easy peasy pie crust 'cookies'

True confessions are in order today.  Deep breath...inhale...exhale...okay, here we go:

I really do not enjoy baking cookies.

Yes, yes, I find the art of cooking in general to be a solace; and muffins, breads and the like are at the top of my baking list.  But cookies?  Not so much.  Only if I'm truly inspired.

With the holidays of course comes the expectation that whipping up these delectable treats takes priority on the to-do list.  There are plans next week for gingerbread cookies as this endevour succeeded last year. 

But until then, I've discovered an idea to keep my children happy (taming the Mom, when are we going to bake cookies!? question) and to keep me sane and happy as well.  Which is on the top of the priority list around here.  Want to know my secret?

Pie Crust.

To be more precise :: make 'cookies' out of pie crust.

And I'm not even talking about homemade.  Just the plain old two-per-package, rolled-up, store-bought pie crust.  I bring them to room temperature, let the kiddos unroll and break out the cookie cutters. 

I can almost hear the Hallelujah chorus being sung.  Seriously.  This idea is such a winner around here!

Easy Peasy.

After cutting out shapes, brush the 'cookies' with some melted butter.....

Sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar or plain sugar.  We used vanilla bean cane sugar (a delicious gift from upstate, thanks Grandad!)......


Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes and...

...voila!  Cookies! (sort of).

We eat these with ice cream or sherbert, but think of the possibilities!

• top a pie crust cookie with fruit salad and drizzle with maple syrup
• drizzle with melted white, dark or milk chocolate
• add warm pie filling on top and add whipped cream

Yum!  Best of all, my children are satisfied until our real cookie baking session!  Yes.

  
  

easy peasy pie crust 'cookies'

remembering Thanksgiving

The day and weekend flew by so quickly and now the season of Advent & Christmas celebrations are upon us.

But, I want to pause this all for a moment and remember….

and be grateful once again for the gathering of family (both sides visited our home last week!), for the grace of our Lord and for the freedom to mark such a day.

A full heart sings with gratitude!

remembering Thanksgiving

the bargain shopper in me…

…is enjoying the buzz today for Cyber Monday!  Except that Amazon was running a bit slow earlier this morning (or maybe this was just our computer?). 

I think it’s safe to say I like a bargain.  Shopping for our essentials, and for some wants as well, while paying rock-bottom prices is just plain old FUN!  And keeping the extra dollars in our pocket makes me smile too. 

Nothing new, this bent towards frugality has been a part of me for as long as I can remember.  Scanning the paper for coupons, checking out grocery fliers & such was not a task my mother enjoyed, and so I simply accompanied her to the store with my envelope of ‘deals’ and we often shopped together this way. 

As now manager in my own home with many more responsibilities than groceries, the process still finds its way into my days.  I like the feeling of ‘beating the system’ (or maybe I’m simply competitive this way!).

Seasons come & go and depending on where we are in life, this hunt for a good bargain is often present or sometimes takes a back seat as it does take time.  And time is very precious to me, so it’s a balancing act.  In ‘honor’ of Cyber Monday and the pursuit of a good deal, I’ll share a few of my favorites ~

photo by renjith krishnan

:: are you using Swagbucks yet?  I discovered these virtual dollars earlier this year, and they are great!  The primary way of earning is online searching, but there are options for taking surveys, sharing referrals, etc.  I’ve only used the search feature (I type everything into the swagbucks toolbar, even if I know the website address already) and have so far earned $50 in Amazon gift certificates!  Which I promptly use on…

:: ….buying diapers on Amazon Mom’s new feature.  On this site, there are many deals for the family and FREE 2-day shipping is included for a limited time.  My diaper deals go like this ~

• sign up for Amazon Mom & save 15%
• save an additional 15% by using the Subscribe & Save feature (the item ordered is delivered on a regular basis, say every 2 months; unsubscribe as soon as the item is shipped with no penalty)
• often I have another coupon code for another 15% or even 20% off. 
• then I pay the balance using as many Swagbuck dollars as possible!

