Preparing for Ike...

water - check!
matches - check!
batteries - check!
tank of gas - check!
yard picked up - check!
activities cancelled - check!

If there aren't any posts from Heritage Schoolhouse you'll know we've lost power... :-(

Please pray with me for all those in the path of Hurricane Ike.

Cheese Potato Puff

Cheese Potato Puff

4-6 servings

6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
minced chives, optional

Place potatoes in a large kettle; cover with water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until tender. Drain; mash potatoes until smooth. In a large saucepan, cook and stir the butter, cheese, milk and remaining salt until smooth. Stir into potatoes; fold in egg. Pour into a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Sprinkle with chives if desired. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

Swiss Steak
4 servings

½ tablespoon oil
½ cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound round steak
½ green bell pepper, sliced into rings
½ onions, sliced into rings
1 can crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a skillet. Mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture, and place in the skillet. Brown steaks on both sides, and remove from heat. In a slow cooker, place green bell pepper, onion, steak and tomatoes. Add some water to skillet to loosen brown bits; pour over steak. Cover and cook 6 to 8 hours on low. Enjoy!

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag

of the United States of America,

and to the Republic for which it stands;

one Nation under God, indivisible,

with Liberty and Justice for all."

Patriot Day

September 11, 2008

Never forget...

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo
4 servings

1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
juice of 1/2 of 1 lime
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Guacamole

Guacamole
4 servings

1 large avocado
1 tomato, diced
juice of half of 1 lime
pinch of cumin
pinch garlic salt
pinch of salt

Mash avocado. Add tomato, lime juice and garlic salt. Mix thoroughly. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp
10 servings

4-6 granny smith apples
8 whole graham crackers, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted

Peel, core and slice apples. Cut apples in half and place in casserole dish. Coarsely chop graham crackers and place in bowl. Add brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon; mix well. Melt butter and add dry ingredients; mix well. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

My family loves this Pampered Chef recipe! Our sweet neighbors brought a pan of it to us after my husband's skiing accident last January. I quickly requested the recipe. It will be made often this autumn! :-)

I made this while my family was out at my in-laws' ranch this evening. When they got home, my son walked in the kitchen and said, "Mom - that smells like fall!" ...my thoughts exactly! ;-)

Big Daddy Biscuits

Big Daddy Biscuits
9 biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tablespoon vinegar plus milk to make 1 cup)

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a cutter dipped in flour. Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Place biscuits close and touching - this helps them rise taller! Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Enjoy!

If you would like to freeze these biscuits before cooking simply place the cut out biscuits on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about two hours.  When biscuits are frozen, remove and place in an air tight freezer bag.  To bake, take out desired number of biscuits and let them thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes.  Then bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes.

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup, Kelly's Korner Blog Freezer Recipes

Farmhouse Beef Stew

Farmhouse Beef Stew
8 servings


4 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 - 1 1/2 pounds stew meat
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup beef broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 can le suer peas

Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in slow cooker. Coat meat in flour. In a skillet, brown meat in oil. Place meat over vegetables. Pour broth into skillet and stir to loosen browned bits; pour over meat and vegetables. Pour tomatoes over all. Season and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. Turn temperature to low and continue to cook for 7-8 more hours. Combine flour and water; mix until smooth. Add to slow cooker and mix thoroughly. Turn temperature back up to high, add peas, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with biscuits and enjoy!

Poppyseed Chicken

Poppyseed Chicken
6 servings

1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups crushed butter crackers
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sour cream, soup and poppy seeds. Stir in chicken. Pour into a greased baking dish. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Place under broiler for just a bit to brown the crackers. Enjoy!

Apples

granny smith, golden delicious, gala

Have you ever wondered what variety of apple is best for snacking or for use in recipes? I have.

This list will help!

Braeburn

crisp, light fragrance, sweet-tart

good keeper

autumn

good for eating raw, frying, and pies

Cortland

large, sweet, slightly tart undertone
poor keeper
early autumn
god for eating raw (doesn't oxidize when cut) and for applesauce (breaks down during cooking)

Empire
crisp, mild, sweet-tart
moderate keeper
early autumn
good for eating raw and for all-purpose cooking (holds shape moderately well)

Fuji
crisp, juicy, very sweet and fragrant (but only if the green under color has turned creamy yellow)
good keeper
autumn
good for eating raw, sliced and baked, and for desserts

Gala
sweet, moderately crisp and juicy, slightly spicy
fair keeper
early autumn
good for eating raw and for desserts

Golden Delicious
rich, crisp and juicy, honey-sweet
fair keeper
autumn
good for eating raw, frying, and pies

Granny Smith
hard, crisp, tart, moderately juicy, modest flavor
excellent keeper
late autumn
good for eating raw, frying, stews, and baking (very slow)

Honeycrisp
large, crisp, bursting with juice, mellow-sweet
good keeper
late summer through early autumn
good for eating raw, frying, roasting, and baking

Jonathan
highly aromatic, sweet-tart
fair to poor keeper
early autumn
good for eating raw, frying, roasting (holds shape moderately well), in pies, and for applesauce

McIntosh
juicy, lightly crisp, blush of strawberry-raspberry aroma
fair to poor keeper
early autumn
good for eating raw (doesn't oxidize when cut) and for applesauce (breaks down in cooking)

Pink Lady
very crisp, sweet to slightly tart
excellent keeper
late autumn
good for eating raw, frying, roasting and for pies (holds shape well)

Rome Beauty
large, firm, mildly sweet
good keeper but loses crispness
autumn
good for baking

from "An Apple Harvest - Recipes and Orchard Lore"

by Frank Browning and Sharon Silva

The Simple Woman's Daybook

~for today~

September 8, 2008

Outside my window...

my husband is cleaning out our pool

to take down and store until next summer.

I am thinking...

about what a hard worker he is.

From the learning room...

Bible, spelling, vocabulary, language arts, geography, math

and yeah! science today - I am loving our new science curriculum.

I am thankful for...

the opportunity to teach my children.

From the kitchen...

Heritage Schoolhouse Supper Menus

I am wearing...

black t-shirt, army green capris, black flip-flops.

I am creating...

lesson plans.

I am going...

to the grocery store this morning.

I am reading...

teacher's manuals.

I am hoping...

to work on our history time-line.

I am hearing...

the washing machine.

Around the house...

school, daily chores, 4H meeting this evening.

One of my favorite things...

AUTUMN! :-)

A few plans for the rest of the week:

starting all of our outside the home classes.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

a delicious cappuccino that my husband just made for me.

He's better than Starbucks! ;-)

Please visit The Simple Woman to read more Daybooks.

Menu Planning

Some things to do when planning weekly menus -

• check the weather I always check our ten day forecast before menu planning. If rain or a cool front is on the way I want to be ready with something warm and cozy on the menu.
• check the calendar I check to see what kind of outside activities we have planned for each day, how much time I'll have in the kitchen during the afternoons, and how much time the family will have to linger over supper each evening.
• check the sales circular It is especially helpful to see what meats are on special before planning main dishes.
• plan chicken, beef, pork, fish, and non-meat meals I try to spread out the types of main dishes we are going to have over the week to keep variety. For example - if we're going to have three chicken meals, I'll plan them for Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• think about color I visualize how the meal will look on my family's plates as I chose side dishes, salads and breads. I think about what colors look appetizing together.
• don't repeat foods This is probably just me! But, I don't like to duplicate a food in one meal. For example - I have a hard time putting tomatoes in a salad when we have spaghetti sauce in the main dish. ;-) haha
• plan a special dessert once a week It's so fun to make a new or favorite dessert once a week. I like to do this on Saturdays.

Have fun planning menus for your sweet family!

