Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs until light and fluffly. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips.

Form into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Mini Pizzas

Easy Mini-Pizzas aka "Kid Pizza"

1 Bag Crispy English Muffins
1 Jar Ragu Pizza Sauce
Whole Mozzerella Cheese, grated
Pepperoni

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place english muffin halves on a cookie sheet. Spread with pizza sauce, top with mozzerella cheese, and pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pizzas are crispy.

Mary and Martha

I've always been intrigued by the story of Mary and Martha. I think the understanding of it has always been above my comprehension. It has always seemed to me that what both women were doing was valuable, and I could never understand why Mary was choosing the better part.

Martha was busy working around the house, taking care of the physical needs of the family. She noticed that Mary was not helping, and asked the Savior to bid her to help.

Mary was sitting at the Savior's feet, listening to Him speak.

Jesus told Martha she was careful and troubled about many things, and that Mary would be allowed to do what she was doing because she had chosen the good part, which would not be taken from her.

Maybe Jesus was teaching a lesson in priorities. Although what Martha was doing was much needed in the household, it seems like Mary was more in tune with the spirit of the Savior's teachings. He taught that the first and great commandment of all the commandments is to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, and the second is to love one another as we love ourselves. Maybe Mary understood that those commandments come first and understood what it means to give them priority. Mary wasn't being lazy as Martha may have surmised, she was actually serving.

So Martha was hardworking and well engaged, but Mary understood the purpose for the engagement, which is love, and love was her priority. This helps me understand what things I need to do first and where my priorities should be. Although I know part of making my family happy is to keep things clean and organized, if I am in tune with my family members and able to surmise what they need from me, I can be like Mary, choosing the better part.

I know that sometimes reading a book to one of my kids is more important than cleaning behind the sofa, or anything else I could be doing at that moment, for that matter. There are so many busy moments from the past that I wish I could relive and sit down and read that book with one of my kids. But I can't. Parenthood doesn't come with instructions, and a person doesn't suddenly become perfect when they become a parent. They continue to grow and hopefully with each child become more patient and giving of self, so I can forgive myself for my past parenting mistakes, and look forward to the daily opportunities to choose to make my family happy.

"38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heart his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
Luke 10: 38-42

Clam Chowder

One of our family favorites is Clam Chowder. It's easy (thanks to Campbell's) and good on a cold night. We make ours New England style. It reminds me of nautical things, boardwalks, beaches, and the East coast. It's good with a loaf of soft french bread for dipping. This is the recipe:

2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cans Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup
4 cans Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
3 cans whole or 2% milk
2 cans clams
cracked black peppercorns
shredded parmesan cheese
Goldfish crackers or Cheez Its

Boil celery and carrots until softened. Drain. Into pot with vegetables, add soups, milk, clams, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Dish into bowl and top with shredded parmesan and crackers. Stay warm. :)

Rainbows and Silver Lining

Several years ago, our family decided to take a vacation to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park (with a stop off in Canonville, Utah just for fun). We wanted to have a rugged and bonding experience, so we rented a motorhome and drove the trip. I think it was one of the best weeks we've had together. I don't think any of us will forget passing around cheese and crackers and summer sausage in the car, picnicking in an open field in the middle of nowhere with our baseball equipment handy, or especially, the rate at which our hearts were pumping as two year-old Buzz went racing down a trail on the other side of the wooden fence at the top of the Grand Canyon (I think just remembering it raises my blood pressure!...) 

Those are some fantastic (and frightening!) memories. But mostly, I remember long talks in that motorhome as we drove. The weather was so beautiful, with a clear blue sky and scattered showers. When we arrived at Bryce Canyon, we were awed and inspired by the beauty of its creation. It was surreal. The pottery coral colors glowed against the cornflower blue sky, as did the still wet blacktop road and glossy greenery surrounding the viewpoint washed clean from the recent rainfall. But the most breathtaking vision was the rainbow beginning at one of the peaks in the rocks and disappearing into the sky. It reminded us of the rainbow given so long ago, as a promise to the good-hearted Noah, and of the promises we had made to each other, and to our Father in Heaven. 

As we drove along that stretch of road we encountered occasional clouds, some light and fluffy, some dark and grey. The white ones hung in the sky, fluffy cotton balls inviting us to rest our weary heads upon them, but playfully staying high in the sky out of our reach. Then there were the dark ones. When they moved across they dominated everything, grabbing the light with a sort of natural osmosis and laying like a wet blanket over our once happy sky. Our mood fell and smiles melted. But as we gazed out the windows wishing for the light to return, we noticed something. Each dark cloud was illuminated from behind by a streak of light, even brighter than anything we had seen before. The silver lining. We reflected upon the silver linings in our own lives, and how when our dark clouds come and threaten to smother our happiness, that silver lining is ever-present, and ready to shine through the darkness, and it does when we allow ourselves to see it there behind the clouds. 

