T-Shirt Bag

While watching Martha Stewart a few weeks ago I saw them make the most adorable bags out of t-shirts. They used I Love NY shirts and made them into grocery bags. I was inspired to make a treat bag for Megan to use on Halloween. I also thought I could use this idea to make Megan a library bag when she is a little older. You can go here for the instructions.

Surprise Package

I was so surprised when I answered the door and saw that the mailman had a package for me! I was even more surprised when I opened the package.
A handmade Raggedy Ann for Megan made by her Great-Aunt Lana in Texas. I love homemade gifts! Made even more special because it was from Aunt Lana! Thank you.

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend we were off to the Pumpkin Patch! It is a place that my in-laws discovered. A wonderful little place that we will be sure to return to.

Grandma and Grandpa (Chuck's mom and step-dad) introduce Megan to all the fall goodies.

Okay, enough pictures, let get the pumpkins!

This is a good one Grandpa!

Chicken & Noodles

With the chilly weather we are having I thought it was a perfect time to whip up some Chicken & Noodles.


2 cups cubed chicken
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 quarts water
2 tbs cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste

Bring all to boil except for the cornstarch. I use boneless, skinless chicken breast. Once they are cooked I remove them to cube then add them back into the water. While the chicken is cooking I make my noodles. Add additional liquid as required to maintain 3 quarts of liquid.

For Noodles:

2 cups all purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tsp salt

Make a well in center of flour. Mix in egg yolks and egg and salt thoroughly. Mix in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. 1 tbs at a time, until dough is stiff but easy to roll.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll one part at a time into paper thin rectangles on floured surface. Cut into desired length and width. I use a pizza cutter to cut my noodles. Place on towel and allow to dry for approximately 2 hours.


Add noodles to boiling chicken mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes (I made my noodles a little thick so cook according to the thickness of your noodles.) Add cornstarch to reach desired thickness.

I served this meal with a side of green beans and a dinner roll. Enjoy!

Bananas!

While grocery shopping I picked up some clearance bananas. I got about 5 lbs for $0.89 cents! I saved a few out for my banana loving daughter and have squished and frozen the rest.

The first thing I made with my abundance of bananas was Banana Streusel Muffins.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter

Combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Mix your wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Place in greased muffin pan.

Mix ingredients for topping. Sprinkle topping over each muffin (approx tbsp). Bake 15-17 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

Appetizers

While shopping I had a coupon for these. Once I had purchased them I had an idea of a fun dinner. This is what I made.

We had the chicken fingers, onion rings and then I made homemade potato skins. Of course we had to have dipping sauce. I did not have any sour cream so we ended up with ketchup and barbecue sauce. Not the healthiest meal, but it was yummy! It was a nice change of pace and made for a fun game night. Go Colts!

Celebrating: Chuck's New Job

Chuck applied for a new position at his company. A few days after he had his interview he called to say he had gotten the job!

To celebrate he was welcomed home by this sign. It was posted on the door from the garage to the house, so he would see it first thing.

We then celebrated with one of his favorite meals, pot roast and cinnamon strudel cake (sorry no recipe, I had little time so this is from a box) for dessert. Nothing fancy, but Megan and I wanted Daddy to know we are proud of him!

Recycle Update

Remember this post where I talked about a solutions for my recycle items? Well, this is what I came up with.


I did not want to spend any money on this project. I took a diaper box, wrapped it in brown paper, printed out a sign and presto an area that is a little more pleasing to the eyes. There is even enough room behind the box to hide an extra case of drinks!

Dinner Disaster

Yesterday was such a good day. I was able to get many things accomplished. Megan and I went for a morning walk. Went to visit my parents after nap. Then came home and took another walk. That is when disaster struck. I had put dinner in the oven before I went to my parents. Everything was fine until our last walk. We meet Daddy as he pulled in the driveway, entered the house and this is what was left of dinner. Some dried up burnt pieces of meat. Sigh!


After some teasing from Chuck the good news is that he took us out for a quick bite to eat. Sometimes it does not pay to multi-task!

Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa

2 Tbs cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Gradually stir at least half of the mixture into egg yolks. Stir mixture back into sauce pan until it boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

I poured my pudding into mini graham cracker crust to make mini chocolate pudding pie. I forgot to get the finished picture, but I garnished with a some whipped cream and a few mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Computer Woes

Last night the power cord for the laptop decided to die. Happy... I was not! We do have a regular computer, but it is slow and old. Lots of frustration when working with blogger. The good news is that Chuck ordered a new cord today and it should be here tomorrow. Got to love UPS!! If everything goes as planned I will be back in business on Friday. Hope your day was great and Thursday is even better! See you Friday.

