30 August 2010
Patiently waiting for the completion of a photo shoot, Bently stood a few feet away watching the scenery and taking in the smells of the great outdoors.
After the photo shoot was finished, he realized what was actually on the plate being photographed . . . and he also realized that the contents were edible . . . and rather scrumptious looking.
For his endurance and patience while waiting, he got his reward.
P.S. No worries, he ate just a few small bites.
16 August 2010
When we said goodbye to gluten, we thought we said goodbye to graham crackers, too.
But it seems as though the latter goodbye was short-lived.
After receiving a link from a sweet friend for gluten-free graham crackers, we thought we would give them a try. It couldn’t hurt, right? We don’t regret trying the recipe one bit.
They’re even far better than the packaged, store-bought graham crackers!
And now that you’re wanting to try them for yourself, you might want to click here to print out the recipe and head on into the kitchen to tie your apron on!
One of our projects will be revealed in the not-so-distant future . . . but in the meantime, we’ll have to keep it “under wraps.” (You may find a clue or two now and then.)
Keep updated so that you don’t miss any of those clues!
14 July 2010
Cookies. Chocolate. Peanut butter.
All together in one perfect little cookie. These are the best cookies I have ever had – with a couple others falling in at a close second and third.
If it hadn’t been for eating gluten-free, we probably would never have found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe . . . and believe me – even though they’re free of gluten – these taste wonderfully normal (and even better)!
With no further ado (except to say “Thank you!” to Kate, who has graciously let me post a slightly altered version of her recipe on my blog), here is the recipe . . .
The Best Chocolate Chip + Peanut Butter Cookies
BAKE: 9 minutes at 325° | YIELD: Two Dozen | NOTE: They’re gluten-free!
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine the brown sugar, peanut butter and butter in the bowl of your mixer. Beat until fluffy – about 3 – 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until fluffy – about two minutes.
Dump in the dry ingredients (all but the chocolate chips) and mix until combined and smooth. Add chocolate chips. Mix until well distributed.
Form into balls (we use a 1″ scoop) and place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 325°F for 9 minutes or until the top becomes slightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on the cookie pan before lifting gently with a spatula to the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Note: To use whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour in substitute for
the gluten-free flour blend (making it non-gluten-free), you can
use the same amount for the replacement. (Thanks, Katie, for the tip!)
These taste wonderful! I hope you enjoy them!
14 April 2010
After an autumn and winter of leaves and snow, our square-foot gardening boxes were left this spring holding on tight to the leaves and growing a few little foreigners (a.k.a. weeds that should not have been there).
Each box is 4′ x 4′ with small boards on top dividing the large box into sixteen small boxes. The soil is made from compost, vermiculite and peat moss.
When plating in the miniature boxes, the number of seeds/starters per 1′ x 1′ depends on how large the plant will grow to be. For example four lettuces per small square and sixteen spinach’s per small square.
After cleaning out the boxes, Breezy planted several seeds (thanks to Auntie Lou) which have already sprouted and are growing nicely. Last year we made three square foot gardening boxes and this year we plan to make three more!
13 February 2010
They’re small. They’re pies. And they’re oh-so-sweet! Just in time for Valentine’s day, you can make these delicious pastries for your family!
All it takes is pie dough, jam, and a little bit of powdered sugar (for extra beauty).
Begin by flouring the counter and rolling pin and flatten out the pie dough.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out hearts in the dough.
Lay out the cut pie dough on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon strawberry jam onto the centers, being careful not to fill them too full.
Wet the edges of the dough with water and place a second piece of dough on top.
Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges.
Poke a fork into the middle of each little pie so that the heat can escape.
Bake at 425° F for 13-15 minutes, or until golden.
Perfectly golden on the bottom!
Sprinkle with powered sugar for extra beauty.
They are delicious and will probably disappear quickly!
The pie dough was extra flaky, making the perfect texture.
We decided that these are the cutest little desserts that we have ever made!
This idea can be easily adjusted for any holiday or celebration by changing the shape of the cookie cutter and type of jam/jelly/preserves used for the filling.
{Original idea from here.}
6 February 2010
Yes, stuffed French Toast. As if French toast wasn’t good enough—it just got better!
This morning my dear mother prepared this delightful dish! We ate it while listening to Mr. Botkin’s Saturday Morning Online Mentoring.
