Iced Coffee & Snow Ball Syrup Update

Tried my coffee this morning. I swear the only thing bad about iced coffee is that I always want another one. This was no exception. I followed a recipe posted by Pioneer Woman, but since I live in a much smaller place with no fancy glass coffee dispenser in my fridge, I made about 1/4 the recipe. Now that I know I like it, I will make a half batch next time. It is very easy to do. I put 1/4 pound of ground coffee 2 quarts of water and let it sit about 8 hours. Then I strained it in cheesecloth and put the pitcher in the fridge. This morning I used one Splenda, way more that a serving of Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer (Sweet Cream) and a bunch of ice....yum!

As for the snowball syrup..... I followed this recipe. I bought those plastic ketchup and mustard bottles (does anyone really use those) to put our syrup in. But, when I made the syrup, I was doubling it and (since someone had to come in and ask me 55 questions) I did the ratio 1:1, not 2:1.... not enough sugar. I went with it any way, boiling the syrup for a bit longer to reduce it. It actually worked very well- I think 2:1 would have been WAYYYY to sweet.

I promise I will try to locate my digital camera so I can add some ohotos soon :p

Memory Monday..... followed by a belated 13!

hjs @ field hockey opening tourney (date correct, time wrong)

*she is actually asking to play this year- think she has finally realized

she is better at sports than she thought*

1. Worry sucks.

2. It is also pointless.

3. Humans are the only creatures that worry.

4. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27

5. So why do I worry.........

6. It so hard not to, but I need to stop and trust.

7. I have two children- one a worrier, one not...

8. Their personalities are so different.

9. Bet you cannot guess which one is happier.

10. I have had way too much to worry about lately.

11. Some of it effects me directly, other issues really do not.

12. I need to say a prayer and send it up to God.

13. He will show me the right path......

Summer stuff

I always try a bunch of things during the summer that I might not ordinarily consider. Today I made Snowball syrup and cold brewed coffee. Since I am now addicted to iced coffee, I thought I's find something a little cheaper than Starbucks or my beloved K-cups. I will review and post the recipes after I have actually tried them out, lol. I am quite unsure of the Snowball Syrup........

Memory Monday

z & h- brenau fountain

gainesville, ga

summer 2009

(i was waiting for her to push him, but she didn't)

Wow.....

this is the first night we don't have anywhere to be in quite some time......... and I am single mom to boot. What to do, what to do........ Sounds like a good night for a movie! YAY, movie night!!!!

13! for Thursday

13 Unwritten Rules of Spitzer Haus

1. If the trash can is full, keep shoving more trash on top until Mom empties the can. It doesn't matter if things fall off the top- she'll pick that up, too/

2. If you spill, it will evaporate. Or Mom will clean it up. Either way.....

3. Do not write important numbers on someone else's wipe off board.

4. Do not move or throw away any jibbles of paper. It will be the very thing that Dad looking for.

5. Go ahead and pile your socks next to the basement door. Oh, there is a laundry bag hanging on the back of that very same door? That's ok, Mom doesn't mind picking up all the socks and putting them in the bag herself.

6. The TV stand makes a great table and Mom really doesn't mind having to take all your cups and plates to the kitchen or wiping your food off the TV..... really.

7. Mom needs to vacuum and you are playing X Box------ that is ok- just pick up one foot when she gets close and turn the volume WAAAYYYYY up so you can still hear.

8. Dogs are pacing back and forth and barking to go outside but Mom is still asleep? Don't worry, they will wake her up soon enough- no need to get off the couch and stop watching "Good Luck Charlie".

9. Mom likes chiseling dried on cereal out of bowls and scraping toothpaste from the sink.

10. If Mom says it is a rule, go ahead and argue. She might change her mind. Even though she hasn't in 10 years, there is always a chance.....

11. Don't ever drink from Mom or Dad's cup after 5 pm....... you might not like the surprise.

12. Pile everything on the table in the foyer. Mom enjoys having to put everything away and then having to find it again......

