Homemaker in Training

Getting Your Kitchen to Work for You

2012-01-27T01:01:00.000-08:00

Remember the Jetsons? ~sigh~ Jane had it made didn't she? Simply push a button and the "flying pizza" would appear on the table ready to eat. (Though I'm sure it couldn't have been nearly as good at THE Flying Pie!)
When Kathi told me that today's challenge was to get your kitchen to "work for you", I've got to admit the Jetsons was my first thought! Not only did she have the technology of her time, but also the lovely Rosey the Robot to help out.

Well, I may not have Rosey or the cool "push button dinner server", but I do have something that takes the cake on this one.

... I have a Bosch...

I know, I know, "What's a Bosch?" you say...!

Oh dear friends, I want to tell you about my machine. My husband says that getting one of these is a "right of passage" in my family. It's when a Coate girl knows she's be come a woman! I grew up with my mom using one, so I never really thought much about it. Then I was gifted mine from my parents when I married 9 1/2 years ago.

You see, the Bosch company didn't really start by making mixers. Innovations. This was the beginnings. Today in addition to their mixers they make mostly power tools and car parts. I'm gonna say that again. They make Power Tools, and Car Parts. Those are big engines folks strong, powerful, durable engines. My mom still uses the Bosch she bought in 1983!! (Here is where my father would make the "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" grunting noise... and I would roll my eyes!)

I just can't talk enough about it. One of my favorite features is the fact that there are different attachments, so this one machine can do lots of different things. It comes with the large bowl, dough hooks and beaters, as well as the blender. I have the citrus juicer, which is lovely since we have two orange trees in our back yard. Home made OJ is a snap and oh so good! I also have the food processor which comes with the processor blade and the grater/slicer blades as well. There are also attachments like the pasta maker, the meat grinder, the fruit and berry press, and so many more!

This my dear friends is an investment in your culinary sanity!
So what about you? What's your favorite kitchen gadget? What do you own that helps you get dinner on the table?
Leave your comments below and let me know what works for you!

Family Favorites and Give Away Day!

2012-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

As you know, if I have a favorite recipe it's hard for me to keep it to myself. Over the past two years of blogging the thing I've shared the most with you is recipes. Today is no different.
From oldest to youngest I give you... Our (S.A.D.(Standard American Diet) Family Favorites!

Aaron~ Frito Chili Pie
This consists of opening a can of chili (We tend to eat Nalley Turkey Chili), heating it in the microwave and serving it over Fritos, with cheese sprinkled on top. I'm not sure why it's one of his favorites, but it is. Sometimes when I've got a "girls night out" I will leave this for him to share with the kids. This way he's the "junk food hero" and I don't have to eat it!!! Win, Win, Win.

Amy~Thai Glazed Lettuce Wraps. Heavenly, just heavenly! But let me mention briefly it's the FRESH basil that makes this dish...you can eat it without, but why would you?

Grace~ One of my favorite dinners is fish, rice, and broccoli.
I love that this is her favorite dinner. She asks for it on her birthday. It's so simple, and fairly healthy. I use tilapia fillets baked with lemon pepper on them. I used to use a simple boxed rice pilaf and then just lightly steam the broccoli.

Noraa~ Breakfast for Dinner! Pancakes with Butter on them!
When I'm feeling really "foody" I make these from Tyler Florence... mmmm.

Sam~ Family Pizza Night. (Pizza crust recipe here)

................

Now it's time for a Give Away!

Don't you just love something for free? I know I do, especially when I know it's something that's going to truly benefit my family. Today is the day you get a chance at winning your very own copy of "The What's For Dinner Solution!" by Kathi Lipp.

I'll share with you the number one thing I gleaned from her book, (besides all the great recipes) and you get to tell me your favorite source or website for recipes!

I'd been making my own "recipe book" for a while, so when I came across the idea in TWFDS, I felt so affirmed and it renewed my desire to get things organized! In chapter 5 Kathi shares her version of how to organize your recipes in a fun and unique way. Why should you have 40 cook books on hand when you only use a few recipes from each of them? Why not compile your most used recipes all in one handy place? Since creating my own "cook book" I rarely reach for my other books and have scaled my collection down significantly.

Please know it may take a bit of time up front, but it is well worth it in the long run.

So now it's YOUR turn! In the comments below please share your favorite way to find new recipes. It can be purchasing cook books at yard sales, or asking your grandmother, or looking it up online. Whatever your method may be, share it below for a chance to win one of two copies of The "What's for Dinner?" Solution!! Winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday's Menu post!

Good Luck!

Tips, Tricks and Tweeks

2012-01-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Ah, the kitchen tips!

There are so many fun things to do in the kitchen! Why limit yourself to just your own wisdom when you can use the wisdom of the world wide web? This is part of what I love about living today. You can find answers to your questions by flipping a few pages or a few clicks of the mouse!

Just look at a few that Pinterest has to offer:

Cooking

Source: lovelylittlesnippets.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

Organizing

Source: familyhandyman.com via Shanna on Pinterest

Cleaning

Source: aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com via Janice on Pinterest

And Everything In Between!

Source: lifehackery.com via Shelly on Pinterest

Feeling a Little L.O.O.Py!

2012-01-24T04:12:00.000-08:00

I've posted previously about L.O.O.Ps and how wonderful it is to "recycle" a meal and use the ingredients from one dinner to help out with a meal later in the week. I think it's a bit of genius really.

How wonderful to think of two meals at the same time. It cuts your work in half and it eliminates the number of containers in the back of your fridge containing the "science experiment" (aka mold) that seems to lurk after forgetting what was in each container!

<------ This never happens in your house right??

Some of my all time favorite loop meals use my crock pot! Don't you just love the ease of dinner in a crock pot? Many times I can put an entire chicken in the crock pot and then use the meat for two different meals. I can feed my family of five by serving half of the chicken "roasted" for round one, and then shredded into chicken and cheese enchiladas for round two!

One of my favorite LOOP meals takes about a month to put together, but oh is it worth it! The recipe was published in Kathi's book... see? ----->
I've always liked Jambalaya, but if you buy all the ingredients at the same time... OUCH! It hurts the grocery budget a bit. I think I only planned this meal once before realizing it was time to come up with a solution. So here's my Jambalaya plan: you need to plan a months worth of meals to make this work, but don't worry I've outlined how to do that in yesterday's post! You will need to plan a meal using Italian Sausage, (try this one for stuffed mushrooms!), a meal using chicken, a meal using ham (have you ever tried Hawaiian Haystacks? So yummy, fresh and easy to make!) and then if you choose, a meal that uses shrimp. Each time you fix one of these meals save out the amount of meat needed for the Jambalaya from your recipe. So for example, say I make those amazing stuffed mushrooms. It only uses 1/2 lb. of Italian Sausage. So I brown the other half pound, and then put it in the freezer bag for my Jambalaya later in the month. Get it?
At the end of the month, you have all the meats needed to make this amazing dish! (For a chance to win the book stay tuned later this week!)

But you see, here's my dilemma with today's post. In the past few weeks we've been eating mostly fresh raw foods. (I gotta admit it helped that my husband was doing a juice fast for seven days because if something needed to be used he'd just toss it in the blender for his next "smoothie"!) I'm still trying to figure out this new world of eating raw, so I don't feel like I have a lot of wisdom to impart on the left-overs because we haven't had any! You see, when you don't cook anything it changes how you think about food and about dinner preparation. It changes the types of foods you select the variety of what you eat.

Now I know there are a lot of websites out there dedicated to educating people on the benefits of eat raw. They are also chocked full of great recipes. Since we are not changing our diet to be 100% raw the difficulty comes in the balance. I loved how this blogger talks about her happy medium!

So, in the mean time check back over my archives and see if any of my Formica Counter Top recipes work for you and your next attempt at getting a little L.O.O.Py!

And stay posted here at the Homemaker in Training, because you can be sure that as I learn how to prepare healthy meals for my family I'll be sharing with you as well! (Mondays I post my menu including at least one new recipe each week! )

Menu Monday

2012-01-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

Today's Menu Monday serves a dual purpose. Not only am I sharing with you about our family's meal plans for this week, but I'm also kicking off a full WEEK of fun blog posts from the kitchen. (I don't know about you, but it seems like the kitchen is the room that I spend most of my time in!) My friend Kathi Lipp, speaker, author and blogger is hosting a blog tour this week. Each day she has issued a challenge to our readers, with a fun give away to be done later in the week! Last month I shared with you the What's For Dinner Solution, by Kathi Lipp. This week I'm going to be telling you some of my "take away" wisdom from reading this helpful household handbook!

As you know I am BIG on meal planning, and have blogged about it extensively. I feel it is one of the ways that we have successfully lived on one income and continue to remove debt from our lives! In my Menu Planning 101 post, I have detailed out for you three different (but equally efficient) methods of meal planning. I have used all three methods at one time or another. You will find what works best for you and your family based on how you function. A while back I came across this menu planner that offers a weekly menu as well as a version with the list on the side. The blog that I link to each week for Menu Monday, offers this incredible list of menu planners and resources! Kathi's blog also offers you a printable tool to help with this sometimes difficult task. (and this cool list of 50 dinner ideas!) Even with all these options... I've found that nothing works better for me than...scratch paper. What? Yes, it's true! I could type out my format and print it each time, but to be honest, it's faster and easier to scratch it out on the back side of my child's coloring page!

Here's how I outline things... I always plan with my calendar in front of me. I have a large monthly calendar that I use wet-erase pens on. (I actually try to plan for a month at a time... I figure I might as well do it all if I'm sitting down to take the time for one week!) I plan meals around our activities, who's coming over for dinner, how many nights we might possibly eat out in the month, as well as how many times we can eat leftovers; tomorrow's blog post will touch on exactly that!
I write the activities on the calendar in orange, and the meals in yellow, then the hard and fast, never moving items I put in brown. Then, with the menus forming on my calendar I add items to my grocery list. When I plan for the month I have four lists going at once. The first list is my BIG shopping trip. I use a large sheet of printer paper for this. On this trip I purchase all the non-perishable items, and items that can go directly into the freezer! Trust me, it takes a bit longer but later in the month when you get to "shop" from your pantry and freezer instead of running to the store you will be SO grateful. The other three lists are pretty small as they only contain the "fresh" items I will need to purchase for weeks two, three, & four. I fold the printer paper in thirds and make my lists on these as I write down recipes.

Hmmm, have I lost you yet? Maybe a picture help?
This is how I organize my lists... like I said "scratch paper" works best for me. I organize my list based on how my store is laid out. The produce section is first, followed by the bulk foods. I then make my way through the middle isles of the store (though I do my very best to avoid this section! It's healthier to shop the exterior isles of the store because they hold the freshest foods!) The deli is at the back of my store, so I shop for my meats and dairy before hitting the frozen food and bakery!
I usually takes me about an hour to shop for the month. When I stick to the list it makes things fast and easy!

This week's menu is listed below, and as always feel free to leave your menu in the comments or link to your own Menu Monday!

Monday: Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday:Safeway Chinese Food (Sometimes I just can't resist take out. An their $9.99 dinner for "two" feeds our entire family!)
Wednesday:Chicken Parmesan (Love this "lighter" version without the bread crumbs!)
Thursday:Zuppa Toscana (yep, I make this Olive Garden favorite at home. I've even had reviewers tell me it tastes better than the original!)
Friday: Family Pizza Night
Saturday: Leftovers

Note: The above menu was prepared before I posted this about

my more recent convictions on eating healthy!

My revised menu looks like this:

Monday: Almond Encrusted Salmon with side salad and a selection of fruit.
Tuesday: Brown rice and "Stir, without the fry" (Though we are not eating totally raw, I'm excited to try recipes like this one!)
Wednesday: Lentil Soup
Thursday: Pho (yep, still a family favorite, so it's gonna be on the menu. It's what is considered a "clean" soup.)
Friday: Mixed greens salad with "raw ranch" dressing
Saturday: Farmers Market Surprise! Leftovers means it's time to clean out the fridge to make room for all the things we purchased at the farmers market that morning.

Join me tomorrow for my post on Leftovers...

