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COURAGE for 2014

Last year I was inspired to pick a word for the year 2013, to encourage us. Frustrated by my children's lack of kindness for one another, making a habit of constantly picking on each other, preying on each others weaknesses, and deliberately hurting others feelings, hu hu hu (panting)... I picked the word KINDNESS. I came up with a slogan too. Its to the point, and I made who ever disrespected an other, have to repeat it: ~Feelings get hurt like a punch in the gut. So if you have nothing nice to say, keep your mouth shut!~ This was typed out in big letters, with a picture of a guy throwing a big punch. And hung up. Needless to say this was memorised pretty well and quickly. The kids got pretty tired of me getting them to repeat this. Another one I felt I needed for slightly different situations that arose was: ~Feelings get hurt like a kick in the knee. I must be kind to others if I want them to be kind to me!~ I am happy to say that the hurt feelings were brought down significantly. To remind us of our goal I made up pretty bunting with the letters for kindness on each little flag. I kept it simple with the flags made of card paper. I painted them with acrylic. I used a sponge to cover the card with paint. Next I used a small piece of bundled burlap to dab a rough border around each flag.Then to hang it up I used brown string.
This year I know we all need to remember to step out in COURAGE a lot more often. Especially with having recently moved half way across the country. Its hard to settle in and establish a new way of life, for each of us. New surroundings, work, school, church, neighbours, friends, stores, etc.
But sadly we can all lack a degree of courage. Life can start one off with situations that can damage, hinder, or completely spoil that courage that God wills for us. I speak from experience. Sadly that rubs off on our children from our view we have of ourselves.
But here is a definition the dictionary has, that puts it plainly: the courage of ones convictions the confidence to act in accordance with ones beliefs. 
We have no excuse to act out insecurely, because if we love, believe, and walk in Christ, that goes against what you believe. That's called a contradiction. 
Courage through Him, covers most of what the christian life calls us to: Courage to love, courage to do what is right, courage to stop doing what is wrong (change is hard even when its for the good), courage to step out and stand up for Christ or a brother/sister, courage to get out of your comfort zone (get out there and join in with others), courage to be yourself, courage to speak your mind, courage to face uncertainties, courage to deal with hardships, courage to forgive, courage to put others and God first, courage to heed or consider an others loving advice...
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  1Cor. 16:13
In any situation, we should ask ourselves "IS THIS WISE IN THE EYES OF GOD?" If the answer is yes, have the confidence to do it! If the answer is no have the courage to turn away! The Lord will provide the wisdom to know the difference and what you need, to carry out His will. And doing His will is most fulfilling!
Also have you ever thought about how the word encourage comes from the word courage? Here is another dictionary definition: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.
All this courage has a chain reaction. I don't believe anyone can say they have more than enough encouragement. We can all use a bit more.
It makes me think of the Nike slogan: Just Do It. Having a grand thought or a nice idea is useless, if not acted upon.
"Beautiful thoughts hardly bring us to God until they are acted upon. No one can have a true idea of right until he does it." -Willeam R. Inge
So this all, like most of what I write about, is my own pep talk, but my hope also is to encourage from my experiences and struggles.
Not to forget, here are the slogans for Courage 2014:

Have Courage to say

Courage to do

Gods will,

He has for you.

 

Be a sample of Christ’s example.

Encourage through your courage.

Joshua 1:9 This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

 

 

 

To Inspire Cozy Feelings on a Chilly Day...Vermicellisoep met balletjes

 "While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best."
- Tom Allen

 

- 25 c. temperatures, and/or 40 km winds and/or 4 ft. high snow drifts. (All of which we have experienced this past month) This definitely makes me want to get back in the house and thaw out stay cozy.

Now for inspiring coziness: Vermicellisoep met balletjes (Vermicelli soup with ground meat balls) a yummy traditional Dutch soup.
I like a big pot (mmm... left overs!)
-10 cups of beef soup stock
-1/2 teaspoon of ground mace
-1 cup broken vermicelli or you can use spaghetti noodles
-1 cup ground beef
-1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1 bread kupje (the crusty end of the bread)
-1 egg
-a bit of flour
-2 thinly sliced carrots
-2 stalks chopped celery
Prepare your little meat balls by mixing the meat with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, the kupje crumbled, and the egg. Smoosh it together and make tiny balls a bit bigger than a marble. Roll 'em in a bit of flour.
Get your beef stock boiling, add the mace. Reduce to a light bubbling. Add noodles, then  the meat balls. Dump in the veggies. Taste test. Maybe more salt or pepper or maybe even mace.
This soup has a great unique taste.

