To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

Last time I posted on WLW, it looks like my back was injured.  It's better, though still a little tender. But not so tender that I can't move around, so YAY!  However, I have had the flu for the last week, and am still sick. 

The upshot of all that is, I'm still basically a couch potato, and I'm really craving "comfort food."  For me, that's bread.  Anything bready...whether savory or sweet.

A friend of mine whom I hadn't seen for almost a year came by the other day, and she looked just terrific.  She'd lost a significant amount of weight, her skin looked really healthy, and she's a little bit older than me, so I was very interested in what she was doing differently. 

She said she'd finally joined Weight Watchers, and was going faithfully to meetings.  Said it was really the insights into her own behavior and her own thinking that made the difference for her...and she is VERY "self-aware," and knew a lot about food, eating, health, and so on (as she said to me, "we know ALL the 'stuff' already, don't we?"), so something really "clicked" for her with WW. 

I am seriously considering it.  I have, in the past, been VERY successful with Jenny Craig.  I do well with the motivation and support.  But JC makes you use THEIR food.  You don't cook and shop and eat for yourself.  Plus, it's all microwave meals made with processed food.  I don't want to eat that way, as I don't think it's healthy.  I like to cook...I just like to eat too much!

I've located 3 centers very nearby for Weight Watchers, and one has multiple, multiple options for meeting days and times.  Chas, I think you've done WW...did you go to meetings?  Anyone else?  I realize that it works for some and not for others.  Since Jenny Craig's format worked for me to lose weight but not keep it off in the past, I'm thinking WW, and getting the motivation to do it with my OWN food and cooking, might be the better combo for me right now. 

Thanks for hearing out my thoughts!   Hope you're having a good week!

Blessings,

Lori
PS: Be sure you leave your name or your URL in your comment...you might just be "anonymous" here at HomeSTEADblogger!

We spoke our vows...

 ...to the celebration time!

 And then the real adventure began...

Today is a special day...

A week ago, I began to question the incredible weariness that's been coming over me. It's not a physical weariness that I'm writing about. It's more of a weariness of soul and mind. Not depression. Just weariness. I mentioned that it was like I was spinning plates on sticks, and had to run from plate to plate to plate to keep them all going.  Then, I decided I was going to put a name/identity to each of these "plates" of mine, and figure out which ones were keepers and which ones needed to drop, break, then be swept up and thrown away.  Here we go with the first installment, I'm beginning with the "EASY to name plates" that I really can't let drop:

Plate #1: Homeschooling 2 High Schoolers.  DEFINATELY a keeper!  This is joy for me.  Lots of work, lots of time, sometimes some stress and frustration...but this "plate" feeds my heart and soul, and I wouldn't give it up for all the world.  That said, I think I can alleviate a homeschool-related plate--part of this will be making the guys more responsible to keep their school stuff better organized...filed where it needs to be filed, schedules checked off as things are done, assignment lists and logs filled in, etc.  I do too much for them, because I can often do it faster (isn't this way of thinking a curse for us all?)...but it is another plate to keep spinning.  It will take some extra time/effort, but for SUCH a good result in the end, it'll be worth it.   

Plate #2: Housework (meaning the cleaning of the house...upkeep).  Well, here we may have something.  My home is fairly large.  Not a mansion or anything, but it's not a small little place.  It is bigger than we need, that's for sure.  But I am not at liberty to just sell the house, though I am ready for a smaller place, absolutely.  DH would not be on board with that, so we will stay here.  This means I have to clean this place!  We have a big labrador retriever who sheds like no animal I've ever seen!  She's 9.5 years old.  Causes LOTS of vacuuming and dusting, and I am at the place where I don't even see the dust/hair/dander half the time anymore.  I think the frequency of cleaning this home, bc of the dog, is more than it would be, and it's exhausting me.  But, we love the dog...

There's no money for cleaning service.  We won't get rid of the dog.  The boys love the dog...the boys' chore list is pretty short.  Hmmmm...sorry, boys!  I need to delegate more chores away until we can get a new house, which isn't going to happen!  My guys are good at cleaning...I just let them get out of the habit when their school schedules got really heavy this year.   

Plate #3: Meals Preparation.  In the last month (since the Christmas frenzy ended), I have not been diligent to plan the daily meals.  We've been grabbing food on the go for lunches, and eating too many frozen/Stouffer's meals.  If I plan better, I won't have to shop as often.  I won't have the energy-draining stress at 3pm each day when I have to figure out what to do with a pound of frozen chicken to turn it into dinner in an hour.  Here's my "emergency week plan" to immediately reduce the stress of this "Plate":

Tonight (Wednesday): Leftovers and "Raid the Fridge Smorgasborg" with yogurt and tangerines if you're still hungry for dinner.  Take a whole chicken out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost over 2 days (I have one...saw it the other day as I was getting a Stouffers meal out!).

Thursday: Lunch is PB&J Sandwiches; Dinner is Sloppy Joes (canned Manwich Sauce) with tossed salad (just need a can of sauce and buns, have everything else) and tortilla chips.

Friday: In the morning, put that whole, defrosted chicken into the crockpot with some Vadelia Onion dressing and some carrots to have for dinner.  Lunch is Soup and Sandwiches (I have soup in the pantry, and will buy some lunchmeat...have lettuce and cheese already).  For dinner, I'll have that chicken we defrosted, and will make some mashed potatoes to go with it.  I have a few jars of Boston Market chicken gravy in the pantry, I'll use those.  More yogurt and tangerines (lots of those to eat up!).

Saturday lunch we'll use any leftover chicken to make chicken and cheese quesadillas.  Tortilla chips and tangerines to go with it.  Dinner will be Pasta and Meat Sauce, salad, and garlic bread. 

Sunday we like to stop at our local Trader Joe's after church, so I'll find out what they have that looks good at that time.  But at least I've got a few days' worth of plan!

I'll stop here...next time I'll tackle the plates that I should consider dropping. 

