No More Wonder-ing!

Bread Machine #1. Yep, I put the recipe right on the machine!

So, you might be pondering the post title. No? Well, I'm-a gonna tell ya any way! I have broken my bonds with Wonder Bread, Mr. Friehoffer and all other commercial breads out there! We are now a strictly homemade bread eatin' only family now and have been for about 2 weeks. It is simply wonderful to have scratched bread off of my shopping list, instead replacing it with King Arthur All-Purpose flour and a jar of store brand bread machine yeast.

Commercial bread has been a real stumbling block for my family. I have 3 die-hard bread addicts in my family; my Darling Husband, Teddy Bear and Wheelz. Every evening at dinner there was a loaf of bread on the table, even when we had a carb heavy meal such as pasta. Princess and I are not quite so enthused about bread, me especially since I just don't care to eat what amounts to a slice of sugar, flour, additives and preservatives. There just seemed as if there was no way to wrest that bag of chemical and corn syrup laden bread off the table and out of the reach of my bread loving boys.

I know the obvious answer is to make my own bread. The problem with that, (well actually, there are several) is that when I make homemade bread on Saturday, my baking day, it was wolfed down by Sunday evening. There is also the fact, that despite my best efforts, I just could not find the time during the week to make bread. Add in my current health problems, numerous responsibilities and herniated disc, making homemade bread by hand and oven was just not a good solution for this season of my and my families lives.

Finally it occurred to me that a bread machine would be the rescue! Homemade bread every day with little effort on my part. No "knead" (get it? ;D) to kill my back standing at the counter measuring, mixing, kneading, waiting for bread to rise and bake. The only hurdle to this was sticker shock. Even a cheap bread machine is nearly $60, not really in our budget, but I asked for one for Mother's Day anyway. Then I did what any self-respecting woman on the hunt for an expensive appliance would do. I told my mother what I wanted! Well, actually, I asked her that when she was on her rounds at the thrift stores and tag sales that if she saw a bread maker in decent shape for a reasonable price, to get for me. Long story short, my Mom was able to purchase bread machine #1 from my aunt who holds a tag sale every spring and fall. It cost all of $2 and came with the instruction manual. Unfortunately the manual lacked any recipes, so I quickly went on line to find a recipe for basic white bread that sounded simple, and I even read the reviews on the recipes. The following day I fired that baby up and in 2 hours I hand a lovely loaf of homemade bread! The kids were ecstatic and my husbands eyes glazed over at dinner that night. Whoo-hoo!

The following weekend our local Christian school was having their annual tag sale, so my Mom headed into town and came back to my house with bread machine #2! This one was pricier at $15, but it can do much more than make basic bread. You can make quick breads, french bread, whole wheat bread and even make jam to spread on your bread! The loaf pan is also rectangular, whereas BM #1 is round, resulting in a loaf that looks like a giant muffin. I seem to have more consistent results with it as well, because with BM#1, the dough was starting to rise very high and stick to the roof of the machine, even though I cut back on the sugar and yeast that the recipe calls for.

So, now I use my bread machine everyday to make bread. My DH and Wheelz take sandwiches for lunch everyday, I now don't feel bad about having toast with my eggs for breakfast, and we have fresh bread every evening on the dinner table. I will go into more about the economics and health benefits of homemade bread in a future post. Right no I have to switch over my laundry. If only they made a machine that folded and put away the stuff!

Blessings,
Kelly

My Thoughts On "The Hunger Games".

Before I get to the "meat" of this post, I want to make a few points. This is about The Hunger Games the book, not the movie. I have not seen the movie and do not intend to until it has either come onto Netflix or is available from Red Box. This is not a paid review/endorsement, etc. This is just my opinion and view of the series, although I have only read the first book and the second Catching Fire.

Now, I know it seems as if I have jumped on the pop-culture bandwagon, and perhaps I have in a way. I first heard about The Hunger Games through a friend, a fellow Mama. Her 16 year old daughter had read the series and convinced my friend to read them. My friend really enjoyed them, said she couldn't put them down. I thought the whole concept seemed a bit nuts, nothing I was interested in. Then somehow or another I heard that they had made the first book into a movie, and some other friends, and fellow Mama's were reading the books because their kiddos had asked to read them/see the movie. So, I figured that I had better read the book in case my kiddos asked to read/see. Big mistake! Not in a bad way, but because I really enjoyed the first 2 books of the series and find my mind wandering to the themes and concepts of the book frequently. I will be getting to these dwellings soon, after I get a chance to say write a bit more.

