A new family member, so to speak...

Oh where to start.... . I am not an animal person to a high degree. I will pet a dog or cat if it approaches me, but I wont push one in a stroller or carry it in my purse. I also will never swerve to miss anything that crosses my path on the road as my children's welfare is much more important. That being said, our family has never had a house dog. Oh, they have begged and pleaded but I have stood firm. I have enough going on in my daily routine without the added stress of a dog underfoot. I have stood firm that is, until last week. Meet Roy..

I went to the pet store last week with my husband and daughter to buy some toys for the new dog we got for OUTSIDE and came home with this little guy.  He is a 4 1/2 pound papillon. They kids are in their glory between the outside dog and the inside dog....what have I done?

Pray for me!

Homemade is best!

Our family loves homemade pizza. I have found a wonderful pizza crust recipe (see below) that is pretty much fool proof. We always make 2 jelly roll pans so there is some for lunch the next day and the pizzas are never the same. We try all kinds of combinations. These were pepperoni with onions and mushrooms (on one) with all the left over cheese that was in the fridge. Some mozzarella and some cheddar and a little Parmesan. My husband made the dough for these for me last night and even he was impressed with how easy it was.

For the two pizzas above, Joe made a double batch of dough and the crust is not too thick.

Pizza Crust

1C. warm water

1T. Yeast

2 1/4 t. Active dry yeast

3 T. Olive oil

1t. Salt

2 1/2 C. Flour

Directions:

Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. I usually let this set for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add olive oil and salt. Stir in flour until well blended and let rest for 10 minutes.

I usually knead the dough on a floured surface about five times, but that isn't necessary. I roll the dough out on the pan, add sauce and toppings and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. If I bake two pizzas at the same time, I increase the baking time by five minutes and switch the pizzas half way through. 

This recipe is easily changed by adding herbs to the dough or using whole wheat flour.

Enjoy!!   

Tomatoes are ON!

OK! Tomatoes are on and need to processed into all things tomatoooeeyyy. Salsa, catsup, pizza sauce, diced tomatoes and maybe even spaghetti sauce if the bounty is large enough. Below I have given the recipe for Catsup that I am using this year. My mom already made some up and we all loved it, even the kidos. It is simple in that it does not require any stirring once its put in the oven for 10 hours.

8 quarts tomato puree (24 lbs tomatoes)
12 oz. thick tomato paste
3 green peppers
5 large onions
2 C. cider vinegar
1C. light corn syrup
1C. sugar
1t. pepper
2T. pickling salt
2t. ground allspice

Puree tomatoes with a squeezo strainer (I use my Kitchen Aid attatchment). Liquify the tomato paste, peppers, onions and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Mix the purees with the remaining ingredients in a large roaster pan. Stir well.
Cook, uncovered, in a 200 degree oven for 10 hours. Do not stir. When the cooking time is up, ladle the hot catsup into clean, hot jars. Leave 1/2 inch head space. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts.
YIELD 6 Quarts!  Our family of 7 seems to go through about a quart a week so I hope my tomato plants really produce!

Last night I cried....

Last night I cried and I cried and I cried..... I felt myself being pulled back into the awful pain of our adoption process. So frustrating. I thought I had dealt with all the pain, but when it was thrown in my face by someone I considered a dear friend, I realized that maybe I only suppressed it.  I literally wailed as I took a walk through the woods. I just couldn't stop. Today I feel like I am in a fog. Not able to think. I called that friend and apologized for any pain that I had caused her when we adopted our son. I apologized for any pain that they might have had as a result.  I don't know what else to do. I gave my anger and resentment for the way people had judged us and lied about us to the Lord long ago and I harbored no ill will to those people. I just want to go back to bed and stay there. It hurts and I am tired...

Finished!

A few weeks ago I was tagged by a fellow blogger and asked several interesting questions about my kitchen. I wished that I could have answered those questions with pictures to go along, but my husband was in the middle of building a special project for me. Bless his heart, he built me some seating with storage so we could get rid of the many chairs that were constantly clogging the way.

The bench is U shaped and seats lots!

I just love how well it turned out. The kitchen just seams so open and light now. Anyway, I just thought I would share!

Blessings!

Cybil

Patience is tough...

This year the weather has been so tough on northern Indiana. Snow started long before Thanksgiving last year and finally quit just last week. The majority of the snow has been gone for about 3 weeks, but we still have those irritating flurries that threaten my daffodils! I am truly thankful that we have been safe all winter while driving and the house has stayed toasty warm. God is good!

Some of the 30+ patches of daffodils that I have.

THIS is why I love spring!!

I wish I could share some posies with all of you, but for now, this will have to do!

Blessings!

Cybil

Learning process...

Yesterday, for the first time, I went to a grocery store that sells strictly organic foods, healthy chemical free foods and grass fed meats. It was really interesting...and very expensive! I bought a few things to try but I read a ton of labels! I have been under conviction to change the way our family eats. Thankfully my husband shares those feelings. We already grow our own chicken and process them our selves. This year we are also trying turkeys. I have a garden and also put up a variety of other things that are native to our area. I am going to try to grow vegetables from seeds that have NOT been genetically modified. My gardening efforts will be increased this year so that I wont have to pay for any food that I dont need to.

Our nation is filled with processed foods that are eaten up in the name of convienience. Processed foods are filled with chemicals to help hold flavor, hold color, keep food slippery, extend shelf life into the next century and not to mention taste good. We consistantly sit by and allow ourselves and our families to eat things that can potentially cause cancer, birth defects, ADHD, autism and any array of other health issues. So sad!

For my family, I say...NO MORE!! I hope you will also consider a look into the chemicals that your family is eating on a daily basis. The average child under the age of five eats eight chemicals per day. WOW!

Blessings!

Cybil