Save the planet and some room in your cupboard

Every time I come home from grocery shopping, I get annoyed at all those plastic bags. Do I throw them away or stuff them into a cabinet? Here's a great idea I found in a Martha Stewart magazine for reusable shopping bags. It's better for the environment, plus I found a new use for all of those t-shirts of my husband's he doesn't wear anymore.

You will need:
a sewing machine
disappearing ink fabric pen
9 inch diameter bowl
heavyweight cotton t-shirt
scissors



1. Turn t-shirt inside out and sew the bottom closed over the existing hemstitch. Turn right side out, and lay on a flat surface with seams aligned.
2. Invert bowl, and place it over the neck so that only half the bowl is covering the shirt.
3. With pen, trace the rim of the bowl onto the t-shirt.
4. Cut along the traced line through both layers of fabric to make opening. Then line up sleeves and cut each sleeve off to create handles.



Voila! This was so easy. I made several in just a few minutes.

Fried Apples and Biscuits

When I was growing up my grandmother made fried apples and biscuits often in the summer using transparent apples. My other grandmother had a transparent apple tree in her backyard, and after picking several, she would carry them back to the house in her apron. I was delighted to find that the first house my husband and I lived in had several transparent apple trees in the backyard. It was so rewarding as a young wife to step out into my backyard and return into my kitchen with fresh fruit to cook up. I fried apples often for our breakfast and usually had plenty to freeze. Fried apples are delicious for breakfast but also make a great snack or dessert. These biscuits, adapted from my regular biscuit recipe, are a little sweet, perfect for topping with fried apples and a good shaking of powdered sugar. Transparent apples bruise easily and do not keep for long, so use them quickly.

Fried Apples
4 Tbs butter
About 8 cups sliced apples (leave peel on)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
sprinkling of kosher salt

Melt butter in large skillet. Add apples and cook on medium heat, stirring often. Cook for about five minutes, then turn down heat and add the rest of the ingredients. The apples cook quickly and will turn mushy fast if not watched carefully. Cook for 4-5 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
5 Tbs butter, cut into pieces
1 cup milk
1/4 cup light cream

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until blended. Add milk and cream and mix with fork just until blended. Drop into mounds onto greased baking sheet and bake in 400 degree oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops and bottoms are lightly browned.

Cut biscuits open and top with apples. Dust with powdered sugar.

Honesty

As I was thinking this morning about starting this blog, I was excited about all the interesting things I would discuss here. Things like my favorite recipes and homemaking tips. Then I began to think about how difficult it is to try to be all things to everyone as a mom and homemaker. It is impossible to be good at everything. Sometimes I can feel pretty darn inadequate, especially in today's society with Martha Stewart magazines and all the shows on television about decorating and cooking. I've all but given up trying to keep a house plant alive. Despite what we see around us, we can not be everything; and it seems that when I try to be the perfect homemaker, it's at the expense of time with my children. I as a mother need sometimes to let the housework go, and just enjoy my children. I want to be honest about myself; I'm not perfect and to pretend such is wrong. So as I was sorting out these thoughts, I remembered a poem I once heard. I couldn't remember much about it so I went looking for it. When I found it, it brought tears to my eyes. So I dedicate this post to all my mommy friends; and especially those with newborns or a new one on the way.

Where is the Mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery..blissfully rocking.
Cooking and cleaning can wait 'til tomorrow,
but babies grow up, which I've learned to my sorrow.
So, settle down cobwebs,
Dust, go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep

Welcome In

This is a place to share thoughts and inspirations with other mod mamas like myself. Enjoy.