modMamas

The Christmas Gifts

2012-01-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope I'm finding you well. Now that the holidays are over, I want to show you a bit of handmade. I didn't commit to making much this Christmas. I really wanted to just enjoy the season, which I did, I think. Although I never can get everything on my list completed. I didn't even start on the handmade stuff until a couple of weeks before Christmas Day.

For now, I just want to show you these little cuties. I made these kitties for my girls, inspired by this. These were so fun, and easy. I just had the best time picking out material and bits of felted wool from my stash. The head, arms, and legs of the dolls are from an old pair of pants. They are so nice and soft.

I just used this familiar pattern for the kittens, and I just re-drew the head, adding the ears and omitting the hair. I made the legs smaller than the pattern, closer in size to the cats' arms.

There are just so many inspiring ideas out there! Lots of talented people to grab ideas from.

More Gingerbread House Decorating Party Tips!

2011-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

Are you thinking of hosting a gingerbread house decorating party? I must say that, with the help of all my friends, I have this tradition almost down to a science. I was keeping a mental note of what we were finding out this time around, and maybe someone can benefit from said findings? And be sure to check out last year's tips on how to have a sweet party!

I'm not even sure how many years we have done this, I'm thinking five or six? We continue to learn, of course, as our children get older and we add more little ones into the mix. We just had our annual party last weekend, and we had a record amount of kiddies decorating. I think we had sixteen houses. We even had two little guys, one two years old and the other nearly two, decorating their own tiny custom houses. It was magic!

Tip number one: use hot glue!
Last year we decided to use graham crackers to make the houses, which worked fine, once we figured out the best way to make them. This year we used hot glue to stick the houses together, instead of icing, because no one really eats the house part anyway! This worked much better, they dried faster and stronger. We did pipe around the joints with icing, just to seal things up and make them look better. This also helps disguise any wonky-ness you may have!

Tip number two: let your husbands do some building (it is really good for some laughs!)
As a few of us sat making the houses, while other ladies were busy with other jobs, we kept saying again and again that we thought our husbands would enjoy the task of building. So, we put them to work! Seeing our fellas wielding glue guns was pretty cute. The guys had a blast, and the ladies had time for other things.

Tip number three: pay attention to what sizes of crackers you have
One thing we discovered early on, was that some brands of crackers were different sizes. That meant we had to be sure that the pieces of each house had the same brand. Also, one brand had crackers that weren't in sheets, they were in squares, which is almost a deal breaker. The good thing is that, when you are using the glue, it is very easy to just glue pieces like that together to make a sheet. When you are setting up to build, just put like brands together.

Tip number four: Use thicker icing for sticking candy
I remembered last year thinking that I needed to make the icing a little on the thick side. Why? Because heat from little hands quickly warms up the bags of icing and makes the icing a little on the runny side. Of course, if you are using ready made icing, you could put the icing bags in the fridge, just for a bit, until ready to use. This would keep them from becoming runny as quick. No one wants their candy sliding off the house!

Tip number five: big tootsie rolls make great chimneys!
A big element of this party is the candy. Our faves are gumdrops, sticks of gum, and those gummi rings make great wreaths. Someone brought sno caps, which I really enjoyed eating. One thing we found this time around was that big tootsie rolls make great chimneys. I had some (okay tons!) of Halloween candy leftover, and there were lots of those in my stash.

Tip number six: corral the candy with cupcake liners!
As we were watching our darling children stick candy to their houses, one of my mommy friends observed that we needed cupcake liners for each kid to house their candy. Some of the round candy was rolling away onto the floor. So, I grabbed some out of the cabinet, and problem solved! Seriously, what would I do without the wisdom of other moms?

This Christmas season, I have really tried to slow down, and do less. But this party is one thing I just can't seem to skip. When the kids start decorating, and everyone is having fun, I always look at my husband and smile. I LOVE hosting this event! I know these parties will be something we will always remember.

A Grateful People

2011-11-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Have we waited far too long to surrender
Forgive us Oh God the years
We failed to seek your face
Oh Lord, your mercy turns us into
Grateful people
We can’t seem to find the words
So take our lives that there might be enough
To tell you how grateful
Lord, we are grateful
from "A Grateful People" by Watermark

The words of that song always come to my mind this time of year. It seems easy to remember to be thankful for the little things. My oldest daughter wrote that she was thankful for clean water, and our doctor. My two year old is thankful for cookies. We do tend to take the simple things for granted. A not so simple thing that I am guilty of forgetting is the mercy of a holy God. What I deserve and what He has given me are two very different things. So thankful.

Wishing you and yours a lovely Thanksgiving. And remember friends, a slice of pumpkin pie counts as a serving of vegetables!

Remembering to Be Thankful

2011-11-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving upon us, we are trying to be more intentional about the way we celebrate the holiday. There are lots of ideas on how to get your kids thinking about thankfulness, and good ones too. This year I decided to just cut strips of paper that we can write our thoughts of thankfulness on. The strips will go into a jar, and then we can pull strips out to share at dinner each night.

I thought that after Thanksgiving, we can make the strips into paper chains. I always like to do paper chains for our Christmas decor, and this way, the cutting paper part is already done, and we can go on thinking about our thankfulness throughout the Christmas season.

This is just a simple way to turn our hearts towards being grateful.

Cream Cheese Pastry with Crumbly Topping

2011-10-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for something healthy to cook, move right along. This recipe is not for you. It is, however, so very delicious. It is another winner that my mom cooked up, years ago. Remember the Easy Pastry Braid? The same dough is used to make this recipe, and it is easy! This dough is so easy to work with, and always turns out right.

Ready? Here goes...

Make your dough, and refrigerate for an hour. I have even mixed it up before bed and left it to refrigerate until morning. I'm telling you, I have never had any trouble with this dough recipe.

Spray a 11 x 9 pan with cooking spray and set aside. Then pinch off about 1/3 of your dough and set that portion aside. With the rest of your dough, roll it into a rough rectangle and place in the pan. Then just press it around until you fill the pan. Press the dough up the edges of the pan as well. Now you have a place to pour your filling.

Mix your filling! In a mixing bowl, beat eight ounces cream cheese, one egg, and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Pour this on top of your dough. Set that aside.

Now, take that bit of dough we pinched off, and roll it into a smallish rectangle. Cut strips of dough out, and lay them on top of your filling. We are going for a rustic look here, it doesn't need to be fancy. Every one will be too busy eating it to care what it looks like anyway! Now set that aside in a warm place to rest while you make the topping.

For the topping, mix one cup flour, one cup sugar, and one stick of butter with a pastry blender. I usually start out with a pastry blender and finish with my fingers. You can just use a fork if you don't have a pastry blender. Just mix it all up till it's crumbly. Make sure you leave some big pieces. Dump that deliciousness on top of your pastry!

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until it's golden brown.

I think you are going to love this one!

Look at the beautiful flower I grew! (not so much)

2011-08-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Lovely, isn't it? Yes, but you should know, this beauty came about because I spilled a bag of bird seed on a graveled spot in front of our house.

It's funny to me that this came up by accident, but my garden that I spent lots of time and money on did not do so well. Proof, if you ask me, that I should stick to sewing and cooking!

Getting Some Perspective...Once Again.

2011-08-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Losing sight of the goal in parenting can really make you feel despair. I had a day last week where I forgot what my objective was. It seemed all day I was quietly labeling my children as rotten, because there had been so much disobedience. I complained to my husband about them when he got home. Then when all were in bed and one little straggler was resisting sleep, I'd had enough. Rotten, rotten, rotten. I escaped to my bedroom where God graciously brought my thoughts back to where they needed to be. Suddenly it hit me. Why did I want my children to obey? I realized that I was focusing on obedience for convenience sake. When they obey, it makes things easier on me. When they don't deliver, then they are bad and I must be a failure for not getting through to them. And then, there at the very bottom, the only thing left for me to do is demand justice. Someone must pay, whether it is the kids for their mistakes, or me for mine.

It was so humbling for me to come to this realization. What am I hoping to raise? Children who are sinners yet see their need for a Savior? Or little people-pleasers who are self-righteously obeying authority for appearance sake? I want a heart change in my children. Disobedience is a window into what is going on in my children's hearts. It is an opportunity to teach them truth.

When my perspective had changed, I was able to see that I had not been trusting God for my children's lives. Right now, day after day of the same struggles, it is easy to feel like I am not making any progress. However, God is at work, and He will put my feeble attempts to good use. I had forgotten that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Believing that He will equip me to train my children helps keep my perspective right where it should be.

Making Jam

2011-08-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I came across this recipe, and I am going to try it as soon as I find a good deal on plums. I love making homemade jam. There's something about those sparkly jars in my cabinet filled with something I made. I made my first batch of jam last year using blackberries from our yard. Since then I've made peach, strawberry, and blueberry. The more I have done it the more confident I have become. Making jam isn't nearly as intimidating to me as canning other things, because you use the water bath method. You can buy special equipment for this, but I just use my stockpot with a rag on the bottom instead of a rack. Besides your jars and lids, the only other equipment you need is a utensil set. This is the one I have.

This site is where I started reading up on canning, and it had lots of helpful tips. I read and re-read about making jam before making my first batch, and then I just followed the directions on the pectin package. I've used Sure-Jell for less sugar recipes, and this one. These allow you to make jam with a lot less sugar, or even with honey.

I hope these links and tips will be helpful if you've never tried making jam before. It really is so much fun, and sweet little jars of jam make great gifts!

Watermelon Slushies

2011-07-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

I always find us out of fun drinks on days when the kids are out in the sun, not a good thing. We have had some dreadfully hot days here lately, and I needed a cold drink for my four little ones. So I made slushies! It is amazing what a blender can do.

This is really a non-recipe, and this whole post is serving to fill in the gap until I have something brilliant to share, if I'm being honest. Maybe this will just spark some creativity in the kitchen? I felt this drink wasn't really sweet enough for my grown-up taste, but my kids loved it. My daughter asked me if I made this up myself, and when I answered yes, she seemed impressed. So I guess you can't go wrong if something you try in the kitchen charms your kids.

I simply blended about two cups chopped watermelon, a cup of ice, about a 1/4 cup apple juice, and the juice of two lemons. I tasted and added until I got the consistency I wanted. Sorry about the lack of concrete measurements; told you it was a non-recipe.

I really think some limeade in place of the apple juice might make this fabulous. And I'm certain some really sweet lemonade would do the trick. So you try it and tell me what you come up with, and I will just benefit from your creativity! How's that?

Why am I blogging about rice krispie treats?

2011-07-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Because these were just so good. Boasting browned butter (a lot of it) and coarse salt, these are not your grandma's rice krispie treats! I don't have a picture to show you because we ate them all up at Bible study the other night, and I've been a pretty lazy blogger lately. I doubled the recipe and put them in a 11x13 dish, and got lovely towering treats.

I've been labeled a food snob, and these treats are definitely food snobbery at it's best. For me, food snobbery is about taking simple ingredients and pairing them with something unexpected. It's not about fussy, hard to find ingredients or difficult cooking methods.

Hopefully soon I will be back to regular blogging. We are just really trying to pack in plenty of summer fun in between laundry/cooking/naps while we still can! Hope you are enjoying your summer.