Supper Menus
September 8th-13th

Monday
poppy seed chicken, sweet baby carrots, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls
Tuesday
beef stew, biscuits, apple crisp
Wednesday
quesadillas, guacamole, pico di gallo, tortilla chips
Thursday
swiss steak, cheese potato puff, dinner rolls
Friday
chili, carrots and celery sticks, cornbread
Saturday
take out hot wings, autumn cheesecake

Please visit Menu Plan Monday for menu planning ideas.

"The question for each man

is not what he would do if he had

the means, time, influence,

and educational advantages,

but what he will do

with the things he has."

~Hamilton

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Pond at Daybreak" by Jeffrey Leonard

You just have to make these! :-)

The Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings
16 servings (yeah right!)

2 granny smith apples
2 tubes refrigerator crescent rolls
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 can of mountain dew soft drink - really!
cinnamon

Peel, core and slice each apple into 8 slices. Unroll crescent rolls. Roll an apple slice in each crescent roll and place in a buttered 8x13 inch pan. Melt butter, add sugar and barely stir - you want the butter and sugar to be grainy and lumpy. Add vanilla; barely stir. Pour butter mixture over crescents. Pour mountain dew around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Enjoy!!!

These are so good they'll make you want to cry! To quote my husband, they're "redonkulous"! ;-) Go, run, make them now! Thank you Pioneer Woman!!!

Fall Nesting!

The calendar page has turned,

and September has arrived!

It's my favorite time of year...

let the nesting begin! :-)

To begin the day, a pot of coffee -

Folgers Flavors "Cinnamon Swirl"!

And we certainly need a treat from the kitchen! I just couldn't resist trying Sandra's Applesauce Puffs after I saw them on Kelli's blog. Yummy! :-)

September means it's time to get out my

favorite Susan Branch book,

Autumn!

And, find some things I bought end-of-season

last year...that I had forgotten all about!

You gotta have some apples on the hutch!
But, shhh! they're not real. ;-)
Don't tell!

I'll replace my summer time parfait glasses

with blue enamel mugs. They're just waiting
to serve up some hot cocoa...

I'll open the door and let some fall leaves
blow in on the bookshelves... ;-)

and place some Indian corn out
to enjoy their lovely colors.

It'll be a little while

until we need a fire in the fireplace,
so for the time being, candles on the hearth
will add a glow to our evenings.

I'll need to get the quilts freshly washed and ready,

and put out some puzzles 

and games for family fun nights.

Miss Daisy says,
"I'm ready for autumn, Mommy!"

And look, my sweet husband just rehung my

favorite clock! I love to hear it chime -
it sounds so homey! :-)

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
~Elizabeth Lawrence

Now please head on over to The Inspired Room and visit all the blogs that are participating in Fall Nesting Week!

Happy "Fall Nesting" from Heritage Schoolhouse! :-)

Perspective

"Here are some decorating tips with a little something extra tossed in for good measure! When you set out to decorate your home, keep this in mind: Give yourself some time. Know what you don't want. Don't be afraid of color. Look for ways to save money. Show off your collections, and create a homey atmosphere with flowers, candles, baskets. The most important tip today may be this one found in 2 Corinthians 9:3: "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." Fill your home with a heart of goodness so that God's grace will abound. Kinda keeps everything else in perspective, doesn't it?"

~Emilie Barnes
The One-Minute Home Organizer

Stay Tuned...

Fall nesting at

Heritage Schoolhouse is on the way!

"Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns."

~George Eliot

illustration courtesy of www.allposter.com

"Apple Pie Harvest" by Janet Kruskamp

Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese

Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese
8 servings

1 ½ cups macaroni noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain, pour into a casserole dish and set aside. Melt butter in skillet. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. Add milk gradually. Cook and whisk until thickened. Add the cheese, reserving a bit to put on the top. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and mix thoroughly. Top with extra cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Put macaroni under the broiler for just a minute to brown. Enjoy!

Linked to Down Home Cookin' Recipe Linkup, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round Up.