Asparagus and Chicken and Cheese, Oh My!

Are your children afraid of the word "asparagus"? Does it give you, as a mom, the shakes? I happen to adore asparagus and am looking forward to having a few of my own in my garden one day soon.  Our bed is on year three and we should finally be able to harvest a real crop.  Until then I will continue to get them from the farmer's market every time they are available. One recipe that I have developed to make them more enjoyable involves something almost everyone loves...cheese and chicken. This comes together alot like a quiche. I originally made it with a refrigerated pie crust and it was great. This time around I made my own crust from scratch using whole wheat pastry flour...I know, I know! Either way it is sure to be devoured. Go collect what you'll need and let's get started.

Asparagus with Chicken

You will need the following:

1/2 refrigerated pie crust or make your own

1 cup milk or half and half

3 farm fresh eggs

2 T real butter

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh asparagus, use frozen if you must

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1t dry mustard

2 boneless, skinless free range chicken breasts

1 1/2c Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 450. Unroll your softened pie crust and roll it into about a 12 inch circle and line your pie pan with it. Use a deep dish pie pan and prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake that for 6-8 minutes, remove and turn your oven down to 375.

Melt your butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute your onion, garlic, and asparagus for about 3-5 minutes. DO NOT cook them to death! Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Using the oil that was left in the pan, add the chicken and cook it for about 5-7 minutes. You will want it to be lightly browned. Remove this from the pan and set aside too. In a bowl you will now whisk together the milk, eggs, mustard, and some salt and pepper to taste.

To asssemble this dish you will want to sprinkle about 1 cup of the cheese into the bottom of crust then layer the chicken and vegetables. Pour egg mixture over this and finally, top with the remaining cheese. I am showing two here because I made one to share. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and allow this to cool 10-15 minutes before you actually serve it.

Presto! You just ate asparagus and lived to tell about it ;)



Enjoying Dixie Living,



Melissa

Anticipating Spring with Homestead Skills

"For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to SPRING forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. --Psalm 61:11

Don't these look fun? I had a customer put in an order for some embellished jeans and I knew these would be just right. I can just imagine her 5 year old hopping about in these.


There is a hand-drawn carrot that I've placed on top of the patchwork applique. I finished them with a simple zig-zag stitch so they'll fray just the right amount to complete the shabby look of these sweet springtime jeans. The double ruffles are extra full and feature a pink jelly bean fabric and the bottom layer repeats the polka dot from the carrot fabric above.

Needless to say, once my little girl saw these she wanted some too but I sent her to get the mailing envelopes instead. We didn't even have to visit the post office, just click, print, and set them in the mailbox. We discussed the verse above and the application it has for her letting righteousness and praise spring forth and she began singing. Her cheerfulness got me in the creative mode again and this is what I am currently working on...

I didn't want to leave her feeling too sad so I let her have some input into what I am working on now. Can you guess what these are going to be? I'll post again when they are finished.  Homestead life is about skills.  Sewing happens to be one I enjoy.  Sometimes it is simply utilitarian, but often I get to use my sewing skills to create beauty and fun.  How about you?

Enjoying Dixie Living,

Melissa

Keepers in Training

Our family is pretty large (6) and so is our laundry pile. We are still small enough in number that looking neat still matters to me. I don't like anyone to have stains on their clothes, nor do I like them to dress sloppily or in wrinkled clothing. Consequently, I have to scan each item before it's washed and treat items for stains. Hands down I have found that Oxi Clean can get out pretty much anything my kids do to their clothing. From baby blowouts to grass smears and ketchup they are gone! I keep a soak bucket for treating these stains and am always pleased with the results. That takes care of the stains but there is still the matter of ironing to keep clothes looking crisp and sharp. I used to do all of this myself, but who has the time? Furthermore what am I reinforcing in my kiddos? So many times our children ask, "Can I help, Mama"? or "Can I do that"? My standard reply used to be "No, thank you. This is too hard." But after watching my girls play they gave me the courage to let them iron. Now they iron their own skirts for me. What a blessing!

Here is Lil' Lynnie in action with an idea she came up with while playing...simply raise the ironing board only half way. Mine still locks in place and she is able to do her ironing at her height. That's a real win-win if you ask me. She is so proud when she gets to iron "just like Mama."
In constant pursuit of ways to train keepers at home,
Melissa

Cooking Up Fun

Part of our job as parents is to produce individuals who are capable of successfully caring for a household of their own one day.  Rearing kids that are producers vs. consumers is a challenge.  My husband and I want our son to be a loving provider and protector of his own family. That is why everyone (not just the girls) takes a turn at being the Kitchen Helper on the chore rotation. I know for a fact that he prefers this job to his tasks as Baby Helper for the week. One way he can provide and care for his wife is by ministering to her needs during illness or after the delivery of a new child. Some men also find time in the kitchen enjoyable. I know my son enjoys every minute of mess-making in there! Here are a few shots of Freckles as he prepares his Chicken Fingers. I'll jot down the recipe below.

