I don't usually share recipes on here. I get most of my recipes online, so I guess I figure if you're looking for something new to make, you'll find it, same as I do! However, today I am making exception to this because I've got two AMAZING recipes that I just can't keep to myself. I'd hate for you to go through life and never find these keepers!!
The first one is for pumpkin pancakes. We frequently have breakfast for dinner around here and I made these one night last week. I'm not kidding you when I say it was DEAD SILENCE as everyone chowed down. That NEVER happens! Seriously, my kids have NEVER been so caught up with eating that they forget to talk!! Not with cake or cookies or anything! It was just amazing to me....silence....who knew 3 kids could achieve such a magical dinner experience?? :) On to the recipe:
Pumpkin Pancakes with Yogurt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin, canned
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, adding yogurt, milk and pumpkin puree. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Spoon the batter onto a preheated, oiled griddle, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes slowly over a low-medium heat for approximately 4-6 minutes, flipping after 3 minutes.
I did make a few changes to this: I only used 1/4 c sugar and I used Dannon Lite and Fit vanilla yogurt (because it's what I had) so I left out the vanilla. Mmmmmm...I'm tellin' ya--DELICIOUS! Next time I think I'm going to add some pecans.
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I've been making all of our bread for almost a year now, and this next recipe is BY FAR the BEST, BEST, BEST basic bread recipe I have found. It's easy, it's tasty, it's got a good crust but not so hard that my kids can't bite through it. It's not crumbly, it freezes GREAT, it makes three loaves at a time so I'm not making bread every other day, it makes great sandwiches, great toast, and it's great on it's own just as a side for dinner. So perfect. If you like baking bread or just want to try it, this is a winning recipe--TRUST ME.
Christy Dalling's Wheat Bread
Ingredients:
4c warm water
1/4c honey
1/4c sugar (you can use all honey or all sugar, if you like)
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1/3c canola oil
5tsp salt
8 or more cups flour (I used 6c wheat flour, 2+ cups bread flour)
Directions:
Dissolve honey, sugar, and yeast in warm water. Let this mixture sit 3-4 minutes, until bubbles form at the top and everything is dissolved. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook). Add canola oil, salt, and 4c flour. Mix 2-3 minutes.
Add 4c flour, and mix until dough pulls away from the sides and is cohesive. Flour a large work surface and pour out dough. Knead with hands until dough is elastic and a large ball. Place in a large bowl that has been greased or sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a damp towel or piece of plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40-60 minutes.
Turn out dough and divide into 3 for large loaves, 4 for smaller loaves. Shape each section of dough into a loaf and place in a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-40 minutes or until tops are golden brown and loaves sound hollow when you tap the tops or test with a toothpick.
Allow loaves to cool 2 minutes in pan and then turn out loaves to cool completely. Wrap any loaves not being used immediately securely with plastic wrap and place in zip-top bags in the freezer.
Makes 3-4 loaves.
I use all honey in ours and not quite so much salt. I've used all different amounts and types of flour (bread, all-purpose, wheat) with this recipe and it's always fantastic.
If you want to make something especially yummy, add 1 c chopped walnuts, 1 c chopped craisins and the zest of 2 oranges to the dough. Makes GREAT ham sandwiches and I'm soooo making it at Thanksgiving for sandwiches with leftover turkey. Of course it's great as toast for breakfast, too!
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We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming....
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sweet and Stinky Boys
Today at lunch:
Micah: Mommy, we wont be here to watch you die because we'll already be married by then, right?
Me: That's the plan.
Josiah: But why are you going to die first?
Me: So I won't be lonely.
Josiah: But then daddy won't have anyone to kiss!
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Josiah got in trouble for something the other day and he and I were snuggling after the "talking to" he got. All of a sudden he got up and ran out of the room saying, "I have to go somewhere!"
A few seconds later, he waltzed back into the room with a smirk on his face and said, "Do you know where I went?"
