Weekend Baking

This weekend we're going to try some new recipes for gluten free pumpkin muffins and cut out cookies (to cut into shapes of pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims of course!). I was really happy to find that particular pumpkin muffin recipe as it calls for using Pamela's mix. That took a little searching. I'm still not in to gluten free baking that requires you to use a mix of 7 different types of obscure flours that are not typically kept on hand. Maybe I'll get there eventually. I make no promises.

Since the kids have a few days off this week I'm still searching for some Thanksgiving project ideas. I found a cute cornucopia template to print out with smiling acorns and flowers and vegetables to color, cut out, and paste. I think I'll also let them do a project my sisters and I did as kids, with sticking whole cloves into an orange - that smells so nice. I just wish cloves were a little cheaper! And of course there's always the old fall back of tracing your hand and coloring it as a turkey!

On Dasher on Dancer

I can't believe Christmas is less than 6 weeks away. Now don't yell at me for reminding you, I'm sorry if it causes you as much surprise as it did for me!

Thanksgiving has always been a family favorite for myself and my sisters and I want to pass that on to my kids. I'm thinking I need to find some Thanksgiving art projects for them. Carving pumpkins for Halloween was a huge hit. Even Shiloh loved scooping out the seeds. I only cut open one pumpkin at first as I was fairly convinced I'd end up having to do all the cleaning. But surprisingly enough all 5 were really in to it and I just carved the happy faces (happy faces mandatory, nothing scary or ghoulish allowed at our house).

Liam is starting a little 3 year old Pre-K play group in the beginning of December. I had been going back and forth on whether or not to enroll him; partly monetary reasons, partly wondering if he was emotionally ready, partly because potty training was required. He's been very lackadaisical when it has come to potty training. Let me tell you - enrolling him was the trick. He's so excited to go to "school" and play with friends that accidents are becoming fewer and farther between, with less reminders from me to go potty. If only I had discovered this motivating tool last year.... all that money spent on diapers.... *sigh*

The good news with him finally getting the hang of it at this age is Shiloh is completely picking up on what is going on. I bought her own little potty chair since she's such a tiny little pixie that she falls into the toilet (yes, even with the child inserts). She hasn't made the complete connection yet as to when she's supposed to rip off her diaper and sit on the potty, she does it all day long without actually going to the bathroom on the potty chair, but I have no doubt in my mind that she'll be trained around or shortly after her birthday.

Speaking of which, my baby's 2nd birthday will be here on New Year's Day. I can NOT believe that. Although she makes it hard not to notice. Shiloh seems to be gaining about a dozen new words a day here. What a talker, just like her sisters! She's also been sporting a more 2 year old like attitude and temper tantrums. I've taken to tickling her till she nearly cries when she starts with the foot stomping. She's very easily distracted still. Liam on the other hand.... waaaaay past that point. We have to address the tantrums full on, the split second they start, or look out world. He has a temper.

The football season has been over for two weeks now and I'm just starting to feel like we're recovering from the hustle and bustle of the last three months. The girls keep requesting ballet lessons and Isaac is pushing for ice or floor hockey. I told them we'd discuss it all in the new year. This Mamma needs a break.

On the kitchen front...... I'm looking for some fun recipes that include brown rice. We've done rice stuffing, met with some success. Only half my kids were interested in rice pudding. I have a lot of brown rice to use and they're tired of it as a side dish. Rice and beans is fortunately well liked so we are having plenty of meals with rice included. I'm wondering if anyone has anything unique or fun that calls for brown rice.

Hope you're all well! Get ready for t♦urkey!

Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

I have often linked to one of my most frequently visit blog favorites. In fact, I reference Stephanie's blog for my personal use in the kitchen multiple times a week. Recently Stephanie has published her own cookbook which I received last week.

Let me tell you, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow will NOT disappoint you. Filled cover to cover with delicious, easy to make crockpot recipes you will easily utilize your crockpot as a daily kitchen tool instead of a "once in a while" meal assistant.

Our most recently tried recipe from the cookbook was Tamalie Pie, which the kids loved - and so did the weekly grocery budget! Using beans and other canned ingredients, we had leftovers for lunch for very little cost per serving.

I'm telling you, with Christmas coming this is a great gift to give and ask for!

