Week 18

This day has been one of the most enjoyable work days I have had in awhile.  Whitney came over so she could learn how to make kuchen.  It is a joy to be able to work with her though I didn't do much work other than instruct.  The best way to learn how to do something is to do it.

If you have ever had kuchen you know how good it is.  In our family it is probably everyone's favorite dessert.  This is the third batch I have made in about a month.  It all started when Son Brandon asked for kuchen for his birthday dessert in December.  My recipe makes twelve kuchen most of which I have sent home with the grown children.

Growing up in a household of German Americans I learned to love dough and cream.  My father, and mother, grew up during the depression.  He was one of 16 children.  They didn't always have a big variety of food to eat but they milked cows and his mother used cream in many of her dishes.  When he and my mother got married Mom learned to do the same as that is what my father liked.  In turn, I grew up eating it and loving it.

Kuchen is made with a bread type dough which is rolled out and pressed into a pie tin.  Into this form you pour a custard made out of cream, eggs, sugar, and a little flour.  As our favorite part is the custard I double the custard in my recipe.  Some type of fruit is dropped into the custard.  We like peach, raspberry, or rhubarb in ours.  A new favorite is chocolate chip.  The grandmothers used to add cottage cheese to theirs.  I never cared for it and my mother didn't make that type so I don't make it.  We sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar over the top and bake until done.  It freezes well and is nice to have on hand for a dessert when needed.

While Whitney was making the kuchen I made beef and bean burritos.  My cousin showed my how to make red chili sauce from dried red chilies.  It is so much better than the kind you buy canned in the store which is really made out of tomato sauce and chili pepper.  I have a recipe we used to make with tomato sauce and chili pepper and thought it pretty good until I had the real thing.  Now I make a big batch, put it into jars, and freeze it.  Whenever I plan to make burritos I take a jar out of the freezer to make my red sauce.

School has been going well.  In history we have been studying the American Revolution.  This past week we read "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" and about the Battle of Bunker Hill and other beginning battles.

Both Leah and Daniel started new math books.  Daniel is now in Singapore Math 6B and Leah is in Singapore Math 2A.  They were both excited to start a new book.  Each is a semester's worth of work.

Over the past two weeks we did one week of school.  I didn't want to take two whole weeks off from school.  It worked out well to have school two days one week and three days the next as we had scheduled activities for the days we took off from regular school work.

With the temperatures being mild for ND the children spend time outside playing in the snow most everyday.

It's a good life.