Aug. 11, 2009 - Garden Update

I know that I have not posted in quite a while, but truly, circumstances have prevented me!

My first born got married this in June!!

I will post some pictures when I get them from the photographer. Needless to say, we are just thrilled with our new daughter-in-love. She is beautiful inside and out.

We have had some disappointments in the garden. First, a rabbit kept getting in at night and eating my yellow and zucchini squash! I used to love the Tale of Peter Rabbit. Now, though, I believe I identify with Farmer McGreggor more than Peter!



Recipe Tip: With the squash that we have gotten so far, I used a nifty little gadget called a Spiralizer to cut them in thin ringlets. (Actually, sweetie pie, Lydia, cut them and then proceeded to eat them! Yes, Miss Picky!) By marinading them in olive oil and soy sauce, they could be eaten raw, but tasted as though they had been sauteed. Mmmmmm!

The green beans have just about played out and I am going to replant them this weekend. I got about 12 pounds of beans from these plants. I don't know if that is remarkable or just average, but they were delicious. I don't know the price of organic fresh green beans, but the local grocery store had them priced at $2.99 yesterday so those yummy beans would have cost me around $35! We had some seed from last year, but my husband wanted to try a different variety this year so I did buy the seed, but that cost is minimal.



Recipe Tip: Take a jelly roll pan and brush it lightly with coconut oil. Spread out about a pound of green beans with ends snapped. Thinly slice an onion and top the beans. Add about 10 (yes, I said 10) cloves of garlic and place over the top. Once roasted the garlic will be deliciously mild. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 400 until beans are to your liking! I love them as they are, but my husband and sons like to sprinkle them with balsamic vinegar!

I have had about a dozen tomatoes to ripen so far, but about 75-80 have not ripened yet. I'm sure, with my luck, that they will all ripen on the same day! :)

Sun-dried tomatoes will definitely be on the menu.




Our fruit trees have totally shocked me! We just planted them along with our Spring garden and lo and behold, all the fig trees are bearing fruit along with several pears. I believe a delicious pear crisp is in order! I thought that you could not expect to have fruit for at least three years from when you planted.





Did you know that pears actually need to be picked before they are ripe? Bill was reading about them in one of our organic gardening books and that was the advice given.



I have already harvested and made pesto with my basil and am going to havest and make more today. Companion gardeners say to plant basil alongside tomatoes. I tried that this year and I seem to be having a "bumper" crop! I will also dry some of the basil for use this winter, but I really prefer it fresh.



My only regret so far with this years garden is that we did not plant even more!

Hmmmm...

I think I said the same thing last year!

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May. 1, 2009 - From Seeds to Harvest

From Seeds to Harvest

I am taking part in a challenge! Those of you who know me very well will also know that I love trying something new! Experimenting!

My oldest son (whom I'm afraid takes after me, poor thing) would often get in trouble and say,

"I just wanted to see what would happen!"

My dear friends have often been seen cringing in fear when they hear these words come out of my mouth:

"You know what we could do?"

Well, our entire family has taken to gardening. Of course, it is now cool to garden because of our present economy, but I must say that this is not our first garden.

I must also confess, that I hope at the end of the season to be able to say that this was our first successful garden! :)

I have decided to take a challenge with a few other adventuresome folks to share what we are doing (successes and failures) in our garden this year. I will post about it from time to time.

I may even wax poetic occasionally. Isn't that supposed to happen to people who spend time with nature!

If you, too would like to 'take the challenge' just click on the images of Seeds to Harvest at the top of this post to find out how you can join with others on this season's GREAT ADVENTURE.

Here are some pictures of my humble beginnings. The garden has been trying to survive since March 20. Two weeks later we had a freeze :( and lost our first cucumbers. The other plants survived, but because of the continued cold began to turn a sickly shade of yellow. We continued to put worm castings on them in hopes that they would rally.



Note: Do not plant cucumbers until the ground has warmed to at least 65-70 degrees. They cannot bear the cold. (Of course, we did not know this until after the freeze and I then checked my gardening books. Hmmmm. Is there a lesson in this?)

We decided not to try cucumber plants, but started them the second time from seed. Aren't they the cutest things?


We have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, squash (crooked neck and zucchini), bell peppers, chili peppers, onion sets, beans, and several kinds of herbs.

Note: Here in Texas, we have been informed that our onion sets should have been out the first of January! I don't know how they will do. The farmers who let us know showed us their onions that are almost ready to harvest. Huge! Beautiful! I wish that we had known. sigh....


Pear, plum, and fig trees have also come to reside here at the farm. (I'll post pictures of these at another time.) We had a tiny black insect that tried to devour the plum trees, but I believe that we have overwhelmed him with organic pepper sprays. I know that I could not have lived through the onslaught of torture through which we put those bugs! :)

Compost tea is also another great way to feed your plants. Here is a link to making your own!

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Jan. 14, 2009 - Frugality

Everyone is talking about saving money right so I thought that after brainstorming with a friend the other day I would put in my "two cents worth"!

I have a couple of tips to share.

First, I have a dear friend that absolutely refuses to buy anything that is not in her set budget amount. When she goes shopping if the item is more than $10 she will not buy it! She says that their budget will not allow for it and so she prays about the things they need and waits for the Lord to provide the item for $10 or less! I find that wonderful. The Lord even provided her with cashmere sweaters one year for $7 dollars each!

Also, if your children have outgrown their toy boxes don't get rid of them. Use them for extra storage of long term food items. It's like having an extra pantry or emergency stash.

Of course one of the best courses of action when desiring to cut back is to simply stay out of the store! That said, when I do go, bringing just the cash needed for the trip keeps me from spending more. When the cash envelope is empty, that the end!

When my children were little a friend of mine and I would switch off watching the children and the other one would do the shopping. Of course, we both were more careful of our spending when shopping for someone else and the children were not along to be tempted with all the goodies their eyes could see!

I keep a year's supply of paper goods now so that I can wait for a genuine sale. Then I can simply restock. I have gone to using very inexpensive bar rags or cheap washcloths for our paper towels. I have a large supply so that I don't run out between washings. It has already saved quite a bit. I put out paper towels when company comes if I feel that the towels would make them feel uncomfortable.

I also love to use cloth napkins and I feel very feminine and close to my grandmother when I use a handkerchief instead of tissues. My little four year old daughter always asks for a "hankie"! lol They also make lovely little gifts to add to a thank you note or a "just because I'm thinking of you" card.

My favorite saving idea right now I call Once in a Lifetime Soup. Simply put, I use whatever leftovers I have to create a brand new soup that I call Once in a Lifetime Soup. Of course, it is just leftovers with broth and seasoning added, but it always feels like a treat when I call it that. My family enjoys it so much that often when we have a dish now they will ask if they can have it again or is this just "once in a lifetime". By experimenting with the spices in the drawer it has also shown me some unusual things that my family really enjoys! There always seem to be enough leftovers to make a big pot and sometimes that lasts for two meals! Its like dining for free!

All that said, I'd like to share a quote from Jill Cooper, author of Penny Pinchin' Mama.

I grabbed the phone and answered it. It was my daughter chuckling on the other end. “We got another one,” she said, “Another laundry detergent e-mail.” For years now we have one reoccurring question. How can I save on my laundry detergent?

This may seem like an innocent enough question, but when we find out the writer’s story, laundry detergent is almost never really relevant to the problem. What we’ve found is that a person who asks about laundry detergent is usually on the brink of bankruptcy, divorce, or losing a job. It’s like some kind of code word or distress signal for “Help Me -- I’m drowning in debt”.

I have tried to understand why in a financial crisis so many people want to learn how to save money on laundry detergent when there are so many more obvious ways they could be saving. Here is what I have finally concluded:

First, by focusing on a trivial issue they don't have to look at the real, more serious problem. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a scratch on your finger while you are bleeding profusely from an artery on your leg. They don't want to acknowledge the real spending problem because then they would have to deal with it.

If you are in this situation and you want to be free of it, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. You are spending more money then you make. It is important to realize that spending impulsively beyond your means is almost as bad as doing drugs. You get instant gratification and pleasure but over the long haul, it will destroy you.

Second, saving on laundry detergent gets rid of that nagging guilt for a little while. As long as they keep trying to save pennies on unimportant things, they don't have to feel guilty about spending thousands on the fun things. The problem is that if they are spending beyond their means, it will catch up with them eventually, which will make the stress and damage all the worse.

So, frugality, as does everything, still comes down to a heart issue. Of course, with the economic crisis that we are facing, the price of laundry detergent matters, but am I being a "good steward" of all that the Lord has provided for me. Am I content with what I have or am a really looking for a bargain so that I don't have to feel the guilt of shopping for things that are not necessary.

Pray for me as I pray for you!

Blessings,
Robin

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Dec. 21, 2008 - Just a Lovely Picture My Son Took

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Dec. 21, 2008 - Tarragon Chicken & Thrifty Fun

Tarragon Chicken & Thrifty Fun

Here's a little recipe that I thought looked easy and yummy! Enjoy!

Tarragon Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium high heat. Add chicken breast and cook; turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes a side. Remove and set aside.

Add wine to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooded spoon. Stir in mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in cream and boil until mixture thickens slightly about 3 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet; turn in sauce to coat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving dish, and spoon sauce over all the chicken.

