Bakery Style XL Chocolate Chip Muffins

We were contemplating changing up the products we offer from our kitchen to our customers earlier this week and I did a bit of recipe research online before settling on the addition of chocolate chip muffins to our bakery line.

Then the girls and I did some experimenting and this is the result:  Bakery Style XL Chocolate Chip Muffins.  We dressed up a basic recipe with some spices, secret ingredients, and the addition of chocolate chips.  We bought some 6 cup muffin tins and some sparkling sugar to add bling.  And we figured out how to get maxium height.

Of course, we had to do some taste tests.  :)

They look fantastic and taste heavenly!  We are very satisfied with our new product.

Cowboy Baby Shower

I recently helped host a baby shower for a mother in our church.  She chose a cowboy theme for her son, so we used the same theme for the shower.

I found a cowboy boot printable page online and printed the design on cardstock.  Then I cut out the boots, lettered each to spell out the baby's name, and hot glued them to a length of brown ribbon for a name banner.

We borrowed a cowboy hat from my boys, as shown above.

I made 5 table toppers using a red bandana fabric.  We used one on the food table.  I've given instructions on making these table toppers in another post.

The shower was held on a Sunday afternoon after a fellowship meal so we served frozen pies (wonderful on a hot day), a favorite of the mother, along with milk.  Cookies were provided for the younger children while the menfolk got slices of pound cake in another room.

Another topper was used on a side table which displayed a card explaining the meaning of the baby's  name along with a shadow box of arrowheads collected over the years by the baby's father.

We used additional table toppers on the gift table.  We also displayed a couple of pairs of  little boys' cowboy boots on a side table but I neglected to get a picture of that.

Simple Baby gift to Make

This is a burp cloth.  It goes across your shoulder to protect your clothes from baby spit-up.  They are super simple to make and several of them coupled with baby teethers, bath wash, etc make an excellent gift for baby showers.

The shape is essentially a rounded curve followed by a smaller curve.  After tracing the shape you desire onto paper, you cut out two of the pattern in your fabric and one of the pattern in batting, like is used in the middle of quilts.  You could also use flannel in the center if you'd prefer.

Layer these together with batting on the bottom, one fabric layer facing upward and the second fabric layer turned wrong side up.  Sew around all layers, being sure to leave enough space open at one end to turn the burp cloth.  Trim seam, clip curves.  Then turn, smoothing out the curves evenly.  Iron well, then sew the unfinished edge down.  If you like, you can do a top stitch all the way around.

I made this one for a mom who was using a cowboy/western theme for her new son.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I've not blogged in several weeks now because we've been super busy here! 

One week we spent putting creamed corn, cut corn kernels, and corn on the cob in the freezer.  Now we have a full freezer.  Putting up corn is HARD work, but oh, so worth it! during the winter months.

The past two weeks my daughters and I have been working on piecing together two quilt tops--one for each of them.  These are going to work up quite nicely when we are finished.

Here is a sample of Leah's quilt squares.  These are made using 5 inch squares of red fabric with a center square of white, embroidered in red.  The girls made these embroidered squares as they learned to embroider.  This technique is called *red work* and was quite common many years ago.

This is a sample from Lerah's quilt squares.  When all the squares are made, we will sash them with white fabric.  I will show each quilt top when it is finished.

This is a 9 patch block quilt square, named because it consists of 9 squares sewn together.

I have also been busy making gifts for baby showers and wedding showers--a total of about 10 in all, plus we have also had a birthday in the extended family.  I will try to show an easy baby shower gift you can make at home soon.

My Family

My children

My husband and I

My husband and oldest son

My oldest son and I

Homeschool Graduation

My oldest son officially graduated from homeschool this weekend.  We held a graduation ceremony and party at our home on Saturday evening.  I tried to make it special with decorations around the house.

We asked our guests to each write a piece of advice on an index card when they arrived.  When my husband gave a speech about our years of homeschooling our son and our desires for his future, he also read those cards.  The advice ranged from the importance of loving and following God to *Always wear clean underwear.*

My son also gave a short little talk about the two things I as his mama and teacher have given him through homeschool:  an education and love for reading and exposure to--in his opinion--*worthless* algebra.  :)

Afterwards, we shared a hamburger cookout and cake and visited with our guests.

And here is the graduate with his diploma.

Home School Graduate

My oldest son finished his homeschool education this year.  We are throwing a celebration for him this weekend with friends and family.  I am quite busy this week with preparations and cleanin

Hope Chest 2

My youngest daughter turned 13 this past weekend.  For her birthday, her grandmama gave her a hope chest.  It is just like the one her sister received last year.

