A "made up" cake!

chocolate cake mix

butter

cream cheese

coconut

chocolate frosting

I just made it up as I went along...

Turned out pretty tasty! :-)

"The real things haven't changed.

It is still best to be honest and truthful;

to make the most of what we have;

to be happy with simple pleasures;

and have courage when things go wrong."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Blueberry Morning

I've been tweaking a blueberry muffin recipe.

I added sour cream to the batter...

Wow! :-)

Supper Menus
September 14th-19th

Monday
jalapeno chicken enchiladas, refried beans, tortilla chips, picante sauce
Tuesday
fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, fried okra, baked beans, dinner rolls
Wednesday
spaghetti, tossed salad
Thursday
tortilla soup
Friday
grilled steaks, twice baked potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls, chocolate coconut cake
Saturday
out for supper

The 9/12 Project

Mr. H. and one of his brothers took part in the

September 12th

March on Washington.

A few other people were there, too. ;-)


"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties,

nor can any be easily subdued,

when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved.

On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant,

and debauched in their Manners,

they will sink... under their own weight

without the Aid of foreign Invaders."

~Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 1775

"Qui tacet consentit"

Never Forget

September 11, 2001

Summer's End

Tonight's supper was

end of summer harvest soup
from

a year of slow cooking

It was rainy this evening

and it really hit the spot. :-)

Mr. H.'s ATV Adventures

Mr. H. has been 4wheeling again!

On the mountain ATV trails of beautiful New Mexico.

Just a bunch of guys doing guy things.

And having a great time at it! ;-)



Mr. H. never forgets to take a few scenery pictures for me. :-)

Welcome home! We missed you!

Magazine Storage for the Magazine Addicted ;-)

Most organizational books and popular television programs about organizing and decluttering are likely to tell you that one of the best things that you can do to clear out some clutter is to get rid of all those magazines laying around. The ones you never read and that are gathering dust and taking up space. "Get rid of all but the latest issues!" they tell us.

Well, that happens to be one organizing tip that I have never followed! ;-) I keep lots of my old magazines because I do refer to them for inspiration and ideas. In order to do this, though, I need to keep the magazines stored in a way that will make getting to and using the magazines practical for me.

I store my magazines in six rubber maid containers. This keeps them safe from dust or potential water damage. In the containers, they are organized by month.

I keep all the containers under the bed. They are easy to get to, but are also hidden from view. The key to making them useful is to take out a few issues of each magazine for each month.

I store these in my nightstand. I have about two dozen "September" issues in the drawer right now, just waiting to be looked through in the evenings or when I have a little extra time. The articles, crafts, recipes, and ideas will all be relevant to the season, and if I didn't get to something last year, maybe I will this time around. At the end of September, I will put these back in the containers under the bed and replace them with October issues.

My monthly Taste of Home issues are stored in two binders in the kitchen so they will be handy for menu planning.

If you are a maggazine addict like me,

I hope this gives you some ideas

for keeping your magazines around a little longer.

Happy magazine reading! :-)

I just couldn't end this post without sharing how I acquired these binders. They are very special to me. :-) I purchased them with a $20 gift certificate that Riemann Publications sent me for contributing to an article in Country Woman several years ago. It was about funny things that children say and I shared a story from our supper table when my son was about three years old. We were having spaghetti that evening, and as soon as we sat down, my son quickly reminded me that I hadn't put everything we needed for our meal on the table. He requested the "pizza sugar". It took me a moment, but I soon realized that he was asking for the parmesan cheese! ;-) We had a chuckle that night and down the road it earned Momma a gift certificate for a storage solution! :-)

Caramel Apple Crisp

Caramel Apple Crisp

12 servings

3 cups oats
2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 package (14 ounces) caramels, halved
1 cup apple cider, divided

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the apples, caramels and 1 cup oat mixture. Repeat layers. Pour 1/2 cup cider over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining cider; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until apples are tender. Serve warm and enjoy!

Supper Menus
September 7th-12th

Monday
meatball sub sandwiches, potato chips, carrot and celery sticks, caramel apple crisp
Tuesday
poppy seed chicken, glazed carrots, buttered corn, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls
Wednesday
end of summer harvest soup, garlic breadsticks, green salad
Thursday
out for supper
Friday
leftovers
Saturday
hamburgers, spicy potato wedges

Please visit Menu Plan Monday!

It's that time again...

...time for Fall Nesting at The Inspired Room!

Since autumn is my very favorite time of the year,
I really enjoyed participating in
last year's Fall Nesting Week.

This year, much of my decor will be the same ~

apples, pumpkins, indian corn,

my autumn dishes.

I have a tradition of purchasing one new decorative item

each year at Hobby Lobby

when they put the autumn decor on sale for 1/2 price.

A few of my favorite treasures

from year's past include these ~

I've already made this year's purchase!

I knew right away this plate was for me. :-)

When I brought it home, I told Mr. H.

that to me the picture on the plate

represented all that is right in the world. :-)

So I had to get the mug, too. ;-)

I'll be enjoying lots of hazelnut coffee, hot cocoa, and spiced cider in it this fall. :-)

Autumn is the perfect time for lots of cozy cooking and baking. These are a few of our favorite foods that we enjoy during the fall ~

beef stew

autumn chowder

texas chili

sweet autumn salad

chicken pot pie

beef pot pie

braised autumn pork chops

savory beef sandwiches

home style macaroni and cheese

apple struesel muffins

cream cheese pumpkin muffins

orange cranberry nut muffins

pumpkin oat muffins

baked oatmeal

overnight cinnamon rolls

apple crisp

baked apples

pumpkin roll

autumn cheesecake

pumpkin harvest cookies

Thank you so much for visiting Heritage Schoolhouse. Have fun with your fall nesting!

Please visit the The Inspired Room for Fall Nesting 2009 and get inspired for fall!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

For a super easy, no-bake, end of summer dessert ~

try this!

Line a baking dish with chocolate graham crackers.

Combine two boxes of french vanilla instant pudding mix
with three cups of milk.

Add a container of cool whip.

Spread half the pudding mixture over graham crackers.

Layer more graham crackers and pudding mixture,

and end with a third layer of graham crackers.
Pop cake in the fridge for an hour or two.

Remove lid and foil wrap from a container of chocolate frosting.
Microwave frosting for 20-30 seconds and then pour over cake.

Refrigerate until serving and enjoy! :-)

Chocolate Eclair Cake

12 servings

1 (16 ounce) package graham crackers
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant french vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (16 ounce) can prepared chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vanilla pudding. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread half the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding and then spread the rest of the pudding. End with a third layer of graham crackers. Place pan in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or two. Remove lid and foil from frosting and warm in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Pour frosting over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

September!!! :-)

September

"When the goldenrod is yellow,

And leaves are turning brown -

Reluctantly the summer goes

In a cloud of thistledown.

When squirrels are harvesting

And birds in flight appear -

By these autumn signs we know

September days are here."

~Beverly Ashour