JoAnna's Chicken

When I first came to La Grande, I was looking into going to college... more than 20 years ago!!  I was here with my best friend and her cousin and we were staying at their relative's home.  Her name was JoAnna and she was a school teacher.  For dinner she made this chicken and it's been a staple at my house ever since.

two chicken breasts... the crumbs are so completely addicting!

JoAnna's Chicken

4 bone-in chicken leg quarters
2 cups of bread crumbs
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
3/4 cup of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper and garlic in a gallon size ziploc bag.  Coat the chicken pieces with the melted butter then dip them into the crumb mixture and place them in a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour the leftover butter and crumb mixture over the top of the chicken and bake for about 1 1/4 hours til meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Mini Unit Study: Fire Safety

max standing by the "wee-ooo" (his word for any vehicle with a siren!)

Well, since we had moved into our new house quite some time ago, we were clearly overdue for some fire safety training in our new locale!  I set up a mini-unit study on fire safety and we established our place to meet, fire safety rules and floor plan.  We installed two more smoke detectors and learned about the fire escape ladder located upstairs in Janie's room.  We talked about fire safety in the kitchen and throughout the house.  We got great ideas from www.sparky.org including a checklist and a printable floor plan.  They also have games on the site that reinforce what our kids learned.  We stretched the unit study to about a week and finished with a trip to the local fire department with our local homeschool group!  Clearly unit studies don't have to be big and involved.  Pick a little subject and try it for a week.  I love it!  They're really fun!

"It's All Over Over There!"

Finally!  The end of World War Two!  Yikes!  When we began this journey, we had no idea where it would take us.  Because I took on the whole war at once, we merely scratched the surface.  If you choose to do a unit study on World War II, I suggest breaking it up.... study the homefront, rationing, a few battles, a single country... there is so much to this subject that taking it on in bits and pieces is more effective than trying to digest the whole!

props for the presentation

To do this unit study, we did a half hour activity (or active learning) first thing and then 30 more minutes of me reading aloud to the kids.  We decided to read "Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl" during this time.  While I read the kids worked on the timeline (more on that later) or drew pictures of what they were hearing me read.  It was tough getting a lot of reading done in that half hour with a three year old and and infant demanding attention.  We found the book to be interesting and boring all at the same time.  It was interesting how they were forced to live during their time of hiding, but naturally repetitious.  Because it became a bit of a drudge and because the kids had watched a movie based on the book, we settled for reading only half the book and then the epilogue.  We spent an hour one morning whispering to see how difficult it must've been for the residents of the Secret Annex on a daily basis to protect themselves from discovery.  In retrospect, I would've tried "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom instead.  Actually, I've never read that book but I was disappointed that Anne Frank made little or no reference to her faith in her diary.  It was sad to me that they hid, suffered and died because of their religious beliefs and yet it did not seem to play a pivotal role in their daily life.
Alright, beyond Anne Frank, we learned a lot through a movie that we watched called "The 1940s House".  The movie was a bit of a documentary that chose a modern family to place in a house and situations fashioned exactly like one would find in England in the 1940s.  It's about a three hour movie but well worth the time.  We also watched "D-day to Berlin".  This is a much shorter documentary that moved along rather quickly and showed real and up-close footage of the war.  It certainly made an impact with the children.
Aside from movies and books, the kids did a trivia game, made yellow Stars of David out of popsicle sticks, a model of a bomb shelter and made a rather impressive timeline!  During the presentation, Mitch did a sock puppet show that was the fastest summary of the war ever given!  Janie did a detailed report on Anne Frank.  Her read aloud was excellent!  That was super exciting for me since reading aloud is really far out of her comfort zone.  Mitch figured out how to drop a "bomb" on his shelter with a straight pin and grenade shaped balloons with a couple of beans in them for weight... that was a big hit with Josiah and Hailey who were here as guests!
We learned a lot, but I have to say that I'm totally burned out!  Maybe next year we'll take on just a portion of the war, but it's gonna be awhile before I have the energy to invest in this subject again!

Coffee With Grandpa

I'm a silly and sentimental girl, but so many things mean so much to me.  Sometimes I hang on to silly things because they belonged to someone I love.  The idea that that person touched the item and used it, even in the most casual way, means the world to me.  It puts them in my life again and again and I love that comforting reminder of them and their impact in my life.
When my mother-in-law passed away I took from the pile of discarded household items a clear glass hand soap dispenser.  She had put some little rocks in it and a sprig of silk flowers to pretty it up.  It was a silly thing but it so reminded me of her.... or the popcorn popper that we finally threw away last month that belonged to my grandmother who passed away more than twenty years ago!  It was decrepit and far past it's prime, but it still worked!  When my best friend passed away, I realized that she was everywhere in my house.  Things she'd touched, pictures on the fridge, things she'd given me... moments we shared were everywhere.  I love that.

My new percolator and a polish pottery mug reminding me of the two people I miss the most in life

This Christmas I got a gift that brought tears to my eyes and still does.  I got a stainless steel percolator with a clear "glass" top.  I got coffee with Grandpa.
When I was little, I would spend the night at my grandparents house on occasion.  Grandma would tuck me in to her bed all covered in pink satin blankets like a princess.  In the morning, I would wake up to hear my Grandpa's deep morning voice and smell the coffee perking just on the other side of the bedroom door.  Grandma would be making breakfast and Grandpa would be sitting at the table in his undershirt waiting for the coffee to be ready and talking to Grandma.  I would crawl out of bed and sit with him and watch the coffee perk up thru the glass top on the percolator and it was such a comforting sound and smell.  Grandma would serve us kids orange juice and Alpha Bits for breakfast.  The rule was that you had to drink your juice first because Grandma couldn't stand the idea of you tasting the sourness of the orange juice after eating the "sweet" cereal!

Grandpa and me at Christmas time

My Grandpa was wonderful to us kids.  He was always happy and never got after us about anything.  I remember going in his room first thing in the morning (before he was even awake!) and my brother and I would run and jump on his bed loudly to wake him up.  Even then, he didn't raise his voice, but treated it as if it were the best alarm clock idea he'd ever seen or heard!  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him and miss him greatly, but now, every morning, I get to have coffee with him.  I'm so grateful for the time we shared and the memories I get to keep until I see him again.

I Resolve...

I never do New Years resolutions.  They always seem like promises that were meant to be broken before they even hit the page!  This year, however, I may make a slight exception to this rule in my life.  I think that taking an inventory of the areas that I need to improve seems like a rather productive occupation and so I will open myself up and share these thoughts with you.
I hope for a better relationship with God, first and foremost.  I hope to let down at least some of the walls that have been erected over the past few years because of deep hurts in my life.  I hope to experience "the joy of my salvation" more fully every day of this coming year.
Secondly, I hope to prepare my children better spiritually.  To be an example to them and to be proactive in teaching them and encouraging them to learn about God and establish and maintain their own committed friendship with God outside of the family relationship.
I hope I become more disciplined.  Not rigid, but effective.  I know that being consistent can only help my family and myself in every aspect of life.

marveling in a summer sunset

I hope to be more fun.  I hope to play more board games with my kids and take them swimming and for picnics and trips to the park.  I hope to be an enthusiastic member of my family whether we are running around or staying right here at home.
I hope to get healthy... and to view it that way!  Instead of being obsessed with my weight, I hope to change my thinking a little every day about choosing good food, exercise and more water... maybe less beer--maybe. :)
I hope to plan ahead and be smart with my money getting rid of bad debt.
I hope to look for moments that take my breath away and humble me... maybe even shed a tear or two.
I hope to catch up with all the doctor appointments, immunizations, orthodontist, dentist, eye doctor and dermatologist.  They miss me, I'm sure of it!
I hope that by the end of the year I can say that I improved... even if it's just a little.  I hope I can look back and say that I effected someone's life in a positive way and pointed someone toward the Cross.  Tell me your hopes for next year...

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Five: Dip Everything in Chocolate!

It's getting late in the game and, if you're like me, that's just how we roll.  Don't panic and don't give up.  Don't worry about anything labor intensive like sugar cookies that take three hours to chill or fudge that may or may not set up!  Bake up a box of brownies and cut them out with Christmas cookie cutters and then find what you can and dip it in chocolate!  Everything tastes better dipped in chocolate!  It's fast and easy, too.  I always use almond bark because it's fool proof and that's what I need!  Throw a small spoonful of shortening in with about six squares of almond bark and cook it for two minutes in the microwave.  (use a plastic bowl if you can.  ceramic bowls are PIPING HOT when you try to get them out of the microwave!)  Using a whisk to stir this is fastest and gets any leftover lumps out.  Here is a list of things that we would (and have) dip in chocolate and call it dessert!  Add some of your own ideas!

• Candy orange slices
• Oreo cookies
• Peanut butter crackers (two ritz crackers sandwiched together with peanut butter... these are amazing!!)
• Drizzled on popcorn
• Peanuts
• Pretzels
• Coffee Beans
• Fruit (I would dip these last minute because the juices from the fruit tend to react with the chocolate and things get watery)

Sprinkle any of these with colored sugar to make them sparkle.  Good luck!

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Four: Homemade Almond Roca

One of my mother-in-law's favorite Christmas treats was Almond Roca.  Whenever Christmas rolls around we are always sure to pick up a traditional pink can of the gold foil wrapped treats and think of our sweet memories of her.  This recipe is so authentic for me that it conjures up those same memories.  Truthfully, it always feels like she's in the room and sharing a moment with me.  If you click on the "mother-in-law" link above, you'll learn more about this amazing woman.
I found this recipe in "Miserly Meals" by Jonni McCoy.  (It's interesting to note that a third cup serving of this is only .32 cents!)  I've only made this recipe once so it's written here almost exactly as it is in the cookbook, but I have made a few adaptations for our own family's tastes.

Fuzzy... can't wait to get a new camera!

Homemade Almond Roca

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 oz (1/4 cup) slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add the brown sugar and stir bringing the mixture to a boil.  Heat to a hard crack stage (about 310 degrees) then remove from the heat and add the almonds.  Stir to mix and pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and spread it out evenly.  While the candy is still hot, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips over the candy.  The heat from the candy melts the chocolate and makes it easy to spread it over the candy with a knife.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pecans over the melted chocolate and let the candy cool completely.
You can leave it simply like this, or melt the rest of the chocolate in the microwave, turn the cooled candy over and spread the melted chocolate on the opposite side and sprinkle the rest of the pecans on top of that.
Whichever you choose to do, once it is completely cooled, break it up into smaller pieces.