Little Bag Sewing Tutorial

This post, from Raising Homemakers came up in my reader this morning. This is a project I want to have the girls make so I will keep it here for my poor memories sake.

Lots of Snow

Overnight we had about a foot of snow. Wow! Now I hear you lower 48 people. "You live in Alaska, what is the big deal with snow?" Well, I will tell you. Here in the Interior of Alaska where we live we do not get a ton of snow. Yes, we have snow on the ground from October to April/May every year but it isn't a lot of snow. And to get a foot of snow all at once like this is just fantabulous! (yes, I made that word up)



My Wonderful Husband is getting the four wheeler dug out and heated up for snow plowing. Poor guys, they were planning on a father/son snowmachine/caribou hunt today. I was still in bed and stuck there since the little fella had woke up earlier and was sleeping in our bed. I dare not get up because as soon as I step out of bed he is awake. So I lay there listening to voices and wonder why in the world they were not gone yet and why they were being so loud and hoping they would not wake the little fella. Finally, I was overly ready to get up and the voices were right outside my window so I got up to look out and they were doing something near my window to a vent or something.
I am sad that they will not get their hunt today but I am super de duper glad that Dad will be home with us today. Then bummed again that the house is a wreck and that I will spend about 7/8ths of my day cleaning and the rest will be spent cooking. But my husband is home!

The End

The Blessings spent their week working with two people from the Missoula Children's Theater to present The Jungle Book musical. They had a great week full of practices(four hours a day on some days!) It has been a busy but productive week for them. On the other hand, I am exhausted and the house shows but Monday is President's Day and we shall gather back to normal then. I have labeled the Blessings in the top picture.

Good night and Good Hunting!

If you had a two year old.....

 

This is a picture of our computer monitor. Benjamin thinks it is an art canvas and sharpie markers are his medium of choice. I think this particular drawing looks like a fish, what do you think? I think that I am thankful for magic erasers! And for the two year old that drew this!

Science Experiment

The girls had a quick science experiment using water, oil and dish soap. The candy is there because, well, the girls were eating the candy. Yes, I am a cool mom!

I don't know how the picture of the cowboy got into this post but since he is so cute, he can stay. Do not look at the messy background. Thanks for not noticing!

We are still in the busyness of play practice and a two year old who has had a fever the past two nights. Please pray that the older Blessings do not get sick or if they do for it to wait until after the play tomorrow.

In Which I am MIA...

There may or may not be much posting or cbox activity around the old blog for the rest of this week. Three out of four Blessings are participating in a Children's Theater production, therefore, we will be much busy with practices for the rest of the week. Thankfully, the practices are not until the afternoon and tomorrow is a short practice for my Blessings. When, we return to blogging, I should have some photos of my "actors". 

Monday

The weekend was much more relaxing than the week, which is a good thing. On Saturday, the girls spent some time playing a game together while I started giving the dining room a good cleaning, like on hands and knees cleaning the floors and baseboards clean. Somewhere in the mix of the day, I made Brownie Pudding and Valentine cupcakes. Dad is at work today so we had our Valentine desserts on Saturday and Sunday. This morning has yielded heart shaped pancakes and allowing the Blessings to move a little slower than normal. Heart shaped pizza is on the menu for tonight. That is about all for Valentine's Day.

Week in Review

Monday- A day at home with the usual school work. The kids slept a little later so, of course, we got a later start to our day. Caribou processing after dinner.
Tuesday-Our "out" day! Piano lessons for the three Blessings, then off to Sam's Club for shopping and pizza, then to Fred Meyer for the rest of our groceries, but wait there is more, next, to the weekly homeschool ice skating time which means walking for about an hour for my little buddy and I (I walk, he rides in the stoller). Then, home for unloading the van and putting things away and Dad's birthday dinner. Eating Dad's birthday dinner then cake and ice cream. More caribou processing.
Wednesday-Finished assembly of HS in the Woods Time Travelers New World Explorers lapbook and notebook!! Yay, we are finished with a project. Colonial Times begins on Monday! Church on Wednesday night. I got to see a dear precious lady, who is in town. That is always a treat!
Thursday- A great school day!!! Lots of things accomplished. The girls were invited to make cookies with our wonderful Pastor's Wife. After they make cookies, our Pastor comes in for a "tea party" with the girls and his wife. Precious times. The boys and I worked on a little project I needed to work on and then we left to go pick up our new ice maker at the parts store and to pick up a snack while waiting for the girls to finish. Finished caribou processing after dinner. Finished!!!!
Friday- My wonderful husband gave me some time to leave home alone! I spent a couple of hours with a friend working on a project with her. So much fun! I spent a little quiet time alone and then I stopped at a store before heading home. I was only away for a few hours, but such a time of refreshment for me.

**WARNING***** This post contains pictures of raw meat...do you know what that means?

We have caribou meat for the freezer. I am happy, happy, happy about that!!!!!! Our partial moose was almost all gone, like one package of ground moose(mooger) and one package of backstrap gone. Don't feel to sorry for us though because we were making it through with shrimp, halibut and Alaska red salmon and some moose sharing via my husbands hunting partner. Hunting partners are important ya' know. 
Levi has been upgraded to meat cutter this year, the girls are removing hair from the meat before Dad
gives the meat a final trim and exam. Being as this is .
winter, the caribou was quite hairy.
My job in all of this? To keep the little guy out of trouble and out of everyone's way. We finally came in and cleaned up his toy bonanza from the day, then I remembered he needed a bath so that took up some time until bedtime. Boy was I tired! 

Dad Has a Birthday!

My wonderful husband's birthday cake, his favorite...funfetti!

See all the smoke, it wasn't from the quantity of candles but the fact that the kids bought trick candles. They think this is hilarious for some reason!

What I have been up to today

I have been out of the house every day this week so today I was thrilled to have nothing on the calendar! I stayed in and I have been baking all morning.
Today we have made:

A double batch of:
Oatmeal Jam Bars
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup jam
Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a foil-lined 8 inch square pan. (I just sprayed with non stick spray)
 Mix all ingredients together except jam. Press 2 cups of mixture into the pan and spread jam onto it. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool, cut, and enjoy!



We also made:
Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 cup brown sugar (I use evaporated cane juice crystals)
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup melted butter
Mix the above in a bowl and preheat oven to 350 degrees....then add:
3 cups oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tsp. ground flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit

Stir well then press into a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.


My last recipe was just for me. I am learning that I need to eat a good breakfast, preferably with protein. So, these will be waiting for me in the fridge each morning this week.


Muffin sized breakfast quiches

Spray 12 muffin tins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Saute 1/4 of an onion until translucent (you could add any of your favorite veggies here)
Crack 9 eggs into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste, whisk. I sometimes add a splash of milk.
Place about 3-4 pieces of fresh spinach in each muffin cup, add onion and any other veggies and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. If I have some cooked bacon in the fridge I chop it up and throw it in as well. Then I ladle the scrambled eggs into the muffin cup, filling about 2/3 full.
Bake about 15 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool. I store these in an airtight container in the fridge and heat in the microwave.
Easy Peasy breakfast for Mom.

A project

I have wanted to knit this sweater for a few years now. Finally, the occasion has arisen that needs this sweater. My husband's friend of twenty years and his wife are expecting a baby girl in about a month. So, she had to have this sweater. I am beginning the sleeves today.The size is bigger so she can get more than a month or two of wear out of it. It should be about an 18 month size. Isn't the yarn so pretty?

Finally

A couple of days ago I posted a link about how to make banners using Picasa, well...I finally did something right and got a decent looking title banner. I still have a lot to learn but for now I am pleased.

A Walk and Cinnamon Rolls

I have been trying to make it to home school skating for a couple of months but it just hasn't happened. I have been missing out. I had a most enjoyable walk/chat with Conni. We ran into each other at Wal-Mart one day but we each were accompanied by our husbands and children so the chat was rather quick. I am just thrilled to get to have a chat with a real home school mom, yes, we have those here but I rarely find this type of conversation (and we didn't just chat about education).

Levi and Elisabeth had testing today and will have more testing tomorrow, so the days are a little different for us but good. I have cinnamon rolls in the fridge ready to bake up in the morning for the hungry testers and test givers at testing tomorrow. I made a batch and a half of soaked cinnamon rolls. I really wish I had the URL for the blog I got this from, they are yummy.

Soaked Cinnamon Rolls

Day one (Night before or about seven hours before making cinnamon rolls)

4 cups fresh ground flour

1/2 each milk, buttermilk and warm water 

In a glass bowl, stir together flour and liquids to completely wet all of the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let set on counter until morning or about seven hours.

Day two (Morning or seven hours later)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon honey

2 Tablespoons yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Place dough into mixer bowl with dough hook.

Mix:  warm water, honey and yeast and pour into mixer bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt. 

Mix with until kneaded well, time depends upon your mixer. You know, until the dough forms a ball and sides of mixer are clean.

Let rise for 15 minutes.

Filling:

1/4 cup soft butter

1 Tablespoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup sugar   (I use evaporated cane juice crystals)

Roll out the dough into a rectangle on a lightly oiled surface. Spread butter and add cinnamon and sugar. Roll up, cut, place in 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

I make a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze to drizzle over the top.

This is our go to cinnamon roll recipe around here, except I am not a morning person, so I usually start their soak in the morning and make them in the evening and let them set in the fridge all night and bake them in the morning. Works fine for me. 

I also made a batch of Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. It was strange to use that much white flour. I mean I use the stuff but usually mixed with my freshly ground whole wheat. I know those cinnamon rolls are going to be yummy though.