The Day Before Thanksgiving

It was the day before Thanksgiving,
And all through the house
Everyone was stirring,
Even the odd mouse.

;)

Well, we did get naps in today after lunch, but otherwise it was
pretty busy, yet with a cozy and cheerful atmosphere. I made a
chalkboard sign for the mantel that says "Give Thanks unto the
Lord," (based on one I saw online) and we scattered gourds,
leaves, etc. up there along with it.

Mom had decided to have a simple Thanksgiving meal a day early.
We’ll have a dessert later in the week. We had a delicious turkey
that Mom cooked with a lemon and onion stuffed inside. And
mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans as sides. Oh, and the
old family treat: canned pears with peanut-butter, mayonnaise,
and maraschino cherry on lettuce leaf (I insisted on using cottage
cheese instead of mayo, and no cherry for me). We each said
something we were thankful for, which included Mom, food,
and children.

We're getting ready to watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes
for a relaxing (?) end to the day.

Happy Cooking - A Book Review

Giada De Laurentiis writes about her journey and health, but without smothering you in a horde of vegetables.  The desserts range from quite healthy to decadent.  I have only tried two recipes so far (a soup and a pasta dish), but they were good ones, even with a little tweaking out of necessity or personal preference.  I'm sure each recipe is carefully crafted by this TV chef.  The only downside to the book is that some of her clothing is a bit immodest (perhaps most would not think so, but a conservative homeschooling family would, likely).

I've tried this recipe on the left, though I used a different kind of cheese and didn't use fresh dill, or much dried dill, substituting basil for some of it. I added sausage, as well. Tasty!

With bright and colorful photos, this cookbook may make you feel happy . . . and eager to pull out a pan or mixing bowl.

Thanks to Bloggingforbooks.com for this book!  I was not required to give a positive review.

Gluten-free Oatmeal Peanut-butter Cookies - Version #2

I was playing around with this recipe today, and here's my 2nd version, which really has two different ways of doing it. My measurements are not exact, because I was going by look, feel, and taste, though I based it on my first recipe. So, please do the same when you make yours! This is just a guide.  But for me it turned out better than my other recipe, so I wanted to share again.

1 cup gluten-free oats
1/4 cup or so flax seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil after melted, about 2 Tb. hard
Nearly 1/2 cup maple syrup
2 organic eggs, whisked
1/2 carrot & apple pulp (or just carrot)
1 tsp vanilla
3 heaping tablespoons organic, natural peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
2 tsps. or so of cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (approx. for whole recipe, or 1/2 if you add it later) soy flour - Optional (I added it in half-way through, and actually liked it better without this, but it is helpful if you want to roll them into neat round cookies.)
These would also be good with pecans or other nuts, but I didn't want to use them this time.

After mixing these up, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
I found you don't really need to grease the cookie sheets--yay!  Drop cookie dough by spoonful or by hand, about 1 1/2 inch round.
Bake for about 9 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
You may serve with a dollop of plain yogurt, touch of maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon, as pictured.
Makes 25-30 1 1/2-inch cookies.

To recap, the main differences from my previous recipe are the flour, the baking powder, and the cocoa powder.  Let me know how it turns out for you, or what you changed! :)

Gluten-free Oatmeal Peanut-butter Cookies

I'm trying to eat gluten-free (at least for now) and refined-sugar-free, so I made up a recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth. Without the flour, baking powder, eggs, salt, and carrots, I eat this raw, and it's good, too!

Gluten-free Oatmeal Peanut-butter Cookies

1 cup gluten-free oats
1/4 cup rice flour blend (Betty Crocker) - This is all I had left--the recipe probably could have used more, but was good this way, too.
1/4 cup coconut oil after melted, about 2 Tb. hard
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup
2 organic eggs, whisked
1/2 carrot apple pulp (Optional, maybe, but it does add sweetness, uses up leftovers after juicing, and adds a bit of nutrition and moisture.  If you dried it, like our friends do, you could use it instead of the flour. Or instead of flour--I think--even without drying, for a different texture.)
1/2-1 tsp vanilla
3 heaping tablespoons organic, natural peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
1/4-1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (optional)

After mixing these up, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease cookie sheets with coconut oil and drop cookie dough by spoonful or by hand, about 1 1/2 inch round.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Will be crumbly.
 Makes about 20 1 1/2-inch cookies.

Enjoy! :)

Homestead Blessings - Books, Music, and More!

We are blessed to know the West family, a creative, homesteading family.  Please check out their new blog and their website. It's full of photos of the country life, book reviews, and more.  I really enjoy their products.  Their DVDs are inspiring and fun, their books and cards are charming, and their music uplifting!  I especially like "Green Beans in the Garden" and "Rainfalls," from the first CD, and "Farmer's Daughter" and "Be Thou My Vision" from the second CD.  The DVDs cover many practical and unique things, such as sewing, cooking, and candle-making. They are on sale right now--excellent value!

I'm not just saying these things because they're my friends, but because they truly have worthwhile products.  They are just as sweet and hard-working as in their DVDs, and I recommend that you buy their products. :)

Tea

I rarely take time to drink from a proper teacup, though I love the look of those intricately painted porcelains. There is a sweetness and ladylike quality to teacups. Miss Jocelyn (on the Growing in Grace web-site) wanted to see other people's favorite teacups, so this was the impetus for me using one--one with a lovely violet pattern (my favorite of ours). I drank Berry-Good tea by Bigalow.

Here are some of the other teacups that we have, as well.

Chicken Alfredo Fettuccini - Take 1

My family likes my chicken alfredo fettuccini, originally based on a recipe found online. Tonight I decided to experiment a bit...and we didn't have the usual Romano and Parmesan cheese, so I substituted Cheddar and pre-grated, canned Parmesan. I also added some canned pesto and did a few other things differently. It didn't turn out as well as usual, but still my mom and sister rated it about a 7 out of 10 when I asked. My brothers might be a little less generous than that...I didn't ask. ;) Maybe when I make it and it turns out better I'll share the recipe. For now, here is a picture of my 7 of 10 pasta.