The Vintage Homemaker

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

Wow, can you believe it is 2012? Where does the time go? Today, January 2, is the first day we have had what feels like winter weather. Snow flurries are floating through the air, with the promise of snow this afternoon. This has been a weird winter. We usually have snow weekly starting in late November. Last year was sooo cold and there was so much snow! It has felt like fall. Christmas day we were wearing short sleeves outside!

We had a big group for the holidays - one week with 30 people in the house! Our family has grown so big and just keeps growing! Oh, and we had 6 dogs in the house and a crew of 3 workers who replaced all of the windows in our house (we have 53 windows) and replaced our old shutters with new ones, and wrapped all of our windows with vinyl siding and replaced the old siding on the sun room with new vinyl siding (we have a brick house). I'll have to share photos later.

Anyway, so do you have any New Years resolution's written down or in your head? Resolutions are kind of lame when you consider the fact that for most people, the resolutions last all of a week. I still like to reconsider my life - where I am at, where I'd like to be and set goals for improving the quality of my life.

I've done this for years and I know that any time I re-evaluate my life, things change for the better. So, what are some things I am wanting to do in the new year?

1. Memorize chapters of the Bible. I have started this a few weeks ago. It's slow for me because I have a horrible memory! No joke. I thought that memorizing more Scripture would help improve it, but so far I am still struggling. But it is worth the effort!

2. Take walks several times a week with my kids, if not every day.

3. Sew more. I have several projects in mind.

4. Finish two or three more novels. I wrote a new novel (85,000 words) this past summer in 25 days, and completed half of a second, which I hope to finish by the end of January. I'd like to write a book every 3 - 6 months. After years of wanting to write a novel, I finally decided I just have to make it a priority and do it. Also, will be searching for an agent soon. My busy schedule is my worst enemy when it comes to writing, though.

5. And Finally, get more organized than ever. Need I say more?

So, how was your Christmas and what plans do you have for this year?

Pumpkin. Cinnamon Roll. Cake.

2011-11-06T12:44:00.001-05:00

I think the title says everything we need to know.

You can find the recipe for this yummy recipe at the Picky Palate.

In other news... last night was movie night at our house. We watched Hachi: A Dog's Tale. This is a must see movie. Have you seen it?

Honestly, I bawled my eyes out. For ten minutes. After the movie. I was sobbing so hard I was shaking. I love my dogs.

Conversation with...

2011-10-20T11:08:00.001-04:00

... my husband this morning:

Me: I'm cold.

Husband: What do you mean you're cold. It's 66 degrees in here!

Me: I don't know. I'm just cold. It's like 40 degrees outside.

Yeah.

Enchilada Sauce for Canning

2011-10-19T10:35:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I started getting all the produce put up. We bought 6 more bushels of tomatoes. That's a lot of tomatoes! Plus the bushel of Pablano Peppers!

All in all our trip to the Farmer's Market in Asheville, NC gave me...
7 bushels of tomatoes
14 bushels of apples
1 bushel sweet potatoes
1 peck squash
1 peck eggplant
2 bushels red and green bell peppers
1 bushel pablano peppers
2 bushels cucumbers

That should keep me BUSY for quite a while!

Enchilada Sauce. So far I have made 23 quarts and 12 pints of this incredible Enchilada Sauce. (Plus what we used to make a small pan of enchiladas - probably another quart.) To make that much sauce I have used up about half of the Pablanos (maybe a little more than half) and about 3 bushels of tomatoes. We love enchiladas! They are so easy to make, so many options for fillings and just taste so good. I thought about dishing some up into a mug and sipping it like tomato soup!

Enchilada Sauce for Canning

12 lbs. quartered tomatoes
10 pablano peppers
3 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. salt
6 cloves minced garlic

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Quarter tomatoes and place on three baking sheets, lined with foil if preferred, salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place pablano peppers on top. Roast for about an hour, turning peppers as they blacken and blister. Remove peppers when all sides are blistered. This may happen before the hour is up. I had to take peppers out one at a time as they were ready. Allow peppers to cool and then peel.

Add roasted tomatoes and peeled peppers to large stock pot. Add remaining ingredients and use an emulsion blender to puree (or use a regular blender in batches).

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Then fill sterilized jars leaving a 1 inch headspace.

Pressure can at 10 lbs. for 50 minutes for pints and 60 minutes for quarts. This recipe is not for the boiling water bath method. I have to can at 15 lbs. pressure because of our altitude.

Note: You could add more peppers for a spicier flavor. Also, I suggest always boiling pressure canned vegetables/ sauces for at least 15 minutes, stirring frequently before feeding them to your family - just to be on the safe side.

Another Note: You could use this "method" for making smaller batches of the sauce for one time use and not can it. Easy and definitely worth it! I've been getting about 8 - 9 quarts from each batch of this recipe.

Gluten Free Cornbread

2011-10-12T04:46:00.001-04:00

Recently, we decided that Sarah (she turns 17 years old today!!), who has Chron's Disease should go gluten free. Our family has been vegetarian since 1998, so cooking vegan foods for Sarah was an easy transition, but going gluten free has been more of a thought provoking challenge. However, I am very excited about the possibilities and now that I have stocked up on some basic essentials for gluten free cooking, it doesn't seem nearly as daunting.

Cornbread is something I cook quite often. It is a recipe that we love, love, love. My recipe called for flour. Last night, I decided to try the recipe without the flour, replacing it with cornmeal. The kids said they liked it even better. Who knew?

Melissa's Gluten Free Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I like to put my cast iron skillet in there to heat up and melt 2 tbsp. butter/ margarine in the skillet. Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until combined.

Remove cast iron skillet from oven, carefully! Tip from side to side to evenly coat with melted butter. Pour cornbread batter into skillet and bake for 20 minutes.

This recipe is soooo good. You can use this recipe to top pot pies, baked chili, Mexican Pie, and more. Add finely chopped jalapenos or corn, chopped onions and more for different flavors.

New Baby Chicks

2011-10-10T05:13:00.007-04:00

Guess what we received in the mail on Friday? Baby chicks! We are so excited. They are so incredibly precious. My only regret is that I didn't order more! I really wish now that I had ordered a Dominique hen or two since I grew up with those. Next time.

Oh, and today was the first day we found two eggs in the chicken coop laid by... I don't know, by I suspect that the two Golden Comets, Pixie and Peep, were the first to lay beautiful brown eggs! Even my husband was excited about it. He loves eggs. Especially beautiful brown free range chicken eggs.

If you remember, when we originally got the chickens, I had a total of fourteen. Unfortunately about two months into that, something forced its way into the coop and slaughtered ten of them in one night. The one "hen" who survived (three of the chickens were on a road trip to campmeeting with me) has now turned out to be a rooster. His name is Lucky. We then got five more chicks, one of which got sick and died of a respiratory illness, so were ended up with a total of eight chickens who are all getting ready to start laying any time.

You can see my girls here roosting on my back porch. Not necessarily a good thing. But they are just so cute!

Of the eight pictured above we have...
2 Buff Orpingtons (one is a rooster) - Buttercup, Lucky
2 Golden Comets - Pixie, Peep
3 Rhode Island Reds - Penny, Violet, K.C. (short for Kentucky Chicken)
1 Amberlink - Speckles

Now, for our new baby chicks hatched October 5, 2011...

3 Americanas (the brown striped chicks) - pink, blue, and green eggs
5 Marans (the black chicks) - dark chocolate eggs
1 Golden Comet (the yellow chick with red stripes on back) - brown eggs
2 Buff Orpingtons (the yellow chicks) - brown eggs
3 California Spotted Whites (the yellow chicks with black polka dots) - white eggs

Not sure what we'll name these adorable little ones. I like to wait until they get their feathers and I learn more about each individual hen. Although, amazingly enough, they look different enough we can tell them apart. Hannah and Laura are already trying to come up with names for the ones they claimed as their own. It's just so much fun!

Speaking of Mason Jars...

2011-10-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

...it's that time of year again. My husband went to the Farmer's Market in Asheville, NC on Friday with plans for going back this coming Thursday for more produce. I love it, but that also means, the pressure is on! I have canned a lot of produce since January.

Some of the produce I have to get put up came from our garden including habenero peppers, bell peppers, green tomatoes:

Bell peppers, Habenero peppers and tomatoes from garden (and two of my big white radishes).

From the Farmer's Market we have...

1 bushel tomatoes

1 bushel pablano peppers

1 bushel green bell peppers and 1 bushel red bell peppers

4 bushels of apples (Red Delicious, Gala, Arkansas Black, Honey Crisp)

I'll share what I make with all this good stuff as I go. Are you doing any fall canning or preserving? I didn't can anything this summer, which is unusual for me, but I did so much in January, February, and March, I was wore out. You can see what I have canned this year (so far) on my sidebar.

Happy Canning!

Mason Jars

2011-10-09T06:41:00.002-04:00

Have you missed me? This summer flew by, oh wait, summer been over for... weeks! Yes, fall is quickly passing me by as well it seems. I have had next to no time for my blog or website, much to my great disappointment. But I have learned over the years - 10 years blogging - that life needs to come first, family needs to come first. So I live by that rule when it comes to computer time. Anyway... here is a nifty little tip.

I love Mason Jars. I mean, really, what's not to love? I use them for drinking, food storage, canning, flower vases, organizing, and more.

I have purchased quite a few boxes of Ball plastic lids for my Mason Jars. I love them. I can't seem to get enough of them. But then I discovered that your typical mayonnaise jar and some peanut butter jar plastic lids fit a regular mouth Mason Jar. Talk about frugal and recycling at the same time!

It makes me happy!

Bottle Cap Magnets

2011-08-04T19:35:00.003-04:00

For ~~decades~~ years I have been saving bottle caps. I don't know why. When I was a little girl I would make "pies" for my dollhouse with salt dough and a bottle cap as the pie tin. Hmmm. I like this idea from Better Homes and Gardens.

Summer Fun - To Do List

2011-06-23T06:42:00.000-04:00

Are you excited about summer? Do you hope to have a lot fun making great memories with your family and friends? The last few years we have been on the road for much of the summer. This year I am looking forward to a quiet summer at home. But that doesn't mean I don't have plans for some local fun! A few things on my "Must Do this Summer List:"

build a teepee
catch fireflies
explore Bad Branch Falls
go swimming at the lake
grow a watermelon from seed

Have you made a list? If not, feel free to download my Summer Fun To Do List (in multiple colors) and get busy!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-13T18:21:00.000-04:00

May was all about getting ready for campmeeting and then actually doing campmeeting. I didn't really cook very much during May. This past week I was pretty much sick after coming home from campmeeting so... I didn't really cook very much. Needless to say, I am excited about planning this week's menu!!

I am working on a new meal schedule. Traditionally, we eat breakfast, a snack (during the school year), lunch, and then our largest meal has always been supper.

In an effort to help my husband lose weight and for me to maintain my weight easier, I have been trying to prepare our largest meal for the lunch hour. Then, we eat something light for supper (cereal, fruit, etc.), or leftovers, or sometimes skip it altogether if we are not hungry.

One other benefit to preparing our main meal in the middle of the day is that kitchen clean up in the evenings when I am already exhausted is so much easier!

