Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's another whole wheat cookie recipe. I promise your kids (and your husband) will love them. :) They are still cookies (so don't eat too many), but at least they have the added nutrition of whole wheat flour.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Challah Recipe

This is a repost from back in May of 2008. I thought some of you who are new to 50s Housewife might like this recipe, plus I'm lazy today and can't come up with anything good. :) It's our last Spring like day before another cold front comes through so Mike is firing up the grill and we are going for a walk after supper. We want to enjoy the warmth while we can.

This recipe is for challah, a traditional Jewish bread. It calls for margarine or vegetable shortening to keep it kosher, but you could use butter. It is customary in Jewish homes to begin the three meals eaten during Shabbat with blessings over two loaves of challah. It is a very pretty bread and so much fun to make. This recipe makes one loaf.



1. Stir together 2 cups of flour and 1 Tablespoon yeast in a mixing bowl (or in my case, the bowl of my Kitchenaid) and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat and stir together 1 1/4 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 3 Tablespoons of margarine, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees) and margarine almost melts.


2. Add water mixture and two beaten eggs to dry mixture.

Beat on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, then on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Stir in an additional 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups of flour and knead using dough hook. You can, of course, also turn the bread out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour).


4. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into thirds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.


5. Shape each third into an 18 inch long rope. Braid ropes and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (about 30 minutes). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush top of braided loaf with a beaten egg white.


6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap it. If necessary cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over browning. Immediately remove bread from baking sheet. Cool on a wire rack.

Observing Lent

Listening to the Lord

But it is too easy and promotes too cheap a grace to focus only on the high points of Palm Sunday and Easter without walking with Jesus through the darkness of Good Friday, a journey that begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a way to place ourselves before God humbled, bringing in our hands no price whereby we can ourselves purchase our salvation. It is a way to confess our total inadequacy before God, to strip ourselves bare of all pretenses to righteousness, to come before God in dust and ashes. It is a way to empty ourselves of our false pride, of our rationalizations that prevent us from seeing ourselves as needy creatures, of our "perfectionist" tendencies that blind us to the beam in our own eye

Quoted from The Season of Lent

Our church does not formally observe Lent, but it is something I carry over from the church of my childhood. Resurrection Sunday is not as joyful and significant for me if I haven't been through the somber and serious prayer and reflection of Lent.

This year we are going to use the Lenten Lights devotionals from John Piper's Desiring God website. Seven candles are lit during the first Sunday in Lent and during the Bible reading, one candle is snuffed out (not to be lit again until Easter). This continues with the final candle being blown out on Good Friday. The candles are all lit together on Easter.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Everyday Joys

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God
Isaiah 61:10






A puttery day at home is all I needed to rest and refresh my soul.

Flower Girls

Marcia and Cindy made adorable flower girls if I do say so myself. :) A friend of my sister-in-law's from her church did all of our hair as a wedding gift (and what a great gift idea!). I thought you might want to see how pretty the girls' up dos were. Marcia moved right as I snapped the shot so she is blurry. Her's was an intricate french braided style.

 

The Simple Woman's Daybook - February 23rd Edition

For Today...February 23rd

Outside my window... a few thin white clouds and behind them; gorgeous blue sky. It's going to be so pretty today.

I am thinking...My brother's wedding was so sweet. I'm glad it turned out well. They won't be going on a honeymoon until the fall because my brother had to go back to work today. I called my sister-in-law this morning and asked "How's married life?" She replied "Fantastic!!" Makes me remember how happy I was when Mike and I first married. I need to think about that and act that way more often. :)

I am thankful for...My precious family. I am so blessed.

From the kitchen... Nothing too adventurous today (I'm still tired from the wedding), but I think I may do a little baking.

I am wearing...at the moment my robe and fuzzy slippers. My wet hair is in a towel (and it's going to dry in the towel and be a mess if I don't get off the computer soon). I can't decide what I want to wear because although it's cold right now it is supposed to really warm up this afternoon.

I am reading..."Out to Canaan" by Jan Karon. I've been re-reading the Mitford books, but I am having to read them out of order. The library never has the next one in the series when I'm ready for it so I am just skipping around.

