Horizons Math Grade 4 and K,The Reading Lesson, Sequential Spelling, Lifepac Language Arts 4, Apologia Astronomy, Veritas Press New Testament/Greeks/Romans
Prima Latina, Contenders for the Faith and various Winters Promise books, Live Mocha Spanish, Plants Grown Up
I saw the idea of making pancakes as mini muffins a few weeks ago and loved it, but had no mini muffin pan. So I filed it in my brain and mentioned it to my husband who went and bought me a mini muffin pan! What a sweet guy! So today I finally got around to trying it and it was a big hit. I still can not manage to make a big batch of pancakes without each pancake getting progressively worse, so I avoid pancakes! And these adorable muffins are sticky mess--free, because the maple syrup is BAKED IN! Genius! Well my boys decided they MUST be dipped in milk, so we still had some mess, but it wasn't sticky!
I used Bakerella's recipe, just slightly tweaked (I cant follow a recipe without some kind of change, I just CANT!)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons REAL maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
Bake in a greased mini muffin pan (24 muffins) for 9 minutes at 350!
A few people saw these pictures on facebook and asked for the recipe , and I aim to please!
EMPANADAS
Filling:
Cook chicken in salsa of choice (we add extra jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro) Cool and shred into bowl, and mix in Queso Fresco (found in the cheese isle of the grocery store).
DOUGH
2 cups of flour
3 tbsp of butter, softened
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup of milk
Mix all of the ingredients together using your hands to make a smooth elasticy dough. It shouldn't be too soft or sticky. Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out. Get a meatball sized amount, roll it out into a circle ,fill half with meat/cheese, and fold the other half over.Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Just heat about 2 inches of cooking oil in a pot and when a little piece of dough bubbles up and floats immediately, the oil is ready. Cook empanadas until golden brown. Serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream to dip in.
My husband also loves dessert empanadas made by filling with mozzarella cheese frying and rolling in sugar.
EDITED TO ADD:
I made these again tonight since I had more cheese/chicken left, and thought of a few more things to add.
I usually have to add a bit more milk to get the dough right.
I roll them SUPER thin. I think they are much better that way.
and here is a picture of the finished product. Ignore the fact that I have not mastered the art of crimping yet, and the freakish color from the flash but we had a late dinner tonight!
Mix all ingredients except flour, then slowly add flour until dough is elasticy and not sticky. Let rise about 1 hour in a warm place, then form into small balls. Place on baking stone and let rise 30 more minutes. Bake at350 for 18 minutes
Chocolate pumpkin cake
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cocoa
2 teaspoons baking bowder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs plus 1 yolk
375 for 35 minutes. Makes 2 8” round cakes
Fudgy Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
½ stick softened butter
3T milk
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat until fluffy
Pumpkin Bread
2 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
3 cups UNBLEACHED flour
1 ½ ts salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Cream together top (wet ingredients first) then add dry. Put into loaf pan(s) (I make 2 small ones) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
My computer is down, occasionally I can beg 5-10 minutes out of it before it crashes, but most of my computer usage is limited to the library for now :(
But until I have regular access again, here is a yummy recipe that Daddy would never eat but we all loved! I doubled it just fine. Thanks Mrs. Ro for sharing it with us!
Tomato tortellini soup
2 cans chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese spread with chive and onion
1 can condensed tomato or tomato bisque soup (We use Progresso tomato basil which is on sale at Safeway! )
9 oz package refrigerated tortellini
Fresh chives
Bring broth to boil add tortellini and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. In a bowl wisk 1/3 cup of hot broth into cream cheese until smooth. Return all of it to saucepan along with tomato soup and heat through. Sprinkle with chives when serving. Serves 4.
I've wanted to try this recipe for two summers now, after seeing it all over the blogworld, but somehow I just never got to it. Today I came across the last of the blackberries we picked this summer and decided it was now or never! (I've seen it made with all kinds of fruit, but had it in my mind that *I* wanted to try it with blackberries!)
So the children and I mixed it up and not only was it fun to make it was a HUGE hit here!
The picture above was about halfway through baking. YUM!
Clafouti:
12 oz or so of fruit
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup creme fraiche (we used sour cream)
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Butter a 9" baking dish (we used more fruit so I used a 9x13) then sprinkle with granulated sugar. (I used it out of the 1/2 cup we had already measured). Arrange fruit over the bottom.
In a bowl wisk eggs, then add flour. Once well combined mix in remaining ingredients and pour over fruit.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until center is set.
