Time

How quickly the time goes by!  I blink and months (dare I say it - years?) seem to have flown.  I am sitting here right now nursing our second little one, Selah, who is quickly approaching 6 months old.  It was yesterday that she was born!!!  I insist!  Milestones seem to pass with her with such speed I can hardly keep up.  Currently, she can roll all sorts of ways (from back to belly, and belly to back), push her chest up off the ground (and alternately, get her knees up under her while her chest is off the ground), say "Mama" and the "bababa sound."  Selah is much more chill than Hannah was.  I can lay her down while she's awake and walk away and she will go to sleep on her own.  She has a sweet cry that only gets loud when she's desperate.  I am so glad she's an easy baby.  God knew I couldn't handle another one with Hannah's temperament.

One thing I have gotten to use with Selah that I didn't with Hannah is my Ergo carrier.  I LOVE my Ergo carrier.  I got it after Hannah was too big, when I was being a nanny for a little boy.  But with Selah I got the newborn insert so I've been able to use it the whole time.  Selah just grew out of the insert, but she loves being in the carrier.  I can even nurse her while we're walking around - the hood covers us up so it isn't immodest.  I've had so many people ask me about my carrier so I'm putting some links up here.  It is the best carrier I've ever had, and I have had all the different kinds - the snugglie, the sling, the big backpack with the metal things, but this carrier is the best by far.  It is either a front carrier or a backpack carrier, it holds up to 40 lbs, AND it distributes the weight evenly.  No backaches after hours of carrying.  It is an investment that holds its resale value too, but I don't ever want to sell mine.  Yep, I'm keeping it for the grandkids...

   

Hannah will be 7 in a couple short months!  She will be finishing 1st grade in a couple of weeks.  I will then breathe a huge sigh of relief and possibly cry.  It has been such a tough year not just for her but for all of us.  She has had so much trouble trying to wrangle with and reign in that strong will of hers.  How on earth are we going to get her to use it for good and not for evil?  I just pray every day that we are doing the right things to help raise her into the woman God wants her to be.  She certainly has a lot to overcome.  The sweet thing is so incredibly smart, and I don't know if that helps anything.  Next year is still up in the air - will we homeschool?  Will she continue in public school?  She needs so much to grow socially, but I don't want her to be bored.  So this summer I'm hoping for lots of playdates with other children, and I'm going to be trying to do some school at home to test things out and to help her not be bored (and stay out of mischief).  in the past, me attempting to teach her has not been met with success.  So we'll see...

I am hoping to head up to Kentucky for a few days to see Grandma and Grandpa and whatever other family is there in a couple of weeks.  I want to finish the research I was doing on their lives.  Feel free to leave comments with ideas/questions you want for me to ask and record.  I still haven't posted about Grandpa's time in the military - I still had several things I wanted to add.  So please feel free to leave ideas for questions about that too.
 

Southern Sweet Tea

mmmmmmmmmmm...my favorite thing in the world is a good glass of sweet tea.

My dad was the one who taught me how to make tea.  Not too much sugar, he always said.  We also used to make tea in the coffee maker.  We would use Lipton tea and just run it through.  (I want to gag thinking about it lol.  I can't stand coffee.  I didn't know better then.) 

Then when I met Daniel, his mom made the best tea in the world.  She had a Mr. Coffee tea maker, which has since kicked the bucket.  But it lived long enough for me to figure out the right ratio of tea to water.  The sugar ratio that my dad always expected stuck though, so combining the two I found the best way to make my tea at home.

Finally, the last influence to make my home tea making method complete was the tea at Subway of Weaverville.  They have since changed their tea brand, and it is still good but not exactly the same.  They used Luizianne caffeinated tea.  It's absolutely my favorite.  It has such a great flavor!

The only thing about it was that the tea bags tended to break during the steeping process, so we got some of these tea balls to put the tea bags in to prevent the loose tea from going everywhere should the bag break.

Alright, enough talking about it, here's how I make the tea.

Boil 8 cups (2 quarts) of water in a teapot.

In your container where you will store your tea, put 1 cup of sugar and add 3 tea bags in the tea balls.  Get your spoon ready.


Pour the boiling water into the container and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Allow to steep for 10-15 minutes.

Remove tea balls.  Add 4 cups of water or ice.  (I usually just add water if I'm going to stick it in the fridge instead of serving it immediately.)



Finally, a word of caution - tea will go bad if it is left out.  It gets this weird flavor to it and you can tell something isn't right.  So make sure that you keep it in your refrigerator if you aren't drinking it, and I wouldn't keep any batch of tea any longer than a week.


There are a lot of ways to improvise with tea!  I have added loose leaf peach tea that I made and steeped separately for a fruity flavor.  One of my mom's friends Kim used to put all sorts of different tea kinds and flavors all together (along with a TON of sugar) and it was delicious!  You can add more sugar if it's not to your liking, or less, or you can use alternative sweeteners if you can't use regular sugar.  Another improvisation that my dad used to make was adding lemonade to the tea to make it into "Pigeon River Punch," as he called it, because it made it look muddy.  (Follow the link for the story on the Pigeon River.  Apparently the drink's appearance reminded him of the waters of that river.  Ha ha ha.)

