Let’s Get to Know our 2/4 moms!
Thanks, Brenda, for sharing your table with us!
Pictured: Back Row- Ann Bauer, Catherine Boucher, Rachel Papik, Brenda Boggs, Erika Barber
Front Row- Marie Morris, Debi Thompkins, Amy Gleason
by Brenda Boggs
It's that time of year again. Time to plunge into summer vacation planning. Swim
lessons, camps and vacation Bible school are a few of the activities we start
signing up for this month. Once those are on the calendar we can focus on my
favorite thing to plan…traveling. Our family loves to travel to new places and
our favorite way to get there is to drive. That way we get to stop and explore
country we haven’t seen before. My
favorite road trip thus far was when we drove to the Grand Canyon with some
friends two years ago. Our children were 2, 3 and 7 and our friends’ kids were
1, 3, 7, and 9. Driving with another family was great because we usually
switched kids up which eliminated sibling squabbles.
Getting to the Grand Canyon was an
adventure with many fun stops on the way. The first night we stayed with friends
in Wyoming and the next day we saw elk, deer and moose on a scenic drive
through Rocky Mountain National Park on our way to stay with relatives in
Hooper, CO. We spent an extra day in Hooper to explore the Great Sand Dunes
National Park. Upon arriving at the base of the dunes my son exclaimed, “It’s
God’s sandbox!” The children under five
were happy to dig and play in some of God’s 150,000 acres of sand while the adults and older children
took turns hiking to the top of the dunes for gorgeous views of the San
Luis Valley and some downhill sledding sans
snow!
The next day we stopped at Mesa Verde National Park
in Cortez, CO where we hiked to ancient sites of homes and villages built
by the ancient Pueblo people. It was amazing to see the spectacular cliff
dwellings, and a bit humbling to see what people were capable of building
without our modern tools and inventions. Of course we
also had to stop at Four Corners for pictures and souvenirs before we finally
made it to Arizona. It was really cool to see all of the huge, beautiful rock
formations on our drive and at Red Rock State Park in Sedona.
Finally, we visited the Grand Canyon. To make it even
more exciting we decided to get there before dawn. No problem except we were
staying in Flagstaff, which is about an hour and a half away, in a different
time zone, and the sun rises around 5:30 am, so we had to get the kids in the car
and be out the door by 3:30am! I didn’t think we’d make it and we almost didn’t.
But just as we sat down on the rocky viewing area, snuggled in our blankets and
eating my friend’s yummy breakfast burritos we saw the most glorious sunrise.
The way the sun lights up the vast canyon as it peeks over the edge is simply
breathtaking. Totally worth the trip!
And did I mention there were no lines and no one in the ticket booth as
we drove up? Just a note on the window telling us to enjoy the park. Later, when we drove out of the park, we saw a
double wide, two mile long row of cars waiting to get in. Glad we missed that!
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4 adults. 7 kids. 2 vans. 6 states. 10
days. 3100 miles. So many memories!
So now we plunge into our next adventure as we plan a trip to the Black
Hills in South Dakota. Wonder what the sun looks like rising over Mt. Rushmore.
Perhaps we will find out.
Favorite
thing about being a mom...
