Dressing Up for All Saints and Halloween

It's a month past Halloween and I'm just now getting to the pictures. The blog wouldn't be complete without a record of our costumes for the All Saints party at our parish and Halloween.

Here we have St. Michael the Archangel, St. Bernadette (before she joined the convent), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (with a crown made by Second Daughter based on St. Elizabeth's card in the Happy Saints A to Z cards (not an affiliate link) and a basket of homemade rolls), and St. Bruno. It was St. Bruno's second appearance in as many years, but I was pleased to use the Sculpey skull I made last year again. I had to miss the party this year as I wasn't feeling well, but the children assured me it was better than ever. Some very generous members of our parish made magnificent games and lots and lots of cookies.

For Halloween, we had an interesting assortment of personages. Second Son wanted to be Simba, and not just any lion but Simba the baby lion without a mane. We searched high and low for a costume without success but a mom from our homeschool group came to my rescue. She had one in his size from a previous Halloween and let us borrow it.

Second Daughter decided she wanted to be a tribble after watching The Trouble with Tribbles, arguably the best original Star Trek episode and the only one the children had seen. I debated a long time about how to manage such a costume without any sewing but with inspiration from my dad and my mom ended up with a furry throw blanket wrapped and clipped with big gripping clips the kids received in their stockings one year for making tents and forts in the house.

First Daughter is Zita the Spacegirl from the wonderful trilogy. First Son is Tintin. Their costumes are a combination of items we found in a single massive shopping trip at Goodwill. Recognize First Daughter's skirt? Second Son is wearing it as a cassock in the All Saints picture above.

Happy Fourth of July!

Grammy and First Daughter dueling

Kansas Dad hits Grammy

Second Son needed help holding up the water gun

Second Daughter takes a break to get a drink

Then it was time for fireworks.

Including blowing up a banana

Home on the Range Recipe: Ham, Potato, and Corn Chowder

I started this post months ago and then almost finished in time to publish it right after Easter, when lots of people have left-over ham, but then it languished. Hopefully you can remember it when you have a desire for something warm and filling (now that it's summer).

I love ham. We buy them around the holidays when they're on sale, so they are somewhat of a rare treat. For years, I tried ham and bean soup recipes to find a use for the ham bone and was forever disappointed. Oh, the soup was alright the first day, but the leftovers (and there were always leftovers) were unpleasant at best. Kansas Dad seemed to like them more than I did, but not enough to be particularly happy when faced with ham and bean soup...again.

So I went on a search for a different kind of recipe. I searched online and found a few different ham chowder recipes which I decided to adapt and combine. Mostly, I used this one. I ended up with a recipe Kansas Dad, First Son, and I love. (The other kids don't like anything except pasta and white rice, but they will eat a piece or two of ham out of the soup.)

Ham, Potato, and Corn Chowder

First, make the stock. You can do this a day or two ahead of time. If so, just put it in the fridge and skim the fat before you use or freeze it. You'll probably get more stock than you need for the chowder. I freeze it and either make the soup some other time (when I have some ham but no bone) or for any recipe that calls for stock when ham seems like a good flavoring. I love these freezer jars for storing my stocks.

It's really easy to make the stock. I usually start it as we're cleaning up for dinner and just let it simmer away until I want to go to bed.

1 ham bone (with some meat still on the bone)
water to cover

Place the ham bone in a large pot with water to cover. Bring it to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for at least 30 minutes. Remove the bone and cut off any remaining meat. Save this for the chowder. You can reduce the broth if you like, but I usually just use it.

Now, the chowder!

2 tbsp butter
½ onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ tsp diced Serrano chiles (optional)
1 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
4 cups ham stock or broth
6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
16 oz chopped ham (or whatever you happen to have)
12 oz bag of frozen corn
paprika, salt, and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, and chiles and cook until softened.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the flour, mixing until smooth.
4. Slowly add the milk while stirring.
5. Return the pot to the stove and cook over low heat until the milk thickens. (This takes a few minutes.)
6. Add the broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Reduce heat to a simmer.
7. Add the ham, corn, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook on low until the corn is warmed through.

