Freezing Rain

Good morning. It has been a whole week since I last blogged, but I have good reasoning for this. We have been super busy here with snow days, working at the studio,and building the new Master bedroom.

Last Wednesday the weeones had yet another snow day that turned out to be a beautiful day. We spent the day with HB as it was his day off as well. We had breakfast as a family, and worked around the house.
Thursday I worked in the studio most of the day. I was open and had a couple of classes going on by the time I finished up the weeones were home from school and we had supper and got ready for the evening and next morning.
Friday HB and I worked on the new Master bedroom. (YES it is finally happening) He framed my new walk in closet 4x8 and we went into town Friday night to get our new closet doors, and to order my new floors.
Saturday was spent working in the room and trying to pack my room up. The weeones and I cleaned all the upstairs including all 4 bedrooms. I packed up all my crafting supplies into boxes as my room had all kinds of it in there.
Sunday again was spent in the new room framing the doors,and working at the kitchen table on my sewing machine making valences for the new big windows in the living room to match those I made awhile back for the other side.

I need to run into town tomorrow and pick up the rods like these ones to finish up in the new living room.
I decided on plain Black panels for the patio door in the room as it will go with the new bedroom set and also keep it a lot darken in the day when HB is sleeping from night shift.
I 'll show all those new pics as so as I get them up.

I am getting very excited about he new Master bedroom. It is just what I wanted.
Sunday evening we settled in early with our family night and watched Heartland and had wings for a treat.
Monday was spent cleaning,working in the room,laundry, dishes, and all that stuff I have neglected over the weekend.
Today the weeones are home again due to a freezing rain storm. It is suppose to go as high as 7 today.(which is so funny for this time of year here) yesterday it was -21 (one extreme to another)
The weeones are super excited to have another day off.
Well I hear my laundry pile calling my name. Take care and I hope to be back tomorrow with some pictures of the the nee bedroom.

Tuesday Tibbits

The calm before the storm has hit,as it is a beautiful day outdoors. We are at a high of -8 right now and although that might seem cold to you it is a lot warmer then it has been here. Tonight we are expecting snow and tomorrow morning freezing rain. (Making us hope for another snow day)
Last evening I worked on Jayne's socks and again this morning as I finished them up.

She will be so happy when she gets home from school. I loved the colors she chose as well. They both picked out nice ones.

I made bread this morning and cleaned up. I spent a little more time out doors enjoying this beautiful day.
I think when Justin gets home I am going to go back out with him, and take Franny for a walk in her coat.
Suppers in the oven and the house smells wonderful.
Have a wonderful day everyone.

Donair Recipe

Good morning. I was so amazed at how many people have never heard of Donairs. I guess I took for granted that everyone knew about them.
We get donairs here at most pizza places. They consist of pita bread topped with donair meat, then the trimming which is usually lettuce, tomatoes(chopped), chopped onions(raw) cheese and donair sauce.
The meat is served heated and along with the bread and sauce.

usually wrapped up in foil.

Over the years people discovered that it was also great made into a Donair pizza. Which just had pizza dough,donair sauce, meat,tomatoes,onions and cheese. Some add peperoni to both the donairs,and pizzas as well.

So that's a little bit about donairs. I use a old family recipe for my donair meat that was passed down from 3 generations of my old friends grandparents pizza place.

Donair Meat

5lbs of ground beef
1/2 t. pepper
1t. cayenne pepper
1t. oregano
1T. MSG
1c. dry bread crumbs
2t. paprika
2t. onion powder
pinch of garlic powder

Mix in large bowl.
Take mixture and mix together well. Place in 2 containers and press all the meat inside until very firm. Remove from container and place in 300 degree oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Make sure the meat is in a drip pan for cooking. Afterwards, slice with chopped tomatoes,lettuce,and onions. Meat can be frozen.


