Susan Branch's Book of Days

I got a new book today and it looks like heaven....

There is a tiny little badge on one of the pages (drawings all over the book) and it's a Girl Scout cooking badge. I earned that badge when I was a Girl Scout!!! Boy, I never knew all the cooking I had before me. Currently two big chickens sitting in the frig waiting on me for dinner...

The Secret

I just finished Beverly Lewis' first book in her new series - Season's of Grace. Not as good to me as her others, but just the first in the series - so kinda setting the story. Bet the next one will be better!!! I so love her writing. Got go find book no. 2 now!!!

2009-2010 School Year

Bobby's got to be the caboose at the school lunch line this week!!!

His class also has a turtle named Elvis.

Emily's excited because her teacher uses a clipboard with a list of what they need to do. (sounds little familiar??)

Each child in her class has a name on a frog. If they misbehave they get a fly on their frog and a note home. :-)

Terry things first grade is way different than Kindergarten. He gets to go to PE, Art, and Music now. AND he gets to play on the big playground!!!

Preparing for Fall

We have begun preparing for fall in the Quinn home.

Here's a little list we've begun:

Kelly - Working through winter boxes - taking out jeans and light jackets. (one year I will be smart enough to pack these separate from the heavy winter sweaters and coats - right now it's just all a big pile of anything warm clothes)

Children - Trying above jeans and jackets on to see what still fits

Kelly - Packing too little clothes in Goodwill bags

All - Straightening work room and cleaning behind all winter boxes as we go

Kelly - Packing up bathing suits, beach towels, tank tops, sleeveless shirts and sundresses

Troy - Gathering from storage - football chairs

Kelly - Make a "to go" menu plan for football nights

Artie - Deep cleaning porch

Kelly - setting out fall mums

Artie, Bobby & Terry - Weeded front flower beds

Artie - Grass cut and trimmed

Kelly - Setting out fall dishes (just a couple of cute ones I ended up with last year - not a whole set) A house with 6 children - who has a whole set of anything? :-)

Kelly - Cooking the last of everyone favorite summer foods - Saturday we fixed a big cold plate and followed it up with homemade milkshakes. It was so yummy. The kids love doing cold plates. We had several kinds of meats, sausages, peppers and pickles, crackers with pimento cheese, cheeses, croissants, deviled eggs - seems like I'm forgetting a lot, the table was over loaded!!)

Kelly - Gather all Scout uniforms

Kelly - Lay out cozy throws in living room on couches and chairs

Kelly - Turn the air conditioner off and open the windows

Artie and Troy - Cleaning gutters at Mimi and Granddaddy's

What are you doing?

Boy Scout Camping

Catching up with some pictures from earlier in the year...

Artie, Stephen, Bobby and Terry went camping with the Boy Scouts at Mr. Dan's house. Stephen was impressed with the tepee, it had a bathroom inside.... Stephen liked giving Granny Smith apples to the horses.

Stephen found a toad.

He had to show Bobby.

and Terry..

and Mr. Chris... You know how important a toad it to a boy~~~~ :-)

Talking at the campsite.

Time for a walk in the woods

On their hike they picked up their favorite nature finds and worked them into a spider web made of string. Stephen had a empty cocoon in his.

Even when Scouting, Bobby's still the gymnast!! :-)

The boys had a nice picnic in Artie's tailgate.

Yummm, Lunchables!!!

Time for the campfire - Stephen was picked to be the wearer of the Armor of God.

Big Pasta Salad

1 box tri-color rotini cooked
pepperoni - cut in 4ths
tomatoes - diced
cubed cheese - cheddar & Monterrey jack
Italian dressing

Combine all, let set in frig. Great on a warm day, no oven!!

Holiday Grand Plan

Yeah, the Holiday Grand Plan started this week. I love it. Lists, list and more lists!!!

This week is List Week/Front Porch. I have:

started my new Christmas notebook (updating the one from previous years)

- sorted through last years papers and filed the gift lists

-new Internet shopping list to keep account of items ordered

-new shopping list to work on (items for the house)

-new gift lists for this year - including Christmas eve presents and stocking stuffers

-new size list for the children (already have Brian and his girlfriend, Lauren's sizes all posted - now I just need the children that are living here~~)

-new to do list

-new present ideas list

Bought:

-book of stamps

Beginning to work on front porch... still lots to do for this week.....

So, even though I haven't gotten near all that is suggested for the week, I've started.

Is anyone else working with the Grand Plan???

MaMa

Mama's Chocolate Pound Cake

2 sticks butter
1 cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 t baking powder
5 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 t salt
1 cup milk
1 t vanilla




Cream Crisco and sugar. Sift all dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Add eggs, one at a time to shortening mixture beating well. Add alternately flour and milk, then the vanilla. Mix all well. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Added: I've been talking to my cousin Jill and she has sent me MaMa's icing recipe that goes with the chocolate pound cake. It's so good alone I never even knew it had icing to go with it. I will have to be trying this very soon!!!

Here's the icing recipe:

1/4 c. milk

1 box 10X sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 c cocoa.

Mix and beat well.

MaMa used to use a knife and kinda make pleats all around the cake in the icing. It was so pretty and she taught me how but for the life of me mine doesn't turn out the same. Actually, she used margarine so that may have made a difference in the consistency. Will take a picture of it and send it to you.

This recipe is from my great grandmother - MaMa. I can remember going over to her house on Sunday afternoons after church for a big family dinner and she would have cakes all around her counters. My granddaddy said she used to sell them from her front porch for extra money. She would line them up on her porch railing and people from all over town would come and buy one or two. Wish I was so industrious!!! :-)

Here's one more for her plain pound cake

Mama's Pound Cake

2 sticks butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

3 cups plain flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 cup Crisco

5 eggs

3 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

Cream shortening and butter together. Add sugar, mix well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add a little flour then a little milk. Beat well. Bake 325 for 1 & 1/2 hours.

Okay, while I'm here...

MaMa's 7-Up Cake

2 sticks butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup 7-Up

3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup Crisco

5 eggs

2 t vanilla & 1 t lemon (or 3t vanilla)

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well and add vanilla. Sift flour. Add a little flour then a little 7-Up until all combined. Baked in a tube pan 1 & 1/2 hours - 325.

Frosting

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick butter

juice of 2 lemons

Mix well