Joyful Abode

He just came in here…

looking scared…

holding a pudding cup.

He says, “Ever seen… pudding… with bubbles in it???”

I said, “That’s tapioca babe. It’s good. Eat it.”

He says, “Oh.” kind of quietly… and then sticks his finger in it.

Before my tomato plants died, we got several good ones off of them… so one day, I peeled several of them by blanching them.

I also got some basil from our garden… delicious! What could be better?

Then I made a flaky pastry pie crust, and filled it with cut-up skinned, de-seeded tomato chunks. And sprinkled on some Kosher salt. In hindsight, I should’ve put the tomato pieces in a colander and salted them there, and let them drain for a while…

I sprinkled on some cheese and basil pieces.

And filled up the empty spots with egg+milk (2 eggs + enough milk to make it total  1 cup).

And topped it with my second crust circle… made pretty with stars cut out with a cookie cutter as vents. Loved that part!

I probably baked it for about an hour and 20 minutes or so (would’ve taken less time if I had let the tomatoes drain first, I’m sure) at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit… and then let it set for a while.

And it was absolutely delicious. The only thing I didn’t love about it was that it took a long time to cook. And I swear, the stars made it taste even better.

Guess what I’ve been doing!

For the last few months? Getting certified/licensed to teach preschool in my home.

For the last week? Teaching 2 little girls. Very exciting!

A long time ago, I was researching ways I could keep teaching (without dealing with state certifications every time we move) while my husband is in the Navy, and Navy Child Development Homes came up. Basically, you go through the Navy’s training process (and ongoing training each month) and you can have daycare/preschool/before and after school care/whatever in your home.

Most people who do it are mothers who want to stay at home with their kids, but for me, it seemed like an awesome way to teach… flexible and I get to totally make my own program (which is going to be a mix of “creative curriculum” and montessori, I think). I get to make my own schedule (I based it off of the school district’s) and hours (8-12) and everything. And as I gather resources/lessons/etc I can take them with me wherever I go.

For now, I’m borrowing some things from the base’s lending library (the little red chairs, blue couch/chair/ottoman, some of the toys and puzzles…). A lot of the things are mine though. I bought the cubby shelves and the easel at Big Lots on sale, and the kid table is our old dining room table with the legs cut off.

Want a little tour?

This is near the front door. Manipulatives/construction/puzzles. The bulletin board has things I’m required to post… fire escape plan, fire drill log, first aid/cpr cards, daily schedule, snack menu, weekly lesson plans, etc. On top of the cubby is the sign in sheet for parents, a sign in sheet for guests, and my refrigerator temperature log. The bag hanging on the left side is my “outside/emergency bag” with my flashlight and first aid kit. I also need to add copies of the kids’ registration cards in case of emergency, and a couple books. I take this bag when we go to the playground and if there were a fire (or a drill) I would take it with me then too.The box on the floor has the kids’ records in it.

This is in the dining room area. I’ve changed around the things on the shelves a little since taking this photo, but it’s mostly art supplies and snack dishes. The kids set the table themselves, and when they’re finished with snack they put their dishes in the white dishpan on the bottom shelf. The thing on the left is a mirror (facing the “dramatic play” area). My husband is gonna try to saw off part of it so that it will be the same height as the cubbies, and it can be vertical.

On top of the cubby is a set of paintings I’m working on for our dining room. Just sketches now.

This is the “Dramatic play” area. The box has dress up clothes and a little broom/dustpan. The kids love the baby and the fact that it’s big and heavy like a real baby. They like to rock him and remind each other to support his head. Very sweet.

These are my yoga cards, which I made using Meg’s yoga photos.

Our outside classroom area is the car port, so we can play out there even if it is raining or if it’s extremely hot because it’s covered/shaded. These are the sand and water tables (borrowed from the base lending library). They were a little short for 4 year olds, so I put them on bed risers. The box in the middle has tools for using in the sand and water.

I hot-glued clothespins to the easel so the kids can clip up their papers to color/paint on.

This table will be the science/observation table. When we plant things, they’ll be here, and I plan to get some magnifying bug jars and such.

Outdoor learning area overview…

These shelves are in a different room… my library of trade books and professional resources. I pull out books each week to use with the kids.

There are very few resources on the internet for people who are Child Development Home Providers (and the few non-Navy ones I’ve found seem like crazy advertisements for “everything you need to start your own daycare business” on a CD rom you can buy) so I’ve been thinking about starting my own website for CDH info for parents, providers, and prospective providers. There would be a forum, real lesson ideas (not print-outs and pre-cuts. ew) and all sorts of other good stuff.

Though maybe that’s because I’m crazy and like having 1000 things going on at once. Hmm…

I’ve posted a few times about things cooked in pie crusts: Tomato pie, Tomato Pie Again, and Zucchini Quiche.

