Have A Blessed Christmas!

The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyre'ni-us was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,)

5 to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Tasty Tuesday: Two-tone Fudge!

(Photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

Fudge is one of my favorite candies to eat and it is so easy to make. I think I could eat a whole pan in one sitting if I let myself! I like to try out different flavors and I came across this recipe quite a few years ago and have made it every year since. It has become one of my favorites!

Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup butter, softened, divided
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions
Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and grease the foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, milk and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; stir in the marshmallow creme until melted and blended.
Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour 2-1/2 cups into ab owl; stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts until chips are melted. Pour into prepared pan. Add the butterscotch chips to the remaining marshmallow mixture; stir until chips are melted. Pour over the chocolate layer and gently spread to cover. Refrigerate overnight or until firm.
Using foil, remove fudge from pan; carefully peel off foil. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Linked to Raising Olives

Tasty Tuesday: Butter Mints

I just started my holiday baking today and made Butter Mints with the kids. It is a really easy recipe and fun for the kids to make! They are so good and melt in your mouth!


Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon Twin Brook Creamery half-and-half cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red and green paste or liquid food coloring, optional

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, cream and extracts. If desired, divide dough into portions and knead in food coloring.
Form into balls by teaspoonfuls; flatten into patties, or roll between two pieces of waxed paper to 1/8-in. thickness and cut into desired shapes. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Store in the refrigerator.

Tasty Tuesday! Toffee!

Toffee is another one of my favorites to bake for Christmas. It is so good and you can never eat just one piece! It is also really easy to make, so give it a try! Enjoy!

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Heat the sugar, butter, and water to boiling in a heavy 2-quart sauce pan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook about 13 minutes, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn! Immediately pour the toffee onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Spread it to 1/4 inch thickness and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let it stand about 1 minute or until chips are softened. Spread the chips evenly over the toffee and sprinkle with pecans. Let stand at room temp for 1 hour or refrigerate until firm. Break into bite-size pieces.

Linked to Raising Olives

Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Peppermint Patties

We are approaching my favorite time of year, the weeks before Christmas when I get to make all kinds of cookies and candies to give away (and eat, of course!). I have several recipes which I make every year and they are so good, so I will try to share some with you in the next few weeks. First up are Creamy Peppermint Patties. If you like the York Peppermint Patties, you will love these. They are a little bit of work, but so worth it!

Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
9 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons shortening

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and extract until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating well.
Shape into 1-in. balls. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten into patties.Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Dip patties in melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper until set. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 4 dozen.

Linked to Raising Olives

Fluff Talk Thursday!

This week's Fluff Talk Thurday Topic is sewing your own diapers. Since I have zero experience with this topic and have never owned a decent sewing machine, you should head over to Happily Domestic and see what others have to say it.

Instead, I've decided to review a few of my favorite diapers for you.

First up has been my absolute favorite that I've tried, the BumGenius OS Organic Cotton AIO.
This is the most absorbant diaper I have used. Mr. Lovebug can wear it a good 3 hours without a leak. It is also very trim. I've only had it for about 3 months, so I didn't get to try it on a younger baby. It would probably be bulkier, but I think it still would be very trim compared to most one size diapers. I also really like that the layers seperate so it dries faster than most AIOs. The only down side to these is that they are fairly pricey compared to a lot of other one size diaper, but I think they are still worth it.

My next favorite is a toss up between Bum-Ware AIOs and Grobabys. I love the Bum-Ware because they are really really trim. They are also quite absorbant for being so trim. They come in velcro which doesn't have any back elastic and snaps which does. I usually prefer snaps for durability, but the back elastic on these left such a deep red mark across Mr. L's back that I prefer the velcro on these. It is a much stronger, more durable velcro than on any of my other diapers though and after tons of use, doesn't look one bit worn out. I also love that they come with a brown suedecloth inner which keeps Lovebug dry and also hides any stains that we might get. One down side to these is that they are sized so you have to buy multiple sizes for your baby. Mr. Lovebug outgrew our medium sizes ones a couple months back and I've been fortunate enough to win quite a few giveaways, so (sadly) I have not had a need to purchase the next size up. I really miss not having to stuff diapers though, so I might have to consider selling a few of our pockets to get some larges.I also really like the GroBaby diapers because they use the organic cotton like the BumGenius ones and are really absorbant. They are also quite a bit cheaper since you only have to buy 1 shell for every 2-3 soakers. They are nice to put in the diaper bag because they don't take up near as much room as other cloth diapers do. The soakers also take up less room in the laundry. One downside is that they are bulkier than I like, but I still like to use them around the house when it doesn't matter. And finally, my favorite nighttime diaper is the Blueberry OS Deluxe with an extra hemp insert. These have yet to fail me at night, we have never had a leak and Mr. Lovebug usually sleeps 11-12 hours. They are fairly trim for being a one size and having 2 inserts in, but he only wears them under his sleepers which have plenty of room in them.

