Worth Sharing November 2 - 8: Boys!




Did any of you receive the Amazon toy catalog?  My grandsons were over the moon about it! Isaac's face had a look of pure wonderment.  He oohed and ahhed.  It was magical for him.



It made me remember the catalogs we received three times a year from Sears.  The mail order catalog was a BIG deal in life back then.  My how we dreamed over those catalogs and most especially over the Christmas catalog!   With three children and Mama and Daddy too interested in seeing it, we had to call for our turn.   By that I mean that when one said, "Me first!" someone else spoke up mighty quick and said "Me second!"  When the big seasonal catalogs came, it was my joy to sit beside Mama or Granny and look through the pages of clothes and shoes (and with Granny we always looked at the dishes, as well).  

In the Christmas season we were very careful to keep our lists handy, which were edited and re-edited numerous times as we discovered something new or decided on another item as we flipped through the catalog for the hundredth time.  I don't think I ever once got an item off those lists of mine but it was still fun making the list each year.

Granny did a majority of her personal shopping from the Sears catalog.  I think that's why so many of us have so easily transitioned to online shopping.  I mean, who doesn't like to get packages in the daily mail?  Sooo much nicer than just the usual flotsam and jetsam of bills and junk mail, which is really a waste of paper that seems to never cease.

But catalogs?  NOT a waste of paper!  The joy of flipping through those pages and seeing all sorts of goods one might order to furnish a home,  the lovely outfits and accessories, the tools and necessary items that you might not be able to buy locally...It was an ageless thing, dreaming over those catalogs.   My great grandmothers did it, my grandmothers did it, my mom and I used to do it...and even my children had a time when they too knew the joy of a proper Christmas catalog.

Tell you what...I think Amazon is being just plain SMART with that toy catalog.  And though it's not the catalog of our childhood, I'm happy to see my grandchildren get a chance at a bit of dreaming over one.




My slow cooker died this week.  I had dinner in it and it got cooked through but it quit working about the time the food got done.  And that was that.  No screws to take the thing apart and check why it wasn't working.  John said, "Well order another..." and so I shall.  But I wanted to research them a bit.

In researching, I stumbled upon this article at Food &Wine.   It gave me an insight into what I ought to look for in a slow cooker.   I'm trying to make up my mind just now if I want to go with her top recommendation which is more than I'd planned to spend but sounds like an ideal replacement or spend half as much to get one exactly like what I've had the past four years (I've had two and they've each lasted about two years.)



Blissful moments this week included: driving by a field that was being plowed for planting of rye or winter wheat.  I love the aroma of freshly turned earth on a cool day. And the sight of a tractor slowly plowing the fields, and the dark damp earth itself.  I love thinking about the seed down in that lovely loam just waiting for it's time to spring to life.

We left home early enough to see sunrise the morning the baby was born, and didn't come home again until the sun was setting.  And it was a glorious sunset!   I haven't been out at the sunset hour in quite awhile.  Each time we top that hill that looks out over the river valley we cross to come home, I remember topping the hill as a child at sunset.  I was convinced heaven could be seen clearly in the sunset sky.  All these years later, I still believe it to be true.


Our first glimpse of this little fellow:


Though we had a cloudy and gray week overall, his birth day was sunny and glorious.  A perfect fall day.


Sweetest picture of the week was another of Isaac that Katie shared.  Bess was holding our new baby and Isaac was 'reading' him a story.  If you look beyond the isolet you'll see Bess's dark hair.  She's kneeling in front of Isaac.


And my last sweet moment this week involved this little boy...

...who walked to my house from his all on his own for the first time.  And why?  Because he wanted me to come to his house to see him!   I was trying to watch the livestream of our church service on TV, so Josh helped himself to my Kindle and found a game he liked.

After the church service was over, I walked with him back to his house.  What a joy to share with him the little things of nature about us.  We pulled onion grass and smelled of it.  We stopped to sniff the cedar tree branch.  We looked for rabbit trails in the deeper grass and admired the winding trails they follow.  When he mentioned the many little divets in his own yard, I explained to him that skunks were digging for grubs which had a strong garlic smell to them.  He thought it funny that stinky skunks like to eat stinky grubs.

It was a completely happy day that day.  I had time alone, time with the two little boys, time with Katie and Sam and Bess.    I'd worked hard in my home and it showed.  It was just a lovely Sunday altogether.


A lovely TV series we discovered earlier in the winter of this year was Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories.  John and I sort of fell into the program and got hooked on it rather quickly.  Each episode is essentially a short story of someone who has visited the Midnight Diner.  

Season 2 came up this week.  It's subtitled so you'll want to pay close attention to the screen.  At the end of most episodes they share a simple recipe that was the featured comfort food ordered by the customer whose story is being told.  Often the characters turn to the camera and say "Good night" at the end, too.


This is not a strictly PG rated program but most episodes have little of anything that would offend.  I think the Japanese idea of what is 'natural' is a little different than western ideas.  Most episodes have nothing objectionable but every now and then...Anyway, having been warned, if you feel inclined to watch, do give it a try.


I did a lot of cooking this week, despite our eating fewer meals at home.  I spent Monday morning in the kitchen prepping these meals, some of which I'll share with Katie and some of which will go into the freezer for our own use over the weeks ahead.   My best hint about doing  a prep day is this: Prep and start your dinner for that day before you get knee deep in doing too many other dishes.  I made the simple Alpine Chicken in the crockpot (the last meal the slow cooker made, lol).  I've done these sort of prep days before and was so tired and hungry by noon and there I was surrounded by partially prepared foods and not a bite ready to eat.   Here's a second tip:  Making dinner first thing before sinking your time into any big project day is always a huge help!



The recipe I'm sharing this week was one I made on Thursday for our dinner today, but we went to visit the baby.  So we'll have it for our Sunday dinner instead.  It's one John and I both like a lot.  I got the recipe from blogger and friend Dawn.   The recipe I'm sharing is one I halved and serves four or five easily.  Double it if you want to serve more folks with it.  I usually split this between two smaller dishes and freeze one for later.

Dawn's Tuna Casserole

6 ounces noodles, cooked and well drained (I've used just about any shape pasta I had on hand, but rotini is my favorite if I don't have noodles)

1 5.5 ounce can of tuna, drained

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of milk
1 can mushroom soup

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

crushed potato chips (nice use for those bits at the bottom of the bag)

Cook onion in butter until tender.  Mix pasta, tuna, onion, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk and soup.  Spread in 7x11 pan or split between two smaller casseroles that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Top with cheese and chips.

Bake at 375f until heated through about 20-25minutes.


Have a lovely weekend!

16 comments:

Angela said...

Baby Caleb is absolutely beautiful! Hope he and Katie are doing well.And remember how we waited WEEKS to get that catalog order?

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful baby boy! Love seeing your family. Hope Katie is doing well and getting a rest :)
Thank you for sharing the Alpine Chicken recipe too. I wondered about the butter, it says l/4 butter. Is that a quarter cup or quarter stick" Sounds delicious and I can't wait to try.
Take care,
Donna Wilson

Wendi said...

The Sears and Pennys catalog was the highlight of Christmas! I'm glad the boys are getting to enjoy that pleasure. I always knew Christmas was near when the pop of toy department showed up in the tool department at Sears.

I switched from a Hamilton Beach to a Crockpot brand slow cooker because the heating element didn't last long in the Hamilton Beach brand.

Enjoy your baby snuggles!

Kathy said...

Sweet pictures! What precious little boys! Glad you are enjoying time with all the littles.
I loved the Sears toy catalog too. Recipe sounds yummy. We'll check into the Midnight diner show too. Thanks!
Have a great weekend.

Chef Owings said...

Mother always pitched the catalog at the post office so we would not be asking for what we wouldn't get after one year of Daddy bringing it home and brother not getting the BB gun he wanted. No letters to Santa Claus either even though he visited our home every year. He never asked what we wanted,just if we had honored our parents and God. He was the neighbor.

Liz from New York said...

Congratulations! Babies are always a blessing! My crockpot was a 25.00 model , bought on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% coupon attached. It’s a crockpot brand programmable one, with a stirring attachment you can use. The lid also snaps to keep it snug. I haven’t had any problems with burning or sticking. I like being able to control how many hours I want I to cook. I just can’t imagine paying 250.00 (gasp) for one! Enjoy your new addition! Best, liz

terricheney said...

Angela, It was the longest wait ever...and if backorders occurred it was worse! lol

Donna, that should be 1/4 CUP and I've updated the original recipe I linked for anyone else who might wonder. This is one of those so easy it's silly recipes and yet it tastes so good and everyone likes it.

Wendi, Hmmmm...I can't even remember what brand mine was but I do believe it was a Hamilton Beach. My very first slow cooker was a Crock pot brand and I had it for about 20 years before it quit. Katie is equally as happy with her GE which has lasted her 10 years.

Juls, I can understand why your mom might trash the catalog right away. I explained to my own children that Santa had a budget just like everyone else and he had way more kids to buy for, lol. It worked well enough.

Kathy, I hope you enjoy Midnight Diner as much as we have.

Liz, I won't be spending 250.00 either...That's a stand mixer sort of money which is the only thing I see myself spending that much on! I got mine four years ago from BB&B for about $19. Then Bess ordered my second one as a kindness while they were living with us the first time (2016). She ordered exactly what I'd had before and it cost $27 I think, then.

Lana said...

What sweet boys and congratulations on the new baby!

My Grandfather retired from Sears and my Dad worked for them for a number of years so they were kind of like member of our family. We loved every catalog but of course the Christmas one was the best. It seems like everything we had came from Sears. We did not go back to school shopping at stores but picked out what we wanted from the catalog and it was ordered. Not anything we wanted but Mom saying you can pick six pairs of these knee socks, etc.

