A Birthday, Thanksgiving Plans and More

HAPPY 11TH  BIRTHDAY TEDDY BEAR!!!

Yes, it is our Teddy Bear's birthday today. Unfortunately, he's home from school with a cold. I'm not so sure if he feels that it is unfortunate or not, though, because he gets to play the video games that he got! We had a family party for him yesterday, and tomorrow after school we are going to the movies with a friend to celebrate. Tonight we will have a small cake after a spaghetti dinner and keep things low-key.

Having TB home this morning skewed my grocery shopping plans a bit, but thankfully my Mom was able to watch him so I could zip down and back quickly before it got too crazy at the stores in town. And she even (Thank you so much, Mom!!!) blessedly, washed the dishes and folded laundry for me. I can't thank the Lord enough for blessing me with such a helping and caring mother! So, now I have more time to sit down and plan for the week. The kiddos will be home from school starting on Wednesday, so I want to have some crafts, goodies and activities to do with them during the week. Also, I am making bread and rolls to bring to my sister's on Thursday. Friday I will be having my DH's family over for appetizers and desserts in the early afternoon, so I need to finalize my menu for that.

Tomorrow I will be doing the majority of the baking that needs to be done for Thanksgiving get togethers. This is what my plan looks like so far:

• make 2 loaves of bread and a batch of rolls for my sister's on Thursday
• make a pan of choc. chip cookie bars for Friday
• finish the Thanksgiving lap book
• clean the bathroom
• get some laundry done (seems like this is always on the list!)

 

Wednesday I will have the children help me make the cranberry sauce, Watergate salad, and a batch of individual pizza crusts. We'll also work on getting the house set for Friday, and they love to make napkin rings and place cards for the table. I usually just set out crayons, stickers and index cards for them. I'll talk to them more about what they would like to make on Wednesday.

I tried to get my holiday planner sheets into PDF format so that I could post them here for you, but it didn't work. And I'm just not technically savvy, so I have no idea what to do! I haven't been able to keep up on the "Don't Wing It Wednesdays" for before Thanksgiving, but I will be keeping up for Advent and Christmas.

I have my Advent wreath pulled out for Sunday, I just need to pick up my candles for it. I'm thinking of having a cardinal theme for Christmas decorations this year (I have plenty of cardinal things already!) so I would like to find a ribbon to decorate the wreath with, too. I also need to make up my mind about how to approach the Jesse tree; do I want to make ornaments, try to find ornaments, do an actual tree or make a poster? I'll have time on the drive Saturday to think this over.

Have a lovely Monday, Friends!
Blessings,
Kelly

Monday Updates

Happy Monday, Friends! And it is a lovely morning here on our hill. The sky is clear, the birds are chirping and the blanket of frost is slowly giving way to the sun's warmth. I don't know about you, but I was very grateful for that extra hour this weekend. I needed the sleep Sunday morning after trekking through the woods with Teddy Bear Saturday morning. Neither of the boys bagged a deer, but they both had chances to take a shot, and actually T.B. did get off a shot. It all happened so quickly, and my DH and I are extremely proud of how calm and collected he was as we watched about 5-6 deer hurdle towards us! Wheels would have been able to shoot but for a communication breakdown between him and Daddy. We're proud of him as well, because he was a good sport about it. They are both looking forward to next weekend, as are DH and I!

As far as home keeping, this weekend it was practically non-existent! I did about the bare minimum, as I was in a lot of pain most of the weekend. I did get the cookies for lunches made, as well as breakfast cookies, and my DH helped out in picking up the kitchen. Mostly I worked on planning and getting my leg/back straightened out.

I'm still working on this week's and next's dinner menu plan because I haven't had a chance to do a freezer inventory. As soon as I have it done, I'll be posting it. I do have a confession to make though: tonight I'm cheating as my DH said to go get KFC for dinner tonight! Who am I to argue with my hubby? ;0)

As I mentioned earlier, I was able to get some planning done, mostly in my Holiday Planner. As soon as I get all of my new pages in, I'll be posting more on that. I've decided to do a Thankful Wreath instead of a tree this year. I'm hoping to get some of the work done so that we can get it started this evening. I'm also going to be making a Thanksgiving lap book for the kiddos. I know that lap books are usually made by the children, but with them in school, they don't have a lot of time. I'm going to be including some games in it, as well as some sheets that they can all do and keep in the lap book. I'll be posting some of the links that I use for that, as well as pics of the finished product soon.

