Salt Dough Heart Ornaments...

I saw this idea in our Sunday Paper and cut it out to do with the kids this week.

I love sharing, so here you go!

Super-Simple Air Dry Clay:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water

Mix the ingredients.  Add water, slowly.  If you want to color dough, add food coloring to the water.  Form into balls and roll out to about 1/8 inch thick.  Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes (in this case, heart and you can get heart-shaped cookie cutters in varying sizes).  Once you have cut out the shapes, leave them to dry for a day or two (or bake at 225 until they are hard) making sure you flip them every few hours so both sides have a chance to air dry.  Then decorate them however you'd like!

I am thinking these will be fun for Daddy, Grandparents and Teachers.  Maybe even add a magnet to the back.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pancake Mix...

was another gift I gave to families for Christmas.

I purchased some cute, white bags that look like coffee bags - put about 4 cups of mix in each bag - wrapped the mix with a nice dish towel - and tied it up with raffia and tucked in a wooden spoon.  For some reason, I didn't get a picture of this one - but it was cute!

This gift was fun for neighbors or people we wanted to give a "family" gift.

I have been making this mix for a while now.  On my journey of identifying processed foods we eat and buy a lot of - Pancake Mix made that list!  So, I searched out a recipe that would work for our family, and found a keeper worth sharing.  Not only am I saving money, it's healthier for us.

A friend of mine asked for the recipe, so here it is!
(I keep the big batch stored in a large tupperware container in the pantry.)

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
6 c. flour - 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat
6 T sugar - I used unrefined sugar
4 T baking powder
1 T salt
1 T plus 1 tsp cinnamon

To Make:  mix 1 cup of mix, 1 cup of milk, 1 egg and 2 T canola oil.

Cook in your skillet and enjoy!

We also do Banana Pancakes a lot!  The kids love those.  To make it even healthier, serve with 100% pure maple syrup.

Let me know what you think!

Homemade Pizza and Pizza Sauce...

Here is something from our menu tonight -

Sophie's Birthday Party with Family!

This turned out awesome!  So yummy.

Pizza Sauce Recipe
from All Recipes

15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp dried minced garlic (or garlic powder)
1 tsp ground paprika
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp minced onion

Homemade Pizza
from Organizing Junkie

1 T active dry yeast (I used a packet)
1 cup warm water (100 to 115 degress F)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 T olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour - I do 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white

Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Add the rest of the ingredients in and mix.  Dump onto a floured surface - a very floured surface!  It was sticking all over me!  Knead into a smooth dough (five minutes or so).  Roll out and press down onto a greased pizza pan.  Add some pizza sauce and your toppings.  Bake at 450 degress F for around 12-15 minutes until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.  Dough can also be frozen as well.

Homemade Granola Bars...

A project of mine for the past several months has been to identify the top few processed foods we eat a lot of - and search out homemade, healthy recipes for those items.

Better on the grocery budget and better on the body. 

I also need items that can be tossed in the car "to go" at times.  This recipe is great for that!

I am excited to share a few of our family's favorite recipes with you.

My latest test has been this Homemade Granola Bar recipe.  I've tried a few - not too impressed - but this one is worth sharing - and YOU trying!

If fact, I delivered 3 to friends for their families to taste test for me and I received 3 "LOVED!", "So Good!" and "I need the recipe!" comments.

So, here it is:

I found the recipe here at Confessions of a Homeschooler
(who found it at Raising Olives).

Granola Bar Recipe

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Mix together first 7 ingredients, then make a well in the center and add the honey, beaten egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Pat the mixture evenly into the baking dish.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn golden. Cool for 5 minutes and then cut into bars and remove from dish WHILE STILL WARM. Well unless you want to chip it out and use the crumbled pieces for ice cream topping. In that case, just let it cool as long as you wish.


Enjoy!  

Let me know if you try it and what you think.

 The girls really enjoyed helping!

Chili and Cornbread

Here are a couple of new recipes I am going to try this week!  I already have a good chili and cornbread recipe I use, but I'm always up for giving new ones a try!  So, just thought I'd share with you too.


Nothing like a pot of chili and warm cornbread on a Fall evening!

Meal Plan Monday!

Yeah, Here I am!  It's 9:20 on Monday night, and I'm finally posting my Menu for the week - maybe because I just figured it out.  I will not have recipes now (I need to type the rest), maybe by tomorrow!  I still need to iron Josh's shirts for the week...  I'm a little behind - and it's only Monday.  :)  oh no.

If you've been hanging out with me for a while, you know I LOVE routines.  Well, I am now working on Mondays for my Dad, and it's been so hard figuring out when I will shop for my weekly menu.  I try to stay focused on Sundays, but after church - I just want to lay around!  It's Sabbath, right?  Going to the store is NOT resting, I do know that!  But, I know I will settle into a routine soon and get this all figured out.

Anyway, I was able to plan a menu today, but I still need to hit the store.

If you haven't noticed, our family is MOSTLY vegetarian.  We will eat meat occasionally - and we prefer to eat meat only from a local/grassfed farm in our community.

BUT, IF YOU INVITE US OVER FOR DINNER WE WILL EAT WHATEVER YOU SERVE US AND WE WILL WILL SAY THAAAAAANK YOOOOOOU! AND WILL BE SOOOO GRATEFUL!

Our philosophy is 75% of the time we eat... our way.
The other 25% of the time we... go with the flow.

