Here's the next two weeks menu plans:
Tuesday: Meatloaf, green beans, carrrots, and cornbread
Wednesday: Spaghetti (homemade sauce over whole wheat pasta) salad and fresh bread.
Thursday: Homemade pizza's (fresh mozzarella) and salad
Friday: Tangy pork (in crockpot), brown rice, green beans, salad w/ homemade dressing and fresh bread.
Saturday: Grilled chicken legs, grilled asparagus, red potatoes, and cornbread (or fresh bread.)
Sunday: Roasted chicken and veggies (using roasting oven like a crockpot)
Monday: Legume stew, salad and fresh bread
Tuesday: Chicken veggie soup(in crockpot) w/ cornbread
Wednesday: Chili, salad and cornbread
Thursday: Homemade pizza's (fresh mozzarella) and salad
Friday: Dinner at the In-laws (bring pasta salad)
Saturday: Meatloaf(in crockpot), baked potaotes, green beans, and
Sunday: Roasted chicken and veggies (using roasting oven like a crockpot)
Monday: Legume stew or soup, salad and fresh bread
Tuesday: Chicken veggie soup (Nourishing Traditions broth recipe) w/ cornbread
We have almost everything for these meals in the pantry or freezer already!! ;)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Kombucha Journey......
My first batch of kombucha tea was a disaster! I bought 2 scoby's from an E-bay seller and started them immediately.....Within in 3-4 days both of them started growing mold:( I contacted the seller and he offered to send me two more scoby's (if I paid the shipping).....hoping the second time would be better, I sent him payment through Paypal and received the new scoby's a couple of days later.
The new scoby's have been swimming in their new homes for a week now... with no mold in sight! Hallelujah! I'm going to try and switch them to a new batch of tea tomorrow and I'll get my first taste then.....I'm so excited! :)
The new scoby's have been swimming in their new homes for a week now... with no mold in sight! Hallelujah! I'm going to try and switch them to a new batch of tea tomorrow and I'll get my first taste then.....I'm so excited! :)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Starting some Kombucha...
Okay...it's official.... I'm making Kombucha! I received my cultures in the mail yesterday and started two jars this morning. (I made the sweet tea last night and allowed it to cool until this morning) I'll try and take some pictures and keep posting about the whole process.
I've also started a sourdough starter. My cabinet now has a brewing/fermenting station in the corner. LOL :o)
I've also started a sourdough starter. My cabinet now has a brewing/fermenting station in the corner. LOL :o)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Gardening in the City
I've been having those cravings...you know the ones to stick your hands into nice, rich, cool soil? Yup, those'd be the ones! LOL :o) We've been praying for the Lords way and will regarding a homestead, but unfortunately even if we closed quickly on a house, we wouldn't be able to put in a garden this year. Which leads us back to the ghetto gardens! :o)
The term "ghetto garden" was one a friend of my husbands came up with last year.... and we've lovingly adopted it! (Not offended at all) When you live in the city, opportunities to have a garden are limited. Last summer, my resourceful husband brought home some wooden boxes and we filled them with soil and seeds...voila! The ghetto garden was born. We had most of our salad fixin's for the summer with a few more things for "fun". This year, we'll plant the boxes and pray that if we aren't here to enjoy them, that they'll be a blessing for the next tenants.
On top of our little box gardens, I'm also working on some herb buckets. I really wanted to start cooking with fresh herbs (and trying to budget better.. sure can't afford to buy them! :o) and space in the garden boxes are at a premium so I ended up purchasing some inexpensive planters at Wal-mart. Now, I can bring the herbs with me when we move and inside when the weather grows cold.
I'm planning on planting : Peppermint, chamomile, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme...and I can't remember the rest! :o) (I'm hoping to make some of my own teas and such with the chamomile and peppermint.)
The term "ghetto garden" was one a friend of my husbands came up with last year.... and we've lovingly adopted it! (Not offended at all) When you live in the city, opportunities to have a garden are limited. Last summer, my resourceful husband brought home some wooden boxes and we filled them with soil and seeds...voila! The ghetto garden was born. We had most of our salad fixin's for the summer with a few more things for "fun". This year, we'll plant the boxes and pray that if we aren't here to enjoy them, that they'll be a blessing for the next tenants.
