Insomnia turned productive

I had insomnia last night, And was up until almost 5am. I have been loving making my own things, Making them tastes better and saves so much money. So I spent most of the night googling and swagbuck searching MYO, Make your own convience foods etc. I found some awesome sites with great ideas I never even thought of. Here are some that I found and checked out.....
www.farmhomelife.blogspot.com
www.northerncheapskate.com
www.thriftyfun.com search convienence recipes
www.saveadimein09.blogspot.com
www.thefamilyhomestead.com
www.newfluwiki2.com

I have about 10 more sites to look at, but these I checked out last night and today and got some great recipes.

We loveeeeeeeee with a passion ranch dressing, I make it almost every meal. I use the bulk powdered from walmart, I think it is the same as 10 packets, And it costs almost $7, really expensive for us when we use so much. So I found a recipe last night for making my own. It took me only a few minutes to whip this up and I used ingredients I already had. I made the hidden valley ranch and my homemade ranch for dinner, We had a taste test and it was unanimous, Everyone liked the homemade better, More flavorful they said!!!!
Homemade ranch dressing (dry )
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor ( I used my little chopper) grind until a fine powder is formed. Store in airtight container. To prepare dressing..
Combine 1 tablespoon powder with 1 cup mayo and 1 cup milk.
* I saw recipes that added saltine crackers in this mix, I added 7 saltine crackers in before I put it in the grinder, I did this because we like ours thicker and thought this would help. And I believe it did).
Vanilla chai tea mix, My son and I are chai tea addicts. I like my old mix that I make myself, But it is quite pricey for how much we drink it. So I tried this dry mix and it was really good, Good enough that we are changing to this recipe.
Vanilla chai tea mix
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non dairy creamer
1 cup french vanilla powdered non dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp white pepper
Combine all ingredients in food processor, I again used my little chopper. Blend into fine powder, store in airtight container. Add 3-4 tablespoons mix to cup of hot water or milk. ( We used milk and it was great!!!)
I also made the homemade pancake syrup early this morning and everyone ate it this morning with the waffles my hubby made and all raved about it, Hubby most of all !!!!
Pancake recipe
! cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teas vanilla
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring/extract

mix water and both sugars vanilla and maple flavoring in saucepan, on medium high bring to boil, Let simmer for 15 minutes or until thicker. When done I wanted mine thicker, So I added 1/4 cup of corn syrup to mine, Then I filled an old pancake syrup container when the mixture was cool enough. Store in fridge. If the mixture gets gritty or hardens, Just pop in microwave for a few seconds to dissolve it.

Happy MYOing, Michelle

Started my seeds today

Today I started my seeds, I am starting early so I get nice big plants to transplant this year. We are building raised beds next month, to get ready for spring planting, I am using my entire backyard for planting this year, Except the side where we are putting the chicken coop. Last year was my first time for a garden, And with all things considered I did okay, It was my learning year, This will be learning year #2 haha. I am planting alot more things this year, Quite a few herbs. I had 5 tomato plants last year and did not get one tomato off any of them, The squirrels took every last one, I spent last year trying every trick in the book, nothing worked. This year we are fencing in the tomato plants completely. I am definetly planting banana peppers this year, Last year my 6 plants gave me tons of them. I can't wait to start planting again, I never thought I would love gardening so much, and to bring in your harvest that you grew yourself is very gratifying. We are going to plant some fruit trees this year too, Apple, lemon, pear. I am hoping to get a nut tree also. We are going to purchase an already grown blueberry bush, blackberry bush, raspberry bush from online. I live next to the neighbor from heck, So the trees will go along the north side of the house where she lives, and block her out a bit, Also help with the wind on that side of the house in winter. It is really wide so should be able to plant right down the middle, far enough away from the house, far enough away from her property line to get in no trouble. I hate so bad living next to someone who hates us, even though she does not know us. She did not care for us from day one, Said we had too many kids, We were weirdo's because we homeschool. She is the street gossip. I don't gossip, Don't have time for it. Noone on the block speaks to us, except the people across the street, Not because they don't like us, But because they are afraid to get caught and have her gossip about them. What kind of way is that to live???? Well I won't do it. I love my house, I am not going anywhere, And quite frankly I don't care what any of them say about me, I just go along my merry way.....Well except for once this summer....She said something really bad about one of my kids, I mean filthy bad.....I had had enough, So I took a poster board a sharpie and wrote "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". Things quieted down for a bit after that haha. We are hoping to purchase a piece of property way in the middle of nowhere this year. We have been researching some books on "How to build a log home for under $15,000", and container housing. We want to homestead and live with no real close neighbors. So that is our financial goal this year, Pay cash for 5-10 acres. And start building our home. With the goal that by 2012 we can move there. That way we don't go back to paying a mortgage again, We would have no payments. Then we can move and sell this house. We would use some of the cash from the sale of this house to dig a pond on the property and go off grid and purchase animals. The rest would go into savings. AHHHH I love dreams and hopes!!!!

