GRACIE APRON GIVE-AWAY

For a very sweet Gracie Apron give-away chance, pop on over to A Joyful Handmaiden and enter to win!

GIVE-AWAY

Do you like hand-stamped jewelry?

Do you like sterling silver jewelry?

Today's give-away is a $20 gift certificate for PunkyJane jewelry.



Hop on over to A Giveaway A Day and check it out!

SOUPS AND TEAS

I was so hungry when I came home from work at around 8:30 last night. So…I looked in the fridge to see what I had that would be quick to make and ended up making us a refrigerator soup.

A refrigerator soup is one in which I dump any odd left-overs into a pot, add water and seasoning, and voila, a nice warm bowl of soup in not very much time!

I happened to have left over baked potatoes, some frozen corn that needed to be used up, and a red onion. After everything was cut up, I added some chicken bouillon (paste form), three pepper corns, and salt and pepper to taste. Mmmm…it sure hit the spot! (Forgot to take pictures, but it's pretty self explanatory).

While that was stewing, I used the potato skins to make a little snack. I laid them on a cookie sheet and covered them with shredded cheddar cheese.



After I baked them in the oven for a few minutes, I had some tasty cheese peels.

At the same time that I was cooking, Keira was whipping up some chicken butternut squash soup. It sounded very healthy (Nate was sick, so she was cooking it for him), and it tasted wonderful!

The soup was supposed to turn out orange in color…



But, since she cooked it in the cast iron dutch oven...



It turned out a nice, dark, healthy hue...





Keira also brewed us up some yummy tea. For herself, she chose a fresh ginger and rosemary tea.

You can kind of make out the ginger in the bag to the right. It had a wonderful lemon scent to it. In the small Tupperware container is some pomegranate jelly that my other daughter let her try. She purchased it at our local health food co-op.





For me she made a delicious ginger mint tea.



Ahhh…a nice cup of tea and then curling up for a nap…



Who could ask for more?

OF TEACUPS AND TREASURES

A HUGE Thank You is going out to Jan and Tom of Rose Haven! I received, in a give-away, a pretty teacup from them and was SO excited to get it today!



My cup came with a beautifully hand-crafted Rose Haven gift tag…



And…a vintage needle card! Oooo!...What a fun surprise that was!





Thank you so much, Jan and Tom, for your great generosity.



Blessings to you both.



My honey and I went thriftin’ on Saturday. It was such a beautiful day for being out and about.

I found a pair of Naturalizer shoes, which would run between $40 and $65 in the store. Naturalizer is one of the few companies left that still have sizes for the toe and heel of the shoe along with the length. I rarely buy them due to their price. These are in near-perfect condition, and after I have the toe stretched just a bit, they’ll be perfect! They were only $2.00!

I didn’t get a good close-up shot but found some cute orange and yellow flower and heart-shaped buttons. I’ll use these to embellish homemade Mother’s Day cards.



We picked up a nice spread (which is actually a duvet’ cover) for our bed. We paid $5.00





My most fun purchase was a 5-qt. Dutch Oven. For some time, I have wanted to accumulate a large amount of cast iron cookware. I have one skillet that I use almost exclusively, but that is all. I paid more than I would have liked at $12, but once it is cleaned up and reseasoned, it will be fun to cook in!









I LOVE good deals!

SPRING HAS COME!

I have to admit that growing up, summer was my FAVORITE season! I would lie outside in the shade provided by the North side of the house and look up into the sky. There I would find pictures, and there I would compose poetry, as I lay on the cool green lawn. Ahhh…those were the days.



As an adult, it seemed that I detested winter more and more with each coming year. I hated the cold; I hated the bound-up feeling and how hot I got with all the layers. Of course, when I was growing up and until about 20 years ago or so, we had real winters not the wimpy ones we have now. And, they WERE something to endure. Spring brought the wet and muck but also the hope; Fall brought the changing of colors from beautiful to dead and brown and the dread of what was to come. But, summer, ahhh, summer, THAT was season!



Back then…Boy, that makes me sound old!...Well, anyway, we would "lay out". The more sun the better, and the more baby oil, the more we would tan! One summer Mom and Dad were painting the house and had scaffolding set up. I donned the bathing suit, slathered on the oil, and climbed atop the metal sun bed.

Now days, rather than oil I slather on the sunscreen, keep my arms turned away from the sun as much as possible while driving, and try as hard as I can to keep from getting too much sun...

If only I had known the dangers! I shudder to think...

But you know, youth are infallible...



Well, as to the seasons…at some point about two or three years ago…my daughter and I had a talk. She told me that she actually lost weight in the winter! “Hmmm, how does THAT happen”, I queried. “Because I shiver, and that uses body heat, which in turn burns calories”, she replied. What a novel idea, thought I! We keep our house cool anyway to save on the gas bill, so I’m chilly a lot in the winter. Why not start looking at this horrid season in a positive way! I can lose weight!



As we talked, and as I thought…In the winter, you can cuddle up with kitty cats and books and Afghans. You can’t do that in the summertime!







In the winter, you can cook lots of homemade soups, which I love to do anyway…one more positive for the season! In the winter, you can hole up and hibernate much like a mama bear. It’s cozy, and it just plain feels good. The more I thought, the more I was beginning to like this time of year! In fact, winter ended up becoming my most favorite season of all…Gasp!



