Yesterday we baked a huge pumpkin–one from a friend’s garden, and the filling we subsequently scraped out of it was enough for three pumpkin pies and seven mini-loaves of pumpkin bread. Yum! Hubby arrived home early, in the middle of the pureeing process, and thought we had a weird golden applesauce thing going on! Our pumpkin “filling”, yellow-gold in color, had the soft consistency of applesauce. I worried that it wouldn’t set up in pie, but it did, and looks great! We haven’t sampled it yet, saving it for tonight’s dessert…if you want more info on how to bake a pumpkin and make a pie from scratch, I used this helpful site and recipe: Organic Pumpkin Pie From Scratch. I was searching specifically for a pie recipe that included sorghum, and this pie delivers! It also uses heavy cream and alllll the fall spices! Our house smells so delicious!
Here is my recipe for Pumpkin Bread, and it’s never been this mouth-watering with store-bought canned pumpkin! This makes a great Christmas gift as a mini-loaf included with a trio of other types of quick breads, such as my Poppyseed Bread.
Pumpkin Bread
Blend the first five ingredients and then add the rest. Bake at 350F for one hour. Make 2 loaves, or five mini-loaves. Easy, huh.
As I did up last night’s dishes after our baking spree, I couldn’t help thinking, “And people would rather their ‘family time’ be spent gathered round the TV?” Here our evening flew by, working and playing together…oldest and I working on pie crusts and fillings, youngests giggling over Go Fish games and Memory. We haven’t yet regretted our choice to go “no tv” over a year ago…in fact, I can’t believe it took us so long.
Got to go feed some hungry girls…have a blessed day!
]]>She took a “hand” of ginger root and cut 5 small slices from it, peel included. These went into our mugs, followed by boiling water and a teaspoon of honey. Mmm. This tea has a spicy, fragrant taste, even my girls like it. As I was enjoying my tea, my hostess explained that these chunks of ginger are even good for another cup of tea–joy!
So today after an hour of being outdoors in 35 degree weather, we came indoors to ginger tea and cookies. We let our tea steep covered for ten minutes, and I had to test the recycling theory of reusing my ginger–yes, it worked! Now, don’t let the light color of this tea fool you, it’s rich and flavorful.
Here are some more *good things* to know about ginger:
I just love learning new things, especially when they are simple to implement into my daily life and for the better health of my loved ones. I hope you’ll all chime in with how you use ginger, and if there is another easy-to-make, good-for-you tea, do tell in comments!
And if you want to know more, this article on how to use Ginger has some good info.
]]>Are you writing up your Christmas shopping lists? Mine will be simple this year, hopefully! My hubby’s family does the traditional Christmas gift exchange, while my family just gets together for the pleasure of it and the good eats! My eight yo daughter wants a Bible with larger print–she said she’d be happy if that’s all she gets. Aw. Isn’t that awesome? (Should I test that theory?)
How is everyone? I’d love to hear how things are going…
]]>I knew the minute my hand left the back porch door knob this morning that *this* day was going to be a hum-dinger! I couldn’t make myself go inside after letting the chickens out…thankfully only my oldest daughter was awake, so I reveled in the clear morning unfolding around me, restocking the chicken feed and cleaning/refilling their waterer, clucking right back at my beautiful hens who are sometimes giving us 19 eggs a day by noon! Ahh…the gift of living this country life.
All weekend long I’ve been wishing for time to put together this super-tonic recipe our herb-savvy neighbors gave us…but between caring for a sick child and getting some garden and yard work done, I just didn’t have time, nor all the ingredients on hand to get it done. So this afternoon, I and my older girls set up an outdoor “kitchen” complete with camp chairs, cutting boards, knives, veggie peelers, a food chopper and a makeshift “sink”. Okay, so it was just a hose with a sprayer nozzle and a bucket, but it worked! Why outside? Well, firstly, because of the gorgeous weather! Secondly, because of the fumey ingredients in this here tonic!
Here’s how it works. Oh, it’s for good health, by the way. You knew that, didn’t you? *Wink*
You take five equal parts of the following diced fine, say one cup each which is what I did:
My oldest scrubbed and peeled the horseradish, which I then sliced into chunks and diced fine in my food chopper. Worked slick! While she was scrubbing horseradish (and tossing the stems to her eight puppies to chew) my 8 year old nimbly broke apart garlic buds, peeled the cloves and took her turn at the food chopper. I sat and removed seeds from peppers with my rubber gloves on of course! Onions came next, and last, the ginger. Mmm, ginger smells good! I just peeled it with my knife, hoping that was the “way to do” and then into the chopper it went. By this time we had a bowl almost brimful of knock you off your camp chair strong smelling stuff! I was so glad we’d done it outside with nary a tear or sniffle from fumes. The breezes outside were extra delicious today, I soon realized exactly *how* welcome they were when I went inside to fill my gallon jar with the ingredients. Whew-ee did my cheeks burn from jalapeno osmosis or what? Anyway, onto the next important step of this recipe.
Once you’ve filled your gallon jar with the five chopped ingredients (or 4 quart sized jars with equal portions) take your ACV and finish filling the jar(s) to the top. Put your lids on and store in a dark place, such as a cupboard or closet. Mine are in my canner. Take the super-tonic out twice a day and shake it good. After two weeks of this, strain the liquid out and keep it in a glass jar. If you have any glass medicine bottles, the kind with the droppers, that would be an excellent keeper for easy handling. One dropperful in apple juice for a child, two for an adult. This can be used daily for a good immunity builder, or when needed for nipping colds and flu in the bud.
Our neighbors shared a bottle with us last week, and I can promise you that diluted in juice, you hardly notice the taste. But by evening, my daughter and I both had clear heads and no sniffles! Good-bye head colds. I know a good thing when I smell see it.
Do you have any home-brewed health goodies to share? Btw, this super-tonic recipe is all over the net, but my neighbor’s good instructions aren’t. Let me know if you make this!
Hat tip to my friends, Farmer John and his wife!
]]>My thoughts at Writer…Interrupted today revolve around the generosity of believers to one another. A month or so ago, we had an inspirational lady come speak to our Mom’s Group at church. She based her hour with us on this old hymn, and it really blessed me. May it bless you as well! Have a great Thursday!
Little Is Much When God Is In It
by Kittie J. Suffield
1. In the harvest field now ripened,
There’s a work for all to do.
Hark, the voice of God is calling,
To the harvest calling you.
CHORUS:
Little is much when God is in it.
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.
2. Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
CHORUS:
3. When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, my child, well done.”
But I want more! I’m so intrigued by people who can survive without electricity, without purchasing or relying on stores for food, people who know how to make their own herbal tinctures and can walk through the wild identifying edible plants and herbs.
If you’re like me, you could spend hours checking out articles like this one on canning meat or this one on making your own bread (which is about way more than simple breadmaking!) or this long one on raising chickens or practically everything at this Backwoods Home Magazine website!
I recently discovered the best-kept secret in our rural community! We have a CSA farm less than ten miles from us…one that sells shares for summer and winter organic garden produce, as well as raises lambs, chickens and turkeys to sell, honey, and more! In getting to know this Christian farmer through emails and his newsletters, I’ve been invited to come help butcher chickens and turkeys on Monday! What a great learning experience for me and my oldest daughter.
What do you guys think of learning to survive on your own resources? In any case, something like this Emergency and Preparedness Guide might be very handy in the coming year…
I’m adding a pressure canner to my wish list!
]]>Perfect Pancakes
Stir together 1st four dry ingredients. Add egg, milk and oil all at once to flour mixture, stirring until blended but still slightly lumpy. Pour batter onto hot, lightly greased griddle, about 1/4 cup each for regular pancakes or one tablespoon each for silver dollar pancakes. Cook on both sides until golden, turning when surface is bubbly and edges are slightly dry.
Makes about 8, 4-inch pancakes or 30 silver dollar pancakes.
If I’m not adding in a recipe of buckwheat pancakes to this, then I double it for our family of five. I also like to throw in a couple handfuls of blueberries…mmm! These are great topped with butter and sugar, jelly or preserves or just plain syrup.
I hope you try this recipe, after years of being less than impressed with my own pancakes, this recipe has saved the day!
Speaking of my day, today’s been a particularly good one. This morning my moms group at church hosted a baby shower celebration with a “spa theme”. Ahhh. Imagine an oasis created out of draped opaque plastic, enclosing a circular retreat that completely transformed our fellowship hall into a relaxing getaway. We moms reclined in comfy chairs surrounded by candles, flowers, soft music, delicious brunch foods…and if that wasn’t spoiling aplenty, a professional massage therapist provided warm foot baths and the deluxe foot care package–an exfoliating rub with peppermint scented pumice/shey butter that was to-die-for and a follow-up with lotion… When she was done with us, another sweet gal came along and painted our toe nails! She treated me to French tips…then later we waxed our hands and got our fingernails done. Too much spoiling for one morning’s stretch…but what a great time with friends. If I had a picture, I’d post one here of our marvelous Orange Juliuses served in hollowed oranges with straws and adorned with perky tropical cocktail umbrellas!
Big thanks to those ladies who planned and worked hard and pulled it off!
]]>I usually love the gradual change of Fall, from hot summer to winter’s cold, but this year the change seems a little too hurried for my tastes. In our area they’re calling for the first frost tonight, so upon arriving home from our homeschool-co-op classes we heaped two half-bushel baskets with garden produce. Probably a hundred green tomatoes, a countertop full of cucumbers and about 12 bell peppers. Sigh. It’s not like I don’t still have apples and pears staring me down at every trip through my back porch. And I am thankful, really! It’s just a bit overwhelming. I think I’m out of canning jars. Is that possible?
Our chickens are laying about 14 eggs a day now. So far we’re giving some away and using them up here at home with abandon. I can’t describe how amazing it is to retrieve a hot egg, fresh-laid by a hen. Our next project is going to have to be to run electricity to the chicken barn…they’re going to need more light and warmth as winter nears. Wouldn’t I love to have automatic waterers too. These ladies are going to be a lot more work if I have to break ice out of their waterers every day…
NO more winter woes, I promise! ;O)
So what are your favorite things about fall? Here are mine:
Big and little pumpkins. Hot bubble baths. Steaming mugs of tea. Cozy homebound days. Thick sweaters. Slippered feet. Fires in the fireplace. Bonfires. Flannel sheets. Soup. Baking bread. Candles. Thanksgiving. No. more. yardwork. Hallelujah!
Grow the list, my friends…help me muster up some fall spirit! ‘Cause it’s s’posed to reach 36 degrees tonight and I shouldn’t have to be *shivering this post out* from within the folds of my favorite fleece blanket–not on October 15th!
(Indian summer, what happened to you?)
]]>Optimistically, I could see this crisis as being good for Americans. We’re grossly overspending, both individually and nationally. No one seems to be able to live within their means, admittedly, even my family. I say this because anyone with any debt other than a mortgage is probably not living within their means. Medical bills don’t count, as none of us would choose to go into debt over our health, but many of us are due to the rising costs of both health care and insurance coverage.
When I hear forecasts of doom and gloom, I do tend to wonder. What could be the worst thing to happen to us? Sure a whole lot of hardships could stack up, such as having to sell or give away our horses and Border Collies (if you can’t feed your family, how will you feed the pets?) but in my heart of hearts, the scariest financial bust to me would be losing our home.
Some things you just take for granted. That you’ll be able to always find work. And have gas available to get you to and from places. That eventually you’ll make that final payment, and that America will always be the land of the free, the land of opportunity.
But you know what? God says not to worry about tomorrow, because each day has enough trouble on its own. And worrying about it won’t change anything. In fact, worrying is a sin, it doesn’t glorify God…in fact, it questions His ability to see us through the hard times. Yes, He could allow all of us here in America some real hardships, but “all discipline is for our good”, right?
I’m not getting panicked, and I hope you aren’t either. Meanwhile, I am thinking twice about any extra purchases. I’m thinking we’ll pare down a bit this Christmas and plant a huge garden next spring…I’ve got an extra cupboard that I wouldn’t mind filling with staples, etc.
How do you find inner peace when faced with uncertainty? The same way you do when tragedy strikes out of nowhere. Take refuge in God.
Psalm 46 is an awesome passage that begins with, “God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.”
I recommend that you read the whole chapter, which you can simply do by clicking on the highlighted link above. But I’m going to skip ahead and go to verses 10-11,
“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”
The King James Version says, “Be still and know that I am God” rather than “Cease striving.” Can’t you hear God looking down at us like a mother to a fussing little one and saying, “Be still. Cease striving. Relax. Don’t you know I am with you?”
No matter what happens, keep this in mind: God is our refuge, a very present help in trouble. But you’ve got to leave all the turmoil in His hands and relax. Not our first instinct, is it?
I find this passage so reassuring! What more can we ask for than the kind of refuge God offers?
There’s a gospel song called Ahead, sung by Charles Johnson and the Revivers, and a line in it sticks with me…
“I’m not worried about what the future holds, because I know who’s leading, His name is Jesus, and He’s holding my hand…”
May something very good come out of this crisis, amen?
]]>Credits go to MInTheGap who has written “Teach Her Humility” at Weekend Kindness. Why am I so impressed with his post? Because we live in a culture that encourages parents to revolve their lives around their kids. Cherishing your children is excellent and Biblical, but babying them and sympathizing with them over every indignity, whether real or imagined, imo, only contributes to the spoiled and “ME-centered” outlook.
Every bad habit can be balanced out by focusing on its opposite…in this case, start young by teaching your children humility, and maybe you’ll avoid the “spoiled child syndrome” altogether. And remember, it’s never too late to re-train. If our kids can learn to be less focused on their own needs and disappointments, they’ll be so much better equipped for real life success in regards to friendships and marriage and ministry opportunities.
So go read MIn’s post!
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