She has already filled it almost full with table linens, afghans, quilts, and kitchen linens she has either made herself or been given as gifts.  She will continue to work on items for her future home and place them lovingly in this chest for it represents her desire to one day be a wife and mother.

It sits in her bedroom in a place of honor.  It is the first piece of furniture she will have in her own home one day.  There it can hold priceless treasures from her life:  special baby clothes from her babies, photos of her family, cherished gifts.

As I mentioned in another post, I have the hope chest my grandma bought to store her son's clothes in during the Great Depression.  It sits in my bedroom and reminds me of her every time I see it.  It is my desire for my daughters to remember their own grandmama in their future lives when they see their hope chest in their homes--to remember the investments she has made in their lives, to remember the legacy of love she has given them, to remember their heritage of faith in the Lord even when times are hard.

Counted Cross Stitch Embroidery

Pictured above is a counted cross stitch project I did many years ago--20 to be exact.

 During the time after my son died I was floundering and at a loss.  I needed something to occupy my time.  My husband was an over the road truck driver and often gone all week and I was alone.  So I spent months doing counted cross stitch work.  It kept my hands and my mind busy. 

This particular pattern came from a friend.  It was far more intricate and complicated than anything I had done previously.  It served my purposes well.

When I finished this project, I folded it and put it away.  Several years later, we finished our house and moved in.  I found this and took it to a frame shop and had it matted and framed.  Ever since then, it has hung on the wall in our living room.

This piece obviously has special meaning for me...

Counted cross stitch embroidery can be simple or complicated.  It can be framed and mounted on the wall, added to table linens or pillows, stitched on pillowcases and sheets, used to adorn clothing.  It is a thrifty way to add a special something to store bought items.  For the woman who desires to be a homemaker, it is a way to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.

 

Framed Crochet

The framed piece above was made by my sister.  It is crocheted using small thread rather than yarn.  I framed it using a piece of fabric stretched over a piece of cardboard as a backing.  It hangs in my living room.

These sorts of things make lovely gifts, especially for weddings.  They are a one of a kind gift, yet using your own creativity, they are also thrifty gifts that look quite expensive.  These also add a homey look to your own home.

Keeping Plants

Though I am terrible at keeping plants alive, my youngest daughter loves plants.  She seems to have some talent at keeping them alive, too. 

This year, she planted pea, squash, tomatoes, and several flowers in a small area of our yard.  She now has tomatoes on the vine and squash flowering.  Such excitement!  She faithfully waters them and enjoys checking on them daily.

My mama and my sister both have an interest in flowers and plants and she has learned a great deal from them.  The picture above is a plant my daughter planted with my mama.  They chose a pretty red basket as a pot holder.

This would make a nice centerpiece for the dining table.  It also would look good on a side table in the living room.  And, of course, it makes a nice addition to the door steps.

You could use flowering plants or herbs.  You can use flower pots or baskets.  Hanging baskets on a porch are a nice touch, too. 

Chocolate Pound Cake

Here is our favorite recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake.

2 sticks butter
1/2 c shortening
3 c sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
3 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk

Cream butter, sugar, and shortening.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix.  Add vanilla.  Mix flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder together.  Add to mixing bowl alternating with the milk.  Mix well after each addition.  Pour into greased pan.  Bake 1 1/2 hour at 325 degrees.

Dill Pickles

This is what I've been doing this week:  making Dill Pickles!  I've had a lot of requests from our customers for these, so I finally bit the bullet and got to work on them.  Normally I make a 3 day lime pickle, which is a sweeter pickle. 

We used a large box of pickling cucumbers and I made 80 jars of dill pickles out of it, with some left over to make a batch or so of lime pickles.

Paper Rose Wreath

Here is a wreath made of paper roses that hangs in our small extra bathroom.  It was made by my youngest daughter.

She printed out paper rose patterns from the internet and put them together.  Then she took a Styrofoam wreath form and wrapped it in ribbon.  Next she attached the paper roses.  We added a ribbon hanger to the wreath leaving long *tails* at the bottom of the wreath.

It looks even better in person than in this picture.  It provided her with the opportunity to be creative and adds a nice decorative touch in a room that badly needed something.  And it was an inexpensive project.

Lotion

This past week I made a brand new product for our bath/body line:  Lotion!  It is a goat's milk and aloe vera based lotion with a nice crisp citrus scent to soothe and hydrate the skin after sun exposure.  I've named it *After The Sun*.

