Homemade Tortillas With A Side Of Ramblings...

I know... I know... It's been a while since I have been keeping up with this blog on a regular basis. I have finally made it to full term in my pregnancy & can say with great relief that I am now FOUR days away from my due date! YAY! It's been a looooong pregnancy & I've felt pretty bad physically through the entire thing, which has been limiting my attention span & energy levels significantly, especially the last several weeks. Although I've missed keeping up with my personal blog reading & the updating of my own blog, it has been one of the things that has had to be put on the back burner. BUT... I plan to make a triumphant (haha) return in full force after the baby arrives & I get in a normal routine again. Until then, you can expect some random updates in random time frames from me for another several weeks. OK, enough of the ramblings! BRING ON THE RECIPE!

These tortilla's are GREAT! Although they are not considered traditional, they are light, fluffy & definitely a crowd pleaser in my home. These tortillas are not as thin & flexible as store bought. They have more of the texture of a Taco Bell "Chalupa", but aren't quite as thick. They can be used in any recipe from fajitas to quesadillas. I like to use leftover tortillas for breakfast wraps, too. They will store in the fridge for up to a week & can be stored in the freezer for a month. I hope you & your family enjoy them as much as mine did!

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS
Ingredients:
* 4 cups white or whole wheat flour (I like to use half & half)
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons of sugar (optional - helps bring out wheat flavor)
* 1/3 cup shortening
* 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of water

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar (optional) and baking powder.
2. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredient using a knife or fork. The flour mixture should become "crumbly".
3. Next, add the water a 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. You may need to add a little more or less water depending on the humidity of your home.
4. Knead dough 15-20 times, then let it rest in the bowl for about 10 minutes.
5. Form the dough into 10 or 12 equal size smaller balls, then roll in a bit of flour to coat each ball evenly.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a well floured surface into 6-7 inch thin rounds. Roll out each ball using this method.
7. In a hot, DRY griddle or pan, cook tortilla. You will know it's time to flip it over when the dough becomes fluffy & has some brown cooked areas on the underside.
8. Stuff with your favorite fillings & ENJOY!

Tribute to Elvis

Who better defines the golden era of days past than Elvis Presley? 33 years ago today, he tragically lost his life to a drug overdose and left behind a legacy that is still remembered today. Despite his rocky history, the image of Elvis Presley still represents all things that are good: an era of revitalization, prospering families, wholesome music & family friendly media. Whenever I watch his movies or listen to his music, I am immediately transported to a better time & place. That strong voice is the voice of  generation who strived to live the American Dream to its fullest potential. Today, we not only mourn the life of Elvis, himself, but we also mourn those fabulous days of simplicity & beauty. In that spirit, I wish you a day lived with optimism, happiness & the remembrance of a much simpler time & place.

I'M GONNA GO BROKE....

I'M GONNA GO BROKE... if I don't learn how to crochet & sew! The problem with being on bedrest is that I have WAAAAAY too much time to surf the web looking for little pretty things to outfit our coming arrival in. I've managed to limit myself to only headbands for now, but I have a whole folder of saved items from Etsy & Hyenacart just waiting for their turn in line to be "checked out" and sent home to me!

To be completely honest, I CAN sew.. A LITTLE. I know the basics & have successfully made different things ranging from prom dresses to blankets, but the problem is that I am NOT good at it. I almost always need help and at some point I always have to pull out the seams & start a piece of my project over. Maybe it's a lack of practice or maybe it's because I'm a bad judge of distance & length (always have been), but I'm certainly gonna need to channel Grandma to learn these skills effectively & efficiently. She was always the one I would go to if I had a question about transforming a simple piece of fabric into something wonderful. Then, she would laugh at me as I told her about my idea to turn an old pair of jeans from the thrift store into a cool pair of vintage bellbottoms and give them new life. More than likely, she would laugh because she knew it would turn into a half completed project that she would end up finishing!

But, I am determined to learn how to do this, if for no other reason to be able to make my Little Miss Magic some beautiful things to wear. It will take some time & I'm sure that I won't be able to practice as much as I want to for a good while. With the baby coming soon, school starting, then the Holidays approaching fast, my education in sewing & crocheting will be a slow one. But maybe if I practice enough & if Grandma sends me some inspiration from above, I'll soon be able to make a few of these! :-)

Eggless Cinnamon Pancakes

HAPPY SUNDAY, EVERYONE! This recipe made it into my favorites folder one Sunday a few months back when I realized that I was totally out of eggs. Have you noticed yet that this a common occurence in my house? AAANYWAY.... This is a fabulous recipe that I have found myself using quite often. I love to make it with chocolate chips. Great recipe if someone in your family has egg allergies!

EGGLESS CINNAMON PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS
(8 servings)
1 cup all-purpose or wheat flour
2 teaspoon sugar (1 tsp white/1 tsp brown is also good)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS
Combine dry ingredients and mix slightly. Add milk, oil, water, and vanilla. Whisk together then set aside to rest for a few minutes. Batter may be slightly lumpy. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. While pan is heating, add butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add melted butter to pancake batter. Return pan to stove and stir butter into batter. When pan is hot, with a measuring cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Carefully flip pancakes with turner/spatula and cook until golden brown.

Recipe adapted from Food.com. Photo not original.

BEDREST!

WOW! What a week it has been! Last week I was admitted to the hospital for pre-term labor & have been since been put on partial bedrest for the remainder of this week.

More blog updates coming soon! I will also be having our first product giveaway within the next few weeks! STOP BY SOON FOR UPDATES!

Is it REALLY the end of July???

Oh, I suppose it is! The stores are stocked with backpacks & various sundries in preparation for Back to School. The craft stores & clothing shops are drowning in summer clearance. And Moms everywhere are "tweeting" that they just CANNOT WAIT for school to start back up again. I can feel it. The end of summer is near.

For me, I feel like the summer has went WAY to fast & I haven't been able to accomplish many of the things I wanted to. I'm guessing I won't, either. But since it's been one of the hottest summers on record & I'm in the third trimester of my pregnancy, I am trying not to be too hard on myself. The last few weeks of summer are starting to be filled with preparing for the arrival of Miss Magic & for Smarty Pants to head back to school. Blue Eyes is rapidly making his way into the "terrible" toddler stage and is turning from a baby into a "big boy" right before my eyes. I am getting excited for this summer chapter in our lives to come to a close and a new chapter as a family of five to begin.

Here's a few pic's of what we have been up to so far this summer.


LOTS & LOTS OF SMORES!


My Brother in Law is a race car driver & instructor for PDA, so we braved the heat this month & went to the races!


Smarty Pants & Grandma loved riding on the carousel!


Had a blast at the Fourth of July parade!


Visited "Old Ben" in Philadelphia!

What have you & your family done so far this summer? What kind of plans do you have for the last few weeks before going back to school?

Free Sewing Patterns

Anyone doing any sewing this weekend?? Here is a link to some free sewing patterns, including an apron, teddy bear & small purse. This would be a great indoor activity for you & your little girl to beat the heat this weekend, as well! ENJOY!

http://sewingpatterns.com/sewingframe.php?mdl=http://www.printsew.com/click2print/sewingpatterns/index.php?goto=free-neu10140

Sweet White Bread & "Friendship Friday"

Good morning! This bread recipe has quickly become one of my favorites. Not only is it super easy and tastes excellent, but it is very versatile. It has a great rise & has turned out fluffy & perfect every time I've made it. The flavor is similar to that of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls or Amish Sweet Bread. The dough is a great base to use for dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls/sticks or raisin & nut swirl bread. It also makes great sandwich bread, especially deli meat sandwiches. The possibilities to modify this dough are endless!

SWEET WHITE BREAD
(Makes 2 loaves)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 1/2-6 cups bread flour, depending on humidity & temp (I like King Arthur best!)
DIRECTIONS
1.In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2.Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time (you may not need a full 6 cups). Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.
3.Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30mins-1hour, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes. Halfway through cooking, baste top of loaf with egg wash for a beautiful shine!

Some are some pictures of the bread I took last time I made it. SUPER YUMMY & LIGHT!



Also, one of my favorite blogs is hosting a "No Rules" Style Blog Hop today called Friendship Friday! Stop by "the hop" & make some new friends. There are no set amount of blogs you are required to follow. Simply follow the ones you would enjoy reading. THAT'S MY KIND OF BLOG HOP! Click the button below to get started!











Thanks for stopping by today! Let me know if you try the bread & how it turned it for you! ENJOY!