Christmas Memories

Every year since my kiddos were really little, we have had the tradition of cutting out and decorating sugar cookies. It began as a tradition my sister and I would do together at her house when her kids were still young, and my sister patiently endured the complete and utter mess all the lil-uns would make in the process. Seriously, sprinkles, little decorator balls, and the like could be found weeks later on the floor, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Yeah, that was fun. The point was, the kids loved it so much, and even though their cookies looked more like horror movie characters rather than angels and gingerbread men, it was the making and enjoying traditions that mattered most.

Today, we still do this every year, and the kids get SO excited to this day when they see me place an enormous ball of cookie dough on the table. These days, they can roll out their own dough, cut the shapes, and frost and decorate the cookies with precision care. It is so cute to see their creations, and to see their creativity. For instance, Austin made a "special" hybrid gingerbread man with one missing limb. Uh-huh. Whatever.

Every time we do this, I am reminded that another year has gone by, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. I say this a lot, but I am at a loss as to where the last, say, 8 years have gone. I have vivid memories of having three toddlers/babies all at once, but once we started school, it all seems to be a blur. Every new school year came and went, and before you know it, your kids are big. Taller than you. Going to drive soon. Waaaaaaaaa!!!!!! I miss my babies! OK, well I don't miss the logistics of having babies, I just miss that they are small and cute. However, I can say with complete honesty that I am enjoying every minute of having older kids even more. To watch them accomplish things on their own, develop talents and abilities, understand spiritual truth and reckon that in their own hearts.....I am so thankful.

Days are still hard in so many ways, as we are in the trenches of homeschooling and everything else that goes with that. Some days I want to throw in the towel and be done. But Dave always reminds me why we do it. To invest in our kids lives and enjoy every moment. It's hard to remember to enjoy every moment when it's so difficult day by day. But sitting on the sidelines and quietly observing my kids decorate sugar cookies somehow brought me to that place...(See you knew I would get back to the cookies somehow).

God has given me so much to be responsible for, yet so much to be overwhelmingly thankful for. God has sent His son into the world to be my Savior! Christmas couldn't be any sweeter than this.

Time Flies.

Our little boys, Christmas 2003. We went from this..............................

To this! In 8 years flat.

Here are our big boys in 2011!!!!

My how things have changed. Loving these big boys.

Salted Caramels were a fail.....

Update to my previous post! I just tried this recipe for Salted Caramels for the first time today. I have always wanted to try caramels, and these with the sea salt on top were calling my name. I glanced at the ingredient list, and since it looked pretty simple, I didn't hesitate. Little did I know when I would go to make them today, that it would take about 50 minutes of standing over the pot stirring until it reached the hard ball stage. I just didn't anticipate it taking that long. The thermometer just crept incredibly slowly towards my target temperature, as I was thinking to myself, "Self, these BETTER be good, and worth all this effort!" It was finally time to pour them in the pan and cool them. Later this afternoon, I pulled them out of the fridge to cut them. Thankfully, to make it easier, you line the pan with foil, and all you need to do it pull the whole thing, foil and all, out of the pan, peel off the foil, and cut into nice tidy little rectangles like the picture. Uh-huh. The moment I went to peel off the foil, I knew it was going to be a disaster. The foil stuck, even though I had greased it like the recipe said. I cut them into nice little pieces which looked great until I tried to pick them up off the cutting board. Apparently the heat in my fingers was optimum temperature for melting the caramels, and they became a sticky gooey mess! I salvaged my un-tidy little rectangles, and placed them in layers in a storage container. They do taste good, and I love the addition of the salt. But, definitely NOT worth the effort. This recipe will go into my virtual trash can.

On another note, I also whipped up my no-fail Peppermint Patties recipe. It is one I know will work every year! However, at the very end of mixing the filling in my trusty KitchenAid Artisan mixer, old Trusty gave in! My heart stopped, as I have grown SO dependent on my mixer, use it ALL the time, and really am quite spoiled to even have it. Today was just the beginning of all my holiday baking, and my mixer quit on me!!!!! I really did think it was the end of it. Sweet Dave decided to take it apart for me to see if it was just a part that needed replacing. He came to me with a greasy broken part on a paper towel, and asked if I could find the part online. Sure enough, a little Googling later, Amazon had the exact part for under $14! Yippee!!!! I was ONE happy Mama. I then proceeded to order the part and whip up my cookie dough truffles by hand. Like with a spoon, by hand. Wow, I really am spoiled, and VERY thankful for my mixer.

