Gingerbread recipe!

Here's the recipe for those who requested it for the Gingerbread we made yesterday. It caught my eye because it called for a decent amount of spices and lots of molasses, compared to many I've seen. I like a "stout" gingerbread that has lots of flavour....;)

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour (I used whole wheat/wholemeal)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (Bicarb soda)
1/2 tspn of salt (also known as salt in Australia LOL)
1 tspn of ground ginger
1 tspn of ground cinnamon
1/2 tspn of ground nutmeg
1/2 tspn of ground cloves
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup for the Aussies)
1/2 cup sugar (I used Raw Sugar, or as they say over here, "sugar in the raw" ????)
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg beaten ( recommend a chicken egg, emu would be too large)
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Preheat your oven to 375*F/190*C
In large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In separate bowl, melt butter, cool slightly. Stir in sugar, molasses and egg: mix well. Add 2 cups of flour mix....(I say dump it all in): mix well. (they say to "turn it out onto a floured surface, knead in remaining flour mixture by hand - whatever) Add additional flour if necessary, to make firm dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. (I definitely recommend 1/4") Cut out cookies with cookie cutters in a variety of shapes. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet (tray - LOL) (and I greased mine, so there!) about 10 - 15 mins for large cookies (so they say, I say check after 7 -8 mins. if you like them soft like I do!), and 6 - 10 mins for small to medium size.

Cool and then decorate!

For the icing I just dumped powdered/icing sugar in a bowl and added just enough milk to make a stiff icing, then piped it on some and then got lazy and smeared it on the rest...tastes the same, and if you immediately dip in sprinkles...they still look cute too ;)

Long time no post....

As you can see it's been around 6 months since I last blogged....and I can't say that I've missed it....BUT I should probably do a little here and there for the family and friends that live on the other side of the world...can't y'all just move over here????? ;)

Anyway, this year has been busy, crazy, and busy. We found out that we are expecting Baby #5 in February, had my sister come over from Australia to visit, took our family to Australia to visit my family, my sister came back with us to stay for a while, we've had people over to stay with us on weekends, been to conferences, visited U.S. family....you name it. :) I am glad to say that it's slowed down a little at present though, and I have been enjoying a little more regular schedule which is helpful with 4 kids underfoot.

Looking forward to enjoying some time with the kids this week while they are off school! Not that we will likely get up to a whole lot. Yesterday was a movie day and we made a batch of gingerbread cookies that turned out great! Today may just be a trip to the park while we have some decent weather...

Life...

Has been crazy, but good lately. We have been so busy with baseball for Jordan, church fellowship, kids, friends, etc. Have love the baseball season, but will also appreciate time for other things. It is time to go and visit grandparents, great-grandparents, to go camping, swimming, and lots of family stuff. Then my sister comes down in July, then in September we get to go to Australia and visit the family, then my sister comes back with us again. Busy, busy year! We have a wedding to attend next weekend, and baseball playoffs. The weather is warming up....I am so ready for the summer break! Had a busy week with friends and new friends stopping by...lots of fun, but enjoying a few seconds of quiet too! I am still a loner in many ways....but compatible I guess. ;) I love to fellowship with others and yet love the quiet, and peace too. I think once baseball settles down that traveling is going to pick up big time... I am ready for the outdoors....love summer and spring!

Life has been very busy lately! Heath has been soo much busier with work, much of it out of town. When he doesn't get in until later, somehow life goes crazy. My housework has been choking me too! But I will do better! My goal is to get rid of stuff and simplify...we just have way to much junk to organise. I've done my son's room, and will post on that later, if I get the time LOL. Here's a couple of other things we've been up to!

My daughter decided that she wanted a horse comforter for her birthday....seeing as she shares a room I would've needed two which would've cost me way too much. So I ended up making some covers for her existing comforter/quilt. I made one in time for her birthday...the other is still pending LOL. Here's the fabric we used...
#1 group is for the front & #2 is for the backs (in case they get sick of horses!)
Top 2 are for younger daughter, bottom 2 for birthday girl!

I'll try to post a picture of the finished product later when I dig up my camera!

We've also had baseball practice 3 - 4 times a week, with Jorge's first game being tomorrow. I really enjoy having him in baseball. I love being outdoors enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, and getting to see him having fun.

It is my sister-in-law's birthday on Sunday, so I also have some sewing to do for that! We'll see, maybe I'll get some time once the kids are in bed tonight LOL.

Still Here...

Will post soon! Have a few blog posts to do...but, right now I have a headache. ;( See you soon!

Giveaway from Owlhaven....

Mary over at Owlhaven is having a giveaway of her new book...to enter you have to post about it on your blog then comment on hers. I am entering because I have always enjoyed her blog. She has 10 kids....many they have adopted...which I love :) She also blogs about gardening, canning, kids...all are things I enjoy learning about! International bloggers can enter too! So head on over and enter too....

Check this out!

Over at "Life in a Shoe" they have a coupon for a free download from Behemoth.com! The download is some of the Jonathan Park series. They also are having a $50 giveaway to Behemoth as well! Go check it out to get the coupon code, and to enter their giveaway.

Sorry to say this, but this is only for people living in the USA :(

The Bed....

This is for my sister Kristy...I was telling her about my 'new' bed on Facebook...some friends were sick of their bedroom furniture, decided to buy new for Christmas....on the spur of the moment I asked what they were doing with their old bed (I vaguely remembered that it was wood and King size), and they said that I could have it!!!! It was sooo much nicer than I remembered, and I 'love' it! Here 'tis.....

Online Specs....

Well, I finally got in my new glasses that I had ordered online!!!! I ordered two pairs, one with prescription sunglass lenses and one regular prescription. Actually, they really didn't take very long, they said two weeks and it was exactly two weeks today. So.....do ya like 'em???Seeing as I wasn't able to try them on before I bought them, I was a little nervous how they would look...LOL But I really like them! (I think they'll have to grow on Heath a couple more days LOL, even though he helped me to pick them - the black ones.)

Wanna guess $$$$????

Spanish!

I told the kids that we were going to try and learn to speak Spanish, and had been keeping an eye out for some good curriculum/books. I plan on trying the Library before I buy a whole lot, as I'd like it to be as cheap as possible! I got a lot of helpful suggestions here....she has been a great help to me in many areas! Thank you Kimberly! (she answered a question for me on this subject back in January) Well, yesterday as I was at my favourite store Ross finishing up some shopping for a birthday party, my eye caught sight of this.
The only bummer is that the reader books are actually not the animal ones shown, but are on the wild weather, destruction earth, and space mysteries. Still cool subjects though! I think I might go back as they had two of these, and see if the other one has the animal ones. It only cost me $9.99 and has three beginning readers with 3 matching audio CDs and a story book with a CD as well, 2 sets of flash cards (beginning words and numbers) a workbook, and reward stickers. I so hope they still have the other set LOL! If only I had looked inside...but still a great buy for $10! So now we can start learning Spanish! This is soooooo "us". Most of the books we buy are educationally fun, and the kids love animals, and creepy crawlies, and also scary weather ;).

Our day....

Today we went to watch a friend play baseball, and who should we run into but the young guy who we watched play as a kid. He is all grown up and a teenager now! It was so nice to see him and his mom again. We used to live on opposite corners, and he loved our 'little' kids. He was also a real monkey, (but the sweetest kid ever) and him and his mates would play in our front yard. He was Jorge's inspiration that started him wanting to play baseball like Wiwey (Riley). So now we have two teenage guys to go and watch, although they are on competing teams. ;) And soon we get to watch Jorge too.... It was freezing though...everyone was there wrapped up in blankets, LOL. We watched a couple of innings then headed off to do some errands. This afternoon we headed out to the State Park where Heath and Jorge practiced some baseball, (then they chased an armadillo, that Heath managed to "catch" in his baseball glove, mometarily....rotfl)' then the kids rode their bikes. Then Daddy let the kids drive around the 'wagon wheel'....it was such a hoot! When it got to Jazz's turn Heath would let him steer wherever....then slam on the brakes when we were about to hit the tree, fence, or whatever. It was sooooo funny. Jazz loved it. Then a deer stepped out, so we stopped and watched her for a while, and then headed back home, for a quick clean up and supper. And now the kids are in bed, and it is starting to quieten down. I still hear the boys chatting/playing softly, but peaceful nonetheless.

We are growing....

A Little Linky Love!

Go pay this girl a visit...I enjoyed this post, and this one this morning!

Don't You Just Love it???!!!!

OK, this is the first blog design that I have really got excited about! Finally have found one that says "ME"!!!!! (at least for now!) ;)

We're Sprouting!

Some of the seeds we planted have already sprouted! In only three days...what fun! (We planted them on Friday)

It's that time again....

to start gardening! I had almost decided not to have a garden this year as last year was a horrible flop....but I talked myself into it! ;) This year I decided to try starting seed indoors...hopefully I'm not too late already! First I bought these little guys.....

