Frosted Fudge Brownies

Hello all!
This week has been a busy one & I am so glad that is winding down. I can't wait for an evening to sit out by the fire and just chill out!
I'm also anxiously counting the days down till our trip to the Amish country.
My best friend and I are leaving town (without kids) to spend a day out shopping in the Ohio countryside.
I've been there many times and love it!
Misty has been through there once, with her husband in tow and on a motorcycle and needless to say she wasn't able to shop much since she had very little space to haul anything home.
However, not this time!
It's all about US....a girl's day out....and one that we both are looking forward to!

The recipe that I'm sharing today is one of the many that I copied while sitting around the kitchen table at my MIL's house. We both shared a love of cooking and recipes and each time I visited her I always browsed through her many cookbooks and food magazines.

Frosted Fudge Brownies
 
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan, melt butter.
Remove from heat and add cocoa. Let cool.
Beat eggs and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Gradually add to the egg/sugar mixture.
Stir in vanilla.
Next add the cooled chocolate/butter and mix well.
Spread into a greased 13X9.
Bake at 350° for 25-28 minutes.
Cool.

Frosting:
6 tbsp. butter, softened
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 - 1/3 cup milk
Cream all and add enough milk to make desired spreading consistency.
Spread over brownies and cut into bars.
Enjoy!     

Morningstar Farms Veggie Burger Wrapped in Phyllo Dough

*Not the prettiest picture maybe....but it was tasty and something different from the usual.*

It's been a busy weekend and so far a busy start to the new week.
Saturday we headed to PA in search of a good deal on a swimming pool. We've talked for some time about getting one and we finally took the plunge. We found the pool that we wanted and a not-so-bad price for installation and ground prep so we grabbed it. I hated to write the check for the purchase but I know that it will give us all many years of enjoyment.
Now we will just hope that next summer is not a cool one....I know, I know that is all that I wished for this year but you can't (comfortably) swim if it's too cool and we will all be anxious to jump in.
After we returned from PA we headed down to the old WV Penitentiary for a tour and quickly walked through the Elizabethtown Festival that was held inside the prison yard. The tour itself took forever but was really interesting. The tour guide once worked within those walls and was able to provide a more accurate account of those who lived there.
Everyone was starving by the time we finished so we loaded up and headed to my favorite lil' restuarant - Undo's. We pigged out and then headed home to build a toasty fire in the backyard.
Busy yet fun and productive weekend.
Now we are back to the ol' grind of things. I hope to have gotten some decent pictures from our tour to share with you all but I've got to get them all loaded first.

Now to the main course!
I was watching Food Network the other day ( I can't remember which show) and they were making all different kind of burgers and sandwiches. One caught my attention. It was some sort of sandwich filling wrapped up in phyllo dough, browned and served as a sandwich with fries.
So, here is my version. It worked nicely with a store bought veggie patty since they are quick to cook. Unlike a hamburger that you would need to cook first and then wrap in the dough.

Morningstar Farms 1/4 Pounder wrapped in Phyllo Dough

Morningstar Farms Grillers 1/4 Pounder patty
Onion slices
3 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
slice of Provolone cheese
2 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil

Place 1/4 pounder on plate and microwave for 2 minutes.
Saute onion slices in a bit of olive oil. When they are almost done toss in the tomatoes and let simmer a few minutes.
Unwrap dough and and lay 2 sheets of phyllo dough flat.
Place burger in the center of the dough.
Top with onion and tomatoes and then a slice of cheese.
Carefully, wrap the dough around the burger and then place seam side down in the same pan that you sauteed the onions in.
Let brown on one side and then the other.
Enjoy!

Fall Crafting with the Kids

Aren't these cute?
I was blog hopping the other night and ran across a new craft blog. One that has a section geared for kids, so I browsed through her ideas and copied  many to try in the coming months.
Here in our homeschooling adventures, Fridays are for catching up on things (like Art class) that get tossed to the sidelines on normal days.

These were easy for the kids to make and fairly inexpensive if you already have some basic art supplies laying around. I did have to go to an art supply store to buy the little hats for a dollar but the rest of the stuff I already had. Well, all except for enough glue sticks. I ran out of those but luckily, Mom & Dad had a few of those at their house so instead of having to stop and run to the store I just ran across the street and borrowed one of theirs.☺
You can find the instructions for the scarecrow over at CRAFTS BY AMANDA. I've added her site to my sidebar so that I can check it daily. I'm always looking for ways to entertain and occupy children. :0)

It's windy and warm here now but it's supposed to cool down by morning which is good. We've got lots to do this weekend. We're going shopping for a pool for next year. We have talked for several years about buying an above ground pool but have never done it...I think we're just going to jump and do it this time.
Also, we're going to tour the former WV Penitentiary using the tickets that I blogged about HERE and this weekend the Elizabethtown Festival is also going on inside the walls of the penitentiary.
Lots to do and we've got great weather to do it in.
Hope you all have a great weekend!

Get Your Free Ticket

This Saturday, September 25, 2010 is Smithsonian's 6th annual Museum Day and many museums across the nation are participating by offering free admission.

