Tattling...Good or Bad??

I used to think that parents who complained about their kids tattling were nuts! I always thought what better way to be sure that people are following the rules when I just can't be everywhere, right?! I had just saw a friend looking for suggestions on Facebook on how to curb her sons tattling, and was very surprised to see how many people responded with help for her! No thank you, I thought. That was until this morning!

Matt had to run an errand and so it left me with the boys to get ready for church. No biggie...we get ready, the 4 of us every day. On a "normal" morning though, it entails me getting a shower before everyone is awake, so that was the curve ball. I laid Joshua down for a nap, set the boys up with a game, explained to them I needed them to be quiet for 10 minutes, get along and not fight. "Okay, mommy, we'll be good!" That was too good to be true!

I was in the shower not more then a few minutes when I heard my bedroom door opening, and the first little tattler was walking in telling me something the other little one did. After a hush and a look, he escorted himself out of the room quietly and shut the door. Two seconds later, I hear the second little tattler come in. Same story...over and over and over and over. I lost count of the amount of times these little heathens had come in! "Mom, Parker is taking the stockings off the hooks on the fireplace." "Mom, Peyton won't talk (answer) me." "Mom, Parker won't give me my car." "Mom, Peyton won't play volleyball with me." "Mom, he hit me!" "Mom he touched me!" "MOMOMOMOMOMOMOM!"

I think since this morning, I'll definitely have a different view on tattling! Can someone send me the tips on how to curb it! :)

Overnight Oatmeal

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut or regular oats (NOT Quick Oats!)
4 cups water
1/2 cup milk ****adjusted to 1 cup
1/4 cup brown sugar ****adjusted to 1/8 cup
1 TBS butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract ****adjusted to to 1/4 tsp
1 tsp cinnamon **** adjusted to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine all in crockpot and cook on low for 8hrs.  ****adjusted to 6 hours

I put out all sorts of things for the boys to add on their own....brown sugar (hence why I decreased the amount in the ingredients), rasins, crasins, honey, milk, cinnamon and sugar.

****I adjusted the original recipe because when made the original way, I had oatmeal stuck to my crockpot and I felt it was too dry. The new adjustments made it PERFECT! My kiddos ate it up!

Variations
Add up to 1 C raisins/dried fruit before cooking.
Add 1 chopped fresh apple before cooking.
Top with fresh fruit (in season) or canned fruit (drained).
Add a pat of butter or a dollop of jam/preserves.

Homemade Butter...Fun with the kiddos!

BP was telling me how he made butter at school one day for snack! I would have never thought of trying to do this with my kids, and then a recipe came along in a magazine the other day.


Homemade Butter in Minutes

Measure 1 cup heavy cream and pour it into a jar that holds at least 24 ounces. Put on the lid-and make sure it's tight.

Shake, Rattle and Roll: Take turns with your kid shaking the jar an rolling it around on the floor. After 2-3 minutes, the heavy cream will turn into whipped cream. Let the jar rest for about 10 minutes as the cream deflates.

Shake for another minute or so until it separates and voila...butter! Strain any excess buttermilk and get the bread ready!

No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

So I was just getting off the computer, satisfied with my menu for Thanksgiving and I found this recipe! Pretty sure I'll be making this too...maybe no brownies!? Maybe we'll do it all!

No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Recipe inspired by this pie.

• 15 oz pureed pumpkin (or 1 can)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
• level 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• optional: sweetener (Taste first. I thought it was sweet enough without additional sweetener.)

Melt the chocolate (either on the stove or in the microwave), then throw everything into a food processor and blend until it is super-smooth. Pour into a pie crust and fridge until chilled. This pie gets firmer and firmer, the longer it sits.

****This recipe proved a little challenging for me! I don't have a food processor, so I used my blender. That didn't do much of anything other then make a mess. I then transferred it all to my Bullet, which rendered the same results. I then found an old, small food processor handed down to me from my mom in the back of the cupboard. This didn't do much either. I ended up using my hand mixer, and got much better results. I, did however, want a more smooth consistency, but it'll work for now! I now know what to put on my Christmas list! :) I also ended up having to make an additional 1/2 batch because it only filled up the premade graham cracker crust 2/3 full, and it just didn't look right. I'm sure I lost quite a bit of filling transferring it to and from all the appliances. The filling tasted great, before it was even chilled. It would make for a fine mousse! I'm so excited to try this out tomorrow especially once it's been chilled for a bit!

Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatos

Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatos

8-10 potatos
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/2- 1 1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
2-3 TBSP italian seasoning
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper

Boil potatoes until they are soft. Drain and mash potatos.
Add the rest of the ingredients to taste.

**These were interesting! They were kind of "sticky", and I'm thinking that was from the mayo. I did put the recommended amount of cayenne pepper, and it was too spicy for me! Aside from the spicy kick these were so yummy!!

Brownies

Brownies

½ cup canola oil

1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake pan for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack then place in refrigerator to cool down even more. The brownies are best when they've had time to cool and develop their flavor!

Pumpkin Bars

I'm going to post all my Thanksgiving recipes so I'm not searching all over on Thanksgiving morning! Here's another great recipe from MSPI Mama! LP insists that a party just isn't a party unless you have cake! We had a Husker party a few weeks ago, and thank God I had some leftover chocolate cake...it would have been a nightmare otherwise! I'm planning on trying my hand at decorating the cake! We'll see how that works out! :)


Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-2 cans MSPI-friendly cream cheese frosting, such as Pillsbury

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased jelly roll baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars

***OH MY GOODNESS!! These were SO good, and they are SO gone already! So moist and had the perfect pumpkin taste! I can't wait to make another batch!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's pizza night at our house...nothing fancy...just frozen! :) I've had a darn cold this week so I'm sacrificing my dinner (I can't eat frozen pizza) for convenience tonight! I'm too tired to bake a pizza, but not tired to bake pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

                   

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.           
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.         
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm

I got this recipe on Allrecipes.com. From the reviews they are a more "cakey" cookie! Fine by me...it's chocolate and pumpkin...my two favorite foods right now!!