Blessings,

Lori

 
To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

I don't really have much of anything to report this week...other than that I am tired (I think it's the backlash from lack of sleep during my son's oral surgery recovery), my back is feeling quite a bit better,  and it is cold outside.  Tired and cold/grey winter days make me think of comfort foods!  So it's been a tough week, lots of breads!  I'm looking forward to an evening of quite (dh and the boys have their "Mens' Mentoring" group @church tonight) and calm in front of the fireplace, and a good night's sleep.  Once the back is not tender, I'll head for the treadmill.  Hopefully will have something new to share next time!

Hope you're having a good week!

Blessings,

Lori
PS: Be sure you leave your name or your URL in your comment...you might just be "anonymous" here at HomeSTEADblogger!

 
To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

I've been doing pretty well on cutting out snacks, until the last couple of days when I had a couple of oatmeal raisin cookies before bed (last night) and the night before when I found a bag of Swedish Fish candies (I LOVE those!!!), and ate more than a handful...don't worry, I was "punished" for it with a headache the next morning!  I know it was the sugar "buzz" that caused it, as the same thing happened a week ago when we went to the movies and I got a box of Boston Baked Beans...my all-time favorite candy.  Woke up with a headache the very next morning.  I've really cut out the sweets big time, so that's good! 

I don't think I've lost much weight, though.  I'm going to be ... gulp ... 50 this summer.  Weight just doesn't "fall off" of me anymore just because I'm not eating.  I have to exercise.  My plan for this week was to hit the treadmill...but I wrenched my back, and I'm all stiff now.  Grrrrrr.  It's given me a bit of a stomach ache, too (I think it's just pulled muscles/tendons doing it), so I'm not real hungry, which is good!  Motrin helps.  Anywho, as soon as it's better, I plan to start walking downstairs on the machine.  That should get the old metabolism going again!

Hope you're having a good week!

Blessings,

Lori
PS: Be sure you leave your name or your URL in your comment...you might just be "anonymous" here at HomeSTEADblogger!

So, here it is, one week into the New Year.  We've had a busy one...with Nathan getting his wisdom teeth out, and all that that has entailed for me as I've watched over his recovery.  I am tired...but that's from lack of uninterrupted sleep since the surgery (necessary nighttime blood sugar checks, pain medicine offerings, etc).  Lord willing, in about a week, he'll be eating normally again, and we can get back to our regular routine...including sleeping through the night! 

But even when that happens, I know that I will still be weary.  Not from a lack of sleep...but from a lack of peace.  There is something about living in the busy suburbs that gets us all.  I watch the moms out here, and I can see it.  I'm not alone!  Not that living in the country and/or homesteading is easy!  I know that it is the opposite--it's hard work, and plenty of it.  Yet I sense that there is a satisfaction felt at the end of this hard work, a sense of good accomplishment in producing something that will be used, in working to grow something that will be eaten, in putting up food that will feed one's family through the winter, in hand-crafting something that will be worn, in building a structure that will keep an animal sheltered.  Sure, we can make crafts, we can garden, we can make homemade applesauce and jelly, we can sew clothes here in the suburbs of Chicago.  I've done all of these things.  But somehow, at least for me, it's different.    

It's a difference that I'm working hard to lay my finger on.  And part of it, I believe, has to do with "scale."  It's the scale of our lives, the scale at which we live our lives.  I first learned about "scale" from Richard and Penny Barker, owners and operators of "The Country School Farm" in Holmes County, Ohio...a place at which our oldest son spent 3 summer weeks.  They write:

"The Country School Farm Summer Camp is in Holmes County, Ohio, where today’s Amish live much as they did a century ago.

...Home to the world’s largest Amish settlement, the area supports a vigorous community of small, tidy, family farms. And, while the Barkers are not Amish, they enjoy many benefits from living among them. The neighbors adhere to a set of principles that inadvertently result in a society that is "people scaled." The assumptions of life are clear and relevant to everyone. People know what is coming next and, because of this, growing up is relatively stress free. Everyone is accepted for his or her own strengths and weaknesses. No one feels left out. The Amish live among people they can trust. Crime is almost nonexistent. Cradle-to-grave security is for most a reality. Sacrifices, perceived as germane to their way of life, mean that few join them voluntarily. Yet, living near them, we take positive lessons that influence us all."

Life here is so big...it's so fast...there's so much stuff and so many things that we do almost every day away from the home...and we're homeschoolers!...it's like a bunch of those spinning plates on sticks, and you have to run from stick to stick just to keep the plates spinning...and then more plates seem to appear to increase the load!  For many years, I was a great plate-spinner.  My plates were all very nice...very worth having, very worth spinning, at least I thought they were. 

But something changed.  Maybe I'm just getting too old for all of this.  I don't think that's it, though.  I think it's my heart that has changed, what I value that has changed as I've gotten older. 

Are you a suburbanite who has any idea what I'm trying to say?  Or are you a homesteader out in the country, who thinks it's time to read someone else's blog?!!  In either case, I'll stop "waxing philosophical" for now.  I'm onto something...which is good!  This blog is titled, "Serenity in the Suburbs."  I'm back on my mission to find it...not my blog, but the Serenity which I so crave out here in the midst of the craziness of this place I call home.  It begins, of course, with knowing Christ, and HIS peace.  That, I have.  I'm talking about peace in my home not being crowded out by the cares of the world that can be unique to living in the environment in which I live. 

 

OK, enough...on to action!  It's time to start giving a name to each and every spinning plate.  Identify it, and find out why I'm expending energy to keep it spinning...and if it's worth it.  I'll post my list as I work through it.  It's likely that you might just have a plate or two you could let drop, and then sweep it up and throw it out!  Let me know what you think!

Blessings,

Lori   

 
To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

This will be brief...I've done well with my first baby-step, which was to cut down on between-meal snacks, decrease my portion sizes, and stop eating bedtime snacks (which is like a between-meal snack).  I actually feel much BETTER, as opposed to feeling deprived in any way!  PTL!!! 

