Tasty Tuesday - Homemade Sour Cream

I recently tried making some homemade sour cream and it was super easy!  It is very similar to homemade yogurt.  All you need is 3 Tbsp of store bought or previously made sour cream and 8 oz of cream (Twin Brook Creamery cream is best!).  Gently stir the sour cream into the cream and then let it sit on the counter for 24 hours.  Put it in the fridge to chill for a couple hours and it is ready to go!  When you have used up all but about 3 Tbsp, add some more cream and repeat.
This is really tasty with chips and salsa, Taco soup, or Crockpot Chicken Tacos!

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A Kitchen Meme

Well, the kidney stone that I thought was out and gone apparently is still partially there.  It's been bothering me since Friday night so in between the bouts of pain and nausea, I've been getting a little bored.  When I saw Jaime Lynn's kitchen meme post on her blog this morning, I thought it would be fun to share with you about my kitchen.  I love to see other people's kitchens, so if you share about yours, please leave me a comment with a link to your post so I can check it out!

Do you have magnets on your fridge?

Yes - lots of random ones and some for the kids

Do you have a calendar in the kitchen and if so, what is its theme?

Yes, it is scenes of California

What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

That is a toss up between my KitchenAid mixer and my Nutrimill grain mill

Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind?

Yes, I am very blessed to have a huge walk in pantry (it is also our laundry room) so I have tons of room for canned foods or to buy things in bulk!

What is your favorite appliance?

My dishwasher!

Do you have an eat in kitchen?

Yes (sorry for the dark picture, I couldn't get a good one with the bright windows in the background)

Do you have a bread box?

No

Do you have a picture of your kids on the fridge?

Yes, several

Do you ever cook breakfast in your pjs?

No

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Yes, my Betty Crocker one.  If you don't know how to cook, this is a great book.  It is very detailed in how to do even basic things and has great recipes!

Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from your mom and grandma?

I have a few from my mom, but I'm not sure if she got them from my grandma

What’s your favorite food?

Ice Cream!

What’s your favorite thing to cook?

I love to bake bread or anything sweet!

Is your coffee pot electric or stove top?

We don't have a coffee pot

Do you make your own bread?

Yes!  You can see my favorite whole wheat recipe HERE

Does your kitchen have a theme?

No

Is there a clock in your kitchen?

Yes, 4 of them!  One on the wall, stove, microwave, and radio

Do you have a bowl of fruit on your table or counter?

No, we keep most of our fruit in the fridge, but there is usually a bunch of bananas sitting on the counter

What type of canisters do you have?

None

Name one thing you have hanging on the wall in your kitchen.

This framed cross-stitch we received as a gift for our wedding

What’s for supper tonight?

Probably leftovers since Hubby is probably the only one who will eat much of anything since the kids are at grandparents' houses and I'm not too hungry these days

Do you have enough cabinet space?

Plenty!

Does your family use paper plates?

Only for picnics or if we have lots of people over

Do you have a good set of china packed up?

I don't have any china, so our china cupboard makes great storage for our homeschool stuff

Do you wear an apron to work in the kitchen?

Once in a while, depending on what I am making

Name one thing you would change about your kitchen if you could.

That it would be self-cleaning! :)

Memorizing Scripture

As part of Buddy's curriculum this year he is learning a new verse from Proverbs each week.  One week to learn and remember a new verse is kind of fast for him and Sweetie, so I wanted to find a way to help them remember the verses even after we were done studying them.  At first we reviewed all the verses that we had previously learned each day, but that started taking quite a while once we had gotten a few months of school in.  Then I came across this site about memorizing scripture and thought that would be a great way for us also.  I changed it a little to fit our family better, but if you want to do it they way they describe, there is a link to printable divider cards at the bottom of the page.  We use a recipe file box with 26 divider cards labeled Daily, Odd, Even, Sunday thru Saturday, and numbered 1 & 16, 2 & 17, 3 & 18, etc until 15 & 30 and the last one is 31.  Then when we are learning a new verse, I write it on an index card and it goes behind the Daily tab to be repeated daily.  We usually have 2 or 3 verses there.  Once the kids have them down, they get moved behind either the Odd or Even tab so that we can review it every other day, depending on if the date is an odd or even number.  Once the kids know them better, they get moved behind one of the days of the week tabs so that they are reviewed once a week.  By this time the kids know them pretty well and then they get moved behind one of the tabs with 2 numbers on so that they get reviewed twice a month.  For example the one behind the 1 & 16 card gets reviewed on the 1st and 16th of the month.  We haven't learned enough yet to have any behind the 31 card, but it will be one that they know really well since that one will only get reviewed 7 times a year!

