Sunday, October 11, 2009

Whole Wheat Granola Bars

There is nothing like a homemade granola bar for, much better than boxed and packaged hard things (and who knows what's in them).  I found a recipe here for granola bars and below is my version:


Mix together:


  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup rice crispies cereal
  • 1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (or bran)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 c. whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (or raisins, almond slivers, craisins, white chips, peanut butter,etc.) use your imagination!


Press into 9 x 13 greased pan leave about an inch on each end, bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 min.  Cut into rectangles, let cool, very yummy!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

A Cozy Find

Maple Sugaring, Early Spring in the Northern Woods, 1872
I just love romantic, warm and fuzzy, cute and cuddly things that come along with this time of year! With so much chaos in the world it's so delightful when you can make your home a haven, a little "heaven" on earth.

So when I found this cozy book and movie list from Coffee Tea Books and More I did a happy jig about the room!  Ha ha ha, She also has sweet tunes playing in the background.  Here is a sample of her list:


AUTHORS (Fiction & Nonfiction)

Edith Schaeffer
Elizabeth George
Sally Clarkson
Gladys Taber

FICTION
Christy by Catherine Marshall
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

BOOK SERIES
The Mitford Series by Jan Karon
The Oxford Chronicles by Melanie Jeschke


Let me just say that I loved the book Christy, and although I loved the series immensely the book was spectacular!  Me and the girlies are reading all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books each evening and are almost finished with Little House in the Big Woods!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Whole Wheat Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls ~~~ YUM!

I love cinnamon rolls but don't always have the time to make the yeast ones, so this is a great treat when your in a hurry and want them for breakfast!!!

The rolls are made up of a buttermilk biscuit recipe:
You will need:


  • 1-1/4 c. Whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 c. white flour
  • 1-1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. soda
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/4 c. butter (cup up in pieces)
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk


Mix all ingredients together.




Knead lightly on floured surface.


Roll out to a 9" x 16" rectangle, brush with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.


Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon.


Roll up and cut into 1" thick slices.  Bake @ 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or golden brown.


Mix up 2/3 c. powdered sugar, 1 T buttermilk, 1 tsp. butter, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla add to tops of rolls for a yummy glaze!!!

NOW, Eat 'Em up!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Photo Shoot

I really enjoy taking pictures, my dream is to have a really nice camera!  My friends wanted me to do a photo shoot of them this last weekend and here they are, they are sweet sweet friends of mine married 9 years with four children.

























Healthy Oat Applesauce Muffins

I have lots of recipes to add this week, now to just find the time to do it.  Here is a new favorite whole wheat oat applesauce muffins, these are so versatile and Low Fat!


First mix together:

1 c. quick oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
And as you wish a handful of dried cranberries, or raisins, or choc. chips and raisins, the ideas are endless!!!

Pour into greased muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown or 20 min.
These are very tasty and the kiddos loved them!!!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Scones

What to make on a cloudy morning, no butter, not much oil?  Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Scones, these are so fun and easy.  Simple to make and fun for kids as you do not pat them out like regular scones, simply drop them out like biscuits.  These are absolutely scrumptious with a cup of Joe!!! Enjoy!




Mix together:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. white sugar
3 T applesauce
2 T water
1/2 c. milk
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I love to use mini-chips)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together and drop by large rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min. Makes a Perfect Dozen!!!

Friday, September 25, 2009

My Mother



Today's post is in response to Kelli's Blog and her Show & Tell Friday!
I am happy today to show and tell my mother, a picture of my mother that is.  This photograph was taken when she was 3 years old and I absolutely adore it. My Grandmother gave me this frame when I was a teenage (my Father's mother) and I thought it was perfect for this picture. Means a lot to me! My Mom is my best friend!



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Homemade Egg Noodles (How to)

Growing up we did not have much money at all, well let's just be honest we didn't have money. ;-)  So on our birthday we got to pick what meal mother would fix for us, and one of my favorites was homemade chicken noodles and angel biscuits.  Here below I have a step by step process on the making of homemade egg noodles, such comfort food!


