Baker Creek and Berlin Seeds

You may be a garden fanatic....

If seed catalogs have you acting like a little boy in a candy store. (I'll take one of this. And one of this. And one of everything!)

If the arrival of a large packet from the seed company has you doing a happy dance on the kitchen floor.

I love imagining all the potential in several dollars worth of seeds. I drool over every seed catalog that comes in the mail but have two favorite companies.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds specializes in rare and heirloom seeds. They search throughout the world to find unusual vegetable plants. Reading their plant descriptions make me want to become a full time vegetable gardener with several acres to fill! Their website is very easy to use. I placed an order last week and it was at my house a couple days later.

Another favorite seed catalog is Berlin Seeds. They offer a wide variety of vegetables for reasonable prices. But I like their catalog for all the additional information they share. Wonder what kind of bug is eating your beans, or why your squash suddenly wilted, or what the spots are on your strawberries? This catalog describes, with photos, common garden problems and organic and conventional methods to avoid the problems.

Berlin Seeds is located in Amish country in Ohio and does not have a website or email address. But I've had good service through their phone number 1-877-464-0892. Call and ask for their free catalog.

I am in no way connected with either of these two companies. Just wanted to share, in case, you too are a garden fanatic who enjoys reading free garden catalogs!

Enjoying God's World -January Plans

It may not be a surprise to know that I love to share the joy of nature with our children. We've watched tadpoles turn to frogs, caterpillars to butterflies, and enjoyed lots of old-fashioned outdoor play. But with our children growing older, I've been hoping to add a little more structured nature study to our days.

This fall I picked up The Kids' Nature Book by Susan Milford at a book sale. This book has a nature related activity for every day of the year! I like what I've read of it so far, but like many other good things, this one is easy to push aside in the busyness of living.

For some motivation, each month I'm planning to list several projects that I hope to do with our children. With 365 ideas in this book, certainly I should find four or five a month that will fit our family. I know if I have a list, I may not do them all, but I am sure to accomplish more then if I have no plans at all.

Here are my monthly goals for the year -

• To take one walk around our property with something particular to observe.
• We have a wonderful park nearby that includes woods, meadows, and a creek and hope to visit this park at least monthly for a nature walk.
• One simple nature related craft project.
• One simple science experiment.
• Learn the name of one new bird, animal, plant or insect each month.
• Possibly add some books, recipes or games relating to nature study.
  

Projects for January -if the snow continues!

And if it does, it is going to take some real motivation to get me out of the house! You can't tell me that it is fun to bundle up a houseful of preschoolers for a nature walk at the temperatures we've seen the past week! Maybe our nature study will turn into watching the visitors to our bird feeder! Anyway, here is a few ideas for this month.

• Talk about ways animals keep warm in the winter.
• Catch snowflakes on a frozen sheet of dark paper and look at them with magnifying glass.
• Cut snowflakes from paper.
• Bring a cup of snow indoors and watch it melt .
• Draw a snow scene with chalk on black paper.
• Look for animal tracks in the snow and discuss where they may be going and what they are doing.
• Make snow cream.

I'd love to hear your ideas for enjoying the wonders of God's creation with young children.

Artisan Breads Every Day - Greek Christmas Bread

Another holiday bread from Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart.

I love reading "foodie" books and I've been wanting to try my hand at baking panettone ever since reading about food in Italy. Since I've never eaten panettone, I have no idea how close I got. All I know is - it was good!

This recipe was the most challenging one of the book so far. Not that it was difficult, it just took far more steps then most of the recipes. The dough was easy to handle and smelled good enough to eat even before baking!

The panettone recipe in the book includes many variations. I chose to make the Greek Christmas bread. In this variation, the panettone dough had spices, walnuts, and dried cranberries added to it.

The classic shape for the Christmas bread is a boule or round loaf with extra dough used to form a cross on top.

I know that several of you readers also own this book. I'd love to hear your comments on any of these recipes that you have tried!

Artisan Breads Every Day - Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

Christmas gave me the perfect excuse (like I needed one) to bake bread. More specifically, it gave me reason to try some more recipes in Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day book. I hope to sort through some photos this week, so watch for a bunch of recipe reviews.

Most of the recipes in this book use a overnight refrigeration to develop the flavors. I found this method perfect for the holidays. The week before Christmas, I spent an afternoon mixing up batches of bread. My fridge was stuffed with bowls of dough that night! But I had all my cleanup done and ingredients out only one time! The next morning, I pulled out the first batch of dough and had time to get creative with the loaf shaping. Each time I slid a batch of bread in the oven, I pulled out another bowl of dough and shaped it. Besides keeping my head about me on which bread I was working on and how long it needed to rise and bake, it was an easy day! By evening, the table was full of loaves of bread and the house smelled wonderful! Then we had the fun of delivering fresh bread to friends and neighbors!

The Chocolate Cinnamon Babka was a fun bread. I made the recipe exactly as written (shocking, huh!) and the result was as good as it looks! I doubled the recipe so that I could have a loaf for us and a loaf to gift. If I would have realized how large a loaf this recipe makes, I would have made one batch and divided it in half. The dough is rich with lots of milk, butter and egg yolks - perfect for the holidays!

I used the Israeli Kranz cake shaping technique. I've used this method for other breads and am always pleased by how easy it is to make a stunning bread. You can use this method for any bread recipe, especially one with a filling spiraled in the center.
The bread dough was rolled into a large rectangle. The filling (chocolate, cinnamon and butter) was sprinkled in and the dough rolled up jelly roll style. The log was cute down the middle lengthwise.
The two pieces were rolled together to form a spiral and baked.

And the result - Yummy!

So Good (And Good for you) Pilaf

I read that the top New Year's Resolution is to eat healthier food. With all the rich foods we've had around here, I can understand the goal. Here is a recipe that we love that can fit the "eating healthy" category!

1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T butter

Saute until tender.

1/3 cup pearl barley
1/3 cup brown rice
1/3 cup bulgar

Add and saute 3 minutes.

2 3/4 cup broth
1 tsp sage
1/4 tsp pepper

Add. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 40 minutes or until tender.

If desired, stir in 1/3 cup chopped almonds and 1/3 cup fresh parsley immediately before serving.

Teaching Children to Memorize Scripture - One Year Later

A year ago, I wrote about teaching children to memorize Scripture. You can read the original post here. The idea was to pick a passage of Scripture and read it to the children every day. At the time, I was amazed at how quickly preschool children memorized Scripture from just hearing it, without any extra effort to laboriously learn the verses line by line.

A year later, I'm still convinced it is an effective way to teach Scripture to young children. The greatest challenge is consistency on the part of Mom (and at our house that would be Me, a person who is much better at flexibility then consistency). How is it that we don't skip meals, remember to do the laundry and can keep up with diaper changes, but Scripture memory is pushed out of a day.

I just read an article by the Maxwell's where they describe their family's method of Scripture memory. A large white board near their dining table holds the passage they are currently working on. At each meal, immediately after prayer, they read the verses together. In this way, the verses are read usually twice a day. The passage stays on the board until everyone knows them very well, then are replaced by new verses. I think combining Scripture memory with a regular daily occurrence, such as meals, may be what our family needs.

This past year, we have chosen one passage a month. Our children's favorites were short Psalms such as Psalm 1, 8, and 100. During the summer, we shortened it to single verses, John 3:16 and the Fruits of the Spirit. I've tried to review old passages about once a week or so. We may repeat some of the passages this year, but we hope to learn some new ones as well.

Now, please don't get some rosy picture of children sitting meekly in a row on the couch with their hands folded, reciting their Bible verses. Those of you who go to church with us know that our children have a double portion of the wigglies. Bible memory verses at our house are often joined with obnoxious noises and a fit of giggles. I love enthusiasm but sometimes need to draw a line when verses are screamed out at top volume while clapping their hands AND hanging from the back of the couch by their feet. And please don't ask my children to give a demonstration.

To give purpose to the wiggles, we've sometimes added hand motions. This has been especially good for lists such as The Ten Commandments. They also love any Scripture set to music and learn them super quick. I like to quote them without singing as well to make sure they could quote it without music. We've even turned it into a energy burning game (otherwise known as a desperate mom winter idea) in musical chairs style, marching around chairs, singing our verses, diving for a chair at the end of each song.

Something new we just started this fall is a Scripture notebook. My goal was review but my paper hoarders love it! Inspired by the Homespun Heart's study on the Fruits of the Spirit for Preschoolers, I type of a verse or passage on a sheet of paper and make a simple drawing depicting the verse. I'm a stick-man-artist only but if I tell the children what the drawing is supposed to be, they believe me. The children color the page and hang in the kitchen while we learn the verse. When we begin a new verse, the old one is added to a three ringed binder filled with page protectors. These binders are cherished possessions and often played with. For pre-readers, the pictures allow them to review the verses on their own.

My goal in Scripture memory with young children is not that they can quote it word perfect, and certainly not that they can preform for others. Rarely, unless they ask, do I request them to say it by themselves. Instead, my goal is that the Word of God is heard in their ears so often that it is embedded in their minds. I'd rather not give any child-training advice until I'm a grandmother with (by God's grace) godly children. But this method of memorizing has worked very well for our family and maybe can inspire you to add Scripture memory to your daily routine.

For more reading on Scripture memory go to Holy Experience and be sure to scroll down to the links on the bottom of this post.

I'd love to hear any of your thoughts or tips on Scripture memory!

A New Year!

As one who loves new goals, schedules, and planners - a new year is a glorious thing! All those blank empty days full of promise that this year I WILL be organized, cook creative healthy meals, complete all the projects I've ever started, and never get impatient with the children!

Since I'm doomed to fail in those endeavors before the first day of January is over, maybe I'd better find more realistic goals. Yes?

I've actually been thinking a lot about goal setting. As much as I love a good "to do" list and probably wouldn't accomplish anything at all without one, they do have their failings. (For all those of you who have some idea that I'm naturally organized...it is false. Anyone who is naturally organized would not have to work at it as hard as I. I'm an impulsive, easily distracted, scatterbrain. Take my word for it. Or ask my mom.)

Um, where was I. Oh! "To do" lists. In the past few months I have been increasingly frustrated. Every single day ends in discouragement because "I got nothing done". Sure I've did laundry, meals, and diapers. I have even occasionally cleaned. But all that other stuff, the things I really want to do but never find time for, at the end of the day, that is all I can think of.

For the past few years, a faded yellow card has hung above my sink. It reads "If all you accomplish today is caring for your children, you have done what is important. You have invested in eternity." I know it is true but somehow, when I look at a whole day, it seems that I should find time for a few other things too!

I think the real issue (don't worry, I'm not a deep thinker) is the way I evaluate my success. "You accomplished lots of things today, good Gina!" What a horrible mindset. Wherever do I get the idea that God's approval and my success is based on what I do -for Him, for my family, or anyone else!

Like I said, this has been brewing around my head for months. Despite knowing I've been prone to some bad thinking, I haven't been able to shake it. So I'm laying it all out to you dear readers, just for the sake of some accountability.

I love my planner. I will continue to write out weekly menus and "to do" lists. I am still making goals for the new year. (Without a vision the people perish.) But I am changing my measure of success.

A good day, a successful day for 2010, and every other year, is a day when others see Jesus in me.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another."

Care to join me?

Read a good article that resonated with me at Heart of the Matter here.