Edmund's Third Birthday

Wednesday was Edmund's third birthday. We had a fun relaxing day of playing and celebrating. Edmund got to open his presents, homemade blocks and a children's Bible, from Jaired and I in the morning.

Besides getting to have me spend most of the day reading to and playing with him, Edmund also was invited to him Oma's house for a visit.

Then in the evening we had the family over for a big dinner, and, of course, more presents.

Edmund has been learning to count over the last few months and just the other day mastered counting to ten, so as soon as he pulled this Abucus out of its wrappings he starting counting all the beads.

Edmund loves to read and was not at all put out that almost half of his presents were books.

When it came time for cake Edmund was so excited he didn't even wait until we were done singing to start blowing out his candles.

A Shower of Leaves

I love having several trees in our yard. In fact, in addition to the two maples, one crab apple, two somethings else, and several bushes that were already in our immediate yard when we moved in, we have planted six more trees! I love the shadiness of trees as well as their majestic beauty. And, yes, I love when Autumn comes and the leaves change colors and come showering down with the wind.

This is the first year that we have really been able to get out and enjoy playing in fallen leaves, and Edmund has been having a great time! The picture above is one we took the day we did our family pictures for the year.

These are our two maples. The big one (top) turns yellow and shed its leaves over the course of several weeks. The smaller one turns a beautiful orange, and one big rainstorm completely stripped it of its leaves.
All these leaves of course mean lots of raking, which I finally went out and did yesterday. As I raked I thought to myself how glad I was that I hadn't raked sooner. Waiting, though unintentionally, until all the leaves had fallen meant that we were not only able to enjoy the Autumnal beauty of a leaf strewn yard, but we will only have to rake the yard once this Autumn/Winter.

The job's not done yet. The piles you see here (two above and one in the picture before) are only three of the seven I raked up yesterday, and I still have to rake the front yard. But it is turning out to be a fun time for me to spend outside with the boys, instead of a tedious, seemingly endless task.

When do you rake your leaves? From when they first start falling until the end of the season, or just at the end? Or do you wait until Spring? Or maybe you never rake at all! :)

What to Write -- Dinner Anyone?

Jaired sometimes will give me a little to do list of things he specifically would like me to do on a particular day. He also sometimes tells me if there is something off of our menu that he really wants for dinner, instead of me just picking something myself.Today, he sent me an email that said this:

1) hang up my wool suit pants :-) Thanks babe, I love you. xoxo
2) do a blog post today.
3) sauteed chicken, mashed potatoes, something green, and apple sauce for dinner.

As I sat down at my computer and tried to think of something to write my mind wandered to the other things on his list.

Dinner

This is an important part of the day at our house. We usually eat shortly after Jaired gets home, so dinnertime is when we catch up on each other's day. During dinner preparation, I have Edmund tidy up all his toys and Nathaniel starts to clamor for food. (I tell you, that kid would eat all day if you let him!) So dinner is also, ideally, the time when Nathaniel quiets down as he eats, and the house is mostly picked up and straightened.

Needless to say, deciding what to eat for dinner is important. And, for those of us who have a few small children, getting to the end of the day can be a major accomplishment in itself, forget about a nice dinner on the table!

So, I thought, why don't I share with all of you what we are having for dinner, as this is a fairly simple, though still elegant, meal to make.

The Menu:

Sauteed Chicken Breast

Mashed Potatoes

Salad

Fresh Homemade Applesauce

Pictures taken from various online sources.

The first thing you will have to do, of course, is pull out the chicken after lunch so it can thaw completely.

Start cooking about 40 minutes before you plan to serve dinner.

Peel and quarter several potatoes (the four of us usually eat about six medium) rinse the potatoes and place them in a pot with a generous amount of water. If you like, add some peeled garlic cloves. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil gently until soft when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Peel and eighth several apples (we usually do about 5) place the apples in a saucepan with about a quarter of an inch of water in the bottom, sprinkle in some cinnamon and cloves (go lightly with these until you figure out what your family likes). Bring to a boil and then simmer until the apples are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, I think. Check them occasionally, to make sure the apples do not run out of water.

Prepare your salad:
The simplest salad is just torn up lettuce with dressing.
Sometimes I chop up some olives, toss them in with the lettuce, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Or you could go for a garden salad with lettuce and any of the following, tomato, bell pepper, carrot, other greens (spinach, chard, beet tops, or even dandelion leaves) onion, and mushrooms.

If you wash your apples the peels make a great thing for little ones to eat while waiting for dinner, or you could give them a piece of carrot or other vegetable.

Set, or have one of the children set, the table.

Heat in a thick skillet or iron skillet over medium heat, 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Rinse and dry the chicken breasts. If they are not completely thawed you can cut them into a few pieces to help them cook better. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour. Place all the chicken in the pan, saute on one side for 5 minutes, then turn over and saute on the other side. Depending on the thickness of your chicken it may take longer then ten minutes to cook. Watch the chicken closely and turn again if needed.

While the chicken is cooking, mash the apples and drain and mash the potatoes. Everyone does their potatoes a little different, but the way I do it is, after draining place back in the pot and add a few tablespoons of butter and some salt and pepper. Mash then taste to check the seasonings, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. You don't have to add anything to the apples, they are delicous as they are with just the cinnamon and cloves!

And there you have it! A simple meal, still making sure your family gets the nutrients they need, and you can dress it up or down from there. Add bread, some steamed vegetables, use nice serving dishes and this could be as fancy as you want.