An Update

2012-01-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

So this morning, I broke my three day juice fast.
This may have been the hardest fast I've ever done. I'm not so sure it's because of the juicing, but more of the mental attitude that I've had toward it.
You see, as I watched those documentaries that affirmed the things I already knew, it became apparent to me that we need to change our eating. If we want to live the life that God intended, then we need to take care of the bodies He gave us. If He made our bodies to function a certain way and we are not caring for them in that way, then something is going to give (our health). You can't expect a diesel truck to run on regular fuel, so why would you expect your body which was made to function on REAL, RAW foods to function on the processed stuff we put into our mouths each and every day!
A while back our MOPS group had a woman named Amanda Louden come and speak to us. (She blogs here at "Daily Diner") Her philosophy on eating really struck me then as being important. However, as I'm sure you know, changing what you eat is not an easy task. Everything you've been trained to think about food since childhood can't be changed overnight. Since she spoke we've made some improvements, but nothing like what we should have done.
It think that is why the documentaries have moved me the way they have. This change has been a long time coming. You see, the bottom line is this: I am responsible for the things my kids put in their mouths, for their long term health, and for the overall health of our family. I do the shopping, I do the preparation, I do the cooking and the serving. (and my dear husband helps with the clean up! Yes, I'm blessed) That is a BIG responsibility. It's not something that I can relax or let up on. It's a constant, daily vigil that I must keep. It's not an area that I can become lazy in because my families future depends on it. It makes this concept of "what's in a menu" that much more important to me.
So, what does that mean for my Menu Monday posts? It means I can't skimp by on giving your my "main dish" menus anymore. It means that I get to be even more creative with the few items that I do cook. It means that there will be a lot less cooking and a lot less dishes (I can handle that one!) because 51% of each meal will be raw foods. It means that I will be doing some reading and research for not only recipes, but for the benefits of each of the foods we choose to put in our bodies. It also means that I will be exploring new stores for new ingredients, and probably shopping a bit more often. It also means that our "eating out" budget will be transformed into the "eating healthier" budget because let's face it; eating healthy is expensive! I hope these are ideas that you can get on board with and that you will join me on this adventure of feeding my family as "close to the ground" as possible!

Topsy~Turvey

2012-01-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

Well friends. I've gone and done it. I believe that knowledge is powerful. I also believe that if "you know better, you [should] do better." (Sister Pamela Corbin)
This past week I've watched two documentaries that will be changing the primary focus of my Menu Monday! ::WARNING:: Do NOT watch these movies unless you truly want to do something about your eating habits. If you are perfectly fine living in ignorant bliss, by all means stay that way. However, if you are like me and you know there just has to be something better out there then pull these movies up on your Netflix cue and get ready to change!

The first movie I watched was called Food Matters.
From this documentary I learned the importance of the nutrients you put into your body and exactly what it means to "eat raw". It also speaks of the illnesses that can be addressed from the view of diet rather than the ever increasing medications that are being prescribed each day.

The second documentary is called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." A bit more lighthearted, this film catalogs the journey of two men who fasted for 60 days drinking only the juice from fresh fruits and veggies. Prepare to be amazed at what the human body can do when given the right nutrients!

It's late and I'm about to go to bed, but I wanted to keep you "in the know" about the time of transformation for our family.
Stay tuned because I'm sure there will be a lot to update you on in this next week. For my husband and I, our menu's will consist of mainly fruit and vegetable juices. The kids diets will maintain as is for a time, with more emphasis on raw fruits and veggies.

If you think of it, say a prayer for me. My head is telling me what we ought to do, but I must admit that my taste buds are more than a little nervous! (An In'N Out cheese burger just might do me in at some point!)
L'Chaim!!!

Wait...Where Did Monday Go?

2012-01-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

Here I sit at my computer, Sleepy Time Tea steaming in front of me Skittles in a cup to my left and a pile of "To Do's" on my right. I'm blogging and setting up draft posts for next week when I participate in the Five Day Blogger Challenge with my friend Kathi. And then it hits me. It's WEDNESDAY! I didn't post my menu on Monday, and it's already Wednesday! This week has been glorious as far as food goes. I've been very pleased with my selections. The fact that it didn't even occur to me until tonight that I needed to post them for you kind of disturbs me.

So without further ado or frills, I post for you an almost finished week of meal plans!

Monday: Cheese Enchiladas

Tuesday: Ravioli Soup

Wednesday: Fried Rice and Gyoza

Thursday: Tilapia, Rice and Broccoli (My oldest's favorite meal)

Friday: Family Pizza Night

The other day my best friend messaged me and asked for my pizza crust recipe. It took me a while to realize that I haven't posted it here yet! So, here's my recipe for Simple Pizza Crust!

Linking to Menu Plan Monday again this week!

Tasty Yummy Goodness

2012-01-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight we ate GOOD.

There was not much on the table as far as quantity goes, but the quality of our dinner was up tonight...way up!

As per my menu from Monday, we had Stuffed Mushrooms and steamed carrots.
I used this recipe from allrecipes.com. I wanted to show you how beautiful they turned out, and share with you the adaptations I made. This recipe was very easy to throw together and tasted like it came from a restaurant. I would recommend it for a "stay at home date night", where you and the man eat after the kids have gone to bed (early!) or it makes a great company meal. You could serve it with a steamed vegetable and rice pilaf to round things out!

Pre-Baked

Fresh out of the oven!

And since two of the three kids don't like mushrooms, I made "mini-meatloaf"

from the ground beef/Italian sausage extras!

(My recipe adaptations below made in Orange!)

Stuffed Mushrooms IV

Rated:

Submitted By: Jennifer

Photo By: mis7up

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour

Servings: 12

"A savory meat and bread mixture seasoned with chili powder is baked into a buttered button mushroom cap in this appetizer which is served hot."

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 Large Portabella mushrooms
4-5 Baby Portabella mushrooms

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground Italian chicken
sausage

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Remove and chop mushroom stems. (I added 4-5 chopped baby portabellas as well)
2.	In a saucepan over medium heat, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook until meat is no longer pink; drain. Mix in chopped mushroom stems, 1 tablespoon butter, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cream.
3.	Dip mushroom caps in 1/4 cup melted butter, and stuff generously with meat mixture. Arrange stuffed mushrooms in a baking dish. Sprinkle with chili powder.
4.	Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

Feasting

2012-01-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

It's Monday and I've been away from the computer for well over a week. With the Christmas and New Year holidays I have been functioning on "vacation time" which means blogging is the farthest thing from my mind. Instead family, friends, advent, gifts, eating, baking, sleeping, playing, traveling and now unpacking have consumed my thoughts. (Though I did sneak in some time in the car last night to put down a few thousand words of a book idea that has been swimming around in my brain for quite some time!)
So when I came home to a mostly empty refrigerator, I knew I would not only need to meal plan, but also get some of those ideas down on paper for you to see as well!
While spending time with family, my sister in love mentioned when food is placed on the table "family style" her daughter calls it "Feasting"! I think it's adorable as well as the truth of our society. Daily we feast at these tables of ours and I'm grateful for her sweet realization of our blessings!

This weeks feasts include:
Monday: Chevy's Happy Hour Appetizers (we feed our family of five for $20!)
Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Cilantro Rice; This rice is one of our family favorites, and I was shocked to see that I had not shared the recipe with you previously.
Wednesday:Stuffed Mushrooms (I've never made these before, but they look AMAZING!!! I plan on using larger mushrooms to make it a main dish instead of an appetizer.)
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie
Friday: Family Pizza Night (mmm, I want to make this one for the Man and myself!)

This post linked to Menu Plan Monday.

L.O.O.P. ~ LeftOvers On Purpose

2011-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

"LeftOvers On Purpose" is the term my friend Kathi uses in her new book, "The What's for Dinner Solution" to describe dinners that use what you've already made for dinner as another meal later in the week.
We have all done this at one point or another. Whether it's Tuesday's chicken pot pie from the roasted chicken on Sunday or Thursday's chili verde burritos from Monday night's pot roast I'm sure you feel the same as I do when you create such a recipe, ::sneaky:: resourcefull:: and just plain ::awesome::!
Well, today I wanted to share with you a true gem. Possibly a stroke of cullinary genious. I may not be the first to have discovered it, but since I'd never heard of anyone doing it before I felt VERY orriginal!

You've all tried the Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti right? I put it on my menu last week because it's comfort food and it's comfort food weather around here. Well, my husband and I love it, but I didn't realize that my kids don't "love" it! (shock of all shocks, because most normal kids devour it!) So, needless to say we had some leftovers. Are you ready for this? I made it into ...
Chicken Noodle Soup!!!!!

A little onion and garlic in the pan, toss in some carrots and celery, add chicken broth and when the veggies have cooked until soft, add the leftover chicken spaghetti. Warm through and voila!!!!

It was amazing!!!

I love LeftOvers On Purpose... don't you?

Menu Monday

2011-12-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

We are not alone. (No, I'm not talking about extra terrestrials)
We as home makers, are not alone. We are among friends as we pursue this beautiful job of making our house a home. I believe it is a fact that we need to be reminded of often.
In perusing the internet one can find all sorts of magazines, blogs and information about how to organize, clean and decorate your home. Some of them are helpful and seem a bit far fetched. I often wonder if it's a real person on the other end of the article or just someone's ideal coming across in well scripted words. You see, homemaking can some times be a bit messy (and no I'm not talking about cleaning up after a potty training toddler or mopping the floor after a clumsy five year old helps herself to a glass of milk). There are no pat answers and what works for one family might not work for another. it's the beauty of being surrounded by others who understand. It's why I want to share my menu each week and in turn read the articles of others who do the same.
I recently came across a blog that hosts "Menu Plan Monday" and I've already found a couple of new recipes to try. I also came across this Menu Planner and gave it a shot this week. I had to tweek it enough that I may just end up creating my own printable version of it, but it was nice to have something new to try!

This weeks menu includes:
Monday: Pork Chops (pan fried with a little salt and pepper! Simple, but yummy!)
Tuesday: Eating out at Mama Sue's to support a local charity (Project680)
If you are local, please come join us!! My, oh, my I can't wait for some chicken and waffles and sweet potato pie!!!
Wednesday: Beef Stew (in the crock-pot)
Thursday: "Creative Soup" (this is when I use whatever I have left to make an interesting soup!)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Snacky Dinner:: the kids love it when we do this because they fee like they're not really eating dinner. I set out cheese and crackers, veggies and fruits, dips and popcorn. We have hot chocolate and watch a movie on the wall while we have a carpet picnic!

Our Christmas Dinner: Ham, Hash Brown Casserole, Bacon Green Beans, Carrots, Rolls and Apple Pie for dessert.

I leave you today with a picture from this past weekend when my husband and I had our annual "Fudge Contest", which I won... by half a point!!! We have a family over to enjoy dinner and then to be our official fudge judges...

Nativity

2011-12-16T02:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here.

I'm not sure how the year has gone by so quickly. It truly seems like yesterday I was creating the ornaments for our Jesse Tree. And now, here we are half way through our Advent celebrations this year!

Last year I wanted to buy a nativity scene for our home, but have you seen the price tags on some of them? They are SO expensive! I wanted something my kids could play with, but not be destroyed in one season. I found all sorts of ideas on line for creating nativity scenes out of paper or felt, but none that I fell in love with. That is until I saw this on Pinterest...

Adorable right??

So I decided to make my own. I found the FREE printable that I really liked on this website. Armed with the blocks of wood from Lowe's (which my husband lovingly cut down to the right size), a little sand paper, my Mod Podge, the print outs and my craft scissors I was ready to take on the nativity project!

And I could not be happier with how they turned out...

My children love them, I love them, they are sturdy, fun and I don't worry about the kiddos breaking them. The BEST part? This project cost me pennies on the dollar for what I would have paid to purchase a pre-made nativity scene!

I paid a little less than $7.00 for the wood (though I'm sure you could find it for cheaper than that. I chose to use "hard wood" from the lumber section of our local Lowe's.) I had the rest of the items on hand.

May the rest of your Advent be slowed, peaceful and full of the joy that this season of giving brings!

Nothing New

2011-12-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

A very wise man once wrote:

"What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

This is never more true than in the world of blogging. There are no "new" ideas. I don't say this to disregard the genius of some people, but rather to point out (mostly to myself) that these things that we write about have been written before. They may not have used the exact words, maybe sometimes they used better words. I say it to put into perspective this space for sharing. There are many Mama's just like me. If you type in "home made laundry soap", you're gonna get a LOT of recipes. (There are a lot of other people giving their two cents on how to save two cents!)

Sometimes in the world of blogging we see the giants and it's easy to loose perspective. I want to be like Ree, I want to have sponsors like Ashley, I want to write a book like Emily, I want to see like Ann, I want, I want, I want...

But there's nothing new under the sun. Even these amazing women in all their God given talent are not giving us something "new". They are the same ideas presented in newer ways, from a unique perspective maybe, but certainly not "new".

As I share these thoughts (sparked by an interesting tweet from a blogging acquaintance of mine) please know they are more for me than anything else. Personally I'm glad that there are so many people willing to open up and share from their perspective. It's what makes life interesting. (and it's what brings us beautiful things like Pinterest!)

So I leave you with just one thought, if so many are talking, who is left to listen?

What's in a Menu?

2011-12-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell so sweet." - William Shakespear

Ah, another week goes by and dinner must be put on the table. Are you like me? Does this every day occurrence often loose the special, unique, and dare I say holy significance among the drudgery of it's frequency?
There are times that I forget how important my job is, times that putting food in front of my children seems like just an extra step. (When I make something they don't like I feel like I should just take the food from the fridge and throw it in the trash rather than take the time to prepare and present and have them decline!)

