Frugal Feeding of the Family

Do you think it's getting harder and harder to keep your food costs within your monthly budget?  I sure do!  Lately I have been feeling like the grocery bill is growing out of control, and that, combined with the higher cost of gas has made me want to take another look at exactly where we can cut costs and save a little more. 

Just yesterday I read an article in our Sunday paper (Chattanooga Times Free Press) on the sharp rise in grocery prices and it really got me thinking.  I knew the price of food had been going up and up.  I can feel the sting each time I grocery shop!  Here are some specifics from the article that are real eye openers.....  In January, chicken legs were $1.26 a pound, in February they were 30 cents more.  A pound of iceberg lettuce increased from $1.02 to $1.13.  Last February the same lettuce cost 89 cents.  A pound of bacon was $3.40 last February (2010) and last month it was $4.27.  February had the largest monthly increase in average food costs in 2 1/2 years, with costs rising for most major groups including meat, dairy products, eggs, fruits and vegetables, according to the Consumer Price Index released in March.  The price of some items, such as tomatoes, lettuce, and some meats increased more than 10 percent!  Apparently there is no relief in sight - the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts food prices will increase 3 to 4 percent this year.  Moderation is expected soon on the prices of fruits and vegetables but meat prices and average grocery prices are likely to continue climbing.
OUCH!

The largest expense on our monthly budget is food.  It's also one of the only areas where we can change how much we are spending (up or down).  Most of the monthly expenses are fixed.  The food budget however can be tweaked and that's what I'm interested in doing.  As workers at home it is our job to serve healthy, delicious meals to our families while being mindful of how much we are spending.  This is not always an easy job, especially for a family with lots of growing children!  How can we best use our food budget and take good care of our families?

I'm looking for your most frugal meal recipe!  Would you be willing to share?  If so, email me at 7morans@comcast.net  or leave a comment here and I will do a guest post soon with the recipes and a link to your blog if you would like.  We need healthy, frugal recipes that we can feed our families while spending less at the grocery store.  Please share!

Happy Birthday Eli!

This little boy is celebrating his 9th birthday today!  Where have the years gone?

Classic Buttercream Frosting Recipe

We are busy here getting ready for a birthday party for my youngest boy!  He is turning 9 tomorrow!!  Since I was looking this recipe up I thought I would share it.  I'll be making a chocolate Star Wars cake with buttercream icing for his party.  If it turns out well I will post pictures!

Classic Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Makes 3 - 3.5 cups

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound) softened (but not melted!)  Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
• 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted.
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream.

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.  Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn't blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.  If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar.  If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoon at a time.  Enjoy!

Top Picks (Kindergarten - 2nd grade)

Several people have asked me recently what I use for homeschooling a certain grade, and what curricula I like the best and so forth, so I decided to put together a list of SOME of what we have used and love.  I emphasize the word some because there are  many wonderful books that I love and my list could go on forever and ever! 

Kindergarten:

I have used these books with all four of my boys so far and plan on using them this fall with my daughter.  I highly recommend them.  They are by far my favorites for Kindergarten.

Learning At Home by Ann Ward

Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons

Spectrum Phonics K

First Grade:

First Grade: Learning At Home by Ann Ward

Saxon Math 1st grade

Alpha Omega Language Arts 1st grade

Spectrum Phonics 1st grade

2nd grade:

Saxon Math 2nd grade

Alpha Omega Language Arts 2nd grade

Spectrum Phonics 2nd grade

Plants Grown Up

(Doorposts)

In kindergarten and 1st grade you will get all of the Science and Social Studies and Bible you need from the Learning At Home books.  Starting with 2nd grade I began using other books for Science and Social Studies, using the library as our primary resource.  We also used the zoo, aquarium, museums, and other field trips for Science and Social Studies.  I have used a few text books for Social Studies and Science but nothing I loved.  Textbooks work better for older students in my opinion and with younger children I like to do as much hands on learning as possible.  Here are a couple of things we used for Science, Social Studies and Bible during the first 3 years that I did really like.

