Good Sunday Morning To You

I hope you can set this day apart from the rest of the week:

*worship the Lord (with gladness)

*look your best

*pray

*read your Bible

*conduct yourself in a worthy manner

*love your family well

*think of someone else today through a phone call or write a note

*rest and relax

*take a break from the news and remember that God is in control

*give God the glory in all you do!

Remember that God is not just Holy - He is Holy, Holy, Holy!!!  

Rebellion

I know I'm on a little bloggy break, but my morning Bible reading was so good today I just had to share it with you.

It's from Deuteronomy Chapter 1, verses 26-46 (I hope you will take the time to read the whole thing for yourself).  It's what Moses is saying to the Israelites and it can definitely apply to us as well.

We are at times:

*rebellious

*grumblers

*fearful

*distrusting

*not listening to God

And, at some point, according to this passage, God:

*"will pay no attention to our weeping and turn a deaf ear."  (verse 45)

Doesn't that sound like the state of our world right now?  

We need to turn back to the Lord and watch ourselves closely:

*do what the Lord commands

*stop grumbling

*do not fear

*trust in Him

*and listen to Him!

I hope that each of us will, once again, humble ourselves and pray for help in each of these areas. Let's start remembering again that God is Holy.  Without remembering that, each of us will do what we please and not even consider the fact that God will not allow that to go on.  Let us encourage each other and pray for each other today.

Jesus, Our Friend

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

Remember, dear ladies, that we often carry things and burdens that were not meant for our shoulders.  Give them to Jesus.  And may you experience the "peace that passes all understanding" today.  God bless you.  : )

Time Out

I can just feel the warmth.  : )

Well, this has been a week of not posting very much.  Not that I'm not doing anything, but sincerely wonder if what I post is of any interest.  Hmmmmm........I'll have to think about this.  I honestly don't want to bore you with what I'm cleaning next or what meals I'm serving because I know that all of you sweet women are doing the same.  I'm not a talented seamstress so I have no projects to show you.  I craft but it isn't anything that you haven't seen before.  Sometimes when I look at past posts, I feel a bit like I'm boasting in what I accomplish and I definitely don't want to do that!  Some blogs that I read I really wonder if they ever go to bed at night or are they working around the clock?!!!   They get SO much done!!!  LOL  (I know LOL is suppose to be out now, but I'm not savvy with what to use in it's place.)  : )

It's true that I LOVE being a homemaker.  I love what I do because I believe it's meaningful work. I'm very old-fashioned.  I'm an Aunt Bea type of woman - at home taking care of "the boys."  So, I think I will take a bit of a time out from blogging for a while to do some research on what to do next. If any of you have ideas of what you'd like to read about, please feel free to let me know.  

Until then, I will take a bit of a break and see what I can come up with.  Like I always say, God bless you with your homemaking efforts.  Home is an important place to take care of!!!!!!!  See you soon and thanks for stopping by.

Keeping Up

Maybe it's because I don't have any pretty wintery scenes, but I'm loving the flowers.  : )

Yesterday:

*Paid the bills/went through household budget

*Menu/grocery list

*Ironed Monday's laundry

*Made supper/cleaned the kitchen/set out everything for this morning

*Read a little/went to bed!

It was such a good day in that I took my time with absolutely everything.  I'm determined this year to be careful in my planning.  For when I hurry, mistakes are made and things are overlooked and it takes even more time to set it straight.

