Dinner Time!

When we call our kids to the table, there is the sound of feet thumping up and down the stairs, water running, fussing from the littlest one as she gets a bit jostled around the bathroom sink, more feet thudding into the kitchen and then the typical tussle as they all try to get into the same seat.  We have two long benches on either side of our kitchen table and inevitably all four kids seem to be vying for one of the two seats closest to Mom or Dad.  That is a rather rowdy start to any meal!

In an attempt to lessen the rumpus and ruckus around the dinner table, I made little tent cards to use as place cards. Or I should say, Norah made them.  She chose pictures of each kiddo and a fun font and color for their names.  We printed them on creamy card stock and folded them so that they could stand at the top of each plate, designating each child's seat.  It worked great!

The kids showed up at the table that first evening and there was no wrestling or drama.  Each little person plopped down at their place and we enjoyed our pizza dinner.  However ... upon clearing the table, Aaron's place card was missing.  Gone.  MIA.  Somehow his card disappeared after only one use.  It makes my head hurt sometimes!

By the end of the week, Ashley's place card had gotten wet and her name and part of her chin was smeared.  Norah's was still looking okay, but Lydia's card had been folded multiple times across her face and one corner looked a bit chewed.

Hmmm ... it was a good idea, but the delivery needed some work.

Ta-dah!

New and improved ... and still in one piece ... name place blocks!

I had four wooden blocks to which I Modge-Podged their faces (or, at least, pictures of their faces!), along with their names and a few characteristics that I believe describe them well.  It was a fun project and a memorable moment in which I was able to use a few words to capture some of the bits about them that I love:

Aaron

Lego Master

Big Bro

Dashing

Norah

Gymnast

Big Sis

Beauty

Ashley

Cheerleader

Middle Sis

Sweetie

Lydia

Helper

Baby Sis

Princess


As I glued the pictures and attributes to my little wooden blocks, God brought to mind the banquet table that He is preparing for His children.  While the Bible doesn't come right out and say, "God is setting a ginormous table for all those who trust in Jesus and it's going to be an amazing shindig!" ... there are a few verses that compare heaven to a banquet and the picture that He paints gives me the impression that it promises to be quite a celebration.

In John 14:15-23 Jesus describes a "feast in the kingdom of God."  It is a parable that He told with the purpose of compelling to His hearers to respond to His message of salvation.  "Don't be one of the guests who reject my invitation ... come to the feast!"

In Isaiah 25:6-8, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah about a time in the future when He would, "prepare a feast of rich foods for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines."  He goes on to describe the dinner guests:  welcomed in to God presence, free from death, joyful and unashamed.  That is quite the party!

This idea of a heavenly banquet also shows up in paintings, poetry and music.  It is a beautiful promise of hope and wholeness.  And as I worked on my little name blocks, I thought about what God would put on my place card.

What would be on my little wooden block, inviting me to sit down and enjoy the celebration?

My name, perhaps:  my married name, my maiden name or God's own name for me?

A few roles I have filled: wife, mother, daughter, writer, friend?

Several attributes ... hopefully ones I'd like to have on my block:  loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled (the fruit of the spirit)?

Any other descriptions that God would choose:  servant, obedient, listener, present?

What about you?
Do you have a place at the table?
What would be on your name place?

P.S.  I'm thrilled to announce that they work great and we haven't lost one yet!

Day 1:  Mom in the Midst

Day 2:  My Button is Lame

Day 3:  Splendidly Lavish

Day 4:  Keeping My Head Above Water

Day 5:  Time-Warp Wednesday ~ Little Me

Day 6:  Me, Myself & I

Day 7:  Food For Though ~ Bacon

Day 8:  The Aches and Pains of Service

Day 9:  I Heart You

Day 10:  Who is Me? {part 1}

Day 11:  Who is Me? {part 2}

Day 12:  Who is Me?  {part 3}

Day 13:  Handmade with Care

Day 14:  Food For Thought ~ Carmel & Apples

Day 15:  A Bunch of Rocks

Day 16:  Not Recycled ... Redeemed

Day 17:  What Do You Do?

Day 18:  Washed on the Delicate Cycle

Day 19:  Know Thy Limits

Day 20:  One Snapshot ~ Many Stories

Day 21:  Food For Thought ~ Malt-O-Meal

Day 22:  Cartwheeling for Jesus

Day 23:  Take a Load Off

Day 24:  Listen!  Do You Smell Something?

