wouldn't you like to know?

crochet frenzy continued...

2012-01-10T22:27:00.007-06:00

designed a new pattern. going crazy with it. my prototype (the pretty gray ones) were designed to be a birthday gift for someone very special. after that, they just started pouring out one pair after another. these are really fun and easy to make and it's very easy to make size adjustments on the fly.

this pair was made with a very soft yarn, i found at walmart. it's a bit pricier than regular red heart, but it only takes about 3 or 4 oz to make one pair. you could make hat to match. i actually made a mobius cowl/scarf to match this one and it took about 12 or 13 oz for the set.

this pair was another specialty yarn. also very soft but doesn't cling as well. still very warm and cozy.

the next two pair were a lot of fun and were made with plain ol' regular worsted weight red heart. easy but you have to guage the pattern down a bit for the thickness of the yarn.

the thumb hole is very flexible and you barely notice it's there. always a plus.

this pair, i got a bit carried away. i wanted them to be fun so they go clear up over the elbows. go greenbay?!?

i'm not very good at writing up patterns, but if there's any interest, i'll give it a shot.

it's a basic chain 34 for small yarn or 32 for thick yarn/or child's size.

then i did front/back post stitches around for 4 to 5 rows, joining and turning at the end of each row.

then i started doing regular double crochet around. the first row make no decreases. decrease one time each row for the next 10 rows (unless you want a shorter sleeve - adjust as needed). to keep the decreases even: glove(1), double crochet 10, decrease, double crochet around (this number will decrease one each row). glove(2) reverse this by subtracting one each time (the first will be either 20 or 22 depending on whether you started with 32 or 34), decrease, double crochet 10. join and turn. at this point, you should be at your smallest width (wrist size).

depending on the length and stripe patterns i added 1 to 3 more rows of regular double crochet. join and turn.

do one more row of double crochet but do not join. chain 3 and turn. double crochet front/back post stitches around 3 to 4 rows. do not join any of these rows. always chain 3 and turn.

on the last row, chain one and single crochet around the thumb hole (these are the 4 to 5 rows you didn't join.)

once at the top, join and chain 1.

single crochet around the top. slip stitch in the next 2 stitches and tie off.

done. :D

crochet frenzy

2011-12-26T10:45:00.002-06:00

this winter season, i went nutz with the crochet. just thought i'd share.

all of these projects were done with Red Heart worsted weight - the cheap stuff from wal-mart.

this first two are a simple double crochet. i started with a width of about 165 stitches and i used a P hook to get big loopy stitches to give the blanket a lighter, cozier feel. remember the shaker knit sweaters from the 80's? it reminded me of those as far as how well it laid on the bod. to finish up, i used an I hook and 3 or 4 rows of single crochet around. pretty simple stuff for you crochet nutz.

(for my 7yo son)

(for my 10yo daughter)

this one is a bit different. i started learning granny squares about 15 years ago. i made the squares, with the intentions of making a rather large afghan. i had green in there too. i got distracted and through the stuff in the closet for the last 15 years. the sqares actually made it through both moves. then i found out the church wanted to make lap blankets for the local nursing home residents and i pulled these out to see if we could do something with them. because of my inexperience, not all of my squares were the same size. i had to throw out the green squares because the stitches were too tight. then i was a couple squares short and i couldn't get the squares right, so i made a couple of make shift, single crochet triangles to throw on the corners. since this blanket is being made for the purpose of laying on a person in a wheelchair, i thought the flat corners might be nice. then i learned how to join with this strange modified granny square type pattern. what i've learned is that i'm not too big on granny squares - not 15 years ago and not now. i hope someone enjoys this blanket because it will probably be the only one of it's kind that i ever make.

this one, i really enjoyed. i designed this pattern before i made the one above. i was thinking that i could save yarn and keep the corners from getting rolled under wheel chairs. it would be like wearing a half skirt. anyway, i started with a simple half circle and it was too short. hub's suggested i add rows at the top and this is how it turned out. i was really pleased with this one. it's a simple double crochet. started with 6 around a 3 stitch loop and kept increasing as needed to keep the shape. this was done with leftovers from the girls afghan at the top so the rows are really not designed ahead, just random-as-i-go-with-what-i-have-left. i have since, designed a horshoe pattern based on this design to make the crocheting faster and easier, but this is by far, my favorite. i hope someone enjoys looking at it as much as i enjoyed making it.

i will post a picture of the horseshoe blanket when it's finished. i also made an afghan that looks like a chocolate bar for my dad for christmas but i forgot to take a pic. if he's able to send me a pic, i'll post that one as well.

hope everyone had a MERRY CHRISTMAS and enjoys their new year.

cloche - crochet pattern (free)

2011-10-25T11:18:00.009-05:00

here's a cute little hat i designed in my spare time. it's light weight but adds a bit of flare and warmth to any outfit. there is a flower attached to the front which is difficult to see in the pic, but hubs said the flower made it look like a flapper hat.

i design patterns better than i can write them down. i apologize if my crochet-eze isn't quite right, but hopefully you can make heads and tails of this.

Hook = I

Gage: 5 sc = 1 inch
Yarn: Bernat Soft Bouclé

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
tc = treble (or triple) crochet
hdc = half double crochet
ss = slip stitch

yo = yarn over

Petal 1 (P1): ch 5; [yo 3 times; put hook into (or around) indicated stitch, yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 2 times leaving a total of 3 loops on hook; yo and pull through all 3 loops.

Petal 2 (P2): [yo 3 times; put hook into (or around) indicated stitch, yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 3 times leaving a total of 4 loops on hook; yo and pull through all 4 loops.

Petal Double (PD1): ch 5; [yo 3 times; put hook into stitch where ch5 originated (should be petal tip), yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 2 times leaving a total of 3 loops on hook; ; [yo 3 times; put hook into next indicated stitch, yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 3 times leaving a total of 6 loops on hook;

Petal Double 2 (PD2): [yo 3 times; put hook into indicated stitch, yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 3 times leaving a total of 4 loops on hook; ; [yo 3 times; put hook into next indicated stitch, yo and pull through; yo and pull through 2 loops (3 times), each time adding another loop on the hook] 3 times leaving a total of 7 loops on hook;

__________________________________
__________________________________

Row 1: Ch10; join with ss to form loop;

Row 2: P1 around loop; [ch5; P2 around loop] 4 times; ch5; join with ss at tip of first petal;

Row 3: PD1 (in ch5 stitch and around chain from Row 2); ch5; [PD2 (around chain from row 2 and in top stitch of next petal from Row 2)] 9 times (alternating row2 ch and row2 petal tip); ch5; join to top of first petal with ss;

Rows 4 thru 6: PD1 in same stitch and top of next petal from row3; [ch5; PD2 in same stitch and top of next petal from row3] 9 times; ch5; join to top of first petal with ss;

Row 7: Ch 1; [sc; dc; tc; dc; sc;] 2 times around chain from row 6; [sc in top of petal; [sc; dc; tc; dc; sc;] 2 times around chain from row 6;] times; join with ss; tie off;

__________________________________
__________________________________

flower: Ch 6; join with ss to form a ring; ch2; [dc; tc; tc; dc; hdc; ] in loop; [hdc; dc; tc; tc; dc; hdc;] in loop 4 times; join with ss to top of ch2; tie off; attach to hat in desired location.

renovations

2011-10-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

hubs built a table for the guinea pig cage to help increase storage space.

i had to show you all how classy it looks.

the Police in concert at my house!

2011-08-27T16:20:00.002-05:00

the creativity of my children never ceases to amuse me.

(click to enlarge)

fun with fingers and toes

2011-07-09T22:54:00.003-05:00

just so you know, those ain't lee press-on nails. it's the real deal. :D

these are real too! i love it when it gets warm enough to let them grow.

french manicures are so much fun especially with a discount. got a coupon for some cool polish and made the most of it.

patriotic molars

2011-07-04T23:40:00.001-05:00

my daughter lost a molar today at the rodeo, but that wasn't the best part. first she stained it blue with cotton candy. then when it came out it was--in fact--red, white and blue at the rodeo on the 4th of July. :D just wanted to share.

characature kids

2011-06-24T20:33:00.005-05:00

my kids had their char portraits done today at the public library (for its 100th birthday). the boy told the artist, as he was working, that his head and his ears are NOT that big and his lips are not that girly.

7yo ninja boy

10yo reading girl

how does that work?

2011-05-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

i'm on my knees in the bathroom scrubbing the tub.

daughter: mom, do you need help?
me: if you really wanna help, you can pick up the living room, so i can vacuum in a minute.
daughter: ok (then to her brother) get up and help me. mom says we have to clean the living room.

me: ahem. come HERE. what did i say?
daughter: if i wanna help i can clean the living room.
me: RIGHT!

mom is old but not THAT old

2011-05-05T19:30:00.003-05:00

ROTFL...still laughing about what my son said.

my son was watching vintage electric company on tv.

son: mom, back when they first made electric company, did they have lights?
mom: what do you mean?
son: did they have lights, you know, like electricity?
mom: ROTFLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL yes ROTFLOLOLOL

score another one for mom

2011-05-05T15:22:00.003-05:00

conversation upstairs overheard by mom downstairs...

son: aaaaaaaaaaaah!
daughter: what, i didn't do it that hard. i just shook your head a little. get to work.
son: but you did this and it hurt.
mom to daughter: you don't get to decide what hurts and what doesn't when it's not your body.
daughter: okaaaaaaaaaaaay.
mom to son: try not to be so overly dramatic.
son: okaaaaaaaaay.

mom to son: if you wanna go to baseball practice tonite, get up off your butt and clean your room.
son: how did you know i was on my butt?
mom: cuz i'm THE MOM.

polite dinner conversation

2011-05-02T19:14:00.003-05:00

daughter says the word "fart" and then snickers. the rest of the conversation went something like this...

son: stop that!

mom: why?

son: she's pretending to fart on me.

mom: so?

son: she's pretending it's funny.

mom: well it is funny (daughter snickering some more.), and besides, you do it for real and think it's funny.

son: well, only 4 times.

mom: see?

daughter: yeah, but you fart and don't even know it and you're stinky.

son: yeah, but she's done it maybe like 2 million times.

mom: i don't think she's old enough to have said "fart" 2 million times.

daughter: uh huh.

mom: i think it would probably take you about 20 years to pull that off.

daughter: not if you went non-stop.

mom: *sigh*

my new car

2011-05-02T18:16:00.002-05:00

i wish....

fun puzzle

2011-04-21T19:32:00.004-05:00

my father purchased a toy for my oldest daughter some years ago. she has since grown and moved out, but my younger children still enjoy playing with this wonderful find. i've had to repair one of the pieces multiple times and as i was making the most recent repair the other day, i just sat and wondered at how remarkable this toy really is. it has provided many hours of entertainment for the kids and the 'grownups' in the house.

i thought i would share. i have no idea what it's called, but my dad bought it on amazon.com about 6 or 7 years ago (maybe more).

the pieces all have a stick with a magnet in the end and the ball you see is also a magnet and serves as the hub which holds all the other pieces in place. the puzzle can be put together in many combinations, but the real challenge is to put it together without having any two pieces of the same color touching one another.

it also comes with a small black cup/saucer-shaped base to hold the ball up for assembly and display.

click to enlarge any of the above photos.

blog party

2011-04-05T22:17:00.008-05:00

this is a party post for a blog party. for those readers who usually visit my blog, you can join in the fun as well until the 8th of April.

http://www.5minutesformom.com/34651/ultimate-blog-party-2011/

hmmmmm, i'm usually not one to be short on words, but this whole blog party thing has got me...well...speechless. in the public arena, i'm generally very friendly and forward, but i guess trying to make new friends via this blogging avenue seems, well...rather strange to me. but, here i sit, with way too much time on my hands. even with all the things i do, i never seem to have enough to do. strange.

i don't mind sharing a bit of this and a bit of that, but as most of friends already know, i reserve personal information such as photos, names, etc. for people that i've actually come to know and trust. my husband and i might be a touch on the paranoid side, i suppose, but that doesn't mean "they" aren't after me.

most of the time, my friends tell me i'm fun. i'm random. i'm crazy and i love starting my sentences with small letters instead of capitals. i dye my hair red with herbs. my clothes often don't match. i figure i'm 40 and i can get away with it and besides...nobody but hubs is lookin' at these hips anymore. bleh.

i like to cook AND clean. my husband is korean, so alot of the recipes i share are either korean or some other asian style of cooking (my mother-in-law has been instrumental in my ability to prepare korean food). i homeschool. i blog, network and work from home for an herb store. i answer customer service emails about health and herbal medicine. i make my own bread and a lot of messes. i also love to take pictures which really comes in handy when making new recipes, because i love to share pictures of the food i cook.

and although most of what i do online consists of writing, i don't consider myself a very good writer, which is why i most often choose to blog. no editor over my shoulder at blogspot.com.

i also have a degree in computer programming but haven't worked in my field in almost 10 years. after i lost my "real job" hubs and i decided it was time for me to stay home and start doing the "housewife" thang! this means i have a bit more puter saavy than some, but among my "peers" i'm fairly obsolete. i don't mind. i like who i am and what i do.

my kids and i have also recently started volunteering at the local animal shelter. because, i don't drive, we needed something close and the Lord blessed us, because the shelter is only a block away.

i don't have my profile posted on the front page, but it's me in a nutshell so i'll copy it here.

I'm descended from misfits. I love them all and hope to make them proud (especially my daddy) by finding the answers to life and holy marriage...as God designed it. I have a gorgeous, caring husband who continues to amaze me with his good qualities (especially those eyes) daily. He is my hero, my lover, my adviser and my companion. I have 3 beautiful replicas of myself and my husband (most people call these children). They continue to grow and show me a glimpse of myself (both good and bad) from another perspective. I now have a grandchild on the way (due in October). I also have 1 cat and 2 guinea pigs and a gaggle of good friends that the Lord has seen fit to grace me with.

anyway, i'm not sure if this is what the blog party hosts were looking for, but i suppose it's me.

me & hubs
halloween 2010

lasagna casserole

2011-03-28T19:00:00.005-05:00

lasagna casserole

i added pictures (04/21/2011). yippeee! i love taking pictures of my food.