Donair Sauce

6 oz can of evaporated milk
1/3c. white sugar
1/2t. garlic powder
2T vinegar
Mix milk and vinegar.Let it thicken add sugar and garlic powder. whip with electric mixer until thick.

The Girls Are Back Blogging

My girls have returned to their Adventures Blog.

They have missed it so much,and are ready for a new year of blogging.
So if you have little ones send them over to the girls blog and see what's happening over there. They will be so excited you stopped by.

http://jayneandjilladventures.blogspot.com/


I will be back later today with my new post for the day with a exciting recipe.

Saturday Stuff

Good morning. We had a little break for a few days from the cold, but now are back to freezing temps again. -31 when I got up this morning.
HB left for work early and stocked the fires, so when I got up it was toasty warm and I just had to add wood. I had my morning coffee and sat in the living room and enjoyed the view. I wanted to be quite so the girls could sleep. I finished up a pair of wool socks for Jill and started on Jayne's.

Jill picked the colors out for hers.

These took me a little longer,they are such small stitches.
But were well worth the turn out.

Yesterday morning the girls went to there Kids Scrap. They had a ball doing their Christmas layouts.

Jayne is missing one picture in her squares and asked me to print off one more of her Monster high dolls to put there.

Jill already put hers in her album.

They are going to take them to show Nanny at the hospital today.

When I went to pick them up we found some pretty Valentines paper we just had to have to make Valentines with.

We got 2 of each and the girls are super excited to work on valentines this coming week.

We went and picked up Justin at my inlaws and he got a lot of beef jerky made. He had a great time and then decided to spend the night away again at my Dad's. They spent there night eating jerky and watching hunting shows.

I made Nachos for super last night and the girls and I watched TV till HB got home. He brought in wood and settled in the living room with us. It was a early evening as we were all pretty tired.

Today we are going up to the hospital to visit with Mom. I took some chicken out for super and will have it with baked potatoes and green salad for supper.
Tonight is our Heartland TV show, We will have some popcorn for a treat.
I sat this morning and decided on my menu for the week.

Monday   lasagna with garlic bread. poor mans pudding for desert.

Tuesday   pork roast and potatoes, veggies, and lemon pie for desert.

Wednesday  meatballs and rice with honey garlic noodles, brownies for desert.

Thursday    Pot roast. desert????

Friday  Hamburgers,homemade fries,and ice cream for desert.


Time to go and fill the wood stoves again. take care and enjoy your Sunday.

Finally Friday

Good morning. It feels great to be back into a routine. HB and I got up around 4ish this morning, checked the fires,checked outdoors as we were expecting snow last night. We only got a couple of inches and checked on the animals. I got the lunches done up for the day and HB had breakfast and was on his way to work. I got the weeones satchels packed as well, topped off the fire and sat with my java to read all those daily bogs(on of my favorite things to do)
I did not get to blog yesterday as I was very busy cleaning and preparing the studio for a day full of wool. I am open today and have a spinning class for the most part of it.

Some of the sheep were out in the snow yesterday enjoying a little warmer temps.

The weeones are going to be disappointed this morning when they wake up as they were so hoping for a snow day. (Yep even after only a three day week)
It might have been only a three day week, but it seemed like a very long one being off for three weeks. I found the weeones a bit tired and just not themselves this week. I am so happy they will have the weekend to relax.
HB works the weekend so I am going to spend mine cleaning out my bedroom. I have a very tiny room (thus for the decision for the new addition master bedroom) and it is piled to the ceiling with boxes of cloths, piles of cloths, baskets of cloths, and craft stuff,and bedding,and toys, did I  mention all the cloths,and I think there might even be a couple of suitcases in there as well. So I need to finish the job I started before Christmas packing off Season cloths in the boxes and make room.
The girls have there monthly kids scrap class tomorrow as well, from 10 to 12:30 this will give me time to go and see my Mom. She is doing really well and is back at physio. Her appetite  is also coming back and her legs as healing well from the operations.
Justin saved and bought another new skidoo on Monday.
You might remember last Winter when he worked on his other one.

I remember this one but he has graduated this one to a real seat cover now and not a trap. hehe!
he has his new one in the garage and has been doing some changes to it ever since and has been working on it every night this week. He is taking a little break from it this weekend and is going to spend the weekend with my Mother in law as they are making beef jerky and he always helps her with this. She moves into her green house and they put a fire on and do it in there.

*********** As I type this the radio has just announced  NO school today due to a freezing rain warning in effect for this morning************
The weeones are going to be sooooooo excited......
I will be extra quite this morning so they can sleep in and make them some waffles for breakfast when they awake.
 I will have a couple of little helpers in the studio with me today. I always love having them in there with me.
We decided to take out some donair meat out of the freezer yesterday and make  donairs for supper tonight as a change.
Well I wish you all a great weekend and if you don't here from me in a few days it is probably because I got buried in cloths.
Take care and have a great family weekend everyone.

Back To School

Well I guess I can not say good morning, but yet good afternoon. I am late with my daily post today. I have had a busy morning. Beginning with the weeones heading back to school this morning. I was up early and made a ham, cheese and veggie quiche. We had toast made from homemade bread and raspberry jam. Yum! The lunch boxes were packed with loads of treats made with love to help them get through there day. After they left I cleaned up and HB got the barn work done.

Then HB and I with the help from a friend got the last cow butchered and put to hang in the cooler. We were also give 6 meat birds about 2 weeks ago from a person who could not bare to butcher them, we did this at the same time. The only problem with doing all this this morning was that it was a bitter -28 out there. It sure felt good to take breaks and come and warm up by the stove. 

We finished shortly after lunch and came in and I made up sandwiches,and left over pasta salad. I think I am beginning to warm up now. 

Yesterday the girls and I went into the town to pick our grocery items for the next couple of months. Yes I said months. With the cold weather here, it is almost impossible to leave the house for more then a couple of hours. The roads have become hard to drive on and very slippery. The plows go only once to twice a day now for the bus. So we try not to go out as much. 

We do go out just not as far into the town unless it is a really nice day and someone is around the house. 

While we were out getting grocery  we found a couple new kitchen items that I needed to have. the first was a new stock pot. This pot is great and I already used it today to cook the chicken in and pasta for the chicken spaghetti that I made for supper. 

I just love this pot as it has a little hole at the top to release steam and prevent over spilling. I got this for $17.

The other is a new juicer as my old one had stopped working a little while back and we all missed it so very very much.

This was a little more expensive then I thought it would be but it is what we wanted. This juice extractor was $60.

I try not to think of the price as we get so much good out of using this.

Like I said tonight's supper was chicken spaghetti, we are having green garden salad with garlic bread. 

The weeones will be home any moment now and they will be starving so I better go get things together. I missed them so much and can't wait to see them.

Take care and stay warm.

Owl Craft Swap

Good morning. The weather has seemed to warm up out there just a tiny bit and HB just got home from his last night shift. He will be off till Friday so I am hoping to get some work down around here in the next few days. The weeones go back to school on Wednesday and life should get back to norm for a little while,although we are expecting a northeaster snowstorm for Thursday. (A little early in the week yet to tell,so we will just have to wait to see)
Last evening I joined the most amazing thing. A Owl craft swap. I love craft swaps, and owl so I am so excited to get into this one. I received my conformation this morning and know a little about the partner I have been teamed up with.
I am excited and will spend the next few days deciding on what I will make and what fabric I will use.

If You would like to join in, the swap is open till the end of January.

Here the link.

http://www.popularcrafts.com/news/article.asp?a=9002

Please let me know if you join in. I think it will be a hoot of a good time.

My Dream That Is Becoming Reality

Good Morning. I wanted to finally take a few moments and share a little of my dreams that are finally coming together.
Last summer we began to add a new addition (which would become a new living room and master bedroom) to our home.

