Hopeful Heart

I have not disappeared off the face of the earth. Most everyone in the house has been sick including the baby. I have been going to the Doctor with a worsened shoulder and neck as well as taking care of Granny. There have been other challenges that I can not speak of here. I appreciate your prayers and I will be back as soon as I can.

Todays happenings..Granny Is Settled In Now

We got my Granny all moved into her new home. Today, I went to her house and waited with her for the phone company man to connect her.

It was a busy day. We were able to get the front flower beds mulched and new brick thingys put around them. That was after weed block and the hedges are freshly trimmed. And now for the edging along the walkway and driveway........

For Dinner, I cooked meat loaf, mashed potatos, field corn, green butter beans, and fresh home made bread. I took some over to my Granny too. She is so sweet.

I received my 2010 planting guide from TE Black. WHOO HOO. I hope my shoulder will hold out. Everyone is suspecting the old Rotator cuff injury from long ago.

Today was milk and egg day. I love fresh milk. It was also organic produce day. As I stated.....it has been busy.

My youngest daughter has started selling AVON. She and .....all of us....are in hopes this will enable her to continue to stay home and help with our baby. We make quite a team.

Our oldest daughter and my sister are deeply into this quarter of college and doing well so far.

We got some extra things moved to the farm for use there. Our house here in Suburbia is bursting at the seams even though we seem to be continually decluttering. I will make another trip with more things to donate to the rescue mission tomorrow, God willing.

I will also need to make laundry detergent in the morning. I have added Granny's laundry to the heap. Whats one more ? She is so sweet. Life is good.

I heard a song that I really like. I am sure it is old to most of you but new to me. It is called Drinking from my Saucer. It is all about how my cup has overflowed. God is so Good.

Menu and decluttering

I am a bit behind on recording my menus this week. Here goes. It will be brief as I probably cannot remember what veggies I served on which night.

Tuesday- Cheeseburgers with homemade bread, potatos and onions fried in coconut oil,(big hit) baked beans

Thursday, Baked chicken with peppers and onions, potatos and onions, carrots home made bread.

We have been really busy this week. I have been busy preparing things for my Granny to move. We have also been cleaning and sorting and taking things to the Rescue mission as well as throwing things out. We are still decluttering. We got the new beds in place for my sister and neice. We have been very productive and I am pleased about that.

My Granny and Trust In The Lord

This is the oldest and newest members of our family, our Baby and our Granny. She is the Baby's great Granny.

Good morning all,

I am so happy to report that we have my Granny ready to move into her apartment this week end. As most of you already know, this has been something in the works for several months. We have prayed about this for quite some time, as well as searched for suitable apartments and put in applications. After this, we had to wait.......and wait......... I am very excited that she will only be about two miles from me. I have not clocked this but am guessing 1 and 1/2 to 2 miles. This makes me very happy! But I am not the only one. Everyone is very glad , as well. Her sister lives a few miles from the apartment and is very joyful at the prospect of living so close. After having my sister live near me, then with me, after many years of living hours away, I understand this joy. We are very thankful to the Lord for answering our prayers and we are confident , after seeking His will that this is the right place for her. We trust in the Lord and we are thankful for this blessing and for His answer to our prayers

Tis so sweet to trust in the Lord!

"He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:25,26).

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit" (Jeremiah 17:5).

Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Psalm 2:12).

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8).

"O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!" (Psalm 84:12).

"Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead" (2 Corinthians 1:9).

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5).

"He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he" (Proverbs 16:20).

"As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him" (Psalm 18:30).

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him" (Nahum 1:7).

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8).

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret -- it only causes harm" (Psalm 37:3-8).

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him" (Psalm 28:7).

"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11).
"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You" (Psalm 56:3).

"Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues" (Psalm 31:19,20).

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings" (Psalm 36:7).

He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage" (Proverbs 11:28).

"Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him ... That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit" (Psalm 49:6-9).

Jesus said: "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:24).

Paul wrote: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1).

"I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings" (Psalm 61:4).

"The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned" (Psalm 34:22).

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:2).

"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:10).

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
In the Lord I put my trust" (Psalm 11:1).

"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name" (Psalm 33:20,21).

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You" (Psalm 143:8).

"Lord my God, in You I put my trust" (Psalm 7:1).

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on you, Because he trusts in You'" (Isaiah 26:3).

