And for today...

Thought of the day; "Castor oil, shmastor oil."

Plan for the day; ~Go to scheduled PREnatal appointment.

Prayer for the day; "Dear Lord, I have learned my lesson. You have made it clear that I need to learn some humility. I will do so. Now please, oh, please let me have a baby. Amen."

XOXO,
Joce

Baby update

There is no baby yet.
I mean, not one you can see and hold and dress in cute clothes.
So, unless the baby comes tonight or tomorrow (which would really be hilarious because of how much Joe has worried that that might happen) (because Saturday is Opening Day of Shotgun Season, that's why) I think I will pull a Pamela and have a few shots of the baby-producing Castor Oil on Sunday before church.
Shots before church sounds fun to a 41 week pregnant lady, ok?
Ok. So I plan to miss the dinner afterward. And the dedication of the new blue chairs with padded seats for the fellowship hall. Which, is too bad because I appreciate a good padded folding chair.
But anyway, my doctor has been acting all concerned that I am overdue, or "postdates" as they like to say. (I am not concerned, in case you don't know that about me. I do not allow myself to become concerned until 42 weeks, or the baby gets distressed, or HUGE, not me, the baby- I have obviously come to terms with me being huge.) Anyway.
So I was at my pain-in-the-butt (but necessary, for once, because the baby hadn't moved for like 10 hours, and I was starting to feel the worry) Non-Stress Test and the nurse/midwife let it slip that my dear doctor is going on vacation next week. Ah. "Now I see," said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw. My doctor is concerned because she wants me to have the baby before she arrives in a tropical climate, or goes to see family for Thanksgiving, whichever.
So anyway. I am getting sick of the over-concern about my postdates status and the constant NST's. They scheduled me for another one on Monday, because I would not agree to being given the pitosin on Monday. So they punish me by tying me to a machine for a half an hour. And that is the appropriate time-out for an almost thirty year old. So I know that's what it is- time out.
So, I will give myself the Castor Oil and try to avoid the drug-pushers' dose of pitosin and then the resulting epidural, because I am a wimp and pitosin hurts. I know because my friends told me.
My plan is to not get to the hospital until I am past the point getting the epidural so I will be sure to skip it this time.
Anyway, my mother-in-law is babysitting my kids today, so that's why my post is so long. But, I really need to sleep since I didn't get much last night, because my baby WASN'T kicking me hard and keeping me awake. So I stayed up to worry instead. And pee. I stayed up to pee.
XOXO
Joce

Vote over there on the right...

Please take a moment to guess the gender and date of birth for Baby Rebisz.
XOXO
Joce

Movie recommendations, and other things.

My librarian recommends good movies.
Twice, anyway. (She's two for two.)
1. August Rush
2. The Ultimate Gift
Now, I have passed these recommendations on to you. Enjoy.
Here is an un-recommendation:
Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. The movie is fine until the last 5 minutes. Talk about anti-climactic. Joe and I looked at each other and said in unison- "That's it?"


And now, I must also recommend a book.
I am reading it in the morning like a devotional even though it's not really written as one.
"A Simple Christmas: A Faith-filled Guide to a Meaningful and Stress-free Christmas"
by Sharon Hanby-Robie.
So far I have been inspired to focus on making Christmas holy, and I also like her reference to Buy Nothing Christmas a Mennonite thing from Canada.


Well, I have enjoyed this brief sit-down with you, but now I must clean the playroom before SuperWHY ends.

XOXO
Joce

I guess I'm considered famous....

http://thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/11/08/lifestyles/6089758.txt

I am so psyched to be in the paper. Giddy even. I think it's really really really fun to be in the paper. Let me be more specific- I really like being in the lifestyles section of the paper, there are other sections that would not be as fun. Pamela is famous too.

So, because I need to, I have been sitting down a lot lately. And, while I sit, I crochet. I have made 4 hats and 2 scarves. Now, I am going to try some stuffed animals. Brilyn loves the things filled with corn that you can put in microwave and snuggle for warmth, do you know what things I mean? Anyway, we have a grey fleecey one that she calls "Kitty." I am going to make her a crochet kitty and fill it with corn.

And then I'm going to make Cade a doggy in a like manner.

And then? Who knows. I may be done sitting by then. Oh wait, I will be doing a lot of sitting as I nurse a newborn. We'll see if I can crochet and feed a baby at the same time. Who knows?

XOXO
Joce

And, while you are reading articles, you may want to check this one out over at Kara's.

And also, check out this link on the swine flu.

