Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

It is FRIDAY!!!! This year I have had the privilege of working at a preschool for 11 and a half hours a week. Sweet Pea gets to go with me and we spend three mornings a week playing, making messes, and having fun. I have really enjoyed my "pretend" job. Plus, it's nice to exercise my teaching "muscles" every now and then. I should also mention that I get to have some adult conversation when I head to work. (I LOVE staying home with Sweet Pea but discussing the wonders of all that is pink doesn't always stimulate my brain cells.) I work with some amazing women. All of them are woman with an incredible faith and have survived raising a family of their very own. It is always inspiring to be around women like that.

All of that to say, I WORKED FIVE DAYS IN A ROW THIS WEEK. One of my coworkers was on vacation and I offered to fill in. I haven't worked five days in a row since 1999. Seriously. I wish I were exaggerating. I am not.

The best part? I survived. I even enjoyed myself. However, I still love staying home. Poor Nurse Boy. I don't think I am ever going to be his "Sugar Mama." But, I can cook, clean, and iron a mean crease into his scrubs pants. Not that he would ever let me do that, because THAT would be weird. As if being a male nurse doesn't make him weird enough. ;0)

Just recently I discovered a fabulous recipe that I must share with the world. I found this recipe on hungrygirl.com. I have made a few of my very own alterations.

Crock Pot Cinnamon and Apple Oatmeal

(Because who doesn't want to wake up to the house smelling of warm, delicious oatmeal?!)

Ingredients:
8 cups chopped apples (about 6 apples-skin and all)
3 Tablespoon brown sugar (not packed)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup light vanilla (or reg.) soymilk
1/3 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1/4 cup flaxseed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1. In a large bowl, mix apples with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir and coat the apples well. Place in the crock pot.

2. Combine oats, soymilk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, syrup, flaxseed, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of water and mix well.

3. Place oat mixture in the crock pot and gently stir. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours... or whenever you decide to wake from a wonderful night of slumber.

4. In the morning, DON'T FORGET to stir in 3 TABLESPOONS of BUTTER.

This stuff is wonderful! And, I LOVE waking up to a warm breakfast that is not only waiting for me, but makes my house smell fabulous!

YUM!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Things That Make Me Smile

Three Generations of Ladies

That makes me smile!

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I haven't posted a recipe in a while. Fridays have been pretty busy lately. Of course, this Friday is no exception, but I am procrastinating.

What? You don't procrastinate?

This weekend we are celebrating my mother's 60th birthday, my parents are moving, and Nurse Boy has a big paper to work on. Throw in soccer games, church, and my parents staying with us while they get everything settled in their new place and it may be a complete zoo by the end of this weekend. But, it is all worth it! Plus, the last time Nurse Boy and I moved, we made some gruesome discoveries in our new home on moving day. We immediately realized we couldn't move right into our new home. We promptly moved our (then) 4 person family into my parents' house for two whole months. They never complained once, but we had to drive them crazy.

Something tells me it is payback time. ;0) They say they will only be staying over for a few nights. I went over to the new place to work in the kitchen today and I am thinking it may be awhile. Honestly, that will be no problem. My kids will be THRILLED to have Bubby, Papa, and their dog, Bailey, at their disposal each and every day! Maybe I will get to go to the bathroom all by myself?! I am dreaming of a long, hot, uninterrupted shower right now.

Maybe they should stay for awhile...


Today I am going to share one of my very favorite bread recipes. I love this stuff! It is excellent for entertaining, giving as gifts, or just enjoying with your coffee. I made a few changes to give it some nutritional value. I use whole wheat flour and add flax seed. These are optional, but very yummy!

APPLE BREAD

(Before it hit the oven)

The loaf:
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups thinly sliced apples (I remove the skin)
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1/4 cup flaxseed (optional)

The topping:
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1. Blend butter, eggs, and sugar together. Add soda, salt, and vanilla; beat.
2. Add flour. Mix. Add apples and nuts.
3. Press into a grease pan.
4. Mix topping ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of bread.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

Enjoy! One of my all time favorites!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Time For Some Shut Eye

Goodnight...

