Some F's.....

Finally Finished with school......Fence Building......Physical therapy (OK, it makes the F sound)!  Just a few of the things going on around here.

First,  it is such a tremendous blessing from God in this season of my life and living with daily pain, that He would see fit for school to be finished!  No more commitments for a while, and the busyness of homeschooling dies down for a  nice long summer respite.  Austin is wrapping up a few more 9th grade details, Luke has finished 7th grade, and Vance has finished 5th!  And I just don't know where this year went, along with the last few.  Still enjoying all of joy, frustration, busyness, and blessings of homeschooling.  What a privilege it is, and I am still learning.

Fence building.  Let's just say this has been longggggg overdue.  Along with the entire backyard that has been in shambles for years.  The whole project has just always seemed so overwhelming, and every idea we had to improve the yard was met with large price tags and an overwhelming amount of manual labor.  But sometimes you just need a kick in the pants to get it all started.  Last weekend, our relatively new neighbors that own the hill above our backyard decided that they would have some fun sliding all the way down the hill to the bottom.  Our dogs went ballistic.  Magnum, the dog who knows how to jump our small retaining wall, is thankfully the wussy dog of the family, shamefully afraid of even the sound of the electric toothbrush.  And the vacuum.  And, well, lots of things, frankly.  But he does know how to bark ferociously, and looks rather mean and vicious.  Summer, on the other hand, can't jump the wall (or hasn't figured it out yet).  She is the one we worry about.  Usually, her bark is much bigger than her bite, but we don't want to assume she never would use her bite.  So, we felt the urgent need to get that fence put up.  Wow!  What a difference a weekend makes!  The first day, Dave and the boys had the supporting frame up.  The second day, half of the fence boards were hung.  Finally, the third day, Austin completed the hanging of the rest of the fence boards all on his own while Dave was at work.  I was totally impressed!  It's amazing how much better the yard looks already.  Well, if you ignore the rest of the problems, it looks better!  So this has begun our journey to improving the back yard, and there is so much to do.  Next, we will be rotolling up the whole yard, and planting grass seed, one side of the yard at a time, so we can still give the dogs access to the yard.  That will be a cheap fix.  Among other things, and a little at a time, so as to not disturb the budget, we would like to create a small seating area with homemade fire pit, plant an orange tree, and do a path down the side yard.  I know each small improvement will get us closer to that beautiful refuge I long for!  Here are some before pics of our horrendous mess of a yard:

The right side of the yard....at the beginning of the project.  There was a pile of dirt and junk behind the shed that took a while to clean out before they could even begin.

The left side of the yard, complete with dirt, weeds, and gopher holes!  Our neighbor's ice plant is taking over.


And now:

Getting started!  Looking nice.....

 All done!

Love the look of raw cedar.  Smells good, too!

Finally, physical therapy.  I feel like my life is very simple right now.  Cook, clean, go to physical therapy!  I have dealing with this neck, shoulder, and arm pain since the beginning of March.  It has been a process to get where I am, including three MRI's and a lot of heartache.  I am about 5 weeks into physical therapy, and I am happy to be on this side of a diagnosis. I am also happy to be seeing small signs of improvement.  I have learned so much in the process too.  And I have been humbled by my limitations.  God has been completely and utterly gracious to me in so many ways, that I can't even begin to list.  I am thankful for a great PT and massage therapist, both of which come with my wholehearted recommendation if you are looking for one or the other.  They have made this whole process so much more comfortable for me, no matter how much pain I experience.  It is comforting that the Lord provided excellent hands for me to be in. Above all, I am in God's hands, and nothing I am experiencing is outside of His knowledge and will for my life right here, right now, and that is SO evident.  I will wait patiently for the day in which I hope to be pain free.  I am seeing better days, and even though I still have much pain every day, I will take the good with the bad.  Thank you to those of you who have served us, prayed for us, and loved us during this time.  We are all so thankful.

The saga continues.......

Silence is Golden

I know, I've been silent for a while....maybe that's a good thing? We were plugging along with life in general, and I recently developed a back problem. So right now life is pretty simple. Simple meals, doing the basics, and visiting the chiropractor three times a week. If you need a good chiropractor, please let me know, I have a great recommendation for you!

