Tuna Sandwiches with a Twist

Today's post is about a favorite meal that my mom made. I remember calling her to ask for the recipe when I was a newlywed and she seemed surprised that I asked. But it's still a high rotation menu item. It is quick and easy. When I am planning my menus ahead, it will land on a night when I don't have much time to make something. And I often use the recipe when I need something quicker than on the plan for the week or on the weeks when I didn't make a plan as long as I have tuna in the cupboard. Also, thanks to a tip from a friend (thanks Jill!) I switched to white albacore tuna; my children now like all of the tuna dishes that I make. Instead of turning up their noses, they eagerly gobble them up.

Tuna Sandwiches with a Twist
3 cans white albacore tuna, drained
salt and pepper to taste
small dash of lemon juice
small dash of pickle juice, optional (this was an addition to my mother's recipe)
dill pickles chopped up, optional (I added this. Not in my mom's original recipe).
mayo, enough to make the sandwich filling moist

Mix the above ingredients. Put on sandwich bread.

Take 2-3 eggs and add a little milk. And mix together.

Dip bread into egg mixture and put on a hot griddle. Flip and grill on the other side.
Cut sandwiches in half and enjoy a yummy sandwich.

I am linking up with the Grocery Cart Challenge with this recipe swap. A great place of inspiration for keeping the budget low for a family of six.

Beautiful Books Bang for Bucks

"Of making many books there is no end..." King Solomon

This weekend I wandered the exhibit halls of a curriculum fair where much evidence abounded that "of making many books there is no end" has continued into the 21st Century (even though the digital book revolution is looming). Books, books, and more books everywhere you look. When you add 4,500 people to those books, even a bibliophile like me can be overwhelmed. (Do you like my new word from the English From the Roots Up book?)

In the midst of crowded aisles, I uncovered a treasure titled Making Books with Children by Valerie Bendt. (Check it out HERE). I went to her workshop, purchased two of her books and a set of DVDS. The book and DVD explain and show how to make a hard back book complete with jacket and hand-sewn pages. These will be even fancier than my own childhood treasures. The books she brought were amazing, even her three-year-old had made one!

I dug out a few titles I had written as a child: Cat and Mouse Adventures; Three Miles From Nilypoo; Me, as a Lightbulb; and Ducken and Draker's Adventures. (Sound familiar anyone?) We began analyzing story elements today with famous titles such as Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully, Cowboy Small by Lois Lensky, Big Red Barn by Margert Wise Brown. But the children most wanted to delve into the ones I had written. They gobbled up the stories and liked them. What a compliment from my voracious readers!

It is a tad humorous that I needed someone else to tell me to do this with my children -- a thing that I did naturally as a child. But now I know the educational benefits that of making books so we can spend the bulk of our school time on this (for a few weeks anyhow). This project makes us all enthusiastic about school. Sprinkle some sunshine into our day and we're beaming (even in spite of a nail puncture wound from the first born's many backyard building creations, a tetanus shot, and a child that almost fainted (the one watching, not the one receiving). )

If from curriculum fairs I always bring home a puzzle, a game, some art supplies, fun books to read and make, they'll soon be begging me to go away for four days, right?

Love, Kathleen

P. S. Today's A to Z Challenge Post was hosted by the Letter B hence the bolded Bs.

P is for Pull-up on a Banana Tree

A Pull-Up on a Banana Tree
a poem by Kathleen T. Jaeger

What a strange sight I see
Way up high and out of reach
A pull-up on a banana tree
What could it mean,
This pull-up on the banana tree?
It means, it means a Jack lives with me.
(And that IS a very good thing indeed.)

A poem created and dedicated to the strange sightings of a mother of four children. Or it could be dedicated to the things your mother never told you about motherhood. I've been a mother long enough now to know to take pictures of such things as these. But, if a picture is worth a 1,000 words, what are these words telling me? A sense of humor is essential to sane parenting.

I'm taking a long weekend break from blogging and will resume my part in this A to Z Blog Challenge early next week (hopefully Monday, but I make no promises).

