Time to Stretch

I'm like most folks and easily feel good about the justice of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

But I'm going to try to stretch myself spiritually and remember that I should grieve he rejected the redemption that our Father in Heaven has offered to all the lives He created. The life of Bin Laden, despite his evil, was still one God longed to redeem and be reconciled to.

So, while I am thrilled that for the surviving families of the 9/11 victims that a measure of satisfaction hopefully can be felt, I must try to remember I am an Easter Christian every day and need to pray for ALL to accept that Christ my Savior died and was resurrected for them.

Laundry Issues

I have found that no one else in my household takes the 5 seconds it requires to turn their clothes right side out before putting them in a hamper (or on the floor, behind the toilet, under the bed, etc.). Despite requesting this on a DAILY basis, I still spend about 10 minutes a load turning every piece of clothing that is not my own right side out. Clothes need to be inspected for stains, rips, missing buttons, etc. By my count, at 10 minutes a load of JUST turning clothes the right way, I spend TWO HOURS every week on this task before I ever even get to the inspection/cleaning portion of laundry. Ridiculous.

Walgreens for Diapers this week!

Diaper deal at Walgreens this week. Here's how:
-Buy 2 Pampers Jumbo Pack $10.00 each - diapers or Easy ups
-Use 1 $2/1 Pampers Diapers Walgreens coupon from in-store Infant Care Booklet (It will actually deduct $4 at ring up.)
-Also use 2 $2.50/1 from the 2/27 P&G
-You'll may need to buy an inexpensive "filler" item so that you have as many items as you do coupons (3). Sometimes my Walgreens waives this, but I like to be prepared.
-Pay $11.00 for the diapers, get a $3 Register Reward to use in the future.

In my opinion, Walmart is anti-mother and therefore, unAmerican.

I know there are all kinds of global economic reasons not to shop at Walmart, but I'm not going to discuss that in this blog. I have a simple premise to discuss. Because Walmart treats the average mother with disrespect when she is attempting to make ends meet or make the most of her money, Walmart is unAmerican and should be boycotted.

Walmart brags about it's price matching policy, but it's not a convenience or a benefit to me if EVERY TIME I try to price match an item, the cashier argues with me and forces a manager to come over. And even then, the majority of the time my price match is rejected.

It seems to be Walmart policy to reject every coupon presented and then make a hard working mother have to fight to have each one approved. It seems like you get called a coupon defrauder the second you hand over coupons.

The hidden cost of shopping at Walmart is the stress you endure fighting and arguing for their "great prices." And that's just too big a cost for me to pay.

Walmart, I will never shop you again. You are anti-mother and unAmerican.

Hi, my name is Hannah.

After Vacation Bible Camp today, Punkinhead told me she didn't want to go home, she wants to sleep at church. So, I asked her if she wanted to be Samuel from the Bible and I'd be his mom Hannah. She decided she wanted to come home after all.

Then I remembered a rough night when she was a preemie in the NICU and I prayed that, like Hannah, I was giving her back to God. I prayed that if he'd protect her and grow her tiny body, she'd be His child. I didn't vow to never let a razor touch her hair though. But I think God wants us to take care of her at our place and not roam the halls of our church at night.

Unlocking the secret pancake

I've got lots of posts coming about our trip to Georgia for my grandmother's 100th birthday, but thought I start with the pancake experiments I've done that begun with Chip putting the "why can't all pancakes be as good as Cracker Barrel" wish into our world.

My first reaction was to answer - because we're not on vacation everyday and I can't spend $8 a person every time we eat breakfast. But then I began to ponder, really, why not? It's pancakes and syrup. I make a good version, but if Chip particularly likes the Cracker Barrel version, I'll give it a shot. As always......to the Internet!

I'd bought a bottle of their maple syrup/cane sugar combo so that Chip would have the same syrup the restaurant serves to comparison taste my attempts at home. Then I googled Cracker Barrel pancake recipe and came up with a couple to start with.

And it boils down to this: Add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to ANY buttermilk pancake preparation (store bought or homemade) and cook on a 375 degree hot griddle SWIMMING in unsalted butter and you will get a pancake comparable to the Cracker Barrel version. Even if you don't use their $9 bottle of specialty syrup.

Time to get my bake on.

So I watch my carb intake obviously since I'm a diabetic. I do indulge from time to time, but for the most part, I like to spend "treat" carbs on a glass of wine or a beer with a yummy dinner and forgo the dessert.

But I do LOVE to bake, so it's nice when there are events that come up where I can get creative for others. The church's annual Cookie Caper is coming up and I'm making some straight up yummy chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal-coconut cookies. I know that the oatmeal-coconut combo is not for everyone's palate, but if you enjoy coconut, these are divine.

The endeavor I'm most excited about is for the Punkinhead's Teacher Appreciation Salad Luncheon. I'm making the pasta salad we always ate at the lake house in spring/summer. So delicious with marinated artichoke hearts. But that's the cooking, not the baking. I'm making a Peeps Chica-dee cake. I have some left from Easter and was inspired by this: