Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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?


Saturday, December 11, 2010

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.




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

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.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

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?"