Tag: This & That

Putting the “Spring” in Small Talk with Design Changes

Putting the “Spring” in Small Talk with Design Changes

I just keep waiting for Spring to do its thing, but each time I think this quirky little season has arrived Winter fights back with some pretty harsh ammo. Such is life in the Midwest, I guess. I am so itching to get outdoors with my family and get my hands dirty in the yard, but at least I’m using the cooler days to get a few things done indoors.

As you may have noticed, I’ve been doing a bit of redesigning here at Small Talk Mama and I apologize if you tried to visit while things were a bit wonky. I still have a few more tweaks here and there, but I think it should be running smoothly (for the most part).

I changed the logo a bit to include the “Three-Acre Wood” and add a bit of whimsy. After all, the blog is called “Small Talk Mama;” just how serious do you think we’re going to get? I also plan to change the header with the seasons, so you just never know what you’ll see when you click on over here. Other than the few obvious design upgrades not much else is changing, so I hope you will continue to visit Small Talk Mama and let me know what you think. Audience participation is always welcomed here and (nice) comments really do make my day!

 
 
 
 photo credit: frederic.gombert Really Spring via photopin (license)

The Air Fryer — Product Review

The Air Fryer — Product Review

air fryer

Well I asked for it and I got it — yes, that super sweet and ever so romantic gift of an air fryer for Valentine’s day. Many of you know I’ve been trying to lose weight and a couple of gals at Weight Watchers were praising their own air fryers a few weeks ago, so I decided it was time to give it a go. Thus, I requested one from my sweetie and he so kindly obliged (No husband hating here ladies. I was tickled that he bought it. . . along with the beautiful flowers and homemade treats).

Until the release of all the Black Friday ads last November, I never even knew this product existed. I mean these things were advertised everywhere, but I was skeptical then. . . and now I’m just a little less than wowed. Don’t get me wrong, I believe the product works exactly as advertised, but for the size, storage issues and limited meal quantities, I don’t think it’s a good fit for our family.

So let me explain. . . My husband did a bit of quick research online for air fryers and came up with the Farberware Oil-Less Fryer as a good choice. He paid $89.42 for it at Walmart, knowing it would be an easy return if I didn’t like it. It’s a basic model with temperature control and timer knobs and a handy removable basket for cleaning. I will say it was quite easy to clean, which really surprised me, but this sucker is large and takes up a lot of counter and/or storage space.

The first night I used the enclosed recipe book to make “fried” tilapia. I made three regular-sized fillets, but they had to overlap a bit in the cooking basket. I’m not entirely sure the recipe book is all that accurate, because the cooking time did not jive with the suggested fish cooking time printed on the outside of the fryer. Nevertheless, I followed the recipe instructions and came out with a mostly crispy coating on my fish, except where the pieces overlapped in the basket. In addition, my piece of fish was cold and undercooked at one end, probably the end under another piece of fish. While the meal wasn’t great, I blame the recipe book more than the fryer itself.

So I decided to give my gift another go and opted for “fried” okra — I couldn’t get it out of my head after my husband mentioned it, and I thought it would be a good test (especially since this summertime favorite is definitely not on my WW program cooked the traditional way). I didn’t consult the recipe book this time because the book only contains 25+ recipes and okra is not one of them, plus this mama can pretty much make okra in her sleep. I prepared the okra exactly like I would if I was frying it the traditional way (in a hot skillet full of melted Crisco — I mentioned I joined Weight Watchers, right), dipped in egg and cornmeal with some salt and pepper to taste. I was skeptical as I tossed the breaded okra into the fryer and set the timer. I just knew I would have a soggy mess to clean up afterward, but to my surprise it all cooked up quite nicely and I was able to easily wipe out the basket.

While the air fried okra had a crunchy layer around it, it just wasn’t the same kind of crunch. It was more like a hard shell instead of a well-proportioned crispness. How is that for vague? All I can say is that while the product seemed to perform as advertised, the air fried version of okra was definitely different than the much less healthy but much more yummy original version.

I do see the health benefits of the air fryer, but there is certainly a taste and texture difference in the meals cooked in this egg-shaped, large kitchen cooker. When I took into consideration the amount of space required to store this appliance, I decided the benefits did not outweigh the performance differences and storage issues for me to want to keep it.

Thanks hubby for the Valentine’s gift, but the air fryer is going back to the store.

 

Vacation Bible School was “Out of This World”

Vacation Bible School was “Out of This World”

Vacation Bible School

Oh my goodness, we had another great Vacation Bible School at church last week. I’m never sure who has more fun — me or the kids!! At any rate, we had sixty-one smiling faces come through our doors in five days and that was almost double the number we had last year. We also had over thirty teachers, helpers, and go-to girls and guys help us each day and that isn’t counting the folks behind the scenes praying, canvasing neighborhoods, decorating (and redecorating when items fell to the floor) and attending to all the little things that need to be done to pull off our annual VBS. I like to joke that we only had a few tears. . . and some of the kids cried too.

Our theme this year was Galactic Starveyors from Lifeway, and it’s always so nice to have a Lifeway store in my own backyard. Yay! We gathered at the Galactic Starveyor clubhouse each morning and had an awesome time “Searching the Visible” and “Discovering the Invisible.” We also took an offering to purchase bicycles for children who don’t have a reliable and/or safe way to get to school. Each bike costs $100 through Compassion International, and our VBS kids generously gave enough money to buy three bicycles! We also had a friendly competition between the boys and girls to see who could raise the most money, and this year the victors were the boys. Way to go guys!

It’s always so sad to see the VBS decorations go away and I can hardly believe we were all decked out just two days ago, but I want to share a few photos with you just in case you’re looking for inspiration for your own VBS or just like to see what other churches are creating. Here’s to all you VBS coordinators, I pray that your own VBS was amazing and that you enjoy a little peace after the chaos!

Vacation Bible School

Miss Ruby and I pulled together the stage with props from Oriental Trading, Lifeway and Lowe’s.

Vacation Bible SchoolVacation Bible School

We purchased a large rocket from Oriental Trading for fun photo opps. Here is just one example of my glowing personality all week!

Vacation Bible School

We still do the three pledges during opening ceremonies. The kids love to have a turn at carrying the flags and the Bible.

Vacation Bible SchoolThis was my favorite mode of transportation each morning. With lights down low and the 2010 Space Odyssey music playing, I came riding in on my lighted scooter and pretended to wreck at the stage. My how those kids love a good crash!

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