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Painting Pumpkins – The Boys in Action

October 23, 2008 by Laura 6 Comments

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Here’s my first attempt at recording video with my new camera a few weeks ago. I thought you might enjoy watching the boys painting pumpkins (while I get up enough nerve to record myself doing something heavenly homemake-y on film for you). At least I know that the Grandma and aunts and cousins who read my blog will enjoy watching the boys!

A few disclaimers:

1. I didn’t know what I was doing when I took this. It was an experiment. You’ll notice that.
2. I haven’t learned how to edit yet. You’ll notice that.
3. You can hear my voice way better than the boys’ voices. I annoyed myself while I was watching it.
4. I talk way too much during the clip. I annoyed myself while I was watching it.
5. For some reason I decided to video a couple of the trees in our front yard while the boys were painting. If while you’re watching you see the video go from boys to trees…and you think, “wow, that was random”…you’ll be right.
6. The boys are wearing Matt’s old t-shirts for their paint shirts and they fit like dresses. You’ll notice that.
7. The reason I didn’t want to get Justus a paper plate was because I didn’t know how to stop the recording (watch video for this to make sense).

Boys Painting Pumpkins from Laura Coppinger on Vimeo.

Wow…the leaves on the trees were all still green just a few weeks ago. Now they’re all turning colors and falling off! Amazing!

Well, that was fun. Now what should I record?

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I Just Need to Say This

October 22, 2008 by Laura 37 Comments

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I KNOW there really are real issues going on and I’m not making light of those by any means.

But.

All I’ve been hearing lately from all over the place is about how bad the economy is. And everything negative is blamed on the bad economy. And people can’t afford things because of the bad economy.

And we all shake our heads with a grim look on our faces.

Even at the auction last Saturday…people were talking about how the crowd was sparce…and where was everyone and how come not very many people came to the auction?

“I guess it’s the bad economy.”

Seriously…people said that. At an auction. Where you can get a whole box of un-used lighbulbs for two dollars. Or a whole set of dishes for a buck.

Puh-lease. I’m pretty sure the bad economy isn’t to blame for people not coming to an auction where they could get an amazing price on a box of ~~junk~~ someone’s old dusty belongings.

I decided to lovingly point out to the crowd of grim faced head shakers that perhaps since there was a home Husker football game…everyone maybe went to that instead? (Because seriously, when there’s a home Husker game in Nebraska….everyone wears red and flocks to Lincoln for the game.) (And the bad economy hasn’t kept people from doing it.)

Anyway. Maybe…could we not blame the bad economy each time we get a hang nail? Or stub our toe? Or burn the toast?

And maybe could we not listen so much to what the media is trying to do to throw us all into a panic?

And instead…can we keep our trust in the One we know will take care of us no matter what?

Because no matter what is going on with our economy…we are so very rich.

Have you seen all the stuff you have? And the place you have to put all your stuff? And all the food you have to eat?

We are rich. We are just fine. We will always have everything we need.

God told us that we would. (Matt. 6:25-34)

And I believe Him.

Way more than I believe what the grim faced head shakers tell me at an auction.

God is faithful. While everything around us may change, God will remain the same. Always.

God is good.

He is the I AM.

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C’mon Little Tomatoes…Hang in There With Us

October 21, 2008 by Laura 26 Comments

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It’s funny kinda.

When I’m knee deep in tomatoes and making jar after jar (after jar) of tomato sauce and tomato juice and salsa and tomato soup…I get to a point where I don’t really want to even look at another tomato for a long, long time.

Then, as the tomato growing season comes to an end…I begin to feel a little sad that we won’t be able to eat a good fresh tomato for several more months. It is now that time of year. We just pulled our last red tomatoes out of the garden. :(

But…we’re not quite willing to give those good tomatoes up yet. Matt heard about a way to possibly make them last a little longer.

He pulled out the healthiest of our plants…the ones that had quite a few nice green tomatoes on them….and he hung them upside down in our storage room. Apparently, the nutrients in the plant are supposed to go down into the tomatoes and keep them strong and they’ll eventually turn red and be delicious. Maybe?

Hey, it’s worth a try. Now my storage room smells like dirt in a garden. Now that’s not something everyone can brag about.

