Homestead Dreams

We celebrated his birthday with quite a houseful.  He had three of his friends here, plus a few other friends and family..  had to pull out a second table to serve dinner.. but it was lots of fun!   

Here are a couple pictures of my boy and his special day.. 

Love you so much Mr. I !!   

    My husband takes two sandwiches to work every day.  Typically I was using lunch meat.  He liked lunch meat and it was easy and convenient for me.  But it was not great for the budget or a healthy choice either.  Lunch meat is processed and full of non healthy ingredients and loaded with sodium.   

So here is what I have been doing to cut the cost of purchasing lunch meat and improving health while I am at it!  

When I started I took a whole chicken and cooked it in the crockpot.  When it was done I deboned the meat and chopped it up into small pieces.  I divided the meat into 3 containers.  One I used the week I made it and the other two went in the freezer.  To make a sandwich I took the chopped chicken meat and added a little salt, pepper and mayonnaise to it.  I used this chicken spread for the week.  My hubby loved it and I loved the savings.   

Sandwich meat can run anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per pound (and up, but that is the range I have paid).  I buy about a pound or so a week.  My chicken cost me about $5.00 and I had enough meat from it for 3 weeks.   

The second type of sandwich meat I made was beef.  I will have a harder time giving you an accurate cost calculation on this because we buy our beef from a local farmer and buy a whole cow each year.  But I can tell you what I did.  I put a small beef roast into the crockpot (I will guess maybe 4lbs) and let this cook for a good long time… until the meat was falling apart.  I then removed bone and fat and chopped this up and was able to divide it into 4 containers (I figure about 2 cups of meat is what I need per week).  I used it the same way I used the chicken. I added salt, pepper and mayonnaise to the chopped meat and used this to make sandwiches.  I also added a little Dijon mustard as well and that gave it a really nice flavor.   

The cost of this meat would be determined by how much you paid for the roast.  You can use an inexpensive cut of roast like a rump roast or a chuck roast to do this.   

Putting the meat into the freezer also means that I have the added bonus of this being very convenient (one of the reasons I liked lunch meat).  After cooking just one chicken and the roast I ended up with enough lunch meat for 7 weeks of lunches. 

**These are things in the recipes for the caramel cakes, previous post.

To make your own half-and-half -

Melt 4 1/2 tsp. butter and put in a one cup measure.  Let it cool.  Add enough milk to make one cup.

Homemade caramel sauce -

1/2 C. butter (no substitutions)

1 C. brown sugar

2/3 C. heavy whipping cream (which is 3/4 C. milk w/ 1/3 C. melted & cooled butter added in -- for cooking only, not whipping)

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter.  Add brown sugar, whisk until combined & thickened, about 2 min.  Whisk in the whipping cream, until thoroughly blended, about 2 more min.  Mix in the vanilla until combined.  This sauce will thicken up more when refrigerated.

I have two separate recipes, both for caramel cakes, calling my name.  I really have no excuse to make *2* cakes...I don't have another BIG potluck until June. And I simply cannot wait until June to try these recipes out.  Although April and May both have two youth/devo potlucks...

I may just have bake both of them and then share with friends. 

And because I do not want to be the only person preoccupied with these two cakes, I'm going to share the recipes for both of them with you.  Because your hips needs just a tiny bit more padding.  Trust me, they do.  I say it with love.

Brown sugar caramel cake w/ burnt sugar icing

(it doesn't get more southern that this y'all)

2 C. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 C. firmly packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

3/4 C. vegetable oil

1/2 C. buttermilk

1/2 C. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. maple extract

Preheat over to 350*.  Spray cake pans with baking spray and dust with flour.  In a med. bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.  Now beat brown sugar and eggs at med.-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 min.  Add oil & beat until combined.  Set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and extracts.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk mixture in 3 batches and beating well between each one.  Pour batter into pans and smooth tops.  Bake about 30 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  Top with burnt sugar icing.

Burnt sugar icing

4 1/2 C. sugar, divided

2 (5 oz.) cans evaporated milk

1 C. unsalted butter, softened

*Before you begin, note that 2 pans will be on the heat at the same time.

