Anna’s Snickerdoodles

Anna is working on the cookie baking badge for her Keepers of the Faith club. She needs to bake 6 different types of cookies to earn the badge. She has already made Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies for us and now has added Snickerdoodles to her list. We got the recipe from this book ~

This is a wonderful cookbook that I found at Half Price Books a few years back, and which Jeff bought me for a Christmas present. Many great recipes from everyday cooks around the country! This recipe is credited to Michelle Goddard of Memorial Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Anna almost didn’t get to make these the other night when I realized that I had no cream of tartar, called for in the recipe. I decided to just go ahead and let her try them without it and see how they turned out. I am happy to report that they were just fine, delicious in fact! And Anna was quite proud of herself as she served them to the family. Here is the recipe ~

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Additional sugar and cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. shape into balls the size of walnuts. Roll each ball in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes; watch carefully so they don’t burn. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

This was a good learning recipe for Anna, and she had a great time with it!

Blessings,
Nancy

Monthly Mini Quilts

I signed up for a monthly mini quilt program at the quilt store last December. Every month I pick up a packet with a pattern and fabric to make a mini quilt themed to that particular month. these are fun quilts to make because they are small and are quick to finish. They consist of a pieced background with an appliqued design. I must confess that I have changed the fabrics on a lot of these from what the quilt store gave me – just personal preferences.

At the beginning of the program I purchased a table stand to display the monthly quilt. It has a removable topper, and each month, with the packet, I get a new topper that fits with the theme of the month. I keep mine on the piano in our living room.

Here are the mini quilts that I’ve made so far -

January ~

February ~

March ~

April (this was originally a bright color scheme, which I changed to pastels.) ~

May ~

June ~

July (I like this one for the second half of July, but I am planning on designing a patriotic mini quilt to display for the first part of the month.) ~

I haven’t made the August quilt yet (yes, I’m behind!), but it has a popsicle/ice cream theme. I have started the September mini quilt – it still needs buttons and quilting to finish. Here is how it looks so far ~

I am hoping to design a Back to School themed mini quilt (maybe apples?)to take the place of this quilt, and then move this one to October (the planned quilt is a Halloween theme, which I don’t really prefer). November will be pumpkins and Thanksgiving, and December a Christmas tree. I think a small nativity quilt would be nice for December as well, so I may some day try to work that out.

If you’re interested in getting the patterns for these mini quilts, they are made by Patch Abilities, Inc. Their website is www.patchabilities.com.

I hope to share a few of the blocks from my Farm Fresh applique quilt with you soon, as well as some from The Tree of Life quilt that I started over the summer.

Have a nice day!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ September 26

Hello! Here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .Dark nighttime . . . the night creatures are prowling about I am sure, but I can’t see them. Who are they? Around here mostly raccoons, possums, bobcats, coyotes, owls, mice and rats, and maybe some snakes too! I’m glad I’m safely tucked into my cozy home!
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I am thinking. . .about how to fit blogging back into my busy days.
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From the learning room. . .Olders are studying ancient Egypt, volcanoes, Nazi Germany, and land animals. Youngers are doing the Five in a Row book “Little Nino’s Pizzeria” and David is doing “Blueberries for Sal”. I will try to do a post soon on our full curriculum this year.
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I am thankful for. . .right now . . . sleeping children!
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From the kitchen. . .Dinner tonight was Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff, green beans, applesauce, and brownies for dessert. Tomorrow it will be taco night!
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I am wearing. . .my comfy clothes – pink shirt and dark blue capris (comfy t-shirt material).
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I am creating. . .working on September’s mini quilt when I have time. The post about my monthly mini quilts is about ready to post.
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I am going. . .to be going through all of our books (no small undertaking) and pare down – just don’t have room for them all and no more walls for more bookshelves!
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I am reading. . .new Country Woman magazine with an article on Pioneer Woman and lots of pretty Fallish pictures and recipes. I’m also reading “Little House on the Prairie” with the littles, and of course, Five in a Row and lots of other books for school.
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I am hoping. . .that our upstairs air conditioner can be fixed at low expense – Jeff just noticed yesterday that it wasn’t cooling. Thankfully the weather is tolerable and it’s not getting too hot up there!
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I am hearing. . .lots of lovely silence, except for Ethel (my dryer) calling me to come fold clothes.
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Around the house. . .Fall decorations are out and a few pumpkins joined the decor today, the family computer is back up and running thanks to a new hard drive and the technical prowess of dear son #3 (thanks Mattie!), sweet Edward (kitty) is curled up on the couch dreaming.
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One of my favorite things. . .reading classic children’s stories with my kids and doing fun crafts to go along.
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A few plans for the rest of the week. . .library, ice skating, ballet, schoolwork, dentist trip, horseback lesson, and running by my brother and sister-in-law’s to pick up Anna’s flowergirl dress for my nephew’s upcoming wedding!
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Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

Lovely Fall reading!

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Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy to find the September list of participants in The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

Blessings,
Nancy

A delightful change in the weather . . .

Today, for the first time in what seems like months (and maybe is!) we woke up to a nice soaking rain. We broke the record yesterday for the most 100 degree days in one summer, and to go along with all that heat, we’ve been experiencing drought conditions. All I can remember seeing all summer long was a couple of drops of rain, maybe on two different days. This morning the skies were cloudy, some thunder rumbled overhead, and finally the rain came. The sound of the thunder was like an old friend returning from a long time away. The forecast is for possible showers each day for the next week – a welcome change!

The rain cleared up by afternoon, and the kids and I sat out under the trees sketching nature pictures, and it was very pleasant. After dinner we were back outside, me on the porch, and the kids playing on the swings and trampoline. We are inside now, driven in by the dark, but are looking forward to many more days spent outdoors in the coming weeks!

Blessings,
Nancy

Welcome September!

I’m so happy to welcome the month of September every year! The searing heat of August is probably the reason, leading me to crave the coolness of fall. And while September 1st doesn’t necessarily mean instant cool weather – it’s 102 degrees today! – it does give me hope . . . hope that fall really is coming around the corner, bringing with it all of the bounty that I am so looking forward to. So, every year on September 1st, I feel a bit like celebrating. I won’t be bringing out the decorations yet, but I will endure the heat with a little lighter step, knowing that its time is running out.

Blessings,
Nancy