Eggsiting!

Sorry, I know I have such a lame sense of humor. But I'm really eggsited about our hen's finally laying eggs now.

It's a lot of fun reaping the labours of your hard work and anticipating what you know is going to eventually happen. And now we have these fresh new eggs each morning. Actually lots of eggs...

So of course I have been giving them away, which is lots of fun too! But I also have been thinking I should come up with some ways to use these up, which is not hard to do like the Country Cottage Bake, I made for dinner last night.
With all these fresh new eggs I get each morning it makes me think about something new that has developed in my life very recently, which is also very exciting. The reconciliation of a very significant relationship in my life.
Like fresh eggs... His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23).
I've had a lot of hurts concerning this past relationship. But I've always wanted to be prepared that Lord willing when the time came I would not hinder the reconciliation because of a grudge and bitterness. I think its only fair to say though that 15 years did go by, up until about 6 months prior that I had bitterness that I did not want to face, and I stuffed it away. The Lord used a life altering circumstance in this persons life to soften my heart. I don't believe the Lord would bring a hardship into someones life for Him to use but I do know that God is in the business of turning beauty from ashes (Ish. 61:3). I've seen it happen in my life too many times to count. And so while I know the Lord was preparing my heart, I received a message from someone that this person wanted to contact me. I was so shocked, scared, but moved. I knew what I should do and honestly I wanted to respond. Like a fresh pretty egg each morning it calls to remind me: the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lam. 3:23) And when I am scared of all that could go wrong or the past threatens to steal my joy and cloud out the fresh new reality, I will say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The Lord is good to those who depend on him (Lam 3:24,25)
I need to remember that I cant expect perfection, because I am a perfectionist by nature, but that I come to each moment committing to the Lord whatever I do, and my plans will succeed. (Prov. 16:3)
Now I have the joy of being able to share what the Lord has worked out in my life. Its such a blessing with glorifying the Lord in this. Hearts are moved towards Him, through this demonstration of the His work.
This newly reconciled relationship will take time and work and patience, but like all work that is committed to the Lord... we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God (Rom. 8:28)

Country Cottage Bake 

Start with 4 large eggs, beaten, then add,

2 cups cottage cheese

1 cup frozen broccoli pieces

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped peppers

3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. bread crumbs

Pour into buttered pie dish or 8x8 baking dish. 

Bake at 350 for 40-50 min., until set

Apple Season Already?

It seems crazy for me to think its that time of year already when the leaves start turning, the fruit is ripening and the nights get cooler. But its not officially fall yet, I just need to make that clear!
Change is always happening, you think we would be used to it now. What about change that your not sure should happen. Like a move, change of jobs, and the times when prayers are said like "Lord please only if its your will" because you just don't know what the right decision is. Does the Lord so often (in my opinion) bring us to these forks in the road just to see how we respond? And even when we do make the wrong decision, the Lord is still there, scoops us up and makes something beautiful out of our own mistake even if its just to help us see where we went wrong so we can learn and not make that mistake again. Like a bruised or crow bitten apple, cut the bad off and turn it into...oh decisions...apple sauce or apple cake? hmm...
How about Appley Cake

 This is a very tasty recipe, the cardamom gives it a great flavour. And very apple-y...so moist.

4 cups granny smith apples (or the like) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tb. sugar
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tb. sugar

Butter a 10" pie plate. In a large bowl combine the apple slices with the lemon juice and 1 tb. sugar, and distribute evenly in the pie plate. Then wisk the melted butter and 1 cup sugar, add the eggs, 1 at a time wisking well after each. Add the flour, spices and salt and mix until smooth. Pour evenly over the apples and then sprinkle the last tablespoon of sugar over top. Bake in a 350 oven for 45 min. or until the apples are tender and crust is golden brown and when pricked with a fork it comes out clean.
 

The little old apple tree that gets lots of apples and gets lots of crow visitors to peck away at my apples :( oh well turn them into baked goods :) 

Thinking about praying for Gods will... Ive been stressing myself out over a certain decision and praying for God to open or close the door in this, according to His will, got me thinking... what if it just happens any old way and I fear if the door is open but it isn't God's will. But then I found these truths in God's word:
Luke 11:9 "And so I tell you, keep asking and you will receive what you ask for."
1 John 5:14,15 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
And so with these truths I know that when I ask that His will be done, and please close the door to the possibility of anything that is not His will, I can trust God that He will do as He said in His Word. Thank you Father for that assurance.

