Something to Think About for Those Who Homestead or Want that Simple Back to Basics Lifestyle

I have read a blog off and on for quite awhile now that I really enjoy. It is called Maple Grove Farm. The descriptions of farm life and a self sustaining homesteading typle lifestyle are intriguing. In three and a half years, April and her family have made quite a home for themselves.

Now, I don’t see myself doing all the things she’s written about; but, she does get me thinking about things that I can do right here in my small town big yard home. She just gives me something to think about.

We all need something to think about, don’t we?

Laura

A Quick and Yummy Vanilla Milkshake

Hey Y’all,

I’ve always thought that a milkshake had to have icecream in it. Not anymore. I was trying to come up with a cool and delicious treat the other afternoon and started rummaging in the cupboard. I found a can of sweetened condensed milk that had been sitting there since the holidays. Hmmm…. Out came the blender, a little of this and a little of that. Oh, boy, is this good!

Vanilla Milkshake

Here’s what you need:

A blender, of course.
A few cups of milk
sweetened condensed milk
vanilla
ice

Put a few cups of milk in the blender. I didn’t measure.
Add one can of sweetened condensed milk.
A couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Blend and add ice until it reaches the thickness you like. I added milk and ice until my blender was full. Mine didn’t come out thick because I didn’t add enough ice; but, it was rich and delicious and icy cold.

Give it a try and change it up a bit until it’s just the way you like it.

Have a cool day,
Laura

A Morning in the Kitchen….

Hey Y’all!
I’ve been keeping busy in the kitchen this morning. I tried Sue Gregg’s Blender Batter Waffles. I’ve never made waffles before. That’s hubby’s specialty. I think they turned out light and delicious. I used buttermilk, brown rice, and oats. Yummy!

After that, I made up a big batch of homemade rolls. I’m getting low on hard wheat; so they were about 50/50 white and wheat flour. I made lots of medium sized rolls, that ended up being about the size of hamburger buns. I then made a bunch of large rolls that I thought would actually be hamburger buns. Um, you could put a meatloaf on one! I think I’ll use them for something else. Lastly, little Amy 7, made some small rolls. Let’s just say that no one complained!

In the middle of all of this, hubby came in with an armful of fresh herbs from the garden. So, I sat down and started pulling the leaves off to put them in the freezer. Some went in whole, and some will be dried. Oregano, three kinds of basil, catnip, chives, and mint. I took some of the basil, some olive oil, and some garlic salt and blended them in the blender for a topping for bread. I think I actually need a food processor. The leaves didn’t get chopped up as finely as I’d like. It was good, though.

Well, that’s all for now. For supper tonight, we’ll have watermelon and a salad. Nice and cool for a hot evening.

God bless you,
Laura

Just Something to Think About… Wishing

Everytime I hear this I cry. There have been so many times during my life that seemed so hard that I wished them away. Perhaps you can agree.

Trace Adkins – New Music – More Music Videos

May God keep us in the moment while preparing us for eternity.

Just Something to Think About….
Laura

Rain or Shine?

Hi Friends,

We’re having a nice sunny rainy day. Yes, sunny and rainy at the same time! The sun is shining while I listen to thunder and see the rain coming down. It’s off and on, but odd weather!

Early this morning I ran some errands with the kids. Without a/c in the van, I was glad to get home before the heat really set in. I dropped my eldest off to mow a lawn for the local chiropractor. Matthew had bartered with him last week for services. I wish I was better at that. He’ll do the Dr’s daughter’s lawn tomorrow; and, they’ll be even.

Then it was off to a nearby city to shop for some clothing for my daughter at Target and Goodwill. I hadn’t been to this Goodwill for years. It was like shopping at a nice store. Everything was so clean, tidy, and organized. I’ll drop in again. I also stopped by the teachers’ supply store, but didn’t find what I needed. The public school teachers only teach 5 days a week. I need to keep records 7 days a week! Learning happens everyday around here. Lastly, we stopped for $.69 cent sodas and shared.

I came home, took a cold bath, and made lunch. This afternoon, I’ll be working on record keeping again. I’m almost done. Then I get to start lesson plans for next year. I went through some books from Christian Light last night that my Friend Laura gave to me . I won’t need to purchase many math and language arts books thanks to her generosity.

Thanks Laura!

Have a great summery day!
Laura

Tying Up Loose Ends

It’s the end of June. Time to tie up loose ends around here.