In holiday news, I've also decided on adding a Jesse Tree to our Advent traditions. If your not sure about what a Jesse Tree is, go here for a great explanation.  I'm thinking of making a sort of lap book Jesse Tree to help further the kid's understanding (And mine!) I'll be posting more links on this as we get closer to December.

That's about all for now! I'm not scheduled to work so far this week, so I'm planning on getting some housework and yard work done. I need to finish buttoning up the garden for the winter, and I'd like to get some Christmas lights up before I have to do it in the snow and freezing temps. They won't be turned on until after Thanksgiving, but they'll be ready to go! The kiddos have Friday of, so I'm thinking of doing some Thanksgiving crafts with them.

Have a lovely day, all!
Blessings,
Kelly

What I've Been Up To

Hi Friends! It's been a while since I've been able to write a post, although I have been able to read some of my favorite blogs while taking a break. As you can see from the photos above, I was very productive in the kitchen! My mother and I shared a table at one of the local craft fairs, and I decided to do baked goods this year. In all, I had 4 cakes, 9 dozen cookies, 18 mini loaves and 3 regular to sell. The bad news is I came home with almost everything minus only a couple mini loaves and a dozen cookies. The good news is the freezer is filled with baked goods, and I was able to share, as well.  I may have only made enough to cover the cost of the table, but I now have readily available snacks, goodies to offer unexpected company, and gifts. It was well worth the 2 days of baking!

Last Thursday I had a Four Wind's work shop, where I learned about beavers and muskrats. It's amazing how wonderful and unique each of God's creatures is! The children don't have school on Friday, so I think we might expand on our beaver/muskrat knowledge and make a fun "beaver lodge" out of chocolate "mud" and pretzel sticks. I'm trying to think of some likely places to find either animals (or at least signs of them) to go on for a "field trip".

Speaking of field trips, Saturday afternoon we went to an open house put on by a local Omya quarry. This is an annual event that we have gone to for about 4 or 5 years now. We always enjoy it, and learn something new. The kids, (mostly the boys!) love to see the huge loaders and dump trucks that work in the quarry. After donning a hard hat, you can get on a school bus and go down into the quarry. This year I opted out of this part, as school bus seats and my herniated disc just do not get along! I did get to see a double rainbow though! The kids came back to the van with bags of rocks that they had hacked away at with hammers. Next spring they'll join their brothers and sisters out in the flower garden. (the rocks, not the kids!!)

So that's what I've been doing. I'm hoping to get some more posts this week, as I have to more to share about using oatmeal and getting the home and garden ready for winter. Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Kelly

Cooking and Baking With Oatmeal: Part One

This little gem is a copy of the 8th printing in January of 1981. I was about 1 and 1/2 years old!

Did you now that you can add whole grains to you and your family's diet very easily and inexpensively? This is something I struggle with for both myself and my children. We don't like wheat bread or whole wheat pasta, and we really don't have the money to afford it even if we did! And no one in our home really cares for traditional oatmeal for breakfast, which is so good for you. However, you can have oatmeal and it it too. (And even like it!)

For about a year or so now, I've been making my own oat flour by lightly toasting it in the oven and then "milling" it in the blender. I've substituted some of the all purpose flour in baked goods with the oat flour, with no adverse effects to the recipe. According to The Quaker Oats Whole Grain Cookbook you don't have to toast the oatmeal, just whir 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal in your blender or food processor for about 60 seconds until you have flour. This makes about 1 cup of flour. I make up quite a bit at a time, storing it in an airtight container in a cool dry place. "When used in baking, substitute up to but not more than 1/3 of the all purpose flour called for with oat flour." With this in mind, I give you Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies!

1 1/3 Cup of shortening, butter, stick margarine combination

1 C. Sugar

1 C. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 C. whole wheat flour

1 C. oat flour

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

12 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*, then cream together you butter, etc. Add the sugars and mix until light and fluffy. Continue beating in 1 egg at a time, adding vanilla at the end until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. Add 1cup of flour, (it doesn't matter which) the baking soda and salt. Mix well with beaters. Then with a strong spoon, add remaining flours and chocolate chips. Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on size of cookie and what you used for fats.

