Frantic Fall cleanup!

I cannot believe the last few days we’ve had!  It is November right? Well it was close to 80 Tuesday.  I figure it is going to turn ugly really soon so we took the afternoon on Wednesday to tackle those leaves our sycamores have been dropping.  The kids have been out in the leaves playing several times but I have been avoiding all the work it takes to clear our yard of leaves.  This year it wasn’t as bad because we had our trees trimmed in the spring so there weren’t as many branches this year.

The kids helped by laying in the leaves.  We used the largest tarp we have to put loads of leaves on and then pull them to our branches/leaves pile outside our yard.  I was really missing Michael’s help on this job but everyone jumped in to help.  Steve was home and he even did a couple of loads after he finished his jobs in the garage!  Wow what a workout.

We had some huge weeds and the two littles tackled those—with bungie cords?  I am still not sure how that game worked out but I didn’t card because they pulled them up & took them all to the pile.  Joshua was especially diligent in removing all the marigold plants.  He is a hard worker!  Elizabeth has been mowing the yard all summer and she stepped up to day to do the final mow.  It was pretty easy as she was mostly just mulching the leaves.  There wasn’t a lot of tall grass but it will be so much easier in the spring now that she has done that. 

We cleared the tomato cages/fencing & put all the stakes away in our newly cleaned out garage.  I almost didn’t recognize our neat and tidy front yard when I pulled in to the garage.  It is like all the hard stuff has been done & now we can just hibernate & wait for the cold.  Is that like harvesting, putting all the food in the cellar, and cutting enough wood for the winter?  Probably not but it is still a nice feeling to have that project done before the rains come later this week.

BBQ Meatballs

BBQ Meatballs--I like to do a double or triple batch & freeze these to have on hand.

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup water or milk

1 cup grape jelly

1 small can tomato sauce

3/4 tsp oregeno

1 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

Mix first 3 ingredients and form into balls.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.   Mix remaining ingredients in crockpot.  Gently place meatballs in crockpot & stir to coat.

Cover.  Cook on low for 6-10 hours.

Pirates Stew

Pirates Stew—based on the Fix It and Forget It cookbook recipe.  We basically clean out the refrigerator to make this.

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped onion

1-2 lbs ground beef or turkey, cooked

3 cups diced raw potatoes

1 cup diced celery

2 cups canned kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4-1 cup cooked brown rice

Mix all ingredients except brown rice in crockpot.  Cover. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours or until the potatoes are cooked.  Add rice at the end to avoid mushy rice.

Variation:  We also often add 2 cups sliced carrots as well.

My slave in the kitchen

My happiest & easiest days are days when my slave is working in the kitchen.  I can forget about supper because she is working away all day in there making my family a hot dinner.  She was wonderful gift from my husband a few years ago so she is definitely not new.  Age spots decorate her white exterior.  Of course I am talking about my crock pot.

I was having a chat this morning with a dear friend and was inspired to include a couple of good recipes for this colder weather and busy time of year.  With it getting dark early there is nothing better for me & my family than to have a hot meal ready at 6 p.m. without a lot of fuss or preparation.  So easy is the word for these!  Some of these I don’t know where they came from but if I do I will site the book or website.

Slow-Cooker Chicken with Cashews—Parents.com

Pulled Chicken BBQ—not sure where I got this from!
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup(we like Hunts no HFCS!)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place chicken in crockpot with enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot, so the chicken doesn’t burn.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

When chicken is finished cooking, remove from crockpot and allow to cool slightly.  Shred the chicken with two forks.  Set aside.

Mix the top 6 ingredients together on medium heat in a large sauce pot.  Add the shredded chicken and stir to heat through.

Our family eats this on whole wheat buns with corn on the cob & steamed broccoli.