The richest life

Density test

2012-01-24T13:46:00.001-08:00

Ours consisted of 4 liquids: light corn syrup (sunk to the bottom), dish soap, water dyed red, and the vegetable oil settled on the top! Pretty neat! I was babysitting when we did this, and couldn't remember all of the layers, but it still made the point.

The following information is from: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/seven-layer-density-column

How does it work?

The same amount of two different liquids will have different weights because they have different masses. The liquids that weigh more (have a higher density) will sink below the liquids that weigh less (have a lower density).

Material	Density
Rubbing Alcohol	.79
Lamp Oil	.80
Baby Oil	.83
Vegetable Oil	.92
Ice Cube	.92
Water	1.00
Milk	1.03
Dawn Dish Soap	1.06
Light Corn Syrup	1.33
Maple Syrup	1.37
Honey	1.42

To test this, you might want to set up a scale and measure each of the liquids that you poured into your column. Make sure that you measure the weights of equal portions of each liquid. You should find that the weights of the liquids correspond to each different layer of liquid. For example, the honey will weigh more than the Karo syrup. By weighing these liquids, you will find that density and weight are closely related.

** NOTE: The numbers in the table are based on data from manufacturers for each item. Since each manufacturer has its secret formula, the densities may vary from brand to brand. You’ll notice that according to the number, rubbing alcohol should float on top of the lamp oil, but we know from our experiment that the lamp oil is the top layer. Chemically speaking, lamp oil is nothing more than refined kerosene with coloring and fragrance added. Does every brand of lamp oil exhibit the same characteristics? Sounds like the foundation of a great science fair project.

The table shows the densities of the liquids used in the column as well as other common liquids (measured in g/cm³ or g/mL).

Density is basically how much "stuff" is smashed into a particular area... or a comparison between an object's mass and volume. Remember the all-important equation: Density = Mass divided by Volume. Based on this equation, if the weight (or mass) of something increases but the volume stays the same, the density has to go up. Likewise, if the mass decreases but the volume stays the same, the density has to go down. Lighter liquids (like water or rubbing alcohol) are less dense than heavy liquids (like honey or Karo syrup) and so float on top of the more dense layers.

Marshmallow towers

2012-01-24T13:34:00.001-08:00

Today we made marshmallow towers with mini marshmallows and tooth picks! Great activity for a day that is too cold to go outside.

This was right before it tipped over... haha

I don't know why these photos are smaller. Here is J with his marshmallow structures!

An Apron for Andrea

2012-01-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

My sister Andrea loves the chickens. So when I was looking for the right fabric to make an apron for her for Christmas, and I found this, I knew it was perfect!

I don't know what the blur is about on this one? Smudgy lens?

She was messing with the settings on iphoto. Looks cool!

And just one more, for fun...

As she said, "....nothing happened......." :-)

2012-01-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today has been a wonderful day!

I laid in bed until 8:00 (I wasn't sleeping, just enjoying the quiet, and the opportunity to lay there). After having devotions, I finished reading a wonderful book I got for Christmas "Kisses From Katie". It's about a missionary in Uganda - very inspiring! She is so young and so wise. It makes me excited to be a missionary. I drank lots of hazelnut coffee while I read... so cozy!

The day was so bright, the sun shining, the weather warm. I ate lunch around 11:00 (since I never really ate breakfast), then I went for a 3 and 3/4 mile walk/run. How refreshing! I love running and walking and spending that time talking to God.

When I returned home I got a load of laundry going, cleaned the cat litter box, swept the basement steps, mopped the kitchen floor, scrubbed down the kitchen cupboards, and had a refreshing shower (with new shower gel I got for Christmas, followed by new lotion!). Around 3:00 my sister came over with her 4.5 children, and at 3:30 our good friend (from miles away) arrived. She just left at 10:00 p.m. We enjoyed talking and talking and drinking tea and talking. Mom made baked chicken and salad and I made twice baked potatoes for dinner. My sister Andrea made her special chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for dessert.

I feel so refreshed. What a good day! Thank you Lord!

A Christmas Tea Party!

2012-01-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

My dear freind, Aunt Pam, and I decided to plan a tea party this past year (2011). It kept getting pushed back, due to more important things filling up our time. Finally we decided a Christmas Tea was just the thing, and so we did it!:-)

The tables were just beautiful. It looked like a real tea room!

We used green plastic table cloths and covered them with beautiful lace plastic cloths.

We used fake candles (the little battery tea lights) due to some people who have allergies. It looked so lovely in the goblets borrowed from my sister's stash (we borrowed ALLOT from her!). Aunt Pam and Uncle Bob bought enough tea cups for each table to have their own pattern. Then we used various cream and sugar sets. At each place setting we had a plate, fork, spoon, and knife, cloth napkin, a little tartlet tin to put the used tea bags, and for favors we had sparkly snow flake ornaments and magnetic bookmarks.

Also at each table we had a dish with home made peppermints and truffles. There was a glass dish (as you can see in the photo) with 3 glass cups filled with lemon or lime curd, strawberry jam, and clotted cream (for the scones), honey (for the tea), and a tea cup with beads and string so the ladies and girls could make themselves a bracelet while they chatted.

Our two dear waiters served tea to the ladies off these wooden carts, and had trays of tea sandwiches and delicacies underneath.

We served these star shaped egg salad sandwiches, and round cucumber cream cheese sandwiches. They were made on wheat, white, and rye breads. The rye was a big hit!

These next two aren't very clear, but we had a lovely table set up with all of the desserts and foods displayed. The ladies were instructed to choose their flavor of tea bag off of this table before sitting down.

We had scones, pumpkin spice roll, tea sandwiches, jam tart cookies, mini cheese cakes, and cream wafers (as well as the truffles and peppermints). Everyone really enjoyed the food!

My mom and sisters were all there. Here is my oldest sister with 3 of her children (her 4 year old got to spend some daddy - son time:-) ).

My 6 year old niece had been looking forward to this tea party with much excitement! It was her first "real tea party" to attend, and she couldn't wait! She kept saying, "I just keep imagining what it will look like!"

At the tea party I asked her if it was what she imagined. "No," she said, "It is even better!"

It was so worth doing just for her:-)

My 3 year old niece felt very grown up drinking from a real tea cup. My sister made these darling jumpers and head bands for the girls and their dollies:-)

All of the little girls were instructed to bring their favorite doll or stuffed animal for the "Doll's Tea". I am quite sure the dolls enjoyed themselves:-)

Myself and Aunt Pam - The Hostesses!

I was up until 2 a.m. the night before, and I think Aunt Pam only got a couple of hours of sleep.

But everyone had such a good time, so it was certainly worth it!

Reading

2011-12-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

Reading to my nieces and nephews and cous

ins.

I love these kids:-)

Davey Crocket play

2011-12-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I made my four-year-old nephew brown pants and a fringed vest, a sling shot, and bought a coon skin hat. Now he can be a little Davey Crocket or Daniel Boon:-) Here he is posed in his new get up, and showing off the gun daddy bought for him and his siblings to share as a Christmas gift!

Here's the rest of the kids (minus baby brother), excited with their new non-toy! (They will be getting lessons from Daddy how to use this, and will not be left unsupervised. Just so you know.)

Don't you love my little 3-year old niece's tutu?!:-)

Merry Christmas 2011!!

2011-12-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree at 6:00 in the morning. Dad read to us from Luke 2, we listened to some Christmas music, and we passed out gifts:-) Later in the day, after church service, my older siblings and their families came over (and my Omama!) for another gift exchange. Mom made ham and mashed potatoes and my sister made green bean casserole. We ended with cookies, and yummy ice cream a friend brought over! It was a lovely day:-) In the evening we watched the new movie my sister got "The Help". It was very good!

Please pray for my sister-in-law, brother, nephew, and their new baby girl. She was born on Tuesday the 20th with "Apert Syndrome". She is beautiful and doing well, but will have to have surgery in the next couple of months to separate her little fingers and fix her skull so her brain can grow properly. Thank you!

Quiet/Busy books

2011-12-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas I made Quiet Books (or busy books) for my 3 year old niece, and 1 1/2 year old nephews. I got the idea from a friend who made them for her great grandchildren. I got online and found many ideas for the pages. In the end, they turned out great but were very time consuming. Most of the pages were the same, but a few I made specific for the boys, and specific to my niece. Here they are!

I love the boys' covers. Cute material from Hobby Lobby.

A mitten to put your hand in:-)

A little house.

Peek behind the curtain, door, and bush for a surprise!:

Learn to tie the cat's collar:

Fall leaves:

They velcro on. I painted the velcro for 2 reasons; because otherwise it is too

strong and all that pulling will ruin it. Also, they are color coordinated to the leaves for matching!

A touchy-feely bird's nest.

Peek inside to see the eggs!:

A camping page. This has a zipper for learning to zip.

Unzip and find a sleepy camper!:

A dog house, with a scotty dog peeking out:-)

Pull him out and take him for a walk!:

The barn (possibly one of my favorite pages!):

Open the barn doors to find 2 farm animal finger puppets!:

Also hidden you will find a chicken on top, a cow, and a chick on a bail of hay:-)

I cut those out of some farm animal material and fabric glued them in.

Another favorite page. The boys got tractors with tires that unbutton:

The boys got a little lad to dress up (Velcro on the clothes, and I again painted the

rougher velcro so the hold wouldn't be as strong):

My favorite boys page. The last page is a little car mat!

