Crockpotalooza/Soup

OK, here it goes. This is something that I made just the other day in my crock pot. My kids loved it, and wanted it for lunch the next day. The soup recipe is about the only soup my kids will eat.

Sorry, but my amounts are estimates, but I don't cook by exact measurements, but by looking to see if it looks right-esp with the soup recipe

Bar-B-Que Pork Pull

3 lb fresh Pork Roast
1 18oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup water

Place all in crock pot in following order: roast, bbq sauce, water. Cook on low for at least 4 hrs. Take roast out of crock pot and pull apart with two forks pulling in opposite directions-the roast should be so well done that it should almost fall apart. Place back in crock pot, and add more sauce. Keep on low/warm until ready to eat. Add buns, and you have an easy no fuss meal.

This recipe can be easily doubled, this recipe was enough for 6 of us, with some left over.

Chicken Pastina Soup

6-8 pieces of leg and thigh chicken
1 gallon of water (give or take)
1-2 heaping tablespoons of chicken bouillon
1 bag of baby carrots (can used regular carrots, just cut to bite sized pieces)
2-3 celery stalks cut in bite sized pieces
3/4-1 box of pastina pasta (pastina is very tiny star shaped pasta)
2-3 big pinches of herb de province (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste


Boil the chicken in the water, until the chicken meat can be removed. Remove the bones, and place meat back in the water, add chicken bouillon, carrots, herbs, and celery. Return to boil. Boil until carrots are well done. About 15-20 minutes before getting ready to eat, add pastina. Eat and enjoy. Please keep in mind that left over soup will thicken because of the pasta. Left overs may require you to add more water.

This is the only soup my kids love. It is a basic chicken noodle, just that the noodles are tiny star pasta.

5 yr olds and dentists

I had to take my 5 yr old to the dentist yesterday. I take all my kids to a pediatric dentist, and they all fight to be the first one in the chair. They all love going to the dentist. Well, the little one has two cavities and they needed to be filled. Next appointment date available, January 2009. Appointments made. Well, last night they called and they had 2 appointments available, one today, and one tomorrow. Well, I jumped at the chance....off to the dentist this morning we went. Since I go to a pediatric dentist, they always give sedation to the very young, just to make sure they have positive experiences, and do not fear the dentist. This morning I have to give a 5yr old Valium, then off to the dentist we go. They started the laughing gas, numbed the mouth, cavity fixed, off to home we go. On the way home, my little one is trying to talk....it is so funny to listen to a 5 yr talk with his first numb lip, and high on Valium. We are now back home, eating lunch (mashed potatoes and mac & cheese for him, mashed potato chicken bowl for me), watching The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.....Veggie Tales. What could be better for a 5 yr old but staying home from school, eating your favorite, and watching Veggie Tales?

AND THE WINNER IS?????

As the crowd fills the field in anticipation of the game to start, the players are anxiously awaiting for the prior game to finish and their chance to show how tough they have become since their last meeting in the beginning of the season. The last time these two teams meet, the Bulldogs were victorious with the score of 12-6. Will this time be different? Will the top ranked Bulldogs win again, or will the Lions prevail?

The Bulldogs' stands are filled to capacity. The entire football family came out to watch the first ever Division II bowl game. The coaches for all the different teams {flag(4-6yr), mini-pony DI and DII(7-8yr), pony DI(10yr), JV DI and DII(11-12yr), Varsity(up to 8th grade)} are there to watch and cheer their Pony DII players. Pony cheerleaders are there (normally they only cheer for the DI games, but this game is special). All the DI pony players, and half the JV DII players are there. It is wild to see all the support for our little boys. On the other side of the field......where are the fans...wait, there's 1 or 2. Mind you, the Bulldogs had to drive 45 minutes get to the field, the Lions.....their home field is hosting the bowl games

Look at those Lions, they are huge. Wait, are they all DII players? What do you mean they might be playing some of the DI players? This is a DII game, not a DI game. (DI is division 1, DII is division 2....DI are the better players, and mostly 10yrs old, DII players are mostly 9yrs old).

The coin is tossed, Lions win the toss and choose to defer to the second half. We (the Bulldogs) choose to receive the kick-off. The hits are hard, the tackles keep coming. We are unable to move the ball anywhere. Ball turned over to the Lions. They move the ball to their 1 foot line, unable to breakthrough. Our Bulldogs stand their ground. We get the ball on the 1 foot line. Four plays later, we couldn't get the first down, and the Lions see the ball in their hands again. This time they are able to punch though the line, and the crowd becomes silent, as the Lions strike first. No worry, are boys are tough, plus, we now get the ball back. Kick-off, we have the ball on our 40 yard line. The ball is handed off to #5. He breaks through several tackles, one last man to get through then open field ahead. Can he break one more tackle......HE GOT THROUGH. RUN, GO, GO....Oh no, he tripped on his own feet at the 1 yard line. The ball is snapped, the Bulldogs bite back. Score tied 6-6. There it will stay for the rest of the first half.