I was having a pretty good afternoon, so I braved a batch of cookies today for Austin's yearbook committee meeting tomorrow. I just thought I'd post the recipe, because they came out amazing. Something a little different, too!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Approx. 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cream together butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour, baking soda and salt. Drizzle Nutella on top of the dough then swirl it through the dough with a butter knife.
3. Use cookie scoop to form dough balls and place on cookie sheet.
4. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until cookies are just set and barely browning on the edges.
5. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute and then move to rack to cool.
   
   

Hike to Griffith Observatory

We have been trying out new hiking trails on the weekends lately, and this one was a gem! I have lived in the Los Angeles area almost all my life, and had no idea this trail system existed. We decided we wanted to take a visit to the Griffith Observatory, then found out that there were several trails that led up there. Rather than try to fight with the lack of parking at the Observatory, this seems like a win-win situation! It's easy to find. From Los Feliz, just turn right on Fern Dell. You will see the trailhead on your left, and cars lined up along both sides of the street.

When you begin at the trailhead, you wind through a beautiful tree lined path along a bubbling brook. It's very zen-like and peaceful. Once you hit the dirt path, it is all uphill from there. Literally. I would say the trek up to the Observatory probably takes somewhere between 30-45 minutes, depending on your pace. You would not believe the incredible views on the way up, as well as the sweeping views at the top. Breathtaking. And Hollywood nostalgic, too.

Our first glimpse of the Observatory at the beginning of the hike.

Vance found a nice little niche he wanted to climb.

Luke wanted to hold the cute little Observatory in his hand.

Getting closer!

Oh, and a view of the Hollywood sign on the way up too!

From the top, you can see all of downtown, and even neighboring towns. You can see all the little neighborhoods, and if you are lucky, you can even see someone fall off their bike. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the ocean.
Luke, beginning his planking tour of the Observatory.

Ahhh....finally there after the steep ascent!

A quick pic before heading into the Observatory for an hour or so.

Luke planking next to his buddy Albert.
Taking in the views.

And a final plank for good posterity!

Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup Clone

A couple weeks ago, we took a field trip to Chick Fil A. Since I am watching my calories right now, I opted to eat their tortilla soup for lunch. With only 230 calories, I thought it was a wise choice. It was amazingly flavorful and delicious and was really more like a chili, with two kinds of beans in it. That day, I set out to find a recipe that was just like it, but I could not find anything online with similar ingredients. I looked on the Chick Fil A website to see the list of ingredients, and I about lost my lunch. Figuratively speaking that is. The list of chemical additives is attrocious, including MSG and the like. Yuck.

So with a little experimenting (which always scares my children), I came up with a delicious version of my own, with all natural ingredients. I was so happy with the way it turned out, and my boys said "Mom, this one is a keeper!" Mission accomplished.

I did tweak the spices quite a bit, as I like a bit of a bite to it, so you can adjust to suit your taste. And if are willing to be patient, I think this soup is even better the day after. Forgive me, but I did not take a picture.

Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup Clone

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 can cannelini beans or any white bean

shredded rotisserie chicken, or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp each cumin, pepper, chili powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Few dashes hot sauce

1 cup sour cream

Cornstarch to thicken if needed

salt to taste

Saute the onions and garlic in a bit of oil, until soft. Add chicken broth and remaining ingredients (except sour cream and cornstarch) to pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream, and salt to taste. At this point, I mixed some cornstarch with water, and added to the pot to thicken it a bit. You can decide how thick you want it, and can also add more sour cream as a thickener if you wish. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, avocado, and cilantro.

L.A. Racing Nascar Experience

Almost a year ago, I purchased a Nascar racing experience for Dave for his birthday on Groupon. Do you use Groupon? I have found some great deals! This one was an amazing price compared to what they normally charge, and I knew it would be right up Dave's alley.

Yesterday, we took the drive out to Irwindale to the Toyota Speedway. What an amazing day! It was such a neat experience not only for Dave, but also for the boys and I! I highly recommend it.

We got there a bit early, so we got to watch the first group of racers that were in the time slot before us. It was good to acclimate to the way they run things, and to see what they do out there on the track. The entire operation is very organized and well thought out.

Here's a happy man at the entrance to the building. Look at the excitement in his face. Ready to race!

Here is a shot of the track from the grandstands. It is a half mile oval.

