Hopeful Housewife

A satifying way for me to end the day.

From a book that lives on a shelf in my living room for quick and easy reference…

[W]hat a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do those things (to some extent, anyway). Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home. Of course, this did not always turn out well. A controlling woman might make her home suffocating. A perfectionist’s home might be chilly and forbidding. But it is more illuminating to think about what happened when things went right. Then her affection was in the soft sofa cushions, clean linens, and good meals; her memory in well-stocked storeroom cabinets and the pantry; her intelligence in the order and healthfulness of her home; her good humor in its light and air. She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made.

-Cheryl Mendelson’s, Home Comforts (an encyclopedic A-Z resource on homemaking how-to’s)

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As you know, I couldnt bring “the girls” with us to the new house. I was horribly devistated, and it was a remarkably hard thing to do. Lucky for me, they are living at my mom’s house, and I’m able to visit them. I must admit that I usually just send the kids out to see them because its quite difficult for me to spend time out there with them. I’m pretty sure I’m showing my true nutty colors at this point in this entry.

 The report however is that they are doing gloriously well and laying plenty of eggs. One hen went broody on my mom a few weeks ago, but without a rooster there’s not much she’s going to accomplish with that except a bit of intimidation. I do get fresh eggs every time I go visit my mom’s house, which cushions the blow for me a bit. They may not be with me anymore, but I still get some sort of satisfaction out of the fact that I raised them from hatchlings and they are still alive, LOL! It’s simply remarkable that they survived. If they were ficus trees, they’d be long gone.

I’m very happy that my mom has them to entertain her though…and glad that I can visit them on occasion, even if it is from afar.

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I have been trying lately to bless my home in one way or another each day. Yesterday, I steam-mopped my kitchen and polished it with mop-n-glow. I put the cinnamon rolls I baked under the glass lid of my cake plate, and bleached the grout in my kitchen. I cant believe how much of a difference those three things made! I felt like my kitchen was some sort of paradise. Ok, maybe not paradise, but it certainly was clean and refreshing.

A couple of days ago, I went thrifting and found some neat treasures that really spruced up my house. I really needed to do *something* because after the Christmas decorations came down, the house seemed so plain and sad. I found a canvas oil painting of the mountains which matched not only the walls but the theme of the room for $4.00! I also scored a red punched tin vase that I put on our side table in the living room to hold our remote controls, lol! .85 cents :D  Funny how that little punch of color made such a difference. I also stopped by Big-Lots and found two tassels for the curtains in the living room in green, red, and blue, which coordinate w/the color scheme beautifully. I spent $5.00 for them both, which makes my entire 4 panel window treatment 20.00. Not a bad price considering its a 12 foot window.

My dining room has served as a real challenge for me. I love the room. Its amazing to have a space to be able to retreat for dinner. I have been trying to make it a really comfortable space that invites a bit of romance too During Christmas, I accomplished that. The neighbor came over about a week before Christmas and actually said it looked “like a magazine”. LOL!! I had to laugh because I decorated the entire room on $4.00! I pulled out all of my blue Christmas “stuff”, moved the navy panels from my bedroom to the outsides of the white sheers to “frame” the window, and put a tree in front of the window w/all of my blue and silver ornaments on it. I was so pleased with that room (finally!) and to have to take it all down after Christmas put me right back at square one! I decided that I was going to go against the grain and leave the tree in there. I took all the ornaments off, removed the skirt, and moved the tree to the corner of the room. I positioned the table differently, hung a different painting in the room, and added a decorative red birdcage to the room. For a centerpiece, I took a wooden candlestick in the shape of a deer (remember we have a cabin theme running) and piled pine cones from my back yard around it. It looks rustic and outdoorsy, without being theme-y or too “holiday”. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m getting there.

Tomorrow, I have a mission. I’m going to bless my husband by blessing our bedroom. He’s been working ridiculously long hours, and I’m determined to find a way to make our room feel even more welcoming and cozy. I want him to come home and feel completely at peace in our bed. Really, what better way is there to end your day?

Too bad there’s already an undecorated tree in there too.

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Made the best meatballs yesterday! Thought I’d share them w/you.

 I had a tube of ground turkey in the freezer that served as a perfect addition to my “pantry cleanse” meal of spaghetti and meatballs. Once thawed, I added one egg, about a half cup of panco breadcrumbs (cuz its what I had..I usually use italian breadcrumbs or crushed crackers, or well, whatever I have), a bit of dried basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and a dash of season salt. Mooshed it all up together, and rolled into balls about the size of a raquetball. Popped em’ into a 13×9 pan that had been sprayed w/ non-stick spray, poured just enough water into the pan to come about 1/4 of the way up the side of the meatballs, and baked for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Once they were done, I put them directly into my spaghetti sauce, and let them cook in there for about another 10 minutes at a low simmer. I put this over angel hair pasta because, yet again, its what I had. I served it with a few pieces of frozen texas toast that I had for some odd reason, and voila. Dinner. I know, no salad. Believe me, I wish I’d had one. I should probably start making a grocery list…

 With the leftover meatballs, I made Art a fabulous meatball sandwich on sourdough tonight. Dual purpose dinner! Can’t beat that!

