November 17, 2024

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

October 9, 2013 by

Almost every year, when we carve a pumpkin for Halloween, we make a tasty snack out of the seeds. My oldest son, Tristan, loves to help make these. He thinks they are delicious, too.

 roasted pumpkin seeds

Items Needed:

  • Pumpkin/Seeds
  • Carving Knife
  • 11 x 13 Baking Pan
  • ½ stick of butter
  • Salt

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Put the butter in the pan, place in oven and let it melt. Remove when melted.
  • Carve your pumpkin by cutting a circle around the top of the stem. Remove.
  • Pull out the insides of the pumpkin, making sure you remove all the seeds.
  • If you wish, carve out a design or face on your pumpkin and use it for an outdoor decoration. I always like to put a tealight candle in mine and set it by my front door.
  • Take the seeds and remove the excess guts, the orange slimy insides, from the seeds.
  • Put the seeds in the baking dish, making sure you coat each one with butter by stirring. Its best to just have one layer of seeds.
  • Salt the seeds.
  • Bake in the oven about 30 – 45 minutes.
  • If you like your seeds extra crispy, you can turn on the broiler, and toast the seeds for about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Let cool.
  • Enjoy!

This is an easy healthy snack that you can make at home that has become one of our family traditions. I hope you give it a try.

Have Fun!

Amy

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Roasted B, B, and B Topping

October 7, 2013 by

Ok, so what do you do when your sister food-blogger posts EXACTLY the same recipe you were going to post?  Well, first you tell her how good hers looked (check it out) then you scurry to the refrigerator to see what else you can throw together!

As promised, we are focusing on Fall in-season fruits and veggies for a few weeks.  This week, we have a Roasted Butternut–Brussels Sprouts–Beet recipe.  We enjoyed this topping a salad with goat cheese and candied nuts.   This recipe makes enough for some leftovers, perfect for a Roasted Veggie Lasagna!  Perhaps you might want to try it as a pizza topping, or over pasta or rice.  Enjoy!

2013-10-04 21.10.46

Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Beets

Ingredients:2013-10-04 19.36.19
1/2 large Butternut squash, peeled
1 medium sweet onion, peeled
1 bunch beets (3-5) peeled
6-8 ounces Brussels sprouts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

optional:
3-4 tablespoons candied walnuts *
2 links fully-cooked chicken sausage
3 ounces herbed goat cheese

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • Cut squash and beets into 1″ cubes.
  • Cut off end of each Brussels sprout and any leaves that are brown or dry.  If large, halve lengthwise.
  • Cut onion in half around the middle, and then slice into half-moons.
  • In a large bowl, combine squash, sprouts, and onions; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over them, season well and stir to evenly distribute the oil among the veggies.
  • Pour onto 2 rimmed baking sheets.
  • Now pour the cubed beets into the bowl adding up to 1 tablespoon additional olive oil, if necessary.  Add the beets to one area of one baking sheet; this will keep the beets from ‘bleeding’ onto the other veggies.
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes or ‘til the veggies begin to caramelize.
  • Remove from oven, stir well turning pieces over, if possible.
  • Roast for an additional 15 minutes or ‘til the other side begins to caramelize.
  • Test with a knife tip to make sure veggies are cooked through.  Allow to cool.

* Candied Walnuts
1 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 cup raw walnuts

  • Bring apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan; turn down heat but keep at a good simmer.  Let reduce by ½.
  • Lower heat, and add sugar stirring ‘til dissolved.  Add salt and walnuts; stir well.
  • Continue to cook at a low simmer, stirring constantly ‘til liquid is almost evaporated.
  • Remove from heat; pour onto a small plate and allow to harden.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

