braided egg bread (life with purpose)

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Shanda

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.

I know without a shadow of doubt that motherhood is my calling.
I remember as a teen all I wanted to be “when I grew up” was a mother.

Women can be and do so many things. For me, for now, being a stay at home mom is what makes me feel the most content and satisfied. For others, a feeling of utter contentment occurs as they perform their own particular gifts. Although I am open and prayerful to doing more, (librarian?volunteer?photographer?dentist?) for now I have no other yearning or interest for anything else other than mothering these seven children of mine and tending our house and home. Eventually these years will be over and I trust that God will lead me toward a new way of living. I look forward to the future.

What was in my heart and soul as I mixed up bread dough with Sarah?
Joy that made me reach for the camera. Love as I saw how big she was getting and yet she is still small enough to live in the moment. Peace in the safety and security of knowing all my family was home. The sun was shining, *all was well* (never taken for granted, because someone could skin a knee at any moment). Gratitude to God for giving us our daily bread–bread for our stomachs AND our souls.

Making bread is a very humble pursuit. Our ancestors baked bread daily and it became an endless chore for them. It’s a treat for me, I bake bread when I want to, not because I need to, but the connection I feel with the ages makes the process satisfying. Such humble ingredients; yeast, water, milk, butter, salt, and flour.

Whatever has happened before will happen again. Whatever has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

The Bible says truthfully there is nothing new under the sun. Motherhood. Baking bread. These things have always been and always will be, as long as the sun and moon endure. But these humble acts are our prayer of praise to Him as He opens our hearts and makes them tender toward all our blessings.

“Meaning can be found in relation to Him, thus making life here tolerable, even delightful, and making ultimate existence possible, through Jesus Christ. All those things that make life here so weary and boring can have new meaning, when you understand who God is, what Christ did and you connect yourself to the genuineness of being a child of God.” ~Warren Berkley

“Crack it a little harder and use BOTH your thumbs to open the egg– like a door!”

She did it with enthusiasm for each time.

We admired the deep yellow of our good eggs.

“That one is a lighter yellow.” she noticed.

She loves the feel of sinking her hand into cool, soft, flour.

Surrounded by smiles and color.

Making homemade bread.

Mainly she wanted, more than anything, to eat the dough.

She absolutely loves bread dough.

I love her.

Letting it rise in a big big bowl. Learning about patience.

David wandered through to tell me that he found a special way to wash his hair in order to make it grow faster (he wants long hair). You use eggs. Rub them in the hair and let it stay in it for an hour. Then rinse and condition with coconut oil.

This information solved The Mystery of why the coconut oil kept appearing out of the kitchen cupboard. I enthusiastically felt his hair and it was amazingly soft.

He also said that rubbing your scalp induces faster hair growth.

Motherhood. Full of gripping facts and experiences.

Goldilocks! said the nineteen year old as he walked by.

Braids! said the sixteen year old as she walked by.

Art in the kitchen.

Children underfoot.

Teens in the other room laughing, talking, making music.

Gratitude in my heart.

Painting with egg.

It’s finally done, dance!

….slicing, buttering, placing it in their hands, watching them come back for more….

Home is the art of life….Home is where we feel at ease, where we belong, where we create surroundings that reflect our tastes and pleasures…making a home is a form of creativity open to everyone. ~Terence Conrah

Take steps to practice joy in your daily life, and it will expand naturally. Let joy fill your heart, and your heart will gladden your health. Dr. Mao Shing Ni

“I practiced joy that day as I baked bread. The children were with me, we used up eggs, the smell was wonderful, the braids of dough were fun to form, they baked up large and golden, and the taste was fantastic. It was a joy to slice, butter, serve and give to my loved ones. Feeding others is a gift to the giver.”

Braided Egg Bread from allrecipes.com

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (if you buy in bulk this is 4 1/2 tsp of yeast)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups hot milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup water
5 eggs
11 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I didn’t have these)
Proof yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl.
Combine hot milk, sugar, butter, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. Cool to 110 degrees.
In small bowl, slightly beat 5 eggs, then add to cooled milk mixture. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Slowly add remaining flour until it forms a stiff dough. Knead on a floured board for 10 minutes (5 minutes with a bread hook). Place in a large glass or plastic bowl lightly greased. Turn dough over to grease both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, dark place until doubled in volume, approximately 60 minutes.
Punch down, cover, and let rise again until double, approximately 30 minutes.
Punch again, and form into three parts. Form each part into a 20-inch roll. Braid rolls on a large, greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled.
Lightly beat remaining egg and brush loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 55 minutes until nicely browned. May be made into two regular sized loaves. Reduce baking time slightly.

recipe source: allrecipes.com

banana cream pie

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Shanda

Yesterday after a spaghetti dinner, I asked my husband if he would take me to Agway because we were out of chicken feed. He agreed, and it was a lovely drive together. When we arrived home, he drove the truck close to the coop and unloaded four bags of feed. I got out with him and gathered eggs, there were so many that my pockets were full of them. In fact, one fell out of my pocket as I stepped back in the truck and Parker the Dog ate it. Rich drove us back up to the house and that was that.

Well, this morning I received a text from him. On the way to work he had to make a sudden stop, and when he did, out the corner of his eye he saw something fly from the passenger seat and smash into the dash. And what do you suppose it was? Yep, I had lost another egg out of my pockets and left it behind in the seat to become a missile. It broke and everything. ha ha (sorry honey!)

Another fantastic way to use up an overflow of eggs is homemade pudding.

Vanilla Pudding

In a heavy medium saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3 T. cornstarch or flour. Stir in 3 cups of milk. Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir 1 cup of milk mixture into 4 beaten egg yolks or 2 beaten eggs.

Add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan. If using egg yolks, bring to a gentle boil; if using whole eggs, cook till nearly bubbly but do not boil. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat Stir in 1 T butter and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Pour pudding through a fine sieve to remove any clumps. Then pour into a cooked pie shell or a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap to touch the top and prevent a “skin”. Chill.

Chocolate Pudding

Prepare as above except add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the sugar. Use 2 T. cornstarch or 1/4 cup flour, 2 2/3 cups milk, and 4 eggs yolks (not whole eggs)

RECIPE SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (mine is falling apart, it’s well used)

NOTE: The part about the sieve is not in the original recipe. But, although I am sure no one in my family would even notice a tiny clump or two, I cannot stand little tiny clumps of cooked egg and so far have not perfectly mastered the technique of cooked custard. So I use the sieve just in case. Also, I know I mentioned that I would be sharing recipes that used five or more eggs. But I figured that you will want to double the recipes because homemade pudding is so nutritious and delicious.

Another NOTE: Rich’s favorite is a pie made of vanilla pudding over a sliced banana! I’m also going to try pouring cooled but not too solid yet pudding into a popsicle maker.

*****

David got home while I was finishing up this blog post and he showed me two Barnes and Noble gift cards that he won today at school. The first one was given because he was the student who had read the most books this school year. Then, he won another when his name was taken out of a raffle box. He also told me that he looked swag today. I said, “I do not know what that even means.” And he said, “It means I looked cool.” This was his outfit: jeans, a blue t-shirt, a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up, a bracelet worn on his wrist, neon green socks, and black hyperdunk sneakers.

This is the first I’ve ever heard of him even caring to look swag.

*****

Happy Friday!

cream cheese sheet cake

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Shanda

cake

eggs contain the highest quality protein you can buy
egg yolks are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of Vitamin D

~ thinkegg.com

I thought I would start a category here on the blog of recipes which use five or more eggs. This will make a good resource for anyone out there who has a flock of chickens and is trying to use up eggs. I’ve been keeping hens for years now and last spring I went a little overboard with ordering new chicks. We have a flock of 20+ hens which each industriously lay one egg a day. These fresh, beautiful eggs are like little treasures and I love to use them up in the kitchen. (I’m wanna be just like Bubba in Forrest Gump, only I’ll be spouting off egg facts and recipes instead of shrimp…..”goals”….) 🙂

**********

I made this cake last night for the first time and it was delicious. I like sheet cakes as they are thinner than a typical cake, and more like a soft bar cookie easy to eat “out of hand”.