So onward with the baking!!! Oh, and here's the recipe for the Peppermint Patties:

Creamy Peppermint Patties

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 tsp peppermint extract

9 cups powdered sugar

semi-sweet chocolate chips

canola oil

Whip the cream cheese and extract with a mixer. Slowly add and mix powdered sugar a little at a time, until it comes together. It will be VERY stiff. Form into 1 inch balls, roll them in your hands to soften, and then flatten into patties. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate several hours or until firm.

Melt about 12 oz. of chocolate chips with 1-2 tablespoons canola oil in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, until smooth and melted. Dip the patties one at a time, and return to cookie sheet. When finished with all of them, return to refrigerator to harden. Store in refrigerator or freezer in ziplocs or airtight containers.

~Enjoy your holiday season!

Edible Christmas Gift Lineup

Merry Christmas!!!

First of all, I just can't believe Christmas is almost here. The older the boys get, the faster the years go by. This first semester of school has literally flown by, as we have had our busiest year yet. This is our first Christmas back in our house. Last year, we opened presents by the fireplace in our little hotel suite at the Marriott. A little untraditional, yes. But you know what, in some ways we enjoyed the simplicity of it all. I couldn't do my holiday baking and cookie making, we couldn't have a tree, or decorate the house. All that made the season so much less busy!!! But I missed it. My kids missed the annual treats I make that they have come to love, they missed putting their own collections of ornaments on the tree, and we missed our cozy comfortable house. It was so nice to pull out the decorations after not seeing them for two years! We bought our fresh tree last week, and it is fully Christmas around here.

Next week I will begin my annual baking and candy making extravaganza. All my gifts to friends, kids youth group leaders, neighbors, Dave's office coworkers, etc. are homemade food. First of all, it's an inexpensive way to make gifts. Secondly, one batch of each item goes a long way. I just make batch after batch, store them all in the freezer, and then assemble gifts as necessary. I like to use those cute little white Chinese take out containers to give the gifts in. You can buy them in bulk at Smart 'N Final. I wrap the food in tissue and put a bow on the handle. So cute.

So here is my holiday line up this year. Some old favorites, and some attempts at something new!

Toffee - An old favorite I have been making for probably 15 years! I got this recipe from my sister. A hard caramel bottom layer, spread with chocolate and pressed with chopped almonds, then chopped in irregular pieces like a bark. For some reason, this easy recipe really impresses people!

Peppermint Patties -I found this recipe a few years ago, and they are amazing. Just like York, but better! A mint patty dipped in melted dark chocolate.

Bordeaux's - My first attempt to make something like See's famous candy that I love so much...they are maple espresso cremes dipped in chocolate.

Salted Caramels - Another first for this year. Uh, yum.

Cookie Dough Truffles - Balls of cookie dough dipped in melted dark chocolate and embellished with sprinkles or other decorations.

I am planning on posting recipes to follow, and I will keep you posted on how the new recipes work. In the meantime, if you would like any of these recipes to try right now, email me or leave a comment!

Ruth's Chris Potatoes Au Gratin

Now that the holidays are in full swing, I thought I would share this little gem of a recipe. It would be a great addition to any of your holiday meals, and it is super easy.

Austin actually found this recipe. He had the privilege of going to Ruth's Chris while he was in Washington D.C. with my dad, and they had ordered these potatoes. He liked them so much, he wanted to try and make them at home. He has also recently started the tradition of cooking our family dinner every Sunday...it was just something he wanted to do, and I wasn't about to complain! He is a great cook, and also does all the grilling for our family. Yep, I'm one happy Mama! Anyways, he looked up the recipe and gave it a try. We were all drooling when it came out of the oven, all cheesy and crispy around the edges. And it was sooooo delicious. I made them again last night with our tri-tip, and was delighted once again. I doubled the recipe for a 9 X 13, but a single fits nicely in a square baking dish or pie plate. The only substitutions I made were to use 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup half and half, instead of the heavy cream and milk proportions they use. There was no lack of richness or creaminess whatsoever.

Here is the recipe:

4-5 medium russet potatoes

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 T flour

1 large clove garlic, pressed

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp fresh black pepper

1 T butter softened

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices, then quarter each of those slices. Beat together the cream, milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper by hand just till well combined. Coat the inside of a large baking dish with the softened butter. Arrange the potatoes in the dish and pour the cream mixture over the potatoes. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake another 40 minutes or until the potatoes are starting to brown on the top. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned and the potatoes are tender.

Enjoy!!!

First camping trip of the season!