After you take a half hour class on how the whole thing is set up, what to expect, and how to operate the vehicle, you wait to be called for your turn. They send out four drivers at a time, and you get to drive 20 laps. Here is Dave getting suited up.

Putting on the spiffy jacket.

They communicate to you by one-way radio, and your personal spotter pretty much tells you everything to do, when you are clear to pass, etc. Here is Dave just after getting his earbuds taped down.

Pretty much ready to roll!

They ride you out to the track in this golfcart. I even got to go with him onto the track, so I could get close up pictures of him in the car. So fun!

Climbing in through the window! Since they are real late model Nascar race cars, there are no doors, headlights, etc.

Strapped in, steering wheel attached.....window net about to go in, and we're ready to race! He had such a blast, and it was so fun to watch from the grandstands. Austin timed his laps, Luke took video, and I took stills! Such a manly thing to do, I tell you! What man doesn't love to smell race gas and drive as fast as he wants??? Priceless experience! And a trip to Spaghetti Factory on the way home pretty much topped it off!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the DeShongs!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!

Rejoicing in this truth and the truth of God's Word this Christmas.

Let the festivities begin!

Christmas Memories

Every year since my kiddos were really little, we have had the tradition of cutting out and decorating sugar cookies. It began as a tradition my sister and I would do together at her house when her kids were still young, and my sister patiently endured the complete and utter mess all the lil-uns would make in the process. Seriously, sprinkles, little decorator balls, and the like could be found weeks later on the floor, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Yeah, that was fun. The point was, the kids loved it so much, and even though their cookies looked more like horror movie characters rather than angels and gingerbread men, it was the making and enjoying traditions that mattered most.

Today, we still do this every year, and the kids get SO excited to this day when they see me place an enormous ball of cookie dough on the table. These days, they can roll out their own dough, cut the shapes, and frost and decorate the cookies with precision care. It is so cute to see their creations, and to see their creativity. For instance, Austin made a "special" hybrid gingerbread man with one missing limb. Uh-huh. Whatever.

Every time we do this, I am reminded that another year has gone by, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. I say this a lot, but I am at a loss as to where the last, say, 8 years have gone. I have vivid memories of having three toddlers/babies all at once, but once we started school, it all seems to be a blur. Every new school year came and went, and before you know it, your kids are big. Taller than you. Going to drive soon. Waaaaaaaaa!!!!!! I miss my babies! OK, well I don't miss the logistics of having babies, I just miss that they are small and cute. However, I can say with complete honesty that I am enjoying every minute of having older kids even more. To watch them accomplish things on their own, develop talents and abilities, understand spiritual truth and reckon that in their own hearts.....I am so thankful.

Days are still hard in so many ways, as we are in the trenches of homeschooling and everything else that goes with that. Some days I want to throw in the towel and be done. But Dave always reminds me why we do it. To invest in our kids lives and enjoy every moment. It's hard to remember to enjoy every moment when it's so difficult day by day. But sitting on the sidelines and quietly observing my kids decorate sugar cookies somehow brought me to that place...(See you knew I would get back to the cookies somehow).

God has given me so much to be responsible for, yet so much to be overwhelmingly thankful for. God has sent His son into the world to be my Savior! Christmas couldn't be any sweeter than this.

Time Flies.

Our little boys, Christmas 2003. We went from this..............................

To this! In 8 years flat.

Here are our big boys in 2011!!!!

My how things have changed. Loving these big boys.

Salted Caramels were a fail.....

Update to my previous post! I just tried this recipe for Salted Caramels for the first time today. I have always wanted to try caramels, and these with the sea salt on top were calling my name. I glanced at the ingredient list, and since it looked pretty simple, I didn't hesitate. Little did I know when I would go to make them today, that it would take about 50 minutes of standing over the pot stirring until it reached the hard ball stage. I just didn't anticipate it taking that long. The thermometer just crept incredibly slowly towards my target temperature, as I was thinking to myself, "Self, these BETTER be good, and worth all this effort!" It was finally time to pour them in the pan and cool them. Later this afternoon, I pulled them out of the fridge to cut them. Thankfully, to make it easier, you line the pan with foil, and all you need to do it pull the whole thing, foil and all, out of the pan, peel off the foil, and cut into nice tidy little rectangles like the picture. Uh-huh. The moment I went to peel off the foil, I knew it was going to be a disaster. The foil stuck, even though I had greased it like the recipe said. I cut them into nice little pieces which looked great until I tried to pick them up off the cutting board. Apparently the heat in my fingers was optimum temperature for melting the caramels, and they became a sticky gooey mess! I salvaged my un-tidy little rectangles, and placed them in layers in a storage container. They do taste good, and I love the addition of the salt. But, definitely NOT worth the effort. This recipe will go into my virtual trash can.