It was a fun experience making it and I am strongly considering adding other lotions to our product line. 

I love the idea that I can make lotion myself, rather than buy it.  Brambleberry.com has several recipes online as do many other sites, if you are interested in giving this a try yourself.  Supplies can be purchased from Brambleberry and Wholesale Supplies.

Going Home

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my husband's aunt.  She had struggled with cancer for many years and the past 6 months or so had not been easy at all.  She was in pain; she wasn't able to eat for weeks at the end.  But through it all, she continued to be her sweet self, serving the Lord as best she could.

She had her 52nd wedding anniversary not long before her death.  Most, if not all, of those years together, she prayed for her husband's salvation.  And those prayers were answered the day after her homegoing when he finally accepted salvation.

Her service yesterday wasn't a sad event.  Tears were shed, of course, and many were sad because she was no longer with us in the flesh.  But the service was one of celebration.  One of her great loves was Gospel music and her granddaughters sang a beautiful tribute.  The minister spoke of her dedication, her love for Jesus, her wonderful homegoing to a place of beauty and great riches.  Where she is now, there is no pain, no sorrow, no suffering--only joy.

There was a spirit of love--a spirit of worship--in that service, just as there was a spirit of love and worship in her life.  There are tears here on earth at her passing--and there was great rejoicing in heaven as another saint came home to glory.  And oh!  How Aunt Shirley is rejoicing with the angels that her dear husband will one day join her there.

Pet Soap

Here is my latest creation:  Pet Soap!  It is made with herbs and oils that are good for dog skin and coats and includes essential oils that help repel bugs and insects that pester dear ole doggie.  There is no added color; it is a creamy off-white that is just beautiful.

It is the perfect size to fit nicely in your hand to make washing the dog easier.

I've made several batches and intend to make another one today.  It's such fun creating this soap!

We will be selling this one as soon as it is cured--a couple of weeks. 

Flowers from my Daughter

My daughter picked these for me last week.  I have no idea what they are called, but I know they are a wild weed that grows in our yard.  They are very pretty!

We put them in a heart-shaped vase I've had for about 25 years now; in the first year we were married my husband got me some flowers that came in this vase.  It's the perfect size for a small bouquet or a 1-3 larger flowers.  We put the vase on our dining table to bring a splash of spring color inside.

A Southern Supper

Chicken and dumplings!  These are a real southern treat and it's what we are going to have for supper tonight.

This meal is a hearty stew of shredded cooked chicken (or bite sized chunks) with dumplings--a thick noodle--in a thickened chicken broth.  It's a fine way to stretch the meat budget and as an added bonus, it's a filling meal, especially if you add cornbread or homemade biscuits on the side.

I am sad to admit that I've never made this fine meal.  But my sister, a true southern cook who makes all sorts of old-timey dishes, can whip up a pot of chicken and dumplings that will melt in your mouth.  And she is going to teach my daughters how to do prepare this delicious dish this afternoon.  Even better, she is sending the results home with them!

Because she is such a wonderful sister, she is also planning to teach the girls to make a 10 layer cake.

A 10 layer cake with chocolate icing is considered the epitome of southern desserts and is highly sought after at church socials, reunions, and get togethers.  And we get to have the cake for dessert with our chicken and dumplings tonight!

Neither of these are difficult to make; they just take time.  And sadly, many southern women today no longer have the time, energy, nor inclination to make such meals.  As older grandmas and great grandmas leave this world, their progeny no longer even know *how*.

I am pleased that my daughters will have the knowledge and skills of previous generations.  And I am pleased that my sister is willing to teach them.  Of course, I am also VERY pleased to be dining on the results!

Bug No More Bars

It's getting to be mosquito and bug season here in the deep South.  The only way to enjoy the great outdoors is to keep those pesky creatures from coming around.  I'm not fond of products with DEET, so after doing a bit of research, I came up with my own recipe for a solid bar of bug repellent.

I use coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter.  First I infuse my coconut oil with a variety of herbs that repel bugs, then strain it.  I also add vitamin e oil and some essential oils.  I pour it into my molds, let harden, then we use the solid bars to rub on our skin when we will be outdoors. 

I also sell these through my husband's business.

It really does help!

Odds and Ends

I forgot to post this picture yesterday of my new Lavender Nights soap.

It was poured in a pringles can mold.  I used a faux funnel pour and alternated white and purple.  Each piece looks completely different.  I cut it with a wavy cutter to add interest.

In other news, my oldest child is graduating from our homeschool this year.  He started working full-time last week and we only see him in the early morning before work and the evening after work.  It's been an adjustment for me even though he was only home 2-3 days a week already. 