Now I'm ready to go out again and shovel a path as I walk the kids to school!
::I am constantly filled with thankfulness to the Lord for the things most of us, feel are necessary but are really blessed privileges. Snow shovels, mittens, boots and scarves, warm home, and warm food. Thank you Father::

50% off

Found these dried figs at the grocery store. They were 50% off. I've never baked with them before and didn't know what I should do with them. Fifty percent, half price. Because they are only half as good as before? But, they are still useful.
 I've been feeling pretty off lately, 50% off. How did this happen? With a recent big move, I find myself so discontent. I just have to admit that I don't like the change, almost, at all. There are definite blessings and advantages but I just cant see them with all the unfamiliar surroundings. The absence of the familiar (the people, things, and scenery I loved)- crowds out all the advantages. Which I must mention are the most important of this life...ie. more family time.

So I'm allowing this discontentment, to allow me to work at 50%, my mood be at 50%, discernment 50%. I realise I am human and I can feel and react to life's changing situations. And this is not wrong, but I think that when I start to let it control me in such a way, that then I'm not really trusting the Lord. But I must go back to the figs, still being useful at 50%. This situation has been helpful for me, with again seeing how the Lord works things out according to His will, when we trust Him (Rom. 8:28). I have faith that He will take care of me (Phil. 1:6), despite how I fEeL. Ugh if only those FeElInGs wouldn't get in the way of my trust, and faith I know is there in me!  Thank you Lord that you are patient with me (2 Peter 3:9,15).

So this is what was presented to me the day this was all coming to me -

We must take the world as we find it: it is a happiness permitted to very few to choose their company.

-Susanna Wesley

If I steadily allow my feelings to control my mood and such, I am choosing to let myself be half as useful and I'll miss out on all the good that the Lord is doing! I need to be patient, the Lord knows what He is doing.

Fig Spice Cake

1 1/2 cups figs, stems removed

1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. each baking powder, salt
1/2 tsp. each baking soda, cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10"tube pan. Place figs in sauce pan and cover with water. Simmer for about 5 min. Drain and cool, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Cut the figs into small pieces and set aside. In a bowl, combine the reserved liquid with the cream. In separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, cream the the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla. Beat in a third of the flour mixture then the cream mixture, keep alternating until all is combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 50-60 min.
This is a comforting smelling cake. Yummy too.

 





 

What book is all About Ckicken?

  Hencyclopedia! (groan) The kids told this one and it made me think about this yummy meal I made the other day called  Lemon-Dill Chicken Popover. It was so delicious and not a bad idea to make for a warm summer day. You only use the oven for about 25 min. and you microwave the rest.
  For the popover:
3 tb. butter, melted and divided.
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
6 eggs
1 cup milk

For the filling:
2 cups frozen mix carrots, broccoli florets, cauliflower
1 med. onion, chopped
1 tb. butter
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 med. red pepper, diced
1 tb. lemon juice
1 tsp dill weed
 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Brush the bottom of a deep dish pie plate with 1 tb butter, set aside. In a bowl combine the flour and salt, mix in the eggs, milk and remaining butter until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Reduce heat to 350; bake 5-10 min. longer or until golden brow and centre is set.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine veggies, onions, and butter, cover and microwave 5-10 min. Add the remaining ingredients except cheese and microwave another 4 min. Stir in cheese.
Spoon the mixture onto the top of the popover, cut into wedges and serve immediately. (This does reheat well too)

It was so nice to sit on the veranda this evening while we ate. It made me slow down the pace. Taking the time to take the meal outside, I was able to hear the birds chirp, feel the breeze, and I could smell the flowers that are blooming all around. Taking the time to be in the moment and enjoy it, has been difficult lately. You see, my family and I had decided to make a big move, some 3,300 km away in another province. This has brought on a lot of work in preparation with big time purging. To be honest I would definitely call us "pack-rats". And having a house that is much too big for our family of 5 has made it more than easy to fill it up. "You never know when you might need it" - has always been our motto.
And here is another one that I followed with out wanting to admit it:

Found this in the window of a store, last month!

