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I have made a goal this year to get back to one of the things I love the most, READING! Life has gotten in the way of my time to settle in with a good book. I've made a good start by starting and finishing my first book of 2018, but I asked you guys to please give me suggestions for other books I might want to be read throughout the rest of this year. I am so thankful for the suggestions I have received. So, I have put together a list for you and maybe we can read some of these together this year! Here is my disclaimer: I haven't read any of these yet! You may be surprised because some of them have been around for awhile and have been very popular. But, as I said, I haven't been reading with my usual voracity of late. Also, I take no responsibility for the contents of these books because I haven't read them, so I don't know yet what the language is like or if they are something I am going to love. But, they have all been highly recommended by other readers, so that is a good start. I am including the Amazon link for each book to make it easy for you to either purchase the book or get the Kindle version. I am an Amazon affiliate, but that in no way raises the price of the book for you. Some of them may even be free or low priced on Kindle and many are available as audio books, and you can get two free books with your audible trial.
I think that this list will really give me a great start on my reading this year! If you have already read any of these, let me know in advance (without spoiling) how you think I will like them! And, I am still open to more suggestions! Happy Reading!
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This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking them, we will be compensated, but there is no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for your support.
Believe it or not, Saturday is Rubber Ducky Day! (You can order all kinds of rubber duckies at Oriental Trading at that link!) Whenever I hear about a Rubber Ducky, I always thinks of Ernie on Sesame Street singing the song! When I was a teenager, and my oldest nephew, Doug was just 2 years old, I taught him to sing that song. He was so adorable. Now he has teenagers of his own. Whenever I see him, which isn't often enough, I remember that cute little 2 year old. (Sorry Doug) I don't know if he ever taught his kids that song though.
This year for Christmas, my grandchildren received Sesame Street books and stuffed characters from Sesame Street. (Kohl's is really good about selling books and stuffed toys for $5.00 to help kids become readers. The Sesame Street Books are on clearance right now!) So, all of these things combined prompted me to ask this week's Friday Fave question:
Who is your favorite Sesame Street Character?
As we begin, you have to know that we are an old school Sesame Street family. When I look at Sesame Street now, I hardly recognize it! My kids remember when Elmo was just a little no name monster, when Grover was hilarious and when Big Bird was finally able to let everyone see Mr. Snuffleupagus. Remember when the Cookie Monster was allowed to eat cookies? Those are the Sesame Street days that we know and loved.
Grover
I didn't even need to ask Alicia who her favorite character is. She has always loved Grover! When she had braces on her teeth, her retainer even had Grover on it! He was so funny as Super Grover and when he played the waiter at every restaurant on the show was hilarious. Alicia's favorite Sesame Street book has always been The Monster at the End of this Book starring Grover! Here are the boys reading it!
The other one is reading its sequel that stars Grover and Elmo, Another Monster at the End of This Book.
Both of these books feature Grover trying to get you not to turn the pages to the end of the book because he is afraid of the monster at the end. In the second book, Elmo aids the reader in thwarting his attempts. Both of the books have a funny and happy ending! (of course!) Today, you can get them in hard cover for under$5.00 on Amazon!
Cookie Monster
Lindsey chose Cookie Monster. I kind of wanted to pick him as well, because who doesn't love Cookie Monster? Who doesn't sometimes feel like Cookie Monster on the inside when you see your favorite cookies ready to be devoured? When Madalynn was little, she had a talking Cookie Monster (similar) that always said, "Oh boy, oh boy!" It is one of those silly little phrases that have always stuck with us.
When the kids were little, we had a cassette of Sesame Street songs that taught the letters of the Alphabet! We loved that thing! Of course, it taught the letter "C" with Cookie Monster singing "C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me!" We have found the songs on YouTube, and I was looking for it on Amazon. I think I have found it on CD! I hope that this is it! I have used these songs when I was teaching. Kids love them and some of our favorites are the letters "L", "W", and "Y". I think I may have to order this for my grandchildren! It is a classic.
