What's That In The Tree?

See The Clump Of Leaves?  That's A Squirrels Nest!

About a week ago..... I spent some time watching squirrels..... that probably sounds boring, but it actually wasn't!!  It was quite amusing and interesting to say the least.  I wish I could of took pictures or video of the squirrels going on about getting ready for the winter but my phone is not the best at taking video or pictures so I had to forgo taking lots of pics and getting video.

What I witnessed was something that I never paid much attention too before, I noticed this one bushy tailed squirrel using his tiny mouth to pick up leaves.... I thought to myself "Why is this Squirrel picking leaves?"  that made me even more curious so I made sure to keep my eye on the little squirrel... I watched it run up a big tree and when I looked closely I saw what looked like a clump of leaves sitting right in middle of the tree, at first I thought it was a birds nest but after further observation of the squirrel, I realized that the clump of leaves I was looking at was all the doing of this little bushy tailed squirrel.  

I must say I was intrigued to see this squirrel pick up about 3 to 4 leaves into his mouth and carry it up the tall tree and add it to his little nest of leaves... I Googled it and sure enough this little bushy tailed squirrel was making his winter home to help keep him nice and toasty during the winter months.  It was fairly large....makes you wonder about what type of winter we might have this year?  

It's just simple things like that, that make LIFE full and interesting! 

Happy As Can Be!!

I am as HAPPY as HaPpY Can Be...... My oven is finally fixed! It's been a struggle for me for the last 2 years of not having an oven to bake with. I am so glad to have my oven back!!! The first thing my youngest son asked for was for some homemade chocolate chip cookies....and I could not disappoint.

  "Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Walnuts"

 HaPpY Baking!! 

The New Focal Point..... NO T.V!

 
Whew, its funny how time flies when you're having fun!!  My family and I have gone through some transformations and have been thoroughly enjoying them.  One of our transformations was going CAR-LESS, but that changed after 3 weeks from being CAR-LESS to going CAR-LIGHT.  I was saddened to find after 2 weeks of going CAR-LESS that my town does NOT have adequate public transportation to get around town to shops, appointments, etc.  I had to bite the bullet and keep the car so that I could get to the important destinations that we could not get to on foot.  

We did however enjoy walking miles to the nearest grocery store and checking out the little shops in the mini malls that you don't see when you are in your car and zooming to your destination.  My son was not so happy about me announcing us not going CAR-LESS anymore but I promised him we would still do everything that we could by foot and only use the car for destinations that we can't get too by foot.  

T.V. LESS Decorating....LOL!

Our 2nd transformations and the reason for this post is..... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*...... WE are officially a T.V. LESS family.  There is NO T.V plugged in at our home... it is currently unplugged and in the corner in my bedroom on the floor until I find another good home for it to be...lol!

The New Focal Point For The Family Room

With the Television gone I have created another focal point for our home, one that is inviting and less intrusive, that is calming and invites you to gather around and talk to one another and share things with each other. That focal point is our fireplace!  It has been a source of fun for us, lighting candles and drinking homemade hot chocolate while singing songs or playing games with each other.  The flickering and the soft glow of the candles on the fireplace and around the room just set a mood of calmness and simplicity that words truly can not describe. 

Just The Laughter of Family Are The Sounds We Hear Now

So, we have ditched cable and the internet, and that is the reason for my absence and will be the reason for posts that may come once or twice a month.  Overall we are happy with our decision and we are enjoying our new lifestyle.  

Our Musical Night Of Playing The Guitar

I will most definitely be keeping a diary of the things we are doing and are accomplishing without the television.  Hey… one quick thing that I really enjoyed last night was listening to the football game on the radio while I hemmed up a pair of pants that were to long for my 7 year old.  I liked the fact that I could enjoy the game and get something done at the same time!!  The consensus in our home is we are having fun and are happier without the T.V. and no one seems to miss it one bit!...well at least at this point…LOL! 

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and our home will soon be filled with family and friends.  What a great time to fellowship and share a meal together and give thanks to God for all of His provisions and blessings that He has given to us!   

