Homesteader Cornbread

My neighbor brought this recipe over to me after I swore I'd never make cornbread again because of the huge mess my kids made with it ... it's amazing ... it's moist and sweet and so good. I thinks she also saw my kids eating their dinner at the picnic table out back when it was pretty cold out because I didn't want the crumbs all over the kitchen ... hehe ...

Homesteader Cornbread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk (I used powdered)
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used light olive oil)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cornmeal and milk in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and oil. Grease a 9 X 13 pan.

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pour wet ingredients into dry and combine until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Menu for the Week of July 28, 2008

*To save time this week and because I deviated from last weeks menu quite a bit I am copying most of last weeks menu and using it this week. The kids have truly eaten me out of house and home this pay period ... we ran out of milk, yogurt, fruit and salad stuff 5 days early ... I'm not sure how or why but they are hungry little monkeys lately.

MONDAY
Cereal/Berries and Yogurt
Beans & Cornbread/Apples/Carrots
Hamburgers/Potato Salad/Watermelon

TUESDAY
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Mac N' Cheese/Grapes
Spaghetti & Meatballs/Salad/Bread

WEDNESDAY
Swedish Pancakes/Berries and Yogurt
Sandwiches/Chips/Carrots
BBQ Chicken/Deviled Eggs/Baked Beans/Carrots & Ranch Dressing

THURSDAY
English Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Ham & Cheese Tortillas
Omlettes/Toast/Fruit Salad

FRIDAY
Toast/Berries and Yogurt
Noodles with Parmesan Cheese/Apples
Pizza Night

SATURDAY
Donuts
Left-Overs
Meat Loaf/Twice-Baked Potatoes/Green Beans/Salad

SUNDAY
Bundt Cake/Bacon/Berries and Yogurt
Left-Overs/Grapes
Nachos

Menu for the Week of July 21, 2008

MONDAY
Cereal/Berries and Yogurt
Beans & Cornbread/Apples/Carrots
Left-Overs/Salad

TUESDAY
Cinnamon Apple Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Mac N' Cheese/Grapes
Spaghetti & Meatballs/Salad/Bread

WEDNESDAY
Swedish Pancakes/Berries and Yogurt
Sandwiches/Chips/Carrots
BBQ Chicken/Deviled Eggs/Baked Beans/Carrots & Ranch Dressing

THURSDAY
English Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Ham & Cheese Tortillas
Omlettes/Toast/Fruit Salad

FRIDAY
Toast/Berries and Yogurt
Noodles with Parmesan Cheese/Apples
Pizza Night

SATURDAY
Donuts
Left-Overs
Meat Loaf/Twice-Baked Potatoes/Green Beans/Salad

SUNDAY
Bundt Cake/Bacon/Berries and Yogurt
Left-Overs/Grapes
Nachos

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

1 stick butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 T molasses
1 t vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 and grease 12 muffin cups.

Melt butter and cool slightly. Whisk together butter, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, molasses and vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients separately. Make a well in middle of dry ingredients and pour in wet mixture and combine. Fold in walnuts.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Afternoon Chores

We do afternoon chores around 5:00 every day. It's nice to have things picked up before dinner. The three younger boys do their jobs together to speed things up. The older kids may have school to correct so they have the easier jobs this time of day.

Mom - Make dinner

Josiah - Sets Table and Picks-Up/Vacuums Front Rooms

Mary - Makes Salad and Picks-Up/Vacuums Family Room and Kitchen

Luke - Empties Upstairs Baskets and Makes Milks

Benjamin - Picks-Up Basement and Outside

Jacob - Picks-Up Basement and Outside

Timothy - Picks-Up Basement and Outside

Anna - Picks-Up Room

Rachel - Picks-Up Room

Morning Chores

We do Morning Chores before devotions every single day. Along with Afternoon Chores it helps us keep the house together. I change chores every fall or when something isn't getting done or working.

Josiah - Clean Room, Clean Small Bathroom, Trash, Pick-Up and Vacuum Family Room

Mary - Clean Room, Clean Kids Bathroom, Clean Kitchen

Luke - Clean Room, Clean Basement Bathroom, Pick-up and Vacuum Front Rooms

Benjamin - Clean Room, Haul Laundry/Trash, Dust

Jacob - Clean Room, Haul Laundry/Trash, Dust Family Room

Timothy - Clean Room, Organize Shoe Shelves and Coats

Anna - Clean Room, Help Mom

Rachel - Clean Room, Help Mom

Daily Schedule for Summer 2010

6:00 Mom Devotions
6:30 Mom dressed/Littles Up
7:00 Prepare breakfast/Littles morning chores and dressed
7:30 Big kids up, dressed and morning chores
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Devotions
9:00 Morning Chores/Mom Starts Laundry/Inspections
9:30 Yard/Garden Chores
10:00 "
10:30 Inside Chores/Mom Prepares Dinner
11:00 "
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Whole House Clean-up
12:30 "
1:00 Rest and Read Time for Everyone
1:30 "
2:00 Pool
2:30 "
3:00 Afternoon Snacks
3:30 Outside/Everyone Folds Laundry
4:00 "
4:30 Afternoon Chores
5:00 "
5:30 Dinner Prep/Yard Cleanup
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Quiet Time with Dad
7:00 Little girls tub
7:30 Little girls read
8:00 Little boys shower/Little girls to bed
8:30 Little boys read
9:00 Mary shower/Little boys to bed/
9:30 Read
10:00 Bed

