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Daybook

For Today (11/2) from NerdMom’s Daybook

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Outside my window the sun is shining brightly.
I am thinking of the approaching holidays and all I really need to do for them.
I am thankful for the wonderful weather and my great family.
From the learning rooms we are doing some Kinderbach, math and Bible Study
From the kitchen I am hoping to get a few loaves of banana bread made.
I am wearing capris and a 3/4 sleeve knit top.
I am creating hopefully some birthday cards.
I am going no where today!!!
I am hoping that I start feeling better today.
I am hearing the Waiting’s Wonderfully Made and Zoe Girl;s Good Girl in a mixed CD
Around the house I need to clean my laptop table!
A few plans for the rest of the week: MOPS tomorrow and Bible Study this week.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing

For more Daybooks go over to the Simple Woman’s Daybook

Food

Meal Plan Monday

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You would think that someone who likes to eat as much as I do would have great ideas but that isn’t the case this week. I am still feeling a bit icky so I am going with boring and easy;).

Tuesday: NerdDad and I are both out: kids- chili mac
Wednesday: Chicken Kiev (in the Freezer), Beer Bread (in the Freezer), Broccoli
Thursday: Marinated Pork Loin Chops, Broccoli, Noodle Roni;)
Friday: Shredded Beef Enchiladas (in the Freezer)

Food

Halloween Haul

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Check out this year’s Halloween candy haul! This is from about an hour’s worth of Trunk or Treating at church with all 4 kids. I think we might be eating on this for months! And yes I am a little type A about the candy organization. With little kids it helps to have it separated. Now I just need to figure out some great recipes so I can cook with it!

Food

Top Chef Vegas!

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Here we meet again! They all seemed to make it through Restaurant Wars with out to much horror, so what awaits them this week?

Quickfire Challenge:
So everyone shows up in the kitchen to see Padma with Paul Bartolotta. He is a top Italian chef and is in Vegas. They are going to be giving tv dinners a gourmet twist. They are to be inspired by a show: Sopranos, Mash, Cheers, Sesame Street, Gilligan’s Island, the Flintstones, and Seinfeld. Jennifer really seems to have been spirally the last few weeks and seems to be starting down that path again tonight. She really needs to pull herself out of it! Mike I has never seen Seinfeld! Jennifer and Robin were in the bottom. On the top was Kevin and Bryan were the top. Kevin won!

Elimination Challenge:
The chefs are going to cook in Tom’s Craft Steak. They are going to be responsible for serving the 4 judges and 7 others. So they head into the kitchen and start checking out all the steaks. Then in walks Tom. He tells them that they have a guest that everyone will be cooking for, Natalie Portman. Natalie tells them that she is a vegetarian. So this means that everyone’s steak plans are out the window. Natalie is also judging. This means mass chaos. Robin was overwhelmed by all the choices in the walk-in and chose to do a very complicated dish with lots of components. Mike I’s mom is a vegetarian and Kevin is a vegetarian part of the year. I couldn’t believe that Robin asked to have some of someone’s boiling water. Like they have a pot of it because they didn’t need it? Mike’s leek weren’t quite done because the water wouldn’t boil easily. Time was up on Robin before she finish putting garbanzo beans on all the plates.

Robin: Stuffed Squash Blossom, Beet Carpaccio, Fresh Garbanzo Beans and Chermoula
Eli: Confit Eggplant, Lentils, Garlic Puree and Radish Salad
Michael: Asparagus Salad, Japanese Tomato Sashimi, and Banana Polenta
Jennifer: Charred Baby Eggplant, Braised Fennel, Tomato, and Verju Nage
Mike I: Whole Roasted Leeks with Onion JusBaby Carrot Puree and Fingerling Potatoes
Bryan: Artichoke Barigould, Confit of Shallot, Wild Asparagus and Fennel Puree
Kevin: Duo of Mushrooms, Smoked Kale, Candied Garlic and Turnip Puree

Serving:
Tom didn’t get any garbanzo beans on Robin’s dish and everyone agreed that it needed salt. One of the judges got a huge taste of lavender blossom off Eli’s dish and equated it to sucking on soap. Other than that, Eli’s dish seemed to do well. They all seemed to love Michael’s dish. But Gail didn’t like the chunks of banana in the polenta. Natalie said it made her smile and laugh and be confused. Jennifer sauced the plates at the table and was shaking. Gail’s favorite part of Jennifer’s dish was the verju nage but she felt it didn’t seem substantial enough to be a main dish. Many agreed that it wasn’t special enough. People thought it was pretty but not that good. Bryan ran out of time plating so there were things not included. Padma thought the shallots were a bit strong with the garlic blossoms. Kevin felt his dish wasn’t pretty. The smoke on Kevin’s kale was a little strong but it was a substantial, meaty meal.

