Dan-Dan

Has a year ever gone by so quickly? I think not...

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy.

Kindred Spirits

"Miss Patty and Miss Maria are hardly such stuff as dreams are made of," laughed Anne. "Can you fancy them 'globe-trotting' - especially in those shawls and caps?"

"I suppose they'll take them off when they really begin to trot," said Priscilla, "but I know they'll take their knitting with them everywhere. They simply couldn't be parted from it. They will walk about Westminster Abbey and knit, I feel sure."

~Anne of the Island

Slow Cookin'

In response to some requests for good slow cooker recipes, here are a few of my family's favorites:

Slow Cooked Chili - cheap to make and is hands-down my favorite chili.

Crock Pot Enchiladas - wonderful recipe, used so many times, from a wonderful blog!

Wanda's Chicken and Rice Casserole - great for using up leftovers:

Combine 1 cup of uncooked rice, 3 cups water, 2 tsp chicken stock granules, one can cream of chicken soup, 1 lb bag of frozen broccoli or other veg, 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, 1/4tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion salt and 1 cup grated cheddar cheese. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serves 4-6 people.

Savory Chicken and Vegetables - soooo good.

Put 8 chicken thighs in slow cooker. Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 8 oz pearl onions (or dice one regular onion), 6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon, 2 cloves chopped garlic, one bouquet garni (or 1 tbsp italian seasoning) and a bag of baby carrots.

Cook it on low for 8-10 hours.

Before serving, remove the bouquet garni (if using) and skim any visible fat. Stir in 1 lb button mushrooms. Mis 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp cold water and stir into chicken. Turn to high and cook for another 30 min.

Of course, I have been known to forget to add anything after the inital cooking and served it up as is - so you know you have options...

Let me know if anyone gets around to trying any of these and how they turn out!

Boys...

...they love to wrestle......in their new pair of Quick Change Trousers!

Overwhelmed

Due to some recent schedule changes, extra outside commitments, the need for greater organizing in my world and the ever-present broken nights' sleep, I've been finding myself feeling overwhelmed. My husband counsels me that this sensation is often indicitive of trying to meet needs and conquer challenges in my own strength, and he's right, of course (as usual).

So what do I do? These are real challenges that need real solutions. But it doesn't take long for God, in His kindness, to remind me of what has become one of my favorite passages in all Scripture. 2 Chronicles 20 is a record of King Jehoshaphat’s prayer when faced with an approaching army bent on destruction; the whole thing is amazing, but it's verse 12 that really gets me:

For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

What can they do? Nothing, on their own. But coming to God, they trust Him, praise and worship Him, and have the privledge of watching His deliverance. It's a marvel to me - when I am totally out of my depth and feeling completely powerless, I can look to Christ, and knowing that He has already met my greatest need on Calvary, I am comforted that He knows and provides for any need that I might face. And all I need to do is keep my eyes on Him.

Bread...mmmm...

I'll tell you right now, you need to beg, borrow or buy Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day.

Not long ago, I posted about some of the yummy things I've made from this book:

couronne,

stromboli,

ciabatta and sticky breakfast rolls. I can now add pizza to that list.

It takes maybe 5-10 minutes to set up the starter batch, which makes enough for four 1 lb loaves, and then it truly is a matter of shaping the loaves and whipping them into the over whenever the fancy for fresh bread strikes you.

Check out their website for events, ideas, and inspiration. I gotta say, though - I'm not too sure about the Valentine's Day bread. Kinda looks like someones innards...

Quick Change Trousers

From Handmade Beginnings, I bring you, the Quick Change Trousers.

Not only quick to change, but quick to sew, with the added benefit of being reversible. Of course, there is no recovering the kind of mess he made in them on their first wearing. Ahem.

Nevertheless, it's a great project, excellent for using up larger sections of scrap. I love the effect of the rear panel off-setting the rest of the trousers, as well as reflecting the reverse side. You don't need to do that, of course, but it's so cute, why not?

I definitely see more pairs in our future. Not only do I have plenty of scrap to work with, but they fit my need to occasionally have a project that is straightforward and quick, which makes me feel so accomplished.

One note, though - the sizes run a little big. Dan's in a 12months size, which is normal for him, and I had to roll the pant legs twice. Ellie actually fit into them without the rolled up legs. I think this is a good thing, though - they've a better chance of fitting a little longer!

