Austin Family Adventures

Monday, April 26, 2010

Thai Tofu with Pineapple and Veggies

So I really can't remember which cookbook I adapted this from. But this is so yummy and satisfies my taste for PF Chang's Coconut Curry Vegetables. Very delish!

Thai Tofu with Pineapple and Veggies

1 lb extra firm tofu
2 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 med onion, quartered and sliced thinly
8 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 C frozen green peas or red bell pepper
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
Snap peas or broccoli
1 C coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into thirds and bruised, optional (I used powdered lemongrass this last time and it worked well...could even just leave it out)
2 tsp curry powder
2 T cornstarch
¼ to 1 tsp red or green curry paste, optional (but very good!)
¼ C mined fresh cilantro
Salt to taste
Rice, quinoa, or couscous

Stir-fry diced tofu over medium heat with oil and soy sauce until golden brown…about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside. Heat the remaining T of oil in the same pan. Add the onion and carrots and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add peas, pineapple, peas, coconut milk, lemongrass, and curry powder. Gently stir in the tofu. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and optional curry paste in a cup or small bowl. Add enough water to dissolve, then pour the mixture into the pan. Simmer gently until the liquid has thickened. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve over hot grain. Roasted peanuts are an added bonus also!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Picnic with Friends

Last week was beautiful!! And we just so happened to be out our way to TN where it was even warmer! We stopped in Indiana to visit some friends and also got in on a fun picnic!

Laughing Out Loud

Definitely laughing out loud! He was pretty proud of himself for climbing up here!

A Mess

Such a necessary, but MESSY process. Little man is learning to use a spoon and fork and sometimes I just have to look away!

Look! There is even some on the spoon! :)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Spring blessing!

This week for school we are learning about flowers. We have used lots of pictures and the internet, but today we struck gold!! :) I never thought we'd get to see real flowers in bloom in March where we live. But while we were outside enjoying the sunshine today, Chaeli comes running around the corner all excited that there were some little flowers on the side of the house. Here's what we found!

From what we could find on the internet, we think they are Snow Crocuses. They are beautiful. And they came at the perfect time. With something real to look at, we got to talk about pollination and the internal parts of a flower. And since there were other larger bulbs popping up, we got to check out roots and stems and leaves as well. Live examples are always the best! God is good! We really enjoyed this surprise package today!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Happy Birthday Elijah

Finally, we had his birthday party! The first one was just because I couldn't let the day go by without noticing it! We'd been waiting all this time for a free day and for his gift from the grandparents to arrive, only to find out that the gift has not even been shipped because they were out of stock! They never told us! So we commenced today and had a lot of fun "on the farm."

Simple pleasures...

They just didn't make these hats big enough for any of my kids!

We loved this book that Dillon passed on to him. We could hardly get him to open his gift because he loved listening to the animals sounds so much!

Really into climbing these days...

The yummy cupcakes!!

I'd say these were a hit with the birthday boy!

He is definitely a BIG blessing to our family!!

Locked Out

This past Thursday the kids and I had a chance to meet the local firemen! We got locked out of the house (with Elijah safely inside in his crib!) right before supper time. Going from the house into the garage there is a "trick" doorknob. You can turn the knob and go out while it's locked, but when you try to come back in, it's locked! No keys hidden outside. No keys at the neighbors. David an hour and twenty minutes away. Long story short... We had to call the fire department and shortly we were inside again! (P.S. David did the same thing the next evening while the kids were in bed and I had just left for Walmart. Lucky for him, I forgot something and had to come back!) Gotta get a new knob!

