Check out the new & very-improved gluten free bread recipe here: Gluten Free White Bread.

Today there was an upgrade on WordPress, the blogging software that I use. It was easy-peasy, as Emma says.

There are some great old blogs that have been so helpful to me, as I begin the whole blogging adventure. If you start your own blog, I highly recommend these sites:

WordPress, & Darren Rowse, & Lorelle on Wordpress.

Happy 2008, Mommies! May your new year be filled with quiet moments and enough gratitude to overflow its banks.

Hugs,

Cathy

Hello Mommies,

I want to share a picture with you - a man. I met him last night at a meeting I was attending. He was wearing jeans, cotton shirt, jacket.  Probably late 30’s/ early 40’s.  One of those big masculine watches on one arm; rolled-up sleeves, tanned arms, hard-working kind of face.  On a scale of calm to boisterous, I would say he fell heavily into the calm side.  He seemed to be quite authentic: no pretense; nothing to prove.  This was the first time I’d met him.

What struck me the most about him, was his humanity.  Somehow, seeing him out of his element, I could see past the wet and smelly clothes.  Although he ate with a sense of urgency, he also seemed to keep his dignity.  It struck me that he is still a man - with the same needs for respect, and independence, and friendship.

After that meeting, I ran from the building into my van to avoid the rain.  I drove home to my comfortable house and the thought actually crossed my mind that I should complain about the windshield wipers!  I sat in our living room with my dear Mike and watched the Christmas tree lights.

Somehow, the stain on the carpet or the dirty laundry didn’t seem like such a big deal.  There was a moment to just sit in the quiet and be thankful for our blessings.  Why don’t you take the time to meditate, relax or pray in the silence?  It is food for a hungry soul!

Wishing you peace and quiet this coming week.

Hugs,

Cathy

Hello Mommies,

This week has been a write off emotionally for me.  It was wonderful and peaceful, and still I’m just spent!

Our mid-week project I picked is something that I’ve already done (phew!) :)  Packaging that leftover turkey!  My family is not big on the brothy soups - creamy is okay, but all-in-all, not soup people.   So I freeze the turkey to use later in wraps or rice bowls.  Here’s the very difficult how-to: 

1. tear the meat off the bones, into little bits.  the bigger bits I cut up with a knife when I’m done.
2. Put 2 cups of cooked turkey into freezer baggie.
3. freeze - lasts for up to 2 months, I think.

Hope that you are having a bit of a cooking break this week after all the hoop-la.   To keep it low-key, I’ve done turkey nacho’s for lunch today ~ turkey soup w/ broken spagetti noodles for dinner last night ~ and plain old nuked turkey the day before that!
I love not cooking sometimes!

Happy Thursday mommies!

Cathy

Finding space that you didn’t know you had!

Here are some overlooked storage spaces that you may have:

• Under the sink: the space from the counter downwards. Click this pic for a nice article on maximizing this space.

• Click the pic (yes, it is martha!) to read a great article on how to transform an Ikea box into a very nice under-the-bed drawer.
• Under the ceiling in the closets: have you looked at that tall space that is between the ceiling and the stuff on the top shelf? Something that high up needs to house things that are used less often, and are light. I use that for pillows, sleeping bags, and guest bedding.
• Behind the computer monitor: Now that we have that flat screen monitor, behind our lovely monitor is a great place to hide the cables, and boxy technical-thing-a-ma-jigs.
• Behind the furniture: What do you do to hide storage behind the couch or loveseat?

Good morning, Mommies,

I hope that your Christmas was lovely, and fun-filled. I was going to write “easy” but I think that would be a pipe-dream! I was so exhausted last night, I hit the hay around 8PM! We’ve always put our kids to bed early: 7PM. And most days, I’m very grateful for that. This morning, my eldest awoke with a chest cold and cough. Poor thing - she rarely gets sick, so it looks like today might be a hanging-out kinda day. I love those days! Lots of juice, lots of rest & TV - that’s this mommy’s plan for today.

My heart is overflowing today with gratitude for my family. I have three wonderful girls who are all healthy. I have a wonderful husband who loves me inspite of some glaring character flaws. Why can’t my character flaws be cute and tiny? lol

I’m very grateful for this great resource that we have at our disposal - the internet! How cool is that? Here are some blogs that I follow, should you want to play around a bit today on your ‘puter:

• Search Engine for Digital Scrapbooking Freebies
• Brain candy: Celebrity Baby Blogs! & of course: People Mag online!
• Design her gals: design a cartoon of yourself! Skinny, blonde, preggo, etc. very cute!
• Download your fav TV show, with torrent software. They have great seeds on this site.
• Great inspirational prayers from historic figures like Saint Augustine, and the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Have a great, family-filled Boxing Day, Mommies.

Hugs,
Cathy