The Irony of Beet Hummus

This past summer my sister brought something into my house that I have not been able to stop thinking about.  For these past couple months, I have had this thought in the back of my head, "You have got to get your hands on some beets".  This is a not a thought that has ever lived in my head before.  In fact, last year, I almost had a fit over the amount of beets I told Jamey not to grow... which he then went on to grow.... and we went on to can. The irony is not lost on me.

Jamey got the hint and we didn't plant beets this year, so my plans were 1) to ask around to see if any friends had some beets to spare and if that didn't work, 2) I'd head to the farmer's market and buy myself some.  When a friend offered me some beets, I graciously accepted and set to work making the biggest batch I could with the ingredients I had on hand.

I'm talking about beet hummus.  Before you freak out because you think it sounds weird or gross, let me tell you that I love hummus, but don't love beets.  I enjoy pickled beets pretty well, but have never really enjoyed plain, cooked beets.  They're just a little strange-tasting to me.  That's why I was so shocked over how much I wanted to devour the entire container of beet hummus that my sister brought.  Instead I had to share it.

There are no garbanzo beans in this hummus as there are in a typical hummus recipe.  The ingredients are simple- cooked beets, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.  Despite the lemon juice, this hummus is sweet.  It's the beets.  And, while the beet taste is there, the cumin, tahini and garlic put it in the back seat, so it's not overwhelming.  And the color?  It is so pretty.  Have you ever been able to say that about any other hummus?  I mean, roasted red pepper hummus is cute, but beet hummus?  Gorgeous.

I made a 14-cup batch and froze it.  We've eaten about 5 cups already.  Okay, I've eaten about 5 cups already.  Jamey's eaten some and he really likes it, but he goes to work every day and I get to stay at home with the beet hummus.  Another big batch is in my future- I still have beets in my fridge. 

Beet Hummus (ever-so-slightly adapted from a recipe from my sister who got the recipe from Simply Recipes)
Makes about 2 cups.  If you have trouble finding tahini or don't want to buy it, you can make it yourself- see here.
Eat them with tortilla chips or these yummy pita chips.

1/2 pound scrubbed and trimmed beets (about 4 medium-sized beets)
2 tbsp. tahini
5 tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, quartered
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cover beets with water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.  Cook them until they are super, super soft (If you pull them out too early, your food processor will have trouble pureeing them).  Remove them from the water and let them cool until they can be handled.  Slip off the skins and stems.  Cube them and place the beets and the remaining ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth.

Serve warm or cold or room temperature with tortilla chips or pita wedges.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator.  It freezes very nicely.

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Harvest Tally 2010, Video Included

I'm calling it.

While I still may freeze some swiss chard and basil, I'm going to call it and say that our harvest season is officially over and tally up.  It almost made me more tired to tally it than to actually do it.  Well, that's probably not true, but so much of the hard work is far enough behind me that the hot kitchen, sticky floors, mounds of dishes, stained t-shirts and sweat running down my back is almost a distant memory.

Before I list things off, I just want to say that there is no way I could have done all this without Jamey's help.  NO WAY.  I'm not just giving him credit for all the planting and a lot of the harvesting, but also for help with a lot of canning and freezing projects.  With three small kids, it is impossible to do all this alone.  His 5-week off block at the end of the summer fell at the most perfect time, putting-up wise.  Thank you, dear.

I want to send credit in one other direction.  Can I just say that I tear-up as I think of the amazing creation that exists because of our God?!  This stuff grows for us.  To feed us.  The vitamins and nutrients are what we need.  Not only is it what we need, it tastes good!  Most of it tastes amazing!  Thank you, Father, for loving us and feeding us well.

Here we go.  Starting back on May 24, 2010, we preserved the following...

