Saturday, August 31, 2013

If You Like Piña Coladas

Tropical Oatmeal Muffins
And getting caught in the rain. If you're not into yoga and you have half a brain...I think that's how the song goes. Although in my mind I have made up several versions...and getting caught by the train...if you're not into togas...and you have a toy train...AAAHH! There are other versions, each just as weird and wrong as the next. Why am I stuck on this song? Well it all started with piña colada mix...


and oatmeal...and bananas. You see it all started a few weeks ago when my mother in law gave me a huge bottle of pina colada mix. After receiving a gift like this most people are like....PARTY TIME! Not me...I'm thinking cake...or maybe cookies...or muffins. So I set it aside, waiting for inspiration to hit. Well it did, in the form of this blog...www.theoatmealartist.com...via Pinterest. I think she likes oatmeal...it's hard to tell. I was inspired and this is what I came up with...


Tropical Oatmeal Muffins

2 cups of Quick Oats
2 large bananas well mashed
2 tsp of baking powder
1 cup of piña colada mix
Mix all ingredients well and divide evenly into lightly greased muffin pan.  Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes. Delicious. Quirky loves them. I love them. Dork well...not so much. But you might... So if you like piña coladas...and have Yoda on the brain. I think I might need help...

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Easy Stuffed Tacos...stuffed Mexican Pizzas...Well...

you can call them whatever you like. I call them time well spent in the kitchen with Quirky. Time chatting...giggling...and making something delicious. Time spent together. If we get dinner in the process, well that's even better. 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Peanut butter and chocolate no bake oatmeal bars...

Quirky and I have been baking again...well ok not really baking. We have been making some melt in your mouth oatmeal bars. They are a chocolatey and peanut buttery heaven and they take me back to my childhood and coming home to the smell of my Mom's chocolate oatmeal cookies.  I think these might be just as good... Don't tell mom.

These were fun to make with Quirky because they are quick and easy.Technically you could even use the microwave to boil the milk mixture...making the recipe really kid friendly. I've also decided that this recipe is healthy....it's full of oatmeal...and chocolate...and sugar...and butter. Ok...never mind they are still delicious!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Oscar...we will miss you.



Making Apple Apple Pies...

Ok...I apparently forgot to hit post back when I wrote this.  Well anyway here it is now. 

Quirky and I love the taste of apple pie. In fact saying the word in my head makes my mouth water. We love them so much that most trips to Mc Donald's end with an apple pie. To be honest though at $1.15 for two small pies they are really not that cheap...especially when you consider how cheap, easy, and fun they are to make on your own. So that's what we did...and we'll sorry McDonald's...you may not be getting our apple pie business anymore. Hope it doesn't bring down the business :) So how did we make our Apple Apple Pie?

Monday, June 10, 2013

Pinterest lunch...

Quirky and I have found our new favorite quick and easy lunch. I have Pinterest to thank...well sort of.
You see I've been making crust less mini quiches for years for our lunch. They are quick to put together and once in the oven takes no effort on my part...in other words the perfect lunch when you have to be both teacher and chef. Then, Pinterest came along with all of its beautiful pictures and ideas and well...there it was. Almost like the quiche I've made a hundred times for Quirky but some genius decided to use sliced ham for a crust. I'm not a fan of ham and neither is Quirky so we used thinly sliced turkey instead. She prefers hers with just cheese but I sprinkled mine with cayenne pepper and then a spoonful of salsa once they were out of the oven. So really it was just the mini quiche again but with a meat crust...heart healthy? Probably not. Delicious...definitely. 

Really no recipe is necessary...but if you are really really one of those people who has to have directions then go check out ohsnapletseat.com, she has done a beautiful job of explaining it.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Don't Panic, But School Will Be Starting Soon...

    OK fine, I'll admit it we have a few months. ...yet here I am. Panicking. Our school year has yet to even come to a close I find that my mind and every free moment are completely emersed in the future. Planning. As every homeschooler and teacher can attest our summers are rarely free. My mind...well it's going a mile a minute.  Which textbook should I use...should I use textbooks at all? Is this a reliable resource? How can I integrate technology without it seeming forced and superficial? Will this lesson keep her attention and will she learn? Just what is project based learning? How should I space out my school year...can I fit it all in? What are our goals? and oh yeah....WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING!? AHHHHHH!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

I Have a Voice

Quietly I wait
my heart weighted by stones
For you to notice.
I am here.

Quietly I wait
my thoughts...my words drowning in
the flood of your voice.

Quietly I wait
For a chance to come my way
And with it the hope...
that just for a moment
I will not be the listener...
But the one listened to.

I have a voice...
but it will not be heard
you've dammed your flood and left.
My thoughts...my words
of so little value to you.

I had a voice...
waiting to be heard.


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Great Golden Orb

I watched you...
Great Golden Orb
Bursting forth into the morning
Leaping out of the fire that is the sky.

I watched you...
Great Golden Orb
As the day grew strong
And the flames of the morning
Were drowned in the blue of the sky.

I watched you...
Great Golden Orb
In your twilight
Your strength failing
Your life light waning.

I watched you...
Great Golden Orb
Helpless...as you fell
Consumed whole
By the flames that gave you birth.


Monday, February 25, 2013

You win some...You lose some

     I think might I have mentioned before that I am not a famous chef...nor a fabulous cook. But I can read a recipe and occasionally adapt them to make them my own. The other thing that I can do is admit when something I make goes wrong...

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Shake...Rattle...

It's Sunday morning...Dork is gone...Quirky is upstairs still in bed...and even Oscar is being quiet. Silence...nothing but the birds outside. I quickly make my morning cup of coffee and dash for the sun room and settle in with a warm blanket and my new book. Ahhhh...peace...quiet....relaxation.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Got Polyjuice potion?

     To say that Quirky is a Harry Potter fan might be just a slight understatement...OK a gross understatement. She is a new fan...but a devoted fan. Before you start worrying that she is going to turn stalker to Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, or Emma Watson...don't panic...to her they are Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they live at a school called Hogwarts. She could care less about the real people behind those parts...unless of course they could produce a patronus charm for her...then well things might be different. What does she see in these famous characters that fascinates her so much? Acceptance...I think. Friendship...I'm sure of.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Chicken And Rice Soup By The Bowl

Most of my quick recipes happen out of necessity..."Mom, can I have soup for lunch?" "Ummmmm...sure, just let me pull out my magic wand." Poof! Soup a la Harry Potter style...no not really. What do you really do when you are looking at cabinet with none of your Quirky girl's favorite soups inside...
tell her yes and then make up your own recipe as you go. Lucky for me I had some useful leftovers in the fridge...chicken, rice...add in some frozen mixed vegetables and chicken stock and well...there you go. Soup. It's not rocket science but here is break down of what I did anyway...


1/4 cup diced leftover grilled chicken
1/4 cup frozen vegetables
1/2 teaspoon dry chicken stock
1 cup of water (warmed)
1/2 cup cooked rice

In a microwave safe bowl, thoroughly mix together dry chicken stock and water. Add rest of ingredients...microwave until hot. Then bask in the glory of just having made your kid "homemade" soup.


Thursday, January 17, 2013

So...How was your morning?

How was mine? Well, since you asked...


Me: Looking at kid lying face down on carpet. Why are you lying down?
Quirky: Because.
Me: Because of what?
Quirky: That.
Me: Ok. That what?
Quirky: Case.
Me: Long sigh...ponder in head how iPod case made kid fall over. Give up...make bad decision to start school.
Me half hour later: Spend fifteen minutes trying to explain that multiplication problems don't morph into division problems halfway through working.
Me one hour later: Stop class to draw her attention away from the lines on her knuckles and back to subject at hand.
Me two hours later: Watch as she stares in space pretending to read assignment.

Big Sigh.

So....How was your morning?