Check Me Out. . .

Check me out, I have moved.  In case you did not see the last post please check out my new home of my new blog. 

laxmom.net

Tidbits. . This, That, and the Other. . .

Some days. . . are just hard. . .  Whether you just do not get enough sleep or you hit unbelievable traffic trying to get to work, or the pesky migraine that makes the most mundane task next to impossible.  Yes, it was one of those days last night.  I worked night shift last night and it was a busy night shift.  When I woke up this afternoon Sprat was just coming in, he had been to work out at the gym and gone to get his hair cut.  He looked so handsome, he came in the kitchen where I was trying to find caffeine for the migraine that followed me home from work, he said, "you up now?"  I nodded groggily.  He sat on the couch shopping for his text books for next semester.  He is home for a few more days and then back to school.  He has a busy semester, with lacrosse season and his classes he will be taking in his major and a new "girlfriend."  See how I used quotes around the girlfriend, they just realized that they liked each other three days before leaving for Christmas break, she is now in England doing a week abroad for school.  He is not calling her a girlfriend at this point or at least that is the story I am told.
Every now and then you see glimpses through your kids that you did a good job raising them.  Remember I said every now and then sometimes it takes longer to see.  I got to go to breakfast with Sprat the other day, that is kind of our thing.  We go to breakfast and talk about whatever is going on with him.  I found out the story behind the last girl that he was interested in, it turns out there was an old boyfriend that she had feelings for.  When the old boyfriend finally gave her the brush off she came back to my sweet Sprat to say she could go out with him now.  This was a proud mama moment, when the hussy came crawling back because the old boyfriend did not want her, my very sweet boy told her he was nobody's second choice.   My heart was a little broken for him but at the same time I was so very proud that he stood up for his heart that he was confident enough in himself to tell her to keep walking.   The new girl has been in a few of his classes this past semester so they have been hanging out as friends. I am a firm believer in being friends first and everything else will fall in to place, that is how the hubbs and I got together.  We worked together and hung out as friends before we started dating. 
Made our plans to go visit Sprat later in the Lax season, I am so excited to see him play in his first real college lacrosse game.  He did not get a true season last year and in fact since his school closed last year they gave him his year of eligibility back so he could play in his year of his Masters if he wants to. 

Shopping with the Hubby. . . and Other Things . . .

The hubbs took the day off and we went shopping today, this is the third day he has taken me shopping.  We have almost knocked out our Christmas shopping.  I love Christmas, it is probably my favorite holiday.  I love shopping for presents, looking for that extra special gift for that extra special person.  Our families have gotten older and we do not do gifts anymore, it kind of makes me depressed.  I do still get to buy my boys and my very sweet husband gifts.  My company is helping a family in need this year so I will get to buy gifts for two little boys and a special Mom.   I am looking forward to shopping for them.
My very sweet husband has taken me shopping three days now and bless him he is a trooper.  This is what true love looks like people, in case you have any doubt about your person.  This very sweet man has trucked me all over to find gifts for the boys and shoes (not Christmas gifts) for me.   Today we did the Mall yes, he took me to the Mall.  He did not complain once and I was trying on shoes and everything.   This is the best man on the planet, he is mine and there is no other like him. 
This has been an interesting look in to what our empty nester life would look like, I think I kinda like it. 
We went to Big T's exhibition at school last night, he did a great job and we enjoyed seeing him present and watching the other kids present.  It is exciting to meet these kids and see all of the cool things they are learning and hearing about what they want to do when they grow up.  These kids are taking  high school classes and college classes at the same time.  One of the kids Sprat's age that went to this school has gone in to the military and because he graduated high school with an associates degree he went in to the Army at a higher level than someone just out of high school and he is now studying to be a registered nurse.  This school opens up so many doors for these kids and gives them opportunities to try things out with job shadow and internships.  Big T was invited to go to the middle school to talk about his school along with the principal.  They are doing that next week, he is kind of excited about it.  They will be sharing what all they get to do and the fun things they are learning.
Stay tuned for tells from MA and tells from NC. 

My Youngest is an Adult. . . . What?? No Way??