Okay, now I'm done, and that's because I have nothing more to say, and also because my applesauce is done taking its hot water bath. Sheesh. I need a hot water bath. Do I really treat my applesauce better than I treat myself? LOL

New Family Member

It's a.....barn cat!

(Sorry I couldn't resist that title. It is my 200th post, so I wanted it to seem momentus.)

We have been adopted by a small gray wild cat.
He/she let us know we are her people today by leaving a decapitated, disemboweled mole on the floor in Clara's stall. This is a happy time, really, because we have had some trouble with the rodents chewing holes in our feed bags. That is a pain in the boot-ay.
I don't like cats, but wild ones that kill rodents in my barn are okay. I will be happy to reward such good behavior with some milk. But I won't like cats. I just wanted to make that clear. Because one time we had some cats that somebody gave us (as a gift, even, and I gave them away. And that's because I don't like cats. I don't like cat food, it is weird and stinks. I don't like kitty litter, it is weird and stinks. I don't like cat hair, it is itchy and stinks.

Anyway, my people are home, and my heartburn is reduced, so I am going to go lie down and maybe sleep?

XOXO
Joce

Pregnant lady craving...

complete with recipe.

I decided on Sunday that I wanted some Orange Julius. Really wanted some. So I found a recipe in a  Hannah Swenson murder mystery novel (Peach Cobbler Murder) by Joanne Fluke, found the Dream Whip (I had never heard of this stuff before, it's by the pudding) in Super Wal*Mart and voila-

Fake Orange Julius

3 C Orange Juice
1 envelope Dream Whip (the kind that makes 2 cups)
1 package vanilla pudding (the kind that makes 2 cups)
3 more C O.J.

Blend 3 C o.j. with Dream Whip and pudding mix for 2 minutes.
Stir in 3 more C o.j. Yield: 2 quarts.
Serve over ice, or do like I do and blend the ice right in.

Update: August 2010
3 C OJ
8 ice cubes
1/4 C instant vamilla pudding
2 T instant whipped topping


We used to get Orange Julius at the Amsterdam Mall on Sunday afternoons. They were yummy then and they are yummy now. And, look at that- a serving of fruit. LOL. They must be good for you.
XOXO
Joce

PS This just in from field correspondent Brilyn- "SLURRRRRRRRP. This stuff is soooooo good."

Things to do with milk...

Because I own a cow, I have a lot of milk to deal with on a regular basis.
And I get tired of mozzarella and ricotta. So here is a brainstormed list of some of the other relatively useful and easy things I sometimes remember to do with the milk.
Lemon cheese
Cheddar cheese curds
Yogurt
Kefir
Cream cheese
Evaporated milk
Pudding
Hot chocolate in large quantities
Ice cream

I would like to share a new chocolate pudding recipe I developed yesterday.

Rich Chocolate-Almond Pudding
In a medium saucepan, combine:
1 C raw sugar
1 C dutch cocoa
1/4 C corn starch
Add 5 cups milk, turn heat on medium/low.
Add 2 beaten eggs by whisking in a steady stream.
Heat till bubbly and thickened, stirring almost constantly, until you can feel the spoon dragging on the bottom. Maybe 5 minutes?
Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon almond extract. Pour into serving bowl to set, and serve warm or cold with fluffywhip (aka real whipped cream).

Kids will eat it, but I really made
XOXO
Joce
it for me.

Cream Cheese Recipe

I believe I have perfected my cream cheese recipe:

Recipe works with up to 2 gallons of milk.

In a stainless steel pan, bring milk (nice fatty milk- add a little extra cream if you have it) to 70 F.

Mix in 1/8 t mesophilic A and 1/8 t mesophilic M culture powder, thoroughly, stirring for about 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 C cool tap water, stirring in a plunging motion for about 15 seconds.

Let it set at 70 degrees for 24 hours. I keep it in my living room on top of my entertainment center- my woodstove keeps it at about 70 degrees there.

Cut curds into 1 inch cubes, pour into fine cheesecloth (butter muslin)-lined colander. Make a bag by tying the corners of the cheesecloth together, and let the cheese hang until it stops dripping, about 6 hours.

Salt to taste, mix well, and store in fridge for up to a week.

This is a cultured, raw milk cheese. Very good for you.
Yum.

XOXO
Joce

Time marches on...

Sister cries out, from her baby bed. Brother runs in with feathers on his head. Mama's in her room learnin how to sew. Daddy's drinkin beer listenen to the radio. Hank Williams sings Kaw-Liga and Dear John. Time marches on, time marches on.

