Strawberries!

Aunt Hetty was sitting in her summer-house at the water's edge, knitting a sock and keeping a look-out for them. They moored the boat at her little landing-stage and stepped ashore.

"My dears! Lovely to see you," said Aunt Hetty, rolling up her wool and impaling the ball on her needles as though she was skewering a piece of mutton to make a shashlik (shishkabob). "Come along - we're having tea in the strawberry-bed."

"In the strawberry-bed?"

"Yes. It's a new idea that occurred to me last time Vin was here. You know how much better they always taste when you eat them straight off the plants? Only the drawback is, there's never any cream and sugar. So I thought, why not take the cream and sugar under the nets with us? We tried it, and it's a capital plan. I can't imagine why I never thought of it before." She took Vin's arm and led the way across the lawn. The others followed, exchanging telegraphically, with a smile, their amused affection for Aunt Hetty. Glorious woman: nobody else would have had an idea like that - or rather, nobody else would have put it seriously and efficiently into practice, complete with table, chairs, silver tea-pot, and cucumber sandwiches. She had even had the nets heightened on poles to give more head-room.

-- From "Mrs. Miniver" by Jan Struthers


Our Earliglow berries have been in for a week now. We've enjoyed strawberry shortcake, ice cream with strawberries, and sun-warmed berries right off the plants (the best way, of course). This afternoon I made a pile of chocolate-covered strawberries to take with us to Game Night at my sister's. A luscious treat, indeed.

An Afternoon Picnic

Friends came over yesterday afternoon for a picnic, conversation and fort-playing. As the kids ran off to the woods, my friend and I settled in for a good chat over homemade frappacinos - so rich and good! We eventually laid out lunch, made up our sandwiches in the kitchen and headed outside to the picnic tables under the trees - the Lord held off the rain for us and we had a lovely afternoon.

For our picnic lunch we enjoyed:

* Make-Your-Own Subs
* Sour Cream and Onion Chips
* Fresh cherries and watermelon slices
* Lemon and Grape Cooler (float grape Kool-Aid ice cubes in glasses of lemonade)
* Ice Cream Sundaes in waffle bowls with toppings and fresh strawberries from the garden

Homemade Frappacinos
In a blender, combine the following and blend until smooth:
- 1 tsp. instant coffee (decaf or regular) stirred into 1/2 C. water
- 2 C. whole milk
- 1/4 - 1/3 C. sugar
- 1 1/2 C. ice cubes
If desired, add caramel or chocolate topping for added goodness!

Faithful and Obedient

"Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ""Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.""

- Mark 12:41-44

Randy Alcorn was the speaker on the radio program "Revive Our Hearts" with Nancy Leigh DeMoss yesterday afternoon. He made a comment about these verses that really encouraged my heart. He mentioned that this poor widow would have had no idea that her act of sacrificial giving would have been an example spoken of 2,000 years later. It made me think about the fact that this woman wasn't doing anything fancy or showy in service to God - she was just being faithful and obedient. The reason it encouraged my heart was because I sometimes feel discouraged about my service to the Lord. I feel as if I'm not doing much for the Kingdom. These verses and Pastor Alcorn's comment reminded me to simply be obedient and faithful in the little opportunities that God brings my way each and every day. I don't know, nor need to know, the impact I'm making for eternity - it's enough that God does. I just want to be obedient in that which He lays in front of my face - even in the most mundane and simple of tasks.

Scenes From Memorial Day Weekend

Taken during one of our evening bike rides along the creek -


Pizza and fruit mountain pies over the campfire -


A visit to a little candy shop -


An afternoon matinee to see "Night at the Museum" -


One of the cabins along the creek -


While watching a small-town Memorial Day parade, the boys especially enjoyed all the candy thrown from fire engines and the like -

Bye!

I'll be back to visit with you after the holiday weekend - enjoy!

Farmers' Market Inspiration

The boys, my mom and I went to a large farmers' and flea market yesterday. The sights and smells of the market never fail to inspire me in one way or another - whether they make me want to come home and cook a big meal (which I did!) or try a new baked goods recipe or experiment with a new plant. Here's our haul from yesterday:

* two cantalopes for $1 each!
* an old hand-turning flour sifter
* a qt. of baby red potatoes (to make with grilled sausage tonight)
* several bananas
* huge peanut butter bear claws (a luscious cinnamon-roll type dough in the shape of a bear claw smothered in peanut butter frosting!)
* another set of measuring cups (handy to have two sets when I do big baking days)
* a bag of mini graham pretzels to eat as we walked around
* and for lunch between us we had: a sausage sandwich, meatball sandwich, corn dog, potato bacon soup and strawberry lemonade (so good!)

