Go Play This!

I found this link at Rocks in my Dryer. It is hilariously fun!! So go play already!

Line Rider

Finger Food

I don't really consider mashed potatoes a finger food...

Apparently, Hosanna disagrees with me.


Spoons are overrated anyway.

Love and Lentils

We've been a bit under the weather this weekend. Wednesday night Jade got sick, but was better the next morning. Friday night Ruby was sick all night, and continued to be sick Saturday and Sunday. Hosanna got sick Saturday and Kordell got sick on Sunday. And by sick I mean...well... let's just say I've been doing a WHOLE lot of laundry.

We stayed home from church yesterday and had a quiet day at home. When lunchtime rolled around I wanted to make something nutritious, something that would help Teagan & I stay well and maybe help the kids get well. Of course, I reached for the onions & garlic. Garlic is our magic cure-all around here, and onions have similar properties. I looked around for a recipe and ended up combining a couple different ones. I didn't have any chicken for chicken soup, so I went with a lentil stew instead.

First the onions (4) and garlic (20 cloves) ...

Ruby helped me add some carrots. A lot of them. She kept bringing me carrots! I think there were 6 or 8 in the pot.
Then tomatoes, lentils, water, and some spices. I used paprika, ginger, pepper and salt. 30 minutes later I had a delicious steamy bowl of nutritious soup. Just leaning over the pot and taking a whiff made me feel better!

Teagan loved it! It was really really good. And we felt much better after having some. Soup does that. And I know all those yummy, nourishing ingredients will help our bodies fight off this sickness that the kiddos have.

Yay for soup!

A Different Christmas

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas.

I love spending time with my family. I love baking cookies - and giving them away! I love the sparkle of Christmas lights in the dark. I love cracking open the Bible and reading the Christmas story. I love singing songs about that Holy Night in Bethlehem.

But here's what I don't love... Materialism, greedy corporations, Santa Claus, overblown gaudy decorations, gifts bought out of obligation, toy catalogs, greedy kids, credit card debt, greedy grown-ups, stress, crowded stores... forgetting the REAL reason for the season!!

Last month, as I began to think about Christmas, a sense of dread began to settle upon me. We don't have money to spend on people, on our kids, on ourselves and how was I going to make it all work? I was frustrated by the thoughts in my own head telling me all the worldly things that Christmas is supposed to be, and yet knowing that Christmas is about something so much bigger than presents and decorations.

Then I stumbled onto this little video. Please take the 2.5 minutes to watch it.



My heart leapt! YES! That's it exactly! Less Spending. More Giving! More Worship!

Teagan & I resolved to do things differently this year. Instead of a big tree, we are doing a Jesse Tree. Instead of going out and buying cheaply made, expensive, mass-produced stuff for our loved ones, we are making gifts ourselves and trying to give things that are practical, needed, or will be greatly cherished. If we must buy a gift, I will try to buy handmade whenever possible. We are also planning on giving to Samaritan's Purse and/or World Vision. We plan to have the children help us choose a gift or two to give through one of those organizations. We want them to learn that giving is as much fun as receiving!

We will also be doing nightly devotions as part of our Jesse tree. I also want to incorporate Scripture memorization from Luke and Isaiah. I want our Christmas season to be saturated and rooted in CHRIST. After all, He is what it's all about.

Mr. Dishwasher's Vacation: Week 3

Did you know that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit?

We have just completed week 3 of hand washing the dishes. As expected, the "I don't wanna do that" attitude picked up in force this week. Well, for Kordell anyway. I'm still plugging along.

I'm not sure if our little experiment really accomplished the goal with Kordell. He still doesn't really seem to get it. Or he just doesn't care. He doesn't like work period, so it doesn't really matter what form it takes.

As for me... I like having a clean kitchen. I like having all the dishes available for food prep at each meal. I like having the dishwasher out of the middle of my kitchen. I don't like Mr. Dishwasher clogging up my newly acquired wide open spaces, namely the office formerly known as the sewing room. I'm not sure where we go from here. Mr. Dishwasher may soon be looking for a new home...

The "S" Word

That's right, SNOW.

We had our first real snow of the year overnight. I'm not ready, but the kids are loving it. Here is the conversation I heard while in bed this morning...