Remembering What Makes a Good Day

2011-06-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

This week I've found myself very far behind in the laundry and housework. Home projects and time in the garden have taken priority.
Having so many little ones sometimes means waiting until nap time to even try to do housework.

I had a few moments of desperation this morning, but as the afternoon wore on, I began to think about what I had accomplished.

I made play-dough, read two stories to the babies, and marveled at a sleeping kitty in the doll stroller. You would think that with as many kids as I have I would understand what qualifies as a good day, but I am still trying to learn that one.

A successful day lies in being available to the little ones, not how many things I checked off my list. People are more important than things.

Making Summer Memories

2011-06-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

My newest challenge is making time to make summer memories and traditions with my kids while still having some focused learning (and you know, clean, cook, fetch the baby who has escaped out the door...again). I'm going to try to continue in a bit of our studies, maybe changing things up a bit...a unit study on space, weather journals, and my daughter wants to master cursive writing.

My friend Gina's post about summer got me to thinking about making a summer list. We are still working on it, but it has been a fun topic of conversation. We are excited about going to the farmer's market to sell eggs, our weekly pool date with friends, and staying up a little later to catch lightning bugs.

Like all kids, mine love water fun! I recently got out the water balloons. We had a blast with them, but then I remembered these sponge balls. These would be better than water balloons for little ones. So many of the water balloons we spent time filling just bounced off of little bodies and rolled away.

I will share with you a little tradition we have as a family. Occasionally, when everyone's tired but we just need a little relaxing time together, we go out for a little drive. Sometimes we stop at Starbucks first, and we just play music and talk. The last time we did this, we added a twist to it. We quickly came up with a list of things to look for, just easy things- a yellow car, two people walking, a yard with a swimming pool. Some were easy to find, and others (a three-legged dog) were just silly and nearly impossible. We just had the best time that evening.

Well, I feel like summer is slipping away too quickly already! I've always been an occasional blogger, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. There is just too much fun to be had right now!

Techy Bling

2011-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

My husband came home from work awhile back and showed me an unwanted processor he planned to make into a key chain. I saw the potential as well in that little gadget and asked him if he could get me one too.

It was sparkly and pretty and unique. I thought it would make a really interesting necklace. My man put the hole in it and added a ring.

Also, it's kind of a nod to my computer whiz hubby!

Maggie's Tea Party

2011-05-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

My little Maggie is a lover of beauty. She can find beauty in most anything, and gushes over the simplest things, saying "that's so pretty" or "that's so nice". So for her birthday party, the emphasis was on beauty. She wanted a dress-up party, so I set out a stack of fancy hats and a box of dress-ups.
On the menu was raspberry tea, lemonade, and an assortment of treats, including popcorn and pretzels. I made lemon bars, and this recipe was fantastic. So, so good. For the birthday cake, I made cake cones and used twinkie filling for the icing.

I made paper pom-poms; fun, easy, and they were so pretty.

Everything turned out lovely, and Maggie was pleased.

Ta-da! Girls' Room Before and Afters Part Two

2011-05-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

I can finally show you our girls' room! We really wrapped up this project quickly, but I had just a couple things left that I needed my husband's help with. My vision for this room was inspired by my oldest daughter's love for horses. I didn't want a manufactured horse-themed room, however. I was hoping to achieve a sweet room that would make you think of riding horses in a meadow. The colors were inspired by the quilt (used on the top bunk) that my husband found in some of his old stuff: pale green, yellow, and touches of red.

In case you missed it, here is the before.

After!

For the curtains, I used a king size sheet cut down the center to make two panels. Years ago, I spotted some curtains in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog trimmed in ric-rac. I always wanted to copy the design, and I really like the way these turned out. The ric-rac is red, yellow, and pale blue. The beauty of making your own curtains is you can get a grand look for not a lot of money. These curtains are ultra long and full.

The desk was a sewing cabinet collecting dust in the garage. It was cheap brown wood with outdated knobs. New paint, new knobs, new look! It has lots of drawer space for art supplies. The chair is a favorite of mine from long ago.

Instead of spelling the girls' names out on the wall like we did in the old room, I just used their first initial tied onto each girls' bed. There's a touch of red in the ribbons.

The lantern above the top bunk was in the old room, paired with a pink one. My husband changed the switch on it, moving it from the bottom of the cord closer to the top. Then we swapped out the bulb for a 15 watt one. Now she uses it as a reading light, and it's not so bright that it will wake baby sister below! Cool, huh?

Here's a pic of the lantern after I finished the sleeve for the cord. Also something I saw in Pottery Barn.

Fun banner made from wool and fabric scraps. It's hung with twine and 70 cent knobs from Hobby Lobby.
The peg hanger was in the old room, and was painted white. There's the red I wanted.

Fabric swatches in embroidery hoops. The toile fabric has horses in it.

We love this room! I love that I was able to use so much of what we already had on hand. And, I am now a believer in bunk beds. I didn't think I liked them so much before, but they sure free up lots of floor space! So glad to have this project done.

Lovey Dovey Embroidery

2011-05-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

I made my husband one of these for his office as a Valentine's Day gift. I can tell you he was rather charmed. It was so cute, and I had been itching to do one for our home.

Wouldn't this make an adorable wedding or anniversary gift for a couple?

Spring Love

2011-05-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Every spring I say spring is my favorite season. Then fall comes and I say fall is my favorite season. So glad I don't have to choose.

It may sound corny, but I can't stop marveling at the dogwood blossoms or the smell of the lilacs on the breeze.

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

In celebration of today's royal wedding, we got out the fancy china, and had tea and scones for breakfast. I read aloud to the kids about queens and kings in London, Big Ben and Parliament. And we may have practiced our British accents just a bit.
One of the many things I love about homeschooling is scrapping your regular curriculum once in awhile and learning about something related to what's going on in the world.

And we get to do it all in our pajamas and fancy hats.

Superhero Birthday Party

2011-04-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

There is no shortage of superhero party ideas out there, but I thought I'd share our fun little celebration we had for Jack. Our kids love to play superheroes. It's a good party theme for our little circle of friends, because it works for boys and girls. I told the moms that my kids would be dressing up, so they could plan for their little ones. I also had some extra stuff in case someone came unprepared.

We kind of went with a "Superhero Training Camp" thing. Our first activity was "What is your Superhero Name?". My husband made these name tags, and he wrote everyone's name tag for them. This was a hoot! We all had to call the kids by their names all evening. One of my favorites was "Metal Man". Metal Man's costume was made out of foil.

Then we had an obstacle course. The object was to get past the bad guy and save the baby in the play house. The bad guy was played by one of the dads, who was wearing a scary mask and waving a weapon. Again, more hilarity.

Next was a relay race. My husband explained to the kids that as a superhero, you would have to be able to change out of your normal clothes into your superhero clothes quickly. We lined the kids up in two lines and each line had a pile of clothes. The kids had to race to put on a coat, hat, and tie and race around a tree and back. So fun!

I had a final game of "Rid the City of the Kryptonite". I spray-painted a few rocks fluorescent yellow, and the plan was to hide them around the yard and have the kids look for them. We didn't get to this one, but I think it would have been a hit.

We feasted on wings, nachos, pepperoni rolls, grapes, carrots, and this favorite of Jack's. My mom made her beautiful cupcakes, and my husband and I made the toppers for them. I also passed out store-bought superhero popsicles instead of ice cream.

This was really a good time. I don't know what I'll do when all of my kids outgrow these parties; I really enjoy having them!

Some Random Things in a Hurry

2011-04-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. My husband had my computer at his office working on it, and we were in the midst of our birthday marathon around here. When things settle down, I hope to post some of our birthday party stuff, and part two of Girls' Room Before and Afters.

In the meantime, I thought I'd post some links of projects and finds along with an overview of what's going on around here. Sound good?

This project is super cute! I think peeps are fun, but I'd honestly rather look at them than eat them! I don't know if I'll get to this or not, but someone should.

I found these reusable straws some time ago, and finally decided to purchase some. We love them! We go through straws so quickly that I think they are worth the investment for us. I did wait for a sale however, because they are pricey.

We also added to our hens recently. Twenty-seven of various breeds ordered from here. We have loved raising chickens; it is really so easy, and having our own eggs has been great. Raising pets has never been our strong point, but we have had great success with chickens. My husband and I talked for years about getting chickens. I can't even remember when we started talking about it, maybe even before we were married. We always thought it would be a good opportunity to teach responsibility to our kids, and it certainly has. Our two oldest, ages eight and six, are able to gather eggs, feed and water the birds, and even clean out the coop.

Speaking of eggs, I made this for my husband and I for dinner one night after the kids went to bed. We occasionally wait to eat dinner together alone after bedtime. I make something easy and fun for the kids, like pancakes and chocolate milk, and then we can have a relaxing dinner alone. We loved this meal, and it's definitely something that I'll make again. So, so good.

And please...this is so super fun. We love Starbucks. There is one located about five minutes from our house, and we frequent there. Awhile ago, when we pulled up at the drive-through (all six of us), the guy knew our order. It was funny and frightening at the same time.

Okay, there you go. Just needed to clear the cobwebs off of this space! Have a good rest of the week!

Reflections on the Birth of a Boy

2011-03-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

My oldest son turned six today...six! I simply can't believe it. When I was pregnant with him, having had a girl first, I couldn't imagine what loving a boy would be like. I'll never forget getting to know him at the hospital during the hours after he was born. Nursing him in the dark while my husband slept in the chair next to me, it happened. I fell in love. I will never forget what he looked like. He was tiny, and his little head popped out of the tightly-wrapped white hospital blanket. That little head was covered in perfectly spiked black hair. I can remember just staring at him; he was just beautiful.

Today we celebrated his birth with a breakfast of cinnamon rolls he requested, a picnic lunch at the park, and dinner out with some friends. There were gifts, but this one had to wait. I'll be finishing it up tomorrow.

I'm so very thankful for this sweet, adventurous boy. His zest for life is inspiring and addictive. What a gift he is!

Girl's Room Before and Afters, Part One

2011-03-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

We started a few weeks ago redecorating our girls' room. Then things got complicated. We had homeschool testing, people got sick, and our birthday marathon began. We have four birthdays in our family in less than a month. That drives me crazy. Anyway, now I'm scrambling to get done.

Here are some before shots.

Notice the room also needs a good cleaning. I'm into multi-tasking.

Now for the nice clean, freshly painted and wallpapered version:

You can't really tell in the photo, but the green on the wall is wallpaper. It has a tiny cream dot pattern. I originally wanted something floral, but when we saw this we loved it. Wallpaper was our big splurge, as was the crown molding. I can't imagine wallpapering a whole room; that stuff is really expensive.

We have new bunk beds to bring in, but everything else for the room I'm either sewing or we are bringing in from elsewhere in the house. I "shopped" our garage for some things, and we re-painted a couple of pieces. I think for the girls' name letters, I'm going to just use their initial and hang with ribbon.

Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Permission to Throw in the Towel

2011-03-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

Math has always been a difficult thing for me to teach, and it was never my favorite subject in school. In the first grade, I remember having trouble counting by two's. I just didn't understand the point of it all, and the teacher was less than patient. She was standing over me with a mad face, trying to get me to understand. I think about that often when I'm trying to help my little girl with math. She's like I was, good at reading, writing, and spelling. Math is a little tougher for her; and you'd think I'd understand and just be sweet and patient and make her some cookies and milk. But sometimes I get frustrated when she doesn't get it, and I just don't know how to help her.

