Made in America

We are all enjoying the U.S. History lessons in Adventures in My Father's World. It is wonderful being able to teach my children about how our country was founded by godly men. I love this quote from Patrick Henry: "It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Amen!

A few weeks ago, we completed our study of George Washington.  There were so many activities to choose from in our curriculum, and the girls were begging to try them all.  Even though we're homeschooling, we still find ourselves running out of time during the day!  We did our best to do most of the activities and I have promised them that we'll do them all at some point!  Lily and Maddy made a Tricorn Hat, which was a three-cornered hat and very popular during the time of George Washington:

(There was lots of giggling going on when they saw themselves in the mirror!)

I love how Katy and Parker are joining in with us for a lot of our lessons even though they don't have to.  I have caught Katy marching and singing Yankee Doodle while she's outside playing, and Parker is fascinated with quarters and finding George Washington and an eagle on them.  To celebrate the end of our George Washington study, we made a supper that consisted of food that they would've prepared back then.  Since they typically threw everything in a pot and let it cook all day, we made homemade Beef Stew in our crock pot:

 and Johnny Cakes (pancakes made from corn):

Supper was a huge hit that night!  Here are the recipes if you'd like to try them:
Beef Stew
2 lb. beef chuck, cubed
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 cups beef broth
half garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
4 carrots, sliced
2 onions, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
3 potatoes, diced

1.  Place meat in slow cooker.
2.  Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Stir into meat until coated thoroughly.
3.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.
4.  Cover.  Cook on Low 10-12 hours.  Stir before serving.

Johnny Cakes
Bring to a boil:
    1 cup water
    2 T. butter
Remove the pan from the heat.  Add:
    1 cup cornmeal
    1/2 t. sugar
    1/2 t. salt
Heat a skillet (with a small amount of butter for frying) over medium heat on the stove.  Spoon the batter into the pan, forming pancakes.  Cook until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side.  Be sure the middle is cooked.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be home and do these things with my children.  What a blessing it is to me! 

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Matthew 7:24

The Bread of Life

This is how excited my four blessings get when we do crafts and recipes together! 

(Yes, we were all still in our pajamas for Buhl Academy that day...and most every day for school!)

I can't say enough how much we are enjoying Adventures in My Father's World.  It is a one-year program for 2nd or 3rd graders, but our whole family is truly benefiting from it.  Besides having a Biblical worldview, the curriculum includes recipes for things that were made in the time period we are studying.  We couldn't wait to try the recipe for Easy Yeast Bread during the week we were studying Jesus being the Bread of Life.  The girls wanted me to take pictures so we could share it on our family blog.  Here are the ingredients needed to make this super easy bread:

1 packet of yeast (or 1 T.)
1 cup warm water
1 T. honey
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour (whole wheat flour recommended; may use white flour)

1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2.  Spray a bread pan with cooking spray.

3.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water with honey.  Let it stand for one minute.

4.  Add oil, salt, and flour and stir.  It will be thick.

5.  Let it stand for 5 minutes.
6.  Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes.

7.  Shape it into a loaf and put it in the pan. 

8.  Put in oven for 20 minutes to rise.  (Turn OFF the oven as soon as you put the bread in the oven.)

9.  After 20 minutes, leave the bread in the oven.  Do not open the oven, but set oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Our yummy bread!

The girls enjoyed a piece as they finished up school for the day:

..."I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35

Lactose-Free and Loving It!

My very sweet friend, Jonnelle, surprised me and sent me 2 wonderful recipe books in the mail to help in preparing meals for our Katybug who was recently diagnosed with being Lactose Intolerant.  One of the books is Lactose-Free and Loving It:

Katy loves spaghetti and meatballs, and I didn't realize until I started reading labels, that just about every jar of spaghetti sauce contains milk!  So the first recipe we tried out of this cookbook was one for a pasta sauce.  It was really good and everyone enjoyed it! 

Primavera Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup juice from a jar of pickled jalapenos

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp. white sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Blend with a stick blender.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

*I do not own a stick blender, so I combined all of the ingredients into my blender and then transferred over to a large pot to simmer.  I also added more white sugar to give it a sweeter taste.
It made a lot, so we were able to freeze the rest for later!

Here is our family recipe for meatballs that I got from my Grandmother:

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk (substitute Silk if you need to make lactose-free)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (can be omitted or use lactose-free)

1 tsp. crushed parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. minced onion

Mix all ingredients and form into balls.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes, turning over at 1/2 time.

Hope you will enjoy these recipes!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

Easter Story Cookie Recipe

I found this recipe when planning our Easter lessons and wanted to share:
Easter Story Cookies
(To be made the evening before Easter)
1cup whole pecans
1tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important, don't wait till you're half done with the recipe!)

2.  Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

3.  Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

4.  Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

5.  Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.

6.  Add 1 cup sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

7.  Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

8.  Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

9.  Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

10.  GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Breakfast Casserole

Here is another Buhl Family Favorite Recipe.  This one comes from a very sweet friend of mine who I love and miss dearly!  

