Dinner in, and a ketchup recipe

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We are big ketchup addicts at this house. When I make homemade fries I like to pour the ketchup on so that the potatoes look like they are swimming (or drowning) in a sea of red. It grosses my husband out but what can I say? His loud eating and slurping of breakfast cereal grosses me out so I guess we're even.

Anyway, does anyone else think it's alarming that high fructose corn syrup is in everything that we eat? I'm guessing so since I have seen a lot of advertisements lately playing up the use of real sugar instead of HFCS. I have seen ketchup with sugar at the super market and health food store but we were making supper the other night and realized *gasp* no ketchup. No one was volunteering to go to the store so my husband suggested that we try making our own.

It sounded like a great idea to me (anything to avoid Wal-Mart) so I got online and looked for recipes. I have certain criteria when looking at recipes online.

1. It needs to be as few ingredients as possible

2. It needs to be stuff that I already have in my pantry (or easily substituted for something I have)

3. I like when I am familiar with all the ingredients or techniques (it isn't any weird thing I have to look up, or speak another language to understand)

4. And the prep-time to finished product needs to be fast (I have two hungry redheads and even hungrier husband who all get cranky if they don't eat)

So, with all this in mind I found this recipe for homemade ketchup (I think it was from allrecipes.com):

6 oz. can tomato paste

1/4-1/3 c. water

2 Tbs vinegar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1 pinch cloves

1 pinch allspice

1 pinch cayenne

1/4 c. brown sugar

put it all in a bowl and whisk it up.

Did this homemade version pass the test with my picky eaters? Did it trump the allure of the sugar rush that is high fructose corn syrup?

Yes! Everyone loved it!!

Try it for yourself sometime.

Not always easy

Sometimes life is easy. There are smiles and kind words thrown your way. There is such an abundance of good cheer that you feel as if your walking on clouds. It's a lightness of heart, a bubble up of laughter and carefree moments of joy. This...this feeling right here is what I want to bottle up. Save for those dark days when I just need a little bit of light.

The heaviness of heart always sneaks up and makes me remember. Oh no, I know this feeling too. It has been with me for so long that I almost welcome it. An enemy in friends clothing. I have to push it away and push hard so that it know I mean business. Weariness of heart and sadness, they don't live here.

Dry the tears that spill out despite my best intentions. It's time to find that bottled up joy. The joy that is my boys laughter. The joy that is great food and conversation with my husband. The joy that is long distance phone calls and emails from friends scattered far, and hugs and open hearts from the women in my life.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118: 24

What do you do when you feel sadness creeping in? Or do you ever feel that way?

Same kind of different

I sat on the floor of their college apartment. Small living space opened up to a postage stamp kitchen. This is familiar to me, it feels like yesterday although I have a diploma framed on the wall that says it's been almost twelve years. Time flies when your not looking, when your busy with babies and life.

There is a difference between our college place and theirs besides the absence of grunge rock and mid-nineties decor. There is a baby here. A soft skinned, rosy cheeked, blue eyed fella. To be honest, I was worried about them having a kid when they are just kids themselves. I remember how I was at twenty. How I didn't think beyond next week and didn't have a "plan" to save my life.

But I see love shining in their eyes and determination. I hear pride in their voices when they talk of their little one. It's the same pride that I have. The same mama love that blossomed in my heart the day that my two were born. It's a love that transcends age, time, and circumstance.

I guess it IS true that all you need is love...and a plan doesn't hurt either!

Amelia

Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

There is something about this time of year that makes me want to bake! My husband and I went to the Bass Pro Shop a few weeks ago and while he was ogling all of the fishing and camping supplies I was (of course) looking at the food. Amid all of the beef jerky and mango chutney I found a jar of pumpkin butter (with a recipe for pumpkin pie on the back). Yum!

Pumpkin pie is a favorite of the redheads but I wanted something that I could easily pack in their lunch for school so I came up with this recipe:

Pumpkin Muffins

3 c. flour (I used 2 c. white and 1 c. whole wheat)

2 tbsp. ground flax seed

2. tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 c. dried cranberries (M loves cranberries so we always have them on hand)

mix together dry ingredients

1 jar pumpkin butter (it already has all the spices and sugar added)

1/2 c. canola oil (next time I am going to cut the oil in half and use apple sauce but I used what I had today)

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1/2-3/4 c. almond milk (not really sure how much I used just added until I got the consistency I wanted)

mix until well combined and scoop into greased muffin tins

At this stage I sprinkled organic chai seeds and sugar granules on top

Bake at 350 for about 22 minutes

They turned out perfectly delicious! I can't wait until the boys come home, it will be a great afternoon snack.

What do you like to bake this time of year?

Big Cedar

Before the last days of summer slip into Fall I wanted to take the family someplace where we could have fun and just enjoy each others company! Big Cedar is that place for us. Situated on table rock lake in the midst of the Ozark mountains. It is majestic and at the same time peaceful (just my kind of place).

We can come here to unwind and forget about our worries and obligations at home. We can wrap ourselves in the warm love of family togetherness:) We can laugh and play with the redheads...

Nothing says childhood like a cold sno-cone on a hot summer day.

We ate supper al fresco, soup and sandwiches and smoothies, yum!! The weather was high 80s with a nice breeze. It felt wonderful to us after the 100+ weather that we have had for most of the summer. You can't see from this picture but there is a nice view of table rock lake...ahhhh!

We strolled around the grounds, no timetable or schedule. Just the four of us and the joy of the moment.

We need places like this sometimes. Places that give us permission to slow things down, live in the moment and enjoy each other.

We plan to go back in the Fall when the trees are painted a nice golden-orange and we can wear our sweaters and stocking caps. And maybe again before Christmas so elves can bring milk and cookies to our room:)

Where is your favorite place to go as a family?