(click to enlarge)

1 lb italian sausage browned
1 can hunts (or del monte) spaghetti sauce (we prefer the chunky veggie)
1 can rotel tomatoes (chopped tomatoes and chilis)
1 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and drained
2 small cans mushrooms sliced

1. mix all of the above ingredients in pan and simmer until warmed through.

2 cups pasta cooked al dente (minus 1 minute)
NOTE: pretty much any short pasta will work, but we seem to enjoy the texture of the rotini the best.
3 cups shredded cheese (separated)
NOTE: i like to mix swiss, sharp cheddar and mozzerella.
1 to 2 cups cottage cheese
2 or 3 eggs lightly beaten
NOTE: i like the more "eggy" texture with 3 but if this doesn't suit you, use 2.
1 cup milk
dash of garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

2. fold together all of the above ingredients (holding back one cup of shredded cheese) in another bowl until well blended.
3. spread pasta blend into 9 x 13 glass baking dish and smooth.
4. add meat and sauce mixture into another layer on top of the pasta.
5. bake at 350 ^o for 30 minutes.
6. sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and another bit of black pepper
7. return to oven and turn up to LO broil.
8. bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese on top is browned slightly.
9. i recommend you allow to cool out of oven for at least 20 minutes prior to serving to allow the casserole to set up. you can serve immediately and it's still delicious, but you will get more pooling of the liquids and the lasagna will not hold it's shape as well. the photo below shows an example of one that i served without cooling.

happy green day

2011-03-17T10:37:00.004-05:00

green has been my favorite color since i was about 16 and i truly enjoy keeping my toes decorated. my daughter has followed--dare i say it?--in my footsteps. she loves to decorate her toes as well. in anticipation of st. patrick's day, hubs picked out a lovely shade of green nail polish to give to our daughter for her birthday. she was kind enough to lend it to me for st. patty's day insurance. *wink*

what's really wrong with public schools?`

2011-03-16T06:11:00.006-05:00

my apologies if correct protocols were not taken in gaining permissions to reprint this. i was unable to verify the origin. i will however, post the article in full as i viewed it and at the end is included a link back to where i found it.

WHAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH
PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
By David H. Chilton

The usual argument against public education is very convincing. And very wrong. It runs something like this: Public schools have become breeding grounds for violence and sexual promiscuity; they often are outlets for socialist propaganda; they now constitute a formidable enemy of Christianity (by teaching evolution and prohibiting prayer and Bible reading) and of the family (by teaching sex education and deriding traditional authority structures). And so on — which is not an unmitigated tragedy, since it is being used, under the providence of God, to lead more and more Christians to abandon the system of public education. No matter what the reason, that is certainly a good result.

Unfortunately, the argument above is not as principled as it looks. It is' not an argument against state education, but only against certain perceived ills of public schools as they now exist. Thus, even among Christians who agree with the argument, you will find the following attitudes: (1) "The real problems exist in the inner-city schools, but there's nothing wrong with public schools in a rural, Christian community with traditional values"; (2) "We should work to make public schools more moral, by pressuring our legislators to reinstitute prayer and abolish sex-education"; (3) "We should try to force the public schools to give Creation 'equal time' with Evolution." These and similar positions all attest to the fact that much of the opposition to public schools is merely pragmatic: we are very willing for the state to control education, as long as we can be reasonably sure our children won't be beaten, drugged or raped in the library. To put it bluntly, we want our socialism, but we want it clean. If only the public schools would teach what we want them to teach, we would be happy to have our children's education funded by legalized theft. Quite an interesting position, philosophically: we'll give our children a "moral" upbringing by robbing our neighbors to pay for it.

As Christians, we do not argue against abortion simply by citing the dangers of malpractice; nor should we consider it sufficient to oppose state education simply because of its evil consequences. We do not work for safer methods of abortion; nor should we work to improve public schools. The basic biblical argument, you see, is that the very existence of state schools is immoral — regardless of the level of "morality" contained in them.

According to the Bible (see, e.g., Romans 13:4), the state has an extremely limited function, which may be summed up in two points: punishing criminals (as defined by God's law) and protecting the law-abiding. That's it. God has appointed civil rulers as His ministers, and their responsibility is to administer His laws. The Bible severely limits the powers of the state — and just in case rulers might misunderstand the extent of their commission, God built a "strict constructionist" interpretation right into the law: the ruler "may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:20). The Bible does not give rulers the power to educate children; that responsibility belongs to the family. State schools are therefore immoral in principle. They exist only because God's laws have been violated — by greedy rulers who covet the powers of deity, and by greedy citizens who covet "free" education at their neighbors' expense. Viewed in this light, it is no wonder that the public school system has spawned a generation of illiterate criminals who assume the world owes them a living. Why not? According to their parents, the world owed them an education; they're just extending the logic.

The rise in public-school crime and violence is nothing but the humanistic superstructure built on a rotten foundation. It is quite predictable; in fact, it was predicted in Deuteronomy 28, the list of the curses which necessarily fall upon a culture that departs from God's law. If our educational principles are not founded on God's word, we have shut God out of our system of knowledge — and committed cultural suicide. Romans 1:28-32 tells us what happens to people who will not have God in their knowledge: it reads like a modern report card on "citizenship."

"But," it may be objected, "if the state doesn't provide education and force citizens to submit to it, some parents won't bother to do it themselves." This is true. It is also true that some people don't brush their teeth. We should therefore provide free dental care and send bureaucrats to each home every morning and evening, armed with dental floss, to enforce oral hygiene on the population. Right? Where do you draw the line? You draw the line where God draws it: in His law. God has defined the responsibilities and limits of the state, and whenever it falls short of those responsibilities, or transgresses those limits, it is playing god. The inevitable result is national damnation.

No matter what objection you have to all this, it falls the ultimate test: conformity to God's law. When you say the rural, "moral," community-oriented public schools are still OK, all you're saying is that the full harvest of apostasy hasn't caught up with them yet. But the fact that none of your bad checks have returned is no justification of forgery. Those wonderful schools are possible only by the illegitimate beneficence of a deified state which plunders your neighbors to give your kids a free lunch. There's just no way around it. Public schools are immoral, and always have been — even in the bygone, halcyon days of old, when students got regular doses of birch rods and McGuffey readers.

Look at yourself for a prime example. You went to a "nice" public school, and you didn't turn out so badly. You didn't take LSD in 5th grade, you didn't carry a switchblade in Jr. High, and you were a virgin on Graduation Day. State education didn't pervert you. Or did it? Consider your reaction to this essay. (Never mind that I'm begging the question for a minute.) Regardless of the biblical evidence, you still find it hard to swallow that the state shouldn't do something beyond God's requirements. You think the argument that public education involves theft is somewhat "abstract." Face it: you're a socialist. Many of your ideas about the proper role of government were fed to you from K through 12, and it's like pulling teeth to get rid of them. I'm constantly running into sincere Christians who are absolutely aghast at the thought of abolishing unbiblical government regulation. ("How will the mail get delivered?") I even heard one theologian boldly assert that the value of gold and silver comes from the paper money behind it!

The real problem with public schools is that they exist in the first place. They are an ungodly, unlawful, collectivist institution. The many evils now spewing out of them derive from the curse of God inflicted on all institutions that defy Him. He has commanded parents to educate their children in terms of His law; that cannot be done in a public school. If we want our children to fear Him, to grow into diligent workers for His kingdom, we cannot afford to train them in an institution which has as its fundamental presupposition that I am entitled to as much money as I can vote out of my neighbor's pocket.

Prayer doesn't belong in a public school (Proverbs 28:9). Your money doesn't belong in a public school. Most of all, your children don't belong in a public school. Institutions premised on sin must not be redeemed, but abandoned. We cannot send young maidens into brothels in the interests of "equal time for chastity." As the light of the world, we must set the standard. Our Lord never called His people to help build the tower of Babel in the hope of getting a Bible study in the basement. He commanded us to build our own city on a hill.

http://reformed-theology.org/html/issue08/whats_wrong_with_schools.htm

kitty in the bag

2011-03-05T21:40:00.007-06:00

we aren't the only ones who likes trader joes. my kitty digs their paper bags.

birthday cake

2011-03-05T21:08:00.004-06:00

my gonna-be-10-years-old-tommorow daughter made and decorated her own birthday cake today. it's the bomb. thought i would show off just a bit. (i helped a little. i shaped the cake pieces and poured on the ganache.) she did the rest!

yellow cake, chocolate ganache and radioactive green decorative icing. the water is a piece of paper with wax paper backing. the rest are toys.

tater livingston, i presume. (he's the jungle explorer!) HA!

bread (improved)

2011-02-28T13:28:00.008-06:00

been trying to perfect homemade bread for like 3 years or more. after alot of consultation with a good friend and bread expert and many failures, i've finally gotten the hang of things. i can now even adjust recipes when appropriate and not mess them up (most of the time - lol). anyway, for you beginners, i thought i'd share what i've got.

bread recipe

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 cups freshly ground hard red wheat
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra flour either variety

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or sour kombucha
2 cups and 2 Tablespoons of water

1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons sugar (i use white sugar)
3 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 package yeast (NOT quick rise)

1. mix the vinegar and water in a glass bowl.

2. mix in the wheat flour until well moistened.

3. cover and soak for 2 hours.

4. add all other ingredients and knead until soft and elastic. i use the bread machine and it takes about 13-15 minutes in the machine. i keep a close eye on it the first 5 minutes and add flour as needed until i get the right wetness of the dough. it should be wet, but only slightly sticky. in the last 3 minutes or so i will check the consistancy by pulling off a chunck and stretching it until i get an almost paper thin piece of dough. if the dough cracks or breaks it's not done.

5. place dough in a greased glass or steel bowl and cover with a damp towel.

6. put in warm oven (i turn my oven to 350⁰ (preheat) for 2-3 minutes and then shut it off.) and raise until double--usually 35-60 minutes depending on the weather and the dough.

7. divide dough into two equal pieces and shape into loaves. i like to roll mine out into long noodle shapes (about 2-3 inches in diameter). then i use the rolling pin to roll them flat (about 3-5 inches wide and about ¹/₄ to ¹/₂ inch thick). then i roll the strips like a jelly roll and then pinch across and pinch, fold and tuck the ends towards the bottom seem.

8. place dough in greased or papered bread pans seam down.

9. place in warm oven to raise until about 1 inch over side of pan (about 40 to 60 minutes).

10. turn oven on to 350^o and set the timer for 35 minutes.

11. remove from oven when timer goes off and place on cooling racks for about 10 minutes.

12. remove from bread pans and place back on racks until completely cooled.

13. serve or store in plastic bags. if you want to serve while hot, i'd recommend an electric knife or you're liable to squish the bread.

this recipe works for rolls and buns too - no adjustments necessary. just see this blog entry for burger bun shaping techniques.

http://healthybratt.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-shape-hamburger-bun.html

dilly bread

2011-02-26T18:30:00.010-06:00

this stuff is so good. learned how to make it in a bread making class. the lady who was teaching us only used white flour and it was fantastic, but since we tend to do a 50/50 thing around here, i tried converting the recipe to match our standard bread making methods around here. yeah, i know. i have bread making methods now, when two years ago, i was throwing bricks against the wall and whining because i'd never get it right. lol

i haven't even posted my regular (improved/perfected) bread recipe yet, but i've been making this one alot lately and thought i'd share.

dilly bread recipe

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
3 cups freshly ground hard red wheat flour
NOTE: the recipe will work with only all purpose flour (6 cups), but be sure to omit the vinegar and skip the soaking process. add all ingredients together (including water) and skip to step #5.

1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cottage cheese (ricotta works very nicely as well)
2 Tablespoons butter soft
2 teaspoons onion powder
4 teaspoons dill weed
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons sea salt
¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons white sugar (oh no!)
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon yeast

1. pour vinegar and water into glass bowl and mix a bit.
2. add cottage cheese to water/vinegar mixture and mix well by hand.

3. fold in wheat flour until well moistened and mixture is somewhat homogeneous.
4. soak mixture for about 2 hours.
5. add all other ingredients and mix well to incorporate.
6. knead until soft and elastic.
NOTE: it seems to take a bit longer on this recipe than it does on my other recipes.

7. rise until double.
8. punch down and shape.
9. raise until double.
10. bake at 350⁰ for 25 to 35 minutes or until deep golden brown.

(click to enlarge)

times will vary depending on the shape. i often use this recipe for dinner rolls, hamburger buns and tonite i made big round loaves (above) which come out extra soft but do need to cook a bit longer or they won't get done on the inside.

for small dinner rolls, divide the dough into 48 balls and shape as desired. i do knots, twists, or just plain rolls. for larger dinner rolls (at left), divide dough into 24 equal pieces and shape as desired. bake rolls on cookie sheets, stones or in muffin tins as desired.

these were pull aparts, but they were so big, you couldn't see the seams after rising. if making loaves, this amount of dough should make 2-3 standard or large round loaves.

blue letter Bible

2011-02-19T11:29:00.009-06:00

i was googling this morning for something to do and i wound up in a religious forum where several people were debating the definition of a word in the King James Bible. as often happens, the question was ignored for the debate over versions, greek translations, etc. not knowing greek myself, i did a bit more digging and wound up in a pretty cool site that offered the greek word, the definition, the translations throughout the king james and the strongs reference numbers all in one place.

i haven't had a chance to play with it much, but i found it rather inspiring that the next time i hear somebody tell me the translation from the greek i might be able to go look it up for myself instead of having to depend on the arrogance of some teacher who claims that he/she knows more about the Bible than i can because they are more educated.

i don't really, personally feel i need the greek to understand the Bible as i believe it to be inspired as is...but how cool is it to be able to look up the greek and see for myself how the confusion was created and how it's misquoted to the masses of Christianity, instead of constantly wondering if i might be missing something. it also gives me the ability to answer the fools (even if only in my own mind).

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

~Proverbs 26:5

anyway, for those of you Bible studying enthusiasts, i thought i'd share my find. my guess is many of you, found it before i did. i might be slow, but i'll catch up eventually.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm

new and improved egg rolls

2011-02-18T22:03:00.018-06:00

i've been making eggrolls for years. as tasty as we've always thought they were, they were never quite "right". i finally found out from the owner of the local asian food market, what was wrong. i've always bought the eggroll wrappers you generally find in the local grocery store and they're not like the ones you might find in a chinese restaurant. that and a few ingredient changes really made all the difference in the world. another secret is the oil you fry them in. since learning to render lard and tallow, we've found that eggrolls taste the best fried in animal fat in the deep fryer. once you've tasted one of these, you'll never go back to peanut or corn oil or anything resembling crisco.

1 lb ground beef or pork raw (may substitute or add shrimp if desired)
2-4 cups shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix works well)
1 large (yellow or white) onion diced
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon black pepper
ground red pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons fish sauce (soy sauce may be substituted)
3 eggs
2.5 to 4 oz mung bean threads
50 to 60 spring roll wrappers

1. soften bean threads in hot water. drain. with kitchen scissors, cut threads into 1-3 inch lengths.

2. mix threads and all other ingredients (except wrappers) in a large bowl. i use my hands and knead the mixture as if making a meatloaf.

3. place 1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture into each wrapper and roll.
(learn how to roll an eggroll here. because these have raw meat in them, you'll want to roll these smaller than my previous recipe--no larger around than a quarter. if this concerns you, you may cook the meat ahead, but it really does taste better if prepared raw and cooked only once.)

4. fry in deep fryer at approximately 365^o for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

5. drain and serve with dipping sauce and rice.
(our favorite dipping sauce is equal parts soy sauce and white vinegar with a few sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds thrown in.)

mung bean threads, also known as vermicelli are usually found at the local asian markets with the rice noodles. these don't carry alot of their own flavor but they absorb flavors well and add a unique texture to eggrolls that cabbage alone just doesn't have.

spring roll wrappers (left), also called eggroll wrappers. these are made with wheat flour and should not be confused with spring roll wrappers (right) which are sometimes called rice paper which are made with rice flour. the wrappers you want are square and soft (like filo or pie crust); whereas, rice paper is generally round and stiff (more like plastic) and must be moistened before using and are generally eaten without frying. i use a particular brand (TYJ) which is made with coconut oil and is very stretchy before it's cooked. these make an excellent eggroll and to date, we've not found anything better.

fish sauce is a sauce used in asian cooking (i use it in kimchi too) which basically adds a salty flavor. it comes in many varieties, shapes, sizes, etc. if you can't find it or if you don't like it, soy sauce and/or salt may be substituted. i generally use the 3 crabs brand.

pride makes me clumsy

2011-02-15T11:47:00.008-06:00

listening to Otto Koning AGAIN! i need to listen to this guy at least once a month. he reminds me in every message to give it ALL to God!

interested?
http://www.healthybratt.netne.net/1_3_Sermons.html

i was reflecting on my life, my job and my position as "mom" and how they all work together. sometimes i look at how healthy my kids are and i think to myself "see, i was right," but what i often forget is that i wasn't right, i was just in the right place, even when i didn't know it. God has always been the RIGHT one. he's the one that told me to do this job. He's the one who gives me the resources to care for my family and offer advice on health, herbs and nutrition. He's the one who made my children healthy. He's the one who brings wisdom and healing to those i touch through my job. He did all of these things, only because i was obedient.

i'm not tooting my horn here, because obedience is not my strong point. often i obey, not just because "He said so" but because of the gift of intelligence that God "blessed" me with. i see the problem. i use my talents and my intelligence to weigh the research and the available information and THEN i act. WOW! how great of a mom am "i"? aren't i just "big stuff" in the natural health world.

i just THANK JESUS, that He knows that my heart is in the right place, even when my head is not. He gives me enough grace, that when i choose to obey conditionally, He STILL, even then, gives me the blessings in spite of my arrogance and pride.

my kids still get sick occasionally and sometimes the advice i share doesn't work and i wonder what i did wrong. why aren't they healthy now? why aren't "my" treatments working this time, when they always worked before? well, even though i often forget, this week i was reminded. they weren't healed before because i gave them garlic or good advice. they were healed because i obeyed. the times they are not healed, i'm sure is because i forgot to give God the glory for my obedience.

man, this is a hard lesson to learn and even after learning, hard to make it stick.

it's all in His hands. it's all in His GLORY. i am only a keeper of His children, the vessel of His wisdom and if i obey, He will use me to serve others to His glory.

i love you all, not because i'm good, but because He made me good!

~blessings

imagination

2011-02-11T15:02:00.002-06:00

this was too good not to share...

i overheard my son talking to my daughter. he told her, his little army man ate two whole elephants. i asked him why his man would eat two whole elephants and the rest went something like this

son: because he was super hungry after being inside a dinosaur for 12 days.
me: 12 whole days?
son: i mean, 12 whole months and 2 days.
me: 12 whole months? how did he stay alive without food for 12 whole months?
son: he took food with him.
me: he took 12 whole months worth of food into a dinosaur with him?
son: i mean 11 whole months.
me: he took 11 whole months worth of food with him? that's alot of food. what did he carry it in?
son: a suitcase.
me: he took 11 whole months of food in a suitcase with him into a dinosaur? how come the dinosaur didn't chew him into pieces?
son: because the dinosaur was a friend of his.
me: (laughing) okay, so the man is friends with the dinosaur and the dinosaur ate him? why?
son: because the man didn't want to live.
me: (trying hard not to die laughing at this point.) so what you're telling me is that this man, wanted to commit suicide by being eaten by a a dinosaur that didn't chew him up. not only that but the man took enough food with him to feed him for nearly a year. why would he take food with him if he wanted to die?
son (with daughter in background in unison): in case he changed his mind.

of course...what else?

deep fried jalepeño hamburger balls

2011-02-07T08:55:00.004-06:00

i love food and i just love it when i get inspired. the other day, i was trying to think of something to spice up the doldrums of having the same 8 or 9 recipes over and over again. i love my fryer, so i thought about hamburgers and the fryer. i looked up deep fried hamburgers on the internet and surprise...(or maybe not), i was NOT the first person who thought of this. :D

so i gave it whirl and it was a hit. superbowl was yesterday and i needed an idea for a "man-food" for such an event and the only thing i had in the fridge was meat (no pizza rolls, or frozen fried treats that they love so much - LOL). i decided to try the hamburger thing again but this time, jazz it up a bit, make'em single serving size, and put a toothpick in'em. they were a hit. everyone in the house loved'em.

here's the trick. there isn't one. i think you could put anything you like in these things and they would turn out wonderful. it just really depends on your tastes. for mine, i used

2 lbs of ground beef
a splash of worcestershire sauce
a splash of kombucha (i'm sure vinegar would work fine)
about 4 oz of shredded cheeses (swiss and jack)
salt and pepper (liberal)
a handful of pickled jalepeños minced (maybe 2-3 T)
a handful of white onions minced
1 cup of white flour
1 cup of fresh ground whole wheat flour
a bowl of water

with your hands gently mix the ingredients. i've found that you don't want to squash (knead) the hamburger or you lose some of the finished texture of a good burger. also i left the onions out of one batch. i preferred them this way, but i didn't have any leftovers of the onion variety either. take the burger and roll it into meat-balls about 1.25 - 2 inch balls.

mix the flours (this mixture makes a great texture) in a bowl. i tend to start with a 1/4 cup each so that i don't have as much waste or as many flour chunks to throw away. roll each meatball in the flour coating well. then take the floured meatball and quickly roll it in the bowl of water. don't try to wash the meatball, we're just trying to get the coating wet. then roll it again in the bowl of flour.

you can do this up to three times with good results. with just one layer of flour, you'll get a tasty treat, but you'll find that the breading comes off in spots and causes the meat to blacken where the flour is missing. you can also use an egg wash instead of water, but i tried it this way and i think the egg makes the texture weird (kinda like crunchy noodles). we like just the plain flour and water the best.

throw the meatballs in the pre-heated deep fryer (about 355-360 degrees) and cook for 4-6 minutes.

pull out of the grease, drain and poke in some toothpicks. voilà.

note: they're not as greasy as the picture would portray. the only reason the paper towel is so greasy is because i pulled them out of the grease one at a time very quickly. i didn't give them a chance to drip in the fryer. if you used the baskets, you could raise the baskets and allow them to drip before tossing them on the plate. these were not very greasy at all. enjoy.

new internet provider - broken links

2011-01-27T10:59:00.001-06:00

my internet company has recently been swallowed up by another larger company. this means that all of my personal web storage has changed. this means to you, that many of the links in my previous blog entries may be broken and/or unavailable to you. if you find a pattern or a recipe that you can't get to, please, leave me a comment and i will fix it as soon as i can so that you may again have access to it.

stainless steel rice cooker

2010-12-21T09:52:00.010-06:00

on my quest to replace all that is aluminum in my kitchen, i finally got the ok from hubs to get myself a stainless steel rice cooker. the rice cooker is probably the most used appliance in this house do to the oriental nature of my family. i am not of asian decent, but it seems to have been my fortune to have many asians in my group of friends. in high school my best friend was of phillipino descent. i went from hating rice (milk, sugar, butter) to loving it in a more savory design. i ate rice so often at her house after school, that she and her mother bought me my first rice cooker for Christmas one year. it was small and just perfect for a single gal and i used it often throughout the first several years of my single adulthood.

when i met my husband, who is half korean, i was already on my way to being able to prepare the meals he was accustomed to. his mother was actually quite amazed that i already owned a rice cooker - being a white girl and all--but was soon pleased to realize that i loved my cooker and i loved learning to cook for my hubs. a year or two in, my rice cooker sprung a leak and my mother-in-law was kind enough to give us a rather large replacement. i have used that cooker until it's nearly got nothing left coating the pan.

while trying to get rid of the aluminum in the house, this was one of the last things to go--both because of the frequency in which it is used and because getting a stainless replacement was not easy or cheap. the other option was to learn to cook rice without it. i have actually done this, but knowing the extent of my laziness, i knew this wasn't going to be a viable option in the long run.

i researched the internet and shopped the asian grocery stores and was very limited in what i discovered. i found a "miracle" stainless cooker. it looked promising; however, if you're used to the cool touch, airtight standard rice cooker, this one is very different. it more resembles a standard stove-top steamer. it has a lid, but it's not hinged or attached in any way. it lays on the pan just like the pots most are used to using on the stove. after reading hundreds of reviews, i also found out that this little gem spits water out the steam hole unless you keep the steamer in it at all times during cooking. i'm sure this will work, but it just wasn't an option. not only did i want simple and easy, but i wanted to make sure if i decided to get a rice cooker for a family member, that they would be equally as pleased with the design, so i went back to my search.

i found another model that more typifies the asian standard, the TAYAMA. i also almost ordered it, but alas there were some complications with the manufacturer and apparently it's not available right now. when i spoke to several retailers, none were able to tell me when it would again be available for purchase. a few reviews had also expressed problems with the design and the replacement protocols when there were problems.

the aroma NutriWare varieties (i found two) looked promising; however, they appeared to be designed much like the miracle rice cooker. i presumed it might have the steam squirting problem and it was much more expensive than all other options i found.

finally, after hours of searching, i found one last option at qvc.com. the OYAMA brand. i have no idea whether this is a replacement for the aforementioned tayama or if they might be affiliated in any way, but the specs are very similar and the OYAMA had everything i was looking for. it comes with the steam tray, the stainless steel inner parts and they even had two sizes to choose from. i decided on the 7-cup which makes enough rice for our family of 4 to have one meal. if you have a larger family or want leftovers more often, get the 10 cup. it would be worth the extra money.

the things i've noticed after using this cooker for several weeks is that it works more efficiently than my old one. i don't know if this is merely a difference in age or if the brands are that much remarkably different, but i do know this cooker reheats more efficiently and cooks much faster than the cooker it replaced. some will tell you in reviews that rice sticks to this pan. i don't think it sticks any more or any less than my previous cooker. because it stuck to my old cooker, i often found myself scrubbing it and causing the coating to peel more quickly. after reading many tips and reviews i found that cleaning this pan was a breeze if you put water in the pan and return it to the cooker base and allow the cooker to heat it for a half hour or so. then use a non-abrasive scrubber (i use a veggie brush) to clean the remnants out of the pan.

the water amounts are a bit of an adjustment and i did not get good rice using the manufacturers recommendations, but i do know that the "cup" measurements used are not equivalent to standard American "cups", so i just used my old measurements and adjusted a bit until i got it right. if you do wind up using too little water, you can add more and cook again. you won't get the best results this way, but you will get soft edible rice. if you add too much water, so long as the rice isn't swimming around in the pot, you can fluff the rice and allow it to sit for awhile in the hot pot and some of the water should cook off. for the 7-cup cooker, i use 3 American cups of dry rice to 4 - 4.25 cups of water. i use the lines on the inside of the cooker and get great results every time.

my mother-in-law always uses her hand to measure. she puts her hand flat on the rice and the water level should come just over the largest knuckle on the hand. this works to help you get the basics down, but i find it's not always exact, so i only used it as a start to get my baseline.

bottom line - if you're looking for a new stainless steel rice cooker, i have nothing but good things to say about this one. i can't speak for the instructions, because i didn't really use them. i can't say much about the steamer tray because i haven't used this either. one thing i would mention about the steamer tho, if you're a family of 4 and you were thinking of getting the smaller cooker, but also want to use the steamer, stop and rethink. i would presume that you might want to get the bigger one. there's not enough room in my cooker to cook a full pot of rice AND steam veggies or fish at the same time. if i did both, there would probably only be enough rice for me and hubs.

