I'm sharing lots of links to recipes, but if you are interested in something that I didn't link, please leave me a comment and I will add a post for that recipe. We are pretty basic around here, but do try out new dishes from time to time!
Monday
Breakfast-applesauce muffins, hot cereal
Lunch-fried okra, eggplant and squash, macaroni and cheese
Dinner-spinach chicken alfredo, caramalized onion flatbread and salad
Tuesday
Breakfast-pancakes and eggs
Lunch-popcorn, fruit and/or leftovers
Dinner-peas, cabbage, squash, dirty rice, cornbread and raw veggies
Wednesday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal with blueberries
Lunch-corn tortillas, pinto beans, raw veggies
Dinner-bbq sandwiches, corn on the cob, raw veggies
Thursday
Breakfast-pancakes and bacon
Lunch-vegetable soup and homemade bread
Dinner-pork enchiladas, Army Man Rice, refried beans and raw veggies
Friday
Breakfast-toast and granola
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-veggie pizzas and raw veggies
Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, sausage, eggs and grits
Lunch-leftovers or popcorn
Dinner-Crockpot roast with carrots, onions and garlic, green beans, rice and rolls
Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-finger foods at church
Dinner-lentil rice casserole, green beans and raw veggies
Family
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Back to the Blog with an Update
Hello!! It seems that it has been awhile since we have had adequate strength on the internet for me to be able to post on the blog. Life has a habit of marching on whether or not I blog about it and things have been crazy around here this month with first a stomach virus that lasted for two weeks and now bronchitis-type sickness for everyone as well. We are in to the second (or is it the third?) week of that!!
We are slowly getting back into our school routine, but I can tell some adjustments will need to be made. I have been managing a range of students from preschool through high school for the last 14 years (!), but for the last couple of years it has become a struggle for me. The only difference I can think of is that I am older now. : ) For many years I could have four students at the table and would quietly work with each of them on their independent work in the mornings and we would do our unit studies in the afternoons. Now I find it very difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time and am easily distracted. I even find that I can't talk and wash dishes at the same time!! Perhaps I need to find an herbal supplement to aid in concentration. Any suggestions?
Our chickens are growing and will soon be moved into a permanent coop. Jeff and the boys are building an 8 x 10 chicken coop near the barn. The foundation is prepared and the flooring is ready to be installed. Now the framework needs to go up so that work can continue. We are hoping to get meat birds as soon as this coop is finished. The layers will be moved from the chicken tractor to the coop to make room for the meat birds to be housed in the tractor. We are also looking at guineas to keep the bugs under control, but Jeff has also read that they make good watch-dogs.
The garden is still producing, just not as much as I would like. Cucumbers have, by far, been the most prolific, so we have been canning lots of pickles. By next week I will have enough cukes again to make a huge batch. We made need to try our hand at making some relishes as well. Basil has been wonderful and we are filling the freezer with pesto for this winter. We have lots of green tomatoes so I expect to have another tomato canning session late next week as well. The peppers have been a loss. We never have experienced a good crop of peppers and we were so hoping for a change this year. Squash was a failure as well, although we do have a few (very few) winter squashes on the trellis that I hope will be good later. We have learned a lot about our garden and have plans to expand and change some things for this fall and winter. You can see my food preservation tally in the sidebar. : )
I have been cleaning out the school room and have accumulated several items that I would love to offer for sale. I hope to make a list and share it with you all soon. I really would like to do a major purging of our household in the next few months. We have accumulated so much and I really do try to keep the toys down to a minimum, but there are still way too many. I have a weakness for purchasing games to go along with whatever we are studying and unfortunately, we never seem to have time to really play them. Sometimes I look around and see all the things that we have bought that are now rarely used and regret all the money that we have wasted. Maybe others would be blessed by some of these things, though.
Next week, in celebration of my 47th birthday, I thought it would be fun to offer several giveaways. I have a stack of materials above my desk and a couple of other ideas as well that I think many of you will love. So be on the lookout next week for some great fun! Hope you all have a blessed Wednesday!