On top of our little box gardens, I'm also working on some herb buckets. I really wanted to start cooking with fresh herbs (and trying to budget better.. sure can't afford to buy them! :o) and space in the garden boxes are at a premium so I ended up purchasing some inexpensive planters at Wal-mart. Now, I can bring the herbs with me when we move and inside when the weather grows cold.
I'm planning on planting : Peppermint, chamomile, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme...and I can't remember the rest! :o) (I'm hoping to make some of my own teas and such with the chamomile and peppermint.)
Home Management Binder: Daily Schedule
I've been working on updating my Home Management Journal and here is our new daily schedule:
6:30A Wake, dress, tidy bed and room. Big kids have morning showers.
7:00A Breakfast and family devotionals.
7:30A Tidy table, do kitchen and morning chores. (Start laundry if not already going)
8:30A Begin School.
(Bible lesson, followed by English, Math and Science or History.)
10:00A Snack and free time.
10:30A Back to school.
(Finish whatever above subjects haven't been covered. If possible, do Spelling and Reading lessons as well)
12:00P Lunch, tidy table and do kitchen chores.
12:45P Read-a-loud time and then babies down for their rests.
(Absolutely can't call them naps"...they're too big for those! :oP)
1:00P Back to school if needed. As soon as the older kids are done with their schooling (if their chore were done in the AM, and their rooms are tidy) they have free time or we add in some fun electives (Spanish, art, etc)
1:30P Mama's exercise time.
(Running at the Air force base, weights or videos)
3:00P Babies up from their rests. Snack time for all of the kiddos and then some more fun/free time.
3:30P Mama starts dinner (if not already going.)
4:00P Daddy gets up and joins the family.
(I usually fold laundry while chatting with him over coffee. The kids either play quietly in the room with us or they are outside playing.)
5:00P Dinner time. Tidy table and do kitchen chores.
6:00P Family time!
7:00P Snack then bath time and before bed routines.
(Snack, bath, teeth and potty and into bed. Read-a-loud time)
8:00P Bedtime for little ones
8:30P Bedtime for big ones. Mama does final sweep of the house to make sure everything is tidy, all laundry has been folded and put away, no clean dishes to put away etc. Lay out fresh dish cloth and towels for the morning and start soaking anything that needs to soak overnight for the following days food.
8:45P Mama's Bible study and prayer time followed by quiet, snuggle time with Daddy.
10:00P Mama off to bed, Daddy leaves for work.
We've been working on this new schedule for over a week now and it's been wonderful!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Cleaning and Laundry Schedules
Monday-
Mama~Disinfect and clean all kitchen surfaces and appliances (sink, backsplash, take apart stove etc.)
DD10~Clean out fridge and wipe down if needed
DD9~De-clutter and dust surfaces
(Daddy & Mama's laundry)
Tuesday-
Mama~Spot-wash doors, door jamb's, and walls. (Errands, and groceries if needed. )
DD10~Yard and garden clean-up. (Make sure all toys etc. are tidy and where they belong and water garden boxes and planters if needed.
DD9~Spray and wipe down all computer and television screens.
( DD3 & DS2 laundry)
Wednesday-
Mama~Deep clean bathroom and wash all floors.
DD10~Vacuum all floors.
DD9~Tidy and sweep front and back porches.
(All towels, washcloths and dishcloths)
Thursday-
Mama~Strip all bedding, wash and remake beds (and couch cover.) Home Management Binder (Specifically menus and budgeting)
DD10~Tidy and vacuum front hallway.
DD9~De-clutter and dust surfaces.
(All bedding and covers)
Friday-
~Family Day~
Saturday-
Mama~Baking day.
DD10~Damp mop kitchen
DD9~Vacuum floors
(DD10 & DD9's laundry)
Sunday-
~Day of Rest....remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy!!!~
Our daily kitchen duties aren't included as they are a given and done after each meal. Each day, I also try to work on some project are for at least 20 minutes.
