Debbie Meyer Green Bags

Have you tried these green bags yet?

I think they are wonderful!

Here are my bananas that have been sitting on

my kitchen counter for 7 days!

Can you believe that?

They used to only be available on their

website, but I saw them at Walmart last week!

So there you have it! A commercial that you didn't

even have to turn on the tv for! :)

Black

" The crow wished everything was black,

the owl, that everything was white."

~~William Blake

Just What I've Been Talking About...

I have a pet peeve about how our words can be encouraging or very hurtful. Old Lady Lincoln has a wonderful, short post on this topic today. It's great! Click here to take a look. I especially love the phrase Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

A Fun Meme

Willow and some others have done this meme

and I thought I'd have some fun with it, too!

My uncle once: well, more than once, has sent our family a huge goodie box for Christmas.

It seemed to be the highlight of the season to see that box coming from Florida, where he lives.

He has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and I'll never forget his encouragement.

Never in my life: have I drank a beer...I'll take a glass of wine or

something harder, but I just can't stand a beer!

When I was five: Our family moved. I was in kindergarten

and cried in my new class every day for weeks.

High school was: fun and filled with great memories!

I will never forget: the day we were told our second child would

actually be triplets!

Once I met: George W. Bush in 2004 while he was campaigning

(see me in picture above...in the front row just to the right of him?)

Once at a bar: my friend was especially enjoying a free, very

weak drink and asked the server what it was called. He, being a foreigner,

in very over-enunciated English, said "Fruit Juice". tee-hee!

By noon, I’m usually: knee deep in laundry and enjoying the kid-free house.

Last night: I rode 6 miles on my stationary bike

If I only had: super powers like Bewitched!

Next time I go to church: will be Sunday. I leave every week being challenged,

refreshed and stretched in new ways. I love it.

What worries me most: what will happen to my autistic triplets when I die.

What I miss most about the 80’s is: youth

A better name for me would be: Whipper Snapper

If I ever go back to school: not going to happen...one degree is enough for me!

You know I like you if: I initiate contact with you

Take my advice, never: answer the phone right after you pour milk on your cereal!

My ideal breakfast is: french toast, eggs, bacon and fruit

Why won’t people: just be nice?

The world could do without: people who are hateful and insensitive

I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat worms

My favorite blond is: The Mister (whose hair has darkened with age but was very blond

in high school and college when I fell in love with him)

If I do anything well, it’s: living under stress

And, by the way: I don't tolerate 2-faced people very well

If you have some of your own responses, feel free to run with the idea!

Tomato Zucchini Pie

Crust

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c corn flake crumbs

1/2 t salt

1/3 c oil

2 T cold water

****

Preheat oven to 375

Mix flour, flakes and salt.

Stir in oil first, then stir in water.

Press into greased 9" pie plate.

Bake 10 minutes.

****

Meanwhile...

Filling

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 small zucchini, small cubes

1 small tomato, seeded and chopped

1 t Italian seasoning

2 eggs

1 c milk

1/2 t salt

pepper

1/2 c parmesan, divided

****

Saute onion in oil until tender.

Add garlic, and zucchini and saute 2 min.

Add tomato and seasonings. Heat through.

Place veggies in crust.

Whisk eggs, milk and 1/4 c cheese.

Pour over veggies. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 35-40 minutes ~ brown and knife comes

out clean in center. Let stand 10 minutes

before cutting.

**** (I substituted Corn Chex for the flakes the last time I made it and thought the crust was crispier...yum!)

Shown here served with pan fried catfish and mixed greens.

BTW...I combined 2 recipes from Tyler Florence

and Emeril Lagasse for the catfish and it was

the best...succulent, flavorful and very crispy.

A quick marinade and Panko Japanese breadcrumbs

are the secret! I may post the recipe in the future!

How to Grow a Monster Fern

1. Buy a cute little fern at Kroger in the spring.
2. Just a tiny one that hangs on the handle of the shopping cart.
3. Set it in a mostly shady spot outside for the summer.
4. Water well and rotate pot weekly.
5. At first sign of frost, bring inside.
6. Comment with amazement on how huge he has become!
7. Take his photograph to share with bloggy friends. :)

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

1. Prick whole potatoes and microwave until barely tender.

(Sharp knife should insert easily, but should not be mushy.)

2. Cut into wedges, 3/4 inch thick.

3. Brush with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, coriander and basil.

4. Grill 2 minutes on each side.

Yum!

View From My Kitchen Window

Shamrock, rooster and crabapples!

Peak of the Season

Gathering Leaves

Spades take up leaves

No better than spoons,

And bags full of leaves

Are light as balloons.

****

I make a great noise

Of rustling all day

Like rabbit and deer

Running away.

****

But the mountains I raise

Elude my embrace,

Flowing over my arms

And into my face.

****

I may load and unload

Again and again

Till I fill the whole shed,

And what have I then?

****

Next to nothing for weight,

And since they grew duller

From contact with earth,

Next to nothing for color.

****

Next to nothing for use.

But a crop is a crop,

And who's to say where

The harvest shall stop?