They are compressed peat, and when you add water, they change into this! Ready for planting seeds....

Another option is to fill foam cups with potting soil, and cover with baggies/rubber bands to create a little hot house.... And these, (tulips and hyacinths) got planted out the front along with pastel gladiolas! I want to have lots of cut flowers this year to brighten the home with, along with all the roses.
I also bought 4 blueberry plants, and my dear darling husband planted two more peach trees for me! Our first one has done amazing, and has some of the best fruit ever. We chose two different varieties so that we can have an extended harvest. We have really bad dirt out the front, so we'll have to see how that one will make it! The seeds we planted indoors were Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes (2 kinds), marigolds (to help repel bugs in the garden), zinnias (bright bold flowers to attract bees), brussel sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut, and I don't remember anymore! Then today, I got outside, and with Jorge helping we planted 3 packets of peas, tied up all the blackberry brambles (I hope we get some fruit off them this year?), and watered our cherry bushes (also hoping for a first crop this year...I got one baby cherry last year...LOL) I have also pruned our big peach tree and our pear tree....for the first time....scary stuff that pruning....but it had to be done!

I also need to contact Gurneys and see about getting some replacement plants. They have a lifetime guarantee on their plants, and I bought raspberries, but they all died. I also have a tree, a Lil' Big Sundance, and all of it died but the bottome 6 inches, which finally sent off shoots, and then because it was still so little, the dog attacked it! I have pruned it back and will wait and see what happens, but I'll let them know the story, and see what they say. They may not replace it seeing as the dog dealt the final blow, but it can't hurt to see, I guess.

I'd love to hear if anyone else is gardening too!

My Knight....

In Shining Underwear....
Charging to the battle!

Busy Life!

On Monday we went and signed up Jorge to play Pee Wee baseball!!!! (or as he used to say..."I want to play pooeee baseball...LOL) I am excited! I love to watch little kids play. We used to go watch a neighbourhood kid play...it was great fun. But we'll have to basically kiss about 12 weekends goodbye, or maybe more. He doesn't start till April though, so we have a little bit of life till then. We had to take him two days later to buy his cleats, as he just couldn't wait! ;) I think it will be good for him in other ways too. Teamwork, learning to take orders from other adults, and finding out that their are other kids that just might be better than him, and being friends to those who aren't very cool too. We've already had a lesson in that...LOL I think it will be a great family time.

Thanks girls....and Thank you Lord!

We spent the day at the church building today, tracing stencils, and painting letters, getting a big sign ready to put out the front soon. It was a lot of fun....

When I got up and ready for the church meeting this morning, and looked around and saw the mess the house was in....I was soooo dreading the fact that I would have to come home later, and clean....instead I walked in to a lovely, tidy house with floors mopped....it was so nice!!!!

There are days where I look around, and just say "Lord I need some help, this just ain't working!!! I can't keep it clean, and I'm doing a lousy job of training my kids to be tidy too....HELP!" And He sent me help....in the form of three, actually four (including Jekkie!) girls who chose to surprise me while I was busy doing other stuff. It was really such a blessing! I had a slight clue as when I went to check on something, Iddy Biddy wouldn't let me in the door....and I wisely decided not to interrupt ;)

So thank you girls! And Thank you Lord for hearing my plea for help! And please help me to grow a 'tidy' gene so that I can keep it this way.... :)

The Best Place to Shop Online....

I have been greatly blessed through a website for a while now, and have decided that I need to give them the publicity that they deserve. This is the absolute best place to shop for educational supplies and Christian Books etc. Especially if you like a bargain! You do have to have fit into certain categories, BUT they include homeschoolers and pastors, churches, resellers etc.

The only catch is that you really need to live in the States, as you need to pay with a check/cheque....(can be done online, though)

so here they are...

LIBRARY AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

You simply go and set up an account, selecting your wholesale category, and start shopping!

I would very highly recommend the Focus on the Family Radio Theater CD's. They are awesome. We have The Hiding Place, The Cost of Freedom (Dietrich Bonhoeffer), Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Ben Hur, The Secret Garden....and they have many more. They are very well done, and keep all ages listening.

They have an awesome selection of educational books, and DVDs (ie: Moody Science, History Channel etc.)

And the best part is the prices...they have regular email newsletter sales (make sure you sign up for it!) that have great deals.

Anyway, for all of you folks who can use them....Please do! They are a clean and wholesome place, and promote Christian values.

Oh, and they also have very reasonable shipping rates!

So head over and take a look!

LIBRARY AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES