Drug Choice of a Stay-at-Home Mom

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To put it in the words of my sister Laura "I have a sickness." There is something about canning, and you know this if you do it, that is like a drug or addiction. I hate it and love it at the same time. I hate that my kitchen is constantly a mess. I hate that I have to weed my garden to have anything to can. I hate that my fingers and ring always look dirty. I hate that the bottoms of my feet are always sticky. BUT... I love that I have FREE FOOD (this is the core of my addiction). I love looking at my jars on my counter. I love hearing the POP of a seal. I love hanging out with my sisters when we have to circle the wagons for a big load of something. I love giving them away. There is nothing like the delight of giving a jar to someone that appreciates the blood, sweat and tears that go into a quart jar.
Most of all... I love that they last. My mom pointed this out to me as we tried to analyze our love of canning. The clean laundry is now on a dirty child. The clean kitchen is dirty again, the rugs that were shaken this morning and the swept floor need to be done again. The dirty diaper that was is the trash is now... well, I won't say where, but the canning jars... THEY ARE STILL CANNED. A present day miracle. And, Lord willing, I can go down and stare at them for a few more months, to remember, remember that I actually got something done one time.

The Lovely Latte

Pin It I got a few requests for this Pumpkin "dream" Latte so here it is.
1 1/2 to 2 C. brewed strong coffee
4 cups milk
4 Tablespoons canned pureed pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream

Add everything besides the whip to the slow cooker and whisk together. If unsure about how much coffee or sugar to add, start at the lower amount and you can always add more. Cook on high for 2 hours.
I doubled this recipe both times I made it because I made it for a pretty good size group and a double recipe filled up my crock pot nicely.
Have at least a bottle of whip cream per person... that was my special addition.

Pissy Haircuts

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I am not great at cutting my boys hair. I do it because it is cheap, I can do it when I want, and deep down I feel like I have must have inherited some cosmetology gene from my mom… so I must know what I am doing. Next issue… the toddler. It is one thing to be Edward Scissor Hands with an adult who actually sits still, but with a 2 and 3 year old? Third challenge… the potty training son. I guess standing on the chair naked and dreaming about the bath to follow was too much for him. The stream of pee landed directly on my feet, almost nowhere else, then it slowly flowed into all the recently cut, fine hair covering the floor. What do you do as a mom with peed on feet and a half finished hair cut? I can't send him off with a mullet so the show must go on. Ohhh, cleaning up pee-hair, with hairy hobbit feet at 9:00 at night is definitely a new favorite "dying to self" moment.

Pumpkin Spice Latte and Sugar Cookies

Pin It THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! We are headed to the farm to bring Justin and the lovely ladies he works with some Pumpkin Spice Latte (thank you Racheal Neal for posting this) and pumpkin sugar cookies. I can hardly handle the cuteness of it all. This latte is seriously one of the best treats in the world and you make it in a crock pot! I don't know... there is just something about making something in a crock pot that makes me feel more frugal and industrious.
Kind of like the sugar buzz that is sure to follow this adorable combo, I am on a holiday cooking high. Bring on the fetivities.

Menu Planning

Pin It Mom Bartlett had surgery last week and just arrived home today. After checking up on her it dawn on me that I need to get some meals over to her. I love my father-in-law but he only has two signature dishes... and you only can eat venison steak and pancakes so long. So I needed to make a set-in-stone menu plan this week because I am just going to make a bigger portions and bring them some. Plus Jack has some vomiting virus and I don't really want to be running through the aisles of Wal-Mart with my queasy son.
So here it is:
Monday: Cheeseburger soup and banana bread
Tuesday: Oven Stew and mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Stromboli and grapes
Thursday: Chicken Fried Steak/broccoli / and baked potatoes
Friday: Chicken and sausage alfredo and green beans
Saturday: Tacos
Sunday: Italian pulled beef sandwiches
There it is. Now, if I can just get Abigail to release her death grip on my leg I can check to see if my banana bread is still mushy in the middle.

Watching my every move. Starting her cooking classes young.