Kids in the Kitchen---The Creamiest Hot Cocoa

Perfect for our northern snowy days, this hot cocoa is so creamy and chocolately, it is just as easy and so much more yummy than those little packets---it a family favorite.
For about 12 servings---which we need around here---start with 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk.

Dump both cans of condensed milk into a big pan.

Turn the stove onto medium heat.

Add one cup of baking cocoa to the milk.

Stir this together completely over medium heat.

Stir in 3 teaspoons of vanilla

Add 1/4 tsp. of salt

Slowly add 8 cups of water

Stir until siblings from outside smell the hot cocoa and come inside.

Do not bring to a boil!

Prepare the proper mugs.

I also found this marshmallow bits at our Amish store. They are just like the "Swiss Miss" marshmallows!! Very yummy all on their own!!

My kids enjoy the marshmallow "on the side".

Be careful if your hands are a little wet, it will be hard to get them off your fingers. The more you lick the more they stick!!

ENJOY!!

A knit Right to Life "ribbon"

Prototype for a knit Right to Life "ribbon" for the March for Life in DC. (And also for the many local marches that will take place in January.)What do you think? Maybe for a fundraiser for the Holy Cross bus trip to the March for LIfe in DC? Comments needed.

I cast on 40 stitches in pink on size 4 needles.

knit one row in pink

Change to blue and alternate purl row, knit row for 4 rows

Change back to pink, purl one row

cast off with pink.

I then secured the ribbon shape with a button.

I hope to find some "baby" type buttons at the craft store.

It is finished off with a pin on back which was hot glued onto the to back.

I'll contrast the colors...pink with blue center and blue with pink center....sew on contrasting button....hot glue pin backing to the top back of ribbon
What do you think?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. Photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

A year in review--thanks to Facebook

Winter Scene Handprint Art

We are getting a little head start on our "winter, snow, and arctic" school units
which will start next week.
I saw some Christmas snowman ornaments using handprints but I just wanted to make a winter scene. It was quick and easy and I had everything I needed already in the house.
You need:
white paint-(I used acrylic paint)
black construction paper
sharpie markers
marker that write on black paper
glitter (We really love glitter)

First we painted our hands white and "stamped" them onto the black paper.
After the handprint dried, we turned the fingers into snowmen.
Using the sharpie markers we added faces and scarves and hats.

After making our snowmen, we embelished our pictures with glue and glitter.

I added a shooting star to Kimmy's picture and she added the glitter.
Gracie used glue fingerprints to make snowflakes. She then added glitter to make the snow "shine".

Cute, cute, cute!!

And more importantly, easy, easy, easy!!

The Alpaca Scarf has Been Completed

It came out lovely.

I ended up knitting 5 rows of garter stitch and then a stockinette stitch with 3 stitches of garter stitch at the beginning and end of each row.

I ended with another 5 rows of garter stitch.

At first I tried a few different pattern stitches, but the alpaca was a little hard to work with so I thought the beauty of the yarn would be enough....I didn't feel like it needed a fancy pattern....and I was correct.

I just love how Laura put the scarf around her neck, in a sort of slipknot, and more importantly, Laura loves it!

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along...

From Ginny, the founder of "Yarn Along"~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I was gifted with this beautiful brown alpaca yarn last year from this very special lady, and have finally gotten around to turning it into a super soft scarf for my teenage daughter, Laura. The brown is so pretty mixed with flecks of tan and a hint of pink here and there. I have a few more inches and then I will block it. Next week I will post a photo of my beautiful Laura modeling it.

I have begun the book, Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock. I believe I saw this title on someones previous "Yarn Along" post. I am only a couple chapters into it and so far so good. I am trying to spend a half hour or so a day reading for myself---this, of course is after spending hours reading school books, picture books and living history books out loud to my little learners.

One of my favorite parts of knitting is the giving away of my work....and this past week I was blessed to see on facebook my new grand-nephew, Jacob, wrapped in the love I knit for him. You can check out this completely gorgeous baby on his momma's blog.

The alpaca scarf is now finished.....you can check it out here.

A Simple Woman's Daybook--A Christmas Season Daybook

December 28, 2010

I have decided to jump in and join the fun with my own Simple Woman's Daybook for the new year. This is the first, during the quiet time of the Christmas season, when the world considers the Christmas season over, but we, as Catholics, have many days left of this wonderful season. It is a quiet time now, so I have time to write this post, but soon the crazy days of educating, encouraging and raising my 10 kids will return and I may not have time for this weekly post.....all I can do is start here and try to continue it throughout the year.

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... The nor'eastern missed central New York, but the snow still remains on the ground from the 3 feet we received a couple weeks ago. There is never a shortage of snow in the "lake effect" snow regions of this part of the country. The temp is 26 degrees...much better than yesterday's single digits.

I am thinking... about doctors and medicine and how to be the best mother I can when struggling with health issues

I am thankful for... Doctors and medicine and knowledge that wasn't available years ago. I am thankful for a wonderful husband who takes such good care of us, and children who are happy, fed and snug in a warm home.

From the learning rooms... The learning room (also known as the kitchen table) is filled with Christmas games and Christmas crafts. The tiny bit of learning going on is Gracie's daily practice of her multiplication facts....She is on her 8 facts and I don't want her to "lose" what she has memorized, so everyday we find a game online to help her review her facts.

From the kitchen... not much...we like to call days like these "free for all" days. I would like to bake something this morning to warm up the house....and later this week will be a big grocery shop so that next week I can have a plan (hopefully)!

I am wearing... gray sweat pants, hubby's lucky Yankee t-shirt, and my bathrobe....I am moving slowly this morning and these are my pj's....

I am creating... a beautifully soft, brown, alpaca yarn scarf for my Laura. I love working with this yarn. I will also create lesson plans for next week's school...I WILL...I WILL

I am going... I am going nowhere this morning as hubby has the van at work. Hopefully we will get to the library this afternoon and if my energy holds out and my cold lets up a little I will go visit my mom and dad this evening.

I am reading... Our read aloud from Advent was Bartholomew's Passage. We have a few chapters to finish up..(it is still Christmas!) Our quiet time book on cd is James and the Giant Peach. I hope to start reading Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock sometime this week. It is hard to find "pleasure reading" time for myself but hope to squeeze out a few minutes every day for just that. We are also reading many, many Christmas picture books because it is still the season of Christmas.

I am hoping...for peaceful, calm days and sleep filled nights

I am hearing... nothing from the 4 sleeping teenagers who are enjoying their Christmas break, Mark's fingers on the computer keyboard across the room, and little children talking from the closets on walkie talkie's........

Around the house... I really need to get this place decluttered and cleaned-up, but I believe that will wait until after Christmas

One of my favorite things... a very cozy 5 year old who stills finds his way to my bed early in the morning wearing his fuzzy pajamas. A 5 year old who needs to "share" my pillow in the morning, but kicks his poor daddy to make more room for himself.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week ... A little more celebrating and then making plans for the long winter days ahead.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Welcome

Welcome to my new great nephew Jacob Robert!!

Congratulations to Momma and Daddy, Jessie and Matt, and big sister Elsia Rae and big brother Sammy! Make sure to stop by Jessie's blog to meet this wonderful family!

(And I love seeing my knitting wrapped around such a sweet blessing)

Take A Chance Challenge 3

I missed the first 2 years of the Take a Chance Challenge, but when I saw it on another blog, I thought it would be a fun way to find "new" books to read throughout the year.....and then, share them with you.

Our host, over at Life...with Books, has all the fun info on her blog.

I can't wait to Take a Chance and find some new books to enjoy and share

Macro Monday--a Macro Christmas Day