Sunday:
B -French Toast
D - Haystacks

Monday:
B - Cereal
D - Fajitas, Rice, and Tortilla Soup

Tuesday:
B - Pancakes, Vegetarian Sausages, Juice
D - Squash Patties, Kale Soup, Mashed Cauliflower

Wednesday:
B - Oatmeal with Almond Milk, Dried Fruit, Walnuts, Brown Sugar
D - Enchiladas, Tossed Salad, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole

Thursday:
B - Grits, Toast with Homemade Apple Spice Marmalade
D - Warm Hummus Soup, Tabbouleh Salad, Pita Chips

Friday:
B -Toad in a Hole, Cereal
D - Veggie Burgers, Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Pineapple Pretzel Salad

Sabbath:
B - Yogurt, Granola
Potluck - Carrot Bars,Taco Pasta (using vegetarian burger crumbles)

What are you eating this week? You can find hundreds of ideas over at Organizing Junkie!

3rd Annual Spring Clean Challenge!!

2011-05-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

I love spring time. It just feels like a fresh start on life, don't you think? After the harshness of winter, the sunshine, the flowers blooming, the warm weather feels like a wonderful gift.

Over at A Virtuous Woman, our 3rd Annual Spring Clean Challenge begins today! We are giving away prizes everyday! Be sure to visit and download my free e-book Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home.

Also, if you run a business and would like to offer a free gift to one lucky winner during the Spring Clean Challenge, let me know! I would love to promote your business!

Breakfast in Bed

2011-05-08T10:11:00.001-04:00

So, this is has been a really sweet mother's day. I didn't sleep in despite my deepest desire to do so, but when I woke up at 7:00 am my brain was plagued by all of the things I needed to get done on A Virtuous Woman before I leave for campmeeting in two weeks. I decided to spend a few hours working on my laptop in bed.

My husband, who was already working in his office, came down and greeted me with a kiss and a gift. A little while later I heard the girls busy in the kitchen. Traditionally for the last few years the girls have made me breakfast in bed, which is always just too sweet. So I knew better than to go in the kitchen! Today's presentation of food was especially pretty. I forgot to take the photo until after I had already begun to eat! It was delicious!

I am so blessed to have such sweet children. Truly blessed.

On the menu:

- Banana Pancakes with Apple Syrup

- Perfectly Scrambled Eggs

- Vegetarian Bacon Strips

Spring Time Fun

2011-05-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been about two months since I have had a chance to post! We've been so busy getting ready for campmeeting, and I've nearly completed the move from our old network to our own server on A Virtuous Woman. I am so relieved! That was just not fun.

We've been enjoying spring time here in the Ringstaff household. As soon as the weather began to warm up we started taking the horses out on frequent trail rides. So worth the nightmare of taking care of the horses through the winter, hauling water in the knee deep snow down the mountain to their pasture. I am so glad winter is over!

Ladybelle has a really long furry winter coat and she is finally shedding it. Her summer coat is sleek and shiny and so pretty!

About a month ago now, we finally purchased the chicks I have been waiting for nearly 20 years to have! I am so happy!

I have 3 Amber Links, 3 New Hampshire Reds, 3 Tetra Links, and 5 Buff Orpingtons. I'll have to share more pictures later but here is a photo of what the Amber Links and Reds looked like when we bought them:

If you count, there are actually 6 Amber Links in this photo, but 3 of them were for my step-daughter. They have grown so much in the last three weeks! I'll share more photos later in the week. The rest of the chicks were purchased last Friday.

I hope you are enjoying spring as much as I am!

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-03-01T04:04:00.009-05:00

These little bites are soooo yummy! This recipe is super easy enough to prepare for everyday and decadent enough for special occasions! I like to grate some fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese over the top before baking.

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large whole fresh mushrooms (or 24 smaller mushrooms)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.

When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

I am sharing this recipe with Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy, and Tasty Tuesdays.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2011-02-24T03:13:00.000-05:00

I am putting up butternut squash soup today. I found this recipe by Michael Chiarello and I am loosely adapting my soup to this recipe. Yum! Instead of canning this soup, I plan to freeze it in quart size freezer bags.

When we were in Michigan in January, we went to this great store - Horrock's Market in Lansing, MI - and we bought a lot of produce. The butternut squash was on sale and we even found some pitched in the garbage that just had a couple of soft spots and asked if we could have them for free!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, white parts only
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups peeled and roughly diced butternut squash
3 cups peeled and roughly diced apples
2 teaspoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
6 1/2 cups chicken stock or 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth mixed with 3 cups water
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 cup chopped Spiced Candied Walnuts, recipe follows, optional

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and cook until it turns nut brown. Add the leeks and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute briefly to release its fragrance.

Add the squash and apples, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Toasted Spice Rub and cook briefly to toast it, about 1 minute.

Add the stock or broth-water mixture, bring to a simmer, and partially cover. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the squash and apples are tender, about 40 minutes.

Transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, reheat to serving temperature, and season with salt.

Divide the soup among warmed bowls and garnish each portion with some of the walnuts, if using. Serve immediately.

Toasted Spice Rub:

1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pure California chili powder (about 1-ounce)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

In a small heavy pan over medium heat, combine the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan, add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool. Put in a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Yield: about 1 cup

Spiced Candied Walnuts:

Peanut or canola oil
4 cups walnut halves
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat about 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add walnuts and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer nuts to a medium bowl. While nuts are still hot and slightly wet, add confectioners' sugar and toss to coat nuts. Stir and toss until all the sugar has melted into the nuts; if bits of unmelted sugar remain on the nuts, they will not fry properly.

Stir the nuts again before frying. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer a few nuts to the hot oil, allowing the foam to subside before adding another spoonful. (Otherwise, the oil could foam over and burn you.) Fry in small batches until the nuts are medium brown, about 45 seconds per batch; be careful not to overcook. Scatter on an unlined baking sheet to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, stir together cayenne, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and the pepper.

While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle evenly with about half of the spice mix. Toss well to distribute the spices and then taste a nut. Add more spice mix, to taste, and toss well after each addition. When cool, pack in an airtight jar. They will keep at room temperature for at least 2 weeks.

Yield: 4 cups

I am sharing this recipe with Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Gourmet!

Easy Sloppy Macaroni

2011-02-22T03:58:00.002-05:00

Perfect for a quick lunch!

Sloppy Macaroni

1 (8 oz.) box elbow macaroni
1 pkg. Morning Star Farm Crumbles or 1 lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can Sloppy Joe sauce

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, brown vegeburger crumbles and add sauce. Mix everything together and serve!

Squash Patties

2011-02-17T03:11:00.021-05:00

I grew up eating these and have always loved them! This recipe made enough patties for me to freeze some for another meal. Delicious and kid friendly. You can serve them ketchup or sour cream.

Squash Patties

8 medium yellow squash, shredded
1 onion, shredded
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
ground black pepper to taste

Place the squash and onion in a colander, sprinkle with salt and stir. Drain for 30 minutes to an hour. In a bowl, mix the squash and onion, flour, cornmeal, egg, and cheese. Season with pepper.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop squash mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet, and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

To freeze, allow to cool completely, place patties in quart size freezer bags.This recipe would be perfect for those summer months when you have squash coming out your ears! Make up a huge batch and put them in the freezer for later!

I am sharing this recipe with Full Plate Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap Thursday, and It's a Keeper.

Amish White Bread

2011-02-15T03:32:00.010-05:00

I made this bread last week and it turned out splendidly. The taste was very similar to my Sweet Sourdough Bread without the sourdough. Very good!

Amish White Bread

2 cups warm water
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

   1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
   2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
   3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
   4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. I brushed my with melted butter after they came out of the oven.

This recipe is shared with Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy, and Tasty Tuesdays.

Things that Make Me Happy #3

2011-02-15T02:46:00.001-05:00

My horse Ladybelle makes me very happy. I can hardly wait for spring and better weather so we can enjoy her and the other horses more. Having horses over the last two years has been such a joy!

Cottage Cheese Roast

2011-02-13T20:51:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite thrifty recipes! We wait for cottage cheese to go on clearance sale and then buy a bunch of it!

Cottage Cheese Roast

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 pkg. George Washington broth
2 lbs. cottage cheese
6 cups Special K cereal or Rice Krispies or other equivalent
1 cup chopped onions
1 stick butter, melted
6 eggs

Mix all ingredients together. The mixture should be moist, not dry. If it seems dry, add another egg. Bake in a greased casserole dish at 375 degrees for 1 hour. I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and a brown gravy or mushroom gravy.

Note: If you are not able to find George Washington Broth which is available in most grocery stores (just ask about it), you could substitute an envelope of onion soup mix.

This recipe is from one of my old cookbooks "From Needles" - a wonderful collection of recipes from Needles, California. I just love "local" cookbooks! The recipes are always so homey and yummy!

I am linking this recipe to:
Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Sunday at Remodelholic

Winter Memories - Looking Back

2011-02-12T03:38:00.000-05:00

Hannah

Laura

These two photos were taken this time last year.

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #6

2011-02-11T03:36:00.007-05:00

I had a very productive yesterday! I organized my homeschool closet. I didn't take before photos because it was just too bad. I couldn't bring myself to be that vulnerable if you know what I mean!

Homeschooling is one of those things that really gets me when it comes to organizing. I just never can seem to find the perfect solution to #1 papers and #2 books.

We homeschool in our family room in the basement. Our family room is a very cozy place. I'll share photos of the girls desks later. Our homeschool closet is under the stairs. It is a nice space but never seems big enough! We live in a 61 year old brick home and it has a lot of character... and my homeschool and craft closets reflect that!

This closet is long and narrow and I have had to be creative with my use of space.

This basket hold my "extra" workbooks, fun books, activity books - things we use every now and then to add some fun to our school day.

This little basket has some of our educational games.

This basket has alphabet learning games.

This is my bookshelf. The original owners used to keep their home canned goods here. I have another space for those.

This drawer hold our growing collection of field guides.

And this basket has our early easy readers.

This section holds our workbooks and textbooks for my two youngest daughters.

And this section holds the textbooks for my two older daughters. Plus you can see my collection of Draw Write Now books and some more early readers and a dictionary.

Back in the back I have books I have used in the past that I plan to use again in the future.

Here is my file crate for organizing my homeschool lesson plans, etc.

Down here I have a bucket with flashcards and educational card games, plus books I am not currently using. Oh, and look and empty drawer!

These two drawers house extra new school supplies.

This drawer has our National Park Passports and information from different parks.

All in all I feel really good about the space. I think it is better than it has ever been and I hope to keep it this way! I feel energized to keep organizing my home! It feels so good and it makes me happy.

You can find lots more ideas over at Organizing Junkie!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2011-02-10T15:09:00.012-05:00

These simple drop biscuits are delicious with any supper!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup milk

Garlic Butter

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, garlic powder, and salt. Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheese and milk. Stir just until combined. If you over stir, you will end up with tough, heavy biscuits!

Drop dough onto greased baking sheet by rounded tablespoons and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until til golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Brush biscuits with garlic butter after you pull them from the oven. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Note: You could use buttermilk instead. Just add 1/4 tsp. baking soda to dry ingredients. If the mixture seems a little dry add a bit more buttermilk.