:: right now I’m in a season of coupon clipping and so I receive updates from two sites that offer online coupons to print for local stores and also many other deals ~ Saving Naturally for organic or health foods & products, and then Money Saving Mom.  Both sites are run by godly Christian women who I had the privilege of meeting and talking with last month.  I highly recommend them!

:: I’ve also recently discovered Walmart’s ALL YOU magazine which offers tons of coupons (at least $70 worth in each issue) on groceries, toiletries, etc.  I only take time to scan for the coupons, but the articles seem helpful as well.  Check it out at Walmart & if you like it, here’s a super deal on a subscription.  Using coupons & local drugstore offers, I usually buy our toiletries for next to nothing or receive them for free.

:: check out restaurant.com for dining out deals in your area.  Right now, they are offering up to 80% off certain gift certificates.  A few weeks ago, I bought a $25 certificate for $2.00 and enjoyed a night out sampling Indian food with friends…fun!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I should mention that all of this evolved slowly and it’s a process I enjoy.  It does take time (though I’ve figured out ways to cut down on that!), and it should be worth it in your book.  If I wasn’t clothing & feeding young children still or if for another reason this just didn’t fit life now, then it wouldn’t be a priority.

All that said, it IS a lot of fun!

the bargain shopper in me…

cultural celebrations :: a visitor from Germany

Our geography curriculum continues to be such an adventure as we make our way through Europe!  Famous people and places, interesting facts & information, excellent literature to read….I am pleased with this choice.  Winter Promise’s Children Around the World delivers big time.  While the curriculum provides for a weekly celebration of each country studied, we choose the ones of interest and which fit our schedule.

So when our study of Germany perfectly coincided with a long-awaited visit from my uncle, who has lived in this country over 20 years, the children and I were ecstatic!  We practiced Guten Tags, thought through a few question to ask, and thoroughly enjoyed our time.  I wasn’t about to attempt serving German food to a live person from the country, so simple conversation & American fare was the agenda for the evening!

Too busy wrapped up in conversation to tackle pictures of any food…. 

Several days later however, we did whip up a quick recipe for Blitzkuchen, a German spice cake.  SO simple, very light in comparison to American coffee cakes and now declared to be our favorite ‘tea cake’.  Yes, of course I’ll leave the recipe!

German Blitzkuchen 

1/2 stick butter

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of salt

In a bowl, beat the butter, egg and milk together.  Sift all the other ingredients together into the bowl and beat until smooth.  Pour into an 8” square greased pan.  On the top, drop bits of butter and sprinkle with a little more sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

And then, what’s a study on Germany without some sausage and pretzels, right!?

cultural celebrations :: a visitor from Germany

reality check and over-the-top birthday fun

First, the not-so-good news ::

Thanksgiving is in two weeks, I’m hosting extended family, and there is little to no planning done for this event (except that I have managed to earn two free turkeys at local grocery stores).  Serving them frozen would not be a good idea, you think?  The fact that my family plans to visit is causing the children’s excitement to rapidly rise to record levels.  whew.

But their Mama needs a serious reality check and will be breaking out some plans this weekend!  I think I can, I think I can…

On to better news!  Yesterday, we celebrated my birthday :: so refreshing with the request for “just a little quiet” honored in grand ways.  My family gifted me with an outing for the afternoon to be pampered, then to shop alone, and then dinner with simply my husband and I.  Truly over-the-top and leaving me feeling grateful and quite full; the children were so thrilled for me (or maybe they were just happy for a day off school? :) and participated fully in this surprise of a gift.  Saying thank you doesn’t seem enough…

And on my return, cards and gifts were opened and the day closed. 

I am blessed; not only yesterday…everyday.

:: an older couple in our church blesses me with these hand-delivered, homemade oatmeal lace cookies (dipped into chocolate) every year; I am slightly embarrassed to admit that because I’m a wee reluctant to share these treats, they have begun including different cookies for the rest of the family.  I do give out small bites here and there…

:: a large box filled with deliciousness from Stonewall Kitchen arrived at our doorstep!  These goodies the whole family will enjoy! :)

:: and I wasted no time in spending birthday money gifts on fresh crafting supplies I’ve been eyeing for a while.  My rather large collection of scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies is the result of about 13 yrs of birthdays (with a few Christmases thrown in as well).  The children and I spent our free time today trying out the various new ‘toys’!

