Christmas Notebook

menu plan monday ~ october 12, 2015

October 12, 2015 – 1:23 pm

Today is Columbus Day and school is out. Youngest Daughter traveled to visit a friend at college this weekend. My sister came down to put up Christmas trees on Saturday. I was troubled by a stomach bug on Sunday, so I didn’t get much done. I’m still a bit on the queasy side today, but am feeling better.

We put up the blue and silver tree in the downstairs bedroom on Saturday. So far, the kittens are intrigued but fairly well behaved. We had a crackling fire and Christmas carols, thanks to youtube.com while we decorated the blue and silver tree.

Opening the boxes of ornaments is like opening Christmas presents.

It needs to be tinseled at the bottom, but we are going to wait till nearer the open house to do that. No point in tempting the kitties more than we have to.

We also put up the garden tree in the downstairs bath.

I finished the week’s menu this morning. Trying to work around everyone’s schedule is a bit awkward, but I do what I can.

Monday
Fridge Food
Sautéed Spinach with Bacon

Tuesday
Smoked Pork Shank and Beans
Cornbread

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Buns
Roasted Brussels Sprouts / Sweet Potato / Red Potatoes

Thursday
Baked Ham in the Crock Pot
Steamed Broccoli and Carrots
Garden Salad

Friday
Homemade Pizza

Saturday
Roast Beef in the Crock Pot
Homemade Buns
Pretzels
Celery / Carrot Sticks

Sunday
Baked Ziti
Focaccia
Garden Salad

You can find more menu ideas, recipe links, and advise on Menu Plan Monday. You can also link your own menu for the week. Making a weekly menu is a good habit to have. Linking it each week is a good incentive to get it done.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

twenty jars of spiced apple slices

October 8, 2015 – 9:11 pm

I have always enjoyed home canning. Today I was able to share that with my Eldest Daughter. She hadn’t helped with canning before, but she was a trooper. Stuck with me until the end. Even through a couple of mishaps. But we did fine. The apples were beautiful. I used Jonathans. There were a couple of nice Suncrisps in the mix, a gift from friends who picked up the apples for us. I set those aside for eating fresh. Thanks, Chuck and Liz!

For canning information, my favorite online site is pickyourown.org. The site provides easy to follow directions.

The site says to boil the apple slices in a gallon of water, or apple juice, or light sugar syrup. I like this recipe for spiced sugar syrup.

8 c. water
2 c. sugar (This can be reduced or omitted. Our apples were tart, so I used some sugar.)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

When the liquid was too low to cover the apple slices, we just made another batch of the same.

I had Eldest Daughter blanch the apple slices for five minutes as directed, fill the jars, and then pour some of the liquid over the apples till 1/2″ from the top of the jars.

I did the peeling.

I had a large bowl of salted water at hand and I dropped the peeled apples into that until I had four or five done. That kept them from browning. I sliced and cored the peeled ones, and put them back in the salted water until I had enough to fill the 8-cup measuring cup.

The deer are going to love these leftovers.

We actually made 21 jars. The directions online said we should get 16-19 quarts from one bushel. We had about a dozen apples leftover. One jar turned out NOT to be a canning jar. Oops! It opened during processing and we had to empty the water from the canner and start over with fresh. The second mishap? I cut my thumb while washing dishes during clean-up. Broke a large glass bowl. The replacement bowl will definitely be plastic. My thumb is fine. DH came home, took a look at it and gave his blessing for a mere band-aid. No stitches, thank you!

There was a bowlful of apple slices left over after filling all the jars. We popped them in the microwave for a few minutes, then ate them over ice cream. A sweet ending to the job. Should have taken a picture of that!

Clark was glad we were done. There was a patch of sunlight calling his name…

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in cooking, Recipes | Comments (0)

chalkboard tree in progress

October 7, 2015 – 2:17 pm

Genny and I worked on the chalkboard tree last weekend. It is a labor of love, that is for sure! It takes much longer than we think it will and that’s after doing a chalkboard tree the past three years. You’d think we’d have it figured out by now!

