Goal #76: Sing in public

You guys are going to laugh. I did. 

Last November(ish) I sent in my application to sing the national anthem at a local baseball game. I have experience singing the anthem in front of thousands but I did not get chosen. I didn't have an audition or anything so I don't feel too bad about it. They had a lot of school groups and other groups sign up to sing. Those groups get first priority. I'll try again next year. 

I haven't been to karaoke in years and I don't think I'll ever just bust out in song at the store or on the street so what's the next best thing? Singing on YouTube. Youtube is public, so there you go...

Lucas joined me in this video. I did not do a retake without him because he was just so darn funny. Surprisingly the camera was sitting still. I don't know why it looks so shaky. Oh yeah, there was a two year old jumping around!

Not my best singing. I'm no Whitney Houston but I had a lot going against me. Namely, pollen....I was coughing all night from that stuff. 

Anyway, enjoy the show. HAHAHA!!

Goal #4: Grow Herbs in a Terrarium & Goal #28 Plant Blueberry Bushes

Two weekends ago I finally bought two different blueberry bushes. There were two or three spindly little branches on each and by the time they made it into the ground there was only 1 left on each branch. The plants were very brittle. I planted two different kinds so they could cross pollinate. I guess this produces more fruit? Not sure. That was just the recommendation. Maybe in the next year or two there will be some fruit on the bushes. I remember my grandmother having a GIANT blueberry bush outside of her home in Mississippi and I always loved picking the sweet fruit and eating it on the spot. 

We also got our garden ready. We made the garden bigger and put up a new fence. Jimmy and I made a trellis that will be for the sugar snap peas (already planted) and the cucumbers and peppers we will get soon. We also started some lettuce and of course we'll have some tomatoes. Depending on how much room is left after that I might plant some strawberries too.

Today Ryan and I went on a rock hunt for a terrarium. I got rosemary and parsley at Home Depot so I put some of that in and Ryan started some basil from seed in a tiny greenhouse I picked up at the Target Dollar Spot. He's been enjoying watching how much it is growing. I put just one plant of each herb in our little terrarium. I don't know if it will last so I didn't want to waste my herbs that are going out in the herb garden. We already have oregano and chives out there that come back every year. Last year the rosemary was accidentally dug up and the mint died. I don't expect to use any herbs out of this but it will look nice on the window sill.

I think I need a bigger jar.

Goal #53: Cook 3 things from every cookbook I own (45 recipes/15 cookbooks=45 recipes)

I realized I had never posted this recipe.


I made my aunt’s salmon croquettes a few months back but I’m just now getting around to posting the recipe. I’m babysitting for my dear friend and lucky for me they are asleep and I have a few hours to myself to get caught up on my blog posts. 

I love my Aunt Linda and I love her cooking. The women in my family are amazing cooks!!

Salmon Croquettes
Linda Switzer

1 large can pink salmon, drained, bones removed
1 small onion, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 T. creamed horseradish
½ tsp. dried dill week
1/3 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
¼ tsp. salt (more if desired)
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
Yellow cornmeal
Peanut or canola oil for frying

Flake salmon into mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except cornmeal and oil. Mix well. Divide into 7 or 8 patties. Press patties into cornmeal.

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add patties and fry on each side until medium firm and browned. Drain on paper towels.

These are delicious served with a sauce of mayonnaise, ketchup. Horseradish, lemon juice and a little mustard (remoulade sauce). 

Goal #47: Go fishing

On our recent visit to Mississippi we had the opportunity to go fishing with my mom and step-dad. My step-dad, John, bought the boys cane poles, crickets, the whole shebang. We headed out to my mom’s boss’ lake and Ryan could not have been more excited to try something new. 

It was about 70 degrees when we went out and thankfully, dry. This was a great change from the weather in Chicago. It had been snowing off and on and in the 30’s. 

The fish weren’t really biting. The water was really stirred up and murky from all the rain they had recently fallen. My boys got a little bored but my step-dad caught a few (and made it seem, to the kids, like that THEY had caught it. He‘s cool like that). They got super excited to reel in their fish and see it up close, flopping around.

Ryan was a little afraid of the crickets and carried them like this everywhere.

We had a lot of crickets.

Lucas had his own way of holding his pole.

Ryan loves his GiGi.

Ryan picked some weeds beautiful flowers for me.

This dock made me nervous. Of course I forgot Ryan's life jacket. I don't think the water was more than a few feet deep where we were but you never know...

Up first was a catfish. Apparently, they have some kind of barbs on them by their fins that will really hurt if they get you with them. I had no idea. I’ve seen that show Hillbilly Handfishing and there is no way in….heck... that I would stick my hand or foot up in a hole to have a giant catfish latch on knowing that they have these barbs that will “sting” you. We threw it back.

Then a few white perch were caught that we kept. Ryan was a good sport and actually held it, or tried to hold it, (they have paper thin mouths) and take it to the cooler.

We saw several water moccasins. Eek! They were just chilling in the sun.

There were a few other small fish that we put back but we did catch a bream that was cute enough to have in a tank. He went back home though.

After awhile it was starting to get hot and the boys’ minds had moved on so we decided to go on home. 

Lucas loves John!

What a fun experience for my boys. Ryan can’t wait to go again…when it warms up here.

Pina Colada Pancakes

I don't know what comes over me on a Saturday morning. Normally that is Jimmy's day to sleep in and I make a special breakfast. Ryan said he wanted pancakes. We only had almond milk and coconut milk in the refrigerator so I thought about what would be good with coconut....PINEAPPLE....pina coladas. YUM!

Here is what I came up with. 

Pina Colada Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk (coconut milk)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 mashed banana
2 T. shredded coconut
8 oz. pineapple tidbits
1 tsp. vanilla

butter
extra coconut for garnishing

Combine coconut milk, eggs, banana and vanilla together in a bowl. Combine bisquick and coconut in a large bowl. Make a well in the Bisquick and pour in wet ingredients. Stir until just combined and then fold in pineapple.

Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray or melt butter. Ladle 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. 

Garnish with coconut and syrup.

**We had extra pineapple so I put that on top as well. Would also be good with pineapple, coconut and sweetened whipped cream instead of syrup.

Goal #96: Make a piece of jewelry

Here's what I decided to make! This was the only color Michael's had in the leather cording (in the same pack). It just so happens to be the same colors as the bracelet in the tutorial. 

Once you do 1 or 2 knots it gets easy. It was a little confusing at first. I looked at the tutorial with the silver Celtic knot bracelet more than the other and used a button for a closure instead of whatever they used on the silver one. It seemed like it was a lot easier to finish it that way.

Jewelry Pinboard

Goal #45: See a movie in 3D

Ryan has a reward chart and when he fills up an entire page he gets a treat/prize/whatever. This time his reward was to go see a movie and get popcorn. I decided we better knock out another goal and see it in 3D since we don't get to the movie theater very often.

We saw this cute movie "Escape From Planet Earth".

Synopsis "Astronaut Scorch Supernova finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from a notoriously dangerous alien planet" -IMDB.com

Ryan really liked it and I thought it was pretty entertaining. The 3D effects were cool. Ryan didn't want to wear his glasses the whole time but the screen really looks strange if you don't wear them.