Apples 2011

And here we are at 2011.I tried a caramel apple pizza… not so hot.  It would’ve been delish if it didn’t have tomato sauce on it!  The biggest hit with the pizzas was pineapple and caramelized onion.  So here I am popping pizzas in the oven while Sarah measures out the ingredients for caramel.  Yum.

Fortunately, the kiddos still enjoyed rolling them in toppings.  {mini m&ms, coconut, sliced almonds, Heath crunchies, mini marshmallows…}

I dipped mine in almonds.  Yum.

Note the caramel spot on Andrew’s nose.  And how many marshmallows he managed to stick onto one little apple slice.  Talent, I tell ya.  That boy’s got talent. 

Note most of these pictures are taken from above.  Way above.  Chris had a lot of fun standing on barstools, counters and other tall spots.  Seth was rooting him on.  Then we had a dance-off with Clara and Abbie.    Good times with great friends.

The End.

Celebrate Simply

My friend Jen gave me this amazing Celebration Banner.  I love it!!  It’s crazy that one little accessory can transform any ol’ space into a celebration.

We’ve used it for every Birthday- home and away.  It’s how we welcome Daddy home, family into town or whatever else we could be celebrating!!

When we unconventionally celebrated Thanksgiving at the Gainesville Rehab facility, we brought the banner.  It was hard-working as usual- cheering us all and reminding us that, through all of Dad’s fight with & recovery from Guillan Barre Syndrome, we had much to be thankful for!

We’ll take it out again in a week- Georgia Anne will be 3!!  And we’re all ready to celebrate.  I say it’s time to get back to the simple things- like transforming ordinary into extrordinary with a smile, a fabric banner and good times had by all.

A New Kind of Growth Chart?

We’ve been working on these handprint monkeys as part of our India study.  Reading Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling has inspired us.  Georgia Anne loved it when I painted her hands!

I borrowed the idea from a facebook friend who, apparently, borrowed it from somebody big because when I googled it, a million (okay, not really- but a lot) people had these on their blogs, facebook, websites, etc.

This website, in particular, caught my eye.  What if, instead of growth charts, we did semi-annual handprint projects with our kiddos?  Wouldn’t it be a fun way to watch them grow!?!

Clara hadn’t participated in the monkey handprint project because, well, I didn’t really think she was paying too much attention to Kipling.  But I think I may go back & have her do one.  And I think we may need to do Thanksgiving turkeys and Winter (bare) trees and Spring sunflowers and Summer crabs… you get the picture.  The memories that accompany the growing handprints will be priceless!

Red, White & You

Three cheers for the red, white and blue!!!

Our six year old, Timothy’s, favorite holiday is the Fourth of July.  Why?  Because he’s proud of the freedom Americans fought to obtain?  Umm, no.  Because his uncles and many family friends have served our country in times of peace and war?  Nope.  Because he loves guns, battles and all things explosive?  Closer… but still no.  Actually it’s because he likes the glow-sticks we give out every year at dusk to occupy the children until the fireworks.

It’s understandable, really.  I mean- he’s only six.  How could he know the significance of this all-American holiday?  How can he understand why we launch fireworks and why we enjoy BBQs with neighbors- of every cultural background- together as Americans?

Amid the bustle of everyday busyness, the “minor” holidays are often a welcome relief.  Many head to the water or paint the house like any Saturday.  It’s wonderful to have some time off to enjoy life and have a little fun!  So what sets a commemorative day, like July 4, apart in your children’s minds?

I’m looking ahead to Independence Day and this year, I’m asking questions.  Like, how can we make family memories while teaching the history, values and sacrifices that made our country great?

“Like most holidays, different people have different levels of engagement and different ways of participating,” commented 210 dad Eric Lowe.  He and wife Meg, a teacher, are establishing traditions like fireworks, a BBQ complete with the perennial favorite “blueberry flag” cake, and time spent with neighbors and friends.  “Although the song came along many years after we gained our independence, the Star Spangled Banner always brings a tear to my eye.” adds Meg.

Here at the Olsen home, we enjoy the annual neighborhood parade- brimming with patriotically decorated bikes, home-built floats, and a color guard from the high school.  The children love the candy and the firetruck, I love the day off from lunch duty- all the neighbors share pizza at the amenity center afterwards!  It’s a welcome break before the evening’s cookout, games and fireworks.

Across the First Coast, celebrations range from simple- a picnic lunch and special prayers for servicemen, to elaborate multi-family parties.  Some love spreading a blanket amidst the vibrant crowd for fireworks over the Castillo, others look forward to a Phantom Fireworks run to choose the perfect backyard pack.

And even this diversity- the freedom to choose your perfect celebration- is quintessentially American!  I love my country.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate freedom and teach our children about their heritage: Irish, Lebanese, Norwegian, English, and Cherokee- great- grandparents who loved this land and fought for the freedom we celebrate today as Americans.

We can be so forgetful- so every year, take a few minutes from your 4th, whether relaxing or full, to share some history and gratitude with your children.

How exactly should we celebrate Independence Day?  Together.  Happy 4th!

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

Scrooge was Right!

Return your Operation Christmas Child and Angel Tree gifts!  Cancel all cookie deliveries to fire stations.  No parties, no shopping, and please- do not serve a meal at the homeless shelter!!  Scrooge was right- Bah Humbug!!

The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are among the busiest of the year.  Who has time to decorate, cook, entertain, shop, be a friend, be a daughter, bring snacks to school, be the gorgeous (and brilliant!) wife at the work party, and dress the children in perfectly coordinating outfits for the Christmas Eve service?  No thank you.  It’s just after Thanksgiving and I’m throwing in the towel.  Pass A Christmas Carol and a glass of eggnog.