In the pocket you will find a sail boat, and 2 little felt cars

I made with button wheels:-) I think it's so cute!

The boys got a fishing page. The fish hook onto fish hooks (hook and eyes). My friend

Megan suggested tying them on with embroidery floss because the fish kept getting unhooked and falling out of the books.

After "catching the fish" they can stick them in the boat if they want:

The girl's button page has flowers to unbutton:

The girl's book has a little girl and dress-ups made from bits of trim and lace I bought at the craft store. I finished the edges by melting them carefully with a match. Sewed on velcro.

Instead of the fishing page the girl's book has a laundry page.

I had tiny clothes pins to hang the clothes on the line! This is my favorite girl's page:-)

The last page in the girl's book has 2 pockets to stick a pad of paper and crayons

to keep a little one entertained some more!

Now for the facts:

•I made 12 pages each.

•I used flannel fabric.

•I made the pages about 10 by 12 or so (I think).

•I used lots of fabric glue (I think a whole bottle between the three books!), but I also sewed allot in that would be handled and need better secured.

•I used allot of felt which I bought. Also allot of scrap fabric which I had on hand.

•I sewed everything onto the fabric pages before I sewed the pages (like front and back) together. Then I sewed the 2 pieces (which equaled four pages),with the right sides facing, together. I turned them right side out and finished all around the edge. When all the pages were finished I assembled them in order, laid them on the cover, and sewed right down the middle through all of the layers.

•I don't know that I would make another anytime soon, but it was fun and I have allot of leftovers!

A visit to the Bas Pro Shop!

2011-12-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

While in Virginia we got to visit the Bas Pro Shop. I have always wanted to go here, after seeing photos in their catalog. It's like a museum here!

We got a good kick out of this sign:-)

I bought a coon skin hat for my nephew for Christmas. Also bought caps for my dad and brother for Christmas!

Creme Brulee with Chocolate

2011-12-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

Jessie ready to begin!:-) (I love this photo of you, Jess!)

Little Ramekins we had to go to the store to buy.

Melt your chocolate like so.

The chocolate mixture goes in first. Then cool in the fridge.

Whip the egg.

Add the rest of the ingredients and whip some more.

Pour over the chocolate.

It looks so pretty!

Place in a baking dish half filled with water. Bake.

Cool. You can do a sugar glaze with a food torch. We tried a lighter and some brown

sugar but it didn't work. We did manage to catch the sugar on fire, though!

Lovely Creme Brulee.

Lovely Jessie!

Fantastic.

Virginia with my friend!

2011-12-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

My dear friend is in the Air Force. She is currently based in Virginia. I was able to take some time after Mrs. Payne passed away to fly out for a visit! We has such a lovely time:-) Here are some photos...

We went to Assateague Island, and had a wonderful time walking the beach. We saved a jelly fish, and saw wild horses! Then we went hiking near by, and saw a light house.

This was the sunset on the way home that evening. Gorgeous painting by God!!

We did allot of cooking while I was there. One evening we made fantastic pumpkin soup, and chapati bread!

Next I will post photos of our Creme Brulee making!!

Give away!

2011-10-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Life In A Shoe is hosting another give away! Your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to "The Modest Mom":-) They have some cute skirts and more! Hurry over to Life in a Shoe to enter.

My friend.

2011-10-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

{Marilyn, Mrs. Payne, Anna}

At the party.

For the past 2 years I have spent my Mondays with my dear friend, Mrs. Payne. She and her husband have been close friends to our family since I was about 13 years old. About 4 years ago they both discovered they had cancer. Last year in March Mr. Payne passed away. I had been staying with them because he was not doing well, and she could not care for him alone. Mrs. Payne has been through so much. She took care of her husband, while she herself was going through chemo. She had 4 different kinds of chemo, suffered from much pain and side affects, and never through all of this, did she stop praising the Lord for the good things He has done. She has been a pillar of faith, a prayer warrior who "moved mountains, and she never left her knees". To me, she has been a grandmother. Gentle, loving, always wanting to teach and share her wisdom and her skills. She would stop to pray whenever a new request or concern arose. One day she was so tired and weak, but she came hobbling out of her room with her walker, asking if we could pray together for the families affected by the floods in the South. She couldn't sleep with that on her mind. What a lady!

In August she was taken to the hospital, and after 5 days they released her, only with the assurance that she would receive 24 hour care. Her body was getting weaker and weaker. She herself had never given up faith, or accepted that she was dying. She was going to LIVE! (she said herself, "I am going to stick around just for spite!") Marilyn and I put together a schedule, which wonderful ladies from the church began to fill. Marilyn and I stayed the nights, and while we were working, the sweet ladies came to sit with her. We had such precious times! I loved the evenings when Mrs. Payne would tell me to "Go get your pajamas on, and come back to my room so we can have Bible study together!". Every night we did that. Then we would pray for understanding of whatever we had read.

Mrs. Payne wanted to have a party. She had not gotten to use her new deck yet, as she had been to sick to entertain. But now she wanted to invite all the sweet ladies and their husbands who had been coming over to sit with her. She wanted to have a "Thank You Party". The party soon grew from just the ladies and spouses, to the whole church, and some neighbors and other friends! She just couldn't leave anyone out, or forget to include someone. The week of the party she was so excited:-) She would sit in the kitchen at the table and read over the list of those invited, making sure no one was left out. She helped make the dressing for the macaroni salad. The day of the party she got dressed (she had been wearing her night gowns all of the time), had her hair done by a lady in the church, and then sat in the bathroom and put on make up!

She had such a wonderful time! And so did everyone who came. Everyone kept commenting on how well she looked. She enjoyed herself completely, surrounded by such dear friends.

One week later she woke up so weak she could barely stand. She drifted in and out of consciousness all day. The hospice nurse came out and helped us lift Mrs. Payne from her wheel chair to her bed. Mrs. Payne was un aware that we had even moved her. She did wake up for a little bit that evening. She asked, "Is Anna here?" "Yes, I am right here!" I replied- I was sitting on the edge of her bed. She turned to me and gave me such a warm hug. I told her I loved her, and she said, "I love you, too!" We helped her back into her wheel chair when she requested going to the kitchen for some pie (Hospice said she must stay in bed, but how could we turn down this request?!). We fed her peach and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Then we wheeled her back to her room and helped her back to bed (It was easier this time since she was conscious). That night 3 of us stayed. Saturday morning she woke up briefly, and said some things that didn't make sense. Then she slept. Her breathing grew worse and worse. A hospice nurse came that night and changed her medication. He was a wonderful Christian man, and explained everything that was going on. I slept in her room Saturday night, but mostly I kneeled against her bed, holding her hand and watching the pulse on her neck to see if she was still breathing. Sunday she slept all day. I could not leave her bedside because I was worried she would go and I would miss it. Various church friends stopped by, and someone picked up her grand children so they could be with her. Sunday evening, at 6:55 p.m., her breathing suddenly changed. I went to the kitchen to tell Marilyn, Janice, and the others that they should come. We gathered once again around Mrs. Payne's bed. I sat there beside her, one arm behind her neck, the other holding her hand. We prayed, then we sang. And at 6:59 p.m., after being unconscious for over 24 hours, she looked up with wide eyes, opened her mouth, and a tear fell down her cheek. She then closed her eyes and mouth, and at 7:00 p.m. she went to be with Jesus. We know, that at the moment she opened her eyes she was looking at the face of our Lord and Savior.

I miss my sweet Mrs. Payne so much. But I KNOW that she is with the Lord, and she is at the place she has been living for all of her life. My dear Mrs. Payne, I love you! I will see her again, and I am so glad!

Apron

2011-10-24T17:20:00.002-07:00

Another apron, this one made for a dear friend.

Autumn. My favorite season.

2011-10-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

{Lovely Fall photos}

The NEW boys bathroom at church!

2011-10-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

My sister and I painted the boys bathroom at church (the one on the Children's floor). I love how it turned out:-) Here are some photos for your enjoyment...

A sweet little squirrel:-)

A deer must have been passing through here!

Little caterpillar.

And a turtle wandering in.

A bird perched by the bathroom sink.

2 little turtles make their home on the counter top.

Boys: slingshot

2011-10-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

When you need a project for a little guy, this is easy and very entertaining! All you need is a Y shaped stick, 2 rubber bands, and something like fabric, felt, or in our case (they don't have fabric on hand) the top cut off from a zip lock bag:-) Oh, and some acorns for launching.

Preschool: A day with the little one

2011-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

First we work on learning to read, with our good friends: Dick and Jane

We play games for math: Colors Bingo and Numbers Bingo

And art is essential: Painted popsicle sticks and acorns:-)

At the wedding~

2011-10-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Cara holding my nephew, Christina and Niece 1, Andrea and Niece 2, Anna (me!) and my nephew. Fun dancing:-)

My new running shoes

2011-10-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

I needed new running shoes, and found these Asics at $59.99 ...

orginally $89.99! They are super comfortable, and I have warn them for quite a few runs.

I like them very much!

I have accomplished my goal for the Summer of running 5 miles.

I actually topped it and ran 5 and 3/4 miles one day!

I think I may try to do 6 before the Fall is out.

And next year... I may get brave and try running the half marathon with my brother!

He ran it this year in 2 hours and 13 seconds! It was so neat to watch all those runners

who had prepared for that special event.

I would be happy if I ran it in double that;-) Haha

Drug problems?

