Birthday Boy

When I woke up yesterday and flipped my daily verse to June 7,  I read,
"My health may fail,
and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
He is mine forever."
(Psalm 73:26)

A year ago today, June 8th, things started to go wrong in the hospital.
Before we were discharged two days later, our baby boy had undergone several blood draws,
an echocardiogram test for his heart, an X-ray on his bowels, light therapy for jaundice,
and by far the most upsetting, had been placed on intravenous antibiotics.
He had tested positive for infection from the blood draw (a painful, awkward draw that resulted in skin contamination). Because of hospital policy, he had to be on antibiotics for 48 hours, undergo another blood draw from his tiny chubby arm, and have a clean result before they would release him.
We felt like the hospital owned our baby.
My sister, who was newly pregnant at the time, became determined to have another home birth
when she saw how they made our healthy baby seem so sick.

Of all those awful procedures, the only one he needed was the light therapy.
And my goodness, how he needed that.
When we finally escaped the hospital, I was determined to keep him home, safe with us, away from all tests and procedures and fear.
But he became dangerously ill with jaundice
(it turned out to be breast-milk jaundice, which lasted for 12 weeks),
and he needed another 4 days of hospitalization when he was three weeks old.
I spent a lot of time singing and praying Scripture over him.

I love knowing songs to Scripture.
The verses above sing beautifully,
"God the Lord is the strength of my heart,
He's my portion forever.
Yes the Lord my God is the strength of my heart,
Your nearness, oh God, is my good."

Happy Birthday, Malachi Jude.
May His nearness be your good,
all the days of your life.

Naomi's Almond Bars

  

My wonderful niece Naomi made these for the grad party. People raved about them. The aqua frosting was specially mixed to match Julia's party (we were going for mostly red and aqua). 

Almond Bars

(Recipe has already been modified with reduced sugar amounts, so I wouldn't recommend reducing sugar further)

Crust:

1 cup butter, softened

2 c. flour

1/4 powdered sugar

Cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar until fine and pebbly (I like a pastry blender for this).

Press into 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

Beat ingredients together until very smooth. 

Pour over crust.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (also at 350)

Frosting:

Allow bars to cool.

Beat together:

1 c. powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp. milk (or a little less, depending on how much food coloring you use)

1 tsp. almond extract

Spread frosting on cooled bars. 

I was going to make these this week using almond meal for one cup of the flour in the crust. But we are still lounging around, recovering from the party! It feels great to let the house be messy, and go an entire week without weeding.

Here's what we did this week, besides cleaning up and returning all the stuff we borrowed:

Malachi got proficient at crawling. This means we are on high alert at all times until the gate gets installed (which will be tonight, I hope).

Anna Kate learned the joy of reading short stories. She started with Chronicles of Avonlea, then she asked me about scary short stories. I have quite a list of those, but she can't read them all just yet. I let her read A Rose for Emily, The Most Dangerous Game, The Open Window, Music on the Muscatatuck (my favorite, found here) *, and next I'll look for The Ransom of Red Chief.  Does anyone out there have other suggestions? I won't let her read Poe!

Julia wrote thank-you notes. All done! Thanks to all for your generous gifts, she was so happy.

We are getting ready for Malachi's first birthday tomorrow. I made cupcakes. There were ten cupcakes, and they were so delicious that the girls and I ate nine of them, saving one for Malachi for tomorrow. Then I made a cake. Wow.

*This one isn't scary, maybe one reason why I like it so much.

Carole's Potato Salad

My mom's famous potato salad.
Julia's party menu was very simple: sub sandwiches (she loves subs), chips, fruit, veggies.
Carole's Potato Salad was the only made-from-scratch food at the party, except for the desserts.

Here's what the bowl looked like after the party.
(This is a big Grip-Stand bowl, just like on Downton Abbey!)
We filled it twice, and our 100-plus eaters emptied it twice.

 

Something is missing...

Yep. That's more like it.
Thanks, Mom!

Carole's Potato Salad

5 lbs. potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half (either russet or red are good)

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
scant 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
squirt of mustard (maybe 1 to 2 tsp, definitely less than a tablespoon)
dash of pepper

10 eggs, boiled (bring pot of eggs to boil, turn off heat, keep covered for 15 min., then drain and rinse with cold water)

1/2 c. finely diced onion, soaked in a bowl of water with a dash of sugar and a bit of vinegar
1 jar pimiento-stuffed green olives (10  oz, but you might not use them all)
mayo
2 c. diced celery
optional:  5 chopped green onions, paprika (if you don't use green onions, you may want more regular onion)

Boil potatoes in their skins (this will take about 20 min., depending on the size of potatoes). Check them with a fork to test. My mom is picky, so she lifts them out as they are done, and this way she doesn't get any mushy ones.
Drain the cooked potatoes in the pot, return pot to stove top, and dry out potatoes on very low heat for a few minutes.

While potatoes are cooling, make vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, mustard, pepper (to taste).

Peel potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces. I quarter each potato half, then slice the quarters crosswise.
While you are peeling and slicing the potatoes, boil the eggs.

Place peeled potatoes in a large bowl and pour the vinaigrette over them.


Dice eggs, either by hand or with a good egg slicer. Save a few eggs for garnish.
Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir eggs into potatoes.
Drain the onions: using a strainer, rinse the onions under hot water, shake excess water out, add onions to potatoes.
If using green onions, add them at this time.
Stir in mayo to taste. Depending on your potatoes and how long they've been soaking up the vinaigrette, you'll probably need one to two cups of mayo.
Slice the green olives, using as many as you like, and when you add them to the potatoes, also add a splash of the olive brine.
Refrigerate the salad several hours, or overnight if you have time.

Add celery. Do not add it until shortly before serving, as it can make the salad watery.

To serve:
salt and pepper to taste
add in more mayo if needed
Scoop salad into a beautiful bowl, top with sliced eggs if you like, and sprinkle with paprika.

Grad Party Snapshots

 Centerpieces: vintage jars, driftwood, burlap and old tablecloths.

 The day started with brilliant sunshine.

 Then came wind, rain, and dropping temps. 

 The girls set the tables while I ran to Costco for the cakes.

By the end of the party, the tent was falling down from the high wind.

But by then, almost everybody had gone inside to get warm.

 Polka-dots? No, root beer.

 Root beer on ice in a vintage metal crate.

 I live with neutrals, and my friends all cheer when they see color at my house.

This table was the only one in the garage, and it quickly filled up

with Murphys at one end, and Herbolds at the other.

I love seeing our relatives having a good time.

 Love this verse.

 Old window frame with pictures of Julia.

My girl!