We were having a rough time one day last week while I was going over some new material in preparation for our homeschool testing this week. She just didn't get it, and I was resembling that teacher from the first grade. I was trying to make her understand something she just wasn't ready for. How unfair. If six year old me was standing there, she would've kicked me in the rear.

Well, we took a break, then I decided to throw in the towel. I left the kitchen in a mess and books all over the table, and we took off- out to lunch and to a pond at a local high school to feed the ducks. It was just the ticket. I like to be real with people, so I'll say that our little trip wasn't without frustrations. I had to tell Maggie to sit down three times during lunch, and Jack stepped in the pond after I warned him many times to be careful. That being said, it was a refreshing time.

From now on, I plan to give myself permission to push the books aside. Math will always be around; it will be here when my little girl is ready to conquer it. She, however, is growing up, and I want to remember to spend precious time with my children now.

Plum Crisp: Y.U.M.M.Y

2011-03-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've never been a big fan of plums, but when I saw them for fifty cents a pound back in the fall, I wondered if they would make a good crisp. I mean, come on, if you sprinkle something with sugar and roast it, it's bound to taste better right? Right!
I can't believe this fruit I've passed up for years is so good baked into a crisp. I made this a couple times in the fall, and then I couldn't find anymore plums. Last week I found them for fifty cents again, and I wasted no time in bringing them home to be cooked into crisp-y goodness.
You could use your favorite apple crisp recipe to make this, if you have one. For years I tried to follow apple crisp recipes, but I was always changing and adding to get the results I wanted. The topping part was never oat-y enough for me, or it was always too greasy. Also, there was never the right crisp to fruit ratio for me. (I get that I'm picky.) I also don't like to kill fruit with sugar, so I always go easy on the sugar in desserts like this.
Try my topping recipe on plums, or use your own! I just wanted people to know that plums rock in a crisp. And maybe someone has already discovered this...

Plum Crisp

7-8 plums
Slice into wedges, kind of thin, so they will bake quickly. I got about 8 wedges per plum.
Sprinkle with about 2 TBS sugar, toss together and put into a casserole dish.

1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
Stir together the first four ingredients, then cut in your butter.
Spoon over your sugared plums, and bake on 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden and your fruit is tender.

I know you'll want to top this with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Swoon.

Twinkie Cakes!

2011-02-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

My mom used to make us these yummy little cakes that we called twinkie cakes. They tasted just like a twinkie, only better. The secret is in the filling, which I'm going to share with you. When I started making them for my kids, I began rolling them in sparkly sugar and calling them fairy cakes. Whatever you call them, these are really good and really simple. I made them for Valentine's Day this year, and colored the icing pink.
Just use your favorite yellow cake recipe, or yellow cake mix. I really like a cake mix for a treat like this, because it lets you get to the fun (and delicious) stuff faster. This time I used a yellow cake recipe from my old faithful Good Housekeeping cookbook, but I've used a cake mix many times as well.

Twinkie Cakes (aka Fairy Cakes)

1 recipe yellow cake made into cupcakes, but don't use liners! At the end, you're going to cut them open, so you want to keep the sides intact. Just give the muffin tin a spray with cooking spray.

Twinkie Filling

Combine 1 cup milk and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring just about constantly until it makes a thick paste. It's going to get thick really quickly, so just stir until it thickens then remove from heat. Now let it cool just a bit, then pop the pan into the fridge to chill.

After the paste is nice and cool, it's time to finish making the filling. Now beat 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup crisco together in your mixer for 4 minutes.

Then, add 1 cup confectioner's sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and beat another 4 minutes.

THEN add your chilled paste, and yes, beat yet another 4 minutes. It's going to pay off, I promise you.

It's okay to have little bitty chunks in the filling, they will be few and far between.

All right, now just halve your little cakies and fill them up. Around here, we like things sparkly, so if you are so inclined, roll the edges carefully in some chunky sugar or sprinkles.

You can also use this filling to fill and ice whole cakes. It goes really well with a rich chocolate cake. In fact, the filling recipe will probably make more than you'll need for the cupcakes, so why not make that cake too, and then invite me over to help you eat it!

A Good Time

2011-02-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Our family was blessed to be able to spend a few days in the mountains with childhood friends and their families last week. I knew that I would spend a lot of time laughing- a lot, but I wasn't anticipating long talks about the gospel and God's grace in our lives. It was so refreshing and encouraging to see God at work in the lives of dear friends. Our God is so faithful.

Kiddos spying some turkeys.

Good food. You know there was food.

Old friends catching up. That's Joanna, me, and Carrie on the steps of our cabin.

We were so excited about this trip, and I wasn't really ready for it to end. It was just such a good time. I could have spent a week with these people. The time together really exceeded my expectations, and I'm hoping we can make it a yearly event.

Valentine's Day Crafting

2011-02-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Valentine's Day. Who doesn't love roses, paper heart doilies, pink, and sappy love songs? Okay, lots of people I'm sure! But I am such a romantic at heart. It is such a great time for crafting, and even if you don't sew or aren't really crafty, there is still lots of opportunity for crafty fun.

I pulled this out a couple weeks ago, and today me and the kids did a little crafting. I was thinking about something for the kids to put their valentines in, and I thought it would be nice to have something out now that we could leave little treats and love notes in over the weekend. I had lots of brown paper bags, so we decorated one for each of the family. Each bag is closed with a clothes-pin with a paper heart glued on.

If you're looking for gifts, this was a big hit with my husband last year. I made one for him to put in his office, and it turned out so well that we made another one for our home. We've since given one out for Mother's Day as well. I just bought pre-cut poster board and a fat sharpie to make the letters.

Here is another craft I did last year. I bought flour sack kitchen towels and red fabric paint. I used cardstock to make a heart stencil, then stuck a paper doily onto the towel with spray adhesive. Then, I sponged the paint onto the towel over the doily (using my stencil), then carefully peeled the doily off. This was not an original idea, but I can't remember where I saw it. I think this would make a sweet gift for a lady used as wrapping over a loaf of homemade bread.

Hope you are finding fun ways to spread the love this year!

Gifts for Baby

2011-02-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here are the two handmade gifts I made for our little guy for Christmas. I had wanted to make this little rocket man for quite some time! This was a fairly easy project; although I had a little trouble getting the little pouch just right. I used a cereal box for the wings, like the tutorial suggested. I'm kind of thinking that something sturdier would be much better though; maybe plastic canvas. The only thing I had to purchase for this was the wooden egg. It was so exciting this year to only have to buy a very small amount of supplies for the gifts I made.

This little book was a last minute gift I put together. For the pages, I just cut rectangles from an old white sheet, about 8 x 17 inches. I used Steam-a-Seam to attach my shapes/animals to one side, then sandwiched felt rectangles cut a half an inch smaller. Then top-stitched the pages before putting it all together. Most sewing projects I just want to see the end result, but I really enjoyed the process with this one. I could have really gone nuts with this one, more embroidery and fun trims, but Christmas was upon me and I needed to keep it simple!

Felt pocket with shapes to pull out. Inside the shapes I put bits of that plastic wrapper that wipes come in. It gives it a little crinkly sound.

On the last page I put a little lift-a-flap. Inside the flap I put a bit more crinkly wrapper. Fun, right? I really like how this turned out. I think I'll be making more of these in the future.

Some Sewing Links You Might Like

2011-02-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

I was able to get a little sewing done last week, and just thought I'd pass along some cool refashioning links. I love being able to take something I already own, and give it a whole new look.

I found this brilliant idea, and thought it was a great solution to buying skinny jeans. Have you ever tried on skinny jeans? I tried a pair on two sizes bigger than my regular size and they were way too tight! I had this pair of flared jeans that fits my curvy frame, and I didn't mind cutting into them. They turned out pretty good. They aren't quite as skinny around the ankles as your typical skinny jeans, but I was afraid they would turn out just looking really unfashionably tapered. At the bottom of the post she gives tips for adult jeans. The measurement I used for mine was 2 1/2 inches. And speaking of jeans, I tried a great method for hemming jeans a while back. Check it out here; it's genius, and so easy!

I also made a simple jumper for my two year old out of one of my shirts. This shirt never really fit me right, and the color wasn't that flattering. But such adorable fabric and details; I knew it had a life as something else. I just placed one of my daughter's A-line dresses on top, and traced it, adding a little extra for seam allowance. Maybe now I'll have the confidence to try this tutorial. I cut the neck and arms a little too big, but it turns out it also looks cute on my eight year old as a shirt. So, no harm done really.

There are many more refashioning ideas I'm hoping to try as I get the time. I'll be sure to pass them along.

.

View From My Spot on the Couch

2011-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Most of our family has been sick this week with colds and sore throats, myself included. I'm missing my normally energetic self, but trying to remember I need rest. Just after I snapped this picture the baby stole the tissue box and started to pull the tissues out. I guess I can't be completely lazy, thanks to him!

I'll admit, I only buy tissues when I am sick.

Seasonal Goals (or, New Year's Resolutions)

2011-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I've never been a big New Year's Resolutions person. It's not that I don't think they are a good thing; it just seems that there is a whole lot of hype surrounding them. Promises are made to do this or that, and then you forget about it. It's quite possible that this is just my problem, and there are lots and lots of people out there that are disciplined with their resolutions. I do like to set goals though, but I just tend to make them more slowly, as the seasons come. For instance, last summer I was determined to do three things: grow a successful garden, can jam, and make pickles. I did them all and it felt great! As the year came to a close, I began to think about changes I'd like to make, and things I'd like to accomplish. And because I have seen growth in myself with regards to being disciplined and determined, I'm making some goals for the new year and sharing them here for all to see!

Read my Bible with better consistency and memorize scripture
I regret that I have not always been disciplined in this very important area. I find that I am able to respond to my family with more patience and love if I am prepared for battle by spending time in the Word. Many times I have found myself searching my mind for a Bible verse to help me with a situation; I hope to really work on hiding God's word in my heart.

Love more, complain less
This has become kind of a mantra of mine. I just want to put more of my energies into showing love, and less into finding something to fuss about. I think I complain to my husband more than anyone else. (Not about him mind you, honestly the man is a jewel and hardly gives me reason to complain.) I find lots of things to complain about and he's the lucky one who gets to hear the drama. I also don't want to set an example of discontentment to my children.

Cook more foods that my husband likes
My man is not a picky eater, or a complainer. He loves everything I cook, but I know there are things I'm not cooking that he likes. There have been times we've been at a pot-luck and he'll go on about something simple like deviled eggs, or broccoli casserole. I realized I wasn't really planning our menus to include some of his favorites. I made banana pudding last week, and this week he asked for potatoes au gratin.

Crochet something other than a scarf
I learned to crochet in home economics in high school. There was a boy in the class that made about ten blankets that year; mine is under my bed, unfinished, in a dusty trash bag. Hmmm..speaking of determination and discipline? Sad, I know. I started crocheting again last year, and I love it. But the only thing I made was a scarf. Those patterns are really intimidating for me, but I am determined to figure it out this year.

Learn to play Claire de lune on the piano.
I took piano on and off growing up, and then for a couple years after I was married. Then I had my oldest, and didn't go back to my lessons. I really miss playing, and I have always loved that song.