I've been trying hard, particularly since Christmas though I started this process several years ago,  to give him some space to make his own decisions, to not *mother* him quite so much.  Sometimes I find myself wanting to protect him, make decisions for him, make sure he stays where I think he needs to be...but that was never supposed to be a lifelong thing.  I was supposed to teach him, train him, guide him gently then step out of the way.  As a mama, that's not easy!

I am proud of the man he's becoming.  He's making mostly wise decisions.  He's been given a solid foundation and now it's time for him to learn to stand on his own.

Now that my oldest is working on his own every day, my younger son is gone every day with his daddy working with the exception of Wednesdays and Saturdays when he is home with me and the girls.  We use those days to keep his school work caught up (he does his school work daily) and to make all of the bath/body products for our business.

Which means, most of the time it's just me and girls at home now during the week.  My dc have always had chores to do, but now the girls are doing ALL of that on a daily basis.  And now they are also stepping up to help with the jelly making, soap making, making body products, etc as well as their own school work and home economics projects.  And so the girls and I are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

We are almost finished with our soap making for a while...and then I need to start working on candles.  I've not made them before, but I am determined to master this and add them to our product line.  The girls are getting busy making knitted animal hats and doll nightgowns/dresses to sell in our business near Christmas time. 

True Grit and Sand Castle--Soap

I have a couple more new soaps to show you today.

First up is True Grit.  It is a milk soap scented with the masculine smell of bay rum.  I used three colors--brown, red, and yellow--and spoon layered them in the mold, then turned the batter over with a spoon.  Then I swirled the top with a stick.  This is the third in my cowboy themed masculine line; others include Maverick and Saddle Up Cowboy (sandalwood).

Next is the Sand Castles (a milk based pumice soap) that has been cut.  This soap has added pumice and is perfect for getting rid of dry skin and smoothing out the elbows, feet, and heels.  It's just in time for getting ready for summer!

I'm almost through making soap for a bit...just need to get my pet soap bars and my anti acne soap made up.  Will post pictures when that is done.

Cranky Lady Tea

Herbs have many different uses in the home.  They can be used as seasonings and spices in your cooking.  They can be made into teas by steeping the leaves and/or flowers in hot water.  Poultices involve simmering dried plant matter, wrapping it in fabric, and placing it on the body.  A decoction usually uses bark or roots from the plant and it is boiled for some time before straining and using the resulting liquid.  Salves, syrups, and tinctures can be made from herbs for medicinal use as well.

One tea I use in our home is affectionately called *Cranky Lady Tea*.  It is a mixture I blend of red raspberry leaf, peppermint leaf, nettles and alfalfa.  It is perfect for use when the hormones are out of balance, such as during PMS.  Both raspberry leaf and peppermint relax the muscles.  Nettles and alfalfa both contain trace minerals our bodies need.

We heat water to boiling while putting 1-2 tablespoons of the herbal blend in a small tea strainer sitting over a cup or mug.  You could use a tea ball or even put the herbs into the mug directly.  Then we pour the water over the herbs and let it steep.  Remove the strainer or tea ball.  Sweeten to taste with sugar, honey, stevia, etc. 

My husband often says this tea is useful when the men in your life get on your last nerve.  LOL

Because of my husband's business, I also sell this in little bags containing enough herbal blend to make a number of cups of tea.

Doilies

Pictured above is a doily my sister made for my 50th birthday.  It is beautiful and it took her quite awhile to make it.  It sits on the  nightstand in my bedroom under a lamp.

The purpose of doilies is to protect your furniture from scratches and scrapes.  Often they sit under lamps or vases.  Sometimes they may be put on a mantle or the top of a piano.  They also look nice laying on a shelf with part of the edge hanging off the shelf.

These also look pretty placed on the arm rests of couches and chairs.  They can easily be removed for laundering and when present they protect the arm rests which often get worn more quickly than other parts of the furniture.

Another way to display these is to place them on top of a solid piece of fabric and frame the whole thing.   I have a large  doily with our last night crocheted into the design my sister made me several years ago that I display in this manner.  I gave one that I framed as a gift to my mother-in-law many years ago. 

I have several of these done in colored thread that were made by my grandmama many years ago.  I sometimes use them under a candle or small bowl as a centerpiece on the my dining room table.

These are crocheted with smaller thread, rather than yarn.  There are many books and patterns available at craft stores and online.

Godly Womanhood--Homeschool Homemaking Class

This post is part of my Homeschool Home Economics Class series.