6 packed gallon bags of frozen chopped spinach
11 quarts crushed strawberries, frozen
2  1 1/2-cup bags chopped asparagus, frozen
9 3-cup bags sour cherries, frozen
6 pints sour cherries, canned
5 quarts and 1 pint garden (English) peas, frozen
6 1/2-pint jars strawberry freezer jam, frozen
17 1/2-pints and 3 1/4-pints mint jelly, canned
10 quarts whole red raspberries, frozen
44 quarts green beans, frozen
15 pints chopped zucchini, frozen
20 heads garlic, braided
30 cups pesto, frozen
2 pesto tortes, frozen
19 quarts blueberries, frozen
18 pints corn, frozen
~ 110 onion bulbs, braided
5 1/2 gallon bags halved and 3 pints chopped bell peppers (red, yellow and green), frozen
90 pints tomato sauce, canned
24 pints tomato salsa, canned
13 1/2-pints peach jam, canned
17 2-cup bags chopped peaches, frozen
26 quarts peaches, canned
11 pints peach salsa, canned
23 quarts nectarines, canned
17 quarts tomato soup, canned
10 chickens, frozen
10 quarts roasted tomatoes, frozen
25 pints stewed tomatoes, canned
17 pints grape jam, canned
10 quarts grape juice concentrate, canned
22 quarts and 1 pint chopped broccoli, frozen
10-15 roasted red bell peppers, frozen
12 pounds Ham (mostly bulk sausage)
180 quarts applesauce (77 quarts, frozen, and 103 quarts, canned)
2 1/2 bushels sweet potatoes, stored
1/2 bushel Yukon Gold potatoes, stored
12 butternut squash, stored
1/2 bushel carrots, still in the ground
14 cups beet hummus, frozen (recipe forthcoming)
leeks, still in the ground
stevia, still drying

(We grew this food ourselves except for the blueberries, peaches, beets, some of the corn, apples, concord grapes and broccoli- all these we shared with us by neighbors, bought locally, or were purchased locally by relatives for us.)

There were a number of "crops" we were disappointed in this year.  We were able to use all our own onions for our salsa and tomato sauce projects, but beyond those, they didn't store well at all.  Our garlic crop was piddly.  We will have to buy onions and garlic this winter. We would have liked more strawberries, corn, butternut squash and garden peas as well.

For the incredibly dry summer we had, we are thrilled that so many things did well.  We had more tomatoes than we could use, our pepper crop was great (and still going), our green beans were prolific and our basil was beautiful.

We have nothing to complain about and so much to be thankful for.

One last thing...I wanted to show you what our pantry looks like this time of year and thought a little video would be fun.

The very last thing...For many of the preserving methods we use, see the "Preserving" tab at the top just under the banner.  Thanks for sticking with us through another year of preserving! Pin It

A Smattering of Recipes

Well, I've been having fun cooking for an adult other than myself once again.  The thought did occur to me, though.  What if I'm not going to enjoy it again?  What if Jamey is home for dinner and I just don't have the urge to try new things any more?  What if it's going to be spaghetti, pizza, quiche and cheese quesadillas forever and ever and ever?

Thankfully, at least for us grown-ups around here, this has not been the case.  I've made some new things the past couple weeks and want to share a few of them with you.  I have not gotten back into the habit of remembering to take photos of the food I make, so I apologize for the lack of visuals.  If you click on the links, though, you'll get to see photos that would put mine to shame anyway.

First, I made Pioneer Woman's Curried Chicken Pasta Salad.  My.  This was absolutely amazing.  I served it up right away, so it was still warm.  I used real cream like she told me to.  It was amazing.  Did I already say that?   The kids didn't like this one as much because it was a little "spicy" (I even backed off on the curry a bit), but listen to me:  MAKE IT ANYWAY.  The kids can eat peanut butter and jelly, okay?  One thing I would suggest is that you double the amount of pasta it calls for.  I did this because I love pasta and just figured I'd have to mix up more dressing.  I ended up have dressing left over without doubling it!  So, go on and double the pasta and keep the rest the same.  I loved it loved it loved it.

Another recipe I tried was Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Cheese from Epicurious.  As I was making it, I wasn't too sure what I thought about it.  It was more broth-based than what you normally expect for a broccoli soup.  I ended up skipping the final step of putting individual bowls of the soup under the broiler to melt the cheese sprinkled on top.  The shredded cheddar melts nicely by itself on top of the hot soup.  So, what did we think?  We LOVE this recipe.  The soup thickens slightly and isn't as heavy as all those cream-of-broccoli soups usually are.  That said, the flavor was still intensely wonderful.  The leftovers were just as good and I enjoyed them for my lunches in the days after.  For those of you who like a little meat in your soup, I found that some leftover browned bulk sausage thrown in with the leftovers tasted amazing.  This one is also a keeper.

I discovered that these Fruit and Oat Muffins are amazing with diced apples (use 1 1/2 cups diced apples and increase the cinnamon 2 tsp.).  The muffins we didn't eat stayed wonderfully moist.  The cinnamon-apple flavor combo is perfect for this time of year.  The kids eat these UP!