 After months and months of HB on his spare time working all my himself with only a little help from me, finally got it together.

HB finished all the hard work while I varnished the walls and helped with the floor. We busted out the wall one week before Christmas so that I could have my 9 foot tree.

So we managed to get the living room done and now we need to go behind that lovely stained french door and work at the master bedroom.

Sorry about the cloudy pictures,but the sun was really bright this morning. As you can see we still need to do a few minor adjustments like a railing on the staircase.

The ceiling needs to be finished in boards that HB has sawed.
The new light fixtures also need to be put up.

I love how the 2 big windows let in so much sun,and how much I can see. I can't wait to plant new flower beds outside them this Spring.

The opening needs a few little touches but I love the step.

Even Francesca loves to be over here.

I am finally having a table that my whole family can sit around and not touch each other. A real dining room finally.


So like I said it is a dream of mine that is finally becoming Reality. I have loads of ideas still to come to these little areas of my tiny home,and I plan on sharing them every step of the way.

Take care and have a great Sunday everyone.

What do you do where life gives you to many oranges? besides making Orange Juice

Before Christmas the Middle school had their fund raiser. Oranges for sale. I bought a big box from Justin and we hardly put a dent in the box. But now they need to be used up. I made muffins, the weeones made a big pitcher of orange juice for Breakfast yesterday and then my Mother in law gave me a huge shopping bag from her box that needed to be used up as well. that put my box full again. Hummmmm! Now what.
I do have a idea from a good blogging friend that will use a few more.
Does anyone have any ideas? I am looking for some good recipes for cakes,cookies, muffins or pretty much anything else to try to use them up without loosing them. We can only eat so many.

Besides that we had a pretty good and normal day. We slept in which I really needed not having slept the night before. The weeones had oatmeal for breakfast with honey. and orange juice.
I cleaned the kitchen counters down with bleach and did some laundry. Ran the dishwasher and went out to help Justin with the barn work. Lunch was just leftover soup and sandwiches. HB got up after lunch from night shift. He was not feeling the best as he got a welding flash from work and had a headache.
I made his sandwiches and finished the final touches on Supper.
We had a lovely Chinese feast for Supper. I ate to much as usual. We all did.
HB left for work and Justin went to my Dad's for the night.
The girls and I took it easy tonight and had our jammies on early. We watched Disney's UP and then I went on the tablet for awhile checking on a few of my favorite blogs.
I guess it is getting pretty late so I am off to bed.
Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

Tooth Ache Dilemma

The weather has not let up yet. Another -25 out there this morning. (at least no more snow this way, asit is to cold to snow) I was up to keep the fires going throughout the night.
I was also unable to sleep all night due to a terrible tooth ache that has been bothering me since Christmas. I was able to control it with advil up to this point, but having to take them every 3 hours instead of 4,now last night they did not help. I usually have pretty healthy teeth, with only a few problems in the past. Ever since I had my children I have had my first and only tooth problems. I am totally convinced that it has to do with calcium deficiency.
I will call on Monday and try to book a appointment for net week when HB will be off or after Wednesday as the weeones will back at school. The dentist is about a half hour away.
Yesterday we finished up those delicious Cinnamon Rolls (and no I did not eat any) but the smell in here was to die for. Ree was right by saying I could sell tickets with the smell going on in my kitchen.

 I ended up with 6 pie plates filled with that ooey gooey goodness.

The weeones played out doors in the afternoon when things warmed up a bit. They went sliding again and Justin spotted a weasel by the barn. He set a rat trap with a little ground beef on it and tucked it at the back in the crack where he seen him and where the dogs and chicken and geese can not get in.
But I told him catching a weasel is hard to do as they are very very smart.
I hope Mr. Weasel does not get what is left of my hens.
Justin also worked on Jill's little tiny skidoo yesterday and was able to get it running for her. (My little boy is growing up to fast)
Justin helped his father bring in wood and they filled both wood boxes to the top for the long cold night ahead. (which I used a lot)

My supper turned out good as well. I love that rice recipe

Chinese Rice

1lb of hamburger
1 small onion
1C celery sliced
cook until brown

3/4 C water (I use a Cup)
3T Soya sauce
1/2 C. rice (long grain)
1T. brown sugar
1 can of bean sprouts NOT drained.
combine in to a 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hr. in a 350 oven.

we served ours with left over salads and fried pork chops, with rolls.

I spent the most of the day in the kitchen yesterday, so last evening after HB went to work we closed up everything for the night and stayed in next to the cozy fire. The weeones played on the computers, and watched TV while I stitched a bit. I read a couple Chapters from Little Women that I downloaded on my tablet(I never get sick of reading that book over and over)
Then it was a early night for us. (which ended up being a all night for me)

Today I have a dishes that need to be done. I decided they would be alright left in the sink till this morning. I also have some bedding I want to wash up today. unfortunately I will need to run the dryer for these.
We are having pizza and garlic fingers for supper tonight, and I should take a drive to my inlaws to pick up a bag of goodies she has there for me.
She has been wanting me to come and get a few things that she dug out of her craft cupboard when she cleaned hers. Also I am looking for a very small hoop for those little quilts I am working on. She has on she is lending to me that her grandmother bought for her when she was 6. (amazing)
She has a few good magazines for me and she also cleaned out her deep freeze and has way to many blueberries. I use so many Blueberries, so she new I would love them.

I made my meal list until next Friday and need to only pick up a few little things in town next week before the weeones go back to school.

Saturday   Chinese menu (rice, garlic spareribs, eggrolls and cherry chicken balls)
Sunday     Chicken partridge bouillon with homemade bread
Monday    pulled pork mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob
Tuesday    boneless steak in the oven with gravy and baked potatoes cheese noodles,and rolls
Wednesday Chicken Spaghetti Casserole, garlic bread
Thursday     Meatloaf, boiled potatoes,and veggies
Friday ????

Oh I here movement upstairs, meaning the weeones are waking up. I must go and begin the pancakes for breakfast.
Take care and have a warm cozy day everyone.

Mix Up

Sorry about the blog post Date mix up. Please scroll down to to get today's post.

Hamburger Soup

I thought I would share a warm comfort recipe today, as it is a freezing -28 out there. We made this yesterday to have in the house as a hearty soup for the next few days to go with our meals. It is one of my families favorites.
Hamburger Soup

I fry a pound of ground beef in the fry pan and drain the fat off then add it to my crock pot. I add a large onion finely chopped and a few carrots finely chopped as well. I add a couple stocks of celery finely chopped.
I add a can of mushrooms, a can of tomato soup, a large can of tomatoes and 6 to 8 cups of water. Salt and pepper to taste(I always add lots) and a little dried basil
I let this cook away all day in the crock pot and about a hour or so before serving I add a cup or little more(depending on how hearty you want it) macaroni.
and that's it.
It even freezes so well,and is even better the next day or 2 or 3........

Enjoying The Holidays

Good morning. We awoke to a very cold morning again, -28.
I filled the fires,and waited for  HB to get home from his first night shift,and to do the barn work while I made the coffee in the keurig. French Vanilla and morning blend.
The weeones stayed tucked in there beds, and are still there. I will wait til they rise before making there breakfast. I think I will use up the rest of the ham that's in the fridge and make grill cheeses with ham for them,as well as fruit salad as the fruit bowl is getting a little ripe.
With getting to bed a lot latter lately they have been sleeping in.