Me: "No."
Josiah: "I had to go TOOT! And I knew you wouldn't like it if I tooted on you, so I went to another room! Wasn't that nice of me?"
My dear, your thoughtfulness astounds me
Well, Micah thought this was just about the funniest thing ever, so after rolling on the floor in full appreciation of his brother's "thoughtfulness," he gets up, runs out of the room and says, "I've gotta go somewhere!"
Josiah is cracking up laughing now, too, and chases after Micah. A few seconds later, Josiah runs back in the room, his face RED with laughter and says, MOMMY!! DID YOU HEAR THAT??!"
Me: "No."
Josiah: "Micah tooted and it was like, PBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
Isn't that soooo amazing?!
Micah comes around the corner at this time. Josiah turns to him and with total admiration says, "Micah! How did you do that?!"
Micah assumes a semi-squat position and says, "I just bent over like this and my tush was like, PBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
If you don't have or have never had or weren't a boy yourself at some point in time, you may not appreciate that last story. I, for one, am proud to report that I maintained a straight face during the entire exchange and when it became obvious that it was a contest the boys had no intention of ending, I promptly put an end to such smelly boy behavior.
However, I CRIED when I was telling John the story and I very nearly peed my pants, too, though being pregnant may have something to do with that. At least I've got them trained to go in the other room, right? Their wives will thank me someday. Now, I've just got to work on John....
Micah: Mommy, we wont be here to watch you die because we'll already be married by then, right?
Me: That's the plan.
Josiah: But why are you going to die first?
Me: So I won't be lonely.
Josiah: But then daddy won't have anyone to kiss!
-----------------------------------------------------
Josiah got in trouble for something the other day and he and I were snuggling after the "talking to" he got. All of a sudden he got up and ran out of the room saying, "I have to go somewhere!"
A few seconds later, he waltzed back into the room with a smirk on his face and said, "Do you know where I went?"
Me: "No."
Josiah: "I had to go TOOT! And I knew you wouldn't like it if I tooted on you, so I went to another room! Wasn't that nice of me?"
My dear, your thoughtfulness astounds me
Well, Micah thought this was just about the funniest thing ever, so after rolling on the floor in full appreciation of his brother's "thoughtfulness," he gets up, runs out of the room and says, "I've gotta go somewhere!"
Josiah is cracking up laughing now, too, and chases after Micah. A few seconds later, Josiah runs back in the room, his face RED with laughter and says, MOMMY!! DID YOU HEAR THAT??!"
Me: "No."
Josiah: "Micah tooted and it was like, PBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
Isn't that soooo amazing?!
Micah comes around the corner at this time. Josiah turns to him and with total admiration says, "Micah! How did you do that?!"
Micah assumes a semi-squat position and says, "I just bent over like this and my tush was like, PBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
If you don't have or have never had or weren't a boy yourself at some point in time, you may not appreciate that last story. I, for one, am proud to report that I maintained a straight face during the entire exchange and when it became obvious that it was a contest the boys had no intention of ending, I promptly put an end to such smelly boy behavior.
However, I CRIED when I was telling John the story and I very nearly peed my pants, too, though being pregnant may have something to do with that. At least I've got them trained to go in the other room, right? Their wives will thank me someday. Now, I've just got to work on John....
Thursday, September 24, 2009
I Can Take a Hint
Ok, so being pregnant and taking care of three kids and homeschooling isn't the easiest thing I've ever done. There's been a shortage of available energy in my life lately and as a result, some things just aren't getting done like I want them to be or like I usually do them. I've had to cut priorities a bit...you know, scale back to what's really important and what really needs to be done. I mean, REALLY.
Take bath time, for example. Now, USUALLY I give the kids a bath every other day, but recently I've been making exceptions to that. I mean, do my kids really need to be clean every other day?? I'm just soooo tired at the end of the day! John normally gets home at 8:30, by which time all the kids are in bed, so on bath nights I'm trying to work up the energy--after dinner time, which incidently IS one of those things that really has to happen every day--to get three kids into the bath and bed on my own. Yeah, that just doesn't always happen like it used to. Soooo, sometimes the kids will go 3 and yes, even 4 (gasp!) days without a bath. I console myself by remembering my childhood when I'm pretty sure I only took a bath on Saturday. So, twice a week--that's pretty good, right??
My kids have an oh-so subtle way of pointing out my short-comings. Today we were playing outside when Josiah came up to me and said, "Mommy! I finally figured out why this fly wont leave me alone--it's because I SMELL!"
And then, like all good little boys, he lifts up his arm, takes a whiff and says, "See? Come smell me! I SMELL!!"
Ok, ok. I will FIND the energy to bathe you. Maybe there's some stuffed under the couch cushions....
Take bath time, for example. Now, USUALLY I give the kids a bath every other day, but recently I've been making exceptions to that. I mean, do my kids really need to be clean every other day?? I'm just soooo tired at the end of the day! John normally gets home at 8:30, by which time all the kids are in bed, so on bath nights I'm trying to work up the energy--after dinner time, which incidently IS one of those things that really has to happen every day--to get three kids into the bath and bed on my own. Yeah, that just doesn't always happen like it used to. Soooo, sometimes the kids will go 3 and yes, even 4 (gasp!) days without a bath. I console myself by remembering my childhood when I'm pretty sure I only took a bath on Saturday. So, twice a week--that's pretty good, right??
My kids have an oh-so subtle way of pointing out my short-comings. Today we were playing outside when Josiah came up to me and said, "Mommy! I finally figured out why this fly wont leave me alone--it's because I SMELL!"
And then, like all good little boys, he lifts up his arm, takes a whiff and says, "See? Come smell me! I SMELL!!"
Ok, ok. I will FIND the energy to bathe you. Maybe there's some stuffed under the couch cushions....
Saturday, September 19, 2009
HOW Could I Forget??!?
I can't believe I forgot to tell you about this in my post yesterday...pregnancy brain strikes again!!
Sooooo...on Thursday we had our 20 week ultrasound for our new little one and it's a...
HEALTHY BABY!!
Ha-ha! Seriously, I debated long and hard about finding out the gender this time. I don't know why. I really never cared before, but this time I actually kinda wanted to know. My will-power won out in the end (though I was doing a count-down at the end of the ultrasound!) and our last little baby will be a surprise like the rest of 'em! :) I really do love the surprise...I'm still not sure why I wanted to know with this one. But, to also keep you fully in the loop, if I had to guess as to what this baby is, I'd have to say girl because...well, lets just say that double estrogen in my system would explain a lot right now!!
So anywhoo...our little baby is perfectly healthy and happy in there. The tech said s/he weighs 13 oz. right now and has long legs. I don't really have any good pics from the ultrasound to share--baby was pretty squirmy, so you'll just have to take my word for it that we have a perfect little one on the way! :)
Sooooo...on Thursday we had our 20 week ultrasound for our new little one and it's a...
HEALTHY BABY!!
Ha-ha! Seriously, I debated long and hard about finding out the gender this time. I don't know why. I really never cared before, but this time I actually kinda wanted to know. My will-power won out in the end (though I was doing a count-down at the end of the ultrasound!) and our last little baby will be a surprise like the rest of 'em! :) I really do love the surprise...I'm still not sure why I wanted to know with this one. But, to also keep you fully in the loop, if I had to guess as to what this baby is, I'd have to say girl because...well, lets just say that double estrogen in my system would explain a lot right now!!
So anywhoo...our little baby is perfectly healthy and happy in there. The tech said s/he weighs 13 oz. right now and has long legs. I don't really have any good pics from the ultrasound to share--baby was pretty squirmy, so you'll just have to take my word for it that we have a perfect little one on the way! :)
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