Sausage Hashbrown Casserole

    *from:  Jonnelle Buhl

2 lb. sausage, browned and drained (I use one hot and one mild)

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

8 oz. French Onion dip

1/2 cup each chopped green and red pepper

32 oz. shredded hashbrowns, thawed slightly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cheese and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. 

Fold in hashbrowns. 

Grease 9x13 pan.

Spread 1/2 hashbrown mixture on bottom of pan.

Top with sausage.

Spread remaining hashbrown mixture over sausage.

Bake 1 hour on 350 degrees or until golden brown. 

Besides this recipe being so yummy, I love it because you can prepare it ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it.  I usually put it together the night before so I can wake up and put it in the oven so we can enjoy it for breakfast or brunch.  Thank you, Jonnelle for sharing this recipe! 

Buhl Family Favorite Recipe #2

Chicken and Rice Casserole

        *From:  Kim Dodson

2 cups Instant Rice, uncooked (we use brown)

1 stick butter

1 cup milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour rice over bottom of 9x13 dish.

In a saucepan combine next 5 ingredients.  Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is heated through. 

Pour 1/2 soup mixture over rice. 

Place chicken breast halves over mixture.

Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken.

Cover with foil.  Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink.

Hope you enjoy!

Baking With Love

Now that the girls are home with me all day, they are becoming very interested in what goes on in the Kitchen, especially when it comes to cooking and baking.  Lily asked me one day if I would save all of our recipes so that she would have them for her family one day.  A few weeks before that, my very dear friend, Jen, suggested compiling my recipes together into a cookbook.  So, I took both of those ideas and ran with them!  I came up with a project idea to use as part of our Home school.  Lily and I are working on a special recipe book called, "Buhl Family Favorites."  By helping me cook, she is learning Math (measurements, fractions, ounces, etc.) and by typing up recipes she is learning to become more familiar with the computer keyboard.  Lily and I are both visual learners so we are taking pictures of the food to include with the recipes.  We are hoping to have our recipe book finished and printed to use for Mother's Day and Teacher gifts this year!  As we are working on our project I am hoping to share some of our favorite recipes with you on our Family Blog.  Please know that none of these are recipes that we came up with on our own.  They are recipes that we have come across over the years through friends, magazines, cookbooks, recipe exchanges, etc.  I will try and make special note where they came from.  I hope you will enjoy them!

Here is Recipe #1 that we made recently and really enjoyed:

Creamy Baked Ziti

*from Kraft Food and Family magazine

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked

1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, cubed

8 oz. sour cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake 20 min. or until heated through.



So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1Corinthians 10:31

Berrylicious!

I wanted to share a simple recipe with you that our family has been enjoying all summer long!  It is not only delicious and refreshing, but healthy too!  I found it while searching for soft diet recipes for Parker.  It is from my favorite magazine, Kraft Food & Family. 

Berry Lemonade Slush

Prep:  5 min      Total:  5 min.

1/2 cup Country Time Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix (dry)

     *We use Great Value brand...love Wal-Mart!

1/2 cup water

3 cups ice cubes

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

Measure drink mix into cap to 1-qt. line (1/2 cup).  Empty into blender container.  Add remaining ingredients; cover.  Blend on high speed 10 sec.  Turn off blender. Stir with spoon; cover. Blend an additional 5 sec. or until smooth, using pulsing action.  Serve immediately.  Store leftover slush in freezer. (We've never had any leftover!)

The girls beg me to make these slushies, especially after a long day of swimming at the pool!

Parker loves them too!

My sweet boy has the largest tonsils I've ever seen! 

The girls kept asking Parker if he loved the slushies, and he would say, "OH YES!!!"

Hope you will enjoy this summer treat as much as we have! 

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 

My Apple Dumplin' Darlin'

Last week Lily's 1st Grade class was studying plants in Reading.  The three plants they were focusing on were apples, cranberries, and strawberries.  Her class learned how those plants grow, are harvested, and some of the ways they are used.  Each student was asked to send in a product that contained one of the fruits and bring it in to share with the class and it could be store bought or homemade.  Lily was assigned apples and of course she wanted to bring in something homemade.  She loves helping me in the kitchen.  We haven't ever made anything with apples, so I asked for some help from my FB friends!  I got several responses and Lily and I had a hard time deciding.  Everything sounded so yummy!  We finally chose an apple dumpling recipe that my sweet friend from High School, Amy Buracker (now Amy Stitcher) had suggested.  It was a kid friendly recipe and Lily had lots of fun helping me bake.  She was so excited about her apple dumpling recipe that she didn't even mind waking up 20 minutes earlier on Friday morning to help me!  They turned out so good and the recipe was so easy that I thought I would share!
Here are the ingredients:
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew
 
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.

(The recipe makes 16, but we had to do 1 and 1/2 the recipe so we would have enough for Lily's class.)

3.Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

 Spread mixture over the apple dumplings. Then pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings.

4.Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown

Serve warm and with vanilla ice cream if desired!

Lily couldn't wait to share her apple dumpling recipe with her class:

Lily is enjoying 1st Grade this year and is having fun learning lots of new things!

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.  Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 

Psalm 17:6-9