The Worst Blogger Ever

Well, it's official.  I am the worst blogger ever!  I got busy with housework, homeschool, travel, piano lessons, organ practice, scouts, being a wife, and just breathing.  Life sometimes get's busy so I just let everything go.  But, I resolve to do better.  Here's a quick list of happenings in the land of the Ericksons:

• School is winding down.  It officially ends next week and we are soooo ready.  The twins did their CRT's and I've just got to do some reading tests with Doc and Graci and then we are done!
• I took on the fundraiser for our cub scouts.  We are selling cub scout cookies.  The sign ups are in and now I've got to make enough dough for 1284 cookies!  I think next year the boys should come up with the fundraiser!
• We traveled to Idaho for a dear family member's funeral.  It was nice and peaceful to be with family and honor such a lovely woman.
• We are planning a trip to Bear Lake for Memorial Day.  My kids are so excited that they actually got out the suitcases and packed a month ago.
• Much to my astonishment I am actually learning how to play the organ.  I was called to be the ward organist having never even sat at one.  I honestly thought that I wouldn't be able to learn it, but it's coming along.  My ward is very patient.  I've learned to play it as quietly as possible and pray that the congregation sings really loud.

There's been a lot more going on than that, but those are the highlights.  So, I will be a better blogger.  I think I'll take the weekend off and post again Monday.  Maybe I'll post a recipe for cub scout cookies!

Country Living In The City

John and I dream about living in the country.  Having acres and acres of land, chickens, cows, no neighbors for miles.  We love the quiet, we love the solitude.  We especially love the lessons that our children would learn.  They would learn what hard work really looks like, where food really comes from, how vast our world is, how amazing God's creations are.  For now, however, this is just a dream.  We live in a city.  We have neighbors on every side of us, we have limited space for animals, just a lazy hounddog.  We need to be here for now but I still want my children to learn all of those lessons.  We are doing our best.  Some of our friends and family think we are crazy, but we have made some choices so that our children can still learn those "country living" lessons.

We don't have TV at our house.  We have televisions, but we don't have any channels.  We have to pull an antena out of storage to watch them.  We want our children to find ways to fill their time without television.  When we sit down for a family movie night, or a special show we want to watch it is special because we don't watch it everyday.

 We grow food.  I am not a great gardener, but I am a passionate one.  I love getting my kids outside pulling weeds, planting seeds, and carefully nurturing those seeds to maturity.  I think there are great lessons in the dirt, lessons of patience, of sweat, of creation.  Wonderful things are learned from growing something.

 We don't have and will never have cell phones for our children.  We grew up without a  phone in our pocket and they will too.  Learning how to have a conversation, speaking with confidence, writing a letter, connecting to people, have been lost since cell phones came along.  I want my children to speak in full sentences, not lol or rotfl.

 We get up early.  John is awesome at this, I am not.  I am learning.  He understands the peace and joy that comes from seeing the sun come up.  I am waiting for that joy, haven't found it yet.  If you were to walk by our house in the early hours you might see my kids running in circles in the front yard.  John wakes our children before the sun to read.  If they start to sleep he gets them running.  He wants them to live with discipline and that means getting out of bed and getting to work. (he gets that from his dad).

  We let our children run around and play.  We don't sign up for tons of activities, we dont don't have tons of toys or games that require them to play a certain way.  They climb the giant apple tree in the backyard, they get sticks and play knights, they build rock towers and racetracks from leaves.  We make them go outside, with access to a bike and anything they can find in the yard and they play.   They usually come in covered in mud or dirt, with scrapes on the knees and elbows, and pink cheeks from the sun.  We have some friends that don't like to play because we are "wild".  That's okay, we like wild, we like a little danger, we like adventure. 

 Yes, we are different, yes we are weird, but, you know, we kind of like it that way.

Celebrating Spring

We had a beautiful Easter weekend.  We enjoyed celebrating our Savior.  We went to church and then went to Granny and Papa's house to celebrate.  It was great.

I wanted a "nice" Easter picture of my kids, this is as "nice" as they get.  I just love them.

 I say this about every season, but I just love the spring.  I love to see the world come back to life, I love the cool breezes, and the lovely spring rain.  In honor of spring I made one of my favorite comfort foods, pasta primavera.  It translates to spring pasta and not only is it delicious, you can make it a dozen different ways with whatever veggies you have on hand.  Here's how I did mine.

