Reading Report

This week my kindergartner did all of our aloud reading. She read five books total and she is incredibly proud of herself. She is especially competitive, so I think that she is pleased to have accomplished something that the others can do.

This week I completed only one book, but it was something that I had wanted to read for months. Last fall, I read The Paris Wife; a novel about Ernest Hemingway, his first wife and their time in Paris. It intrigued me enough to pick up A Moveable Feast written by Hemingway (published after his death) about this same time in Paris. After reading these two books, and learning that F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway were friends, I decided that the logical conclusion should be to read The Great Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzberald

This is a simple tale about life in the 1920’s and the rise and fall of the American dream. Love, lust, wealth, scandal, and mystery all play a part. Jay Gatsby embodies the American dream; but his rise to wealth and status does not bring him the love of his life. His story is told by a neighbor, Nick who is also looking for love and happiness. Both are searching for something that they never quite grasp; and, it all ends in tragedy.  

What I liked about this book is that it left me wanting more. So many authors try to wrap up every last detail and tie it with a pretty bow at the end. Not so in The Great Gatsby. I think that as I finished the book I found myself with more questions than answers and I am pleased with that. I can understand why so many students are required to read this in school. There are numerous topics that would be perfect for further examination and discussion. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who loves 20^th century classic literature, or to a student needing material for a book report/discussion paper.

To learn more about this weekly reading report, click on the Reading Report tab above.

Pigs in a Blanket

I found a new way to use my Artisan Bread Dough; Pigs in a Blanket.  My husband was working a 24 hour shift the other night, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have kid food for dinner. They were so simple to make, and the kids enjoyed helping. We dipped our hot dogs in ketchup, mustard, and BBQ Sauce.  Then, I packed the leftovers in the kid’s lunch boxes for the next day.  When I told my husband about them, he was disappointed that he wasn’t here to try them. I’m sure I will be making them again soon for him!

Pigs in a Blanket

1 lb. artisan bread dough (I use half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour)

8 hot dogs

1 Tbsp. melted butter

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Using your hands, flatten each piece of dough into a circle about 2/3 as big as the hot dog. Wrap the hot dogs with the dough, overlapping the dough and pinching it to close. Place hot dogs, seam side down, on a cookie sheet and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve immediately.

Note: You can find the Master Recipe for this Artisan Bread Dough in Five Minutes a Day, along with an instructional video, here.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Fruit Juice Jelly

I have an unnatural obsession with jellies, jams, and spreads. At one time, my husband opened our refrigerator and counted 27 jars of opened jellies, etc. Enough said. As a result, for the last year, I have been on a jelly freeze. We move a lot, and each time we move, the fridge has to be cleaned out and all opened jelly jars, must be disposed of. So, knowing that I would only live here in TX for one year, I put myself on this self imposed jelly freeze.  It has not been easy for me. But, with only 10 weeks until our move out date, I only have 3 open jars and 2 unopened jars in the house. In my mind, this is complete success.

To reward my own efforts, I made Fruit Juice Jelly with some mixed berry juice that I found on sale this week. I had a couple of boxes of pectin in the pantry that I wanted to use up, so this was an easy way to do so. In the past, I have made this jelly with 100% cranberry juice, an orange pineapple blend, and a strawberry blend. All have turned out great. This is an inexpensive way to begin canning and it takes very little time.

Fruit Juice Jelly

4 cups unsweetened juice

¼ cup lemon juice

1 pkg. (1.75 oz.) powdered fruit pectin

4 ½ cups sugar

Pour fruit juice and lemon juice into a large pot. Sprinkle with the pectin. Bring to a full and rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in sugar. Return to a full and rolling boil, stirring often. Boil for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a spoon. Fill jars and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Yield: 3 pints.

This post has been linked to the Penny Pinching Party.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Have you ever started putting a recipe together only to find out that you are missing an ingredient? It is so frustrating! Well, Pumpkin Pie Spice is one of those ingredients that I have found myself without. But, You Can Make That! This is a great substitution that keeps you from having to run out to the store at the last minute; thus, saving you time and money. I like to double the recipe because I use it frequently in my Applesauce Breakfast Cake.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ginger

½ tsp. cloves

Measure all ingredients into a small glass jar. Shake to combine. Use just like store bought pumpkin pie spice.

