more holiday fun ~ january

 

playing games

 

 

{bowling}

 

sewing

        

                    

 

baking candy cane cookies with Dad {tradition}

       

   

       

 

  

                 

                               

 

{Nerf gun wars}

 

crafting

   

         

 

Kate had to go back to school on January 5, but Lora & Jessie came over on Sunday.  They were glad to help decorate the last of the cut-out cookies  :)

        

        

 

{quite the colorful herd of cows!}

with enough time to begin a game…

                   

 

Meanwhile, Tim & the Cattleman planted strawberry plants in the green house garage ~

 

                    

 

Even good things have to end sometimes – and it was time for the Christmas tree to leave the house.  {Jan 11 – that was a long house stay!}

     

                          

 

I tried my hand {and arm} at punching a tin can for a candle holder

        

Isn’t the Cowgirl’s scrappy candle jar pretty?

             

December 2012 {part two}

 

{click here for part one}

Goofy kids:

       

              

 

Moving on to the intended purpose for the TP rolls {but hopefully not the ones pictured above}…

 

  

 

Chocolate goodies for friends

{made with love and much laughter}

       

 

Sunday, December 30 ~

Abby & Kate played a duet for the offertory

    

And the Cowgirl and the Popper were baptized!  :)

   

                                

 

~ – ~ – ~ – ~ – ~

 

January 1, 2013 ~ Happy NEW Year’s Day!

{for those who weren’t sick with the flu  :p}

enjoying another visit from the Smyths :)

 

…who are good friends of my folks, and thus happily adopted as the Grands from Down Under  :)

This was October 2009 I believe…

 

Three & a half years later ~ yesterday, March 21, 2013

 

Our kids have grown, eh? 

happy homemaker monday 3/18/2013

 

When the i-net works again, I hope to link up with Sandra again today!

 

 

The Weather:::

Cold, white, and a bit windy.   Same description fits, but it’s not as bad as last week  - only an inch or two of new snow to make it look like winter again, instead of muddy early spring.  Temps are well below normal – near freezing today and colder tonight and tomorrow.  This too shall pass…eventually.  But we should be able to get out to piano lessons and grocery shopping.

 

Right now I am:

still chuckling after reading some student-authored similes that I have in my IEW box{Institute for Excellence in Writing.. ahem}   I’m sure you would love a sample…

She grew on him like she was a colony of E.coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

-- B.B., Charlottesville

Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.

-- C.S., Woodbridge

 

Thinking:

I need to make plans to start our tax returns! {which could rosily include meals in the freezer and a quiet house for several days}

Right, still thinking about it…

Along with grateful thoughts for last night’s youth service (pics in another post perhaps).

 

On my reading pile:::

Bible – Psalms, James, and listening to Acts

Selections from one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp

Started to reread Confessions of a Transformed Heart by Nancy Sheppard

Also started Swords of Heaven by C.D. Baker yesterday, historical fiction set in the days of King John and the Magna Carta.

 

On my tv:::

still dusty ~ The kids are getting ready to watch their Bible class with Mr. McBride :)

Yesterday, we did catch a very few minutes of the Badgers’ basketball game  :-( … which didn’t have the happy ending we wanted.  NCAA tourney coming up next!  (not sure if we can watch with our limited channel choices?)  Tim follows closer than I do via i-net, but not really much March Madness going on here.

 

Favorite Blog post this week (mine or other):::

While I have been reading more blogs lately and enjoying them all, I’m going to pick one of my own posts this time… December 2012 … a fun, busy month that was great to remember and finally post about  ;-)

 

Something fun to share:::

Miss Artist {Abby} making melted flowers while watching her US Government class

         

 

 

On the menu for this week:::

Sunday – lasagna dinner at my mom & dad’s

Monday – pepper steak, rice (Taste of Home, A/M 1994)

Tuesday – broccoli cheese soup (Abby’s orthodontist appt)

Wednesday – cheddar baked chicken (all recipes.com)

{Bake egg casserole and muffins for Easter breakfast at church –> Freeze.  Apple muffins are done.}

Thursday – ‘maid rite’ sandwiches

Friday – Cajun chicken pasta ( all recipes.com – Abby cooks!)

