Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Berry Compote and Lemon Whipped Cream

A few days ago a friend said, “Hey Debbie, where’s that lemon pancake recipe you promised in a post a while back?” You mean, people actually read this stuff? 😉 She made my day… As promised, here’s the recipe: Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Berry Compote and Lemon Whipped Cream (Brief pause while my fingers catch their breath after typing that... Read More

An Aunt's Duty

This is Debbie posting this Saturday. It is a well-known fact that part of one’s duty in becoming an aunt is to take lots of photos of nieces and nephews! This also applies to grandparents and, I’m sure, many other relationships. Proper etiquette in this area can be a little confusing. 😉 But I figure if I stay behind the camera and take lots of pictures, I’ll... Read More

New Seedling Growth and House Painting Preparation

These last few days have been a frenzy. Friday was my last day of work and when I officially moved permanently to my new home. Saturday, I spent unpacking while my husband power-washed the house to prep it for painting. The power-washer is a fantastic time saver since it saved us from scraping by hand (yuck!), but the finished product is hideous! I’m so glad these are the... Read More

Still Playing Dress-Up

Last week I ran across a post about a mom’s old flute that she played in high school and early college. She was saving it for her daughters to play, and she decided to photograph the memory. I felt like I could have written the post… minus the truly breath-taking photographs. And the band director parent. But wow, did it send me back through some memories… all... Read More

Stovetop Spinach Artichoke Dip

My new Pioneer Woman cookbook has arrived! I hope to cook something out of it this week. I’m excited that she uses ingredients that are easily accessible in the Midwest. And, of course, I love her food photographs. In the meantime, I made Stovetop Spinach and Artichoke Dip from my Rachael Ray Get Togethers book. To borrow from Rachael’s vocabulary, it was yum-o! Moving... Read More

The List: A "Typical" Homeschool Morning

Each morning, I hand each of my kids a clipboard with a list attached to it. This list, folks, is a pipe-dream, a wild hope that they can manage to get through all of their assignments before 4:00. It rarely happens. But, after seven years of homeschooling, I still hope. And, after most-of-their-lives of homeschooling, they still react with shock and dismay to The List. Our... Read More

Seedlings and Basic Carpentry for Cold Frame Prep

Happy Thursday, Everyone! Spirits are high in Central Kansas this week. Spring’s drizzling rains finally gave way to its cheery sunshine and everyone seems to walk around with a “spring” in his step. This week (and last) I have been living with my parents so that I could finish out state testing at the elementary school where I work. This Friday, I will move to our new house,... Read More

Her First Haircut is DIY

The other day I was busy getting ready for a trip into town, and the kids were occupying themselves nicely and being quiet. They were being very, very quiet. It was one of those “I know something’s going on, but I just want a moment of peace” times. My younger daughter has never had her hair cut. I think she’s simply gorgeous, and I was beginning to develop... Read More

Mixed Berry Compote

While I’m waiting for the new recipe book to arrive, I decided I have to do something to make up for the recent pizza disaster. If you fall off a horse, get right back on again, right? Berries are always a good place for me to start. Berries are pretty and inspiring. Today I tried Rachael Ray’s berry compote recipe. I used it to top my lemon pancakes. I’ll post... Read More

Confessions of a Calamitous Cook

I have just ordered a much-anticipated cookbook by Pioneer Woman, who maintains a blog from her cattle ranch in Oklahoma. You can visit her heart-warming site here. PW’s cookbook will join the ranks of several other hopeful cookbooks lining my shelf. I crack them open about once a month, but that is about to change. Because blogging actually did motivate me to learn a few... Read More