She's All Grown Up Now!

This beautiful baby has finished grad school and is onto world domination! 

 

Last weekend, the Schafer/Rindler/Morris/Miller clans, godparents and grandparents celebrated the occasion with lunch at Cousino's in Toledo, two cakes, and a dozen oversized balloons that would neither behave in the car NOR in the 40-mile-per-hour Toledo winds! Worst. Idea. Ever.

Yes, sad but true, the Schafer Daughters are finally done with school. Between the three of us, we have 19 years of higher education under our belts. THANKS MOM AND DAD!

Kristin graduated from the University of Toledo with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Some days I think I have patience, but Kristin really takes the cake in this arena:
Occupational therapists help children with autism make eye contact; they help grandmas with Parkinson's open jars of peanut butter; they teach stroke victims to use the bathroom independently; they teach babies with cleft lips how to nurse. Kristin is JUST PERFECT for this type of work. 

I remember one story: Kristin said she spent a whole week at a camp teaching a young boy with autism how to do "Thumbs Up!" like this: 

Step 1: Hands out

Step 2: Make a fist

Step 3: Thumbs Up! 

And he did it! Step by step, every time, just like she taught him! 

Thumbs up, Kiki! You are awesome and inspiring! Now, if you'd only try the Sapporo when I tell you its really good! 

Strawberry Shortcakes for Two

When hubby mows the grass, I always feel sorry for him. Mowing is itchy and noisy, and it reeks of petroleum fumes and physical labor. And hubby hates physical labor. Pity. So it goes that in my world, pity and many other emotions are expressed to others in the form of food. Here is a quick dessert you can whip up in about the time it takes to mow an average lawn with an average push mower. 

Introducing "Strawberry Shortcakes for Two", courtesy of Small Batch Baking, by Debby Maugans Nakos. Ms. Nakos' book is SUPERB, full of fancy-pants dessert recipes for little families like mine!

Shortcakes:

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Filling:

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 tsp sugar

Whipped cream 

Combine cream and vanilla in a small bowl. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. While gently stirring flour mixture, gradually add the cream mixture; mix until the dough barely holds together. Using floured hands, divide dough in half and form each half into a ball. Place balls of dough onto preapred baking sheet, spacing them two inches apart.  Bake 28 minutes.

My additions: egg wash after 10 minutes of bake time + raw sugar sprinkle!  

Allow to cool completely before filling with strawberries and whipped cream. Jeremy's instructions to me: "Not too many strawberries. I can't handle the texture." Sigh...I guess they are just too close to a vegetable with all those seeds...

Et voila! 

 

Happy's Mother Day!

You know it: I have the best mom in the word. Really. Let me tell you why:

1. My mom has instilled huge work ethic in me. Now that I have a mini-family of my own, I am amazed more and more every day of how my mom was able to work all day, then keep the house clean, flowers weeded, dinner cooked (like, a REAL scratch dinner -- protein, vegetable, starch) and still have patience to give us snuggles and play. 

2. My mom was never too busy to take care of herself. I remember watching her get ready for work each day: rollers, makeup, pressed clothes. I love how my mom did all this without ever seeming superficial or vain--she was just putting her best food forward. As you can see, my mom is gorgeous still today...but we always laugh about her one rotated front tooth. Its so cute, this little battle between us about her tooth. I like to come up with elaborate plans full of painful dental procedures to fix it, and she likes to think she can just push it back into place with her fingers. 

3. My mom goes to church regularly and took us along. We always prayed before dinner and before bed. Thanks. 

4. I know this will seem like a lie, but I think I could count on one hand the number of times I've heard my mom gossip. Amazing AND true. 

5. My mom cuts out funny or touching newspaper articles and sends them too me.  She has done this since I left for college.

6. My mom would never baby me during the hard times in dental school, even though I REALLY wanted her to. Looking back, it was what I really needed. How did she know?

7. Mom and I have similar senses of humor. She is very silly at times (hello Nick Schweddy of Schweddy Balls on SNL?) and not afraid to show her dingy side...just like me!

8. Mom is very good at appreciating the wonder and beauty of "little things" - flowers, coffee, books, and encourages me to do the same!

