A homemade Christmas wreath

Last year after Christmas I decided I wanted a bigger wreath ... and then I saw their price tags- OUCH! I am by NO means Martha Stewart, but this seemed simple enough to make a bigger wreath for our entry way. Ended up finding things on sale and clearance and here is what I made:

I wish the lights would have shown up better, but here it is. I thought I would share some of my process and you can make your own wreath this year, with the colors and lights exactly how you want them.

I started with a basic, green wreath, a box of lights, a couple bouquets of silk flowers and berries, a bow and some simple wire cutters and a hot glue gun.

First thing I did was to test the lights and then wrap them around the wreath. Yes, I actually wrapped them all the way around. It ends up lighting the wall a little but I like the glow it gives off at night. By the way, we did end up getting some of the LED lights, so not only will we have a smaller electric bill for Christmas, but they will last longer as well.

After that was the bow. Much easier to put the bow on first than to try and find a place for it afterward. I wove it in and out, but kept it completely on the front.

Next, I cut all the flowers off the stems and put them in a jar...

Then I simply started putting the silver poinsettia's around the wreath evenly. I would put a dab of hot glue on the base of the flower and slide it in. Next the red and finally, where ever there seemed to be a little "extra" space, I put in the berries. I always slid them in first to make sure it looked right for me, before I put the glue on them.

That is it hanging while I am making sure all the glue is setting.

What is your next adventure for Christmas? Baking, decorating? Come on and share.

Attention Walmart Shoppers

While you are out Christmas shopping this weekend, I thought I would give you something to giggle about. Never thought I'd see this in a Walmart. 

Truly a Walmart special...If you can't read those bags, they are chicken scratch and cracked corn. Too funny! And yes, we did see people with those bags in their carts.

Leftover Turkey Stuffing Cups

Leftovers. I always try to do something a little different with leftovers but nothing I can think of is quite so simple as well as so much fun as turkey stuffing cups. 

I wish I had a photo of them, but being on the road, not only do we not have leftovers, I don't have any photos of last years dinner!

Hopefully, you can imagine what these look like as I give you some directions. 

These measurements are approximate. Use what you have.
Mix 3-4 c. mashed potatoes with 2 beaten eggs
Add 4-5 c. stuffing/dressing,
1-2 c. small diced or shredded turkey
1-2 c. gravy, start with less and add more as needed
1/2 c. craisins, optional
Mix all this together with a large spoon until all ingredients are well incorporated. It should be pretty moist.
Here's the fun part: you're going to take your muffin pans out and spray each cup well with non-stick spray. grab a handful of the mix, shape it into a ball and gently place it in the cup. Do so with all the leftover mix. 

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the center reaches 170 degrees.

Serve hot with a side of cranberry sauce and extra gravy if you have some. This is such a huge hit in our home that we plan for extras! I make enough to freeze some to enjoy through the Christmas season as an easy dinner.

Give them a try and let me know what you think. Any other leftover suggestions?

Limted Time Offer for List Plan It

For a very limited time - haven't been told how long - List Plan It is offering a Thanksgiving special of 25% off for their memberships!
I just upgraded today!!

Go to List Plan It!  for more information. Don't forget to type in Thanks25 at checkout to get your discount.

Campground Fires and the Kids Who Enjoy Them

D learned about building fires and here is his first campfire he built all by himself. Way to go boy scout!!

Thanksgiving Dinner Hints and Helpers

As promised, here is the 

Thanksgiving Dinner Hints and Helpers

Let me start with this: Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. And to have fun. Don't make it into something stressful and crazy because that is what your neighbor, church elder, PTA leader or anyone else is. Be joyful and your food will be all the better for it. I promise! 

Some of these are partial recipes, but mostly hints and tips to help make this the best turkey dinner ever. Because it takes the longest "prep" time, I'm starting with the turkey.

Turkey - start this outside on your deck or patio 4 days ahead of cooking day.
Bring 2 cups Kosher or sea salt to a simmer with 6 cups of water. Simmer until it is completely dissolved and let cool.

