Peaceful Home

We came, we saw, we bought large quantities of food

2012-02-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

This morning was one of the coldest so far this winter. About 14 degrees. What better time to do our grocery shopping for the next 9 weeks?

Actually, it turned out to be a time to great to go. The crowds were so light, we rocked through Aldi and Walmart in two hours. Home and unloaded in 3. And we're done until April!

For the first time in 16 years, we didn't need to buy diapers. Hunter has done amazing with potty training. It was like he was just waiting for me to give him the chance to be a big guy. Of course, diapers go back in the cart next shopping trip - newborn ones!

So this is pretty cool...

2012-02-08T22:18:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was approached to have one of my past posts included in a soon-to-be-released ebook, That Works for Me: Tried and True Tips from Works for Me Wednesday. It will be full of tips from the popular blog carnaval, Works for Me Wednesday. That Works for Me will be organized, categorized, and highly useful with hot links to 1,001 of the best tips.

I'll post more information when the book is released this spring. In addition, a portion of all proceeds will be used to bless Mercy House.

The Three C's - A Belated New Year's Resolution

2012-02-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

Actually this was a New School Year's Resolution. I just haven't gotten around to blogging about it. Anyway....

I do hereby resolve to aspire to uphold the Three "C's" of parenting:

1. Calm - Ohhh, this is a toughie for me. But I can't expect the kiddos to keep their cool if I'm losing mine.

2. Consistent - Say what I mean and mean what I say. Why is this harder with #8 than with any of the others?

3. Caring - My children need to know that no matter what, I care deeply about them. This is easier to convey if I can remember #1.

Since I made this pledge months ago, how am I doing in achieving these goals? Well, some days are better than others, and God is still continuing a good work in me. :-)

Menu Plan Monday - January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T22:46:00.000-05:00

Wow, January is about done! And yet we're enjoying Spring-like temps. To be able to send the children outside to play without umpteen layers of clothes is a beautiful thing.

We're less than two weeks away from our once-every-9-weeks-or-so grocery trip. My pantry is really showing it. So our some of our meals. While I love having supplies for 2 months of meals at my disposal, my tendency to substitute here and there results in some interesting dinnertime bedfellows.

Tonight, as Ted was cooking up dinner, it was "Well, here's a can of sliced pineapple. Don't know why I bought that. Let's have it as a side dish!"

Assuming I haven't used the ingredients for something else, this week we will be enjoying:

Monday - Homemade Pizza

Tuesday (Math Practice, Horse Judging) - Blueberry Pancakes, Eggs

Wednesday (AWANA) - Frozen Burritos, Corn Casserole

Thursday (Karate) - Franks & Beans, Ho Cakes

Friday - Dinner at Friends'

Saturday - Tamale Pie, fresh fruit
Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

An ode to carrots

2012-01-29T22:18:00.002-05:00

I was recently gifted with a large bag of baby carrots that had been frozen (thank you, Kristie!). As soon as I saw the bag, I knew exactly how those orange babies would end up.

I'm not a huge fan of cooked carrots, so that option's out. Since these were fresh carrots that were then frozen, they cannot be thawed and eaten "raw." They're soft and turn gray - yummy.

About once or twice a week I steam about 4 cups of the carrots until soft. Then I puree them until smooth, adding a bit of the steaming water to make a smooth puree. This makes about 2 cups of puree.

Then when I cook throughout the week, I slip in a cup of carrot puree. It's easy to hide the carrots like spaghetti sauce, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, and even sweet potato casserole.

Why go to this trouble (besides waste not, want not)?

Carrots are loaded with beta carotene. Carrots are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are also a good source of thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, folate and manganese, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.

Carrots are also good at fighting inflammation in the body because they contain antioxidents and fiber. The amount of B vitamins present in carrots are especially good at regulating the body's circulation that the heart and lungs have nutrients available to do their job efficiently. Additionally, carrots also help lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Raw is almost always the best option but, when looking at veggies, think outside the side dish, especially if you have picky eaters. What they don't know about can help them!

Cooking Substitution Tips

2012-01-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty good at keeping a well stocked fridge and pantry, but there are times when I run out of a staple or two.

Here are a couple that have saved my bacon more than once. They also have the added benefit of being lower in fat than the original ingredients. If you don't keep dry milk in the pantry, I encourage you to pick up a box at the grocery. Not only for the recipes below, but also for Homemade Pancake Mix and Chai Tea Mix (I couldn't find this recipe posted. I'll remedy that!) - essentials around here!

Sour Cream Substitute (for 1 Cup sour cream for use in a casserole or soup - not to top a baked potato!)
1 C Evaporated Milk
1 Tblspn White Vinegar
Mix together and let sit in the fridge for as long as you can (hours not days). It will appear thick and curdled.

Evaporated Milk (for 12 oz can)
1-1/3 C Milk
1 C Dry Milk
Mix together until smooth.

Sweetened Condensed Milk (for a 14oz. can)
1 C. Dry Milk
2/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Very Hot Water
3 Tbsp. Melted Butter
In blender, combine instant dry milk, sugar, hot water and melted butter. Blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Happy Birthday, Heidi!

2012-01-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

Our little Adelaide Kathleen turned one whole hand this past Sunday. How is that possible?

As the youngest Stumpf girl, she regularly plays the part of half-imp, half-dictator. She's so charming that the other children don't really mind being bossed around (most of the time!).

Grandma Nan surprised Heidi and Brigitta by taking them to Disney on Ice on Saturday. Thanks to a tip from Jamers, I busted out their princess dresses and enough hair glitter to clog our septic system.

These two are only about a 1.5 years
apart and the best of friends.

After church on Sunday, we had lunch at "Little Red Robin Hood" a.k.a. Red Robin. It's a favorite birthday destination because the birthday girl gets an ice cream sundae and no one makes her share (but she usually does!). The we came home for presents and cake.

Heidi had picked a "Tangled" sheet cake from Walmart. (Gasp - a store bought cake!) Bryan was happy to take a break from his usual cake artistry. But Meghan really wanted to make some creative cupcakes. Heidi chose monsters!? The one without 3D eyeballs is for Ted and his braces. I think Meg got some of her Daddy's talent!

Menu Plan Monday - January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend of scrapbooking with friends and then celebrating my "baby girl's" 5th birthday! I'll post more on that, but before she went to be, she proclaimed it "the best birthday EVER!"

We've got a busy week going on, but that's the morn for this time of year. So long as the roads stay snow & ice free, I'm a happy girl. I'm posting the recipe for our Snickerdoodle Granola below since I was reminded yesterday that I've been remiss getting it to the favorite recipes page.

Bryan eats a cup of dry granola everyday on his way to work. We have it here for breakfast several times a week. My latest nighttime snack is to put some in a bowl, pour milk on, and microwave for a minute and a half. Yummy, warm, and comforting!

Snickerdoodle Granola

12 C Oats
2 C Sugar
1 C Oil
1 C Butter, Melted
2 tea. Cinnamon
2 tea. Vanilla
1 tea. Cream of Tartar
1 tea. Salt

Mix all together and spread into 2-3 pans. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Cool in pans while trying to keep little fingers from snitching it. Store in baggies or tubs. Can be frozen for longer storage.

This week we will be enjoying:
Monday - We actually had enough leftovers for a dinner buffet - unheard of!

Tuesday (Horse Judging) - Waffles with fruit syrup

Wednesday (AWANA, 4-H Council Mtg) - Corn Dogs, Chips

Thursday (Dentist Day, Karate, 4-H Rabbit Mtg) - Korean BBQ Beef, Ramen, Rice, Peas

Friday - Sausage Stroganoff Soup, Fresh Veggies

Saturday - Hamburgers, Fries

Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Quick Scrapbook Layouts

2012-01-20T16:30:00.000-05:00

I get to spend tomorrow afternoon and evening scrapbooking. Happy dance! I'm trying to get all caught up before bambino arrives in May and all crafting grinds to a halt for several months. I admit that, for me, the feeling of being on top of things is as enjoyable as the process of creating the pages.

I've managed to keep relatively current in my books by using 8 x 10 photo collages to reduce the number of layouts I need to make.

A similar concept was being touted in the latest Archiver's newsletter. Now they're promoting the use of their pocket pages (cool, but can get pricey). The same result can be achieved by using a piece of cardstock as your base. The bottom line is to fill your pages with more photos than bling since it's the memories that you're trying to get out of the shoeboxes (or off the SD card).

Below are some of the Archiver's examples. I do really like the clean lines of these pages. (There's that need for order and structure again!)

Seven Lies about Homeschoolers

2012-01-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

This video has been showing up all over my Facebook page, but in case you missed it, it's quite the giggle. When he got to #1, I looked around at all the children watching and everyone (including me!) were in their jammies! And this was at lunchtime!

Menu Plan Monday - January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

We're doing a happy dance around here. Our beloved bus, SUE, has been at the repair shop since last week. Bryan was fearing the diagnosis of rebuilding an engine and thousands of dollars. It looks to be not as bad as all that (an answer to our prayers!). While not cheap, I think we can still buy groceries!

Now I get to choose which children I love the most to go to this week's activities since only three can fit in Bryan's car. Hopefully SUE will be back on the road before Heidi's big birthday celebration this weekend!
Here's a recipe for Taco Salad. We enjoy several versions of Taco Salad, but this is an especially good one to bring to pitch-ins.

Taco Salad
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing (start with 1/2 bottle, then add more as needed)
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup prepared salsa
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add water if it gets too dry.

Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.
This week we will be enjoying:
Monday - Baked Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit

Tuesday (Horse Judging & Homeschool Mom's Mtg) - Cheese Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

Wednesday (AWANA) - Smoked Sausage Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes

Thursday (Karate) - Taco Salad

Friday - Stumpf Chili, Cornbread

Saturday - Korean Egg Rolls, Asian Noodle Salad

Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Mudroom Makeover - "After" Photos

2012-01-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

FINALLY... Here are the photos of our completed mudroom makeover. We started this project before Thanksgiving, and it was mostly done within a couple days. I've been dragging my feet in making the doors for the lower cubbies simply because, well, I really don't have a good reason. When I buckled down and did it, it only took one evening.

We are very pleased with how it turned out. It's amazing how moving a couple things around has given us more room. And, overall, it stays more tidy. I think I will put initials back over the hooks because the younger set can't remember which hook is theirs. But if coats make it to any hook, I count it a victory!

Just a reminder, here's the very real "before" shot:

And here is the "after:"

We painted the walls in two shades of green.
We added another set of shoe cubbies.
The hooks are mounted to door trim that
we had in the basement leftover from the
construction of the house.

The mirror says "Stumpf - established by God 1993"

The upper cubbies store out of season items like
sunscreen and sand buckets

The lower cubbies hold socks, hats & mittens.
The numbers are for the children to remember
which cubbie has their socks.

We added a curtain to the shelf to hide
sports equipment and things that need
to go to the barn. Bryan made the rod from
a piece of metal pipe and brackets.

I made a fabric cover for this clear plastic tub. It holds
our big flashlight for finding predators at night, as well
as extra bags and Bibles for AWANA.

Clutter Buster - Dresser Top

2012-01-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

I can't stand clutter. Clean surfaces make my heart sing! Unfortunately life gets in the way of my quest for junk-free areas. And a little stuff breeds more stuff.

I'm determined to de-clutter the different areas of my home that tend to be the catch-all for whatever we don't want to put away. First on the attack list: the top of the dresser in my bedroom.

This is keeping it real, folks - Here is the untouched "before" shot.

Let's see what we have here:

unclaimed 4-H ribbons
Hunter's nebulizer (which the bucket contained three butter knives purchased in September to spread peanut butter during a road trip, two batteries, and three acorns)
a rock
hospital bracelets from Hunter's birth (he's 3!!)
a lonely puzzle piece
everything Bryan carries in his pockets daily
fabric from a skirt I completed weeks ago
misc. papers, books, and junk, junk, junk!!

I keep this out for my children's amusement.
This is Bryan and I twenty-one years ago.
Recognize the frame, Megan?

And here's what it looks like at this very moment. Is that angels singing that I hear? The plate is for Bryan's keys and phone at the end of the day. That little basket for those mystery screws and buttons that need a home.

'Tis the Season to Organize!!

2012-01-12T18:27:00.002-05:00

I love that this time of year, the retailers capitalize on everyone's good intentions to get organized by highlighting organizations products. Just bought some myself last night to hold some new Christmas toys, and it makes me pretty happy. (Emelie just shakes her head when I extol the joy of plastic totes!)

But I'm not alone in my passion for corralling the clutter...Cruise on over to OrgJunkie to check out her post on how to organize without breaking the bank. I especially love the suggestions of repurposing tea and tissue boxes. Now that's a green slice of happy!

Menu Plan Monday - January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Christmas decorations are coming down. We've got a full week of school to do. The holidays are behind us. Sigh. We usually don't take much, if any, Spring Break (so we can finish by early May), so we feel like the marathon of four solid months of school is ahead of us.

We have been enjoying the beautiful weather of the last few days. Temps in the 50s in January! Do I still live in Indiana?

Below is one of our favorite easy dinners. If the tortillas are already made, even young ones can put this together. It's also a great way to get non-bean-eaters to try the "wonderful fruit!"

Black Bean Quesadillas
•2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
•1-2/3 cups salsa, divided
•10 flour tortillas (8 inches)
•2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
•2/3 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, mash beans; add 1 cup salsa. Place five tortillas on ungreased baking sheets; spread with bean mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; top with the remaining tortillas.

Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until crisp and heated through. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream and remaining salsa. Yield: 30 wedges.

This week we will be enjoying:
Monday - Bryan picked up pizza from Sam's Club :-)

Tuesday - Black Bean Quesadillas, Skillet Corn

Wednesday (AWANA) - Chicken Nuggets, Popcorn

Thursday (Karate) - Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese

Friday - Greek Ham Wraps, Micro-Roasted Potatoes

Saturday - Grilled Pizza Sandwiches
Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Kitchen Paint Job

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

We spent Friday evening and Saturday painting the rest of our kitchen. Our favorite paint is the Valspar Signature paint available at Lowes, and I love the Eddie Bauer Colors. Our kitchen is now a combination of Cabin Red and Brook.

The "before" shots:

The "after" look:

We're almost done with the wall we painted in the dining room, so more photos to come!

Another great kitchen idea

2011-12-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

When I was poking around looking for trash can solution, I also came across this video as a way to store pot lids. I have the perfect cabinet where I can fit two racks. Another item for the Lowe's list....

New Year's Projects 2012

2011-12-30T00:44:00.001-05:00

Traditionally, Bryan and I try to tackle a home improvement project over the New Year's holiday. It's a way to get one resolution checked off the list right away. Past projects can be seen here and here.

This year we've got a three-day-weekend to fill, so we're thinking big with the paint brush. Finishing up painting the kitchen and hopefully moving into the dining room.

I put one more thing on Bryan's plate tonight...The trash situation in our kitchen. In the six years we've lived here, we've never had a great solution for the trash can. I've long wanted to hide it in a cabinet, but it keeps getting pulled out to migrate around the kitchen as we need it.

Tonight, via the wonder that is google, I found this video. We're going to modify it a bit since we already have a rolling shelf inside the cabinet, but I think this is what I've been looking for! Excited!

Emelie's First Step Toward College

2011-12-22T15:07:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting in the campus library at Indiana Tech while my 15-year-old baby is down the hall taking her first CLEP test. A passing grade will get her 6 English credit hours toward her degree in history.

She wants to have a Bachelor's Degree by the time she graduates from high school, but I'm pretty sure she should still be in pigtails wearing a tutu holding her beloved Barney!

Making this experience more surreal is the fact that we're expecting another blessing in May, need to potty train one boy, have another child needing a razor, and pretty much everything in between. Never dull!

Christmas Tradition - Christmas Campout

2011-12-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we were able to participate in one of our newer Christmas Traditions - the Christmas Campout. It's one of those little things that really make the season special for the children.

On a weekend before Christmas, everyone brings their blankets to the living room. We pull in the TV and watch a movie with a special snack (this year Bryan grabbed some yummy trail mix from Sam's Club). Afterward (when hopefully everyone is sleepy) we bed down in the living room and sleep under the lights of the Christmas tree (we unplug all but a couple strands).

While getting the 3-year-old to settle down can be a challenge, and morning comes way before it should, it's a sweet family time.

Christmas Traditions - Yummy Christmas Dinner Side Dish

2011-12-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of those dishes that only gets trotted out once a year. Like our Christmas Eve soup, our arteries have to work the rest of the year to overcome the effects!

Nevertheless, it's delicious and can easily be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, ready for baking just before Christmas dinner. Or mix together in the crockpot to save room in the oven. Heat on low for 4 hours.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole
1-1/2 pounds red potatoes (about 6 medium), baked (We usually use white or gold potatoes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 cups (24 ounces) sour cream (2 cups is just fine!)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced

Cut baked potatoes into 1-in. cubes. Place half in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and bacon. Top with half of the sour cream and cheeses. Repeat layers.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Sprinkle with onions. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Christmas Tradition - Christmas Eve Soup

2011-12-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

This soup is such a delight. A whole lot of comfort food in a bowl. And we serve them in bread bowls - even better!

Mom and I prepare this early on Christmas Eve. I think we're up to tripling the recipe. We've outgrown the crockpot and keep it warm in the roaster now! More soup means we can have it for lunch while putting the finishing touches on Christmas dinner.

When we get home from visiting the lights (again!) on Christmas Eve we have hot bowls of soup before launching into our tradition festivities - a.k.a. Christmas Eve jammies!

Cheeseburger Soup
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery (we don't like celery and leave it out!)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

Christmas Tradition - Holiday Lights

2011-12-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, our Friday night Bible Study started the tradition of going to a nearby town that has an awesome light display in their park. Each of the 12 Days of Christmas has a display, and Santa hands out candy canes! We kick off the evening at Pizza Hut and then cram into our vans to "Ohhhh" and "Ahhhh" over the lights.

Over the years, as our group has grown and changed members, more families have joined us for this evening. Last year we had over 60 people (and the guys let all the moms sit together while the dads watched the children)!

My children look forward to this evening every year as great time with their closest friends. So this year, make going to see pretty lights an event by inviting all your friends!

Menu Plan Monday - December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T23:05:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we groceried for the next 9 weeks. It was so cold! But at least we didn't have to worry about the frozen stuff thawing!

Next "big grocery" trip, I'm hoping to extend the shopping by another month. That will require a pantry overhaul to gain more space, but I love the thought of only grocerying four times a year!

Many of our meals this month are coming from the cookbook Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Some of our new favorites have come from this book (think Korean BBQ Beef and Asian Noodle Salad - Yum!).

Here's a standby from the Stumpf kitchen. This is the only way I prepare pinto beans. It works great for adding the beans to casseroles or mashing them up like refried beans. The flavor has won over several non-bean eaters.

Pinto Bean Mix
· 2-3 pounds of pinto beans
· ¼ cup dried onions
· 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 2 tablespoons of butter
· 2 tablespoons of salt

Wash and sort beans. In a Dutch Oven combine beans and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour.

Drain and discard water. Rinse and return to pot. Add enough water to cover, onions, cumin, garlic, and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender. Add salt (this is crucial to flavor!). Cool the beans.

For refried beans,place in a blender and process. Easy to freeze flat in baggies.

If you have a pressure cooker, these can be done in less than 30 minutes. Read more.

This week we will be enjoying:
Monday - Bean Burritos, Homemade Flour Tortillas, Salad

Tuesday (Homeschool Meeting) - Puffy Pancake, Sausage

Wednesday (AWANA) - Mac & Cheese, Frozen Pizza

Thursday (Karate Tournament - Go Ted and Jacob!!) - Calzones, Green Beans

Friday - Tacos, Skillet Corn

Saturday - Broccoli Cheese Soup, Bread Bowls

Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

'Tis the Season!