This post is linked up with:

Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story

It's a Keeper Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

The Overton Window

2011-02-09T08:42:00.001-05:00

I am currently reading The Overton Window by Glenn Beck. Good book! Yesterday I came to this profound passage:

The riddle today is the same one faced by the Founding Fathers when they began their experiment. Societies need government. Governments elevate men into power, and men who seek power are prone to corruption. It spreads like a disease, then, corruption on corruption, and sooner or later the end result is always a slide into tyranny. That's the way it's always been. And so this government of the United State was brilliantly designed to keep that weakness of human nature in check, but it required the people to participate daily, to be vigilant, and they have not. It demanded that they behave as though their government was their servant, but they have not. In their silence the people of the United States have spoken. While they slept the servant has become their master. - The Overton Window by Glenn Beck, p. 211

Laundry Buckets

2011-02-09T03:49:00.003-05:00

I have four girls still at home. We have a lot of laundry. There are two ways I make laundry chores easier for myself are:

My two teen daughters do their own laundry. They have set days. Sarah's laundry day is Sunday and Emily's is Monday.This means I have less to do. And they cannot complain to me if something is not washed.
My two younger daughters have laundry buckets. When I fold their clothes, I place them in these handy dandy buckets which are labeled with their names. Then, they can easily carry the laundry up stairs to their room. The bucket is really just a re-purposed large sized dishpan.

Need more tips to make your life run smoother? You can find hundreds more at We are THAT Family!

Corn Pudding

2011-02-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

I have to say that this simple recipe is the ultimate in comfort food! I was given this recipe from my mother-in-law. I make this recipe for holiday meals and it always gets the family excited! I make it for everyday meals, too. This Corn Pudding just makes my family feel special! I am providing the regular family size recipe and the triple size as well that I make for holidays or potluck.

Corn Pudding

Family Recipe
1 can cream style corn
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper (optional)
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs

Holiday Recipe (Tripled)
3 cans cream style corn
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tsp. salt
3/8 tsp. black pepper (optional)
6 tbsp. melted butter
6 eggs

Mix all the ingredients except the butter. Place in a greased baking dish. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I know you will love this recipe as much as we do! I am sharing this recipe with Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, and Tuesdays at the Table.

Things that Make Me Happy #2

2011-02-08T03:28:00.001-05:00

Molly.

Sweet Apple Pickles

2011-02-06T14:11:00.003-05:00

Here is a vintage recipe I want to try with some of our apples. This recipe comes from The Farmer's Wife: Canning and Preserving Cookbook.

Sweet Apple Pickles
- August 1912

Steam apples until they can be pierced with a fork, then pop off the peels. Make a syrup using 4 lbs. sugar to each quart of vinegar and 3 tbsp. whole cloves and 8 cinnamon sticks placed in a spice bag. When the apples are steamed, put them into hot, sterile pint jars and pour boiling syrup over them, making sure to cover them well with it. Seal and store immediately in refrigerator. - Mrs. Chas. Moffitt

I am sharing this recipe over at Cookbook Sundays, Potluck Sunday, and Recipe Swap Sundays. Join the fun!

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #5

2011-02-04T04:29:00.003-05:00

Remember the empty shelf in my craft closet after I organized that I was so excited about ? I found a use for it! Yarn!

You can find lots more ideas on how to organize your home over at Organizing Junkie!

Canning Sweet Potatoes

2011-02-03T03:36:00.002-05:00

Step #1 - Place sweet potatoes in a large pot with a couple inches of water in the bottom. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step #2 - Remove sweet potatoes from pot and allow to cool enough so you can handle them without burning your fingers.

Step #3 - Peel sweet potatoes. I saved my sweet potato peels and gave them to my horses later.

Step #4 - Cut sweet potatoes into large cubes and place in sterilized mason jars.

Step #5 - Cover with boiling water. Wipe rims off and place lids on jars. Process in a pressure canner according to USDA directions.

Here is Bandit enjoying his sweet potatoes!

Note: Cooked sweet potatoes are okay to feed your horses, but white potatoes are not.

Things that Make Me Happy #1

2011-02-01T16:34:00.002-05:00

This corner of my kitchen makes me happy. My Susan Winget bird calendar given to me by my mom for Christmas. The vintage dairy ad tin on the wall. My laminated daily routines on the fridge. Our weekly memory verse posted. This week's menu.

Sweet Pickled Peppers

2011-01-31T03:55:00.005-05:00

In December we went to the farmer's market and were able to pick up quite a bit of produce for really cheap! I ended up with a bushel of green, red, and orange bell peppers.

I removed the seeds, stems, and ribs and sliced the peppers into 1/4 strips.

Then I mixed them up in the bowl so I could get an even mixture in the jars.

I lined up my jars and put some water on to boil. You should boil the sliced peppers in small batches for two minutes. Then, immediately put the blanched peppers into jars. I like these wide mouth jars for this. I just think they are pretty!

I don't have a photo of the vinegar mixture, but you cook the spices in the vinegar and sugar for five minutes and then pour it over the peppers. Place lids on jars after wiping rims. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

Don't the jars look lovely?

Sweet Pickled Peppers

6-7 lg. red bell peppers

1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. white vinegar
2 tbsp. pickling spice

Wash peppers. Remove tops, white ribs and seeds. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide strips. Place in boiling water for 2 minutes. Pack peppers in hot, sterilized jars. Boil sugar, vinegar and spices for 5 minutes. Pour over peppers to fill jars. Seal with hot lids. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath. Makes three 8 oz. jars.

Note: I had a large batch of peppers to do, so I just cut them all up and put them in the pint jars. I needed to double the vinegar mixture for every 5 pints. I made twenty-five pints!

Cupcakes!

2011-01-30T02:19:00.000-05:00

There is something so intrinsically sweet about cupcakes. Here are a few of my favorite finds:

What littler girl wouldn't love adding these adorable cupcakes to her "kitchen?" You can purchase the .pdf pattern to make these cupcakes from Too Cute for only $5.00.

These cupcake cards and boxes are so sweet - you could use them for birthdays, valentine's day, or everyday! Just change your papers and embellishments - the possibilities are endless! Best of all, the patterns are free to print at Mel Stampz!

This hair clip from LexiLou is very cute, don't you think?

Or this one by Dee's Doodads?

This Cupcake Soap and Washcloth set would make a sweet gift for your little girl on Valentine's Day and it's only $2.50 from Fun4Kids!

A cupcake dish anyone? From Angel Heart Designs.

And, finally, here is a sweet apron from Meech Boutique. Who can resist a cupcake?

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #4

2011-01-28T05:47:00.003-05:00

Last night, with a burst of energy I decided to tackle my craft closet which was... more than a disaster. I didn't take before pictures because it was just too much. It took me less than an hour to pull everything out and put everything back and it looks SO MUCH BETTER. We can find our stuff now!

Here is where I keep my scrapbooking papers Also, you can see a drawer for A Virtuous Woman with my checkbook. I may move that drawer to another closet later and replace it with another drawer for scrapbooking.

Here is a rolling cart with drawer - each drawer is for something different - embellishments, cross stitching, soapmaking, etc. Under the shelf on the left I have the girls scrapbooking rolling suitcases. On the shelf is their art kits with watercolors, pencils, crayons, and paints.I had to put our soft scrapbooking bags on top of those.

The top shelf on the left has plastic containers of photos and other craft supplies and printer paper (where you can't see).

And the best part, after cleaning out the space I had room on the right top shelf left over!

You can find lots of organizing love over at Organizing Junkie!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-24T10:46:00.002-05:00

Some things on my menu last week didn't get cooked, but I did accomplish most of my menu plans. This week, I have a lot of produce that will go bad if I don't get to everything!

Breakfast
S - Cereal with Soymilk
M - Leftover Rice Pudding
T - Oatmeal with Raisins and Walnuts
W - English Muffins, Fried Eggs
TH - Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F - Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S - Cereal with Soymilk

Lunch
S - Leftovers
M - Squash Patties, Salad
T - Thai Peanut Noodles, Sliced Oranges
W - Pasta Salad, Sliced Fruit
TH - Hot Dogs, Chips and Salsa, Apple Slices
F - Vegetarian “Chicken” Burgers, Hash Browns
S - Potluck

Supper
S - Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Herbed Tuscan Brad with Parmesan and Peppercorn Cheese Spread
M - Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Zucchini and Onions,
T - Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup, Dinner Rolls
W - Spaghetti Squash, Marinara Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
TH - Vegetarian "Sausage" and Cheese Quiche, Caesar Salad
F - Eggplant Parmesan, Spaghetti, Steamed Veggies
S - Leftovers

Baking/ Canning/ Make Ahead
S - Applesauce, Apple Butter Canning
M - Bake Potatoes, Freezer Hash Browns, Canning Apple Jelly
T - Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread
W - Feed Amish Friendship Starter, Canning Apple Pie Mix
TH - Canning Spiced Apple Marmalade
F - Canning Applesauce, Brownies
S - Feed Amish Friendship Bread

I am looking forward to a week of yummy food! What are you eating this week?

You can find hundreds of ideas for your meal planning over at Organizing Junkie.

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #3

2011-01-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

This weekend was busy. Not only did we have a twelve hour day on Sabbath at church, but after we got home, we went to Jeremiah's house for a late supper and played Settler's of Catan until nearly 2 a.m.! Needless to say this morning I wanted to sleep in late and then while my husband went to fetch our two older girls who went to Acrofest at Highland Academy, I watched a couple of Hallmark movies and worked on A Virtuous Woman for a few hours.

Tonight, I processed two more batched of apples - Unsweetened Applesauce and some Apple Butter. I am about to go to bed. We have school tomorrow!

So, what did I get done this week for my 52 Weeks of Organization? I cleaned out one of my china cupboards. I didn't think to take a before picture, but it was pretty cluttered. It had become home to more than just dishes! I am pretty happy with the end results, though. I love pretty dishes!

Be sure to check what others are doing to get organized over at Organizing Junkie!

Hannah

2011-01-21T08:18:00.000-05:00

My beautiful daughter Hannah. The first two photos she took of herself!

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #2

2011-01-19T22:33:00.001-05:00

I had a burst of energy tonight... I guess snuggling in bed with sick children watching a good movie is refreshing after all! So, after cooking supper and cleaning the kitchen, I decided to tackle one of my kitchen pantry cabinets.

I don't usually show before pictures, just because, well you know. It's embarrassing! But, I figured this would be good for the soul. Last year was incredibly busy - even for me. So, while the main areas of the house stay reasonably neat, the closets and cupboards are another story!

This is one of the cabinets that I store my bulk foods in.

As you can see it was very disorganized!

You can also see my peeling paint with the old yellow paint showing through. This has to be one of the biggest discouragements for me ever! I spent weeks painting my kitchen and all the cupboards inside and out only to discover after I was done that the paint was peeling because the original paint was oil based. I haven't had the energy or the heart to redo it.

Oh well. I finished the cabinet fairly quickly and I feel really good about the end results!

What have you done this week to organize your home? You can find lots more ideas over at Organizing Junkie!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-16T23:19:00.002-05:00

January really puts me in the mood to cook. I love the quiet winter days. Something about frigid temperatures and roaring fires just makes me want to putter around the house including the kitchen! I am looking forward to a week of baking and another week of canning all of that produce that is still chilling in my garage. You can watch my progress over on the sidebar!

Here is this week's menu for our family:

Breakfast
S - Cereal with Almond Milk
M - Cream of Wheat, Maple Syrup, Wheat Germ, Cream
T - Oatmeal with Raisins and Walnuts
W - English Muffins, Fried Eggs
TH - Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F - Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S - Cereal with Almond Milk

Lunch
S - Egg Salad Sandwiches, Hummus w/ crackers
M - Big Frank Spread Sandwiches, Potato Chips, Sliced Cucumbers
T - Broccoli Salad
W - Ramen, Cho Bap, Kimbap
TH - Steamed Veggies and Rice
F - Pea Soup, Macaroni Salad
S - Potluck

Supper
S - Salad, Fried Dal w/ Rice
M - Zucchini and Parmesan Squares, Salad
T - Squash Patties, Steamed Veggies, Carrot Sticks, Sweet Hawaiian Bread
W - Oatmeal Patties w/gravy, Rice, Corn Pudding, Salad
TH - Veggie Skallops, Veg-all Casserole, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Homemade Pickles
F - Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta, salad, Garlic Bread
S - Leftovers

Baking
S - Rice Pudding w/ leftover rice
M - Sweet Hawaiian Bread, Bake Potatoes, Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
T - Freezer Hashbrowns
W - French Bread
TH - Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
F - Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread, Potluck

You can find hundreds more menu plans and lots of great ideas over at Organizing Junkie!

One Time Use Soap Craft

2011-01-12T03:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen this idea? I immediately fell in love! Any of these ideas would make a great gift. And the possibilities are endless!

Here are several projects that I came across in my search for ideas:

Project 52

2011-01-10T21:51:00.003-05:00

Photo Credit: lesterhead

Writing notes or letters has never been a strong suit for me. I struggle with it. I don't know why. It isn't that hard. I think part of my problem is that I am unorganized with it. I have stacks of note cards in my sunroom, in the secretary in the living room, etc. And then my address book is in another spot... and then where are the stamps?

When I read this 2011 project to write one letter a week, I thought to myself, "Surely one letter a week is manageable!"

So, I have added it to my "New Year's Resolutions" list.I am hoping that having a goal will encourage me!

Want to join me? Do you write letters or send out cards on a regular basis?

Wild Birdseed Cookies

2011-01-10T03:04:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe over at theteacherscorner.net and thought these would be fun to make with my girls. We love birds and always have lots of birdseed out for them to enjoy.

Wild Birdseed Cookies
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
3/4 cup birdseed (use small seeds)
3 egg whites
cookie cutters
yarn to hang cookies

Sift all the dry ingredients together and cut in the lard with a blunt knife. Add the eggs. Add the birdseed and kneed until smooth. Allow the dough to chill overnight. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Insert a paper clip into the top of the shape to act as a hanger. Brush the cookie with beaten egg whites and press birdseed into the top of the cookie. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are hard. String yarn through the paper clip to make a hanger and hang outside.

Preserving the New Year

2011-01-09T01:34:00.002-05:00

I will be busy canning this week! You can see what I have already canned this year on my sidebar. Preserving foods is one of my passions! I am going to see how many recipes I can come up with for all of this food chilling in the garage:

4 pounds of mushrooms

5 bushels (or more) kiwi

12 bushels apples

1 bushel oranges

1 bushel red, orange, green bell peppers

1 bushel beets

1/2 bushel turnips

1 bushel sweet potatoes

I think that's everything... Should keep me real busy!

Have you canned anything this winter?

You know it's cold when...

2011-01-08T21:05:00.002-05:00

... your horses have icicles hanging off their fur. That was the sight that greeted us today when we went up to take care of our horses. Yeah. It was that cold. 9 degrees to be exact when we were up there.

We had about 10 inches of snow, too. The well has been out at the place where we keep our four horses for about six weeks now and so we have to haul about 40 gallons of water to the horses everyday. In the snow. And we can't drive to where the horses are, we have to park at the top of the driveway because of all the ice and snow. We live in the mountains. The whole ordeal takes about two hours between hauling the water, moving the hay, and making sure no one horse gets greedy with his or her buddies food.

Having horses this last year has been a very rewarding experience. Really! Having the horses makes all the cold and pain worth it! Owning the horses has tested our endurance and we have learned some things we never knew this winter. Mainly that 9 degrees is really cold and 24 degrees feels really warm in comparison!! Ah... for the love of a horse (or five).

Laura, age 7, riding our horse Lady Belle this summer.

52 Weeks of Organization - Week #1

2011-01-06T13:10:00.010-05:00

I have mentioned in the past few weeks my quest to live a simpler, uncluttered life. When I came across 52 Weeks of Organization over at Organizing Junkie, I knew this was exactly what I needed to participate in! My quest is not only get organized, but to also make my home work better for me. You know how you move into a house and your organize your stuff where you think the stuff should go and then as time goes on you realize that the glasses would be better in another cabinet and that you really don't like your Christmas stuff in the large attic but want to move them to the smaller attic? I have been feeling that way about my whole house the last few weeks. I am on a mission to streamline my home!

So, here is my list:

~~Scratched Out~~ - completed.
Italicized - in progress.

~~Organize bulk foods in kitchen cupboard.~~
Rearrange dishes in butler's pantry.
Organize two refrigerators and one chest freezer and plan menus to use up older food.
Clean out linen closet.
Reorganize shelves in green bathroom.
Clean out blanket chest.
Clean out bedroom closet.
Sort all clothes in storage/attic by size and purge unwanted items.
Reorganize holiday decorations.
Sort and organize recipe collection.
Clean out my dresser.
Clean out and organize Hannah and Laura's bedroom closet.
Clean out small dresser in yellow bathroom.
Clean out drawers in dressing room.
Reorganize downstairs bookcase.
~~Clean out and reorganize craft closet~~.
Clean out and reorganize school closet.
Purge cookbook stash.
Reorganize laundry room.
~~Reorganize china cupboard.~~
Make a dedicated spot for writing letters.
Clean out and reorganize card catalog.
Clean out and organize yarn basket and find a better way to store them.
Sort, organize, and purge old music records.
Clean out office cabinet in bedroom.
Organize scrapbooking stuff.
Clean out, reorganize, and purge game closet.
Clean out, organize, and inventory storage closet.
Inventory and organize fabric stash.
Donate old toys to Community Center.
Donate magazines to hospital.
Reorganize food storage.
Better organized home canned foods.
Organize the junk drawers.
Organize cupboard in laundry room.
Organize yarn and sewing stuff.
~~Organize homeschool closet.~~

I am thinking this list, should I pull it off this year will make me quite happy. And seeing as some of these chores will take me more than one week, I think I will stop there for now. You never know though, I may add to the list later! Phew!

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T01:18:00.001-05:00

I always look forward to the new year. Well, sort of. I don't really appreciate having yet another year fly by with me another year older and my children another year closer to leaving the nest.

However, along with the new year brings 365 possibilities. I also look forward to the quiet winter months. This is the time of the year when I whip my house back into shape after nine months of near non-stop evangelism and (church related) traveling.

This is the time of the year when I like to look back on the previous year and evaluate where I am in life and where I want to be. It's refreshing.

I have a few goals to work on - some of these I have tried to work on in the past with less than favorable results. So here are my goals for 2011:

Live a simpler life. I have been working on this for the last couple of years and am slowly getting there. The key word being slowly. I want to ramp this goal up into full gear. To start with I am going through every closet, drawer, attic space and cabinet and purging everything I don't either love, cherish, use regularly, or truly need. Our church started a community center - the Appalachian Community Service Center - this past spring where we give away clothing, food, toys, and more to the needy in our community. I send all of my donations there.
Live life with less stuff. This goes along with living a simpler life. I want to live with less stuff and buy less new stuff. In fact, I want to avoid shopping as much as possible. I want follow the old adage "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
Live life with more joy. The things I enjoy the most aren't things at all - my family, my home, my animals. I want to find even more ways to enjoy them.

What are some ways you are looking forward to the new year? Do you have any resolutions? Share them with us!

Another Truly Beautiful Song

2010-12-23T01:22:00.000-05:00

I love music that speaks to my heart and this song is one of those that I can deeply identify with as a wife and mother. Isn't this every woman's desire? I love this song!

By the way, did you know... that if you download the free RealPlayer you can download your favorite videos from YouTube and other sources right to your computer? I love this software!

You're Here (Mary's Song) - Francesca Battistelli

2010-12-22T13:20:00.002-05:00

When I heard this song - "You're Here" by Francesca Battistelli - on the radio last week, I made a note to look it up when I got home. Beautiful! And right now, you can download the mp3 for free on Amazon.com! Merry Christmas!

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin

2010-12-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

Victorian Farm 1/36

2010-11-21T04:24:00.000-05:00

I have so enjoyed watching this series! You watch the whole series on You Tube.

Owl Cupcakes

2010-11-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

I love creating fun food for the kids to eat at my house. When I saw these sweet little owl cupcakes, I thought, "Now there is a delightful idea for our Thanksgiving get together!"

These owl cupcakes are just too sweet for words! The recipe is found over at Catching Fireflies. I think you could make these with a carrot cake recipe for a healthy dessert!

I also found these Owl Cupcakes over at One Charming Party and they are pretty cute, too!

Fall Cleaning Checklist

2010-10-30T13:27:00.001-04:00

The holidays are fast approaching… which often means parties, over night guests, and lots of picture taking. Get your house clean now so that when the candles are lit and the tables are set, you can breathe easy. Download this detailed checklist and get your house in order for the holidays!

Download: a homemade holiday- Fall Cleaning Checklist.

I am working this week to get my house in tip top shape. We have quite a few quests expected over the next few weeks. I want my home to feel welcoming to everyone who enters - including my own family. A clean home makes the holidays even more fun and inviting. This week at my house is devoted to cleaning.

Summer and Fall Evangelism at our churches has taken up so much of our time, the house needs a deep clean. I hope to also find the time to pull out my fall decorations. I just have not had the time! We do have a trip coming up in another week and we'll be gone for a week, so I am hoping to get a lot done before we leave. I also have guests coming this weekend. I hope to focus on a different area each day.

Want to join me? All week long I'll be posting my progress on twitter - #fallcleaning - join me!

American Girl Party Idea

2010-10-28T13:27:00.003-04:00

While perusing One Charming Party, I found this perfect idea for a party. Especially since I have four girls of my own at home. I am not very good at planning parties and then actually having them, but I think I could do something like this. Especially if I actually set aside the day and time and made real plans to do it. This would be so much fun and right up my girls alley! You'll have the visit One Charming Party and read all about the wonderful ideas, activities, food and more that the girls experienced at the American Girl Pioneer Party!

2011 Daily Calendar

2010-10-27T18:29:00.000-04:00

This delightful daily calendar is exactly what you need to keep yourself organized on the go! Plenty of room for all of your To Do's - two pages per week! 110 pages.

Now available at Cedar Tree Press!

At a loss for words

2010-10-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

This doesn't even make sense to me. I can't believe anyone would actually feel this way much less think it was okay. I found this over on Glenn Beck.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-09-06T07:34:00.002-04:00

Today we start our homeschool. I have to say, I am glad summer is over. Not that it wasn't a great summer with lots of wonderful memories, but we were so busy and out of town almost the entire summer it seems. I am ready for routine!

So here is my first menu plan in several months!

Download the .pdf version of this menu.

