it seems like years since it's been clear Here comes the sun

When I'm not cooking I'm either digging in the dirt or my fabric stash.

We moved into this house Sept last year and it had 5 built in flower beds, all sadly over grown with grass and weeds. Our move-in inspector was delighted when I asked if I could tear out the grass and put in flowers. Okinawans have an affinity for all things that grow, this island is an interesting mix of city, and jungle trying to reclaim the city while being helped by everyone's balcony or tiny yard gardens (manicured to varring degrees).

I of course had to un pack and get us settled in (during Typhoon season). And winter showed up (mild as they are here I still don't enjoy it). I tried to dig up the grass/weeds by hand, no dice. They had been in for so long (and the soil here so much like clay) that the only way that was happening was with a shovel or pick. I ended up hiring a yard guy to come and dig them up for me. He needed both a shovel and a pick.

Then I was left with 4 ditches running the length of my sidewalk up to my door, with piles of dirt and weeds in the grass in the lawn. I can't imagine how the "yard nazi's" passed up the opportunity to write us up for what I'm sure were several infractions. I can only think that since it looked (slow as it was) like something was happening. Toss in some sick kids and it took me nearly a month start to finish to get these flower beds planted. You can see before and afters (more than what I posted in this post) here (page 4-5 ish for the before of the yard)

I planted things that I already knew tolerated the climate well, and would fill in the beds nicely once established. They still look a little sparce, but it would cost a fortune to fill them in all the way, not to mention, I'd have to go and thin things out too soon.

I bought some flowers from local nurseries and dug others up from a friends yard (they were getting a little over grown at her place). It'll be nice to one day get to plant a garden and just maintain it and not have to worry about what the next person will do with it. Last time we lived here I landscaped (not just flowers, but shrubbery, and decorative grasses, and the like) the entire yard and the next ppl just pulled it all out. Guess they didn't want to be bothered.

For supper tonight we are having BBQ chicken legs A-La the crock pot, rice and steamed greens.

For the Chicken I didn't have any bottled sauce so I made my own
1 bottle of teriyaki sauce
1 can tomato paste
18 oz water (rinsed the bottle out a couple times)
big squeeze of honey
1 Tbs (ish) Gourmet burger seasoning
whisk

pour that over a bag of frozen legs in a crock pot, cook on high from 11 ish to 6ish.
rice in the rice cooker of course.
and greens in cast iron with ham flavor.

We like to eat the chicken on top of the rice, to give it some flavor, and the greens on the side. It's not pretty (or picture worthy) cause after all day in the crockpot it kinda just falls apart. and is orangy/red.

So this long line of cars will never have an end

No fevers, hardly any coughing, and just trace amounts of snot! I almost threw a party!! Instead I spent the day outside, well mostly.

First I drove 41Km (round trip) to pick up my new (to me) table and chairs for outside (this trip took 3 hours, to give you and idea of how much traffic is here on Island). It's a LARGE table (with 2 leaves that fold up and into) and 6 large chairs (2 kids can easily sit in one of these things). The previous owner says it's Teak, but I'm not sure (nor do I care). The stain is starting to rub off, which leaves me with the dilemma of sanding and restaining, or pressure washing and painting. Neither fix is permanent here in the elements, too humid, hot, and sunny. I could also leave it as is (but it's brown, and well, my house is beige with brown accents, and so is every other building on the base) so I'd like to get some color involved. I can't wait to get to have meals on a table outside instead of on a blanket!

Then I did some gardening (I thought this was going to be a quick project, but with the rain and the sick kids it's really dragging out!). Now I'm beat!

SO, for supper tonight, I fed the kids leftover beefy soup. They were not thrilled, too bad. Had they eaten their lunches I'd have fixed them a more substantial supper, but their appetites are still not up, and with plugged noses I'm sure nothing tastes right, so soup it is. As it was they only ate half of what I gave them, and were practically falling asleep at the table. Poor kiddo's!

DH and I had (and really, I almost never fix separate meals for adults vs. children) Rib-eyes, new potatoes, and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots medley. I tossed the potatoes in my cast iorn pan with olive oil, salt, garlic and marjoram. Sprinkled the steaks with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion on one side and on the other a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkling of Gourmet Burger seasoning then grilled on my grill pan. The veg just got steamed in the microwave and then the pan drippings from the steak poured over once plated.