On another note, I also whipped up my no-fail Peppermint Patties recipe. It is one I know will work every year! However, at the very end of mixing the filling in my trusty KitchenAid Artisan mixer, old Trusty gave in! My heart stopped, as I have grown SO dependent on my mixer, use it ALL the time, and really am quite spoiled to even have it. Today was just the beginning of all my holiday baking, and my mixer quit on me!!!!! I really did think it was the end of it. Sweet Dave decided to take it apart for me to see if it was just a part that needed replacing. He came to me with a greasy broken part on a paper towel, and asked if I could find the part online. Sure enough, a little Googling later, Amazon had the exact part for under $14! Yippee!!!! I was ONE happy Mama. I then proceeded to order the part and whip up my cookie dough truffles by hand. Like with a spoon, by hand. Wow, I really am spoiled, and VERY thankful for my mixer.

So onward with the baking!!! Oh, and here's the recipe for the Peppermint Patties:

Creamy Peppermint Patties

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 tsp peppermint extract

9 cups powdered sugar

semi-sweet chocolate chips

canola oil

Whip the cream cheese and extract with a mixer. Slowly add and mix powdered sugar a little at a time, until it comes together. It will be VERY stiff. Form into 1 inch balls, roll them in your hands to soften, and then flatten into patties. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate several hours or until firm.

Melt about 12 oz. of chocolate chips with 1-2 tablespoons canola oil in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, until smooth and melted. Dip the patties one at a time, and return to cookie sheet. When finished with all of them, return to refrigerator to harden. Store in refrigerator or freezer in ziplocs or airtight containers.

~Enjoy your holiday season!

Edible Christmas Gift Lineup

Merry Christmas!!!

First of all, I just can't believe Christmas is almost here. The older the boys get, the faster the years go by. This first semester of school has literally flown by, as we have had our busiest year yet. This is our first Christmas back in our house. Last year, we opened presents by the fireplace in our little hotel suite at the Marriott. A little untraditional, yes. But you know what, in some ways we enjoyed the simplicity of it all. I couldn't do my holiday baking and cookie making, we couldn't have a tree, or decorate the house. All that made the season so much less busy!!! But I missed it. My kids missed the annual treats I make that they have come to love, they missed putting their own collections of ornaments on the tree, and we missed our cozy comfortable house. It was so nice to pull out the decorations after not seeing them for two years! We bought our fresh tree last week, and it is fully Christmas around here.

Next week I will begin my annual baking and candy making extravaganza. All my gifts to friends, kids youth group leaders, neighbors, Dave's office coworkers, etc. are homemade food. First of all, it's an inexpensive way to make gifts. Secondly, one batch of each item goes a long way. I just make batch after batch, store them all in the freezer, and then assemble gifts as necessary. I like to use those cute little white Chinese take out containers to give the gifts in. You can buy them in bulk at Smart 'N Final. I wrap the food in tissue and put a bow on the handle. So cute.

So here is my holiday line up this year. Some old favorites, and some attempts at something new!

Toffee - An old favorite I have been making for probably 15 years! I got this recipe from my sister. A hard caramel bottom layer, spread with chocolate and pressed with chopped almonds, then chopped in irregular pieces like a bark. For some reason, this easy recipe really impresses people!

Peppermint Patties -I found this recipe a few years ago, and they are amazing. Just like York, but better! A mint patty dipped in melted dark chocolate.

Bordeaux's - My first attempt to make something like See's famous candy that I love so much...they are maple espresso cremes dipped in chocolate.

Salted Caramels - Another first for this year. Uh, yum.

Cookie Dough Truffles - Balls of cookie dough dipped in melted dark chocolate and embellished with sprinkles or other decorations.

I am planning on posting recipes to follow, and I will keep you posted on how the new recipes work. In the meantime, if you would like any of these recipes to try right now, email me or leave a comment!