I've Moved!!

Li'l Foxes has moved!! 

Please be sure to change the link on your sites. 

And come on by! I'd love to hear from you!

My new web address: gensimrak.com

Crown of Jewels

I love craft supplies. Unlike my mother dearest who just hates gluing popcicle sticks together and calling it a beautiful creation. Okay. I have to agree with her there. And I don't consider myself a terribly crafty person. But I love throwing things together and letting kids get creative with them. Instead of buying the supplies, however, I usually just end up recycling preschool and sunday school creations. Instead of throwing away the silly creations when they get old and destroyed, I take the buttons or jewels off and reuse the materials.
That's what I did here. I had some old stuff in the craft drawers and the other day Eli came home with a crown of jewels. He wore it every day until the paper finally ripped, so I took the jewels off and threw away the paper. Here, we are recreating the crown of jewels so that Gabe can have one too.

Save Some Pennies. Make Your Own Syrup.

Growing up, my mom always made our syrup. We never bought it from the store. In fact, I didn't even know about store bought syrup until I was older and then I thought it was a luxury. It was so good and it was always served piping hot. Cold, thick, slow moving syrup just added heaviness to the delicious cakes on which it was served.

As an adult, I have tried to recall the frugal living tips my mom taught me by example. Syrup is one of them. And I have to say, I feel so much better about not buying it (as cheap as it is) and I love the nostalgia that comes with the taste.

If you google it, you'll find so many different recipes but they are all basically the same. Sugar, water and flavoring. The flavor is up to you. If you don't have maple, use vanilla. If you have both, use both. You could even try Vanilla Butter Nut flavoring. Get creative.

You can buy Karo Corn Syrup and mix it with brown sugar and water or you can use brown sugar and white sugar and water. The measurements even vary from recipe to recipe. But you get the idea. Just mix them together in a pot and bring it to a boil.

This is what I have done in the past as I learned from my mother. But I think I will try different recipes according to what I have and what I feel like at the time.

1 cup Karo Corn Syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

vanilla extract

Add blueberries to it for a jump in antioxidants and extra deliciousness.

I have also heard of people using molasses on their pancakes. But that's a little much for me.

To each his own.

Expect the Unexpected

Being that yesterday was my last day at work, I kinda thought it would go a little differently.

Boy, was I wrong.

It was a rainy morning.

A glorious dreary rainy morning.

Perfect for sleeping in and staying in your jammies a little longer. Maybe enjoying a nice stack of pancakes with the kids....

Of course, the rain is no respecter of agendas. It rains no matter what you have going on that day. This particular day, I had to get up and take the kids to preschool so that I could go to my last day of work before starting my new job.

My morning routine was pretty typical: coffee, shower, coffee, get everyone dressed, coffee, make breakfast, pack lunches, coffee, run out the door, make sure everyone is buckled, back the van out of the driveway...
Then I noticed something wasn't right. The van wasn't driving right. Everything seemed to be okay.

But it kept jerking.

I pulled over as soon as I turned onto the next street. All the tires were fine. I didn't think driving it all over kingdom come was a good idea, so I called Dan. He ended up coming home and we took it to Miller Tire and Auto. We then had to drop off the boys atRockHill Mennonite Community Center where their preschool class goes every month to sing and visit with the elderly. Of course, I had to find the class because they were no where near the front door.
Then Dan and I drove to his parents' house to borrow their car (which took a lot more time than it should have), and we were off to our respective places of work.
Once I got there, my replacement had figured everything out, so I wasn't needed after all. I picked up my check, said my goodbyes, and departed to pick up the boys and go home.
We just found out it is costing us almost $900 to fix the van. This new job couldn't come at a better time. It never fails, as soon as money comes in, a need arises where it goes right out the door again. But it's my perspective that God is holding all these things at bay until the time comes when we can pay them. He always provides the resources we need at the exact time He ordains. Lesson learned:

Never hold too tightly to earthly possessions. The tighter you hold, the harder it will be when He pries your fingers loose.

New Dental Care

Last Fall, I posted about my experience in a certain dentist office and what a breath of fresh air it was to find a good dentist. Today, I write to tell you that because the boys are now covered by CHIP, I have to find a new dentist.

Apparently, there are different CHIP programs. But we got the HMO so we don't really get a choice in where we go. There is only one practice around us that takes our plan. And I'm not so sure it will be a pleasant experience. I am very disappointed that we have to leave Weaver, Reckner and Reinhart (at least for the boys).

But I shouldn't complain. We have coverage. And although it may not be as pleasant an experience as I would like, it's dental care. And that's far more than most get in the world. God has provided in His timing and in His way. For that I am truly thankful.

These pictures were sent to us by Weaver Reckner and Reinhart after their first dental appointment last October.

