The Building of a Mountain

 When making a cake to feed a crowd, you'd better make sure you have a HUGE bowl and plenty of eggs...this cake batter took 12 eggs!

 I searched through all of my cake pans and Pyrex to find the right configuration to build a mountain.

 Ready for the oven!

  

It took lots and lots of frosting to hold this mountain together! Once I had all of the layers stacked. I gently trimmed it to just the right shape. 

 I ever so carefully smoothed it all out...adding a bit more frosting here and there to get the shape just right.

 Ready for the fondant!

 The rolled fondant started out white, so I had to work in the color to get it to look like desert stone.

 After a LOT of kneading, the color was finally just right!

 And now we have Mount Sinai! The fondant was a little too smooth for a mountain, so I borrowed one of the boys' toy trucks and ran it along to rough it up a bit. I rolled and smooshed little bits of leftover fondant to make stones. I used brown sugar around the base to cover the platter for the sand.

I'm quite pleased with the final result!

Pax Christi,

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Baking For the Freezer

 Saturday I spent the day bulk cooking with a friend. We made crock-pot freezer meals, which I have planned to use mostly for noon meals. That way I can just dump the bag into the crock-pot early in the morning, and we have a nice hot meal ready in the middle of the day...no matter how busy it's been!

This fantastic idea made me realize that it would be easy to solve the other problem spot in our day- breakfast. So, I decided to bake up a storm and fill my freezer! We also made a couple of non-breakfast items that will help out with menu planning.

Here's what we made:

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

Dinner Rolls

French Breakfast Puffs

Whole Wheat Breakfast Bars

Apple Breakfast Bars

Granola

Pizza Dough

I've already gotten a lot of requests for recipes from posting about this on Facebook- I'll try to get the other recipes up very soon!

It was a great feeling to get so much accomplished. I'm also truly thankful for the world's greatest sous chef!

To store my baked goods, I wrapped them in a double layer of plastic wrap, and then a tight layer of aluminum foil. I also labeled them with the contents and date. 

There's really two ways I defrost them. If I'm not in a hurry, I'll pull out what I need the day before and just let it thaw out overnight. Then I can just reheat. But, if I need something right away, I do use the microwave. Surprisingly it tastes just as fresh as it did when first baked! 

                   

I'm sure I'll be doing much more of this in the future. I'm so thankful for these little tools to keep my home running smoothly!

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Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. uncooked old fashioned oats
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I usually use pecans but sometimes use walnuts)
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Beat butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl until blended (mixture may appear curdled). Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
Drop two inches apart in rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

As I was making these today, Joshua was enjoying watching. "Mommy, I'd like you to put chocolate chips in the cookies." he says. I told him that I was making cowboy cookies, so he'd just have to wait and see what all went in. He said, "Cowboys like chocolate chips." I couldn't help but to giggle. Then, as I added each ingredient he'd say, "Oh cowboys like vanilla. Cowboys like sugar. Cowboys like raisins..." I finished making the dough and had put the cookies into the oven. "Mommy?" he asks, "Cowboys ride horses, right?" "Yes, they do." I answered him. He then begins galloping across the kitchen. "Well., I'm a cowboy then." :) I like his way of thinking.

In His Precious Name,

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Canning Apple Butter and Baking Pies!

This eve I have been busy baking pies for our homeschool co-op picnic tomorrow. I made an apple pie, and a shoofly pie. I love making yummy goodies for friends and loved ones! I am looking forward to wonderful fellowship tomorrow. Our co-op friends have been such a blessing. Jacob has made his first non-brother best friend. He went home with his friend for a play date after co-op today...it was his first "away from family" playdate! He had a great time! He jumped on a trampoline, rode bikes, played trains, and even helped wash a car! I loved hearing his cheerful chattering about his day when he came home.


Yesterday a friend came over and spent the day with us so that I could show her how to can apple butter. I always enjoy cooking with friends!


My friend Hannah said she is going to give me a gallon of hot peppers, so I am looking forward to canning those!

Blessings,

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A Blessedly Busy Day

Today was a busy day, but it was a good busy. It was one of those days full of tasks, but they were the type of tasks where you got to actually see the fruits of your labors.

We made apple butter with some of the apples we bought in Versailles. The boys love being involved in tasks like this, and it's always a wonderful time to squeeze in some learning! (we did quite a bit of apple counting!)


Joseph decided that he needed to "sample" the apples....just to make sure that they were good enough to use! :)

One of the loveliest things about making apple butter is the delicious aroma that fills our home while it simmers on the stove. Yum!

We also made 2 loaves of bread. I love the smell of bread while it's rising....maybe even as much as the smell of it freshly baked!

Jacob worked on his school work while we waited for the bread to rise. This afternoon I found a little time to work on the pink quilt, in between stirring the apple butter and washing clothes and changing diapers and playing with little ones. Yes, it was a busy day, but a blessed one indeed!

In Christ's Love,

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A Cake to Die For...

...and you might actually keel over after a piece! This cake could definitely be considered over indulgent! Chocolate cake with caramel frosting wrapped in Kit-Kat bars and topped with peanut M&M's. Pure delight!

Rick's work is having a "Taco Wednesday" tomorrow and he volunteered to bring the dessert. I wonder how much work they will be getting done after this bad boy...

 Love,

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A Pretty Cake

I had the urge to bake a cake last night, so I thought I would try out this cute idea I had seen a while back and take it to the Mommy and Me board meeting at the playground. :)

It's a french vanilla cake with milk chocolate frosting, french vanilla rolled wafers, hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries and fresh blackberries. Yummy!

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A Cake to Die For...

...and you might actually keel over after a piece! This cake could definitely be considered over indulgent! Chocolate cake with caramel frosting wrapped in Kit-Kat bars and topped with peanut M&M's. Pure delight!

Rick's work is having a "Taco Wednesday" tomorrow and he volunteered to bring the dessert. I wonder how much work they will be getting done after this bad boy...

Love,

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Breadmaking with Melly

This Saturday we did a breadmaking class with a mommy group that I am part of. It was so much fun getting to know the other moms!

Pax Christi,

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Baking Cookies!

We've been busy this week with a LOT of baking! Between the cookie swap and Christmas party, there have been a lot of cookies and breads to be made!



Please excuse my mess, lol! It's been a little chaotic trying to get everything accomplished this week.



The boys really liked helping with the sugar cookies. They thought it was very neat to see the frosting turn from white to red or green when we added the coloring! Jacob thought that the sprinkles were "beautiful". He's been a big help with the baking this week. :)


There's still more baking to do this week. I love how excited the boys get about baking together. What a great way to learn math...counting cups of flour, helping to measure out ingredients. What amazes me is how Jacob can remember the ingredients in a recipe after I have read it to him. He really enjoys helping. I really enjoy the conversations we have while working together. I hope he will always remember these times...I know I sure will!

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