To God who gives our daily bread A thankful song we raise, And pray that he who sends us food May fill our hearts with praise. Thomas Tallis
While the earth remains,seedtimeandharvest,
and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and
day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22 We will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Psalm 145:7
This is the day which the LORD has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalms 118:24
We've been picking apples like crazy lately! We are so blessed for the abundance here!
Today we tried a new recipe which is an absolute keeper!
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of flour
2 cups shredded peeled apples
1 cup chopped nuts
Mix together one ingredient at a time in order listed. Pour into a buttered bread pan (a loaf pan would be too small).
Mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons of butter
Mix into course crumbs, then add 1/3 cup chopped nuts.
Spread on top of batter. Bake at 350 for 65 minutes.
10 Large Flour Tortillas
1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 packet Fajita Seasoning
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2-1 Green Bell Pepper diced
1/2-1 Red Bell Pepper diced
1/2-1 Yellow Onion diced
8 ounces shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Combine with the fajita seasoning and mix thoroughly.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink inside, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Stir in green and red bell peppers, and onion. Slowly cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Layer half of each tortilla with Cheddar cheese and chicken/vegetable mixture. Top with Monterey Jack cheese. Fold each tortilla in half to create a “half moon” and press lightly.
5. Lightly brown each quesadilla in a new skillet for 2-3 minutes per side until cheese is melted.
I serve them with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. YUM!
(found on a MissionTortilla package)
6 lbs small apples (4 lbs large apples)-peeled and cubed, cores removed
4 strips of lemon peels (use vegetable peeler)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
water
sugar to taste
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Bring to boil. Add water as needed to prevent scorching. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until apples are tender. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.
As with any apple recipe, this turns out best with a variety of different apples. I have no idea what kinds I used, I was blessed with a bag of all sorts from a friend's yard. My first batch didn't need any sugar but my second batch needed a little more than 1/4 a cup. I canned 2 quarts and still have a ton of apples in my fridge. I'm hoping to get a bit more canned before apple season is over!
It's been a bountiful season! We picked strawberries, and froze about 20 lbs, and made 9 jars of strawberry jam. We picked and froze 10 lbs of blueberries, canned 16 jars of peach jam and and picked enough blackberries to make 9 jars of jam! (Most of these jars were given to friends and families during our California trip. I think I have 2-3 of each in our pantry). I'm still hoping to get some blackberries in the freezer too before this year is over. We've been enjoying them on our many hikes but never seem to remember a bucket to bring them home.
You crown the year with your bounty,and your carts overflow with abundance
Psalm 65:11
This arrived right before I left, FREE thanks to Swagbucks. I'd been drooling for a long time over them, but when I realized I had enough swagbucks to get it free I couldn't wait any longer! I finally got to use it tonight to chop up pico de gallo and some yummy grilled chicken salads! Pure kitchen bliss!
I found this in a magazine a couple weeks ago (I think Family Fun?) and we loved it! I've been dying to make it again already! My boys loved spreading the layers for me too.
Layered Burritos
¾ a lb of ground beef, cooked with diced onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup of water
1 can black beans-drained
2 cups frozen corn
4 tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese
After cooking the beef, add seasonings, water, beans and corn to the skillet and cook about 20 minutes or until almost all the water has evaporated. In the bottom of a greased 9” springform or cake pan layer a tortilla (trimmed to fit if necessary), 2 tablespoons of sour cream, ¼ cup salsa, and a quarter of the meat mixture. Top with cheese and repeat layering until full, ending with a tortilla topped with extra cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
I saw some gorgeous bread on the Pioneer Woman's blog last week and had to try it!
So when a friend brought by some fresh chives last night, I knew today was the day! I combined them with some fresh rosemary and made the most beautiful, delicious artisan bread...EVER!
The secret is cooking it in a cast iron dutch oven. It really does make all the difference. Here it is after we all had generous "samples".
4 cups bread flour 1 cup water 1/2 stick melted butter with chopped herbs of choice. chives and rosemary 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon yeast Knead, let rise until doubled. Knead lightly a second time and form into a ball. Set it in an oiled dutch oven and cut an X in the top. The original recipe says bake inside a covered cast iron pan after coating the rounded dough with olive oil and sprinkling with kosher salt. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove lid to finish it off for another 15 to 30 minutes at 450. I accidently wrote down 350, and it still turned out phenommenal, and took 30 minutes covered and 15 uncovered.
