The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari

I had never heard of "The Dragon and the Turtle" books prior to this review.  (Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark; illustrated by Vincent Nguyen)  After reading this one, I'm hooked and am eager to read more!  I previewed the book myself before reading it to my children and while the illustrations are captivating, I was initially skeptical that they would understand the storyline.

The book is about two friends (a dragon named Padraig and a turtle named Roger) who are camping in the back yard but are pretending they are adventurers on a safari.  They hear night time forest sounds and imagine they are exaggerated "beasts." (ie squirrel rustling in the tree tops they imagine to be giraffes etc.)  There is one page that my three year old said was "scary" but he didn't seem bothered by it at all.  On this "scary page" there are glowing eyes that we later learn belong to a kitten who needs help.

My three year old son was absolutely captivated by the images and I was pleasantly surprised how well he followed the storyline.  He actually grasped the concept that the boys were pretending and he even pointed to some of the "beasts" and noted that it was silly that the boys thought that's what they heard.  My five year old daughter was able to comprehend the deeper meanings of the story and we were able to discuss how the boys were being good friends to each other and how it was very brave of them to go help someone even though they were a little afraid.  I would highly recommend this book.

The "Bonus Story" in the back of the book left me chuckling to myself but the concept was a little lost on my kids.  It would be well suited to older kids.  I loved the "conversation starters" portion and the scripture passage: "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid...God goes with you; he will never leave you." Deuteronomy 31:6




To go along with this book, Waterbrook Multnomah publishers is having a contest to "send your child on safari".


The Grand Prize includes:
--A child size tent
--2 sleeping bags
--Campfire treats
--Essential Safari tools (compass, flashlight, and spy glass)
--Stuffed animals
--Copies of "The Dragon and the Turtle" and "The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari"
2 runners up will receive a copy of each book and a stuffed animal.
You can go HERE to enter.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Blogging for Books

I recently heard about a program called "Blogging for Books" where you can request a "review" copy of a book (for FREE!) for the purpose of reading it and then writing a review of it.  (Shout out to "Michelle" over at Simple Living for telling me about this program)  As such, occasionally I will have blog posts with a book review.  Exciting stuff here people!!!  I personally joined the site Blogging for Books because I like the fact that they publish Christian works but you can find your favorite publisher and request information on their "book review" program. :)

Take a Photo

My son is a magnet for Russian women.  Particularly enthusiastic grand-motherly Russian women. 

This fact is something that may come of little surprise to anyone who's seen my youngest son recently.  Suffice to say he's a big healthy bouncing baby boy who tips the scales for his age.  We seem to have a plethora of Russians living in our area and somehow they all manage to flock to my son.  His little cheeks have been pinched by several Russians who live in my mother's apartment complex.  (So often that now anytime my middle son hears a Russian accent he takes cover and hides behind my legs so he's not also victimized by the cheek-pinchers).  We often run into Russians at the local library as well.  And, again with the pinching.  (And you just thought he had naturally rosie cheeks! Ha!)

This afternoon I ventured out to the grocery store.  Levi was strapped securely in the seat of the cart and my older two were "helping" me gather groceries and putting them in the cart for me.  I turned to the side to snatch a bunch of bananas and hear the distinct sound of a Russian woman exclaiming about (as best as I can spell) shcheki.  Now, I'm not fluent in Russian, but by context I gather they're talking about his rather fat cheeks!  I turn around to see Levi arching his little back and straining backwards as best he can in his seat while this grandmother is inching closer to his cheeks.  I tried my best to step back over and rescue my little butter ball, but alas she has a box-out that would make most NBA players blush.  After much ooing and ahing she finally steps aside and I again regain the reigns of my cart.  She turns to me, grabs me by my shoulders and she tells me (insert deep Russian accent here) "Photo.  You must take photo.  You.  You go home, and you take photo.  Lots of photo.  He.  He is picture perfect.  You must take photo."

I nodded and smiled as politely as I could.  She then went around the cart and gathered Lydia into what I can only describe as a "bosom hug" (You know the kind, right?  Where they smush your face into their bosom and rock back and forth?)  Lydia looked taken aback for a moment but then just smiled and turned to me and said "Mommy, she's silly." :)  (Note that Boaz had already heard the tell-tale accent and was safely hiding behind my legs at this point.)