Chili Mac

I found this recipe on MSPImama.com. She's got some great recipes for my particular diet with Joshua. We've made this a few times before and LOVED it! Aside for the first time when I didn't have chili powder, so I used cayenne pepper! :)

Chili Mac

½ lb. lean ground beef or turkey

½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. canola oil
8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 16-oz. can kidney or pinto beans, undrained
1 cup frozen corn
1 16-oz. can plain tomato sauce
1 cup water, plus more as needed
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt


In a large skillet coated with the oil, brown ground meat, onion and garlic. Drain off any extra fat and return pan to the burner. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, turn heat down, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid noodles sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add additional water, ½ cup at a time, until macaroni is properly cooked and to make sauce thinner, as needed. Adjust seasonings to taste.


I love her extra tip! At first I thought this recipe would never be enough for my meat loving family! So to make a full pound and freeze half for next time was a little scary! It worked perfect and the pasta helped fill our bellies!! Here's her tip:

Tip: Do yourself a favor and go ahead and cook a full pound of ground beef/turkey and double the onions and garlic. Once cooked, set aside half the mixture to cool while you continue with the rest of the recipe. Once the extra meat mixture has cooled, package it, label it, and pop it in the freezer. Next time you go to make Chili Mac, half the work will already be done!

Apple Pie

9-inch pastry shell, unbaked, chilled

6 cups peeled, sliced cooking apples

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb Topping:

1 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soft butter

Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter; blend until crumbly then set aside.

 Combine apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; mix gently to coat apple slices.

Pack apple mixture into chilled crust.

Sprinkle crumb topping over apples.

Bake in 375° oven until apples are tender, about 50 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole MSPI Friendly

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups rice milk
1 Tbsp margarine
2-3 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2-3 Tbsp cold water before added to warmed milk/broth mixture)

All spices to taste:
garlic powder
salt
pepper
thyme
sage
rosemary

4 cans cut green beans
3 cups french fried onions

Boil ingredients together in sauce pan. Stir until creamy. Add mushrooms if desired. Adjust spices as needed to your taste preference. Add sauce to a 3 quart dish, add 4 cans of drained green beans and stir. Add 2 cups french fried onions and stir. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Top with remaining french fried onions and bake an additional 15 minutes.


**I am a huge fan of the traditional GBC, but the MSPI diet is going to dash that dream this year. BOOHOO! I had to do quite a bit of adding spices, but am satisfied enough with the outcome. Still not as great as the traditional GBC!

Autumn Harvest Pork Loin

1 cup apple juice/cider
1 1/2-2 pound pork loin (I used a 2 1/2 pound pork roast)
salt
pepper
2 large apples (I used honeycrisp), peeled and sliced
1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage

Heat juice in hot skillet. Sear pork on all sides.
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper on all sides and place in slow cooker with juices.
Combine apples and squash. Sprinkle with herbs. Stir. Place around pork.
Cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (for the pork roast, I did more like 8-10).
Remove pork from cooker. Let stand 10-15 minutes.
Slice and serve with apples and squash.

Herb Roasted Potato's

5-6 med sized Red Potato's, cut into chunks
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp Cayenne powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix potato's and seasonings in a bowl to coat. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.
Bake 15-20 minutes, checking and flipping potato's frequently to avoid sticking to the pan.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used Ricemilk and noticed no problems)
2/3 cup quick oats (recipe called for breadcrumbs)
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sage
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2-3 Tbsp ketchup

Combine everything but ketchup. Shape into a 6" loaf and place in a greased cooker.

Cover and cook for 6 hours or until done.

Spoon ketchup over meatloaf, cover, and cook on high for 30 minutes.


I served this with herb roasted potato's and organic green beans.
Such a great comfort food!! So delicious! Enjoy!

There is sunshine after the rain.

I'm just amazed by God! His blessings to me are ever abundent! When my life seems like it's spiraling out of control, He always finds a way to shower me with blessings. Matt's job has been in limbo for about a month or so now. He's just not been content or happy with his company and their direction. He's hated being so far away from his family during the day, and working crazy hours to manage an office. He's talked about moving on with his life, as far as his job is concerned, but that has scared my pants off. Witht he way the economy is, and especially the construction industry, I just felt that Matt should stay put and count his blessings. He was laying people off on a regular basis and here he was complaining that he wanted a new job. We'd pray and ask God to keep him content and help him to find joy in his job. The market picked up and Matt was so busy, there was no time for him to complain. It hasn't been until recently that he's become unsettled again. We've just prayed that God would have His will, and He has opened so many doors for us with this whole situation. I can't help but sit back and be totally amazed and bask in God's blessings!

It's definitally been a crazy few weeks, with the final decision making to the actually letting the company know, that we are just ready for the next phase in this. God has had his hand in this the whole way through and we know that He has our best intrest at heart. I know Matt is feeling antsy to get today done and over with, (he has one final last meeting with the old company), and then he should be golden to start with the other company. (He's been off for what seems like two weeks now!)I, however, am savoring every second that I have my husband home with me. I'm sitting here watching him play outside with P, and just blessed by his imense love for his son! P is eating it up as his daddy is the most important man in his life! It's also been a blessing that we've gotten a lot of much needed stuff done, and most importantly quality time together as a family!

Thank you, Jesus, for showering us with blessings during this time in our lives! Help us to continue to see your hand at work in all things!