Handmade Ornaments ~ Just a Few More

Made with a wooden honey dipper covered with glue and beads and glitter.  Click on "read more" to see the rest of the post.

More Handmade Ornaments

There are still so many that I have not photographed to share.  Here is one that I posted a "how to" on my S.C.R.A.P. blog:

Cabbage and Carrot Cobbler

 According to my kids, it "sounds nasty" and looks nasty.  However, it tastes pretty good.  I've been looking for healthier meals, and more with vegetables we don't eat enough of.

The photo isn't that great, but it was taken at night.  Our lighting isn't that great in the kitchen.

It's baked with a crust and the vegetables are topped on it.  The recipe did not say to cover the dish, and the onions got crispy and delicious.  The onions are what gives this dish flavor.

Cabbage and Carrot Cobbler
1 cup water
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
2 onions sliced
1 1/4 cup plain White Wave dairyless (see notes)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. low-sodium baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup soy or rice milk
2 Tbsp. olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375°F.


Place the water, cabbage, carrots and onion in a large pot.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the Dairyless, salt and pepper.  Set aside.


Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of Dairyless, milk and olive oil, and stir just to mix.  The batter will be quite thick.  Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch backing dish.  Spread the cabbage mixture evently over the top and bake for 35 minutes.


(Source: Eat Right, Live Longer, by Neal D. Barnard)


Notes:  I did not have any plain yogurt (use in place of Dairyless), so I used sour cream.  It worked great.  Also, I used regular milk, but when we have it, I will make this with goat's milk. 

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

I love, love, love to make handmade Christmas tree ornaments.  I've been making them every year for as long as I can remember.  My favorite time of the year to make them, prior to homesteading, was during the summer months.  I'd take my supplies outside and watch the kids play in their small pool.  Now that I garden in the summer, I have to adjust my time. 

These are just a few of my handmade Christmas ornaments, but wanted to share a few.  Each one brings back memories of when and where we lived when I made them.  

Friday Tidbits

I'm busy working on a few handmade Christmas presents, working on an order from my "store" and ................

finally getting back on the treadmill for daily exercise!  Yay!

I added a new moon photo to my flickr page.

We've had some very sunny days after all the rain we got, but rain is in the forecast for Sunday.

The kids left me a note this morning  (on the computer screen):  1. Go to google.   2. Type in "Do a barrel roll"   3.  Wait for it.  


Go ahead and try it.  I did.  It's funny what entertains kids these days.  


The kids are baking and painting salt dough Christmas ornaments. Cheap, easy, and fun entertainment.


I had a chuckle the other day with my youngest daughter.  I said "go get a cleaning apron on and get to cleaning."  She responded, "who wears aprons anymore?"


So, when she got home from school, I not only kept my "cleaning apron" on, but stood outside the front door when her school bus stopped, so not only she could see, but the entire bus of kids. Ha ha ha ha!  It's just an old 1/2 apron I bought at a thrift store, but it works.  And she thought you only wear an apron to cook.


Have a great Friday today!

Excerpts from a Journal Junkie

from the homesteading journal . . .

I taught one of the kids how to mix washing soda and borax to make homemade dishwasher detergent....the goat roof is not done, we need one more sheet of tin roofing .....we got a thin layer of snow last night, and need to restock the porch with firewood....Dad was right about prices sky rocketing.....the local paper already went up $.25/an issue and I saw that redbox movies have increased $.20/a day rental.....thankfully the library still loans out free movies....


from the garden journal . . .

I am already down to the last few jars of home canned tomato sauce.  I used 3 pints to make a stew with leftover turkey and it turned out very good.  

   Tomato Sauce and Leftover Turkey Stew   

In a crock pot, add:

8 potatoes diced

carrots sliced, I didn't count, maybe 5-6?

celery, diced, maybe 5 stalks

2 onions, small/med, diced

1- 1/2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup or so frozen garden green pepper

3-4 cloves garlic minced 

3 pints of canned seasoned tomato sauce

2- 2 1/2 lbs of leftover turkey (don't add this yet)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

season, I used basil

(before turkey was added)

Cook on low for 6- 8 hours until potatoes and carrots are tender, just before you eat, toss in cooked turkey until it's heated through.  Enjoy!  This is a thick stew. This was a large pot of stew, perfect for a large family. 

from the family journal . . .

We had our first school delay today.  They delayed school last night due to flooding....I went to school conferences and got a good update....I missed a few meetings due to being sick....including a National Honor Society breakfast....but we are finally getting rid of the sickness here....

from the handicraft journal . . .

I am still working on many projects, but finally bought the velcro I need to finish sewing the dog coat.  Unfortunately, with being sick so long, I am behind on many projects.....

from the gratitude journal . . .

Today I am thankful for:

~the rain that fills our well

~wood in the fireplace

~coupons that I can use

~paper and pencil

~the views from my front porch

~God's Protection

~trees

~farmer's who grow and provide straw and hay

~surprises in the mail

~the wind, for drying my laundry outside

     

 

Applesauce Cake with Molasses ~ Deer Hunding Update

I went searching for a cake using my homemade applesauce, and one that also used molasses.  

 I doubled this Spiced Applesauce Cake Recipe, and baked it in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  The family loved it.  It's a very dense cake and can be eaten with hands too (kid tested).  It could use a layer of frosting for a tea party or coffee gathering, and is perfect for packing in school lunches.