Storybook Woods

The Audio School Winner Is!!

 

I am pleased to announce the winner of the give a-way is Renee. I will have Molly e-mail you. Congratulations and thank you everyone who joined in xoxo

Image from Of Spring and Summer

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Ice Cream

 

As you know (because I keep yapping about it), I am in-love with my ice cream maker and make ice cream alllllll the time. So the latest is vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough. I was thinking how could I make the dough without having the raw egg situation. Then it hit me, cream cheese. It makesa soft dough, almost like play-dough. Easy to roll into tiny ball or smoosh into pieces, whatever floats your boat. Heck, you can eat the dough and forget the ice cream. Anyways this was a big hit.

I plan to make a batch and keep the little pieces of dough in the freezer to add to ice cream (or to nibble on ;-) I think in a tight container, they will keep for a few months. Well at lest that is the goal!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Ice Cream

 

1/2 softened butter

1/4 cup brown sugar or rapadurah

1/8 cup granulated sugar or evaporated cain

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup cups whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

4 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate or chips

 

 

In a mixer cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour, salt and mix. Add cream cheese and mix until the dough comes together like play-dough. Add chocolate. Roll into small marble size balls or smooshed bits. Freeze on a tray and then add to ice cream or transfer to a freezer container, until you’re ready to use.

 

 

My No Egg Vanilla Ice Cream

 

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup of sweetener, if you want it sweeter, us 3/4 cup.

a generous pinch of salt

1 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk (I use raw whole milk)

Vanilla, you can use half a pod scraped or 1 tsp. vanilla or if you have a heavy duty mixer, life a vita-mix, throw in 1/2 a pod with the cream. Blend it a minute and strain out the big pieces. This is what I do.

 

Mix all together and pour in ice cream maker and run for 30 minutes.

 

  

Tasha Tudor Reminder

Hey just a reminder a month from now is Tasha Tudor day. It does not have to be a big, complicated celebration but I know I do not want to day to sneak up on me without having some forethought on how I want to remember Tasha this year. Please help spread the word, so those who love Tasha can remember her too xoxo

Win A Year Subscription To Audio School

 

I do not know about you but I love audio books. First as a dyslexic, it frees me up to enjoy the book more. SecondIy, am so busy I do no have a lot of time to read (even my own book :-) but I can listen while I work. Which I do a lot. I have been subscribing to My Audio School since Molly first started. Of course as a homeschooler, this is an excellent resource but really I find I use it for myself, just as much as I do for school. If you get a chance check out My Audio School and good luck winning!!

   

Hello I am Molly Evert, a homeschooling mom to five children, who range in age from infant through high school. I started the website My Audio School when one of my children was diagnosed with dyslexia. At that time he was only able to read at a second grade level, yet he was several grade levels ahead in his comprehension when listening to audio materials. Seeking an alternative to high priced audio books, I began searching for high quality public domain audio materials to meet his needs.

 

My Audio School offers children safe and easy access to classic audio books, interesting educational old time radio drama, kid’s art podcasts, television and radio broadcasts of historic events and much more. My Audio School is a treasure trove for the classical educator, with almost 600 distinct audio resources currently available for subscribers, including over 350 full-length downloadable audio books. Easy to use, organized by historical time period, and thoughtfully illustrated, My Audio School is a bargain at just $14.99 for a full year subscription!

 

This give-away is for one free subscription, good for one year of subscriber access to My Audio School. A winner will be chosen one week from now, on 31th There are three ways to enter. 1, make a comment here. 2, like My Audio School facebook page. 3, make a comment at My Audio School. Please feel free to do all three, just leave a comment here for each one. Thank you xox

This is not a paid advertisement. I just love My Audio School and Molly xox

Rose Syrup Revised

 

Do you ever look back at recipes you created and go, what was I thinking, I should have done this and that. This is how I feel about my original rose syrup recipe. Not that it is a bad recipe (I hope not it is in Wren Bay) but I think there is a simpler way to make the syrup. Plus I decided that I want the syrup thicker. Yes, it is sweeter now but then you use less now. What I did was use equal parts water/sugar, and then immersed the rose petals. This way you are not boiling them and it is a simpler process. I am always about makes recipes simpler, even my own xoxox

PS. I am going to keep my original recipe up because I do not think it is a bad recipe, just a bit more work. But this way you can decide what works for you.

PSS. For those of you who love books, come back tomorrow for a fun give a-way!!!

Rose Syrup Revised

Equal parts of rose petals, water and sugar. (For example I picked 8 cups of rose petals, so I used 8 cups of sugar and 8 cups of water)

A large pot with a well fitting lid (if you do not have a lid use a plate that will sit snug on the pot). Just have it on hand before you add the roses.

Optional, you can have some pink dye on hand if you want to up the color a bit. Also if you feel your rose syrup is not strong enough, you can add 3-4 drops of food grade rose oil.

About the roses, I used the ones above David Austin, Abraham Darby. They are intensely fragrant. The more fragrant the rose, the more fragrant the syrup. They roses leave a yellow case, so my syrup is not pink. But that is okay!

Make sure you use roses that have not been sprayed with any pesticides or chemicals. Briefly run them under cold water to remove dirt and bugs. Do not worry about drying them. Just leave them in the colander a few minutes for excess water to drain off.

Making syrup: In a large pan combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar has melted and water is hot. Remove from heat and toss in petals. Stir until petals are covered in hot syrup and immediately cover. Let sit (do not peak at the syrup, you do not want to lose all the oils for the roses) 30 minutes. Then strain out petals, will last about 3 weeks in fridge. You can reheat and can too.

Summer Things I Love

 
Hey I am off to the ocean but here is some rocken ideas to inspire you, while I am gone. Have fun and I will see you in a week xoxo

Okay, this is not necessarily summer but you must check out Debbie Dusenberry's brilliant scrap chair. It is amazing, plus scroll down the page and see the clever repair of a chipped dish. I am soo doing this!!

Smores pizza, how yummy is this? Imagine it grilled!!

Plastic spoon crafts, Roses or a Laurel Wreath

Vegtable Garden in a Bag for those of us tight on space!

Watch Victorian Pharmacy

Make popsicle bracelets with your kids (or for yourself). We are going to make these at the beach !!!

Baguettes in 30 minutes!!, loved the ice tip!!

How To Have a Lovely Day

 

 

 
 

I was soo inspired by Tracey's list of how to have a lovely day, I made my own. I would love to hear what you think makes a lovely day. Maybe you could do a post too! What a fun thing to go through blogland xoxo

Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler in a Jar

 

I have been fascinated with baking in jars for a while, mini pies, cakes, etc. Their cute, small (so I do not eat as much :-) and a great way to serve individual desserts. I have been making lots of treats with raspberries lately and am thrilled with this creation.

 

It can be made with any berry, fresh or frozen. This cobbler is basically is a chocolate biscuit made from a soft dough, baked over raspberries and bits of chocolate. The berries and chocolate make a sauce on the bottom for the biscuit. I served it with raspberry ice cream I had made the other day but a scoop of homemade whipped cream with fresh raspberries would be wonderful too. If you have the small wide mouth jars, they would be better but I did not have any. Really this idea could be translated a dozen different ways, so have fun and play with the recipe xoxo

  

Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler in a Jar

Makes 8 jars (or what I did was make four and then I froze, uncooked, the other four disks of dough for future cobblers. I will bake the biscuits off frozen. They will take 5 minutes longer.)

 

Fresh or frozen raspberries, if you use frozen do not defrost.

Dark chocolate chips or pieces

Wide mouth canning jars

 

Chocolate dough

1 cup flour, all purpose or whole wheat pastry

½ cup coco powder

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup (1/2 stick) hard butter, cut in cubes

½ - ¾ cup heavy cream or whole milk

Make dough: In a food processor add all dry ingredients and mix a second or two. Then chop in butter with the pulse button. Add a ¼ cup cream at a time until you get dough soft like play dough. Put dough in fridge for 30 minutes to firm it up. You can flatten the disks now and chill, if you want.

Pre-heat oven 350˚F. In the canning jars add berries and chocolate. I added six berries and six chips but you can add what you want, just leave room for the dough. My berries were sweet, so I did not add any sugar. You could sprinkle a TBL. of sugar over the berries if you want. Divide dough in 8 pieces and flatten into small disks, that will fit into the jar, if you have not done so earlier. Set disk on top of the berries. You can top with sanding sugar if you like.

Bake jars 30 minutes, uncovered. You can make them earlier in the day and warm at time of serving. Set in a 350˚F oven uncovered for five minutes. I served the cobbler with a scoop of homemade raspberry ice cream!!

 

My Graduation Gift

 

Okay do not laugh at me, it took me two years to pick out this graduation gift becuase I am so picky. Yes, it was Auberne` who graduated and yes, it was me who got the gift (she got a laptop). I started looking into homeschooling when I was 3 weeks pregnant with Auberne`. I was a little obsessed at the time!!!!  I remember her being a toddler and David and I seriously talking about HSing. I told him I would do it but he would have to look at it like I had a job. It was not going to be me being a homemaker and then throw in some HSing on the side. No it would be the other way around. If I did this, I was going to fully commit. Luckly David supported me and even promised if I made it the full 18 yrs. I could get a red convertible.

Well 20 yrs. later, no convertible (actually I have one in my yard, molding. Long story). But I did find a gift, with a heartfelt message to myself. You see, I think when a HS child graduates. WAIT, let me take that back. When ANY child graduates, it is just as big of an accomplishment for the parents, as the child. I do not want to take the spotlight off of Auberne`. I adore her and woman she has grown to be but I have been on my own journey too. I am a different woman thanks to my girls and thanks to HSing. They saved me from myself.

 

I wanted a trinket to remind me of how I have changed, of how I have found myself more and more. Even though I truly love HSing (I have never regretted or hated it), I made it! I completed my goal. I am flaky and rarely stick with anything. To have stuck with HSing all these years and to have enjoyed it to boot, well I am proud of myself. And hope all you mothers and fathers with grown children feel the same way I do.

So I choose a bracelet made from antique, sterling silverware. The setting is called Violette and is from 1905. I then had each of the girl's initial hand engraved on the front and their name in the inside. This way I will always have my girls with me in my heart and on my wrist. I will also have a reminder that I am stronger than I think I am and the joyful journey HSing has been xoxo 

PS. I highly recommend Mon Petit Chou Boutique. They were so easy to work with (they had to make the bracelet smaller), it came beautifully wrapped with a card telling about the setting and year of the silver, the price was great. It would make a special gift for anyone. I will always treasure my bracelet. This is not a paid advertisement I just adore my bracelet.

Gathering Magazine

   

I am thrilled to announce a new on-line magazine, Gathering by the amazing Heather Spriggs Thompson. Heather it is utterly beautiful and yummy, like a perfect bon-bon. Dear readers, I suggest you get a cup of tea, find a pretty, quite corner, download Gathering as a PDF and savor each page. I want to thank Heather for all her help. I have never done an ad before (I mean how you explain a novel in two sentences!!) and she was more than gracious with me xoxo