CLICK HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES »

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mother's Day 2009


They say it takes a village to raise a child. Good thing, because I would hate to rely on my own capabilities to raise fine posterity. It just so happens that about the time I get things figured out, I'm inevitably thrown a mothering curve ball. Who knew parenting could be so complicated?

Heavenly Father did! That is why his plan is so perfect. It allows for others to fill in for our shortcomings. Extended families and friends working together for a common goal. Teamwork!

I, for one, have been the beneficiary of many of my fellow villagers good works. Our family is fortunate to have the love and support of many good women, in particular. Women, who love and encourage my children the way they would their own. Women, whose strengths happen to be my weaknesses. Phew!

I hope my children will always recognize and be grateful for the influence of these "mothers" in their life. I know I will always remember the handful that have shaped my life for the better:

My mom has taught me about sacrifice. She went back to school and work when I was a young teenager. She studied late into the night and worked all day to help support our family. She continues to work now, even though I know she would rather be a full-time grandmother.

My Aunt Maxine always makes me feel loved. A birthday or holiday never passes without a card from her in the mail. She has continued the tradition with my children.

When I was little, she would visit us a few times every year. She always had a secret $20.00 bill stashed away that she claimed my Uncle Ray knew nothing about. She would take us to the mall and let each one of us four kids spend $5.00 on whatever we chose. There was nothing I looked forward to more than her visits. She seemed to love us like her own children.

My Nana taught me about charity. She lost both parents when she was a young girl and was raised by her siblings in less than ideal circumstances. Yet, she was the most generous and good-hearted person that I have ever known.

When I was a little girl, we would travel her neighborhood, doing favors, delivering goodies and just visiting with all of the "little old-ladies", as she would call them. Even though she was probably older than many of the people she served.

My Grandma Velma taught me how to be a matriarch of a family. She loved to gather her extensive family together for Sunday dinners, even though she was a notoriously bad cook. I hated the rainbow colored pork, casseroles made from whatever was hanging around in the fridge, and crystallized grape jelly and peanut butter sandwiches. But, I appreciated her efforts to gather her family. She had a large one. Seven children and thirty-three grandchildren.
I'm grateful for all the good times I had with cousins playing in her dress-ups in the back yard and swimming in her cement pool.

From Mrs. Timothy, my fifth grade teacher, I learned to recognize my talents. She singled me out and made me feel special. She was always interested in the stories I was writing and what I was drawing. I knew that she believed in me and what I could accomplish.

My mother-in-law, Sherrie, has taught me that happiness is a choice. She is lighthearted and fun regardless of her trials. She has loved me like a daughter since the moment I came into her family. I know she sees everything in from an eternal perspective.

Grandma Shirley, who is more like another mother to me than a grandma-in-law, has taught me how to love your family deeply. She was a great example to me on how to treat a husband. I'll never forget her phone calls, when I was newly married, checking to see if Reggie was getting fed enough. Because of her prompting, I have learned my way around a kitchen. But, I have also learned that food is a way to show your family that you care.

Both Sherrie and Shirley have taught me the value of hard work. They never seem to do anything begrudgingly. I know they love to serve their families because the smiles that are always on their faces.

Thank you to all the mothers that have touched my life! I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Grandma Sherrie,

I love you because you always take such effort just to make someone feel good about themselves. I can always trust that you will be doing some sort of creative thing when I come and visit you. You are always in a good mood and never get annoyed with anyone. I love you!

Grandma Connie,

I love you because I can always tell that you are trying to make me feel good if I am sad or just trying to do something to make my day (it works too!) I love that you always give me lots of attention and make me feel special.

Grandma Bev,

No matter what, when I see you I am always in a good mood because you are always in a good mood. You are always one of the first ones to send me a birthday card. I love you!

Grandma Shirl-dog,

You're always giving me a good laugh. Always calling just to check up on me. Always keeping me company when I'm down in the dumps. Always making the best meals possible when I come and visit. I love you!

Love,

Mitchell


I "Heart" You!!!



Thursday, May 7, 2009

Cookie Skillet




Back in the day when I kept a log on the back of my dorm room door that kept track of how often I made it to the gym, I had a deal with myself. If I worked out five days a week for one month then I could treat myself to a Tony Roma's Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet. It's amazing to think that I was that in control of my eating habits. Today, I would probably award myself with a cookie skillet for just about everything. (That's probably why I have gained and lost 500 pounds during my child-bearing years).

Anyhow, I loved those things. In fact, they were the only thing I could order on the menu. (Many of you may remember my vegetarian, animal rights, "meat is murder" days?)

Tony Roma's discontinued their star menu item a few years later. Maybe that is why they have met their demise and they should consider a cookie skillet comeback. I, however, don't have the patience necessary to await a Tony Roma revival so I sought out a recipe on my own. It is one I saw in a Martha Stewart magazine that prompted me to immediately travel to my local Walmart in search of a 10-inch skillet.

Since then I have found many a good desserts can be cooked in a cast iron skillet. So here, at the request of my good friend Bea, is three good ways to use a cast iron skillet.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet, ala Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 8

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 9 ounces) mixed milk- and semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 pints vanilla ice cream
  • Caramel Sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  2. Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm; top each wedge with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce.


Tyler's Ultimate Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

  • 8 peaches, peeled and sliced, about 6 to 8 cups
  • 1/4 cup bourbon (I used 1 teaspoon vanilla)
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for skillet
  • 2/3 cup Heavy cream, plus 2-3 T. more for brushing

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.

Prepare the dumplings: Into food processor add the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.


Chocolate Brownie Spoon Bread

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, plus more for skillet
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet, set aside.
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set over a pan of boiling water and whisk together until almost blended. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
  3. Sift togetther the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Sift again and set aside.
  4. In another bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until thick and pale, about 6 minutes. Beat in the sugar until fluffy. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Fold the dry ingredients gently until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into prepared skillet. Bake until spoon bread is set but still soft in center, about 40 minutes. (cook less for a more molten center.) Let cool 10 minutes serve warm. Dust with confectioner's sugar to garnish, if desired.

R.I.P.


Ding dong, the "buggy monster" is dead! At least in the eyes of Rylee, who came home from school the other day, concerned because none of her fellow classmates would believe her tale of a small creature that lives in people's noses waiting to prey on unsuspecting fingers. It is a story told to her by me, her mother, in an attempt to dissuade the disgusting habit of digging for buggers.

I did not make up the story. In fact it is one I was told, as a small girl, to explain away my Grandfather Max's missing finger. Later I would learn it was the casualty of a falling bucket of cement on the job site. However, my Grandfather had been quite convincing, as he held up his hand with the missing digit while he told me about the monster that bit his finger off while he picked his nose. It was, he said, the reason that little boys and girls should never stick their perfect, plump little fingers into dark scary places. You never know what's living up there!

The story was so apart of me that I did not think twice when passing it along to my trusting little children. It started with Mitchell, who told it to Rylee, who told it to Tess. (Tess has never cared much. She regularly risks danger to avoid the long walk to the bathroom in search of a kleenex. She can also usually be found with finger in nose when coming out of a deep sleep.) But, I was quite surprised when 8 year old Rylee had to ask me why all the kids at school didn't believe her. I never knew she had believed so implicitly. I came clean and tried to explain why Mommy had ever told her such a thing.

I tried to explain to her that it wasn't really a lie. Just a tall-tale. A Bryan family myth. A myth, you see, is simply a story that people refer to when they are trying to explain the world around them. It was passed down from one generation to the next to the next by an unconscious process. I had never intended to cause her embarrassment among her classmates. I just didn't want her to pick her nose.

In my opinion, it wasn't anything different than the story of George Washington cutting down his father's cherry tree or the story of the first Thanksgiving. In fact, it was a lot tamer than the myth of Mrs. Skuffalump (the haggard, old woman who would arrive to babysit with humped back and warty nose, if the children wouldn't behave themselves). But, that's a whole different story!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Memories

I tend to remember the weirdest things. I can remember the essay I wrote on the French Revolution during my AP European final in high school. I can remember the passages from Romeo and Juliet that I memorized for 9th grade English. I even remember people from my college Calculus class, of 500, that I didn't even sit by. Most recently I recognized a boy I had babysat as a teenager. The strange thing was that I hadn't seen him since I moved away from home, he was only four or five. WEIRD!

This memory has gotten me in trouble a few times. Like the time I ran into a boy from high school who acted as if he had never seen me before in his life. (Poor Reggie, he was more embarrassed than I was). Too bad, since I remembered specific memories about the two dates we had been on as well as the time we spent as class officers together.

The weirdest part of all about my memory is that I can't remember details about a phone conversation I had one hour ago or where I happened to drop my keys when I got back from the new Walmart on Saturday night.

Perhaps I am experiencing early onset Alzheimer's. (Last year I could have sworn I was having early onset menopause). Wouldn't it be great to have our 18 year old bodies and 22 year old minds back?

Anyway, last month when I was perusing the internet for ideas to magnify my new calling as visiting teaching supervisor, I came across this clever visiting teaching blog with great ideas. It had a fabulous idea for assembling a scripture "treasure box" to help your sisters with their scripture study. I immediately began compiling the ingredients. I filled my treasure boxes with scripture marking pencils, scripture mastery cards, laminated "key" words to use in a scripture mastery game, and a list of ideas on how to mark your scriptures.

I must confess that the real reason I wanted the scripture treasure box was for my own selfish desires. I remembered a talk I had heard while a student at BYU that said if you memorize a scripture a day eventually you will develop a photographic memory. I did a little research and found that it was Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone that had made that claim. Unfortunately, it takes two years of diligence for it to pay off.

So I have decided to experiment upon his words. Only I am aiming for one scripture a week and if that doesn't work I will make it one scripture a month. I'll let you know how it goes!