Place 1/2 C. sugar in a small saucepan or skillet.  Set on stove.  Place remaining 4 C. sugar, evap. milk, & butter in a large saucepan.  Set on stove.  Cook sugar in small pan over med.-high heat, whisking constantly until carmelized or amber colored, about 4 min.  At the same time, bring ingredients in large pan to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.  The objective here is for these ingredients to come to a boil at the same time as the sugar in the other pan turns amber in color.  When milk mixture begins to boil, carefully add caramelized sugar, stirring constanty.  (This will be very hot and may give off hot steam, be careful!)  Cook for 3 min., stirring constantly.  Remove from heat & cool 1 min.  Beat at med. speed for 1 min. & use immendiately.

***Recipe #2***

Quick & Easy Caramel Cake

2 C. cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 C. half and half

2 (12 oz.) jars prepared caramel topping, divided

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 13x9 pan with spray and dust with flour.  In a med. bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 min.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla, stirring to combine.  With beater at low speed, add flour in 3 batches, alternating w/ half and half and beating until smooth.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake 25-30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Using a wooden spoon handle, poke several holes in warm cake.  Pour 1 jar prepared caramel topping over cake.  Let cake sit at room temp. to absorb caramel and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Cream cheese & caramel frosting

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 C. confectioners sugar

Combine cream cheese and vanilla.  Beat at med. speed until creamy, about 2 min.  Add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth,  Spread over cooled cake,  Pour remaining 1 jar of caramel topping over frosting in a zigzag pattern.  Drag a butter knife through caramel topping to create desired design.  Store tightly covered in fridge for up to 5 days.

DAFFODILS!!! Woooooohoooooo! That means spring time is here!! When we saw them yesterday all bloomed out I almost cried I was so estatic--I felt relief flood over me--Its been a very long hard winter for us and I am so ready for the reprieve that spring will bring to our farm--So much good is going on in our life right now--I will post about it more when I have more details--I just don't wanna say to much and then have it fall apart--so I will contain myself until I have more information--

Now to get my blog all done-up for spring--I am so happy I could dance a little jig!!!

~Kris

Dearest came home last night IN A MOOD.  He had a hard stressful day at work, a co-worker said some ugly things, and as soon as he walked in the door, he saw something that Noah had broke and BOOM....he over reacted. 

Later, he told me that a gal from work asks him every day how I am.  I said, oh, that is so sweet!!!  He wrinkled his nose at me and continued his story.  He said EVERY DAY she asks how I am and he says she is doing great, but a little tired.  And her response is, so she is making you do all the housework huh???  His response is, I help a little with dishes and laundrty.  Her response floors me.........Well, I think she is just faking it so you will have to do everything around the house.  Being tired with pregnancy is just an exxcise for being lazy, and she is using it to her advantage!!!

WHAT??????  Now my question is.....even if you THOUGHT such a rediculous thing.....WOULD YOU SAY IT OUT LOUD?????   My hubs has been so sweet....so understanding......and when I do offer to do something......he makes me sit down.  He doesn't complain....not at all......and I love him for it.  He loves it when I compliment him and tell him how much he has helped me.  He loves helping anyway....it's his personality.  He and this co-worker don't  talk much to each other, but all of a sudden, she seems to think he needs someone to complain to about all that he is forced to do since his lazy barefoot and pregnant wife can't or won't do around the house.   He said God was truly watching him as he shrugged his shoulders and walked away, because he said what he really wanted to do was leap over her desk and.....well it wasn't nice.

So, I ask you ladies.....why is it....when someone has an "invisible" medical situation.....people think you are just being lazy when you are tired and need some extra rest????  I say invisible because this is the way people treat people who don't have medical sickness symptoms.  People with depression are treated the same way.  Loved ones tell them to get over it........but don't you think if it were that easy....they would???   Women who are pregnant are sometimes (by people who either didn't have the same symptoms or are too old to remember them perhaps) treated like they are lazy because they often need extra rest.  I am BAKING A BABY HERE!!!  Using up more energy sitting on my butt watching Rachel Ray than she does at work sitting at her desk all day (she is handicapped, so you would think she would understand and not be so judgmental towards others....makes you think doesn't it???).