Christian Kids Explore Biology by Stephanie L. Redmond

(Beautiful Feet books)  We have all of these and have read them over and over.  They are the best!

My favorite place to order curricula is Christian Book Distributors.  You can find them HERE.

My other favorite resource for ordering great books is Vision Forum.  You can find them Here.

And also Beautiful Feet Books.  Find them Here.

The very best thing you can do for the first 3 years of "school" is to develop in your child a love of learning and a love of reading.  Read books aloud to your children every single day.  Play fun learning games.  Go on nature walks and have the children draw pictures of what they see in a nature journal.  Visit the library as often as you can.  Read the bible before or after meals, when you wake up in the morning, and before you go to bed at night.  Limit TV watching and be VERY selective when you do watch.  Have the children copy verses from the bible to practice writing.  Teach math while the kids are helping in the kitchen.  Buy learning Cd's to listen to when you are in the car.  Make learning fun and fill your home with learning activities.  Play good music, supply lots of great books, have plenty of puzzles and other learning toys on hand and spend time talking about the world we live in. Have an area of the home set aside for arts and crafts.  Fill it with paper and crayons and glue and scissors and glitter and paint.  Encourage the children to create.  Learning will take place naturally and does not only take place seated in a desk.  Make learning a lifestyle!

In my next post I will discuss 3rd through 5th grade.  I will eventually cover all grades through the 10th grade.  Stay tuned!!

Sunday Planning

Since I am home from church this morning with a sick child I thought I would get a little planning done for the week ahead.  I love Sundays for resting, and thinking, and reading, and planning.  I also love to go to church on Sunday mornings with my family, but that didn't work out today so I am using this time to map out plans for the week.  It's going to be a BUSY week with school, and soccer practices, a doctor's appointment for me, and a vet appointment for our dog,  and my little man's 9th birthday on Friday, and grandparents coming from Virginia to visit, and my mother in law's birthday on Saturday, and a bunch of other things that will "pop up" as the week progresses.  And, did I mention we are in the process of house hunting and preparing to move, and in about 6 weeks or so we are having a baby?!!?  : )

I always find my week runs so much smoother when all the planning is done ahead of time, and with a busy week that is key.  I'll share my meal plan with you (just dinners) and maybe it will help you kick start your planning too!

Sunday:  Crescent Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans.
Monday:  (busy soccer night) soup, homemade bread. (I'm going to try to get 3 loaves of homemade sour dough bread made this week.)
Tuesday:  Spiral Pepperoni Pizza Bake, salad, garlic bread.
Wednesday:  (busy church night) Hamburgers with veggie tray and chips.
Thursday:  Salad bar
Friday:  Still working on this.  It's Eli's birthday dinner and he is having a little trouble deciding what he wants to do!
Saturday:  French Dip sandwiches, Monterrey Jack Cheese soup.

We don't have dessert every night but this weekend we will be indulging a bit as we celebrate two birthdays.  Eli wants a Star Wars birthday cake but for my mother in law I think I will make my sweet friend Teresa's Cream Puff Dessert.  It's a best loved dessert here!

Now that I have the planning part done, I simply make a grocery list from these recipes of anything I need from the store.  Once I have everything I need on hand, this week should run very smoothly! (smile!)  Here are some of the recipes just in case you want to try them....


CRESCENT CHICKEN
(serves 6-8)

1 pkg refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk (using soup can)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare soup using milk and set aside.  Separate crescent rolls.  Spoon chicken and cheese onto each crescent; roll and seal to enclose filling.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour soup over rolls.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Yummy!

SPIRAL PEPPERONI PIZZA BAKE

1 pkg (16 oz) spiral pasta
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella
1 pkg (3 1/2 oz ) sliced pepperoni
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cans (15 oz) pizza sauce
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups milk

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile cook beef, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the pizza sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasoning; remove from the heat and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese.  Drain pasta; toss with egg mixture.  Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish.  Top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Delicious!