My two-week menu plan looks like this (using up as much as I can before buying more):

*Pizza using leftover meat and cheese, salad

*Pancakes using a mix from the pantry, bacon, fresh oranges

*Tuna noodle casserole, salad, pineapple

*Chicken Noodle soup, cheese and crackers, apple slices

*Meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn

*Meatless pasta sauce over noodles, salad, garlic toast

*Soft shell tacos, chips and salsa, fresh oranges

*Chow mein w/noodles and rice, salad, tea 

*Egg and cheese bagels, chips, fruit

*Cod fillets, macaroni and cheese, broccoli

*Oven beef stew, bread, jello w/whipped cream (fresh)

*Whole baked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn

*Tomato soup, grilled cheese

*Hard shell tacos, chips and salsa, fruit

Our salads consist of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, sunflower seeds

None of it's fancy, but we like it.  : )

I can't believe we're almost finished with January.  I took a look at February on the calendar and wrote down all the cards I would need to send out for birthdays and anniversaries for the month but mostly Valentine's Day.  This reminds me to sit down and take the time to make cards again (yeah!). If you can remember to send Valentine's to the elderly and widowed, they would so appreciate it.  It's fun to keep some of the old traditions going.

And since it's the beginning of a new year, it's a good idea to revamp the finances.  Give the envelope system a try.  Putting a few dollars in when you can saves you money in the future.  If you're not familiar with the envelope system just go on-line and read about it.  It really does help!  And the old trick of paying a $15.75 purchase with a $20.00 or $13.59 purchase with $15.00 (and so on) and saving the rest really adds up!  Save all the change back in a big jar.  If you haven't begun a pantry, start small every shopping trip and buy a can or two extra to put away.  Just starting to read up on the many ways to save money is a big help.

That's it for today.  I must be going.  I hope you enjoy your day and again, may God bless your homemaking efforts.  It's all important work!!!  : )

The Night Before

Ah, green.  : )

If feels like the Arctic tundra although I've never lived in the Arctic tundra so I have no way of comparing, but I'm assuming it's similar to this.  : o

Fortunately I'm motivated to do a lot of work when the weather is like this.  It's been a fine day:  

*laundry done

*vacuuming done

*floors swept

*bathroom cleaned

The room I've chosen for deep cleaning this week is bedroom #1 (out of 3).  I began by cleaning the ceiling fan, all the pictures on the walls, and the high shelves along with dusting the baseboards and under the bed.  Tomorrow I need to take the curtains off and wash them, clean the blinds and the windows and then start on the closet.  I have a feeling the closet will take the rest of the week there is so much in there that needs to be sorted through.  I'm looking forward to filling more bags to give away!  (speaking of which  - the bags in the laundry room are gone - yippee!)  : )

Tonight's meal is in the oven (again, it's suppose to be Meatless Monday, but we're having yesterday's meal tonight):

*Creamy baked chicken

*Oven baked potatoes and carrots

*Broccoli 

I made banana nut muffins also to put in the freezer.

The topic of "The Night Before" came about as I was thinking how much more smoothly things go in the morning when I can do a lot the night before:

*put a load of laundry in

*set the breakfast table

*know what your going to wear

*clean the kitchen

*make lunches

*pick up things that don't belong in certain rooms

*take your makeup off and wash your face

*set everything out that you will need to cook with 

*prep work for a crockpot meal the next day

All of this helps tremendously in having a more relaxing morning.  I know that I'm really tired by the time I get done with supper dishes that this doesn't happen every night, but I do try to remind myself that a little work now is so helpful for later.  

That is it for today!   I hope you are enjoying your home and getting done what you need to get done. Thanks for dropping in.  : ) 

Giving The Lord Your Best

Again, a little summer beauty in the middle of winter.

Sometimes I feel we forget that when we are followers of Christ, He is with us.  He's in every room of the house, He's in our cars, He's in our work, He's in our leisure.  There can be moments when, in our forgetfulness, we can be, well, rather disrespectful.  Of others, of ourselves, of God Himself.  As women we have a great capacity to set the mood or the tone of our homes whether we live alone or with others.  Today try to be:

*pretty - do your hair, put a little makeup on, dress nicely

*feminine - we ARE women, and should talk appropriately (there is no room for swearing and when it comes out of a woman's mouth, it's vulgar)

*caring - are we praying for others?  Are we reaching out to anyone?  Do our homes look like we care?