*******

I record this all here so that my heart will remember….

so that I will always count myself filled to the brim with blessings!

reality check and over-the-top birthday fun

cultural celebrations :: A Spanish fiesta!

Okay yes, yes…I already know that all of the foods pictured above are not Spanish or having anything to do with Spain or even Mexico (though we’re not to the Americas for a while).  However, there is a long standing tradition in Spain, the focus of our studies recently along with Portugal, to enjoy food called tapas.

And oh, how we really like that idea!  Appetizers of any variety (from our understanding, nearly anything can be tapas), served on small plates and enjoyed with great conversation.  Sounds like a meal plan to me! 

Our menu ::

crackers & vegan ‘cream cheese’ topped with sweet pepper jelly

a layered bean dip w/tortilla chips

french bread pan-fried in olive oil and topped with bruschetta (our recipe is at the bottom of this post)

cocktail shrimp (a little bit found in the back of the freezer! :)

maple chicken drumsticks

Simple decor included a red tablecloth and leftover decorations from our twelve-year old’s birthday party three years ago (yes, we seem to keep stuff like this).  Though we had intended to add some Spanish or flamenco music in the background, I think we were more focused on the food than dinner music!  A fun evening indeed….

A few tidbits ::

did you hear about the bullfight weeks ago in Spain that ended up with a bull in the stands!? fortunately there were no fatalities & only minor injuries.

we took a look at the Spanish galleons, huge ships used by explorers and tradesmen in the past

and don’t forget the benefit of touring the world via the virtual globe Google Earth :: we’ve enjoyed visiting the landscape and famous places of each country

cultural celebrations :: A Spanish fiesta!

autumn baking

  

 

With older girls and a Mama who all love cooking and baking…well, the kitchen is a busy place! 

The sights and smells of breads, cookies, muffins and the like fill our senses and our bellies…

…it’s Autumn alright.  And it’s good.

autumn baking

cultural celebrations :: an English tea

The study of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (did you know this is the official name?) ended with a grand tea party as we make our way through the countries of Europe!  My, my…I do need to brush up on my geography and world history a bit; though I didn’t admit this fact to the girls, I think they caught on?

Naturally the girls (big & little) were all quite excited about this celebration as part of our curriculum; and the little boys in the house don’t know to not be thrilled about such a prim & proper event.  Dad on the other hand?  Well, he was a good sport until one of his children asked if we should all try to speak in a British accent…the man does have limitations!  Overall, it was a grand time.

Our menu ::

lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze

sweet scones (that turned out a bit flat!) with homemade peach jam

maple ham & cucumber sandwiches

spinach & cheese cups

and lots of English tea!

A few resources that we used through this study ~ famous people, events or places ::

design an English garden (which can be printed out) 

read a Beatrix Potter story at this site or check a book out of the library

a few of us will be listening to this audio version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

our current read-aloud is about George Mueller, a great man of faith and courage; this version is great for young children as well

cultural celebrations :: an English tea

cultural celebrations :: the family

One of the aspects that completely sold me on our new geography curriculum this year is the fact that the schedule includes plans to celebrate on a regular basis the countries studied!  Should we choose (and we probably will not do them all), each week we’ll gather together to experience the food, customs, games, etc. of a particular region of the world.  Winter Promise calls this a ‘cultural celebration’ :: I love it!

The first one was to pause and celebrate our family.  Yes, the curriculum called for us to choose our favorite family meal, games, memories and such to be the focus; the children were quite excited.  But, deciding on our favorite food was not simple at all and I finally allowed one child to make the final decision.

I guess we are fairly globally-minded already because chicken curry over rice turned up as the choice :)  What a fun time of ‘remembering when’ as we recounted the years gone by and enjoyed some favorite games!

 

Pictures of the table setting or of the people might have been appropriate, right?  That didn’t happen.  Hmm…it’s all about the food.  Oh, well.  I will leave you with the recipe used :: maybe it will find it’s way to your family’s table!

