Salmon Patties

I have been wanting to make these for a long time, but I finally did make them today.  I had bought some chunks of salmon from the Mexican market a couple months ago.  I made some salmon chowder with them, but nobody liked it.  So I still had several pounds in the freezer and decided to take some out and try these salmon patties.  They turned out SO delicious and were quite easy to make.

I chopped up about 1 lb of salmon into little chunks and mixed with 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs (Italian seasoned), 2 eggs, 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1 T of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon Chalula hot sauce, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, salt and pepper.  I mixed that all up and made into patties which I then coated in more bread crumbs on a little plate.

I fried these in about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet - several minutes on each side until golden brown.

They are very yummy!!!

The Sports Saga Continues

Yesterday, my son had an MRI and then an appointment with his Orthopedic Surgeon.  Although they are still not absolutely certain what his injury entails, they believe it is a bruised nerve in his shoulder.  He has regained almost all of his range of motion, however, there is a lot more pain.  He also has diminished strength in his deltoids and triceps.  Every few days, his shoulder does seem to improve, but there is still a good deal of pain - it just comes about 5 minutes AFTER moving or using it a lot.  After reading some more information, I still believe it is a bruised nerve and that the nerve gets "riled up" when he uses it and then responds by flaring up with pain.

We go back to the ortho in 2 weeks, at which time he is hoping to be cleared to play the last 3 games of the season.  Right now, he is in too much pain to play, but we are hoping two more weeks will see that pain eased.

So, what do we "sports moms" do?  We support our children even through their many injuries, we encourage them as much as possible, provide the nutrition they still need even when sidelined, and be there for them when they need us.  Our role doesn't really change, just the different ways we fulfill it.  We love our kids and want them to fulfill their dreams, whatever they may be!

Would you like an opportunity to help fulfill some of those dreams with a $100 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card?  I thought you might, so go over to my main "Sports Mom" post and leave a comment for your chance to win!

More Ups and Downs of Being a Sports Mom

I though I might update you all on our sports journey these last couple weeks.  My son's MCL injury to his knee healed pretty quickly and he only missed one game.  He played the second half of the next game and all but a few plays of the third game.   However, near the end of that game, he got hit hard on the shoulder.  He experience pain for a few minutes, but it went away and he continued to play.  After the game, he realized that he could not lift his left arm at all.  There was no pain, but he couldn't lift his arm.  It took until Tuesday afternoon to get him in to see the orthopedic surgeon and he was completely perplexed.  The lack of pain made it impossible to diagnose the injury.  So he has ordered an MRI.  Unfortunately, it takes 7-14 days to get insurance approval for an MRI, so we are waiting.

I am happy to say that in the meantime, he has slowly regained used of his arm.  He can now lift it up over his head, still with no pain.  It is not quite normal -he says it takes extra effort to lift it - but we are greatly encouraged with the progress.  He has another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Thursday and we are hoping he is released to play for this Friday's game, which is the Homecoming Game.  Perhaps we will be able to forgo the whole MRI.

If you haven't yet entered, go to the original post here and leave a comment for your chance to win $100 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card.

If you are a sports mom.....

Cody is #56

If you are a sports mom, you understand the ins and outs of injuries.

If you are a sports mom, you are excited and worried every time your child has a game.

If you are a sports mom, you try very hard to make sure to provide your child with the nutrition he/she needs.

If you are a sports mom, you sacrifice your time to help with team activities.

If you are a sports mom, you will understand the frustration I am experiencing because my son is AGAIN dealing with an injury.  Doctors visits today to find out why he cannot lift his left arm.  Praying for something simple, that they can "pop" back into place or something like that.

If you are a sport mom, you need to come over and comment on The Ups and Downs of Being A Sports Mom to get your chance to win $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods!!

Don't Miss Your Chance to Win $100 to Dick's Sporting Goods!

I am giving away a $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods over here.  Come read about The Ups and Downs of Being A Sports Mom and enter to win!!

Our First Varsity Football Game

Last night, Cody played in his first official Varsity Football game!!  Wow, how much different the varsity games are from the Freshmen and JV!  It is SO much more exciting with the bands and cheerleaders, as well as the huge difference in attendance, even at an away game!  We didn't get the win, but the game was still fun!

This was actually the second game of the season, but the first game Cody was able to play because of his knee injury a few weeks ago.  He didn't play much in the first half, but he played most of the second half and did a good job on both defense and offense.  He even recovered a fumble by the other team for his team!

He came away from the game with a swollen and bruised elbow, as well as an extremely sore knee - so we did lots of icing last night and this morning.  Still sore today, but better.  He had practice this morning to review the film from the game and to do some running.  Now he can rest and relax the rest of today and tomorrow.  However, he still has practice on Monday - even though it is a holiday!!!!  Just doesn't seem fair, but I know the coaches are serious about getting their team to a place where they can win a game.