Get up early and spend time with my husband
I was always a morning person before I had kids. Most mornings now it seems I'm dragging a little. I often stay up too late, because I so cherish the quiet time after the kids have gone to bed. There's also the possibility that I'm up with a little one at night, and then I'm sleepy the next day. Going to bed earlier is going to have to be a priority if this is going to work.
This goal is a shared one with my husband. We both are really looking forward to sneaking downstairs and having coffee together before he heads off to work.

So, there you go! I'm looking forward to a new year. New adventures, changes, challenges, and growing to be experienced. What are you looking forward to?

The Best Person Ever

2011-01-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter wrote me this note one night after I had been sick all day. It says she thinks I'm the best person ever. When my children say things like that, it makes me want to really live up to it. However, we all know that those kinds of expectations are unreasonable. Our children already think we're the greatest even though we are filthy stinking sinners that mess up day after day. These little ones know how to give us grace and offer unconditional love with no strings attached. I can learn so much from this.

Grace has become a part of my daily vocabulary. It seems that it is needed in very practical ways in my life as a mother. I was talking to a dear friend on Facebook the other day about rough weeks and feeling unworthy for motherhood. Maybe we can feel unworthy because we are unworthy. I didn't do anything to deserve this wonderful job I have. A job that I always wanted no less. We all have days where we feel completely unqualified to be a mom. The reality of being unworthy should not translate into feelings of guilt or despair. If God is gracious enough to bless us with these children, then surely He will give us the grace we need to bring them up. Grace to know how to train them, to love them, to give up control to Him, and grace to let go of guilt when we mess up.

My daughter will remember that I make the best tea in the world. Above all though, I hope she remembers that I lived a life that shone of the grace of the Almighty, and that these good things in me were only because of His work in my heart.

The Gifts

2011-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

So I just wanted to show you some of the gifts I made for my family. Just a couple for now because I have mountains of laundry I need to fold before the baby is up. He likes to roll around in it, making it hard to fold while he's around.

Here is the house for Maggie. It turned out really well. You can really get carried away with these. I wanted to keep adding to it; maybe a rug on the inside and more flowers. Sometimes I need to reign myself in. I did go back and make her a horse to go with it. When she opened it she was expecting a horse, because her big sister's barn had one.

The little people are supposed to resemble my husband and I. I think they do; except for the ultra pale skin and the lack of glasses on my husband. That's a grandfather clock on the wall of the house behind the people. One of my favorite features.

I made this mouse pad for my husband. I wasn't sure if it was something he would like, or if it was too mushy with the declaration of my love on the front. But he really liked it and it is being put to good use in his office.

He is really proud of his new computer and wanted to make sure I got it in the picture. He's so cute.
Okay, off to tackle that laundry!

Applesauce Spice Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

2011-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Hello again. It seems I've been too busy celebrating, cleaning up from said celebrating and being sick to keep up with this space. I was just remarking on the phone to a friend the other day that my family had escaped the stomach bug that I kept hearing about. I was sick all that night.
Better now and hopefully ready to get back into the swing of things. Soon I hope to post a few pictures of the gifts I made for my family, but right now I have a favorite recipe I want to share. I spent all yesterday afternoon making desserts for our Bible study last night, and then we didn't get to go. Not disappointed that we have to eat this cake all by ourselves. I love this recipe! The original recipe says to dust with confectioners sugar, but I love it with browned butter frosting, something I discovered a couple years back. Either way this cake is delicious.

Applesauce Spice Cake (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

You'll need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

Grease and flour your pan. I use one 9-inch round cake pan for this.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In your mixer, beat butter and sugars until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Reduce speed to low and add applesauce. Don't be afraid at how the mixture looks; it's supposed to look curdled. Beat in your flour mixture until good and smooth.
Scrape into pan and spread evenly, then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.
I have doubled this recipe and used two round pans to make a beautiful layer cake, as you'll see in the photo at the bottom. That was my daughter's 8th birthday cake.
Now for the frosting. I'm not big on frosting, but this stuff is amazing. Really. Try it on pumpkin cookies.

Browned Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter (I like unsalted)
4 cups confectioners sugar
4 TBS milk (maybe a little more)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Easy: cook your butter over medium heat until it starts to brown, stirring occasionally. There will be little flecks of dark brown in the bottom of your pan. I even let it get really dark this time, still delicious. Let it cool, then beat together with the rest of the ingredients. Add milk and beat until it's a good consistency for spreading.

Now, snuggle up with a hot drink and enjoy!

Easy Pastry Braid

2010-12-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a breakfast treat to serve over the holidays? This pastry braid is easy and delicious. It also makes a beautiful presentation, making it special for company. My mom has made this recipe for years, but I don't know where it originated from.
You can use any filling you like. Make your own, or use store-bought pie filling. I came up with this pumpkin filling, because I just can't get enough pumpkin these days. This recipe makes two, so you can make two different flavors if you want.

Pastry Braid (makes two)
Mix:
1/2 cup warm milk
1 package yeast
1 tsp sugar
Set this aside.

In another bowl, mix:
3 egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream
Set this aside.

Stir together in large bowl:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
Cut in 1 stick of butter.

Pumpkin Filling
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1-2 TBS sugar
2 TBS half and half
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
pinch of nutmeg
Just whisk it all together. This really only makes enough for one braid; I don't think you could stretch it for two. I made my other one blueberry, which I didn't photograph, because it didn't look as pretty, so we promptly ate it!

Mix wet ingredients together then mix that into flour mixture. Just stir until well blended. Refrigerate dough for one hour. Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each half into a long rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Important! Do this one at a time and after you roll it out and before filling the dough, place your rectangle on a cookie sheet. I always line it with parchment paper first, but you may be able to just spray it instead.

It's much easier to move your rectangle than to move it after you've filled it; I learned this the hard way. Now, your rectangle is facing you vertically. You want to visually divide it into three sections. You can divide them with a pizza cutter lightly without cutting through, if that helps. Spread your filling of choice down the center. You only need about a cup, by the way. Overfilling is a big mistake! Okay, now take your pizza cutter or knife and cut about six slits on each side. The amount will vary. Now just braid them, overlapping the pieces of dough. Allow the braids to sit about 20 minutes. I forgot to do this once and they still tasted great, but I think it improves the texture to let them raise a bit. Bake on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Hope you enjoy this favorite of mine!

Cheap-O Christmas Decorating

2010-12-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

My husband says I have expensive taste. Maybe that's true. Yep it is true. However, I also love getting something from nothing, being resourceful, and being a good steward. I love decorating my home with things I already have on hand.
I always wanted a way to display my antique cookie cutters in my kitchen for the holidays. A wreath would be perfect I thought, so I went outside and cut a bit off my boxwood. I used floral stems I had in the closet to fashion a wreath shape. Then I reinforced that with floral wire. I wired the boxwood around the shape in small amounts. Then I used a little wire to secure the cutters. It's a little wonky I'll admit, still cute though. I was thinking some red and white bakers twine would be perfect to accent this with.
There was a concern about how long it would last, but it's been hanging in my kitchen window for five days and it still looks pretty fresh. I couldn't get a good picture of it in the window because of the lighting. Hopefully, you get the idea.

My other cheap project was something I saw several years ago in Better Homes and Gardens. I made this star garland out of old Christmas cards. I always hang onto those, and this is a much better use of them instead of being packed away. I used a star cookie cutter for the template. They are strung onto tweed colored yarn. It's hanging in our little art room. Again, kind of crappy photography. Maybe you'll be inspired to try it anyway.

I love homemade Christmas decorations! What are your favorite ideas for decorating on a budget?

Scrappy Banner for Christmas

2010-11-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

Quite literally, scrappy. Made from a felted sweater, fabric scraps, and a piece of quilt binding just long enough for three letters.

Cozy...isn't it?

Tips for Hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating Party

2010-11-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

For the past few years we've gathered up a handful of friends for a party that's become a very anticipated event. We love our annual gingerbread house decorating party! I thought I'd share some tips for you so you might be inspired to have a little sweet fun for your family and friends.
We keep the guest list small so that we can have the party right here in our home, nice and cozy! Sunday afternoons work really well for us, after everyone's nap.

The Houses
The first year, I had no idea what I was doing, but I was really excited and had big plans. My husband made a template out of cardstock for me, two house shaped pieces, two roof pieces, and two wall pieces. I made six houses from homemade dough. They were beautiful, and the whole house smelled amazing. Would I do this again? Only if I had to make one or two. I can't even tell you how much dough I made. I think I started with a triple recipe and when that didn't make enough houses, I just kept making triple recipes until I got enough houses. It was crazy; I'm talking whole bottles of molasses and jars of cinnamon.
The following year, I just bought the kits. The next couple of years, I found them for two dollars a pop after Christmas. This year, we are making graham cracker houses. The kits are nothing to write home about; they don't taste great (especially if you get them cheap and wait a year to use them, gross), and sometimes they have sort of a cheesy design. So I figured we might as well go the cheaper route. Everyone's bringing a box of graham crackers, and we're planning to get a few of us together early to put them together so they can dry in time to decorate.
Cut squares of cardboard and cover with foil to build the houses on. If you're using a kit, they usually include icing.

The Food
Anyone that knows me knows that parties include food. Every year I've made a couple pots of chili, some bread or salad, and it's self serve. One year I did white chicken chili, and this year I might add a veggie version. Someone usually brings some cheese or tortilla chips, and it's a hit with everyone. For dessert it's always cookies, set out with some adorable napkins. No need for plates or forks!

The Decorating
Every one brings a bag of candy to share. Our favorites are gumdrops and big red gum (for shutters). I make a bunch of icing to stick candy on with. You can buy plastic decorating bags (sometimes the kits include them), or you can just use little ziploc baggies and snip the ends. Put a decorator bag out for each child. I try to have the table ready before guests arrive with bowls for candy. A plastic tablecloth makes clean-up easy, and I usually put a runner of brown paper down the center, because it looks pretty. For the candy, I try to use lots of different sizes of bowls. I love the look of vintage stuff for this; muffin tins work well too. The mini ones are good for tiny candy, like red hots. A box of wet wipes are good to have at the ready. Snacking on candy is encouraged!

This has become a very dear tradition for us. Since we've started this little event, we've added to our families and now have even more little ones to join in on the fun!

