Thursday 28 March 2013

Celery Scrub Curtains


 Here are the scrubs
Here is the celery

I was able to turn gently used scrubs into curtain panels. I easily clipped cafe curtain rings on the top of each curtain. I then dabbed my celery bottoms into paint to print flowers on. I saw this idea not too long ago in a magazine and thought it was a really cool idea. I never noticed the pretty pattern of a cut celery bunch before.

I do love pretty decorations, and am fond of decorating magazines, especially a particular one from Britian. And sometimes I can get to thinking quite a bit about how I'd like things to look around my house, or changing things around, making things look fresh, and portray my style. (Don't think for one minute though, that my house is in order and in tip top shape, half  of the time). I thought, that's all nice but that will all be useless or doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
And so I do favor looking at new magazines with peoples ideal homes and decorations, it makes me see how important it is to look into Gods Word. To use it to see how I look, and how I contrast.
So what am I getting at? Maybe that pretty is nice to look at, but what really matters is that we work at keeping the heart, mind, and spirit beautiful. By using Gods word as what we use to compare how we live, what we think and say. I've spent the last year reading through the New Testament, with all study notes included. Now that I'm nearing the end, I find myself thinking where should I start again? Start at the beginning in Genesis or Matthew again? Is it odd to just loop back to where I started? And that's when it hit me about the importance of keeping myself in His Word. I don't know this book off by heart, and so I need to be in those pages breathing it all in daily so that I can keep adding to whats in my heart, to grow stronger in Him, that I might represent and reflect Christ through out my life. Maybe like a spring cleaning, Or maybe not. I can find that overwhelming. The Lord wants us to go to Him everyday, and ask for what we need just for the day. And He does provide. A scripture verse, a prayer in our hearts, a quite moment, a song, a loved one, a beautiful view...or outlook!
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

Isaiah 55:11,12

By the way, I found this great list for doing spring cleaning in 30 Days here. Not so intimidating when its one thing a day. I'm thankful when the Lord puts things in our path that help and compensate. That helps me see how the Lord plans out even the small things to help His children.

Monday 25 March 2013

Parsnip Cake?

I came across a peculiar recipe which had both words parsnip and cake in the title. I was intrigued, and I happened to come across these veggies on the reduce rack and so I gave the recipe a try. I do find that parsnips can be kinda pricey, so I'm thankful for them being reduced in price.

I had to convert the recipe measurements, to using cups and tablespoon measurements. This is the recipe I followed:

1/2 cup + 2 TB. oil
1/2 cup + 2 TB. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ripe, mashed banana
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. mixed spice
1/2 cup grated parsnip
1/4 cup + 2TB. chopped, walnuts
For the topping:
1/4 cup butter
5 TB. icing sugar
1/4 pkg. cream cheese (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp. maple syrup (or maple flavoured syrup works fine)
-Preheat oven to 325. Grease a loaf pan. Whisk the first 3 ingredients. Add the banana. Fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the parsnip and walnuts. Turn into the pan and bake 50-60 min. until done. To make the topping, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the cream cheese, followed by the syrup. Spread over cooled cake.

Take it from a "Parsnip Cake" doubter, its really good. My mom says it reminds her of a cake she ate when she was little, that her mom would get, which was made in England. I told her it was a recipe from a British magazine!

And here is MacMurray, dressed up by Violet, so that he can be her sister, she said. J

He tried walking around a bit but it looked more like a wobble.

Friday 22 March 2013

Our Daily Bread



This is what I use to make our bread, that we use daily. We use it for breakfast, sandwiches for school lunches and whatever else. It makes three loaves. I adapted my technique and recipe from the book "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes a Day" , which by the way I love this book!


Using a clean large ice cream container works great for mixing and storing the bread. Put the yeast in and add 3 cups og warm water. *Warm enough to hold your finger in.


Add in the oil, once the yeast has dissolved.



 
 Add salt and sugar


Add your healthy ingredient. I used wheat germ, but I've also added instead: wheat bran, or oatmeal, or ground flax seed. No one will even be able to tell that its in there, except you.


Then the flour.


Mix with a spoon. Your hand will get sticky but no worries just mix it back into the dough. The dough should be quite sticky but not too wet that it has no form. Cover with the lid or plastic wrap or clean towel. Put in a warm place until it has doubled. This could take an hour or more. I usually turn the oven on for a minute to warm it up, turn it off and leave the dough to rise in there.


Take the cover off, see nicely risen dough.


Sprinkle some flour on top, to ease the handling of the dough.


Grab what looks to be one third of the dough.



And shape it into an oval to fit your three, greased loaf pans. Gently pull the side down. Think of it like wrapping a gift. You want the top to look nice and the edges fold to the bottom.


Once they are evenly divided, formed and placed in the pans, sprinkle a little flour on top. Covered with your towel or plastic wrap, again. Rise again for about an hour or until they have risen to your liking. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and bake about 25 min.
Now I'll tell you a mistake I made this time, I was multi-tasking (which can be dangerous for me sometimes) ...(not kidding ) I thought I'd make some English muffins as well. So they were about ready to go in the oven, time to preheat the oven for them. So I did that...while my bread was rising in the oven covered in a towel. Lets just say I'm glad I thought of it before the towel burst into flames! No, it did get really hot, 'cause I smelt the bread starting to bake and the smell of fresh laundry came out of the oven when I opened the oven door! I scared myself, but thankful nothing worse happened. Well needless to say be careful while multi-tasking. And maybe don't take my advice on letting the dough rise in the oven. HE HE HE.


Funny thing though, my honey tells me after work yesterday that, that was the best bread I've made! No kidding!


We ought to hear at least one little song every day, read a good poem, see a first-rate painting, and if possible speak a few sesible words.
-Goethe

...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anyting is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Anticipating Spring

Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.
-Ralf Waldo Emerson

Some posies to brighten the room.
And a craft to visualize the upcoming of the seemingly distant Spring weather and blooms.


Violet and I cut some branches from the Lilac bush in the back yard. Cut some small squares from tissue paper.



Folded the squares into 4. Hold the folded corner and twist.



Dap glue on ends of the twigs and twist the paper around the gluey twigs.


Looks like blossoms are blooming!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Thursday 7 March 2013

Banana Scones

 Having nearly rotten bananas in the house is a common occurrence around here and I know we are not the only home with this situation. But no worries right? Who doesn't love banana bread? But me I love figuring out what else I can do with them. So lately its been Banana Scones. Oh and I love me some scones (muffins too!) I'm on a scone kick lately. You know lemon blueberry, date and spice, maple pecan, strawberry. Well I came across some banana ones and have come up with this one that I modified to my liking. It follows...



2 Bananas, mashed
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 425
Mix according to the list. Just until its combined. Divide in half and shape each into 7-8 inch rounds. Cut into 6 pieces, each. Place pieces on greased baking sheets and bake for 12 min.
Breakfast/Snack time- is ready.

Daily duties are daily joys, because they are something which God gives us to offer unto Him, to do to our very best, in acknowledgement of His love. -Pusey

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13