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A Day to Remember

Posted on 2008-Oct-15 at 4:27 PM by Amy W - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

Today, October 15^th, is the National Day of Remembrance honoring the memories of children lost in death, miscarriage or stillbirth.
Today I remember. I am one of those mothers.
I miscarried our first child in August of 1995. Until that time, I only knew of two other women who I could talk with that had also had miscarriages and they were not really big on talking about it. In the midst of it, others began to come forward and quietly share that they too had suffered miscarriages. The hush-hushness of it all was unnerving to me. I felt that not talking about it was tantamount to pretending it never happened. As I worked through the pain and yes, the anger of this time I declared that I would be open about my miscarriage.
To the world I am a mother of three children. Not so. I am a mother of four. I have a wonderful friend that has miscarried at least four times and has been unable to sustain a viable pregnancy. She is a mother. There will be a day in heaven when she will hold those four children in her arms and she will know.
My dear, sweet sister-in-law miscarried after her first child. Twice. We spent a lot of time talking that through together. Then three years and one more child later, she gave birth to twins. One was stillborn. Words cannot begin to express the sweet joy and bittersweet sorrow of that day. It doesn’t go away. Each year celebrating my niece’s birthday is also a reminder of her sister’s passing.
It is nice that there is a National Day of Remembrance but its not the only date of remembrance. July 30^th, the day the doctor confirmed our child was dead. August 4^th, the day of my surgery. February 2^nd, my due date.
The gift of this day is that it is one whole complete day dedicated to honoring all who have lost a child. Today I don’t just think of me and my loss- I think of my friends, my sister-in-law, a new friend who just miscarried a few weeks ago and the losses of dear blog-friends. I think of a family our church is praying for whose four yr old daughter is not only not responding to chemo but has so many new areas of cancer growth that it is only a matter of time.
May God hold us all close in the palm of His hand today.

Taking the promises & hiding in my heart

Posted on 2008-Oct-15 at 8:29 AM by Amy W - 4 Comments - Post Comment - Link

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Some times, for me, it’s not a good thing to know a verse of scripture too well. It begins to lose its sparkle and point. I see or hear the scripture and nod my head, “yes, I know that verse” and my mind continues. Know it? Check- moving on.
WAIT!
I memorize scripture for a reason- to hide God’s Word in my heart. Sometimes it’s so stuck in my head that it isn’t touching my heart.
Take the above verse as a for instance. I know that I know that I know this verse and still- today, in my quiet time reading the verse leaped out and grabbed hold of me.
Sure I know that I’m not to be anxious. God doesn’t want me to be anxious and quite frankly I don’t particularly like the feeling either. But still I often am that way- about our finances in particular. This brought a new revelation to me today. I had memorized this verse and loved this verse but I hadn’t sunk it heart deep and kept it there. Upon first reaction to this verse- I often think of the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad things that could happen- like losing my spouse or child, or physical harm coming to my loved ones, or to be driving behind one of those car haulers when one of those big SUVs lets loose from its moorings and comes barreling at me (one of my life’s nightmares). In a nutshell- I thought of the anxious things as the “big things”
And I was totally missing the point.
Don’t be anxious about ANYTHING. Ahem. That means “Nada, Zip, Zilch, Zucchini.” Nothing- NO THING. This obviously includes worrying about finances, whether there’s enough milk in the fridge, if I’m homeschooling correctly, if the quick fix job will hold on my zipper and so on and so forth.
Where does anxiousness and worry get me? If I worry and what I worried about actually comes to pass did worrying help any? Um, no. If I worry and nothing happens then what? I worried for nothing. I’ve always been a good worrier. If they handed out certificates for worrying I’d be able to paper my entire home.
In review- It seems I’ve always been able to go to and trust in God with the big things like the health and lives of my Loved ones, the roof over our head and so on. But the smaller, every day type things pull at my worry strings. And the middle of the road things- like finances. Yeah, finances are big (especially when you made as big of a mess as I did) but compared to the health and lives of loved ones- well there is perspective there. And so I have struggled on and off with periods of deep anxiety over our financial chaos. This past January was the worst I have ever felt and I do not desire to go back to that dark place.
Do not be anxious about anything. God does not have a definition about big, small, middle of the road things- He doesn’t have a list of things that it is okay for me to worry about. I’m not to worry about anything at any time.
If you’ve been a reader here for very long you would know that we are down to one last credit card company to pay back. We have contacted the company with a settlement offer. Twice. And have yet to hear anything back. When I think on this I tend to get anxious and worried- I’m afraid of court documents appearing in the mail again. But then I think to myself- the ball is in their court- I’ve contacted them- Twice! I pray- asking God to make me aware if I need to be pursuing this differently. I can feel the tug of that dark pit of anxiousness. But it remains just that- a tug. Nothing more. As soon as I feel that tug I make it a matter of prayer and I hold to the verse God gave me for this- Do not be afraid. Stand firm and watch the Lord rescue you. Exodus 14:13.
So what’s a gal to do? Wait. What more can I do with this company at this point? I’ve learned the hard way that when I’ve jumped the gun and try on my own to “jump start” what I think is God’s plan for it all . . . .. well, that’s when things go from bad to worse pretty quickly. So I will wait. What I won’t do is- Worry. I continue to send up arrow prayers when the slick ooze of anxious worry begins sliding up on me.
I will NOT be anxious about anything, especially finances. Instead I will be on my knees in prayer making my requests known and thanking Him for every blessing.
I thank God for making a well-known-to-me scripture new again and allowing me the opportunity to pull it in- all in- heart deep. Trusting Him in my head is just not enough- it must be with my whole heart, holding nothing back.

