Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Christmas Eve
After we ate our fill of egg roll, pot-stickers, rice, cookies and ice cream, we got to the
GIFTS.
The girls could hardly stand it today. The UPS truck and the USPS each delivered one
last package. I found all the gifts and piled them behind the sofa yesterday.
Faith and Shekinah spent their day double-checking that they were still setting there.
Parker opened his gift first cause he is the youngest.
he wanted to save all his Christmas money and his birthday money
for a much coveted tablet (the electronic kind).
I was surprised!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Aunt Ann's Yogurt
A couple of you asked for my yogurt recipe so here goes. I'd advise you to read up a bit on yogurt making,(If you already know all about yogurt making and just want the recipe, read the bold print) there are some tips...such as
"yogurt does not like to be jostled while it is becoming yogurt"
Temperature is important, get a digital or quick read thermometer.
Milk can be fresh from the farm, but non-homogenized will give you a layer of cream on the top...
yum or yuck depends on which child gets it.
I have been using whole milk simply cause there are some frightfully skinny people in my house, but I probably should use "blue" milk for those of us who are watching our cholesterol.
I have had the best success using store -"boughten" yogurt for my starter. When I used my yogurt for the starter in the next batch, my yogurt got runny....tasted OK, but we like yogurt that can stand up for itself. That's why we use gelatin.
Oh and get containers and lids ready in advance so that you aren't scrambling around, worried that your yogurt mix is getting too cold or too warm while you find lids, containers, or counter-top space. Don't ask my how I know this.
Aunt Ann's Yogurt
2 quarts milk
place in a heavy bottom kettle
1/4 cup sugar; just let it sink to the bottom don't stir yet
Sprinkle 1-1/2 Tablespoon plain gelatin over the top of the milk
Don't stir
Heat to about 100 degrees (use the thermometer)
Now you can stir, but sure to get the sugar mixed in
Heat to 180 degrees (read up on yogurt making to understand why)
Stir occasionally while it is heating
When it has reached 180 degrees, remove from burner and set in sink with ice water or simply set on counter to allow mixture to cool to 110 degrees.
I understand that you don't want to vary this by much cause then you add the yogurt culture. You don't want to kill those healthy little "bugs" that make yogurt so healthy for you.
While the milk is cooling prepare the culturing area...my sister-in-law uses her oven and simply turns on the light for the oven...it keeps the oven warm enough. I found out that my oven light doesn't work, even after I put in a new bulb. So, I pulled out my big ice chest, lined it with a tablecloth (folded so half of it can fold over top of the yogurt containers), heated a pint jar of water, closed the jar and put it in the ice chest, so that it is warm for the yogurt culturing.
When milk has cooled to 110; add 5-6 oz of plain yogurt
I use the Greek yogurt cause it is thicker....from my reading I think you can add most any kind of plain yogurt, your end result just might be a different texture. If you read yogurt labels you can see that there are different qualities....oh and don't buy old yogurt (so local peeps Glenwood might not be the best choice)
Stir in yogurt and
1 Tablespoon of vanilla (optional)
After there are no lumps in your yogurt mixture and the temp is between 100 and 110 degrees, start ladling yogurt into containers Pop 4 at a time into the ice chest...so as to not loose heat. When all the yogurt is in containers, fold the other half of the tablecloth on top. I leave the hot water jar in the ice chest, but on top of the cloth. Set the ice chest somewhere quiet, where no one will be using it for a sled, wagon, step stool or bully pulpit. After 4 hours get the yogurt out and put in fridge.
"yogurt does not like to be jostled while it is becoming yogurt"
Temperature is important, get a digital or quick read thermometer.
Milk can be fresh from the farm, but non-homogenized will give you a layer of cream on the top...
yum or yuck depends on which child gets it.
I have been using whole milk simply cause there are some frightfully skinny people in my house, but I probably should use "blue" milk for those of us who are watching our cholesterol.
Oh and get containers and lids ready in advance so that you aren't scrambling around, worried that your yogurt mix is getting too cold or too warm while you find lids, containers, or counter-top space. Don't ask my how I know this.
Aunt Ann's Yogurt
2 quarts milk
place in a heavy bottom kettle
1/4 cup sugar; just let it sink to the bottom don't stir yet
Sprinkle 1-1/2 Tablespoon plain gelatin over the top of the milk
Don't stir
Heat to about 100 degrees (use the thermometer)
Now you can stir, but sure to get the sugar mixed in
Heat to 180 degrees (read up on yogurt making to understand why)
Stir occasionally while it is heating
When it has reached 180 degrees, remove from burner and set in sink with ice water or simply set on counter to allow mixture to cool to 110 degrees.
I understand that you don't want to vary this by much cause then you add the yogurt culture. You don't want to kill those healthy little "bugs" that make yogurt so healthy for you.
While the milk is cooling prepare the culturing area...my sister-in-law uses her oven and simply turns on the light for the oven...it keeps the oven warm enough. I found out that my oven light doesn't work, even after I put in a new bulb. So, I pulled out my big ice chest, lined it with a tablecloth (folded so half of it can fold over top of the yogurt containers), heated a pint jar of water, closed the jar and put it in the ice chest, so that it is warm for the yogurt culturing.
When milk has cooled to 110; add 5-6 oz of plain yogurt
Stir in yogurt and
1 Tablespoon of vanilla (optional)
After there are no lumps in your yogurt mixture and the temp is between 100 and 110 degrees, start ladling yogurt into containers Pop 4 at a time into the ice chest...so as to not loose heat. When all the yogurt is in containers, fold the other half of the tablecloth on top. I leave the hot water jar in the ice chest, but on top of the cloth. Set the ice chest somewhere quiet, where no one will be using it for a sled, wagon, step stool or bully pulpit. After 4 hours get the yogurt out and put in fridge.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
No No! I Don't Want To!
