Housing Slump?

I hear there is a housing slump.

This is the view from my front porch.



Of course, you noticed the backhoe and obvious goings on at the first house. Did you notice the framing of a new house going on 2 doors down? That is another new house.

This is the view from my back fence.


The first thing you will notice is that there is no house behind my house. It was torn down to make room for a new house. Across from the lot are 2 actually under construction. The one on the left is new and almost done. The one on the right is a major redo. They have more than doubled the size of the house. There is another one to the left of the one on the left that you can't see. It is also new. And that is not counting the 5 other new houses on that block, 2 of which are actually 3 (4?) story duplexes. There used to be 8 addresses on that block. When all is said and done, there will be 15.

You see why we want to move. It is going to be as crowded here as it is in the suburbs soon!

Harvest Time - 2

You know what that is? Pathetic is not the answer I am looking for! That is our first bean of the fall harvest. Not quite as impressive as the basil, but hey, I actually planted beans! What do you expect?

To be fair, there are a few other beans on the vines. Not many, but one of us might be able to have a side dish of them.

And the tomatoes have some very promising looking blooms on them. I'm hoping to see something there soon.

OK, so it is pathetic. I can only hope that I would have greater success in an actual garden situation and not a cleared spot in the front flower bed.

Harvest Time

Because we were planning on moving this summer, I did precious little in the yard other than dig up things that I wanted to take with me. Fortunately, I had a large basil bush volunteer from last year's bunch.


It has made not moving and not having anything fun going on in the yard a little more bearable.

Today I decided it was harvest time. I chopped the bush back significantly. See.


Not bad considering I didn't even plant any basil this year. It has been washed and is not sitting in my oven with only the light on. This keeps it warm enough to dry it out but not so hot that it cooks it. The best part is, with the weather in these here parts, that same bush will probably sprout new growth and we will be in the fresh basil business again soon. Did someone say bruschetta?

Does this tree look sad to you?

Our neighborhood is being "improved" again. The cute, old house across the street is being moved to make way for something new. Now, this is certainly preferable to the tearing down that usually takes place. I'm glad it will find new life somewhere else. I am just skeptical until I see what will go in its place. It's not always what I would consider an improvement.

They are also removing several trees from the property. This is all that remains of a 40+ foot tall palm tree that was knocked down. While I hold no particular affection for palm trees, this one just seemed a little shocked at what had happened to it, don't you agree?

Can I just say...

...that Beth Moore totally rocks. I feel so blessed to be able to partake of her genuine excitement for the word of God. If the fact that she is anointed to teach wasn't enough to love her, she is a ditsy, blond chick who likes to get her nails done and play dress up everyday. She gives hope to the rest of us ditsy, blond chicks that God can use us for His glory.

Last week she started her new study on Esther. It won't be available for publication until next year, but she is trying it out on us hometown girls. It's subtitle is "It's Tough Being a Woman". She has spoken to an overflowing crowd both sessions. This is a study that will speak to a lot of women. In the study she asks if "a negative event or near eternal wait recently made you lose hope about something important to you". HELLO?!?!?! Welcome to my world!!! Has she been reading my blog? No, you ditsy, blond chick, you, God has.

I anxiously await God's word for me as this study unfolds. I doubt I will ever be queen of Persia, but I know God has something exciting for me to do. I am so ready to do it!

Bulgur Pilaf

This is quickly becoming one of our family favorites. I have started making bulgur every time I think of having rice as a side dish. We have been eating brown rice lately with mixed reviews. This makes a nice substitute, has more than twice the fiber, and is a whole grain. It does not have that chewy texture that brown rice can have. It is soft and fluffy and easy to dress up.

If you don't know what bulgur is, it is whole wheat kernels that have been boiled, dried, and crushed. Arab, Israeli, and Roman people have been using it for centuries. If you have ever had tabbouleh, you have had bulgur.

Let's get started.

First, get yourself a saucepan. Melt a pat of butter in the bottom. I also add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add half of medium onion, chopped, and mince a garlic clove or two.


When those get going good, chop up a couple of carrots and throw those in.


OH, NO!

This is where I would normally throw in a handful of frozen peas. But there are no peas in the freezer! Never mind. I have some green beans that need to be eaten. I'll throw those in instead. I will chop them up first.


Let that simmer for a few minutes, say 3, and then throw in cup of bulgur and 2 cups of chicken broth. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Measure it in your hand and act like you know what you are doing.



Bring that to a boil.


Then transfer the whole mess to a lightly buttered dish.


Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

You will then have a lovely side dish to your lovely dinner. Enjoy!


Here is your recipe:


Bulgur Pilaf

1 Tbl butter
Half a medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 handfuls of frozen peas (or a fistful of chopped green beans)
1 tsp salt
1 cup bulgur
2 cups chicken broth

Saute' butter, onion, and garlic in a saucepan with a little water. When onions are tender, add chopped carrots and peas. Simmer for 3 more minutes. Add bulgur, salt, and broth. Bring to a boil. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Fluff and enjoy!


By the way, I often throw in some leftover chicken after it is cooked and make it a one dish meal.

Barbie Is Not What She Used To Be

I played with Barbie's when I was growing up. Barbie was pretty much a regular girl. Albeit, a somewhat glamorous and well endowed regular girl, but a regular girl just the same. She played in a house, drove a nice car, and always had an exciting career as an astronaut or veterinarian. Now she is pretty much a princess. Well, I guess really, she is an actress.

If you are not familiar with the current line of Barbie movies, you are missing out on an entire little girl subculture and thriving merchandising market. There is essentially an "acting troupe" of ...well, um, people. They are all animated, but they are animated people, so for the sake of argument we will call them people. Anyway, there are all of these movies with all the same people in them playing different characters. Barbie is always the lead character and frequently a princess.

Today the girl and I went to a sneak preview of the latest Barbie movie, Barbie as the Island Princess. While the event in and of itself was rather disappointing all around, we did get to share a private moment with Barbie herself. She was kind and sweet and told my angel how pretty she was. That has to count for something.

Here is what we choose to remember about our morning.

Our Favorite Cookies

These are so healthy and hearty that they are hardly cookies. You can eat them any time and not feel guilty.

I use butter. I almost never use shortening, but it is an adequate substitute if you don't want to use butter for some reason that I can't come up with. I have never used margarine and I avoid the stuff like the plague that it is, so I can't really speak to whether or not that would work.

I usually use the white and brown sugars, but one day I was looking in my cabinet and found this:I bought it for a recipe I was going to make at Christmas and never used it. It looked like it needed to feel needed, so I substituted it for both sugars and used 2/3 of cup of it. It is a much coarser grain that your regular sugars are, but I kind of liked and ended up using it several times. No one seemed to mind. If you have some raw sugar hanging out in your cabinet, give it a try.

I use the same milled flax seed that I used in the muffins.

I also have a secret weapon. Both of my kids will claim that they don't like nuts in their cookies, but they both regularly eat nuts in their cookies. Observe.

OK, I need a better camera, but here is the basic idea. I throw a bunch of pecans in the food processor. When they are finely chopped, I place them in a plastic container 1/4 cup at a time, separated by little sheets of wax paper that I cut for the occasion. I stick in in the freezer and just pull out a little section every time we make these cookies. That is about once a week.

And the oats. You can use any oats you like. I prefer the super thick ones that take you a full 12 minutes to cook if you are making a bowl for breakfast.

You will probably have to look for them in the section of your grocery store that has the healthy cereal.

Now let's make some cookies!



Here's the basic recipe:


Yummy Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup raisins or chocolate chips or craisins or some other dried fruit of your choice

Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Add other ingredients in order and beat until mixed.

When I put them on the cookie sheet, I make little balls and them squish them a little.


It makes for a nice shaped cookie.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.

See. Aren't they lovely? And yummy.




Your batch should be a little bigger. I saved back some dough for the girl. She just loves cookie dough. She came by that honestly!


Enjoy!

They Are Off

Well, the nephew and his lady have left. It was a good visit. We didn't even bother to hint that we want them home for Christmas or that we would like to have them move here. We flat out told them. I even showed them some real estate. They are thinking about trying to buy a condo or something in California. I showed them a nice, 4 bedroom house with a pool that they could get here for less money. Let's hope some seeds were planted. And that they take root. I took a picture of "my four" before they left. It's not a great shot, but it makes me happy. I think I need to look into getting a new camera. This one is getting increasingly blurry if I'm not very close to my subject.

"Zucchini" Muffins

I put zucchini in quotes because that is what the base recipe is, but we don't want to be limited by labels! Throw in a carrot, a yellow squash, an apple, or sweet potato even. Have fun! Live dangerously! Eat your veggies without even knowing it!

This recipe is one of the staples of my daughters diet. We try to always have some on hand. This is one of her only sources of vegetables. They freeze well, so make a big batch and you won't have to bake so often.

I use a few ingredients that you may not be familiar with.


I want my muffins to be as healthy as possible. I use a traditional whole wheat flour as well as white whole wheat flour. The white wheat flour is milled from a white wheat rather than the traditional red wheat. It has a lighter color and texture than the other whole wheat. You could probably use all whole wheat if you wanted, but it would be a heavier muffin.

