Irish Soda Muffins

No, we didn't make these today, but we've made them in the past when the milkless girls are gone.

Irish Soda Muffins

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/3 cup raisins

In a small bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, oil and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins.

Fill 6 greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins

For Today (March 16, 2009)

Outside my window....

It's foggy. It must have rained during the night because it's puddly outside. But the birds are chirping in spite of the gray.

I am thinking....

I had the privilege of being with my friend Lisa over the weekend at a meeting we both attended. I needed to hear some of the things she said in her workshop and I'm still thinking about those thoughts and ideas.

I am thankful for...

healthy children. There are much worse things than chicken pox.

And the little girl in the leopard print pajamas who is kissing me right at this moment.

From the learning rooms....

Simple school this week until the younger children get well. One more day of The Salamander Room and then Abby and I will begin The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar.

It's time to do my 3rd quarter grades and see how many more school days I have left. Spring fever has hit!

From the kitchen...

Later on today I'm planning to mix up a huge batch of cinnamon rolls, mostly to give away. My recipe is from someone's Mennonite grandmother, who immigrated to Canada from Russia. The recipe is called Paska and is supposed to be used to make little loaves at Easter time, but I use the dough to make sweet rolls. It's absolutely divine!

I am reading....

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. She's one of our favorite authors.

I am hearing...

nothing in the living room because everyone is reading. I hear Thomas taking out some toys in his room. Some people are still in bed.

Around the house....

Yesterday afternoon I put up all the snowmen and took down the borax snowflakes
and took away the table decoration, which consisted of a blue winter teapot, blue cups, an antique rolling pin, sifter, spice box, vanilla bottle, eggs, and a copper snowflake cookie cutter.
So far, I've put out a couple of my grandmothers' dinner plates which have pink flowers in the middle, pink geraniums in a handpainted basket, and a table decoration with my b/w teapot and a pair of beautiful b/w gardening candles, which were a gift from Lisa last summer. I still have a few things to use to make the house more in tune with spring and I'll get to those slowly over the week.


One of my favorite things....

the things my children say.

Abby: Am I going to die from chicken pox?
Katie: No, sweetheart, people don't usually die from chicken pox.
Abby: Well, am I going to have to be put down?

Whoops, too much James Herriott over the winter!


A few plans for the rest of the week....

The family was supposed to play somewhere on Tuesday night. Then David had to bow out because of an unexpected meeting. Then Carrie, Thomas, and Ab got sick, so they can't go. I have to stay home to keep them, so now Katie has to take Anna, Rachel, and Emily to play instead. They keep teasing each other that pretty soon it's going to be a solo act!

I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. Woohoo!

Here is a picture I'm sharing....


Just because I like this picture of the older girls on their way to play at Mayberry Day a couple of years ago. I'm an only child....I'm glad I have plenty of sisters around the house now.

Chicken Pox Fun

Well, here we are on about Day 5 of chicken pox. Thomas and Abby are feeling better today, but are still happier in their pjs. I thought Carrie's spots were drying up but she broke out heavily yesterday and has a low-grade fever this afternoon and is pretty miserable. Poor thing! Still using the calamine, benedryl, and oatmeal baths.

My husband and I went out of town to a meeting over Friday night. Katie helped Thomas put up his new tent and she and Abby slept in it overnight with him. She bought "smarshmallows" (Ab's word), chocolate, and graham crackers for S'mores - what a great sister! And they've had plenty of junk food from our friend who always brings "supplies" when the kids are sick.

Thanks to Netflix, we've had a Magic Schoolhouse DVD to go with The Salamander Room, a new-to-us Veggie Tales movie, and Doby Dick (Moby Dick, Abby style) with one of our favs, Gregory Peck. I picked up a big stack of library books when I was out on Friday, including a Where's Waldo and an I Spy, which are big hits at our house. And there's been plenty of Gilligan's Island and Brady Bunch from here.

Perhaps everyone will feel better by Tuesday!

Thomas' Birthday!

This is Emily writing for Mom. She's going out of town this afternoon and is busy packing, so she asked me to write about Thomas' birthday. Despite his chicken pox, we celebrated yesterday. He is ten years old!



Since she is rowing The Salamander Room, Mom decided to have a surprise salamander theme for the birthday. Above is a clay salamander that Thomas made from Model Magic. The spots are made from peppercorns. Below are pictures of him opening his gifts and posing with his cake. So far, he has received a sleeping bag from Katie, a compass/thermometer/whistle/magnifying glass gadget from Abby, a set of toy cars which change colors when submerged in water (also from Abby), a handy manual on backpacking and hiking from Granny, and lots of birthday cards and money.




The cake, primarily made by Rachel, was Thomas' favorite flavor: chocolate. She made the batter and the icing from scratch. Then she whipped up some marshmallow fondant and colored it various shades of green. Anna and I helped her cut it out into leaf shapes, with which we covered the cake. The finishing touch was two wooden cutouts of a lizard and a snake. We set them on top of the layer of leaves, as though they were on a real forest floor. It turned out so cute!

Question:

What do you get when you cross Anna, who has had shingles, with 3 younger children?

Answer: chicken pox!


This is Abby, trying to look very sick for the camera. Actually, she has more bumps today, but doesn't feel bad, just itchy. Ditto for Thomas and Carrie.

Oatmeal and calamine for three, please!

The Garden Chronicles: A Beginning

It's Anna here, writing for a very busy Mama. I thought I'd share some pictures made yesterday evening while our new garden was being made. Two of the farmers from our church (Mr. Andy and Mr. David) were good enough to help us city folks with it. I think they derive some amusement from it.


First the ground was turned up in a 120' long rectangle and spread with chicken manure. The dainty odor lingers yet. This was mixed in and then the soil was disced. Today Mr. Andy came and marked it off into nine rows with enough room between them that a tiller will fit. We're going to plant potatoes, onions, and cabbages as soon as possible, but the rest of the produce won't have to be planted until about the end of April.

Purim!

Emily (Haman) is helping Abby (Esther) get ready for the play. They liked putting on the makeup.

Here's Queen Esther. Long live the Queen!

Emily is helping Thomas (not pictured) and Abby make noisemakers out of paper plates and beans.

Abby is making paper dolls of each character in the Esther story.

Wasn't Thomas a great King Ahasuerus?

From the left: Emily as Haman (fierce!), Thomas as the king (handsome!), Katie as Mordecai (love the 5 o'clock shadow!), Abby as Queen Esther (the drama queen), and Carrie as Vashti and various servants (love the eye makeup!)

The Hamantashen! We had apricot, strawberry and raisin-chocolate-chip-walnut-and-strawberry-jam fillings. Everyone always enjoys helping make the cookies and we had enough to give some away, too.