We would absolutely eat it!

Two of my dc have used Destinos, and I think that if you're watching the videos only, it's a supplement. There's also a textbook and a workbook, and if you do all of that as well as watch the videos, it seems fairly complete. My dc did seem to learn a lot of Spanish, and they also enjoyed the video/workbook format.

Dh is at work right now, feeding cows. I'm sad, but still breathing in and out. I so much appreciate the wisdom in all of the advice given, and it's been more helpful than you all will ever know. I'm trying to go with a combination of the great ideas mentioned. I'm striving to be happy about what I have left. I can't call it a celebration, exactly, but I'm trying to see this in the best possible light, while still acknowledging my grief over what has been lost. One really unhealthy option that no one mentioned is drowning my sorrow in food. In spite of my best intentions about avoiding emotional eating, it feels appropriate for a day like today, and I'm refusing to feel guilty about it! I had a huge, disgusting burger for lunch today, and I just made a cake that we can have tonight after dinner. The kids are excited, because I *never* make dessert for home. :tongue_smilie: In only six hours it will be bedtime, and I can hold out until then. Thankfully, I'm a person who has no trouble falling asleep at the right time, no matter how unhappy I might be. Tomorrow is another day, and if I get through the next two days (especially Tuesday) intact, I will have a whole year to try and make our 25th anniversary seem meaningful. Thanks again, friends.

I have only known for 2 1/2 months. I feel stuck, but in reality, things are getting better (except for the many moments when I remember, kwim?). We are making progress, it just won't feel like it today or for the next couple of days, I think.

None of the young adults who live with me would wear that to any job where they hoped to be taken seriously.

This is not about what my dh has done, nor is it a vent about him in any way, but I have to give a teeny bit of background (for those who aren't familiar with my situation) in order to get the practical ideas I'm looking for. Two years ago dh had an inappropriate friendship. It began two days after our 22nd anniversary, and continued for almost a year. I didn't know until recently, and dh and I are both doing everything we can to save our marriage and family. Tomorrow is supposed to be our 24th anniversary, and I'm finding it really hard to get through. I've always thought of our anniversary as a day to celebrate the years we've been together, keeping ourselves just for each other. Now it's just making me...unbearably sad, to think about what the day *should* have meant. It's also going to be difficult for me two days afterwards, which is still in my mind as the day he first called her, and the day the "old me" really kind of died, whether I knew it at the time or not. My dh just brought me flowers, as he always does on our anniversary, and just as he did on that anniversary two years ago. :crying: I am trying to be gracious, but all I can seem to be right now is horribly, almost unbearably, sad. The poor guy doesn't know how to help, and really is in a situation where he brought me flowers, and I'm crying, and if he didn't bring me the flowers, I'd cry. :001_huh: Now to the real question! I need to pull out of this. It's the wrong time for me to make things harder than they already were. We need to continue forward progress. *I* need to make forward progress. How can I get through the next two days without clinging to sadness and disappointment? I'm looking for really practical ideas, and need to add that teA cannot be the main component. :bigear:

I wish I could say that the soft glow we usually have is candlelight, but in actuality it's the glow of the tv screen in a darkened room. :tongue_smilie: We keep the tv on purposely, to disguise any...noises, coming from our room. :leaving:

I'm willing, but I wish it would all come out more like it does in the movies. :001_huh: In the movies it all looks graceful and romantic and then in real life, I'm sorry, but where on earth do I put my leg (or my arm, or whatever...you know what I mean ;))? Something that looks like it might be fun, and then you try it and you're, like, the angle of this makes it just not physically possible in real life!:confused: The things that *didn't work*: Standing against a wall facing each other In the bathtub (too buoyant?) In the pool (uh...the cleanup thing :confused:) Outside on the chaise lounge on our patio (mosquitos, anyone?) ETA: Oh, and the lying on our sides, facing each other. *How does anyone get that to work??* Doesn't help that I'm 5'6" and dh is 6'5". :001_huh: Now I'm :blushing: and :leaving:

When I started reading the suggestions to my dds, it sparked an idea for them. I think they're going to make Ree's chicken spaghetti, but use the bits of turkey instead of chunks of chicken. I am, however, adding all of the ideas to my list of things to try in the future!

That would make more sense. I think most people probably go to bed considerably earlier than 2 a.m., and many probably go to bed at 10 or 11 p.m., leaving only an hour at most if the kids go to bed at 10 p.m.