My oldest is turning twenty this week, it does not seem real, could I really have  a twenty year old child.  Wow!!  Who let that happen??  I am so excited for my son.  As a parent you want to tell them everything you know so that they do not make the same mistakes you made or could have made when you were their age.  Of course he is bull headed, he would not be mine if he was not, and does not want to take any advice from dear old mom or dad for that matter.  My hubby and I made our share of mistakes when we were teenagers but we survived, the only difference is that there was no internet or social media when we were growing up.  Thank the good Lord for that one. Whew !!!  Catastrophe escaped!! 
I am very excited for my son and all of the things he is going to get to do and for the things he has already done.  The world is open for him and I pray every day that he will take advantage of all of the opportunities that are offered.  He text me the other day to tell me how much he likes it at this new school.  He said his classes are very interesting and that his professors are good.  I have not heard how the food is, so it must be good also.  They have a Dunkin Doughnuts right on campus, thank goodness he does not like sweets that much.  The lacrosse team had their first community event on Saturday.  They helped set up for a fundraiser 5K Stary Night run to help raise money for pediatric brain tumor research.  I do not know what the set up consisted of but they worked most of the afternoon to get it ready.  I love that the lacrosse team does things for the community and is involved in community out reach but, it is not just the lacrosse team, all of the teams at his school do these things.  I think it makes the kids see they have an investment in the community they live.   They had their first player lead workout on Sunday afternoon and poor Sprat text me to tell me how sore he was.  I told him to take a hot shower and rest. 
Stay tuned more updates from Massachusetts to come and Big T' first true college visit. . . . 

Boys, Cell Phones, Destruction. . .

These days every child starting in elementary school has a cell phone.  I have never been a fan of  children having cell phones. Not only do they have cell phones but they have the newest iphone or whatever.   I think it is silly to start with and I do not think it is good for their eye development.  My oldest did not get a phone until he was a Sophomore in high school.  I am reminded of this fact quite frequently by him.  The only reason he got one then was because he was going to be driving and should something happen I wanted him to be able to get in touch with me.  Big T got a phone when he was in seventh grade but, only because I had started working and I could get called in and would have to communicate to him how he would be getting home. I am reminded of this one too, by Sprat.

I share all of that to say this:  Sprat has gone through 4 phones since his Sophomore year of high school.  I am sick of buying phones.  This last one he complained about not working and he wanted a new one and I put my foot down!!  He worked this Summer and I told him if he wanted a new phone he would pay for it him self.  So he did.  I also made him change phone providers because his bill was more than mine and Big T's put together.  He bought his new phone and I am paying for his service and I made him go with my service that is much less than what I was paying. 

With that my phone bills are going to go down dramatically.  Wheww!!!!

If anyone is reading this that is techie, I will give you something that desperately needs to be developed.  Someone needs to develop a teenage boy proof cell phone.  This phone should be indestructible, now there are phones out there that claim to be sturdy and durable but I am seriously talking about indestructible.   

Bless Big T he has had the same phone since seventh grade and has never had problem one with his.  Sprat is like that gorilla you used to see on the Samsonite commercials banging the luggage around showing how durable it is.  The only difference is that with Sprat he destroys all the phones. 

Teenager proof phone, the most needed tech item ever.  

College Drop Off. . .

Sprat is back in MA and set up in his new dorm with new roommate.  We got to meet the roommate and his family during the move in process.  They are very nice folks from Vermont.  Sprat has gotten to meet some really great people since he has been in MA in college.  The roommate is a volleyball  player for the school and is a nuclear medicine major.  I enjoyed talking with him and his family, they were very sweet and I think he and Sprat will get along great. 
The hubbs and I drove to Hagerstown and spent the night and then drove the rest of the way home on Monday morning.  Sprat is taking some difficult classes this semester and will be adjusting to all the new things at this school. 

Sprat and the hubbs on campus 

We celebrated Sprats Birthday early

Birthday dinner request was steak and shrimp.

Mom always tries to accommodate on the birthday dinner. 

Sprats wall beside his bed in the new dorm. 

I am excited for what awaits my boys.  I have been planning a college visit for Big T in a few weeks so stay tuned for that update.  He wants to go to school in Florida.  Could my boys pick schools further apart????

Stay tuned as we work through this college stuff.  

College, Boys, Love, Family. . . .