Godly Womanhood is a part of our Home Economics/Homemaking Class.  I schedule it as a part of each year's studies.  We do it once a week, usually on Fridays, though sometimes it gets pushed back to Saturdays.

We have a tea party, the girls and I.  We set the table nicely, often including a centerpiece or candle.  We serve drinks (sweet tea or soda) in nice teacups.  We try to either prepare a special dessert or purchase something as a treat to eat.  And we gather our current book to read from and discuss while we eat.

Right now we have been using  The Girlhood Home Companion Treasury.  Each tea time, we try to read one issue of the magazine.  Each issue normally features one theme, such as Gratitude, Courage, Trust, Forgiveness, or Patience.  There are several columns and articles dealing with the theme in each issue. 

As we read, we discuss how we can implement the theme in our own lives.  I make sure that I also am included in needing to be more patient, trusting, or thankful.  This is not a time to lecture a particular child, but rather a time of looking inward and choosing steps we each can take to transform our attitudes and actions.  At the next tea time, we each try to vocalize the steps we have taken since our last discussion and evaluate our success (or failures!).

I purchased our treasury of the Girlhood Home Companion from www.remembrancepressbookstore.com   They also sell other cds and books that would be useful for Godly Womanhood studies. 

Little Boy Blue

In memory of my son, Russell (1993-1994)

LITTLE BOY BLUE
  by Eugene Field

The little toy dog is covered with dust,
     But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
     And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new
     And the soldier was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
     Kissed them and put them there.

"Now don't you go til I come," he said,
     "And don't you make any noise!"
So. toddling off to his trundle bed,
     He dreamt of the pretty toys;
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song
     Awakened our Little Boy Blue--
Oh!  the years are many, the years are long,
     But the little toy friends are true!

Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
     Each in the same old place--
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
     The smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through
     In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue,
     Since he kissed them and put them there.

Scripture

Hope Chests

I have a hope chest in my bedroom...though I didn't get it until long after my marriage.  It was given to me by my grandmother, who bought it in 1929 when her son was born.  She used it to store baby clothes in.  I cherish this wooden chest.  I use it as a place to store photographs and special mementos.

My daughter received her very own hope chest this past Christmas.  It was a gift from her grandmama who had it built just for my daughter.

It is longer and wider than mine, but built the same.

She uses her hope chest to hold the items she makes, buys, or receives as gifts that will one day be used in her future home.  The chest keeps those items in one handy location, protects them from getting dusty, stained, or misplaced, and will be a beautiful piece of furniture in her home.

9 patch Quilt Square

The 9 patch is another fairly simple quilt square. I usually use 2-3 different pieces of coordinating fabric for this square.  The fabric is cut into smallish squares; the size of the squares depends on the size needed for the final completed square.

In this instance, I needed finished squares that measured 12 1/2 inches.  I cut my fabrics into small squares measuring 4 1/2 inches each.   Because I wanted to use 3 different fabrics, I cut  4 dark solid fabric squares, 4 print fabric squares, and 1 light solid fabric square.

Then I pinned the top line together:  2 print fabrics on each end with a dark solid fabric in the center.  The middle line consists of 2 dark solids on each end with the light solid in the center.  The final line is the same as the top line.  Each is sewn with a 1/4 inch seam. 

At this point, all seams are ironed flat with the seam toward the darker fabric.  Then each line of squares is sewn to the other lines of squares using a 1/4 seam allowance.  Again, iron the seams flat.

Check the square to make sure it meets the finished square measurement.

Once the smaller squares are cut, putting the square together takes less than 30 minutes, including pinning, sewing, and ironing.

Here is a picture of our finished 9 patch square.

The white fabric in the center of this square is a white on white print.  We might leave it like this....or we could add a decorative embroidery on the white square in a navy blue thread.

Card Making

As part of our homemaking curriculum, we have spent some time over the past three years making cards.  It is thrifty, useful, and a great creative outlet. It also offers a way for a busy homeschooling mama to reach out and minister to others.

The first year, I bought some cardstock.  I already had several stamps and ink pads.  I found a book on stamping cards at a used curriculum sale and added that to our stash.  We read our book over the course of a week or two and played around with the various techniques described.  That year, we mostly invented reasons for making cards--a pretend party we were hosting, a quick thinking of you note to a friend, etc.  We also made our Christmas cards using stamping techniques.

The second year, I decided to explore scrapbooking techniques.  I already had many scrapbooking supplies since I am a scrapbooker.  Again, we took a couple weeks near Christmas and worked on making cards.  These we gave to family and friends.  Any time we needed a card during the year, my daughters made them using scrapbook techniques.