In a previous post, I showed you how Middle Daughter and I worked out the placement of the pictures I had printed. When Genny arrived, she began the job of chalking in the outlines.

To make the transfer of the design, we use sidewalk chalk to cover the back of the picture. If you look closely, you can see the outline of the doll showing through the paper.

With the chalked side of the paper toward the chalkboard, Genny taped the picture to the chalkboard and then used a wooden skewer to trace the lines.

You can see in the picture below that some of the designs don’t show up as well as the rest. The ones behind the ladder were chalked on the back with regular sized chalk. The ones that show up best are chalked on the back with softer sidewalk chalk.

Finally! The fun part. Coloring! And so it begins…

Winston kept an eye on the chalk for us.

We planned to put a Lego boy and a Lego girl at the top, helping to decorate the tree, but the lines of the figures were too hard to duplicate with the chalk we have. So we “lego” of the Lego idea and added a dump truck and a robot instead.

It’s 98% there.

I plan to add some pine branches and red berries to the ends of the branches.

And the dump truck should be full of candy.

There are a few other tweaks that need to be done, but, for the most part, the tree is ready! If you’re in the area, come by for our Open House in December and see the chalkboard tree in person.

If you have questions about the process, please ask. I’m happy to share hints and helps.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Christmas | Comments (3)

menu plan monday ~ october 5, 2015

October 5, 2015 – 11:34 pm

We had a busy weekend. Genny came down to open our Christmas decorating season. Yes, it’s early. No, we don’t mind. DH brought down three trees for the addition. The blue/silver tree, the downstairs bath tree, and the Putz tree. The Putz tree had yellowed a bit, so DH gave it some spray paint treatments. He gave it a coat of light blue, then white over that. It’s on the side porch now, airing out. I won’t know if the paint treatment did the trick or not until I can decorate it, though I do like the faintly blue color with the white over it.

We didn’t get to the other trees. But the kittens are finding them fascinating.

It took all weekend to do the chalkboard tree. I printed patterns, Genny chalked…

I worked on ornaments for our family Christmas party in December.

The first of the week has rolled around. Time for the week’s menu. I made the Chicken Taco Chili this evening. Perfect for a chilly evening.

Monday
Chicken Taco Chili
Cornbread

Tuesday
Crock Pot Rotisserie Style Chicken
Green Salad
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

Wednesday
Grilled Pork Steaks
Rosemary Ranch Chicken Strips
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Thursday
Mongolian Beef with Broccoli
Rice

Friday
Chicken Tortellini Soup

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Baked Ziti
Focaccia
Garden Salad

You can find more menu ideas, recipe links, and advise on Menu Plan Monday. You can also link your own menu for the week. Making a weekly menu is a good habit to have.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

chalkboard tree 2015

October 3, 2015 – 12:28 am

October is here and that means it is time to get ready for Christmas at our house. Don’t tell me it’s too early. We know what we’re doing!

My sister Genny is my right hand elf at Christmas time. She comes down on weekends when she is able and helps put up the trees and decorations. This weekend we will be working on the chalkboard tree. The chalkboard is eight feet tall and about three feet across. It’s a dark green chalkboard paint over a lighter green wall color. It fits right between the west door into the kitchen and south facing window in the music room.

The 2012 tree was based on one I found online. It, in turn, had been modeled after a wall hanging. I added a nativity under my version.

In 2013, we did a “Twelve Days of Christmas” theme. Under the tree were two of our cats, Zak and Cedar.

Last year, it was a nativity scene.

This year, we are going with a toy theme. I googled << Christmas toy coloring page >> and found a lot of ideas there. I also googled << Christmas ornament clip art >> for ornament ideas. If I wanted a particular item, like the red wagon, I googled << red wagon clip art >> or << red wagon coloring page >>.