Today (Wednesday) at 1pm my Nathan is getting all of his wisdom teeth taken out.  Bryan had his out 1 year ago, so I'm familiar with what is ahead...but Nathan is the one with type 1 diabetes, and wears an insulin pump.  When he can't eat, things get kind of tricky, and I've been a bit on edge.  I'm praying...first and foremost...that he will do okay and we won't have any bad emergencies or problems that send us to the ER on account of the diabetes.  I don't really think we will, but as I said, these things can get difficult. 

I'm also praying that my nervousness and the fatigue that I know will hit me in a day or two (I'm not going to get much sleep, I'll have to be testing his blood sugars through the nighttimes) won't send me to the cupboard in search of my comfort-carbs!  But so far, so good this week!  I'm not weighing myself, I'm just going to be going by how my clothing fits.  No change there, but at least I'm feeling better!

Blessings,

Lori
PS: Be sure you leave your name or your URL in your comment...you might just be "anonymous" here at HomeSTEADblogger!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! 

I want to share three video clips which I located on YouTube...the first two are from a Public Television show that I have seen many Decembers over, titled, "Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe." These two clips share my favorite parts of the show.  I love the peacefulness, the simplicity, and the picture of the family generations coming together.  I hope you enjoy it, too!

The 3rd clip is of the WWI Christmas Eve Miracle.  It was the celebration of the FIRST coming of Christ that brought peace into the middle of the bloodiest battlefield...oh, Lord JESUS, what peace your SECOND coming to earth will bring about..."even so, come, Lord Jesus."

(*Note: in case the videos don't want to run here on this blog entry page, I've included a direct link to their YouTube home, as well!  I recommend watching in High Def, with the viewer expanded to full screen!)

Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe ~ Part 9

Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe ~ Part 10

 
To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

Well, we took ALL the chocolate to the Christmas Hymn Sing at our friend's home.  It was a wonderful evening of quiet, traditional hymns of Christmas...very much a blessing amidst all the noise and craziness that accompanies a suburban Christmas these days.  Afterward, during the food and fellowship time, by the time I got to the table, I was chatting with my friend Rittu (the chai tea lady), who is very slim and fit, and we hung out by the raw veggies!  So I had mostly those to nibble on (I really didn't feel like eating cookies, yay!).  Most of the chocolates were gone by the time we left to go home, but I had deliberately brought them on a paper plate, so I could just leave it at the host home! 

That night, once back home, I began baking German Springerle (picture cookies).  They turned out great, and most were packed up in baggies with ribbon and given as little Christmas gifts to my sisters in the Lord at church.  AFter church, I still had a pretty big pile of the delectable desserts.  But...Christmas Carolers to the rescue!  We had friends over for dinner after church, and the doorbell rang...one of our neighbors had what looked to be her youth group with her, and they sang "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" to us!  OK, so it wasn't exactly as beautiful as carolers singing "Silent Night" and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing!"  But, at least someone decided to carol in the neighborhood!  They said we were the only house where anyone was home, so they were happy to have someone to sing for!  (Life in the suburbs...welcome to it!)  I asked my dh to "quick, bring the cookie tray!"  The carolers happily snapped up most of the Springerle.  Very good!  Not so many calories around for me to eat!  Sounds like I'm doing well, doesn't it? 

Aaaaah...but I do have my weakness.  It's my lebkuchen.  I have loved these cookies since I was a skinny teenage gymnast who could eat anything and not gain a pound!  There's a lot of memories and good feelings wrapped up in the flavor of these cookies!  I can easily eat them for breakfast, and make lunch out of them, too.  There are good things in them...freshly ground whole wheat flour, eggs, chopped organic raw almonds, lemon peel and fresh juice...but the candied orange peel and sugar...and just the plain old calories!  They sure are good.  Good thing they're labor intensive to make, or I'd have them more often!

So, I'm still where I said I would be...NOT beating myself up at Christmas over food.  I did what I wanted to do, and that was stop eating all the chocolate (except that one day when the kids and I had a bit of a bad day, and I had 8 pieces...not all at once, but over the day, and that's too many!), and give it away.  And an interesting discovery has landed in my brain during this week!  My friend and I were talking about how our moms used to bake ALL these different cookies, just dozens and dozens of them!  And how we like to bake ALL these cookies, just dozens and dozens of them...it's tradition! 

But, WHY did our moms do this?  They did it to GIVE THEM AWAY, not keep them in the house for us to eat!  We kids got to make cut-out sugar cookies, which we then iced and decorated and ate.  But Christmas cookies aren't for the home stash...they're for giving away in joy.  We no longer have carolers coming to the door like there were when I was a kid (we'd have 4 or 5 groups, usually...and mom always had hot cocoa on the stove during caroling week in the evening, plus those cookies; when I was in the caroling group, many homes had the same!); we homeschool, so there aren't teachers and office staff and on and on to give to.  So, I figure, I need to make a decision...if I want to keep the traditions that bring me such joy, I have to figure out who I can give all the baked goods to; or, I can change the tradition, and just pick one type of cookie to bake in celebration of the holidays, and give away spontaneously, like we did with our carolers. 

Since the "tradition" had a purpose, one which is no longer useful in the time and the place in which I'm living, I think I'll opt for the simplicity of the 2nd option.  Good!

Hope y'all's week has gone well, and you're enjoying this Advent time!  Christ is coming AGAIN, and soon!  Glory Hallelujah!

(To Participate in Tightwad Tuesday, write your post, visit CanadaGirl's blog, and add it to the list!) 

(To Participate in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, write your post, visit the Blessed With Grace blog, and add it to the list!) 

UPDATED & ADDED TO ON TUESDAY 12/22 @ 11:00AM CST!

OK, so I'm now on this "kick" of "piggybacking" my TWT tips onto Mary's (CanadaGirl's) tips...she's wayyyy better at the frugal living than I am, so I'm learning a lot from her.  I like to read what she's shared, and then find a way to expand it and apply it to something additional.  This week she's shared about making your own sugars to save money...making powdered sugar (I just used about 3 pounds of that stuff...too late, but next time!), brown sugar, etc.

