Homemaking on the Homestead

It has been very busy here in my home lately (hence my lack of blogging). This week we moved my 80 year old father in law into our home. It has been chaotic and we are currently all adjusting to new routines and getting him settled. Earlier in the month my son Isaac celebrated his 15th birthday. Hard to believe my 8th child (the baby :) is 15!! The years just fly by too quickly. We had a fun little birthday celebration…. Then we started in on packing all of my father in laws belongings up and moving all but what he essentially needed daily. My birthday was Monday and my sweet hubby whisked me off to the Oregon Coast for an overnight getaway. It was the “calm before the storm” ~smile~ We came home on Tuesday and officially moved Grandpa in on Wednesday. And as if Wednesday was not hectic enough for us my mama goat delivered her new little kid.. such a cutie!! A sweet little doe… still need to name her… Now my focus has turned to a family Easter Dinner cele...

Late again!! Had a birthday celebration getaway… :) so here goes for the rest of the week.. Tuesday Honey glazed chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans (Sierra's night to cook) Wednesday Tacos w/all the trimmings Thursday Crockpot meatloaf , brown rice pilaf, salad Friday Pizza chili , dinner rolls, salad Saturday Chicken enchiladas , chips & salsa, salad Sunday Easter dinner with the family… menu to be shared when I have it all figured out! :)  

Finishing the living room was not really in our plans… but we had our carpets cleaned and my hubby decided he had the time to work on this before we moved my father in law in with us. We had one wall that was drywall only. He had replaced the windows and replaced the siding on the outside a few years ago and then life started pulling him in several different directions and he just did not have a chance to get back to the project. As for the second wall (the one with just studs showing)… it had been a walk way between the sunroom and living room when we moved in. He walled it up on the sunroom side and planned to get the living room side done soon.. and same story as above, life just pulled him along and he was not able to get back to it. The rest of the wall was covered in paneling that we had painted long ago. So the paneling came down and dry wall went up. And the rest of the room was cleaned & painted. Here is what the room looked like before…. And wh...

I realize this menu is VERY late!! But figured I’d share what we ate and will be eating for the rest of the week.. :) Monday Dinner with family (we were visiting my mother-in-law & her hubby in Port Townsend, WA)   Tuesday Tomato soup, nachos (came home late & need to grocery shop so we just pulled together something easy)   Wednesday Ham wraps & soup (opened a couple quarts of my own home canned soup), salad   Thursday Pork chops, crockpot mac & cheese, salad   Friday Goulash, french bread, salad   Saturday Tacos w/all the trimmings   Sunday Asian chicken noodle soup, egg rolls, salad  

Monday Leftovers Tuesday Pizza – Isaac’s 15th birthday celebration! Wednesday Korean beef , sautéed cabbage, spinach & onions, rice Thursday Baked chicken legs , mac & cheese, salad Friday Leftovers Saturday Pork chops, garlic roasted potatoes , salad Sunday Beef & veggie chili , tortilla chips & salsa, salad  

I’ve had a lot going on this past week, which is why there have been no new posts! I have few quiet moments today and thought I’d give an update. One of the big changes in our lives is that we will be taking in my 80 year old father in law to live with us. He is currently living in an independent living retirement community and it has become more than obvious that he needs more care and daily attention. He is failing physically and not as “with it” mentally any more. It has been a big decision for us. Both my husband and I felt we did not want to put him in an assisted living facility and after much prayer and discussion decided we would have him move in with us. We know it will be a challenge to adjust to a new routine with him, but we feel this is what the Lord wants from us right now. My husband is currently taking time off work to make preparations for this. We’ve cleaned and painted the room he will be using, made some changes in our bathroom to accommodate ...

Monday Beef stew (my own home canned), crackers, salad Tuesday Crockpot pork roast , baked potatoes, dinner rolls, salad (never had it last week) Wednesday Leftovers Thursday Polish sausages on buns, homemade tomato soup , salad Friday Leftovers Saturday Spaghetti, french bread, salad Sunday Enchiladas, refried beans , Spanish rice , salad  

This soup got rave reviews from my hubby and kids! I thought it was very good too and easy to put together. I think it would be great served with some egg rolls, but the night I made it I did not have the time to make the egg rolls so I served it with dinner rolls. Asian Chicken Noodle Soup 2T olive oil 2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut up 1 medium onion, chopped 10 small to medium size mushrooms, sliced 8 to 10 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or squeezed through a garlic press) 2 quarts chicken stock 2 to 3 carrots, peeled, sliced into carrot sticks ¼ cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger ½ head of chinese cabbage, sliced thin 2T honey ¼ cup soy sauce 6oz Asian rice noodles, cooked according to directions 4t sesame oil In a large frying pan heat olive oil and add chicken, onions and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are soft and meat is completely done. While the meat and veggies are cooking bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the carrots and...