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I couldnt agree more with the mission of this website:

http://momsformodesty.blogspot.com/

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I discovered this morning as I was preparing to roll up the cinnamon roll dough that I was out of butter. Unreal. I’m never out of butter, but today I am. I was more than a little frustrated until I realized that I had a bottle of whipping cream. SCORE!

For those of you that have never made butter out of whipping cream, and/or have missed my previous posts about it, allow me to enlighten you to the wonders of [sort of] homemade butter!

Pour your whipping cream into a mixing bowl. (I’m going to give you instructions for a Kitchenaid mixer, but it can definately be done with a handmixer too!) Use the whisk attachment to beat the cream on high. First, its going to turn into whipped cream. Tempting, I know, but keep beating.  Soon, it will begin to separate. At this point, switch to the paddle attachment if you have one because its  a real pain to try and get your butter out of the whisk. Cover your bowl w/a tea towel, and turn it up to about 7 or 8 now, otherwise, the liquid will start to fly all over the kitchen. Mix for just a bit longer, until you hear the motor change. It will sound like its slowing down because all the butter will collect on the paddle and it will sound like it does when you’re mixing cookie dough. Pour off the liquid which is *gasp* buttermilk. Save this and make pancakes. You’ll be glad you did. Here’s the weird step, lol. RINSE the butter!! Keep rinsing it and pouring off the water until the water is basically clear. If you dont do this, it will spoil! Salt if desired, and store in the fridge or in a butter crock (or if you’re like me, do both) The large bottle of whipping cream is 2.87 at my grocery store, and I get about the same amount of butter as four sticks in a pack for 2.50. Yeah, its .37 more, BUT, I’m getting about 16 oz of buttermilk too! Did I mention it tastes SO much better than store bought? That alone makes it worth the .37 cents! I keep half on the counter in my butter crock, and half in the fridge for later. Oh! That buttermilk can also be strained though a thin kitchen/tea towel..which will leave cream cheese behind. See, told  ya its worth the extra cost.

I am so glad I ran out of butter. I had stopped making butter a while back, and I’m not sure why! It’s so much fun, and tastes so much better. I have a new found joy for butter making now.

Happy Separating!

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Two years (and three days) ago, I began my mission to be a better mother, wife, and homemaker. I wont bore you with the story again, but essentially, God laid it on my heart to “do it right”. He told me this on New Year’s Eve, making it one heckuva New Year’s Resolution! He told me that my husbands success depended on my efforts, and He, (of course) was right. The last two years have just been such a remarkable example of God’s promises and wisdom!

I was thinking this morning that it might be the only resolution I have ever kept, LOL! Two years have gone by, and I have remained completely devoted to the transition in my life. I dont say this in a boastful manner, but rather, out of a bit of shock. No one is more surprised that I pulled this off than I am, Ha!

I sat with my husband this morning in our dining room, eating bacon and cheese omelettes and sipping coffee. It was 5:30am, still dark out, and completely quiet in the house. It was such a wonderful moment together, and being up that early was surprisingly refreshing. He sat at the table, in his starched shirt and freshly creased pants, and I just couldn’t get over how handsome he looked. There’s just something gentlemanly about him now. Perhaps its that we’re getting older, but I’d like to think he’s grown into the man God intended for him to be. What an honor it is for me to be able to participate in that process.

After he left for work, I mixed up some cinnamon roll dough for the kids’ breakfast, and left it to rise. I  spent about 30-45 minutes in the Word and in prayer, and took a little snooze on the couch. I woke up today with such a sense of peace and comfort.

The first year, the resolution was to be a better wife specifically. The second year, I expanded that to serve as a better homemaker in general. This year, I’m going to expand it once again and vow to increase my frugality and make more of an effort to experience each day with the kids. We have such a great time together, but I’d really like to spend more quality time with them. More outings, more traveling, just *more*. They are making memories right now, and I dont want to miss an opportunity to make a good one.

One last resolution: all beds will be made every day…in the morning, not right before bed, lol.

Here’s to 2009…I cant wait to see whats in store.

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I had butterflies the size of pigeons in my stomach.

Ten years ago today, I sat in a Las Vegas hotel suite trying to figure out what to do with my hair.

I contemplated whether or not to wear pantyhose, as my shoes were a bit too big and I was worried about falling.

On that day, I miscalculated time and ended up having to get ready in less than 2 hours. I had so much “body armor” that it was no simple task to get ready by the deadline.

Ten years ago today, I tried not to throw up from nerves as we walked through the Hotel lobby.

We hailed a cab only to find that my dress didnt fit in the car, so valet called in a minivan for us to ride in.

On that memorable day, my mother met me in my “dressing room” and put my grandmother’s pearls around my neck. The same pearls she wore on her big day.

 I fussed with my hair, opted out of pantyhose, and nervously applied lipstick over and over again.

The wind kicked up outside the chapel. My veil nearly flew off, and my dress was halfway over my head. I could see him, though, through the glass panes in the doors. He looked so handsome.

