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Mom's Theatrical Kitchen Day
Friday, January 23, 2009
Well, some folks call it baking day but my plans have me doing more than just baking, so I'm calling it Kitchen Day.
Kiddo has three performances of OZ with a Wicked Twist today across town. The cast will perform for area schools today (schools get bussed in to the theatre) and two afternoon/evening public performances tomorrow (and this all repeats next weekend, too!) So, since I'm not a stage mom, I've decided to get some things done in the kitchen instead.
My plans for today (we'll see how far I get) include:
- Pulled Beef in the crockpot (I've been making this exact recipe for years and adore it! Also great using pork if desired instead.) This will be tomorrow night's dinner meal after the final performance (along with whatever else I decide on.)
- Cook of six pounds of extra lean ground beef. Split and make into 3 portions: 1 with taco seasoning, 2 with pasta sauce
- Make granola. Once baked and toasted, make some into a batch of granola bars, storing the rest of the loose granola for cereal use and future granola bar making.
- Make White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins. This is a new recipe I came across and since I already have everything I thought I'd try them. I'll be tweaking by using Sucanat instead of sugar and using all whole wheat flour (partly whole wheat pastry flour.) These will be for the freezer.
- Make Double Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. This will be an easy one since I use the ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I haven't made ice cream for a while and wondered "why not?" So this is the recipe I settled on. I'll be using 2% milk instead of whole, Splenda instead of sugar, natural peanut butter, and arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.
- Double batch of whole wheat pancakes. One batch will have fresh blueberries added. All we be for the freezer.
I also need to run by the library and drop some items off, go by the pet store and pick up a small bag of Timothy Hay for our guinea pigs (our 1/2 bale of hay is on order and won't be in until next week), and run by the florist to pick up a small bouquet of flowers for giving to kiddo tomorrow after the evening performance.
There are a few more household tasks to do as well asf amily is coming in this evening for kiddo's Oz shows: downstairs vacuumed, bedsheets washed, beds remade, kitchen table cleared of clutter.
Well, guess that's it. I'll try to remember to post about how the day went and what all I actually managed to get done. The good thing is that whatever "kitchen day" things don't get made today I have next Friday to do them, too. But I'm hoping to get it all done so next Friday I can do OTHER kitcheny stuff!
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Cannery give-away!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Everyone likes free stuff so I thought I'd let ya'll know about this give-away for CANNING STUFF that Peggy is having over at her canning blog, The Simple Woman's Cannery. Go enter if you'd like, but cross your fingers that *I* win. I've ALWAYS, ALWAYS wanted to try my hand at canning. I remember Mom used to put up grape jelly and applesauce when we lived in Indianapolis early in my childhood. We had a giant apple tree out back as well as a big ol' grape arbor of Concord Grapes. YUM! I'd personally love to pickle  and can okra this year. It's my first year for growing okra but my dad assures me it isn't a tough one to grow. I just LOVE, LOVE pickled okra so canning my own would be just a dream!
 This is the winning prize package. (Basket not included)
Click the image to go enter her give-away!
A winner will be drawn on June 9th!
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At my desk
Monday, January 14, 2008
Nina showed her desk as did Jennifer
Click the image below to go to Flickr to see what is really on my desk this morning. I took a photo of it in all it's glory... clutter and all. At Flickr you can mouse over and see what all those squares are. (Seester, I chose Flickr for this so you could see it while away! Ain't I sweet!? LOL)
If you REALLY want to see what's on people's desks click on over to On My Desk. Pretty interesting.
If you decide to snap a photo and blog about your desk, be sure to leave a link in my comments so I can go take a gander!
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Home Management Binder
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
After waffling about whether I needed one of these, oh, for over a year now, I caved in. I figured I had most of the stuff that is typically in such a binder already printed or saved to my harddrive anyway, I might as well wrangle it all up and put in one location. Thus, my own home management binder was born.