*nice - do we say "please" and "thank you" and do we treat others as we would like to be treated?

*interesting - are we constantly learning?  Do we try new things?

*loving - do we put others' needs before our own?

*godly - do we put God first every day?  Do we constantly put His Word into our hands and read it?

*enjoyable - in the world we live in, there should be time given to just have fun.  Are you enjoyable to be with?  Do people want to be around you?

*changed - when we came to Jesus, we put off the old self and put on the new.  If someone who knew us years ago (before salvation) met us again, would they see the change?  Or do we say and do the same things as we did before so that they wouldn't be changed by us?

Do these things really matter in the 21st century?  Yes, I believe so and I believe even MORE so. Let's be the women God wants us to be today and every day.  Have a blessed Sabbath!  : )  

Deep Cleaning and Mixing It Up

It's brrrrrrrrrr.............again.  One nice day yesterday and now back to the deep freeze.  It IS January after all, but I don't do well with cold, cold, cold.  The only thing I like is that I get a lot of work done in the house.  : )  I'm having fun (yes, fun) with deep cleaning.  The bathroom last week and the kitchen this week.  Not quite sure yet which room I'll be doing next week (the laundry room perhaps?).  I'd first like to get the main level rooms cleaned and then get to the basement (you see how I keep putting it off?).  

I've been looking through all my recipes too.  Whenever I do this I just can't believe why I keep looking for new recipes to try.  My collection of recipes right now is immense.  Those tried and true and those that are new but haven't tried them yet.  It will take me all year (if not longer) to get to them all.  

I'm determined to think things through this year as far as what more I can make here at home rather than buying them.  One of those ways, like I've said before, is to have mixes in the pantry, frozen dough and other from-scratch foods in the freezer to just pull out and have a good part of the meal already done.  There are times, when I feel I have more time, that I like to go into the kitchen early in the afternoon and leisurely slice and dice and mix and cook at a slow pace just for the luxurious feel of it.  And when the kitchen is clean and organized it actually becomes a pleasure.  But on those days when I'm doing something that's going to lead up to about an hour or so before supper, it's great to have something thawing out or something that's already mixed up just ready for the wet ingredients to finish it up.

As you know we have Taco Tuesdays so we use a lot of taco seasoning mix and I really do like the flavor of the seasoning packets you can buy but I don't like all the unnecessary stuff in it.  Fresh, if you can, is best.  So here is a mix I've run across that tastes pretty close to what you can buy.

Taco Seasoning Mix

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup cumin powder

1 Tblsp. garlic powder

1 Tblsp. onion powder

1 tsp. leaf oregano

1 tsp. paprika

1/8 cup sea salt

1 tsp. pepper

Put in a jar and shake well.  Can be kept for up to six months (no problem there!).  Makes approximately 1 cup.  To use: sprinkle 2 Tablespoons to 1 lb. cooked ground beef - add 2/3 cup water and 1 Tbsp. flour to thicken.  Enjoy!

Sometimes we like to have something a little sweet after our meal (especially after a spicy meal) so this is my go-to pudding mix:

Vanilla Pudding Mix

1 1/2 cup instant dry milk

1 cup sugar

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

Blend well until thoroughly combined.  This is really important!  When ready to cook, measure out 1/4 cup of the mix, 1 cup of milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla in a medium saucepan stirring constantly over low heat until thickened.  Yum.  : )

On Whatever Wednesday this past week, I made our homemade pizza.  What I usually do is take an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce and add the pizza seasoning mix and spread over the dough.  Well, I had a little of our meatless pasta sauce left in the fridge so I gave it a try instead.  There were raves!  So, from now on, I'm going to make a batch of the pasta sauce and divide it up into pizza size portions, throw them into the freezer and thaw out whenever we have pizza again.  It was so good.  Here is the recipe:

Meatless Pasta Sauce

3, 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

1, 6 oz. can tomato paste

4 oz. water (stir in paste can)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 med. onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. basil