2011-10-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Give away!

2011-09-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have already told you how much I like Marie-Madeline Studio...

Well, due to the generosity of the Long ladies, as well as Life in a Shoe, you have the opportunity to win either a custom made skirt from Marie-Madeline, or a $50 gift certificate!! Head on over to Life in a Shoe to enter!

A wedding at my brothers farm

2011-09-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my brother and his wife hosted a wedding for my sister-in-law's sister!

Everything was so beautiful.

The farm house -- they totally gutted this house, redid the inside, added a new roof, and put on the lovely rap around porch. Flower gardens compliments of my talented sister-in-law.

The barn was transformed (after several work parties to get it in shape!)!

The get away tractor!

The happy couple: Hannah and Patrick

Alaina and my niece Rachel, darling little 2 year old friends:-)

Our family; we took up two tables!

The cake, made by my sister-in-law!

Dancing in the barn late into the evening...

Grape Juice

2011-09-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

We have LOTS of grapes this year in our garden. I made 7 pints of jelly on Friday, and today we made grape juice. It is more of a grape juice concentrate. We thought of it as we were straining juice from the grapes to make jelly. The juice was so thick and delicious! So instead of putting grapes into a jar with hot sugar water, we simmered the grapes on the stove for about 5 minutes, then strained the juice out. Put back in a pot, add sugar to taste, and pout into quart jars. Hot water bath for 15 minutes.

The sisters hard at work picking out the bad grapes (yes, worms do like grapes. It is very gross when you come across them:-P ) .

Andrea hard at work, washing up the dirty dishes (this is a typical afternoon at our house. Everyone doing their chores and being goofy!):

Joel making faces as he strains the grapes...

Simmering the juice just to heat it back up and melt the sugar.

Pretty grape juice next to the mums dad bought for my "mum":-)

We had 5 quarts survive. I lost 1 1/2 quarts due to the jars breaking as I was ladling in the juice.

I don't know why it happened, as I had the jars hot from the oven.

But it is not easy to clean up that much grape juice from the counters, stove, cupboards, and floor!

Banana Bread

2011-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

A good friend of ours (who I babysit for!) shared this fabulous banana bread recipe with me. I made it with whole wheat flour, and it was still just as moist and yummy:-) But no nuts for us... I am the only one who likes them in desserts.

A cup of tea and a slice of bread is the perfect afternoon snack:-)

Banana Nut Loaf

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel

2 ripe bananas, cut up (1 cup)

2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Lightly grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and soda.

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add orange peel; beat well.

Mash bananas with a fork; stir in milk.

Add flour mixture and banana mixture

alternately to creamed mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into pan, bake at 350° oven for 45-50 minutes.

When tooth pick comes out clean, it is done. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Watermelon

2011-09-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

The other day I was out in the garden, leaning on a large rock that was buried in the bean plants, picking beans. Then it occurred to me that we don't have any big rocks in the veggie garden. Pulling back the leaves, I discovered this giant watermelon, growing from seeds we had put in the compost pile!! What a delicious surprise!:-)

Good, Clean Fun!!

2011-09-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite activities to do with the kids I babysit is shaving cream fun. We go outside, they each get a cookie sheet, and I squirt on some inexpensive shaving cream. They go at it squishing it between their fingers, trying to gather it up in their hands, spreading it around, writing in it, adding food coloring and mixing colors... getting as "messy" as they can! But it's just soap, so the clean up is easy:-)

Peach Preserves and Peach Butter

2011-09-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

Peach Butter

4-4 1/2 pounds of peaches (16-18 medium)

4 cups (I recommend less) sugar

half a lemon, or a tablespoon of lemon juice

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup water

(for a variation adda tsp. of nutmeg when adding the sugar)

Pulp: wash and blanch peaches. (Blanch by dropping into boiling water for 30 seconds) Immediately transfer blanched peaches to cold water. Peel and remove pits, slice peaches, and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep color.

Pour peaches and 1/2 cup water into a large sauce pot. Summer on low until peaches are tender enough to puree. Use a food processor or hand held blender to blend peaches until they are smooth, but not liquified. Make sure not to over blend!

In a large sauce pot add peaches, sugar, and spices. Cook on medium heat until mixture is thick. It can take up to two hours to achieve the right consistency. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

To ensure correct thickness, put a tablespoon of hot butter on a very cold plate. Allow to set for a few seconds, then run your index finger through the butter. If the butter stays separated you are ready to fill your jars.

Pour hot butter into hot prepared jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: 4 pints or 8 half pints

Peach Preserves

12 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped

4 1/2 cups white sugar

1 (2 oz) package dry pectin

Crush 1 cup chopped peaches in the bottom of a large sauce pan. Add remaining peaches, and set pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a low boil, and cook for 20 minutes or until peaches become liquid (my family likes a few bits of peach left).

Pour peaches into a bowl, and then measure 6 cups back into the pan. Add sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Gradually stir in dry pectin, and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat after 1 minute, and transfer to sterilized jars. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool, and place on shelf.

Give away!

2011-09-02T05:01:00.001-07:00

I love these Lilla Rose flexi clips. They are so pretty! Want to win one?? Head on over to Life in a shoe and enter to win! They will be choosing 2 winners to win a clip valued up to $15.00.

Thank you, Life in a shoe!

Dill pickles

2011-08-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

I finally tackled the many cucumbers we've been bringing in from the garden.

15 quarts and 5 pints of yummy dill pickles. I would have had about 4 more quarts, but I accidentally spilled some on the basement floor when I was putting them in the fridge. I can't wait to eat these, they look so good!

Here's the recipe:

Dill Pickles

10 + pounds small pickling cucumbers, sliced and tossed (I don't do this salt part--they are salty enough without!) with 1/3 cup pickling salt

12 cups water

2/3 cup pickling salt

16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

8 sprigs fresh dill weed (also known as baby dill - these are the little dill weed)

8 heads fresh dill weed

Wash cucumbers and slice into discs. Put in a large bowl. Mix with 1/3 cup pickling salt if desired. Top with crushed ice. Place in fridge for about 2 hours. Remove from fridge and drain water and ice. In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring brine to a rapid boil. In each jar place 2 half cloves of garlic, one head of dill, and then enough cucumbers to fill the jar, packing tightly. Add two more half cloves of garlic and 1 sprig of dill. (This is for quarts. If you are using pints, half the dill and garlic in each jar) Fill jars with hot brine. Seal with sterilized lids and rings, and hot water bath for 10 minutes. Pickles need to sit for atleast 2 weeks before eating so that there is ample time for flavoring.

Cucumber appetizers

2011-08-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

These are very yummy:-) We like to make them to serve for lunch. Great with some fresh fruit on the side!

Spread cream cheese on a Triscuit cracker. Top with a cucumber, and sprinkle on some lemon pepper. That's it! These are a very refreshing Summer time snack:-)

Preschool: Queen Anne's Lace experiment

2011-08-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

I remember doing this when I would go to my Aunt's house for the cousin's sleepover each Summer! It's so simple, but it was always so exciting:-)

Pick a bunch of Queen Anne's Lace flowers.

Fill up cups of water, and add several drops of food coloring to each cup.

Then put in the stems of Queen Anne's Lace.

After a few hours (or a day) the flowers will have drunk the colored water

and will be the color of the food coloring!

So pretty:-)

Preschool: Smoothies

2011-08-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

You will need: All sorts of fruit. We used bananas, peaches, kiwi, and strawberries.

Cut it up like so:

Put the fruit into a blender.

Pour on some orange juice and about 1/3 cup of any flavor yogurt.

Turn on the blender to puree. After about 30 seconds, turn the blender off. Add about a cup of ice. Replace lid and puree until smooth and ice is fine.

Enjoy!

Nature Walk

2011-08-04T15:58:00.001-07:00

It was overcast all morning, and sprinkled just slightly. The kids and I decided to take advantage of the cool-ish weather and headed out for a walk! There's so much to see and learn in God's beautiful creation!

She loves to stop and pick pretty flowers:-)

These were growing on a tree, and she wanted a picture of them.

They like to pick these and throw them in the pond for the fish! (I hope we are not poisoning the fish!)

A worm (can you see it?) they rescued from the drive way, and put safely back in the dirt:-)

We came upon this giant spider web in a tree.

And then looked down to find a cool shaped mushroom.

The pond. A great place to sit and watch ducks and birds!

And you can hear all sorts of critters calling out to one another.

Bull frogs, various birds, crickets, cicadas. Such beautiful sounds!

Then we dissected this cat tail to see what the inside looked like!

Oh the wonders we will find when we go out of doors.

VBS Armor of God video!

2011-08-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

We've had a great month of Vacation Bible School! Here's the video I made to share on Sunday during the children's presentation! 7 children accepted Christ this month- praise the Lord!

Spinach Pie

2011-08-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

This fabulous lunch dish comes from "Lessons at Blackberry Inn" by: Karen Andreola. It is sooo delicious, and healthy too:-)

~Spinach Cheese Pie~

To make one 9-inch pie, you will need:

16 oz. Ricotta cheese

A large sprig of basil leaves - several handfuls washed, chopped, left raw

1 egg (I had to make it once without the egg, and it was fine just not as firm)

1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan, romano, or asiago cheese

One bag of fresh baby spinach, rinsed well

1 tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter to grease pie pan

(Optional) several sprigs of chopped green onion cooked until soft in olive oil and butter

(Optional) pie crust

Place the wet spinach leaves in a sauce pan and heat only until the leaves wilt. When cool. squeeze out excess water and chop. (A package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed, works too. My primitive method is to let the water run through my fingers as I squeeze the frozen spinach one handful at a time.)

