Accomplishments

I stood in my kitchen today and baked some yummy bread.  I haven’t gotten to be creative in the kitchen for a month.  I’ve missed it.

It’s February and I don’t have a calendar up.  I finished making one on Shutterfly today.  It has all the birthday’s for both sides of the family on it.  WOW that is a lot of birthdays.  Going to get it printed this week.

Everyone is home tonight.  Michael said 3 days of being snowed in with a bunch of crazy guys was enough.  He had to get out and come home.  Love that.

My boys are playing games at the table

Finished studying with my girls for tomorrow’s Bible Quiz. 

Best of all I only have 3 days left on crutches.  I cannot tell you how happy I am for that.  I am glad for a busy weekend so I won’t have time to be frustrated it by it.  The time should fly.  Happy Weekend!

    

Peanut Butter and Banana Bread

MMMMmmmm

This is baking in my oven right now.  I am a sucker for anything peanut butter & if you throw in chocolate well I am pretty defenseless.  A dear friend sent a loaf of this home with me before surgery.  It was delicious & so we are making some to have at a carry in Super Bowl Party(if it makes it that long).  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 T baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 ripe large bananas, mashed (1 cup)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 T cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg slightly beaten

6-oz pkg milk chocolate pieces (1 cup)

Recipe for Peanut Butter frosting

In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, oil, vanilla and egg.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.  Stir in chocolate pieces.  Pour in to two greased loaf pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool for thoroughly on a wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before serving.  To serve, frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.  Top with Chocolate Chips.

Peanut Butter Frosting

In a small saucepan melt 3 T peanut butter and 2 T Butter.  Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Stir in 1 T milk.  Add more milk, if necessary, until it is of spreading consistency.

I will post a picture when it is frosted—it disappeared to fast earlier to snap a photo!

20 years and counting

Yep today is Groundhog Day.  In the US that means we watch a groundhog to know how long we have until spring.  Kinda silly isn’t it.  But hey winter will make you do things like that.

Another silly things is that I got married on Groundhog Day.

  Steve likes it.  He never forgets when our anniversary is that way.

Usually we don’t spend our anniversary together because he’s working & I am home schooling/corralling our young’ins.  But God arranged it this special year that we could be home together.  Well sort of—he’s outside shoveling a ton of snow off our driveway.  That and making snow tunnels with the kids.  I am kind of jealous. 

That is saying something because I don’t really appreciate the cold or snow.  But it looks fun from the window.

I cannot even begin to write a blog post that would do justice to the love I have for my husband.  He is kind, loving, hardworking & above all loves Jesus with all his heart.  He is continually striving to grow and become the man God wants him to become.  I am so thankful for the first 20 years we’ve had together and I eagerly anticipate the adventures we will have in the next 20.

And because sometimes pictures speak louder than words. . .

Don't miss a post by liking Day to Day Adventures Facebook page.  Or sign up to get our newsletter.

Brrrrr! Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We are hunkered down.  Everyone is home and we are NOT going out until this blizzard stops blowing.  The wind is blowing like crazy but inside it is nice & warm.  I know my family & tonight they are going to be looking for some warm yummy food. 

So I am baking bread & making soup for supper.  Well I have that planned & they girls will be making it.   Ha!

This Happy Honey Wheat Bread recipe is delicious! 

Don’t feel guilty if you have to have a piece right out of the oven with lots of butter & cinnamon/sugar sprinkled on it.

Tonight’s soup will be . . .

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

4 cups diced broccoli

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 cups instant dry milk

2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

(Optional:  2 cups diced chicken and 1 cup dry brown rice)

Chop up broccoli & cook until tender in 2 cups of water.  Add spices & onion as the broccoli is cooking.  Mix4 cups of broth, cornstarch and milk powder in a separate bowl—you can do this in your blender if you want.  Combine with broccoli and cook until sauce is thickened.  Add 2 cups of cheese & stir until melted.  Additional cheese can be added to the top of the soup or in individual bowls.

If you want a higher protein meal you can add about 2 cups of cooked diced chicken.  I also have a large portion of my family that claims this soup needs brown rice in it.  I cook the rice(1 cup) in 2 cups water while I am preparing the rest of the soup.  I add both chicken and rice to this recipe & it is perfect for a cold wintery day. 

What warm comfort food are you reaching for tonight?

Gratituesday: Getting Caught Up

There are battles we face every day. 

This week it has been the battle of doing things I DON’T want to do. 

Like grade papers.

Homeschooling has many joys.  I love reading aloud to the kids.  Teaching them to cook & work around the house reaps all kinds of benefits.  Drawing, logic problems, even writing thank you notes are no problem.  However when I look at the evil basket full of math, grammar, science, literature & history papers to grade.  I sort of just wilt and groan.  My kids are just too self motivated.  Is there such a thing?  The girls just keep working even if I am not keeping up with them.

I’ve tried many things to keep caught up. 

--Grade everything that comes in on the same day.  Works until we have to leave the house in the afternoon(grading time).

--Grade at night.  My motivation to do this just flies out the window when hubby comes home.  I have to have some time where I am a wife not a school teacher.

--Get up early.  This actually works pretty well but since surgery I haven’t convinced my body to rise before 7.  Working on that one.

So I spent the whole afternoon yesterday grading.

Then Steve rescued me.

They closed work early today, due to the blizzard like conditions, so he was back home by 10 am.  Yipee!  We were working hard on school.  Here is how the conversation went

Steve: “Well I should be doing “something” since everyone is work here.”

Me: (Light bulb moment)  “Well you could grade Physical Science for me, but only if you want to”  Hopeful expression on my face.

He actually did it!  I was SO far behind.  I hadn’t graded since Thanksgiving due to the holiday, doctor appointments & then surgery.  Wow he graded for 2 full hours & got me caught up all the way!  I only have to enter the points into my computer program!  I would do a happy dance if the crutches allowed it!

Confession time.  I procrastinate about Science when it gets in the high school years.  I am not as confident in those areas so it is AWESOME when Steve grades because his expertise is in that area.  He is taking a well deserved break as it snows & blows.  And I am going to work on history and literature—smiling all the way with gratitude to my wonderful hubby.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!