"A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist."  -Franklin P. Jones. That would be the blame of all my books. I had shelves lining every wall in my upstairs hall.  About 3 book shelves as well, with not enough time to read them all. Too many cook books, not enough time to make every meal. Too many clothes with only one body to wear them on. Cd's that I knew I didn't want to listen to. More mugs than I would ever need to drink out of. All this and it doesn't even get to my husbands tool hoarding issues. When we had to face all this clutter it made me think -  O Lord, are you leading us to move, in part, that we would deal with this over crowding of stuff? I keep telling myself - LEARN FROM THIS... We can have a fresh start. I now truly realise that this is an issue, and here is the perfect chance to deal with it. But I can't fool myself. I can foresee that its probably like dropping a bunch of weight. It's not the hardest thing to loose the weight its keeping it off.

More PIZZA and a new Drive - along Discovery

This was a creation this past week. Its pizza that almost tastes like a cheese burger. Both go great together. Don't get scared off by the pickles, you would be surprised at how good it all goes together.
To start off I used half of my pizza dough recipe.
Brown a pound of ground beef, with half a sliced onion. After that mix in about a 1/2 cup ketchup.
After you have spread the dough out onto a large rectangle pizza pan, spread 1/3 cup of onion chip dip. This could be replaced with onion cream cheese spread. Sprinkle the meat mixture over the dough and dip. Then a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar goes on top. Bake in oven at 425 degrees, for about 15 min. Slice up some dill pickles and sprinkle on the top.

I was excited to see a species of duck I've never seen before. Probably just never had the chance to see them before, but I found out they like small bodies of water and rivers. So these Hooded Merganser's were right at home in the Ottawa River. They eat small fish and other small living creatures in the water. And they were doing just that when I spotted them this past weekend. I was a passenger while my hubby was driving when I spotted the beautiful male and his female. I was interested in finding out what kind of duck they were and also found out that they nest in tree cavities near the water, and their bills are serrated for catching the food they eat, as well as having an extra membrane to cover their eyes for when they dive under water (like a frog).
This makes me think about this quote I read not too long ago..."Familiarity with nature never breeds contempt. The more one learns, the more he expects surprises, and the more he becomes aware of the inscrutable." -Archibald Rutledge

Hay! Where is the Spring Weather?

I must admit, I'm getting really anxious for the spring weather and growth. Just this morning it was snowing. Get this- school was even cancelled because of snow and freezing rain on Friday! I know that it will come. I just read this quote "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time" -Abraham Lincoln. And so I am reminded that though things aren't appearing how I'd like or expect, I can choose to enjoy what the present holds. And the sky that was before me, full of huge clouds and white dusted hay fields were a gift that made me pull over to capture with a picture...be content with what you have; for God himself has said, “I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.”Hebrews 13:4-6. The beginning of this verse says...Your conduct must be free from the love of money, and... and makes me think on this blog post I added half a year ago. It was a plan to get out of debt by ceasing unnecessary spending for the period of time until we got debt free. Well...it lasted all of a month and a half. Christmas came and then the direction changed. I found it was an incredibly insightful month and a half. I found I became very much more aware of my spending, I still do find I am more careful and selective about what I spend my money on. As well we make the times we do go out to eat (which is very few and far between) more special because it is rare. Therefore truly enjoyed and appreciated by all. Beside the children's few gifts at Christmas time, getting and receiving things is not a regular occurrence. I am happy to say though that we are 75% out of debt since this started, which leaves a small portion for us to reach our goal. So were we too extreme, gungho? Probably, my husband and I are well know to be that way. Or quitters, bailing out? Could be, Its hard to hang in there for 360's! But I do know that balance is the key. Buying a coffee isn't a sin. Letting desires compromise priorities begs to be challenged. So what can I say? For now we are happy with keeping unnecessary spending to a minimum, because I truly do believe being in debt is not OK. Accumulating a mass of stuff is not what life is about, you cant take it with you. Life is about who you are living for and that is what brings true JOY in your life. Jesus, Others, lastly Yourself. Priorities, is when I am taking a step forward not backward, and every single step (choice) in life will do that: forward -or- backward.

