Posted in Recipes to share
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I've been reading about using barley, and found this recipe on the internet on a website called barleyfoods.com. I cooked it for lunch, and all the kids liked it. It's not much to look at, but it's nutritious and it tastes good. According to the article I read, barley is the only grain that has nutrition all the way through the grain, not just in the outer parts.
Turkey Barley Stir-Fry
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Caitlin was so upset tonight. She had a sliver in a finger, and didn't want me to use a needle. She wanted me to just use a tweezers. But the sliver was under the skin, w/ no end sticking out. So I told her I couldn't get it. She cried, and hollered, and screamed. I told her I wouldn't work on her at all w/ her acting like that. I suggested she put ice on it, and she wouldn't. She just kept insisting that I use the tweezers and get it out. Finally, she did get a piece of frozen meat out, to put her finger on, and after a good 20 min. of crying, she decided to let me try w/ a needle, and I was able to get the end up, and pull it out. But honestly, she didn't cry any more when she broke her arm. I know it didn't hurt that much, but she was so upset, she just made it way worse than it was. And she was mad that I wasn't hovering over her trying to help. I was trying to balance my check book, which wasn't balancing!!
This is the dumb thing I did in it, but it took me over an hour, and many re-calculations, to figure this out. Last month when David's car was broken, I got it out of the shop, and wrote a check for repairs. Then I transferred the same amount of money from his account to mine to cover the check. So I had 339.00 going out, and 339.00 going in--Right? So I just put check marks by both of them, since they cancelled each other out, and would have no effect on my account balance. BUT it just happens that the deposit cleared, but the check didn't. So my account was showing over $300 more than what I really had. Very aggravating. It just happened that I did it right when the month was changing, so the deposit cleared, but the check didn't, and I just didn't catch it when I checked my checks off.
I made soup tonight. Taco soup. The ingredients vary some, from time to time, but tonight this is what I used: Ground beef, crushed tomatoes, mild rotel ,kidney beans, corn, black eyed peas, onion, green pepper, and spices--chili pwd., cumin, garlic, salt, pepper. We put cheese and sour cream on it. It was very good! ;-) I'd just taken a loaf of bread out of the oven, so I had hot bread and butter with it. !!
We have clementines again. We haven't had them for ages--months! Not since July. The kids have been eating them between meals. I love having them here for them to snack on. They are so easy to peel, and taste so good! |
Posted in Interesting articles, information
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I love baby dolls, and especially artist dolls that look like real babies. I received an email tonight with a picture of a miniature baby doll that I just love! Check out this artist's website and look at her beautiful babies! How does she do it??http://www.camilleallen.com/camille_allen.htm
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I got to stay home almost all day today! It's so seldom that I don't have to either be somewhere, do something, or take someone else somewhere! Today was nice. I spent the majority of the day going through the girls clothes, trying to get out their winter things, and checking to see what still fits, and what is too small. Last week Amber was telling me her skirts were getting tight. She's been in the same size for 3 years, so it was about time! I'd measured her waist in May, and it was 24 inches. Tonight it was 28 inches. No wonder her skirts are tight! Earlier this week we'd gone shopping and found 2 skirts that fit her nicely. Today, while going through boxes of clothes, and through her closet, we found several more that I'd stuck away until she grew into them, so she's all set now. And Caitlin has plenty of everything also. Neither of the girls enjoy trying on these clothes, just to see what fits, so we still have some of that to do. I don't like to put clothes that are too big in Caitlin's drawer, because she will INSIST on wearing them once she puts them on!
