Homemade Crackers

I haven't tried these yet but have a few friends who have and they love them. I have a busy next couple of weeks. More birthday celebrations and the oldest three girlies have dance recital practices all next week with three performances. Then Mother's Day/2 year old birthday celebration here. I'll breath a sigh of relief when the next week is over! I plan on making these some time after crazy week!

I think I found a new favorite blog to read. Gumbo-Lily.blogspot.com Unlike myself, she actually made these! I was going to type it all out and since it's the beginning of a crazy week and then some and I have other posts that I want to share with you this week I'm going to send you over to her for the recipe here. Tell her Carmen at Old House Kitchen sent you!

*that's her pic by the way!!

Queen (or King) of the Castle: Intro (Week 17)

I have a few gentlemen readers...hence the title. ; ) Aunt Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse suggested a book the I've been reading. I thought I'd share it with you!

Queen of the Castle: 52 weeks of encouragement for the uninspired, domestically challenged or just plain tired homemaker is written by Lynn Bowen Walker. "When Lynn began searching for a general book of family and homemaking tips, she quickly discovered that while there were hundreds of titles on meal-planning, organizing, decorating and parenting, there was no ONE book that acknowledged her job included literally zillions of tasks. And like every woman with a family, she didn't have time to read more than one either. ... So she wrote the book herself!" -- back cover quote

I thought I'd take you through, week by week with a glimpse of each chapter. Since it's not January we're not starting at the beginning of the book, but that's o.k., I hope you'll get a lot out of the bits and pieces that I share with you. I also hope that you'll check this book out yourself. You can purchase it here or borrow it from your local library.

We're starting on week 17 because it's week 17 of the year. Can you believe it?! Wasn't I just packing away all the Christmas decorations just yesterday? Wasn't I just relishing the fact that I had all lazy winter long to get some crafting done? Wasn't I just...well I digress...you get the idea. Time flies when you're having fun and I am having fun with my family at the Old House Kitchen. Anywho...where were we? Right. Week 17...

"So You're a Sidetracked Home Executive?" is the title of week 17. This week we are to focus on getting back on track. Years ago when we didn't have any children I was o.k. at organization. As we increased our family size my abilities to organize and maintain peace and order in the home had to increase or we were going to crash and burn! Lynn gives you ideas of places to seek help in the organization process. From the Flylady to The Messies Manual to the Sidetracked Home Executive sisters Pam and Peggy you'll find ideas for "help".

She also offers ideas for clearing the clutter from your home. The favorite and most used around our home is the Three-Bag Method. Work room by room, sorting what you find into bags or boxes marked "throw away", "give away", and "put away". Set the time and work for thirty minutes at a time. (I work until a room is clean so I can cross it off my to-do list!). When the timer goes off, the throw-aways go straight into the garbage, the give-aways go straight to the car for delivery to the nearest Goodwill (or to someone you know who needs it and you will see in the next few days), and the put-aways go back where they belong (books to the bookshelf, toys to the toybox, etc.).

It may take baby steps to get your house decluttered but you will be so happy that you did it!

Lynn ends this chapter with a prayer and a verse. "There is an appointed time for everything. An there is a time for every event under heaven. ... A time to keep and a time to throw away." (Ecclesiastes 3:1,6)

Next week I'll share tidbits from the next chapter!

Apple Puff Pancakes

This is yet another Gooseberry Patch recipe!! I just love Gooseberry Patch! Can't you tell? This is more of a desserty addition (yes, I just said desserty!) to our breakfast dinners that we have regularly. It's in the Farmhouse Christmas cookbook, the very first GBP book I ever bought! Again...love it!!

Apple Puff Pancakes

6 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 c. all purpose flour
3 T. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter (the recipe calls for margarine but we use butter)
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 to 3 T. brown sugar
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In blender, mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until blended; set aside. Pour margarine into a 13"x9" pan and add apple slices evenly to the dish. Return to oven until butter sizzles. Do not let apples brown. Pour batter over apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake on the middle oven rack at 425 for 20 minutes or until puffed and brown. Dust with powdered sugar to taste. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings. (Fed our family of 10 fine as a side dish.)

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Odds and Ends

I thought I would share with you a few odds and ends of kitchen-y tips that work for me at the Old House Kitchen.

If you over-salt your soup, drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

To clean crevices and corners in vases and pitchers, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The bubbles will do the scrubbing. When I was a teen and wore a retainer, that's what the orthodontist recommended I use to clean my retainer.

To remove a splinter that you know is there but just can't see. Put a piece of packing tape on the area and then pull it off to remove the splinter.

If two glasses become stuck together after stacking... Put ice inside the inner glass and dip the outer glass in warm water. The warm glass will expand and the cold glass will contract. Voila!

To help old wooden drawers (without runners) open and close better... rub a candle or bar of ivory soap on the tracks.

*picture from stowstudio.com