But on the rare occasion that I stop and think about what I'm doing the depth of meaning causes my heart to constrict. This isn't just food placed in front of each person. This is a meal prepared with thoughtfulness and love, and served with joy. A time when we stop all else, come together as a family, give thanks for our blessings, and participate in community. We share not only in the joys of flavor but also in the gift of our time together, sharing the good, the bad, the disappointments and joys of our day with one another. This time truly is holy, set apart of a unique purpose. When I'm reminded of that simple fact it makes planning for the week's dinners so much easier.

May your tables be blessed this week with good food, good conversation and the love of family and friends!

This Weeks Menu is as follows:
Monday: Beans and Rice, truly inspired by this post I've tried to schedule in simple meals like this to help us learn appreciation for all we have. We sponsor a child through Christian Relief Fund and it helps us understand the menus of those less fortunate than us.
Tuesday: Pho`
Wednesday: Chicken Spaghetti (If you haven't tried this one yet, you need to. I mean you REALLY need to!)
Thursday: Ravioli in Alfredo with broccoli
Friday: Family Pizza Night

Linking this post to Menu Plan Monday!
Feel free to leave your menu or a recipe to share in the comments below!

Befuddled State of Mind

2011-12-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

I'm standing in the Korean Plaza Market with three children in tow. I've said the word "no" about 100,000 times. My brain is in a fog, I'm hungry, I only put two items on my list and have about ten items in my cart. Two of those are frozen foods that I rarely buy. I have a limited amount of cash in my wallet and two days till payday. We need a few items to hold us over, but my brain can't focus on what I should get to stretch the budget.
This is NOT my typical grocery shopping trip. Thank goodness this doesn't happen very often!
Tonight I did exactly the opposite of what I tell other mom's who ask for helpful hints on stretching their dollar. I went in without a plan. What can I say? It happens to the best of us!
I've been out of it lately. Maybe it's the holiday season and the rush that comes with it. Maybe it's the fact that my husband is in the midst of Elfing three nights a week for the month of December. Maybe it's just a part of my natural cycle. (I tend to be able to organize, plan and execute meals for about 3-4 months straight and then I have two or three weeks when I just blow it and we eat weird random thrown together meals until I get it together again!) Whatever the reason, I haven't posted my menu for the past two weeks! Sorry about that!!

So, as sorry as it is, here is our menu for the week of 12/5:
Monday: Tortilla Soup (I'm SO glad it's finally soup weather here!)
Tuesday: Lemon Chicken and Rice (this was a new one for me and Aaron and I really liked it. It wasn't a favorite of the kids, but I will certainly try it again!)
Wednesday: Stroganoff
Thursday: Chili and Corn bread
Friday: Family Pizza Night (we are doing Papa John's pizza this week because of the great deal on Groupon this past week!)

Feel free to leave your menu this week in the comments below. Thanks to Yoly for adding her menu last week! I always love to know what other Mom's are making for dinner each week!!!

Menu Madness

2011-11-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad it's fall! There are certain things I look forward to all year long, like the leaves changing color, pomegranates on the neighbors tree, winter vegetables, and Thanksgiving Day!
My menu this week is focused on this glorious holiday...

Monday: Beans and Rice
Tuesday: Pork Roast <--- I plan on trying this new recipe!
Wednesday: Thanksgiving Dinner with my local family
Thursday: Thanksgiving Dinner with my sister and nephew
Our Thanksgiving Menu:
Appetizers: Pomegranates, Vegetable Tray, Crescent rolls with Brie cheese, THIS yummy concoction
my sister brings (we eat it with crackers), & my Red Pepper Jelly over cream cheese. Yep, we like
our appetizers!
Dinner:Turkey with dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, & Rolls.
Dessert: Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie

Friday: Leftovers (oh, lovely leftovers!)

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

Please feel free to leave a comment linking to your menu this week, or a recipe to share

This Moment

2011-11-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Excited to join Soule Mama for This Moment...

homemade doughnuts

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(all pictures taken with my iPhone unless noted otherwise)

Pondering Coupons

2011-11-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning at our MOPS group, two women came to speak about couponing. A mother/daughter team with a website and a plan... it sounds so good. I listened attentively and tried to mentally follow their tips and suggestions. But I gotta admit; I'm having a hard time picturing myself doing this. I want to, I really want to. I like saving money! I guess what I have a hard time wrapping my brain around is the idea of buying things that are brand name. I buy the "off brand" at discounted stores. I almost always have (and think that my malady may be part genetic!). There are a few items that I have discovered will not work in generic form, but these are few and far between. When I glance through the coupon ads I tend to do just that, glance. You see after years of cutting and slicing and trimming the budget I've found that I don't use MOST of the items they offer coupons for. I like to use vinegar for most of my cleaning purposes... it's cheap and more effective. I use such a small amount of shampoo that one bottle can last me up to two years. I make my own laundry soap that is inexpensive and I prefer over any store bought equal (plus it's better for my washing machine). I just like doing things the old fashioned way and these coupons are mostly offers on *new* products and ideas, they do me no good!
So when I mentioned to my husband that the speaker had been about couponing... he affirmed me and my wandering thoughts. It feels good to know that I'm doing what I can to not only save our budget but also to cut down on waste in our home. If that means that I never have to clip a coupon, well then, I guess I'm okay with that!

A Tardy Tuesday Post about Menu Monday...

2011-11-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

This week is going to be crazy!
I looked at my calendar on Friday and realized there was almost no point in me planning meals...other than you my dear friends. I knew that you would want to know what I was fixing regardless of how rushed and harried I may be.
So, here's my week:

Monday-Pastor Ryan's Mexican Lasagna-Which I was missing one ingredient for! It still turned out yummy.
Tuesday-Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup- (This night we have the Jr. High kids over to our place for dinner and devotional so the menu needs to feed a lot, not break the bank and be something they will eat!)
Wednesday-We will be going out for dinner and the kids will be with Papa and Nini. We will be going to hear N.T. Wright speak at Fuller Theological Seminary. I'm SO very excited to hear this man of God speak!
Thursday-Frito Pie- I will be gone having a Ladies Night Out this night, so I figure whatever they eat has to be quick and easy. This is Aaron's all time favorite meal, but I never fix it. (Opening a can of chili, warming it in the microwave then adding Frito's and cheese is not my idea of cooking!) It's reserved for nights like this so that Daddy gets to be the junk food hero!
Friday-The kids will once again be staying over at Papa and Nini's as I will be hosting the Teen Girl's Sleepover at our home.

Whew... what a week huh? I hope you enjoy the Mexican Lasagna, it really was a fun twist on my regular old Mexican dish standbys.

Feel free to leave your menu in the comments this week!

Monday Menu Madness

2011-11-06T22:52:00.000-08:00

I am all about planning.

I believe the saying is true that if you "fail to plan, you plan to fail." I could be wrong but I think the quote is attributed to Harvey MacKay(?). When it comes to meal planning however this plan must be FLEXIBLE... Like with any plan, you must take into account the fact that life happens... so you must be prepared for the unexpected! Already this week I've had to switch around a couple of things, and that's okay because (to quote Christ's principle completely out of context!) the menu was made for man, not man for the menu!!

So, onto this week's menu!

Monday: (The usual Mexican dish, was swapped with the chicken I didn't make on Sunday!) Simply Great Chicken, the link contains the printable recipe!

Tuesday: Lettuce Wraps

Wednesday: Spicy Penne with Alfredo (a family favorite from Sandra Lee's cookbook 20 minute meals)

Thursday: Meatloaf

Friday: Family Pizza Night

(Oh, and last week's newest pizza toppings were inspired by our friends in San Jose! I put olive oil on the crust, added crispy fried bacon, thinly sliced apple, light cheese, green onion and some thin sliced ham...mmmm.)

Feel free to leave your menu in the comments below!

Menu Madness

2011-11-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

If you've read my post on Menu Planning then you know there's a method to my madness.
This is just the bare bones of our menu for this week. To each meal I add healthy sides of vegetables and fruits that are in season for us. (For example, I may list "meatloaf" on the menu, but when I put it on the table there is also steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes and pomegranate to balance everything out!)

This week we are having:

Monday- Soup in a Pumpkin
Tuesday- Pho`
Wednesday-Pumpkin Soup (yep you guessed it, made from the leftovers of the pre-baked pumpkin on Monday!)
Thursday-Simply Great Chicken
Friday- This is always our "Family Pizza Night" I usually make our pizza at home and I'm excited about the challenge of trying different types of pizza (like this amazing Mamma!)

This week's recipe will be the Soup in a Pumpkin (please, oh please help me come up with a better name for it!!) We've used this recipe two years in a row and it will certainly be a tradition in our family for years to come. It embodies the season of Autumn with it's warmth and use of the traditional orange pumpkin.

Two years ago my husband's folks sent the kids an ABC's of Halloween book. It's an adorable holiday book and I love children's books about the alphabet. I'm not a big fan of Halloween though so the first year we had it the recipe went completely unnoticed by me!
Last year while reading it to my children I realized that the letter X was labeled "eXtra good Alphabet Soup in a Pumpkin" and there was the recipe right there on the page. I loved the idea of cooking the soup inside the pumpkin and getting selections of pumpkin flesh in the serving of the soup. So I purchased the ingredients and gave it a try. It was wonderful! The only adaptation I made this year was to double the recipe to include some dear friends who came to have dinner with us!

Extra Good Alphabet Soup in a Pumpkin

(for the printable recipe click here)

1 Medium Pumpkin (cleaned out and set aside)

4 cut up Chicken Breast

3 Tablespoons of Butter

3 sliced Carrots

2 sliced Celery Stalks

½ Cup of Scallions

1 can each of:

::Cream of Chicken Soup

::Cream of Celery Soup

::Chicken Alphabet Soup

1 can of water

⅓ Cup of Sour Cream

½ teaspoon of Nutmeg

Saute chicken in butter until cooked through. Remove and saute carrots, celery and scallions. Add the cans of soup. Stir in 1 can of water (or milk if you prefer), sour cream, and nutmeg. Mix well and pour into the hollowed out pumpkin. Add chicken and stir. Top with the pumpkin top. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. Scrape sides of pumpkin while serving.
Makes 8 servings.

"What's For Dinner?"

2011-10-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

First let me say that I'm amazed that after blogging for almost 31 Days straight the fact that I want to even open up a "new post" is a good sign. Second, I'm excited to share with you something "hot off the press" today!

So..."What's For Dinner?"

It's the question that plagues even the most organized of mommies, and the want to be Ree Drummonds of the world! Honestly if you want to be considered "normal" than at some point in your life you will be standing in your kitchen at 5:00 PM, husband due home anytime, kids hitting the "bewitching hour", and no visible plan for what to serve for dinner that night. Well, in her wisdom Kathi has written this book to help you take a few steps in trying to get you out of the every day occurrence of the above scenario!

It is helpful indeed! The other thing that I have personally found to be extremely helpful is M.O.M.S. (Mothers Offering Mothers Support!) Who else understands better than someone in the exact same situation as you? So with that in mind, here's my plan.

Each week I'm going to post for you my menu plan for the next five days. I will include at least one recipe each time I post. (This is at the request of my dear friend Yoly!) If you have a blog and would like to link up to your own recipe sharing please join me. Or, if you have a recipe you would like to share but do not blog please email me the recipe and I'll do what I can to try it and feature it here on the Homemaker In Training!

Coming Tomorrow: Meals for the first week of November!

31 Days: Grandmas Wisdom~ The Best Time

2011-10-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

The day we had lunch with my Grandma for her 90th birthday was when I decided to participate in 31 Days. She shared with me a piece of wisdom. It's these words that she spoke that made me want to write about her life and the reflections that have come over these past 31 days. She said to me more than once....

"Amy, these are the best times of your life; enjoy them!"

Looking back on her life like I have for the past month has shown me the truth of her words. She took great delight in raising her children. Four beautiful little people, two boys, two girls, and a loving husband. They never had a lot of money, but were never in desperation either. They were a family full of love for one another, always looking for the good of others and the betterment of the community around them. God brought them through the good times and the bad times, and though there were seasons that she walked through the "valley of death" I know that God has been with her the entire time gently guiding.

