Hurricane Gustav

IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT US AFTER OR DURING THE HURRICANE AND THE PHONE LINES ARE DOWN OR BUSY AND CELLS DON'T WORK THEY TELL US TEXT MESSAGING IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE.  
We are boarded up and going to ride out Hurricane Gustav. I know many think we're crazy but we have weighed our options and the risks. Staying here is best for my health safety and because of its current track we feel that we are out of the hurricanes main path. We are boarded up with lots of water, a great generator, gas, tons of food and batteries.
We are 57 miles east from the Louisiana - Mississippi boarder and about 30 miles west from the Mississippi - Alabama line. Our elevation is 27 feet and about 3-4 miles in-land from the gulf. So though we are south of I-10 and just north of Hwy 90 we are directly behind a spit of land that jets out into the Gulf so we are farther then most from the gulf water. If you want to track the storm click on the 'GREEN' Hurricane Gustav that I previously typed and it will take you to up-to-date weather alerts. This is a current picture of the projected path.

If your interested here is the history of Hurricane Gustav and the expected effects on Jackson County...
Hurricane Gustav is the seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed on the morning of August 25, about 260 miles (420 km) southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm that afternoon and into a hurricane early on August 26. Later that day it made landfall near the Haitian town of Jacmel. 85 deaths have been attributed to Gustav as of August 31, 2008.[1][2] It intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in less than 24 hours. [3]
At 11 a.m. Eastern time, the U.S. hurricane center says Gustav was centered about 325 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving northwest near 17 miles-per-hour. Gustav is a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 120 miles-per-hour.
Jackson County is calling for a “Mandatory Evacuation” for all residents living in low-lying areas, mobile homes, MEMA Cottages, and FEMA travel trailers in advance of tropical storm force winds by 8 a.m. Sunday morning (Aug. 31). Travel trailers and mobile homes present serious safety hazards to occupants during high winds. Evacuation is the safest thing residents can do to protect themselves in case of a major storm.
Storm Surge +/- 10 feet
6-12 inches of rain fall
Winds 40-75 mph (our home delt with over 100 mph winds during Katrina and we had very little shingle damage)
Hurricane information Hotline (228)897-6897

3 Kids and a Broken Toe

My Mom took the kids downtown today to the Art Walk and at some point thinks she kicked the stroller wheel because she BROKE HER TOE! Its her left pinky toe and its purple. So my help has become more of a supervisor, though she did fold a load of laundry and watch the kids in the tub. I have been keeping her iced with her foot up. As I type she has it up with a new ice pack and glass of wine in hand. In a few I will give her more Iburpofin and tape the little guy to its neighbor in hopes to help her walk. Her hoping around is a bit scarry the last thing we all need is Nana to throw her back out or blow out her knee!
Anyhow I am already learning to juggle the 3 kids but I have a lot learning to go and its a steep learning curve. Here is me trying to do storytime before bed last night.

And some pictures of the kids with Aby when she finally woke up today. Like their faces when you ask them to smile?

Sisters...

We're home

Abygail and I are home and doing well. Thank you everyone for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. We are not sure if we will stay here or evacuate yet due to Hurricane Gustav. We are still making arrangements to stay and to evacuate. We should know more tomorrow when it enters the Gulf of Mexico.
Here is a cute picture of the proud Big Sister and Big Brother with their Baby Sister. They are very happy she and I are home.

New Arrival

Abygail Kathryn born 8/28/08 @ 10:13AM
8 lbs 12 oz, 21" long

Mama and baby are doing great!

Baby's Arrival

I went to the Doctor today and am 3cm, so we're getting closer. Due to risk factors on the part of her and myself they don't want me to carry to far past my due date which was Aug 25 - Aug. 28 (more of a window then a date). Then we also have to consider the concern of the potential of Hurricane Gustav that has some tracts heading our way. After taking all this into account I will be checking into the hospital 11:30 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, in preparation for induction early Thursday morning.
My Mom arrived safely this evening, and the kids were so excited. Showed her all their toys and had so much fun playing with the little goodies she brought them.
There is no Internet at the hospital so Andy will try and post a picture of our little girl as soon as she arrives. Wish us luck!

