Impossibly Easy Dinners

Bisquick is a fantastic breakfast helper for pancakes, waffles, and biscuits-- quick, easy, and super-yummy.  My children love pancakes, and I probably make them 5-6 mornings a week (and sometimes they earn chocolate chips inside too!)  Bisquick does get pricey so I started making my own recipe to have it on hand, and honestly it tastes just the same:

Homemade Bisquick Recipe

When I first got married, I got the Bisquick-Brand Recipe book and I was amazed to see all the fantastic dinners, brunch, and even snacks you can do with the simple baking mix.   Every time I make the Bisquick quiche, I am asked to share the recipe.  Now, as I have studied these recipes, I have noticed a theme:

1/2 Cup bisquick
1 Cup Milk
2 eggs

Simple enough, eh? Now, the fun! I have made multiple versions of this recipe just using this base. Here are a few combinations I have done:

• Ham, Swiss & Broccoli
• Bacon, Cheddar, Onion, and Green Peppers
• Shrimp, Swiss, and Green onions
• Ground beef (or turkey), Onions, Peppers, and Cheddar

The "Impossibly Easy" pie series originated decades ago (my mother was a big fan of the lasagna recipe when we were kids), and check out the link!  Don't be afraid to be creative. As long as you have a cooked meat, cheese, and the base, it will be yummy.  Make your own Bisquick or buy some and have simple dinners on hand!


Easy Rule #388  Breakfast for dinner doesn't have to be just pancakes!!

Little Chess Nerds

Yesterday was the first Thursday of the month, making it Chess Club Thursday around these parts.  At 1:30 the usual "leaving the house" preparations begin -- 14 socks, 12 shoes, 5 bathroom trips, 2 diaper changes, 3 chess boards, and too many snacks....kids pile into the van while I survey the living room one last time, in peace, to assure I haven't forgotten anything.

We drive the 3 minutes down the road (ah, the conveniences of in-town life! Close to church! Close to McDonald's!) to our church hall. Arriving, unlocking the hall door, sending a big boy to switch on the lights, and the arranging of the long, narrow tables begins.

Soon they shuffle in, mostly boys, mostly quiet, bee-lining for the tables to set up their boards.  Large plastic pieces, roll-up boards, hand-carved Polish wooden bishops--the variety as charming as the smiles exchanged; the games begin with the move of a pawn.

We had 26 children playing the game of kings. No arguments, no bad sports. Competition and strategy at its finest, with kids ranging in age from 4 to 17. It's a rare joy to see an 8 year old defeat a 15 year old! But you will see it here. There's nothing quite like it.

My three oldest sons started playing the game seriously (as taught by their Dad) after their tonsillectomies a couple years ago. After playing game after game with one another ad nauseum, they asked if I knew any other kids who could play.  I immediately sent out a mass email to the homeschool group, inquiring if any children were interested in getting together to play my boys...the response was astonishing:  "Sure! We'd LOVE to join your chess club! When does it meet?"

Say What?

So that's how I came to be the moderator of the Chess Club. And that's how I get to see all these beautiful minds planning a checkmate 5 moves in advance.....game of kings, indeed.


Maybe someday I will learn to play.



Rule 887: If you see a need, take the lead! (this is the Frontier Girls' motto, as memorized by daughter Josephine).

Rule 102: Hug your inner nerd. Or hug your nerdy children. Nerds are awesome.

Embracing My Ignorance

I would like to think that I exude a cool, calm exterior.  Even now, as my children interrupt my typing for the umpteenth time, I am not freaking out... yet.  But, there is a time in which my exterior probably falters-- just for a moment--if you look closely.   Maybe I have a fear of being perceived as a disorganized ditz or maybe I simply am prideful-- but I hate looking stupid.  Now, I have been shocked by my own ignorance before (my husband will never let me live down the fact that I thought Pink Floyd was a guy named Floyd for example)-- but usually I cover it up with a nod or a silent smile.... while inside I'm saying, "OH MY LORD."

As a mother, I seem to encounter these moments more often than I care to admit, probably because I am always charting new territory with each child.  One of the earliest feelings of mom-inadequacy I can remember was when my eldest was a mere 15 months old.  The conversation with a friend went like this:

"Ugh... my [14 month old son] HATES getting his teeth brushed at night. I have to wrestle him to the ground every night. Does Grace mind teeth brushing?" my friend stated.

