Sweet Baby - Trisomy 18

My little brother and his wife just had their third baby this past week. She is a beautiful angel. She also has Trisomy 18. It is important to get information out there about Trisomy 18. You can't change anything about it but you can be informed. The information out there can give comfort to families that are blessed with these pure sweet babies.
You can read little Josephine's sweet story here. I first read about Trisomy 18 at Diamonds, Fur, and Laundry. She shared her sweet story of William there.

Tiger Milk

I love that name. It is so descriptive. My children love it too. This is a treat my mom used to make for me when I was little. I think we called them peanut butter balls or something like that.
They are really yummy and packed with good things for you. They make a great after school snack or a great family treat that takes the place of sugared treats.



Tiger Milk

1 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter

I put this in the food processor or you can mix by hand.

We also add
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup coconut (unsweetened)

Variations: Try adding 1/2 cup of:
miniature marshmallows chopped
dates chopped dried
apricots
crushed graham crackers
chopped nuts, roasted
rice crispies
chocolate chips
bananas
molasses
toasted coconut
pumpkin seeds, roasted
sunflower seeds, roasted
Directions:

Mix all together and press into square cake pan. Cut and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap.

Blueberry Pie

When did I decided that pie was for me? The first time I had blueberry pie. I don't know how old I was. I remember being at my grandfather's house for Thanksgiving. I remember being in the kitchen, listening to my mother and my older sister's talking and laughing. Then came the pies. There were so many and they were all so good. I already liked pie better to cake any day but when my mouth closed on the forkful of flaky crust, tart fruit, and sweet syrup, ... oh my I love pie! I knew I had to make pie. From then on I listened when pie was talked about, watched when pie was made, read about pie in every cookbook I got my hands on.
So in honor of that early pie memory, here is my favorite blueberry pie recipe. It calls for frozen blueberries which is why I love it but fresh can also be used. Just blend some up in the blender to get the juice needed.

Blueberry Pie

Pastry for 2-crust pie
3 cups frozen blueberries (unsweetened)
Blueberry juice (drained from the thawed berries)
Water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

Thaw the berries and drain off the juice. Add enough water to the juice to make 1/2 cup liquid. Pour into a sauce pan and add the sugar, tapioca, cornstarch and stir. Cook quickly until thickened. Set aside to cool.
Add berries and lemon juice to the cooled juice. Pour filling into your pastry lined pie pan. Add a top crust and cut vents and flute the edges.
Bake at 425*F for 30 minutes.

This pie is great warm or cold, with or without ice cream.


I think my little peep liked it.

Just 5 minutes for Prop 8

My big brother Howard is campaigning for Proposition 8 in California.

The proposition 8 is rather interesting. On the surface it looks like hate laws designed to take away the rights of homosexuals. However it seems to be designed to protect the rights of millions of family members all over the country. How so? What happens in California usually spreads across the country in time. This video clip illustrates what is already happening in Main because of the gay marriage laws there. I was surprised and very interested in the clip show. If you are wondering how Porp 8 can affect you and your family, please watch this. I know that by posting this I will make myself and my blog pretty unpopular but that wasn't want I created it for. I think our children have rights too and that as families we have rights to teach them what we believe.


Here are a few more things that I have found about Prop 8.
1. Children in public schools will have to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as traditional marriage.
The California Education Code already requires that health education classes instruct children about marriage. (§51890)
Therefore, unless Proposition 8 passes, children will be taught that marriage between any two adults is of the same worth, regardless of gender. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children their own values and beliefs.

2. Churches may be sued over their tax exempt status if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings open to the public. Ask whether your pastor, priest, minister, bishop, or rabbi is ready to perform such marriages in your chapels and sanctuaries.

3. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston already had to stop providing adoption services in Massachusetts because courts legalized same-sex marriage there.

4. Religions that sponsor private schools with married student housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if counter to church doctrine, or risk lawsuits over tax exemptions and related benefits.

5. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages may be sued for hate speech and risk government fines. It already happened in Canada, a country that legalized gay marriage. A recent California court held that municipal employees may not say: "traditional marriage," or "family values" because, after the same-sex marriage case, it is "hate speech."

6. It will cost you money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits, including some already lost (e.g., photographers cannot now refuse to photograph gay marriages; doctors cannot now refuse to perform artificial insemination of gays even given other willing doctors). Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money – your money – that will be spent on such legal battles.