First, I am very glad I read them because my youngest son, a 10 year old 4th grader, asked if he could read it and I could give an educated answer. No, not yet. I don't think he is ready for it. Many of his classmates have read it and some may have seen the movie, but I just think it's a bit early for my kids. But in another 2 years for him, perhaps. Maybe even 3 years. And while my kiddos are reading the books, I will be re-reading them with the kids so that we can discuss things, because I happen to think that there are so many topics worth talking about in this series.

Secondly, I do like the books. They are very entertaining, yes, but as I said before, they can be a springboard for discussions with your kids (and others!) on so many topics. (I will get to those, I promise!!) The mix of primitive living with futuristic high tech  world of this series is very interesting, and surprisingly easy to imagine. There is violence, yes, but I don't feel that it is unnecessarily violent or gory, considering the context of the books. I have the feeling that the movie may be more gory than the books. There is a romantic element in The Hunger Games and even more so in Catching Fire, which is very appealing to me, a hopeless romantic. (Admittedly, I am Team Peeta!) The themes of family, friendship, survival, doing what is right, responsibility, and love make you wonder what you would do in the character's places.

So, as promised, here are those topics in which I feel you can explore with your children (There could be some spoiler alerts!):

1. Wild Edibles: After the death of her father, Katniss Everdeen, her mother and younger sister nearly die of starvation. Her mother is locked in a depression so crippling she is unable to care for her daughters. After spotting some dandelions, Katniss realizes that she has the knowledge to feed her family with wild plants, knowledge passed on to her by her father. Why not learn about wild edible plants in your area with your children, making a journal with pictures of them?
2. Healing Plants and Herbs: Katniss' mother is a healer, having knowledge of what plants and herbs are useful for what ailments. This knowledge is handed down to Katniss' younger sister, Prim, who seems to have the "healing touch." Again, find out more about this, recording it in a journal.
3. Hunting and Trapping Wild Game: Again, this is knowledge handed down to Katniss by her father, as well as learning from her friend, Gale. Katniss uses a bow and arrow for hunting, while Gale has a talent for snares. In the annual Hunger Games, other silent but fatal weapons are used, unfortunately on other youngsters, but the kids have this knowledge because of the kind of wildlife they have in their own district. Spears, knives, swords and even tridents are used. Perhaps you could learn a new skill with your kids, such as archery or even using a slingshot. Fishing is another recreation that can be wonderful family time, and just think: fresh fish for dinner!
4. Children as Weapons: As unpleasant and revolting as it is, the Hunger Games of the book are used to keep the people in their places, reminding them that they are in the control of a society that will take and kill their children. Even more revolting  and sad is the truth that this is not just a concept for novels and movies, but a startling reality. Think about the wars in Uganda, where children were stolen from their homes and villages, the boys to become child soldiers, the girls suffering rape, disease and motherhood while still children themselves.
5. Dictators: Although the ruler in this series is called President Snow, there is never any mention of voting. The truth is he is a ruthless dictator, killing and/or punishing any who oppose him and his ideas. Sound familiar? Think of the history lessons you can tie in here.
6. Self Sacrifice: Katniss becomes a tribute for the Hunger Games after volunteering to take her sister's place. However, her sacrifice begins when she assumes the role of bread winner (literally!) and provider after her father's death. Peeta, too, sacrifices his own welfare many times in favor of Katniss. Discuss this with your kids, and maybe look in the Bible for scripture about this topic.
7. Breaking the Law: We teach our children to follow the rules and that it is wrong to break the law, but what of the laws are unjust and in place to slowly starve you? Katniss repeatedly breaks the law by going hunting and gathering outside of District 12's fence, selling some of the game at the local black market and keeping the rest to feed her family. What does the Bible say about government and keeping it's laws?
8. Alcoholism: Katniss' and Peeta's mentor in the games is Haymitch, former tribute and victor of the Hunger Games. He is also an alcoholic. The emotional toll of being a Hunger Games victor is huge, and he turns to alcohol to escape the nightmares. Is that an excuse, certainly not, but understandable. We all have something we turn to for comfort, some healthy, some not. What/who can we turn to for comfort? How can you avoid alcohol/drug abuse?
9. Romance: I use this for lack of a better term, but it is a completely relevant topic. There is kissing in the first book, talk of being wildly in love. In the second book there is more kissing and the emotions and feelings that can cause and result from kissing. Peeta and Katniss also sleep in the same bed, although there is no hanky-panky, they are fully clothed and I don't believe that any kissing takes place during these encounters. The romance is very G/PG rated, but it is the emotions involved that can be discussed, as well as if it is permissible for Katniss and Peeta to be sharing a bed. What about the love triangle of Katniss, Peeta and Gale?
10. Drinking Water: We all need water to survive, but do we know how to acquire it? Do we know how to purify it? In the first book, Katniss uses iodine to purify her drinking water. In the second book (SPOILER ALERT) Katniss saves the day when she recognizes a spile from her knowledge of maple sugaring. She is able to get drinkable water from the trees that surround her.