This is a good recipe to use if you are going to a potluck, as it makes 30 servings.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2- 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups cake flour

frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; stir until well blended.

Pour into a greased 15 in by 10 in by 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small sauce pan, combine sugar and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (do not stir). Stir in butter and chocolate chips until melted. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Stir, then frost the top of the cake.

a super super bowl gathering

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Shanda

God granted us some much needed encouragement this morning. On Thursday, I had to pick Sarah up from school because she had a fever. I took her to the pediatrician and the preliminary test they did showed yet another UTI. A never-ending UTI was what alerted us to her kidney stones. My heart sank as we went to fill a prescription for antibiotics and all weekend, even though we had fun, in the back of my mind I was starting to obsess again about UTI, kidney stones, water intake, low sodium diet, and citrus fruits.

Fast forward to just an hour ago. The doctor’s office called with the final lab results which were NEGATIVE for a UTI. Soooooooooo grateful!

She’s getting over the fever and a bad cough but otherwise she is fine, and by the way she doesn’t really wear glasses. The ones in the picture are just for fun from Claires so she could be “just like Grace”. Her dad read her a Narnia story book on Sunday morning and we spent the rest of the day getting ready for a super Super Bowl gathering of friends and relations.

MENU:

Pizza ordered out (three party sized) meat, mushroom, and plain cheese
Tossed Salad brought by Isaac and Cassandra
Cocktail meatballs made and brought by Louis, one of the wrestling boys
Homemade cupcakes brought by Dom which were made by his Mom
Caroline’s Taco Dip
Caroline’s chocolate chip Blondies
Homemade chicken wings using this recipe
Barefoot Contessa’s outrageous brownies (sure to give anyone a chocolate coma)
chips and dip and salsa
crackers and cheese
fruit tray
veggie tray

They were watching a youtube video….Caleb and Grace (young love)…Dave, Caleb, and Sarah

Rich and Zak greeted one another with a handshake

Zach, Michael, Ethan, Jacob, and Dom

The basement full of kids

Portrait of all of us—25

Me and my brother Isaac

Me and my mate

Emily wasn’t in the group photo because she was at work (young love pic #2)

Ethan and Tessa (young love #3)

Ethan wasn’t mad, I think this is his “I’m tough and cool” face.

Parker the dog snuggled with the company as much as possible.

*****

The children had a snow day on Friday and guess what? They are home again today for another one. The snow just started and the flakes are numerous but small. The sky is solid white and each time I look out the window the snow is blowing in a different direction (usually straight down or to the right). It’s a cold, dry snow and supposed to last all day. Ethan made a fire in the fireplace, Grace and Sarah are having sister time, Caleb and Seth have been playing but just turned on a show “If you give a Mouse a Cookie”. Jacob went and got Emily before the snow started and they just made eggs for breakfast. Rich went to work but we’ve been texting each other.

*****

It is thus, in little days — that our years come to us. We have but the one small fragment to fill and beautify at a time.

The year is a book, and for each day — one fair white page is opened before us.

And we are artists, whose duty it is to put something beautiful on the page.

Or we are poets, and are to write some lovely thought, some radiant sentence, on each leaf as it lies open before us.

“That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:2

~JR Miller

busy kitchen, happy hearts

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Shanda

Good morning, dear friends and relations, it is a beautiful fall day. The official first day of winter is in one week and it currently does not feel a bit like winter. Caleb, my precious soft hearted boy, had tears in his eyes this morning as he looked at the weather report for the days leading up to Christmas. NO SNOW. He said he prayed about it, too. He wonders if we will have ANY snow AT ALL this winter. It’s so important to him that it makes me long for snow, too. What a happy boy I will have on that day.

