{ Happy Homemaker Monday #9 }

Where did the weekend go?  I always feel like I look forward to Friday nights so much and then I blink and it's already Monday morning again.....*sigh*

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The weather:::

51 degrees right now, we had a very nice weekend with 82 degrees weather.  I've given up complaining about the non existent winter in this place, it's obvious it's not going to just start snowing for me LOL

On my reading pile:::  
Daughter of Joy by Kathleen MorganA dream unfolding by Karen Baney 
Bible in 1 year
Joyce Meyer:  Promises for your everyday life

On my TV:::

Bramwell Season 2
Upstairs Downstairs Season 2 - Episode 2

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Oven Hash 
Tuesday - Chicken Carbonara Risotto
Wednesday - Yummy Hero Sandwiches
Thursday - Oven Breaded Tilapia w/ Salada
Friday - Salisbury Steak w/ Egg Noodles
Saturday - Monterey Chicken with Waffle Fries
Sunday -  Deep Dish Sausage Pizza

On my to do list:::

Homeschooling
Laundry
Finish sewing hubby's tabbard, he needs it for a work function on Saturday

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Tabbard
Been using my spare moments to add on more blocks to my Spring Rag Quilt
Started a Ripple Pillow this weekend

In Homeschooling:::

Jasmine is learning about the endocrine system in Science and Nicholas is concentrating on the Sun and the Earth.  In Math, Nicholas is working on Units of Weight and Jasmine is concentrating on Patterns and Graphs.  

Looking around the house:::

The sound of my air conditioner running is pretty much the only sound heard through my house right now.  Hubby just walked out the door for work, the pugs are on top of my couch walking around in circles trying to find a comfortable spot to lay.  There is the glow of a candle in the kitchen and from the outside the sun is starting to come up.  

From the camera:::

I have two garlic plants coming up and I'm so excited :)

Something fun to share:::
I've been looking for a good Bible Study on Proverbs 31 and came across this one.  It looks good and so I've decided to take it on, it's available online to print out and enjoy so I'm passing it on to you all. 

On my prayer list:::

Praying for everyone out there, whatever the problem may be whether it is physical, mental, financial.  

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

Each of us need to be who God created us to be, and we don't have to apologize for it. We each need to individually find the balance of responsibility God has established for us to live in so we can enjoy our life, instead of making ourselves sick with an overload of stress and pressure.

The Amish Cook at Home

I had a knock at the door yesterday, it was my friendly UPS man, the one who always brings me a package which I know holds something I'm really going to enjoy.

This time it was a book which I ordered from Amazon a few days ago after coming across a wonderful website named The Amish Cook.

I don't think that I need to repeat just how much I love the Amish and how fascinated I am with their lives, I think the biggest draw for me is their unwavering faith, their strength, their courage and the way that they are holding steadfast onto a simpler time.  I took sometimes wish that I could give up all the advances in technology for a much simpler way of life.


The cover of the book is so beautiful in such a simplistic way.  *sigh*

So last night, after dinner dishes were done and I had taken my shower, I slipped into my comfy pj's and climbed into bed with a cup of hot tea and the cookbook.

The book is written by Kevin Williams who is the creator and editor of the syndicated Amish Cook Column and the column is written by Lovina Eischer, mother of 8, who took over writing from her mother Elizabeth Coblentz when she passed away in 2002.

One of the first things that is talked about in the book, is how the column came to be, who Elizabeth was and how her daughter took over.  It really gives you a background into what you're reading and I appreciate that, it makes me feel like I'm a part of the book.

Here's a brief description:

Part almanac, part cultural overview, part culinary calendar, ‘The Amish Cook at Home’ is the harbinger of a new era in home cooking.
As the follow-up to Elizabeth Coblentz's ‘The Amish Cook’, ‘The Amish Cook at Home’ by her daughter, Lovina Eicher and her editor and friend Kevin Williams introduces a new generation to Amish cooking and culture.

