All of a Kind Family

{project life} Weeks 1-8

2012-02-25T00:36:00.016-05:00

A new attempt to my Project 365 album. After much thought, I'm going to continue using the digital approach, but I am going to use the {project life} templates. I realized after working on the previous attempts, that I needed a two-page layout for each week, not just a page. I am also going to triple back up my files. I'm very scared about doing an entire year and saving it to a computer. I do not know how or where to get all these pages printed into a book either, but I have 10 more months to figure that out!

Here is my {project life} post that will put me current on my weeks and weeks of photos!

My {project ♥ family} Album cover!

Week #1 {january 1st - 7th}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #2 {january 8th - 14th}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #3 {january 15th - 21st}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #4 {january 22nd - 28th}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #5 {january 29th - february 4th}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #6 {february 5th - 11th}

SIDE by SIDE

~ and ~

Week #7 {february 12th - 18th}

SIDE by SIDE

Week #8 {february 19th - 25th}

LEFT

This week we FINALLY found a piano tuner! He came from out-of-state
and certainly has an ear. It had been over 8 years since we tuned our
piano and its so nice to hear the beautiful tones now in tune.

I traveled again this week to visit my Nana in the hospital. Henny came with
me and I made sure to capture her in some pictures. We took a picture
of the freeway. We've seen it a lot lately!

RIGHT

Despite being in the hospital for nearly a month, Nana is in
good spirits! She played with silly putty and stuck out her tongue!
She is lonely now that she is in isolation, but we tried to cheer her up.

AND.... Yes, despite the long car rides, and time away from home (worth
every minute to treasure the moments with Nana),
school at home is still happening. I loved watching the girls work
together. Precious memories!

SIDE by SIDE

I am officially up-to date with my photos this year! {don't even ask about previous years!}

This post is linked with:

Credits:
Becky Higgins Project Life {Templates & Clementine Kit-digital}
Today - the Collection by Mari Koegelenberg
Sweet Vintage Charm by Creativity by Crystal

Tending to the heart

2012-02-22T22:35:00.006-05:00

I'm still alive, but just lost in the balance. My grandmother is still in the hospital and I've made a few trips -- long car drives to visit and try to help my mom. The type of care my grandmother needs requires training and so the hospital is training my mom and I've been fortunate to be there for some of it. She is now in isolation because she caught an infection while at the hospital.

She still has a sense of humor... I gave her some silly putty to keep her busy and she designed a tongue to stick out at us. That's me in the background wearing my isolation suit. It feels good to be home and not wear that bright yellow gown and blue gloves. Oops, the camera caught me not wearing them when I was texting my husband.

She also has a loving heart and broke down in tears when she learned that she was probably going to have to throw away her cherished teddy bears because of her infection.
Thankfully, we are working out a way to save the bears!

In between away time from home, a bit of my own ailments with my back, trying to keep a home -- which isn't looking by any means that I am maintaining any of it -- well, there just isn't time for blogging.

I miss reading, commenting and even sharing my own posts, but it's hopefully just a small season of these busy days. I need to step back and tend to the heart of the matter -- my heart first and then the others who should have willing hearts to see and help when I'm not able.

I see places where I have missed training my daughters' hearts. I need willing hearts that can see the need and step up to the task without being told. Right now, I'm weary at always having to ask.

These areas of training are far more important than any textbook or curriculum could teach, so I must pray, and seek His Word, and trust that His plans of training the heart will yield peace and order as Isaiah 54:13 shares:

"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD;
and great shall be the peace of thy children." (KJV)

"and all your children taught by יהוה, and the peace of
your children great." (theScriptures)
Isaiah 54:13

I especially love the version of the Scriptures..... not taught of the Father, but taught BY the Father himself!

Buttermilk Scones

2012-02-21T07:54:00.000-05:00

My girls and I have wanted to have a weekly tea time for a while but things happen and sadly, it was one of the ways that things just get pushed aside. Well, this week, we are going to have a Tea Time and enjoy some Buttermilk Scones with some homemade jam and some Tangerine Orange Hot Tea. I’m not too sure about the “hot” tea part, but if it’s too hot of a day, we may have ice added to our tea.

Buttermilk Scones Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup butter - cold
1 cup buttermilk

Extras: Can add up to 1/2 cup of any favorities — raisins, cdurrants, berries, or shhh…… even chocolate chips in the winter time to serve with hot chocolate instead of tea!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined. Add any extras, if desired. We just drop ours in heaping Tablespoon blobs on a lightly greased cookie sheet…but some take the time to roll it out and cut into wedges. We find it so much more fun to see our creative shapes and actually tastes a bit better as you get more of the lightly browned crisped edges. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm with your favorite jam. …Could also be served cool by splitting in half and filling with whipping cream.

