Thursday, February 27, 2014

Reusing Broken Crayons - Crayon Discs

This is a super fun way to reuse broken crayons! Not only can you reuse the crayons, but all of your little helpers can work alongside you. 

You'll need:
Broken crayons
Muffin tin
Cooking spray


 Preheat the oven to 275*. 
Start by cleaning up the crayons and pulling off the paper.


 Grease the muffin tin and start dropping the crayons in it.

 Have fun mixing the colors up! We liked doing different shades and then we had one muffin cup for "sparkle" crayons only. 

 Be sure to have the little helpers help peel and dump the crayons in the tin as well!

 Set the tin in the oven for 10 - 20 minutes. Watch them carefully as different colors will melt quicker then others. As soon as they've melted, pull them out and let the pan sit on a table for 15 minutes. Then place it in the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides.

 Pop the little crayon discs out and set them on waxed paper to finish cooling.
Enjoy!
Ashleigh

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Food For Thought: Proverbs

     Proverbs is one of my favorite books in the Bible, it has so much to tell us and the scripture passages are small enough to quickly and easily commit to memory. I recently was reading through the book of Proverbs and picked out a few of my favorite passages. Now don't get me wrong, they're all great verses, but these are some of my favorites!

"The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin." - Proverbs 13:3

"There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty." - Proverbs 14:23

"A tranquil heart is life to the body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones." - Proverbs 14:30

" A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wraith." - Proverbs 15:1

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good." - Proverbs 15:3

"If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge." - Proverbs 19:27

"Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Hope ya'll have a great week!
Ashleigh 

Homemade Granola Bars

 
You'll need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups honey
1/3 cup veggie oil
1/4 t. salt
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 t. vanilla 
4 cups crisped rice cereal
2 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cups ground flax seed (I used golden milled flax seed)
1 cups mini chocolate chips


Dump your oats in a large bowl.

Add the cereal…

Then add the ground flax seed and gently stir to combine.


In a medium saucepan over low flame, dump the brown sugar…

Then the honey..

And then add the oil and sea salt.


Bring this mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Take the pan off of the heat and then add the peanut butter and vanilla. Yummy!


Add this to the oats mixture and stir together.

Let this sit and cool off for 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut a piece of wax paper to fit a large cookie sheet. 

Dump the granola onto the cookie sheet and flatten it out.


One idea is if you lay another piece of waxed paper over the granola, you can use a cookie sheet to flatten the granola out.

Once flat, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the granola.

Use the cookie sheet and gently press the chips into the granola.

Cool completely in the fridge and then cut into the size of bars you want. 

Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then stick in a larger freezer bag. Pop them in the freezer and grab for when you're on the go!
 
Enjoy!
Ashleigh
 
 
Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:
 
Homemade Granola Bars
(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)
 
You'll need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups honey
1/3 cup veggie oil
1/4 t. salt
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 t. vanilla 
4 cups crisped rice cereal
2 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cups ground flax seed (I used golden milled flax seed)
1 cups mini chocolate chips
 
In a large bowl, combine the rice cereal, oats, and flax seed. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring to a boil the brown sugar, honey, oil, and salt. Boil 1 minute and then remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
Dump this into the oat mixture, gently stir, and then let cool for 5-8 minutes.
Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit a large cookie sheet and then spread out the granola on it using another piece of waxed paper and a cookie sheet set on top of it.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over it and then set in the fridge to cool.
Once cooled, cut into bars (whatever size you want), wrap in plastic wrap (individually) and then freeze in a large freezer bag.
Enjoy!



Thursday, February 20, 2014

Just Because...

Boy. What a day! And the weather… Oh my.

- First it sprinkled rain… 

- Then it decided to hail… 

- Then it decided to play the winter card and start snowing. 

- Lastly, it finished it off with a nice little shower and some wind. I guess it just couldn't decided what mood it wanted to be in today!




I snapped this picture a few days ago… I just found it humorous that our dog decided to go for the Dumbo effect (for those of you that haven't seen Dumbo, it's a Disney film about an elephant that flies with his ears.) 

Hope ya'll are having a great Thursday!!
Ashleigh

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A Place Lost In History: The Marion County Poor Farm

     In 1887, the Marion County Board of Commissioners bought the W. E. Glover farm for $4,500 in hopes of establishing a "poor farm" on it. They had $10,000 to put towards the buying of property and the building. The three-story limestone building was built in 1888 with help from one of the county's well known stone masons, Fred Scheaffler. It was built of limestone from Florence, KS and it's doors opened to the poor and public in 1890. The site it's on was chosen because it's on higher ground and in the middle of three towns - Marion, Hillsboro, and Peabody.

    
     In 1893, W.K. Palmer took charge as superintendent and it was said that he did an incredible job; while his wife worked alongside him and cooked for the people living there. It took tact, patience, kindness, and good and sound judgment to keep up the farm and care for the residents. During his time as superintendent, he averaged 12 inmates at a time; six men and six women. Back then the people who stayed there were called "inmates" instead of what we would call them today, residents or clients. It was said that most of the inmates were incompetent to a certain degree would require the same treatment that little children would.
    
     Each person was given tasks that matched his or her abilities and would be required to complete them. The farm had one hired man that helped the men and together they farmed 160 acres, made improvements around the farm, kept a large garden, raised hogs and cattle, and did their own butchering.

     The women spent their time sewing and mending, cooking, and keeping up the with the housework. The men and women were kept separate and never met other than at meal times and they were all required to wake at a certain hour and complete their duties. Not only did it serve as a place for the poorer people and mentally handicapped, but it also housed unwed pregnant mothers until their babies were born and then adopted.

     Not only were there frequent activities going on around the farm, but there was never a Sunday without the wonderful addition of a church service or special program from the surrounding churchs. Visitors were frequent around the home, as were the Boy and Girl Scouts. Christmas was also a special time, there was always a Santa Claus with a sack of nuts and candy for everyone and Christmas carols. Whenever birthdays were happening, you could be sure to find a giant cake for the special person to share with their fellow residents and friends.
    
     It was also said that the Marion County Poor Farm was better furnished then half of the private United States families, as they were always receiving the latest in modern improvements and machinery. Not only did the Poor Farm sustain itself without help from the county, but it also made enough to pay $200 annually to the county treasury.

     Art Loewen once told the writer of another article on Cedar Rest this: "I wish you would mention the fact that when TV first came out, the patients of the home all saved their nickels and dimes and chipped in to buy a set for their own enjoyment. That set was still there and in use when we retired in 1958."


While under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey Beisel, the State Department of Kansas notified the county that the building was going to need major renovations and repair. The residents were moved out and the farm was closed for two years. Then in 1950, the Marion County Commissioners of the Welfare Department moved towards reopening the farm and 120 acres of the land was sold to pay for the renovations. The total for enlarging the building, adding new equipment, and installing an elevator was $34,000.
    
     The then appointed managers were Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Loewen and then name of the home was then changed to "Marion County Rest Home, Cedar Rest" because of the attractive cedars on the property and also to remove the stigma of a "poor farm" or "poor asylum". Cedar Rest was used until the large fifty-bed Marion County Home was built in Peabody, KS.  

     The old house had a large basement which had a dinning room, kitchen, shower, laundry room, 4 bedroom ward, and furnace room. On the next floor, there was another 4 bedroom ward, several single bedrooms, and a sunroom. The next level's layout was quite similar to that of the second's.

     My Grandpa remembers living a mile away from the poor farm and having an elderly lady come over to their place from the farm and climb to the top of their windmill. She then proceeded to stand on the wooden platform at the top and threaten to jump into the stock-tank to kill herself. The caretaker of the poor farm then came over and thankfully managed to talk her down the windmill and take her back to the farm.

     Another story (this one I have no proof of) is that at some point in time, there was a caretaker (or gardener) stealing jewelry and valuables from the residents. An elderly man finally caught onto what was happening and cornered the caretaker on the top of a balcony one day. The elderly man with the wheelchair ended up pushing the thief over the edge of the balcony and down to his demise. Thus their problem was no more.

This picture of Cedar Rest was taken in 1908.


     In November 1964, after the residents had all been moved to the Peabody nursing home, the home and property was sold at auction. Several years later, Art and Virginia Miles bought Cedar Rest and remodeled the first floor into a restaurant called "Cedar Villa", it opened in 1968 and operated several years before being closed. During the remodeling period, several walls were knocked out and an area for diners, two bathrooms, and a new furnace were put in.

     The building then sat empty for several more years until Rev. Bill Cowel, Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Marion, KS, bought it with the hope of turning it into a youth center for girls. Volunteers put a new roof of asphalt shingles over the original wood ones, but that was as far as the remodeling went. That dream of a girl's center was never completed.

    

     The pastor then sold the home to Nancy Marr and her husband, she's said that when they first bought it, it was falling to pieces; doors and windows were broken and everything was dilapidated. Thankfully, Marr's husband was handy and had several friends to help with the cleaning up. Remodeling included sandblasting the stone walls and installing new plumbing and wiring on the first floor and basement. The ceilings, doors, and windows were also replaced on the second floor and beds were added to the second floor bedrooms. 
 
     At first, the home was used as a weekend get-away from their lives in Wichita. But then in 1974, their family spent their first winter in the home. "It was real funny," Marr said, "like going back 100 years ago. It doesn't have many closets, because people didn't have possessions back then."

     In 1978, Marr and her husband divorced and she became the sole owner of the former poor farm. Today, you can still drive by and see the giant limestone structure sitting back in the trees. Although it once held it's own thriving little world, it now sits, quiet and lonesome. Just waiting.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Teriyaki Chicken

For me, Teriyaki Chicken was a first. I love to eat the stuff, but have never tried making it. So instead of finding a simple basic recipe to start off with, I glanced at 3 or 4 different ones and took off from there. This recipe is totally mine, very simple, very easy, and extremely tasty!

Marinade:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1/4 t. ground ginger

Chicken:
3 lg. chicken breasts, thawed
Olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper


 Start by slicing the chicken. Set this aside.

In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, mayonnaise, garlic and ginger.
 
 Whisk together thoroughly and then pour into a large plastic bag.

Add the chicken and coated thoroughly. Let this sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. (Mine ended up sitting for over 24 hours, but still tasted great!)


Once the chicken has finished marinating, toss a little olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper into a large skillet over medium flame.

Add the chicken and cook. Flip it once it's a deep brown and crispy on one side. It should be somewhat blackened, but still juicy. Once you think it might be done, simply cut one of the largest pieces in half to check it.
 
Serve with hot rice and mixed Asian veggies.

Enjoy!
Ashleigh

Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:

Teriyaki Chicken
(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)

Marinade:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1/4 t. ground ginger

Chicken:
3 lg. chicken breasts, thawed
Olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. 
Cut the chicken in 1/2 inch strips and combine with the marinade in a large plastic bag.
Let this sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 
When ready to cook, drop some olive oil and pepper into a large skillet over medium flame.
Add the chicken and cook until sides are somewhat blackened and center is done. Flip halfway through. 
Serve with mixed Asian veggies and hot rice.
Enjoy!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Buffalo Chicken Bites

I personally love these chicken bites! They do take awhile and there is the possibility of being slapped with a little hot oil… But in the end, they're worth it! (Recipe from the PioneerWoman)
Couple little tips: 1. If you don't have any beer handy, I found that Pepsi or Sprite works well too. 
2. I used Louisiana Hot Wing Sauce, so anything along the lines of wing sauce or pepper sauce works.

Chicken Bites:
1 cup flour
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. salt
1 (12 ounce) can of beer
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Sauce:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
One (12 ounce) bottle cayenne pepper sauce (Frank's or Louisiana work) 
3 - 4 dashes hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
3 - 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce 

In a heavy pot, heat 3 - 4 inches of oil to around 350*. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt.


Pour in the beer or Pepsi while stirring. Set this aside.

Chut up the chicken into 1-inch pieces…

And drop into the batter. Stir around until they're throughly coated.

Meanwhile, check on your oil. 

Once it's hot, drop some of the battered chicken into it. Give them 3 - 4 minutes to cook through and come to a deep rich brown.

Pull them out and set on a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain. Repeat the process until all of the chicken has been cooked. At this point, if you're feeding little ones, set some of the cooked chicken bites aside without the sauce.

Now, to make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.

Pour in the wing sauce, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

Whisk together and heat through.

Mix the chicken bites and sauce together in a large bowl.

Coat the chicken.

Then dump the chicken onto the cookie sheet (after the towels are removed) and bake at 325* for 5 - 10 minutes or until the sauce has set up on the chicken somewhat.

Serve with celery, carrots, and the Blue Cheese Dip
Enjoy!
Ashleigh

Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:

Buffalo Chicken Bites
(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)

Chicken Bites:
1 cup flour
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. salt
1 (12 ounce) can of beer (or Pepsi)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Sauce:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
One (12 ounce) bottle cayenne pepper sauce (Frank's or Louisiana work) 
3 - 4 dashes hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
3 - 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce 

Preheat the oven to 325*. Heat 3 - 4 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 350*.
Chop up the chicken into 1-inch chunks and set aside.
To make the batter, mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the beer (or Pepsi) while stirring. 
Drop chunks of chicken into the batter, coat throughly, and then gently place the batch into the hot oil.
Cook the chicken through and pull it out when it's a deep golden brown. Place onto a paper towel lined cookie sheet. Continue until all the chicken batches are cooked.
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk until melted.
Toss the chicken and sauce in a bowl and then dump onto the cookie sheet (after towels are removed).
Bake for 5 - 10 minutes. Serve with celery, carrots, and Blue Cheese Dip.
Enjoy!