Friends, Fourth and Fun

It has been busy around our house lately! 

Last week we had friends visiting from MI.  The guys all went out ocean fishing.  They caught a few fish, but the big guys all got sea-sick, so they did not end up catching much.  The boys had a great time, which was what really mattered, and there was a small fish dinner.  While the guys were fishing, the girls went to the Yankee Candle Flagship store shopping, we also went to Minuteman National Park and learned a bit about “the shot heard round the world” and Paul Revere’s Ride.

Our friends from MI had to leave Wed. night because of a family emergency and we were very sad that their vacation was cut short!  On Thurs. my friend from Chicago arrived after numerous flight cancellations and delays.  We spent three days dragging her around New England and making sure she saw as many states as possible!

Quechee Gorge, Vermont

Tall Ships in Cape Ann, MA

Whale Watching (somewhere in the ocean)

Fireworks Merrimack, NH

Now all our company is gone, and we are back to busy as usual! 

The Big Reveal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cake is for friends of ours that have an annual crawfish boil near the husband’s birthday, so it is a combination party and birthday cake.  They are expecting at least 85 people.  The cake is made from four 14″ cakes cut in half and stacked!

Cake Statistics

12 cake mixes

3 dozen eggs

10 lbs. powdered sugar

2 lbs. marshmallows

3 lbs. Crisco

3 lbs. brown sugar

4 lbs. candy melts

1/2 pint almond extract

6 hours of baking

10 hours of prepping and decorating

one 30 inch by 36 inch piece of plywood

about 85 lbs total weight!

One cool (I hope) cake!

 

No pics till tomorrow, the birthday boy has not seen it and it just doesn’t seem fair that you all should see it first.  Of course, the real challenge is in moving and transporting the silly thing.  Seeing I am pretty sure that I cannot out do myself, next year he is getting a plain sheet cake!

Pies, cakes and candies

prepared cake board

 

I have been quite busy the last few days, I had 6 pies to make for church this week plus I am getting ready for a huge cake this weekend which required making some candy clay.  I had never made candy clay before, it was really quite fun to play with, just like play-doh.  Here are some pictures of all the baking:

Pies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 of 4 Cakes for weekend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Candy food for cake

Update for Family and Friends

For all our family and friends who want to know what we have been up to lately, the short answer is:  Not Much. 

We are at the end of our homeschool, so we have been trying to finish out all the schoolwork and make decisions about what we are doing for next year.  As the kids get older I am trying to have them help decide what kind of courses and things they want to study.  Joel is very set in what he wants for his future, so it easy to pick courses that will benefit him.  We are also looking at him starting to take some college level courses to give him a head start on his college goals.  He has grown so much in the last year, not necessarily physically, but in maturity.  He started driving a couple of weeks ago.  In New Hampshire you do not take drivers ed until just before your 16th birthday, but you can start driving with a parent at 15 1/2.  Joel is a very responsible driver and I feel very comfortable with him behind the wheel.

Joel behind the wheel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joel has also been fishing whenever he can find a spare minute.  There are two ponds here in the complex and another one down the road that he can easily walk to for fishing.  He has such a love of the outdoors and really wants to work in Natural Resource Management in the future.   New Hampshire has a program for teens interested in Conservation and Resource Management which includes a two week camp and programs throughout the year.  Joel is applying for a scholarship to the program and then we will have to try and find a way to pay for the rest.  It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for him!  He is also looking forward to getting a job soon, he is waiting for the new Five Guys restaurant to start hiring.

The Fisherman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hannah has opted for a four year study on Proverbs 31 for her high school curriculum!  It is completely different from what she has done in the past, but she is really excited.  It is going to be alot of work for her, but it involves a ton of reading, which she loves.  Hannah turned 14 on the 1st of June.  She had a slumber party with some friends.  She has such an ecclectic group of friends!  Hannah is really good at meeting people and making them feel welcome.  She has become very active in the youth group at church and is constantly looking for opportunities to help out in any way she can.  She really is developing a servant’s heart and we have seen her grow so much spiritually since we have moved here! 

Hannah at her party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacob will officially be in Junior High next year.  We are sticking with the computerized curriculum for him because it works well for him.  He is also excited about being able to join the Junior High youth group and we are hoping that he will be able to develop some more friendships.  He has had a hard time making friends since we moved here, but it only occasionally seems to bother him.  Jacob’s big accomplishment lately is that he has suddenly become an avid reader.  As most of you know, we have struggled for years with Jacob’s reading ability and the fact that he couldn’t and wouldn’t read.  He got interested in reading 20,000 Leagues under the Sea after seeing an old movie and just hasn’t stopped.  He is currently finishing up the second book in the Eragon series (BIG BOOK)!  Now he is the one telling us to be quiet so he can read!

Jacob intently reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan has been busy working (the commute is LOOOOOONG!) and spending his free time helping to shuttle the kids around.  He often spends his weekends fishing, hiking and entertaining kids.  We are purchasing a 4 wheel drive pickup truck from friends so he is busily trying to replace the brake lines so we can use it to pull the camper.  It will probably be the vehicle Joel drives when he gets his license.  We are still trying to decide if we are going to sell my van and get something different, or just hang on to it for a family vehicle. 