The Evils of Comparison

2010-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

As mothers and homemakers, we are very familiar with juggling the balls and wearing the many hats we wear. Sometimes though, something can interrupt that delicate balance. I've had some days like that lately. The interruption for me came when one child was particularly disobedient and the whole day was a turmoil. Then, the following day was a turmoil. I should also add, that this came on the tail end of feeling guilty for things. Things like putting the baby in the play pen to try to get things done, letting my two year old watch Dora for the tenth time, serving another frozen meal. I was just feeling like a bad parent. Sound like a pity party? Yes, but I'm just being honest. Can I just say how incredibly hard it is to school your children with a two year old and a baby in the house? It is so hard. The thing is, I am good at doing the "suck it up and move on" when it comes to the hard things. That works for me. What was so different about this past week, was I spent the whole two terrible days comparing myself to everyone else. And then I realized; the interruption was not my children, it was my attitude.
I am certain that this comparison thing happens all the time with mothers because I've had these conversations before. I started thinking that it was time I got to the bottom of this problem I so often hear talked about. Why do I do this? Is it my pride? Is it selfishness? Discontentment? Is it, possibly, that I want more credit for what I do here?
I don't really know for sure. I do, however know the evils that ensue when I set out to compare myself to everyone else. When I have this attitude, it seems I have less grace for an unruly child. I seem to also be comparing him to Jimmy over there who never argues with his mother. Then again, his mother would never yell! See what I mean? Not a stitch of grace to be found. Comparing myself also completely distracts me from all the beauty there is to be found, even in the imperfect. I also believe that perhaps the most crippling result of this attitude is that it hurts relationships. Specifically, it alienates me from other women. I begin to think that Suzie over there is better than me, so I think I'll avoid her. This is not at all God's design for me, I know.
The reality is that we are all different. This also applies to our children. In a group of very well-behaved children, some are going to be a little more spunky; maybe a little more strong-willed. I have so often stacked my children up to other children; shame on me. The thing is, they are mine and I love them- flawed as they are. Again, my God has shown mercy and grace to me. How can I not show it to my family, myself, and others?
One thing I know, is that I will be trying harder to hold my tongue. I don't need to boast about how productive I am, or how brilliant my children are. My speech should be encouraging, healing, full of grace and truth. That is my goal.
So at the close of quite possibly the longest post ever, if you're still reading, I will say that I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter. It would be a good thing to see this monster coming and have a plan of attack.

Hanging On to the Last Bit of Fall

2010-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

After Halloween, I get so tempted to start playing all my favorite Christmas tunes. I love Christmas! But around here we're really trying to enjoy the last bit of fall before winter sets in.
My front porch is still saying "fall is here" thanks to this tutorial. I used fleece remnants for mine.

I'm thinking a white one would be beautiful for winter.

This favorite has made it's way back to our table. If you need more cooking inspiration, try my other all-time favorites.

Even though we haven't started decking the halls here, I've been thinking about the upcoming holiday for awhile. So, just for fun, I'll give you a peek into a few of the Christmas gifts I'll be working on soon. I've started on this for Jack. I'll be relying on my very talented hubby for these. Maggie will be getting one of these. I made a barn for my oldest last year, and it turned out so cute.

Hope you are enjoying fall in your home!

Sweet Potato French Toast

2010-10-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

French toast is not a new idea, but it took me awhile to really get the hang of it. It was always too soggy, too eggy, or just not flavorful enough. Now that I figured it out, I love it! Also, I found that using good bread makes a big difference. I don't even bother unless I have some french bread lying around. This time I wanted to use up some mashed sweet potato, and the extra flavor and moisture didn't hurt! You could leave out the sweet potato of course.

I use half a loaf of french bread (bonus if it's homemade and a little dry)
Here's what I use to dip the bread slices in:
3 eggs
about 1/4 cup half and half
a big spoonful of mashed sweet potato
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I've found that imitation just isn't the same)

I find that turning the slices in your egg mixture two or three times is just right.
Fry those slices in lots of butter please! If you have an iron skillet to use, you should.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you to sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.
If your household is anything like mine, you better eat before it's all gone!

The Happy Return

2010-10-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

Two dozen pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Tea time just got a little cheerier.

Happy Baking to all of you celebrating the return of canned pumpkin in stores. It's been a long wait!

Some Words About Guilt and Grace

2010-09-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Guilt has been a big pitfall for me as a mother. I see my children having bad attitudes, and it just makes me so angry. And then I recognize that they are using a tone of voice or gesture that I use. It is so discouraging to find that they have picked up my bad attitudes. Then the guilt comes and I feel like I just can't do anything about the problem. Instead of just confessing my sin, I just continually feel guilty and hopeless about the issue.

This was a real eye-opener for me. It's from A Gospel Primer, by Milton Vincent.
As long as I am stricken with the guilt of my sins, I will be captive to them, and will often find myself re-committing the very sins about which I feel most guilty. The Devil is well aware of this fact; he knows that if he can keep me tormented by sin's guilt, he can dominate me with sin's power.
The gospel, however, slays sin at this root point and thereby nullifies sin's power over me. The forgiveness of God, made known to me through the gospel, liberates me from sin's power because it liberates me first from its guilt; and preaching such forgiveness to myself is a practical way of putting the gospel into operation as a nullifier of sin's power in my life.

It's so great to be reminded that as a child of God, I am not captive to sin anymore. I can have victory over sin because of God's forgiveness. How powerful this is in my life as a mother! Letting go of my guilt is so freeing, and allows me to experience God's grace in a very real way.

It's also helpful to remember what my ultimate goal is as wife and mother. My desire should be to further God's kingdom. That's the important stuff, not whether or not I'm becoming a domestic goddess. One of the biggest ways I can teach my children about God is by showing them my need for grace. When I come to them asking for their forgiveness for a harsh word, they can be taught about not only forgiveness, but also their own need for a Savior.

My prayer is that this guilt will no longer be a stumbling block for me, but rather a reminder of God's continual grace in my life.

Garden Update

2010-07-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Good news! I planted seeds and against all odds they grew! Nothing ate the seeds, a huge rain didn't come and wash it all away, and not a single deer has touched the plants. My husband built two raised beds and I think next year we may add another. I had to plant some stuff in our flower bed because we had so much.

No, we're not eating solely off our garden or anything, but we have enjoyed lots of lettuce and some peppers, and the squash and tomatoes will soon be ready. The herbs have done really well too.

This has been fun. Granted, if given the choice between gardening or sewing, I'll pick sewing every time. Also, I would rather be baking in an air-conditioned kitchen than swatting at bees in the garden. That said, I'm definitely going to give this a try again next year. I feel like I've really learned a lot.

Oh, those are our chickens. We're hoping to see some eggs soon. That has also been fun. I think my husband has almost succeeded in making me an outdoor girl. Almost. Now he wants to get bees; if that doesn't do it, I don't know what will!

The Family Biscuit Recipe

2010-07-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an easy recipe that my mom and her mom made. When I got married, I copied it into the back of a cookbook I got as a shower gift. These biscuits are great with gravy and a good vehicle for jam. You can also use this as a basic recipe for cheese biscuits or cinnamon-raisin. I'm sure there are lots of great recipes out there for biscuits. However, these are different because, they have three ingredients people. You can't get any easier than that.
Biscuits require a light touch. Too much mixing or kneading and they will be dreadful.
It took me a few tries with these when I was new to cooking to get them right.
Here goes...

2 cups self-rising flour (If you've never used this, it's great for pancakes too.)
1-1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk, but buttermilk makes them richer, I think)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Just mix with a fork until it holds together. Don't overmix. If it looks dry, add a little more buttermilk. If it's too wet, you can knead a little flour into the dough on your counter.
Roll out on floured surface, careful not to roll them too thin. I use a glass to cut them out. Place on nicely oiled pan. I always use a little of the buttermilk left in the measuring cup to rub on the tops.
Bake at 450 degrees in the center of your oven until golden brown. Times will vary based on how thick you cut them.

Notice the little tiny biscuit. My mom always baked the bit of dough that was left after rolling out the biscuits. When I was little we called that the "baby biscuit". I always got it because I was the youngest. Funny how you carry on silly traditions like that.
This recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled. Enjoy!

My So-Called Food Snobbery Explained

2010-06-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that my husband thinks I'm a food snob. There's been a running joke here lately about his comment to me that it's okay if I make "regular food". So am I a food snob? Here's the deal. My mother was and is an excellent cook. If she didn't get my lunch packed before school, she would bring me something homemade at lunchtime. I was the envy of all my friends. When I got home from school, many times there were pepperoni rolls or cookies waiting. She made most everything from scratch and that made a huge impact on me. When I got married I was disturbed to find out that my husband would really secretly rather have the brightly colored macaroni and cheese from a box than mine. The nerve. We dated four years before we got married and I never knew this.

He has since come around to my way of thinking. Although last year I made a pizza with goat cheese on it and he said it tasted like armpit. Honestly though, I wasn't crazy about the goat cheese either. Mozzarella is just fine, but (here's where the snobbery comes in) fresh mozzarella is just much better. I asked him the other day if he wanted anything at the store and he asked for graham crackers and the "crappy" peanut butter, he so affectionately calls it. "Crappy" means the unnatural kind. Hey, I wouldn't change him a bit. Being different is what keeps things interesting.

So, yeah, I have some smug tendencies toward food. It can get you into trouble. A while back at our Bible study, I nearly caused my friend JenaRae's throat to close up when I brought tea that appeared to be simply tea but it was tea with chai. "Shoot, I forgot you were allergic to cinnamon!" Sorry Jena!

Lest you never want to have me over for dinner, let me just say the following: I do enjoy the perks of a cake mix. Velveeta (if you want to make queso late at night after the kids are in bed) is valuable. I make beans and cornbread; sometimes we have pancakes for dinner. Sometimes it's more important who you're cooking for than what is actually on the table. Okay, it's always more important who you're cooking for. I genuinely appreciate any and every effort in the kitchen, especially when done out of love for your family. So keep it up ladies (or gents), whatever your style of cooking may be! You will not be judged.

Happy Cooking!

Cooking Party for Jack

2010-05-08T12:42:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that my oldest son is 5 years old now. He is such a delight, joyful and sweet. He has always loved to help me in the kitchen and while it may not be so convenient, I usually find him a little job to do while I'm cooking. It was for that reason we had a cooking party for him. We kept the guest list small and had the party at my mom's restaurant. Each child got to make their own pizza! I laid out a few yummy ingredients for topping the pizzas and my mom made delicious dough. We rolled out a small round of dough and placed each one on parchment paper where we wrote each child's name. After the kids were done decorating their pizzas the whole thing, parchment paper and all, went into the big commercial ovens to bake. Having the party at a restaurant made the whole thing very easy!

We had lots of mommies to oversee the fun. My friends are great to fill in the gaps of what I may have forgotten; one friend brought out some bottles of hand sanitizer during the pizza making.

While the pizzas were baking, the kids made their own fruit kabobs. Be warned that you're dealing with sharp sticks here. Little brothers and sisters did not join in on this and we had lots of moms to help out!

After everyone finished, the kids decorated cupcakes. For favors, I made some really easy aprons which were worn during the festivities. I just bought a big bag of white hand towels from Sam's, folded over the corners on the top and seamed down to make a slot for a ribbon. The ribbon goes around the child's neck then ties behind their back. Super easy and cheap! A week before the party I asked the moms of the party guests for favorite recipes of their kids. My husband printed up little cookbooks for all the kids to take home. This was a big hit! I found lots of ideas here and here.
It was a good time! My big 5 year old enjoyed it and so did I!

The Birthday Gift and My Last Chance

2010-05-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share what my husband made me for my birthday. It's called a cold frame. You start your seeds in small containers and keep them in here while it's still cold outside.

It did it's job well. All the little plants look great and were planted in their permanent spot in the garden this weekend. Gardening has never been my domestic strong point, but I'm giving it another shot! I was a little surprised that he made this for me, knowing I have a reputation for stinking at gardening. He told me this weekend that if the garden didn't do well, that was it-this was our last chance. Shoot. The pressure's on. I'm not prepared for this to work this time. I haven't done enough research. I don't know which plants need full sun. But, if I see any critters out there eating the plants, I'm going to sit in a tree with a BB gun.

Super Easy Craft for Your Little Reader

2010-03-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this awhile back in an issue of Highlights. I thought it was a great way to show Isabelle's progress in reading. She has a big stack of second grade chapter books to go through and this lets her see how far she's come.

It's a bookworm! I wrote the titles of her finished books on the circles before gluing. She helped cut out the circles and added the legs and smiley. Isn't he cute? We left lots of space for more circles to add as she finishes more books.
Now if we can just find a project to help encourage her progress in math...

Last Day of Winter

2010-03-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Birthdays

2010-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is birthday month in our house. I turned the big 3-0 on Friday and my husband and son also have birthdays this weekend. Once that's over, my little girl will be next in April. Which means lots and lots of cake. I was just beginning to make some progress getting back into shape after baby then the holidays. I cannot resist the cake, especially when it is my mom's. My husband surprised me Friday with a little party. It was a special evening that took place here.

This dear friend gave me all I needed to sew a bag from a great book, Handmade Home. I tried everything possible to link to the book, but had no success. Normally I would blame that on my computer, but it's probably my fault. Just google it, it's great. I had been wanting to make it but had been putting it off. Gina cut everything for me so all I had to do was sew. She's a gem, I tell 'ya. Here's the finished product. Looks great, I think.

Hubby's making me a special gift that is nearly complete. It's pretty impressive. Hopefully some pics will come soon. It's a good opportunity to brag on him a bit.
More birthday fun coming!

Fabric Hearts Garland

2010-02-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

I love Valentines Day. The colors, flowers, romance and just the plain fun of it! It is when I make up for all the baking I didn't get done at Christmas. Nothing tastes better than a heart shaped cookie with sprinkles.
We've been doing lots of crafting around here and this is a project I've been thinking about for awhile. We've seen this kind of thing for birthdays and Christmas, this one is just for Valentine's Day. I'll probably hang it in my girls' room after the day has passed.
This is very simple, just sewing wrong sides together and then doing a top-stitch.

A few tips:
I drew a heart on paper and traced it onto the wrong side of fabric. It's very simple to sew if you stitch right on the line. Don't forget to leave a little space to turn it right side out.

When you reach the points in the heart, stop with your needle down and then pivot. It makes for a nice heart shape.

Trim around the heart, leaving about 1/4 inch. Go back and trim a little more in the top inner corner and make a little notch right in the top point and then make little notches around the curves. This keeps the fabric from pulling after you turn it right side out.

Iron it smooth, pressing down your opening. Then do a little top-stitch.

I used one package of extra wide double fold bias tape binding to join all the hearts. I was thinking it might be nice to put a felt layer in between, but I didn't want to do an extra step.

This was pretty quick and easy and just looks adorable across the kitchen window.

Peppermint Marshmallows

2010-01-19T06:26:00.000-08:00

A few of you have asked about this recipe, sorry I'm just now getting around to posting this. I had hoped to get it posted around Christmas, but I guess there's plenty of hot cocoa drinking weather left.
Okay, I know someone is out there rolling their eyes at the thought of homemade marshmallows, but these are easy and so much better than store bought. Even my husband, who thinks I am a bit of a food snob, loves these. This recipe is from Betty Crocker. Some people cut these out into shapes with a cookie cutter. I tried that the first time I made these, and it was difficult. Since then I've just cut them into squares. Also I'm sure you could leave out the peppermint if you want. I've never done that, but I think they would be just as good.

You'll need:
powdered sugar
2 1/2 TBS unflavored gelatin I used the box that has packets, I poured about 3-4 into a bowl and then measured it.
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 tsp peppermint extract

Generously dust a 11x7 baking dish ( I use glass ) with the powdered sugar. Sprinkle gelatin on the 1/2 cup cold water in large mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water in 2-quart saucepan over med-low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling and cook without stirring to 250 degrees on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a ball that holds its shape but is pliable (firm ball stage). Remove from heat. I don't have a candy thermometer, so I just start testing it after about 5 minutes of boiling. I use a clear glass measuring cup of cold water and take small amounts out and drop into the water. It will separate, but when you can scoop them up and form them into a firm ball that can be squished you're ready to take it off the heat. It usually takes between 10-15 minutes. It sounds complicated, but it's really very simple.
Now, that's the hardest part. Next, slowly pour syrup into your softened gelatin while beating with electric mixer on high speed. Beat until mixture is white and has almost tripled in volume. Now add your peppermint and beat on high 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with lots of powdered sugar and pat with hands. Let stand uncovered 8 hours. Last time my husband and I couldn't wait 8 hours and I cut them after 6 and it was fine.
Turn pan upside down onto wax paper and more powdered sugar. Cut into shapes or use a knife dipped in water to cut into squares.
The original recipe says to store in airtight container up to 3 weeks, but they keep much longer than that. And it makes a lot. They're fun to give as gifts in little cellophane bags. I dust more sugar around the cut marshmallows to keep them from sticking. Plus it looks pretty!

Simplicity

2009-12-09T07:07:00.001-08:00

These days the simple things mean so much to me. So thankful that God has been working in my heart to bring contentment.
Enjoy your week.

Jonah

2009-10-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Meet Jonah Timothy Paice, born September 15, 2009.
God is great. I'm so thankful that me and this little gift were safe after the delivery. I approached Jonah's arrival with a lot of fear. Fear for myself and the baby during the delivery, and lots of concern about how I was going to manage another little one in the home. Having been unplanned, the thought of another baby so soon took all of the nine months to get used to. While I was excited to have another baby, I still felt unprepared for this unexpected gift. I say all that to say that God's grace is so amazing. I'm so glad that God is in control and gave me this blessing in my life even though I don't deserve it. I didn't plan for this, but God did, and if He didn't, I wouldn't have Jonah.

Fried Pickles

2009-07-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

When you find you have an enormous amount of pickles in your fridge, do what I did and slice 'em up and fry them. I recently bought a huge jar of pickles simply because I wanted the huge jar for something else (I love jars). I emptied the pickles into a very large bowl and now we are eating lots of pickles and the fridge is really smelly.
So, I found this recipe and they made a really delicious afternoon snack for the kids and me. I realize that this has zero nutritional value, don't worry, we ate plenty of fruit and good stuff that day too. Also, they had me reaching for the Tums later.

Anyway, these were really tasty. I didn't use nearly the amount of red pepper the recipe calls for, and I was low on paprika. So use caution with all that spice. I was thinking they needed a dipping sauce, but I didn't come up with anything; I'll leave that to your creative devices.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Pie and Perfect Pie Crust

2009-04-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

I made this pie for a dear friend after she had a baby and just in case I would have time to blog about it, I took some pictures. Recently she asked for the recipe, so here it is.
I'll start with my pie crust recipe. I realize that you can buy pie crust already made, but I genuinely enjoy making my own. I'm not sure where this recipe originated, but it's been in my family for a long time. I've been making it for probably ten or so years, and it always turns out great. This recipe will yield two or more pies, depending on whether they are double-crust and the size of your pie plate.
Here we go...

Perfect Pie Crust

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
Mix these together, then cut in:
1 3/4 cup crisco (I usually do a bit less)
Just cut in until it looks crumbly, I use a pastry blender at first then usually finish with my hands.
Next mix in the wet ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup water
2 TBS vinegar (apple cider or white)
Just mix with a fork until blended. I always roll mine out into a circle and fit into my pan, but you can also press it in. Finish your edges however you like it and that's it. Use this with any pie recipe; I make a bunch for Thanksgiving for pumpkin and chocolate pecan. Also, don't try to use butter in place of the crisco. It spreads too much.
If you are making this for a pie that you will not bake, such as the strawberry pie, you will need to pre-bake the crust. Just line it with foil and bake at 450 for 8 minutes, remove foil and bake for about 4 minutes more.

Now onto the strawberry pie...Again, don't know where this originated.
Use the above pie crust or a graham cracker one is good too.
Place in a saucepan:
1 1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
Mix and stir these over medium heat. You want to cook this just until it starts to thicken up. The original recipe said "cook and stir 2 minutes", but it takes longer than that. I just let it cook until it starts to look cloudy and feels thicker with my whisk. You may even turn up the heat a bit.
Remove from heat and stir in:
1 pkg of strawberry jello (4 serving size) I use sugar-free
Stir 2 minutes
Now place about 2 cups sliced strawberries in your crust and pour the mixture over the berries. Chill two hours and of course, serve with whipped cream.

Grace and Expectations

2009-04-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I've been wanting to post something for so long, but not having the time or let's face it, energy, it has taken a back seat. I am in my 19th week of pregnancy and feeling so much better. There are days when I wonder how in the world I will be able to manage things in the next few months, yet there are also days when my children are delightful, the cleaning gets done and dinner is on the table. There are going to be good days and bad days.
Lately I have been thinking so much about how much God has blessed me. I commented to my husband the other day when he was talking about God's blessing of our children that I feel so undeserving of what He's given me. Then again, when are we ever deserving of His grace? So many things to be thankful for.
Spring is here and with that comes a long list of projects. This is a list that is composed of projects that will get done and some that I will later decide are too lofty. Every year I want a big garden. However, the seeds that survive and don't get gobbled up by birds and actually grow into plants meet their fate of being gobbled up by deer. One year, I carefully planted an herb garden right outside the front door thinking the plants would be safe from the deer. I never considered something would come from under the ground and eat the seeds, but that is what I found- lots of little tunnels in the dirt, but no seeds. It pains me to not be able to accomplish this domestic goal. Especially since my parents and grandparents were always so successful at gardening.
I guess it's a good reminder that I can't do it all. I seem to constantly need this reminder. Sometimes it's in the form of a failed garden, sometimes a failed recipe, and sometimes a soggy load of laundry that didn't make it into the dryer. Over the past few years, I've been able to do less and less. Amazingly, I'm becoming more and more used to that idea, and letting go of my high expectations has freed me up to enjoy other things. Things like watching my oldest ride her bike without training wheels, my son and his amazing zest for life which he gets honestly from his father, and my baby who over the past couple of days has become quite the talker.
This post has been all over the map, but that is life around here lately. Lots of learning and lots of letting go.
By the way, sorry about the candy corn border. I will deal with that later; I'm letting that go.

Where I've Been

2009-02-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

It seems like in my life, God is always teaching me about control. About how I really have none and to free myself from all kinds of stress, I have to surrender it to Him.
I've always struggled, especially since I've had children, with worry. I worry about so many things, then I worry that I'll pass this on to my children. I worry so much that over the past couple of years, I've struggled with an occasional rapid heartbeat that the doctor could only conclude was due to a build-up of a stress hormone. I never thought that I'd be the kind of person you'd find breathing into a paper bag.
Anyway, around Christmas, I was feeling so in control. I was having all kinds of domestic fun (my favorite kind) and had all of these plans for the new year. My plans did not include another baby right now. But on the day after New Year's I found out that I am expecting again. This came as a huge shock to my husband and I. While we've always wanted more kids, this was a little sooner than we'd planned. I found my head swimming with all sorts of emotions. The biggest one was fear. I was scared of the morning sickness, of neglecting my children during the rough spots, and of just trying to manage with another baby.
I don't think there has ever been a time in my life where I felt so overwhelmed. But, I am a child of God and I found myself remembering truths from His Word that were such an encouragement. One of the very first things I did after I found out was pray for God's grace. I pleaded with God on my bathroom floor for His grace and mercy. Although I'm not deserving of it, He gave it to me. He has been so faithful to me through all of this. I have been so humbled by what God has done in my life through this unexpected blessing. To Him be the glory.
So that is where I've been. I wasn't sure if I should be honest about this for fear that someone would judge me for not simply embracing and rejoicing about this obvious gift in my life. However, I'm not perfect and I'm just so thankful that God takes me as I am. He didn't turn His back on me when I was struggling to accept His plan. He has brought me to a place of rejoicing from a place of fear and dread. I thank Him for His patience and faithfulness to me. I'm not in control, but my Heavenly Father is.

Celebrating and Sewing

2008-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings all. I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season. Things have been busy around here. I have caught the sewing bug and for the past couple of weeks I have not been able to stop. My husband came home from a meeting the other night about 9:30 and heard the sewing machine going. He asked me if the sweat shop was still open. I'm making most of the gifts this year and of course got a late start, therefore I have been sewing like a mad woman.
We are in the midst of celebrating advent and are doing an activity each day to count down the days 'till Christmas day. Some are really simple, like letting the kids build a tent with blankets. The other day our activity was a special story and hot cocoa. The kids helped me make the cocoa mix and we enjoyed it in front of a fire while I read this sweet book called "The Small One."

It was a favorite of my husband when he was little. I can never get through it without tearing up.
Here is my hot chocolate recipe. I found it years ago in Better Homes and Gardens. It is really good. You can leave out the anise seed if you want, but don't be afraid to try it. The flavor is good and not at all overpowering.

All is Calm Hot Chocolate
8 oz semi or bitter-sweet chocolate (I just use chips and only about 6 oz)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp anise seed toasted and crushed (toast in a dry skillet until they smell toasted I guess, and I crush them in a clean coffee grinder)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and spoon into a jar or bag and cover.
To make 4 servings:
Combine 2/3 cup mix and 1/4 cup water in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in 4 cups milk and heat through.

Here is another favorite craft idea that we did last year. I really liked it and decided to do it again. I think I saw it in a Better Homes and Gardens craft book.
All you need is tissue paper and contact paper.
Tear the tissue paper into strips of different sizes. Lay your contact paper out, sticky side up and lay your tissue paper strips on to make a picture. We made Christmas trees. It's pretty easy for kids. Mine just needed help building a tree shape. Make your picture on half the contact paper then just fold it over and smooth out when your done. I had some sequins that we threw in for sparkle.
Then just tape your picture to a window. It's really pretty and festive.
It's great for kids, anybody can tear paper.

We are trying to keep things simple this year and focus on the real meaning of Christmas. I've been praying that God would give us opportunities to give this Christmas. I really want our children to understand sacrifice and giving.

Well, the sewing machine is beckoning. Have a good week!

What's Going On With Me and Something For Your Holiday Table

2008-11-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

This morning my husband put my newly painted kitchen shelves back up before going to work, which means I can get all the dishes out of the laundry closet! Yay! We're doing a little kitchen spruce-up just in time for the holidays. Today I'm off to search for tile for the back splash.
Also on the agenda:
Doctor visit for two kids
Making cornbread for the stuffing
Making chicken broth for the stuffing
Making pie crust
Going to the grocery store because I forgot a bunch yesterday when I went

Also, I wanted to share a couple of recipes using my favorite, butternut squash.
I have tried quite a few butternut squash soup recipes and this is my favorite. My family loves it so much that it's a meal with some bread and salad, but it's great as a starter to a holiday meal. I'm planning to make it for Thursday. It's from Better Homes and Gardens. The only change I make is I just use evaporated skim milk for the whipping cream.

Click here for recipe

Roasted Butternut Quiches
I developed this recipe to serve at my sister's wedding reception. It's very easy and delicious. The dough can also be used for a sweet filling. This recipe makes about 24 mini quiches. Use a mini muffin tin.

Cream Cheese Dough
3 oz cream cheese (reduced-fat works fine)
6 TBS butter
1 cup all-purpose flour

Mix cream cheese and butter with a mixer. Add flour and mix until combined. Press a small amount into each cup of your muffin tin. This dough is so easy to work with. I even let my daughter help me when I made like, a hundred of these for my sister's wedding.

Filling
a small onion (chopped)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups roasted butternut squash
about 1/4 cup half and half

Melt 2 TBS butter in skillet. Add onion and sprinkle with one tsp sugar. Cook over medium-low heat about 20 minutes.
With a mixer, beat all ingredients together until well combined. Now, fill up your mini quiches. I use a mini cookie scoop for this part. You can fill them all the way to the top. You'll probably have some extra filling. If this is the case and you don't have extra dough, you can bake the rest in greased ramekins right along with the quiches. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Remove from tins immediately.

Happy Anniversary

2008-11-13T07:32:00.001-08:00

Today my beloved husband John and I celebrate nine years of marriage. God has been so gracious to us. He brought us together through some difficult circumstances, which has always been an example to us of His sovereignty.

My ambition throughout high school was to marry John. I always tell him that he made all my dreams come true! This was what I wanted--to be a wife, homemaker, and mother. Sometimes in the middle of a crazy day or moment, froth with crying, spills, or some of the other things we mothers face, I'll stop and think--this is what I wanted.

Today will be filled with all of those everyday, lovely things...

...hungry kids, chubby hands, hugs, baby talk, crayons, cuddles, stories, questions, giggling, tears, superheroes, ponytails, diapers...

...and one incredible man that I love more now than I ever thought possible.

Fall Favorites from the Kitchen

2008-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Glazed Chicken and Vegetables
This is a family favorite in our house. My husband and children cheer when I make this. It's so satisfying and delicious and the leftovers are really tasty. I make this all year round, but it seems especially good in the fall. This recipe is from my old standby Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I've made a couple changes from the original.
1 3-31/2 pound chicken (I usually buy 5 pound chickens, it usually takes about 20 more minutes to cook)
Cooking oil
3 potatoes, quartered (I use more, 3 is not enough for my family)
6 carrots, sliced 1-2 inches thick
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 TBS butter
2 TBS chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2-3 apples, cored and cut into wedges

Rinse inside and out of chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil. Roast uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Cook potatoes and carrots in boiling water until nearly tender for 15 minutes.

For glaze, in a saucepan combine honey, mustard, butter, onion, curry, garlic salt, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Discard drippings in roasting pan. Arrange carrots, potatoes, and apples around chicken in pan. Brush glaze over chicken, vegetables, and apples. Roast uncovered, for 30-40 more minutes until drumsticks move easily and chicken is no longer pink.

Apple Pecan Salad
Again, from Better Homes and Gardens. This is so good; it's delicious with a big baked macaroni and cheese. I've simplified the original recipe somewhat.

3 TBS packed brown sugar
about 1/3 cup chopped pecans
3 apples (gala or red delicious work well) cored and sliced into wedges
1 TBS butter, melted
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 TBS honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
about 6 cups torn romaine or other salad greens

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place apples on sheet and brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and nuts. Bake about 10 minutes or until just tender. You have to watch the nuts, if they are chopped really small, they will burn quickly.

In a jar, combine oil, cider, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. I also add some sugar to the dressing; I think it's an improvement. A couple of spoonfuls is sufficient. Cover and shake well.

Arrange greens on a platter and top with apple slices. Scrape the melted bits of sugar and nuts onto the salad. Serve with dressing.

Ranting and Pondering

2008-11-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

The past few weeks have been extremely busy for my family. We pulled off a beautiful and meaningful wedding for my dear sister on October 25. Last week was meant to be spent catching up, but nothing went as planned. I had appointments and interruptions that resulted in me having a meltdown on Saturday. The house was a disheveled heap of laundry, bags still sitting half unpacked from the wedding, dirty dishes that I had been trying to get to all week, and clutter that I had no place for in the disheveled heap. When I recovered from the meltdown, I concluded that I just have to manage my time better. You know, you think you're managing things just fine and you get comfortable and start to relax a little and then, suddenly, it all unravels and you have to start all over again. To top off the weekend, Sunday night my husband mentioned the five Bible verses that we needed to have memorized for today, which I completely forgot. I never even thought about it after the night it was assigned three or so weeks ago. So I've been cramming, which is all too reminiscent of high school.

The past couple days I've been deep in thought about how I can do a better job as a homemaker, teacher to my children, and mother. With all this pondering, thankfully, I am reminded that my purpose is not to have the cleanest house or the best cooking skills as a homemaker, it is to love and train my children for the Glory of God. Why do I not put more thought into that? I thank the Lord that He uses these frustrating times to teach me, because I am definitely still in need of His teaching.

After a good Monday spent doing school, laundry, and little cleaning, things are looking up. We were out super early yesterday morning to vote and have breakfast out before going grocery shopping. As I sat at the restaurant writing my grocery list with a crayon, I thought about how much I really love motherhood. Nothing is perfect, but if I keep my eye on what the real purpose is, perfection doesn't seem so important anymore.

Thanks for reading.

Morning Thoughts

2008-10-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

I'm so thankful that because of the grace of God, every day is a fresh start. The frustrations of yesterday melt away, and I can start each day forgiven.

Beans, Beans...

2008-09-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I told my husband that I think we eat out too much. I tried to justify it. After all, too much is just a couple of times a week, and it's usually just for convenience sake. Well, he wholeheartedly agreed. In fact, he hit me with some figures, like, how much we're spending in a month on eating out. "Have you been thinking about this?" I said, "Why didn't you say something?" My husband, God bless him, is very laid back and sometimes I think is afraid he'll hurt my feelings. I've been feeling bad about all this eating out, so with my husband's encouragement, I'm going to try to plan better. For the days that I think I need something easy, (which for me is Mondays), I'm going to keep it simple. Today it's going to be beans and cornbread. Thankfully, my husband is not a picky eater, and I think the only thing he hasn't liked in almost 9 years of marriage was the authentic falafel I made. I happened to love it, but I haven't made it since.

I thought I'd share a few tips on how to make easy, delicious pintos. If you happen to be a fellow West Virginian, you probably have your own methods. If not, try it. Pinto beans are cheap, easy, and nutritious.

I've been using my crock pot to make beans. I do a quick-soak method (boil for two minutes, cover and set aside for one hour). My mom soaks beans in large quantities then freezes them for future use. Next, I drain and rinse the soaked beans then boil them for ten minutes (which must be done if you plan to use a crock pot). Next, pop them in the pot, water and all. I add a few fresh herb sprigs and a small amount of salt. If you add a lot of salt at the beginning of cooking, it slows cooking time, but adding part of the salt improves the flavor. Cook them on high or low depending on how much time you have; they actually cook pretty quickly this way. Adding the fresh herbs makes great tasting re-fried beans for later.

I hope you enjoy this West Virginia Classic!

