The Autodidact

You never know what might come of a trip to the grocery store, and over the years, interesting things have happened there. Last week, I was at one of my usual stops on grocery day, waiting in a slow line with the 4 younger kids. The 8 year old, who loves to find analogue clocks and figure out the time, was studying the big clock on the wall. Only the 3,6,9, and 12 were on the clock, and the minutes were not marked off, so he was really enjoying the challenge. We discussed it and I gave him a bit of coaching, helping him think it through. He figured it out and by then we were almost done being checked out. We loaded the cart and went on our way. I gave it no more thought. Later in the day, when I realized I had forgotten a few things, I went back to the store by myself. The cashier spotted me in line, smiled and said: "weren't you just here?" in a friendly way. I recalled that she was the cashier from earlier, and remarked at what a good memory she had. She said she reme...

We may have had our last dinner together as a family. At least, as a family that still all lives under one roof. The 21 year old begins moving out this weekend and will be officially out of the house in a few days. It was a simple meal. Nothing special. Just some soup. The younger kids and I had been eating for a few minutes when my husband and the 20 year old came home. Then the 21 year old arrived a few minutes later. People came and went and shuffled places around the table. There were a few squabbles and I had to send the 5 year old away from the table for a bad attitude. She later decided to eat her dinner and returned. I think the 16 year old left the table in tears and then came back. Someone threw a balled-up napkin across the room. The conversation started with discussing a tragic death of a police officer from a hit and run, to politics, then on to abortion. The younger ones drifted into the adjoining living room while the 4 older kids and my husband and I talked. The 13 ...

New Years dinner calls for a seafood pasta dinner in our house. This year, I tweaked it to create something a bit different and new.  This will be an approximate recipe- I was cooking on the fly. Cook up your favorite pasta- this time I used Penne.  Cook some shrimp, scallops and sausage. You could use chorizo or Italian, You could also add mussels or any other meat that appeals to you. I also added green onions and bell peppers to the seafood. For the sauce, I blended in the Vita Mix some milk, Romano cheese, butter and yogurt and a pinch of flour. Once thoroughly blended, I added taco seasonings.  Mix everything in a large serving dish and serve immediately.

Here's a quick and easy one-pot dish that even the kids could make. This was adapted from an old recipe from one of my favorite cook books- More with Less. This makes enough for my family of 9 with leftover for a few lunches. Cut up: 6 cups potatoes 3 cups carrots 3 cups chopped celery 3 cups frozen corn Place veggies in a large pot with 1 1/2 cups water and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are mostly done. Add 5 cups of milk and heat- but do not boil. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese until melted. It's that simple. Enjoy!

I love it when Christmas falls on a Sunday. Going to church first thing in the morning, then coming home to open presents! The front page of the Sunday newspaper was mostly covered with a picture of a live Nativity scene. It was gratifying to see the birth of Christ portrayed in that manner. It was hard to miss- in your face, so to speak, and yet it was reverent and beautiful. Tucked away in the middle of the newspaper, a very small news article reported a new born baby was found in a trash can in a Wal Mart bathroom. An employee made the startling discovery- I can't imagine what that person must have felt. Panic? Wonder? Anger? A Baby. Placed lovingly in a manger by his mother. A baby. Thrown away in a trash can by his mother. The two stories seemed unrelated to me a first. Disconnected. One was so lovely. The other was so barbaric. One was a celebration. The other was never meant to be discovered. Yet, there is a connection. One so strong and obvious, I was surprised I ...

Here's a hearty dish for a cold night. It's kind of like chili; a bit sweeter, but just as satisfying. You can either bake it in the oven, or throw it in the crock pot. Typically, I use the following: 1 can green beans 1 can wax beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can lima beans 1 31 oz can baked beans But, sometimes I can't find wax beans, or I'm just not in the mood for limas. You can use two cans of a 3 bean salad if you can't find wax beans. Also, you can use another can of the baked beans in lieu of two cans of any of the beans. It's up to you! Anyway, whip up: 1 t chili powder 1 16 oz can tomato sauce 1 6 oz can tomato paste 1/4 cup water 1 T dry mustard 1 cup brown sugar OR 1/2 cup maple syrup and a pinch of stevia powder Set aside and start browning 1 pound of bulk breakfast sausage Meanwhile, cut up: 2 onions 2-3 stalks celery When the sausage is done, combine all ingredients in a very large casserole dish, or the crock pot. Cook in th...

MERRY CHRISTMAS  FROM THE MARINOS  Here are a few items of interest (or not) from our family: Let's start with the middle child since they usually get ignored. Jared, 13, is now almost as tall as mom. He has discovered Jujitsu and plans on exploring that for the foreseeable future. He is excelling in swimming, ice skating and art, and would prefer to spend all his time drawing. He disappears for hours while exploring the nearby creek, and would live there, except for the lack of Mom's cooking. Margie, my other middle child (since she is the one who gets left behind too often) is 16. She is singing in two choirs, pursuing piano, participating in swim team, and drives herself in those areas as well as in academics. She spent the summer working full time at the city pool, life guarding and teaching. Her quick wit and intelligence serve her well. Edie, who could ably fill in as the oldest child, is 11. She loves swimming and ice skating, and d...