Source: A friend, Maureen

By Raymonde from North Bay, Ontario

I got it from a website called Thrifty Fun. Check it out for a million tips on saving money

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Dec. 19, 2008 - If My Happiness Depends on the Conduct of Others, I Will Never Be Happy

I guess my title really says it all, but my husband and I have been reflecting on this statement for quite a while now.

Needless to say, we are not there.

People will continue to behave in irritating, irrational, hurtful or just plain thoughtless ways.

When I become irritated, irrational, hurt or just plain astonished by this behavior what I am beginning to see is that the places in my heart that I thought had been transformed by the Holy Spirit are really just *****ed and patched with self-righteousness.

So when those *****ed and patched places have stress placed on them holes begin to appear and I am left bleeding and astounded and surprised...

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

"Whatever is lovely...think on these things."

"...sharing in His sufferings..."

How quickly I forget!

I am not a china doll to be wrapped in cotton batting and handled carefully.

I am an empty, cracked vessel to be used and spent by the Lord.

Please transform me, Lord, so that this bad patch job will truly be replaced with You.

Then it may hurt, (You were hurt), but joy will abound!

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Dec. 17, 2008 - Free Curriculum

Do you want your children to be more Missions-Minded?  I do!

This is a full year unit study for multiple ages written by a wonderful homeschool mom of seven, Ann Dunagan.  When you see this, you will be sooooo excited!

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Dec. 17, 2008 - On Giving

You know, I was just reading a little article on giving.

The author wondered what it would be like to have enough money to give gifts to others and whether or not they would find themselves wanting a pat on the back for having done so.


You know, we all have enough to give gifts to others.

They don't have to be physical gifts.

They can be gifts of time or actions or prayer.

Do we want a proverbial pat on the back for those?  Do we have to tell everyone how we spend out time or what we did for someone or what we have been praying about?

If we have to have recognition for organizing the Christmas play or the Sunday School party don't we already know the answer to this question?

Giving a gift has nothing to do with money.  It has everything to do with the heart.

Help me, help us, Lord, to give like You!

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Dec. 17, 2008 - How Inept Can I Get? or How Much Compassion Do I Give?

I sent messages to a couple of people about how to improve my blog and to be honest, I can't even begin to understand what they are telling me! 

I had no idea of my lack of knowledge!

How embarrassing!

Have I ranted enough?

You know, it makes me think of the Lord.  And it makes me think of those without Christ...

How many times do I find myself in utter disbelief at the actions of the world?  How many times have a shared a biblical principle with someone and been surprised at that "deer in the headlight" look?

How many times have I had that look?

Lord, forgive me when I forget that You have seen that look a thousand times on your disciples faces.

On my face...

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Dec. 16, 2008 - From Strength to Strength

Is the Lord's timing wonderful or what?

My fibromyalgia has been flaring up and making simple things hard and sometimes all I want to do is cry.

On Sunday, my email devotional by Charles Spurgeon was timely and incredibly true.  I think I will just post his words for you.

“They go from strength to strength.”
Psalm 84:7

They go from strength to strength. There are various renderings of
these words, but all of them contain the idea of progress.

Our own good translation of the authorized version is enough for us
this morning. “They go from strength to strength.” That is, they grow
stronger and stronger. Usually, if we are walking, we go from
strength to weakness; we start fresh and in good order for our
journey, but by-and-by the road is rough, and the sun is hot, we sit
down by the wayside, and then again painfully pursue our weary way.
But the Christian pilgrim having obtained fresh supplies of grace, is
as vigorous after years of toilsome travel and struggle as when he
first set out. He may not be quite so elate and buoyant, nor perhaps
quite so hot and hasty in his zeal as he once was, but he is much
stronger in all that constitutes real power, and travels, if more
slowly, far more surely. Some gray-haired veterans have been as firm
in their grasp of truth, and as zealous in diffusing it, as they were
in their younger days; but, alas, it must be confessed it is often
otherwise, for the love of many waxes cold and iniquity abounds, but
this is their own sin and not the fault of the promise which still
holds good: “The youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall, 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.” Fretful
spirits sit down and trouble themselves about the future. “Alas!” say
they, “we go from affliction to affliction.” Very true, O thou of
little faith, but then thou goest from strength to strength also.
Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction which has not bound up
in the midst of it sufficient grace. God will give the strength of
ripe manhood with the burden allotted to full-grown shoulders.

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."

Thank you Mister Spurgeon for speaking across many years to me for this moment in time.

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Dec. 13, 2008 - Another Amazing Freebie!

Check out this amazing blog whether you homeschool or not. All these books are free to download. They are all in the public domain!

Merry Christmas!

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Dec. 6, 2008 - Learning Express

I just got an e-newletter from Learning Express.  They are making their 550+ workbooks and activity books available for free!  Get them here. 

This will really be helpful to all you notebookers and lapbookers out there.  Just thought I would share!

