It's been a while and I figured I share some of my current favorites. And, since my offspring tend to get rather obsessive about things, I'm sharing some of their current favorites too.
LC's current favorite is Ever After High. And her cousin Ruthie. It's not a good day when she doesn't have a chance to hang out with her cousin. They like to act out different story lines when they play together, and their current story of choice is Ever After High. I guess it's a television show and book about the offspring of various Grimm's Fairy Tale characters.
Meres has always been my different child. She is loud and vivacious and she likes to put things in groups and lines. Her favorite thing lately has been a set of green sticks and purple balls that we got for a Christmas gift a couple years ago. By attaching the balls to the sticks, and vise-versa, you are able to build all kinds of structures. It keeps her busy for hours. Unassembled, the sticks double as swords.
BMV is into anything MineCraft. The game on the iPad. Books. Legos. His own knock off board games and comic strips. Though it often annoys me, I guess that MineCraft is a relatively innocent obsession for a 12 year old.
Freckles is into his Decisive Battles of History dvd lectures, by a favorite Professor. He saw them in the Great Courses catalog and was really interested in them, so we gave them to him for Christmas. There are a couple dozen lectures and he has breezed through the majority of them. He may not know the exact dates, but he has quite the grasp of the battles, equipments, armies, etc.. It makes me smile when he asks if he can watch another one of his lectures.
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| bombon |
As for Me, I'd say my current favorites are bombon, my new artwork from Segovia and Gracelaced, my new washer (big enough to wash a kid) and my lanterns. I love my lanterns. I actually recently bought two more at IKEA because I use them all the time.
Oh, and Onion Beef Au Jus, AKA French Dips. Those are a perennial favorite. Almost any time a restaurant has French Dips, I will order one.
Imagine my excitement when I found this super easy recipe so that I can make my own! Tender beef, salty dipping juices, and touch of Swiss cheese goodness. So good!
Onion Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
1 (3 lb) beef rump roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions
6 Tbsp butter
5 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 garlic clove
1 (1 lb) loaf french bread
1 cup (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese
-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
-In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the roast on all sides in the oil. Drain.
-Peel and slice the onion into 1/4” rounds. Mince the garlic clove.
-In a large skillet, sauté the onions in 2 Tbsp of butter until tender. Add the water, soy sauce, soup mix, and garlic. Pour over the roast. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2-1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
-Let the meat stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Return meat to pan juices.
-Turn broiler on to high.
-Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Cut into 3” sections. Spread remaining butter over the bread. Place on a baking sheet and broil from heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Top with beef and onions, sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4-6” from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with pan juices and potato chips and pickles.
Happy Friday!
