No Average Mom

Tonight I am spending the night working in my wonderful enclosed porch. It is so awesome to sit back with cold beverage and enjoy the warm evening air and still get some work done. I can’t imagine how this would ever be possible without my wireless router. The router has given me back so much of my freedom that I would say it is one electronic device I wouldn’t want to be without. Now my children can play outside under my watchful eye while I get a bit of work done. It is so nice to have these little luxuries!

I collect cookbooks and just found one that I love!
The Ultimate Ice Cream Book : Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More!

Very few commercial ice creams can stand up to homemade. Oh, I know. I have my commercial favorites too. When you make your own, however, you’re in control of everything. Too sweet? Cut down the sugar a little. Too rich? Substitute half and half or milk for some of the cream. You want a flavor that doesn’t come in the stores? Then it’s time to bite the bullet and make your own.

You’ll find details on ice cream machines in this book, as well as the differences between (and pros and cons of) ice cream made with and without eggs, details on flavoring ice creams, and tips for making “mix-ins” (cookies, crackers, etc.) that’ll stay crunchy longer. You’ll even find three recipes for ice cream cones in here!

This cookbook packs a lot of punch into a surprisingly small amount of space. Let’s use Pumpkin Ice Cream as an example. Below it you have four variations listed: Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, Pumpkin Raisin Ice Cream, Pumpkin Rum Ice Cream, and Pumpkin Seed Ice Cream. Mr. Weinstein could have done this a number of ways. He could have printed up a new recipe for each variation. He could have left them out entirely. Or he could have put the traditional paragraph of “oh, and you could try adding this, and this, or this.” In the first case you pay more for a cookbook that could have been smaller. In the middle case, we would have been bereft of many extra fantastic recipes. In the last case, when we sat down to pick a recipe and make out our grocery list, we would have failed to read the last paragraph, and we’d eternally find ourselves saying “Oh, next time,” without ever making the variations. So this is PERFECT. I wish more cookbooks did this. The variations are 1-3 sentence quick directions, but easy to pick out and implement. They’re also listed as individual recipes in the index, so you won’t have trouble finding them if you lose them.

You’ll find a fantastic array of flavors. Apple Butter Ice Cream, for instance. Avocado Ice Cream, with a Gazpacho recipe to accompany it–I guess you can eat ice cream for dinner! The Banana Ice Cream and the Banana Ice Cream Philadelphia Style (no eggs) come with a stunning array of variations. When Mr. Weinstein suggests Bubble Gum Ice Cream, he even provides the toll-free number of a company that sells bubble gum flavoring! Now that’s service for you. The book also includes sorbets, granitas, toppings, and ice cream drinks.

In all, this is the best ice cream book I’ve ever laid my hands on, and we have at least four such cookbooks. Mr. Weinstein has created a true treasure of ice cream creation, and deserves no less than a full five stars for his glorious work.

As always seems to be the case I am trying to loose weight. Nothing that I do seems to work. I watch what I eat and exercise and yet I seem forever stuck at this one weight. I wish I knew if an appetite suppressant would help me. When I was under a ton of stress I lost weight but I wouldn’t want to be in that situation again just to be thinner. I am just discouraged right now and wanting so very much to see the scale edge downward.

Yesterday I had a bit of a scare to say the least! This woman (stranger) walked into my house this morning when I didn’t answer the doorbell. She actually came to the second floor bedroom where I was with the boys because I didn’t answer the doorbell! She said she was looking for someone who used to live here! Apparently the completely redone interior and 9 zillion little people toys didn’t clue her inthat single and 60ish Susan no longer lived here. It was bizarre incident that I finally made a report to the police about. You just never know these days. They talked to her and found that although not a good idea she really was looking for Sue. They informed her that doing what she did is a good way to get shot! They offered to let me press charges for trespassing which I opted not to do. I always lock the doors but the one day I don’t look what happens.

The last two days here in the north have been amazing! It was so warm and gorgeous I felt like I was vacationing at the Outer Banks. The big difference was that instead of sitting out sunning myself and reading I was doing yard work. The work didn’t bother me because I just felt so happy to be able to be outside in shorts. Sunshine does so much to lift ones spirits even when you are hard at work.

I treated myself to an early present and purchased the Hamilton Beach 68330R 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker. Just received this afternoon. Ran down to the store, bought all the ingredients, and just threw our first gallon of ice cream in the freezer. It’s so cool … and FUN! We did the quick and easy vanilla recipe that came with the recipe book, chopped up some brownies and reeses PB cups, and the motor stopped like it’s supposed to in just 30 minutes. Soft serve ice cream as good as anything from the store … and better for us. The directions are VERY simple to follow. We’ve never made ice cream before and didn’t know squat about how to do it. Including time spent going to the store, we had our first batch within two hours after FEDEX delivered the package. We were skeptical about the loudness of the motor based on a prior review we read; the motor is really not that loud, but the sound it makes is rather obnoxious after about 10 to 15 minutes. However, it sounds just like I thought an electric ice cream maker would sound like. So, no surprises and SOOOO worth it! The price was awesome too!

Today was my third session at physical therapy. I really cannot say that I think for my particular problem that it is worthwhile. Honestly I think the place is simply too busy to provide real attention to each person. I have been given more attention by when buying a car than I have received at physical therapy. Maybe it is because car salesman are trying to build their sales career whereas physical therapists are assured of a job. I just find it hard to justify paying for sitting on a heated pad for 20 minutes and doing some stretches by myself before being sent home. I am pretty sure I am going to give it one more week and then I am done.

The following is taken from an email I found in my box this week. On so many levels I can understand where the author is coming from. I wish there were clear answers as to how we as a nation get ourselves out of the mess we seem to be in. I thought I would share this email here and ask you to share your thoughts~
I got this email today and thought it was pretty powerful.

Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton , Colorado , was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

“Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women.. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven chi ldren who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out f or answers.

“The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used… Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

“In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA – because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

” Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. The! y immedi ately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

“As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your
own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!”

Do what the media did not – - let the nation hear this man’s speech…. Please send this out to everyone you can