TERESA'S CREAM PUFF DESSERT
(we LOVE this!)

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Filling:
1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups of cold milk
2 pkgs (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix

Topping:
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate ice cream topping
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup chopped almonds

Directions

• In a large saucepan bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat.  Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms.  Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. 
• Spread into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For filling, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth.  Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate until serving.  Drizzle with the chocolate and caramel toppings; sprinkle with almonds.  Refrigerate leftovers.  Yield: 12 servings. 

Now I'm off to plan what school work we need to do this week and to make a cleaning schedule for the week.  I'm loving that spring is here and I just might sit out on the deck in the gorgeous sunshine while I plan.

 Have a blessed Sunday!

What's Most Important

First seek the counsel of the Lord - 1Kings 22:5 NIV

So much to do...so little time!  Is this how you feel?  This is how I feel most all of the time.  With a busy household of 7 (soon to be 8) people and all of the housework and laundry and cooking and errands and teaching and everything else that goes with it, I feel overwhelmed much of the time.

 I have found when I get that overwhelmed feeling it is time to examine my priorities.  Basic priorities are necessary to keep our families running smoothly.  In order to prioritize well we have to look at our lives, activities, schedules, and our family's needs.  Decide what's vitally important, what can be left for another time, and what is truly unnecessary. 

Make sure your priority list places God at the top.  Time spent with Him must be a busy mom's first priority.  Then let God and His word be the measuring stick by which you set your other priorities.  Choose to only put on the priority list things that will honor and glorify Him.  My mind immediately goes to television as I type that last statement.  There is very little tv watching that would be glorifying and honoring to God.  It's also a HUGE time waster!  All of us Christian women would do very well to give up watching tv altogether.  There are just many, many, better things to do with our time.  My husband just asked our family to memorize a passage of scripture (Psalm 101) that included a verse that says, I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless (verse 3).  That rules out most tv watching!  I cringe to think we would say we didn't have time to pray, and read the bible, and memorize scripture but we are watching hours of television!

We must realize that other moms may make different decisions based on their personalities, lifestyles, etc.  Their choices may not work for us and vice versa.  We must each decide what is important to us and to our home life.  We also have to look at our children's priorities.  Children need help prioritizing their lives as well.  Is your family being pulled by too many activities?  Are the children's involvements placing too much demand on the family?  If so, it's time to prune.  Prioritize your life to find what is most important.  Our decisions may not be popular with other people and that is fine.  The further you move along in your journey as a mother the less important other people's opinions become.  I used to worry what someone would think if I stepped down from this or couldn't do that.  God freed me from that concern.  I no longer even think that way.  Look to God for direction and follow His word.  He will give you wisdom.  Ask God to show you what is most important to Him.

Here are a few other things to do to help with setting priorities:

• Begin every day praying for wisdom in setting priorities.
• Plan a special family meeting to discuss setting family priorities.
• Work with your children to prioritize their activities, deleting unimportant things.  
• Read Luke 10:38-42.  What can this passage teach you about setting priorities?
• Post a family calendar in the kitchen.  Write down all activities, places and times.
• Pray that God will work in all your activities for His honor and glory.
• Acknowledge the need to spend more time reading God's word with the children.

Ephesians 5:15  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.

Colossians 3:2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Matthew 22:37  And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind".   

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

For our family, celebrating St. Patrick's Day isn't about leprechauns, or pots of gold, or the luck of the Irish.   We take a little time to remember a man who went and preached the gospel while we have some green fun! 

St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish.  Did you know this?  We didn't know until several years ago when I decided to do some research with the kids at the library.  St. Patrick was actually English.  When he was a teenager he was kidnapped by pirates and brought to Ireland as a slave.  Later he escaped and fled back to his homeland and then returned to Ireland years later as a Christian missionary.  Many people were converted and baptized. 

