Captain Kidd's Cat

"The minute Captain Burgess set food ashore at Captain's Rest, I smelled trouble, and if there was one thing I didn't want, trouble was it."

In the past we've enjoyed They Were Strong and Good, Ben and Me, and Mr. Revere and I. This week for the first time, we've been reading Captain Kidd's Cat by Robert Lawson. The wit of Robert Lawson, plus his wonderful illustrations make for an exciting time of reading with Thomas and Abby.

King's Hawaiian Bread

Oh, my goodness! We've made King's Hawaiian Bread twice lately and wow! is it good!

It's a batter-type bread, so there's only a little bit of kneading at the end. It's easy to make, tastes almost like the real thing, and, for our family, is a plus because it's milk-free. This recipe makes three cake-pan-sized loaves.

Try it!

Africa Adventure!

Carrie has just finished studying Africa for Around the World in 180 Days.

Yesterday, we made an Egyptian/middle eastern meal. We had baked chicken with olive oil and rosemary, flatbread, hummus, and tabouli salad made with this, which I just found at Walmart. Note that if you decide to use the mix, you'll need to have lemon juice and fresh tomatoes on hand and the salad requires chilling time.

And later, Thomas and Abby and I read The Butter Man, which is a very interesting book about a Moroccan family and a famine in their village. There's some good geographical info in the back of the book, too.




This afternoon, Emily has been working on a new project for me: weekly calendars which I can post on the fridge with menus and plans for the week for everyone to see. Hopefully, we'll all be on the same page now!

We're also trying to simplify evenings by corralling supper time into just an hour instead of everyone eating nonstop for several hours.

Seeking Simplicity........and hoping to find it!

Happy Labor Day!

I've teased the girls that this is a future picture of them in their old age. But actually, I've put it up to remind us that we live in the best country in the world!

King Alfred the Dane

Thomas recently made Alfred Cakes to go along with The Door in the Wall. Here's a little photo of the finished product.


And here's the recipe:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 Tablespoons butter, cut up in tiny pieces
1/4 cup currants or raisins
1/4 cup cut-up dates
1 large egg
1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup orange juice

Set over to 425 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender cut in the butter so it looks like small breadcrumbs. Stir in the currants and dates. In a smaller bowl, mix together the egg, cream, and juice. Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Pour in the egg mixture into the well and mix together until all is moist. Flour your hands. Gather dough in a ball in the bowl and knead gently. Divide dough into four parts and make a round "cake" with each. Place on a baking sheet and bake until browned and done.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to.....MOM!

I have hijacked Mom's blog to say a special Happy Birthday!
We love you very much and rise up to call you blessed. Wait till you see what we got you....;-)

Things we've been up to this week:

1. Straightened all the closets, including The Black Hole (the hall closet, where, if you have some item and have no idea where to put it in the house, you open the hall closet door carefully, put it down on top of various other things and run).

2. Straightened various drawers and armoires. Now if the kitchen utensil drawers would only stay organized!

3. Put together a couple of gifts to mail. Notice that I only said "put together". I have not actually wrapped or mailed them yet. But, hey, I'm closer than I was.

4. Watched Cranford, which was a worthwhile endeavour, I assure you.

5. Exercised every day.

6. Practiced hunting and gathering by going to A. Walmart and B. 2 libraries (yes, it takes two to give me my book fix).

7. Went on a nice picnic at the lake.




We're looking forward this weekend to seeing family, perhaps seeing some friends, and shopping the Labor Day sales!