Friday, October 29, 2010

Progress.. one step forward, two steps back...word of the day "goals"

So, the garage sale went quite well.  ** more on that in a moment**  I guess first I'd like to say, I'm not sooo great at this whole blogging thing.  It is my first one and I have so many thoughts, it is possible that I am coming across with a bunch of gibberish that makes no sense to anyone but me, and I'm OK with that I suppose.  With that in mind, I'm still getting in the swing of things, trying to blog more regularly.. I'm all about setting goals lately, so my current goals are:

Blog twice weekly ( I cannot commit to exact days yet)
Purchase or Find 2-4 child-size rolling pins in the next 4 weeks
Learn how to post video on Blog (hoping for this weekend)
Find crafty way to knead dough whilst baby-wearing... this is much more difficult than you could possibly imagine! Not to mention MESSY!! (The picture below is Sarah patiently watching mommy knead the dough for the full 8 minutes without fussing, Good job Baby!)



Moving on..
So, the garage sale went quite well.  I exceeded my goal by $50 but then decided it was the exact amount to pay off several medical bills.  So I did.  Now I'm back to square one, but at the same time feeling very good about less debt.


(Some of you know that I am in the process of dragging my husband through the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace/Freedom course... This is NOT easy!!!)

In the mean time I will begin gathering little by little the items needed to get started.  My goal (there's that word again) is to have everything ready to roll at the first of the year.  Would be nice to get started sooner, but I'm trying to tame my inner over-achiever and just set attainable goals. (starting to see a trend?)  We need 2-4 child-sized rolling pins, Pie tins, more measuring spoons/cups (dry variety), construction paper, custard cups, and general baking supplies (i.e. cookie sheets, muffin tin, loaf pans), oh and supplies for decorating aprons!!

The more I think of the things I need, the more my creativity kicks in and the more detailed my vision becomes!  I don't want to rush it and ruin it.  Like I always say, "If its worth doing, its worth doing Right!", right?

Now, just because I have been busy setting goals doesn't mean I have quit cooking... quite on the contrary.  I've been cooking like crazy!!  I have a new love for cinnamon swirl bread which I will post in all its wonder with all the fabulous ways we used the yumminess throughout the week.  I really cannot tell you HOW many different ways, it was marvelous! Or as Lena says, "it is genius!"  I promise I do cook things other than bread, but it is a staple so I make lots of it, and frequently.  And the kids don't know whats coming, but they are in for a shock... I'm working on making confetti bread for next week.  We'll see if it works, and if it does I'm for sure posting it on here!  I had my Ah-Ha moment earlier today and just like all my other ah-ha moments, I just HAVE to try it!



Daily Rant... Is it just me, or do other mommies feel as convicted to purchase only things at the store that you already know everyone in your house likes, or at least will eat?  What I mean is, do you ever consider buying something that you know YOU LOVE to eat and then you just don't because you know no-one else will want to eat it?  (**side note: men do not have this built in food-conscience, they have no problem purchasing something they know only They will eat**) For instance, I LOVE LOVE LOVE tapioca pudding.  I'm in a house with 5 other people (the baby counts..lol)  and none of them eat the stuff.  So I haven't had tapioca pudding in years!!  I look at it and it calls to me, but do I buy it, do I eat it, Noooo.  And why??? Simple.  I know my budget and I know the meal plan.. if I buy it just for me, I'm going against all things mommy.  How could I look at myself in the mirror??  It would be an entirely selfish act in the form of lovely little pudding pearls.  Ya, I know they look like fish eyes or maybe fish eggs or even kinda like the little gel balls that show up your baby's skin when the diaper has been really really wet for a long time and you didn't change it...like that time when I cheated and took one of the kids to the pool and didn't want to pay for "swim diapers" only to take it off pool-side as it EXPLODED nasty little gel balls all over the ground, don't JUDGE me.  Besides I have goals now and I'm sure one of them will be to buy swim diapers before next summer =)  Oh ya, tapioca... so there, I said it.  I LOVE tapioca pudding, but my stupid mommy conscience won't let me buy it.  What do you like to consider buying but never do?  Or maybe you are a rebel and you DO buy it.. share with me your courage and maybe, just maybe there is some tapioca in my future!
 

Grab a Kid and get Cooking!

Monday, October 11, 2010

White Bread

Its been a rainy Columbus Day, and the kids are off school.  They've made their forts and played around the house and I got my grocery shopping done.  I must say, the couponing is definitely paying off!  We are practicing living a more frugal life-style and I certainly hope it becomes more natural to us over time.

One of the first things we decided to do is make our own breads and pastries.  I have been pleasantly surprised to find that not only is it not difficult to do, but it tastes sooo much better!  It's cheaper.. and you can bake it all up with your kids.

Today Lena and I are making White Bread since I know everyone will eat it and although my dear husband would prefer whole wheat bread.. the kids just aren't ready for such a shock. LOL  Below is the recipe we are using for the bread and we will be uploading our first Vlog to the site today to show how we did it.  Really quite simple!  Tyler is running the camera, and I'll admit there were times I looked like I was trying to tell him what to do... its because I was. =)  I'm a really perfectionist at times and this "letting go" is a new skill for me.

Ingredients:
2 Tbl. Yeast (quick rise)
2 c. Hot water or milk
5 c. Flour **Bread flour**
2 Tbl. Sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbl. Butter (melted)

Directions:
Mix hot water, butter and sugar (keep the liquid between 85*-100* (much cooler and the yeast won't activate, much hotter and you'll kill the little boogers)
Combine Flour (2 cups to start with), salt, and yeast
Add liquid to dry ingredients and wisk for 2 min.
Leave 8-10 (should be bubbly)
Knead into remaining 3 cups of flour for 8-10 min.
Leave in bowl and cover with damp kitchen towel for 2 hours (at least one if you're in a hurry)
Punch it down and divide in two
Form each into an oval and fold into thirds
Place dough in sprayed pans; folded side down
Sprinkle top with warm water and cut 1/4 inch deep slit end-to-end
Leave to rise 1-2 hours (it should be risen about 2 inches over the top)
Pre-heat oven 400*
Bake 25-30 min.
Remove from pan and place directly on the oven rack
Bake additional 15 min. fo a nice crust
Cool completely, Slice and ENJOY

**I like to glaze the top with butter right out of the oven, I think it gives it a nice look and a nice soft top crust.**

We all love this bread, its great for anything and you can certainly leave it all together as one MEGA-LOAF.  We did this last week and it was awesome for sandwiches!

I hope you enjoy eating your creation.. send us pictures of yours too, we'd love to see them!

Grab a kid and get Cooking!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

So much to do

So what we have now is an awesome idea, but I have many obstacles to over-come.

I need to decide if this should really be a "cooking course" or an "after-care program" (please comment and leave your thoughts..as a parent, what would be a better idea in your mind?)  On one hand, as a cooking course, it would be generally an expectation that the time would be spent each and every day cooking or preparing to cook, or at the very least learning about cooking.  This may be very simple to accomplish, but I certainly don't have a degree, just a love of cooking.  On the other hand, as an after-care program I would have more freedom with the time and be able to follow other interests with the children as well.  The down-side to that is, most parents would expect to continue having their children in the same after-care program year-round and may be turned off to the idea that they will need to find a new care-giver after 6-8 weeks.  ( I really would like to work with many different kiddos and so I would need a new "batch" after a time. LOL)

Location, location, location...
I considering two options, since we will only be cooking one main item each week, it may be a good idea to find a location that would hold us all a little easier.  There are many churches and a couple community centers here locally and I don't think any of them are doing anything with their kitchens on Wednesday's from 3:30-5:30/6pm.  That being said, I'm sure there are some that have Wednesday evening services, some with dinners, that they will need the kitchen for their own preparations. (PHew.. that was lengthy) My other option is just to do it all here.. I don't mind this, I just would need to make the space I have in the kitchen work for me, and I don't think it will be a problem.  As a matter of fact, as I'm typing this I think I'm making up my mind to just start here.  LOL thanks for your input ;-p

I will likely need to get approval from the city, to run a home-business.  However, in the future I plan to set this initiative as a non-profit and allow this site and my home as a ministry and tool to reach other children in the community with food, clothing and monetary donations supplied to Harvesters and local churches by myself and anyone else that may feel compelled to give. That part has me the most excited!!  I love happy kids, and lets face it.. happiness starts in 2 places; it starts in your belly and starts in your heart , Feed the Happy and Feed the Heart!!  And that is what we want to do here, feeding the kids with food and the gospel so they can be filled.. Over-fill their cup and let it flow out to all the corners of the world.

Matthew 5: 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Next week, I am hosting a rummage sale to help pay down our debts, simplify our lives, and start purchasing supplies to get things rolling.  Please pray for God's great wisdom and guidance on me as I embark on a new journey.  If you would like to donate supplies or funds to help get us started, you may contact me by email or leave a comment below and I will contact you.  Thank you all for your support.  May your day be greatly Blessed!
Grab a kid and get Cooking!

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Brain-storm

This is my first time blogging, well.. on an actual blog.  I've posted random thoughts on Facebook and MySpace from time to time, but this is real..at least its trying to be =)

I got the idea to begin a blog when I suggested my husband start one.  LOL I get some of my greatest ideas from my suggestions to others.  Its almost as if I think I can't do something, or someone else would be better suited for said task.  All of the sudden it dawned on me.. WAIT A MINUTE!!  I have thoughts and opinions as well!  I can put together my own ideas and share them with others, its not THAT difficult!  It also helped when my buddy Shelley reminded me that when you blog, there is a potential monetary gain by allowing advertising on my Blog (so click on them when you see something interesting all you fabulous people!  Help a mama out!) .. I could go on, but its not like you've never seen advertising on the web before, right.

Thus the Blog is born...

After brain-storming with my wonderful husband Daniel, he helped me realize that the most successful blogs and businesses are those you are passionate about.. things others may not be offering or even think of.  For instance, apparently there is a woman in Western Kansas (a fellow SAHM) who got the crazy idea to try to sell the tumble-weeds crossing her land, and what do you know.. she now has a very solid client base that she mails the little suckers to all over the World!  You just never know, get creative!!  Now, my passion is fairly obvious to those who know me.  I Love Kids (all kids.. yours, mine, the one at the grocery store throwing a temper tantrum, All of em') and I Love Cooking.  Both give me so much joy and both are such a blessing, to me and everyone around them.. unless of course you are allergic (to the FOOD.. don't be silly, this is a Serious Blog.. come on people) *hehe* 

So coming very soon you will start to see me put together the first Entirely Kid-Run Cooking Webcast.  It will be via Vlog, right here on a weekly basis... sometimes more, but at least once a week.  The kids will help make the set, shop for the ingredients, cook the food (with a few exceptions for safety's sake), run the camera and do the majority of the talking.  They will rotate through the different functions of the kitchen over a period of 6-8 weeks (TBD) and you will get to see it all right here!

Hopefully everyone will enjoy watching!

Keep reading to follow my efforts as I put the whole thing in to action.

Grab a kid and get Cooking!