Day 25:  Dinner Time!

Food for Thought

I don't know about you, but packing my kid's school lunches everyday is right up there with, umm ... well ... dusting.

School starts up again and there is the potential for me to feel a sense of dread.  A sinking feeling of, "What will I make?  And will they eat it?"  A grumpy attitude of, "How many lunches will I pack this year?  One hundred and eighty times two.... sigh ..."  A puzzlement over how to make this more of my kids' jobs and less of mine.

About this time last year, I posted our "Weekly Lunch Plan" that worked wonders for simplifying our lunch dilemma.  We're back at it again this year, only this time ... they are packing many of their lunch parts the night before!  Yipee!

In place of shuffling into the kitchen after putting the kids to bed and spending the next 20 minutes making sandwiches, dishing out yogurt and doling out crackers and treats, I am taking 2 minutes to scribble love notes, popping them into the "all ready to go" insulated lunch bags and ducking back out of the kitchen to hang out with my hubby.  This hand-off of meal-making has brought a smile to my face ... thanks kids!

Here is the "Weekly Lunch Plan" that we use.

Weekly Lunch Menu

The kids circle their meal choices for the week prior to my grocery shopping trip.  When shopping I try to keep in mind the food items that they have chosen, but they also realize that sometimes substitutions will be required.

The kids pack their sandwiches and sides the night before and slide their insulated bags into the fridge.  The next morning, they pull their mini water bottles out of the freezer (half frozen with ice water) and fill  up the remaining amount with their drink of choice.  These little water bottles keep their lunches chilled while also treating them to an icy drink at lunch time.  I scribble love notes on Norah's napkin, while Aaron has requested his love notes to be written on post it notes ... a little less mushy, I guess.

I hope this little tip helps you out ... because with this crew to keep fed,
I know I need all the help I can get!

First day of school ... Ashley's just a little excited.

Right? Right.

It's just a sticker, right?

Just a piece of paper with an adhesive backing that allows said picture to be stuck to nearly any surface.  With the greatest of ease, a piece of craft paper, a kitchen table or your van's back seat can be decorated with Dora the Explorer, Disney princesses, sports paraphernalia, glittery jewels, scratch-n-sniff circles and jungle animals!

But is it really just a sticker?

This week, we have had the joy of having an extra little buddy around during the day.  For a few hours a day, Ashley has enjoyed having a little person with whom to play.  Someone her size.  And her speed.

At first, I was a little anxious about having an extra friend - increasing our day-time movers and shakers to five.  How would she mesh with our kids and our routine?  How would our kids do with having to share Mom for a bit?  How would we keep things fun and happy?

Answer?

Stickers!

My eldest daughter decorated five pieces of computer paper with each child's name and a few "starter" stickers.  After taping them to the pantry door, we talked about how we could add more bling and glitter to our pages.  Here's what we came up with ...

First time obedience,
Putting shoes where they live,
Washing hands before and after meals,
Using your manners,
Sharing toys well,
Saying sorry, and
Taking turns

... all earned stickers.  Pretty simple really, but where the kids saw fun and decorations, I saw sanity and harmony.  It's actually quite amazing how quickly even our little guest picked up on the perks of being "quick and snappy" in obedience ... especially if she got to choose a, "birthday cupcake sticker" to add to her page.  In fact, today when she arrived, she plopped her shoes and socks next to the front door (where the live) and then ran to me excitedly, "Mrs Rogan ... can I have a sticker?!"

You bet!

At the end of the week, she'll get to take home her work of art ... and a little preschool pride in a job well done here at the Kellum house.

A big rainbow balloon stuck to an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of white paper ...

It's just a sticker?  Right ...

__________________________________

Prompt #4 ~ Write a post that begins and ends with the same sentence.   Or at least the same words. :)

It's the Little Things

As you may have noticed though out this blog, I do like spending time in the kitchen:  cooking and baking.  I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that my mom also enjoys cooking and baking and when we were kids, we spent much of our time right alongside my mom "helping out".  Our kitchen, growing up, was certainly the center of the home, the place where we spent time cooking, eating and being together.  I have wonderful snapshot memories of dancing cornish game hens, playing the "what's that seasoning?" game with Allison and preparing the huge, burrito buffet when the Gansers came to visit.