Enjoy!

Peach Smoothies

Peach smoothies, a recipe creation of my mom's that we have enjoyed for years.


Now my mom spoiled us with homemade frozen peaches, most likely freestone peaches which are best in August around the time of my mom & dad's anniversary.  However, Dole frozen peaches work okay too.

Peach Smoothies

3 cups frozen peaches

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until smooth.

Consume!

Creamed Spinach

It is now time for the sharing of recipes.  This one is particularly good and satisfying.  I also made it last night for the side with supper.

I first made this recipe a few weeks ago at my in-laws house for dinner.  It came from "Cuisine at Home" a new gourmet cooking magazine that my mother-in-law received in the mail.  While creamed spinach usually contains spinach, onions, garlic, spices, flour, heavy whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese, this recipe has a few neat twists that add zest (literally!) and flavor to an old favorite.

Boursin Creamed Spinach

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

These are some of my favorite dishes/utensils that I used to make this dish:
Casserole Dish
Pan (10", and I use it for just about everything I cook)
Spatula (I have an older version of this, but it is my favorite tool and I use it with practically everything!)
Measuring Cup (I like this because I can stick it in the microwave)
Knife (this just cuts everything like a dream)
Grater (nothing like a Microplane!  Mine is an older version but I have never known a better grater.)

Filling:

1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 package (5.2 oz.) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese (can be found in the specialty cheese section of your local grocery store)
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of excess moisture
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground nutmeg to taste

Crumb Topping:


2/3 cup coarse bread crumbs (any kind is fine)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat over to 425 degrees (F).  Coat a shallow 2-cup baking dish with nonstick spray, then set aside. 

For filling, saute onion in 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter in a 4 qt. saucepan or a medium frying pan/chef's pan for 5 minutes or until soft.  Add flour, and stir to coat onions.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Stir milk and cream into the onion/flour mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  Simmer for about 1 minute.  Stir in Boursin cheese until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.  (Sauce will thicken.)  Remove pan from heat.

Add spinach, Parmesan, zest, and seasonings.  Transfer filling to the waiting 2-cup baking dish.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the remaining Tablespoon of melted unsalted butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs.  Top the spinach mixture with crumbs.  If you need to make it early and cook it later, you can cover your dish and keep it in the refrigerator.

Bake until crumbs are golden, and sauce is bubbly (20-25 minutes).

I served this with another recipe, Lazy Man's Ribs, which can also be made ahead of time.

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Orange Julius

This is an AMAZING recipe passed down from my dad, who figured out his own version of mall food court fame, which in my opinion is about 1000 times better.  You will need a blender for this recipe.

Orange Julius

1 1/2 cups milk (any %)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 Family Size Minute Maid Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate 

(or a small can of the same, the family size is so you can have TWO opportunities to make this delicious drink!)

1 1/4 tsp vanilla (the real deal, not the imitation kind!  this is a very serious component!)

Ice (fill blender to at LEAST 5 cups capacity)

Combine all ingredients in blender at once (translation: put them all in at the same time, and try this recipe immediately!).  Blend on Chop or Mix for 30 seconds.  (This is the 2nd or 3rd setting.  Liquefy will make it watery and it's not as good that way.)

Now.  Why are you still reading this?  Go make some!!!  You can thank me later.  :)

Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson

I am currently reading the much-awaited Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson.  Bringing Up Boys was published 9 years ago, and it left me wondering for those 9 years when he was going to finally decide to write one about girls.  I suppose it's because we are so incredibly complicated.  That has to be it.  :)

http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Girls-Practical-Encouragement-Generation/dp/1414301278

With my own sweetie pie already 5, I feel like time has flown by. One of the most profound things that I have come across was this quote:

Childhood lasts for only a brief moment, but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes.Watch your kids carefully.  Think about what they are feeling, and consider the influences they are under. Then do what is best for them.  (2009)

 

Hannah, 2008.

I found that statement to be so profound, and so true!  It is so easy many times to go through the day, too busy (or too selfish, or both!) to take time to consider the feelings and experiences of your child, and to put them at the top of your priority list.  I hope that encourages you like it has encouraged me.

It also got me to thinking about the fleeting time we have with our children, to love them and influence them, and to shape their sweet little lives!  It will be time before we know it that our little Hannah is grown up and getting married.  We will have had at least 7 weddings we have attended this year, including the one this weekend.  It is hard to believe that Hannah will ever be big enough to take that step in her life.  But she will.  And it is coming.  And we have to cherish this time.  Listen to me parents - we HAVE to cherish it!  Because it is only once!

The Hopechest Song @ Yahoo! Video

 

Dobson, Dr. James.  Bringing Up Girls.  2009.  Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.  21.

Grandpa Boll, Part 1: Growing Up

 Grandpa Boll (Bobbie Gene Boll) was born on August 20, 1927 in Iowa, in a house out in the country.  Interestingly, he didn't share with me the city, but Grandpa seemed to enjoy being vague with me, so hopefully I can find out later from another family member.  All that I know is that it was north of Manchester.  As with Grandma, I don't have access to pictures of Grandpa as a child.  I also hope to find some of those at some point.

Grandpa was the son of Leon and Pauline Boll.  I only remember visiting Great-Grandma Pauline once in her home in Iowa when we were there for a family reunion.  Grandpa Leon passed away when my mom was little.

(Pictured left: Great-Grandpa Leon and Great-Grandma Pauline.  Also, my Uncle Ken is in the lower left corner.)

The only time I met Great-Grandma Pauline was in her home in Manchester, Iowa, where she moved shortly after Great-Grandpa Leon passed away in 1963.  Pauline was a member of the United Methodist Church, several social clubs, and she enjoyed embroidery, knitting, crocheting, quilting, baking cookies, gardening, playing cards, and traveling when she was able.

(Pictured right: Me, Great-Grandma Pauline, and my sister, Casey.)

Great-Grandma Pauline was born on February 15, 1906.  She lived to be 104 years old, and died on March 12, 2010.



(Pictured left: Grandma Pauline on her 100th birthday, February 15, 2006)

Great-Grandpa Leon worked as a farmer, and a fox hunter.  Great-Grandma Pauline was a housewife.  Great-Grandpa Leon had a dairy farm, and Grandpa shared that they had a cream separator.  Rather than sell the milk, they would separate the cream and sell it instead.  It is interesting that even though they had the technology of the cream separator, they milked the cows by hand.  They also had chickens that had to be housed in the winters.  They also grew and sold potatoes, watermelons, and cantaloupes.  Leon and Pauline farmed together and raised their family for 40 years before Leon passed away.

 (Pictured at right: an example of a cream separator used around the 1930s)

The Bolls had 9 kids: Arvin, Merwin (who has since passed away), Grandpa, Leland (PeeWee), Linda, Jerry, Ronnie, Donald (who was 6 months old when he died) and Karen. 





(Pictured above: Top row - Ronnie, Grandpa, Leland [PeeWee], Merwin; Middle row - Linda, Jerry, Karen, Arvin; Front Row - Great-Grandma Pauline)

Grandpa loved being outside.  Since he was older than any of his little sisters for so long, his main jobs involved helping out in the house - doing dishes, cleaning, etc.  He even now seems disgruntled about that.  He would much rather have been outside with the others, getting his hands dirty.  Grandpa never remembered the girls helping outside after they were old enough - he said they helped their mom inside with the household duties, learning how to be homemakers for their future lives.  One of his fondest memories of his childhood was of (what else?) ice cream!  Working on what was in essence a cream farm - and not only that, but a dairy with chickens! - they made ice cream every night outside in the cold.

Another one of Grandpa's responsibilities while growing up was taking care of the chickens - he raised baby chickens every spring.  He also worked many days on other people's farms, sometimes for 10 cents an hour, and sometimes for free.  (Sound familiar?  Until this past year, when he had to tone things down for health reasons, he could frequently be found on neighboring farms trying to help in any way he could.)  He said it was because he loved the companionship.

Every Saturday night they would go to town for groceries.  Every now and then, they would be given a dime to go to the movies.  Grandpa's favorites were the westerns (completely unsurprising, haha!). 

For fun, Grandpa and his siblings would fish, swim, roller skate, dance, hunt, and carve.  Hunting was the main thing, because that was a way that Grandpa got to spend time with his dad, whose favorite activity was hunting.  They would hunt for all kinds of things, including foxes and wild game.  The main meats the family ate were those wild game selections - rabbits, pheasants, squirrels, and skunks.  (Grandpa said then he was just kidding about the skunks.)  They also had "pet" wild game, including coons, foxes, squirrels, and mink.  These were more just grown on the farm for furs or meat.  Grandpa was very careful to distinguish between a pet, and these wild game, even though my husband did actually have a squirrel for a pet.  But that is a different story entirely.






(Pictured right: Grandpa Boll and Great-Grandma Pauline at Grandpa's house in Barnardsville, NC.)






Grandpa's family had what he called a self-supporting farm.  They raised crops like corn, hay and oats to feed themselves and their animals.  Along with the cows and chickens, they also raised pigs and horses.

During this period of investigation into the lives of my grandparents, I have learned so many interesting things.  Like for instance, that Grandpa Boll graduated high school in 1944, at the age of 16!  He attended Dundee High School, and was at the top of his class.  After graduating, he worked for his uncle up in Northwest Iowa for a few months because his uncle had not been blessed with any sons, only one girl.  Grandpa moved him from Rockfort, IL to Rockfort IA.  He also milked the cow in the morning and night, and mowed the yard, because his uncle was too busy with his crops (oats, flax, and soybeans).

It is at this point I must stop, because we have come to the point where Grandpa turns 18, and it was at this time in his life that a critical decision was made for his life: the draft into World War II.