As Sprat is heading back to College, I have been looking back on how the hubbs and I got where we are.  We started out as two dumb young people trying to make a living and learn about life.  The hubbs and I met during my first job out of college.  I moved several hours away from my folks to go to work in a lab right out of college.  Luckily, one of my friends from college also worked at the lab and we were able to get an apartment together.  The hubbs was my lab partner and for me it was love at first sight.  We worked third shift processing blood samples for area doctor's offices. 
Now twenty-eight years later we celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary and our oldest is getting ready to turn twenty and head back to college  for his sophomore year and our baby has already started his junior year of high school.  Wow!! time has really flown by.
There are so many emotions that follow dropping your child off at college; dread, excitement, sadness, love, fear, and hope.  I think dread and fear sort of go hand in hand.  You dread the thought of leaving them and you have a lot of fear about whether they will make it on their own or not.  Excitement comes for all of the new experiences that are waiting for them. Sadness from them growing up and not being the little boys that you brought home from the hospital and held and watched as they slept.  I think hope and love go hand and hand.  You have so much hope for their future and the overwhelming love that you feel believing that you have raised a good kid that is now a good person.
Here is to the new school year, prayers for all the kiddos heading off to school and the parents coping with the new adventures.  Stay tuned for updates from MA. . .

Photos to Round Out the Week. . . .

Sprat serving Lovefeast before he heads back to shool

Broiled Figs with cream cheese and balsamic vinegar

Yummmm!!! 

Big T on the second day of school, I missed that first day picture 

Last but certainly not least Mama's new glide ride. the retro Thunderbird. 

Sprat will be taking my not so old car to school and this is my new ride.  

A Little Trip Home for the Boy. . . .

Sprat and I went for a visit to mom and dad's before he heads back to school next week.  It is always so good to go home for a visit, I like to show my kids where I grew up, where I used to work and the schools I attended.  Mom and dad have a favorite little place they like to eat in town  that is right across the street from where I worked when I was in high school.  

Things have changed so much in my little home town.  They have so many cute little shops and quaint little spots to eat now.  I am so glad that things are thriving in my little home town and I know I can always go home to visit.  

Sprat drove us in my old car, the one that he will be taking back to school, he needed some highway practice before we hit the road to Boston.  He drove well, he does have a little issue with speed, especially in my old car.  It has a little more get up and go than his first car he drove.  We had some great conversations and I feel like I got a little closer to my boy on this trip.  He has grown and changed so much since he was a little fella and we would take this trip to visit mom and dad.  I do believe that car rides are the best way to connect to your child no matter what their age.  We had such a good time, visiting with mom, dad, and my brother.  We missed seeing my sister but we did get to have a quick visit with my niece at the drug store.  

Mom gave Sprat several old t-shirts (Sprat calls them retro, I just call them old) and we celebrated his birthday while we were there.  Sprat also came home with an old straw cowboy hat that he loved and begged mom to have.  

I highly recommend a road trip with your teen before they go off to college, it is an eye opener.  

Stay tuned for pictures of the new school and new dorm and weepy mama. . . .   

Summer Jobs???

Did you have a Summer job when you were in high school?  Perhaps you had a regular job during school?  I did the Summer job thing when I turned sixteen and then found a job that would work with my school schedule and my cheer-leading schedule.  That job followed me all the way through college and thankfully it did. I had great bosses during my school job, they were hard on me but that taught me a lot about working for someone and dealing with people.  I want my kids to learn those same lessons, they cannot learn these things from the hubbs and I tough. 
Sprat, has tried to find a conventional Summer job with no luck. Thankfully he has offered himself up to be a handyman for anyone that needs him.  He has been doing yard work, mowing grass and spreading mulch,  for a couple of ladies in the area and has cleaned out a garage for one lady.  Yesterday he came home and said he had used a jackhammer to take down some bathroom tile.  The last few weeks he has been helping a gentleman gut a house and he has learned to take down dry wall and now to use a jackhammer.  I think that is really cool.   I am thankful for people that will take a chance on a young person and let them help out and do things and maybe even teach them a skill.  Sprat is learning  a lot this Summer. 
Stay tuned as we gear up to start another school year, one a sophomore in college 13+ hours away and one a junior in high school. 

Cape Cod, Lobster Rolls, and Iron Maiden. . . .

