New To Us Oven

Yet another project to document is the new wall oven. When we first moved in, we took one look at the tiny ancient wall oven and decided to replace it. So we found a great deal in the local paper and bought a used new-ish one for $200. To install it required some minor cabinetry work and some electrical so this was a job for Super Dad.

The original time frame got pushed back because of other projects in that first 6 months that were higher priority. So the oven sat in the garage. And sat. And sat. It became a surface for coats and car items and whatever else needed to get set on it. Finally enough was enough. We were tired of tripping over it and having it take up space in the garage. Plus with my growing belly and the prospect of hosting Thanksgiving dinner rather then venturing on the road at 36 weeks, we wanted our larger nicer oven installed please.

So my parents came down to visit us the first weekend in October, also Conference Weekend in our church where we hear talks/sermons from our prophet and other church leaders on Saturday and Sunday in 4 different 2 hours sessions. So we were a little tight on time, but my dad was very efficient and able to cut out the cabinetry, wire the new outlet and install the new stove all on Saturday.




The upper cabinet had to be cut away for the taller oven. He was able to move the frame-plate thing up, cut the doors and voila! Once I spread some wood filler and paint on it, you'd never know the difference.



By Sunday morning we were enjoying Orange Rolls (I use this recipe but for the filling I prefer this one.)baked in our new bright and shiny oven. Oh, and we even baked potatoes on Saturday night! These were huge russets from my parents garden topped with homegrown sweet peppers. Yum.



I'm still getting used to the front hinge rather than side hinge like the old one. That was the only nice thing about the old oven: being able to open it like a microwave and reach right in to check the food. But for all the other features like digital temp control, timed baking, TWO shelves and enough height to bake two cookie sheets at a time, I'm in baking heaven.



I was a tiny bit sad to see our old oven be demolished and heaped in a pile, but it really was time for something new. (It wasn't nearly as traumatic as seeing our beloved sofa crammed into the back of that garbage truck in Maryland. I seriously did shed tears about that. ) The new one is safer, too. The kids can touch the door without risk of burning themselves which was a very real concern with the other one.

I'm sure I could've told this anecdote in a much more creative way, but oh well. I still have at least 3 posts or other going-ons to catch up with!!

No More Brown

While I'm on the subject of paint, I'd been meaning to post some pictures of the amazing transformation Uncle Dougie did to our house this past spring and summer.

First, here's the ugly brown gables/gutters/eaves that our house has had since we moved in. Yuck.



But at least it's better than the whole house being PINK AND BROWN, like the north side of the garage was.



Not to mention our unfinished trim from the window install project a year ago. (Note the off-white primed trim rather than bright white.)



After he was done our house and roof looked years younger. Seriously, the white roof looks so much better with white trim and gutters than the brown did. Less contrast or something. Even though it could be replaced aesthetically, until it starts leaking we've got another 5 years out of it I'd say. ; )



It was so amazing how much better things looked from every window to not have that brown peering in everywhere.





A HUGE HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to Uncle Dougie for his hard work and time he put into this. The last part was while we were in PA in August so we came home to not only fresh paint but a re-organized shed and rearranged rocks in the entry with a friendly gnome on a stump that Eva named Peter and a re-done play area for the kids and rocks lining the perimeter of the grass. It was a lovely lovely treat to come home to. You are the best Doug!!

Painting the Door Red

I'd been meaning to do this little project sometime this summer, but never got around to it. Then I saw a friends post (Thanks Melissa!) about her recent door remodel and realized my window of time to do this project with a couple of days that weren't too cold was rapidly shrinking. So last weekend I bought a quart of paint just did it. (Well 2 quarts actually, including the primer, and some new sponge rollers. So frustrating they don't sell PINTS of primer and paint for small projects like this!)

The scuff marks and boring white paint has annoyed me since we moved in. But it's one of those things that you stop thinking about once you get inside versus interior walls that you stare at ALL the time. : )

Evalyn was excited when it started out pink. It only took two top coats. And of course with Mommy painting, the kids wanted to paint too! Evalyn even painted a picture of her very own red door. It was pretty cute. (I wasn't in the mood or had time for her to "help" me paint the actual door, so I was glad to see she came up with an alternative after her tantrum.)

























So now I'm not sure what to do about the screen door. Obviously we should paint the trim work around the door white (currently blue) to match the rest of the trim work. But I'm not sure if we should
A) paint the screen door red or ?? as well
B) remove the screen door entirely or
C) replace the screen door with something else.

It's nice have the screen as an extra barrier/sound/light/ventilation option. But it's not the most amazing (or terrible) screen door in the world. It's certainly lacks curb appeal.

It would also be nice to be able to add some sort of porch cover or complete redo the steps/porch layout all together since it's really just a functional stoop and that's about it. If you ring my doorbell when it's raining or snowing, you'll get very wet without an umbrella! Not very hospitable or welcoming if you ask me. But of course, a big project like that is just one of many on my list of "ways to make our house better."

How to Feed Kids

I'm at a loss folks. Feeding my kids is getting pretty tedious. I feel like we eat the same 3 meals over and over and over again. Especially when Matt is out of town for a few days at a time or has church meetings shortly after he gets home. (Meaning I'm actually cooking something instead of Matt whipping something up, which he graciously does the majority of the time. He really is a great cook.)

I feel like all my kids eat is a cycle of
pancakes (homemade whole grains but with sugar on top),
french toast,
eggs with cheese,
yogurt (with or without granola),
apples,
cheese,
deli turkey slices,
bagels (whole wheat mini),
plain pasta,
PB sandwiches (except E who refuses it 95% of the time),
plain tortillas,
black beans,
toast,
carrots with ranch,
black olives,
frozen corn,
frozen blueberries,
green beans,
grilled steak,
grilled chicken,
pizza with ranch.

Mix this same list up 6 different ways for snacks and mealtime and that is what my children subsist on. I guess it is a decent list of food, but a little lacking in the protein. Maybe it's more that I'M BORED with it and want to make more adventurous meals but am frustrated that I can't think of anything to make for THEM that I want to eat as well that they will EAT. So casseroles are out because everything is mixed up and saucy. Grilled meat with veggies or a salad on the side are fine but that gets boring.

Yet I know there are families out there where their young children are adventurous eaters and don't insist on bland boring food that doesn't touch on their plate. What do you do??

Or for those of you do have somewhat picky eaters who are now older, did they outgrow it on their own so that they will eat "grown up food"?

Also, any suggestions on food blogs out there for kid friendly food??

Thanks for any ideas you can offer!

Now to go to the store with a bunch of cranky kids to buy more of the same thing....