(click to enlarge photos)

italian spinach pie (lo-carb)

2010-11-30T19:07:00.005-06:00

sherri, a friend from facebook, gave me a link for a yummy looking lo-carb recipe. i decided it would be good for supper because i had some fresh spinach that was beginning to wilt and i wanted to use it up. the recipe called for cottage cheese, but i didn't have any. i did; however, have some ricotta left over from my cheese cake making and decided to use that instead. i also doubled the recommended eggs so i could get more bulk with less carbs. i added some spices as there weren't very many and i'm a spicy kinda gal. anyway, here's the recipe. i must say, it was delicious.

1 cup ricotta cheese
8 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup paremsean
1 tsp oregano (ground)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (blanched, drained and chopped) spinach
(1 frozen package would sub just great)

the recipe called for 7 oz roasted red peppers, but didn't have any handly.

blend all ingredients well. put in 9" deep dish pie plate and bake for 40 minutes at 350^o F or until center is set. toothpick and/or butter knife test will work.

servings 8: carbs per serving 1.75
carb counts are approximate. if you're not sure, be sure and look'em up.

lo-carbin' it

2010-11-27T16:35:00.008-06:00

the holidays are here and still more to come and alas i'm on a diet (atkins), but all is not lost, because with a creative mind and the right ingredients, you can indulge and still not over-do it on the carbs. i did some searching and some experimenting and came up with a variety of recipes all using pretty much the same ingredients in different amounts coming up with tasty treats for those on the atkins trail.

all desserts are crust-less. you can add a crumb crust of choice, but this will raise your carb-count per serving.

as an added bonus, i also made some low-carb deviled eggs. these are generally low-carb anyway, but mayo has a few carbs and is usually full of other junk i don't want, so i made some changes and made some mayo-free deviled eggs.

enjoy. i know we did.

chocolate cheese mousse

3 T heavy whipping cream
3 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz (squares) of unsweet chocolate (i used bakers)
1/4 tsp sea salt

mix all ingredients except chocolate in food processor until smooth. it will go better if the cheese is room temp before you begin. melt the chocolate. pour into food processor and blend until smooth (no streaks). add more stevia if necessary. pour into pie plate or bowl and chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

8 servings: approx. 9.4 carbs per serving

cinnamon-vanilla cheese mousse

this recipe is almost the same as above with no chocolate and less honey for lower carbs.

3 T heavy whipping cream
1 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt

mix all ingredients in food processor until smooth. it will go better if the cheese is room temp before you begin. add more stevia if necessary. pour into pie plate or bowl and chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

try variations using lemon extract, raspberry extract or orange/lemon rinds, etc. for a different splash of flavor.

8 servings: approx. 5.1 carbs per serving

baked ricotta custard

1 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)

preheat oven to 250^oF. in food processor, beat ricotta and cream cheese together until smooth. add honey and stevia and mix well. add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. pour into quiche pan, pie plate or custard ramekins. place baking dish(es) into larger baking dish. fill larger dish with hot water to about 1/2 the level of the smaller baking dish(es). baked until custard is set (about 45 minutes). remove from oven and cool. chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

8 servings: approx. 4.6 carbs per serving

raspberry ricotta cheesecake

1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
12 oz (1 1/2 bricks) cream cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1.5 tsp vanilla
2-3 T raspberry extract (optional or replace with lemon or other flavors)
1.5 tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia

beat cream cheese and ricotta cheese in food processor until creamy and smooth. add all other ingredients and mix. scrape sides of processor bowl 2 to 3 times and remix making sure to incorporate all lumps and ingredients. pour into quiche dish, glass pie plate or springform pan.

i baked this at 350^oF for an hour according to instructions, but i got some overbrowning. you might want to use other cheesecake directions and cook slower at lower temps.

place in larger pan with water about 1 inch deep. bake for 60-90 minutes or until middle is set and soft or until knife inserted comes out clean.

remove from oven. chill (overnight is best.) serve with organic blueberries and/or whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) .

8 servings: approx. 9.75 carbs per serving w/o blueberries -- add approx 1 carb for every T blueberries added.

deviled eggs (mayo-free)

1 dozen eggs (boiled, peeled halved and emptied.)
2 T butter room temp
1-2 T mustard prepared
1 tsp onion powder
1 T parmesean cheese
heavy whipping cream
salt & pepper to taste
dash of tabasco or ground red pepper (optional)
paprika to sprinkle on top

add egg yolks, butter, mustard, onion powder, cheese, salt, pepper and tabasco to mixing bowl or food processor. blend until crumbly. add whipping cream 1-2 T at a time and blend again until desired consistancy. spoon egg filling into ziplock bag or icing bag. cut hole in corner of ziplock bag and squeeze filling into egg-white halves. sprinkle with paprika if desired. chill.

these are virtually carb-free. read your labels if you're not sure and enjoy!

bulk herb store

2010-11-06T10:37:00.001-05:00

Facebook users can now sign up for an application which will send them a Bulk Herb Store discount code on their birthdays. The code will be good towards purchases for up to 30 days from the birth date.

http://on.fb.me/dmBX8W

bday stands for birthdays and baptisms

2010-09-26T10:55:00.000-05:00

i had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of my 2nd daughter and two of her cousins tonite. it was also my father's and my husband's birthday. what a delight to have so many blessings in one day. to celebrate, we did up the girlie's hair in a do that would be "dunk proof" and look nice to and we made the most wonderful 3-layer "death-by-chocolate" cake.

this style was called Elizabethan hair taping by the lady who gave the tutorial. we tried her version of the dutch crown which turned out lovely, but her hair wasn't quite thick enough at the bottom to make it look even on both sides. the taping is also much easier and there are no pesky pins to poke you in the head or fall out. my daughter has been wearing this "do" all week and has little loss of hair from the braids (a few fuzzies here and there).

Elizabethan hair taping video:

Dutch crown videos:

now, this lucious piece of art came from a recipe i found online at a site called Mom's Who Think
the frosting recipe is actually the ganache recipe that i used for my donut birthday cake.

Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 3/4 cups all purpose (unbleached) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350°F. grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

2. in a medium bowl, stir the boiling water into the cocoa until smooth, and set aside.

3. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and set aside.

4. at medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes.

5. add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. turn mixer down to low speed. add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

7. stir in the vanilla, and do not over-beat.

8. pour an equal amount of batter into each of the three prepared pans.

9. bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

10. cool in pans set on racks for 10 minutes. invert pans on racks, remove pans, and allow layers to cool completely before frosting.

NOTE: if your cakes are not flat (level) then i would recommend frosting one layer and putting it into the fridge to chill for a bit to prevent the layers from slipping off. i used toothpicks, but this probably isn't preferable for public presentation.

how much is that kitty in the window?

2010-07-20T21:58:00.003-05:00

anyone remember kitten under glass?

apparently the word is out on the street that the place for curious (and dumb) kittens to be is inside our storm window above the air conditioner.

i love garage sales

2010-06-21T18:22:00.006-05:00

i took some pics of my favorite finds at the local city-wide garage sale this, last weekend.
(click to enlarge photos...for a better view)

a cute little tank for my SIL - her hubs loves his bikes! 25 cents

a new dress for...dressup...DUH! i love to dress up. $3

a scarf (head/neck wrap). don't know what i'll use it for, but it' gorgeous. 30 cents

my new favorite shoes. $3

a cute little pink, winter muffler. that's my daughter snuffaluffagus. 25 cents

an umbrella hat for my son. (snuffaluffagus broke his spiderman umbrella. this is the replacement) he's very happy with it! 25 cents

i also got a eureka electric broom/dustbuster thingy (for the kids), a stars and stripes fishing cap (new), an icetray (i collect these), 2 baseball batting helmets, 2 puzzles, 2 pairs of pants for hubs, 4 new glass coffee cups with little blue hearts on them, a decorator tin (for mil), 2 ties (for fil), and another shirt (autographed by local celebrity) for sil... we spent less than $25 for the entire day! i love garage sales.

new shoes

2010-06-19T16:37:00.007-05:00

hubs bought me the neatest (i'm gonna say it) "thongs" (the things you wear on your feet.) about 8+ years ago. they were THE perfect shoes. they were comfy and fit well and they were made well. i wore them for several years and repaired the inside soles by cutting to fit and gluing insoles on them to make them last a bit longer. i'd have to say, they WERE my favorite pair of shoes EVER!

they finally broke and i've been searching for a pair to replace them. i've been looking for about 2 years and have settled for cheap flip flops in the mean time, but just haven't found the pair i really wanted, until TODAY.

i found the best shoes while hubs took me out garage sale-ing. they are comfy, ALL leather, sewn not glued, and they are stylish. i just love them and the best part? they appear as tho they've never been worn and they were only $3.

THANK YOU, BABY!

super son

2010-06-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

the beads inside the left lense of his 'super' goggles add strengths and powers that he would otherwise not possess.

learning to make good coffee

2010-05-28T09:02:00.016-05:00

my coffee maker died a few weeks ago (first thing in the morning). in order to guarantee my family's safety until a replacement could be found, i had to find another way to make coffee. i did some inquiring on facebook and someone shared with me the term 'cowboy coffee'.

i decided to give it a whirl. the recipe i found online seemed a bit strong to me, so i improvised.

RECIPE for COWBOY COFFEE 1 quart of water in stainless steel saucepan 4 Tablespoons of dark roast Folgers 1 eggshell (i actually added 1 teaspoon of powdered shells from a jar i'd been saving for fertilizer) 1 heaping teaspoon of stevia leaf (real leaves, not the extracted or powdered stuff) bring all ingredients to a boil. allow to boil for 1 minute. turn off the heat. allow to sit for another 2-3 minutes. throw in an icecube to help the grounds settle to the bottom of the pan (also helps to cool it a bit as this is much hotter than drip coffee). pour into coffee cup through a strainer or ladle off the top into cup. add cream if desired.

this is some good stuff maynard.

been a coffee drinker for about 22 years and i thought i'd been drinking good coffee. apparently, i'd never had good coffee, because this cowboy coffee is some good stuff and it made the other stuff taste like brown water. funny thing is that noone ever complained, so i guess my friends are all just polite or they've never had good coffee either (except you, BJohnson LOL).

anyway, my last drip maker gave up the ghost way too early and after burning through 3 drip makers in less than 3 years, i thought maybe it was time to try something new. i decided that this pan coffee was so good, i should really look into getting a stove-top percolator. it took me awhile to find what i wanted, but i figured if i was gonna shell out the $ i was going to make sure i didn't purchase any more aluminum or plastic cookware.

i settled on a stainless percolator called the Classic Yosemite by Farberware. the advertisement on every website didn't mention the materials used to construct the inside parts, so i really had to dig for customer reviews to find anything. i finally found a couple of customer reviews on some obscure website that said that the basket and stem were indeed made of stainless steel, so i jumped on amazon and ordered me one. it arrived express and i was very excited when i opened the box, only to find that the basket and stem were missing from the package. needless to say, i was a bit deflated. my husband who was napping on the couch sleepily asked 'well can you at least tell if the insides are made of stainless like you wanted?' um...hubs, they didn't SEND THE INSIDES.

anyway, i digress. i ordered a replacement and it was here in 2 business days. i was very impressed with amazon's turnaround on this whole deal. so here, i've got my fancy, shiny new percolator and it makes outstanding coffee. the weird thing is that it takes more grounds ( i settled on 1/3 cup coffee grounds and 2 teaspoons of stevia to a full pot--8 cups) than it did just making the cowboy coffee in the pot, but it gives a nice rich full bodied flavor that i can totally get used to. apparently being spoiled by good coffee doesn't take long, because a few days after i got it, i had some drip coffee and i was not impressed enough to even finish the cup. i guess, i now am a coffee snob and loving every minute of it.

so for anyone looking for a stainless stovetop percolator, i thought i'd give you all the details about my find so that it would make it easier to decide if you want one too. while shopping i found many complaints and many compliments about certain features and i'll try to address all of these.

the entire pot inside and out and all of it's parts, except for the handle and the see-through perk handle are stainless steel 18/10. the parts consist of a pot with attached heat resistant handle, a lid with a removable (screw in) transparent plastic perk lid (handle), a stem with attached spring and base, a basket and a lid to the basket--called a spreader.

there are markings for the water both inside and outside the pot, a feature that some pots did not have.

the instructions say that if you wet the basket before adding grounds, they will not leak through. i have followed this instruction every time, and the only time grounds get in my coffee is if i forget to put the spreader lid on or if i try to pour the coffee while the basket is still in the pot.

once removed from the heat, it does take about 5-10 minutes for the water/coffee remaining in the basket to drain into the pot.

the instructions say to bring to boil and perk for 5-7 minutes, but after a few tries, i've settled on a 10-minute perk and i'm pretty happy with it.

there is one feature that i think is not well designed but i don't think it's a deal breaker. in most coffee pots, the spout is attached at the base of the pot with a built in funnel shape which directs the liquids towards the spout. for some strange reason the spout is attached rather high and it's wrapped around or attached over a plain hole in the side of the pot. the normal funnel shape is absent and so the coffee will pour well when it's full but when trying to empty the pot completely it's near impossible not only because you're trying to hit a flat hole, but also because the upper rim is curled under (presumably to prevent spraying while perking) and won't allow any liquid to flow freely from the top of the pot no matter which direction you turn it. i've found this to be odd and even a bit annoying, but not so much that i wouldn't recommend the pot to others for it's features and it's low price and my great tasting coffee!

anyway, if you're in the market for a great, inexpensive new stove-top percolator, this one is not a bad find.

click on any photo below to enlarge.

free and functional software

2010-05-28T06:41:00.010-05:00

i think i blogged about this before, but it was a long time ago in an operating system far far away (windows ME). i've had enough friends come up with problems and thought i would just make mention of a few great FREE products that might help get your PC clean and help it stay that way.

the links listed below are all directly to the software owner's websites, but always be careful when searching for free products. many times you'll find that the good products will have clones, imitations and fakers just waiting for someone to come along and download the wrong thing, almost always causing more problems than they promise to solve. if you're just not sure, cnet.com has been a very good website for me. they verify all software that is hosted on their server and i have yet to download anything through them that caused me any problems.

before installing alot of new software, i would recommend that you go into your system restore and manually create a restore point. this is supposed to be automatic, but during the last infection of my PC, the virus managed to disable this making it impossible for me to restore my computer to a previous point. meaning, it's not a must, but it sure couldn't hurt.

on most XP computers (sorry, no windows 7 yet), you can get there from the start menu, by bringing up the help program. if there's another way, i haven't found it yet. i use the search bar to find system restore. i select 'system restore' and the option to create a new point will be there. click on 'create new system restore point' and follow the prompts and you're done.