I immediately thought of something that I'd made years ago, but haven't in a long time.  That's Rose Geranium sugar.  Scented sugar is a beautiful gift to put in a jar and give to anyone who bakes, or likes sugar in their tea!  It smells like...well...like what I hope some of Heaven will smell like, cuz it's just lovely! 

Of course, you'll need a Rose Geranium plant...as with any edible herbs, NO pesticides/chemicals allowed!  This is an herb-type, so Northern Climates, it's a potted houseplant for us!

Pluck off a bunch of leaves (you'll use about 8 to 10 small leaves or 4 or 5 medium leaves in a cup of sugar) and let them dry out (they'll turn a yellow-color).  Pour a little of your granulated sugar in a glass canning jar, then layer the dried leaves with the sugar.  Close up tight.  It'll take a few weeks for the fragrance to begin to really permeate the sugar, 6 weeks for it to be real good!  (So if it's a gift, maybe attach a note saying to start using on the first day of spring, or something!)  It is delicious in ice tea and lemonade, too.  On cereal... oatmeal... raspberries...in cake recipes...in whipped cream...mmmmmmmmmmmm!  A quick Google search for "Rose Geranium recipes" will yield lots of old-fashioned, romantic-sounding yummies!  As you begin to use it, I like to give the jar a shake (once there's some room for the sugar to move!) to distribute the fragrance.  The dried leaves, if you don't take them out, WILL break up into pieces in there.  Not a problem in baking, but you could do a quick sifting before you put it in a drink, unless you don't mind a leaf or two!  (I don't bother if it's going in hot tea, but in cold drinks, I don't care for leaf pieces!)

You could make a pretty colored sugar using Mary's recipe, then add the leaves to it. 

Some online scented-sugar recipes say to put fresh leaves, layered with sugar.  You CAN do this, but the sugar won't just "clump a little," it'll be like a brick that you have to practically hit with a hammer!  If you want Rose Geranium Sugar in a hurry for baking, you can take fresh leaves, remove stems, and then process with the granulated sugar in the food processor.  Make as much sugar as the recipe calls for, then use it right away.  The moisture in the leaves will make it clump if you just leave it without using it.   

Here are some other wonderful Rose Geranium recipes I found:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbs/msg0414594630038.html

Enjoy, and be sure to visit Mary to add your Tightwad Tuesday Tip!

This recipe comes from my friend, Rittu, who grew up in India.  The first time she made it, I asked her what smelled sooooo good in her kitchen, and she said "it's chai tea...would you like a cup?"  No thanks, I said.  I don't really care for chai tea.   She just smiled.  "Have a cup of mine, I'll bet you'll like it."  Not wanting to be rude, I agreed to try it, but didn't think I'd like it any better than the mixes I'd purchased before. 

Ha ha!  Oh, did I eat my words!  Actually, I drank my words!  That was some fantastic tea!!!  That was a couple of years ago, and during a weekend getaway trip to Wisconsin with Rittu, her husband, and their 2 kids, I finally paid attention as she made her nightly brew, and now enjoy making it here at my home.  I've had a few bloggy friends discussing chai, and offered to share the recipe (as best as I can...Rittu doesn't really measure).

Rittu's Indian Chai Tea

Purchase/Have on hand: Cardomom pods, Fennel seeds, honey, black tea, milk (I use 2%).

The Process:

***First, put some water in your kettle and start it to boiling.  You may want to add a bit of boiling water to your chai mix if you're losing too much in steam in the beginning! This is EXTRA water, it's not the water you put in the pan to start.***

Now, on with making Chai:

I'm using my almost 2 qt. pot here, and have added 4 cups of water.  In it, place 5 or 6 cardomom pods which you have cracked to expose the small, black seeds.  (Sometimes they crack with finger pressure, but often times I have to use my kitchen scissors to get them to break.) 

Also add whole fennel seeds...I don't count them, just add a couple/few big pinches...this is about 2 pinches in my palm, I ended up adding one more pinch to the pot:

Bring the water with pods and seeds to a boil, and let it boil until the water gets "nice and green" (that's Rittu's husband, Wendall's, instruction!).  I let it boil about 5 minutes.  I will add some boiling H2O from the kettle if I feel I'm losing too much water in steam.  The key from here on out is to KEEP IT BOILING!  Here's a "before" and "after" of the water, to see the color:

It will be nice and fragrant now!  Keep it boiling, and add 1 teaspoon fresh honey per cup/mug that you're making...I added 4 teaspoons honey (you could use sugar...but honey is better and healthier!).

Stir it in, KEEP IT BOILING!  Let it boil about 3 minutes to really "cook" the honey flavor in. 

Next, add BLACK TEA.  You can use decaf black tea if you don't want the "perkies."  I use 2 bags...be sure to cut off the paper tags before putting it in the water! 

Keep it boiling for about 3 minutes...

Now, add milk (I use 2%), just to get it about the color of a caramel:

Let it return to a boil, and keep it boiling for a few minutes until the milk scalds (I call it that "brownish sticky stuff on the side of the pan").

The rest of this, in pictures, should be self-explanatory:

*NOTE: Pre-warmed serving tea pot...this is special, BE fussy!!!

Keeping warm under the tea cozy...

 One thing I want to try for fun some day is to make this with my favorite black tea blend, Earl Grey tea.  I think the bergamot, which reminds me of orange, would be out of this world in Chai!

 
To join the fun and fitness (Lord willing!), please visit sweet Chasity's blog,
Seasons of a Godly Woman.

Well, I'm committing to one more meme!  Thank you, Chasity, for starting this up again, for all of us who have been involved at one point or another in the past, and for all of us who will be new to it from today forward!  

I don't want to post a ton today, because it would be kind of a "downer" to read, I think!  I had a bit of a pity-party last night in my heart, and that is just not where I want to dwell.  I think the fact that I am definately an emotional eater speaks volumes to the link between where I dwell (i.e., my level of "Contentment") and what I weigh.  For me, this is a battle of my will...but it's not really my willPOWER, but my lack of contentment.  When I am not content, I feel sad/mad/stressed, and when I feel sad or mad or stressed, I all-too-often find comfort in food.  So this is a spiritual battle, more than anything else.  I have had it with Satan "ruling" this part of my life.  Time to Resist...and demand that he Flee! 

