Goin' Old School with the Summer Squash

This year I have a bumper crop of yellow squash. And by bumper crop I mean about 6 a day. I have been slicing them in rounds and freezing them for future use. Because my family has already gotten tired of squash. Basically I have added grilled squash and zucchini to every meal for a week.But last night.Last night I went old school. I made baked squash. Absolutely nothing fancy about it. And no weird ingredients or wonky cooking method.Just down home , buttery , sweet squash. The kind my nana makes. The kind my family fights over when it comes piping hot out of the oven. Now I remember why I love simplicity. You can't get squash any better than this, in my opinion.

Baked Yellow Squash

2 large yellow squash, sliced about 1" thick
1 vidalia onions, sliced about 1" thick (sometimes I slice 2 if they are not very big)
1/2 stick butter, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste

In a casserole dish, layer one sliced squash onto the bottom of the dish.Top with a sliced vidalia onion, 1/2 of the butter and salt and pepper.Repeat layers.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until squash and onion are cooked.

My Work

My Work

I have the greatest work in the world;

The job of rocking a baby to sleep,

That of guiding his tottering feet,

A baby's clothes to launder and fold,

A precious life to shape and mold,

A drink to give from a little cup,

At night his toys to gather up,

Hurts to heal and fears to quell,

A baby to keep clean and well,

A stack of diapers to put,

Oh, what a happy worthwhile day!

I am a "Mother."

I have the greatest work in to world;

A husband to encourage when things go wrong,

When he comes from work to greet with a song,

Denims and shirts to wash and mend,

A helping hand, when needed, to lend,

Three times a day is meals to cook,

To strive to be my best to look,

His back to rub at the close of the day,

For his faithfulness to God I pray,

When hubby's in the field I take lemonade,

for all these tasks his love has Paid.

I am a " Wife."

I have the greatest work in the world;

A home to keep happy, clean and bright,

Make things go smooth and strive for the right,

Jams to cook and jellies to make,

Cookies and pies and bread to bake,

Washing, ironing, and sewing to do,

So many tasks, will I ever get through?

Lettuce to wash and peas to pick,

floors to scrub, lost items to seek,

Dishes to wash and windows to shine,

These and many more tasks are mine.

I am a "Homemaker."

Help me, Father, to faithfully work,

Forgive if I unconsciously shirk,

give me the patience and love I pray,

To keep myself in duties way;

With all the hustle that each day brings

May I not neglect the needing things;

Each day to spend time alone with Thee

That Jesus Christ be seen in me.

Thank you for husband, our home, our girls and boys;

Thank you for love which brings me much joy.

Thank you, Lord.

~Mary Lou Burkholder

Cynthia Steffe's Catskills Home

 

 

 

 

 

This home was featured in Country Living Magazine.It is designer Cynthia Steffe's Catskill's Mountain Retreat. You can find the full article HERE . I love everything about it! One day I would love to live in a house like this. Heaven on earth, in my opinion.Enjoy the eye candy!

Summer 2010

Today is the first official day of summer. Celebrate.

There came a Day at Summer's full by Emily Dickinson

There came a Day at Summer's full,
Entirely for me --
I thought that such were for the Saints,
Where Resurrections -- be --

The Sun, as common, went abroad,
The flowers, accustomed, blew,
As if no soul the solstice passed
That maketh all things new --

The time was scarce profaned, by speech --
The symbol of a word
Was needless, as at Sacrament,
The Wardrobe -- of our Lord --

Each was to each The Sealed Church,
Permitted to commune this -- time --
Lest we too awkward show
At Supper of the Lamb.

The Hours slid fast -- as Hours will,
Clutched tight, by greedy hands --
So faces on two Decks, look back,
Bound to opposing lands --

And so when all the time had leaked,
Without external sound
Each bound the Other's Crucifix --
We gave no other Bond --

Sufficient troth, that we shall rise --
Deposed -- at length, the Grave --
To that new Marriage,
Justified -- through Calvaries of Love --

Kid Pleasin' Mac & Cheese

If you have kids, you know that for the most part, they are picky eaters. I have two that will eat anything (or at least try anything once) and two that will only eat a small number of meals. And you guessed it! One of those meals is macaroni and cheese.But , unfortunately for me, only homemade macaroni and cheese. With them being out of school for the summer , I picked up a box of Sponge Bob macaroni and cheese, thinking they would love that. And the fact that it was so much easier to prepare was not lost on me. Well folks, yesterday I made Sponge Bob. They were so excited to see those little shaped macaroni. Then.... every single child tasted it and stoped eating. UGH! I made peanut butter nutella sandwiches and called it a day. Fast forward to this morning. My 4 year old cried . Cried for mommie's macaroni and cheese. So I made a dish of it for them for lunch today. And guess what? Each one ate two bowls full. Sometimes I just wish they would eat the icky, cardboard tasting stuff. Apparently that isn't going to happen soon. Anywho, this mac and cheese can be made ahead . And it makes quite a bit, so be prepared for leftovers during the week.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz elbow macaroni (cooked)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
31/2 cups milk
1 lb cheese, cubed ( I use Velveeta)
1 cup breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 .
2. Butter a medium casserole dish and add the elbow macaroni. set aside.
3.In a large saucepan on medium high heat, cook the butter,salt,pepper,and flour. Stir until smooth.
4.Remove the butter mixture from the eat and carefully pour in the milk.Bring to a slow boil.Boil for 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
5. Remove from the heat and add the cubed cheese. With a whisk, stir until all of the cheese has melted and it becomes somewhat thickened.
6.Pour cheese over the elbow macaroni in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the macaroni with breadcrumbs.
7.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Patriotic Love