I am switching things up this year for our Thanksgiving Menu some old time favorites with some new additions.  Here's what we will be serving for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Dinner
~Roasted Young Duck
~Cornbread Stuffing
~Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

~Macaroni & Cheese

~Potato Salad

~Sweet potatoes with Marshmallows
~Collard Greens
~Cranberry Sauce

~Olives
~Yeast Rolls & Cornbread Muffins

Dessert
~Pumpkin Pie
~ Cheesecake Pie

~ Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting
~

Beverages
~Celebration Punch
~Sparkling Apple Cider

~Soda

~Coffee

Do you have your Thanksgiving Menu planned out already?  What are you making this year?

Simple & Delicious No Bake Enchilada Pie

I really love simple ingredients... they make the best meals!  I fixed this simple No Bake Enchilada Pie using meat left over from our Football Taco night yesterday.  I love getting two meals out of one....that makes me a happy momma!  I love that this recipe does not call for baking and it is so simple and delicious that it tastes as if you spent hours in a hot kitchen :-)

Simple & Delicious No Bake Enchilada Pie

1lb of Ground Turkey or Beef

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning (I use my homemade taco seasoning)

1 Onion Diced

1 Can of Mushroom Soup

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Chili Peppers

1 Can of Tomato Sauce

Bag of Spicy Doritos (you won’t need the entire bag)

1 Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Small Can of Sliced Black Olives

Cook up your meat (drain if it is ground beef) then add your taco seasoning and mix well, add chopped onion, soup, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix well and cook until mixture bubbles.  Add Doritos by pushing them into the meat mixture until you can’t add any more, turn heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes or until Doritos are soft then turn off heat.  Sprinkle cup of cheese on top and then sliced olives and cover,  let sit for 5 minutes until it firms up.  Serve with sour cream or sub sour cream for plain yogurt and sprinkle with a little lettuce.

OH MY! We Have Gone Car-less!

I am keeping a running journal of being car-less with children in the burbs.  This is just one of the many life changing things my family and I are doing to live simply so that others may simply live.  

 What a wonderful thing, what a wonderful opportunity, to be able to make a deliberate decision to live our lives on our terms and according to our moral and ethics.  I love this freedom! 

Here are a few entries in my journal about my 1^st entire car-less day. 

My 1^st Car-less Day

This Morning 10/22/12

Wow is the first thing I have to say about going Car-less!!  I never realized just how much driving from here to there keeps you in a anonymous state, I felt so exposed to all the cars whizzing by and people riding their bikes and walking along the same sidewalk which my son and I walked on for our .87 mile walk to school today.  I did not realize how much driving kept you isolated and kept you from not having to share your immediate space with others that you don’t know.   So with all that in mind my1st morning without driving my son to school was…. I am ashamed to say… pretty stressful for me! 

It was hard for me to fully enjoy our walk because I was concentrated on how uncomfortable I felt from being exposed and out in the open.  We took a busy and noisy path to school today, it was a little shortcut compared to the other route that is 1.17 miles.  My son enjoyed the walk at the beginning, he was admiring the leaves on the trees and noticing the littlest things that you don’t see from the back seat of a minivan.  After about  half way through he started to complain that it was taking to long and his legs were getting tired and kept insisting that we were lost and that we must of passed up the school because it does not take this long in the car… eye opener for him! LOL!

Some of the positives of our walk this morning would be I did notice the smell of fresh pine as we walked by some towering pine trees, and I did notice the pretty leaves on the ground because that is where I sort of kept my focus on so that I would not be so overwhelmed by all the noise of the cars whizzing by.  It was nice that I was able to hold my son’s little hand in mine all the way to school and not once did he complain about having to hold my hand.  We were able to experience something new together and lean on each other for comfort in our own little way, his way being overly talkative and mine holding his hand extra tight.  I also had an opportunity to smile and say good morning to a couple of people who shared the sidewalk with us. 

The most crucial aspect about our walk was that I learned that being in the car driving from here to there creates an artificial bubble, a fence around you that keeps everything surrounding you at bay…. You don’t hear the birds chirping, the trees rustling in the wind, see the leaves on the ground, or smell the scents that nature provides. All the sights and sounds are dulled or silenced out by the windows and the radio.  I am truly blessed for this eye opening and awakening this morning… this is just one of the many adventures I look forward to sharing with my family on this road of being car-less and living a life that is “Simplicity Homemade”. 

 

The Afternoon/Evening Walk 10/22/12

Well I must say that the walk to school to pick up the children was a lot better than the walk this morning.  I think that some of my anxiety on the morning walk was due to a lack of sleep, I had only 2.5 hours of sleep before I took my 1^st Car-less walk to school.  I am glad that I switched things up a bit and took the longer route to pick up Coby from school this afternoon and that route was a lot more relaxing but it seemed so much longer.  J.J and I counted the number of bird nests we saw in the naked trees.

