Baked Linguine

I came across this recipe years ago in a Southern Living magazine. While the whole family loves it, my son is especially enamored with it, so I am grateful that this recipe makes a very large 9x13 pan. That boy eats like a horse and he's only 12! Leftovers are pretty scarce around here and, if there are any leftovers, he  "calls" them so no one else can eat them the next day. I wish "calling" things worked for adults. "That's my parking space. I called it." "That's my brand new car. I called it."  ANYWAY.....

Baked Linguine

1 lb. Ground beef (I used venison)
2 cloves Garlic, minced (ok, mine came out of a bottle)
1 28oz can Crushed tomatoes
1 8oz can Tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz can because I used 2x's the noodles)
1 6oz can Tomato paste
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar (I used sucanat)
8 oz Uncooked Linguine noodles (Since my boy was eating this, I cooked the entire 16oz box)
1 16oz container Sour cream
1 8oz Cream cheese (softened)
Green onions (optional)
2 c. shredded Sharp cheddar cheese

Cook ground meat until no longer pink. You can salt and pepper the meat, if you like. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients and let simmer for about 30 minutes. While sauce is simmering, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and put them in a greased 9x13 pan.
Mix together the sour cream and cream cheese until it is nice and smooth. Stir in onions, if using. Spread this over the noodles then pour the meat/tomato sauce over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

This post is being shared at The Way Grandmama Does It

A Couple of Updates

Back in December, we decided that we would not be eating out the entire month of January. We almost made it. Twice, I took the kids to lunch when we were out grocery shopping, once my husband took our son to lunch because they had errands to run in town and once I picked up KFC just because I couldn't think of one thing I wanted to cook! Not perfect but we saw progress. I cook 3 meals a day, EVERY DAY so sometimes I just needed a break. The main thing I learned was that A) It isn't that hard to cook from scratch once you know what you are making and B) I kinda like my cooking better than any restaurant. I think we will be continuing this through February.

In January, I tried the no-poo method of washing my hair. After 3 1/2 weeks I am dropping this for a couple of reasons. First, I really don't like the smell of apple cider vinegar. Even though you cannot smell it in your hair once it is dry, it really stinks up the shower while you are in there! Second, part of the idea was that I would be able to only "wash" my hair a few times a week. Nope. I had to do it every single day or the greasies took over. Third, I am not quite happy with some of the results. I do love that my hair is much fuller at the crown (usually that only happened when I colored my hair) and that I wasn't using anything toxic on my head. However, my hair never really felt clean. There were a couple of times when I had to put my hair up because it just looked a bit greasy even after I showered. My ends are also in serious bad shape. Not because of the no-poo, though. They were rough when I started so I will be going and getting a bunch of it cut off :-( I think I will look for a shampoo/conditioner that doesn't contain harmful chemicals and that doesn't stink like ACV!!!!

Our goal for February is to continue eating most meals at home as I really love saving the money! I will get hubby out for a date night once in awhile, though! This is also the time to begin starting my seeds and prepping the garden. I want to grow 75% of our fruits and veggies this year. I will be doing MUCH canning and preserving over the next several months. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Funny how, at the end of the growing season last year, I was so happy for it to be over and now I can't wait to get my hands dirty again. Go figure.
This month I will also being trying a new recipe using a familiar meat in a new way. Nothing ground breaking for those of you that are used to eating wild game but quite a first for me. I have used venison ground, cubed and stewed but never have I used the tenderloin. I tasted it once, years ago, and hated it. But then again, I hated venison period at that time. Since hubby hunts a lot, deer is our main meat source so I am giving it another shot. Plus the tenderloin steaks will be wrapped in bacon so how bad could it be??? I am thinking of making them for Valentine's Day so I will post about it then.

On the cleaning front, I have journeyed into making my own laundry detergent. Just started using it this week and, so far so good. I'll post the recipe I am using for that later once I use it a bit more. The real test will be when we start working outside again and get all dirty, smelly and grimy. As far as household cleaners, this is what I use:
Granite counters- combo of castille soap, hot water and tea tree oil all mixed together and kept in a squirt bottle. I have read some blogs that use vinegar on their granite but I have been told that, over time, vinegar will pit granite and I am NOT taking any chances!

Sinks, showers, tubs, toilets- Good ol' vinegar and baking soda. Honestly, there isn't anything better! Plus, no bad chemicals to mess with the delicate balance of organisms in our septic tank! If you have ever had septic tank trouble you can appreciate that!

Carpets- To freshen, baking soda mixed with some essential oil, sprinkled all over and later vacuumed up.
To clean- Baking soda and tea tree oil mixed with hot water and poured into the cleanser dispenser on my carpet cleaner. Makes the whole house smell fresh and my carpets are clean and oh so soft!

Mirrors/windows-I just use vinegar in a spray bottle but some people say to mix either water or alcohol with it to keep it from streaking. I haven't had a streaking problem so I am sticking with it.

Hand Soap- I ran out of my chemical filled hand soap refill so I made my own using a grated bar of Ivory, glycerin and water. It is a bit runnier but works just fine. I'll post that recipe soon.

Facial Cleanser-I still have some of my oil of olay left so I will use that until it is done then I will use what my kids use which is the cleaner I use on my counters. I LOVE things with multiple uses!!!

As soon as I use up my chapstick (I am an addict to them!), lotion, moisturizer and deodorant, I will be making those myself too. I will post those recipes as I make and use them.

Well, that is about it my friends. Things are getting pretty busy around here. Just the way I like it!

Changing Me

Church yesterday was AWESOME!!!! We had our normal Sunday morning service and then we had a 5th Sunday Service that night that included people from other local Methodist churches and a guest pastor. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE our pastor! He is very inspirational and he doesn't mind tackling the hard issues. I look forward to church every single Sunday. Sometimes, though, it is nice to get a different perspective, a different style. Last night's service was that and so much more! I came away from it with so many questions that I really needed to ask myself. There wasn't a dry eye in the congregation at the end and I could really feel Jesus in that place right at that moment. All the things that were talked about in the morning service and evening service were still swirling around in my head when I turned on my computer and checked out one of my favorite blogs and read what she had to say. Lo and behold, she was talking about one of the very things that had been weighing on my mind. Some of the points she made were almost word for word what I have been thinking. You can read her blog here. I have this same problem and it has really been bugging my lately. I always complain that I can't 'hear' God talking to me. Truth is, He does. I am just ignoring Him. Not exactly intentionally but ignoring Him nonetheless. When I hear about someone in need, I often feel moved to help out in some way but the execution of that help is rarely successful. Most times I wait so long to do anything that I forget about it. For example, the Headmistress (and member of my church) at my kids old school was recently hospitalized and had to have surgery. I felt prompted to send her a note letting her know that we were praying for a speedy recovery for her. Did I do it? No. Why? Well, THAT would be the question I need to answer. Why do I feel compelled to do something, yet don't do it? I always feel awful when I remember that I 'forgot' to do something but it doesn't seem to change the fact that I still don't do it. Our preacher has been doing a series on Becoming Who We Need To Be. Problem is, I don't know who I should be. What I do know is that there are things I don't like about the person I already am. Maybe the first step in becoming who I should be is getting rid of all I don't want to be. Hmmm. Food for thought.

The Change....(No not THAT one)

