One Big Family

My Favorite Christmas Songs

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I'm now a T-Tapp affiliate!  So, if you'd like to order anything from the T-Tapp website, please click on the banner on  the right side of my blog page.  It won't cost you any extra!  Here's a tip.  There is a place at the T-Tapp store called "Super Closeouts" where you can find some great deals.  Also ordering the book new from Amazon is cheaper, but many times if you order it from T-Tapp, you get a free DVD workout, too! 

I'm happy to share that I reached my size goal!  I'm back in my pre-pregnancy clothes!  And I've only exercised 15 minutes a day, and not always every day!  But, here is the mystery--I weigh 10 pounds more than I did last time!  Is it all muscle?  I guess so!

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The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ #54 ~ 11/23/09

Jesse Tree

Jesse Tree—My version

1.  Tree               Intro to Jesse Tree             Isaiah 11:1-10, Jer. 23:5-6, I Samuel 16:1-13

2.  Earth               Creation                        Gen. 1 and 2

3.  Apple              The Fall                         Gen. 3

4.  Ark           Noah/Judgment         Gen. 6:5-22, 7:17- 8:12, 8:20 – 9:1, 9:8-9:13            

5.  Field of Stars    Abraham/Covenant             Gen. 12:1-7, 15:1-6

6.  Ram                Isaac                              Gen. 22:1-19

7.  Ladder             Jacob                              Gen. 27:41 – 28:22

8.  Coat                Joseph  and Judah              Gen. 44:33, 45, 49:10

9.  Ten Commandments         Moses                 Ex. 2:1 – 4:23, 12, 13:21-31, 19:1 – 20:20

10.  Trumpet           Joshua and Rahab               Josh. 1:1-11, 2, 6:1-20

11.  Sack of Grain      Ruth                               book of Ruth

12.  Crown              Samuel (anointed kings)         I Sam. 3:1-21, 7:1 – 8:22, 9:15- 10:9

13.  Star of David      David/Kingdom Established   I Sam. 16:1-23, 17:58, II Sam. 5:1-5, 7:1-17

14.  Temple              Solomon/Temple Built          1 Kings 5:1-6, 6:11-14

15.  Hot Ember          Isaiah/Call to Holiness          Isa. 1:10-20, 6:1-13, 8:11-9:7

16.  Tears                Jeremiah/Exile                     Jer. 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22 – 9:11

17.  Wall                  Nehemiah                          Neh. 1:1 – 2:8, 6:15-16, 13:10-22

18.  Dove                John the Baptist                    Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-20, 7:18-30

19.  Mom and Baby    Mary                                Luke 1:26-38

20.  Hammer            Joseph                               Matt. 1:18-25

21.  Stable                Jesus is Born                       Luke 2:1-7

22.  Shepherd’s crook   Shepherds                         Luke 2:8-20

23.  Star                      Magi                              Matt. 2:1-12

Bread Baking Primer- updated

Posted by Gena
11:12 AM, Nov. 23, 2009 .. Posted in Recipes .. 0 comments .. Link

I've been baking our own bread for the past two years.  We haven't bought any sandwich bread in that whole time (except when we were on vacation)!  I thought I'd share how I do it here.  It's really not that hard or time-consuming.  And it tastes so much better than store-bought, as well as being better for you.

I bought the mixer, grain mill and many supplies from Urban Homemaker (urbanhomemaker.com).  (You can also make the bread by hand and buy wheat flour at the store if you don't want to get a mixer or mill.)  I get 100 pounds of wheat berries at a time from a food co-op that my friend is a part of.  I bought two 5-gallon buckets from Home Depot and put gamma lids on them and oxygen absorbers in them (bought at wisementrading.com).  The gamma lids completely seal the buckets so that nothing can get in.  The oxygen absorbers absorb all the oxygen from the bucket, killing any bugs or eggs which may have been in there.  The wheat will then keep indefinitely!

Ingredients: oil, honey, dough enhancer, vital gluten, yeast, salt, and wheat berries:


Bosch Mixer and Nutrimill Grain Mill:



Six bread pans to make six loaves at a time.  This lasts us about a week:


A 5-gallon bucket with gamma lid on:


Here is the recipe for Marilyn's Famous Whole Wheat Bread Recipe.  I use 2 1/2 TB of yeast, 2 TB of salt, 2 TB dough enhancer (optional), and 1/2 cup of vital gluten.  One time I ran out of vital gluten, so I left it out to see how the bread would be different.  The bread was very crumbly and wouldn't hold together when cut.  It was still edible, but the texture is much better with the vital gluten.  I grind about 11 cups of wheat berries, but I've never counted exactly how many cups of flour I use.  Sometimes, there is some left over, which I put in a baggie in the freezer to use the next week.  Sometimes, I have to grind a little more.  It depends on the humidity, etc.