Sister's using rouge and clear complection soap. Brother's wearin beads and he smokes alot of dope. Mama is depressed barely makes a sound. Daddy's got a girlfriend in another town. Bob Dylan sings like a Rolling Stone. Time marches on, time marches on.

South moves north, North moves south. A star is born, a star burns out. The only thing that stays the same is everything changes, everything changes.

Sister calls herself a sexy grandma. Brother's on a diet for high cholesterol. Mama's out of touch with reality. Daddy's in the ground beneath the maple tree. As the Angles sing an old Hank Williams song. Time marches on, time marches on. Time marches on, time marches on. Time marches on. Time marches on.

You need some of this pumpkin bread.

It'll cure what ails you.

Jocelyn's Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

Mix together:
2 C sourdough starter
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 C milk
1/2 C oil
16 oz. pumpkin puree
Sift together:
2 C flour
1 C vanilla pudding mix
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t cloves

Mix sifted dry ingredients into the sourdough mixture until well blended, but not smooth.
Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy the pumpkin-y goodness as the bread bakes and also when you get to finally eat it.

XOXO
Joce

What I've been up to....

These are not necessarily in chronological order.

1. I am proud to announce that my white bread took 1st place, my strawberry preserves took 2nd place, and my molasses cookies took 3rd at the Genesee Country Village Agricultural Society Fair.

2. We butchered pig on Columbus Day- it was a successful endeavor.

3. Our party was great. Hanna won the apple recipe with her apple cake recipe which she should post in her comments here, and Kara came in second with a caramel apple pie, the recipe for which she should post on her blog and linky up here. They both received prize bags with a loaf of the aforementioned prizewinning white bread, a jar of the preserves, and a bottle each of strawberry and peach wine.

4. We bought a new-to-us mini van. A 2005 Toyota Sienna. This is a nice little story about trusting God and waiting on the Lord, so I will share it. Last year, we wanted a mini van. So we tried to sell our Jeep. No one wanted to buy the Jeep. We found a nice little Honda Odyssey in our price range- still no one wanted to buy our Jeep. Now, we could have erred on the side of excess and bought the van anyway. But, instead, we took it as God saying, "wait." And so we did. A couple of weeks ago, we thought that it might be time for us to have a van now that our family is about to expand. We put our Jeep on craigslist, sold it almost immediately, and found a mini on craigslist that we were able to buy the same day! And- they that wait upon Lord shall have power doors, leather interior, and heated seats.

5. MOPS convention. It was great, but I was grumpy from sitting on my butt for long periods of time and then walking like four miles to get from place to place INSIDE the resort. Yes, resort. That was cool. It was the Gaylord Opryland, and I would recommend it. Highly.
And, God had things to say to me even through my airplane induced swollenlegandfeet grump I had on.

6. Hats. I have crocheted two super cute earflap hats for my kids. Check out the links section here and go to the earflap hat pattern link and see the hat pattern I used. I will post pics of my own at a later date.

7. We started using our woodstove in the last week. I really love our woodstove. Oh! And remember all the smoke troubles we had last year? Well, we added about 8 feet of pipe to the roof and so far, so good. We ordered 7 cords of wood, and have seven more on the way.

8. Our first was this week- October 11th. I pulled all the onions and peppers and pumpkins that were left in the garden, and still have beets, parsnips, carrots, broccoli, and brussel sprouts out there. I'll let you know how those fair.

9. And last night, I did a cheesemaking workshop at the LeRoy Library- and it was awesome! We made lemon cheese and mozz.

10. I forgot my best friend's birthday- twice. How do you even do that? Well, her birthday was on Monday and I forgot that, so she said if it would make me feel better I could pretend that Friday was her birthday. Well, today's Thursday and I so have not sent out a card or gift yet. S0 I suck. So.....sorry Kara that I suck as a BFF.

Well, that's all I can think of for now, I may add to this post as I think of things of interest.

XOXO
Joce

PS I am looking for two things: local sweet potatoes, and a cast iron tea kettle to put on my woodstove to humidify my home.

Winds-day, or a rather blustery day today.