The third year, I decided to try quilling techniques since my youngest daughter had an interest in quilling.  We purchased a book or two with ideas and some quilling papers and tools.  We used the quilling techniques to make our Christmas cards  which we gave away to friends and family.  Again, any time we needed a card, my daughters made them.  As an example, my father in law has a birthday this week and my youngest daughter is making quilled cards for him.

We only spent at most 2 weeks each year on card making as a part of our homeschool over the past 3 years.  And this will probably conclude card making as an official part of our homemaking curriculum.  But my daughters now know they CAN make nice looking cards with a personal touch and save money doing it.  This skill can be very useful in their lives later on.

Here is a quilled card before any lettering is done.  The recipient loves flowers and we added a butterfly at the corner.

A Simple Quilt Square

I made a quilt square last night.  It only took a few minutes...granted, I had already cut out my triangles earlier in the week. But the actual pinning and sewing actually took only 10 minutes or so.

 I needed a finished square of 12 1/2 inches.  I cut one square from two different fabrics measuring 15 inches--I wanted to give myself a bit of play room in case something went wrong.  Then I cut each square in half diagonally, making two triangles from each square.

I pinned each solid triangle to a print triangle and sewed these together, using 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Then I  put those sections together, forming a large square with the points in the center.

Next I ironed the seams flat.  I laid the square out on my cutting mat and measured the square.  Since my square measured 14 inches wide and 14 inches in length, I took the difference between the actual measurement and what I needed the final measurement to be (14- 12.5 =1.5 inches) and divided that measurement in half (1.5 divided by 2 = .75).  That meant I needed to trim 3/4 inch off each side of the square.  I used the cutting mat, clear ruler, and a rotary cutter to trim my square down to 12.5 inches on all four sides.

This makes a very simple and quick square and sounds more complicated that it really is.

Here's a picture of my finished square

 

I might leave this square as it is--or I might make a fabric rosette and sew in the center.

Spice Rubs

 

 

One of the things I do to save money on our grocery bill involves spices.  I buy them in bulk online.  I use them to make spice rubs for beef, poultry, and pork.  I store them in half pint canning jars.

 

This saves me money because I am buying the spices in bulk, rather than in little jars from the grocery store.  It saves me time because my mixes are made in advance in amounts that will season several meals.  This means I am not having to mix up my spices for each meal. 

 

Because of the nature of my husband's business, I am also able to sell these.

 

There are numerous recipes available online if you need inspiration.  The easiest thing to do, however, is to determine what you already use for certain meats.  Then multiply that recipe to make enough for several meals and fill a leftover jar or bottle.  Label it and keep it in your spice cabinet.

 

You might need a jar for your spaghetti and pizza seasonings, another for beef rub, and another for chicken.  Someone else might choose to make seasonings for stews, pork and chili.  Whatever foods you prepare often are the mixes you need in YOUR kitchen.

50 years

Earlier this year, I turned 50.  I've lived half a century on this earth.  I'm pretty sure I've long passed the half-way point of my life.  So I've been reflecting on exactly what my life has been, what it has meant, what I've accomplished or not accomplished.

In looking back, it's easy for me to see the mistakes I made, the things I said that should have been left unsaid, the things I shouldn't have done but did anyway...the times I chose sin when I knew better.  I don't have any problems identifying these things.  They stand out to me, brightly lit against the backdrop of my life.

And that's a good thing...for how can we change, how can we live a life better focused on serving Him if we don't identify our weaknesses, our own *pet* sins that we guard as though they were a fortune at Fort Knox?

And I also see a small part of my purpose here...I see my husband, the man I was given as a gift to cherish and love and serve and help.  I see my children, entrusted to my care to nurture and guide and protect and train.  I see my lost babies, all 8 of them, and know that I was chosen to be their mama, even if only for a short while, and I feel honored to have been a part of their lives.

I've been blessed in this life.  I have a wonderful husband who loves me deeply and in whom I have found my other half.  I have 4 children.  I am able to be a stay at home mama. I was raised by good parents who loved me and showed me the way to Him.

I've known loss as many have...the loss of a lifetime friend...the loss of a godly daddy who I loved deeply...the loss of infertility...the loss that comes with burying your toddler...the loss that miscarriage and still birth brings...There is no life that isn't touched by loss.

