Who cares about the menu plan? We're snowed in and hungry for take-out.

So we made our own.(Alright, who snagged one before I could get a picture?)Started off with Vietnamese spring rolls (cha gio) filled with ground pork, shredded carrots, bean thread noodles, minced onion and garlic, fish sauce, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar then wrapped in rice paper wrappers I soaked in beer and a little water. DH prepared the fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, bird pepper and garlic for a dipping sauce called nuoc mam cham. Then I made a chicken, Chinese broccoli, fresh mung bean sprouts and brown rice dish -- sort of a cross between a regular stir fry and fried rice.I had several cups of cold, cooked brown rice in the fridge and didn't want to be bothered heating it up to serve under the vegetables so I tossed it in the pan after the vegetables and chicken were cooked, treating it as I do when making fried rice and drizzled a tiny amount of sesame oil over it while quickly tossing it around to heat then added the veg and meat back to the pan. DS ate two helpings on top of 4 spring rolls.

Don't know for sure how many cha gio DH ate but I had 5 besides a test one DH and I shared while I was cooking them. I wrapped 33 and there were 9 left when we were done. You do the math. I think it means they were good. Or he was hungry. Or maybe both. Ah, well, they're small with only a tablespoon of filling on a quarter-round rice paper. And he did all the washing up... But wanted no supper this evening. Wonder why not?

Wholegrain Blonde Brownies

I made a batch of these yesterday and meant to include the recipe in the weekly menu plan post. These are so easy to make and since they take only a few pantry items, I can always whip up a batch on the spur of the moment. In yesterday's case, DS had been visiting his grandmother and my uncle was going to drop him off on his way home. A plate of blonde brownies can be an excellent way to say "thank you!" (Plus I won a blue ribbon for them at last year's county fair.)

This recipe came from a lovely old cookbook from 1963 titled "Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers: Desserts Edition, including Party Beverages" and is credited to Mrs. Dixie Dunn Ruby, Charles Town Sr. High School, Charles Town, West Virginia. That book has 378 pages of recipes and every one I've tried so far has been a success. It's a keeper.

Blonde Brownies

1/4 cup vegetable oil (original calls for melted butter)
1 cup light brown sugar or sucanat, packed
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour (originial calls for all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, optional but very good!

Combine oil and sugar in mixing bowl and stir until well-blended. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in walnuts.

Spread in a greased 9"-square baking pan. Bake at 350°F. about 25 minutes. Do not overbake! Cut into bars or squares while still warm.

Menu plan for week of Feb1/10

Forgot to do a menu plan last week but we survived. It is easier for me with a written menu, tho, so here's another attempt at making this a habit. The recipe for Monday's soup is included at the bottom of the post.

Monday, Feb 1
Tortellini Italian Vegetable Soup in the crockpot
No-knead wholegrain bread

Tuesday, Feb 2
Roast chicken
Broccoli
Mashed potatoes

Wednesday, Feb 3
Broiled fish (whatever's in the freezer - flounder or tilapia)
Potato cakes (made with Tuesday's mashed potatoes)
Peas

Thursday, Feb 4
Oatmeal Blender Pancakes w/blueberry syrup

Friday, Feb 5
Chicken & cheese quesadillas (using Tuesday's chicken)

Saturday, Feb 6
Black olive & mushroom pizza (crust recipe)
Carrots & celery
Rhubarb-ade

Sunday, Feb 7
Swiss steak over noodles
Green beans
Fruit cup (canned or frozen)

-----
Crockpot Tortellini Italian Vegetable Soup
12-15 servings

1 quart whole tomatoes
1 quart tomato juice
6 oz tomato paste or 4 oz dried tomatoes, powdered
1 quart green beans
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef or venison, optional
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped or 1/2 cup dried, chopped bell pepper
1 carrot, chopped or 1/4 cup dried, chopped carrots
1 quart chicken, beef or vegetable broth or water *See Note
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves or 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon garlic granules or 2 cloves, crushed
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini or 9 oz. dried tortellini

Brown ground meat in olive oil. Add onions, cook till they're translucent.