Ruby: (excitedly while looking out the window) It's snow!! There's snow on the ground!!! It's absolutely perfect!!

Then thump thump thump as she runs to look out the windows on the other side of the house...

Ruby: (more excitedly) There's snow in the backyard! There's snow on my bike!!!

Thump thump thump as she runs to look out the window in the office...

Ruby: (even more excitedly) Dad! There's snow on your TRACTOR! There's snow on the truck!! There's snow on the car!!!

Thump thump thump as she runs to the back door, then the door opens... She runs outside in her rain boots, then a minute later the door shuts...

Ruby: (a little upset now) DAD!! There's big huge snow all over your MOTORCYCLE!!!

Teagan: Yes, Ruby. Take off your boots.

Jade: (dressed in shorts and tennis shoes) Outside!

Teagan: No outside. It's cold and wet.

Jade: Outside!

Teagan: No Jade. No Outside.

Jade: (yelling very loudly) OUTSIDE!!

Teagan: No! No Outside!

Jade: Teagan! Build a cave! Outside!

Teagan: No, Jade, there's not enough snow for a cave.

Jade: (lots of loud screaming...)

In years past Teagan has blown all the snow in the backyard into a big pile, complete with slides and "caves" (which were hollowed out of the side, not really caves). She figured that if there was snow, Daddy could make a cave.

Let me add that there was like 1/4" of snow on the ground. Just enough to cover everything very lightly. I'd show you a picture, but I'm having battery issues with my camera. Believe me, it was not very much snow for all the excitement around here.

It Is What It Is

I wasn't going to post about the outcome of the election, but here I go anyway. Are you ready? This is going to be deep...


It is what it is.


Yeah, I'm not thrilled about Obummer, I mean Obama, being the president elect. I am concerned for the state of this great nation in the coming years. But it is what it is. There is nothing to be done about it now. No amount of sharp-tongued complaint or criticism will change anything. We just need to continue living our lives the best we can for God's glory and the good of our families.

Striving for self-sufficiency wouldn't be a bad idea either. ;-)

Gratituesday: When It's Over

Today is Election Day. Duh. Like anyone in the United States could forget. We've been bombarded with advertisements, yard signs, and media about this election for over a year now. The date November 4th has been burned into our brains.

There is a lot of anxiety surrounding this election. There is much at stake. I admit that I also have concerns about what will happen. But there is still much to be grateful for, no matter who is elected.

Blessing 1: The election will finally be over. No more political ads. Thank the Lord. Can I get an AMEN?

Blessing 2: (This is the important one) When it's all over, no matter who wins, no matter if I like the elected person or not, this I know...

GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE.

The following verses came to mind this morning as I was preparing to go to the polls.

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him

I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."

~Daniel 2:19b-23

"He sets up kings and deposes them" That goes for presidents too. The Sovereign One who has set up and taken down every king in history is in control of this election too. We cannot fathom the mind of God. We do not know what He is orchestrating through the events that unfold today. But I know that He will work them all for His glory and for our good.

Find more to be grateful for at Heavenly Homemakers!

Mr. Dishwasher's Vacation: Week 2

So, here we are at the end of week 2. Mr. Dishwasher is enjoying his time off. He is dutifully holding up my green tomatoes, a basket of squash, rutabagas & onions. He likes all the colorful vegetables. Vegetables are quiet, he says, and he likes the quiet after so long in the middle of the noisy kitchen.

I am still enjoying our little experiment. Dish washing duty is becoming routine, so that's good news. A couple of meals were saved over to the next time because I didn't want to run water for just 3 or 4 items. But, all in all, the counters are always free of dirty dishes. And I just love that.


I've also acquired a dish helper. (Are we surprised?) Ruby is learning to wash the dishes (though she mostly just plays) and Jade has taken a turn as well. I'm glad that they are learning these very important life skills. Kordell only grumps about it occasionally, so we're still good there.

On to week 3...

Fall in the Garden

My tender summer vegetables are long gone. The last of the green tomatoes are ripening in my laundry room, the green peppers are tucked away in the freezer, and the eggplant are but a memory. However, there are still vegetables to be had! My kale and swiss chard are still green as ever, despite the freezing temperatures we've been having. Ruby & I were out in the garden earlier this week gathering kale for dinner. It's s strange thing harvesting fresh garden greens while all bundled up, but what a wonderful thing!