Robert Frost

I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged by Willow of Life at Willow Manor for the

Fourth of the Fourth! The idea is that you go to your picture

file and choose the 4th pic in the 4th file.

So, here it is....Alex during the summer of 2003 eating

two ears of corn at once! As you can tell, he is

thoroughly enjoying himself!

And I now tag my good friend Jill of Life at Killeny Glen to show us

her 4th of the 4th!

And don't forget to check out Willow's picture! Very funny!

Hey, my guys are featured on the blog

Faces of Autism! This is a new blog

by Casdok, another mom of an autistic

son. She features several sweet faced

kids daily....go check all of them out

and say a prayer of encouragement for

all of these families!

Chewy Ginger Cookies

1 c oil

2 c sugar

1/2 c molasses

2 eggs

1 t salt

1 t cloves

1 t ginger

2 t cinnamon

4 t baking soda

4 1/2 c flour

Have mixer running and add ingredients in the order given.

Shape into balls, roll in sugar and bake 350 for 8-12 minutes,

depending on the size. (I use an icecream scoop and sprinkle sugar

on the tops instead of rolling in balls~ so much faster!)

They should be dark and crackly.

Perfect for fall and one of our family favorites.

**shown here on grandma's green daisy pattern

depression glass cake plate

Happy Birthday to Willow!

~~ Willow and me~~

****

Big sisters are for watching over you.

Mine saved me from a playground bully once.

She taught me how to put on makeup and

curl my hair. We didn't share a room as

teenagers, but I had a bigger bed and we would have

sleepovers in my room. Being the oldest, she

got to do everything first and I have always

admired her! Sisters will tell you things that

nobody else will ever tell you.

They are simply the best!

Happy Birthday, Willow!

Love you lots!

xxoo

***** “For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather, to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.” ~~Christina G. Rossetti **** Go tell Willow Happy Birthday!

Party Pics

The train cake...

singing to the birthday boys....

blowing out the candles....

and eating!

Happy Birthday, Boys!

Today the triplets turn 15 years old!

In most ways, I can't believe it and then in

other ways it seems like we've had them

an eternity! They were born by c-section,

all within 90 seconds of each other....

all healthy, and only 3 weeks early!

18 total pounds of weight...yes, I looked

like a Mac truck! Although these 15 years

haven't turned out like we expected on the

day of their birth, we thank God for their

wonderful lives, for the lessons they have

taught us, and for holding our hands each

step of the way!

Dad got to hold them first...fresh from heaven!

Here, at two years old. ~~~~ I'll try to get some pics of them this evening with presents and cake to show you tomorrow. ~~~~ Happy, happy day Harrison, Spencer and Alexander! xxxooo

Orange

"Orange is the happiest color"

~~Frank Sinatra

Spooky Happenings

Several blog friends have been posting scary stories lately.

I may have one brewing of my own! Can your house become haunted after you have lived in it for many years? We've had a full month of unexplained, strange happenings here....doors closing, drawers opening, and furniture moving after we've gone to bed! The other night we heard the patio chair being scooted across the cobblestones right outside our bedroom window. But nobody was there when we took a look. I've heard the gate being unlatched, the window opening and the water running in the kitchen sink!

~~~~~~

After living in a house a while you become accustom to the normal sounds of your house....the icemaker, the hot water heater running, the certain stair with the creak, etc. We've lived here 20 years...we know the normal sounds! And since The Mister has witnessed some of these things, I know it isn't me just loosing my mind. I thought ghosts were normally those who had died in the house....nobody has died here except one of our cats! Although...don't laugh... we do have a cat ghost! The cat died years ago and I still see him in out of the corner of my eye, hear him jump from the table and land on the floor, and feel him stand near me and curl his furry tail around my leg. I jumped to the ceiling the first time it happened! (I said no laughing!!!)

~~~~~~

Anyway, I'll have to keep you posted on the new happenings....perhaps it's just the full moon.... or an upcoming ghoulish holiday? But honestly, it's been going on for a few weeks.... so maybe it's more than that!

Cure for Cold Sores

Our Harry has suffered for the last 3-4 years with terrible cold sores! The first few times they flared up, he obsessed with the itchy pain so much that he literally had several dime sized holes in his lip! I was called to pick him up from school when he broke them open and they wouldn't stop bleeding. In fact, a few of those times I actually had to give him a prescription drug to knock him out during the day to allow them to stop bleeding and start to heal. He missed an entire week of school two different times with 3-4 cold sores at once, and with the infection that set in. The severity of the situation really came from the autism and not understanding that he couldn't pick at them.

~~~~

You either carry the herpes simplex 1 virus or you don't. Cold sores occur when latent herpes simplex virus particles, which have been lying dormant in your body, become reactivated.

~~~~

But I've found something that has actually prevented the virus from reactivating! It's the essenital amino acid, L-lysine. Since giving Harry 2000 mgs of lysine daily, he has not had one cold sore! And prevention is so much nicer than healing one! L-lysine is an all natural stress fighter and is essential for boosting your immune system. We get all of our dietary supplements from Swanson Health Products, in case you need any great, high quality stuff!