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl crack egg, add salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with ricotta.

Fold in basil, grated hard cheese, green onion, and lastly, the chopped spinach. Spoon mixture into a greased pie pan. Decorate on top with thin slices of tomato.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

This is easy to put together on a busy homeschool day, for a nice hot lunch. Also elegant enough to serve as a special lunch for guests. Enjoy!

Preschool: Prism

2011-08-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

I bought this prism from a science catalog. I remember playing with one of these when I was little, and it was great fun! The children I babysit love to make rainbows. They call it "The thing that makes rainbows", and always ask me if I brought it:-) Today I brought it, and the sun was shining perfectly through the windows, so the kids got some great rainbows!

You could use this with a unit study on colors. Check out books from the library, and you are set!

Preschool: Magnets!

2011-08-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Last year I ordered these magnets from a science catalog. I probably spent around $15 or so. The kids love them, and they can be used for multiple ages. The children I babysit spend ages playing with these, building things, being amazed that they can push away the other magnets without touching them! They especially love seeing how much the yellow wand can hold at one time:-) For older children you can incorporate magnets into science. Check out books on magnetism from the library... you will find endless ideas and information!

Armor of God Vacation Bible School: A sneak peak

2011-07-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Our church is in full swing at VBS. We are not doing the traditional week long VBS. Instead we are having it every Wednesday night in July. This is proving very successful, and definitely the way to go for following years!

Our entrance to the excitement = the registration table (sign your children in, children get their name tags which are different for each crew, and flyers and memory verse magnets for parents to keep track of):

The main room is big and white. It's hard to fill it up. An artist at our church made the awesome armor decorations! My sister made the colorful banner, which adds allot to the big empty room! We've got the memory verses on the wall, too.

We have 4 groups of soldiers - 2 groups for the 5-7 year olds, and 2 groups for the 8-11 year olds. The group leaders chose names for their group, and kids sit at their shield banner during the whole group meeting times.

"Goofy Gladiators" (little kids)

"613th Regiment" (little kids)

this is for Ephesians 6:13 - 18

"God's Conquerers" (older kids)

"Wacky Warriors" (Older kids)

We are raising money to feed Gypsy Children at a soup kitchen in the Ukraine.

$1 will feed a meal to one child. I glued magazine pictures of food to plates, and pin one plate

up for each dollar we raise. This is a good visual for the kids!

I will post more when we are through. I found it so helpful as I prepared for VBS to look at what other churches did for the Armor of God. Hopefully these pictures can inspire someone doing this theme!

R Grocery - Deals!

2011-07-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the flea market with my brother and his friend (who I was babysitting). On the way home we stopped at a wonderful little store called "R Grocery". This is a "scratch and dent" store. I love going there because you can get great deals and save quite a bit on groceries that are marked down usually because the can is dented, or the box a little wrinkly, or the expiration date is in a few months.

I love to save money, and get good deals on things we need anyway. I love to see how much I can get for a much smaller price. It's so satisfying to me, and I feel like I am being a good steward (not that I think it is a sin to shop at big grocery stores! I just enjoy finding deals:-).

Today the deals included:

A few boxes of "yummy" cereal, which is a rare treat at our house!
Dunkin' Donuts coffee ($3.79- at Wal*Mart we'd pay 7 or 8 dollars), Starbucks coffee )$4.29), and a couple little Millstone coffees that I like:-) (45 cents... at Wal*Mart they are about $1.29)
3 cans of fat free refried beans (35 cents each!), and several cans of organic black beans, pinto beans, chick peas, and baked beans.
Most of the beans were marked down to 50 cents or less!

2 jars of spaghetti sauce (99 cents each), 2 cans of tomato sauce, 3 cans of peaches, Olive oil (only 2.99!), Italian dressing (half off so 25 cents!), parsley (we were out, and it was only 30 cents), Beano (69 cents)... , and I needed a travel size tooth paste - only 25 cents!

Also I bought 2 boxes of triscuits, a bag of tortilla chips, and a large jar of VERY DELICIOUS black bean and corn salsa, and yogurt - which we ate for lunch.

The total?

$35!

Bread and Butter Pickles ~ A tutorial

2011-07-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I just made a big batch of pickles on Sunday, and decided to document the process so I could share a tutorial for anyone interested. I am no seasoned canner - this is only my 4th year of canning anything on my own! But here is the recipe that we really enjoy.

Begin by picking your cucumbers...:-)

When you have allot (more then you could possibly eat raw right now)...then it is time to make pickles!!

Bread and Butter Pickles ~ A tutorial

This recipe says it makes 7 pints. I made this recipe about 3 1/2 times over.

Slice your cucumbers. You will need 4 quarts of cucumber slices per batch. Place slices in a large bowl.

Slice 8 medium white onions (2 1/2 pounds) and put with the cucumber slices. Cut in half 3 cloves of garlic (a clove is one piece from the bulb) and add to cucumbers. Next sprinkle 1/3 cup pickling salt on top, and mix well.

Cover with about 2 inches of cracked ice and refrigerate for 3 hours (I did not have exactly 2 inches of ice, but roughly).

When you have about 45 minutes to go before the 3 hours is up, fill your canning pot about 1/2 way or a little more with water, and put on to boil. Wash out your canning jars in hot soapy water, and rinse. Check for any chips on the rim (do not use chipped jars). Place upside down in the oven, and turn oven on to bake and 200° F. This is how you sterilize your canning jars.

Place your lids (the flat part) and rings in a low pan and cover with boiling water for about 10 minutes. Leave in the hot water as you are canning. You CANNOT reuse the flat lids as the seal only seals once, however the rings you can reuse for several years!

Okay, now it's time to make your pickle brine. You will need:
4 cups sugar (I do 3 or 3 1/2 cups)

3 cups apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons mustard seed

1 1/2 teaspoons tumeric

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

Mix in a large pot on the stove (you don't have to heat this mixture quite yet).

Drain your cucumbers, and pick out as much of the ice that is still frozen as you can. Recipe says to remove garlic... we like it in!

Add cucumber Mixture. Bring to a boil, and turn off.

Carefully remove a steril jar from the oven (oven mitts are quite useful!). Place your funnel on the jar.
Use a ladle to fill the jar with pickles and brine with 1/2 inch "head space" at the top.
Remove air bubbles by poking a plastic knife in the jar a few times around the pickles.

Use a wet paper towel to wipe the rim of the jar clean (incase any of the brine got on it).

Carefully remove a lid and ring from the hot water (you can buy a special magnet wand that is very helpful for this step!). Place the lid on the jar, and secure with a ring.

After you have done this to seven jars, place the jars in your canning rack, and carefully lower rack into your canner of boiling water. Make sure the water covers the jars. I usually keep a kettle of boiling water handy to pour on top, just in case it's not enough to cover the jars.

Once the water comes to a boil again, set your timer for 10 minute for 1/2 pints and pints, 20 minutes for quarts.

When done, CAREFULLY remove the rack of jars (oven mitts!). Repeat process if you are making multiple batches.

Place the jars on a towel to cool. When cool, you can write the date and contents on the lid.

Now wait for the satisfying sound of "pop" as the jars seal:-) Before storing, check to make sure the little "button" on top of each lid has gone down. If any of the jars did not seal, refrigerate those jars and enjoy them sooner:-)

Now the fun part... stand back, and admire your hard work!:-) And imagine opening jars of pickles all year long!

This batch I made 3 quarts, 17 pints, and 2 half pints of pickles.

Our Garden - July 2011

2011-07-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Our garden is doing great this year! I was worried because I had to replant allot, but God has blessed us. I am getting tons of beans even though we have half the plants we had last year! And we have had so many cucumbers. I also rotated crops this year, and I like the new lay out of the garden:-) Enjoy...

You can't tell, but these zinnias are about 2 feet tall, and covered in flowers. They are so beautiful!

We have lots of green beans and wax beans. I pick a big bowl full every couple of days.

The peppers are still small, but they are coming along.

So far we have had ONE hot pepper:-)

Cucumbers are growing like mad! I've made lots of pickles, and we have been eating

allot of raw cucumbers.

Today for lunch we spread cream cheese on Triscut crackers, topped with a cucumber slice, and sprinkled on lemon pepper. DELICIOUS:-)

My sister grated and froze zucchini, and there is more on the way.

I love the Summer! I love the heat (though this 102° is getting to me a bit...),

and I love harvesting from our garden and putting up food for the winter. It's so

satisfying!

Aprons

2011-07-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent aprons I have made.

This one I made for myself:

And these two I made last night for two friends getting married! One was married this afternoon:-) It was a lovely wedding! The other gets married in September, and her shower is coming up next Sunday.

Happy weekend!

Running

2011-07-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is something that has been on my heart, and I wanted to share it. May it encourage you as you run the race!

I used to hate running. I could run for about a minute, then my lungs would feel like they were collapsing, I couldn't breath, and my legs hurt. I loved to walk! I would walk sometimes 5 or more miles. But I had just resorted to the fact that I was not a runner. But somehow, I always admired those who did run, and sort of wish I could be like that!