And I promise there will be more.

So I figured it was about time to make a pie crust tutorial. I think if my mother-in-law hadn’t shown me how it’s done, I wouldn’t be so good at it! It’s not that it’s a hard recipe or anything (it’s super-easy) but if you’ve never seen each stage of the crust’s being, you might think something is going wrong and end up adding too much water, kneading (don’t knead!), or other crust-destroying things.

So let’s start, shall we?

Recipe for a double crust for an 8-9″ pie

Find your flour, a medium bowl, a sifter, and a measuring cup.

Measure 2 cups of flour into the sifter.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Sift, sift, sift! I love sifting.

Now find some shortening (there’s no trans fat anymore… like that makes it good for you or something. hah) and a 1/3 cup measuring cup.

Measure in 2/3 cup of shortening.

Now here’s where we cut in the shortening. Some people use two knives, some people use two forks, but I use my fingertips. Just pick up some shortening and flour and crumble it. Don’t use your palms or whole hands… that will melt the shortening and destroy your crust. Don’t knead. Just crumble. Move your fingers like you have dried Elmer’s glue on them and need to get it off.

As you do this, each little morsel of shortening will get covered in flour… it should look like tiny sticky balls of dough. Not one big lump.

Do not worry about some lumps being different sizes… that doesn’t matter. If you overwork it though, that WILL matter. Now get out a fork and some ice water.

And measure out a few tablespoons of water into the flour mix. How many you end up using will depend on your location and the weather… seriously, humidity plays a big part. You can pretty safely start with 4 or 5 tablespoons of ice water, then mix quickly with the fork. Then add 1 or 2 at a time before mixing again.

This is what it should look like when you’re finished with the water. Starting to stick together, but not wet or sticky at all. I had to use 10 Tablespoons of water today, but I think my mother-in-law usually ends up somewhere in the 4-6 range.

Now push the pieces together to make a lump. Don’t knead! Just push until everything sticks together.

I don’t think I could make pie crust without my trusty Pampered Chef pastry roller and mat. They’re fantastic! I’ve considered selling Pampered Chef things just because of these products.

Divide your dough in half, and shape each into a ball. Roll a ball out flat… and circle-ish…

And then fold it into quarters. Why? Because this makes it so much easier to lift and…

Place in your pie pan.

And open it up.

Roll out the other ball and save it till you’re ready to top your pie. Cover both crusts with a damp towel until you’re ready to fill the pie and seal everything up.

Mmm! Flaky pastry pie crust!

Here’s the recipe again, just to show you how short/easy it is. And so if you want to print it you can.

Flaky Pastry Pie Crust (Makes a double crust for an 8-9″ pie)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• ice water (somewhere between 4-12 Tablespoons, probably)

Sift the flour and salt together.

Cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal or little balls.

Sprinkle 4ish Tablespoons of ice water over surface and mix lightly and quickly with a fork.

If dough doesn’t stick together, add 1-2 more Tablespoons, mix again. Repeat until dough starts to hold together.

Press the dough together. Divide into 2 balls.

Roll each ball until about 3″ larger than pie pan’s diameter.

Cover with a damp cloth while preparing the filling.

Cook according to filling recipe.

So I didn’t cut up papers and put them in a jar. I used the more sophisticated Random.org to determine each winner.

Without further ado…

• Military Wife books Winner: 2nd ticket purchaser - Victoria S.
• Crochet Explosion Package: 5th ticket purchaser - Stephanie C.
• Paper Crafts - 3rd ticket purchaser - Amy G.
• Fabric Scraptastic - 4th ticket purchaser - Sarah P.

And I just added it up again… post-paypal-fees-pre-shipping-costs, you’ve all helped me raise $247.54 for Dog! Thank you so much for helping out with this. Dog, we, and his new family all appreciate your help!

Next Saturday is the drawing for the needle felted mini-Dog and I’ll also leave the donation option up until then.

Also, I spoke with my friend who took him in, and guess what! She’s pretty definitely going to keep him. They’ve named him Loki, after the Norse god of mischief. Evidently he decided to start chewing things, and chewed up my friend’s favorite bra among other things. But he and their other dog Trouble are getting along great, and my friend’s son has started training Loki!

I’m so excited for them all!

I’ll ship out the raffle prizes on Monday… I’ve got to find some boxes for the Crochet and Fabric stuff! I only have 1 box and it’s not big enough for either one! Poo.

And your chances are FANTASTIC because only a few people have purchased tickets for each thing.

You have all day today to buy tickets… I’ve decided to extend the raffle till tomorrow. I’ll draw (and post) winners tomorrow and ship either tomorrow or Monday.

Only 6 tickets sold so far: $2 each. Three military wife books.