We are slowly getting back into our school routine, but I can tell some adjustments will need to be made. I have been managing a range of students from preschool through high school for the last 14 years (!), but for the last couple of years it has become a struggle for me. The only difference I can think of is that I am older now. : ) For many years I could have four students at the table and would quietly work with each of them on their independent work in the mornings and we would do our unit studies in the afternoons. Now I find it very difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time and am easily distracted. I even find that I can't talk and wash dishes at the same time!! Perhaps I need to find an herbal supplement to aid in concentration. Any suggestions?
Our chickens are growing and will soon be moved into a permanent coop. Jeff and the boys are building an 8 x 10 chicken coop near the barn. The foundation is prepared and the flooring is ready to be installed. Now the framework needs to go up so that work can continue. We are hoping to get meat birds as soon as this coop is finished. The layers will be moved from the chicken tractor to the coop to make room for the meat birds to be housed in the tractor. We are also looking at guineas to keep the bugs under control, but Jeff has also read that they make good watch-dogs.
The garden is still producing, just not as much as I would like. Cucumbers have, by far, been the most prolific, so we have been canning lots of pickles. By next week I will have enough cukes again to make a huge batch. We made need to try our hand at making some relishes as well. Basil has been wonderful and we are filling the freezer with pesto for this winter. We have lots of green tomatoes so I expect to have another tomato canning session late next week as well. The peppers have been a loss. We never have experienced a good crop of peppers and we were so hoping for a change this year. Squash was a failure as well, although we do have a few (very few) winter squashes on the trellis that I hope will be good later. We have learned a lot about our garden and have plans to expand and change some things for this fall and winter. You can see my food preservation tally in the sidebar. : )
I have been cleaning out the school room and have accumulated several items that I would love to offer for sale. I hope to make a list and share it with you all soon. I really would like to do a major purging of our household in the next few months. We have accumulated so much and I really do try to keep the toys down to a minimum, but there are still way too many. I have a weakness for purchasing games to go along with whatever we are studying and unfortunately, we never seem to have time to really play them. Sometimes I look around and see all the things that we have bought that are now rarely used and regret all the money that we have wasted. Maybe others would be blessed by some of these things, though.
Next week, in celebration of my 47th birthday, I thought it would be fun to offer several giveaways. I have a stack of materials above my desk and a couple of other ideas as well that I think many of you will love. So be on the lookout next week for some great fun! Hope you all have a blessed Wednesday!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Old Pantry
THE OLD PANTRY
Louise Pinkerton Fritz
It stood next to the kitchen,
Only a door between;
It held the many goodies
About which children dream:
Sweet jellies, red and purple,
(Wild strawberry and grape);
Fresh pies and homemade cookies
And tasty chocolate cake.
It stood next to the kitchen,
With just a door between...
The old pantry at Grandma's
Where goodies reigned supreme.
Do you have special "food" memories of your grandmothers' homes? I know I do and I hope to provide my children and grandchildren with those special memories as well!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Barn Hop-July 11
Our chicken tractor is finally finished and is now the home of 12 2-week old chicks. We have 9 Cuckoo Marans and 3 Buff Orpingtons. We will most likely cull all but one or two of the roosters as they grow and leave the pullets to grow for layers. This chicken tractor won't be their home for long as Jeff is ordering about 50 Cornish Cross birds in a few weeks that we will be adding to the freezer after they have grown. The guys will have to get busy building a coop for the layers soon. This homesteading business is never-ending work, but oh, so rewarding! Here is the link for full directions for making this chicken tractor.
The garden isn't producing as much as we would like, but it is an improvement from last year. We are getting cucumbers in abundance and the girls are going to can bread and butter pickles this afternoon. Our basil has done well and we have been making pesto for the freezer. This morning the dehydrator is full of basil as well. We are daily getting a handful of strawberries and a cup or two of blueberries. I just keep adding them to our freezer stash. Tomatoes are slowly coming in. I will most likely be purchasing more for canning purposes.
