I had several requests for this soup recipe mentioned in last week’s newsletter. This recipe is courtesy of my friend Belinda who said use some of this and some of that. I have done my best to write down what I actually did. It turned out great. My husband said, “You can make this again!” […]
Family
10 Fun and Frugal Things to Do Before Christmas
1. Read one Christmas, holiday, or winter-themed book each day for the week leading up to Christmas. You could wrap the books up, in tissue and have one child unwrap one book per day starting around December 17th. The same books can be re-wrapped from year to year. This tradition can be expanded by borrowing […]
Life is Fragile, Count your blessings…
I was reminded about how fragile life can be again this morning. I received an email from a friend telling me about a homeschool mom of seven, a friend I had lost touch with, who suddenly had a heart attack and died two weeks after the birth of her 7th child. This dear momma has […]
Mama’s Apron
I’ve completed a vintage fabric apron using the pattern found in The Apron Book. I was inspired by both the book and the poem Mama’s Apron reprinted below. This poem captures the essence of a home and family centered life. National TIE ONE ON DAY, the brainchild of EllynAnne Geisel, author of The Apron Book, […]
Do the Next Thing
I learned years ago from Elisabeth Elliot, that when you are tired, discouraged, exhausted, confused, whatever, to do the next thing. This simple advise has carried me through many a trial and many difficulties. I just learned this phrase is based on a poem by an author unknown. I found the poem reprinted in Passionate […]
A Job or a Ministry? That is the question.
Recently I attended a luncheon for a Christian organization where the speaker asked us if we were performing a ministry or a job? She said that Charles Spurgeon, famous 19th Century pastor wrote: “A job is a choice; a ministry is at Christ’s call.” As I pondered her thoughts, I quickly realized her questions apply […]
Passionate Housewives Desperate for God
As a young first time mother, I was already 32 years old! I worked as a career woman until my young daughter was about 14 months old. It took me over a year to realize I couldn’t do it all and I didn’t want to anyway. I was a young believer who longed to be […]
A Food Foundation for Healthy Families
Last week my 14 year-old daughter, Mary, and I did some market research for boxed cereals. Our project entailed checking price per serving and reading the ingredients lists. Surprisingly, the Instant Oatmeal package that claimed to be heart healthy and caught the eye of my daughter, had the longest list of unrecognizeable ingredients. It seems […]
Applesauce Making Marathon
The weather has turned a bit like Fall. Blustery, windy, and colorful leaves blowing around the yard. Most of the leaves on the walnut tree dropped in a couple days and are awaiting being racked up. That means it must be a good time to get busy in the kitchen preserving the harvest and preparing […]