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You" (Psalm 9:10).

"Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever" (Psalm 125:1).

Who will you put your trust in today? In the srenghth of the Good Lord, I will put my trust in the Living God of Israel....I can do nothing without Him.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Morning Prayer

This is the backview of my prayer spot at the farm. I know I have shown this before but it was relevant to this post.

This is the front view of my prayer spot.

This is my prayer spot at the farm. I know I have shared this with you before but the photo is appropriate for this post.

Good Morning to all! I read on another family blog about how life changing it is to seek God's face first thing in the morning. This person said that she asks for God's direction and help every morning. It was a reminder and a confirmation to me of just how important that really is. Like the author of the other blog, I learned many years ago how important it is to seek our Fathers face early in the morning....else we go into the day without asking for our Lords instructions or putting on His armor.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...." Ephesians 6:10-18

As a matter of fact, there were many inspiring points made on that blog.
There were times that I am sure I would not have made it through the day had it not been for my prayer spot behind my house at the farm. For many years, I would arise before everyone else in the house. I had a picnic table to spread out my Bible and other devotion books and note books. I would sing to the Lord unabashedly. For there was no one to hear but Him. I could talk to Him aloud of the things on my heart. I was alone with Him, in "our" spot. As, I cried out to Him for direction, guidance, wisdom , provision and strength, as well as for my loved ones, I felt His presence. I kept a list and checked off how God answered each prayer.That is how I really came to know....really know...my Good LORD.That is how my heart and life were really changed. God is faithful.......Great is His faithfulness. Our prayers are not always answered the way we would want.....but they are always answered. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows best because He is God!

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. Psalm 5

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” -Psalm 1:2
4 Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night But joy comes in the morning. -Psalm 30:5

A More Productive Day

Today was MUCH more productive. I got the living room totally rearranged. I was the director as I still can't do heavy work (chiropractors orders). My daughter and her friend B helped me. It looks twice as big and much less cluttered. I worked on my bedroom and was able to go through all the stuff in there from the closet I cleaned out Monday. I worked on the office and got everything sorted enough to begin the process of decluttering and organizing my things. I had also put alot of things in there from the closet. My office contains my sewing/crafts as well as my computer and stuff. It is also our storage area for the things that can't be put anywhere else right now as our house is more than filled with breathing blessings and their their possessions.

My husband is working very late tonight so he will pick up dinner in town. I packed his lunch with Mahi Mahi, mashed potatos, corn and green beans from last night. This will be a grilled cheese night for the rest of us as I plan to continue working on decluttering and organizing my house as well as do all the laundry and possibly my school work. I already have a nice stack of things to go to the Rescue Mission.

I had lunch with an old friend today named Becky. I was pleased to see that she is doing great. It has been awhile since I last saw her. We ate Mexican. I know, I know I am eating out entirely too much. I only ate some chips with salsa and a chicken quesadea. I had unsweetened tea to drink so I did well.

Not So Productive Day

This day was not very productive. I awoke this morning unable to do anything except ly on the couch with a heating pad on my tummy.Thank God for my daughters to watch the baby. I am especially grateful to my loving Father for this warm ,beautiful, sunny weather!

Later I managed to get off the couch long enough for my sweet daughter to drive me around and pay some bills and banking errands for me.

I felt better this evening and managed to cook dinner. We had Salmon and Mahi Mahi,mashed potatos, corn, green beans and home baked bread. I cleaned the kitchin and got started on a project.

This evening I have been entertained by the baby as I have been going through the contents of a closet I cleared out for my neice to use. I have more days of this sort of thing ahead of me and was sorely disappointed in my lack of productivity today. I feel so behind! I am still working on the schedule etc. but am making progress.All things come at the hand of God and all things are for the very best. God is good and I am thankful for my many blessings.

This afternoon I watched the DVD that came with my new makeup (bareminerals). I tried my hand at it and I am very pleased with the results to say the least.

I am in hopes of attending sewing class tomorrow as well as bottling my kombucha and starting 6 new batches. I have continued to make and drink kefir daily too.