2011-12-12T22:30:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was of the "Crazy Christmas" variety. Bryan's company Christmas party, wrapping up decorating the house (finally!), attending a live nativity, cyber shopping into the wee hours. I prefer to enjoy the season under a fuzzy blanket with hot coca and Christmas carols, but try as I might, it's hard to keep nutty out of the season.

Last week I wasn't able to blog because I was frantically working to finish crocheting a shawl to wear to Bryan's party (totally self-inflicted crazy, I admit!). My mommy said no blogging until it was done. Thirty minutes before we walked out the door to the party, I wrapped up the last stitch. Plus I managed to give myself a manicure on the way to the party. (Note: nail polish fumes + riding in a small car with a stick-shift + pregnancy = rather car sick!)

We were able to decorate the tree that had been standing in our living room unadorned for a week. All the Christmas rubbermaid totes have even found their way back down to the basement! No outside lights this year. Ready for a mini-tirade? Three years ago, at an after-Christmas sale, I bought LED lights for the front of our house. Even on sale the cost of those babies warranted a phone call to Bryan for approval. After two years of use 3 of the 5 strands are dead. Not replace-a-bulb dead, but feel-bad-for-the-landfill-as-you-chuck-them dead. In this case "going green" meant that the green is just "going" from our wallets!

Now were going to begin enjoying all our family traditions that really do make Christmas our favorite time of year. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas to make the season even more special. So I'm going to post a few of our "favorite things" to hopefully spark your Christmas Spirit. But for now....a cup of cocoa is calling my name!

Girls' Double Triple Bunk Beds

2011-11-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

We're still wrapping up the last details of our Mudroom Makeover. This past weekend we even managed to paint a couple walls in the kitchen. Nesting or just bored of white? You decide.

I realized that I never posted a finished photo of the bunk beds Bryan made for the girls' room. They are amazing and the girls love them!

The beds are attached to the wall and are super sturdy. We joke that a tornado could blow away our house, but the beds will still be standing!

My favorite feature is there's a kick-plate under the bottom bed (like a hotel bed) so nothing can get shoved under the bed! Genius!

Menu Plan Monday - November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T17:45:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! We had 25 around our table including 18 children. It was a fun time!

The older girls have already started to fill the freezer with treats for our Christmas "goodie table," a few presents have been wrapped, and I'm starting a list of things that need to be done. 'Tis the season. But I dearly love Christmas, and wouldn't change this brand of crazy for anything!

Here's a satisfying skillet meal that won't break your budget:

Brat Potato Skillet
3 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 cup beef broth
5 fully cooked bratwurst links, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium tart apples, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butterThis week we will be enjoying:

In a skillet, bring potatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add bratwurst, apples, onion and salt; cook for 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and broth has evaporated.

Push bratwurst mixture to the sides of pan. Place sugar in the center of pan; cook until sugar is melted and golden brown. Add butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Toss with the bratwurst mixture; serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Stumpf Notes: We use smoked sausage instead of brats because they are so much more economical. Lately, the children prefer this without the apples cooked with, so I serve unsweetened applesauce on the side. We usually make about triple the amount of everything except the sausage, butter, and sugar.

Monday - Pinto Bean Casserole

Tuesday (Shalom House) - Brat Potato Skillet, Lemon Garlic Broccoli, Applesauce

Wednesday (AWANA) - Corn Dogs, Chips

Thursday (Karate) - Black Beans & Smoked Sausage over Rice

Friday - Sausage Stroganoff Soup, Fresh Veggies

Saturday - French Roast Beef Sandwiches, Salad
Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Cyber Monday Curriculum Sale - Free to Cheap!

2011-11-27T21:58:00.001-05:00

Every year CurrClick has a great Thanksgiving Sale with many items free to download. Plus many things are on sale. Right now I have a Christmas Fun Pack in my cart that is only going to set me back $0.50.

The sale starts at 8am EST Monday. You can head over now and start nosing around. I just downloaded a cute little Christmas-themed set for pre-schoolers that was FREE! Love it! Happy shopping!

Mudroom Makeover - End of Day 2

2011-11-21T01:40:00.001-05:00

Here's what we had when we went to bed Saturday night. We're even further along tonight, but no more pictures until we're all done.

As it always is, there were bumps along the way. Shelves too long, storage bins too big, and a hard time finding fabric I liked at Joann's. However, my husband is amazingly resourceful, and he's worked like a dog on my latest pet project. Not what he had in mind for the weekend, but he never complained!

Mudroom Project - End of Day 1

2011-11-19T13:28:00.001-05:00

We put the first coat of paint on the mudroom walls by bedtime Friday. The white spots were huge spackle repairs from the coat hooks. Those needed to dry overnight.

I love color on my walls! With every room I paint, I wonder why I waited so long to get around to it!

The Empty Mudroom

2011-11-19T00:41:00.001-05:00

After pulling everything out of the mudroom, it looked amazingly bigger! The children loved the echo of the empty room.

This is the nook off the kitchen where everything went - expect for that huge coat pile in my bedroom. Proving that things have to get worse before they get better. This is motivation to finish the project!

Our weekend project

2011-11-18T18:10:00.001-05:00

You know I'm feeling better when.... I get all fired up about a home improvement project!

This weekend we're tackling the mudroom. It needs help! Trying to get it done for around $100 (not including gas to drive to IKEA).

Menu Plan Monday - November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T22:55:00.001-05:00

My first Menu Plan Monday in two months! We had a baby check-up this afternoon. I'm about 14 weeks along and heard the little punkin's heartbeat. Never gets old!

I'm glad I'm getting some energy back because this is a pretty busy week. And I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving! Excited but, phew, I can't figure out how this year has flown by!

Meghan is the chef this week, and the recipe below is one of her favorites. I grew up eating this easy skillet meal. My father called it by its unpoetic sailor’s name. This comfort food sends my children into shrieks of glee. It’s very rich, so we don’t have it very often, but with eggs and a loaf of whole wheat toast, it makes for an easy, frugal meal.

You can try stretching the gravy by adding a can of mixed veggies, but my children call that heresy. They would prefer that veggies were on the side.

Creamed Beef on Toast
3 Tbl Butter
3 Tbl Oil
1/2 C Flour
4 C Milk
1 tsp Salt
2 packs roast beef (those thin lunchmeat packs that are less than $1)
1/4 tsp pepper

Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan. Stir in flour. Add milk and keep stirring. Add salt & pepper. Cut beef into strips and stir in. If too thick, add a little more milk. Heat to boil and remove. Serve over warm toast.

This week we will be enjoying:

Monday (Bryan works late) - Beef Gravy, Toast, Scrambled Eggs

Tuesday (Homeschool Mom's Meeting) - Mexican Dinner, Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday (4-H Council Meeting, AWANA) - Cold Cuts, Chips

Thursday (Karate) - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Edamame

Friday - Baked French Toast, Fruit, Sausage

Saturday - Swedish Meatballs, Rice, Noodles, Steamed Broccoli

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Get your tissues ready...

2011-11-10T14:49:00.001-05:00

Bryan forwarded me this article. So amazing! So sweet! So what I want for us!

Grab some tissues, and then hug your man extra tight tonight!

Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands

The best deal for four eyes

2011-11-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

My new glasses came today! Doing a happy dance! If you haven't heard about Zenni Optical, check out their website for the best prices on glasses.

My girls each got 2 pairs earlier this year. The total for 4 pairs was around $100. One of Emelie's is titanium steel (somehow a girl falling off horses tends to break glasses?!).

I just bought a pair of glasses with photochromatic lenses (like Transitions, but cheaper) and a pair of prescription sunglasses. My total, including shipping, was about $64. The frames for my sunglasses were only $6.95!

Just take the numbers provided from your eye exam and enter them in on the website. You can even upload a photo of yourself to "try-on" different frames.

With 5 glasses wearers in the family (and likely more in the future) we were delighted to find an economical way to see better!

Note: I'm not affiliated with Zenni in any way - just a satisfied customer.

Oh Baby! It's a Stumpf!

2011-11-05T18:49:00.002-04:00

I have been a bad, bad blogger. Almost two months and not a single post. Would you forgive me if I have a good excuse?

I've spent my prime blogging hours over the past several weeks alternately curled up in the fetal position feeling disgusting and fantasizing about hamburgers (preferably loaded with jalapenos). Par for the course for me during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Our "baby," Hunter, was about to turn three when Bryan and I were delighted to find out that we were going to have another blessing. God willing, our ninth child will arrive mid-May 2012!

I think this one looks like Bryan

It's a little surreal to us to be working on driver's ed and college with our oldest two, while getting ready to start the journey over again. Hunter is almost potty trained so we might be a zero diaper home for a couple months. That hasn't happened in almost 16 years! Nevertheless, we are over the moon that God has blessed us again - even at our "mature' age.

I'm starting to feel better, so hopefully I can remember all the post ideas that have floated through my head in the past few weeks. As I always say, it's never dull around here!

Emelie's on the road to D.C.

2011-09-29T04:26:00.000-04:00

If you could read the time stamp of this post, you would see that it's just after 4am. I woke up thinking of my girl who is currently on a Purdue University bus somewhere around the Pennsylvania/Ohio line. Better than last night when I had nightmares of lost money and cell phones!

About a month ago Emelie was offered a 4-H achievement trip to Washington D.C. because of winning the State Horse Judging Contest. At first Bryan and I dismissed it. We are very much NOT in the habit of letting our children go 14 hours away with people we don't know!

But I kept thinking about the trip that she had earned.

We looked into it further. The other young adults from all over the state had achieved similar honors (like Crops Judging Champ and Dairy Foods Judging Champ). The itinerary was crazy, but they'd see everything there is to see in D.C. in just three days. Our cost is minimal. It seemed like such a great opportunity, especially for a girl with her head on straight like Em.

