Tasty Tuesday ~ Biscuits and chocolate gravy

 Tasty Tuesday

While we were in Alabama this summer, our dear friend Betty made us biscuits and chocolate gravy. We had never heard of such a thing...but we were sweetly surprised. Yummy x 100! The gravy is so good, it doesn't even need biscuits ☺. The girls eat the leftovers for dessert and snacks throughout the day, not just breakfast.
    Without further ado....the recipes

                          Flaky Quick Biscuits
                          8 cups flour (we sometimes use unbleached, and sometimes use 1/2 unbleached and 1/2 whole wheat)

1/3 cup baking powder

2 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening (I use coconut oil)

4 cups milk

Mix together dry ingredients, cut in coconut oil with 2 knives until crumbly. Then add your milk. Roll into a log about 3 inches thick and cut into 1/2 inch slices OR roll out and cut with a biscuit or cookie cutters. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet (we use a stone) for 12 minutes at 450.  These are yummy too.

Chocolate Gravy

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 Tbsp cocoa

6 Tbsp flour

pinch salt

4 cups milk

4 tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla

Stir dry ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Mix in milk slowly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Add butter and vanilla. Serve over hot biscuits. ~NOTE: this is big happy family size. If you don't have a big family and don't want leftovers, you might want to cut it in half.

If you try these out, let me know what you think!

Multitude Monday

                                



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I am grateful for our Keepers at Home group. We have participated for 10 years, since Kelsey was 9. Hard to believe how much we have learned and how much fellowship we have been blessed by.  Here are Kelsey, Kate, Mary and Emily at "The Chocolate Thimble" in Churubusco, Indiana for a chocolate making class. They made caramel and chocolate dipped apples, white chocolate pretzel drops, and white chocolate dipped oreos. What a fun day.

0046

Tea Sets lots of lovely little tea sets. My dear mother-in-law gets each child a tea set around their 3 birthday. We have a beautiful collection of them. To make sure they get used and enjoy the blessing she has given us, we have each child's birthday breakfast be a "tea party breakfast". The child picks whose tea sets we will use in addition to their own (since it takes several to 'tea' us all), and which foods they would like the most. Then we hang up their birthday flag (another gift made by mother-in-law) and make the special breakfast with lots of tea (and lots of sugar). The tea pot above is Valerie Hope's, who just celebrated her third birthday with homemade caramel rolls and homemade turkey sausage (thank you chef Emily).  Thank you Lord for many tea pots, many children to have tea parties for, and many good chefs to make the meals special and unique.

0047

Byron Thanksgiving. Our church meets in a nursing home named Byron, at state run nursing home with many severly handicapped people as well as elderly . Each year our church makes a super sized Thanksgiving dinner and serves it to all the residents in the activity room of Byron. It takes two nights for us to feed all the residents. What a blessing we receive in serving these special people. I'm guessing most don't see relatives for the holidays and they show such joy at the big meal they are served. It is a blessing for our families to sit in their midst and share in their joy as we serve them. It is our hope that they will see the light of Jesus and learn how very much He loves them and how important they are to Him.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40



      

0048  The best daddy ever...the leader of our wonderful 'cheaper by the dozen'. He deserves way more numbers in my multitude Mondays than one. He loves all the children, great and small, and always welcomes another with great delight.

 He doesn't mind the noise (and very much helps create it), the commotion (well, he helps with this too), and the work. He is seldom in the door before being requested for many different things-and they even meet him at his car at times..."dad, will you hold the baby?", "dad, can I have water?", "can we go to the park?", "did you hear what I did today?", "look at my bruise, scrape, bump, etc...". And he smiles, and is glad to be home. He puts on his comfy clothes and shoes and gets ready to be messy, if needed (with 4 six and under this is often). Since Mommy is often tired and tapped out, he willingly jumps in and helps. He is even patient with us when he gets home late from work and the many eaters have eaten it all and didn't save him any (sometimes the table clearers will munch on what remains, forgetting some haven't eaten).
         
He is a great husband too. In 19 years, we've had 12 children. That means lots of morning sickness and tiredness for me. In my early pregnancy he offers 10pm runs to subway or pizza hut or whatever place he think will help me to feel better and forget the yuckiness. And he willingly puts everyone to bed so I can get in bed myself sooner.  He doesn't act like a tornado hit, when indeed it does look like one did at times.  I am blessed and I am loved. Thank you Lord.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17
 

   0049Fall, leaves, sunset. God's creation is a work of art in every season. Beautiful handiwork. Hard to describe His infinite-ness with our tiny little comprehension. But...none the less, I am grateful. And He is good, all the time.


