He said "you sure are industrious"...

I met the children Friday after school with a nice afternoon snack.
We just love popcorn.
This micro wave popper is awesome.
Dove can even make popcorn on her own now.
That is a big thing for her and she takes great esteem from it

Friday The dishwasher also got a good cleaning.
We had this in inventory above the washer.
Taking advantage of what I had , thought to use it.
We have very hard water here.
I have tried the old vinegar trick to where you place a large bowl of vinegar in the bottom rack and run it.
I was not real thrilled with the results.

My dear heart dug the earth up and over for me to plant this week.
I look forward to tending to it.

While the funeral for the starter was being had we were off to the outskirts of the city.
My love took me to this wonderful nursery we love.
He and the children played on the tree house while I shopped the seeds.
The tooth was some less than budgeted for and I had a nice spring budget set aside for the garden so I had a ball!
Heirloom seeds!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the difference in the tooth.

Herbs are a treasure
There are Lemon Thyme, Sage, Margram (sp?), parsley, and a six pack of butter lettuces.Click on image to enlarge
OH JOY!!!!!!!

We went to the folks after the nursery play time :)
The evening was wonderful, We shared a meal together
She gifted me with some of my favorite dish clothes.
They are so pretty !
Look at the sunflower one!
I separate it all; big bowl is for the chickens.
broccoli stalks for soup
culender for perfectly good things.
the paper bag is for the compost.
All the cabbage leaves and any thing that showed wilt goes to compost.
Before we left for the city we stopped to get the boxes the produce fellow set up for me.

See the bock choy I just break off the old part to the compost and the hens just love the rest.
This is the second box!

Al toll 4 large bags of chicken scrap, once the stalks were pealed there were at least two bags full for the compost.
Two perfect heads of butter lettuce, a lot of parsley (it just had to be gleaned through), a large carrot and 4 nice radish. Some Swiss chard as well, just enough to add to a nice rice dish.


We took off this afternoon and we all went to a nice park and the kids had their bikes.
We sat in the warm sun, the rains were heavy and the sky had huge thunder heads on the out skirts surrounding the valley. It was so pretty.
The kids climbed trees and we walked hand in hand as they urged us to stay in one spot. We really wanted to stroll. Those kids cant stop them when you want to and when we wanted to walk they had become friends with a tree.
It was very refreshing.
We stopped for a few stock goods for the next few week. The toilet paper type thing.
We splurged for the first time and bought a ready made "chicken Popper". They are real whole chicken breast cubs with a breading the bake in the oven type. Beloved wanted me to take a break. Boy I was so glad. I had not eaten well and my blood sugar CRASHED!!!!!!!
He was so sweet.
He got a glass of lemon aide and helped set up all the stuff while I put the chicken on , and warmed the veggies.
The stalks of broccoli needed to be finished as well
I put them on the boil while we ate and then Dove and I finished the movie (twelve long miles).
The time with her was sweet. It was a teenage coming of age movie.

After all the stalks were pealed, then boiled...I ran them through the blinder with some unsweetened soy milk.
Then the left over potatoes that had been mashed for Mr. U. bday were added. A quort of chicken stalk. Seasoning would of been best nutmeg, but without it I used cinnamon and allspice. Mace would have been nice but i was out.

My Sweet Mr sharpened a knife and placed the vice near. I decided to finish them up. The Asian knifes needed tending. These are hardened steel and a gift to me from my brother in law.

The kids needed strawberry jam, so being tired of the $3 for 6oz. jars...I got some frozen berries and made my own!
Wow you would of thought it caviar!

Now that is a nice fresh jam.
Yep the berries were frozen, but wow what a flavor!
Very easy to do by the way.
I did not put these up (can them for the pantry) they will be gone way too soon for that.

I started Henry again.
Thought I might of lost him again, Mr U thought I said put it in the refer, when I asked him to put him on the refer.
He was a happy blend this evening. Took a pause in the post to go feed him.
He had a good fome on him.

Ending the day with the kitchen done.
Have to go to the city tomorrow.
Dash has a broken hearing aide.
Same one as before , I might request a new one.

Broccoli Potato chowder is finished for the evening meal tomorrow.
Have the salad to do and the bread.

Full full day.
full weekend too.
Time to go join my sweet heart
good night.

Pay it forward 2009

I was visiting Denese at Samaritan Woman , and she has posted a "Pay It Forward" Challenge.
This is a great way to bless others with a surprise in their mail--using your time, energy and love.
Here are the rules :
The first 3 bloggers to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand-made item from me.

Those 3 bloggers promise to post this challenge on their blog (meaning they too will ‘pay-it-forward’, creating a handmade gift for the first 3 bloggers that leave a comment on their blog!!) That's a lot of hand-made love being passed around! ; )The gift can be any price range--though I'm thinking that keeping it small will be sufficient--and you have 365 days to make/ship your gift!!
So, the person receiving this will be definitely surprised when a surprise shows up unexpectedly in their mailbox! As you can see, if everyone cooperates and "pays it forward" this spreading of love could go on for a very long time. If you want to participate, just leave a comment telling me so and then re post this on your blog so that you can pay it forward to 3 others, and so on, and so on, and so on.......