As for laundry, I'm going to try and stand firm on this rotation. The only deviations will be if there isn't a full load (which almost never happens! :o) or if someone absolutely has to have something for a specific day. (extenuating circumstances only...not an "Ooops I forgot!" :o) Cloth diapers are also in addition to the daily laundry. They are usually done on a rotation of every other day (other than Sundays)
6:30A Wake, dress, tidy bed and room. Big kids have morning showers.
7:00A Breakfast and family devotionals.
7:30A Tidy table, do kitchen and morning chores. (Start laundry if not already going)
8:30A Begin School.
(Bible lesson, followed by English, Math and Science or History.)
10:00A Snack and free time.
10:30A Back to school.
(Finish whatever above subjects haven't been covered. If possible, do Spelling and Reading lessons as well)
12:00P Lunch, tidy table and do kitchen chores.
12:45P Read-a-loud time and then babies down for their rests.
(Absolutely can't call them naps"...they're too big for those! :oP)
1:00P Back to school if needed. As soon as the older kids are done with their schooling (if their chore were done in the AM, and their rooms are tidy) they have free time or we add in some fun electives (Spanish, art, etc)
1:30P Mama's exercise time.
(Running at the Air force base, weights or videos)
3:00P Babies up from their rests. Snack time for all of the kiddos and then some more fun/free time.
3:30P Mama starts dinner (if not already going.)
4:00P Daddy gets up and joins the family.
(I usually fold laundry while chatting with him over coffee. The kids either play quietly in the room with us or they are outside playing.)
5:00P Dinner time. Tidy table and do kitchen chores.
6:00P Family time!
7:00P Snack then bath time and before bed routines.
(Snack, bath, teeth and potty and into bed. Read-a-loud time)
8:00P Bedtime for little ones
8:30P Bedtime for big ones. Mama does final sweep of the house to make sure everything is tidy, all laundry has been folded and put away, no clean dishes to put away etc. Lay out fresh dish cloth and towels for the morning and start soaking anything that needs to soak overnight for the following days food.
8:45P Mama's Bible study and prayer time followed by quiet, snuggle time with Daddy.
10:00P Mama off to bed, Daddy leaves for work.
We've been working on this new schedule for over a week now and it's been wonderful!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Cleaning and Laundry Schedules
Monday-
Mama~Disinfect and clean all kitchen surfaces and appliances (sink, backsplash, take apart stove etc.)
DD10~Clean out fridge and wipe down if needed
DD9~De-clutter and dust surfaces
(Daddy & Mama's laundry)
Tuesday-
Mama~Spot-wash doors, door jamb's, and walls. (Errands, and groceries if needed. )
DD10~Yard and garden clean-up. (Make sure all toys etc. are tidy and where they belong and water garden boxes and planters if needed.
DD9~Spray and wipe down all computer and television screens.
( DD3 & DS2 laundry)
Wednesday-
Mama~Deep clean bathroom and wash all floors.
DD10~Vacuum all floors.
DD9~Tidy and sweep front and back porches.
(All towels, washcloths and dishcloths)
Thursday-
Mama~Strip all bedding, wash and remake beds (and couch cover.) Home Management Binder (Specifically menus and budgeting)
DD10~Tidy and vacuum front hallway.
DD9~De-clutter and dust surfaces.
(All bedding and covers)
Friday-
~Family Day~
Saturday-
Mama~Baking day.
DD10~Damp mop kitchen
DD9~Vacuum floors
(DD10 & DD9's laundry)
Sunday-
~Day of Rest....remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy!!!~
Our daily kitchen duties aren't included as they are a given and done after each meal. Each day, I also try to work on some project are for at least 20 minutes.