There's a saying goes like this, "Hindsight is 20/20", but no one has ever said that the hindsight needs to be your own! I've always been a fan of learning from the past, not only your own but others as well. So when Grandma encourages me to enjoy these "best times" of my life I plan on doing exactly that.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of my Grandmother's wisdom. I pray you have gleaned much from the sharing of her story.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Remembering

2011-10-28T14:12:00.001-07:00

As we get closer to the end of our 31 Days, I get to the part of writing about Grandma that I enjoy the most. I love it because it's thinking back on my childhood and my memories of Grandma and Grandpa and the farm where they lived. I love them because they're mine. My memories. Not told by another and I have to imagine in the details, but what really happened from my smaller self perspective.
For example, my dad speaks of the tomato fields that used to be across from the farm and how he would sneak the salt shaker and linger in the tomato fields eating ripe from the vine tomatoes. I have no recollection of these things, but I do remember playing hide and seek with my sister. And though the barn was to scary to hide in I did lay under the grape vines hidden by the tall grasses and the vines that grew long. I remember laying there smelling the earth and the sweet smell of grapes. Tiny white grapes, sweet and juicy. I remember forgetting all about hide and seek and just resting and eating. That's what I remember.
I remember Grandma's long painted fingernails and the tap tap tap sound they made on the table as we played family games together. Or how she could shuffle cards like no other, which was amazing to me as a child. Or how she always shook her glass right before taking a drink, clinking the ice around to chill her beverage just a little more on those hot summer days.
These are just a few of my memories of Grandma...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Early Bird

2011-10-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

"The early bird gets the worm."

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise."

Remember these sayings? I've heard them all my life mostly because I really like my bed! My mother would always come in to wake me long before I was due to get up only because it took me so long to actually get out of bed. (My poor mother, I exasperated her!)
This was not the case with my Grandma. Whenever we went to visit them in their little farm house, my sister and I usually slept on the hide-a-bed out in the living room. We knew not to stay up late at their house because come 4:00 AM the next morning both Grandma and Grandpa would be up. Oh, they tried to be quiet but old habits die hard. They would tip toe into the kitchen and flip on the lights streaming light across the foot of our bed. And then I lay there, listening. Grandma made coffee, Grandpa made toast, and they talked as Grandpa read stories from the daily news paper. It was sweet. And though I tried to pretend to be the ever tired teenager who didn't want to be disturbed in the morning, the truth was I enjoyed the routine.
Sometimes when I have to get up early, I think of my Grandma and it makes it just a little bit easier to only hit the snooze button one time!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Persimmons

2011-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

My Mom made persimmon cookies. I can almost smell them baking. A hint of cinnamon, the hearty pulp of the persimmons being mashed in the food processor. Whenever I think of persimmons I always thing of Grandma. There was a great big persimmon tree in the front yard at Grandma's house, and whenever we were there and they were in season we were always given some. I don't know how, but they seemed to be "in season" every time we were there! And Grandma always had an abundance. She gave them away like they were going out of style! I have never really seen or heard of people using persimmons other than my Grandma. I'm sure there are some really great uses for them. But for me, seeing this fruit always takes me back to Grandma's house!

Here's a recipe for persimmon cookies. It's not the exact recipe my Mamma uses, but it is very close.

Ingredients
2 ripe persimmons, pureed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but not nearly as good if you leave them out!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside.
Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside.
Cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and raisins.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Smells like Roses

2011-10-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

The sense of smell is pretty amazing.

Just one whiff of the scent of "rose" and I am transported back to my Grandmother's house where I stand in her bathroom snooping around in her make-up cabinet! I would open up the jar of rose scented hand cream, pink and silky, and I'd smell deeply. Sometimes I fear I sniffed so long I wound up getting some on my nose! I must admit though, I liked it when that happened because it made the smell last longer. I was always nervous about being "caught", even though I know she didn't mind.
I digress. Grandma loves the smell of roses. She even planted a number of varieties in their spacious back yard. Avon and other companies have tried to capture the smell of an actual rose, but there's a difference in the scent that they bottle. Have you noticed? Whenever I smell it, it's that bottled smell that always makes me think of her.

She loves nick knacks, and would collect items like perfume bottles. I specifically remember the ones that she had on a shelf above the toilet. I think a lot of them came from Avon as she was fond of their products. I actually had a lot of fun looking through the images that came up when I typed in "Avon Perfume, Owl" into the search bar! My Grandma had so many of those. She had a three tiered shelf up above the toilet in their bathroom (the only bathroom in their three bedroom home). It was FULL of these perfume bottles. Every shape and size. Some still had perfume in them and I can remember as a child standing on the toilet lid being so very careful to put them back exactly how they were when I found them... (the dust spots let me know where they belonged!) I loved looking at and smelling her collection!

I wonder if she knew how much I loved them, or how fond my memories when I smell the scent of rose. I know this was unintentional on her part, but I'm sure glad that I have these memories from visiting her house. It make me reflective and excited to plan for what I hope my grandchildren remember me by!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Pain

2011-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is by far the hardest post to write in my 31 day series.
It is the unmentionable. It's the taboo topic. It's the darkest time in her life.

She had known pain in her life time, loosing a mother, an abusive step-father, working to put herself through school, fear of dying in childbirth...she was certainly no stranger to heartache.

But I promise you, nothing compares to the pain she experienced the day she found out her daughter had been killed in an automobile accident. Mary was 38, and Grandma was 61, but age truly has nothing to do with it. No matter how old, your children will forever be your baby. Mary's death changed her. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed, the full body chuckle was not so full, and the sorrow was not touched by the alcohol consumed.

The sentiments of all who have dealt with this kind of loss were expressed as my dad and Grandpa went to visit the grave site a year after her passing. My Grandpa, the strong silent type, succumbed to sobbing and uttered these words, "It just isn't supposed to happen this way. The child is not supposed to die before the parent. It is just too much to bear. This type of hurt is just too deep."

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ R & R

2011-10-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

She married a hard working man.
He had a work ethic like none other, and a drive to support his family. This meant that when work was scarce he was working more than one job. Times were tough and when they first arrived in California his brothers and father lived and worked beside him. As his brothers eventually married and moved out, and his own family was rapidly growing, the monthly expenses increased. He continued to work two jobs until about 1958.

Grandpa had retired by the time I came along. But some of my earliest memories of Grandpa come from sitting on his lap in the easy chair asking him about his life. I would ask him about the Rail Road and his job there. I was fascinated that this old wrinkled man had worked so hard to put up and maintain so many miles of rail back in his day. Almost as if asking him to prove that he did it, I would beg him to flex his muscles for me. It never ceased to amaze me how his bicep would swell into this softball sized knot of hard rock muscle! (Almost like Popeye when he ate his spinach).
I loved to hear my dad tell the story of Grandpa on the line. He speaks of how he was surrounded by young men, hot in the California sun taking their shirts off to stay cool and yet in Grandpa's wisdom, he would wear his undershirt, shirt and handkerchief all day. The young men thought him foolish, and would tease him, but he took it all in stride smiling and working beside them, knowing they would understand soon. You see, as the day grew hotter and he would perspire, the breeze would blow cooling the sweat on Grandpa's shirt, and the young men received less relief because their sweat had evaporated in the hot sun. Wisdom gained from experience!
This was the man my Grandma chose to marry. Ever vigilant, providing for family, working hard and living with integrity.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Land

2011-10-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

When anyone says "Grandma and Grandpa's House", I picture the farm. Little yellow house with a small white porch. Cream colored chiffon curtains hanging in the front window, shaded by the giant tree that drops rose bud pine cones in the front yard. Small fish pond and a gravel drive way. This is what comes to my mind. It's the only home I ever knew for them. It looks different now, older, empty, worn down. But when they first moved there it looked even more different than what I remember from growing up.
Situated on three acres of land the farm was a wonderful transition from city life they had known. They'd lived in the city of Stockton since Grandpa got home from the war. They were in a few different houses over those eleven years, but finally when Don hit high school they realized it was not where they wanted to be any more. They moved 15 miles out of town into a two bedroom house. There was a barn, a one car garage, as well as other small buildings for farm animals. I wonder if Grandpa and Grandma felt free again? They both grew up on farms, working the land and enjoying a slower pace of life. I wonder if even three acres felt more like "home" than they'd felt in a long time.
My dad said the place felt large to them; but it's hard to imagine a two bedroom home for six people feeling large! The kids spent that entire first summer exploring their property and the neighborhood around them. Grandpa set to work making many improvements over the years, adding a third bedroom, an over sized two car garage, back patio and laundry room. It was hard work to keep up with the land and the animals that they acquired, but Grandma and Grandpa had never been afraid of hard work and enjoyed the labor of love in maintaining their property.
One of my favorite stories as a kid was hearing my dad tell of some of his first impressions of the house. Want to know what I remember most? I remember my dad telling me that everything in the house was painted either pink or green. The prior owners must have had a preoccupation with the two colors or maybe they got them on sale at the hardware store, because every room was decked out in the pink and green combo! I always laughed when he got to that part of the story.
There were so many memories made in that home. I'm excited to share with you some of them in the coming days.
I believe there are seasons to life. Seasons of sorrow, and pain. Seasons of joy and of laughter. Seasons of toil and seasons of harvest.
I truly believe moving to the farm was a great season for my Grandparents.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Expansion

2011-10-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

So Grandpa came home in November of 1945. They wasted no time in getting back to life as they knew it, and in November of 1946, my dad was born. Two years later they added another daughter. Now a family of six, their life was full, and their family quickly expanding. Grandpa's dad was living with them as well, so their small home in the town of Stockton was quite cozy.
What was life like for her as she raised her four young children? Donny starting school, Mary trying to be the "big girl", Dale toddling about the house, and baby Lois needing a bottle every few hours! She must have been exhausted. And yet, compared to all that she has been through this is such a small trial. She knew this, and took it all in stride.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Homecoming

2011-10-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

November 26, 1945

A day she will never forget.
This is the part of the story that warms me through and through. The war was over, and he was coming home. They dared to hope, and their hope was rewarded. They would exchange dimes at last. His precious baby girl that he last saw at ten days old was now 27 months & Donny, just shy of four years old.
Grandma wasn't going to be alone anymore. The life that they began together would finally settle in to something "normal". Can you feel the anticipation? It's almost tangible to me.
Maybe she met him at a train station, maybe at the bus depot or possibly at an airport nearby. The details are not important... what matters is that he came to her. I would imagine their embrace lasted forever and their kiss could not contain the passion their hearts held. He was home. A decorated war hero. With 6 honors to his name.

::Good Conduct Medal
::World War 2 Victory Medal
::Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal
::Philippine Liberation Ribbon
::Bronze Star
::Lapel Button, given to sharp shooters

Her Wayne. Different, changed by war, but home.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Alone

2011-10-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

I know how I feel when he's gone. And I've been lucky! When he travels for work my husband is only gone for a week at the most. I know others are not so lucky. That's why when I close my eyes and try to picture my Grandma during this time my eyes burn with tears and my heart starts to ache inside of my chest.
Grandpa traveled back to Fort Ord and was deployed to the Pacific immediately, joining another company of men. The letters coming home were sporadic at best. Not because he was not writing, but because they never knew when the mail would actually make it out. Sometimes she would get one letter, other times she would get three or four on the same day. All written days apart, but arriving together. Two children, two and under will keep anyone busy and I'm sure that's what she focused her mind on. But with news of the war raging all around you, how do you not worry? Daily there were lists of men killed in combat, injured soldiers returning home irreparably damaged both mentally and physically.
How many times a day did she reach up and caress the dime hanging from her necklace? When her wedding ring caught on a thread did a lump catch in her throat? When she saw him so clearly reflected in the face of her young son, was it too much for her heart to hold?
Stability and strength. It's what she had to be as she parented alone.

**After reading my post, my Dad sent me an email kindly correcting my misunderstanding of this time. She was indeed not alone, but had her kind and patient Father-In-Law there with her during this time. A man who lost his wife as she gave birth to their seventh child, was certainly understanding and supportive of my Grandma during the time that Grandpa was gone!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Scare

2011-10-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

January, 1944

Blood. Lots of it.
She's hemorrhaging and fear grips her mind. The baby. Donny. Who will take care of them? Wayne, why dear God isn't he here? His company has been quarantined there are Fort Ord, ready to ship out any day. Will her children be orphaned?
She's at the hospital and family calls the Red Cross. They, in turn, speak with his military commander and although his company is prepped for departure, he alone is held back. They go on without him and he travels to her side instead of overseas. Present for the birth of his second child. She is beautiful. A daughter. Mamma is fine, bleeding controlled.
Soaking in every minute of their time together, knowing it won't last long, 10 days in fact. He holds her as she cradles little Mary in her arms, and Donny pulls on his pant leg. She must be strong. Don't beg him to not go. He's a proud man, a man willing to serve his country. Must. Be. Strong.
The courage she had to muster to say the words "goodbye" with a ten day old infant in her arms, the prayers uttered for his safety from the deepest part of her being, the determination to be strong for him. My grandmother was not alone in these.
A generation of courageous and strong woman were being built as their men headed off for war...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Fort Ord

2011-10-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

After enlisting in the United States Army, my Grandpa was sent to Fort Ord for his training. Since they were living in French Camp, California they were lucky that he was only about 140 miles from them. During his time at Fort Ord he was able to get a few weekends off. Grandma was determined to see him and for his son to be with his father as much as possible. I'm sure the emotions were heightened also by the pregnancy hormones of expecting their second child as well. They had a car, so she traded for gas rations every chance she got, saving them for when he had a weekend pass. Sugar? Who needed sugar? Not when there was a husband 140 miles from home about to be deployed!