Now run to the pantry and refrigerator and collect these items:

2 Cups Shredded Wheat Cereal (not Frosted) 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt 1/4 tsp. Paprika 1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise 1 T. Honey 2 tsp. prepared Mustard

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 x 2-inch strips.



Crush up the cereal and pour into a shallow pan for coating. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cereal, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, paprika, and garlic powder in shallow pan. Combine mayo, honey, and mustard in another shallow dish. Stir chicken strips into the mayo mixture, roll in cereal mixture to coat evenly. Place on rack in shallow baking pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until strips are no longer pink in center. Or, you can place them in a deep fryer in small batches as I have done here. Enjoy your meal and your time together as family.
Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa

Where have you been?

Chores, preserving, homeschooling and fall gardening have taken a backseat these last 2 months.  I've been very busy lately with my latest creation...well, actually it's not mine at all. God did allow me to borrow this lovely little one for a while. Like the others he has blessed me with, I plan to rear this one to love and serve Him with all her heart.

Vital Stats:

Name: Merridy...means "a happy song"

Born: Two Weeks LATE!!!

Enjoying new life here,

Melissa

Pancake Mix

Even with the meal planning I do, I am constantly plagued with the same question each morning, "What's for breakfast Mom?" It is nice to be able to refer them to the list and know that there is a healthy breakfast waiting to start their day. However, I also am VERY interested in convenience as well. So often the convenience foods available at the store are some of the worst things we can use to fuel our bodies. The following is a great recipe for a Pancake Mix that I keep in the refrigerator so that it is ready to use and simple enough for even my 9 year old to prepare.






Start by assembling your ingredients for the mix as pictured here. You will need the following:



4 Cups Quick Oats
1 Cup Nonfat Dry Milk
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
2 T Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 T + 1 1/2 t. Salt
3 T Baking Powder
1/2 t. Cream of Tartar


Simply stir the dry ingredients together and store in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use the mix you will need to prepare the pancake batter.


1. Beat 2 Eggs 2. Add 1/3 C Vegetable Oil

3. Beat in 2 Cups Mix and 1 1/4 Cups of Water





Prepare on griddle or in skillet as usual, top with a little real butter and some honey. This is a tasty breakfast you and your kiddos will enjoy!



Many thanks to my demonstrator Tender Heart who was kind enough to prepare this and several other breakfasts. You are such a help to this busy Mama. These happy smiles and full tummies are a great way to start the day.
Enjoying Dixie Living,
Homespun HoneyBee

Budget Boosters

Our family has goals.  Some of those goals are financial.  In order to leave our suburban homestead and buy the land we want we will need to save up a substantial amount.  Lenders don't like to risk lending on raw land.  Anytime we need to make a financial change the household budget gets a review and is often tweaked a bit to realize our goals faster.  Here are some things I’ve recently started that are making a difference. I don’t know what you’re doing or not doing already so some of these suggestions may be repeats for you.  If not, I hope they give you a boost!
1) After a year of telling myself that I should, I finally sat down and created a price book. I am happy to say it’s making a big impact already.  My memory is pretty good but there is no way I could ever remember what was a low price for grapes, much less every single item on my list. Now when I come across a *super* low price, I buy ahead. If it’s meat, we freeze it. If I find fresh produce, I plan several meals around that find and freeze any leftovers so I am blessed with more meals in our freezer. If I find a pantry staple, I stock up. If I see it is not a *super* low price, I compare it to other produce that are on sale in town that week and only purchase the items we need for that week.
2) I am fortunate to live in an area with several smaller “alternative” grocery stores. Many times I find lower prices in these stores for produce and some meats. These are primarily conventional foods so I pick and choose carefully, but I’ve actually found a few stores that carry a some organic items as well. For example, I bought bunches of organic kale for $1/lb recently and prepared several meals. One caveat, this requires some time since I usually have to visit 4 or 5 stores each week. 
3) Stop throwing out food. Maybe you don’t have a problem with this, but many do! I have become adept at knowing how much food I need to feed my family. In the past, I would see a good sale and stock up, but in my rush I would purchase too much and then could not cook it all before it went bad. Or I would buy fruit with the intention of having us enjoy it for breakfast and then, in haste we would reach for toast and jam.  Sadly, the fruit would get moldy. I have since decided to buy much more cautiously, even when that means missing out on real savings, rather than having to throw away rotten food.

4) This last one was hardest for me. We are making some financial changes right now, so I’ve decided to  buy the “dirty dozen” as organics and the rest conventionally grown. It is not prudent to allow perfect to become the enemy of good.  I have found it better for my family to eat some conventional fruits and vegetables than no enjoy no fruits and vegetables at all. I will still purchase organic dairy for us all and organic/sustainable poultry and meat whenever I can afford to. I will not allow myself to obsess about it.
So here you have it.  These are some of the things we've been trying for now. Priorities make these choices difficult, for sure! Rely on God to help guide you through them.
What are some of the choices your family has made?  I'd love to hear them.
Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa