Bavarian Cream

My favorite doughnuts are the ones with the yellowed cream inside. Not the nasty white icing or the chocolate fluff... but the golden yellowed yumminess that is also known as Bavarian cream. I wanted to share this recipe for quick and easy Bavarian cream, which is actually kind of a cheating recipe, since you use pudding mix and such. The best part about it though is you can use any pudding mix you want and have flavored cream. So if you like chocolate cream, use chocolate pudding, same goes for butterscotch, pistachio, or just plain old vanilla... it's your choice!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant pudding mix
• 3/4 cup milk
• 12 ounces Cool Whip, thawed

Mix together cream cheese and dry pudding mix.
Slowly beat in milk.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Done.



Keep it refrigerated when not using, of course, since it has milk in it. Use it to fill cakes, puff pastry, doughnuts, anything really... You could probably even serve it straight in a cup or bowl with some fruit garnish and call it fancy pudding! *laugh*

Resting

Well, apartment inspection yesterday was a joke. They came in, replaced the smoke alarm batteries and left. Not even a two minute job. BUT, the house is clean  anyway. The kitchen is certainly cleaner than it's ever been since we moved in. I don't scrub the side of the refrigerator for just anyone! *laugh* Even though I know there will be more dishes by Monday and more vacuuming by Tuesday and more tidying by the days beyond that, it is nonetheless nice to have one day of downtime to relax and do nothing.

Pumpkin Pics!

Pumpkin carving last night went well. Lots of fun. Took pictures!

After the carving I made pumpkin bread with the chunks we removed. Also, roasted up the seeds! 

Overall it was a good evening. Now to work on a bat costume and settle in for a nice weekend!

Plans

Planned pumpkin carving this evening after the finishing of the kitchen cleaning. Tomorrow is apartment inspection and then I have to put together Bastian's costume. He has decided on a bat. For certain this time. He's had at least seven different changes, but I told him once the costume is made that's it. No changes after that.

I figure a black sweatshirt and pants with cut wings and a drawn on muzzle should do it. It's fairly cheap and easy. Thank goodness, as things are rather tight this year.

Pictures tomorrow of the pumpkin carving. Pictures Tuesday of the costume. I know it seems like I've waited until late to carve pumpkins, considering everyone else has had theirs out on the front porch for weeks, but I find if I do it just a few days prior then I can butcher the pumpkin the day after Halloween for pie. If you wait too long the pumpkin is all mooshie. Even if it isn't mooshie, too much time will leech out (break down?) the sugars and then it's just not nearly as yummy. Look at that, I do know something about cooking! *laugh*

Cleaning Again

Another day of cleaning. This time I don't have a choice over it though. Apparently there will be an apartment inspection Friday. This is actually the first time they have done this in the two years we've lived here. Last year they just gave us batteries for the smoke detector. This year the note on the door said they also wanted to check the plumbing. I think it's a ploy to enter the apartments and check up on residents. I'm not worried about us, the place stays clean and we aren't violating our lease any, but I do know the neighbors across the way may be in for some trouble. They have a pet, but no pet sticker on their door. Not to mention that it always reeks of pot smoke in the hallway. To be honest I hope they do get in trouble for it. I don't really need that sort of thing going on with Bastian getting old enough to understand it!

In other news... It snowed today! *little happy dance* There was a good 2 or 3 inches when I took Bastian to school this morning and it was still coming down lightly when I walked the dog. I plan to settle into a good quilt and savor a mug of hot chocolate right after the house is done. Open all the blinds so I can watch the snow fall on the sidewalk. The only thing I could wish for today ... well, I could wish for a few things, but what I really wish for is a nice screened in porch overlooking a large pasture and a strong, sweet  man to cuddle up with. Then the scene would be complete. I can settle for hot chocolate for now though! *grin*

Things I One Day Wish To Have - Ep. 03

A Meat Grinder! Yes, I know, for some it isn't practical. For most, buying ground at the store is great. For me... well, I plan on processing a lot of my own meat (rabbit, goat, chicken, game, etc.) and making sausage. So a meat grinder is essential.