Quotable Kids

The kids were talking about what day they would get married on. Chaeli was talking about Friday and Elijah never! Dillon says, "What day do you think I want to get married on?" We guessed a few but we didn't guess right as his answer was, "Wednesday." What?! I asked why and his response was, "so my wife can watch me go swimming in the evening." Apparently he is only going swimming on Wednesdays and he likes the idea of her watching him. The moment was hilarious. We laughed so hard!
Words of wisdom from the almost 5 year old: "Mama. If you want my room to stop being a pigsty then stop giving me stuff." :) True. True.
Wearing a white skirt and having just spilled something on it, I said, "guess I can't wear this anymore." Chaeli's reaponse: "Just put white out on it!"
Wisdom from the 4 year old to his siblings: "The more times you think you can, then you can." At least someone's been listening!
I was singing a song and scratching Elijah's back while putting him to bed and he said to me, "Don't scratch cause I might get duckbumps." hahaha....he makes me laugh!! I told him that he meant goosebumps and he giggled and said, "goosebumps and duckbumps!"
"Mommy...you, me, and papa are the only ones who haven't lost a tooth." Whew...I sure hope it's not me or papa who are next!! :)
Chaeli is just starting a typing program and she asked if I had learned to type when I was a girl. I said I remembered learning to type on a typewriter back in 9th grade. I asked her, "do you even know what a typewriter is?" She replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, I've seen one in a museum." Now that makes me feel old! :)
While we were at the bank setting up savings accounts for the boys, the clerk asked Dillon his birthday. He told her Feb 5 to which she respond, "which year?" He looked at her like it was a trick question and with a big grin he said, "every year!" I could hardly contain my laughter!!
Three year old's are just funny, I tell you! I asked Elijah not to saw the word 'now' in the phrase 'turn it off now' because it sounded rather demanding. Dillon and he are playing with a train set and when there's a problem he has started saying, "Please turn it off this day!" hahahaha!
Hilarious!!! Lately whenever littlest boy is frustrated with biggest boy, he states very sternly, "Dillon Nichole Austin." Of course, it frustrates biggest boy because that is Chaeli's middle name, but it is so humorous to me!! :)
After thinking and talking to himself quietly for a bit at supper Elijah said out loud: "Misterssippi and Mississippi go together."
Why is my 6 year old the voice of reason? I said I felt like making cookies. He said, "Remember, sickness is going around." Hmph. True.
Chaeli pointed at Elijah's knee and said, "this is the kidney." Not liking when they lead little brother astray, I let her know that wasn't okay. She said, "it's a kid knee." That made me laugh!
After listening to Give Me Oil in my lamp Elijah informed me that really "it should be May I Please Have Oil in my Lamp." :)
Dillon is trying to help Elijah understand N,E,S,W as they play. I mentioned to Dillon that at three he would have a hard time understanding. In a frustrated voice Elijah says, "I do understand. They are north right now and soon they're gonna be yeast!"
I said "Amen" after praying with Elijah and started tucking him in. He said, "And could you please ask Jesus to come get us?" Of course, I did.
So thankful that when my littlest one is scared of the dark he says, "Can you pray,Mommy?" Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!
I'm singing: "I believe in a hill called Mount Calvary. I believe whatever the cost....I'll still cling to the Old Rugged cross." Elijah looks at me and asks, "is that a real song?" I tell him yes and he says, "thank goodness."
I asked Elijah if his pants were too big. As he pulled them up he responded, "No they just keep falling down a little."
Chaeli: "I don't think I want to get married now because he'll want to kiss me a lot."
We've been learning about the voting process and reading about some of our past presidents. Apparently, at lunch Dillon was still thinking about it. Dillon: "I want to vote for Lincoln." Me: "I do too, son, but that isn't possible." Dillon: "Too bad." Yes, it really is too bad. :)
Snuggling Elijah on my lap, I said to him, "Can you just stay little so I can snuggle you always?" "Sure!," he replied. Finally one of my kids agreed to stay small!