I have come to an important realization in my life. Before I elaborate on this realization, I need to give you a little background. I grew up in a little town next to a big city in SW Florida. We weren't really outdoor people unless you are talking about being in the pool or at the beach. I never knew a person who hunted and only one or two that fished. My food all came from Publix. My meat came from the Publix butcher who wore a white lab coat and a white paper hat. He always smiled too. The meat was on styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic and I never questioned this set up. Fast forward to my early 20's and into my life comes my wonderful husband who, I am not sure how I missed this, hunted and fished his whole life! He actually shot animals and ate them! WHAT????? No, no, no. That is not how I did things so, after we were married, our meat came from Publix, on styrofoam and wrapped in plastic. When money got tight, our meat still came wrapped in plastic but the name "Walmart" mysteriously appeared on it. Fast forward again (hope no one is getting motion sickness) to a couple of years ago. We had moved from 'city' Florida to 'country' Georgia in 2005 and hubby decided that we needed to get back to the basics so he began serious hunting to fill our freezer and feed us. I humored him. I agreed that from October to January, I would be a hunting widow. Mainly because it put me in charge of the remote quite a bit more often! Then the WIERDEST thing happened. I don't know when the change happened but happen it did. Here comes my big revelation....I actually prefer the meat harvested from our own property. I still get grossed out when I catch a glimpse of hubby processing a hog or deer but I have made peace with the actual eating of that animal. Me! Little miss styrofoam and plastic. I knew the change was complete and permanent when I asked hubby if he would mind butchering chickens. He looked at me and said " Honey, just because your hens aren't laying a lot of eggs right now doesn't mean we need to kill them." I explained to him that I wasn't about to eat my 'girls'. I want to raise meat chickens. The look on his face was priceless!!! Like he just couldn't comprehend those words coming out of my mouth. His response? "I don't mind at all". What a guy! I have now decided that I don't ever want to buy meat from a grocery store again! It truly scares me. Have you ever seen those documentaries on slaughterhouses? THAT is what grocery stores carry. THAT is what was on styrofoam and wrapped in plastic. THAT is what I used to insist on. THAT scares me! So, my plan is this-hubby hunts and fishes and gets what he can to put in the freezer. (We are so blessed to live in an area that is full of deer and hogs) Until we can get our own cows, we will buy grass fed beef from a local farmer. I will place my order for some meat chickens to raise and, well, you can guess what will happen to them. I even have an interest in raising sheep for wool and meat.  I feel so much better now :)

When Did I Become My Parents????

I remember when I was a youngster and I would laugh at my parents over various things. Once, my mom wanted to record a tv show but she couldn't figure out how to set the VCR (yes, this was before DVR's!). I laughed at her while I set the VCR. I couldn't believe she couldn't figure out how to do something so simple. The other day I turned on the tv and my son had been playing the Wii. I had to call him in the family room to put the tv back to where I could watch it. I can't be sure but I think I saw a little smirk on his face while he fixed the tv.
I remember my dad wanting to know how to 'get on the internet and do stuff'. I laughed the whole time I showed him how simple it was. A couple of days ago, I tried downloading music from iTunes on to my daughter's iPod for her using her iTunes gift card. I couldn't figure out how to get it to use the gift card instead of my debit card that was saved to the account. Thirty minutes later of threatening the computer and using language unbecoming of a woman, I finally saw the little button that I needed to click. Both my kids have had great fun telling people how mama couldn't figure out iTunes!
When did I go from tech savvy young person to needing one of those "....For Dummies" books old fart? When did that change happen?
My mom came over last Saturday to use my washer and, while she was waiting, she sat at my kitchen counter watching me make bread. She told me that one of her fondest memories as a child was going to her grandparents house on Saturdays (their baking day) and eating all the fresh breads and strudels that they made. Unfortunately, she never learned how to make them herself. I had to stifle a smile when she asked if I could teach her to make bread. The more things change, the more they stay the same :-)

Pancake Sausage Muffins

I discovered these little gems over at Heavenly Homemakers and I am so glad I did!

The night before:
 Mix 2 c. whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 c. cultured buttermilk in a bowl until combined. Cover with a towel and leave on counter overnight.

In the morning mix into the flour/buttermilk mixture the following:
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. melted butter
1/2 lb. cooked ground breakfast sausage

Grease 12 muffin tins (don't use cupcake liners) and fill the tins almost full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve drizzled with maple syrup.

Soaked Oatmeal Pancakes

Oh my goodness, these are soooooo good! And filling!
The night before:
Mix 2 c. dry oatmeal (I used quick cooking for this) and 1/2 c.  whole wheat flour (or all purpose) in a bowl. Add 2 c. cultured buttermilk and stir until everything is combined. Cover with a towel and leave on the counter overnight.

In the morning:
 Add the following to the oat mixture that is soaking on the counter-
2 eggs
2 tbsp. melted coconut oil (or whatever oil you have)
2 tbsp. sucanat or sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix everything together and drop by the 1/4 cup full onto a hot, buttered skillet. Flip when the edges start to dry out. Enjoy with lots of maple syrup.
We had quite a bit left over so I just put them in the freezer for another breakfast.