New Job. Big Transition.

"Didn't you just get a job?" I can hear someone saying. 


Yes, I did. Last October. And I loved it. I love the people; I love the work. I got to see the world of real estate first hand. It was a good fit, but for one minor (okay, major) detail. And it was truly no fault of anyone's. They paid a decent amount for the job I was doing. I paid the childcare worker a decent price for what she was doing. But when it all came out in the wash, I was losing money. 


And it sure doesn't make sense to lose money to work. 


Ever since Dan started his job, I've had to leave the boys in preschool all day so I could get in two full days of work. My boss needed more hours that I couldn't give b/c I couldn't pay someone else for another day when it would cost me more in childcare than I was taking home. 


Clearly, something needed to be done. Fast. It was better for me to stay home until I found something that worked than to continue working. 


Friday morning, I prayed. After days of mulling it over in my mind and looking at several different options, I just gave it over to Him. Because none of those options would work without His orchestration. So I prayed and did the next thing on my list. Call Faith Christian Academy. 


I don't remember giving it much thought before calling them. I guess I thought that I would ask them if they had openings. But it wasn't planned out in my mind. I just did it. 


I went in that very afternoon for an interview. 


I got the job. I'll be working with the wee bairns. I'm very excited about that. Getting to hold those sweet little plump helpless beings and rock them to sleep. It'll either make me want another one badly or not at all. I'm content with that. 


Next week will be our last week in the current schedule. I'm already training someone for my position at The Hennessy Team.


Pray for all of us. I will be working full time. It will be a major transition. One that may manifest itself in our children's behavior. I can already see how Gabe is taking it pretty hard that Dan has to work all day every day. He misses him a lot. He tells me several times a day how he wishes Daddy would just come home. 


We will need to be purposeful in our time spent together and in our spiritual disciplines. We have seen how God has orchestrated our lives these past several months. And we are humbled by His goodness in our lives. May our lives always reflect the love and grace He has bestowed on us. And may our devotion be carried into the next generation.

A Walk Around Perkasie

Today I...

... Made an awesome breakfast that consisted of... get ready for it... eggs. Yup. It wasn't all that awesome. But it tasted great.


Toast would have been nice. And it was on its way, but unfortunately it was sort of forgotten about. 


And the toaster over doesn't exactly turn itself off. We have to unplug it to turn it off.


It's never proven to be a huge issue since I usually hear the beep and remember that I'm cooking something. I mean, yeah, I've burned things a time or two. Or three or four... Or so.


But this time, I really totally and completely forgot about the toast. I even smelled something burning and walked into the kitchen wondering what it could be. I made sure the stove burners were off. I even checked the oven even though it hadn't been on all day. Nope. Nothing. I must be imagining it.


I turned around and saw it. Smoke was pouring out of the toaster oven. Aaaaagggghhhh!!! I ran over and quickly unplugged it. Since there were no flames yet, I left the door closed, but turned on the ceiling fans and opened my 1920's bulky kitchen window.


We went upstairs for awhile to escape the awful smoke fumes. Later we went for a long walk around town.


But for a slight residual odor, everything - and everyone - is fine.


I think it's time for a new toaster oven.

Homemade Pasta

For the past seven and a half years, Dan and I have been making pasta together. Every December, we make homemade ravioli. Gram was always a ready and willing participant until the last year or so of her life when standing for long was too much for her. We remember those times with fondness...

Of course, ravioli isn't the only kind of pasta, thank heavens. Making pasta a regular activity in our house isn't that far-fetched. It's easy enough. And goodness knows, anyone who's eaten well-made pasta will be able to tell you how incredible it is. It's so much lighter than store-bought pasta, cooks so much faster and fits in the pan so much better than those long straight pieces. (Cooks more evenly too cuz you can fit it all in the water.)

Since some of you have expressed interest in how we make our pasta, I will post it here. But please remember that we are no experts. We just know what we like. And we know how to get there.

How The Simraks Make Pasta 101

About 3/4 cup of pasta flour.

You can use either semolina or durum wheat flour.

(We like to buy our semolina at an Italian Market. But you can use Hodgson Mills Pasta Flour from your local grocery store. Not all stores have it, however.)

Make a well in the center of the flour. Add to the well a bit of salt, a splash of EVOO and an egg (room temp). 

**You may do your research and find that other people say no salt. We say that's a bunch of bunk. Homemade pasta is much blander in taste than store-bought so we like salt in ours. It brings out the yumminess.

Carefully mix the egg with a fork bringing in a bit of the mixture as you go. Eventually, you will need to put the fork down and mix it with you hands. As you work it, the dough should not stick to your hands. If it's too sticky, add some more flour. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. You will more than likely, need to add a bit of water to it anyway.

Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30-60 minutes. 

This is a great time to prepare the rest of your meal. Tonight, we made 2 different dishes for 2 different tastes. Eli and I ate chicken and broccoli fettuccine alfredo. Gabe and Dan ate scallops with their alfredo. 

Steam the broccoli and set aside. 

Fry up the chicken in a pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into strips. Set aside.

In the same pan, cook your mushrooms (optional). Mix with broccoli.

Saute minced garlic in a little butter. Mix with broccoli and mushrooms.

If you're using scallops, cook these in the same pan. Add a little butter, salt and pepper. 

Heat heavy cream over medium low heat. Not sure how much. Use your judgement. If I had to guess, I'd say about two cups. And don't try to be all healthy by using light cream. If your light cream doesn't have milk as the main ingredient, it might work. But the success rate of a great cream sauce is in the fat. Do it right and enjoy every bite. Do it wrong and take in all those horrible calories for no good reason. It's your choice. 

NOTE: The key to a perfect creamy sauce is constant stirring. I know this is hard when you're juggling so much in the kitchen. But just try your best. Don't let it sit and develop that skim on top. You want it to be always be moving. 

When it's nice and thick, add salt, pepper and about a half cup or so of pecorino romano. (A little more never hurts. Taste it.)

Now pull out that ball of dough and divide it into thirds. Smoosh them and put them through your pasta roller on the "1" setting. Roll it through a few times until it's smooth. Then move to the "2" setting. Roll it through once, then move it to the "3" setting. And so on until it gets to your desired thickness. We stopped at 8, but we decided thicker would have been better. Try stopping at 5 or 6. 

**If you don't have a pasta roller, pull out your handy dandy rolling pin and get to work. Just cut the pieces with a knife as they get too long. About 10" long is good. Focus on the length, not the width. Once it's thin enough, use a knife to cut strips. You shouldn't need flour to roll it out. It might make it too dry and crumbly.

If your pasta roller has the pasta cutter extension, feed the strips of pasta through the wider cut section (fettuccine). Once all the pasta has been cut, put it in salted, oiled (EVOO) boiling water all at the same time. (Don't add the salt or oil until right before you add the pasta. Otherwise, your pasta may have a metallic taste.)

Remember: Fresh pasta does NOT take as long to cook. So don't leave it! It only takes about 2-5 minutes to cook. Take one out, dip it in the sauce, and drop it in your mouth. (Or another mouth you love.) Drain.

Combine the meat (oh yeah, Dan threw in some bacon) with the broccoli mixture and reheat it in the one pan that you used for everything. (Makes clean up that much easier.)

Pour everything into a pasta bowl and smother in delicious cream sauce. 

Pasta is such a versatile food and it lasts a long time in a cool dry place. It's cheap to make, cheap to buy (although not as cheap as it used to be), and everyone loves it. See the boys' responses to it tonight!

Southwestern Chicken

I've gotten a lot of hand-me-down recipes from my mom. There's something nostalgic about serving the same dinners that your mom served. Naturally giving it your own twist to make it personal.

This recipe came from my mom, but I didn't grow up with it. She started making this after I'd 

flown 

           the 

                     coop. 

I believe she said she got it from my aunt who got it from the South Beach Diet. The recipe did not call for shredding. I always served the chicken pieces whole over rice, topped with the bean mixture and smothered with melted cheese. 

After making this for a couple of years, I went to a friends' house who made a similar dish but she shredded the chicken and served it over rice on a large lettuce leaf or in wraps. I actually like the shredded chicken mixture 

much 

              better. 

Tonight, after working 

all day, 

I came home to a delicious smelling house and dinner was easy enough to get ready. 

(The dishes from yesterday that were waiting for me weren't so pleasant, however.) 

I just cooked up the rice, shredded and de-boned the chicken and served it up. I served it over rice for the boys. Dan and I enjoyed a nice wrap. 

And now, leftover Monkey Bread for dessert. (If we can muscle our way through the staleness.)

Southwestern Chicken Wraps

15 oz corn

15 oz black beans

16 oz salsa

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts*

Pour half of the salsa in the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour in rinsed corn and black beans. Place chicken on top. Pour remaining salsa over the chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hrs. 

Shred the chicken and mix together with the corn and bean mixture. Serve over rice or in wraps with cheddar or provolone, sour cream, rice and lettuce or spinach.

*You can also use bone-in chicken halves. The longer it cooks the more tender the chicken and the easier it will be to shred it. It literally falls off the bone. Make sure you get all the small pieces however. It's easy to miss them if you're not careful.

Alternative: Skip shredding the chicken and serve the pieces over rice topped with cheese and sour cream. This recipe is so versatile, you'll be adding your own twists to it in no time.