Kitchen catch-up time

When I think about blogging lately, I think "I don't have anything interesting to say!" I am enjoying reading other people's blogs. They are generally much more interesting!

I'm also spending time figuring out all the home improvement projects I plan to take on now..and which ones I will tackle when the boys go back to school. I've been moving furniture around in the house and deciding what all to take my paint brush to...and what to take a can of spray paint to. One or the other...it's bound to happen! I'm feeling creative.

But so far today has been one of those days where "the sun, the moon and the stars lined up". The boys were happy for an extended amount of time to play nicely together. (Notice the bolded words. THAT's the amazing part.) Anyway, it allowed me to get caught up on making some things I needed to make in the kitchen.

The boys have been requesting pancakes in the mornings, but we've been out of syrup. So I made some homemade maple syrup.

I made some homemade chocolate syrup...to make the boys some chocolate milk ocassionally...and to drizzle on homemade vanilla ice cream next time we make it! Yum....

I made the boy's favorite granola cereal. The boys (their Daddy included) eat it up as soon as it is ready!

I made some more homemade buttermilk.

I mixed up more homemade laundry detergent.

I made some homemade wheat bread. (Actually, today, the bread machine made it for me)

I put together my menu plan for the remainder of this month. I am trying to get better at monthly menu planning. With our casual summer, I haven't been as diligent.

And then I was able to work in the tomato garden .... picking.... weeding... watering... working on stabilizing chicken wire, as the weight of the tomatoes is pulling the wire over. The boys...and their Momma...are enjoying the mounds of cherry tomatoes coming in. Actually they won't eat them....but they like to pick them. I'm selfishly glad they don't like to eat them.

In case you want the three recipes above that haven't been mentioned in a previous post....

Homemade Granola

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

7 1/2 - 8 cups oatmeal

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and the brown sugar together. Stir it up and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and cinnamon, then the oatmeal. Remove pot from heat and stir until all the oatmeal is coated. Spread the granola onto 2 cookie sheets (with sides) and bake at 375 for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool granola completely on pan, then break into pieces and transfer to an airtight container. Add raisins, nuts or other dried fruit, if desired.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a 2 quart saucepa, mix the cocoa and water with a wire whisk and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture t a full rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and boil for a full 3 minutes. Remove the sytrup from the heat and add the salt and vanilla and stir to blend. Pour the syrup into a clean pint sized canning jar (or old ketchup bottle or chocolate syrup container). Store in the refrigerator. This can be used in place of store-bought chocolate syrup. It's yummy!

100% Whole Wheat Bread (Made in a Bread Machine)

Put ingredients in your machine in the order listed for your particular machine. My order is listed below:

1 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

3 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

2 TBL Non-fat Dry Milk

2 TBL Oil

3 TBL Molasses

1 cup + 3 TBL Water (approx. 80 degrees)

Can add millet or sunflower seeds or the like to make the bread more "grainy" or nutty.

The rest of the day is POOL TIME! Ahhhhh...summer....