Vanilla Yogurt

4 cups milk (your choice whole-skim)
1/2 cup powdered dry milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 -6 tablespoons sugar (Splenda or honey) = 1/2 cup
1/2 cup yogurt starter (unflavored plain yogurt with active cultures)
Directions:

1
Set 1/2 yogurt starter out to warm to room temperature.
2
Heat the milk to almost a boil.(I like to microwave in a glass bowl for 5 minutes on high then 2 minutes on medium). About 180 degrees. Cool the milk-about 110 degrees- (to a “barely warm”/ babies bath temperature) (cool water bath works well). Add dry milk, vanilla and sweetener of your choice; stir well.
3
Stir in yogurt starter (do not whip but mix very well!).
4
“Cook” the yogurt using your preferred method and time (longer makes a firmer, more tart yogurt. I like to cook about 12 hours). Chill 4 hours before eating.

March 18, 2013 0

Snow

We are experiencing typical March weather. One minute snow the next minute sun.

Very pretty to look at, however it is already almost all gone. I did want to tell you all that yesterday I made chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. At first, I was very hesitant as I have never made noodles before. These were very easy to make and everyone (to my surprise) loved them. I will definitely be making them again. I got the recipe from a new to me blog-penniesandpancakes.blogspot. I have made several of her recipes this week and have been impressed with all of them. Definitely keepers!

Well, I better get busy. We are trying a new recipe out tonight. It must be my week for new recipes. Do any of you get the magazine Kraft Food & Family? It comes out every 3 months. My spring copy came in the mail yesterday. My darling daughter, Jess, gets herself and me a subscription. Thanks Jess! I really love the magazine. It is full of easy, good recipes. Tonights new recipe comes from this magazine. It is called spaghetti with shrimp and broccoli. I’ll let you all know how it turns out.

Update on how it turned out-DELICIOUS! Another keeper.

Enjoy your day and God bless.

March 13, 2013 5

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Broccoli

1/2 lb spaghetti uncooked

4 cups small broccoli florets

1/2 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing

1 lb. uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the cooking water for the last 2 min.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until shrimp turn pink.

DRAIN spaghetti mixture; return to pan. Add shrimp mixture and cheese; mix lightly.

kraft kitchens tips

SPECIAL EXTRA

Add 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper to the hot dressing along with the shrimp and garlic.

VARIATION

Prepare using thawed frozen cooked cleaned large shrimp, and reducing the cooking time for the shrimp and garlic to 2 to 3 min. or until the shrimp are heated through.

March 13, 2013 0

An Unusual Visitor

Hello ladies! I just wanted to thank all of you for your prayers. The visit at the doctor today went well. The doctor is treating him for a kidney infection which she thinks is definitely part of his problem. She also wants him to come back in 3 weeks for more blood work. There is a possibility he is a diabetic. Thank you all again for your prayers.

I also wanted to show you these pictures of a visitor we had at the pond the other day. Our pond has been seeing LOTS of activity. The morning this guy came in we had about 60 geese and several ducks there. They are lots of fun to watch.

I have no idea what type of goose this is, maybe he is a domestic breed. I don’t know but he sure did stick out from the rest. We also had a visit from these quys.

There were 2 males and one female. The males were so aggressive. They fought most of the day. I’m not sure which one ended up being the victor but today when the ducks came back there was only one male and one female. I guess one of the males finally gave up.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and God bless.

March 11, 2013 5

Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS
3 cups cold cooked rice (1 cup dry long-grain rice yields 3 cups cooked)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup ham, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp jarred minced garlic (or 2 minced fresh cloves)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small head broccoli, stem discarded, florets chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ham. Cook, stirring occasionally till ham is lightly browned.

Add onion. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is fragrant, then add the garlic, and cook an additional 30 seconds or so.

Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Push the ham and vegetables to the sides of the skillet with your spoon, and add the eggs, scrambling them, then incorporating them with the vegetables.

Add the rice, and stir everything together. Add the soy sauce, and stir till rice is hot, and everything is mixed together.

Serve immediately.

I got this recipe from http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com/

March 10, 2013 0

Friday

Hello everyone! Today we have beautiful sunshine with temperatures in the low 30’s. We are going to the Horn’s after school. I am making a simple vanilla cake with caramel icing. I got the recipe from Mrs. Faye at http://theblessedhearth.blogspot.com/ I think it looks really good and can’t wait to try it.

We have a doctor’s appointment on Monday at 9:45 to go over the results of the blood work. I would appreciate your prayers concerning this.

Well, that’s it. Just a quick little post. I have cake to bake. Enjoy your day and God bless.

March 8, 2013 4

Monday

Hello everyone! Seems like time goes by so quickly. I wanted to give you all an update on Hubby. He is doing some better. We did go to the doctor on Thursday. They did some blood work and we are waiting on the results.

We had a very busy but great weekend. Chuck and his family came and spent Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday with us. Irma and her kids were gone to N.C. to see her family. Her dad has been diagnosed with cancer. Anyway, Chuck and kids went with us to church on Sunday. We had a really good crowd at church. Several visitors, which is very unusual for us.

Today was school as usual. I had hoped to work on Sam’s quilt but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Probably won’t happen today. I have all the squares sewn together now and am ready to start putting it all together. I think it looks pretty good. I will take a picture and show you all when it is finished. I gave Alexius her quilt this weekend. She slept under it Saturday night. When they were leaving Sunday evening, she forgot to carry out her overnight bag. Chuck carried it out for her. He asked her if she had forgotten anything. She said, “No, I got my quilt.” She wanted to make sure she didn’t forget it.

We have been cold here today. Morning wind chill temperature was zero when we got up. We did have sunshine though but it still has been cold all day. I think I am ready for warmer temperatures. I got a new seed book in the mail today which we have already looked through. Looking at all that beautiful produce always gives me the fever to go play in the dirt. Well, it won’t be too much longer (I hope).

Enjoy your evening and God bless.

March 4, 2013 7