Are you nodding in agreement or shaking your head in dismay?  I’d like to commend my favorite Christmas poem to both crowds*.  Yes, it’s a Christmas carol- but not Scrooge’s.  I’m taking my cue for Christmas 2010 from A Christmas Carol by Christina Rosetti. The last stanza reads:

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

Even with a recessed economy, Americans are far from poor.  Oh, but how I can identify with this stanza!!!  I often say yes to so many “good” things that I have little left to offer the King of my heart.

So the truth of it all is if I have to choose between all of those holiday activities (which are wonderful, really) and quieting my soul long enough to appreciate the essence of Christmas, well I’d have to join Scrooge in shouting, “Bah Humbug!”

I’m not really wiping my calendar clean this December.  The ghost of Christmas present shows me a picture full of hope!  I have the opportunity to choose wisely, keep my priorities in line and celebrate the birth of the Savior!  Quieting my heart is a gift I can give to myself, my family and my God.  Praying, reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth (chapters 1 & 2) and remembering His purpose in coming- to redeem sinful people, to redeem me!- are part of the relationship that makes Christianity unique among all religions.  What a God!  What a gift!  Merry Christmas.

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

Party Shots

Last night was our “Welcome Clara” party! Georgia Anne enjoyed all 3 of her servings of the Eggplant Parmesan dinner Kim brought over. It was so very delish!! What a great way to start the party!

“Knock Knock” (Be a good neighbor this 4th of July)

It was harder for Ben, 11, to nail down a favorite memory.  “Popcorn race.  No, fireworks… Oh!  I remember!  We always play
hide-and-seek in the dark with glow sticks!  Yes, that’s my favorite.”  Too many memories to choose one favorite makes a successful fourth!  Have fun celebrating freedom and making memories with your family this year.

Popcorn S’mores

Popcorn Balls

Move over Rice Krispie Treats… well, at least for this month.  The name is cheesy, but the taste is sweet!  This recipe is also from www.popcorn.org

Pop-a-rific Popcorn Balls
3 quarts popped popcorn
1 (1-lb.) pkg. marshmallows
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

• Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. Set Aside.  In large saucepan, heat  marshmallows and butter or margarine over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour  over popcorn, tossing gently to mix well. Cool to allow handling (5 min.).
  Butter hands well and form 2 ½-inch balls.*

Yield: About 14 balls

October – Popcorn Poppin’ Month!!

This article was originally printed in The Creekline.

    Beep beep beep!  We interrupt the serious part of parenting to bring you this bulletin!  Consider this month’s article a “free pass” and plan a family fun day.  You won’t have to go far, just “POP!” into your kitchen!  Gather friends and children and celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month!

Popcorn has quite a history!  I found references to popped corn as far back as the 1500s, when Europeans first met Aztecs in Mexico, though some allege that it was popped centuries before then.  Although it’s unclear which people first popped corn kernels into a fluffy snack, there’s no doubt that it’s an American classic…  Americans eat 16 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat each year.  Try popcorn one of three ways and discover it’s versatility.

Dad always made popcorn in a cast iron kettle when I was little.  The aroma would fill the house and I knew it was time for a treat!  He’d pour the popcorn out of the pot into a paper bag, add a dash of salt and shake the bag before we could try the first bite.  All these years later, though his cast iron pot has been replaced by stainless steel, he insists that stove-popped corn is still tastier than microwave popcorn.  The pot has changed but the taste remains superior to the more convenient way I pop corn for my family!

The truth is, I’m still a bit afraid of popping it on the stove.  It’s silly, I guess, for a 29 year old who cooks three meals a day on the stove to be afraid of corn kernels and a bit of hot oil… but I stick with a hot air popper.  The resulting popcorn isn’t as rich tasting as Dad’s version, but for this month’s activity, a hot air popper is just right!

For your Popcorn Poppin’ Celebration, you’ll need a large sheet, a hot-air popper, and some large spoons.  Everyone sits around the edge of the sheet (several feet back from the HOT kernels!  I hear they can pop 3′ in the air!) with a spoon in hand.  As the popcorn begins to pop, Pop, POP!, catch what you can with your spoon and dump into a bag or bowl.  When your popper is finished, declare a winner!  Perhaps your “Popcorn King” can wear a homemade crown or pick the movie for the evening.  Collect the extra popcorn from your clean sheet and use for another yummy recipe.

If you insist the microwave is the only way to go, try putting kernels in a paper bag!  Simply take a nice-sized paper lunch bag, add 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, fold the top over 3 or 4 times and microwave!  You can experiment with adding oil before popping, I haven’t tried that yet.  Now you don’t have to eat all the artificial flavors and additives in microwave popcorn but you can keep the convenience!

However you pop your corn, serve it up as a popcorn bar for this impromptu celebration.  I like to line up dishes of chocolate chips (or M&Ms),  dried fruit, nuts, savory spices (nutritional yeast flakes, dry ranch dip, thyme), sweet spices (cinnamon, brown sugar & nutmeg) and whatever else I can come up with to put some smiles on cute little faces!  Then, we give each child their own dish and let them create a masterpiece.  Serve apple slices and chunks of cheese on the side for a fun, light dinner.

You can find more about the history of popcorn and many recipes online at www.popcorn.org.  I will also post some recipes, including old-fashioned stove-top popcorn and my childhood favorite Popcorn Cake, on www.gracefullmom.com.  As you enjoy your popcorn, thank the Lord for the farmers who work hard to grow this tasty treat!  And while discussing your favorite flavor combination, you may chat about how the Lord can use you to “bring flavor” to those around you!  Happy Popcorn Poppin’ Month!!