Grandma Rosie of Grandma Rosie's Texas Home posts classic quotes, and I want to do it too!
I really enjoyed this one by Charles H. Spurgeon -
A sacred regard to the authority of God ought to lead us to
reject an error, however old, sanctioned by whatever authority,
or however generally practiced.
-- Charles H. Spurgeon
Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did,
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13
• Thursday, October 9, 2008 - Homeschool Seniors '09
Posted By Miss Jocelyn Dixon
This year I am a senior, and I was excited to see the 2009 homeschool seniors shirts from Homeschool Boutique. Of course the Boutique is always adding new products so I would encourage you to visit their site often!
The ‘09 senior shirts, right now, only come in white, but they will be available in hot pink and cardinal red within a week or so.
The Homeschool Boutique donated a shirt to giveaway so if you’d like to enter to win one just blog about it on your site and leave me the link here. This is open to seniors and parents of seniors, though if you know of a friend who is a senior you’re welcome to enter too - just give me their name.
If you are a senior and haven’t heard of the Homeschool Senior site, please go check it out. You can join in with the graduating class of ‘09 if you like!
Our BRAND NEW eBook is here! Win a copy of our brand new eBook, ”Homestead Simplicity: Natural Clean”!
How do you win?Leave a comment with your first name and email addy, so I can contact you–that simple. Want 2 chances to win? Post this contest on YOUR blog too….and comment with the link, your name and email addy.
18 cups baking apples, peeled & sliced (about 6 lbs.)
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups brown sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
8 cups water
In a large bowl mix the apples together with the lemon juice to keep
them from browning. Set aside. In a large pot combine brown sugar,
cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add water and bring to a boil
over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes. Add
apples (you may want to drain off some of the lemon juice, but I
think it adds a nice flavor) and return to a boil. Reduce heat,
cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Have
your quart jars and lids hot and ready. Pack each jar with the
filling to ½ inch from the top. Screw down lids. Process in hot
water bath for 20 minutes. Makes about 5 quarts.
Our Apples are allllllllmost ready and I hope to make pie filling and applesauces, along with apple CHIPS in the dehydrator too!
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg
5-6 cups of Blackberries
1/4 cup Cornstarch
Start out with clean freshly picked Blackberries in a bowl, I sprinkle about a 1/4 C of cornstarch over the top and mix in, let it set. Grab another bowl and toss in all your other ingredients, using the tines of a fork, mix until crumbly. Pour your berries in a baking dish, oversized pie plate, etc., and sprinkle on your crumbly topping mixture, put into a pre-heated 350 degree oven, bake for 25 or so minutes and remove, cool and EAT. Mmmm!
Felecia at Flower In The Rain tagged me with listing my fall favourites, and since I haven’t done any tags in awhile I thought I’d give this a go ’round. Now, I love fall, especially here in Indiana where you can watch the trees turn to beautiful colours of red, orange, maroon, yellow, and brown. However, I do NOT like the freezing cold weather that slowly moves in! Eeeek! I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t get lower than 40….but here are my favourite fall things.
1. Favorite Smell? fading leaves as the wind blows more than usual
2. Favorite Food? pumpkin pie or bread
3. Favorite Color? burnt orange
4. Favorite Drink? hot tea with honey and creamer
5. Favorite Treat? egg-nog
6. Favorite Place to go? walking through the harvested fields back the woods
7. Favorite Candy? I don’t care for candy
8. Favorite Movie to watch? Little Women
9. Favorite Clothing to wear? my 6yr old blue hoodie that used to be Danielle’s sister’s… years ago.
10. Favorite Outdoor Activity? walking
11. Favorite Football Team? Uh none
12. Favorite Fall Holiday? Jesus’ birth (he was actually born in Setpember, not December)
13. Favorite Haunted place? you know haunted means “frequently visited”? I’d say the woods or the fields.
14. Favorite Food at Thanksgiving Dinner? greenbean casserole and turkey
15. Favorite Pie? pumpkin
16. Favorite Fall Hobby? looking at all the pumpkins or finding interesting leaves
17. Favorite Fall Memory? when Amanda, Rachel, Eric, Hannah, Mother Dear, and I went down the hill, made a leaf pile, and all played in it.
18. Favorite Fall Sight? the trees far off that look like a painted-masterpiece…. oh wait they are.
19. Overall Favorite thing about Fall? the colours
20. Overall Favorite Season? summer changing into fall
I guess I’m suppose to tag someone, but instead I shall put a linky on and if you post your fall favourites you can link it.
I do wanna know one of your fall favourites though!
Does it ever confuse you why green living can be so complicated? Some practices are almost a deterrent from incorporating this into our lifestyles. I have found that I desire to use green practices, but not at the cost of sacrificing my simple life practices. But there is one good thing that keeps me from feeling guilty, simple living often incorporates green living by its essence. Having less, means less garbage, less waste, less cleaning products to care for stuff, less time to care for stuff, less stuff to replace, etc. But how can you do more when you are already struggling to incorporate my simple living practices into your life?