So last evening she boarded a bus with 34 of her new best friends (actually she's hoping to find someone who doesn't talk who wants to go to the bookstore during the 2 hour allotted shopping time - someone just like her!)

Emelie getting on the bus. How can she look so
grown-up and still like my little girl at the same time?

When they arrive at the National 4-H Center later this morning they have just enough time to change before heading to Capitol Hill for Congressional visits, tour of Capitol, tour of Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Tonight it will be a night view of Washington with stops at the Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials. Whew!

On the homefront, we're all counting the minutes until her return. And mama will be overflowing the throne room of heaven with prayers for her safety (and hoping for a little sleep!)

Happy Birthday, Mr. C!

2011-09-28T16:02:00.000-04:00

Today my handsome, steady man turns the big 1-0. The decade has flown by and I'm the proud mama to a boy that is always looking out for me. He's the one to always put others first. Sweet guy!

No baby picture for this one since he was born in the dark ages - before digital! I could always take a photo out of an album and scan it, but you'll just have to trust me that he was a cute little baby!

Opening a book about Star Wars LEGO - with
exclusive Hans Solo Mini-Fig! Be still my heart!

It's Soup Weather - 2 Favorite Recipes

2011-09-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

While I'm not too happy about fall coming on, I am enjoying the return of soup weather. With the colds going around our family, we've enjoyed these two soup recipes. I've posted both before, but they are so good that they deserve another mention!

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

6 C water

7 tea. chicken bouillon (I like this kind)
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, cubed
1 package (30 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 1/2 C cubes cooked ham
1/2 C chopped onion
1 tea. dill weed
1 tea. garlic powder
1 tea. salt (taste before adding)

In a Dutch oven, combine the water and bouillon. Add the cream cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minuted or until vegetables are tender.

Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts). This was a perfect amount for my crew. Several had seconds and there was a bit left over for lunch.

Stumpf Chili
This is a very child-friendly chili. No offending chuncks of veggies (although I've been know to sneak in a veggie puree)!

1 lb. ground beef, browned with onion and drained
32 oz. tomato sauce
4 C water
2 - 15 oz. cans kidney beans
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
2 t garlic powder
2 t dried basil
2 t dried oregano

Combine all and simmer for one hour, or cook in the Crockpot all day on low. Serve over cornbread and top with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

We double this recipe which exceeds my crockpot capacity. I simmer it all day in a 20 qt. roaster.

Happy Birthday, Mr. McGakers

2011-09-26T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today my redheaded firecracker turns eight. Jacob is a freckle-faced bundle of energy with a flair for the dramatic, but he still loves to cuddle with mama (he'll kill me for saying that!)

Jacob's first Christmas
(about 3 months old)

Hamming it up as usual!

Boy Birthday Bash 2011!

2011-09-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated our annual cake-fest for our three boys whose birthdays are within 5 days of each other. In case anyone thinks they're being slighted by having a one day celebration, the boys ask to do it this way.

They'd picked out their presents while we were at Disney World (LEGO store - need I say more?). They requested the local Chinese Buffet for lunch, and we had LOTS of cake and ice cream for dinner. And yet we still have cakes all over the counter.

Jacob requested cake for breakfast on his actual birthday (tomorrow). I'm thinking we just might start our day with one huge sugar buzz!

In the "Stumpf Room" at the Chinese Buffet

Caleb requested a "pizza" instead of cake -
shocker! I used this recipe and loved how it
turned out!

Bryan showed his amazing skills as a frosting
artist again this year. This is Hunter's Toy
Story Alien cake.

Jacob requested a "Gronkle" from
How to Train Your Dragon.

Our Birthday Boys during round #2 of 3
of "Happy Birthday" singing.

Happy Birthday, Bub!

2011-09-23T23:27:00.003-04:00

Our little man turned three today. Hunter's an active little guy that keeps us all busy! He has the talent of making me crazy one minute and melting my heart the next.

Hunter 3 years ago

Hunter's favorite photo taken last week.
He calls it "Bubbie Pumpkin!"

Enter a giveaway or two...

2011-09-23T22:22:00.001-04:00

Since I've been down with my cold, and my husband is enjoying watching the Rugby World Cup, I spent some time on my favorite blogs. A couple are having some giveaways you might be interested in...

Over at Life in a Shoe, one very happy winner will receive her choice of a skirt or a $50 gift certificate from Marie Madeline Studio. Amazingly cute stuff. Ends today, so hurry!!

Life in a Shoe is also giving away 5 copies of the e-book, Visionary Womanhood Gatherings: A Family Strengthening Mentorship Tool for Women and Maidens. Use the link to get more information.

Raising Olives is hosting a DVD givaway for the Moore Family Film, It's Your Life: The Moss Family. It looks like it would be a great thing for our Bible Study to watch.

Just go to these blogs and leave a comment to enter. I'm heading that way right now!

We're home!

2011-09-22T14:44:00.001-04:00

We made it home from our Disney Adventure 2011. Naturally a little weary and trying to wade through the mountains of laundry. Half of us are dealing with our "Disney Cold," but fortunately there weren't any ambulance rides this year! More highlights coming soon...

Fool-proof Bread Dough

2011-09-14T23:17:00.000-04:00

This is my go-to bread recipe. I make about four loaves every week or so. Sometimes I save some dough to freeze for Baked Sandwiches. You can use it in any recipe calling for frozen bread dough.

(Hint: I've been known to throw other things into the dough like leftover oatmeal, purred white beans, pureed cauliflower, or pureed squash. They'll never know unless you tell them...)

Here is the one-loaf version. Great to set for delay start on the bread machine (does anyone still have one of those?)

1 C warm water

1.5 teaspn yeast

1.5 Tblspn sugar

3 C Flour (can combine white & wheat so long as there is more white flour)

1.5 Tblspn Dry Milk

1.5 Tblspn Oil

1.5 teaspn salt

Put in bread machine in the order listed by your manufacturer (I think mine used to be water first and yeast last). Set for delay start on a regular or white bread cycle. If you’re making in a mixer or by hand, follow the directions below.

Here’s the version I use. This makes four loaves. The loaves freeze well after they are completely cooled.

4 C warm water

2T yeast

1/3 C sugar

12 C Flour (can combine white & wheat so long as there is more white flour)

1/3 C Dry Milk

1/3 C Oil

2 T salt

Combine warm water, yeast, sugar, and 6 C flour in bowl for big mixer. Mix until just combined. Let sit for 10-15 minutes (this is called “the sponge”). Add in the rest of the ingredients. Knead in mixer for 8 minutes. Chop into 4 equal sections. Put each section into a greased loaf pan. Let rise, covered in warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove immediately from pans. Cool completely on racks.

Minnie at the Magic Kingdom

2011-09-13T12:19:00.001-04:00

Brigitta chillin' at Ecot

2011-09-12T13:16:00.001-04:00

Menu Plan Monday - Disney Edition

2011-09-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

OK. So this isn’t a real Menu Plan Monday post. But this is what the Stumpfs will be eating this week….

Sunday (Arrival Day) – We’ll head to the Polynesian for a quick dinner (maybe some sushi?) and Dole Whips – our favorite pineapple soft-serve ice cream. We dream about the Whips all year! Available only at the Poly and Magic Kingdom.

Monday (Epcot) – Lunch: Dining around the World Showcase, Dinner: Beirgarten (Bryan’s absolute favorite!!)

Tuesday (Magic Kingdom) – Lunch: Probably Pecos Bill’s or Pinocchio’s, Dinner: Liberty Tree Tavern

Wednesday (Hollywood Studios) – Lunch: Something at Downtown Disney, Dinner: Probably Toy Story Pizza Planet

Thursday (Magic Kingdom) – Lunch: Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Dinner: Our resort’s food court

Friday (Animal Kingdom) – Breakfast: Tusker House with Donald Duck, Dinner: ‘Ohana at the Polynesian

Most breakfasts will be eaten our room or as we’re driving to the park.

On this day 18 Years Ago...

2011-09-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

I married my friend
With whom I share
My dreams, my life, my love

Happy 18th Anniversary, Sweetheart!

We're on our way!

2011-09-10T09:50:00.001-04:00

Out of Office Reply

2011-09-09T08:04:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, bright and early, we head for Florida. The third annual Stumpf trip to Walt Disney World is for about to begin!

I've got a couple posts scheduled for the next week, so hopefully you won't miss me :-) !

Packing in process ...

2011-09-08T10:47:00.001-04:00

My latest crochet craze...

2011-09-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I started another one of my favorite potholders. After a couple rows, I decided that the yarn was just too lovely to be a lowly potholder. I immediately started this floral shawl pattern.

It came together so quickly. The main shawl and three of the flowers are done. I just need to get to the craft store to get a couple other colors for the remaining flowers. It will be perfect for fall! Excited!

Tonight I started my first pair of socks. This is similar to what they will look like (but prettier colors!).

My mom gave me the pattern. It looks like it is available at local yarn stores. Never attempted a sock before. The hook is really small. Thin yarn, small hook...Might send me to bifocals before my time.

I can almost feel these cozy socks warming my feet as I sip my hot cocoa this winter!

Menu Plan Monday - September 5, 2011

2011-09-05T22:13:00.000-04:00

Only five more days until we leave for Disney World!! Or five more "sleeps" as the girlies are saying. We'll only school for two days this week and spend the rest of the week packing.

In honor of our trip, here are some of the snacks that we usually take into the parks:

Peanuts (unsalted or children get too thirsty)
Individual boxes of raisins
Little gummie fruit snacks
Individual bags of pretzels
Dum Dums (keeps mouths quiet if you make it a contest to see whose lasts longest)
Lots of water bottles (we refill them all day long)

This week we will be enjoying:

Monday - Bean Burritos (using Pinto Bean Mix), Salad

Tuesday - Puffy Pancake, Sausage

Wednesday (AWANA) - Sweet & Sour Sausage, Noodles, Green Beans

Thursday (Karate) - Mac 'n Cheese, Frozen Pizza

Friday - Tacos, Skillet Corn

Saturday - Leave on vacation!!