Breakfast

S - Cereal with Soymilk
M - English Muffins, fried eggs
T -Blueberry Pancakes, Bacon, scrambled eggs
W - Toast, Fried Eggs and Cheese Grits
TH -Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F -Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S - Cereal with Soymilk and Homemade Yogurt

Lunch

S - Fajitas
M - Cesar Salad
T - Homemade Pizza, Salad
W - Leftover Oatmeal Patties, Steamed Veggies
TH - Steamed Veggies and Rice
F - Hot dogs, Macaroni Salad
S - Potluck

Supper

S - Cesar Salad
M - Sausage Cheese Quiche, green beans and potatoes,
T - Oatmeal Patties, gravy, squash with onions and peppers, Frozen Peaches
W - Sesame Tofu, Rice, Roasted Cashews, Vegetable Lomein
TH - Veggie Skallops, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Homemade Pickles, Green Bean Casserole
F - Crockpot Lasagna, Salad, Sweet Sourdough Garlic Toast
S - Leftovers

Snacks

M - Goldfish crackers
T - Canned Peaches
W - Celery with peanut butter
TH - Cheese Crackers
F - Sliced Apples

Baking

M - Start Amish Sourdough Starter
T - Homemade Yogurt
W - Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
TH -Feed Amish Friendship Bread Starter, Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread
F - Black bean soup for potluck
S - Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter

You can find lots more great menu plans over at Organizing Junkie!

It was a bright and sunny day.

2010-08-28T18:33:00.003-04:00

We had a very nice church service with a baby dedication and wonderful fellowship. The weather was perfect. Not too hot, just right. Hannah and Laura found two ring neck snakes (one baby, one adult). All four of the girls were wearing new, pretty dresses. We left church about 4:00 and set off on our 2 1/2 hour drive home.

As we were driving through Jenkins, Kentucky, Hannah says, "Can we stop and get a lily pad?" The pond there in Jenkins is full of thousands of lily pads right now. Hannah really wanted a lily pad. So daddy parked the car and I got out with the four girls and walked down to the bank.

I looked out at the lily pads which were not right against the bank and said, "Hannah, I don't think we can get one. We can't reach them."

Hannah says, "I can do it!" and proceeds to try to climb down to the edge of the water to lean and stretch.

I said, "Hannah, you're wearing your new dress and it's going to get wet." (The dress is a long one.)

Sarah pipes up (bravely) and says, "Oh, I'll do it."

Sarah bent down and leaned. She still couldn't reach the lily pads so I grabbed her hand to keep her steady...

Sarah: "I can't reach."

Me: (grabbing her hand) "I've got you."

Sarah: "A little bit more foreward."

Me: "What?"

Sarah: "I said, lean me a little more forward."

Me: (leaning forward)

Me: (thinking) I'm going to lose my balance. I should have Emily grab my other hand.

Me: (gasp, losing my balance!) (over compensating and falling backwards)

Sarah: (losing grip of my hand) (splash! head first into the pond in her brand new dress!) GAAAASSSPPP!

Me, Emily, Hannah, and Laura: (staring at Sarah in the pond, our mouths hanging open!!)

Okay, so in my defense, it happened really fast and it could have happened to anyone!! Really!

Gooseberry Patch Desktop Wallpapers

2010-08-18T19:12:00.000-04:00

You can download some adorable backgrounds for your computer from Gooseberry Patch. My favorite is this one (just because I love barns and dream of raising chickens and having fresh eggs!):

Free Curriculum Resources

2010-08-17T23:24:00.000-04:00

Homeschooling can cost as much or as little as you like. Free is always good, right? Here is a list of free resources that I have found to be very valuable.

Curriculums:

Supplements:

Science Experiments

2010-08-16T18:30:00.002-04:00

Earlier this year, I talked a little about my Kinesthetic Learner. Realizing that I have a kinesthetic learner was an eye opener for me. Suddenly, I realized that all those lessons I have tried to teach for the last year or two were not what she really needed. Obviously, you can't get away from workbooks and book work totally, but I have come up with a few things that I think will make this year better for both of us.

1. Explode the Code. She just had a terrible time sitting through the Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons book. As soon as we sat down with that book the wiggling began. On the second day of using Explode the Code a light bulb went off in my brain when she said, "Mom, I really like this book because I'm actually doing something."

2. File Folder Games. I think that doing a lot of memory work will be easier if she can play a game at the same time. I hope!

3. Nature Walks. This child loves nature and nature walks are one of her favorite things.

4. Lots of Crafts. Keep her hands busy with educational crafts!

5. Science Experiments. She has begged me to do science experiments. In the past I have always put off doing experiments because they seem so time consuming and messy. This year I decided that as a reward on Fridays we will do science experiments. I am going to print out her lesson plan for the week and each time she completes her workbox lessons I will have her put a star or other sticker on the lesson plan. If she gets all of her stars we'll do the experiment. Hopefully, this will be a great motivator!

I have found a few neat websites that have experiments for children:

We'll see how things go. I have a lot of really fun things planned for this year!

The Ringstaff Family Homeschool 2010 - 2011

2010-08-11T13:47:00.003-04:00

This summer has had a lot of wonderful highlights! We've been so busy, but it has been good. Since making my Workbox Lesson Planner, I have spent the last week or more working on lesson plans and have all of my books ordered. They should arrive by the end of the week! I ordered most of my books from ChristianBook.com and Amazon.com. However, I was able to get quite a few good deals on used books from HomeschoolClassifieds.com!

So, here is the run down on the books/ resources we will be using this year:

Note: Originally, I was going to use Volume 3 of The Mystery of History this year. My girls like that curriculum a lot and we have completed the first 2 volumes. But the more I thought about it, them more I really wanted all four girls to learn about U.S. History this year. So, I finally settled on All American History for my older girls. It is published by the same company as The Mystery of History. Next year we will return to The Mystery of History.

The Highschool Books:

Pathways of the Pioneers - from Your Story Hour
All American History - From Bright Ideas Press
Exploring Creation with Physical Science - from Apologia
Trail Guide to US Geography - from Geo Matters
Eat Your Way through the USA- from Geo Matters - This just looked like fun to me.
Draw Real People - This is the third book in this series that we will have used. In the past two years we have used Draw Horses and Draw Real Animals. My girls have really enjoyed the books and have been able to draw some amazing pictures!
One Year Adventure Novel - we will be working on the second half of this program continued from last year. It is an excellent and fun program!
Learning Language Arts through Literature: Gold Book - from Common Sense Press - Homeschool Teacher Friendly programs!
Life of Fed: Decimals and Percentages AND Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra - Last year we did Life of Fred Fractions. Let me tell you - my kids who HATE math loved this book! Plus, the prices are incredible!

The Elementary Books:

The Bible Story Books - Classic books, we love them!
Galloping the Globe - from Geo Matters - We will be focusing on North America this year and two different countries from Christmas around the world.
Considering God's Creation
Explode the Code Workbooks - These books are a God send for us!!
Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons
A Reason for Spelling
Draw Write Now Books 1- 8 - I love this series.
DK Math Made Easy
BrainQuest Workbooks
Childcraft Books - I have the 1981editions.
History Pockets: Life in Plymoth Colony

Free Homeschool Share Lapbooks and Units:

The Elementary Resources:

Dollar Store Goodies:

I was delighted to find a number of fun educational items last week at Target in the Dollar Zone:
Flash Cards - Discover Insects, Explore the United States, Discover U.S. Animals, Learn U.S. Presidents, and a Math Bingo Game

At the Dollar Tree last week I found:
a Monthly calendar I plan to used daily in teaching the days and months, file folder games, two language art spinners, and a poster of the United States of America.

* * * * *

I am really looking forward to this year. We plan to start around the end of August/ beginning of September. I am not quite done planning all of the slots for the workboxes. However, I am nearly done with the Hannah and Laura's. Filling up 10 boxes for 180 days... that 1800 different things for each child to do over the course of the school year. My brain hurts. I'll be glad to get the planning out of the way. The reason I decided to do it up front is because I never know what my hectic life will throw at me and I work better when I have a plan. It's once less thing to worry about - kind of like planning the menu. Once it's planned, the week's cooking seems so much easier.

Workbox Lesson Planner

2010-07-27T21:09:00.004-04:00

Summer has been flying by! We have had so much going on, that I haven't had much time for the computer. My two oldest girls are at horse camp this week and my 19 year old son has decided to move in with my mom and dad for the time being. So... this week, it's just me and my husband along with our two youngest girls at home. It's really been quiet.

So, with all of this quiet time... I have been catching up on all that laundry I got behind on during two weeks at campmeeting/ my two week bout of the flu/ten days in Atlanta/two weeks of company/and 1 week of VBS. I have also been deep cleaning my family room/homeschool room in preparation for the new school year. I have also been planning my curriculum for 2010-2011. I love planning for our school year!

I want to share my new Workbox Planner Form with you. It is simple, nothing fancy, but is what I am using this year. I do only have space for 10 boxes as that is what I am using. I hope you enjoy!

I let you know which books we'll be using this coming year soon!

Home from Campmeeting

2010-06-09T15:16:00.007-04:00

We arrived home around 3 am on Sunday night. I can't tell you how good it felt to crawl into my own bed!

Campmeeting was wonderful - as always! We were gone for 14 days. I have been recuperating for the last three days catching up on sleep and housework. My husband and I teach the Primary class at our campmeeting. This year's theme was "The Parables of Jesus." We had sooo much fun! I was so excited during the Camp Pitch (setting up) that I couldn't sleep for three nights straight! During one of those long nights I came up with my theme for next year! I am so excited I can't believe I have to wait a whole year! We'll be doing "The Church in the Wilderness" and learn about the Waldenses and different martyrs through the centuries. The set will be a medieval/ forest theme and we'll wear medieval costumes.

Anyway, so for this year the set was a Bible Marketplace. It turned out even better than I had hoped. I really hated to tear it down!

Here are some photos of the finished set:

This is a picture of the "stone" building. It turned out so realistic looking!

Here is a photo of part of the "marketplace." You can see the beautiful donkey cart that was built for me. My husband built the booths out of small tree trunks.

We had a food market in the donkey cart and the little table behind it. There was also a spice/herb shop and a basket shop. On the other side of the donkey cart is a blanket shop. My four girls painted the amazing "stone" floor for me and they even did the "stone" wall and sky on the backdrop!

This is a photo of the front of the room. The well has real water in it!

When the children first came in the room they walked right into this tent which housed the registration table.

We had a mountain and cave that the children had to walk through to get to the bathroom. We put a glowing purple light inside the cave.

Some of the highlights during the program - we learned the Jewish "Hora" dance." The kids signed up for a "Talent Show" for the last Friday afternoon after learning the parable of "The Ten Talents." On the last Friday night we had the parable of "The Wedding Feast." Afterward we had a real Jewish Wedding feast. I spent the afternoon making:

Matzo Ball Soup
Lentils
Potato Latkes
A Wedding Cake

We had a blast working with kids. I am looking forward to next year!

Here is a slideshow of us setting up the stage. I took the photos, so you won't see much of me!

Horse Club

2010-05-10T22:05:00.008-04:00

Today was our 4-H Horse Club meeting. I was so sorry Sarah and Emily were gone and didn't get to go! Hannah and Laura had a wonderful time! Here they are riding Train Wreck:

Hannah (9 yr)

Laura (6 yr)

They even got to ride bareback for the very first time:

I think I found the perfect horse for my daughter Sarah. He is so gentle, well trained, and just gorgeous! He was a Wild Mustang from Nevada. I hope it works out!

Isn't he beautiful???

Ranch Veggie Pizza

2010-05-07T18:17:00.002-04:00

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.

In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Another Homemaker's Find...

2010-04-22T11:13:00.004-04:00

I came across this delightful Recipe Keeper today illustrated by Susan Branch. The cover says, "To My Daughter With Love from My Kitchen."

Homeschool Freebies

2010-04-20T15:17:00.003-04:00

Each Tuesday on A Virtuous Woman you can find a great list of Homeschool Freebies! Today is no different!