Oscar the Grouch
Madalynn had a hard time choosing because Cookie Monster was taken! She finally ended up with Oscar the Grouch, the lovable guy in the trash can! Here is a cute book called A Day in the Life of Oscar the Grouch. It is a good compare and contrast book as Oscar talks about what he likes and doesn't like on Sesame Street. Another cute one is Grouchy Hugs. It has litter Oscar arms that interact with the pages.
Ernie or The Count? I Can't Decide!
Ernie and the Count are both favorites of mine! My kids tell me that when I laugh really hard, I sound like Ernie and I love the Count's Transylvanian accent as he counts. I used to imitate him for my kids all of the time.
When my kids were very young, my friend sent me an entire set of Sesame Street Treasury that had short stories, activities and songs in them. They even taught American Sign Language with Linda! They were so great for teaching pre-schoolers and I used to use all of my best imitations of all the characters that I could as I read them. Guess what! I found them on Amazon! They are collectible and if you want them, hurry because there are only a few left!
Who are your favorite Sesame Street Characters? Do you have fond memories of them from days gone by? Do you remember the Rubber Ducky song and other Sesame Street classics? Leave us your memories in the comments below and enjoy Rubber Ducky Day!
I am sorry I have been MIA these last few weeks. I've been a little preoccupied with the most beautiful and perfect little person on this earth.
Would you like to see her?
She is so amazing. I spend most of my time staring at her and wondering how on earth we were blessed with such an amazing little thing. She is so perfect, and such a good little baby. She hardly cries, she's a good sleeper, and she doesn't even spit up. She is so alert, and already laughs! How many two week olds do you know that laugh? We are so in love with her.
I want to share the story of the day she was born. My due date was December 29, which also happens to be my brother's birthday! Well all throughout my pregnancy people made commentary about how I was going to have a big baby, and was I sure I wasn't having twins? (People are rude.) Anyway, I started to get nervous that if she didn't come by her due date she'd be too big and I'd end up having to have a C-section. I really wanted to avoid that if at all possible. My doctor's appointment was Wednesday, December 27. I went in at 1:30 and was still dilated at a 1, hadn't felt a single contraction, and was barely effaced. My doctor told me she would induce me that week if I wanted to, but she was also fine going another week to allow me to go into labor naturally. I also REALLY wanted to give birth in 2017 (hello tax break) and I told my doctor I would prefer that, as long as she believed that getting induced that week wouldn't stress her out, or cause any problems for her. My doctor (who is great by the way, I'm so grateful for her) told me that the risk of a C section would probably be greater the longer we waited. She just warned me that if I was induced it could take longer, and I wouldn't be able to be in early labor at home, if that had been my original hope. So the hospital was called and my induction was scheduled. I was told that I would be called on December 28, as early as 2 AM, once a bed was available. Well, instead, the hospital called me at 10:30 the night of the 27, and told me to be there an hour later. So PH and I loaded up the car with my overnight bag and the cooler that PH had filled with food and snacks for us. My mom and Alicia told me to take a shower before going to the hospital because I'd feel a lot better, so I did. Then we drove to the hospital and checked in at the maternity wing, and they sent me to labor and delivery. The nurse in labor and delivery hooked me up to the fetal heart monitor, and they had a hard time finding good vein for my IV. So I got a couple bruises, before they found one in my left arm. The baby's heart rate was spiking a little bit, so they had me lay on my left side for awhile before giving me the pill to get my cervix going. Originally I was supposed to take three doses of it, but I ended up only taking one. She gave it to me at about 2 AM. I started feeling light contractions, like cramps. PH was interested in watching the machine to see when another one was coming. We both tried to get a little sleep in our incredibly uncomfortable beds and my IV didn't like when I lifted my arm up and it would beep. My doctor came by at 7 AM and then decided to start me on Pitocin. On a side note, I would just like to say that getting your cervix checked is one of the most uncomfortable experiences you will ever have. I started to dread it because it hurt so bad every time! A few hours after the Pitocin drip started I woke up to my doctor telling me she was going to break my water. I was dilated to a 3 and she thought that breaking my water would help my body get going on it's own. After she broke my water my contractions suddenly came on a lot stronger. Each time I felt water gushing out of me, and I could feel my