You will Need:

  • 2 cups white flour
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4-1/2 cup water

Measure flour into bowl, make a well in center and add egg yolks, whole egg and salt.  With hands thoroughly mix egg into flour. Add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. (Add only enough water to form dough into a ball.)


Turn dough onto well-floured cloth-covered board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover, let rest 10 minutes.


Divide dough into 4 equal parts.



Roll dough, 1 part at a time, into paper thin-thin recntangle, keeping remaining dough covered. Roll rectangle around rolling pin; slip out rolling pin.




Cut dough crosswise into 1/8-inch strips for narrow noodles and 1/4-inch stripes for wide noodles. Shake out stripes and place on towel to dry. about 2 hours.
(NOTE:  I do not roll my dough out paper thin, I am sure it is a personal preference, I also do not have a noodle cutter so a pizza cutter works great or a large knife.  I was in a hurry when I made this batch and it only air dried about 45 min., and they still tasted wonderful! )
When dry break dry stripes into smaller pieces. Cook in 3 quarts boiling water 12-15 min. or until tender.  If you are making chicken noodles add the noodles to your pot of cooked chicken and broth.


Finished product, as you can see my noodles are very thick!  Nothing like it on a chilly fall day, it's great with Amish Bread too!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Natural Lighting

As my desire to live off the grid one of the funnest ways to do so for me is non-electrical lighting.
Candles, oil lamps, lanterns, and the list goes on.  The types and varieties are endless and as I inspect them all my wish list grows longer.  But I try to make the wisest and most economical decisions in way of lighting.
I stumbled upon Lehman's BEST candles and may I say I was impressed.  As I have been watching many BBC episodes as of late I find myself watching and looking at the different candelabra's, candlesticks, wall sconces, and lanterns they used.


So one day while at the thrift store I spotted a pair of brass weighted candlesticks for 49 cents each!  I couldn't believe it, I have one pictured below.  Then one day as a surprise my honey brought me home a mirrored wall sconce to help reflect the light.


Lehman's Best candles can be found by clicking Here



The picture above was taken in my bathroom and I was very pleased how just one candle lit the room.


And here is the lovely wall sconce DH picked up at Surplus City for $9.  I have also been looking on ebay under antique wall sconces.  I much admire the tin wall sconces that are round and reflect light.  A wall lantern would be lovely and a double wick lantern!  I am not sure why but they all just fascinate me!!!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fall Decorating

Fall is one of my most favorite seasons, and I enjoy decorating for it a little, I don't spend hardly anything on my decor, and really less is more!
(Before I go further don't forget to enter the free drawing below, the winner will be announced Monday evening)


Entryway


The front door!

My mini herb garden


The Kitchen Table, this tablecloth is from Dollar General for $1.


This is my new canister, my honey suprised me one day with this wonderful Anchor Hocking canister from Surplus City, what a blessing!


A wonderful gift from our little Black Bantam Cochin Frizzle hen, we call her Feather Duster!

The Almighty thrown! ;-)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Free Period Clothing Patterns

Portrait of a Woman (Oil on Canvas)



I was thrilled tonite when I stumbled upon a site with free period clothing patterns and diagrams.
There I found free patterns for civil war era, victorian, edwardian, gentlemen and children.

Untitled, 1898 (Oil on Canvas)



Although I myself am not a very good seamstress I thought I would pass this along to my blogging friends, feel free to post other free sites that you know of along these lines!

The site may be visited by clicking here

Other Period Patterns:













Article Featuring Costumes, Patterns, and More





Monday, September 14, 2009

Amish Breakfast Casserole

I thought it would be a fun tradition to start cooking a yummy breakfast casserole on Sunday mornings before church. When I found the ingredients to this one I was for sure it would be yummy, and it WAS! I have made one other breakfast casserole that was very very tasty, the recipe for it is from an Irish Bed & Breakfast and I will post that recipe soon too!
First I fried 12 oz. of turkey bacon until crispy with 1 small onion.


Meanwhile stir together:


6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash browns
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese


Then crumble your bacon, I cut mine with scissors, turkey bacon doesn't crumble like regular bacon. Add it to the ingredients above.


Then spread into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-40. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.


My kids loved it and it went wonderful with a cup of coffee! ;-)



Enjoy!