I wish I was craftier and could sew my own diaper, but I'm just not. So for those of you who were blessed with the talent to sew, head on over to Happily Domestic to get some great info about it!

Tasty Tuesday! Monster Cookies

Since I've been very thankful for all the monster cookies I've been eating lately, I thought I would share the recipe with you! This recipe makes a HUGE batch, which can be halved, or rolled into balls and frozen to bake later. (I also like to add extra chocolate chips and M&Ms to make them even better!) Enjoy!

1 lb softened butter
3 lbs peanut butter
2 lbs brown sugar
4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
8 tsp baking soda
1 dozen eggs
2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. M&Ms
18 c. oatmeal

Mix all together in a HUGE bowl, drop onto cookie sheets in whatever size you like, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Fluff Talk Thursday!

This weeks topic: Stinky Diapers!

Beth over a Happily Domestic has a great post about stinky diapers from guest writer, Sherrie, owner of Itty Bitty Baby Bunz. It has tips about how to prevent and treat stinky diapers, so after you read mine, go check it out!

I haven't had too much of a stink issue with my diapers. Most of my diapers and inserts are made from natural materials that don't generally get stink issues, but I have a few microfiber ones that do occassionally have a smell. To prevent the stink from getting in them, I usually put a Downy ball filled with a little vinegar in the wash with my diapers and that seems to do a great job for me. I don't think my detergent (the Costco Kirkland Signature brand) is on any of the recommended detergent lists, but I have never had a problem with it. I also try to hang them out to dry in the sunshine whenever possible. If my diapers do start to stink, I strip them by washing them in hot water 4-5 times and then they are good to go again!

Tasty Tuesday! Eggnog Pancakes

Here's another great eggnog recipe for you to try out!

Eggnog Pancakes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups Twin Brook Creamery eggnog
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg if desired. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, eggnog and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

Tasty Tuesday! Eggnog Cookies

In honor of eggnog season, I thought I would share a few eggnog recipes this month. That way if you happen to have some very tasty Twin Brook Creamery eggnog just sitting around waiting to be used (although I'm not sure how anyone can keep it around long enough to use for baking instead of drinking!) you will have a few new recipes to try out!

Eggnog cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup Twin Brook Creamery eggnog
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Colored sugar
Directions
In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggnog, baking soda and nutmeg. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes; place on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with colored sugar.
Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

These are really fun to make with kids and we have also frosted them instead of sprinkled with colored sugar. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday! Autumn Chowder

Autumn Chowder

This is a great dinner for these rainy fall days we've been having!

Ingredients
2 bacon strips, diced (I've also used ham and it is good too)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 medium red potato, cubed
1 small carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup Twin Brook Creamery milk
2/3 cup frozen corn
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold water
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings. In the drippings, saute onion until tender. Add the potato, carrot, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender.
Stir in the milk, corn and pepper. Cook 5 minutes longer. Combine the flour and cold water until smooth; gradually whisk into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 2 servings.

Fluff Talk Thursday!

This week's topic: Cute pictures of our little ones in their fluffy diapers!

Our GroBabys
Our current favorite, the BumGenius organic AIO. It's SUPER absorbant and very trim!
Lovebug in Bum-Ware a few months ago

Knickernappies One SizeOur favorite nighttime diaper: Blueberry deluxe one size

Fuzzi Bunz one sizeApplecheeks GAD Baby Thanks for viewing our cute fluff and don't forget to head over to Happily Domestic to see Beth's and others' cute kids in their fluff!

Tasty Tuesday! Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

These are my favorite bars to eat and to make! They are sooo good and I could probably eat a whole pan by myself in a day or two. They are really easy to make and fun for the kids to help me. If you need a quick bar recipe, give this one a try, but don't say I didn't warn you, you will want to eat the whole pan yourself!

1 lbs powdered sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (put them in a bag and let the kids smash away!)

Mix well. Press into a 9x13 pan. Melt 12 ounce package of chocolate chips and spread over the top. Cut before the chocolate hardens.