contractions all the way into my hips and thighs. It was terrible. So PH called for the nurse and I told her I wanted the epidural. The epidural guy came, and having to get up for the epidural is also pretty awful. You're contracting and water is gushing out of you and they want you to sit up and put your legs over the side of the bed while they inject it into your back. However, after the epidural got going I suddenly couldn't feel a thing except tingling in my legs, feet, and hands. They gave me the epidural at about 2 PM and started having me lay on my side with a peanut (it looks like a yoga ball, but in the shape of a peanut) in between my legs. I slept so well! Every time the nurse came in however she'd remove the peanut and ask me if I was able to lift myself up a little so they could change my pad. I guess I was able to do it, but I felt like I could hardly move. At one point when my nurse had me move sides she told me to lift my right leg to put the peanut back and I heard her say, "whoa! Can you feel your legs at all?" "Not really." I responded. "Sorry if I kick you!" Well my doctor came back in at 8 PM and checked me, and this time with the epidural it didn't hurt! I was fully dilated and effaced and she said they were going to get set up and in about half an hour it would be time to push! Now here is where I will admit that PH and I never went to a childbirth class. I had watched some videos on childbirth online through baby center, but we had never practiced any breathing or massage techniques, or pushing, or anything. They put the stirrups up and set my legs in them and the nurse told PH he'd need to help. Every time I had to push the nurse would push back on one leg, and PH would push back on the other. At 8:40 it was time. They gave me some oxygen which they said would help the baby, but I had to take the mask off every time I pushed. I started being able to feel the contractions, but they felt more like pressure in my lower abdomen instead of painful like they had been pre-epidural. With each contraction I'd have to push while the nurse counted to ten, three times during each contraction. I started being able to feel the baby moving, I could feel the pressure in my lower extremities, and I'm not going to lie, it was kind of a weird feeling. At one point I looked at the clock and it was 9:10 PM and I thought, I don't know if I can do this for several hours. I mean, honestly, not to be too graphic or gross, but imagine you're going to the bathroom after eating only Taco Bell for the last two months. Now, magnify that pressure and force that you are using to go to the bathroom by at least 100. That's sort of what active labor feels like. Well my doctor came back in at about 9:30 PM. The nurse tried to have me push during one more contraction but after the first push I felt so nauseated. The nurse stopped and gave me a little pan which I held on to until feeling passed. Then the doctor said it was time and I gave one last great push and then suddenly there she was, our sweet little baby girl. They put a towel on her and laid her on my chest while PH cut the umbilical cord. She was crying and had this beautiful, distinctive little cry. You know those squeaky toys that you have to squeeze to make squeak? That's what she'd do at the end of every cry. My doctor said that if she was in the nursery she'd be able to pick her out with that cry. It sounded so beautiful to me. PH was proactive about taking pictures, and he remarked that he couldn't believe how grey she looked when she first came out. He stood over by her while she got weighed and measured, cleaned up, and had her little foot pricked while I delivered the placenta and had my doctor stitch me up. He called out to me that she weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20 and 3/4 inches long. Then they brought her back over to me and placed her on my chest. Out of the corner of my eye I caught PH being a little emotional. We were both so happy. All I could do was stare at her and marvel at how perfect she was and is. She had a head full of hair, and she was so alert and every little thing about her was the most perfect thing I have ever seen. I knew I had been in love with this tiny little person from the beginning, and here I was, finally holding her in my arms. It's been two weeks now and it's already been quite the journey. She really is such a good and well behaved baby. We've struggled (and are still struggling) with breastfeeding, but honestly, the struggle is all because of me. Everything about her is truly perfect and every day I look at her and marvel all over again. How did God ever decide to trust us with this little spirit? How are we so blessed and lucky? Why do I get to be her mom? It's all already going by too quickly, but I am so thankful to have her for forever. So, if you're considering trying to have your own baby, I highly recommend it. She is the finest thing I have ever done.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking them, we will be compensated, but there is no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for your support.
