Biscuits By The Dozens

Oh my, was I productive today! Not only was I cleaning, schooling and prepping for Rose's birthday party tomorrow, BUT I just happened upon a great recipe posted by a mom of many children.
Biscuits. 100 of them. At a time. To freeze. And eat one hectic day with breakfast. Or dinner.

We had some with lunch and then I froze the rest just like the recipe says.....pre-cooked.
Now I have a freezer stocked with these delights and it really took no time at all to make.
HERE is where you will find it all.
Have a great Halloween!!!
Love,
Sam

Wordless Wednesday

Birthday Chicken Nuggets

There are not many foods more comforting than fried chicken. I like to fry chicken nuggets. I have been eating this meal since I was a little kid and now my kids always request this for their birthday dinner.
Birthday Chicken Nuggets.
You have to make the sauce too. Let me know how everyone loves them.
Yes, these are fried. Get over it and enjoy some REAL comfort food every now and then.

Here's what you need:

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 C flour
1/2 C water
2 TB sesame seeds

Mix the egg, salt, flour water, and seed together. Heat oil. Add chicken, 1 layer at a time. Fry 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove and let sit on paper towel covered plate.

Special Sauce


1 C ketchup
1 TB brown sugar
1/4 C oil
1 tsp. mustard
2 TB vinegar

Mix together in small saucepan. Cook over med/low heat until heated through. Serve as a dipping sauce with chicken nuggets.

OKAY! Here are some pictures to go along with the glorious details:

Here is my batter and my chicken. Keep in mind that I ALWAYS double the recipe, and occasionally triple the recipe because we eat a ton, especially this stuff! I have also found that cutting chicken that is frozen slightly is easier than cutting non-frozen chicken.

Here is the chicken getting covered by batter and I use a fork to lift it out and place it in the hot oil.

I always use cast iron to fry. In fact I use cast iron for nearly everything I cook. The trick to frying chicken (in case you do not fry much) is to get the oil HOT first.  The oil for these nuggets is about 2 inches deep in my fryer and I get it heated on med/high heat. This is one layer cooking, you do not want the chicken on top of each other. After it gets started, I will reduce my heat to medium.

When the nuggets look about like this, turn them over and cook the other side. It will take 3-5 minutes.

This is what the finished masterpiece will look like. I always cut the first finished nugget in half to "make sure" it is cooked through. Then I take the cut nugget and dip it in the sauce to "make sure" the sauce is heated through...and eat it. I encourage everyone to do the same.

I PROMISE everyone will love these, especially if you make some mashed potatoes and gravy to go along.
Make them and let me know what you think?
Love,
Sami:-)

A Snap Shot

I think this picture speaks for itself. Hope the weekend is treating ya'll well.

The Daily Details

I am here. I have been very, very busy taking care of the kiddos while also taking care of the new little guy. He nurses. A. LOT.
He also requires at least 23 hours of being held a day. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Today I decided to take a break from just being a baby holder/nurser and actually tend to the house and all the details it requires.

The verdict?  I will be doing  laundry for the next 20 years. Who moved Mount Rushmore into the laundry room and covered it with dirty clothes and towels?

Well, there is no need for despair. I also have a few bright spots to share from my day.

 1. The dust is gone!...for a day, anyway. When you live on a gravel road and have a gravel drive then you also have a ton of dust in the house. I love wiping it off and admiring the clean surfaces, until it comes back the next day. I rejoice in the moment!

2. I am actually knitting something other than a dishrag! Yippee! Doesn't the yarn look beautiful and soft? (pat on the back for trying a new skill)

3. These are some of my new FAVORITE cookies. I found a nice cooking blog and you can get the simple recipe to these on the blog HERE. Note: I could not find the espresso powder so I used instant coffee. I actually could not taste the coffee at all. You gotta try them, though. WOW! :-)

4. The boy is happy to always have someone to hold him. I am happy to have someone to hold him so I can cook dinner. Speaking of which, I live in the South and therefore love fried chicken. I happen to make very yummy chicken nuggets

I promise to share all the glorious details and the recipe soon.

Love,
Sam:-)

The Home Birth of Fletcher Pike

The Home Birth of Fletcher Pike from Samantha Martin on Vimeo.

Joy and Sorrow

It has been a long 2 1/2 weeks since I was here last. Many things have changed for better and worse. That is just the thing...
Better and worse. Joy and sorrow.
I have learned that both these emotions go hand in hand. They are always tangled up together. To have one, you must also have the other.

The joy was plentiful when it came to being with my dad. He was awesome and always took time to help out. He was a bee keeper along side me and we loved talking about the bees. He was a great grandfather to 18 grand kids and 3 great-grand kids! He always made everyone feel special. This is only a glimpse into the joy he brought.
Sadly, he passed away 2 weeks ago, almost 9 months to the date of his cancer diagnosis. Sorrow.
Sorrow is felt by those who felt his joy. They are tangled up together and all I can do is try and hang on to the joy where I can. It is difficult to let the sorrow go and keep only the joy, but that is exactly what I must do.

Now, in the midst of dealing with the sorrow more joy happened upon this family when I gave birth to this little man, Fletcher.
He was born 5 days after my father's death and 1 week ago yesterday.
He was a healthy 9lbs 8oz and 23 inches long. The birth was at home with family, friends, and a loving midwife. JOY!
Joy that I will hang on to for the rest of my life.
It seems that there is plenty of joy around if you can find the strength to try and look past the sorrow. Oh, I know that deep down the sorrow will always be there, lurking.
Joy and sorrow are always intertwined and to have one, we must also have the other.
For now I will take it one day at a time, for the sorrow is great- which in my mind explains that the joy was great as well.
It has been a long 2 1/2 weeks, and a blurry 2 1/2 weeks as well. I am back.
Here's hoping that you too can untangle the two and hang on to the joy as much as possible.
Blessings,
Sam