Tasty Tuesday! Apple Streusel Muffins

Apple Streusel Muffins

One thing that always comes to mind when I think of fall is apples. We usually have plenty of apples for applesauce and pie filling to stock up the freezer and pantry with, but I also like to find some good recipes to use them in fresh. These apple streusel muffins are so good, they are more like a dessert than a muffin! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled tart apples
STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter
GLAZE:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons Twin Brook Creamery milk
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be stiff). Fold in apples.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm.

I linked this up with Raising Olives, be sure to head over there for more breakfast recipes!

Busy, Busy, Busy

If you all have been wondering what I've been so busy with lately, here you go:

At least I won't have to go the grocery store for quite some time!

Fluff Talk Thursday!

This week's topic: My favorite cloth diaper store

I don't really have one favorite store, so I will list a few of the ones I've purchased from and what I like about them.

1. Abby's Lane always has free shipping!

2. Kelly's Closet has a great blog with a TON of info and great coupons to use in their store.

3. Bum-Ware has one of my favorite diapers.

4. Cute Caboose has some great deals and coupons if you sign up for their newsletter.

If you want to see which stores Beth and others like head on over to Happily Domestic and check them out!

Fluff Talk Thursday Friday

Sorry, I'm a day late, but I've been insanely busy and didn't get around to it yesterday. Better late than never though, right?

This week's topic is Cloth Diaper Accessories. My favorite accessory is definitely the diaper sprayer! I don't think I would have even attempted cloth diapers if I hadn't found out about the sprayers. It is a hose and sprayer (similar to the one found in most kitchen sinks) that attatches right to your toilet's on/off valve and it makes dealing with poopy diapers so easy. No dunking/swirling/soaking, just spray it off and throw it in the diaper pail! If you are looking to get one, Happily Domestic is having a giveaway for one right now! If you don't win that one, I found mine at Abby's Lane for only $31.99. It is worth every penny!

Corn Chopping

Tasty Tuesday! Tuscan Beef Stew

Tuscan Beef Stew

I'm not normally a big fan of stew, but I really liked a recipe I tried a few years ago. Since then, I've modified it a little to make it even more to our liking! I especially love being able to throw it all the crock pot in the morning and have a delicious dinner all ready without much work right before dinner!

Ingredients:
2 cups beef broth
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1" pieces
1 can diced Italian-style tomatoes
3 large carrots, cut into pieces
2 potatoes, cut into pieces
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cans cannellini beans, drained

Mix everything except the beans in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours. Stir in the beans, turn heat on high, and cook for 10 more minutes.

Fluff Talk Thursday!

Since I've begun using cloth diapers for my kiddos, I've had a few people ask questions about them: why, what kind, how many, how do you wash them, etc. And since Beth over at Happily Domestic is hosting Fluff Talk Thursdays, a weekly meme all about cloth diapering, I thought I would join in sometimes for any of my readers that are interested in learning more about it! After you are finished reading my post, click the Fluff Talk Thursday button at the top of my post to head over to Beth's blog and read what she and others have to say for the week.

This week's topic: Dad's on Cloth Diapering

In the 6 months that I have been using cloth, my husband hasn't changed a single cloth diaper. Until this week, that is. Since M is a dairy farmer, his job is pretty much 24/7, so even when he is in the house or spending time with us, I still take care of the diapering duties. On the few occasions that I have run to town, to the dentist, etc. and he has watched the kids, L hasn't need to be changed. I always set a BumGenius diaper with stretchy velcro tabs on the changing table since they are the easiest to use and tell him that it's there and it works just like a disposable. I guess I should have explained a little more in depth, something more like: it works just like a disposable, lay the end with the tabs under L's bum and fasten the velcro in front. When I got home the other day, this is what I found:

For those of you who aren't familiar with cloth diapers, M managed to put them on backwards! For his first cloth diaper experience, L thought he would break him in good and give him a nice stinky one to change. Actually, I was kinda surprised he even attempted to change it and didn't just leave it for me, so he gets points for trying! He very quickly lost those points though, when I later found the dirty diaper still sitting on the changing table for me. He claimed he "didn't know what to do with it" even after helping me install the diaper sprayer and watching me use it a few times. Being a dairy farmer, he is surrounded by poo everyday, you'd think one little diaper wouldn't faze him!

And for those of you who may have noticed, yes that is a lovely black and white stone fireplace. Very fitting that we have a fireplace that looks like a Holstein cow huh? Unfortunately, our cows are brown Jerseys, so it doesn't really fit in on our farm (or in our family room). If any of you have any great redecorating ideas, I would love to hear them!

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Tetrazzini

I recently made this delicious casserole for a pot luck because it looked pretty easy to make and I think that it is now one of my favorites! For the pot luck, I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan instead and also left out the pimentos because I didn't have any. It still worked out great!

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked spaghetti (broken into 2-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
3/4 cup boiling water
(Or you can use 1 cup chicken broth and omit the bouillon and boiling water)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons diced pimientos, drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions: Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve bouillon in water. Add the soup, celery salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to soup mixture. Stir in the chicken, onion, pimientos and 1/2 cup of cheese. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Fluff Talk Thursday!

Since I've begun using cloth diapers for my kiddos, I've had a few people ask questions about them: why, what kind, how many, how do you wash them, etc. And since Beth over at Happily Domestic is hosting Fluff Talk Thursdays, a weekly meme all about cloth diapering, I thought I would join in sometimes for any of my readers that are interested in learning more about it! After you are finished reading my post, click the Fluff Talk Thursday button at the top of my post to head over to Beth's blog and read what she and others have to say for the week.

This week's topic is cloth wipes, what system do you use?

I don't use very many wipes a day, only 1-2, so I usually just wet the wipes when I need them. My wipes consist of baby wipes, baby wash clothes, and extra regular wash clothes that we didn't use. I keep them stacked by my changing table next to a squirt bottle of my solution. I add a drop of baby wash, olive oil, and tea tree oil to about 1 cup of water. I just wet each cloth as I need them, so that I don't have wet clothes around getting smelly and mildewy. I also keep disposable wipes around for when we go out, but have found that tossing the cloth wipes into the pail with the diaper is easier than trying to have a separate garbage for disposables.

Last week's topic was showing a picture of your stash, and since we were on vacation, I missed it. Our computer isn't working right now, so I can't upload a picture, so I will just list the diapers we currently have.

16 Bum-Ware size medium that L has just outgrown
3 one size Blueberry deluxes
3 Fuzzi Bunz one size
3 Grobaby shells and 9 soakers
2 Wahmies one size
1 GAD Baby size medium
4 AppleCheeks shells and 8 inserts
1 Booroi shell and prefold
3 Meduim Fuzzi Bunz
1 Knickernappies one size
2 BumGenius one size
1 BumGenius organic AIO
1 WeeHuggers AIO
1 Drybees AIO
3 Happy Heiny small trainers

To see Beth's easy wipe system, head on over the Happily Domestic and check out her blog!

Fluff Talk Thursday

Since I've begun using cloth diapers for my kiddos, I've had a few people ask questions about them: why, what kind, how many, how do you wash them, etc. And since Beth over at Happily Domestic is starting to host Fluff Talk Thursdays, a weekly meme all about cloth diapering, I thought I would join in sometimes for any of my readers that are interested in learning more about it! After you are finished reading my post, click the Fluff Talk Thursday button at the top of my post to head over to Beth's blog and read what she and others have to say for the week.

This week's question is: Why Cloth? What made you decide to go the cloth diapering route? Who introduced you to the idea?

With my first 2 kids I never even thought about cloth. I just assumed it was pins, plastic pants, and saggy, bulky diapers. After I had L, I found taking 3 kids to the store was not the easiest thing to do and started looking for ways to not have a reason to go to the store. Since we get our milk from the farm, eggs from the chickens, and most of the veggies from the garden, diapers were one of the few things I still needed to get from the store all the time. I looked online and was amazed at the diapers that were now available! I found a site called The Cloth Diaper Whisperer with a ton of info and 2 of the article on it gave me a few more reasons to switch to cloth: How much money can you save? and 10 benefits to using cloth. However, I was pretty overwhelmed with all the options and wasn't sure where to start. I ordered a few FuzziBunz one size diapers, but when I got them on L, I really didn't like how bulky they were and was about to give it all up. Then I noticed on Facebook a college friend's kids were wearing cloth in her pictures! I asked her to recommend a few brands to start with. She said Bum-ware and Blueberry were her favorites. I tried them and loved them! The Bum-Ware are sized so they are very trim and the Blueberry one size ones are so absorbent because they use hemp, and are still fairly trim.

I am so glad I stuck with it and switched to cloth. I wish I had looked into it when I had J and saved all the money we wasted on disposables for him and S! And cloth diapers are definitely a lot cuter than disposables!

