snapshots

What $2.12 can get you these days... (Udated, with a request)

I am such a nerd! I would have had it for 12 cents, but I forgot to give them one of my coupons. It's just too bad I can't take decent photos, because wouldn't that make it all seem more impressive?

Don't worry, this isn't our complete diet. A lot of it gets stockpiled and used over the next many months, or baked up for youth group snacks and things like that. We own lettuce and stuff too. :)

Updated 11/10: Anyone have a good coupon for a new transmission? (A $3000 off would be helpful). Thank you.

Now what? (My November 1st recipe)

 

Candy Bar Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups quick cook oats

1 egg

1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

4 cups chopped candy bars

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine butter and peanut butter until smooth; add brown sugar and baking soda. Beat well; stir in flour and oats. Set aside 1 3/4 cups of this peanut butter mixture.

Stir egg into remaining mixture in bowl. Pat into a 15x10 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven. Spread Eagle Brand milk over crust. Stir together the reserved peanut butter mixture and chopped candy bars. Sprinkle over the crust. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and cut. (Who doesn't need more sugar added to their piles of sugar?)

 
 The Iron Chef, Target employee, dolphin, and tiny kitten belong to me...

 
 
  

hope hope

Our public library has rotating poems on display outside, written by locals. This one cracks us up.

craftiness is a dominant gene

 (pens available at Sophia's Flowers via Etsy.)

The other day, as I was thinking about my family and my children, I had an epiphany. (Rare.) I am convinced, the crafty habit is passed on from generation to generation. I am not talking about the artistic ability - drawing or painting life-like images, ohhhh nooo, definitely not that. But the craft ability, to love and be at least slightly talented in a few areas. That ability to go to a craft fair, see a few things, and immediately think "I can do that!" And then you go home and pull out the supplies from your already burgeoning craft closet (and armoire, shelf, garage, other closet, and every other nook or cranny where you've stashed) and do reproduce said craft.

I grew up in a house with woodworking, stenciling and macrame (it was the 70's after all), toll painting, sewing, ceramics, candle making, and the like.  My auntie taught me and a few friends to knit placemats when we were 12.  And how to sew bookbags. Cookie Grandma kept us all supplied in cozy crocheted slippers, and there were plenty of foam-filled round crocheted pillows to go around too. Auntie Druann sews, crochets, and has produced three knitting kids.  Cousin Sophia scrapbooks, and has a sweet Etsy shop. There is a quilter, and many bakers and gardeners too. My own kids are into needle felting, scrapbooking, origami, sculpting, card-making and collage.

I wonder if it because of the rich supply of materials available to kids growing up, the example set, or truly inherited. (I know, Deep Thoughts). Agree or disagree?

Enjoy your day!

And oh, a Winner! I had Mady pick a number at random, and Number 3 - You are the one! (Convenient for me, I'll tuck something in with the pea coat. And I promise, I'll take it to the post office today!)

    

Applepalooza

We invited a few homeschool friends over to finish off Apple Week with a party...

 

 
the menu:

whole wheat bagels with peanut butter and apple butter

grilled cheddar and avocado on sourdough

spring greens with apples, gorgonzola, pecans, and balsamic agave vinaigrette

tortilla chips and pico de gallo

and, obviously, apple slices and caramel dip

 




...then, a rousing game of Apples To Apples Jr., and dessert.

 

 

Apple Week

I might just be getting the hang of this homeschooling gig. In addition to the usual morning lessons, this week we ventured into an impromptu Apple Week...

Apple picking, apple concocting (pie, crisp, sauce, cider), learning about Johnny Appleseed, apple poems, a few apple books and videos, and even the discovery of the law of gravity based on a falling apple. (Should  I clarify? We didn't actually discover gravity, that was already done by someone else.)  :)

 
We tried our hands at watercolor paintings. That was fun. (The step by step lesson can be found here.)

 
And we all agreed: independantly - not all that impressive, really. But collectively? They are fantastic!

 
If you want to play along, or bookmark some resources for next autumn even, here they are:  our local library has this apple farming video and this gravity one, this Johnny Appleseed book  we enjoyed, Apple Farmer Annie, and of course, Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss, and about 3 dozen more, if you think to request them from the library sooner than I. :)  For our poetry, we liked printing out this template, and the younger ones used this and this for their handwriting lessons. Here's some chemistry we haven't got to yet, but  it looks fun. If you happen to plan ahead by more than 5 minutes (like me), there are a ton of activities and lessons to be found.

Coming soon: our Apple Party!

Welcome home, October.

   {all photos circa 2007} 

October Intentions:

1. Get back to Squires Lake and see it in it's autumn glory

2. Host an Apple Party

3. Preserve fresh applesauce

4. And pie filling

5. Cozy up the house with the contents of my "Autumn" rubbermaid tote (the usual candles, wreaths, waxed leaves and such)

6. Finish harvesting, then put the Square Foot Garden "to bed"

7. Plant some mums, kale, and fall pansies.

8. Re-open my long-neglected Etsy shop (and sell that cute pea coat Keston is wearing on Ebay!)

9. Plan my knitting-to-be-done projects. (And finally finish those fingerless mittens, sheesh!)

10. And of course, the obligatory jaunt to Stoney Ridge for cider donuts and a wagon ride.

And how about you, what are your plans? Tell me, tell me, and I'll give one of you some sort of autumn-y-ish prize.