Ring in the Fall with Oatmeal Cookies

Busy moms can save time by whipping out a batch of cookies in no time from this simple and YUMMY mix!

Oatmeal Cookie Mix

3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. brown sugar
2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. shortening

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and oats in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until completely absorbed. Store in an airtight container and use the recipe below to make these SO yummy cookies!

• 2 c. Mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, coconut, or whatever sounds good to you!

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a cookie sheet. Drop spoonfuls of dough on prepared sheet. Flatten slightly and bake for 8-10 minutes.

~I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do! I made some today and just as I pulled the first batch out of the oven, my husband just "happened" to run home from work for some tools. His timing was too perfect to be unplanned! Highly suspicious!

Sunflower update!

Here are pictures of the Sunflower playhouse that we planted and the sunflowers that we are growing for seeds. They are all so beautiful and easy to grow! As the smaller sunflowers fade, I am cutting the heads off and tossing them into the chicken pen for them to pick at! This was my first time growing sunflowers and have concluded that they are simple to grow and yet look impressive at their towering heights! I love them!

My new favorite Salsa!

I experimented with several new salsa recipes this year and I have found a new favorite! I also had a bad case of leaf spot on my tomatoes, so had less than normal, but was still able to have plenty for salsa and I am hoping for enough to make a batch of tomato sauce to can. So, here it is, my pick for the best salsa recipe!

Salsa

• 24 pounds tomatoes
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 16 jalapeno chile peppers (I only used 7, so adjust to your taste)
  
• 2 medium heads garlic
• 6 large green bell peppers, chopped
• 6 large onions, chopped
• 8 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

--Blanch tomatoes in boiling water until skins split and then put in cold water. Slip the skins off and run them all through the blender! Super easy!

--Put tomato puree and tomato paste into a LARGE pot and boil to reduce down about 1/4 to 1/3. Stir occasionally to keep from burning on the bottom!

--In the meantime, seed your jalapenos and toss into blender with the garlic that has been put thru a garlic press, the cilantro, and 1/2 c. of tomato liquid. Blend until smooth and then stir into the tomato puree.

--Add chopped onions and green peppers, salt, and vinegar.

--In a small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch until dissolved and then slowly stir it into the salsa. Boil the salsa for about 30 minutes or until the veggies soften.

Ladle into your hot, sterile jars. Put lids on and process in boiling water bath. I used quarts, so I processed mine for 35 minutes. Pints can process for 15 minutes.


This is a WONDERFUL thick salsa that really sticks to a tortilla chip and reminds me of the salsa in Mexican restaurants. SUPER GOOD!!

That BITES!

So, I went out to the garden first thing to beat the heat. I carefully put on bug spray for mosquitoes. Forgot to spray my lips. Got stung on lip. Lip pretty fat. Looks like I have a chunk 'o chaw in my mouth! ...AND, of course it's the kids' first day of swimming lessons and now I must go looking like a hillbilly mama with a mouthful of tobacco! Is it an actual FACT of life that nothing humiliating can happen unless you have an audience? But then, if there is no audience, it wouldn't really be that humiliating, now would it? Perhaps God is humbling me.

Sunflower Playhouse

This spring, we tore down a dilapidated old building that the kids had been using as a playhouse, The floor was rotten and it was really not a safe place to play, besides being quite an eyesore! They were pretty disappointed at the prospect of having no playhouse! We plan to build a tree house in a giant shade tree, but hubby won't have time this summer, as other projects have taken priority. So, I bought some sunflower mix seeds and planted a three sided square for an "organic" playhouse for this summer! Here is a picture of it's progress so far. My little girl is pretty thrilled with the idea of a playhouse made of flowers! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Homemade Granola

I remember eating homemade granola when I was little and nearly breaking teeth on it! I found this super yummy CHEWY granola recipe that is officially my favorite now! Makes a great breakfast on these hot summer mornings when you don't want to heat up the house cooking!

Chewy Granola

5 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 c. wheat germ
1 c. dry milk
1 c. sesame seeds
1 1/2 -2 c. dry fruit chopped
1 c. coconut (optional)
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
3/4 c. almonds, chopped

Mix together in large bowl

1 c. oil (I use Canola)
1 c. honey
-Warm oil and mix with honey. Pour over granola mixture and stir well.

Spread on oiled cookie sheets and bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Cool and take a break from cooking breakfast tomorrow!!

Growing Green

June is here and as the weather gets warmer, the greens you planted early in the spring are in full swing! I don't know about you, but I usually get carried away in my planting and end up with more lettuce, kale, chard, and spinach than my family can bear to consume, as much as we like it! So, I'm trying to come up with a few creative ways to use all this green stuff in a way that is not torturous to my family. I have to admit that I had not eaten chard since forced to as a child until last night. I tried a new recipe and I have to say it was so good that I even ate more for lunch today!! Amazing! Don't know if that's due to a good recipe or the fact that I grew up. But here is a good way to use a LOT of chard.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

I think I will leave out the Parmesan next time, as I think it smells like old socks. But it was still really really good! I imagine that you could use spinach in much the same way, but I have not tried it.

As far as kale, it freezes great! I wash it, trim off thicker stems and pack it into ziplock bags. To use it, just break of a chunk and crumble into soups or smoothies! It turns smoothies bright green and my kids call them "Pond Water Shakes," but they love them and kale is packed with calcium and vitamins!! I also tear up the kale leaves into salads, throw them chopped into stews, or you can even bake them, I've heard! I haven't tried it yet, but they say you can wash and dry your kale, put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on some seasoning salt or any seasoning and bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are browned. I can't wait to try this one out!

For lettuce, I haven't found any great sneaky way to use up the massive amounts of lettuce just a little patch produces yet. Well, other than salads, of course.

Any great ideas out there for using up all this green I'm growing? After all, they are so good for you! They make your heart healthier, boost your immune system, have very few calories, and make you run faster and jump higher. Well, maybe not all of that, but definitely good for you!