Tropical Storm Fay

This whole week led up to Tropical Storm Fay, we were told to buckle down because she was going to blow and dump a lot of rain. So we did.  We made sure all our outside chores were done early Saturday morning and moved the trash cans and yard toys to the garage. Finally this afternoon she rolled through as a tropical depression, a fancy name for a rainy day with a bit of extra wind.

Since it came with no lightning the kids enjoyed it all they could.

William and Claira put on their rain gear and headed out for some good puddle jumping

But darn that little Mississippi girl she just couldn't resist and off went the boots with the jacket soon to follow...I don't know what she has against shoes!

To pass the time stuck inside we did puzzles, played games, watched "The Little Mermaid", used our imaginations to dress-up, play dolls and get 'bad guys'. While I was making 'Prune Pies' I finally caught our little builder in action!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Prune Pies

Yes, I am aware this sounds weird but it is a family treat that I usually only get when I visit family on the San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico. Sometimes we are lucky and they are brought back when my Mom or Aunt go. They are so yummy! This is the first time I made them myself and I have to say, not only were they delicious but way more simple then I imagined. Andy is excited I felt this way. I think he is expecting them a bit more often then every few years. I think what made them easier was the fact I used my Cuisinart to make the dough, then again to smash the filling (I was so lazy I didn't even wash it between making the dough and filling). I also have to say making the shapes was fun, but not necessary. I really don't think unless it is a special occasion that I will do that again but I have a thing for cookie cutters and love to use my collection when ever possible. Not a bad rainy day activity...

Filling:
2 cups dried prunes, cooked and drained (I used pitted prunes not dried just the ones you buy at that store, like raisins)
(place prunes in pot, just cover with water and let simmer until prunes are soft , about 10 minutes)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
-mash cooked prunes and add sugar and cinnamon , set aside

Pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard or vegetable shortening (I use shortening)
2/3 cups cold water

-Combine flour, sugar baking powder and salt in a large shallow bowl.
-Cut in lard or shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly
-Add cold water a few table spoons at a time, scattering evenly over the surface of mixture and tossing briskly with a fork just until mixture holds together, forming a soft dough.
-Divide dough in half (handle gently)
-Roll out half on a lightly floured board into a rectangle about 15 inches long and 10 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick – slightly thicker than you would a pie crust. Keep the margins as even and the corners as “square” as possible. Trim away ragged edges so that you have as perfect a rectangle as possible. Using a ruler to guide and a sharp knife dipped in flour, halve the pastry rectangle the short way so that you have two pastry rectangles measuring about 7 1/2 in by 10 in.
-Ease one of the pastry rectangles onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
-Spread with a 1/4 inch thick layer of filling, spreading well to the edges.
-Ease the second pastry rectangle on top of the filling
-Press the top crust gently into the filling
-With a sharp knife square up uneven edges and pinch / crimp the outside edges together like you would the outer edge of a pie crust to seal the filling in.
-Roll the remaining pastry the same way and fill and crimp.
-Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar
-Bake pies in a hot (425 degree) oven about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and pastry feels firm to the touch. Cut into 12 rectangles .

Circus-Boom A Ring

This afternoon we surprised the kids with a trip to the Circus! They had a great time. William said the tigers were his favorite!

I'm not sure what Claira thought the best was but she laughed...

she got worried!

And they both thought one of the clowns looked a lot like 'Mr. Noodle' from Elmo's World. William about doubled over during a skit where his bike kept falling apart. He got a little concerned when a man from the audience was asked to lay down and it seemed 'Mr. Noodle' was going to run him over. He kept trying and trying...soon William leaned over and asked "Mommy, he should be careful he might hurt that Daddy's penis!"

Nothing bad happened but William was glad that part was over.
Andy also liked 'Mr. Noodle' and his bike tricks. At one point he pulled out a bike no bigger then a watermelon and rode it through a hoop of fire!
Not sure what my favorite part was but the elephants were cool

so was the tight rope walker who FELL!!! I honestly don't think it was part of the show. The music stopped and he froze there scrambling to catch the wire after a minute of silence he swung back up and continued...it made the rest of his tricks even scarier since you now know he was not so good an really could fall right in front of you.