Step 1:  Set everything out.  I've found that it only works for me to bake the bread starting first thing in the morning.  Otherwise, I might have to wait up too long for it to cool so it can be put in bags.  It takes me 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, not including cooling the bread.  But I'm not working the whole time, so we get started on our schoolwork when the bread is rising and baking.

Step 2:  Grind 2 cups of berries in the mill.  While it's grinding, put honey, oil, dough enhancer, yeast and very warm water in the mixer.  Add 2 cups of freshly ground whole wheat flour.  Mix a few seconds and let it sit there for 15 minutes.  This is called sponging.


Step 3:  Put about 9 more cups of wheat berries into the mill to grind.  It takes about 7 minutes.


Step 4:  After the 15 minutes of sponging is up, add salt and vital gluten to the mixer.  (Don't forget the salt!)   Mix a few seconds.  Add one cup of flour at a time and mix a few seconds.  You're done adding flour when the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. 


Step 5:  "Knead" the dough for 6 minutes--just turn the mixer setting to "1" and set the timer.

Step 6:  Turn the oven on for a couple of minutes to warm it, then turn it off.   Remove the dough hook from the mixing bowl and place mixing bowl in the warmed oven for 30 minutes to an hour.   Instructions usually say to cover the bowl with a damp cloth, but I never do.  (It's now time to wash the dough hook by hand; if you wait, it's so hard to clean later on.)


Step 7:  After 30 minutes, my dough has always started to come out over the sides of the bowl, so it's time to put into the bread pans.


Step 8:  Pull out dough and put enough into each pan to fill it halfway.  I never "shape" the dough, but just stuff it in there and try to flatten the top!  I think the bread looks pretty nice when baked, so I haven't worried about shaping it nicely!


Step 9:  Place the 6 pans back into the warmed oven (turn back on for a couple of minutes if necessary.)  Set the timer for 30 minutes again.  By that time the dough has always risen to the tops (or a little above the tops) of the pans.


Step10:  Turn the oven to 350 degrees and set the timer to about 30 minutes once more.  Lately I've been baking them for 32 minutes. My bread has always been perfectly baked by following these instructions.


Step 11:  If you let the bread cool a bit before cutting, it will slice better (won't be so doughy).

Step 12:  Cool completely and place in bread bags.  I keep 2 loaves out and put the rest in the freezer.  Don't put bread in the refrigerator as that will dry it out.

Step 13:  Enjoy!

A Journey Through Learning

Posted by Gena
11:01 AM, Nov. 21, 2009 .. Posted in Homeschooling Time .. 0 comments .. Link

Here is another great lapbooking company!  There are lapbooks on a variety of subjects such as science, history, math, holiday, preschool, etc.  They also offer notebooking pages, unit studies, copywork books, and lapbooking classes.

If you sign up for their newsletter, you can get a free one called an Overview of the 17th Century.  We'll be using this next!  (Right now we're studying the Renaissance, 1500s.)  Check out their website at ajourneythroughlearning.net

Free Writing/ Publishing Seminar

Posted by Gena
9:31 AM, Nov. 21, 2009 .. Posted in Homeschooling Time .. 0 comments .. Link

For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School

When:  Monday, November 30, For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, Arlington Heights, IL 9:30 - 4:00 Pm  (registration begins at 9:15 Am)

 

Who: You are all cordially invited to the Second For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, Small enough to know your name, taught by Published Writing Professionals, Bob and Cheryl Moeller. Space is limited to first 90 participants.

Homeschool students, high school sophomore level and above are welcome to attend, with or without a parent.

What: For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, with topics such as How to get Started, How to Get Published, How to Get an Agent, with lots of question and answer sessions

Where: Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N Dunton Ave, Arlington Heights, Illinois
60004-5966 (Please do not contact the library) Contact for information or R.S.V.P. office@bobandcherylmoeller.com

Cost: Free (A freewill offering will be taken for the For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries)

Lunch and etc.: On your own at area restaurants in downtown Arlington Heights or bring a sack lunch. Snacks and conference notes are provided. No childcare.

Each participant can submit 1500 words before the conference, to be reviewed by Bob and Cheryl. This can be 1500 words for one article or book, 750 words for two different projects OR 500 words each for three different projects. You can sign up for 60 minute time slot for a personal phone conference, same week as conference with Cheryl.

