Cravings

As a child I alway understood that if we were having something that I didn't like for dinner I had to get to mom before my dad got home...there was this rule that one of them wouldn't over rule the other. If I could get mom to say I didn't have to eat the "yucky" stuff then I was home free. I wasn't an overly picky kid there were only a few things that I didn't like but cube steaks with mushroom gravy was definitely one of them.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I had the strangest craving for cube steaks with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. As hormones raged my hatred of that funny meat turned to adoration I had to have them at least once a week and generally made enough to have left overs!

I still love cube steaks with mushroom gravy (what is it about pregnancy that can permanently alter our likes and dislikes?), although we eat them rarely...it's the mashed potatoes that must be made to go with the gravy that keeps me from making it more often...I make really good mashed potatoes but the butter in them could give you a heart attack.

 I have learned recently how to make REALLY good gravy. I have always been a low fat girl I would cook the cube steaks with canned mushrooms (why?!?) and use the resulting liquids in the bottom of the pan to make my gravy with skim milk. It was passable gravy but not great gravy.

I have learned in the past few years that you need fat for really good gravy. This is what gives the gravy it's creamy yumminess (is that a word?). I still use skim milk but I know that I need to make sure there is enough fat now.

We went to the local meat market for roast for a oven stew for a dinner party and they had cube steaks...I bought them on a whim...this is how I cook them:

• 8 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 a medium sweet onion cut into smallish pieces (I think next time I will try a red onion for the stronger flavor and color)
• sautéed in 3 tbs. olive oil (need to try some good fat huh?)
• 2 tsp of bacon grease (for flavor :-) and creamy yumminess)

Then add the cube steaks while the mushrooms are still firm and cook steaks are done and remove them.

Scrape the bottom of the pan  and add flour until all the liquid is absorbed and using a whisk add 1 cup skim milk slowly breaking up flour into the milk until smooth. Add about 2 more cups of milk and allow to cook and thicken...you want to err on less milk at first and add until the gravy has cooked to a nice consistency.

Yummy!

We added mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts...what a wonderful dinner!

50th Wedding Anniversary

For anyone who knows me at all, you know how much family means to me. I would do anything for my family and it is VERY important to celebrate special occasions. I am kind of like a female Clark Griswold...I want to celebrate big and make it perfect.

I think that it's very important to teach our kids this as well. I think Hannah has it down to a fault. She wants to celebrate the last day of summer break, the first day of the semester, the first final, the last final, the last day before Christmas break, the first day of Christmas break, the last day of Christmas break, the first day of spring semester...are you getting my drift? My daughter pretty much wants to celebrate when the sun shines.

So please take a minute to imagine my horror and gut wrenching surprise at 6 am on Friday morning when my husband is looking at his phone, gasps, and hands it to me. What I see is my mother-in-law's midnight entry "Today Jerry and I celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary!" Now friends, to say I am breathless and speechless is putting it pretty mildly. To say the very least, I am the WORLDS WORST daughter-in-law!

By the time I left for work at 7:20 I had tasks assigned to my husband and myself. The horrendous transgression MUST be rectified and QUICKLY! I spent my lunch hour shopping for supplies and Friday evening finishing up. Saturday morning was coffee, a grocery list, grocery run, fast lunch and dinner was in the oven by 12:15. We selected my sister-in-law's FABULOUS oven stew because it is both quick and delicious and will feed a crew. I wanted to concentrate on making them a beautiful cake for their anniversary.

The cake turned out fabulous! I used this recipe that I found through Pinterest. This is the icing recipe that I used. It was quite a bit of work but so worth it. My step son loved the icing and wants it on his birthday cake.

I think that despite my failings in keeping track of this MOST momentous occasion that we pulled together a very nice very special evening for these most wonderful people.

Oh yeah! Let's not forget the afterthought pictures of our wonderful oven stew! Sorry I didn't take it when it was fresh but here is the recipe my sister sent!

Clinical Week

This is my first semester teaching a nursing clinical for a group of senior management students. This is week two of four. I am having such a good time...it is such a revelation that I have learned so much in the past 11 years! I could not have asked for a better group of students and they seem to be having a great time as well. They are located at five different sites and it is a bit of work, but so worth it! Our hospital is seeking Magnet Status and one of my students was able our last week to interact with a surveyor and made a wonderful impression...what an experience! Hope to have more to share this week!

Plans are to make some more facial and body lotion for a friend that wants to buy some this week. Looking for some pump bottles that I can reuse (have to be green!). I will post pics of the process when I get to this project! I am finding that I am much more creative these days. I made a birthday gift yesterday with dead sea salts, lavender oil, lavender buds, and baking soda...mixed everything and put in in a jar with a pretty pink bow around it! It smelled amazing and I think she liked it (didn't take pictures...I will get better at this, promise!).

The Weekend

It's been a wonderful weekend! The boys were here a lot of the weekend and I have made a lot of products. I made oily facial lotion for me and my daughter. I infused sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil with herbs (chamomile, lavender, red clover, and slippery elm) and then made the lotion with water, vegetable glycerin, and emulsifying wax. This is the recipe that I base all my lotions off of...3 Ingredient Lotion.

I also started making my own fabric softener, dish washer soap, and diaper rash cream for my nephew! We also completed a homemade gift for the boys' parents for Valentines Day (pictures to come!). So excited to start doing some of this.

Acne/Oil Prone Facial Soap

Well, I have successfully made a second batch of facial soap! I forgot how MUCH soap this recipe makes and how FAST it traces!! This soap has herb infused canola oil (witch hazel bark, red clover, lavender, sippery elm, comfrey, and chamomile), olive oil, coconut oil, soy oil, and bees wax as well as lye mixed with water and witch hazel in it and scent is tea trea and lavender...it is amazing soap that everyone loves (me included)! It will now set, come out of the molds and then cure for 3-4 weeks. Adding pics!

BTW here is where I found the original recipe that I use!!

This is the mixing process...this is out of order, not sure how to correct this is pic 3.

Oil cooling to 110...pic 1.

This is my "muffin" bars of soap pic 6.

This is trace...see the soap becoming thick? Pic 5.

More "muffin" bars and the leftover in a mini loaf pan...pic 7.

Adding Tea Tree oil for it's antibacterial and healing properties and Lavender Oil for it's antibacterial properties and scent! Pic 4.

Lye, cold water, and witch hazel cooling to 110 for mixing...pic 2.

Trying a New Blog

I am going to try to blog again. I would love to have a place to document the life we lead, the challenges we face, and the adventures that we have as a family. I love to do all kinds of crafts and would love to have a place to share.


Today Calvin and Owen (our nephews) are here and I am making facial soap. I am currently waiting for the oil and lye mixes to cool so that I can mix them and put the soap in the molds. I am going to attempt to post pics of the process today! More to come this evening!