Spaghetti Dinner

Super A wanted spaghetti for dinner. So I googled Spaghetti Sauce Recipe and this is what I got;
Spaghetti Sauce Recipe . Well, that's actually the recipe we used, but if you click spaghetti sauce recipes they have a list of other recipes for different kinds of spaghetti sauces. If you go to the top and click on recipe network you get all sorts of different themes: chinese, sandwiches, apple pie, etc. We'll be trying a bunch of these recipes over the coming weeks, they look so good.



After looking at the recipe, I decided that Super A could make dinner. I cut up the onion and garlic. Super S ran out to the garden and picked some fresh oregano and thyme, (can't believe they're still alive it's been so cold), it wasn't quite enough so we put in the full tsp. of oregano. We didn't have green peppers, so we used some italian stewed tomatoes with green peppers. And because we had it, we also added 1/2lb. of sausage and 3 mushrooms. He stirred and added ingredients..Then let is simmer for 45 min. Piece of cake.



This recipe was delicious. It made enough for all of us,6, with a little bit leftover for Super Dad for lunch tomorrow, I think....might be close. The best thing about this recipe is that we have most of the ingredients around all of the time, and for just being regular ingredients, it was a yummy, yummy dinner. We decided as we were eating that Super A should be in charge of spaghetti from now on, because of course it's not just the recipe it's the cook that actually determines the yumminess of the dish.

The State of Things

Here in the Northwest we have had some major layoffs, through Microsoft (1,400 people laid off to rise to 5,000 in coming months) Boeing (10,000 are supposed to be laid off) and Starbucks (I don't know if it was just here, it was probably all over the country). And it's not just these companies. I have friends who's husband's or wives are being laid off. They go in on Monday morning and go home a little while after.

How is the rest of the nation doing? I can't imagine that it's just us.

Well, we've been tightening the belt around here for a looooonnnngggg time, it feels like. Canceling cell-phones, (which we really only had because of Super J) going back to cheap landlines. No stopping at fast food (we really only did this about once a month, maybe). Baking my own bread or going without if we've run out and it can't be homemade. Trying to use every leftover (trying being the key word here, because sometimes I just forget what's in the fridge). Thinking maybe Netfix needs to go. (Shhh, don't tell Super Dad, he love Netflix!)

What are you doing? Give me some good ideas. (please)

We've been working on getting our credit cards paid off for a while, and I think that we will be seeing the end of the tunnel in a little less than a year (we hope) if all goes well. Just in time for us to pay for Super Dad's bachelor, master, and doctorate degree. We are a little worried, but hopeful that we will survive this period in time. Someday our children and their children will look back and draw strength from the courageous things we will do here and now.

Color Blind

So, I have a brother that's color blind. I always wondered what he could see. I found this site through another blog. You have to put in your own digital photos. I couldn't get the cut and paste thing to work with blogger, but here are my thoughts on what I saw. First I used a photo with vibrant reds, greens and blues. Red turned out brown, green turned out brown, and blue was still a blueish. Okay so here are my thoughts, holy schmoly!!! I never knew how sickly we all look with out red and how in the world can my brother tell the difference between grass that's alive and grass that's dead just by looking out the window? It looks the same, people!

Go check out this site!

Oh the Pain, Oh the Ecstacy!

That's right it's that time of year.....Derby Night!!!



Derby Night is one of my favorite nights. There are many tears of joy and many tears shed from dashed hopes from boys and their dad's. It is one of the happiest and saddest of nights.

Well let's get right down to it, shall we? Super A's car did not do as well as he hoped. We always tell the kids that you can do the car for design or speed, but not for both. (That's always worked in the past, so please don't tell me you can have it both ways and screw-up the thing we tell our kids so they won't feel so bad when they lose.) Super A's design is suburb.

It has a space theme going on. Stars on the top, along with Neptune, comets on the side, and a rocket towards the back. Super A thought it turned out better than he could have hoped. He was quite sure after he saw all of the cars that his would win the design award. It was the coolest car there. (You can judge for yourself, but please keep your opinion to yourself).

The cars this year were fast! Really, really fast. Surprisingly fast.


Super J did not move from this spot the entire night. Sometimes he was sitting, sometimes standing and sometimes laying on his tummy.


It was a good night!

Food Pantry

At our house we are trying to gather a three month food storage and a long term storage for emergencies. I am gathering recipes and trying to figure out how much we will need to carry us through an emergency. So I know I've probably posted this link before, but I really like this blog! So I'm linking to it again! http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/ Check out some of the recipes. They are easy, fast and can easily be put in the pantry for fast meals or long term storage.

Making Stuff

I'd like to document the stuff I finish, just to see how much (or little) I get done over the year.

So to begin with, I started and finished two nursing covers


and 6 burp cloths this week.



The brown nursing cover should have been done months ago for a friend, and the the blue one (along with all the burp cloths) go to dear friends who live fairly close, (they live about an hour and a half away) but I haven't seen in over a year. (The husband called a couple of weeks ago to ask if he could commission me to make burp cloths. Silly man, of course I'll make burp cloths!! As a gift!!! Commission!! Hhmph!!) Their baby isn't due for another two weeks so I'm done early!!! Super Dad will take their present up next weekend.

This is the first of the baby presents this year. I can think of 6 women right off the top of my head that will be having babies.

Mouse Update

We have caught 5 mice since Sunday. We can still hear them underneath the sink behind the dishwasher. We can still hear them coming out at night. We can still see the little presents that they leave for the Super Mom. Thank-you that is all....

P.S.
There will never be a picture for this type of post.
Edit: Make that 6

Girl Scout Cookies

I never buy Girl Scout Cookies, but Super Dad used to buy three or four boxes. Since the prices have gone up, he buys less than he used too, sometimes just a box. He likes Girl Scout Cookies so I always feel bad when we can't get even one box. I found this really great site surfing blogs of blogs yesterday after school. It had several Girl Scout cookie recipes. Super A decided to make them for Family Home Evening. They are super good and surprisingly easy to make!! Thin Mints. They went pretty fast. Go make some right now! We'll be trying out the other Girl Scout recipes in the coming weeks. This site even has a recipe for vanilla wafers. I love the internet!

I went to IKEA on Tue. to buy something to help organize the laundry area. I'd decided to buy two 30" kitchen cabinets with shelves and no doors. When I got there I found straight corner base cabinets for $10.00. $10.00 for just the cabinet, no legs, no shelf, nothing. For $42 (base cabinet, legs, and shelf) I got this (I had the laminate counter.) So now I'm airing my dirty laundry.



After thinking about it for a couple of days, I went back to buy one more cabinet. ( Our kitchen is is kind of on it's last leg). When I got there I decided to go ahead and get two. I then perused the as is section (always a dangerous thing to do) and found these.



$5.oo couch cushions!! Talk about luck! I needed cushions for the couch I'm re-doing. If any of you have ever priced foam you know how insanely expensive it is. So, for $10 more dollars I got my couch cushions!!!

Couch Update

Super S and I worked on the couch a bit yesterday. I still have a way to go, but new cushions make the couch look and feel sooooo different. I'm still trying to decide whether or not to keep the wing things on the side. I'll write more about where I found the cushions later. Right now we are gathering all of our mouse ridden stuff to take to the dump.