AVG Antivirus
i've been using this little booger for going on 10 years from the advice of a rather technicalogically endowed friend (geek for short) and it has always worked better for us than norton or mcaffee and there's no purchase fee or any fees for updates or license renewals. it's only failed me a couple of times with some rather pesky and unrelenting viruses.
http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free

Ad-Aware Free
this is a great program to run weekly or monthly or whatever you like in addition to your anitvirus to find trojans and hijackers and get them off your computer. the license is completely free. i've been using it for nearly 10 years and i think it's a terrific product.
http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

Spybot Search & Destroy
another good free trojan removal tool. it doesn't often find something that avg or adaware didn't catch, so it's probably not really necessary, but i like to keep my bases covered.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
this is a new acquisition. i'm not as familiar with its abilities to do the job, but it's reputed to be one of the best by all the geek forums and by another good (geek) friend of mine.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Zone Alarm Firewall
this little booger is great. XP has one of these built in, but the reason i like zone alarm is the interaction between the user and the PC. if something on your computer tries to communicate with the web, you get prompted. you can either block or allow one time, or you can choose to do the action 'always'. the windows built in, only allows the 'always' option. this extra feature by zone alarm comes in handy, when you don't know exactly what it is trying to talk to the web. sometimes something will pop up and you'll think you want to block it, because you don't recognize the name and you'll block it which might cause your newly installed software not to function properly. if you're using windows firewall, you have to go into the firewall and find the setting and change it back, but with zone alarm you can just block it once and then when the program fails, you can restart the failed program and zone alarm will prompt you again at which time you can allow it. you can also choose to only allow connectivity as a one time only option for certain web connections to prevent anyone hijacking on the connection later. i've only had one problem with it. hubby likes to play on a certain game server which is incompatible. i have to turn it off when he's there, otherwise, this little gem works like a charm.
http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/free-upgrade-security-suite-zonealarm-firewall.htm

CCleaner
this handy little tool includes an ADD/REMOVE programs and a disc cleanup function just like windows, but in my opinion it's more efficient and easier to use. many times when ADD/REMOVE wasn't working properly, this software was able to get the job done.

it also has another handy feature. it will clean up the leftovers from your registry that are often missed during an uninstall.

all of these features can really help to improve the efficiency and speed of your PC and keep the memory clean for future storage as well.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

donut birthday cake

2010-05-28T04:11:00.007-05:00

i didn't think i could improve upon the donuts in my last post, but alas i was wrong. after eating these wonderful little delights, my 5 turning 6yo boy told me he wanted these to be served in place of a cake at his birthday party. not only that, but he had to add his own improvements. he asked for cherry ganache. i searched the net high and low for such a recipe and never found one, but decided to experiment with some different things and came up with a cherry chip and a raspberry cream ganache to compliment the chocolate.

(for donut recipe and chocolate ganche recipe see previous article)

cherry chip ganache (for 2-3 dozen donut holes)

*6 oz (1 cup or 1/2 bag) of white chocolate chips
*1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
*1 tablespoon butter
*1/4 teaspoon vanilla
*1/8 cup minced candied (dried) cherries (about 24 cherries)

1. pour white chips into stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. pour remaining ingredients into small sauce pan on medium heat.
3. constantly stirring, heat until almost boiling (approx 180 degrees)
4. remove from heat and add to white chips in bowl.
5. whisk together until smooth.

6. dip donut muffins upside-down into granache until coated as desired.
NOTE: if you made the chocolate ganache i posted about before, you should know this one is a bit on the thick side, but it set up fine and it was quite tasty.

7. place on tray or in container to set.
glaze will remain sticky, but it shouldn't run.

************************************

raspberry cream ganache (for 2-3 dozen donut holes)

*6 oz (1 cup or 1/2 bag) of white chocolate chips
*1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
*1 tablespoon butter
*1/4 teaspoon vanilla
*2 teaspoons raspberry extract

1. pour white chips into stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. pour cream, butter and vanilla into small sauce pan on medium heat.
3. constantly stirring, heat until almost boiling (approx 180 degrees)
4. remove from heat and add to white chips in bowl.
5. whisk together until smooth.
6. add raspberry extract and blend well.

7. dip donut muffins upside-down into granache until coated as desired.
NOTE: this ganache was very thin, but coated evenly. to give it more glaze per donut, hubby just drizzled more on with a spoon after the first coating set up. we tried the chocolate drizzle for added flair, but the chocolate ganache was too thick to drizzle - go figure :)

8. place on tray or in container to set.
glaze will remain sticky, but it shouldn't run.

NOW for the best part. we put these altogether to make a cake or a facsimile of one anyway. i took some lids from a bucket and a gallon jar and covered them in foil to make layers on top of my tupperware cake tray.

doughnuts...donuts...OH WOW!

2010-04-27T13:19:00.010-05:00

we really miss donuts! the ones we like the best have an ingredients list as long as my arm and it seems it gets worse every time i crack and go ahead and buy some for the kids (and myself). the even stranger part is they seem to taste worse and worse with each visit, but the memory of donuts is so clear, i still keep giving in and buying them anyway...well NO MORE! yesterday i asked hubby to take me shopping for some ingredients to start learning how to make my own. i tried an old fashioned fried, cake-donut recipe first and it was messy, difficult to control the size and shape of the donuts and quite frankly, a bit rich for my taste. i was looking for something more like the hostess cake variety or the cake donuts you get at the local market or bakery. then cruisin' around, a friend from FB (thanks rachel) showed me some baked cake-donut recipes and i decided to give them a try. only problem, i don't have donut pans...hmmm...well what about donut holes? i have mini muffin tins, so i thought i'd try that. we've spent the afternoon, making donuts and ganache (glaze) and breaking my diet and lovin' every minute of it. i just had to share.

Family Circle magazine must get credit for the donut recipe, but i like to post everything in one place for convenience and just in case they decide they don't want to post it any longer. *wink*

CAKE DONUTS (doughnuts)

*1 1/4 cup flour
for chocolate donuts, substitute 1/4 cup cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the flour
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup sour milk, buttermilk or milk/vinegar combo
*1/3 cup packed brown sugar
for chocolate donuts, increase to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
*1 egg
*4 teaspoons melted butter
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. grease muffin pans with butter or coconut oil.
3. whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
4. in another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth.

5. add in flour mixture and incorporate well. batter will be sticky.

6. spoon batter into muffin cups approx 1/2 to 2/3 full.

7. bake for 13 minutes or until muffin springs back when lightly touched.

makes approximately 6 donuts or 24 donut holes (muffins).
8. cool for a couple of minutes and remove from cups.
a butter knife and my fingers were enough to gently work these lose from the pan.
9. set aside to cool more while you make your frosting.

i wanted something that would emulate the frosting at the bakeries and i stumbled across a ganache recipe that caught my eye. i tried it and it's messy and sticky and gooey and so tremendously delicious, i can't imagine that we'll ever be tempted to get donuts at the store again.

GANACHE from http://www.wasabimon.com/archive/easy-chocolate-ganache-recipe/

*6 oz (1 cup or 1/2 bag) of chocolate chips (i think hubby chose dark for ours.)
*1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
*1 tablespoon butter
*1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. pour chocolate into stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. pour remaining ingredients into small sauce pan on medium heat.
3. constantly stirring, heat until almost boiling (approx 180 degrees)
4. remove from heat and add to chocolate in bowl.
5. whisk together until smooth.

6. dip donut muffins upside-down into granache until coated as desired.

7. place on tray or in container to set.
glaze will remain sticky, but it shouldn't run.

the cat and the footstool

2010-04-02T09:47:00.004-05:00

got a new glider rocker and
glider footstool, compliments
of a good friend. the cat has
decided the footstool belongs
to him now.

cabbage muffins (sweet or savory)

2010-04-01T21:09:00.003-05:00

cabbage muffins???

i know. i'm just so excited about this soaking thing and then i discovered that i really had a hankerin' for cabbage. i'm on the fast-five diet, so i only get to eat once a day, so i'm trying to find ways to pack it all into one healthy meal AND utilize my new-found, muffin-making talents. i wondered if you could throw cabbage into a muffin like carrots or zucchini.

i went looking around on the net and found an old German recipe for cabbage muffins with a savory flair and i converted it to a whole wheat recipe, and then switched it from savory to sweet/whole wheat.

the whole wheat muffins reminded me of a strong celery flavored dressing (stuffing) and they were THE BOMB with homemade chili!

the sweet reminded me of zuchinni bread and i thought they would just be over the top with some cream cheese frosting (recipe also included).

TO SOAK OVERNIGHT: (for either recipe)

1 3/4 cup fresh ground whole (hard red) wheat
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

mix vinegar and milk in a bowl.
allow to sit and thicken for a bit (5-10 minutes).
add and incorporate flour until consistent texture.
cover (i use an airtight pyrex bowl or saran wrap) and soak for 7-24 hours.

NEXT DAY:

2 eggs
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups shredded cabbage

beat eggs in new bowl.
add oil and beat until well emulsified.
add salt and baking powder.

FOR SAVORY add:

1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

FOR SWEET add:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

mix well.
fold in cabbage until batter is consistent texture.
spoon (3/4 to full) into muffin pans prepared with paper liners.
bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
makes 18 muffins.

FROSTING:

16 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla

whip together until smooth.
spread onto sweet muffins.
chill and/or serve.

NOTE: i tried to half the recipe because i only had a little bit of cream cheese left and i miscalculated the honey. i actually put double the amount of honey i needed and they were pretty darn good, but the recipe above is the one i started with.

signs of spring

2010-03-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

first flowers...

first skinned knee (aaaah)...

and pigs a'grazin'...

how many words?

2010-03-30T09:52:00.002-05:00

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day....

30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and said, 'What?'

whole wheat drop biscuits

2010-03-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

ever since i got my family mill wheat grinder, i've been attempting to perfect a whole wheat biscuit recipe. i've been using the same drop biscuit recipe out of the better homes and garden cook book for years using all purpose white flour, but the whole wheat biscuits just never quite cut the mustard with me.

since, my new adventure into soaking began, i've been toying with revisiting the biscuits. yesterday, i sat out some flour, water and vinegar to soak for pizza crust and the pizza plan was canceled. then i was stuck with a wad of soaked flour and didn't really know what to do with it.

i jumped back into the cookbook and with a few quick recalculations i was able to salvage the dough and convert it to a whole wheat version of my original favorite biscuit recipe mentioned above.

great news! it was a complete success!

best biscuits i've ever made (even compared to the original whities). these were so good with gravy and for dessert we had biscuits and homegrown honey--given to us by a very good friend. quite tasty on either occasion.

recipe:

3 cups fresh ground hard red (whole) wheat
1 cup water
1 /2 cup (less 1 tablespoon) milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened tallow or lard

in a bowl, mix flour, water, milk and vinegar until well incorporated.
cover with airtight lid or saran wrap.
soak overnight up to 24 hours.

next day:

add remaining ingredients and mix until you have a well blended, evenly sticky batter.

spoon by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheet or stone (about 1 to 2 inches apart).

bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden on top.
serve with gravy, jelly, honey or butter...mmmmm

chocolate whole wheat muffins

2010-03-26T16:11:00.005-05:00

these muffins are awesome. many thanks to a friend on welltellme.com who provided the initial recipe, which i then converted to a soaked whole wheat recipe. we tried several others before this and noone was impressed. i can barely keep these in the house. yum!

i haven't eaten a hostess cupcake in years (can't even remember the last time) and most of those things don't really taste good to me anymore, but when i ate one of these muffins, it triggered a memory of what i thought they used to taste like.

mix together:

1 3/4 cups fresh ground (hard red) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T apple cider vinegar

soak for 7 hours (i've cheated a couple of times and only soaked for 5 with good results)

in another bowl, beat together:

2/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 c. butter

add in order mixing after each addition:

2 eggs, one at a time, until well blended
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (less 1 Tablespoon) cocoa powder

fold egg mixture into soaked flour mixture until well incorporated.
spoon batter into prepared muffin cups (buttered or papered) to 3/4 full.
bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

whole wheat muffins

2010-03-20T10:22:00.012-05:00

been experimenting with some whole wheat recipes. most of the cakes i tried were not very successful. i followed recipes here and there, but i'm beginning to think many people lack taste buds because they swear the recipes work and my family (and me) just aren't satisfied with the results.

then a friend of mine introduced me to the possibility that soaking might actually improve the taste. i'm already familiar with the premise that soaking grains is healthier. there is some debate on this and i generally lean towards the side of the fence that soaking is 'not ALL THAT', but having tried everything else, i decided if it made the food taste better, it might be worth a try.

first i tried a recipe from a lady who teaches classes on this sort of thing. quite frankly, i think she qualified in that group of people with no taste buds. i thought the recipe was terrible, BUT the texture was better than any i had managed so far. and according to her, i could convert ANY white flour recipe if only i followed her methods:

1. add 1 tablespoon of acid (apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) for every cup of liquid in the recipe or sub kefir, buttermilk, etc, for the milk plus add another tablespoon. i've just rounded up to one tablespoon if the liquid is under one cup and had good results.

2. soak the liquid, the acid and the fresh ground (mine is course ground) flour for at least seven hours. the expert only covered hers with a dishtowel, but i am finding that the dough dries out on certain recipes so i've been putting mine in an airtight container. i've also cheated a couple of times and only soaked for 5 hours with acceptable results.

my first two successes:

i took these recipes right out of the better homes & garden cookbook (my personal favorite) and added my own modifications.

