English Muffins

Growing up, I am not sure why but my parents only used King Arthur flour. I remember my daddy making waffles (recipe which needs to be posted at some point cause they are great) from scratch and out came the brown and red bag of whole wheat flour. 

When I got married, I realized when I went shopping I automatically gravitated towards certain products, mostly because those were what I grew up with. Rumford baking powder and King Arthur flour are two that stand out. These made their way to my cupboards. At the funeral of my Uncle, I spent the weekend at my cousins house and discovered this cookbook sitting on her shelf and quickly fell in love. I have always wanted to be a baker and always admired the art of forming the dough into a work of yummy art. I soon discovered that there is so much more the flour being sold by King Arthur. 

You can actually get their catalog or just shop it online. They even have a section on their website that just talks about their flours and has videos of how their flour is harvested and much more. Two Christmas' ago, my mother got me a gift card. It took me a long time to decide what to buy. Kept circling things in the catalog going back and forth. Finally I decided on their Yogurt Maker, Baguette Pan and their English Muffin Rings. I have used the first two, but even after I got them I realized my using them was probably not going to happen. They are just so easy to buy.

I recently was searching Pinterest for great breakfast recipes and discovered a freeze ahead breakfast sandwich which I can no longer find. I didn't have any English Muffins so figured why not try to put those rings to use finally!

The recipe was simple to follow and they turned out incredibly deliciously. I did learn a few things like when it says to not over fill...there is a reason to that LOL. I did check with King Arthur first and they graciously said it was ok to post as long as I linked back to them (have no fear...I love to link!) so here is the recipe and my iphone photo. The more I blog though the more I think I need to keep our nice camera more accessible. 

King Arthur English Muffins

The cookbook also gives directions for dry-frying but since I baked those are the only directions I am posting. This recipe starts on page 227 of their All-Purpose Cookbook 

Starter:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (next time I am going to try with White Whole Wheat)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/8 tsp instant yeast

Dough:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 TB cornstarch
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TB sugar or non-diastatic malt powder (I used sugar...one day I will buy this)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 TB butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk, warm (I used almond milk and they were fabulous)
• cornmeal for sprinkling on pans when you bake

Directions

1. Mix the starter together, til you form a smooth batter. Cover and leave at room temp for at least 4 hrs, or up to 16 hours. The starter is kind of puffy and full of holes when ready to use.
2. In large mixing bowl beat starter and dough ingredients to form a smooth batter. It needs to be beaten for 5 to 8 minutes so I used my kitchenaid, but you can always give those muscles a work out too :). 
3. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot until the batter has doubled about 1 hour
4. Lightly grease 10 to 12 English Muffin rings and place on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet. I used my Pampered Chef Stoneware and find it never burns and everything turns out great. Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal into each ring. This is not needed just makes them look more store like LOL
5. If you don't have the rings, like most people, you can simply drop the batter on the pan and form with your fingers. Big hint: dip fingers in water...won't be as sticky!
6. Stir the dough, then drop a scant 1/4 cup of dough into each ring (don't heap it like I did LOL) Smooth the dough if you want (remember dip your fingers in water first so it doesn't stick all over you) Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until they have grown at least a third.
7. Preheat oven to 350. If using rings, place a pan on top to keep them flat on both sides. This makes it so they don't grow over the rings as well and can fit in toaster. Don't put a pan on top if you aren't using rings. 
8. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and enjoy!

If the Shoe Fits!

I remember growing up and going into my moms closet and loving her shoes. She had all these great boxes of dress shoes. She still loves shoes although I think her collection contains more flip flops then dress shoes these days. I love shoes but rarely buy myself anything that isn't practical. I did recently purchase some of the awesome nude/tan color ones that I loved, but who am I kidding they are still practical! So I have always wanted though a pair of impractical red shoes. Not just any but shiny red shoes with a heel!

Since moving, I have made great friends with Michelle. Our families love hanging out and she is also a deal finder. The other night, while at the Rangers game with their family, we were talking about my desire to get some shiny red dress shoes. She showed me a pair on JCPenny's website and I liked them. I told her if she was ever out and found a pair to call me :) Conversation (kind of) forgotten!

Today, I get a call and I can't answer it. Then comes a text! Found red shoes what size are you? So I call her back. Yes pick them up and I will pay you back. A few hours later she comes in with two large bags...all with shoes she picked up for me!!! Would you believe finding $65 shoes for only $5! Even my hubby thought it was a great deal! Seriously check out this stack of shoes...just begging for me to put them away in my new walk-in closet. Wonder if I could convince Trent to move his shoes somewhere else for my new lovelies.

I couldn't believe it when I saw them and she said she just knew my style and couldn't resist! So today I am thankful for Michelle who found a great deal AND knows my style. So here it is my parade of awesomeness! I am going to the beach in Florida next week...not sure which pairs will be making the trip now! Also, the pictures aren't the best but they were taken with my iphone LOL. I really need to keep our nice camera out so I can use it more! So there aren't picks of all of them on my feet but here is the whole line up...plus a few closeups...and one final line up! :)

Red Shoes that started it all

My Favorites...I am totally in love! So in love in fact you get to see them a few times LOL

Not on my feet...yep they are awesome!

Flower details

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As the saying goes...if the shoe fits buy it in every color! Or if you find a sale buy every style!

Home Project: Backyard Oasis #1

Every since we got married, I have had this weird dream to have this incredible backyard oasis. I have bought gardening books, plants, pots...it never really came together :(. I tried...I really, really did. Just the properties never seemed to want to work with me.

However because of this distance between our last home property and this one they haven't had time to talk and conspire against me (HAHAHAHA) so I am going to sneak up and attack it :).  The first step after having read my books for so many years is to decide what you want to use your backyard for. Thats an easy one...I want an oasis. A place to eat, relax, pick flowers and dream the day away...when I have nothing else I want to do (as if my addiction to Pinterest will ever let that happen...or my kids)

So we are going to be working on our backyard in stages. Stage 1 is the patio/terrace area. We have been blessed with a big slab which totally aids in the eating/relaxing areas. In the picture you can see the chairs and lounges we bought at Target. Nice for relaxing but not so great for the eating.

Our Slab in Backyard Oasis: Stage 1

Welcome to one of the joys of Texas living! You see patio furniture comes out in the stores at about the time I wouldn't want to use it down here...SUMMER! Seriously everyone keeps saying this summer is so different then normal, but I haven't really ever wanted to spend time outside since we moved here. If I wanted to be in 100+ degree weather, I would have my bathing suit on and be in a hot tub or sauna.

Another shot of Stage 1 - Slab improvement :)

Anyways, back to patio furniture. Well all those stores that had the lawn furniture are now prepping for Christmas (Yay) so that means great sales at the perfect time to start eating outside. So I headed over to Lowe's today after looking around the other night and me and the girls picked out a table, chairs, umbrella, torchs and pots for our patio area. We are hoping to get it set up on Sunday prepping for Labor Day. So because I want a place to record all the changes we make you get to see the backyard become my oasis (unless it gets a telegram from PA)

So the stages in my mind so far:
---WE R HERE---->Stage 1 - Slab Improvement
Stage 2 - Border Plantings (thinking these will be herbs mixed with flowers...we'll see)
Stage 2.5 - Set up Our Tool area in out building
Stage 3 - Landscaping around out building
Stage 4 - Raised bed garden
Stage 5 - Children's play area
Stage 6 - My reading/relaxing nook (this needs to involve a hammock or a comfy swing)

So this is long term planning (Daddy, you will be around for stages 3 and 5 right :) But I find having it written down helps a ton. Oh and you will never guess where I am getting a lot of my inspiration!
Pinterest! Check out my gardening boards...I will be adding more to it!

BTW...look for some crafty blog posts coming soon...and some cooking ones. I am having a get together with a new friend (hi Darcy if you read this) and we are going to craft from Pinterest this weekend YAY!

Good night for now! I will dream of Stage 7....RELAX IN BACKYARD!

Death...I hate it!

This morning, as I did my usual FB check in, I was reading the status of a friend and read some heartbreaking news. Cathy, a young teen from our previous church, passed away last night. Boo had gone to school with her and had raised money for her medical bills last year. She has prayed for her and I knew that it was one of those dreaded Mommy moments I was now facing.

Cathy has been battling cancer for a few years now. She was always so brave and even continued doing her schoolwork while at the hospital. She would video conference into the school everyday so she could still be a part of her class.

Since we left a few months ago, we haven't really heard much about her, so it was kind of shocking to wake up to that.

After waking Boo up I let her know that Cathy had died. The look on her face was so hard as a mom to see. She started crying and asking why...she is a teenager. She has begged me to go back for the funeral, but I don't see a 3 day trip in our budget or schedule. I will probably go onto a florist site and let her pick out something to send the family or find a place to donate to in her honor.

Death is one of those things that even as adults we struggle with. Boo has had 3 grandparents die since she was born, but she didn't really know them. This was the first person she really knew that has died.

As a Christian, it is slightly easier to deal with this. We have the hope of Heaven. I reminded her that one day we would see her again.  But the Why question is still sometimes hard to explain. We know we live in a sinful world. We know the Devil is attacking us. But it still is hard to explain.

I am trying to just let her cry when she needs too. If she needs to talk with me, I am here for her. I may take her out somewhere today for some one on one time. I know that in our lifetimes this conversation will happen again. We will all go through grieving processes and as a parent all I can do is to hug them,  let them cry, and be there to help them try to make sense of it all.

To Cathy's parents my heart aches for you. To everyone else...go hug your kids! Love on them. Take time today to do something special just with them. We already know they are kids for only a short time...enjoy each moment!

Schooling the Senses: Hearing

While in high school I remember our US History teacher, Pastor Ferguson, turning music on during testing or just when ever we were working on our class work. I still remember listening to the soundtrack for the movie Gettysburg while studying US History. I knew when I grew older that was one CD (I feel old LOL) I wanted to own.

A few years later, Trent and I lived close to many of those Civil War battlefields I had studied about while listening to that soundtrack. As we drove the roads through these National Military Parks, we would often find this on our ipod and listen to it through the drive. Driving through these parks can be a moving experience in itself, but add the music and you can sense the emotions these men were grappling with.

Nothing made this more clear then the first time I experienced driving through Antiteam National Battlefield for their annual Memorial Illumination. The first Saturday night of December, you can drive down those roads, made hallowed by the blood of men who gave their lives for what they believed to be right. There is 23,110 luminaries placed along the drive, one for each person who gave up their life. We played this music and the emotions that took place with in me....I can't begin to explain.  If you can be in MD at this time of year, it is one of those things you must do in your lifetime.

Music can do this to you. It can calm and soothe. It can transport. It can challenge you.

Maybe you have heard of the Mozart effect or just the thought that the complexity of classical music can make you smarter. I am not a researcher so I have no definitive answer to this, but I do know that I get more done with music on. I retain what I read better when I listen to the classics (and I mean Bach and Beethoven, not the Beach Boys and Beatles).

We know that children learn better when more senses are involved in the learning process. I am trying to incorporate a multi-sensory approach to my homeschooling. Todays blog is focusing on their sense of hearing.

We always have classical music going on during school hours. It is just quietly playing, but I can sense a difference when I forget to turn it on. Currently we are mostly listening to the Brandenburg Concertos by Bach (One of my all time favorites). I plan to work through many pieces this year. I am also educating my kids to what they are listening to and who composed it, so it is kind of like Music Appreciation at the same time.

This year I plan to introduce them to new pieces each month: Holst's Planets, Mozart's Sonata in D, as well as pieces by Smetana, Beethoven, Dvorak...well and many more.

During our Unit Study time, I have downloaded two new albums from iTunes. The first is Patriotic Classics for Kids. This is fantastic as it has everything from America, the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner to the Marines march, Yellow Rose of Texas and Dixie. They are all done without words as classical pieces. We are using this as the background music for when we talk or are doing our silent reading.

During crafting time (which we have a lot of) we are listening to Songs of America by the Cedarmont kids. This album has children singing to songs like Yankee Doodle, Battle Hymn of the Republic, You're a Grand Old Flag and many more. Plus a great perk with this one is that it is a split track so your kids can learn it and then sing it themselves!

The arts are struggling to stay alive in our schools. With each round of budget cuts they become more and more vulnerable. Even if you don't homeschool you can keep them alive in your home. During dinner turn some classical music on in the background. While the kids do their chores crank up the tunes. Teach them to listen for instruments. Encourage them to actually listen to the words. Take the time to explain what the artists may even mean.

I would love to hear from you. Are your kids schools being hit with the cuts? How do you incorporate Hearing, primarily music, into your homes? Do you even know who Smetana is? Do you just want to say hi? Leave me a comment...they make me happy  :) Also if you totally love what I am writing (HA HA) you can also subscribe on the right hand side so you get ever post in your email box. Don't worry you won't be spammed. How would I find the time in my day to write that many posts LOL.

Love,
Aly

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

Our church is having a meet and greet for the the students at Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) where my husband started working this year. Every year the church, which is right on campus, holds this event, and church members bring watermelon and cookies to share with them. I decided I wanted to go so I looked through my Pinterest boards for some cookie recipes. I picked out three but only had time to make two of them.

Roo helped me make the first batch -- Strawberry Lemonade cookies! Boo and I had already done the shopping in the morning to get all the ingredients so I had everything set out on the cupboard all ready for Roo's special time with me!

all the ingredients laid out for the cookies

We immediately got busy. Roo loved using the hand mixer. I was going to use my kitchen aid but wanted to teach her about over mixing wanted her to feel like she was doing it not just some machine.

So she mixed it all up and then it was time to make the cookies. I totally love Pampered Chef's (PC) Small Scoop. It was easy enough for her little hands and made perfect scoops each time. We also put them on PC's Large Stoneware Bar Pans. I love stoneware! I have never had anything ever burn on them. They always turn out perfect.

frosting made and ready to decorate!

So after baking them (btw, the recipe made 54 for us) I made the frosting and got out the sprinkles. I frosted each of them and then handed them to the girls to decorate. They had a blast! I did have to rotate evenly through though so that that one kid didn't get more then another and as a side note there were actually 55 cookies but we only decorated 54. One lucky cookie got a trip through my digestive system so that everything was fair. Aren't I the best mother ever ?!?!

I also enjoyed watching the girls decorate. It was a picture into their creative thinking. Loo used the sprinkles  with no real thought pattern except that Mommy had said don't waste them. I let her know she could use more then 10 sprinkles per cookie and then we were all good. Roo made hers to look just like the cookie I had demoed for them. Almost exactly! We really are twinies :). Boo on the other hand was super creative making some half and half with the colors, some just pink, some with the crystal like sprinkles. They sky was her only limit.  I love how even something as simple as this can show me another insight into my children!

This is the finished product along with the Lemon Crinkles that Loo and I made from one of my Pinterest boards as well. Look for that post coming soon. The students of SWAU seemed to really enjoy them and because I made so many of each we also brought a plateful over to our Fire Station.  The visit turned into an impromptu fire station tour and the kids had a blast. We have decided to adopt C company and bring them stuff all year! Without much planning we had a very fun home school day!

So here is the recipe as well as a cute layout I whipped up for the pictures. The kit will be going live in my store soon and I will post the links! Also here is the link to the site I got it from.

Kit Used: Strawberry Lemonade by Truman Studio (releasing soon)

Definition Day: Flexible

flex·i·ble [flek-suh-buhl] adjective

1. capable of being bent, usually without breaking; easily bent: a flexible ruler.

2. susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable: a flexible schedule

Mr Webster apparently knew that life happened when he thought this word should be added to the dictionary. In a normal school setting, there is little allowance for much flexibility. Standards need to be met, subjects to get through, etc. I don't fault teachers...honestly I 100% get it.

I love schedules...LOVE THEM. I am forever making lists and schedules, but that is a post all in its own. Today though...today was about learning what Mr. Webster meant.

HOA pool. We were the only ones there today.

I woke up this morning with a thought that I would like to take my kids swimming today and I would like to go BEFORE the Texas heat gave me my third heat stroke of the summer. Our HOA pool opens at 10 am, but my schedule shows that is English time.

But not today! Nope today I was going to practice that very word. I mean isn't that a major reason why we love homeschooling...it gives us the flexibility to alter our days and schedules to let life learning happen.

So today we went swimming. As a former swim teacher, I believe swimming is an important life skill to learn. You rarely fall on a floor and have to dance, or on a beam and have to perform a cartwheel. But if you fall in a pool or an body of water...you better hope you can swim!

So I decided until our pool is shut down for the season we were going to practice for an hour at least 2 to 3 times a week. So this morning, I worked with my girls  on their swimming. The older two started off with 20 bobs and Loo worked mostly on blowing bubbles. I did have her go under with me 3 times.

We moved to doing some laps next. Boo, is quickly catching up to where she was. Did a lap with the front stroke and one lap with the elementary backstroke. Roo, was still struggling and wanted her noodle constantly. Loo, well she kicked and I got numerous face fulls of water.

We then moved to jumping and diving. I had all three jump to me. After Loo had jumped 10 times I let her go eat a snack. Then Boo and Roo worked on the sitting dive. They were doing pretty good. I told Roo she could go eat her snack but she wanted to stay and JUMP! She proceeded to alternate with Boo, who was practicing kneeling dives with jumping and swimming to the ladder...WITH NO NOODLE!!!! I was so proud of her and Boo was rocking the kneeling dive.

So today, we have had school in the afternoon. The kids are still focused and we have had fun. I feel like a good mother and teacher today!

A few other milestones worth noting:

• Roo and I worked on our English yesterday from our incredible Language Arts program. We learned all about the squeely ee's (need, speed, bee). Anyway today she grabbed our Ted and Friends phonics reader for her quiet time. I stopped her and asked if she wanted to try and read it to me. That was about the end of the world...until we started. She has never read to me before. Today she read 3 pages! It was awesome.
• Boo and I spent yesterday working on a spelling placement test. After yesterday we discovered she was spelling 3rd grader words...7 months into 3rd grade. So we finished the second test today and indeed, my second grader will be using the third grade (level c) spelling words. She loves to read and it showed!