Stuffed French Toast
1 loaf French bread, cut into 8 diagonal slices (making very large slices)
1 cup homemade cream cheese (recipe below)
1/2 cup fruit preserves (we used peach)
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Cut a each thick bread slice almost in half by cutting from the top crust almost to the bottom crust, making a pocket. Be careful to not slice completely through the bread. Mix cream cheese and preserves in small bowl. Spoon cream mixture evenly into each pocket.
Beat eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl, until well mixed. Dip stuffed bread slices in egg mixture, making sure to let the excess drip off.
Spray griddle (our favorite!) or skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook bread slices over medium heat until golden brown, flip, and cook on other side.
For extra beauty, sprinkle each slice with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup, fruits, and/or whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8 slices of delicious Stuffed French Toast!
Homemade Cream Cheese
(it’s as easy as can be!)
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
Line strainer with cheese cloth. Place strainer in bowl, large enough to hold the drained liquid without touching the strainer. Let strain in refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
The homemade cream cheese is what is left in the strainer! You can do this the day before it is needed, and store the cream cheese in a container after being drained.
We all thought it tasted delicious! The filling was great, but I think we put a little too much in the pocket. Next time we’ll put in less, and it will be perfect!
25 December 2009
On Christmas Eve we had a delicious dinner of Pork Chops and Rice. We only have this meal one or two times a year, making it extra special. The Chops are lightly breaded and we sprinkle the rice with brown sugar.
After our meal Breezy and I read aloud a few poems, a story, and sang duets of several of our favorite Christmas carols by the candle light.
Bently wishing he new what was in the five packages behind him under the tree. He was quite the patient puppy . . . and he was well rewarded with a stuffed squeaking beaver (just a toy, just a toy) and some very special dog treats. He especially enjoyed pretending the beaver was a rat.
But first Daddy read aloud the story of Christ’s birth from Luke 1:57-2:40.
Little packages under the tree. We were low on brown paper, so Momma cut up a small brown paper sack which worked perfectly!
Hand-embroidered ornaments from my dear mother – what a delightful surprise! She finished them on the morning of Christmas Eve. These will be safely tucked away into my hope chest.
Momma crocheted Breezy and I each an afghan in our colors of choice. We were allowed to see them while she was working on them . . . until they grew large and she kept them hidden. Not until Christmas Eve were we able to see their full size – they are beautiful and cozy, and most definitely large enough for ourselves and a few wee ones!
My dear parents! What a blessing it has been to be raised by such wonderful, godly parents! I am thankful to the Lord for making them my mother and father!
Our Christmas Sugar Cookies that we make every year. We enjoyed these cookies, pretzels, cheese, and donuts (inspired by the dear Chancey family) while watching Scrooge (1935).
And as we do every Christmas morning . . . Momma and I made the Monkey Bread.
Over the river and through the woods (really and truly) to grandmother’s house we go!
I hope that you all have had a most wonderfully happy and blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
15 December 2009
Welcome to A Homemade Christmas! This is No. 3 of 4 A Homemade Christmas events.
I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts, decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
{Feel free to learn more about A Homemade Christmas here.}
It is a joy to make special treats for gifts and family gatherings. Our top five choices (of sweets) are Cinnamon Rolls (using our bread recipe), Beluga Babies (Oreo Truffles), Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Fudge. All of these treats can be packaged creatively, making the presentation quite charming!
Peanut Butter Fudge
5 cups white sugar
5 TB white karo
1 can carnation milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
Cook until soft ball (drop a drip or two in cold water, if it stays together it is at the soft ball stage). Stir with wooden spoon to keep the bottom from sticking. Remove from heat.
Add:
¾ stick butter
1¼ cups peanut butter
Stir until dissolved (do not beat). Pour into buttered 9×13 inch pan. Let cool. Cut and enjoy!
I will be adding a couple more posts throughout the next couple weeks to this week’s AHC which will probably include more handmade gifts, recipes, and decorations.
Are you having A Homemade Christmas? Yes? Then I invite you to join me here by adding your link to your post about homemade gift(s), decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
To join us, just sign Mr. Linky below (make sure you use the direct post link). You can get the codes and instructions for adding an A Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. The last A Homemade Christmas event will be December 29th! This Linky will be open for two weeks, until the next AHC event begins.
I hope you’ll join us while we learn, inspire, and encourage one another as we prepare to celebrate (though we celebrate all year round) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
View Other A Homemade Christmas Posts:
