Fresh Start... a brand spanking new month

September seems to be one of those months where we all get a clean slate... a fresh start... a new beginning.  I read an article called September is Our Other January by Gretchen Rubin.  I totally agree!  I agree so much I ordered a used copy of her book entitled Happier at Home.  I decided to read her books backwards.  Ha!  I started with her book on habits and might actually wind up with her happiness book before it is all said and done.  My plan is to work through it during the school year starting with.... you guessed it... the month of SEPTEMBER!  It should arrive by the end of this week.  It was back ordered so that must mean someone else had the same plan as I do.  

This month is full of plans so here is the list I am striving to accomplish this month.

I have restarted Flylady...

yes, again!  

Stop laughing...  

I know I am ADD but it is in my Bullet Journal now so it WILL get done!  

I am home days by myself now and I can actively work through the Flylady daily tasks and weekly challenges along with the deep cleaning lists she has on her website.  It helps that I have her book also.  I picked it up a few years ago and started reading through it when I realized she was referencing another book in it.  The book is called Sidetracked Home Executives.  I rushed to the library to find that book instead and read it cover to cover in about three days.  It totally prepared my thinking for the Flylady plan and I have been ruminating on it since that time.  I don't like the cards as much as the printed list so I prefer Flylady's Control Journal instead.  I have slowly made changes but I think I want to speed the process along more this year with all this "free" time on my hands.  

Hope you caught that sarcasm there...  ;)  I seem busier with the children and hubby out of the house than with them in the house!  It is a totally baffling turn of events.  

I have set up my days a little better this week and have added a structured Bible reading/walking/cleaning routine to my mornings.  The Bible part is the easiest surprisingly, because it was already a pretty standard habit. The walking is the hardest so far... but I enjoy that thinking time very much.  I am sore and a bit more tired in the afternoons from it but the old body will adjust soon enough.  It helps with the arthritis to move first thing in the mornings in a purposeful exercise oriented way.  

The habit of each thing is the key.  As Rubin states in her book on habits, the starting of a new habit takes thought and work but once it becomes a real habit it goes to cruise control.  I am hoping for cruise control mornings so I can enjoy some fun projects and down time in the afternoons soon.  The evenings are still hectic as we try to get everyone into the habit of coming home, grabbing a snack and getting to work on homework until dinner and then back to it after dinner.  After such a sporadic summer it is taking some time to work into that again.  

For the month of September I have four review books to finish and one that is done but needs a post for later in the month.  I need to set some exercise goals and make a plan for a sewing project that does not include sewing patches on a uniform!  LOL  The patches kill me... I have two to do today.  These Boy Scouts are earning them faster than I can put them on.  I have yarn and I know how to use it... I just need to get to it!  

As for the me time.... I have found a few things I will be enjoying in the afternoons while I fold clothes and crochet soon.  I am a HUGE Inspector Morse fan.  I like the spin off of that series, too, with his partner... Inspector Lewis.  The books were written by Colin Dexter and the BBC filmed the series years ago but there is a new one.... a young Morse as a Constable and it is called Endeavour.  I AM IN LOVE WITH THAT SHOW!!!  There are two seasons (8 episodes) up on Amazon Prime and I am hoping the third will be added soon.  I also found out that 

I also have a series that got past me a few years ago but now that I have discovered them they will be coming through Netflix DVD in the mail...  Lark Rise to Candleford.  As one of my friends says, "Those shows with the long dresses and British accents...."  She is more of a kill it, scare it, blow it up kind of girl.  LOL  She keeps trying to add Zombies to my life.... no thanks!  ;)

I have rambled enough for one day...  time to work the plan I am trying to start this month.  

For all the books I will be reviewing you can find them in the right hand column as you scroll down.  As I review them I will remove them from there and add new ones as they come.  I am hoping to get caught up and do some "for fun" reading, too, this month.  I enjoy the review books but I have a huge stack of other things I want to read, too.  

I am always taking video and book suggestions so feel free to leave me comments with your suggestions or questions or anything really... anytime.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week!

Whole30 Day 4... No one died today!

 So, today I did not kill all the things....  LOL  

I only had one big outburst when everyone was invading my kitchen and I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the crazy.  I am hoping for an early bedtime.  

I spent the day working on some things around the house and working on some food things to get me through the week.  