October 4, 2013 by

 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Fall is here, and I couldn’t be happier!  One of my favorite cool weather veggies is Brussels sprouts.  I remember growing up, my sister hated them so much, she only managed to choke them down if she smothered them in yellow mustard.  If you have someone like that in your family, reintroduce them to this wonderful, healthy vegetable with this recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!  This side dish comes together quickly…and, yes, you can feel free to double the amount of bacon in the recipe.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Fry the bacon.  You want it pretty crispy.  When done, remove from pan to cool, but do NOT drain the bacon grease from the pan.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts:  Trim off the bottoms and slice in half lengthwise.  Remove any outer leaves that are yellow or spotty.
  3. Add the sprouts to the bacon grease in the pan.  Saute for about five minutes until they start to color a little.  Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid, so you are now steaming them.  Cook for another five minutes, then remove the lid and cook them uncovered for about 3 minutes.  They should be getting golden and softening up a bit.
  4. While the sprouts are steaming, combine the yogurt and horseradish in a large bowl.  When the sprouts are done and al dente, pour them into the bowl and toss with the yogurt mixture.  Dice the bacon and add it to the bowl, or you can sprinkle it over the top if you like. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again.  Serve warm!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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How to Homeschool: Self-Directed Learning

October 3, 2013 by

How to Homeschool: Self-Directed Learning www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com #homeschool #selfdirectedlearning

When we began homeschooling in 2006, my children were excited about the time they then had to pursue their interests.  Honestly, so was I!  We made weekly trips to the library, we went on field trips with our homeschool group, we had play dates and park days, and we attended extra-curricular classes such as dance and wrestling.  One of the things that my oldest two loved was to check out How to Draw books from the library.  If you’ve ever found this section at the library with your child, you know that many books exist which cover how to draw cars, dinosaurs, puppies, horses, insects, people, comic book characters, and so much more!  My children were enthralled with this new interest and pursued drawing with everything they had and as often as they could.  This type of pursuit of learning is what I would call self-directed learning.  Others may call it delight-directed, child-led, or even unschooling.  In all of these cases, in my opinion, this is learning that the child pursues due to his or her interest rather than as a result of pressure or initiation by parents or teachers.

Over the years my children have continued to take an interest in art.  They have studied math, science, music, sports, literature, and more.  All have held their interest for some period of time, but none like the subject of art.  Last fall we became involved with a local co-op and my two oldest finally took their first formal art classes.  At the end of the school year, both of them were invited to join the Advanced Art Class beginning the next semester (currently ongoing) due to their skill and obvious love for drawing.  They were ecstatic, and I was very pleased for them, as well!

You may be wondering why I’ve shared all of this with you. I simply want you to see what homeschooling can be!

Yes, there are academics involved.

Yes, some days are difficult, academically as well as spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

The truth and joy, though, is that children truly can enjoy learning.  They can and will work hard to gain a skill they want to learn.

I have continued to encourage my children, if they really wanted to learn how to draw well, to keep trying.  I employ this same thought process in other areas, too.  Sometimes this helps motivate them to work towards a goal.  At other times, they decide they really aren’t that interested and do not work as hard or pursue a topic very long.  I believe that, overall, this has helped them to enjoy their homeschooling journey.  We do have some ‘musts’ in our homeschool, but we are much more relaxed than we were at the beginning.  The reason for that is because I have seen the learning take place, much of it aside from our ‘school’ assignments.  Life is a wonderful teacher, and I am now watching my children reap the rewards.

My eldest daughter is now using the skills and knowledge she has gained through her pursuit of art, and is teaching younger children.  She just held her first art class in our home today.  I enjoyed watching her work with the girls, teaching them to enjoy the pursuit of art and to take pride in their work.  Teaching this class is also allowing her to earn some money for her own expenses, including saving for a summer missions trip.  She continues to learn through life, and benefit herself and others, even while teaching and pursuing one of her loves.

I encourage you to observe your children.  What are the topics they are drawn to?  What do they spend a lot of time talking about, playing with, and researching?  Perhaps you could allow them extra time to learn more after their academic work is done, or possibly in place of it.  Allow them to grow into self-directed learners. I believe you, and they, will enjoy it as much as we have!

Did you miss our previous How to Homeschool posts? I’ve linked them below for you!

HOW do I homeschool?

How to Homeschool: Homeschooling Methods, Curriculum, and Resources

How to Homeschool: Homeschool Field Trips

This week we have linked up with The Homeschool Village. Click on the image below to go see what everyone else is sharing!

The Homeschool Village

Thanks for stopping in. Come back and join us next week for our 2nd linky party!

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Preparing For a New Season!

October 2, 2013 by

NoClutterZone_Boyd

It’s that time of year again, ladies!  Fall is here and winter is soon upon us.  It’s time to declutter those closets!!

Living in Kentucky where it goes from blazing hot to freezing cold, I have to admit I have a lot of clothes that I really only wear a few months out of the year. Due to limited drawer and closet space, I have come up with a routine that I learned from my own mom. This is a way to help keep you organized. It always seems to me that I feel better the more organized and tidy my house is. Being a single mom with two little boys, there is a beautiful mess in my home all the time. So I like to clear out unneeded clutter when I can.

Items Needed:

  •  Boxes or Totes
  •  Markers or Labels

Directions:

  •  Go through each person’s clothing individually and pull out the clothing they will not be wearing for the upcoming season. Also, this is a good time to pull out items that you no longer need, or no longer fit. You can save them for a garage sale or donate them to a friend or to a non-profit agency, like Goodwill or Salvation Army.
  •  Put the clothes in a box. I always use a separate box for each family member. If you would like, you can use the plastic totes with lids to store the items.
  •  Label the boxes or totes with the person’s name and what clothing is inside. Example: “Tristan’s Summer Clothes”
  •  Store the boxes out of the way, until they are needed again.

I hope you find this decluttering tip helpful. Little things can make a big difference in the long run.

Happy Cleaning!

Amy

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How To Make a Home Management Binder

October 1, 2013 by

Home Management Binder …also known as a Household Binder.  The first question you may have is, “What Is It?”

This is where I keep things that are important to me; things that help me manage my home more effeciently. My Command Center, so to speak. In this binder, I keep things such as:

  • Schedule
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Cleaning Schedule
  • Kid’s Stuff
  • Contacts
  • Blog Schedule
  • To-Do / Projects

Binder1
For this project, you will need the following items:

3-ring Notebook – 3-inch
Sheet Protectors
8 Divider Sheets
8 Index Dividers

Directions:

You will begin by inserting your dividers into your notebook, and attaching the index labels. You will label each of your index tabs with the categories listed above.

Then you will begin adding in your inserts. I’ve listed several below, with links to take you to the free downloads, in some cases.

The first thing you will see when you open my binder is the Homemakers Creed, and a lot of other marriage or family-oriented inserts found on Darlene Schacht’s website (Time Warp Wife). Click on the link above to be taken to this awesome FREE printable!! You will find a lot of the inserts in my binder are from Darlene’s website.  Just click here: www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com and click on the Freebies tab.

The freebies I have downloaded from Darlene’s site, and have added into my binder are:

  • Homemakers Creed
  • The Proverbs 31 Woman
  • The Ultimate Marriage Vow
  • Marriage Manifesto
  • Mommy Manifesto

SCHEDULE
The next thing you will see is the first section of my binder: Daily Planning Goals and Calendars. I find my calendar printable, again from Darlene’s website. Click on the link above to download your free calendar printable. This particular calendar from her site is awesome! Each monthly calendar includes the calendar, a To-Do list, Hope-To-Do List, Prayer Requests, Reminders, Thinking Ahead, Bible Reading, Groceries, People to Call. I love these calendars!!! You will also find my Birthday calendar. This calendar lists the birthdays of all family members.

MENUS
In this section of my binder, you will find:

  • Grocery List
  • Meal Planner
  • Coupon Pocket
  • Freezer Inventory
  • Pantry Inventory
  • Freezer Storage Cheat Sheet
  • Produce Buying Guide
  • Internal Cooking Temperature Cheat Sheet

RECIPES
This is where I store printed recipes that I love!

HOME CLEANING ROUTINE
In this section of my binder, you will find:

  • 60 Uses for Baking Soda
  • Daily Housekeeping Schedule (time warp wife)
  • Weekly Chores for Life (time warp wife)
  • My Zone Cleaning Schedule from FlyLady.com

If you haven’t tried FlyLady.com yet, give it a try! Each week, you are given a zone in your home to clean. She gives you a complete list of what to accomplish in each of those zones. Pretty cool stuff!