My featured meat grinder comes, of course, from the Lehman's catalog. The Chop Rite Clamp-down Grinder.This grinder is ideal for home use on a regular basis. So it can take a bit of a beating and still come out on top. Lehman's also has a bolt down version, but I don't know that I would have the space to put one in permanently, so clamp is good enough for me. Plus a good $100 cheaper. Overall a good grinder will likely run anywhere from $100 to $300 depending. This one is $109 as of today in the catalog online. They do have a stainless steel version for $79 for those on a budget, but I prefer to spend the extra to get the cast iron model.

Isn't it pretty! Now this one only comes with one grinding plate, but you can order 3 others in varying sizes, as well as a sausage stuffing horn and (for those who are interested) a pulley belt attachment for automation purposes. It also comes in a mini model. The mini model processes 1 lb at a time, whereas the small model will handle 3 lbs.

Manic Mondays

It's Barnhop day! Despite the fact that I knew Monday was looming I still completely forgot to prepare for it. I actually didn't make anything interesting this weekend. I was extremely lazy kitchen wise. I did manage to make a bunch of other things though. Which I can share with you now instead of a recipe.

My son wanted me to make a heart:

I also made him a dinosaur as a  surprise last Friday:

It looks kind of more like the Loch Ness Monster, because of how long the neck came out. I really liked his head and how it shaped up though..

If I were to do him again I would alter the neck part of the pattern to be shorter and thicker. I might also position the legs differently. Possibly make them shorter and thicker too.







 Also, I'm working on a horse, which is bigger than my others have been. I only have the hooves done. I hope to finish it by Friday, but we'll see. I may have it done sooner if I can get the house all clean today and not have to worry about it the rest of the week.

Is It Monday, Yet?

Next weekend is a four day weekend for Bastian's school. I am and yet, I am not, looking forward to it. I like the idea that I won't have to be up at 6:45... but I am not looking forward to dealing with his newest "stage." Wherein he fake cries every time he doesn't get the least little thing. Which leads to me yelling and him fake crying louder. I'm sure the neighbors think I beat him regularly.

I know that this is mostly his reaction to the divorce and all the changes. Scott (the soon to be ex) is moving to North Dakota and even though he's not gone yet is never home to give him any attention, so he feels he needs to act out to get mine. *sigh*

An Almost Octopus...

Made this little guy two days ago. He was supposed to be an octopus, but I could only fit six legs around. If I do him again for any reason I would make all eight legs first, position them, then sew them. I think he would make a cute rattle if you put a ball rattle in it.

The Hexapus:

My stitching is getting tighter and neater I think. Considering this is only my fourth little crochet toy. I finished a dinosaur last night. Pics soon. I really like the way his eyes turned out. I was going to embroider over the little yellow spots, but I felt they came out looking like pupils, so I didn't. Eventually I will progress to using beads or sew on eyes, but for now embroidering works.

In other life news: my soon to be ex husband got a job at an oil company repairing satellite dishes. He will be moving to North Dakota soon. I have mixed feelings. I'm happy he got the job, it pays very well. However I'm not happy he won't be able to spend more time with Bastian. Part of the reason I chose to stay here and not move was so he could be close to Bastian. That and he threw such a fit when I mentioned moving, threatening to have me arrested for kidnapping if I took my son out of state. It's been a crazy few months. I just want this part to be past and be able to move on more freely. The good part in all this: the ex will be making more than enough money to pay child support. So no excuses there.

Finally: moving on to crochet my Christmas stuff. I figure it will take quite some time to get all the decorations I want to put on the tree. And have some to position around the house as well. (Christmas items done in between toy requests, of course. I believe the next he wants is a heart -no questioning the mind of a five year old- and then a bee and a bird.)

Odds and Ends

I had some extra photos laying around of things and happenings here that I never got around to posting from last week and that week I was without internet. I want to get them off my memory card thing so I can fill it with new pictures to share!

 The finished evil blanket, finally resting in it's new place. Happy me. Now if I can just crank out a couple of matching throw pillows I'll be good to go.

Made this soap cozy the other day. Used a small moss stitch for texture. I use a glycerin based soap and it doesn't lather very well. This has really helped. I could also cut a floofy sponge and insert it instead of the soap for a loofah type thing.