I made some paleo granola.  I used this recipe but left out the honey so it would be Whole30 compliant.  I boiled some eggs, cleaned out the refrigerator, made some more paleo Chicken Primavera from the new Whole30 Cookbook but I used cilantro and sent it more of a Mexican direction with it's flavors and then made some homemade breakfast sausage.  

I bought two pounds of ground meat... chicken and pork and then set to work adding some green chilis and some spices (all listed in the recipe linked above).  It was so easy I don't think I will ever buy the premade stuff again!

The ground meats of choice

I used one of my scoops and my two stone pans from my Pampered Chef set to make beautiful round patties that are all about the same size and cooked evenly throughout.

We sampled one and they are so yummy!  Precooked and ready for the rest of the week.

Here is my food for today.  I ate an extra snack and had a Kombucha  today to help with the digestive issues.  (a bit of a treat with the compliant store bought one)  I think I got fewer calories in breakfast and lunch than I have on other days so I was hungry for that afternoon snack.  I am not allowed to weigh myself or my food for this.  I am suppose to have a protein and a healthy fat at each meal and snack.  I added some ghee to the potato for the evening meal because I needed that fat.  It was pretty good on a sweet potato.

I will try to remember to share some NSV (No Scale Victories) tomorrow... you are welcome to remind me.  LOL  I do forget stuff sometimes.

I have my meals prepared for tomorrow already because I have to head to work tomorrow and take all my food with me.  Preparation is the biggest factor in this whole eating plan.  I spend a lot more time thinking through all my meals.  I am sure it gets easier over time but right now it consumes a lot of time.

So, until tomorrow.... I bid you adieu.  :)

Planning for April Meals and Holidays

I cannot believe it is already the last Friday of March.  The week behind us has not been so stressful but with allergy season in full swing I have not been super productive.  I have, however, found some lovely links for you.  I am thinking about planning meals a lot this week.  I am also starting to think toward Easter and Passover.  We started the 1 Peter Study with Love God Greatly and I am continuing to read the Bible through and work through the If:Equip passages and videos to prepare us for Easter.  I have enjoyed my study time a great deal this week.  The more I study the more I want to study.  I have also been listening to some of the daily readings again on YouVersion.  I love that they have audio on many of the translations.  It is good to hear God's word read aloud.

I have spent some time menu planning for the month of April.  I am adding some categories to bring a little more creativity back to our system.  We will do a Pasta night, Asian night, Mexican night, Comfort Food night, Soup and Salad night, Vegetarian night and a CORD night.  CORD stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Day (got that from an old Once a Month Cooking book on the shelf).  I am trying to wean us down to one dessert night a week.  I am also trying to be more diligent in preparing things ahead for breakfasts and lunch.  I am going to add a day each week to make things for the freezer.

With all this talk of food most of my links are food related this week...

The standard things like muffins and waffles are easy enough to make ahead and freeze but here are a few more great ideas that I pinned this week.  I have some standard quick bread recipes that make great breakfast breads and I think adding a coffee cake (Overnight Coffee Cake) every now and then might be a really nice treat.  I want to make something that the kids can just take out of the refrigerator or freezer and heat up.  The less work for me in the mornings the better.  That way they don't have to wait on their arthritic mom to be moving quickly enough to feed them all.  They will be grateful, too!

We eat a lot of eggs so I thought this might be a great option for them... Egg and Spinach Quiche Cups - I would, personally, use whole eggs instead of just egg whites for this one.  I will be doing a test run on these soon.

Kat over at InspiredtoAction has mentioned that she does a bulk batch of burritos to freezer for her family so I took some time to look for a recipe to test drive soon.  This one is the one I like so far... DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos

I thought if the burritos worked why not breakfast sandwiches so this will be happening soon, too.... Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

There are days when my children just want a good thick smoothie to get them started so this is a great idea, too,  We can have Smoothie Kits ready to go in the refrigerator for them to drop in and blend.

Now, this idea might be a smaller serving than the kids would prefer but I have a jumbo muffin tin that might make it a better size for those teenagers.  I know my husband and boys are fans of oatmeal so this might be a great quick solution for those hurried mornings... DIY Freezer Oatmeal Cups

After all this work to prepare meals for my family I think I am going to need a little treat for myself once I get the chance to sit down for a few minutes.  A lovely Chai Tea would certainly do the trick.  I found a great recipe at Food52 for an Almost Instant Chai Recipe.

