Cold and Cozy ~ Vehicle Repairs/Sales

Last night I attempted to get my jammies on early (very early at 5pm), and read my new Folk magazine.  A dear friend gifted me a subscription, and I have never read this magazine before.

However, last night, we had a lot of traffic in and out.  Thus, my jammies never went on early, and I didn't get to enjoy this magazine with a cup of tea.

This morning, it's a different story.  I plan to read with peace and quiet, as all the kids are in school/college, but one.  It's freezing here, and snow on the ground from yesterday, so it's a perfect day to "cozy" up and read.

With so many leftovers, I won't need to make dinner tonight either.  Yay!  I do need to use up 4 more bananas.

Yesterday I baked a blueberry/banana muffin recipe to use up both, then baked a batch of homemade granola, and then started a crock pot of beef stew.  I tossed in frozen Kohlrabi I had in the freezer from last summer's garden too.

We sold both the van and the car yesterday.  There's good and bad news.  We discovered the intake was cracked on the van (could have been done by the last guy we hired to install the last parts), and it would cost about $289.00 to replace.  Then we discovered a strut broken on my son's old car.  If driven this way, could cause the driver to have a bad accident.  We informed the buyers, they offered much lower prices, we sold them as is, as they offered to do the repairs.   However, overall, I am glad we discovered it prior to selling.  We are honest folks, and want to keep it that way.

   


A Year of Quotes:

"What's important is that one strives to achieve a goal."
    ~ Ronald Reagan

Homestead Tidbits

It looks like I will need to do some baking with some ripe bananas, as the kids are not eating them up lately.  We are all still battling the "crud" and wish it to be gone today.

We have some work to get done, and have taken inventory on the new goat stalls.  We've got some plans with the goats too.  

Blondie remains to be cantankerous.  She loves her grass and will do anything to get at it.  Including breaking her wire fencing.  We have some plans to work on that too.  We may be in a bit of a situation with her too.  I'll have more on that as we contact the vet.

Knitted Dishcloths

I have had more requests for this pattern, so I am re-posting the link on my blog.

Homemade Biscuits

I had a request for the link to my homemade biscuits:  Click "Here" to get the recipe.

From the Handiwork Journal . . .

. . . finished a few more knitted dishcloths for the store.

 . . . cut up three t-shirts to get a head start on yet another project.

 . . . working on my "getaway" scrapbook regarding hubby and I.  I am continue to add new photos, stories, captions, and memorabilia to it.  It contains our happiest memories of getaways together, taking the stress out of our daily lives, and making time for each other.  The term "island time" came from our most recent island retreat, where it means there are "no rules" for anything. No pressures, no demands, no schedules, and no worries.  Simply live and enjoy, and don't worry over anything.

. . . finished two more pot holder sets for sale.

I started to weave a few bookmarks, using up some thread that I bought at a thrift store (and Scrap store) years ago.  I posted this project on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot. There are advantages to being sick - finished up old projects and starting new ones, without feeling guilty.

  

 

No Eggs? No Problem

I adapted the recipe for Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies, by using natural peanut butter, and lard (vs. shortening).  Once we have goat's milk again, I will bake these again, using organic butter and goat's milk (vs. the buttermilk).

These were pretty good, and I got about 6 1/2 dozen cookies, by using my smaller pampered chef cookie scoop.  

I think these would make a wonderful addition to our Christmas cookies next season too.  And I am betting they would freeze well.
 

From the Homesteading Journal . . .

. . . made homemade chewy granola bars. These, although buttery, were absolutely amazing.  The flavor is incredible.  This was the first time we used almond flour and ground mace.  I found the almond flour less expensive at the health store, vs. at the grocery store.  If I find more recipes to use the flour in, I will make my own almond flour, using my dehydrator.  The store brand we were buying contained High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Chewy Granola Bars
(from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day)

1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used organic)
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup salted cashew pieces, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried prunes, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries
12 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted (I used organic)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup (Grade B) Maple syrup (I used Grade A)
2 Tbsp. water

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the two opposite sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, almond flour, spices, cashews, and dried fruit.  Mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla, maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of water.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Press the granola mixture evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the pan around after 15 minutes for even baking, until the edges and top turn golden.  Lift the sides of the parchment and transfer the slab of granola to a wire rack to cool.

When it is completely cooled, remove the slab of granola from the parchment to a cutting board and cut into 24 squares with a heavy knife.  Wrap the individual squares in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Note:  I did bake mine a bit past 30 minutes.  It could just be my old oven, but letting you know.

                

. . . made 5 1/2 pints of homemade vanilla extract.