- My favorite thing about being a mom is watching my children grow and develop their own personalities. I also enjoy teaching them, and in turn learning from them. Peanut butter-and-jelly kisses and hugs are rather wonderful too. (Marie Morris)
- Getting the chance to snuggle with each child in bed or on the couch while we talk or read a book together. (Brenda Boggs)
- My days are so long and exhausting with 4 young kids. Each night I check in on them when they are fast asleep. I love seeing them so peaceful, calm and angelic. I quietly ask God to bless each child, and each night I get the chills and feel so blessed in my heart. (Ann Bauer)
- I know God gave us (and continues to give us!) exactly the children that we need. I call them my little "saint makers" because each child uniquely prunes something in me that needs changing. They force me to be a better person on a daily basis. (Catherine Boucher)
- Oh this is a tough one...I think I get the most joy at this stage from their imaginations & creativity & innocence. (Amy Gleason)
- The deep, deep love I feel for my kids. (Rachel Papik)
- My favorite thing about being a mom is when you have those really sweet moments when you over hear your kids telling their friends something about what we do at home that you wonder if it really even matters but when you hear them telling a friend…."My mom always______" You know you are making a difference in their lives. It always puts a smile on my face and encourages me to take time to do the little things! The notes in lunch boxes or on the bathroom mirror, or standing at the door watching them back out of the driveway, or a text for no other reason except to encourage them. It all matters. :-) (Debi Thompkins)
- Laughter. My husband is the youngest of four and has a great sense of humor. Our two boys are catching on to his facial expressions. They love to make people laugh, which their teachers aren't necessarily too thrilled about when they don't pick the right times to be the class clown.(Erika Barber)
Favorite cleaning product or trick...
- Kids and Pets is my favorite product! Best stain cleaner for pee accidents for children and animals. It also removes other stains. It managed to pulled permanent marker off my couch. It's pleasant smelling too. (Marie Morris)
- To clean the microwave: put a cup of water with a little baking soda in it and heat it to a boil. Take it out and wipe down with a wet cloth. Stuck on food comes off like magic and baking soda deodorizes too. (Brenda Boggs)
- Tricking my children into cleaning up their junk by turning the music up really loud and having a Dance Party! (Amy Gleason)
- To clean the microwave, I put something like a 1/2 cup water and a 1/2 cup vinegar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 10 minutes. All the food just wipes right off. The weird part is that all the food bits are dry, so there's no scrubbing. (Rachel Papik)
- Cleaning the microwave: Don't forget about the power of steam! Fill a microwave safe bowl with water and half of a lemon. Run on high for five minutes. Open the door and wipe down the sides. Ta-da! (Catherine Boucher)
- Using 1/2 packet of lemon kool-aid does wonders for my dishwasher and dishes. Everything comes out sparkling and free of hard water spots. (Ann Bauer)
- Taking time to De-clutter (Erika Barber)
- My dream vacation would be to take the kids to visit my parents back home. I'm originally from the east coast, and my parents do not get to see the grandkids other than through photos. So spending time with them for more than 3 days would be a real dream come true. (Marie Morris)
- A trip to Ireland (Brenda
Boggs)
- I visited Ireland in
college and would love to go back with the family. (Ann Bauer)
- Anyplace with warm
weather, lots of great restaurants, virgin frozen drinks poolside (no alcohol
for the prego mama!), time to catch up on reading, hubby at my side, and a
break from all things kids and house! (Catherine Boucher)
- Visiting wine country in
Spain, France, Italy, and Germany. (Amy Gleason)
- A train ride up the west
coast. Starting in Napa Valley and ending in Seattle. (Rachel Papik)
- Cycling across Europe (Erika Barber)
A
recipe or idea for summer fun with your kids...
- Homemade Popsicle or ice cream bars, and trips to the park. Those are our favorites. (Marie Morris)
- I've sectioned off a
portion of the yard for digging. I'm pretty sure that's what we will be doing
this summer. (Rachel Papik)
- Make smoothies in the morning for breakfast. Keep leftover smoothies to make Popsicles. (Erika Barber)
- Great recipe for the grill. Kids and adults love them! (Brenda Boggs) http://www.parenting.com/article/perfect-potatoes
*3 large baking potatoes
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp paprika
* 2 tsp garlic powder
(not garlic salt)
1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Clean and halve each potato. Cut each half into 1-inch slices. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and toss gently to coat.
3. Arrange the potato
slices on a 20-inch square of double-thick aluminum foil (or use a foil bag,
such as Reynolds Hot Bags Foil Bags). Fold the foil around the potatoes and
seal tightly. Grill over medium heat for about 30 minutes, turning every 10
minutes. Open packet to test; when fork-tender, remove from grill and serve
immediately.
