Fall Blog Giveaway Carnival!

Giveaway is now closed!

Those of you who have been with me for a while may remember that my fourth post was participating in her Spring Giveaway Carnival. I enjoyed it so much that when I hit my 100th post, I really went crazy with a giveaway!

And now it's time for the Fall Giveaway Carnival. Whooo! I actually had such a stash of things squirreled away from my 100th post giveaway, I'll be able to just coast on that for a while. So, here's what's up for grabs this time!

A pair of any Christmas baby leg warmers. You can see all the styles that I have available here and the Christmas ones start on page 4. (Why yes, they ARE available for purchase! You can e-mail me at nettacow at gmail dot com - remove spaces - for info. They are $8 per pair, with discounts for multiple pairs, plus exact shipping. You can also visit my post on how to make homemade baby leg warmers.


How to Clean Practically Anything, from the Editors of Consumer Reports. On the back: "This completely revised fourth edition of How to Clean Practically Anything tells you the most efficient, cost-effective, and practical ways to clean all kinds of household and personal items. Covering cleaning appliances and products from dishwashers, washing machines, and vacuums to household cleansers, paper towels, paint removers, upholstery cleaners, and laundry detergents, it includes:

* buying advice and recommendations * stain removal chart * advice on personal care products * tips for eliminating germs and grime * guidance on how to handle, store, and safely dispose of cleaning products.


500 Terrific Ideas for Organizing Everything by Sheree Bykofsky. On the back: This book will tell you how to:

* Eliminate mismatched socks and gloves forever * use your answering machine as a private secretary * create a home or office filing system that really works * find and use wasted space in your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen * make the most of your computer * create simple strategies to manage your paperwork.

Caveat - I read through this book and some of the tips are a bit dated since it was written in 1992. I raised my eyebrows that there are several companies and specific products mentioned, but the author notes in the acknowledgements that nobody paid to be included nor were they promised mention or endorsement. So take it for what it's worth.

Have I mentioned that I'm a sucker for cookbooks? It's kind of embarassing, really, because I have a lot, and I've just scratched the surface in trying the recipes in them. So, I thought I'd share . . . but if you win this, you need to let me know what you try and like! :>)

Favorite Recipes from House and Garden, copyright 1958. There is a lot of good info in here, too!

And, of interesting to probably no one else but me, on the very first page - even before the title page - is a small drawing of The Sower, which is the statue on top of the Nebraska State Capitol.

Perhaps that is to provide a transition to my final offering - a pamphlet from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension Service called Dressing Up the Home in Wartime. This sweet old girl was published in February of 1945 as part of the Home Demonstration program. The ideas ore intended to be carried out with materials already on hand and at little cost.

OK, so your choices are Christmas legwarmers, the cleaning book, the organizing book, the cookbook, or the vintage decorating book.

So, how do you win??? First, please have a US or Canadian shipping address. Then check out the categories in my sidebar and tell me which of them is your favorite or that you'd like to see more posts in. It's that easy! To make things a bit more complicated, though, I'll let you CHOOSE what you'd like to win - put your first and second choices in your comment. I'll number your comments and use Random.org to pick numbers. The first number will get their first choice. The second number will get their first choice if it's still available; if not, they'll get their second choice - and so on.

Want more entries? Do one of the following and leave an additional comment or comments:

* blog about this giveaway (please include the link)
* tweet it if you're on Twitter (please include the link)
* share this on Facebook (honor system since I wouldn't be able to see it)
* subscribe to me in a reader or via e-mail or follow me from your blogger profile. If you already do one of these things, then leave a comment telling me that you do.

It's your choice as to whether you list the same thing(s) that you want or change them up in subsequent entries . . . but what you have listed in the comment number comes up is what I'll go by to award the goodies.

The giveaway will end Friday, October 9 at midnight central time. Winners will be notified via e-mail and I'll post it, too, so you can see who the lucky people are.

Please PLEASE make sure there is a way for me to contact you, either via your blog, or leave an e-mail address (you can use the cryptic form of yourname at domain dot com if you wish), and please indicate what you want - up to two things, and leave separate comments for the additional entries. If you have a question about something that I've made too complicated or would like a bit more info on any of the prizes, please feel free to e-mail me at the address in my sidebar. If a winner doesn't claim their prize within three days, I'll award the prize to someone else.