This picture at Fort Ord is not one of my Grandfather's company,
but was taken around the same time that he was there.

Grandpa was being trained communications. It was his job to connect the radio wires to ensure the communication stayed open between the front lines and the back lines. He was also training to be an artillery spotter within his position. I'm sure he didn't share this information in great detail with my Grandma, for his job (like any job during war time) was a dangerous one. He was paired with a team mate, to work side by side running wires together. They were training around the clock, preparing for the worst. They ate together, slept together, worked together, sweat together, and possibly even worried together. So when his opportunity to leave for the weekend came, I'm sure Grandma and Donny were a sight for sore eyes. How would it be to hold the woman you love not knowing if you were ever going to have the chance to hold her again... This was is life at Fort Ord.
And then I put myself in her shoes. Chasing after a toddler, middle swelling making everything just a little more difficult. When she lay down at night and smelled his lingering scent on the pillow case did she shed a single tear or flood her pillow? The letters coming in the mail frequently, but not frequently enough for the one left behind. As she prepared meals for herself and Donny, did she occasionally forget and set the table for three? Was she packed and ready to go days before it was time to leave to see him? I would have been. It's often times easier for the one who does the going, the one who has a job to occupy their thoughts and actions. But for the one left behind... worry... fear...daily routine...anxiety, swirling in her mind like cream being stirred into coffee. Infusing her life.
But she is strong. She's determined. She perseveres.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Dimes

2011-10-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

It was time.

Grandpa had joined the Army and was being sent to Fort Ord. Little Donny was 18 months and Grandma was pregnant again. I'm sure life was a little bit overwhelming for Grandma. as she thought about him leaving. So when Grandpa made these dimes and placed them in her hands I wonder the emotion that flooded her . His had her birth year. Hers had his birth year. He had drilled holes in them and put an extra link in hers so it would hang nicely on the delicate chain around her neck. His had to be a bit larger in order to fit on the chain with his dog tags. The hope was to exchange them again once he came back. They knew the odds were not in their favor, but they dared to hope, and this was a sign of that hope.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ New Life

2011-10-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

October 9th 1942

A woman cries out, no mother to hold her hand. Sweat, tears, and the mess of birth brings forth the cry of an infant. "It's a boy!" they say. A healthy baby boy. And as she looks into the face of her son, the emotion wells inside. What a time to be born. War was not just among them, it was raging. She sees such hope in this tiny little life, and yet such fear surrounds not just a nation, but now the world. Grandpa's beside her now, and together they marvel at the mystery of this new beginning wondering just what his precious life will hold.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Work

2011-10-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

(This is a continuation of my Grandmother's life story. For more posts about Grandma, click on this link.)

...Life was not easy. They found jobs as they went, traveling from Calexico up to Los Angeles where they visited with family, and then on to the French Camp area outside of Stockton. Trading for gas rations wherever they could, working the fields harvesting crops and barely making ends meet, was daily life for this newly wed couple. It was the summer of 1942 and Grandpa finally got a job working in the ship yard in Stockton, but it still wasn't enough to make ends meet. I imagine the excitement and also a little bit of fear as Grandma realized on their journey north that she was with child. So my Grandpa, the work horse, took up a second job at International Harvester working on the tractor assembly line. Though it was exhausting, they felt lucky for him to have work. They lived in a number of homes from the time they left Oklahoma till they reached Stockton, renting whatever space they could. But I'm sure with her belly swelling with life she was more than ready to start putting down some roots. Determined as ever to make a home for the family she and Grandpa were about to begin.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Tacos

2011-10-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Oklahoma my Grandmother had never had a taco. It wasn't until they lived on the border there in Calexico, California that she tasted her first taco. When she shared this with me again the other day I caught a glimpse of myself in her statement. As she took a bite she thought to herself, "I could make this!" And thus began a life long enjoyment of tacos!

(On a side note, my husband's grandmother had a beautiful fascination with burritos. Any leftovers could be made over into ingredients for a burrito! What a sweet and wonderful woman she was... but that's for another 31 Days!)

My dad and I had a conversation about Grandma's tacos the other day and it was fun to hear him talk about how she made them. As was the norm for back then everything was done full fat! She would cook the shells in oil and then lay them to drain on newspaper. My dad said you couldn't eat one of Grandma's tacos with out that orange grease running down your hands and dripping onto your plate...Mmmm. Now that, my friends is how a taco is done!

Redeemed

2011-10-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

I love that word

Redeemed

In my mind it's such a "churchy" word.

But it's not just about that, (though it is really all about that!)

The dictionary says this:

verb (used with object)

to buy or pay off; clear by payment: to redeem a mortgage.

to buy back, as after a tax sale or a mortgage foreclosure.

to recover (something pledged or mortgaged) by payment orother satisfaction: to redeem a pawned watch.

to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, etc.) for money or goods.

Redeemed

Bought back,

to be used for its original purpose

You read about it back in August of last year. Our Ugly.

The debt that was holding us down.

The journey that seems so long.

...And though we are not done...

We are a lot closer than we were.

And slowly things are being redeemed.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ California Bound

2011-10-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of a series in the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

It's January of 1942 and the newlyweds begin the long trip to sunny California. I know the thought crossed her mind at least once or twice, "What was I thinking?" You see, it wasn't just her and her husband in the car out for a Sunday drive now. It was a new father-in-law, and three brothers-in-law, her and her groom all piled into the Chevy for days upon days. Not like road trips of today, it took them a long time as they would drive town to town, working as needed to earn money for food, gasoline, and shelter. The second World War was in full force and rations were scarce, gasoline and rubber two of the resources they needed most in their journey, were at a premium.
Though they knew it would not be their final destination the family stopped in Calexico, California to work and save up money to continue on. The men were able to get shift work at a factory there. Grandma knew it was a blessing that they were able to find jobs. And though it meant them all taking turns sleeping in their one bed, she was grateful.

A problem arose however when she realized that she didn't have a clock to wake them up for their next shift. Any and all metal was being used for the war and clocks were not allowed. What to do? It was during one of their trips into Mexico that the solution presented itself. While shopping across the border they happened upon a clock! Knowing it would be confiscated if they tried to bring it home, Grandpa turned off the alarm and fastened it to the bottom of the car!
Thanks to his creative thinking they made it over the border and to work on time!

I'm Weird...

2011-10-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm weird, and I know it. In fact, I don't just know it I'm okay with it. I'm the youngest of four kids and being the baby has certain attributes. A weird sense of humor is one of those.

Today I was craving chocolate. Bad. But didn't have flour to make cookies, or brownies or any of my regular "go to's" for such times. So I made this...

Poop

This is what it looks like in the grass

See? I'm so weird!

I mixed together some marshmallows, chocolate chips and peanut butter and melted it together in the microwave. As I was stirring I thought to myself, "Ew, this looks like poop." And then I got the giggles. I just had to try it! Sure enough, it molds like play dough, and worked just fine for making fake "piles".
My oldest got in on the fun, and here's her playing a trick on her sister!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Wedding Bells

2011-10-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

Oh how I wish I had my Grandma and Grandpa's wedding picture! I'm sure it's buried in a box somewhere a midst the many treasures of her past. I don't ever recall seeing it though, even when she and Grandpa were still at the old farm. I remember lots of other pictures in the hall way and displayed throughout their home. (but I suppose when you've been married as long as they were you have plenty of other pictures to display!)

They dated for less than a year. When the time came to move from Oklahoma, Grandma was either in or she was out. She opted for the adventure and tied the knot with Grandpa.
The wedding was not a large affair, but it was certainly a celebration.

On December 20th 1941 they said I do.

She was 19 years young and he was only 25. They had a number of young friends that were dedicated to making their wedding day something to remember! As was the custom back then, after the wedding was over but before they could go to the reception their friends separated them on the grounds of "Charivari" or better known as Shivaree! They took them to separate locations and made them play silly games, and pulled pranks on them (one of those being the removal of labels from their canned goods!) When the fun and games had ended or rather, when Grandma and Grandpa had finally had enough, Grandpa was made to push Grandma in a wheel barrow back to the reception! All in good fun, these memories made for many laughs in years to come.
I asked Grandma one time if she was angry that they had taken the labels off of her food supply.(after all, times were tough and canned foods were not cheap.)
She simply answered, "Nah, it just made dinner that much more fun! Every night was a surprise. Didn't know if you were gonna get green beans with dinner or peaches!"

...That's my Grandma for you...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Proposal

2011-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

My Grandpa was a wonderful man. Strong, determined to always do the right thing, work ethic like none other, logical, direct, and fiercely loyal. I could make a list of all the wonderful things I love about my Grandpa, and you would tire of reading the lengthy list. But for all his wonderful traits, I will say this: he wasn't very romantic.

He'd dated Grandma for a few months, and things were going well. His family had decided that it was time to move west. The Dust Bowl was moving many families, and the Coate's were among them. Grandpa, and his dad as well as his three brothers were making preparations to drive to California.

Not one to mince his words, this is how he proposed to my Grandma...

"Well, I'm moving to California. Are you coming with me?"

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Sweet hearts

2011-10-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

She and Roy had dated a few times.
He had a brother...and she had a friend. They thought it only reasonable to arrange a double date.
A picnic, a country drive in the old Chevy, Cokes, burgers, maybe a movie at the cinema or a drive in movie, any of those could have been the scenario for this blind date. I picture grandma and her girlfriend getting ready. Curls, high heels, and lots of laughs.

The theater near their home (built in 1927)

The boys pull up in the car and butterflies tickle tummies. Introductions are made and the date follows, but over the course of the evening the sparks don't fly between the set up blind date. Grandma's friend didn't make a love connection with young Wayne. And though Grandma and Roy and gone before, there was a smolder burning with someone else. You see she left that night with Roy, but when she came back she was with Wayne. To hear her tell it, they "switched partners"! Wayne, handsome, hard working, muscles as hard as rocks Wayne. I don't know if Roy was too distracted by Grandma's friend to even take notice of the fact that his girl had her eyes trained on his brother, but that's how I picture it. Two couples each sitting side by side, but making eye contact across the table wondering how this would all play out! Oh to have seen the events of that evening take place!
Here is what I know and have gleaned from hearing that story over and over. That night, my Grandma met an amazing man. They fancied one another something fierce, and then they held on for the ride. Life would take Grandma and Grandpa on an amazing adventure, and they went on that journey from that day forward together. I'm excited to share with you where life took them over the next few years...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Accomplishment

2011-10-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

(to read with music playing feel free to press play on the widget below!)

May 22nd 1941

She walked across a stage while others looked on.

There's no way to fathom the pride that welled up inside of her as she was handed her high school diploma and shook hands with the man who placed it in her possession. No way to know the people that ran through her mind, who was in the crowd or who she made eye contact with when she felt nervous. No way to know the lasting impact this day would have on her.

But I do know this. In her day and time she was a minority. To stick to it and graduate from high school was not as common as it is today. The odds were stacked against her from the beginning and my Grandma pushed through. She scoffed at the idea of not graduating. She is an over-comer.

At my graduation she cried. I didn't know why until later she and I had a moment to talk. She hugged me tight, and in spite of the crowded hustle and bustle all around us she spoke this to me,

"I am so proud of you and all my grandchildren. You are my grand~baby, and you are the last of my 13 to graduate. I graduated from high school you know, and now I'm so proud that I've lived long enough to see all 13 of my grand~babies graduate too."

There it is... did you catch it?

Legacy

That is why she worked so hard to graduate from high school, to leave a lasting legacy. One that she knew would begin with her!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Embraced

2011-10-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

Mamma is gone.

The depth of sorrow, the mourning of a child, the injustice of death.

These are the things we ponder and yet what can be done?

Life continues on

...the farm still has to be worked, the laundry done,

meals prepared, big brothers to care for, school to be attended...

Strength. Where hers came from I'm unsure. Maybe it was her uncertain beginning, that carried her through. Maybe it was sheer determination of her own will (the baby of the family often times carries that trait). All I know is that the woman I call my Grandma found the desire deep down inside her to not give up despite the odds.

Step-father re-marries wedging her into a "Cinderella" situation.

Older brothers, bruised and angry find ways to make it on their own.

And the young woman is left alone.

Where to go? What to do?

Who to trust?

The kindness of strangers. (Believers? I would imagine so) They open their homes and their hearts wide. In town, near the school, women so sweet and loving she eventually started calling one "Mom Kersey". This was no short term solution, this was an adoption without the legalities. For about seven years my Grandmother was in their homes. She wanted to earn her keep, so she cleaned house for them and others to pay for room and board. Why? Because she wanted to go to school. She wanted education. She wanted a future.

