First a few chores - - -
- - - then a walk to the pond. And too bad the sun disappeared; I was looking forward to that blue sky!
“Take a picture of me, Mom!”
Gladly, little buddy!
oops
Ben took a few pictures from the top swing platform. Wanted to show me the awesome view from there.
It’s hard to tell in the pictures, but by this time it was lightly snowing. Beautiful.
That’s it.
This morning Jewel made this solo for the first time, and it turned out so pretty. She didn’t do it as quickly as one of the older girls or I could’ve, but we were all doing other kitchen projects so were right there to help her learn; and how will she learn if she’s never given a chance?? The sour cream makes a very moist cake, and this coffeecake makes a nice side to our breakfast casserole on Sunday morning... even though we don’t like coffee *smile*. It’s also delicious leftover. Give it a try sometime; it’s definitely a recipe to remember.
Ingredients:
1½ sticks margarine
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon soda
1½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sour cream (can make sour cream by adding 1 teaspoon vinegar to 1 cup milk)
Filling:
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup nuts (optional)
Cream margarine & sugar. Add eggs & beat well. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with sour cream. Grease tube pan & sprinkle a small amount of filling in bottom & sides of pan. Pour 1/3 batter into pan. Add some of the filling. Repeat until all is used up. Save some filling for the top. Bake at 350d for 45-50 minutes. Remove from pan. Drizzle with a powdered sugar icing while still warm.
Well it’s almost March, but spring scenes that we sometimes associate with March don’t seem to be anywhere near. And the forecast doesn’t suggest spring anytime soon either. I remember one year, when the older kids were little, when we had a day outside on March 16th. The kids were in short sleeves and got so pink-cheeked; they took good naps after that afternoon! For years afterwards, and even now, March to me means that spring is near and will occasionally throw us a short sleeve day. But this year - - - considering the 10-day forecast - - - probably not!
So we’ll just enjoy winter while we have it and patiently wait for warmer weather which WILL come as God promises.
The rink has been prime and has seen a lot of action, but yesterday before skating Kate took Skeet out for a while.
Now this morning’s work is done, supper is in the roaster, the kids are on the pond, and I’m soon to join them (after the washing machine is done and I start another load of (never-ending) laundry). I sent a camera with Kate to the pond, and she took some great pictures. Thanks Kate!
And now I hear my washing machine is done so I’m off to start another load and then I’m outa here!!!
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22
We got about an inch of new snow last night – just enough for a last afternoon with the 4wheeler.
Not.
Sounds like we’re supposed to get more snow this weekend yet!!!!!
This was an interesting building. I’m not sure of all the science behind everything, but it’s definitely a recording studio, not a social gathering place. It’s basically a room inside a room which ensures that no outside noises can interrupt the integrity of the recording session. On the ceiling, in between the wooden boards, is fabric of some sort. There were no parallel walls. The windows at the far end look into the control room which is where I sat to listen during the actual recording. If you look carefully you can see Denny in there at his desk. The window to the far right is another control room which wasn’t used when we were there. Note the wall is not straight but rather zig-zagged.
Kind of hard to tell, but the ceiling is also zig-zagged; thus it’s not parallel to the floor.
Watching from the control room. To the left, behind the curtain, the wall is scalloped; that is, it’s not straight but rather is curved, again with fabric between boards. Interesting. This picture is actually taken through 2 panes of windows which insulate the control room from the recording room. Kids are watching for Denny’s signal to start.
Recording.
Again, it’s kind of hard to tell here, but there’s a stairstep in front of the window, which is where I sat most of the time. The triangular area between the two walls is ‘dead’ space – home to a few dead bugs but that’s it 
After singing a few songs, kids would join us in the control room to listen & decide if it was good enough or not. Some songs were done several times; some only needed one time through. Last night they finished recording, so after that we had time to watch Denny do some mixing/mastering which was even more interesting. He can take out mistakes (?!), adjust volume and tempo, add reverberation, equalizers, and other effects, and cut&paste parts of one ‘take’ into another ‘take’ which had a mistake. On one song, Jacob thought his instrumental break was weak, so he re-did only the break; Denny will replace the weak break with the good break in the final product. Amazing. Before we hear the finished product, he will go through all the songs and mix/master them; on some recordings he will spend up to five hours per song mixing/mastering! For our project, he’s ‘only’ going to do about half an hour per song…and I’m pretty happy already with how it sounds (but I’m the mom, and the kids are pretty sure I’d be fine with anything they do. They might be right
Back home - - -
That’s it.
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Psalm 71:22-23
Years ago when I was a new bride, Dad & I were at Aunt Velma’s for a meal, and she served a barbequed roast beef which Dad really liked. Upon his suggestion, I got the recipe, and it has since become a family favorite, with most of the kids liking it as well as Dad does. It’s kind of funny though, because, although I will eat it without complaint, it’s not my absolute favorite meal in the world. I’m always glad for compliments because I’m never sure it tastes that great because I don’t think it does! But since my family likes it, and Dad raves about it, AND it’s very very very simple, it’s easy to put it on the menu. It freezes good, is great leftover, and, according to one of my kids, is best cold!
Marinated Roast Beef
Sprinkle 1 package dry onion soup mix over 3-4# beef roast, or use spices of choice. Also can add a few onion chunks. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 325d until roast temp is 160-165d, about two hours. Drain juice; place juice and roast in refrigerator. Let chill until cold (I usually chill overnight).
Skim hardened fat from juice, and discard.
Make sauce:
Juice from roast
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
¾ cup Open Pit or Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq sauce
Slice roast in thin slices. Layer meat and sauce in roasting pan. Marinate in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 275-300d for 2-3 hours or until hot & bubbly. Serve hot.
I’m not sure how many servings this recipe makes; but I do 2 roasts (~3# each) for my family and have plenty with leftovers (which I appreciate for kids’ lunches). ~6# roast + 2 recipes sauce = 9x13 pan. We like it with party potatoes or cheesy hash browns.
Remember this picture?
Friday night, my kitchen crew was preparing Marinated Roast Beef which was then refrigerated overnight for Saturday’s supper. The roasts were closer to 4# each, so I used 2 10x15 pans for 4 roasts.
Here’s a close-up:
A favorite and so easy!
In other matters, Josh has been asking for this annual winter project. It’s coming right along.
And I saved one of Josh’s 17 pictures of his latest duplo project to share. Good job Josh!
In yet other matters, I appreciate my warm house. This morning we had errands before and after we sang with the residents at Restmor, and I was ever-so-glad to get home again. It’s pretty cold out there…but beautiful!
O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Psalm 75:1