Get out your big cooler, wash and dry it on the inside. Personally, I've also lined mine with a clean garbage can liner but only because my cooler has a small hole. Holes don't help keep the water inside.
Place a layer of ice cubes down on the bottom of the cooler. Place your frozen bird on top of the ice cubes. Fill around your bird with more ice cubes. I typically make our own ice, but I'm going to say 1  bag of ice would do for this. Now pour your cooled salt water in the cooler. We're going to use the same pot and fill it up with cold water and pour around as it will help get those little salt particles off the side of the pot. To all this we're going to add: 1 cup maple syrup (I would love to do this with the good stuff, but with what it costs, I just use the cheaper syrup), 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 cup sage, 1/4 cup thyme and 1/4 cup rosemary. Optional - rind from one orange. Stir! That's it! You've got an amazing brine in which to let your turkey very slowly defrost, pick up wonderful flavor and keep the bird so moist during cooking. Check the water temp at least once a day. You want it somewhere around 36 - 42 degrees - same as your refer. Adjust accordingly - we don't want any food poisoning here. 

Cookin' the Bird

Here's another hint: I use the Reynolds Oven Bags for cooking the turkey. It not only cuts down on the amount of time in the oven, it helps keep that meat moist. Even the white meat comes out JUICY!  Read the directions for time, but it's less time in the oven.

Carving hint: do not take the turkey out of the oven and start carving away. Grab a large piece of foil and make a "tent" to cover the turkey and keep the heat in. Let it sit for 10 minutes and instead of the juices running all over your serving platter, the juice will re-distribute into the meat and keep it totally moist.

NOTE: You can use this also with fresh, organic, pasture raised, etc. It will only make it better!

Stuffing - yep, I call it stuffing although I've never stuffed a bird with it. Interesting, huh?

I've never used store bought bread cubes, but I have bought store bought bread and so I make my own. You have to start with a good sour dough bread. Cut it up into cubes. Lay it out on a couple cookie sheets and put it out on an un-used counter or in the oven and lightly toast it. We want them dry, not hard, OK?

Once dry, put them in the largest bowl you have. I cook for 16-22 people every year so my "big bowl" holds about 2 1/2 gallons. Anyway, I put all the dry cubes in the bowl and then cut up my celery, onions and put them in either a small bowl with plastic wrap over or in a plastic bag. 

I use butter NOT margarine or oil. Organic is better. It gives for a better flavor in my opinion and Thanksgiving is not the day I'm watching calories. Heat the butter in a saucepan to melt it. Mix the onions, celery and herbs in with 1-2 beaten eggs. Then we're going to take that mixture, along with any herbs I want, and saute in real, melted butter in the . Stir constantly for the first couple minutes while the egg cooks.  Commonly used are celery salt, parsley - try the fresh stuff, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Add in a couple cups of chicken broth and simmer. Did you notice I didn't give exact measurements? That's on purpose as my amounts vary each year depending on how many folks we're feeding. Here's my hint for herbs and seasonings: start off with a little, you can always add more. As things simmer along, do some tasting and see what you think. Your taste buds are your best gauge. The egg is fully cooked, so no worries here.

Take the sauteed mixture and then pour it over the cubed bread and stir. You want this fairly moist. If it's too dry just pour a little of the chicken broth over it. Some additions I will add in from year to year are, toasted or candied walnuts or pecans as well as dried, sweetened cranberries. LOVE the cranberries. Sausage is also a nice addition. A touch of orange zest gives for a little "lightness" to the flavor. 

 Gravy. Use the drippings from the pan once the turkey is cooked. It will only take a few minutes and I promise you, it's so much better and healthier than anything you'll buy from a can. Start with a cooled pan and add 1/2 cup broth and a couple tablespoons flour. Stir and it will thicken to a paste. Add in some more broth and then turn the heat up. You want to keep stirring to make sure there aren't any lumps Don't like lumpy gravy. Once it's smooth add in more broth until you have the consistency you want. Season with a little salt and pepper AFTER you have tasted it. Let it simmer and know that it will thicken up a bit as it cools in your serving dish. 

And speaking of serving dishes ... while we have fantasies of a Martha Stewart Thanksgiving table, know that your family and friends are there to join with you in celebration. Not to judge what you are or aren't using for your table. On a number of years, I've used a large measuring cup for my gravy. I'm OK with it. It still tastes amazing. 

I think that is it for now. Would absolutely love your tips and tricks and I'll post more if I think of them in the comments section. 

I wish you and your family a very blessed Thanksgiving. I am thankful for YOU!

Home Improvements on the Road

We've had our fair share of little things go wrong, but this was a fun project ... more storage and organization. Here's a handy dandy gadget every full timer will love: an under table drawer.

Farmer Scott being hand in the RV

Doesn't interfere at all with leg room or useability. We got ours at Camping World and it was $19.99.

Our new, extra drawer

Since we use the table more for school work and computer time, we put office supplies in this one. We'll be adding another one on the other side soon - for silverware!

Happy Birthday, Chelsea

My oldest turns 19 today. I have no idea where the time went, how she grew up so quickly, or how she became quite so beautiful. Every moment with you is precious and every day away from you seems like a lifetime.

We love you, Miss Chelsea. May God continue to bless your days.

On Safari in South Carolina

 No, not an actual safari, but walking the trails around Hilton Head, South Carolina, it really did feel like we were walking through some tropical jungle somewhere. In reality, we were minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and many, many high end homes.

It was a gorgeous day and time for a final taste of the Atlantic Ocean for the year. For a little dog, Miss Abby the Wonder Dog, sure loves the beach.

Yes,Abby does have a jacket on.

Finances on the Road

The number one question we are asked is, "How do you make it financially?" So, I thought I would share a little bit about The Numbers.
We've always been pretty frugal folks. We have saved a lot so that certainly has helped in this adventure keep rolling down the road - literally. We have a buffer so when little things happen - such as putting gas in the diesel engine and giving us a $1200 repair bill, we aren't stuck for a month eating rice and beans. In all reality, our costs now are actually less than when we were living in the house.
First things first - we had to start with a budget. Planning out all our details including those fixed costs of our insurance and medical bills from home as well as the more variable costs such as gas and campground fees. Great budgeting tools can be found at Dave Ramsey.com He has revolutionized many lives - ours included, and is one reason we are where we are today.

We started with a budget of a little under a $100 a day. We later took out our house and car insurance and prepaid them separately. So, you're thinking, "Oh my gosh, what in the world can you do on $100 a day?" You'd be surprised really. Personal preference really comes in here though.

 I started out by saying we're pretty frugal. Well, no matter how hard we'd love to get amazing gas mileage, there is a limit to how much we can get when pulling the trailer. 12 mpg is fabulous. There are, however, many variables to the cost of the fuel that we put in the tank. We downloaded Gas Buddy to the cell phone and you'd be surprised at the difference in costs in one town (we start looking when we know we're going to want to fill up within the next hour). Now if your tank only holds 10 gallons of fuel, it might not be worth it to chase down a 5 cents savings. Our tank holds 30 gallons and if we can find a savings of 5 or 10 cents (or yesterdays whopper of TWENTY cents), we'll drive a little ways to get the savings. At $3.80 a gallon, that can be over $20. savings.

And speaking of the cost per gallon, the costs have varied greatly by region. The west coast being the most expensive and California topping there. When we started our trip we were paying $4.40 a gallon! We had budgeted only $4. We knew we couldn't stay there for long with the costs of one of our major expenses being 10% higher than what we were expecting. That said, much of the midwest even that out quickly with desiel costs around $3.50 a gallon. More recently, in the south and south-east, it's been around $3.65 - 3.85. We call the "leftovers" play money!

Food. We have to have it. It's a staple of life and at the same time, we're concerned with what we are eating as much as it's costs. There have been days where we've spent our entire daily budget on meat at the farmer's market, but we know that with the higher quality, we'll use a lot less. I'm still using coupons but with a tiny "pantry", there isn't room to get a lot when things go on sale. I have done some things though that have saved...things like baking our own bread. Healthy, no chemical preservatives and about half the cost of a "good" loaf of bread. Making our own shampoo and conditioner. While not food, those things can really add up and making our own costs literally cents and is healthier for us and the environment! See my article on Make your own shampoo. As for the meals, we try not to eat out much, but when we do, we're trying to choose a little higher quality. Homemade meals are simple and affordable. I'm working on keeping our food costs under $15 a day (this includes personal care and paper items too).