Another thing we’re gonna try…

Our friend Brenda has an uncle (who has a cousin who has a neighbor who has a dentist who has a florist…)

Just kidding. Our friend Brenda has an uncle who wraps his green tomatoes up in newspaper and they eventually turn red and are very tasty. She told us that her uncle has yummy tomatoes even up until Christmas time! (To which Matt asked, “And do they also still have fruit flies at Christmas time?”) (We’re a little tired of fruit flies around here can you tell?)

Fruit flies or not, we’re going to lovingly wrap up some green tomatoes in newspaper. Because what do we have to lose?

I’ll be sure to let you know how our little tomato experiments go!

Have any of you tried any of these things (or anything else) to make your tomatoes last a little longer? Do you think we might be crazy for trying this?
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Gratituesday: Miss Nancy…and the Family Business

October 20, 2008 by Laura 9 Comments

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I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here before…but sometimes we take our concession trailer to auctions and other special events to sell lunch items and drinks. We just started doing this during the late summer and have SO enjoyed it. (This is one of the things we’re experimenting with while we pray and decide on a financial future for our family…)

One of the things we enjoy most about it is that our whole family can participate and be a part of the business. It has been a lot of work to get the food prepared each time and the trailer ready, etc…but we have had SO MUCH FUN!!! We’ve discovered that we make a pretty good team, our family.

Last Wednesday we got a call from the auctioneer right here in town, apologizing for the late notice, but asking if we could cater an auction Saturday. As in four days. Gulp. We decided to say yes, because we REALLY want to be a part of the local auction circuit, and hated to miss the opportunity if we could possibly help it.

The only problem was…Matt had an out of town soccer game that day. :) It wasn’t supposed to be a huge auction, plus it was right here in town…so we both felt like the big boys and I could handle it. (We decided for the sake of ease and sanity to leave the two younger boys with friends this time!)

We worked together to get everything prepared and Matt drove the trailer to the auction site the night before and got it all set up. (No WAY am I able to hitch that thing up and drive it anywhere or back it into wherever it needs to go. I cook, he drives. It’s a nice arrangement.) (Oh, and sometimes I stand outside close to the trailer while he’s backing it into the spot we need to park it and yell things like, “Go LEFT! No, stop. Go a little to the right! Wait. Just go straight back.” I’m really helpful.)

The catering went very well…and Asa, Justus and I made a great team. Asa took orders and took care of the money…Justus got out the pop and chips for the orders (Yes, we just sell mostly junk food at these events…it’s about the only way to do it. I don’t think people are expecting pot roast.)…and I served up the hot food. It worked out just fine. I LOVED the day with my big boys. It’s so exciting to work as a family. (And can I just say here that my big boys are the coolest big boys around? You should have seen them with the customers.)

I’m so grateful for this fun family business and for the joy it brings to all of us while we work together. (Someday, maybe we’ll actually make money at it too.)

Also, I’m so super grateful for our friend, Miss Nancy, who kept Malachi for me on Saturday. (Elias went to spend time at a buddy’s house that day…a place where nerf gun wars would take place for hours on end.)

Miss Nancy and Malachi have been special friends since the day he was born. Nancy has a grandson the very same age as Malachi…only her grandson lives in Egypt. Since Malachi doesn’t have a grandma in town…and Nancy doesn’t have a grandson in town…the two of them get to love on each other instead. Malachi loves his Miss Nancy and went to spend the day with her while I was at the auction. I’m so grateful to have a special woman here in town who is so willing to help me and give love to my children. Knowing he was in good hands was a huge relief to me on Saturday.

Oh, but remind me not to tell Malachi of any “Miss Nancy plans” until the morning he’s to go be with her. All I heard for four days was, “Now do I get to go play with Mith Nanthy?”
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Read the details here, then come link up with us! We’d love to read about the ways God is working in your life!

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Can You Spell…Y.U.M.M.Y.?

October 20, 2008 by Laura 16 Comments

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Last month, I decided to order this vegetable alphabet pasta from Azure Standard. It was on sale and looked like something fun for lunch. I decided to do a product review of it for you!

Not only is this pasta fun…it is also healthy and yummy! (Hear the enthusiasm. See the raised eyebrows and cheesy grin.) They are not expensive (when you’re talking about organic vegetable pasta that is)…and they were VERY easy to make. We got TWO meals out of this little box of Vegetable Alphabets. I NEVER get two meals out of one box of pasta.

