ever cook with lard?

today i did.

the "sister wives" and i got together again for our monthly domestic activity, and this time we made burritos to freeze. we were a fierce group of mama, four pregnant sisters, and a sweet family friend jennifer. jennifer is a genius in the kitchen and she taught us how to cook the beans and make everything just right. we filled our tortillas with fresh homemade refried pinto beans, lots of cheese, onions and jalapeno's. we made a couple hundred between all of us...

i'm sure they'll get gobbled up quick.
thanks for a fun day girls!!

5SF Edition 34

FIVE SENSE FRIDAY

i can't believe how long it's been seen my last 5SF. shame on me. right now the house is quiet, everyone is still asleep, and i have no excuses. i feel like it's so cliche to say i've been TOO BUSY to blog... who isn't busy these days? but these kids and this house and everything else has surmounted to be quite a lot to juggle. i must join the circus so i can learn this skill better:)

***

TASTING-

chocolate chippers

all the kids have found an interest in baking lately. addy has made marvelous chocolate covered pretzels and bananas, and today Landon had a hankering to make chocolate chip cookies. he looked through my recipe books and chose a tasty story and made them all himself (with a little help in stirring from mom) i hate to admit this, but they were better than mine.

FUNERAL POTATOES

to balance off the sweet with some salty i had to make this classic dish... except i didn't have the traditional ingredients like cream of chicken soup, so i did some inventing and they turned out splendid! one bag of hashbrowns, one container of sour cream, a splash of chicken stock, half a packet of dry italian dressing, varied seasonings, shredded cheddar cheese, and sprinkled feta on top... the feta and dry italian mix really made it unique.

SMELLING-
rose water from cyprus
my spidey senses are still very sensitive, this little magic bottle from Valentina is a blessing! any time i need to "cleanse my palate" i take a nice smell of the fresh rose water and i feel like i'm outdoors in a garden... crisis averted.

FEELING-
cozy
the rain is pounding outside and i am safe inside my cozy casa with smells of cookies in the air. it has been a super rainy season this year. next week is the beginning of july where usually the heat is overwhelming... the water is so good for everything, i just hope the hail stops...
the poor farmers are shaking in their boots.



SEEING-
hakanphotography

HEARING-

yann tiersen

le phare

oh, that's "the schofield's"

happy birthday papa bear!

birthday's kind of lose their glimmer when you're old fogies like us. on chris' birthday he worked, and then that evening we went as a family to cub scout pack meeting where i quickly realized that our children could single handedly put on a production of lord of the flies... it was an eye opening experience where i can see we have a lot of etiquette lessons ahead of us. do i not take my kids in public enough for them to know how to appropriately behave? the coolest part is that we're new to this ward, so "hi, we are the schofield's, make sure not to invite us anywhere you want the spirit present." first impressions are awesome when your toddler is screaming like a banshee, your kindergartener is whining like an ambulance, your cub scout is bouncing off the walls, and your hormonal young lady is sulking down in her camping chair and hexing you under her breath while simultaniously giving you dirty looks with her lazer eyes (i totally had the walmart sweats, not like what you wear to walmart, but like how you feel in the check out aisle when you're wrestling a fifty pound child in your arms while gracefully trying to put your food on the sticky roller thingy and avoid them ripping into a package of skittles that they stole from the candy display cunningly situated right there in front of their face so that you can tell them for the thousandth time, no, you cannot have a king size caramello or a package of bubbalicious. and if you're really lucky, the check out girl wants to make conversation in between your marathon panting and let you know that it looks like "somebody" needs a nap...)

*

anyways, i made things a little sweeter for chris by making his favorite birthday cake... we'll celebrate on another stress free night.

here is the recipe

*

better than you know what cake-

dark chocolate cake mix (bake according to directions)

make holes with back of spoon- pour over a jar of caramel topping and a can of sweetened condensed milk. spread cool whip over the top. put in fridge to chill. before serving, sprinkle toffee bits on top of cool whip. ENJOY!

***

in other news

***

i finally sent out my swap package.

can't wait for my mystery swapper to get it:)

*

i included:

a cd mix of cheery and melancholy tunes entitled

summer's golden cage

a glass charm made by moi

a sweet little picture of a garden scene

regionally local truffles

two idaho postcards

pink wish tickets inside the card

and fun summer lip gloss from a company based out of our city

hope she likes it!

nadia's summer swap

look what fun surprise i got in the mail!

i'm taking part in nadia's summer swap, (whom i actually met through a swap... which reminds me, my package MUST go in the mail today!) and the lovely lady who had my name was so generous and sweet (and quick!). we were asked to send our new swap friend a music c.d. made by us, two postcards- one with a favorite quote on the back, and then any extra little things of our choosing to make the package special. i was so thrilled to see that my package came from the beautiful far off place of Cyprus. Valentina is a talented quilter and wonderful mother of two adorable boys. the package contained so many fun things like a cute metal pear (surely to be hung in a special place) and rosewater made from her mother in law's rose garden. the music she put on the cd is truly awesome... just imagine the most perfect mediterranean pirate gypsy music... it speaks to my soul:) but my favorite part of the whole package was all the charming handwritten notes she included, definitely a lost art these days. i'm so excited to get to know her more and start a new friendship across waters.