The last recipe I'll mention is this Leek and Swiss Chard Tart I found over at Smitten Kitchen.  Did  I tell you that we grew leeks this year and they are out in the garden waiting for me?  If I haven't it's because I plum forgot about them!  They are in the back of the back garden and you know how I've been experiencing garden indifference, right?  Well, Jamey finally reminded me about the lovely leeks and I went in search for a recipe to try.  I didn't find that many.  This one turned out to be pretty good, but between the earthy flavor of the leeks and the earthy flavor of the chard, it was, well, maybe a little too earthy.

Do you have any leek recipes you love?  Please share if you do.

Okay, well, I've thoroughly exhausted myself talking about so many recipes.  I need to go take a nap.  Oh, yeah.  No nap.  Three kids.  Actually four (a friend is coming to play for the day). You go take a nap for me.  I'm going to need it. Pin It

Stevia Harvest

Remember these little stevia plants?  There were 15.

They grew into these stevia plants over the summer, tolerating the dry conditions we experienced very well.

According to this website I've been gleaning information from, stevia should be harvested after the nights turn quite cold, but before a frost (although covering them during a frost is okay).  I was worried we wouldn't have them covered since our property often frosts when the local weather people predict it won't.



The stems of these plants were woody and I needed my pruning shears to cut them.  I then tied them in bunches and we hung them in the barn where they will be protected from frost, but still experience the cold (which is supposed to help set the sweetness) while they dry.

Once the leaves have dried, we'll move on to the next step of preparing the stevia leaves for use as a sugar substitute.  Stay tuned!


 Does anyone local have a coffee or herb grinder I can borrow? Pin It

A Chance to Give (& Receive)

Remember those posts on living simple in order to give that I wrote awhile back?  It seems like a long time ago that I typed my convictions and held my breath as I hit the publish button each day of that week.

I wonder what (if any) impressions those posts left on you.  I wonder if you've been able to scrounge up some money to give that you wouldn't have normally had on hand.

This morning I have an opportunity for you.  A good friend of mine who also makes jewelry is auctioning off a lovely necklace this week for a wonderful cause.  I don't know about you, but orphans are a population that tug at my heart string daily.  Okay, scrap that.  They don't tug, they tear.  The proceeds from Kathy's auction will go directly to support The Global Orphan Project, specifically orphan aid in Haiti.

You can read more about Kathy's auction here.  Take this opportunity to put your giving money into action.  You may even win a necklace in the process that you can give to a female relative or friend this Christmas.

To close this post, I want to leave you with a verse.  This verse may hit a little too close to home for some of us.  If it does, it may be time to take a good look at our hearts.

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help?  Little children, let us love, not in words or speech, but in truth and action."  1 John 3 :17, 18

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Cheap Entertainment

My brother and his wife are moving to Florida.  While we are super excited for them, we will also miss them dearly.  Once they leave, our closest relatives will be two hours away.  Not too bad, but having family in the same town in way better.  One thing that is making the idea a little less painful is this...

My brother is leaving us his moped.  This moped was our other brother's when he was a boy, but, it's still way cool.  Now we spend our evenings taking turns riding around our property.

What do you do for inexpensive and fun family entertainment?  I think we could all use some ideas:-). Pin It

Protect Yourself

I've been thinking about this for months.  Maybe even a year.  This whole blog world is a strange thing indeed.  Some blog writers bare their very souls while some never give you a glimpse.  I think there can be dangers at both ends of the extremes.

For those who bare everything, I fear that while I'm sure it's a very therapeutic exercise, it does not allow for any sacred space.  When everything is laid out raw, not only does it make the writer vulnerable, it may make their family vulnerable as well.

For those writers who only expose the niceties of their lives, I fear that they are creating a utopia in their minds of a life that doesn't exist.  I also fear for those who read their blogs, that they may begin to envy these perfect lives, knowing full well that no life is without blemish.

Finding your place on the continuum between the two can be exhausting. 

I yearn to be real and yet not expose the sensitive areas of our life.  I want to show you that my children are real and yet not embarrass them or betray their trust that I will always protect them.  I want to share my shortcomings and yet not dwell on them.  I am an optimist and try to put my failings behind me and try again, and again, and again, and again to do better.

My biggest hope through all of this is that you, my dear reader, see me for who I am.  A woman who strives to do right by her family, her God and everyone else.  This does not mean I always get it right, that I don't struggle with issues with my children, my husband, my faith.  It just means that I am striving toward the good in life and prefer not to dwell on the bad.

