7QT: Boy Bands, Braces and Bosses

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How is it the last day of April already?!?  At least May brings some good Boy Band Memes...

7QT: Bye-Bye Tooth Pain and Hello New Hampshire!

 Happy Friday! Time flies when you're having fun, and this week has been fun!  Linking up with Kelly and friends.

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Last Friday I was having such tooth/mouth pain and after having been to the dentist without a diagnosis, I was pretty discouraged and Phil called the dentist for me (I didn't want to be a whiny baby) and told them how much pain I was in and they scheduled an appointment with the endodontist for that afternoon.  The endodontist couldn't see anything from the recent X-rays either, but performed a nerve test with a cold instrument, and found the tooth that needed a root canal.  he said "Yup, you need a root canal, so we're going to numb you up and get started."  I was like "WAIT.  WHAT?  RIGHT NOW?"  He looked at me and said "Do you want to be in pain all weekend or do you want to get this taken care of?" and I was all "Ok, proceed."  It all happened so fast that it was good for me in the end because I didn't have time to get nervous.  Pain gone.

2)

On Monday, we headed up to Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire for a couple of nights, and it was a lot of good old fashioned family fun.  We found a diner that had Kids Eat Free on Mondays and walked in behind a family of eleven kids!!  The poor restaurant probably lost money on all of us in there at one time :)

They gave the kids cute hats and we spent our time writing riddles back and forth while waiting for food.  This was one of Eamon's - the kids were just very silly and hungry at this point!

Gardening Tips Needed and Book Reviews for Kids

I want to try my hand at more gardening this year - nothing crazy!  We don't have a big yard or room for a "real garden" but I would love just a small area where I could grow some herbs and maybe tomatoes and strawberries.  We've tried in the past but the bunnies eat all of our strawberries, so I was looking for some ideas to help and found this cool vertical planter that might work? It can grow 50 plants in 4 square feet nearly anywhere!

There are less expensive garden towers out there too, like this one, but it doesn't look as sturdy.  

Has anyone used one of these before?  Any brand to recommend?  I know sooooo little about gardening that my adult card might be revoked, but the thought of growing our own fruits and veggies is exciting!

I do know a lot about Catholic books for kids however, and I was so happy to receive the Classic Bible Comics and All You Holy Women, Pray for Us from Sophia Press.  

Classic Bible Comics is PERFECT to give as a First Communion gift.  It tells of popular bible stories in an old-fashioned comic book style.  My fourth grader devoured the book in one sitting and delighted us with stories for the next few days.  "Did you know that the devil was trying to tempt Job?  Or that Solomon pretended to cut a baby in half?"  This particular son of mine really enjoys graphic novels, and I am more than happy to put bible stories into his head instead of the worldly tales he usually reads.  

All You Holy Women, Pray for Us is an adorable board book that is advertised for little girls, but my little boys thoroughly enjoyed it!  And I want these sons of mine to know strong, faithful women who love Christ above all else...hopefully it will help them choose great wives one day if that is their vocation!  I think this book would be PERFECT for a Baptism gift.  

Happy Reading and Gardening everybody!

{Books were received from Sophia Press and this post has been sponsored by Responsival}

Easter 2021

Well Easter 2021 was so much better than Easter 2020, even though I got my second Covid vaccine on Easter Sunday.  It felt weird to go get it on Easter, but we had the next day off from work/school so it was good timing because I was in bed with chills the next day.  But back to Easter 2021!  We woke up and had a feast of lemon marscapone pancakes, bangers, eggs, and resurrection rolls.  My first grader's teacher shared the recipe for the rolls, and Declan was super excited to help make them on Easter morn.  

Then we got dressed and went to 9am Mass and sang ALLELUIA!  ("We can say the A word now, Mom!") and went back home for Easter baskets.

7QT: Chirping, Shopping, Breaking

Linking up with Kelly on this rainy Friday in April.  

Hey, if April showers bring May flowers...what do May flowers bring?

Pilgrims.

Just a little New England joke for your enjoyment.

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Let me get my complaining right out of the way.  My teeth hurt!  The whole left bottom of my mouth is in pain, and I don't know why.  It kind of feels to me like I need a root canal, I've had one before and it's that same radiating nerve pain.  But I went to the dentist yesterday, and they did three Xrays and poked and prodded and can't find anything wrong.  I'm in enough pain that I can't function or sleep without ibuprofen, and so I'm taking it around the clock.  What to do??

2)

Someone (I think it was you, Madeline?) asked me to review the Chirp wheels I got for Christmas:

They are chiropractic wheels that help you massage, stretch and align your back.  When I first started using it, the middle of my back was very sensitive, and it hurt to use it.  But the more I used it (just a few minutes a day), the less it hurts and I love rolling out on it - ahhhhhh.  I especially love using it on my lower back to help my hip alignment, which always gives me trouble (darn seven pregnancies).  I actually haven't been to the chiropractor for an adjustment since I've been using it, so that's a money saver for sure.  My older kids use it too after a workout or while we pray at night.  So yes, I would definitely recommend the Chirp wheel.

Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup: An Easy and Delicious Recipe on Repeat {Keto, Gluten Free, Whole30, Low Carb}

 I've mentioned before that I cook a big pot of soup every Sunday for Phil and I to take for lunches during the week.  It makes for healthy, inexpensive, grab-and-go lunches which fit our busy lifestyle. I make our soups in my Cuisinart dutch oven and then pack them in these Pyrex glass bowls with lids.  Since the first time I made this Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup, we have had it on repeat over here.  It's healthy, delicious, light, and I look forward to lunch!  I thought I'd share the recipe with you all because you deserve an easy, veggie-filled, high-protein, yummy lunch too.

Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup

(makes about 10-12 servings)

Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

4 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 onions, diced

1 TBSP minced garlic

40 ounce bag frozen cauliflower rice

4 cans chicken, rinsed

4 cups chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1 TBSP Garam Masala

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

6 cups water (or enough to fill pot 7/8 way full)

salt/pepper to taste (depending on how salty your broth is)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in pot, add diced celery, carrots, and onions, and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and sauté for a minute more.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil then let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Told ya it was easy :)

Enjoy! 

7QT: Two Recipes, Two Shots, and Two Yetis

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Happy Easter!  

I still have to edit and post all of our photos from that day, but here is our family photo AMBB: After Mass, Before Baskets.  That is the secret to getting them to smile nice for the photo...giving them the baskets after :)

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Eamon started working at Market Basket this past weekend!  He is now the third Martin to work there, a bit of a family legacy.  My 14 year old will happily bag your groceries with a smile, while his 16 and 18 year old brothers will check you out.  In a grocery way, not a creepy way ;)

Number Six Turns Seven

My sweet toothless Declan turned seven on Good Friday.  He was totally fine with postponing his birthday party one day so we could celebrate properly on Holy Saturday.  The menu for the day was quite eclectic for a newly minted seven-year old who loves to eat (but where does he put it??):

Breakfast was donuts, of course.

Brunch was crepes with strawberries and nutella and whipped cream and Irish bangers.

Dinner was a taco bar with beef and chicken, hard and soft shells, and plenty of chips and toppings.