Basic Meat Curry (with chop salad)

Saute in deep skillet:

2 T oil

sweet onion, chopped (as much as you’d like)

2 tsp minced garlic

Blend in a small bowl:

2 T lemon juice

2-4 tsp curry powder (depending on taste desired)

Stir curry mixture into sauteed onions and fry lightly 2-3 minutes.

Add:

1-1/2 lb cubed chicken breast (or beef, fish :: for a veggie version try white or black beans)

Stir briefly to coat meat with spices.

Add:

1 cup tomato juice

1 tsp salt

1 cup broth

Bring to boil, cover and simmer 1 hour.  Thicken slightly with flour before serving, if desired.  Serve over hot rice with chop salad (recipe below), coconut, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, peanuts or raisins.  Freezes well. Serves about 4-6.

Chop Salad

Chop into bite size pieces and combine in a bowl:

3 peppers: red, orange & yellow (if I have this, it gets put in.  if not, moving on…)

1 long cucumber

3 green onions

1 pkg. grape tomatoes

Mix dressing and pour over all:

3 TBsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

dash of pepper

Stir well and chill several hours.

cultural celebrations :: the family

domestic life

domestic life is never boring!!

back to the produce….

domestic life

a bit of blueberry

 

Yesterday I couldn’t decide which fruit dessert to indulge in :: blueberry crisp or strawberry shortcake?

Decisions, decisions!  So I made them both.  But only the blueberry was eaten since our sweet tooth was satisfied after that; we’ll have the other tonight.  Summer fruit is in plenty around here and we’re putting away and eating as much as possible.

Hope you’re enjoying a bit of summer goodness too? 

And may your weekend be full of grace….enjoy!

a bit of blueberry

putting food by

 

This year I’ve got a serious plan to put away food ~ a lot of food, as much seasonal produce as I can!  So, with bags still unpacked from our vacation, the children and I headed out to a friend’s strawberry patch to pick…and pick and pick.  In reality there is still quite a bit of jam from last year and we didn’t take home that much.  These berries will be used for smoothies and pies I think.  I’m hoping to do asparagus and broccoli soon.  Yum.

A great online resource for freezing and canning just about anything is Pick Your Own (with lots of pictures for the visual learner!)  How about you—putting any food by?

putting food by

around the web

I’ve been printing off lists for spring cleaning and such around here.  Actually, I think that fall cleaning has more benefit as the efforts seem to last longer, but in our home full of little ones and full of family life, twice a year decluttering and re-organizing is very helpful to this Mama.  Besides, nothing happened this past fall since taking care of baby and staying sane was the main priority {said with a smile}!  By the way, that still is a priority, but now the baby sleeps longer!

Well, while perusing various sites, distraction hit a bit and so here’s a few goodies for all~

:: first off, the cleaning and decluttering lists are found at Flylady’s site, who is currently doing a week-by-week schedule to home clean-up.  I’m not participating, but it’s seems helpful.

:: comfort soup season is probably over, but this Tuscan-style Potato Soup from Lindsay looks too delicious!  Agree?

:: the kids and I will have to try these creamy mango pops this summer.  I love mangoes!

:: I’m all about simple toys for children, especially babies; making a few discovery bottles for our 7-month old has been easy and fun.  Ours are simply glitter & water, googly-eyes and cotton balls in small plastic containers or water bottles.

:: I want to conquer the fear of sewing clothing and make a few twirly skirts for our 7-yr old.  It’s hard to find modest skirts for young girls these days, so my frustration led to a search for a simple skirt with simple instructions.  Let’s hope I can follow through!

:: As we’ve entered into the Lenten and Easter season, I’m using this book to focus on the sacrifice of Christ.       So. Very. Good.  A bit deep in parts, but very good.  I will use this in future years as well.

:: And what else?  Oh yes…I’m trying to find room in next year’s homeschooling budget to purchase a home laminator.  This is an extra, not really a necessity though it would get used often.  This ‘obsession’ has led to trying to find free history and science curriculums online so I can eliminate those purchases!  It’s all a game….

Hope you and yours are well, enjoy a blessed weekend!

around the web