 

Dinner last week. Something fairly tasty, but I used too many peas. I love peas, everyone else in the house... not as thrilled. I think there was rice on the bottom. Hard to see for all the green stuff. *laugh*

A bruise on my shin. I have no idea where I got it. Maybe kicking something. I had thought barking it against the coffee table, but it's awful round and very large for that. It's mostly faded now. This was almost two weeks back? I can't remember why I took this photo, but I must have had a reason!




There. That's all the baubles and leftovers on my camera. I pry could have stretched each one out into a single entry and had four days worth of posts, but it's all older news. I like to reserve my daily posts for current goings on.

Little Early

I made these cookies the other day. They are very Christmas-y. Nothing too fancy. It was a box mix I had gotten on impulse at the store. It just looked so tasty on the box. Which lied to me, by the way. Not about the tasty... they are very yummy... about the amount. Clearly reads on the box "Makes 3 Dozen." However if you make the size of cookie pictured on the box you can really only make half that. I had to make tiny quater sized cookies to get anywhere close to 3 dozen. Needless to dsay I remembered right quick why I prefer making my own cookies from scratch!

Chocolate Fudge with Peppermint Crushed Candy. I think I may try to work out a recipe from scratch and maybe post it in December. There has to be a better way than the box gives you. They are good, but not great.

Also... here's the ghost I made Bastian yesterday. I dislike it. The proportions are funky. It's just a toy for him though and he loves it, so I guess I did an ok job. Will be trying to find a different pattern for any future ghosties though. His eyes are pink because that's what the five year old wanted. I don't question anymore!

Worm!

Another commission for my five year old. It's kind of cute. An inch worm.

 His smile is a little crooked, but that's just something that I have to practice. I've never embroidered on crochet work before. The hardest part of this guy were the three bends to shape his body. The most frustrating part was having to stuff him with cotton balls because I didn't have any polyfil! Just means he can never get dirty and never get wet....

I love how I can start out with string and end up with something like this. While it is forming it never looks like much, but then -tadaaa- it shapes up into something horribly cute. Now if only I could afford more yarn... Ah, well. I'll settle for using the last of what I have here for now. I may have some in the storage closet too, from last year.

I think this year, since we have no Christmas items.. we lost them two years ago... I will crochet ornaments and decorations. That is, if Bastian will quit asking for witches, ghosts and worms!

An Ugly Pumpkin...

So recently I have started doing amigurumi crochet things. I really needed a break from scarves and blankets. Anyhow, my five year old requested a pumpkin yesterday. I didn't have any bright orange, just this burnt umber color, but I thought I'd share it anyhow. It actually turned out better than I had anticipated while I was making it. The pattern for this one was different than some of my other projects have been, since it wasn't worked in rounds from the bottom up but rather rows like a wonky washcloth, then sewn together and smoosheded.

Apparently it "needs a face, Mom!" but:

The color is actually not bad in these photos because of the flash. Trust me it's a lot darker. Still, awful cute. His next request is a worm and a witch. Maybe I can just put a witch hat on a worm and say it's both!

In other news, it's 36* this morning. I am having cravings for hot chocolate and graham crackers with chocolate frosting sandwiches.

Thin Mints...

Most of my Barnhop Monday posts are recipes. I find this draws the most outside readers because people love to learn new things. I love to have new readers, so it is a win win!

Lately my recipes have been of the "commercial things you can do yourself" variety. This week is no different. I want to show everyone how to make Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies... at home.

Thin mints are by far my favorite of all the cookies. I also enjoy most the other flavors (except the lemon ones, blech!) but the little green box is highest on my list. I usually line my freezer with them once a year. They are also best frozen!

To make a batch at home that is almost the real thing try this:

Ingredients

Cocoa Wafer Cookies
3 T. butter
1 egg white
1/4 c. brown sugar
pinch of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour (plus 1/4 c.)
2 drops pure peppermint oil

Combine all ingredients together. Add flour as needed, until dough is roll-able and not sticky at all. Roll verrrry thin. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 325 for 4-7 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and browned slightly around edges. Remove from oven and cool.

*

Peppermint Buttercream Layer
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. melted butter
2-3 drops pure peppermint oil
1/2 tsp. heavy whipping cream

Mix together until it becomes thick and easy to roll with a rolling pin. Roll until about 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shape. Place atop cooled cookies.

Chocolate!

 Place cookies into melted chocolate (Candiquik is very easy and good here, but melted chips made in a double boiler -bowl over boiling water- would work), spoon chocolate atop until fully covered. Fish out with fork or tongs, carefully! Allow to dry on rack placed above a piece of parchment paper (rack not necessary, but does make cookie bottoms prettier. Makes about 30 cookies.

Waste Not

I like to reuse everything. Compost when I can, horde leftovers, feed the dog scraps of fat or offal. There are many little things that I can manage even in my current apartment setting. One of my favorite tricks is to use an ice cube tray and freeze the juice from canned fruits. The resulting cubes can be used in tea or water later to sweeten it.

I also use the water from canned vegetables in recipes in place of some of the water that may be called for. If your stew needs water and you are adding canned corn anyway, just measure out the liquid and adjust accordingly. This isn't always the case, and I don't freeze veggie water for later use, but for the most part it makes me feel I'm using more. It really only amounts to a quarter cup per can, so some may not feel it worth the effort.

Lazy Saturday

Nothing at all planned. I finally finished the blanket last night! I stayed up late to finalize the edges and am fairly happy with the result. Now my bed is winter ready. Four layers and very cozy.

Next up: pillows to match. Then a scarf set for me, I think. I'm fairly sure I've gotten all my Christmas things out of the way. This year is going to be very tight, budget wise. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage some things. I know I'll figure it out, but still.... *sigh*

Catalogs

I get a number of catalogs each year. Most arrive in the Spring but a few come in the Fall so you can plan ahead for early Spring ordering. I get a bunch of them and I thought I would share my list and ask everyone else to share theirs...

Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog
Hoegger Supply Company
Burpee Fall Edition
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm
Randall Burkey Company
Murray McMurray Hatchery
Dadant Bee Supply
Chick's Discount Saddlery

I love flipping through the catalogs and planning for future purchases. It may be years before I get to make any, but I will be well prepared for the eventuality.

So Close!

The evil blanket is almost complete! I have to do a little more on one side of the trim and fill up the 4 inches that the border extended. I'm so happy with it. It's the first blanket I've finished like this for myself. All my other blankets I've always given away. And none of my other blankets have been this intricate with a border.

Picture updates:

Finished border.

First I made a crud ton of squares...

"Sewed" them together with a single crochet stitch on each "seam"

"Sewed" them to the main body of the blanket.

For some reason my bottom batch of squares came out a little larger than the sides. It all worked out though.

 I think the reason the bottom row came out so large was because I used a different sized hook - 6mm instead of 5.5mm. I had been using a 6 for the body of the blanket and when I switched I completely forgot to trade out hooks. It worked out though, since I didn't need any extras for the sides. Once I finish up the last little bit I plan to make 2 throw pillows to match out of more granny squares, I think I have enough extra yarn. I will be sure to post those when they are finished as well.

Airhead

I knew I forgot to do something yesterday! Silly blog....

I spent yesterday cleaning up, doing the dishes, folding laundry. I even scrubbed the toilet! *shudder* But overall the house shaped up. Then I relaxed. Bastian and I watched the latest Transformers film. Well, I watched it, he ran in for the fight scenes and then back to his room for making his own fight scenes with his cars and toys. He isn't much for plot advancement yet. It was very long, but also very good.

Today there is still more to do. Even though I cleaned yesterday the kitchen still needs some work. I would also like to get to cleaning out my bedroom closet. It seems to have taken all the things that were in it and agitated them like a washing machine.

Mall Pretzels... At Home!

I love posting on Mondays, Barnhop Day. I always get new people reading, even if they only read that days post. It's amazing to me. I love you all for checking in here!