Because of our Mennonite -ness I've always been a bit of a home maker/sewer/cooker but there are LIMITS!
Or so I thought...
When I was a teen I baked bread and fell in love with anything made with yeast and flour, BUT
you can buy good bread at the store.
Or so I thought, until I spoiled my children and my husband with home made bread.
Then it was
"Mom isn't there any bread around here? Good bread I mean."
And their thankfulness after a week or two of store-bought bread was enough to spur me on...
that and I happen to like good home made bread too!
Then it was cereal, my hubby likes to keep his sugar intake down and a large selection of low sugar boxed breakfast cereal is not readily available. He gets tired of shredded wheat and the "Mom's Best" brand of Oat Clusters is no where to be found.
So then there is granola or baked oatmeal.
THEN people started talking about their wonderful home made yogurt.
NO! NO! I told one person that I refuse to make it because I'm sure my children will like it then...
"mom where's the yogurt?"
That was until we went to NY and my sister-in-law had her yogurt set on the table for breakfast.
"Here Chris, taste this."
NOW I'm making yogurt....about a gallon a week.
Made out of whole milk fresh from the farm....it's quite good and economical at $3 a gallon plus the price of the "starter" yogurt
Last night we had the Christmas program and they all got dressed in fancy duds.
This morning my hubby asked me to stop by the store and pick up some good quality hand lotion.
"Can't have glycerine in it because of the wood."
They banned some hand lotion at his job because the wooden doors absorb it and then when the stain dept tries to stain the doors there are funny marks where the glycerine soaked into the wood first.
so off I went...Burt's Bees has a lotion without glycerine for the tune of $8.99 for 2 oz and Watkins has a similar lotion for $7.99.
Now I'm researching lotion recipes. I think this one looks simple and I think I can make a bunch of lotion for $9.00
Oh and I bought fabric today at $5 a bolt you can't go far wrong.
this one has fine little holes like a screen....not sure but maybe a pocket on a tote....landscape
fabric?
Or so I thought...
When I was a teen I baked bread and fell in love with anything made with yeast and flour, BUT
you can buy good bread at the store.
Or so I thought, until I spoiled my children and my husband with home made bread.
Then it was
"Mom isn't there any bread around here? Good bread I mean."
And their thankfulness after a week or two of store-bought bread was enough to spur me on...
that and I happen to like good home made bread too!
Then it was cereal, my hubby likes to keep his sugar intake down and a large selection of low sugar boxed breakfast cereal is not readily available. He gets tired of shredded wheat and the "Mom's Best" brand of Oat Clusters is no where to be found.
So then there is granola or baked oatmeal.
THEN people started talking about their wonderful home made yogurt.
NO! NO! I told one person that I refuse to make it because I'm sure my children will like it then...
"mom where's the yogurt?"
That was until we went to NY and my sister-in-law had her yogurt set on the table for breakfast.
"Here Chris, taste this."
NOW I'm making yogurt....about a gallon a week.
Made out of whole milk fresh from the farm....it's quite good and economical at $3 a gallon plus the price of the "starter" yogurt
This morning my hubby asked me to stop by the store and pick up some good quality hand lotion.
"Can't have glycerine in it because of the wood."
They banned some hand lotion at his job because the wooden doors absorb it and then when the stain dept tries to stain the doors there are funny marks where the glycerine soaked into the wood first.
so off I went...Burt's Bees has a lotion without glycerine for the tune of $8.99 for 2 oz and Watkins has a similar lotion for $7.99.
Now I'm researching lotion recipes. I think this one looks simple and I think I can make a bunch of lotion for $9.00
Oh and I bought fabric today at $5 a bolt you can't go far wrong.
this one has fine little holes like a screen....not sure but maybe a pocket on a tote....landscape
fabric?
Monday, December 8, 2014
Craftiness
Tis the month of December and wild ideas abound
Burlap flowers one Saturday morning with a friend
An outgrown t-shirt made into a 12" pillow for a friend's daughter
Dresses for the Christmas program are still in progress, wool sweaters lie in wait,
books on fleece creations on loan from the library
minutes fly while answering time wasting questions--
"Mom, how do I keep walking when I sneeze?"
Why?
"Because you heart stops beating when you sneeze."
PLEASE! when you tell my children"facts" please check them out first!
This bit of a science experiment made an impression...
a ping pong ball will float but a heavier one.....?
Well what do you think Shekinah?
Get togethers with friends
good food and fellowship
and "my how you have grown!"
Shekinah will keep us young from laughing for a very long time. She will also be the fault of near-irreverence in church on too many occasions...we had the smuggled harmonica, smart remarks and a little stubborn girl who crawled under the bench when we were sitting in the back row. We pretended we didn't know who was dancing in the aisle behind us.
Yesterday she was at it again. She was sitting beside me on the appropriate part of her anatomy for once. I glanced at her and smiled, she looked up at me adoringly and reached for my face..."here mom let me get that, you have a booger in there."
I quickly got a tissue and dabbed at my nose.
" no mom, it's still there!"
These occasions make it easy to forgive her stormy "I don't love anyone in THIS house."
and it seems she forgives me too...as she needs to interrupt serious adult conversations with "mommy, I love you!"
oh and 2 of the kittens are back
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