"Um... no... she's fine,"  I stammered.....meanwhile, my inner monologue sounds like this, "OH MY LORD... I have NEVER, EVER BRUSHED MY CHILD'S TEETH!! I am the worst mom ever."

Yes, I confess it to you now.... It just never occurred to me that your toddler's teeth need to be brushed-- granted, she didn't get teeth until about a year old.... so it wasn't THAT long (see, I'm rationalizing my own ignorance even now).

Now, on Pinterest, yes Pinterest-- the curse and blessing of every mother, I am reminded of my own  inadequacies every day.  Have you read one of those "how to clean your house?" blog posts? Umm... you're supposed to wash your curtains every couple of  months? (Going strong on 5 years now... so far never washed....) or cleaning the top of your appliances? This is stuff that I am not only neglecting-- I NEVER EVEN KNEW YOU HAD TO DO IT!  Luckily, most of this information I glean from pinterest I can react to at home by my computer, not in public where I'd have to murmur something like, "Of course I remove my cabinet doors to give them a good scrubbing ever week, otherwise I would just live in squalor!"

I think I am too hard on myself. My standards are low for housekeeping and no one can possibly know everything-- so I am going to start embracing my ignorance. I have a friend who is charmingly honest about her own naivete; she's the friend who admits readily if she doesn't get a joke or when she's done some disastrously embarrassing feat.  I don't think she's stupid, dumb, or ditzy-- actually, I think she's MORE confident than the rest of us. She's fine with making mistakes and admitting she's not perfect. So, I am going to be honest with the fact that (until college) I thought tap water was named such because you had to tap on the faucet to get it colder (thanks, Dad) and I just realized that Jack O' Lanterns had the word "Lantern" in them because they glow. Seriously, I know.


Easy Rule #984  Don't take yourself too seriously.  Misconceptions, mistakes, and misfortunes are great comedic material.  

Easy Rule #972 Your kids teeth won't fall out if you don't brush them for 4 months.  Seriously.

The Un-Crafty Mom

Okay, I admit it. It's me. This post is about me.

I think some people hear the words "homeschooling" and "seven kids" and "stay at home" and immediately assume that I sew my children Laura Ingalls Wilder dresses, and that we spend our days making wind chimes from paper plates and bird feeders from pipe cleaners.

My kids would love that.

Unfortunately for them, I am the mom who holds crafts in pretty much same regard as I do for story problems. When we get to a science project that looks particularly loathsome (e.g., it involves crazy materials that I don't have on hand, like "brads." Whatever.), I am most likely to gesture at the picture and cleverly point out, "See? That's what happens when you do that! Get it?"''

Before anyone panics and calls the Homeschool Police, we have done the occasional (stressful, horrible, messy) craft project. It just seems like such a time drain, with the end result being the same. We get the point. I could have read it faster.

A big part of my negativity stems from the fact that I like everything to be neat in my house at all times.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Just kidding. That's not it.

It's because I am extremely untalented at crafts. I remember in Kindergarten the children were supposed to make a Chinese boat from paper -- the instructions came with dotted lines, etc. to facilitate the folding. My eldest son recalls the results this way, "Oh yeah, Mom, it looked like a pathetic bowl!"

Thank goodness that that same eldest son is very unlike his mother in this regard. My weakness has become his strength. He has spent hours of his childhood using boxes and Scotch tape (ALL of my Scotch tape) designing an interactive arcade for his siblings or setting up elaborate haunted houses with rigged booby-traps. He follows instructions to grow crystals in my Mason jars and figures out how to make a light bulb shine from a potato. He does everything that I would need a gun to my head to accomplish.

And so, even though I am not by any stretch of the imagination a Montessori Mom, I have found that simply being open to your kids' interests and allowing them to explore creatively -- despite our own limitations as mothers -- can bring wondrous results. We just have to be fertile ground! And no jokes about my obvious fertility.