Sleep Tight...



Make Sure Your Tiara is on Good and Tight!

What? You don't wear a tiara to bed?!

Shame on you.

Ace of Cakes

I am not sure how I feel about Mrs. Nurse Boy's destiny to get multiple tattoos and unconventional piercings. She will probably start to swear a lot as well.

Why do I think she will start embracing body art that is not her current style?

Because she made a cake for Sweet Pea's birthday party that was supposed to look like a Pinkalicious Cupcake from Sweet Pea's favorite book.

She rocked it!

Just like the people from Ace of Cakes.

I just hope she will rock the tattoo sleeve that is now her destiny.

Is that talent or what?

Mr. NB

Get Out the Tiara!

Sweet Pea is 4 today!!!!!

You're

a


GIFT

from

above!

Happy Birthday to our joyful little girl!

You are such a blessing! May you continue to grow closer to Jesus each and every day. We pray you grow to hear God's voice and desire to obey Him.

You are a beautiful little lady, both inside and out!

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I grew up with pets. We always had at least one dog and one cat during my childhood. I loved them. They were a source of comfort and a part of the family. But, now? I am not such a fan. We have a 19 year old cat whom Nurse Boy and I love and care for, but the kids find him to be a bit boring. Frankly, Mocha finds the kids to be a bit hyper.

Weekly, I am bombarded with questions of WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET A DOG? Even my parents think I am depriving my children of that special bond a kid has with their pet. But, I refuse to waiver.

Most of the time.

This is Bailey. She is my parents' dog. Whenever we stop by their house, she greets us with a wagging tail and those sweet eyes. She is great with my kids and adores Nurse Boy. She does not help my case.

Until my parents go on vacation and leave her with us. Oh sure, everyone says they will help take care of Bailey when she stays with us. But, I am sure no one will be surprised to hear that I am the one who seems to do most of the work.

She spent last weekend with us. The boys spent the weekend trying to convince me that we need a dog just like Bailey, while I was the one getting up early in the morning and standing in the backyard with her late at night. While she is sweet, this weekend only confirmed my stance.

No more wavering for me.

TOP TEN REASONS WE ARE NOT GETTING A DOG ANYTIME SOON

10. I like to wear black on occasion and I prefer not to resemble a walking lint brush.

9. I don't need every knock at the door to be followed by uncontrollable barking. I have excellent hearing, thankyouverymuch.

8. I like my food to be hairless. No, I don't think it adds "protein." Call me crazy.

7. Paw prints on my kitchen floor make me batty.

6. Don't even get me started on MUDDY paw prints.

5. I don't want to discuss the top of the line dog foods and how the best diets create less "waste." I live with a GI nurse and 2 boys. We have enough "poop talk" around here. And, yes, I have heard dog lovers discuss this more than once. Ew!

4. I don't need to be startled by barking every. single. time. someone, something, or some car passes by the house.

3. I don't need someone else to live here that can't feed, bathe, or clean up after themselves.

2. I enjoy my fair share of leisurely walks through the neighborhood. I don't enjoy turning 10 shades of red when my dog leaves a "gift" on my neighbor's lawn while we are chatting about the weather. I mean, who wants to be THAT woman? And, NO!, I don't want to scoop the fresh "gift" into a bag and carry it around the neighborhood.

1. Despite every one's promises, pinky swears, and hand on a stack of Bibles, we all know who would be doing all of the feeding, watering, walking, petting, brushing, etc. I already have a house full.

Yes, Bailey is sweet. But, she doesn't live here. Thank goodness. ;0)

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.


It is Monday. Enough said, right? Sweet Pea and I are staying home to nurse our little Bruiser. He is under the weather today. I pray he is the last one to drop and we can start enjoying this beautiful spring weather.


