Mimi can Cook

Mimi helped me make pigs in a blanket last week.

The other kids didn't want to help so Mimi and I made dinner.

Here are Mimi's creations: 

I kept them separate because she had a tendency to drop them on the floor and then put them on the tray.

p.s. I used my bread recipe that I have posted over on Eggs A La Goldenrod

Fall Canning

The total so far-
Peaches 32 Quarts
Pears 32 Quarts
Tomatos Whole 1 pint - I picked every tomato in my garden and this is all I got!! :(

Tomato Sauce 13 pints - I picked the ripe tomatoes from my Mom's garden and got all this. (about 20 lbs)

I still have a tree full of apples, I am planning on making applesauce, and I might be able to get a few more tomatoes out of my garden. I have a few tomatillos growing- so I might be able to make something with them.

Update- Grandma gave me a bunch of tomatoes and I made them into sauce. So, I have another 7 1/2 quarts of sauce.  Our apple tree dropped most of the apples, we picked too late. So we got enough to make a small batch of applesauce, a crisp and amazing apple dumplings.

Let's get Cooking

I made two of theses great aprons for myself, and helped Hannah make one, and then I just had to make some for Imogene. I sized down the pattern and this is the result:

She loves her apron, she feels all grown up and asks to where it any time she "helps" in teh kitchen.

If Only

As I finished scraping 3/4 of a sheet cake into the trash, I realized I should have taken a picture so I could prove that if your 3 year old is quiet, she is into something. She had raked her finger through the the icing on the cake, the only part she likes anyway. It's kind of a mixed blessing, I hate to throw food away (it feels so wasteful), but our waistlines sure don't need an entire sheet cake!

The cake is awesome if you are inclined to make a sheet cake, but the best part is the icing. I made the icing before and spread it on a batch of brownies, a full batch of icing on a 1/4 sheet of brownies, yummy! I'll post the recipe in a couple days on Eggs a la Goldenrod.

It's finals week at the U, and we have 17 days until vacation. I'm purposely not packing until it gets closer (but I started making lists in January). We are all getting excited and I can't believe it is already May! I told someone today that imogene would be 4 this summer, then I had to correct myself, this month.

That's all the random thoughts I have right now, so you don't have to suffer anymore. Have a good night, see you in the morning.

Menu Plan Monday #3

Last week I ended up changing the menu a bit, as I remembered I have so much in the freezer that I need to use (the freezer needs to be defrosted). So this week all of the dinner items start with something I have in the freezer or in the cupboards.

Adam is working on Sunday, So an easy dinner is a must for that evening.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what we will be eating this week:

If you have any suggestions for fast tasty breakfasts, let me know. I am having a brain block of things that are fast and somewhat healthy so we are having the same things as last week.

Here is the recipe for the muffins I will make this week:

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

Source: 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix

1 chocolate-fudge cake mix

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

3/4 c water

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 c applesauce

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/4 t almond or vanilla extract

3/4 c chocolate chips, frozen

Muffin papers

Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper muffin cups. mix together

cake mix, pudding, water, eggs, applesauce, oil and extract until

smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips last. Fill cups 3/4 full.

Bake about 23-33 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie for more menu plans and tons of recipes.