September Reading

Non Fiction
The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey (a really challenging yet comforting book. I've always heard that Christianity is a relationship not a religion. Too often, though I have seen people treat it as a religion rather than a relationship. This book is really challenging about whether we are following a religion or getting nearer to Jesus-- and much more than that; hard to explain but I heartily recommend it)

Confessions of a Reformission Rev, by Mark Driscoll

The Desert Experience, by various authors including Sheila Walsh

Mommy Paints the Sky, by Danny Oertli

Get Out of that Pit, by Beth Moore (a good book but it doesn't really hold my interest; I keep forgetting to finish it)

Fiction
Miss Buncle's Book
Miss Buncle Married
The Two Mrs Abbots
The Four Graces
(all by D E Stevonson, the first three are a trilogy although they stand alone pretty well. The fourth has some of the same characters)

An Ameila Peabody book (the fourth book? I can't remember the name; it's been a few weeks)

I know I read more than that -- I just can't remember at the moment.

Menu this week

I want to see how often we repeat meals; I also want an easy way to find online recipes that we love. So, I'm going to track our meals here.

Friday night: amazing Garlic & Sausage Soup (Daisy Cooks)
http://paisleyteacup.blogspot.com/2007/09/amazing-garlic-soup.html

Saturday
morning: olive and garlic bread with sausage broth (from the soup last night) and coddled eggs
lunch: kids- bean and hot dog soup
adults- kefir-fruit smoothie, and a leftover asparagus tamale (purchased from WinderFarms http://www.winderfarms.com/default.aspx)
dinner: kids- Chicken Nuggets
adults- Welsh Rarebit (Alton Brown) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26813,00.html?rsrc=search
This was fabulous!

Sunday
morning: kids-cereal & cheese, me-Lara bar
lunch: nachos for the kids, chips and welsh rarebit sauce for me
dinner: in two courses. 1st -- Green Salad for us and peas w/pumpkin seeds and cheese for the kids; Later: ice cream!

Monday
morning: smoothies for us, cereal & cheese for the kids
lunch: potato cheese soup
dinner: Barilla penne pasta with tomato mascarpone sauce (tomato mascarpone sauce from Winder Farms, mixed with a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes) and sauteed diced zucchini.

Tuesday
morning: scrambled eggs for us, Cliff Z bars and fruit for the kids
lunch: nachos
dinner: avocado bean salad and squash soup
The squash soup recipe is here:http://rosemarysrestaurant.com/recipes/Squash_Soup.htm . It is simple but FABULOUS! The recipe includes a Spice Cream that we haven't tried yet. We've eaten at Rosemarys Restaurant several times, and the food is probably the best restaurant food we've ever had. It is a classy but comfortable environment.
The avocado bean salad recipe is here: http://paisleyteacup.blogspot.com/2007/09/avocado-and-bean-salad.html

Wednesday
morning: scrambled eggs again.
lunch: nachos again for the kids. leftover avocado bean salad for me.
dinner: avocado, bacon, tomato salad.

Digital Scrapbooking - a How To Book

I just bought this book:
http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/shop/item.ihtml?idx=318
It's a instruction book for digital scrapbooking. It looks like just what I need. It walks you through simple projects, gradually learning new skills. And it comes with a cd with templates and elements for digital scrapbooking.

The author's blog is here:
http://reneepearson.typepad.com/

a blog to remember

http://www.thyme2.typepad.com/
recipes from a french kitchen
(I want to be able to locate this blog again...)

Avocado and Bean Salad

This is so easy, and so delicious.
Two cans of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 avocadoes (or 1 large)
diced roma tomatoes (2 or 3)
diced green onions (1 or 2)
any italian herbs (basil, oregano, chives, etc)
salt & pepper

Toss these in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Optional: serve with Italian herb croutons on top.

For a southwest variation, I use one can of black beans, and one can of cannellini.

An Interesting Candy Bar

http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

Bacon Exotic
Candy Bar - New Applewood smoked bacon + Alder smoked salt + deep milk
chocolate

Deep milk chocolate coats your mouth and leads to the crunch of smoked
bacon pieces. Surprise your mouth with the smoked salt and sweet milk chocolate
combination.

Bacon is awfully good with maple syrup, so this just might be very yummy...

Our Homeschool Blog

http://3desertprincesses.blogspot.com/

Kid Lunches

We have to limit wheat at our house, so sandwiches every day aren't an option, unless dh makes spelt bread (a loaf of spelt bread is $4 at our grocery store -- not the cheapest option!)

The kids often eat fruit salad (combination of canned and fresh fruits) with pumpkin seeds and shredded cheese.
They also like hot dog soup (baked beans with diced nitrate-free hotdogs).
Occasionally they have oatmeal with apples and nuts.
Sliced deli meat and wheat free crackers are popular, but not the cheapest option since I refuse to buy the cheapest deli meats (I look for nitrate free meats).
Peas or corn with grated cheese and pumpkin seeds and butter is another common lunch here.
We've also done "Pretend Soup" (from the kids cookbook with the same name) which is a yogurt sauce poured over fruit.

Amazing Garlic Soup

My dh has been making this recipe from Daisy Cooks. It is amazing. It sounded a bit odd at first, but I tend to choose recipes for that exact reason-- that they sound odd at first.

Garlic Soup
Sopa de Ajo
Makes 6 servings
¼ cup olive oil
2 links (about 6 ounces) chorizo, andouille or any smoked, garlicky
sausages, cut in half lengthwise, then into ¼-inch slices (we've used chorizo
and andouille and we like andouille best)
12 cloves garlic, sliced 6 slices (about ½ inch thick) Italian bread (we buy garlic & olive bread)
6 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Fine sea or kosher salt
1 to 2 teaspoons white vinegar
6 eggs
Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the
chorizo and cook, stirring, until the oil takes on a bright red color, 2 to 3
minutes. Scoop the chorizo with a slotted spoon into a bowl. Stir the garlic
into the seasoned oil, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the garlic is very
soft and fragrant, without coloring, about 4 minutes. Scoop out the garlic and
add it to the chorizo.
2. Increase the heat to medium, lay the bread slices in the oil and cook
until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side. Set the
toasted bread aside on a plate.
3. Return the garlic and chorizo to the pot and pour in the chicken broth.
Drop in the bay leaf and bring to a boil and cook while poaching the eggs.
4. Fill a deep skillet two-thirds full with water. Toss in a small handful
of salt and add the vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so
the water is at a lively simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a teacup then
slide them into the water. Cook until the whites are firm, but the yolks are
still runny, about 5 minutes.
5 . Meanwhile, taste the soup and add salt and
pepper if you like. Lay a slice of bread in the bottom of each of six soup
bowls. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, letting the water drain back into
the skillet. Set one egg atop each slice of bread. Pour in the soup and serve
immediately.

www.daisycooks.com