So, that is my take on The Hunger Games series. It could be so easy to see our kids get caught up in the pop culture of the books and movie, but I feel that they are popular with good reason. They resonate with anyone with a self-reliant, self-sustaining, preparedness streak. They have certainly made me think about what knowledge I have and need to attain in the areas of wild edibles, healing plants, first aid and drinking water, as well as renewed my interest in archery.

I whole heartily suggest that parents read this series, or at least the first book, to decide if they are appropriate for their children, and by no means do you need to wait for them to read them to address the above topics, but I know how it can be with children. Sometimes they need an outside influence to whet their appetites for things you would like to teach them, and I feel that this could be a tool.

Many blessings, (and may the odds be in your favor! ;D)
Kelly

Our At Home Hatch Story

Congratulations Alice and James!!!

O.k., so this is all a little tongue in cheek, I admit, but I'm just so darn happy! Our hen, Alice, who went broody a couple of months ago hatched her first chick.

 We had decided about 3 1/2 weeks ago to let her keep her clutch and moved her to the "infirmary" coop so she would stop stealing more eggs. We set her up with her own food and water, plenty of hay to keep her and her eggs warm and generally left her alone with her nesting and incubation inclination. (Say that 10 times fast!) We checked on her from time to time, making sure she had water and food, that nothing had made it's way in to bother her. But we had no idea if any of the eggs under her were fertile and viable or not. One day when it was warm I had opened her coop door to let in some fresh air. Alice proceeded to take a break from her nest, so I carefully stole her eggs to see if I could candle them. I just couldn't get any of our rooms dark enough to be able to tell, so I gave up and brought the eggs back out to her coop. In the meantime, Alice had proceeded to take up residence in the nesting boxes again and try to steal some of the other girls' eggs. I put the kibosh to that, restoring her to her rightful clutch and shut the door, wondering if we weren't all just wasting our time.

So we just kept checking on her. Now, I've been on a bit of hiatus due to, ummhmm, "lady troubles" as I delicately tell my children, so I personally hadn't checked on Alice since Wednesday afternoon. I had asked the kids to, but, well, we all know how that can go. So early this afternoon I decided to take a peek, figuring I was wasting my time. As soon as I opened the coop door, Alice immediately did her puff ball impersonation. This was unusual, she only does that when you try to get near her. Then I heard the cheep cheep of a baby bird. I stuck my upper half further into the coop to make sure it was coming from inside, and sure enough it was. I carefully lifted Alice up and found the cutest little ball of yellow fluff! I was so "eggcited" you would have thought that I had hatched the darn thing myself!!!! I couldn't wait to tell the kiddos and DH.

I know that we are not the first people to have a hen hatch her eggs, but in this day and age of incubators and mail ordered chicks, it's pretty exciting. I admit to being somewhat envious of my fellow homesteading bloggers showing and telling of their new babies in the barn and coop, especially since our Easter Egger chicks aren't due to arrive until mid-May. But now we have our own baby, which Teddy Bear named Jenny for now, or Willy if names need to be changed. (Please pray it stays Jenny!)

Baby Jenny snuggling with Mama.