A couple of years ago I used Swagbucks earned gift cards to buy a Cuisinart Multi-cooker. I can brown in it and then switch to slow cook. It is a little different than a slow cooker and took a few frustrating uses to get the hang of but I love being able to do it all in one pot and I don't loose any of the flavor that way. Black Friday may be a good tome to get a great deal on a slow cooker.

I covet all your prayers for our 7 year old missionary kid grandson, Liam. He is being persecuted at school because he is the only Christian in his class. He has gotten so upset about this that he cannot go to school. He is a very kind, tender hearted child and just does not know how to handle this. Our hearts are broken for him and what he is going through.

Anonymous said...

How I loved Christmas catalogs! I am sitting here having so many wonderful memories tbat you brought to mind. Gifts I got? remember very fewv3of those. Memories of the first Christmas music on tbe radio cookies being baked, candy making, anticipation of all the family home, houseful of aunts and uncles school programs and church programs, going with my dad to our woods to find the perfect tree, the little box of candy from church with the one wonderful chocolate mixed in with the hard candy, my moms love of ribbon candy and dads favorite, chocolate covered cherries. Yes, my very poor, but only in money, made it a magical wonderful time of year. May your grandchildren be blessed with their own wonderful memories. I don't have memories of grandparents because they had passed on, but tbat is the only memory I could wish for. Enjoy all the grands and spoil each and everyone with things money cant buy. Gramma D

Anonymous said...

Very poor, but only in money parents. Better proofread before sending.

Kathy said...

We did enjoy the first episode of Midnight Diner. Thanks for the recommendation.
My son and I have been enjoying the series, Somebody feed Phil, Even if we can't travel to exotic locations, it is fun to travel vicariously. :D

Lana, I am so sorry that your grandson is being persecuted for being a Christian. Will pray for Liam and his family. Can you tell us where they are based?

terricheney said...

Kathy, So glad you enjoyed the first episode. I find myself humming the theme song.

Lana, I'll put your grandson on my prayer list. I had given thought to an instant pot with slow cooker function...still trying to make up my mind.

Dora, Our kids never got more than one Santa gift and a stocking of edible/drinkable stuff and that was that. We couldn't afford more but they never complained of missing out.

Anonymous said...

One year we stopped at a friends house when our kids were little. We had a nice Christmas and our kids were happy with their gifts. This friends kids had so much new stuff you could hardly see the tree! We never went there again at holiday time! At about 80 they are both still working even with SS and pensions. Haven't seen them in a long time. Do I have much synmpathy for them? No really. Gramma D

Anonymous said...

Hello Terri!

Congratulations to Katie as well as you and John on the addition of baby Caleb! You do have a beautiful family (loved the photo of Isaac reading to the baby). We just returned from being out of town for several days so am now catching up on your posts!

I am looking forward to watching your Midnight Diner recommendation, especially as we lived in Japan for almost three years when I was growing up. I have a huge respect and affection for the Japanese people based on the kindnesses and friendships cultivated then.

So sorry to hear about your crock pot. I may have mentioned this in another comment, but our crockpots died within two weeks of each other. They were both yard sale finds more than a decade ago. One was a Crockpot brand and the other was a very nice Cuisinart that was large enough for a large, whole chicken. We ended up replacing it with the Instapot Duo as it has the slow cooker option. I've used both the slow cooker and the pressure cooker with great success and am excited to have gotten two-in-one for on for around $70. My dad used to use a pressure cooker quite a lot when I was growing up and the meals were always almost miraculously delicious.

I agree with your tip on making dinner before starting projects haha! In fact, I just make dinner first thing in the morning (as much as possible) and then can pretty much relax about that until it needs to be warmed and served for supper. Makes life so much easier. Speaking of supper, I am off now to check on the Chile warming up on in a crock/bowl in the toaster oven. Thanks so much for the newsy post and sharing your life and thoughts, as always.

Much love,
Tracey
x0x

Tammy said...

So, so happy that baby Caleb has arrived safely and he and Katie are doing well. I look forward to watching him grow up with his sister and cousins.

We've only watched two episodes of four so far, but we're enjoying the Netflix show "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat". There is a cookbook out by the same name, and the author of that cookbook is the chef in this show who travels and demonstrates how these four elements are used in cooking. I'll check out Midnight Diner - it sounds like something Greg would enjoy as well.

terricheney said...

Dora, I see older people all the time working and most are not wanting to work, they just can't stop because they are in debt so. I don't want to be that couple.

Tracey, I've thought of the instant pot duo as a possibility too. I am still researching. I used to use the old fashioned pressure cookers and thought they did pretty well but one blew up here and John has never wanted me to use one again, lol

Tammy, I watched "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" and really enjoyed it. A good series and I'd dearly love to look over her cookbook.

Journal of My Week: Autumn Comes Slowly