The end of the school week and Chaeli says, "Dillon, if we have any free time, let's play school." He furrows his eye brows and shakes his head no...
"I love you all day, Mommy, and I love you all night." -Elijah
I exclaimed in Elijah's presence that my nose was so stuffy and wasn't working. He said to me, "Mine isn't. You can use it." How generous!
Dillon announced that he needed both David and I to sit down together. He proudly comes in and presents us both with a one dollar in quarters. "This is for you, Mommy and Papa....for taking care of me." We assured him that we would do it without pay, but he insisted! :)
I was reminding Dillon that when something doesn't work we should keep trying. I said, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If at second you don't succeed, try, try again. If at third you don't succeed, try, try again. If at hundredth you don't succeed...." (paused waiting for Dillon to finish). Chaeli piped up with, "ask for help!"
‎"I could do more because I listened better." Dillon quote after swimming lessons this morning. Good lesson to remember!
I told Elijah he needed to try going potty. In all seriousness he responded, "I already went potty. I went yesterday."
Elijah wanted to skip the rest of his meal and just go right to the applesauce at the end. He never finished so he didn't get applesauce. As he brought his plate to the sink he exclaimed, "In heaven I'm just gonna eat applesauce!"
We're in the garden looking over the tomato plants and Chaeli says to me, "Mommy, where are the aroma tomatoes?" I guess roma tomatoes do smell good!
Music to this mommy's ears: "I can't wait to have my personal worship. I love reading my Bible!" -Dillon
Elijah and I were walking/running ahead of the others down the pier. Joyfully he says, "We're beating the others up!"
I was explaining to Elijah the role of an air traffic controller and how he tells all the planes when to come in and when to take off. I ended with "because he can see everyone." There was a pause, a thought. Elijah says, Oh...is it Jesus?"
Standing at our tent during campmeeting, Elijah states to me, "Mr. Shultz just went by. First the girl Mr. Shultz, then the boy Mr. Shultz.
I was sad that we couldn't go to church on David's birthday because Chaeli wasn't feeling well. Dillon says to me, "Well, you know all things work together for good. We may not like the process though." Praise the Lord for children who give us spiritual reminders!
I walk into the kitchen where Elijah is on the counter with a bag of carob covered peanuts. Around his mouth is all brown. I said, "Elijah, why are you eating those without asking?" He said very seriously, "Mommy, I just ate one, two, free....and free more!" At least he's honest!
Elijah while trying to take his shoes off: "Mommy, the tie-er won't untie!"
Elijah is sitting on the counter next to me as I'm making popcorn for supper. He leans over and says, "There's a melody singin' in my heart!" Big grin and then he goes back to singing. That kid makes me smile! :)
Dillon: "I'm having a brainstorm." Me: "You are? What do you mean?" Dillon: "My mind is thinking about one thing and then thinking about another thing. Round and round."
I said to Elijah, "You need one of the big kids to help you with that." He replied, "You are a big kid, Mommy." :)
This morning on Elijah's third birthday he said, "When I was little..."
As I'm putting Chaeli to bed just now she says to me, "I wish I could have gone to school with you. But I can't, you're my mom." Love that girl!
Standing on my bed, Elijah is forcefully saying, "Take these pillows hence!" Correspondingly he throws them off!
Chaeli said to me, "Are they washed?" Elijah responded with, "I don't want squash!"
Dillon said to me this evening, ‎"Whenever I start to do something hard I think of "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." That makes a parent happy!
Dillon informed me this evening, "I think there will be fireworks in Heaven - on the night we get there!" I can't deny that it will be quite the celebration! :)
"I'm gonna get down and have a time out." -Elijah
"Dear Jesus, I'm sorry for making you cry. Amen." -Elijah
Elijah is playing with the train track set and I see him putting back in the container. "Are you putting it away," I ask. "Yes, I'm taking it to where Papa lives," he replied. I laugh big and then ask, "where does Papa live." Very matter of factly he said, "In the office."
Just over 2 1/2 and Elijah says to me, "I like red and blue. Red and blue make purple." Wow!
Dillon asked, "Mommy, when Jesus comes is everyone going to love Jesus?" I explained that everyone would have had a chance to say "yes, I love Jesus" or "no, I don't love Jesus." After a moment of thought Dillon replied, "when I grow up, I want to be a missionary."
"I'm gonna be loving you," Elijah said, as he jumped into my lap. A very good start to my day!
Chaeli reading a road sign: "Lane ends. Marriage Left." {chuckle...}
The kids and I were out identifying trees. Chaeli and I were pondering over our last tree leaf when I looked up to realize that Dillon was standing at the neighbor's chicken coop singing "I've Been Redeemed." Maybe it wasn't specifically to the chickens but it really made me laugh!
From the mouth of the five year old: "I have lots of dollars in my wallet because I want to feel like a real man." :)
Chaeli, said, "when I'm all grown up, I'm going to skip being a mommy and just be a grandma." To that Mommy responded, "so should I have done that?" Chaeli: "Yeah... NOOO!!"
From the FIVE year old: "I've been thinking whether I want to ride a motorcycle when I grow up....I don't want to get hurt, you know." Wonder how long he's been pondering this deep question. :)
The group is singing 'These are the Days of Elijah.' Elijah looks at me with wide eyes and says, "They're singing me!"
Elijah referred to a pastor friend of ours today as "Mr. Katie." Katie is his wife.
"Lay down," I said to Elijah. He sits back up and says, "I can lay up, Mommy."
Very sincerely Dillon says to me today, "Mommy, did you know there was a state called Dilaware?" Until I broke the sad news to him, he thought it was cool that there was a state that started the same as his name!
My 5 years old is cleaning and shining my kitchen sink for the third night in a row! And it really does sparkle when he's done!! The first night he said to me, "come over here and watch, Mama, so you will know how to do it too." :)
E's little 2 yr old voice right before breakfast - "Is it hungry time, Mommy?"
During Sabbath school this morning E told me, "There's nots (snot) in my nose." I looked and it wasn't runnning out so I said we would blow it in just a minute. He turned to me and blew on my nose. He said, "I blow mommy's nose." :)
I said, "I can't wait to get my Sabbath school programs." Chaeli replied, "I can't wait till I can drive." My, oh my!!
You know...the people they use to bury in pyramids?? Chaeli's answer: "Oh yeah. Dummies." Mommy: "I think you mean mummies." We were really trying to get the word Pharoah but the answer was just so funny!
We were talking about symbols of America and I asked Chaeli what reminded her of the USA. Dillon pops up with, "Walmart!"
At potluck to a friend of ours Dillon dramatically says, "Give me pie, or I die!"
We had just made some pretty healthy caramel popcorn. Chaeli says with a big smile on her face, "Mommy, this doesn't taste like it's healthy!"
Dillon quote: "Chaeli, you take some and I'll take the other some."
"Mommy, Jesus can do magic. He can snap His fingers and it just happens." - Dillon
I said to Dillon, "My ears itch!" He replied, "Then don't listen." :) Hope it solves my problem.
Once again my 4 year old cracks me up! He's laying next to me and I hear him sniffing. When I look at him, he says, "I'm smelling you to see if you are good to eat!"
I was holding Elijah and thought I smelled something so I asked Dillon to come over and smell Elijah's bottom. After smelling, Dillon looked at me and very slowly and seriously said, "Yuuuck. It smells like chips." Upon changing the diaper I confirmed my suspicion that it was NOT chips in there!
Chaeli was trying to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels today. Even amid all the falls, Dillon was her greatest fan. All of a sudden he exclaimed, "Hot dog! She's good!" Makes me chuckle every time I replay it in my mind! :)
I had to trim a few of Elijah's hairs tonight for the first time. I said, "should we keep them?" "Yes," says Chaeli. "Yeah," says Dillon. "Lets glue them to Papa's head!"
Chaeli says, "a ride-on!" Huh is my reply. "A ride-on shovel," she says as we pass a front end loader!
Chaeli: "I have a good forehead. I can remember!"
Chaeli about the Superbowl: "I was watching my favorite part where they get down on their hands and knees and run into each other!"
After hearing "The First Noel" only a few times, this is what Chaeli was singing: "The first noel the angels did say, on a cold winter morning in fields and in hay... :)
You know your husband has done too many funerals when one morning you say, "I wonder what Papa is doing," and your three year old replies, "Maybe he went to the graveside."
