Whatever You Do...

I saw this picture on a new blog I found this morning - At the Well, In Pursuit of Titus 2.

Tuesday at the Quinn Home

Kelly - sorting kitchen items

Artie - working hard as always

Troy and Brenda - enjoying the beach with the church

It so changes the dynamics of the home when some of the children are gone. The littles are enjoying being the top dog and using the older kids things while they are gone. Shhhh, don't tell. They are also trying to eat out every meal. Yesterday they used their coupons for Zaxby's they got from Bible School. Not sure about today yet.

Emily, Stephen, Bobby, and Terry - all together making forts, and playing with tents

A fun summer day!!!

God is so GOOD!!

Our neighbor, Barney, is moving out. His mother died recently and he is moving into her home, which of course is coming complete furnished. He has been giving us things on a weekly basis as he has been slowing switching homes. Last night he hit his kitchen.

Here is a running list of just some of the things we have been given: glasses, cups, mugs, canning jars, plates, saucers, set of pots and pans, blender, Tupperware, silverware, kitchen utensils, colander, toaster, coffee pot and filters and coffee, grill, can opener, soup bowls, baking trays, Pyrex dishes, knife block, ice trays, complete unopened dish set for 8, 2 end tables, a computer chair.

That's just last night. Previously he's given me his mama's sewing machine and beautiful stand and chair along with her sewing kit, an older computer for the children to play on and computer desk, lamps, flowers, a washer and dryer (two weeks after our dryer finally died) . He's given Artie his mustang house (a fabric storage building with floor - Artie has turned it into a workshop), wood, books, a fan - more than I can't even keep up with out there!!

Tomorrow Artie is picking up a storage cabinet.

I'm so sorry for Barney's loss of his mother, but I believe she had been sick for some time and he is happy for her place with Jesus now.

We are a disposable family. Everything we have is temporary. Having 7 children in one home - nothing lasts too long. That goes from appliances to kitchen items to furniture - don't get me started on the windows!!! :-) If a average size family gets 10 years from a washer - that equals about 2 years of use in the Quinn home!! Pretty much - it runs all day every day. We use what God gives us until it is all used up and then He always comes to our need and supplies more!!! It has been like that from the day we married.

When I was pregnant with the twins (and a little scared of the future) we had four children and were temporarily living in a 2 bedroom house. We had just moved to town and were using a house from Artie's boss - Mr. Mickey - while we looked for something big enough. That was - big enough for the 6 of us - we didn't know about the twins yet. When I found out the twins were coming I have to admit - panic set in. Here we were 6 people living in a 2 bedroom house!! God was so good. We found a lovely old house (key word could be old, but lets make the key word lovely). When I went in the hospital to have the twins we were still living in the two bedroom house. When I came home we directly drove to the new big house. Artie had been working the month before trying to get things ready while taking care of his pregnant wife (a tough job in his life!!) and his four kids all at the same time. There was still so much to do. Our friends and family came in while I was in the hospital and did it all. Finished the painting, moving the furniture. When I walked in, the sheets were made on the beds, everything was unpacked and they had stocked the frig with food. God is soooo good and does always provide.

It's been like that our whole life. There is a need and God provides. Sometimes it just overwhelms me. Someone offered us a couch or something one day when we were first married and I was trying to decide if we really needed it or not - Artie told me not to turn down anything anyone gave us - there was gonna be a need for it. And it has worked out that way.

The one thing that sticks out in my mind is that God usually doesn't give us what we need until the need is already there. I think if we had waited on a house big enough for a big family to get pregnant, we would still just have one or two children. Trust God.....

I have a new favorite summer food... PEACH COBBLER!!! Yummo!! I used this recipe from Southern Plate. I actually don't know if I've ever eaten peach cobbler before. How can I grow up in SC and never have eaten peach cobbler - oh, I remember, it's not chocolate!! Anyway, I loved it. Can't wait to make it again...

Peach Cobbler

4 cups peeled and sliced peaches (measure, don't go by Daria's estimate)
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 cup s/r flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt stick of butter in oven proof casserole dish in oven while making pie ingredients. ( make sure your dish is big enough to hold the casserole - mine wasn't!!) :-)

Pour the two T. lemon juice over the peaches. Stir to coat. Pour 1/2 cup sugar over peaches. Stir. Heat in microwave for 1 minute so that sugar begins to melt.

Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon until blended. Pour in 1 cup milk and mix until blended.

After butter is melted, take casserole out of oven and pour batter on top of melted butter. Pour peaches on top of batter. DO NOT STIR! Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over pie. (I also sprinkled some more cinnamon to look pretty)

Place in 350 oven and cook for 55 minutes or until golden.

Father's Day

We took some pictures of Artie and the kids on Father's Day before we went to visit Granddaddy and my Daddy. They turned out so good I had to post them all!! (Well, I didn't post them all, but several)

Daddy and Troy - I think this is my favorite in the bunch. Troy looks so handsome here...

Daddy and Brenda

Daddy and Emily

Daddy and Stephen

Daddy and Bobby

Daddy and Terry

(Such cute babies! I am so blessed for Artie to be their father!!)