Love, Kathleen

D is for Derby Races

D is for Derby Races or another crazy Jaeger tradition. Who else celebrates Christmas by racing pine wood blocks transformed into cars? Every other year we celebrate Christmas in Tennessee with hubby's family. At the past three gatherings, we have raced pine derby cars.

At the beginning of the Christmas weekend, each willing participant (not all participate) receives a box with a block of pine wood to transform into a racing car. It is cut, painted, wheeled, weighed, and entered into the contest. We have a double elimination tournament, a 30-foot track, an official car starter, a flag ceremony,

a line judge, and a

head race official and master of tournament, weight qualifications, judges for the most creative, lots and lots of fun and...

.... trophies.
Because there are trophies, there are

show car winners and

the speed winners of the race. Yes, that is me in the middle. The second place trophy is on my book shelf in my dining room. (Yes, there are bookshelves in the dining room and almost every room of the house.) My brother-in-law Klay deserves the credit for my place since he helped me with every aspect of building my car named Moo-Moo. Thanks Klay! And thanks to all my fun Crazy Jaeger relatives for the great memories!

Anointed to Offer Sacrifices

"Learn to anoint with oil the hard places in your life as ordained and allowed by God," said the featured speaker at a ladies conference two weeks ago. I have been mulling on it ever since.

Israelite priests in Old Testament times were anointed for service. They were set apart for a special reason. One of their main duties was to offer sacrifices. They were anointed to offer sacrifices. And so are we.

Not only were the priests anointed but also the place was anointed. For the priests that place was the tabernacle. It, too, was set apart as a special meeting place. The place where God would meet with humans. And so it is to be with me. Anoint a meeting place with God. A place to offer sacrifices to God. And this speaker suggests it to be the hard places in my life.

And what kind of sacrifices shall I bring? The sacrifice of praise is one I am to bring as it says in Hebrews 13:15, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name." And it is a sacrifice to offer praise in the midst of difficulty. It is hard to do. It costs something to praise in the midst of trials.

Hebrews goes on to say, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. " (Hebrews 13:16). I'm so thankful that doing good and sharing with others are listed as sacrifices because it validates that they are hard to do, especially in the midst of our special anointed places -- those hard places, the trying relationships, the overwhelming circumstances of life.

When I view the events of my life as ordained and allowed by God, then I am encouraged to walk on and to press on. For these hard places become the very special places in my life to meet with God and to offer the sacrifices of praise, doing good, and sharing with others. It is a privilege to be anointed to offer sacrifices.

Note: This blog post comes to you as part of the A to Z Blog Challenge to post every day except Sundays during the month of April. Obviously, I'm behind since it is the 6th of April and it is my first post. But, I began this blog to encourage me to write. This challenge has come when I was desiring to write more. And so I begin. Check out the link HERE to view the original challenge and to see the links to the other bloggers stepping up to this April blog challenge.

Seeds

One of the things that has really been encouraging my heart lately is this link to the Seeds Family Worship website. We have been pressed lately with much activity (okay who isn't?): women's retreat, birthday, a pet death, making a tryout for a ball team, starting a dance class, wheel bearings disintegrating, moving a friend across town, having out of town company, friends moving out of town. A variety of emotional events. Many of them good. We also have lots of people close to us going through hard things.

And this Seeds music has been uplifting my spirit in a way that nothing else has. Its lyrics are word for word from Scripture.

Thanks to the Seeds ministry. You can listen to it online. You can download the chord sheets to play it on the guitar. When you buy a CD, they give you two: one to keep and one to give away.

Check it out. May it encourage your heart the way it does mine.

Coming Soon

A real blog post will be coming soon. My ban will be over Saturday night. I will be home from my one-hour presentation (one of six break-out sessions) at Horton Haven Christian Camp for its Spring Ladies Conference.

There's nothing like saying you can't do something that makes you want to do it all the more. I am eager to post again soon. Which reminds me I need to get some photos developed so I can post them here. (Yes, I am still on a film camera. I order prints and a CD at the store. Slowly but slowly we are barely catching up with technology.)

See you soon.