Mama Alice, with 6 more eggs under her, and her baby.

James and the girls enjoying some birdseed I threw out to them in
celebration of the joyous occasion. It's the chicken equivalent of passing out
cigars. (Yes, I know that they all don't have a clue!)

So, that in an egg shell, is our home hatch story. I'm hoping to have more siblings to join Jenny, but if not, that's o.k., too. Well, I'm going to try to relax for now. I have my laproscopy tomorrow morning, with a long drive before and after, so I think I'm going to just chill and read some blog posts from the Homesteading Barn Hop.

Blessings,

Kelly

Thrifty Thursday #4: Scratch Recipes & Homemade Snack Bags

Hey Friends! Having a good week? I've been working on getting caught up with house work in the mornings, and relaxing with the kids in the afternoon. Unfortunately I'm in pain again, and I'm completely caught off guard. I'm taking the day "off" today, but will get back to work tomorrow.

So, last week I presented some recipes and sort-of challenge to bake and make from scratch. Since then I've been searching on line to find a homemade alternative to Bisquick. There are some recipes that I really like that used it, but I don't want to buy it. This is one of the few things that I've missed from my pared down grocery list! I found some recipes, but I haven't made any yet. The one recipe I trust most is from King Arthur flour. My biggest hesitation is that it calls for shortening, which I really don't want to use anymore. I have about half a can of butter flavored Crisco that once it is gone, will not be replaced. I've only been using it to grease my baking pans. I'm thinking of substituing the shortening with coconut oil. Any other suggestions are very welcome!
King Arthur Quick Mix

Alright, on to some of my recipes. Most of my recipes are from an old copy of the Betty Crocker Cook Book that my mother in law gave to me. My Mom has a copy of this, as well, and was the cook book that we always used when I was growing up.  It's the first one I go to when llokng for a recipe. I've just tweaked many of them to my specifications!

~Basic Sweet Muffin~

1 egg

1/2 C. milk

1/4 C. oil

1/2 C. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 C. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg, then mix milk and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes. This makes 1 dozen standard size muffins.

I use only about 1/8 C. of olive oil and use 1/8 C. of unsweetened appla sauce. I also add 1 tsp. of vanilla. You can substitute 1/2 C. of all purpose flour for whole wheat flour. I usaully add chocolate chips for the kiddos. If you add about another 2-3 Tbsp. of milk, chocolate chips and pour the batter into a greased 8x8 square pan for chocolate chip bread. Bake at 350* until a toothpick come out clean from the center, about 25-30 minutes. Double the recipe and bake it in a 13x9 pan for a weeks worth of breakfasts!

~Golden Layer Cake~

2 1/4 C. flour

1 1/2 C. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 shortening**

1C. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Pre-heat oven at 350*. Grease pans. Measure ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Blend for 30 seconds on low, scraping bowl constantly. Beat for 3 minutes on high , scraping occasionally. Bake until toothpick comes out clean in the middle. Makes a 13x9 cake or 2 8"/9" layers.

**recipe calls for shortening, but I felt it was too dry and I don't want to use Crisco anymore, so I use olive oil. The cake is wonderfully moist now!

~I have a child that will only eat chocolate cake, but loves cinnamon. I added about 1 tsp. of cinnamon to the batter, and he loves it! If you don't have ingrdients for frosting (like me this past Wednesday!) add chocolate chips to make a snack cake. Very yummy!

~Black Midnight Cake~

2 1/4C. flour

1 2/3 C. sugar

2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 C. water

3/4 C. shortening**

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

see instructions for Golden Layer cake above.

I have not tried to substitute unsweetened applesauce for the shortening/oil yet. I did try to substitute some of the flour in the Black Midnight cake with whole wheat flour with dissapointing results, but it was before I started using olive oil. I just haven't had the nerve to try again! I hope you try out these recipes. If you do, let me know, I'd love to hear how they worked for you!

And now, something I've been so excited to show you! Say hello to my reusable snack bags!!!!

Three large, two medium and four small snack bags.

I used sew-on velcro for the large and medium sized bags. These will hold pretzelsor crakcers.

I used sticky backed Velcro on the small snack bags, which are lined. These are for cookies/cookie bars.