Second half starts. What did our coach say to our boys? They look like a totally different team out there. They are punching through the offensive line like crazy. Tackles and Sack abound. They are really applying the pressure. Lions are unable to do anything with the ball. Bulldogs have the ball, we keep nipping away at those yards. Every 3 plays or so, huge bites. Those Bulldogs must be starving. We are the next ones to strike and score...bonus time-we even made the extra point attempt. Check the scoreboard.....Bulldogs 13 Lions 6. Lions ball-nothing, unable to move, and turnover on downs. Bulldogs ball.....we are able to push it all the way to the 2 yard line, unable to punch it through. Lions ball. They throw it up for a long pass....interception...RUN, RUN, RUN........YEAH!!!!! Bulldogs 19 Lions 6. Third quarter over. Fourth quarter starts. Second string players will play the remainder of the game, not giving up anything. BULLDOGS WIN!!!!! BULLDOGS WIN!!!!! BULLDOGS WIN!!!!! Now I can stop screaming.

One parent turns to me and tells me, I never thought that anyone was louder that Coach ****, but you take the cake. Football father #1 turns to her and says.....Shoebee is the best FOOTBALL MOM, she just doesn't cheer for her kid, but all the kids. Shoebee blushes....Now, the long drive home with an over excited, overly hungry, sweaty, stinky boy in the car. Driving out of the fields, all the Bulldogs family laughs and points at my car......Written all over the car was GO BULLDOGS GO in good ole Blue and Gold.

*pictures were from first meeting with the Lions.

The Big Game

Today's the day for the big game. My eldest has his footbal bowl game today. So far the team has lost just one game, the first one; and that was by 1 touchdown in the last play of the game. Today, they play one last game. He is so excited and saddened at the same time. Excited to play, sad to see the football season come to a close. This is his first season playing football, and he has fallen in love with the game. He is looking forward to playing again next year......and in college. I am so proud of him. He has been working hard and learning many life skills. He has learned that once you make a commitment, you must stick to it, even if something more fun comes along. He has learned how to work together with a team to acomplish a task. Also, life may give you bumps and bruises, but working hard and pushing through will give rewards.

Never thought that I would be a football mom.

Bathroom

As you all can tell, this is one big mess. It is hard to tell in this picture, but the big hole that you see is the wall with the faucets. Now, if I can get the rest of the plaster off. The fun part is looking through all the different possibilities and deciding on what the room will look like once done. I have a feww decisions already made, but some are still up in the air.

I will keep you all up to date on the progress.

Bathroom Remodel

As I start my blog journey, I start with my escapades of my new project in my wonderful ole house. To introduce, I must let you all know that I live in a grand 90yr old farmhouse. The little house is a mere 3000 sq feet. My mom calls it the Little House on the Prairie. This house has wonderful qualities, but with any old house, many issues. I love the great hardwood floors, the french doors, and all the old wood. The built in buffet, and ironing board (that is used more for cutting apples than ironing), a wood stove, and huge sunken garden tub.
Now with the issues, I have one bathroom that the tub leaks. The problem is with the drain, well, that is not the only problem. The other issue is that the faucets and drain are 50+ yrs old, and they do not make them any more, so they must be replaced. It would be nice if I could do a straight replacement, however, there are 5 faucets and the spicket is where the overflow drain should be. Whoever put it in did quite a terrible job. The tiling job is quite interesting. They glued the tile up. The best part is what is behind the tile, old plaster, but wait, there is somthing on the plaster, it looks like porceline. The fun part will be taking down all that old porceline covered plaster, then removing the wire mesh to get down to the studs. This morning I went to my favorite store, Ace Hardware, and bought a crowbar, started swinging the crowbar on the plaster. My 5 yr old was watching me and he had the best line, "Mom, you're crazy. You just put a hole in the wall." He then went on to tell me that if I put a hole in the wall, then it would be a mouse hole, for the mice to get in. Gotta love kids. He is having a great time helping, but then again, it is so much fun to destroy things.
Well, I will keep you all up to date on my wonderful escapades in the bathroom, and the rest of my life. Hope you keep reading.