Only 4 tickets sold so far: $3 each. Over 4 pounds of fabric scraps, and 20 packages of handmade bias tape.

Only 2 tickets sold so far: $5 each. Tons of great paper crafting stuff.

Only 4 tickets sold so far: $10 each. Lots of amazing yarn (including handspun and unique novelty –not “fun fur”), 3 great crochet books, and a new with tag project bag worth $60.

And there’s a brand-new raffle too (Drawings for this one will be NEXT Saturday, not tomorrow). Artist Pamela D. of BenMcFuzzylugs donated this fantastic likeness of Dog. Her mini-Dog is needle-felted, with no wires or filler; all fiber! And he is absolutely adorable. I love how Pam has captured his adorable, playful smile.

When the winner for this drawing is chosen, Pam will ship mini-Dog directly to you. Pam’s needle-felted creatures retail for $35. Tickets for this one are a steal at only $3.

There seems to be quite a doughnut trend going on over at Tastespotting, and several people posted their versions of these delicious-looking doughnut muffins. So I decided to make my own version!

The texture of these muffins is similar to those delightful cakey doughnuts, dense but airy at the same time, and the tops are treated in a decidedly doughnutty fashion… dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar!

So here’s what you need for the muffins:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup vanilla “light n fit” yogurt
• 2/3 cups brown sugar (packed)
• 1/4 cup applesauce

And for the topping:

• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and then get started!

Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt).

In another bowl, mix everything else (eggs, yogurt, brown sugar, applesauce).

Combine the two bowls’ ingredients, mixing lightly until everything is moist. Don’t overmix it though! Lumps are totally fine, but if you overmix it, your muffins won’t be as airy!

Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups (sprayed with cooking spray), and bake the muffins for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one would come out clean.

While they’re baking, melt your butter and get your cinnamon-sugar topping ready.

When the muffins are finished and they’ve cooled a little, dip the top of each one in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar topping so they have that doughnutty crunchy topping. Delicious!

Help yourself!

 Here in Mississippi, Summer is still in full force, and light summer meals can’t be beat. I love BLT sandwiches, but for a filling dinner, I decided to make a chicken BLT salad.

I wanted to keep things on the light side, so I cooked my chicken without any oil… just sprinkled with ranch dressing mix on both sides for some delicious flavor.

While the chicken cooked, I cut up and washed my lettuce…

…and washed and sliced some Roma tomatoes (my favorite!).

Mmm…. check out that yummy browned chickeny goodness. Sneak a piece from the pan to taste the yumminess that is ranch dressing mix on poultry!

I used the rest of the dressing mix to make actual dressing (go figure!) for our salad. Basically, I just mixed it with some lite mayonnaise and some fat free sour cream until it was the right texture/flavor.

And for the bacon? I got some of that pre-cooked stuff in a box, microwaved it, and cut it up with my kitchen scissors over the top of the salad.

This was definitely a dinner that will have to be repeated, because the flavors were perfect, and you’d never know our homemade low-fat Ranch dressing from the store-bought full-fat kind (I hate store-bought low-fat Ranch. blah!).

Looks like Summer, doesn’t it?

When our tomato plants were still alive and well (before a week straight of rain killed them with root rot), we got quite a bounty of ripe red tomatoes from them. I decided to make a yummy “wing-it” type pasta sauce with them. So first I cut them up and de-seeded them, but really I should’ve peeled them first, because tomato peels bother me in cooked tomato stuff, and I kept picking out peels as the sauce cooked.

After sauteing some garlic in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, I added the tomatoes and a little bit of water to my sauce pan.

I dumped in some milk and white wine… not sure how much of each, because the milk was “whatever looked good” and the wine was “the rest of the bottle.”

After everything was mixed together and thickened a bit, I added my cooked pasta to the pan to heat through.

And as a last-minute inspiration, I added some steamed broccoli. I topped our bowls with fresh garlic from the garden, and it all made for a very flavorful, delicious supper.

Another Navy wife here, Sommer, has a great website called Real Moms, Real Fit. She has a lot of healthy recipes, low-cal snack ideas, and fitness tips on her site.

I decided to try out her Mexican Chicken recipe. According to Sommer’s site, one serving (of just the chicken/topping, not including tortilla or sour cream) has:

• 262 calories
• 32g protein
• 7g fat

All you do is take 4 chicken breasts, and coat them with a package of taco seasoning.

Bake them for 30 minutes at 375 degrees (I flipped them halfway through.)

Top with 1 can of corn (drained) mixed with 1 cup of salsa, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Sommer says it’s great over brown rice, but we tried it in tortillas spread with fat-free sour cream.

It was quite a yummy thing!  The chicken was really juicy and flavorful, with nary a teaspoon of butter or olive oil to be seen.