My biggest fear is that some of you think more of me than you should.  I may not expose myself as some do, but be assured that I am just like you in so many ways.   I experience envy, self-doubt, greed, selfishness and close to no self-control when it comes to anything sweet. Some days I don't brush my hair.

So, this is what I ask of you...please read blogs, including my own, with a sheet of plexi-glass between your computer and your heart.  Do not allow others to (intentionally or unintentionally) influence you in any negative way.  Be challenged, yes.  Be encouraged, yes.  Laugh, yes.  Be inspired, yes.  But do not let that other junk through.

Guard your hearts, minds and families.  They need your protection. Pin It

Pumpkin Torte

This is one of my favorite fall desserts.  In addition to bringing a truck full of apples, Jamey's mom brought our Sunday noon meal, including this dessert.  Imagine... a graham cracker crust topped with a cream cheese layer topped with pumpkin custard, topped with whipped cream.  Somehow it manages to be rich and light all at the same time.  And it sings fall.

Need I say more?  I don't think so. 

Pumpkin Torte (recipe from Jamey's mother)

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese

2 cups pumpkin
3 egg yolks (reserve the whites for below)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 egg whites
1/4 c. sugar

8 ounces cool whip

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar and melted butter.  Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Set aside.

In a mixer, combine 2 beaten eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and cream cheese until well blended and pour over graham cracker crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a medium sized sauce pan, combine pumpkin, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, salt and cinnamon.  Cook over medium high heat (stirring often) until thick.  Remove from heat and add gelatin and cold water.  Let the pumpkin mixture cool a bit, then fold in the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar.  Pour this pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer and refrigerate to set.  Once it's cooled, spread the cool whip evenly over the top and serve or refrigerate until you're ready to do so.  It holds up very well if you wish to make it a day or two ahead.

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The Last Big Push

Although this last push didn't include a baby emerging from my body, it did take concerted effort and marks the finale of our preserving this year.

This past weekend, Jamey's parents drove down to our house in their produce stand pick up truck.  With them, they brought 24 large, beautiful heads of broccoli that they picked up from a produce stand up their way.  Jamey's mom and I blanched and froze almost all of it Friday afternoon.  This was a huge delight for me because our broccoli failed miserably this year (let's blame it on the drought) and it saddened me to think of a winter without broccoli cheddar quiche and Bang Bang Chicken.  I am no longer sad, by the way.

In addition to the broccoli, they brought one basket of Gala apples for eating and 8 bushels of Cortland apples for saucing.  All these apples came from an Amish orchard near their house.  The Cortlands were $12 a bushel and beautiful.

Let me pause here and tell you a little story.  When I was figuring out how many jars and containers we would need for the applesauce (I knew we needed to can some this year since our freezers were running out of room), I was planning on each basket yielding about 8 quarts of applesauce, approximately.  This meant that 16 baskets should yield about 128 quarts.  I had 80 jars washed and ready and figured out I had room in our chest freezer for 45 quarts, totaling 125 quarts.   I assumed the rest we could store in the fridge and eat right away.  Our family goes through apple sauce like nobody's business.

Once Jamey's parents were here, his mother mentioned that when she helped his sister put up 4 baskets the week before, it yielded 54 quarts.  Excuse me.  What?!  That meant each basked yielded 13.5 quarts.  A bit different than 8 quarts per basket.

We determined that their "baskets" were different from our "baskets" and that we were looking at a lot more applesauce than we initially expected.  Thankfully, the end result landed somewhere between our estimations and their estimations.

Another thing they brought in that magic truck of theirs was an outdoor canner fully equipped with stand and propane burner.  It held 15 quart jars and freed up all my stove top burner space for pots cooking the apples.  They use this giant pot for blanching corn before they freeze it.  They freeze a lot of corn.

We started at 8 in the morning and all fell into our preferred stations.  Jamey's mom washed and cut apples.  Jamey's dad manned the strainer (a.k.a. Victoria, a.k.a. Squeezo), Jamey worked the outdoor canner and kept an eye on the pots of cooking apples and I filled jars and containers, heated lids, and helped watch the stove and wash a few apples when I was caught up.  It was quite a feat to keep up with Jamey's dad.  He's got some serious skills when it comes to efficient turning and straining.

The kids helped turn the strainer, wash apples and play with Miriam.  We took an hour break for lunch and by 4 in the afternoon, the dishes were washed and put away and the floor was mopped.  I could not believe it.