Thanks for participating - and head over to Laura's to see what everyone else is giving away starting Monday morning!

Link Roundup - Farmer's Market Edition

So yesterday I participated in the farmer's market in one of the nearby "cities". I don't get up early for much anymore, so that was tough . . . on top of my usual insomnia magnified by nerves, it was a short night! I didn't quite have time to get everything done that I wanted to beforehand - such as going to Wal-Mart and checking their prices, eating breakfast, getting change - you know, the little things. :>) I pulled it all together pretty well, though.

Unfortunately I totally forgot to bring my camera to get a picture of my display! I opened my trunk and had a whiteboard propped up that screamed INDIAN CORN AND GOURDS so people knew at a glance what I was selling. I used baskets, enamel pans, milk crates, and a dishpan to hold my wares, and I used turned over laundry baskets and a couple of those canvas chairs that fold up into a bag to get things off the ground so people could see them better. I thought it worked pretty well! They had a special, so I didn't have to pay for my booth the first time which meant everything was profit! I probably sold around half my stuff and made about $50, which isn't too bad.

The funny part is that the organizer first told me to take one spot, then turned around and sent me to the other side of the market (don't worry - it's not very big) since a vendor right next to the initial stall was also selling gourds and Indian corn. So I pulled in and was busily setting up, and I didn't pay too much attention to the guy in the stall next to me who arrived a bit later with a load of onions. Once I finished, I started chatting with him about how to grow onions (since mine don't get very big) and after that, we chatted about a number of things. When I mentioned the town where I grew up, he said "I KNEW you were a (insert my maiden name here)!" Turns out he graduated from high school in my brother's class! For some reason, I was recently reminiscing about high school drama (the actual stage kind, not just the hallway stuff) and was remembering that I'd attended a pool party at his house when we were both cast in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when I was a freshman and he was a senior. Good times!

It was also quite serendipitous because he is a flight instructor and can help my hubs out with some training he needs for a plane he's rebuilding. I haven't seen this guy in probably 18 years and had no idea he was even in the area. It was fun to catch up with him!

So - links!!

MAKE
I just died of cuteness: little yarn apples at Make and Takes.

Turn burp cloths into cupcakes at U Create.

I had forgotten about things like these tissue paper vases at Let's Explore - cute and easy and cheap!

EAT
I think this came via Katie at Kitchen Stewardship - black bean brownies. I'm very intrigued. Not only do I love chocolate waaaay too much, but I really, really like black beans.

Goose and I need to get back to baking! We ought to start with these buttermilk oatmeal muffins at And Then I Do The Dishes. (What a cute blog name!) Interestingly, you start by soaking the oats in buttermilk! I've been eyeing that process, but haven't jumped in yet.

This sounds kind of like one of my kitchen incidents - at Cooking During Stolen Moments, Butterscotch No Bake Cookies. Except this turn out for the better . . . I usually end up with something questionable!

Sigh . . . this is really getting to be quite a list - diet? What diet? Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake at Annie's Eats. I think I just gained five pounds.

LEARN
Here is an article from the Archdiocese of Denver regarding actions by a group called the "Ecumenical Catholic Communion". It has good information on why the Catholic church does not ordain women as priests.

Jennifer at Conversion Diary posted The Ultimate Burnout Survival Guide. She knows about that which she speaks.

This is a good compilation and comparison of the different Natural Family Planning methods, at CatholicMom.com.

Michele at Frugal Granola pointed to her participation in a post on cloth-diapering a newborn. (at Keeper of the Home) ESPECIALLY since my honker seems to be well on the way to potty training, I need to get my post written about our cloth diaper experiences.

Bethany at The Apple Cider Mill has written three posts as a way of introducing the rosary. They are: An Introduction to the Rosary, Prayers of the Rosary, and Mysterious Mysteries. Her perspective is excellent and she writes in such a way as to introduce the rosary to those who don't know anything about it or perhaps have been misinformed on the hows and whys of the rosary.

Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog has revised her Sewing in Baby Steps Workshop so that there are no start and end dates - you can register at any time and learn at your own pace. I thought she did a great job with it initially, and this makes it all the better!

This week, Catholics celebrated the feast of St. Therese of Liseux (whether they realized it or not). Faith and Family Live has a great post on God's Hand and the Little Flower (as St. Therese is often known) and how she very nearly didn't come into being. I've read bits and pieces about her here and there, but this year it is all coming together. She knew to serve God in the very little things, and that's a lesson I would do well to learn.

I've mentioned before that I'm a self-proclaimed stats geek, and I loved messing with numbers and charts back when I was paid to do it. Faith and Family Live pointed out a link to an article on a project by Kansas State University. They made correlations between the seven deadly sins and things such as violent crime, STDs, and numbers of fast food restaurants. Nebraska, of course, was found to really be the good life. :>)

RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES
Jennifer at Conversion Diary does this to me about once a week. This week, it's post that connects St. Francis de Sales with commenting and blogging as a Christian. I'd have never pulled those two together, but man, it's clear. Go read!

Homemade Care Bear Costume

After seeing the CUTEST Grumpy Bear ever, I was inspired to make a Care Bear costume for Goose. However, Halloween isn't too big of a deal to our family - there are only a few places we'll visit, and I'm not anticipating Goose will be all that crazy about her costume (though she could prove me wrong!), so I didn't really want to sink much money - or time - into a costume. Here's how I did it:

My first stop was the local thrift shop. I looked around for anything in fleece, specifically Care Bear colors - it helps to be a bit familiar with them! - I checked sleepers as well as bigger separate pieces. I kind of wish I had measured Goose and taken a tape measure - I ended up with a sleeper that was in the 3T box that said "Medium" and it just fits her.

It is yellow, so I went with "Funshine Bear" or "Sunshine Tummy Bear" as Goose calls it. I'll tell you the steps in the order I would suggest . . . not the order that I did them in. You're welcome. :>)

First thing I would do is cut off the feet. If you think it's going to be too long, you can trim taking that into account. If you think it's going to be short or close, you can use a seam ripper to take the feet seams apart then trim so the legs are as long as possible. Next, I'd remove the elastic from the ankles. Again, I used a seam ripper, but be careful around the seams - I ended up with some holes I had to stitch shut.

I ironed the area where I removed the elastic to make it look better - I used a fairly damp kitchen towel to protect the fleece, as I wanted the iron hot enough to *do* something but I was afraid it would be too hot for the synthetic fabric. It worked well in getting rid of the elastic marks. The drawback is that it flattened out the fleece! Our sleeper also had a patch on the top left, which I removed. I think I would have done well to have washed it at this stage, but I already had some of the other stuff done and was afraid that washing would damage it.

At this point, I tried it on Goose and noted that the legs seemed a bit short. I used some yellow felt that I had (same stuff that I used on the sun's face) and made cuffs, then stitched them on to make it longer. They were among the items attached by the time I ironed the legs, and I didn't think they'd wash well.

I then took to the internet to get some pictures of what the sun looked like. To make the "sunshine tummy", I used the biggest bowl I had as a pattern for some white fleece from my stash. I did some math and measuring and figured out the ratio of sun to tummy (my sun ended up 5" in diameter compared to a 10" circle). I used orange embroidery thread to stitch the eyes and smile, then used a zig-zag machine stitch to attach the yellow felt to the white fleece. Finally I went back to the orange embroidery thread to make the rays, though after I got about 3/4 of the way through, I realized I could have used the zig zag stitch on my machine! Ah, well, it didn't take all that long as it was.

This is where you could go a couple of different ways. I used my machine to stitch down the white fleece on the left side (as you're wearing it) of the tummy with a regular straight stitch around the edge, then realized that if I sewed the velcro on the fleece to hold down the right side, the stitches would show through the right side. So I went back and cut another half circle of fleece and machine sewed the velcro to that, then machine sewed that half circle to the full circle.