During my third year in Africa I had a revelation (well, maybe not what you would call a revelation, but to me it was). I didn't have to run a 5 K to be able to "run". I decided if I could run for a minute, I would run for a minute. Then walk for a few minutes. Then run another minute. I used to go down to the soccer field on our children's center at night, after the children had gone to bed. I would run with my cell phone to keep time. The first night, I geared myself up with a water bottle, and was excited to get started! I ran from one goal across to the other. And then had to walk back and forth a few times before my lungs stopped hurting.

But I was determined. I ran across the soccer field again. Each night that I went out to run, I would push myself a little farther. I learned to breath properly. I could run to the opposite goal and back. Then walk it once, then run it again. Soon I could do the length of the soccer field back and forth a couple of times. I remember one day I ran back and forth (both ways being 1 lap) 15 times! Then 20 times!

When I returned home I was excited about running. But running on the paved road and with hills is allot harder than running on the packed sand of the soccer field. I ran a mile and was exhausted. But soon I was running 2 and then 3 miles.

I have kind of run during the Summer, and then in the winter I stop because it's so cold, and my eyes water so much I can't see with the icy wind blowing in my face.

Now it is Summer again, and I was determined to get myself back into running. I ran 2 miles a few times a week for a few weeks. Finally last week I was able to run to my brothers and back (3.2 miles round trip). On Friday I ran 4 miles!! My goal for the end of the Summer is to be able to run 6 miles. I am going to push myself to do it!

When I run, I talk to God. I have spent allot of time working things out with Him while running. It's a time I can focus and think. I am not distracted by things that need done (usually) because they are not staring me in the face. I love to run, even if I have to walk a little here and there. And always when I feel like giving up, or I set out to do 3 miles, and decide I will settle for 2, I feel the Holy Spirit nudging me about perseverance. About holding strong to the end. About running in such a way as to receive the prize. There are so many life applications when you run! It's about training. About patience. About zeal, and perseverance. Not living life aimlessly, living for whatever satisfies for the moment. It's about keeping ourselves on the track, our eyes fixed on the goal, and disciplining ourselves. It's about living life in such a way that we will receive the prize for the high calling in Christ Jesus. And to me, it's about running WITH Jesus! When I go for runs, it's like I have a coach (the Holy Spirit) encouraging me to keep going, don't give up early! You can make it. Your almost there! It's going to be worth it, you'll see!" And in life, it's that same relationship. We are not running aimlessly, but we are submitting ourselves to Christ. He is shaping us. It's about the wonderful relationship with God that we have been graciously given! He wants to see us through to the end! He wants us to have the inheritance He has purchased for us. And He wants you to hold on to the end, because it's so worth it!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a main running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Cozy

2011-07-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

I love my room. And I love my bed:-) (Not the springs sticking out of the mattress, mind you, but the pretty bedding covering those awful springs)

Probably in 2005 I painted my room (that I share with my sister Andrea) a light gray/blue color. Then I bought the quilt at Wal*Mart on clearance for about $12! My mom bought me the blue bed sheets. And last year I made the pillow case (which this is really bad lighting, but in real life it matches the quilt and sheets!) to make it look a little prettier. I love decorating, but I also love redecorating every few years. For example, in the last 8 years I think I have painted our bathroom 3 times (and finally this time it is the color I wanted all along! I am glad dad lets me paint:-) ). But with my bedroom I haven't changed my mind at all in 6 years! Every time I walk into my room I love how it looks! I love the colors, the peacefulness. It's just cozy:-)

Phonics lessons for little ones

2011-07-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

(excuse the poor lighting... these were late night shots in my room)

I am teaching the 5 year old girl I babysit how to read. She has just about finished a Dick and Jane book full of stories. She can do allot of sight reading now. But to sound out words, I realized she really needs to learn phonics. And she is so ready, she LOVES to learn and thinks everything I bring to her house that is "school" is incredible. It sure is fun to teach children like that:-)

So, I was having a late night of inspiration. A missionary friend in Africa, who is from England, is using "Jolly Phonics" with her little girl. I really like Jolly Phonics, but you cannot get it in the USA. So, I (being the type of person who likes to make my own thing, rather than buy the curriculum that somebody else put time into to make it easy for us!...) made a copy cat version of Jolly Phonics. I used their ideas, and here is my version:

First, learn the new sound (and action to go with it! See image on right of each new sound). Then read the words. Place finger on the dots below the letters or letter blends and sound out the words. For example: Child can sound out "buh" "oo" "k" and then say "book!" . Or "tuh" "oo" "k". I am not finished with these phonics lessons. I am not selling them (copy right infringement?!). But it is fun to make, and fun to sit and read with my little dear. She learned these 3 sheets in about 3 minutes. Then said to me, "These aren't hard for me! I wanted you to bring school that was hard for me!" Hmmm... "Can you spell supercalifragilisticespyalidocious??" (Can I spell that?? ;-) )

Reading lessons for little boys

2011-07-12T17:09:00.001-07:00

(Excuse the yellow color of the photos... I took them late at night in my not very well lit bedroom!)

One of the children I watch is a 4 year old boy who loves anything that has to do with cars (the movie, and matchbox!), and hates anything that has to do with learning to read. He doesn't want to learn the alphabet, he wants to sort his cars. Which is fine, he's ONLY 4 years old! But I was trying to come up with a way to make learning to read more exciting to him - something he wants to do, not loathes the thought of!

So I was on Google Images and had the wonderful inspiration! I dragged images of cars into our word program (okay, so I am not selling this...it is for my own use so I am not worrying about copy rights... just FYI! Besides, if people don't want their images taken for other uses, they could easily lock them. These were not locked. ;-) Just so you know...)

First, an alphabet chart:

A little encouragement always helps:

Next, a couple of easy reading lists:

He really loved the cars! It captivated his attention... not just words or letters on a page, but words written on CARS!!! And a little incentive ... when he can read the two word sheets he will get a Cars2 folder. It's worth learning to read just for that!

I will certainly add to the files of reading lessons for him, but this was my late night of inspiration. I wanted to have it ready to take when I babysat the next day:-) And now the phonics lessons I made for his sister (see next post!).

Basic scones and strawberry shortcake

2011-07-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we bought a flat of strawberries at the flea market. Mom made scones and we used them as shortcakes to have with the berries and homemade whipped cream!

Doesn't this look pretty on my plate? I bought these at the end of last Summer for 50 cents each. I watched them all Summer (they were $1.50) and waited for them to go on clearance.

Basic Scones

2 cups flour (you can use whole wheat, we did!)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoons salt

6 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

Lightly beaten egg

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk. Mix until dough clings together and is a bit sticky- do not overmix. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a six to eight inch round about 1 1/2 inches thick. Quickly cut into pie wedges or use a large round biscuit cutter to cut circles(I have made these heart shaped for Valentine's Day) .

The secret of tender scones is the minimum of handling. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, being sure the sides of scones don't touch each other. Brush with egg for a shiny, beautiful brown scone. Bake at 425°F for 10 to 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Serve with clotted cream, butter, honey, jam, or with strawberries lightly sugared and homemade whipped cream!!:-)

Flea Market Finds

2011-07-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

This morning my little brother and I headed off to the flea market. It was very crowded, especially my favorite spot (the fruits and veggies pavilion!) but we managed to get what we needed, and a few good deals!

This is what I found for my sister (I talked her down to $10, she wouldn't go any lower):

It will make the perfect little play kitchen for my nieces!!

It is solid wood, not that grainy fake wood. Really nice!

I think it's so cute:-)

I also bought a couple of copper cookie cutters for 50 cents each.

As far as produce and food:

1 flat of strawberries - $6!

3 Cucumbers - $1

2 heads of asparagus - $4

2 pints of blueberries - $3

1 head of leaf lettuce - $1

I wanted to buy cantaloupe from a guy - it looked so good and he had allot! But our arms and pull along cart were full, so we went to unload into the car first. When we got back he had already sold out.

At the "R Grocery" scratch and dent store (also at the flea market), I bought:

2 boxes of cereal - $3.50

Refried beans - 60 cents

3 packs of gum -$1.50

3 bags of tortilla chips for only - 89cents each!

a smallish bag of pretzels - 35 cents

Water bottle - 40 cents

Bag of Starbucks coffee for my siblings (doesn't expire till Sept. or Oct.) - $4.29

It was a pretty successful trip! I love flea marketing:-) Even if I don't buy anything, I love to walk around and look. And I love free samples:-) We got a free cup of coffee (that is $10 a bag!!) from a local business, free samples of chips with various salsas, and crackers with various jellies.

For lunch we bought a bag of cheese chunks for $1, and had that and pretzels. Yummy!

And now my fingers are sore from cutting up the whole flat of strawberries - some for fruit salad, and the rest mom is using to make strawberry short cake for supper!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

2011-07-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

I made this to take to my Bible study tomorrow night. Very easy, and very delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

One 8 oz. package of cream cheese

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix everything but the chocolate chips until smooth and well blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Allow to cool in the refrigerator.

Serve with Graham crackers, cookies, or whatever sounds good to you!

I bought these vanilla pretzel shaped cookies at Marc's for 99 cents, and they go great!

In Our Backyard: God's Lovely Artwork

2011-07-09T12:14:00.001-07:00

This sweet little mushroom was growing alone by the tree.

They always make me think of playing with fuzzy animals.

Look at how intricate a mushroom is!

I've planted lots of strawberry plants, and look forward to enjoying their fruit!

Some of my favorite flowers in the garden:

This is my little flower garden in May (It has filled out quite a bit since then!):

How beautiful are your works, O Lord!

The BEST Peanut Butter cookies!

2011-07-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

These first-prize-at-the-fair winning cookies melt in your mouth, and are sooo good!

My parents got this recipe at their high school reunion. They are the Cafeteria's famous cookies, and the baker shared the recipe many years later upon the request of the former students. She is still making them today, and now we are too!

Before I share the yummy recipe, I will share some yummy photos!

My darling 2 1/2 year old niece making peanut butter cookies with me:

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 stick of butter (=1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients. Roll into desired size balls and place 2 inches apart on greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Press with a fork. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on tray for at least 7 minutes to avoid them falling apart.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate dipped pretzels

2011-05-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

I made these back in February as a Valentine's Day gift for each of the 10 children I babysit (3 families), As well as my nieces and nephews and my family.

The pictures look so pretty, to me:-)

Just melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 minutes to avoid overcooking.

When they are smoothly melted, dip pretzels using a fork and place on waxed paper.

For a pretty pop, top with sprinkles!

Parachute Project!

2011-05-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Voice of the martyr's is partnering with a missionary in Columbia to make parachutes for carrying the Gospel. The missionary in Columbia packs Bibles, Christian books, and a radio tuned to two Christian radio stations into the plastic bags attached to the parachutes. He then flies his little airplane over guerilla camps, and remote villages and drops these parachutes to the people. Many have come to know the Lord through this ministry!

It is dangerous, and he has been shot at several times, but he continues to carry the Gospel and spread God's love!

Check out this website http://www.perscution.com/columbia for information on how YOU or your group can purchase the supplies to make parachutes!

I ordered through Voice of the Martyr's the supplies to make 10 parachutes. The children in our church could hardly wait for the kit to come!

We spent 2 Wednesday's working on the parachutes - tracing the pattern, cutting out the fabric, writing on each parachute "Dios es Amor" (God is Love), and gluing down the ribbon. Then tying on the plastic bags.

Sam posing with one of the parachutes we made:

Here you can see 2 of the completed parachutes, with the bags attached:

Each child got to write "Dios es Amor". Now when the people receive these, and see

the words "God is Love", they will be reading the hand writing of our children.

I told the kids they are getting to preach the gospel in other countries through this!!

So awesome!

2 of the boys with the poster from Voice of the Martyr's about the Columbia parachute project:

I highly recommend this if you are in any kind of children's ministry! It's a fantastic way to teach your kids about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to open their eyes and hearts to world missions!

Baby shower gift

2011-05-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

The wrap dress again! This seems to be my signature baby shower gift for girls. This time one for my sister-in-law's sister who is due in June! I love the fabric my SIL chose:-)

Ribbon bow detail :

(tip: carefully melt the edge of the ribbon with a match to avoid fraying)

Cute little diaper cover to match:

It's reversible! Here's the opposite side:

The back - criss cross:

A reversible bib using leftover material:

The whole set!:

I love making baby gifts:-) So cute and little!

Homeschool: Flash Cards

2011-05-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive. If you like to be creative, here is your outlet!

Reading flash cards:

I made these on our computer and printed them up on colored paper. We are learning to read with "Dick and Jane" books, so I used allot of the words from the books. We call these "Sight Words" (not all the flash cards are shown in photo). You can do this for phonics letter blends and sounds as well!

I write short stories (one or a few sentences) using words we are working on.

Example: "At" The fat cat sat on a mat.

"Og" The frog sat on a log at the bog.

I just write the sentences in a notebook, and sometimes draw pictures to make it more fun. This works well for very beginning reading, because you can use whatever words you want! As they get better at reading, you can use easy readers from the library.

Make word lists and go through these before reading the story:

"At" words:

bat

cat

sat

mat

hat

fat

rat

Pat

"Og" words:

dog

fog

hog

bog

frog

log

jog

Etc. .

Math Flash Cards:

Again, I made these on the computer, printed them out, and cut them up.

This is great for beginner math.

I make my own math work sheets by writing the problems in a notebook, and work with the child to do the page. They LOVE it! As they get older, using "real" work books is great, but just teaching preschool and kindergarteners, it isn't necessary...

Preschool: Nature Study

2011-05-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Mason calls this "The Outdoor Hour"!

I love to take children out of doors to explore God's creation.

Here's what helps:

Binoculars
Magnifying glasses
Clear containers to put bugs and little creatures for observation
Nature notebooks/colored pencils/pens for drawing observations
Good coloring books. I like to copy the coloring pages of things we have find (specific flowers, birds, butterflies) so the children can color the pictures appropriately. We include these in the nature notebooks!

The list of supplies could be endless. The important thing is not what you bring, but that you go out of doors and enjoy the world God has given us! Go for a walk in different environments and see what you find. Walk through a field, walk in the woods, sit by a pond (or walk around close to the edge of a pond and watch frogs go crazy jumping into the water!!). Find animal foot prints, learn the different calls the birds make, observe geese with their goslings, learn about the many different kinds of bees. Observe flowers up close and personal. Raise a monarch caterpillar and watch it turn from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly! Then release it in your flower garden.

The possibilities are endless!

Some fun things the children I watch enjoy:

Digging for worms. The little girl I watch (Little Miss- age 5) loves to carry around her worms! She even went swinging and held a worm in her hand the whole time!
Weeding. Hey, start young and they can be a big help! I taught Little Miss how to pull the weeds up by the roots so they don't grow back. Now when we go to the park, the boys play on the play ground and she weeds!!
We walk through the field by their house many times throughout all 4 seasons and observe the changes that take place!
Find deer prints.
Catch frogs and toads.
Throw rocks in the pond (this is quite a thrill;-) )
Draw pictures of what we find.
Dissect plants. I know this sounds weird, but it's educational. Open up an acorn and draw what's inside. Cut plants open (a good one is the "Waxy Leaved Thistle" which is poky so be careful!) and draw what you find inside. Draw the weeds and roots. Botany in preschool is fun!
When it rains, find the live worms along the road and "rescue" them by putting them back in the dirt.
Go for walks in the rain. Put on old clothes and rain boots and jump in the puddles!

What kinds of things do you do with your children out of doors??

Preschool: Recycled Crayons

2011-05-15T12:43:00.001-07:00

I made these with the children I nanny (twin 5 year olds and a 4 year old).

Here's how!:

Step 1: Gather all the broken bits of crayon

and peel the paper off

Step 2: Place the pieces in a mini muffin tin.

You can make multi-colored crayons, or just solid colors.

Whatever you want! Be creative!

Step 3: Place in the oven on bake and 350° for about 5-10 minutes.

Keep an eye on them because they melt pretty quickly!

Once they are melted, pull the pan out and allow to cool completely.

Step 4: Use a butter knife to pop the crayons out.

Step 5: Have fun coloring!!

Note: We found that the best crayons to use are Crayola. The waxy, cheap crayons rose to the top when they melted, and it was like coloring with a candle ... doesn't really work!!

For Kelly!

2011-02-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

I made this diaper bag for a friend's grand baby (on it's way).

The front:

A ribbon bow (still not sure if it's a boy or a girl, so I tried to make it neutral):

The back (mom said your daughter can carry the bow side out, and her husband can carry the button side out:-D) :

Cute button closure:

Lots of space inside for cloth diapers, and pockets on the sides!

I made a matching changing pad with leftover fabric and light green flannel:

This will be in the mail Wednesday...hopefully you will get it before the baby shower! I hope she likes it:-)

More Aprons

2011-02-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

We have some dear friends who moved to Texas several years ago. When they left their 4 children were small. Last Summer they came for a visit, and my how their kids have grown!

I wanted to make aprons for the mom and 3 daughters. 2 of the girls have a candle making business (they make delicious soy candles, beautiful and burn for much longer than the regular wax candles!).

Here are the aprons I am sending them this week:

This is for the youngest daughter. My sister Andrea is posing for the picture!

This is for the second youngest daughter. She and her younger sister are the ones who make candles!

This is for the oldest daughter. She likes brown and turquoise.

I love the fabric!

(My sister Christina posing here)

Last but not least, this pretty one (which doesn't show up great in the picture) is for Mrs. F. She likes pretty things, and this fabric made me think of her!

I added a flower for decoration to each one. You can find the tutorial to these flowers at Marie Madeline Studio's blog. You can also find the apron pattern there!

Happy Sewing!

SN*OW

2011-02-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this just make you FEEL cold?!

It's winter wonderland out our way!

This icicle is about 5 feet long:

The view in our back yard:

A pretty snowy wreath on our front door:

My dad and brothers are out working hard in this nasty weather. It's cold, snowing and windy, the roads are ice, and our Wednesday night church activities have all been canceled.

I would much prefer SUMMER right now! But, I have been keeping busy sewing, cleaning, nannying, and enjoying (trying to) this long, long winter. We did go sledding on Saturday with dad! That was lots of fun, but now the weather is to bitter too play outside.

Hope you are all warm and well!

~Quiet time with God~

2011-02-02T10:06:00.001-08:00

My favorite time of day, early in the morning. I set the little coffee pot up the day before. In the morning I turn it on, and in no time I pour my mug of vanilla coffee with milk, curl up on the corner of the couch, and read my Bible.

I also read from a devotional book. I have been reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers for 2 years. It's an excellent book that I HIGHLY recommend! I used a gift card from Christmas from my grandma to buy myself a new daily devotional. Now I am daily learning from A.W. Tozer's "Mornings with Tozer". Another great man of God full of wisdom for us to glean.

I am also currently reading:

This book is full of lessons we can learn from George Muller, a man of faith! His close walk with God and unshakable trust in God's provision are something I want to have. So, today I was encouraged yet again, by his words of wisdom on spending time with God every morning.

He said if we tithe the best of our earnings to God, shouldn't we be giving him the best part of our day as well?

"I want to encourage all believers to get into the habit of rising early to meet God...

It may be said, 'but how shall I set about raising early?' My advice is: Do not delay. Begin tomorrow. But do not depend on your own strength. You may have begun to rise early in the past but have given it up. If you depend on your own strength in this matter, it will come to nothing. In every good work we must depend on the Lord. If anyone rises so that he may give time which he takes from sleep to prayer and meditation, let him be sure that satan will try to put obstacles in his way.

Trust in the Lord for help. You will honor Him if you expect help from Him in this matter. Pray for help, expect help, and you will have it."

The Autobiography of George Muller, chapter12

God loves to spend time with His children! He loves to speak to you, to fill your heart with His peace and joy. He is waiting for you to come and be still before Him.

Sometimes I wake up late, think of all I need to do that day, and pass up my time with my Father, because I am too "busy". On those days I find myself irritable, and trying so hard in my own strength to get things done and check off my "to-do-lists".

In the story of Mary and Martha, I had a hard time because if Martha didn't get the work done, who would?! Somebody had to do it! But one day I asked God to give me understanding about this. He showed me something I hadn't seen before. It said "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that needed to be done." It wasn't that the work wasn't necessary, but it was a distraction. A distraction from what was REALLY important, spending time in the presence of Jesus! I learned from that revelation from the Lord, anything I do that is "good", if it distracts me from God, it is not even worth doing!

Now, if I am submitting myself to God, if I am trully doing all those "good" things with Him in mind. If He is working through me, rather than my trying to do my little things for Him, then it is worth doing and will reap a harvest! And I will have all the strength, patience, and love I need! Then it is no longer a distraction to me, but my focus is on God, and it is part of my living for Him.

The best part of the day for me, are those early mornings when I rise and make it my first priority, before the ups and downs of the day hit, to sit before God, and grow in the grace and Knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Twins and dresses

2011-02-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law's sister is having twin girls. They are having a little shower for her, so I have been busy sewing. My favorite thing to make for baby girls these days is this wrap dress! (You have seen it in many forms on here, if you come here often!)

♥The Wrap Dresses♥

These are both reversible, so they could wear the same color, or be opposite.

My sister gave me a pattern for the little diaper covers. Don't look too close, it was my first try! But I think they are pretty cute, and will have to be added with the dress from now on.

The criss cross back:

Cute little head bands for cute little baby heads!

The End!

Early one morning

2011-02-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

One morning last week I was up early to head off to work. The sky was so beautiful I had to take a few pictures!

"His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden." Habakuk 3:4

So fiery and beautiful! The Lord paints amazing scenes across his enormous canvas - the sky!

Apple Cake with Vanilla Sauce

2011-01-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

I made this yummy apple cake last Sunday evening. We ate it still warm while playing an exhilerating game of "Dutch Blitz"!!

♥Apple Cake with vanilla sauce♥

(Recipe for 8x8 pan, I doubled this)

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. milk

3/4 cup sugarr

1 cup all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat with great results!)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups cored, peeled and chopped apples, such as Golden Delicious or Crispin

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Vanilla sauce (recipe follows)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8 inch square cake pan. Cream the butter, egg, milk, and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl; then stir into the butter mixture until blended. Stir in the apples and walnuts. Spoon the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared pan. Bake until lightly brown, and tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Pour warm sauce over cake before serving.

Vanilla Sauce

Melt 1.4 cup butter (1/2 stick) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fresh skimmed cream from our milk), 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract ; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to slightly cool and thicken, about 5 minutes.

(Sauce can be refrigerated , tightly covered, up to 3 days. Makes about 2/3 cup.)

This received rave reviews from the tasting crew: my brothers and sisters and mom and dad!:-)

It would make a yummy breakfast coffee cake, too!

My sister's sewing project

2011-01-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

My big sister taught me, and 2 of my younger sisters to sew, while she still lived at home and before getting married and having kids.

Andrea was too young to take sewing lessons from her. So her birthday present last year (2010) from me was sewing lessons. We went to JoAnn Fabrics so she could pick out a pattern and material. She learned to wash the fabric and tumble dry it. She learned to cut out the pattern, and read the instructions. She caught on quickly!

Busy hands at work, keeping the needle stitching in a straight line.

The final product. A beautiful skirt and sash!

I think she looks pretty:-)

Family.

2011-01-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

Who ARE these crazy kids???? (oh, it's us!)

It happens to by my 3 cousins, some of my siblings, and me.

Thanksgiving 2010

This is my Omama crocheting...

Like Grandmother,

Like Granddaughter!

Sewing some baby shower gifts:

I love projects to work on these cold winter days. A cup of tea, and something to keep my hands busy is so nice.

Hope you are staying warm!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-01-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

I made this soup today for my friend's baby shower. It turned out fabulous! I found the recipe on the internet, and made a few small changes. Here is the recipe, as I made it today.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Serves: about 10-12

Ready in 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1 medium onion

1/2 cup flour

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter

4 cups half and half (I used 2 cups fresh cream and 2 cups fresh milk)

4 cups chicken stock

1 pound fresh broccoli, chopped up small

2 cups carrots, julienned

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

16 oz. (1 pound) sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used 8 oz. sharp and 8 oz. mild)

Directions:

Saute onion in 2 Tbsp. butter. Set aside.

Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for about 4 minutes.

Be sure to stir frequently.

Slowly add the half-and-half (or milk and cream), continue stirring.

Add the chicken stock, whisking all the time.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

By now the soup should be thickened. Pour in batches into the blender and puree.

Return the puree to the pot and place over low heat. Add the grated cheese; stir well until blended. Stir in the nutmeg. Serve.

Note: I put some of the chopped carrots and broccoli aside and cooked them separately. Then after I pureed the soup, I added the extra broccoli and carrots. I like some chunks in my soup.

You could serve this in crusty bread bowls. But it is delicious however it's served!:-)

I put it in the crock pot when it was finished, and kept it on warm for the shower.

Enjoy!

A baby dress

2011-01-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

The final home made part of Megan's gift!

A reversible baby dress:-)

This denim has been such a blessing! I bought it at 50% off. I made the Route 66 skirt for myself, a skirt for a little girl, and 2 baby dresses with it!

The reverse side:

Cute criss cross back:-)

Of course a head band with a flower to go with it!

Sewing projects: shower gifts

2011-01-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

More of the gifts for my friend Megan!

A baby Bib.

I found this adorable cowgirl material and couldn't pass it up!

The back is this bandana fabric, so it is reversible,

and I used the blanket stitch around the edge.

I love these flannel blankets. The green I bought ages ago on sale.

I went back to JoAnn's recently with my sister, and found the flowery flannel! Love it!

blanket stitch edging detail:

A diaper bag

2011-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Megan (we have been best friends since we were 2 years old!) is due in 5 weeks.

Today we had the baby shower for her.

I had been thinking of making a diaper bag (thought I've never made on before!), then I came across some very pretty striped duck material at Hobby Lobby... Perfect!

Here is the diaper bag, packed and ready for baby!:

The inside is divided in half with lining, and there's a little pocket on one side.

Pretty flower detail:

Big gaudy button detail:

I made a matching changing pad (see first photo, it's sticking out the top) and used light green flannel on the side baby will lay on.

God's marvelous creation

2010-09-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous." ~Aristotle

Our chickens - for eggs and for eating

This photo (my sister took) reminds me of the scripture:
"...His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 33:22-23

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all of the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the Lord..."
Psalm 96:11-13

More Aprons

2010-09-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I posted pictures of these aprons I made from Marie-Madeline's Chic Sisters pattern.

I have made about 10 or 12 of these so far, giving most away as gifts. They are so lovely! I don't have a picture right now, but the most recent one I made won a blue ribbon at our county fair.

Here are a few close-ups! This is the first one I made for myself.

My sister modeling one I made for a lady from church.
I love this Pennsylvania Dutch, or maybe German style print on the flower fabric!

My sister Andrea modeling one a made for a wedding shower gift.

My sister Cara modeling another one I made for a wedding shower gift.
The pink material is from Marie-Madeline's fabric selection!

This one was made for a lady at our church.
(I look scary here! I don't know why I am not smiling!)

This pattern has gotten so much use! It is lovely and practical. It is easy to make.
If you want a fun apron pattern, check out Marie-Madeline's beautiful patterns
and custom-made aprons!

~Crepes~

2010-09-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite at our house! We don't make them often because it takes a long time to make enough for our big family.

If you aren't familiar with crepes, they are like a very thin, eggy pancake that you roll up with a filling. Sooo yummy!!
~Crepes~
This recipe makes 12 crepes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Mix together until smooth. Pour into a crepe or omelet pan that is well buttered. Flip when bubbly. stack the cooked ones on a plate. Serve warm with your favorite sweet or savory toppings!

We like:

~berries and home made whipped cream~

~Cinnamon sugar on the inside, rolled up with powdered sugar sprinkled on top!~

These are a real treat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert!

A new baby!!

2010-09-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

My older sister and brother-in-law just welcomed a new baby into the family! He is sooo cute:-)
He's their forth little dear:His older siblings LOVE him. And so do all of his doting aunts and uncles and grandparents;-)

Aunt Anna and my sweet new nephew

Welcome to the world, little guy! You are so dear to us!

So many tomatoes, so little time...

2010-09-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

Our garden has been producing tomatoes at a rapid pace, and I am having a hard time keeping up with them!
In the last week and a half we have made:

salsa (blue ribbon winning at our county fair, too!)

Stewed tomatoes (great for chili)
- recipe can be found in "The Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving"

And tomato soup...

This turned out really yummy! I found the instructions over at http://heavenlyhomemakers.com
I just made it today. Would you like the recipe?

The Best Tomato Soup
(and it's sooo easy, too!)
5 lbs chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
3 T butter
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Here's what I used:
1 big stock pot full of chopped tomatoes
1 BIG onion, chopped
5 T butter
1 T salt
3 T sugar
a sprinkle of basil
a sprinkle of garlic powder

Put everything into a big pot and cook for about 3 hours.
Then put into your blender and blend until smooth.
Ladle into sterilized quart or pint canning jars. Wipe rims of jars with a damp paper towel to remove residue. Place lid and secure ring. Hot water bath 30 minutes for quarts and 25 minutes for pints.
I got 6 quarts, 1 pint, and a small bowl full I ate for lunch out of this!
My siblings declared it way better than store bought tomato soup. It's allot healthier too!

My Omama's Blackberry Pie!

2010-09-06T16:54:00.001-07:00

Beauty of blackberries growing in our backyard:

Our home grown blackberries...delicious! We managed to not eat *ALL* of them, and saved some for pies! We also found some growing down the road, so we picked them as well.
Here is my Omama's amazingly good ~Blackberry Pie~ recipe!

Make crust for a 9" pie top and bottom.
Here is the recipe we always make at my house:
Oil Pastry Crust
2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup oil (we use olive oil)
4-5 Tbsp. cold water

Measure flour and salt into a bowl. Add oil; mix until resembles small peas.
Sprinkle in water 1 Tablespoon at a time. If dough is dry, add oil. Never add water.
Gather dough together and press firmly into 2 balls.
Roll out bottom crust between to sheets of waxed paper. Press into a greased pie dish.

Filling for Blackberry Pie
4 cups fresh or thawed from frozen blackberries
4 Tbsp. cornstarch (be generous with the cornstarch)
1/2 cup (or a bit more) sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
dash salt
1/3 cup orange marmalade (I used blackberry jam and it was great -Anna)
2 Tbsp. butter
Optional: add orange or lemon zest

Combine cornstarch, sugars, and salt (and zest if using) in a large bowl. Add blackberries (or any berries) and any juices, stirring until blended. (Actually I put some of the dry mixture on bottom of crust first, because that is where the juices run to, isn't it? -Omama)
Pour into 9" crust. Dot with the preserves and then with the butter.
Lay top crust or weave lattice crust on top.
Bake in oven preheated to 425° F. Bake 15 minutes. Then lower oven temp to 350° F and bake 35-45 minutes more, until bubbling slows and filling appears thickened. You can test with a knife too; just done stab bottom crust!

Delicious served with home made vanilla ice cream!!

(See photo at top of this post)

"If it doesn't turn out and family won't eat it, I will!" -Omama

May I dish you up a slice??

(and we have enough blackberries in the freezer for 2 more pies! How about some pie and home made vanilla ice cream this Fall?!:-))

A give away!!

2010-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places to visit in the land of Blog, is Marie-Madeline Studio! I have posted pictures here of the aprons and Route 66 skirt I made using their patterns.

Well, the lovely Long ladies are up to fun with a great give away of some beautiful fabric!
Head on over to their blog for details on how you could win!

~Anna

Elephant Stew

2010-05-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

I received this e-mail today from my Omama,
along with a delicous recipe!
Enjoy...

"I was browsing my favorite internet
sites for a recipe for lunch. I
found this one and thought maybe you would be interested in it.

Your Culinary grandmother, Omama"

     

Elephant Stew

Recipe By     : Glenellyn Elder
Serving Size  : 999  Preparation Time :999:0
Categories    :
 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1      large         elephant
                       plenty of brown gravy
                       salt & pepper to taste
  2      whole         rabbits -- optional

Cut elephant into bite-size pieces (allow about 2 months to do this). 
Hold aside trunk, you can use it to store the pieces.
Put elephant in large (very large) pot; add enough gravy to cover.
Cook over kerosene fire at 450 degrees for about 4 weeks, or until golden brown.
Serves 3,800.  If more guest are expected, 2 rabbits may be added. 
However, this should be done only if absolutely necessary. 
Most people do not like to find hare in their stew.

A Baby Gift

2010-05-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

A dear friend is going to have a baby girl soon. I have been busy sewing this cute little outfit to give her.
Don't mind the fact that I used a baby doll to model the outfit...:-)
I made the head band with leftovers from the facing material, and a big brown bow!

I had leftover denim from my skirt (see past post), and I bought a cute pink calico to use on the facing.
Here is the back view. It is like a wrap jumper; just one piece of material. The straps cross in the back.
Here is a view of the facing material. There are buttons on the other side, too, so it can be reversible.
Here is a close up of the cute flower buttons I found, and the polka dot bow.

Butterscotch Cookies

2010-05-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

I made cookies today to take to home group tomorrow night at church. They are delicious!
They are from a Gooseberry Patch Cookie book called Old-Fashioned Country Cookies. We have made so many wonderful cookies from this book! Here is the recipe with my changes:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. hot water
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. soda
2 cups quick oats
1 cup mini butterscotch chips

Mix butter, sugars, eggs, hot water, and vanilla. Add flour, salt and soda, stirring well. Then add oatmeal and butterscotch chips. Drop by teaspoonful on a cookie sheet. Baker at 350° for 10-15 minutes. Cool on rack (but they are oh so good warm from the oven!).

They will go fast! Maybe you should make a double batch so you have some for later...
I got about 5 dozen cookies.

The "Chic Sisters" Apron

2010-04-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

I had a better post planned about this... and it will come once I am able to get the photos off the other camera, and maybe if our computer would quit being so slow... ?!!

For my birthday, I ordered this lovely apron pattern from, once again, Marie Madeline Studios!
Those girls sure know how to add some fun to sewing. The pattern is easy to make, and with all the seems closed so nicely, it is a well made apron that will last for years to come!

So I made mine up first (that is me on the left). Then I made a couple for the wedding showers we will be attending soon, and now I am in the process of make one for each of the ladies at our church who cook for our Wednesday night dinner to the community! My sisters helped me model them so I could get some photos -- sorry these are not the best, but I was in a time crunch-- we took these 5 minutes before I had to leave for my nannying job! (photos courtesy of my brother Joel): "THE CHIC SISTERS!" :-) That would be Me(24), Cara(20), Christina(17), and Andrea(12)!

And a funny shot, what photo shoot would be complete without it??
I do have more photos of the aprons, but as I said, they will be coming when things cooperate!

Thank you Marie-Madeline for another great pattern! I love it! :-)
Visit mariemadelinestudio.typepad.com You will enjoy there blog, and will find a link there to the shop where you can purchase your own Chic Sister Apron pattern!

The richest life

Density test

The following information is from: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/seven-layer-density-column

How does it work?

Marshmallow towers

An Apron for Andrea

A Christmas Tea Party!

Reading

Davey Crocket play

Merry Christmas 2011!!

Quiet/Busy books

A visit to the Bas Pro Shop!

Creme Brulee with Chocolate

Virginia with my friend!

Give away!

My friend.

Apron

Autumn. My favorite season.

The NEW boys bathroom at church!

Boys: slingshot

Preschool: A day with the little one

At the wedding~

My new running shoes

Drug problems?

Give away!

A wedding at my brothers farm

Grape Juice

Banana Bread

Watermelon

Good, Clean Fun!!

Peach Preserves and Peach Butter

Give away!

Dill pickles

Cucumber appetizers

Preschool: Queen Anne's Lace experiment

Preschool: Smoothies

Nature Walk

VBS Armor of God video!

Spinach Pie

Preschool: Prism

Preschool: Magnets!

Armor of God Vacation Bible School: A sneak peak

R Grocery - Deals!

Bread and Butter Pickles ~ A tutorial

Our Garden - July 2011

Aprons

Running

Cozy

Phonics lessons for little ones

Reading lessons for little boys

Basic scones and strawberry shortcake

Flea Market Finds

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

In Our Backyard: God's Lovely Artwork

The BEST Peanut Butter cookies!

Chocolate dipped pretzels

Parachute Project!

Baby shower gift

Homeschool: Flash Cards

Preschool: Nature Study

Preschool: Recycled Crayons

For Kelly!

*More Aprons*

*S*N*O*W*

~Quiet time with God~

Twins and dresses

Early one morning

Apple Cake with Vanilla Sauce

My sister's sewing project

Family.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

A baby dress

Sewing projects: shower gifts

A diaper bag

God's marvelous creation

More Aprons

~Crepes~

A new baby!!

So many tomatoes, so little time...

My Omama's Blackberry Pie!

More Aprons

SN*OW