If you were born in the 70's or 80's you might have grown up listening to parents and grandparents remembering where they were during crucial historical moments in America's history...
I remember an older lady in our church telling me where she was when she heard about Pearl Harbor.
I remember both of my parents telling me where they were when they heard about JFK being assassinated.
I'm a history nerd (history major here), I soaked these stories up. I love social history (social studies was my other major)...I want to know the personal stories, not just the big dates....
I also remember thinking, I'm glad that nothing bad will happen to America again. I'm glad I won't have a "I remember where I was when ______ happened" moment in my life.
Then one quiet morning 11 years ago I joined the world in getting our 'I remember moment'...
Where were you?
I was sitting on my couch nursing my nine month old baby girl watching the morning news. This was our schedule...wake up at 6, she would nurse for an hour while I caught up on local/national news.
I in no way can even grasp the terror of those living in New York, Washington DC, anywhere on the East Coast, anyone that was on a plane or in an airport that day....
But because I was watching the news...I saw it all...
I was watching from the moment the first plane hit. When they thought it was still a freak accident. I SAW the second plane, I watched it fly into the second tower. I screamed and woke up Beau, made him try to understand what was going on.
I sat on the couch holding my sweet baby girl and so frighten for the world that I had brought her into.
I watched the towers fall...
I watched the plane in DC...
I watched as flight 93 crashed into a quiet field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure when I got off the couch that day, I know Beau went to work. I babysat my friends baby everyday back then...and I can't for the life of me remember if she brought her to me that day to watch or not. I just remember the tv being on all day long...I remember holding my baby and praying, and praying, and praying. I prayed for her world. Her life. Her America.
And I have a story I never wanted, I have a "I remember where I was" moment....
And I'm asking you to share yours.
These stories are part of history, they are the untold stories of history. The history that never gets written. We will tell our children and maybe even grandchildren, but they will be forgotten. I know that 9/11 will never be forgot, just like we have never forgot Pearl Harbor or the death of JFK, but the sting of those tragedies lessens when we loose those personal stories.
Lets not loose our, "I remember where I was when I heard/saw the news on 9/11."
It's weird to think...that it was a just a day before that day. Had you said 9/11 on 9/10/01, everyone would have no idea what you were talking about.
It wasn't one place like Pearl Harbor...
It wasn't one man like JFK.
It was our entire country that was attacked that day...
and we can't remember it by just saying one place...the entire day has been forever changed!
Share your story...where were you?
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
oh, hello there
well, hello...
guess I took a summer break!...
lets see....
boychild had a birthday...he chose 'Viva Pinata' as the theme...
yep...random...maybe, someday in the future I may blog about how to throw a Pinata themed birthday...maybe not...
we went to Sunriver, Oregon....BTW this is Oregon...blue skies and trees....
weird things happen sometimes...didn't plan this at all...
we were driving to Sunriver, OR on boy child's actual birthday...
we were getting hungry for dinner and were passing through Klamath Falls, OR
(where Beau was born...36+ years ago)...
we asked Wilson what he wanted for dinner...
he said pizza....
so, we pull off at the last Klamath Falls exit and follow the signs to Abby's Pizza...
then Beau begins to reminisce
(he grew up in FAR, FAR northern California, Tulelake...and the "big city" was Klamath Falls......)
guess what/where Beau had for his 7th birthday...
yep, pizza @ Abby's Pizza in Klamath Falls, OR...
I don't think we could have planned that if we wanted to!
might also blog about that...I have some catching up to do...
Sunriver was great...we were with the in-laws...whom I love so very much...
seriously...I married into a great family...
and then my brother-in-law went and married good too...so it's all good....
I don't have any really great pictures from the whole time we were in Sunriver, but take my word for it...we had a great time...
my sister-in-law organized the "Chambers Family Olympics 2012"...
so much fun...games from Minute-2-Win-It...
loved it!
boy child did baseball (t-ball with Jr. Giants...amazing) for the first time this summer...loved it...all of us!...one magical thing about Jr. Giants t-ball...the games are 2 innings/1 hour...that is so.very.magical when you are thinking about baseball in Redding in July!
we took a quick trip to the 'Bay Area' (aka San Francisco & Oakland) with friends to visit the Oakland Zoo and the Exploratorium...fun times...BTW...Oakland WalMart after dark...not AS scary as I would have thought...not that I wasn't a little, teeny-bit scared...but not as bad as I was expecting....
both girl & boy child participated in the YMCA's swim team this summer...which meant I had the opportunity to work-out three mornings every week...or sit by the pool and read...I'll let you decide what I did!
we had a great summer, with lots of fun memories!
and then...before I could blink...the summer was over...and back to school...
boy child off to 2nd grade...