YES on PROPOSITION 8
will define the word "marriage" by adding 14 words to the California State Constitution:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

NO on PROPOSITION 8
will mean the State has no definition for the word "marriage" and will leave the term open to interpretation.

For more information check out What is Prop 8?

Holiday Hostess Flirty Apron Swap

HH08.2
Originally uploaded by shawneeh

Shawnee over at tp://flirtyapronswap.blogspot.com/ is hostessing a most fabulous Holiday Hostess apron swap. This one is for a glamourous apron. It sounds like so much fun!

Farm Girl Fest 2008

A week ago my friend Vea and I ran off to Carthage MO with our girls and participated in the First Annual Farm Girl Fest at Red Oaks 2.
We had so much fun.
Red Oaks is a vintage farm/village that the artist Lowell Davis has recreated in Carthage MO.

We shared a craft booth together.

Vea sold Rag Rug Looms that her husband Brent built. They are fabulous.
She also had quilts and other crafts.

I have it from a good source that these looms and instructions will be going on sell at Etsy soon. There might even be a featured giveaway here too.

I had my modge podge of crafts. I mostly sold my soap. I also whipped up some of my Zina B dresses and had them displayed there.


I have a few extra left that I just might put in my Etsy Shop. We will see.

Our girls had a fun day as well enjoying the other crafters, listening to great folk music, riding the free hay ride many times, and just playing at the festival.

They hay ride was pretty fun and a great way to see the whole farm.


Here they are discussing their next plan for the day.

Here are some fun shots of the Festival and the fun at Red Oaks 2.


This guy did a wonderful job of making sore every visitor was greeted with a big smile.


This vintage gas station was to die for. I love the colors!


I love this bright little farm house. I love color.


This couple was so welcoming. hee hee


This is the kind of tree that I think I could grow in my yard. I don't think the goats could kill this one.


I understand that Mr Davis rents and even sells some of these homes. This one is so lovely.


I will have to give this a try. I have always wanted a garden gate covered with vines.


I think that the Byrd house also needs one of these in the yard. What do you think?

I got to use Vea's Camera thanks to Brent. I forgot and left mine home of course. They still had lovely flowers growing in the gardens there.



I can't wait for the Second Annual Farm Girl Fest in Carthage MO.

Apple Pie Filling for Canning - Tutorial - PPP

I have never tried this before. My friends Diana and Jill have talked me into giving it a whirl. Since I did have an abundance of fabulous apples this year I figured I would try.

So here are the ingredients you will need.
6 quarts of peeled and sliced apples (good sweet and tart apples)
1 1/2 cups Clear Jel
3 cups sugar
5 cups apple juice (can use water if you don't have any juice)
2 cups water
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt


Now for how to do it.

1. Start with good tart apples. Tart means tangy and sweet like Jonathan, Macintosh, Jonagold, or even Fuji and NOT sour like Granny Smith apples.



2. Peel and slice your apples. You can put them on an apple peeler, corer, slicer if you have it or do it by hand.



3. Place the apples in a large pot with some water and steam/boil them for 4 to 6 minutes depending on how soft your apples are. Take them right off the heat and drain them. Save that water to use as your water later in the recipe.

4. Mix the clear jel, sugar, juice, water, salt and cinnamon in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. This will get really thick really fast.

(Sorry my stove top was filthy with canning crud on it all day from making loads of apple sauce.)

5. Add the apples to the jel stuff and mix well. Pour it into clean, sterilized jars and process in a water bath canner or steam canner for about 25 minutes. It makes about 7 quarts pie filling.


There you have yummy apple pie filling just waiting to be poured into a crust and baked. I understand that this isn't enough to make a pie. You will need 1 1/2 jars to make one good sized pie. So I guess that means you would have to use three jars and make two pies. Hmmm.... What is better than a hot apple pie? Two hot apple pies. hee hee

Late Winner

Oh my Gosh! I totally forgot to pick a winner from the lip-stick giveaway. What a goober!

I promised a lipstick and some little goodies.

The winner is .......

AmyK said...
So if you're sewing an apron, does that mean you have to toss flour across your face, dip your hands in molasses, and stick a wooden spoon in your hair?I did enjoy that as much as you did. What a funny read! Oh how times have changed.

Check out her blog Homemaking for Kings. It is fabulous. I love the Tackle It Tuesdays.

Sorry to have totally forgotten. The treat is on it's way.

Applesauce Tutorial

I have to record this so I will remember how I made it next year.

