May - So Far!

First of all, we have been spending a lot of time getting ready for Vacation Bible School at our church. If you're in the area and have children, come on out!  Not in the area, take a vacation and come this-a-way!

My winter project this year was to make a cookbook for Hosanna, and the rest of the girls. Hosanna was wanting some recipes that we have written down here and there before she got married, so we cooked / baked them so we could get pictures, and I assembled them into a cookbook that I gave the married girls for Mother's Day. It's actually a Shutterfly book so they are pricey, and not for sale unless someone really wants to spend a fortune! Anyway, I thought you would enjoy seeing a few pictures of the inside for inspiration of what you could do with your favorites!

Also added in some things I've learned over the years about having company over.

Last week we had our yearly Ministry Training for those helping out at VBS and fair ministry. We are making teeshirts for a VBS craft this year and had the workers at training make theirs.

We emphasis sharing the gospel and counseling for salvation. We don't want children or adults to just "say a prayer" without having any idea of what they are really doing. So, we teach the questions to ask, the verses to share, etc., to make sure children understand. This year we worked on teaching the gospel using a marker board and drawing the gospel out with illustrations. We also went over the wordless book which we are going to be teaching all the kids to tell at VBS this year.

What a fabulous group of young people!!!!!!!! I love these guys!  They are awesome! They have such hearts for God and desire to serve Him! They have such godly wisdom for their age! They are so fun and a joy to be around!

We went over songs that we are singing at VBS.

Lots of visiting!
Then in the evening, the young people came over to our house for games and snacks. We learned how to play group juggling which was so fun for a group that size!

And a blog post wouldn't be complete without a picture of grandchildren! This was taken on Mother's Day. I love how Martha, the middle girl, is sucking on Ilana's finger! These three girl cousins are going to have so much fun together someday!!

Tomorrow is another big day - petunia planting!

So, hope you enjoyed the long post. May God bless you all and give you a great week!

Peppermint, Ahh!

I would have to say, that other than chocolate, my favorite baking flavor year around, is peppermint.

Tonight I tried something I read about, Peppermint Syrup.  It was so easy and it is SO delicious!  Take two cups sugar, one cup water, and six large broken up candy canes. (I used seven and its a little strong - I like it, but six would probably be sufficient)  Stir till it comes to a boil, and stir for two minutes while boiling.  No longer.  As you can see the candy canes didn't completely melt, but I'm guessing the first person that walks in the door tonight will scoop them out and that will be that!
I can imagine this syrup will be fantastic on ice cream, and definitely in hot chocolate, and even coffee.  So, if you need a quick treat, try this one!

Meanwhile, something very exciting happened yesterday!  I'm afraid my lips are sealed for at least another week!  We'll post about it as soon as we get permission!

Have a great evening enjoying all the wonderful flavors that God has given us!  He wouldn't have had to give us flavors you know, but I'm so glad He did!

Whiter Than Snow

Fresh snow covers the brown dirty ground and makes it so fresh and clean just like how God can wash away our sins!  We haven't had nearly as much as they were forcasting, maybe three or four inches and it would be lots more but it's melting at the same time.  It is pretty though and has such a good spiritual lesson in it.  Should really help the firefighting efforts and isn't supose to quit until tomorrow. Wonder if anyone will be brave enough to visit the maze?

Made some Autumn Energy Bars today.   You melt: 1 bag mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup peanutbutter, 1/4 cup butter and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon.  Mix in 2 cups oatmeal, 2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies, 1 cup nuts and 1 cup craisens.  Makes an 8x11" pan.  You could always substitute granola or raisens or whatever as long as it equaled the 6 1/2 cups.  They're really good and not too sweet of a treat.

Since it was kinda yucky outside we did inside work today.  We also had a mock debate with Miriam as the moderator asking questions of where we stood on different issues.  We played all roles and parties and although it seemed like no one voted for Silas, he won because he ended up with the most votes! Mmm.  Some real politicin' going on in this house!  I think the maze has worn us out to be so easily entertained!

Have a great day!

Busy Days

(I think "Busy Days" is the title of a book our kids had when they were little :)  Anyway, my wonderful sister Kim lent me her new cookbook,  The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond.  I don't know about her tv show but I love her cookbooks!!  Anyway, this recipe for pico de gallo is in it and we've made it lots of time this fall.  You have to try it!  It has equal amounts of tomatoe, onion, and bell pepper in it.  Lots of jalepenos (we don't use too many), a good handful of fresh cilantro, salt, and lime juice.  (I've been using lemon because I like it better).  It is so good with chips!!  Even better than nacho cheese sauce.  We've also put it in pita bread and made some awesome guacamole with it.  With all the fresh garden stuff it's so easy! Anyone who has eaten at our house more than once knows we eat tons of nacho chips. (Their first meal at our house is likely to be spaghetti with delicious homeade garlic bread).  Chips make such a fast lunch on busy days and this is one great way to enjoy them!