Saturday – pizza

 

On my to do list:::

menu plan, catch up with grading school papers, tax returns, Shutterfly photo book, laundry, ironing, ready the house for a showing to friends visiting this week  :o

 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Um, I need to create some order from chaos especially in the basement

 

Homemaking Tips:::

Wash the tops of canned goods before opening as many stores use insecticides for pest control.

Ewww, I just read this yesterday in the ‘Helpful Hints’ section of an older cookbook I have.  I’ve known to wipe off cans before opening, but my only concern was the dust gathered there.  {duh, but really I’d just never thought of it}

 

Looking around the house:::

All but two pieces of the recently stained trim have been added to several doorways in the house!  :)  Hurrah!

                

 

Listening:::

Mr. McBride discussing the first ‘Sunday schools’ in England among other things from church history.  The Wesleyan Revival - the influence of Christianity in motivating men to improve daily life for others.

 

From the camera:::

On Friday Tim brought home some ice cream treats and lovely roses <3

     

              

 

On my prayer list:::

several with cancer – in treatment or beyond {little Taylor was actually in church yesterday}

‘adopted’ dd Lora is traveling soon to Europe to visit her sisters who both teach overseas ~ expecting they will have a grand time together

Kate is fighting some cold crud – and spending today outdoors in Madison with her college mates.  She’s hopeful the fresh air will be part of her cure.

 

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:8-9

worth a thoughtful read

 

 

Just found this blog post and thought it worth sharing…

http://jenwilkin.blogspot.com/2013/03/parents-do-you-think-before-you-post.html

“Let everything you share with those outside your home strengthen the bond of trust you have within it. Tell your story without compromising theirs.”

 

 

What say you, my fellow moms? 

maple-nut coffee twist

 

…is really just a twist on cinnamon rolls.  ahem. 

3.14  It’s PI Day today {which my brainy children tell me should be pronounced ‘pee’ :p  but mathematicians aren’t bound by those rules?}  So here’s a recipe that almost looks like a pie.  And more importantly, would make a delicious addition to a special holiday breakfast or brunch  :)

 

Basically it’s sweet roll dough divided into 3 parts, each rolled out and stacked with goodies in between.  Put a glass or jar upside down in the middle while you cut pie shaped wedges, then twist each wedge five times and remove the glass.  Looks so impressive, but it’s really not that difficult!  My favorite kind of baked good!  :)

I looked for the recipe online, but it must be an oldie from Pillsbury that didn’t make the cyberspace cookbooks.  A family from the church in Menomonee Falls shared a copy of the recipe with Kate.

 

MAPLE-NUT COFFEE TWIST (Pillsbury)

Coffee Cake:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

2 3/4 to 3 cups flour

3 T sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 tsp maple extract

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple extract

 

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T butter, melted

1 to 2 T milk or water

1/2 tsp maple extract

 

In small saucepan, heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 F).  In large bowl, blend warm liquid, 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, yeast, maple extract, and egg at low speed until moistened.  Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  By hand, stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover, let rise until light and doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.  In small bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside.

Grease 12-inch pizza pan.  Punch down dough, divide and shape into 3 balls. On floured surface, roll or press 1 ball of dough to cover bottom of prepared pizza pan.  Place in prepared pan.  Brush dough with 1/3 of melted butter; sprinkle with 1/3 of filling.  Repeat layers of dough, melted butter and filling.  To shape, place a glass about 2 inches in diameter in center of dough.  With scissors, cut from outside edge to the glass, forming 16 pie-shaped wedges.  Twist each wedge 5 times.  Remove glass.  Cover; let rise until light and doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. 

Heat oven to 375 F.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. 

In small bowl, blend glaze ingredients until smooth.  Drizzle over warm coffee cake.

 

I don’t have any close-up photos with the glaze added ~ I baked it and put it in the freezer wrapped in foil to reheat and ice on Christmas morning.  I don’t remember for sure now, but I think I used my usual sweet roll dough (using half the batch).  Likely I used softened butter to spread on each layer and then sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar, and nuts until it looked good to me  (meaning I did not measure the filling ingredients – I am a lazy cook with a family who loves lots of cinnamon on their sweet rolls!).  I baked it and kept in on the pizza stone to serve.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Do you have a sunrise service or breakfast at your church for Easter?