You can still leave a comment here even if you do not want to participate....... Just tell me if you do...... It is that easy!

I love doing this and had such a great time with it last year................... Sooooooooo Pay it Forward girls.....................

It was the water

Bren gave me a link about the sour dough.

I used tap water at one point to feed the yeast!
The chlorine in tap water will kill your starter. Be sure to use your R>O or spring water for it.
Full family day. I'll try to blog later.
Happy Sunday!

No go on the sour dough!

Need to keep learning...
the bread did not rise.

Sour dough.

Tonight I poured the hooch off the sour dough starter

Have you ever heard that term
"Hoochie Momma"
Hooch is the water that rises to the top of the starter.
It is like a nasty beer.

Hoochie Momma was a woman who took to the drink of her hooch.

Funny where things come from, now I just deduced this .
I think it must be so

There will be bread to make in the morning.
At least to rise it till evening hour.
We will have our first homemade sour dough bread tomorrow for our dinner hour.

I warmed then cooled the oven to touch.
The "starter" is being proofed.

Aloha Friday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question is:

Do you use reverse physiology on your kids? If so how?

I seperate them when they are not getting along, after about the thrird spat. I tell them they are not allowed to speek to each other and send them to their rooms. After about a good 15 minutes they are being to speek to each other and pleding that they will get along.

Doves coat

Dove was refusing to wear her coat, she had it disappear for a while.
I asked her if something was wrong with it.
she said it was to noisy on the chair so I removed a row of beads.
Still again it vanished for a while and she cold would not take action to locate it.
I went in search of it for her.
It was hidden under her bed behind the "rat hole".
My Dear Sweet Daughter was suffering.
The children at school had apparently harassed her about the bears on the toggles.
She was safe enough at last to tell me.

I removed them today.
It was a bit like taking away her innocence.
Then I relized that it was time that she needs to hide it.
We Daddy Man and I spoke of her changing season, how we will so long for it and want so to have it back.
I think I will streight forewardly let her know that this will always be the safe place for her to reviel her authentic self.
There are places where we must protect our innocence.

I wrote a card for her...you see her tender heart feel awful to even ask of me to deface her prized coat. All of her peers are now trying to be tough at school. I see that in some ways it is the survival of the fittest. This world is that way. The Dove must be WISE AS THE SERPENT.
The Dove must keep the upper hand.

Remving the bears became an act of protection.
An act of wisdom.
Sad though.
She really loved those bears.

gardening

Enjoy the music.
This is a song I have sung in my flower gardens for 20 years now here in the harvest field it rings so true also.

The garden gate is always a welcoming place to me.
It is a whole new world I inter into.
I read recently something I had never heard of in all my born days...
That each of us come to God in a particular way...
The Creation is often the place that stops me in my tracks and envelops me into his realm

Much earth awaits me...
"Seed me! make me grow!", it calls out to me.

The Radish are so happy here...

foreground is the Copenhagen Cabbage

Chinese Cabbage near the wall for it has a longer growing season.

Peas and snap peas are still happy to be with me. I think of raking back some of the soil and panting new seeds among them. They really like this location. this is a real favorite in the family. Dash loves to visit me in the garden and smile with such excitement when he gets to eat snap peas in the garden with me.

The promise of a berry is a thrill, Dash wants to get to pick it when it is time.
He picked a cherry tomato yesterday. Wow what a pop. Those homegrown Tomatoes are nothing like the store bought. The intensity of flavor , it is almost tart.

This friendly lettuce has not bolted it is from last crop in the fall. still gifts us with enough for the sanwiches in the lunch box.
When I saw Dash make his lunch...he was getting a leaf to use for his sandwich...It really tickled me.

I have Made Lemon Aide so much and for so many lately. Annette gave me an offering of kindness. A cool glass...I did not even have to make it Ha!!!
Thank you Anette
Annette is a welcomed new friend and reader. She is a gentle soul with warmth. Go say hello to her and welcome her.


o who ever would like it!!!!
Your suppose to pass it to 10 people
who blogs have great attitude and gratitude
and all of you do!! So please take this award
from me and remember all of you have "GREAT ATTITUDE AND GRATITUDE

be your own executive chef

Prep work is a chef's back bone.

Being your family's own private executive chef
is a great position of leadership.
We have the duty to over see the entire operation from menu to finished dish.

It is good to delegate as would a Chef
The grunt help carry the groceries in
helps to shop tending the load.
Eventually learns how to purchase wisely

Then it is on to prep
sue chef and so on.
Also is found the wait staff and the dishwashers.
A Family Home "restaurant" is a business.
One that is for the benefit and the prosperity of the family.

If the mucky mucks can serve 10,00 well then we as lead chef can
serve well our population.
Think of your kitchen this way and you will not only
consider the cost/profit of your kitchen;
You will also consider the continued education of your staff.
Delegation is key to success.
It is also key to the success of our children's future.

Many a child leaves home not knowing how to even boil water.

It was just a little too quiet

Little Dove was found...

In the kitchen...

With my camera

Our sweet child sees herself best like this...

We had just watched a family movie called "Two Brothers"
it was about two tigers.

I love Doves Golden eyes.
Dove is a wonderful daughter, she brings so much joy and delight into my life. I am forever grateful to have this privileged to be her mother.
Her quiet heart speaks volumes of soft kindnesses.

Thankful Thursday

I got my new tooth started this morning!

Empowered
Obedient
With basket removed from me.
I will shine.
I exhale.
Budgets met gifts for the children V day purchased within budget.
Plenty left over to get the little factory made cards they desire in order to fit in.
This is important to them.
One day I will teach them to rebel against the pressures of peers.
To be true to who they are no matter the pressure of acceptance/rejection.
For now I will help them through this maze.

The cabbage has sprouted, the rows glow with tiny green promises.
While the appearance of the radishes proclaim themselves much more boisterously.
There was a flower teasing me on the strawberry plant.Dash and I enjoyed our harvesting of the peas last night in our pasta (covered in diced beef gravy).
Wow let them grow it and they just can't wait to eat it.
No problems here with him eating his veggies.

Dove amazed me with a wonderful typed paper she did.
As I walked into her class room to serve.
It was the class writing project.
The goals of her year to come.
Doing her homework every day.
Eating the meals her mother makes for her and the family.
Graduating to the nest grade with high scores.
You know she has been keeping those goals well.

The gentleness and easy forgiveness that comes to Dash.
He reminded me that this is a New Day.
Just be who you are this day.
My afternoon yesterday ended with another terrible migraine.
Light triggered while at my girlfriends home.
Her and I had , had a wonderful time of intercession.
We both do Moms In Touch" an international prayer ministry for the local schools our children attend.

The last container of soy mushroom soup base was awaiting me at the store.
Sweet Mr. U. desires a meal that is one of my old time specialties.

I'll post a recipe later
My husband loves my cooking.
How blessed and thankful I am for these skills to gift my family with good food.
You can not even buy these foods out unless you paid a high price for them.

I appreciate how God prepares us before the very foundation of time into the life of freedom, once we are his.
Trials yes , but the abundance of favor and his Love.
I feast on this every day!

I am so glad you were born

Happy Birthday
To you
My Love

You are an
Awesome man!

I am so glad you were born

Happy Birthday
To you
My Love

Wordless Wednesday

Update

I have to run to serve at the elementary.
The news is mixed. Mostly good. It is not something like thyroid, b12 or heavy metal.
Good news is that it was not a seizure on the EEG, it was a migraine response.
The mri's show slight growth in the white spots.
Awaiting the tests to be done ,so all is on hold until up to two weeks after that.
I may be sent to stay is hospital to have further testing done, if those results are inconclusive. He could not rue out the Early onset, the dna has not returned yet yet we cant say it is either.
There is a chance it is the damage from the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder causing a chemical damage.
I am encouraged. He was so kind. He told me not to just give it up and assume it is just the PTSD, he needs to be sure we are not missing a cause. He thinks it is a duel of the white spots migrains and a secondary cause.
We just have to make sure the other cause is not needed to be attended too.

Faith

Lash us both
with your love
to the mast

life boats gone we pitched and reeled

but the captain stayed behind the wheel

In a few minutes I go to the Neurologist to find out a few of the test results.

Now it wasn't by faith that the storm was stilled
that I saw Him there in the rising sun.
I prayed the captain that the storm be stilled.
Lash us both
with your love
to the mast....

menu plan monday

Click on any image to enlarge

Cooking from scratch = dishes
a lot of dishes!

Reducing our expenses and utilizing our resource has been a wonderful opportunity to mature.
It is really wonderful to see that just by reducing, planning better our lives have so improved.

After shopping in my deep freezer the menu plan begins.
By buying in bulk when "lead in" items meet your normal purchasing practices, a bulk surplus is crated.
Keep track of this through inventory.

In my home we are reducing our paper products greatly.
I love it!
It is so wonderful to me to follow my heart.
I have longed to live more simply and respectfully toward our planet.
Each child is now responsible to "pack" their own lunch.
I over see this by packaging some of the items.
By having them responcible there has been a great reduction of waist at the end of the day.
This week they will begin the habit of emptying and placing the ice pack in freezer.
This is needful for them to begin independence.

Every day now for 2 weeks they have eaten their lunches.
I have thrown nothing away from them.
I place a towel on the counter for each kid to have a place to do their work.

Within the last month I have learned to bake bread
this will be a savings of $500. (if purchased at Costco)
$1000, a year (if purchased at grocery store).
I am talking about comparing apples to apples.
I do not purchase bread with High Fructose Corn syrup in it, nor have I in years.
Now our bread is baked in our own oven.
Each time I do it the bread is improving.