Creating Ties That Bind Saturday, Jun 28 2008

Yesterday afternoon, with a sink full of dishes, laundry needing to be done, and supper needing to get started, but I sat quietly on the floor. As I sat on the floor big sister brushed my hair. I had thousands of things I needed to be doing, but none of them was as important as spending time with her. Needless to say we ordered pizza for supper.

Every time I make time out of my day to do something she wants to do. I’m strengthening our bond of fellowship. I am still my daughters number one teacher and disciplinarian, but because of the bond that we have I don’t worry that when I discipline them that I’m going to alienate them. Each and every day I work at tieing strings of fellowship. I play games with them, sing, read stories, but I not only do fun things I include them in my work. They help me put clothes away and do the dishes, to them it is a game because we sing songs and talk about colors and see how high we can count. Big sister is already very familiar with colors and can count to nine.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says:

9) Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

10) For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

11) Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? (I like this verse by morning both of our girls are in our bed. It is nice to know that it is biblical.)

12) And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

I think these verses apply doubly for families, this is part of the reason I love large families. I’m the oldest of six children with a half sister who is 6 years older then me. Let me assure you that when we all get together the laughter and the jokes never stop rolling. Growing up it was always amazing to me how much we could all accomplish when everyone pitched in to help, we were/are a force to be reckoned with.

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Restoritive Power of Spanking Wednesday, Jun 25 2008

This past week while on vacation with my family Big sister (2) tore apart several thank you cards that my youngest sister (13) had been getting ready to write. This was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak on my sisters emotional dam. Despite her best efforts to restrain them the tears started to flow. IT had been a long week and we were all getting very tired. She brought the cards into the kitchen to show my mom and I. I promptly spanked big sister and made her apologize. I then explained that she need to ask before she touched her aunties things, with that the situation was resolved and in the past. Their fellowship was restored they were once again best friends.

First let me explain what I mean by a spanking. A spanking is 2-3 swats on the upper leg if child has a diaper or on the bottom if not. It doesn’t have to be very hard, just enough to cause a little pain and discomfort. The redness should fade in minutes. I have found that the more often you spank you do not have to spank very hard to make your point. Spankings she be administered promptly with only one warning.

In the above story the two girls fellowship was restored because of a spanking. If I had only made big sister apologize without a spanking her, her aunt would have subconsciously punished her by depriving her of her attention and giving her the silent treatment. I’m a firm believer in spankings. They are biblical and help to purge a child of guilt, something that time outs don’t do. A time out might be a effective form of punishment but it has other side effects that do not come with spanking. I believe that we have a generation of adults who do not know how to handle conflict because of time outs. They have learned to give each other the silent treatment. While a child is sitting in in time out what he is really doing is brooding on how to get into more trouble. A spanking restores fellowship so that you and your child can get on to more fun things.

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Beef Taco Wednesday, Jun 18 2008

DH gave me a wonderful new cook book for Christmas and today’s recipe comes from it. The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Revised Edition: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-tested Recipes, 1,500 Photographs And No-nonsense Equipment And Ingredient Ratings (Ring-bound) by America’s Test Kitchen. This recipe is from that cookbook. I added a little fresh chopped cilantro at the end which added a nice fresh flavor. We thought it had just the right amount of heat but you could easily cut back the chili powder.

Beef Tacos

5/2002

Tomato sauce is sold in cans in the same aisle that carries canned whole tomatoes. Do not use jarred pasta sauce in its place. We prefer to let diners top their own tacos with whatever fillings they prefer. There’s no need to prepare all of the toppings listed below, but cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes are, in our opinion, essential.