But in my 50 years here, I've also experienced great joy.  Joy that comes from knowing who you serve...joy that comes in the morning after a long hard night of pain and struggle.  Would I recognize the joy if I had not suffered through the loss?  Would I know the mountaintop if I had not walked through the valley? 

At this point in my life, I've had to acknowledge that certain dreams I've had for my life will never happen.  I've had to accept that there are certain things I can not have or do or even be.

Reflection also serves to remind me that I *can* achieve certain things...I *can* stay the course, run the race.  I can achieve the purpose I am here for, if only I keep my eyes on the goal.

10 years ago

Ten years ago, I was pregnant, 8 weeks away from my due date.  I was excited to be adding another little one to our family.  We knew our baby was a boy; though we'd discussed names a bit, we hadn't actually decided for certain what our baby's name would be.  But we had time, we thought.

Then on Monday night, in the tub, I realized that something didn't seem quite right to me.  I'd felt some tightenings, minor contractions, but baby wasn't moving, not really.  I lay awake that night, waiting to feel baby move, but was never quite satisfied.

I spent the next day trying to convince myself that everything was okay.  When I couldn't, I talked to my husband on Tuesday night and told him I was going to go to the doctor on Wednesday morning for a heartbeat check.  He didn't believe anything was wrong, but was willing for me to go and be assured that baby was fine.

At the time, we had 4 small children, ages 7, 6, 4, and almost 3.  My husband took the two older children with him to work and I took the two youngest with me to the doctor.

The nurse used the Doppler and she was convinced she'd heard the heartbeat.  I wasn't.  I told her I thought she was hearing my heartbeat.  To pacify me, she offered to do a sonogram.

After the sonogram, she went to get the doctor and she took my littles with her to stay with another nurse in the office.  I knew.  I knew in my heart without a doubt what that meant.

Our son was delivered the next day by C-section, born still.  He already weighed over 8 lbs.  He was perfectly formed, a beautiful baby.  I held him in my arms and grieved for the loss of his all too short life.

Even though I never rocked him to sleep or soothed his cries, the impact of this child on my life can not be measured.  I still think of him, even 10 years later.  I miss this child, love him with all my heart.  I wait for the day when I can be reunited with him.  It brings me comfort to know that he is with my daddy and my first born son, Russell.

So, here I am, 10 years later, remembering my son Micah.

Brand New Soaps--Lilac, Lemongrass Loofah, and Castles in the Sand

I've been making soap again.  This time, I decided to try soaps I've never made before.

Here's a look at the Lilac Soap I made earlier this week. 

 

 

 

It has a white base color with purple swirls.  I made it in a new 1 lb silicon loaf mold--which is the perfect size for a test batch and gives me four bars of soap.

 

 

I also made up a batch of Castles in the Sand, a beachy-sandy scent with added pumice for skin exfoliating.  Here it is after unmolding, but before cutting.

 

 

 

Last week I made up a batch of lemongrass soap and put a loofah inside.  Loofah is also good for exfoliating skin.  This time I molded the soap in a round column and cut it into rounds.  It still needs to be cleaned up and beveled, so excuse the rough appearance.

 

 

 

I am really enjoying making a variety of soaps and using various techniques.  I'm planning to make a masculine scented soap and color it black with grey swirls...and name it *Gunsmoke* .  I think that would look really good.

Making Jelly

For several years now, I've been making jellies and marinades for my husband to sell.  I learned to make blackberry jelly growing up and it's not a difficult process, but doing this on a large scale basis to sell has been an experience.

Jelly is basically a mixture of fruit juice and sugar to form a syrup that is thickened and jelled with the addition of pectin.  In the past, it was a way to add fruit to the winter diet, especially fruits that could not be overwintered in a root cellar or cold storage.  It is healthier to eat the whole fruit, but used in moderation, jelly is a welcome addition to the diet.

We use most jellies on toast or biscuits.  A nice snack/appetizer consists of a cracker, a dallop of cream cheese, and a small topping of jelly, especially jalapeno or moonshine jelly.  You can also add a heaping spoonful of jalapeno jelly to the pot when heating peas or beans or greens.

Most people buy the little boxes of pectin at the grocery/discount store.  I began using Pomona pectin (available online)  when I first started making jelly in bulk.  It is a bulk pectin; you can use little or even no added sugar; and it is possible to make multiple batches at once using this pectin.  However, in the amounts I needed, it eventually wasn't cost effective enough for my purposes. 

Now I purchase a bulk pectin from nuts.com.  The downside is that I can only prepare one small batch at a time with this pectin.  But the cost savings make it worth while to me.