The worst part of that step was figuring out just where to place the bottom velcro. At that point, I turned to my mother-in-law, who wondered why I didn't just glue the velcro onto the main circle and be done with it. :>) The short answer is that I don't have fabric glue and didn't think about it. :>) She advised me not to worry about exact placement of the velcro, to stick the two pieces of velcro together and lay the circle out flat on the sleeper. Then gently pick up the edge of the fleece, trying to leave the velcro in place but peeling away the top piece, and pinning the bottom piece down. I'd kind of been trying to do that and it didn't seem to work very well for me. (More experienced seamstresses, please feel free to leave a comment with suggestions!)

What I ended up doing was beginning as she instructed - putting the loose velcro onto its mate and flattening out the sleeper and circle. I then took a disappearing ink pen (the link takes you to Amazon.com to show the brand I have, but I got mine at Hobby Lobby) and drew lines along the outside edge of the velcro, trying to take care to start and end exactly. The picture shows you what it looked like after I lifted the fleece up. I then took the pieces of velcro and pinned them (taking care to only pin through the top layer of the sleeper!) along the lines, then I used a straight stitch on my machine to sew them down.

*A note about sewing through velcro* - the "soft" side, the one with the loops, is easy to sew through. But when you sew through the hard/crunchy/pokey side, the one with the hooks, it is difficult to avoid breaking your thread. I have better luck when I sew sloo-ooo-ooow-ly, but believe me, I broke plenty of thread.

To make the hood, I totally winged it. :>) I have been inspired by Dana, though - she uses items that she already has and loves as patterns. You can see how she does it here with a little girl swimsuit and here with little boy pants.

So, I took one of Goose's jackets and traced around it to make a hood. It didn't turn out perfectly, but I'm not expecting Goose to keep the hood up for long! I made the ears half-circles, using a bear for approximate size and a small bowl as a pattern, and stuffed them with poly-fill. I pinched them into a bit of a C shape (with the open part of the C facing forward) and stitched them by hand onto the hood. I also gave the hood fabric underneath the ears a bit of a pinch to help them stand up better, but that meant that the hood kind of lumped up. I messed with it a bit, taking a seam a bit, but finally declared it good enough.

The final step was to cut a heart from red fleece and stitch it to Goose's "bunner" region. I first tried a zig-zag machine stitch but was having trouble rounding the curves, so I took that out and just stitched it on by hand.

I've debated adding eyes and a nose to the hood like the "real" Care Bear costumes, and so far, I'm leaning toward no. I also bought a package of yellow dye for the cuffs and hood but I didn't get that done right away so I just left them as they were.

A side note, part of the reason I was able to do this so cheaply and easily was that I already had yellow felt, red and cream fleece and yellow flannel on hand, as well as orange embroidery floss and all the colors of thread I needed. I've made it a habit to check out the clearance fabrics at Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart and if something looks like it has promise, I pick it up. I also buy grab bags of sewing notions and whatnot at Goodwill and the local thrift store if I think there are several things in there that I'll actually use. It's kind of like stockpiling in your pantry, but in your craft supplies instead. :>)

For more frugal ideas, visit Life As Mom!

Chili With Things You Never Thought To Include

Fall is officially here in Nebraska, and that means chili! I love to make a big batch and freeze the extra. You can simmer it on the stove or in the crock pot . . . I haven't yet tried it on the grill but I bet it would work in the proper container!

One of the things I love so much about this recipe is how forgiving it is. The batch you see pictured was prepared mostly one day, but I stopped before adding the carrots and just after adding the spices. The next day, I put it in the crock pot on high so the carrots could cook through and it was just fine. "Carrots?!?" you say? Yup. Read on. There are a TON of notes on this, sometimes I just can't help myself . . .