CT scan results are in

Dr. just called, and CT scan shows no cancer, It is thyroglossal duct cyst. He has to have surgery on the 28th of January. It is minimally invasive. They go through his neck, remove the cyst, a part of the thyroid bone, so the cyst does not grow back, clean out any smaller cysts. The surgery lasts 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. He will have to be on thyroid medicine for the rest of his life. I am still freaked out about this surgery, But am so relieved it is not cancer! Thank GOD!!! I am going to spend the rest of the day just loving on him. Have a blessed day all !!!! MIchelle

Weekend projects to keep busy

I have planned some weekend projects to keep busy, And not focus on the baby's CT scan. Today we have an upstairs bathroom closet with a hole in the wall, We had to cut the hole in the wall when the pipes burst, So we are repairing that. With the hole being patched we might as well organize the closet, It is where all the Christmas stuff goes and the extra clothes. Hubby is doing most of that, And I will be baking. I am out of bread and cookies. I am just making a farmhouse white bread, The cookies will candy choc. chip cookies. I purchased 30 bags of the crunch like chocolates at walmart last week for .20 a bag. I am just gonna smash em up a little and use those like choc. chips. I have not made cookies since before Christmas and since I don't buy them, Everyone is real antsy for cookies!!! I am making everyones favorite chicken dish for dinner, Chicken and Rice:

6 chicken breasts or thighs
4 cups rice (instant or regular)
4 cups water
2 cups milk ( powdered or regular)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 carton of sour cream
4 tablespoons dry parsley flakes
paprika

Pour rice in large casserole dish, pour in water and milk. Inseperate bowl mix together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, parsley flakes. Place washed chicken breasts on top of rice once liquid has somewhat absorbed. Spoon the cream of chicken mixture on top of chicken and rice. Sprinkle or use as much as you want of the paprika, We like lots so every inch is covered on mine. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes on 350 or until chicken is done.
I have not done this in the crock pot, But am going to give it a go today, I will let you know how that comes out.

Tomorrow's project is the boys room. We have the 5 year old twins and the 2 year old in the really large bedroom upstairs. It was the 2 teen girls room before my oldest moved out. It is quite girlyfied. We are patching and primering today. Then tomorrow we will be painting. I have some baby blue paint, almost a gallon. I will water it down a bit, Since it is really bright anyway. ( we only purchase the mistints) I am hoping it comes out a sky like blue. After it dries, I am going to combine their two favorite things, Disney cars and trains. I am going to stencil trains and Cars characters on the wall, Like a border around the center of the wall. I am also going to do a bright sun in one corner, Some clouds dotted here and there. Then I am going to write some inspirational quotes on the empty spots. We also bought those new star lights at after Christmas sales for $1.40. One string has 10 big stars, They have settings to go fast or chase or fade in and out etc. We already moved the plugs to the top of the walls, So no one can reach them. So my hope is that there is enough to hang them in different spots on the ceiling like stars in the sky. They have no window in the room so I think they will like this. The ceiling fan I am going to remove the blades, Clean it up, paint it dark dark blue, and stencil glow in the dark stars on it. Next month when we get the state taxes back, We are going to buy some clearance carpet that they put out at Lowe's and just lay carpet down with attaching it, except just tacking it down in the corners, The weight of the beds will keep the rest from moving. They have nothing but their beds and toys in their room, Dressers are at the end of the hallway outside their room. The 2 year old is a terrible climber, And since this is also the playroom, Where they play while I am downstairs, This works for me. We used a leftover piece of the kitchen counter we had left to make the TV shelf. They have a small tv/dvd player so they can watch their movies. We also have the heater up on this shelf, Which in about 7 ft up the wall. With the plug way up right next to it, I don't have to worry about anyone touching these things. Other then getting the 5 year olds new beds next month also. That will be about it. This really won't cost much, Other then the carpet and the beds. I have the paint, The stencils I will make myself on the computer. The carpet will cost about $25. And the beds just the price of lumber, As we are building our own, Just 4 basic posts, and a plywood piece on top, Then painted with paint I already have.
I don't foresee us getting this all done in one weekend, But more like 2. Hubby is lower man on the engineers pool, So he does not get to pick his vacations, He got the January vacation this year, And all at once. He started on the 10th and it ends on the 24th. So want to jam pack as many things as possible into that time frame. He doesn't work that much regularly, Only about 10 days a month but it never fails we start a project and he gets called for work. Kind of like a firefighter, Same call hours, could be gone for a few days. But to work like that, and drive the choo choo which he lovessssssss and get paid $90,000 a year, We live with it lol. Have a happy weekend all !!!!!!

