Thirty one days of no eating out. No McDonalds, no Burger King, no Dominos, no Chilis, no food purchased in a restaraunt shall be paid for out of my wallet!
This is going to be very difficult for me.  Even when I have a freezer full of food and a well stocked pantry; after a day of four rambunctious kids, homeschooling, helping to run our HVAC business, and the dog; I am TIRED.  Oh and then there is the clean up afterwards.  Needless to say, cooking is not very high on the list of things I want to do at the end of the day.
Couple all of that with the fact that I generally plan and buy for some of the most ridiculously elaborate things, it is no wonder I can't put a hot dog on a paper plate when 5:30 rolls around.
But there is something magical about January.  You can finally close the door on the year and make all sorts of plans for the clean slate you now have called the new year.
So, for January, I will avoid all eateries like the plague.  I will, however, accept all dinner invitations! 
In order to make this work, I will need to publicly announce this.  I need the threat of suffering the humiliation of failure to make me behave.  I will also need my husband's full cooperation.  I am sure I can accomplish this by simply telling him that we can pay his van insurance for the year with the money we will save.  But, mostly I will need to plan. I need to plan for plan A and also have lots of plan B's!
I know for the children's lunches I will need quick and easy things.  It is difficult for me to feed four kids while simultaneously trying to stay sane!  For suppers, I need crock pot foods and things that don't require a lot of prep time.  Pork roast with red pepper aioli is really good, but is probably not the most practical thing for me to make, so I need to make sure that while I have this type of thing as an option should I feel like an adventurous night in the kitchen, I have some nice easy meal ideas as well.
Wish me luck!

Jessica

PS.  In the interest of full disclosure, I do have a date night scheduled at OutBack. I got a $25 gift card in a rousing game of dirty Santa, so if I don't get to use that before the end of the year, we will be redeeming in January.  But that, short of an emergency, will be my only exception. 
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I was in the kitchen the other day, trying to quickly throw something together for dinner.  Well, I decided that the good old "breakfast for supper" routine was going to be the best thing. 
I preheated the oven to 450, intending on baking some biscuits, which I had big plans on using for some good ole biscuits and sausage gravy.
The joke was on me however, when I got down the ice cream bucket that contains the flour.  There wasn't near enough to make the huge pan of biscuits it takes to feed my family of seven!  I put the flour I did have, about 2 and 1/2 cups, in the mixing bowl, hoping that it would be like when Elijah went to the widow's house in Zarephath and the barrel of meal always had some left.
My bucket emptied out verrryy quickly, and when it was gone, it was gone!
I put a couple of tablespoons of shortening in there and turned on the mixer.  Then I went hunting through the pantry for something that I could use to stretch that mix!  The answer came to me as soon as the cabinet door was opened.  Pancake mix.
I used about 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, added a bit more shortening and then added the milk I needed to make a soft biscuit dough.  I did not add my usual bit of sugar, as I figured the pancake mix already had some in it.
It worked out supremely well!  I was really impressed.  If I had not added the pancake mix in there myself, I would have never have known it was there. 
They were especially good smothered in the white gravy I made!
Here is how I make yummy white sausage gravy!

Sausage Gravy

3 Tbsp of shortening or drippings from bacon or sausage
3 Tbsp of flour
3 to 4 Cups of Milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound of cooked crumbled sausage

Melt the shortening in a heavy skillet and add flour.  Stir it around for about a minute or so, until it is hot and bubbly.  It needs to be about the consistency of very thick cake batter, so adjust the shortening or flour as you need to. 
Slowly, while stirring constantly, add about a cup or so of the milk.  It should thicken up pretty quickly, as it starts to get thick, add another cup of the milk, again, while stirring constantly.  Continue until you have added at least 3 cups of milk.  When it is thick and bubbly, add salt and pepper.  Taste, if it is bland, add more salt and pepper.  It always takes more than I think it will!  Just taste it as you go along and stop when it is good!  If the gravy is too thick, add more milk.  If it is too thin, remember it will thicken as it stands.  If it is runny like water, you will need to simmer it while stirring almost constantly until it thickens up.  This could take a while.  Another option you have is too mix a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of flour - in a separate container - until it is very smooth, and then adding that to your cooking gravy.  DO NOT add more flour into the gravy without mixing it with water or milk first, you are asking for lumpy gravy otherwise!

After you have the gravy perfect, add your cooked sausage. We like a lot in ours so we use a full pound.  Use what you have or what you like!

Merry Christmas and may all your biscuits turn out light and your gravies smooth!

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Ok, so my child has been remarkably symptom free for a little over a week now.  The lumbar puncture he had this past week showed good results.  The medication he is on is really working very well!  I am grateful for this, yet at the same time, grieving the fact he has to be on medication or he could get sick again.  I hope I can have my medication free child back someday! 

