Sunday, September 18, 2005

Filling the freezer

Well I have been doing a restocking of the freezer for winter, and also because of the busy time of fall. So far I have done the ground beef, tomorrow or later today I will do the chicken. Here is a list of what I have in the freezer now:


 


2- Lasagna


2- Shepard’s pie kit (beef, sauce, corn and cheese I just add the potatoes when I bake it)


2- cubed steak and twice stuffed potatoes


1-     Fish sticks and Mac and cheese


2-     Meatloaf


3-     Hamburger meal


1-     Hot dog meal (2 packs of hotdogs)


1-     Steak-um and sub rolls


1-     Brockwurst


1-     Italian Sausage patty


1-     Taco- Kit (beef, cheese, soft tortilla shells)


2-     Chili Kits (beef and seasoning – add beans and sauce from pantry)


3-     Sloppy Joe kits (beef, rolls, French fries – add sauce pantry)


4-     Ground turkey (this I use in Hamburger helper)


 


This gives me 26 meals for dinner so far I should get another 7 out of the chicken today.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Feeling Blond and Polish

We have an ongoing joke in our home about some of the things I as mom do as I am blond and Polish. Well I have been wonderning for over a year why is it when I buy alot of food for the frezzer it still is not frozen solid the next morning. The frezzer we have was given to me by mom and dad and I always remember stuff being frozen solid, but mom and dad never bought as much at one time as I do living in the middle of no where.

Well while trying to find papers about someting else, I look in the file cabient and wow there was a file labeled frezzer. So after having this frezzer for over 2 years I read the manual, and found out there is a temp. control on the frezzer. In my defense I have to say it was well hidden behind a panel that didn't look like it was supposed to come off, I had looked before for the temp control and not finding thought it didn't have one.

Well I pried the cover off and found the temp control and it was set at the lowest setting, so I turned it up to a colder setting and hope that it works. I guess I will see in a couple of hours, and with me doing some OMAC tomorrow it is a good thing I found it.

In my house they call this a blond, Polish moment, I will have to write about the case of the missing turkey some time. That one was a really good blond, Polish moment or Margie as it is only something I would do.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Patrick's schooling

My son Patrick has set what I would think is an odd schedule for doing schoolwork. My husband requires that he wake up with the other kids so he gets up a 7 eats breakfast, gets dressed, and usally does his history reading for the day. Then he turns around and goes back to sleep for 2 hours, gets up eats and then does math or science. Then after every one goes to bed at 8pm he pulls out the rest of his work and just gets it all done with no problem.


 


So even though this seems weird to me, one of the nice things about homeschooling him is that he gets to work when his  brain works the best. And I get to shake my head and hope that some day he finds a job working 3-11.

Nolan's glasses

Yesterday I took Nolan the youngest boy to the eye doctor, he had injured his eye with a knife a couple of weeks ago. Well his eye is healed but instead of 20/20 in that eye he has 20/30. And I found out that he has trouble focusing when reading, so he is getting bi-focals for kids, were the top part will be clear glass, and the lower will be for reading. This will enable him to look at a board and at the book at the same time. I think this explains why even though his reading level is at 4th grade, he gets upset when there are to many words on a page.


 


He was one picky child when it came to frames, the first pair he put on and took right off saying they were nerdy looking as they were square shaped. Well then he tried on a whole bunch of oval frames and found a pair he liked. He keeps telling everyone they are for reading only he doesn't have to wear them outside. My biggest concern is him losing them as he doesn't have to wear them all the time.

Thursday, September 8, 2005

Baking Bread

As it gets cooler I am thinking it is time to start baking agian, here is my favorite bread recipie.

 

This Recipie is from our pastors family, I found it the best so far , you can't goof it up. It is not for a bread machine but I do make it in my kitchen aid mixer.

To make 3 loaves of bread ( to make whole wheat just use 1/2 whole wheat flour)

Ingredients:

1 pint water
1 pint milk
1 stick melted margarine or butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon yeast
about 3 lbs flour

Directions:

Mix the warm ( almost hot ) milk, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until disolved. Sprinkle yeast on top of liquid and wait a few seconds until it moistens. Stir in.

wait 10 minutes until the yeast begins " working"

Add melted margarine to mix and immediately begin adding flour so that the margarine doesn't harden. Add about 1/2 of the flour to make a thick soup. Gradually add remaining flour, stirring from the edges to the center.

When enough flour has been added so that the dough doesn't easily stick to your hand then dump it on the counter and keed it until it begins getting stiffer ( about 10 min)

Roll into a ball and place back in the oiled bowl. Swish around and turn over so oiled side is up ( so the bread dough doesen't dry out when rising ) Cover. Let stand until doubled. Knock dough down and turn over. Let it rise until doubled agian.

Break dough into three portions. Kneed to remove bubbles and place in bread pans. Let rise until dough rises about 1 inch over the top of the pans. Bake at 325 in center of oven foe about 30 mintues.


I have made this recipie many times, and have never failed at it. Our pastor makes it at Christmas as he gives each family a loaf on Christmas day, and the church smells so good.



Wednesday, September 7, 2005

A Busy Fall

The lazy days of summer are gone and the busy days of fall are here. I was looking at the calendar for Fall and was surprised to see how busy we are, but with dad gone this year I think it will keep them from missing him too much. And since dad is on active duty I can have dinner whenever it works for us, as usually we would wait until Dad got home to eat.


Here is a list on what we will be doing this year:


 


Sunday – Church and Puppet practice in the evenings


                 Football Game- Conner


Monday- Football – Conner


              Boy Scouts- Conner and Nolan


              Open Swim – Sarah and Patrick


Tuesday- CAP- Patrick


               Football- Conner


Wednesday- Girl Scouts- Kathryn, Sarah, Mom


                    Kids Club – Conner, Nolan, Kathryn, Sarah


                   Open Swim- Patrick


Thursday- Football- Conner


Friday – Football – Conner


Saturday- Soccer- Sarah, Nolan, Kathryn


                Horseback Riding – Patrick, Sarah, Conner, Nolan, Kathryn (only 4 weeks)


 


It will be a lot slower once November comes around, as soccer, football, and horseback riding will be done. The only winter sports we are doing this year is Basketball as wrestling for Conner is to hard to do with only one parent.