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. pepper

salt to taste

In large pot on med-high heat, sweat the onion and garlic till onions are transparent.  Add remaining ingredients, turn up heat, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until sauce is thick (1 - 2 hours).  Stir occasionally.   Very easy, very good.  : )

While cleaning out a drawer just off the kitchen I noticed I had some cake decorating tips and thought how much I'd like to get back into that again.  That's another thing to just do at home instead of depending on the grocery store for when we have parties.  I'd have to start small (cupcakes) and build up to cakes, but I'd like to give it a try.  So much to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I hope this finds you doing well and are encouraged to take care of your precious home.  Thank you for stopping by and God bless you in your efforts to make a cozy, comfortable home for your family and friends.

Wednesday Morning

It's still so very cold that I'm holding up in my house and just getting things done.  My grocery shopping is usually on Wednesdays but tomorrow it's suppose to be so much warmer that I'll just wait until then.  : )

There were 3 things I wanted (needed) to get done yesterday:

*Pay the bills/go through budget

*Make out the menu/write the grocery list

*Ironing Monday's laundry

All 3 things were accomplished and now on to a new day.

I have 2 things to get done today:

*Deep clean the kitchen (clean off shelves, wash knickknacks, clean out drawers and cupboards, etc.)

*Laundry (towels and washcloths, curtains, rugs, etc.)

One thing about going through the kitchen a while back, is that I finally have pared down everything to what I actually need and use and have gotten rid of stuff that just sits around.  That in and of itself helps me when I deep clean the kitchen because I have less to move.  It's a good feeling when you know that what you have is all you need.

The laundry room, on the other hand, is another story.  This is the room where things gather and sit. Right now I have bags of items to take to a charitable organization - the key is to actually carry them up the stairs and into the back of the car!  You wouldn't think that would be a big deal, but obviously it must be.  : o  So, suffice to say, this is an area that I have to concentrate on and soon!

I know I've posted about this product before:

but I have to comment about it again.  I could kick myself for not taking pictures of my white tablecloths after one of our holiday gatherings, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  At the party, we served different flavors of pop - grape, black cherry, orange, etc. - and we also served Chinese food (with soy sauce).  Well, after everyone was gone and I was clearing the dishes from the table, those white tablecloths had a lot of that pop and soy sauce on them.  I looked at them thinking there was no way I could restore them back to the way they were.  BUT! on the next day I took them downstairs and laid each one on the floor and started working on them with Fels-Naptha.  In the laundry room I always have a bar in a jar with a little water on the bottom to soften it and a toothbrush for applying.  Every stain on the tablecloth was liberally scrubbed and then thrown into the wash and they both came out clean and clear.  They looked like new!  So, I am hooked on this product.  There hasn't been a stain yet that this couldn't get rid of.  The wonderful thing about it, is that only costs about $1.29 for a bar and it keeps for a long time.  I hope you try it.  : )

Tonight is Whatever Wednesday for our meal and we are having:

*Homemade Pizza

*Salad

Still using things up in the fridge, so I noticed that I have just enough meatless spaghetti sauce left that I will top our pizza with and have salad greens that need to be eaten up so it works out perfectly!

Here is the pizza dough recipe I use (so you never have to buy frozen again):

3 1/2 - 4 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

Combine these ingredients starting with the 3 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl or standing mixer.

Add:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 Tblsp. olive oil

Mix until the dough forms a ball.

Add additional flour as needed until dough just starts to form a firm ball.  Cover and let rise till doubled (45 min.-1 hour).  Punch down and divide into 2 equal parts.  At this point, either freeze each part or freeze 1 and make the other into pizza, or make both into pizzas.

If making into pizza(s) - preheat oven to 450.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to desired thickness.  Let rest 10 minutes. top as desired and bake for 18 - 22 minutes.

I think you'll like it.  : )

Before I leave you, I want to leave you with a verse from the Book of Numbers Chapter 32 verse 23 - "..........you may be sure that your sin will find you out."  This is one of my favorite verses.  It's an important one to always remember.  One day we all will stand before God and give an account of our life.  I always associate this verse with telling it to our children as I always hope that when they do something they shouldn't be doing they will be "found out" before it goes too far, but as adults we all know that it most certainly applies to us as well.

Well, I'd better get going!  I hope you have a good day and again, thank you always for dropping by.

Time of Refreshment

Aren't cameras wonderful?  We can have summer flowers in January!

This morning, while putting my makeup on, I was listening to one of my favorite pastors on-line (James MacDonald from Walk in the Word).  His sermon was on Isaiah 40 and during my prayer time and Bible reading, I took a break from the book of Numbers and read Isaiah.  If you can read this some time today, I believe you will be refreshed.  Especially verses 28 - 31:

"Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can

fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, 

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

the will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

After last week I feel fragile.  I feel weak.  I feel weary.  How wonderful it is that the Lord can give us strength.  He can give us power.  I feel like I've had my time of refreshment for today - He gave me what I needed to hear.  : )

I had two goals for this day:

*Deep-clean the bathroom (deep cleaning is different than just the weekly surface cleaning - it is washing the walls, cleaning out cupboards, dusting off light fixtures and shelves, etc. along with the weekly cleaning of toilet/shower/sink).

*Do every piece of household laundry (wash, dry, fold, put away).

I also vacuumed and swept floors.  I am considering myself done for the day.  : )

I took advantage of the terribly cold weather this past weekend and made cards. I know I've posted about this before, but  I could literally sit all week and just make cards.  Ever since my friend told me about this a few years ago, I'm hooked.  It is one of the most creative, frugal, and relaxing thing I can think of to do.  Here's a sampling:

I used lots of glitter for winter sparkle.  : )

And after I finish posting this blog, this is the hand work I started last night:

I found this lovely piece of pre-printed fabric in a quilt shop while on vacation last summer.  I put batting in between and a backing on, sewed it all together and now the fun part begins - going around each square with hand stitches.  I will show the finished product when done.  : )

It was supposed to be Meatless Monday tonight but I have a pound of hamburger in the fridge with a few odds and ends of things from the weekend, so I am making goulash (a favorite of ours).  Here is the recipe:

1 lb. hamburger (ground beef)

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

2 onions, chopped

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 cup hot water

1 can tomato soup

1, 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes

Garlic salt to taste

Onion salt to taste

1, 7 oz. pkg. elbow macaroni, cooked

Brown meat, celery and onions.  Drain.  Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water.  Add soup, tomatoes, noodles, and seasonings.  Pour into 2-qt. casserole.  Cover, bake at 350 for 1 hour.  This is a good pantry meal with items I normally have around.  Tonight, however, I'm going to add leftover corn to it and top with leftover shredded cheddar cheese.  Kind of a comfort food for us.  : )

I hope you are enjoying your day as well.  Thank you once again for stopping by and taking the time to read my blog.  You are always welcome.  : )  God bless your homemaking efforts.

Sunday Morning

Again, a touch of summer in here in the Arctic!  : )

One discipline that I've kept up since I got saved over 20 years ago, is the discipline of journaling while reading the Bible or a Christian book.  I have notebooks full of things I've written down that are so helpful to me as I scan the pages for insight without having to remember which book I saw it in. One of those books that I took notes from is called "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney.  I haven't looked to see if this book is still available or not but if it is, I would recommend it as a very good book to read.  In this book, there is a chapter just on journaling and I'm thinking this is where I may have received the idea from.  And I would challenge you, starting today if you don't already, to begin your journaling discipline!  

Here are some of the notes I took on the chapter of journaling while reading this book:

1.  Journaling helps in self-understanding and evaluation - it can be a mirror in the hands of the Holy Spirit in which He reveals His perspective on our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.  We will be held accountable for each of these at Judgement, so evaluating them through journaling is wisdom.