Housing. Well, we've got the camper and while not fancy, it's paid for. I have to check my attitude sometimes when we pull into campgrounds with big, fancy fivers (the nickname for 5th wheel trailers) with three and four slide outs and gorgeous ammenities and remind myself that ours keeps us just as warm and dry as the fancy ones. And we aren't spending the big bucks every month on a payment. So our costs here are completely related to campground fees.  We've paid nothing and spent the night in a Walmart parking lot. Actually a lot of those up north when we started and gas prices were so high and the night time temps were OK. We've spend close to $50 a night just outside of Gettysburg (that was a VERY rare treat at a great campground). Here's the thing though: campground fees include utilities 90% of the time. Water, sewer and even electric. Sometimes they'll include cable TV and internet as well! Typically though, we were saving money by using our Passport America campground membership, where we pay half price and are looking at campgrounds to be in the $20 range average.
We just recently though found out about Thousand Trails. They were having a sale on their memberships and the campground that we were staying at was not only one of their properties, they offered us to apply what we paid in our "rent". How could we pass that deal up? Nope, couldn't. We paid $449 for the southeast membership and they refunded the entire amount as we had paid that (and a little more) for the space rental! For that annual fee you get 30 days of free camping. After that, within the one year's time, you can camp in any of their campgrounds for $3 a night. Yes, you read that right: THREE dollars per night. Here's the catch: if you stay at any one property for more than 4 days, you have to wait a week before you can come back or use another property. Not a big deal - we've still got our PA membership as well as Good Sam if we can't find anything else. And really, it's already paid for itself at the first campground. Anything extra is just more savings for more fun things. Like Disneyworld.

And that brings us to entertainment. We have budgeted about $20 a day for entertainment. There are many free things to do as well. We bought a family membership to the Pacific Science Center just before we left. We now use it all across the country through their reciprocating program and see all sorts of amazing (and some pricey) science centers and museums where ever we go.  We also bought an annual pass for the National Parks. While some are free, others have entrance passes for adults and others for kids too. The great thing about the parks too, is that they offer these amazing Junior Rangers programs. It gets the kids (and parents) involved in exploring and finding out more information about the park. All for free. Not sure that's a good use of tax dollars, but that's for another day. We do love the program and use it with the boys.  The budgeted money is accumulated for things Disneyworld (ouch!), NASCAR tickets, movies and other special events. We're still close to many towns so we'll also try to find Blockbuster or Redbox for some quiet family time. We'll also browse through the movie selection when we stop at Walmarts and see if there is anything family friendly out there. We've got quite a selection going from their $5 box!

As you can see, when I said we live frugally, we really do mean it. Sure there are days we'd love to have more gadgets and fancier housing, but in the end, we have to be content with where we are and what we have. And keep saving for the next farm...

Thanksgiving is Coming - And So is the Help

With less than 2 weeks to go before Thanksgiving, I thought I would try to help out a few of you with some helpful hints and tricks I've learned along the way. You will love some of them, some you already know and maybe you can pass along some of your own as well! FRIDAY (my normal food/recipe day) I will post the Thanksgiving Dinner Hints and Helpers.


It's not finished yet, BUT here's my first hint: No need to buy a fresh turkey. I'll save you a ton of money and make it taste better than fresh. 

Personally, I would love to buy a pasture raised, organically fed turkey, but not at $50-100. I just can't wrap my mind around that. So ... until we have the new farm and are raising our own, this is one area I go cheap and make it taste like a million bucks!

So, stay tuned. Tomorrow I'll put out more tips and tricks ...

Sunshine and Pain Free

I've never spent a November outside of Washington state before. Let me qualify that by saying I was born in Seattle, spent two years in Spokane and moved back to the "west side" to be closer to my family. So this is a first. And I'm LOVING it.

Me: Loving Sunshine!

Right now, we're in Orlando, Florida. I can see why so many folks spend winter here! As someone with moderate arthritis in my low back, the warmth is amazing. There is no pain and I can say most of this trip as we've followed the sun and warmth, I've lived pain free.

As I used to teach the riding lessons, back at the farm year round, winter was what I always dreaded. I loved "my kids" and teaching them, but after a day of teaching outside in the cold I would be in pain for days. Thankfully, last year, one of my dear friends and horsewomen as well took over my lessons for the winter for me. Thank you Anne!