Someone said one time that they'd like to see photos of the petunias when their full grown.  I'm afraid they looked thier best about a month ago and now they have started to die down.  Anyway, here's Miriam and I'm not sure whose hoeing way back there. Should be the last time they need weeding for this year.

Nathan M., Rebekah's brother, helped weed and here he is with Silas.  It's kind of a blurry picture but you can see them going down down along the highway.  Note how dry the grass is.  Partly because it's fall, but mainly because it is just so dry here.  They really did look nicer awhile back!

Our church had a nice baby shower for Gideon.  This picture makes him look so long but really he is just a sweet little guy!!  It was a very nice shower. 

Daniel celebrated his 4th birthday yesterday.  My how time flys!  Rebekah made a fantastic ice cream dessert with crushed sugar cones as the crust.

I wish we could post more often.  We are way too busy!  Sometimes I look at how long my to-do- list is and get so discouraged.  It's nice to know that God understands.  How many times did Jesus try to get away to rest from all the people?  Lots of times.  I know we don't have anywhere near the demands Jesus had on Him but I'm sure he understands being worn out and tired. 

Arthur is feeding silage to the beef cows.  Not sure what the guys are up to.  Priscilla is doing school.   Miriam is canning the last of our tomatoes into spaghetti sauce and Hosanna is making a few pear pies.  There are not many people who can make pies as good as Hosanna!  How beautiful she makes them look!   I made up a few batches of cranberry pear pecan jam.  Probably my favorite jam of all we make. 

It's Dairy Weekend coming up at the cornmaze so we've been getting some special things ready and it looks like the weather will be perfect.  So that's how it goes at our house.

Isaac's Exciting News!!

 Isaac's excited!  He bought some property!  Ten acres to be exact and it has a barn, grainbin, garage, and trailer house on the property, plus a few really old broken down sheds.  He's had his eye on it for about a year now, and, as broke as he is now, it's all paid for, and he has a nice fixer-upper place.  The barn has a pretty good roof and is in good shape although it looks like it needs some fixing.  The trailer is small and older so I'm not sure what he'll do with it.  Maybe fix it and rent it out or sell it or something.  The grain bin has our corn maze corn in it, at least what is left of the corn.

The trees in the background are on his property and have the Bulldog River that goes behind our barn going through the woods.  Our place is on the other side of the power lines in the far back left corner of the picture.   It's really a neat, quiet place that has lots of potential.  I believe his first plan of action is to plant more trees (when it warms up some!) and do some fencing to put some calves over there or maybe his herd of beef cows that's currently with our cows.  I'm happy for you, Isaac!  God is so good!

We had the privilege of watching grandchildren this week. One of the first things Daniel does when he comes over is say, "Papa's cowboy hat?".  He loves wearing it.

The boys also love Jeriah and can't seem to hold him enough.  Davy says, "Hi, baby." over and over.

Here's the Fried Ice Cream Dessert recipe.  It's so simple but so good!

12 Tblps. butter melted

1 1/2 Cup brown sugar

4 Cups corn flakes crushed

2/3 Cup walnuts crushed (we used pecans and peanuts would work too)

1/2 Gallon ice cream, slightly softened

Combine the margarine and brown sugar, mix in the corn flakes, nuts, and coconut.  Layer most of the crumb mixture in a 9x13 pan.  Spread ice cream evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. (you can't ever have enough of the crumbs!)  Freeze until ready to serve.  We drizzle honey or chocolate over the top when we serve it.

Have a great day!

Another Hay Day

Another really hot day to bale hay.  I heard someone say it hit 90, which around here is a "once every couple of summers" kinda thing.  This is Jonathan J.(with the hat), my nephew Jeshua(with the bandana), and Nathan(in the camos), Rebekah's little brother.  Altogether the crew put 1,355 bales in the haymow.  Good job guys!

What is it?  Well, a lady at church shared her rhubarb orange candy jam recipe.  It sounded kinda strange but Miriam tried it out today since we happened to have everything for it and it really is quite good.  The picture doesn't really do it justice as it's more orangy in color.  Here's the recipe:

6 Cups rhubarb cut in slices

2 1/2 Cups sugar

Mix and let sit for two hours.

Add: 1/2 -1 lb. candy orange slices cut in little pieces.

Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes.

Add: One box apricot jello.

Boil one more minute and put in jars.

Miriam waterbathed the jars for about 10 minutes and got five small jars.

Blueberry Muffins and a Bird

Hi! Mom is gone this morning, and I so got left with the responsiblity of putting something on the blog - since we haven't done anything really exciting this week and we "happened" to take a picture of these muffins, (some of our very favorites!) I thought we'd give you the recipe. Normally, Miriam is our muffin maker, but Priscilla made these - and they turned out! (actually she is a good cook!) Oh, and we always double the recipe...