This morning we took just a moment to read about St. Patrick before eating our green breakfast.  A friend suggested this idea to me a couple of years ago and we've now made it our tradition as well.  The kiddos love it!

GREAT NEWS!

Doorposts now has a blog!  Click HERE to check it out.  I'm so excited!  I LOVE Doorposts!  My husband and I bought our first Doorposts product when our firstborn was only 3 years old.  (he's now 16!)  Go take a look at their blog to find biblical parenting ideas, weekly character building projects, book reviews and more! 

A Little Fun on St. Patty's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is Thursday, and in honor of that I am posting a few of our favorite Irish recipes.  For a fun learning activity, make a trip to the library with your children and check out some books about St. Patrick or look up some information online to read to them.  Our family usually has an all green breakfast on St. Patrick's Day.  I put a little green food coloring into the scrambled eggs and we tint the icing for our cinnamon rolls green.  The kids love it and even my honey asked the other day if we were going to do that again this year.  He enjoys the silly traditions we have as much as the kids do!

Irish Soda Bread
(serve with butter, or try our herb butter recipe)

4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and soda.  Stir in buttermilk and mix to a soft dough consistency.  Turn onto a floured work surface and knead lightly.  Press out into a flat, round cake, and 2 inches high.  Slice an "X" in the top.  Place on a floured cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned.  When done, it will sound hollow when tapped.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes one loaf. 

Herbal Butter

1 T. chives
1 T. basil
1 T. parsley
1 T. rosemary
1 T. marjoram
1 T. tarragon
1 t. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients, using a small coffee grinder if you have one.  Keep in a locking plastic bag until ready to make your butter.  Allow 1/2 pound softened butter for each tablespoon of the herbal blend, mixing well.  For extra butter flavor, add two or three drops of lemon juice as well.  You may substitute cream cheese for butter.  Delicious on freshly-baked bread or over fresh steamed vegetables. 

Iced Shamrock Cookies

2 c. shortening
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. orange peel
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 c. orange juice
6 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt

Cream shortening, sugar, orange peel and vanilla together.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add orange juice and mix again.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and add to creamed mixture.  Chill for 2 hours, covered.  Roll on lightly floured surface 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out three heart shapes for each shamrock and carefully stick them together.  Cut out a long rectangle for the "stem".  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before removing from cookie sheet.  Ice when cool. 

Frosting:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. butter, softened
2 T. milk
peppermint extract to taste
3-4 drops green food coloring

Combine sugar, butter and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl and mix.  Add peppermint extract to taste and food coloring to desired color.  Add more milk if necessary, a teaspoon at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable.  Sprinkle with fairy dust (crystallized sugar) if desired. 

And one more thing for a fun activity...........

Stenciled Shamrock Tablecloth

Using a heart cookie cutter, trace hearts on a large piece of cardboard in the shape of a shamrock, adding a stem at the bottom.  Be sure to leave at least 4 inches of margin around the shamrock.  Cut out your shamrock with a sharp artist's blade.  Position the stencil on a white cotton/polyester tablecloth and paint the inside of the design with permanent green acrylic paint.  You may wish to make several sizes of shamrock stencils, and paint smaller ones in metallic gold for a magical touch.  Use this same method for napkins, table runners, or even T-shirts!

Dreaming of Spring

After a particularly hard end of the week last week I had a bit of trouble getting going on this already here Monday.  A flood at our house that was terribly messy and time consuming and scary, and the horrible news of the unexpected death of a 25 year old cousin, and a situation in my husband's family that is hurting him and seems to be a regular topic of conversation, has drained me of energy.  My body, heart, and mind just couldn't jump into the week with my normal enthusiasm.  I am so thankful though, for a God who sees our pain and knows our weaknesses and loves us no matter what.  What grace He bestows on us!  After a few small whispers of prayer to my heavenly Father I could feel some of the weight lifting off of me and I was able to move into my routine of starting laundry, and breakfast, and waking children and beginning our school day. 

In a few moments of quiet alone time, which is rare in our busy household, I happened to pick up a book I had not looked at in a long time,  Celebrate Spring!  How appropriate that I came across that book today when I need a little mood lifter!  And to think...spring is only 6 days away!!  I love spring!  I love celebrating the resurrection of my Savior, and the sweet smell of the grass, and the new flowers, and planning a birthday celebration for my littlest boy, and the longer daylight and warmer weather.  I love having the windows up and I love spring cleaning.  Spring awakens the senses!

Here are a few tidbits from Celebrate Spring I liked and thought you might too!

• Berries, grapes and melon make a beautiful fruit cup when served in wine glasses.
• Run a lemon wedge around the rims of glasses and dip in superfine sugar; garnish cool drinks with a sprig of mint.
• When you plant your garden, plant flowers especially for making potpourri.  Lavender, roses, violet, sweet peas and carnations, along with spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, will make the ingredients for a variety of potpourris.
• Plant a fruit tree...apple, peach, pear or plum.  It will give you blossoms in springtime, shade in summer, luscious fruits in fall, and fragrant branches for firewood in winter.
• Here's a tip for any buffet table...stack your plates at the beginning, but save the silverware, napkins and beverages for the end of the line.  So much easier to handle!
• For a delightful addition to a spring garden salad, add some fresh green snow peas.
• For an extra special spring welcome, place a potted lily by your front door on Easter Day.
• When was the last time you colored Easter eggs?  This year, why not host an egg-coloring party?  Have prizes on hand for the most colorful, best decorated and funniest eggs. 
• To make iced dessert coffees, start with a freshly-brewed pot of coffee.  Sweeten to taste, then cover and refrigerate (after it has cooled a bit first).  Pour into a blender with chocolate syrup and scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Top with whipped cream and a dash of cocoa.  YUM!
• How to pick a melon?  A melon should feel nice and heavy and dense...heavier than it appears...and should have no scar at the stem indicating it was picked prematurely. 
• For an easy yet elegant centerpiece, display dried pink and blue hydrangeas in a vintage china teapot for your afternoon tea party.
• For a delicious addition to homemade soups, try adding fresh dill sprigs instead of celery leaves.  

And some yummy, spring recipes to get you in the mood...

Country Quiche
A clever quiche that forms its own crust while baking.

3 eggs
1/2 c. biscuit mix
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt, dash of pepper
1 c. Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 c. smoked ham, cooked and cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch pie pan.  Place all ingredients except cheese and ham in blender, and blend well.  Pour mixture in pan.  Sprinkle cheese and ham on top.  Press gently below surface with back of spoon.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.


Lemon-Butter Muffins
Luscious served with peach jam.

1/2c. fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
2 T. lemon rind, freshly grated
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 c. all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 2 muffin tins well.  Stir lemon juice, eggs and lemon rind into melted butter.  In another bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt; make a well in the center.  Stir in egg mixture and blend until well moistened.  Pour into muffin tins, filling each cup about 2/3 full.  Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes 18-24 muffins.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Nut filling:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. pecans, chopped

Cake:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare nut filling by mixing all ingredients together; set aside.  In another bowl, cream the butter.  Add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to first mixture, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.  Mix in vanilla.  Pour half of the mixture into greased 9x5 loaf pan or 9-inch bundt pan.  Cover with half of the nut filling and repeat.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (loaf pan) or 70 minutes (bundt pan).

A Hospitality Lifestyle

 
Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality. - Romans 12:13 NIV


What comes to mind when you think of hospitality?  Having a fancy dinner party or sipping a cup of coffee with a friend?  Or maybe a cookout in your backyard?  All of these things fall under the banner of hospitality- the opening of your home and heart to friends, family, or guests in a warm, generous way. 