I need to have a pity party, so consider yourself warned. There is no pep here today. Not being able to drink these last 7 months has really sucked. There have just been too many days when I really c ould use a drink or 7, and I can have what...2 ounces of red wine? It's not cutting it folks. Not that I need alcohol to drown out my sorrow, but it sure would be helpful today.
It's my mom's birthday. I am just sad today. Tears are just behind my eyeballs every second. It's giving me a headache.
I have a plan though- we are having a birthday party today. With from-a-box Funfetti cake complete with from-a-can pink vanilla Funfetti frosting along with some from-a-carton peanut butter swirl vanilla ice cream. Brilyn helped me shop yesterday. My kids have a great attitude about celebrating Gramma Janet's birthday even though she can't come because she's in heaven. Their joy at celebrating her birthday is helpful in keeping me from wallowing in tears all day.
But my eyes are still sad and want to cry.
I also have a sucky job today.
My brother gave me my mom's cell phone (that's a super secret, don't ask for the number, I don't like cell phones ( I think they're the devil), but since I could have a baby at any second, I thought it was a good idea, also, my brother and dad and sister can call me from their cell phones for free, so I took the cell phone.) to use and guess what? Her voice is still in there. She says, "You have reached Janet's cell phone," or something like that. And so I have the responsibility of changing that message. And I don't want to. So I said I would do it the night of her birthday, just in case anyone wanted to call it one last time and hear her voice during the day.
I need a few shots to be able to do that I think. And The Maker's Mark is off limits to me.

Even Solomon knows:
Proverbs 31:4-6
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts."

So, I will make a cake and eat some ice cream and make my morning coffee like this:
4 ice cubes
1 cup half and half
2 t instant coffee
2 t dutch cocoa
2 t raw sugar
1 t vanilla
generous amount of Irish Cream
Blended till smooth.

Talk about a slightly different take on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. LOL. Ooops- that's a joke and I am supposed to be having a pity party. Well, a bit of humor is probably a good thing today, even if it doesn't fit the theme.

Well, I feel a bit better after having taken the time to give full awareness to just how sad I am.

XOXO
Joce

Cheeses loves me

Here's a glimpse into the way my mind works.
Joe was reading a bedtime Bible story to our dear sweet babies.
As he read, this is what I heard, "We know God loves us because He gave us cheeses."
Amen.
I am all about the cheeses. Especially sharp cheddar, that's how we know He loves us a LOT.

And one more mildly entertaining story. Last night was open house at Jackson School where Joe works as a fourth grade teacher on the third floor.
One of the parents came up to Joe and told him this story:
The Boy Scouts meet at the school at night in the art room in the basement. The scout leader was talking about some serious topic and mentioned the "big guy upstairs." One of the second graders thought a moment, raised his hand, and asked, "Do you mean Mr. Rebisz?"

For clarification, Joe is 6'6'', so he really does qualify for the position of big guy upstairs if you are in the art room at Jackson. LOL.

Well, I just entered the Agricultural Fair at the Genesee Country Museum. I will enter my white bread and some strawberry jam. I will let you know how I do. I hope to get first with my bread this year, I took second last year.

My kids really would like to have my attention now, so I should go.
XOXO
Joce

Pumpkin pie and my kids like yogurt

Pumpkin Pie:

I cannot remember if I posted this recipe before, if not- here goes.

1 C sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t ginger

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t cloves

1 1/2 C pumpkin puree

1 2/3 C evaporated milk

1/2 t vanilla

2 eggs

1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine all ingredients, pour into pie shell. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350 F. Continue to bake for another 40 minutes, until pie is firm.

This is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.

Yogurt, the easy way:

In a pint jar, put a glop of store-bought yogurt, then fill the jar with fresh milk (about 88 degrees). Keep it in your oven with the light on, and turn your oven a couple times if you need to, in order to keep the yogurt at around 90 degrees. Keep it in there for 12 hours.

Tillaboro Orchard
2nd Annual
Apple Festival

You are cordially invited to attend our
2nd Annual Apple Festival
on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at @ 5:00 p.m.

Things to do:
· Hay rides
· Camping
· Cider Pressing
· Bobbing for apples
· Apple Recipe Judging
· Bonfire
· Pumpkin Painting
· Wiffle Ball
· Yard games of all kinds

What to bring:
· Snack to pass
· Your best apple confection for Apple Recipe Judging
· Tent or camper
· BYOB
· Your favorite yard game
· Warm comfy clothing
· An extra shirt (and a towel?) if you plan to win at bobbing for apples

Apple cider, mulled cider, mulled cider as an adult beverage, wine, hot coffee and cocoa, and AWESOME contest prizes will be provided.
R.S.V.P. right here.

Egg Souffle

I made this for my mom a while back, and I have had a hard time finding the recipe again. It was in the D and C and they make you pay cash money to read their archives. But today I got lucky and found it at it's owner's site.
This is good food:

Egg SouffléFrom Springdale Farm Bed & Breakfast

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 large eggs½ cup sour cream
½ cup whole milk1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put butter in the bottom of an 8-inch-round soufflé dish that is at least 4 inches tall. Place dish in preheating oven for a few minutes, until butter is melted. Remove from oven. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, sour cream, milk and salt together until eggs are light in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour egg mixture into dish. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the soufflé is full, high and fluffy. Serve immediate.Makes 4 servings.

Today I will use kefir instead of sour cream because that is my only cultured milk in the house at this time.
Go to this site for the original article.
xoxo
Joce

Shehadababyit'saboy!

Clara delivered her calf last night at right around 10:00.

Joe took about four hundred pictures, hugged me, and said, "We're parents!" And I thought, "Hmmm, was he this excited when I pushed Brilyn and Cade out?"

I'd like to think that he must have been. LOL.

The kids were in bed when the calf was born, so I sent them out to see it right after breakfast this morning.

Brilyn came running back to the house to let me know that, "Cade is in the pasture! Isn't the fence on? He's hugging the baby!"

So, I hurry (not run, exactly) out to see what's going on, and there is Cade all spooned up to the baby, and Clara, calmly chewing her cud next to them. I am sad to say that I forgot my camera, and I did not feel comfortable "hurrying" back to the house to get it while Cade snuggled the newborn next to it's thousand pound mama.

I told my boy, "Cade, it's dangerous to go in the pasture with Clara when mommy is not outside to watch you."

And he told me, "Nuggle baby dangerish?"

I love that boy.

So, here are some pics:

Last night

This morning
Oh, and, apparently, Brilyn got ahold of the camera the other day. Here are the first fruits of her photographic career:

Here comes the baby...

We are holding a late-night vigil waiting for Clara's baby to arrive. (Yes, quarter after nine is late-night for us).
So far, we have a first bag of waters and front feet.
See this article for more info. If you want, feel free to come over to watch.
XOXO
Joce

Eat your zucchini... part 3

Okay. Here is the final installment of the zucchini trilogy.

And, I believe I saved the best for last.

Zucchini pickles:

Ingredients
16 cups fresh zucchini, sliced
4 cups onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp mustard seed
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tsp ground turmeric ( I used curry powder, because I don't have any turmeric)
Directions
Step 1 - Brining
Cover zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch of water and salt. Let it stand 2 hours.
Step 2 - Drain
Drain (and discard) the liquids from the zucchini and onions.
Step 3 - Mix the spices, vinegar and heat
Combine the
4 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp mustard seed
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tsp ground turmeric
in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Step 4 - Add the zucchini and onions
Add the zucchini and onions. Simmer 5 minutes.
Step 5 - Fill the canning jars
Fill the jars with zucchini/onion mixture and pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
Adjust lids and rings snugly.
Step 6 - Process in a water bath canner 15 minutes.

Yummy.

So, my friend Hanna let me borrow a book called Birthing from Within. It is weird. But interesting and I am learning from it.

Anyway, she (the author) recommends doing some birth art to get your psyche ready for pregnancy and birth. I liked the idea and did some last night. I picked the exercise where you are supposed to draw an animal that you think exemplifies excellent pregnancy/birthing/mothering/etc. I chose a Clara, because she is so sweet and calm and her body has expanded easily to accomodate baby, and she has a lovely mammary system, etc. My cow was okay. It didn't have a lot of oomph. The proportions weren't quite right. You could tell that somehow, my heart wasn't in it.

And then, today, I drew the right picture. It is not of a cow, but it is of a farm animal with which I am even more familiar. The game hen. (Game chickens are the kind traditionally raised for cockfighting.) And not just any game hen, but a broody one. Which is the chicken equivalent of pregnant woman. And this picture? Has OOOMPH. It's me, baby. I don't have a scanner, so I can't show you my drawing. But I did find a pic online of the animal of my inspiration.

I don't think I can say much more about how I feel about being pregnant. It's all right there, in full color.

For those of you who really cannot interpret animal thoughts and feelings just by looking- I'll add a quote. "Vacate the premises immediately. Failure to do so will result in your immediate annihilation."

I don't feel murderous all the time, but I do get me hackles up pretty quickly if someone doesn't respect my physical, emotional, or spiritual space.

And then, this evening I did some more birth art. Because I like it. I put a big piece of paper on the floor and had some fun with my kids' crayons.

I think it is good for me. I should keep doing it.

But anyway.

I am going to go eat some ice cream. And read the book about birthing from within. (I can't help but think to myself, where the heck else are you going to birth from? But I guess the author's point is that a lot of women allow others to dictate their pregnancy and birth, and so that is kind of like Birthing from Elsewhere. But the title still makes me smirk.)

XOXO

Joce