The ol' homestead

Beef Taco Skillet

This is one of my kids' favorite suppers. It is very cost effective and is so much better than out-of-a-box dinner. So simple and so good! What more can you ask for.

Beef Taco Skillet

Instructions:

Cook beef in 10" skillet until well browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat.

Stir soup, salsa, water, and tortillas in skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 min. Stir. Top with cheese.

 (Cost per recipe: $7.59)

Oklahoma Deep Freeze

This weeks menu

This week we had the San Diego Darling here and we did some homestyle cooking because she doesn't get to have it much. While she was here she made us chocolate mint cheesecake (from my blog) and carne asada fries.Usually we do not have this many sweets, but with everyone coming and going this week, we did. On Monday we fed 11 people and had a Wii party. FUN!!!!!!!!

MONDAY:

Carne Asada Fries

(French fries, carne asada ((meat)), cheese, sour cream, guacamole)

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

TUESDAY:

Indian Tacos

(fry bread, taco meat, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream)

Ice Cream

WEDNESDAY:

Fried Pork Chops

Fried taters

Buttermilk biscuits (Pioneer Woman's)

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

THURSDAY:

Baked Potato Bar

(Chili, cheese, green onions, butter, sour cream)

Leftover pie

FRIDAY:

Sloppy Joes

BBQ Chips

German Chocolate Cake

Christmas Revisited

Christmas was such a busy time that I didn’t get to blog about several things,  so now I have a little more time I will share with you.

One thing that we had fun with this year was a cookie exchange. I made several dozen of the same kind of cookie and so did the others in the exchange and then we got to gether and exchanged them, so that you end up with a variety without cooking a lot of different kinds. I made whole wheat chocolate mint treasures. In the exchange we received: macadamia nut, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles, biscotti. I added mine to them and they made up nice little cookie platters that we shared with friends. The cookie exchange worked out wonderful.

The oodles of chocolate mint I baked…

Bella is enjoying all the nooks and crannies of our house. She especially likes our messy book shelf. I wish I could blame the mess on her but it was a mess before she claimed it.

We also had lunch with friends at our local pizza joint. TJAF was there with the new boy. We seem to be getting into a habit of calling him Boy and we joke now that he may grow up answering to it. He is a doll though!

Our homeschool co-op had a Christmas party and Grand-doll was staying with us that week and so she got to go along. She met some “friends” and seemed to especially enjoy decorating eating cookies…

Ya know there is skill involved with this decorating...

We had a gift exchange and she loved that too!

All the little girls flocked around TJAF’s new baby boy. Funny how the female sex is attracted to that mothering emotion so young.

Our biggest laugh was that I was in charge of making the decorators icing. Umm yeah, I quite didn’t get it right and it was pretty thin. We tried to use it though and the left overs we left in the kitchen. When we returned, we had the biggest surprise oozing out all over the counter. OH MY! We laughed and laughed as it looked like The Bag Lady dispenser “threw up” reddish pink frosting all over the counter. LOL.

And lastly, my sweet mom made a special birthday cake. Since my birthday is on Christmas and we were going to be out of town, she called to me to come over and she gave me my special carrot cake. Gotta love those moms!

DS game cartridge roll tutorial

After Christmas blues

Happy New year! We had a great Christmas holiday and spent it with Sunshine and dad in Bentonville. We are home now (much to our consternation) and are adjusting like everyone else to the after Christmas blues...

We had a lovely time while there though and I was not able to take many pictures mainly because I was sidetracked by lovely things. The Christmas tree, the wonderful smells coming from the oven and too much rum cake and a sip of rum or two as well. Ah well, it was fantastic and I long to be with Sunshine again to do what we do best...a little bit of everything. Surely our retirement years will be meant for us to be neighbors!

I had Cowgirl Cutie here the other evening and she brought along her young gentlemen friend for us all to meet. He is a nice young man

meant for just her. When the other bigger kids found out she was bringing him to meet everyone here, they all made a special trip home for the evening and boy did they have fun. They laughed and cut up and played a few games and Cowgirl Cutie and I did a few quick crafts before the new year rang in. Don't they look like a super bunch of youngins?

Well I am saddened and dishearted that I ate like a pig and have gained weight. Just why oh why can you put so much weight on in a little time and it take so long to get rid of it. I am planning my next venture of getting it back off...... ugh....