Not surprisingly, our home is much the same!  We have a stencil on the kitchen wall that reads "The Gathering Place" and I love that the kids gravitate to the kitchen.  We often joke that we have 2,200 square feet, but we all end up in the kitchen!  It's where we eat, chat and sometimes dance.  (Although, truth be told, there are times when I would rather be able to hide in the kitchen and have some peace and quiet!)

Seeing as I spend about half my day in the kitchen, I have learned a few little "tricks of the trade" that I thought I would pass on to you.  These are all just little things that make a big difference in the ease of preparing food and also in the final result.  They are not in any particular order ... just as they have come to mind:

• I use a "garbage bowl" when preparing meals.  I got the idea from Rachel Ray.  I have a red bowl I bought from Wal-Mart for $1 and I use it for all the scraps that I cut off, peel and trim from the meal's makings.  It saves me multiple trips to the trashcan.  We are considering composting and I'm sure that this will come in handy for that sorting, too.
• When I make steak fries (like tonight) I line the pan with aluminum foil before broiling the potatoes.  This gives me a quick clean-up at the end of cooking:  just roll it up and toss it away.  This also works for breaded chicken.
• I prefer to use fresh garlic in my recipes.  I think that there is a difference in flavor.  I love my Pampered Chef garlic press.  A day doesn't go by that it isn't in the dish drain :).  I think that having stronger flavors in my food helps me to eat a bit less ... more flavor means less need to eat a lot because my mouth gets done from tasting!
• I have another Pampered Chef tool that I love.  I use my little brown scraper all the time:  scraping pans, counter tops and the left-over dough from the bowl after making bread.  Saves me from gunking up the kitchen sponge.
• I love to use coarse salt in my recipes.  It adds an extra little "pow" to any dish.  I love when toasting french bread to sprinkle a little salt after the butter.  Yum!
• A pair of kitchen scissors are essential when using herbs.  It's a lot easier to use the shears to cut up the chives or basil right into the bowl in place of chopping them on a board.
• To make super light and fluffy scrambled eggs, add a teaspoon of water after whisking them.  The added moisture keeps the eggs from drying out.
• Peruse the day-old bread cart at the grocery store for yummy breads that are perfect for french toast.  It doesn't matter that it's a tad bit stale as the bread will be that much more thirsty for the egg batter.  That is where I find really good raisin bread that I would never buy at full price, but at half-price, it's a meal! :)
• Before measuring out sticky ingredients, spray the measuring cup or spoon with just a little oil.  The peanut butter or honey will slide right out.  (I also us my Pampered Chef measure-all for sticky stuff, but sometimes this is still an easier clean-up.)
• After cooking meat, I pour the grease into an old aluminum can that I keep in the freezer.  That is an easy way to dispose of the fat ... one solid mass.  I confess that I have trouble remembering each week that it's in there and I currently have 3 different cans ... but it is easy! :)
• I like to use a squirt of fresh lime juice when making Mexican food.  A little splash makes the meal taste so very fresh!
• Make your own home-made croutons.  First get some day-old bread (see above) in a yummy flavor (sourdough, foccacia, garlic, etc.) and then cut it into cubes. Toss it in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and a little dried italian seasoning.  Then spread the cubes out on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 225 degrees until they are dried out (20-minutes or so).  Turn them a few times to brown all the sides.  They taste so much better than store-bought!
• I have a pepper grinder that I use ... there is wonderful flavor in fresh cracked pepper.  Little things like fresh pepper can change an entire recipe!
• When you are cooking veggies, to stop them for over-cooking and losing their color, drain them in a colander and then dump them in a bowl of water and ice cubes.  This arrests the heat while keeping your green beans bright green.  Then you can use them at room temperature or re-heat them a bit for a hot dish.  They look so pretty when they are the right color!
• This is a tip from my mom:  when serving a hot drink, fill the mugs with hot tap water before filling them with your drink of choice.  This will keep your coffee/cocoa/tea hot longer ... and it's great to hold on these cool, fall mornings.

Well ... that's all that's coming to mind today :)  I'm sure I will add some other tricks of the trade - you can look for additions from me and other readers by checking the extra page, "Tricks 'n' Tips", found to the left of this post.  Let me know tricks what you have in your apron ... 

Happy cooking!