CT scan done

Well the CT scan went well, I was so worried about the anesthsia, But he came through with flying colors. He had to have the iodine dye injected via IV and vomitted after but that was the only problem. He was so brave and the nurses said if all the babies were as good as him their days would be cake!!! I am supposed to call the Dr. office after midday on monday to see if they have read the results yet, and get the answer to what we are dealing with. I am betting I am a bit anxious this weekend, But going to try not and dwell on it. I know all mothers who have kids with problems say no not mine, And I am going to add myself to that list. Even the least worst case senario, Thyroglossal duct cyst requires surgery, sometimes invasive and to be put on thyroid medication for life, But that is non life threatening. I will take it. I did not sleep at all last night, researching all growing lump in neck stuff, Which I never should have done, But I did. I feel a bit informed anyway. Just wanted to say he is home and back to his wild crazy self. And I will post asap when I get the diagnosis. Thanks to all who thought of him today, Michelle

Banana bread

I bought 40 bananas last week when they were .19 lb. I let them get all ooey and gooey, The kids this morning were poking them, So I figured it was time to make the bread. From those banana's I made 2 pans ( cake size pans) and 5 bread pan sizes and one pan of muffins. Not one person in this house does not like banana bread, So when I make it I make a lot. I gave one bread pan to my daughter to take home for lunches. We ate one pan with dinner and the little ones ate the muffins up this afternoon for snacks. I had some hamburger buns that needed to be used up and some hamburger that I cooked up and had frozen, So I made taco burgers for dinner. This was an easy, quick and simple dinner. We have to take the baby 50 miles for his CT scan early tomorrow morning. They think he has thyroglossal duct cyst, But want to rule out cancer. He has to have anesthesia and I am a little scared about that. But we have to find out so we can do what has to be done. If it is thyroglossal duct cyst, He will have to have surgery, quite soon. As it is growing quite large to where he can't put his neck to his chest. Pray for him to have the thyroglossal duct cyst, It requires surgery and thyroid medicine for life, But the alternative I don't even want to think about. My oldest is coming over in the morning to watch the twins while we go, So we can concentrate on the baby. They say he will be grouchy after they wake him up. Poor baby. Anyway wish us luck and pray for us please. Michelle

Taco burgers
hamburger buns ( store bought or homemade)
hamburger meat cooked
taco seasoning(packet or homemade)
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce

Banana bread (simple no nut recipe)
2 cups flour
1 teas. baking soda
1/4 teas. salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
2 1/3 cups smashed bananas
The recipe has steps for the bread mixture, I throw everything in, then mix it with mixer.
The recipe says, mix dry ingred. set aside.
cream brown sugar and butter, mix in eggs.
mix in banana's, then gradually add dry ingredients. Bake for 1 hour at 350. Ovens and pan sizes vary, Some of mine took over an hour.
Sweet dreams to all tonight!!!!

Mandarin orange cake

My family's favorite treat and so easy to make, Mandarin orange cake. I got this recipe from my 5 ingredient or less cookbook.

Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
2 small cans mandarin oranges with juice

frosting
1 tub of cool whip
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box instant vanilla pudding

Mix cake mix, eggs and mandarin oranges with juice, Mix with mixer so oranges get chopped up. Grease cake pan, Add cake mix, bake 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Cool cake.
For frosting, Mix cool whip pineapple with juice and vanilla pudding, mix well, set aside to set up.
When cake is cool, top with topping, This cake is good without putting in the fridge, But it is super best when refrigerated for a few hours. This cake is so moist. MMMM good, I need a piece if they left me any!!!!