Katie Rocks On! Painting Rocks

Our resident artist, Katie, picked up her paint brushes again today, and decided to create.


It takes intense concentration to get the details just right

A dot here, a dab there

Even the back must be perfect

And we have a pet Rock Raccoon

WOCKENFUDGE (MILK-FREE)

We have milk allergies in our household, and are fudge lovers, so we modified recipes to come up with what works for us

Wockenfudge

2 sticks margarine w/o milk (blue bonnet light is all we can get in our area)

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (found in oriental food section in our grocery stores)

1 Tbl good quality extra virgin olive oil (to make up for "light" margarines)

4 cups sugar

Place margarine, milk, oil and sugar in a heavy pot, combine well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer to soft ball stage, stirring frequently. I do not recall the temperature on a candy thermometer, but I start to test it when the mixture starts to thicken up a little and turns a golden color. In a small bowl of cold water, drop a couple spoonfuls of mixture , then shape it into a ball. If it holds, it's ready. I prefer to catch it early, just as a ball can form, so the fudge will be creamier and smoother.

Remove from heat. Add:

1 carton of marshmallow creme

1 bag of semi-sweet Ghiradelli chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla (or 1/2 tsp butter and nut flavoring)

Mix well and pour into a lightly greased (sprayed with Pam) oblong pan. Refrigerate till set. Enjoy!!

How My Children Spent Halloween

Carving by Patrick, Modeling by Buddy and Patrick and Photos by Mary



Headless Buddy

Pumpkin Head Buddy

Pumpkin Head Buddy doesn't feel so good.












Pumpkin Head Patrick doesn't feel so good either...

Food Fight!

Hungry?

Time to carve the pumpkin

We'd had the pumpkin long enough and it was time to carve. The girls took it to the back porch, and Katie began.




I think Miss Hollywood really enjoyed scraping out the goop. (A sunglasses girl, always and forever)

And then Mary took over for a while. The girls were very impressed with how stringy the insides were.

Katie had chosen the lava-lamp ghosties, and very carefully placed and taped it to the pumpkin.


And the carving begins!



Katie carved one lava ghostie and Mary carved the other.....

And we have the finished product!

Country Bacon Soup

4 Tbl Butter
3 Tbl flour
2 ½ c. Milk (I use unsweetened Almond milk)
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper
1 4-oz can mushrooms , with juice, run through a blender or food processor

In large soup pot, melt butter. Add the flour and stir. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Add thyme, salt and pepper, stirring until thickened. Add mushrooms. (if you prefer, use a can of store bought Cream of Mushroom Soup, but it definitely won’t be as tasty)

1 sweet onion, chopped
5 strips bacon, fried, drained and crumbled, (I also add several thin, 2-inch round slices of Canadian Bacon, cut up, probably about 7 slices, which is half the package)
1 can Vegetarian Vegetable soup with alphabet noodles, undiluted
1 can Bean with Bacon soup, undiluted

1 15- oz can corn
½ cup milk (If using canned mushroom soup, add 1 ½ c milk)
¾ cup water
2 medium potatoes, cooked, peleed and diced (or use frozen hash browns instead)
Salt and pepper to taste

Add above ingredients to pot, stir, add more water to thin as desired. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until heated through.

Katie's Halloween Face

Katie, our resident artist has been getting ready for Halloween.

Which Secret Garden Are We Tending?

President Thomas S. Monson, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, quoted Sarah Ban Breathnach in a General Conference address in October 2008,

"Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives, but are grateful for the abundance that’s present-love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]--the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."

I needed that today. Which secret garden do I tend?