On a side note, we're really working on our budget for the next two weeks or so while we're here. Huge bonus: with our campground membership, we have 2 free nights and after that, it's only $3 a day, saving us $20+ every night! That savings is going directly to our fun money. Or at least to a wiring repair on the trailer.

Don't Feed the Aligators!

We were driving down the road in Hilton Head, SC (gorgeous, by the way) and saw this sign along a little pathway on the side of the road. U-turn.

No, the boys and dog were not being used as bait. I promise.

Ended up not seeing anything but this guy. Look close:

FREAKED me out! Scott called me over to come "look over the edge" and then pointed him out. Yes, I did scream.

GIVEAWAY! Thanksgiving Recipe Contest: Win the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook Plus 2 eBooks!‏

There is a really neat Holiday Recipe Contest sponsored by the Journal of Natural Food and Health going on now. I can get 8 bonus entries by spreading the word and a chance to win the awesome Nourishing Traditions cookbook plus two eBooks on real food. 

All participants win by getting all the recipes made with real food–fresh and wholesome. 

The contest home page is: http://bit.ly/recipecontest1

Thank You Veterans

Thank you veterans for all you have sacrificed. Time away from your families to start. Families left behind as some gave their lives to serve and protect our freedoms.

I am honored to call family veterans as well. Grandpa Paul was Lt. Col. Paul Skinner, retired Air Force. Dad served in the Navy and my dear, sweet hubby, Farmer Scott served in the National Guard. I am proud of you.

Freedom is not free. Bless you all.

Homemade Almond Milk - Easy

We are pretty much a family with food allergies. Dairy is one of them. I found out when I was pregnant with our youngest when I had allergy testing done. I knew something wasn't right but had been blaming it on bread. Turns out dairy is in lots of stuff. Bread included. I do love my cheeses though, so on occasion, I'll use some of the good stuff in my food. Butter doesn't seem to affect us as much, so that is our cheat.

Anyway ... milk is off the table. Even goat milk. So, I turned to the first alternative that is readily available: soy. I knew there had to be something better out there and so started trying other milks. Tried rice milk - too watery. Coconut milk was yummy good, until I realized it upset my stomach as well. Oh the pain! Weird too, because I can use coconut milk for cooking, so my guess is that the daily milk was too much. And then I found almond milk. Yummy, satisfying and no issues with my tummy as well. So, now the boys and I are drinking almond milk, but it can get pricey. I've decided to give it a try on my own - it's almonds for goodness sake, how hard can it really be?

Turns out, it's not. It's actually really easy in fact. Here's the process:

Soak 1-2 cups RAW almonds in 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt for 4-8 hours. This will remove any bitterness from the skins. The more almonds, the richer and creamier the milk will be.

I have no idea why Blogger wont adjust the orientation of this picture...

Strain and rinse the almonds.

Place the nuts in your blender (mine is big and strong so I do them all at once. You may need to do batches) along with 4 cups of water, 1 Tablespoon vanilla and 2 Tablespoons sugar/sucanut (both are optional). BLEND on high for 1-2 minutes. Really, the time depends on the blender. Taste and add more vanilla or sugar if needed.

Let sit for 5 minutes. Give a quick blend for 20 seconds.
Strain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. When it is done dripping, I gather the corners and then give it a good squeeze to get the liquids out - I do this into a 4 cup measuring cup and then pour into my container for the fridge.

Ended up with almost 4 cups after straining and squeezing

That's it. Easy! Now don't go and throw those grounds away. I'll be posting a recipe and photos soon, but I've made almond cookies with the pulp as well as added it to bread dough too. I've tried to make crackers but can't get them to stay together ... still tastes amazing but not a cracker.

Enjoy your new found hobby that is healthy and nutritious.

The Fall Colors

Being born, raised and primarily "living" in Washington state - you know, The Evergreen State - I've never seen anything like the fall colors of the east. These pictures don't even do it justice, but here ya go.

 I wish you could have seen these areas. Amazing. God's creativity never ceases to amaze me...next time you go out for a drive, just look at all the different shades of green alone, that He has given us.

