Before I throw this thing out the back window. :mad: It's pretty new, but we cook in it at least twice a week. I've cooked bacon in it several times, actively seasoned it several times, cook eggs in olive oil at least twice a week, and everything STILL STICKS. For some reason, when I try to cook scrambled eggs in it, they come out relatively nicely (but with black specks from the bottom of the pan all over), but when I cook fried eggs, they stick terribly and I break the yolks most of the time. What the heck am I doing wrong? I suspect I'm not supposed to be using a steel wool-backed scrubbie sponge on it, right? I just realized that we'd sponges a few weeks ago. Yet, when I wash the pan and it's wet, I feel what feels like slick, oily bottom under the water, so I thought it was still ok. And if I don't use a scrubbie, how do I get the cooked-on stuff off the bottom? Please, help me avoid going back to teflon! Wah! TIA :o

Seriously. I think I have enough inspiration here to start a menu plan (which I really need) again!

LOL! Pancakes are a regular around here, especially when I've forgotten to thaw something. I ALWAYS have flour and eggs in the house!

Here's what I ended up making, and I thought my DH was going to knock me down and kiss me. Even the toddler ate it (though DD5 would only eat a piece of plain cod with EVOO and salt). http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/2058/Ginger-Honey-Glazed-Barbecued-101302.shtml I made whole wheat couscous on the side, cooked with water mixed with the same glaze, and eda mame.

I never get a dozen muffins out of a recipe. I don't think everything's getting smaller--I think we're used to bigger portions!

Crissy, I'm so sorry. And I don't think you're being selfish, I think you're experiencing a completely natural reaction to such news. I also don't think you should wait until you're 50 for the colonoscopy, for sure. And, IMO, it's never a bad time to clean up your diet and your living style for many reasons, only one of which is cancer risk. Couldn't hurt, right?

Actually, I think the jello-y part is good--or at least normal. It's the gelatin from the chicken bones, and is good for you (from what I've read). When you heat the broth, it will melt into regular broth again. Others may have more info, though.

Salmon fillets in some form (probably balsamic glazed or something), regular and sweet potato oven fries, and eda mame--aka the only green thing my DD5 will put in her mouth anymore.

It gets a 4-cow (excellent) rating on the Cornucopia Institute's chart: http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html I had no idea, actually. I thought I remembered hearing that Horizon was actually their supplier, but that was unconfirmed and obviously erroneous. Cool!

LOL! Me either. If it is, it's right down at the bottom with dusting (knick-knacks are my nemesis). Since I discovered the trick of throwing wrinkly clothes back in the dryer with a wet sock, I've been a much happier woman!

Jean, do you think the problem is the chocolate itself, or the dairy in the chocolate? There are vegan chocolates you can buy; maybe you could try those as a treat for her?

Yes, this. There are a million things I'd like to do more often, many of which only take 10 or 15 minutes. All added up...well, lets just say there are not enough hours in my days lately. Plus, my kids are small. They don't sweat much, or get that dirty (my toddler practically has a panic attack if her hands have yogurt on them, for example) most of the year. They wear long pajamas. We have air conditioning. Just how dirty are their sheets actually getting? When I wash them and put them back on the bed, they look and smell exactly the same as before. Plus, they both have those flingin' flangin' daybeds--I too am cursing and sweating by the time I'm done changing those beds :mad: Now, our bed...that's a different story. I'd change our bed every week if I could, but it just always seems like the very laaaaaast priority, since it only affects us. What I truly don't understand? WHY on earth would one IRON linens? Even the wrinkliest of our sheets look completely normal after a day or so on the bed, and when they get put on and they're fresh and smooth, they have people-created wrinkles by the next morning. And who's looking anyway? When guests come here, my bed is always made. I always feel like I'm the one who must be missing something when I hear people talking about ironing linens (and cloth diapers, I used to come across that on diapering boards when we were cloth diapering). Is there some compelling reason one must iron linens?

Companies offering organic products, that are owned by major conventional corporations are notorious for cutting corners both large and small in their organic practices and quality control. Horizon is owned by dairy conglomerate Dean Foods, and has been cited by watchdog groups repeatedly for its practices. They're accused of things like purchasing cows that spent their lives in conventionally run dairies (with all the hormones and antibiotics, etc.) and putting them immediately into service providing "organic milk"; claiming their cows are grassfed for a significant portion of the year--yet when the farms are visited, there's no grass in sight, and all cows are indoors eating grain, and more. I'll see if I can find the articles. There's also a link to a food matrix that shows organic companies' links to conventional chains. I'll dig them up if I can. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8105.cfm http://pawpawspureproducts.com/?p=146 Chart -- this is a PDF

I'm going to ours in a week or so. It's definitely needle-in-a-haystack there, but I found some good stuff the last time I went. I wish I didn't have to bring the girls to ours, actually, because they don't shop well these days, but DH works weekends now. However, mine is just at our little small-town library. No fighting for parking, just fighting for body space with the used booksellers who get there and fill up their huge carts with all the best books by 10:05 :rolleyes: Hmm...maybe I just talked myself out of going after all!

Well, I had a long post written out, but realized it was way more than anyone really needs to know. Please understand that despite the way it came across, I wasn't defensive to anyone but myself, because I am the conflicted one, and I was looking for a dialogue that could help me gather my thoughts on the subject. My main problem is that I've held off on committing to childcare for five years now, waiting for the miracle of a better job for my DH and/or positive conviction. Instead I've driven myself into the ground in my inability to commit. Regarding a teen helper, I can see everyone's points. However, my experience with our HSed teen helper was horrendous, and my older DD still cries about never getting to see Colleen again. (Little does she know, of course, what the girl put us through, and what she really thought about my DDs :() She ultimately left us completely in the lurch, and told many lies. It's kind of put me off trying it again. I actually am happy to hear well-reasoned opinions to the contrary, or else I wouldn't have posted. I have tons of support for the decision IRL, but I wanted general feedback from other HSers, since it's a unique situation. I don't want to stop homeschooling. I believe it's best for my girls. I also don't want to end up on antidepressants and mood stabilizers because I'm homeschooling. That doesn't make much sense. Neither does quitting my job, since we like to eat and all. I'm trying to find a middle ground.

Hm, yes, I'd be interested in hearing more about this. My main reasons for wanting a group situation are as follows: --My DD needs more socialization than I can provide/handle right now. She has VERY fond memories of her sweet, gentle, play-based preschool, and misses it very much. She wants playgroups and playdates and classes and friends out the wazoo, and I--as a working mom and the introvert's introvert--just can't manage this for her right now. --I desperately need some quiet time in the house--whether to clean it, or just to sit quietly, alone on the couch and work, or read, or simply sit and enjoy the peace. That's how I recharge, and I don't get that, ever. Even when DH is home for the day and says he'll watch the kids, he's on the phone, on the computer, trying to run errands, trying to fix things, etc. He has no ability whatsoever to keep them away from me so I can do my work. It's becoming a major bone of contention between us. --In the past, we've had someone coming to our house. Outside of it being very unreliable (late arrivals, leaving early, days off, not showing up when she was supposed to), it was SO much more pressure on me in terms of what state the house was in, what there was to feed the kids (I know what's in my cabinets and where--a caretaker doesn't), if we ran out of toilet paper in the bathroom, etc. It was more pressure on me than it took off me, really. So that's what I'm thinking. Actually, another HSing friend with a 5-year-old has offered to do it for me, but the girls have their hearts set on a center of some kind! DD5 is looking forward to the setting again, and DD2 wanted desperately to go to preschool with DD5 when she was there, and is convinced this is her chance :D That's why I was thinking this might be a good compromise for everyone (and maybe I won't have to maul my DH the next time he lets the toddler come into the office and bother me for 45 minutes while he chats on the phone :mad:). Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll keep looking for the right situation, but at the very least, I know my friend could and would do it for me (and could use the extra money too).

Um, I love the Backyardigans and have been known to watch the show when neither child is actually at home to give me an excuse :o I've also been caught listening to the CD in the car by myself. My all-time favorite episode is the one with the moose of the mist and the swamp of stinkiness. I'd been telling my DH how funny it was, and then a few days later he happened to catch the whole thing, complete with title--Queens Are Never Wrong. He was like, "Ah. NOW I see why this is YOUR favorite episode..." (He thinks he's so smart :rolleyes:)

You know, I read this and got all excited! Then I looked at the user name. :rolleyes: Hi!

Tee hee! We're in central NJ. I know Elm is nearby. Anyone else???

I'm sorry, you'll need to provide a link here. I'm too lazy to click two more times to get over there *yawn*

I just found out that the supplier (Aurora) for Costco's in-house organic milk is accused of poor organic practices--worse than Horizon, it seems. Of course, this is after I bought a big three-pack at Costco on Monday :( Organic Valley sells in gallons here for $5.49 (on sale, maybe), but we never finish a gallon in time, so we stick to half gallons. Stonyfield is a good brand for milk as well (and we eat their yogurt by the ton, I think!). I do buy Horizon American cheese, because it's the only brand that we think tastes good :o I wish there were more options for that one.

Ugh, totally. Once I've decided on a curriculum for whatever subject, I'm no longer allowed on the curriculum board here (or the sale and swap board, or Vegsource, or TheHomeschoolLibrary, etc.) until the first stuff is truly not working for us anymore. Seriously. I will ALWAYS find something I want.

Oh, and one other thing to consider--maybe she'd do better with something more hands-on? Especially with math--we use Right Start, and my DD loves it, and zips right through the lessons. She often enjoyed doing Singapore pages too, but they were more of an occasional, let's-see-if-I-can-do-it kind of thing, rather than the everyday math.

Also great advice!

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm forever trying to get my DD5 to do things on her own, but the fact is that she needs me to be right on top of her. I simply can't be doing anything else, or she wanders off track. The other day I let her go to her room to color in six small squares containing pictures of land forms. Two hours later... I think 5/6 is just too young to expect them to have developed self-maintaining work habits. Heck, 33 seems to be too young. As you said, I'm supposed to be working, and where am I? (I was, literally, in the middle of a project. I don't even remember when I clicked over to Firefox--just found myself here!) So yeah, I think the key is proximity. Also, is the work too easy for her? I find I have a much harder time with distraction when the page is too easy.