I also got a lot of mending and hemming done. I had to hem pants for Nathan, shorten pants for David, shorten a skirt for Amber, and more. Everytime I get my sewing machine out I wish I had a place to keep it set up, so it would be more convenient to sew. I'd love to teach the girls to use the machine, but it's such a hassle to have our sewing project spread all over the kitchen table when people want to eat! I didn't cook anything today--except bread. We had bread and butter and crackers and cheese for both lunch and supper. (My husband wasn't home. :-)
My evening wasn't as productive. Amber and Nathan both have art projects that need to be framed, so I'd told them I'd take them this evening to Hobby Lobby to look at frames. We left about 6:30, and on my way out the door, I put something heavy in the trunk of the car. The kids were already in the car, so I got in also, not realizing I'd left my purse in the house. I didn't discover it was missing until I'd driven the 11 miles to the store. There was nothing to do but drive home and get it, if we wanted to buy anything, so home we went. It was 7:30 by the time we got back, and when I read the sign on the door telling us the store closes at 8:00, I was aggravated. We went ahead and looked at frames, but ended up not buying any. They were way more expensive than I thought they'd be--Amber needs an odd size, and they started at $25.00! I want to shop around a bit--maybe I can find a nice framed picture at Goodwill that we can use. :-)
Anyway, that was my Saturday. At least we made a memory! That counts for something. And we've at least started to get the projects framed. I know where NOT to go. |
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http://www.everydaymommy.net/everyday-mommy/2006/9/5/moms-for-modesty.html#comment527162
This homeschool Mom has set up a list of mothers concerned about modesty in children's clothing on her blog. You can go and read others' comments and sign the list yourself, showing your support. They suggest Land's End and Old Navy stores as places that carry modest clothing, and there are hundreds of comments that I'm sure have other suggestions. This is important to me. The way our children dress influences the way they act, and I think it important to teach them to dress modestly and act accordingly. I want to make it easy for my children to choose to do right. I want it to be a desire of their hearts--to dress in a way that is pleasing to God. |
Posted in Home Happenings
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This entry is just an account of my crazy evening. There is nothing profound here, nothing spiritual, nothing really noteworthy--but some homeschoolers might enjoy it, if they've ever done co-op orders!
A group of us ordered a little over 7,000 lbs. of wheat and other grains, in order to get low prices. 5,000 lbs. is required for the company to be willing to send a truck. Tonight was the delivery night.
It was a bad night--I just assumed the truck would deliver during the day--so I'd arranged to have everyone meet at my church, so we could unload and store some of the wheat in the gym until people could get it. Well, tonight was Wed. night, and we have church on Wed. night. So the parking lot was full of church member's vehicles, and we were expecting an 18 -wheeler and 20 MORE vehicles!
That was just the first clue that things weren't going to go smoothly. The second clue came when we got to the church-- the truck driver called and said he couldn't drive down the road the church is on. Now what?? We had to find a parking lot on the main hwy., with easy truck access and I stayed at the church to tell everyone the directions to where the truck was. Nathan and Chris and Lauren were helping to unload the wheat at the truck, and I was in the parking lot at our church directing people, and Amber and Caitlin were in the service at church.
THEN when everyone was where they needed to be, they divided the order--7,000 lbs of wheat in 50 and 25 lb. bags.-- (I was the only one who ordered the 25 lb. bags. They were about .50 cents more, but worth it to me to be able to pick them up myself!) Anyway, originally, the wheat would have been unloaded at the church, and several people were going to pick up the wheat tomorrow from the church gym. I was also going to leave my wheat at the gym and deal w/ it tomorrow. But now we couldn't leave the wheat in a parking lot overnight, so we were going to have to haul it in cars to the church. There was my 1,000 lb. order, and another person's 1,100 lb. order--so I decided to go get John's van from the Yellow parking lot, a couple of miles away. I left in Lauren's car, since her car was full of stuff, and wasn't useful for hauling wheat. I was almost to the van, when I realized I didn't have the van keys. I'd left them in MY car. So I turned around, drove back to the parking lot, got my keys, and went to get the van. They loaded the van and we went to the church gym and unloaded. They loaded Chris's car, and he brought that wheat here to my house. They loaded my car also, but I had to leave my car in the parking lot, because Lauren had left her diaper bag in HER car, which I'd taken to Yellow, and it had her driver's license in it, so she couldn't help drive.
ANYWAY, Chris brought the 3 kids here to the house from the church, and I drove Lauren in the van back to Yellow Freight to get her car. When we got there, HER car wouldn't start. Well, we knew we had to leave the van for John--he was on his way home from Florida, and would need the van to get home--but her car wouldn't start, so we were stuck. We ended up having to take the van again to go pick up my car from the parking lot, THEN go back to Yellow to drop off the van, THEN home, where Chris was patiently waiting here at the house w/ my kids.
I hope you followed all that. The only good thing about tonight was it was overcast, and the forecast said rain, but God didn't let it rain on us while we were working. With so many paper bags of wheat, rain would have been a real problem.
AND it's over! Finally! That is another GOOD thing!
I looked at the sign on our church road, and it says "No Through Trucks" 10 Ton limit--which I take to mean a truck could come to somewhere ON our road, just not cut through to the next hwy. I think the truck driver just thought it looked too hard to do, maybe. ?? I don't really know, but I need to find out before next time!
So, that was my night, and I'm anxious to get to bed. :-) |
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There are so many things I'd like to write about, but all of them take time, which seems to be in short supply around here. I was looking at the house yesterday and thinking it will NEVER be all done at the same time! I know other housewives can relate. I tend to go in cycles, and work hard at getting one area of my life under control, and while I'm doing that, another area (several areas, really) get neglected. If I'm researching and reading about nutrition, and better ways to eat, and finding new recipes, and learning new cooking skills, that tends to consume all of my "so-called free time", if there is such a thing for a mother! Those hours each day that I don't HAVE to be doing something else, like cooking, or cleaning, or teaching, or running taxi--I call these "free time", although it doesn't mean there isn't something needing to be done. A better word might be "discretionary time." It's time I can CHOOSE what I want to focus on, instead of what I NEED to do. And sometimes life just fills up, and it takes all of my time just to keep up with it. These last few weeks have felt like that.
We've had extra events in the last couple of weeks--A Sunday School pizza party, a birthday party, a boy scout campout, the MS State fair, a doctor appointment. I had a few days I was out of commission due to dizziness. It all adds up to TIME.
Everyday I walk around talking to myself. Do you know the chorus "Only one step at a time, only one step at a time. Take that one step prayerfully, take that one step carefully, this is the way to victory, just one step at a time"? Well, I change the words a bit, and hum "One thing at a time, only one thing at a time. Do that one thing carefully, do that one thing prayerfully--this is the way to victory--just one thing at a time." I can only do one thing at a time, usually--only focus on one project. And it doesn't do me any good to get sidetracked, and try to do two things at once, because it just means neither job gets enough attention, and it often causes more work for me, like when I try to do something WHILE the squash is cooking--it inevitably burns, while I'm off "multi-tasking" in the other room.
A Bible verse I use to comfort myself is "the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord". So I give my day to God each morning, and try to relax and not stress about what I'm not able to get done during the day. I try to count my accomplishments, and not look at what was left undone, because the undone things cause discouragement.
I have 1,000 pounds of wheat coming on a truck tomorrow evening, and today I need to find a place to store it. SO. . .that is my focus for the rest of the afternoon.
I'll write more when I have another minute of "free time". |
Posted in Ebay
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I've been selling books on ebay for several years. I actually discovered ebay when beanie babies were the big craze, and spent a year having fun selling beanie babies on ebay. Then I moved on to books. It's been a fun and profitable hobby.
I wanted to leave this link to a wonderful blog about bookselling by another homeschooler. She has helped me enormously by the articles she has written. The blog is free, of course, but she also sells lists of specific titles that do well on ebay, and an e-book on how to sell books on ebay. I can't say enough about how her research has helped me to make money selling books. Here is the link: http://booksellingblog.com/
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Posted in Inspirational
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The 'L I T T L E' Things As you might know, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it what his turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time. One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident. One of them missed his bus. One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change. One's car wouldn't start. One went back to answer the telephone. One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have. One couldn't get a taxi. The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today. Now when you're stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone... all the little things that annoy us, think to yourself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.. Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; It may be just that God is at work watching over you. |
Posted in Interesting articles, information
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I saw this in the news today and thought it worth posting. Everyone needs to tell their children not to participate in contests like this one.
A 32-year-old woman in Canada was participating in a Chubby Bunny contest, a game in which participants attempt to stuff as many marshmallows into their mouths as possible and still say "chubby bunny." It is often played by children at camps and sleepovers and, more often than not, all efforts subside into laughter after about the fourth or fifth mallow. Adults take these things more seriously, however, and instead of ending up laughing, the above-mentioned woman ended up in critical condition at a London, Ontario hospital after choking on a marshmallow. The contest was already over and she was walking backstage when she collapsed. She had no vital signs when the paramedics got to her and is currently in critical condition.
The link below tells the story of a twelve year old girl who died playing the game at a school event.
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Posted in Home Happenings
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Yesterday was Saturday. When I got out of bed, Caitlin was already working on her schoolwork. I didn't tell her it wasn't a schoolday, so later, when Amber got up and asked her why she was doing schoolwork, she looked a bit put out with me.
We spent our morning making banana nut muffins--a double batch, so we'd have some to share. They are delicious! It was good to spend time in the kitchen with the girls, letting each of them help chop the nuts, grind the flour, mash the bananas, crack the eggs, measure the ingredients, etc. I wish I took the time to do it more often, but it seems we stay so busy, and there is so much to get done during the school days, that we don't cook and bake like I'd like to. I'm going to make a real effort this school year to include them in what I DO bake or cook, since they enjoy helping and they need to learn to cook.
We spent our afternoon at the church gym cleaning and decorating for a potluck today. Nathan, Amber and Caitlin all went and helped. (Nathan caught a snake, causing some excitement amongst the teenage girls!) We had a good time fellowshipping while we cleaned. Some of my closest friends have been made while working side by side. I think we don't do enough of it these days. We are all so busy with our own lives, that we don't get together to do things like they did years ago--quilting, cooking, shucking corn, raising barns--those people knew how to work together and it kept them feeling close to one another.
We spent our evening at Wal-mart. Caitlin had earned $5 this week babysitting and it was burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted another "Littlest Pet Shop" pet. If you ever manufacture a toy for stores to sell, be sure to make something that children can collect! Caitlin got a "littlest pet shop" playground for Christmas, and since then has purchased several add-on sets. They are darling little bobble head pets, with magnets in their paws that cause flowers to bloom, and cages to open, and they have provided hours of enjoyment at our house. But since they are always making new animals, there is always something Caitlin is wanting to buy!
All in all, it was a good day, with time spent with the children, and church friends, and I went to bed satisfied that I'd spent my day well. |
Posted in Inspirational
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A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife |
Posted in Quotes, Poems, Jokes
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SLOW DANCE |
Posted in Homeschooling
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I can't believe all of the things it has! Printable worksheets, crafts, etc. I believe it said there are 17,000 webpages. It is free, but there is an option to become a member. You have to be a member to print things, but they show you everything, so you can get ideas and read information without having to join. Go look at it! There are a lot of FALL and Thanksgiving activities and ideas. There are things for all ages, and for all school subjects. We use these sheets sometimes for unit studies. |
Posted in Nutrition Information
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Orange slush:
1 C orange juice
1/3 C honey
6-8 oz. yogurt--either flavored or plain
1 1/2 C mixed frozen fruit (I buy a big bag from Sams)
1 frozen banana
Blend and enjoy! (Our smoothie maker was $30 at Wal-mart) You can probably use a blender, but the smoothie maker seems better at pulling the frozen fruit down into the blades.
This smoothiebelow has kefir in it--Kefir is very good for your digestive system, and can be made at home by adding one pkg. of kefir starter to one 1/2 gal of milk--preferably non-homogenized. Kefir starter can be purchased at Rainbow, or you can get someone to mail you live culture grains through the mail--there are loops online.
1 C kefir
1 scoop protien mix (Just adds nutritional value) (I got mine at Sams)
1 frozen banana
1/3 C honey
1 1/2 mixed frozen fruit--could use all one kind, like froz. strawberries
(can add juice to change the flavor or thin it more like a milkshake)
Can use more honey if it's not sweet enough. This tastes a lot like a froz. yogurt. The kefir has a bit of a tang that's unusual if you are not used to eating yogurt, but we all liked it.