Okay...now that summer is over and things are back to normal...
I will start to blog again...I have to, I have blogs that have been trying to write themselves in my head and I must get them out of there!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
wake up God, our neighborhood is ON fire!
so, our neighborhood caught on fire this past Saturday.
actually it was the 'green belt'/canyon behind our neighborhood that burned...
it was one of the craziest experiences of my life....
It was Saturday afternoon and I was on the computer in our home 'office',
Beau and Wilson were also in the office, Wilson watching a movie and Beau sleeping soundly on the futon.
Madison was not home...she was swimming with a friend....
I heard a loud airplane overhead...
it sounded loud, big, and really low...
we have a small airport not too far from our house,
so we hear plans overhead... but small plans
so I began thinking...that was big and really low for the airport....
seconds latter I smell smoke...
why do I smell smoke?
I get up, look out front to the street...
it is smoky and eerily quiet...
I went to the back and our yard was filled with smoke, I couldn't see our back fence...
I yelled for Beau and Wilson...told them we were leaving, the neighborhood was on fire!
after some 'discuss-ments' Beau and I decide to stay and try to fight the fire...
We get Wilson out of the car and have him help us with hoses and stuff in the back yard...
we open up our gates...
now our backyard is like the street...
firemen...
reporter/cameraman...
strangers...
neighbors...
he does...and he sends out the request on our church email prayer chain ...
up to this point...the trees in our neighbors back yard were engulfed in flames...
the fire was feet away from our other neighbors fence...
the wind is blowing up the canyon towards all the houses...
the neighbors teenage son was fighting the fires with all the neighbors hoses...
the firemen have shown up...
but really...
the fire should have burned more...
houses REALLY should be burning...
...the prayer went out...and the fire stopped moving towards all the homes...
the bombers where dropping flame retardant
and helicopters were dropping water
the firemen were everywhere...
they saved many homes that day...
but God had a huge hand in the direction that the fire didn't take...
seriously...the fire came up to the neighbors stacked firewood...but did not burn it!
actually it was the 'green belt'/canyon behind our neighborhood that burned...
it was one of the craziest experiences of my life....
It was Saturday afternoon and I was on the computer in our home 'office',
Beau and Wilson were also in the office, Wilson watching a movie and Beau sleeping soundly on the futon.
Madison was not home...she was swimming with a friend....
I heard a loud airplane overhead...
it sounded loud, big, and really low...
we have a small airport not too far from our house,
so we hear plans overhead... but small plans
so I began thinking...that was big and really low for the airport....
seconds latter I smell smoke...
why do I smell smoke?
I get up, look out front to the street...
it is smoky and eerily quiet...
I went to the back and our yard was filled with smoke, I couldn't see our back fence...
I yelled for Beau and Wilson...told them we were leaving, the neighborhood was on fire!
we jumped in the van (both Beau and Wilson with no shoes)...
Beau wakes up fully at this point and decides we need to know what is actually happening...
he runs out back, sees trees on fire and decides we're going to stay and fight the fire.
By this time the eerily quiet scene of our street, from moments before, has turned into chaos...
people running down the street carrying belongings,
dogs running,
kids crying,
fire trucks,
firemen,
reporters,
neighbors and strangers...
after some 'discuss-ments' Beau and I decide to stay and try to fight the fire...
We get Wilson out of the car and have him help us with hoses and stuff in the back yard...
now our backyard is like the street...
firemen...
reporter/cameraman...
strangers...
neighbors...
and then Beau tells me to call Steve..
Steve is our boss...
he's our Senior Pastor...
& most importantly he's a great friend...
so, I call & not-so-rationally tell him our neighborhood is burning down and to pray!
up to this point...the trees in our neighbors back yard were engulfed in flames...
the fire was feet away from our other neighbors fence...
the wind is blowing up the canyon towards all the houses...
the fire stopped moving forward...
against all reason...
against wind and dry grasses...
the fire stopped moving forward...
the firemen have shown up...
but really...
the fire should have burned more...
houses REALLY should be burning...
...the prayer went out...and the fire stopped moving towards all the homes...
the bombers where dropping flame retardant
and helicopters were dropping water
they saved many homes that day...
seriously...the fire came up to the neighbors stacked firewood...but did not burn it!
below is a bird's eye view of our neighborhood and the 'green belt' behind us...
(our house is the red X in the middle)...
the black is the approximate path of the fire...
it's my lovely paintshop job...so, it's not an actual picture of the fire damage...but you get the idea...
do you see ALL of the houses that the fire didn't burn...
did NOT touch...