13. Pull all the shoes from the shoe basket to find your flip flop and leave the rest all over the floor- Mom LOVES to trip over all the shoes at the bottom of the stairs!

another letter to ****

You must be very proud of yourself. You say you are your child's "safekeeper"...... the real question is WHO is keeping her safe from YOU? You have the final say in everything, fought to have her removed from a school where she was surrounded by family and put her miles away from everyone. Then you systematically isolated her and then never supervise her actions or provide any rules. Are you proud? Or are you waiting until you have completely to ruined your child? This falls almost directly on YOU and is a consequence of YOUR actions. You are not fit to raise a CAT, much less children......... By the time you are done she will be pregnant, on drugs or both........ great going, MOM.........

I thought that ....

summer was supposed to be relaxing, but 2 days in and I have had:

work drama

extended family (ie-****) drama

my kids fighting and BITING each other at the pool

Helen locking my keys in my trunk

piles of laundry

dog fur covering every surface of my house

husband out of town

(ohm wait---that last one is not bad because that is one less person in my hizzy today.....)

I hope it improves!

memory monday

david @ chesapeake high school

summer 2008

my kids have literally grown up at a ball field.......

when.....

will I ever stop doubting myself and realize that I am good enough? When will I stop worrying about other people and what they think? When will I stop feeling like I am in the 6th grade??????

I have never understood.....

the "born again" concept. It seems that many people feel that one must be "born again" to be a good Christian. What about those of us who were raised in a Christian home and never gave up our faith in the first place? I may have strayed away from going to Church, and have even changed my religion (from Methodist to Catholic) but never doubted Jesus, God or my faith.

So am I less deserving because I have not lived an immoral life and then sought salvation? I don't know- seems like one should not have to have walked a path of sin to be a Christian........... At the same time, going to Church all the time does not make you a good example of Christian values. I know plenty of regular church goers that are mean and nasty (even nuns and preachers can be not so delightful).........

Bottom line is this- believe in your heart that Jesus is your salvation. That is it. Live by His example and do the best you can to live the kind of life He would. Of course, you will screw up- you are human, not the Son of God......... but say you are sorry to all you have offended, including God and you will be forgiven. No amount of good will save you if it is done without accepting Jesus.

THURSDAY/13

*again, a day late and a dollar short*

1. School is out.

2. Funny thing about teachers is that no sooner than we say goodbye to our last class, we start looking forward to our next class.

3. I am hopefully optimistic about next year.

4. I don't think it could be any rougher.......

5. I am looking forward to the next few weeks of not having to be anywhere in particular at 7:30 AM.

6. And definitely looking forward to not having to look at someone that I do not get along with.

7. I do resolve that next year will be different.

8. It has to be or one of us will not live!

9. I am looking forward to a laid back summer, with trips to the pool, maybe a few day trips and a couple of movies, too.

10. Sigh.......

11. No vacation again.

12. But maybe we can go camping.....

13. 71 days until school starts back- now I gotta make the best of them!

Memory Monday

zrs @ nags head 2009

(i know i keep posting memories from this trip, but it was the best vacation ever)

I am grumpy......

and am beginning to feel the need for changes. If things continue on this path, I will not survive. I might live, but I will be a miserable shell of a person. I am very unhappy with things and cannot take much more..............

13 13 13 13 13 13 13/ thursday

13 things I do not give a damn about........

1. I do not care about your cat.

2. I do not care about American Idol, The Bachelor or Jersey Shore.

3. I do not care about your last surgery.

4. I don't want to know what color your poop was.

5. Unless I am invited I do not want to know about your trip.

6. I really don't care why you were late.

7. I don't want to see pictures of your butt, boobs or tongue on facebook.

8. I don't care about your hot date (especially if I do not know who you are and am having to listen to you talk about it on your cell phone- loudly).

9. I don't care what you are doing this summer unless you are one of my REAL friends.

10. I don't want to listen to your politics. It is not that I am not interested, but chances are I do not agree with you and am calling you an idiot inside my head.

11. Unless you are my real friend, or my child is a friend of your child's, I don't care about your Lil' Boo Boo.

12. If you are a celebrity whose job is to entertain me, save your politics, sermons and other nonsense for someone who gives a damn.

13. I guess you could say I don't care about 90% of what 95% of the population has to say.