Seeing as today is Arbor Day, I have a number of great "tree" themed finds for you. Perfect for studying all month!

I took my four girls down to the courthouse here in Harlan today where they were passing out free trees. We were given a number of saplings:

5 persimmon trees
2 black walnut trees
1 pawpaw tree

I hope to get these in the ground tomorrow! The girls were excited about the trees. The saplings were pretty small and it will take years for them to reach maturity, but it will be fun to watch them grow and take note of the changes they make over the years.

Happy Arbor Day!

Yes, I really did just say that...

2010-04-15T13:16:00.001-04:00

"Hannah, I know you love the snake, but you have got to get your books out and get your schoolwork done!!"

Woodlouse Spider

2010-04-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

My daughter Hannah was outside finding bugs for the snake and turtle this morning when she picked up a rock and saw one of these:

Photo Credit: Jerry

She came running inside and told me about it. I know you are wondering. No, we didn't catch it. I wasn't sure what kind of spider it was. We did some online research and discovered that it is a Woodlouse Spider. They like to live under rocks, logs, and other moist places. They will not bite unless provoked, but the bite can be very painful due to their large jaws. The bite is not poisonous but could cause a reaction in some people. They eat Woodlice and are beneficial to the garden.

Scary. I shiver just looking at the photo!

A Day in Nature

2010-04-13T22:40:00.009-04:00

Okay, so on Friday morning (last week) I took my daughter, Laura, to speech therapy. Hannah was with us, too. the parking lot was really full so we had to park quite a ways from the building. I pulled into a parking spot and there was a tree right in front of the car. Hannah says, "Mom, look! There's a robin sitting on a nest!"

Sure, enough, there was a mommy robin sitting on a nest! We got out of the car, very excited. The nest was just above my eye level. The robin was startled when we got out of the car and she flew away. I couldn't see into the nest and didn't want to touch it, but I did hold my cell phone up above the nest and took a photo. There were no eggs on Friday.

So, this morning, we went back to speech and since we were running a little late, we didn't stop to look at the robin's nest until after the appointment. On our way back to the car (I brought my camera for the occasion!) we saw the mommy robin again sitting on her nest:

I stepped up on the curb (about 4 feet from the tree) and she was again startled and jumped up out of her nest, but stayed very close by on a branch. I held my camera up and took another photo, and this is what we found:

Are those not the prettiest little eggs you've ever seen??? We can hardly wait to see babies!

You know how much we love all of God's creation - even snakes. But birds are just about our favorite. That is, if you don't count horses.

This afternoon, ~~we saddled, er,~~ Emily saddled Ladybelle for the first time. (I took the photos.) Isn't Ladybelle beautiful?? We lover her!

Side Note: In case you are wondering where my other daughter, Sarah, was... well, she is staying at our Middlesboro Church with a group of young people who came to work in the community doing literature evangelism (magabooking, canvasing). She loves the work! I am so proud of her. And in case you are a member in the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference, be sure to check out this month's Connection newsletter - Sarah has an article in it!!

Anyway, while we were up with the horses, I took a photo of the apple tree. Wow, look at those blossoms! I hope we get that many apples!

Blueberry Crumble Cake

2010-04-13T22:22:00.005-04:00

I just posted this fabulous recipe over at A Virtuous Woman!

Join the Blog Party and a Giveaway!

2010-04-12T09:39:00.004-04:00

If you are joining me from the Ultimate Blog Party and this is your first time here, welcome! I had so much fun last year, I decided to participate in the party again this year! I hope you will enjoy looking around my "home" here on the web! There is lots to see and do. I have been blogging here at The Vintage Homemaker since July 2005.

I am a pastor's wife. My husband is a district pastor of three churches here in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of southeast Kentucky. We have lived here in Harlan, Kentucky area since 2001. Harlan has a rich history! You can find some interesting links to movies, songs such as "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive", and stories from Harlan County in my sidebar.

I love being a pastor's wife! Each of our churches is unique and I just love each member like family! I stay very busy with evangelism in our churches. I love Women's Ministry and Children's Ministry is sooo much fun! In 2007 I painted two murals in two of my churches - "Noah's Ark" and "The Lord is My Shepherd." I am hoping to be able to paint two more in the next year or so. I have plans of doing "The Tree of Life" in our Primary Classroom at our Harlan, KY Church and "The Lord is My Shepherd" again at our Belcher, KY Church. I have been so busy, that it can be hard to find the time!

One of my favorite times of the year is campmeeting. The last two years I have taught the Primaries for campmeeting here in the Kentucky- Tennessee Conference! The first program I wrote was called "Out of Egypt" and was sooo much fun! Last year I did I program called "Adventures in Jesus" where we worked on honors (awards) for the Adventurer Club program. I love each of those 100+ kids dearly and have gotten to know many more than I ever thought I'd be able to when I first started. I love coming up with elaborate decorations so that when the kids walk in the room they are "transported" to another time or place. I want them to walk in the room and say, "Wow!" This year I am writing a program called "The Parables of Jesus" and am currently working on my ideas for decorating! I am anxious to see my "ideas" come together when I begin putting up the set during "Camp Pitch" the week of May 24, 2010!

Speaking of Children's Ministry, one of our favorite events each year is when we travel to 3ABN television studio to volunteer for the Bible Story segment for the Kids Time television show. You can see some photos from 2008 and 2009. One of our highlights last summer was when my youngest daughter, Laura was able to be in the nature segment of Tiny Tots, one of her all-time favorite television shows! We are looking forward to our trip to 3ABN this year, too!

Ministry is really my passion in life and I was blessed in 2001 when God gave me a very special ministry. I am the Founding Director of A Virtuous Woman, a ministry for women based on the Scriptures of Proverbs 31. If you have never visited A Virtuous Woman, I know you will love what you find there! Each week you will find new articles, recipes, and ideas that will help you in your walk with Christ and your everyday living at home with your family. You'll love our social network where you can join groups, join in the discussion, share your favorite photos and videos, and even get your own blog! There is so much to do, you'll have to set the timer so you don't forget to do your chores!

This year we enjoyed our 2nd Annual Spring Clean Challenge. It was a blast! If you missed it, it isn't to late to download my free e-Book, Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home, and join the challenge!

Another event on A Virtuous Woman that I am very excited about this year is A Year of Family Worship. I want to invite you to join us each Wednesday as we share ideas and stories about Family Worship.

I have written a number of books which are available as e-books. Last year I made the decision to offer all of my e-books on a donation basis only. What does that mean? Well, basically, if all you have is a dollar, you can have the book for a dollar - you get to decide how much you can afford to spend! I also publish a free e-magazine called, A Woman of Worth: Quarterly Journal and Cookbook. Our spring issue will be out later this month! Each issue (usually about 40 pages in .pdf format) is filled with inspiring articles, ideas, and recipes you are sure to love! All you have to do to get this magazine for free is join our network! It's free to sign up!

Not only am I a writer, editor, and pastor's wife, but I am also a homeschooling mom. My oldest child at home is now 19 and no longer homeschooling. I have four beautiful girls who are a joy to teach! My daughter, Sarah, recently started her own blog! She would love for you to stop by and say hi! You'll find the books and curriculum we use listed on my sidebar. I love homeschooling frugally and the last few weeks I have been posting some great freebies for homeschoolers on Tuesdays at A Virtuous Woman. Our favorite part of homeschooling has to be nature study! Just yesterday we found a new snake to add to our collection of critters.

This year I have been organizing myself and our homeschool with file crates. I really love this system! I also use a Household Notebook and invite you to download my free notebook charts!

Perhaps my favorite chart in my Household Notebook is my Menu Planner. I love cooking for my family and friends. I have lots of yummy recipes and every now and then I post my Menu Plans for the week. You can learn how to make my fabulous Sweet Sourdough Bread and share the Amish Friendship Bread with those you love! My Tea Towel Biscuits are now famous, having been mentioned in the Winter 2010 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! You'll find the tutorials and recipes (and more!) for these over on my sidebar.

I hope you enjoy your visit here at The Vintage Homemaker and hope you hop over to A Virtuous Woman to see what else is going on. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you visited! I'd love to get to know you better! If you do leave a comment, you'll be eligible to win a copy of my e- book, The Homemaker's Journal! The winner will be announced on April 18, 2010! Thank you for stopping by today!

I have four girls and when...

2010-04-11T09:15:00.000-04:00

one of them yells, "Mom! I found a snake!" you'd think they'd all go running in the other direction. But nope, today when Hannah yelled those words, we all ran to go look - with our handy dandy butterfly net. I was pretty sure it was a garter snake, but we had never found this particular type of snake, so we used a stick to push it into the net.I did look to see if there was a diamond shaped head and eyes and nope, there wasn't.

Then, we took the snake into the house and put it in the tank with the turtle. I told the girls I would look up the snake online a little bit later (after I finished some chores) and not to pick up the snake until I had determined what kind of snake it was.

A little while later, Hannah comes in the room where I was busy putting away laundry and says, "I couldn't help it!" and proceeded to tell me how she just had to touch the snake (first with a stick) and no it didn't try to bite her. So, now the girls are passing the snake, which turned out to be an Eastern Garter Snake around, very excited!

Girls! LOL!

I am very glad we found the snake because now we have another critter to show my Primary Kids at Campmeeting next month.

Photo Credit: Copyright, Jeff LeClere

If you homeschool and your child is interested in snakes, here is a nice e-Book about Kentucky Snakes.

Oh, and the girls named the snake "Lucky" because Hannah found it at the same time the cat found it. She said, "I really think God helped me save the snake because He made it and it is special." Isn't she sweet?

Homemaker's Notebook

2010-04-08T09:18:00.000-04:00

Over at the Homestead Revival, you will find this nifty Cloth Napkin Tutorial.

My Kinesthetic Learner

2010-03-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

For years I have been in search of just the "right books" for our homeschool curriculum. I have been homeschooling for 11 years now. You would think that I had it all figured out. One can only wish.

I will say that over the last three years I have been quite happy with just about every book I have purchased for my children.

Maybe I am slow, but I had never really paid much attention to the articles I would come across from time to time regarding different learning styles. I knew each of my children were unique. I knew each of my children had different passions. But I never really stopped to think about how they learned differently.

I have one child who doesn't seem bothered by anything, she reads whole novels in a hour, and she retains information like a sponge. She hated lapbooking the few times I tried doing them with her. She loves math and spends hours drawing, cross stitching, and reading.

I have another child who is very creative. She loves reading, creative writing, drawing, and music. She hates math and has a difficult time processing equations. She needs the room to be very quiet so she can concentrate because she is easily distracted.

My youngest child is only six and just now beginning to do regular school work, but as far as I can tell, she will be much like the first child I mentioned. She spends hours drawing detailed artwork, loves to paint and sketch in her nature journal, loves to sit down and read aloud to me.

I have another child who is fascinated by nature - anything to do with the living world around her. She collects bugs, and toads, and mysterious seeds like other people collect stamps 0r figurines. She hates handwriting, likes to draw, but never takes her time and she just cannot sit still for any length of time. She hates having to sit down and work on phonics because it is "soooo borning!" Yet, she is a whiz at math. She loves any kind of adventure such as camping, obstacle courses, and roller coasters. She likes "action!"

