Here is some of our most recent produce production. Since this picture we have harvested some corn as well!
I love summer veggies!
July 15th, 2009
If I could sit down and have coffee with anyone in the world, dead or alive, these are the Top Ten People I would choose:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. – Such a powerful man…if only I could pick his brain for thirty minutes.
- The Obama Family – They seem like a down to earth family that is working hard to make some positive change
- Dr. Seuss AKA Theodor Seuss Geisel – Don’t judge or think I am silly. This man was a genius and I just love his books!
- Bill Cosby – Not only is he funny, but he is smart. In my book, that is quite a combination and worthy of a cup of coffee.
- Anne Frank – I have always been fascinated by the Holocaust, I would love to chat with her.
- Rosa Parks – What was she really thinking on that bus? What would she have to say about the world today?
- Helen Keller – She overcame so many obstacles. I really admire her perseverance and determination.
- Abraham Lincoln – On of our most famous Presidents, yet he still got down on the level of children. Check out this correspondence with Grace Bedell.
- Oprah Winfrey – There are things I like about her and things I dislike, but she has a huge influence on our society. A coffee break might be fun!
- Albert Einstein – This one may seem odd to you, but I have my reasoning. You see, I wouldn’t want to talk to him about his experiments or reasons why he is famous. Instead I would want to talk to him about autism. Some people claim that he was a person with autism that had never been diagnosed. I would love to have coffee with him and see if he had some of the characteristics of ASD.
These are my Top Ten, who would you add to the list?
For those of you interested I have updated my Veggie Patties with pictures. And here is a fun picture of Ms. Mikayla!
How can you resist that smile?
July 14th, 2009
Here is the first in a series of top 10 lists that Ben and I are each posting. I cheated a bit and listed both children and grown up lists.
Children’s movies:
- The Lion King – Makes me think of Africa! Love it.
- Aladdin – This is a magical movie. The genie is my favorite character.
- The Little Mermaid – I am not sure why, but I love this movie!
- Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – Chocolate, candy and fun…who could ask for anything more.
- The Wizard of Oz – A group of people you wouldn’t picture being great friends, but they are. Reminds me of some of my groups of friends.
- Finding Nemo – An underwater adventure filled with laughter and fun!
- Horton Hears a Who – A classic Dr. Seuss movie, my favorite children’s author.
- Mary Poppins – A spoon full of sugar…
- Sandlot – You’re killing me Smalls…a great movie to quote.
- E.T. – This was a favorite as a kid, but I honestly have not seen it since then. We watched it so much, we wore the tape out!
Grown Up Movies:
- Cool Runnings – I used to watch this movie over and over in Emily’s basement…good times!
- Dirty Dancing – Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
- Pretty Woman – I love me some Julia Roberts
- Billy Madison – A classic watched with my dear friend Gretchen. We worked for hours to get the “stair” dance down, never quite got it!
- Shawshank Redemption – A wonderful movie that makes you think.
- Schindler’s List – Just re-watched this one with Ben, really makes you wonder how anyone could be so cruel.
- Hotel Rwanda – I cried very hard the first time I saw this one, and the second, and the third…you get the picture.
- Blood Diamond – I am realizing I have some depressing ones, sorry but I love them.
- Friends (The Series) on DVD – I went through almost the entire series while I was pregnant with Mikayla. Then finished the rest off while nursing her at night. I had it completed by the time she was one month old…is that depressing?
- Grease – I think I can sing every song in this movie! Another classic, must see!
July 14th, 2009
Ben and I are preparing to launch a ten day series of Top Ten Lists. We are working on ten different lists of things about us. If you tune in for each list, by the end you will know more about us than you bargained for! We will start tomorrow with our Ten Favorite Movies. Check back in for all the Top Ten Lists and enjoy the fun.
This has nothing to do with my post, but isn't she cute?
Sleeping Beauty
Two loves of my life!