It seems as if walking brings out the talkies in the children, J.J talked and talked…. and I listened.  I was a bit concerned that I may have left a little too late to pick up everyone from school on time.  Hmmm… that is something that I have to get use to…which is leaving a lot earlier because a  2 minute ride in the car is a 18 minute walk!!  It was a nice walk, we were drizzled on by the rain, we saw bird nests in the naked trees, a pond behind some houses that we never noticed while driving in the car, the children and I talked and talked about whatever came to mind.  I felt energized when we got home and went straight to fixing dinner for the night, all and all the afternoon walk was pleasant and the children seemed to enjoy it as well. 

What Is "Simplicity Homemade"

Hi there! (waving to you from the front door)  Please do come in and let me tell you what this blog is about.  I just pulled some fresh cinnamon rolls out the oven and made a fresh cup of coffee… please come and share with me.

What does “Simplicity Homemade” mean to me.  Well to be honest I wanted the name “Homemade Simplicity”…lol but that was of course taken, I mean who wouldn’t want a name that evokes slow pace, quality, stillness, peace, comfort, joy, hard work, working with one’s hands, good food, etc.  So I had to make those two magical words work somehow for my blog name so I decided on “Simplicity Homemade”. 

The word “Simplicity” to me, evokes a thought of butter churns, open cook fireplaces, homemade corn husk dolls, quilts, rocking chairs, gardens, basics, family, self sufficiency, hard work, slower paced, sustainability… I could go on but I am sure you would want me to stop...lol!  The word “Homemade” actually evokes some of the same thoughts to me as well and a few others...such as homemade foods, home sewn clothing, working with your hands, creativity, unpretentious décor, coziness, warmth, comfort, grandma, yesteryear...ok, I’ll stop there. 

So, this is what this blog is to me, it is a mix of all the things that I have come to love and embrace and I am so grateful that I get to choose to deliberately live this way.  We are so blessed to live in a country where we get to choose the lifestyle in which we want to live despite of governments, politicians, etc.  Just look at the Amish!  Look at all the different sites and blogs of people who chronicle there deliberate lifestyles, how BLESSED we are to be in this country! 

Ok, so if you enjoy these things as well I hope we can enjoy them together and share many ideas, recipes, do it yourself tips, “Grandma'sPantry” ingredients, etc. I am so excited to meet others who deliberately chose to live there life in a “Simplicity Homemade” fashion! 

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

 I at least try to prepare one or two meatless meals throughout the week for my family.  I am not a big fan of store bought bean burgers that are on the market so I decided to create my own.  With a few simple ingredients from my "Grandma's Pantry" and some added fresh veggies I was able to whip up this meatless meal for my family.

This black bean burger is flavorful and is a great replacement for a traditional burger.  Just add your traditional burger condiments to these burgers and be amazed at how good they taste!! 

Homemade Spicy Black Bean Burger

Black Beans (in a can or cooked dry black beans)
½ of each green, red, yellow and orange peppers diced
½ diced onion
2 cloves fresh garlic diced

Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste (not garlic salt)
Onion powder to taste
Cumin to taste
Chili powder to taste
Essence Spice (to taste) *link to recipe included below
1 medium egg
1 cup corn meal or so (just enough to thicken and make it dry)
1 cup flour or so (just enough to thicken and make it dry)
Olive Oil

Follow directions on the package of dry beans plus add a half onion. If using can beans rinse the beans. Once the beans are cooked, mash them into they turn into a thick paste.

Saute veggies in olive oil into they are translucent then add it to mashed beans, season it and add egg and mix then add corn meal, flour (make sure the mixture is a little thick and dry but not too much) To make the patties take a spoonful of mixture and roll into a ball and place on a oiled baking sheet and then press down with your palm (you may need to wet your hands in between rolling the mixture into balls) and oil a baking dish and bake in oven (turn periodically so that they don’t stick or burn to the pan)

You can fry these if you choose in olive oil.