I figured all the good news deserved a GREAT recipe.  This is what I will be taking to my sister's christmas party this Saturday. This is seriously just as good, if not better, than what the restaraunts serve!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

10 to 12 ounces of spinach - if using frozen, thaw and drain well.
1 can of artichokes hearts, chopped
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 jar of alfredo sauce
2 cups of mozzerella, divided
1 cup shredded parmesan, divided
1/2 tsp pepper (use more or less to suit you)

Preheat oven to 350.  Put spinach in microwave with a teaspoon of water until wilted, about a minute then drain off water.  Put in a bowl and add chopped artichokes hearts.  In a small bowl, heat cream cheese in microwave until soft and smooth, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway.  Put in bowl with spinach.  Pour in jar of alfredo sauce.  Mix in a cup of mozzerella cheese and 2/3 cup of parmesan.  Stir everything until mixed completely.
Pour into an 8x8 casserole or the large oval from pampered chef.  Top with remaining cheeses.
Bake until bubbly and cheese is just starting to have the little brown spots on top.  About 25 minutes. 

This is really good with chips or you can add cooked penne rigate or linguine for a nice meal!

Merry Christmas!


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My five year old son has just been diagnosed with this.
It started the second week of October.  He woke up with a severe headache, neck pain, and vomiting.  I immediately thought something was wrong with his head, so I took him to the pediatrician that day.  They announced he did not have strep throat and said it was probably viral.  He was sick two or three days and then seemed to be getting a little better for a couple of days.  Then he was horribly sick again.  The pediatrician said it was more than likely the same virus.  He was sick two or three more days, then stopped vomiting for a couple more days.  Then he got sick again.
The doctor ordered an MRI and lots of bloodwork. He also had him go see an ophthalmologist.
Everything was fine, except my child was very sick.
Finally, last week, we took him to Vanderbilt in Nashville.  The lumbar puncture had an opening pressure of 55.  I knew that was not good.  They did a CT scan and then a CT scan with contrast.  That was fine.  They admitted him and ran several more tests.  They decided that this was IIH, better known as pseudotumor.
The ophthalmologist that looked at him there found his optic nerves were swollen but his sight was fine.
He was in the hospital the better part of a week.  We are now at home.  He is still having vomiting and headaches, but he is feeling much better. 
If anyone knows anyone who's CHILD was diagnosed with this, please send along my email: jessi0519 at gmail dot com. 
Thanks,
Jessica
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A while ago this little questionaire went around on Facebook.  I thought it would be fun to requiz the kids, now that they are all older.  The old answers are in italics.  The new ones follow.
Enjoy a small glimpse into the minds of my 3 oldest children. :)

1. What is something mom always says to you?


Go to bed

Micah - Don't say bad words
Jaela - I love you
Quin -Do chores
2. What makes mom happy?

doing what you are told to do

Micah - hugging her
Jaela - not lying
Quin - Tickling her

3. What makes mom sad?

Disobeying and saying no

Jaela - Kicking Micah, even if you say sorry
Micah - when we are mean to you
Quin - Worms in our house (?)

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

by saying funny things

Jaela & Micah- By tickling, by saying funny things on the phone
5. What was your mom like as a child?

acting cute

a baby doll (Micah) Short with blonde hair (Jaela)
6. How old is your mom?

63

Jaela - 24
Quin - 47
Micah - 18
7. How tall is your mom?

probably like 42

Jaela - 5 foot 6
Micah - Raises hand in the air and says about this tall
Quin - an inch and a half
8. What is her favorite thing to do?

doing chores (Micah)

Quin - Read Books
Micah - picking flowers
Jaela - spank kids & cook
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

watch tv

play on the computer - Jaela and Micah
go in the kitchen and make stuff - Quin

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

spankings (Laquinthia)

Micah - playing Drums
Jaela & Quin - a fashion model

11. What is your mom really good at?

doing chores (Micah)

Quin - games
Micah - cooking and picking roses
Jaela - braiding
12. What is your mom not very good at?

putting her leg on the back of her head

Jaela -  "I am not going to answer that" (smart girl this one!)
Micah - picking up heavy stuff
Quin - monopoly
13. What does your mom do for her job?

do chores (evidently this has really stuck with Micah)

Quin - Clean up the kitchen
Jaela - tells us to do chores
Micah - "Mommy doesn't have a job, but I will tell you what her job is, cleaning up the kitchen, cleaning up the bathroom...."
14. What is your mom's favorite food?

pizza, apples, vanilla (??????)

Jaela - Eggrolls
Quin - Chicken pop soup (???????)
Micah - Pizza with drinking soda
15. What makes you proud of your mom?

she gives you nice things when your sick, like letting you sit in her bed and watch tv

Quin - Making soup
Micah - When she gives me toys
Jaela - when she lets me do whatever I want to do, like go bowling.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Cinderella

Micah - a princess
Jaela - Sandy Cheeks off of Spongebob
Quin - Someone off of Emporer's new groove 
17. What do you and your mom do together?

laugh and play video games

Jaela - tell daddy to stop passing gas in the house (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
Micah - go shopping
Quin - Pick up
18. How are you and your mom the same?

we look alike with the same smile and face (????!!) Jaela goes on to say we have the same roundness.