Last week was spent working on school plans as we gear up to finish up our school year. Yes, we school year round, but have taken too long of a break as we have been doing gardening and home repair jobs. Time to get back into the swing of more academics in our day! The children have already been working hard at it this morning while I have been doing laundry and gathering from the garden.
We have found a greenhouse for sale on-line. I am trying to talk Jordan into parting with some of his money to purchase it. It's a great price and Jordan has a big interest in working in a greenhouse. However, he is more interested in keeping his money in the bank!
That's what's going on around our little homestead this week. What's up in your neck of the woods?
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| homesteadrevival.blogspot.com |
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Menu Plan for July 11-17
Oh, my!! It's already the middle of July? How did that happen? I've been busy solidifying our lesson plans for the rest of our school year: writing out daily assignments, pre-reading some books, making out a list of curriculum to order, making lots of copies (only from books that are reproducible!) and getting the older children's notebooks in order. It's always good to set aside a good bit of time to get organized so that everyone knows what do to and when to do it. No need to wait on me and our notebooks contain all the copied materials and assignment sheets that we need to get the work done!
Menu planning is very similar to lesson planning. Planning our menu keeps us out of WalMart for quick foods and away from the take-out restaurants as well. Planning also helps me use what we have on hand and not have to send someone on a quick trip for an elusive ingredient or two. So, here's what is cooking this week!
Monday
Breakfast-granola muffins, eggs and grits
Lunch-refrigerator cleanout and popcorn
Dinner-pork and broccoli stir fry, rice
Tuesday
Breakfast-pancakes, bacon
Lunch-stuffed sandwiches
Dinner-roast beef with potatoes, carrots, onions, butterbeans and homemade bread
Wednesday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal
Lunch-bean tostados
Dinner-leftovers
Thursday
Breakfast-toast with jam, eggs, grits
Lunch-tuna sandwiches, popcorn, fruit
Dinner-grilled chicken and onions, veggie rice pilaf, broccoli
Friday
Breakfast-puff pancake with fruit syrup
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-homemade pizzas, raw veggies and dessert
Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, sausage, eggs, grits
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-baked spaghetti, pesto on pasta, caramelized onion bread, garlic bread, raw veggies, dessert (company dinner)
Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-finger foods at church
Dinner-chili-cheese Fritos
Menu planning is very similar to lesson planning. Planning our menu keeps us out of WalMart for quick foods and away from the take-out restaurants as well. Planning also helps me use what we have on hand and not have to send someone on a quick trip for an elusive ingredient or two. So, here's what is cooking this week!
Monday
Breakfast-granola muffins, eggs and grits
Lunch-refrigerator cleanout and popcorn
Dinner-pork and broccoli stir fry, rice
Tuesday
Breakfast-pancakes, bacon
Lunch-stuffed sandwiches
Dinner-roast beef with potatoes, carrots, onions, butterbeans and homemade bread
Wednesday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal
Lunch-bean tostados
Dinner-leftovers
Thursday
Breakfast-toast with jam, eggs, grits
Lunch-tuna sandwiches, popcorn, fruit
Dinner-grilled chicken and onions, veggie rice pilaf, broccoli
Friday
Breakfast-puff pancake with fruit syrup
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-homemade pizzas, raw veggies and dessert
Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, sausage, eggs, grits
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-baked spaghetti, pesto on pasta, caramelized onion bread, garlic bread, raw veggies, dessert (company dinner)
Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-finger foods at church
Dinner-chili-cheese Fritos
Monday, July 4, 2011
Menu Plan for July 4-10
Monday-
Breakfast-sausage, eggs, grits, toast
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-steaks, chicken, potatoes and onions, spinach salad, lemon cheesecake and blueberry cobbler
Tuesday-
Breakfast-oatmeal muffins, eggs
Lunch-turkey rice soup, bread
Dinner-chicken with spinach alfredo sauce over pasta, salad, rolls
Wednesday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal with blueberries
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-grilled burgers, corn on the cob, country fries
Thursday
Breakfast-pancakes and bacon
Lunch-pasta salad, popcorn, fruit