Binder2

KIDS
In this section of my binder, you will find:

Quick References for Kids

  • House Rules
  • Chores Chart for my kids
  • School District Directory
  • School Lunch Menu for each month
  • School Calendar – I tore this calendar apart so I could put each month in a sheet protector. Since it is the calendar for our school district, I went through each month and highlighted our school’s events for the whole year, including PTO meetings, holidays, spring break, early dismissal, and so on.
  • Classroom Handbook from our daughter’s teacher
  • Birthday List of each student in class

I have also included things for my own personal use that will help me pray for and encourage kids that come through our home through the Safe Families For Children organization, as well as my own kids and grandkids!

  • 31 Ways to Inspire Your Children
  • 31 Ways to Pray for Your Children
  • 31 Prayer Card for Your Children (time warp wife)

CONTACT LIST
In this section of my binder, you will find:

  • Contact List from my husband’s work
  • Medical Staff & Provider Directory for our community
  • Ultimate Contact Sheet that lists the numbers for grandparents, doctor, dentist, hospital, pharmacy, school, coaches/teachers, vet, housekeeper, insurance agent, miscellaneous. I downloaded this document from SimpleOrganizedLiving.com

BLOG
In this section of my binder, you will find information for my personal blog:

  • Monthly Blog Schedule
  • Weekly Blog Schedule – breaks my month down into Ideas/Projects, To-Do’s, Weekly Statistics, Bloggers to Encourage. It’s always a good idea to find bloggers to encourage. Blogging can be a pretty lonely job sometimes!! 🙂
  • Website Log-ins sheet
  • HTML Codes Cheat Sheet

TO DO / PROJECTS
In this section, you will find nothing but notebook paper. I use this section for things like vacation to-do’s, home projects, holiday/birthday shopping ideas, and more.

*****

I hope you have enjoyed a sneak peek into my Home Management Binder, and a little bit into my own personal life! I think having a good system like this is important, as it can help us stay organized and focused on the things that need to be done. I always feel good at the end of the day when I can look back at my list and see the items that have been checked off! I can go to sleep feeling quite an accomplishment has been achieved! A very good feeling!

Blessings,

Christi

________________________

If you would like more housekeeping, home organization tips, recipes, and more from Christi’s personal blog, visit her at:

www.ChristiWilson.blogspot.com

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Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup

September 30, 2013 by

♪♬  It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  ♬♪  Yes, I know…that’s a song you might sing during the Christmas holiday season…but for me AUTUMN is the most wonderful time of the year!  The weather is delightful…back to sleeping with the windows open a crack, and we get to break out our beautiful sweaters!  And some of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with are in-season: pumpkin, apples, cider, pears, cranberries, butternut squash (ok…all the winter squashes!), cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale!

For the next few weeks, our Monday blog here on At Home w/ GCH will focus on these ingredients while keeping to our healthy but oh-so-yummy! point of view.

Today’s recipe is also our first soup of the season…Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup.  Here’s a link showing the incredible nutritional value of butternut squash.  This recipe remain within our healthy but oh-so-yummy parameters as it is l-o-a-ded with veggies and, while very smooth and  creamy, contains not a speck of butter or sour cream or cheese.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup

2013-09-28 13.33.17

 

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, 3#2013-09-27 16.59.05
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2# italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
1/2# ground chicken (or turkey)
1 large sweet onion
6-8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
1 red or yellow bell pepper
3-4 tablespoons chopped garlic
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon each: dried sage, marjoram, and basil
8 cups chicken broth
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed

 

