For the Happy Kids

It's not just an excuse...

I swear! 

Company Chicken ~ My Mama's Curry Chicken

This is my mom's recipe. She got it from one of her best friends. Now I make it, my sister-in-laws make it, my kids love it. It's actually one of the first non baby foods I fed all my kids. We have it about once a week. Plus, it's super easy.

But here's the secret: 

This is actually from a Campbell's soup recipe! My mom changed it up a bit to make it work for a larger group, cause she liked to serve this to company, as the name implies. So as I said, it's really easy, but not authentic Indian cuisine. Just really good.

3 to 4 chicken breasts (or, I use about 6 chicken tenders)
1  cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons** curry

Steam the chicken on stovetop in the water. 

(You can steam frozen chicken without even deforesting it, so easy!)

Remove from heat. Set chicken on a cutting board to cool. 

Add soup, mayo, parmesan and curry to the pot of water with the heat off. 

Whisk together. Chop chicken. Add chicken to the soup mix and put on low heat to heat through. The cheese will melt and the sauce will thicken. If it's too thick add some more water. 

Serve over your favorite rice. 

Top with raisins, non sweetened coconut flakes and almonds. 

I also like green onions on top. It adds a little more heat. 

I tend to double this recipe because my kids will sometimes eat thirds or fourths. Plus it's great for lunch the next day.

**My mom's recipe calls for 2 teaspoons curry. I have NEVER used that little, even when first giving it to my babies. And I have to say, when I make this for my parents, my Dad always raves about it. I also love to used different kinds of curry. Red Curry is usually hotter. Try it all! Find what your family likes best!

Being Famous

When I was in high school I was really into the drama club. It was my life. I am a drama geek. A thespian. I was. 

The year after graduation I ran into an old classmate who actually said to me, that she thought I'd be a famous movie star by then. Really? Ha.

No, not me. I don't have the energy for that. I am not always in a good mood. I don't always look perfect. I don't want to always look perfect!

I see Hollywood families and feel sorry for them. I can imagine the Pitt-Jolie clan getting ready to leave there house. The pep talk to be on their best behavior. Keep smiling! You never know who's frown will make the cover of Star Magazine with the caption, "Clinically depressed, is her mother causing her heartache?" 

You ever give one of your kids a look to tell them to straighten up or their getting a wallop? You ever look in the mirror while making that face? Not so pretty are ya? Who needs that kind of stress!?

But this is starting to remind me of someone. 

Oh, yeah! Me! 

In the real world, when our kids are getting on each other's nerves, not to mention your nerves, you send them outside. Go get dirty, go swing, go climb a tree! What ever! Just get out of my hair! 

But we can't do that. When we emerge from our stuffy confides, we become either the spotlight, or the interrupters! You see, when I said we are raising our kids on a guest ranch, I meant it! 

Our beautiful home over looks most of the guest's accommodations. Several of them can see my kitchen door from their bathroom window. The horse hitching posts are straight out my living room. I love to watch them load up every morning. The trail starts at my driveway. We can wave them on as we eat breakfast at the kitchen table. Yeah, we're that close. 

We could also wave them on from our master bedroom. I could lay in bed and watch the guests ride by. (If I wanted to.) 

We have lots of beautiful views and big windows to take in those views. One of the first things we did when moved in was order window coverings! 

As amazing as this little valley is, and as great this excperiance is, I do sometimes feel bad for our kids when we want them to be on their best behavior. 

But I have to say, the guests do tell us all the time how well behaved our children are. 

And they really are great kids! If I do say so myself! 

Remembering All - All Saints Day - A Day I Will Never Forget

This is such a fun time of year!  Full of fun Halloween activities. I'm trying to get the pumpkins carved and snacks made for school parties. But I have been remembering a Halloween that meant more to me than all the candy and carved pumpkins combined. 

I was 19 years old and I had the opportunity to go on a trip the Paris with my college. It was a trip for the interior design department of which I was a part. 

In grade school I had a dear friend who was French and she was here while her parents worked. This of course was when I lived in Palo Alto, California. But anyway, we went to school together in kindergarten and first grade. We were best friends. Then she moved back to France and we were pen pals for many years. 

Because of this early association with France, it had always been on my bucket list. 

The trip was guided and included all the main attractions. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre to name just a few. We also travelled out to the country to visit some Chateaux, and a few hunting cottage... If you could call it that. 

On our way back we made a stop that was not on the schedule. The guide saw the sign for the town of Oradour-sur-Glane and since we were passing buy, asked the driver to make a stop. This small village is now a memorial to those who lost their lives there during World War II. 

You may have studied the massacre in school. 

If I remember correctly, as it was exactly 20 years ago Friday, the Germans marching from Normandy were told that a German from another Battalion was captured and being held in Oradour-sur-Vayres. This group sealed of Oradour-sur-Glane, having confused it with the other village. You can guess the rest. The tour guide informed us that there were only 2 survivors, who had hid in the bell tower. 

I'm not sure if that is true. 

The women and children were locked in the church. The men were taken to a barn, and the town was looted and then burned to the ground. In all, 190 men, 247 women and 205 children were lost that day, in June of 1944. The original town has been left untouched.

As it was All Saints Day, there were lots of people there. The graveyard was full of flowers. No one was taking pictures. I couldn't not. Although my cheap camera was awful, these are some of my favorite photos. I edited them with Snapseed and now I love them even more. 

There was a cafe next to the church and the skeleton of the wire chairs and tables were still out front. 

In this home, there is still a sawing machine in the window sill. 

I studied the Holocaust extensively in high school, (a story for another post.) so this first hand experience touched me greatly. 

The US is very good at creating holiday traditions for children, whose dentists benefit more than anyone.  I am not against the usual traditions, but this year we are going to take a few moments to remember those we love who have gone before us.  

The traditional beliefs are that the veil is very thin around this time of year, Samhain is the name, pronounced sah-win or sow-in. It starts at sunset on October 31 and lasts until November 1, although it has been celebrated longer. Extra food was prepared for loved ones and seats were left for them at the table. Food was also buried, for those who didn't have loved ones to remember them. To ward off evil spirits, pumpkins and other gourds were carved. 

We have an Indian graveyard on our property. I told my children that we should take some apples to leave by the gate. They were thrilled.  And I am, in writing this post, sharing this day, that always makes me think of a small village in France.

A Day Out

This weekend was the last of it. The last of fall. Sunday night a storm blew in. We all knew it was coming. It's not supposed to let up until Tuesday. 

So Friday, Adventure Man and I took Bunny and the dog for one of the last hikes of the year. (I say "one" because Saturday he took the other three kids up on a hike too. By then Bunny had come down with the flu, so she and I stayed home.) 

Here are some fun shots and views we enjoyed. 

 

I really love it up here. There's a view around every corner! 

I shared my chocolate with her. Funny kid won't eat m&ms but she loves my Dove dark chocolate squares. I have this way of making my kids like fancy stuff! Darn it! 

It's fun going out with Adventure Man because he's such a great Dad! 

Can these two be any cuter!? I mean really! 

It's also fun hanging out with Advinture Man 'cause he likes to take pictures of me. Kind'a makes me feel special! 

I'm planning on sharing this one again, once I've lost my little belly. I know it's not much. I've lost a lot of weight since Bunny was born. But I've got about 10 more pounds to go. Still, for having four kids (and a puppy), I'm feeling pretty good.

Speaking of the puppy, she found an old bone piece and a shady spot. 

We were having fun. It was such a nice day! 

Now on to snow boots and wool caps! 

Happy Winter! 

Autumn Wind, a Cool Free App and a Secret

The wind was blowing leaves all over town today. I took this with my phone and edited it with one of my new favorite apps, Snapseed. 

It's so fun and free. And not like the "free" that you need to buy a whole lot of extras to get it to work right. The fun kind of free. Free free! Check it out! 

So here's my secret. I've run out of photo space on this blog. I actually ran out a long time ago. Like a year ago! I went to update my header and it wouldn't work. It said I had used up 99.9% of my space. This is what happens when people, like me, start a blog without any computer knowledge. 

So what have I done? I've used edit apps like Instagram to get my pics really small. I use mostly pictures taken with my phone. If not, I transfer them to my phone and they get really small. I don't even use the PC anymore. 

I also started my other blog. But I don't post there very much. Yet. You can find the link in my pages up at the top. But it's not about the ranch so it's not a replacement. 

I've thought about ending this blog and just moving on. But it's too much a part of me. I can't up and leave it. It's my story. At least for now. 

I may just have to buy more space. But I'm trying not to.  We'll see. 

In the mean time, here's another Snapseed edit for your viewing enjoyment. 

Happy weekend!  I'll be taking care of kids with the flu. 

See Ya!

The fall color doesn't last long. Last week I woke up to this...

 

And to this... 

It's awfully pretty. The snow was gone by mid day. But then the wind kicked up and now most of the color is gone. But I've grown accustom to the spooky witches forest. As I've come to call it. Very fitting. That's a graveyard up there beyond the fence, ya know.