I had just finished singing "You are my Sunshine" to Dillon. 5 minutes later He comes over to me and says, "Do you remember that I'm your little Mary Sunshine and no one can take me away?"
We hung out at the beach this afternoon. While we were in the water, I said, "Dillon, see the big fish." He tensed up and said, "Does it swallow?" :) I reassured him that they wouldn't swallow him like the big fish swallowed Jonah. "Ooohh...okay," he said.
"I have to close my eyes. When I open my eyes the sun hurts my eyebrows." --Dillon
"Mommy, when we play Sabbath school and church tomorrow, can we have potluck too?" Chaeli asked.
Totally out of the blue Dillon says, "Thank you, God, for blue blankies."
Dillon: "Mama..........I love you. You and me are gonna be neighbors." (he's talking about heaven!)
Chaeli's favorite phrase of the evening: "Go up thou bald head." She kept saying this to Dillon as they played on the porch this evening. :)
"Dillon, we need to decide what we're going to get Papa for his birthday." He replied, "Let's get him a BIG duck!" (we both had a good laugh) "What kind of duck are you talking about," I asked. "A BIG, BIG duck!"
"Dillon, why are you up so early?," mama asked. "Because I want to see you, Mama," Dillon sweetly replied. Even though it was 5:30am, I surely couldn't send him back to bed after that.
Dillon is standing near me giving me a funny look. "Are you okay," I ask. "Yes, mommy. I just love you." he says, as he runs away.
"Dillon, it's time to take a nap," I said. "Do you need to go potty?" "No, I don't have to go. I went last week," he replied.
"Chaeli, your gum is darker red now that you're chewing it," I said. "That's because I turned it inside out," she replied.
"Look at that tree Dillon." I said, "See the red and yellow and orange and green all over it?" "Yes," said Dillon. "We should do that to our tree."
Lately Dillon has been singing the song "In the Garden." At supper yesterday he started again and sang, "I keep coming to the garden alone..."
Chaeli says to Dillon: "Dillon. Did you know that Jesus made Adam out of dirt and then blowed heat into him and he became a real lived person?"
Dillon got 10 dimes from Grammy and we explained about tithe to him. Going up the stairs last night with his dimes, I reminded him that one was for Jesus. He took one dime and placed it on a stair. "I'll leave it right here so Jesus can get it," he said.
After explaining to Dillon that mommy has a baby growing in her tummy, he turned and said to us, "I'll water it."
According to Chaeli, I am now "the baby lady."
Chaeli was telling me that she needed help putting a tape in the tape player. She said to me, "I forgot how. I haven't done this in years!"
Dillon is on the stairs with his hands folded, crying and crying during a little meltdown! He stops and says to me, "Pray, Mama." Usually we pray for self-control during these episodes and he knew he needed to!
I'm going to wake Dillon up. I say, "Wake up, Dillon. We're going to MOOville so we can eat ice cream." Dillon's eyes pop open. He says, "It's gonna be cold.....I'm gonna say brrrrrrr."
Inside Chaeli's head: "I have a piggy bank. Dillon has a piggybank. Mommy is putting money in our Sabbath school jar." Chaeli says to mommy: "We have lots of money in this house!"
We're driving down the highway last night and we pass a small lake on Dillon's side of the car. All of a sudden Dillon exclaims, "Oh, a swimming pool!"
At the end of dinner tonight Chaeli said to me, "I'm all done. I can't eat anymore." ....2-3 minutes later.... "Well," she added, "done with this food. I have room for pie."
No matter what Dillon's actual memory verse is for the week, if you ask him to say his memory verse, he'll say to you, "Be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:32." It's the first one he's ever learned completely by memory so in his mind, THAT is his memory verse!
As any good parent, we're endeavoring to teach our kids to speak politely. When Dillon wants us to hold him he says, "May you please hold me?"
Whenever I tell Chaeli that I like what she is wearing she kindly tells me that when she grows up, she'll share it with me. The implication is that it will be larger as well! :)
We were playing on the playground behind our church school and suddenly Chaeli exclaims, "My shirt is clean! Clean as dirt!"
Traveling home from church not long ago, Dillon was in the mood to sing..."Amazing grace how sweet MY sounds..." Truly, it was sweet! :)