Posted By Morning Sunshine
We are not BIG turkey fans around here, but when the local grocery gives you turkey vouchers every time you shop, and you get some extras from a friend.... well, I got a 16# turkey for $.02. Free food, really.
but - we are only 5 people, who have a hard time eating a 5# roast chicken in 3 meals. So, how does one deal with 16# of meat? Even free meat. Well, a little research gives some ideas...... http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--436/cutting-up-a-whole-turkey.asp great illustrations of how to butcher a turkey. Give it a minute - for some reason this site was slow to load even on my usually fast connection. and the USU extension service has this PDF: http://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/files/uploads/fn290.pdf. (I hope this works - I have never linked to a PDF before...) this is cool because it claims that you do not have to fully defrost the turkey to butcher it, and then you can refreeze the portions... definitely helpful in my situation. It does mean that I will have to work fast though, and have freezer space ready and waiting. Still..... a handy thing to know. Oh, and assuming we can manage a 5# chicken in 3 meals, a 16# turkey could conceivably last us for 10-12 meals. Not bad for 2 cents!  Have a great Thanksgiving! |
Posted By GrandmaRosie in I BELIEVE
As some of you know my lovely little grand daughter, Velvet Rose, age 11, lives with me. She has been here since around the first of the school year. Velvet suffers with Bi-Polar Disorder, ADHD and ODD. In early Sept. she was hospitalized for being suicidal. When she was released she came home with me instead of her parents. She has made great progress here with her grandpa and I. But on Tuesday she had to admitted to the hospital again. She has been having bouts of very manic behaviour followed by severe depression. This is a way of life for those having Bi-Polar disorders. She is a precious little girl who loves Jesus and her family very much. Please help us pray for her to be healed. I know God wants her to have a more stable life. She needs peace of mind only He can give her. |
Posted By Ye Olde Scarecrow
For the dough you will need:
Dissolve yeast in a large bowl in one cup of warm milk, add 1 cup of flour, cover and let raise a little. Cream in butter. sugar, eggs and salt. Then add remaining flour and milk until a good ball of dough is formed. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Once the dough has doubled, heavily spread powered sugar out on the table (to prevent the dough from sticking) and roll the dough out to form a long thin rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Now you are ready for the filling. For the filling you will need:
Spread about half of the melted butter all over the top of the rolled dough then heavily sprinkle on the cinnamon, cover all the dough evenly. Next pile on the brown sugar (don't be shy) lay it on thick, this will form a caramel once baked. Now comes time to roll the dough jelly roll style, starting at one of the long ends of the rectangle, start rolling slowly and evenly. Remember to stretch the roll outwards as rolling to increase it's length, once done the cinnamon roll should look like this light brown slimy snake on your table. (yummy) It is now time to cut the cinnamon rolls, some use a knife but Mother Scarecrow taught me to use a string to get the beat cuts with delicate pastries such as this. Simply lift the end of the roll and slide a length of stout string under the dough and crossing them over at the top, then by pulling both ends, the string cuts evenly from all directions and the roll stays intact. Repeat until all the rolls are cut and place them on a greased baking sheet, cover and let raise another hour. (I know, spend more time raising and not eating, but the wait is worth it) Preheat the oven to 350º degrees and brush the tops of each roll with the remaining melted butter (which by now needed remelted), sprinkle on some more brown sugar and they are ready to go in the oven. Bake at 350º degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, remove and set to slightly cool on a wire rack before drizzling on the final toping. For the topping you will need:
In a large cup, fill it with a goodly amount of powdered sugar and add small amounts of milk to get it to mix with a fork, you want this thick. Add a small amount of vanilla or almond extract (I prefer almond) to the glaze for flavoring. If it is too thick, add more milk, too thin add more powdered sugar, use your own judgement. Once mixed, drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and that is it. Now you have the power to make the kids clean up your mess if they want some. (ha ha ha) Hope you enjoy them. |
Posted By Crystal Miller
 Well my house has been full of activity, voices chatting and music playing today. The girls and I have been baking and cooking in preparation for tomorrow. We started the morning by putting on Christmas music to give us all a holiday feel.
 And it worked.. we rolled up our sleeves and got busy in the kitchen. Amazing what four ladies working side by side can accomplish.So far here is what we have done:
Pot roast in the crockpot (that is for tonight’s dinner)
Bread cubed and dried for stuffing (I’ll make the stuffing tomorrow morning)
2 pumpkin pies made
1 batch dinner roll dough made, rolled into rolls and flash frozen. We will take them out of the freezer tomorrow morning and bake them as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven.
1 apple pie is currently being made
8lbs potatoes peeled
Jello salad all made
Tomorrow will be a quiet Thanksgiving Day with my family but I am very much looking forward to it. We have so much to be thankful to God for.. His blessings are never ending! May the Lord bless you as you share your Thanksgiving meal tomorrow with your family…
From my thankful heart to yours..
Crystal |
Posted By Morning Sunshine
Okay, I do not usually do so many quizzes, but this one was kind of fun. Do not ask me what the last question means..... I am very removed from popular culture, so that might explain it! LOL!
What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?
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Posted By Morning Sunshine
I think this is interesting, and I can accept this assessment of my personality, but.... isn't basil an herb, not a spice?
oh, and I think there is a mistype on it - I hope I am loved by MOST people, not POST people! LOL What Spice Are You?