Yields about 12-16 scones.

Homemade Granola

2012-02-21T07:53:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

6 c oats ( I use thick or regular)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c wheat germ
1/4 c oat bran
1/4 c flax seeds
1/2 c dried coconut (I don't use)
1/4 c sesame seeds
3/4 c chopped walnuts/almonds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c dry milk (opt-I don't use this)
1 tbsp cinnamon (opt)
--------------------
2/3 c honey
2/3 c olive oil
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp vanilla

Directions:
Combine the first 11 ingredients in a bowl. Next combine the 4 remaining ingredients and pour over the oat mixture and mix well.

Bake in oven at 300°F for about 40 mins. (smells so good!)

After baking, cool it completely, add raisins or dried fruit of your choice.

SWEET GRANOLA
*Our family favorite*

Ingredients:
2 cups regular rolled oats (or thick)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup honey
2 TBLS olive oil
1 cup (dried fruit, raisins, cranberry raisins, chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions:
Grease a cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine oats, almonds, seeds, and wheat germ. In a separate measuring cup mix honey and oil together. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well coated. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Bake in oven at 300°F for approximately 20 minutes or until light brown, stirring after 15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet and add in 1 cup of your desired choice or combination.

My note: I triple this recipe and do not add the last ingredients until we are ready to use. We eat this plain, on top of yogurt, or even as a cereal with fresh fruit and milk.

Nani's Spagetti Sauce

2012-02-14T12:45:00.003-05:00

Sweet Gertie asked for "sketti"...awww! I didn't have any frozen sauce left, so it was time to simmer a large pot of sauce all day long. Yum! My stomach was growling all day long.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan)
2-3 cans (29 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2-3 cans (29 oz.) diced tomatoes (drain off liquid)
1 large can tomato paste
2 small cans tomato sauce
2-3 lbs. cooked hamburger
2-3 lbs. cooked hot Italian sausage (turkey works good, too)
1 ½ cups red wine
dried oregano
dried Italian seasoning
dried basil
crushed red pepper flakes
fresh basil, chopped
fresh Italian parsley (flat leaf), chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in large post, saute onion. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and dried herbs (I just shake some in), stirring until garlic is golden. Add crushed, diced and tomato sauce. Stir in tomato paste.

Add hamburger, sausage, fresh basil, parsley and wine. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low (half covered) for 5-6 hours or all day. Stir occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking the bottom of the pan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We usually enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner and then I freeze the remaining sauce in quart size ziplock bags. We use this same sauce to make lasagna and homemade pizzas, too! We like ours spicy, but if you want it a little milder, eliminate the crushed red pepper flakes.

Catching up in February

2012-02-12T21:43:00.005-05:00

{project ♥ family 365-32: Found my diamond}
My heart ached as I looked at my finger and saw the diamond missing out of my ring. Thankfully after crawling around, I found it!

WholeHeart Heartshaping Mom Conference

{project ♥ family 365-33: View from 17th floor}
We had an amazing view during the PossibiliTea!

{project ♥ family 365-34: Luncheon}
Wow! The food was really delicious and had some beautiful little extras...look at our desserts!

{project ♥ family 365-35: A dear friend}
I was so blessed by this sweet, dear lady. She is my blogger angel who gifted my daughter and I attendance to this wonderful conference. It was really a treat to meet her in person AND celebrate her birthday with her! We plan to get together more often and I love how the Father blessed us both with a new friendship.

My baby is 3 already!

{project ♥ family 365-36: Gertie's 3rd Birthday}
My sweet little baby turned 3. I was not prepared to celebrate her birthday away from home, but we managed to throw together a special little party before I headed off to the hospital. We will have another party for her when we get home.
She walked around saying, "Happy Birthday, Me!" Too cute!

Days and days and days at the hospital with my grandmother...

{project ♥ family 365-37: Therapy dog visits Nana}
This really made my grandmother's day! She truly lit up at this special visitor.

{project ♥ family 365-38: Precious hands working together}
Capturing generations! This a picture of my mom and my grandmother's hands working together to make a beaded bracelet. I love this photo!

{project ♥ family 365-39: My Nana and I}
She was all prettied up and we grabbed the opportunity for a photo together. I bought her this teddy bear -- he is cuddly soft.

{project ♥ family 365-40: My BABY brother and I}
Yes, this is my baby brother! He is 15 years younger and it was special to have our picture taken together. I was very tired after a long day at the hospital, but I am so glad that he came by for a visit and stayed late until I got home.

