate and his right foot trying to climb the gate while he pulled himself from the top. Luckily he had on pjs so his foot kept slipping. When he got tired of that I could see the gears crankin' in his mind as he tried putting his head under the lower rail. That didn't work so he quickly turned around and tried to back under the rail feet first. That didn't work so he stood back up and put his leg through the rails. All the while the look on his face was "I WILL get this figured out!" Ben is up to about 5 unassisted steps before falling.

Tonight, I am trying out another crockpot chicken recipe. If it's as tasty, I'll share that recipe, too! Have a great one!

An improved point of view

Look what I did!

I actually accomplished something today -- and it isn't even 2:00 yet. After I dropped Will off at preschool, I took Maddie, Ben & Jon and our trusty choo-choo wagon to Lowe's to get blinds for the office/scrapbook room. As always, we attracted a lot of attention with triplets in a colorful wagon. If you have not idea what I am talking about, here is a picture of the wagon (taken several months ago).
This wagon was a birthday gift, and possibly the best thing in the whole world. It is the only way I can get out of the house with the babies without someone helping me. It is easy to move, and it fits in my trunk. Back to my day . . .I rolled them through the store with one hand and pushed a cart with the other. After Lowe's I took them next door to Petsmart and they enjoyed looking at the guinea pigs, birds, fish and cats that were on display. Jon clapped and giggled -- especially at the guinea pigs and hamsters. Ben let me know he was ready for a nap, and Maddie clapped and waved. I got the kids home for a quick nap and hung the blinds, curtain rod, and scarf -- yep, all by myself. I don't like working in my craft room at night because you could see in the window from the road, so now I don't have that excuse anymore. Now I am off to get Will from school, but first I have to wake up the little ones from their afternoon mini-nap.

Another {interesting} day

Last night, Will wanted to play a game. I got out one that I had bought last May -- it is the 3-letter word game (basically it is 3 flashcards that each have a letter, and the backgrounds go together like a puzzle to make a picture of the word). He had fun assembling the puzzles and telling a story about the words. "BOY!" "BOY meets CAT", "BOY meets CAT and BEE", "BOY meets CAT and BEE with a PIE" He made up the part of the game of remebering the order and telling a story. I think he got up to 8 words before he asked me to help remember the order. I was impressed. He soon grew tired of that, so I spiced it up a little by mixing up the letters to make words that were not on the pictures -- just trying to get him to sound out the words. Allen and I shrieked, "WOW!!" when he started reading the words. Will was bashful about the applause at first, but then he got excited, then he got silly and that was the end of that game. He read DOT, DIG, BIG, DOG, and a few others. He was excited to tell Granddad he could read -- Granddad sounds out words with him every time they see each other.

Today, I decided to have fun with my kids. I've been a bit blue about being home all the time (yes, I know it's only been a week), and somedays I forget to TRY to have fun. I had been reading an article in Wonder Time magazine (see note at end) about kids and art -- they talked about kids coloring at 12 months, and I forgot that I had done that with Will starting around 9 months. I don't think the trio has really gotten to experience Crayons, so I decided today would be the day to play with colors. After I cleaned up thier lunch, Will sat at the table with crayons, scissors, and papers, and Jon, Ben & Maddie were in the high chairs. I dug all the fat washable crayons from the tin, and gave them each 2 colors and a sheet of paper. I held a crayon in their hands and colored to show them how it worked. Wheee!!! What fun! About two minutes later I confiscated Ben's supply of crayons -- they were soaked, and his teeth were green and purple. The unfortunate thing about washable crayons is that they turn paint-like when they are wet. So Jon's were soon taken away since he had sucked on then smeared on the blue. Maddie was doing great banging the end of a red crayon on the highchair tray. The orange made it to the paper. So then the boys had fun crinkling the paper. Then they were ready to get down. I believe it took me longer to get them cleaned up from CRAYONS than from lunch. Will had fun cutting paper into confetti and trying to draw "2".

After we cleaned up the crayons and paper, we moved to the floor and made music. Our band include Jon using spoons to play the xylophone, Maddie banging on a drum, Ben clapping, Will marching and playing maracas, and Mama conducting, singing, and encouraging the others. Will decided we couldn't be a band unless we had hats. Jon wore the policeman hat for one second then threw it, Maddie wore the santa hat until Jon pulled the white ball and the end and threw it, and Ben held a sailor hat on his head and screamed happily. Will changed hat about 4 times during one song. We had a good time. Jon threw most of the hats. Now the living room is a mess, but the kids are all napping. I should fold laundry, but then Allen might pass out when he got home. I can't wait to see what is in store for the rest of the day.

WonderTime is a magazine I picked up one day when I was traveling and needed something to read. Over the holidays I spent enought at Amazon that I got a years subscription. I love this magazine! If you have preschool-elementary aged kids, you should check it out. The tagline is "Celebrate your child's love of learning", and it has great ideas for crafts, reading activities, games, dinners, snacks -- you name it. Here is the site: http://wondertime.go.com/

I wish I got a commission from all the companies I advertise . . .

