Now the colder weather is coming upon us. Here is a great recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies! I have modified it. The original recipe was from a friend.

Ingredients:

220 gramms of butter

3/4 cup of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1  cup of plain wholemeal flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 cup of wheatbran

3 cups of oatmeal

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

2 free range eggs

Method:

First you cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Then add the eggs.

Next add the flour,baking soda, oatmeal and cocoa powder and mix well.

Lastly, shape into biscuit sized pieces and bake at a medium heat, in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes around 24 generous cookies.

You can then top them when cool with some melted chocolate, for extra indulgence.

Often, when we stay at home mums tell people what we do, we are met with negative response, like, "Oh, but don't you want a career?" or, "When are you going to stop having children?" Even if the comment is more positve, people may add a negative, like,"Wow, but I could never do that?" So people think it is either a waste of a life to bring up a large family and educate them, or they could never possibly do it themselves.

Granted, it is not easy finding time to do everything, but then it is very rewarding, and as I have mentioned before, serving others helps to keep us from selfishness. However, we need to adopt a cheerful attitude. How can we adopt this cheerful attitude?

1) We need to rely fully on God.

2) We need to be positive and think positive.

3) We need to realise that we will never be able to accomplish everything, so better to concentrate on what we have done and not what we haven't done!

4) Remember what we are doing is for eternity and eternity is never ending! Our lives on earth are brief.

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Proverbs 13:1 "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

We are building our houses by caring for and nurturing our children in the Lord. We are caring for their souls and for their bodies. It is so easy in today's society to give our children everything materially, but not provide for them spiritually. If only we can set our perspective on eternity, then we will see our most important perspectives, here, on earth. This is only temporal, only fleeting. When we get to heaven, all our cares, worries and pains will be gone. Praise the Lord! If only we can grasp a sense of this, it will make our lives more fruitful.

If we are carrying heavy burdens and finding it hard, take it to the Lord! Take each day as it comes and praise God that we will have all eternity to rest from our woes! Serving is a delight.

We have an absolute abundance of sloes here. If you are wondering what they are, they are a member of the plum family, but are small and the colour of blueberries. Their taste is like sweet and sour.

I decided, well, why not make jam out of them! They seem to have a lot of natural pectin in, so all you need is sloes and sugar. I added just a little less sugar than the weight of half the sloes, as I calculated the stones took up half the weight. I just simmered them with the brown sugar for about 15 minutes and then, the task of getting the stones out, which is a bit time consuming, but easier than doing it at the start.My husband's verdict, was that it was the best jam he had tasted. So all in all worthwhile.

Angela enjoyed herself and so did all the others. They had great fun collecting them.

It is easy, as a Christian to become over zealous and fall into legalism. If we are truly saved, we want to do good, that is part of our wanting to please the Lord. We are not saved by works." For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So, what is legalism? It is the strict adherence to the law, that is the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. The Jews were required to follow the law and to strictly adhere to it, but now we have Jesus Christ and he died in our place and became our priest. The former in the Old Testament was just a shadow of what was to come. Now salvation is for everyone who accepts and it is free, we don't have to work to get it. As Christians we no longer follow the ceremonies and judicial law laid out in the Torah, rather we follow the moral law as a guide. If we love the Lord we will do it willingly, we do it to grow more like God and we do it through Christ. The moral law doesn't save, it sanctifies. The moral law is our guidance, as what to aspire to and the main point is to worship God as creator. Exodus 20:3 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' The moral law requires obedience, but does not give strenth. It shows the standard we are to live by. (not to take the Lord's name in vain, commit adultry, and murder, e.t.c.) Galations 3:24 'Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.'

Regarding justification, or being justified, the moral law is abolished. We are only saved through Christ's righteousness. We are free from the curse and condemnatory power of the moral law. We are not under the condemning now, rather the commanding Gal 3:13'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.' That doesn't give us free licence to do whatever we like though. Romans 3:31 'Do we not make void the law through faith'. Legalism is when we overstep that line and think that somehow it counts towards our salvation, or we insist on following the old ceremonial and judicial traditions we are stepping into a cult like situation. Any religion that bases salvation on works, is a cult, but it can also be considered cult like if we try to insist on certain other things, or to be contentious.Colosians 2:16 'Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.'

