
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
T-Shirt Bag

Monday, October 29, 2007
Surprise Package

Pumpkin Patch
Friday, October 26, 2007
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!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Bananas!

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

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!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Appetizers

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!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Celebrating: Chuck's New 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!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Recycle Update

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

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!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Chocolate Pudding

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!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Computer Woes
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Fall Get Away
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!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
We're Off...
Fleece 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!
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
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!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Oatmeal Pancakes

Friday, October 05, 2007
Home
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Lemon Pound Cake Muffins
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Apples! 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!
Monday, October 01, 2007
This and That
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:
