Welcome to GOODEness Gracious

We're cooking up all kinds of GOODe things with a side of life! Come on in and check out our recipes, freezer cooking, super mommy secrets and common sense commentary on the GOODe life.

FREEZE-O-RAMA

Come chill with me, baby, as we cook up a month's worth of family meals in just one day. So come on into my kitchen. We'll give you all the freezer cooking tips, tricks and recipes.

Goode and Gooseberry Patch Project

Join me as I cook my way through Gooseberry Patch's Cookbook--Mom's Favorite Recipes a la the Julie/Julia project.

Super Mommy Secrets

The world is full of Super Moms just like you that make the world go round. From play rooms to board rooms, check out how my Super Mommy friends make it all happen.

It's a GOODe Life

Life is made up of moments. The funny. The ordinary. The frustrating. Join us as we share a few of ours while we live the GOODe life in the hills of Indiana.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Upta Noe GOODe

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Meet Upta

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Full name: Upta Noe Goode

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She has been making a lot of smiles around these parts tonight… just sayin’

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I can’t tell if Upta loves all this attention or not…

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Whatcha think?

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One thing is for sure… Miss Add sure loves her new kitty…

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Welcome to the family Upta!
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Hop Along Friday
Following Friday
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New Friend Friday

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Super Mommy Secrets: Keeping the Kids Safe and Smart Online


Tonight's Super Mommy Secrets are based off of a question I posted last week on the GOODEness Gracious Facebook Page.

When I speak to groups of women about the fun and influence of social media, one of the questions I almost always get is:

"What can I do to keep my teens/tweens safe and SMART while online/facebook/texting?"

Now Miss Add is a little young yet ;) So, I don't have any real life experience on this one. But moms ask me about this all the time, so I thought I'd turn to the real experts--you!

Here is what some of our GOODe Facebook Super Mommies do:

Super Mommy Shawn has her son's passwords and he knows mom will be checking his accounts regularly. She also sets his privacy settings very strict.

Super Mommy Jill focuses on communication and filters. She also checks personal and school accounts regularly with her daughter's knowledge.

Super Mommy Tresa spot checks cell phones and requires approval for all new contacts. She has a 3 strikes your out rule and reminds that Facebook is designed for ages 13 and older. If/When Facebook is allowed in her home, she plans on being the keeper of the password and logging her daughter on and off.

Super Mommy Terra has passwords and an understanding to stay off her daughter's Facebook, but reserves the right to check it if she wants. Same goes for the cell phone. She also has detailed billing that highlights unknown #s. She limits Facebook Friends to people her daughter knows in real life and also keeps the strictest privacy settings. Terra reminds that it is all about knowing the child, how much to trust them and parenting accordingly.

Super Mommy Tammy recommends to treat the internet and phones as privileges, not necessities. She recommends getting to know the sites your children like to visit. Although Tammy's son is grown now, she shares that she didn't allow computers in bedrooms, but instead they were required to be kept in a family space. Another tip Tammy shared is to not activate texting and internet options on children's cell phones.

Great tips ladies! While everyone may parent differently, I know I learned a lot of great ideas to share with other mom's when talking about keeping our kids safe and smart online.

What are your rules/suggestions?

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

GOODe Project: Fall Cookie Pots


Want a creative way to serve your cookies at your next get together?


Just grab a few clay pots...


Line them with paper towels...


Tie on some raffia


And fill 'er up with some lovely Banana-Chocolate Chip Cookies ;)


Psst... if ya head on over to Smockity Frocks, ya might just see a certain FREEZE-O-RAMA Mama you know guest posting over there today ;)

Linked to:
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Monday, September 27, 2010

Goode & Gooseberry Project: Banana-Chocolate Chip Cookies


Let the yumminess continue! Cookies anyone? 


Banana-Chocolate Chip Cookies to be exact!


Start out with 1/2 cup of sugar, sweetie ;)


Now get your Paul Deen on and add 1/3 cup of butter, baby;)


1 egg


1/2 t. Vanilla


And mix 'er up


Now mash up a banana


And mix 'er up


Gradually add 1 cup of flour


Thank your farmer for your food and this super duper measurin' spoon!


Add 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda or "sodie" as my grandma would call it ;)


1 tsp. Baking Powder


1/2 to 1 cup of dark chocolate chips--your choice


Chop up some (1/2 to 1 cup) walnuts


And fold...Truth be told I'd much rather fold cookie dough than fold laundry.

I hate folding laundry... just sayin'


Now scoop out these cute little cookie balls and bake until golden-- about 10 minutes later ;)





For more recipes from the Goode & Gooseberry Project, check out the following page:


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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Goode & Gooseberry Project: Skillet Supper


Jumping right into my Goode & Gooseberry Project, tonight's recipe is Skillet Supper.


I bet you couldn't guess that this recipe comes from Gooseberry Patch's Mom's Favorite Recipes.


While it is called Skillet Supper, it would be great as a Skillet Breakfast too... just sayin'


Now, I made this puppy last week when I was out of town and my family needed a home cooked meal to balance out the happy meals and takeout we had been living on while away from home.


Truth be told, cooking away from home and dealing with the cooking equipment supplied (or lack there of in this case) has its challenges. I opted to purchase a non-stick skillet as a minimum and make due with the rest ;) Stay tuned... it gets a little comical when I can't find a skillet lid.

Anyhoo, I started by melting 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in my skillet.


Meanwhile, I tried to thinly (ha!) slice up a few red potatoes with what can only be described as a butter knife that was attempting to be "a wanna be steak knife". Got the job done though ;)


I layered half of my red potatoes in the skillet.


I chopped up 1/2 of a green pepper and then tossed half of that in my skillet


Then I moved on to chopping up green onions.


I chopped up six green onions...


And tossed half of the onions in the skillet with 1 cup of ham cubes.


Don't forget to add some salt and pepper baby ;)


Now you repeat the layers.


About right here I realize that I don't have a lid. I didn't buy one because I thought the very sticky prone skillet the hotel provided had a lid. (And it did, but I couldn't find it at the time.)

So what is a girl to do when her very first official Goode and Gooseberry Project recipe is in jeopardy?

Improvise.

Enter the plate.


It worked :)

So I cooked these layers until the taters were tender. Since they were red potatoes--a softer variety-- they cooked up pretty fast-- around 15 minutes or so.

Meanwhile I grabbed 3 eggs and popped them in a coffee cup.


We'd always use coffee cups growing up to beat eggs for egg sandwiches in the morning... Just add salt and pepper and take a fork and beat away.



Anyhoo, I used the same method here and then poured the beaten/seasoned eggs throughout my skillet.


Get 'er all in there and go hunt down that handy dandy lid.


Put a lid on it and wait for it to set up.


About 15-20 minutes later, the egg is nice and solid.


Now it is time to say "CHEESE"


Sprinkle 1/2 cup (or more ;)) of cheese on top...


And cover one more time with that stellar lid of yours--just to get the cheese all melty. 

And YES, melty is a word in my world. 


How else would you describe it?


Yum! Perfect with a side of ketchup!

For more recipes from the Goode & Gooseberry Project, check out the following page:


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