The Simple Things in Life

The last couple of days have not been as productive as I would have liked. It seems that all I get done is mundane household chores. Not too exciting to write about on a daily basis, but very authentic for today and the 19th century. It is what moms do, even when we don't really want to!

While I was doing all of that necessary "work," I did happen to make an Apple Crisp with the help of my lovely daughter.
She does love her apples!

Apple Crisp is such an easy thing to make, and it tastes sooooo good, especially during beautiful, fall weather! Take any type of apple (I used Galas and Granny Smith to have some sweet and a little sour) and add Cinnamon and a little flour (so there will not be just juice from the apples but rather a thicker sauce). Mix up some oats, brown sugar, and a little more Cinnamon. Cut in Smart Balance Light (or butter if you can eat it) to make a nice topping for the apples. To make it really good, put some small bits of butter on top of the apples before putting on the topping. Top the apples with the oat mix and bake. So simple and soooooo good!!!!

Women today, just like in the pioneer days, loved having some things be simple and easy. There never is quite enough of the "easy stuff" when it comes to running a household. Little special treats like Apple Crisp every now and then spice up life and hopefully bring family closer together.

Remember, not everything has to be hard!

Full Day

Today was a full day. We got our new couch this weekend, which inspired us to finish cleaning and going through the living room. We even had our carpets cleaned! Well, we did not intend to do that, but it turned out that the company I called was owned by a man whose daughter goes to the school my mom works at. My mom knew his wife and daughter! So, we ended up getting the living room and hallway done for a great price! If you ever need your carpet or upholstery cleaned, contact Eco Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning.

ecocarpetandupholstery.com

Anyway, after all of that excitement, it was time to think about dinner. It was suggested that we have Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, but no one wanted it if it was made with jar Alfredo sauce. So I made it all from scratch. My family said it turned out great! You can't go wrong with cream, butter, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. My soon to be brother-in-law said it was as good as Olive Garden!

My mother made two pumpkin pies today, too, which means we have to have homemade whipped cream to go with them! So I made a big bowl of whipped cream for the warm pumpkin pie that the family had after dinner. It was a wonderful dinner!!

Homemade dinners are fun to make, especially when they are appreciated. It is a rare thing that families sit down together and eat a homemade meal anymore. Most of the time, members of families grab something processed to eat as they are rushing out the door (or they skip meals altogether). Families in the 19th century ate almost all of their meals together as a family, and they were definitely homemade! They didn't have all of the "convenience" in meal prep that we have available today. They made everything from scratch, and I am sure it was soooooo good!!

If you haven't made something from scratch in awhile or at all, then give it a try! You will remember or learn how wonderful homemade food really is!