All-in-all it was great time!

Cranberry Pork Chops

The family scarfed this down!!! And it was easy...only took (sides included) 30 minutes!
Ingredients
1 TBS Veg. oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced ( I only used 1/2 onion)
4 pork-chops
salt & pepper
1 cup (16oz) whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup Orange Juice
Directions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Season pork chops with salt & pepper, add to skillet. Cook unitl browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Stir cranberry sauce and orange juice into skillet. Reduce heat on low and simmer, covered, 5-7 minutes more.

The original recipe said serve with whole grain rice...but we just had rice last night so I did mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was delicious! Everyone ate their whole plate full of food, that's 1/2 a pork chop per kid! They liked the cranberry sauce/dip so much they dipped their broccoli in it! William even asked for more pork-chop but I only made 3, its usually enough.

Peanut Butter Noodles

Since Andy called and said he was going to be home late I decided it was a good night to try this new recipe. It is served at room temp so it was perfect for a night of eating separately. The kids and I had a bit of a rough day so I don't know if they (mostly Claira) was still just being ornery and protesting dinner or what but Claira was more interested in pretending the noodles were snakes then eating them. William at first made funny faces at it, but after Claira being removed from the table 3 times for bad manners he decided he would be a show-off and eat his dinner just to prove he was a better kid then his sister. How ever it happened Claira ate half hers, and Wil ate his whole bowl finishing by saying "Mommy those silly noodles were yummy". Andy thought they were great and I liked them but would have like to see it more as a side dish to some kind of chicken. Actually maybe even adding some chicken to it would be good...but Andy isn't a fan of chicken or meat in his noodles unless it is a red meat sauce. He also isn't a fan of nuts in his pasta but adding some actual peanuts to it would have been yummy and given it a good crunch. I added shredded carrots and cut up some extra green onion for us adults to sprinkle on top. Andy of course covered his in Asian Chile Sauce making it so spicy I have no idea how he actually tasted the Peanut Butter. All in all a good quick, easy dinner...a great idea for a picnic!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 pound linguini, angel hair pasta, or soba noodles ( I used Spaghetti)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I only had seasoned rice vinegar, worked just fine!)
5 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce ( I used low-sodium)
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger root (I used 1/2tsp dried/powdered)
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 scallions, trimmed and cut
Optional toppings: grated carrot, scallion (sliced into rounds), cucumber (peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced), toasted sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts
1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.

2. In a large bowl, blend together the peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.

3. Add the noodles or pasta, toss well, then garnish with the toppings. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6.

Progressing SLOWLY

Our little girl has started on her way.  Don't get excited I labor long, just like my Mom did with my sister and I.  It took her over a week of contractions with both of us girls It took me almost 4 weeks to finally have William!  Claira not as long only about 2 weeks on and off when I finally ended at 5cm and over a week late they intervened and got the show on the road. I have been at 1cm now for over a week, but making some progress thinning out and she seems to have dropped. So maybe we will have this little girl before her due date, Aug. 25. But I am not getting my hopes up. Lets keep our fingers crossed that we meet this little girl sooner then later. My poor little body is getting so swollen. William thinks I am filling full of water and am going to 'POP' so his sister can come out!

Future Olympian?

William had his first day of Gymnastics...he never stopped smiling! The smile began with getting dressed in his 'gym' clothes (nothing with zippers or buttons) and when his teacher came out, normally shy William smiled at her and boldly asked, "are you my teacher?" I was shocked and couldn't help but smile myself to see his eagerness to try a new activity.
They began with stretching and his favorite, Jumping-Jacks. Then moved on to forward rolls and the balance beam where you could see their little arm reach up in the air and hear their squeaky voices yell, "TA DA!"

Next was two of the most exciting things of all...he got to swing on the bars, like the "TV players" and jump down the trampoline.

sorry for the blurry pictures but the gym is really big and they are in the far back so I had to use my super-max zoom. Which works great if your a non-moving flower but a not as well for an Olympic gymnast!