For other memorization ideas, visit Do Not Depart

Amai-mal Company {Review & Discount Code!}

Meet Saru, Tora, and Kuma.  These are the cute characters of the Amai-mal Company.  Amai-mal (pronounced a-my-mal) is a cute clothing line created by Randal Sahara.  They recently sent us some of their t-shirts for review.  When the package arrived the kids where so excited to each get their own shirt with one of the cute characters on it!

The kids look so cute with Saru, Tora, and Kuma on their shirts!  (They were all in a goofy mood when I was trying to snap these pictures, so that is why they all look a little cheesy!)  The designs are playful and fun! The sizes we received were perfect for the kids and they have been worn and washed several times now and the pictures still look crisp and new.  They are 100% cotton and seem to be of good quality.

The Amai-mal Company was created to feature adorable characters which represent specific personalities and moods with which we can relate to.  Amai means sweet in Japanese and each character has its own sweet candy design on its tummy.  They represent a sweet and innocent outlook on life.  If you would like to read more about each character you may do so HERE.  Besides shirts, Amai-mal also sells plush blankets and bags.

If you are looking for some adorable gifts for the little ones in your life, I highly recommend the Amai-mal Company!  And just for my readers, Amail-mal Company had generously offered a 15% discount when you use the code kuma on your purchase!

I received these shirts for free for review from Amai-mal Company. All opinions are mine.

It's Out!

Yesterday I spent a relaxing day at the spa hospital with my mom, complete with a nice long nap, fuzzy brown slipper socks, and bedside service while my amazing hubby stayed home and watched the munchkins.  It was finally time to get rid of that kidney stone and stent!  Everything went really smoothly and I went home pretty much pain free.  Things got a little uncomfortable as the evening wore on, but the stone finally popped out late last night and now I am feeling so much better!  Thank you to everyone who was thinking of and praying for me!

FOOD!

Peanut got her first taste of food this week!

After her first taste her face looked like this:

But soon it turned to this:

(Give me more mom!)

And as she gobbled up her sweet potatoes, she soon looked like this:

She loved it and has also tried some banana too, which was just as good! I think she is going to be a great eater!

Reverse Thinking

SafetyTat Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the SafetyTat giveaway!  There were a total of 10 entries and random.org picked numbers 6 & 9!

Comment #6 said:
Princess Mom said...

I'd like the boy and girl variety pack since I have 2 boys and a girl.

Comment #9 said:
Alicia C. said...

I like the Rocket/Dog combo SafetyTats

Congratulations! I will be emailing you and you will have 48 hours to respond or I will have to pick a new winner.

Stents and Stones

My monster kidney stone has had me down and out for a week now.  I went for a walk with the kiddos on Monday and I carried Peanut in the Moby wrap and I think that is what caused the stone to start moving.  By Tuesday it hadn't let up, so I saw my doctor and he ordered a CT scan and referred me to a urologist.  I saw her on Fri and she said that the stone was way too big to pass on it's own and would need to be blasted, but the lithotripsy machine would not be in town until Wed.  She was very concerned that I would get an infection so we decided to get a stent put in Friday night.  While waiting for that at the hospital the urologist there told me I actually have 5 stones, one blocking and three in my right kidney and one in my left!  All of them "good sized" with the biggest about 12 mm.  I don't think any stone is a good size to have!  So now I am just taking it easy at home with my Peanut and crazy cat.  I used to feel bad for her when the other kids tortured her all day long, but now I know she needs it.  She is attacking anything that moves and it is driving me crazy!  I'm getting a few books read, movies watched, and crochet projects completed.  My kids are going to have a hat for every day of the week and Sweetie's doll might have a complete wardrobe by the time this is all done! Anybody need me to whip something up for you?