Guess who forgot to take a picture till the food was too mangled to be pretty? Sorry, it was pretty too.

Just imagine the pics (and lighting) I'll get when we start eating outside!!! EEK I can hardly wait.

"The kids don't stand a chance"

I was the only one in the house in the mood for Mexican, so we had more soup. YAY *insert sarcastic look here*. On the bright side, only mild fevers from DS#1 and DD#2 and no vomit inducing coughing fits today!

I was tired of chicken soup so I made beef soup today (and will probably have to eat it for most of the weekend, because there's a pot full).

2 cans mushrooms (not drained)
1 can plain stewed tomatoes
1 can with green peppers stewed tomatoes
1 box beef stock
1lb grd beef 97% lean
1lb frozen broccoli florets (that have been thawed)
1lb lentils
2 cans full of water (rinsed out the tomato cans)
3/4 box full of water (rinsed out the stock container too)
2 packets Saz`on Goya (Coriander & annatto) found in the Hispanic section.
Salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder to taste.

Brown beef in pot, then add everything else, simmer till lentils are tender.
Bring yourself to eat another liquid supper, and promise yourself a nice juice hamburger for lunch tomorrow!

After all that griping it wasn't bad, had a nice beefy flavor, and had a nice balance between the lentils and tomatoes (both can be a bit overpowering in a soup), the mushrooms and broccoli added just enough variety.


On a WAY tangent, I found a new band, and I'm gonna pimp them so avert your eyes if you want.

sometimes my tries, are outside the lines

Not cooking today, finishing off the soup from last night. Cause the kids gobbled it and there's lots. The orzzo soaked up more of the broth overnight so now it's more of a noodle dish with greens. Still yum tho.

The best thing about today, NO FEVERS!! Snot all round still, but it's an improvement, and I'll take it. The kids were felling so much better that I set up the shade tent in the yard, threw out some giant cushions, and lap size quilts and the basket of coloring supplies. While declaring "Stay in the tent, so you don't run around and cough and then puke on your friends." All the kids in the building (we live in a 6-plex) have the same plague as us so I don't feel bad about letting them all play together.

Probably something in the crock-pot tomorrow, I'm feeling Mexican-ish, and I've a ton of errands and that'll be easy.

My sitter took some pics I'll post one later.

edit***** Um yeah, had this all posted, and was feeling good. Then took DS#1's temp, cause he said he felt "funny" guess who's no longer the healthy kid? On the plus side, his big sis is feeling much better, but is there really any point in sending her to school on Fri when she's only been on Mon (and was sent home that day)? I guess she could collect her homework.

Who used a machedy to cut through red tape

Know when you microwave something and you reach in and pull it out but can only get it as far as the counter before setting it down while your hands to the "it's too hot to hold" shake-while you hop dance? That's what it was like getting the baby out of her bed this morning.

Yesterday I called the Dr and they were booked for same day/walk ins. So the nurse called back with "take meds for the fever and comfort for the rest" advise. CHECK, been doing that since Sat. wouldn't be calling you if that were working but whatever.

I get on the phone 5 min before the appointment line opens up so that I would be 1st in line to get an apt today!Good plan right?

Well 35 min later, I'm still listening to elevator music and the occasional recording of "please don't hang up, all of our operators are busy, your call will be answered in the order received". YEAH. As DS#1 (AKA the only healthy child) leaves the house for school I'm throwing clothes on the baby and taking her to the ER. Where I can get glared at for using the Navy as a walk-in clinic (we're Air Force).

It's not my bureaucracy that's messed up so this is not my fault, and really as long as they fix the sick baby, they can glare all they want.

An X-Ray, and WWF style breathing treatment later (she really wasn't digging that mask) along with an assortment of meds we find out she's on the verge of pneumonia. But she drank some apple juice and ate some lunch (first thing to go in her in 24 hrs, she wouldn't even nurse!!) then she slept starting at like 2(ish) pm till (well it's now 948 and she's still asleep). I sent DD#1 (who thankfully hasn't had a fever all day but has been coughing so hard her body aches) up to make sure she was breathing (lol, let the paranoia set in).

I'll be back there tomorrow with DS#2 cause it's a "training day" for my clinic (that never has an available appointment anyway). I'm really tired of the puke inducing cough.