Click HERE to see which museums in your state are joining in on the celebration...but hurry it's only good for this Saturday! 

We plan on using ours to take a tour of the Old West Virginia Penitentiary. My husband and I have toured it before but it was quite a while ago and not all of our children have had the experience so I think that they will enjoy it. If all goes as planned then I will have pictures to share with you all.

Look at the Goodies that Arrived

I entered Donna's giveaway over at ONE SIMPLE COUNTRY GIRL and I WON!!
These arrived on my porch yesterday and we immediately opened them up.
There was a fall checkerboard,  Halloween garland & ornies, a faux caramel apple, a Home Interior Potpourri Pie Plate, a 2011 photo calendar, candy and a nice card all from Donna.
Thanks girl!
We loved each and every one of them.
Many of the items were handmade by her and she did a wonderful job on them.
Today, my son brought the mail in and to my surprise was this.

It is a 3 part DVD from the History Channel titled America - The Story of Us.
I signed up for this free DVD that they were offering to schools to use as part of their curriculum. Well, we aren't a public school but we are a homeschool so I signed up and to my surprise it came today.
This will be great for this years studies. Katie (1st grade) is just learning about Our America and Gage (5th grade) is learning more in detail about the U.S. and how our nation was formed.
I love getting packages such as these instead of junk mail or worse...bills.

Who can Resist Moda Fabrics??

Not me!
There was plenty more that I would have liked to purchase but I just couldn't.
I was chatting with the lady that owns the shop and told her that I really shouldn't buy any more at all until I have used up all the fabrics that I have at home but she said that is not what we (fabric lovers, quilters, etc.) are supposed to do.
So you see, she kind of gave me the A ok to buy.. buy.. buy.
The good thing is that I brought both pieces home and actually used them instead of placing them in my fabric stash.
I made pillowcases for a few pillows that we use on the couches.

The above photo is a Moda fabric called At Walden Pond. The colors in this one match my couches perfectly. I keep big fluffy bed pillows on my couch or nearby for those times when you want to take a nap while watching some tv. You know, you gotta be comfy!
The other fabric which I can not even remember the name fits in with the decor in my living room. I love anything related to horses, country living, western and so forth so I grabbed a few mini pillows at Walmart and made pillowcases out of this fabric.
Nothing fancy.

Just a simple slip on case that can be easily removed to wash.
Now, since I used up those two fabrics does it mean that I can go and buy a few more favorites???
OR
Maybe I should wait until I travel to Sugar Creek and allow myself to get lost in the beauty of their lil' quilt shops.

Homemade Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Gosh, it's already 3 p.m. and I'm just getting around to posting. Our homeschooling is in full gear now so that takes a big portion of my day. We get up around 6 a.m. and my oldest heads off to catch the bus to the high school around 7:15 and then we (the younger two kids & I) start our schooling shortly there after.
Once we finish school then it's time for me to get started on dinner while the kids are off to play. I try to keep up on the laundry and housecleaning in between lessons while the kids do their own *homework*. 
My days seem full but structured which allows me to make the most of my time and accomplish all that  needs to get done. However, there are some days that *things* happen and set our schedule upside down. When that happens we make the best of what we are given and if we don't complete everything then we catch up the next day. No big deal!
This is our third year of homeschooling and I have found that I don't doubt or second guess myself as much as in the past. You always wonder if you are doing a good job as a teacher and constantly compare work with those of the children in public schools. Now I just go with it. I guess I feel more comfortable with my choice to homeschool.
Anytime I doubt myself, something always seems to happen within our public school system that reminds me of why I chose to homeschool in the first place.
So sorry!
Homeschooling was not what I intended to post about today (according to my title) but it seems to be what is rolling off my tongue at the moment.
So without any further ado here is the recipe for scalloped potatoes. It's not a hard dish to make though it takes a little more time than just opening a box of instant but trust me these are way better than a box.

Homemade Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

8 lbs. potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 of a large block of Velveeta, cubed

8 oz. bag of shredded cheddar

1 1/4 cups milk

flour

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. of butter

Grease a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
Peel and slice potatoes. *I slice them and soak them in COLD water until ready to use so that they don't turn brown. When needed, just drain water off of them.

Layer about 1/3 of the potato slices in bottom of pan.
Season with a little salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with flour. I don't have a measurement for this as I never measure. Just get a small handful of flour and sprinkle away.
Place small slivers of butter here and there on top of the flour.
Next place 1/3 of the cheese cubes over the flour and then sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheddar.
Repeat this layer two more times.
Pour milk over top and cover with a piece of tin foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking to it.
Seal edges and then cut a few slits in the top of the foil.
Bake at 350° for 3 hours.
Enjoy!

*I use Kroger's version of Velveeta. It is called Nice N Cheesy Queso Blanco. It's a white cheese with jalapenos so in the middle photo that is what the black speck in the cheese is. A jalapeno piece.*

Natural Spider Repellents????

It's that time of the year again.
The time when I start noticing spiders trying to invade my home. I don't mind spiders as long as they are outdoors but when they come into my home that is a whole other story.   SQUASH!
I have killed two nice size spiders within the past two days and they totally gross me out.
One was in my bed the other night. EEK!
I think he may have come in on the laundry that I hung outdoors to line dry that day.
The other came in when I opened the front door.
I had seen one hiding in the corner of the front porch as I was sweeping the day before but I left him be since he wasn't hurting me. However, I believe he is who I squashed when I opened the front door and he came scurrying in.
I've begun my fall cleaning, hitting every nook and cranny that the little suckers would like to hide in yet that does nothing to prevent them from coming into my home.
These aren't little spiders....these are big, hairy wolf spiders.
I know they are probably just looking for a nice warm place to hole up for the winter but my house is off limits.
I know that you can buy chemical repellants to spray along the outside of your house to get rid of them but I try not to use such items. I would rather use someting natural, safe to use around people and animals yet will keep them from coming indoors.
Something that will just shoo them away.

Any ideas???

I have heard of using hedgeapples but I don't have a clue where I could find those.
If any of you have ideas, tips or tricks that work I would really appreciate them.
Oh, and do any of you have problems with spiders coming in during the fall or are they only attracted to my house?

Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken with Gravy

The other evening I was going to make MARLBORO MAN's 2nd FAVORITE SANDWICH but I was busy sewing and really didn't want to quit to make supper.

You know....Who really needs to eat when there is sewing to be done??

Needless to say the rest of my family wouldn't agree so I had to fix something for them and this is what I came up with.
Once I got the messy part (pounding the chicken out flat) over and done with the rest of the meal was quick and easy so while it simmered on the stove top I went back to my sewing. :0)
I'll warn you ahead of time, I did not measure anything as I made this so I'm giving you guestimates but you really can't mess it up.

  Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken with Gravy

                        Chicken breasts
                Lemon Pepper Seasoning
                1 stick margarine or butter
                      about 2 tbsp. flour
                               water

Place a chicken breast between 2 large pieces of waxed paper.
Pound chicken till fairly flat and even.
Sprinkle both sides with lemon pepper seasoning.
Place butter in skillet and let it melt.
When butter is melted and pan is hot then place chicken in pan.
Brown on both sides and then remove chicken to a plate.
Add flour to pan drippings and wisk around.
Let bubble and cook for a minute and then add about 1 1/2 cups water while stirring.
Place chicken back in pan and let simmer until done.
If your liquid starts cooking down then add a bit more water. In the end I believe I used about 4 cups of water all together and it made a nice gravy/sauce that we poured over the chicken.
Serve with rice or potatoes, a veggie and some fruit and you've got a quick and simple but tasty meal.
Oh, and if you have never tried the Marlboro Man Sandwich then DO!
It's takes a bit more time to make but it is soooo good!

The Rest of the Tour

Here's the final part of our tour.

Berthing Area

Just a narrow room with 4 rows of cots lining the walls

Captain's Cabin

See that phone in the bottom right corner?

It had a direct line straight to the White House.

Wheelhouse

Looking out over the main deck from the wheelhouse

The MASH Jeep

                       Click on the photos to enlarge.

I am so glad that we went to see this floating piece of history. To my kids and even myself, WWII seems as if it were a long time ago. However, it really wasn't.

Many people my age had grandparents that fought during WWII and the stories and tales that they can tell us our priceless. I'm sure many are not pleasant, as with any war, but they are part of our history and well worth hearing.

If this ship or any others like it arrives in your area it is well worth your time to tour it. Not only will you hear tales from the crew but you will see gentlemen that once served aboard these boats that come to revisit and hear their descriptions as they walk the decks.

I was taken back as I listened to several gentlemen that were there to visit. They were (I'm guessing) in their 80's or 90's, yet their memories were so vivid of their time spent on these ships.

A BIT BEHIND & OUR TOUR OF THE LST 325

Remember a few posts back when I told you that I was having computer issues??
Well, I think I have it fixed for now (keeping fingers crossed) but after getting so frustrated in the process I just needed time away from my computer.
So while I was away I worked on more school lesson plans and stitched away on my John Deere picture. I didn't spend nearly as much time on this as I would have like to but unfortunately there are other things that need done around the house than sewing.

In the kitchen:

I've slowly been getting back into the baking mood. I used the last of my garden peppers to make another batch of mustard pepper, baked a new recipe for crisp and chewy chocolate chip cookies and mixed up a few spices that resulted in a new baked cajun chicken recipe. All of which I will share with you later.

But first...

I need to begin where I left off before my computer went haywire.

Our Photo Tour of the LST 325 that docked in Wheeling, WV a few weeks ago.

This ship was used during WWII but is now retired and travels around as a floating museum offering tours to the public.

Let's get started!

Enter through the cargo doors

Checking out the tanks on the tank deck

Uniforms from long ago

Helmets and Ammo

Guns on the Upper Deck

My favorite: The Galley

Where all the meals are prepared

This little hole in the wall serves as the P.O.

Well, we are about half way through the tour so I think I will stop and finish the photo tour with you all tomorrow. I hate to post all of them at once. It may make a nightmare for some with slower connections.

I'll be back tomorrow with the Captain's Cabin, wheelhouse, main deck & more.