It's beginning to look a lot like pomegranates

This week we've been thankful for John the Revelator, for Aiden, for the Rocky Mountains, for the goodness of God, for apples, for our sewing machine, and for remote control cars. We watched the Hoboken Chicken Emergency, read Squanto part II, and brushed up on Psalm 100.

"Over the River & through the wood
Now Grandmother's cap I spy.
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!"

Jared wonders, "Will Grandma make pudding?"
Jared also observes, "I haven't gotten to snuggle with anyone all day."





The twins had a discussion about "a long daddy spider" they saw in the kitchen,

which reminded us all of "A long-legged sailor with a long-legged wife."




Allie said, "My nose are running." And Jason had a 45- minute nosebleed that even a tampon couldn't handle. True fact!




Today Aiden, Taliah & I went to town for groceries & errands. The kids were shocked that Christmas decorations were everywhere. I learned that I cannot buy presents in their presence and expect them to say nothing later around the recipients, no matter how hard they try to be discreet.

We picked out pomegranates, my favorite Christmas fruit other than fresh & dried cranberries.

I overheard Aiden's remarks . . . "now that Mom figured out how to make cookies right." So here is the recipe. Somehow, these are delicious, though they technically have nothing in them (they're supposed to be dairy, egg & nut free).

Cranberry-Chocolate Drop Cookies
from the Food Allergy Mama website

Yield: 2 doz. cookies

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine (I use butter)
1 cup granulated sugar (I use sucanat in place of both sugars & reduce amnt to taste)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy, rice or cow's milk
2 TB orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup unsweetenend applesauce
3 1/4 cups flour (I use whole wheat flour or Pamela's baking mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries (I used whole dried cranberries)

Mix butter & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add milk, juice, zest & sauce & mix thoroughly.

In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt & soda using a whisk. Add to butter mixture & blend well. Stir in chips & berries.

Bake in preheated 375F oven. Bake 12-15 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets.

Virus-Killing Soup

Today I bought leeks, fennel and white wine to supplement the 20 cloves of garlic, fresh herbs, and frozen garden vegetables on hand to make this chicken soup. We have a 24-hour fever and upper respiratory going through the house; I'm sick of the germs. Yesterday I "Miss Haynied" all the light switches, door knobs and stair rails with hot vinegar water.

I got this recipe from the Sonlighters Club Forums:

One chicken
Appx 15-30 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed
1 Tbs Salt
3-4 Thyme sprigs
Cayenne pepper
Rosemary
Fresh ground pepper

Place chickn & other ingredients in a soup pot & cover with water or chicken broth. Cook on stove top until chicken starts to fall apart. Remove from heat. Strain out chicken & stuff & set aside until cool enough to chop. Reserve broth for next step.

1 lg. onion (coarsely chopped)
1 fennel bulb (sliced thin)
1 leek (sliced thin)
4-6 stalks of celery (coarsely chopped)
large red pepper (chopped)
1/2 lb. carrots (chopped)
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup good white wine
salt & pepper

Place oil in bottom of large pot & heat. Add onion, fennel, celery, pepper & leek & saute until onion is transparent. Add wine & simmer for 3-4 minutes. Cover the vegetables with chicken broth & simmer until veggies are just tender.

Green beans
Frozen peas
zucchini
(or cabbage, or any other veggies you like)
flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1-2 cans chopped tomatoes with juice
salt & pepper

Add these ingredients & simmer until everything is tender Add chopped chicken, salt & pepper to taste.

No virus can withstand this soup.

The next day add egg noodles & turn it into chicken noodle soup.

Sunday October 18

This is the last daily saga. I didn't mention all the phone calls to experienced bison handlers or all the phone calls and personal visits to landowners. So far, 1 cow is still missing, last seen Thursday about sunset by yours truly. The other 3 are staying put. We had a normal church day today & painted the cutest fall trees in Wee Worship. They are for decorations for the church thanksgiving dinner. Taliah attended a birthday party. We attended a fundraiser for our neighbor's daughter whose body is racked with cancer. I begin my annual 40 days of Thanksgiving today. Each day I will be praying for Orphan Care around the world. With the kids I'll get out Thanksgiving decorations, read Thanksgiving stories, sing our favorite Thanksgiving & praise songs, bake stuff, make stuff, and fill out a calendar with Thankful things each day. Maybe we'll make our Thanksgiving tree again for the table. We try to do just one little activity per day, even if it's just reading a book.
I'm thankful for my neighbor, (whose oldest daughter is dying--in her 20s with a 5 year old boy) who reminded me that some day I'll be thankful for the permanent paint splotches on the new deck boards because my kids won't be around to do things like that anymore.

Saturday October 17

J takes 2 hours off work to find missing cow. No dice. Kids & I go to farmers market to buy . . . bison meat! 122 pounds of it! We take coffee to J and a friend, fill up with gas & come home. Lunch, naps, and out to Camp to decorate for next weekend's Pure Joy Retreat. Home at 6 p.m. supper, bed, prepare for Sunday.

Friday October 16

Borrowed platte maps. Studied, planned, took off for one last day of hunting.
School. No lunch. J calls & found the "herd." Tried again for corrals but missed again. No lunch. Can we all come out & help with the "drive"? Tried to line up help to move them up the road 6 miles. Found 2 ranchers moving calves on the road. They agreed to help. I was to go ahead & block traffic, but the critters took off up the road before we were ready. Me & my minivan full of kids went behind praying. A truck pops over the hill; the buffs hop fences and take off in the prairie. I race ahead to block traffic. The bull stops hopping fences. The cows cross the road and take off in another prairie. The kids & I drive & wait & Taliah sings, "Till the answer comes, you gotta keep prayin.'" 2 1/2 hours later, the bull comes up the road with 2 4-wheelers. The cows are still out there somewhere. Kids & I go home to eat and start supper. 1/2 hour later, the cows are also back "home." J comes home and asks us to go build fence. We build until 6:30 p.m. and go home. He takes the kids in to Runza. I get changed for a dinner with girlfriends. I get home at 11 p.m. 1 cow is still missing.

Thursday October 15

Got all dressed up for school pictures & began to walk out door when phone rang. Photographer sick. J took a vacation day. Drove out to retrieve 4-wheeler. Fixed 4-wheelers all afternoon. School. Sunny! Wrote missions article.

Wednesday October 14

School. Buff-hunting. borrowed 4-wheeler breaks down. Walk a few miles. Science day at the Children's Museum. AWANA. One visitor came along.