Dinner and a fire

With our busy schedule we enjoy any family time we can get. One of our favorite moments are spending it in the yard with a roaring warm fire. We took our dinner outside and ate it in front of the fire. Afterwards we roasting marshmallows and made smores.

Putting out the fire before we go inside.

Tiger Cubs

Last week we completed Making Our Family Special requirement.

We are on track with the Tiger Cub Trail. We have worked on making our family special. There are 3 requirements that have to be completed.

1, Doing a chore as a family
2, Make a family scrapbook
3, Discover how family life was the same and how it was different from many years ago. Homework: Go to a library, historical society, museum, old farm, or historical building or visit an older person in your community.

I purchased some books, paper and had some festive cutouts for the boys to decorate the front cover of their scrapbook. Since I am a dedicated scrapper and I love to document events. I will have the boys make several pages throughout the year so they could put in their new photo album.
I started this meeting by discussing how important it is for the boys to help around the house and participate in the family chores.
I then discussed how life was so different many years ago.
I explained the difficulties of building with the standard screw driver versed the electric/cordless drill. The difficulties of making your own hand made pasta verses buying a box of pasta in the store. Last, how things were secured with hand turned wire verses using a lock wire tool.

I had three separate tables set up with parents guiding the boys on how to use and operate the machinery safely.

We talked about how someone invented these tools and made life much easier. I encouraged them to be imaginative and try to invent soemthing that will help make working easier.

All the boys practiced drilling in the screws and reversing the drill to remove the screws.
Lasagna noodle maker Gnocchi pasta maker
I had dough so the boys could make some pasta.

We discussed how things were secured with hand turned wire verses using a lock wire tool.

The Chief was in charge of this and all the boys now know how to make a secure turned wire.

They were so excited to use these machines and tools. I was happy to give the experience.

This week we are doing a Go See It. We are going to the Fire Department.

Sentences for words

Moms love to listen to their children do and say the most hilarious, imaginative things. This is where we can share it with others and have a good laugh. Join us in "What would your children say"? Wednesday.
Part of the Cisco Kids homework every week is putting a selection of words into a sentence. The sentences he was coming up with were so funny. He not only gave me these imaginative sentences, he emphasizing some of them to sound shocking, sweet and cute.

These are the words followed by his sentence.

animals - Oh!!! Look out for the animals, it’s a tiger.

birds - Soooo sweet, its birds.

cold - Yikes!!! It's cold out here.

fall - Yah!!! Its fall, now I can go trick or treating.

flowers - I will pick some flowers for my girlfriend.

full -I am full of sugar.

look - Look!!!! A shark is by our boat.

lots - I can’t stand it!! There are lots of emergencies.

Share with us about what do your children say?

Creamy potato cheese soup

I love soups. The weather is perfect for a great hardy potato soup recipe.

Ingredients:
7 potatoes, peeled and diced into 2 inch cubes
½ vidalia onion, chopped fine
5 stalks of celery, chopped fine
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of Mrs Dash, Onion & Herb
Kosher salt to taste
4 cups of 1% milk
3 cups of cheddar / jack cheese
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped onions and celery. Cook until the celery is tender.
Add the cut potatoes to the onion and celery mixture. Cover the potatoes with water and boil until the potatoes are very soft and falling apart. If needed use a potato masher to create smaller chunks. Add milk, cheese, parsley, Mrs Dash and salt. Stir to blend cheese and let simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Connoli, shells and filling recipe

This is the eleventh of twelve posts from my Family Heritage Christmas cookie recipes. Every Monday from now until December, I will share my full collection of Christmas cookie recipes. Then I will post some of my Grandmothers cookies that I have not made in years.
My Christmas cookie collection consists of twelve different kinds of cookies. These are all family favorites.
I have already posted about my Strufalas, Almond Crescents, no cook S’mores, Almond cups , Coconut Macaroons, Crisp sugar cookies, Chocolate Dipped Lady Fingers, and Oat Rageous Chocolate Chip Peanut butter, Neapolitan Cookies and Almond Rugalas Cookies.

Connoli shells

2 cups of flour
2 tbsp. shortening
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup of any white wine. I used Pinot Grigio
Oil for frying

Special metel tubes are used to make the Connoli shells.

Combine flour, shortening, and sugar, salt and wet gradually with the wine. Knead together with fingers until dough is formed. Form into a ball and cover with a cloth. Let stand for about one hour. Cut dough in half and roll into a thin sheet about ¼ inch thick or less. Cut the dough into four inch squares. Place a metal tube diagonally across each square from one point to another. Dab a small amount of water on each end that will be overlapping. Wrap dough around the tube and overlap each end. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan for deep frying. Drop tubes into hot oil and fry gently on all sides until dough is a golden brown color.

Connoli Filling.

1-32 oz container of ricotta cheese
½ cup of confectioners sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. of miniature semi sweet chocolate morsels
3 tbsp of orange rind
3 tbsp of lemon rind
1/8 cup of rum. I also added 1/8 cup of Kahlua

Drain the ricotta cheese in cheese cloth over night. It is best when all the liquid is out of the cheese.

Mix all ingredients together except for the miniature semi sweet chocolate morsels. Fill the shells generously with the cheese mixture. After filling the shells, dip the ends in the chocolate morsels arrange on a try and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.












Cheese Filling