We are now permitted to eat pork and do not hold to the Jewish customs and practices. Acts 11:7' And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'

Some people may think they are better Christians because they follow this law and maybe they don't have TV, or they don't listen to a certain music.We need to be extremely careful that our faith is not overtaken by a religious formalism, having an unhealthy fear and being robbed of our joy. It doesn't stop there, as once it has overtaken us we start to judge others, maybe on their dress, what commands they obey e.t.c. this is what the Bible means when it says to judge not. We are to recognise false teachings and try people's statements against scripture, but not to judge in a critical selfish way.

Let us not be robbed of our joy and follow the Lord with joy and remember Titus 3:7 'That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.'

I have been using cloth nappies on my youngest now for 19 months and have had no regrets whatsoever.I started off using Mothercare Smart nappies available here. I found them great for the earlier months and very economical, but I wanted something a bit fancier and more substantial for 6 months plus. So I chose Itti bitti.Thes are stylish and economical, as you can buy extra pads.

I also used some 2 part nappies, my favourite of which were bamboo.

As our youngets approached 13 months, she began to take off her nappies, a really annoying problem that disposables don't solve! I just switched to a poppered wrap. My favourite being starbunz.

As you can see, they are really cute and have different designs!

As our youngest has got older, she has started to soak her nappies and I have found this is where pocket nappies come into their own. You can stuff them with extra stuffing, as required and that can be anything, from an old towel to a microfibre pad.

I like these, and you can get seconds for as low as £4 without inserts Baby kind on the bargains.

Many people feel they can't use cloth for night time, but ours sleeps in hers for 12 hours and she is still dry in the morning. I use Bumgenius version 3 birth to potty and I just add a little extra stuffing.

All this is no extra work really, as I put the outers in one lidded bucket, the inner parts in another and soiled in another. Every 3 days I wash, but I put the inners and soiled on a pre rinse first and then wash at 30 degrees with Tots Bots Potion. Then line dry. Couldn't be simpler and I can rest assured knowing we are helping care for the evironment and no nasty chemicals are in them.
Click on the fillyour pants link here on my blog to visit my favourite nappy retailer, here in the UK!

Happy nappying!

Too often we run here and there, to and fro and all it accomplishes is vexation and stress."Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife." Proverbs 17:1

In other words, it is better to have less of everything and be relaxed and at peace, than to have lots of everything and be stressed.

It seems as homeschooling mums we seem to be even more under pressure to do more than is actually necessary and then become stressed. Whether it is in academics, or clubs, or church, or whatever it may be. We need to slow down the pace and drink in God's word....slowly!  "Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Luke 12:27

If we are trying to 'do school' on the move constantly, then we are probably doing too much. I have seen 'burnout' in home educators and the same theme seems to re occur, they were trying to do too much. We will never get it all done, so we need to quit trying and cast all our cares on God. We can do it in His strength.

Elderberries are in abundance at this time of year. We have been picking them from the hedgerows and have so far made elderberry jam and cordial.

To make the jam, all you need is a pound of berries and nearly a pound of brown sugar. Boil them up with a little lemon juice for 20 mins or so. You can add pectin if you want to make a thick jam, but we like it runny.

To make the cordial boil up a pound of elderberries with 200 grammes, or just under half a poud of sugar add boiling water to taste as it is cooking. Strain, bottle, cool, then chill in the fridge.

They are well known as an anti viral, so great for the flu season. What are you waiting for? Enjoy!

Check out this site for more info on how to pick and more recipes.here

Now is the season for apples, pears, and plums. Above is a pic of me checking the apples that I have picked. The ones shown are a variety of eating apple. We have been picking a lot of different varieties, all growing in the wild. We eat the eaters and cook up the cooking apples. What I do, is blanche a whole load in a saucepan and cool and store in tubs in the freezer. That way, when I want to make pies, or sponges it is already done.

Here is a recipe we like for apple sponge-

1)Chop the apples and put them in a dish which is oven safe.

2) Cream 4 ounces of margarine with 3 ounces of sugar.

3) Add one beaten egg.

4) Fold in 4 ounces of selfraisng flour. I use wholemeal.

5) Spoon over your apples and cook at medium heat for about 40 mins, or until a fork comes out clean.

This recipe will serve 4-6. We double it for our family and cook in 2 seperate bowls.

We also have pear and plum trees in our garden, so we do more or less the same with those. I have found that pears and blackcurrants taste really good together, as the taste of the pear compliments the sourness of blackcurrants. Bon appetit! 

There is nothing like free food, especially when it is organic and growing in your own garden!

Recently, the children picked blackberries from our own garden. I used them to make bramble jelly, or blackberry jam.

These ingredients make about a jar.

1)400 grammes of blackberries ready washed.

2)400 grammes of brown sugar.

3) A dash of lemon juice.

I put all the ingredients in a pan and heated them up on high to start with, then turned the heat down and simmered them for about 10 mins. You can test if it is ready, by putting some on a spoon and touching with your finger to see if it shrinks back.

I used less sugar in mine, as I knew it would go quickly! If you wish to preserve it, you need to make sure you add all the sugar, as the sugar is the only preservative.

I will be making all my jams now, as I am dismayed to find many jams in the supermarket have high fructose corn syrup in their ingredients. This is not a natural sugar, but created using GM technology. I was wondering why it left an awful taste in my mouth.

Watch this video on youtube:

1) Don't iron what you don't have to. I find that a lot of things don't need ironing, by hanging straight, the creases drop out naturally. Also, if you can line dry, you will get less creases.

2) Only sort your washing into 2 different sorts, whites and coloureds. Makes life a lot simpler and I haven't had any runs doing this, only when I accidentally put in red with my whites. Many modern washing machines have a mixed fibre wash anyway, and I always do this at 30 degrees.

3) Always plan your meals out a week in advance before you write a shopping list. This saves time, money and you can write a list of what you need when you go shopping.

4) When cooking, especially for a large brood, keep it simple. I like to always cook simple but healthy things. I see it unnecessary to spend hours in the kitchen, when there are so many other things to be done.

5) Use a breadmaker. I have 2. It mixes the dough for my currant buns, while I go and have a cup of tea. Also, I can have 2 cakes baking in them while I am out and come back to freshly baked cakes. I can't burn them and don't have to watch them as it is timed. Using a breadmaker also enables you to have fresh bread ready for the morning. You can't beat that smell, Mmmm!

On Tuesday the children were able to film a fire which had broken out at a plastics factory. It is the biggest fire Lincolnshire firefighters have had to deal with. At one point there were 100 firemen at the scene. Plumes of toxic black smoke were emitted into the air, but fortunately most of it avoided the people living nearby.

It was a couple of days before it finally went out. The cost is expected to run into millions of pounds. A real blow to the area, considering we are in times of recession. Work is expected to start as soon as possible to rebuild the factory as soon as the cause is established. It is thought the fire started in the fan room.

There is a new competition running at www.fillyourpants.com Here are the details.

This month sees our best competition yet! Up for grabs is a set of some of our best selling products, including a Dream-Dri Pop in Nappy, an Itti Bitti d’Lish, a bumGenius 3.0, a bag of Tots Bots Potion a Nappy Tote Bag and a pair of Babylegs! Worth over £60!

Increase your chances of winning:

1) Link to the competition on a blog or forum and email us the link for an automatic extra entry!

2) Add a new review to any product that you have used on the site and receive an extra entry- be sure not to mark it as anonymous though so we know who to give the extra entry to!

3) Add a comment to any post on the Really Pants Blog to be awarded an extra entry.

4) Make any 5 posts over on the Forum for yet another chance of winning! We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will notify the winner by email.

Closing date for entries 15.09.09

Here in England we don't always get a lot of hot sunny weather. So, when we do, we really appreciate it. We decided to do a spot of aqua learning in the pool. Of course, it is all educational.

Here is moi.

As a child, I enjoyed History. However it was marred by the use of textbooks and a constant obsession on the teacher's part of world war 2 and aspects of the Victorians. I guess you could say the teaching of History in my school left quite a lot of gaps!

With my children I have decided to take a chronological approach. So we started at the very beginning when God created the Earth 6,000 years ago. We have used a lot of 'living books' in our History studies, which have been very enjoyable. We are currently reading, Our Island Story and the story of John Calvin.

Children are natural explorers, so we enjoy discovering places of Historic interest and I guess there is History to be found where ever you go! I often pass somewhere and wonder what it would be like if you could turn the clock back and see what really happened. What were the people really feeling and was it in line with the accounts we have today?

We are blessed in England to have a rich historical heritage. Castles, cathedrals, churches, battlefields, homes, woodland. They each tell their own story.

Recently we went wild berry picking in the Welsh mountains. The berries are called wynberries and they are like blueberries, except smaller and more potent!

We picked the berries up here:

Doesn't look like much, but the berries are hidden underneath the clumps of purple heather.

All in all, it was a great day and we picked about 8 pounds of them!

Unfortunately on the way back our car battery went flat and we weren't going anywhere! So after calling out breakdown we arrived home at 4;30a.m. Phew! It was a long day.

Irresistably cute!

We have decided to keep Smokey Joe, he is the grey and white one. The others have gone to new homes. As you can see, Smokey Joe is a real climber and a feisty little kittty!

Our girls like to wear dresses and they like to be photographed!

I think they are all Princesses, but then you would say I was biased.

I was reading the Sword and Trowell, just recently, and read a rather interesting article on counselling. I thought it raised quite a few important thoughts, and points. Where does counselling come into feeling down? Well, many people these days seek counselling for the smallest things, and it seems to be creeping evermore into Christian circles with more and more books written all the time.

How often have we heard people being referred to counsellors because they have seen something or dealt with something terrible? Why, as a modern society do we seem unable to manage, as people have in the past with far greater calamities?

All of us have a problem sometime or another with feeling down, so what can we do to help ourselves?

1) We need to go to the Bible, and immerse ourselves in the word of God.

2) We need to be ready, able and willing to serve others.

3) Spend time in public prayer.

4) Do not complain, but reflect on God's blessings to us, and be reflective of this in our conversations with others.

5) Don't be idle, as it is the devil's home for temptation.

Richard Baxter the Puritan suggested that we serve others, and that will help us. We are required to live a life of service, and for many of us home educating, then that is our main calling. If we have any opportunities for hospitality, or to help out, then it can be beneficial, but not to the point where we exhaust ourselves, or neglec our families.

The Bible teaches us to apply the truth through the reading of the word, and applying it. The truth in the Bible is what sets us free.

So by putting others first and being unselfish (obviously not to the point of neglecting ourselves) we are actually helping ourselves.

We don't need expensive books on how to right this and how to right that. They can be filled with worldly psychology which looks at the problem, not the person. If we seek through God's grace to become better people, then in most cases that will be of great benefit.

Here is a link to Richard Baxters book on melancholy http://www.puritansermons.com/baxter/baxter25.htm

Here are some quotes from John Bunyan's The Life and Death of Mr Badman- It is rather horribly prophetical, and I have picked out these gems.

WISE. That may be. But let us proceed. This Mr. Badman added to all his wickedness this, he was a very proud man, a very proud man. He was exceeding proud and haughty in mind; he looked that what he said ought not, must not be contradicted or opposed. He counted himself as wise as the wisest in the country, as good as the best, and as beautiful as he that had most of it. He took great delight in praising of himself, and as much in the praises that others gave him. He could not abide that any should think themselves above him, or that their wit or personage should by others be set before his. He had scarce a fellowly carriage for his equals. But for those that were of an inferior rank, he would look over them in great contempt. And if at any time he had any remote occasion of having to do with them, he would show great height and a very domineering spirit. So that in this it may be said that Solomon gave a characteristical note of him when he said, 'Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath' (Prov 21:24). He never thought his diet well enough dressed, his clothes fine enough made, or his praise enough refined.