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

When Hunter puts himself to bed...

2011-09-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

After we finished the movie last night, when we walked into the living room and found Hunter on the floor. The best part was that he had put his Pooh Bear to bed before he fell asleep!

Celebrating the aniversary of my 29th birthday

2011-09-04T20:04:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to me!! We're watching Mars Needs Moms and about to have my favorite - Dairy Queen ice cream cake. My husband had them make it all blue (my favorite color). I can't wait to see the mouths of some very happy children smeared with blue frosting!

Later, the older children, Bryan, and I will watch Soul Surfer. I've been wanting to see it for months. Redbox is awsome!

I have to sing the praises of my oldest boy for a moment, was able to connect my netbook to the Switched-On Schoolhouse to the main database. That's something we haven't been able to do since we bought a new router 6 months ago. We were even planning to call a "geek" to get it fixes. Our own "geek" saved us some cash!

Quick & Easy Mani-Pedi

2011-09-02T23:43:00.000-04:00

It am NOT into nail polish. Way to high maintenance for me. I can't stand it if it doesn't look good. And in my world that happens about 30 seconds after it's applied.

So how excited was I to learn about a quick way to have super fun nails? Have you seen these babies while cruising your local drug store?

Sally Hansen Salon Effects are real nail polish strips (they even smell like nail polish) that go on quick and require no dry time. My fingers stayed decent looking for about a week, my toes for over 2! The patterns are so fun, I'm stockpiling. The older girls and I can't wait to put on our next pattern for our vacation!

I watched a YouTube clip on how to apply them easily. That really helped! They retail for around $10, but I've bought all mine off ebay for about $6.50 including shipping!

Menu Plan Monday - August 29, 2011

2011-08-29T22:29:00.002-04:00

Here's a tasty recipe that tastes like fall. We love pumpkin so much that I buy a case or two each fall when it's cheap and eat it all year. This pumpkin dessert is an easy alternative to traditional pumpkin pie and great if you want to feed a crowd!

Pumpkin Pie Squares
1 can (29 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (18-1/2 ounces) butter recipe golden cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
Whipped topping, optional

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with cake mix, then drizzle butter over top. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and garnish each serving with whipped topping. Yield: 12-16.

Monday - Korean Beef in Lettuce Leaves, Rice

Tuesday - Homemade Pizza

Wednesday (AWANA) - Frozen Burritos, Corn Casserole

Thursday (Karate) - Franks & Beans, Ho Cakes

Friday - BBQ Meatball Sandwiches, Sauteed Green Beans

Saturday - Tamale Pie, Fresh Fruit

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Fit for a princess (or two)

2011-08-25T00:09:00.000-04:00

Last time I mentioned my sewing energies were focused on making princess sundresses for our little girlies to wear in the Magic Kingdom. I wanted them to feel like princesses minus the itchy, scratchy, and sweaty from polyester costume dresses. I got the dresses done and they were pretty excited to model them.

I'll be making some t-shirt shrugs following this cute tutorial because there's a lot of white shoulders here that don't need to see the Florida sun.

Heidi as Rapunzel

What the girls don't know is that we bought glitter hair spray, hair paint, wands, and tiaras to complete their princess transformation. We'll surprise them the morning they're going to wear the dresses.

Brigitta as Belle

In case you're interested, I adapted the dresses from The Juliet Dress pattern.

Menu Plan Monday - August 21, 2011

2011-08-22T22:37:00.000-04:00

No time to ramble on tonight. I need to get in some sewing time. I'm making princess sundresses for the little girlies to wear at Disney World. It's our economical alternative to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique which would run us a couple apiece for the full treatment. Brigitta wanted to be Belle. Heidi is Rapunzel. The dresses are coming along as quickly as gathering that much material can!

The Stumpf pantry is starting to look like Old Mother Hubbard's with 2.5 weeks to go. Meals could get interesting over the next couple weeks...

Monday - Pinto Bean Casserole, Salad

Tuesday - Chocolate Waffles, Strawberry Syrup, Cool Whip, Sausage (This is our new favorite "brinner" meal. You'd be amazed at what I can hide in a chocolate waffle!)

Wednesday (AWANA?, Bryan's Birthday!!) - Corn Dogs, Chips

Thursday (Karate) - Black Beans & Smoked Sausage over Rice, Peas

Friday - Bible Study

Saturday - Hamburgers, Potato Wedges

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

School Stuff – Buddy School Table Time

2011-08-20T11:27:00.001-04:00

One of the highlights of the preschoolers’ day is the 30 minutes of Buddy School that comes right after room time. The four oldest rotate through as “teacher” with each taking one day except for Emelie who handles both Monday and Friday. Buddy School frees me up to work one-on-one with one of the other children, and is great for growing patience in the buddy teachers.

I’ve created a schedule (shocker!) so that the teacher can look up what activity falls on their day. The activities repeat about twice per month.

This year we’ve added the Preschool Activity Cards from My Father’s World to give the teachers some ideas on how to build skills while playing with some of our Lauri products. Since I already owned most of the needed materials, this has been a fun way engage the littles.

Other popular Buddy School activities are:

Do-A-Dot
Dry Erase Boards & Markers (check out Miller Pads and Paper for durable, economical boards)
Bubbles on the front porch
Play Foam
Fruit Loop Sorting (they sort the colors into muffin tins
Stickers (bought in bulk from the dollar store)

It is important to keep these activities out of reach when not in use so they remain exciting. The teacher and little buddies are also responsible to clean up any mess before they go on to their next activity – 30 minutes of TV time!

School Stuff – Elementary Science

2011-08-17T12:12:00.001-04:00

This year I’m taking a different approach with science. As Meg is entering the middle school years, I thought she should be allowed to have a year or two of fun before she needs to get a little more serious.

A friend told me about Little Professor Science Kits (thanks, Kristie!). She recommended them because everything is included in the kit (except water!). When it’s time to do the experiments, just grab the labeled baggie and go.

Since I’m allergic to any curriculum that is instructs “gather the following materials,” it sounded good to me!

We will do two labs per week with the four elementary students (1st-6th grades). On the “off” days, Meg and Caleb will fill out the lab reports. More tests can be done online to earn prizes.

These kits aren’t cheap – each box is around $90 and contains 12 experiments. It does appear that much can be reused or easily replaced so not only can I reuse in years to come, I’m hoping to trade kits with another family so we can both get more science for our bucks.

Menu Plan Monday - August 15, 2011

2011-08-15T23:53:00.000-04:00

Here is a recipe for one of our favorite side dishes. And since my niece asked for it specifically, that was the kick in the pants I needed to finally post it. It's another great use for leftover rice.

Disclaimer: This isn't the most authentic recipe for fried rice you can find. The original came from a cookbook written by someone from Kokomo, Indiana. Hence the bacon. However, I dare you to stop eating it once you start!
Quick Fried Rice
· 6 Slices of Bacon
· 1 Cup Frozen Peas
· 1/2 an Onion, chopped
· 3 Eggs, whisked
· 4 Cups Cooked Rice (white or brown)
· 3 Tblspn Soy Sauce (we like Bragg's Liquid Aminos)

In a large skillet or wok cook bacon until crisp. Spoon of all but about 2 Tblspn bacon grease. Saute onion until tender. Push bacon and onion off to the side. Scramble egg. Add peas, rice, and soy sauce. Heat through. YUM!

This week the Stumpf kitchen will be serving...

Monday - Baked Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit

Tuesday (Homeschool Mom's Meeting) - Cheese Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

Wednesday - Smoked Sausage Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes

Thursday (Karate) - Taco Salad

Friday - Bible Study

Saturday - Korean Egg Rolls, Asian Noodle Salad

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

School Stuff - Room Time

2011-08-12T11:00:00.002-04:00

The half-hour that my little one spend in room time enables me some quiet to work with one or more of the others on subjects that require more teacher help.

Hunter has lost his room time discipline over the summer, so we're working up to the full half-hour with him. Up to about 20 minutes at this point. More about training for Room Time under "Our Day."

We pulled some activities out of storage for room time. The Teddy Mix & Match continues to be a a huge hit. The little ones have come up with cute names for all the bears.

It's taken some time, but I managed to gather up all the gears from Ted's old set. The youngest have never had the chance to play with it, and it keeps them busy for a long time.

We also unboxed Emelie's old Ello Fairytopia set. Another fun building set that can really hold attention.

One of the most sought after toys are those magnet letters that we all played with as children. Add a metal cookie sheet, a mixing bowl and spoon, and they happily play for some time!

School Stuff - Circle Time

2011-08-11T10:56:00.001-04:00

Circle Time has been a fixture in our school day for several years. You can read more about what we've done in the past under the "Our Day" tab.
I love that it brings everyone together to learn some things and sets the tone for our day. It also provides a time to cover subjects that might otherwise be overlooked.

This year in circle time we're covering the poetry from Sonlight Core 4 and Core 100.

Since we're finishing up our two-year study of American History, we are also singing selections from Wee Sing America and History Songs. I'm always amazed at how much the children retain from songs. They're still singing the songs from last year!

Lastly, we're spending some time with art appreciation through a few books that have we haven't used as much as we should.

School Stuff - Kindergarten

2011-08-09T18:56:00.001-04:00

This school year I was looking for something new to do with Heidi (age 4.5). She knows her letters, sounds, and numbers, and she loves to "do school." I wanted something that was more "fun" and less academic than what we generally use for Kindergarten (A Beka phonics and Math-U-See Alpha) since she's on the young side.

I'd heard some positive reviews of My Father's World and, after researching it, knew it was what I was looking for. It contains all the main subjects. The first two weeks focus on the creation story from Genesis, followed by 26 hands-on, thematic units that focus on the wonders in God's creation. The sun, moon, rocks, vegetables, elephants, butterflies, and dinosaurs are just a few of the topics.

While buying the kit can be pricey, I knew that the other children would also enjoy the science and literature components of the program. I'm getting whatever books we don't own from the library.