Getting Organized and Decluttering

Today was very productive. My husband and I worked on the garage. We accommlished much! We have also been working on our office this evening. A couple of weeks ago we began to declutter and reorganize. Since we have merged several different households over the past few years, it seems we are constantly in this process... or recovering from it. :)

I have thoroughly enjoyed my sweet hubby having an extra day off work. We have enjoyed this three day week end. We dined out Saturday night at Outback Steak House. Yesterday at lunch we ate out Chinese. And Friday at lunch we went out for Greek. We went to the book store and both of our favorite thrift/antique stores. We bought Feather pillows at Bed Bath and Beyond to replace our pillows we took to the farmhouse. My hubby took me to a Beauty store and let me pick out some bare minerals make up I have been wanting for three years along with a few more things. He is so sweet!!!!! So you can see that we needed to stay home and work today after all that splurging and eating. This morning I jumped right back on my healthy way of eating lifestyle and Hubby and I even started back our walking routine. I am so happy that I am well enough to walk. :0 Praise The Lord of all creation!

Tonight, as we continue to work on the office, my daughter and a friend are cooking for us. They will serve grilled beef ribs, corn on the cob, mashed potatos and garlic toast.

My break is over!! I must get back to work. After we are finished in the office, I still need to make out my menu for the week, my chore chart for the family this week(something new), as well as write my schedule. I am really trying to get more organized.

Before you know it , seed starting time will be upon me and I have yet to order my seeds. I will resume my course work tomorrow as well. In order tho accomplish all these goals for our family, strict organization is no longer optional, it is a requirement.

Glorious Sunny Day

I was so excited yesterday to harvest onions, radishes and turnip roots from my garden. The collards,garlic, winter herbs and carrots are still okay and I am waiting to find out the final verdict on the turnips and lettuce. I am not accustomed to gardening with extended periods of time with nights in the low teens and days that do not get above freezing. So.....I had no idea how my winter garden would fare. I did not cover anything up. So I was thinking I would lose it all. It was a special blessing to find food still out there in the Victory garden once everything thawed

Wow! The past couple of days were 45 degrees and sunny then 50 degrees and sunny then today WHOOHOO it was 66 degrees and sunny. Now that is more like the Sunny Deep South that I love so dearly. The baby and I have been outside during the" heat "of the day. I have been basking in the sunshine. God is so good to me. It feels like a special present right in the middle of the coldest winter on record in many, many years. It is a glimse of the Spring that I pray will follow soon. I really am a tropical flower. Much like a reptile, the colder I get the slower I move. When it warms I get active. I would hope that is the only thing I have in common with reptiles.....

Just to finish out the week of menus for my record, Last night we had homemade vegetable soup(containing turnip roots and onions from my garden) and home baked bread. Tonight we had grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches with spice cake for dessert. We only have dessert once a week. I am working on some low sugar(natural ) , healthy desserts so that I can feel good about serving them more often.

Today , My daughter , the baby and I went to have lunch with my hubby. Then I went to my Aunts shop to get the split ends trimmed from my hair. When we arrived home, we turned on my computer for the first time today. It crashed! It is less than a year old and a very reliable brand. I accidently restored it back to the day I bought it......even before the guy at the store installed my security system. (I wanted it installed before I even left the store so I could be sure not to pick up any bugs while installing at home). I have spent the better part of the evening recreating all my settings on my computer. ...even my user accounts. I did not lose any personal data and for that I am so grateful. All in all, it has been a wonderful day!

Hamburger Mexican Cornbread-Quite a meal

Please bear with me as I record my meals. I am attempting to organize myself better in order to have a more peaceful feeling in my soul. Our God is a God of order! After I record my meals for a month, I will be in a better position to do my meal planning monthly. I will also use this record to make a file on my computer with all my recipes in one place. After this is complete, I will be able to print them out and place them in a binder with sheet protectors.

Baked chicken tenders seasoned with basil, onion and garlic,boiled potatos and onions, buttered carrots, buttered corn and fresh homemade challah bread.

Tonight I will serve Hamburger Mexican Cornbread, with green beans and mashed potatos. Here is my recipe. I am giving you the original recipe as well as my changes to it. This recipe originally belonged to my friend L's maternal grandmother. I have used it for quite some time. I have found many recipes can be adapted to meet my goals for a more traditional meal plan.

Meat Pies

Tonight I am sharing my recipe for Meat Pies. I am serving this for dinner with brown rice and garlic Toast.

This has been a very productive day. My youngest daughter and I went to the orthodontist. We both had appointments. She lost her retainer so they made impressions for a new one. It was so cute with the baby sitting with her on the Dentist chair. :) I simply had a 6 month check-up.

