Happy Halloween!

Welcome to our house and
welcome to our Halloween celebration!

I have such fond memories of school holiday parties; it was exciting to get to do something other than the routine. For Halloween, I remember the costume parade and the fun food.
When Christian and Keegan were in elementary school I typically volunteered to help with the Halloween party and I would try to come up with some clever little treat to bring. I hope they have fond memories of those parties. In hopes that Maceo and Bishop will have similar fond memories I like to have a little party at home.

In the past we have bobbed for apples and I have made ghoulish foods and glowing punch.
I didn't plan so well this year so I settled for something simple - Papa Murphy's Jack-o-Lantern pizza and Krispy Kreme Halloween donuts.

Fun food, lively conversation, and laughter
-it seems to have been enjoyed by all!

Inspired by the jack-o-lantern pizza,
Bishop decided to make his jack-o-lantern into a
Papa Murphy's Jack-o-Lantern pizza,
complete with baking instructions.

Don't you see the pepperoni eyes, nose, and mouth?
Too cute!

The porch decorations are complete

and ready for trick-or-treaters.

Maceo opted to stay home and treat any trick-or-treaters that might come to our house.

Viking Bishop, on the other hand, anticipated raiding the neighbors candy bowls!

And, as if we needed more junk food, I treated all the boys to post-trick-or-treating 50cent corn dogs at Sonic. As for me and my family, we had a fun Halloween!
I hope that yours was fun as well!

Look at What I Found!!!

I love cookbooks - especially old cookbooks!
Yesterday, while roaming a flea market, I stumbled upon a gem of a cookbook!
Although I had never heard of this cookbook and it was in slight disrepair, I could not resist buying it. Briefly flipping through it left me with the impression that there might be some really useful recipes within its covers and the price was right - $3.
It was only $3!!!
The page with the copyright date is missing so I did a little research on this book and found that The American Woman's Cookbook edited by Ruth Berolzheimer was originally published in 1938 and then each subsequent year through 1946. Books published during WWII included a special "Wartime Cookery" section; my book does not have that section so it must be one of the earlier editions. It will be very useful as I am learning to be a more frugal and resourceful homemaker.
It has multiple recipes that utilize sour milk, such as sour milk cottage cheese.
It has recipes using evaporated milk, including a tutorial on how to make it into whipped cream.
It has a plethora of recipes utilizing leftover mashed potatoes and rice and dried bread, including a recipe for scalloped peaches that involves a topping of bread or cake crumbs.
It also gives instructions on how to fry a rabbit, roast a squirrel and opossum, and prepare frog legs and turtle.
I am so excited about trying some recipes from this cookbook!
I'll let you know how it goes!

Autumn Days are Here

Autumn wins you best by this, its mute appeal
to sympathy for its decay.
-Robert Browning

Yet Another Reason to Love Where I Live

Our family has lived in many places and we have always found many things to explore; each location has come with its own unique historical and natural environment to explore. Where we live now is no exception. I love the area in which we live and the many opportunities available to us. Recently, Bishop and I discovered a beautiful and historical state park - the Nathan Boone Homestead State Park. Nathan Boone was the son of Daniel Boone. He was a trapper and a U.S. Dragoon, among other things. His home is situated among the beautiful rolling hills of the Ozarks.

On this particular day Bishop and I came to the state park for its annual homestead days. It was such a cool experience. We came expecting to stay for about two hours but we nearly closed the event down after staying for five.

There was so much to see that revealed to us what life would have been like during the mid-1800's.

And there was so much to do that further revealed what that life might have been like.

There were games to play...

including this search for dollar coins hidden within bales of straw.

It is so much harder than it sounds; Bishop was thrilled to find a coin.

There was a gun demonstration which Bishop, my student of weapons, thoroughly enjoyed.

He also had the opportunity to observe a gentleman making bows...

...and another gentleman blacksmithing.

Bishop purchased flint and steel from this gentleman, another taught him how to use it and how to make char-cloth, yet another gave him river cane and bone with instructions on how to make a bone knife and containers out of cane. Everyone was so generous with their knowledge. It was inspirational; so much so that Bishop is inspired to participate in Civil War-era reenactments. Maybe we will be adding something new to our lifestyle of learning and our grand adventure!

Art Challenge Artists Reception

Welcome to the
"Something Old, Something New,
Something Found, Something Blue"
Artists Reception.

Some members of our family participate in art challenges that consist of one member giving an item or an inspiration that is to be used as the jumping off point in the creation of an original piece of art. My oldest sister, Roxie, issued the most recent challenge. She challenged us to create a piece of art that was inspired by this: "Something old, something new, something found, something blue." The challenge deadline has arrived and I hosted an artists reception that would allow us (well, at least those of us who live in this area) to share our creations with each other.

After unveiling the works of art, we conducted a drawing that would determine who would get to take home each piece.

We were inspired by good company, good food,
and great art!

Even the little ones enjoyed it!

We missed you, Mama and Christie!!!
Love you!!!