In my quest to be a better homemaker and manager of all things homey, I am trying to make sure that everything gets used up. Right now I have a few things left over from Christmas dinner that need to be taken care of. I have the ham sorted and ready for beans tomorrow and some for casseroles later. Dave just took care of the last little bit of turkey. All that is left is cranberry sauce and some sweet potato casserole. I decided to work with the cranberry sauce first. It's homemade sauce. It's just cranberries, water, sugar, and a couple scoops of orange marmalade. It was yummy.
So, right now I have some muffins in the oven. They smell yummy. I figured cranberry muffins would be good. I guess we'll see. I am going to make another batch, but do it a bit different. I think I will mix the sauce into the muffin batter this time. The first batch, I put a spoonful of sauce on top of the batter and baked. They look like they turned out great, but it would be easier to just mix the berries into the batter. At least that's what I think.
Not sure on what to do with the sweet potato casserole. There isn't much left, so if it ends up getting dumped, I won't be too upset. :)
I'll fill you in later on how the muffins turned out and post the recipe I used and the changes I made.
31 December 2006
Last Day of 2006
Well, it's the last day of the year. :) Nothing exciting going on here. Well, I think every day is exciting, but my standards may be different than yours. ;)
Dave and I made a trip to the commissary. Apparently so did everyone else on the base. LOL We only got enough stuff to last us a couple of days. I will be working tomorrow on the meal plan and grocery list for the next 2 weeks and then I will go back.
We finally decided on our "special" dinner for New Year's Eve. We're doing hot dogs and chips. I know it's hard to control your excitement. I know you are intimidated by my awesome kitchen skills. OK, brace yourselves. I also made onion dip. You know the kind. Mix a package of onion soup mix and a container of sour cream. Oh oh oh... I'm also opening a jar of Bush's chili heating that up as well. Wait, that's not all. I'm also going to shred cheese. With the food processor. ROFLOL
We might play a game later. It depends on whether or not we can find one that everyone can play. We may have to resort to something like Go Fish, but that's fine. The important thing is that we will be doing something together as a family.
So, we will be bringing in the new year exactly how we want to. No big fancy parties, no huge get-togethers. Just family. Just how we like it.
So, I am off to finish up here and get my magnificently special dinner served to the family. :)
I hope you have a great evening and a wonderful new year.
Dave and I made a trip to the commissary. Apparently so did everyone else on the base. LOL We only got enough stuff to last us a couple of days. I will be working tomorrow on the meal plan and grocery list for the next 2 weeks and then I will go back.
We finally decided on our "special" dinner for New Year's Eve. We're doing hot dogs and chips. I know it's hard to control your excitement. I know you are intimidated by my awesome kitchen skills. OK, brace yourselves. I also made onion dip. You know the kind. Mix a package of onion soup mix and a container of sour cream. Oh oh oh... I'm also opening a jar of Bush's chili heating that up as well. Wait, that's not all. I'm also going to shred cheese. With the food processor. ROFLOL
We might play a game later. It depends on whether or not we can find one that everyone can play. We may have to resort to something like Go Fish, but that's fine. The important thing is that we will be doing something together as a family.
So, we will be bringing in the new year exactly how we want to. No big fancy parties, no huge get-togethers. Just family. Just how we like it.
So, I am off to finish up here and get my magnificently special dinner served to the family. :)
I hope you have a great evening and a wonderful new year.
30 December 2006
The Baking of the Bread
Ok, over the past 3 days I have made 3 different bread recipes. First I made one called Angel Bread. Apparently I miscopied the recipe because it listed no water. So, I ended up added a few TBSP of water. Dave loved the flavor, but said it was a big crumbly. So, I need to see if I can find where I got the recipe from. Normally I keep the source, but apparently not for this one.
The second loaf was called Crusty Cuban Bread. I loved this one. The only problem I had was I used the light crust setting, so it looked a little pasty. LOL It is a great chewy type bread.
The third loaf was Honey Wheat Bread. It was.... well, it was wheat bread. It's pretty dense and I'm not sure how the family will like it. I think it will make great toast, not sure how it will do for the sandwiches though. I guess we will find out at lunch time. LOL.
Right now I have another batch of the Crusty Cuban Bread going in the breadmaker. I'm thinking this just might be our family staple. Of course, it depends on what the rest of the family decides.
So, I am going to post the recipes I used. I found these on line. If I made changes, I noted them.
***********************************************************************************
*Angel Bread *
Ingredients
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. melted cocnut oil
2 tbsp. sugar
2 c. bread flour
1 -1 1/2 tsp. yeast
Instructions: Put ingredients in order suggested by your bread machine manufacturer. Use light crust setting.
(the coconut oil is essential because it gives the texture as if you used shortening. Shortening is very bad for you. You can substitute melted butter, but the texture won't be quite as soft and fluffy)
My Notes:
I must have missed an ingredient when I copied and pasted this recipe. I added 6 TBSP of water to this as well. Just enough to make the dough form a ball. I think I might add more water next time I try this.
***********************************************************************************
* Crusty Cuban Bread-medium loaf *
Ingredients
1 1/4 c Water
1 1/2 ts Sugar
1 t Salt
3 c Bread flour
2 ts Yeast
Instructions: Bake according to your machine's directions using French or Basic cycle. This is a low rising bread due to the lack of oil and small amount of sugar. Keep an eye on the dough and add a tablespoon or so of water if the dough looks dry or if the machine sounds like it's struggling.
The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell
***********************************************************************************
* Honey Wheat Bread *
2 lb loaf
Ingredients
1 -1/2 cups warm tap water
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Instructions:Measure the ingredients into the bread pan in the order listed. Make a well in the flour and sprinkle the yeast into it. Set the machine to it's Whole Wheat Cycle. On my machine this lasts for 3 hours and 40 minutes. Press Start, and let the machine work it's magic. Remove the cooked bread from the pan after baking and allow it to cool before slicing. Makes a 2 lb loaf.
Notes from original poster:
This is my kids favorite whole wheat bread. The honey makes it very sweet, and soft. This bread lasts longer than some machine made breads before going stale. The honey acts as a natural preservative.
The second loaf was called Crusty Cuban Bread. I loved this one. The only problem I had was I used the light crust setting, so it looked a little pasty. LOL It is a great chewy type bread.
The third loaf was Honey Wheat Bread. It was.... well, it was wheat bread. It's pretty dense and I'm not sure how the family will like it. I think it will make great toast, not sure how it will do for the sandwiches though. I guess we will find out at lunch time. LOL.
Right now I have another batch of the Crusty Cuban Bread going in the breadmaker. I'm thinking this just might be our family staple. Of course, it depends on what the rest of the family decides.
So, I am going to post the recipes I used. I found these on line. If I made changes, I noted them.
***********************************************************************************
*Angel Bread *
Ingredients
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. melted cocnut oil
2 tbsp. sugar
2 c. bread flour
1 -1 1/2 tsp. yeast
Instructions: Put ingredients in order suggested by your bread machine manufacturer. Use light crust setting.
(the coconut oil is essential because it gives the texture as if you used shortening. Shortening is very bad for you. You can substitute melted butter, but the texture won't be quite as soft and fluffy)
My Notes:
I must have missed an ingredient when I copied and pasted this recipe. I added 6 TBSP of water to this as well. Just enough to make the dough form a ball. I think I might add more water next time I try this.
***********************************************************************************
* Crusty Cuban Bread-medium loaf *
Ingredients
1 1/4 c Water
1 1/2 ts Sugar
1 t Salt
3 c Bread flour
2 ts Yeast
Instructions: Bake according to your machine's directions using French or Basic cycle. This is a low rising bread due to the lack of oil and small amount of sugar. Keep an eye on the dough and add a tablespoon or so of water if the dough looks dry or if the machine sounds like it's struggling.
The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell
***********************************************************************************
* Honey Wheat Bread *
2 lb loaf
Ingredients
1 -1/2 cups warm tap water
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Instructions:Measure the ingredients into the bread pan in the order listed. Make a well in the flour and sprinkle the yeast into it. Set the machine to it's Whole Wheat Cycle. On my machine this lasts for 3 hours and 40 minutes. Press Start, and let the machine work it's magic. Remove the cooked bread from the pan after baking and allow it to cool before slicing. Makes a 2 lb loaf.
Notes from original poster:
This is my kids favorite whole wheat bread. The honey makes it very sweet, and soft. This bread lasts longer than some machine made breads before going stale. The honey acts as a natural preservative.
29 December 2006
Tired......
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I am so tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. I think I crawled into bed around 2:30 and was up at 9:00. I have these boughts of insomnia every so often. They normally last just one or two nights, so it's not that big of a deal.
Anyway, I am hoping I to get to bed soon. Of course I can't do that until the bread gets done baking. Yep, I'm baking bread.
LOL I've decided that I want to make the bread our family eats. The store bought stuff is getting more expensive. I can't get it for less than $1.40 a loaf around here. Plus, nutritionally it's just not all that great, ya know? I can add all sorts of stuff into the bread I make and it won't make much of a difference. The family is getting used to homemade bread, so as long as it isn't horrible, they won't care. LOLWith all of us home for lunch during the holiday break, we are going through one loaf a day of the homemade stuff. Even the store bought stuff was barely lasting 2 days. So far I have made 3 different recipes. The first one Dave loved the taste of, but he thought it was a bit crumbly. The second one I loved, but I love slightly chewy bread.