Saute some onion and garlic in a combo of oil and butter.  Cook until just soft, not browned

I had some asparagus so I chopped it up to be about the same size as the pasta.  I used elbow macaroni because that's what I had. 

 Saute the asparagus just until it's bright green, a couple of minutes.  Add some flour to make a rue

 

 Pour in a couple of cups of chicken broth

 After that bubbled for a bit I added a combo of pecorino romano and parmesan cheese.  Also added some baby peas.

 Stir in the pasta and serve!

It is so delicious!  You can add peppers, leeks, carrots, whatever you want.  It is just like spring on a plate. (Yes we used paper plates, we were all feeling lazy).  Here's the recipe

 

 

Pasta Primavera

 

1 1/2 lbs pasta, cooked al dente

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil 

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches asparagus, cut to match pasta size

3 TBSP flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper

 

In large pan melt butter into the olive oil until foaming subsides.  Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add asparagus and saute just until asparagus is bright green, about 2 mins.  Stir in flour and cook for another minute.  Add chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Bring up to a simmer to thicken.  Once thickened turn heat to low and add in cheeses and peas.  Stir until cheeses are melted.  Add in pasta and serve with lots of pepper and a sprinkle of paremsan.

 



Birthday and Bruschetta

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday.  It was beautiful and sunny.  My children were excited to celebrate with me.  We started our day with strawberries and cream.  Husband bought me beautiful flowers and a cd of one of my favorite musicians.  I just love him. Then, I went and bought myself a piece of german chocolate cake.  I'm the only one in my house that likes coconut so it wouldn't make sense to make a whole cake for me (actually it would make sense and I would eat the whole thing so it's just better this way).  It was delicious. We had school and played outside, enjoying our beautiful spring weather.  Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. Our birthday tradition is to let the birthday boy or girl pick their favorite dinner.  It's fun to see what each person wants.  Husband usually wants bbq.  Kids usually pick enchiladas or spaghetti.  Well, today was my turn.  I haven't really met a food I don't like, so this can be a hard decision for me.  But, if I think really hard I can come up with a few favorites.  I chose tomato bruschetta and roasted asparagus.  My family wasn't thrilled.  I was a vegetarian for a good while, so even though I now eat meat I generally choose a meat free meal.   I try and encourage my family to eat vegetarian.  I cook meat free a few times a month, but I also know that my husband loves his meat and potatoes so I try and cook things that make him happy.  I have a couple of kids, one in particular, that really don't love veggies.  We've actually spent many hours sitting at the dinner table waiting for him to eat his veg.  So tonight, because I didn't want him to go to bed hungry I baked a hawaiin pizza for them and I ate the bruschetta and asparagus.  Everyone was happy, my children went to bed with their tummies filled, and I enjoyed my beautiful veggies.  Birthdays don't get much better!

 

 

 

Grape Tomato Bruschetta

 

*note:  this isn't really an exact recipe, more a method so make it how you like it

 

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used red and yellow)

1TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

2 TBSP fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

baguette

 

Slice your baguette and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in a skillet over med high heat and toast on both sides, about 3 mins per side.  (You could also put them under the broiler).  Slice tomatoes in half and put in a bowl.  Pour the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes and stir to combine.  Let them sit at room temperature while you toast your bread.  Stir basil into tomatoes and pour tomatoes over the hot bread.  Enjoy!

 

 

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

*again more method than measurments

 

1 bunch asparagus

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

3 TBSP grated parmesan cheese (preferably not the kind in the green can)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Trim asparagus and put on baking sheet.  Pour the oil, cheese, and salt and pepper on asparagus and mix until well coated.  Roast in s 425 oven for about 10 minutes.

Weekends and Banana Bread

 

 

I love weekends! Husband get's to be home and we get some much needed time together. Some weekends we have big plans of errands or work, and sometimes we get tot just hang out. This weekend was suppose to have some errands, however we just decided to stay home. We got some much needed work done around the house and we spent time napping and playing. It was lovely. I wish weekends would last longer. I guess that we have our busy weeks so that we can really appreciate our blessed weekends. I decided to make some banana bread (because I had some very over ripened bananas). It is scrumptious. I use just my mom's recipe, however I have learned a trick that makes it just amazing.

 

 

 Put your bananas in a microwave safe bowl, cover with platic and cut a few vents.  Microwave for 7-10 mins until they get super soft and give off a lot of liquid.

 In the meantime mix your dry ingredients

 When the bananas are done strain them into a sauce pan.  I know they don't look good now, but just wait.

 

Cook the banana liquid on high until it reduces and becomes thick and syrup like.  I didn't take a great picture, but it is slighly golden in color, and smells amazing.

Smash up the bananas, add the syrup and the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until really well combined.

Add the wet to the dry and carefully fold together.  To much mixing will make tough bread so mix just until combined.  A few streaks of flour is just fine.

 Divide into two greased loaf pans and sprinkle each loaf with a little sugar.  This makes a great candied top.

Bake and enjoy!

 

Banana Bread

(makes 2 loaves)

 

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

8-10 bananas (very ripe)

2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 tsp. granulated sugar (for topping)

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Microwave bananas 7-10 minutes or until extremely soft and liquid.  Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  When bananas are done strain liquid into a sauce pan and place banana solids in a seperate bowl.  Cook liquid on high until reduced an sryup like, about 5 or 6 minutes.  Pour banana syrup over banana solids and mash until smooth.  Add rest of liquid ingredients to bananas and stir until combined, and sugar begins to disolve.  Pour wet ingredients over dry and carefully fold together.  Divide into 2 greased loaf pans and sprinkle each loaf with 2 tsp. granulated sugar.  Bake for 50-60 mins. rotating pans half way.  Let cool in pans for 15 mins. and then remove and let cool on racks.

 

 

 

 

Where Does Time Go?

I don't know about you but I feel like time has actually sped up!  There's no scientific research to back me up, but I'm pretty sure that 24 hours is more like 14 these days.  My life is filled with so much stuff that by the weekends I just want to stay in bed and read a book.  I love all of the things that get to do during the week, it just becomes so much.  How do you slow down?  How do you prioritize how you spend your time?  We have homeschool, housework, yardwork, swim practice, tumbling class, school groups, organ practice, piano lessons, church service, family time, and random obligations like doctor appointments.  It's a lot!  I feel like the biggest lesson I have learned as a mom and a homeschooler is that you have to do what's most important and let everything else fall away.  It's a hard lesson.  I miss spending time with friends during the day.  Having lunch and time to visit was something I really loved.  But, I know that I what I am sacrificing is worth it.  I have little glimpses during the day of why I do what I do.  It's those moments when Graci reads me a story from her reading lesson book without asking if the letter h sounds like a k.   It's those moments when Gunnar will bring me Green Eggs and Ham, sit on my lap, and let me hold him and read him that book 15 times before he runs off to play.  It's those moments when Gavin, Gage, and Gibson use their free time to write a story together about a magical world with wizards and beasts, or when they come home from swim practice so proud of themselves that they mastered flip turns.  My family always comes first.  I know it's not just homeschoolers that feel this time crunch.  All families are trying so hard to keep their families close, while trying to keep up with the speed of this world.  I read once about the amish communities and how they value quiet peaceful time.  If you were to go to an amish farm you would notice how hard they work all day in the fields, but when the sun goes down they are done.  They, unlike most of us, understand that work is important but when the sun goes down it's time to put work aside and have peaceful time.  They go in their homes, read, talk, and just spend time together.   I should try to be more like the amish.  I need to let go of the guilt that if I don't let my family do everything they want that they won't be happy.  I think children would be happier if they had to do less, if they had time to decompress away from all electronics and media.  If families would make it a priority to spend time together.  Not just be in the same house doing their own thing, but to turn off everything and spend time talking and being together.  I think something that simple could change the world.  So I am challenging myself to be more amish.  To give my family the gift of calm and quiet. 

