Butter and Honey

I never really thought much about bowls until I read an excellent posting a few years ago by Lady Lydia at LAF titled "The Mixing Bowl." If you have not read it, I would highly encourage you to do so.

I love the picture she paints of the woman of the house standing with her apron on, holding the mixing bowl firmly with one hand and arm, stirring vigorously with her other, all the while watching over the affairs and doings of her home. There is such grace and nostalgia in a simple apron, a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. A gentleness that pulling the mixer out of the cupboard will never be able to match.

I have my own favorite bowls now, each with it's own story and purpose.

This is my Grandmother's bowl. This is also my largest bowl which is used for the BIG things like making bread, holding a family-size serving of noodles, or for mixing up a big batch of Refrigerator Bran Muffins which will last us for a week of breakfasts. It is a heavy ceramic bowl and I love using it because it brings back thoughts of a Grandmother whom I never really got to know, yet wish I had. Bittersweet - I understand what that means now.

This one is a two-quart batter bowl that I bought several years ago from Pampered Chef. This is invaluable to me for a quick batch of muffins or pancakes in the morning or for brownies in the evening . It's even been known to handle some tuna salad for lunch! It also has a lid and is great for storing leftover soups. I couldn't be without this or his little sister, the one-quart batter bowl.

This little bowl is not for mixing - it is simply pretty and I love serving things in it on the table. It has held chips, scrambled eggs, salads, and vegetables. I didn't buy this bowl, it was actually left at the house we bought. It was left in the garage, underneath some shelves with planting containers. I guess at one time it held a potted plant and was then forgotten. But it caught my eye as soon as I saw it. I took it in the house and scrubbed it clean. Now it is a little bright spot in my cupboard or on the table!

This cheery bowl was found on the bottom shelf at Goodwill. I love all things chicken and so this immediately caught my eye! It is a bit chipped around the top, but it is useful just the same. This is the bowl that sits out on my stovetop - not only decorative but practical, too. Whenever I am cooking and need a quick place to put something, this is the bowl. It holds cooked onions for me while I finish cooking the meat, and it keeps the fajitas or taco meat warm while I heat the tortillas in the skillet. This is my little everything bowl and I'm so glad I found it!

These bowls will be a part of my children's memories - of mom in the kitchen, of the special treats that were baked for them, the stories that each bowl holds, of 'home.'

What memories in the making are in your kitchen? What are your everyday treasures that will last forever in the minds of your children? I hope you have a few, or if not that you'll get some soon.

Literature and Life . . . . or How Little Girls Soon Grow Up

Wonderful Oatmeal Bread Recipe

Despise Not the Chastening of the Lord

This weekend, while a wonderful, restful time physically, it was anything BUT mentally/emotionally. I think since I wasn't active with the daily busyness of life that things I've been needing to deal with all came to mind. Then when I got home, I was hit full force with the Lord's chastisement. Upset about another's actions, the Lord clearly showed me the beam in my own eye. That was painful enough but it didn't stop there. Layer upon layer of little sins and negligences (sp?) were slowly revealed.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye *******s, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.