Teachers are Bob and Cheryl Moeller, married for 30 years, Orchard homeschool parents of six children (one son-in-law), and three lively dogs:

Bob Moeller, D.Min.: Co-founder of For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries, TV host, radio personality, For Better For Worse For Keeps National Conference Speaker, The Road to “I Do” Single’s Conference Speaker, published author of 8 books, ghost writer for 6 books, wrote over 100 articles for magazines and newspapers such as Focus on the Family, Leadership Journal, Moody Magazine, Christianity Today, Christian Reader, Light and Life, Evangelical Beacon, Standard, Wesleyan Advocate, Marriage Partnership, Christian Courier, David C. Cook Publishing, Wesleyan Publishing House, Standard Publishing, Lifeway Publishing, and many more.
Nationally Published books: For Better For Worse For Keeps (Multnomah 1992), To Have and To Hold (Multnomah), The Stirring (a novel with Thomas Nelson 1995), Love in Action: Healing Conflict in Your Church (Multnomah 1995), AWANA: God’s Miracle (AWANA Press 1998), Marriage Minutes (Moody 1998), For Better For Worse For Keeps (Marriagevine 2006), Marriage Miracle (Harvest 2010)

Cheryl Moeller, M.A.R.: Co-founder of For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries, literary agent for 11 years,.published author of 3 books with national publishers, self-published five books sold through websites and at conferences, author of articles for various publications including Marriage Partnership and MOPS.org, syndicated humor columnist for 7 online parent websites and magazines, stand up comic, speaker for retreats and conferences, and mom blogger at www.momlaughs.blogspot.com.
Nationally Published books: Marriage Minutes (Moody 1998), For Better For Worse For Keeps (Marriagevine 2006), and Marriage Miracle: (Harvest 2010). Self-Published books: 2 Novels with Curriculum - Baby Saves Christmas and Lexi’s Homeschool Diary, 2 Gift Books - Keep Courting: 100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage and Aunt Sarah’s Alaskan Cookbook, Preschool Curriculum – Homeschool Your Preschooler on $1 a Day

www.bobandcherylmoeller.com

This writing school is our attempt to answers many questions we get from people each week on the topic of writing, agents, publishing and branding.

(Please do not contact the library) Contact for information or R.S.V.P. cherylmoeller@comcast.net

Keep Courting: 100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage

Posted by Gena
8:46 AM, Nov. 21, 2009 .. Posted in Other .. 0 comments .. Link

Below is a description of a book written by a friend of mine!

This Christmas Make Your Marriage Sparkle!

Buy - Keep Courting:  100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage

 

This Christmas - Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage for Her:

- Keep his favorite snacks on a special shelf in the refrigerator.
- Bring home three perfume samples and ask him which one he likes best.

- Order in pizza, sit next to him on the couch, and watch the game.

- Have a private barbeque outside with his favorite grilled foods. 
- Attend an outdoor sporting exhibition show and look through the
brochures with him.

 

This Christmas - Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage for Him: 

- Write "I love you" on her calender on the first day of every month.
- Read a book on how to give a great massage and try some of it out on her.
- Send her a text message telling her you need her to pray for you. 
- Tell her about what you wanted to be when you grew up.
Let her tell you about her dreams.

- Pledge to give each of your kids one hour of time with you, the
same time each week.

1 Peter 4:8  "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."


Remember this Christmas, marriage is for better for worse for keeps.

This is the link to buy the book - http://www.bobandcherylmoeller.com/photos_6.html

www.momlaughs.blogspot.com

www.bobandcherylmoeller.com

States I've visited

Posted by Gena
10:38 PM, Nov. 20, 2009 .. Posted in Family Time .. 0 comments .. Link

I've been backing-up my blog (slowly copying and pasting each entry into Word, up to 399 pages so far!) and came across this entry from a few years ago.  We've traveled to quite a few more states since then.  Here is the new map:


visited 38 states (76%)  Only 12 more to go!
Create your own visited map of The United States

Thanksgiving Traditions

Posted by Gena
1:44 PM, Nov. 20, 2009 .. Posted in Homeschooling Time .. 0 comments .. Link

I love traditions!  It's fun to see how they are formed sometimes when you weren't even thinking about it!  Here are a couple we have now:

Listening to "Stories of the Pilgrims" by Pumphrey (read by Jim Hodges)
Listening to "A Thanksgiving to Remember" by Rainey (on CD from Family Life)
Reading "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving" by Alcott
Reading "Cranberry Thanksgiving" by Devlin and making Grandmother's cranberry bread!

Today we cut out pictures from magazines to make collages of things we're thankful for.  Maybe that will become a new tradition!

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