Ideas, Thoughts and Ramblings

Play dough

Today, I read in the "Making a Home in Town" blog a Play Dough Recipe that brought back memories.  Years ago, I made this for little ones.  The recipe makes about 8 cups and was perfect for taking to the local Head-Start preschool or to a children's hospital ward as a donation to brighten the kids day.  This is one of the very few recipes that actually has the same texture and consistancy of the store bought play dough.  It also has a long shelf life, unlike many recipes that go bad within a couple of months.

For Abbie, I cut the proportions of the ingredients down to 1/4th of the amount given in the recipe.  It still made enough to fill a plastic marshmallow fluff container.  I use the paste type of food coloring as I find it is the most vibrant.  The results were great!  At 2 yrs. old, Abbie has never played with Play Dough before.  She was uncertain of what to do with it at first and barely poked at it.  We will be getting it out each morning though and I am certain she will figure it out in no time!

I am already planning ahead to helping Abbie make ornaments for Christmas with the dough.  I am going to test it out as I cannot remember if it shrinks or cracks during the drying process.    If it works out, it will be great to use in making the Jesse Tree ornaments.

Vacation 2008 Summary

Feelin' Feminine Challenge -My Story

My Story - Feelin’ Feminine Challenge

Jocelyn is doing another Feelin’ Feminine Challenge - What’s Your Story? This Challenge is to tell your story about how you came to believe in femininity. Well, I am doing this Challenge. :) Hope you are too.

I have always liked the old-fashioned looks of the dresses the women of the 1800 and the early 1900’s wore. They were so elegant and beautifully made. Somewhere in the years that have gone passed, we have lost that sense of fashion, and now we see girls and women alike dressed immodestly.

I have always wanted to wear dresses like the prairie girls did when they did their chores, or made dinner with their white aprons tied around their waists. I have always thought of women who wore long skirts and wore blouses with long-sleeves and turtlenecks. That is the way I wanted to dress.

When I was little, like 2-7, Momma let us wear shorts and tanktops. But as she read further into what the Bible had to say about how women should dress, the girls in our family could not wear shorts and could not wear tight jeans. We were allowed to wear skirts that came below the knees and sweat pants for chores, and pajama pants for bed. (To tell you the truth, I mostly wear my skirts to do barn chores in, except when one is not clean.) I am so glad I was made to wear skirts!

I have the ideas about the way a women should look because of what my Momma made me do. Of course, being the person I am, who could walk into Wal-Mart with her hair back in a ponytail, and a t-shirts with a skirt, I was all into trying on the pretty skirts made got for me.

As I grew, I started noticing that a lot of the women I saw were in spaghetti strapped shirts that were tight, and very short shorts, or mini-skirts, or tight jeans. I saw how immodestly dressed they were. You can’t even look at the front page of a magazine anymore, without seeing some half-naked person on the front. It doesn’t make me angry that they are dressed that way. I feel sorry for them that they are selling themselves short, as the saying would go. I hate going to the store in the summer because most of the girls are immodestly dressed. We have to guard our little siblings’ eyes because of it.

It is heartbreaking that no one has told these girls the way they are dressing is wrong. But in today’s world, it’s accepted. What has our society come to?

I am not trying to go on about how people should dress, and I am not trying to condemn anyone. I am simply stating my opinions on my view of femininity. So, will you take the challenge on of being a modest girl in an immodest world? A world that would tell you ‘just be yourself, no one else cares.” Actually, a lot of men notice girls and women who dress immodestly. I try to have a loose shirt, and a flowing skirt, with flipflops or tennis shoes.

How will you be judged by people?

Taking on the challenge,

      Rachel

Tea and Honeycakes ~ Monday

"

"Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting].

Psalm 131:2 amplified version

"I've kept my feet on the ground,
      I've cultivated a quiet heart.
   Like a baby content in its mother's arms,
      my soul is a baby content."