This week our family is eating:

Sunday:  Enchilada Soup
We went to Josh's sister's home on Sunday for a Fall Family Party.  I made an amazing Enchilada Soup!

Monday:  Pizza Roll - I made up this one.  I've been craving a pizza roll and kind of combined a few recipes I have seen.  I got a pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, spread it out into a square, poured 1/2 a jar of pizza sauce on the center of the dough, put mushrooms down, olives down, because these were the veggies I had and covered it with cheese.  I did a few shakes or oregano, a few shakes of garlic salt, rolled it up (like a tortilla - seam on bottom), brushed olive oil on top and shook some parm. cheese on top.  I baked it for 15ish minutes at 375.  Josh LOVED it and so did the kids.

Tuesday:  Taco Bake and left over Enchilada Soup - recipes to come!

Wednesday:  Potato Soup - a new recipe I will try.

Thursday:  BBQ Pork Sandwiches and Red Potatoes
For the BBQ Pork, I buy canned pork at Seven Sons, put it on the stove and mix a jar or BBQ sauce with it and warm it up!  SOOOOOO easy and Josh loves it.  I'm always happy when Josh is happy.  I'll get some good buns and serve up a sandwich.  It's also good with some lettuce on the sandwich.

Friday:  Beef Stroganoff - recipe to come.

Saturday:  hmmm...  a treat!  Maybe Chinese carry out?!

Meal Plan Monday!

Well, here it is...  my very first Menu Plan Monday post!  I'm not promising this will be posted first thing on Monday, but you'll get it eventually! 

I am committing myself  to this for a few reasons:

1.  I want some accountability.
2.  I want to share recipes.
3.  I want some new recipes!

So, why don't you join me?  I'm pretty sure there's a way to link up to a blog post.  I'm trying to figure it out - and can't. Come on super smart friends, do you know?  Please help me!  This will be fun!  Please join me and share some of your recipes.

This is our menu for the week:

Monday:  Avocado Reubens*, salt and vinegar chips and pickles.
*Rye bread, smashed up avocado, swiss cheese, warm saurkraut, thousand island dressing.
Grill it all up in a buttery skillet.  mmmmm  I can clarify if you don't understand.

Tuesday:  Usborne Book Show - I'm not preparing a meal!  Just snacks for my friends.

Wednesday:  Lasagna, fried green tomatoes (trying to use up our final harvest!) and garlic bread

Thursday:  Worship Band Fall Party!  I'm taking a side dish...  don't know that yet.  Any ideas for a fun Fall side dish?

Friday:  Butternut Squash Bisque, and grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches
This soup is AMAZING!  Halle was begging for more after we ran out.

Saturday:  I'm going out with a friend for lunch - and we're going over to friend's house for supper!  What a great day of celebrating friends and NO cooking.

Sunday:  Over to Josh's sister's house for a Fall Party.  I will take another side dish.

So, there you have it!  What's on your menu for the week?  Just post it in my comment section!

I'm already thinking about Christmas

I already trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas in just a few months away! I'm thinking about the budget, giving with a purpose, not just buying a bunch of stuff, not going into debt, blessing others, and trying to MAKE as much as possible or support another person who MAKES items. When I say MAKE - I'm talking about baking, cooking, crafting, sewing, photography, etc. I'm thinking about being green and frugal and being a wise steward of our resources. My mind will remain focused on Jesus and NOT the overwhelming pressures that come with the holiday season. I say this every year, and once again - I'm ready and excited to take on the challenge.

So, Today - I am shredding and freezing zucchini. I plan to make mini loaves of zucchini bread to give as gifts. I have an amazing recipe that I made few weeks ago, and we ate the whole loaf in less than a day! I'm not kidding. My belly hurt! So, I trust that it will make a great gift!! If you've never stored zucchini, here is a mini lesson for you! I will also include the recipe that is St. John approved - even kid approved!

I bought a handful of locally grown zucchini at a farm stand. I've also stored some from my Dad's organic farm. All you do is wash it, cut off the ends and then shred it. Store 2 cups in a freezer zipper bag - because most recipes call for 2 cups of shredded zucchini.

Label the bag, toss it in your freezer and leave it there until December! When you thaw it out, be sure to drain out any water before tossing it into your batter! You'll be so excited to have summer grown fresh zucchini on hand.

You may have your own, but here is the recipe I use.

What are some of your Homemade Christmas gift ideas?

I'm on a roll this week!

This has been a WONDERFUL week of cooking for me.

It's been so easy and resourceful - I want to share it with you.

I don't have time - at this moment - to share the recipes, but I will soon!

On Tuesday, I made a whole chicken from Seven Sons Farm.

I used a recipe from my friend Jackie - and tweaked it a bit to fit our family.

It was AMAZING! and so EASY!

On Wednesday, I made a huge batch of whole wheat pancake mix because the kids LOVE pancakes. I've been buying a very expensive mix from the store. I found a great recipe from More with Less Cookbook and consulted with my friend, Heidi, on the final product.

Soooo yummy, and the kids love it!

On Thursday, I made homemade chicken and noodle soup with my left over chicken (from Tuesday) and all the broth.

Today, I made a whole wheat pizza crust (the girls and I kneaded it by hand!), homemade sauce and veggies! The pizza recipe also came from More with Less Cookbook.

We all (and the neighbors) loved the pizza!

Such a fun, resourceful and healthy week of cooking!

Recipes coming soon.