These both satisfy like ice cream and are much better for you. |
Posted in Nutrition Information
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Several years ago I was having a lot of pain in my joints, bones, tendons, etc. The doctor told me I had some of the symptoms of Lupus, but not enough to diagnose Lupus. So he wrote me up as having a non-specific inflammatory something or other and gave me medication. This was a wake up call for me, and I began reading about nutrition. My biggest drawback was giving up sugar, as I loved chocolate and ice cream. I don't have a weight problem, so I was able to eat what I wanted to eat, and as much as I felt like eating-- Often a whole bag of chocolate candy or 2 bowls of ice cream at a time. I knew this wasn't good for me, but I had a hard time believing it was really "bad", as it tasted so good!
A friend of mine was doing the Atkins diet to lose weight, and I decided to try it also, to see if it would help me feel better. I started eating more vegetables and meat and leaving the carbs alone, and I did feel better. The joint pain went away, and I felt more energetic. But the holiday season, with all it's special foods, caused me to backslide, and I spent the next year or so eating pretty much what I wanted to eat.
Fast forward to April 2006. A local homeschooler started talking about ordering wheat to grind to make bread. I asked for more information, having been familiar with homeschoolers who ground wheat over the years, but never having done it myself. She sent me a wonderful article on whole wheat bread--the nutritional facts, what each ingredient does for the bread, etc. (If anyone would like to read it, just send me your email address, and I'll send you the attachment.) It's really worth reading.
I decided to invest in a wheat grinder and a bread machine, and start baking bread for my family. It is now Sept. 2006. I"ve been baking bread for 4 months. We eat nearly a loaf of bread each day. I no longer crave sugar. I feel better. I eat better all the way around. It's been the best thing I've ever learned to do!!
I got a book at the library on Whole Grains. It was so interesting, I found one used online and purchased it. The title is The Book of Whole Grains by Marlene Anne Bumgarner. It tells how to use all of the grains--barely, oats, wheat, spelt, etc., both to bake with, and to use in soups and hot cereals. All grains are very nutritious, because they are seeds, with all the nutrition the plant will need to grow.
Another book I found is called the Basic Beekeeping and Honey book w/ 150 recipes for substituting honey for sugar, and the nutritional reasons for doing so. It was also worth buying online. If you haven't researched honey, you need to do so! Honey is good for many more things than just eating w/ your toast--it's good as an antibiotic ointment for sores and burns--did you know that? I have a link to a good honey article on my blog.
I've only been making bread for a few months, so I haven't done much experimenting with other recipes. I have the nutrimill grinder, and the zojurushi bread maker, and I make a loaf or 2 each day. I've only used one recipe, which came with the bread machine, but I want to branch out. I just haven't taken the time. I learned a lot at www.breadbeckers.com --a family owned business and website about bread making with a lot of information there. They have a super cookbook with recipes for whole wheat pancakes and banana nut muffins that are delicious!
As for nutritional information, there are several books I've read recently that I'm recommending to everyone. Jordan Rubin's books were very interesting, and I learned a lot from him. An easier book to read is "Train Up your children in the way they should eat." The only thing I disagree with the author on is her recommendation of soy products. There are numerous articles online and in books about the dangers of soy, so I'm avoiding it.
Another book I just read was called the Miracle of Coconut Oil, by Bruce Fife. There are also articles online about using coconut oil. It is actually good for you, and you can use it to bake and cook with and rub into your skin! Wal-mart has it, and it's not too expensive either. It costs less than olive oil!
All of these resources have changed the way my family is eating, but I started with grinding my own flour and making my own bread. I believe that is the cornerstone and the starting point. One thing I've noticed since eating this nutrional whole wheat bread is I haven't been craving sugar. That's been a wonderful change for me.
I've substituted smoothies made w/ frozen fruit and kefir for ice cream (look it up online if you've never heard of kefir--I have a link for a kefir site on my blog) (I sweeten w/ honey) and the whole family is satisfied. And we all feel better w/o sugar in our diet. We still get some because it's in every condiment and salad dressing, crackers, etc, and I haven't learned to make my own of any of those things, but we're eating a lot better than we used to.
Wal-mart sells a sweet nut snack called Mrs. May's cashew crunch, that is healthy and delicious. Kashi crackers and granola bars are good too, and also available at Wal-mart and Kroger. There are natural cheetos and natural tortilla chips also, with only corn and sea salt and oil. No preservatives or artificial colors.
I didn't try to change everything at once, but just one thing at a time, and it's really paid off. Not only do we feel better, but we are forming habits that will keep us healthier the rest of our lives. I'm also hoping my children will continue with these habits, thus helping my grandchildren to be healthy! |
Posted in Quotes, Poems, Jokes
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This poem is in "Favorite Poems Old and New" by Helen Ferris
When Mother reads aloud, the past Seems real every day; I hear the tramp of armies vast I see the spears and lances cast, I join the trilling fray; Brave knights and ladies fair and proud I meet when Mother reads aloud When Mother reads aloud, far lands Seem very near and true; I cross the desert's gleaming sands, Or hunt the jungles prowling bands, Or sail the ocean blue Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud, I scale, when Mother reads aloud. When Mother reads aloud, I long For noble deeds to do- To help the right, redress the wrong; It seems so easy to be strong, So simple to be true Oh,thick and fast the visions crowd My eyes, when Mother reads aloud |
Posted in My Ponderings
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Before I even had a blog, I read an article about personality types on someone's blog, and I took the test, and these were the results. I find it fascinating that I can answer a mere 40 questions, and be described this well. There were other longer tests, with longer descriptions, but the results were the same. My teen children took the test and the results they got described them perfectly also. I find personality and the differences in people an interesting field of study. Had I not married and had a family, I would have enjoyed studying psychology. As it is, I enjoy reading books having to do with the brain, personality, personality disorders, etc.
***You Are An ISFJ***
The Nurturer
You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.
A good listener, you excell at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.
What's Your Personality Type? http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/ |
Posted in Quotes, Poems, Jokes
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This is one of my very favorite quotes. It has been taped to my cabinet door for years. Read it slowly and think about it.
"The wonder that Almighty God can endure so far to leave the very making of an immortal being in the hands of human parents is only matched by the wonder that human parents can accept this divine trust with hardly a thought of its significance!"
Here is another quote I have taped to my door:
"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing" Ben Franklin |
Posted in Interesting articles, information
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This is absolutely fascinating! New hope for families who thought they were without hope!
Reborn
We have always been told there is no recovery from persistent vegetative state - doctors can only make a sufferer's last days as painless as possible. But is that really the truth? Across three continents, severely brain-damaged patients are awake and talking after taking ... a sleeping pill. And no one is more baffled than the GP who made the breakthrough. Steve Boggan witnesses these 'strange and wonderful' rebirths Steve BogganTuesday September 12, 2006 Guardian For three years, Riaan Bolton has lain motionless, his eyes open but unseeing. After a devastating car crash doctors said he would never again see or speak or hear. Now his mother, Johanna, dissolves a pill in a little water on a teaspoon and forces it gently into his mouth. Within half an hour, as if a switch has been flicked in his brain, Riaan looks around his home in the South African town of Kimberley and says, "Hello." Shortly after his accident, Johanna had turned down the option of letting him die.Three hundred miles away, Louis Viljoen, a young man who had once been cruelly described by a doctor as "a cabbage", greets me with a mischievous smile and a streetwise four-move handshake. Until he took the pill, he too was supposed to be in what doctors call a persistent vegetative state. Across the Atlantic in the United States, George Melendez, who is also brain-damaged, has lain twitching and moaning as if in agony for years, causing his parents unbearable grief. He, too, is given this little tablet and again, it's as if a light comes on. His father asks him if he is, indeed, in pain. "No," George smiles, and his family burst into tears. It all sounds miraculous, you might think. And in a way, it is. But this is not a miracle medication, the result of groundbreaking neurological research. Instead, these awakenings have come as the result of an accidental discovery by a dedicated - and bewildered - GP. They have all woken up, paradoxically, after being given a commonly used sleeping pill. |