Buttermilk Waffles

Look what I got for my birthday from my in-laws.....
Yeah! I love their recipes!!
Last night we tried the buttermilk waffles. They were great and easy.
I love how they try several methods to give you the best tasting recipe yet an easy process. For example, on the waffles they wanted an easier way to get the airyness that whipping egg whites gives traditional waffle recipes.
They figured most people wouldn't want the pre-breakfast workout of making a meringue. Solution: club soda! Club soda is what is used in most Japanese tempura batters to make it light and fluffy, so why not waffles! Brilliant!

Buttermilk Waffles
Americas Test Kitchen

2 c flour
1/2 c buttermilk powder*
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 c oil
1/4 t vanilla
1 1/4 c seltzer water

whisk the dry ingredients.
in a seperate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients except the seltzer water.
gently stir the seltzer into the wet ingredients.
pour the wet into the dry and gently stir until just combined. (batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.)

*if you dont have buttermilk powder you can do 1/2 c buttermilk and reduce the seltzer water to 1 cup.

Homeschooling It

Have you heard we are homeschooling next year? (i could use your prayers!)

We are transforming our guest bedroom into our schoolroom. It is slowly coming together! I asked Tony to make me some book shelves for our little library. He did an excellent job! We love it!
And do you see that yellow cabinet? I rescued that from the thrift store for $10! It's a vintage jelly jar cabinet. I painted it a marigold yellow on the outside.

The inside is painted orange, green, and blue to match the kids' desks.

Left to right: Evan's, Addie's, and Isaiah's

Just a few more things to do...I still need to find myself a desk, hang our chalkboard, some maps, a clock, find an electronic pencil sharpener and figure out all this curriculum that keeps arriving at my door ;)

Applesauce Snack Cake

A nice little cake to snack on, and it has no eggs!
Perfect for those days you want to make something, but realize you are out of eggs!

Applesauce Snack Cake
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1 c applesauce
1 c flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 T ground flax
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground clove
1/2 c walnuts

Cream butter and sugar.
Add applesauce.
Stir in flours, flax, soda, and spices.
Add walnuts.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x9 pan.
Bake at 350 for 40 min.

Summer Lovin

We have just returned from our annual trip to Camp Shetek for a yet another amazing week! We love camp! It's so fun to see young kids excited about God and sharing about His glory in their lives. God is so good! I can't wait to worship Him with everyone forever!

One of the highlights of the week is seeing the new maintenance video being revealed.
And here it is.....

Orange Streusel Muffins

I made this one up. Kind of tastes like my orange scones, but it's a muffin!
Feel free to change it up with any fruit.

Orange Streusel Muffins

muffin-
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/4 c milk
1/4 c juice from orange
zest from orange

streusel-
1/4 c sugar
2/3 c flour
1/4 c butter, softened
zest of one orange

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs.
Combine muffin dry ingredients.
Combine milk, OJ, zest, and vanilla.
Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into butter/sugar mixture.
Divide into 12 lined muffin cups.
Combine streusel ingredients and sprinkle on top of muffins.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.

No-Bake Cookies

Another 104 degree day here. Good day for some no-bake cookies!

No-Bake Cookies

1 c sugar
1 stick of butter
4 T cocoa powder
1/2 c milk
1 c peanut butter
1 T vanilla
3 c oats

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk.

Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal.

On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

Homemade Playdough

It's been a manic summer.
Seems like it has been either in the 70's and rainy or 103!
Either way we are stuck inside, so we have found some fun indoor activities to keep us busy from Skip to My Lou's site.

One has been making homemade playdough. It turned out really well and has kept well wrapped in a baggie.
I doubled her recipe and it made the right amount for us to split between 3 kids.
Give it a try!

Homemade Playdough
from homemade by Jill

Ingredients needed:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

1. Combine all ingredients (except food coloring) in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Stir over medium heat until smooth.
3. Stir continuously until the dough balls (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat.

1. When dough is cool enough to handle, knead until smooth.
2. Form into a ball.
3. Divide into as many colors as you'd like to make. A single batch makes a good amount for four colors.

1. Add food coloring to the divided dough. Gel food coloring works quite well. I have not tried liquid food coloring.
2. Knead the food coloring into the dough. To protect your counter top, knead over wax paper. To protect your hands, wear plastic or rubber gloves, if you have them (you could also put the dough and food coloring inside a ziplock bag and have the kids squish it around inside).
3. When the dough is a consistent color, ball and set aside.

1. Repeat with the rest of your colors.
2. Put the dough in separate containers. Toddler-sized snack containers are a good size, and I have also wrapped the colors individually in wax paper and stored in zip-lock baggies.
3. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. It will stay soft for several weeks if stored airtight.