Emily and Terry's Breakfast

This morning Emily is cooking more blueberry pancakes. Terry (6yo) wanted to help. Emily told him his job could be to get out all the ingredients. She laid the cookbook (cause she is my daughter and we have to have a recipe to boil an egg) out to the right page and Terry was on his way.

He started reading off each ingredient (I realize he learned to read in Kindergarten last year and has been reading to me a lot over the summer, but it still surprises me when he reads in real world places). He read off flour and wasn't sure where it was. Emily told him quickly to check the frig. I was married before I knew keeping the flour in the frig would keep out any little pesky bugs. He read off baking powder and didn't know what that was. I told him to just get the other things and Emily would get that in a minute. When he moved on to the salt he found a can in the hutch that said baking powder. He was so excited that he had read it and found it on his own. I can't believe how much the children are all growing up. I don't really think they need me here at all anymore (except maybe to referee for them). :-)

Sisters

Brenda and her friend Emily

Cute girls!!!

An Afternoon at Granny's

Of course there is always bike riding - forward only, holding the handlebars!! Brenda!! Must be Bobby's turn...

Wuthering Heights

Brenda and I also stayed up really late one night and watched Wuthering Heights. It was a fun movie, she hadn't seen.

Brenda and Hunter also watched Top Gun for the first time. I was surprised with all the language in it - hadn't remembered that from the showings I saw - too many years ago.

Anne of Green Gables

Summer Movies


This is what we've been watching for the past couple of weeks. I love Anne (with an E) of Green Gables. Brenda and I had seen the first movie but it was totally new to Emily and the little boys. The sequels were new to us all. It was so much fun. The littles were a little scared in parts of the last one with the war scenes. I tried to assure them it was Anne and that it would all work out in the end!! :-)

I love the library!!!

Terry and I went and got more reading books - grade level for each contestant today.

Here's today's rundown...

Emily - 3rd grade reading list

1. Jubal's Wish

2. Owl Moon

3. Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash

4. Junie B., First Grader: One Man Band - 2nd Junie B. book this summer

5. Little House in the Big Woods - this will be the biggest book Emily has read so far!! :-)

Emily also got a box set of Addy - An American Girl - books and cassettes to listen to and read along with.

Stephen and Bobby - 2nd grade reading list

1. The Cat in the Hat

2. Arthur's Honey Bear

3. Amanda Pig and Her Big Brother Oliver

4. Amelia Bedelia

5. Roller Skates

Terry - Kindergarten reading list

1. The Baby Bunny

2. Help for Dear Dragon

3. It's Circus Time, Dear Dragon

4. Cinderella at the Ball

5. The Little Runaway

All Margaret Hillert books

Currently Stephen is in the lead...

My Daddy

Here's Papa!! My Daddy is getting ready to retire. He has worked for Southern Railway since I was in Kindergarten and is an engineer. I asked him what he was going to do if he retires and he has decided that he is going to be a gardener!! I hate that we don't live close enough to help him eat it all up!!

Pancakes, BlueBerry, Peanut Butter

Last night Emily cooked blueberry pancakes for our dinner (except for Artie, who had chicken and rice - he doesn't like sweet things for dinner - while me, I can live off them forever!!)

Here is our pancake recipe

2 cups of flour

5 t baking powder

1 t salt

3 T sugar

2 eggs

2 C milk

1/3 C melted margarine or oil

Combine and pour on warm skillet. Cook until it bubbles and then turn and cook a moment more.

These are so simple and easy to make. There is really no need as far as ease for having to buy pancake mix. (now if you can get it for free with coupons that's a different story!!)

We added in 1 cup of blueberries for last night's meal. They were so good, they just popped in your mouth.

You can also change the recipe to make peanut butter pancakes by added 1/3 cup peanut butter.

I think we are going to make some more blueberry pancakes today and put them up in the freezer. Hey, our frozen blueberries turned out great too.

Next year I hope to buy more than I did this year. I only bought 5 pints this year while they were such a good price. I definitely need 10 or 15.

So what to cook with them now?

Our Summer Blueberry Week

Our blueberries are soooo good!!!!

We looking for more and more to cook with them.

The Kuchen turned out good. I finally had to google Kuchen and found out it was a German name for cake.

Here's the recipe we used for the Kuchen from Woman's Day

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp each ground cinnamon and salt
1 1⁄2 sticks (3⁄4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup milk
1 1⁄2 cups blueberries
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into 1⁄2-in. wedges
1 ripe plum, pitted and cut into 1⁄2-in. wedges

Crumb Topping

3 Tbsp each all-purpose flour and light brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in bits
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

Line a 9-in. square baking pan with nonstick foil; let foil extend over ends of pan. (we didn't do this)

2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. On medium speed, beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture and milk until blended. Gently fold 1⁄2 cup blueberries into batter.

3. Spread batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Top with peach and plum slices, evenly spaced in batter. Scatter with remaining 1 cup blueberries.