Spaghetti & Schoolhouse Meatballs

Last night for supper I made Spaghetti & Schoolhouse Meatballs which I found the recipe for at Anna's Pleasant View Schoolhouse blog. They were a hit and a recipe which I'll definitely make again! I adapted it a tiny bit, so have included the original recipe with my few changes in parentheses.

Schoolhouse Meatballs

Mix:
2 lbs. ground round or sirloin
1 C. breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 tabl. Italian seasoning (I didn't have any, so I used 2 tabl. oregano and 1 tabl. basil)
3 tabl. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. salt
Lots of fresh ground pepper (mine wasn't freshly ground, but of course it worked fine)

Shape into 1-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop for this which worked great), and fry til brown and crispy in small amount of olive or canola oil. When brown, drop into pot of bubbling pasta sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

A Different Kind of Art

"I remember some of the gardens of the farmers in our congregation, their tables spread with food that they had grown themselves: strawberries picked from rows of straw mulched vines - the straw keeping the deep green leaves from ever being muddy, let alone the berries. These were things of beauty as they grew, as they were picked, and as they were served: shining rows of raspberry jam on loaded shelves, beside rows of perfectly shaped peach halves waiting for winter Sunday night guests; rows of vegetable soups made from marvellously fresh vegetables picked and prepared by the children; apples in bushel baskets - yellow, red, green - the varieties painting the cool fruit cellar like a canvas in a museum. Art. 'Hidden Art.' Some of the farmers and gardeners of history have blended the variety of their tasks into a similar and satisfying expression of 'Hidden Art.'"

-- From "The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Creative Ideas for Enriching Everyday Life" by Edith Schaeffer

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY - May 18, 2009

I am thinking . . . . what a good weekend it was - filled with family and fun.

I am thankful for . . . the loveliness of my periennial flower bed - at its' height in beauty.

From the learning rooms . . . Eli has been dissecting an owl pellet and studying the sparrow hawk and her nest in the barn, Caleb is working on a small wooden pole barn, and Ben has been researching ace pilots in WWII.

From the kitchen . . . a delicious chocolate layer cake with white frosting that I made Saturday night and we're still enjoying.

I am praying . . . that God would continue to deal with my judgmental spirit.

I am wearing . . . my pink nightgown and purple robe!

I am creating . . . next month's newsletter.

I am going . . . to pick up a steam cleaner to do the living room furniture, have some photos developed, and pick up a driver's manual for my oldest son (that one's freaking me out a little!!)

I am reading . . . "Creative Teaching" from the 1930's.

I am hearing . . . geese honking as they land on the pond and birds singing.

Around the house . . . laundry, steam cleaning the furniture, and tidying up.

One of my favorite things . . . a fresh, new day.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . a visit to the farmers' market with my mom, more free bowling (see www.kidsbowlfree.com), and a trip to the cabin for the extended Memorial Day weekend.

Here is a picture thought from my nephew's 16th birthday party on Friday night - all the cousins got together for a night at the speedway:


If you want to participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook, visit Peggy here.

Surrendered

"This dandelion has long ago surrendered its golden petals, and has reached its crowning stage of dying - the delicate seed-globe must break up now - it gives and gives till it has nothing left . . . There is no sense of wrenching: it stands ready, holding up its little life, not knowing when or where or how the wind that bloweth where it listeth may carry it away. It holds itself no longer for its own keeping, only as something to be given: a breath does the rest, turning the "readiness to win" into the "performance" (2 Cor. 8:11). And to a soul that through "deaths oft" has been brought to this point, even acts that look as if they must involve an effort, become something natural, spontaneous, full of a "heavenly involuntariness," so simply are they the outcome of the indwelling love of Christ."

-- From "A Passion for the Impossible - The Life of Lilias Trotter" by Miriam Huffman Rockness

Baking Day

Results of my baking session this morning:

* Sixteen Mini Apple Pies (see photo above and recipe below)
* Two loaves of Zucchini Bread
* A dozen and a half One-Hour Dinner Rolls
* A small pile of Cheese Straws
* Two + dozen Pumpkin Orange Muffins

Mini Apple Pies
3/4 C. flour
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. butter
1 - 16.3 oz. can of Pillsbury Grand Original Flaky Biscuits
1 - 21 oz. can of apple pie filling

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Mix in butter with a fork or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Split each biscuit in half to make 16 pieces. Press each one into an ungreased muffin cup. Spoon 1 heaping tabl. of pie filling into each. Sprinkle each with 1 tabl. of crumb topping. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes and remove from cups. Place on wire rack to finish cool. Delicious served warm from the oven!