Have you ever found yourself in a dinner rut? Every week you just have the same dishes over and over? And while certainly not horrible it can get a little boring and make cooking less exciting. This is how I felt the last few months. We have a really great way of menu planning that I will be blogging about in the next few weeks, but since we moved I haven't un-boxed it yet. So we have contently rolled along in our dinner rut.
But, enough was enough and I wanted dinner to be exciting and fun again. I decided that each month we would pick a country. And then, every week, we would try to make a meal from that country, as authentic as possible. I also wanted to pick countries that we have ancestors from, so that we can connect with our heritage through food. January is Germany. On my father's side I have ancestors from way back when that are from Germany. But also my Dad was stationed in West Germany during the 80's and my oldest brother was actually born there. Therefore, Germany has always had a special place in our family. I also have been craving Bratwurst, so there's that too. In order to get authentic recipes, I tried to find websites or blogs of people from the country. For this month I found two websites I'll be using to make my dishes. The first isGermanFoods.org. They have a lot of recipes as well as cultural information and a little shop where you can buy German goods! The second is The Daring Gourmet. Kimberly grew up in Germany and has graciously shared recipes from her homeland. I didn't use her recipes for this post but I will in the next weeks! Authentic German Bratwurst
The meal we had this past week was Bratwurst and Himmel und Erde.
Bratwurst is the best and my favorite sausage. Honestly, if you haven't tried this amazing sausage yet, you are missing out. Brats are wonderfully juicy and flavorful. I've never had one I didn't like. You can grill them on the barbecue, pan fry them, or braise them. In the recipe I found, the brats were seared until the were brown on the outside and then braised in a vinegar and caper sauce. It was really good! The only thing I changed from the Proud Henry Bratwurst recipe was the beer (I know! so un-German of me!). But we don't drink beer and we only needed half a cup so I didn't want to buy a whole beer and just throw out the rest. Instead I just used a whole cup of rib stock. Trust me, the results were delicious! My mom told us that when you order a bratwurst from a street vendor in Germany, they generally come in small rolls that are crunchy and the brat sticks out either end. You can have them with ketchup or mustard. We used Kaiser rolls cut in half, stone ground mustard, and a bit of the gravy from the pan. It was so delicious! Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth)
I thought a potato salad would be a nice accompaniment to the brats. And browsing through the recipes on GermanFoods.org this Himmel und Erde stuck out to me because it combined apples (the himmel/heaven), potatoes (erde/earth), bacon, and onion. At first I thought "ew," but then as I thought about it I wanted to try it out. The whole time right up until I made it I thought this was going to be chunked apple and potato with bacon bits and chopped onion.
I was very wrong. But in the best way possible! Himmel und erde is more like mashed potatoes with extras. AND IT IS SO GOOD! I am not one of those tasting people who knows what parts of the tongue to touch their food to to get all the correct flavors. But I'll try my best to explain the flavors. The tart Granny Smith apple with the salty bacon contrasted beautifully with the earthy potato and the sweet and sharp onion flavors. It comes out tasting sweet and delicious. I think that description deserves a mashed potato connoisseur status right..no..just me?Ok. Moving on then. But seriously make this. You won't regret it. My tips for this are:
I will give you my recipe here that I adapted from the one I found on GermanFoods.org.
Have you ever had German food? What's your favorite thing?
Check back next week! I'll be writing about our adventures with Schnitzel!
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Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
April 2024
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