Organized Chaos

We love to make pizza and have tried lots of fancy recipes but this is the one we always come back to because it is simple and the dough is so easy to handle which is important since our kids often make their own pizzas. Dough Ingredients: 2 tsp yeast 1 tsp sugar 2 Tbsp oil 1 cup warm water 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 cups flour Directions: Dissolve yeast in warm water, let sit 2-3 min Stir in remaining ingredients  Allow dough to rest while mixing sauce together Sauce Ingredients: 8 oz tomato sauce 1/8 tsp garlic salt 1/4 tsp oregano  1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/4 tsp salt  1/8 tsp pepper Directions: Heat oven to 425 degrees Pat dough onto greased pan Spread sauce on dough Top with mozzarella and desired toppings (pepperoni, hamburger, olives, mushrooms, pineapple, ham, etc.) Bake for 20-25 min

In my mind my mom is famous for these cookies, she always made them really big with half white chocolate and half milk chocolate and then drizzled chocolate over the top to make them look fancy. Ingredients: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup shortening 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp salt 2 1/4 cup flour Directions: In mixer add sugars, shortening and eggs then add remaining ingredients folding in chocolate chips last.  Bake on cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8-10 min.

Ingredients: 1 lb hamburger 1 can tomato sauce OR 1 cup ketchup 1 packet of sloppy joe mix OR 1 Tbsp onion salt, 1 tsp garlic and 2 Tbsp sugar 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped Directions:  In a large skillet brown hamburger, peppers and onion, drain. Simmer and serve on hamburger buns. *Can simmer in crockpot for hours. 

These are Joe's favorite cookies and we all like them too. Instructions: 4 sticks margarine 2 cup white sugar 2 cups brown sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 5 cup flour 4 cup quick oats 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 cups chocolate chips Directions:  In mixer add margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla then add remaining ingredients and mix Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes

Ingredients: 4 cups milk 1 pint whipped cream 4 Tbsp vanilla 1 can condensed milk 1 can evaporated milk 1/3 cup sugar 1 packet of vanilla pudding Directions:  Add all ingredients into ice cream mixer.

This is a refreshing treat, great for a summer day. Ingredients: 2 cans evaporated milk 2 cups sugar 2 pkg kool-aid (any flavor) 2 pkg graham crackers, crushed 1 cube margarine, melted Directions: Chill canned milk in fridge Melt margarine and mix with crumbs Press 2/3 crumbs into 9x13 dish Whip chilled milk at high speed until fluffy Add sugar and kool-aid Pour over crust and top with remaining crumbs Freeze and enjoy!

Another favorite from my mother-in-law. Ingredients: 2 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter 1/3 cup karo (light) 1 bag popcorn Directions: Bring sugar, karo and butter to a boil and boil 2 minutes Add popcorn to large bowl and pour liquid over popcorn, mix well 

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1/3 cup peanut butter 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1 cup rolled oats Directions: In large bowl mix ingredients  Press into sprayed 9x13 pan and bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min Cover with frosting 

This is a favorite from clear back when I made it as a kid, it's been a go to for over 20 years.  I mean can you go wrong with chocolate, peanut butter and cereal, put it all together and you've got a pretty tasty treat. Ingredients: 9 cups Chex rice cereal 1 pkg (16 oz) chocolate chips 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup margarine 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar Directions:  In a large bowl measure out cereal In a microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips, butter and peanut better then microwave until melted, about 1 min. Pour mix over cereal and mix Pour everything into a large bag and shake to coat with powdered sugar. Spread onto wax paper

This is such a simple dip that we all really enjoy. I remember begging a friend to share the recipe after trying it, I have to laugh because whenever I serve it I am asked to share the recipe too. Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla Directions: In bowl beat together all ingredients and enjoy dipping. 

Iv'e tried more than a dozen banana bread recipes. I found one that I really like from the better homes and gardens cookbook but then my friend brought me some of her banana bread and that recipe was quickly replaced. This recipe freezes well too which makes it my new go to banana bread recipe. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup bananas  2 Tbsp sour cream 1 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup walnuts (optional) grated rind half a lemon (optional) Directions:  In a mixer combine butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix well then add bananas and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Pour into greased loaf pan (9"), bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick is clean

My husbands mom is known for making sugar cookies around the holidays. We have the tradition in our family too although mine never seem to turn out as good as hers. Ingredients: 2/3 cup shortening 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 Tbsp vanilla 2 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 4 tsp milk Directions:  In a mixer cream together shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla Add remaining ingredients and mix well Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes  Frosting: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar milk to consistency

This is a favorite easy go to cobbler recipe. We've made all sorts of fruit cobblers using this recipe. Ingredients: 1 cube butter 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup milk 1 qt of fruit of choice Directions:  In a 8x8 pan melt stick of butter In a large bowl beat together remaining ingredients Pour mixture over melted butter, do not stir Empty 1 qt fruit over top

My husband grew up on applesauce cookies, my kids know they are likely going to enjoy a few when they visit Grandma Palmer. I'd never tried applesauce cookies until my husband introduced me to them but have learned to make them. Ingredients:  1 cup shortening 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 2 cups applesauce 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp salt 4 1/3 cup flour Directions: In mixer combine shortening, eggs and applesauce and mix Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 min

This is my son's favorite and most requested dinner. I remember making homemade egg noodles with my mom and love the memory I have of rolling out the noodles with her. We don't always make homemade noodles, sometimes we just add in Reams frozen egg noodles or dry egg noodles but our favorite are definitely the homemade ones and they don't require a lot of extra work. We've frozen the noodles before and then added them in and it works great.  Ingredients for soup:  1 Tb butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery, chopped  5 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth 1 lb cooked chicken, chopped (we often use canned chicken or rotisserie chicken, if we don't have either I bake about 4 chicken breasts in the oven) 1 cup carrots, chopped 1 cup peas 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano salt and pepper to taste Directions:  In a large stock pot over medium heat cook onion and celery in butter for 2-3 minutes then add broth, chicken, vegetables and seasoning.  Br...