{project ♥ family 365-41: My OUCH!!!}
I hurt my foot in the parking lot on a sprinkler head. Thankfully, I was headed to the hospital and they provided me with ice on it all day long. This is a few days later...still bruised but the swelling is finally going down.

{project ♥ family 365-42: Isaiah 40:31}

{project ♥ family 365-43: Finally a party!}
After all the unexpected delays, little Gertie had her official birthday party!

Whew! I am all caught up.

Completing January

2012-02-12T21:22:00.004-05:00

This year is already flying by, and although I've had many bumps in the road, I am determined to get caught up and keep trying to stay on top of things.

Despite my computer going down, I did keep taking pictures. I still need to get them scrapbooked in my {project family} digital album. I'm really scared of making a year of digital pages and possibly losing them. I am contemplating a tangible album. I have everything double backed up but I've even had one of my external hard drive die on me now.

So without further delay, here is a quick completing of the remaining pictures for January...

{project ♥ family 365-23}

{project ♥ family 365-24: Finally pairing up socks that were in a basket}

{project ♥ family 365-25: Sarah grinning}

{project ♥ family 365-26: My computer}
Damaged after my thumb cracked something inside the screen.

{project ♥ family 365-27: All About Reading}
Charlotte is in deep concentration sounding out a word.

{project ♥ family 365-28: FIAR Quilt Swap}
Volume 2 quilt squares sorted out and getting packaged.

{project ♥ family 365-29: Henny's haircut}
Poor Henny has never had but an inch cut off in the length of her hair...it just does not grow very fast. She decided she wanted a style. Her hair is naturally curly and this was styled with a hot iron.

{project ♥ family 365-30: The whisper of a creek.}

{project ♥ family 365-31: Colored chips}
Oh my! These chips were everywhere. Added some extra color to our home.

My meltdown....

2012-02-05T09:39:00.006-05:00

to His great and hidden ways, which I have not known.

It's really too early for me to be up, but I know that the Holy Spirit is nudging me awake and I feel prompted to put the multitude of thoughts onto paper (or my little screen).

.....maybe it's GoodMorningGirls.org rubbing off to be not only in the Word as the sun goes down, but to be back again in the Word again as the sun comes up! --Double dosing! {Angela from GMG, is a beautiful gift with a flowing spirit. I loved her sweet, tender voice as she spoke from heart and inspired me.}

Yesterday, as I left the automatic doors of the hotel and got into my car, I felt the tender tears fill my eyes. Yes, I was the one sitting in my car -- melting down. It wasn't that I was overwhelmed, but I was full and overflowing. I was the one who sobbed in her car. I was the one who had to call her husband and get long distance support before I could move forward. I was the one who knew that the Father had brought me here, covered me, and has plans to use me.

I don't personally like feeling that cloud over me, but all the while, I know that I am His vessel and He has a greater plan. My heart screams, "Use me.... Mold me...." while my aching body mumbles the doubting thoughts, "How can I be used to reach out to others, when I sometimes can't seem to meet my own needs".....

And then the, "AHA moment" -- it's that tiny one-letter word "I". It's missing the key element of a capital "H" in front and the little "m" at the end. HIM! I need only the Father to meet my needs and then He can use me and mold me in to His.

I have no idea exactly what path the Lord has ahead for me... I'm isolated where I live, I'm isolated because of health restrictions, I've been lonely and grief stricken, I've been broken and our Father is still gluing back my pieces, I'm a struggling homeschooling mom. My list could go on, but if I walked away with anything this weekend, it was that heavy burden that I need to be ready for something bigger.

Titus 2 was placed in my path -- I not only need to be mentored, but I need to be a mentor by example, by His grace of my age. I realized that I was especially blessed with the ages and gaps in my children. I have graduated a daughter and still have another generation of littles -- one that hasn't even officially started her homeschooling journey. I have the experience of been there done this, but yet I am still walking the very same bumpy motherhood journey as younger mothers. I have the Spirit of Compassion to encourage and the Spirit of Empathy to feel the same daily woes.

So while I was the one sobbing in my car, and melting down, it was that very moment that the Spirit was affirming these thought and nudges from this amazing weekend. It was that moment of tears, that I was already being equipped to the things which I cannot do.

Jeremiah 33:3 --the words buried in my heart called out....

3 ‘Call unto Me, and I shall answer you, and show you great and inaccessible [matters], which you have not known.’

I've called. I know He will answer. He will guide me in ways which I have not known.