July 11th, 2009
As many of you may know, my husband and I have a garden in our backyard (check out this for some pictures). We only grow the veggies that we love, so coming up with summer veggie dishes is a breeze! The other night I discovered a new favorite…Veggie Patties. The idea stemmed from this recipe. I altered the recipe to meet the needs of what we had on hand and here was the final result:
- 1/2 pound okra, finely chopped
- 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 jalapenos, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- Cajun seasoning (we didn’t have very much, but I would reccommend adding a generous amount). We like Tony’s.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 egg
- 3/4-1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, mix together the okra, zucchini, onion, jalapeno, seasonings, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornstarch; and stir that into the okra mixture.
- Carefully drop spoonfuls of the okra batter into the hot oil, and fry on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
Veggies all cut up and ready to go!
My wonderful hubby managing the cutting board.
Mixed up and ready for the pan
Finished patties
I completed the meal with summer sausage, steamed broccoli and cornbread. However, these would work nicely as a main dish (I was just nervous they wouldn’t’ be very good)! It was a perfect combination alongside a nice glass of milk. (Mikayla even liked them, a lot better than the stuffed jalapenos she had after the 4th of July!) We warmed them up the next night on the pizza stone in the oven. To my surprise they were just as good the second day. I topped the patties with a little hot sauce.
Almost any combination of veggies could be added to these; however, the best ones would probably be zucchini, okra, squash, eggplant, or any type of peppers. Next time I think I will add more spice to it (Cajun seasoning and hot peppers) and maybe a little fresh garlic. I may even add a little hot sauce to the mix, just to get crazy!
**I will post pictures when I can find my camera cord!
July 8th, 2009
Last week Mikayla was in a good mood and I was in a baking mood so while Ben was sleeping, we ventured to the kitchen to try our hands at a couple of new recipes. There were plenty of blueberries to go around thanks to our Local Farmer’s Market and since bananas lifespan is shorter in the summer we had a bunch of those as well. Fun fact about Beth – I only like green bananas. Once they start getting brown I refuse to eat them – even if it is just a little brown. So needless to say, bananas do not last long in our house. The two recipes I chose to try included both of these ingredients: Loaded Oatmeal Cookies and Blueberry Banana Muffins. We started with the muffins. Here is the recipe that I used. Side note – All Recipes is one of my favorite places to find recipes.
Of course if you know me at all, I had to tweak the recipe a little!! First off I did not have any whole wheat flour so I settled for All-Purpose Flour instead. I tripled the cinnamon and only used two whole eggs (had to save some for the cookies). I also added in a few extra blueberries (their flavor is so good this time of year). I had some peaches that were getting ready to go bad so I cut up a few of those and threw them into the mix, along with a little heavy whipping cream to thin out the batter. Here is the end result:
They were delicious too! The cookies on the other hand…let’s just say they did not turn out as good as the muffins (at first). I can not seem to find the recipe I found on some random cooking blog, but I can tell you that the recipe did not have enough flour. Here is the result of the cookies when I followed the recipe:
They completely stuck to the pan. However, after I added about a cup of extra flour the cookies turned out looking good, I forgot to take a picture though. They were loaded with oatmeal, banana, chocolate and craisins. I was unsure about the combination at first, but in the end I found them tasty! All in all, my baking morning turned into a success!
June 25th, 2009
I have found my niche. For the past three weeks I have been volunteering (and when I say volunteering I mean paying to take a class and work for free as a result) at a program here in Bowling Green geared towards working with individuals with autism (ASD). The program is called the Kelly Autism Program, or KAP as the participants fondly call it. This is a place that people all over the nation and world are looking at as a model for helping those with ASD. At KAP students Kindergarten through college are encouraged to be themselves and learn coping skills to manage and deal with their disability. Although I have had to leave my sweet baby every morning for the last three weeks (and three more in July) I feel the experience has been very worthwhile.