We came home and cleaned and straightened and did laundry. I even cleaned out my closet. I lost track of the number of loads I have laundered today. Things sure do get behind when everyone is sick. I am content for things to be returning to normal. My oldest daughter and my sister returned to their classes at the university today.

brown 1 1/2 lbs hamburger meat after seasoning with salt,pepper, soul seasoning and sage.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons baking powder
tsp salt
buttermilk to mix it thin

He is Awesome and Mighty and Wonderful

Thank you all very much for your prayers. My daughters are recovering very rapidly. God is Greatly to be praised and we give Him all the praise ,honor and glory! If you find it in your hearts and your schedule to continue to lift them before the throne of God I would be grateful. God is so merciful.

It humbles me to receive the Lords favor when I know that I do not deserve it. He is mighty and awesome and wonderful and..........

Update on Sickness That Hit The Tribe

Thank you everyone for your concern. My youngest daughter has swine flu. I would appreciate your prayers very much. You know it is all about perspective. I went up to the farm to take care of the animals. The water was frozen on the inside of the house even though I left it running. It froze in an icicle running out of the faucet. WOW! I had never seen that happen. I was all in a tizzy trying to get it fixed and feeling quite dizzy and weak at the same time. I went back to home in Suburbia to grab a few things and check on my daughter. Her temp was 103 degrees under her arm. And that was after 1000 mg of tylenol an hour before. I sure stopped worrying about the pipes. I began to bathe her down to try and reduce the fever. It wouldnt budge so I took her immediately to our family physician. She also has a bacterial infection in her throat and is dehydrated. I heard her say a few minutes ago that she would have to feel better to die! Still the comedian......

14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Been Sick

I have been sick......several members of my family are sick too. My youngest daughter is the sickest. Please lift her up in your prayers.

I had enough energy to hop on the computer to update everyone. I still have to go to the farm to take care of the animals. I will need the Lords strength for this as mine seems to be hiding somewhere. Then I hopefully, will crawl back in bed.

On a lighter note, I read a great book called "To Live Again" by Catherine Marshall. It was very inspirational. I am now beginning "A man called Peter" by Catherine Marshall as well. As you will recall, Catherine Marshall is the author of "Christy". This is one of my all time favorite novels. I highly reccommend the works of this inspiring Author.

Our Late Gingerbread House

Here a friend of ours attempts to eat the gingerbread house only minutes after we finished!

Today was productive! I was able to clean my refrigerator. I am so excited to have it done. I took it all apart and washed all the shelves and drawers in the sink in hot soapy water. It shines like new money!

I also bottled 36 pints of Kombucha and started 6 gallons brewing for next time. I made sour cream and kefir too.

Today we finally got around to our Gingerbread house. I know......I know......but we had lots of fun anyway.

Over the week end I read a book called Redwall by Brian Jacques. I enjoyed it very much.

I am afraid I am coming down with something. I sure hope not. I have too much to do to be sick!

Freezing In the Deep South...Seed Catalogs

It is freezing in the deep South. We had to go to the farm this morning to feed. The animals water was all frozen!!

Right now I am making bread . I make all our bread. My hubby was just talking about how blessed we are to have home made bread anytime we need it. God is so Good! I also have some bananas thawing to make banana bread for tonights dessert. I will substitute coconut oil for the butter and applesauce for half the sugar. The other half of the sugar will be honey. I do not plan to inform the tribe of these changes ;) I am also making Roast w potatos, carrots and onions for tonights dinner.

I am thinking seriously of adapting Simpleoldgirl's plan to my schecule for housecleaning. It all gets done around here but with the baby and school.......sometimes I am quite stressed keeping things up to my standards. Maybe a schedule would help eleminate the stress. I could check off each thing and be able to feel more in control. I plan to go back to menu planning this week as well. I hope to sit down tonight and figure out things. I am cooking two roasts so hopefully this will do for my husband and the rest of our lunch tomorrow. I will make soup with the leftovers as a base tomorrow night.

My seed catalogs came in a couple of weeks ago. I have enjoyed perusing them at my leisure. Now is the time for me to get serious and put together my first order. Last year I missed a couple of things because I ordered in the Spring and they were already out of them. I love Spring!

I will probably do a post later tonight about my New Years Goals. The list is short but lofty.