thank you so much Valentina!

i loved every little bit from the exotic stamps on the envelope,

to the bits of scraps from the quilt you're working on.

sandwiches, strawberries & spaghetti-O's

oh sweet summer.

all four kids home all day with endless appetites and attitudes. i don't know what it is about summer that makes them hungry every hour of the day, but we are experimenting with all sorts of cheap remedies to keep their bellies full. peanut butter sandwiches, grapes, spaghetti o's, carrots, pretzels, hot dogs, apples, frozen yogurt pops, cardboard. does anyone out there have any treat or meal ideas that are inexpensive and filling?

***

as for activities, as soon as boredom is expressed they get a job to do in the house, but so far we've kept pretty busy...between scouts, activity days, piano lessons, 4H meetings, family activities and gatherings... i can't believe we're already half way through june already! sometimes i feel like a corrections officer, and by the end of the day i've earned myself a badge, mustache and donut... shout out and much respect to law enforcers (sam)... i'm just saying, there's not much difference sometimes between my house and the county jail... except my shift is 24/7. but dang i love these kids, they are growing and learning and becoming such great little people!

***

a summer activity i hope to keep up is to do some kind of domestic activity with "my girls" a couple times a month. last week i spotted a really great deal on strawberries and called the masses of sisters to gather and make freezer jam. with everyones combined efforts we all made over 140 containers of delicious jam....woooo! there is nothing better i tell you than a piece of homemade bread with fresh yummy strawberry goodness slathered on top. next on the list is to make homemade bean burritos to freeze... ANDALAY!

***

happy summer everyone!

WHASSUP?

a lot happened over the past months while i was wallowing in my misery. here is a quick rundown of our most memorable activities.

***

i had many wise women travel to my doorstep (shout out to the home health and hospice "operation sara" ladies:), or chat on the phone about remedies for the queasy pregnant belly. below are some of the things that i tried... some worked, some didn't,

ollie and tade were unlucky recipients of pneumonia and had to do breathing treatments for a few weeks to get their oxygen levels up and clear up their lungs...they were such good sports!

addy and landon started 4H for the summer.

papa bear and i BOTH forgot our 12th anniversary.
awesome.

oliver turned five.

as you can tell he was allowed to wear his sacred batman pajamas all day.

he is a special joy.

mothers day was wonderful spent laying low with my kids and hub... the following weekend we traveled back to utah to stay with nana and pa for more pampering and the annual nana G planting flowers day. i could kick myself for not having any pictures of that but these blossoms of mine hold the same sentiment.

olivers preschool went to the zoo.

addy entered her science project for the second time in her new school and got an award... it kind of eased the pain of not being able to go to district.

just one of the samplings of tucker/taco's work.

may my sweet red shoes rest in peace.

the sun came out.

a weekend with family in island park at the sheridan cabin.

landon being boyish and crazy.

oliver with his sweet teacher mrs. taft graduating preschool.

last day of school goodies for teachers and bus driver which i forgot about and had to run and get at 5am that morning...

is there a common theme here with forgetfulness?

i'll blame it on pregnancy while i can.

a picnic by the falls...

where it started raining and addy skinned her leg...

but man those falls were gorgeous!!

i'm good, really.

oloferla

the beginning of june

the last day of school,

i'm rising from the ashes

and wiping my drool.

from hither to nether

i traveled windy roads,

but i can get outta bed now

the laundry, there's loads.

i've never felt that way

good riddance to that,

i'm ready to work it

and tip my party hat.

*

where have you been sara

what has gone on,

did you fall in a hole

or knock your ding dong?

my poor family wondered

when will she be good,

they lit candles, held vigils,

to pray i'd make food.

the sisters came by

with pedi's and treats,

the mom took the kids

and fed them good eats.

the husband so patient

he held down the fort,

good thing it's the last

my libido's gone short.

*

but what is this feeling

i must be reborn

that look on my face

is glee not forlorn.

where once his hot breath

was a venom to my nose

now i want him to come nearer

put me out with a hose.

my chestus has grown

do you like what you see?

i just felt the baby move

please get away from me.

my waist band is tight

dad, why mommy cries?

the noise level's high

i want some hot fries.

*

like a split personality

i change sides like a card

if only my energy

wasn't merely in shards.

will i like what i smell

will i like what i drink

will i like what i eat

well, what do you think?

i heart the world

you're so precious to me,

i'm ready to burn down this house

kids, go climb a tree.

*

maybe i'm not bouncing back

like i thought i was,

here it comes, close the fridge,

i'm okay, no i'm not, oh laws.

one more nap and i promise

i'll be feeling much better

just in case would you mind

if i spew on that sweater?

motherhood i love you

being pregnant is divine

to hell with trimester one

when you're down 3 of 9.