Sprat made it home from the Cape safe and sound.  He sent me pictures of his plate after he had finished a lobster roll.  In case you do not know what a lobster roll is, it is a yummy po boy type sandwich with lobster type salad on the bun.  I have never seen one in person only pictures and have read about them.  I want to try one so bad.  I love seafood and I was going to try one while we were at the Red Sox game last year but they were so expensive I did not try it.  We did our first trip to Boston for the college visit with Sprat in true Dave Ramsey style, we stuck to our budget and sadly the lobster roll was not on our food budget.  I wanted to get one this last visit but we did  not get to go into Boston.  Sprat spent the last part of the week with his girlfriend and they played on the beach at Cape Cod and ate fish and chips and the fabulous lobster roll.  Yes, I was terribly jealous that my dear son got to have that lobster roll and all I got was a picture of his empty plate with a side dish full of slaw because, the boy does not eat slaw.   We have another trip scheduled to take him back to school and I WILL have my lobster roll, one way or another. 
I love my family and I love my hubby with all of my heart but I absolutely detest having to rush everywhere we go when we get to go to neat little places like Massachusetts.  There are so many things that I would like to see there and yes I guess I am being selfish.  We would not have gone to the Red Sox game if I had not insisted we try and get tickets.  They were all thankful for that because they all had a really good time and it will be a wonderful memory for my boys to have with their dad. I am all about making memories and taking pictures of everything.  As I am writing this post my three favorite fellas are out making memories now.  The hubbs has taken the boys to an Iron Maiden concert.  Yes, all of my fellas are metal heads.  I begged for pictures so hopefully I will get a few. 
Stay tuned for a few pictures from all of this fun. . .

Orientation, Learning, Loving, and a Little Sightseeing . . .

We drove up to Massachusetts for orientation on Sunday.  Sprat had seen the campus but the hubbs and I had not, in fact, Sprat spent a great deal of time on this campus last year with their lacrosse coach.   Monday was an all day affair for all of us, the parents went to their sessions and the students went to their own.  We saw Sprat only a few times on Monday, he had fallen right in with some of the kids from his other school and a couple of lacrosse kids.  We did get to hear a wonderful motivational speaker and the one thing he said that I am sure those kids will not get until they are older was;  "If you do not choose your own greatness, someone else will choose your mediocrity."  I am not sure if these are his own words but that little sentence spoke volumes to me.  This guy was great and the kids seemed to be very receptive to him.  We found out later that this same gentleman had spoken at their orientation for the last three years and every year the current students that are helping with orientation stay to hear him because he is that good. 
We saw Sprat briefly just to give him his bag to get settled in his dorm and then we were off again. They had plans for the students all night and all the next day.  I thought I would be able to handle all of this but turns out that was not the case.  It is very hard to let go of your first born and apparently I am a control freak and do not hide it well.  LOL!!! 
While Sprat was having his day of orientation and the hubbs and I had a day to ourselves we decided we would check out the surrounding areas.  I found a quaint little antique store and yes I did pick up a little item.  The gentlemen that run the shop were very nice and I think I will go  back when we take Sprat in the Fall.   So many nice things and so little room in the car this trip. 
We met up with Sprat and his girlfriend and said our good byes, he is spending a few days with her and her family before heading home.  On our way home we stopped by the Lindt chocolate factory outlet to pick up some much needed chocolates. 
The hubbs got his new company car right before we left so we were able to take it on our trip.  This a top of the line car with all the bells and whistles, some of those bells I could have done without.  At one point we were going through a construction zone that required us to move back and forth over the white line in order to stay within the zone.  The car started making weird noises and flashed a cup of coffee on the dash board with words saying driver alert or something to that nature.  I busted out laughing because apparently us moving back and forth over that white line through the car into a frenzy.   We got use to that one, then we were almost home and it started raining, there was a car in front of us that was turning.  We were not even close to that car and our car started flashing red lets on the dash board that flashed across the windshield and a loud noise sounded and we abruptly slowed down.  That scared me to death! 
A note to car manufacturers all of that is enough to cause a wreck!  We do not need lights flashing across the windshield and loud noised going off when we are trying to focus on the road.  I told my husband he needed to figure out how to disable that crap quick! 
A few pictures to finish up this post:

The quaint little antique store 

One of the neat items we found, a note said it was not for sale.

The college had trolleys to take the parents around 

This is the library 

Stay tuned, I am waiting on pictures from the Cape from Sprat.  He was going to visit there. 