1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cooking oil (lard, tallow, butter, olive, coconut - needs to be liquid for easiest mixing)

for banana muffins: add 3/4 cup mashed (overripe) bananas to mixture and 1/2 cup nuts (optional). reduction of milk was previously suggested and tried, but the recipe was easier to soak and the muffins raised higher with the extra milk.

for chocolate chip muffins: add 2/3 cup chocolate chips to batter.

~pour milk and vinegar into a bowl that has airtight lid while grinding your flour.
~add flour to, now, soured milk
~fold together until flour is evenly wet
~scrape sides and pat down into the bottom of the bowl.
~cover and soak for 7-24 hours.

after soaking is finished.

~preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~grease muffin pans (enough for 12 muffins) or line with paper cups.
~in a clean bowl, beat egg
~if making banana muffins, add bananas to eggs and mix well.
~add fat, sugar, baking powder and salt and beat until well emulsified.
~scrape wet mixture into soaked flour mixture.
~continue to mix and fold by hand until all ingredients are well incorporated.
~fold in nuts, chips or other goodies (blueberries, cranberries, raisins, etc.)

TIP: i've found that if the added chunks are room temperature, they tend to sink to the bottom of the cups before they bake, leaving a gooey mess at the bottom half of the muffin and no goodies at the top. if i put the goodies in the freezer the day before and take them out only at the very last minute to fold into the batter, this prevents the sinking and the goodies stay sprinkled evenly throughout.

~spoon into muffin cups (3/4 to full).
~bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

these muffins do not raise very high and i may experiment down the road with a bit of extra baking powder or another egg (the first recipe i tried had two eggs but it didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference in height) and don't forget, this is course--home--ground whole wheat flour which isn't going to be smooth like a while flour product. they have a very grainy texture but they are very soft and tasty. we all think these muffins are very good.

(click to enlarge any of the above photos)

for any of you who are wondering which mill i use...we chose the family mill. we decided to save up for one and then some very dear friends all got together and bought me one as a gift. i love it. a very thoughtful, AND useful gift.

soon...i will be attempting to convert a very delicious chocolate cake recipe i've used before. if i master chocolate muffins, the 'brownie' points will soar for the mom (and the wife) around here.

kimchi

2010-03-08T10:26:00.004-06:00

also gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee

a traditional condiment in Korea. thanks to the heritage of my mother-in-law, i was introduced to this wonderfully healthy food many years ago and with some perserverance and practice, i've come to perfect my own recipe which tastes 'almost as good as mom's' according to my adoring husband (and children).

most of this is done by taste and site, but i've attempted to put measurements on everything to help you get started. if you're just not sure how it should taste, drop by the Asian market and pick up a small jar and try it. most often these are already sour, but good. we like ours fresh through sour and thus enjoy making our own.

you'll need:

*large bowl with sealable lid
*1 gallon GLASS jar
(fermented foods should never be stored in plastic or metal containers.)

*3 small to medium heads nappa (baechu/Chinese) cabbage (5 lbs)
*5-10 chopped scallions
*sea salt (table or pickling may be substituted)

*1/2 cup of Korean red pepper flakes (kochu karu)
--may substitute the cheap ground red pepper from the Walmart. i've known some to substitute cayenne, but it's a different flavor and it's much hotter, so the amounts would be significantly less.

*3 tablespoons minced garlic
*½ - 1 tablespoon sugar

*1 tablespoon kimchi sauce (also called fish sauce/nuoc mam) optional

*½ tablespoon
*minced ginger root (very strong flavor – i leave this out)

*surgical type gloves to protect hands from hot pepper (spoon may be used)

~cut cabbage into 1-2 inch squares.
(this is preference, many cut in strips or leave heads intact and merely slice them lengthwise like a banana peel.)

~spread a layer in large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.
~continue layers of cabbage and salt until all cabbage is in bowl.
~put lid on bowl and let cure for about until cabbage is limp and will not snap when you try to break it in two (about 2-3 hours).
~rinse 3-4 times thoroughly and drain DO NOT SQUEEZE.
~taste and if too salty, rinse and drain again.
~salt again to taste (if needed).
~add all other ingredients and mix with gloved hand.

NOTE: add hot pepper a little at a time until desired hot. i've practiced with this and we like 1/2 cup but you might like a little less. if you don't add enough, when the cabbage sours, "sour" is all you will taste.

~put in smallest jar possible and cover.
~refrigerate and serve.

NOTE: flavor is best after at least 24 hours to allow flavors to mix. refrigeration is not necessary for preservation if veggies were cured correctly (if it molds, revisit your curing/salting methods); however, leaving it out at temps above that of your fridge will speed up fermentation and thus will make it sour much more quickly. we prefer to eat it fresh and at all stages of fermentation until it just gets too sour to stand the smell. at this point, we grind it up and throw it in the mondu (recipe to be posted later) or we cook it with some chicken.

cucumber kimchi

2010-03-07T10:07:00.000-06:00

cucumber (oisobagi) kimchi

*6 small cucumbers peeled and sliced (keep seeds)
--peeling is optional, but my husband prefers it peeled.

*4-8 green onions chopped
*sea salt (may substitute table or pickling salt)
*6 cloves minced garlic
*1 tablespoon Korean hot sauce (see this post for more info)
-- may substitute smaller amount Korean red pepper flakes (kochu karu) or the cheap ground red pepper from the Walmart. i've known some to substitute cayenne, but it's a different flavor and it's much hotter, so the amounts would be significantly less.

*1 tablespoon white vinegar
*roasted sesame seeds (see this post for how to roast your own)
*surgical type gloves to protect hands from hot pepper (may use spoon, but hands work best)

~sprinkle cucumber slices with salt and mix thoroughly. let stand until cucumbers are limp and will not snap when you try to break it in two..(approx 15-45 minutes).
~rinse well, squeeze, drain, repeat.
~taste to make sure not too salty. if still salty rinse and drain again.
~mix in all other ingredients with gloved hand thoroughly (salt to taste).

NOTE: if using hot pepper instead of paste add 1/2 teaspoon at a time until kimchee reaches desired hot (light orange color).

~put in smallest glass jar possible and cover.
~refrigerate and serve.

NOTE: flavor is best after at least 24 hours to allow flavors to mix. refrigeration is not necessary for preservation if veggies were cured correctly (if it molds, revisit your curing/salting methods); however, leaving it out at temps above that of your fridge will speed up fermentation and thus will make it sour much more quickly. we prefer to eat it fresh and at all stages of fermentation until it just gets too sour to stand the smell. at this point, we grind it up and throw it in the mondu (recipe to be posted later).

makes about 1 quart.

bulgogi (pulgogi)

2010-03-06T09:00:00.001-06:00

All ingredients are approximate (traditionally made by tasting hands after mixing *wink*)

2 lbs beef roast sliced thinly
¼ - ¾ cup soy sauce
roasted sesame seeds (see how below)
3 cloves minced garlic
6-10 chopped green onions
approx ¼ cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper

marinate overnight in smallest bowl possible. cook in sauce pan, fry pan, broiler or grill until brown. serve with rice and kimchee.

NOTE: this recipe is often used on beef ribs but ribs are very difficult to marinate in the same fashion as boneless meat. when marinating ribs, i often make enough marinade for both the ribs and a roast and i surround the ribs in the marinating bowl with the juices and the other pieces of meat for maximum coverage.

how to roast your own sesame seeds

1) pour sesame seeds into a bowl of water where the level rises above the seeds.
2) stir gently with your hands to find rocks and odd bits of debris.
3) rinse and strain well.
4) put in a medium hot skillet (i always use iron for a great flavor)
5) constantly stirring to prevent burning, continue to heat until the overall color changes to desired doneness (careful, they pop)

6) remove from heat and place in adequate sized bowl and pop (not crush) the seeds with a pestle to maximize flavor.

regarding pestles: the expensive marble varieties often used for herbs and pharmaceuticals will work, but if you don't have one of these, you can get a nice (effective) wooden pestle at most any Asian food marts. they resemble a billy club or small baseball bat. i just use one of these and a large ceramic cake mixing bowl. i call it my 'squisher'.

7) store in airtight container.
NOTE: i've actually had these mold once (rare) so i often keep mine in the freezer.

korean hot pork

2010-03-05T09:07:00.008-06:00

2-3 lbs pork shoulders or pork loin roast (or any pork chop) sliced to bite-size with bone and most of the fat removed
1 tsp sugar or honey
black pepper
6-10 chopped scallion onions
3 cloves minced garlic
2-4 tbsp korean hot sauce (see pictures below)

Mix thoroughly (may marinate overnight if desired). Simmer in fry or sauce pan until pork is cooked and tender (about 1/2 hour). Serve with rice.

Korean hot bean paste/hot pepper paste/fermented hot bean paste:

(click to enlarge photos)

groovy green beans

2010-03-04T20:04:00.004-06:00

i love these things. i've tried a dozen different ways and they are all wonderful and healthy too!

all the measurements below are for one person, cuz nobody else in my family eats these.

be brave and try substitutions. i've tried several and truly, if you cook the beans right, everything else is just grand.

4 oz frozen green beans (about 1/3 bag)
3 slices of bacon chopped OR 4 oz chicken breast chopped OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons tallow, butter or olive oil (if you don't use bacon)
1/4-1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (could sub sesame oil for oil and seeds)
2 tablespoons FRANK'S® hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
1/2-1 cup shredded cheese (i've used taco flavored, sharp cheddar and mozzarella) OPTIONAL
1/2 medium yellow onion sliced or chopped bite size
1 clove garlic chopped

if using bacon, cook with onions until bacon is almost done.
if using chicken, heat fat in pan. add onions and chicken and cook until chicken is almost done.
if no meat is used heat oil in pan (meat flavored is best for maximum yumminess)

add green beans. add garlic, sesame seeds, FRANK'S® hot sauce, salt and pepper. mix well and allow to cook until beans are desired tenderness (3-6 minutes). sprinkle Parmesan over entire dish. add cheese if desired and cover for a minute or two to allow the cheese(s) to melt.

that's it! i've considered adding mushrooms, but haven't yet. the picture is what it looks like with chicken in it. they all taste the same and yet different and did i mention--tasty?

enjoy!

TGIFridays spinach dip clone

2010-02-19T20:09:00.007-06:00

tonight i got a hankerin' for TGIFriday's tuscan spinach dip. love, love, love the stuff. the frozen from the store stuff is OK, but it's a bit on the greasy side and tooooooo many bad preservatives, so i finally decided to make my own. couldn't get TGIFriday's to give me their recipe...lol, so i searched around the net and found a couple of recipes, did a bit of juggling and came up with a hit!

this stuff was fabulous!!!!!

10 oz frozen spinach thawed, squeezed, drained
9 oz artichoke hearts chopped, squeezed, drained (i used canned)
1/2 cup Romano cheese (i used the Kraft brand 3 cheese Parmesan sprinkle stuff)
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (for skillet)
1/4 tsp black pepper

preheat oven to 375 degrees.
in skillet, saute onions and garlic until nearly brown and transparent.
in a bowl, mix together egg & oil until well emulsified.
add cream cheese and sour cream and mix well.
fold in remaining ingredients, including sauteed veggies.
spread in 2-3 quart casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes.
serve with pita, tortilla chips or crackers.

pop tab purse

2010-01-06T13:09:00.003-06:00

my newest endeavor into the crafty... i made this yesterday. pretty stylish and green (recycled pop tabs!)

here's where i got the 'how to': http://poptabpurse.blogspot.com/2009/01/about-year-ago-i-made-blog-page-to-make.html

needs css help

2009-11-04T10:11:00.001-06:00

does anyone who reads this have any experience with css or blog hacking? i really want to add a thumbnail to the left of every blog entry on my home page but don't have a clue how to do it and can't find anything on google because this type of blog format is relatively unique and nobody has done it before (that i'm aware of).

what's for supper tonite?

2009-11-03T19:24:00.012-06:00

this is a huge favorite around here. the original recipe for the steak can be found in the better homes and garden (red & white checkered) cookbook and the potatoes are my own creation.

the potatoes

1. chop enough russet (white) potatoes to cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 glass baking dish. it's about 8 cups by my measuring bowl.

2. in a small bowl mix together

2 T chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash of garlic powder
1-2 tsp salt

(store bought taco seasoning will work - use enough for 2 lbs of burger)

3. drizzle olive oil into the bowl with the potatoes. you want enough to coat the potatoes, but you don't want oil pooling in the bottom of the bowl. stir until all surfaces are well coated.

4. add seasoning to oiled potatoes and stir until evenly coated with seasonings.

5. pour into baking dish. bake for 45-60 minutes at 450 degrees (or until fork goes through potato easily).

the steak

1. take a 2-3 lb round steak and trim the hard fat from the edges and beat out flat with a tenderizer mallet until half the thickness you started with (or less if you can manage.)

2. shape and trim as necessary to make a rectangle or some facisimile thereof.

3. sprinkle with chosen seasonings. i often use crushed corn flakes, parmesean, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, but tonight i used cheese powder and bread crumbs because that's what i had in the cupboard.

4. layer with well-drained canned or thawed, frozen spinach.

5. roll like a jelly roll and secure with toothpicks. (see hubby's video.)

6. slice into 1-inch thick steaks.

7. place on broiler pan and broil on high for 7-10 minutes on each side.

8. remove toothpicks and serve.

garlic toast....mmmmm

2009-10-25T18:22:00.002-05:00

i almost always burn the garlic bread and i get so bummed, i just don't try very many recipes, but i got brave again today and i made the BEST garlic toast i've ever had. (tootin' my own horn? you betcha!)

it was pretty easy too. the only reason i usually mess it up is because i'm always doing about 40 things at one time and watching a broiler for 2 minute intervals doesn't usually blend well with multi-tasking.

anyway here's the recipe.