2.  Journaling helps in meditation by recording and meditating on a certain passage of Scripture.

3.  Journaling helps in expressing thoughts and feelings to the Lord.

4.  Journaling helps in remembering the Lord's works.

5.  Journaling helps in creating and preserving a spiritual heritage.

6.  Journaling helps in clarifying and articulating insights and impressions by writing down the meditations of quiet time with the Lord.

7.  Journaling helps in monitoring goals and priorities.

8.  Journaling helps in maintaining other spiritual disciplines such as stewardship, fasting, prayer, Bible intake, worship, evangelism, service, learning, and solitude.

How to Journal:

*List one verse or idea from your Bible reading that impressed you most.

*Meditate on that for a few minutes, then record insights and impressions.

*Add recent events in your life and your feelings and responses to them, brief prayers, joys, successes, failures, quotations, etc.

I hope this motivates you in some way to take a notebook today and as you listen to your pastor's sermon, or read a passage in the Bible that you will begin to write things down.  You could even make a pretty notebook to put all of these thoughts and feelings into and what a wonderful keepsake you would have to go back and look at through the years.  It will certainly chronicle the growth you've made in your Christian walk.  I hope you try it starting today!!  God bless your Sabbath.

You Just Never Know

So cold today - I need a touch of summer.  : )

Well, the past few days has, once again, proven to me that you just never know what will happen. Waking up at midnight with a heart that's racing isn't something that I experience so I took my very first ambulance ride to the hospital.  What a disconcerting feeling.  It reminded me how very fragile we are.  And it reminded me of how quickly life can change.  I'm fine now (with a couple more dr. appointments in the future) but it's a good reminder to live life fully.  To keep working and keep going and to keep the faith.

I haven't accomplished much in the past couple of days but am trying to keep up so I don't get too far behind.  Last night we had our last Christmas get-together and we had a meal that I wanted to share with you.  This is so fun, so good, and very filling.  Everyone enjoyed it.

CHIPOTLE'-STYLE CHICKEN RICE BOWL

There are 4 steps to this:

1.  Make the rub ahead of time and set aside.  (This can be doubled, tripled, etc.)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2.  Prepare the rice just before serving.  (Also can be doubled, tripled, etc.)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

Juice from one lime

3 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1 Tblsp. butter

Combine rice, water, lime juice, and salt in a pot or rice cooker and cook according to directions. Once rice is cooked, stir in butter and set to warm.

3.  Prepare chicken - I think I could have prepared this earlier in the day and then just heated it up later so that I'm not cooking at the last minute.  (Again can be doubled, tripled, etc.)

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 Tblsp. oil

Spice rub

Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry.  Cut into bite-size pieces.  Rub meat with oil and then coat with spice rub.  Heat non-stick pan and lightly coat it with olive oil.  Cook meat, stirring every few minutes till cooked through.  Keep warm.

4.  Set out fillings/toppings:  (Good idea to do this early in the day and put into fridge until serving)

*guacamole'

*canned corn

*shredded lettuce

*shredded cheddar cheese

*salsa/sauce

*Chipotle' seasoning

*sour cream

*black olives

To serve:  Let everyone fill their bowls first with rice, then chicken, and then toppings.  

This really is a fun meal.  I served it with tortillas chips and salsa at the table along with fresh pineapple.  I hope you can give it a try.

That is all I have for today.  I hope you enjoy this Saturday and have a blessed Sabbath tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by.  : )

Menus

I'm back to making my 2-week menu plan.  Today is the big shopping trip - next week will be filling in with fresh milk and produce.  I'm also cleaning out the fridge and freezer using up what I have before bringing more in.