9.  I remember December of  1999 -- I was home for Christmas after one semester of college and INCREDIBLY depressed; I was lashing out to everyone. I clearly remember Mom coming into my room before work one morning, laying by me as I dozed, and giving me the most undeserved hug and kiss ever. I think about that demonstration of undeserved love on a regular basis.

10. My mom tries to make EVERYTHING special. Flowers on the table. Homemade granola and yogurt parfaits for breakfast. Christmas entryway decorations. Things my mother puts her hands on are always lovely, but at the same time, never a production or drama-filled event. 

The last thing I must say about my mom is probably the best: she is incredibly unselfish and unmaterialistic...and in the same line is an amazing listener. Every day I try to be more like that. But surely, as I am also 50% Randy (who I love for lots of reasons, too), that part for me is a WORK - IN - PROGRESS. 

Mom, I love you so much. I hope you enjoy your special day.

Who needs two Kitchen Aid mixers?

Exhibit A: Crisco Container

Exhibit B: Two Kitchen Aid Mixers in use, at the same time. They said it couldn't be done.

Exhibit C: Kitchen Disaster Area. Call FEMA.

So, who needs two Kitchen Aid mixers, really? 

Apparently I do. 

It started so simply, I was just making chocolate chip cookies for hubby's Guys' Golf outing to Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Following the advice of Janice Smith, mother of bff Kaye, I was to substitute butter in the Toll House recipe with butter-flavored Crisco. I know, I know, hydrogenated oils...I'm always naysaying them, but her cookies really are amazing...

So a double batch of Toll House cookies needs two sticks of butter. That means two sticks of Crisco, right?

WRONG.

That's actually enough for FOUR batches. Luckily I caught my error before baking and was able to supplement with four times the amount of flour, which left me with nary enough chocolate chips in the dough for a proper cookie. So what did this wifey do? Certainly not send off her husband with a paucity of chips in his cookies...no, he'll be stressed out enough with his putting. Instead, she cut up all the leftover Easter candy to supplement. Off with those chocolate bunny heads!

 

Next, I pulled out my OTHER Kitchen-Aid mixer, the industrial strength, lawn mower engine-equipped version from M-I-L Teri, and I baked off four big batches of Toll House cookies. 

And then I cleaned it all up before dinner. Jeremy says, "They were a hit!" If they only knew...

Nieces and Niceties

This weekend I hosted my darling nieces, Halle and Emi, in Columbus. Frankly, its the calm before the storm at the Perrysburg Rindler house. See, baby #3 is on its way any day now, Mark & Kelly needed some R&R, and Suessical the Musical was in town here at the Columbus Children's Theatre. Reason enough to plan a weekend full of polka-dot nail polish, picnics, cupcakes, and playgrounds. Grandma Schafer, aka my mom, was nice enough to help with all the shuttling around Ohio, and to make sure there were enough chicken nuggets around to keep everybody satisfied.

I was too busy smiling to take any more pictures than these. Plus those girls move too fast for my shutter speed.

Many thanks go to my dear roommate, AJ, sister of beloved old roommate, Carla, for hanging out and helping us carpool. You are the best! 

We wouldn't have had nearly as much fun without you! And, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel looks so much better on your awesome TV. You ROCK, friend.

Le Sigh.

Sunflowers for an unsunny day. 

Mentally, physically, emotionally unsunny.

I'm watching my favorite show, Barefoot Contessa, and just can't help but feel burdened by bad news. Should be happy. Am not.

Nothing too personal. Nothing too close to home. But so many tragedies have permeated my bubble lately. Seems the older I get, the more I realize the unfairness of life, what everyone was talking about. Hmph.  Life isn't fair; it is random and often seems cruel. 

And we can never begin to understand His plan. 

Happier posts to come...I am sure.

More DC!

Had a few more pictures from DC to share! Here are some lovely orchids!

Homa and I in front of the Capitol...Cherry blossoms in full effect!

In honor of Easter, the National Cathedral!

Gorgeous orchids...note spots and stripes on the same plant!

The Capitol on a perfect blue sky day.

The Washington Monument. I'd like this picture so much more were it not for the potties...hindsight is 20/20!

What a great week! Miss my girl Annie already!