 

From just one 99cents reusable shopping bag, I made 9 reusable snack bags for my Dear Hubby and kiddos to use for their lunches! How cool and thrifty is that?!?!? I got the wonderful idea from, of course, Pinterest. There were lots of pins of cloth snack bags using ripstop nylon, but I didn't really want have to search or pay for it. And then I found a pin using reusable shopping bags. I will go into detail on how to make these in a future post. But they are super easy to make.

 

Well, that's all for this week! Hope you hve a lovely rest of your day.

Blessings,

Kelly

Reusable Shopping Bag Fun #1

I think I have a problem. It's name is Pinterest! Oh how I love it and hate it at the same time. I could spend hours (and o.k., I have!) perusing the boards, pinning my little heart out. Learning how to grow potatoes in landscaping fabric bags, make a fairy garden and whip up a cocktail dress from a reusable shopping bag! Alright, maybe not a cocktail dress (I'm not the cocktail type, more of a maple kefir or herbal tea type. No fancy duds required.), but many cute things! And, I have made some! I have seam ripped, cut and sewn 2 reusable shopping bags into some very cute and practical things. Some of them need to wait for their unveiling tomorrow, but for now I give you........

A purse set! Complete with wallet, change purse and another little pouch. This is from just one shopping bag. And I still have a panel of the bag left, which I'm going to use to make a Bible cover. Here is what the shopping bag looked like before:

This bag is just so beautiful, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it! After my Mom saw my first project, she brought this up to me. (And then proceeded to buy me 2 more shopping bags from T.J. Maxx! Gotta love your Mom!) I considered making a lunch bag/snack bag set for myself, but I already have a lunch bag. And this is just too pretty for occasional use. So, I made the purse set.

I used the seam ripper to take the binding and handles off of the bag because I planned on using them. You can just cut it apart, though if you want. The shopping bags are really easy to work with in terms of the fact that you don't need to hem for fear of fraying. Depending on what you are making, you don't need to hem. I chose to use the binding for a neater look, and I think it made it easier to sew. The only thing I would recommend is to use a needle designed for sewing heavy materials.

So, there you have it! My newest obsession, via Pinterest: making super cute things out of reusable shopping bags. And I'm just getting started!

Blessings,
Kelly

Growings On: Mid-April

So Today is the first day of April Vacation! WhhooooHoooooo! (Could you sense any sarcasm?) I don't mean to seem snarky, but the temperature is 84* right now. Right now, as in right. now. As in, according to the calendar it is April 16th. I don't personally have anything against the number 84, I just don't like that temperature when it is April. 16th. In North America. August, yes, 84 is fine. But. it. is. April!!!

O.k., enough of my temperature tirade! I'm also very torn about the fact that it is vacation and I want to spend time with the kiddos, but I have A TON OF STUFF TO DO!!!!! I currently have 3 laundry baskets of folded laundry (only folded because my Mom folded it while I was doing my shopping this morning. Thanks, Mom!) in my living room, two loads on my bed that need attention, And that is just the tip of the iceberg. You see, next Tuesday I'm having laproscopy. I hadn't wanted to mention it here, but the last few months I have been suffering some very intense with my menses. The doctor suspects endometriosis, but the only way to be sure is to have laproscopy. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel afterwards. As it stands now, I'm about 2 weeks behind due to traveling over to N.H. to see my doctor and the last time I was in pain for an entire week, unable to do much at all. This is totally cramping my garden plans. (No pun intended!)

Anywhoo, no more downer news! There is so much happening out in the garden already! Before I get to the picks, though, I'll give you some seed starting news. The green peppers I started about a month ago are doing beautifully! The little "gardens" that the kids started are doing very well, too, so we transplanted them into planters Saturday afternoon. They still need to come in to keep them safe from frost (and chickens, which we learned Sunday afternoon.) I finally was able to get my herbs and some flowers started Saturday afternoon, as well.

My DH brought home this piece of corrugated metal home. I snatched and decided
it could be made into a small garden bed just outside of the chickee coop. I just need
to get a piece of plywood to back this and fill 'er up with some top soil!

This is the spinach I planted about a week and a half ago out in one of my planters.
So excited to see it coming up!

This is the lettuce I started the same day.