For those of you who don’t know, I am currently finishing up a second masters in Exceptional Education (Moderate and severe disabilities) with an Autism certificate. I have loved this masters and learned so much from it. The past two years I have had the priveledge of working with an individual with classic autism. I have learned so much from this student and even found a passion in working with individuals with autism (thus my second masters). I have found my niche! I have always known that I wanted to teach, and have loved every minute (well almost every minute) since I started almost five years ago. However, it wasn’t until this summer, actually this past week, that I feel like I have truly found my niche. I love, love working with students with special needs, specifically autism and feel like I have the skill base to do so effectively. They have so much to teach me and have such a passion for life. They live life to the fullest and don’t care what others think! It is amazing.
Unlike most of my friends, I have always been confident in my job. Several years ago we were in a small group of “young married” couples, all of who seemed to reach a transition point in their lives at the same moment. People were shuffling jobs, moving to new places or just beginning their careers. Throughout this entire time I seemed to be the only one who enjoyed their job and knew they were “in the right place”. I still love my job and have confidence in it, but now I can see a different future with my job. Maybe not tomorrow or ten years from now, but one day I will work daily with individuals with special needs and I will love it as much as I love teaching kindergarten. I have found my niche and couldn’t be happier!
June 20th, 2009
Does anyone else out there like shopping at the Farmer’s Market? I absolutely love it. Fresh fruit and veggies, homemade breads and goodies, dog biscuits, crafts, cheese, coffee…the list could go on. I try and attend the Farmer’s Market here in Bowling Green by the Medical Center on a weekly basis. (However, with Mikayla my track record hasn’t been so hot! We typically make it each week, but by the time we get there it is close to closing and the top picks are mostly gone.) That being said I wanted to offer up some Farmer’s Market tips for anyone thinking about venturing out to one.
1. Spread the wealth. There are a ton of marketers at each market and each one worked hard for their product. Don’t spend all your money at one vendor.
2. Check it out before you begin shopping. I typically stroll down the aisle of vendors once before I begin making purchases. By doing this I am better equipped at spreading the wealth!
3. Take cash. Sure some vendors will accept checks, but cash makes the transitions quicker and more efficient. Plus, you will know exactly what you are spending.
4. Pre-order. Some vendors will actually do pre-orders. Here in BG there are actually two that do: O’Daniel Farms and Au Naturel Farms. Pre-ordering saves you time and ensures that you get exactly what you want.
5. Shop the market first. Since Farmer’s Markets only sell what is in season at the time it is best for you to shop at the market and then head to the grocery store for anything you didn’t get.
6. Get there early! This is perhaps one of the best pieces of advice. Farmer’s Markets do not have an unlimited supply of products, once they run out they are out. If you don’t show up until thirty minutes before the market closes, you will probably not find much produce (trust me I know from experience).
7. Talk to the farmers. They are a wealth of information. Plus once you get to know them they might cut you some deals! Everyone loves a good deal. If I am having trouble with my garden at home or just have a gardening question, I know I can talk to the farmers at the market and get the questions answered.
Can you tell I love shopping at the Farmer’s Market? I hope Mikayla wakes up soon so we can head out there today!
June 17th, 2009
Hello blogging world! Since I follow several (and by several I mean lots) of blogs, I thought it was only appropriate that I start a blog of my own. So…here it is! What do you think? I am not much of a writer and I stay pretty busy, so I can’t make any kind of promises as to how often I will blog. That being said, let me explain my blog title: A Sugar-Mamma’s Thoughts. The title was a joint effort by my husband and I. Here is the explanation:
Sugar-Mamma – I teach kindergarten and love it! Wouldn’t trade my job for anything. My husband stays at home with our baby. Thus making me his Sugar Mamma.
My sweet kiddos at Christmas time!
Sugar – I love to cook and hope to share some of my passions with the blog world.
Mamma – This one is pretty obvious. I am a mother to a beautiful 7 week old baby girl. Mikayla Lillian Kickert! We think she is the most beautiful thing in the whole world, but we are her parents. Judge for yourself. I am also a “mamma” to our dog Shiloh. She is a rescue from the Humane Society, and in my opinion the best dog ever.
My wonderful husband and Mikayla
Mikayla
My other baby, Shiloh
Thoughts – I plan on including anything else random under this category.
I am glad you stopped by my blog. Check back soon for some of my ramblings!