Combine whole tomatoes and tomato juice in 6-qt crockpot. Use large spoon to break apart tomatoes. Add chicken broth, green beans, tomato paste, chopped carrots and peppers, salt, basil and garlic. Add cooked meat and onions.

Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4-8 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, turn crock to HIGH if on LOW, and add tortellini. Monitor cooking as frozen tortellini may be cooked in as little as 10 minutes, dried will take longer. If preferred, tortellini may also be prepared by boiling in a separate pot of water (4 minutes for frozen, 10 minutes for dried). Drain then add to soup mixture. I do it all in one to save a step and a pan...

Note: If using dried tortellini and cooking it in the crockpot, add an additional 1 cup liquid (water or broth).

Another snow day! Finally, a chance to sew...

12°F. at noon and 4 inches of snow on the ground and still falling steadily. A beautiful old Singer 301A in place on top of my sewing machine cabinet. I am happy, happy, happy! DH, not so much.

We were expecting the snow but the forecast keeps being revised for more snow and colder temps. Supposed to be a high of 20°F. today but I don't think it's going to make it. Total accumulation predicted to be 7-12 inches. Hmm, maybe that one will be on target.

For me, I'm a very happy camper here in my work room which also happens to be the room with the woodstove. Sometimes I whine because of the heat but not today! The old Pfaff 230 I've used for years is down for repair. The machine was originally my grandmother's. She ordered it from Germany soon after WWII and after a wait of a year or so it arrived and has been going strong almost continuously since then. It should be back up and running shortly but in the meantime I want to sew!

So my mom, as always, saved the day by offering me one of her machines. This one, a Singer 301A, came with it's grasscloth-covered case and boxes of attachments -- more than I can readily identify. Mom's not much help on id as this is one of her "rescue machines" she picked up at auction.The woman hates to think of a sturdy (near-) working sewing machine being trashed which, very sad to say, is what often happens if the auctioneer can't get a bid. And not many people seem to want the old machines unless it's a Featherweight and easily recognizable as a "collectible." So for $5 or sometimes up to $15 if it has a cabinet, she buys them and puts them in her basement sewing room. When my cousin, Hope, comes to visit, they pull a couple machines out and set up a piecing party down there. (Hope makes beautiful quilts in the time it takes many people to make a set of placemats.) Mom works on her 1980s-era Pfaff, Hope and anyone else who wants to work on a quilt choose from the extras.

So when she offered me the Singer, I knew it was in good working condition and since it's an early portable I could bring it home without asking DH to help load/unload. And now I'm able to sew again! After being without a machine other than my serger (after *gasp* 7 years I have to admit I'm still only using it for straight seaming and have yet to change thread -- thank goodness for those large cones!) I'm even happy to be hemming DS's jeans and mending towels. But today I AM going to do a little more, more fun, that is. I started by making a baby bib pattern (couldn't readily find one to hand or online and didn't want to spend time searching!) and putting together a little bib to tuck in a swap package I have ready to mail. It's a book swap so the bib is something extra I wanted to include because I just found out the recipient is expecting a baby boy. Had thought I'd knit something but now that I have a working sewing machine again, everything MUST be sewn, kwim?

Drafting the bib wasn't too hard. I used a sheet of 1-inch square graph paper (from an easel pad) and drew out the pattern after estimating the size and attempting to shape it by viewing a few pics of DS wearing a bib of his I'd always liked. (Meaning one big enough to catch almost everything, even covering the shoulders.) I did one side, then folded the paper in half and cut both sides at once. I'm no good at symmetry.Using an old pair of jeans, I cut the front of the bib. To take advantage of the best part of the denim (these were discarded jeans, remember -- I'm just happy there was a "best part") I laid the pattern over the triple seam, placing it down the front middle. Then I found a piece of cotton print that looked suitable. Little yellow chicks with kites and butterfly nets are middle-of-the-road baby stuff -- even tho we THINK the baby will be a boy there's always a chance it won't be.

To hedge my bets further, I cut out a couple chicks from the scrap of fabric cut from the bib's neck area and appliqued them on the front and back of the denim fabric. I was going to put the little guy on the front but decided he fit better on the back, above the hook-and-loop fastener.