I can't tell you just how much I am loving the book.

I am not even halfway through it and I'm learning so much about the Amish, their traditions, their way of life and what they really think.

One of the biggest misconceptions out there, and I think even for myself when I first started hearing about the Amish, was that they are not normal people, that they have nothing in common with the rest of us Englischers out here, but the more I read about them, the more I learn, the more I realize that they are just normal families like everyone else.

It's a blessing to read the stories told in the cookbook and to get a glimpse into the homes and jobs of these families.

There's not much more I can really say at this point as I'm slowly making my way through the pages, taking in every single word, savoring every line.  The recipes look fantastic and I can't wait to try some.

Cooking Thursday

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Good Morning everyone, hope you're all doing well and ready to share in some great recipes.

I know I don't say it near enough but I do so appreciate every single one of you who come in every Thursday and participate in this feature. You've given me many recipes to try out :)

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Salsichas com molho de tomate (Sausages in Tomato Sauce)

1 lb sausage (whatever your favorite is)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp crushed garlic
paprika
1 bay leaf
white wine
salt and pepper to taste

I start off by putting the olive oil in the pan, add the onions and the tomatos, garlic, salt and pepper, sprinkle with paprika, bay leaf, sliced sausage and tomato sauce.
Give it a good stir and then place the lid on it and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, remember to stir now and then. If you want more gravy just add a little bit of water. You’ll be surprised at how yummy it is and how easy. Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaf (you don’t want to eat that lol).

Potato and Spinach Mash

I love making these mashed potatoes, it’s something that the whole family will eat, you can’t really taste the spinach AND is a good way to get the kiddos to eat the veggies too. Luckily for me though, my children love spinach and all sorts of vegetables.

I also like to substitute the spinach with carrots and make a potato and carrot mash which is equally delicious and the kids think it’s super cool because it’s orange.

All you need to do is make your mashed potatoes as usual.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate small saucepan, cook some frozen spinach with a little bit of salt. Again just follow the directions on the package. When cooked, drain and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.

I just add butter, milk, salt and pepper to mine, that’s it.

Simple Touches

I like adding little touches here and there in my home.

They don't have to be big things, even something as small as a quick bunting hanging on the window sill, immediately changes the feeling of the kitchen :)

They're so easy to make, just some fabric of your choosing, some interfacing, twine and a hot glue gun.

After applying the interfacing to the fabric, I cut out a few triangles, then using a hot glue gun, I glue twine to the back of the triangles and hang it up.

Just like every other piece in my home that I make with my own hands, it's got imperfections, it's not perfect and that is what I love.

But it's not just decorating that allows me to add a little of me....I try to incorporate that into every other aspect of homemaking.

Cooking is by far my biggest passion in life, right up there with reading, and crocheting, and sewing, actually I think I have quite a few passions now that I think about it HA!

I've talked about the cleaning solutions I make, and it thrills me to see so many of my friends and blog readers also using them now.

Again, it's another way to add a simple touch to a chore that otherwise would be a pain in the behind....like washing bathroom floors.

Vinegar infused with lemon. Cleans amazingly well, works on the baseboards, the walls, the doors and the floors. One cleaner that does the job of a bunch of others but is way safer.

Likewise when it comes to my kitchen, I like to simplify things and one thing I've been wanting to do for quite a long time is to make homemade sausage.

So, with that in mind, this past weekend we spent a few hours at Cabella's and I picked up something I've been wanting for years but never got around to getting it. It reminds me of home, I honestly remember all the women in the family using it in the kitchen :)

And to help me get started, even though I have a few recipes on hand, I got this amazing book, ooohhh I can't wait to get in there and try it out :)

There is always, always something to be thankful for

Morning, afternoon, night

Morning:::  Coffee, toast, jam

Afternoon:::  Ham, Onion, Mozzarella and Bean sprouts Omelette

Night:::  Portuguese Peppered Steaks