My cup overflows

2012-02-05T01:20:00.004-05:00

I'm almost without words and yet so many of them flood my heart. I've had an incredible weekend of trials, attacks, and an abundance of BLESSINGS!

Heavy trials & attacks --

lost my diamond in my wedding ring
my dear grandmother ended up in the ICU the night before the convention
I lost my camera at the convention

......but,

Praise! My diamond was found!
Praise! My grandmother is in a good hospital!
Praise! My camera was safely returned!

I've had my cup filled with encouragement and inspiration. I sat in a ballroom with approximately 450 women and felt the spirit move. I've felt validated in the flood of daily struggles...I'm not alone in my feelings.

I met amazing women {waiving hi} who had beautiful stories -- special legacies that they were able to use now to touch my life, my daughter's life and the lives of so many. My life was changed! Table talk was grown up...hehe! I enjoyed the presence of Godly women and savored the mommy moment without children interruptions but treasured the gift of being a mom.

My oldest daughter was truly blessed with a very special way to glean from wisdom and knowledge of others ahead of her-- BEFORE she gets married and has her own children. I pray that she will not make the same mistakes that I made. She's received a piece of the Biblical wife/motherhood manual that will hopefully be a tool that will build a better lineage. Really a gift of the spirit. The seed was planted and I look forward to being a part of the pruning seeing the future fruits!

I know that my back degeneration may not allow me to ever sit in a convention again, but I took so many notes that my teal green ink pen was running out of ink. I hurt, but I was able to able to sit through the convention workshops AND still enjoy a lovely dinner and meet a dear friend. I had dinner at a California Pizza Kitchen...yum! ...but it wasn't the food -- it was the precious fellowship that I know the Father orchestrated. I know that I am called for a greater purpose and despite my physical limitations, I really look forward to seeing His plans unfold as HE EQUIPS ME to be part of His purpose.

Whew! Literally, my cup overflows. I need and want to pour some out and share more, but I need to snuggle with my littles first. I need to feel their warmth and pour out this overflow first into why I even carry the precious title of "mommy".

Links {FI♥AR} and {Recipe}

2012-02-01T12:59:00.003-05:00

Whew! I am almost up and running with a computer. I have missed my little friend and I have a lot of catching up to do.

Many thanks to those who shared about the links that were not working.

ALL of the FI♥AR links should now be working properly for the Copywork and Lapbooking pieces. I've also updated the tutorial link and it should offer help to anyone who may have downloading trouble. You will need Adobe Reader to view the files. It's a FREE program.

I'm in the process of working on the recipe links, but I will have to move posts as I have time.

If you find any links not working (besides the recipe), please let me know.

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup

2012-01-26T19:51:00.002-05:00

This soup was a keeper in our home!

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup

Ingredients:

Approx. 5 lbs. Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 - 14oz. cans chicken broth
3 cups milk
1 ½ cups dry white wine
¼ butter
2 large leeks - sliced
½ lb. of bacon (chopped)
fresh thyme to taste
3 bay leaves
salt & white pepper

Directions:

In frying pan, melt butter and cook leeks for approximately 5 minutes on medium heat. Add in bacon and cook until bacon is cooked all the way through a good 15-20 minutes. Season while cooking leeks and bacon with thyme, salt and white pepper.

In a stock pot, add chicken broth, milk, wine, potatoes, and leek and bacon mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are good and soft. This takes a while -- approx. 30 minutes.

Once potatoes are soft and nearly falling apart, turn off heat. Scoop into blender, half potatoes and half liquid and blend until creamy. Repeat this process and blend potatoes and liquid until soup is a good creamy consistency and no more diced potatoes remain. The soup will continue to get thicker. (I think I had to do this about 4-5 times filling my blender, blending, and then dumping back into the pot and scooping out more potatoes.) I also cover my blender with a tea towel to keep the liquid from splashing up. It's very hot, so take caution.

It's now ready to serve!

We like to top it with chives. It has a lovely flavor and we've even tossed around the idea of adding cheese to top it off.

This serves approximately 8 people in good sized portions.

Decorative Rice (healthy, too!)

2012-01-26T19:48:00.004-05:00

his is one of my favorite rice dishes to serve. Besides being very pretty with little decorative swirls from the quinoa, the nutritional value is very good!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
1 cup quinoa
4 ^3/4 water
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil. Turn down heat and simmer until rice is tender and water is gone. I usually keep a lid on and check it every few minutes to make sure that it is not burning on the bottom.