As for laundry, I'm going to try and stand firm on this rotation. The only deviations will be if there isn't a full load (which almost never happens! :o) or if someone absolutely has to have something for a specific day. (extenuating circumstances only...not an "Ooops I forgot!" :o) Cloth diapers are also in addition to the daily laundry. They are usually done on a rotation of every other day (other than Sundays)
Making yogurt in a crockpot
I stumbled onto the blog "Keeping the Home" and can't tell you enough how much I've enjoyed it. One of the things I've enjoyed were the recipes....which is where I found out how to make yogurt in a crockpot! I tweaked it a bit (I was using powdered milk to save some money) and wanted to share the end result here!
What you'll need:
-7 1/2 cups of warm water
-3 1/3 cups powdered milk (this is a bit more than you would use to normally reconstitute the milk, but I've found it makes the yogurt a bit thicker and creamier. You could also just use 2 quarts(8 cups) of regular milk in place of the water and powdered milk)
-1/4 cup of store bought yogurt to use as a starter (or 1/2 cup of your own yogurt if you already make it yourself)
1.) Mix the water and powdered milk right in your crockpot and let it sit for a couple of minutes to completely dissolve.
2.)Turn the crockpot on low and leave it for about 2 1/2 hours. (This will bring the temp of the yogurt up to a point that it'll kill any bad bacteria in the milk.)
3.) Shut the crockpot off and unplug it. Leaving the lid on, let the yogurt sit for 3 hours (this brings the temp of the milk down enough that it won't kill the good bacteria in the yogurt.)
4.) Take 2 cups of warm milk out of your crockpot (I just dip in one of my clean, glass measuring cups) and mix in the 1/4 (or 1/2) cup of yogurt that you want to use for the starter. Mix with a wisk until completely blended (maybe a minute? Really easy and quick) and then pour the mixture back into your crockpot. Mix everything together, put the cover back on and then lay a quilt or thick towel over the crockpot for insulation (you want to keep it warm but not hot. Crockpot is still off and unplugged.) Now go to bed or walk away from it for the day! (6-8hrs)
5.) When you wake up, you'll have yogurt! Pour it into a clean glass or stainless bowl(I try not to use plastics anymore), cover and refrigerate. When it's nice and cool, it's ready to eat!
This is by far, the easiest and least expensive way I've found to make yogurt and it's come out sweet and creamy each time. My children love mixing jams, homemade granola etc. into the yogurt to make their own "flavor"!
~Shalom~
What you'll need:
-7 1/2 cups of warm water
-3 1/3 cups powdered milk (this is a bit more than you would use to normally reconstitute the milk, but I've found it makes the yogurt a bit thicker and creamier. You could also just use 2 quarts(8 cups) of regular milk in place of the water and powdered milk)
-1/4 cup of store bought yogurt to use as a starter (or 1/2 cup of your own yogurt if you already make it yourself)
1.) Mix the water and powdered milk right in your crockpot and let it sit for a couple of minutes to completely dissolve.
2.)Turn the crockpot on low and leave it for about 2 1/2 hours. (This will bring the temp of the yogurt up to a point that it'll kill any bad bacteria in the milk.)
3.) Shut the crockpot off and unplug it. Leaving the lid on, let the yogurt sit for 3 hours (this brings the temp of the milk down enough that it won't kill the good bacteria in the yogurt.)
4.) Take 2 cups of warm milk out of your crockpot (I just dip in one of my clean, glass measuring cups) and mix in the 1/4 (or 1/2) cup of yogurt that you want to use for the starter. Mix with a wisk until completely blended (maybe a minute? Really easy and quick) and then pour the mixture back into your crockpot. Mix everything together, put the cover back on and then lay a quilt or thick towel over the crockpot for insulation (you want to keep it warm but not hot. Crockpot is still off and unplugged.) Now go to bed or walk away from it for the day! (6-8hrs)
5.) When you wake up, you'll have yogurt! Pour it into a clean glass or stainless bowl(I try not to use plastics anymore), cover and refrigerate. When it's nice and cool, it's ready to eat!
This is by far, the easiest and least expensive way I've found to make yogurt and it's come out sweet and creamy each time. My children love mixing jams, homemade granola etc. into the yogurt to make their own "flavor"!
~Shalom~
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