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Posted By Ashley in Thoughts & Ideas
“I am trying to move my dd to a big bed, but she doesn't want to sleep in it. She was very excited about getting a big girl bed but now that it's here, she doesn't it. She is 2 1/2 and I moved all her sisters at about this age with no problem. Do you have any tips for me?” Dear Tina, Hmmm . . . maybe? Keep in mind that I don’t have a daughter (that I’m aware of, we suspect, at times, this baby is a girl but have no way of knowing – yet!) and I’ve not waited until 2.5yo to make the shift to a “big bed”. That said, my oldest was strongly bonded to his crib at a mere 15mo, which we didn’t realize until we tried to move him. No amount of gradual-ness helped him adjust. He does not like change (he takes after mama, *blush*) and he would cry and try to climb into his crib. Heartbreaking! Sometimes, trying to be gentle, I think we make it harder than it has to be. At times it’s actually easier to simply make a change and expect a few days of adjustment, rather than keep trying to make it enjoyable. With Samuel, what helped the most was that we took down the crib and put the bed exactly where his crib had been. That was very, very difficult for me, because I enjoyed the security of the crib to contain him, and I was used to putting him to bed and letting him play around and fall asleep. I wanted the crib around in case he didn’t make the switch – but being able to see it, I think, was rough on him. I didn’t like the “no-going-back” feeling that taking down the crib gave me – remember, I don’t like change much, either, unless it is my idea! LOL My boys also have a soft blankie that they sleep “on”. I launder it infrequently, so it smells like them. We were fortunate to be able to make the shift from the crib to the toddler bed and ended up using the exact same mattress (even though the toddler bed came with one), sheets, and his blankie. Once he was asleep, things at least felt and smelled familiar when he would wake up at night. [One of Elijah's last naps in his crib.]
Elijah has no such difficulties crawling into bed with his crib right beside him. I was prepared to take it down, but it’s like he doesn’t care at all. The difficulty I find with my 2.5yo is that he talks. So I want to reason with him, and help him understand, when often, my reasoning is beyond him or it’s too much for him to follow or my logic just doesn’t make sense to him. But I end up cajoling, explaining, and trying to create excitement in him when I really don’t want to discipline. Sometimes, he just has to pick up his toys, just because I tell him too, and I don’t have to try to make a game of it. I guess I would let go of my expectations of making it an “exciting move” for her to move to the big bed, let your dd spend a few days adjusting. You keep being excited about it (but not to the point that you’re annoying, lol) – but let her be grumpy or whatever. After a few days, when she’s made the transition and it’s not quite as horrible to her, then start building it up again – “You sleep in a big bed like Mommy!” “I’m so proud of you for sleeping in your big bed!”. By that time, her negative emotions are not as strong, and you aren’t trying to over-ride them, and you can help her to actually enjoy and take pride in the bed she has now. And really, it’s okay to be annoyed, or irritated, or even upset when a change like that happens outside of your control – I think a good comparison would be coming home to find new living room furniture…unless you hated it, it might take a few days for the new stuff to grow on you! Fit-throwing I wouldn’t allow; adjustment, yes. Just how I would handle it personally . . . as always, take with a grain of salt and if it doesn’t work for you or fit the situation, that’s just fine. *smile* ~Ashley~ |
Posted By Ashley in Homesteading Thoughts
Of course, I’m tickled. Jonathan mounted the mill to my baker’s rack last night, and I ground enough flour to make pancakes this morning out of wheat flour instead of blender pancakes.
And the flour . . . oh, the flour is so, so fine. It's brown-ish. But the texture is like white flour!!!! My mill is a Country Living Grain Mill, which is a heavy, solid creation that is actually more beautiful than the website can display. I love it! While it says it needs to be attached to a surface either attached to the floor or wall, my baker’s rack is neither and using the mill doesn’t seem to overly stress it. I have my baker’s rack covered in glass jars full of food stuff, and none of them budged as the rack moved slightly while I ground. Jonathan can grind with one hand and hold the baker’s rack steady with the other; I’m not quite as strong as to do that yet! *smile*
Moving on to other homesteady-things . . . everyone’s heard of butter bells, right? Those handly little things that let you keep butter at room temperature for a month? Safely? Well, I want one. I’m not sure how terribly much I need one; but I want one! I think they are so nifty. Now, to start making more bread so that I need room temp, spread-able butter! I also found that the same web site carries stainless steel cookie sheets and jelly roll pans!!!! For under $20 each. I really detest aluminum, and never, ever ever(!) put food directly on it. So these are also on my wish list . . . even though I finally broke down and bought the cheapest aluminum cookie sheet ever just so I would have two . . . about a month ago. *sigh* Ain’t that how it works??? Lastly, I want . . . no, I really need Gamma seals. I can find icing buckets, but Gamma seals would truly make my life easier. I tend to buy organic staples in 50lb bags, and I like these lids. Storing in plastic has it’s flaws, but this is about as good as it gets. Seriously! No more screwdrivers to pry off lids or sore fingers or frustrated pregnant mama trying to get at her stored food stuff. And, if you look at the link provided, that’s the best price I can find. If you can do better than $5 a lid, let me know. Every place else I can find sells them for $7.50 and UP.
And I really need to sew up these leather-bottomed shoes for Elijah. He has shoes, but . . . I want to learn to make these. They could be SO cost-effective if I could figure out how to make shoes like this for my toddlers. Plus I think he would like them better than what he has. My first attempt was pretty dismal. I decided to call the first pair “practice” and I still have one shoe to try to make work before I get serious. Doesn’t look that hard, does it? The problem is, I need to slow waaaaaay down and read the directions several more times. And I should probably be reading the directions sllloooower! Me and sewing … it’s truly astonishing how well I can mess up a simple project! |
Posted By GrandmaRosie in THE WORD
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! The stone which the builders rejected For His mercy endures forever. |
Posted By CandyFoote
Let's have a happy Thanksgiving week sale!!!! When you buy one book, email me and I will send you your choice of a second book for FREE! Don't you just love FREE?!? "The Word of God on Prosperity" "The Word of God on Healing" "The Word of God on Being a Woman, a Wife, and a Mother" "The Parables of Jesus Christ" |