{ Happy 2nd Birthday Little Mama }

Today my baby turns 2!!

I love this girl, she is so stinking happy all the time and her sense of humor is just freaking awesome!
Seriously, I'm soooooo happy that she is in our little family!
I am hoping to get a photo shoot of her sometime SOON!
Happy Birthday little Mama I ♥ You & Happy Halloween!

Her cupcakes for this year!

11.1.2009

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{ 7:10 am }

That's right, SNOW and it's still coming down.
I think we will watch the Polar Express this morning, Corbin will be thrilled! ;)
So much for those Fall Photo's I WAS going to take of the kids.

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{ Canned Stew Recipe }

Canned Stew

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In large bowls --- cut, chop or slice the following:

Potatoes
Carrots sliced
Celery sliced
Onion chopped
(A food processor works great for the carrots and celery
& don't forget to keep the potatoes covered with water so they don't brown)

1 TBSP Pearl Barley
1 TBSP Parsley
1 TBSP Bouillon (beef or chicken)
1/4 Tsp Salt (optional)
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In clean Canning Jar add:
Pearl Barley
Parsley
Bouillon
Salt (optional)
Then using a LARGE handful of each, add the following:
Onion
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes
(I usually add more potatoes)

Cover all ingredients with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space
Wipe rim with clean dish cloth, top with lid & ring then process in a
Pressure Canner for 30 Minutes at 12 pounds of pressure.
This stew can be made into:
Pot Pies
Casseroles
Dumplings
A quick way I have served this is to open 2 jars of stew in a 9 x 13 pan, then add a can of Roast beef chunks, some fresh sliced zucchini and top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 till bubbly.
My family loves this and it's great to have on hand when you need to whip up a quick meal.
Happy Canning!

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{ You Asked For It }

I have had several emails asking for my canned stew recipe,

I will be posting the recipe/how to tomorrow for those inquiring minds

I'm a tad busy tonight canning Pears & Apple pie filling if you have any other questions ask away & I'll do my best to answer them.

Thanks!

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{ Because I Can't Eat My Crafts~ Applesauce Tutorial }

It all began back in June when I was reading my friend Beth's blog aka Rambling girl she posted about her freezer and how she may not be crafty but she was crafty with the goodness of the land. I posted a comment on that post and said the following:

Rachel said... Trust me the Ability to Craft FOOD is always better then crafting! I mean when hard times hit I won't be able to eat my glue gun & covered buttons! :)

I thought a lot about her post and really it started innocently enough like most things do......
I said to my friend Carol. "We really don't have much food supply" not even 1 week later it was free green beans from our friends the Hibbert's (twice), then it was tons of free corn from my hubby's Aunt Beverly which now resides in the freezer (the corn not dear Aunt B. :) Then I moved onto Peaches which I paid 20 bucks for 120 pounds. Then the apples............ OH THE APPLES!!!!
I also made some Sweet Zucchini Relish which is DELISH & a bunch of Canned Stew which is just plain awesome! 
We also have 300 pounds (and counting) of wheat in storage and I am working on rice, flour, sugar & well everything else for that matter.

So Thank you Beth and Carol, I love knowing that when times get tough I will be able to Can our extra food because really I don't think my family will love eating my large stash of fabric and glue.

Making Apple Sauce: A Tutorial

1st remove flowers from bottom of Apples
I used a metal teaspoon to do this job.

Boil the apples until the skins crack. I boil mine whole.

Then after they boil for a few minutes let them rest and cool (the key to thick sauce)

Then quarter or half them and put them into the hopper.

Turn the crank and you have Apple Sauce!
I sprinkle a little Fruit Fresh on my sauce to help it keep from browning while it waits to be jarred.

ladle the sauce into jars and water bath them for 25 minutes

And these are what are waiting for me, more apples for pie filling and some yummy pears! These will get done next week as this week I'm knee deep in Super Saturday crafts. I'm in charge of one of the classes. Ya gotta love 4 ward stake activities.

P.S. If you made it through this long canning post you deserve a bottle of my apple sauce!

P.S.S. I'm feeling a little better, still on the mend but much better then a couple days ago. ;)

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{ Captains Log }

Day 9:

Adult female running fever of 103.6 with chills followed by sweating. Lots of coughing with very little sleep, time of sleep last night 6:00 am, awake at 8:00 am.

7 yr old female running similar fever with out much coughing, seems to be improving.

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{ We Can't Wait! }

Our family is so excited for this show to come out in November!

We love Jim Carrey and this show looks like it is going to be a classic Christmas show that we will watch every year. Just as we watch The Polar Express, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Jim's version & the cartoon), A Christmas Story, National Lampoons Christmas vacation (for us adults) & of course Charlie Brown! I love Christmas time and it's traditions...

Christmas Movies with homemade Carmel Popcorn are just one of our many traditions, what are some of yours?

Yeah I know I'm early on the Christmas front, but It's my favorite holiday and I just couldn't resist!

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{ 15 Years! }

Happy Anniversary to my honey! It's been a Fabulous 15 years I ♥ you!

15 Reasons why I love him....

1. He's a hard worker.
2. He's a great provider.
3. He's an amazing Dad.
4. He's still a kid at heart
5. He's a Jack of All trades who can make & fix almost anything.
6. He spoils me rotten.
7. He's spiritual.
8. He asks for little in return.
9. He's so smart.
10. He tells me I'm beautiful daily, even though I don't think so.
11. He thinks I'm an awesome cook.
12. He tells me my crafts rock even though I know he could care less about the crafting world.
13. He gives the best foot rubs.
14. He will watch chick flicks with me and even liked Mama Mia! :)
15. He is my Best Friend.

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{Cookies & Colds}

The cold bug has hit our house and oddly enough it hit a child who doesn't even go to school where you know they breed germs like no man's business. Doesn't she just look pitiful? 
But ya gotta love the mad woman hair.

So after consoling the sick and putting her to bed I decided the next morning I was going to make cookie dough to freeze.

And make them I did.... 190 to be exact!

I used to buy Otis Spunkmeyer at Costco but after a while those got far too spendy for this cheap chick, so I started freezing our own cookie dough. I have been doing this for almost 10 years now and I love it.
I pop a few in the oven before the kids get home from school and by the time the bus drops them off I have a plate of warm yummy cookies waiting for them.

Also on most Sunday's my family likes to make cookies, but I don't like the mess that goes with the making of the cookies so these are my compromise!
We also like to do this with these cookies as well. YUM-O!

Here is the link to the Recipe that I use just click HERE.

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{ Turning 5! }

Happy Birthday to my little man, 
who wasn't so little when he was born at 9 lbs, 5 years ago today. 
He was such a good baby and still is an amazing kid.

He tells you constantly that he loves you and always requires a kiss before you leave the house. You can always hear him singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star be it on the potty or playing with his trains.

And when you ask him to smile this is what you usually get,

but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Birthday Little Man WE ♥LOVE♥ YOU!

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{ Scrappin' }

Here are some semi recent scrapbook pages that I did at my last scrapping retreat in June. The bad news is I still have journaling to do on them, but that is ALWAYS what I do last & it usually takes me forever to get it done.

The good news is I get to go to ANOTHER SCRAPBOOK GETAWAY this weekend!!!
Yes, I get to go and hang with my awesome girlfriends in Hayden Idaho and scrap till the wee hours in the morning. I'm excited to go again and am looking forward to a much needed break after my month & a half of straight canning.
Friday can't come soon enough.

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