We let the containers cool on the dining room table before lidding them.  After the jars came out of the canner, we let them sit outside to cool, covered with towels so they wouldn't cool too quickly.  As they cooled, we transferred them to wooden crates since they all didn't fit on the table below.  We let them out overnight to make sure they cooled all the way.  Jamey put in new motion-sensor lights at the back of the house to make sure no one got it in their head that they could come steal our applesauce.  Seriously.  He did.

Our grand total?  103 quart jars canned (only two jars did not seal) and 77 quarts frozen.  All but 15 quarts fit in the freezer and pantry (with some re-organization).  Grand total?  180 quarts.  I still cannot believe we made that much applesauce.  The most we've made in the past was 144 quarts.  This is more than that.  Can you tell I'm still in shock?

We owe a HUGE thank you to Jamey's parents.  Not only did they deliver our apples to us, but they worked like crazy to help us get the applesauce made.  We appreciate their willingness to help so much.  And you all wonder where we get our work ethic...:-).

Jamey figured we need to eat 3 and a half quarts of applesauce a week this year.  Knowing my children, it will not be a problem.  And, in case you're wondering, Cortland apples are incredibly sweet, so we do not add any sugar.  Also, "Red" Cortland apples make a lovely pink applesauce.  We could only get regular Cortlands this year.  We colored some of it with red raspberries and this is why some of the sauce is pink.

Make applesauce.  Check.  I love checking things off.  Pin It

We Have a Winner.

If I were Pioneer Woman, I would have my statistician reader, Don, compile all our gift data and see how many different gifts we have between us.  Since I'm not, I'm just going to tell you we have many.  As is many, many, many, many, many.

Can you imagine the positive force we could exert on this world if we all made a point to share these gifts instead of keeping so many of them tied up in our homes and families.  I'm speaking for myself here.  It's so natural to express our care and talents to and for those we love.  If only we could express them further.  Let's challenge ourselves to do just that.

And now...the winner of the $75.00 e-gift card from CSN Stores is...
 

bethanial11 who said..."Wow - my talents from God are showing mercy, encouragement (which I know I need to do more often, me and God are working on that one), and crochet. I love to bless a new Mom with a crocheted baby item or two :-)"

Congratulations,  bethanial11 !!

Please send me (thyhand123@gmail.com) your email address and I will send you the e-card code.

Thanks to everyone who shared.  I know it was tough, but you did great. Pin It

The Final Garden Phase: Indifference

Well, I guess the final stage would be eating all the food you've put up, but that's kind of a given.

It's this phase before the eating (although, we've already started eating some things) that is so tough for me.  It starts out tough because you go from running around like a chicken with their head cut off (though we do not let our chickens run around like this) canning and freezing everything in sight.  One day this summer, I actually found a little plastic toy lady in the freezer and had to stop and think whether or not it could have been me that put her there.

 

Swiss chard and weeds.

Once I get used to days without canning sessions, I get garden-lazy.  My days entail sitting and doing school with the kids and it's so easy to to ignore what is left out there.  I don't ignore the garden completely.  I mean, I use what I can so we still get fresh vegetables on our dinner plates, but in terms of dealing with it like I should, well, that's where I get indifferent.

Stevia going to seed.  We think that's okay.

Thankfully, Jamey does not have a lazy bone in his body.  He makes sure the important stuff (sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, peppers) get stored away or placed on my kitchen counter- he knows I will deal with it then.  But, there are a few projects that are mine, all mine.

Spinach and weeds.  Did I fail to mention I stopped weeding a long time ago?

For example, out in the garden right this very moment is a lot of chard and spinach I should freeze.  There is basil and oregano I also want to freeze.  There is stevia that should soon (not quite yet) be hung to dry and be prepared.  I just can't bring myself to do it.  These are the easiest projects of all- shouldn't that make them easier to do??  Call me lazy, call me unappreciative, call me tired of dealing with produce.  Any of those would be accurate, I guess.  And, it's probably a large part of why I haven't been writing about the garden much lately....

Basil and weed.

The one thing I cannot be indifferent about is the fact that this weekend, Jamey's parents are bringing us 8 bushels of apples that we will make into applesauce.  And, they are planning to help us, bless their hearts.  I can't ignore that I need to come up with jars and freezer containers to hold this applesauce as well as freezer and pantry space with which to store it.  No, no.  I can't ignore any of this.