How kids can help:
Measure ingredients; toss potato slices in the oil blend.
- We love this easy and simple rainy day activity. (Ann Bauer)
- We love these grilled ham and pineapple burgers (Catherine Boucher)http://www.bhg.com/recipe/grilled-ham-pineapple-burgers/
Grilled Ham & Pineapple Burgers
*2 Cups loosely packed
fresh basil leaves
*1 pound ground ham loaf
(or 1/2 lb. each ground ham and ground pork)
*4 1/2 inch thick slices fresh
pineapple
*4 kaiser rolls, split and
toasted
*1/4cup mayonnaise
*2 tablespoons yellow
mustard
*1 tablespoon honey
Directions
1. Snip enough basil to
equal 1/3 cup. In large bowl combine half the snipped basil and ground ham.
Shape in four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
2. Grill patties on rack
of charcoal or gas grill, covered, directly over medium heat for 14 to 18
minutes, turning once, until patties register 160 degrees F with instant-read
thermometer. Add pineapple to grill during last 6 minutes of grilling time for patties,
turning once.
3. Meanwhile, in bowl
combine mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and remaining snipped basil. Spread on cut
side of roll bottoms. Layer patties, remaining basil leaves, pineapple, and
roll tops.
- One of my new favorite recipe is a Black Bean Salsa. Salsa is a very popular item in my house….black beans are not. So this recipe combines the two and makes beans just a bit more tolerable :-)
Corn/Black Bean Salsa
*1 can black beans (drained very well
*1 can black eye peas
(drained very well)
*1 med red onion
*2 peppers - red or green
*3 jalapeños
*1 small bag frozen corn
*4 tomatoes
*6 cloves of garlic
*Cilantro
Dressing:
*1/2 cup olive oil
*1/2 cup white vinegar
*1 pkg regular italian
dressing (dry powder)
*2-3 tsp italian seasoning
*juice of 1 lime
Let’s Eat…
Fruit salad with Pistachio pudding.
1 box Instant Pistachio Pudding
2 small apples chopped
1 can of pineapple (crushed or chunk, both are good)
1 cup fresh pitted cherries
2 large bananas
2 cups seedless green grapes
1 8oz tub of whipped cream
1 cup Milk (or buttermilk, my grandmother preferred it)
optional 1/2cup of chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)
Make the pudding according to the directions, using the cup of milk or
butter milk when you make the pudding. Let it set, then add all the remaining
ingredients. I usually chill overnight before serving.
(I know some people add marshmallows to this sort of recipe, but I never
have. I think there's enough sugar in the pudding and whipped cream. But you
can add it if you'd like.)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zesty-Quinoa-Salad/Detail.aspx
2 cups water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low,
cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15
minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper
flakes together in a bowl.
3. Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a
bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season
with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.
http://www.marthastewart.com/856896/southwestern-chicken-cornbread-salad
6 cornbread muffins, very dry,
coarsely crumbled, divided
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe
olives drained1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1 cup Hidden Valley® Spicy Ranch Dressing, divided
1 cup bell pepper, diced, assorted colors
2 chicken breasts, grilled
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
1. In large clear salad bowl or trifle dish, layer half of the cornbread followed by olives, pinto beans and corn. Top with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Layer with bell pepper, chicken, onion, tomatoes, remaining cornbread and remaining dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.
2. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Little King’s Salad
3 Rotella’s hard rolls, broken up
2 tomatoes chopped
1 onion, diced
6 oz. Swiss cheese shredded
1 head lettuce, chopped or shredded (hearts of Romaine bag)
1/2 lb. ham, chopped
1/2 lb. turkey, chopped
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Combine rolls, tomatoes, onion, cheese, lettuce, ham, and turkey into a
large bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, and spices
to make dressing. Works best if rolls
added just before serving so they don’t get soggy.
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