I saved pictures I liked to a Pinterest board: chalkboard tree 2015. When I had a good collection of ideas there, I began printing the ones I really liked. Keeping in mind that the spaces between branches would be eleven inches, I was able to guesstimate sizes.

Middle Daughter chalked a line down the middle of the chalkboard as a guide for the trunk and then chalked branch lines eleven inches apart. She helped by taping pictures to the wall so I could get an idea of how to lay them out.

If you look closely, you can see some of the fiddling we did with the pictures. Tape it. Look at it. Move it. Tape it. Look at it….

Genny arrived this evening and she and I did more fiddling before bedtime.

We plan to start marking the patterns on the wall tomorrow morning. Then it will be time to chalk!

I’ll post our progress as we go along. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Note: See progress here! Chalkboard Tree in Progress

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Christmas | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ september 28, 2015

September 30, 2015 – 12:20 am

I’ve been working on ornaments for an exchange I am taking part in this Christmas season. They are based on tart tins and then decorated with various embellishments.

This one uses a picture I cut from a Christmas card.

Those are keeping me busy as well as these, which I am foiling and soldering this week.

Our son and his wife and the twins were here on Friday. Older Son and his dear wife cleaned out the coat closet for me, in prep for the holiday season. Rose Red designed a gown for Snow White using a couple of head scarves found in the coat closet. She hoped I’d sew them together to make the gown, but I told her we’d wait until we have Christmas done. Then we’ll bring down a few boxes of fabric from the attic and she can design to her heart’s content.

Older Son brought his round bread cloche over for me to try. I made a batch of sunflower seed bread dough and we baked it in the cloche. It turned out with a wonderful crispy crust and a moist crumb. I ordered a loaf cloche for myself. I’m eager to use it!

And then there were all those little surprises that come with the grands…Snow White laughed uproariously when she saw this picture.

Here’s the menu for the week. With all the comings and goings, it’s hard to find a night when we can all sit down together. But that’s to be expected. We do what we can!

Monday
Tacoritos
Cornbread

Tuesday
Chicken Creole Casserole
Green Bean and Artichoke Casserole
Garden Salad

Wednesday
Lasagna Roll Ups
Rosemary Bread
Garden Salad

Thursday
Smoked Pork Shank and Beans
Cornbread

Friday
Mongolian Beef with Broccoli
Rice

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Smothered Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms
Mashed Potatoes
Stir Fried Pea Pods and Cherry Tomatoes / Scroll down the linked page for the directions.

You can find more menu ideas, recipe links, and advice at Menu Plan Monday. You can also link your own menu for the week. Making a weekly menu is a good habit to have. Linking it each week is a good incentive to get it done.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

menu plan monday ~ september 21, 2015

September 21, 2015 – 1:55 pm

As I always say, September and October have some of the most beautiful weather all year. Yesterday was proof of that. What a pretty day to be outside! Older Son and family came over for a late dinner of grilled meat and veggies. His wife was working, so not able to come. That was the only fly in the ointment. It would have been even better to have her here, too. We took our time and enjoyed the day. DH grilled…

The table was set under the big oak. Rose Red was impressed with the red and white checked tablecloth. She said, “This is a picnic tablecloth! I know because I’ve seen this kind in movie picnics!”

After dinner was done and the table cleared, the twins took turns steering the golf cart around the yard while Pa manned the accelerator.

Later in the afternoon, we built a fire in the fire pit.

After it burned down a bit, we all enjoyed making S’Mores.

Tree climbing topped off a wonderful afternoon. Rose Red is not as adventurous about height as Snow White is.

When we grill, we always make plenty for another meal and that’s the first item on the menu this week.

Monday
Grilled Porksteaks
Grilled Veggies
Green Salad

Tuesday
Tacoritos
Taco Chips
Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, etc.