Speaking of my lazy girls, they have been enjoying there holiday break. From sleeping in, to outdoors sliding on the hill, to lazing around in the house enjoying the new toys and gifts they got for Christmas.
Justin is enjoying his as well. Skidooing, sleeping in, and playing video games. He even got to sleep out at his cousins the night before last. The weeones will go back to school from Christmas beak next Wednesday.
As for me I have been spending my evenings sitting my the fire quilting little quilts for the girls new blythe dolls.and playing on my new tablet.
Yesterday I began a batch of cinammon rolls to rise and put the dough into fridge till today when I will finish them up. The girls want to bake some more as well. We made rolls for supper yesterday as well so we will finish up our baking today. We had a roast chicken dinner last night and it took up most of my day in the Kitchen yesterday.
HB goes back to work tonight so we are having oven rice with fried pork chops for supper,and left over salads from last night.
My list to do for 2012 is coming along. I have managed to check off a few things on it already. Last evening I cleaned out the craft cupboard,and reordered my Scrapbooking magazine for the year online. I began to copy down the scrapbooking supplies I need to replenish my stock for the year. I am even thinking of ordering a new tool for my scrapbooking. I also want to make sure that I craft more this year. My Mother in law is now retired and she wants to do the same and teach each other new things. I think that is a great idea. I laughed last evening when she called the girls my "crafty little critters" she felt bad after she said it,but I told her not to and I laughed and said I must use that somewhere. But she is right my weeones are very crafty and I hope to do more crating with them in 2012 as well.
Well I should go and put in a load of laundry, all the best on this chilly day.

A Little Update

Good Morning. We awoke to some big snowflakes falling this morning. But seem to be lifting off now. The weeones are still in bed and HB is trying to work outdoors quietly as they sleep in.
I want to start my post today my first Thanking every ones gentle comments yesterday for my Mom. Your comments lift me and always make me feel do much better. It is good to know that I have a blogging community of friends I can depend on. Thank you that means the world to me.
Secondly I apologize for the terrible spelling errors in yesterday's post, as I typed and did not realize that the spell check was not on.I guess my mind was not with me. I am also catching a cold and have been fighting it all together to keep going. So again I do apologize  for the typing error.
and thirdly my Mother is doing very well. She is able to take her pain meds now and breathing is much better. She looks not bad and her color is good. She is eating as well. We are so blessed for this. I am sure she will continue to do well in her recovery.
I want to get get back to telling about my exciting gift was from HB and the children for Christmas.
(I gave a little hint a few posts back)
Well her it is a brand new Tablet.

Now I can check my blogging friends blogs, blog myself,and keep up where ever I go. I can take pictures and blog them right away to my posts.
I was so excited.

Here are a few more of my lovely gifts I received as well

A brand new rotary cutter.

and this great and so true sign for my laundry room.

But my best gift of all was my Mother coming home for the holidays.

The weeones also gave me sweet Christmas scrapbooked cards as well.(made where they went to there last scrapbooking class)

The weeones also received a beautiful scrapbooked treat from their Auntie Alice.
A gift card holder

and inside

there was a gift card from the girls favorite girly store called Ardene's http://www.ardene.com/

Justin got one from Wal mart as well.


So SI must go and check on the bread as it rises and the beans are in the oven cooking for supper. I also am getting ready to put on a pot of Hamburger soup in the crock pot to have on hand as well.
I will get the girls to help me later today to make biscuits.
I wish you all a wonderful day.

Another New Gone

The last few days have been very nerve racking. My poor Mother called on Friday evening at 8 wanting me to come to the hospital to talk with her. She had just seen the Doctor and they were going to aputate the other foot in the morning as it was not healing and the infection was spreading to fast. 

I went to see her and then came home at mid night. I was back the next morning after not sleeping. She went for her surgry at 11 and did wonderful. The pain is really bad this time for her and because she does not breath strong enough to begin with they could not give her very much for pain. 

She is recovering and will move floors in the hospital after a few days when all is well. 

Saturday was also her Birthday and I did not want her to go through this on her Birthday but she insisted as she wanted to start the New Year fresh. 

As for the rest of mt family, they are all doing well. Another year has come and gone and A new one is starting again. 

I hope this one will be better for our family.