And there you have it. In less than an hour start-to-finish an "I want to sew now" project that helped me stave off the non-sewing d.t.'s. The end result is kindly modeled by DS's old teddy, Kissy. Now, excuse me, as I have to get started on another sewing project. Stat.

Jim's chulo

Same overall pattern as the one I whipped together at Christmas but for this hat, DH's hat, he wanted a Celtic knot pattern in the color band instead of the triangle pattern included in Lewandowski's book.

Since I anticipated carrying this around as I worked on it, a photocopy of the chart he chose went into my knitting bag with the yarn (Cascade 220 and Mission Falls 1824 from J.J.'s Knitting Knook) and needles. The ear flaps and the plain knitting-in-the-round went fast. The first few rows of the colorwork went fast, too.

Then, when I hit the 10-stitch repeat, I discovered I was getting lost looking at the photocopied chart. So I frogged and I frogged again. Then I hit on the idea of charting each row (at least the 10 stitches before the next repeat) on graph paper with the rows separated by a white line. Finally, I was able to finish without errors. Well, I THINK it's error-free. I'll know for sure after I block it and can examine it more easily. If there are any errors I'm calling them minor and I'll correct by swiss darning or duplicate stitch. Sh! Don't tell.

Menu plan for week of Jan 18/10

When I try to write down a menu plan my mind seems to go blank. Here's another attempt at using what we have without repeating till we're bored.

Monday, January 18

Spanish rice
Green beans

Tuesday, January 19

Potato soup
Cornbread

Wednesday, January 20

Egg salad sandwiches
Baked apples

Thursday, January 21

Spaghetti with marinara sauce
Carrots and celery with ranch dip

Friday, January 22

Fish tacos (directions below)
Cole slaw

Saturday, January 23

Black olive and mushroom pizza
Green salad

Sunday, January 24

Brown beans
Cole slaw or pickles
Cornmeal griddle cakes

-----
Baja-style Fish Tacos

1/2 cup flour
Beer - start with 1/3 cup and add more as needed for proper consistency, should be like thick paint
Salt and pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 pound fish (whiting, bream, bass, tilapia, any type of firm mild fish)
Oil for frying (I use peanut oil)

Watch the video below of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as he mixes up this plain beer batter and fries fish and squid. I've been reading his River Cottage cookbooks lately -- they have lots of ideas for using "everything but the squeal."


I serve the fish in a tortilla, preferably corn that's been lightly grilled to heat and soften, and add shredded cabbage or, sometimes, cole slaw. If I'm using plain cabbage I usually make a small batch of chipotle white sauce for a topping and there's always homemade salsa, fresh or canned, depending on the season, too.

Chipotle White Taco Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers, mashed

Combine all ingredients, stir to blend.

Menu plan for week of Jan 11/10

I sat down this morning with a cup of winter herb tea (recipe below) and wrote out another quick menu for the upcoming week. If something becomes a habit after 21 days, I should be well on my way to making this one. But in my experience I think that works best with BAD habits...

Monday, January 11

Pot roast and vegetables w/noodles
Green salad (depends on what's under the snow)
HM bread

Tuesday, January 12

Chicken fried rice
Orange and grapefruit segments

Wednesday, January 13

Black bean and cheese enchiladas
Canned peaches and pineapple

Thursday, January 14

Oatmeal pancakes w/maple syrup
Sausage patties

Friday, January 15

Tortellini-Vegetable soup
No-knead bread
Fruit salad

Saturday, January 16

Chicken and Dumplings
Peas

Sunday, January 17

Macaroni and cheese
Green beans
Beets (pickled or not)


Winter Herb Tea

1/2 teaspoon dried lemon balm
1/2 teaspoon dried lemon verbena
1/2 teaspoon dried chamomile
1 cup pink grapefruit juice -- warmed

Steep the herbs in the warmed juice, covered, for 4 minutes. Then discard the herbs and sip the tea.

Homeschool has a snow day

The weekly homeschool co-op we participate in was supposed to reconvene Friday after its month-long Christmas break. But the group uses the local county schools as a guide for weather cancellations so when another couple inches of snow fell early Friday morning, school and co-op were called off.