I also use coconut oil. It is much better for you, but it is more expensive. We don't use a lot of oil, so I make the sacrifice and go for the good stuff.

I make sure I use a baking powder that is aluminum free.

I have also started using milled flax seed. It is just sitting there on the shelf in the grocery store with your flours. It's not very expensive and adds protein, fiber, and omega-3. I throw in a couple of tablespoons in most of my baking.

Let's begin, shall we?



This is what I had on hand today. I saved the apple and just made squash/zucchini/carrot muffins today.

Most people would be perfectly happy with their veggies shredded thus:


If that is you and yours, more power to you. I personally like a little something to excite my mouth when I eat. The daughter who eats these muffins to stay alive does not agree. I transfer the veggies chopped so nicely in the food processor to the blender where they then turn into this:


It's not nearly as colorful or as inviting, but it gets the job done. It disappears into the batter and the muffins actually get eaten.

Here is the recipe.


"Zucchini" Muffins

1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups grated, raw zucchini (or mixture of veggies)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins

Blend the oil and the sugars. Add eggs and zucchini and mix well. Sift together dry ingredients and then mix with the wet mixture. If you puree your veggies, your mixture will look something like this:



And it will smell really good. Mmmm. I love cinnamon.

I, of course, never add the nuts or raisins. If you do, your batter will be lumpier.

Also, as a side note, I usually put in more veggies than the recipe calls for. Today I used only 2 1/2 cups, but I have used as much as 4 cups and gotten the same result. I say go for it. The more veggies, the better. Oh, and I cut the sugar to about 2/3 cup each. They are still sweet enough.

Bake in a 350 degree oven.

I always make muffins. Usually mini muffins. Muffins take between 16 and 20 minutes to cook, depending on the size muffin you make and your oven. You can also make it into a loaf, but it will take about an hour to cook.

And, there you have it, healthy muffins for a fussy eater.


Having said all that I will add that if you want to use all the recommended sugar and add a nice cream cheese frosting, this makes a tasty sweet snack.

Enjoy!

Simplifying

I think I am going to try to take everything from the food blog and just put it on this one. There just doesn't seem to be much sense in having two of these things. I can barely keep up with one. I'm going to go ahead and put the recipes over here and then delete the other blog. Let's see how it goes! I'll do it over several days.

Honey Lamb's Honey

This is Honey Lamb's Honey. They are engaged. She is very sweet. They have been visiting from California for far too short a time and are planning to leave any day now. I'm trying not to think about it.

We have had such fun while they have been here. I have even gotten to enjoy my city a little showing her around. We have seen museums, parks, all the sports arenas, downtown, the ship channel, giant presidential heads, and the feed store. It has been fun. I wonder if it enough to make her feel Texan? : )

I'm Back

Well, I will try to be. Things are settling down a little. We spent the weekend away visiting with my BFF and her family. It was quick but lovely. We awoke to this lovely scene.



There were horses down the road, but they wouldn't cooperate. It was quite hot. I don't blame them preferring their shady spot.

And as lovely as it was, this is what we said goodbye to:



The play was darling. My BFF was an amazing wicked witch. Her girls were very cute little munchkins.


Her husband was a guard and a winkie (if you don't know, don't ask), but he changed before I got backstage with the camera. He will have to settle for local fame and not the world wide fame his family will enjoy.

We are glad to be home. The chickens missed their time out while we were away, but gave us eggs just the same. The dogs were glad to see us. The fish didn't seem to care one way or the other. And the toads were happy with the crickets they got today. We are all still tired from our quick turn around trip, but all is well at the "farm".

I will try to be back online more. I am hoping to get settled in the school groove this week.

Still Out Here

I'm still out here, but I probably won't make it back for a few days. My Honey Lamb is home from California with his fiance. (I need to come up with a name for her!) We are still settling in to the new school routine. And we are heading out to see my BFF in a production at her local children's theater. I promise pictures. It should be awesome.

Poll

I have a poll on the left of the blog. Please take a look at it and vote. I'm trying to figure out a few things. Thanks.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

We have had 2 inquiries on the house this week.

One was from a nice and very sincere lady who was driving by and really liked our house. She apparently wasn't aware of the going price for things in the neighborhood. She has already been approved for a loan - for only slightly more than the 2 bedroom next door went for this summer.

The other inquiry came in the mail. Lar talked to them and they will "get back with us". We had one of those last summer. It is probably an investor who has never put eyes on the house, but rather was trolling the tax rolls for large lots. They look for cheap old houses on large lots, tear them down, and put up as many more as the law allows. Our house isn't a tear down. I don't really expect to hear back from them.