Passing Wendy’s on the way home from the park this afternoon, I suddenly had an irresistible urge for a milkshake. So, I came home and browsed some online recipes. I combined a few and improvised to make a yummy milkshake without mess or much time or hassle, and, of course, with ingredients I already had…
While my husband and I were in Walla Walla, Washington for our tenth anniversary, we stopped in at a little frozen yogurt shop called Peach and Pear. I had never had anything like the “European-style” frozen yogurt (plain, with fruit sauce) she was serving. It was not very sweet, tangy, and absolutely delicious. When we…
So for the last month or so, I’ve tried to regain my grasp on homekeeping and such, which I lost during first trimester fatigue and brain-function loss. I admit, it’s been rather frustrating. But I finally realized why. One morning I turned to an oft-reread 3 pages in A Mother’s Rule of Life – which…
Have you ever ordered a chai latte at a coffee shop? They are delicious! Perhaps you’ve tried the boxed concentrate? Many coffee shops are only using the concentrate anyway. But there’s an even cheaper option, and you can decide how strong and how sweet you like your beverage. You can easily and quickly make a…
While oatmeal is the winter breakfast of choice in our household, we switch to granola when the weather warms up (or as soon as we hope it will start warming up). I have made innumerable batches of granola, and finally pared it down to a fast, simple process that I can knock out quickly on…
Sometimes “purposeful” and “intentional” can turn into “taking oneself too seriously.” Anything that doesn’t go as planned (and isn’t that usually most things?) is a temptation to discouragement or at least to the laser-eye of analysis. Instead, it might just be a reminder that God is in charge and we are not, and we need…
A book that I am sure will make it onto my Top 10 for 2012 is Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reece, also known as The Tipsy Baker. In it she writes engagingly and humorously about her year-long project to compare the quality and cost of store-bought and homemade foods. It doesn’t…
Biscuits make a lovely side dish for dinner. Sometimes, however, the mess and effort involved seems a bit much. Over the years, I’ve developed a streamlined biscuit that reduces the time and mess. Quick buttermilk substitute Buttermilk makes the best biscuit, but I pretty much never have real buttermilk on hand. Instead of buying separate…
I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but it has to me often. A parent relates a disobedient or otherwise disciplinable antic of their child, and comments, “I had to leave the room because I couldn’t help laughing.” Nine times out of ten I simply can’t relate; I find myself giving a…
The essential recipe for no-knead artisan bread can also be the base for several delectible variations. Proceed with the base recipe as directed, but make the following additions when stirring together the dough. Whole-Wheat Use up to half whole-wheat flour in the dough. Cranberry-Walnut Whole-Wheat Substitute 1/2-3/4 the flour with whole-wheat flour Stir in 1/2…