So, as of yesterday morning, I have 80 quart jars washed and ready.  I have figured out that I have room in our chest freezer for 45 quarts and almost enough room in the pantry for the jars (the rest will get stored elsewhere).  Jamey picked up groceries yesterday and on his list were the remaining dozens of canning lids we will need.

I think I'm ready.  Are you ready?  Oh.  Did you forget you are coming to help?

Once the applesauce is done, I must, I tell you must, get to those other projects.  If I don't, it will frost and I will lose much if not all of it.  Once I get my bum in gear and get that done, I will sit down and tally up our harvest totals for the year.

And that, my friends, is when I'll be done.  I don't know where you all live, but there's a good chance you'll hear me whoop for joy from wherever you are. Pin It

Tooth Tale Number One

At one of Sam's well check-ups when he was a toddler, the pediatrician noticed some white lines at the base of a few of his teeth.  Not sure what they were, he recommended we take him to a pediatric dentist to get them checked out.  He gave us the name of one and sent us on our way.

Being a good and obedient parent, I made the appointment and we met with the dentist.  Thankfully, there were no dental chairs or x-rays involved.  Sam got to sit on my lap while the dentist peered into his mouth.  We were assured that the markings were harmless.  They were caused by breast milk sitting in the gums along the teeth back when he nursed during the night.  These white lines were more visible now that his teeth were growing out, but would disappear over time.  They did disappear and overall, we were very happy with our visit.

But, you know how it goes.  Once you go to a dentist, they have this uncanny way of making you come back every six months.  Sam was our first child and, to be honest, we were a bit over zealous like most new parents are.  We wanted to do everything right. So, I took him back again and again.  Problem was, Sam hated going to the dentist.  It was a miracle if we could get him to sit in the chair and open his mouth at all.  All more the reason to keep taking him back, I thought.  We'll let him get used to it over time.

One visit, he allowed them to clean two teeth.  The next visit, only the top ones.  I must say this dental group was very patient with us.  Fast forward to his visit when he had just turned 5 years old.  Sam conceded to let them take x rays this visit and with a worried and serious expression, the dentist told me that he had six (6!) cavities that needed immediate attention and that he would have to be anesthetized for the procedure since he exhibited so much anxiety during exams.

I could not believe my ears.  Being a good and obedient parent, I scheduled the procedure for a week and a half later and left that office in a daze.  I cried on the way home.  Not so much because of the cavities- I knew we had been doing a very good job of keeping his teeth clean- but because of this idea that he would have to be put under.  I did not like the thought of that one bit.

Jamey and I talked it over and decided it all seemed over the top, so we took Sam to our dentist to get a second opinion.  Our dentist got the records from the pediatric dentist and took his own x-rays.  His diagnosis was a bit different.  He said, "I see nothing wrong.  There is no need to do anything.  Bring him back in a year, I'll take new x-rays and we'll go from there."

Is your jaw on the floor like mine was?

Needless to say, we canceled our appointment with the other dentist and told them why.  A year later, we brought Sam back to our dentist who confirmed that everything still looked fine.  Sam is almost 8 years old and has had no cavities to speak of and has no problem going to the dentist.

Lesson Learned: If you tend toward the good/obedient spectrum of parenting, remember to trust your gut.  Oh, and it never hurts to get a second opinion.

Next week, I'll share tooth tale number two.  Yes, our home has been blessed with two tooth tales.  So far. Pin It

It's Time for Pumpkin Streusel Bread

It's that time of year- when our thoughts turn to harvest.  Particularly the pumpkin-y variety.

While winter squashes store well, I like to bake some up so I can have pumpkin puree on hand.  I baked my first batch last week.  It brought back memories of last fall when I was baking and pureeing squash for Miriam's baby food.  Where does the time go?  Now, she's eating everything we are.  Well, except for foods that are green.  She refuses to eat those.

 They grow up so fast.  One day, baby food, the next, high heels.

This fall, as I baked up my first oven full of our butternut squash, my thoughts were of Pumpkin Pasta (which I made that night) and Pumpkin Streusel Bread.  I love to freeze the puree for future use- I'm more apt to use it if all I need to do is thaw it.  The instructions on how to do make the puree are in the Pumpkin Pasta link above, but here are a few photos to show you how easy it is to do.

