Word Games

I like word games. I have been playing some fun ones lately, like Word Twist, Pathwords, Scramble, Scrabulous, Wurdle, etc. I would really like to find a version of Scrabble that I can play on my phone that is online multi player. It is much more fun to play with friends.

I have Wurdle, which is very similar to Boggle, on my iphone and the kids in my Primary class compete for the opportunity to play it. Only those students that are extra good get the chance. Things get a bit complicated when they are all good. Since I only have one phone, and there are several kids in the class, most of them are not happy waiting their turn. I decided to ease the tension and make some word puzzles that were lesson specific for class tomorrow. It is certainly not as cool as the iphone, but at least everyone gets to play at the same time.

Here is the link to make your own word puzzles.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe

These are so, so yummy! I made them last week, and they disappeared so quickly that we made them again. Ryker got tired of waiting for me so he did most of the work on this batch. We used milk chocolate chips rather than the semi-sweet. They are soft and fluffy and as far as cookies go, pretty dang good for you!

Antique Recipe

This is a recipe I remember my grandmother making. It is more like a cobbler, but I like the sound of baked pudding. I had forgotten that's what Grandma had called it. I found frozen rhubarb at the store. It is the first I have seen in 4 years. With the first bite I was 8 years old and sitting in my Grandma's kitchen. Yummy!

Baked Rhubarb Pudding

3 cups Rhubarb (or 1/2 strawberries)
2 cups sugar
1 stick of butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder


Put 3 cups rhubarb, fresh or canned in a greased pan and sprinkle with 1 cup sugar. dot 1 tablespoon of butter over the top. If you use frozen, thaw first & drain liquid.

Beat 3 eggs, add 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon of water or more if necessary to prevent the dough from becoming to firm. 1 cup flour mixed with 1 tsp.baking powder.

Pour over the rhubarb and bake 40 - 45 min @ 350 degrees
Serve with cream (I liked ice cream or cool whip)
Also, can use 1 1/2 cups Strawberries and 1 1/2 cups rhubarb

If you are curious, here is more information about rhubarb. Growing up in South Dakota and Nebraska it grew plentifully in our yard. I remember having a stalk in one hand, and a cup of sugar in the other for dipping. A stalk with the large leaf still attached makes a great umbrella for a small head in a summer rain storm.

Cracks in the Concrete

I started another story a few days ago. The idea came from a dream I had, and it was so full of details I decided to see what I could make of it. Yes, her name is also Kimberly. She needs a new name, any suggestions??

I know I need some conflict to happen to her. There is my trouble, I like her and don't want bad things to happen to her. Is it possible to have a novel that is interesting to read where only good things happen? Someday I will finish a story.


Kimberly awoke to the sounds and smells of breakfast. Bacon sizzling, water running, the oven door opening and banging shut. The oven, that meant biscuits and gravy. The boys were up, the shouting and running made that obvious. It sounded like everyone was already up but her. Chaos, that's what this house is. Still in her pajamas, she opened her door, walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair, and then right down the hall and out the front door. No one even noticed. That was one of the benefits of living in a house full of people. The actions of the individual could go unnoticed. You could become invisible in the crowd.

As the door closed the chaos was replaced by the peaceful morning air. The ground was covered in leaves, in shades of orange, yellow and red, but some of them had been there long enough to be brown, and the new arrivals were still green. The thunderstorm from last night had left the sidewalk wet, but clean and cold. The slight chill in the air was invigorating. She walked down the street and up the steps to the old house. The stairs were made of brick and concrete. As she hopped up to take her favorite spot, the damp concrete felt cool and rough on her hands. After only a few moments the pattern was visible on the palms of her hands. The concrete ledges were pitted from rain and snow slowly seeping in, expanding and contracting, season after season, year after year. The effect was not immediate, but over time the texture and structure had changed. Unless you got up close, climbed up here and actually touched it like Kim did, you would never know. From the sidewalk 617 Mulberry street had looked the same for decades.

She had been coming here for years. The house was already old when her family moved in around the corner. The way the trees hid the stairs but all the action on the street was still visible from this spot made it the perfect place to escape. Old lady Olsen, as the neighbor kids always called her, was quiet, and kept to herself. She didn't speak much English, so mostly she was misunderstood. She had been widowed for years, and her only son went off to college and rarely came back. As a tiny girl Kimberly was afraid that day when she was first discovered in her hiding spot. The old ladies' broken English sounded harsh and she had started to cry. Marshmallows made it all better. Any grown up that ate marshmallows couldn't be all that bad. If they shared them with you, they were not so scary. If they let you eat the entire bag with no mention of ruining your next meal, or rotting your teeth, they were a friend for sure.

What a friend she was. Mrs. Olsen's house was everything that Kimberly's was not. First of all, it was quiet and second it was clean. Kimberly was the oldest of 6, and the only girl. Her house was always loud. Someone was always wrestling with someone else. It was like the WWF smack down round, day in and day out. Mom was always yelling. Not that she was angry, just to be heard over the noise. Someone was always cooking and making a mess. The dishes were never done, and the laundry, well, it had a life of it's own.


Mrs. Olsen always had a something yummy to share with her when she showed up on the door step. Marshmallows were only the beginning. At home, anything worth eating was gone in seconds. 5 growing boys and a pack of dogs saw to that. A few minutes of extra sleep or slow walk home, and your portion was gone.

But today things had changed. It wasn't Mrs. Olsen's house anymore, and if Kim wanted marshmallows, she would have to bring them herself. She hadn't sat long when up pulled the craziest little vehicle - it sounded like a lawn mower, had side panels that looked something like a Deloreon with a flashy gold paint job, and an open roof. Steve's shaggy blond head popped up and flashed her one of those melt your heart smiles. His smile out shown even that flaming gold paint. She jumped off the ledge and bounded down the hill, half skipping to great him. "Get in," he said, reaching up to grab her hand. As she slid through the roof and into the passenger seat he kissed her. Laughing, she said,"Good morning to you too".

It Must Be Fall

Living in Hawaii is odd. Everyday is pretty much the same, warm and sunny. Usually between 70 and 85 degrees. Maybe a little warmer in the summer and maybe a bit cooler on a winter night. In the winter it rains more. Even when it rains it is still sunny for part of the day, at least somewhere on the island. Sometimes it even rains while the sun is shining. It's really pretty cool. Winter is great for rainbows.

Since looking out the window doesn't offer much of a clue as to the time of year we have to rely on other methods.

I am pretty sure that Fall arrived last week. I've been drinking a lot of hot cocoa, and that is definitely Fall activity. True, it is usually late at night, in my air conditioned bedroom, or early morning, before the sun has risen and the temperature is just barely under the 70 degree mark. I really love hot cocoa and the stores here don't carry the good stuff. Thanks to my friends on the mainland for the steady supply of Stephen's - keep it comin'! (Irish Creme is my current favorite, with Dulce de leche running a close second.)

Here is the real clue - I have washed the beaters to my mixer at least 4 times this week. That means 2 things - baking and mashed potatoes. Both of which are Fall-ish sort of things. What would Thanksgiving be without mashed potatoes? I have made real deal mashed potatoes twice this week. Once with red and once with white, and 2 different types of gravy. Do you see a theme here??

Yesterday I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They were gone about 10 minutes after we arrived home from church today. If you have never had these, you are missing out. They're awesome! I will be making more of those sometime real soon.

I just pulled a pan of banana muffins out of the oven. It is my mom's banana bread recipe, I just make it in muffin tins rather than a loaf. It bakes in less than half the time and it is easy to grab for breakfast on the run.

I also have this urge to wear fuzzy sweaters, corduroy and really cool boots. Of course by noon I would be sweating to death and miserable, so this passes rather quickly.

It MUST be Fall.

Defense - Phase II

I tried yelling at the birds. I don't think that did anything but cause the neighbors and my kids to question my sanity. I hung a wind chime near my little pot of tomatoes. I think the birds were afraid of it for about 15 minutes. Finally, I took Tiffany's advise and bought some net to protect my tomatoes from the birds. Thanks Tif, I think this one's gonna work!

A couple of weeks ago I bought a watermelon from the local farmer's market. It was a small, local variety that was very tasty. I saved a handful of seeds and planted them. 10-14 days later and Wa Lah! Watermelon sprouts! I think every seed sprouted! I am pleased. Their sand fortresses are in place, so hopefully the yucky slugs will leave them alone.

The Birds!!!

My garden is getting it's butt kicked.
Now the birds have started eating my tomatoes!!!!

Linda Tagged Me!

6 Unspectacular Quirks (Only 6!)
I was tagged by Linda. The rules are - write down 6 quirks then tag 6 more people.

I couldn't think of enough quirks (maybe that's a quirk?) so Quincie helped me with these.

1. I love laundry. Doing it, hanging it on the line, seeing it all neatly folded, smelling it all fresh and clean. Seriously, I buy the fresh linen scented candles. They make me feel happy. :-)

2. I yawn when there is too much silence and I don't know what to say.

3. I really like to-do lists. I have a new ap on my phone and it is the best ever!

4. I can't sleep on any lumps. No pockets in my jammie pants, etc.

5. Sometimes I watch Sponge Bob when I am alone.

6. I cover my eyes with a wash cloth when I rinse my hair. I don't like soap in my eyes. My mommy taught me that when I was a tiny girl.

I tag G, Joella, Karri, Tif, Chimge & JaNeal

Minnie Q

Here is my baby girl in her Halloween costume. Isn't she cute? She came home with piles of candy. Of course, the last stop more than tripled her loot, thanks to Jordyn and Ryker.