Praise the Lord for His bounty in my little garden!

Vintage

My parents will appreciate this. (I am not trying to make you guys feel old, really.)

Mom, Dad, do you remember this dress?
Let's get a closer look shall we?
Yup, that's a vintage frock my Hosanna is wearing. It came from a box of my baby clothes that we found when Dad & Karyl moved a few years ago. And now my baby is wearing it.

Isn't she pretty?

For the Love of Pie!

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers recently hosted a contest for pie recipes. She compiled all of the recipes into a free ebook on her website. I have 3 recipes featured in the book, but there are many others that sound delicious too! So, go to the Heavenly Homemakers site and download your free pie ebook!

Make a Shirt

Jade is very particular about her clothes. When she finds something she likes, you better have more than one or she will wear that one item of clothing until I can't take it anymore and have to peel the grubby thing off her (kicking and screaming) so I can wash it. *ahem* She has this one green shirt that she just loves. It is from a rummage sale though, so I can't just go buy another. So the thought occurs to me, maybe I can find a pattern that is similar and make one! I went to Hancock Fabrics and sure enough, there was a shirt pattern that was the same exact style as her green shirt.

(And the clouds roll open, sunlight beams down on me...) HALLELUJAH!!

She found the pattern on the counter and started asking...

"Make a shirt."

"Make a shirt please"

"Sharm, make a shirt!"

"Mom, Sharm, make a shirt please!"

I could go on, but you get the idea. So yesterday I made her a shirt. I had some bumps in the road. A little misreading on my part, not quite enough fabric, coudn't find my bias tape, etc, but I eventually got it done. I need to add that Tanna had the pattern for a few days earlier in the week to size it down. The only size in stock when I was shopping was the 10 1/2 - 16 1/2 girls plus. Jade is anything but a plus, but I was desperate. So, thank you to Tanna for helping me resize!

Jade was very pleased with her shirt. She had to wear it right away. She didn't even let me cut off all the little threads. Impatient much? I'm just glad she likes it. This is the first homemade item of clothing that she will actually wear.

Mr. Dishwasher's Vacation: Week 1

At Bekah's request, I'm going to do weekly updates on Mr. Dishwasher's time out. So here we go...

Week 1:

It was pretty entertaining on the morning following the dishwasher's disappearance. Kordell was all "where'd the dishwasher go?" And we were like, "If you don't appreciate the dishwasher, you can do them by hand!"

I decided to try something new in order to keep me sane. We are washing the dishes after each meal instead of trying to do them all at the end of the day. It only takes a couple inches of water to wash a meals worth of dishes, so we aren't using any more water doing it this way. And it only takes a couple of minutes each time, so it doesn't feel like such a huge chore. I actually don't mind handwashing this way.

Kordell has put up a stink a few times, but as we have gotten into the routine and he knows how little time it takes, he has been more compliant. Plus, I think he enjoys babbling on to me while we work. I'm glad it doesn't take too long because my tolerance for hunting/guns/bows/deer/etc. chatter is rather small. I love my son but ugh. I can only take so much. Anyway, he usually has everything put away in a timely manner with not too much grumbling.

I hate to say this, but I almost kinda sorta like not having the dishwasher. There's more room in my kitchen (it's a big ol' portable). The dishes actually get *clean*. I don't have to fiddle around with all kinds of detergent trying to find one that works without filling my home with noxious toxic chemicals. My counters are clean all day and when I get up in the morning. It's rather nice. I was so glad to get the dishwasher because I have always struggled with the dish job myself, but now that I am getting in the groove, it's not too bad going without.

We will see how the situation progresses. Tune in next week!

I Love Free Concerts

Especially when it's a free Andrew Peterson concert!!

One of the local churches hosted a free concert last night with one of my very favorite music artists. I don't listen to much music anymore, but if I had an iPod, this guy would be in it. Anyway, I have been planning for weeks to go to this concert, strategizing so we would get good seats and everything because I knew it would be packed. The plan was to leave really early, get a $5 pizza at Little Caesar's, and sit in front of the church until the doors opened so we could get the best seats. We had a little hang up with our plan... Our babysitter forgot. We called him Thursday night to make sure everything was good and he had forgotten. He had to work until 6:00, drive 20 minutes to our house, and then we had to drive 20 minutes back to town for the concert (doors opened at 6:30, it started at 7:00). I was absolutely panicking thinking that we weren't going to make it in time.