6 homemade wholewheat hamburger buns
(recipe on previous entry)
6-8 T butter softened
2 medium cloves fresh garlic peeled
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp black pepper
pinch salt (unless using salted butter)

mix all ingredients except buns in a mini-chopper (or you could pre-mince the garlic and blend the mixture with a fork). spread mixture generously over the insides of each part of the buns. place on stone face up and cook at 2nd from top rack on low-broil (electric) for about 4-7 minutes. watch very closely as some may brown faster than others, in which case, slide the stone out and flip them and allow the others to finish browning. i kept the oven light on and checked at 2 minute intervals. all in all, it took approx 6 minutes with the insides face up and about 4 minutes with the outsides face up. remove from stone and serve. sooooo, yummy!

how to shape a hamburger bun

2009-10-21T17:17:00.004-05:00

the lighting isn't great, but hopefully, you can see this well enough.

Italian wedding soup

2009-10-19T13:28:00.007-05:00

this is one of my favorites. i learned how to make it a couple of years ago from another recipe i found, but my recipe is actually much simpler than the one i had and in my opinion tastes about the same (but better) than the stuff campbell's puts out.

meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 tsp Italian seasoning

mix all ingredients together, meatloaf style. roll meatballs to preferred size 1/4 to 1 inch depending on my mood.

soup:

6 cups chicken broth (sometimes i use beef)
4-6 cups water (depending on the concentration of the chicken stock)
2 cups frozen spinach (little box from freezer section)
1 cup small unprepared pasta (i use orzo, O's, stars, or whatever is handy)
1/3 cup shredded carrots (optional - i usually don't have any)
1 medium (yellow or white) onion chopped (or 2 tsp onion powder)
3 cloves garlic minced (or garlic powder to taste)
2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

boil broth. add seasonings and taste to see how much water to add. if too fatty tasting, add water until desired consistency is reached. add meatballs and allow to boil for 5 minutes or so to give them a head start. then add all other ingredients and cook according to the pasta directions or until pasta is desired tenderness.

we serve with white (Asian) rice and Korean hot sauce, but it's tasty right out of the pot. also good with crackers.

beeker's ode to joy

2009-10-18T23:40:00.001-05:00

hubby always calls me beeker when i whine. i was so amused by this. thought i'd share.

gramma's punkin pie

2009-10-17T09:54:00.004-05:00

it's been almost two years since we lost grandma. i miss her, but i'm constantly reminded of her through the things she left behind--most notably, her recipes.

grandma never cared for ginger or cloves and she had her own flair for pumpkin pie. it's the only recipe i ever ate growing up and other pies just never really cut the mustard for me, so i had to learn how to make my own.

last year a very good friend gave my children a pick of a pumpkin from her pumpkin patch. then another dear friend taught me how to prepare them for the freezer. unfortunately for my very anxious children, we never got around to using them until yesterday.

i decided we'd make pies and it turned out to be an interesting event. i didn't feel all that well yesterday--exhausted to be sure, but i had promised and the pumpkin was already thawed. i knew if i let it go to waste, i'd never be able to face my sweet babies, so i trudged on...(LOL)

i got everything cleaned up and began to get the ingredients out when i realized we have no lard. i have always used lard (or shortening) to make crust and this was task #1. butter! but i've never made a butter crust. i love to try new things but not on a day when thinking is a chore.

i called another friend--my pastry queen--and she said butter would work fine but she wasn't sure how to go about soaking whole wheat due to the limited amount of liquids and fats that go into a crust. another thing i wasn't feeling like thinking about.

i sat down at the computer--another setback that had the kids dancing circles around me wondering when we were REALLY gonna start making pies. google was kind enough to point me to several butter crust recipes and they all agreed that the crust must be mixed and then chilled for at least an hour before being rolled out. hmmmm...setback #3.

so, the kid's shoulders slumped and they began to fight with one another and i dragged my weary butt (pathetic huh?) into the kitchen. i decided to use white flour (the monster you know). i had just bought some in case of a baking emergency. i mixed the crust up in the food processor and then stuck it in the fridge.

okay, then i start looking in the cabinets for the necessary ingredients for the filling. cinnamon, check. vanilla, check. sugar, check. nutmeg--crud, not enough nutmeg. gotta have nutmeg. setback #4. now everyone has to actually get out of their pajamas (yes we cook in pajamas) and run to walmart in the freezing dreary weather. *sigh*

we got to walmart, got some nutmeg and some houseshoes for dad (his were full of holes and covered with duct tape) and headed home.

now we have everything we need. yippeee!

so, now i begin to measure the pumpkin and i realize the pumpkin is chunky, almost hole and it's nothing like the stuff in a can which i am used to using. setback #5. i called yet another friend (the one who helped me the year before) and she barely remembered (she's like me) that she had helped me with this before. she suggested that i would need to cook it. she began to explain that i needed to cook it until i could put a fork through it. this made my eyebrows knit, because i could already do that. hmmmm...then i reminded her that i had put it in the oven to get the skin off before i froze it and she went AHA...oh yeah...all you need do is beat the tar out of it in a blender or something. oh good...that's easy.

so i hang up the phone and throw the pumpkin in the food processor and it turns out very nice. we get the filling mixed up.

we had previously (when we got home from walmart) taken the crusts out to warm up a bit as per the instructions. we went on to roll them out. i was particulary satisfied with the results as the crust was very easy to peel from the pie crust placemat (tupperware). no tears or breaks. the kids helped me put them into the pans, poke holes and edged both crusts.

i then poured in the filling that the kids had prepared a bit before and stuck them in the oven. no more setbacks and i was just thrilled that it was over.

once the pies were done, the kids could barely contain themselves, so we at some while it was still hot enough to melt the coolwhip . you could actually taste the melted butter in the crust.

i've never had butter on a crust, much less on pumpkin pie and it was definately different, but rich and sassy.

we then had a cold piece this morning for breakfast (i love leftover dessert). terrific. the crust is sooooooo flakey--never had anything quite like it.

anyway, it just seemed appropriate that i share this wonderful experience and the recipes with my friends. hope you like it as much as we do.

Crusts:

*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
*1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (mine was already in the freezer where i keep it)
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon sugar
*4 to 8 Tbsp ice water (it only took 4)

1. cut butter sticks into 1/2 slices and place in freezer for at least 15 minutes (mine was already frozen, so i skipped this part).
2. combine, flour, salt and sugar in food processor and blend.
3. add butter and and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles pea sized crumbs.
4. add water 1 T at a time and pulse until dough begins to stick together. (if you can take some dough in your fingers and it sticks, it's done. if it falls apart, then add more water and pulse again.)
5. turn dough out onto clean surface. knead enough to make all dough stick together. divide in half and make small flat circles (about 5 inches diameter).
6. wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and for up to 2 days.
7. take chilled dough from the fridge and allow to warm for about 10 minutes.
8. roll out on floured surface or on tupperware dough mat (i didn't need extra flour with my mat.)
9. place into pie pans.
10. edge and poke holes in bottom with fork.
recipe from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/

Filling:
*2 eggs (I used 3 small farm eggs because i had extra pumpkin and the eggs were pretty small)
*2 3/4 cups fresh processed pumpkin (or 16 oz of canned pumpkin)
*3/4 cup sugar
*1 tsp salt
*2 tsp cinnamon
*1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
*1/2 tsp nutmeg
*1/2 tsp allspice
*2 tsp vanilla
*24 oz evaporated milk (2 cans)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl.
3. Stir in all remaining ingredients (save 1/2 tsp nutmeg) in order.
4. Pour into uncooked 9" deepdish shells.
5. Sprinkle remaining nutmeg over top of both pies.

Pies:
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

bach, toccata and fugue in D minor

2009-10-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

this is pretty cool. stole it from a friend on facebook to share.

woman disabled by flu shot reaction

2009-10-14T12:42:00.003-05:00

Woman Disabled by Flu Shot Reaction

Shared via AddThis

seriously HOT wings

2009-10-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

just tried this recipe tonite and it was wonderful. not your typical tasting hot wing. more like terriaki chicken with a kick. very good served with rice for you hot hot hot wings lovers.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/sriaracha-hot-buffalo-wings-recipe.html

just like the author of the recipe, i've always been a fan of Frank's hot sauce on my hot wings. i don't think these are a substitute, merely another wonderful addition to my recipe book.

children's honesty is painful

2009-10-10T08:54:00.002-05:00

conversation between 5yo son and mom featuring dad:

son: what's that mom?
mom: concealer.
son: what are those red dots on your face mom?
mom: pimples.
son: wow, that stuff is magic. it makes the red dots disappear.
mom: yup. it's concealer.
son: what's concealer?
mom: it's makeup that "conceals" or covers up or hides things.
son: (hestitating) mom, maybe you should use this all the time, so that you (hesitating, looking for the right words) don't always look a little bit ugly.
mom: (rolling eyes) dear, did you hear what your son said?
dad: no
mom: (repeats entire interplay to dad)
dad: BOY! we need to talk.

an oldy but a goody

2009-10-09T23:59:00.003-05:00

i just love, love, love this song...and Bette reminds me of my mom. *sigh*

(funny thing is, i've had a few people tell me, that i remind them of wynonna.)

whole wheat hamburger buns

2009-10-08T16:25:00.005-05:00

Someone asked me for this recipe today and it occurred to me that I had actually taken some photos with the intention of sharing this, but had forgotten to actually blog it. So here it is!

4 cups hard red wheat ground (measure after grinding)
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup lard or butter (melted or softened)
2-3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast

1. Throw everything except yeast into bread maker (2 lb loaf size) and set to knead until mixed well.
2. Turn off bread maker and soak for one hour.
3. Add yeast.
4. Turn bread maker back on to the knead cycle for 9 minutes.
5. Turn off the bread maker and raise for about an hour or until bread reaches almost to top of pan (give or take).
6. Take dough out of bread maker and knead down to an easily manageable shape.
7. Divide dough in half until you half 16 equal pieces of dough.

NOTE: The following method is compliments SarahK

8. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten to about half the thickness of the ball.
9. Lay this in one hand and pinch opposite sides together.
10. Turn 1/4 and pinch the other 2 sides together.
11. Turn again and pinch the diagonals together.
12. Turn 1/4 and pinch the other diagonals together.
NOTE: To see how to video see this blog entry - "how to shape a hamburger bun".

13. Flip over and slightly flatten again (not too much, just want the bottom flat).
14. Lay about 2 inches apart on stone.

15. Put in oven (light on) and let raise until the buns are not quite touching (about an hour).

They will continue to raise some during baking.

16. Turn on the oven to 350 (do not remove the buns) and bake for 25-30 minutes.

NOTE: If you let them raise too long, they will sink during the baking and you'll have a lip around the bottom of the buns. This is okay, but they will taste better (lighter) if you get the timing just right.

These toast well. If you intend to freeze them, cut them first. They tend to buckle a bit in the freezer and this makes them more difficult to cut later.

This recipe is exactly the same one I use for bread. The only difference is I make two loaves instead of 16 buns, but my family prefers the buns because they rise lighter and fluffier so taste better for sandwiches and stuff.

H1N1 martial law?

2009-10-06T20:04:00.001-05:00

fat cat and a broken chair

2009-09-30T19:14:00.002-05:00

apparently, a raw diet is good for the cat, but not great for the chair.

inspiration

2009-09-17T12:33:00.005-05:00

i've been feeling a bit worn out and a little discouraged for awhile. this isn't something unusual or life threatening, just another human cycle that i too experience from time to time.

i have been listening to some tapes from one of my favorite pastors and he was speaking of a verse about God always dwelling with me (Psalms 90:1) and my mind started to wander about the things i've been sulking about as of late. then i remembered what my friend had told me about 10 things God did to love me today and i started looking around the yard from my perch on the front porch and i looked up and spied something that made me smile and tear up just a bit. (yes, my life is like a halmark card.) anyway, it was truly special and i wanted to write it down.

i have a flowering bush in the front yard that makes very beautiful clusters of white flowers in the late spring/early summer every year. after looking it up, i believe it might be hydrangea. the bush is constantly competing for ground with two other trees that have taken root and all grow together in a big ugly mess.

i looked up and saw a very small (maybe 1/2 the regular size) flower cluster poking out of the mess...only one...AND...out of season.

nostalgia and a camel

2009-08-16T13:41:00.004-05:00

my brother-in-law dug up this photo and gave it to me the other day. it's me and my niece about 9 years ago at the local zoo. aaaaah, the memories.

gizmo the panda's thumb

2009-08-13T15:54:00.005-05:00

the kids found another caterpillar out by the walnut tree. he's really quite beautiful with his "lashes". called halysidota tessellaris, banded tussock moth [caterpillar], and the panda's thumb, this little guy feeds on several of the local trees including walnut. we think maybe he fell or was knocked from our walnut tree, because the kids found him stuck to this blade of grass. we've decided to raise him like we did the monarch tiger. the kids are very excited and i was just thrilled with my new camera as this pic is so much clearer and more detailed than the pics i took last time.

if you're interested, you can read more about gizmo at this website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halysidota_tessellaris

amazing simple home remedies...

2009-07-28T08:55:00.003-05:00

Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

For high blood pressure sufferers ~ simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then, you'll be afraid to cough.

There are two tools in life which will fix most anything--WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use the WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use the duct tape.

DISCLAIMER: DON'T TRY THESE AT HOME. THIS IS ONLY A JOKE. IF THIS HAD BEEN AN ACTUAL HOME REMEDY, IT WOULD HAVE SOUNDED INFINITELY MORE STUPID AND RIDICULOUS.

taco chowder

2009-07-25T15:07:00.005-05:00

all ingredients are approximate

~ 2 lbs ground beef
~ 1 cup water
~ 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
~ 2-3 teaspoons paprika
~ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
~ 1 teaspoon onion powder
~ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~ 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 2-4 cups pinto beans cooked and drained
~ 2-4 cups yellow corn
~ 8-16 oz. sour cream

1. add ground beef, water and all spices to a pot or large skillet.
2. turn heat up to medium and cook until brown while mixing with a potato masher. (this will give a nice smooth consistency to the beef.)
3. add beans and corn and continue to simmer until corn is done.
4. mix in sour cream to taste or add a dollop to each bowl.
5. serve with FRITOS® (my personal favorite with this recipe) or other favorite corn chip.

great offer from no greater joy

2009-07-20T12:14:00.017-05:00

i just found out that if you order Debi Pearl's new book The Vision, for every book you order you get a second copy for free. With your order you also get a coupon for the bulkherbstore.com for 25% off your next order (coupon valid through July 31, 2009).