So, here it goes!  (in no particular order)

*Salmon fillets, broccoli, brown rice pilaf, red grapes

*Lasagne, garlic bread, salad

*Chipotle-style chicken rice bowl, fresh fruit

*Split Pea soup, pumpkin bread

*Pearl's baked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn

*Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

*Soft shell tacos, chips and salsa, fresh fruit

*Homemade pizza and salad

*Baked whole chicken (using the bones for soup later!), homemade rice-a-roni, cooked carrots

*Peel n' eat shrimp, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, fresh orange slices

*Beef stew, banana bread, fresh fruit

*Brown sugar garlic chicken thighs, stir-fried green beans, baked potatoes

*Fried egg and cheese sandwich (using bagels), fresh fruit

*Walking tacos (using crushed Doritos, taco meat and all the other taco fixins')

*Braised pork chops, squash, brown rice, fresh orange slices

Yesterday, for a mid-morning refreshment I noticed a very ripe banana.  In the blender it went.  I had some Kefir in the fridge.  In the blender it went.  I also had some mixed organic salad greens.  In the blender it went.  A touch of milk and a little organic sugar and blend!  I can't tell you how good this was.  It was scrummy.  : )

Remember today that no matter where you live it is your home.  Remember that whether you work outside the home or not, you are still a homemaker.  May you love your home and role as homemaker.  It's important work.  God bless your efforts.  Have a wonderful day ahead of you.  : )

Homemaking

It amazes me every day about the different aspects of homemaking.  I love the fact that no two days are alike (unless you make it that way).  Even with a daily schedule, how you do the work and when you do the work are different and there are always unplanned things that come up in between the work.  It's one of the most fulfilling jobs I've ever had and I've been at it for over 25 years!  I still love it.  : )

Last night I almost fell into bed, so tired from the day's work.  It was a good tired though.  All the Christmas things are down (except the snowmen and snowflakes) and THAT is a huge thing in and of itself (bringing all the boxes out again, taking everything down, pack them all up, and putting the boxes back all the while vacuuming and dusting to get it all back to normal).  It was the major laundry day too so between taking Christmas down I had to make sure to keep up with the washing and the drying and the folding and the hanging up and the putting away!  : )  I also made sure that I kept a paper bag next to me while in the living and dining room.  My purging of stuff has begun so I went through every drawer and cabinet in these two rooms and put into the bag what I felt we could do without and they will then be put into the car and taken to the local charity.

I took the time in the afternoon to put my coat on, make a cup of hot tea, grab a chair, and read a book outside in the cold afternoon sunshine.  So good to be out in the fresh air.  I try to do that occasionally during the winter.   

I made a simple supper of Hamburger Vegetable soup served with cheese and crackers and fresh orange slices which topped off the day quite nicely.

One time-saving thing I've done for years now is to set everything out for the next morning on the evening before.  So, when I'm done cleaning the kitchen and washing dishes after supper, I take two trays and set them on the stovetop.  One tray has everything for the table - the bowls, spoons, napkins, juice glasses and vitamins.  The other tray has everything for the cooking - saucepan, wooden spoon, measuring cup, oatmeal, flaxseed, cinnamon, and coconut oil.  Then after getting ready for the day in the morning all I need to do is go into the kitchen and take one tray to the dining table and prepare the food on the other tray.  I just boil the water for tea and oatmeal and it's only minutes until we actually sit down and eat.

I think today will be equally busy as it was yesterday:

*Iron the laundry

*Plan the menu for the week and make out tomorrow's grocery list

*Go through the budget and pay any bills

*Run a quick errand

*Begin my "Week One" cleaning which will be the Kitchen 

Tuesday is usually Taco Tuesday but I'm a day off so we are having:

*Baked Potato supper with the fixings - bacon, sour cream, green onions, cheese

*Served with a green salad and apple slices

So, in order to get to all of these wonderful things, I will need to sign off.  Thanks so much for dropping by.  I hope you enjoy getting your work done too!!!!  God bless your efforts.

Are We Different?

This past week I had the unpleasant experience of watching "Christian" young women being rather snobbish to another Christian young woman of whom they did not know very well, if at all.

