This is Clara, she is a wonderful story teller and cook. There are several different recipes featured on youtube. For me the best part is the stories she tells while she is cooking. She also has a blog and a fan club on facebook. She has inspired me to try to find more recipes from the depression era. As I watched these I saw a lot of the recipes I had grown up on were featured or a spin off of one of these. Share your family recipe an old one or a new one it just has to be economical.

I love to see that people are so interested in cooking at home again. It really warms my skillet/heart. ;) Today I made my family very happy with my simple breakfast. I made homemade donuts and sausage. It could not have been easier. I just took biscuit dough from the can (I swear to you that they do not taste like biscuits) and I cut out the center then did a little stretch to widen the whole. I used a cutter but, you could use a cap to your syrup bottle to cut out the center and I fried them up till golden on each side. In my house a donut is a vessel in witch to carry frosting to the mouth. So, I had some cream cheese frosting and I added some cocoa powder and some milk to thin it out for dipping. I heated the frosting and dipped the donuts and then I dipped in non-perels. Ta-da!! I was super MOM for the morning. Then I got every one hopping on their chores. Alas I was back to being just plain old mom. It was glorious to be super MOM for a morning though. LOL

The camera is MIA so till it is found I have no pics for you. Sorry.
Hello Friends!! I finally have high speed Internet. We did have satellite Internet but, it was just not able to handle the connection to my hubbies job. When you work from home the connection to work is the most important connection there is. As I write this I have been without internet for FOUR whole days!! I was not sure if I was make it another day. LOL It was really hard on me, for as you all know I am a self professed internet junkie. The internet man installed a 45 foot tower on top of our house. Safety girl ran out side with a Jolly Roger and the internet man hoisted it up for all the world to see. He did remark that our house was the first time he ever did anything like this. Don't worry there is a picture for you all to enjoy.


"Hoist them colours, Swabbie!"

I wanted to let you all know that Julie and family are safe and sound in Japan. I was so excited to hear from her. She called me on her Magic Jack. I am so excited that I will be able to call her on her American number while she is in Japan. It will be great to be able to call her any time I would like too, as long as I mind the time difference.


"I'll keelhaul th' lot 'o ye, if ye don' git done wi' yer lessons!"

I am not sure how many of you have heard of the Angel Foods Ministries so I thought I would take a few mins to tell you all about it. This past Saturday was the pick up day for the monthly deliveries. I had looked up some discussion groups and saw that there was a mix of opinions about the products that people have received. I was starting to get worried. I was very relieved when I got the boxes and found some fantastic and beautiful meats and produce. I am very happy with our decision to give it a try. I made an awesome beef stew out of a couple of steaks. The fruit that we got was outstanding. I have heard of people being unsatisfied with the products that they received. Though it seems that when there are unsatisfied people they seem to be from the same area. I guess the best advise I can give is to order the smallest amount of product that you can and test out the quality in your area or better yet ask others if they are satisfied.



We are growing creeping crystals. We also painted with the creeping crystal mixture. The pictures the kids made were wonderful. It was really neat to see the “paint” from feather like crystals in seconds.
Here is the recipe:
1 T epsom salt

1 T water

1/4 t food color (any but yellow)

2 2" jar lids

spoon

Pour epsom salt & water into saucepan. Stir & cook over medium heat until salt dissolves.

Remove from heat and stir in food coloring. Pour into first jar lid until almost full. Pour

any extra into second lid. As liquid evaporates, crystals will start to form. Over several

days, they will grow up and over the lid. They will last for months.

CREEPING CRYSTAL PAINT

Make the Creeping Crystal formula given above. Add an extra 1/4 t of food color to the

mix. Brush onto paper, cardboard or glass -- as it dries, frost-like, feathery crystals will

appear on the painted surface.


Kitten x 2 = irresistable! (Math lessons for pirates)

We have a family of bandits who comes and visits us every nite. They come up to the front door and eat the cat food that is left over in the evenings. We have had to chase them off each night. There are at least three of them. One of them is fat and rolley polley. The other two are always together. They come up to the cat food and one eats while one stands guard. They are not afraid of me or the kids but, should a cat come near they run away like mad. It is comical to see the raccoons run away from a small cat but, sit there looking at us and eating our cats food. I think we are gonna have to trap them and relocate them far, far away.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. With love from our pirate ship to yours. ❤❤