The Christmas baking season has commenced! All three cookie recipes can be seen here. Candy Cane Cookies/Spritz Cookies 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup powdered sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt food coloring Cream butter, shortening and powdered sugar.  Blend in egg and extracts.  Stir in flour and salt.  Blend in food coloring, fill cookie press and press onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Dark pans go less, light colored pans go a little longer.&nbs ..read more

Happy Advent Merry Christmas I am always looking to add to our Christmas season collection of books and after last year's fiasco with over 20 of our books getting wet and then moldy it's even more important to me than ever to build up our collection again.  Replacing our old favorites and adding new titles is how it'll be done.  Jesus Calling::The Story of Christmas by Sarah Young is a new book out this year and it is so sweet. First off the dust jacket is sparklized.  And who doesn't love sparkles at Christmas?  Only Grinches and Scrooges that's who. Then even bet ..read more

As most of you know I review all kinds of media from FrontGate Media.  I especially love children's books and this boardbook was extra sweet. Bedtime books rank high on my list.  Most authors know that parents are more ready for their children's bedtime than the child is so most bedtime books are short.  Long enough to have some cuddle time, but short enough to get those kids into bed. God Bless You & Good Night has rhyming phrases which keep the flow going smoothly and really, what child doesn't like to guess what the next rhyming word will be?  I know my kids ..read more

Sometimes homeschooling doesn't always equate to idyllic days of multi-age learning.  Sharing a good story with my kids is just about the best way to turn an upside down day into something we want to remember.    Yesterday when math wasn't going quite as planned I grabbed a new book, gathered the kiddos on the couch and began reading.  It wasn't long before the bad attitudes evaporated and giggles were heard. The book is a good one, The Cow Said Neigh! by Rory Feek. The Cow Said Neigh! is the story of some peculiar farm animals who wish they were like otheranimals on ..read more

Hello!!!  Are you here from YouTube?  From the day I went back and forth homeschooling and cooking all day?  I'm so glad you're here and you'll be happy to that all the recipes from that video are in one place.  Right here! First up the meatballs.  In the video I showed me making Savory Meatballs, but I mentioned that I made meatballs the week before and everybody loved them.  Well, here's the long story.  I love trying new recipes and changing up existing recipes.  My family would prefer I just stick with what they like and stop changing things up.&nbs ..read more

Our oldest turned 21.  How in the world did that happen??? Anyway, let's talk about food because that always makes things better, right? Emily's a girl of tradition so I've been making Chicken Pot Pie and Ice Cream Cake for many many years of birthdays. These recipes in video version can be seen here. Classic Chicken Pot Pie is the most comforting of all the comfort foods in the world and this recipe is super classic with the very basic of ingredients which makes it a crowd pleaser.  And it starts with a roux and we know that anything starting with a roux is bound to be DELICIOU ..read more

Our older kids all went to a Bible Camp up North many summers.  This baked oatmeal was a breakfast staple.  One that Emily loved and looked forward to. This recipe was first shared on my bulk cooking video here. BIBLE CAMP BAKED OATMEAL 3/4 c. vegetable oil 3/4 c. white sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 c. milk 1 t. salt 1 1/2 T. baking powder 4 1/2 c. quick cook oats (regular work fine, too, it'll be a little firmer) 1 t. cinnamon 3/4 c. raisins or any dried fruit you like (optional) Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar if you'd like.&n ..read more

Stew.  Is there anything more comforting on a fall day?  I thought not!! I first showed this Crock-Pot Venison Stew here on YouTube. CROCK-POT VENISON (BEEF) STEW 3 pounds venison, cubed (1 inch) 6 med. red potatoes, unpeeled, 1 inch cubes 6 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1-2 large onions, cut into large chunks 2 cups V-8/home-canned tomato juice 3 T. quick-cooking Tapioca 2 t. Worcestershire sauce 1 T. beef bouillon 1/4 t. pepper Dredge meat in flour seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.  Quick fry in hot melted lard or shortening just to brown the outside.  Place i ..read more

I'm a huge sucker for chapter books.  Often, I don't know who enjoys the books more, me or the kids listening. I've teamed up with FrontGate Media as a reviewer and I've reviewed some great books and DVDs.  This time they sent a chapter book....Alleluia!! Young Whit & the Traitor's Treasure by Phil Lollar & Dave Arnold Adventures in Odyssey is a popular Christian radio program and now John Avery Whittaker has made his way to the pages of this first in the series historical mystery.  Although the back book cover recommends this book for 10+, my 10, 6, and 5 year olds ..read more

I recently had another 3 day bulk cooking session where I cook for about 3-4 hours with plenty of large family distractions each day.  In the end I stock up the fridge and freezer with food that'll last 3 weeks or more. In the video I shared the following recipes: ➡️Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad  ➡️Pizza Burger Mix  ➡️Cinnamon Roll Dough  ➡️Soft Italian Breadsticks   (I do not make individual breadsticks.  I roll the dough into a large 1/2 sheet pan, bake for 15 minutes, then top with butter and mozzarella cheese and bake until completely done, about 10 mor ..read more