Rubber Ducky Power Ranger!

My four-year old came rushing through the living room carrying one of the babies' Push-or-Ride cars in his arms. "Rubber Ducky Power Ranger to the rescue!" he shouted with authority. I giggled. "I'm serious. Don't laugh!" he demanded. OOPS! After three more similar incidents, I can take it without chuckling. ...after all, I AM Mommy Power Ranger according to Will. It was just something about Sesame Street Ernie's rubber ducky always making a high-pitched, wimpy squeak that makes this situation so goofy. But my RDPR is tough, and today he won't answer to "Will".

Today I am weaing a bohemian printed t-shirt with little bitty sparkly gems all over the front. Why should that matter? This shirt (and another similar one) makes my day full of love. The little ones come to me so much more quickly when I get on the floor to play. They are drawn to the twinkles, but also the bumpy texture. Maddie laid her head on my shoulder, had fingers in her mouth, and was scratching the gems with her other hand. The facets caught the sunlight and Ben rushed over and tried to push her out of the way to play with them. Jon say happily on the couch pulling a string out of a woven blanket.

I have a handful of cranky kiddos today, but I know someday the tooth-fairy will visit and all the pain will be forgotten. The last tooth count: 2, 4, 6, ate. Jon still only has his two bottom teeth, but I can feel two on top coming though. The silly kid refuses to let me look in his mouth. What is he afraid I'll do? Maddie has four and looks like an adorable little bat -- the two bottom middle ones, and the two side top ones. I can see that the top middle ones are starting to come in now too, but I wish you could see her silly smile now. Ben is in the lead with two bottom ones and four top teeth already part of his smile. His side bottom teeth are erupting now, and that makes for a fussy Ben. Ben and Maddie spent the morning whining, crying, drooling, and chewing on fingers.

So today should be interesting. Between Rubber Ducky Power Ranger, my sparkly shirt, and teething toddlers -- pretty balanced, right? Let's see how much Mommy PR can get done around the house today.

Pediatrician Follow-up

I am so thankful for grandparents who live close. Thank you Nana and Gramma for helping us get through Maddie being sick. We appreciate your help so much!

I took Maddie for a follow-up visit and she is doing great! The doc said she had a bronchial virus. The boys got it too, but she just reacted differently. Since the triplets were born so early and were on ventilators and oxygen, they are more susceptible to severe respiratory infections. That was just one example, but the doctor said it could have been a lot worse. He recommeded that I isolate them from other children as much as possible until we get through RSV season at the end of April.

So far, I am handling this okay, but we are on day one. I called the church and had them strike us from the weekly Bible Study I am involved in (childcare was provided), Mothers of Preschoolers twice a month, and Mother's Day Out twice a month. I think I will miss Mother's Day Out most of all. On two Wednesdays a month, Will and I would spend the day together doing things that are too difficult for us to do with three babies. I hope to find an evening Bible Study to get involved in so that I still get a chance to get out.

I hope to finish unpacking all my scrapbooking stuff soon so that I can use scrapbooking as my outlet when Mommying gets to be too much and I need a break. Hopefully I can get that done this week. Hmm -- my To Do list is getting longer: clean scrapbook room, put away laundry, plan menu and cook for the month, put away laundry, scrapbook, put away Christmas decorations before spring break, put away laundry. Since the list is so long, I am going to go nap since the kids are all resting.




Forget that thought -- Jon is crying.

Happy New Year! . . . and a hospital visit

I had planned on saying Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
I had thought about having a mini celebration since the 2nd of January meant the babies are now a year-old (adjusted)
. . . .but plans change.

On Wednesday Allen and I took Maddie and Jon to the pediatrician because they were wheezy. Since premies can have life-threatening complications with RSV and pneumonia and I know nothing about asthma, we took them in. After a few breathing treatments at the office, those two were off on an adventure with Mom. First to get tested for RSV then to get chest x-rays. Allen took Ben and Will home for naps. After the results were in, doc wanted Jon going home on breathing treatments and Maddie going to the hospital overnight for oxygen and observation. They did not have pneumonia or RSV -- amen.

Maddie and I went to the hospital Wednesday night. She was having so much trouble breathing, I was getting sympathy pains -- it is heart breaking so see your child so sick. All night the nurses had to keep increasing here oxygen, so we weren't going home anytime soon. Night turned to day, day turned to night, Maddie and I got mini-naps between all the round the clock care. I was exhausted. My mom had come on Thursday to help us with the kiddos at home. When Allen got off work Friday, he came to the hospital and I went home to see the boys. I was so tired, I convinced him (rather easily, I am happy to say) to spend the night with her so I could sleep. Since Allen had to be at work at 6 am Saturday, I got up early and went back to Maddie. She had been off oxygen since Friday morning so when the doc came to see her this (Saturday) morning, it was easy to convince her to let us come home. Maddie is mostly back to herself -- our happy little sunbeam, anxious to play. It is good to be home.

My New Year's Resolution? I'd just like to go a whole year without going back to a hospital!

Have a wonderful 2008!!