potato beer soup

I just made this today and it came out ok... Makes 4 cup servings 1 sweet onion 3 stalks of celery Saute this with 4 slices of cut up bacon. I use turkey bacon. Add: 1t garlic 1/2t allspice 1/2 t nutmeg 1t salt cracked pepper to taste 4 red potatoes cut in small cubes Saute this until it starts sticking to the sauce pan Pour in 3/4 of beer. (I used Stella Artois which was left over from my brother in law. Just like wine, if it tastes good straight, it'll taste good cooked. I don't drink beer, but I found myself sampling it as I cooked.) Add 1 c. chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover and let simmer for 20 mins. Mash potatoes until there are no more big chunks and enjoy with a good piece of country bread.

backwards glance?

I remember as one of my first blogs I had started a workout regimine and a year and a half later I had reached my goal of 131.. Yipee. However, the day I found out I had gone in for my initial checkup when I found out I was pregnant very unexpectedly. It was a day of conflicting feelings. I was very happy to find out another one was on the way even though the chance was .01...(beware of IUDs, ladies) I was also very disappointed, that all my hard work was for naught. But now as I think of it and as I hold my 6 month old who is 17lbs and 28 inches long, maybe all that hard work wasn't all that bad. I ate better than my other two and I was COMPLETELY exhausted the whole time. But he was stronger as soon as he came out. NOW.... I have to get into the groove again. Recently I climbed the stairs at the WI Concordia bluffs from Lake Michigan to the summit on a vacation and I was NOT pleased with myself. I gained 40lbs and I now only have to lose 25. Not only am I doing this for myself, I'm doing this for my kids.. I have heart disease on both sides of my family. I have to do this. I found weights are one thing... but cardio makes you feel invincible. We'll see... I'm pinning down my exercise physiologist husband to make me a chart again... Now to pin down a start date......(to be cont.)

humble living

it's awesome giving stuff away... but when it's turned on you.. why do I feel so.... humbled, shocked.. even embarrassed. On Thursday, we gave away a good queen mattress because it didn't work for us and also a gas fireplace from the 70s but it still worked well. Both recipients were glad for the items and we were glad to get them out of our hair. On Friday, our grocery budget didn't include a Spiderman costume for our 3 year old. He didn't agree with us. We then were given the costume buy the lady behind us and said, "Pay it forward." I was shocked. Then on Saturday, my sister-in-law gave us a Casio keyboard.... the BIG one. With the works. I'm still shaking my head at the gifts given to us. I'm not sure if it was a balance thing, because then where did my youngest son come from? We didn't expect him but he's for sure the greatest present of my life along with my other two, of course. I'm sure he's our lottery and we should spend our dollar a week on better things. Well, I know we're not in charge and that's a relief as I wouldn't trust anyone with that job.

growing up

Kya wanted to help me feed Cooper. I was amazed at how gentle and observant she was with him with what he needed. She is such a little lady.

Thumbprints and Impossibilities

I once had a question of my importance and position in the world and then I saw this.