home made bitter biscuts

so i found a recipe for home made bitter biscuts... I have a cranky teether, who naws on everything in sight....after the third box of super expensive teething cookies, that were all half wasted from being chucked across the room, or held out just long enough for the dog to get a good lick, I thought to my self " hmmmmmm, there must be a better way!" so thus is my story. Journeying into the land of frugal mother hood.Our Favorite Baby Cereal Cookie Recipe.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Shortening
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
1 1/2 C. rice baby cereal

Directions:

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and water. Mix until well blended. Gradually stir in cereal.
Knead until smooth. Pat into rectangle. Cut into 12 1" bars, smooth edges so they will not be sharp. Place on ungreased sheet. Bake 20-30 min or until dry.
Store in uncovered container overnight. **Freezes Well**



You may need to add some flour to this mixture to stiffen the dough if needed. Add the flour by tablespoonfuls until a more firm and stiff dough is formed.

there were lots of other recipies find them all here at http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/teethingbiscuits.htm
granted you could get all creative and cute with some cookie cuter shapes and what not... but who's got the time sor that?

Baking With A Princess

Some of the most precious moments i have as a mother are doing some of the most common everyday things with my girls. Cooking and cleaning may seem like mundane tasks, I have been learning how to make these tasks fun and exciting. They have to get done no matter what, so why not work together. I have found that whatever it is you face with disdain, so will your children... Like Snow White said " whistle while you work" I realized how much time i had wasted shooing them out of the room, and plopping them in front of a video rather than including them in what i was doing. Now given that there is a time and place for children to have independent time. I think its a bit silly of some mommies who are obsessive baby holders or entertain their children all day so as nothing on the household list is able to be done. But the ability to include your children in the every day tasks that keep a household up and running is a fruitfully thing. The biggest goal i have every morning is setting out to make the best of the day no matter what has to be done. Every mama knows how trial-some doing things with a hand full of children can be. But on laundry day, we all gather in the laundry room, and my 7 year old loads the machine and measures soap and softener. My three year old helps shove the wash into the dryer, and we all help fold and put away. Errands are our biggest challenge, the in and out and here in there wear so badly on the children. I had the idea of drawing all our stops on a homemade map, labeled by stops 1,2,3 and so on. At each departure, i would ask every one to tell me where to go next. finding treasures and treats along the way. Baking is easily turned into the days math lesson... measurements, and how many scoops of something are easily adapted to any child's learning age. So hopefully this is a little encouragement for some struggling mommy out there. I know i get in a rut just like anybody... its good to have reminders and encouragement for the average parts of life.

Daddy's Chicken Noodle

Here is my family recipe for chicken noodle soup. My Dad is a home chef, that i believe is a good enough cook to knock that Emeril right outta the park! So BAM, take that! LOL

ingredients
cooked chicken from roaster, or rotisserie chicken
broth or stock from chicken )about 6 cups)
2-4 cups water (depending on how soupy you like it)
2 cups wide egg noodles
3 large stalks of celery sliced (save celery leaves from tops for seasoning)
3-4 med size carrots peeled and sliced.
1/2 med onion minced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 t. lemon pepper
1t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1t. parsley
1 small pinch rubbed sage
1 1/2 T. Mrs. Dash original seasoning
any other seasonings you like, throw them in, also feel free to adjust the seasonings above to your liking. Every thing above is aprox. as i usually just grab the spices and shake till i fell good about it!

Place the broth/stock in a large pot, i like to use a large round dutch oven, or enameled cast iron.
season your broth and bring to a simmer
gather up all your prepared veggies



add to the simmering broth, and return the pot to a boil, then simmer about 12 minutes until veggies are tender.
once veggies are fork tender add your chicken and simmer another 5 minutes or so.



add in your noodles cook until tender.

Homemaking

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1. I have been spending time mulling over this verse, and I have come to the conclusion, that it may be the single most important verse for a woman to read in the entire bible. Wisdom is a wonderful thing, I think it is more sought after than riches and gold. For those who have it, it is a cornerstone to their being. For one can only obtain wisdom from seeking it, and experiencing the things in life that have helped them gain it. For those who lack it, they are often stuck in a trial and error existence. Some one once asked me why i don't have many friends my age, they had noticed that i often kept company that was greater in years than my own. It was simple for me to explain, I not only can learn from my own mistakes and triumphs, but from others as well. Some one who is similar age, will most likely be in the same life spot as me, with children who do similar things as mine, they will have similar struggles in their marriage and so on. A woman who is older than me, will have likely gone through and conquered the things that i struggle in on a daily basis. I often sit in groups of women my own age and listen to hours of bitching. About their house, their husbands, their bratty kids. There is a desperation like no other. I wonder if this all stems from a lack of wisdom. I wonder if the "tearing down" happens when a young wife/mother can not see to the other side of the storm. I know i have often felt the sting of folly and had no idea how to cope with a flawed marriage and out of control children. There are so many things that as a young woman i was not equipped for. I wish i knew how to build my house. How to fill it with everything that it needs to be successful, and thrive in this fallen world. I long for the knowledge of how to be a successful homemaker. The only way to close this post, is with a " can i get a witness?"