Big Miss has been enjoying her time off from school but is working at Target and is adjusting to handle it all. She is doing great and is working on her wedding plans still. Little Miss loved Christmas and was sad to have to put it all away. I haven't got to see Pianomanjess and Grand-doll mom in a while and am making plans to go see them. Frontier Man takes the car to work now as the tires on the pick-up are slick and not very safe. We plan to get new tires.....it's on the list....somewhere down there anyway, along with all the other waiting needs.

We are starting to adjust without Pippen. He disappeared and was never found. Boy, losing your pet is so hard, sometimes you wonder why you get so attached and you never want to go through with it all over again. But, you do usually. Life without pets is real lonely, I can tell you that for sure.

We are all excited, in about a week and a half, The San Diego Darling (you like her new blog name?) will be here for a visit and we can't wait. Hope she brings a coat! Ya know how these blizzards seem to pop up out of nowhere in Oklahoma anymore. 

Well by the end of the week we are suppose to be in the deep freeze, so hold on to your hats boys, your gonna need the warmth!

Tiny Hats Tutorial ( aka cute winter toboggan ornament )

Well here we are... our little ornament to make for this year. You might remember we made paper stars last year. This year we are making these little hats and they are just too cute! You can make them in 2 colors (just alternate) or one solid color. Ready?

You'll need some yarn, a pair of scissors, a ruler, and a piece of a paper towel roll cut about 1/2" thick.

Cut a handful of yarn strands about 10" long. I find it easiest to wrap them around an appropriately-sized book and cut them.

Make a loop with one piece of yarn and stick the loop up through the cardboard roll.

Wrap the two ends of the yarn up around the front of the cardboard roll and through the loop. Pull tight.

Do this all the way around the loop. You can make it a single color, alternating colors, whatever! It looks like a little hula skirt at this point.

Then turn it inside out by pushing all the yarn ends up through the cardboard roll.

Then tie them tightly with another piece of yarn.

Trim the little pompom at the top of the hat.

Then hang it on your tree!

NOTE TO MOTHERS:

NOTE TO MOTHERS: Turn the kitchen over to your daughters occasionally. Out of their mistakes your indigestion -their wisdom.

note: taken from Kitchen Club Recipes from 1952!!!!

Greek Chicken and Orzo Skillet

Christmas is a comin', Christmas is a comin'... ~la la la la la la~

Good afternoon. Well, looks like Christmas is almost upon us. So exciting, this time of year. Seems to me it gives everyone a feeling of goodwill and hope for the new year. We have been doing alot of Christmas enjoyments here and next week we will do a cookie exchange and Little Miss will have her homeschool co-op Christmas party. They will get to decorate cookies, do some crafts , play games and have a gift exchange. She is really looking forward to it and today she finally got all her work done to start her Christmas break. YAY!

Boy has it been cold here in Oklahoma. My chickies water is frozen and I am hauling water to them outside only to have it re-freeze. The funny thing is though, they are still laying a dozen eggs a day for me. We are keeping them lighted at night and I think that is really helping with their production. I still am able to sell to several people and hopefully it will continue through the winter months. 

TJAF and baby are doing fine. He is a sweet little baby that seems so content. I happened by the other day when he was getting a bath..... oh so sweet!!!

Little Miss and Belle have a favorite spot. They like to look out this window. I HAD to take a picture of how cute they look together...(try to ignore the messy schoolbook shelf)

We are hoping to spend Christmas with Sunshine and dad and are so looking forward to it. We did not make it out for Thanksgiving so we have to make up for lost time. Sunshine and Frontier Man both have several days off and we are just going to party and drink wassail... might even spike it too!

Police Son has moved out with his dad and he has a few good leads on a job, so I am praying fervantly this week for him. Lots of changes, it is hard to adjust sometimes. I am also praying for Pianomanjess as he has a severe sinus infection and has not been able to work. I talked to him last night and now little Grand-Doll is running fever.... phooey on these sicknesses. This week they finally were able to get the car settled but of course, there is not much left to put on another car, but they are looking.

I have been working on a Christmas gift that I would love to show you, but the person who it is for will see it to, so it must wait til after Christmas, so shhhh. It is turning out quite neat though. Here is Belle "helping" with it.

I have been bread making, trying to stash some Cinnamon Swirl into the freezer as soon I will be giving out bread and jam to family and friends. The kitchen smells SO good!

This ...

This has been calling. Can you see?

Here, let me give you a closer look...

Do you see it?

Fabric is calling my name. Every time I walk by. So I have been whispering very queitly back. Soon.Very soon my babies, we will be together. I love youuuuuu.