Homemade Seasoning Salt

2012-01-26T19:48:00.003-05:00

I found that making my own Seasoning Salt was not only healthier but also saved me a lot of money! This is our homemade recipe. I buy most of the ingredients in bulk and that saves us enough more money.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup granulated garlic
1/3 cup granulated onion
1 cup sea salt (regular salt can be used but we prefer the health benefits of sea salt)
1/4 cup pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and shake well. You can double this recipe and store inside a quart jar. If you would like this to have a “reddish” color that most seasoning salts in the store have, just add some paprika to your mix.

Asian Chicken Salad

2012-01-26T19:47:00.004-05:00

This has become a contender for one of our favorite QUICK meals. It's very simple, but I'm sure it is loaded with sodium and not all that healthy.

Ingredients:

2 bags of shredded cabbage (1-2 heads of cabbage in food processor)
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cooked and shreaded
1 bunch of green onions - chopped
½ cup slivered almonds
2 Top Ramen "oriental" flavored noodles (separate noodles -(crush) from seasoning packet)
1 - 15oz can of mandarin oranges
1 TBL. olive oil

Dressing: (Mix this all together ahead of time and chill in refrigerator)

½ cup olive oil
1 seasoning packet from the Top Ramen
3 TBL apple cider vinegar
3 TBL sugar

Directions:
On stop top, brown almonds, and the 2 packages of Tap Ramen noodles in 1 TBL olive oil. Set aside to cool.

In large bowl, add cabbage, chicken green onions and sauteed almonds and noodles and toss together. Gently add in mandarin oranges.

Can be eaten immediately or chilled.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

2012-01-26T19:43:00.002-05:00

I’m making a scrapbooked family recipe album. It’s a work in progress, but I just have to share this recipe. A friend of mine {Thank you, Amy!} brought us a meal while I was suffering so terribly with morning sickness. She brought this meal just about the time, that I was able to start tolerating foods and I remembered enjoying my meal despite the horrid nausea. I got the recipe and cooked it and YUM!!!

It really was easy to make although it’s not a frugal recipe nor one for any diet! It has a really good taste and makes a LOT of food. I doubled the recipe and the casserole dish was sooooo heavy that I decide to weigh it on my scale. It was 12 lbs. 14.6 oz including the dish!!! … I still can’t believe how much it weighed!

Here is my scrapbooked recipe page:

(Click to enlarge!)

Homeschool Art Recipes

2012-01-26T19:40:00.001-05:00

These are some very helpful recipes to use for art in our homeschooling. They really come in handy when you don’t want to run out to the store and you need them for a project.

Baker’s Clay

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tsp. powdered alum
1 1/2 cups water
Food coloring
Mix all ingredients in bowl. If too dry work in extra water with
hands. Color by dividing and adding food coloring to each portion.
Roll or mold as desired. Once molded or rolled bake on ungreased
cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 250 degree oven. Turn and bake
another 1 1/2 hours. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly if
desired and paint.

Bath Paint

Shaving cream
Food coloring
In a muffin tin, place a quantity of shaving cream. Mix in food
coloring.

Big Bubbles

2 c Joy or Dawn dishwashing liquid
6 c Water
3/4 c Light corn syrup
Mix ingredients in bucket. Let settle 3-4 hours. Makes super big
bubbles.

Bookbinding or Leather Glue

1 packet (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon glycerin
1. In a pan, add gelatin to boiling water. Stir until gelatin is
completely dissolved.
2. Add vinegar and glycerin. Stir until well mixed.
Makes about 1/3 cup. For larger projects, double the recipe.
How to use it: While the glue is still warm, apply a thin layer with
a brush. This waterproof glue is excellent for binding leather to
leather.
It also makes a good flexible glue for use on paper, or for gluing
cloth to cardboard for making notebook binders or scrapbooks.
Stored in a tightly capped plastic or glass jar, this glue will keep
for several months. It will gel in the bottle after a few days. Warm
bottle in hot water to reuse glue.

Colored Playdough

1 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until
ball forms. Knead until smooth.

Condensed Milk Paint

1 cup condensed milk
Food coloring

Mix one cup condensed milk with a few drops of food coloring. This
makes a very bright, glossy colored paint.

Cornstarch Finger Paint

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
Food coloring
Soap flakes
or liquid dishwashing soap

Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold
water and stir until mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Divide into
four or five portions (in muffin tins or cups). Add a drop or two of
food coloring to each portion and a pinch of soap flakes or soap.
Stir and let cool. Store in airtight container.

Egg Dye

1/4 teaspoon food coloring
3/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Measure liquids into a bowl. Separate into small bowls. Add food
coloring to each mixture. Soak hard boiled eggs in dye.

Face Paint

1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon cold cream
Food coloring

Stir together starch and cold cream until well-blended. Add water
and stir. Add food coloring. Using a small brush paint designs on
child’s face. Remove with soap and water. Store in airtight
container.

Glue

3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup cold water

Mix water, syrup and vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to a rolling
boil. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Add this mixture
slowly to first mixture. Stir constantly. Let stand overnight before
using.

Goop

2 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
Food coloring

Boil water in saucepan - add cornstarch stirring until smooth. Add
food coloring and stir. Remove from heat and cool. Child can play
with the goop on any plastic covered surface.

Homemade Paste

1/2 cup flour
Cold water

Add cold water to 1/2 cup flour until a thick cream forms. Simmer on
stove for 5 minutes. Add food coloring or flavoring if desired. Wet
messy paint that takes a while to dry.

Jewelry Clay

3/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Salt
1/2 cup Cornstarch
Warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Gradually add warm water until the
mixture can be kneaded into shapes. Make beads by rolling the dough
into little balls, piercing the balls with toothpicks, and allowing
the balls to dry. Paint and string the beads.

Kool-aid Playdough

1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons alum
Kool-aid for color

Boil salt in water until salt is dissolved. Add Koolaid for color.
Add salad oil, flour and alum. Knead or process until smooth. Keeps
for two months or longer.

Library Paste

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon alum
4 cups water
Oil of cloves

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and cook until clear and thick. Add
30 drops of Oil of cloves and store covered.

Modeling Clay

2 cups salt
2/3 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water (cold)

Stir salt and water over heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat
and stir in cornstarch and cold water. Mix until smooth, return to
heat and cook until thick. Cool before using. Store in plastic bag.

No-Bake Craft Clay

1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 cups baking soda
Food coloring
Paint

Mix all ingredients except paint in saucepan over medium heat for 4
minutes until thick (like mashed potatoes). Add food coloring to
water before mixture adding for color. Remove from heat, turn out
onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Knead like
dough. Store in airtight container.

Paper Mache Paste

1 cup water
1/4 cup flour
5 cups lightly boiling water

Mix flour into one cup water until mixture is thin and runny, stir
into boiling water. Gently boil and stir for 3 minutes. Cool before
using. (Use with newspaper/newsprint strips for Paper mache).

Pasta Dye

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
Food coloring

Mix alcohol and food coloring in bowl. Add small amounts of any type
of pasta to liquid and gently stir. Dry on newspapers covered with
wax paper.

Poster Paint

1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
3 tablespoons powdered tempera paint
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon liquid starch or liquid detergent

Measure flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is
smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Add
1/4 cup flour paste into small jar or plastic container. Add tempera
paint and water for each color. For opaque finish add liquid starch.
For glossy finish had liquid detergent.

Salt Playdough

1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour

Mix ingredients and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when
thick and rubbery. As mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make a
workable dough.

Sidewalk Chalk

Plaster of Paris
Water
Colored Tempera Paint OR Food Colors

Mix 2 quarts. plaster of Paris w/ 1 part water. Mix in desired
color. Pour into paper towel or TP tubes (about 3″ high). Let dry
thoroughly (may take several days). Remove from tubes.

Silly Putty

2 parts white glue
1 part liquid starch

Mix ingredients and let dry until workable. Add more glue or starch
if necessary. May not work on humid days. Store in airtight
container.

Simple Playdough

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
6 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 cups cool water
3 Tbsp oil
Food coloring

Mix dry ingredients in a big cooking pot. Blend liquids together in
a bowl. Combine with dry ingredients and cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly. Remove from heat when dough pulls away from the
sides of the pot and can be pinched without sticking (about 5 min.)
Turn onto board or counter and knead until smooth play dough
consistency. Store in an airtight container.

Soap Crayons

1 cup Soap flakes
Food coloring
2 tablespoons Hot water

Have one large bowl and several small bowls, one for each color. You
will also need an ice cube tray with different sections, or
containers to act as small molds.

Put soap flakes in a large bowl and drop the hot water into the soap
flakes, stirring constantly. The mixture will be extremely thick and
hard to stir.

Spoon some of the soap into each of the small bowls and color each
separately, adding the color by drops until the soap has the
consistency of a very thick paste.

Press spoonfuls of the soap into your molds and set the crayons in a
dry place to harden. They should take a few days to a week to dry
completely.

When dry, remove from the molds and allow to dry for a few more days
before using.

Yield: 20 Crayons

Uncooked Playdough

1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Tempera paint or food coloring

Mix water, salt, oil and enough paint to make bright colors.
Gradually work flour and cornstarch to consistency of bread dough.

Waterproof - Glass Glue

2 pk (1/2 oz.) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons Cold water
3 tablespoons Skimmed milk
Few drops of oil of wintergreen

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin into cold water. Set aside to
soften. Heat milk to boiling and pour into softened gelatin. Stir
until dissolved. Add oil of wintergreen as a preservative. Makes
about 1/3 cup. Use while still warm; may be applied with a brush.
This glue is very effective for gluing glass to glass, metal to
metal, wood, mending china and labels on glass jars.
To glue marbles together allow glue to cool slightly so it begins to
jell. Glue should be stored in a screw capped glass jar. It will
jell as it cools. To restore it to use set jar in hot water.

Simchat Torah Treat

2012-01-26T19:38:00.001-05:00

We received an email earlier this week from Modern Jewish Moms with a Torah treat. I signed up to learn more about the Jewish Holidays and for some recipes! We made them today and they were really yummy and cute.

Ingredients:

Rice Krispies
Marshmellows
Butter
Licorice
Fruit Roll-ups

Directions: Make the Rice Krispie treats per the instructions on the box and then you can see from the pictures “how” we made them.

Oil and Vinegar Dressing

2012-01-26T19:37:00.002-05:00

This is another favorite recipe that we love to put on a true Italian salad….Salad, mozarella cheese, olives, croutons…YUM! We mix this dressing in the salad before it’s served and we find that we use less dressing, too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (we prefer Dr. Braggs)
1 TBS Homemade Seasoning Salt
1 TBS basil
1-2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

Put into a pint jar and shake to mix well. Refrigerate and let sit out about 30 min. before each use to help the separated parts to mix better. Remember this has no additives or preservatives to keep it mixed…the health benefits will outweigh the inconvenience.

Carrot Cake

2012-01-26T19:28:00.001-05:00

This was a highlight of our day!
It was a wonderful mother-daughter moment!

Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups of grated carrots
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup of ground walnuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.

In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil and cream these together until well blended. Carefully add in one egg at a time and mix well after each egg is added.

Add in the 2 cups of grated carrots and stir together.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Slowly add this mixture into the blended, moist batter and stir until well mixed together.

Grease and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan (we used a fluted pan for decorative reasons, but not that great for frosting). Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick comes clean.

Frost with a Cream Cheese Frosting!

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Directions: Cream butter and cream cheese; add in confectioner's sugar, vanilla and salt.

Computer died

2012-01-26T16:13:00.002-05:00

My computer died. I will have VERY limited access to email, blogging and internet. I'm not sure what I will be able to do because everything was on my computer. I have back-ups of some things, but obviously not everything.

Apple Pie in a Jar

2012-01-24T20:18:00.001-05:00

28 cups sliced, peeled apples
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cornstarch
10 cups water (see note below)
2 tsps cinnamon
3 Tbsps lemon juice

Pack apple slices tightly in quart jars. Make a syrup from sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add lemon juice, seal and process jars in water bath 20 minutes. Yield 7 quarts.

Note: You can also dry pack the apple pie filling; the juices from the apple will be all you need during the canning process.

These are so handy to have in your pantry. Open a jar — pour into pie shell and bake — it is homemade goodness.

Basic Bread & Cinnamon Rolls

2012-01-24T20:15:00.002-05:00

Our middle daughter, age 10 (almost 11), had a lesson this weekend in bread baking. I decided to blog it for the recipe section of my blog.

Flax Seed

Wheat Spelt
Kamut Triticale

This recipe is used with a Bosch Mixer and a NutriMill grain mill. We decided to make it a multi-grain bread. Our grain choices were Prairie Gold Wheat, Flax Seed, Spelt, Kamut, and Triticale. Our family recipe also uses white flour since we prefer a white bread for texture and it helps with the rise due to our mountain elevation.

First step is preparing the grains.

1 cup flax seed is prepared by putting it into a blender and grinding it into a powder type texture.

Wheat, Spelt, Kamut and Tritacale

I added 4 cups of Wheat, 1 cup Spelt, 1 cup Kamut, and 1 cup Tritacale into the grain mill. This will grind more flour than what is needed for the recipe but we like to have a little extra to set aside for pancakes. Freshly ground grains should be refrigerated or frozen to retain as much nutritional value as possible.