I started with good sweet and tart apples.

Jonathans and Jonagolds

Then I cut and cored them up. I did up enough to almost fill my 12 quart stew pot.

Then I added enough water to fill the pot at least half full. I basically poured water in there till I could see it coming up the side of the pot.

Next I put the pot on the stove and cooked them till they were soft.

It only took about 30-40 minutes. I took if off the heat and let it cool from a little bit while I got the grinder ready.

I happen to have a Victorio strainer. I love it and recommend it to anyone that wants to put up applesauce, tomatoes, berry and grape juice.




Then I take all that sauce and put it into another large stock pot. I add sugar to taste. With these apples I added about 1 cup of sugar. It can be brown or white. When I used the apples from my dad's trees I had to use about 3 cups because the little apples were so sour.

I also added about 3-4 Tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of salt.

I wondered about the addition of the salt and gave it a try and love it! It makes the apple sauce taste more mellow like apple pie. The kids are just loving it.



Oops! I almost forgot the canning part. I put all the applesauce stuff in that big stock pot and bring it back up to heat. I try to keep the stuff pretty hot. Don't boil it though, you will burn it and that is nasty.
I then pour it into quart jars that I have washed in very hot water in the dish washer on sanitize cycle. You can do this in the sink too. You can sanitize them in your canner.

I pour the applesauce in to the jars and then I put canning lids on them (follow the directions on the box). I processed them in my steam canner and in a water bath canner (so I could do two batches at the same time). I processed them fro about 40 minutes. (go check a canning website or book to make sure).

Cowboy Sweetheart

I loved this song when I was a little girl. I used to watch old westerns with my dad at the theater with my little brother Jon. I don't what Jon was watching them for, but I was always in love with the hero. I wanted to grow up and find me a cowboy. I didn't quite get that but he is a good man and is sure trying to be a farm boy.

Apples - Gathered In

Last week Vea and I ran over to Springfield for a quilt show. On the way back home, we stopped at the Murphy Apple orchard in Marrionville MO. We both picked up some of their cull apples. These are their seconds but are still lovely apples and and about half the price.


I picked up Jonagolds and Jonathans. They are both great for sauce and pie.

I made apple sauce and pie filling.


I also made a small batch of mock mincemeat.


I might just have to post the recipes later. I don't want to forget how I made the applesauce. It tastes fantastic.

New Sentsy Dealer

My sister Lil has talked me into selling Sentsy, scented wax burners.

They are so fabulous. The scent your rooms like a highly scented candles without the bother of smoking wicks. Because they don't use a wick they can pack each Scentsy Bar with more fragrance oil than most 12 oz. jarred candles. They have more than 80 fragrances to choose from. I can't wait to get my starter packet and play with the wonderful products.

They sell burners that run on light bulbs.

They are very easy to care for. When you are done with a scent you can pour it back into it's container, wipe out the burner and put a different wax in. You can control how much scent you use too. The Sentsy Bars have score marks on them so you can melt just one cube or the whole bar if you want. I like that option. I love candles but hate that I can't control the scent amount.

They offer Room sprays, Car candles, Sentsy Warmers, Plug-in Warmers, Sentsy bars, and Sentsy Bricks.
Ok now that I feel like I just shamelessly sold myself, you can check out my new Sentsy Website. You can order directly from that site or you can contact me and do an on-line party.

Hot Drinks for Hot Mama's Swap

My dear friend Val is hostessing her first swap right now. She is trying her hand at apron swaps to see if it is something she likes to do.
She is doing a themed swap. The theme is Hot drinks. It looks like so much fun. If you are interested go give her some swapping love and sign up at her blog. You only have until Sept 25 to get in on this fun.

I already picked out my fabric to use somehow.

I got this fabulous piece of fabric from the quilt show I went to in Springfield MO. The fabric is from "Hoodie's Collection" called "Morning Call". There are so many great cooking and chicken related pieces.

Scrappy Hot Pad Tutorial

This is the start of a group of tutorials I want to post this fall that are all easy gift ideas. I like to give homemade whenever possible and thought I would share some of my ideas with you.


I went into my sewing room yesterday to clean up after the Fall Festival madness and got very sidetracked. I grabbed a pile of hand dyed fabric scraps left over from wrapping my soaps and had the pile over the trash when I realized they could still be used. I dyed up this bunch of fabric using some hunter orange fabric I got from one of my friends. I had almost 70 yards of the stuff and only needed to make one hunter jacket. So I dyed it. I have been finding uses for it for years. Now what is left of it is used to wrap my handmade soaps.

