The Middle Ages

Tomorrow is the last meeting of the semester for our home school co-op. We have been studying Susan Wise Bauer's The Story of the World: The Middle Ages. A medieval feast is planned. Our contribution - "Viking Bread" and "King Alfred Cakes"...recipes in the Activity Book.

Giving Thanks ~ Thursday

Thanksgiving Recipes

Farrah, the old fashioned homekeeper, Ladybug's Mom at Celebrating Seasons, and an anonymous reader requested recipes for the menu I listed yesterday. I am happy to share the recipes! Thank you for asking. :-)

Please, be sure to visit Farrah. She posts on femininity and homemaking. And, Ladybug's Mom has really great crafting ideas!

Turkey and Dressing Casserole
1 package cornbread stuffing mix
½ cup butter, melted
1 turkey breast, cooked and shredded
1 can water chestnuts, sliced and drained
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix stuffing mix and butter. Put ½ of mixture into bottom of a 9X13 inch pan. Mix all other ingredients and pour over stuffing mix. Sprinkle remaining stuffing mix on top of turkey mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cans green beans
1 ½ cups french fried onions

Mix soup, milk and pepper. Stir in beans and 1 cup of the fried onions. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Top with the remaining fried onions and bake 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.

Potato Casserole
12 medium potatoes, peeled (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 (8 ounce) container cream cheese
1(8 ounce container) sour cream
1/4 teaspoon dried onion
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large kettle; cover with water; cook until tender. Drain; mash potatoes until smooth. Add butter, cream cheese, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Combine until smooth. Place in a greased 3-qt. baking dish and store in refrigerator overnight. Before baking, set out potatoes at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then bake, covered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until heated through. Uncover for last 10 minutes of baking.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 sweet potatoes
¼ cup orange juice
¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

Bake sweet potatoes in microwave until done. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes, mash and place in a casserole dish. Pour orange juice over potatoes. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in butter. Sprinkle mixture over potatoes and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top with marshmallows, and broil just until marshmallows are browned – watch carefully!

Rio Grand Dandy Green Bean Salad
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oil
¾ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 can french-style green beans, drained
1 can small green peas, drained
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 jar chopped pimientos

Combine first give ingredients until well blended and sugar is dissolved; set aside. Combine vegetables and gently toss with dressing. Refrigerate overnight. Drain well and serve.

Pink Salad
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can eagle brand milk
1 (8 ounce) container cool whip

Combine and refrigerate.

No Knead Refrigerator Rolls
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup shortening
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In another bowl, mix together sugar, salt, shortening, and egg with an electric mixer at low speed. Add mixture to yeast; stir in flour until dough forms. Cover dough with a damp cloth, and place in refrigerator. Punch down occasionally as dough rises. You can leave dough in refrigerator overnight. Two hours before baking, shape the dough into rolls. Place on greased pans, baking trays or muffin pans. Let rise 2 hours. Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pecan Pie
2 eggs
3/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe 9 inch single pie crust

In a mixing bowl, slightly beat eggs. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Lightly stir in pecans, till well-coated with egg mixture. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300°, and bake for another 30 minutes. Cool before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

A few of the recipes are already on my site and I linked to them on the original post - Thanksgiving Menu. Happy Cooking! :-)

Thank you, Kelli, for hosting Giving Thanks week!

Giving Thanks ~ Wednesday

Thanksgiving Framed Song

I had five minutes and an empty frame, so I printed out a favorite Thanksgiving song this afternoon.

And, since I'll be spending so much time in the kitchen during the holidays...I filled a black frame with a sweet reminder to the handsome man that tends to walks through my kitchen a lot! ;-)

We interrupt your regularly scheduled homeschooling...

To watch a praying mantis eat bugs -

fascinating!

Giving Thanks ~ Wednesday

Thanksgiving Menu

This week I have been participating in the Giving Thanks celebration, hosted by Kelli, who suggested that participants share their Thanksgiving menus. As we will be travelling to visit family for the holiday, and I will not be hosting this year, I thought I would share the menu from the last time I prepared the Thanksgiving meal. I found the menu, still saved in my computer along with the shopping list, the serving dishes I planned to use, and lots of other details...I'm all about the details. ;-)

*No matter what the menu, though, the most important thing is not what is on the table, but what is around it. :-)*

~Thanksgiving Dinner 2006~

turkey breast
dressing
gravy
chicken and dressing casserole
baked ham
potato casserole
sweet potato casserole
green been casserole
rio grande dandy green bean salad
sweet salad
cranberry sauce
pickles and olives
dinner rolls
apple pie
pecan pie
pumpkin pie
pumpkin roll
thanksgiving shaped butter cookies
thanksgiving shaped chocolate candies
tea
coffee

Well, now, who's hungry? ;-)

Giving Thanks ~ Tuesday

Thanksgiving Jokes and Riddles :-)

We used these at one of our home school Thanksgiving parties. I had them printed on slips of paper in a brown bag. All the children took turns pulling one out of the bag, reading it to the group, and giggling.

What kind of music did the Pilgrims dance to?The Plymouth Rock!

Where did the first corn come from?The stalk brought it!

What happened to the Pilgrim who was shot at by an Indian?He had an arrow escape!

Why did the Indian chief wear so many feathers?To keep his wigwam!

What did the turkey say before it was roasted?Boy, am I stuffed!

If April showers bring May flowers…
What do Mayflowers bring?Pilgrims!

How did the Mayflower show that it liked America?It hugged the shore!

Round as an apple.
A color like gold.
With more things inside,
Than you are years old.
What is it?A pumpkin!

An Indian had 2 ½ piles of corn in one row. He had 1 ½ piles of corn in another row. Then he put them together. How many piles did he have?One pile!

A Pilgrim had nine ears of corn in his barn. Each day a squirrel came to the barn and took away three ears. But it took the squirrel nine days to remove all the corn. Can you guess why? The squirrel took away three ears each time, but only one was made of corn. The other two were his own!

What key has legs and can’t open doors?A turkey!

What happened when the turkey got into a fight?He got the stuffing knocked out of him!

Why was the turkey the drummer in a band?Because he had the drumsticks!

Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
Waddle
Waddle who?
Waddle I do if you don’t open the door?!

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes - a building can't jump at all!

Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
The outside!

What happened to the turkey whose feathers were all pointing the wrong way?He was tickled to death!

What are unhappy cranberries called?Blueberries!

What smells the best at Thanksgiving dinner?Your nose!

What always comes at the end of Thanksgiving?The letter G!

What did the farmer say to the green pumpkin?Why orange you orange?!

How do you make a turkey float?You need two scoops of ice cream, root beer and a turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving! :-)

More Thanksgiving crafts, recipes, ideas and inspiration

can be found at Giving Thanks hosted by Kelli.

Giving Thanks ~ Tuesday

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough

5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups salt
8 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 container (1 1\2 ounces) pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tablespoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
3/4 cup oil
4 cups water
orange food coloring (2 parts yellow/1 part red)

In a large saucepan, mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and spice. Add oil, water and food coloring; stir over medium heat. Continue stirring until dough forms and lumps are gone. Place on counter and let cool a minute or two. Knead dough until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Set out rolling pins, cookie cutters, and little pie pans...

Have fun!

This is also fun to give as a gift - place the dough in a foil pie pan, wrap with saran wrap, tie with a bow. Attach a turkey cookie cutter and small rolling pin.

Please visit Kelli to join in the Giving Thanks celebration!

"12"

At 2:42 AM on November 18, 1999, the partially completed Aggie Bonfire, on the Texas A&M University campus, standing 40 feet tall and consisting of about 5000 logs, collapsed during construction. Of the 58 students and former students working on the stack, 12 were killed and 27 others were injured...

Those that lost their lives will never be forgotten.

"there's a spirit can ne'er be told"

Orange Cranberry Nut Muffins

Orange Cranberry Nut Muffins

12 servings

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved (I used crasins this morning)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine orange juice, milk, butter and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries, pecans and orange peel. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm with butter and enjoy!

Giving Thanks ~ Monday

Thanksgiving Scripture

“Give thanks to the Lord…”
I Chronicles 16:8

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving”
Psalms 95:2

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Psalms 100:4

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 15:57

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”
II Corinthians 2:14

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
II Corinthians 9:15

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6

“Be joyful always; pray continually’ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…”
Hebrews 11:28

Please visit Kelli to participate in Giving Thanks week.

Giving Thanks ~ Monday

Thanksgiving Banner

Today I am participating in Kelli's Giving Thanks Week.

I am sharing the Thanksgiving banner

I crafted for my hutch over the weekend.

Please visit Kelli at There is No Place Like Home

to see what others are sharing for Monday's Giving Thanks. :-)

Thank you Kelli!

Supper Menus
November 17th-22nd

Monday
poppy seed chicken, green beans, carrots, dinner rolls
Tuesday
pot roast, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls
Wednesday
texas chili, homemade bread
Thursday
out for supper
Friday
homemade pizza, lettuce and tomato salad

I am a stickler on chex party mix...I only make it during the months of November and December - to keep it special!

We add cheese-its. :-)

Tastes best when eaten while watching the Dallas Cowboys... ;-)

A Long, Cold Day on the Soccer Field!

4 tournament games

2 championship games

2 hard playin' kids

1 coach Dad

lots of blankets!

2 five minute over times

12 penalty kicks

1 1 st place division champion medal!

1 2nd place division champion medal!

1 very tired and very proud Mommy :-)

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken
4 servings

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 broiler/fryer chicken (4 pounds), cut up or
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Line a large baking pan with foil and butter the foil; set aside. Combine flour and seasonings. Place milk in a shallow dish. Dip chicken into milk, then into flour mixture, coating well. Place in prepared pans. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350° for 35-50 minutes for bone-in chicken, or 25-30 minutes for breasts.

An Autumn Banner

Inspired by Kelli (as usual!) at There Is No Place Like Home and her simple fall pleasures, I crafted a little something for the mantle. Unfortunately, the hutch is now jealous...so it seems I'll need to make one for it, too! ;-)

Individual Meatloaves
6 servings

1 pound ground beef
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients. Form into six little loaves. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Serve with steak sauce or ketchup and enjoy!

"All of the flowers of all the tomorrows

are in the seeds of today."

~Author Unknown

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Autumn Flowers and Apples" by Timothy Easton

The Teacher's Manual to my daughter's Horizons Math 6 curriculum includes a quote or scripture with each lesson.
This was today's.

Sweet Autumn Salad 
(from Taste of Home magazine)
6 servings

10 cups mixed salad greens
1 medium red pear, diced
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a salad bowl, combine greens, pear, oranges, grapes, cranberries and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tomato Soup

Almost as easy as Campbell's, but much better! :-)

Tomato Soup
2 servings
3 tablespoons butter
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Melt butter over low heat. Puree diced tomatoes in a blender. Add tomatoes and cream to melted butter. Add salt, pepper, and basil to taste. Enjoy!

Thanks Heather! You were right - no more Campbell's for me! ;-)