Whole Grain Choco Chip Cookies!

For the cookies pictured above, I used 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 and 1/3 cups of stick margarine. They spread a bit more than if I had used some shortening, but were still soft and chewy. And the kids haven't noticed a difference in taste! (O.k., so I couldn't either!)  I also used mini chocolate chips, so that I don't need as many in the mix. If you want to make these even healthier, you could make these into bar cookies by substituting an equal measure of unsweetened apple sauce for half of the fats, reducing the oven temp to 350* and baking for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. I've made them this way before, and although the texture is different, they are still yummy!

Another way to add oatmeal to your diet is by making the Add-A-Crunch recipe from The Quaker Oats Whole Grain Cookbook . There are three recipes, each with it's own applications. There is a Savory Add-A-Crunch, a Cinnamon A-A-C, and a Peanut A-A-C. I made the Savory Add-A-Crunch to use as "croutons, bread crumbs over salads, soups or casseroles". I'm going to give you the recipe as printed in the cook book, and then a revision that I would make next time. I felt that the original recipe used just too much butter for my tastes (Can you imagine, TOO much butter!) and I would like to make this a bit healthier. Keep in mind, I haven't actually made the revised recipe, so you might want to play around with the "fat" you use, according to your and your family's taste.

Quaker Oats Savory Add-A-Crunch

2 cups Quaker Oats (Quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1/2 Cup butter or margarine, melted

1/3 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/3 C. wheat germ, unprocessed bran or chopped nuts, if desired

1/4 tsp. onion or garlic salt.

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Bake in ungreased 15-1/2x10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan in a preheated moderate oven (350*F) 15 to 18n minutes or until light golden brown. Cool; store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 3 months. Sprinkle over tossed salad greens, soups, casseroles or vegetables. VARIATION: Add 1 tsp. oregano leaves and 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves to mixture before baking.

My Savory-Add-A Crunch. I used my usual Pyrex cake pan.

Homespun Inspirations Savory Add-A-Crunch

2 C. old fashioned or quick oats, uncooked (use whatever brand you have!)

1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil

1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup wheat germ or flax seed, if desired (I used flax seed in the pic above.)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt.

Follow the above directions, using the biggest pan you have on hand! I'm storing mine in a quart canning jar in the fridge. You can also add whatever herbs and spices you would like.

I'm wondering if you could add the A-A-C to stuffing mix, so next time I make it, I'll try adding it in.

There are many more recipes to share, but I'm running out of time for today! And, I would prefer to share recipes that I have actually tried. So I'll be back soon with more recipes to share, and if you have one, please let me know. You can comment below, look for me on face book, or email me at homespuninspirations@Gmail.com. Have a great day!

Blessings,

Kelly

Nesting Boxes, Substituting and Soccer Practice

The new nesting boxes that my father in law built for us.

Attached to the side of the coop. Almost finished!

My planner turned to this week's page, with my apple shaped post-it reminders for the kids' chores and menu planning!

This is the post I thought would never happen! I've tried a few times to get a chance to get it done, but the computer would freeze, or I'd run out of time. It's about quarter after seven, the kids are still showering and need to get to bed, as do I! It's been a crazy day for this Mama, and the week has just begun!

In homesteading news, my father in law got the nesting boxes finished, and my D.H. got them hooked onto the coop with his father's and brother in law's help. The girls are happy, I think, although some are still insisting on squeezing in with Alice, our broody girl! We still have to finish putting on trim, insulating and staining the coop. But we're getting there!

I subbed at the kids' school today, after doing my grocery shopping and some quick chores around the house. I'm truly thankful for my crock pot because Wheels had a soccer game tonight. I bought a whole chicken this morning because they were on sale, got home and threw it in the crock with some onion, garlic, thyme and sage. It was done just in time, and tasted wonderful! There were lots of juices in the crock to make gravy with, and we left the carcass in the crock, so now I'm making stock!

The rest of the week is looking pretty full, with a full day at the school tomorrow, evening soccer practices, a volunteer class in Princess' class and a washing machine that isn't working. That means a trip to the laundromat! I'm wishing I had one of those old ringer washer's right now.

That's all for this evening. I'm hoping to be back Wednesday for another post. Have a lovely evening!
Blessings,
Kelly