Being a scrapbooker, though, I knew exactly what I wanted for a binder. I did NOT want a typical white binder with a slide in window. That rings too 'schooly" for me (we already have many of those in use for school stuff.) So I was tickled when I found two craft-colored blank binders at Wal-mart for next to nothing in their markdowns aisle! I bought two (no plans for the other one, yet, but I'm sure I'll put it to good use eventually.)
(Click images to enlarge.)
Here's the cover of my binder-
 Collaged various items to the front that represent me and my family.
Modge-podged it all afterwards to seal it. **Ooops, I forgot about the
stamped images and accidentally smeared them a bit
with the modge-podge. Oh well.*
And the spine:
 And yes, part of my binder design was to edge it all in black
for that "worn" look. Hey, I figure I might as well start the
wear and tear off right! LOL
And the back:
Well, as it turned out, creating and decorating the outside of the binder was the easy part. It was more difficult to actually decide what I wanted to put in the binder... and not just to fill it up! I've been collecting various forms, pages, charts, etc. for who knows how long. Unfortunately I didn't have the mind to think to keep note of where I got most of them. So if you happen to see a page and know where it originated from, please leave me a comment with the link and I'll thankfully & happily link to it as proper credit!
First inside is a bulldog clip, to hold the "hot stuff" (things I'm actively working on or need to be.) In this photo it holds the summer camp registration and waiver forms for my DD plus a Office Depot brochure I need to follow up on, having registered ages ago but never received my personal card. (Digital noise added to cover up vital personal information, etc.)The right hand side holds a brown pouch for various writing instruments, calculator, notepads, etc. On the smooth, clear window I stuck a couple pads of Post-it Notes. They stick well, and use the rest of the window to hold notes.
Next page is a lovely little household prayer from the Susan Branch website. I just love her stuff!
And that is followed by the month's print out of my Outlook calendar. Nothing fancy, it doesn't even show the full information, but it's enough to bring something to mind if/when I need it and I'm not at the computer.
Next is an "at a glance" calendar for 2008. Very basic. As with most all the pages, since it is in a page protector I use a Sharpie marker to write on it instead of the actual calendar sheet. This comes off with an alcohol swab or a good rubbing with a plastic eraser.
And for adding "extras" to our typical learning, I printed two months of calendars from Teacher Vision. January is seen here...
...while February is here. To the right of that is a little graphic I printed & cut out with edging scissors.
Next is a homemade Cleaning Solutions page(from Starry Sky Ranch) and then a month's worth of pages from the Motivated Moms Planner I purchased for a mere $8.00. Those that know me know I'm a list maker. I started a few different times to make my own but eventually decided it was quicker/easier to just buy the one from Motivated Moms. There are a couple of things from time to time that I mark out either because it doesn't need to be done again so soon or it doesn't apply. No big deal. I'll happily contend with the mark-outs and not have to spend the time to create my own. Maybe one day, but not today.  Here's that page spread...
 You'll see on the top right corner of the Motivated Moms Planner page I've added a graphic.
That graphic and others that I've added in future pages of the planner for the month are
from About.com's Funday Calendar. I cut out graphics for days that have something which
I'd like to remember and/or celebrate, discuss, etc. and just glue them on the planner page.
Additional month's graphics get stored in a pocket in the back of the section. I only cut/glue one
month's worth at a time since I like to see how busy the month is already before adding more to it.
Here's today's planner page as it was this morning. (Yes, I've since gotten more done!LOL)
 I use a "TODAY" ringed-ruler to mark today's day.
To it I've stuck a large post-it note of tasks I need to do as time permits
for homeschooling. Hmmm, look like I need to mark some of those as completed! Woohoo!
At the very back of this calendar/planner section I've put a thick plastic divider from a former daytimer binder I had. It holds post-its for future notes to myself. Most "future notes" are as flagged messages in my Outlook program but sometimes a note I need to remember comes up when I'm not at the computer and I just put it on a post-it for here.
Next an (empty) business card holder. I had it from that former Daytimer binder. As you can see I don't have any business cards, so if it never gets filled I may just stow it away someplace. But maybe I'll put it to use. LOL Also is my Bible section pocket. I've taken most of the things out for privacy (like lists of prayer requests from friends) but here you can see the Our Daily Bread.