Fire And A Lesson In Etiquette, Man Etiquette That Is

This weekend we had our first fire and roast of the year.  We have spent countless hours in our little backyard enjoying a cozy fire with hot dogs and smores.  It has led us to some of our greatest conversations.  There are times, however, that our roasts aren't quite as refined and elevated.  This weekend's roast had my children rolling around in the dirt laughing so hard that they couldn't breath.  What were they laughing at?  Belching, of course.  Who can belch the loudest, who can belch the longest, and all sorts of different ways to make yourself belch.  I really try to teach my kids to be polite and act properly at a meal.  However, living in a house full of boys I sometimes have to step back and let the testosterone flow.  And I'd rather have that happen at our roasts than at our nice dinner with the missionaries (which has happened too!) So, I hope your weekend was filled with sunshine, family, fun, and maybe a little belching! 

Quick tip:  We use chocolate frosting on our smores instead of chocolate bars.  It's less messy!  Also, try using fudge dipped cookies instead of graham crackers.

Movie Night and Hello Dollys

Last night was movie night.  It's one of my very favorite nights I spend with my family.  We turn off all the lights, ignore the phone, hunker down on the couch downstairs and enjoy a movie.  We always have popcorn and a treat and it's just a great time.  We watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night.  Husband just finished reading the book to the kids and we always watch the movie after they are done.  The treat that we decided on is one of my all time childhood favorites.  They are called Hello Dollys and they are divine!  Graham cracker, butter, chocolate, what's not to love?  Here's the recipe.  You can cut it in half for a 9x13 pan, however they are always devoured and they store great so why not go for the big half sheet!  Enjoy.

Hello Dollys

30 graham crackers, crushed finely
2 sticks butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetend and condensed milk

Combine graham crackers, butter and sugar until well combined.  Press into half sheet pan and bake for 10 mins at 375.  Take out of the oven and sprinkle on the chips and pour the condensed milk all over.  Put back in the oven for another 6-8 minutes or until the milk starts to bubble and brown.  Allow to cool before cutting into squares. 

*you can also mix it up!  Add walnuts, use butterscotch or peanut butter chips, or a combo of your choice!

Looking Out My Back Door

 

Our days usually begin with devotional and then school. We try to get the "formal" stuff out of the way early so that we can spend the rest of the day playing and studying anything we like. We are pretty good about sticking to a schedule so that we get our basic skills done. Well, it's been a long cold winter and the last couple of days have brought hope of spring. It's been mild, sunny, and gorgeous! So instead of doing our formal "schooling" I felt it was important to let my kids out to soak in the sun and get rid of their cabin fever energy. I don't think there is anything more important for kids than to have outside creative play time. Boys especially need time to run, build muscle, create something, and burn off some of that male energy that they always have. I have 4 sons and 1 daughter and I have learned very quickly that they are different! I have found over the years that when my sons are yelling, making messes (there have been some doozys!), and are constantly fighting and hitting that they just have pent up energy that they need to release. They are always better behaved when they can run around and play. Not organized play like sports, or games, but play that they can create on their own. As I write this they are all outside being miners in the backyard, mining for gold and other minerals. They are climbing our giant apple tree and chasing Maggie with her bone. When all of my boys were little I was worried about them playing unsupervised. They could get hurt! But I have learned that these little men need some "danger". They need to be boys. It helps them to develop that wonderful quality that a good man has of being a problem solver. So here are a few pictures I snapped looking out my backdoor. Everything is still brown, but the sun and the blue skies bring hope of a beautiful green spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast For Dinner

I was so excited to finally feel well enough to cook for my family so I tried to think of one of their most favorite things to eat.  I came up with....breakfast.  Breakfast foods are probably the most popular thing at my house.   We love pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, pretty much anything that has to do with morning time foods.  One of their most favorite breakfasts that I make is hash.  I just throw hash browns, any breakfast meat, any veg that I have in the fridge, into a pan and cook it together.  Top with an egg and maybe some salsa and it becomes one of our most beloved weekend breakfasts.  I decided that was what I was going to make.  I wanted to "dinner it up" so I decided to take out the hash browns and turn it into a hash stuffed twice baked potato.  Let me tell you, it was amazing!  My family loved it so it's definatly going into our regular repertiore.  I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did.