Chili - adapted from a fun cookbook called Quickies for Couples

* 1 lb hamburger, browned (I brown several pounds at a time and freeze it)
* 1 large yellow onion, diced (I use my chop wizard or the food processor with an onion from our garden)
* 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use bottled, you can get away with 1 Tbs garlic powder if it's all you have) * 1 - 15 oz can chili beans (I've not yet tried to recreate the spice mixture in these)
* 1 - 15 oz can great northern beans (I sub homemade cooked black beans from dried - I make a big batch and freeze extras)
* 1 - 46 oz jug of Spicy V-8 (this was the first year I tried using home-canned spicy tomato juice and it was awesome!)
* 4 large carrots (I used ones from our garden)
* 2 c corn (I am blessed that my parents freeze a bunch for us using a process similar to Amy's Sweet Corn Harvest post, though they microwave the corn to cook it)
* 2 green peppers, diced (I used four or so green pepper pucks and just tossed them in frozen)
* 1 Tbs chili powder
* 1 Tbs cumin (adds GREAT flavor - if you've never used it, you really should try it!)
* 1 Tbs oregano (did you know this really is used in Mexican cooking as much as Italian?)
* 1 tsp thyme
* 2 tsp salt
* 2 Tbs sugar (very important - it helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes)
* salt and pepper to taste - you'll need more salt if you use homemade beans from dried

I know that ingredient list seems long, but it's worth it!

Brown the hamburger over medium heat (or thaw/warm it, if frozen) along with the onion. Add garlic, and cook a few minutes, then reduce heat to low. We like the taste of beans but not so much the texture in chili, so I either run them through the food processor or mash them with a potato masher. Add them and the V-8 or tomato juice to the hamburger mixture, cover and simmer.

Peel carrots if necessary (if you're using garden carrots, you can sometimes just give them a good wash) and shred on a box grater - or I just chop them up a bit and put them in the food processor with the same steel blade I used to chop up the onions and puree the beans. Add to the pot along with the corn and green pepper. Stir in the spices. Simmer, covered, over low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Personally, I think the long simmer is to meld the spices, which can also be done while the chili is cooled and refrigerated or frozen - so feel free to skip that step if you'd like . . . it just won't taste quite as good as it will the next day. (I know Katie has a post that touches on this but I just can't find it right now!) Since I've tinkered with the recipe so much, it yields more than the six servings noted in the book; I'd guess closer to 8, maybe 10 servings, depending on size. We love a big sprinkle of cheese on top!

For a ton more bean and legume recipes, visit Katie at Kitchen Stewardship's carnival of super foods this week. Yum!

Sniffing the Mail

OK, I admit it - I sniffed my mail this morning. My dear blog friend Sarah told me a while back that she was going to send me a package . . . and I had a guess as to what it might be, but heck - getting a package is a finer thing no matter what it contains! She's a busy mama what with having baby #2 a while back, and moving after being in limbo for months. So the suspense built! :>)

This morning, there was a card in our mailbox that we had a package and I could hardly stand it when I recognized Sarah's writing. (Even the postmistress commented on how lovely her penmanship is! :>)) I gave the box a sniff right there in our tiny post office and just about did the dance of joy when I recognized the delicious aroma of *sourdough starter*! (I knew I could make my own sourdough starter using Sarah's instructions, but I just hadn't gotten around to it yet.) (Laura also has a sourdough starter tutorial on her site.)

Sarah also included a sweet card, some tea, and most importantly, directions on the care and use of sourdough starter. (Those aren't shown because I was too busy reading them already as I was taking the picture!) I fed the starter right away and am treating it like the newest treasured member of the family that it is. I have to admit that I can't stop sniffing it. :>) [Edit - I realized that this may have something to do with my offer to "adopt" Sarah's sourdough starter when she announced her family was going mostly grain-free. They've kept some grain in their diet, and sourdough is among the best way to go! I'm pretty tickled that she more or less took me up on it though!]

So. I have a few days of feeding before it's ready to put in something, and it'll take me that long to decide what to make! I've been drooling over Sarah's blog for a while . . . anybody want to help me narrow it down?

Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough Cheese Crackers
Sourdough Boule (am thinking I'll build a bit more confidence - and experience - before jumping into that one!)
Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Whole Wheat Cranberry Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Sourdough Pizza
Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers
Sourdough Potato Bread

(and here are some sourdough recipes from Laura. Oh, and her whole wheat sourdough biscuits.)

Where to start??? I tell you, friends, this is a very good problem to have. For more finer things, go visit Amy, though her Mr. Linky won't be up until Friday. I just couldn't wait to share my excitement!

