Wanna Be a Steader!

Spicy Creole Sauce

Got this from a great canning group I am on. Sounds delicous.

Spicy Creole Sauce

11-cups prepared tomatoes (about 14 medium or 5 1/2-lbs)
1/2-yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
2-jalapeño peppers, coarsely chopped
1-cup chopped green onion
1/4-cup red wine vinegar
3-garlic cloves, minced
2-tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-tbsp dried oregano
1-tbsp Tabasco hot sauce
1-tsp black pepper
1/2-tsp salt
1-tsp cayenne

Blanch peel and coarsely chop tomatoes (measure to 11-cups)
Place all ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan
Bring to a boil; boil gently for 40 minutes
Ladle hot Creole sauce into 9 clean and sterilized
1/2-pint canning jars leaving 1/4” head space
Remove air bubbles with non-metallic spatula and wipe jar rim
Top with hot lid and rings, finger tight
Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes

Makes 9 half-pint jars

Pretty Jam Top Tutorial.

This is really cute. Just the thing to top off those pretty jars of homemade goodies!! Check it out.

LuckyKate Crafts

Raising a daughter

I don't  wear makeup. I stopped wearing it a few years ago. Why? I stopped wearing makeup because of my daughter. You see, I have the most beautiful 8 year old daughter in the world. She has knee-length, dark blonde hair. Petal soft, pink skin which turns a wonderful golden brown after being in the sun (thanks to her Portugese ancestry). The biggest, bluest eyes, surrounded by the darkest, thickest lashes you've ever seen. She's beautiful just as she is.

But this is America. In a few years, if we don't we do something to make it different, she will be like every other teenage girl you see. All of her beauty will be hidden under 5 pounds of  makeup. Foundation. Blush. Mascara. Powder blue eye shadow . Blush. Lipstick.  And she will spend the rest of her life feeling like she can't go out the door without all that junk hiding her true beauty.

Now I've never been a big makeup person. Fully made-up for me was mascara, lipgloss and a little powder. But I would put it on before we went anywhere. In the car on the way to church I would always put on lipgloss. My baby girl would want to be like me and she would ask for some too. So I would let her "powder her nose". It was cute.

But then I started thinking about it. I didn't want her to cover her beauty with chemical junk. So I stopped covering my beauty (I use the term loosely). And we talked about why. I explained that God had made us the way he wanted us to look. And if you think about it, changing our looks or trying to "improve" upon them, in a way, is saying we can do better than God. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying wearing makeup is a sin or that I am better than anybody by NOT wearing it. I am simply saying, I want my daughter to grow up secure in how beautiful she is, WITHOUT hiding her beauty under makeup. I want her to grow up with her big blue eyes standing out on their own right. Her petal soft skin serving as it's own foundation. Her beautiful pink lips unhidden by the "in" color of the season.

Now the day may come, when she marries, that her husband may like her to wear makeup. It's out of my hands at that point. But I can give her the confidence to not to need to hide under makeup. I can give her the confidence to put her best face forward. The face that God gave her.

Blessings.

You Gotta Get Out of Your Kitchen

Crash Davis: You just got lesson number one: don't think; it can only hurt the ball club.
- Bull Durham

Beliefs about what we should be able to do often get in the way of actually doing. We feel we should be more organized, more creative, better in one way or another.

How are your beliefs about yourself getting in the way of your creativity and creative projects? What's getting in the way of making progress on your goal (whatever that may be? Let it go ... strive for progress, not perfection. I know when I'm practicing showmanship at halter with Alle, I'm so much the perfectionist. She's well trained and I'm learning the cues and finer nuances. Boy do I get impatient with myself when I dont get it right away...

How often do you think to yourself “I really want to do that” but before you can take any action, you hear another voice in your head telling you that it isn’t possible, you’re not good enough, that you will fail, look stupid, etc?he problem arises when you allow past limiting beliefs to guide your present and future decisions. These negative beliefs stay with you and you remain stuck in the past. We do however have the choice to create new supportive beliefs, leaving the past where it belongs, in the past.

Self-sabotage is the voice that represents the culmination of all the limiting, restrictive and disempowering beliefs that hold you back and stop you from being the best you can be. It is the uninvited guest that gatecrashes every decision-making event in your life and shouts down your ideas before they can develop into something magnificent.