Adjustments

We like our chowder spicy. I use a lot of our chiles because they've been in our freezer for a few years now and have lost some of their strength. You might want to start with less heat.

Use more or less stock depending on how much liquid you like in your chowder.

Use more or less ham depending on how much you have and how meaty you want your chowder. We like it with lots of meat.

If you have ham, but no bone, make the chowder with some other stock or just water.

This isn't a particularly low-calorie food, but it's very filling. I use Calorie Count to estimate the calories and then we use our kitchen scale to measure out a serving. (Calorie Count does not like "ham broth" or "ham stock" so I just use "beef stock" and go with it. It's all just an estimate anyway.)

By the way, the crusty bread is fantastic with this chowder.


Feel free to Pin or share this recipe, but please do not post it in its entirety in another location and always include a link to this post. Thanks for respecting the time I spent perfecting this recipe.

How to Cook a Turkey (2012 edition)

Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends from story hour with a big lunch (all the holiday foods - turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie). The story hour teacher always takes pictures of each of the kids and asks them how they cook a turkey. You can read last year's recipes here. This year, Second Daughter and Second Son refused to give a recipe, but the other two had some interesting suggestions.

First Daughter (6 years old):

1. Get a turkey.
2. Buy it.
3. Cook it in the stove for 30 minute at 10 degrees.
4. Eat it.

First Son (8 years old, just a month shy of 9):

1. First, get some baby turkeys.
2. Wait until they grow up.
3. Grab a turkey, if you can.
4. Break off all its feathers.
5. Then you add some spices and some grease to it.
6. Put it in the oven at 298 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Cook it 38 minutes.
8. When the time is up, take it out, stuff it with onion (if you like).
9. Then take off a leg, wing, breast, whatever you prefer.
10. Then eat it. Enjoy!

Enjoy indeed!

What I Loved About Last Week (53rd Ed.)

Thanksgiving! It was a beautiful day, beginning with the ever-fantastic French toast casserole (which the children did not eat at all; Kansas Dad and I will be enjoying its perfection for three days). Kansas Dad made a wonderful dinner at his parents' house, completed by a delicious chocolate mousse cake made by Grammy. It was a wonderful day.

And we took pictures.

First Son, 8 (almost 9)

First Daughter, 6

Second Daughter, 4

Second Son, 2

the whole family

Silly Girl

What I Loved about the Last Two Weeks (52 Ed.)

1. The new chicken coop is up and running! Kansas Dad says he has a few last improvements to make, but the hens are happily settled and laying lots and lots of eggs.

Preparing to release the hens in their new home

Roaming (almost) free

The nesting boxes inside the tarp - they like the top ones

2. I finally got to see First Son play in a soccer game. Between birthday parties, my Catechesis training, illnesses, and cancellations, I missed most of his season, but I made this one!

3. Our parish All Saints' party. The committee does a wonderful job. Lots of families came to celebrate together. And lots of people decorated their trunks and handed out candy. What more could you ask?

Mama, St. Juan Diego, St. Gianna Molla, Bl. John Paul II, St. Joan of Arc

4. Second Daughter can write her name! She demonstrated her new skill for us on the cupboard. I should really own stock in the Magic Eraser folks.

5. First Son made chocolate chip cookies for his math lesson. I just helped a little. He did nearly all the reading, measuring, and even half of the scooping. He graciously shared some with his soccer coach.

6. My parents came for a visit! (We had a fabulous time; continue reading. I did not take pictures. Ah!)

7. Halloween. My parents arrived in time for our annual pizza dinner and trick-or-treating with Grammy in her neighborhood. Second Son liked the candy, but he wanted to be carried everywhere. I think his costume was a little too big and hindered his mobility.

a mermaid, a princess, Elmo, and a ninja

8. Our parish All Saints' Mass at which the children sang in the choir. It's not a concert choir; it's a ministry. I'm so glad they have this opportunity.

9. My mom and I spent a whole entire day shopping. We drove into town right after Mass and didn't come home until dinner. It was lovely! Even better, I only bought stuff for myself and my mom treated me quite a bit (early Christmas). I have a warm winter coat (for the first time in years I won't be sharing Kansas Dad's zip-out inner coat) and a lovely Sunday coat. I also found a few other things I needed in smaller sizes. (I'm smiling.)

