Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Home Notebook
I made it pretty - after all I look at it every day. Currently it consists of 7 sections:
1. Calendars & Agendas: This includes my weekly calendar with tasks for each day, a yearly calendar with goals to be accomplished through out the year, and my daily and weekly routines.
2. Devotions and Book Notes: Where I right down passages and quotes that speak to me. I keep a list of people to be praying for here.
3. Menus and Grocery Needs: I keep a seasonal menu to put together my weekly menu. I got this idea from here. There is also a food inventory, I shop my house before I go to the store. When I do need something I jot it down on my grocery list also located in this section.
4. Recipes: I print from the Internet so I have quick access to them.
5. Housework: Tips for ways to keep my home clean found here (also where a lot of my notebook pages came from. The rest came from here).
6. Hospitality: Ideas for things I can to do to bless others. For example sending cards to friends, baking for neighbors, inviting people over for meals. I also keep verses that are encouraging to include in my notes.
7. Homemade and Crafting Projects: This is print outs of projects in progress and a list a to-do list of things I hope to make. Currently for my baby nieces and nephews :)
In regards to my schedule and routine I was asked, "What happens if something comes up?"
To that my response is that the notebook is a tool that helps me make the best use of my time and resources for the glory of the Lord. If something comes up it is okay. I don't want to be a slave to my schedule but a servant of the Lord. The whole purpose is to help me best serve my husband, children, and to be able to use my resources to help others. Hope this answers some questions.
Be Loving to Your Children on Purpose
Make eye contact with them when they speak to you and smile.
When they misbehave correct them and then let it go. Go back to being loving and happy.
Be firm without yelling.
Be silly with them and make them laugh.
Play with them - what they want to play! - and have fun doing it.
Give them gentle and affectionate touch through out the day.
Let your smile be the last thing they see at night and your kind words the last thing they hear.
*** We all love our children, but making an effort to let them know in a way they can understand makes all the difference in their little hearts ***
"...we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children." 1 Thessalonians 2:7
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Caramel Cupcakes
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Beer Batter Bread
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Fresh Wheat Flour
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Recipes
Baguettes
Friday, April 16, 2010
Super Simple Chicken and Dumplings
Banana Carrot Muffins with Streusel Topping
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Sift together, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In large bowl beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir in bananas and carrots.
Add dry ingredients but only until all ingredients are wet - don't over mix.
Place liners in muffin cups, lightly grease top of muffin pan to prevent the tops from sticking. Fill each cup to top.
Sprinkle streusel topping on each muffin. Should make approx. 20 muffins
Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out of center clean
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Word of God
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom" James 3:13
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:17
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Quick Quiche - Repost
Quick Quiche
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
½ cup real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 (9 inch) unbaked (frozen) pie shell
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Hand whip eggs, half and half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep pie crust. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown. (I put mine on a cookie sheet to prevent a mess in case something spills)
It takes no time to make and just a bit to cook, but it is worth the wait. Happy Cooking!
Deliberate Moments in Motherhood
Which is why deliberate mothering is so important. Deliberate mothering involves, to me, those seemingly smaller things, that are actually the bigger things, that can get so easily crowded out in a busy day.
Things like lingering eye contact, both during instruction and to express deep fondness. Taking time to cuddle small children–and big ones, read to them or just enjoy child-talk.
Taking walks, talking of God’s greatness, His provision for daily bread, His new morning-mercy, and His deep love for us–small moments of greatness.
Deliberate mothering is remembering to teach eager little hands how to crack an egg, and not get too upset when they drop it on the floor…because that moment holds an even bigger “deliberate opportunity”. (I write it…but I’m still aspiring to live it.)
A word of friendship, a word of inspiration (“I love that part of who you are”), small moments each day that weave together a strong, beautiful tapestry of who our children will become.
I will interject a word of warning here: the opposite it also true. If the bulk of their days is spent receiving insult and injury, either by a parent or by peers who seem to default to “survival of the fittest”, so much is lost and so much of that tapestry is left thread-bare.
Gigantic days are made up of small, deliberate moments. Let’s make them.
By: Kelly at Generation Cedar
You might also want to check out his post on Angel's Blog :)
Monday, April 5, 2010
Decorating Eggs
"and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name." Romans 1:4-5 NLT
Hope everyone had a blessed Resurrection Day!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Starting our Garden
Friday, April 2, 2010
Yummy Homemade Yogurt
1/2 gallon milk
2 cups instant dry milk powder
1 cup sugar (or your choice of sweetener)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
8 oz. plain yogurt with active cultures (first batch after that save some of your own)
Kitchen Thermometer
Large pot
**Makes 1/2 gallon
Pour milk and dry milk into pot and stir well.
Heat milk to 180 degrees, stir frequently to avoid burning bottom .
Fill sink with ice and water and place pot inside sink. Add sugar and stir well. Cool down to 110-115 degrees. Add vanilla. Add yogurt and stir well.
Place storage jars on cookie sheet.
Heat oven to 110-115 and turn off. Turn on oven light. Place yogurt in oven on upper rack and check oven periodically to make sure it stays between 110-115.
It takes 4-6 hours for the yogurt to set up, but you can let it incubate for up to 12depending on how tart you like it and how much beneficial bacteria you wish it to have.
Be sure to save a batch for the next time you need to make it and use that as your starter yogurt.
If plain vanilla isn't your favorite just add flavors to individual servings. We like to stir in granola and fruits.