How often have you paid attention to this voice and avoided taking action towards your goals? When you look back over your life, how many times have you talked yourself out of doing something that you really wanted to do, or convinced yourself that it can’t be done? How many opportunities have you let slip from your grasp, how many potential relationships have passed you by and how many plans were aborted before they could shine? How many hopes and dreams remain just that, a figment of your imagination?

Of course, this little monster is actually a part of you and only exists as a result of everything that’s happened in your life so far and because of the meaning you’ve given each experience or event. Limiting beliefs are formed at specific defining moments in time to protect you from harm and support your needs. But as you mature, these beliefs often outlive their use-by date and bring about more harm than good.

A plum perfect example today at the Whitehall Saddle Club at my first show.A beautiful venue with quintessential Montana views. Dan and I hooked up with Joani who'd trailered a beautifully coiffed Alle over along with long timers Nancy and Taylor Taylor's an 11 year old spunky wonderful kid who lives on a ranch and only started bare back riding at the ripe old age of 3!! Joani's always told me that a huge part of showing is the comraderie especially since there are usually 20-30 classes comprised of horsemanship skills, english and western riding. It's like visiting a family reunion. During my running days however , I tended to dispense with the hobnobbing, preferring to show and go as it were. But wow what a great time I had between classes.

My first class was showmanship at halter which is performed on the ground with your horse. Our class was small, 5 competitors and I came away with a third.

The first riding class for me was about 1 1/2 hours later after Joani and I 'd ridden and warmed her up. There were 10 competitors including Picken's former owner in the Western Pleasure class.. My barn buddy and equine soul sister Kim made it out as well forgoing her logging detail at home. Her last word of advice while I was on high horse was "let Alle show you how to show". That's exactly what I did. I looked up at the scenic Pintlar mountains and thought.. how great is this. I stopped worrying about wrong leads, missed cues and let her show me how to show. It's totally obvious she loves her job. After lining up for the judge after the ocmpetition , awards were announced and Taylor got 6th place. So I knew (or thought I knew) that I'd be one of the four that didnt get a ribbon. Well this was the only time during the day I dang near came off. Blue ribbon and first place to "number 136 Etched by Stone".  Can you say "shock and awe"? I was plum amazed though the best part was the high fives with the other competitors.

Methinks I "got out of my kitchen". My partner, my mare, though Alle's favorite part of the whole day was never in question; the "all day buffet". She certainly did not want to get out of the kitchen

But alas, time to get in the kitchen, if for only a short while now to whip up yet another "granola concoction". Must be "oats mode" from the horsey thing earlier. It makes a huge batch, which means there's enough for breakfast for the next few days. I also have enough so I can set aside a couple jars to send off with guests.

The dried fruit punctuates the seed and oat mixture and gives this muesli lots of flavor and a beautiful appearance. The oats absorb just the right amount of natural sweetness from the honey. Another bonus, it is painfully easy to make. Toss your oats, nuts, seeds with honey and a splash of oil. Spread it out on a pan and toast in the oven for a half an hour or so. Stir in the dried fruit.

Honey-toasted Muesli

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put 5 cups rolled oats into a large bowl. Add 1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds, 1 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup triticale , 1 cup pecans or walnuts and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Stir to combine.

Heat 3/4 cup honey and 4 tablespoons vegetable oil in a saucepan over low heat. Pour the warm honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until they are well coated.

Spread the mixture on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Add 1/4 cup finely sliced dried apples and 1/2 cup of raisins. Toss to combine. Store the muesli in an airtight container. Makes 12 servings.
From: The Essential Guide to the Kitchen by Michele Cranston

Now get out of your kitchen and expect a miracle.  Trot on friends, trot on.

Day of rest

I love Sundays because it is not only a time to attend church with other believers but a good excuse to have a nap in the afternoon and do nothing else and not feel guilty.

The day started out very cloudy but by the afternoon the sun was shining and the smell of freshness outside was wonderful.  I have done absolutely nothing all day...except of course make meals and do dishes with the kids.

The kids carved swords with dh...they were very excited.

Hoping that everyone also had a wonderful and relaxing day.

How to deal with the 'forgetful' child.. suggestions please!

