Ben's Birthday Bash

Last night we threw a family party for Ben's 16th. We reserved our church gym, ordered 11 pizzas, made a two-layer birthday cake and 36 cupcakes, and had plenty of balls on hand for Battleball, Four Squares, and PIG. The kids had a blast making yet another memory for their collection and a good time was had by all, at least until 10:30. That's when Eli fell and broke his collarbone (which we officially had diagnosed this morning). It wasn't the best way to end a party - but at least it didn't happen at the beginning of the party!! (By the way, E.'s doing much better today - he'll be in a sling for awhile but he's glad he busted his right flipper. He figures it will get him out of schoolwork. Yah, right.)

Stamp Collage

A few months ago, Caleb created this stamp collage. He chose a bunch of stamps that were doubles of ones he already had or ones that he didn't have a place for in his album. Using stamp hinges, he attached the stamps to the base of a large picture frame. It looks very nice hanging in his redecorated room.

Candle Confusion

To clear up the confusion regarding the number of candles on Ben's cake, here's the explanation: I only had a box of 24 candles. Wanting to use 16 candles in his birthday cake at the upcoming party on Friday night, I skimped out on the amount put on his family birthday cake. I didn't want to have to go back out to the store after I had already done all my shopping for the party just for another box of candles!

Ben Turns 16

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window . . . is sunshine after a night and morning of harsh winds and rain as well as one of the chickens who jumped up on the grill to peer in the window at me.

I am thinking . . . that I'm glad I took my step-mom to lunch this afternoon for her birthday. It was good to get to know her a little better. I'm realizing more and more how very little I really know my loved ones and those closest to me. I want to be intentional about finding out who they really are.

I am snacking on . . . Lemon Tea Cookies & Vanilla Black Hot Tea!

I am hearing . . . Caleb hammering on something in their clubhouse, the washing machine rinsing and one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies playing upstairs.

I am thankful for . . . happy, healthy, and creative sons. I was thinking on the way home from lunch how thankful I am that the boys are walking in the ways of the Lord. What joy and peace there is in walking the age-old paths of wisdom that God has set in place and that are still so relevant for today.

From the kitchen . . . chicken spaghetti and sugar peas for supper.

Around the house . . . the laundry needs finished, the schoolroom needs dusted and vacuumed, and shopping for Ben's birthday dinner tomorrow night will take place tonight once M. is home.

This week . . . is a busy one. Tomorrow afternoon I'll take Ben for his driver's permit, Wednesday afternoon we're helping Mom move some things around at her vintage shop in a local antiques mall, and Friday during the day we'll prepare for Ben's 16th birthday party that night with his cousins.

Some of my favorite things . . . warm and classic sweaters, library books and the anticipation of good things.

For more Daybook links, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Crumpets

We spent a quiet afternoon today - looking at the newspaper, a visit from M.'s parents, and a few UNO games. I found a recipe for crumpets (known to Americans as "English muffins") in my new book with tea recipes from different inns. Seeing that the recipe was very simple, I was curious to find out if the crumpets would really look and taste like English muffins. I adapted the recipe somewhat from the original version. This isn't a recipe to make when you're in a hurry - though a simple process, it does take time. I made the crumpets in between watching the U.S. Figure Skating Championships (a pleasant way to pass a rainy Sunday afternoon for sure). They came out very successfully - with all the typical nooks and crannies. A very satisfying recipe to make -

Crumpets

4 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3 1/2 C. warm water
4 C. flour
2 tabl. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until frothy. Heat electric griddle to 400. Grease inside of crumpet ring (use a 5 oz. tuna can with both ends cut out since you probably don't have a crumpet ring!). Pour 1/3 C. of batter into the ring. Cook until bubbles form and become dry on top (approx. 7 minutes). With a potholder, lift ring and using a knife, gently pry the crumpet from the bottom of the ring. It will fall onto the griddle - flip it over with a spatula and cook for another 3 minutes. Cut the crumpet in half with a knife or fork-split it apart. Toast in the toaster and serve with butter and jam (or apple butter). NOTES: This recipe makes a lot of crumpets - about 15 of them. You could always halve the recipe if this is too much. We ate several of them fresh. The rest I didn't toast but cut in half then placed in a single layer in freezer bags for the boys to toast and have for breakfast. The process took awhile since I only had one tuna can. Having several going at one time would definitely speed the process.

Tea & Thrifting

My sister and I spent an incredible day together celebrating her birthday. What fun she is and what fun we had! We started this morning at a local Goodwill known for their great prices on name-brand clothing. J. and I literally filled a shopping cart full of clothes and shared a dressing room so as to critique each other's choices (we also spent a large amount of time giggling!). We had a blast trying on clothes and finding several things that suited us. I also found an old Christmas record that Julie Andrews did for a song (pardon the pun!). We were famished after all that changing, so we headed to a little tea room/bakery down the road. We both had the Tomato Rice Florentine Soup, I had the Broccoli & Bacon Quiche, J. had a Grilled Swiss, Ham & Spinach Multigrain Sandwich and we shared a pot of Vanilla Black Tea. For dessert we had Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones. Every bite of everything we ate was delicious! We spent quite a long time sipping tea and catching up. One last stop then to the Economy Store where we dug through several craft boxes looking for ribbon and embellishments to add to the the homemade Valentines that we'll get together to create in a few weeks. We found a pile of things to use as well as some books, magazines and a small wooden house that J. has plans to turn into a glittery Christmas masterpiece. On the way out we both chose a baked good item that we were encouraged to take along for free - I took big, yummy muffins and she chose a giant apple pie for her husband. What a perfect day - Happy Birthday, J.!

In Love Like Perpetua

A well-written article that's stuck in my heart and mind about a long-ago martyr and God's incredible gifts of love and joy . . .

Perpetua

Holiness

"I learned early on that to be "set apart" is not a punishment; it is not an attempt on God's part to deprive us or to condemn us to a cheerless, joyless lifestyle. It is a priceless privilege - it is a call

* to belong, to be cherished, to enter into an intimate love relationship with God Himself, much as a groom declares his intent to set his bride apart from all other women to be his beloved wife

* to fit into the grand, eternal plan of our redeeming God for this universe

* to experience the exquisite joys and purposes for which we were created

* to be freed from all that destroys our true happiness."

". . . Sooner or later, sin will strip and rob you of everything that is truly beautiful and desirable. If you are a child of God, you were redeemed to enjoy the sweet fruit of holiness - to walk in oneness with your heavenly Father, to relish His presence, to rejoice in His mercy, to know the joy of having clean hands, a pure heart, and a clear conscience, and one day, to stand before Him unashamed. Why settle for anything less?"

-- Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Holiness - The Heart God Purifies

Blueberry Scones

The inspiration for these came when I was organizing the freezer and found two large bags of blueberries that I froze last summer. Knowing that I wouldn't be using THAT many berries in the winter's blueberry pancakes, I thought I better come up with another recipe or two for blueberries! (NOTE: I cut the wedge into 8 scones - next time, I'll cut it into 10 as the scones are REALLY big.)

3 C. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. butter
3/4 C. milk
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix all dry ingredients then cut in butter. Add the milk and stir well; fold in the blueberries. Pat into a large wedge (add a bit of flour if too sticky to handle) on a cookie sheet. Cut into 10 scones. Brush each with a bit of milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 25 minutes at 350 or until done through and golden.

Lavendar Hearts

A friend and I made these white and creamy, lavendar-scented soaps last week. As it takes a few weeks to cure them, we made them well in advance to be able to give as gifts for Valentine's Day. We've also got a nice large bowl of scraps waiting to be made into soap balls. They smell heavenly!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window . . . is a beautiful, sunny day! It's in the '40s and feels like spring compared to the bitter cold we've been experiencing. The beauty and warmth are beckoning to me to take a walk.

I am thinking . . . that I really, really want to be done with this nasty cold I've had for days. I am trying to remember that when it's over, I will feel very thankful for good health again. What I really want, though, is to be is thankful IN THE MIDST of the sickness.

I am smelling . . . not much with this cold but I do smell a faint whiff of lavendar from the soap that my friend and I made the other day.

I am thankful . . . for family. Sundays are usually a day of visiting, and yesterday was no exception. We spent several hours at M.'s sister's house with her family, another sister and her family, as well as his parents. What fun we had together - just talking and laughing over coffee with Hank Williams blaring in the background. I love you all!

I am going . . . nowhere for the next few days but will need to go out towards the end of the week to pick up ingredients to make stromboli for M.'s birthday dinner. On Saturday my sister and I are going for tea and thrifting for her birthday.

From the kitchen . . . meatball sandwiches with green beans for supper. And some sort of dessert if I don't run out of time . . . and energy.

Around the house . . . cleaning, laundry and writing up schoolwork for this week - all the things I didn't get done on Saturday since all I did then was sleep and watch "Sense & Sensibility."

Some of my favorite things . . . a clean house, handsome sons and a quiet week.

For more Daybook links, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Real Fire of Logs

". . . for it was living itself that she enjoyed. She liked lighting a real fire of logs and fircones and toasting bread on an old-fashioned toaster. And she liked the lovely curve of an old staircase and the fun of running up and down it. And she vastly preferred writing a letter and walking with it to the post to using the telephone and hearing with horror her voice committing itself to things she would never have dreamed of doing if she'd had the time to think."