Determination. Strength. Hard Work. These are the words that describe the next phase in my Grandma's life. One that should not be overlooked, but embraced just as she was!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Nothing

2011-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

October 29th, 1929

It's called Black Tuesday. My Grandma was eight years old, and her mother was ill. I don't think anyone could have predicted what that day would do to America, or the entire world for that matter. It's a period of time that has always fascinated me. To have virtually nothing, to live not from paycheck to paycheck, but from day to day, not knowing if you could find work or food, or even see the next day.
Growing up we had a coffee table book about the Great Depression. In it were articles written by and about families who lived through this time and the little things they did out of necessity. For example, one of my favorite articles was about a woman who spoke of how she saved her bed sheets. When they were worn out in the middle from sleeping on them for so long, she would cut right up the middle where it was thread bare then sew the two edges together in the middle putting the thread bare portion on the sides therefore lengthening the life of the sheet. A brilliant solution to a very real problem. Another article spoke of the origins of biscuits and gravy as a staple meal.
Often times we would be sitting around the dining room table eating dinner together and I would share one of the stories I had read in that book. I remember more than once my dad saying to me, "Your Grandparents lived through those times. Those stories are their stories."
As I'm writing these tales from my Grandmother's life I'm reminded of the abundance of what we have today, and I am grateful.
The stories of our Nation are also stories for each and every family living in America today. What happened that day effected the World and should not go without notice.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Wash Day

2011-10-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

I know my Grandma didn't have a lot of money. I think it's why she took great pride in the few nice things they owned. One of those things just happened to be a glass washboard.
When I asked her to try and recall the first washing machine she ever used, she just shook her head... not recalling the detail. (I wish I could have seen her face the first time she saw one though! Imagine a machine doing the work of washing your clothes for you.) She did however mention once again that they were lucky enough to own a glass washboard...

"You know, they didn't tear your clothes up the way those metal ones did"
she says to me.

It makes me reflective of my own wash day habits as compared to Grandma's childhood chores. I've written many posts about laundry. I call it "The Hamster Wheel" because it seems to never end. As a homemaker it's one of the tasks that seems to always be calling my name. I grumble and complain about "mount laundry", but I can do an exorbitant amount of laundry in a relatively short amount of time. I not only have a machine to do my washing for me, but a dryer to make them all fluffy, warm and (if I get them out fast enough) somewhat unwrinkled! When I let myself dwell on it, I picture my Grandma's wash day something like this:

She steps out onto the front porch early Saturday morning. The day is warm, but the Oklahoma breeze is already moving the grasses. Laundry calls her name and the muscles in her back tighten in response. It's wash day. The wash tub needs to be filled and so she puts on water to boil. Separating the whites from the colors, then separating the dirtiest from the not so quite as dirty. Grabbing the soap and the large basin she heads out to the well. Then she takes another trip to get the second basin for the rinsing, and the washboard. Checks the line to make sure it's tight. Pulls apron overhead, pockets heavy with clothes pins. One by one she dips items into sudsy water, the weight of it doubling in her hands...Rad-da-da, rad-da-da, rad-da-da... up and down up and down, one by one, piece by piece, pausing only to rinse, ring, hang, and repeat. The tedium, the ache in her back, the soreness in her strong tanned arms. (I wonder if she would have hummed a tune not unlike Cinderella scrubbing the floors) Wash, rinse, ring, hang. Work pants caked with dirt. Wash, rinse, ring, hang. Socks sweaty from worn boots. Wash, rinse, ring, hang. Undergarments filthy. Wash, rinse, ring, hang. Shirts stiff from being worn over and over all week. Wash, rinse, ring, hang. And at last she empties the water from the tub for the last time that day. Wind has done it's job. Sun has baked clothes crisp. Clothespins removed and replaced in apron pockets ready for their job next time. Piles of clothes, bedding, and undergarments piled high ready to be ironed smooth and used again this week. She looks up at the sky and sees a brightly pained pink silhouetting the clouds...

Oh how different her experience must have been from my own... may I never forget and my words reflect my gratitude!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Tragedy

2011-10-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

There are times when I wish I could travel through time. Not to change it, but just to observe. I often feel that way about witnessing things that have happened in my family history. Ever since I was a little girl I've loved hearing stories at the knee of whomever would share them with me. Though fairy tales were fun, I was more interested in stories that were real. Stories from people's lives. Maybe it's the pure raw emotion you sense when someone is sharing with you from their own past. I can remember as a young child sitting in Grandma & Grandpa's house snuggled up on a lap or sitting at the kitchen table and asking them to "tell me about when you were a little kid." Most of the time my requests were met with excuses about 'nothing interesting to share', or 'being so old they didn't remember'. But every once in a while I would get a gem. A story that opened up a piece of their former self to my awareness. I loved those times. What I wouldn't give to have had a tape recorder or video camera for the times that I was not met with resistance.

I don't know much about the next few years in my Grandmother's life. She's always been very quiet about it. When as a child I would ask probing questions I would get "the look" from one of my parents, or Grandma would change the subject. Some stories are too painful to discuss, and though young hearts want to hear them old hearts don't want to relive them.

She talks about a step-father. That he became "Dad", and that they lived on a farm. Plenty to do and lots of responsibilities even for a young girl. She speaks of having a "plunger" to do the wash with. A large washing tub, with a lid that had a hole. The "plunger" would work much like a butter churn but would wash the clothes instead of make butter! She speaks of hanging the clothes to dry in the hot Oklahoma sun. She speaks of a loving Grandma (mother of her Step Father) that cared for and loved her.

But she doesn't speak often about the big "C". Cancer. And how it made her mother ill. She doesn't like to speak of how she at the age of eight was caregiver to this woman. The same woman who lovingly took care of her, tiny and premature, but was then wasting away inside. She mentions with great hesitation how she could help her mother from the bed to the bathroom, but when it was time to move her back she would have to go out on the porch and wave a white tea towel until her father or one of her older brothers would see to come help put her back to bed. These are the stories that come slower, that bring tears.

But these are the stories that shaped my Grandma. From tiny fighting infant, to eight year old strength. And though they may be hard to speak, they teach us so much about who she is, and how she will handle all that is to come...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Model T

2011-10-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

My Grandma sometimes says "You wouldn't believe the things I've seen in my lifetime!" And she's absolutely right. Born in 1921 my Grandma has seen 15 United State's Presidents. She's seen telephones go from being a novelty, to a party line, to rotary, to touch tone, to cordless, to now most everyone has a device in their pocket that is not just a phone, but a computer as well! Can you even imagine?

I love to hear my Grandmother tell me the story of her first car ride. I've heard the story probably a dozen times, but whenever she starts this particular narrative she has my full attention!

(creative liberty taken with details my Grandma didn't include!)

It was a typical day, nothing out of the ordinary. A school day. Morning chores finished, lunch pail packed and the wagon loaded with three children headed for the school. I imagine the snort of the horse, the dust stirred by the wheels on the wagon, and the smile the crept across Grandma's little face as her older brother heard the sound of the car. A model T. Maybe he heard it a little ways out, maybe not. But being all boy, he lifted the reigns and gave the horse a bit more encouragement. Glancing over his shoulder he took note of how far behind the car was. Certainly his horse was faster than that contraption of a car! Besides he was not going to be bested by a teacher who was a young woman! Faster the horse pulled the buggy, faster the car gained its speed, approaching steadily. And as happens when haste is pursued over safety, the little horse and wagon ran off the road and into the ditch!
The teacher kindly stopped and picked up Grandma and her brother escorting them to school in her Model T, while the eldest fixed the wheel and possibly dusted off his pride!

At this, my Grandma always chuckles. And when I say chuckle, I mean it literally. I love to watch her laugh because it's a full body experience! She's always bounced her shoulders and patted her leg when something really tickles her and it warms me through to see her still get a laugh out of a story that took place oh so long ago!

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Carnival

2011-10-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

Do you remember the first time you ever went to a carnival? Just saying the word brings to mind smells that make my mouth water.
Now imagine that it's 1926... and your mom takes you to the carnival. You are five, or maybe six years old. There's a large Ferris Wheel, games, prizes, and food. Can you sense the anticipation and excitement? Then comes the best part... you have the entire day to do whatever you would like. If you want to ride the rides, you do. No ticket needed. If you want to eat some food, you do. No money needed. You want to play a game? No problem, "step right up!" A child's dream come true!

It's no wonder to me that this is a memory that has cemented itself into Grandma's mind. The time surrounding it is all very fuzzy for her. But this day, this day was one to be remembered. She doesn't remember if her mother worked for the carnival for a single day, or if she traveled with them for many days. But the particular day that stands out in her memory is the one where she made a little friend. A boy close in age to her. They played together that day, riding rides, winning games, filling bellies while their mothers were away working. A different time and age? Certainly. But more than that... 85 years later it still brings a smile to her face!

Join the hundreds of others who are taking this 31 Day journey...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Birth

2011-10-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

This post is a part of the 31 Day challenge, to see more of these posts click on THIS link!

(creative liberty taken with details Grandma couldn't remember!)

The year is 1921. A homestead in Oklahoma. The pains of childbirth seize her body and fear seizes her mind. It can't be. No. It's too soon. This baby can't come yet. It won't survive! And yet, the contractions continue signaling the pending birth of this, her third child. I wonder if prayers were uttered, who was called, and who was sent away. Womb empties and the tiny frail child gives a barely audible cry. I can only imagine the thoughts that pass through her mind as she gazes upon her little girl. A daughter. Mother of two boys looks lovingly upon her, covered in vernix, struggling for each breath. I wonder if in those moments they shared if she dared to let herself hope, to dream, of all the things they might experience together as mother and daughter. Her own mother, a strong Cherokee woman quickly stokes the fire in the wood stove and wraps the premature infant. She glances around the room and quickly empties a crate of its contents. Cushioned by blankets that were being prepared for a new babe now used for a purpose not originally imagined. Carefully opening the oven door, she places babe in front of the warmth.

"That was my incubator." Grandma says with a smile.

Incubator. I wonder if they even knew the term in relationship to human babies? I'll never know exactly how those first moments of my Grandmothers life really transpired, but I sometimes think about that day. The day she came into the world and despite the odds, lived. This is a part of my story. A fighter from the very beginning, and a Creator with a plan.

It's an important part of me sharing with you the wisdom of my Grandma.

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom

2011-10-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is her with my firstborn

My Grandma

She turns 90 next week, so my kids and I drove down to take her a birthday cake and celebrate with her today. As she spoke I realized what I needed to do. I needed to share her wisdom; her story.

You see, my Grandma in many ways is just like any other 90 year old woman. She is foggy on details and has a hard time getting around these days. But unlike other 90 year old women she has shared with me over the years stories that she loves to tell over and over. Some of them sweet, some of them sad, others are funny and others that show the great wisdom that only comes from living through what she has lived through.

So my prayer is that over the next 31 days, in the month of her birth, I will be able to share with you some of my Grandma's Wisdom. Stories that she loves to share. Will you join me?

Busy...and some ramblings!

2011-09-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

How does this happen? How do our lives get so full?
On days like today it seems like only good intentions to scale back and learn to say no to things that are constantly popping up. Because even though I'm not as busy as I once was I still don't have time for the things that I want to do.
For example, this space... I love writing and I love sharing here. Each day as I learn something new I think to myself, "That would be a wonderful lesson to share on my blog." And yet... here it sits... empty, or rather not empty but old. Stale. (Don't you wish that sometimes you could hook your computer up to your brain and just "think" your blog posts into being?)
I often think about other bloggers that regularly update their blogs with great sources of information, helpful tips, decorating ideas, recipes, and all sorts of other tidbits of information. Most are moms just like me, some of them real writers with published works, a few of them home schooling moms, or at times minister's wives also. How do they do it? Are they just more organized? I think they just don't sleep. They must require less sleep, or have supernatural powers. I can't imagine the planning and time it takes to stay up with each type of "social media" they must not require much sleep. I mean really, who can keep a blog rolling, stay in touch with Face Book, Twitter, Instagram, and Google +? (and I'm sure I'm forgetting some others as well!)
I just recently went through my email inbox (that had over 250 emails in it) and "unsubscribed" to the busy. The ads that I will never get around to looking at, the subscriptions to websites that I don't really care about, and the random mail lists that I somehow became a part of. Since then I've had three emails in my inbox and it feels good. Clean. Fresh. Simple.
When Jesus was on this earth he spent a lot of his time in cycles. He began these cycles with rest. Not just a nap, but genuine rest. Rest in Him. This was often followed by a time of teaching (either to his disciples, his "followers", or the multitudes that came to him). If there were miracles to be done along the way, so be it, but most of his time was spent doing those two things; resting and teaching. Simplicity.
How can we simplify our lives? How can we do all the things that seem to be calling at us from every direction and yet still give honor to Him in the simplicity? It's something I will be pondering in the next few weeks. Praying and pondering. Maybe He will bring some clarity. If so, I promise to share okay?