60+ homes were threatened by this fire...
and NOT one was burned!...not one house was burned...
don't worry...I didn't take this during the chaos...
when things had calmed down...these two firemen were just casually walking down the block back to their truck..I asked for a picture with Wilson...
two of the many many blistered oak leaves that litter our lawns now (both front and back)...
we are keeping these as a reminder of Saturday...
a reminder that in chaos we need to stop and seek God first...
ironically...or maybe not so much
Steve preached about "Kingdom Challenges" on Sunday...
where Jesus & His disciples are in the boat at night and a storm comes up...
Jesus is sleeping and the disciples are freaking out...
only to wake up Jesus...not to ask for help...
but to tell Him the boat is going down...that they are all going to drown...
Jesus stopped the storm with his words...
He then looked at the disciples and said,
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
...
hmmm...I was in that boat on Saturday...
I was in a sinking boat and Jesus was sleeping in the back...and rather than wake Him up and ask for his help...
I FREAKED OUT...
and even when I did 'wake Him up'...rather than say,
"God, you can stop this fire"...
I said..."wake up God, our neighborhood is ON fire!"
God knew there was a fire...and...
God stopped that fire!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
beating the heat
Redding, California is HOT...
we spent about 30-40 minutes
(20 of that crossing the colder than ice creek to get to said Sound-of-Music mountain meadow)
enjoying the beautiful meadow
hey, kids...
look a patch of snow across the street from our meadow...
enjoy!
this snow is fun and all...but it's sort-of-kind-of a snow cliff...if the kids take a step or two back they will plunge to their deaths...or at least break a bone or two!
seriously...
how many times have you had a snowball fight in July!
okay, so this is great snow and all...but it's not fun/easy to play in...it's a snow cliff...so lets pack up and find what we set out to find...enough, safe, snow to play in!
hey, look it's a snow tunnel...so what if it's in a parking lot...
it's a SNOW TUNNEL...in JULY....
stop the car...get out and enjoy!
blog note #3...
try not to look too closely at the snow...it's snow in July...
so, this is not pristine white snow...
it's actually old dirty snow...
but, just don't think about it...
and make it VERY clear that there will be absolutely zero eating of any snow!
okay, so this is fun and all...
but it's a parking lot...
so, lets pack up and find a better place to play!
eventually...
we reach our ultimate goal...
an area with enough snow...
that's not on the edge of a cliff...
or in a parking lot...
and let the kids play...
midget July snowman!
Get some posed pictures at the ice cold Lake Helen....
this was an amazing day...it was in the high 70...when back in Redding it was 108+
the kids, our friends and I all had a great time!
it's sort, kinda known for being HOT....
(although it's a dry heat...if Redding had humidity it would be inhospitable and would have a population of 2!)
I really don't mind the heat...
it's just a fact that you need to be willing to live with if you choose to live in Redding...
which we do!
This is the thing...everything in Redding has AC.
blog note: I say that, knowing that we lived almost 6 years in our fixer-upper sans AC...
we had a swap-cooler...
or an evaporative coolers, as those in denial call it...
which takes our lovely dry heat and in turns makes it humid...classy!
anyways...
most normal sane humans that live in Redding have AC...
no cars are sold in Redding without AC...
it's not an extra...
it just IS...cars have AC...
side note 2: we bought a brand new car back in 2000 and while looking at the extra packages we said,
"Oh, yeah make sure it has AC!"
the sales guy looked at us and said,
"Um, we can't sell cars in Redding without AC! it's not considered an extra but a must have!"
okay...back to our regularly schedule blog...
about it being HOT and getting the HECK out of Hades!
the forecast for Monday was HOTx10...108+
which is pretty normal for July in Redding
(as previously stated...
that is why/how Redding is known for being HOT)
so, to beat the heat, the kids, some friends and I packed up and headed for the snow!
yep...we went and played in the snow in July!
something that I've done a few times...but not nearly enough..
pack up the car...
pack lunch and plenty of water...
and drive (usually...always...without the husband!)
have a minor goal in mind, but be flexible...
our goals...
1. get out of the heat
2. hopefully, possibly see/play in snow...
then go...
be spontaneous...
this is the fun part...
drive...see something pretty..
neat...
weird..
interesting...
stop the car...enjoy...
....look kids, it a Sound-of-Music mountain meadow....
 |
| trying to get a Sound of Music picture look really really hard and see the teeny tiny pink spot to the right... yeah, that's one of our kids! |
 |
| our closest Sound of Music shot! |
(20 of that crossing the colder than ice creek to get to said Sound-of-Music mountain meadow)
enjoying the beautiful meadow
hey, kids...
look a patch of snow across the street from our meadow...
enjoy!
 |
| love the contrast of green field below the snow! |
 |
| girl getting tagged by a snowball |
how many times have you had a snowball fight in July!
 |
| it's snowing in July...or maybe we just threw snow up in the air |
hey, look it's a snow tunnel...so what if it's in a parking lot...
it's a SNOW TUNNEL...in JULY....
stop the car...get out and enjoy!
try not to look too closely at the snow...it's snow in July...
so, this is not pristine white snow...
it's actually old dirty snow...
but, just don't think about it...
and make it VERY clear that there will be absolutely zero eating of any snow!
okay, so this is fun and all...
but it's a parking lot...
so, lets pack up and find a better place to play!
eventually...
we reach our ultimate goal...
an area with enough snow...
that's not on the edge of a cliff...
or in a parking lot...
and let the kids play...
Get some posed pictures at the ice cold Lake Helen....
Pack up and head home!
*special note...
when heading to the snow...even if it's July...
it would be wise to pack snow/rain boots...
your kids may or may not suggest this to you before you leave for said snow trip, and you may or may not think, "it's JULY and we don't need that"...
it would also be wise to bring mittens...
possibly also something that your kids may or may not have suggested that you bring...
and you may or may not think it's necessary because it's JULY...
trust me, bring the mittens!
so, your kids may or may not have the chance to say, "Told you so, mom!"
also good things to pack for a snow trip in July:
*flip flops
*flip flops
*towel
*bug spray...snow and mosquitoes don't compute in my head, but swampy muddy areas around melting snow drifts and 75 degrees is the perfect environment for mosquitoes...and since there are little to no humans in these areas you will be eaten alive by them!
Go out and embrace the spontaneous trips! Pack up the kids, invite some friends...and pack all the things that your kids may think you'll need!
and take pictures!
These are memories that you and your kids will cherish...
so don't NOT go because your husband/wife might not want to go or have to work
don't NOT go because friends can't come
don't NOT go because you have laundry to fold
this was an amazing day...it was in the high 70...when back in Redding it was 108+
the kids, our friends and I all had a great time!
just go...and embrace the spontaneous trip...
don't have any mountain snow anywhere nearby (we drove an hour and half to reach snow), drive to the lake, a waterfall, the beach, a local pick-your-own produce farm...etc...
what are some spontaneous trips that you've taken...or wanted to take?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
my mom in a swim suit!
yep...
I'm posting a picture of my mom in a swimsuit on my blog...
isn't she adorable!...
I was looking thru some pictures to change out and add a summer vibe to my living room decor and I found this one and a few others that just felt like summer to me...
here it is on the whole 'pia-ntle' (piano trying to be a mantle)
and a step back...
my summer subway art is framed and on the left side of the piano...
and because she loves when I post pictures of her in her swim suit...without asking permission...
here is the other swim suit pic of my mom...
doesn't this picture just 'scream' summer to you?...I love it...I'm guessing mom's about 17...and that's her mom..my grandma...making grandma about 64 in the picture...love the pose from both of them...
and looking at the age of my mom...I'm just guessing that my grandfather (her dad) had died maybe within the last year before this picture was taken...this might have been a really hard sad summer for both my mom and grandma so it makes my heart happy to see them being a little spunky at the beach!
any maybe my most-favorite 'embracing the summer' picture I found of my mom...
love this picture...my mom talks about being shy as a child...but this picture..at the beach, standing on a bench, hands on hips...says she wants to take on the world...or at least the next 3 months of summer vacation...
...
do you ever look at pictures of your parents or grandparents at different ages and wish you could step back and spend a day with them at that age...
I see the little girl in that top picture, the same age as my son, and think how much fun the two of them would have running around on the beach together...
the carefree teen with her beyond middle-aged-mom I'd love to sit and share lunch with the two of them...
or the spunky little girl that is taking summer by the horns...I can just imagine her and my daughter laughing and giggling and being amazing little girls together...
happy summer...
hope you enjoyed my mom in her swim suit...
I'm posting a picture of my mom in a swimsuit on my blog...
 |
| the date stamped on this makes my mom about 6 ...the same age as Wilson... |
I was looking thru some pictures to change out and add a summer vibe to my living room decor and I found this one and a few others that just felt like summer to me...
here it is on the whole 'pia-ntle' (piano trying to be a mantle)
 |
| she's to the left of the plant...held up by a large teal clothes-pin |
my summer subway art is framed and on the left side of the piano...
and because she loves when I post pictures of her in her swim suit...without asking permission...
here is the other swim suit pic of my mom...
 |
| this is framed and on the right side of the piano |
and looking at the age of my mom...I'm just guessing that my grandfather (her dad) had died maybe within the last year before this picture was taken...this might have been a really hard sad summer for both my mom and grandma so it makes my heart happy to see them being a little spunky at the beach!
any maybe my most-favorite 'embracing the summer' picture I found of my mom...
 |
| framed in the center, slightly to the right of the plant. |
...
do you ever look at pictures of your parents or grandparents at different ages and wish you could step back and spend a day with them at that age...
I see the little girl in that top picture, the same age as my son, and think how much fun the two of them would have running around on the beach together...
the carefree teen with her beyond middle-aged-mom I'd love to sit and share lunch with the two of them...
or the spunky little girl that is taking summer by the horns...I can just imagine her and my daughter laughing and giggling and being amazing little girls together...
happy summer...
hope you enjoyed my mom in her swim suit...
Monday, April 30, 2012
pretzel memories
I did something last week that I've been wanting to do for a long time...
I made soft pretzels with the kids...
Yep...I'm Martha...
totally 100% Martha...
...
only that's a lie...
I'm not...
...we just have to remember the cake pop incident of '12 to know I'm not Martha!
the reason I have never made them before is because I was scared...
it's bread...which equals yeast...and that's always a little iffy...
it's rolling and shaping of the dough...with children involved...
you have to boil them in a brine...
yes...a brine...
....that's freaky!
and then the egg wash
and all with kids...
yep...no, thanks I'll pass...
but I really wanted to...
I kept pinning soft pretzel recipes...
I would read them and re-read them...
even though they look scary with the whole brine thingy...
they also looked very easy....
but then I would remember the cake pop incident of '12 and then remind myself that just because the other bloggers think it's easy doesn't mean it is easy!
Well I did it...
I took the leap and made pretzels with the kids...
I followed this recipe from Alton Brown/Food Network
(my slightly altered recipe posted below)
it was great...
the dough...super simple...
the creating pretzel shapes with the kids...fun..not super easy...but fun
AND the dough is very forgiving, and even though the boy childplayed created with his dough for a LONG time it wasn't any worse for the wear, I couldn't even tell which 2 were his over-loved creations when they came out of the oven.
the scary brine...easy peasy!
egg wash...no biggie...just a small simple step
and the kids...
they LOVED it...loved it so much we did it three days in a row!
yes...THREE days in a row...
day one...loved them but only had table salt and that was too much salt..
day 2...I got the right salt...but Beau made the dough and I didn't tell him the right amount of butter (Alton's recipes is in oz not tablespoons)...so it was a bit too rubbery of dough for the knots so we opted for bites instead-AMAZING...
day 3...cinnamon pretzels for breakfast-yes please!
Homemade Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (1 package active dry yeast)
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Pam (the baking spray...not the lady) for spraying
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons melted butter
Pretzel salt or Cinnamon & Sugar
Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
side note...I was summoned to the back yard at this point to see the snake that the boy child had found...and I left the mixer going...I have no idea how long I was gone... I came back and the dough was smooth and pulling away from the side of the bowl...so I never upped it to medium speed...
Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then spray with Pam (the spray...not the lady). Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with Pam...the spray not the lady!
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface (I just sprayed the counter and let the kids go to town) and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel...or skip the knot and make pretzel bites by cutting them into 1-2 inch squares (we did bites the 2nd time we made these...just as yummy!). Place onto the parchment-lined pan...(or spray the bee-jeezus out of the pan...DO NOT opt for wax paper...just sayin')
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time (for bites I would say between 10-15), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to cookie sheet, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture, if topping with Pretzel Salt (Course Sea Salt...not table salt, if you don't have pretzel salt skip the salt...and take my word for it that table salt was TOO much!) sprinkle it now. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at about 5 minutes.
For Cinnamon & Sugar Pretzels: Wait 2-5 minutes for pretzels to not be too hot, brush the tops of warm pretzels with melted butter and turn upside down/butter side down into a bowl with bowls with cinnamon & sugar
Devour Eat pretzels while still warm...and enjoy with the family!
Sorry for the lack of pictures of all the steps...I was enjoying the pretzel moment with my kids and didn't stop and take pictures along the way!
Have you ever made homemade soft pretzels?
How about bagels...I think bagels are next on my list!...
I made soft pretzels with the kids...
Yep...I'm Martha...
totally 100% Martha...
...
only that's a lie...
I'm not...
...we just have to remember the cake pop incident of '12 to know I'm not Martha!
the reason I have never made them before is because I was scared...
it's bread...which equals yeast...and that's always a little iffy...
it's rolling and shaping of the dough...with children involved...
you have to boil them in a brine...
yes...a brine...
....that's freaky!
and then the egg wash
and all with kids...
yep...no, thanks I'll pass...
but I really wanted to...
I kept pinning soft pretzel recipes...
I would read them and re-read them...
even though they look scary with the whole brine thingy...
they also looked very easy....
but then I would remember the cake pop incident of '12 and then remind myself that just because the other bloggers think it's easy doesn't mean it is easy!
Well I did it...
I took the leap and made pretzels with the kids...
I followed this recipe from Alton Brown/Food Network
(my slightly altered recipe posted below)
it was great...
the dough...super simple...
the creating pretzel shapes with the kids...fun..not super easy...but fun
AND the dough is very forgiving, and even though the boy child
the scary brine...easy peasy!
egg wash...no biggie...just a small simple step
and the kids...
they LOVED it...loved it so much we did it three days in a row!
day one...loved them but only had table salt and that was too much salt..
day 2...I got the right salt...but Beau made the dough and I didn't tell him the right amount of butter (Alton's recipes is in oz not tablespoons)...so it was a bit too rubbery of dough for the knots so we opted for bites instead-AMAZING...
day 3...cinnamon pretzels for breakfast-yes please!
Homemade Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (1 package active dry yeast)
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Pam (the baking spray...not the lady) for spraying
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons melted butter
Pretzel salt or Cinnamon & Sugar
Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
side note...I was summoned to the back yard at this point to see the snake that the boy child had found...and I left the mixer going...I have no idea how long I was gone... I came back and the dough was smooth and pulling away from the side of the bowl...so I never upped it to medium speed...
Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then spray with Pam (the spray...not the lady). Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with Pam...the spray not the lady!
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface (I just sprayed the counter and let the kids go to town) and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel...or skip the knot and make pretzel bites by cutting them into 1-2 inch squares (we did bites the 2nd time we made these...just as yummy!). Place onto the parchment-lined pan...(or spray the bee-jeezus out of the pan...DO NOT opt for wax paper...just sayin')
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time (for bites I would say between 10-15), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to cookie sheet, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture, if topping with Pretzel Salt (Course Sea Salt...not table salt, if you don't have pretzel salt skip the salt...and take my word for it that table salt was TOO much!) sprinkle it now. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at about 5 minutes.
For Cinnamon & Sugar Pretzels: Wait 2-5 minutes for pretzels to not be too hot, brush the tops of warm pretzels with melted butter and turn upside down/butter side down into a bowl with bowls with cinnamon & sugar
 |
| this is the pictures you get when you ask your husband nicely to snap a picture of the kids enjoying their pretzels! |
Have you ever made homemade soft pretzels?
How about bagels...I think bagels are next on my list!...
Monday, April 9, 2012
Easter Fail
we had a wonderful Easter.
kids loved their Easter baskets
.....with dollar store bad mitten sets
(seriously....I thought they would break after 2 minutes...but they're holding up nicely, they might make it through a whole week! So worth the $2 I spent on 2 sets...I would have maybe even shelled out $4 for the quality!)
and then off the church, it was a beautiful morning at church
...not that I got to attend either service
doing check-in station beginning of 1st service
...then toddlers the rest of 1st service
....then 3's & 4's 2nd service...with my sweet niece in my class...that was special!
...but I've heard Pastor Stephen preached it yesterday!
I will be listening to the podcast today.
in-between the two services we had a Celebration Cafe with brunch
and then 3 baby dedications
and 17 baptisms...17!!
and one of those 17 was our boy child!
and my Beau had the privileged to baptism him
what a special morning...
& both Beau and I sort of kind-of went into mini little ugly cry's
...but not too bad, we recovered and all was well!
kids loved their Easter baskets
.....with dollar store bad mitten sets
(seriously....I thought they would break after 2 minutes...but they're holding up nicely, they might make it through a whole week! So worth the $2 I spent on 2 sets...I would have maybe even shelled out $4 for the quality!)
and then off the church, it was a beautiful morning at church
...not that I got to attend either service
doing check-in station beginning of 1st service
...then toddlers the rest of 1st service
....then 3's & 4's 2nd service...with my sweet niece in my class...that was special!
...but I've heard Pastor Stephen preached it yesterday!
I will be listening to the podcast today.
in-between the two services we had a Celebration Cafe with brunch
and then 3 baby dedications
and 17 baptisms...17!!
and one of those 17 was our boy child!
and my Beau had the privileged to baptism him
what a special morning...
& both Beau and I sort of kind-of went into mini little ugly cry's
...but not too bad, we recovered and all was well!