The Gown of Glory

"The Gown of Glory" by Agnes Sligh Turnbull was a recent read that I so enjoyed. Similar to the small-town hominess of the Mitford series, this old book is about a minister, his family and the happenings of their town. Set in the late 1800's in the east, this simple story contains glimpses of church luncheons, 4th of July festivities, sweet back porch scenes, and birthday surprises with sprinklings of Wordsworth and nuggets of wisdom mixed throughout. It tells of the struggles and blessings of the Lyall family, the heartaches and joys of being a minister, and the sorrows, sin, and compassion of the little town of Ladykirk. A perfect summer read . . .

Washington D.C.

Photo credit goes to Eli for the following photos of our field trip to D.C. yesterday.

The Washington Monument:


Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, one has a beautiful view of the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument and beyond it, the Capitol. We especially enjoyed the sweet ducklings swimming with their mama in the Reflective Pool.

The Lincoln Memorial:


The inside of this memorial is of simplistic elegance. I loved the engraved words above the statue:
"In this temple
as in the hearts of the people
for whom he saved the union
the memory of Abraham Lincoln
is enshrined forever."

The Vietnam War Memorial:


The amount of names engraved on this reflective wall is difficult to comprehend - 50,000 names - and that is the list of just the Americans who perished.

The Korean War Memorial:


This Memorial is comprised of a dozen or so statues of men in rain gear plodding their way through Korean rice paddies. As it was a gray, overcast day, it made the Memorial seem very real.

The White House:


As you are no longer able to drive past the White House as when I was a child, we took a short walk to view it through its' protective fence. As we looked, the protesters behind us made our visit seem other-worldly. They were protesting the killings in Sri Lanka as men from their group chanted the President's name over and over again in their heavily-accented tongue.

The Museum of American History:


It was amazing to the view this piece of history - Abraham Lincoln's top hat. We also saw "the" ruby red slippers, pieces of wreckage from the Twin Towers, beautiful photographs of President Obama's inauguration, and dresses of the First Ladies.

The Air & Space Museum:


Eli was thrilled to find out from an employee of the Museum, the different exhibits and areas in which the second "Night at the Museum" was filmed. He took lots of photos and can't wait to see the movie to point out all the things in saw in "real life" at the Museum. As for Caleb, he LOVED doing the flight simulator in one of the many galleries.

Bakery Inspiration

On our way to the homeschool conference this morning, my sister, Eli and I stopped at a new bakery called "The Sugar Flower & Cake Company." So glad we did! Not only did it provide a delicious treat for the ride to the conference, but it provided inspiration for future baking days.

Check out this list of muffins:

Pear Pecan
Pineapple Sunrise
Morning Maple
Sticky Muffin
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
Apple Streusel

Besides the muffins, there were gorgeously decorated cupcakes - some chocolate, some lemon, some raspberry peach! They were decorated with fondant sunflowers and beehives and ladybugs. Eli chose a chocolate one with swirls of vanilla frosting and a beautiful purple butterfly.

You just never know where you'll find inspiration . . .

Caleb's Latest Project

Caleb recently set up a woodworking shop in the clubhouse. His latest project? The S. S. Iowa.

Emptied

"I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty . . ."
-- Ruth 1:21a

The above quote was stated by Naomi in the book of Ruth when she returned to Bethlehem after a long absence. She, her husband and two sons had left Bethlehem years before amidst a famine. They went to the foreign land of Moab in the hope of a better future - instead, Naomi's husband and sons die there. She later returns to Bethlehem with her Moabite daughter-in-law and when greeted by her old friends proclaims her bitterness to God with these words.

After reading this statement, my mind immediately related it to what I studied yesterday in Psalm 81:10 - "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." Thinking on what Naomi said, I realized that in order to be filled with something, one is emptied of something else. Though Naomi is looking at it from the other end, I realized that in order to be more filled with God, I must be more empty of myself.

How does one empty himself? Matthew Henry wrote that it is God who works to do so: "He that empties us of the creature knows how to fill us with himself." What part do I play in that emptying? I don't know. Perhaps, that's the next lesson God has for me . . .