We just got back from a wonderful weekend away in beautiful California City. For those of you who think the words "beautiful" and "California City" should not coexist together, you are sadly mistaken. I think I witnessed the most beautiful sunsets, and it was incredible to watch the moon rise over the horizon into the starry sky. Sunrises and sunsets are really quite spectacular in the desert, and I love the big sky and all the stars. Our Creator is so creative!

It is so exciting for me to watch my boys enjoy the sport of dirtbiking like their Daddy has for many years. What a great thing for them to experience together, and such a "boy thing" too. I mean, what boy wouldn't like dirt, motorcycles, and soda? Pretty much sums up our trip.

Anyways, we had a great time with some great friends. Magnum loved his first camping trip, and was a great camping dog. Summer on the other hand.....I think we will leave her home next time!

Here is a video my friend's son filmed while we were there of the kids riding. See if you can spot Luke's "no-footer". Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

I have been on a quest for the best homemade pizza dough for years. I have probably blogged about it before and you are tired of hearing about it. Well, I finally gave up, because every dough I tried either baked up with an unappetizing texture, or was way too much work. I resorted to using Trader Joe's dough, which quite frankly, is cheap, easy, and pretty good! At what, $1.49 per dough, that is still a remarkable cheap way to put dinner on the table. But I have finally beat that! Trader Joe's has NOTHING on this recipe. Try .40 per dough! Take that!!!

If you follow my blog, you may have read about my discovery of the Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day...if you haven't read about that, you can find it here. Well, the pizza dough is a variation of this method. An even easier variation to boot, if that is even possible. It is so simple. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bucket, let it sit for 2 hours on the counter, then refrigerate. The batch makes 4 pizza crusts, and can stay in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! When you are ready to make pizza, you pull off a hunk of dough, roll it out onto parchment, and you are ready to add your toppings.

For years, I have made pizza every Wednesday night for dinner, since Wednesday is our night down at church for Awana/bible studies. Pizza is an easy meal to serve, and simple to clean up, so we can get out of the house quickly after dinner and be on time to where we need to be. I can now make a batch of this dough, and it will last for two Wednesdays in a row (two pizzas each week), minimizing the work even furthur. I buy a two pound hunk of mozzarella at Sam's club, which is the perfect amount for two weeks dinners. So half a hunk = two pizzas. I make a homemade sauce which is enough for 2-3 weeks, and just freeze the leftovers in little containers that I can pull out Wednesday morning. Add some pepperoni or whatever toppings I have on hand, add a salad, and dinner is served. Here is the recipe for the pizza dough. Perhaps you will institute a pizza night at your house!

Pizza Dough (From Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day)

makes 4 one pound loaves

2 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbsp yeast

1 1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

6 1/2 cups unbleached flour

In a large bucket or bowl with lid, mix all ingredients except flour. Add flour, and mix with a large spoon until well combined. Place lid loosely on bowl or bucket, and let sit on counter for at least two hours. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

To bake, preheat pizza stone or pan in oven at 550. Make pizza by stretching dough onto parchment with floured hands. Add flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Add toppings and slide onto hot stone. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is browning.

Lately

I have SO dropped the ball with this blog. I just can't seem to keep up on it, and then I find myself with SO much to say that I am overwhelmed. This school year has really ramped up our lives. Having a high schooler, a junior high student, and an elementary student has us all over the place. It is busier than I am used to being, but I am slowly settling into life and rearranging my once very organized schedule to accomodate for all the activities. I still remain confident that in order to homeschool, you actually need to be home! I am still sticking with my healthy fear of overcommiting and being careful that all of these things don't get in the way of being able to effectively serve my husband and my family's needs, and that our home is still clean, organized, and running efficiently. And I am most happy when that is the case! With all that said, we truly are enjoying all of our wonderful opportunities this year, and the boys are thriving. We are so blessed.

I never did blog about my Dad's wedding! He got married last month to a sweet and wonderful lady, Mili. My sister and I threw them a magnificent 50's themed reception at Karen's house. There is no need for me to go into details, because Karen blogged it perfectly right here.

Dave has been super busy at work, which is SO good, and SO God. He is choosing to prosper Handmade in ways we could have never imagined. And Dave gets to build incredible works of art! We are so thankful. And we love his schedule....he has Fridays off!

Austin ran for ASB secretary of our homeschool group, and is now enjoying serving in that capacity. He is really enjoying planning and recording all kinds of fun events for our group, and I am enjoying seeing him grow and learn to be a leader.