Allowing the bookworm lots of time to read the Kindle free book classics and exploring science websites...Giving the sports buff access to football cards and statistics and SportsCenter with Dad....putting the little chef on a stool with eggs to crack and batter to stir....All these bear wonderful fruit! And I don't have to bring out the scissors and glue and yarn! Win, win.

Rule 393: Step back from your children sometimes and see what they can do...prepare to be surprised!
Rule 799: Origami is for geniuses only.

5th Grade Math Wins

It's official. I now realize where in my scholastic past it all went wrong. Where Math gained the upper hand, once and for all.  Where my future as an English major was sealed.

5th grade fractions.

Turns out I can multiply and divide fractions with the best of 'em (granted, I re-learned along with the boys a couple weeks ago). I was feeling proud of myself, thinking, "Gee, if I could go back and revisit little Ems I would assure her that math isn't so bad! We can do this!".......and then we got to story problems today.

Story problems have long been a bane, in general. Really, I think most of us will agree. Trying to wade through a long-winded, convoluted situation involving children named Dawn Marie and Keisha and Akim is never easy. Add to the mix the fact that we are talking about fractions and that you need to somehow figure out if multiplication or division is needed to solve these problems -- AND the wheels promptly fall off the bus.

I have no idea why in some of these problems you multiply the fractions. Why sometimes they need must be divided. It seems extremely arbitrary. The only way I can solve them is by doing the problems both ways and seeing which one actually makes sense (Hmm, I guess it makes more sense that Shanda made 28 cupcakes rather than 3/74).

Anyway, this was perhaps more of a vent then an actual post. If any readers understand fractions, obscured within paragraphs of nonsensical ramblings, I encourage you to become a math teacher. Or send me an email.

Thank you.

Rule #732: Review YouTube videos on fractions (note to self)

Cheap Outings with Kids

Emily already posted on feeding kids for cheap--- but entertaining children with limited funds is my expertise.  I have always looked at my job as a homemaker to include finding cheap or free activities in our area.  I am blessed to live in New England with access to Boston, and other relatively affluent areas around me.  In New Hampshire, every weekend is chock-full of fairs, festivals, and family-friendly events.  Here are some tips for finding stuff to do to get those kiddos out of the house!

• Find your local paper (free ones are best)  Whether I have lived in NH, PA or Delaware, there has always been a weekly, free newspaper available in the lobby of local businesses.  I always pick this up and scour the listings of events. Usually they list the cost, timing, and details of the events.  Once a season my newspaper highlights really fun events, and I usually write them in my calendar to remind myself (i.e. Milford Pumpkin festival). 
  
  
• Skip any event with an admission cost  Some fairs up here cost $8-10 a person to attend. Really? How can I afford the $6 fried dough? (side note: I'm from Delaware which means I refer to this delicacy as Funnel Cakes, but in New England they speak a different language and it's called Fried Dough. And it's not as good).  Just choose the state fairs, etc. that are free to get in. If the admission is less than $5 a person and kids are free--- maybe I'd go. But I doubt it. Also, check for parking availability. Is it free admission and $10 to park? Don't get suckered.
  
  
• Check for coupons If you want to go to amusement parks, business expos, and museums, check out newspapers, local fast food restaurants, websites and even your bank (Bank of America offers its members free admissions once a month to dozens of museums). Check your husband's (or your) works for discounts at area events (human resources often gets lots of coupons and passes).  I also sign up for local Groupon (or Living Social or something....) so if any kid-friendly items that come up I buy them. I have gotten passes to bounce houses, butterfly places, and more!
  
  
  
• Library Museum Passes  Most libraries have fantastic discounts and passes to area museums. I have never paid for the aquarium, science museum, or children's museum in my area as I ALWAYS reserve the library pass.  Now, you have to reserve it in advance, and pick it up before you go-- so logistically it can be challenging, but free is worth the effort and planning.  

• Remember the age of your children.  Is it worth it to drive to the ocean beach 1+ hour from my house, pay for parking, and haul all of the beach stuff 1/2 mile from the costly parking only to stay for 2 hours as my kids still need naps? Or should I go to the local lake beach (and if I get there before 10 AM, it's free....) and pack a picnic lunch?  Some events are NOT WORTH IT!!! It's too much hassle to pack my little ones up and go somewhere in which they all can't enjoy it.
  