My FAVORITE food has to be the mushroom ravioli from Il Granaio . It is served in the most amazing vodka sauce. But it is a bit of a drive to get there and quite pricey, so I figured there had to be a way to make it at home, and surprisingly it was MUCH easier than I imagined! Thanks to some help from the Pioneer Woman I managed to get a sauce that was pretty close, and it's made pretty often around here now!
1/4 cup finely diced onion
3 cloves of pressed garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup vodka
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Start with oil and butter in a warm skillet. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add garlic and stir, then vodka. Cook on medium heat about 2 or 3 minutes then add tomato sauce. Keep stirring until it comes to a simmer, then add cream and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, add salt to taste and pour over pasta. Yum!
I serve it over bowtie pasta because I am not brave enough to attept ravioli, but it is still delicious!
Cook pasta, when it is almost done add broccoli for the last 3 minutes or so then drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat about 2 T butter in a skillet. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Cook thoroughly. Stir in chicken broth and cream cheese. Stir on low heat until melted. Turn off heat and add Parmesan and mozzarella. Mix with pasta and broccoli.
I love to bless families with food. Here is one of my favorite recipes to take to families who just had a baby or surgery or whatever else...
Baked Ziti
1 (16 oz.) package penne pasta cooked
2 lbs. ground beef
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 cups marinara sauce (purchased or homemade)
15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef,
garlic powder, Italian seasonings salt and pepper. Cook until browned and.
drain. Add marinara sauce to meat and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, shredded mozzarella, egg, and pepper. Add
cooked pasta and stir.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Begin layering
your ingredients in a lightly-greased 9x13” baking dish starting with a thin
layer of meat-sauce mixture in the bottom of pan, then a layer of cheese and
noodle mixture, then another thin layer of meat sauce and another layer of
cheese and noodle. Repeat as necessary, ending with meat sauce on top. Top with
mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the ziti is heated through and the cheeses
are melted.
I use a disposable aluminum pan so the family doesn't need to worry about trying to get a pan back to me, and I also try and add some homemade breadsticks, and a salad and ALWAYS bring dessert!
Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks:
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups of flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons crushed dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
I toss it all in the bread machine to be kneaded and for the first rise, then I pull out the dough and form it into breadsticks. I generously brush butter over the top, and twist in a string of mozzarella cheese (about 1/3 a string cheese stick) then I sprinkle the top with garlic powder. Let rise again until doubled and then I bake at 350 until cooked through and starting to brown.
A few people have asked me to post some EASY dinner recipes, and I think these fit the bill!
Today we had Beef Stroganoff, and I think I finally got it right! I've been tweaking this recipe awhile now to get it to taste how I believed it should, and I'm finally happy with it!
Beef Stroganoff 1 lb ground beef 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I cheated and used 2 cans this time, it was all I had) 1/4 an onion diced (the original recipe called for 2 onions, but my children would never go for that, go ahead and add more if your would!) 3 cloves minced garlic 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup unbleached flour 1 can beef broth 2 teaspoons worcestershire 1 cup sour cream salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley cooked egg noodles (about 3 cups)
Brown the ground beef with salt (dont skimp on it), pepper, garlic powder, parsley and the onion. When it is just about cooked add the garlic, butter and mushrooms.Stir in the flour until it is pasty, then stir in the beef broth and worcestershire sauce. Heat to a boil then simmer until it is a nice gravy. Turn off heat and incorporate sour cream, then pour over noodles.
15 minute alfredo (My husband hates alfredo so this is a treat for the boys when he is gone) 1 8 oz package of cream cheese 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup milk 1 8 oz package of fettuccine noodles, cooked 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Just heat it all up in a small saucepan stirring often and pour over noodles.
Chicken Enchiladas This is not my normal recipe (which Peter wont let me mess with) but it was really good and super easy!
2 cups shredded chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts cooked in just enough salsa to cover them. You can do this in a saute pan or in a crock pot in advance, then let it cool before shredding) 1 cup sour cream 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar optional- diced green chiles to taste Mix together. Warm corn tortillas however you normally do (we use the stove flame) and fill with the chicken mixture and place into a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top (since we didnt fry the tortillas first) and cover with a large can of ROSARITA enchilada sauce (that is my secret, it MUST be Rosarita sauce). Make sure no tortilla is left dry and sprinkle with some more cheddar cheese, chopped green onion and sliced black olives. Bake at 400 about 10-15 minutes
Hope those help someone out! Nothing fancy, but fairly quick and easy!
