The Milk & Honey Tea Room - The Girlhood Home Companion...

Friday, November 2, 2007

The Girlhood Home Companion...

I love the GHC! I just love to sit and read the articles that are in it. It’s so nice to read something about home, and growing things, rather than the latest fashion of clothes. That is what I like to read about in magazines: Home, family and growing things. I like looking at seed magazines. I love looking at the pretty flowers, wishing that I had a garden with all these lovely flowers in it. I wish I had a garden that was always weeded. I am planning on getting flower seeds and starting to plant indoors this coming Spring.

I was looking at the GHC (Girlhood Home Companion) the other night, and I saw an article written by Marmee. The title is “The Companionship of Godly Character.” At the front of the article, under the header, a picture of hollyhocks, is a poem by Charles Reade. This is the poem:

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

Isn’t that just the thing to think about? The article goes on to ask questions and help you in what you need to do to change them. I think everyone has something they need to do this with; including myself!

Jocelyn wrote a story for the Little Women’s Gazette, which is at the back of the magazine. I like to sit and read through this section. Have any of you seen or read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott? The March girls have a little newspaper called “The Pickwick Society”. That is what the “Little Women’s Gazette” is based on. Here is a poem that she wrote for it:

Fine Attire...

We do not adorn ourselves with fine apparel
For that does not define beauty.
We adorn ourselves with strength, honour, and modesty
For that is beautiful in the Lord’s eyes.

We do not adorn ourselves with the ideals of this world
For they shall pass away.
We adorn ourselves with the ways of the Lord
For His kingdom will last forever.

We do not adorn ourselves with pride and hypocrisy
But we adorn ourselves with humility and righteousness.
We do not adorn ourselves with hate or fear
But we adorn ourselves with love and trust in Him.

We are but Little Women
And we want to adorn ourselves with the things of the Lord.
We are but Thine willing handmaidens.
Help us, Lord, to be just that, as we grow in you.
For there is no such fine attire as the attire
that is of the Lord.

Isn’t that just the thing to think about? I think it is!

There is another article that Marmee wrote. It’s called “Lavender & Old Lace”. Mrs. Novak starts out by taking a part of the book she wrote “The Gift of Family Writing”. Then she goes on to give some recipes on some yummy lavender treats that I will list here.

Lavender Tea Blend

1 tsp. fresh lavender flowers
2 tbsps. fresh mint leaves
2 tbsps. fresh lemon balm
2 cups of boiling water

Directions: In a teapot, combine the herbs. Add boiling water to the pot and steep five minutes. Serve with honey. Makes two cups of tea. If you want to add a black teabag or loose tea of your choice you can add another cup of boiling water and make three cups of a stronger tea.

Lavender Shortbread

1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) butter, at room temperature (no substitutes)
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. very finely chopped lavender florets (fresh or dried)
1 tbsp. fresh chopped mint

Directions: Preheat oven to 325*. Cover bottoms of two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, lavender, and mint with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and beat until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Flatten into squares and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm.
On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares, rectangle or rounds. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with a fork. Bake 20-25 minutes until pale golden (do not brown.) Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle with lavender powered sugar.
Garnish with lavender powered sugar: Put 4 or 5 sprigs of lavender flowers in a sealed jar with powered sugar for a day before using the sugar.

There is another recipe I will post later. I haven't tried any of them, but I'm sure they're DELICIOUS!

Sincerely,
Lady Rachel
Ps. I am posting a comment to Vicki on my comments. If I am not allowed to go to your blog, I will posta comment for myself, and you can see it here!

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old girl from the country."You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!" Philippians 4:13

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Response(s)

Friday, November 2, 2007 - TO VICKI:

Posted by rjdjohn316

Hello Mrs. Vicki-
I am not allowed to go to your blog but I can answer you on mine!
We had a wonderful time with the Novak’s! It was so much fun!
Thank you for coming by!
Love,
Rachel