To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

     0050 many, many, many Tomatoes! Our amish friend called and offered me 5 bushels of tomatoes for $5 a box. I said "Doug, what do I do, I'm deathly ill with morning (all day) sickness?" to which he replies "$5 is a really good price, and we do love salsa". SO...with children still groaning, I picked up our tomatoes, peppers and onions and away we went. The children and our friend Anna made the work much easier than the days when I did it alone. We made one fresh batch of salsa to eat all day as we made our canned salsa (fresh salsa is incomparable, you absolutely must try it sometime). We cored, peeled, chopped,  and mixed our tomatoes into a delightful salsa potion in our most giant stockpot. And we munched, and filled jars, and canned them outside on our turkey propane burners in canning pots.

 Yum, and whew, and wow, my tongue is on fire, and can you believe how many bags of tortilla chips we have eaten today, and isn't God good to get me through this with many able daughters and a very sick stomach. What a beautiful day of hard work and more of God's amazing creation to enjoy all year long. Now where on earth are we going to put all these jars?

 

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I am so grateful for my Grandmother Carmen. She is wonderful,and this is the shore of the lake she lives on, right by her dock. She lives 'up north' in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

She is one of my favorite people ever. Energetic, a server, fabulous cook, caring, creative, resourceful, quilter, knitter, crocheter, woodworker, gardener, nurse, cross-stitcher, needle worker, outstanding mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She is one of the most hard working people I have ever met. If she isn't working really hard with her hands she is sitting in her chair, with her lap desk, drafting ideas, jobs, plans, quilts, etc... Amazing, and a true Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 woman.  I love you Grandma and am so grateful God put me in your family.

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31

0052

Alaina J...10 years old. Big smile, the only child of mine that looks like a 'good, hearty Italian', like her heritage. Did I say big smile? She is silly & crazy and loves to play outside with all the things most people throw away (and *should* throw away, thank you). She takes odd scraps of wood and leftover containers from restaurants and cottage cheese containers and big swiss miss cartons and builds what Doug calls 'shanty homes' all over our back yard. The littles all adore her, who wouldn't....a big sister who helps make a mess ☺. Oh yes and the mud, I didn't mention the mud pies and cookies and ...well, you get the idea. She is darling, and I love her to pieces. She is also a big help in the kitchen, and with James and at doing her school. We have definitely decided to keep this one.  Thank you Lord for our dear Alaina.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Tuna Noodles Romanoff

Tuna Noodles Romanoff

serves 10-12

16 oz cooked egg noodles

3 cups sour cream

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 cup shredded cheddar

3 cups cottage cheese

3 tsp worcestershire sauce

2-4 cans drained tuna (we use 2 to be frugal)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, worcestershire sauce, salt & tuna. Put into greased 13 x 9. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake 30-45 minutes or until hot throughout.

This recipe is one that our family has made for 20 years. It is out of my Mom's old recipes. It is also very yummy with buttered, crushed crackers on top.

~Enjoy~

The Common Room's Potluck Saturday

In Memory of my precious Mom ~Happy 59th Birthday

 Today...my mom, my precious mom, would have turned 59.  She died 4 years ago, in September, of lung, brain and breast cancer. It was a 7 month battle. She found out in February, right after being here for Alaina's 6th birthday, and a month before Paul Robert was born.

I miss her...it sounds small. It is such an understatement. It has been 4 painful years.
             My memories, our memories...of her, are many. and precious. But it still hurts. She was a part of our life, daily life, in so many ways. Even our children who barely knew her, or didn't get to know her, talk of her as if they did.

I miss...her loving all her grandkids,even when she didn't think she could love more than one.

I miss...her daily phone call to see what was for dinner.

              I miss her making me go to the mall the day after I had a baby, just to get it a beautiful new gymboree blanket and outfit...promising me I could just sit on the bench while she and the kids shopped and then calling me in the store to help pick out one.☺           

                          I miss all the special things she did for me as a child...making me coconut custard pie as an after-school snack...or orange julius's...or golden graham mix.

                                     ....for never letting me have the stomach flu alone, she was always by my side, rubbing my head, pulling back my hair (and I had the stomach flu *alot*).