Future Coupon Clipper

Fall Get Away

We headed out for a long weekend away at a State Park. My family reunion was on Saturday.

This is my family, my parents and my sister's family (minus my brother-in law who was at home working).
You know you are in a small country town when you see the Amish out running errands.
We stopped by the local apple orchard. I love the hospitality of a small town. The orchard offers a free apple to children, free popcorn and samples of apple cider. They also have this cute area set up for pictures.
We went for a hayride. It was chilly so Megan stayed back in the room with my mom. Next year she should be big enough!
This wagon is outside of the inn we stayed in. It made a perfect spot to get a picture of Megan with her cousins.

It was a wonderful time away. It is always great to reconnect with family members. I am looking forward to returning next fall!

We're Off...

for a much needed get away! I'll be back on Monday and will share our adventure. Have a fantastic weekend.

Fleece Blanket

It seems like everywhere I am these days it is Baby! Baby! I just love little ones and the joy they bring! Chuck's cousin is expecting her first baby. For her shower I made this cute blanket.

You can find the instructions here. Once I saw the adorable "I love Mommy, I love Daddy" fleece I knew it would be perfect! To package the blanket I folded it and wrapped in some ribbon I had saved from Megan's shower.
I then placed the blanket in a gift bag along with some other goodies. You know those things you can't live without... nail clippers, diaper cream, baby bath and such. Then I included a homemade card with a handwritten note.

I would encourage you to try this blanket. It was a little time consuming cutting out all of the strips. Once I tied a couple of pieces and got the hang of it, it went quick. I am thinking of making smaller versions of this blanket for my nieces to use with their baby dolls. Along with a new baby doll or some doll accessories I think it would make a nice Christmas gift!

Recycle

We have recently started to recycle. I know, about time! I am currently keeping my recycle items in a trash can next to my washer. Definitely not pretty! I am curious how the rest of you store your recycle items. I am hopeful that some of you have ideas that are a little more pleasing on the eyes. Thanks!

Oatmeal Pancakes

2 cups oats (old fashioned or quick)

3 cups buttermilk

3 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

1 tbs oil

Soak oats overnight in buttermilk. The next morning stir in remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

We liked these, but found we had to get use to the oatmeal texture. Chuck suggested that next time I find a way to grind up the oats.

Home

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

Glaze:

2 c powdered sugar

3 tbs lemon juice (I had to use more for the correct consistency)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; beat well. Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack. Drizzle glaze over muffins. Makes: 1 dozen

From Taste of Home Magazine February/March 2006

I thought these muffins were great! Next time I might add a touch more lemon to the batter. These would be fantastic served with fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Apples! Apples!

This is what I did with my apples.

On Saturday afternoon mom and I put up 21 pints of applesauce, 5 quarts of apple pie filling and 12 jars of apple jelly. I had not intended to make apple jelly until mom told me how her mom made some of her jellies. She used the skins, cores minus any bad spots to make the jelly! You learn something new everyday!

Apple Jelly

Take your peels and cores removed from apples bring to boil with approximately 2 cups of water.

Boil for about half an hour. Be sure to stir them constantly to avoid scorching. Don't ask how I know this! Once boiled you need to strain the mixture, several times. Then you follow the directions on the SureGel package. I used 7 cups of the apple juice brought to a boil. Then added 9 cups of sugar and a box of SureGel. Brought back to a boil and boiled for 1 minute. Ladled into jars and put on tops and rings. No need to process, the jars will seal themselves.

Mom also told me that her mom used peach peels to make peach jellies. I am sure you could do the same with pears. My grandmother grew up on a farm during the depression and was a young farm bride during World War II, so she knew how to be resourceful. Such fun to make goodies for my pantry, spend time with Mom and learn great details about my family!

This and That

First I would like to say Thank You for all the well wishes for Megan. She is feeling much better. We are back to getting a good nights sleep (Yes!) and she is back to her normal self.

We had a great weekend. We went to the apple orchard on Saturday. Later this week I will show all the great things I did with my apples. Sunday evening we had dinner with my in laws. Always great when I am not the cook!

There was also a little shopping done and this was my great find:
I found these on clearance at Meijer for $1.87 a set! The original price was $7.49. The set included 2 jars, a funnel and wooden packer. It also has two rounds of fabric, two recipe cards, two pieces of ribbon and the cutest little wooden hearts. I see jar mixes on my Christmas giving list!