Now, for two more articles for Passover and Easter for your enjoyment...

Passover Holds a Special Meaning for Christians

10 Fun Ways to Keep Easter About Jesus

We have a slower weekend ahead and I have several books in progress that I am hoping to have some cozy time to enjoy.  Stuff in my "to read" stack for the rest of the month and forward...

and a commentary I am starting this weekend for the 1 Peter study...

I also have a great new resource I picked up to help me start to organize my personal recipes that I have written.  I have fallen in love with the Moleskine line of journals since I started my Bullet Journal last semester.  They have them for just about anything you can imagine from cooking/baking to music, wine, organizing, budgeting, etc...  Their website is a writer's dream!

I cannot wait to get started...

Happy Friday!

Some Favorites for Friday - Welcome to Spring 2015 Edition

Hold onto your hats folks... the wind of Spring is kicking up and there is lots to share!  True to form we have had wind and rain to get this new season started in style.   I love rain... it makes everything feel fresh and clean and after the dust left by the wind it has been nice.

this graphic comes from She Reads Truth... isn't it beautiful?

 Let's not waste any time jumping right in today...

*   I have one straggler from last week's St. Pat's Day lineup that I found later.  It is a list of 25 Irish Sayings to Live By.  Very fun and informative!  I love learning about other cultures and languages.  Hope you can work one or two of these into your daily conversations soon.  Hahaha

*   I discovered some new things this week.  I may be way behind the times on these things but I wanted to share them anyway.  I discovered a fun new remodel show called Fixer Upper and I am in love!!!  Since our home has been in a constant state of remodeling for the almost 12 years we have been here I find this show very inspiring and fun and it is set in Texas, too.  Hope you give it a look-see.  

*   I also found a new grammar site to use with our homeschooler called Grammar Bytes.  It is full of terms, examples, videos, tips, rules, and practice pages using different grammar elements.  Have a look around and see if it is something you guys can use, too.  Look out for the shark!  He will BYTE you... ;)

*   I have a weekend project I found on Pinterest this week.  It is an organizing caddy for all those pesky electronics cords.  I have my shoebox ready to go and I will try and work on it tomorrow afternoon.  It is a great rainy day project and we are expecting a rainy day so it is perfect!  

*   I have been using the Plan To Eat site to menu plan since January and I am loving it.  You can always click through on the link in my left-hand column to find out more at anytime.  There are no strings attached to just click through and check it out.  Even if you don't want to use their service it is free to get on their e-mail list and they send great articles and recipes out each week.  You can also check out their Facebook page and everything there is free, too.  This week's article is all about "What is Seasonal  in Spring?"  They are great about encouraging us to use real whole foods and seasonal ingredients to prepare meals for our family that are nutritional and wholesome.  

*   I read through a few great articles this week.  

- An article called Still Life by Liz Curtis Higgs 
for us older ladies in the bunch

-  One entitled 9 Unbiblical Statements that Bible Loving Christians Believe. 
I believe this is self explanatory and it is very good!

-  A great article/review on the new Cinderella movie called 
Cinderella:  Have Courage and Be Kind

*   There is a new study starting up on Monday with the Love God Greatly group on 1 & 2 Peter and our little Bible study group will be diving in with them.  There is still time to get on board.  This time there is no registration outside of making sure you are on their e-mail list to get the blog posts and the free study material links.  I encourage you to study along with them and share it with your friends, too.  Check out their blog for all the details!  They are on Facebook, too, if you want to sub to their page.

*   Two more things to share with you.... it is nearly the end of tax season and if you were wondering how long to keep certain papers this is a great printable guide to post to remind you.  How Long Should I Keep It For?   It is a free printable from Clean Mama  While you are there have a look around.  She has a great blog!

*  I tried a new recipe this week and wanted to let you guys know about it.  It was not hard to do and not very time consuming but it was so delicious.  It is going into our regular lineup now.  It is Oven Fried Chicken w/ Honey Mustard Sauce.  Mercy!!!

I leave you with this beautiful worship song I downloaded to my ipod this week.  May God bless you and your family this weekend as you celebrate the beginning of Spring.  