Irish Red Ale

Several times over the last year and half Andy and our neighbor Tim have been attempting some home brew. The first time was good, the second was ok, the third was so horrible I couldn't even use it to cook chili! This last time it was PERFECT! It takes them an afternoon to sterilize, 'cook'...

...and monitor temperatures

...and one week later they come back to bottle

then all these bottles get stored in Andy's closet for 6 weeks.

When 6 weeks have gone by, they finally get to 'pop' the first one open! Mind you it is best if they wait even longer then that, but after 6 weeks of waiting they have to just try it and see!

CHEERS!

It turned out so good, their talking about brewing another batch.I can tell Andy has enjoyed this last batch because he savors every bottle he opens. When the bottle 'pops' a grin always spreads across his face...then he takes a sip and says, "Try that". I think he has found a new hobby!

Pedicure

In leu of throwing me a baby shower two of my very good friends, Rachel & Katie, treated me to the best pedicure I have ever had at the Beau Rivage Salon/Spa. They rubbed, they wrapped, trimmed and painted. In the end all of us mommies left with smiles and relaxed bodies. Its funny how just a good foot rub and some paint makes you feel so pretty and relaxed. I actually think my feet were less swollen last night then they have been in weeks.

Before...

After!

After our little mommy treat Rachel's hubby, Glen, and Andy brought all the kids to meet us at Sushi. The particular sushi place we went, Saki, has some hibachi grill tables and some regular tables. We thought it best to sit near the hibachi tables for the entertainment but stay away for safety of the grabby toddler hands. The kids were so well behaved, well mannered, and WOW did they eat a lot. The edamame beans kept them very busy and happily occupied while we waited for their fried rice. Both Claira and William tried a shrimp and eel roll. Claira, YUCK...William had two! They also really enjoyed Shelby's miso soup and extra tofu. All and all I had a wonderful time being pampered with the company of good friends and having such an enjoyable dinner with my family was a perfect end.

BlueBerry Buttermilk Pancakes-SO FLUFFY!!

These were the fluffiest pancakes I have not only made but seen! My friend Rachel found the recipe on another blog and told me I had to try it. Mind you, I was hesitant due the Buttermilk ingredent but I read that I could use yogurt instead! So I got myself some Plain Soy Yogurt and decided to give it a shot... Oh, I also used Margarine instead of Butter. So all you lactose intolerant, Non-Dairy people go can have wonderful 'Buttermilk' Pancakes. Remember if Blueberries are not your thing you don't have to add them, William's were blueberry free!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Original Classics Cookbook
Yield: Martha says this makes 9 6-inch pancakes; or 16 4-inch ones

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or slightly less table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk (or Plain Soy Yogurt)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or Margerine), melted, plus 1 tablespoon extra for brushing griddle (you can make these pancakes with and without the butter mixed in, and they work either way. They’re just richer with it, of course.)

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed (optional)

1. Preheat an electric griddle to 375°F, or place a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons melted butter, and whisk to combine. The batter should have small to medium lumps.
**DO NOT add blueberries to batter. Sprinkle them on as the first side cooks

2. Using a 4-oz. ladle, about 1/2 cup (for a 6-inch pancake), pour the batter in pools 2 inches apart. If you wish to make blueberry pancakes, arrange a handful over the cooking pancake, pressing them in slightly. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. If any batter oozes or blueberries roll out, push them back under with your spatula. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
**Make sure your griddle is on med heat if they cook too fast then the middle of the pancake will be raw when they are perfectly brown.

3. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can keep the finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175°F. Serve warm.
**I also froze the left overs to pop in the toaster on a random weekday morning when Claira smiles and asks for 'cake' (if you know you will have left overs don't brown them all the way, most of us like ours warmer then a toddler thus they end up a bit burnt after the warm-up toast.

