Honey Graham Crackers

I decided to try making my own graham crackers. I couldn't find the required "graham flour" that many recipes suggested. So I used whole wheat flour, instead. Here is my recipe.

Honey Graham Crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup self rising flour 1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup butter (softened) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

1) Sift together the flours
2) In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, brown sugar and honey, until light and fluffy.
3) Stir in the sifted flours, alternating between the vanilla and milk
4) Cover dough and refrigerate overnight.
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5) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the chilled dough into quarters.
6) Roll the dough out, one quarter at a time. Make to desired thickness.
7) Use cookie cutters, or shape into desired shape.
8) Cover with cinnamon sugar, before baking. Place on greased cookie sheet.
9) Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wired rack.

Going Up?

As I sit here trying to stay awake until my husband gets home, my thoughts race as fast as I can blink.


Something that has been at the forefront of my mind, lately, is the rising food costs. With the drought hitting almost every corner of the U.S., farmers, both big and small, are feeling the affects. That cost has to be absorbed somewhere. Welcome to your local supermarket. For the past couple of years, I have tried, and mostly succeeded, in buying organic foods for my family of four. It's never been something that I questioned. I knew what I didn't want going in to my children's bodies. I knew what made me feel good, to feed them. So, I paid the extra for these organic products, and we made up the difference some place else, within our family budget. 


It's getting a little harder to do that. 


I'm feeling guilty. 


I know that I'm not always going to be able to purchase pastured beef, or free range chicken eggs. I know that the milk I love to give to my children, is going to get more expensive. The current price, for a gallon of organic milk, is roughly $8. We consume two gallons a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Milk is one area I refuse to make a compromise. I've read to much, watched too many videos, and did my own amount of research on commercial milk. 


It's not pretty. 


So, with these economic times, forcing us to tighten our belts, I'm torn. I will continue to purchase organic milk. I can live without organic coffee, I suppose. I prefer to purchase our meat from Publix now. At least I know that they refuse using "pink slime", fillers, and dye. I talked to the butcher, and he said they take pride in their meat, and that quality is important to them. He told me they PROMISE to never use any of those items, in their meat department. That makes me feel a tad bit better, at least I know I"m not feeding my children slime, when we make hamburgers. As far as there being hormones and such in there, he said that is up to the supplier. Well... we all know how that works. :sigh:


Profit. Fatten them up fast, sell them quick. Profit.


I will continue to make as much as I can, from scratch. At least that way I know what my family is eating. I just know that it's not always going to be sugar in the raw, or organic, stone ground flour.

But I just won't compromise on the milk.

Ever.

How are you dealing with the rising grocery costs?

Frustrated

It's so hard to be a police officer, or even a police family, this day in time. No matter where you live, you have to deal with the tough criticism that comes from those that are not of like mind. I'm sure it is that way, with anything in life. I just feel, that lately, there are so many that have more negative things to say about police officers, in general. If they take on more training, they are readying against the American people. If they take on a hobby, with other police officers, they are becoming militarized. They can't win. I don't see this with other professions. I have read blogs, comments to news paper articles, and listened to this person or that one, say negative things about my husband, his boss, and their friends. It's hard. 


I know that my husband is out there doing his job, the best way he was trained. He is not dealing with kids that are not sharing their toys. He is dealing with criminals. People that have no respect for themselves, and much less for those in uniform. While some may thank him for the job that he (and his co workers) are doing, that is not the majority. He has been spat at, fought, called horrible names. He is treated with disrespect, on a daily basis. All because of the job he felt a strong calling to do. He is passionate about protecting the laws of the county and our state. He has taken an oath, to serve and protect. Serve and protect every citizen. Not just the good ones, he is obligated to serve, and protect, even those that call him a bastard, an asshole, and oh so much worse. He is not allowed to say anything back, or he will be out of line. He is to stand there, and take whatever verbal abuse the "civilian" has to give.  He is to serve and protect those that choose to strike him. If he defends himself, he is accused of abusing his position. If he does nothing, he is a coward. 


My husbands dedication to his job is impressive. There are times that I do not always understand. There are times... many times... that I wish he were a banker, or a garbage man, anything, just not a police officer. It is not because I am afraid, it is because I am selfish, and I want more time with him. 

The Mustache

For the past bit of time, the guys at work have been teasing my sweet Hubs about his perfectly groomed mustache. They have made videos wearing fake ones, given him tshirts with a mustache on the front, and even bumper stickers shaped like a mustache. Well, the boys and I decided it would be fun to tease him at home. So this its the result of that....but the best is yet to come....stay tuned.

Vegetable garden loot

This is all from our garden....we are very excited about this growing season. I'm not sure if we will have luck with cucumbers...they never seem to do well for me.... Will post more garden updates as they develop.

Rags to Riches

So I've had a desk chair at my nice little corner desk, in the school room, for pretty close to 8 years. Yes, the same chair.... for 8 years. This chair has served as a "merry go round" for my boys, an anchor for forts, and even, at times, a ladder, for me. It's been loved , and it was evident, from the looks of it, that this chair has been loved beyond measure. As with anything ugly, it was a chair only a mother could love. And I did. Because I am frugal. I honestly could NOT stomach the price of a new desk chair. Forget that the seat was held together by bright blue duct tape, and that the arm rests were missing part of the foam. Forget all that... it was still fully functional, and, it wasn't costing me any money. 

I have looked around, at times, for a new chair... but none were perfect enough for me, to drop close to a hundred bucks on a chair... for my desk.  I've had this toile fabric (central park, is the name of the design)  in my closet, for... oh I don't know... 10 years? BEAUTIFUL fabric.. I bought it on clearance, I remember... I did not have a project in mind, I just knew the fabric was so beautiful, and at a great price, and it must come home with me, so it did. 

Fast forward ten years.... I found the perfect project for this beautiful material. I must recover my loved desk chair... and I MUST DO. IT. RIGHT. NOW!

So, while the guys were watching "Fear Factor", I decided to bring my chair, and my fabric and needed tools, and cop a squat right in the middle of the living room. Because you do understand that family time is essential, right?


I started by disassembling the chair... once it was in several pieces, I realized there was no turning back now. I must push on.... and I did. So, after about two hours, I had recovered all necessary parts, with my spiffy toile fabric. (we can even call it vintage fabric, at this point, I mean, it IS 10 years old!) I used Hubs staple gun and attached the fabric to the seat, and the back rest. I used heavy duty fabric glue to attach the backside of the backrest. (and this covered the staples I used) I let that dry over night.. and reassembled my NEW VINTAGE DESK CHAIR this morning. I must tell you, it was so super easy, and now I have a chair that *I* am totally in love with!!! 

Due to the spontaneity that defines my existence, I failed to get before and during photos. I only have the after... but WOW!!! It's so beautiful. Hubs DID encourage me, and tell me that I should make these, and sell them. I will give that some thought. :) Since he rarely tells me something like that, I know that I did a great job on this project. 

I am me...

I always say that it is taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. While I know I am not perfect, I also know that I am not a horrible person either. I believe what I believe, and I stand for what I stand for. I make mistakes. I do feel the difference between me and other people, is that when I make a mistake, I can admit it. If I don't notice it right away, and it is pointed out to me, I can accept it, and hopefully learn from it, so as not to make that same mistake again. It's not easy.


Friendship.... that's something I don't take lightly. I have loved, and lost friends along the way. Some of those friends, I miss more than I could ever express. I have taken away valuable lessons from those relationships. These lost relationships have made me stronger, and also more guarded than I was before. I don't tolerate as much drama these days... in fact, I tend to avoid it all together.


I also know that I am not required to like everyone on this planet. Everyone has their own personality. Not all personalities jive. That's ok. I will try my best to find a common ground, to build a relationship from. If after trying and trying, you continue to show me that you are not genuine, then I know it's time to move on.


I am not a fan of gossip. I make this no secret. I don't talk bad about you, I would appreciate the same respect. If there is something that I feel I need to tell you, I will tell YOU. I won't tell someone else, and take the chance of it getting twisted, before it makes its way back to you. Because we all know that it WILL get twisted.




I am me... and in case you didn't know what that meant... hopefully now you do.