Today I thought I would share my favorite snack recipe. I love those huge pretzels they serve at the mall kiosks, but I dislike the mall in general. I am not really a shopper and dislike crowds. I stumbled upon this recipe some years ago and it is very good. It isn't perfect of course, not the Auntie Annes signature classic or the Super Pretzel brand at the theater, but it is very close. I think this one, if twisted out thin enough would probably compare most to Auntie Anne's chain pretzels more than any other. I think the trade off for not spending $4 a pretzel and not having to go to the mall is more than worth it!

Mall Pretzels

Ingredients:

So chubby!

1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 dash salt
1 1/2 cups 110 degree water
4 cups bread flour (I have used regular flour and they turned out ok, but I know bread flour will make them better because of the higher gluten content)
1 Tbls. baking soda
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup melted real butter
toppings (see Notes, below)
  
-Combine first 4 ingredients; allow to rest for 5 minutes.
-Stir flour to mixture and knead for 5 minutes.
-Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
-Divide dough into 8-12 equal-size pieces; roll each piece into a rope, thinner is better... they poof in the oven; shape each rope into a pretzel. You can also do nuggets, sticks or I suppose wrap around a hot dog. Sometimes my pretzel attempts don't look like pretzels at all.
-In a shallow dish, stir baking soda into warm water; dip pretzels into mixture (or brush mixture over pretzels); lay coated pretzel onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
-Bake in a 550 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
-Brush melted butter onto hot pretzels.

Notes:

• For salted pretzels, sprinkle with pretzel salt or Kosher salt. 
• For cinnamon-sugar pretzels, stir 2 Tbls. honey into the melted butter before brushing on pretzels, then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. 
• For Parmesan pretzels, sprinkle with a mixture of 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. garlic salt; serve with marinara sauce. 
• I also like to use sesame seeds, I love sesame seeds. Just butter then press into a shallow dish full.

Things I One Day Wish To Have - Ep. 02

So the last featured item was a cream separator. This time around I think I wish to highlight the grain mill.

This is the Diamant Grain Mill. It is Lehman's best rated grain mill and labled "the best" hey have ever tested. Of course at $1,300 it had better be. I will likely have to settle for a partially plastic one instead of the all cast iron one like this beauty... still ...

Some of the features of this grain mill (not all can do these things) are:

• 8 cup hopper. Very large.
• Pre-grinding teeth to mash the grain before it hits the auger. This allows for a more even grind.
• Extra large burrs for finer grind. Allowing for flour as fine as that bought in stores.
• Faster grinding than other mills. (20% faster)
• Grinds anything! Beans, corn, grains. Even spices, nuts and seeds. Except peanuts, but that's not a thing I would want to run through a grain mill anyhow. 
• Built, of course, to last forever.

My favorite part is that it's a hand crank, of course. Though it has a groove in the wheel to place a belt if you have a motor.

There is another mill I would consider. It's the German-made Food Mill (also featured in Lehman's). I do not like the fact that it's mostly plastic, but it has more attachments. Cereal, flour, vegetable (slice and dice), and meat. Now I would rather have a separate meat grinder of cast iron... but for $400 for all four options it's really a great deal. And it's also hand crank.

Overall I would prefer to have the Diamant, of course! Still... for budget homesteaders the German-made is a good multi-tool.

Next time I think I'll talk about a good meat grinder!

Late Day

Posting late today. Almost forgot altogether. I have an amusing dinner tale for everyone though.

I can not really cook. I mean, I can follow a recipe great, but my "experiments" do not often end well. This evenings "experiment" was no different.

I attempted to make a small pork roast. Now, I have made more than one of these in the past and they always turned out great, but this time I thought I'd be creative. Not my strong suite in the kitchen, let me tell you!

I placed the pork in the crock pot and then decided "Hmmmm... pork... lets do something maple or sugary like a ham for the meat spice, then make the rest like normal." So I layered some cinnamon sugar on the meat and rubbed it into the shallow slices I had made. Then I chopped celery and carrots and layered them, then covered it with cream of celery soup and some water. Yeah I know, typing it out I realize JUST where I went wrong and how disgusting it sounds, but the concept was solid in my head. Needless to say the poor thing, four hours later, smelled like 3 day old fish remains and looked about as appetizing. My poor crock pot likely hates me now and that entire dish was just un-salvageable. I tried pulling out the roast and washing it off, thinking I could "rescue" it and maybe re-do it in the oven. Yeah no. Because I had rubbed everything into the slices it was done for.

The dog really liked it though....

I did manage to scrape together a Mexican rice and chile chicken dish for the rest of us. *laugh* I do not think I will try anything new without a recipe for quite awhile. I can't say never, because I know I will once I've forgotten about this latest fiasco. I always do. *shakes head sadly* Ah, well. *grin*

Concentration

It has come to my attention that I stick out my tongue when I concentrate. Most usually when I crochet, but also when I write or cook. Not when I do dishes, I reserve my scowls for that occasion.

I had my five year old use the camera and told him to take a picture whenever I made a "face" ... He actually got a few good ones. I thought it would be fun to share.

My "thinking" face:

My "concentrating" face:

Chilly

What a day. There's a chill in the air and my bedroom was nice and cold this morning. Which was only nice while I was still bundled in covers.... Poor Bastian protested getting up and getting dressed so much I thought he would fall to pieces over having to go to school. I had to resort to evil tricks like stealing his blanket and letting the dog lick his face. Which only made him angry and grumpy. He's grumpy a lot lately....

Only accomplished a little today. Went to a Dr.'s appointment and got some good news on a test I was worried about. So no worries there anymore. Need to swing by the grocery store on my way home from picking up Bastian from school. We are running low on some things. I am astonished by how much a five year old can eat!

I finished another Christmas present yesterday. This one I can show you. It's for my father. He doesn't have a Facebook so he isn't at risk of seeing it posted. Even if he does, you know I don't care... he forgot my birthday for the third year in a row. One would think I would be used to that by now. It still hurts. So I don't care if he ruins hiis present from me by finding out what it looks like ahead of time. Some people told me I shouldn't get him anything at all... but... he's my father. Just because he can't be bothered doesn't mean I can't.

Anyway... this scarf came out very nice. Was a booger to get a picture of though. I used a box or waffle stitch and Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. In a cream color with an accenting brown stripe. I felt the waffle stitch was less girlie than some things I have been fiddling around with.

 

The color came out green-washed because I had to use the "food" setting on my camera to get any definition. All the other settings were blurry or made it look less box-y. Overall I am happy with it. It isn't as long as some I've done, but makes up for it by being reversible. Two textures on different sides. Very nifty. I will certainly use this stitch again, perhaps in a blanket or throw.

Now I have to get back to finishing that evil blanket! I am currently sewing together the granny squares which will form the border. Then I want to measure it all out again and see how much yarn I have remaining. If it is enough I will likely extend the blanket a bit. Bigger is always better with blankets! I see being finished in a week or two if I just do it and don't get sidetracked. I do have another scarf I want to make though, this one for myself. It can wait, I suppose. We'll see. I can only do so many granny squares and double crochet before my mind screams for a change of pace!! *laugh*

Back to Blogging

Well I'm back. Yay. I missed blogging very much. I always get such a sense of accomplishment when I manage to do it everyday.

Today is a catch up day in general here at the house. I cleaned yesterday, but neglected the dishes... so those hateful things are on the list. Sometimes I long for paper plates and plastic forks. Not very economical or environmentally friendly though. Even when we do buy plastic tableware we end up washing and reusing it until it breaks or is lost to obscurity behind the couch (or something equally as frustrating to get behind and clean.)

I also need to run a few errands today. Trip to the courthouse to file one last thing, then to an Auto/Lube place to have a free check done on my truck. One of the dashboard lights keeps coming on intermittently. The GEN one, which I'm told has something to do with the alternator or a belt or the battery. It came on a few days ago, but didn't come on yesterday so I am not sure what the deal is there. Hopefully it is just a faulty light, or a fuse. Something fairly easy and cheap to repair! *crosses fingers*

There is supposed to be a cold front in tomorrow as well. I am very much looking forward to that. The windows have been thrown open (as much as you can throw them with cats in the house) and I'm putting an extra blanket on the beds. It's shaping up to be an ok week! May have started rough, but it's going to end wonderfully.