Children's Book Monday

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

I can't pass up free books.

It's just a fact.

If I'm walking past something that says "free" I'm going to stop and take a look. Most of the time I don't just look, I snag. I can't help it, it's my mother in me!

Sometimes getting something for free is not all that it's cracked up to be. This time however I'm so very glad I stopped, looked and snagged!

Today's selection was published around 1950. I was drawn to it because of the simplicity of it's cover, but when I opened it's pages that's when the magic happened...the illustrations are captivating!

Lost In The Zoo by Berta and Elmer Hader

A simple story of a boy, John Henry, who happens to get separated from his older sister on their way into the zoo. (Side note: I love little nuances like explaining to my children about such things as phone booths!) Of course the search for her brother takes her through each part of the zoo. Each animal depicted is breathtaking and though I've read hundreds of books to my children about zoo animals, none has kept their attention quite like this one. We were all excited to turn the page to see the next illustration, while at the same time wanting to linger on each page that we turned!

As they work their way through the zoo, I found the kids getting more and more anxious. Their concern over the fictitious character was heartwarming. When the police get in on the search for the "missing boy" and crowds start to murmurer, John Henry himself decides that he is going to help search for the lost little boy!
Such a delight is this 1950 treasure!

M.I.A.

2011-08-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've been absent for far too long.

Sadly I will be so for another couple of weeks... at least until this event is over!

(When I come back I promise I'll have some gems for you!)

I'm spending most of my free time these days preparing for it.

If you are local, please come on out and enjoy a fun family day at the park!

::August 15th::

2011-08-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

School starts in four days.

I can hardly believe that schools is going to start on Monday! It seems like last week I was overjoyed with finishing my first year of homeschooling, and here we are ready to begin again!

I'm so very excited about our curriculum choices this year (especially this one!) and feel excitement over beginning our routine once again.

I thrive on routine. I think the kids do too.

I pray that this routine will give way to more and better writing here in my space.

I pray that it inspires me to learn lessons and share them.

I pray that it helps mold me and shape me and remind me of the discipline needed for right living.

I pray that it gives me the time to change.

Maybe it will for you too?

To Paint or Not to Paint? That is the question!

2011-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson:

Painting projects are ALWAYS bigger than you anticipate, but can often times be worth the time and trouble!

The other night we took a family walk after dinner. We were less than one block from home when I noticed a small dresser on the sidewalk with a "free" sign on it. Sometimes I see things like this and I'm tempted to pick them up just because they are free, but with this one it was different. I wanted to pick it up because not only was it free but it looked like something that the Nester would change into something brilliant. I wanted to see if I was up to the challenge as well!

Unfortunately I didn't get a very good "before" picture. The entire thing was painted a very pale mint green. It was cute. I thought about just distressing it a bit and calling it good, but then I pictured it a robin's egg blue and knew that I had to somehow find a way to get it into my kitchen! I loved the handles, the simplicity and the old fashioned feel of the piece. The drawers are not deep, but for the size of the dresser I knew it would be able to hold a lot...

The project in and of itself was not as complicated as I would have though. Unfortunately the fact that I had two little artists who also wanted to paint which lead to me stopping every 15 minutes to tend to their needs extended the project time line for me! However they had so much fun painting together that I'm glad I said yes rather than jumping to my typical "no" answer.

All things considered it didn't take me a long time which as partcially due to the beautiful California sun drying my paint within minutes after applying it! And for the first time every I finally picked out the perfect paint color on the first try!

I initially began sanding it and decided it was too much work, so instead I sprayed a primer that I already had on hand over the entire thing. Then I spray painted the handles "Antique White". I was able to purchase a sample can of the color I needed from Lowe's for only $2.95! (It's supposed to cover a 4'x4' area, so I figured it could do this little dresser). So for less than three dollars, I took a fairly drab piece and turned it into this ----->

Hmmm, next project? The dining room hutch?

Productivity

2011-06-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a productive day... I can just feel it.

Oops, hang on a sec. I forgot to water my garden!

Okay, I'm back. Where was I? Right. Productive. Yep, it's going to be a great day full of writing, getting things done around the house, painting my "freebie find", making homemade pesto and so many other great things today.

I'm sorry, excuse me a second.
"Noraa.... stop sassing your brother! Sammy, be sweet please. Let's treat each other with respect okay?"

Here I am. What was I saying? Yes, productivity! It's just going to be one of those days where everything falls into place. You know the days where you don't forget about the laundry....

Laundry? Wait. Oh man, I think I left a load in the washer last night. Oh drat, I bet it smells by now. I'd better go check and run it again. BRB.

Got it. Okay so back to business. I found this article on Productivity. I thought I would share some of the tips that I thought were applicable to me as a homemaker. The article lists the 33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity. However, for time's sake I'm going to focus in on the ten that I find most useful. (For the full list click on the highlighted link above.)

(20 minutes later after getting the kids settled in the back yard)

Peak times. Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and schedule your most important tasks for those times. Work on minor tasks during your non-peak times.
For me, morning is a peak time as far as getting "busy" tasks done. Errands to be run, chores finished etc. The kids are still well rested and can focus enough for me to get a few things done.

Timeboxing. Give yourself a fixed time period, like 30 minutes, to make a dent in a task. Don’t worry about how far you get. Just put in the time. See Timeboxing for more.
I like this idea because it doesn't take a huge commitment. 30 minutes is about all I can give anything these days, so giving myself permission to stop at 30 minutes rather than feeling bad that I didn't complete the task makes things a bit more "do-able" for me!

Glittering prizes. Give yourself frequent rewards for achievement. See a movie, book a professional massage, or spend a day at an amusement park.
Okay, so my "prizes" are a bit more simple than his suggestions, but I like the idea of rewards.
My favorite iced tea, 30 minutes to myself to read during nap time, a trip to the library by myself, a piece of dove chocolate, (I'll even let myself get on Facebook after completing a few loads of laundry!) are just a few of the prizes I like to set aside for myself.

Slice and dice. Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks. Focus on completing just one of those tasks.
I use this one a lot. For example; when I'm doing laundry I list it as four separate tasks. Wash. Dry. Fold. Put Away. This way it doesn't seem as overwhelming and I get to check four things off my list instead of one!

Delegate. Convince someone else to do it for you.
Ah, the old Tom Sawyer trick! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Somehow bragging about "getting to clean my toilets today..." at MOPS just doesn't have the same effect! I thought it was cute though, so I added it in. I have however used this with my children... I can't tell you how many times the preliminary mopping has been done by two little girls with wash rags singing Cinderella's "Sing Sweet Nightingale"!

("Mom, can you help this?" That's my sweet son's way of asking for help. How can I say no to that? Time to lay on the floor and help him put together the Diego puzzle.)

Optimization. Identify the processes you use most often, and write them down step-by-step. Refactor them on paper for greater efficiency. Then implement and test your improved processes. Sometimes we just can’t see what’s right in front of us until we examine it under a microscope.
I can't tell you how many times I've come up with a great idea, or heard of a way to do something efficiently and then promptly forgotten it! I now keep what I call "The Book of Ideas", a three ring binder that I put these types of things in. I have binder paper in it, as well as article I rip out of magazines or print off the internet on how to do things. I go through it periodically to review and add to the binder.

Nuke it! The most efficient way to get through a task is to delete it. If it doesn’t need to be done, get it off your to do list.
I LOVE THIS. I can't tell you how many times I make a list of things to do and I put an impossible amount on my list. It's silly. I saw a method in THIS book that I really like and have been making my lists this way for a while now. (She suggests sorting your list into quarters, To Do, Projects, Tasks, and Misc.)

Worst first. To defeat procrastination learn to tackle your most unpleasant task first thing in the morning instead of delaying it until later in the day. This small victory will set the tone for a very productive day.
Yep, it's just like eating vegetables!

(ooo, vegetables, that sound soooo good. Why am I so hungry? Oh yeah, I forgot to eat breakfast... better fix myself something really quick. 20 minutes later...!)

Peak times. Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and schedule your most important tasks for those times. Work on minor tasks during your non-peak times.
Nap time. Need I say more?

No-comm zones. Allocate uninterruptible blocks of time for solo work where you must concentrate. Schedule light, interruptible tasks for your open-comm periods and more challenging projects for your no-comm periods.
This is so hard for me. I hate being "unplugged". But sometimes it's neccesary in order to get things done. No phone, no computer, no communication with the outside world even if it's just for an hour.

(Best friend just called, after a wonderful 40 minute conversation... I'm back to the desk!)

Batching. Batch similar tasks like phone calls or errands into a single chunk, and knock them off in a single session.
This is a great idea if you can do it. As a multi-tasking Mom it's hard to accomplish them all at once, but I like the idea of just pounding it out and getting all the similar tasks done at once.

So there you have it friends... the top ten of the list! And it only took me three hours to write this post. Yep, it's going
to be a productive day, I can feel it!

Thwarted

2011-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Life is funny.

You never really know what's coming. You can plan, dream, anticipate, but what's waiting for you at the end of the tunnel is unknown. If I said it wasn't frustrating I'd be telling a big fat lie. If I said that the "adventure" of it all is what keeps life interesting, I'd be telling you a half truth. If I told you that the only thing that's constant and trustworthy in this crazy road called life is God, I'd be telling you the entire truth of the matter but I'm afraid it would sound like a cliche.
This year was supposed to be a year of change. Saying "No", so that we can eventually say "Yes" to so much more. Not only does the year seem to be going particularly fast, but as we rounded the half way mark there were obstacles in the way that we were not anticipating. How can you? You budget and plan and do your best, but Life just happens! And even though we are doing well, removing as many rocks from our path as possible I wonder if we will ever see that light at the end of our tunnel.

That's when I remember...I remember the cliche. He is constant. He is trustworthy. No matter what Life throws my way I can weather it because I have Him.

Deep Breath.

So I cinch the budget belt just a little bit tighter and get creative with our menus for a few months knowing that in the grand scheme of things it's not such a big deal.

Breath in, Breath out.

I keep on, keeping on; making meals, changing diapers, cleaning house, bathing children, watering the garden, walk to church, fellowship, love, smile.

Listen.

I close my eyes and the lyrics wash over me like a refreshing rain, especially when she sings them!

"In the middle of my little mess I forget how big I'm blessed."

And they ring so true...because we'll get there. Eventually.

Sharing Secrets

2011-06-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, secrets are no longer secrets if you've shared them! However I just can't keep these kinds of "secrets" to myself! As a fellow wife, mother and homemaker I'm sure you agree that anything that can make our jobs easier is something worth sharing.

So today I want to share with you one of my favorite dessert recipes. It originally came from a friend of mine named Sarah. (she blogs about her philosophy of schooling on her website here.)

I made it one summer day while my husband was taking a nap. He came out of the room saying "What smells so good out here?" When I responded with Key Lime Pie, he literally laughed out loud. (For some reason it amuses him when I get the whim to make something from scratch!) I'd had a few limes that were not going to be used for their original intent, so I decided to try this recipe. He took one bite of the finished product and declared,

"This is it. When you ask me what dessert I want for my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anything else, I want this!"

Light Key Lime Pie

from Sarah Lightfoot (Amy's Adaptations in green!)

3 Limes

14 oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I use regular, not fat free)

3 egg whites

1 drop green food coloring (I omit the food coloring all together)

3 drops yellow food coloring

6 oz. prepared graham cracker crust (I make my own crust)

12 oz. reduced fat whipped topping (I use regular for this too!)

::In a bowl, grate 2 teaspoons of zest. Squeeze 1/2 cup lime juice from the limes.

::Beat in condensed milk, egg whites and food coloring until fluffy, but not stiff. Pour into crust.

::Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set.

::Cool completely, and then spread with topping to serve.

Fantastic Finds

2011-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Some blogger aquaintances of mine host a Stitch Swap here in Sacramento twice anually. I look forward to each and every one. This year did not dissapoint! Keep in touch with Ashley Gadd and Liz Franco to learn more information as the event comes around again in the fall!

Here are some of the great finds I snagged this spring!

Absent

2011-06-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is always like this.

School lets out and we get busy. That's just how it tends to go in the home of a youth minister! Whoever coined the phrase "the lazy days of summer" was first of all not married to a youth minister and was certainly not referring to an adult!

I think back to my summer days as a kid and they were glorious...

no school, fewer clothes to wear, sprinklers to run in, plastic wading pools to fill with the hose, metal slides that were too hot to touch, melty fudgesicles dripping down my hands, hand cranking the windows down as I was climbing into a HOT car that had been parked for a while, sweaty legs sticking to vinyl seats, picking fresh produce from the garden, shucking corn, swim team practice twice a day, swim meets on the weekends, (and a bucket of KFC to go with that!), climbing "my tree" to kick back and relax, camping trips with family and friends, church BBQ's in our back yard, fireworks, parades, long car trips to see family, floating the river,... the list goes on and on.