 

Now, I know you probably already have a pumpkin bread recipe that you like.  If you don't, if you're in the mood to try a new recipe or if you're looking for an idea of gift you can give your neighbors, teachers, etc., come Christmas, copy this one down.  It's a good one.

It's incredibly moist and the streusel on the top makes you think it should be reserved for company or special occasions, but you shouldn't.  I've used this recipe to make Christmas gifts in the past, sometimes making mini loaves and sometimes large ones.  It freezes well, so you can tell the recipients they can pull it out in February when they aren't inundated with holiday sweets.

Pumpkin Streusel Bread (adapted from Cooking Light, Annual Recipes 2001)
Makes two loaves.  If  you double this recipe, it makes 13 small loaves- just decrease the baking time by 10 minutes before checking. 

Topping:
4 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. chilled butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Bread:
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins (optional)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups pureed pumpkin (either butternut squash or canned)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs, slightly beaten

To prepare the topping, combine the ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.  Set aside.

To make the bread, combine the flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, blending until just mixed.  Divide between two (9x5 inch) bread pans that have been coated with cooking spray.  Divide the topping between the two, sprinkling it evenly over the tops.

Bake for about 45 minutes or longer at 350 degrees, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks.  Cool completely before wrapping well if freezing.

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My 3G: Gifts, Giving, Giveaway!

 This giveaway is closed, but you can still share your gifts with us if you like.  See who won here.

I've been wanting to write a post on gifts.  Not gifts we buy, but gifts we have.  God made us unique and equipped us with special talents.  Are you in tune with yours?  For myself, I can think of things I'm good at, or do relatively well, but when it comes to answering the question, "What are your gifts?", I tend to shrink away.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  1 Corinthians 12: 4,5

In part, I think we worry about not appearing humble enough when we're asked to talk about our strengths and talents.  It's true we are to strive to be humble, but if we brush those gifts too far under the rug in our own minds are they accessible for use?  (Sometimes I worry that I don't make sense and all you kind people are just humoring me by coming by everyday to see what this odd woman is *trying* to say this time.)

What I want to say is that I would like us all to take a minute and really think about what our God-given talents are and how we might be able to access and use them this coming week.  Let's turn our gifts into giving.

Now, for the third "G"...

The Giveaway:  CSN Stores offered me another opportunity to give away (1) one-time use e-gift card to be used in any of their online stores at a value of a whopping $75.00!  In case you've forgotten, CSN Stores is not just one website, it is over 250 specialty stores online.  These websites include all manner of items, such as upholstered headboards, cookware, flooring, office supplies, furniture, baby accessories, lighting...obviously the list goes on and on.  You can find a list of all their sites here. 

To Enter:  To help us be bold when it comes to speaking of our gifts, please leave a comment below sharing what your gifts are.  Put them out there, my friends.  To help us celebrate our gifts, your comment will enter you to win the $75.00 e-gift card.

One entry per household, please.  This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only (so sorry far away friends!).  Please leave an initial or two if you comment anonymously.  If you have trouble commenting, please email me your entry (thyhand123@gmail.com) and I'll post it for you.

I will chose a winner sometime this Friday afternoon.  Thank you, CSN Stores, for helping us celebrate our gifts!

I'll go first (deep breath).  In my humblest writing voice (See?  This can be hard!), I would say that my gifts include teaching, giving, organization and being compassionate.  Phew.

Not it's your turn :-). Pin It

Window on the World

Last year I wrote a homeschooling post at the end of each month summarizing what we had fun studying.  I don't think that's going to happen this year.  At least not is such organized fashion.  But I definitely will still be sharing because I love reading about what others love about school and I'm just going to go ahead and assume that you do, too.

I am absolutely smitten and impressed with several of our school books this year.  The first one I want to tell you about is Window on the World by Daphne Spraggett with Jill Johnstone.  Each chapter introduces you and your child to a different people group.  It highlights parts of a map to show you where the group lives, tells you about them (often through conversations involving children) and then...get this...it gives you ideas of what you can thank God for relating to this people group and how you can pray for them.  I had no idea a book like this existed.  This book also includes sections on six major world religions.

Let's back up a second and talk about "people groups".  You know how in the Bible it says at the end of Matthew (28:19), "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." ?  Well, when we read the word "nations", we often think of nation states or countries, right?  Well, the original Greek word is "ethne" and is more completely translated as "an ethnic or cultural people group".  This is the Greek word that we get our English word "ethnic" from.  So, Jesus is not talking about countries in this verse, He is talking about people groups- a group of people who share a distinct language and culture (as well as specific social, economic, and geographical traits).

