I'm not to sure yet... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 18 Mar 2006 02:34:00 -0600 Sat, 18 Mar 2006 02:34:00 -0600 Well, I'm not trying to Low/No carb it anymore. I've actually lost 2 lbs since last month, just eating more fresh fruits and veggies. (Today was a back slide day, but tomorrow I'll be right back on). Also this week I've started Billy Blanks Boot camp. Oye! Its so hard! I'm a yoga mama, lets just say, I'm never joining the military! I have allot of respect for those that have gone through real boot camp. My wonderful DH says that's what they do all day for 6 weeks... 1 hour a day is hard enough for me. So I'm switching off each day the 1 hour video on day, and a 30 minute ab video and 30 minutes on my treadmill. It about killed me trying to do both, as out of shape as I am. So My wonderful Dh Bought my Lizzy (3 yrs old) some phonics flash cards. She likes them. But I'm afraid to push her to hard. So being as she's only 3, when she starts getting fidgety and loses interest, I get her to do something else. We also got her some big toddler, "Go Fish" cards. She's so cute. She throws her arms in the air and yells "Let's Go Fish!" I love it. She also love to play house. She's always "the mom", and Dad's are "the honey" and kids are "the sweetie". My niece was over last weekend, and asked my husband why he doesn't do dishes. My sweet little Lizzy answered (laughing) "Dad's don't do dishes! Dad's go to work. " (Such sweetness, huh?) I make it very clear to my relatives and friends that I'm not a feminist. And if they are to leave it at my front door, cause no one will come in my husbands home and disrespect him. I actually almost threw my niece's best friend out because of it, but lucky for her she corrected her attitude quickly. I do enjoy my MIL trying to give my husband chores though. Not because I want him put to work but because I love how she gets all worked up when he doesn't do it, lol. She tries to get him to get the kids ready (when I'm already doing it by the way, lol) and he tells her that I'm doing it (smiling quite wickedly I might add) and she practically froths at the mouth, lol. She's a major feminazi. lol. Its mean, but we think of it as slowly de-programing her, lol. Don't get me wrong! If I need help, knight in shinning armor that he is, he always comes to my rescue. But I don't like my husband having to come home from work and just start working all over again. Its bad enough his school nights are on work days. He really needs a break, and coming home to a clean, non chaotic,  place of rest and relaxation does his life wonders. So we will be married 2 year on the 31st this month. I just can't wait to say we've been married 50 + years.He's so wonderful!! Love Amanda C. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/102322/ Sat, 18 Mar 2006 02:34:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/102322/ 2 Days into this diet, and I'm so exhausted. Was I so dependant on caffine and carbs? Probably the caffine. lol. Well, it feels like the world is against me in this.  The first time I did this I got two weeks into this diet and on the last day I realized I couldn't move. But then I was eating like 5 carbs a day. lol. This time I'm stressing the low carb and carb free veggies. Thank godness for spinach and mushrooms. Well, I have very little housework to do left. I'm hoping to go to bed early. Tonights dinner is cabbage and beef strip soup. (made it up) It smells really good. Luckily its Friday so cabbage is okay. DH is at school and doesn't have to eat it. Oh well, this is going to be short. I'm tired and need to clean the kitchen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/78278/ Fri, 3 Feb 2006 19:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/78278/ Well, We crammed another walk in right before the sky opened up and poured all over Auburn Washington. It was nice. It was a blue shy and beautiful sun shine for a few short hours.Well, my cleaning is still... well, endless. Prairieteacher, thank you. I've added you too. Christina, http://www.flylady.net/ Its like a organize your cleaning, make a scheule kind of thing. Its nice, I like the journal, but I'm horrid about sticking to a rountine and/or  list. I used to be great with lists, but now I have mom-nesia. I forget things in the middle of doing them. Its so frustrating. The kids distract me for a minute and I see something else that needs doing, lol, so I start that. There's this forward email, lol,that talks this kind of thing. Maybe that's why my DH thinks I do nothing all day...So lately I've been feeling very... I don't know. Like everyone (including my DH) thinks I'm ignorant and/or lazy. Oye. So I guess, down. Plus my DD3 is in a mood. She doesn't want to sleep at night, so she's throwing fits. DH thinks I'm being unfeeling cause I think she's crying for no good reason. She picks the parent that wasn't just in the room, and yells I want my mom or dad. Well, cause I'm not giving in to her pittiful crying fits to watch tv or that she's not tired.... I'm going to bed...Blessings&Love,~Amanda C.~  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/73430/ Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:21:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/73430/ Is it only my house that the weekends seem to destroy my home? Its like Monday is my "rescue" day. Sigh. I wish I was better at maintenance. I just can't seem to keep up. I don't know what to do, you know? I've tried different routines, and it seems no matter what I fall behind. Fly lady didn't work for me either and it was probably the simplest of things. Anyone reading this, HOW DO YOU DO IT???? Please, let me in on the secret! I'm thinking of going through the kids toy box again. Its literally over flowing with stuff and they don't play with all of it. I wish their birthdays weren't right before and right after Xmas. (Nov 18, Jan 18) I think I'm going to ask my In Laws that they buy books and clothes for birthdays and toys on Xmas, or vise verse. Maybe that will control the growing amount of toys. (You'd think that toys were like rabbits!) So here we go again. It seems to take me the whole week to get the house together and after the weekend I'm starting all over again. I have a small apartment with too much stuff in it. And no matter how much I organize or de-clutter, it grows back magically. I'm up for all and any suggestions. How do I better organize my time, and become more efficient in my cleaning and home keeping? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/72294/ Mon, 23 Jan 2006 19:45:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/72294/ He really is. My DH is the greatest guy I know or have ever know other than my Grandpa! My Honey is brilliant. He can cram endless information in his brain and always seem to find it just when he needs it. He's a financial genius, and he always has a plan. Because of him our family is never broke, we are never hurting for money and we have a savings account, something we didn't have before when I was "balancing" (and I use the term loosely) our checkbook. My Love is gorgeous. I've never met a man I thought was so "easy on the eyes"! I get an uncontrollable smile when ever he flexes. My Sweetheart is fun. We laugh together every night. Something we hadn't been doing a year ago since we dated. We have so much fun before bed, trying to push each other off the bed, tickling or pillow fighting, fighting over the covers and laughing about me telling him he keeps me awake with all my talking. My Hubby is a fabulous father. My girls adore him and follow him everywhere. On most of his school nights they stay awake waiting for him to get home so they can see him before falling asleep. My oldest loves to cook for him with me and bring him things, and my youngest is always trying to climb in his lap and play on his laptop with him. (his baby geek.) I really could just go on and on, but I have to go make dinner... so I'll stop. But my really is the most wonderful man in the world! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/71062/ Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:25:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/71062/ What is it about our generation that has changed so much from the 1950's. People drive every where but to the bathroom? There are more television channels than could be possible watched in a life time? There are more convenience products that people practically don't have to breath for themselves anymore? People don't go outside anymore? They spend as much time apart from their families as they can? Women working out side the home, take separate family vacations, spending their days off in the spa or shopping, a night outwith the girls or guys to get away from it all, all that they are away from durring their work week? Single mothers on prozac and other depression medications? Neighbors selling crack out of their apartments?Where is OUR Stepford? Where is OUR little piece of heaven carved out in the world? Where is the land of Perfect so decribed by the Walgreens commercial? Where men work 9-5, mow the lawns on Saturday morning and women have dinner ready at 5 and kids don't talk back to their parents using fowl language and dressed like