I walked down the aisle on my Fathers arm, listening to him sniff and sigh.

The backdrop of the chapel was loaded with potted poinsettas, which coordinated nicely with the red roses I carried, and the red in Art’s vest.

Hapi, (yes, pronouced Happy) was our minister, and he performed a traditional service for us, with some corny metaphors. At my request, he left out “and to obey”, which I now wish I hadn’t done.

His best friend, and best man actually chuckled behind him, shaking his head in disbelief. No one could believe someone actually tamed him, lol.

Ten years ago today, it snowed in the desert. Hell truly froze over

Ten years ago today, I began my married life with Art. The road has been filled with surprises, unexpected detours, roadblocks, shortcuts, and lots of great scenery. It’s a tricky road, but worth the ride. I want nothing more than to stay buckled in beside him. Oh, the places we’ll go…

Happy Anniversary, my Love. Here’s to our first decade together.

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So I share quite a few recipes here, but I have a few that I tend to hold close. It’s terrible, I know, but you have to admit its kind of nice to be able to make something that becomes your “specialty”. One of my ambitions in life has always been to publish a cook book, but in all honesty, I wouldn’t even know where to start. SO, I’ve decided to create an email-able cookbook for any of my interested readers, which contains my FAVORITE recipes. Everything from dining on a dime recipes to my ultimate specialty: Mashed potatoes.  I’ve got holiday baking recipes, easy bread recipes, and some killer desserts too. Many of them are passed down through my family, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you all too.

So because I dont know how the whole e-book hosting thing works, I figure that for now, if you’d like a copy, you can paypal $5.00 to me, and I’ll email it right to ya, where it can be printed out and popped into a three ring binder. (I’d put it in page protectors first!) If you’d like to order a hard copy w/protectors and binder included, send $12.00 The book has the following categories:

Dining on a dime

Mexican Masterpieces

Country classics (which includes my chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and biscuits and gravy! This is some serious rib stickin’ food people.)

Somethin’ Sweet (desserts..yum)

Breaking (and baking) Bread (includes tortilla recipe too!)

and

 I’ll have the soup and salad. (I guess that one is self explainatory)

This would be a good book for a first time cook, or for someone out on their own  for the first time. It’s got detailed instructions, and no pretentious hard to find (or use) ingredients. 

Leave a comment if you’re interested

Happy Cooking

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With so many people on our list, I’ve come up with some crafty ways to give everyone a little something without having to file bankruptcy in January. Some I’ve picked up from other sources over the years, some I have come up with, and some are family favorites that I simply passed on to others. Here are a few of my tried and true projects:

Personalized Gingerbread men ornaments. I made these out of a salt dough. Rolled out the salt dough, cut out little gingerbread shapes, pierced the top with a straw for hanging, and baked according to the recipe. Once cooled, I painted them brown with acrylic paints, and accented the ankles and wrists with “icing”, and applied little faces and buttons as well. Sometimes I would add something personal like a person’s favorite football teams colors for “boots” and “mittens”, or glued little crafting pom poms to their hands for cheerleaders. One year, my MIL who works for the Sheriff’s department took one to each detective in her unit that I had glued a little sheriff’s star to.  I havent made these in two years, and I honestly cant remember what else I have done with them, but I sure had a lot of fun doing it!!

Fleece ponchos and scarves. With approximately one yard of fleece fabric, you can create a little girls poncho and matching scarf! Cut the fabric at the end so that it makes a square. Cut approx 2 inches in every inch or so all the way around the fabric. Slide a little crafting bead on each strip, and tie it off. Now take that little strip of fabric you cut, and do the same to the edges of that for the scarf. Dont forget to cut a hole in the center of the poncho for the child’s head, lol!

One year I gave all the kids’ teachers and therapists, etc whisks that I filled with hershey kisses. I tied a little note on them with Christmas ribbon that said “We whisk you a merry KISS-mas” Super cute. And tasty

Play dough! I made four colors of playdough for my nephew several years ago and included a pack of cookie cutters from the dollar store. He loved it, even if mom was a little concerned about having playdough around.

One thing I had a lot of fun doing this year was making a pillow for my mom. If you can sew a straight stitch, you’re capable of this project. I took a quilt of hers that she had on her bed as a little girl. My grandmother made it for her by hand, and it was special to her even though it was falling apart and definatley not functional anymore. I used that fabric to make a  pillow for her bed, so a little piece of that memory can still remain when she’s hangin’ out in bed. I sewed piping to the inside of the stitch, so it was nicely finished looking. The whole project cost me about 6 or 7 dollars, and that’s only because I bought a discounted throw pillow to make it…yeah, I was way too lazy to make the pillow itself. This project could be done with a favorite blanket, or even an article of clothing. If it is not large enough to make a pillow, it could be cut into a cute patch pocket for the front of the pillow.

 Not only are these cost effective choices, but they are simple and quick too. Perfect for those oops I forgot about him/her moments. Dont act like you dont know what I’m talkin’ about!!

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