Atlanta Cheating Scandal Teachers Blame Testing!

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Michelle Obama Eats Her Words, Are You Better Than Us?

Michelle Obama Eats Her Words, Are You Better Than Us?

Back to the basics

We are building a small family farm and it is very exciting for all of us!  There will be many new posts as our journey is laid out in front of us.  READ MORE

A Spooky Night

The entire family was excited waiting for darkness to arrive. The first night of the haunted corn maze in our town was fast approaching and the wait was building the anticipation. Autumn brings cooler evenings and a nice meal of clam chowder and crab cakes seemed perfect. We all had a nice dinner together talking about what we were expecting and about how much fun this time of year is for all of us. We discussed pumpkins and carving them together and who would win this years annual pumpkin carving competition. After we finished our meal, it was time to gather our jackets and head out to the pumpkin farm.

The cool crisp air left our breath fogging when we laughed and talked in the long line. It felt like half the town was there already. There was a petting area off to the side for the kids to go and pet the animals while the parents waited in the line. They had some cute animals to pet, a llama, some chickens, a goat and a baby pig. There was a lot of laughter and chatter in the line with everyone so excited about the haunted maze.

Finally, we reached the beginning of the line and our turn was next. Our daughter was the most excited and couldn't wait to start the maze. We started out it was pitch black and the ground was uneven under our feet. The scent of hay and corn was heavy in the air. It was so hard to see and you could hear other families screaming in fright as we made our way through the maze of corn stalks. We could hear the loud buzzing of chainsaws and a long blast of a car horn. Our daughter was holding tightly to her dads arm and following closely behind our oldest son and me.

Scary creatures would jump out of the stalks and scream out loud making even me and my husband jump in our skin and yell out from time to time. We rounded one corner where we were blinded by the constant blinking of a strobe light and we knew that there was something that was going to scare us next. We were right when a big skeleton flopped over out of nowhere.

A ghoul came chasing after us with the chainsaw and even though we had heard it all through the maze expecting it, we all ran screaming. We came upon a coffin with a scary creature inside and we bent over to look when something jumped out behind us and screamed, we all tore off running again. We were nearing the end when we had to step inside this black tent and it was so dark not even the light of the moon could shine inside. Our daughter was hanging on my arm tightly as she and I stepped inside and we both sunk down onto something. I just knew our feet were going to be covered in something icky. It was a wonderful illusion and as we stumbled off the mushy sinking ground we stepped out the other side just to be greeted by a scary skeleton ready to chase us again. The fog became very thick and we weren't sure what was coming next but suddenly we saw an opening and the end of the maze.

We all felt breathless and the adrenaline was still pumping as we walked the long trek back to the car. It was a great night for all of us and we had such a great time being spooked and scared.

Soup and Stew Weather

The nights cool down so quickly once fall is upon us and even though the days are still sunny and slightly warm the cool breeze from the wind blowing makes the temperatures feel cooler than they are. Nothing makes weather like this more cozy and comfortable than a big pot of hot soup or stew. Add a crusty loaf of bread and you have a meal to warm you from the inside out.

Our family has so many different soups and stews that we enjoy in the Autumn and Winter, we could almost eat a different kind every day. No doubt that chicken noodle soup is a common comfort food especially in the cold and flu season. But, turning that chicken and broth into something even more hearty can really satisfy a family; try making chicken and dumplings. This recipe is a family favorite and is also a family gem as it has been passed down through the ages. It does require a little effort but it is so worth the work you put into it. It makes a lot so you can freeze it or share it with neighbors.

Chicken and Dumplings

For the chicken: Boil until falling from the bone:

1 Whole chicken ( the liver, neck and gizzards removed) in
3 quarts of water and add
salt and pepper to taste along with
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Once the chicken is done remove it from the broth to cool. De-bone and set aside. ( TIP: to cut the fat from the broth, cook the chicken the day before and put the pot of broth in the refrigerator. When all the fat hardens at the top of the pot, scoop and discard for a low fat broth)

Let the seasoned broth come to a slow boil as you begin to prepare the dumplings.

Dumplings:

5 cups all purpose flour mixed with
1 cup all vegetable shortening until crumbly then add
2 cups of very cold water and mix thoroughly. I use my Kitchen-aid mixer but a strong powered hand mixer will make the job as easy. If neither of those are available use a very sturdy spoon or your clean, bare, floured hands to mix into a doughy ball.

Using a floured surface, pinch off a small piece of dough and roll out thin and flat. Cut into 2 inch strips. Drop 3 or 4 strips at a time into the boiling broth and then stir to incorporate. Continue pinching off dough, rolling on a floured surface, cutting into strips and dropping into the broth until all the dough is in the pot.

Stir well and then add the boneless shredded chicken into the pot. Lower the heat to warm or the lowest heat setting on your stove and let cook for about one hour so all the flavors incorporate together.

Add 1 cup of milk to the thickened stew to add to the creaminess and serve.

What happened to modesty?

Normally I try to contain my rants and raves but I just have to speak out on the morals of manufacturing. What happened to yesteryear where people dressed modestly and did not want every aspect of their being hanging out? Today's messages to our young people are so warped and lack all value and morals. I appreciate people wanting to be individuals, to stand out in a crowd; but do we have to do it almost naked?

Last night we had a family outing to Walmart to find a Halloween costume for my daughters school dance. My daughter is at that age where she is still a child but is wearing more adult sizes, so we are in a quandary with modest things that I will buy. As we start to look through the costumes I realize that almost all of them are meant to put a woman in a sexual light. Skimpy, short and barely there on most of them and the ones that do cover you up are the witches and the ghouls and the ghosts. That leaves little choice for a young lady to find a costume that is appropriate for a school dance and follows the guidelines for dress code and that is allowable by a parent that does insist on her daughter dressing with some modesty in today's time. Even the simplest raggedy-Ann or Dorothy from Wizard of Oz has gone sexy with over the knee stockings and a skirt length that would barely keep anyone warm on a cold October evening.

Not every woman that spends her money in stores wants to look like she just left a strip club. There is very few choices in mainstream retail stores for a lady to look like a lady. It is very frustrating trying to raise a daughter in today's society, that wants our children to look like they are much older than they truly are; what happened to children being children and letting our kids grow up before subjecting them to all the adult things in life? It truly does frustrate me when I have to go out shopping. School clothes are a battle with all the styles leaning to adult fashion and so many of the kids are wearing what society deems fashionable for a child. I do not plan to budge from my way of thinking and I will continue to buy things that are appropriate for my daughters age. Hence, she was delighted to find a costume that went to her knees and did not show off much of her top. She tried it on and looked really cute! Thankfully, there was one cute costume that did not send her to her school dance looking like a monster!

Fall Fun

It is that time of year again, the crisp cool mornings that warm up slightly as the day passes by and the filtered sunlight invigorates us and urges us to be outdoors. The evenings cool down quickly and the smell of Autumn is in the air. The trees are freckled with colored leaves adorned in deep reds, golds and browns and the sound of the crunching leaves and damp grass under our feet brings flashbacks of many fun days in childhood running through piles of raked leaves on a sunny afternoon.

With the emergence of fall or Autumn as it is best known comes the fun of many festivals for families and activities that bring us all together. Here in north Georgia we are in the midst of the annual Apple festival in Gilmer county. There is one more weekend for the festival and it is worth the trip and the time to visit.

A family favorite for us is a visit to Yahoo Farm to spend a dusky evening with a camp fire roasting marshmallows and the dull thudding pop of the corn cannon as children giggle and laugh at such a simple activity. Climbing into the wagon when dark finally covers the evening and riding along on a spooky haunted hayride is a must do as well as getting our flashlight and map of the darkened corn maze that takes quite sometime to get through. Finding our way out of the maze means it is time for a piping hot cup of cocoa and for each person in our family to pick out their pumpkin to take home for carving. Our family each sits down and carves their own intricate pattern on their pumpkin and we light them all together and have a contest. The talent and skill is revealed in each pumpkin no matter the age of the artist. We then get together and cook all the pumpkin and prepare it to freeze so that we have plenty of pumpkin goodies throughout the rest of the year. There is so much family fun during the Autumn months for parents and kids of all ages to enjoy.

Another great activity is to visit a haunted house. Most big cities have an attraction that is put on for a larger fee, but local smaller towns usually put on a decent haunted house for a family that is affordable and fun. In our town the local Lionsgate Mortuary is a big hit and everyone has a great time being scared during the month of October.

What is October without a fun filled Ocktoberfest? A trek to Helen will bare all sorts of fun activities for a family and the entire town makes Ocktoberfest something memorable and incredibly exciting with good music and great fun and wonderful people.

One thing about Georgia is that there is never a moment that you cannot find something fun to do with a family. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter bring all sorts of activities that are easily accessed with a short drive and a car full of excited people ready to make memories and create traditions together.

How about a great activity with the kids to kick start fall fun? Try making candied apples together. Be sure to supervise young children with this recipe because the hot sugar can be very dangerous!

More exciting recipes for Halloween and Autumn can be found on the internet. Try this site for easy recipes for kids. There is a great recipe for caramel apples to make with the family.

Are you looking for great templates to help you carve amazing pumpkins? There are sources on the internet that you can use to print them off. Try having a pumpkin carving competition with your family. It is a family favorite with my kids and a long standing tradition now.

Enjoy fall fun with your family and start new traditions with your kids. There is nothing better than sharing great memories with those that you love.