Tasty Thursday

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 T. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all together (make extra to keep on hand) and add about a Tablespoon (more or less your preference) to a pound of cooked and drained ground beef. Add a little water to moisten, and heat through.

**I've also omitted the onion powder and just cooked the ground beef with a little chopped onion.

Monday Musings

My pastor asked me to briefly speak about being a mom during our Mother's day service about three years ago. This is what I said:

"Children are important to God."
-Psalm 127 says, "Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward"
-Psalm 128 says, "Children are like olive plants around your table."
-Matthew 18 says, "Whoever humbles himself as a child, he is the greatest in heaven"

"Raising young children can be a struggle. Sometimes it can be a minute by minute struggle. Sometimes you have to pray that God will get you through the next hour. I have six kids with three of them in diapers. I know how much of a stuggle it can be. But, God knows these struggles, because He has children, too.

My oldest daughter Brittany, and I were having a conversation a few years ago and she aksed me what I had wanted to be when I grew up. Kids were not in my plans. I said. 'Well, I had really wanted to be an archaeologist.' She said, 'So God didn't want you to be an archaeologist?' The Lord really spoke to me right at that moment and He said, 'Courtney, I thought it was more important for you to be a mom.'"

"This is my top ten list of things that I love about being a mom:

10. Peanut butter and jelly faces
9. Getting to spend 45 minutes just walking through the toy section at Wal-Mart
8. After fixing dinner, having my son tell me "Mom, You are the Great Cookest!"
7. When they look into your face and smile for the first time.
6. Learning every fact I thought I never wanted to know about Spiderman and Star Wars
5. Having an excuse to bake cookies...............and eat them
4. That fresh out-of-the-bath baby smell
3. Reading Pat the Bunny...........50 times
2. Not being able to go anywhere without someone asking, "Are all these kids yours?"
1. Six times the hugs, six times the kisses

Tasty Thursday

Lazy Granola

Mix 1/2 cup each of brown sugar, oil and honey in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil.
Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. vanilla.
Pour over 7 cups of oats on a large pan and stir until coated.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Take pan out and stir the oats.
Put pan back in oven, turn it off, and go to bed.
Take the pan out of the oven in the morning and serve granola with fruit and milk or yogurt

Monday Musings

Tonight on the menu: Thingys

Brittany: You stole my napkin.
Tyler: I didn't get a napkin.
Tristan: I got a wipey-off thingy. (Also known as a napkin?)
Later......
Tyler: MMMMmmm.. This spaghetti is delicious. You didn't put any of those white thingys in it. (Also known as onions?)

Tasty Thursday

"Red Lobster" Cheese Biscuits

1 cup milk
1 T. sugar
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayo
2 cups flour, self rising
Garlic powder to taste, melted butter
Mix milk, sugar, mayo, flour and cheese and beat with a fork or whisk for about a minute. Spoon onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or til golden brown. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter and add garlic powder to taste. Spoon butter over rolls after baking.

Monday Musings

You know you have a large family if........

1. You've heard "Are all these children yours?" at least 18, 349 times.
2. You have more than one set of bunkbeds.
3. You always double the recipe.
4. All the tags on your children's clothing have a series of dots or numbers to know who they belong to.
5. You are no longer embarrassed when your husband has creative answers to "Do you know what causes that?"

Tasty Thursday

Super Sloppy Joes
2 lbs. ground beef
½ c. chopped onion
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
¼ c. chopped green pepper
1 2/3 cups canned crush tomatoes
¼ cup ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. steak sauce
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. ground mustard
¼ tsp. paprika
8-10 hamburger buns
In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef, onion, celery and green pepper until the meat is no longer pnk and the vegetables are tender; drain. Add the next nine ingredients; mix well. Simmer uncovered, for 35-40 minutes stirring occasionally. Spoon ½ cup mixture onto each bun.

Monday Musings

You know you are a homeschooler when.......

You have maps on your living room wall- or under the clear tablecloth on your kitchen table.

Last week's leftovers become this week's science experiment.

Running to Kroger to pick up milk just became a field trip.

The bones from your owl pellet dissection are proudly displayed on the mantel.

The smallest children have cumulatively eaten the equivalent to a small box of crayons and two glue sticks.

Tasty Thursday

Mom’s Famous Pancakes
(This is what my children call them!)

4 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
8 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
8 T. butter melted
8 eggs
Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients together in separate bowls. Then combine the wet into the dry ingredients and mix together well. Cook on griddle or lightly buttered skillet. Serve with pure maple syrup.
**This makes enough pancakes for my family of 9 for two breakfasts. I just refrigerate the extras for the next morning. If you have a smaller family, just cut the recipe in half.
I know this is a lot of eggs, but with the extra protein, my kids seem to stay fuller for longer than when I used a recipe calling for less eggs.
Also, sometimes I substitute one cup of whole wheat flour for one cup of the white flour.