Fun Valentine Treats

butter cookie hearts

with Duncan Hines strawberry frosting

and chocolate, too :-)

Chocolate Caramel Truffles

Chocolate Caramel Truffles3 dozen
26 caramels
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Line an 8 inch square dish with plastic wrap and set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels, milk chocolate chips and cream. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave 1 minute longer stirring every 15 seconds or until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Spread into prepared dish; refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Using plastic wrap, lift candy out of pan. Cut into 30 pieces; roll each piece into a 1 inch ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt semisweet chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Using a fork, dip caramels in chocolate and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Truffles

Cookie Dough Truffles

5 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 pounds chocolate candy coating

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips. Shape into 1 inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until firm. Melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

A Valentine Banner

doilies

card stock

ribbon

~simple~

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,

we must carry it with us or we find it not.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Antigue Roses" by Danhui Nai

Memory Lane :-)

I headed down memory lane this evening

and thought you might like to come along...

wedding day 1994

graduation day 1995

High School Reunion 2000

Las Vegas, Nevada 2002

Family Ranch 2003

BBQ Fort Worth, TX 2004

Cancun, Mexico 2004

Isla Mujeres, Mexico 2004

Texas Stadium 2005

Oahu, Hawaii 2007

Rome, Italy 2007

Ruidoso, New Mexico 2008

Walnut Grove, Minnesota 2008

That was fun!

15 years ago today...

... Mr. H. and Mrs. H. went out on their first date. :-)

To celebrate this evening, they enjoyed a candlelight dinner -

with children who were too hungry after soccer practice

to shower before eating,

a barking dog,

and a ringing phone.

Ahhh...romance! ;-)

Rosemary Bread

Rosemary Bread

2 small loaves

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried), divided

Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl and allow mixture to become bubbly. Mix in butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Add half of the rosemary. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed. Oil a bowl, put dough in and cover to coat. Cover with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled. Punch down dough and divide in half. Let dough rest about 5 minutes. Grease cookie sheet. Shape dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves. Sprinkle remaining rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with seasoned olive oil to dip bread in and enjoy!

My family ate every bite of this bread tonight - both loaves! It was definitely a hit. ;-)

Love these ~

Alexandra Stoddard books...check for them at your library!

Thanks, Mom, for adding to my collection. :-)

Brown Sugar Oat Muffins

Brown Sugar Oat Muffins

12 servings

1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins, optional

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in rasins if desired. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400° for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Enjoy!

If you love oatmeal, you will love these! My oatmeal cookie loving son thought they were great. :-)

Supper Menus
February 9th-14th

Monday
stuffed bell peppers, buttered corn, texas toast
Tuesday
cheese filled manicotti, rosemary bread, ceasar salad
Wednesday
out for sandwiches
Thursday
jalapeno chicken enchiladas, black beans, pico de gallo, tortillas chips
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
steak, sauteed shrimp, twice baked potatoes, caesar salad, french bread

Please visit Organizing Junkie at Menu Plan Monday for more menu planning ideas.

A Welcome Home

It has always been fun for me to prepare a welcome home for my husband when he has been away. If he has been gone for a week, one night or just for the day, I want him to know that his family has missed him in his absence. He works at home, from a home office, which we love, but we don't get the "Daddy's coming home from work" time each day. So, when he does leave the home, I want his return to be as pleasant as possible for him. Taking just a few minutes to think about his homecoming, and purposefully preparing for it, helps to make sure he is greeted with...

Good smells - something bubbling on the stove or something baking in the oven, a pot of coffee on, or just a good smelling candle burning

Good sights - a tidy home, or at the very least "his" areas tidy

Good sounds - minimal noise, television and radios off, washer and dryer stopped

Good tastes - a special treat, a stocked fridge of his favorite things is especially nice after a long trip away from home

If it is after dark - the porch light on, of course! soft lighting inside - a small lamp, nightlights

If it is cold outside - a fire in the fireplace, nothing says welcome home more than that! warm towels and bed clothes fresh from the dryer

And most importantly and probably most appreciated of all - a smile and a kind word!


What do you do to say welcome home? Please share your ideas in the comments if you would like. I would love to hear them. :-)

Linked to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

A quiet evening,

a little bit of patience, a lot of determination...
and I taught myself to crochet! :-)

First a chain,

and then my first rows of single crochet!

I like it!

Daisy's Play Date

During a quick visit from my parents this afternoon,

Daisy had a little time to play with her "sister" Lucy.

They were both very good little girls. :-)

Lucy, 7 months

A Camoflauge Hunting Scarf...

...finally finished - for my very patient son. :-)

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

This evening I served up

Ruthann's hillbilly spaghetti pie

Yummy! The men folk especially liked it.

The recipe can be found on her delightful blog

Warm Pie Happy Home! :-)

Thank you Ruthann!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

12 servings

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3 pound boneless roast*

soft sandwich buns

Combine first ten ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes. Brown roast on all sides and place in crock pot. Pour half of the sauce over roast; cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Remove roast and shred. Remove cooking liquid from crock pot, leaving about 1/4 cup liquid in crock pot. Skim fat from remaining liquid, replace shredded meat and stir in reserved sauce. Using a slotted spoon, serve up on buns and enjoy!

*I usually use a chuck roast, but the last several times I've cooked a roast, I have purchased an "eye of round" roast. They are very lean and priced the same per pound as the chuck at my grocery.

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

~for today~

February 2, 2009

Outside my window...it is cold and clear.

I am thinking...about my plans for the day.

I am thankful for...my home.

From the learning room...we have daily lessons and a lot of reading to do.

From the kitchen...we had morning glory muffins for breakfast.
our supper menu ~ Heritage Schoolhouse Supper Menus ~

I am creating...Valentine's Day decorations.

I am going...nowhere today! Yay!

I am reading...picture books for co-op History class.

I am hoping...to finish knitting my son's camo scarf soon, so I can start a new project.

I am hearing...the washing machine, pencils on paper, and dogs barking outside.

Around the house...I will be working on some small daily organizing projects.

One of my favorite things...is cozy evenings spent at home.

A few plans for the rest of the week...include hosting a cub scout den meeting this evening, home school classes on Tuesday, co-op on Friday, and planning some Valentine's Day activities.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...of cub scouts learning boy things. ;-)

You can enjoy more daybooks at The Simple Woman's Blog.

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak with Gravy

4 servings

1/2 cup milk

14 saltine crackers, crushed finely

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 pound ground beef

1 12 ounce jar brown gravy

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine milk, saltines, onion and parsley. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties. Place patties in greased baking dish. Combine gravy, worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Pour half the sauce over patties. Reserve remaining sauce for serving. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until done. Serve with extra gravy and fluffy mashed potatoes.