Frugal Tip: Store your homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice in an old jelly jar or in an old cinnamon container. And, be sure to label it with the contents.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

This week a friend asked me if I created a weekly meal plan. Yes, I do plan out our meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But, not in a rigid, put a chart on the fridge type of way. In general we eat muffins, biscuits, oatmeal, and some type of breakfast cake for breakfast each week. But, I do not plan out which days we will eat what. For lunch, the only thing that I plan out is a homemade snack to pack in the lunch boxes, like Granola Bars, Nut Free Trail Mix, etc. For dinner, I make a list of meals and then prepare them in no particular order. In the past, I have planned out an entire month of meals at a time. I no longer feel the need to be so organized. So, a weekly meal plan works perfectly for us.

These Oatmeal Raisin Muffins have been on our breakfast table a lot lately. But, you will definitely need to plan ahead to make them because the oats need to be soaked overnight. They are super moist, healthy, and filling. And, if you have leftovers, they pack nicely for lunch. If you do not care for raisins, you can substitute just about any dried fruit, nuts, or berries. They are pretty tasty with orange zest too.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

1 cup milk

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ cup raw sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

2/3 cup raisins

1 tsp. cinnamon

Measure the milk and oats into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Scoop into greased muffin pan and bake at 375˚ for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Cool five minutes, then carefully remove from pan. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 muffins

Reading Report

I am feeling a huge sense of accomplishment this week because we finally finished reading Five Little Peppers. We have been working on it for several weeks, and we all enjoyed it. I normally read a chapter book out loud to my kids every day after school for my kindergartener’s homework. However, her reading skills are improving, so I am going to be doing less reading in order for her to do the reading herself. Yesterday, she read Green Eggs and Ham to us all by herself without any help. This is the first time she had picked up that book, so there is no way that she had memorized it. We were all pleasantly surprised by her ability.

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
Written by Margaret Sidney

This is an old fashioned story about a family struggling to survive. The five children, the Peppers, range is ages from 11 to 4; and, they all must do their part to make ends meet. As a result, some of the children are working to earn money for the family and none of them are able to attend school. Their life is simple, but full of love and happiness.

This classic story is sweet and sad at the same time. My children were alarmed to hear that these kids had never had a birthday cake or received a Christmas gift, but were happy just the same. And although the writing style is a bit different than that of current authors, with long sentence and little punctuation, it still made a great read aloud. However, it may be a bit difficult for a young child to read on their own. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with lower elementary school children. It caused a lot of discussion within our family about poverty and simple pleasures.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

This is one of those books that may not appeal to everyone. It discusses troubling questions of everyday life and then uses cold hard data and statistics to discover the answers. Questions such as: “Why do drug dealers live with their moms?” and “What makes the perfect parent?”.  And, the answers are surprising and sobering. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and included a good bit of humor. And, best of all, it caused me think about the cultural concerns discussed in a new light.

If you are interested in learning more about this weekly reading report, click here. Or, to see a list of completed books, click on the Reading Report tab above. 

Something for Nothing

I had a super busy day yesterday. I got together with some lovely ladies in the morning, visited with a good friend in the afternoon, and then finished my day with homework and dinner with the family. We ate roasted chicken last night and I really wanted to use the carcass to make broth, but I just didn’t have the energy to tend to a simmering pot for several hours. However, I vaguely remembered reading somewhere that I could make broth in my slow cooker overnight. So, I did, and it turned out perfectly!

Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

1 chicken carcass, bones, and skin

Water

Place chicken carcass in the slow cooker. Add enough water to completely cover the bones. Cover with the lid and cook on low overnight. In the morning, strain the broth to remove the bones and ladle into canning jars. Store the broth in the refrigerator. After it is chilled, the fat will rise to the top and can be removed with a spoon. Use your homemade broth just as you would use purchased broth. Yield: Varies. This time I ended up with 12 cups broth.

Frugal Tip: Making your own chicken broth is practically free! One 12 cup batch saves me $6.81 over store bought broth.  

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.