This child is a Kinesthetic Learner. You can read more about this learning style here. She loves lapbooking but can't stand cutting stuff out. Instead of having her cut and paste all of the mini books and pockets, etc. I am now doing it for her! Talk about a freeing experience! She has for the first time enjoyed making a lapbook! Our first lapbook that I cut out for her was on Owls. Like I said earlier, she loves anything to do with nature. She loved the Owl Study that I found over at Lapbook Lessons. We are now working on a study of Australia and will be completing a lapbook for that unit as well. One thing that really help her focus is to take frequent breaks. She just can't sit still for longer than 10 minutes at a time. And that's okay!

I am on the hunt for great products to help me teach my Kinesthetic Learner. Do you have any suggestions?

Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

S - Asiago Bagels with Cream Cheese

M - Asiago bagels with Cream Cheese

T - Cream of Wheat with Wheat Germ and Soy Milk

W - Pancakes, TVP sausage patties, applesauce

TH - biscuits and gravy, little links

F - yogurt and granola

S - Cereal with soymilk

Lunch

S - veggie dogs and sauerkraut

M - Taco Soup (leftover)

T - peanut butter and jelly, sliced oranges

W - tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

TH - sub sandwiches, pickles, and apple slices

F - egg salad sandwiches, chips

S - potluck

Supper

S - baked potatoes

M - spaghetti, french bread, salad, chocolate cake

T - cauliflower and dip, grapefruit, cheese and crackers

W - veg-all casserole, veggie burgers, potato skins, steamed asparagus

TH - chili rellenos, zucchini and onions, rice, corn tortillas

F - Potluck

For hundreds more ideas on how to plan your menu, visit Organizing Junkie!

Cleaning the Kitchen...

2010-03-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

is so much more fun while watching the Hallmark Channel in the evenings! They have the sweetest movies! Last year my husband installed an under-the-counter television in my kitchen. I typically watch FOX NEWS during the day... but in the evenings, its always the Hallmark Channel! Tonight I watched The Flower Girl. What a sweet, incredibly romantic movie! It made my night!

Reusable Sandwich Container

2010-02-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

I just found this really neat way to reuse a milk jug and get a reusable sandwich container all at the same time!

I Love the Snow...

2010-02-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

I mean, really. What's not to love? I love the fact that snow allows me to hole up at home and do homey things... like plan homeschool lessons, read good books, clean the house, and do the laundry.

It's been snowing all day (again) and we are happily sitting by the fire with my girls all looking at books. It's about time to eat lasagna for supper and we had potato soup for lunch and I am thinking about putting in our Les Miserables' Broadway play in the DVD player in a little bit.

I love home and snow let's be at home. I hope if it is snowing where you live, you are enjoying this time, too!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

After last week's detox and not cooking anything at all... I am looking forward to some regular meals!

Breakfast

S - Yogurt with granola

M- leftovers

T - Berry Smoothie, Scrambled Eggs, toast

W - Yogurt with Granola

TH - grits, fried eggs, sliced oranges

F - Oatmeal with dates, soy milk, and sliced oranges

S - yogurt with granola, soy milk, cereal

Lunch

S - grapefruit, hot dogs, carrots

M - Sandwiches, chips

T - hummus, carrot sticks, leftover oatmeal "meatloaf"

W - black bean salad, crackers

TH - vegetable lo mein

F - macaroni and cheese, peas

S - Potluck

Supper

S - pizza, salad, tater tots

M - oatmeal meatloaf, steamed asparagus, honey carrots

T - cabbage, apples, and onions, steamed broccoli

W - chana masala

TH - "chicken" and dumplings

F - 15 bean soup, corn bread, tapioca pudding

S - leftovers

For hundreds of menu ideas, be sure to hop on over to Organizing Junkie today!

How Deep is the Father's Love for Us

2010-01-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

Church was canceled this morning because of the foot of snow on the ground. So... I have spent the morning watching 3ABN. New Perceptions from Andrews University - Pioneer Memorial Church came on a bit ago and the choir sang this song. I love this song!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-12T14:57:00.003-05:00

I've been offline for more than a month! (Honestly, it was really nice!!) I hope to be able to post more often now. I am looking forward to the new year!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We had a crazy houseful of 25 for almost a week and 15 for two weeks, so yeah.... it was busy and fun! I am finally getting my house back in shape. There has been snow on the ground here for days... weeks? I have so enjoyed it. The way below freezing weather has even been kind of nice since it has given me an excuse just to hang out at home and clean and stay warm by the fire.

We did spend last week in Gatlinburg, TN. That was fun, but I am so thankful for the last few quiet days I have had. Make the start of the new year really good.

I started writing a new Christian novel in late November. I'm nearly half done with it (the writing part anyway). I am very excited about that. Who knows what I'll do with the manuscript when it is complete. I am mainly writing it for myself, but we'll see what happens.

I have realized as I have reread my writings from over the years that typically January, February, and March are the best, most happiest, calmest, most organized months of my year. My goal this year is to scale back, not take on too much at church and focus on my home and children this year... all year long. I'm still thinking about making a new list of resolutions... I'll post more about that later.

So, what have you been up to?

Autumn Harvest - Canning Pumpkin

2009-12-07T04:53:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough this year to find ten perfectly good pumpkins next to a neighbor's trash can after the Thanksgiving holiday. With my own two purchased pumpkins, that gave me a lot of pumpkins to can! If you don't have a garden of your own, ask around - lots of people by pumpkins for fall decorations with no plans of eating them. I love free food!

From the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
An average of 16 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 10 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints – an average of 2¼ pounds per quart. Pumpkins and squash should have a hard rind and stringless, mature pulp of ideal quality for cooking fresh. Small size pumpkins (sugar or pie varieties) make better products. Wash; remove seeds, cut into 1-inch-wide slices, and peel. Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes. Boil 2 minutes in water. Caution: Do not mash or puree. Fill jars with cubes and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Autumn Harvest - Cranberry Mustard

2009-12-06T07:43:00.001-05:00

Cranberry Mustard

1 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2-3/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 2 12-oz bag)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry mustard
2 1/2 tsp ground allspice
7 (4 oz) glass preserving jars with lids and bands

BRING vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add mustard seeds. Cover and let stand at room temperature until seeds have absorbed most of the moisture, about 1-1/2 hours

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

COMBINE mustard seeds and liquid, water and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor or blender. Process until slightly grainy. Add cranberries and blend until chopped.

BRING cranberry mixture to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in sugar, dry mustard and allspice. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.

LADLE hot mustard into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.

PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Makes about 7 (4 oz) jars

Source: Ball Book Complete Book of Home Preserving

Autumn Harvest - Cranapple Relish

2009-12-04T07:41:00.001-05:00

Cranapple Relish

For each pint of relish:

2 apples
1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
dash hot pepper sauce

Peel, core, and chop apples. Chop cranberries coarsely. In heavy saucepan, stir together apples, cranberries, 3/4 cup water, sugar, onion, raisins, vinegar, cinnamon,
salt, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened and no liquid remains.

Ladle into hot jars and process 20 minutes.

Autumn Harvest - Canning Cranberries

2009-12-03T07:18:00.001-05:00

During the holiday season, fresh cranberries are in abundance at the grocery store. Look for sales or stock up after the holidays and can away!

Cranberry Conserve

1 orange (unpeeled), seeded and finely chopped
2 c water
4 c cranberries
1/2 c raisins (optional)
3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c chopped nuts

Combine orange and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, partially cover, and boil until peel is tender, about 5 minutes. Add cranberries, raisins, and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Return to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil hard until mixture thickens, 10-15 minutes. Stir in nuts and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and test gel.

Skim foam and pack into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

Makes about 4 8-oz jars.

Autumn Harvest - Sweet Potatoes

2009-12-02T06:32:00.001-05:00

Now is the perfect time to can sweet potatoes - they have been on sale for $0.25 per pound! We purchased enough sweet potatoes to do about 30 quarts.

Sweet Potatoes

Method:
Boil whole sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes or just until slightly tender. Drain. Allow to cool slightly. Peel. Cut into large chunks and place in Mason jars. Add 1/4 tsp. Fruit Fresh if desired. Cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space. Place on lids.

Process for 90 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure or 65 minutes for pints.

Note: I live above 1000 feet so I have to pressure can everything at 15 pounds of pressure. (I do not have the dial guage canner.)

Autumn Harvest - Canning Greens and Roots

2009-12-01T07:11:00.001-05:00

Greens - Collards, Mustard, Kale, Spinach, Turnips
I am very excited about canning greens this year! My husband stopped at a roadside stand and purchased collard greens for $0.25 per 1 pound! Then there are the turnip greens and roots - the local Baptist pastor and his wife over planted. I get to pick a whole lot of turnips for free!

Method:
For each 7-quart canner load, you need an average of 28 pounds, or for each 9-pint canner load, you need an average of 18 pounds of fresh spinach or other greens.

Can only freshly harvested greens. Discard any wilted, discolored, diseased, or insect-damaged leaves. Leaves should be tender and attractive in color.

Wash only small amounts of greens at one time. Drain water, and continue rinsing until water is clear and free of grit. Cut out tough stems and midribs. Place 1 pound of greens at a time in cheesecloth bag or blancher basket, and steam 3 to 5 minutes or until wilted thoroughly.

Fill jars loosely with greens, add fresh boiling water and leave 1 inch of head space. Add ½ teaspoon canning salt to each quart jar if desired.

Process in a dial-gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure, or, in a weighted-gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure, pints for 70 minutes; quarts for 90 minutes.

Turnip Roots:
I love turnip roots and this year I get them for free while they are still young and tender!

Method:
Wash turnips, scrubbing well. Peel, slice or dice. Place turnips in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Drain. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon to quarts, (or less) if desired. Cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. Process at 10 pounds of pressure 30 minutes for pints or 35 minutes for quarts.

Note: I live above 1000 feet so I have to pressure can everything at 15 pounds of pressure. (I do not have the dial guage canner.)

Autumn Harvest - Canning Kiwi Jam

2009-11-30T19:09:00.003-05:00

Kiwi:
Kiwi is abundant this time of the year. If you know someone (like I do) who has a Kiwi vine or are lucky enough to have one yourself, you should get out your water bath canner! Last year I was given an amazing 200 pounds of kiwi! This year the harvest was not as spectacular, but good enough that I can make several batches of homemade jam. You should try my oh soooo good Strawberry Kiwi Jam - it is one of our favorites. Or you can simply make the Kiwi Jam below. We love this jam and it is the prettiest green color - very festive for the holidays.

Kiwi Jam
This is a very pretty jam - a nice festive green for the holidays!

5 cups crushed kiwi
7 cups sugar
1 pkg. fruit pectin powder

Sterilize 8 half-pint jars. Place lids in a small pot, cover with water and simmer until ready to use. Bring boiling water canner to a simmer. Measure out sugar into a large measuring cup or bowl.

Use a potato masher to crush your fruit in another large bowl. Be sure to measure correctly. (The total cups needed are after crushing, not while fruit is whole.) In a large pot, add fruit. Stir in 1 box of pectin. You may want to add a pat of butter to help reduce the amount of foam that will form on top.

Bring the fruit and pectin mixture to a full rolling boil. This means that when you stir, the bubbling does not stop. You should be stirring constantly as you wait for the fruit to boil to keep from scorching the fruit.

Stir in sugar all at once, quickly. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly one minute. You will probably want to set your timer for this. Over boiling will result in a jam that is tough. Under boiling will result in a jam that is runny. Please be careful - this mixture is very, very hot and can cause serious burns. Keep your little ones away from the stove!