  
• Check stores and factories.  If you have an AC Moore's, Michael's Craft, Lowes, Barnes & Noble's, or Ace Hardware, they all have free classes for kids and grown ups.  Some have a small fee for supplies, but holiday activities are usually free! Each name is linked to the calendars or store locators on their website.  Sometimes I sign up for the email list for reminders of events.  In my town, we are blessed to live near two fantastic factories that lead tours and have free samples! We often go to the factories, and the Stonyfield factory even hosts weekly story times! I've lived near Hershey Park, the Crayola Factory and the Herr Factory-- and all offered tours and fun.
  
  
  
• Kids don't need a lot to have fun. This one time when my eldest was not quite 2 years old, we promised her a fair with animals to pet. We arrived at the fair and realized we had to pay $10 in parking (see why I mentioned this in the 2nd bullet-point?).  We hardly had any cash so we left the fair and drove straight to a pet store. My 2 year old was THRILLED to pet a bunny, and the teenager who was working there let us hold kittens, puppies, even a bird.  So think about the fun of bookstores, Wal-mart, Ikea (Free kids meals Tuesdays!), Cabella's, Bass Pro Shops,etc.  Stores really can be adventures to little ones, and mom can do a little *light* shopping then too!

**If you do go somewhere for the day--don't forget to pack lunches/coolers! In museums (especially big city museums) the prices in the cafeteria are ridiculous.  Most will allow you to bring in a cooler (I usually keep a lunch bag in my stroller for our outings), and sometimes I'll buy a cookie or two to split amongst the children as a treat. 

Hope this list helps you think outside the "children-cost-to-much" bubble and use some of the free stuff available to you in the area!!

Easy Rules for the day:
#872- Learn your town, state, and region to find ALL the best deals and events for kids!
#822- It's o.k. to stay home too. All of this talk of packing up kids makes me want to take a nap :)

Feeding Frenzy Friday - 1

NOTE: I meant to publish this Thursday. Whoops.


Every Friday during the school year, I have two wonderful "Mother's helpers" come to the house. As a ministry from the local university, the girls are here for three hours once a week to help with the children--in exchange for a home-cooked meal.  The children LOVE it. Having two enthusiastic and energetic teens push them on the swings or pull them in the wagon around the cul-de-sac endlessly is pretty much toddler heaven. Even the older boys get a charge from having grand Nerf battles in the street.

As I learned from my mom, when you serve company you need to assure they are filled. They WILL leave the table satisfied. Add to this, is the responsibility of providing a meal that the girls can't get at the cafeteria or via the pizza delivery guy (darn it). Plus, they come seriously hungry.

During this time, I take my daughter Josephine to gymnastics.  We leave by 4:30. Which means dinner has to be done by that time so the family can eat while we are away.  So, dinner for 4 adults and 6 kids (and a baby), done by late afternoon. On a tight budget. Isn't this fun? ;)

I thought I would include you all in my Friday insanity. This will serve as my prep list and recipe corner, all in one! And if any of you decide on a large and filling menu this week, perhaps it will help :)

Ahem. Friday's menu:

Two loaves of bread
Baked enchiladas
Peas with bacon and onion
Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting

The cooking order will be:

Early morning: bread
Mid-morning: cake
After lunch: peas
Mid afternoon: enchiladas

hint: always start with carbs and dessert. That way, if you screw up the main dish and vegetable, no one will care too much....

Recipes:

Bread, found here
Peas, self explanatory. Turkey bacon, onion, butter and salt--can't go wrong
Cake: recipe found on back of Hershey's cocoa powder box. Yum!

Enchiladas:

1. Brown 1 lb of ground turkey. I add some shredded zucchini for more hidden veggies. Also throw in some rice. Add taco seasoning (essentially chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder). Mix in a little salsa and sour cream to help bind the mixture.
2. Fill and roll flour tortillas and place seam side down in Pam-sprayed 9x13. Cover top with shredded cheddar
3. Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup, equal parts salsa, and some sour cream, and pour all over the top
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350


POST NOTE: Kids had a great time; my helpers enjoyed the meal; Yay, we survived another Friday!


Rule #213: When company is coming, fill 'em up. And make dessert.