Sausage Crepes--Freezer Meal #1

A few posts back I told you how my friend Rachel and I got together and made some meals for the freezer. Well due to my swollen feet I decided to pull one out a little early. So far this is the only one Rachel hasn't tried, all the others have been a great success with not just her 22 month old daughter but her slightly picky husband who actually said to her while eating the artichoke stuffed Chicken Breast, "This is good. It's like something you'd order in a restaurant and pay a lot of money for". So I guess I can say it has been a successful experience. In fact we already have a new recipe list for next time, which might even be before the baby arrives. Yeah, more meals I don't have to prepare!!!
Ok, so back to my yummy dinner last night. I pulled out the Sausage Filled Crepes, yes I know sounds weird and yes I made a strange face the first time my Mother-In-Law made it for me BUT yummy! It is very rich and filling so 2-3 crepes per person is great along with a nice green salad. The only changes we made was to sub the cream cheese with tofuti cream cheese (non-dairy) and my family used imitation sour cream (again, non-dairy) with margarine for the topping. Rachel also had this for dinner last night, I guess talking about it in the car made us both hungry to try it, she used regular sour cream and butter for her topping and only put butter on her hubby's (he isn't a big fan of cream sauce).

SAUSAGE FILLED CREPES
Crepes
3 eggs
1 Cup Milk
1 Tbl Cooking oil
1 Cup all Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
**Combine eggs, milk, oil. Add flour and salt. Beat smooth. Pour about 2tsp into 6" skillet (make sure it doesn't stick.
Use butter, margerine or no-stick cooking spray). Tilt skillet so batter will cover bottom. Cook over medium heat until
top side loses its gloss and appears to be dry (I actually flip mine for just a second). Remove crepe to paper towel or
tray. Repeat for remainder of batter. They can cool while you make your filling.
Sausage Filling
1 lb Bulk sausage cooked
1/4 Cub diced onion
**Cook then drain and add the following
1/2 Cup grated processed cheese (I use white cheddar, my MIL uses anything she has around even mixes cheeses)
3 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram
***Place about 2 Tbl sausage filling into each crepe. Roll up and place in baking dish. Cover and chill. Bake covered at 325 for 20-30 minutes.
Final Step-Sauce
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Soft Butter
Mix sour cream and butter. Spoon over crepes. Return to oven and bake covered for 10 minutes more.

This recipe makes about 12 crepes...so if your a small family like mine (there maybe almost 5 of us, but we only eat like there are 3 adults) we will eat total 6 crepes per dinner. To freeze do NOT make the final step till cooking day, lay out rolled crepes on parchment paper in baking dish. Make sure there are gaps between crepes so they freeze individually. Place dish in freezer for a few hours, when they are good and frozen you can place them all-together in a ziploc bag (saves lots of space! and as long as they were frozen before being placed in the bag they will stay individual and not freeze into a lump). Last night I only pulled mine out maybe an hour before cooking time so I had to added a little bit of cooking time before I put the sour cream butter topping.

Splash Pad Park

It is finally open! We have been driving by periodically, thanks to William's frequent requests, watching the construction of Clay Boyd Splash Park all Summer. Yesterday was the long awaited Grand Opening! But due to a very loud thunderstorm we passed and today after naps Andy and I took the kids. They had so much fun, it was all they had been hoping for. Check it out...

There is the HUGE daisy

Small fountains

a cute little house slide

and a silly squirting turtle

Then there is the PARK!

Look at that boy climb!

Claira thought these see-saw things were great

When she got to the top (ALL BY HERSELF!) she put her arms up in the air and yelled,

"I DID IT!"

Looks like we're going to be spending many afternoons at the new park...good thing it is only a few miles from the house.

Picasso

Today William asked me to sit down...I did as I was asked wondering exactly why I was doing this. He then said, "I want to draw your head" I just smiled and expected the normal silly scribble then see him finish with the exclamation that all those crazy zigzag, swirls were my head...well as you can see that is not what I saw him do. Look at this artist! He even remembered my earrings...I think he found his calling, my little Picasso!

Check out his Mr. Potato head...a week or so ago I went into their room, it was way to quiet, and I asked "what are two creating?" In unison they replied "Its Papa Willie!" Duh! why didn't I realize that? Wil explained it was big boots and the mustache...notice its above the eyes :) Personally I like the tongue for an ear, reminds of my Dads need to give 'wet-willies'.