Supplies:
Fabric strips 1" to 2" wide - just whatever you have
2 pieces of cotton batting or tight poly batting slightly larger than the finished hot pad you want to make
Backing fabric
thread
Binding fabric

To start with I just randomly sewed together the strips I had. They were about 9 inches long.



Then I used my rotary cutter and squared it up.


I cut it to be 8 1/2" by 9 1/2". The size doesn't matter. That is just how big it could be to get it all square. I have large hands and like a large hot pad when cooking so I don't get burned. I also like larger hot pad for putting a hot pan on the table.

Next I layered my top, batting, and backing. I cut the backing last to make sure it was wider than the other two layers. I do this so that if the thing shifts while quilting it, I won't find that the back is now smaller than the front or off center by a fraction.
Then I pin the layers together

Next you bring it back to your sewing machine and quit it. YES YOU CAN QUILT IT TOO. I just did stitching back and forth. Since I am no good and a straight line, I did wavy. You can do all kinds of fancy things but this is the easiest.

When I have enough quilting in it for me, I stitch all around the edge to make sure it is secure.

Then I square it back up again.

This is what the back looks like.

Then I bind it.

Sorry I won't show you how I bound it because I am a binding spaz but I will direct you to some great binding tutorials I used.
Sandi Henderson's Bias Tutorial
Angry Chicken's Bias Tape tutorial (all on the machine)
Heather Bailey's How to Bind a Quilt Tutorial

Newtonia Fall Festival

Yesterday was my communities Fall Festival. And.... of course.... I was involved in it up to my eyeballs. When will I ever learn! It is so easy to sign up to do stuff and so much harder to come through with it all. I am in the quilt guild so that means helping with the quilt show. I have to admit that my roll in that wasn't so big this year. Paula did the lion's share of that project and deserves all credit for how fabulous it turned out. I am also on the board of the Newtonia Betterment Association, so I was in charge of getting food volunteers and general helping.
Luckily we are a small community so it wasn't so big but it was enough. Newtonia was hit very hard by the Tornadoes that came through this year. The Fall Festival was in question and we decided that the festival was just what we needed to show we were still here and that not even a tornado could stop us.
The community of Newtonia has been here since the early 1800's and was actually very important in the Civil War campaigns for both sides of the war in this area.
The festival involves and ham and bean feed (for which I cooked beans all night). The desert is getting to be quite famous for it's hand made pies. (Yes I baked two pies for that too.) (recipe to come shortly)
At the end of the festival, I finally got a chance to sneak inside and get a bite to eat. I checked out the pie table in hopes that something lovely was left. Oh My!
I found this bit of loveliness.

It did everything you need a piece of pie to do down to the toes curling. I did the happy dance right there and then went and bought the rest of the pie. It was fabulous.

The Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association has a tour of the Ritchey Mansion house and a show put on by local Civil War Reenactors. It is always fabulous. My kids love to go through the camp and see what they do.
Our quilt guild always has a display of what we have done all year and they have their raffle quilt there. They money they raise goes to fund guild projects which include quilts for project Linus and local community charity quilts. We have several way this year in Newtonia to the Tornado Survivors.
This is the quilt we raffled off this year. I was not the lucky winner. :o(

The guild hand quilted the quilt this year. The back of the quilt shows the detail work.

Then there are crafters that sell their wares all day. Thanks to Hurricane Ike, it rained most of the morning and we were really worried that we wouldn't have a festival. However by noon it had cleared off and was very nice.
Of course I had a booth there with my aprons, patterns, soaps, and my little girl's cookies. They have sold their cookies there for several years now and always do very well.

Miss Caroline is selling some of her famous cookies here. She and Sarah and Grandma's Snicker doodles, Crosby Cookies, and Aunt Jeanne's Oatmeal Raisin cookies. They were all very tasty!
The Ricochet Riders also come every year and put on a show for us and provide us with games. The have brought a little train every year. Jeddie got to the festival just in time to get in on the last ride.

Jeddie was very scared once he got in the train. I was worried that I might have to go pull him out but it would seem he got over his initial shyness.

This was his face at the end of the ride. (Caroline seemed to have to help him wave.)
Because he got in at at the end, the train just happened to be changing it's rout to go through the parade.

It is a very short parade but fun! He got to watch the big farm tractors go by. Little Boy Heaven!