(PS - anybody want to commiserate on toddlers with colds who prefer open-mouthed, wet kisses for comfort? Now I'm snuffly and sneezy and with a scratchy throat. I'm thinking the tea in that box will get utilized sooner rather than later! I'm also laughing because Goose just woke up as I was finishing this post. I sneezed a minute ago and, over the monitor, heard "bless you, Mama!" Maybe I won't list her on ebay just yet . . .)

Freezing in Plastic

I'm a big proponent of freezing food, and also a big proponent of re-using containers, whatever they may be. However, did you know that when plastic freezes, it becomes brittle? This also goes for plastic bags (such as the ones with zip tops), to some degree.

This becomes a problem when you, say, drop something frozen on the floor (or against other frozen items). You have the hard floor meeting something frozen solid (and ice crystals can be SHARP!), with brittle plastic in between. Even pin-holes, which are almost undetectable, will let air in and moisture out, leading to frostbite if you put it back in the freezer. If you drop it while removing from the freezer, you'll want to take care in the way you thaw it because it could leak.

I was reminded of this while I was thawing frozen tomatoes to use in spicy tomato juice, salsa, and tomato sauce. I put the bags of tomatoes in the bath tub to thaw since I could spread them out and there would be no danger of condensation damaging the surface underneath. I picked one up, and water just *streamed* out of a hole the diameter of my pinky finger. I was pretty thankful it was still over the bath tub!

For more kitchen tips, visit Tammy's Recipes!

Link Roundup, (Intentionally Left Blank) Edition

I'm not sure why it is, but it seems that frequently as I click around the 'net, going about my usual business, I stumble across some very sad things, especially blogs written by parents whose babies are very sick. Sometimes they bring their babies home to a normal life, but very often their babies go home with Jesus instead. As a mother, my heart aches for them. I just read a mother describe an "Isaac-sized hole" in herself, and later, watching one of her children misbehave and then dissolve into tears, she recognized that same sized hole in him, too. And I wept with her.

And as I was going through my links for the week, I pulled up a story re-posted for the feast day of Padre Pio. I wept when I read it the first time and I'm tearing up now, thinking of a mother who did get to bring her baby home to their family. Read it here.

So. I'm going to spend the day snuggling a certain goose, and hopefully whipping together a fabric cover for the basket I bought for her bike. We've been holding it on with some velcro pieces and I think we're ready for the real thing. Now, how about some links?

MAKE
I think I need a bit more sewing experience to figure these out, but aren't these t-shirts with ruffles as icing on cupcakes very, very cute?

One of my nieces digs headbands, so I'm always on the lookout for ones to make for her. Check out these t-shirt headbands at Zakka Life.

When I finally start knitting "for real" (instead of just trying not to poke myself with the needles, that is), I would love to make these adorable knitter's gift tags when I give my creations away! (Which is presuming that I'll *ever* get good enough to give them away . . .)

EAT
Here are some French toast recipes from Tipnut, along with some basic French toast tips and a recipe.

Here is a wonderfully-photo-detailed tutorial on how to make your own cake flour at Joy the Baker.

Sarah made some delicious-sounding sourdough cheese crackers. Mmmmm.

DO
I can't hardly put these under "make" since they're SO EASY! :>) Toilet paper pumpkins over at Chocolate on My Cranium. CUTE!

While there are a number of cute ideas on how to decorate your home for fall in five minutes at Nesting Place, I think my favorite is the display of silhouettes and how they're all done a bit differently but the display is very cohesive. I like it a lot!

Can't say I remember hearing about this Novena for impossible requests before, but I have a few prayer intentions that seem to fall into this category.

Happy surfing, and make sure you give your kiddos an extra squeeze today, k?

A Friend When You Need Her Most

I've been a bit sad the past couple of days. Nothing huge, just a few things that didn't quite go my way. However, I was blessed with a visit from my friend Shaye. We met through our work with the Nebraska Friends of Midwives and since we live just shy of 400 miles apart, we'd not yet met in person.

(I had however read Shaye's birth story of her youngest son. Several times. Makes me cry each time. And laugh when I get to the part about her grabbing her headphones and singing her way through each contraction.)