Makes 8 tacos, serving 4

Beef Filling
2	tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1	small onion , chopped small (about 2/3 cup)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2	tablespoons chili powder
1	teaspoon ground cumin
1	teaspoon ground coriander
1/2	teaspoon dried oregano
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
	table salt
1	pound 90% lean ground beef (or leaner)
1/2	cup tomato sauce
1/2	cup low-sodium chicken broth
1	teaspoon brown sugar
2	teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider vinegar)
	Ground black pepper
Shells and Toppings
8	taco shells (warmed according to package instructions), or Home-Fried Taco Shells (see related recipe)
1	cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces), or Monterey Jack cheese
2	cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2	small tomatoes , chopped small
1/2	cup sour cream
1	avocado , diced medium
1	small onion , chopped small
2	tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
	hot pepper sauce , such as Tabasco

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking meat up so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

2. Using wide, shallow spoon, divide filling evenly among taco shells; place two tacos on individual plates. Serve immediately, passing toppings separately.

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Homemade Pizza Thursday, Jun 5 2008

We love pizza around here. It is a great way to let the little ones help in the kitchen. Big sister loves to help roll out the dough and put on the toppings. I got the recipe from my favorite cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen.

Basic Pizza Dough

4 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for the counter
1 envelope instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2Tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cup water, warm

1) Pulse 4 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor to combine. With the processor running pour the oil then the water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 Seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 min then process for 30 seconds longer.

2) Turn the dough out onto a lightly flowered counter and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball, about 5 min, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. transfer to a lightly oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Hand-Mixing Method
Whisk 4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and the salt together in a large bowl. Add the oil and water and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together and looks shaggy.Turn the dough out onto a lightly flowered counter and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball, about 10 to 15 min, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. transfer to a lightly oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Quick Pizza Sauce

2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic cloves minced
1 (28 Ounces) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil and Garlic in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 1 1/2 min.Stir in the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 min. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Classic Cheese Pizza

1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough
Flour for the Counter
1 Recipe quick Pizza Sauce
3 cups Mozzarella, shredded
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
6 Tablespoons torn fresh Basil

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a backing stone on the rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Let the baking stone heat for at least 30 min.

2. Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, but into three even pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of Dough at a time shape into a smooth round ball cover again with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 -30 min.

3. Uncover one ball of dough. Stretch and shape the dough into a 12 inch round on a piece of parchment paper. Bush the top and sides with Olive oil. Spread 1 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough,leaving a 1/2 inch edge of dough uncovered. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the Mozzarella and 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan.

4. Slide the parchment paper and pizza onto a rimless baking sheet, then slide it onto the hot baking stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden in spots 8 to 13 min. (Prepare the second Pizza while the first bakes.)

5. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, discarding the parchment paper. Sprinkle with 2 Table spoons of the Basil and cut Pizza into 6 wedges before serving. Let the Stone reheat for 5 min before baking the next Pizza.

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Screaming Baby Tuesday, Jun 3 2008

The other day as my family were sitting in a restaurant eating lunch. A little baby started screaming for ice cream. She looked to be the same age as little sister, about eight months old. My husband looked at me and mouthed, “Would somebody please shut the kid up.” Big sister commented none to quietly, ” Baby screamin. Spank Her. She naughty.”  Her parents giggled at her and egged her on thinking she was being oh so cute. I have news for them in 3-5 months, when the baby is bigger they will not find the behavior nearly as cute. When they do finally decide that the savior is unacceptable they will have a much harder time breaking her of it. I’m not saying children should sit completely quiet but little sister sat there eating with out creating a scene. She knows that if she wants a bite she can vocalize to ask for it without screaming.

I understand that not everyone would spank a child so little, I can handle that. Rewarding a child with icecream to me was however completely unacceptable.  Babies are not as dumb as everyone thinks.  They can comprehend more then we give them credit for. They are very selfish and constantly looking out for number one.  It is all about what they want and what makes them feel good.

I think God in his wisdom gave parents a sense of humor and babies a cuteness factor. If we saw there first acts of sin for what they are big black sin. We as parents would be devastated. This however is not an excuse to let your children get away with there first act and experiments with sin. If we wait to correct the behavior when it is intentional and the child can reason. They will have perfected the art and it will be ten times harder correcting there bad behavior. If you stop it with a spanking the first time you will be able to correct the behavior mush sooner.

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