Somehow though, it all worked out. He was able to switch with someone else for closing duties, and get to our house in time for us to get there at 6:45. I'm glad we weren't any later!! It was packed already but we found two seats on the far side, in the middle of the auditorium. When it was done and we were leaving, we saw that there had been people sitting outside the auditorium! There were SO many people that they had to set up a dozen rows of chairs out there! So we were very blessed to get there when we did.

The concert was AMAZING!!! It was a one man show, just Andrew with his guitars, a piano and a mic. He sang all of the songs from his brand new album, plus a few old favorites. It was cool to hear all the stories behind the songs. Andrew is a very talented songwriter and each song touched the heart and moved the soul. My favorite was "Hosanna". He talked about how misused and misunderstood the word "Hosanna" is. It is not a name for God, and in the original usage, it was not a word of praise. It's meaning is "Save us" or "Save us now!" It became a word of praise because of the triumphal entry, but the people that day were crying out for salvation! There is so much wrapped up in that one word... a cry for salvation and praise because He has saved us!! Anyway, it was great. All the songs were great, the stories were great, yeah...

At the end of the concert, the crowd gave him such a rousing ovation that he came out and did an encore of 3 more songs! He was pretty funny. He said that he doesn't plan an encore and didn't know what to sing! Apparently, he's not used to playing for people who know who he is, so he usually just gets polite applause and that's about it. But our local Christian radio plays his songs, so he's very popular here, and the audience couldn't get enough. He said we were his favorite audience ever. LOL

I wish I could have bought a CD, or all of them... They had a great deal, 2 for $15, but we couldn't do it. So, if anyone needs birthday or Christmas ideas for me, go here and buy me an Andrew Peterson CD! I will listen to it over and over, I promise.

The best part of the night was getting to be alone with my hubby. It doesn't happen very often, and it was wonderful. He did enjoy the concert, even though music isn't really his thing. And afterward we got cappucino and cookies at the gas station, which is how this family started in the first place... cappucino late at night from Kwik Trip almost 13 years ago....

Pinto Bean Week & A Recipe

Building on the Stretchy Beans concept, I made this week Pinto Bean Week! You are all SO excited to read about beans again aren't you? It is exciting because this week I cooked meat too! *gasp* A friend of mine actually thought I was a vegetarian. I assure you, I do enjoy a good hunk of meat now and then. But, boy, meat is expensive! Thus the stretchy beans...

One of the local grocery stores had bone-in ham portions on sale this week for $0.99 per pound - that's half price! I bought a big ol' 9 pound ham and cooked it up on Tuesday. Wednesday I cooked up 2 pounds of pinto beans with the ham bone. I took out 2 pints and a quart of beans & bean broth from the pot before dinner. Then the rest of the week's meals are planned around the extras.

Here is this week's bean plan:
Meal 1: Bean & Ham Soup (boy was that good with real ham bits!)
Meal 2: Kitchen Sink Stew (recipe to follow)
Meal 3: Bean & Rice Tacos
Meal 4: Autumn Vegetable soup

It's a lot of soup, but the weather is cool and damp, so soup is so good and warming!

Here is the recipe for Kitchen Sink Stew. It was originally called Mexican Pumpkin Chili, but there's nothing Mexican about it and by the time I was done I felt like everything but the kitchen sink went in the soup pot! It had a very unusual flavor, unlike anything I have ever made before. Strangely delicious!

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
dash nutmeg
4 c. water + bouillon to make broth
1 butternut squash, peeled, gutted, and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 c. salsa (hot as you want, I used mild)
7-8 drops stevia or a pinch of sugar
2 c. pinto beans
1-2 c. frozen corn
1 can coconut milk

Saute onion & garlic in a little oil until soft. Add spices and warm until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, squash, and sweet potato. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are soft. Mash vegetable chunks with a potato masher, or use a hand blender to puree them. Add salsa, stevia, beans, corn, and coconut milk. Simmer until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Blessings of the Harvest

We were blessed last weekend with some garden bounty! Tanna harvested her squash & onions last week. She sent me home with a few...