What else could I do with it besides sandwiches? -Just wanted to add that it's relatively thinly sliced, and isn't really holding together, or I'd consider rolling them up with stuffing inside and ladling gravy over the top. I need more ideas. :bigear:

Bumping--'cause I'm not sure how else to find out the answer. :001_smile:

Uh...yeah, then I guess I would say that most couples have less time sans children than you do. ;)

Wait, do you mean that your routine is that the oldest goes to bed at 10 p.m. and then you have 4 more hours? So...you normally go to bed at 2 a.m.? :001_huh:

If so, how well did it work? Ds has a class he'd like to record for later review (prof is ok with it as long as it's unobtrusive), but there are rather long gaps during the lecture while notes are copied from the board, etc. Ds would like to have the recording stop during those times and only record the actual lecture/discussion, but doesn't want to be pressing stop/record when he'd rather listen without distraction. Do voice-activated recorders work well? Also, if there is background noise (it's an automotive mechanics class), will it still work to only record actual voices, or would machinery noises in the background keep it from working correctly? :bigear:

Whisk 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, then set aside in the fridge to chill. In the bowl of a double boiler, whisk 6 egg yolks, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 cup cream. Cook, whisking constantly, and scraping the bottom & sides so that no egg/sugar ends up cooked onto the sides of the bowl, for appx. 8 minutes. Don't walk away--this part takes patience. Remove the bowl from the double-boiler and whisk until cool (I use a hand mixer for this part). Fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture. Believe it or not, it doesn't end up tasting eggy at all, and even without any vanilla, it's amazing how rich and vanilla-ish it tastes. The texture/consistency turns out to be roughly like softly whipped cream, just runny enough to ladle on, but thick enough to stay put.

15, and adopted, and all of this came out from a "tip". I sure hope they can confirm the facts before acting. I also hope that if what the girl says can be corroborated, that they go after the abusers with both guns blazing. Nothing in the article mentioned any tangible evidence or any witnesses, so I guess I'm reserving judgement until more is known about what really happened. :confused: ETA: I guess what I'm saying is that from ladies we know well on this board, I can see this happening and having there be *much more* to the story. If it's true, then yes, it's beyond reprehensible. If it's the result of a troubled teen being creative with the facts, well, I know that's also entirely possible.

Well, I wouldn't say "petty", but...well...would you mind a slightly different perspective? If you can change your focus to a longer-term good, you might feel better about how things are now. You might be the family that shows this kid how life is for other people--that the way his family has lived doesn't have to be how things are with his own family/parenting in the future. That's a really, really noble pursuit, to be the example and the one that kindly teaches. Kind of inconvenient and annoying in the short term, what with the noise and all, but many of the best things in life are the really difficult things. The other thing is that, imo, one of the best things I did was cultivate the idea that our house is the place for the kids and their friends to hang out. I love it that my house is the place for teenagers to hang out. I know what my dc are doing, and I know what their friends are doing. They all like to be here, and I'd like to think that the relationships that have been cultivated over time have allowed me to guide them in ways I might not have, had the kids hung out at the neighbor's house instead of ours. This too shall pass, and you can take the high road, knowing that for every bit of inconvenience you suffer right now, you will reap benefits that are both tangible (knowing where your dc are and what they're doing) and intangible (maybe even personal growth from having done the hard thing well). :grouphug: You know how when the doc gives a shot they might say something like, "this will only hurt for a second", or "just a tiny pinch here and it'll be over", well, that's so true! You can do this. :001_smile:

I didn't believe it when I heard it, but put some water in the pan, then add a dryer sheet (like Bounce) and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the pan sit with the water & dryer sheet overnight. The next day, (hopefully) you can scrub off the burnt parts. Worked for me. :001_smile:

That was interesting. I've had the mindset that I need to lose 100 lbs. Honestly, from looking at the pictures, I can see that I would be happy if I lost 45 lbs., which sounds a lot more possible. I think maybe that's really good news. Thanks for posting the link.

They turned out fine! I think my dough was a little on the dry side, so the rolling was a bit harder than it needed to be, and yes, it was a little difficult to get them round. ;) Still, they were good, and my family liked them. They were pretty surprised that I'd "gone to all the trouble" to make them fresh tortillas when they're so easy to buy at the store. I explained that they were super-easy and fast, but I don't think my dh believed me (which is a *good* thing, 'cause now everyone will feel super-spoiled by having me make them, lol!). Will making them with butter or lard taste substantially different than making them with Crisco?

I'm ok with rolling cookies and pie crusts. :D Thanks for the tip about not going low & slow. I might have done that.

I thought I might go with this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/flour-tortillas-recipe/index.html I read in the comments that lots of people used whatever fat they had on hand, rather than lard. I will probably have to substitute on that too, since I don't have lard in stock currently. :tongue_smilie:

I'm going to fly without a backup this time. It is so not my style! :D

Am I likely to get flour tortillas right on the first try, or should I plan this as a practice time and have some "real" tortillas on hand as a back-up? :tongue_smilie: