a wonderful thing....

You know what is a wonderful thing? Yes, that question has many good answers and I could probably make a whole list. For now, though, I want to talk about my
Vita-mix. When we remodeled the kitchen and had a budget set aside for stocking the kitchen, we researched and decided that we needed a Vita-mix. (maybe "needed" is a tad too strong of a word here, but it's my story!) The price is a little scary at first glance, but we had room to play with in the kitchen budget and we figured it was now or probably never. I really, really wanted one after watching the demo's of all the yummy things it could do. Fortunately, for us it has not been a regret.

I have to admit that it is not a very attractive piece of kitchen machinery. It's also too tall to slide under my top cabinets. However, since I use it so often I have to just let it hang out there on the countertop. (I try to ignore it if I'm not using it)

But what can it do?

It can do many things and I have yet to test them all out. It makes some insanely yummy mocha frappucinos! Also, I've been making fresh applesauce for my breakfast with just two apples and a dash of cinnamon. ;) You can even make piping hot soup using all fresh, whole ingredients!!! Click here to see video demonstrations, if you are interested. However, my favorite thing to make are smoothies. Let check that process out!

Look at this lovely bowl of fruit. I have some grapes, a couple of apples with seeds, an orange, a sliver of lime, a half of a banana and yes, a few baby carrots.

Let's not forget fresh pineapple.

You can add a slice with the core!

I like to add berries to the mix. Since they are not in season, I keep my freezer stocked with a few bags. You don't need to use ice in your smoothie, if you use frozen berries.

I also added a splash of orange juice. You can add a splash of any juice...or not. You can also add yogurt or any other combination of fruit. Whatever floats your boat. (you can even make a V-8 type of juice) Prepping the fruit is very quick and easy. Stems can stay on the grapes, seeds can stay in the apples and cores can stay in the pineapple. This
vita-mix can handle it all!


This is what happened to all that fruit in just a minute. Think about all the yummy vitamins and necessary fiber all loaded in this drink. Four of us shared this particular smoothie....and four of us said, "YUM"!

It's the simple things.....

that make me smile!

Yet another gray day....

Well, I read the forecast and didn't expect anything different. Yet, I was still strangely disappointed to wake up to another gray day. Don't get me wrong...the waking up part was great. Just the having to look out at blah all day was a tad trying on my mental well being!!

Here's our lovely grill looking all sad about the weather. Focus your attention on what's behind the sad grill.

Looks like a little pond in our neighbor's yard. I saw little fishies jumping over there. Ok, not really....but I could see them if they were there.

To make things even more appealing, it was chilly in our school room this morning!

However...

We still managed to get into gear and start school by 8:41!! Two days in a row we have started before 9:00 and both days have been terrific!

Just ask K! Poor thing has a cold, but can still manage a smile while working. Oh...she also decided today was crazy hat day. She wrote it in my planner when I wasn't looking. So, Crazy Hat Day it was. Yes, I even wore a hat....but darn, we didn't take any pictures of that!! ;)

Homeschool Memoirs: Happy New Year!

THEME:
For this week, since I’m quite curious, post about what you did for New Year’s and what your traditions are each year. Have fun!

Oh, well...we are quite boring people when it comes to New Year's Eve. All our older children (adults) were at various parties. My parents came over to play cards for a while, but left well before midnight. K went to bed and Mike and I stayed up til about 1. We actually wound up playing an Eye Spy type computer game together. That was it!!

On New Year's Day we had everyone over for dinner. Keeping things fairly frugal we decided to have a Mexican fiesta. That is in no way a tradition....just the way it worked this year. We had a taco/nacho/burrito bar set up and everyone made what makes them happy. It was a nice time visiting.

Unfortunately, I didn't take one single picture! Maybe next year!! :)

Back to the books....

Even though it's such a grey day,

we are back to the books!

We actually had a wonderful school day!!

CVS trip...

Right before Christmas, I took my CVS gift card and all my Extra Care Bucks and went shopping at CVS. I finished up on all my stocking stuffers and got a few other odds and ends to make the holiday special. Thanks to CVS, I walked out of there with close to $50 in free merchandise. Well, that and they gave me 1 Extra Care Buck!!

Hmm, that sounds like a challenge. With minimal expense on my part, I want to see how that $1 can roll into more ECB!! As long as CVS is still having their deals, I plan to see just how much I can accumulate in the year 2009!

Of course, being an impatient person, I didn't even wait until the clock struck midnight on the 31st! I grabbed a few coupons and headed out.

I picked up Nature's Bounty Vitamin C. It was buy one get one free AND get $3 in ecb's. I decided to hold onto my $1 ecb that I already had for the next deal. So, total out of my pocket was $6.50. It would have been less, but my CVS no longer accepts internet coupons. sigh.... I hope that doesn't last long. I got two bottles of vitamin C and $3 back. A $4 off $20 purchase coupon also printed out.

Next, I bought $21 in Excedrin. Sometimes it is the only thing that will work on my headaches....and the medicine will be good all year. I turned in my $4 off $20 coupon, bringing the total to $17. Then I gave $4 worth of Excedrin coupons, bringing the new total to $13. Next I turned in my $4 in ECB's....bringing my total down to $9. The best part was that I definitely would have purchased that much Excedrin over the year, which would have cost more then $9....plus, they turned around and gave me another $4 off $20 purchase coupon AND $10 ECB's.

So, yes...the trip cost me some money. However, that is expected in the beginning. I probably will not spend that much money on any one trip to CVS for the rest of the year. ;) Total spent out of my pocket.... $15.50 Started with $1 ecb, ended with $10 ecb. I think it's going to be a fun year.

Our newest addition....

...is not a baby!! K had one big wish for Christmas. She has been wanting a Betta fish for over a year and kept asking for a gift card to purchase one. So, on Christmas morning she opened a gift that made her squeal! It was a Webkinz Fish and this special fish was wearing a homemade bowtie made out of a $50 bill!! We told her we would go get the tank and accessories on Saturday and then the fish on Sunday. The weekend could not come soon enough!!

Here is the tank that she picked out with all the accessories. All it needs is a FISH!

And here he is just hanging out in a bag as he acclimates to the water temp of his new home.

Checking out his new place.

Meet Phineas, aka Phin.





Ignore the paper towel....it's covering the mirror until we get a background for his tank. Don't want him to worry about the little fishie in the mirror!!