Baking Day

It's been a few weeks since I've done a Baking Day, and I've been missing it so I spent the morning and part of the afternoon turning the kitchen into a bakery.

Peggy's Easy Bread Recipe (which I substituted with all unbleached flour) typically makes 4 loaves of bread. Today I used it to make:

* two loaves of bread (using 1/2 of the dough)
* a dozen and a half cloverleaf dinner rolls (using 1/4 of the dough)
* a dozen Schoolhouse Sweet Rolls (using 1/4 of the dough)

Also,

* two batches of granola (see recipe below)
* two wedges of Vanilla Scones

Then I took a nap.

Granola -
Combine in a large bowl: 5 C. quick oats, 2 tabl. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 3/4 C. peanut butter; set aside. Combine 3/4 C. brown sugar, 1/3 C. water and 1/2 C. honey into a saucepan and stir over medium-lot heat until dissolved. Pour over ingredients in bowl and stir well. Spread out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool and store in air-tight container.

Open Wide

"Philip answered Him, ""Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."" -- John 6:7

"And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted." -- John 6:11

"I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
-- Psalm 81:10

Sometimes (no, many times) my spiritual belly feels empty. Why? I think maybe that I, like Philip, expect too little. I need to ask for more - not of this and that - but for more of Him. What I really need is a huge dose of God. What I really need is to open my mouth wider, expect it, and gorge myself on Him.

A Spring Luncheon

Now that school is over for a bit, I have more time to entertain and experiment with some new teatime recipes. Today I prepared a spring luncheon for a friend from recipes in the vintage party book, "The Keep It Short & Simple Party Menu Book" by Ruth H. Brent. I spent most of the morning preparing the following menu and then Eli served us our luncheon (and did a great job, by the way!):

* Apple Punch
* Fresh Fruit Salad surrounding a dollop of Orange Sherbert
* Almond, Cranberry & Apple Salad with Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette
* Chicken Rolls
* Petit Fours with Hot Tea

I think my favorite recipe was the Chicken Rolls:

First, mix up a batch of your favorite chicken salad recipe or use the following:
Chicken Salad
2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1/2 C. mayo
1 tsp. sugar
2 tabl. relish
Salt and pepper
Sliced almonds, if desired

Add mayo to the chicken, along with a sprinkle of water. Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Purchase an 8 oz. pkg. of refrigerated layered dinner rolls. Peel each roll in half. Take each half and fold in half. Pinch edges together and bake at 375 for approx. 12-14 minutes. Cool. Right before serving, split rolls open just enough to stuff some of the chicken salad in between.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY - May 4, 2009

I am thinking . . . that I really am trying not to complain about all this rainy weather!

I am thankful for . . . my warm and cozy home that protects me from the elements.

From the learning rooms . . . though "official" schoolwork is done, Eli worked on his blog this morning, Caleb is doing some woodworking and Ben was reading a computer manual earlier this morning.

From the kitchen . . . hot cross muffins for breakfast and ham & bean soup simmering for supper.

I am praying . . . that my new study of Ruth would be fruitful.

I am wearing . . . a black, long-sleeved shirt with jeans.

I am creating . . . embroidered pillowcases.

I am going . . . to the grocery store later for a few items for my luncheon tomorrow.

I am reading . . . "A Gown of Glory" by Agnes Sligh Turnbull and "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore.

I am hearing . . . Ben watching a documentary on WWII aircraft, and Eli listening to "My Side of the Mountain" on cassette tape.

Around the house . . . I'm going to send out my snail-mail newsletters, change the sheets, finish laundry, and renew library books online.

One of my favorite things . . . looking at the calendar and eagerly anticipating all the good things planned with family and friends.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . a luncheon to catch up with a friend, an orthodontist appt. for E., our state's homeschool convention at the end of the week, and dinner with friends on Sunday afternoon.

Here is a picture thought I'm sharing of one of our Muscovy ducks:



If you want to participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook, visit Peggy here.

Adding Some Beauty to Life

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more because of me . . . though I know that is the noblest ambition . . . but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me . . . to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have exised if I hadn't been born."

"I think you're fulfilling that ambition every day," said Gilbert admiringly.

And he was right. Anne was one of the children of light by birthright. After she had passed through a life with a smile or a word thrown across it like a gleam of sunshine the owner of that life saw it, for the time being at least, as hopeful and lovely and of good report."

-- From "Anne of Avonlea" by L. M. Montgomery