Digital Children's Library

Check this out the next time you think you'll fall over if you have to read The Mine-O-Saur one more time..  Online Library

Hyland's BellaDonna

I recently went to Rainbow Acres, a local health food store, and found a homeopathic fever and inflammation tablet from Hyland's.  They make the teething tablets that I told you about before.  I was amazed at how many products they have (Hyland's).  They even have a tablet for nausea and vomiting....hmmm...maybe I could have a fourth child after all...
Here's a link from Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=hylands+belladonna&x=0&y=0
I just couldn't stomach getting back into bed with Tylenol after the recalls...
Happy Weekend!

Applesauce! Make Your Own

Our boys LOVE applesauce.  To hear my two-year old ask for it is a simple joy.  "Appuhsos"

As part of my make-my-own, save money kick, I've priced it out and it's more economical and more FUN to make my own applesauce.  Here's the recipe I follow:

Makes 4 jars.

15 medium apples (4 1/2 to 5 pounds)

1/4 cup water

1/2 to 1/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of the apples)

zest and juice of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

My helpful assistant juices the lemon.

1.  Peel apples if desired.  (I don't b/c I'm lazy and just scrub my organic apples really well.)

2. Halve and core the apples.  Cut into 4 slices.  (I use my apple slicer - much faster.)

3. Put sliced apples into a pot with a heavy bottom.  Add water, sugar, lemon zest and juice and cinnamon.

4. Cover and place over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender, @30-35 minutes.  Keep heat low at first to the apples don't burn. 

5. If peeled, simply mash them with a potato masher.  I just put them in my food processor.

6. Store applesauce in a covered container in the fridge for a week or two. (I repurpose applesauce jars from Trader Joe's.)

Nectarines everywhere!

This picture doesn't do justice to the amount of fruit that our nectarine tree is producing.  This is just what the boys and Mr. picked off one section of the branch.  i.e., if I picked all day for the next 2 weeks, we'd probably have 1,000+ nectarines.

I plucked about 50 today alone. 

What to do with them?????

Tried this recipe for Nectarine Blush today.  Had to make my own buttermilk - easy peasy!

Bonus - the boys LOVED it!

Off to brainstorm for tomorrow's harvest!

I'm determined not to let it go to waste this year so I borrowed our neighbor's fruit picker-thingie.  LAst year Mr. climbed the tree and shook it like a monkey.  As the nectarines fell, half of them smashed on the driveway or in the bushes on the front side of the gate and the other half got sucked up by the HooverMollyVac (i.e., our dog).

What's for Dinner? Hamburger Casserole in the Crockpot

I pulled this recipe from the Crockpot section because I had almost everything it called for!



2 potatoes, 1 tomato, 1 small onion, 3 carrots, 1 lb. ground beef (I sub'd turkey), 1 can of tomato soup and 1/2 C of water. Layer in that order seasoning with s&p throughout.



Made it the night before and turned it on low at 10am as we left for the park....



Boy did the house smell good when we got back!



Boy did it kill these kids to eat this....



Boy did I wish I had poured the soup in that morning and not the night before.



Boy was I happy to serve it to Jeff on Friday night and proclaim it as "stew."

Better luck next time. I was proud of myself though!