Today is a cloudy day. I am smiling because as I picked up my children at various times, two of them pointed upwards, and gazing up at the sky, proclaimed that our sky is full of silver lining, and that makes our sky particularly beautiful today.

Disney Dayz

Buzz with Tigger and Pooh. They were so much fun!

We are a Disney family. We love to go there in the rain, day or night, any day of the week, and never get tired of it. We especially love to go in the rain because the lines are short (5-20 minutes usually) and well, we just like water. Disneyland really is a happy place for us. We took Books to Disneyland for his 11th birthday on Tuesday and then we had a day off of school on Monday, so we took the opportunity to get another Disneyfix. It was really pouring in the morning, but we loved it~! The kids were able to ride Big Thunder Mountain, the Matterhorn, and Peter Pan in 20 minutes, and Pinocchio, Snow White, Dumbo, Star Tours and Splash Mountain were all 5 minutes. We fast passed Indy, and Small World and Space Mountain were each 10 minutes. We walked right onto Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of the Carribean. Small World was fun because they added dolls that represent Disney characters. The lady who works in the Winnie the Pooh candy store said there are 32 of them, and we were able to find 24. We also discovered they have some really delicious candy in their candy shops. We tried a Valentine candy apple (yum!) and the Goofy Cotton Candy is the most delicious cotton candy ever! We are looking forward to going back one day next month.

Buzz, Belle, and Bob with Lightening McQueen on Books's Birthday

Chicken Noodle Soup Simple

Mom's do not get sick days. It's the law.

So what do we do when we are "not sick" but still have a week of dinners to provide our hungry families? Order pizza, of course. But since in our house we are spoiled by Costco pizza and the only other pizza we will eat is Petrillos, and neither of those deliver, one remaining option for us is chicken noodle soup. When I am "not sick" and go to Costco to pick up my pizza, I like to get 2 roaster chickens to make dinner easier for the next few nights. After arriving home, they can be carved to produce plenty of pre-cooked and seasoned chicken to create with. That chicken is soup for my soul, the springboard of many semi-homemade meals for a not-sick mom. Some ideas for things we like at our house are Chicken Enchiladas (still working on mole for these... but a friend has given some good authentic ideas...), Chicken Quesadillas with salsa and sour cream, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Chicken Caesar Salad, and of course, Chicken Noodle Soup. This is my recipe for Simple Chicken Noodle Soup for a "not sick" mom:

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

12 oz. package egg noodles
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
6 cans chicken broth
3 cups roaster chicken, carved
dash of pepper
dash of celery seed

dash of italian seasoning

Cook noodles according to package directions. When there are 5 minutes of cooking time left, add 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables. Cook for remaining time and drain. To large stock pot, add chicken broth, chicken, pepper, celery seed, and italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add noodles and vegetables. Serve hot with sour dough toast.

Reflections on Laundry

What is it that makes clean laundry so special? Is it the warm, fresh smell that comes from the dryer vent or the comforting hum as the clothes are being transformed from a dirty heap into neat stacks of soft, fluffy, clean apparel? I admit that sometimes laundry is tedious for me, and mine is not always done in a timely and efficient manner. Socks are lost, clean clothes are mixed with dirty and rewashed, and yes, there is even a hunt to make sure they are all put in the right bins before they go to the washing machine. I am far from the perfect laundress.

But are there many things better than snuggling up with a warm, soft, fresh blanket that someone has just washed for you, and brought to you straight from the dryer on a cold, wet day? As I wash and fold my piles of laundry today and reflect upon the people I care about, it is apparent to me that laundry is love. It is one small and simple way to tell my family they matter to me, and with this thought my laundry is not at all a task, but a joy.

Books's Birthday

Tomorrow is Books's birthday. I can't believe my baby will be 11! He is growing so fast and I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. He is strong and happy and a good big brother. He hasn't asked for a gift, except that he wants to go to Disneyland with his brothers and sister, so we will be making a visit to Mickey's House tomorrow. One thing about Books that makes me proud of him is his respect for others. Books always treats others with respect, uses respectful titles, and is a great defender. Happy Birthday, Books! You know who you are, and I am so proud of you! Love, Mom