Since yesterday was Flag Day and the Fourth of July is just around the corner, I wanted a patriotic piece of jewelry to wear. I thought and thought and decided on a pretty necklace made from small yo-yo's. I had about 6 of these yo-yo's made up for a wreath, but I went in a totally different direction with the wreath and didn't use them.( I will be posting about that soon!) So I just sewed three of them together, added navy blue buttons and a chain. I cut cardstock in the shape of the fabric and glued it to the back for stability. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to make. Ilove it! I wore it out yesterday to run some errands and I got a few compliments.
I am linking up to Craftaholic Anonymous and the PATRIOTIC PARADE . Hope you enjoy!

Flag Day 2010

Today is Flag Day. Monday , June 14th, 2010. Now that the kids are out of school for the summer, I am looking for fun things to do with them during the long, hot days. Today we are learning about Flag Day. We will be making our own flags, coloring flag pages and making red, white and blue cupcakes for dessert after dinner. Here is a little background on Flag Day .

Flag Day is a day when all Americans celebrate the flag by showing respect for the flag and its makers and its designers. One of the main symbols of the United States of America is the flag.

The original U.S. flag was authorized by Congress on Saturday, June 14, 1777. It had 13 stripes - 7 red and 6 white - that represent the original 13 colonies. There were 13 white stars in a blue field representing a new constellation.

Since 1777, there have been different versions of the flag that have been adopted. The red and white stripes with blue constellation have remained the same. Each state in the union is represented by a 5 point star. The number of stars have changed as states joined the union. There are currently 50 states that belong to the United States of America.

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blessed with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

So everyone, let's not forget today is the day the people of the United States of America remember the history of their country, and the flag that was built to represent it.Go fly your flag high.And proud. God Bless the USA!!!!

Garden Art - A Little Bit of Inspiration !

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that a few months back I made garden markers out of old spoons. You can find the post HERE  . I made a marker for every vegetable in my garden and had a ton of spoons left over. So I decided to use them as little bits of inspiration for my garden . And even have a few around the house in potted plants. I love  the way they turned out. I took a potted gardenia plant  to a neighbor and included a spoon with her favorite bible verse on it. She loved it! What do you guys think? I was thinking about maybe opening an etsy store to sell them? Any thoughts? They make wonderful , personalized gifts. I am linking up to a few link parties this week to get some feedback. Feel free to leave a comment. They are always welcomed!

Strawberry Almond Ice Cream

Have I ever mentioned that I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker? It is so easy to make ice cream and sorbets.And it makes my husband and sons happy to have homemade ice cream after dinner . But....my husband is lactose intolerant. So I have learned to use coconut milk, soy milk and almond milk to make ice cream. Much healthier than whole milk and cream like I would prefer. It took a bit of getting used to, because the ice cream is not as creamy.More like milky snow cone consistency. Not bad, just different. I wanted to make strawberry ice cream to celebrate the boys last day of school today. So I made this ice cream. I was a bit apprehensive, but when it was done, oh man was it good. I did add about 1/4 tsp of coconut extract to the milk.The ice cream has a slight almond- coconut flavor under the strawberry flavor. All of the boys and my husband ate two bowls each. So my taste-testers obviously give it an A! It took about 25 minutes, and we had yummy ice cream for dessert.

Strawberry Almond Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and mashed
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups almond milk
1/4 tsp coconut extract

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar,coconut extract and milk. Mix well.Transfer all to an ice cream canister. Make ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions.

Homemade Butterfly Feeders

Today was the boys' last day of school! Let the summer begin! In celebration, this afternoon we made homemade butterfly feeders. I found this craft on another great blog . You can find the instructions on how to put them together  at    Homemade Mama's

 I am so glad I cam across this blog. So many great ideas! The boys loved mixing the butterfly food. They each made one and hung it on opposite sides of the yard. And I kid you not, not even 10 minutes after we hung them, butterflies were circling around. White ones  mostly , but we saw a magnificent blue one. And , what do you know, I couldn't get into the house to get my camera fast enough! Hopefully it will be back so I can take a picture of it.

These are very easy to make. the only problem I had was with the cotton. I didn't plug the hole with enough cotton the first go around and the liquid was running out of the bottle like a faucet. So I added a huge helping of cotton and the absorption was perfect. I am adding this to my fun list of summer crafts to make in the future.

Frozen Grapes

I know that most of you already know about frozen grapes. But i figured there might be a few that have not considered them! Well, let me be the first to tell you. Go freeze your grapes. My kids love them as a snack. Especially in the warmer months. Pop them right into your mouth from the freezer. In fact, I now instinctively put all grapes that come in the house in the freezer. Try it. You won't be disappointed.