Tasty Tuesday - Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Tacos are one of our favorite foods and the kids always gobble them up when I make them.  I came across this chicken taco recipe a while back and thought I would try it out.  Everyone loved them and said they were as good as regular tacos. They are so easy and really tasty!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4 cups salsa

2 cups frozen corn or 2 cans of corn, drained

2 cans of black beans, undrained

Directions:

Dump everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  I used frozen chicken breasts and cooked them for about 9 hours.  Shred the chicken with forks and serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Lady In Waiting {Review}

After romance books, my next favorite kind of book is historical fiction.  Combining the two is even better!  I had never read any books by Susan Meissner before, but have heard lots of good things about her books.  When I had the opportunity to review her newest book, Lady in Waiting, it sounded like it could be a good combination of romance and historical fiction.  It is about 2 Janes, Jane Lindsay, who lived now and Lady Jane Grey, from the 16th century.  Jane Lindsay's husband recently left her after 22 years of marriage and as Jane is trying to figure out what to do, she comes across an old ring in a box at her antiques store.  The name Jane is engraved in the ring and as Jane searches for clues to who the ring might have belonged to, she is drawn to the life of Lady Jane Grey.  Lady Jane's story is told through her dressmaker Lucy and is a story of how Lady Jane's life was controlled by politics with no option for her to choose to marry for love.  In the end, both Janes realize that they do have a choice in how they live their life, even when it seems like things are out of their control.  The book switches back and forth between the two stories, but it is very easy to follow both of them and pick back up where they left off.  I really enjoyed Lady in Waiting and will be looking for more of Susan Meissner's books to read soon!

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for free for review.  All opinions are mine and I get to keep the book.

From the Schoolroom

I have finally remembered to get some pictures of the munchkins hard at work in school!  Peanut is finally getting on a pretty consistent morning schedule so we have been able to get some school in almost every weekday for the past few weeks now. 

Lovebug ~ Tot School

Making the letter G with green cubes

Lovebug loves to match up letters, so I write some on the white board and he matches up the textured ones.

Practicing his writing on the white board

Putting heart stickers on the letter H

Feeding hearts to his horse

Sweetheart - Preschool/Kindergarten

Practicing writing in her salt box

Sounding out letter blends on her blend ladder

Writing and illustrating words

Practicing the letter H and number 14

Cutting out words and pasting them by the correct picture

We are learning about the instruments in the orchestra, so they colored pictures of instruments while listening to Peter and the Wolf

Buddy - First Grade

Making patterns with the pattern blocks

More patterns with our colored noodles

Writing and illustrating in his Bible notebook

Color matching

Using our picture cubes to practice reading his vocabulary words

Buddy read all the stories in his Hooked on Phonics curriculum and filled in his whole sticker chart so he got to go out for a special dinner with just Dad

Learning how a submarine works with Science with Water

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Matching Girls

SafetyTat {Review, Discount Code & Giveaway!} CLOSED!

A few weeks ago, Hubby was telling me about an idea he saw on a list of tips for taking kids to Disneyland about writing your contact info on your child's arm with a permanent marker in case they get lost. I thought that was a great idea! And then a couple days later, I received an email from Dawn from SafetyTat asking me if I would like to review their product.  After I looked into their product, I thought their tattoos sounded like an even better idea!  SafetyTat is "The tat that brings kids back!" and they specialize in temporary tattoos which display a parent/caregiver's mobile phone number, helping the parent and child to quickly be reunited if separated.

