supper

October 3, 2013

Chicken Italiano laughs

Supper was nice. The three of us sat down to eat. Then, my oldest son spilled half his drink onto his plate. I was glad I cooked a bunch o’noodles because there was plenty to dish up more. Erin, my friend since second grade, and my mother remember the story I told next… About the night I made crockpot Chicken Italiano long ago, a nice supper. I can’t recall the year right now, but my oldest son cried all through supper about it being, “the worst day ever” because we expected him to taste/try the delicious food I’d made. My husband picked out all the tomato chunks out of the pasta sauce and left them on his plate. Then my youngest son accidentally spilled his ice water into his dad’s lap, at which point my husband’s plate, with uneaten tomato chunks, flipped into the sliding glass door blinds. I made a nice supper!!!! This is what happened instead that night. I remember. The boys laughed tonight in the retelling. There is more to the story, but it is a Blue-emergency. Today was/is A Good One. Best of all, it’s not over yet.

October 2, 2013

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October 2, 2013

a pasta smile

Cooking TIE fighter pasta for supper tonight. That’d be “farfalle” or “bow ties” for the rest of you. My husband came up with the Star Wars name to convince our sons to try eating pasta in a new shape. The name stuck. Tonight when I said I was cooking “tubes” or “TIE fighters” my oldest boy requested the latter. I’m cooking it using the super fancy, really nice, saucepan with a strainer insert that my husband and the boys gave me one Christmas. (This was a week or so after I tried to drain the pasta fast, using just the saucepan lid to drain the water, and instead poured our supper into the sink with the garbage disposal.) Oops. May the force be with you.

October 2, 2013

May 26, 2013

tastebuds awakening

My oldest boy asked for SPAM again at supper time yesterday. He wanted to try it as a sandwich this time, which I served cold. He took a bite and then asked if I’d warm up the SPAM in the skillet again. Of course I obliged. Afterwards my thirteen year old son decided he liked SPAM best with breakfast. I have a feeling this journey is just beginning: My Life As A SPAM Cook. ~ Janean

May 26, 2013

April 6, 2013

sustenance

My hair is a rats next of tangles from that wicked wind.
I’m am so wrung out and weary I’m leaning against the wall as I stand and type.
Will take more Tylenol next, find something hot and filling for supper, and look forward to the soothing water of a hot bath later tonight.
Much later.
Sometime after the dog is walked for the last time and both boys are tucked into their beds.
Later.
Hopefully within the next three hours.
Hope.
A sustaining emotion.
The ultimate Soul Food.

April 6, 2013

October 17, 2012

October 16, 2012

my day ended much the same way it began

walking my dog beneath a dark, yet starlit sky

I woke too soon this morning

4-something instead of 5-ish

I tried to go back to sleep

by 4:45am I’d given up 

and murmured to my husband, “My brain’s awake.”

as I rolled out of bed

he wryly replied, “I don’t think it ever shuts down.”

perhaps not

there are those crazy dreams sometimes

the ones I remember in a vague, bizarre way

the day itself was a good one

drove my boys to school

and I went in with ‘em

spent the morning there

sittin’ in a 5th grade classroom

mounting Art Club art on colored paper

writing out title cards for each piece

then usin’ my three step stool

to hang this mini art show in the hall

in time for Grandparent’s Day on Thursday

home around 11 to walk Blue again

made a phone call, texted with a friend

ate some soup for lunch

napped

a luxury

set my phone alarm so I’d be up in time

to walk the dog again before school let out

picked up my children

fed my parent’s cats

home again

early supper

not a fancy one

make up soccer game at 5:30

for the one we didn’t play in the rain

the sunset was spectacular

my son’s team won the game too

home for the night this time

Blue and I went ‘round the block again

evening spent in the kitchen

dishes, bills, papers

then that last starlit walk

last one ‘til early mornin’ anyway

bedtime

everyone else is tucked in

my turn…now

‘night

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

October 16, 2012

August 4, 2012

eggs for supper

I served bacon and eggs to my family for supper tonight because we are out of most everything and I have yet to make it to the grocery store.
It’s Fair Week you know…
First it was gettin’ the projects done
Then it was gettin’ them judged
Now, finally it’s just goin’ to the fair for fun
And we’re goin’ quite often
We’ve been there four days in a row
With two more to go
And don’t you worry…
We’re goin’ those days too
Temps are in the 90’s
Middle mostly
With central Illinois humidity
And not a rain cloud in sight
That’s why I shouted from the kitchen, as I dished up eggs for supper, “I’m doing the best I can!”
For the 4-H motto is
“To Make The Best Better”
~ Janean

August 3, 2012

April 2, 2012 Image

I carried my take out supper outside, to eat at the patio table, and tethered that big Blue dog to his new 30’ tie out leash. Next thing I knew, the neighborhood children, who’d been playing a few doors down, migrated to the edge of our yard and asked if they could say, “Hi” to Blue. Since he was sitting at the edge of the yard looking longingly at them I said, “Yes”. Next thing I knew the four children had Blue chasing his chewed up soccer ball and runnin’ laps across the backyard. I managed to eat a few bites of supper, here and there. In between I was untangling the leash, checking on the rest of my family inside and quickly explaining to my fry eatin’ boys, that their friends were in the yard to see Blue. He’s Mr. Popular after all. The air is cooler tonight, in a nice way. Refreshing. Not too shivering. April has begun.

December 21, 2011

December 21, 2011

Today is the last day of school for my children before Christmas Break begins. 

That means there are 6,000 things to think of and try to do before they are home and out of school before Christmas. 

Life has been a whirlwind lately, of this, that, and the other, and how I wish I had one more day before their school break. 

As it is, I am helping set up the food in 6th grade at 11:40.

My oldest son volunteered us to bring fudge, which my husband and I made together last night before bed. 

At 1:00 I am helping in 3rd grade, having prepped an animal snowflake craft for 27 students a few nights ago. 

In between now (8:50 a.m.) and 11:40 when I am due at school I am going to eat breakfast, get cleaned up, go to Target, the bank, the grocery store, make one or two more stops and then come home before leaving for school between 11:00 and 11:15.

I will be so ready to be HOME at 3:00 when the school day is done. 

My oldest son has a shopping date with his grandparents. 

Then church tonight. 

I have no idea what’s for supper. 

I ruined supper last night, literally pouring it down the drain on accident. 

The colander lid wasn’t locked onto the saucepan and all the spaghetti noodles slid from the pan into the sink and down the garbage disposal too fast to grab any back and serve ‘em. 

So, instead of spaghetti for supper, my youngest son had a plate of reheated pancakes, my oldest son had two hot dogs and a slice of garlic bread, my husband had an apple turnover and glass of milk and I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cheez-its. 

*sigh*

I am thankful for food to eat and Plan B, that saved the day, once again. 

This is why I haven’t been tumblin’ much. 

Life is busy, in a good way, and I haven’t had time to daydream, the source of poetry. 

At least mine. 

I need time to gaze at sunrises and sunsets. 

Time to listen to the clock tick with nothing pressing that needs to be done NOW!

Those quiet moments in the days ahead aren’t likely, but I’ll do the best I can to find them and savor them when they happen. 

There is lots of Energetic Christmas Is Coming Boy Commotion in my future. 

Lookin’ forward to it. 

Merry Christmas to you…just in case I’m not back before December 25, 2011.

Love,

Janean