Here’s how we enjoyed this Vegetable Alphabet Pasta:

Alphabet SoupYum

1 pound beef soup bones
1 small onion
3 carrots
10 cups water
sea salt
1 box vegetable alphabet pasta

Boil beef soup bones, onions and carrots and water all morning (at least three hours) in a pot to make broth. Remove bones from broth. Pour in the pasta and sprinkled in quite a bit of sea salt. Boil the pasta in the broth for about 10 minutes, then lunch is served!

Print Grocery List

The kids loved it! Here’s one meal I actually allowed them to play with their food. If you look real close at the picture below, you’ll see that Asa stuck his name on the edge of the bowl.

The best part of this meal? I decided to surprise the kids with my homemade pretzels made into letters too!! It was one word filled lunch!

You’ve gotta love a personalized pretzel.

Elias was trying out my camera while I made the pretzels. So here we have the Headless Homemaker…

We filled up on the Alphabet Soup at lunch…then I used the leftovers to make this Alphabet Casserole:

Alphabet Casserole

3 cups alphabet pasta cooked in beef broth (most of the broth should be absorbed in the pasta)
1 pound ground beef, browned with onion
1 cup sour cream
sea salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir together the pasta, meat and sour cream. Salt generously. Spread into a casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Both the soup and the casserole were very yummy! (Um, if I do say so myself.)

And, I’m not totally sure about this…but I think we were all just a little smarter after we ate these meals. At least our vocabulary was enhanced.

Really. (Absolutely.) (Without a Doubt.) (Enormously.)

;)

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Menu Plan for the Week

October 19, 2008 by Laura 10 Comments

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I’ve never needed a menu plan more than I’ve needed one this week. My brain is a little bonkers. (Yes, more than usual.)

You see…I’ve been pretty pre-occupied as I’ve been working on all kinds of surprises for you during my Website-aversary which is in less than two weeks!

Not to mention all the pie recipes flooding my inbox for our FREE Heavenly Homemakers Pie Ebook which will debut during the Website-aversary!! You’ve done yourselves proud fellow homemakers! None of us shall ever have to search for a delicious pie recipe again.

I’ve loved putting all of your recipes into an ebook. In fact…I’ve loved it so much and have spent so much time formatting and cutting and pasting and inserting tables and highlighting texts…that I am seriously dreaming about ebooks. And pies. I cut and paste pies all night long.

I seriously have pie on the brain. My poor children. (Do I have children?) (They must love it when I work on finalizing ebooks…the poor neglected souls.)

Just last week we were in the van heading somewhere, and Justus launched into a story about…something. I absentmindedly responded with, “Oh, that sounds yummy.”

The van suddenly got quiet. (The van is never quiet.) Asa said, “Did you just say, That sounds yummy?” I then snapped out of my pie brain mode and realized that indeed, I had just said that his super hero story sounded yummy.

I explained to the boys more about the pie ebook I’m putting together and how all those pie recipes I’ve been reading are so yummy and that I was distracted with thinking about it…and we all had a big round of giggles. Oh what all these boys have to put up with. (Hey, I put up with my share of stuff too I’ll have you know.)

All that to say…if I didn’t have a menu plan this week…there is no chance we’d actually eat anything edible this week. I’d probably get up from the computer, walk into the kitchen, look starry-eyed at the dirty dishwater and say, “Oh, that sounds yummy…”

Here to save the day from my pie brain is our menu plan for the week:

Sunday, Oct. 19
Breakfast burritoes
Tacos, pineapple
Leftovers

Monday, Oct. 20
Gingerbread, pears
Oven fried chicken legs, peas, pineapple orange slushies
Lentils, cornbread

Tuesday, Oct. 21
Whole wheat pancakes
Cheese quesadillas, peaches
Honey mustard chicken, broccoli and cauliflower

Wednesday, Oct. 22
Mini breakfast pizzas, oranges
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Thursday, Oct. 23
Applesauce muffins, bananas
Chicken and noodles, carrot sticks
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas

Friday, Oct. 24
Peanut butter honey toast, apples
Taco potatoes, strawberry-peach slushies
Homemade pizza

Saturday, Oct. 25
Mom is Great! Breakfast Cake
Clean out the fridge
BBQ chicken, potato wedges, mixed veggies

If you haven’t voted for your favorite title for our Pie Ebook…hurry and do that here! I’ll close the poll Monday night and our title will be decided!