Lowell is finishing up the Joplin Tri-State Shepherd’s Guide. It’s a great directory of Christian businesses. This is a new book to the Joplin area; but, Shepherd’s Guide has been around for years. Click on Shepherd’s Guide to see the on-line version. There may be a guide in your neck of the woods. I really love the idea of having a list of Christians to go to first before I check out the yellow pages.

I’m finishing up the record keeping for homeschooling. The school year in Missouri goes from July 1 through June 30. So, I try to get it all wrapped up in June. We’ve been on a break for the last few weeks. In July, I usually start easing back into school a bit. This year we’ll probably start on our Language Arts and Math in July. We’ll continue reading. We’ll add other subjects as we get closer to Autumn.

I’ve also got to finish my painting project. I’ve been away from it for a few days.

Well, it’s really late, or early, so I’m off to bed.

Happy Today!
Laura

Coming along…

Hi,
I must have struck a chord when I mentioned painting. The nice thing about it is that I can do it inside in the air conditioning.

Thanks for all the kind comments.

The project is coming along.

Gotta do laundry and some cooking today also.

Blessings,
Laura

Din-G to Creamy

What a scorcher!

Well, tonight I’ve got to finish the 3 doors that started all this painting mess. I wish I could show you before and after photos; but, something’s wrong with the little hole on the computer that you put the cord in that transfers photos from the camera. So, no photos for now. Just imagine dingy dull flat white paint that has two and a half years worth of smudges and fingerprints on it transformed by a clean pretty creamy white semi-gloss paint!

This project is going to keep on going even though tonight should finish the original project I had in mind. After all, I can’t just stop at painting trim in the hallway, can I? The living room trim is dingy, too! So is the coat closet door! Hmmm…. I’ll be painting until I run out of paint or run out of trim!

I also took some time today to sort and discard some papers. I also made a menu, grocery list, and went to Aldi’s and Wal-Mart for groceries and a couple of prescriptions. I’m glad to be home. My Honey is doing the last couple of errands for me this evening. He’s taking the oldest to go mow a lawn; and then, he’s off to the country to pick up less-than-an-hour-old farm fresh cows’ milk. I’ll have to have a big old kiss and hug ready for him when he gets home!

Well, supper’s nearly ready. A sweet lady from church brought dinner tonight for us. What a treat! Rigatoni and french bread. Yum! I’m going to slice up a few fresh tomatoes to go with it, too.

Feeling productive,
Laura

Up to Our Eyeballs in Tape…Blue Tape

Hi Y’all,

I was cooling off in front of the fan this afternoon after driving around in sweltering heat this morning. Welcome to Southwest Missouri in June!
Anyway, I got it in my mind that this place needs some sprucing up. And I have almost a gallon of off white paint left over after Honey painted the basement bathroom last year. So, my little Amy (7) is helping me tape around the trim in the hallway. I want to paint the trim and the three white doors. Actually, my big Matthew (18) will take the doors down and do them out on the porch for me. He might help me with the trim also. He works at a wonderful Hardware store down on the square. It’s been there for a hundred years or so. So old fashioned and quaint. The point is that he has an employee discount. So we went and bought some narrow trim brushes and a new paint tray and stir sticks. The grand total for the project was $1.01. I later realized that I was out of blue tape. So Honey took Matthew back to get that. I’m not sure of the cost of that.

So, after we’re done taping the hall, and the kids are in bed, I’m going to paint some trim!

What are you working on?

Up to my eyesballs in Blue tape,
Laura

Flowers and Friends

My Friend Sue, of Country Pleasures, wrote about flowers and friendship today. See her blog in my blog list. She mentioned, “My theory is you can always tell a good Mother by the way she tends to her garden and friends. ”

Oh boy, I hope she’s not right about that! I’m afraid the three lovely flower gardens that my husband planted for me in our front yard are sorely in need of weeding. The pansies, petunias and snapdragons are loving the rain and temperatures we’ve been having; but, so do the weeds! I guess that’s something to put on my to do list.

One of my dear friends, Sherry, recently moved to a new house in the country. I spent a few hours helping her yesterday. It’s an old farm house that the Lord has worked so many details out for. She has nice big airy rooms with big windows that felt fine even without air conditioning in 85 degree weather. It’s great.

I’m so happy for her. She was content even before the Lord made a way for new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floors in the kitchen. That’s contentment. God often blesses us most when we are content, truly content, with the least.

How’s your contentment level? I’m working on mine. There are a lot of unknowns for all of us right now. The thing is, all we truly have is right now. Chances are, right now isn’t as bad as we might have thought it was going to be when we worried about it!

I encourage you to do your best to be content with the right now, right here, right the way it is. You may be surprised at how your thoughts begin to brighten.

Blessings,
Laura