Then, just recently, I heard someone say that they've met non-Christian people who were much nicer than Christian people.

THAT is very sad.  To me that means, as Christians, we are not presenting ourselves very well nor are we representing Christ well.  Only God can do the good work within us to be authentic Christian women.  Only He can change our hearts.  Let us all be careful this day, this week, this month, this new year, to be in constant prayer for help in this area.  

The world seems to be spinning out of control and the ONE thing the world needs to see is a Christian who is kind.  A Christian who is real.  A Christian who lives out the Word of God. Someone they can count on to be different than what the world has to offer.  The example we have to follow is that of Christ himself.  Let this be the year we open our Bibles (every day) and read and study and show ourselves approved by God.  To be changed by it.  If we're having a problem with treating others kindly, then we need some spiritual surgery done on our heart. We want to be women who will bring other women to faith.  People are watching.  Let's never forget that.  Let's continually ask ourselves - "are we different?"  And then take the steps necessary to make sure we are.

January

A new month.  A new way of doing some things.  A fresh start.  I used to make all kinds of New Year's resolutions, but I really don't anymore.  I found within myself the characteristic of setting myself up for failure.  What I had written down looked great on paper, but there was no way I was going to accomplish most of those things. And then there comes the comparison to others and how I'm not doing as much as they are and by the end of January I'm throwing it all in the trash. As I get older I realize that by just doing SOMETHING is so much better than trying to do it ALL. Every day is an opportunity to get something done. Whether that be eating healthier, or cleaning an area that has gotten out of hand, or reading a book on how to garden better, or learning to knit.  I guess the closest thing to goal setting for me is my Household Notebook.  Every day I have a list of to-do's.  Then every month there are more to-do's.  Everything written down to remind myself of my household duties and responsibilities.  But even with that, I have to remind myself to be ok with not getting it all done.  Life isn't all work and it isn't all play and if we can learn to balance the two I think that is the secret to begin a new month and a new year.  : )

With that said, here are my January to-do's, Deo Volente' (God willing):

*Make new files/store the old.

*Get tax information together.

*Fill out new calendars.

*Check attic for leaks.

*Sharpen workshop tools and kitchen knives.

*Inspect the roof.

*Plan your garden and landscaping (order seed catalogs!)

*Check for drafts around windows and doors.

*Organize paperwork and desk space.

*Buy houseplants to purify air in your home.

I don't know about you, but in the winter months we eat a lot of Vitamin C foods (oranges, grapefruit, pineapple) and up until yesterday, I had totally forgotten about what to do with orange peels - you can candy them!  They are so delicious and here is a recipe:

CANDIED ORANGE PEELS

Rinse 3 oranges (or more if they're little like the mandarin type) and when you peel them for eating, cut the peel into thin strips.  Place the strips in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Set on stove on high heat and bring to a boil.  Drain water and repeat the process twice more.  In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water.  Pour the sugar water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Let the mixture cook for 8 to 9 minutes at a constant simmer.  Add the peel and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain the simmer.  Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallization.  If necessary, swirl the pan to make sure all the peels get covered with the syrup.  At the end, the peels should be translucent.  Drain any remaining syrup and set aside for other use (tea?).  Spread the peels out on a drying rack and leave to dry for 4 - 5 hours.  Store in airtight container.

These make a beautiful gift!

And yesterday, for New Year's Eve brunch, I made our favorite:

BEST OVEN BAKED FRENCH TOAST (needs to be made the night before):

Coat a 9 x 13 pan with 1/2 cup butter.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon evenly over butter.  Arrange 12 slices of cinnamon bread in two layers over brown sugar mixture.  Beat 6 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and a pinch of salt in a bowl; pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Oh yum.  : )

Serve with sausage or bacon on the side and homemade applesauce or fresh orange slices.

Thanks, once again, for taking the time to stop by.  Enjoy this day.  God bless you.