Popcorn

Random look at life from our house.

February has been a month of snow, snow, and more snow. Not a great amount but enough here and there to give an almost constant ground cover - which is rare in our area.

 

An ice storm added beauty but cut our power for a couple hours. Since our marriage, I never remember losing our power, but this month we were out twice for a few hours each time. The children thought it was great fun and were disappointed when it came back on. They wanted to practice being pioneers and cook our food in the fireplace.



The children have loved this winter and the snow.

And (most of the time) I have enjoyed the excuse to just stay home with my children. Though I will admit that the last week has been rough. One of those times that I'd be glad to hand in my resignation, but I don't know anyone who wants my job. So I'm forced to stay. And wait for spring.

And there are lots of perks to this job.

 

Maybe I just need to take some time to count blessings.

 

Like this little one who continues to give us lots of enjoyment. 



 

Saturday mornings with snow falling, fire crackling, and Daddy and baby studying for a sermon.



Evenings spent creating masterpieces. Here we tried our hand at copying Van Gogh's sunflowers.



 Painting our own summer!

 

Our little girlie continues to sleep, eat, and grow. 

If any of you are looking for a great swaddle blanket - I'm loving this one called the Miracle Blanket. I saw a friend's last summer and loved it. It is rather high price for a piece of cloth but I found two for a great discount on ebay. And they have been so worth it! She has been sleeping so well.  To use, first you put the baby's feet in the pocket.

Then fold in the one wing to hold down their arm.

 Then fold in the second side.

 Fold in the outer wing.

And use the extra long wing to wrap twice around baby to hold it all together. Rarely does she get her arms wiggled out of this wrap. And there is no velcro to stick to laundry. Love my Miracle Blanket.

A few years behind...but I finally joined Pinterest with the goal of finding order in all my bookmarked sites. If you want to check out what I'm pinning, follow me here.





And speaking of blessings...we were able to visit with a missionary that works with a leprosy mission. How I take for granted health and home when so many people in the world have lost not only their health but also their families. The above video will show you some of the amazing people that are showing God's love to these forgotten people.

(If you are reading this by email or in a feed reader, you may need to click over to the blog to see the video.)



Yes, even in the midst of cabin fever and the February blues...I am blessed.

Flo's Cakes - Finnish Coffee Cake

A hot drink and one of Flo's fresh-from-the-oven coffee cakes is perfect for these cold winter days. This one is simple but yummy!

Finnish Coffee Cake

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup oil or melted shortening

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

1 tsp cinnamon

4 TBSP sugar

Cream sugar, eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour half of batter into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle half of cinnamon and sugar mixture. Add remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 325˚ for 20-25 minutes. Mix glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a little boiling water to make thin consistency. While cake is hot, poke holes with a fork and drizzle with glaze.

Unconventional Rescue - Adventures of a Housewife

  Hasn't every mom had one of those days? Flo shares the story of one of her memorable days.

Unconventional Rescue - Adventures of a Housewife

By Florence Fox

The sun beat down as I exited the air-conditioned store. I heaved the loaded shopping cart in the right direction and started across the parking lot. My fourteen-month-old son, Laramie, jabbered happily, enjoying his ride. I deposited the groceries in the trunk, and then lifted Laramie out of the cart and into his car seat.

It was hot in the car, and I was anxious to get in and start the air-conditioner. I’ll reach back and buckle the car seat, I decided. To keep Laramie occupied so he wouldn’t crawl out of his car seat, I handed him the car keys and slammed the door. Snatching my purse from the shopping cart, I shoved the cart into the nearby cart corral and reached for the driver’s door. At that instant there was a loud honk and the solemn clunk of doors locking.

The car was locked! My son was inside! I stood weak-kneed. What could I do? I didn’t have a spare key. What if my son suffocated in the heat? Or fell out of his car seat?

I remembered the purse on my arm, and pulled out my phone. My husband was immediately informed of the emergency. “How soon can you get here?” I asked. “It’s hot in the car and we have to unlock it right now.”

“Don’t panic,” Marlin said. “I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“But what can I do now?” I demanded. “Laramie could fall out of his car seat, or start crying for me.” At that moment the trunk lid popped open. “Oh, now he pushed the trunk release button,” I said. “Will that help anything?”

“Great! Sure that will help,” Marlin said. “Climb in the trunk and release the latch to push the seat forward. Then you can crawl through and unlock the car.”

The idea was not a new one. Many times I’d seen Marlin lower the back seat to accommodate an item too large to fit in the trunk.

“But the trunk is full of groceries,” I protested. “How can I do that?”

“If you don’t want to, I can come do it,” Marlin said. “But I’d do exactly the same thing.”

I thought of the fifteen minute drive into town and the time away from work.

“No, don’t come the whole way down here if it’s something I can do,” I said. “I’ll try, and if I can’t get through the trunk, I’ll call you.”

“Okay. Let me know how you make out.”

I glanced around the parking lot. How many people could see? This was something I had never dreamed of doing; going through the trunk of the car to rescue my son. But I would do anything to keep him from harm, even if I looked foolish.

I pushed all the groceries to the side of the car trunk. Hefting myself up, I sat in the trunk and felt along the back of the seat. Ah! the latch. It was easily opened, and with a little effort part of the seat was pushed forward. The position was most awkward, but with some huffing and puffing I hauled myself through the opening and was soon sitting on the back seat beside Laramie. He didn’t appreciate all the effort I had exerted to liberate him, though he did seem surprised to see me enter the car in such a manner.

No doubt some curious spectator was highly entertained by the performance. I could imagine them thinking: You got to be kidding! Surely there is an easier way to get inside a car.

The keys were extracted from Laramie’s grasp, and keys in hand, I exited the back seat of the car with all the dignity I had left. Nonchalantly, I slammed the trunk of the car, and hopped in the driver’s seat.

The experience taught me to never hand keys to children for toys. But it was embarrassment that made me vow: It will be years before I shop there again.

Florence lives in the northwoods of Michigan with her husband and three preschoolers. Her hobbies are writing and baking coffee cakes. A few  months ago she published a book titled My First Deer Hunt. This is a children’s story about the time her husband took their oldest son (then four-years-old) to the woods for his first hunting trip. The story is illustrated with real photos, and professionally designed. Told from a child’s viewpoint, this account will entertain and educate young children who love wildlife. If you would like to order a copy, email Flo at foxden@emypeople.net. The cost for one book is $8.99 plus $2 shipping and handling.

 These are the dear ladies in my writer's group when we were able to meet up last summer. From left to right are... me, Regina Rosenberry, Crystal Steinhower, Florence Fox, and Stephanie Leinbach.

Anyone want to 'fess up and share an embarrassing moment with us in the comments? 

Sourdough Cheese Bubble Bread

After neglecting my sourdough starter for weeks over Christmas and the new baby, it is now back into production. Yumm.....Winter is a good time to try out some new recipes or bread variations.

Sourdough Surprises has inspired me to try new sourdough projects. This month their challenge was to make monkey bread, also known as pull-apart bread, bubble bread, or pluckets. I decided to try a cheese/herb variation.

It was not a disappointment. 

The result was a perfect combination of flavors. The sourdough flavor merged perfectly with the cheese and herbs.

I used my sourdough potato bread recipe. You can use your favorite bread dough. It doesn't even need to be sourdough. You can use frozen bread dough for an extra quick treat. You'll need dough for an equivalent of two loaves.

After you allow your bread dough to rise for the first time, divide into 32 pieces.



Shape dough into balls around a cube of cheese.



Dip dough into melted butter and herbs.



Place in a tubed cake pan.



Allow to rise until nearly doubled and bake.

 


 

Pull off pieces and enjoy! Perfect for a winter meal with a pot of soup.



Sourdough Cheese Bubble Bread

2 loaves worth of bread dough (I used sourdough potato bread.)

32 cubes of cheddar cheese (3/4 inch cubes)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup butter, melted
Parmesan cheese

Divide each loaf into 16 pieces (32 total). Shape into balls around cheese cubes. Mix spices with melted butter. Dip bread balls into butter mixture. Place into well-greased tube cake pan. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Allow to rise until doubled. For my sourdough bread this was about three hours. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

A Dream Family

I'm guilty of focusing on the things I don't have and not remembering all the blessings God has given. Regena shares a guest post as she remembers her blessings.

A Dream Family
By Regena Weaver

Recently our oldest daughter shared a dream with us. That in its self is not unusual. In the
past 8 years I have frequently given an open ear to what went on in her sub-conscious
brain. Often it was shared, between sobs, in the middle of the night, and was colored by
her current fears of wolves, cobras and such like. Those were nightmares.

This was markedly different. In her dream our family was gathered around in the family
room, engaged in quiet activities such as reading, embroidery, singing while rocking the
baby. A cozy domestic scene. “We should do that sometime,” she said wistfully.

Is it co-incidence that this came at the close of an especially busy summer time? Family
time revolved around garden activities, and outdoor games. During the long daylight hours,
leisure time catered to bike rides and hot-dog roasts, not embroidering beside the fireplace!

However now the garden has been put to bed for its winter hibernation. Darkness descends
hours before even a tired first grader's bedtime. Bike rides and baseball practice hold no
appeal in the sometimes sub-zero weather. Various times since that dream our family of
six has spent a leisurely evening in the family room, sometimes with a roaring fire in the
fireplace. “Yes,” our daughter agrees, “this is almost like my dream.” Teaching them the
basics of playing crokinole (Is this a calm thing when there are 2 and 4 year olds
helping?). Reading Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse aloud to the three older ones.
Perhaps we are a “dream family” . . .

Actually, we are! God has blessed me with a loving Christian husband, and four healthy
children. We have a warm house. Our freezers and basement shelves are full of last
summer's garden bounties. Our Christian friends would rally around us should we face
reverses in life. Even our closest neighbors, though most of them are decidedly not
Christians, are of that staunch neighborly “would-do-anything-to-help” sort that are read
about in books from half a century ago.

To many of my contemporaries around the world, and no doubt many I meet when I go to
the local grocery store, mine sounds like a dream existence. What does it matter that the
paint is chipping on our dining room walls? Why wonder how we'll cope with the
demands of our very welcome and anticipated 5th child into our already busy domestic
schedules? Why worry about the one broken pane of glass in the family room window,
when the plastic/storm window combination keeps the winter air out for now?

We are richly blessed. We have a dream family!

 Regena and her husband of nearly ten years call a 6 acre property in rural eastern Ontario their home. It's a perfect place to raise vegetables . . . and children. She has no claim to fame other than being a daughter of the heavenly King.

Menu Planning - Part Two

Last time, Sue shared with us the "why" of menu planning. Today she shares "how."

Seven Tips for Menu Planning
By Sue Hooley

The two types of menu planning are a weekly menu plan and a four-week menu plan. There is not one perfect way to plan a menu. My sister-in-law, Beverly generally plans a week of menus on Monday and she consults the sale flyers for current specials. She has easy access to several grocery stores and she usually makes a weekly shopping trip. In my area, local choices are limited, but we do have a large city close by. I typically plan menus four weeks at a time and buy in larger quantities. I generally plan only the main meal of the day, which in our home is the evening meal.

1. Choose a theme to help steer you to a particular section of a recipe book. Here is an example: Monday- casserole, Tuesday- meat and potatoes, Wednesday- soup, Thursday- casserole, Friday- Italian or Mexican, Saturday- grill or CORN (clean out refrigerator night). Remember these formats are not laws; they are plans that can be modified at any time. 

 

2. Check your calendar for upcoming events and note on your meal planner anything that will affect your blueprint – birthdays, parent/teacher meeting, church events, youth activities… Take thought as you choose recipes so that you are not planning a time consuming meal after a full day. As things come up throughout the week, menus can be altered. 

 

3. Start menu-planning by looking in your freezer, refrigerator, garden and pantry. This provides you with knowledge of items on hand and may be a springboard for menu ideas. 

 

4. Select your recipes to be used. To make the planning process easier, use a few cookbooks and/or your own personal recipe collection at one planning session. An abundance of cookbooks and food magazines may tend to bog us down with too many options. With the four-week method, it is easy to incorporate everyone’s favorite foods throughout that time frame or to try a new tantalizing recipe. 

 

5. Make a shopping list at the same time you plan menus. For Beverly, this is the list she uses immediately. As I lay out a month of menus, I have a list for each week. Sometimes, I purchase all of the non-perishables items in one shopping trip, and then pick up the perishables locally. Menu planning helps you to save time and money by reducing the number of trips to the store. If you know what is on the menu, you can easily take advantage of advertised sales and seasonal produce. 

 

6. Select a format for menu planning. Notebooks, blank month calendars and white boards are good options. Beverly uses a daily planner that has a space for menu planning. I use a four-week computer print-out; then transfer the basic information to my planner. Notations are made in the planner of any prep work that is needed like defrosting meat or getting food in the crockpot.

7. Take note of similar recipes that could be made at the same time. For example, Finnish Cake and Ice Cream Cake take many of the same ingredients, so why not make both while the fixings are out? It saves much time in clean-up and ready-made food in the freezer is like money in a savings account. 

 

It is helpful to plan at least one meal per week that is easy to assemble so when the unexpected occurs, you can move menus around to give you some space. Sometimes a bought pizza and ice cream sandwiches make the difference between calm and chaos. Occasionally I “plan” a store-bought meal just to get a break from cooking.

With the four-week method, you can easily double recipes one week and then, have a similar menu two weeks later. Occasionally that extra dish in the freezer becomes the perfect gift to help a friend through a crisis and it is a blessing to use our resources in this way. 

 

As mentioned before, there is not one perfect way to plan a menu. But with a little practice, you can change that “exasperating hour” to a “prepared hour.” Try it. 

 

…the kitchen might still be a mess…

…but the stress will be less, 

 

…you won’t need to guess,

…what is for supper?

 Sue Hooley, wife of Dan and mom to six children ages 4-20 is a Mennonite homemaker in Washington state. After several years of motherhood and homemaking, she developed a Daily Planner that is perfect homemakers. www.homemakersfriend.com 

 

 Sue has also compiled a devotional book for new mothers called The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. This book was a gift to me from my mom when our first child was born. After each of my children's birth since then I have pulled out this book. It is a perfect book to read while nursing to be encouraged by the words of Scripture and insights from many other mothers.

Menu Planning Part One

We all need to eat. And most of us women find ourselves responsible to fill the tummies of those around our table. Sue shares some insights on the topic of menu planning in this guest post.

The Benefits of Menu Planning

By Sue Hooley

5 p.m. 

 

Do you recognize that “exasperating hour” when the household starts to fray around the edges? Have you felt the lack of ideas while standing in front of the pantry or refrigerator door? Have you resorted to a frozen lump of ground beef in hopes of inspiration? 

 

My euphoria of “ground beef stimulus” is usually short-lived as I make choices and straightway eliminate them. “Sloppy Joes- no bread.” “Taco Salad- no chips.” “Chili Soup- no beans.” At the last minute, ingredients are thrown together that do not complement each other in taste or appearance, and… 

 

…the kitchen is a mess,

…I’m in a stress,

…the family tries to guess-

What is for supper?

I haven’t always been a menu planner. In fact, I was a bit dubious when I first heard the concept. Wouldn’t it take the fun out of preparing a home-cooked meal? What if I wanted to eat pizza on the day the menu said mashed potatoes?

After several months of menu planning, I discovered that there are many benefits. In place of spending much needed brain power on “what to make for supper,” my mind was clearer to focus on other things that required my attention. 

When the menu is only in my head, it is more difficult to delegate meal preparation tasks. As a result, I end up doing most of the work. Children are great helpers and most times there are little jobs that they can do. If the menu says: Pizza, veggies and dip, fruit and cookies, it is easier to assign small tasks. Someone can get a jar of fruit; another can prepare veggies and so forth. 

 

If you think about it, we are extremely repetitious in the kitchen. How many times do we grate cheese, chop onions and fry hamburger in one week? or two weeks? If menus are planned, we can look ahead to see if we will need to prepare those foods again. With little additional time and energy, we can easily double or triple those amounts and we have the convenience of ready-to-use ingredients. 

 

Like in other areas of homemaking, our persona, budget, seasonal food, work schedule and our husband’s preferences are a factor in menu planning. What flows well for one homemaker may be completely different from what is comfortable for another. You know your family and your schedule the best, so customize menu planning accordingly. 

 

Consider the following benefits of menu planning:

• Grocery shopping is easier
• Meals are more balanced and include more variety
• Money is saved
• Added flexibility
• More likely to try new recipes
• Sale items taken advantage of
• More prepared for impromptu guests

Menu planning does require some forethought and effort, but it actually saves time in the long run. It is a work in progress that will take practice, but the more you do it, the easier it will become.

Sue will be back in the next post with some practical tips on menu planning.

 Sue Hooley, wife of Dan and mom to six children ages 4-20 is a Mennonite homemaker in Washington state. After several years of motherhood and homemaking, she developed a Daily Planner that is perfect homemakers. www.homemakersfriend.com