Crabapple Jelly

Friday was a gorgeous fall day! Perfect for picking crabapples

and making jelly! I've had crabapple trees in my yard for

20 years and never knew they were edible....don't ask me

how that is possible...I don't know! I'd never heard of eating them

or cooking with them. I stumbled across a pretty blog and saw

the recipe from Aimee at Under the Highchair.

One basketful barely made a dent in the amount of

crabapples on one tree! And I used the "green canning method" again from Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers that I talked about the other day....wow...so easy! And the jelly is delicious!

Stop and Smell the Roses....

"There is so much beauty around us, if we will only take the time to notice it. You can make a conscious effort to look for the essence and therefore develop an appreciation for the beautiful things in life. Your days will seem a lot less harried, I promise you. Beauty has a way of totally capturing our senses, making us forget the fact that the car stalled on the way to work this morning, that the kids spilled milk on the carpet, that the workload keeps piling up. For a few brief shining moments, nothing else seems to matter. And the wonderful thing about beauty is that we can store it in our minds to be played over and over again." ~~Luci Swindoll

Spencer's Scoliosis

Spencer has scoliosis and kyphosis of the spine.

It's a fairly significant curve and we see the top

orthopedic surgeon at our local Children's hospital

annually to monitor him. Yesterday was our trip

for xrays and a checkup. Spencer enjoyed being

picked up alone from school early and riding in the

front with me! We were lucky enough to see a couple

of trains on the way. The ones on the overpass are

a favorite, especially as we drive under them!

He found Taylor's sunglasses, too,

and had to check out his looks in the visor mirror.

Wearing the goofy gown and waiting

weren't as fun as the 30 minute drive to

the hospital! The scoliosis remains unchanged,

which is a big relief! Any worsening means

we have to do back surgery. The kyphosis had

gotten a little worse but not enough to do anything

drastic at this time. We like our doctor! He has 29

years of experience and has other autistic patients.

And he has an autistic granddaughter!

A treat of chips on the way home....

thanks, Spencer, for being a delight even

though it was all a little stressful on me!

I know worry never improved a situation

but each year at our visit I anticipate the

possibility of that surgery.

We are keeping an eye on

any discomfort, pain or change in his

gait, which would determine that the

waiting would be over. So far God has seen

fit to give us another year surgery free!

Last of the Tomatoes

A few more jars of salsa canned today.

My recipe can be found here.

I added two cans of black beans along with the sweet

corn for this batch...so yummy!

And I tried the "green" way to can, which I found

here from Sandy of 4 Reluctant Entertainers.

This is soooo great...no canner needed, no pressure,

no water bath....all you do is make sure everything is

boiling hot and sterile. Put the lids on tight and turn

jars upside down. Wait 1 hour for the hot food to 'seal'

the lids! That's it! I'm so glad to have this wonderful

canning tip! Talk about easy and fast! Thank you, Sandy!

I plan on making crabapple jelly later this week and

this method is going to make it a breeze!

My Little Garden Friend

Early in the summer I saw a Praying Mantis

sitting on a stack of pool towels on the back porch.

With a closer look, I noticed that he had a sticky

spider web all caught around his wings and back legs.

To my surprise, he let me clean him up and carry him out

to my garden. I knew that they like to eat garden pests

and was hoping he would munch on a few before flying

away! Well, to my surprise, he has stayed in our yard

all summer. I've seen him on many occassions, bug in

hand, having lunch! One evening he was on our back

screen door looking at us as we sat on the sofa watching

television! What a fun memory. He's like a little friend!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

1 c soft butter

1 c sugar

4 eggs

1 can creamed corn

1 jalapeno, sliced

1 c shredded cheddar

1 c flour

1 c yellow cornmeal

4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

~~~~

Cream butter and sugar.

Beat in eggs.

Stir in corn, jalapeno, and cheese.

Sift dry ingredients and mix in well.

Greased 9x13 pan.

350 oven...reduce to 300 when you put pan in.

40-50 minutes...toothpick test.

~~~~

I think the original recipe called for a small can

of chilies, drained. I used 1 whole jalapeno, sliced...

seeds and all, for some nice heat. This can be eliminated

all together if desired.

This recipe was originally my sister, Willows.

It is moist and buttery.

I've made it for years! It's shown here as our favorite

way to eat it....nestled on top a bowl of meaty chili.

Harry Was Here...

How do I know? Because Harry has a history of doing little

destructive things. Not in a mean spirited way, mind you.

I'm sure as he stood in the bathroom pulling out the dental

floss, he smiled and hummed happily thinking that it was

just the neatest thing!

Willow's Cyber Ball

The event of the year is happening today!

Willow of Life at Willow Manor is hosting a

cyber ball and everyone is invited!

Just pick a gown or tux, grab a guest and

make your way over to The Manor!

I chose this beautiful silk beaded number!

I thought the color was perfect for an autumn dance!

~~~~

And get this....before I could even think of who to

invite as my guest....Kevin Costner called...said he

wouldn't miss a Willow event and invited me to

go with him! Ah, yes, anything can happen in

cyber space!

See you there!

Shall we dance?