I went down to the chicken coop to let out the hens and give them a bowl of leftovers. I collected three eggs and stood at the pond to look at the beauty around me as I prayed a good morning prayer to God, asking him to send down his blessings on this old world, thanking Him for all He enables us to do each day….learn, grow, think, laugh, praise, heal, feel, work, BE…new creations. The old has passed away and the new has come like a miracle. Every good thing comes from above and our thankful hearts please Him.

The birds are happy, too. I have a feeder by the porch which brings in the songbirds. They sit in the bushes by the house and take turns flying over to select a seed.

I opened windows and turned on the house fan for some fresh air. Later on I will go the post office to get a Christmas card weighed because I bought a pack that require extra postage, but how much extra? I need to figure it out and get to work writing my cards, which I do so love to do, sending out mail is a pleasure. Receiving it is, too!

*****

How about one last post featuring dear Hannah? Oh, we had a lovely visit, doing so many simple sweet things together like sing and play piano, put together puzzles, watch TV, go for walks, and……..WORK IN THE KITCHEN. How fun it is to work side by side with another woman in the kitchen! Four hands are better than two. And we were blessed with two little helpers….eight hands ready to work in the busy kitchen.

While Hannah set to work making her famous chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles, I began a batch of Christmas cookies….Russian tea cakes. I only regret that I didn’t think of sending a box home with her because they are a very sturdy and delicious cookie indeed, able to survive a trip to Alaska.

flour, eggs, butter, water, salt…..such humble ingredients turn into the best of comfort foods…NOODLES

She rolled the dough as thin as possible and then cut the noodles on a cutting board.

Then, she sprinkled them on a floured cookie sheet to dry for a little while.

I put Seth and Sarah to work rolling balls of cookie dough. “Is this one too big Mom?” she asked. “Yes, a little.” “Okay,” she said as she solved the problem by taking a chunk off to put it in her mouth.

just right.

sweet happy Hannah. In this picture you can see the paper Angel garland over the entry to the dining room. Hannah bought one for her house, too. Isn’t it pretty?

The noodles are all cut out and waiting to be placed in hot flavorful chicken broth.

The cookies are done and powdered sugar (which Sarah called flour over and over regardless of my corrections) was everywhere — reminding us of Caleb’s elusive snow.

I left Hannah briefly in order to pick up my teenagers from High School and take a few of their friends home. When we returned, dinner was done. She made fresh and creamy mashed potatoes for us to pour the soup over. Every bit of this meal was homemade and it was so delicious that even though I was filled up by my first helping, I knew it would be a crime not to enjoy a second helping. So I did.

And it was just what Grace needed to recover from a long long day of school.

But that wasn’t the end of Hannah’s work in the kitchen that night. As soon as she was done with the chicken, she began a batch of overnight cinnamon rolls.

((By the way, Hannah was wearing an apron that she made for me years ago.))

THE NEXT MORNING……Sarah eagerly watched the cinnamon rolls bake in the oven at 350 degrees.

pretty pretty profile

The cinnamon rolls were blanketed with cream cheese frosting.

Once again, I helped myself to several cinnamon rolls too many just for the sake of taking advantage of the freshness, the homemadeness, and the lovingness of Hannah’s baking. Although she mourned what she considered *a shade too brown of a bottom*, let me assure you THEY WERE PERFECTION.

After our cinnamon roll breakfast, we took David, Caleb, Seth, and Sarah to the movies. But before we did, we attempted a “frameworthy” photo of the two of us. Forever friends.

That night, Hannah helped us decorate our Christmas tree. Tomorrow I will share the family photos she took of Rich and I with the kids. But this next one was one that I had Grace take of the two of us holding books that we bonded over. I first believed Hannah was a possible kindred spirit because she mentioned on her old xanga blog that she was reading the James Herriot books which I absolutely LOVE. Then, later on, once we became pen pals and got to know each other better, we read several LM Montgomery books together, including Pat of Silver Bush.