 

Traditional Salsa Day. . . .

The salsa verde was so good, the hubbs decided to try his traditional salsa by roasting the tomatoes rather than boiling them.  I think it will give a good roasted flavor to the salsa.   The hubbs is roasting his tomatoes now along with his jalapenos, garlic, and onion.   This is going to give his salsa a different flavor from previous batches.  This is in process so I will have to share how this one turns out later. 
We are prepping to go to orientation later this month so, I am having to get paperwork all ready for physicals, immunization proof, and insurance proof.  This is an exhausting process!!!
Sprat is going to get to meet his new coach and see some of his teammates that he has not seen since May.  He had been hanging out with them before he came home for the Summer. 
The first day of orientation is a FULL day of meetings and information, I hope he is ready for this transition.  Stay tuned for this later in the month. . .

Finished Salsa Verde  

Roasting tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic  

First batch of tomatoes roasted and cooling.

We have some cantaloupe and honey dew melon growing, no fruit just yet but the plants are big and beautiful. 

Stay tuned for more garden fun and a round up on what we learned from our garden this year. We have decided we will definitely have a Fall garden.

Homemade Ice Cream, Pickles, and Ticks. . .

Our office is open 365 days a year 24/7, we do not close for anything, not even bad weather.   When you work in the medical field you learn that this is just how it is.  Your family must also adjust.  I do not mind it because I know I am making a difference in someones life, I usually do not get to see the end result but sometimes we get to hear wonderful stories of our recipients connecting with our donor families and that is amazing.  That is what gets me through adjusting Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations with my family. 
We do not do things traditionally in my household.  This year  I wanted to do the 4th more traditional.  I had to work the night of the 3rd so,  I slept most of the morning of the 4th but I had bought an ice cream churn that week and we were going to have homemade ice cream for the 4th.  I told the hubbs about my idea and he grumbled, naturally, he does not like homemade ice cream.  He says it is always runny and gross and he only liked chocolate.   It was my mission to make the best homemade chocolate ice cream ever.  I searched the internet all over to find what I thought was a good recipe.  Turns out, I am the bomb when it comes to making ice cream, I even wowed the hubby.  Best ever chocolate ice cream, it tasted and had the consistency of a Wendy's frosty.  Yummm!!  I bought a Hamilton Beach traditional ice cream churn and it worked wonders.   I will do this again, it was easy and not messy at all, there was a little bit of a learning curve since I had never actually done this before.  I will share my recipe later in this post.
We are getting cucumbers by the baskets full and I have made four jars of fridge pickles, I will share that recipe too.  It is easy and no cook but you have to keep them in the fridge.  We have eaten two jars and I gave one jar away and I made another jar yesterday.   I also eat cucumbers just by themselves and I add them to my water with a little lemon.  I have used a couple that got to big to eat on my eyes.  LOL!!  We do not waste in this house.
In between lacrosse and doing yard work for the ladies in the area Sprat has been fishing with his friends.  They have evidently been fishing near a tick Hilton, Sprat has come home with several ticks on him each evening.   On the 4th he came home with one attached to his shin, yuck!!  He came to me and said,  "Mama is this one attached?"  I put my glasses on so I could see the little bugger and sure enough it was attached.  I got the Vaseline and coated the tick, hoping it would let go, he did not.  I worked on this bugger for a good bit before I got him off of my Sprat.  The last time Big T had a tick I was not sure what kind it was so I took him and the tick to the doctor and they said it is there standard procedure to give anyone that has had a tick attached antibiotics.  I scheduled Sprat an appointment to see the doctor.  Sure enough they wanted to give him antibiotics.  Sprat is allergic to almost all antibiotics and I have not been real keen on him taking any type of antibiotic.   They wrote a prescription for one they did not have record of him being allergic.  The hubbs and I worried and fretted over whether to give it to him or not.  His reactions were not breathing trouble but that could be the next one.  Long story short we are on day 3 of antibiotic with no reaction so far.  Sprat is taking benadryl with the antibiotic to try and reduce any reaction he might have.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will make it through  this regimen. 


On to the recipes:

Chocolate ice cream

3 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
2 cups whole milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients first then add water, whole milk, half and half, and heavy cream
Get your churn set up and add your ice cream mixture.  The churn said it would run for 20-40 minutes and cut off on it's own.  Mine did not cut off so I checked it after about an hour and it was so fluffy and wonderful.  I think it was fluffy and creamy because of the heavy cream and half and half.

