I found it!

It was in a recipe link on the side of the blog, not an actual blog entry. The bread was challah, not brioche. I thought that making brioche with the children was a bit of a challenge, but it was the only bread name that was popping into my head. No wonder my google searches weren't working.

Make this Bread

Now to see if we have the ingredients and I have the patience to make bread this weekend.

why didn't I bookmark it?

I'm a solo parent this weekend. DH went with FIL to the lake for BIL's "Annual Guys' Weekend." I believe that it involves drinking lots of beer, eating lots of meat and very long & fast boat rides. I'm sure he's having tons of fun.

I am at home alone with 3 children (who are slightly driving me crazy and I can't say, "Go see your dad.")

Last night I was looking around for things to entertain the kids. I was wandering through some blogs and I found an entry with nice pictures. They were making bread dough (a brioche, I think) with half whole wheat flour and half white flour. The kids mixed it up and kneaded in inside the ziploc bags. After it rose, she cut it into thirds (because there were 3 kids) and the kids rolled it into shapes before baking. And she used cornmeal mixed with some sugar on the pan when baking the bread.

I had such nice plans of wonderful bread baking with the kids and I can't find the blog entry. I could have sworn it was from one of the blogs I read regularly, but I've gone through all of them and I can't find it. I even remember thinking last night that I could find it again and I didn't bookmark it.

I tried to remember what google search terms I used but to no avail. So if you happen to know what blog and what post this was, please send me a link. Since I can't find it, my children will not be learning the wonders of the science of yeast in the happy idyllic company of their siblings while they enjoy hot fresh bread with homemade butter.

I guess if I were a true hippy momma, I would know how to do all that without the missing blog entry. I guess I could try and figure it out on my own. Or we could all just watch another episode of "Suite Life."

weekend update

It was another one of those weekends in our family. We were busy as usual. Friends over on Friday, cousin C's birthday party on Saturday, church and t-ball party today.

I did put one load of laundry in the wash, I still need to switch it to the dryer.

I got about a foot done on the strap I'm knitting for the bag I'm making.

I never got out to the yard to check on the vines. I'm sure they are flourishing in my neglect. I need to get out there with the clippers tomorrow morning. The fact that it was 105 today had something to do with my lack of effort. Last time I checked, we had lots of jalapeno peppers and 1 green tomato. I thought we would have more tomatoes by now, but hopefully soon we should have enough for some homemade salsa.

100 update

I made it through 2 weeks of 100 push up training.

I was able to complete the push ups for the most part. My form probably wasn't the greatest at times. At the end of the two weeks, you're suppose to find the maximum number of push ups you can do. Then depending on the number you do, you determine the training program you do for the next few weeks.

For week tree the minimum number of push ups is 16. I was able to do 15. That was at the end of my week 2 training so I was very tired. Excuses, excuses, I know. Even so, I think I'll repeat my week 2 training and try again next week.

my country western singer

J pulled DH's guitar out of the closet this morning. He has been strumming along all morning long. It is lovely and loud, very loud.

I would love to tell him to put it away because I'm starting to get a headache, but he is having such a good time.

Here are the two songs he wrote.

Out in the countryside

out in the countryside
out in the countryside
there is a mouse
there is a mouse
I love him
I love him
I love him
I always go out there to feed him
I give him food
I give him water
I feed him so he doesn't die
Everyday I go out there to feed him some flies
I give him some water
and put him in my cage
and I put the cage in the back of my pickup
and we play with each other


My little fish

my little fishie
he lives in a stream
he stays there every day
I try to fish him out
but he just won't come out
because it is so beautiful down there

I need to find a way to record him and save his songs.

Complete

DH is a VH1 geek

We're watching some Best of the 80's show on VH1.

They showed a close up of a head band and asked if you could guess what band's lead singer wore it. After the commercial break, they announced the answer. Loverboy.

DH was pumping his fist and yelling, "I got it! Did you hear me say Loverboy? I knew it, it was Loverboy!"

Oh, what a great childhood he had.

Blocking

I finally took the plunge today. It wasn't too hard. I'm sure its not a perfect blocking job but it is done.

To-do list

I've had a to-do list going for a long time. I've decided that it is time to knock off some of them.

Monday I went through all the hand-me-downs, uniforms, shoes. I pulled out what we can use next year and put the rest in boxes. This morning I took a bunch of stuff to the new Family Place store down the street. I've got one bag for the used uniform sale, one bag for my nieces and huge spaces in my closet and garage that are no longer occupied.

I called someone to fix the grout in our shower. Hopefully we'll get an estimate on that soon.

Next on my list, blocking my touring wrap. Fear and lack of space has stopped me from doing it so far. I've decided to use the extra bed in J's room. Now, I just have to get over the fear of blocking and it will be done. Maybe this afternoon.

Of course, there is always laundry. No matter how much laundry I do, that one is never done.

Our afternoon

The kids are going crazy at home. J needs constant activity or he falls into a constant whine. A has been hiding in her room reading books, popping out occasionally to yell at her brothers to be quiet. B is still in potty training mode, which means he's running around the house mostly naked. That is going well unless we actually put clothes on him. The minute I put him in clothes, he pees.

Today, I dragged A out of her room and insisted that she spend some time with the family. She & J worked together to make books and wrote stories in them. I was amazed how well they played together. Of course, as soon as I remarked on how well they were doing, it ended. The peace was quickly replaced by fighting. I keep reminding myself, summer is more than halfway over.

This afternoon the boys went outside to play in the yard with the hose. It was close to dinner and we needed vegetables. A & I decided to ride our bikes up to the store. It is a short trip and easy for us to do. We both really enjoyed it. We got some exercise, saved on gas & pollution and had fun. When we got home A discovered that we need apples, so tomorrow we're going to do it again.

Watermelon

Lake Trip

July 4th Lake Trip




Fishing


B wasn't happy when we threw the fish back.


Hotdogging



Playing with cousins


Scrubbing the deck


Show on the Branson Belle


Log Ride at Silver Dollar City


Fun was had by all!

A Challenge

My friend Susan put out this challenge. 100 pushups in six weeks.

I'm taking it on starting today. Anyone else dare to join me?

(hint, hint Sister#1 & #5, because I know you read this blog.)

Missed deadline but done

I gave myself until the end of the month to finish my touring wrap. I've been working on this wrap on and off since September. I was determined to finish by the end of June. On the 30th, I realized I had just one night left to finish. Our friend Chris V had other plans. We were invited over for dinner. I started packing up the kids around 8:00 but then Chris decided to open another bottle of wine and insisted that we all try a glass. An hour and half later we were finally kick to the curb. When I got home I could hardly type an email message and decided that drinking and knitting were not a good mix.

On Wednesday while we drove to the lake, I finished up knitting the main portion. It's good thing I waited. It was a 7 hour drive and it took most of the 7 hours to finish it. That was an unending ball of yarn. I would finish a repeat and look at the ball and think, I can get one more out of it. I ended up adding 4 (or 5, I lost count) repeats before all was done.

Finally last night. We got back from the lake around 4:30. I told DH that I wanted 15 minutes or so to finish up my wrap. I had to graft the border onto the main portion. What was I thinking that I could kitchener stitch 97 stitches in 15 minutes???

I sat in front of the computer with the knittinghelp video going while I repeated my mantra, knit, slip, purl, purl, slip, knit. I did that for over an hour! But it is done! Here is the proof.



My new blocking wires are waiting at home. I can't wait to try them out.

Summer Cuts

The Clampets Do the Big D

Okay, I stole the title from Susan's post. My friend, Susan, came into town on Sunday. I hadn't seen her since I was pregnant with Brian, so it had been awhile. She only had the afternoon so we all got together at our friend Michelle's house.

It was a wild lovely visit. There were 10 kids going crazy (the dads doing the child watching) while Michelle, Susan and I talked in the kitchen over a few drinks. Michelle & family were leaving for Mexico in the morning. So as much as I wanted to spent the evening like we did back when we were in our mid 20's (which would have involved a lot more beer and playing dice games until the wee hours of the night), we packed the kids up and went home.

I attempted to get a picture of all the kids but it didn't work very well. Here are the ones who would stand still for me.


I did get the girls:


It really was great to get together with everyone. I hope it isn't another 3 years before we can do it again.