6/13/2013
Injuries
Charlie to Ellie: "the ice helps to make people feel better." She had a foot injury due to dropping her water bottle. Please note the head wound. That happened about 10 minutes prior and was the original reason for "ice it", as Ellie would say.
3/04/2013
Warm Soup for the Next Storm
It's March and another snow storm is on the way. So, we're handling it like good Minnesotans should, with Wild Rice Soup and homemade bread courtesy of my friend Sarah's Kid Friendly Home blog.
I started the soup while the kids napped (for an exceptionally long time today - we're all fighting colds). And we made the bread dough together this afternoon. It's fun to have the opportunity to cook and bake with them! I've adapted the bread recipe a bit as I hate getting our food processor out to made dough and thus knead by hand. I also only have one bread pan (Sarah's recipe is linked in the soup recipe and is enough for 2 loaves). Here's how I make Sarah's bread:
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Hot Water
1 ½ TB instant Yeast
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ TB Kosher Salt
½ - 1 TB Wheat Gluten (optional)
1 - 2 TB Flax Seed Meal (optional)
1 - 2 TB Wheat Germ (optional)
3 TB Oil
3 TB Honey
Directions:
1. Add Yeast to ¼ cup Hot water. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, salt, wheat gluten, flax, and wheat germ in mixing bowl.
3. Add 1¼ cups hot water, oil and honey to dry mixture (alternate oil and honey in your tablespoon to prevent honey from sticking)
4. Knead for a couple minutes until dough is smooth.
5. Stir yeast/water mix. Add to dough.
6. Continue to knead for a few minutes, until dough is earlobe consistency. This bread feels very “wet” and sticky. I always think I should add more flour. You can but you do not have to!
7. Make loaf by tucking sides under to make a rounded top and place in a greased pan.
8. Place loaf in COLD oven and let rise until dough reaches the height of the pan (20 minutes, longer on a cold day)
9. Without removing loaf, turn oven to 350* and bake 30-35 minutes from the time you turn oven on.
10. Cool for 5-10 minutes in pan and then place on cooling rack and brush butter over all sides.
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Hot Water
1 ½ TB instant Yeast
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ TB Kosher Salt
½ - 1 TB Wheat Gluten (optional)
1 - 2 TB Flax Seed Meal (optional)
1 - 2 TB Wheat Germ (optional)
3 TB Oil
3 TB Honey
Directions:
1. Add Yeast to ¼ cup Hot water. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, salt, wheat gluten, flax, and wheat germ in mixing bowl.
3. Add 1¼ cups hot water, oil and honey to dry mixture (alternate oil and honey in your tablespoon to prevent honey from sticking)
4. Knead for a couple minutes until dough is smooth.
5. Stir yeast/water mix. Add to dough.
6. Continue to knead for a few minutes, until dough is earlobe consistency. This bread feels very “wet” and sticky. I always think I should add more flour. You can but you do not have to!
7. Make loaf by tucking sides under to make a rounded top and place in a greased pan.
8. Place loaf in COLD oven and let rise until dough reaches the height of the pan (20 minutes, longer on a cold day)
9. Without removing loaf, turn oven to 350* and bake 30-35 minutes from the time you turn oven on.
10. Cool for 5-10 minutes in pan and then place on cooling rack and brush butter over all sides.
1/23/2013
Cooking quotes
During Ellie's morning catnap Charlie and I were prepping dinner to put in the crockpot. He stood on his step stool next to me, picked up the onion and bell peppers I had put on the counter, brought them to his nose, and pronounced, "I love that smell!" And as if that wasn't a good enough quote, a bit later as we were chopping said veggies I reminded Charlie that we have to be careful because the knife is very sharp and we could cut ourselves. To which he replied, "then we have to go to the doctor to get new fingers." Ummm, yeah?!
1/08/2013
Fun(ny) birthday quotes
This morning I woke still a little sick with the flu which is not a great start to anyone's birthday! But, I awoke to the sound of Ellie asking for "Mama", so naturally I went in to greet her. As we sat in the dark, rocking together I heard the familiar thud, pat, pat, pat of feet. Ellie lifted her head from its resting place just below my chin, removed the thumb from her mouth, whispered "Cha Dee", then replaced the thumb. I smiled and asked what she had said and she repeated her whisperings and enthusiasm. It delighted me to hear the happiness in her voice to know her brother was awake. Moments later, the door popped open and Charlie entered saying, "I was looking for you!" A beautiful morning!
And just before Mark left for work I said "We're middle aged!" He looked at me a little exasperated and said "No we're not. Middle aged is 50. It's all in your mind." To which I replied, "so we're going to live to 100?" "103." Well!?!
And just before Mark left for work I said "We're middle aged!" He looked at me a little exasperated and said "No we're not. Middle aged is 50. It's all in your mind." To which I replied, "so we're going to live to 100?" "103." Well!?!
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| This was taken in October, so I was a little younger than I am today! |
1/03/2013
1/02/2013
Happy New Year!
We were blessed to have friends spend the night New Year's Eve. We ate good food, drank good drinks, caught up, and played a game! All with 3 sleeping babies upstairs!
We spent New Year's Day at a friends family farm. We sang, snacked, and played out in the snowy cold. A wonderful time had by all!
We spent New Year's Day at a friends family farm. We sang, snacked, and played out in the snowy cold. A wonderful time had by all!
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