Menu for the Week of July 14, 2008

MONDAY
Cereal/Berries and Yogurt
Bean Burritos/Apples/Carrots
Vegetable Chicken & Rice Soup/Bread

*Make Muffins for tomorrow

TUESDAY
Zucchini Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Noodles with Parmesan Cheese/Grapes
BBQ Sandwiches/Baked Beans/Coleslaw

WEDNESDAY
Pancakes/Berries and Yogurt
Sandwiches/Chips/Carrots
Pot Roast/Mashed Potatoes/Peas & Carrots/Salad

THURSDAY
English Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Pizza Tortillas
Omlettes/Toast

FRIDAY
Bagels/Berries and Yogurt
Macaroni and Cheese/Apples
Pizza Night

*Cook beans for tomorrow night
*Bake Bundt Cake for Sunday

SATURDAY
Donuts
Left-Overs
Beans and Rice/Salad

SUNDAY
Bundt Cake/Bacon/Berries and Yogurt
Kolaches/Grapes
Nachos

Biscuits Supreme

2 cups flour
3 t baking powder
2 t sugar
1/2 t cream of tarter
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk

Combine all dry ingredients well. Add cold shortening and butter (my shortening isn't always cold and you HAVE to use butter ... absolutely, no margarine ... blah) and cut in with a pastry cutter or two forks. Make a well in the middle and add milk. Mix very gently and pat into a lump. Pour onto a floured surface. Knead together gently just until it is cohesive ... the more you handle it the tougher your biscuits will be. You want it to be flaky and just barely held together. Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass and cook in a 450 degree oven fro 10 to 12 minutes. If the kitchen is warm put the tray of biscuits in the freezer for a bit so the butter/shortening can get cold again. Once cooked drizzle with honey or serve with honey-butter or jelly.

You can freeze these raw (on a tray and then put them in a ziploc bag once they are frozen) and then bake what you need when you need. No need to defrost.

I quadruple the recipe and use 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Any more than that and they just aren't as good ... sorry, this is one recipe that just isn't as good with whole wheat. We usually don't have any left even after I quadruple the recipe! Eeeek!

Menu for the Week of July 7, 2008

MONDAY
Cereal/Berries and Yogurt
Macaroni and Cheese/Apples/Carrots
Sticky Chicken/Potato Salad/Baked Beans/Salad

TUESDAY
Applesauce Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Bean Burritos/Grapes
Chicken Vegetable Soup/Bread

WEDNESDAY
Pancakes/Berries and Yogurt
Sandwiches/Chips/Carrots
BBQ Sandwiches/Cole Slaw/Salad

THURSDAY
English Muffins/Berries and Yogurt
Pizza Tortillas
Omlettes/Toast

FRIDAY
Bagels/Berries and Yogurt
Noodles with Parmesan Cheese/Apples
Pizza Night

SATURDAY
Donuts
Left-Overs
Pot Roast/Mashed Potatoes/Green Beans/Salad

SUNDAY
Bundt Cake/Bacon/Berries and Yogurt
Kolaches/Grapes
Nachos

Benjamin's 8th Birthday - January 24, 2008

Baseball Benjamin with his friend, Anna

Benjamin had a fun party with the Allison family at Pump It Up and then a family party. I made this baseball field cake for the family party that turned out pretty cute.






This is Sabrina in a Princess dress hitting Ben's baseball pinata. Since it was cold outside we hung it from out loft which proved tricky.






Benjamin loves baseball, bunnies and Batman. Go figure! He jumps up every morning and races to get the newspaper to check the daily baseball scores. He is exceptionally thoughtful and caring towards others.

Jacob's 7th Birthday - January 18, 2008

Obviously Jacob had a pirate party complete with gold coins hidden inside the cupcakes as well as decorating the top. I attempted to make a treasure chest cake but ... well, it didn't turn out well and ended up being eaten by the grown ups while the kids ate the cute cupcakes.

We had a treasure hunt to find a treasure chest with all the kids. Mike is an amazing treasure map maker and must have been a pirate before I met him. There was a giant Hershey's Kiss inside for Jacob and candy rings for the other kids.






The kids putting the pieces of the map together so they can follow the map to the treasure.

Pirate Jacob the Wombat

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 can or 2 cups cooked black beans
1 can or 2 cups cooked corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegarette
salt and pepper to taste

Combine and eat. Makes a great salsa with tortilla chips or served over lettuce with extra vinegarette.