Hash Stuffed Twice Bakers

4 medium to large russet potaoes, baked and cooled
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage (could also use ham or bacon)
1 each red, yellow, green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 lb  cremeni mushrooms, sliced (could also use button)
1 jalepeno, minced
8 eggs, cooked how you like (optional)
cilantro (optional)

Cut potatoes in half legthwise and scoop out middles, leaving about 1/4 of flesh in to hold the skins together.  Put halves on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then bake for 15 mins at 400 until crisp.  In the meantime, brown your sausage in a pan (cast iron is perfect for this).Once browned remove leaving drippings in pan.  Add your vegetables and saute until crisp tender and the mushrooms have browned.  Add back your sausage and warm through.  Spoon filling into potato skins (you could top with a little cheese if you would like) and then top with an egg of your choice.  Sprinkle with cilantro.  *note:  you could also add in your potato middles and brown them after your meat.  I chose to save those for another day.

Surgery and Lazy Chicken

I've been out of commission for a week or so, not because of a vacation or anything fun, but because I had some minor surgery last week.  I have been sick for quite some time and I needed to have my gallbladder out.  I had that done and I'm recovering well.  Because of that I haven't been doing any cooking (or much of anything for that matter).  I have wonderful neighbors and family that have brought my crew dinner so that I could just rest.  Husband has been taking over my homeschool duties and it has been a nice week of recovery.  Now it's time to get back to life.  Honestly, I haven't been the best patient.  I don't really enjoy laying around.  I'm excited to get back to school, housework (well maybe not that) and cooking real food.  While I've been down we utilized easy food that was quick for my husband to prepare.  One of his favorite things is what we call Lazy Chicken.  It's a slow cooker meal, and I'm pretty sure everyone has a version of it.  It calls for cream of mushroom soup, something I normally avoid like the plague.  But, my family enjoy's it and it really is a lazy recipe.  Enjoy!

Lazy Chicken

6 to 8 frozen boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 family size can cream of mushroom soup
1 8 oz block cream cheese
3 TBSP butter
1 envelope dry italian dressing packet.

Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.  When fully cooked use a fork and shred the chicken.  Stir to combine (the cream cheese sometimes stays lumpy until you stir it a bit).  Serve over rice.

90 Day Book of Mormon Challenge

I am part of an amazing group of women called The Eliza R. Snow Association.  We get together each month to sing, pray, read amazing books, and discuss ways to better ourselves and our families.  In our last meeting someone mentioned this challenge and I've been so excited to start!  It's the 90 Day Book Of Mormon Challenge.  It's not what you might be thinking.  You don't read the whole Book of Mormon in 90 days, you read it 3 TIMES in 90 days!  Each time through you are focusing on different things.

1st 30 days:  Highlight anything that talks about how God deals with his children
2nd 30 days:  In a different color highlight anything that talks about Gods atonement
3rd 30 days:  In a different color highlight anything that likens the scriptures to you

You read about 18 pages a day.  Here's a printable schedule that you can use for a book mark.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkXdPMkcfwTWdElLLVpZa0xKSUlueC0wSjRFNHoyZnc&hl=en#gid=0

I hope that you can join me in this challenge!  Let me know how it's going. 
More spiritual enlightenment here: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng&format=general-conference&view=sessions&media

Morning Routine and Crazy Cake

I wake up most mornings to a beautiful sight.  My children are all snuggled up with blankets, curled up on the couches, with their dad reading them a book.  My husband gets to stay home in the mornings a few times a week, and because he is a superhero of a husband and dad he uses those mornings to read to our children.  He wants to be involved with their education and spend as much time with them as possible.  So, instead of sleeping in he wakes up at 6:00 and quietly goes through the house waking our children for reading time.  I use these mornings to go to the gym (well, I did once upon a time), have my scripture study, or (most of the time) sleep!  My beautiful, sleepy-eyed children LOVE this time.  They have had many many adventures with Aslan, Ralph Moody, Harry Potter, and many others.  It's the best time of the day.

Then sadly, the time comes where the book is closed and my darling husband has to go to work.  And like a flip of a switch everything changes.  My once quiet, loving, attentive children, turn to me and the chaos begins!  "What's for breakfast?", "I hate oatmeal."  "Can't we have cereal ever?" "He breathed on me wrong.", "I can't find my shoes, but I left them right here under the dogs bed yesterday."  "Mom, she wont let me turn her dollhouse into my spaceship!"  And so it goes.  Me, trying to fix breakfast and get the kids moving for the day.  The kids running, yelling, fighting, throwing clothes around because the shirt that they HAVE to wear is not in their drawer (because they've worn it for three weeks straight so it was taken to the wash while they were sleeping).