Putting a positive spin on well, a crapper

2008-09-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

My hope for this blog is that it is a breath of fresh air, a place where there is no one pretending that they have it all together. Well now is just such that time for honesty.
We are in our second week of homeschooling. It hasn't all been bad; much of it has been good. But ladies, nothing is perfect. Most of my frustration has come from my 3 year old, who seems to have slipped into a second season of the terrible-two's. My son, who is mostly energetic and delightful, has become stubborn, destructive, and has one volume...LOUD. Today was bad. I had just begun the school day. I had read one thing. I opened up one of our history books and he said "Can we be done?" He has asked me this many times over the course of our school time. My answer is always the same "You're not in school, yes, be done, go play." But that is never good enough. He assumes that he must sit there, and today, none of my suggestions of things he could do were accepted. Well, we were battling it out and all the while I'm trying to control my anger (you know, set a good example). Finally, I dissolved into tears and came downstairs, wondering how many days can go into the crapper without us getting behind. I have seen some progress. There are days when I've seen him hold it together when he hasn't gotten his way. But today has been one of those days for me. Even as I've been typing this, Jack, who was supposed to be taking his nap decided he was done with that, and my daughter asked me if I am mad at her and her brother.
Ever since my oldest was a toddler, in the midst of a struggle, many times I have thought about my sin before a Holy God. Any offense against me is nothing compared to my sin before God, and He has forgiven me. It kind of helps put things in perspective. I don't know why I expect so much from them sometimes. I am thankful for the love of God and the example in Jesus, because as frustrated as I can get I love my children so much and I know that doesn't come in and of myself.
So, today was pretty much a loss. If I hurry, I can get some housework done. Looks like we're going to do school on Saturday.

Yee-haw! A cowgirl party

2008-09-23T05:02:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed our daughter's birthday party this year. She loves horses and wanted a cowgirl themed party. This was really fun for a guest list that included both boys and girls. I've always taken more of a laid back approach to parties, focusing more on good food and the setting. However, as the kids get older I've found that parties need more structure to keep things from getting crazy. This year I wanted to have more games for the kids and less time in the food so I could just enjoy watching my little girl having fun.

This little idea came from Better Homes and Gardens. It's a great easy decoration for any party. I bought two 8 inch embroidery hoops for 99 cents a piece and 4 rolls of crepe paper. Cut roughly 8 foot lengths of the streamers and drape them across the inner hoop, close the outer hoop on top and hang with fishing line. I used red and light blue to match our theme, and I added a little hot pink. This was so cheap and easy.

To set the mood, we bought a few bales of hay for the guests to sit on. A table with a red-checked table cloth was a great place for the kids to stop and play with toy horses. This was a great idea and kept the kids busy in between activities. I also set out peanuts in the shell to munch on, this was a hit with the adult guests especially. I bought cowboy hats for each of the children and mentioned to the parents to dress them in jeans or any western-like stuff they had, if they wanted to.
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful evening and we were able to play games out in the backyard.

Stomp the Flies
This is a fun and easy idea my sister-in-law told me about. The black balloons are the flies and the children are the horses trying to stomp them. They seemed to like this one.

Six Shooter Game
The goal here was to shoot the bottles down with a water gun. I think a dart gun would've been better because the kids had to stand right up to the bottles to get them to fall down. They still enjoyed it, one little fella played with the water gun for most of the evening. He was quite a hoot, walking to the sink in his black cowboy hat to refill his gun.

T-shirt decorating
We did this later in the evening indoors and it was a great wind down activity. We purchased t-shirts in bulk online and bought fabric markers at a crafts store. We looked at buying the markers online also, but they were going to take longer to get in. It may have been cheaper. We just found a coloring page of a horse on the internet and bought iron-on transfers to print the image onto.
I had two other games to play, but there wasn't time. We were planning a stick horse race. I just asked some friends to bring their kid's stick horses, which was handy anyway. For the other game, you hang apples from a long board and the kids try to eat the apple like a horse (with no hands). For this game I had to make sure the apples I bought had a stem to tie the yarn to. I was really excited about this game, but we just ran out of time. Another nice touch was my husband signaled the start of games with one of our kid's cap guns. Also the dads really enjoyed playing with those.

The Menu
I wanted a really easy meal that would remind you of what a cowboy would eat out on the trail. I decided on beef stew and cornbread muffins. We served it on aluminum pie plates to represent the tin plates you always see cowboys eating from in western movies. This was a big hit, although the bottom of the plates got hot from the stew.

Birthday Cake
This cake was so easy and fun to make. I baked the cake a few days ahead and froze it, then my husband and I decorated it after the kids went to bed the night before the party. I wanted it to be a surprise. I found the idea on the Family Fun website. I also made a couple dozen cupcakes. My mom, who makes special occasion cakes, gave me this icing recipe. It is easy and sooo good!

Buttercream Frosting
With a mixer, mix 1 lb softened butter with 1/2 cup crisco. Add 2 lbs powdered sugar and beat just until mixed well. Add 1-2 tsp of your favorite extract (I love almond extract, it is wonderful). If you make this ahead and refrigerate it, you can add a little hot water or milk to soften it a bit before frosting your cake.
I used this on the cake and cupcakes. For chocolate, add about three tbs cocoa. I also added brown paste food coloring for the horse because the cocoa didn't make it brown enough.

Isabelle and her brother really seemed to enjoy this. When I asked her if she had a good time, she said "yes, but I want another cowgirl party!" So I guess we will do this all over again next year!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-08-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

I am still here, just in case you were wondering. With planning my sister's wedding, Isabelle's birthday coming up, home projects, and diving into homeschooling, there just doesn't seem to be much time left!

It's exciting and a little scary taking on this homeschooling thing, and while we've done some school already, it's time to really kick it into high gear. I'm looking forward to the bonding time it will bring with our daughter, and the teamwork experience my husband and I will share. I am a little unsure about how I'm going to do this with a five month old and a three year old to care for, oh well. I guess they say "necessity is the mother of invention", so I guess I'll just have to dig deep to access that resourceful side I have...somewhere.

Fall time, my favorite time, is upon us and some of the trees in our front yard already have some leaves that are turning yellow. Little things like shopping for fall clothes for my kids and getting out my grandmother's glass pumpkin-shaped cookie jar just make me so happy! Ahh... jacket weather, anyone that knows me knows my love of my jean jacket. Another love of mine, cooking, is also put to use in autumn. I'm making a mental list of all of my favorite fall recipes to share. Provided I can find the time to sit down at the computer.

With all of this stuff on my mind, I've had some frustrating days. Days when I wonder if I should be a parent at all! But then when it seems all hope is lost, I learn something, a hug goes a long way. I mean that. On that uplifting note, I'll go. My kids are asking for a snack.

Berry Picking and the best cobbler ever

2008-08-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

My parents have an abundance of blackberries this year and were generous enough to share them with us. So the other evening the whole family ventured out, even baby Maggie in her stroller, to pick some of the bounty. The kids proved to be quite a help, and weren't even bothered by the prickly thorns. They were really excited to come home and eat some. After a small bowl with a little sugar, they went off to bed, and I began cooking up a treat for my husband and me.
This cobbler recipe has been in my family for years. The story goes that my grandmother and aunt were eating in a restaurant in North Carolina and had this cobbler. They liked it so much, they asked for the recipe and got it. It is so easy and delicious that I thought I would share it. You can use it for any fruit cobbler; my favorite I think is peach, with blackberry a definite second.

The best cobbler ever

1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar (I think the original recipe said 1 cup, but 1/2 cup is plenty if you want to save some calories)
1 cup milk

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and pour it in your pan (I used a 7x11 glass pan, it's just the right size for this recipe).
I used a medium sized bowl of blackberries, sorry I can't be specific but I forgot to measure the berries. I had just enough to make a small cobbler. If you have a lot of fruit just double the batter recipe and use a 9x13 pan. For instance, last time I made a peach cobbler, I used a 29 ounce can of peaches for one recipe of batter. Sorry for the confusion.

Now back to the recipe...
Add sugar to berries to taste, I think I used about 1/2 cup.
Mix flour, sugar, and milk just until blended and pour it on top of your melted butter
Carefully spoon your fruit right on top of the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until it's golden brown.
It is that easy. I hope you will enjoy.

P.S. For peach cobbler, if you use canned peaches, drain the syrup and reserve a little. Add a little cornstarch to the syrup to make a thickening, sugar your peaches, and the most important thing- add a little bit of nutmeg. It's delicious.
Again sorry for the lack of measurements and straight-forward directions.

Save the planet and some room in your cupboard

2008-07-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Every time I come home from grocery shopping, I get annoyed at all those plastic bags. Do I throw them away or stuff them into a cabinet? Here's a great idea I found in a Martha Stewart magazine for reusable shopping bags. It's better for the environment, plus I found a new use for all of those t-shirts of my husband's he doesn't wear anymore.

You will need:
a sewing machine
disappearing ink fabric pen
9 inch diameter bowl
heavyweight cotton t-shirt
scissors

1. Turn t-shirt inside out and sew the bottom closed over the existing hemstitch. Turn right side out, and lay on a flat surface with seams aligned.
2. Invert bowl, and place it over the neck so that only half the bowl is covering the shirt.
3. With pen, trace the rim of the bowl onto the t-shirt.
4. Cut along the traced line through both layers of fabric to make opening. Then line up sleeves and cut each sleeve off to create handles.

Voila! This was so easy. I made several in just a few minutes.

Fried Apples and Biscuits

2008-07-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up my grandmother made fried apples and biscuits often in the summer using transparent apples. My other grandmother had a transparent apple tree in her backyard, and after picking several, she would carry them back to the house in her apron. I was delighted to find that the first house my husband and I lived in had several transparent apple trees in the backyard. It was so rewarding as a young wife to step out into my backyard and return into my kitchen with fresh fruit to cook up. I fried apples often for our breakfast and usually had plenty to freeze. Fried apples are delicious for breakfast but also make a great snack or dessert. These biscuits, adapted from my regular biscuit recipe, are a little sweet, perfect for topping with fried apples and a good shaking of powdered sugar. Transparent apples bruise easily and do not keep for long, so use them quickly.

Fried Apples
4 Tbs butter
About 8 cups sliced apples (leave peel on)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
sprinkling of kosher salt

Melt butter in large skillet. Add apples and cook on medium heat, stirring often. Cook for about five minutes, then turn down heat and add the rest of the ingredients. The apples cook quickly and will turn mushy fast if not watched carefully. Cook for 4-5 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
5 Tbs butter, cut into pieces
1 cup milk
1/4 cup light cream

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until blended. Add milk and cream and mix with fork just until blended. Drop into mounds onto greased baking sheet and bake in 400 degree oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops and bottoms are lightly browned.

Cut biscuits open and top with apples. Dust with powdered sugar.

Honesty

2008-07-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

As I was thinking this morning about starting this blog, I was excited about all the interesting things I would discuss here. Things like my favorite recipes and homemaking tips. Then I began to think about how difficult it is to try to be all things to everyone as a mom and homemaker. It is impossible to be good at everything. Sometimes I can feel pretty darn inadequate, especially in today's society with Martha Stewart magazines and all the shows on television about decorating and cooking. I've all but given up trying to keep a house plant alive. Despite what we see around us, we can not be everything; and it seems that when I try to be the perfect homemaker, it's at the expense of time with my children. I as a mother need sometimes to let the housework go, and just enjoy my children. I want to be honest about myself; I'm not perfect and to pretend such is wrong. So as I was sorting out these thoughts, I remembered a poem I once heard. I couldn't remember much about it so I went looking for it. When I found it, it brought tears to my eyes. So I dedicate this post to all my mommy friends; and especially those with newborns or a new one on the way.

Where is the Mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery..blissfully rocking.
Cooking and cleaning can wait 'til tomorrow,
but babies grow up, which I've learned to my sorrow.
So, settle down cobwebs,
Dust, go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep

Welcome In

2008-07-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is a place to share thoughts and inspirations with other mod mamas like myself. Enjoy.