Major Flaw

I have my laptop back! My power cord has three parts. One that plugs into the wall, one part from the power brick to another part which is an attachment that plugs into the comptuer. The last part is only about 2 - 3 inches long. This poses a problem when it becomes disconnected from the rest. It also seems to scream out to my children "Unplug me from the rest!!" Usually when it is taken it resurfaces again shortly. This time it has been missing for about 2 weeks now. Isn't it amazing how reliant we become on internet access?

I do everything online from paying bills, to balancing my checkbook, to shopping, to research and homework, to menu planning and making a grocery list at the local store with their online sales flyer, to using recipes and looking up new ones. Why have paper copies when it's all bookmarked? Yikes, I'm learning my lesson!

In our area of the country the fall weather has had a bite to it, constantly reminding us that winter is around the corner. Today the kids and I got pumpkins from a local farm. Costume planning is causing great excitement around here, along with upcoming school parties.

We have a fire going every day now to keep the house toasty and warm. How quickly that was needed! All the kids are outfitted with coats, snowpants, hats, mittens, and scarves for the year. Now we just have to work on boots, which may sadly be a necessity in a matter of weeks.

This year everyone has their own rubbermaid shoe box for their outdoor accessories. Previously I had done boys and girls bins. Then we did individual bins last year for each person's winter items. Now I've learned it's even more organized to have everyone get out the door if their shoe box only contains their daily hat, scarf, and mittens. This way they aren't searching and digging and creating general disorganization. Extras and spares are kept in bins seperately up high in the closet. Hmmm... I'm going to have to get a mat for wet boots too!

How do you organize and store all your winter necessities?

Fall favorites

Fall is my favorite season. Does anyone know why we have both the words Autumn and Fall to describe this time of year? Is one correct and one slang? I grew up saying "fall", so I feel the need to continue. I started writing "Autumn is my favorite..." and promptly erased it. The "voice" just wasn't me.

I don't know why, but I love to wake up in the morning with my face feeling slightly cold while the rest of me is nice and toasty under my blankets. I don't share this sentiment in winter, as I can't stand the thought of dragging myself out of bed in that kind of cold.

We went apple picking, pumpkins are making appearances at road side stands and famers markets, and the weather just begs for hearty meals like soups, stews, and chilis to be made. Enjoyed with a fresh from the over side of cornbread slathered with butter of course.

The air is crisp and the foliage enrapturing. The display of colors seem to be celebrating the summer we had. Perfect weather to enjoy the outdoors in a nice sweatshirt or sweater without necessities of winter bulk.

I think making some spiced cider in the next few days is in order.

Time saver

Call me crazy, but spending 15 minutes or less typing in one day is far worth handwriting a note for a few minutes every morning.

At the beginning of this school year when I had 2 young elementary kids who would be buying lunch every day, I decided to get the menu ready at the beginning of each month. There is a calender with the lunch options sent home. I highlighted each day's choices that the kids would get. Then I took the few minutes to type a quick "Today Isaac(or Giovanna, for her notes) will have the Sloppy Joe on the Gluten free bun in his/her lunchbox, mashed potatoes, garden salad, and peaches" with the day's correlating date for each school day that month.

I then stapled them to the calender menu, and just tear off the note for each child and put it in their backpack the night before.

I will never go back to handwriting!

Snuggles

I should be sleeping since I'm not doing homework.

I'm not. I'm blogging while waiting for my cold medicine to kick in so I can breathe and lay down simultaneously. The little things you forget you take for granted.

I have taken to turning the lights off and resting on the couch to keep little sneaky children from getting out of their beds for mischeif making and general sleep procrastination. This has been especially necessary with Shiloh. Shiloh became a baby escape artist a while ago. Her tiny little self is so agile and the upper body strength she has developed is amazing. I'm pretty sure she is in better shape than I am.

So the nightly ritual of going to bed, staying in bed, and staying in bed without multiple escapes to actually fall asleep can be quite a project. Tonight all her older siblings fell asleep and I was lying on the couch repeatedly taking her back to bed. Her last miniature escape attempt I decided to see what her reponse would be if my eyes were closed and she thought everyone in the house was sleeping except for her.

Darn her little pixie like, tip-toe walking, cuteness that she is! She climbed up on the couch with me, snuggled up and laid her head on my chest and fell right to sleep. How am I going to resist that every night???!