Lax, Lax, and more Lax Weekend. . . .

Big T had a big weekend with four games and four big wins for the team!!  I am so glad I was able to see him play with this group of boys.  The gentleman that heads this group up is awesome and he said it best when he said; "Unselfish, hardworking,young men from 12 different high schools came together as a team," on Saturday to win Big!!    These boys have had maybe 3 practices together as a team and they played so well together yesterday, it was great.  I love watching these kids play, they are a young team and they each have so much potential.   I look forward to seeing these boys play in the future. 
It was an extremely hot yesterday and we played on turf, whew, that made it very hot.  Those boys played their hearts out and they left everything on the field.   It was a great day to be a Lax Brah. 

Big T with a nasty poke check 

Big T with some great air for the blocked pass!!

Cooking again. . . Memories

Sprat made some home fry potatoes today for lunch.  This goes along with his learning to cook before he goes back to school in the Fall.  He used his daddy's potatoes out of the garden to make his potatoes this morning and they were really good.  Big T even ate some and liked them and he never eats them when the hubbs makes them.   I love that Sprat is wanting to learn to cook, he is so excited about it and has a real knack for it too.  I hope I can teach him some of my favorite recipes to take back to Boston with him.
Sprat's girlfriend came for a visit, I must admit, I was not ready for this.  I am not ready for a serious girlfriend, I do not think he has ever been serious about a girl before.  He dated but, he never called one his "girlfriend" before.  This young lady is from Massachusetts and this was her visit to the South.  Sprat took her on the sweet tea tour of North Carolina. He took her to all of his local watering holes and hangouts.  He introduced her to all of his friends.  She loves sweet tea and has called and asked for a recipe, I do believe she is hooked. 
Sprat is getting excited about going to this new school in August, he is a little nervous but very excited.  He has his new schedule and we will go in July for orientation. 
I remember learning to cook when I was Sprat's age, I had helped my mom in the kitchen but I had never cooked a whole meal by myself.  I remember trying Swedish meatballs and I did not eat meat at that time, they were terrible.  I cannot remember if anyone in my family ate them, I think they did but I am not sure.   I do not remember the first thing I made successfully but, I do remember there were many things I made unsuccessful.  I remember a lot of frozen burritos and french fries in college.  I was no cook in college, I fancy myself to be a very good cook now.  I hope I can help my son do better than I did in college with the cooking. In the new school he will have access to a kitchen, so he will be able to cook if he likes. 

Whirl Wind Weekend. . . Weddings, Family, and Lots of Lacrosse. . .

The hubbs nephew got married and the hubbs and I went to the wedding and Sprat took Big T to his lacrosse tournament.  Sprat played Lax Dad on Saturday, keeping up with a cooler, advil, and snacks for Big T and himself.  So proud of Sprat for stepping up and looking after his brother and encouraging him through some pain and loss over three games and a thunderstorm.  The hubbs and I had a good time at the Wedding festivities.  Big T played three games on Saturday and two games on Sunday, the hubbs and I got to see him play on Sunday. I do love watching my boys play lacrosse, they play with their whole heart.  No matter what team they are playing on.  Big T played on a travel team this weekend, they have practiced two times before this weekend and yet they played well together.  They played against teams that have been together for years and beat them.  This group of boys were well coached.  I wish this team could stay together but unfortunately they all go to different schools.  It was an exciting afternoon at the Lax tournament. 
Sprat also had games on Sunday, so  I got to see both the boys play this weekend.  I hope when Sprat starts school and gets started in his new season of lacrosse at college we will get to see him play there too.  Here are some highlights from the weekend:

Big T in the middle with the clear!!

Sprat in the middle, black helmet, blocking the shot!!

It was an exciting weekend all the way around!!  Lax on !!!!

Cooking 101 for your College Student . . . Beyond Raymen Noodles. . .