I received a sampling of their tattoos, including several customized ones with our cell number on, several write on ones, alcohol prep cloths to clean the skin prior to application, and a black marker for writing on the tattoos.  The customized ones are their Original SafetyTats and are applied with water, similar to regular temporary tattoos.  They last from 1-5 days and are easily removed with baby oil or rubbing alcohol. The write on ones are a quick stick waterless, water-proof skin applique that can last up to 2 weeks and is removed simply by peeling it off like a band aid.

SafetyTat also has a variety of other tattoos, such as allergy or medical condition alerts, Tat Kisses, and even a few in Spanish.  I especially like the TatBuilder, it's a great way to customize a tattoo just for your child!

What I like about them: I love how easy to use the SafetyTats are! They work exactly how the SafetyTat site says they should.  Having an easy way to make an outing with 4 kiddos safer is great.  My kids love the cute pictures on the tattoos, so it makes it fun for them too.  These are so much nicer than actually writing on my kids' skin since it can easily be removed.

What I didn't like: Well...there isn't much! I think these are pretty great!

Want to buy it?  Head over to SafetyTat and check out all the neat options they have available.  They have even offered my readers a discount of 10% off your order of $15 or more with the code MunchkinFarm, good until March 20, 2011.

Want to win it?  Two of you can win a pack of the Quick Stick Write-On! Multi designs!

Mandatory Entry: Please visit SafetyTat and leave me a comment letting me know your favorite product.

Extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each):
1. Follow or subscribe to my blog (see left column)
2. "Like" SafetyTat on Facebook
3. Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link)

Please leave your email address in each comment so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway will end March 16, 2011 at noon, when I will use random.org to pick 2 winners.  The winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will have to pick a new winner. Open to US and Canadian residents.

I received theses tattoos from SafetyTat for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tasty Tuesday - Whole Wheat Bread

A while back I was blessed enough to win an amazing new appliance for my kitchen, a Nutrimill grain mill.  Since then, I have been having a lot of fun grinding grain and trying out new recipes.  My family likes whole wheat bread, and most of us actually prefer it to white, but I have had a hard time finding a good whole wheat recipe that doesn't come out too heavy or have too hard of a crust.  And now I know why, store bought whole wheat flour is nothing compared to freshly ground hard white wheat flour!  It tastes so much better and makes a very light and fluffy loaf of bread!  If you bake your own bread and want to make it even better, I highly recommend getting yourself a grain mill!  They are kinda pricey, but if you could taste the difference you would know it is worth it!  It will actually pay for itself very quickly with the money you can save over buying good wheat flour.  And it is healthier for you!  (If you live near me, I will even bake you a fresh loaf so you can taste the difference for youself, just let me know want one!)  Here is the recipe that I use and it probably will work with regular flour, but might not be quite as tasty!

1-1/2 cups hot water
1 cup cold milk
(The resulting temperature will be lukewarm so as not to kill the yeast)
1/3 cup oil (I use melted coconut oil and I think that is another reason this bread it so good!)
1/3 cup honey
3 eggs
4-1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
4 tsp lecithin granules
6 to 7 1/4 cups freshly milled flour
1 Tbs. salt

Combine water, milk, oil, honey and eggs. Add yeast, gluten, and about 5 cups of the flour. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Add the salt. Continue to mix adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl enough flour has been added. Knead 8-10 minutes in a mixer (more if done by hand), or until the dough, forms a smooth ball . Let rise until double. With a single or double batch, you may let the dough rise in the bowl. With a triple recipe, turn the dough out onto a floured surface to let rise.

After rising, form into loaves or other shapes. Place in greased loaf pan. Let rise until at least double in size. Bake loaves at 350o for 25-30 minutes.  When done, brush with melted butter for a really soft crust. Recipe makes 3 medium size loaves or about 30 dinner rolls.

Enjoy! There is nothing better than fresh bread with butter on it while it is still warm!

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Raising Olives