Mini Banana Whoopie Pies ~ shared by Mama Bear : )

Posted on October 14, 2008 at 09:32 by Karen - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link

I just found this recipe over at Nikki's place and didn't want to lose track of it. I'd just been searching for this very recipe a few days ago. I'm on a banana kick lately.

www.homesteadblogger.com/thebearden/113701/

Mini Banana Whoopie Pies (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

For the batter

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup sour cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To prepare the batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together banana and sour cream.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in vanilla. Alternately mix flour and banana mixture into the creamed butter, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Scoop the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" round tip.

Pipe batter into 1 1/4" rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Place into the oven and bake until the edges are a light golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and transfer sheet of parchment to a wire rack and allow the soft cakes to cool completely.

To prepare the filling

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until smooth and creamy. On the flat side of half the cakes, spoon about one tablespoon worth of the filling on top. Top with the unfilled halves to form a sandwich. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Makes about 36 whoopie pies.

learning to be self-sufficient

Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 04:51 PM by Michele - 0 Comments - Link

Learning to be Self-Sufficient
by Casey Quinn
You pay a premium on anything done for you

Any financial planner will tell you the best way to control
your wealth is to set up a budget. In that budget, allocate
how much money you need to spend on housing expenses, utility
bills, gas, and of course, food. Ideally, if there is anything
left over, you stash it into savings. The average person will
make about two trips to the grocery store a month and eat out
once a week. This person could spend anywhere from $250 to
$350 a month on food! If the budget is for a family, then the
amount allocated will increase by hundreds of dollars.

What if by making some changes to your everyday life you could
take that number and divide it in half, increase your and your
families overall health and be able to stash away more money
for retirement? Would you keep reading? Of course you would!
Learning to be more self-sufficient is an easy to do and
satisfying lifestyle change.

So, what does it mean to be self-sufficient and how can you
get started? Glad you asked! The idea behind self-sufficiency
is that you pay a premium on anything done for you. If you
could learn to do it yourself, you could pay what it is
actually worth and avoid premium fees. Did you buy a coffee in
the morning from Starbucks? Congrats! You just paid a premium
for someone to brew some beans for you! Anytime you find
yourself paying someone to do something that you could have
done, you just overpaid for it. Self-sufficiency is being able
to control your own living, provide for yourself and remove
the convenience premium applied to restaurants and grocery
stores.

Now with definitions out of the way, let's start with a few
basic changes you can make, which will lead to big rewards to
your bank account and your health.

Make Your Own Bread

Starting in the mid 1950s, chemicals, such as hydrogenated
oils and artificial preservatives, were introduced to the
bread-making process. Also, have you noticed the cost of bread
rising in the last few years? In some places, consumers are
paying 50 cents to $1 more than they did even one year ago.
Making your own bread does not have to be a time-consuming
chore. If that is your concern, get a bread maker. All you
need to do is plug in the ingredients, start it up, come back
in three hours, and enjoy a great tasting loaf of bread. There
are no chemicals, and it's cheaper and leaves your house
smelling like a bakery.

Start a Garden

Have you noticed the price of produce at the grocery store
lately? It keeps going up. I won't go into the details of how
many chemicals are sprayed on produce before you eat it as I
am sure you have heard it all before. However, if you are a
regular veggie eater, then did you know you could have a
year's worth of produce for the cost of what you are paying
now in one month? Interested? Here is all you need:

- Packets of seeds (pick whatever you want to grow)
- Some dirt (either in a pot or in the ground)
- Shovel
- Water

That's it. Seems simple, right? All you need to do is plant
the seeds at the right depth, make sure they get some sun and
water, and in no time at all, you will be eating fresh produce
all year round without paying a convenience premium.

Make the Most of Canning

Now that you have your own veggies in the garden, you can make
your own tomato sauce, ketchup, salsa and many other products
that you are currently buying. Once made, it can be canned and
stored for more than 12 months! When canning on your own, you
are using no preservatives or chemicals, you're using your own
veggies, and best of all, you paid practically nothing for
them!

To get specific recipes, I would recommend getting "The Ball
Blue Book (of Canning and Preserving Recipes)." It has great
recipes and provides specific instructions on how to heat,
prepare and store your goods.

By following the steps in this article, you could save
hundreds of dollars a year! Start today and save!

These items are just the start. Examine what you spend your
money on and ask yourself the question: Could I have done this
myself? If the answer is yes, read up on it, start doing it,
and escape the convenience premium. You'll see a difference in
your savings and in your health.

interesting stories and facts

Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 04:43 PM by Michele - 0 Comments - Link

This website has a lot of interesting stories and facts on it:

http://www.didyouknow.cd/facts.htm

are you packing healthy lunches?

Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 04:29 PM by Michele - 0 Comments - Link

Include fruits and vegetables. It's likely that many children are not eating the recommended servings per day (3½ cups for girls ages 9 to 13 and 4 cups for boys ages 9 to 13), so include these food groups at lunch.

Toss in carrots and celery sticks and a low-fat dressing or dip. Too time-consuming to cut veggies? Buy a vegetable tray or veggie snack pack from the supermarket. These prepackaged veggies are convenient and may come with low-fat dip.

Add darker-colored leafy lettuce, such as red or green leaf (not iceberg) to sandwiches. Offer cherries, grapes, pineapple chunks or other smaller fruit as a welcome change to apples and oranges.
Provide variety with a mix of dried fruit (such as apricots, banana chips, cranberries, mangoes and raisins) with nuts. Nuts also can contribute vitamin E and omega 3s.

Add fruit (such as apples, bananas and blueberries) or vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini and other squashes) in muffins.

Avoid luncheon meats with lots of fat and sodium. Bologna and salami are two lunch meats that have quite a bit of fat. Many deli meats come in lower-fat, lean and lower-sodium versions.

Incorporate leftovers. Instead of the same old luncheon meats or peanut butter and jelly. Try packing a lunch with leftover pasta, soup or chili. As a change, try whole-wheat pasta, barley soup or vegetarian chili.

Try alternatives to white bread. Make sandwiches interesting with a variety of breads, pitas, wraps or crackers, especially those with whole grain. This will help to achieve the 3 ounces of whole grains per day recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Pack milk or water, not juice or soda. It is best to limit juice and soda since they can be high in sugar and/or caffeine. Opt instead for low-fat milk, which is a good source of calcium, or water. But if your child only drinks juice, look for 100 percent juice or a fruit-and-veggie juice that children actually might try.

Include portion-controlled snacks. These are OK on occasion, especially if the portion size is controlled (such as 100-calorie snack packs) and they are baked or whole grain. Other smart snacks are unsalted pretzels, applesauce (no added sugar), low-fat yogurt, unbuttered and unsalted popcorn, low- or reduced-fat string cheese, baked, whole-grain tortilla chips with salsa.
Source: ConsumerReports.org

the wisdom of Larry the Cable Guy

Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 04:14 PM by Michele - 0 Comments - Link

The Wisdom Of Larry the cable Guy.....

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?

21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'

22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels faster than sound.. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

WELCOME REGINA

Posted on October 14, 2008 at 11:31 by Karen - 2 Comments - Post Comment - Link

To those of you who will, pop in and say hi to Regina. She is a friend who has

been enjoying HSB for a long time and finally started her own blog. I'm really

impressed by how she already knows how to put pictures up on her blog!

http://www.homesteadblog.com/onthefarm

KIds and Frugal Living

Posted on Oct. 14, 2008 at 09:54 AM by HSB Front Porch - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

I so enjoy talking with moms about ways they find to be frugal while raising their families. Some topics that come to mind are toys, games, clothes, shoes, curriculum, field trips, chores, art projects, and car schooling. Here are some tips on stretching your dollar with children from my vault.

Kids only require 2 glasses of milk a day. Less if they are eating cheese within the same day. Instead of giving milk every time they ask for a drink (or juice for that matter) give them water. It is good for them; it's FREE; and it creates an excellent health habit for their future.
Next time you make pancakes, make extra. You can freeze these and reheat in the toaster. Pancakes rarely last out the day in our home, unless I make a Pancake Cooking Fest. Why? I have taught my kids to use pancakes for treats. Spread on jam, peanut butter, honey, or fluff. Make chocolate chip pancakes and serve the leftovers later in the day cold.
Fresh fruit and veggies are less expensive than premade processed snacks AND they pack a powerful nutritional punch. Get kids to eat these as snacks by cutting them into small pieces. My kids especially love veggies cut on an angle. Kids, who aren't required to eat fresh food on a regular basis, often don't develop a taste for it.
Buy nuts in bulk at a whole foods or bulk store. These are a great source of protein, and your kids will enjoy the crunch.
Change these nuts into an even more fun snack by baking in the toaster oven with honey or brown sugar drizzled on top.
Make your own granola. It is not only so easy, but it is SOOOO CHEAP! It keeps for a long time, travels well, and is a great source of nutrition.
Make homemade versions of playdoh, glue, and paper mache paste.
Try thrift stores for play shoes. You can often buy a few pairs for the price of one new pair (great if you have a fashion conscious child).
If you don't want the kids to take toys outside, thrift stores again, come in handy for cheap options.
Check your local stores for end of the season items at rock bottom prices. I always go to Old Navy the week after Halloween for really cheap costumes. My kids have a HUGE box full of dress up clothes that probably cost me no more than $20....mind you some of the costumes have been around since my oldest was a littleton (he's 15 now). Oh dear, there are even a couple of costumes left from when I was a kid!
Kids begging for an evening treat, try making smoothies. It's not just a good way to get your kids to eat more fruit; it is an excellent way to use up fruit that is past its prime, thus saving you from throwing it out. Also great for breakfast on the go!
Use old newborn baby clothes for dolls.
Instead of buying toys for gifts, consider making some. I have actually done a few Christmases in which I have made all the toys by hand (i.e doll high chair, horse head on a stick, doll house, blocks, fun pillow cases, puppets, puppet stage, etc) Start by looking around your home for items that you would like to use for a cause and let your creative mind go to work on how to turn them into something special for your children.

Being frugal with children can be difficult at times. Don't fret if you give in and buy a DVD from time to time. Like any other area of saving, if you are keeping your goal and your focus on being a good steward of your money, a splurge here or there is nothing more than that.

These are my thoughts.

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~

Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas. With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking.

For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visit her blog Journey to Simplicity. Need a source of encouragement, inspiration, and support on your journey to Godly womanhood? Visit Simple Journey Ministries (she has a FREE E-zine too!) Of course, don’t forget to visit the Simple Journey Bookstore!

Mmmm.... Turkey, Sweet Potatoes and What else?

Posted on Oct. 14, 2008 at 08:21 AM by HSB Front Porch - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/pd_turkey_dinner_071120_ms.jpg

I know we all must be thinking in the same direction... I mean we are just about a month away from Thanksgiving and 2 from Christmas. I am gearing up towards both and I am sure you are too.
So when you prepare your Holiday meals what are the dishes you always make?
Is there something unusual, something that is not a traditional item? Something you would like to share with other readers?
For our Holiday meals, we have the traditional ham and turkey. Sweet Potatoes, cranberry relish, corn, beans... the usual.
This year, I want to bring something a bit unusual. When I say bring, I have never had a big Holiday dinner at my home... sad, I know. We have always went to my Mom's and my husbands grandmothers for our dinner... Mom fixes the meat and we bring the fixings.
So share with us, what do you make for your dinners?
As usual, I will compile a list afterwards of everyones menu and recipes that have been provided.
From my Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

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About Me

I am a homemaker and mom to three girls. We live on the corner of my families farm. We have 2 dogs, 7 cats, 25 hens, a rooster and a rabbit. I enjoy reading, sewing, gardening, scrapbooking, cooking and baking and spending time with my husband and girls.