Tasty Tuesday - Fresh Blueberry Pie

Fresh Blueberry Pie

I always have way too many blueberries and spend a ton of time picking them every summer, so I make this pie quite a bit. It has become one of our favorites and is very easy to make!

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold water

Mix flour, salt and oil and then sprinkle with water, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing until all the water is absorbed. Make it into a ball and press it into the bottom and sides of a pie dish. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork and then bake a 475 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold water
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water over medium heat until smooth. Add 3 cups of the blueberries. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add butter, lemon juice, and remaining berries. Stir until butter is melted and then put into pastry shell. Cool and refridgerate until serving.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Linked to: Smockity Frocks

Tasty Tuesday - Zucchini Bread

We still have zucchini coming out our ears, so I have been making a lot of zucchini bread this week. A few years ago I found a recipe for the best zucchini bread. It is so good! And it freezes really well, so you can make a ton and stick them in the freezer for later. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup veg oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until thick. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices together and stir into first mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into two 5x9 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Tasty Tuesday

Since it is WAY TOO HOT to cook around here, I thought I would share a new favorite snack of ours. It always seems like I am at the grocery store just before lunch, and of course the kids beg for candy the whole time. I hate giving them junk food and ruining their lunch, so I am always looking for something better for them. Last time we were there, I found yogurt covered raisins in the bulk food section, and the kids LOVE them. They think they are getting candy and I don't have to feel so bad if they don't eat as much lunch when we get home.

Tasty Tuesday - Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that anyone can grow and if you try to, you always get WAY more than you need! Mine has started producing its overabundance, so I am looking for ways to use it up. Last year I came across this great zucchini pizza recipe. It is a good way to get your kids to eat zucchini, my kids LOVE it!

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded peeled zucchini, drained and squeezed dry
2 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: In a bowl, combine zucchini, rice, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and eggs until well blended. Press mixture into a greased 15-in. x 11-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, oregano and salt. Mix well. Spoon beef mixture over zucchini crust. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hope you like it as much as my kids do! Enjoy!

This Week

Here's a little of what we have been working on this week:

I got 21 quarts of cherries canned. We headed out to my grandpa's to pick the cherries on Wed evening. Of course, as soon as we got there it decided to downpour. But had picked up pizza on the way and we ate that while waiting for the rain to pass. I forgot my camera, but the kids had a great time because the branches were hanging so low they could reach a lot of them. We got 5 buckets (old ice cream tubs) full of Bings, and one of pie cherries. I've never made cherry pie before, but I think it turned out pretty good!

Tasty Tuesday - Chocolate Dessert With Raspberry Sauce

Since raspberry season is in full swing around here, I thought I would share another of my favorite raspberry recipes, chocolate dessert with raspberry sauce. This is so easy to make, but looks and tastes like a fancy dessert you could get at a restaurant. So if you are not a great cook, but really want to impress your dinner guests, give this a try!

Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup butter
5 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (amount is correct)
RASPBERRY SAUCE:
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, whole, unsweetened
1-3/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Whipped cream (Made with fresh cream from Twin Brook Creamery, of course!)
Whole, fresh raspberries to garnish
Directions: Line bottom of a 9-in. springform pan with parchment paper; set aside. Place chocolate and butter in top of double boiler. Bring water to boil; reduce heat and stir chocolate until melted. In a large bowl, beat eggs for 2 minutes. Slowly add chocolate mixture to eggs, beating at medium speed about 10 minutes. Blend in sugar and flour just until mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes (cake will not be set in the middle). Chill. For the sauce, combine raspberries, 1-3/4 cups water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Put through sieve; discard the seeds. Add water if needed to make 2 cups juice. Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl; stir until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to raspberry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat; cool. To serve, spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce on each dessert plate; place a thin wedge of chocolate dessert on sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and reserved raspberries.

Linked to: Smockity Frocks

Tasty Tuesday Blueberry Banana Bread

It always seems like I have a few bananas sitting on the counter that the kids don't want to eat anymore because they have turned too brown. So I often use them to make banana bread. And since we always have a ton of blueberries on hand, I usually end up making blueberry banana bread.


Here's what you will need:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Mashing the bananas:

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Beat in the bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in blueberries.

The mandatory licking of the beater:

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (If using frozen blueberries, you might have to go a little longer.)

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack. Serve warm with a little butter and try not to eat the whole loaf in one afternoon!