Just a little rambling

I always have good intentions when it comes to my blog. I intend to post often but it just doesn't always happen. Life happens and gets in the way of intent sometimes.

First we have been very busy on the school front. We have been playing math games with dice, This is a great way to encourage addition, subtraction multiplication and even division. All you need is a pair of dice per child, a piece of paper and pencil. We often sit around the table and play games so this is not unusual. I use the dice to help the children remember their math facts. The person with the answer first wins the round. One round is addition, the next will be subtraction, then Multiplication, then division. For more complicated rounds we add the total of the dice and then multiply or divide it by the smallest number rolled. We also have been off to the park twice, its a mile walk and then we played ball, walked the track and of course played on the equipment. One of those days my pedimoter said I walked over 6.5 miles!  Another favorite game this past week has been Scrabble Slam. It's the card game scrabble and its quick easy and fun. You play with four letter words changing them with one card. It helps children learn word families and how one letter changes a whole word. Great fun and even my 7 year old likes to play.

There has been a new addition to the family, Lizzy is her name. I will post about her later this week. I have been trying to get good pictures of her but she has been a bit camera shy.  

Of course a good number of us also got sick in the last few weeks. Head colds are never fun and they are always long lasting when you have a large family. I am sure glad I don't have more kids because I can't imagine how long it would take to get everyone healthy. My kids tend to not get sick until the person before them is just about better. So for us if each kid is sick it usually takes about a month before the whole house is healthy again. I know some families get sick and all do it together which I am sure is miserable but hey, at least its all over with quickly!

I have also been trying to sew, but with sick kids and constant interruptions that has not been an easy task. I have many patterns cut out and just waiting for me to get them together, adorable aprons that are calling out to me to finish creating them. I need a designated sewing room... maybe the kids should all bunk up in one bedroom so mom can have a sewing room? nah! the fighting would drive me crazy! :) I know the attic... hmmm somewhere there is bound to be a space for me to create a private little oasis of creativity.

Of course lets not forget the Giveaway! It ends Wednesday night at 12pm EST. So its not to late to share and enter! Remember you can enter more then once. Share a link on your blog, or social networking site and share on my where you shared the giveaway... You will be entered for each share as well as your original entry.
Drawing winners will be announced on Thursday morning! 

Simplifying life 3

Today I wanted to share one of the things I do weekly to make my life just a little bit easier.

I used to make giant batches of pancakes or waffles and freeze them but the kids always took the giant batches as a right to eat as many as they wanted in one sitting. So I decided that it would be wiser to make an appropriate amount of them instead. So to make my life easier and have my own mix ready to go.

Like I said in my other posts I don't buy prepackaged foods any more. There are to many other ingredients that I don't want in my food.

I have two different mixes because I like spiced pancakes and waffles. I also have one for biscuits that has no spices in it.

I use about 2 cups of mix per batch of pancakes and about 3 cups per batch of waffles. I will include the recipe for each.

Pancake & Waffle Mix
6 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
6 Tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger

Sour Milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vinegar

Pancake recipe
2 cups mix
4 TBSP melted butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sour milk (Or buttermilk can be used here)
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 5 minutes before pouring onto hot griddle.

Waffle recipe
3 cups mix
1/4 cup oil or butter (melted)
2 eggs
2 cups sour milk
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 10 minutes. You will see the batter sort of puff up and grow this will be when it is ready to use in your hot waffle iron.

For Biscuit mix (can also be used for dumplings like bisquick)
6 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
6 TSP baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar

To make biscuits
2 cups mix
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 - 3/4 milk
Mix butter into dry ingredients and keep it crumbly add in enough milk to pull together and either roll dough out to be cut up with a biscuit cutter or drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350* oven for 10-12 minutes.

These are my simple mixes I keep in an air tight container on my counter. I usually go through both batches in a week but we also do not buy cereal any longer. I do make granola in the summer and we do eat hot oatmeal or cream of wheat. I make my own packets of  "instant" cereal as well. I will share those soon.

P.S.
You still have a little time to get in on the Give Away The Drawing takes place on February 9th.