Hospitality is an important thing for Christians.  My husband read to me from scripture just this morning in Romans where it says hospitality is the mark of a true Christian.  He was also looking up the qualifications of an elder and one of them was hospitality.  Paul urges Christians to open their hearts in hospitality to others because God has opened His heart to us! 

For moms, sometimes sharing hospitality seems easier said than done.  Our to-do lists are never-ending, there's just no time, we may feel like we are neglecting our kids too much already without adding more to the schedule.  So what can you do, as Romans 12:13 says, to practice hospitality?

True hospitality starts within the family.  Our children are little gifts from God.  Give your children what every guest would want- love, acceptance, safety.  Your children's friends are your second opportunity for hospitality.  Ignore the mud, mess, and noise that comes with them.  Show them respect and love.  Then broaden your horizons.  Look around your church and neighborhood.  Is there a single mom, or a widow who wouldn't care about dust but would love a cup of coffee and a smile?  Forget about the feast that costs a ton of money.  Share what you have with others while you are doing what you would normally do.  Share your heart and your home - that's what true hospitality is all about.

Our family enjoys showing hospitality to others and our children get very excited when anyone comes to visit.  We love to have friends over for a meal and games, and we love to have out of town guests come to stay overnight or even for several days. The kids always help to clean the house and prepare the food and have always given up their beds and slept on the floor without complaint. (our house is NEVER perfect...we have 5 children, that says it all doesn't it?)  We are extremely grateful to have wonderful friends who welcome us home with warm hospitality and great meals and sweet fellowship.  We are thankful also for the family members who invite us to visit, make room for us, and fix the children's favorite foods.  All of this is teaching our children about hospitality and helping us to know how we want to show hospitality in our own home as well. 

Here are some things to do to encourage hospitality in your home:

• With your kids, brainstorm ideas for adding warmth and hospitality to your home.
• Purchase a teapot as a family reminder to be hospitable.  Make tea whenever someone visits.
• Pray and ask God to make each room in your home a place for hospitality.
• Decide on an inexpensive, simple meal you can keep on hand for unexpected visitors. 
• Understand that people of all ages need to receive acceptance and hospitality.
• Remember what it feels like to be alone, left out, and unaccepted.
• Thank God for those who have reached out in hospitality to you and your children.
• Recognize that God can use you just as you are to show hospitality to others.
• Show hospitality to your immediate family just as much as you do to those who come to visit.
• Open your heart and find creative, inexpensive ways to make hospitality a lifestyle choice.   

1 Peter 4:9  Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Timothy 5:10  She must be known for her good works - works such as raising her children, welcoming strangers, washing the feet of God's people, helping those in trouble, and giving her life to do all kinds of good deeds.

The crown of the house is godliness; the beauty of the house is order; the glory of the house is hospitality; the blessing of the house is contentment. 
-Henry Van Dyke

Monkey Bread

I'm really behind on putting my meal plan together for this week.  I hope later this evening to get to work on that.  For tonight's dinner I had to survey the food we have on hand and figure out what to serve.  I decided on "breakfast", and with our eggs and bacon we are going to have some Monkey Bread.  I always refer to our children as my 5 little monkeys so this is the perfect food for them.  It's easy to do, tastes great, and my 5 year old can almost make it entirely by herself.  We think it's super delicious!  It also works out perfectly that I got Pillsbury Grands biscuits last week at Publix for 47 cents a can.  I bought 20 cans so this will be a great way to use some of them.

Monkey Bread

4 cans refrigerated biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbs cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9-10 inch tube pan.  (I have an actual Monkey Bread mold that my dear brother bought for me.)  

 

• Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a medium size Ziploc bag.  Cut the biscuits into halves or quarters and place six to eight biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix.  Shake well.
• Arrange pieces in the bottom of the greased pan.  Continue layering until all the biscuit pieces are coated and in the pan.

• 
  
• In a small saucepan melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat.  Boil for 1 minute.  Pour over the layered biscuits. 



• Bake for 35 min.  Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.  Pull apart and enjoy!

