Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble, gobble!

Look What I Did

Yes, I did!

I was at one of those gas stations that they shove into a corner spot on a street but there really isn't any space for more than a hot dog stand. And I wanted to go left out of the pump so I could get on the street that took me home. As I was pulling out, a truck pulled in at a much too fast speed and took up most of my right side. When I tried to pull out, then, I cut too close and there was a lovely, nightmarish noise of metal against metal on the rear driver's side.

Fortunately, it didn't dent but it did decide to leave with us a lot of its slate grey paint. How considerate! I backed up and pulled on out of the way, then checked on it. Ugh!

The car was considerably quiet all the way home. Not many words were exchanged. I'm sure my blood pressure was through the roof by the time we got home. I was thinking about how irritated Hubby would get with me and how much it would cost to fix the paint and berating myself too.

Would you like to see it now though?

Yes. It's the same side. I got on the internet (thank you God for the fine people on the internet) and found something that would actually worked despite my misgivings.

Would you like to know what it was?


That's right. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and about 10 minutes. I bet you thought I was going to give you some strange cleaning recipe, huh.

I couldn't believe it! I even made my 11 year old walk outside to look because I was so excited it worked. He's totally into cleaning products (NOT).

In fact, I walked around to the other side where someone's car door had left white paint on ours and it wiped it right off too.

So file that int the back of your mind for sometime in the future when you might need it. I think I might just keep the things on hand all the time now. I already liked them. Now I may put them in my will!

On the Web

Got an email over the weekend. I had submitted a recipe to a website and they posted it on Monday. How cool!

Check out the ramen page here.

Monday's Menu

This is not so much a recipe as a.... hmm.... technique maybe. Saturday was our third FCH class and the last thing we made was a lot of fun for the girls. In fact, it provided another of those 'wow' moments.

We made shortcut doughnuts. The ones that are literally done in five minutes or so. With no mixing. Or yeast. The only special item you need is what I called "a highly technical kitchen tool." All of the girls got a giggle over that when they saw what it was. A Dasani water bottle (although you can use any brand you want -- or even something similar you have on hand).

The 'wow' moment came when I turned over my example one in the oil and suddenly it looked like a doughnut rather than a doughy biscuit. They were all amazed and let out a collective "ohhh" that made me giggle a little.

How do you do it? Well you open a can of biscuits and pull out one. Then you use the opening of the bottle (or your own highly technical kitchen tool) and press in the center of the biscuit. If the hole gets stuck in your bottle, you simply squeeze the bottle quickly and the air pressure will pop it right out.

Then you heat some oil to 375 degrees and drop your 'doughnut' in (don't forget the holes), turning it over when it browns, and taking it out when it is brown all over. Very quick. Very easy.

And very yummy -- especially with some cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar sprinkled on. Of course, you can put a glaze on them too if you like or frosting or whatever.

I am so enjoying the FCH class. I only wish that I had a large enough house to do it at home so I wouldn't have to carry every single thing to the church building. But then we wouldn't have all the nice big tables either. So I guess there's always pros and cons either way.

These would be a fun thing to do with your kids although you would need to be VERY careful around the hot oil. Even letting them stand back and watch while you do the cooking part is really only for school aged children. But any child can do the hole cutting, especially if you use a bottle without sharp edges. And then everyone can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Quick and Easy Doughnuts

Canned biscuits
Oil
Topping if desired such as powdered sugar, cinnamon, frosting, or glaze

Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Cut holes in biscuits using a round cutter or bottle top. Cook doughnuts in oil until brown on both sides (turning as necessary). Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Dust with sugar or frost as desired. Enjoy while warm.

Happy L.I.D.-iversary to Us!

Well it's LID-iversary # 3. I really hope we don't celebrate a fourth!

Maybe I should get some of these to celebrate.

Still pregnant on paper...

Thanksgiving Program Props

Once I moved out of my parent's house, I didn't think I'd have to buy fishing lures again for myself. Not because I wouldn't necessarily go fishing, but because I don't generally fish for things that need rubbery, slimy worms to capture.

But yet, these have been sitting on my counter for a week.

And they will be used today. But not for fishing.

My children's school always celebrates Thanksgiving. And they particularly like the first Thanksgiving. Today my son will be a Pilgrim surgeon. I sewed him up a butcher's apron (that type apron - not to imply anything about surgeons) that will be worn over his black pants and white shirt. They will be doing the same long poem the Chick did in that class. This is what I put together for her performance that year.

Unfortunately, the Dude didn't wear his to school so I couldn't get a picture of him. But you've already seen one of his props.

He debated between pliers (as in for pulling teeth) and this...

A jar full of leaches. Yes, that's what its supposed to be. I even attempted to hot glue one to the inside so it would look to be crawling up the side. But the slimy little suckers wouldn't stick. And that's after being washed with Dawn. So instead he just has his jar with a pile of leaches in the bottom.

Can you say "ewwww"?

Oak Trees and Grass

In our Wednesday night class, we have been studying the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby (and others). This past week's chapter had to do with how to handle God's assignments for you. Actually it dealt with how to handle it when the assignment you believe God has given you isn't going right. He talked about how it shouldn't frustrate you if things don't seem to go well. He suggested that you confirm your assignment and make sure you didn't take over and do it your way instead of waiting on God.

In fact, a large portion of it was about just that -- waiting on God.
Doing things God's way.
Knowing that His timing is right and perfect.

Hmm. Sound familiar to anyone. It hit me pretty much in the face -- both when I read it and then when we discussed it again last night. That's what this last part of the adoption has been. Waiting on God. And waiting some more.

I know that my friends and family probably don't realize it but the adoption is constantly on my mind. I think about it daily and, I would even venture to say, hourly throughout the day. Everything that I talk about or experience goes through that filter along with the other filters of my life and personality. Most people who ask about it are kind of like, "Hey whatever happened with that adoption?" or "anything new with the adoption?" I don't mind those questions at all and I'm glad people ask them. But I know what it is to live moment to moment with it either in the corner of or the forefront of my mind. I've come to understand what it is like to have something like that going on and to be in wait. I've come to a new empathy for people who are in wait.

So, to hear a discussion about it was just an affirmation that we are "in wait" and there's a reason. His example was that grass grows quickly and dies quickly but an oak tree takes time to grow and mature. You have to wait for it. I know there's a reason for this wait.

In four days, we will celebrate (?) our third LID anniversary. That's 3 years plus 3 months of dossier compilation plus a few months deciding to do it. And I suppose you could even count the two years before that when we first researched it and then waited for God to tell us to go with it. This has been a part of our lives for a long time. And yet we continue to wait.

Already on this journey I have matured and grown. But I guess I'm still growing. And I'm thankful that God is in the business of growing oaks. If there is a child at the end this or not, I will have become a stronger and sturdier child of His. I know He's preparing me for eternity. And my trust is in Him.