Favorite Subject, Lunch. . .

Big T had a great first day and is psyched about his last year of middle school.  The hubbs and I enjoyed a great first day of school /peace and quiet.   Sprat had a pretty good day yesterday too, he likes all of his classes and is thrilled he has lunch with all of his friends.  He is even excited about getting to drive himself to school this year.  All in all it was a good day and our clan feels blessed.
Went to my beautician magician for an update on my hair style before my interview on Wednesday,  she gave me a little color and some style.  She even sculpted my brows, I was truly pampered.  

The hubbs and I did our dry run today on where I am going for my interview.  I am very excited and very nervous, I have not been on a job interview in twenty years.   I am going to ask for your prayers for tomorrow, not that I get the job but that God's will be done, also to calm my nerves and give me peace.  

I know that I can do this job and that it would be very fulfilling to my life and to others, it just feels right.  That is all I will say for now about the job.  

The hubbs is still looking and I will also ask for prayers for him.  This is getting more frustrating every day.  My husband is very knowledgeable in his field and he has a tremendous work ethic that is not found today in anyone.  For my dear hubby I pray for peace and comfort in knowing there is a plan and in due time everything will fall into place.  

Thank you and stay tuned for more to come. 

Ready or Not, Here Comes Monday. . .

Sorry for the lapse in posts, it has been  a little hectic around here as I am sure it has been for all of you.  We are trying to get the boys ready for school.  Football is already going strong with two wins under their belt. 
We had meet the teacher for Big T and I have some reservations about his group this year.  I will be sending up prayers for everyone going back to school this year. 
I have big hopes for my boys and their future as I am sure all parents do. 
Picked up school supplies and some new shoes for the boys.  I used my "school" envelope money for school supplies and school fees so that these things did not derail our budget.  I used our "clothing" envelope money to pay for shoes so they did not derail our budget either.  If you are doing the envelope system and have children I recommend you add these two to your envelope categories. I use the school money for their lunches through the year and for field trips. 
I budget a certain amount for these envelopes through the year and I do not pause during the Summer. Using the school envelope is how I am able to cover school supplies with no problems.  I am still adding money but nothing is coming out for those three months, my school money is gaining momentum through the Summer.
I honestly do not know what I would do without my envelopes, especially in our current situation.
This week is going to be crazy; the kids start school, I have an interview,  and the hubbs continues to look for his new career.  Hold on to something it is going to get bumpy.   Oh, and did I forget to mention Sprat will be driving himself to school in a week. 

No pictures this morning, I will have to do day two of school pictures for the boys tomorrow.  The hubbs and I enjoyed our annual first day of school breakfast date too.  

Sweet Peppers from My Sweet Hubby. . .

A tribute to my wonderful husband.  Being downsized after almost twenty-four years with the same company will affect everyone differently and for some it might be a big blow to their ego.   He was devastated that day but he has been determined to get back to work as soon as possible.  All of his buddies were telling him to take a few months and relax go on vacation and things like that.  I know some that did just that, they enjoyed their severance to the very end before they began looking for other employment.   That would not do for my husband, he began contacting friends for advice and their contacts to get him started to find a new job.   He has not stopped looking either, he has had several interviews both phone and face to face since this adventure began.   Through all of this he has stayed up beat and positive and he has been a huge help around the house.  The hubbs is not one that can sit still, he reminds me a lot of my Dad in that respect.  He has been doing my grocery shopping for me, yes that is a little scary but he has actually kept our grocery bill down.  There are plenty of men out there that would not dare volunteer to do grocery shopping but not mine.  The hubbs has been a huge help around the house since his displacement.  He has also been cooking more too, that part I am also enjoying.  The hubbs is a great cook.   He has made salsa at least four times this season and his salsa is the best.   Our peppers are really starting to come in now and last night he fixed this amazing pepper dish for our dinner.  He found this recipe online at Italian Food Forever I am going to share this recipe because it was so good.  I fixed some couscous to serve it over.

Fried Sweet Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar

6 large sweet peppers  (we used red, green, and orange)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves (we pressed ours)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup fresh parsley (we did not have any so we skipped this part)

Wash and dry your peppers remove your seeds, stems, and membranes
Cut peppers into 1 inch strips

Heat your oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet and add the peppers, stirring well to coat in the oil.  Cook the peppers over medium heat until they begin to soften and brown.   About 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another minute or tow until fragrant.
Add the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Cook another three to four minutes until the peppers have absorbed all of the vinegar.  Toss with parsley and serve.
We served ours over couscous and it was wonderful.  I see this in my future since our peppers are really coming in now.

This and That on Monday. . .

I posted a Brazilian recipe last week that I really like.  I tried another one later in the week and it did not taste as good.  It was a meat and rice dish and my meat was very tough and for all the spices I used it was not very flavorful so I will not share it.  Just remember that I share only the recipes that I like I might tell you about the ones that I did not like or that did not turn out very well but I will not share them.   This one looked and sounded really good on paper but it was so very time consuming and like I said the flavor was just not there.  