4. Topping:

In a medium bowl, rub ingredients together with fingertips until moistened and clumpy, then scatter over fruit. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and kuchen starts to pull away slightly from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack.

5. Lift foil by ends onto work surface. Using 2 large spatulas, lift cake from foil onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.

The peaches were the best thing in the recipe. Now I'm ready to get a bushel of peaches next time I'm out!!

10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization

Emily is working on her multiplication tables this summer in preparation for school next year. Here is the plan we are using... (We are already up to the 3's and have skipped ahead and done the 11's)

10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization

1. Learn the 0’s

Any # times 0 is 0.

2. Learn the 1’s

Any # times 1 says itself.

3. Learn the 10’s

Count by 10’s - say aloud and write

10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80, 90,100, 110, 120

Practice the 10’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

4. Learn the 5’s

Count by 5’s - say aloud and write

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

Practice the 5’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

5. Learn the 2’s

Count by 2’s - say aloud and write

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24,

Practice the 2’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

6. Learn the 3’s

Count by 3’s - say aloud and write

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36

Practice the 3’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

7. Learn the 11’s

Learn the trick - a # times 11 says itself twice.

For example: 5×11=55(This works up to 9×11)

11×11 is 11 with a 2 in the middle (121)

11×12 is 13 plus a 2 (132)- 11, 12, 13 plus a 2

8. Learn the Double Rhymes and 7×8

4×4 isn’t mean, 4×4 is sweet 16

6×6 pick up sticks, 6×6 is 36

7×7 feeling fine, 7×7 is 49

8×8 fell on the floor, 8×8 is 64

9×9 ate a ton, 9×9 is 81

12 x 12 give 4 more, 12×12 is 144

5, 6, 7, 8 - 56 is 7×8

9. Learn the 9’s

Learn the trick - 9×7 starts with 6 (it is 1 less than 7) 6+3 more = 9

The Answer is 63. (6 and 3, The # less than 7 and the # added to get to 9)

Kids can hold up 7 fingers, take 1 away to have 6. Then, count up 3 fingers to get 9.

10. This Leaves Only 8 Left to Memorize

Learn the remaining 8 by making flashcards.

4×6, 4×7, 4×8, 6×7, 6×12, 7×12, 8×12, 9×12

You may want to concentrate on 4×8, 6×7, 6×12 at the same time.

All the answers end in 2. (32, 42, 72)

My favorite gardening books

by Mel Bartholomew

by Reader's Digest

Blueberries

I got a great deal on blueberries this week at Ingles and bought several pints. I think I will be back to get some more. I have several recipes I am wanting to try and hoping to freeze some as well while the prices are low. I looked up online to check on freezing them and here is what I found.

Q. What is the best way to freeze blueberries. Also, once they have been frozen, if you cook with them, do you defrost them first? Do you wash blueberries, before you freeze them?

A. If you grew them, know they have not been doused with pesticides, and are unconcerned about what has been climbing around on them, you don't need to wash them. Otherwise, do wash them, gently, and do it before you freeze them. Thawed berries tend to weep and are very fragile, and you wouldn't want to wash away their flavor when you scour the pesticides off them.

The best way to freeze blueberries is in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dry them as well as you can first without bruising them by laying them on a layer of paper towels and covering them with more paper towels. Place them lovingly, and without crowding them, on the baking sheet, pop it in the freezer, and wait. Once frozen, pack the berries into appropriate storage containers and return them to the freezer.

There are certainly some applications where you don't need to thaw the berries before use — blueberry muffins, for example, where they will thaw and cook in the muffins. Where they will be used as a topping or garnish, however, it is nice to thaw them first so that you don't wind up biting a crystallized berry.

Doesn't seem to hard at all, if there is any left to freeze. I think I'm starting with a Summer Fruit Kuchen recipe that I found in Woman's Day.

I'm so hip

Brian cracked me up a couple of days ago. He texted (or text?) me (cause I'm so hip now and text!!) and said "guess what I did for hours last night?" So of course I texted (?) him back and said "what?" Well then he said

(I feel like an episode of the Cosby show with Rudy and her mom and dad - he said, then she said....)

So, he said "I've been reading Life at the Quinn home for hours!!" :-) He's so funny. I ask him if he learned anything new? :-)

His friend Lauren was reading with him - from her house on her computer (just a little confusion there on my part??? It was the middle of the night.) So now Lauren is coming over with him Sunday to go to church and meet the family.

Now, I'm testing Lauren to see if she is still checking in on the blog. Which really would be bad cause I haven't written again since they were reading. Anyway, looking forward to meeting you Lauren. I'll be the frazzled looking mama trying to shush her children in church. So, if your still out there, leave me a comment. (you too Brian!!)

Southern Plate

I found a wonderful cooking site today that has me ready to get in my kitchen. It's Southern Plate -Recipes from Below the Mason-Dixon Line. :-)



















Here are some of the recipes that caught my eye...

Peach Cobbler

Mud Pie (or Chocolate Cobbler)

Pizza Rolls - there are many recipes with great ideas for hamburger meat

I get tired of cooking the same things too much. I love trying new food and this all looks like our kind of food...