Using our Bosch Mixer, we added the following (please add in this order)

5 cups warm/hot water

2 tsp. Lemon juice

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/2 cup Honey (we use raw honey)

2 T Salt (we use Sea Salt)

7 cups of the freshly ground flour

Turn on Bosch Mixer to moisten all the ingredients (about 30 seconds)

Then add the following:

6 cups White Flour

1 cup of the blended Flax Seed

3 1/2 Tbls. of Yeast

With the Bosch Mixer on, carefully watch to see that the dough is cleanly pulled away from the bowl. If it is sticking to the sides, slowly add in remaining freshly ground flour until it pulls away. Picture shows how the side of the bowl is fairly clean. Do it with little bits at time.

Turn on the Bosch Mixer for 5 minutes with the lid on.

Let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn on the Bosch Mixer for 20 minutes with the lid off. (Safety note: Please be careful with it functioning with the lid off.) We found that with the lid on during the 20 minute kneading cycle that the moisture built up caused the dough to be sticky.

We then place the dough into a plastic bowl that has been coated with olive oil. Turn dough so that both sides of the dough has oil on it and then cover with a kitchen towel that has been wet in HOT water.

Once this has risen for approximately 60 minutes and has doubled in size, it is ready to be taken out onto a greased counter top and divided into loaves. Divide this into 4 equal sections and shape into loaves and place into greased loaf pans or 1 section can be used to make cinnmon rolls for the next morning.

**We did this differently and found out that it didn’t quite work as well as we had thought. We divided this into 5 sections and put 4 into loaf pans and made 1 into cinnamon rolls. Our bread didn’t end baking as high as we would have liked….live and learn with recipes. **

I taught my daughter that as we prepare this bread that it is important to clean up as we go. The kitchen was completely cleaned, swept, dishes washed and put away while the bread was rising in the oiled bowl and we even had time to do other things in between.

While the loaves are rising in the bread pans, we prepared our cinnamon rolls. With a rolling pin, we rolled out the dough into a thin rectangular shape. We then spread our “spreadable butter” (I will post this recipe in another post), sprinkled with cinnamon and then sugar and rolled into a roll. We then cut into 1/2″ -1″ sections and placed in a greased baking dish. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. They will rise over night and be ready to bake. Tomorrow morning put in the oven on 350 degrees (do NOT preheat or your cold baking dish could break in a hot oven) and when they are lightly browned and cooked through (about 30 minutes) remove from oven and top with icing. To make the icing, we take a tablespoon of milk and slowly add powdered sugar until it is smooth and creamy to pour over the top of our cinnamon rolls. (My girls sometimes make extra icing…LOL!)

Now our loaves have risen and are ready to be baked. Place in oven at 350 degrees. Depending upon your oven and elevation these will bake for approximately 30-45 minutes. My oven which is propane takes about 30 minutes. The loaves will be a golden brown when completed. Immediately remove and cool on racks. As tempting as hot from the oven bread is, if you want to use this for sandwiches, I strongly recommend letting it cool completely before slicing.

This recipe is fairly flexible. Another favorite is make the recipe pretty much the same except we used about 9 cups of just freshly ground wheat and 5 cups of white. This makes a really nice bread that is light and yummy!

{repost from 2009 -- I miss my grain mill. ...maybe a future purchase.}

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2012-01-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

In our homeschool studies we have often learned of other countries. One of the countries we studied was Mexico and enjoyed making our own homemade flour tortillas. Better on the budget but even a healthier alternative without preservatives.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (if you grind your own grain — even better!)

3 Tablespoons (heaping) lard (Crisco)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

Directions:

Cut in lard with flour, baking powder and salt. Add hot water and mix well. Dough will be soft but shouldn’t be too sticky. (if sticky add pinches of flour) Pinch off small pieces, coat in flour, and roll out with a rolling pin into a circular shape. Using a skillet or electric griddle on medium heat, place the rolled out dough - your tortilla. Watch for bubbling and pop carefully as they appear. Once lightly cooked, flip to cook other side. Do not overcook…you want them to remain the white color with very light browning. Carefully remove and place in tortilla warmer or even in foil until ready to use.

Homemade Corn Bread

2012-01-24T20:11:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 cups finely milled cornmeal
½ cup sugar
2 TBLS baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
½ cup oil

Directions: Preheat over to 425°F.

Stir ingredients together just until batter is smooth. (Do not over stir.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a golden brown. Serve hot with butter and/or honey.

Artichoke Parmesean Dip

2012-01-24T20:10:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1 jar (size of soup can) artichoke hearts-NOT marinated (chopped)
a pinch of garlic salt

Directions:
Preheat over to 350°F.
Add and mix all ingredients together. Place in small baking dish and bake for approximately 35 minutes. Serve with crackers as a delicious appetizer.