So, step one for me this week (and I intend to do just one step per week, and stay on a step for more than one week if necessary to put my Lord, Jesus Christ, on top and in control) is to attain "portion control" over the SNACKS and TREATS.  I know, all too well, that Christmas is the worst time for me to try and say, "I won't eat sweets."  May as well stick a big, red "L" for LOSER on my forehead right away!  This week, 3 boxes (count 'em, THREE) of chocolates arrived.  Bryan's piano teacher (a delightful homeschool graduate young lady and family friend) brought over a tin of homemade Swedish cookies.  I will be baking our traditional German cookies and sugar cookies this week, many of which are for gifts, but some for us, too...I have SKINNY boys who love cookies!  I know myself too well, and this will be a battle lost in a minute if I say "no sweets/snacks."

What I desire to do is to end the insanity of "I need to eat them ALL."  I remember there was some book written by a French woman about why french woman are thin and American's aren't...she was on TV being interviewed, and she said, in a nutshell, that French women eat many delicious foods...they just eat tiny portions of them.  They make mealtime very special, and conversation rules the time, not shoveling in vast quantities of food.  Special dishes, cloth napkins, candles...even for a sandwich lunch!   Definately not the standard American way! 

I truly believe that if I continued to eat EVERYTHING that I have been eating, but only 1/3 to 1/2 as much of it, I would weigh 50 or 60 pounds less, and be very near my goal range.  I will say that the # on the scale is only part of it for me...I know that sugar and meat that is not grassfed and grass finished make my arthritis really bad, and right now it's pretty bad.  So that will come a little bit later on in my WLW babysteps.  

For now, I want to cut my portions in half, including snacks.  If I eat a piece of chocolate between meals, I only want to eat ONE instead of 4.  I also really want the stuff out of the house...chocolate is just too good!  We have a Christmas hymn sing with our church on Saturday, and everyone is asked to bring a plate of cookies.  I'm going to disobey that, and bring a plate of chocolates!  I doubt anyone will mind, and they should be gone by the end of the fellowship time!

Let me know you stopped by, I'll visit you, and we'll do this together!  See you all next week for WLW!

(To Participate in Tightwad Tuesday, write your post, visit CanadaGirl's blog, and add it to the list!) 

Today's post isn't earth-shattering, it isn't even particularly new, I'm sure...but it's something that I am enjoying today, and thought I'd share!

I love coffee...I don't like French Roast, or Starbuck's (as it's all French Roast-y...tastes burnt to me!), but I like smooth and creamy mellow flavors.  So I'm a Gevalia coffee fan, and also some of the Trader Joe's blends.  I also love flavored coffees, and I know I've gushed about Gevalia's blueberry coffee before, either here on on my other blog, "Plans4You." 

I am currently out of ALL my flavored coffees, and was feeling too "jumpy" yesterday, so this morning I was looking at my jar of decaf coffee grounds and feeling a little sorry for myself.  I decided to give myself a treat...a "custom flavored coffee blend," and it turned out even better than I expected!  Even Nathan asked for a sip..."that smells really good, Mom!" and he liked it!  (He doesn't drink coffee.)  Here's what I blended:

Coffee for 6 cups java goes in the filter...then add a little bit (just a few drops, no more) of your favorite extracts/flavors right in with the ground coffee.  Today I used Hazelnut and Raspberry and Orange (forgot to get the orange extract in the photo).  Then a light shake of cinnamon, maybe it was 1/4 tsp.  Then brew...oh, it smells soooooo good! 

Other combo's that I've used have been coconut and raspberry, Irish cream extract, vanilla and cinnamon...just think of any flavor that would be good in a latte, and add it to the coffee before you brew!  Beware of adding too much extract in with the coffee...all extracts are in an alcohol base, and you can end up with a "rubbing alcohol aftertaste" if you put too much flavoring in.

I also love adding just a couple drops of extracts to hot cocoa.  I have a lot of extracts (I get them from Watkins, see my post about layered dinner in a jar for the link and who to order from), so it's fun when we have company in cold weather and the kids want cocoa, I put out the mugs of cocoa and all the extract jars so they can flavor their own.  Again, just a few drops will do to avoid that alcohol-y taste!

Enjoy, and be sure to visit Mary to add your Tightwad Tuesday Tip!

Lori 

Some have asked for recipes for the soup bases...the Onion Soup Mix and Cream Soup Mix recipes are in CanadaGirl's blog over at Homeschoolblogger...link by clicking HERE and enjoy visiting Mary's blog, it's a lot of fun!  Very homey, very friendly :-)

Here are her recipes for the soup mixes as given in her Tightwad Tuesday entry...PLEASE keep reading then and view my "extras" recommendations:

Onion Soup Mix

• 3/4 cup of instant minced onion
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 beef or chicken flavored bullion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

.

Mix and store in a airtight container.

To Use : add 2 Tablespoons  of mix to 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15 min. or add to recipe as directed.

.

Cream Soup Mix

.

• 2 cups of dry milk
• 1 1/4 cups of flour or cornstartch or arrowroot startch
• 1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon basil

.

Mix all ingredients and store in a airtight container.  If the mix is made with cornstartch or arrowroot startch , add 1/3 cup to 1 1/4 cups of water.  Or if you are using the mix with flour then use 1/2 cup of mix to 1 1/4 cups of water.  If you want to make it to soup consistency then double the water.