Favorite Things.... St. Patrick's Day edition

With St. Patrick's Day on the way next Tuesday I thought I would share the things I have been reading through and searching this week.  I am getting ready to send a package to the oldest and wanted a "package-able" snack that I could make.  I found these two great recipes that should do well in the mail if I wrap them well.  I am making them both today.  I already know the package won't be there by Tuesday but I can guarantee my oldest will not mind one bit as long as he gets to enjoy everything once it does arrive.  

The first recipe is a white chocolate, Bailey's Irish Cream and pistachio fudge recipe that is super simple.  The hardest part of this recipe is the stirring on the stovetop.  Here is my first shot of the stuff as it goes into the refrigerator to chill:

The second recipe is one I will be trying this afternoon.  It is a Pistachio Lime Shortbread but I think I am doing it without the lime just because I don't want another trip to the store this week.  Haha  I seem to go far too much for stuff that is last minute these days.  I will try to remember to get back on and share some finished photos of everything.

I find that, while it is cool to write my own recipes, it is not always necessary when other people have some delicious stuff, too.  I am not nuts about only using my own recipes and am willing to give others recipes at least a try.  If I love them they go in the file to use them again and again and I will gladly share them with the world and give full credit to the culinary genius who brought them to us.  

I do play in the kitchen and write my own recipes from time to time, though.  I did make a paleo cheesecake for a friend this week and winged it a bit.  I am writing what I do down as I go and when we have a real winner I will share it with you.  I am grateful for my guinea pigs that are willing to try my stuff (family and friends locally).  I am grateful for those who tell me what they would change or what they loved that I should keep.  My friend Sherrie got to do that this week for a pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust.  I made it in a little pie pan just for her.  I also forgot to take a photo of it before I took it to her so I will have to do it again to show you.  I am a bit spacey sometimes.  Ha!

We typically celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a meal and a movie.  Our standard movie has become A Quiet Man over the years.  We have tried other movies that just don't satisfy us like this one.  It does not hurt that John Wayne is in it.  My husband loves all his movies.  

I also love the blessings of the Irish people.  One of my favorites was shared in a printable format and I thought some of you might really love it.  I think this one is getting a frame for display in my home very soon.  This blogger, The Girl Creative, is sharing a 

PRINTABLE ST. PATRICK’S DAY SUBWAY ART

 for us!  I love freebies!!!

On the bookish front I am failing to stay in a book every day like I had planned this year.  I would speculate that most of that is because I have been on a cleaning and clearing tangent and that the internet is distracting me too much lately in between the cleaning and cooking and general upkeep of our home.  The bad side of that is less reading but the good side of that is less junk and a cleaner more pleasant home to enjoy.  It will all settle down once the home is more like we want it and I won't need to spend as much time doing that.

Emily and I have both discovered some new authors recently.  I thought I would just share the names with you and later I will share some of their books.  

The first one is Georgette Heyer.  Emily got five new books for her birthday from this author and LOVES them.  Heyer writes Regency romance novels, in the same vein as Jane Austen as well as  historical fiction and mysteries.  They are simpler reads but with cleaver characters and witty humor.  I am hoping to "steal" one (or all five) away from Em to read sometime this summer.  I promise to return them!

An author I just discovered is Gladys Taber.... she writes about life on the farm.  She was a writer for Ladies' Home Journal (a regular column which began in 1937 called Diary of Domesticity) and she wrote a column called "Butternut Wisdom" which ran in the Family Circle from 1959 to 1967.  She has an extensive list of fiction and non-fiction (memoir style) books which spanned the length of her entire adult life.  I just got a copy of her Stillmeadow Sampler in the mail last week.  A beautiful first edition!

Susan Branch introduced me to her, by the way.... 

Check out Susan's Page about Ms. Taber.

  I am slowly purging stuff as I go through each room and the breathing space is getting larger and larger.  We are, by no means, those hoarders like you see on that dreadfully painful show on A&E but we tend to hang onto things that are not really necessary sometimes.  Most people do.... I think it is a typical behavior that most people wrestle with at some point in their lives.  I had to come to the conclusion that I needed to let go of things I was not using or reading or that I would never use or read.  I now know that someone else might enjoy it much more than me.  Why would I want to deny them of that opportunity?  So, I let go.... and have not looked back on any of it.  I am still letting go as I no longer need something.  I still have my "treasures".... the things that I love most of all and enjoy having about me.  I am keeping old furniture that belonged to family members before us because I love it and I am gathering books that I love and know I want to read as I purge dozens of boxes of books I know I won't read.  I want my things about me.... things I love.  

That reminds me of a quote from the Quiet Man (one of my most favorite movies ever) spoken by Maureen O'Hara....

"I´ve dreamed of havin´ my own things about me.  My spinet...over there, and the table here   and...my own chairs to rest upon.  And...  And the dresser over there in that corner.  And...  my own china and pewter shinin´ about me."

A girl dreams of having the things she loves about her and this is why I won't ever have a sterile white existence.  I want a home that reflects who we are without being wall to wall junk and clutter for the sake of keeping stuff.  

My motto is.... "If I don't love it then it has to leave!"

So, that is the rambling list for this week.... I pray you have a delightful weekend with those you love most of all.  Feel free to share a favorite author or movie or recipe with us in the comments!  I love to discover new things and would love to check them out.

Blessings to you and your's this St. Patrick's Day!

More of my Favorite Things on a Friday

We are about to start our Spring Break for 2015 in about an hour or so.  There is a Jazz Festival this weekend so the kids actually have an event they still have to attend and play for tomorrow but then the week is ours.  We have a plethora of things we need to work through over the break.... some deep cleaning of bedrooms, scout merit badge classes for the boys, some repair and garden chores that need to be done and so forth.

As we start the weekend I thought I would take a moment to share some of the things that crossed my path over the last two weeks (since I did not share last Friday)  The list is diverse this week...

1.   The season finale of DOWNTON ABBEY!!!  Oh my goodness, it was magnificent.  Now that the season is over I think it is time for my daughter and I to head back to season one and go through them again while we wait for season 6 but THE FINALE WAS THE BEST EVER!!!

2.   This guy.... Eric Reed, is a jazz pianist but our 14 year old shared this with us this week and I am floored at this talent.  I hope you check more of his stuff out because he has got some serious skills!

3.   I discovered a new blog site this week.  It is called Hooked on Houses and it has houses from around the country that are for sale.  It is a home improvement/decorating inspiration and a half!  The homes are lovely and diverse for all kinds of tastes.  

4.   Here is a lovely DIY gift idea for those coffee and tea drinkers in your life.... MARBLED MUGS!  I found it on Pinterest and was tipped off by my daughter who mentioned it so we could look it up.  Looks like a great Mother's Day project for all your crafters out there.  

Here is a photo from the site linked above of her work....

5.   Last, but certainly not least, that speech this week from Benjamin Netanyahu was the best speech I have heard in years.... maybe since Reagan took the floor to speak!  Wow.... just WOW!!!

If you have not seen it please take some time to do so.  It is only about 40 minutes long but worth every minute.

6.   One more bonus read this week..... Want to Hear from God? Slow Down.... is a beautiful article written for Relevant's online magazine.  It is a great site loaded with lots of great stuff.  

Now, let spring break begin!  I am off to pick kids up from school and then dinner and a movie will follow.  Have a great weekend folks!

Friday Favorites... with a few extras

This week has been so crazy full!  We started the week with a day off from school but there were two music rehearsals and a birthday celebration to fill that day.  We are in the middle of preparation for solo and ensemble and each child has two solos and two ensembles.  That means rehearsals every single day before, during, and after school.  In addition to the weekend competition prep there have been private lessons and some early morning jazz band rehearsing for next week's start of jazz band competition.  Needless to say, I am ready for the crazy season to be over again.  

I have had a hard week physically, too.  Now, I am sharing this with the promise from you that you will not chastise me.  I am a big girl and I know what needs to be done but we have obstacles that sometimes crop up so we deal with it and move forward.  Ok.... remember.... you promised, so, say nothing!  LOL  I have been off my Lupus meds for a week.  There have been extenuating circumstances but Dan is picking the meds up today.  I never think the medication is doing anything until I have to be off of them for any period of time.  My arthritis is a mess, headaches are plentiful, skin and ulcers in the mouth are angry and the energy level is zero.  I will be taking a double dose before bed and then resuming my regular schedule tomorrow.  I did not want to be off.... it was a matter of money and availability and life just happens.  We are good to go now....  remember.... NOTHING.... SAY NOTHING!  ;)

In other news, I had to get a new phone..... an upgrade from.... 

now, don't faint.... 

an upgrade from Galaxy S2 (yes.... the number two!) to a Galaxy Avant.  

I had to get a new one because the old one finally decided it would have a mind of it's own and start shutting down without any prompting from me and it was completely unreliable because of that.  Otherwise, the phone was in pristine condition and the tech guy even said that he had never seen one that old be in such beautiful condition.  What can I say... I take care of my stuff.  

Anything that gets broken is because my children break it.  Case in point.... the one crack on my phone screen was a child's doing.... the computer screen that got broken at Christmas was a child, etc...  My favorite phrase these days with them is, "You are too close to my technology.... or beverage"...  whichever thing they could break or spill.  LOL  I say it in kind of a "beep beep beep I am backing the giant vehicle" voice.  They hate it but it stops them in their tracks and my stuff is safe.  If I had used that with my computer over Christmas I might still have that little thing instead of this giant "visually impaired large text" computer I am typing on now.  Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the new computer but I really did love my old little notebook sized one.... really!!!  I am never fond of the new learning curve that takes place every time I have replace a tech device.  

Now, the reason we came here..... here are my favorite five things from the internet this week.  

1.  I have been researching some fermenting of foods lately and read this great article on this very thing this week.  It is 6 Cultured Foods to Make at Home.    Great simple ways to start doing this in your home right now.  

2.  Revive Our Hearts is working through a great series for Lent called The Incomparable Christ and the programs are listed on this page.  I enjoyed this broadcast this week on  A Heartbeat for Revival.... on prayer.  

3.  I am also getting ready to purge our pantry in the next week and over spring break soon so this article was of great interest to me.... 10 Ways to Squeeze a Little Extra Storage Out of a Small Pantry.  

4.  Are you trying to quit the sugar habit?  Here is a great read called 12 Tips for Quitting Sugar.

5.  This week we also saw another Chinese New Year.  Being in the Korean church we got to see some of the traditions that they do to celebrate.  All the Asian world stopped to celebrate this week.  They wear the traditional dresses of their culture and eat traditional foods but I found this article on reaching out during this time from the International Mission Board.  Chinese New Year 101 can help you understand and reach out to those in your community that are of this culture.  

5 1/2.  ;)  Along those same lines I got a copy of David Platt's new book this week.... he is the new director of the IMB that posted this article.  He is on Facebook.... I cannot wait to dig into this book.  He also wrote a book called Radical  (that our teens are studying in their youth group right now) and a book called Follow Me.  

The new book is called Counter Culture

And, here is one extra because I love Jon Acuff and his tongue in cheek way of really hitting a point.  Here are his 7 Ways to Give Up the Internet for Lent.  

Five of my Favorites from the week...

Do you like for me to share five favorites?  Is that something I should keep?  I am trying to find my way back to regular blogging and thinking through some things I want this place to become.  I want to share what I love but only if it is beneficial and helpful to someone else.  I want to share opinions but I tend to run people off when I do that.  Hahaha

This week will be a hodgepodge of media...

First, a video of what I did this week from P. Allen Smith and a photo of my finished project:

Here is how mine turned out... I made mine chunkier

I am still doing more... I have red cabbage and want to add grated carrot also.

I did recently make blueberry/strawberry jam, too.

Second is a link to a great article/list for you...

25 Ways to Practice Self Care

Third: A Link to a quiet new movie you may not have heard of...

Old Fashioned

Fourth:  A new recipe to try - Breakfast Cupcakes

Fifth:  A VALENTINE TREAT.... Red Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownie Bars  

I could overdose on these quickly!  Mercy!!!

So, let me know what you think.... should I keep sharing or move onto something else?

Five Favorite Reads for you... on a Friday

See what I did there?  I love alliteration.... I don't care what anyone else thinks about that.  LOL

As I was skipping around the internet this week I found five really great reads that I wanted to share with you all.

I won't make this long and complicated.  I don't always agree with everything every website shared says but from time to time there are just some things that strike a chord with me.

Without further adieu here they are...

How the American Diet Was Ruined

15 Reasons You Should Drink Lemon Water Every Morning

7 Principles of Sabbath Rest

Oatmeal Scotchies in a Pan - yes, it is a recipe

Why Being a Mom is Enough

Lenten Season for 2014

First and foremost a relationship with God is not about rules and regulations.  It is a relationship... and like any good relationship we are constantly learning more and more about each other and spending time together.  The ways we learn more about God are through studying the Word He gave us and during time in prayer and meditation on His word and ways.