10. While my parents were in town, we took the children to the county historical museum. It's not big but surprisingly well-done. My dad and I love that sort of thing and the kids endured the two hour visit rather well. We followed the museum with an hour playing at the park and then dinner out with Kansas Dad.

11. First Son, First Daughter, and Second Daughter had their last soccer games of the fall. I love that they play soccer, but I'm always tremendously glad when it's over. Second Daughter did not really want to play (though she had insisted she did before the season). Now to decide...should we bother dragging her out to the field in the spring?

12. Mom and Dad watched the kids for us and Kansas Dad and I feasted at our favorite sushi restaurant. Then we had a few drinks and visited a bookstore for a while before heading home to play a few games with my parents before bed.

13. We went to a fabulous birthday party at which all four children earned Jedi light sabers and costumes. The birthday boy's uncle even dressed as Darth Vader and attempted an attack. (He was taken down.) Second Son was a little nervous; he would chase him, but if Darth got too close he retreated behind Kansas Dad. Later that evening, as we were leaving Kansas Dad's parents' house, they turned on the lights and battled Kansas Dad in the dusk. I hope it's a memory they treasure always because I will (despite the tears when it was really and truly time to get in the van and go home). The kids have been battling on a daily basis. I had to make a rule: no light sabers in the kitchen.

14. We finished our first term of school! We're one week into the second term! Hooray!

15. First Son and First Daughter are both more than half-way through the math book. At this rate, we'll finish early and everyone will be happy.

16. First Son also mastered subtraction on Xtramath this week. He's on to multiplication.

17. Dear friends who are also homeschooling using volume 3 of Connecting with History invited us to a medieval feast - and a feast it was! They served a three course meal! The children designed shields and entertained as minstrels during the dinner. Best of all, they asked us to be godparents to their baby girl due in December. Blessings, blessings, blessings!

18. Election Day is over. Now we'll have a small break from election ads and calls.

Whew, I'm tired just reading over this list!

What I Loved About Last Week (38th Ed.)

1. First Son won an honorable mention in a contest with The Catholic Company! We already spent our gift certificate - on a new Glory Story CD (selected by First Son) and a statue of Mary for our prayer shelf.

2. Second Son can jump!

3. Second Son says "Shee-dee" for First Son's name and Second Daughter's name, which is hilarious because it's nothing at all like their names. Second Son knows this, because he cracks up laughing whenever he says it.

4. Donuts and sprinklers were back this week!

5. On the Fourth of July, we had planned to go to the science museum, but they lost power! The kids were mollified with ice cream. Then we went to Grammy's house for a water balloon fight (with Kansas Dad, not me; I had the camera) and firecrackers. Second Son quickly decided the firecrackers were no fun at all. When he started crying, "No, Daddy, no!" whenever Kansas Dad went to light a new one, I decided to take him inside. He did like the little snappers, though. He wanted more when his box was gone.

6. Second Son says "sit" but begins with an "sh" sound instead of "s." It's really funny, though it's good the kids don't get it yet.

7. Our summer reading program took a field trip to a children's theater productions. Second Daughter was enthralled with the shimmery dress. Second Son was just mesmerized by the whole thing.

8. The kids went to a day camp at our parish this weekend hosted by a group out of Nebraska. Second Son and I enjoyed a quiet day just the two of us. We listened to a lot of Bob and Larry CDs.

9. My parents celebrated their 40th anniversary this weekend!

What I Loved About Last Week (10th Ed.)

1. Second Son's 15 month well child appointment. The appointment itself was uneventful other than the fact that it happened. Due to various circumstances, it had been rescheduled twice. Third time's the charm. He's healthy and on track (despite not saying Mama yet; I think he can and just refuses). He weights 25 pounds and some ounces (65% for weight and 50% for height). The other kids were remarkably good, thanks to the goodie bag I had left in the van stocked with dot-to-dots, coloring books, and boxes of crayons.

2. Geoboards. First Son made a pirate ship.

3. Second Daughter's creativity. This is a ghost she made for me; it's actually "You, Mom, when you are a ghost without arms." I'm not quite sure what to make of that, so I choose to be delighted in her creativity.

3. Second Daughter's hair styling skills.

5. Messy baby pictures.

6. Second Son reading the Sunday paper.

7. First Daughter's reading lessons, which took a dramatic turn for the better this week. Without whining, giggling, complaining, or dramatics, she read. Just read, and quite well. Let's hope it continues after our Thanksgiving break.

8. Our first week without choir, and anticipating the coming week without choir or Catechesis. In fact, we're taking the week off.

9. Our story hour Thanksgiving celebration, when all the families gathered for the full meal. We have such a wonderful community!

10. Dear friends, who watched our four kids on top of their own five so I could join Kansas Dad for a treat - dinner out with another university couple and a visiting professor. We talked about politics, culture, American and British comparisons, and theology (of course) and generally had a lovely evening. Nobody spilled anything. Nobody fell off his or her chair. Nobody refused to eat dinner. Someday soon we hope to return the favor so our friends can enjoy an evening out.

11. The upcoming Thanksgiving, when I have the opportunity to eat so many of my favorite foods, Kansas Dad's apple herb stuffing being very high on that list. If I'm not too overwhelmed by cleaning before the holiday, I'm going to try to make some cinnamon babka. Mmmm...

12. Christmas shopping. I picked a fun toy for my parents to give Second Son (with the other gifts left to choose). We've also picked some special gifts for Grammy and Paw Paw to give the kids. They are so very generous and our children are going to be thrilled!

Have a marvelous Thanksgiving! When I post "What I Loved About Last Week" next week...it'll be Advent!

What I Loved About Last Week (8th Ed.)

1. Halloween night - We had a wonderful time at Grammy and Paw Paw's house: pizza for dinner and then trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. I took six videos trying to get Second Son to growl for the camera. This is the best one:

Second Daughter as Elmo, First Son as Mario, First Daughter as Princess

Handsome Kansas Dad as lion tamer

2. Walnut bread for the feast of All Saints on Tuesday from the My Bread cookbook - delicious!

3. Second Daughter at choir rehearsal. She refused to go up on stage at first. When she did for the last song, she sang little but twisted and turned a lot. I hope the choir director did not find her too distracting. I thought she was adorable. (She will probably choose not to sing in the concert, and that's alright.)

4. We used a bunch of our Halloween candy to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres on Thursday with mouse cupcakes (original idea here). Then the kids and I delivered some to friends. I loved how they called to tell us how much their family enjoyed them. It was a wonderful lesson for my children on sharing our excess to bless others.

5. Library book sales - I had the opportunity to preview a sale at our little library and came home with about 20 books I want to read, plus a handful for the kids. I also found a copy of Unlikely Pairs (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures), which I think will make an interesting addition to our art appreciation for the year.

6. Dinner out and frozen yogurt on Friday for no reason.

7. A hair cut with a friend on Saturday morning. We went to an academy where students cut hair at a discounted price and it was wonderful! They treated us wonderfully, the stylist behind the academy made an appearance and complimented everyone and the hair cut is great. Of course, Second Daughter was inspired to cut her own hair...so now she has a few bangs again.

8. Last soccer game on Saturday! We have Saturdays free until the spring! Well, except for the choir concert coming up.

9. Planning week 12 of our year - I am loving my planning system and am looking forward to the week. We're starting Pagoo, finishing our second unit of Connecting with History (right on schedule), preparing for our choir concert and I'm starting to think seriously about Advent.

10. My first earthquake! Kansas Dad and I were awake for the aftershock in Oklahoma that could be felt in parts of Kansas on Saturday night. I was scared at first, but it was fairly gentle and over quickly and I gleefully announced, "I think that was an earthquake!" Who would have thought after six years in Kansas, I'd have never seen a tornado but felt an earthquake?

11. A handsome seven year old, First Son. I should have taken a picture of him hard at work on math or Latin or copywork or something! He still captures my heart when closely studying the Lego magazine (essentially a glorified ten page advertisement, sigh).

What did you love about your week?

What I Loved About Last Week (7th Ed.)

