Okay, it is not really made of cardboard. It just tastes like it is. Cardboard and sugar, no flavor whatsoever. I am really glad I had to go to a special bakery 45 minutes away to buy it too, since it is the only place to get a completely kosher cake anywhere near Stepford. My home made ( Okay, okay, Betty Crocker boxed) cakes are much better!!
Oh well at least it was cute, and I did get to design it. Oh, and J was happy.
So we have been doing some extra cooking, actually I have been trying to teach the kids where things come from, like bread and cheese. So this morning, Miss B and I made some homemade from scratch Cottage Cheese
And yesterday N made Children in the Corn's wheat rolls, They are just as good as she says they are, but I must confess we cheated a bit. N threw all the ingredients into the bread machine on the dough setting, and then we just cut into pieces and baked them!!! No refrigerating or anything!!! Aba and I were discussing that they should make great hamburger buns!!!
We have tons, and have decided to repurpose it into....
I have been reading all over the Internet about this new? government (USDA) program that is being implemented, and boy am I confused!!!
From what I understand NAIS is a voluntary program for farmers, homesteaders, and ranchers to register their property and their livestock so that the animals can be tracked from birth to slaughter. Okay, I understand someone might want to know where an animal has been, but what is wrong with just keeping a log? and this is supposed to combat terrorism by preventing terrorists from doing something to our food sources. Now, this is where I started to get confused. A terrorist is going to give a cow TB or something and kill the country???
Then I read where NAIS is completely voluntary, but in Michigan there is a case where they got a search warrant to tag all of the cows and in Colorado kids were banned from participating in the State fair since their parents ranches were not registered with NAIS, What???
Apparently other "industrialized" countries are doing it so, we need to too, but it is expensive, and jeopardizes farmers privacy and requires them to immunize all animals ( say goodbye to antibiotic and hormone free!!!) . Also all animals any one Might think of ever eating including horses ( come on when was the last time you ate horse???) have to be registered. This is insane. And expensive enough that it could put many small farms out of business.
While I am admitting I don't know that much about it, and I am very confused, I am against NAIS. I also think this isn't something we need to leave for the farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders to fight for on their own. Everyone who enjoys freedom, and privacy, and organic, antibiotic free food needs to step up on this one and Just say NO! Apparently it is even being done sneakily some places where it is being hidden inside of a general farm bill.
Anyways, if anyone can give me more information, or help me get un-confused about this please leave me a comment or email me.
Inspired b y the post at Absolutely Bananas
The future: we were promised robots and hovercrafts and vacations to mars. But we have none of these. The future was always painted as a happy place where all was perfect. Where is all of that? All I hear about lately is war: Iraq, Afganistan, and now Iran!!! Global warming, how the ice caps are melting, the ocean is rising and stronger hurricanes!
Now I know some people say the American economy is doing great, and others say it is sinking. I don’t really know. But what I do know is that I want to do everything I can to provide my family with food and shelter. Along with a safe place in which to live and grow, and they have a lot of growing left to do! The other day for Breakfast a dozen eggs, 4 potatoes worth of hash browns and a pound of sausage and they were asking for more (Duggars how do you do it?).
It is no wonder so many people are turning back to the land, not to escape, but to try and improve not only their quality of life, but life for all. Now there are many ways of doing this from the most severe of going completely off grid, raising everything you eat and homeschooling, to doing small things like buying locally grown, switching lightbulbs out to fluorescent bulbs, and the 3 R’s : reduce, reuse recycle. Now don’t panic,.We are not going to the extreme here. Personally I am not really into homeschooling; but I am into gardening, and chickens. A garden is easy to grow – if you have the room. Chickens are fun and easy – again if you have the room. A cat would be great (I have always wanted one) especially if it stays outside and keeps the rodents out of the garden. And who knows what else will arrive ( I miss the goats we had to give away in the city). Best of all the food our kids eat will be clean. Organic. Fresh. Pure. Anyways…
Every little change each of us makes can help everyone. It is a combined effort people!!! So one day soon, once our house in suburbia sells (fingers crossed it will be soon) we will move to our own little piece of land and live one of the earliest American dreams.
What can 1 mommy with 4 little kids do at grandmas house with 30 hours in LA?
Well for me it started with reminiscing about how much times have changed, and how things look differently and the demographics have changed. The schools I have attended are still there, but different somehow. The houses? Almost all torn down and McMansions put up in their places; except for a few holdouts that have not jumped on the remodeling bandwagon. I am glad I have left, and I miss it all at the same time.
What do I miss about it? I miss the way things were, my childhood, and the certainty of life. Things that are still in my memories but are no longer the reality of my little town.
What don't I miss? The traffic, and graffiti (2 words I got the joy of teaching my children Mommy why aren't we moving? It is called traffic honey where there are too many cars and we all slowly crawl by, or turn the freeway into a parking lot. Mommy, look a circus train!!! Where ??(looking around while sitting in traffic) Over there!!! Oh, that is not a circus train (chuckling) that is graffiti.(on the wall next to the traffic on the freeway) What is graffiti? Graffiti is where some very bad people paint where they are not supposed to, because there parents didn't teach them not to. Ooh, they need to clean up there mess and get a spanking. Yep they sure do....
We visited the Zimmer children's museum, and the kids had a great time, N played Rabbi, and J visited the wailing wall. We went shopping and I got new clothes (thank you Mom!!) and we saw Hairspray, you know the new one in theatres??? Apparently I am the only one in the Universe that did not know that John Travolta was playing the part of Edna Turnblatt; It was great, B was dancing the whole time, trying to mimic the dance moves and bopping around.
And of coarse we went to my favorite place to eat, Pachanga, the chicken quesadilla is still as good as ever. As we were leaving and made a pit stop at In-n-out I realized another reason I am glad we have left, I saw 2 girls I went to school with, 1 single and living at home with mom, because it's the only way she can afford to stay, and the other old and haggard looking overweight; unloved and used. As I glanced around at my little family I knew I had the best life and just what I always dreamed of having.
Surprisingly it was the best trip to see my mom I think we have ever had; we got our argument s out of the way before we drove up, and stayed a brief enough time that it was enjoyable by all.
I know the only thing anyone is interested in is the food. So lets just jump to that.
Breakfast/Brunch: The Egg and I
very tasty! We arrived around 10 and had a
fifteen minute wait (it was packed and we were told it would be at least 30 minutes). The kids were given menus to color and toy dinosaurs to play with. The kids meal were priced right ( I expected it to be higher for a mountain tourist town) about $4 for a milk, half a waffle, a scrambled egg, and a slice of orange plus bacon (yeah I know, Bacon). They all loved it and ate every bite. I got the Denver omelet with ranch potatoes, English muffin and a pot of tea. A selection of tea bags arrived (although I did have to ask for cream). The omelet was fabulous! Hot and cheesy and filling. The potatoes however were not so good; a bit cold, and while some were super crispy and hard others were mushy and soft. I didn't eat the English muffin, and took it and the potatoes to the river for Aba who also said they were cold. All in all I would eat there again. $28 and change after tip
Lunch: okay it was Ice Cream. I had been wanting to go to the Danish Cone Factory since last summer, I had read many rave reviews about it then, and was quite shocked to see a sign in the window that said business for sale. Once inside though I noticed something, that really turned me off. The ice cream was not homemade in fact it is one of the grocery store brands Blue Bunny. I am not saying anything is wrong with Blue Bunny, in fact we have some in our freezer right now, but I am not paying $3.50 for a scoop of it when I can buy a half gallon for the same price! So we walked out and down about a block to Laura's which boasts homemade ice cream, fudge and candies on their awning. The kids each got a scoop of Fresh - home made today Mint chip on a sugar cone, while I got the cookie dough. The scoops were huge, (I even asked if it was a single, it looked like double scoops) for $2.50 each. And oh so yummy melt in your mouth! Plus the service was great. After handing N the first cone he promptly knocked the ice cream to the floor with the first lick, and the lady gave him a new one for free. I would recommend smooshing the ice cream on the cones harder with a spoon yourself after this, and did for the rest of the cones. Also get some water before you leave as it is super rich ice cream.
Dinner: Bob & Tony's Pizza (sorry no website)
after finally convincing Aba to stop fishing and get something to eat we went into town for pizza. When the kids and I had walked by earlier in the day the place was packed and the heavenly pizza smell was wafting down the street and hooked us in. Seating is plentiful, altho9ugh it is a bit odd, they request you find a seat, look at a menu and then come back to order. We got the 15 inch #1 with white sauce (basically a pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza with olive oil Parmesan and spices in lew of tomato sauce), hot wings and fountain drinks - no beer served here (or at the other pizza place in town - Aba had me check) The wait wasn't long and for less than $40 we had stuffed stomachs and a to go box. the kids each downed 2 lemonades while Aba and I both finished off 3 sodas (I am going with we were dehydrated because I have no other excuse for it) The pizza was soooo good and filling. Aba and I both ate more than we should, and we still had 2 slices to bring home and 6 wings. I didn't eat the wings and Aba is asleep so I can't give you a review on those, but the pizza alone is worth stopping in.
    
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