You can get the recipe for the Essence Seasoning Here
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-essence-creole-seasoning-recipe2/index.html

Plain Eggless Muffins

 My family love these eggless muffins, they are soooo delicious and are the perfect cure to having a homemade baked good when you don’t have any eggs.  These muffins use simple ingredients, so you probably already have most of these ingredients in your own “Grandma’s Pantry”.   I like to add a cream cheese frosting (recipe included) to these moist and just plain ol good muffins!

Plain Eggless Muffins 
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Cup of Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1 1/2 Cups of Whole
1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar
1/3 Cup of Canola Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract (the real stuff)

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well. In another bowl mix all wet ingredients and whisk well...then pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into oiled muffin pan or muffin liners and bake at 375 degrees until when inserted with a fork or toothpick it comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 tbl spoons of softened butter
1/4 cup of cream cheese
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
Sprinkle of salt
1 to 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract (the real stuff)

Cream butter and sugar together then add cream cheese and cream all together, add sprinkle of salt and vanilla extract and cream together until smooth and fluffy.  Spread over your eggless muffin and enjoy!

Simple Russian Tea Cookies

 With my “Grandma’s Pantry” I am able to whip up yummy treats that are simple in ingredients but BIG on TASTE!  I SO love simple recipes that have great taste and require little time to whip up and these little darlings most definitely fit the bill. 

Russian Tea Cookies  

  2 sticks of butter

   1 teaspoon vanilla extract

   7 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

   2 cups all-purpose flour

   1 cup chopped walnuts (I used Almonds from out out of the mixed nuts can and crushed them very small) It was the only thing I had

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration 

*I added White Chocolate chips to the last bit of mixture I had and it came out DELICIOUS! I needed to find something to use my White Chocolate for.

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

2.   In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

Mmmmm Yummy….. Soft Snickerdoodles!!

Today the sky is gray and cloudy and the sun plays peek-a-boo from time to time.  Well, while Mr. Sunshine refuses to stay out, I thought I will bake up something tasty to bring some sunshine to the taste buds. 

  

Our Goodie Dish

The house smelled so good while these tasty soft yummy snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugary goodness baked in the oven.  We love snickerdoodles and my children are going to be happy campers when they come home to see the cake (goodie) dish filled with these yummy buttery and simple cookies. 

   

 Soft Snickerdoodles

• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon

  Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.
5. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
6. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
8. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture.
9. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes.
10. Remove from pan immediately.

-via online

Simplicity Quotes

Avoiding Genetically Modified Foods (GMO’s)

Happy Housewife With A Full Fridge of Non-GMO Foods

Oh my.. how easy it must have been back in the olden days to shop for food for your family.  Back then when you purchased milk, it was Pure Milk, when you purchased Corn Meal, it was Pure Corn Meal.  You were confident that what you bought was the real thing and there was no real need to read the labels for killer ingredients. 

It was a simpler time where foods were what they were without any hidden ingredients or being GENETICALLY MODIFIED to look like corn but not actually be REALly corn??  A housewife of yesteryear could be at peace in regards to the foods she purchased for her family, she had no worries about the contents of the food that she prepared for her family to consume.  Today is a different story, grocery shopping for the family has become an all out war!! Sometimes it’s matter of can I afford to purchase ALL organics without going broke or do I purchase a little bit of both and decipher which one is more harmful as a non-organic than the other.  It’s crazy I tell ya… down right crazy!

GMO’s are like in ALMOST everything! I tell ya it’s enough to make you want to throw up your hands and say “I GIVE UP!” Well, we must not lose hope and we can’t give up because our families depend on us to feed them well and we must continually educate ourselves and make hard decisions on the foods we feed our families.  This task may not be easy and will take a lot of diligence and preparation but together we can do it!  I have compiled a list and a few links (I will be adding more) of foods that may be GMO’s and a link to find out which brands are Non-GMO’s you can find it HERE.   I hope this helps many.  

Kitchen Swap It

Sometimes a recipe calls for a certain ingredient or item that we may not have on hand.  So, "If not on hand....if you can…. SWAP IT”!


A pastry bag: Is a cone shaped bag used for piping of icing onto cakes or for more complicated cake decorations. You can also use a pastry bag to create decorative food arrangements of semi- solid food.

The Swap: A plastic bag. For a simple “Happy Birthday” or “I Love You” design on a cake you can use a heavy freezer plastic bag and turn it into a handy dandy pastry bag for basic decorating, frosting, melted chocolate, whipped cream or piping of dough (like Churros..etc).  Spoon in your ingredient and snip the corner with scissors to your desired diameter and then gently squeeze out onto your cake.