I've been waking up early again. I'm not a morning person, and hate being up before the sun (it just isn't natural), but between my husband and baby I spent the last month getting up quite early. But there is one thing that has made it so much more enjoyable! My morning latte! Now I HATE coffee, and have never liked Starbucks until last fall. They pulled me in with their Carmel Apple Spice, but even the smallest size had me feeling sugar overload, so I didn't love them for too long. But when we were at the Wolf Lodge I discovered Vanilla Rooibos Lattes. I have never been a fan of tea with milk, but I love Rooibos, and these are so yummy. But I hate spending $4 for a drink, so I started making them at home. They do not have quite the same texture but are still so delicious!
I make a half cup of tea, and add 1 heaping teaspoon of Sugar in the raw (it has to be sugar in the raw brand LOL I tried a few other types of sugar and gave in and paid $2 for a box! It is what they have at Starbucks LOL) and 1 tablespoon of GOOD quality pure vanilla extract (I'm a vanilla snob and make my own). Then fill the rest with milk. I use cold milk, and it makes it a great drinkable temperature for me, but I'm sure you could use hot milk if you like drinks that burn your tongue!
We've spent this week preparing for Abigail's 1st birthday party tomorrow and the boys were feeling a little over pink and flowers, so we made a MANLY drink for dessert tonight. While searching for party ideas i cam across Yoda Soda, and it was a big hit with all 3 of my Star Wars fans. Its just like a root beer float but with lime sherbert and Sprite instead.
I cant wait to share the party with you all!
1 28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce 2 cups water 1 tablespoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 8 ounces spaghetti (I used 6 ounces of wheat spaghetti)
1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 2 cups mozzarella
Brown beef with garlic and parsley in oven safe skillet (cast iron preferably) . Stir in spaghetti sauce, water, oregano and garlic powder. Break spaghetti noodles into 3rds and add into sauce mixture.Cook on medium 15 minutes stirring every 4 minutes or so. When pasta is cooked turn off heat and stir in Parmesan and cream. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top and put in broiler 2-3 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve immediately with a nice green salad! Delicious!
I'm still trying to get used to my new laptop, and I lost about 3 months of pictures, documents, recipes etc that I'm trying to get over as well :(
So vacation details and pics are still coming but until then I have some recipes to share!
Last week I made a yummy "cheesecake" which I had never been brave enough to try before! It was AMAZING! I also pureed some strawberries to make a homemade strawberry syrup to go on top. HEAVENLY! And SOOO easy!
Easy as Pie Cheesecake
1 graham crust
8 oz cream cheese softened
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat until fluffy and pour into crust. Chill 3 hours.
I made Ranch Chicken earlier this week. BIG HIT here!
I also made a homemade chocolate syrup to make into chocolate milk which was a big hit!
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Boil water and sugar to make a simple syrup. Add cocoa and wisk thoroughly while still boiling.Turn off heat and add salt and vanilla. Let cool and store glass jar in fridge. I use about 3 tablespoons per glass of milk.
I posted about hospitality last week, and on that note I have been thinking about simplifying foods I serve my guests. I LOVE to feed people! I truly do. But, I have found that I spend way too much time running around preparing food while the guests are here to be the calm, devoted hostess I would like to be. So I've spent time thinking of ways to still serve good food to my guests yet cut out some of the work when they are here. Today I decided to test out one of those ideas.
I've heard over and over that you can freeze cookie dough and just bring out as many as you need and bake those, but I was wary. It seemed like something would go wrong in that! So today was my practice go. I googled cookie recipes that would freeze well, and found that the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie was the best rated for this endeavor. I also got to try out my new cookie scoop which I LOVE! It makes beautifully round, uniform cookies! Thanks to Martha Stewart for that tip (I admit I get excited when Abigail decides to have her second nap at 3 because it means I can watch a bit of Martha while I nurse her to sleep. I'm not a big TV person, but Martha has been a guilty pleasure this deployment when naps work out at that time)! I scooped my cookies onto wax paper to let them freeze without sticking to each other, then I transfered them into a gallon sized ziplock bag.
I took a few out (they were not totally frozen yet, but I was impatient), let them thaw and then baked them and they were perfect! Round and golden, great consistancy... It worked! And now I have 3 dozen cookies ready to go in my freezer for the next time someone drops by!
Homemade Applesauce
Summer is so yummy!