Book recommendations!

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

“True friends are always together in spirit” LM Montgomery

awesome recipe (macaroni and cheese with tomatoes)

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Shanda

(setting the table)

Last night’s dinner was exceptionally miraculous so I thought I better share. I use the word miraculous because even though the dish had tomatoes in it, all seven children still ate it with vigor and healthy appetites. They had nothing but good things to say.

Homemade macaroni and cheese is rather like a circus performance. You have the macaroni that needs to be boiled in salted water for exactly 6 minutes, then you need to find your colander and drain it, all the while stirring the butter, flour, and milk base for the cheese sauce so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan. Cheese must be found in the fridge and grated, six cups. Canned diced tomatoes from the pantry, a can opener, whisk, rubber spatula, wooden spoons, measuring cups and so on…. it’s non stop action until the oven door slams shut, your arms go up in victory, and the baking begins.

IT WAS UTTERLY WORTH IT.

(This is Shanda’s blog so do I have to mention all seven kids running back and forth throughout the kitchen during the juggling act? Every time Dave came near me to tell me something I said, “stir the sauce!”, he was honestly offended by it.)

YUM YUM YUM

I made peas and broccoli as side dishes and the kids gobbled up their veggies, too!

My first of three helpings.

It’s truly satisfying to see your loved ones diving into a good plate of food that you made yourself.

Jacob and Ethan talked nonstop, it was so good to see and hear them together since Jacob has been so busy with college and work and girlfriend.

Caleb and Seth both gave me a thumbs up!

(I don’t have photos of David or Grace. Dave was grumpy because he had his braces tightened yesterday and his teeth were sore, and Grace was grumpy I think because she was exhausted and had a lot of homework to get done. However, this was the perfect comfort meal for both of them, I must say.)

Scarlet fiesta vase with berries from outdoors, and paprika vegetable bowl (now empty!)

Ethan’s eating off a rose plate and drinking ice water from an ivory tumbler.

Sarah ate like a horsey, with multiple servings of macaroni and cheese and her veggies.

recipe here!

magical fruit

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Shanda

How do you know it’s true love?

When your husband mentions you in every conversation, and in every note.

*******

About those beans.

It’s true.

I’ve made a project of baked beans and we are all suffering for it.

Yesterday the kids were sitting at the counter eating breakfast when Seth let one fly.

“Seth, you’re STINKY” Sarah said. He was highly offensive, and highly offended by her insult.

Later on that morning I myself was unfortunately sitting next to Seth, we were reading together, and he let another one fly.

The smell….was terrible. I had to fan the air before my nose while listening to his reading.

It was at that moment that I realized that our bean day HAD to be on Fridays to save the world. It’s all well and fine for me, I have no place to go, but my husband and my children have to be out there in the public all day long. I must save the public and protect the innocent.

About Rich. The morning after our bean dinner he was busy getting dressed for work when he woke me up with loud melodious toots. I began the day shaking the bed with laughter…..it was a wonderful way to wake up….me laughing and him making sarcastic remarks about beans.

I went through all my cookbooks and photocopied every baked bean recipe I could find.

“Boston Baked beans” (Julia Child recipe)

“Molasses Baked beans”

“Molasses and Rum baked beans”

“Baked beans”

“Best Baked beans EVER” (this is the only recipe I took which uses already cooked and canned beans, but it contains a grated raw potato and a bake for 2 hours, which fascinated me)

“Baked beans with Tomatoes”

“Navy Bean and Apple Casserole”

“Old Fashioned Baked Beans” (I made these on Monday)

and lastly, another “Baked Beans” (Tasha Tudor recipe, the only one with crumbled sausage in it.)

I put all the recipes in a folder.

You have to sort the beans just in case something besides a perfect dried bean got in the bag…I’ve only found one stone so far…you also pick out any bad beans.

