Snack Mix

4 cups Quaker Oatmeal Squares (or other frugal cereal)

1 cup almonds

3 T melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 t apple pie spice

1 cup dried fruit (I mixed raisins and cherries)

Mix brown sugar, spice, and melted butter. Pour over cereal and almonds, tossing until well-coated. Spread on lightly buttered cookie sheet and bake at 300 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and toss in fruit. Store in air-tight container.

*Tips: I seldom buy boxed cereal unless I can get it free or almost free. This is my preferred use for it, along with Muddy Buddies around Christmas.This is nice to have on hand on busy days, especially if you have running to do!

Kefir Spelt Pancakes

2 cups spelt flour

2 cup plain flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t soda

1/4 cup cane sugar

3 1/2 cups kefir

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil or melted butter

Beat with hand mixer until well blended. Cook on hot greased griddle.

I like to cool these on my baking rack, flash freeze, and store for breakfasts through the week.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches on Kaiser Rolls

Yep- here's these Kaiser Rolls again! My dh can't seem to get enough of them so we keep coming up with something else to put on them!

I took several chicken breasts and sliced them up, seasoned with Lawry's and had dh grill them while I got the cheese, mayo, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes ready. 

I love mess-less meals! No pots- no pans! Woo hoo!

But when it comes to these rolls- I think I've created a monster!

I've used half a sack of flour these past few days! ;-)

Menu-

 Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

My frugal tip this week: Go through your freezer(s) once a month and make menus based on the items that are the oldest. Using it, is better than losing it!

SATURDAY:

-bacon and eggs
-leftover Chicken Joes on Kaiser Rolls, Chocolate Chip Bars
-hamburgers on homemade Kaiser Rolls, Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
snacks:Kefir-berry Smoothies, cookies and milk

SUNDAY:

-kids' choice
-tuna salad w/ fermented pickles on Kaiser Rolls, Plum Crisp
-meatloaf cups, lima beans, Impossible Pumpkin Pie
snacks:Dark Chocolate Cake, almonds

MONDAY:

-scrambled eggs, leftover pie
-Taco Casserole, romaine salad, leftover cake
-Pinto Beans, greens, cornbread, creamed corn
snacks:Kefir-blackberry Smoothie, Grandpa's Oatmeal Muffins

TUESDAY:

-soaked bug oats
-chili from leftover beans, gummy worms
-Tapatio chicken thighs, lima beans, leftover greens
snacks:Apple Pie Smoothies (kefir),buttered popcorn

WEDNESDAY:

-soaked oatmeal
-leftover chili, chips and cheese, Prune Cake
-Poor Man's Steak and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans W/onions
snacks: Orange Sherbet, celery sticks stuffed with kefir cheese

THURSDAY:

-fried eggs, grits
-Tamale Pie, romaine salad, Amazing Peanut Butter Bars
-Lil' Roasted Chicken, mapled carrots, romaine salad
snacks: Roasted Garlic Almonds, popcorn

FRIDAY:

-Crepes with Homemade Kefir Cheese
- Chicken Hollandaise over cubed day-old homemade bread, romaine salad
-Meatza Pie, buttered turnips, split peas, Homemade Tootsie Rolls
snacks:leftover crepes with Spiced Cranberry Syrup

Dressing Up a Plain T-shirt

Talk About a Flop!

Can you tell what happened?

Yeah, the top half of this cake is still stuck in the pan!

No worries- the kids didn't seem to know any better (til I told them) and LOVED this!

Oh- what is it?

Supposed to be a Jam Cake. 

But my kids didn't mind it being Half a Jam Cake ;-)

Oh and - I might post a recipe one day- after I figure out how to make it myself!

Chicken Joes on Kaiser Rolls

After a few cooking (near) disasters in the last 24 hours, I was so proud and thankful that these little beauties came together for what my family thinks was a "masterpiece"!

All my mishaps were forgiven after the first bite into one of these!

These are really easy and I will have enough for tonight's supper and tomorrow's lunch!

I made 16 Kaiser rolls using Tammy's One Hour Roll Dough.

While they were baking, I made the chicken.

 2.5 to 3 pounds chicken  (cooked and shredded)

1 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce (I love French's when I can get it)

1 t mustard

1/4 t pepper

salt to taste

Toss it all in the pot and heat through. If it is a little dry, you may add more ketchup or water if its thick.

Allow to simmer on low while bread bakes. Slice rolls and serve hot.

Be sure to check out Show and Tell Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal and Young and Crafty.

Will Memorize for Sugar...

My children were given a nice box of their favorite candy a few weeks ago. I decided to make the best of it!

The rule- you can have the candy anytime you want IF you memorize something :-)

The fun for me has been to find the things I want them to memorize!

I started with things they had memorized before but had to study over, like the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23.

From there we've added more Scripture, songs and hymns, and poetry.

I try to pick several things a week and lay them out on the school table and they can study it in their spare time.

Here's one site I'm digging through for Poetry and here's another specifically for children.

This is my favorite for hymns and here is Ambleside's homeschool list of hymns.

The kids' choices this week are My Jesus, I Love Thee and God of Mercy, God of Grace.

Here are two from the last few weeks that I thought you might like:

My Books
By: Author Unknown

I love my books
They are the homes
of queens and fairies,
Knights and gnomes.

Each time I read I make a call
On some quaint person large or small,
Who welcomes me with hearty hand
And leads me through his wonderland.

Each book is like
A city street
Along whose winding
Way I meet
New friends and old who laugh and sing
And take me off adventuring!

************

A Student's Prayer

Now I lay me down to study.
I pray today I won’t go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk.
I pray today I will not flunk.
But if I do, don’t pity me at all,
Just lay down my bones in study hall.
Tell my teachers I did my best
Then pile my books upon my chest.
Now I lay me down to rest,
I pray I’ll pass tomorrow’s test.
If I should die before I wake,
That’s one less tst I’ll have to take.

by a suffering student.

Mmm Carrots from the Garden-

Does your family like carrots?

I had the boys pull these last week and you wouldn't believe how good fresh carrots are! They are quite strong and we seldom can eat them raw but there are dozens of ways to cook them. 

(You can get more nutrition from cooking them anyway. See Nourishing Traditions or Wiki.)

Here are a few super easy ways that we like them:

Boil in water first then- 
-top with butter and dill

-sauteed in butter with real maple syrup

-sauteed in butter with sorghum(sometimes w/cinnamon)

-sauteed in butter with parsley

-sauteed in butter with honey and ginger

-sauteed in butter with honey (or brown sugar), orange zest and juice

Also-

-shredded in soups, cakes, muffins, and Mexican dishes.

Now- wonder if the okra has grown back....we love it in cornmeal and fried with green tomatoes! ;-)

When Queens Ride By- free ebook

You may remember this story from Brandy's site. It is really thought-provoking for every woman and mother.
I was tickled to see it in this format and FREE! It loaded quickly for me in PDF.
I think you'll find it a blessing!

Prune Cake

When life gives your prunes- make cake!

If you've been a little squeamish about prunes- this is the recipe that might just get you past that!

(But even if you can't- the sauce for this cake is worthy of notice- promise!)

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk or kefir 

1 cup oil (I plan to try cutting this back or subbing some with applesauce)

1 1/2 cup sugar 

1 t vanilla

1 t salt

1 t soda

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t allspice

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds (opt)

Beat eggs, buttermilk, and oil.Add Vanilla, then salt, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Toss chopped prunes and (opt) almonds in the flour then add flour to mixture.
Pour into sprayed 9X13. Bake at 350 for approx. 40 minutes.

Sauce:
1/2 cup buttermilk or kefir
1/3 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 t soda
Cook sauce, bringing to a hard boil, stirring constantly. You will want to cook it until it forms a soft ball when dripped into a cup of cold water. About 8 to 10 minutes. Spread over hot cake and allow to cool.

*Frugal Tip: The oil and sugar could be cut in the cake, probably by 1/3. Part of the oil could certainly be subbed with applesauce.

This post is linked to: SYSLinkParty, Transformation Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Thrifty 101, Foodie Friday, and Things I Love Thursday.

Strawberry Banana Muffins-

3 T lightly melted butter
2/3 cup cane sugar
3 small ripe bananas
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1 1/4 t baking powder
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup chopped strawberries (I used frozen, rinsed with cool water)
1/8 t cardamom (optional but this kicks these up a notch)

With mixer, beat bananas, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
Beat in eggs, then add salt, soda, baking powder, cardamom, and beat well. Toss strawberries in the flour and fold into the batter.

Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. This makes one dozen, nice and fluffy muffins.

*Tip: With the cardamom especially, these are a little above your average muffin and could be dressed up with a white or pink powdered sugar glaze.



-This post is linked to Raising Homemakers, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Linkin' with Lil' Luna 

Cheeseburger Pizza-Pie

Turning pizzas into cheeseburgers..............or cheeseburgers into pizza? Anyway- this Works for Me Wednesday!

Want cheeseburgers but you don't have buns and don't want to make buns? This is a fun and quick alternative!

I used the old faithful Breakfast Bread/ Marlyn's Wheat Bread recipe for the dough. (with spelt) It will make enough dough for 4  9X13 pans or you can do what I did and make 2 9X13 pizzas and a very large pan of cinnamon rolls ;-)

To make 2 9X13 pans, you'll need half of Marlyn's dough or your favorite go-to dough. (I like her's because its very quick and it works every time with no fuss.)

For your topping:

1 pound of browned, drained ground beef

1 large onion, sliced in very thin rings

mustard

ketchup

American cheese slices, 10 to 12 slices

Pat your dough into sprayed or greased 9X13 pans.

Sprinkle on your ground beef. Drizzle the mustard and ketchup over the beef.

Break cheese into slices and place on top.

Bake at 400 for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve with mayo if you like.

Easy and fast- and so cheeseburger-ish!

Wish I could have got better pics. It was prettier than it looks.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Potato Tips

 Welcome to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays and Teach Me Tuesdays!

 I often buy potatoes in 50# bags. (potatoes = cheapest veggie on the planet;-)

I was looking up potatoes in an old book

and it had a neat section on potatoes. Some of these I've seen before, but some were new to me.Thought some of you might find these interesting.

"-French fries will be deliciously golden brown, if sprinkled with flour before frying.
-Ginger root stored with potatoes will help both of them stay fresher longer.
-To bake the perfect potato, rub butter over potatoes before baking to prevent skin from cracking and to improve the taste.
-A potato will bake faster if the skin is oiled rather than being wrapped in foil.
-Russets make the best mashed potatoes.
-To make potato salad more quickly, cook the potatoes already diced and peeled. However, this will reduce the nutrients from exposing the surfaces to air, light, heat and water.
-For the greatest gourmet french fries' let cut potatoes stand in cold water an hour before frying. Dry thoroughly before cooking. The trick is to fry them twice. The first time, just fry them for a few minutes and drain off the grease. The second time fry them until golden brown.
-To boil potatoes in less time, remove a small strip of skin from one side. After they are done the balance of the skin will come off much easier.
-To keep peeled potatoes white, place them in a bowl of cold water, add a few drops of vinegar, and refrigerate.
-If you add hot milk to potatoes when you are mashing them it will keep them from becoming heavy and soggy.
-Baked potatoes should be pricked with a fork to release the steam as soon as they are finished baking. This will keep them from becoming soggy.
-If you add a teaspoon of baking powder to potatoes when mashing, beat them vigorously, it will make them light and creamy.
-Old potatoes should have a small amount of sugar added to the water when cooking, to help bring back some of the lost flavor.
-To reharden potatoes, place soft raw potatoes in ice water for half an hour or until they become hard.
-When you store potatoes, place half an apple in with them and they won't sprout. The apple will absorb the moisture before the potato.
-Bake potatoes in muffin pans so that they will not roll around and be easier to remove from the oven.
-Brown areas on sliced potatoes mean that they have been exposed to air and light and the vitamin C has been destroyed.
-If you leave the skins on potatoes when cooking they will retain more of their nutrient value. Then remove the skin before serving.
-Potato chips are 61% fat.

Real Potato Chips

Cut potatoes in half crosswise exposing two flat surfaces. Use a wide potato sliced and cut paper thin slices. Place individual slices on an oiled cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the potatoes with a pure vegetable oil, preferably a corn oil. Bake at 450 approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. Finally, place the chips in a brown paper bag with a small amount of sea salt (1/4 tsp. per potato) and shake. Low-fat and crunchy."

Sloppy Joe Rolls-

Welcome from the Homestead Barn Hop and Tip Junkie!

Have I ever blogged how I make Sloppy Joes? 

Well, normally, I make my own meat mixture and put it on a bun (or English Muffins if I don't have buns).

Like this:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
browned with
1 large chopped onion
(optional- 1/3 cup chopped peppers)
drain

Add in ketchup(approx. 1/3 to 1/2 cup), salt, and pepper to desired consistency.

Cook for approx. 5 more minutes until ketchup has browned some and liquid is scant.

The fun part- LEFTOVERS!

I usually keep my leftovers in the freezer until I have enough to make these rolls.

Or just use the above recipe for them.

I use Marilyn's recipe (known as Breakfast Bread here) and often will use half white flour without the enhancer. (Makes it more bun-like..and grains are low these days.)

Here's how I do it for these rolls;

1/3 C honey
1/3 C oil
2 1/2 C Warm Water
1 1/2 TB Saf Instant Yeast
2 1/2 tsp Real Salt
3C Fresh whole wheat flour (or spelt)

3 1/2 C plain white flour

Dissolve yeast in water, add salt, oil, honey, then flour, one cup at a time.

Knead until nice and elastic. Roll out into rectangle. Spread meat mixture
on dough. Roll up as you would for Cinnamon Rolls. Slice with dental floss.
Place on lightly buttered, large, lipped cookie sheet. Allow to rise until doubled.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

*Frugal Tip: This is a great idea for all different types of meat when you just have a dab left and/or you're trying to stretch it. You can blend more than just Sloppy Joe flavors. You can also make a special dipping sauce to dress it up and take the focus off a minimal amount of meat.

Happy Eating!

Menu Plan -

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

My frugal tip for the week: Bake a big batch of cookies over the weekend- like, Whole Wheat and Flax Cookies, then you're sure to have a quick snack and sweet treat for the week. This is a big batch that you can freeze in balls and bake when you want or bake them all for your cake plate, putting half in the freezer for later.

SATURDAY:

-brown rice w/ butter and cane sugar
-Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Soup, fried bananas
-Cheeseburger Pizza-Pie, sliced apples, Spelt Cinnamon Rolls
snacks:Cream Cheese Strawberry Bread, Kefir-Chocolate Chip Muffins

SUNDAY:

-kids' choice
-Chicken Noodle Soup, grapes, leftover Cream Cheese Strawberry Bread
- Roast and roots! (red potatoes, carrots, beets)
snacks:cookies, sliced apples, leftover Cinnamon Rolls

MONDAY:

-soaked oatmeal w/ cane sugar and cinnamon
-Sloppy Joe Wheels, romaine salad,Cocoa Rolls
-Pinto Beans, swiss chard, creamed corn, cookies
snacks:Eggnog Pudding, celery stuffed w/ kefir cream cheese

TUESDAY:

-kefir-berry smoothies, scrambled eggs
-Main Dish Macaroni, lima beans, leftover chard, pickled okra, cookies
-chili from leftover beans, Simple Glazed Mocha Cake
snacks:buttered popcorn, homemade pickles

WEDNESDAY:

-coconut brown rice
-Moist Rice and Salmon Loaf, sweet potatoes, green salad, cookies
-Cheesy Meat and Potatoes Casserole, steamed broccoli, field peas
snacks: Gummy Worms,buttered popcorn

THURSDAY:

-soaked oatmeal
-Taco Salad, chips w/ homemade bean dip, cookies
-Oven-fried Chicken Thighs, chick peas, swiss chard
snacks: Impossible Pumpkin Pie, Chunky Cherry Cocoa Muffins

FRIDAY:

-kefir-spelt pancakes
-Chicken-ChickPea Salad,Coconut Milk and Fruit Slush
-Sliced roast beef w/ homemade gravy, brown rice, peas and carrots
snacks:Amazing Peanut Butter Bars, Rice Cakes

P.S.
 My coupon code (STMMMS61766)for MyMemoriesSuite digital scrap-booking software is still good for $20 off!

Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Soup

3 1/2 quarts of beef-bone broth (or water)
1 1/2 cups pearled barley
8 oz container fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 pound stew meat, cut into smaller pieces
1 1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t marjoram
3T Worcestershire sauce 
1/4 t black pepper
salt to taste
*opt. 1 T fish sauce

Cook barley in broth for 30 minutes. (You can soak barley overnight in water with a little raw vinegar and drain if you like.)

Brown meat and onions, toss in broth. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until meat and barley are tender.

Cream Cheese Strawberry Bread

6 oz cream cheese (3/4 of a block)
2 T butter
1 cup cane sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup kefir (or buttermilk)
1 cup spelt or wheat flour
1 cup plain white flour
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries*

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Add salt, soda, and powder. Add wheat flour. Toss strawberries in plain
white flour then fold in.

Pour into sprayed or buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

*I use frozen strawberries. Measure them out in a strainer, rinse with cold
water, then chop with kitchen scissors.

Eggnog Pudding...

I'm so ready for winter and fall that I'm trying to force it with a sweet treat! Nothing like the flavor of eggnog to make you feel cozy!

I worked from Tammy's Vanilla Pudding recipe to spin this into Eggnog Pudding.

1 1/4 cup sugar

6 T cornstarch

dash of salt

6 cups whole milk

5 large eggs

1/2 T ground nutmeg

1/2 t rum flavoring

6 T butter

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in large pot. Then add nutmeg, breaking up any lumps. Add milk, beat in eggs well. Heat and gradually bring to a boil, while continuing to whisk. Boil one minute. Remove from heat. Add butter and rum flavoring. Chill.

Eggnog Pudding Works for Me Wednesday!
This recipe is also linked to Chic and Crafty
SumosSweetStuff-MarketYourselfMonday
and
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday! 

Out with the old and In with the new...

 Welcome to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays!

I have a shopping/food storage/pantry building tip this week:

This month will be "clearing the shelves" month for lots of stores.

It's almost time for all the seasonal baking supplies to be brought out so be looking for sales on items such as; canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, spices, flours etc.

(I'm personally holding my breath hoping the price of nuts will come down soon. They're $9 a pound here!-With the exception of almonds.)

Then again in November, close to Thanksgiving, you will see them drop again. Happy frugal shopping!

Menu Plan:

 Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

My frugal tip for the week: Eggs! Use them often for breakfast, lunch and dinner- and even snacks!

SATURDAY:

- peanut butter granola and milk
-Butter beans w/turkey polish sausage, fried kefir cornbread, Oatmeal No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
-steaks (from the cow), romaine salad, Brandy's Bread, Glazed Mocha Cake
snacks-pumpkin seeds,bread and jelly

SUNDAY:

-kids' choice
-Frittata, bread, green salad, leftover Glazed Mocha Cake
-beef patties w/ cheese, sliced onions and tomatoes, No Bake Cookie Bars
snacks-granola and milk, Fried Bananas, grapes

MONDAY:

-scrambled eggs and applesauce
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Artisan Bread, jelly
- Grilled Maple-Dijon Chicken Thighs, purple hull peas, fried okra
snacks- pumpkin seeds, smoothies

TUESDAY:

-soaked oatmeal
-Salmon Loaf, sweet potatoes, green beans
- Oven-fried Chicken, beets, lima beans, Eggnog Pudding
snacks-boiled eggs and mustard, raisins

WEDNESDAY:

-Bacon Cups, orange juice
-Beef-Barley-and Lentil Stew, Biscuit Rolls
-pinto beans, swiss chard, fried corn, Amazing Peanut Butter Bars
snacks-Grandpa's Oatmeal Muffins, carrot sticks

THURSDAY:

-soaked oatmeal
-chili from leftover beans, Apple Pie Smoothies
-Grilled Chicken Thighs, boiled turnips, steamed broccoli w/ Mock Cheese Sauce
snacks-Choc Chip Pumpkin Bread from freezer pumpkin, buttered popcorn

FRIDAY:

-Coconut Milk and Fruit Slush, boiled eggs
-leftover chili, Impossible Pumpkin Pie
-Taco Casserole, black beans, seasoned rice, Pastillas de Leche
snacks-Chocolate Crepes, celery sticks and dip

Simple Glazed Mocha Cake

1/2 cup butter melted (but not hot)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup strong coffee (cooled)
2 cups plain flour
3 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Mix butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, then coffee. Add salt and baking powder, then flour. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Spread in sprayed 9X13. Bake at 350 for approx. 20 minutes. (use toothpick center-check)

While still warm spread with glaze.

Easy Glaze:
3 T melted butter
2 T cocoa powder (I used dark)
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/4 t salt
3 cups powdered sugar

Beat well with electric mixer, making sure all lumps are gone. Poke cake all over with a toothpick. Pour glaze all over, spreading to run down the sides and into the poked holes. Allow to cool before serving.

911

picture from Let'sRollForums

From Wiki:
There were a total of 2,996 deaths, including the 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims.^[52] The victims included 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon.^[45][53] All the deaths in the attacks were civilians, except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon.^[54]
Over 90% of the workers and visitors who died in the towers had been at or above the points of impact.^[55] In the North Tower 1,355 people at or above the point of impact were trapped and died of smoke inhalation, fell or jumped from the tower to escape the smoke and flames, or were killed in the building's eventual collapse. A further 107 people below the point of impact did not survive.^[55] In the South Tower, one stairwell remained intact allowing 18 people to escape from above the point of impact.^[56] 630 people died in the South Tower which was fewer than half of the number killed in the North Tower.^[55] Casualties in the South Tower were significantly reduced by the decision of some occupants to start evacuating when the North Tower was struck.^[56]
At least 200 people fell or jumped to their deaths from the burning towers (as depicted in the photograph The Falling Man), landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below.^[57] Some occupants of each tower above the point of impact made their way upward toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and the thick smoke and intense heat would have prevented helicopters from approaching.^[58]
A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics.^[59] The New York City Police Department (NYPD) lost 23 officers.^[60] The Port Authority Police Department lost 37 officers.^[61] Eight emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were killed.<sup>[62][63]

From Let's Roll Forums:</sup>

The following buildings were partially or completely destroyed in the attack:

• One World Trade Center (north tower)
• Two World Trade Center (south tower)
• Four World Trade Center
• Five World Trade Center
• Six World Trade Center
• Seven World Trade Center
• The Marriott Hotel
• One Liberty Plaza
• Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

The following buildings suffered major damage:

• The Millennium Hilton Hotel
• One World Financial Center
• Two World Financial Center
• Three World Financial Center
• The Federal Building
• Banker's Trust Building

• Engineers: Worthington, Skilling, Helle and Jackson
• There was a cafeteria on the 44th floor called The Sky Dive.
• Each tower had postal workers stationed every eight floors to handle incoming and outgoing mail.
• It is estimated that the jets hit the buildings going between 470 and 590 miles per hour.
• It takes 99 days to put out the fire.
• 18 people are pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center still alive.
• The city of New York loses 13,000,000 square feet of office space -- more than all the office space in Miami, and more than the entire space of downtown Houston.
• 83,000 people lose their jobs in the ensuing economic turmoil.
• 105 children never see their fathers because they were conceived before, and born after the terrorist attacks.

 Praying for those families-
Rom 15:33  Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Grandpa's Oatmeal Muffins

Why call them Grandpa's Muffins? Because there's chopped prunes hidden inside! Hee hee hee! The kids thought they were raisins and I confessed my naughty deed but these are so soft and fluffy, they didn't complain....plus I topped them with a light sprinkling of brown sugar before baking and they LOVE when I do that to their muffins.
My youngest said they were good, but needed more prunes. 
I'm glad he thinks prunes are for little boys too ;-)

Heat oven to 400.
Mix together in bowl:
1 cup plain flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup (cane) sugar
1 cup quick oats
Then add;
2/3 cup chopped prunes 
and toss in the flour.
Beat in;
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 T melted butter
Fill greased muffin tin.
Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar.
Bake for approx. 15 minutes.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Quesidilla Beef Bake

My family loved this so much at lunch, that they asked me to bake 2 pans of it for supper. I can't complain- its super easy!

9small flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups quesidilla cheese

3/4 cup salsa

1 pound ground beef browned with

1 large onion drained, then add  

1/2 pkg taco seasoning (or homemade)

Spray 9x13 baking dish.

Lay two tortillas in the bottom and tear another in half to fill in and cover.

Spread cooked beef mixture over tortillas. Place another layer of tortillas

over the beef mixture. (2, then tear a 3rd) Spread salsa over tortillas, sprinkle

1 cup of the cheese over the salsa. Place final layer of tortillas over salsa and

cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Slice with a

pizza cutter. 

*tip*: Over-cooking this slightly adds a very nice texture to the top and bottom!