Luke started drum lessons a couple week ago. Wow! He is doing so well. He went from making ridiculously irritating noises in the garage to playing beats in a matter of one week. His teacher is awesome, and he is really enjoying it so much. I love listening to him play now! It will be such a great outlet for Luke's energy, and I look forward to how he can use his skill in the future.

It's camping season! We are going to ride dirt bikes this weekend in Cal City, and we are starting to plan our big annual Thanksgiving Camping Trip for next month. So fun. And when I say "We are going to ride", I really mean "Dave and the boys." I enjoy being the "trailer Mom"....and no, that is not a redneck term. I don't ride anymore, after my seemingly harmless rides usually end up with me being confined to a bed in pain for a week. "Why do you have to be soooo OLD??!!" That's from the movie Despicable Me, and it seems to be my motto these days. Yeah, I just prefer to provide the meals, snacks, and activities for all my happy riders, and let boys be boys. I just stand at the trailer door and ask "Do you want a cookie?" It's exactly where I like to be.

Our little puppy Magnum, or "Num-Num" for short, it getting so BIG! He is now six months old, and it's as if we never knew life without him. Summer and Magnum are buddies, although both probably prefer people before each other. Magnum is such a good dog, and Summer is, well, not like that. Summer just doesn't get along with other dogs, but she loves people. And barking. And gophers. Nuff said.

So that's my update. I'm sure you are better off for knowing it. Sure. I promise to provide something valuable in the near future. Maybe some new recipes? Pictures??? I'll work on it!

The First Day of School....summer is gone!

See these happy children??? It's because they were starting the first day of the 2011-2012 school year! Oh yes, check back with me in a couple weeks. Those smiles will be wiped clear off those faces. Ha!

I am homeschooling for the 11th year in a row, and I don't have any plans on stopping soon. Every year brings more work, more challenges, more planning, more stress, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It is such a privilege, blessing, and yes, even enjoyment to have them home. This year we have our first high school student. Yep, Austin is old enough to be in high school, which also means I am old enough to be the mother of a high school student. Where did the time go? That's OK...the other day, I got asked by the Sam's club checker if I was the boys' sister or mother! I'll take it!

This year we have a lot of fun classes and activities planned. Austin is taking a science class at the Master's College, Luke is taking an algebra tutor class, and Austin and Luke are taking creative writing classes as well. There will be many exciting field trips and activities with Lighthouse (our homeschool group) coming up as well. Austin is even running for ASB Secretary of our group, which will be a fun experience for him...campaigning and all!

Summer was pretty uneventful. We just finished putting in a walkway down our driveway, which was a lot more work than we bargained for, but it looks beautiful! It widened our driveway, so more vehicles can fit in the driveway without driving over the grass (which Dave had to do to get his truck in). We also replaced our last few original windows in the house with new ones, including a beautiful one for our dining room. Next up on the project list is to paint the exterior of the house and then re-landscape our backyard, which is currently dead grass, weeds, and potholes from the gophers. We are thinking new grass, a path down the sideyard, and a deck with a fire pit. The work never ends!!!! We are thankful for and are really enjoying our newly renovated interior, thanks to State Farm and a pesky little flood. There won't be any interior improvements needed (except to kick out all the irritating colonies of ants which have been invading my personal space all summer). I give them credit for working so hard.

And we did end the summer with another broken bone for, you guessed it, my youngest offspring. He falls, it breaks. It's that simple. He chipped a bone in his wrist coming off the roller skating rink at family skate night with the church Junior High group! So another pretty blue cast for him! He's a good sport. And conveniently, it is his right hand, the one he writes with...just in time for school to start!

Well, we are looking forward to all the Lord will have for us this coming year, and trusting in Him as He unfolds that plan according to His will. Happy school year everyone!

Healthy Frozen Treat

It is HOT here in Santa Clarita! Nothing beats the heat like popsicles and colddddd frozen treats. But most popsicles are just so unhealthy, and the healthy all-fruit ones can be so expensive, especially when there are 3 boys around eating them. I have been making this special treat over and over around here, and can't keep them in the freezer. They are cheap, relatively healthy, and amazingly delicious. They call for Greek yogurt, which, did you know, has twice the protein of regular yogurt? Try these some day soon, you will not regret it!

Mixed Fruit Smoothie Pops

8 oz plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
8 oz whipped cream
2 cups frozen chopped strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
2 bananas, chopped

Mix the yogurt with the sugar and blend well. Stir in the whipped cream. Add all other ingredients, and mix gently. Pour into popsicle molds, or you can use dixie cups and popsicle sticks, if you wish. Freeze until firm. Watch them disappear!