THE CATCH: you have to order the book through Amazon.com and the offer is only good tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21st.

click on the book (above) to get you to the ordering page.

rock band kitty

2009-07-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

kitten under glass

2009-07-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

here's our youngest kitty stuck between the window and the storm. silly curious cat...

prayer

2009-07-04T16:18:00.004-05:00

a very dear friend has come ill. the symptoms and the guesses lead to a diagnosis of leukemia. the family has suspicions and concerns that an orthopedic implant composed of a metal alloy has caused the trouble. they are having difficulties finding doctors who either agree or will accept the possibility or the connection between the two. the doctors want to do a marrow transplant and as I understand it, are not open to other alternative theories.

at this point, nobody really seems to know and it's all guesswork. his condition is very unstable at this point and some sort of treatment is needed very soon if he's going to make it.

i would ask, if you have a mind to, to pray for this man and his family and most of all his doctors to make wise decisions and be open to find the right answer to the right question.

nappin' in the window

2009-06-30T09:56:00.000-05:00

leavin' for boot camp party

2009-06-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

a good friend of ours is leaving for boot camp on tuesday after the 4th. we decided to send her off with a surprise party.

we had all sorts of decorations, streamers, posters, etc.

we had food, drink and dessert (below)...chocolate jello. it made a great backdrop for our little army guys and it tasted wonderful.

here's the recipe...

1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder

pour 1/2 cup of water into a bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top.
in a saucepan, whisk together the remaining water, heavy cream, sugar, and cocoa.
bring just to a boil, stirring gently. (mixture will thicken as it boils)
remove from heat and pour into gelatin mixture.
stir gently until combined.
pour into desired containers.
chill for at least 3 hours. (recommended to cover with plastic wrap, but i did not and there was a slight "skim" over the top, much like homemade pudding)

the recipe i found came with an espresso sauce recipe which i intend to make next time. here's the recipe if you're interested.

1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (i will be 1 oz. using real espresso and subtracting from the milk)

whisk the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of sugar until well combined.
bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
pour 1/3 of the milk mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
return this new yolk mixture to the pan and cook over moderate heat stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
in a saucepan, mix together the milk, remaining sugar and espresso.
pour through mesh strainer and cool to room temperature.
cover and chill.
after gelatin and sauce are both well chilled, spoon sauce over gelatin and serve.

another herbal concoction

2009-06-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

this stuff is my newest concoction for drinking in the evening or anytime i don't want coffee...it's sweet & yummy

3 T catnip
3 T oatstraw
4 T orange peel
3 tsp unprocessed stevia herb
30-36 whole cloves
1 gallon water

for 1-2 cups, use about 1/2 teaspoon of catnip, oatstraw and stevia, 3/4 teaspoon orange peel, and 2-3 cloves...enjoy!

if you want to use processed stevia, leave out this measurement and sweeten to taste after the tea is made. i'm sure it will work fine, but i really enjoy the more natural flavor that the raw herb provides.

grabby kitty

2009-06-14T09:04:00.001-05:00

the newest member of the family apparently doesn't understand the "pecking" order.

good article @ ehow

2009-06-09T08:57:00.001-05:00

Avoiding Mosquito Bites, Naturally

new low

2009-05-21T09:39:00.003-05:00

i get scam emails all the time and a friend of mine was even taken in by one, a long time ago. wound up costing around $5000 and the threat of prosecution for fraud.

the email I received today hits an all new low, but it works the same way...

Dear Brother in Christ,

I am Rev Greg Mark.Unfortunately, we are unable to help you. Our church states that we can
only do business with other members. If you were a member that would be one thing but since
you are not, there is nothing that I or anyone can do here. Sorry about that.

If you wanted to become a member, there may be a great many opportunities to do something
together, including helping you with your affairs.

Recently, our church was all set to begin an expansion into West Africa, Nigeria to be
exact. A member of only one month had promised to help us start a new congregation in Lagos.
He had completed all of the necessary steps to begin and was about to receive an initial
$5,000.000.00 to get started. Then, without warning, we never heard from him again. This was a great disappointment for us. If you wanted to take his place, we would be very eager to talk to you about that.

Let me know if this would be something that you would be interested in send me an email or call me through my cell phone - 17183548913.

Best regards,

Rev Greg Mark.

for anyone who has never seen this sort of thing, the methods used by this particular scam are very tempting. they offer to send you money and they really do in the form of a check. then they ask you to send them money for some contrived reason...to forward to a clerk or pay for services rendered or whatever, but it's usually only a portion of what they send you. so you wind up with money in your pocket and they get some cash from you...the catch is...it's a bad check and you're stuck holding the bag for cashing a fraudulent check and the sender (usually out of country and untraceable) has your cash. this friend of mine cashed at least 3 checks via this method before the bank put a stop to it.

some of these letters are more obvious than others, but they all amount to the same sort of thievery and should be filtered, ignored and/or sent to the authorities whenever possible.

if you, or someone you know has ever been taken in by something of this nature, you can contact the FBI internet fraud division to make a claim. this is a good step to take to be sure the victim is not made the criminal.

whole wheat chocolate & chips cookies

2009-05-13T19:53:00.004-05:00

thanks to a very good friend of mine, i have found the perfect chocolate cookie recipe for use with hard red wheat. it even works with a course grinder for those who don't have a nutramill.

these are even BETTER than they look...

2 cups freshly ground wheat flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup lard (melted)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
2 tsp vanilla

***********
1 tsp soda
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups chips of choice
1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

***********

1. mix all ingredients by hand in first section.
2. let soak for at least one hour.
3. add soda, eggs, and sugar.
4. mix with beaters and/or dough hooks.
5. add chips and fold/mix in.
6. spoon teaspoon size balls onto baking stone.
7. bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes for a crisp/soft cookie.

careful getting them off the cookie sheet. they will be very soft and flexible. they will firm up when cooled. makes approx 7 dozen 2-3 inch cookies

note: the original recommendation was 8-12 minutes, but i found with my ingredients and the baking stone, this was not near long enough. you may have to experiment to find just the right timing for your neck of the woods and your particular baking equipment.

ain't he cute?

2009-05-12T23:15:00.005-05:00

meet the newest member of the family. apparently this little guy thought we needed him, because he showed up a few days ago and without any prompting decided to stay. hubby broke down and fed him after 3 days and now he's officially got a name. introducing...(drum roll, please)... Nickle "Nickey" Mouse...

(this picture is right side up!)

(my first bath, i'm thrilled...)

(that bath really wore me out...)

(aaaaaaaaaaaah...home.)

may flowers

2009-05-05T06:42:00.002-05:00

i only get to pick these once a year and oh how i love to look at them on my table...and they smell so lovely.

From my son...

From my daughter...

weird illusion

2009-04-23T22:49:00.004-05:00

If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, the dots will remain only one color, Pink.

However if you stare at the black + in the center, the moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black + in the center of the picture. After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see only a single green dot rotating.

There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear.

Weird...

beware!

2009-04-22T23:55:00.002-05:00

this is NOT a valid email. it is called a phishing email and it is used to gain personal information about the recipient...in this case a yahoo account name and password - presumably for SPAM purposes. Don't respond to these. Mark them as SPAM or JUNK or whatever your email client provides for.

Dear Yahoo Account User,

This message is from Yahoo! Mail message center to
all Yahoo! Mail account owners.

We are currently upgrading our database and e-mail
account center due to congestion. We are deleting all
unused Yahoo! Mail account to create more space for
new accounts.

To prevent your account from closing, you will have
to verify it below before One (1) week from now!

VERIFY YOUR YAHOOMAIL ACCOUNT NOW!!!

Yahoo Mail ID:................................

Password:.....................................

Your Birthday:................................

Your Country or Territory:....................

Click on the reply button to send the above requested
information to us.

Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his
or her account before One (1) week of receiving this
warning will loose his or her account permanently.

Thanks,
The Yahoo! Mail Team.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

shoes?!?!

2009-04-21T15:36:00.006-05:00

Shoe shopping online today turned up some interesting finds...

Tigger eat your heart out!

Who needs self defense classes?

Are you kidding me???

Ballerina's night on the town.

Barry Gibb throwbacks...YIKES!

Weird shoe designers or PhotoShop?

And I thought toe socks were going a bit far...LOL

Is it stinky feet or stinky shoes??

Now these, are my kind of shoes, but I want the legs (and the pedicure) to go with them.

This pair was apparently woven or crocheted from thread created entirely of plastic grocery bags. Pretty creative, huh? Where are my crochet hooks??

or at the very least shoe shopping.

hot wings (or legs)

2009-04-19T19:26:00.003-05:00

for supper tonight...mmmmm...family favorite

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings or 6-8 chicken legs
(I actually used 5 legs, but we like extra sauce for the rice)
1/3 cup hot melted butter
1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® - Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce

Deep fry wings at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (or legs for 25 minutes). Remove from fat and drain. Mix butter and hot sauce together. Pour over chicken in a casserole dish or large bowl. Spoon extras over chicken until well coated. Serve with rice or your favorite hot wings sauce.

how to make eggrolls

2009-04-19T13:49:00.033-05:00

I got a new camera for Christmas last year and it's been fun using it. I love to make eggrolls and my family loves to eat them, so I decided to dig out the new camera and share with you how I do it around this kitchen.

NOTE: i no longer use the recipe below. i use the same tips, tricks and methods, but i've since learned a few new tricks and i only use this recipe now.

I normally make smaller batches, but I came by a large amount of cabbage, so I went for broke and made extras for the freezer. I'll be basing my recipe on the BIG batch.

4-6 lbs of cabbage shredded
4 lbs of ground pork (not sausage)
1-2 large yellow (or white) onions
6-10 cloves of fresh garlic
black pepper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(click on images to enlarge)

1) Chop onions and garlic fine and brown in skillet or large pot with the pork until done through. (do not drain)
2) Shred cabbage either by hand or in food processor (slice setting seems to work best).

3) Put cabbage in large pot or bowl and poor pork with fat into the cabbage.
4) Add pepper and mix well.
5) Allow to sit for a few minutes on the counter and the hot pork fat will begin to soften the cabbage to make it easier to work with.

6) Lay eggroll wrappers flat on table diagonally.
7) Place a small handful (maybe 1/3 cup) into the lower center of the eggroll wrapper.

8) Fold sides towards the middle like an envelope.

9) Pull the bottom corner up to the top and press and pull back to pull the filling towards you and help contain it in the wrapper.

10) Dip fingers in a small bowl of water and wet the top corner of the wrappers.

11) Crimp any ends that might be loose or flopping and roll away from you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tears & Holes (they happen)

Don't panic! I do this all the time. If your eggroll gets a little too wet or stretched, it might tear. Do the best you can to roll it up without damaging it further. Then tear a small corner off another wrapper (you won't even miss it). Wet this small piece and slap it over the hole like a bandaid. This will either fry solid in the fryer or freeze dry in the freezer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12) If you intend to freeze, lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer NOT touching.
13) Place in freezer until frozen.
14) Remove from freezer and cookie sheet and put in freezer-safe container and return to freezer until you are ready to use.

15) Heat fryer to 400 degrees.
16) Place eggrolls in fryer for 8 minutes. They tend to float, so I recommend you place your basket on top of the eggrolls and put the lid on top of the basket to keep them fully submerged. This will ensure that all sides are equally cooked without extra fuss.

17) Remove from fryer and drain.

18) For a tasty dipping sauce, mix 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 real soy sauce and throw in some toasted sesame seeds if you have them.

19) Serve with rice and enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is a video on how to roll up the eggroll. This mine and hubby's first movie. Hope you like it. It's rated "B" for beginners.

whole wheat (really!) buttermilk pancakes

2009-04-17T18:54:00.004-05:00

2 cups hard red wheat flour (freshly ground)
2 cups buttermilk (or 1/4 cup white vinegar + 3/4 cup milk)
1/4 cup lard
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 T sugar

---------------------

1 tsp baking soda
2 T baking powder
3 large eggs

---------------------

Cream flour and lard together until flour resembles small crumbs. Add buttermilk, vanilla, salt & sugar. Combine with spoon until everything is wet and even. Soak mixture for at least one hour. Add baking soda, baking powder and eggs. Mix well with hand whisk. Allow to rise for 10-15 minutes while heating griddle. Use 1/4 cup measure for smaller pancakes and 1/3 for larger pancakes. Make sure griddle is heated through (med-low) before adding batter to the pan.

i won't take less than your love...

2009-04-15T12:27:00.001-05:00

for lunch today

2009-04-11T12:58:00.009-05:00

Chicken & Spinach Parmesean

~ 4 cups of chicken already cooked
(I made stock yesterday and used the scraps)

~ 1 lb of pasta

~ 2 1/2 cups milk

~ 1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan
(I was a bit short today but it was okay)

~ 1/2 to 1 tsp salt

~ 1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper

~ 4 T butter

~ 4 T flour
(I used hard red wheat)

~ box of frozen spinach
(thawed and drained ~ or equivalent)

Cook pasta according to the instructions, drain and rinse. In another pan, put butter, flour, pepper and salt together and make a roux. If the roux is too dry, add a pat more butter. Allow the roux to get nice and bubbly without scorching and add the milk and the parmesean and simmer while stirring constantly until thickened. Add chicken and spinach and mix until warmed through. Fold in noodles and serve.

playdoh fun

2009-04-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

compliments of the children...

happy 10th anniversary to me

2009-04-10T18:43:00.005-05:00

Lookie see, what hubby and kiddies got me...

(not the computer, but the beautiful flowers beside it)

2009-04-08T23:52:00.001-05:00

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

~Jim Elliot

sober

2009-03-30T14:42:00.010-05:00

Pink Lyrics

For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
~Romans 10:13 KJV