It takes a very long time to bake beans and I can understand why many years ago it was the housewife’s dinner of choice on washing days. You can simply put the bean pot on the fire with minimal fuss and let them bake all deliciously sweet, caramelized, and soft. I also learned that the Puritan women would put them to baking on Saturday night so that they could be eaten on Sunday without breaking their rule of “no working on Sunday.”

I told my Mom about my project and she approved of it. She wrote to me, “Dad’s Grandma W made Great Northern baked beans with white sugar very plain, with salt pork on top, and your dad liked them. Uncle Arthur grew the beans. They ate them with macaroni and cheese. Dad wishes he had the recipe. I remember having the beans after we were married, when Uncle Arthur came to Grandma and Grandpa B’s house for the winter months. Grandma W also lived there, but she died a few weeks after you were born. I think I’ve been trying to make them like that taste memory all these years.”

Goodness, how delicious!

The next day I make a sandwich for lunch with leftover beans. I toast some rye bread and add a thick layer of reheated baked beans, plus a drizzle of molasses.

I have a huge favor to ask of you, dear reader. Search your mind, search your cookbooks, call your grandma/grandpa or your mom/dad or your aunt/uncle, FIND ME A RECIPE. I want all the baked bean recipes.

Please share, I would be so grateful and happy to add it to my baked bean cookbook!

(even if you have no recipe for me you can still say hello in the comment section, it’s more fun that way.) hugs

inside/outside good to be home

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Shanda

flower for a thank you

asking for a belly rub

cookies one and two

impromptu cookie jar

so happy to find a screen cover @ Pier One Imports 13 dollars

lily’s dress

really great soup recipe

He shall sit up on the arm of the couch in a sunbeam.

He shall sleep & stretch under the coffee table….not doing a great job of hiding from us.

poetry comes to life: “her early leaf’s a flower, but only for an hour” Robert Frost

moss growing on a fallen tree

blue sandwiching green

I shall sit in the woods and watch the hens scratch with purpose.

Back inside: nature bits gathered from the woods.

W H I T E T U R K E Y C H I L I

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped up fine
1 lb ground turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1 can cannelloni beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 16 ounce jar salsa (your choice)
1 15 ounce can tomatoes with garlic and onion (or add extra seasonings if you only have plain)

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, add turkey and brown, salting and peppering to taste. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat till bubbly and completely heated through.

I triple this for my family, so we can enjoy leftovers. I use mild salsa, the guys pass around the Franks Red Hot.

This recipe is from a cookbook that has literally changed my life, Saving Dinner, by Leanne Ely. It contains recipes for delicious main dishes for each week (6 days) of the year WITH the complete shopping list (!!!!). It is organized by season. All the recipes are as healthy as can be with typically a fish, beef, chicken, slow cooker recipe, meatless, casserole. Each recipe includes side dish recommendations and nutritional content. I don’t use the cookbook every week, but I’ve used it a lot over the last couple of years, (all spring this year so far except the 2 flu weeks). This week I am making Chicken Parmesan with steamed broccoli, Mexican Lasagna with a salad, Beef and Spinach Pitas with baby carrots, Chicken Broccoli Soup with a salad and rolls, Halibut Piccata with steamed broccoli, sweet potatoes, and baked potatoes, and lastly, Greens and Beans with a side of brown rice. Buy it! 🙂

handmade (day 4)

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Shanda

With fingers shaking with exhaustion, I bring to you day four of our admiration for all things handmade. Yes, I am tired, but it is only the common tiredness of motherhood, so I am thankful. For instance, it’s taking a long time for Seth’s amazon.com order to come. He asks so much for his little dog Duke which he ordered days ago. Seems like forever. And another boy is having a little trouble, and another one (a girl) doesn’t get home until way after dinner is over, and a couple others stay up too late playing video games, and another one forgot to do his homework, and another one was so grumpy…..and several are still coughing. But, it’s not a big deal, the sun is shining and soon the snow will be gone along with all the problems. LOL

I read Seth and Sarah Curious George and the Pizza this midmorning which gave Seth a powerful hunger for pizza of our own. Did you know that when a child is recovering from being sick you’re supposed to do whatever they ask? Me neither, but in this case it seemed good and proper so we got in the kitchen, argued about who was going to stand where, and made HANDMADE pizza and they were so cute that I had to document the process with the camera.