Honey Pecan Pie Original and Gluten /Dairy Free

This "all from scratch" pie(gluten free version) was made by my 12 year old friend T. She is quite amazing with her sewing and cooking ability, as well as her sweet, obedient personality. Her Mama has done a great job.

First I will give the original recipe that I shared with her. I got this from recipecurio.com. Someone shared this link recently and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.This recipe was used during World War 11 when sugar was being rationed. I have been looking for sugar alternatives (not artificial either) so this has been very helpful.There is a note at the bottom of this post where I will share her tweaks. This made it gluten free and healthier. I also have a whole wheat pie crust recipe that would work great for this pie.

In this thick, custardy and butter-scotchy pastry . . . honey is used in place of sugar.

Pastry for 9-inch pie shell
Eggs (3)
Honey (1 cup; light-colored)
Vanilla (1 tsp.)
Butter (4 tbsp., melted and slightly cooled)
Salt (1/4 tsp.)
Pecans (1 cup; coarsely chopped)

LINE a deep 9-inch pie pan with plain pastry, and chill while preparing filling.

Beat eggs well with rotary egg beater. Beat in honey, vanilla, melted butter, and salt.

Sprinkle pecans over the pastry in the pie pan. Pour egg mixture over the pecans.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes (or until a silver knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean) . . . using a hot oven (450°) for first 10 minutes, reducing heat to slow moderate oven (325°) to finish baking

Here is the note from my friend explaining what they did to make it Gluten Free.

Hi Cammy, Just wanted to thank you for a great pie recipe. T made it yesterday, but tweaked it so C could eat it. So, I am not sure how the original recipe was, but this version she did turned out great. She made a coconut crust (from Nourishing Traditions) instead of pastry crust and instead of butter in the filling, she used coconut oil. We did not realize until she was ready to put them in, that we did not have pecans! So.... we used walnuts instead. We baked it 25 degrees less temp. and used foil around the edges so that the crust would not burn. Have you made it the original way yet? Let me know how it is! :) J

Looking for Whole Wheat Loaf Bread Recipe Someone Posted Recently

I am looking for the whole wheat loaf bread recipe that someone posted here a few days ago. If anyone can help me please........

I have made my own bread for years. But.....this recipe looked as if it could be very easily adapted to soaking the Nourishing Traditions way and I am anxious to give it a go!

kefir etc

1)Obtain kefir grains either from Gem Cultures (online) or from a friend who has too many.( I got mine from my friend Joan.

Strain out your grains and start over. Your grains will have multiplied so now start two or make a whole quart. When you get too many you can share with friends and teach them how to make the wonderful, healthy drink. I drink it with meals and also use it in fruit smoothies.

Today I made two kinds of kefir (grains and powder), sour cream , and buttermilk. Yesterday I made yogurt. I made it in the cooler bag you see a photo of below. Really Fancy, high tech equipment there. I will share the method for making yogurt soon.

*Note* My brewing cabinets are the one over the refrigerator and the top one next to the stove. This seems to work out quite well.

I love the old ways. I am learning how to prepare traditional foods. They are so much more healthy and supply your body with needed enzymes, probiotics and trace minerals among other things. The low fat , chemical laden foods of today are pretty much bankrupt of nutrition. It is very sad to me. We need healthy fat like unrefined coconut oil and organic butter as well as fresh cream and whole raw milk.

I carefully label everything because with so many projects going on....they all begin to look alike. It is also important to have dates so you can use the oldest first. Photobucket

Pictured below is one of my brewing cabinets which happens to be the top cabinet by my stove.

Time With Family....Life is Good

I have spent a great deal of time with my family the last couple of days. I was very blessed to spend time with extended family too. I was able to see my Daddy, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins even great Aunt and Uncle and Granny. I would not say that I exactly stuck to my "Nourishing Traditions" way of eating but........I did ok. Life is good. I hope to be sharing pictures soon. My camera was left at home both days but others promised to email me their photos.

Today, I have not even dressed. I have just been resting and eating. I needed it very badly and am thankful God has given me a day to rest. My two girlies are lying across their beds resting, hubby is on the couch, sister and baby are napping. All is calm and peaceful. Life is good.

My neck, shoulder and back problem is impoving. I am thankful to God for this. I hope to be back to my old self soon. I hope to soon to trying out new and exciting recipes and old ways of doing things to share with you even as I peruse your wonderful blogs and learn from all of you.