Such is life for the serious athlete!

The Ups and Downs of Being a Sports Mom and a GIVEAWAY!!

 As those of you with children in sports know, these sports can become all-consuming, especially as they advance into high school sports.  To read more and to enter the giveaway for $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods, click here.

A Great Use for Pillsbury Refrigerator Biscuits

As you should know by now, I try to make everything from scratch as much as possible.  There are some things I just can't keep up with to make from scratch.  One of those things is biscuits.  I am not a great baker (except for bread and I never mess with the recipe:-), so things like biscuits take me too much time and hassle to make from scratch.  I have done it several times, but the results just aren't worth the effort.  Perhaps if I had someone who could come and show me how to do it, I might have better success than just reading a recipe.

So I watch for sales on Pillsbury Grands Biscuits and use coupons to get them for $1 or less each.  However, I just found out that you can make donuts, like the ones at the Chinese buffets, with these biscuits.  All you do is heat up about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees and then drop the biscuits whole or cut into 4 pieces (cook more quickly this way) into the oil.  Turn them over when you see them begin to brown and wait a few more moments.  Remove from oil, drain on paper towel and then toss in a  paper bag with some sugar in it.  Oh my, these are SOOOOOO good!

We decided they were WAY too easy to make - might become a problem for our waistlines!!  And there are none left to take pictures of since they were eaten so rapidly.  I like to use the Grands Jr. biscuits for this and just cut them in half. 

Have you come across any novel uses for Pillsbury Grands Biscuits?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Football Season in Full Swing

This week marks the "official" beginning of football season.  I put that in quotes because they have been practicing almost daily since about the first of April!!!  I have been very impressed with some of the changes the coaches have made this year and am excited for the games to begin!  Yes, I am a FOOTBALL MOM!!!  I get out there and scream with the best of them:-)

This week, as they have begun wearing helmets and then full pads, the temperatures have once again risen to over 110 degrees, even reaching 116!!  It is amazing to me that these boys are so used to the temps that they are able to practice full out for 2 1/2 to 3 hours in this blazing heat!  THAT is good conditioning!  However, hydration is ALWAYS a concern and now more than ever.  And the amount of calories that need to be consumed is very high as well - somewhere around 6,000-7,500 per day.  Ok, that is ALOT of cooking that I need to do:-)

I believe they have their first scrimmage either tomorrow or next Friday and the games begin on August 26th.  Yes, it will still be scorching hot for the first 6 or so games and sitting in the bleachers is a test of our heat endurance, too:-)

Cody is #56 this year and is starting as Defensive End and also playing backup Center on offense.  He is in the best shape of his life and can run like never before in his life.  So this should be an exciting season!   Plus, we get the extra entertainment of Marching Band and Cheerleaders - woohoo!  GO WARRIORS!!!

Football Camp Time

Yesterday morning, my son was off to his first varsity football camp!  They are up in Snowflake, AZ where the temps are beautiful (70s-80s) and the elevations is between 6,000-7,000ft.  They are planning to hold 3-4 practices each day!!!  I sure hope they have ALOT of good, nutritional food to feed all those boys!!

Ok, I am having a hard time not worrying about him:-)  But I guess that is a mom's job!  I sent some granola bars and Powerades with him, but I worry that he will not eat enough, drink enough, get hurt, etc.  I just keep on praying for him and putting him in God's hands....again.

If you have a son who is into football or another high intensity sport, you need to be sure that he takes in enough calories to sustain the level of activity.  I read a fantastic article a while back that really helped me to see how high his caloric intake should be and what it should consist of as far as protein, carbs, etc.  Here is a link to Fueling for Football, if you are interested.

A New Year with TOS Crew Reviews!!

A new year is about to start - check this out for more info about upcoming reviews!!

Tote Bags from Recycled Pet Food Bags

 I made one of these from a dog food bag a while back, but today I finally got around to using my chicken feed and cat food bags.  They are lined and ready to use!

What do you think?  Do you think these would sell?  Or are they just something I appreciate with my frugality?  I'm curious to know your opinions.

Honeydew Agua Fresca

Some of you may not know what agua fresca is, so I am going to share.  Agua means water and fresca means fresh....but agua frescas are something totally different.  In Mexico, they sell these on the street corners from large glass or plastic containers and they come in a wide variety of flavors including melon, honeydew, strawberry, mango, pineapple, jamaica (hibiscus flower) and more.

Yesterday, my hubby wanted a melon agua fresca so we stopped by Pro's Ranch Market (local Mexican grocery store) where they make and sell them fresh.  He enjoyed it so much that today I thought I would try to make some out of the cantaloupe or honeydew that I had sitting on the counter.

First, I decided just to throw the cut up melon into the blender with a little water.  However, it didn't taste quite right, so I decided to look up some recipes for aguas frescas.  Well, guess what the secret ingredient is?  LOTS of sugar!!!  Oh no!  That makes them not so healthy!  So I just added A LITTLE sugar and it turned out very yummy and refreshing.