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

1/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 2/3 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup blueberries

Mix butter, sugar and egg. Add dry ingredients and milk and vanilla. Fold in blueberries. Fill 12 greased muffin tins 2/3 full with batter.

In small bowl, combine: 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 cup butter

Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 min.

The girls had a little surprise this morning - Silas walked into their room with this bird! He had rescued it from the dog and thought Miriam should take a picture of it. It did escape from him a few times - but he was able to recatch it! I'm not sure what kind it is, but Isaac said they're never around in the summer.

Matthew 10:29-31 - Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without you Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Cookie Dough Truffles ...

I thought I'd start Christmas baking tonight after looking at a recipe for Cookie Dough Truffles. We all agreed they are fantastic and will definetly make them again. I got the recipe from an old Taste of Home magazine. Just incase you love cookie dough like us, I'll give you the recipe.

Cream together:
1/2 Cup butter softened
3/4 Cup brown sugar
Add and mix well:
2 Cups flour
1 can - 14 oz. - sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir in:
1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 Cup walnuts

Roll in 1" balls and refridgerate till firm. Dip in melted chocolate or chocolate candy coating.

28 Days Till the New Grandbaby!!!

Not that due dates mean much! Here's the Zucchini Pie Recipe. (If you have our family cookbook it's in there)

Zucchini "Apple" Pie
4 C. sliced zucchini (peel and take seeds out, cut in apple shape slices)
Cook zucchini slices till tender and drain. (we do this in a frying pan or
the oven)
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1 1/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3 Tbl. flour
Dash salt

Toss together drained zucchini, lemon juice and salt. Mix together dry ingredients and add to zucchini. It will be runny but that's okay. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter. Put on top crust. Bake at 400 degrees fro 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Aluminum Foil tip: Do you put aluminum foil on the edges of the pie for the first while of baking? It helps keep the crust from burning and remove it before the pie is done so the edges get brown. If you take a large square of foil you can fold it in half and cut a circle out of the center and then place it over the pie. I just learned that! I used to try to put pieces of foil all around the pie and they always wanted to fall off.

Have a great fall day!!

Priscilla's Cooking Video #2

When it's too rainy outside to make smores, you can easily use the microwave. And no, Priscilla doesn't eat smores for breakfast everyday! Putting peanut butter or bananas in them must make them more healthy though, right? Ideally, they should be microwaved for about 30 seconds but we shortened it for the video. Have a great day in the Lord!

Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Need Chocolate?

One thing our family loves is brownies! Overall, we try to eat "Health Food" but sometimes you just gotta have your chocolate! There's so many things you can do with your normal recipe. Here's a few of our favorites (and if you have any favorite things that are quick that you do to brownies, let us know!):

Cookie Dough Brownies: Make your normal brownies in a 9x12 pan.. For filling cream 1/2 Cup butter, 1/2 Cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup white sugar. Add 2 Tbsp. milk, 1 Tsp. vanilla and 1 cup flour. Mix well and spread over cool brownies. For glaze melt 1 Cup chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp. shortening. Stir till smooth and spread over filling. You can put nuts on top if you like, or if you love the cookie dough filling like we do, double the filling!

Brownie Sauce: Make your normal brownies. Cream 3 Tbsp. butter, 4 Tbsp. flour, and a pinch of salt in saucepan on low till smooth. Add 1/2 Cup brown sugar and 1 and a 1/4 Cup white sugar. Gradually add 1 Cup water at medium / high heat, stir to boil and keep boiling while stirring till thick. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Our favorite thing to do with this is put large pieces of brownies in dishes, top with ice cream, and pour this delicious sauce over top. Great for company and so easy!

Not Enough Time: If you're in a hurry, we make a pan of brownies and before putting them in the oven, we sprinkle brown sugar and chocolate chips on top before baking. Now, you'll want to add lots of brown sugar because it's so good and it doesn't melt!

Priscilla's "Cooking" Video

Priscilla has been wanting to post something on the blog so here she is making Iced Cappuccino. It's really delicious! Priscilla is 11 and loves working in the kitchen. She's taken over making our "daily bread" with the bread machine and enjoys taking the dough out and making fun loaves.

Gooey Caramel Rolls

These are so good and so easy to make. We just use regular bread dough, one batch in the bread machine or two loaves worth of dough, roll or pat it out, smear butter all over it and put some brown sugar and cinnamon on it. We roll it up, cut them up, and place them in a 9X12 pan. Then for the delicious gooey stuff:

In small (well it looks small for our family) pan, mix: 1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup ice cream, vanilla

1 stick of butter, thats 1/2 cup

Melt it all together and cook for just a little bit and then pour the warm sauce over the rolls. Let them rise and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or till done. We don't really have this written out but this is what we do and hopefully you can follow our instructions. When their done be sure to flip them over on a cookie sheet and enjoy, their best fresh and warm!