Friday, April 6, 2012
how we do Easter
many of you may know that my husband is a Children's Pastor & that I'm the Early Childhood Director at our church...
so with that knowledge many people ask...
Do we 'do' the Easter Bunny?
(and for that matter Santa, the Tooth Fairy, lepercauns, etc)
Yes...we 'do' the Easter Bunny...and all those others too...
how does that look?
how do we celebrate one of the most sacred (if not the most sacred) holiday on the Christian calendar yet allow a bunny to be part of it?
The same way we let the Big Jolly Elf be part of Christmas.
We don't let either the bunny or the big guy the center attraction on these special Christian days, but they are there...
so with that knowledge many people ask...
Do we 'do' the Easter Bunny?
(and for that matter Santa, the Tooth Fairy, lepercauns, etc)
Yes...we 'do' the Easter Bunny...and all those others too...
how does that look?
how do we celebrate one of the most sacred (if not the most sacred) holiday on the Christian calendar yet allow a bunny to be part of it?
The same way we let the Big Jolly Elf be part of Christmas.
We don't let either the bunny or the big guy the center attraction on these special Christian days, but they are there...
green thumbs...
a ChambersMade family first...
we are planting a garden....from scratch...
we stared with seeds yesterday...
the kids got to pick out the seeds a few days ago*
 |
| so proud of their boxes of dirt |
the kids are excited about their garden...
we will buy some plants (already bought 2 tomatoes plants and a pepper)
but I love the fact that we're going to try to start some from seeds...
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Crafty Shower
and how, per Rayna's request, we play zero games!
I was okay with that
(even though I love a good game)
together we talked about what to do instead of games
you do have to do SOMETHING
this would not be good...
Hello, welcome to the baby shower...
put your presents there...
okay now were're opening presents
okay, thanks, that was nice, good bye!
well, maybe you could, I think it's a little
So for the shower activity we decided to make oneies for the coming baby...
 |
| some onesies created by guests at the shower... (btw 3 of these were created by kids the dino top middle made by my boy child, animals top right, my girl child, whale bottom left by a friends 11 yr old drama queen) |
This is what you'll need...
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Guest Blogging...
Today I am guest blogging over on my husband's blog...
my husband is the Children's Pastor at our church and has a blog for children and families called Redding First Families
...if you're used to reading my blog it's a different tone over there,
I asked him if I could write a blog about Easter, Death, the Crucifixion and our Children
so if you'd like to read my opinion on how, what, why about talking with our young children about this subject please head on over...
thanks....
my husband is the Children's Pastor at our church and has a blog for children and families called Redding First Families
...if you're used to reading my blog it's a different tone over there,
I asked him if I could write a blog about Easter, Death, the Crucifixion and our Children
so if you'd like to read my opinion on how, what, why about talking with our young children about this subject please head on over...
thanks....
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
time for a shower
a sweet baby shower!
I had the pleasure of throwing a pintrest inspired baby shower for my friend Rayna....
she's pregnant with baby boy #2!
yesterday I shared about my cake pops or lack thereof for this shower....
I started pinning shower ideas to my 'party on' board
& was watching Rayna's 'Baby Rush #2' board
I had the pleasure of throwing a pintrest inspired baby shower for my friend Rayna....
she's pregnant with baby boy #2!
yesterday I shared about my cake pops or lack thereof for this shower....
I started pinning shower ideas to my 'party on' board
& was watching Rayna's 'Baby Rush #2' board
Saturday, December 17, 2011
oh designer Christmas tree
oh Christmas tree...
how I love your branches...
your branches filled with memories and fun...
branches filled with perfectly-imperfect creations and ornaments created and chosen by our children
Christmas is about family
about children
and memories
and warm fuzzy feelings
and joy, love, peace...
and a perfect babe born in a stable...
my biggest Christmas pet peeve is the need to have the perfect Christmas
the perfect house lights
don't get me wrong...I LOVE house lights
the perfect door wreath
I love me a pretty wreath...but it doesn't have to be $75
the perfect plate of goodies to deliver to the neighbor
let the kids help with the goodies,
the perfect family Christmas photo/card
I love a great Christmas card, but does it represent YOUR family
and the worst of all...
the designer Christmas tree...
you know the one...
the house...
the family...
that has the designer tree...
the tree that is Perfect...
not an ornament out of place,
not a light or twinkle not where it's supposed to be...
and not one perfectly imperfect handmade kids ornament on it...
the families with these perfect trees talk about how 'special' the kids are because they get their own tree...
in their room...
with THEIR ornaments on it...
