The kids were still asleep at noon today  when I left the house to go get my hair done. When I returned two hours later, Paul had put all of them to work  in the yard. In his words he had “organized his work crew.” They were weeding, removing mulch and cleaning out flower beds. Surprisingly, they were fairly good natured about it. When they were finished, the yard looked great. I made them some lunch and all  five kids sat at the kitchen counter eating, talking and laughing. They were working together, cooperating and seeming to have a good time as well. They were taking pride in their home which pleased me immensely.

This put me in a nesting mood so I made some soup. Paul cleaned out the freezer last night and found a ham bone stashed inside and I hunted around in the back of the cupboard for some dried beans I knew were in there. I threw it all  in a pot of water and let it simmer all afternoon and the smells are still wafting through the house. Yum.

Later in the evening, I asked Sophia if she would like to make brownies with me and she replied, “How about we make Mud Puddle cake instead?”  Great suggestion since Mud Puddle cake is much less fattening and super easy to make. I used to make it all the time when my girls were small because you can mix all the ingredients in one pan and the kids can stir ’til their hearts are content. It’s dairy free too. For a recipe of my Muddle Puddle cake click on my Just Imaginate blog. (Scroll down the page, it’s the 5th recipe down.)

I better go check and see if it’s ready.

First, I only shop at Marshalls. I took the kids there when we were in New Jersey this summer and we could not believe the deals. All the girls got stylin’ gladiator sandals for under $10. Cheryl found an O’Neill bathing suit for $7 and Sophia scored an American Eagle wool pea coat for $24. I told the kids, “From now on, that is where we will shop.” No more over priced mall designer stores. After all, why pay more when you can pay less?

Secondly, I canceled the house keeper. It killed me to do it, but I just could not justify the expense anymore. Now I pay the kids a small amount of chore money to clean their rooms and bathrooms and pick up the rest of the house, which is something they should have been doing all along.  I had justified the expense in the past because I was working full time and the kids were so busy with sports and homework. Now, we set aside two Saturdays a month to give the house a thorough cleaning and the money we save can go into a vacation account or toward some  other house hold expense.

Cook from scratch. If the kids want cookies they can make them themselves. Ditto for pizza and other snacks. Here are some recipe ideas from my Just Imaginate blog.

Make gifts and cards. This holiday season I plan to make as many as possible. I am starting now so that I have plenty of time.  Here are some homemade gift ideas also from my Just Imaginate blog.

Cooking/baking and making crafts  is a wonderful way to spend time together as a family. It is entertaining. It’s relaxing and it teaches kids the value of saving money.

Mushroom Filling

2 lbs. assorted types of mushrooms — shitake, portobello, cremini etc. Stems removed and caps chopped into 1/4 inch pieces.

4 T extra virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing the filo

1/2 cup minced shallots

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

6 T mashed roasted garlic (recipe to follow)

2 T dry white wine

2 T unsalted butter

 kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

20 filo sheets

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the mushrooms and shallots in the olive oil until they give off their liquid. Add the garlic, basil and oregano. Then the wine and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread mixture  onto a large cookie sheet and let cool.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a clean surface, layer the filo sheets one on top of the other, brushing with the oil in between layers. Spread mushroom mixture along the short side of the filo, leaving room at the edges to roll it up. Fold in the sides a bit so you can enclose the mixture inside the filo like tube. Brush the top with olive oil

Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 18 minutes or until slightly browned. Rotate every few minutes to ensure even browning.

Roasted Garlic

Everyone has their own method of roasting garlic. Here’s mine. In a pinch, you can always use the bottled stuff.

3-4 heads of garlic

foil

olive oil

Cut off  the tops of the garlic heads and drizzle with olive oil. Roll up in foil and bake in 400 degree oven for an hour.

When the bulbs cool, squeeze the garlic out and mash with a fork.

Ingredients:

Crust

6 sheets of frozen phyllo dough, thawed

3 T. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

Filling

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and all liquid drained out (can substitute same amount of chopped vegetables)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or any cheese of your choice)

Quiche Batter

2 eggs

1 cup low-fat milk

pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make crust: Coat 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on the  work surface and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds. Repeat with the rest of the layers. Press the six layers into prepared pie pan and trip edges with scissors.

To make the filling: Stir together vegetables and onions and sprinkle over crust. Top with cheese.

To make batter: Whisk eggs, milk and nutmeg in bowl. Pour over vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Set quiche on baking sheet and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until top is brown and center is set.