Welcome to Home-steeped Hope.
I’m Mary, and this is a lifestyle blog based on my love of my Savior, my family, the country life He’s given us and my desire to encourage you.
I’m forty-three, 25 years married to my hard-workin’ cowboy, homeschooling mom of three musical daughters (with two graduated), several horses, a few goats, our faithful stockdogs, chickens, and Jersey and Guernsey dairy cows here on our few acres in the beautifully agricultural mid-west.
I haven’t been here in a while. You will notice about a 3 year silence between 2016 and 2019. I apologize for not being able to reply to comments and keep in touch as much as I wanted. The gap years have been a whirlwind of homeschooling our high schoolers while simultaneously launching their musical career, and caring for my aging parents as they’ve faced many debilitating health challenges. We’ve started a local homeschool co-op and well, so much more! Bear with me as I learn how to blog again, better this time we hope!
One thing you’ll notice is that my eating habits have definitely cleaned up! After losing 40 lbs and keeping it off for two years, I am loving life without sugar. My passions these days center around food for health–REAL foods like raw milk, the Trim Healthy Mama diet, homeschooling, and raising happy productive children, chickens and milk cows. ; )
Did I mention that I love hot tea? Year round! And time with good friends? Nothing like both for some good ole home-steeped hope!
Rejoicing in hope…Romans 12:12
I just came across your website as I was looking for recipes for apple pie filling. I got more than just a recipe!!! I started browsing around. What a blessing to find you. I’ve read a few a the articles. Can’t wait to find more time to read more. I have a lot of apples to get working on. Thank you and Many Blessings Psalms 68:19
Hi Gladi!
I’m so glad you took time to leave a note! I’m amazed that the top three draws of this website, the apple pie filling recipe, my salsa recipe and the Amish Friendship Bread recipe, have resulted in so many emails from women who are like-minded in Christ. I appreciate your kind words.
Happy Apple-pie-baking to you!
Blessings,
Mary
Hi Mary,
I was making friendship bread and and refrigerated it for the ten days LOL I realized it on the tenth day I spooned it into one cup of the mix into gallon bags and I am starting from day one. Will this work?
Thanks,
JP
Yes! Absolutely…fudging a day or two on either side doesn’t mess it up, in my experience! Go for it, and enjoy!
Blessings,
Mary
Hi Mary,
I just posted a question on your other site?…I think. Anyways, I used a metal fork for mixing the yeast and warm water and I mixed it in the sugar and flour mixture and then added the warm milk. that was about an hour ago (it’s 11:25 now) and my mixture is not bubbly. Is that ok or should I start over?
Thanks!
Hi Virginia,
I’m sorry I missed your comments here, 2 days later. I hope you just went ahead with your AFB batter. I think the metal issues come from non-stainless steel utensils…so your fork, most likely being SS, is probably okay. I think. :O) I would go ahead with it, but from now on using wooden or plastic utensils.
Hope all is well with your bread!
Mary
I found your website quite by accident. What a wonderful blessing! I was trying to find Gooseberry Tea! See how God works! Your site is inspiring and blessed. I read several articles and will visit here often. God bless!
Thank you, Wendy! I love to hear how God brings fellow believers across my path here. Looking forward to hearing more of you…hope you find that Gooseberry Tea!
Warmly,
Mary
Hey Mary,
I was always dreaming about living far away from a big city, eating only organic food and keeping a self-sustainable ecosystem. By reading your post I could imagine everything, just I was there… I hope one day I can make this dream come true.
Ahh, Rosemary…maybe for now you can be a city farmgirl? Many are trying their hand at that, right where they are, whether it’s growing thing in containers on the balcony or raising a handful of chickens in the backyard. Perhaps you are already doing what you can! It’s funny, I was brought up in a huge city, and always thought the city life was the life for me. Then I married a country guy, and wow, this life agrees with me! The nearest town has a population of 2,000. ;O) Every year we learn more and our love for this life grows. I hope your dreams come true very soon! Thanks for sharing that here.
God bless,
Mary