Kettle Corn

I tried homemade kettle corn the other day, and it was delicious! I love kettle corn, cheddar corn, just about any kind of popcorn! I found this yummy recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20808/kettle-corn/
  It says if you use brown sugar, it will taste like caramel corn, if you use white sugar, it will taste like popcorn balls. I tried it with white sugar.

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup kernels *I would try a little less kernels next time, because I had a lot of unpopped kernels in the bowl and if you cook it too long the sugar will caramelize and burn. This could be because of pot size. My popcorn pot may be smaller than most, and so I would need fewer kernels. A good rule of thumb my Dad taught me was "just enough kernels to cover the bottom." Also, this recipe didn't call for salt. To get the real "kettle corn" taste, you will want to add a little salt. Some people like to add it with the sugar, others sprinkle it over the popcorn when it is done. I sprinkled it over the popped popcorn. Next time I may try mixing it in.

Heat oil in pot on medium-high and add 2-3 kernels. When they pop, add sugar and stir it in well. Add remaining kernels. Put lid on and constantly shake and swirl pot around to keep the sugar from burning while the corn pops. When you can count about 3-4 seconds in between pops immediately dump into a bowl and stir it all around real good to mix the sugar before it hardens. Sprinkle on salt and enjoy! This stuff is good! I almost ate a whole bowl of it myself! The boys love it too!

Not Too Loud...

Maybe, just maybe, things might be leveling out to somewhat normal. I know, it is dangerous to even mention such a thing, but I can't help it! I think for now Little Boy is over the worst of his teething woes. He has settled down and is back to his happy self most of the time. He is no doubt a Mama's Boy. I will hand him to Darlin' while I finish cooking supper and he will cry for a bit, reaching for me. Touching, yes. But at the same time, I don't understand why after being with me all day he still wants me when Darlin' is home. Big Boy was just the opposite. The minute he saw his Daddy I was chopped liver. He still is like that. He cries when Darlin' leaves for work, and when he is home he is right in his hind pocket the whole time!

Monday's breakfast: Biscuits, eggs, bacon and leftover steak 

 Helping Mama make pizza

 Helping Daddy put up tubing for maple sap

 He loves the outdoors so much!

 Poopie, doing what she does best.

 I planted my pansies!!!

 There is just something so natural about playing in dirt, some of us never grow out of it!

 Finally transplanted my Christmas cactus into a bigger pot with replenished soil. I'm glad they are hard to kill, or it would have been dead long ago! -Maybe I need an even bigger pot!?

Little Boy, still working on those teeth!

Have a good day everyone!

Just Like Daddy

Big Boy is a Daddy's boy. If Daddy is doing it, he wants to do it. He loves his toy chainsaw, his hammer, and he clomps around the house in Daddy's shoes. When Daddy has to go to work, it's a tearful good-bye and a half an hour of crying "Dadda!" He loves sitting with Daddy. Anything and everything with Daddy.



He found Daddy's hardhat and glasses!

Long Overdue

Little Boy is ten months old. It's about time I updated The boots!

Big Boy Loves Quartets!

A few weeks ago Darlin recorded Big Boy's reaction to a gospel quartet.....

Seeds to Sow

Along with the regular veggies, we ordered a peach tree, apple tree, blueberry bushes and strawberry plants this year. I'm so excited, I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve!

 Have a nice nap, Little Boy!

 Homemade Mcgriddle

Auntie Pooh reading to the boys. They love stories!

Whirlwind Week

More like the last three weeks! Little Boy is cutting four teeth at once, and wants Mama to hold him all day. Big Boy is busy tearing the house apart that Mama can't pick up while holding Little Boy. He is more interested in following me around and getting into things than playing with toys. Laundry is piled everywhere, dishes never get put away, the house is a wreck, I haven't done a weekly menu in three weeks, and don't get me started on what the office looks like! *sigh*  I think I'm going to go crazy, but my husband says that would be a short trip, lol. T'is one of the seasons of life with littles. It will be so nice when it warms up outdoors. When we get out in the fresh air we all are in a better mood!

   If the boys let me, I'd like to finish planing this year's garden and order some seeds and chicks this week. Darlin said he can build some more raised beds for me :)

 Little Boy, figuring out what whipped cream is!

 Think he likes it?

 Finger paints! Or is it face paints?!

Simple Irish Soda Bread

I found this recipe somewhere on the internet, and we all like it (even Little Boy) so I thought I'd share:

2 C flour
1 C butter milk (or 1 C milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C sugar (optional)

If using vinegar and milk, combine and let curdle. Grease an iron skillet (I used a 10") and preheat oven to 400*. Combine dry ingredients, add milk and stir together. Dough will be sticky. Turn out on floured surface and coat in just enough flour so it can be handled without sticking to your hands- you don't want to knead it. Press into skillet so it is disc shaped. Score with a knife. Bake 15 minutes. Enjoy!
 

 This is so simple, easier than biscuits and it is quick. Serve with any meal, it is good toasted as well (pan toasted). You can experiment with your own ingredients like raisins,seeds, herbs, just about 

anything.  

How Many Kings?

A current favorite...

Jack and the Beans-Talk

Big Boy: "Mama, beans?" Pointing to green beans on his plate.

Me: "Yes, those are beans."

Big Boy: Shaking his head "No, beans away. Beans away." And with that he buried them deep into his mashed potatoes, as if I'd never know... LOL!

Supper Ready Yet?

Hey Mama, is supper ready yet?

How about now?

Now?

 Brothers playing together

 What a smile! Look at them cheeks!

 Playing with Daddy's Maple sap tubing, trying to cut it open with a butter knife. (Which we then confiscated!) 

Have a great Tuesday all!

Look What The Toaster Started, And A Visit

The toaster. Our two slice toaster is a sight to behold. I dropped it once, and the plastic on the front of it got all messed up. The crumb tray was bent and wouldn't stay on, so I kept it in a little pan that happened to be the right size. Well, after reading about this new wave rising in our country called minimalism, I got inspired. The toaster, you see, while being perfectly happy with it (as it still worked) does just one thing. All it does is toast. When I use my wood cookstove, I make toast right in a pan. I actually like it better that way. And I thought "Do I really need a toaster?" It is now in a box to be pitched.  Next went the crock pot (in a give away bag). I know for some of you it is your go-to appliance and you might be thinking "Nnnoooooo! Not the crockpot! Girl, you've lost your mind!" I won't argue with you about having lost my mind, ha,ha. But for me I just never got into using it enough to make it worth the space in my kitchen. I only use it a handful of times a year, and the results aren't usually that good. Then the tea kettle went. I had bought it a few years ago at Salvation Army for $4. It is tiny and doesn't even whistle! It was easy to over fill it, causing it to spit boiling water all over the stove. I didn't need that with little ones running around. Not to mention they are hard to get clean when that mineral scale builds up on the inside. A pot works just fine, and is easy to clean, plus I use it for other cooking too. Another item I don't have to store and take care of. Then the George Foreman sandwich grill. Some extra pots I had multiples of in that particular size. I hope to eventually strip the house down to just what we need, and slowly work in a few things that we would like. I am still battling the toy monster, and maybe it is a battle never to be won, I don't know. But I don't want to give up yet. I'm on a roll, and the family is on board, so I want to keep plugging along. I will keep you updated on the progress as I go.

     Sunday we had a pleasant visit with our friends the Mumfords. It was our first get-together. The lasagna we had for lunch was delicious, Big Boy ate it right up and wanted more! I feel like I've always known Noel, the wife and mother. We have been emailing for a couple years and we run into each other out and about once in a while, but it felt like we were old friends. When we talk about struggles with little ones, she gets it. Totally gets it. And she is real. Who you see is who she is. I love that about her.
     You know how sometimes when you go to someone's house for the first time it can feel awkward? You can feel out of place, you wonder what they are thinking about your screaming kids, etc.? I truly felt at home in her home. My mind was calm, I wasn't nervous, or worried about Little Boy crying and screaming. It was so nice.
     Her children are so sweet! They made me cards and pictures, and I enjoyed the conversation with them. They loved the boys and shared their things with them. They are polite and thoughtful. The two oldest daughters especially were quite helpful and understanding of little ones. It was so refreshing to see children who were really grasping the concepts of being kind, polite, generous and thoughtful. Who are growing up learning to love one another. We all have our ugly moments, yes, but to see little ones striving to do what is right because of the love of Christ, that was wonderful. People notice how children behave, don't we? You don't have to be an adult to make a positive impact on the world around you. "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right." Proverbs 20:11 I look forward to our next get together.

I'd better get some work done, the boys will be up soon. I hope you have a good Monday!