Sprat had his first varsity football game on Friday and we won.  Yayyy, he got in at the end of the game and he did well.  Both of the boys are getting ready for school to start and Big T is a little nervous.  He will be in the eighth grade this year.  My how the time has flown, Sprat a Junior and Big T an eighth grader.   Sprat has been driving more and he will be getting his license very soon.  I am very nervous about this one.  These kids do not pay attention when they are behind the wheel.  They are goofing around with whomever is in the passenger seat or playing games going through the parking lot.  Parents I beg you, please remind your kids how important it is to be focused on the car and the road while behind the wheel.  I watched a boy in a huge truck, too big for him to be driving at such a young and inexperienced age, almost hit my Sprat because he was turned around and looking behind him as he showered down on the gas.  I have talked and talked to Sprat about the importance and the responsibility that comes along with being a driver.   These next weeks will probably be the most stressful so far for me as a parent.  

Prayers to all the parents preparing your kiddos for the new school year, prayers for the kids too as they face new adventures in learning.   

Friday Full of Prospects. . .

Feeling a little nervous today, I have a telephone interview this morning.  I have not interviewed for a job in many, many years.  I dare not tell how many because then I would be giving away my age. The hubbs had a phone interview yesterday and we are hopeful one of us will find something soon.  We have lots of folks that have been praying for us and I am very thankful for those prayers.
We still have not told very many people that my dear hubby was displaced and I am not sure why.  I tell myself I do not want anyone to pity us but there may be some pride issues in there too.   Several people have found out about our job situation at our Church and I do appreciate the love and prayers that they have shared with us and the very kind words.  It is very nice to know that our Church family loves us so very much.  
To prepare for my phone interview I went to Google and searched for help.  There are many sites for this type of thing.  I have found through my dear hubby searching and interviewing for jobs that the phone interview is the first stage and sometimes the last too.   It is a way to weed out people before they actually start bringing candidates in for the face to face interview.  I know that in our technology driven world that this is the wave of the future but I am not sure how helpful it is.  I am sure it is helpful to the employer but I believe it is detrimental to some of the prospective employees.  There is not a whole lot you can garner from a phone interview other than the persons voice quality and general biographic information.  This is just my opinion of course and we all know what folks say about opinions.
On another note:  my oldest has his first varsity football game tonight.  Asking for prayers for all.

A Taste of Brazil. . .

I have posted before about my book, "The Brazilian bikini body program" by Regina Joseph.  I have no intention of ever wearing a bikini again but I love this book.  It has such great recipes in it and since our garden is still producing I cannot resist trying some of these.   The Brazilians, according to Joseph, do not practice a diet of deprivation but a sensible approach to delicious food.   I would like to think that is what I am trying to do these days.  The hubbs and I have been eating lots of peppers and onions with most every meal.  They have the best flavor once they have been sauted just a bit.  They are not too hot for me to enjoy a very generous portion either.
I love lentils and they are a staple in the Brazilian diet and are a symbol of good luck in Brazil.  One of their customs; on New Years Eve as the clock strikes midnight they throw lentils on the ground and step on them, then they serve a dish similar to the one I am going to share with you today.

Lentil Salad

1 1/2 cups small green lentils
1 tomato finely chopped
1 onion chopped fine
1 green pepper seeded and chopped finely
1 red pepper seeded and chopped finely
1/2 cup pitted black olives chopped


Dressing

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

Rinse your lentils and cook until tender, about twenty minutes in boiling water with a bay leaf.  Drain and discard your Bay leaf and run the lentils under cool water.  In a separate bowl mix with the chopped vegetables.  In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, mustard, soy sauce, and sugar.  Toss your veggies with your lentils then pour your dressing over the salad and serve cold.

Dating: Boys Vs. Girls. . .

I had Sprat locked in for a bit on the way to Church the other day.  He was driving and I thought this would be a great time to discuss dating.  ha ha ha ha ha!!!  I have to grab my chances when I can.  Sprat has not been that interested in girls yet and I am totally cool with that.  I would prefer him to focus on sports and school work and not be distracted by girls.  I told him how his dad and I met and fell in love.  My hubby did not start dating until he went to college and it would be fine with me if Sprat did not date until he got out of college.  I, on the other hand, was completely boy crazy and dated a lot in high school and in college. I will not lie, I enjoy being pampered and taken care of what woman would not.  I am not bashing my own sex but I know how we can be and how much trouble we can cause and I do not want that to happen to my boys.   It seems like the girls are getting more manipulative at earlier ages these days.   I have seen this just watching some of my friends kids dating and hearing their stories.  It is sad that people just cannot be honest with each other, that they have to play such childish games with another persons' feelings.
I would like for my boys to meet someone that is funny, attractive, smart, likes sports and is not afraid of getting dirty.  I have seen these boys with these Barbie doll types and watching from the sidelines you just know that it is not going to work out.  I told Sprat the reason I picked the above qualities is that when the beauty fades you need something to fall back on and intellect and a sense of humor will last longer than looks.  I fell in love with my hubby because he knows how to make me laugh, especially when I am upset.  Yes, he is usually the one that causes me to be upset 98 % of the time but his sense of humor has and will probably always pull his bacon out of the fire.
These are my random thoughts for today.
Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be talking about some yummy Brazilian recipes.