Last year these planters held catnip and flowers. This year, so far, they are holding some
of my spinach and lettuce crop. Flowers will follow soon!

Three out of the four raised beds are built! My hubby is so good to me! (Plus, I think
he likes the fact that I'm so gung-ho about growing as much of our food as I can!) They just need
to be topped of with top soil and planted.

A new investment, a potato growing sack. I picked this up for $5 in the clearance section
of a local gardening store. Normally I wouldn't but something, I would make it myself, but for $5 I thought I could use it to get a good idea of how to make my own. Which I will, very soon and then share with you!

Catnip that came back and is doing great, despite getting hit by a couple of frosts.

It may be hard to see, but there is some new growth from this sage plant. Usually sage is an annual up here in Vermont, but I think due to a mild winter and plenty of mulch, it survived. Yay! I did start some
more sage from seed, though. Last year I didn't save enough to get me through the winter.

Some Early Girl tomatoes and pansies that Princess and I picked up in town
today. Some of the pansies are for Mama, some for her, and the rest for her friends
when we have her birthday party. We're having a fairy garden party where
each little girl makes her own fairy garden. Thank you Pinterest!

So, that's what's "growin'" on around here up on our hill! Are you planning (or started!) a garden this year? I'd love to hear about it from you! Have a lovely day, Friends!
Blessings,
Kelly

Thrifty Thursday #3: Scratch That Off Your List!

Could you tell I was working hard on that title?

Hello, Friends! I know it's been a while, but, as usual, I've just been too plumb busy or tuckered out to compose a coherent post. Believe me, it's better that way. I ramble enough as it is with out me rushing or being semi-conscious during blogging!

So, it is another Thrifty Thursday, and today I'm getting out from behind the sewing machine and into the kitchen. One of the best (and tastiest!) ways to save money is to make your own baked goods from scratch. This is also the healthiest way to enjoy your cakes, cookies, muffins and other treats. Now, I know that for somethings, it may seem cheaper to buy some items ready made, or even from a mix. In the long run, though, I think that once you get into the habit of making things from scratch everything will even out. And you might find that you can give up some things because you have replaced it with something homemade.

Now, if you have been reading my blog for a length of time, you know that I bake just about every Saturday. Sometimes I only get to make the kiddo's breakfast item and snack item, but that is a huge help. I like to do a majority of my baking on one day because I do not like firing up the oven for only one thing. This way I can run my oven all at once and bake more than one thing at a time. This saves money by conserving electricity.

I think I'm going to revert to my bullet structure here, cause I can sense some rambling and backing up in the near future!

• Baking from scratch saves money because you are buying 1 ingredient with multiple uses. Yes, you may be able to buy a chocolate cake mix for around a $1 a box, but if you buy a can of baking cocoa for about $2.75 you can make a chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini bread, hot chocolate (made with actual milk, not boiling water!) and chocolate syrup for ice cream or chocolate milk. Talk about more bang for your buck!
• Baking from scratch gives you more versatility and can be adjusted to your family's preferences. You could buy a loaf of bread for sandwhiches and then a bag of rolls for dinner. But if you make a batch of bread dough, you can have both!  Or, maybe Timmy likes plain chocolate chip cookies but Betty Sue like walnuts in hers. You can make one batch of cookie dough and split it in half for them both to take to school with their lunches.
• Baking from scratch is healthier. YOU control what you put into your food. You can add whole wheat flour to your cookies, substitute some of your butter or oil with unsweetened applesauce, and eliminate corn syrup, food dyes, additives and preservatives.

Now, I could go on. (And you know how I can go on!) But I have the feeling that you can all get my point. If you are not use to baking and don't have baking materials, or you really want to embrace making more things from scratch, you may need to invest in some things. You will find that investing is and will be a recurring theme in these posts. You may cringe at the price of a rolling pin, but that is really a one time purchase, whereas refrigerated ready made pie crusts are only good for one or two pies. That rolling pin will make you pies for practically your entire life time, and maybe even your daughter's lifetime. That is an investment worth making and money well spent!

Before I get to the recipes, I would like to tell you about some of the items I have in my kitchen that I find invaluable to have. I am by no means Julia Child or the Cake Boss, so don't feel that you have to have them, or even agree with me! And by all means, if you have something you would like to share, I'd love to know about it!