Seth was telling her that his was going to be better but she didn’t care.

She was busy spreading around sauce and she was entirely capable…. sauce sauce sauce, rub, pour, slap, sauce.

And then when it came to the cheese…..she put a tiny bit right in the middle. Very amusing.

What she really wanted to do was eat all the dough raw but we talked her out of it.

Seth’s was stuffed crust.

We each made our own pizza and we all exchanged slices with each other.

Seth, can I have a piece of yours? Sure!
Do you want a piece of mine? Uh…. Okay!
Try mine!

She had to blow on her pizza a little bit and we made up a song about it.

I was pretty proud of mine, too! We were all proud of our pizza.

Talking to her brother….

quick and easy pizza dough recipe here. (SO SO GOOD!!!)

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

MORE HANDMADE:::

On Saturday, my Mom and Dad gave me a handmade wooden box , and they also gave me this handmade trinket hook board.

I hung it up today, it was obviously made for the wall above my sewing table. It should have only taken two holes in the wall, but of course it took me four since it was a struggle for me to get it straight…….(don’t tell Rich)…..

They decorated it with buttons from my childhood clothes. I loved these heart buttons then, and I still love them now. (first day of Kindergarten dress)

They used other little odds and ends, too. I hung some of my necklaces from the hook on the left.

And a beaded necklace, with a paper heart made by Dawn, was hung on the hook on the right.

The two metal pieces are an “S” for my initial, and a “38” for my age. Everything was meaningful……

Even the board was from my Grandfather’s chopper (farming machinery).

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I’ll be back tomorrow with no words, for a “this moment” friday post.

seth, breakfast, cats

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Shanda

GUESS who got his wrestling metals back after giving them away to a kid on the bus?

Seth and Caleb knew just where the boy lived so Rich went with them for a quick visit. They don’t live on our street exactly, but just a few minutes and simple turns away from us. The dad answered the door and once the situation became clear, he let his wife deal with it while he promptly disappeared for the rest of the visit. The mom was friendly and apologetic and confessed that they have also had some problems with their kids giving things away (pokemon cards are being stolen from them, too). The boy gave back the metals and all was well.

What’s the deal with Pokemon cards? Seth says everyone’s collecting them and trading them. He himself has ended up with a small stack and because I know for a fact he doesn’t have any to trade, I say, “DON’T take anymore pokemon cards from your friends!” At Caleb’s school they are collecting football and baseball cards.

Rich and I both do Caleb’s homework with him, common core math is a killer!

Davy drew this 3D optical illusion and took the picture. cool, right?

Breakfast #1 — plain greek yogurt topped with half frozen blueberries, unsweetened organic coconut, 1 sliced strawberry, cinnamon, and ginger.

Breakfast #2 — stir fried veggies, sliced ham, 2 fried eggs, piece of toast.

Breakfast #3 “Balboa Brunch” from the cookbook The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook Volume 2

BALBOA BRUNCH

3 Tablespoons Butter
3 cups sliced leeks, white part only

12 slices white bread
1 pound cooked small shrimp
1 pound Swiss cheese, grated
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Butter a 9 by 13 glass (or, fiestaware) casserole dish. In a medium skillet melt the butter and sauté the leeks until they are tender. Remove the crusts from the bread and arrange half in the prepared dish. Top with half of the sautéed leeks, half of the shrimp, half of the cheese, and half of the dill. Repeat the layers. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the eggs over the casserole, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Bake in a 350 oven for 50-60 minutes, uncovered.
Serves 8