It presented an odd flip-flop on the usual snow day emotions -- homeschooled kids tended to feel regretful while parents were pumping fists and shouting "yeah!" DH and DS still managed to get together with some of the other homeschool families for the afternoon at the local roller skating rink. But we spent the morning playing board games in the living room.

For supper I was planning to make spaghetti and I can never seem to do that on a small scale. I like to use the tomatoes we've canned or dried to make the sauce and when I start putting the ingredients into a pot it always turns out to be a stockpot that's required. Because I had time due to the "snow day" I purposely prepared 2-1/2 gallons of spaghetti sauce and canned the excess in quart jars. Previously I've frozen the extra but the freezers are full and the ease of using my still-new-to-me All-American pressure canner makes it no real effort to process the quart jars at 75 minutes and store them on the shelf. Besides with the cold spell we're having (daily highs still under the freezing mark) the usual problem with the heat canning generates is a plus instead of a drawback. I think I'll look around and see what other convenience-type foods I might want to consider canning.

Embroidered felted wool trivet

I've been playing with felted wool sweaters again and had a nice thick piece of felt that wasn't big enough for a bag. Instead I cut it into a circle (used a small plate as a pattern) and embroidered it with vintage embroidery floss. (The skein labels said 5¢ -- that HAS to be vintage, right? LOL)

The design isn't my own. I found it in Kristin Nicholas' Colorful Stitchery. The book has several other designs I'd like to try including a paisley figure I want to work on another piece of felt.

I had a little difficulty when I tried to transfer the pattern to the wool. My fabric markers didn't mark well on the felt. So I measured the design area and cut out a paper circle the size I needed to maintain the design's proportions. Pinned it to the wool and stitched around it. Once I had the initial circle on there I could work the other parts of the simple design by sight without having to rely on a marked layout.
An article in an old Threads magazine suggested backing felted trivets with cork but this felt was so thick I didn't find that necessary. And, unlike embroidery on other fabrics, I didn't take the needle through to the back of the felt. The wool was about a 1/2-inch thick so I just ran the needle through the top half of the wool and back out on top. It's well caught and won't work loose without being clipped.

I used the embroider stitches recommended in the book but if I use the same design for a potholder or napkin -- something subjected to rougher handling than a trivet in normal use -- I'd opt for a different stitch to make the flower petals. Those long floats would be too easy to snag, I think. Maybe a chain stitch? Or a stem stitch?

Menu plan for week of Jan 4/10

Followed last week's plan except for Saturday -- I slept on the couch most of that day due to a lingering sinus infection. Instead of following the planned menu, DH and DS ate assorted leftovers from the fridge. Today's meal is what was scheduled for Jan 2.

Everything listed will come from our well-stocked pantry or freezer, too. This is the first week of our Austerity Plan for the quarter and, except for fresh dairy (mainly milk), I want to avoid the store for awhile.

Monday, January 4

Shrimp curry
Green beans
Applesauce


Tuesday, January 5

Venison w/onions and potatoes
Red cabbage and apples
Pumpkin pie w/o crust


Wednesday, January 6

Chili from the freezer
Crackers
Clementines


Thursday, January 7

Salmon cakes
Greek-style oven fries
Corn relish
Carrot and celery sticks


Friday, January 8

Spaghetti with veggie sauce
No-knead wholegrain bread


Saturday, January 9

Sugar snap peas w/pork (Use stir-fry sauce)
Brown rice
Pink grapefruit segments


Sunday, January 10

Vegetable soup from the freezer
LO no-knead bread slices topped w/cheese and broiled

Pineapple vinegar

For Christmas a friend sent us a pineapple in a box of assorted organic fruit. We enjoyed every bite of the fruit -- the pears were ripe and juicy, the apples crisp and tart. DS especially liked the dried mango and kiwi; he's ready to try drying our own in a couple of years when the kiwi vines are bearing. But I was eyeing the pineapple. We ate it in a mixed fruit cup but the parings went into a 1/2-gallon jar with a little sugar and water.I've wanted to make pineapple vinegar ever since I read of it six years ago in "Wild Fermentation: the flavor, nutrition and craft of live-culture foods" by Sandor Katz aka Sandorkraut. I waited all this time to try it because I only wanted to use an organic pineapple since I wanted to make it using the parings rather than the edible fruit. You know, part of the making-something-from-nothing or use-it-up mindset so prevalent around the ol' Walnut Spinney homestead.