Huckleberries

I've never seen or thought about huckleberries before until I moved out here to western Canada. But I think that, that has got to be one of the best names for a berry! I saw an ad in the paper for a Huckleberry Festival and liked the way it sounded and so off we went on a two hour drive to this ski resort that was hosting the festival. It didn't look like the nicest day but checking the weather before hand I decided we would be ok with light sweaters and shorts and I even chose to wear sandals. When we arrived at the mountainous location it was six degrees. And everyone had on hiking boots, pants and lots of layers. But I was bound and determined to make the best of our huckleberry excursion. We got lift tickets some buckets and slowly, slowly got lifted to the top of the hill. The slow progression on the lift made it all the more cold while I endured all kinds of comments about the choice of my attire. Yes, thank you, I realize I made a bad decision with the sandals and shorts, I want to say as I smile, and gritting my teeth! 

 At the top we take a few steps and my husband says to me so what do they look like, and I say I read that they look like a blueberry (what a boring name for a berry) so we look a bit and I found a little bush with burgundy leaves that had deep purply blue berries and I pick one. I eat it and fake a dramatic choke and then say well they are safe, these must be it. So we start picking tiny berries from soaking wet bushes on top of a mountain that must have been 3 degrees (IN AUGUST!!) ! And also I should mention they are pretty sparse little bushes.

 I'd say we endured about 15 min. only because our hands stopped functioning at around that point, and collected half a cup of berries. Good times, good times. 
 On the way down, as it was on the way up the lift we spotted deer walking by and this time they were walking even right beneath our chair! That was cool. The sights were awesome. The experience was....an experience. And hey, I got to make some Huckleberry muffins after!

2 cups flour  1/2 tsp. salt  1 tb. baking powder  1 cup sugar
Sift these ingredients together. Stir in 1/2 cup huckleberries (or more if you could gather more:) or just plain old blueberries)
In a separate bowl mix
2 eggs  3/4 cup oil  1 1/4 cup greek yogurt  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Gently stir this into the dry ingredients with 1/2 cup white chips
Plop into greased 12 cup muffin tin and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 min.

 

 If its a typical August day sit outside and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
 So from all this I guess I should learn, always be prepared and don't have to many expectations!

Keep calm...the chives have sprouted!

 Keep calm...the chives have sprouted! It has been a hard spring for me, waiting for things to grow. When everything did finally start sprouting it almost seemed unreal. And I am still in awe at the growth. I thank the Lord for this simple thing...chives that grow and sprout early, even before the grass is all green. Yes so simple but the small things are usually what is real and is a blessing too. Because this small and simple thing can not be attributed to anyone else but God. There is no way for anyone here on earth to have manufactured a seed and make it grow. I can get so disheartened by all the big, fast things in this world because it makes me feel like I'm being silly paying such attention to a plant growing. But in truth I see so much beauty in a seeds growth and should not be ashamed by my simple amusements and wonders!

 Psalm 111:2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them.

 

 

 

 

 (This is our new addition to the family, her name is Willow and is 5 months old, is a BALL of ENERGY, and apparently likes chives too!)

 

 So in celebration of the first harvest from my newly acquired garden allotment, I baked up these yummy cheddar and chive biscuits.

 

MIX: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbs. snipped chives, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme. CUT IN: 3 tbs. margarine, to resemble course crumbs. STIR IN: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Then, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup yogurt. Dough will be sticky. Drop large tablespoonfuls on lined baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 12 min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cant remember if I mentioned that we really downsized on our living quarters inside and out, when we moved out here to the West this past year. It has been a challenge adjusting to the size or lack there of, of the yard. It may be temporary or not. Depending on where we sense the Lord leading us. But I have been working at making due with what we have. I've figured container gardening is the best for this year considering that the amount of yard we have is too small to tear up and plant veggies. So its a new adventure in trying this out. I'm thinking it'll be a bit more work making sure they get adequate water and food. On the positive I'm learning something new.

Lemon Poppy Seed Fluffins

The fresh sent and colour of lemon makes me think of spring, spring makes me think of fresh starts. Every morning is fresh with new grace and possibilities. And the chance to stop trying and rely totally! on God. This simple thought is really what I have really been aiming for lately. Picture the word START and this being the acronym for Stop Trying And Rely Totally. This is good for anytime, there is a fresh start every moment. Christ is always waiting for us to turn away from our own trying, ambitions and efforts and to rely totally on Him.

 

 

Sometimes it is healthy to try to figure out why why why we do what we do. But I know for me lots of times I need to stop focusing on the bad choices, the flubs and just humble myself to say to God "I can't do this on my own God!" I think maybe even say it out loud...loudly. "And for crying out loud...I shouldn't even try!!" So stop and then START right again. Its ok, He knows me, He knows you. And He loves you and I just the same, no matter what.

 

 

These muffins are so yummy and fluffy

 

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

lemon zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1/2 of it.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. poppy seeds

3/4 cup sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 375 and line or grease muffin tin, I used a large 6 muffin tin. Beat in each wet ingredient, according to order listed. Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet alternately with the sour cream, in 3 additions. Spoon into pan and bake 20-25 min. or 25-30 for the large muffins.

Now you can have a tea with the left over lemon :)

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

 

Gevulde Boterkoek

 

Gevulde Boterkoek (Butter cake with Almond Paste)

I remember the first time I made a version of this recipe, I was a teen and hanging out with a friend who also happened to be half dutch and she showed me how to make it. I was surprised at how easy it was, yet so yummy. This is a great traditional Dutch treat. Eaten in moderation, of course ;) This version is filled with almond paste so you don't even use almond extract. This was adapted from a recipe book, "The Netherlands Cookbook"

 

For the dough, knead the 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, and pinch of salt. Divide the dough into two and press one half into a buttered 8 " pie pan. 

(you may notice how my pan looks nice, clean and clear...forgot to butter the pan :( and so my cake stuck real good. No worries though, it was still easily eaten up!) 

 

Make the filling with 1 cup of ground almonds, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, grated peel of half a lemon. After the ingredients are blended, place the almond paste on top of the dough layer and smoosh flat to cover most of the dough. Press the other half of the dough on top of the almond paste to cover completely. It helps to press the dough out a bit flat on the counter before you put in the pan.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool and then cut into wedges.

This cake always gives me home-y feelings.

The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:3-6

 

I was thinking about feeling home-y and came across this verse and it feels so good for me to hear this right now. I have recently been told by my doctor, that I can no longer drive due to having epilepsy. I was diagnosed with epilepsy about a year ago. I find this so hard to accept. To be honest, I have cried a lot over it. I've told myself there are so many other things that are much worse. Yet I feel I need to mourn the loss of this freedom and convenience. I am grateful to the Lord for so many things, first I'm grateful that the Lord has been leading me to a place of being confident to face things that are scary and difficult. He has been teaching me to have a better attitude and be optimistic, looking on the bright side of things. I realise again and again, that He does things at perfect timing.

I'm grateful that I can and have been all along, able to walk my kids to school. No inconvenience there. I am grateful that I don't work out side of the home, no extra inconvenience there either. I am grateful that I am not too far from a few stores.

I was told by a friend: "I wonder how the Lord is going to use this. Its gunna be something big". Awesome! Thank you Lord for what hope I have in you! And Lord willing this isn't a forever thing. Lord willing I can find the right medication to stop the seizures. I Do Know for Sure, I am Not alone in this season of my life, or any time.

I have this truth to take with me in my times of shedding tears, if I allow God to use me, He will turn them into shouts of Joy as I come home.

 

Gods word gives me home-y feelings.... more.

 

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::

Am I alone here?

I am almost convinced frugality is a dying art! Frugal...Ew, that sounds so gross! It sounds so much better (to others) if you sound like your being "green" right? I'm "re-purposing" or I'm being "eco-friendly". Whatever. I just wanna say it like it is- cheap! But it gets a little discouraging when you are the only one on the block, who knows maybe a few blocks, that doesn't get everything pre-packaged, or dare I say it...re-uses, to save money.
I understand there is a load of people out there on the net that will agree with me. But I want to see some face to face. I want to look someone in the eye and say I reuse margarine containers, and that person say "SO DO I!!". Am I from another planet because I use hankies? You should see the looks I get.
I guess I just get so frustrated because this generation's culture has been teaching, through the media that whatever is different from what is displayed in the media is not OK. Oh of course there is the misconception that's being shoved at everyone that we need to accept everyones doings or beliefs. But this only means tolerance in ones choice to do what ever "feels right". No, I'm talking about: social status, clothing style, earnings bracket, home and vehicle purchases, hobbies, slang, Face Book friend tally, and hot list merchandise purchases, (etc).
So I am just gonna let it rip, and here I am waving my hankie in the face of the opposition...
I wont buy paper towels - use a rag.
Hello hand-me-downs - Never scarred me as a child.
Bake my own...everything- Way healthier. 
Easy to make laundry detergent- Its actually pretty cool to use homemade laundry detergent!
Re-use backpacks, duo tangs, crayons and pencils, it they are still decent- Its just so obvious to me...why not. (I told my kids to even use the excuse at school that they are just helping the environment:)
Use the second hand store as your go to, first stop before the retail store- Get over the fact that someone else used it. People spend loads of money on antiques, come on, whats the difference?!?BTW you can use the word "vintage" or "retro" you could probably even fit the word "epic" in there some how, when it comes to talking about used things. It sounds so much cooler that way :)
The elastics around fresh veggies- Save them.
Milk bags, and cereal bags- Rinse them.
Used clothing with defects (stains, small holes)- Use for small sewing projects.
Shoe boxes- Storage boxes, also useful in drawers for dividers.
Those pretty little ribbons attached to the inside of a shirt for hanging on store hangers- I snip them out and save for different projects and such.
Cracked or chipped mugs, that make you sad to throw out- Cute little planter.
Expensive canned cream soup- 1/4 cup margarine, melted in pot. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour. Immediately whisk in 1 cup milk, and 2tb. soup base. Simmer until thickened.
Scrap paper- Staple into booklets for the superfluous artist!
Mountains of Laundry- Probably could be whittled down if the clothes that were only actually dirty were in there... kids need supervision when throwing stuff in there. Briefly worn sweatshirts don't necessarily always need a washing.
Reduce shelf at the grocery store has lots of bargains- Think: over ripe bananas for bread, bruised apples for pie, various veggies for stews or soup.
I could go on, and there are so many cool, creative ideas for re-using but I'm just thinking practical here. I just don't see the point in wasting money on things that will not make a difference 5, 10, 20, etc.. years from now. Will I get points for sticking with some expensive name brand? Will I be remembered for being a loyal customer of ________? Will it make a world of difference what I wipe a mess up with or will it change my future if I didn't wash my bed sheets every week? NO! But I am doing my part in saving the world. Just funning with you! No, but this does do your wallet good. And using your noggin and not giving as much $ to the big time merchandisers.
Please don't mistake me for Caroline Ingalls though! I am constantly being persuaded by the cool new things that c o n s t a n t l y come out. (And I don't even have satellite/cable to see all the commercials) And tasty new things at the food businesses. So after I've given into temptation, like with, lets just say...Starbucks (gasp) I know, its a wack of money for a darn latte or scone! I will not allow myself to constantly be swayed and giving into temptation. I will make a knock off. Maybe even better than the snazzy, scrumptious pumpkin scones they have been luring weak scone cravers with- at Starbucks this time of year. And now, I can save some moola, and out do the coffee shop, thank you.

check out the "retro" tin!!



::::::Pumpkin Scones::::::

 

Preheat oven 425

Stir together:

2 cups flour,  3/4 cup sugar,  1 tb. baking powder,  1/2 t. each: salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,  1/4 t. each cloves, ginger

Cut in 1/4 cup + 2 tb. butter. Using a pastry blender, cut in until there is coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, blend 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 1 egg, and 3 tb. whipping cream.

Stir this into the flour mixture. Use your hands to press it into one form. Not over working the dough though. Shape into a 9x3 inch rectangle. Cut into 3 squares. Then cut each square into a triangle to make 6 scones. Place on prepared baking pan and bake for 15 min.

When they have cooled, spread a glaze over each, made from 1/2 cup of icing sugar and a tablespoon or 2 of milk.

 

So there Starbucks. I don't need you. But I want you. But now I don't have to.

 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

Some times its hard to make the wise choice in everyday domestic decisions. But all the small wise choices add up. When your outlook is in the right direction, the greater good is more likely to turn out well.

"The master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' Matt.25-23

 

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.

Do You Like rHuBaRb?

 RhUbArB seems like one of those plants that every other person has but doesn't care to do anything with most of the time these days. I say "these days" because I believe it was used more back in the day when people had less and used more of what was easily and cheaply available.
 This is the rhubarb recipe of spring '13 for me. I've made it 3 times already. Well I should be honest about why though. Its so yummy but...First time I made it and forgot to add baking powder, so I ended up with rhubarb slop. Immediately after that failure I attempted a second go and 15 minutes after I put it in the oven...the power goes out! About a couple hours later it comes back on and I finished baking it. It was good but I knew it could be better. It didn't rise completely. So like I said I made it a third time. Third times a charm, they say!

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble Cake
for the crumble:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup fine sugar (icing sugar)
for the cake:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup + 5 TB. fine sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup yogurt
2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Heat the oven to 350, and call the hydro company to make sure that the power wont be going out, due to "equipment failures" any time in the near future. Grease an 8" round spring form pan. Prepare the crumble by blending the flour and sugar with the butter. Use your fingers to bring the ingredients together to form crumbs. In a bowl mix the 5 TB. of sugar with the rhubarb and strawberries. For the cake, start with the first ingredient listed and beat in each one following, one at a time, until you get to the flour. Then use a spoon to stir the flour in, DON'T FORGET THE BAKING SODA, and salt. Add the yogurt and it should be a thick batter. Scrape the batter into the pan, evenly spread fruit on top of the batter, and top with the crumble. Bake for about 50 min.

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

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