Lent is a focused time... over 40 days... for us to focus on God and how He is speaking to us.  It is a time, if you so choose, to set aside things that distract us to bring a deeper focus to the relationship that God calls us to with Him.  I am typically not one for "giving up stuff" for Lent but I am all about doing things to focus my spiritual eyes and to pray with much focus on some aspects of my walk and life with Christ.

As I said before, it is not about rules and regulations but, for me, I need to impose some personal limits and goals that help me to accomplish the task of setting my mind and focus on Him.  Lent looks different for each person just like our personal journey with Christ looks different for everyone.  We all encounter different trials and tribulations along the way and have different lessons to learn from those around us.  I am praying as I move into this season of Lent that God will guide me into a deeper walk and I am praying for some very specific things in my prayer time.

I am putting some links that I am reading through over the next few days below.  I share these in case anyone else might be interested in such things so if this is helpful I would love to hear from you that it is.

The Meaning of Lent

Ken Collins on Lent

How Lent Can Make a Difference in Your Relationship With God

The Confused Protestant's Guide to Lent

The Church Year site - Lent

Some Devotional Sites...

BrightSadness Lent readings

High Calling Downloadable Lent Guide

Devotions for Lent - I have this one on my Nook and it is downloadable from Amazon, too.  It is a nice read.

Lenten Lights by John Piper

The Village Church Lenten Guide - this is a pdf file

Shrove Tuesday is this coming Tuesday with Ash Wednesday to follow and then the season is upon us.  If you are joining in I would love to hear what you are doing for your season.


UPDATED:  There is a bit of overlap but this is my link post from last year just for more references...

Some Homestead Resources I Use

Over the years I have collected a small library that have served me well on the topic of homesteading.

From the bookshelf above you can see...

*  Gardening Without Work by Ruth Stout

*   A Full Life in a Small Place by Janice Emily Bowers

*   Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich

*   Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich

*   The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball

*   Bringing It to the Table  by Wendell Berry

*   Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens

*   Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll

*   Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods you can stop buying and start making by Alana Chernila

*   Farmstead Chef by John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

*   Winter Harvest by Lane Morgan

*   Modern Homestead by Renee Wilkinson

*   Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine

*   Storey's Basic Country Skills

*   The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket

*   MaryJane's Outpost - I also have MaryJane's Journal, too.

and from my Nook books collection...

I have a few more on my Kindle and some paperback ones stashed away in a box that I have already read.  

What really started this whole journey for me was this little BBC series called "Good Neighbors" or in the UK it is called "The Good Life"  It is about a couple who endeavors to homestead in the suburbs in the UK.  It is funny and poignant and just a lovely show!   It is my very favorite Britcom.

I also have a weakness for seed catalogs...

Territorial Seed Company

Pinetree

Johnny's Seeds

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company

Others not shown here...

Seed Savers Exchange

Seeds of Change (I have even found these at Walmart!)

Annie Heirloom Seeds

The Cook's Garden

Irish Eyes Garden Seeds

My favorite Desert Gardening book is this one... I also have the Month by Month edition and it is the most helpful book I have found for our part of the country.

There are also a plethora of homestead magazines and helps popping up out there.

MaryJane's Farm is a huge favorite as well as my bi-monthly subscription of Hobby Farms.

Capper's Farmer is one I recently discovered and have enjoyed.

No gardener's reference library is complete without the legendary Farmer's Almanac.  I also have the Gardener's Guide companion this year and it has been a valuable resource.

This is one of the books I am reading right now...  Backyard Farming on an Acre (more or less) by Angela England

Also enjoying Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich.

She has a new one out I picked up on my Nook... One Woman Farm.  It is not from a Christian perspective but it has lovely stories and beautiful artwork in it.  I love Jenna's adventures.

Lastly, there is one book I want but have not gotten yet.  It is released in a few short weeks.  It is being released by a fellow blogger at Chickens in the Road and the book is titled the same.

Cannot wait to read Suzanne McMinn's adventures!  You can read the first chapter for free here.

Check out her promo video, too... those goats are adorable!!!

Some observations

I can assure you that I have been learning new things about homesteading and making some plans for our own transformation to a simpler more homestead existence.  