I've scheduled my time with Heidi from 9-10am. The next four oldest children will be working on some of their seatwork at the same table from 9:30-10am. This will give them plenty of opportunity to "listen in" to what we are covering.

Menu Plan Monday - August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T20:44:00.000-04:00

Happy first day of school! Stumpf University officially opened today with much enthusiasm on the part of all the students. Even Bryan noticed the energy level and extra-loud volume in the house when he came home tonight. I'm so thankful that the children enjoy our school times here at home!

Here's one of our family favorite recipes. It is similar to the Hashbrown Casserole served at Cracker Barrel, but I think this version is even better! It's very rich, so we only eat it about once every couple months.

Hashbrown Casserole
· 2 lb. Frozen hashbrowns
· ½ cup melted butter
· ¾ teaspoons salt
· ¼ teaspoon pepper
· 1 can cream of potato soup or cream of chicken soup
· 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
· 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

· 2 cups sour cream (I usually use about 1 cup)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mix well. Spread in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

This week the Stumpf cafeteria will be serving...

Monday - Black Bean Quesadillas, Skillet Corn

Tuesday - Hashbrown Casserole, Peach Cobbler

Wednesday - Chicken Nuggets, Popcorn

Thursday (Karate) - Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese

Friday - Bible Study

Saturday - Greek Ham Wraps, Micro-roasted Potatoes

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Some might say we're obsessed...

2011-08-03T18:00:00.001-04:00

We're under 40 days until we leave for our trip to "The World." We're so excited, we talk about little else. Bryan and I were trying to put our finger on it the other night - why do we love it so much?

It pretty much boils down to complete escapism. He works so hard every day, and Disney is such a radical change of pace. And since I was sick during last year's trip, everyone agrees that a "do over" is in order.

It's relatively cheap for us - per capita, per day. Plus since it's all been paid for a couple months before, we don't worry about the cost while we're there. We spend almost $0 while on property.

It's something that the whole family loves. Everyone. Big and small. We try to think about other vacations. We really do. But we keep coming back to the house of the mouse.

This is a glimpse into the lives of some Disney groupies.

Every morning the children race to see who
can put up the countdown number of the day.

Star Wars has been abandoned as
preferred LEGO subject.

And dressing like a rodent is cool!

4-H Fair Recap #2 - Meggie Edition

2011-08-02T18:47:00.000-04:00

As our crazy 4-H Fair weekend was winding down, Meghan learned some exciting news. She had earned the award for Rabbit Herdsmanship for her age division. Since this award is concerned with the care of one's animals and barn area, 4-H makes a pretty big deal of it with a special awards ceremony for all the Herdsmanship recipients.

She was also selected as first alternate Rabbit Ambassador for her age group. Pretty impressive considering she didn't prepare at all for the tests because she had no intention of participating. She just took the tests on a whim. And since the first place representative couldn't fulfill the commitments, she'll be representing our county at the State Fair this Sunday. Now she's cramming for those tests!

We all entered several exhibits in the Open Show portion of the fair. Meg stole the show again by earning Sweepstakes for her potted plant!

Such an amazing turnout for a girl with a sweet, humble spirit!

Menu Plan Monday - August 1, 2011

2011-08-01T21:07:00.001-04:00

Here is recipe that we enjoyed the other night. It's a nice change of pace from traditional pizza. I have a couple eaters that enjoy it more. Here is the original recipe. My modifications are below.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Gouda cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°, basting frequently with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Set aside and keep warm.

Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Lightly brush both sides of dough with oil; place on grill. Cover and grill over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned.

Remove from grill. Cut the chicken into 1/2-in. cubes. Spread the grilled side of each pizza with 1/4 cup barbecue sauce; layer with chicken, onion, cheese and cilantro. Return to grill. Cover and cook each pizza for 4-5 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 pizzas (4 pieces each).

Stumpf Notes: I made a total of 4 large pizzas - two without onion. I used my favorite pizza dough instead of prepared. I had some cooked chicken in my freezer. I used mozerella instead of gouda - still yummy although perhaps not as exotic! I pre-baked the crusts for 7 minutes, then baked the pizzas for an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

This week the Stumpfs will be dining on...

Monday - Chipped Beef Gravy, Toast, Scrambled Eggs

Tuesday - Mexican Dinner, Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday - Cold Cuts, Chips

Thursday (Karate starts again!) - BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes

Friday - Bible Study

Saturday - Swedish Meatballs, Rice, Noodles, Broccoli

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Another reason my husband rocks!

2011-07-31T21:50:00.000-04:00

I'll admit it - I actually like planning out our school year. I like touching all the books we're going to use. It helps me to picture how the year will go. The problem comes in finding the time and space to get 'er done.

This is where my awesome husband stepped in. He sent me to a hotel Friday after dinner. I was able to work into the wee hours of the morning and, after a few hours sleep, up until lunch time. Then I drove to a library nearby to wrap up a few more details.

I'm feeling really good about starting school next week. I'm excited about some of the new things we are tying. I'll be posting about those in the next few days....

Favorite Kitchen Gizmos

2011-07-28T19:44:00.000-04:00

I just love Pampered Chef, don't you? And while it is my goal to acquire a half-dozen of their loaf pans (they make the BEST bread), dropping $40 on a stone is not always in the budget.

I've found a couple tools that run around $10. Perfect for when a friend is hosting a party that you want to support without blowing your budget. Makes the husband happier too!

The Mix 'n Mash is like a whisk except it can mash potatoes and cooked beans easily. I use it instead of my electric mixer much of the time since it's so much easier to clean.

The Twist 'n Chop is the perfect tool for breaking apart ground beef, turkey or sausage. You can also throw salsa ingredients in a bowl and have it chopped up in a couple minutes. I like to use it to make scrambled eggs.

And they can both go right in the dishwasher, because what's the point of owning something that can't?

4-H Fair Recap #1

2011-07-27T22:18:00.001-04:00

Here is a photo (lots of photos!!) round-up of the first few days of our local 4-H fair. The children's hard work was rewarded with a lot of blue and some purple! The fair closes tomorrow, and there are a couple more highlights to come....

Ted's Electric Poster - Reserve Champion

Caleb's Rocketry - Blue
In the poster behind, you can see this
rocket launching and a photo of Ted.

Ted's Rocketry - Blue

Meghan's Floracutlure - Blue

Emelie's Horse & Pony Poster - Champion
Third year in a row!

Emelie's Photography - Honor Group
She also entered three salon prints
which all earned blue

Emelie's Photography - Champion

Meghan's Sewing - Blue

Emelie's Misc. Crafts - Blue

Emelie's Self Determined - Reserve Champion

Meghan showing Dove - 2nd place
Ghirardelli - 1st place
Cadbury - 2nd place

Emelie showing Ripley in English Halter
She showed in 12 classes and placed in 6.

Emelie, with some of the Horse & Pony Judging Team,
being recognized as State Champion.

Menu Plan Monday - July 25, 2011

2011-07-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

We're trying to find our "normal" around here. The fair is still going on, but since all our animals have finished exhibiting and are home, our days are much quieter. More on the fair in the next post...

We're planning on opening Stumpf University in two weeks, so I'm busy trying to prepare for the 7.5 students enrolled this year. I'm looking forward to the structure the school year brings (even if I will have to start going to be earlier and getting up earlier!).

This week on the Stumpf menu....

Monday - Chinese Salad, Fried Rice

Tuesday - Turkey Ranch Wraps, Potato Wedges, Jello

Wednesday - Hot Dogs, Popcorn

Thursday (Busy evening at the 4-H Fair) - Black Beans. Cheese, Chips

Friday - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Edamame

Saturday - Stroganoff Meatballs, Noodles, Peas

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Happy 14th Birthday Ted!

2011-07-24T22:49:00.000-04:00

Today we were able to take a short break from all the 4H Fair happenings to celebrate Ted's 14th birthday. He picked a big buffet for his restaurant so everyone could have something they like (awwww, so sweet!)

Ted's getting a little excited here....He just opened a card saying "see you 49 days" signed "Mickey." Yup, we're headed back to Disney World in September. Note that Caleb is out of his seat and coming to see for himself. It was pretty much pandemonium after this.

We were going to wait a couple weeks to let the children know about the trip, but Ted couldn't come up with anything he wanted for his birthday. I asked if he'd like some spending money, and Caleb said "Yes! For Disney World." Later when I asked Ted where he'd like to go to eat for his birthday, he and Caleb just started naming off restaurants at Disney. It seemed the right thing to give him his wish for his birthday. Also, the children now understand why I'm wanting to start school again in a couple weeks!

And he got a little ammo too. What more could a young man want?

He's a pretty amazing guy! While 14 years with him have rarely been quiet, we are so proud of the responsible man he's growing up to be!

Menu Plan Monday - July 11, 2011

2011-07-11T22:29:00.001-04:00

We are in the middle of 4-H project joy. I do hereby pledge to not procrastinate next year. Today was especially fun between juggling the four 4-Hers' questions, a toddler in a steroid-induced temper tantrum most of the day (harvesting the wheat field brought on another asthma attack), and the 4-year-old fell off our porch into the rose bush resulting in cuts from head to toe. Never dull!

Projects begin checking in on Saturday and continue through next week. Fair opens a week from Friday. Crazy but worth it!We just shopped for 9 weeks of groceries last Saturday. I love meal planning when things are this nuts! This week we will be enjoying:

Monday - Bean Burritos (using Pinto Bean Mix), Salad

Tuesday - Puffy Pancake, Sausage

Wednesday - Sweet & Sour Sausage, Noodles, Green Beans

Thursday (4-H Fair Set Up) - Mac 'n Cheese, Frozen Pizza

Friday - Tacos, Skillet Corn

Saturday (Project Check-In) - Sausage Braid, Sweet Potatoes
Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Girls' Room - Sleeps 6

2011-07-08T18:48:00.003-04:00

Look what my amazing man is working on now. Not one bed, not two, but a built-in sextuple bunk bed for the girls' room. He came up with the design himself, and we'll paint it to match the walls. This is still very much a work in progress - there will be rails on the upper four beds! The girls can't wait to sleep in their new beds!

Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist

2011-07-07T16:58:00.001-04:00

One of the highlights of our 4th of July celebration is attending the local parade. Our 4H club entered a float again this year.

After working on it for several days, the children loved riding on it or walking beside throwing candy. Mine weren't too interested in the dressing up (except for Caleb in his farm-boy get up), but loved being part of our local tradition.

Great weekend and challenging toddlers

2011-07-06T22:33:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend. We were kept hopping with our favorite brand of busy - wonderful fellowship with great friends. Today we're resting up and trying to find the floor of the house, since we've just been "dumping and running" all weekend.

Being so busy with little ones can be a challenge. When we only had littles, our entire schedule revolved around their needs. Now we have to balance activites for the older ones with what the young ones require. The end result is that, on weekends like this past one, naps sometimes get skipped and meals can be at unsual times.

Anytime children are stretched in this way, their behavior can often become challenging (insert visual of Hunter screaming so loud at the Walmart checkout that he could be heard at the back of store).

As parents, when our little darlings (or big darlings) are being challenging, we need to remembers that we have a choice in how we respond. I try to remind myself that God is giving me a test. It is up to me if I pass or fail.

"A soft answer turns away wrath." When I lower my voice, get down on their level, and look the child in the eyes, it's almost like dumping water on the flame of their fit. I remind them of the appropriate words to use and have them repeat them back to me. A hug and a little tickle and fellowship is usually restored.

Introducing the next Food Channel star

2011-07-01T23:54:00.001-04:00

Meghan picked up Hello, Cupcake at the library last week. The book is filled with amazing cupcake designs that don't require fancy equipment to achieve. She was chopping at the bit to get started.

This was her very first attempt. Not too shabby!

Emelie has already put in a request for the Starry, Starry Night cupcake design for her birthday. Stay tuned to see if that happens!

Photos for the Grandparents Brag Book

2011-06-30T16:20:00.005-04:00

We spent last Friday through Sunday at our local fairgounds watching Emelie compete at two horse shows. While her horse, Ripley, sometimes let it be known that he'd rather be doing other things (meaning eat!!), overall they did very well.

I'm constantly amazed at how much Emelie knows about horse, most of which is self-taught. She has some followers in the family and three siblings and Dad all were able to ride a bit. Unfortunately, Hunter flipped when he saw his dad go into the arena, so I wasn't able to get video of Bryan trying to run barrels. He could have achieved youtube stardom with that one!

Ready for the halter class

Neither Em nor Rip like Showmanship - they
don't like to wear makeup and look perky!

Showing English for the
first time in Hunt Seat

"Hamming" it up at one of our many picnic meals

Jake with one of his dapper buddies

Jake "places first" in his lead-line class

Even Ted entered a walk class!

WFMW – What to do with Leftover Rice?

2011-06-29T18:13:00.001-04:00

Every Tuesday morning, we use our rice cooker to make hot rice for breakfast – sprinkled with sugar and milk on top…Yummy! There always seems to be a smidge leftover in the bottom of the cooker. Too much to toss with a clean conscience, not enough to serve as a complete meal.

Cooked rice freezes really well. I often throw the leftovers into a Ziploc and freeze. When I have 4-6 cups, I make our favorite fried rice (remind me to post that recipe. It's fantastic!). This side is a staple with Teriyaki chicken or Chinese Cole Slaw.

My boys especially love it when I use the leftovers to make rice pudding. I heard that rice pudding can be made in the oven, but I’ve never had much luck. The super easy way to come up with rice pudding is to make a box or two of vanilla pudding, then mix in the leftover rice.

It really is not much harder to make some vanilla pudding from scratch before putting in the rice. Here’s and easy homemade recipe for vanilla pudding that is healthier and more lip-lickin’ than what comes out of a cardboard box.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding
This makes about the equivalent of a regular-sized box of pudding. (That means the Stumpfs double or triple it!)

1/3 C Sugar
1.5 Tblspn Cornstarch
1/8 teaspn salt2 C Milk
2 teaspn Vanilla Extract
1 Tblspn Butter

Combine sugar, cornstartch, salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup milk until smooth. Whisk in remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring gently.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, butter, and rice, if desired, stirring until butter is melted.

We usually serve this warm, but can be chilled if you prefer. We serve this as a side dish and call it “dessert for dinner.” Gives us some “cool parents” points. My boys usually have to be reminded about good manners when we have this as they are likely to fill their plates with it!

A Recipe for Chocolate/Peanut Butter Lovers

2011-06-26T23:01:00.001-04:00

Falling into the category of just too yummy....We are pretty serious Reese's fans around here. I've even developed a granola flavor with chocolate and peanut butter for Bryan. When Jacob decided today was his stuffed Guinea pig, Hampie's, birthday, we decided that it was the perfect occasion to make this quick and tasty treat.

Peanut Butter Bars
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Tip: I obliterate the graham crackers in my food processor then dump the next 3 ingredients in. Bam! Bottom layer mixed in a flash.

Now this is too funny...

2011-06-23T23:01:00.000-04:00

Bryan and a couple older children were laughing 'till they cried tonight looking over Engrish.com. Very funny misuses of the English language. A couple posts might not be suitable for children, so you'll want to preview. This was one of our favorites:

Surfin' Stumpf Lake

2011-06-21T13:47:00.005-04:00

Yesterday it rained. I mean it R-A-I-N-E-D! We woke before 6am to thunderstorms and naps were cut short because of thunderstorms. We had to have the lights on most of the morning because it was so dark outside.

In about 20 minutes, we went from zero water over our driveway to about a foot of water. We finally had a break around 4 in the afternoon. The children took advantage of the new lake in our front yard. Note: there is usually only grass, wheat, and weeds out there!

The children are standing on our driveway.

Hunter wasn't too keen on getting wet,
but he liked the accessories!

Won't need to water
this tree for a while!

Menu Plan Monday - June 20, 2011

2011-06-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed Father's Day yesterday! We went to church and brunched with dear friends, then took a long nap. Afterward, Bryan hunkered down on the living room floor with the boys to watch Star Wars. Fun and relaxing!

Tonight Meghan made these delicious biscuits. While hardly low-fat, they don't use vegetable shortening and are a snap to whip up. I think she made around 30 and not a crumb was left!

E-Z Drop Biscuits
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted butter
2 cups milk

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in butter and milk just until moistened. Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.

3.Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

This week we will be enjoying:

Monday - Calico Beans and Biscuits

Tuesday (Rabbit Agility, 4-H Horse & Pony) - Cheese Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

Wednesday (4-H Council Meeting) - Smoked Sausage Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes

Thursday (4-H Photography) - Taco Salad

Friday (Horse Show) - Stumpf Chili, Cornbread

Saturday (Horse Show) - Sausage Braid, Sweet Potatoes

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

Our friends need prayer

2011-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

Around the first of this year I blogged about our friends moving to Haiti for a year or so to help with the reconstruction after the 2010 earthquake. While life down there could be challenging, overall things were moving ahead.

Last week, Jay, the dad, was involved in an accident that has left him without feeling below his belly button. He was air lifted to a hospital in Miami. There are challenges daily, but their faith in God and his mercies is strong.

Visit their blog for what they've been doing in Haiti. For up-to-date information, they have a Caring Bridge site. Please help pray for the miracles we know are coming!

WFMW - Make Boutique Hair Bows

2011-06-15T12:25:00.017-04:00

I am so excited out the Hair Bow Instructions that I downloaded from YouCanMakeThis.com. I've tried countless times to try to make bows and wasn't successful until I got this ebook.

There are tons of color photos and excellent step-by-step instructions for 17 different types of bows. For only $7.99, this is a great value! I made both of the bows below in about an hour.

Emelie is even going to do hairbows as one of her 4-H projects. There are a couple little girls pretty excited about that!

Our latest additions

2011-06-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

We've known for weeks that one of our barn cats was "with kitten." While I've had cats for most of my life, we've never had the awesome experience of having kittens born. I was pretty nervous for the safety of the "teen mom" as well as for the kittens.

Last week a very pregnant Smudge followed Brigitta to the house after Bitta returned from checking for eggs. She called me to come take a look at the cat. I could tell that things would be happening soon. I'd never seen a cat with that look on her face, but I knew what it meant! So I called for a laundry basket and towels. I considered having someone boil water, but decided against it.

About 3 hours later, she delivered 4 beautiful babies. Even though Smudgie is not much more than a kitten herself, she's been a great mama. The kittens are getting very plump. We have 2 boys and 2 girls.

Today the children divided into teams to name them. So far we have Jedi, Persephone, and Saga. Ted and Heidi can't come to an agreement on the final boy's name. She wants Black Tiger, but Ted has vetoed that. The rest of us are pushing for Nikabrik. Hopefully the little guy will have a name soon!

Menu Plan Monday - June 13, 2011

2011-06-13T23:51:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend! Great weather, great friends, great food. This morning it was actually too cold for the children's swim lessons, so we took advantage of the free time to sign up for the summer reading program. I think we overwhelmed the library workers with all our books, applications and energy. Hopefully we increased their numbers so they'll get more funding next year!

Time to get serious about preparing for the 4-H fair next month. We have three different commitments tomorrow night and Bryan will be out of town. We'll be enjoying a fast-food picnic while watching rabbit and horse practice!

Monday - Sam's Club pizza while we picked up a few things

Tuesday (Rabbit Agility, 4-H Horse & Pony, 4-H Aerospace) - probably McD's since I'll be vastly outnumbered by children under 10!

Wednesday - Korean Eggs Rolls, Asian Noodle Salad

Thursday - Brawt Potato Skillet, Lemon Garlic Broccoli

Friday - Greek Ham Wraps, Micro-Roasted Potatoes

Saturday - Grilled Pizza Sandwiches

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

WFMW - Easy Breezy Sundresses

2011-06-08T12:38:00.001-04:00

After working on the girls' Easter dresses, I was looking for a fun, simple pattern to use up some of the fun fabric I had purchased for them. I came across this tiered flouncy sundress at YouCanMakeThis.com.

The discerning among you will notice that it uses the same fabric as the skorts I recently posted about.

These dresses went together in a flash. They're made flat for fast construction, and there is no front or back so the girls can just pop it on for quick cuteness!

A Tuesday Tip - Scrapbooking Tips

2011-06-07T11:03:00.002-04:00

I've been in scrapbook mode lately. I'm finally crawling out of the hole I've been in since Hunter was born, so I'm fired up to get some albums done. Here are some quick tips to help those pages come together quicker.

Run out of adhesive dots to hold down your ribbon to the page? Fret not, tack down the ribbons using brads at each end. Or wrap the ribbon to the back of the page and secure with regular tape.

Want an eye-catching background? Cut a piece of patterned paper into a large curved shape and attach it to your cardstock. It instantly creates visual interest to your background. You can use freehand, bowls, plates and anything round to help you draw the curved shape.

Lace a strip of ribbon through punched holes along one side of the border to create a pretty-looking page accent.

Do you love the stitched-look but can't sew or you want a simpler method? Use rub-on stitches or here's what I normally do, use a fine-tip pen and draw the dashes to resemble the stitched-look without needle and thread! Not perfect, but it saves me plenty of time.

Add on a premade envelope to your layout to tuck in extra journaling or additional. Give your envelope a unique look by customizing it to your own preference. You can also use library pocket to tuck in your extra journaling too.

And the #1 tip for fast scrapbooking....

Make 8x10 collages of up to 15 or so photos in a program like Picasa. This is a great way to use all 30 of those wonderful birthday photos without making 5 birthday layouts! I print mine at Sam's Club for around $1.50 each.

Menu Plan Monday - June 6, 2011

2011-06-06T22:39:00.000-04:00

I've been such a blog-slacker lately. We've been embracing some lazy summer days lately, and there really has been little news that's fit to print. Swim lessons started today, so we have a little more motivation to get going these days.

On our dinner table this week will be:

Monday - Chipped Beef Gravy, Toast, Eggs

Tuesday (Rabbit Agility, 4-H Horse & Pony) - Mexican Dinner, Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday - Cold Cuts, Chips

Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Edamame

Friday - Baked French Toast, Sausage

Saturday (4-H Foods) - Swedish Meatballs, Noodles, Steamed Broccoli

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

A Tuesday Tip - Easy Outside Activities for Littles

2011-05-31T22:13:00.000-04:00

When the thermometer starts hitting 85 degrees consistently, it seems that it gets harder to convince the children to go outside to play. After dealing with cabin fever all winter, we want them out in God's creation all summer. Here are a couple ways to entice children outside:

- Fill a bucket (gallon ice cream tubs work great) with water and give them a cheap paint brush. Let them paint the house, porch, deck, etc.

- Put soapy water in those buckets and have them wash doll clothes or matchbox cars.

- Sidewalk chalk. Everywhere. Perhaps followed by the buckets of water?

- Fill a tub with cornmeal for a portable sandbox. Add scoops and they'll be busy for hours!

- Bubbles. In small containers so the gallon doesn't get dumped like ours did yesterday!

- Pull up a lawn chair and read a story to them on the porch or lawn.

- A picnic in the backyard can be as much fun as a trip to the park.

Menu Plan Monday - May 30, 2011

2011-05-30T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. Saturday we purchased and planted over 40 landscape plants, and I giggled the night away at a scrapbooking event. Sunday we enjoyed church and our evening Bible Study.

Today we've been trying to keep cool as we discovered yesterday that our air conditioning wasn't working. It's a common theme with us as the a/c in the bus isn't working either. Hopefully both will be fixed in the next day or two. (I get grumpy when I'm hot!)

On our dinner table this week will be:

Monday - Chinese Cole Slaw, Fried Rice

Tuesday (Rabbit Agility, 4-H Self Determined) - Turkey Ranch Wraps, Potato Wedges, Jello

Wednesday - Hot Dogs, Popcorn

Thursday (4-H Rabbit) - Black Beans, Cheese, Chips

Friday - Bonfire at Church

Saturday - Stroganoff Meatballs, Beans or Rice, Steamed Broccoli

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

WFMW - Cute Skorts for Cute Girlies!

2011-05-25T14:25:00.001-04:00

I just love skorts for my girls. They can tumble and play, twirl to their hearts' content, and not have to worry about modesty. I've recently made them each a skort from patterns downloaded from my favorite site, YouCanMakeThis.com.

Heidi's is a gathered one made from the Skants, Skapris, Skorts, Skirts & More pattern. Brigitta has a twirl skort from 3 Perfectly Preppy Skorts and Skirts. Both are very quick to put together - and the girls just love them!

A Tuesday Tip - Cooking Tips

2011-05-24T16:36:00.002-04:00

Here are some cooking tips that have saved my bacon (snicker) more than once!

Too Much Salt
If you've added too much salt to a recipe, there are several solutions, 1) add a little sugar, 2)in soups or stews, a raw potato slice added to the mixture will absorb the salt, and 3) a second batch can be made, omitting the salt, and added to the first batch. Combine the two mixtures and freeze half for later.

Too Sweet
Add some salt, or, if the recipe is a vegetable or main dish, a teaspoon of vinegar.

Wilting Vegetables
Remove brown edges of vegetables and sprinkle with water. Wrap in a towel and pop into the refrigerator for about an hour. Or, dip quickly in hot water, then ice water with a small amount of cider vinegar added.

Chopped Onions
Peel and quarter. Place one layer deep in a small pan and freeze. Quickly pack in bags or containers while frozen Use as needed, chopping onions while frozen, with a sharp knife.

Hurry Up Hamburgers
Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

Menu Plan Monday - May 23, 2011

2011-05-23T21:55:00.002-04:00

Tonight we tried this yummy broccoli side dish. Give it a try - it's sure to become a family favorite! And you can get it on the table in under 10 minutes.

Broccoli Side Dish
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Place broccoli and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over broccoli. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 4 servings

We've got a fun week planned. A side benefit is that I don't have to cook for a couple nights. On the menu this week:

Monday - Sloppy Joes (made with Black Beans), Broccoli Side Dish

Tuesday (Rabbit Agility) - Biscuits & Gravy, Eggs

Wednesday - Dinner Out with Friends

Thursday - Karate Bonfire

Friday - Hashbrowns & Smoked Sausage, Salad

Saturday - Black Bean Quesadillas, Skillet Corn

Our menus for past years can be found at our website. Breakfast menu is here; lunch menu is here.

Find more menus at:

WFMW - Perk up that oatmeal

2011-05-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

In an effort to perk up our breakfast menu, I went to a very fun site, Mr. Breakfast. I was specifically looking for ideas for our Wednesday morning menu of hot cereal. We've been rotating Coco Wheats, Malt-o-Meal, and Oatmeal. The leftovers have been getting larger, so I know that the kiddos are getting tired of it.

I found these recipes that sound super yummy. We had the Amish Oatmeal this morning. I doubled it and it wasn't enough! I'll scale back on the butter and sugar and triple it next time. It was so yummy!! I'll be trying the other two recipes in the next couple weeks. I'm actually looking forward to oatmeal!

Amish Oatmeal

(6 servings)

1 and 1/2 cups Quaker quick oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Warm milk to serve
fresh fruit -- brown sugar -- or other preferred topping

Combine the first 8 ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 F. for 25-30 minutes or until edges get golden brown.
Immediately spoon into bowls, add milk. Top with fruit and brown sugar, if desired. (We didn't use toppings. Just milk.)

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
(4 servings)

1 cup oats - old fashioned or quick
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon butter - softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Topping:
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoon softened butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare 4 individual 1-cup ramekins by coating the inside generously with cooking spray.
Prepare the topping mixture by combining the three ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix all dry spices together in a small bowl. Combine all other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix well and slowly sprinkle in the spice mixture at the end so it's distributed evenly through the mix.
Divide the mixture among the four ramekins.
Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully sprinkle equal parts of the topping mixture over each serving. Bake for an additional 7 minutes.
Allow oatmeal to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
(We'll double or triple this and bake in a casserole dish)

As American As Apple Pie Oatmeal
(4 servings)

1 and 3/4 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chopped apple (1 medium apple)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
fat-free whipped cream for topping - optional

Bring the water, apple juice and cinnamon to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the apples and allow them to cook and soften for 1 minute. Stir in the oats, maple syrup and vanilla. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thick - stirring often. Check after 4 minutes for desired texture.

Transfer oatmeal to serving bowls and top with a small dollop of whipped cream.

Cold Breakfast Oatmeal
(1 serving)

3/4 cup rolled oats (non-instant and uncooked)
3/4 cup skim milk (may use rice or soy or almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet sweetener of choice (optional)
1/4 cup dried or fresh blueberries

The night before your breakfast, mix oats, milk, cinnamon and sweetener (if using) together in a cereal bowl. (If you are using the dried blueberries, go ahead and add these the night before also making sure they have plenty of liquid covering them.) Now cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add your fresh berries (if using) and stir gently. Enjoy.

A Tuesday Tip - Cleaning the Bathroom

2011-05-17T21:48:00.000-04:00

I had successfully gotten out of cleaning the bathrooms as my children got older. However, this last year I found myself back with the scrub brush since Emelie took over cooking dinner two nights a week. Not a bad trade off...

I am constantly amazed at how disgusting our bathrooms get. I want to get them really clean, but don't have hours to spend on the task. Here's a couple things I do to get the job done well and quickly.

Clean your bathroom after a steamy bath or shower. The walls, fixtures, etc., will be much easier to clean, because the steam will have loosened the dirt
Rub glass shower doors with a white vinegar dampened sponge to remove soap residue.
Dip a cloth in kerosene or rubbing alcohol to remove scum and spots from your bathroom fixtures.
Insert a sponge into the leg of an old nylon stocking and knot the end. Use it to scrub sinks, bathtub, tile, etc.