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Dec. 6, 2008 - Meal Planning

Check out this interesting way to do meal planning.  I would never have thought of it!  Simple Mom has explained how she inputs her meal plan into her Google calendar!

Some women are soooooo clever!

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Dec. 6, 2008 - Town Mouse, Country Mouse

Each week, my husband, three of my four children (one in college), our dog, our guinea pig and usually a guest travel from our town home to our "little house in the woods" in east Texas.

During half of the week, I keep up with our three parents who all have health issues, have church in our home, homeschool our children and assist two others who have just begun the homeschool journey (and it is a journey!) and have a wonderful cathartic healing lunch (counseling session lol) with my dear friend.

I then pack (as few belongings as possible) and travel with everyone to the prettiest little place in Texas. Of course, that's just my opinion!!!


Well, for the first couple of years, all we have done is build, build, build. We first built a little house that actually looks like a barn. Then my husband acquire some logs from a cabin built in the 1800s and we restored it and have created what we call Restoration House.

We hope that the Lord will use it to restore lives, to allow people to hear His voice, to "be still and know that He is God".

Sometimes, this town mouse/country mouse gets tired of living in two places, but for now I know that this is His will for us. I'm looking forward to see what He will do if only we are willing.

Let me know if restoration is what you are looking for...

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Dec. 5, 2008 - Jan Brett

I'm sure everyone out there know about the wonderful work Jan Brett does writing children's books, but I wondered how many of you ladies know about her lovely and useful website?

Use this link to get a bundle of goodies for all kinds of things.

janbrett.com

You won't be sorry you did!

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Dec. 5, 2008 - Freebies

Everyone seems to have a freebie on their website or blog these days. I love a freebie, don't you? Of course, I want to be thought of as a serious blogger...thought provoking, insightful, etc. BUT, things are getting ugly out there and I for one am looking for a bargain! Anyway, silliness aside, I thought that from time to time when I found something free, I would post it for whomever might like to peruse it.

Today, I found some free e-books on various topics from Creative Homemaker that you might enjoy!

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/

When you sign up for their newsletter they send you a page of free downloadable e-books. There are many articles that are free to read and even some to purchase, but I found many useful pieces of information.

Happy Bargain Hunting!

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Dec. 4, 2008 - Oh, Dear, Here Comes Christmas!

Anyone else in a panic?  Oh, you say, it isn't time to panic until the last minute.  Well, I'm ahead of schedule then! lol

Life seems to be flashing by.  I just want to stop and enjoy the day.  The rest of the world is completely not with me here! lol

I guess I'll just have to enter the stream with all the other salmon and swim like mad until December 25th.

Anyone out there following, please pray for me that I will be able to figure out how to blog better.  Add pictures, all those wonderful little picture links that everyone has, etc.  I'm learning as fast as I can, but...

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Nov. 30, 2008 - The Valley of Vision

Do you have a burden for your lost family members?  This excerpt is from the book The Valley of Vision.  It is a book of pilgrim prayers and is just wonderful for refocusing on the important instead of the urgent.  Listen to this:

“O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred.

Let those that are united to me in tender ties

be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory….

Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive,

fall short of heaven at last;

Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience,

soft heart, the alarms and delights of thy Word,

be not finally blotted out,

but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love."

 

Oh, Lord, give me a constant burden for the lost.

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Nov. 30, 2008 - Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins An Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His     people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
Isn't it great to know who is really in control?

I wish I could take credit for making this list, but unfortunately, I cannot even give credit where credit is due.  If anyone reads this and knows who wrote it, let me know so that I can thank them.

I know that I am a little late to write about the recent election, but, perhaps, waiting is a good thing sometimes? 

Thank you Lord, for reminding me that by You "all things are held together"!

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Nov. 28, 2008 - A Different Christmas

This year we will be doing things a little differently than usual.  Our son will be getting married next June to a lovely girl whom we love very much.  We all have so much family in the area that my husband thought it would be good to start a new Christmas tradition to help with the myriad places that they will have to visit next year.

We had our family Thanksgiving at our house on Tuesday evening and on Thursday with Bill's family and will have our Christmas with our children tomorrow! 

It has been a little hectic getting presents early and preparing for two feasts, but all in all, I believe it is actually stripping away some of the burden of the season already.  We have a little house out here in east Texas.  I didn't drag all the boxes of decorations from the city house.  I did bring a few Christmas movies and the fixing to make Chex Mix. ;)

It is so quiet out here.  The rain is falling and the morning is so peaceful.  I have all day to get ready for our celebration tomorrow.

Isn't it funny how we imagine that something is going to be so difficult and it turns into such a beautiful blessing?  I don't believe I have ever felt rest coming over me the day before Christmas before.

It feels wonderful...

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