Judging:
First up for the judges are Kevin, Michael, and Eli! Natalie said the Michael’s dish made you ask who he dealer was and did he want any new clients. The winner was Kevin. Kevin really seems on a streak to possibly win the while thing. Michael was pissed that Kevin won. Then the judges wanted to see Robin, Jennifer and Mike I. Natalie asked Mike I if there was a reason that there wasn’t protein. Mike said that the leeks were going to be sliced like scallops and would serve as the protein. That cause Gail to make sure that Mike knew that leeks aren’t protein. They really gave him a hard time about the raw leeks. Robin went nuts with the talking and went everywhere. Tom pointed out that there was nothing to pull it together. Tom also complained that he didn’t get any garbanzo beans. Padma said that she didn’t see where Jennifer spent her 2 hours. Tom said that it was more of a garnish. Tom said that she had been heading down for a bit. Natalie and Tom said that Mike I’s leeks were not the only problem with his dish. The judges also thought that Jennifer was defeatist. In the end Mike I was sent home. Mike thought that Robin should have been eliminated before him but such is life.

WFMW

WFMW: How to Manage the Blog Reading

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I always get asked how I keep up on blog reading. Well the actual questions sound more like, “Where do find the time to be on the computer”. It is all about using the free tools out there. Primarily a blog reader. One of the biggest pluses is that you no longer have to actually go to each blog you are interested in to check and see if they have a new post. The reader usually tells you how many new posts there are and you can even save any posts you want to hold on to!

There are a ton to choose from, I like Google, but they are all about the same. You create an account and then just add all your subscriptions to it. Then you can organize the blogs into groups. For example I have a folder that holds all the blogs of my MOPS girls. That way if any of them post I can tell immediately. I can also click on the folder to see each person’s blog listed separately. This really helps me prioritize my blog reading. I have folders for politics, crafts and politics. Then if I don’t have time I can just pick and choose.
So how do you manage all your blog reading material?

Food

Super Easy Home Made Chicken Stock

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Ahh, the elusive home made chicken stock. But I don’t want to collect bones in my freezer or watch the pot for hours upon hours. So is there an easier way? Definitely! Now it may not be quite as good as one made with chicken feet and simmered for days but then again, neither are the cans. I use dark meat on bones to make my stock and then I use the meat for chicken pot pies and other meals.

Ingredients:
3 lbs dark chicken meat, on the bone but skinless
2 ribs of celery chopped (optional, NerdDad doesn’t like the taste of celery so I don’t use it)
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
A few stalks of herbage (pick 1 kind, I often use parsley)
Water to cover
2 teaspoons of oil
Process:
Heat stock pot on medium heat, place oil in the bottom. Dump in celery, onion, and carrots and sweat. When the carrots just start to get a little soft around the edges add the garlic. Continue to cook until you can smell the garlic. Then drop in the meat and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue on a simmer for 30 minutes. Then remove the chicken and do as you wish with it. Then strain all the liquid and discard the solids. Then you have cups and cups of beautiful stock. It freezes beautifully!
(Check out more wonderful things at WFMW!)

house management, life

Tackle It Tuesday: Pantry Clear Out!

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You know those things you never get around to? You know, the ones that drive you crazy but you just don’t seem to make time for? My pantry is one of those things. Well, Sunday while I was running a couple of errands NerdDad started clearing it out. I finally finished it Monday afternoon;). It is amazing the amount of junk I have in that pantry. The blue bins hold baking. decorating and freezer packaging for food. Then there is all the food, oy! I was amazed how much I actually had to throw out. I have been very convicted to cook out of my pantry and freezer for the next few weeks/months (my freezer is just as bad;).

But at least for today I will feel good that the pantry is finally done. I will feel guilty about the rest tomorrow!
Go check out some more projects at Tackle It Tuesday!