As for me, I am busy with the usual mom stuff!  I have made a few friends who have become very dear and I am working on getting out of my shell and involved in things a little more.  I joined a committee at church in charge of planning community activities and Dan and I are involved in a life group which has been a lot of fun.  There are a few of us who have been having a fairly regular craft day and recently I have met a few more people and been out for coffee and stuff with them.  It is a little hard for me, most of the people I have been hanging around with are either single or don’t have children yet, so even though most of them are close to my age, I don’t have the same flexibility in my schedule.  I really enjoy hanging out with them and hope they don’t see me as the fuddy dud in the group.   I have been on a cake baking spree lately.  It seems when people find out you can decorate a cake, you become popular.  I have made several small cakes for other people.  This week I am working on a HUGE cake and definately the most complicated I have ever attempted for a friend.  Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I volunteered!

Well, I think that pretty well covers our life lately.   I still miss all of my Michigan friends but New Hampshire is really starting to become home.  I would love to hear from some of you (it’s been a little quiet lately).

Plentiful Piecrust and an announcement

Next week I need to make 6 pies for a Joni and Friends retreat that our church is in charge of suppling dessert.  I decided it was the perfect opportunity to use my favorite freezer pie crust recipe to stock my freezer!

Flour and salt for pie crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shortening all mixed in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished pie crust dough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perfectly portioned (9 oz.) pie crust disc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17 wrapped pie crusts discs for the freezer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole process only took about 20 minutes including clean up.  So now I know you are asking yourself, “Where is the recipe?” which leads us to the announcement:

 

I am putting together a cookbook of my best freezer recipes, mixes, spice blends as well as some of my best tips on saving time and money in the kitchen.  If everything goes according to plan, it will be available by the end of the month.  Currently my plan is to make it available as either an ebook or printed booklet.  If you want advanced noticed (and maybe a special deal) on the cookbook leave a comment (email address required) and I will add you to my list.

A birthday party and cakes

 

So life has been crazy busy lately.  I am looking forward to the kids being done with school so we have a little more free time during the day!

 

Hannah turns 14 tomorrow and this weekend she celebrated with a slumber party with 9 other girls.  Here are some pics of all the fun!

 

 

Birthday cake

flowers

Party Punch (it even matches the color scheme)

Decorating Pillow Cases

The girls with their “Project Runway” Creations

The Chair Game

Random Silliness

 

And finally a cake for the AHG Closing Ceremony:

Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

wheat berries before grinding

A few people have asked how I make my homemade bread and how I get it so close to the consistency of store bought bread.  I have tried tons of recipes, and this is the recipe that I have come up with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 C. warm water (between 110-115 degrees)

1 Tbsp. yeast (I like SAF instant yeast)

1/3 C. honey (raw, local honey is best)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil

4 C. wheat berries (I use prairie gold by Montana Wheat) ground to approx. 5 1/2 – 6 C. flour

1 heaping Tbsp. dough enhancer (see recipe)

 

 

In large bowl (or mixer) sprinkle yeast over warm water.  Stir until dissolved and let sit 5 min. (If you use SAF yeast, you can skip this step and just mix in the water and yeast).  Add honey, salt and oil.  Add in 2 C. flour and dough enhancer.  Incorporate in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to make a stiff, smooth dough.  (I have found that if I use 4 C. wheat berries it is the perfect amount of flour).

Knead dough for 5-10 min or until smooth and elastic.  Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover with a towel.  Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hrs). 

Punch dough down and divide into 2 loaves.  Place in greased loaf pans.  Cover and let rise (about 45 min.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 30-35 min. or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.  Cool, slice and enjoy.

Notes:  This dough also makes excellent buns for burgers or hot dogs.  Just shape dough into flat disks or a log and let rise.  Flatten slightly with your hand before baking.  You can also make cinnamon rolls with this dough for a yummy breakfast.  If you shape the cinnamon rolls the night before, you can place in the refrigerator overnight to rise and bake in the morning.

dough before rising

bread after rising

 

 

 

Fresh loaf of bread

Cinnamon Rolls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe is inspired by a recipe I found on recipezaar, I changed it a little bit.

Dough Enhancer:

2 C. vital wheat gluten (I found it at Walmart or any health food store)

1 C. dry milk powder (I use a non dairy milk powder substitute)

1/4 C. dry pectin (like sure-jell for canning)

1/4 C. unflavored gelatin

1/4 C. lecithin granules (found at health food stores)

1 T. powdered ginger

1 T. ascorbic acid (try Fruit Fresh from the grocery store)

Mix together and store in airtight container.  Use 1 Tbsp. for approx. 4 C. whole wheat flour.

Notes:  Don’t worry, you won’t taste the ginger, and boy does it ever activate the yeast.  This will help your whole wheat bread bake up nice and light and slightly extend the shelf life.  I tried many variations of dough conditioners and this is the one that really seems to make a noticeable difference in the end product.  The initial investment may be a bit, but I feel it is really worth it!

 

jar of dough enhancer

Summer Top

So, I haven’t had much time for creative endeavors the last few days, but I finally got a chance to sew up a summer top for my daughter from a pattern on Sew, Mama, Sew.   I also made her a headband cover, which if I can ever figure out how to add a pdf to my blog, I will share the tutorial (I am really not very computer savvy).

Freezer Sloppy Joes Recipe

Freezer Sloppy Joes Recipe

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. onion powser

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and drain off fat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Package in quart size freezer bag.

Notes:  This recipe lends itself well to being doubled or tripled.  I have actually made this in 10 lb. batches for parties.   If you press the meat flat in the freezer bags and indent with your hands you can break off a chunk without thawing the whole bag.  Another option is to scoop into buns and wrap individually for quick meals on the go.