Sunday, November 30, 2008

Christmas Knitting

a child size poncho for my sweet niece
from The Knit Stitch by Sally Mellville
using my favorite Lion Brand yarn
Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
in "raspberry" :-)
Supper Menus
December 1st-6th

Monday
spaghetti, green salad, garlic toast
Tuesday
sub sandwiches, chips, cookies
Wednesday
chicken and dumplings, green beans, baked apples
Thursday
cheese enchiladas, pinto beans, tortilla chips and guacamole
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
chili dogs, baked beans, fritos

More menu planning ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura of Organizing Junkie.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Surprise! A follower won...

...a holiday cookie prize!

Because I am thankful for the followers of Heritage Schoolhouse -

I put the fourteen follower names in a hat and drew...
Still Learning!

Still Learning if you would like to accept your prize, please leave your email address in the comments of this post. Congratulations! :-)

Thank you to each sweet follower of Heritage Schoolhouse!
I am thankful for you. :-) Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
Are you shopping or decorating today? I decorate! :-)

Putting away the autumn things...







...to make room for the "fa la la" and the "ho ho ho"! ;-)

Thanksgiving Fun ~Texas Style~

Over the river

and through the woods...

to uncle and aunt's house we go! :-)

for a homestyle feast,

rides on the lawn,

watchin' the Cowboys

and the Aggies,

some serious backyard football ,

a corn toss tournament,

and the best host and hostess you could ever ask for!

We couldn't be more thankful. :-)

Thursday, November 27, 2008

from Heritage Schoolhouse :-)
Super Quick Cinnamon Coffee Cake
9 servings

2 1/4 cups baking mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
for topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter

Combine mix and sugar. Whisk the egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spread into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. For topping, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

This is just perfect when you might be... ahem... maybe... you know just a tad too tired to prepare the overnight cinnamon rolls the night before Thanksgiving! ;-)

~A Thanksgiving Breakfast Menu~

sausage balls



orange juice

hot cocoa

coffee

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Love These!

Put them on your kitchen window sill.
They smell delicious! :-)

Pumpkin Roll


Pumpkin Roll
12 servings

¾ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon all spice, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves)
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Lay a damp linen towel on the counter, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Carefully roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes. To make the icing, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar. When the cake has cooled , unroll it and spread icing onto it. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Keep the roll refrigerated or freeze it for up to 2 weeks in aluminum foil. Cut the cake in slices just before serving.

This is my daughter's favorite holiday treat!
"Thou has given me so much...
Give me one thing more,
a grateful heart."

~George Herbert

illustration courtesy of
www.allposters.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Beef Pot Pie

Beef Pot Pie
8 servings


2 pie crusts
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of potato soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Line a greased pie plate with your favorite pie crust. Cook the ground beef and onion together until done; add seasonings. Combine soup, milk and vegetables; add to meat mixture. Pour into pie crust. Top with second crust; crimp edges and vent. Beat an egg white and brush top. Bake at 350° degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Enjoy!


We enjoyed this beef pie last week at our home school co-op's medieval feast. I requested the recipe after the first bite! :-) Thank you Dina!


Picture to be added later...
My camera goes hunting a lot this time of year. ;-)

Pumpkin Harvest Cookies


Pumpkin Harvest Cookies
2 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup craisins

Beat shortening, sugar and pumpkin. Add egg. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookies sheet. Bake 12 minutes at 375°. Wonderful with Constant Comment tea!

Mmmm...you could eat these for breakfast! ;-)

Fill Your Heart With Thanksgiving

"Take nothing for granted,
for whenever you do
The "joy of enjoying"
is lessened for you.
For we rob our own lives
much more than we know
When we fail to respond
or in any way show
Our thanks for the blessings
that daily are ours...
The warmth of the sun,
the fragrance of flowers,
The beauty of twilight,
the freshness of dawn,
The coolness of dew
on a green velvet lawn,
The kind little deeds
so thoughtfully done,
The favors of friends
and the love that someone
Unselfishly gives us
in a myriad of ways,
Expecting no payment
and no words of praise.
Oh, great is our loss
when we no longer find
A thankful response
to things of this kind,
For the joy of enjoying
and the fullness of living
Are found in the heart
that is filled with thanksgiving."

~Helen Steiner Rice

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving Activities for Children

keeping 'em busy...


Websites to explore -

Books we've enjoyed -
"Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving - A Book of Drawing Fun" by Janice Kinnealy
"Crafts for Thanksgiving" by Kathy Ross
"Cranberry Thanksgiving" by Wende Devlin
"A Turkey for Thanksgiving" by Eve Bunting
"Why We Have Thanksgiving" by Margaret Hillert
"Silly Tilly's Thanksgiving Dinner" by Lillian Hoban
"Thanksgiving Day Crafts" by Arlene and Herbert Erlbach
"Thanksgiving" by Cass R. Sandak
"Over the River and Through the Woods" by Lydia Maria Child
"Pilgrims - a Magic Treehouse Research book" by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
"Thanksgiving Unit Study Adventures" by Amanda Bennett

Fun things to do -

Tammy
invited me to join her home school open house. Please visit Tammy to discover what other home schools are doing to celebrate Thanksgiving! :-)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Supper Menus
November 24th-29th

Monday
crispy tacos, refried beans, spanish rice
Tuesday
beef pot pie, lettuce and tomato salad, pumpkin harvest cookies
Wednesday
baked ziti, green salad, garlic bread
Thursday
Thanksgiving dinner with family - taking green bean salad, turkey shaped butter cookies, and apple pie
Friday
creamy chicken casserole, black beans, tortilla chips
Saturday
homemade pizza

A Gray, November Day


the best kind

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Have a wonderful weekend! :-)

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com
"Deer Near Cabin" by M. Caroselli

Cinnamon Quick Bread


Cinnamon Quick Bread
1 loaf

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt. Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour topping over batter. Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect. Bake for 50-55 minutes; until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool on rack and enjoy!

Friday, November 21, 2008

"All seasons sweet,
but autumn best of all."

~Elinor Wylie

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com
"Cozy Cabin" by Judy Gibson

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Sights and Sounds

at the carnival!

not too windy

not too cold

a sure shot

the tilt a whirl! (for the children, not me!)

the ferris wheel

the merry go round

and bumper cars

with Daddy!