Anyone else experience this???? I have a group of family members and friends who check on me regularly....and 99% of them have told me to rest, the dust bunnies will be there romorrow (LOL), and encourages me to go to bed early if needed.  But one person.....one worm in the apple so to speak......spreads such ugly comments and I start rethinking myself!!!  I even flat out asked Matthew last night.......do YOU think that is what I am doing????  NO!!!!!! He said.   Do you think I need to get more done around here????   With my help hun.....I don't want you to over do it....I have seen you overdo it and I don't want that to happen!!!  (See many don't know that I was spottiing there for a few weeks....and my nurse told me to take it easy and rest as much as possible and then slowly work my activity level back up when I finally stopped.  We didn't tell alot of people that because we didn't need the negative comments!)

I am so blessed friends.....with a hubby that truly understands ME, doesn't listen to others, but hears what my heart says, listens to the Lord and follows his guidance and loves me unconditionally.  To have  a son whose laughter is the light of our home!!  I love him so much!!!  And our new blessing........waiting to be born.......I am overjoyed!!!!!    I need to let go of this upset.......and let god pour his love and blessings on me today.  Please soften this lady's heart at work dear Lord, and watch over my husband's mouth and actions as he has to deal with her today. 

The last few days, we had some lovely weather. I made a run to the local yard waste landfill, and picked up a truck load of soil for the raised bed gardens. You can't beat the price. $10 - and enough soil to fill my raised bed, Mrs. Q's raised bed, and spread lots of soil on the yard to help the grass grow.

My kiddos helping unload at her house.




While we were outside, Little Mama made a new friend.





With the great weather, we decided it was the perfect day to fire up the grill. While we were out there, we saw something really nice.

Look in the sky....


It was a string of airplanes coming in to the nearby Air Force base. If you live around here, and know about some of the things going on....you know that those planes were full of soldiers, who had been gone from their families for the last year.

And the really great part, is that this is a group that left shortly before "our guys."

You know what that means?

It's all the closer to my own husband, and "Mrs Q's" husband being home as well.

I can't wait, honey!

In a typical day of homeschooling in our house, we have a continual companion in the classroom.

Hickory Pete of course.

This is his particularly favorite place to lay. Right in front of...or ON Joshua's work.



Sometimes he has to reach out and encourage Joshua - he just can't help himself. "Way to go Josh! Slap me some paw!"


He is perfectly happy here.



Until he sees something that catches his interest.




In this picture from the last post, he had decided to play with my packet of tissues.....it is allergy season.



He's a very smart cat. He learns by osmosis.



I'm all about reading. My kiddos are always reading something. Sometimes I assign a specific book for a specific reason - like Homer's Odyssey when we were studying the Greeks & Romans. Other times I let them pick a book from the collection on the shelf.

This is what Jennifer has picked to read next. She just finished Robinson Crusoe.



And this is what Joshua has chosen next. He just finished Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

  Has your child ever said they were bored? Mine has, many of times. I always tell them that if they're bored I can surely find something for them to do.  All of sudden they don't seem so bored anymore, or at least they don't mention it anymore.  LOL

   As an adult and a parent, I love bored. Bored means all is well, nothing bad is going on, there is no drama.  My best friend "D" has a life that I in no way, shape or form would want. I love her to death but her life is full of mishaps, drama, tears, and breakdowns. I have known her for over 20 years and I don't think there was one month that went by that she didn't have something going on in her life. Don't get me wrong I don't have this perfect drama-less life, but nothing compared to her's. She is always in my prayers. Just recenly her 5 year old grand daughter spilt hot coffee on her leg and had to spend the night in the burn unit with 2nd degree burns. But I will say this, that no matter what is thrown her way, her faith never weakens. She is a rock.

    Today my day will be filled with rounding up dust bunnies, cooking, mopping, making beds, teaching my son school and possible working in the yard. Boring? YEP! But I thank God everyday for my boring life. I wouldn't want it any other way.