My recommendations: The layered meal in a jar recipe also calls for Beef soup base and Chicken soup base.  All of the bases I use (except the onion) have a bit of cornstarch in them, you could use flour or arrowroot instead, and the chicken soup base has a bit of dried milk powder in it.  So, I think you could use Mary's Onion soup recipe to make the Beef soup base, just take out the onion flakes and onion powder, add a little bit of arrowroot or flour or cornstarch (just a little, it's only to help it thicken in the casserole, you don't need much), and add a touch of powdered milk; the mix should be MOSTLY dark brown, like the beef bouillon color, so that tells you just a TOUCH of the flour/milk powder.  To make the Chicken soup base, I think you could use the same process, just use chicken bouillon instead of beef and add a little bit of powdered milk to it.  It should be MOSTLY yellow, like the chicken bouillon. 

Oh yes, pulverize the bouillon granules (like with a mortar and pestle) so they are powdery, not granular.  

I hope these suggestions will work...I think thye would, but it's kind of an experiment!  Make the dish for your own family, and if it's tasty, you can do the layered meal in a jar!  If you don't like to experiment, then you'll need to purchase the soup bases :-)

Blessings,

Lori  

(To Participate in Tightwad Tuesday, write your post, visit CanadaGirl's blog, and add it to the list!) 

Today over at CanadaGirl's blog, Mary gave us a recipe for Onion Soup Mix and Cream Soup Mix.  I have a wonderful layered "meal in a jar"  gift mix that uses both of those, plus a few other things.  It is just like those layered cookie mixes that you can make in a canning jar to give as gifts, but this one makes a casserole!  I have given it to new mommies, as well as for Christmas gifts.  For Christmas, it's fun to get a Blockbuster Video giftcard, attach it to the Layered Meal in a Jar mix, and call it, "Dinner and a Movie." 

If I'm dropping off a "ministry meal" to someone, and I know they don't need to eat it right away (if we're bringing freezer meals to someone, for example), I'll often drop off this jar along with a bag of frozen chicken breasts from Trader Joe's...you want to give them the nice thin/flat ones, because you can use them directly from the freezer to prepare the casserole!  Some of the boxed brands of frozen chicken breasts or the individually packaged ones are frozen in a fat wad, and they take longer to cook from frozen, so they'd need to be thawed first. 

First, make a batch of Mary's Onion Soup Mix and a batch of her Cream Soup Mix.  Be sure you leave it just as dry mix...DO NOT add liquids!  You'll also need to get some Chicken Soup Base (NOT bouillon...make sure it's soup base, bouillon is wayyyy too salty)  and some Mushroom Soup Base.  I've always used Watkins brand soup bases, but you can use any kind, including homemade!

This recipe will produce 2-1/8 cups of dry material.  So ready the appropriate size canning jar!  Layer in the jar the following, in order:

1 cup white rice (long cooking, NOT instant or Minute)

1/2 cup cream soup base

2 Tbl. mushroom soup base

2 Tbl. onion soup base

2Tbl. chicken soup base

1/4 c. flour

Place lid and rim on jar tightly. Attach the following instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Pour contents of jar into a 9X13" baking dish.  Add 1-1/2 cups milk, 1-1/2 cups water.  Mix all together.  Arrange 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top (may be frozen...see cooking times).   Cover with foil.  Bake for 1 hour or until rice is done.  Add 20 minutes if chicken is frozen, then test to be sure chicken is cooked through. 

Enjoy this, and do try the casserole, it's delicious!  If you want to order the Watkins Soup bases, my dear friend, Julia Branham, is a Watkins consultant...go to the Watkins website and use Julia's ID# 048616N for your Consultant's number  (it's a direct sales company, so you need to buy from a consultant.  No worries...you'll never be spammed by them, it's a great company!).  The soup and gravy bases are wonderful!

Let me know you stopped by!  Have a blessed week.

(To Participate in Tightwad Tuesday, write your post, visit CanadaGirl's blog over at Homeschoolblogger, and add it to the list!) 

(Note: I posted this at my Homeschoolblogger place, "Plans4You," but wanted to share it here as well...this is an AWESOME Bible study, and I encourage you to get it!) 

My husband and I have, this semester, introduced our boys to one of the best Bible studies we've ever gone through.  Originally, when we first took it, it was a one-year study, but over the last decade or so it's been condensed into 16 weeks--perfect for a one-semester Bible credit!  It was written by our dear friend, Cindy Zeigler, and she and her husband, through their church in Florida, offer it at no charge.  I have a link to her and the study on my sidebar.  It's been there for a while, so this isn't really new, but the reason I wanted to post this today is because the season of Advent is upon us.  I know some have completely stopped celebrating Christmas, and that is an individual choice.  Dear family friends of ours here have done so, and we understand why, and respect their decision, though we have not made the same decision, even after reflecting upon what they've shared.  I've been thinking so much this week about the first coming of Christ, and I just wanted to share something from our Bible study that I mentioned above (and that you can get absolutely free...no cost, no shipping charges, nothing...did I already mention that???  It is a Tightwad Tuesday post, afterall!!!).  From "Understanding the Bible: A Biblical Survey," comes the following:

*************************

Shortly after the onset of Judah's captivity, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzer.  Then, after the Medes and Persians overtook Babylon, and after the 70 year period of Judah's captivity, Judah was allowed to go back to their land and rebuild Jerusalem, the wall, and the temple.  There were three post-exilic prophets -- Haggai, Zacharia, and Malachi -- each telling of the plans the Lord has yet for Israel.  After the Word of the Lord came to Malachi, the final prophet, there was a long period of silence from Heaven -- 400 years.

 

The prophecy of Amos came to bear on the Jews.  Amos, after being told by a priest to leave the Northern kingdom and go prophecy in the Southern kingdom (Amos 7:12), uttered these words:

Amos 8:11  "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD..."

So there was silence.

The voice of Heaven was not heard by the ears of earth.

...for 400 years.

...four hundred long years!

And...

A woman who was called barren,

bore a son, and they called him John.

Suddenly a bright light shown in the darkness...

...a star shining in the east.

A virgin had conceived and had borne a Son, and they called Him Immanuel, "God with us."

Then a voice was heard...

...a voice crying in the wilderness

...calling the people to

"Repent for the Kingdom of the Heavens was at hand."

(Now, jumping ahead in the study, we come to the First Coming of Christ in fulfillment of so much O.T. prophecy...)

"Not far from the city of Bethlehem was a place where shepherds were keeping watch over a flock of sheep.  After "Immanuel" was born, an angel appeared to these shepherds.

Luke 2

8     And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.  9  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  10  And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people;  11  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  12  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger."

13  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." 

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The prophecies which are enfolded in the Old Testament are unfolded in the New Testament!  This is so much more than prophecies of the Baby born in the manger...when one understands the meaning of the "Kingdom of the Heavens" (first introduced in the Mosaic covenant, but WOW, what happens while Christ walks the earth is incredible!), when one comprehends what all the talk of "peace" in TNT is referring to (it's not what you think...), when one recognizes the hugeness of the coming of this Child and what His purpose was (have you looked to see what the New Testament says His purpose in coming was?  Jesus Himself is the one who says exactly why He was sent!), you begin to understand why, after 400 years of not hearing the Word of God from Heaven that the sky was suddenly filled with a multitude of angels praising God and giving glory!  When we, at Christmas-time, look at and remember the first-coming of Jesus Christ to this earth, we should...if we understand the Kingdom of the Heavens...be awestruck at the Masterful and Powerful Hand of God!  The Heavenly host celebrated this event in a most dramatic way...so for us, it is still something that we wish to recognize and celebrate, as well.   

Oh, may I urge you to obtain a copy of this study and accompanying DVD lessons (all free, I say again!), and to be diligent to complete it?  It is long...it's a semester-long, if you think of it in terms of weeks, but it can be such a life-changing time in God's Word...and ONLY God's Word!  This isn't someone's "take" on the Scripture, you'll just study Scripture, and interpret Scripture by studying Scripture.  One friend who began the study quit after the first week..."this is review, I know all of this already."  Oh, I could cry for her.  One MUST begin with the beginning...with the foundation, but I promise you, the depth and insight you will gain over the 4 months of study will be immense!  Start the study...and finish it!!!  

To obtain your free study (if you have high schoolers who could do it with you, just ask for extra study books and notes, one copy for each person doing the study...then get one set of the DVD lectures per family), just click HERE or on the link in my sidebar under "Biblical Survey by Cindy Zeigler," and send an email to Kim asking for the "Biblical Survey."  That's the one you want to begin with.  You can tell them that I sent you, if you like!    

Think of it as a FREE Christmas gift that will continue giving to you until Christ's SECOND Coming!!!  May God bless you today!

(To Participate in Tightwad Tuesday, write your post and visit CanadaGirl's blog to add it to the list!) 

• Biscuit dough: arrange biscuits on top of turkey, overlapping the biscuits if necessary. 
• Drop biscuit dough: drop small biscuits on top to cover.
• Pie dough: roll dough out into the shape of your pan, place on top of turkey, and tuck the edges in against the pan sides. 

Brush the top of the dough with about 2 Tbs. (1/2 an egg) of beaten egg for a goldeny-brown glaze.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until the turkey mix is bubbly and the topping is nicely browned.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (about 2-1/3 cups)
8 ounces spaghetti, macaroni, or egg noodles
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam begins to subside.

Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender...about 5 minutes.

Stir the mushrooms into the Turkey Master Blend.

Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water until tender.  Drain well.  Stir pasta into turkey mixture along with almonds.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake 25 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.

TURKEY CHILI PEPPER CASSEROLE

One or two 4-1/2 ounce cans of chopped mild or hot green chili peppers, drained (the amount you choose is determined by how hot you want this!)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
4 ounces tortilla chips, lightly crushed (don't pulverize these...should have 2 to 3 cups after crushing.)
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese (2 cups, lightly packed)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 13X9 baking pan.

To the Turkey Master Blend, add chili peppers (be sure to drain them first!) and cumin.  Mix well.

In the prepared pan, layer the turkey mixture alternately with layers of tortilla chips and cheese.  End with a layer of tortilla chips sprinkled with cheese.  

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.

TURKEY AND RICE CASSEROLE

1-1/2 Tbl. unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2-1/3 cups)
3 cups cooked white rice or wild rice blend
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1/3 cup dry, unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.

Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until the foam begins to subside.  Add mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender--about 5 minutes.

Stir the mushrooms into the Turkey Master Blend along with the cooked rice and toasted nuts. Pour the mixture into baking pan. 

In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter.  Sprinkle over top of casserole. 

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I'll be posting my new "Thursday Talkin' About Teenagers" Wednesday evening, so it'll be there, Lord willing, if you have time either Wednesday or Thursday and would like to participate!  Fun!

God Bless,
Lori

I've been blogging at my 3 blogs for months now, and this one has been the "middle child," the one most neglected!  So I'm going to try to steamline my blogging according to the subject matter, so each blog gets attention and each blog "stays on task," so to speak!  (By the way, I HATE that phrase, "stay on task!!!")  Thus, things related to my home/domestic sphere will be here, things related to the path of discovery our homeschool high school is on will be at my main blog over at homeSCHOOLblogger, "Plans4You," and my Front Porch Team blog for HSchoolB will be about homeschooling through high school, focused on whatever topic they have chosen for that week.  Please visit my other blogs sometime! 

 Now, without further ado, I bring you:

(To join Friday Show n Tell with Canadagirl, click on the graphic above
or link to Canadagirl's blog from my "Friends" Section)

NOTE: I've UPDATED this entry to make a change in the recipe below!

Last Saturday was my son's final day sharpening knives at the local farmer's market.  (I help him with his booth each weekend...I'm the "front desk girl!")  Once it gets chilly out, he doesn't sharpen outdoors, as his fingers are in water the whole time on the water-cooled stone.  They go numb, and he can't feel the blades...not good!  So we're now in our "indoor home workshop season"...yay! 