SOOOO, all that to preface tonight's supper.
2 cans chicken broth (thanks to the neighbor, I didn't have time to get to the store, nor did I want to take the lil ones out to the store!!)
1 bag frozen chopped collard greens
1 medium minced yellow onion
1 box orzzo
some water and salt and garlic powder.

saute the onion till nice and golden, then add orzzo, saute till lightly golden, then add greens, and broth and water. season to taste.

Warm and soothing and light, and should puke up nicely later when they start coughing, cause last night's fancy rice and pork chops were tasty but a MESS!

This Little Piggy Stayed Home

3 cups of Rice, 1 can of coconut milk and some water (enough to bring the liquid level up in the rice cooker) a light dash of salt when done.
1lb frozen green beans, 1 Tbs butter, 2 Tbs soy sauce, simmer
4 pork chops, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, curry, just sprinkle a lil on both sides of chops (they should end up with a nice coating of seasoning when you're done). Grill in grill pan

We had soup for lunch so I decided to do a real dinner, the sick kids just pushed it around their plates and didn't eat much. They did insist that it was yummy, they were just coughing so much that they couldn't eat. The one healthy kid ate his quickly.

Called the Dr this morning as soon as the appointment line was open, but they were already booked for the day (how does that happen?). They said the lil ones are too little for anything other than fever meds. So all I can do is try to keep them comfortable. I think perhaps I should bring the crying 1 yr old to their house and let her cry at them all day? DD#1 is staying home again because she is still feverish. I'm counting down till DS#1 gets this, and his teacher told me that 3 kids in his class have gone home due to "stomach bugs", I suppose I get to look forward to that next week?

sick and tired of (my kids) being sick and tired

The car is at the Garage getting things fixed, so that we can buy "Japanese Compulsory Insurance" (JCI) and our car inspected to make sure (well I'm not sure what the inspection is for, the car is like a 1992 so I can't imagine it meets any sort of safety/emissions standards of today). Well the car is OVER THERE, and the neighbor was nice enough to go and get DH and bring him home, just in time for the school nurse to call and let us know that DD#1 has a fever and that we have to come and get her from school.

Have I ever mentioned we're a ONE CAR family? NO?, well we are. So, that's gonna be a neat trick huh? Also, it's less than an hour before school lets out. I'll not point out the stupidity of this.

I call my friend, to see if DH can borrow her car and fetch DD#1 home. I'm not dressed, cause I've been handing out meds to the two little ones that the Snot Fairy visited over the weekend. Turns out she was back last night. I've got a plan for that lady should I ever catch her. It involves the pennies we're not allowed to spend on island, and the one tube sock the washing machine didn't eat. If I tell you more you'll be guilty of some sort of conspiracy.

OH YEAH this is a food blog, I'll not go into the fact that the sick kids are coughing too hard to enjoy the food isn't staying in them long. Let's just go with I cooked something bland so that should we be seeing it later it will be less traumatic.

We went with Fettuccine Alfredo with mushrooms and green peas and a can of stewed tomatoes with basil and oregano. No meat tonight. The baby passed out (thankfully) before supper was finished cooking (she won't starve, have you seen those cheeks!?). Although, why she chose to do it in her chair at the table, I dunno (for those of you who don't know we eat at a Japanese style table and so her "high chair" is one that is supposed to be strapped into a dinning chair, but since we just sit on the floor, it's already the perfect height, and she can get in and out of it on her own, we just attach the tray when needed) ? DD#1 and DS#2 are both sick and so are mostly just picking at their food, but drinking Gatorade by the gallon, DS#1 scarfed his first bowl and went back for more.



P.S. Before I finished typing this up, and DS#1 finished his meal, DS#2 had a coughing fit; and sure enough, I'm thankful for bland food tonight! I'll be sending a bowl up to bed with him! How did that Snot Fairy know I just washed sheets?

The car is all fixed up, and has all the stickers it needs for the next 2 years. I think we might also be looking into buying a second car for while we are here (you can get them for under $1000 when ppl leave the island) and DH just wants one to drive back and forth to work so I can have the one full of car seats (how sweet! LOL).

P.S.S. Any tips out there for how to get my pics to turn out better? I mean I just have a basic camera (and have no desire to get anything else). They just always seem so washed out. I promise my food was not all white with green peas and bits of red! LOL and the lighting in the kitchen is not super bright, when I've tried to take pics w/o the flash it's WAY too dim. ok thanks in advance.