We currently make blackberry, blueberry, peach, watermelon, moonshine, jalapeno, mt dew, orange delight, and pineapple jellies.  During the fall season, we add in candy apple and grape jelly.

 

 

Training my Daughters to be Keepers at Home--An Introduction

My daughters are currently just turned 14 and almost 13 years old.  Three years ago, I began a multi-year home economics type class with them as part of our homeschooling.  I am not using a purchased curriculum; rather, I simply decided what things I wanted them to learn and then spread that out over the number of years I wanted the class to cover.  In my case, I wanted the class to last 8 years.

Some parts of my curriculum will be included every year.  Others might only be present once or twice over the years.  As an example, Biblical Womanhood will be a part of every year.  But care of the elderly/sick will probably only be covered once as a part of the curriculum.


Here are the courses of our class I have currently planned:

Cleaning the Home
Cooking
Gardening
Canning
Embroidery/Hand Work
Crochet
Quilting
Knitting
Cake Decorating
Making Cards
Hospitality
Sewing
Herbal Tinctures and Teas/Medicinal Uses
Rug Making
Care of Infants/Elderly/Sick
Cutting Hair
Flower Arranging
Table Setting/Centerpieces
Scrapbooking

As the years go by, I may certainly add other mini courses.

I have not yet covered all of these with my daughters.  Some mini courses are planned for later use.  However, we generally use 9 of these in a year, spending 1 month on each.  Some course work, like quilting, generally takes more than a month.  Others, like making cards (using a different technique each year) only need one week or so each year.  We also continue to do home ec during the summer months, even when we are not generally doing other school work.

I will try to expand on this framework more on this blog later on.  I hope to give you examples of each year we have covered so far and break down each course into workable portions.

Body and Linen Spray

In the past, one thing a homemaker did was use linen spray to freshen the bed sheets between washes.  It was quite simple to spritz them when the bed was made each morning.  The reward was a lovely fresh scent of lavender or other calming, relaxing herbals rising softly when the covers were pulled back at night.

This has become a rare practice today.  And it is one that adds that special something to your home--it makes home a special place, a comforting place, a place of refuge.  It associates home with pleasant smells and will bring home to mind every time that smell is encountered the rest of your life.

Linen sprays are very simple to make and there are numerous recipes online. 

You can use any herbal scent you prefer...for bed linens a calming herb is best.  However, you can also spritz the towels in the linen closet and your undergarments in the dresser drawers.  If you make your own soaps, lotions, bath salts and scrubs, you might prefer to use the same scent for your undergarments...and when you make your own linen sprays, you can do that.  Linen spray can also double as a body spray; again, you might like to layer the scent by using it in all your personal body products.

I offer these for sale as part of our bath/body line of products.  As you can see, you only need some sort of spray bottle to hold your spray and these can be found in most discount stores very inexpensively.

This only takes a few minutes to prepare and minute to use each day...consider adding your own special scent to your bed linens and make your house a special place for your family.

Lotion Bars

Another item in my bath/body line of products is lotion bars.  These are a hard bar of lotion, similar to a bar of soap.  You rub it between your hands or on your body and the heat from your body melts the bar and leaves the lotion behind.

I much prefer these to the typical bottle of lotion.  I use less this way--and I am not a fan of having all that lotion liquid on my hands.  I can easily tuck a lotion bar into my purse and take it with me.  I can make my lotion bar in a scent that matches my soap, bath salts, and sugar scrubs.  And when I make it myself, I know what is in it.

This is what my lotion bars look like.  Since I sell these, I make them in batches that produce 7 bars at a time.  You can adjust recipes to make just one or two at a time if you prefer.

There are numerous recipes online for lotion bars.  You can do basic bars using cheaper oils and butters or you can make luxurious bars using more expensive oils and butters.  The choice is yours when you make it yourself.

They are made using a double boiler setup.  The oils/butters/beeswax are melted in the top pot.  Scent is added if you like(I don't add colorant) and then the liquid lotion is poured into molds and allowed to cool and harden for several hours before unmolding.

You can use many different things as molds.  Some online stores sell tins for this type of use.  You can use silicon molds available in many stores--cupcake molds, tart  molds, brownie bite molds, etc. 

 

I use a 12 cavity rectangular silicon mold I bought from Amazon.  You can see them in the above picture.  My son is cleaning the molds out before we begin measuring and melting oils and butters.  In the forefront of that picture, the two Tupperware containers hold the starters for our sourdough bread.

 

 

This is a close up picture of the mold I use, placed upside down.

And here one of my lotion bars is packaged up, ready to sell.