We've been making other infused vinegars with fruits and herbs we grow and so know what they've (not) been sprayed with. But pineapples aren't easy to grow in this part of Virginia though I did see at least one pineapple in fruit at Edible Landscaping last fall. In their greenhouse, that is. And while I can find a selection of organic fruit at the local grocery, organic pineapple hasn't been available. Plus, there's the whole "how far did it have to travel"-thing that's been nagging at me the last few years. But, this pineapple, this was a gift! And I was very happy to be able to make use of every last bit of it, right down to the peel.

The sweet pineapple scent and flavor of the sample I tasted today when I decanted it into a bottle already have me thinking of how a cabbage slaw will taste if I use pineapple vinegar instead of my regular apple cider vinegar in the dressing. And I'm wondering if I could sub it for (some? all?) the lemon juice in the Apple-Carrot Salad from Simply in Season. And the next time I have fresh mung bean sprouts, I'm going to try making Outrageous Dressing with pineapple vinegar. Oh, and a chicken or pork marinade with pineapple vinegar? I think the possibilities are endless. Wish my flask of pineapple vinegar was bottomless...

Pineapple Vinegar

1/4 cup sugar
Peel and core of 1 pineapple
water *See Note
thin cotton kitchen towel or cheesecloth

Dissolve the sugar in 1 quart of water. Coarsely chop and add the pineapple peel. Cover with cheesecloth to keep fruit flies out, and leave to ferment in a dark spot at room temperature. I used a small glass plate and a small sealed jar of water set on top of the parings to keep them below the level of the liquid. (Same as I do when making pickles.) Otherwise, any peel that extends above the water may grow a bit of mold.

When you notice the liquid darkening, after about 1 week, strain out the pineapple peels and discard. (compost!)

Ferment the liquid 2 to 3 weeks more, stirring or shaking periodically, and the pineapple vinegar is ready to use.

*Note: You may also start with white vinegar instead of water. The vinegar will be ready after you discard the peels. (Too Hot Tamales does it this way.)

Menu plan for week of Dec 28/09

Working out a menu plan is so helpful when I bother to do it that I'm trying to make it a habit. Since I'm planning to implement an Austerity Plan for the first quarter of 2010, this head start on accountability seemed like a good idea.

We have our main meal at lunch when DH is working so that means I put today's crock pot meal together by mid-morning and we sat down to a hot dinner at noon. Kind of nice to have it over and done with -- both the planning and now the meal itself. Hope the rest of the week will go as smoothly.

Monday, December 28

Crockpot turkey and dressing (made from leftover turkey frozen in meal-sized portions - recipe below)
Fruit salad (blend of canned fruits)

Tuesday, December 29

Beef stew (potatoes, carrots, celery and onions)
Applesauce (HM)
Lettuce and spinach salad from coldframe w/viniagrette

Wednesday, December 30

Chili (make extra for freezer lunches
Cornbread
Clementines

Thursday, December 31

Steamed shrimp with Old Bay seasoning
Hummus with cilantro and jalapenos (Trader Joe's)
Baked pita chips (HM)
Carrots and celery sticks
Yogurt dip (HM)
Pound cake with lemon curd (HM, home-canned)
Rhubarb punch (home-canned and spiked with rhubarb liqueur for the adults)

Friday, January 1

[delayed Christmas meal at Mom's - will be assigned dish(es) to take later in week]

Saturday, January 2

Shrimp curry (made with leftover shrimp from Thursday)
Peaches or nectarines (home-frozen)
Pound cake (leftover from New Year's Eve)

Sunday, January 3

Potatoes au gratin with ham bits
Green beans
Pickled beets
Baked fruit compote (peaches from Saturday, dehydrated apples and pears, etc.)
Hot rolls

-----
Crockpot Chicken or Turkey and Dressing

4 cups cooked chopped chicken or turkey
1 box stove-top stuffing mix or a M-I-Y version with dried bread cubes and seasoning
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup water or chicken broth
1-1/2 cups milk, half-and-half or heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas, optional
butter or cooking spray

Grease 1-1/2 or 2-quart crock pot with butter or cooking spray. Combine stuffing mix and chicken in crock. Toss to blend.

Combine eggs and liquids in a bowl and stir to blend. Pour over mixture in crock pot and cover with lid. Cook on High for 2 to 3 hours. Pour peas on top of mixture about 30 minutes before end of cooking time. Replace lid and finish cooking. Serve.

Chris' Chulo

Two days before Christmas I came up with the idea to make a hat for one of my nephews. The pattern came from Marcia Lewandowski's "Andean Folk Knits: Great Designs from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador & Bolivia." The yarn came from the local yarn shop, J.J.'s Knitting Knook. While I was there I picked up green and brown wools for DH and a brighter red wool to go with the red from my stash which DS had already claimed. I'll use the same neutral for all three hats since it takes less than 50 yards per hat and the Cascade 220 I chose will do all three with some leftover.

This was the first time I'd worked with color stranding in the round. The process was much easier than I expected and I finished the hat Christmas morning thanks to DS deciding six o'clock was late enough for anyone to sleep on Christmas. Our family Christmas gathering was postponed due to the weather so I had time to block it, too. And I chose superwash wool so I don't have to worry about it felting when he throws it in the wash.

The only problem is that DH and DS both wanted that hat.

It didn't matter that I'd anticipated the problem and have yarn on-hand to make them each a hat from the same pattern. I placated DH by telling him that the thyme green I picked out for him will bring out the color of his eyes much better than the blue I chose for Chris and I explained to DS that I chose the red (his favorite color) with him in mind.

The masterstroke, though, was when I gave DH a piece of knitter's graph paper and told him he could design his own color band. He's thinking tanks and crossed sabers while DS is trying to decide between elven symbols and Warhammer 40K tyranids. As long as they can graph the designs on the paper in the space alloted and use no more than 3 colors to show the design, I promised to knit it. Wish me luck.

Primitive woolen stars

I saw similar stars on the purl bee site and set out to make several when I had a little extra crafting time due to the weather this holiday season. I think they might be nice to have on display more than just over Christmas, so I used a brown wool plaid remnant and a few tiger eye beads that I had in my stash.

I followed the directions on the purl bee page but as that site didn't provide a 5-pointed star template, I used the so-called Betsy Ross paper-folding method for making the star-shaped paper pattern.

The wool remnant had been washed prior to cutting but it wasn't truly felted. If I make more, I'll be sure to use wool that's felted enough it won't ravel as this wants to do.

I wasn't too worried about wasting fabric -- it was already a remnant, after all. But even when I don't have something in mind for the leftover bits, I can't bring myself to cut haphazardly through the middle of the fabric. So I laid the stars out, carefully connecting the pattern where possible.

I liked the process of making the stars and imagine I'll cut out more wool stars to tuck in my bag as a project I can work on away from home besides being a good way to use up odd bits of woolen fabric. But well-felted next time.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

And if the weather forecast's right about the coming week, this stuff will still be here. Plus another few inches, perhaps?

It started snowing at 3:30pm yesterday and it still coming down. It's been steadily snowing after the first few hours of heavy snowfall. We had 6 inches on the ground by 9:30pm last night. This morning there was at least one hour without falling snow but we were at 21 inches by noon today.

It's lovely stuff but it disrupts the schedule. Today I need to turn a half bushel of apples into applesauce for the canner. Plus decide how to handle an equal number of potatoes that aren't going to last much longer -- they were stored in the backyard shed but it's gotten too cold the last week or two and I need to ready them for drying or canning before I lose them. If I had freezer space I'd make several big batches of freezer mashed potatoes and put them away like that.

And everything we go to do takes longer because of the snow. Even taking the dog out, is a major operation.

I have no pictures of DS in the snow today because he bundled up early, went outside for an hour and when he came back in said that was it for the day! At 5' tall, the snow comes up to his hips and to his waist or higher in the drifts. He came back in soaked through pants and long underwear plus 3 layers on top, not counting his down jacket. The drawstring on his "tall" waterproof boots was pulled tight yet they are still wet. Other than the drawstring, there's nothing to keep the snow from sifting down from the top. Everything's still drying by the woodstove...

As for DH, he started out this morning shoveling paths to the chickens and the sheep. The cars will have to wait. It doesn't matter about the vehicles anyway because our county road hasn't seen a plow since before we got up this morning.

Advent tradition

Every year I think I'll discover an Advent calendar or craft that will make such an impression we'll have to have one. One year, when DS was enamored of Caillou and we had watched the Caillou Christmas special over and over, I found a Christmas tree printed on cardstock with lift-up flaps for each day. Like the Advent calendar Caillou had in the Christmas movie, under each flap was a country name and a brief description of a Christmas tradition practiced there. It held his attention for two years but now is carefully packed away with the other Christmas decorations that never found a permanent place in our Christmas traditions.For the seventh year in a row, however, we are reading Arnold Ytreeide's book, Jotham's Journey. We know the story by heart now. Even DH who, because of work, only hears certain chapters, knows the complete story. He and DS shout out warnings about Decha of Megiddo and practically act out the storyline word for word.

For the last few years, DS has been taking his turn reading chapters or the accompanying daily devotions. And we have an Advent craft, too, as the book suggests making an Advent wreath and lighting the candles, one by one, over the four weeks of reading.

One year DS made a wreath from artificial greenery at church and we used it for a couple of years. This year he decided to make a wreath from greenery he cut. And since Holly-dog's tail has had a close call or two with the candle flames in years past, the LED votives I found on sale earlier this month seemed a sensible alternative to wax candles.

The wreath will live on beyond Advent, too, because DS has staked claim to it for use in his Warhammer 40K terrain.

First snow

Broccoli fresh from the garden -- In December!

Udvar-Hazy Center approval rating soars

In breaking news at the Walnut Spinney homestead, 10-year old gives a big thumbs-up to the Smithsonian Institute's Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles. He keeps breaking off his recounting of today's trip to ask, "Why haven't we gone there before?"

Today's tour and educational lab program were rated tops and, except for a short time spent napping on the long drive home in the pouring rain, he's not stopped talking about it.

The only drawback was DH's disappointment in not being able to go along. So, to compensate, DS took LOTS of pictures. And I took a few of DS's propeller design tests and other obligatory "I was there" shots, some of which are included here. Now, besides listening to the fifth, or is it the sixth?, retelling of the day's events, I just have to think of an answer as to why we haven't gone there before.

If pumpkin pie is the #1 answer,

Then pumpkin bread is the #2 answer to "What are you going to do with all that pumpkin?" (Hmm, Family Feud flashbacks. Should probably get that checked out.)

While I finished canning the last 20 quarts of pumpkin this afternoon, DS practiced cooking. The good thing about practicing cooking is you usually have something to show for it (and eat!) when you're done. So when my DBIL showed up to get the wood-splitter and drop off a great hay and feed box he salvaged for DH, AJ could share a slice of pumpkin bread and a mug of hot chocolate with his uncle.

The recipe is easy, not too sweet but very tasty and even halfway healthy. DS was especially pleased to learn that it meets required (in other words, Mom's) dietary guidelines for inclusion in breakfast rotation, tho accompanied by a glass of plain milk rather than hot cocoa. The three of us finished a third of the loaf with ease, some will go with DS and me on our field trip tomorrow to the Udvar-Hazy Center and DH will have a few slices to take with his lunch a day or two this week. Then DS can practice making it all over again. I love homeschooling.

AJ's Pumpkin Bread

1-1/4 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree *See Note
3/4 cup milk
1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Cream together sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Combine pumpkin and milk in a small bowl. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin mixture. Fold in nuts and raisins.

Pour into greased and floured bread loaf pan and bake at 350°F. for 45 to 50 minutes.

*If using homemade pumpkin puree, I like to add 1/2 cup of rolled oats (aka Quaker Oats) with other dry ingredients. It keeps the loaf from being too wet and doesn't make the loaf heavy as adding additional WW flour may.

BTW, the final count was 73 quarts of pumpkin, plus 3 cups of pumpkin puree in the fridge. Glad to have THAT done and on to the next project. Don't tell me what it is, let it be a surprise.