Farmers Market at Colonial Williamsburg

One of the few farmers markets that we've been able to attend this summer. It is so nice to talk with other farmers and hear their stories. It continues to build our desires and allows us to encourage them all the while.

This is a large and very active market. By the time we got there a couple hours after it opened, everyone who sold eggs, was sold out. We miss real eggs. I now know our eggs we were selling at $4 a dozen were a bargain.

Colonial Williamsburg

No cars allowed. Horses and feet are your options for travel.

Should you choose to travel to the south-east, this should be one of the destinations on your short list. Historic Williamsburg is a quaint town that has been recreated with historic homes and businesses as they would have been in their day. 

Walking the streets with our youngest, we came across a young lady dressed in 18th century clothing, sitting outside doing needlepoint, one of the many actors and actresses in Williamsburg. We had to stop and chat. She was Emily, the second oldest of 10 children, who was needle-pointing a new handkerchief as a gift for her mother who had just given birth to her youngest brother.

She was quite smitten with our youngest as he shyly stood behind mom, peeking at her every now and again. Emily commented to Evan at how nice and quiet he was in comparison to her new baby brother. That brought a smile of joy as he is the loudest in our family. When we asked Evan if he wouldn't love to have 9 other brothers and sisters, he smiled. Emily though was quick to tell us that it wasn't 9 siblings she had, but rather only 7. Death in infancy was not uncommon in early America. 

The boys in the public stocks. Hmmm, maybe I should have left them there a little longer.

Many of the homes and businesses that you will go into are as exact to period as can be - except their prices.

Time for an Organized Christmas

It's time for an organized holiday and Christmas season this year. 

I'm joining up with the amazing people over at List Plan It this year and hope that the extra details will save not only time and frustration, but money as well. 

If you want to join with me this year, I've got a deal for you! Drop me a note via email (through the Contact Us page above) and I will send you a FREE Christmas sampler of organizing forms that you can see below.

 

The free package includes:

• Christmas Card List
• Gift List
• 4 Recipe Cards
• Grocery List (accompanies the recipes)
• Letter TO Santa
• Letter FROM Santa 

Let's make this an exceptionally organized season this year! 

Pickled Dilly Beans Recipe

Side dish time: Pickled Dilly Beans

This one is easy, easy, E-A-S-Y, easy.
10 minutes but takes a minimum of 2 days before you should use it, but no canning required.

Take 1/2 pound string beans, wash and trim the ends.
Pack tightly in a 1 quart canning jar.
Add in 2 whole, peeled cloves of garlic, a couple small slices of onion and 2-4 springs of fresh dill.
Add on top 3 tsps of salt, 1 Tbls sugar and 5 peppercorns.

Next, heat 3/4 c. water and 3/4c. vinegar to boiling, and pour on top to fill the jar. Yes, your house will smell for a bit, but remember, vinegar is also a good odor neutralizer.

Here's the hard part: put a cover over it, put it in the fridge and wait. I know it will be hard, but if you can wait 2 days. Longer, up to 6 weeks, will give it the most flavor.

We had this as a side to meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Other options to try instead of or in addition to the dill: lemon zest strips; red pepper flakes or jalapeno slices.

What do you like to pickle?

Abby the Wonder Dog

Abby is playful and has tons of energy. Given a mix of Basenji, Jack Russell and maybe a little Chihuahua, it's not really a surprise.

Playful and curious

We went to the beach with her and she found a friend. A beautiful, almost white, Golden Retriever, 6 month old "pup". Abby did what she did best and gave him a workout that his owner (or any of us for that matter), could never come close to giving another dog. She ran in circles around him, took his toys and generally gave him a super day at the beach. We saw them only a little while later and that big boy was taking a nap after that workout!

We did find something she doesn't like: water. Or at least the waves crashing up to her, since she will jump in the tub for a bath.

Oh no! Water!

Miss Abby was still on the hunt for another playmate to have fun with. Oh Abby, what are we going to do with you?

Watch Your Mouth at Virginia Beach

Never in my life have I seen this before.

Virginia Beach has signs all along Atlantic Avenue with this sign:

Maybe if more towns would put these signs up - and enforce them - we would have a more polite society.

Love it? Hate it? What do you think?