That all changed today. Shaye's hubs had a conference in the nearby city, and their whole family packed up in the van and road tripped out. They even packed up in the van again this morning and came out to visit me! Her sweeties are 6, 4, and 17 months. (I pirated the picture above from her little one's first birthday. Of course, I didn't pick my camera up a single time they were here!)

Once they got here, we loaded BACK up in their van and went over to the farm to feed cats, pet kittens, chase chickens, and talk to cows. We also took a windshield tour of the area, including the pigs. We then came back home for some lunch, and I think between Shaye and me, we may have put together six complete sentences to each other. But it was wonderfully delightful as it was!

Since my Goose is an only honker and we don't get out much, I always wonder how she'll be with other kids. It started about as expected - "MY slide!" MY bike!" "MY baby Jesus toys!" (Nativity set) But after we came back from the farm, they were all a big jumble playing and having a great time. I think Goose especially took a shine to the 4-year-old . . . I don't know if I'm ready for her to be interested in "older men" yet but if she is, this would be a good one. :>)

So, in the midst of a bit of rain, God sent me a beautiful rainbow in this visit. Come back to the farm soon, Shaye, we miss you already!!

For more Finer Things, go visit another friend Amy - when are you coming back to Nebraska, anyway, Amy? :>)

Fall Yumminess

Nothing says fall like a warm drink on a crisp day! My very favorite one is strawberry cider (image from bhg.com). The recipe:

8 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 10-oz package frozen sliced strawberries
4" stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Combine cider or juice, frozen sliced strawberries, the stick cinnamon, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain through cheesecloth - I use several clothespins to clip it across the top of the pitcher (make sure it hangs down an inch or so to allow room for it to drain). Depending on the size of your straining device (see comment below about using a funnel!), you may have to rinse it out or discard and get new cheesecloth, paper towel, filter, etc. After it gets to a certain level of gunked up, it doesn't drain very well.


If you'd like, you can garnish cups with apple slices, strawberries, or cinnamon sticks. I can personally attest that this does well in a slow cooker (such as for a party), and if I'm making it just for us, I pour it into the jug the apple cider came in and put it in the refrigerator. (Sometimes I have even used a funnel and strained it right into the jug. When I want a cup, I just pour one and heat it up! It's also pretty tasty at room temperature.

You can also use a colander with a bowl underneath, and you can also use paper towels, a clean tea towel, or even coffee filters (in a colander) but you'll have to pour VERY carefully to keep from dislodging them, and I'd wet them first. The strawberries turn into kind of a sludge, and you don't really want to drink that.

I have tried using plain frozen strawberries and adding sugar, but I didn't do the calculations to see how much sugar was actually in the sweetened strawberries, and I felt like I had to add enough that it just made sense to use the pre-sweetened ones. If you run the numbers and figure it out, let me know. :>)

Cider will go on sale during the fall, and frozen sweetened strawberries go on sale a few times a year. This helps to make this treat more affordable!

Two more recipes that I'd LOVE to try this fall are caramel apple cider and caramel apple cookies. Holy cow, don't they sound GOOD?

For more yummy fall recipes, visit Life As Mom.

Fun Giveaway and More

Frugal Family Fun Blog is hosting a fun giveaway sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com, who features more than just furniture (with items from kids chairs to toys and games). Giveaway ends Saturday, September 26th!

Speaking of giveaways . . . one of my very first posts was a giveaway, participating in Laura at Heavenly Homemaker's spring giveaway carnival. She's doing it again! The fall giveaway carnival will start October 5. I'm already re-compiling stuff that I didn't manage to give away in my something for everyone 100th post giveaway. If you'd like to participate by giving OR by trying to get, stay tuned! :>)

Speaking of Laura, she has compiled a free ebook on Activities for Preschoolers. She included a link to my post on keeping toddlers occupied in the car! Please note that when you click the link, you'll actually go through her shop . . . and you'll have to register (can't remember what information you must enter). You don't have to pay, though - when it says they aren't accepting payments from your region, that's because it's free! I haven't browsed mine too much yet, but I think it'll be well worth the tiny hassle to get it. And a huge thanks to Laura for compiling it!