I've never talked to any of these kids,
not sure how they turn out as adults,
but I can't imagine growing up in a house where the macaroni wreath with my toothless 1st grade smile ornament wasn't 'allowed' to hang on my mom's perfect tree...where the special weird snowman ornament 'Uncle Randy' gave me had to hang on a different tree out of sight from the perfect tree in the living room....
How has the beauty of Christmas gone from the perfection of a babe born in a barn to a what-ever-the-color/theme-of-the-season-is-perfect-kid-free Christmas tree?
I find it ironic and sad that our Savior was also not good enough to be the main attraction on the first Christmas...that he wasn't born in the 5 star inn with the newest nursery theme decorating his nursery...
I think our Christmas trees should be filled with kids...
with their uniquely handcrafted works of art
their hand selected ornaments
their love
these all point to the perfectly imperfectness of the first Christmas.
Christmas was never meant to be 'perfect'
we can't be perfect...
perfect was born for us on the first Christmas morning,
born to free us from the burden of being perfect
and that is my little Christmas soap box...let your kids hang their uniquely crafted artwork on your Christmas tree...show them that they are good enough for your tree, they don't need to be perfect to fit into your Christmas memories!
Seriously, what is more important, your designer Christmas tree or the heart of your child that feels loved year after year when they get to hang their hand crafted, uniquely picked out, cherished ornaments on the family tree!
wasn't the meaning of that first Christmas so obvious?
that Christmas is for all children
for the imperfect of us all
for family
for love, peace, joy
I mourn the day when our grown children claim all their weird/unique/precious ornaments that they have created and collected over the years leaving our tree free from their memories, from their perfectly-imperfectness.
Merry Christmas
how I love your branches...
your branches filled with memories and fun...
branches filled with perfectly-imperfect creations and ornaments created and chosen by our children
 |
| Norman, our Christmas tree this year |
Christmas is about family
about children
and memories
and warm fuzzy feelings
and joy, love, peace...
and a perfect babe born in a stable...
my biggest Christmas pet peeve is the need to have the perfect Christmas
the perfect house lights
don't get me wrong...I LOVE house lights
the perfect door wreath
I love me a pretty wreath...but it doesn't have to be $75
the perfect plate of goodies to deliver to the neighbor
let the kids help with the goodies,
the perfect family Christmas photo/card
I love a great Christmas card, but does it represent YOUR family
and the worst of all...
the designer Christmas tree...
you know the one...
the house...
the family...
that has the designer tree...
the tree that is Perfect...
not an ornament out of place,
not a light or twinkle not where it's supposed to be...
and not one perfectly imperfect handmade kids ornament on it...
 |
| boy child's penguin-circa 2009 |
the families with these perfect trees talk about how 'special' the kids are because they get their own tree...
in their room...
with THEIR ornaments on it...
 |
| girl child's kindergarten present to us, 2006 |
I've never talked to any of these kids,
not sure how they turn out as adults,
but I can't imagine growing up in a house where the macaroni wreath with my toothless 1st grade smile ornament wasn't 'allowed' to hang on my mom's perfect tree...where the special weird snowman ornament 'Uncle Randy' gave me had to hang on a different tree out of sight from the perfect tree in the living room....
How has the beauty of Christmas gone from the perfection of a babe born in a barn to a what-ever-the-color/theme-of-the-season-is-perfect-kid-free Christmas tree?
I find it ironic and sad that our Savior was also not good enough to be the main attraction on the first Christmas...that he wasn't born in the 5 star inn with the newest nursery theme decorating his nursery...
 |
| boy child's ornament 2010-so.very.random! |
I think our Christmas trees should be filled with kids...
with their uniquely handcrafted works of art
their hand selected ornaments
their love
these all point to the perfectly imperfectness of the first Christmas.
Christmas was never meant to be 'perfect'
we can't be perfect...
perfect was born for us on the first Christmas morning,
born to free us from the burden of being perfect
 |
| lollipop-boy child 2008 Popsicle nativity-girl child 2006 |
and that is my little Christmas soap box...let your kids hang their uniquely crafted artwork on your Christmas tree...show them that they are good enough for your tree, they don't need to be perfect to fit into your Christmas memories!
Seriously, what is more important, your designer Christmas tree or the heart of your child that feels loved year after year when they get to hang their hand crafted, uniquely picked out, cherished ornaments on the family tree!
 |
| boy child 2008 |
wasn't the meaning of that first Christmas so obvious?
that Christmas is for all children
for the imperfect of us all
for family
for love, peace, joy
 |
| both girl child's all pink heart painted at 7, 'Jesus loves me' given to us by a church that was praying for her when she was in the NICU |
Merry Christmas
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