Out and about

Today is Monday and I am about to take my children off on an adventure around the lovely town we live in. We must return library books and check out new ones as well as stop by town hall. So I wanted to just take a moment to remind everyone that they have plenty of time to still get in on the giveaway!

There has been a little confusion, I am not giving away the apron in the photo, but one in the same style with your choice in fabrics. Now the choice is limited to what I have in stock at this moment and I will be giving you ample time to make your choice. Of course since I am making that item after the drawing is finished it will take at least a week to complete and mail off to you. The other two items however are already completed and will be mailed as soon as I get your mailing address.

To be entered into the giveaway please go comment on this blog here and tell me you would like to be entered to win.

Have a fantastic Monday everyone.

Give Away

Come One Come ALL! Enter the FREE giveaway today! Tell me which item is your favorite for an extra chance to win that item! You *MUST* comment directly on this blog, or have commented on the first one to be entered!

I am giving away 3 items that were hand made by me.

Item one:

A half moon Apron like this, but in your choice of fabric:

A funky pair of earrings that are completely adorable:

A relaxation mask in adorable Cherries fabric:

To enter all you have to do is comment on this blog. You get an additional entry for sharing this giveaway on your own blog, or any social networking site as long as you come back and post a link to this blog post.

The drawing takes place on February 9th, Giving you plenty of time to enter, and share. Everyone who has already entered via the first blog will still be counted, You just are now able to enter today via this blog post too.

Doughnut Muffins

I have had requests for the Doughnut muffins I made for Birthday breakfast.

I really like cake doughnuts but I don't have a doughnut pan so I decided to use a muffin pan. I found This Recipe. I of course adapted it because I am not one to ever follow someone else's recipe well. :) You may choose to use that recipe or try out my adaptations.

The batter recipe:

Ingredients

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup butter, melted

Batter once its mixed together

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*. 

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and flour.Add the vinegar to the milk and let stand for 10 minutes. Mix milk, eggs, honey,almond extract, orange zest and butter in a separate medium bowl, and stir into the dry ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

While they are baking make the glaze and toast the coconut. 

Glaze:
1/4 cup white sugar

2 Tbls molasses

3-4 Tbls water
2 Tbls corn starch

In a sauce pan combine sugar, molasses, and water on low heat. Whisk together until sugar is dissolved and it starts to bubble. Add the cornstarch one Tbls at a time whisking between additions. Allow to bubble slowly for 2 minutes stirring continually with whisk. Allow to cool slightly. 
Toasting Coconut:
In a dry non stick pan place a thin layer of shredded coconut in the pan. Cook on low heat stirring occasionally as it browns.

Place muffins on wire rack to cool as they come out of the muffin pan. Once they are cool enough to handle dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and set on the wire rack. Before the glaze has cooled sprinkle with toasted coconut. 

On a side note, don't forget to join in the Birthday Giveaway! Go to the blog and read about the giveaway and see the wonderful prizes I am giving away. You still have plenty of time to enter and tell your friends all about it! Make sure you comment directly on the giveaway blog so that you can be entered to win. 

Happy Birthday to me... Give away for YOU!

Today I turned 37.
And since its my birthday I have decided to do my first give away!

This morning, making my breakfast doughnut muffins.

I have contemplated giveaways many times and what better reason to give then the day of my birth?

To enter you can:
1. Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter or any other social networking site. Come back and comment with a link to the share.

2.  Comment and be sure I have a way to get a hold of you if you win. The comments must be made here on the blog, not anywhere I have shared the link to my blog.

3. If you share on multiple social sites You get more entries to win.

The Prizes:
Yes that's right there is an S on the end of that Prize, That means more then one prize.

First Prize is a custom Half moon apron made by me for you. Yes folks I am offering to allow you to choose the fabric for this apron. The apron being given away will look similar to this one:

You can choose pockets or no pockets and from any of the fabric choices I have on hand.

The Second Prize I am giving away are these cute Funky Earrings:

Third prize is a relaxation Mask in my favorite fabric because I have one made in stock: 

The giveaway will end in 37 days from today, February 9, 2012. Have fun, share with your friends and I will announce the winners in a little more then a month.