 

What happened to those children who were, just minutes ago, snuggling up to their dad? My theory is that while I'm at the gym (or let just be honest, sleeping) husband is training them on how to push every stress button that mom has. I think he finds great joy in seeing me run around like a maniac. I have learned on these mornings that sometimes the only thing that will make it better is....chocolate! And you know stressed spelled backwards is desserts, so in honor of my crazy mornings I am going to share with you my all time favorite recipe for chocolate cake. It is aptly named Crazy Cake. And I will admit that I have had this delicious, moist cake for breakfast. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and though she will never admit it, I think it's called crazy cake because she raised 7 children and ate this cake for breakfast sometimes too!

Crazy Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup oil
2 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP vinegar

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, mix together wet ingredients except for vinegar in seperate bowl. Pour wet into dry and mix until combined. Add in vinegar and stir. Pour into prepared 9x13 baking dish. Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or frost with your favorite frosting.

Sick Day with Soup and Bread

Today my kids weren't feeling so hot.  My little man was having some stomach issues.  I won't share details,  but lots of Lysol and toilet cleaning was involved.  My little woman was feeling super tired and took a nap, a very rare occurance.  So we decided to stay in our jammies and make warm comfort food.   Cooking is by far my favorite thing to do.  I find so much joy in creating beautiful and delicious things for my family.  We decided to make black bean soup and homemade bread.  I didn't want to go to the store so we needed to use what we had on hand.  This soup is so easy.  It does take time to cook the beans but if you were to do that a day or two ahead this would for sure be a 30 minute soup.  I wouldn't recommend using canned beans, just because there are so few ingredients that cooking the dry beans with the flavorings really adds to the soup.  Here's the recipe!

note:  all my recipes will be for between 8 and  12 people.  I have a large family with lots of growing boys so those recipes for 4 just won't do!

Black Bean Soup (Serves 8)

1 lb dry black beans (about 2 cups)
5 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (about, I never measure)
1/2 tsp baking soda (keeps the beans black instead of turning grey or purple)
1 ham steak
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
2-3 cloves garlic (or if you're anything like me 5)
4 cups chicken broth (1 box store bought)
2 chipotles in adobo, diced (optional, you could use fresh jalepeno or omit)
2 TBSP cumin
sour cream
avacado
cilantro
limes

In a pot pour your beans, water, bay, salt, baking soda and ham steak.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay and hamsteak.  Dice up steak to add later (it will be black, but taste delicious!) DO NOT DRAIN
In separate pot saute onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, chipotle, and cumin in a little olive oil until tender and slightly brown, about 10 mins.  Add in beans with their cooking liquid and chicken broth, simmer about 20 mins.  Add back the ham and adjust seasoning.  Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and definatly a squeeze of lime!

And now on to the bread!

White Bread (3 Loaves)

4 cups warm water (I just use hot tap water)
2 TBSP active dry yeast
1TBSP salt (I use kosher)
1/3 canola oil (or olive oil)
1/3 cup honey or 2/3 cup sugar
10-12 cups all-purpose flour

In mixer combine water, yeast, salt, sugar, oil, and 5 cups flour.  Mix to combine.  Gradually mix in the additional 5 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of mixer.  Knead by hand on floured surface, or knead in mixer on low for about 10 minutes.  Cover with towel and leth the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 30-45 minutes. 

Punch down the dough, turn it out on lightly floured surface (or oiled if you don't want to add more flour) and divide in thirds.  Form loaves and put in well greased loaf pans.   (I like glass pans, they tend to brown better).  Let the loaves rise 30 to 45 minutes or until you can press down with your finger and the indendation remains.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.  Bake the loaves for 30 minutes.  Immediately remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Welcome!  I've decided to create this blog to post about me and my family's scratch made lives.   I have an amazing hardworking husband, five awesome kids and a lazy hound named Maggie.  My daily life is full of "scratch made" things.  From cooking, to homeschool, to family activities I love to create things for my family that are made by us and for us.  I hope you enjoy coming on this made from scratch journey with me!