Look at the size of those squash! The spaghetti squash in particular were huge this year.
We've been enjoying the butternuts already. Jade really likes it!! I think I will have to get some more while they are in season. I even got Kordell to like it. It's amazing what a little brown sugar and cinnamon will do. :-)

Tanna also let me pick some apples right off her tree. She hasn't picked any yet, so I got first dibs. They were decent size, especially considering that she doesn't spray her trees at all.

I decided to make apple butter with the apples. I filled up my slow cooker with sliced apples and added lots of yummy spices. It cooked on low all day and made the most delicious apple butter! No pot watching required!
I should have taken a picture of the finished product. But I think the scrap bowl with all the curly apple peelings is pretty in a weird sort of way.

Upwardly Mobile

My baby girl took her first steps last night!


Part of me is hugely excited about it!! And yet...

Part of me could just cry and cry.


As I look at our family, I wonder if Hosanna will be my last baby. She may be my last baby for awhile, at any rate. And while I love to see her grow and learn new things, part of me is really sad that she is growing out of the baby stage so quickly. I LOVE nurturing babies. It's completely what I was made for. I just love every part of it. And I'm not ready to let go of that just yet. I guess this is the part where we wait and see what God has in store for us.

Despite my sadness over the whole affair, I am very thankful for a few things:

- I was there to see her first steps! I wasn't at work (Praise the Lord for allowing me to be a stay-at-home mom!) and I hadn't left for my homeschool moms meeting yet (but I was practically walking out the door.)

- Her first steps were to her daddy. He wasn't at work either. One of the biggest blessings of his disability is that he doesn't have to miss these special moments!

God has certainly blessed us. I am so thankful for my little girl and for the joy she brings to our lives.

Find more to be thankful for at Heavenly Homemakers!

Mr. Dishwasher Gets a Time Out

No, he wasn't naughty. But he was so tired of causing fights that he asked for a time out. And we gave him one.

Actually, we took the dishwasher away to *attempt* to teach our son a lesson. He complains every. single. day. about loading and unloading the dishwasher. We have tried to convince him that this is not hard work. But he insists that it is, and takes hours to complete the job to prove to us how horribly hard it is. So we gave Mr. Dishwasher a time out. Maybe he will be back when he feels more appreciated.

Until then, I am washing and Kordell will be doing the rinsing, drying, and putting away. Why am I washing? Well, you see, I like dishes that are actually clean. And I don't want to fight for my clean dishes. I'll just fight to get them dry and put away. *sigh*

I really don't know what to do to get through to this kid. Shipping him off to military school sounds loverly right about now.

It's Black Bean Week!

You probably all remember the Lentils & Rice Experiment. I've decided to build on that concept and experiment with different kinds of beans. I've always been a bit leery of beans, even had an all out hatred of them for awhile. But now that I'm a grown-up, and I see how nutritious and frugal they are, I am learning to like them. And, more importantly, I'm teaching my children to like them.

My focus this week was black beans. I started with them because I already use them in a lot of recipes and they are familiar to Teagan & the kids. I started with 3 cups of black beans (because that's how much fit in the jar I took to the co-op when I bought bulk goods last time.) Here's what I ended up with after they were cooked. 2 pints, 1 quart, and a cup or so for use in dinner. That's about 5 cans worth. I probably saved about 50-75% by cooking my own beans instead of buying them. Plus, I know exactly what is in those beans.


Our menu plan for the week looks like this:

Day 1: Black bean & veggie quesadillas
Day 2: Spicy Black beans & Rice
Day 3: Black bean Soup with cornbread
Day 4: Corn & Black bean Chili with leftover cornbread

These are all meals that my family already eats, the difference is that I saved a bunch of money cooking my own beans and we ate the meals all in a row instead of spreading them out over a few weeks time. I could also have canned or frozen the extra beans for later use, but I save time and packaging (freezer bags or jar lids) by just putting them in the fridge and using them right away.

I am calling black bean week a success! Next week is pinto beans. I'll start out with Mom's Bean & Ham Soup and go from there. Anyone have a recipe to share?