A Lesson To Learn... A Page From My Journal

Tuesday, November 15, 2010

and aren't they worth it?

"I'm sitting here in the quiet of the morning, waiting for the full force of the impending storm to hit.  Planning my day, examining my life.  I read in Isaiah 48 the other day.  The chapter is titled 'God's Stubborn People'.  When I read that, I knew it was about me.  The line that caught my eye was v.2, '...you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel...'  Do I call myself a Christian and merely talk about depending on God?  Who am I fooling?  Only myself.  I'm short-changing my life and my relationship with God.... the most important and dependable relationship I have!  You know how they say you always treat the people closest to you poorly because you know they'll always be there?  Is that why I treat God in such a 'fair-weather friend' kind of way?  Shouldn't I treat Him and the others around me--those that are closest to me with the greatest love and respect?"

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Two: Gingerbread Bears

One year in a Christmas basket from my sister and her family, there were a couple of gingerbread men tucked in among the other treats.  I've got to tell you, it was love at first bite!  I had to have the recipe!  I love things that make a memory or remind me of someone and this always reminds me of her. 
A cup of coffee and a gingerbread bear (i don't have any "man" cookie cutters that i really like so i use a bear) can double as a holiday breakfast at my house and has many times!  I suppose I shouldn't recommend that but, what a treat!

"gingy"

Gingerbread Bears


3 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice/cloves

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg

Mix the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl, mix the butter, molasses and egg.  Blend the dry ingredients with the wet to form a stiff ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch.  (don't roll it too thin... fat bears are softer and yummier)  Cut out cookies and place them on the cookie sheet (i always bake with parchment paper now but i've never greased the pan either way).  Bake each batch for 10 minutes (i think that all cookies should be baked for only 10 minutes because then they are softer).
You can decorate your bears after they've cooled, but I never do.  It would be a fun thing to do with your kids, tho.

Try them for breakfast with your coffee... I promise, I'll never tell!

Just Had To Share...

I'm so glad that my kids love the "old" cartoons!  The other day when I was walking past the table, I found this piece of paper with Mitchell's handwriting and started to laugh!  Yep, that's about how it usually goes!

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe One: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls

This week I'm going to start a series of posts with recipes for some of our favorite Christmas Treats and the stories behind them.  In that way, I hope that we can share a little of our home with you during the holiday season.

Today's treat is...

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls are one of the foods that my best friend always said she could never live without and so it was always among any gifts she received from me each year!  Peanut butter was her biggest food love in life and I never make them without thinking of her.  What a treasure to find her in even the little everyday things!  Read about my girl in other posts I've published.  She was an amazing friend and I'm blessed to have known her even in the smallest way.

1c. peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2c. crisp rice cereal
1c. powdered sugar
1pkg (14 ounces) chocolate candy coating (almond bark)
2T vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and butter and sugar.  Add the cereal, mixing until evenly combined.  Form into balls and set on waxed paper.
Melt the almond bark and shortening together for about 2 minutes in the microwave (or with a double boiler on the stovetop).  Dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate mixture and return it to the waxed paper to cool and set up.

Giving Thanks

Today, Lord, I'm thankful for family.  I'm thankful for a husband who endures the good, bad and ugly of his job because it pays our bills and allows me to stay at home with our kids and teach them.  I'm thankful for the honor You bestow in trusting me to raise Your children.  I'm thankful for a beautiful daughter who is growing into a strong woman and for three wonderful sons who are learning so much from their Dad about how to be a man.

I thank You, God, for parents who are always there to encourage me thru life.  I thank You for any and every opportunity You give me to serve them in return.  I thank You for brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and dozens of cousins who all, in their own way, have taught me and helped to shape my world, my heart and my compassion.  I thank You for Grandparents that I achingly miss every single day because they made such a massive impact in my life.
Thank You, God, for family traditions.  For things I will never forget because they are etched in my mind as lighthearted days full of laughter and peace.
I thank You for a warm house, employment, and plenty of food.  I thank You for friends, both here and gone.  They are so clearly Your gift to me.  Please don't ever let me take that for granted.
Most of all God, I thank You for the gift of being able to talk to You.  Thank You for showing me why I believe and that my prayers count.

I hope and I pray that I never forget who and what I am thankful for.  I want to make memories for my family that will last a lifetime and continue on for generations.  I want to be the parent that my parents have been and the grandparent that my grandparents were.  I want to leave a mark in this world that points others to the Cross because EVERYONE will see one day that, THAT is the only thing that will EVER matter.

The Best Pancakes... or so they say....

I love pre-made mixes... anything that I don't have to think a lot about makes me happy!  In an effort to save money and to prepare food with fewer impossible-to-pronounce ingredients, I found a great all-purpose recipe that I can use to make pancakes, shortbread, biscuits, muffins and even cake!  It takes just a few minutes to throw all of the ingredients into my kitchen aid and blend together and I've got enough mix to last our family about two weeks.  I can't double the recipe in my mixer because it isn't big enough so I've decided to start doing two batches at a time.
Master Mix

9 cups flour (use whatever flour you want to.  sometimes i put in 1 cup of whole wheat, 1 cup of oat flour and 7 cups of unbleached white... my family doesn't really like the texture of whole wheat)
3t. baking powder
3t. salt
1t. baking soda
1/2 c. dry milk (i've been told that dry milk isn't very good for you and my original recipe called for 1cup.  i continue to use the dry milk because the ratio is so low)

Put all the ingredients in a mixer with the whisk attachment or whisk by hand until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

farm fresh eggs are the BEST!

Basically, you've just made a homemade Bisquick.  Store it in an air-tight container.  When I make pancakes/waffles with this, I add milk, egg, butter/oil and vanilla.  My husband says that they're the best pancakes he's ever had!

We also make our own syrup because, oddly enough, we really don't like real maple syrup.  Must be because we grew up with the cheap kind you buy in the store, but I found a quick and easy recipe using ingredients you probably have in abundance in your house anyway...

Basic Pancake Syrup

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. corn syrup (we all know corn syrup is evil, so i'm going to try agave syrup instead when i get the chance)
1 c. water
1 t. maple flavoring

Boil together for 3 minutes until the sugars are dissolved and store in the refrigerator.

The Master Mix recipe is adapted from a cookbook called "Prairie Kitchen Sampler" by E. Mae Fritz and the syrup recipe came from RecipeZaar.

Doesn't this sound like a fabulous combination on a brisk and snowy morning?  Add in my friend Jackie's homemade hot cocoa and this meal paints a rather cozy picture.  Really low temps and flying snow in our forecast... I'd better make sure I have plenty of everything ready!

Way To Go!!

At a recent MOPS meeting our group made plates... you know, the kind where you design what you want on a piece of paper and then send it off to a company who will then put your design on a plastic plate.  Anyway, I chose to make mine a "Way to Go!" plate.  Every day someone is "awarded" the way to go plate at dinner time.  The first night Daddy was served dinner on the Way To Go plate... for working so hard for us and having to work out in the cold... then Janie got it for going the extra mile when teaching Spanish to Mitch... Mitch was next for wanting to be a team player when the motorhome cover got blown off in the wind and for saying that he really learned a lot in homeschool (ah, don't we love to hear THAT!)... Max will get it tonight for being a good patient at the eye doctor.  I was even given the Way To Go plate with breakfast in bed for always being the one to get up with the baby and let my husband sleep!  Every one of us, without exception, felt really special when it was our turn to use the plate.  It's been great because it has really helped me keep on the lookout for good behavior and it affirms the good in my kids and shows everyone that what they do is appreciated.  We make a big announcement about it at the dinner table so that everyone knows what special thing the plate user did.  Any plate will do.  Try it and watch the face of the person you give it to.  You'll be amazed!