trying my hardest to prioritize

I am the kind of person who thoroughly enjoys cleaning my home. There is nothing more satisfying than the smell of pine sol and a floor that you can see your reflection in. But with three very busy children, meals to make and a tiny house that seems to generate a mess all its own every 5 seconds around the clock, Cleaning the house top to bottom never seems to happen for me. I start in the kitchen most every day. Doing up last nights dishes, wiping down counters, then i go off on a bunny trail, I look in the fridge for the apple juice and before you know it i have all items removed and am scrubbing spilled casserole off the bottom shelf. From there I proceed to organize and rearrange cabinets, and properly nest all of my pots and pans together neatly. Before i know it the kitchen is gleaming, but the laundry is almost touching the ceiling, the children are completely covered in what ever they ate for lunch and the clock is telling me its time to "Mess" up my shining kitchen and prepare dinner. I wish that i could get to a point in life where my daily chores were simple, clean this, wash that, vacuum, breakfast, lunch, dinner, DONE! Why is it that my chores never ever seem to get accomplished to my satisfaction.... Is this the plight of every home making mommy? Or do i just have the most severe case of adult A.D.D ever known to a woman. I just don't get it. Really. I am puzzled. any way that's my rant for the day :)

Muffin Mania

For all my mommy friend out there, i don't know how it is for you, but i hate waking up to every one whining about how hungry they are, and crying because they can't reach the cereal, tattle tailing on the oldest one for not pouring enough milk in the sippy cup... on and on it goes. To being a bit of peace and tranquility to my morning times, meaning that for the most part i can sleep just a wee bit longer, I place a big Ole' basket of these muffins on the counter. They are the epitome of self serve, and ohhhhh so yummy. Ohhh and did i happen to mention that there is no flour or sugar in the whole batch. These wonder muffins are simple as can be with the main ingredients being, Oats, applesauce, homey, raisins, water and butter... There is a bit more to them that just that but you get the gist. Here below i will walk you through my muffin making bliss!




Gather all your ingredients, here is a list of everything you'll need.



1) 6 cups of oatmeal, I use quick oats.
2)1tsp. Salt
3)1 tsp. cinnamon
4)1TB.spoon Baking Powder
5)1 cup (your choice) sweetened or unsweetened applesauce
6)3 eggs
7)1/4 Cup Local Honey
8) 1/2 Cup melted butter
9) 1 cup raisins or misc. dehydrated fruit
10) 1 1/2 Cup water or milk

In a large bowl place all ingredients in, and fold together with a spatula. make sure that your batter is mixed thoroughly!







Then using a ice cream scoop fill your muffin tins, Don't you just love making a kitchen tool multi purpose! ohhh and if you spray your tins with cooking spray there is no need for liners



,



Bake your muffins in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 min. or golden brown. Yummmm enjoy!

in this batch i added shredded zucchini from our final harvest, and i used a blend of mixed dehydrated berries.... when adding zucchini, i cut the water by a 1/4 cup because zucchini tend to hold quite a bit of water. I have added shredded carrots to this recipe a time or two and even used fresh or pureed fruit in place of the applesauce, There are so many options with this yummy muffin.... have some fun with it!

Oh what a joy it is

I often find myself knee deep in tiny articles of clothing, climbing to the summit of the dish mountain, keeping pace with a steam engine barreling down the tracks of motherhood. Its in this hustle bustle that i often loose sight of the important things. I hear a voice in my mind telling me " they wont stay little for long" and a tiny whisper saying " Some day you'll want these days back". I am unsure if these thoughts come from some instinct deep with in, or from the countless times i have heard elderly women repeat them to me in the line at the super market. But regardless of the source, it is a very real scenario. They wont be little very long, and the days of their youth and innocence are numbered. So with that ever present in my mind, i try my hardest to find joy in all the little things, even if it is being elbow deep in dish water with my three yr old, Or laughing while i watch my oldest chase the lone loose chicken around the coop. I see so many young mothers, struggling with busyness and boredom all rolled into one. Its so easy so get lost in that. I pray every day that God would help me to FIND the joy of motherhood. I honestly believe that it is something we have to find and shape and tend to carefully. Not just something that we as women are born with.

the land of milk and honey

So we started this little farm for our girls, and we milk 2 goats every morning, that's about a gallon of goat milk every day.... Now being that i am originally from the city, The goat milk is... lets just say an acquired taste. So I have been on the ponder about what to do with all this milk. So i have decided to become a soap maker. I tried cheese makeing, but once again, there is a funky taste, that i think only french people like. So soap it is. I have been on a journey over these past few years, to rekindle the American pioneer. To teach my daughters skills that seem not to exist amongst their peers. I taught myself to sew at 20 yrs old. With help from a few friends along the way i have picked up basic knitting and crocheting. When i first got married, I made goulash four times a week or more, because that's all i knew how to make. This was no Hungarian old world recipe, it was meat, noodles, sauce. Still to this day my husband is frightened of anything containing a combination of those ingredients, But i have since expanded my recipe repertoire, Because I believe that it is not Colonel Sanders job to feed my family, but my own. There seems to be a dilemma, of lost information, a sad retraction of American heritage from one generation to the next. I often wonder when i pick up your average household convince ( this could be as complex as a kitchen aid mixer, or as simple as a bar of soap) and wonder, "What did Caroline Ingals do?" If that broad wanted soap, she probably had to make it. I'm sure Laura and Mary by the ripe age of seven could sew a dress, or cook an entire meal... Because that was survival. But these pioneer women took something that was necessity and made it into an art form. The womanly art of home keeping, and provision of basic necessities... like soap. So here I go.... Lets see how clean we can get :)