Be thoughtful before you purchase an item. Do you need it? How will it affect the environment and now and in the future? Will there be continuing resources to purchase with using the product? Is there an environmentally friendly way to do this? Some products are now environmentally friendly due to companies making it easy for you. Refillable items, sold in recycled easily disposable items that are poured into a permanently re-usable dispenser are a great example of this. Technology companies often offer an easy method to recycle items such as ink cartridges and batteries by including prepaid envelopes to send the old and empty containers back to them in.
Wash your clothes in cold water only. This completely eliminates the heating of water. I have not found any significant difference in the cleanliness or stain removal of our clothing. I have not used warm or hot water for years. Once you get into this practice, if you have to purchase a new washer, you can often save money by purchasing a model that has fewer options. Additionally, with cold water I have noticed that I can use significantly less detergent to clean a load of laundry.
If at all possible, try carpooling for different activities. Even if you can’t use this practice every day, try finding ways to incorporate carpooling one or two days per week. You will save money, and be able save the environment at the same time. When you can’t carpool, consider sharing errands with a friend or neighbor. If you and a friend both have a designated errand day, that fall on different days, call each other the night before to ask if the other needs anything. This will help eliminate the need for you to make an extra trip out for some forgotten, but needed item for you AND your friend. This saves, time, gas, and emissions!
There are lots of ways to being incorporating green practices into your life style in a simple way. As with other simple living practices, don’t wait, and get started today, with just one idea that you can change this month!
These are my thoughts.
Leslie Valeska
~Contributing Writer~
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking.
For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visither blog Journey to Simplicity. Need a source of encouragement, inspiration, and support on your journey to Godly womanhood? Visit Simple Journey Ministries (she has a FREE E-zine too!) Of course, don’t forget to visit the Simple Journey Bookstore!
Little House and the Big Garden posted these great pictures of their new greenhouse, go check it out! They did a good job, and I know it will be a blessing to their family. I am definitely showing this post to my own husband for a little "inspiration" . The greenhouse that a friend "donated to my cause" was in such bad repair that it wasn't worth salvaging, which was very disappointing. Perhaps we just might find room for one of these somewhere in our new yard.
There is a link in the post to the book they got the plans from for my fellow book-lovers, too!
Hello all! I apologize (again) for being so scarce here lately. I have many a post written in my head to share with you but can't seem find the time or energy to get it into the computer. Ah, such is life.
Chas asked me the other day how I made Apple Cider Vinegar since she has been blessed recently with an abundance. Apple Cider Vinegar is very simple and can be made with the leftover peels and cores from other apple-making projects.
I've written these very simple Apple Cider Vinegar making instruction here. So go ahead and try it. This vinegar is not as strong as true cider vinegar made from cider (i.e. apple juice) but it does the trick and costs a lot less than the vinegars at the grocery store! Enjoy!
Kristin Hoffman homesteads with her family in the hills of East Tennessee and blogs about alternative energy, family farming, and home schooling with her husband at www.solarfamilyfarm.com. She can also be found cooking in the kitchen with her homemade apple cider vinegar.
• Monday, October 6, 2008 - A Simple Woman’s Daybook: Week 9
Posted By Miss Jocelyn Dixon
Grandma Starr got here last Friday, and we spent the previous days cleaning up the schoolhouse for her and then after she got here we spent Friday and Saturday unloading the moving truck. It’s been fun having her here, especially not having to get to the “end” when she would usually leave after only a few days! Right now Amanda is helping her set up the network card in her computer so she can be online and update her blog!
I have a lot to get done today and hope that I will be able to accomplish it all. PLease enjoy my daybook (you can find the original daybook at Peggy’s blog)!
For Today…October 6th, 2008 at 12: 06pm
Outside my Window…grass that I wish was fenced in so the I could let the goats out.
I am thinking…of how Christ continually forgives us and how much I need to learn to be forgiving.
From the learning rooms…more on the wordpress front. Thanks for your help, Joe.
I am thankful for…Christ’s grace and love. For a dirty house when I’m mad.
From the kitchen…Rachel making lunch (beans, rice, and tortillas!!!)
I am wearing…blue shirt, skirt, barefoot, and my green robe.
I am reading…Psalms 50-57 “Create in me a clean heart, oh God.”
I am hoping…Wilbur will get better soon! To buy the shirts at TSC that I found. The ladies at GGM will be able to put up their weeklies. *grin*
I am creating…a template, a list of things that need to be done to the barn for winter, another list for everyone to follow to get the house CLEAN.
I am hearing… my playlist
Around the house…DIRT!
One of my favorite things…accomplishing things and creating designs of any sort
I am praying for…wisdom on my part for certain issues
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…to make the cracker recipe out of the Seasons At Home magazine. Complete the Blessed Girlhood article for next GGM Issue. Email companies for the GGM Ads, finish Page’s template, homeschool memoirs, and The Homesteading Carnival
I accomplished since last week…a lot, but nothing on my list.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Our yard taken from the upstairs window. The sidewalk there leads up to the front porch. You can see behind the barn the railroad tracks (across) where our neighbor lives. The bean fields off to the right. You can also see plenty of toys and chickens! Click for large view.
I cannot put a Mr.Linky on anymore so please leave your daybook link in a comment so I can find it and visit you from there!
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.
. The greenhouse that a friend "donated to my cause" was in such bad repair that it wasn't worth salvaging, which was very disappointing. Perhaps we just might find room for one of these somewhere in our new yard. 