Simplicity Quotes

Grandma’s Pantry

When I was younger I remember looking into my grandma’s pantry and cupboards and wondered to myself…”how was she going to feed everyone when there seem to be nothing to fix?”  When dinner time came I was amazed to see all the yummy food before me, she seemed to have whipped it up out of thin air…because I did not see any of those yummy things in her pantry or cupboard when I looked inside of it.

That is what you call being a industrious woman in the kitchen!  I now have my own “Grandma’s Pantry”…I have worked hard over the years to get to that point and it has been so rewarding because I can fix just about any good simple recipe in a minutes notice.

With a few important ingredients on hand in my pantry I can fix several healthy fulfilling home cooked meals. 

I don’t buy a lot of convenience food because they tend to be expensive and not very healthy to eat everyday especially if you also like to visit the restaurants once a week.  There are a lot of ingredients in those foods that are NOT HEALTHY at all and you pay in more ways then one when you stock up on convenience foods.  I have learned how to make a lot of the convenience foods from scratch and I store them for future use.  I save a lot of money on my grocery bill by doing this, plus they are healthier this way.

I LOVE TACOS!! It is my favorite food but I do not spend a $1 or whatever the cost is for a packet of taco seasoning.  I make my own homemade taco seasoning with (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, dried onions, sugar, oregano, cumin).  I have total control of the taste and salt content of my seasonings.  The best part is I am able to use some of the same ingredients for my Chili Seasonings, Spaghetti Sauce, Seasoning of Meats, Stews, and Soups etc.  I could not do all of that if I was to purchase a taco seasoning packet, I would need to purchase more pre-packaged or pre-made foods to accomplish chili seasoning, spaghetti sauce, stews etc.

So as you can see you get less then what you pay for when you purchase convenience foods.

 I also do not use recipes that require me to purchase an item that I would only use for that specific recipe …ex: Dry Sherry, Hollandaise sauce.  These would not be beneficial to me and my dinner preparations because I would only use them once for that specific recipe.  I fix simple meals and use recipes that use simple ingredients it ensures that my food bill stays low.

With adopting the “Grandma’s Pantry” cooking techniques, I spend less money on my grocery bills and feed a family of 5 for $250 - $400 a month.  I use what I have and I have learned how to substitute certain things with what I have in my pantry.   

I will be posting more information on how to make your grocery bill dollars stretch without having to use coupons to save money.  I will also talk about the possible pitfalls of using coupons in a later post.

You can find out some of the ingredients I keep in my “Grandma’sPantry” by clicking the link.

Kitchen Swap It

 

Sometimes a recipe calls for a certain ingredient or item that we may not have on hand.  So, "If not on hand....if you can…. SWAP IT”! 

 

Double Boiler: Is a certain type of pot that allows the water to simmer in the bottom of the pan, without allowing it to touch the top pan; food, such as chocolate or a delicate sauce, sits in the top pan to prevent it from scorching which can occur from direct heat.

The Swap: A glass bowl (that can sustain heat) inside a pot.  Simply add water to the bottom of the pot and place a glass bowl that will fit firmly into the pot but won’t get stuck and does not touch the water in the pan. 

Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper

Even though I am not personally fond of the the taste of the boxed Hamburger Helper...this Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper recipe tastes great and is a time saver  for when you want to fix a quick convenient meal but without the added additives and other ingredients that make you say..HUH?  This recipe is easy on the budget and tasty!

 
 Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper:
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 cup hot water
2 cups milk (dry milk, half and half or whipping cream is okay)
1 ½  cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon corn starch or flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½  teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of cumin (you can omit it if you don’t have it)
1 tablespoon of dried onion (you can omit it if you don’t have it)
1 ½ onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (or Velveeta Cheese)

Brown ground beef or turkey in a large skillet; drain (if it is ground beef). Add hot water, milk and stir then add macaroni, and spices and stir, then cover and let simmer. (Be sure to stir to make sure it does not stick). The last few minutes of cook time add cheese and stir, cover the pot again for the final few minutes of cook time (make sure macaroni is tender). Serve when done.

You can easily make this a quick convenient food by preparing this in advance. Put all spices into a ziplock bag (including the cornstarch or flour) then label and in a separate bag put in your 1 ½ cups of macaroni.  When ready brown meat and follow the recipe directions.