All the kiddos pitched in with the garden last year, but it was all new to Lulu and she loved it. She helped plant potatoes and onions. She walked through (and sometimes on) the rows to see what was popping up. She helped dig potatoes and pick the peppers and tomatoes. Once we established that the tomatoes had to be “red like ketchup” before she could pick them she did quit well.

Searching For Potatoes

She even got a kick out of shelling peas.

LuLu Helping

So, I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that one night Lulu crawled up on my lap with a seed catalog instead of her nightly storybook and while flipping through the pages asked “what’s that” and followed it with “yummy” or “what?!” All her excitement got me thinking. The next day I planted a few cilantro seed in a small pot and set it by one of the kitchen windows (all I had left over from last year was cilantro or cucumber). It took about a week, but once the first sprouts started poking through I showed them to Lulu. Now, twice a day, Lulu runs over to the window to check on her plants to see if they grew.

Lulu And Her Flower Pot

They may be a little leggy from lack of sunlight, but they won’t die from lack of attention. I can only imagine what her reaction will be when we start the vegetable seeds in a few weeks.

In addition to the homemade cookbook the kiddos gave me a few years back, they also gave me a great cook book of “lost suppers” one year. It’s called: Cook’s Country: Best Lost Suppers-yup, it’s from the PBS series. It’s filled with old-time, from-scratch, we-don’t-count-calories, big-supper recipes. Each one comes with a short back story and an explanation of how the recipe was tweaked by the test kitchen. Only problem – I have hardly used the cookbook.

Cook’s Country:Best Lost Suppers

So, in our never-ending quest to find something different for supper that the kiddos will eat I gave the them the cookbook and told them to pick something. Potato Boy took the book and disappeared for the next 15 minutes. When he came back, he had tabbed the recipe for Coke Oven Fried Chicken. (The recipe is a reference to the east coast coalminers and the coke ovens common in the area.)

So last Saturday I opened the cookbook and a family pack of drumsticks – I didn’t realize they even sold family packs of drumsticks until I was looking for a chicken for this recipe – and got to work. It was a hit with the kiddos. (I may even share it as a “Tasty Tuesday” down the road.) Especially with the potatoes I sliced thin and fried as chips to go with it. Even though I don’t see the DW and I frying chicken on a regular basis, I think I accomplished what I set out to do… before Sissy was finished with her second drumstick, she had already asked when she could pick out the next new recipe. I’ll let you know what she picked.

The DW and I celebrated Valentine’s over tacos at a local Mexican restaurant earlier today. Those of you that know us or have been following the blog for a while know that I manage to round up flowers for her on occasion – I even planted 8 rose bushes for her at our old house for a constant supply of fresh cut roses during the summer months – but Valentine’s is not one of those days. It never has been, but the other day confirmed it. Last Friday Lulu and I were sitting at a red light in town across from one of the local flower shops. The place has one of those old marquee signs with the plastic letters and numbers that can be switched. It always reads “Dozen Roses $12.99” on the top line in large red letters. The lines below are normally for prices on seasonal flowers. Well, while Lulu and I were sitting at that red light, two girls came out of the shop. One with a ladder. The other with a handful of plastic numbers. They wasted no time – one girl held the ladder while the other climbed up, removed the “1” from the sign and slide the “2” into it’s place. In the blank spot left by the “2” she pulled a “9” from the stack of numbers and slapped it in place. “Dozen Roses $29.99” They should have added “Happy Valentine’s Day… Suckers!” At least my tacos were the same price as the last time I was there.

As I’m putting this together, they’re calling for highs in the 30s and rain so I thought I’d share some images of what the place looks like covered in snow before it’s all brown again.

The Sunrise From The Kitchen Window

Icicles Hanging From The Old Smoke House

The House From The Pasture

The Red Raspberry Patch

The Garden

The House From The Pasture

A Stretch Of The New Fence

Down The Road

Here’s a spin on meat loaf that isn’t new by any means, but often overlooked. Around our place it’s made up the night before and tucked in the refrigerator so the first one home can put it in the oven with some baked potatoes. A sharp cheddar adds a little more bite, though the kiddos lean towards something a little milder.

Cheesy Pork Loaf
1 1/2 lbs fresh ground pork
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 lb cheddar cheese
3/4 c cracker crumbs
1/3 c milk
1/4 c onion
salt and pepper as desired

Mix all ingredients well by hand. Press into 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 pan then turn over and transfer into a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Peanut has had two check-ups in the last seven days and the DW is diligently working on an update for everyone. In the meantime, I thought I’d tackle one of the questions we’re asked quite often: Does Peanut sleep through the night? The answer: I don’t know. Here’s a look at one of the more typical, non-doctor, days for Peanut and why I can’t really say if she sleeps through the night or not.

6:30: While trying to keep Peanut asleep, the DW or I change Peanut’s diaper, empty her ostomy bag, administer her meds, and get her dressed for the day. Then (on weekdays) it’s into the car seat and off Grandma and Grandpa’s (unless it’s Tuesday – which is Nana O.’s day to come and spend the day at our house with Peanut).

7:00: Breakfast – 10 teaspoons of rice baby cereal mixed with milk followed by an 80 ml (almost 3 oz) bottle of milk.

7:30 – 10:00 – Play time with Grandpa. This is Peanut’s favorite time of day and Grandpa doesn’t let it go to waste. Peanut has a specific list of physical therapy exercises, in addition to the classic “tummy-time”, to help her catch up with her motor skills and prepare her for her next surgery.

10:00: Morning “Snack” – 1 oz of green beans and another 80 ml of milk, but first the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine.

10:30 – 1:00: Maybe a little more playtime with Grandpa and then a nap.

1:00: Lunch – the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine and then 10 teaspoons of rice baby cereal followed by 80 ml of milk.

1:30 – 4:00: Again with the playing and napping.

4:00: Afternoon “Snack” – just like at 10 – the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine and then 1 oz of green beans and another 80 ml of milk.

4:30 – 6:00: Playtime with Grandma that normally ends with a nap.

6:00: In the car seat and back home.

7:00: Supper – the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine and then 10 teaspoons of rice baby cereal followed by 80 ml of milk.

7:30 – 10:00: Peanut spends the first part of the evening watching her older siblings dart around the house as everyone wraps up the day and prepares for the next. All of Peanut’s bottles for the next 24 hours are prepared at this time since they need to be a specific mixture of breast milk, pregestimil formula, and salt (yup, I said salt – to balance out her low sodium). Once Peanut’s interest in all the excitement wears off (or her siblings head off to bed) she wants to be snuggled up and tries to fight off falling asleep. It’s a fight that normally doesn’t last too long and Peanut has yet to win. She’s normally asleep by 9 and sleeps soundly until…

10:00: Bedtime “Snack” – Peanut wakes up during the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine. At this time, her central line is prepared and the DW or I connect the line to the pump that delivers her daily dose of replacement fluids. This used to be the TPN solution that aided in Peanut’s nutrition, but as she grows and is taking more food by mouth she only needs replacement fluids to make sure she stays properly hydrated. The IV is hooked up over night for a couple key reasons. First, it’s not the handiest thing to carry around with Peanut. Second, Peanut has hit the grab and chew stage. Since the line is connected and disconnected while she’s sleeping there’s little risk of her getting in trouble with it. This process is capped off with an 80 ml bottle of milk – a bedtime snack.

10:15 – 1:00: Peanut is normally back to sleep pretty quick after her 10pm bottle and it’s off to bed for her. Either the DW or I – whoever is spending the night with Peanut – will put her to bed and head to the recliner in the next room for the next few hours. Since we knew before we ever brought Peanut home that her night schedule could be disruptive to the rest of the kiddos, we set her nursery up downstairs in the spare room and away from the bedrooms upstairs. It means the recliner or couch in the living room becomes the bed for the DW or I (we rotate nights), but everyone else in the house gets a good night sleep. (And we all know how much smoother a house full of kiddos runs on a good night’s sleep.)

1:00: Time to wake Peanut. She’s still sound asleep. A quick diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine, an 80 ml bottle of milk, and back to bed. Since Peanut still can’t tell time, we’ll call it her Midnight Snack.

1:30 – 4:00: Peanut is back in bed and comfortably asleep. She quickly grew accustomed to the sound of the IV pump after a couple of nights with it way back in October, so she doesn’t even flinch with it’s occasional whirl.

4:00: Time to wake Peanut, again. This time, in addition to the diaper-change-empty-bag-administer-meds routine, Peanut also needs to be disconnected from her IV fluids. Her central line needs to be flushed and filled with heparin or ethanol, depending on the day, to help guard against blood clots and infection. Though the DW and I have gotten pretty good at connecting and disconnecting the IV line – when the connection/disconnection times weren’t the same time as a feeding, we used to be able to do it without waking her – Peanut normally is wide awake by the time she’s finished on the changing table. Oddly enough, she normally has the biggest smile for me at this time – it sure makes waking up to that 4am alarm much easier.

4:30 – 6:30: Peanut’s back to sleep until 6:30 and the routine starts over again with the new day.

So, does Peanut sleep through the night? I’m guessing she would sleep for quite a stretch if we didn’t wake her up. And speaking of that, why do we wake her up? The DW has mentioned it in passing before, but with Peanut’s digestive condition everything that goes into her is specifically prepared, measured, and given to her on a schedule so her remaining intestines aren’t overwhelmed and the doctors can monitor how she tolerates her feedings. Plus, everything that goes in is weighed and recorded when it comes back out. Keeping this task on a 3 hour schedule allows for Peanut’s output to be tracked more accurately. And finally, Peanut’s meds. Peanut is on a series of medications. In order to get everything in during the course of the day without taking any two meds at the same time (as one can interfere with the absorption of the other) eight different feeding times is just enough to get everything in.

I’m just hoping I’m not punished down the road for being a repeat offender for breaking that old rule: never wake a sleeping baby…

After weeks of other things getting in the way, Potato Boy and I finally had the chance to assemble one of the model rockets he got as a Christmas gift. With all of the fields around us bare, now’s a great time to launch a rocket and not have to worry about it drifting into a corn field or knee-high hay field.

Waiting For The Glue To Dry

To his credit, Potato Boy did fairly well with his first rocket considering how much glue was involved. I had him follow the instructions carefully, telling him I didn’t want his rocket to crash and break like one I had when I was his age. (Actually, mine didn’t crash and break. The parachute melted when the larger-than-recommended engine got too hot and it crashed in a fiery heap. I was afraid that sounded a little too exciting to be proper motivation for following the instructions.)

All Clear and Ready For The Count Down

So, we followed the instructions right down to the proper rocket engine size for the first flight. You know, I really need to do a better job of teaching him that instructions really are more like suggestions. The rocket engine listed for the first flight was way too small. Instead of screaming off into the sky, the rocket floated up about 75 feet and flopped back down (luckily) into a snow drift like a shot duck.

The Rocketeer With His Work

Don’t worry, the rocket was undamaged and Potato Boy was still impressed. When the weather cooperates he’s determined to take another go at it – but this time, with a much larger engine.

From the basement to the attic, there’s 30 windows in the house. For better or worse, most of them have been replaced a time or two along the way and every time the wind blows I can’t wait to replace them all again. That is with one exception… in the dinning room there’s a monster of a double hung window that’s original to the 1917 final construction of the house. Its single pane construction screams inefficiency by today’s standards and it no longer operates – I’m partially responsible for that. It was already stuck when we moved in, but one of the first true fall days we had in the house we noticed while the wind was scattering the leaves outside it was also fluttering the curtains inside. So instead of trying to free the stuck sash, I grabbed a couple tubes of silicon and sealed the sash to the frame. So now it doesn’t leak, but it also doesn’t open.

So what’s the hang-up with just replacing the window? Simple. The top sash. It’s one of the first things everyone notices walking into the dining room. And on bitter cold nights like last week, it’s frosty appearance is even more striking. Though very common in its day 100 year ago, the leaded glass in the top sash is now a sought after decorative antique. (The DW and I were in a restaurant with friends over the holidays that had the exact same sash hanging over the bar.) In the right market, the top sash alone would pay for a decent replacement window. But in its current place, it adds character to the house that would be difficult to replace without paying dearly for a modern custom window made to imitate the look.

At the end of the day, I guess it comes down to what’s appealing to the eye versus what’s appealing to the heating bill. Which way will we go? I actually have a compromise in mind, though acting on it is still a few years off. Now, if it were only so simple with all of the doors.

Last weekend I pulled an old favorite from the cookbook to be made ahead – lasagna. There’s hundreds of variations out there, but this is my personal favorite.

Momma C’s Lasagna

1 lb fresh ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T parsley flakes
1 T basil
1 lb can tomato sauce
12 oz can tomato paste
16 – 18 traditional lasagna noodles
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 c cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 lb Mozzarella cheese

1) Brown pork with garlic, 1 T parsley, basil, and 1 t salt. Drain. Return to heat, add tomato sauce and paste. Mix well and simmer.

2) Boil noodles until tender. Drain.

3) In a separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, cottage cheese, 1 t. salt, pepper, 2 T. parsley and Parmesan cheese.

4) Layer 8 or 9 noodles in the bottom of a 9×13 glass dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Cover cottage cheese mixture with 1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese, then 1/2 pork mixture. Repeat layers one more time.

5)Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a preheated oven. Remove and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Here’s my last comment on the new Google Map image of our place… I promise…. at least for now.

In addition to the wagon, I noticed that Google’s images were clear enough that I could pick out every plant in the garden.

Yeah, I know it doesn’t look like much in that context, so let me explain.

1 – The raspberry plants
2 – Seven rows of potatoes
3 – Onions and garlic
4 – Green peppers, you can count all eight plants
5 – Sixteen tomato plants – you can tell the bigger ones towards the top of the image are grown together already.
6 – Strawberry plants that had been transplanted earlier in the spring.
7 – Three faint rows of ornamental corn that later died.
8 – Rows of lettuce, peas, broccoli – you can see these were weedy already.
9 – The lone zucchini plant, though I’m not sure why the summer squash plant right next to it didn’t show up.

The green strip on the far left is the edge of the lawn. The rest of the area was a cornfield until the spring of last year. That’s why there’s so much “brown space.” The rest of the green spots… weeds.

The point of all of this? I would have taken a little more time to make sure my garden rows were “square with the world” and weed free had I known Google was coming. That, and I’m going to think twice before working in the garden without a belt.