The Message version

Have you ever watched your children? I have 7 and one on the way, so I have many to watch and at different stages in life.  But what I have noticed in my baby who is 10 months old and in my 5 year old, they have the ability to go with the moment.  They just enjoy life.  Even in my 7 and 9 year old, their imaginations just seize every opportunity to enjoy whatever little joys they have come upon.

In their eyes nothing is too small or unworthy, or even insignificant for their little wondering minds. They enjoy nature with such suprise.

With my children, they are easily entertained by the smallest wonders. A beautiful "weed" in the yard, a small ground worm digging in the dirt, a pile of fresh, crispy fall leaves (I enjoy these too), or seeing our mourning dove preparing for life in my flower basket.

Watching my children, I am reminded that they are fully dependant on me.  They have no worries over bills, food, or even clothing.  They know that when they get done they will still have a roof over their head to sleep under.

The heart of children seem to also show forth all that God finds best about humankind. What greater image of contentment than that of a young child resting with complete trust on the shoulder of the one who loves him best. His parents, and for us, our Father in heaven.

"Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother's breasts.

    I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God."

Psalm 22:9-10 amplified version

"Dear Abba Father, I am in complete awe and wonder of your presence everywhere I go. I like my children, will dance in your goodness and sing a new song every morning.  I am thankful for the grace you supply me new everyday.  Thank you for Your creation and thank you for my children who continue to teach me how to rely and trust in you.

Your Daughter,

Dinner in a Pie

This is a very hearty meal that is great for using up leftovers.  I had some ground venison on hand, so I browned it along with some onions, garlic, and bell peppers.  Next, you add assorted vegetables and just enough seasoned tomato sauce or a gravy to moisten the meat & vegetables.  You don't want too much liquid as it will cause the bottom crust to become soggy.

Make enough pie crust for a 2-crust pie.  I rolled it out abit thicker than I would for a fruit pie so that the bottom crust would hold together better when I served up the meal.  Line a deep dish pie pan with pie crust.  Fill with the meat & vegetable filling.  Top with the second crust and seal the edges.  Poke holes into the crust to allow steam to vent.

Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for about 1 hour or until pie is bubbly and crust is a golden color.

There are many variations to this pie.  Any combination of meat and vegetables that sounds good to you will work.  These pies can be made vegetarian style or with meat.  Try making the pie with a tamale pie filling and serve with cornbread.  Other simple variations could be: fajita mix, chili with cheese, loaded up with your favorite pizza toppings, chicken/broccoli/cheese mixture, beef stew leftovers, or philly steak/bell peppers/onions/cheese mixture.

For vegetarians, you can make any vegetable and grain combination that you love and bake it in the pies.  The options are only limited by your imagination.  You can use any vegetarian stew recipes and the pie would be great.

For those who do the once a month cooking, this is a great meal that can be frozen for later.  You can also scale down the size to use the small single serving sized pie pans to make your own homemade pot pies.  Prebaked, these would make a great meal to take to work and heat up in the microwave for your lunch.

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Thoughts

Homesteading Carnival: Lazy Summer Weekend Edition

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Emily made this yummy blueberry lemon cake last night.  I had purchased some organic frozen blueberries from Azure and we used those.  The cake was not only delicious but pretty too .... 

To make glaze, mix all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle glaze over the completely cooled cake... serve and enjoy!  

Happy Monday

We spent the weekend working on furniture projects. So very frustrating when we spent high dollar on a certain primer and sanded diligently, then it still didn't adhere!  Such is life. Now we're in the spraying process, and then waxing afterwards. ITs working!

Son2 is home from summer visitation with his natural dad so we're thrilled to have everyone home!

Today's chores are laundry, completing the furniture we began, moving it to the spaces chosen and reorganizing what goes in them!

Be blessed! God has promised us a life we can only imagine if we follow HIm! The covenant with Abraham is true for us today!

Sweetie

getting things done