 

There are many more people groups than there are countries and we need to be aware of that so we can understand the scriptures properly- so we know not only what Jesus was talking about at the end of Matthew, but also what He was referring to when He said in Matthew 24:14, "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."  I've let on before that I want to be a part of this.  This book is showing us how to pray for these other people groups!  Can you tell I'm a little bit excited about it?

The kids and I have looked into the eyes and faces of peoples we never knew existed.  Oh, it's so amazing how we can love people we've never met!  More than once, I have bawled my through our closing prayer after reading a chapter- particularly the chapter on street children.  The kids can't help but stare at me instead of closing their eyes.  Some good conversations have followed our reading of this book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get to know and pray for people throughout the world.  You don't have to homeschool or even have children.  This is a powerful tool for prayer and will open our eyes to the world beyond our little towns and culture.

At least that's what I hope it will do for our kids. Pin It

Peter Piper Picked...

We're not sure if it was the drought conditions, the fact that we didn't mulch them as heavily this year (thanks, Aunt V, for the tip) or the new variety we tried (Lipstick), but our peppers- specifically, our red bell peppers- did beautifully this year.

I had picked up some of these "Lipstick" red bell peppers at our farmer's market last year because our bell peppers were pathetic.  We loved them so much, we went back and bought more and found out from the farmer that they are easy to grow and prolific.  So, of course, we saved the seeds (just let them dry on a paper towel and stored them in an envelope made of newspaper).  That farmer was right.

I have plenty socked away in the freezer ready to use in all sorts of dishes this winter, so I've started looking for other ways to preserve them (that don't involve lugging out the canner again).  For the very first time, I tried roasting peppers in my oven and it worked beautifully.  I haven't roasted them before because I thought of roasted peppers as a luxury, not a very practical way of using them.  But!  When you're swimming in them, it just seems like the right thing to do.

I followed the instructions found here.  I used a pastry brush to coat them generously with canola oil and laid them on a greased baking sheet.  I stuck them in the oven on an upper rack and turned on the broiler and kept a very close eye on them.  They took about 5 minutes to blacken.  I then, carefully, turned them over and put them back under the broiler.  Once blackened nicely, I transferred them to a bowl and covered it tightly with plastic wrap and let them sit for about 20 minutes.

Up until this point the task was easy.  Pulling off the skins is easy as well, but a little bit tedious as you try to ensure you get all the skins off and seeds scraped out.  Taste them at your own risk.  You may eat them all and have none to preserve.

In the comments section of the instructions I followed someone asked about the best way to preserve the roasted peppers.  The commenter received this response...

"To save the peppers for future use we freeze them in serving portions. Put a serving (we generally use a whole pepper per serving) laid flat on a piece of wax paper. Fold the wax paper over the pepper covering it on all sides and fold the edges. You can put several layers of pepper servings in one quart zip lock freezer bag. When you pull out the frozen, roasted pepper, pull of the wax paper right away. It peels off the frozen pepper, and use in your recipe. They are also easier to cut when frozen."

So, that's what I did.  I'm looking forward to roasting more and trying recipes that call for them since in the past I've just dismissed them. 

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The other thing I did with peppers this past week was to stuff them.  We've tried several different stuffed pepper recipes over the years and they've all been okay.  But, then there's this one that we keep coming back to, over and over again.

Don't let the lentils and rice scare you off (I find lentils and rice kind of boring, albeit yummy and nutritious).  The sausage, balsamic vinegar and raisins give it incredible flavor.  In other words, NOT boring.  We LOVE eating our peppers this way.

Lentil and Sausage Stuffed Peppers (adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2001)

These freeze well unbaked.

4 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup dried lentils

3/4 cup brown rice

1/2 tsp. salt

8 red or yellow bell peppers, halved and cored

12 ounces bulk sausage

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup raisins

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Combine water, lentils, brown rice and salt in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 35 minutes or until rice is soft.  Drain off excess water and place in a large bowl.

While the lentils and rice are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Place halved and cored peppers into the boiling water and let them cook for 5 minutes.  Drain off the water and place them cut side up in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Saute the sausage in a skillet until cooked through.  Place the cooked sausage in the bowl with the rice and lentils and add in the remainder of the ingredients (except the parmesan cheese), tossing well.  

Fill the peppers generously with the filling and them sprinkle the tops with parmesan cheese.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

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