I sold Pampered Chef for a long time and love their products, one of my favorites was their mandolin slicer.  I have the old school model without the finger protection.  I tell you all of that to share that last night while Sprat was helping me fix dinner I sliced my thumb.  All the years I used that thing and never had any trouble with it and I did it while showing Sprat how to use it and how not to slice a finger.  LOL!!  Well, in a round about way, how not to slice a finger. 
We made the zucchini pasta again because, we have zucchini in abundance right now.  Sprat had fun learning how to saute onions and garlic and this time we added a pepper from the garden.  Sprat does not particularly care for zucchini but he enjoyed the cooking and so did I except for the slice and dice I pulled on my thumb. 
Sprat wants to learn to cook other things too, he may try his hand at my amazing homemade alfredo.  He is even going to go to the grocery store for me to pick up all of my ingredients.  I will share my recipe for my alfredo today so that you can try your hand at it too.

Alfredo

1 box angel hair pasta
4 tbs butter
3 cloves garlic pressed
2 cups heavy cream
fresh Parmesan 1 cup
fresh or dried chives to top
1-2 tbs flour
dash of white wine


Melt butter and saute garlic till is smells yummy, add your flour and make  rue, all on med low heat. add a dash of wine and then slowly and while stirring add your heavy cream.  Turn you heat up a little and grate your parmesan and add it to your cream mixture.  It should bubble and get thick, when it does that it is ready to serve over your angel hair pasta.  You can use any pasta you would like and you can add things like broccoli, chicken, shrimp, beef, really anything. 
I have never been a fan of fat noodles so I always use angel hair, it is a texture thing with me.  You can add fresh chives and parsley too when you serve. 
Hope you enjoy my recipes and my funny stories about my kiddos.   Stay tuned Sprat is wanting to learn to cook this Summer and this should be loads of funny posts.

Car Shopping . . . but no car payments. . . .

I absolutely detest shopping for a car.  The last two vehicles we purchased were from a car rental company that sells their cars after they are no longer renting them.  Very pleased with our purchases from a quality and a cost standpoint.  You guys know how much I love Dave Ramsey and these vehicles fall into the DR category. 
Sprat is going to need a car this next year at school, Big T gets his car in August. Sprat's new school is a little further out of the city than that first school and the new school allows sophomores to have cars on campus. No, he does not get to pick out what he wants, he will take what we pick out and be happy.  We are now shopping reliable used cars and I have gone back to the rental place.  I have been hawking this website and the lot since it is close to us.  They used to carry a lot of the vehicle I am looking for for Sprat and now they do not have any from this manufacturer. I  am a little bummed and so I have ventured out to the local car lots.  Big mistake, car lots are awful, they want to sell you more car than you want or can afford.  In my case they are trying to sell me more than I want to afford.  I have a dollar amount I am going to spend and I am not going over that for any reason.  I am sticking to my DR plan.  I am not borrowing money to buy this car, we did not borrow to buy the other two and I am not going to for this one either.  Whewww!! It feels good too say that, I will not go into debt for this. 
I will share a little secret too, I am having a little mid - life crisis around this car shopping.  I have found a car that I want and again I have been hawking car websites and such looking for the best deal.  I have had to put that on the back burner till we can get Sprat something to drive but I am still shopping for me.  This will put my mid - life crisis on hold for just a bit because I will not go into debt for my mid-life crisis.  NO more debt for this family!!
Stay tuned for my car shopping adventure.

My Boy is Home. . .

My Boston boy is home!!!  I am one happy mama.  We have so much to catch up on, the new school he will be attending next year, classes, new girlfriend (his word not mine), and all the great things he got to do while in Boston this past year.
He got home yesterday afternoon and he spent about an hour with us unloading ALL of this laundry and then he and Big T were off to see all of his buddies that were at home.  They went to the local watering hole to announce to all of his other friends that he had arrived home from school.  I spent hours on end worrying about how these two boys would get along once the hubbs and I were gone, it does my heart good to know that their relationship has grown this last year through snap chat, texting, and Instagram. I guess I am glad for social media.
The boy is now looking for a job.  This should be a fun adventure.  He does have experience in food service now thanks to his college experience.  Part of his responsibility with the lacrosse team was to work at various Boston College sporting events in the concession stands, all of the money went to the lacrosse program.   He did not earn any money but he earned job experience.
We went to breakfast this morning and were able to catch up  little bit and then the boys went for a movie with their dad for some male bonding.
The hubbs and I have worked in the garden and I have more oregano drying along with some Sage and Basil.  The herb garden is coming along and my garlic even looks good.