Dinner-layered Mexican pizzas (corn tortilla, refried beans, corn tortilla, salsa, sour cream, olives, onions, cheese baked in the oven)
Friday
Breakfast-oatmeal muffins, eggs
Lunch-beef stew, bread, fruit
Dinner-homemade pizzas, salad and dessert
Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, sausage, eggs and grits
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-macaroni and cheese, broccoli, peas, squash, cornbread, tomatoes and cucumbers
Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-finger foods at church
Dinner-spaghetti, salad, rolls
Breakfast-sausage, eggs, grits, toast
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-steaks, chicken, potatoes and onions, spinach salad, lemon cheesecake and blueberry cobbler
Tuesday-
Breakfast-oatmeal muffins, eggs
Lunch-turkey rice soup, bread
Dinner-chicken with spinach alfredo sauce over pasta, salad, rolls
Wednesday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal with blueberries
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-grilled burgers, corn on the cob, country fries
Thursday
Breakfast-pancakes and bacon
Lunch-pasta salad, popcorn, fruit
Dinner-layered Mexican pizzas (corn tortilla, refried beans, corn tortilla, salsa, sour cream, olives, onions, cheese baked in the oven)
Friday
Breakfast-oatmeal muffins, eggs
Lunch-beef stew, bread, fruit
Dinner-homemade pizzas, salad and dessert
Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, sausage, eggs and grits
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-macaroni and cheese, broccoli, peas, squash, cornbread, tomatoes and cucumbers
Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-finger foods at church
Dinner-spaghetti, salad, rolls
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Preparedness Challenge July 2
This week we added 100 pounds of pinto beans, 100 pounds of oats, a few pounds of sunflower and sesame seeds and two cases of rice milk to our pantry storage. My daughter also made 11 pints of dill pickles from our garden cucumbers.
I also started my list of seeds to purchase for our next fall and spring gardens. If we are going attempt to grow most of our own fruits, vegetables and herbs we are going to have to increase our garden space several times over.
Jeff and the boys hope to finish up our chicken tractor today. They started it last Saturday and worked on it one evening, but then mid-week we all got sick and have not gotten back to it. This chicken tractor will hold around 15 chickens we are told. I was hoping to order 50 chickens soon so we could just raise our meat chickens twice a year, but we will either have to order more frequently or make two other chicken tractors. The work on the chicken tractor has been more involved than expected, but there has also been a learning curve. Hopefully the next one will not take as much time or thought to put together.
I also started my list of seeds to purchase for our next fall and spring gardens. If we are going attempt to grow most of our own fruits, vegetables and herbs we are going to have to increase our garden space several times over.
Jeff and the boys hope to finish up our chicken tractor today. They started it last Saturday and worked on it one evening, but then mid-week we all got sick and have not gotten back to it. This chicken tractor will hold around 15 chickens we are told. I was hoping to order 50 chickens soon so we could just raise our meat chickens twice a year, but we will either have to order more frequently or make two other chicken tractors. The work on the chicken tractor has been more involved than expected, but there has also been a learning curve. Hopefully the next one will not take as much time or thought to put together.
They are hoping to finish it up after the weedeating and mowing are done today. I'll share the hopefully finished pictures next week. I am still trying to track down the website that the instructions originated from but haven't been successful in obtaining them through my husband. He has more on his mind than chicken tractors. : )
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| LINKED UP AT HOMESTEAD REVIVAL |
Friday, July 1, 2011
A Better Day
It seems that we are on the mend. All of our household had the stomach virus this wee with the exception of Devin. Thankfully she stayed well and was able to help take care of some of the sick ones. Those in recovery mode yesterday slept most of the day as the virus really weakened us. Two were still have virus symptoms, so they were up and down all day. Jackson was still up a couple of times during the night, but is asking for toast, so I think he, too, is on the mend. Today we will catch up on laundry and cleaning the bathrooms, floors, doorknobs and light switches with Lysol.
Hope you all have a great Independence Day weekend!
Hope you all have a great Independence Day weekend!
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