I am hoping...That I don't get sick. Bobby was so sick last week and I have been feeling sort of run down since after the wedding.

I am creating...Another notecard for the James Challenge. It's coming along much more slowly than I would like, but I figure that as long as I stick with it it doesn't really matter how long it takes.

I am hearing... My washing machine filling up (the actual churning is so quiet I can't hear it unless I'm in the laundry room). Love my washing machine! :)

Around the house... tons of laundry to catch up on. I didn't get any done this weekend. I also need to make my list and buy some groceries today.

One of my favorite things...a quiet Monday after a busy weekend.

A few plans for the rest of the week...More family get-togethers this weekend.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My matron of honor bouquet. Isn't it pretty?

Read more daybook entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Cinderella Shoes

I'm about to leave the house to spend the rest of the day with my sister-in-law to be. I just had to quickly show you my pretty shoes. I love them and they are actually comfortable. I don't know when I'll wear them again, but they will be fun for the wedding tomorrow.

We're going to be super busy for the next 2 days with the rehearsal dinner and of course the wedding, so I'll go ahead and wish you all a wonderful weekend! :) See you soon.

P.S. the shoes were bargains too...less than $20.

Bedspread Makeover Tour

Remember my horrible old bedspread with the holes in it? It was finally to the point where the holes were getting bigger every time I made the bed and I didn't dare wash it for fear the whole thing would fall apart. After a very long wait, I finally got a new bedspread! Yeah! I am thrilled!

I have been looking at bedding online and in every store that had a bedding section for the past few months trying to decide what I wanted. I was tempted to get something completely different than what I had that would require an entire room re-do (and maybe even master bathroom re-do), but I restrained myself. :) I decided on white so that it would go with what we currently have, but would also fit in well if we repaint or make some other changes (like the headboard project that I'll get to one of these days). I also knew that I wanted a comforter and bedskirt instead of a bedspread. It's so much easier to make the bed when you have a comforter.

So without further ado, here is a tour of my new and improved bedroom. :)
The bedspread has a damask pattern, but it doesn't show up in the picture. I put the quilt across the cedar chest at the foot of the bed.

Mike thought I was crazy to hang plates on the wall. :) I'll be on the lookout at local thrift stores for more to add to the display.

My antique vanity table. The girls love to sit here and comb their hair. It's missing a couple of knobs and I'm hoping to eventually find some suitable replacements.

My bedside table. It would probably look better if I took the glass off, but it gets dusty so quickly that I would have to wash the table cloth at least once a week. This way I just dust the glass weekly and wash the tablecloth once a month. By the way, I have a huge stack of books hidden under there. :) Oh, and do you like my little polka dot reading glasses? Unfortunately I can't read without them.

By the way I am deliberately not showing you Mike's bedside table. His looks very similar to mine except that it is covered with change, about 10 books, a flashlight, a cross made with nails that a friend gave him, the remote control (yes we have a TV in the bedroom), some pencils, highlighters...Well, you get the idea. He's a bit of a clutter bug, but I love him anyway. ;)

Beef and Cheese Calzones

The Southern Housewife asked for this recipe and of course I'm happy to share. :) I hesitate to call it a recipe, but I'll tell you how I make it.

Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza dough recipe, or the refrigerated pizza dough in a tube. It's good too. The amount really depends on the size of your family and how many calzones you want to make.
Sliced roast beef. Use leftover roast if you have some, if not just get some from the deli.
green onions
mushrooms (canned or fresh that you have sauteed)
shredded mozzarella, monterey jack, cheddar, or a combination.
Dijon mustard (for serving)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet. Roll out your pizza crust and cut into calzone size portions. You can make a couple of extra large ones, or smaller individual sizes. It's up to you. Layer beef, onions, mushrooms and cheeses on half the crust to within 1 inch of the edge. Fold dough over filling and seal with a fork. You may want to cut slits in the top to keep the calzones from puffing up too much. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I forget. Bake 20 minutes or so until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot. Let cool a few minutes and then serve with mustard.

I also make these with ham and cheese and with pizza fillings.

I call the side dish "zu-squash stir fry". All it is is some zucchini, yellow squash, and chopped onions sauteed in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm so excited to participate in my very first Menu Plan Monday with I'm an Organizing Junkie. Be sure and head over to see the TONS of menu planners sharing each week.

I generally don't plan things for specific days of the week. I just plan out a week's worth of meals and then chose what I feel like making on any given day.

This week I've only planned 6 suppers. We'll be at my brother's rehearsal dinner on Friday so I don't have to worry about supper that night. Breakfasts are usually repeated some and other than weekends, lunches are either leftovers, school lunches for the kids, or sandwiches.

Breakfasts:
cereal
oatmeal pancakes
pumpkin muffins
banana bread

Lunches:
chili dogs/ oven fries
Chunky tomato soup/ grilled cheese sandwiches

Suppers:
3 Cheese saucy penne/ orange & romaine salad
Brupper (Belgian waffles, bacon, eggs, OJ)
black bean soup/corn muffins
corn chowder/ cheese and garlic biscuits
beef and cheese calzones/ zu-squash stir fry
biscuit pizza bake/green salad

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...(February 16th)

Outside my window...Mostly cloudy and cool, but not freezing. The sun is supposed to come out later today and it should be beautiful.


I am thinking... about everything I need to do this week. I better make a list so I don't forget.

I am thankful for...A nice long weekend for Mike and the kids.


From the kitchen... I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I'll probably make some banana bread later. I think the kids let some of the bananas get overly ripe just so I'll make their favorite banana bread. :) I also need to do pantry inventory and organizing. My pantry turns into a jumbled mess in a hurry.

I am wearing... My flannel PJs with pink snowflakes and big fluffy slippers (until I finish this post).

I am reading... the latest copy of The Magazine Antiques. One of my freebie subscriptions. I'm thinking about cutting out some of the art pages and framing them.

I am hoping... that my little brother's wedding this weekend goes well (and of course his marriage). He is so happy! He's pushing 40 and getting married for the first (and only) time.


I am creating... a plan for this year's garden.

I am hearing...my husband playing the piano with Cindy (our youngest).


Around the house... A shortened schedule for the week. I need to get all my usual menu planning, grocery shopping and cleaning done by Thursday.

One of my favorite things...a quiet day at home


A few plans for the rest of the week... I'm spending all day Friday with my soon to be sister-in-law (I'm her matron of honor) and the rehearsal dinner is Friday night. We are getting our nails done and having lunch together. Bobby's ensemble is going to be playing the wedding music.


Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

This is a note that Greg gave me when he was about 10 years old (he's now 23). I don't know why he wrote it, but I sure love it. :)

Find more Daybook entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Day in My Life - February

I can't believe it's already the 14th and time to join Little Jenny Wren once again for A Day in My Life. Can you believe it's the 12 month she's hosted it?

This morning started slowly. We all enjoyed waking up at our own pace and staying in our warm snuggly beds until the sun was up. Notice my new comforter? :) More on that later.

I made whole wheat pancakes and turkey sausage for breakfast. Can you see the little heart on the pancakes? It's not too clear in the picture.

Then I went to the grocery store while Mike cleaned out his closet (we are fortunate enough to have separate closets). I have been doing my grocery shopping on Fridays, but yesterday was too busy to get it done. Today I only got enough to last a few days. The store was packed with people (lots of men buying flowers and chocolate) and I didn't want to linger.

When I got home we had sandwiches and chips for lunch. I had pimiento cheese and Mike and the kids had roast beef with pepper jack.

Then I set up the 50s Housewife barbershop on the back porch. :) Mike was in serious need of a haircut and he would rather me cut it than go somewhere to have a professional do it (although he did think it was a little odd that I took a picture of the back of his head). I don't mind getting out my trusty clippers and it saves us money.

I was able to get a few rows of knitting done this afternoon after taking Marcia's friend home.

I made homemade minestrone and garlic cheese biscuits for supper.

The girls are now in their PJs and have picked out tomorrow's church clothes. We are watching a DVD of the 1950's TV series Robin Hood.

Soon I'll put some steel cut oats in the crockpot for Sunday breakfast and get ready for bed myself. Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Be sure and head over to Little Jenny Wren to read more "Day in My Life" entries.

A Day in My Life

Today is the 14th so I am joining Jenny for A Day in My Life. I'll be back this evening to tell you about my day. :)