thugs or in hardly anything at all. How do we take our country back?I just found out that I currently have 3 separate neighbors being evcitd for the use and/ or selling of drugs. I live in a small complex of 2 four plexes and 2 dueplexs. One of my neighbors had parked outside the gate, and his truck was broken into and the stereo was ripped out. All of the women in my little neighborhood are afraid. We are all mothers. We have small children and some of them are single mothers. This time of year it gets dark around 5-6pm. If our garbage isn't taken out and the mail checked none of us women will walk across and out the parking lot to do it. It won't get done until the morning. Those of us that have husbands ask them to do it after dark.What's saddest about this situation is that it wasn't like this mere months ago. It started in the fall, and our quiet little family oriented complex would spiral downward so quickly... We ALL want to move away. Everyone is talking about leaving come summer. Our apartment manager is going to get one big shock when she has 4-5 empty units all at once.  So now the serch begins. I'm looking for Stepford.  A neighborhood I don't have to fear raising my children in.... Where to even begin.... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/70571/ Thu, 19 Jan 2006 16:41:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/70571/ Yet I want to stay up and watch crossing jordan tonight. lol I think I will tape it. And Law and Order CI. A friend of mine sent me the greatest article! Its my dream to be this kind of wife.Modern Retro HousewivesWell, I've got allot of work to do to be this good a wife. But hey, its a goal. So... I'm going to have to get up early so I can make bread before DH has to go to work. Cause I speaced it this weekend and DH doesn't like me staying up on work nights, plus It takes hours for me to make bread with the rising and all. DH took us out to dinner tonight. Isn't he sweet?  Tomorrow we decided that Mondays will e soup nights cause DH has school Monday and Friday. ANd Friday is Daddy won't eat it night. I can make pasta rice or cabbage, lol. Things daddy won't eat and he'll have leftovers from another night. So Monday is soup cause I'll make it in the crockpot and it will still be hot when he gets home at 10-11pm tomorrow night and Then I'm going to make a batch of hillbillhousewife's almost instant buscuits for the freezer so I can heat a couple up when he gets home and he'll have a complete supper ready when he gets home. Tuesday is Mexican night, Wednesday seafood night, Thursday kids favorites night, Saturday is free night and Sunday is Family dinner night. This saturday we'll be celebrating Richelle's first birthday even though its actually Wednesday. We'll do something on her actual birthday too. Just us. So tomorrow will be beefy veggie stew. And buscuits. I'm off to bed. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/68651/ Sun, 15 Jan 2006 21:36:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/68651/ Breakfast McBiscuits Makes: 1 dz. 2 dz. 3 dz. 4 dz. 5 dz. 6 dz. Ingredients:             *homemade biscuits OR purchased refrigerator biscuits OR English muffins 12 24 36 48 60 72 Meat:             pre-cooked bacon slices OR 24 48 72 96 120 144 ham slicesOR 12 24 36 48 60 72 cooked sausage patties 12 24 36 48 60 72 Eggs:             scrambled, fried or poached 1 dz. 2 dz. 3 dz. 4 dz. 5 dz. 6 dz. cheese slices 12 24 36 48 60 72 Assembly Directions: Split muffins or baked biscuits. Top with your choice of topping combinations. Example: 2 slices of bacon, 1 egg, 1 slice of cheese OR 1 sausage patty, 1 slice of cheese OR 1/4 C. scrambled eggs, 1 slice of cheese Be creative! Freezing and Serving Directions: To Freeze: Wrap individually, label, and freeze. To serve: place thawed, foil-wrapped biscuit in oven and warm at 400º for 20 minutes or unwrap and re-wrap in damp paper towel and microwave a few minutes. Comments: Large biscuits are more manageable than small ones. For purchased biscuits, choose the jumbo or extra large-sized variety. For homemade biscuits, don’t overbake them or they will dry and crumble after reheating. Italian Chicken from Cheryl H. from Pardeeville, Wisconsin Meals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Serves: 6 12 18 24 30 36 Ingredients:             Chicken Breasts, skin removed 5 10 15 20 25 30 Fat Free Italian Salad Dressing 8 oz 16 oz 24 oz 32 oz 40 oz 48 oz Lo-fat Cream Cheese 8 oz 16 oz 24 oz 32 oz 40 oz 48 oz Chicken broth 14 oz 28 oz 42 oz 56 oz 70 oz 84 oz Healthy Choice Cream of Chicken Soup 1 can 2 cans 3 cans 4 cans 5 cans 6 cans Rosemary ½ tsp 1 tsp 1 ½ tsp 2 tsp 2 ½ tsp 3 tsp Thyme ½ tsp 1 tsp 1 ½ tsp 2 tsp 2 ½ tsp 3 tsp Salt and pepper to taste               Assembly Directions: Put the chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour the Italian Salad Dressing over them. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove chicken breasts from crock pot and discard Italian Dressing. Put the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper to taste in the crock pot. Stir together as the ingredients melt. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bones and cut in small pieces. Put the chicken back in the crock pot with the sauce. Cook together another hour. Or, you can do this step on the stove to speed it up. After it has cooked together, allow to cool.Freezing and Cooking Directions: Once it’s cool, put into Ziploc bags and freeze. To serve, heat in the microwave and serve over angel hair pasta.Comments: Kids and adults both love this meal! It’s very easy too! You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in place of bone-in chicken breasts if you prefer. Cook on low 5-6 hours. You can also substitute Fat Free cream cheese for the Lo-fat cream cheese for an even healthier meal. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67785/ Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67785/ Well, I noticed that my last entry had been too long and decided to blend into the entry before it... I don't know... Anywho I removed one of the tables and I will paste it to this entry for anyone who wants that recipe...(choclate muffins for the freezer)Well, I have only the kitchen to lean and the living room, which I will be starting shortly. The girls are down for quiet time... wish I was But After cleaning the house and setting dinner t be ready when My MIL gets here to watch the kids I need to jump in the shower and get ready to leave. I also need to start a loaf of bread.Does anyone here have Joni Mccoy's book Miserly Meals? I need the recipe for english muffins. I have a recipe for english muffin bread but not actual english muffins and I need to make them to make breakfast sandwiches in bulk. I know, My DH is very picky and likes them fresh in the morning, BUT we do have mornings where we wake up late and I"d like to be prepared and not have to send him on his way without a healthy energising breakfast to get him going. I'm planning on making crackers, I found a recipe for soda crackers and if the are not to hard to make I plan to make them instead of buying them. But that all depends on the cost compared to the store ones. I also found in my old recipe emails a recipe for cheese nips! Amazing huh? I have the cheese nips recipe in my online program DH set up for me. http://recipe.fatgeek.net/ its under cheese nips. lol.I also just found a recipe for soft pretzels. I'm looking forward to making them for my DH. He loves soft pretzels! I'll be adding that to the recipe site tonight. We'll I'm going to run. Here's those tables that got cut off.Double Chocolate Muffins Recipes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Servings: 12 24 36 48 60 72 Ingredients:             Flour 2 C. 4 C. 6 C. 8 C. 10 C. 12 C. Baking powder 2 t. 1 T. + 1 t. 2 T. 2 T. + 2 t. 3 T. + 1 t. 4 T. Baking soda 1/2 t. 1 t. 1-1/2 t. 2 t. 2-1/2 t. 1 T. Unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 C. 1/2 C. 3/4 C. 1 C. 1-1/4 C. 1-1/2 C. Sugar 3/4 C. 1-1/2 C. 2-1/4 C. 3 C. 3-3/4 C. 4-1/2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 C. 1-1/2 C. 2-1/4 C. 3 C. 3-3/4 C. 4-1/2 C. Egg 1 2 3 4 5 6 Milk 1 C. 2 C. 3 C. 4 C. 5 C. 6 C. Oil 1/3 C. 2/3 C. 1 C. 1-1/3 C. 1-2/3 C. 2 C. Vanilla extract 1 t. 2 t. 1 T. 1 T. + 1 t. 1 T. + 2 t. 2 T. Assembly Directions: Place all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until evenly colored. Add liquid ingredients and stir until moistened. Batter may be lumpy.  Pour into oiled muffin cups filled 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.   Freezing Directions: Allow to cool.  Place muffins in freezer bags or rigid containers.  Seal, label and freeze.   Serving Directions: Thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature. They can be warmed in the microwave after thawing. Microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds.   Comments: These muffins have a great chocolate flavor! The key is to thoroughly mix the dry ingredients so the cocoa powder is evenly distributed.   Nutritional Info:  Per Serving: 249 Calories; 10g Fat (36.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 151mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 2 Fat; 1-1/2 Other Carbohydrates. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67783/ Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:50:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67783/ Thank you for the suggestions. I think you are all right about mildew. I will have to go buy those oils though. I keep a gallon of vinegar in the kitchen for cooking and cleaning. So today I did my room cause I couldn't find the floor, let alone the walls. hahaha! Well we have allot of furnature and things that need to be stored, and no place to store it.  SO I scrubbed the walls I could get to. I need to do the walls behind my big shelves. Unfortuanely I can't get behind them until Muscle, I mean DH, moves them for me.Tonight I tried to make these hamburgers from the kraft website. You put miracle whip in them to make them moist before you cook them... they fell apart, and were gross to boot. Will not be repeating that recipe! lolI've been adding (slowly) recipes to my program DH set up for me on his website. http://recipe.fatgeek.net/I'm getting there. I have tons and tons of recipes! Recipe books, recipe via email! I got the greatest things from a girl in a yahoo group.Master Meat Mix Recipes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Servings: 6 12 18 24 30 36 Makes: pans or meatballs 1/60 2/120 3/180 4/240 5/300 6/360 Ingredients:             Lean ground beef 1-1/2 lbs. 3 lbs. 4-1/2 lbs. 6 lbs. 7-1/2 lbs. 9 lbs. Rolled oats 2/3 C. 1-1/3 C. 2 C. 2-2/3 C. 3-1/3 C. 4 C. Diced onion 1/2 C. 1 C. 1-1/2 C. 2 C. 2-1/2 C. 3 C. Salt 1 t. 2 t. 1 T. 1 T. + 1 t. 1 T. + 2 t. 2 T. Garlic powder 1/2 t. 1 t. 1-1/2 t. 2 t. 2-1/2 t. 1 T. Eggs 2 4 6 8 10 12 Ketchup or tomato sauce 2/3 C. 1-1/3 C. 2 C. 2-2/3 C. 3-1/3 C. 4 C. Assembly Directions: Put ground beef, rolled oats, onion, salt, garlic powder, eggs and ketchup in a large bowl. Mix together well with your hands. Meatloaf: go on to freezing directions. Meatballs: Form meatballs with your hands or a small cookie scoop. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Put the raw meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned and no longer pink in the center. Cool. Freezing Directions: Meatloaf: Put the meat mixture in a gallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. Meatballs: Package the cooled meatballs in the appropriate size freezer bag(s) or rigid container(s) based on your family size. Seal, label and freeze. Serving Directions:Meatloaf: Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Dump the meat mixture into a loaf pan and pack it down with your hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until no pink shows in the center of the loaf. After removing it from the oven, let the loaf sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Meatballs: Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes until hot. You could reheat them in a skillet, but they will be more likely to fall apart that way.Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling   Servings: 6 12 18 24 30 36 Makes: (3 C.) (6 C.) (9 C.) (12 C.) (15 C.) (18 C.)               Ingredients:             medium lean ground beef, turkey or pork 1 lb. 2 lb. 3 lb. 4 lb. 5 lb. 6 lb. onion, minced fine 2 T. 1/4 C. 1/4 C. + 2 T. 1/2 C. 1/2 C. + 2 T. 3/4 C. bell pepper, minced fine (optional) 2 T. 1/4 C. 1/4 C. + 2 T. 1/2 C. 1/2 C. + 2 T. 3/4 C. garlic powder 1/2 t.  1 t. 1-1/2 t. 2 t. 2-1/2 t. 1 T. prepared yellow mustard 1 t. 2 t. 1 T. 4 t. 5 t. 2 T. tomato ketchup 3/4 C. 1-1/2 C. 2-1/4 C. 3 C. 3-3/4 C. 4-1/2 C. Worcestershire sauce 1 t. 2 t. 1 T. 4 t. 5 t. 2 T. brown sugar 1 T. 2 T. 3 T. 1/4 C. 1/4 C. + 1 T. 1/4 C. + 2 T. salt 1/2 t. 1 t. 1-1/2 t. 2 t. 2-1/2 t. 1 T. Ground black pepper 1/4 t. 1/2 t. 3/4 t. 1 t. 1-1/4 t. 1-1/2 t. salsa, any level of heat (optional) 1/4 C. 1/2 C. 3/4 C. 1 C. 1-1/4 C. 1-1/2 C. On Hand Ingredients: hamburger buns 6 12 18 24 30 36   Assembly Directions: Brown ground beef, onion, and bell pepper together over medium heat.  Cook thoroughly until no pink color remains in the meat.  Drain and discard the pan liquids.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.  Package the Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling in family size quantities, or package into individual servings.   Thawing and Serving Directions: Thaw in the microwave or in the refrigerator.  Reheat over very low heat on the stove or microwave on medium high until heated through.  Stir the mixture several times during thawing and reheating.  Heap the sandwich filling onto opened sandwich buns and enjoy. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67522/ Fri, 13 Jan 2006 00:13:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GeeksWife/67522/