Wednesday
Middle Daughter is cooking supper. So nice!
Fajitas

Thursday
Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti
Garlic Bread
Autumn Chopped Salad

Friday
Smoked Pork Hock and Beans
Cornbread

Saturday
Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Sunday
Smothered Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms
Mashed Potatoes
Stir Fried Pea Pods and Cherry Tomatoes / Scroll down the linked page for the directions.

You can find more menu ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ August 17, 2015

August 18, 2015 – 5:48 pm

Two of our kittens are enjoying their new homes. The two we are keeping are still hanging out together. Always nice to have a fuzzy, cozy buddy to nap with.

Our yard is about three and a half acres, with a lot of plants, a low spot with a slow-seeping spring, and about an acre of woods. That equals good habitat for a surprising amount of wild life. One species that we keep track of are the box turtles. Last week DH and our garden helper were working in the fenced garden and found this little box turtle. It is the smallest one we have found in our yard. It has an identifying mark on its bottom shell, so we hope to find and identify this turtle in the years to come.

And now the reason for posting: here’s our menu for the week. Trying to keep it easy.

Monday
Pizza

Tuesday
Ham or Turkey Sandwiches
Grapes
Pretzels

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Buns
Fruit Salad

Thursday
Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chicken
Rice

Friday
Tacos and Toppings

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Smoked Pork Shank and Beans
Cornbread

You can find more menu ideas and recipes at Menu Plan Monday.

This week, school starts. Back to a more regulated schedule. And working around DD’s schedule. It’s going to be a busy school year!

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

history trip

August 17, 2015 – 9:40 pm

Pa took Snow White, Rose Red and Middle Daughter to visit replicas of Christopher Columbus’ ships, the Niña and the Pinta.

The night before, Rose Red admitted to Pa that she was a little nervous about going to see the ships. When he asked why, she said, “There might be sailors there!” Not sure why sailors make her nervous!

The girls got to man the rudder when one of the crew was tying it down. That was a big thrill for them.

The small cannon was the only one on the ship. It was used to signal other ships.

They also visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Camp Dubois.

Rose Red noted, “I wouldn’t want to live in a log cabin! It’s just one room!”

They stopped by the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower.

Rose Red didn’t think much of the tower, as she is afraid of heights. She stayed against the wall by the elevator while Snow White and Pa listened to the tour guide and enjoyed the view.

They had a long day, but a good one. Snow White and Rose Red both commented on the amount of sugar they thought they had taken in on the road trip. Snow White said, “I was overloaded with sugar!” And Rose Red said, “I can’t believe how MUCH sugar I had today!” I think it amounted to two ice cream cones and a fruit punch. But I could be wrong…Pa can always be hit up for a treat…or two…

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in family, twins | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ august 10, 2015

August 10, 2015 – 5:45 pm

It was a long week. DH was at our presbytery’s summer youth camp, serving as Director, and I spent several days putting together the traditional camp yearbook. Middle Daughter took all the pictures. She came home each evening and would dump them all on my computer. Making the yearbook is a challenge, but a fun one. I enjoy doing it.

Saturday, Older Son and his family came to help DH clean out the attic. I should say “came to help DH get a start on cleaning out the attic.” They sorted and pitched in the attic, then would bring down boxes of things I needed to check before they were pitched. I operated from the craft room. Much more comfortable there. We got rid of about twenty garbage bags full of stuff, either to the trash or to charity. It’s a beginning!

I sorted a lot of memorabilia on Saturday. One of my favorites was this little self portrait done by Younger Son when he was not quite five years old.

Here’s the menu for the week. My dear friend Marsha and her husband are coming to visit on Wednesday. Marsha and I will be doing scrapbooking, or crafting, or genealogy, or all the above. Whatever sounds good on Wednesday.

Monday
Fridge Food

Tuesday
Crock Pot Chicken Tetrazzini
Garden Salad
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Sandwiches
Pretzels
Grapes

Thursday
Cheesy Baked Shells and Veggies