The modern term of homesteading does not refer to the original Homestead Act of 1862.  It refers more to a way of life that is more of a "back to basics" approach and can be defined in very broad terms.  (Two articles that helped us understand are What is Modern Homesteading by Victoria Gazeley.... and also this one entitled the same... What is Modern Homesteading from Little Homestead on the Hill)

It has become a way of life that moves one more toward growing your own food and keeping livestock as well as finding alternative forms of energy and conserving certain natural resources for a "lighter footprint/saving Mother Earth" approach.  It is a huge spectrum of skills and choices that seem to be different for each individual/family.  It can range from urban gardening in containers to running a farm or even to the preppers and survivalist movements.  There are lists all over the internet from The 10 Elements of Urban Homesteading to the 101 Basic Homestead Skills.  The possibilities are endless!

So, this means that I need to find what works for our family in this.  As Christians it also means that we might be doing this for a different reason than "lighter footprint/Mother Earth" and that I need to seek out what God's word says about being a good steward of all He has put into our circle of responsibility.  This way of living is not in the absolute category by any stretch of the imagination in God's word so each person must determine how much or how little to implement for their needs and situation.

Does that mean that everyone should keep chickens?  Nope...

Or that everyone should grow zucchini?  Nope...

Does everyone need to convert their house to solar energy or use their greywater to water the garden?  Nope...

Ultimately our trust is in a God who can provide for our every need and that is our ultimate bottom line.  As for me and my house... we will serve the Lord.  I suspect if you read here your bottom line is very much the same in that regard.

My goal is to find ways to save our family money and be a good steward all at the same time.

So the remainder of this month will be about what homesteading looks like for our family and some things that are drawing me toward learning skills.  This is not a how-to series but rather a journey toward who WE are as a family and ways we can move toward a slower simpler life.

I want to enjoy each day along with my family and our home and I want to be a lifelong learner.

I want to share just a little excitement in our home this week.  We have had our little girls for two weeks now and the first week they laid a dozen eggs for us.  We started them on a new feed regimen for layers with a 20% protein content plus a daily treat of kitchen scraps and some mealworm and we got 17 eggs this week!  WOOHOO!!!  It is the small things in life that excite us around here. 

Here is a little sampling of the variety of eggs we get throughout the week... different shapes and sizes and it is like Christmas for my youngest to go out and check each day for eggs.  He is loving his life with chickens!

Stay tuned for my stack of reading material that will take me far beyond the month of October to read and study.  This journey is so much fun!!!

My Favorites...

I have been researching gluten free for a few years and these are my very favorite sites to visit when I have a question... need information.... or just need a trusted recipe for gluten free items.  So pour a cuppa  your favorite gluten free beverage and have a look around.

Gluten Free Cooking School - lots of free info plus classes you can take to get you through the learning and starting part.

Kitchen Therapy - loaded with great information and recipes but sadly, Linda is no longer writing for it because she passed away this past summer from cancer.  They have left it up and it is still a great resource.

Delightfully Gluten Free - very yummy site!

Gluten Free Girl and the Chef - Shauna James Ahern's site (author of Gluten Free Girl)

Ginger Lemon Girl - author of Gluten Free Slow Cooker book (most recently) with lots of good stuff on her site including support and encouragement groups.

Elana's Pantry - Kosher and Paleo, too... great site!

Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom 

Daily Bites from the Pure Kitchen - a nutritionist who writes about health and eating for your needs.  Gluten free is just a part of what she writes about but her blog is very educational!

Gluten Free on a Shoestring - budget conscious gluten free blogger

Laura's Gluten Free Pantry - lots of helps here with a weekly blog hopping link up.

The Spunky Coconut - very homey blog with more than food for the gluten free eater... products and information about living gluten free as well as casien (dairy) free.

Gluten Free Homemaker  - I love that she shares menus with us!

Just a few more...

Links to celebrate Julia Child that I found... thought I would put them here for all of us to enjoy.

Gourmet Live Celebrates Julia

Denise Vivaldo tells about A Road Trip for Julia

A Julia Timeline

The History Kitchen shares a Legacy Remembered

Julia's Most Memorable Recipes Shared

Food for Thought: Chefs and Culinariains Remember Julia

Sara Moulton talks about her personal story with Julia... Up Close and Professional

We are also continuing our celebration in our home as we will be making her Potage Parmienter (Potato Leek Soup) tomorrow and her Quiche Lorraine (Cream and Bacon Quiche) on Saturday night.