And guess what? If I can possibly pull it off…I plan to blog about things other than pies all week. I have a product review for you with some yummy recipes…a crazy tomato idea to share…and a sweet friend to tell you about on Gratituesday. And probably some other stuff here and there. Doesn’t that just sound…yummy?

Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu plans! :)

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Learning About Laura…One Story at a Time: The Day I Became A Felon

October 16, 2008 by Laura 10 Comments

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You’re right. It has been a long time since I posted one of these. What with all the healthy recipe posts and daily encouragement there is to write about, I nearly forgot all about how I promised to embarrass myself over and over.

Now, I do need to let you know…and you may be disappointed in me after hearing this….but the upcoming story about how I shop-lifted is not the only time I’ve done something that is not in accordance with the law.

No, in fact just last weekend, I’m ashamed to admit, I was involved in another sort of criminal activity.

We had company all weekend, as you may recall, and two of my guests were riding in my van with me. We went downtown to do a little shopping (because that’s what we women must do when we get together, can I get an amen?). As I pulled out of the driveway, there was a truck blocking the alley, leaving me no choice but to turn around and go the wrong way out of the driveway.

Yes, indeed. I drove out the in. I went right over that arrow painted onto the pavement showing me that this was the innie and the other side of the driveway had the outie. I know. I know. But it was an act of desperation.

If you haven’t already lost all faith in me…please do continue reading so that you can learn about the time I shop-lifted:

It was my sophomore year in high school. You know how 15 year old girls can be. Especially when they are on a Mixed Ensemble Trip. Wearing a performance outfit. That matches everyone else in the group.

We (about 15 of us kids, I think) had just finished singing and performing (beautifully, I’m certain) at some Lady’s Tea Thingy (I’m pretty sure that was the name of it) and had ridden the school bus a few miles toward home. The driver stopped at a gas station to let us all run in and get something to eat.

I filled up a big cup full of pop (oh Pepsi, how I miss you) and picked out a candy bar and stood in line with everyone at the cash register. I began chatting with some of my friends (the ones wearing the same outfit that I was) while I waited in the long line. And waited. And I chatted..and said all kinds of intelligent things as most 15 year old girls do when they are standing around with a bunch of other 15 year old girls. (“oh my goodness, do you think my hair is like, you know, big enough?”) (Late 80’s you know)

Before I knew it, our ensemble director called us back to the bus, and the whole group walked out. And I went too. Because I was always respectful and obedient of my elders.

We drove for about an hour and a half…my parents picked me up at the school and we drove another thirty minutes home and I went to bed.

Sometime within the next half hour or so as I was lying in bed drifting off, going over the events of the day…it hit me.

I sat up straight in bed and shouted, “MOM!!”

My mom came running in wondering what in the world was wrong with me. She thought I’d been asleep for a while.

“Mom,” I said frantically and hysterically, “Ididn’tpayformypopandcandybar! I was standing there in line, andthenweallwentouttothebus…but I didn’t pay for mine!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t mean to. I just forgot!”

My dad had come into my room by then, to hear my shameful confession. Oh the guilt.

My mom and dad just calmly smiled and said that these things happen and that we’d be sure and take care of it. I couldn’t see how they were being so calm. I didn’t feel good about it at all, and I couldn’t believe I had done such a horrible thing.

(Yes, I suppose I was capable of creating extra drama as a youth.)

The next day, my parents called the ensemble director to find out what town we were in when we had stopped at the gas station. Turns out it was the small town where my aunt and uncle live. How ’bout that?

So they called my Aunt Millie and told her about the evil I had done, and she took $2 down to the gas station and explained the situation and paid for my stolen pop and candy bar. And then we paid my Aunt Millie back at the next family get-together.

I wonder if my sweet Aunt Millie remembers doing that for me?

Boy, I hope she knows that I’d go in and pay for something she’s stolen from my hometown gas station any day of the week. You can count on it.

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Mom is Great! She Gives Us Breakfast Cake!

October 14, 2008 by Laura 165 Comments

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breakfast_cake_3

You know that song right? Dad is great, he gives us chocolate cake! It’s an old Bill Cosby comedy thing. Matt sings this song everytime I make this for breakfast! Anyway…

This is a super easy breakfast that can be made ahead of time…or made fresh the morning you plan to eat it. I adapted my Giant Breakfast Cookie recipe to make this cake, and it’s moist and yummy. Especially with a glass of milk!