Jaela - we like doing some of the same stuff
Micah - By loving and picking flowers
Quin - By picking flowers and peaches
19. How are you and your mom different?

we play on barbie dot com and you play on facebook

Micah - I don't know
Quin - I don't know
Jaela - I like playing in make up and mom doesn't
20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Because she takes care of me

Jaela - by what she does
Micah - by hugging
Quin - I don't know (the land before time was on and clearly not a good time to ask her questions)
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

asahi

Jaela  - Khols
Quin - Asahi
Micah - Walmart
Danny - Kroger

Recently a news station out of Nashville reported this story:  http://www.wsmv.com/education/25505015/detail.html
It is a biased report attacking church related umbrella schools here in Tennessee.

Go, read or watch, then come back and see my email to her and her response.

From: Jessica Carter [mailto:jessi0519@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 2:29 PM
To: Jennifer (WSMV) Johnson

Subject: Church related schools

I am really disappointed with this report. It was very biased and based solely on a single family, who were obviously having difficulties in home.

This father was shocked at how far behind his children were. I find that sad. Had he been involved in children’s education, there would have been no shock.

The state of Tennessee DOES know how many children are enrolled in church related schools. Church related schools report to the state, every year, how many students they have enrolled.

My children are enrolled in a church related school. I pulled my oldest child out of public school because the school system, with all their oversight, was failing her. She could not read past a kindergarten level and she was in second grade. She is now in fourth grade and is reading much better. I am now educating her and her siblings.

I am not interested in standardized testing for my children. I don’t use the same curriculum as public schools. There are differences in curriculums and standardized testing would not be able to account for this. So the results would not accurately portray what my children have learned and not learned. My daughter, due to how far behind she was when I pulled her out of public schools, doesn’t yet know multiplication. She would test “behind” in that area. But, if she has not yet been taught that, is she really behind? No, she is just not meeting the standard of a totally different curriculum for her grade. But, she is exactly where she is supposed to be in the curriculum she is being taught.

Isn’t the most important thing that she is learning and moving forward? Why should she be forced to learn what she is not ready to learn, simply to meet the standards of a test?

Furthermore, Sylvan Learning Center is a for profit organization whose job it is to inform you of how miserably behind your child is. They want your money. Their standards are not even the school’s standards. Since when are they responsible for setting the standards for children?

Stories of children being behind and failing, are a dime a dozen in the public school system. The public school system has an extraordinarily large amount of government oversight, and they are failing children in many different areas. Where is your outrage and report?

Thank you for this report, as it reminds me of the ignorance and misinformation that most people have concerning homeschooling. I imagine that you have heard from many homeschoolers by this point, because we are one of the most active and effective voices in our communities. We are dedicated to our children and their educations. Shame on you for picking a single bad example and ignoring the thousands of good ones. The public school teachers I know would love to have the time, attention, and creative energy to devote to their students that we are able to give to our students.

Sincerely

Jessica Carter


Now her reply


Ms. Carter,

Thank you for your e-mail. I’m sorry you feel this way. The story wasn’t meant to be biased or insinuate that all students taught at home are failing. That’s why I used the statistic pointing out that home school students test 2 points higher on the ACT than their public school counterparts. I think Mr. Shearer also made some eloquent comments that speak to your points.

What the story WAS designed to do is point out that there are children who are slipping through the cracks, and I stand behind that. This is not an isolated incident. The state department of education says they get a half a dozen calls a day from people just like Greg. I’m sorry if I left you with the impression that this was an issue about one Tennessee family. I can assure you… that’s not the case. The fact that these kids are behind was illustrated by the fact that a judge stepped in and ordered them back to school.

I agree with you. There are many students being taught at home who are thriving. There are also some who are slipping through the cracks. If there are any other specific facts you dispute in the story, I will be happy to address those.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Johnson

1 pound of ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
packet of taco seasoning (optional)

3 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 chicken boulion cube
2 1/2 cups of water
1 tablespoon chili powder

8 to 10 corn tortillas

Brown ground beef with onion, drain fat.  Mix it taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Or if you are omitting the seasoning, just add salt and pepper to your ground beef.  (This is the way I like it best.)  Set aside.
Melt butter in saucepan.  Add flour and stir for about thirty seconds to a minute.  Add boullion cube and water.  Whisk in chili powder.  Stir until thickened and bubbly.  Set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, heat a corn tortilla until warm and pliable.  Put a few tablespoons of beef filling into tortilla and roll up.  Pour a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce onto rolled up tortilla and beef. 

Repeat until all the meat or tortillas are filled.  Serve with shredded white american cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes if desired. 
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