 
Anyway, the lady across from us has fresh-picked veggies from her farm in Michigan...she drives into Chicagoland every weekend, bless her heart!  Last Saturday, she had bushels of apples.  We didn't buy any, as we always drive up to Wisconsin for a getaway and apple pick each October.  But she DID have something that caught my eye...beautiful, big, blue, "just picked this morning" Concord grapes.  We don't see these around here in the stores (remember, I'm a homesteader at heart, who lives in the uber-suburbs!), and I LOVE the smell of these grapes...just like Kool-Aid!  So I splurged and bought 2 boxes.

I have a recipe for Concord Grape Pie that I'd always wanted to try...it's a one crust pie with a struesel topping.  Calls for 1.5lbs of grapes per pie.  I figured I could make 2 pies with my grapes, so I weighed them out, and set that bowlful aside for one pie.

The 2nd bowlful was just over 1/2 pound short.  My raspberry bushes alongside the house had some berries ripe still, so I picked those, and still needed 9 ounces of fruit.  I had some old but still usable blueberries in the freezer from last year's trip to Michigan, so I added those in to make up the needed amount.   Here's my pie:

 After I made it, I couldn't resist curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and watching my rented DVD of "Little Women."  Lousia May Alcott lived in Concord, much of the movie is set there, and I've been there on a tour, and saw the home of the man who first cross-bred the Concord Grape!  It was a very cozy evening!

Since I was a little girl, I have loved pie for breakfast.  It started during Thanksgivings, when there would be leftover pumpkin, apple, and mince pies, and my mother and I would have them for breakfast on Friday and Saturday with a little fresh whipped cream.  To this day, I have a hard time resisting homemade pie in the morning!  It's like eating a jelly doughnut, so I don't do it often, but today I did!  Boy, was this pie sweet...SUGAR BUZZ!!! 

The recipe called for a cup of sugar...I should have cut that back by 1/3 or 1/2, since I didn't have a pure Concord grape pie...the raspberries and blueberries are plenty sweet, so it didn't need that much sugar.  Don't get me wrong...it's delicious!!!  Just sweet, sweet, sweet!  Probably good, or I'd have eaten a second slice!  This is a pie that wants to be shared amongst friends, once slice each. 

When I make the next one, I'll make the filling and freeze it in a zipper lock baggie for later use.  It'll be pure Concord grape, so needs the sugar...but I may still cut it to 3/4 cup.  If you've ever made a Concord grape pie, I'd love your advice!  Here's the recipe:

Concord Grape Pie

1-1/2 lbs (4 cups) Concord grapes
UPDATE HERE: 1/2 cup sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, I think it's wayyyy too sweet!)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt (I omitted this...why salt?)
1 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. butter, melted
9-inch unbaked pastry shell
Topping (recipe below)

Slip skins from grapes; set aside.  Cover grapes with water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes then run through a sieve to remove seeds.  Combine with skins and ad sugar, flour, salt, lemon juice, and butter.  Pour into pastry shell and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with topping:

Topping:
1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter

Sift flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of pie and bake for an additional 15 minutes (protect crust with foil if getting too brown).  Serves 8. 

*This recipe is from my "Family Favorites" cookbook from Gooseberry Patch, page 182.

Thank you for visiting, please leave a comment so I know you've been by!

May God Bless you!

~ Lori

Oh boy, this is going to be fun!  I haven't blogged here in quite a while, nor on my other blog over at homeschoolblogger, since we went on the campout with the Wallers.  But it's been for good, we've been opening the home to dear missionary friends who were in the US for weddings!  Also, we had the Waller family here just last weekend while they were travelling...that was a big crew (12 of them, to be exact)!

So the house got a thorough cleaning, as people were in every room of it...except one room. 

Ahhhhh, don't we all have that one room that is "off limits" to guests???  This room is the, "just throw it in the craft room," room!  It's the, "store the shelves in the craft room until we get the bedroom painted," room!  The, "put all the clothes that don't fit anymore in the craft room and I'll take them to the Goodwill when the box is full," room!  The poor "craft room."  There's NO ROOM to do crafts in it! 

Confession is good for the soul...and, "they" say that when you have a "problem," the first step to overcoming that problem is to "admit" that you have a problem!  So there, now...I've admitted it.  I have a craft room that has no room to do crafts in!  But I want to go a step further today.  Because "they" say something else: "a picture is worth a thousand words."  So here are about 7,000-words-worth:

The "off limits" door:

Deep breath...ready, set...
Go!!!                                                                                                    
Are you starting to feel better about your "craft" room yet???
Good!  I'll keep going, to help you feel just awesome!!!
These are just some of the photos I have to put in albums:

More piles (but the good news in these last 2 pictures is the empty shelves...just waiting to hold only the useful items that will be leftover after the cleanout!):

Whew...it feels so good to get that out in the open!      Now I can get going on correcting my little "problem."  It's time to get some big, empty boxes, and some garbage bags, and sort through the STUFF!  Do I use it, love it, and desire to take care of it so I can keep using it?  It gets a home on a shelf or in a closet!  Did I think I wanted to use it once, love it once, and desire to take care of it once, but don't any longer...for whatever reason???  It goes in the Goodwill box, so someone esle may use it/love it/desire to take care of it!  Is it too old/broken/non-functional for anyone to use anymore?  There's a garbage bag with its name on it!

I'm going to take 15 minutes per day to sort through all this stuff for the next 4 days, beginning today.  I have an Amvets truck coming on Monday morning for some old furniture, so perhaps I can save a drive to the Goodwill and just leave a box/bag on the porch! 

My next photo and entry set will be...Lord willing...of a pretty clean-looking room, although I can promise the bins of photographs will be sitting on the tabletop.  That will take a while!  But we have some neat plans for this little room...I have a lovely futon couch in my "library/office" which also doubles as a guest sweet (it has it's own full bath), but it's only a full-size bed when opened.  I want to move this futon up to the craft room, so that it can have guests in it (it is really a bedroom, afterall) if I need the space.  Then we found a perfect color queen-size sofa bed that could move into the library, and would be more comfortable for our guests to sleep on than the full size futon is.  Again, Lord willing!

Thanks for stopping by, let me know you were here!
God Bless,
Lori