Year: 2012

Well the month is up, I definitely slowed down on progress, but I'm still moving. make Thai Sweet Chili sauce DONE!  It's amazing! Try a new pizza dough recipe Done, didn't really love it though still looking... Redoing and cleaning up family job chart  In the middle of it now. process almost 30 pounds of winter squash and pressure can or freeze I did some of it. I've done a few other things, but since I wasn't recording things I cant say off the top of my head.  Halloween was awfully busy, and I had a lot of sewing problems.  I guess getting better at sewing should go on the list. Yet to do- write list of easy family approved meal ideas and hang it in a protective sleeve inside…

A few weeks ago a friend of mine challenged a little group of our friends to a month of Pinterest *doing.*  Well...  Due to privacy issues and not being able to block someone who I don't want contact with, I've left it to sit for a while.  I can take it or leave it.  However this challenge was great motivation to get going.  I NEEDED this so bad.  Kevin and I have had a hard year.  We've lost three grandparents between us, had a few other personal losses, and had a bit of other drama that left me reeling and feeling out of control.  I know we have a lot to be grateful for, a good education for Kevin, three wonderful kids, a home and a great job for Kevin,…

I've been sharing more recipes lately, mostly because my new years resolution this year was to learn how to be a better home maker and to be better at contributing better to preserving family finances, I'm definitely making steps in the right direction, but by no means do I claim to be an expert.  I do find a lot of joy in cooking and baking, and it's something my kids enjoy as well, so it's easy to be enthused about those things with them.  What mother doesn't want her kids to gobble up the food she makes and say "Oh Mom, this is the best dinner ever!" at every single meal? Zesty Watermelon Jelly from "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today" Makes about…

OK, so I tried something new today, I don't LOVE the results, I'd give it a 4/5 rating if was a recipe I found online.  I added cocoa powder to a recipe I already had, it was a different recipe than the one I'd used last time, but by reading the ingredients, I thought this one might be better. Here Goes! Chocolate Banana Bread Preheat oven to 350 and grease 1 9X5 loaf pan or two small loaf pans 1/2 cup butter (one stick) 1 cup sugar cream together, then turn mixer to slow 2 eggs 1 1/2 cup mashed banana (I just chunk up 2 ripe bananas and drop them into the mixer) 1 tsp vanilla extract Mix until banana's aren't in huge chunks, but not too much so…