Amon's Adventure

For many years our family has read Arnold Ytreeide's books,  Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, and Tabitha's Travels during Advent. (If you aren't familiar with these books click HERE.)  We've been reading these books for 10 years and we rotate each year.  Our children absolutely LOVE them, even after hearing them over and over.  

Well, I'm very excited to tell you today that Arnold Ytreeide has written a new book for Easter!

I just placed an order from christianbookdistributors.com and we can't wait to start reading! 

Here's the book review from Christian Book Distributors.....

When Jotham is accused of a terrible crime, his 13 year old son, Amon, races to save him.  Along the way Amon joins the crowds on Palm Sunday, outwits Roman soldiers who plan to kill his father and Jesus, witnesses Judas's betrayal, and beholds Christ's crucifixion.  End-of-chapter meditations make this ideal for family Lenten devotions. 

I love family read aloud time and I'm always looking for great read aloud books for our family.  We usually read as a group right before bed.  Dad reads after the kids are in their pajamas and teeth are brushed and everyone is ready to settle down.  I love this time and trust these will be some of the best family memories the kids take with them when they grow up and have families of their own.  If you don't have a family read aloud time think about starting one.  All kids seem to love it no matter how old they are! 

Teaching Younger Women

Last night after a phone conversation with my sweet little grandmother (81), I was inspired to make a country dinner.  One like she is famous for, pork chops, green beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits.  Just chatting with my dear precious granny made me want to cook like her.  She really is one of the best cooks ever.  My husband came in the house from playing outside with the boys while I was cooking and said, "Ahhh, it smells like a man's house in here"!  I knew exactly what he meant and it was a major compliment! 

Talking to my grandmother and cooking her kind of dinner got me thinking about the things she has taught me throughout my life, and not just her, but other women as well.  The bible says older women should teach younger women and that is exactly what my grandmother has done.  She has taught me about cooking and baking and working hard, among other things.  As I was thinking about this I realized that ALL older women are teaching younger women.  We are teaching whether we realize it or not.  I've been taught something by all the older women I have ever been around.  Some have taught me the importance of being meek and gentle and quiet, some have taught me about loving my husband and supporting him, and some have helped me with homeschooling my children and following God's path for my life.  There have also been those older women who have taught me what not to do.  Their example has shown me what I don't want to do with my children or what kind of relationship not to have with my husband.  You see, we are teaching by our attitudes, actions, behavior, and words.  We are teaching by the way we live our lives. 

It's not always the older grandmother type that are to teach the younger wives and mothers.  We moms with daughters are teaching younger women as well.  I'm teaching my daughter to cook and to clean and to work around the house and I am also teaching her how to reverence her future husband by the way I treat her father (I'm trying to).  Mothers of daughters are a key component of teaching younger women.  The years that our daughters are in our homes are important years for training and teaching and we older women (moms) must teach the younger women (daughters) to love God with their whole hearts and to serve others.  We must teach them how to take care of a home and how to raise children and how to work.  Childhood is a wonderful time and there is much playing and pretending and imagining and creating, but it is also a crucial time for learning important lessons. 

 Titus 2:3-5 says, Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.  

We women must follow these instructions given to us in scripture.  What a blessing for women who are further down the path of life to encourage and share with women who are starting out.  Older women can be a huge help to younger women, especially if they are passing on biblical advice and not the world's wisdom.  Younger women are already being bombarded with plenty of worldly wisdom.  Older women have a precious opportunity to pass on sound biblical wisdom and encourage younger women in their important roles as wives and mothers.  Grandmothers have a unique position for teaching and should not take it lightly.  For centuries mothers and grandmothers trained daughters and we should certainly continue that today.  Look around you.  Maybe you are raising young daughters in your home, or maybe you have granddaughters, or maybe you have younger women in your church.  Wherever you are, there are younger women to teach.  Take time to follow the words of Titus 2 and be a blessing to the younger women God has placed in your life.