“Mom is Great” Breakfast Cake (yes, I humbly named it myself)Yum

1 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
¾ cup honey
2 eggs
1 t. sea salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips or other dried fruit

Stir together butter, buttermilk, flour and oats in a glass bowl. Stir in honey, eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla. Fold in raisins, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Pour into a buttered 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

breakfast_cake

Serve warm…serve cold…it’s good either way. Cut into squares and wrapped in plastic wrap, this is a great portable breakfast or snack too!

Who wouldn’t want cake for breakfast? Just watch, your family will be singing to you too if you serve this! “Mom is great! She gives us breakfast cake!”

Hehe…think we should tell ’em it’s good for them?

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Gratituesday: What a Great Weekend!

October 13, 2008 by Laura 17 Comments

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Last weekend we had some out-of-town guests stay with us during YC Homecoming. This particular weekend is definitely one of my favorites of the entire year. I love being able to have lots of people in our home, and being able to see people who come back to York for the weekend.

This year, my brother and his family weren’t able to come….so we only hosted my Dad and his wife Tacy, and our good friends Greg and Lisa.

Here are a few picture highlights of our weekend:

Here’s a few of us sitting around eating soup and cornbread.
I invited my uncle and cousin for dinner so that they would have a chance to visit with our guests.

We made the kids sit at the table to eat their soup so they wouldn’t spill it in the living room…
I suppose Matt and Greg felt like they’d better sit at the table too. :)

It was Lisa’s birthday, so we made a chocolate pound cake. Yum!

After dinner, we got out Family Fun Cranium and played together.
You can tell the adults are a little bit too full of soup…

I LOVE this picture of my dad with Elias!!! He sure loves his Papa.

Here are Justus and Tacy and I looking at pictures together.

Lisa and Tacy are playing Uno Attack with the boys after breakfast Friday morning. Seems like we always pull out a bunch of games over Homecoming weekend.

Lisa always takes the boys to Wal-mart each year and spoils them by letting them each pick out a toy. Notice how they each picked a new piece of weaponry. Like we don’t have enough. Oh, and Malachi also got a red cowboy hat. You’ve gotta love a ninja cowboy.

Isn’t he just the sweetest cowboy you’ve ever seen?

Lisa took this picture of the boys out with their pumpkins

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was that my dad was honored by York College to receive the “Alumni of the Year Award”. It was a well deserved honor. BUT, I knew in advance that he was to receive the award (no one else except Matt knew)…and I had the wonderful job of making sure he was at the chapel service so that he could accept the award. Shew. That guy was a tough one to convince…and he knew I was up to something. This isn’t a great picture…but here he is receiving the award from the President of the college.

I’m so grateful that our weekend with our family and friends was such a wonderful one! Thanks for letting me share some of it with you!
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog and come link up with us here! Here are the details!
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Please Pass the High Fructose Corn Syrup

October 13, 2008 by Laura 27 Comments

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Hey, exciting news! *cough* Apparently now, instead of saying, “Drink your milk so you’ll grow up to be big and strong like Daddy,” we can now say, “You may not get up from the table until you’ve finished drinking your Mountain Dew. Now, don’t argue with me. And, you need to eat at least three more bites of that licorice before you can go play. It’s good for you, Dear.”

According to this website that Lindsey told me about (I mentioned it last week and had quite a few questions and comments from you)…High Fructose Corn Syrup is good for us. They say it’s just as natural as eating honey. They say there are no harmful effects from consuming it.

Who are “they“? They are The Corn Refiners Association. They’ve been hearing quite a bit of negative talk from consumers about HFCS…so they’ve begun taking action so that they don’t lose business. There’s a lot of money in the HFCS realm. And don’t get me started…but money motivation almost always over-rides truth in America. No, seriously. Don’t get me started. ;)

So, please..please will you go read this article by Dr. Mercola?

Because I’m just a nice mama who enjoys learning and working toward healthy eating and suggests that HFCS isn’t good for you…but Dr. Mercola is…you know….a doctor…and he has actual facts and research to back up what he’s saying. I really appreciated his article explaining more about what we should believe about HFCS.

What all have you been hearing on this topic? Have you seen the “Pro HFCS” commercial on TV? (I haven’t yet…which is probably a good thing. Yelling at a TV is usually unproductive.) What’s your opinion on all of this?
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