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425.
  • Cut and peel butternut squash; dice into 2″ pieces. Place in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil; liberally season with salt & pepper.  Stir until well-coated.  Pour onto a large baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 10 minutes.  Stir and flip pieces over.  Roast for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, and set aside.
  • While the butternut squash is roasting, saute meats together in a large frypan, allowing them to brown just a bit.  Use the edge of a wooden spoon (or a potato masher) to break pieces up as they cook into smaller pieces.  Remove to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan.
  • Dice the onion, the pepper, and the mushrooms into similar-sized pieces, approximately 1+1/2″.  Add the onion to the frypan and saute for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Then add the mushrooms.  Cook for another 5 minutes; allow the veggies to begin to caramelize.  Add in the peppers; cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Finally add the chopped garlic and the seasonings, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil.  Add the roasted butternut squash and the beans.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Scoop out about 1+1/2 cups of the chunkier pieces; set aside.
  • With a hand-held immersion blender * carefully puree the soup (or in batches in a countertop blender).
  • Add in the cooked meats plus the veggies you put aside.  Stir all well together, and simmer for 5-10 additional minutes.  Taste (carefully!) for additional seasoning.

* Note: I simply love my immersion blender (we own the Oster 3-in-1)!  I use it almost every day.  It is so handy for many simple, quick blending jobs…even for smoothies or milkshakes.  The best part—it is extremely easy to clean and most often is used right in the cooking pot you are using…not dirtying yet another thing to wash up!   A good quality immersion blender can be purchased for around $25.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Meatloaf

September 27, 2013 by

Meatloaf Slices Resized

 

This Meatloaf started out following one of Martha Stewart’s recipes, but over the years I’ve kind of made it my own.  I think what makes this a great meatloaf is that it’s not actually baked in a loaf pan.  It’s a freeform meat sculpture!  But making it on a sheet pan instead of in a loaf pan lets the fat drain away, and all the sides get nice and crusty.  It’s easy, it’s a crowd pleaser, and it doesn’t take long to put together.  Let’s get into it!

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, or oregano
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • a big squirt of ketchup (maybe 2 tablespoons)
  • a big squirt of yellow mustard (maybe 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, your choice (Sriracha or Tabasco, whatever you have)
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour (you could use 1/2 cup bread crumbs if you like, or even ground oats)
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons mustard
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

 

Let's bake this bad boy!

Let’s bake this bad boy!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot to the food processor and blend until combined and kind of pureed.  You don’t want any big chunks.  Empty the veggie puree into a very large mixing bowl, then add the bacon to the food processor.  Blend until ground and add to the veggie puree.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients—up through the salt and pepper—to the mixing bowl.  Mix with your hands until combined.  Dump out the meatloaf mix onto the baking sheet and form a loaf with your hands.  You want it to be long and flat, kind of like a loaf of French bread.  Smooth it out and make it even.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar.  Frost the top of the meatloaf with the ketchup mixture.
  5. Bake for one hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165*F.  My kids eat this with lots of additional ketchup!
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How to Make Moving a Little Bit Easier

September 25, 2013 by

How many of you have moved, making tons of trips back and forth carrying out your clothes that have been hanging in the closet?  I know I have.  This weekend, my Aunt Karen showed my sister and I a simple idea that was super easy.  I thought it was so amazing I had to share it with you all. Instead of making about 20 trips back and forth to the moving truck, we made two!!!

Items Needed:

  • All you need is a large queen size sheet and some muscles.

Directions:

  • Lay the sheet flat on the floor.

  • Start placing the clothes (still on their hangers) in the middle of the sheet.  We took  6-7 hangers and laid them on the sheet. Then the next 6-7 hangers, we would lay the clothes so the hangers would be in the opposite direction from the first pile.  This makes for better stacking.  Keep doing this until you have your clothes piled up.

  • Taking opposite corners of the sheet, tie them together in a knot. Do the same thing with the other two corners.

Insert1

  • Depending on how heavy it is, you may need two people to carry it out to the truck.  But in some instances you can just pack it on your shoulder.

Insert2
This definitely makes for easier moving, especially when stairs are involved.  Hope you give it a try.  If you know of any moving tips I would love to hear them.  We were moving my mom this past weekend, but I will be moving within the next month, and could use some of your ideas. Thanks a bunch!

Have Fun & Happy Packing!

Amy

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