Celebrate Life!

Cream together: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup butter 2 eggs Mix together and add to creamed mixture: 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cream of tartar 2 1/2 cups flour Shape into balls and roll in to a cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Tia made these for us.  She wanted to color them red, so....  here you go...

Home Sweet Home by Wendy Silva Sticky Walls, toys all over the floor.  No matter what I do nothing stays clean.  Dirty dishes, laundry piled high and bathrooms a sight better left unseen. Screaming kids, dirty diapers and children following me everywhere.  Combing hair, finding socks that match.  Fixing toys, can be more than one can bear. Then we have baths, PJ's to get on and stories to be read at the end of the day. With kisses good night and sweet innocent faces of love, I wouldn't want it any other way. Dylan's messy face! When you are in the middle of raising little kids... Remember to do this.... To Young Mothers    by Edna Jaques Take time to hear their prayers at night, and cuddle them a little bit; Tell them a story now and then, and steal a little time to sit And listen to their childish talk, or take them for a little walk. You do not know it now--but soon They will be gone(the years are swift) For life just marches o

Spelt Berry Muffins From Wanda's Kitchen 1 1/3 c. Spelt flour 3/4 c. oats 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 c. honey (or agave nectar) 1 egg 3/4 c. milk 1/3 c. butter, melted 1 c. craisins, (or fresh/frozen blueberries, or raspberries) Cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on top of the muffins. Combine dry ingredients well.   Add liquid ingredients and stir gently.  Do not overmix. Add craisins or berries. Bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes.

Apple Crisp Follow the amounts on the left for a smaller batch and on the right for a 9x 13 pan. 9 x 9 inch pan         9 x 13 inch pan In a bowl combine: 1 cup flour                         2 cups flour  3/4 cup oatmeal                 1 1/2 cup oatmeal      1 cup brown sugar             2 cups brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon                 2 tsp. cinnamon        Add butter and mix until crumbly: 1/2 cup softened butter       1 cup softened butter Press half into a greased baking dish. Cover with apples. 4 cups chopped apples       8 cups chopped apples In a saucepan, combine and cook until thick and clear: 1 cup sugar                        2 cups sugar 2 Tbsp cornstarch               4 Tbsp cornstarch 1 cup water                        2 cups water 1 tsp vanilla                        2 tsp vanilla Pour over apples Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top.   Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the apples ar

Top Notch Dinner Rolls From Wanda's Kitchen 1 c. warm water 2 tbsp dry yeast 1 tbsp sugar Stir together until dissolved.  Let set until foamy. 1 1/2 cups hot water (as hot as you can get it and still be able to touch it) 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup sugar 2 1/2 tsp salt Combine with the yeast mixture and stir. Add 5 cups flour (I used all spelt flour for these, but have made it with all white, or all wheat, or a combination of flours).  Stir well.  At this point the batter will still be very sticky. From here on, you will add at least 3 more cups of flour.  Stir it in until you need to start working the dough with your hands.  Push the dough down, fold it in half, push it down, fold it in half, continue working the dough.  Add more flour until it is smooth and not sticky.  If it feels wet or sticks to your hands, you need more flour.  Slowly add it, a 1/2 cup at a time until you get a soft dough. Shape it into a ball.  Pour about 2 tbsp oil in

I love to paint. I haven't had very much un-interrupted time in the past few years to paint. My paints and brushes remain in a box, tucked away in the closet. Occasionally, my kids would ask me if they can paint? At first I wasn't too crazy about the idea. #1  It's messy #2  They were quite young #3  The paints and brushes are mine #4  They are expensive! After giving it some thought a few years ago, I decided to pick up some cheaper brushes and paints. I spread an old table cloth or sheet on the table to give them lots of space. Give them some yogurt cups with water and some paper. It keeps them occupied and happy for along time. It's worth the clean up! 2012 Trevor, Alabama, Dylan Alabama 2009 Tia 2009 Trevor 2009

Quick Soak Method:  In a medium size kettle, Boil  4 Cups Water Add and stir: 1 Cup Steel Cut Oats Simmer for 1 Minute and remove from Heat. Cover pot and store in fridge overnight. Then next morning, cook in same kettle on low for 9-12 minutes. Stir occasionally. My favorite way of eating these is to add 1 Tb of Natural Peanut Butter Little bit of honey and 1/2 Cup of Blueberries to about 1 cup of cooked cereal.

1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter 1/4 Cup Honey or syrup 1/2 Cup Instant Dry Milk Powder 2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar (or more) Mix and knead into a pliable dough, adding more powdered sugar if necessary. Roll out and cut with miniature cookie cutters. Use powdered sugar as your "flour" for rolling out.  Playdough and edible playdough were a must when my kids were little! It helped to keep their little hands busy! The floors get a "little" messy, but it is worth it sometimes!!

   Old-Fashioned Lep Cakes  Plan ahead, these need to be refrigerated overnight. Beat together: 3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 cup oil Mix together: 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cream of tartar 2 cups buttermilk Slowly add buttermilk and 6 cups of flour to sugar until it is all mixed together. Add 1 Tbsp Vanilla Refrigerate overnight. Crumbs Mix together: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup shortening Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Put 1 tbsp crumbs on top of each cookie. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes Her Great Grandson Trevor Yutzy having a Lep Cookie! Grandma Weaver on her porch  August 2008 This recipe is my childhood favorite. My Grandma Sadie Weaver made them for us. When we would stop by to see her she would always have these cookies. We loved them dipped in a cold glass of milk!

Cream together: 1 Cup Butter softened 1 Cup White Sugar 1 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Eggs Add and mix: 1 tsp Salt 3 Cups Flour Dissolve and add to rest of ingrediants: 1 tsp Baking Soda into 2 Tbsp Hot Water Mix thorougly and add 1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.

The story of the Weaver family tradition that occurred each December during the opening week of Pennsylvania buck hunting. In our family, the opening day of buck hunting was a big deal.   To my dad and brother Jeff, it meant a vacation-a few days at the cabin.   Only days after celebrating Thanksgiving, our thoughts would turn to preparations for their yearly trip to the cabin, and the fun my mom, sister Wendy and I would have at home while they were away.   Daddy would clean his gun and make sure everything was ready.   Then they would pull their heavy, fluorescent orange hunting pants and coats out of boxes that were stored in the cold attic.      Now they were ready to join grandpa and dads’ brothers for the drive to my uncle Tommy’s cabin, the family hunting cabin. Grandma had planned the menu and bought all the food the hunters would need for the next three days in the mountains. All of the men would find a quiet spot in the woods on Monday morning to sit and wa

I found this recipe in Jeff's Moms' Red Lake Cookbook. The cookbook has been well used, the cover is missing, so I don't even know the name of it. What is neat about Sunday Chicken is if you plan ahead,  you can put it in the oven before Church on Sunday morning and have a delicious dish waiting for you when you get home. I don't do that, but just saying....that is why it is called SUNDAY CHICKEN!! This recipe also says you can substitute wild rice instead of brown or white.  To make this simple Chicken Dish you will need: Family pack of Chicken Legs- (6-7 Legs) 1 Cup Rice 1 Cup Milk 2 Cans of cream of mushroom soup 1 Envelope of Dry onion soup mix Grease the bottom of 9x13 Pan. Pour 1 Cup of Brown rice on the bottom Combine and heat: 1 Cup of Milk 2 Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup Stir and pour over rice. Next place the Chicken over the rice. Pour one pack of Onion Soup Mix over Chicken. Cover wit

From Wanda 4 eggs 2 c. sugar 1 - 16 oz can pumpkin (or 2 cups pumpkin puree from your own pumpkin!) 1 1/2 c. oil 3 c. flour 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 2 c. chocolate chips In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth.   Combine dry ingredients.   Add to pumpkin mixture; mix well.   Line muffin tins with papers and fill 2/3  full.   Bake 350 for 20 minutes until muffins test done.   Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.   Makes 24 standard size muffins. Recipe from Hinkletown Mennonite Church  "The Fruitful Vine 2".

Mmm....Stromboli is not something I have made often, but since I have tried this recipe, my family has fallen in love with it!  It is quite simple - after I figured out what meat I needed to have on hand to make it.  I don't keep pepperoni or salami in my refrigerator. Stromboli 1 loaf frozen bread dough (I used Whole Wheat Bread -recipe on blog) 2 T. melted butter 6 slices cooked salami 6 slices American cheese 6 slices baked or chipped ham 1/2 c. shredded mozarella cheese Mayonnaise to spread Oregano to taste Pepperoni slices (optional) Roll thawed dough to cover cookie sheet.  Spread melted butter on both sides. (I missed this and it still tasted awesome.)  Layer salami, American cheese (I didn't have any - still tasted great), ham and pepperoni in the center (or along one side as shown here.)  Spread mayo.  Shake on mozarella cheese and oregano.  Fold in half and seal edges.  Turn over and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Yield 4-6 serv

Crockpot Oatmeal 2 cups Steel Cut Oats (Irish Oats) 8 cups water Little salt Chopped Dried Apricots Craisins Put all together into your crockpot on low before you go to bed. Wake up to a large pot full of delicious oats! Store the leftovers in the fridge for a quick breakfast each morning!

Grandma Barb's Bread Makes 4 Loaves 3 eggs 1/2 Cup Oil 1/2 Cup Honey 1 TB Salt 3 Cups of Hot Water 2 Tbsp Yeast 1 Tbsp Lecthin (optional) 7 Cups Whole Wheat Flour 3 Cups White Flour Bake at 360 25 Minutes I baked mine for 35-40 Minutes. Baking bread is an art! I can't say that I've mastered this art, so I will send you to a link of a friend of mine who made a video tutorial on how to make bread! Her name is Anne-Jisca Meyers of Healthy Pursuits! Enjoy her video to learn the how to of making bread!! Video tutorial « Anne Jisca's Healthy Pursuits

By Wanda  www.facebook.com/stauffersnook This project adds alot of punch for very little cost.  20 x 30" black foam board = $3.00. Color image printed at Staples on blueprint size paper (18 x 24") = $2.00 Spray glue 30 x 40" black foam board for the larger images = $8.00.  Color image printed at Staples on blueprint size paper (24 x 36") = $4.00 Spray glue