In the Kitchen

I've been thinking a lot lately about my kitchen - what works, what doesn't, gadgets that I wouldn't want to be without and ones that were a total waste of time, etc. So, this is the post in which I will brain dump. So, in no particular order:

• I love, love, love my food processor. It's a Cuisinart 5 quart (I think). I have used it for pretty much everything from chopping onions, to pureeing soups to making pie crusts and cake batter. While I wouldn't call it a true need, I would surely feel differently about cooking without it.
• If you don't have a crock pot/slow cooker, get one. Or two. Seriously. Not only is it wonderful to load it up with stuff in the morning and have dinner ready with the titchiest effort, but you can cook the cheapest cuts of meat and have it turn out moist and tender in a way the oven could never do. Plus, it's a lot cheaper to run than the oven, and keeps the heat in the kitchen to a minimum (and in our house in the summer, that's a major bonus). Next time you bake potatoes, do them in the crock pot - drop as many as you need in there with a sprinkling of salt and maybe a little smear of butter and turn it on low for 6-8 hours. I'm tellin' ya - try it.
• I have been menu planning for years, but have recently embarked on a new idea. I've often liked the idea of having a "pattern" to cooking - Monday night, beef; Tuesday, soup; Wednesday, chicken - but felt too pressured to come up with something interesting and non-repetitive for a month, but I didn't want to do the whole "Monday means meatloaf" thing, either. So, in an attempt to compromise, I'm planning for two weeks, and then repeating those two weeks. For example, a couple nights ago, I made a double batch of corn chowder. We ate what we needed for the night, then froze the rest. Then in a couple weeks, we'll eat it again. This allows me to spend less time on planning and cooking, since I can often make the big batch and freeze half. I was also able to buy all the non-perishable food I needed for the whole month in one shop at Aldi, which means spending less money and time doing the shopping.
• Unless you live by yourself or with one other person, don't buy a waffle iron that only makes one waffle at a time. Friends have one by All Clad that makes four good-sized waffles at a time. Considering the expense (and it is expensive), it'll be an investment to work towards. But with the frequency I cook breakfasts, combined with the number of people I'm feeding, it'll be worth it.
• Cooking dry beans in the crock pot over night is sooo easy, and quite a bit cheaper than buy thousands of cans. If you cook with beans often, give it a try. Whatever you don't use immediately can be frozen, 1 lb per sandwich bag.

I'm sure there's more, so I'd love to hear from others to see what interesting hints and tips I've been missing out on! Please share...

Anne Bradstreet

I first heard of her in 11th grade Literature class. When our class read "To My Dear and Loving Husband", I decided that the man I would marry would be the man I could speak the words of this poem to:

If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;

If ever wife was happy in a man,Compare with me ye women if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole Mines of Gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.

Thy love is such I can no way repay,The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.

Then while we live, in love lets so persevere, That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Beyond this amazing poem, though, I knew little of her. Finding out that she was a Puritan settler piqued my interest, and I decided I needed to check out a biography. This one by Heidi Nichols was just the job.

Now, I must confess to not being much of a big poetry-reader, so some of Bradstreet's work was over my head, but Nichols was helpful in not only giving a framework to understand Bradstreet's work, but also her life, faith and situation.

Being the first published poet in America, and a Puritan woman at that was no mean feat, not to mention all the duties that would be hers in the time and place in which she lived. One of my favorite works was a collection of wise recommendations and proverbs to her eldest son, followed closely by her personal testimony of coming to faith.

If you're looking for a biography to add to this year's reading list, check it out here. She's definitely something of an overlooked poet/author in an undervalued period of history, but she still has something of worth to share.

Tiny Tea Leaves

It took a month and felt like longer, but Abigail's cardigan is finished.

I love it (and so does she, which is even more important).

I love the yarn - Madelinetosh Vintage in Amber Trinket. I love the pattern. I even love the buttons, though I had to change those since they weren't keeping closed. They've been replaced for a couple of rustic-looking wooden buttons that I wasn't sure of at first, but now I think they totally work.

I've now started on my own Tea Leaves (finally!), though I think it'll take a little longer than a month to finish. (sigh)