                                             ......for tucking me in everynight (even as an adult when she would come to visit) and tucking all the sheets in the mattress once I was in bed like I was in an envelope (which I promptly undid when she left the room)

                                                    ....how she would have me sit at the kitchen table after school while she showed me all the things she got at the grocery store with double coupons that were free, or almost free.                     

  And how she told me to enunciate every morning as I headed out to the bus stop.

                                                                                      

She made each of my children feel like queen or king on their birthdays. Using all her vacation days to come for them. Letting them pick where they wanted to eat for lunch and dinner.

I miss some of the funny things she said...calling the kids "slackers" when they were slow with dishes....telling them it was time to "shake and move" to get us out the door sooner if we had somewhere to go. Looking at my large brood of kids, ages 8 and under and saying "come on guys, let's kick butt and take names". ☺

                    She may not have agreed with everything we did, or said, but she didn't let on. She loved us, accepted us and gave to us beyond generously...even when she wouldn't buy herself anything. It was how she was. She gave...and gave and gave.

                                                                       My children learned from her how to work hard, and not complain. How to get things really clean. How to be the most diligent employee an employer could ever have. How to give of yourself, even at the cost of self-sacrifice. How to love way beyond yourself, even when you think you can't.

                              She may be gone from our lives, but she left a legacy that none of us will forget. And memories for us to hold in our hearts and our hands. Blessed memories.                           

                                                   I love you Mom....



Grandma Lannoo visits

We were all very blessed to have my dear, 86 year old grandmother here for a little over a week. It was sad to see her go back home.
                  She is so very grateful for all the ways our family shows her love; making her tea, helping her with her 'stockings', cooking her extra special meals that she doesn't get at home, showing her our scrapbooks, and spending time with her.

          The discussions we have with her are lively and interesting and vary from herbs to history to Christianity to her childhood. We all learn new things while she is here and she brings many smiles to our day.

Once upon a time, grandma had many children, small and great, all over her lap and beside her for story time. Someone was always bringing her a book, either to read to them, or to see what we were learning or one we knew she'd love. Grandma loves to learn (I can see an inherited trait here), she still loves to learn how to take care of herself naturally. She was reading several herb books while here and wanting to try new things. I hope I still want to learn new things at 86, if the Lord grants me the years.

The highlight of her trip for most of us, was taking Grandma to the zoo. She had never been before in her life. She was exclaiming and thrilled the whole way through. I know the wheel chair ride didn't feel all that good to her, especially the bumpy terrain of some parts, but she was a trooper. I even got her to ride the train and feed the ducks and geese. We wanted to feed the giraffes too, but they weren't interested on this particular day.

I heard a speaker at the homeschool convention in Indianapolis in the spring of this year. The thing that stood out to me the most was, not to let the years pass in our childrens lives without having them learn, really learn, who their parents and grandparents are and were. Ask questions...lots of questions and learn living history.

                                                  My grandmother lived through the depression. Such neat stories she has told us. My dad went to school in an old one room school house.

       Don't let the important things of each day crowd out the relationships and the memories that make our lives richer and deeper.

Thank you Grandma, we love you!

wordless wednesday-gator

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  Psalm 1:3

tasty tuesday ~ crepes

Oh how we love crepes! This week's tasty Tuesday recipe is

Crepes

6 cups milk

6 eggs

3 tbsp melted butter

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar (we use evaporated cane juice)

3/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl to form a thin batter. Spray no-stick spray in a large skillet. Let skillet heat up to medium heat for a few minutes. Pour batter into hot skillet to make a 6 inch round crepe. Tilt the pan as needed to spread the batter out. These should be very thin. Cook until edges are dry and curl up a little (up to a minute). Flip carefully and cook another 20-30 seconds. Remove while still pale.

You can butter these and sprinke with powdered sugar, although we usually just sprinkle with the sugar. Then we fill and roll up. We like to fill them with fresh berries or frozen berries made into a syrup. We also sometimes mix a package of cream cheese with a cup of powdered sugar and a little vanilla and fill with the cream and then berries and bananas. You can also serve with maple syrup or jam.

Let us know if you make them and how you like them! Our crepe maker at the cheaper by the dozen house is 12 year old Mary. Most of the other cooks aren't patient enough to take the time to cook them. Thank you Mary!