Time for some of my Monday randomness...


* Last week I bought a new pair of "sporty" flip flops to go with my stay-at-home-mom uniform. They gave me a blister. And, yet, I keep slipping them on as I head out the door. You would think I would learn. Apparently, I am a very slow learner. Or lazy. I'll call it loyal.


* Is it ever possible to deep clean your home when you have children? I find it maddening to thoroughly clean one room, only to walk into a disaster zone in the very next room. I think I will finally get the house clean in 2020.


* Last week, Nurse Boy and Dimples were home sick for several days. Fevers, congestion, and ear infections were running a muck throughout our home. They woke up Saturday morning claiming to be back to normal.


* I celebrated by asking them to do some much needed yard work that I had been avoiding. I am not sure they appreciated my excitement.


* Is there anything sweeter than the sight of a man doing yard work?


*Yes! Cooking dinner... but I wasn't going to press my luck.


* Am I the only one who can't watch cooking shows with male chefs because it could be considered cheating on my husband? I suddenly find them very attractive as I in vision my husband coming home from work, heading straight to the kitchen, throwing on an apron, and making a healthy, well balanced meal for the entire family... while cleaning up the kitchen as he prepares the meal... What? It could happen!


* OK, not as long as I am married to Nurse Boy. And, sense I plan to stay married to him, I must not watch the likes of those handsome male chefs luring me all over the cable channels. Must. Turn. The. Channel.


* While Nurse Boy and Dimples were celebrating their new found energy, Bruiser started complaining of a headache and sporting a fever of his very own.


*Of course, we discovered Bruiser's fever AFTER he came home from his soccer game where he dominated with 5 goals! OK, he is 7, "dominated" may be a bit of an exaggeration. But, considering he had a fever all the while, "dominated" might actually fit what he did that morning.


*So, to recap, we had 4 visits to Urgent Care, 3 visits to the pharmacy, 3 sick boys, and 2 healthy girls last week. I pray it stops there!


Happy Monday!!!

All is Right With the World...

when...

the sun is shining, there's a diet coke in my hand,

my toe nails are painted

and

my flip flops are on!

Yes, all is right with the world now!

For the Love of Bubbles!

I love Spring!

I love the promise of sunny days, relaxing evenings, colorful flowers, refreshing rain, flip flops, short sleeves, ice cream cones, the smell of freshly cut grass, neighborhood walks, and....

BuBbLeS,

bUbbLeS,

BUbbLeS!!!

And, don't even get me started on sidewalk chalk.... yet another cheerful "marker" of spring!

Happy Easter!

We hope you had a blessed Easter while you celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior! Today I will share the words of one of my favorite worship songs while you get a glimpse of our Easter celebration!!!

What does it mean to be saved?
Isn't it more than just a prayer to pray?
More than just a way to heaven?

What does it mean to be His?

To be formed in his likeness?

Know that we have a purpose.

To be salt and light in the world, in the world.

To be salt and light in the world.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, say so, say so!

Oh that the church would arise.

So that we would see with Jesus' eyes.

We could show the world heaven.

Show what it means to be His.

To be formed in his likeness.

Show them they have a purpose.

To be salt and light in the world, in the world.

To be salt and light in the world.

I am redeemed, I am redeemed

I am redeemed, I am redeemed

I am redeemed, I am redeemed!

Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up!

Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up!

Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up, rise up, rise up!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

We remain in awe of the One who gave it all!

Jesus has risen!

Things That Make Me Smile

Bruiser came home with this the other day:

It says, "I am lucky because my whole family loves me."

I always knew he was smart!

Although, some might call it "blessed." However, some days, (like the time he tracked mud all over my carpet, or cried over my home cooked meal, or "hugged" the cat until he let out a yelp...) it is luck. Pure luck.

No matter, his whole family does love him! LOTS!