So, now you have learned something new about life in Mexico!

Spanish Grammar In Review

This is the book we will be using for Spanish 2 this year.  It looks like a great tool for mastering the rules of Spanish grammar and increasing fluency for the kids.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pasta....Yummmmm!

Now that summer is officially here:-), I am doing some things that have been put off for far too long.  I still have to run my kids to things almost every day, but since we are down to just a little Geometry and History for school (have to finish some things that we got behind on), I have several hours of time that I am not used to having each day.  So one of the things that I really wanted to do for a long time is to make pasta.

Several years ago, I bought an Italian pasta machine (hand crank variety) with spaghetti and fettuccine cutters at a thrift store for about $4.  I have wanted to use it many times, but I have never had a large enough time slot to get it all done (takes 3-4 hours).  So today I pulled out my pasta machine and looked up a good whole wheat pasta recipe and began.  It took me a few tries to get the hang of the pasta machine, but I figured it out and made a huge batch of pasta!!  For lunch, I just boiled some of the noodles and tossed with some spaghetti sauce.  And for dinner, I cooked some more of the pasta and tossed with some Chipotle Chicken Sausage, broccoli, onions and olive oil.  It was very yummy - even my kiddos said it was awesome!

Here is the recipe that I used for the pasta:

3 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground, of course)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
8 eggs
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of olive oil
water (I used about 1/2 cup)

Since I have an awesome Bosch mixer, I just threw all the ingredients (except water) into the mixer and turned it on.  Then I added water about a tablespoon at a time until it came together as a stiff dough.  I wrapped it in a damp towel and just took off about a fist full for each batch of pasta (more than that got too long to handle).

I ran the dough through my pasta machine once on each setting 1 through 6 and then sent it through the cutters.  Then I laid it all over my table to dry, turning it as the top got dry so that the other side would dry, too.  I need one of those clothes drying racks to set on my table to hang the pasta on.  Note to Self:  watch for one at yard sales and thrift stores:-)

I still have enough for about one more portion of pasta and it is thoroughly dried now, so I can just throw it in a ziploc and keep until ready to use.

All in all, I would say it was a great success!  I will definitely do it again sometime soon!  And I want to make gnocchi again soon, too.

June Already???

Wow, this year is really flying by!  I can hardly believe it is already June.  For the most part, we are done with school for the year.  Just a little Math and History to wrap up through the summer.

Summer football weight camp has already begun and next week begins wrestling weight camp and summer dance intensive for my daughter.  So summer will still be busy, just a little less so without school to do.

It is hot already, but I know it will get much worse:-)  This week is right at 100 degrees for the high - not too bad yet..... 

We don't have any big plans for the summer this year, but we may try to make another trip to PA to help move Joe's mom into his brother's house.  Don't know if that will actually happen or not.

So what do you have planned for this summer?  Anything fun and exciting?  Please share!

Awesome Snake Cake for Biology Co-op Final Class

Last Friday, we met for our final Biology Co-op Class of the school year and I wanted it to be a celebration.  So, Alissa and I made a snake cake!  We made it from 2 bundt cakes cut in half and placed together to give the wiggly snake form. Then I carved the head and tail and we decorated it with orange, green and yellow frosting.  The tongue is a stick of gum and the eyes are Smarties.

I think the students enjoyed the snake cake and we had a Sponge Bob pinata for the Spanish Co-op Class celebration complete with some Mexican candies, as well as some regular pinata filler candies.

TOS Review: Yesterday's Classics

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be—
I had a mother who read to me.                             —Strickland Gillilan

I believe that homeschoolers can never have too many books and there will always be a list of books you wish you had had the time to read with your children.  Just looking through the list of the 225 ebooks from Yesterday's Classics has given me a long list of books that I wish I had known about when my children were young.  

To read more, click here.

TOS Review: Nutrition 101

If you know me or have read my blog for very long, you know that I am very into healthy eating and living.  Over the past 10 years, I have tried to move my family towards eating whole foods, eliminating refined sugar and cooking from scratch.   I also make all of my own cleaning products and many of my health and beauty products, including soap and shampoo bars.  To read more, click here.

The Beauty of Spring in the Desert

 My husband has been working diligently on the yard and getting all the greenery "tamed" (trimmed, watered, etc.)  And this is one of the prettiest times of the year when so many things are blooming, so I thought I would share.

The archway is covered in a vine they call cat's claw and it has beautiful yellow flowers all over it right now.

This is the bloom on a plant that just appeared and has huge leaves (almost like elephant's ear).  We don't know what it is, but it sure is large and interesting!

Here are a few pics of our roses - we have yet to prune them and get them all in shape, but they bloomed nonetheless and are beautiful.