*UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits.(7/10/11) This is the best syrup in all the ENTIRE world! Holy moly. I could drink it with a straw……but I’m pretty sure that would wind me up in the ER. Nix that. Anyway, it’s good stuff. Sometimes Barry’s mom gives it to me and then I give her a big hug. I think she’s buttering me up to make her a Coconut Pie. Butter me up baby! When I was growing up, my mom always made her syrup. No, we didn’t go out and tap a tree in the front yard…….she made it using sugar and flavoring. I loved it then and I love it still. My sister didn’t eat it though. She would only eat Aunt Jemima. I think my Grandma had something to do with that……she would make Aunt Jemima talk. Grandma’s are really good for spoiling your kids so they only eat certain things. Just ask my cousin, Robbie. Yeah, I know it’s pure sugar and not the real thing, but it’s still yummy. And easy! Plus, it’s nice to know this recipe in case you run out of syrup and need something for your pancakes on a cold morning when you don’t want to run to the grocery store. You really should stockpile syrup though. It’s a necessity, like toilet paper. So, let’s learn how to make our own syrup just like my Mama makes! [Read more…] |
Search Results for: kitchen day
Ode to Thanksgiving – Pumpkin Pie Dip
*UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits.(7/10/11)
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; Barry’s too. It’s a nice, relaxed day when you just sit back, eat until you think you might have to go to the emergency room, and watch football. I’m not really a football watcher, but I do look forward to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But we’re looking forward to buying tickets for Liverpool FC matches so we can watch the games live. So, in honor of my favorite holiday, we’ll dedicate this week to Thanksgiving. I’ll cover an appetizer (today), a side dish, a bread, a dessert, a centerpiece, and place cards. What fun! Have some fun with me….and you might want to look into renting a dolly. |
I knew this recipe was a winner when my brother-in-law enjoyed it. Let me just take a minute and tell you about Brian – usually when I cook something and I ask him if he wants some he says, “maybe later.” That’s code for, “not ever gonna happen.”When I made this the first time he was eating and eating it…….and he LOVED it! We’re talking about a man who won’t eat anything unless it also includes ketchup and/or cheese. We were all chowing down on it before the main meal. When the meal came, I was full of dip. Oops. To make this, you’ll need pumpkin puree (go here to read how to make your own), powdered sugar, cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, ginger, and cookies. You can tell it’s for Thanksgiving just by the ingredients! |
Yoplait Smoothies
When I first started my blog, I became a member of My Blog Spark. This is a program for bloggers that allows them to take surveys to see if they qualify to test certain products. I was invited to join when I was asking companies for coupons to give out to you guys. I finally qualified to do a test! I was so excited! Annie and I danced around the kitchen. She had no idea why, but she sure did enjoy it. Yoplait wanted me to try out their new frozen smoothies. They sent me two coupons for free smoothies and Kitchen Aid sent me a NEW BLENDER to try them out on!!!!!!!!! Thank you My Blog Spark! Y’all have read previous posts and know how I feel about my blender. Yuck. Let me just tell you that my new blender kicks butt! I love Kitchen Aid! Now I love Yoplait smoothies too! So, let’s make a smoothie and test this new puppy out, shall we? [Read more…] |
Where’s the Beef??
So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. All the beef recipes that I posted? Yeah, well……they weren’t made with beef in our house. Okay, there! Whew! I feel so much better. Confession is good for the soul. Barry is a deer hunter, so I always have a good stock of venison in my freezer. Yum! I grew up eating it, even though my daddy is a cattle farmer, so it’s what I am accustomed to. I use ground beef if I know someone who is coming to dinner would throw their meal up if they found out what it was. Or, if the president of PETA was coming to dinner I’d probably use beef. Oh wait….that’s not right either. Tofu? [Read more…] |
Easy Ground Beef #5 – Beef and Potatoes
This is a good ole recipe. One for those people (aka – men) in your life that only eat meat and potatoes. Hi Daddy! It calls for a topping of brown gravy. Barry always sings “Gravy Love! My Gravy Love! I need ya, oh how I need ya love!” That’s how we feel about gravy in this house. You can put brown gravy on anything and instantly make it a delicious dish. Heck, I like eating it straight out of the pan with a spoon. I am not ashamed. Don’t point fingers because I know you do it too. So, let’s make this last ground beef recipe for the week and please all our men folk. [Read more…] |
Easy Ground Beef #3 – Hamburger Stroganoff
You can do so much with ground beef. My mind is just full of all the possibilities! This original recipe called for strips of beef, but I decided to change it up a bit and use ground beef instead. The result was amazing. Even Annie liked it! She isn’t much for ground beef, so that made it especially exciting to me. Isn’t it funny how your life changes when you have a child? When your kids eat, you feel like you need to dance the polka in the kitchen. This recipe is so easy and it tastes divine. Let’s dance the polka, shall we? [Read more…] |
Easy Ground Beef #2 – Mac and Cheese Pizza
***UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11) If two things are awesome and you put them together, it equals maximum awesomeness. Macaroni and cheese…….pizza. Glory! Put them together and it must equal wedded bliss. And it was, oh my it was! I should start pairing more things together. If I like both things, then it should work out, right? Peanut butter and banana, cereal and yogurt, ham and cheese, green beans and ketchup. Ok, something just came to mind that cancelled out that previous thought. Two things you like separately DO NOT always work out together. Once I tried to make Shrimp Pot Pie. Let me just tell you now, that was not my brightest moment in the kitchen. I still have nightmares about that dish. Now that I’ve sufficiently gagged you, let’s make an easy ground beef recipe that proves two awesome things CAN go together and be even more awesome – Mac and Cheese Pizza! [Read more…] |
Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent
I had been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for a while….but being busy with Annie and other things kept me from it. However, when a reader asked me to write about the process, it was the shove that I needed – but in a good way, not like a shove off a cliff. The verdict? I really, really like it. It gets everything super clean and at a fraction of the cost of store-bought detergent. My mom and I have been using it and we’re both fans. I think when I empty out the last of my stash, I’ll only be using homemade detergent. From what I can tell with my mad math skills and reading on the internet, this soap costs about $.05-10 per load, give or take. Most laundry detergents from the store cost around $.20+ per load. That’s a winner for me! Let’s get clean, y’all. |
To make this powder detergent, you’ll need Washing Soda, Fels Naptha Bar Soap, and Borax. That’s it. You know how I feel about Borax. So, all this stuff can be bought at Kroger. Strangely, the Fels Naptha Soap isn’t with the regular soap at my Kroger…..it’s with the mops. Tell me how THAT makes sense? The Arm and Hammer Washing Soda was on the top shelf near the Borax. A good source (thanks Rebecca!) tells me that these items can also be found at Food City. If you can’t find them at either store, you might be able to find them at a hardware store. Ivory soap can also be used, but Fels Naptha is really great for getting clothes clean. You can also use it as a pre-treater and just rub the soap right on the stain. Nice! [Read more…] |
Apple Crowns = Pure Heaven
***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)You’re going to hate me. Please don’t make this recipe. If you do, your family will expect perfection out of you daily…..on the other hand, these Apple Crowns just might be worth it. Good grief! It’s 3pm right now and my house still smells like cinnamon apples and I made these at 7am! When I saw this recipe by Taste of Home, I had to make it. I’m an apple lover. You might as well just get used to the fact that you’ll regularly see apple recipes on Humorous Homemaking. When apples are in season, I am known to eat 2-3 per day. Yes, per day. These are sooooooooo easy and they look like you spent all morning in the kitchen. I get the shivers just remembering how good they were. Brrrrr!!!!!! [Read more…] |
Mandoline – Not a Necessity, But it Sure is Fun!
When I first got married and started doing a lot more cooking, I wanted a mandoline slicer. I had seen them used on TV, so they had to be awesome, right? The only versions I saw were at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for around $70! Whew! That was just too rich for my blood……especially when I knew it wasn’t a necessity. I would still go visit it….rub the box…….stare at it and dream about all the amazing things we could do in the kitchen. Then I’d walk away and cry my little heart out. Ok, so I didn’t cry, but I still missed it all the same. One fateful day I was with my mom in Ross and I saw THIS! Isn’t it beautiful!? Do you know how much this was??? $13.99. That’s it. A big step down from the $70 option. Guess what? I didn’t buy it the first day I saw it. I went home and stewed for about a week as to whether I should buy it. Finally, it won me over and I went back, praying that it was still there. Do you know it was in the EXACT same place I left it after I carted it around the store for an hour? I know what you’re thinking – no, I didn’t hide it. So I knew it must be fate…..we were destined to be together. I’ve used it several times and it’s just great! I don’t see any reason to think I got a bad deal or a cheap version. The blades are extra sharp, so I am pleased with my purchase. Keep your eyes peeled and you might find one too – maybe even cheaper than me! [Read more…] |