Instead of referencing the Word, when he heard it preached, read, or discoursed of, he would sleep, talk of others business, or else object against the authority, harmony, and wisdom of the scriptures; saying, How do you know them to be the Word of God? How do you know that these sayings are true? The scriptures, he would say, were as a nose of wax, and a man may turn them whithersoever he lists. One scripture says one thing, and another says the quite contrary; besides, they make mention of a thousand impossibilities; they are the cause of all dissensions and discords that are in the land. Therefore you may, would he say, still think what you will, but in my mind they are best at ease that have least to do with them.

Instead of loving and honouring of them that did bear in their foreheads the name, and in their lives the image of Christ, they should be his song, the matter of his jests, and the objects of his slanders. He would either make a mock at their sober deportment, their gracious language, quiet behavior, or else desperately swear that they did all in deceit and hypocrisy. He would endeavour to render godly men as odious and contemptible as he could; any lies that were made by any, to their disgrace, those he would avouch for truth, and would not endure to be controlled. He was much like those that the prophet speaks of, that would sit and slander his mother's son (Psa 50:19,20). Yea, he would speak reproachfully of his wife, though his conscience told him, and many would testify, that she was a very virtuous woman. He would also raise slanders of his wife's friends himself, affirming that their doctrine tended to lasciviousness, and that in their assemblies they acted and did unbeseeming men and women, that they committed uncleanness, &c. He was much like those that affirmed the apostle should say, 'Let us do evil that good may come' (Rom 3:7,8). Or, like those of whom it is thus written; 'Report, say they, and we will report it' (Jer 20:10). And if he could get any thing by the end that had scandal in it, if it did but touch professors, how falsely soever reported, O! then he would glory, laugh, and be glad, and lay it upon the whole party; saying, Hang them rogues, there is not a barrel better herring of all the holy brotherhood of them. Like to like, quoth the devil to the collier, this is your precise crew. And then he would send all home with a curse.

If you want to read the whole thing, then here it is http://acacia.pair.com/Acacia.John.Bunyan/Sermons.Allegories/Life.Death.Badman/index.html

Another review into home education has been underway in England, and this time the authorities have tried to link it with child abuse. Have they any proof? The answer to that is no, although they have tried to make it look otherwise. Check out this:

His review found that "even acknowledging the variation between authorities, the number of children known to children's social care in some local authorities is disproportionately high relative to the size of the home educating population".

He recommended local authorities have fully trained staff who are "well-versed" in procedures for safeguarding children.

This was quoted on the B.B.C.news website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8095864.stm

On first glance it appears that they have indeed got proof, but on a closer glance it states that children are 'known'. Known, doesn't mean they are on a protection register, it can mean simply, that they are known because someone has contacted them to make them as known. This happens a lot, as doctors, neighbours and family who are opposed to the idea of homeschooling ring the S.S. I have known of a case where a family had the S.S. call out 3 times, in as many years, all because people rang up.

The new proposals include;

1) Compulsory registration once a year.

2) Compulsory home visits once a year.

3) Questioning of the child alone without anyone else present.

4) If the authority doesn't consider the education satisfactory, or even disagrees with the provision, they can order the child into school.

We home educate for conscience. We are Christians, and it would be against the Bible to send our children into a godless system, where pornography, lies, and all manner of filth and rebellion are taught. It is our responsibility to educate our children, not the state. Increasingly though, under this socialist communist government we are told our children belong to the state. I think they may have well overstepped the mark this time. We will be fighting this, and in the meantime please pray for England!

Here is another link, on how it will affect things.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5506362/Home-education-rules-an-abuse-of-civil-liberties.html

On Thursday we had our elections for local councils, and also for the European parliament. The results were not good for our present government. There has been an attack on home education by the present government, attempting to link it with child abuse. They had no proof of this, of course! However, they do not like the fact the some of us are not completely under their control. If they had their way, they would have every child indoctrinated under the present system, which is socialist in its outlook. It states that the individual is no concern.

Home education just screams individuality! Most educators I know, including myself tailor the education to meet the child's needs. As the statistics show, home educated children are more sucessful, both academically, and interacting with people.

If we trust in God He will never let us down, so however we are oppressed politically, He will make a way! We have no need to worry, or fret. Isn't that great!