~Save Money Momma~

I am ELATED today! Our 12 year old called us from school this morning trying to contain the excitement in her voice. As soon as I saw the school number on the caller ID, I knew what it was. After days of what seemed endless hours of hard nosed, leg throbbing, heart pounding drills and try outs…she made it onto the VOLLEY BALL TEAM!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  yeah, baby! I knew she was going to make it!  

WE MADE THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!

I realize that it’s time to get serious.  Not like the Joker, “Why so serious?” that’s just sadistic. There are things in this world that ar truly just amazing and I find myself finding value in the world now more than ever.  With every day that the kids get older and interrested in things that don’t revolve around them, I appreciate the new things that I am exposed to and we can share as a family.  I guess maybe I was in a slump.  I used to write a blog named poconomom. Through it, I connected with other moms and discussed situations of raising the kids and the challenges parents face. I think I was looking for support from others, maybe looking for someone to say, “You’re doing a good jobm, your kids are fine, don’t worry so much”.  Now, I don’t worry so much. Maybe as I said in an earlier post I have reached a level of maturity that allows me to relax as a parent Yet, I wonder if it’s the kids who are maturing and that’s why things don’t seem so difficult.   I recently saw a commerical when this mom was talking about how she has to be a warden and wake the kids, then a driver and get them to school and practices, and so on…and I thought, “That feels like my life.” I don’t want to be a bitchy mom.  I don’t want to be disregarded, just loved, respected and want it to be understood that when I say something I mean it. As a family, we’re getting there. Sure I am terrified when they walk out the door, who will they interract with? Will someone try to hurt them? Can they make a good decision when faced with adversity? I don’t know any parent who wonder about these things, but I think they aren’t discussed.  They are the silent fears of a good parent eating away at the back of our brains and hearts until they walk off the busses and we can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Today is for the families:

Click here to be entered into a drawing by Oriental Trading for $50.00 worth of Halloween Party Supplies.

Click Here to play the Subway Scrabble game.

Too cute! Why not humiliate the dog as a family activity, then enter your precious pooch in the Disney family, FamilyFun.com Bow~Wow~Ween contest!

Found on Familyfun.go.com, a Halloween countdown free printable. This looks super cute and super fun to create with the kids! Click here to go directly to the page!

Here’s the recipe I kept promising:

PUMPKIN BREAD !

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Add the salt, margarine, all spice and bread flour, combine.
2. Knead the dough on a floured tabletop, adding more flour if needed, until it is smooth and elastic but not sticky or soft.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn it over once, then cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise just until it has doubled in bulk (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
4. Punch down the dough. If you’re making one large pumpkin, remove a walnut-size ball of dough for the stem. Place the remaining dough smooth side down on the table. (If you’re making four small or two medium pumpkins, divide the dough accordingly and remove a piece for each stem.)
5. Shape each pumpkin by grasping the dough from the bottom, stretching it upward, and gathering it on the top. Repeat this process until you have a uniform ball. Then firmly pinch together the gathered dough in the center and turn over the ball. Now gently squeeze the middle of the pumpkin to make it stand as tall as possible.
6. Place the pumpkin on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan. Grease one end of a toothpick and insert it into the dough stem so that it protrudes an inch from the top. Stick the other end into the pumpkin top. Then cover each pumpkin with plastic wrap and let it rise to twice its size.
7. Uncover the risen dough. Holding the stem, slowly twist the toothpick to loosen it but don’t remove it.
8. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of water with 30 drops of yellow and 6 drops of red food coloring. Transfer a half teaspoon of the mixture to a small saucer and stir in a drop of green food coloring.
9. Use a small pastry brush to paint the stem green (the brush should not be too wet). Gently apply a coat of orange to the globe using a larger brush and long, soft strokes. Let the paint dry for about 2 minutes.
10. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough to create the pumpkin’s vertical grooves (adults only).
11. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the bread until its internal temperature is 190 degrees or it sounds hollow when you tap the crust (about 1 hour for a large loaf, 35 to 45 minutes for smaller ones).
12. Set the pumpkin on a cooling rack and twist the toothpick to remove it. If the crust seems soft, cool the bread completely, then bake it for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Totally awesome and super fun to make with the kids! Not to mention nice for the Thanksgiving table too! Found it on FamilyFun.com in the recipe section. Originated by Judy Heer proprieter of John’s German Bakery in New Hampshire…**(tweaked by me after making the recipe, found it needed the extra seasoning…I added the all spice and it made all the difference!)

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