(This is me and my daughter in front of the house I grew up in!)

These are the kinds of memories I want my kids to have too. I want the "lazy days of summer" to ring true to them even in the midst of camps, teenagers, and what sometimes seems to me like chaos. I want them to smell sunscreen and be transported back to their days as a kid when mom made smoothie popsicles, and they ran in the sprinklers till they shivered! I'm sure with four kids my mother was more than frazzled on many occasions, but I never knew it. All I knew were the "lazy days of summer", the care free, pure love of simplicity.

So even though summer is always like this and being in youth ministry makes it busier, my goal is to make our summer feel like "home" too. A place where my kids can come back to in their memories and dwell for a while!

For Dads

2011-06-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Father's Day

I have something I think you'll love!

This year get your coffee drinking dad a tie!

A tie coffee cozy that is...

Made from real ties so they are insulated, these "Father's Day Cozies" are perfect for that resourceful coffee drinking guy in your life. With only 9 patterns to choose from, you may want to email me quickly with your choice! (spergerswoman@gmail.com)

:: They are only $10 each ::

shipping is free

Just send me your address and it will be in the mail in time for Father's Day!

Baking Secret Revealed

2011-05-21T03:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for some sort of tricks and tips to take my normal everyday recipes from so-so to Sensational!
Well recently I was told a trick to do just that to any chocolate chip cookie recipe! It's too good to keep to myself, so I thought I would fill you in... ready?

Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

Yep, that's it! Just add about 1/4-1/2 cup of instant vanilla pudding mix to your regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and they will turn out softer, sweeter and plumper than you've ever seen your cookies be before! Amazing! And the bonus? One package will do about three batches of cookies so you can just keep it in a ziplock in the cupboard to use when needed!

Playgroup Granola Bars

2011-05-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Facebook is my "test run". When I put a picture of something that I've made on Facebook, if I get a lot of requests for the recipe I know that it's worthy to post on my blog!I'm sure that many of you already make your own granola bars and maybe you have a recipe to share with me, (if so please post a link in the comments section!) but today's post is the story of evolution!
Recipies are like anything else, they are made to be "tweaked" to fit the individual. I have found this to be especially true of my granola bar recipie. I first came across it just looking online for a healthier and less expensive alternative to buying granola bars as snacks for my kids. I found this recipe for Playgroup Granola Bars. It has since become my "base" for the various granola bars that come out of my oven.

This picture is of the bars I made today. They are by far the biggest hit. I was hoping to make a bar that my daughter Noraa would eat. She doesn't like nuts and loves oatmeal, but won't eat it in cookies or bars. So here are the tweaks that I made today...

2 cups rolled oats (I put these in the food processor and made them much smaller)
~~3/4 cup packed brown sugar~~
1/2 cup wheat germ (& 1/2 cup of ground flax seed)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup ~~all-purpose~~ flour whole wheat
3/4 cup ~~raisins~~ (optional) cran-strawberries
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil (&1/2 cup apple butter)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
chocolate chips
chocolate drizzle (1/2 cup chips & a 1/2 t. of crisco)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

(Nutritional Information for orginal recipe only)

Amount Per Serving Calories: 161 | Total Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 9mgPowered by ESHA Nutrient Database

New Ideas

2011-05-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Oh dear friends, am I ever excited about this one!!!

A friend emailed me this Martha Stewart link and I'm anxious to try it!

I've been looking for an idea for my kitchen door to the garage and

I think this is just the thing.

I will post pictures when the adventure is taking place. In the mean time leave me a comment and let me know where you might use this idea in your home!

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

When reflecting on Mother's Day my thoughts initially always drift the same way... One Day just doesn't seem like enough. I think about all that a mother does working hard to maintain balance and peace, providing nurture and nutrition, stability and strength. A Mother's job is 24/7 from the moment of conception till she passes from this world. It's tireless and stressful and some might say that it's a thankless job. One Day. It doesn't seem like enough does it?

But then I think about the moment I became "momma" for the first time, second time and third time. I remember feeling the life within me stretching me more than just literally. The tears of joy at seeing their sweet faces. The snuggles, random hugs, scribbled notes, "surprise" creations, thankful prayers directed each night beginning with "Thank You for my mommy..." and the countless little things that happen each and every day and I am overwhelmed by the joy that I find in my job. And I realize that Mother's Day can come and go without notice because my thanks come in the form of those "little things"; his fingers curled around mine, that she comes to me first when she's hurting, that exclamation of "Momma, you're the BEST!" when I simply pull a homemade popsicle from the freezer. 365 days a year from now till the day I die it will be "Mother's Day".

The Star

2011-05-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveller in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And often through my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the traveller in the dark-

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

poem written by Jane Taylor 1783-1824

While reading this poem to my daughter today I was struck by it's simplicity and the fact that we often times only know in part what was meant to be read as a whole. It reminds me of how truly great is the God I serve and how wondrous His plans. Right now I see in part, but someday the bigger picture (the rest of the poem) will be made clear and we will see His fullness. Oh how I long for that day!

I Heart Rancho

2011-04-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

I love Rancho Cordova.

I love the people of Rancho Cordova.

I love that our teens are doing a mission trip in Rancho Cordova.

From Drab To Fab

2011-04-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got fed up with wishing I could paint our children's room, and decided to take the plunge. I had ZERO dollars to spend and so I had to get really creative. All three kids share a room, so I wanted it to be fun for both the boy and the girls... this is what I came up with!! (Oh how I wish I had "before" pictures!) But I'm sure you get the idea...

Polka Dots!!

I mixed basic paint colors to create a variety of shades that both genders would like, traced three different sizes of circles on the walls and voilà! A totally transformed room!

Children's Book Monday

2011-04-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today in school Grace is learning about what makes a book a biography auto-biography, fiction or non-fiction. It is only fitting then that I should review one of our favorite non-fiction books.

Henry's Freedom Box; A True Story from the Underground Railroad
Authored by Ellen Levine
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Historically true, and heartbreakingly true, the story of Henry "Box" Brown tells the journey of a young boy from his days working in his master's home to his final destination of freedom. It tells of his joys, his sorrows, his hurts, and trials struggling to maintain a positive outlook on life. The content is deep and thought provoking. The images are profound and moving. My small children did not understand the tear rolling down their Mama's face as she read the story for the first time to her babes, clutching them tighter and closer (even though I know no one can take my babies from me.) Each time we read this story it seems to bring up more and more questions in their minds, questions I'm glad they are asking. They ask about slavery, about people, about life, love, God and freedom. Questions that if they go unanswered will lend to history repeating itself in ugly ways. So we talk of deep things even though they are small. And we question big issues even though it is scary. And I see in my children a desire to do what God wants for their lives, to live in relationship with others regardless of the barriers we often put up, and I think to myself.

"Who knew a children's book, could teach so much?!"

April

2011-04-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

We are ten days into April already, and spring is upon us!

I love the spring time. There's new life budding all around me. I see it in the blooms on the trees, I hear it from the new tweets in the nests overhead, and I touch the swelling bellies of so many of my dear friends.

Each new year starts in the dead of winter. January 1st. That day when we view life as a clean slate and a new year begins. By April many of our resolutions have gone by the wayside and have already been forgotten; but not God's. He takes His time. He's patient. Each drop of rain, each gentle breeze, each ray of sunshine is calculated. He's working a masterpiece.

Psalm 35:9

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD

and delight in his salvation.

::sunshine and rain::

2011-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:45

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Problem of Pain. It was his answer to that age old question that all have asked,

"If we serve a Good God, why is there suffering and pain in this world?"

Today, I too ask and struggle with this same question. And though I know the answer, it still grips my heart when I see strong believers who love and serve our Mighty God in turmoil.

Sweet Jessica was born on Saturday. She weighs only two pounds and six ounces. She has many difficulties ahead of her including sever hydrocephalus.

Please pray for her and her family.

Comfort

2011-03-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's a basic human need... comfort.

We see it in children all the time, but there's something about being so real, so raw, that we as adults tend to avoid. It's like we don't want anyone to know that we are hurting. As if somehow showing our insecurities will make us more vulnerable to put downs.

I think about my son and his comfort. It's obvious.

He loves his thumb and he loves his bellybutton. There's something very soothing to him about these two things. He does it when he's sad, when he's tired, when he's bored...or pretty much without thinking anymore. I look at him and I see his desire for comfort. He loves to curl up in my lap sucking his thumb and playing with his bellybutton. (I like it too.) He's not ashamed to come to me with a hurt, whether it be physical or emotional. He's pretty transparent.

I wish we could be more like that. More like that woman, who when asked told Him the whole truth. Or the man who was not ashamed and didn't care who heard him shouting; he desired comfort..."Jesus, Son of David. Have mercy on me." Maybe even this man who despite his position came looking for help and for compassion. Now I realize that these people were opening themselves to Christ Jesus himself, and obviously it would be easier to be vulnerable to Him; but are we not His body? When we open ourselves up and take a good long look at our weaknesses, shouldn't we take them to Him and in turn be comforted by His arms embracing us through His sons and daughters? Should I be ashamed to suck my thumb in your presence, to show that I am scared, hurting, and needing consolation? Or can I cry out and not be ashamed that you hear me saying...

"Jesus, Son of David. Have mercy on me."

Children's Book Monday

2011-03-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

For today's post I've decided to share with you two of my favorite "read aloud" resources.

The first is a more recent discovery. While searching online for a chapter book for my first grader, I stumbled upon the downloadable version of the classic "Ramona the Pest". Until last week I was unaware that my library offers such an extensive list of both children's and adult's books available for free downloading. I would highly recommend you checking with your local library to find out if this is available to you as well. If you live in the Sacramento area, you can click on THIS link to be directed to the ebook catalog!

The second is another library resource, but not through my library. My mother used to work at the library in Aurora, Colorado. Their library subscribes to a wonderful site called "TumbleBooks". Via their website you can go to the Tumblebooks page and view their list of stories. (Click here for the link & go to "Kid's Tumblebooks" in the Quick Link side bar.) This website has been a MommySaver more than once in our home! Many times when Daddy is late coming home from work, or away over the weekend I utilize this site during my dinner preparations. I can prepare dinner in peace knowing that my kids are being educationally entertained by the wonderful children's books being read with animated illustrations.

I hope these resources will be a help to you in your home as well!

...it's been a while...

2011-03-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Looking through my archives I realized I'm long overdue for another recipe post! My sister recently asked for my White Chicken Chili recipe and since it's so easy I thought it would be a good one to share with you as well! It's a perfect recipe for these cooler winter days.

Amy's White Chicken Chili

Cooked Cut up Chicken (about 1.5-2 lbs, of either white or dark meat)

2-3 cans of white beans (or you can use a lbs of dry white beans, just soak overnight and cook until tender)

1 (4oz.) can of green chili's (heat based upon your preference...!)

Salt and pepper to taste (you can use garlic salt if you prefer)

Combine ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

***note*** if you cook the beans until they are VERY soft and use a potato masher this makes a really yummy dip for tortilla chips!

Mr. Mom

2011-03-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

To all the Stay At Home Moms out there; I dedicate this song to you!

May you always be appreciated for all that you do...

(Listen close at the end of the song. My favorite lyric is the last line!)

Homemaker in Training

Getting Your Kitchen to Work for You

Family Favorites and Give Away Day!

Tips, Tricks and Tweeks

Feeling a Little L.O.O.Py!

Menu Monday

An Update

Topsy~Turvey

Wait...Where Did Monday Go?

Tasty Yummy Goodness

Feasting

L.O.O.P. ~ LeftOvers On Purpose

Menu Monday

Nativity

Nothing New

What's in a Menu?

Befuddled State of Mind

Menu Madness

This Moment

Pondering Coupons

A Tardy Tuesday Post about Menu Monday...

Monday Menu Madness

Menu Madness

"What's For Dinner?"

31 Days: Grandmas Wisdom~ The Best Time

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Remembering

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Early Bird

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Persimmons

Ingredients

Directions

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Smells like Roses

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Pain

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ R & R

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Land

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Expansion

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Homecoming

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Alone

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Scare

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Fort Ord

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Dimes

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ New Life

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Work

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Tacos

Redeemed

re·deem

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ California Bound

I'm Weird...

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Wedding Bells

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Proposal

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Sweet hearts

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Accomplishment

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Embraced

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~Nothing

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Wash Day

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Tragedy

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Model T

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Carnival

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom~ Birth

31 Days: Grandma's Wisdom

Busy...and some ramblings!

Children's Book Monday

M.I.A.

::August 15th::

To Paint or Not to Paint? That is the question!

Productivity

Thwarted

Sharing Secrets

Fantastic Finds

Absent

For Dads

Baking Secret Revealed

Playgroup Granola Bars

Directions

(Nutritional Information for orginal recipe only)

New Ideas

Mother's Day

**The Star**

I Heart Rancho

From Drab To Fab

Children's Book Monday

The Star