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Deliver us, we pray thee, from the tyranny of trifles. Teach us how to listen to the prompting of thy Spirit, and thus save us from floundering in indecision that wastes time, subtracts from our peace, divides our efficiency, and multiplies our troubles. Amen

-Peter Marshall

 

Some spiritual math there for you. But this quote made me think about what our group was reading about in bible study yesterday, in Matthew chapter 26. The story of the woman pouring the EXPENSIVE perfume over Jesus. It made me think of how logically the disciples were correct in their thinking but also this woman was bang on in her discernment because she was thinking with her faithful heart. So there, in my opinion proves the point that a following believer of Christ doesn't go strictly by rules (legalism) but continually turns to the Lord for direction and discernment. We obey and follow then because we love Him.

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

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

Relax

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
-Chinese Proverb

Answers to prayer often come in unexpected ways. We pray, for instance, for a certain virtue; but God seldom delivers Christian virtues all wrapped in a package and ready to use. Rather he put us in situations where by his help we can develop those virtues.
-C.R. Findley

 I love these quotes I just came across. The first one, helps me see how its so much easier on myself if I would just accept who God made me and allow myself mistakes, and to freely let others see them as well. This will truly bring growth.
 The second one makes me smile with the holiday season approaching, I think wouldn't it be something if you could request, "Lord I'd like some patience, understanding and compassion wrapped up under the tree for some good Christian virtues added to me." No it doesn't work that way. Its more like- "Lord why is this happening to me?" and then later when we look back we can see that He was using these circumstances for enriching and growing us up to be more like Him!

Tourtiere and Stories

 Gotta say this is a great meal for those gusty fall days. The recipe for this Tourtiere I found in the Harrowsmith Country magazine. It is excellent. The days have been so dark and wet lately. Thankfully we had been out of the storms path here in Southern Quebec. Also family in Southern Ontario did not feel much of the Storm hit either. But prayers are with those who have suffered through it.
 With this type of weather I wonder if it has been making me feel more tired? All the dark clouds that are gathered in the sky. Each time I look out the window I see within the frame a beautiful mosaic of clouds in an array of blues. As I was driving I looked up and there appeared to be levels. It made the sky look like you could drive to it and hop on a cloud to step up and climb higher and higher.
 This extra time spent indoors and feeling tired sure makes one want to curl up with a book.

All sunny skies would be too bright,

All morning hours mean too much light,

All laughing days too gay a strain;

There must be clouds, and night, and rain,

And shut-in days, to make us see

The beauty of life's tapestry

-unknown

Buried Treasure

 This is what I read on my perpetual flip calendar at the end of my long day in the kitchen...
 The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees. We should establish ourselves in a sense of God's presence by continually conversing with him. -Brother Lawrence
 I was able to make some buried treasure (frozen veggies), with getting a really good deal on large 10kg. bags of carrots and onions. I par-boiled the carrots to freeze well.
 Method: Peel and slice the carrots of course. Have a large pot 1/2 full of water set to boil as you are preparing the carrots. Once the water is boiling, dump the carrots in and bring to a boil and then let them boil for 2 or 3 min. Have a bowl of cold water set near by to ladle the cooked carrots out with a slotted spoon and into the cold water. This stopps the carrots from cooking any longer. Then dump into a collandar.

Once dripp dried, I bagged them in clean milk bags (which make great cost efficient freezer bags and is a great way to make use of somthing regularly discarded right away) and closed them off with a milk bag closure.

 

Apple Loaf

I reciently bought a bushel of apples so I'm gunna be baking a lot of appley things. I made two of these with the following recipe and brought one to bible study. Itwas liked so much, that the recipe was requested.

 

2 cups peeled chopped apples (about 3 med. apples)
2 cups sugar, mixed with the apples
3 cups of flour
3 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup of butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
-- > Heat oven to 325. Grease two loaf pans. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Stir in the apple-sugar mixture. Mix in the remaining 3 (wet) ingredients. Divide into the 2 pans. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

After all the chopping it was refreshing to get out for a walk and enjoy all the browns and yellows left on the trees. This oak behind the kids was so beautiful. The diversity and mixture of colours of and on each leaf  was gorgeous!

 

"Come on guys, smile nice!"

 

 

"OK..."

 

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It is possible for us to live in the very sense of the Lord's presence, under even the most difficult circumstances. If you and I are going to enjoy the peace of paradise during this life, we must become accustomed to a familiar, humble, and very affectionate conversation with the Lord Jesus.

-Brother Lawrence

Times Spent Going to the Beach

Here is what we saw these past few weeks going to the beach.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain