Baking Fool

I thought yesterday was going to be my 'oven hot' day. Turns out, today is one as well.
It's a good thing the weather has been cooperating! I love the temps in the 70's with cool mornings. It reminds me Fall is around the corner, and we all know how I love Fall!

Yesterday, I made four loaves of Banana Bread. Youngerspawn loves my banana bread! So three of the four loaves are going into the freezer. That way, the boys can have some when they get here next week.

Z to the Max

I've never required much sleep. I get by on what amounts to the average of four hours a night. Some times I get more, some times I get less.
On the nights I get less, I must have a nap. Me with less than four hours sleep is not a pretty sight.
Oh, I don't get ugly or critical or mean (I'm rarely mean). No. I get loopy. I don't remember things well. Sentences are said backwards. I have a hard time thinking of specific words. Loopy.

Lately, I've been in bed for my generalized four hours of sleep. But I'll wake up two or three times and have a hard time getting back to sleep. Those small interruptions were enough to make me 'slightly off' for the past few weeks. I still function. I'm not cranky. I don't yell.

But as Grau told me last night, I'm just a bit 'off' my usual game. And only someone who's been sleep deprived can see the signs.

Make It Homemade. Make it Frugal.

I started wondering just how many things I make to avoid spending gobs of money at the store. I mean, I would rather spend my hard-earned money on things I *want* not on things I need.  Okay- yes, I spend it on things needed, too- like gas, and electricity and food. But only because they are needed.

What if you could make something at home instead of buying the higher-priced item from the store?

How to DIY Harry Potter Wands and Spell Book

I am a big Harry Potter fan. Yeah yeah. I'm an adult, yes. But I love the Harry Potter series since my kids were little. I would read a chapter or two to them every night, and laugh right along with them as I read aloud. It was a special time, me reading to the kids every night. One that I cherish.

And as an adult, my love of Harry Potter has not subsided. It is such an interesting series. I am very much enthralled with how Rowling used actual Latin words as a basis for her spells, and even character names.
Did you know that Umbra means shade or shadow? That gives a whole new meaning to Professor Delores Umbridge, doesn't it?

Well, I have friends that are bigger HP fans than I am. Seriously, they can quote every scene and tell you which spell was used in which movie.

Shrubs. Historical Goodness.

I came across a way to preserve fruit and drink the result. And apparently, it is an OLD technique. It's called 'Shrubs.' I thought the name referred to the fruits picked from shrubs, or trees, and are usually the older fruit. Meaning the fruit is almost mushy or bad, but not yet and is still edible. But according to the history here I am totally off base. But that's nothing new. I still like my definition better.
A basic background is thus:

The word shrub comes from the Arabic sharaba meaning 'to drink.'

The first reference to 'shrub' in the English Dictionary comes in 1747 and is defined as 'any of various acidulated beverages made from the juice of fruit, sugar, and other ingredients often alcohol.'

So I started making my own shrubs today. I'm starting out with one from strawberries and one from cherries. Now, as the article link states, they have focused on alcoholic shrubs. I am making non-alcoholic shrubs using apple cider vinegar.

Day 1 of Exile- Oyster Crackers, Raspberry Peach Melba and Halloween

HA! I crack myself up! Exile. teeheehhee

So today was my first full day of FB Hiatus. I did not have a problem with it. Mostly. A couple of times I  thought, 'hey, I'll hop on FB and see if....' and then my brain kicked in and I told myself no.

Then a friends daughter came over and we spent the rest of the day doing craft things. Currently we are making Styrofoam tombstones for Halloween. Super easy, but waiting for paint to dry takes time.

Oh, and we made Ranch Oyster Crackers (I've posted the cracker recipe before, just not the Oyster cracker version) and Raspberry Peach Jam. OMG! That jam is fabulous!

Take 30

I decided today, after twiddling with the thought for a couple weeks, that I am going to go silent on FB for 30 days. I will deactivate my account on Aug 1. After 30 days, I will decide if I want to reactivate it.

The reason is simple-
Every so often I like to take a step back and reorganize my priorities. I like to take time to think about who I am, am I on the right path, have I done things I need to address or correct, get things done around the house,  and generally reconnect with the world around me.

You cannot do that using FaceBook.  FB makes you think you are connecting. I don't think you really are. I mean, yes, you can talk to someone fairly easy, and that's a connection of sorts.
But really, talking in person or over the phone where you hear the actual voice? That's really connecting on an emotional level.

So, I am going to take 30.
30 to find me again.
30 to read more books.
30 to decide my path.
30 to work on more budgeting of time, money and resources.
30 to look within.
30 to make more homemade things.
30 to engage in the world around me.

After all, I prefer to be IN the world, not ON it.
And as I've always said, if you want to change the world, change yourself first.
I just need to make sure I am the me I want to be. And the only way to do that is to disconnect and listen.

Buttermilk Ranch Powder

I have searched and searched for a ranch powder recipe that tastes as good as the store bought kind and I think I've found it!

Read on for the recipe...

Crock Pot Orange Chicken

I happened to be gazing (or would it be more appropriately to say grazing??) over at Crockpot365 when I ran across her Lemon Chicken recipe. Well, I love Orange Chicken so I substituted Orange Juice concentrate for the Lemonade concentrate.

Let me tell you...this is so good, I will definitely be making it again. And soon. Like maybe tomorrow.
This is a healthier version, too, because you don't bread and deep fry the chicken first. You just flour it, crisp it in a fry pan, and toss into the crock pot.

Hamming It Up

So I mentioned the other day being on a mission to re-create the ham sammy on a biscuit Grau and I had in Yorktown. Well, I am happy to report that the mission has succeeded.
And it's better than my expectations!

Virginia. Tasty Tasty Virginia

Not the Carrot Tree Cafe, but just around the corner is this cute little shop.

So Grau and I spent a week in Virginia. We had a blast walking around Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. History is alive and well there. Trust me.

I've never understood how people don't like history. Everyone *has* a history. And the lesson's learned, whether it be individually or en masse should always be of the utmost importance for fear of 1) making the same mistake again or 2) not continuing something that should have been.