The third loaf is baking right now. It's a honey wheat bread and it smells yummy. Plus it has enough honey in it to make the kids like it. 
I figure I'll post later on the trial and error bread making process. It should be interesting. LOL
If anyone has a favorite recipe, please share. It can be a bread machine one or a basic by hand one. It doesn't matter, as long as it's a winner with your family. :)
27 December 2006
New Year, Learn Something New
I recently re-joined a great yahoo group. It's called Making It Home. Anyway, a challenge was just issued. Here's the challenge.
We have just a few days left of 2006! Can you believe it?
For the next few days, as you go about your home, think about at least 3 things that you would like to learn how to do in your home that you have not be able to learn as of yet.
So, I picked 3 things, but I think I might add to them later. I'm thinking that as I master one thing, I might replace it with another. I'm not sure yet. So, here are the 3 things I chose.
1. Learn to keep my mouth shut. You know the whole "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" thing. I need to work on this. - Now I know this may not seem like it has anything to do with my home, but I figure my attitude affects my home, so it still counts. :)
2. Learn to manage my home, using the Home Management Binder I've been working on.
3. Declutter. We are moving this year and a lot of stuff needs to go away.
So, you can find out more about the challenge here, as well as a list of ideas of thing you can change, if you can't think of anything.
I hope you have a great last few days of 2006 and that your 2007 is full of blessings.
We have just a few days left of 2006! Can you believe it?
For the next few days, as you go about your home, think about at least 3 things that you would like to learn how to do in your home that you have not be able to learn as of yet.
So, I picked 3 things, but I think I might add to them later. I'm thinking that as I master one thing, I might replace it with another. I'm not sure yet. So, here are the 3 things I chose.
1. Learn to keep my mouth shut. You know the whole "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" thing. I need to work on this. - Now I know this may not seem like it has anything to do with my home, but I figure my attitude affects my home, so it still counts. :)
2. Learn to manage my home, using the Home Management Binder I've been working on.
3. Declutter. We are moving this year and a lot of stuff needs to go away.
So, you can find out more about the challenge here, as well as a list of ideas of thing you can change, if you can't think of anything.
I hope you have a great last few days of 2006 and that your 2007 is full of blessings.
Sharing a poem
Christians - By Maya Angelou
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Random thoughts about mistakes and Christianity
You know, I am not perfect, I'm human. I make mistakes. I make huge ones. I can do nothing more than apologize and learn from the huge mistakes I make. I don't know if that is always enough sometimes, but it's the best I can do. I'm only human. Just because I am a Christian does not make me immune to sin. It does not make me perfect. It does put me in a difficult place. People assume that because I am a Christian I must be perfect. I am not allowed to screw up or make mistakes. I know I am held to a higer standard than most because of my beliefs. Maybe not by everyone, but by most people. I know that comes with the territory. But, I am still a human being, full of sin and fleshy ways. It's just as much of a struggle for me as it is for any non-Christian. I'm not a perfect person, I have never claimed to be. I am sinfull, I am pridefull, I gossip, I do all the things "good Christians" should not do. I dissapoint people and hurt them with my words and actions. It doesn't matter if it's done intentionally or not, it's still hurt. I act before I think. I don't always keep my mouth shut when I should. I let anger and pride take over sometimes. I am selfish. I can be mean. Sarcasim is my worst enemy and sometimes my best friend. I make wrong choices every day. I will probably make wrong choices every day for the rest of my life. I can only do the best I can do. Of course, my best is only as good as I let it be. If I try to handle it all myself, I might as well just start digging my hole. That's where my faith and my beliefs come in. I know that no matter how much I screw up, God is there to forgive me. I am not saying this makes every bad thing I have done all better. I'm not saying that everyone I have hurt should forgive me. I have done unforgivable things. I will lose and have lost friendships over stupid choices I made. That's all my fault. I know that I am responsible for the situations I have put myself in. I can't put the blame on anyone else. I'm not saying that those things are forgotten because I am a Christian and turn to God for forgivness. Those things will always be with me and those they have affected. I can't change that. I can only move forward and learn from those situations. Some lessons are harder than others, but they are all lessons. I do know that God forgives , and sometimes that's all you have. I don't expect to be forgiven by everyone I have hurt. It is not going to happen. I know that the reprecussions will follow me and that others will judge me on what they have heard and what I have done. I can't change that. That's part of life. However, I can only apologize so much. I can only dwell on it so long. I can only re-live it so many times. I have to use it as a life lesson and move on. I'm not saying that the moving on is happy thing, it's just necessary. I know that in Christ all is forgotten and forgiven. I know that through mistakes and trials, whether they are of my own doing or not, I can and will learn and make better choices. I am a work in progress, just like everyone else.
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