• Large Pyrex mixing bowls: I have 2 large and one really big one. And every Saturday all 3 of them get used at least once, if not more! I like Pyrex (or Anchor Hocking) because they are sturdy, easy to clean, and you can mix and bake in them.
• standard size muffin pan: good for (obviously!) muffins, cupcakes, mini meat loafs, stuffin' muffins and cloverleaf yeast rolls. My pan has a dozen cavities, so my basic muffin recipe can be made in one batch.
• 2 to 3 bread loaf pans: or even more! I like to make quick breads and yeast breads, and if you are inclined to make homemade bread for your family's weekly supply, it is a very sound investment. And they can stack together so that they don't take up much space.
• a 13x9 oblong pan: I have 2 Pyrex, and 3 metal ones. And I have used each and every one on certain Saturdays. I make the kiddo's breakfast cookies, cakes, casseroles and brownies in them. And all but one of the Pyrex pans have lids, so I can store in them as well. Now, this may be a lot for some people, but I also make snack for our church refreshments on a regular basis, as well as making birthday cakes for my DH and children. I can make the cake for our family party, the children's friends party and the goody to bring in to school to share for a treat. These pans to not sit in the cupboard in neglect!
• a glass 4 cup measuring cup: This, too, is a recent purchase. I wondered if I really would use it as I stood looking over the Pyrex/Anchor Hocking shelves at my local Kmart, $1 off coupon in hand. But, like the sheet pans, I do. I use it for measuring and mixing my wet ingredients for homemade bread and other recipes. And I have even used it for the DH's and mine scrambled eggs.
• a glass 8 cup (2 qt.) measuring cup: I have a Tupperware version of this that I used for about 7 years before I started to become a bit leery at the thought of there being Tupperware scrapings in my muffins, pancakes and waffles. Then I purchased an Anchor Hocking one and gave the Tupperware one to Hubby for a sap dipper. This is the perfect size for a batch of muffins, chocolate chip bread, or homemade waffles. It is also used for pouring off the juices of a turkey or when straining homemade stock.
• rubber or silicone spatulas: I have 4 of these. One is a very large one from Tupperware that I use for mixing up snack mix, granola or sauteing with. It doesn't really get the job done when it comes to scraping the sides of mixing bowls, so that is where 2 others come in. And then there is the double ended one that is more narrow for scooping out of jars with. You will never waste a drop when using one of these, and scraping the bowl clean is handy when it's time for clean up.

I'm pretty sure I'm missing a dozen things, but those can be for another post. It's time to get onto the fun part: recipes! I have posted these recipes before, so I will only be adding the links, but I'll be giving some hints and tips for each. And as I'm writing this, I'm thinking that this is going to be part one of a series because I have so many more basic recipes to share!

Boynton Breakfast Cookie Bars I make these just about every week for my kiddos! You can add what ever stir-ins that you and your family like. These have replaced the white bread toast and cheerios that the kids used to eat for about 2 1/2 years now. I would really like to figure out how to soak the oatmeal for this recipe, but just haven't had the time to experiment. If I figure it out, I'll be letting you know!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread While going over this post, I realized that I didn't include the sugar!! I feel like such a big goober. If you tried to make this, I SOOOO apologize! The sugar is now included in the recipe. Another note on this is that I no longer use canola or vegetable oil, I use olive oil. This is great for a snack or for breakfast. It's yummy with cream cheese, too! I use my food processor to shred the zukes, and take out the big seeds. I'm going to have to make a batch of this Saturday, I froze shredded zucchini for this purpose!
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies I make these every week for the kids to put in their lunch boxes. I have taken to making these in the sheet cake pan and substituting 1/2 to 1/3 cup of the butter to unsweetened applesauce. I also do not use margarine or shortening any more. You could use coconut oil in place of butter, too. This recipe is really just your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe that I tweaked. If you don't have oat and wheat flour, you can use all purpose flour. By using the sheet cake pan I can save time and I have enough for the entire week for both the kids and my DH. (O.k., o.k., and I can filch a couple for myself!) They also seem to stay more moist in bar form, too.

Well, I was going to post a couple more recipes, but this has been long enough! Have a wonderful rest of your Thursday.
Blessings,
Kelly