1. Our caterpillars arrived on Monday! We have five and they were all alive when we opened the box. Within a few days, they all starting making crysalids. By Sunday evening they were ready to move to the butterfly garden. Now we just have to wait for them to hatch. It's too bad they'll have to live their whole lives in our house; it's too cold to let them go outside, but we're starting to study butterflies on Tuesday so the timing was good for our curriculum.

2. Tuesday was our last day of soccer practice! On Saturday, we had three games, Second Daughter's last ones until next spring. First Son still has one more next weekend. It's been fun and great for the kids, but I'm glad we're nearing the end.

3. Our goddaughter was born! We met her on Sunday and her sweet parents let me hold her even though she was sleeping in her car seat.

4. Wonderful news from a friend that she's having her first baby!

5. Second Son playing the piano - He loves it! Notice the big bump in the middle of his forehead? That's from him trying to climb down from the piano bench and hitting the futon. It looks worse than it felt, I think. Also notice he's in disposable diapers? I washed his cloth ones and haven't even had time to stuff them! (Well, that, and we had half a package of size three diapers that were really too small for overnight and all the babies I know are bigger or much much smaller.)


6. We celebrated Halloween at story hour this week. All the kids dressed up in their costumes and were able to climb on the table (always a treat) to tell who they were. I dressed Second Son in his lion costume. I was surprised how well he wore it, but I think he scared himself when I put him in front of the mirror.

7. Spending Thursday afternoon at home. We've been running around, going on lots of field trips and visits, so it was nice to spend some time at home. I drank a whole pot of tea and read two short stories while the kids cleaned the living room. (Note I did not finish stuffing those cloth diapers.)

8. On Saturday, Kansas Dad and I each took a turn playing Wii Fit using the balance board. Because I was feeling magnanimous, I let the kids all play a game or two as well. When the Wii and TV were turned off, I found Second Son standing on the Wii balance board slapping his hands just like us. It was so adorable! I would have taken a picture, but he's squarely in the too-fast-for-you phase. Exhibit A:

Fuzzy adorable toddler

9. Second Son toddling to Kansas Dad while he taught the Sunday School class and asking to be picked up. Kansas Dad scooped him up and taught the rest of the class holding him. I love how cute Second Son was. I love how handsome my awesome husband looked. I love how the class just laughed and continued on as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

10. A birthday party today full of building and dirt. I missed most of it because I didn't want to wake Second Son who had cried all through lunch and then fallen asleep in the van. So I sat with him, reading my Kindle, until he woke up -- one and a half hours later! The other kids had a great time at the party and I was lucky enough to see most of the families again later in the day.

11. Last, but not least, our parish hosted an All Saint's Trunk or Treat today. It was wonderful! There was a great turn-out, both of kids dressed as saints (babies through high schoolers) and families with decorated trunks handing out candy. There were games, cookies, coloring pages. Really, it was fun and gave us many more reasons to be thankful for our parish family. My kids dressed at St. George, St. Elizabeth of Hungry (notice her basket of bread), St. Bernadette and St. Juan Diego.

Juan Diego did not want to stay still for a picture, so these are the best I have. Thanks to fabulous family members, I spent $0 on our costumes!

My, it was a full week here on the Range! What did you love last week?

Second Son Four Month Well-Child Visit

Once again, Second Son is well (other than the cold that has been hanging on for three weeks or so; I actually think we're on a second one). Here are his four month stats.

Weight: 18 pounds, 3 ounces (94th percentile)
Height: 26.5 inches (75th percentile)

For something a little more interesting, here's a picture from Thanksgiving.

Now there's something to be thankful for. Especially since he was smiling. It's always easier to be thankful when they're smiling, isn't it? Smiling or sleeping.

My Mother's Day Gifts

Grammy came down the Wednesday before Mother's Day to watch the kids for us while Kansas Dad and I attended a dinner at our church. She and the kids completely surprised me with these wonderful flowers and drawings! (Apparently, they really did keep a secret as she had talked to them about bringing some flowers for me.)

It took a day or so, but Kansas Dad was able to hang it out on the porch for me.

Happy Easter, Just a Little Late