-- Elizabeth Goudge, Pilgrim's Inn

(I couldn't resist taking this cozy shot last weekend at my sister's. We enjoyed dessert and visiting by the fireplace after a lasagna dinner - our final holiday event for the season.)

Gingerbread Scones

The guys got an early start on Saturday morning loading firewood. So after they were out the door, I made fresh gingerbread scones for my breakfast. I had one with a hot cup of mango-passionfruit tea and, before putting it away for the season, watched the ending of "Holiday Inn" . . . again. I LOVE that movie -

Gingerbread Scones

2 C. flour
3 tabl. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. cold butter
1/3 C. molasses
1/4 C. milk
1 egg, separated
Sugar

Combine dry ingredients then cut in butter; set aside. Combine molasses and milk and stir into flour mixture. Knead a few times to get the dough combined well. (I had to add a bit more flour due to stickiness.) Pat into an 8" circle. Brush with beaten egg white; sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

P.S. This is a slight adaptation of a recipe I found at Heritage Schoolhouse. I've gotten a lot of wonderful scone and muffin recipes from this homey blog.

Impromptu Skating Party

As its' been SO cold, the pond has been seeing a lot of action. Yesterday afternoon a pile of the cousins came to play ice hockey with Uncle Marty. The rest of us adults huddled in the springhouse near the heater with the baked goods and hot drinks.

Blog Update

Eli updated his blog today - click HERE for his photo of Miss Bossy.

Mocha Chunk Cookies

I wanted to include a photo of the cookies with this recipe, but the cookies didn't last long. I made them one afternoon while the boys were out ice skating - when they came in, a pile disappeared. Then M. came home - and a bigger pile disappeared. And . . . you get the point. Needless to say, this is a new recipe that will definitely become an old recipe.

Mocha Chunk Cookies

3/4 C. butter (I used margarine)
2 tabl. instant coffee granules
2 C. plus 2 tabl. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chunks

Combine butter and coffee in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until butter melts and coffee is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (mine wasn't that cool). Combine flour, baking soda, salt; set aside. Combine butter mixture, sugars, egg and egg yolk. Beat at medium speed until blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating at low until blended. Stir in chocolate chunks. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes.

January on the Farm

For the past few days, instead of taking my daily walk out the lane, I've been wandering about the farm. Actually, this is the best season to do that. As everything's frozen, there's no sloshing through mud, and I never meet any snakes along the creek in January. The stark landscape sets off the farmhouse and outbuildings especially well. Seeing the farmhouse from a different perspective always makes me appreciate its' quiet beauty even more.

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills -
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

-- Psalm 121

Thanks be that God is our Help, our Protector, our Keeper, our Preserver. That our Help is Creator of heaven and earth. That our God never sleeps and forever watches. That He is our Shade - providing rest, comfort and relief. And that the extent of His care for us is as limitless as forevermore.

Eli's New Camera

(Photo by Eli)

We gave Eli his very own digital camera for Christmas. Needless to say, he's tickled with it. With its' wonderful zoom capabilities, E. can finally capture the bluebird outside his bedroom window with success.

How Much Art There Can Be

"The current was off at Sleepy Hollow, but Fay had the house lighted with plenty of candles, and they sent a soft warm glow across the snow. All the fireplaces had good sturdy fires in them, and the range looked as comfortable as a summer day. Half a dozen friends came in, stamping the snow from their galoshes, and the roast beef came from the oven sizzling with juices. Fay's creamed potatoes went with it - my favorite. And a chef's salad, and hot mince pie and coffee. Good fare for a winter night.

How much art there can be, I thought that evening, in all the small ways of living. Sometimes we get lazy, but I think the effort spent in putting an ironstone bowl of pine branches on the table is well spent. And getting out the fragile grandmother china is worth it too. Often we do not bother to use the small gracious touches, and it is a pity. For no matter what heaven may be like, there is no use just waiting for it. I'll take mine now, with an open fire and apples toasting on a stick and good friends gathered around the hearth. Bowls of popcorn, and nuts to crack while the talk is merry."

-- Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow Seasons

Brownies for New Year's

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Beat until thick:
3 eggs
1 1/2 C. sugar

Fold in:
1 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt and fold in:
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
1 stick of butter

Fold in:
1 tsp. peppermint extract
6 oz. chocolate chips

Bake in a greased, floured 13x9 pan at 350 for approx. 25 minutes.
This pan of brownies was a delicious addition to our New Year's Eve feast!