Winter Woes, Wuthers and Wonders

We felt the full force of winter this weekend. On Friday night Robin took Hugh and Meredith into town. Hugh had his tennis coaching and Meredith was going to play with her friend Suzy. Hugh's tennis lesson goes for an hour and it finishes at 4.30pm when it's starting to get dark here in wintertime. I think it's an odd time to have a lesson for little boys, but I don't have much say in that.

Ever since we moved out to the country Hugh has not had a problem with his asthma. When we lived in the city he used to get it very bad, especially last year when we were renting an older-type house and Christchurch city is not known for its clean air in winter. We are situated in a valley and sometimes in winter there is no wind or sea breezes and the smoke from fires just hangs over the city for days. Hugh got really bad with his asthma on Saturday and we think it is from having to go into town on Friday evening. Robin said the smoke was almost tangible and he could see it hanging over the city as he drove in. It's a good reminder for us not to take Hugh into tennis when the weather is like this. The poor boy has been bad over the weekend. I called the doctor's office and the nurse told me to give him 2 puffs with one minute spaces in between, three times. She said that is all they'd do if I took him in to the emergency rooms. It does work really well.

On Saturday it snowed most of the day, but it didn't settle on the ground, but it was very nice to sit by the fire with the children and the dogs and watch videos and knit. I ate something for dinner (I think it was the sausage) that didn't agree with me, and I've had a bit of a tummy ache all weekend. Nothing too bad, but I always worry about the baby.

We had some good friends call in yesterday afternoon with sugar buns and coffee and a chat. It was a bit warmer yesterday, but this weekend has been very wintery and bitter, bitter cold outside. I love winter though and I love storms. The children were a little bit scared on Friday night when the wind was howling around the house (think Wuthering Heights). I remember being scared of the wind when I was little too and lying in bed and trying not to think of the big glass window that might shatter all over me (I have always had a very active imagination), so I was sympathetic and told them how I love the wind and the sound it makes. It didn't take them long to fall off to sleep.

It is raining again this morning as I lie in bed hoping the morning sickness is going to improve so I can get up for a shower. I've pulled back the curtains and am watching the rain fall in my orchard and the clouds sweeping across the sky. It's lovely.

Pay Per Post

I have seen the logo for Pay Per Post around the blogosphere but I didn't really understand what this program was all about until I read a few reviews by fellow bloggers. They all really enjoyed the program and were consistently bringing in at least $100 per month by writing about ideas, products, and sites that they enjoyed. It sounded simple enough and it really is! You write about what you already know and the advertisers pay you.

Get paid for blogging. Write about web sites, products, services, and companies and earn cash for providing your opinion and valuable feedback to advertisers. Disclosure required.

How Big is God?

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

When homeschooling limits your finances, do you trust God to provide for your every need? As I sat in the doctor's office and listened to him confirm my fourth pregnancy, I had no idea how God was going to help us afford the medical bills. Homeschooling and daily living expenses involved with raising three children had consumed my husband's total income. I knew we had no way to repay the costs for prenatal care and was forced to inform my doctor of our situation as he attempted to schedule my next appointment. Compassionately, he replied, "OK, let's just go ahead and schedule your next visits anyway. If God provides the money, you can pay me. If not, we'll just forget about the bill."

Reluctantly, my husband and I accepted our doctor's proposal and I proceeded with my monthly visits throughout the summer months. Then, as we began our regular homeschooling schedule in August, the most amazing thing happened. A local business called and offered me a part-time accounting job writing dividend checks. I could perform the work at home during the evening hours; and if I finished the project before October, I could earn an hourly rate that was far above the current minimum wage. For the next two months, I worked long hours to homeschool during the day and complete my work at night for my new job. Exactly one week before I delivered our fourth child, I finished the project and earned not only enough money to pay our doctor, but also enough money to cover the entire hospital bill. God in His goodness had proven Himself faithful to provide for our every need.

Are you facing a financial crisis in your family because you have chosen to homeschool? God is big enough to meet even the most challenging situations. There is no problem too great that He cannot solve and no need so large that He cannot provide. Simply lay your burden before the Lord in prayer, and you'll be amazed at what He can do! "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Psalm 37:25-26)

Daily Focus: Alpha Omega

Budget Talk and More…

 

Hope you all are having a great holiday weekend on your homesteads!