Inside the Bible section is a Proverbs 31:10-31 sheet:
 (LOL I just noticed I forgot to change the tab paper on one of the divider tabs.
I do NOT have a "Language Arts" section in this binder. I'm repurposing these
tabbed pocket dividers from a former homeschooling binder I used to keep. oops!)
(After that is a blank section that I apparently needed to fill now that it is no longer mislabeled as Language Arts!)
The next section is "Child Rearing" and so far holds--
 Stages of Responsibility (ages 8 - 15)
You can also see here the right hand page which is a tabbed pocket divider for a section
called "Home Education." Currently in this pocket is a flyer from Joann's (outdated but there
as a visual reminder to follow up with them on the next class schedule... which was NOT
posted last time I checked,) a flyer for a Ren. Festival, and an old handiwork plan I made.
This Home Education section has another image that has been edge-cut
Then some looseleaf paper for list making (here's one page as an example)---
 I use Homeschool Tracker for our record keeping and my lesson planning so I don't have much in this section for homeschooling. However, I did include--
 Three pages of Charlotte Mason's principles
A page from HSLDA for when (if) a social worker comes to the door:
 And their Authorization Form (should I ever need it.)
You can also see above the pocket for master grocery lists. I'm not quite at the point of USING one of these yet, as I need to revise it for our own usage, but it's there to remind me to do so!LOL
On the back of that pocket is another pocket that holds recipes I've printed/collected that I'd like to try. To the right of that is a printed Excel sheet I made of various meals. I pick and choose from this sheet when I'm making up a new grocery list for upcoming meals. Again, since it is in a page protector I just write w/ a Sharpie on the page to highlight those meals I've bought for, that way I don't make any one thing to often!
Then comes a "Current Season/Holiday" section. In the pocket is a magazine insert for wintery recipes and behind that are magazine tear-outs I've collected for the winter months. These are updated as the calendar proceeds.
"Future Season/Crafting Idea" is a place to store print-outs and magazine/newspaper tear-outs. I move "current holiday & seasons" ones to the previous folder when it is time. Eventually, this folder will probably become its own binder or set of file folders as I have too many to even put in this section.
And as for now the last section is "General Crafting" ideas. Again, print-outs & tear-outs I've collected.
 The pink X or Star at the top right of pages tells me THAT is the side of the page I saved
it for (not the other side.) I write this with a Slick Writer marker so it won't smudge.
I've seen some people's binders with their family budget/bill paying-- me, I have a different notebook for that.
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New tutorial listings added
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
FREE Seasonal Magazine!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
HURRY ON OVER to SEASONAL DELIGHTS to subscribe FOR FREE to a year's subscription to this new emagazine (they're in the works for possible printed version in the future.)
A blurb about the magazine, from their site:
Seasonal Delights is a quarterly magazine. It is primarily designed for young ladies and their mothers, but can be enjoyed by anyone who loves celebrating the joys of each passing season.
Seasonal Delights is scheduled for four issues each year, in September, December, March, and June.
Seasonal Delights is published electronically as a PDF file, and is formatted for 8.5 x 11″ pages. It is a full-color publication, and is produced by Kelli and Phillip Winn.
This FABULOUS offer ends at the end of September, so don't delay! And when you subscribe and set up your profile, please consider using my blog address as your referral.
Then, when that is all set up you can download the current, AUGUST 2007, edition! I've already taken a quick peek at it and have found a few things that caught my eye instantly that we'll be doing here at our house!
This looks like a potentially LOVELY, LOVELY publication, and hey... free is good!
 Click image to subscribe!
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Another Round of Meals
Monday, September 10, 2007
| Day |
Meal |
| M |
Crockpot Chicken, Couscous, Steamed Broccolli, Sweet Peas |
| T |
Ham & Beans, Cornbread, Salad (or fresh veggies on side) |
| W |
Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Green Steamed Beans & Carrots |
| TH |
Vegetable Beef Soup, homemade bread, salad |
| F |
Homemade Pizzas (might be on Saturday instead?) |
| SAT |
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| SUN |
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