I made this all the time when we were first married, it's one of the first slow cooker recipes I found on my own and was great for long work days. We don't make it much anymore because I use the oven a lot more often for dishes like these but this was an early staple. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb ground beef 6-8 potatoes, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 can (14 oz) green beans with juice 1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup Directions:  Place uncooked beef in bottom of slow cooker.  Add potatoes, onion, beans and soup Cook on low for 6-8 hours

This is a great quick meal that can be made from items that I regularly have on hand.  Ingredients:  2 (10 oz) cans cream mushroom soup 2 (10 oz) cans tuna, drained 1 cup milk 2 cups frozen peas 4 cups egg noodles, cooked 2 Tb dry bread crumbs 1 Tb butter, melted Directions:  In a 9x13 dish stir together soup, tuna, milk, peas and noodles.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes Mix bread crumbs with butter and bake for 5 more minutes

Shepherds pie is basically a casserole with a layer of cooked meat and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes then cooked in the oven until the potatoes are golden brown. I must confess I have never made shepherds pie without using leftover potatoes, it's my go to recipe for not letting leftovers go to waste. If I have leftover roast, lamb or other meat that need to be used I replace the ground beef with the leftover meat, I've used leftover veggies too. Ingredients:  3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (made from 3 large potatoes) 4 Tb butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 2 cups of vegetables, diced (carrots, corn and peas) 1 lb ground beef (or leftover meat) 1/2 cup beef broth 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce salt, pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees In a large saute pan melt butter over medium heat, add onion, garlic and vegetables and cook until soft (6-10 minutes). Add ground beef to pan and cook until no longer pink. Season w...

"Life is chaos, your duty is to make your own order, whether it be building a wall, plowing a field, or joining word to word." -Robert Frost

These are not a regular at our house but we do enjoy them. We like to top with bacon or ham and cheese for a more hearty meal but they are great alone sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with syrup too. Ingredients: 1/2 cube butter 9 (for pan) 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla  1/2 tsp salt 4 Tb sugar Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees  Melt butter inside a 9x13 pan Blend eggs, milk, flour, vanilla and salt in blender Pour mixture into pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown

We absolutely LOVE these pancakes, every single one of us. I find myself eating them like cookies and don’t put much on them at breakfast because they are just that good alone. They are also filling and healthy! This is a 2 step recipe, I make up a bunch of dry mix and then mix it with wet ingredients as I need it. Here is the recipe: 8 Cups dry mix:  4 Cups quick oats 2 Cups White Flour 2 Cups Wheat Flour 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Cup Powdered Milk 3 Tb baking powder 1 Tb cinnamon 7 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cream of tarter Wet Ingredients:  2 Cups of Dry Mix 2 Eggs 1/3 Cup Oil 1 1/2 Cup Water Directions:  Mix dry and wet ingredients together  Cook pancakes over medium heat. *1 batch makes about 8 medium sized pancakes HINT:  When cooking pancakes don’t keep flipping, wait for the center of the pancake to bubble then flip only once to cook the opposite side.

GREECE  Also known as Hellenic Republic Greece has over 6,000 islands, 227 are inhabited  Athens: capital of Greece, city with ancient Acropolis and Parthenon Santorini: Island in the Aegean sea LOCATION Crossroads of Europe and Asia near Italy and Mediterranean sea LANGUAGE 99.5% speak Greek Hi in Greek is "Gia sou" pronounced Ya sue, video here. Good morning is Kalimera CULTURE/CUSTOMS/TRADITIONS  98% are Greek Orthadox Family is very important Easter is biggest holiday with holy week as most important INTERACTION We talked with my sister in law who lived in Greece for a few years, she lived in Athens and Thessloniki. She taught us a little Greek and made it so fun for the kids, she wrote out all of our names and had the kids guess which one was theirs.  My kids loved learning that everything closes down so everyone can take a nap. Our names in Greek FOOD We made some Greek food: lemon rice soup, chicken...

We love to learn about the world! As a family we pick a country we want to focus on each month and then we learn all we can about it.  Iv'e made a list of things we want to accomplish/learn about each month.  OUR GOALS Locate country on the map Learn about language and how to greet or say hi/hello Learn about culture & people who live there Interact with someone who knows the country and ask about: Living conditions School/education Hobbies Religion Try food from area

Ingredients: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup green grapes 2 peaches, halved  Directions: Add all ingredients to blender, blend until smooth.

Ingredients:  6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup milk 1 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla  10 ice cubes Directions: In blender combine all ingredients and mix for a minute.  Add ice cubes. blend until smooth.