It was only after I had maneuvered to a different aisle of the store that I started to really ponder what this dear old woman said.  "Photo....Lots of photo."  He is pretty darn picture perfect.  So, I snapped a photo with my phone.  It will never win any amateur photo awards, but I will now forever have that photo to remember what my son looked like on a cold winter day of his ninth month of life.  Picture perfect.

We never know how long we have on Earth for only God knows the number of our days, but of this I can be sure:  My "littles" will only stay "little" for such a short while.  I look at my Lydia...so "grown up" already at nearly five years old.  I can fondly remember holding her and rocking her as she had terrible colic and reflux.  There were times when I felt like the night drug on forever and that this phase was never going to end.  Now I look at her and wish I could swaddle her in a receiving blanket and rock her to sleep on my chest.  I look at Boaz.  Such a "boy" he is.  Dinosaurs and trains.  Balls and dirt.  Lots of dirt.  It's hard to remember him as that little 6 pound 15 ounce peanut that made my heart melt when I first saw his tiny face.  Levi.  My strapping boy.  He always seems bigger than he should be.  He's so eager to reach that next milestone so he can keep up with his siblings.

Photos.  Lots of photos.  Lord help me to remember to take lots of photos so I can remember these precious moments.  Lord help me to never take for granted the blessings you've showered on me.  Lord when I'm tired from a night of no sleep, help me to remember to be thankful for the privilege of spending those late night or early morning moments with my "littles" because they won't be little for very long. 

I'm forever thankful to God Almighty, the Author of Life, who has- for now- blessed me with these.

Mmmmm Pie...Pizza Pie that is

I've become increasingly disgruntled by the ingredients (and cost!) of store bought freezer pizzas.  The sodium levels are just crazy.  In one "serving" you can easily consume more than half of your day's recommended dose of sodium.  (And, let's be honest here...how often do we only eat their version of a "serving"???)

Tonight I ventured into the world of homemade pizza (thanks to the inspiration of my step-mom's AMAZING homemade pizza.

It was a HUGE hit!

I made pizza dough following the recipe on my bread machine recipe book.  I then cut the dough in fourths (per the suggestion in the recipe guide) and allowed it to rest for twenty minutes.

After rolling them all out into nice even circles, I spread two-three tablespoons of Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce.  Sprinkled a few shakes of Italian seasonings and a teaspoon of sugar on each pie.  Then topped each individual pie according to taste preferences (just plan cheese for the kids, lots of fresh veggies for the adults).  While the bread machine was working the dough I cut up several fresh bell peppers (green, red, and yellow).  Also one sweet onion.  We even added some turkey pepperoni (tastes pretty darn close to regular pepperoni but 70% less fat!!!)  Topped them all off with a HUGE heaping pile of mozzarella cheese and popped both pans in the oven.  (On a jelly roll pan covered with Reynolds Release foil)  Bake for 12-15 minutes at 500 degrees.  Viola!  A shockingly healthy alternative and fairly budget friendly too. (I have plenty of chopped veggies in freezer bags ready for the next time we make pizza.)

I wish I had taken photos because they were quite visually appealing too. (We were all far to eager to partake to worry about a photo-op)

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Christmas Ham.  Is there anything better than Christmas ham?  I love a good ham.  Not only does it make a tasty main dish when garnished with sides of green beans and mashed potatoes, it makes for some AMAZING leftovers.  Tossing in a cup full of diced leftover ham turns a pot of potato soup into a delicious dinner that will satisfy your tummy's craving for some hearty comfort food. ;)

I recently found another way to use up some leftover ham.  The Ham and Cheese Quiche from Janelle at Comfy in the Kitchen.  It has the most delicate texture and tastes amazing! ;)  It's a new family favorite in our house!






Ham and Cheese Quiche
1 pre-made pie shell (I recommend Marie Callender’s in your grocer’s freezer)
6 eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup diced ham (I purchase this in a bag in the meat section)
¼ cup diced onion
1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
salt/pepper


Preheat oven to 375


“Pam” a small pan and sauté onions with ham for appx 5 mins. Pour sauted ham and onions and shredded cheese into premade pie shell. Beat eggs with heavy cream until well blended, add salt and pepper. Pour over top. Bake 35-45 mins until set. (When you take the quiche out of the oven, the middle of the pie should not jiggle)