After 1 minute, remove the jam from heat. Skim off any foam. You can put the foam in a bowl and microwave later, allow to cool and then use it as you would your jam - on a piece of toast.

Spread a thick towel on the counter next to the stove and place your hot, sterile jars on top of the towel. Use a wide mouth canning funnel to help make ladling easier. Ladle jam into jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space from the top. Wipe jars rims with a clean damp cloth. Cover with lids and rings. Screw bands finger tight - you don't want them too tight or the jars could bread during processing - too loose and your jam will bubble out during the processing.

Place jars on an elevated rack in your water bath canner, or on top of loose canning rings placed in the bottom of your pot. It is best to use a special jar lifter to place the jars in and remove from the pot. Add water if needed to cover the jars by about an inch. Cover the pot and bring the water up to a full boil. After the water starts to boil, you can begin timing your jars. For half-pint jars, you will need to process for 5 minutes. If you used pint jars, 10 minutes. If you live in the mountains like I do (or at a higher elevation), you will need to add more time according to your elevation:

1,000 - 3,000 feet - add 5 minutes
3,000 - 6,000 feet - add 10 minutes
6,000 - 8,000 feet - add 15 minutes
8,000 - 10,000 feet - add 20 minutes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter, Rosemary and Caramelized Onions

2009-11-20T12:00:00.005-05:00

I made these delicious sweet potatoes the other night, and wow they were good! Usually, when I make sweet potatoes I either make them into a sweet casserole with a marshmallow or pecan topping or I will serve them baked with butter and brown sugar. I love either of those dishes! But this was such a yummy change!

Okay, so I baked my sweet potatoes the day before while I was baking another dish. I don't especially like peeling really hot potatoes so this way, they were totally cool when I peeled them the following day. But, you could do this all in the same day.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter, Rosemary, and Caramelized Onions

4 cups peeled and mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 onion diced
1 tsp. dried rosemary

In a pot, melt butter and add onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and beginning to brown and butter is browned. Add rosemary and cook for a couple of minutes to infuse butter with rosemary flavor. Add mashed sweet potatoes and combine well. Stir constantly until potatoes are reheated and steaming. Turn off pot and cover until ready to serve. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled!

Freezer Method: Add 2 tbsp. orange juice juice to the mashed sweet potatoes to prevent darkening. Pack into freezer bags and freeze for later use. Perfect for make ahead Thanksgiving preparations!

Q & A: Bread Knife

2009-11-19T06:36:00.001-05:00

Q: This is fantastic bread! Just the recipe that I had been searching for. Tried this once from someone else, but they wouldn't share the recipe.

I have purchased three different bread knifes and I'm not happy with any of them. What do you use to cut the bread into such pretty slices?

Skey13

A: My bread knife is very basic. It is long and serrated, but not serrated like those little paring knives. It is serrated with a inverted scalloped edge. My knife is an Ekco brand knife and probably 20 years old.

It works well for slicing tomatoes, too! A good bread knife is essential if you are baking your own bread!

Q & A: Sweet Sourdough Bread was Doughy

2009-11-18T01:27:00.000-05:00

Q: I recently found your website while searching for a recipe for Sourdough Bread starter. I have made the bread in the past but only from someone else's starter. I have never made the starter myself. The starter worked perfectly, and I made the first batch today. It was good, but I had a problem with it being a little "doughy". Possibly I did not leave in the oven long enough, although the crust was a perfect golden brown and toothpick inserted came out clean. Was hoping you could give me suggestions as to what I did or did not do correctly.

I am keeping the starter going and will bake another batch next week. I am so glad I found your website. I will visit often and refer for more recipes and homemaking ideas, and some daily bread also. My family also lives in Kentucky. I know how very busy you must be but if you could find time to help me figure what went wrong with my bread I would be grateful.

I am going to attempt the Amish Friendship bread starter next. I cannot find anyone here who makes it, so I will try your starter for that also. God Bless you and all your efforts and thanks so much for sharing online with a working Mom and Wife who needs all the help she can get.

Sincerely, Cheryl

A: Cheryl, I have thought about your problem, and cannot guarantee my answer will help! But, I would suggest that you bake it for a bit longer or perhaps increase the rising time. Also, be sure that when you add the flour that it is light and fluffy - not packed into the measuring cup. Either sift the flour before measuring or stir the flour and spoon it into the measuring cup. Let me know how your next batch turns out!

I wish I could come over and watch your method - that might help me answer better! I hope you enjoy the Amish Friendship Bread Starter. It is so versatile!

I appreciate your really sweet comments! It means a lot to me!!

The Best Birthday Cake Ever!

2009-11-17T14:02:00.003-05:00

Well, today I am 34 years old.

I know. sigh.

However, despite the fact that I really don't want to get older, this is sooo the best time of my life!

Today, my two youngest children, Hannah and Laura, surprised me! They got out their Easy Bake Oven and made me chocolate covered apples and chocolate cake! I forgot to take a photo of the apples, but they were really delicious! And the cake was really good - for real!

Taco Soup for the Crockpot

2009-11-17T11:19:00.003-05:00

This is one of my family's favorite crockpot recipes! I usually double the recipe for my crew!

Taco Soup

2 cans of kindey beans
2 cans of pinto beans
2 cans of corn
1 large can of diced tomatoes (I have no idea why the can wasn't in this picture. I know I put it in. This is a mystery.)
1 can tomatoes and chiles
3 tbsp. or 1 packet taco seasoning
1 package Morning Star Farms Ground Crumbles or 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (optional)
shredded cheese and sour cream for garnish

Add ingredients to crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. The longer it cooks the better! Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Note: I use the MSF Crumbles (available at health food stores or even your Super Wal-Mart or grocery store) or even TVP granules in the place of ground beef. Using TVP makes this recipes excellent for your Prepared Food Storage Pantry!

Visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more mouth watering recipes!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

2009-11-17T11:01:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to eat less and less convenience/ packaged foods. These recipes are easy to prepare at home!

Taco Seasoning

1 Tablespoon flour or corn starch
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon oregano (rub it between your fingers to grind it into a finer powder)

Combine ingredients and use with one pound browned and drained ground beef and 3/4 cup water. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Make Ahead Taco Seasoning

Make It Yourself Taco Seasoning
1 Tablespoon flour or corn starch
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon oregano (rub it between your fingers to grind it into a finer powder)
Combine ingredients and use with one pound browned and drained ground beef and 3/4 cup water. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Bulk Taco Seasoning:

8 tbsps. plain flour
2 tsp. dried minced garlic
6 tbsps. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
3 tbsp. ground cumin
6 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a Mason jar (with lid) combine all the ingredients and shake well. Add 3/4 cup water to your "meat" mixture along with the seasoning when making tacos.

Saturday Night Blessing

2009-11-17T08:07:00.003-05:00

Saturday night, my step-daughter Julina had her baby. I had the awesome privilege of being there at the home waterbirth and delivering the baby since there was no midwife! What a blessing and a joy! Little Jessica was born at 11:29 pm on Saturday, November 14th and weighed 7 lb. even. This was my first waterbirth experience and it was perfect. Julina did fabulous!

The Farm Chicks: In the Kitchen - Cookbook Review

2009-11-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

When I received my copy of The Farm Chick’s In the Kitchen cookbook, I was so excited to sit down and pour over the recipes. You know how much I like to cook! This cookbook is not only filled with yummy recipes, it has stories, craft ideas, tips, and even an adorable apron stencil that can be used in so many ways! It’s one of those cookbooks you’ll want to curl up with on the sofa when the house is quiet and just read.

Being the apron loving, vintage homemaker that I am, one of my favorite ideas was: aprons from vintage sheets. Simply purchase vintage sheets (often selling for as little as $1.00 at the flea market) and use the fabric for your apron pattern.

Another sweet and inexpensive idea for decoration the kitchen was using ribbon or ric rac to edge your cabinet shelves. I loved this idea and plan to do this in my own kitchen. I wish I could share all of the delightful ideas with you, but you’ll just have to get your own copy of this book.

Some of the yummy recipes you’ll find inside include:

- Pumpkin Waffles

- Tangy Cucumber Cups

- Savory Sweet Potato Soup

- Asian Quinoa Salad

- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

- Pecan Chocolate Chip Short/bread

- And many, many more!

I do, however want to share a few recipes with you. It was hard to choose a favorite, but these two are some of mine…

Sweet Onion Tartlets

I like to serve these as a side dish to our suppers from time to time! … Melissa

¾ cup butter, softened

1 3-oz. package cream cheese

1 cup all purpose flour

4 cups quartered and thinly sliced sweet onions (about 3 large)

2 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ½ cup (1 stick) butter and the cream cheese in a medium size bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth, Add the flour and miz until well combined. Scoop the mixture into 24 heaping teaspoonfuls and roll each into a ball. Press each ball into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased mini-tart (muffin) pan; set aside.

Cook the onions: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, stirring until melted; then add the onions, stir in the sugar and salt, and saute’ over medium-low heat until golden brown and caramelized – 20 minutes. Divide the onion mixture evenly between the 24 tartlet shells.

Bake the tartlets: Combine the cream and egg in a glass measuring cup and whisk until smooth. Pour into the tartlets, dividing evenly. Bake until the filling and crust are golden brown – 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer the tartlets from the baking pan to a serving plate and serve warm.

Apple Puff Pancake

Perfect for Sunday brunch! … Melissa

¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

5 large eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup all purpose flour

Dash of salt

Maple syrup or confectioner’s sugar for serving

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a 9 inch glass pie plate. Heat in the oven until the butter is melted and bubbly – 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir well and mix in the apple slices. Return to the oven and bake for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and salt in a blender or food processor and process until frothy – 1 minute. Pour over the apple mixture. Bake until the cake is puffed and the center is set – 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with maple syrup or sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.

This charming cookbook would make a perfect gift for your mother, sister or best friend… or even yourself! You really must have this one on your shelf!

Our White Squirrel

2009-11-12T10:34:00.003-05:00

Menu Plan....

2009-11-11T13:03:00.002-05:00

I know, it is a little late! I meant to post this on Monday, but never got around to it! In between trying to homeschool, cook and clean, church, and repair a barn and fence - this week has been super busy!

Breakfast

S - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
M - Oatmeal, Toast
T - Breakfast Burritos, Little Links
W - Oatmeal with Bananas and Walnuts, Soymilk
TH- Buttermilk Pancakes, Little Links
F - Grits, and Veggie Bacon
S - Cereal or Yogurt

Lunch

S - Potluck – Pumpkin Pie, Macaroni and Cheese
M - Subway Sandwiches
T - Canned Minestrone Soup, Sweet Sourdough Toast
W -Leftovers, Baked Potatoes
TH - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches or Banana and Mayo Sandwiches, Sliced Apples
F - Stewed Tomatoes and Orzo
S - Potluck- “Tuna” Noodle Casserole, Apple Onion Carrots, Peach Cobbler

Supper

S - Alfredo Fettuccini, Portobello Mushrooms with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar
M - Crockpot Split Pea Soup, Sweet Sourdough Toast
T - Crockpot Cauliflower Cheese Soup, Bake Potatoes
W - Hamburgers, Macaroni Salad, Buttered Corn
TH - Tortilla Soup in the Crockpot, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole
F - “Meatloaf,” Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Deviled Eggs
S - Leftovers

Baking

W - Apple Pie, Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
TH - Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread
F - Brownies, Prepare Potluck

For hundreds of ideas on how to plan your menu visit Organizing Junkie!