That being said, I have now begun to dread summertime ALMOST as much as I used to shrink from winter. I over heat and get so hot that I feel as if I might spontaneously combust. Now THAT’S dreadful! Summertime is quite claustrophobic to me what with being eternally hot and not being able to remove enough clothing to cool down yet still be presentable.

Well, what will be, will be and must be tolerated. Some of the things that I do to adapt are to wear a wet towel around my neck, and I have fans going non-stop in the living room, kitchen, and our bedroom. At bedtime when my feet seem to be burning up, I wrap them with wet towels. All in all, I’m glad that the good Lord gave us the four seasons.

This all brings me to thoughts of one of the finer more exciting features of this time of year...

Gardening!





This year seems to really be a beginning for many people, indeed. Countless numbers who have never gardened are—due to the economy—starting this year. Even the first lady is planting a garden—something that hasn’t been done since the Roosevelts were in the White House! Victory Gardens were a big thing for Americans during the war era. These efforts saved money, aided the war effort, and helped families be more self-sufficient.

As mentioned in another post or two, years ago when my babies were little (oh how I miss those days), I had gardens; I canned; I froze; I even dehydrated some. Those were the days—loads of work, but those were the days! Upon having to enter the quote-un-quote working world, the pleasures of homemaking and gardening had to take a back seat. So, for me this is an old beginning made new again.

I’ve been planning for quite some time now, since before the economy was really bad. Planning because I want to eat more organic. Planning because I want to be more self sufficient. Planning because…Well…it’s the right thing to do! So, I begin. Won’t you join me?



I just planted these little guys last Monday, and they’re poking their teeny tiny little heads above soil! The earliest any of them should have started to show was on day seven, and, many were in the 10-28-day range.

But...

Day Four...Broccoli arrives



Day Five...Peas pop!



Day Six...Dill, Carrots, Lemon basil, and Lavender show their little heads!

It is to me, such a testimony of our Heavenly Father’s plan. I see these tiny fragile plants that only He could create and instill life in. They, in turn, reach toward the light bending their little bodies Heaven-ward just as should we.



In the past, I have always had the traditional row gardens. I am quite impressed, however, and have been researching the above-ground container gardening. My thoughts are mostly formed, and next will begin the truly joyful sowing and reaping!





A wonderful site that I have found is The Square Foot Gardening Foundation. This gentleman has simple instructions and lots of advice on this gardening style.



I’ll keep you updated as we build, situate, and plant. To save money, I may get pallets, disassemble them, and use them to build the boxes. Next year, I’ll have my own compost; this year, I’ll have to buy it.

I pray that we may do all that we can to save this wonderful planet that the Lord has given us and, at the same time, get back to the basics.

Until I have my own vegetable patch to show off…

Please visit with me...

The Victory Gardens…

WHY I LOVE BLOG LAND

THE REASONS I LOVE BLOG LAND:


WE JUDGE NOT ON APPEARANCE...

Day to day, the first thing we see when we look at people is their skin and their shape. I have often thought how wonderful it would be if no one had this covering…if we all were the same—bones, muscles, and organs. We could not then judge by appearances or, as they say, first impressions.

In Blog Land, we rarely see fellow bloggers in action. We don’t view their shape or their gait, their mannerisms, or their idiosyncrasies. We see their hearts by the words that they share.

In first Samuel, the Lord says, “…for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7

What a wonderful scripture to ponder on.



WE GET NOT SO CAUGHT UP IN OUR OWN PROBLEMS BUT ARE EAGER TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER...

Day to day, as we talk to others, it is easy to let minds wander thinking of our own situations and problems.

In Blog Land, minds are resting, the day’s work may be done or just beginning. Nonetheless, we come here for solitude—a step away from outside commotions—and enjoy the unity we have one with another.

The Bible speaks of encouragement:

Deuteronomy says “But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” Deut. 1:38

And second Chronicles states, “And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord… 2 Chr. 35:2



WE ARE UNITED FOR ONE COMMON PURPOSE

Day to day, we can feel very alone—like no one else in the world must be striving to be more Christ-like…Like all we see and hear are things of murder and rape and carnage. Co-workers talk of weekend parties or the goings on in their lives. But, does anyone including myself profess our love of our Heavenly Father and our yearning for purity in the world and in our own souls?

In Blog Land, at least the ones that I have chosen to follow, there is a common thread of becoming more and more like Christ…



of trying, really trying to live right and to raise our children and grandchildren with a love for the Lord. Oh, how very refreshing this is to my soul at the end of each day.

Taken from www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/miss/miss-3.htm reads:

“As sons and daughters of God, we have inherited divine qualities. Our premortal experiences prepared us for mortality, where we continue to learn and grow. A mission is a wonderful opportunity to continue developing and magnifying our divine characteristics as we strive to become more like the Savior.”

“Jesus Christ showed us how we should live. “Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you” ( 3 Nephi 18:16).



Living a Christlike life is the ideal we strive for (see Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48). One of the best ways to emulate Christlike attributes is to study the Savior’s life and try to become like Him…If we are faithful, Jesus Christ will continue to magnify our talents and abilities and help us become more like Him.”

These Christlike attributes are then listed:

Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patience
Brotherly Kindness
Godliness
Charity
Humility
Diligence



These are some of the reasons why I so enjoy Blog Land. Thank you, my friends, for sharing my yearning and for uplifting me to become more like our Savior.