Salt

You might have noticed that I talk a lot about preserving here- freezing, canning, storing and even a little bit of drying.  This is why I find it so odd that I have entirely missed a preserving reference in a Bible passage that I thought I knew very well.

Just after Jesus gives us the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (in the book of Matthew), he says in the beginning of verse 13,

“You are the salt of the earth."

This is a verse I know many of us are familiar with.  For some reason, in all my years of reading and hearing it I always considered our "saltiness" to be for the purpose of flavoring.  We are the salt, as in we influence and affect those that we come in contact with in the world.  It goes hand in hand with verse 14 that says we are the light of the world.  Our light and flavor reach out and touch those in the world around us.

Then, just the other week, I read an article in Christianity Today, an evangelical publication I subscribe to because I believe it offers something us Mennonites may at times be missing.  In an article in the October 2011 issue by John R. W. Stott entitled, Salt & Light: Four Ways Christians Can Influence the World, Stott writes his reflections regarding these metaphors of salt and light (boldness, mine)...

"In both these metaphors of the salt and the light, Jesus teaches about the responsibility of Christians in a non-Christian, or sub-Christian, or post-Christian society.  He emphasizes the influences Christians ought to have on the non-Christian environment.  The distinction between the two is clear.  The world, he says, is like rotting meat.  But you are to be the world's salt.  The world is like a dark night, but you are to be the world's light.  This is the fundamental difference between the Christian and the non-Christian, the church and the world.


Then he goes on from the distinction to the influence.  Like salt in putrefying meat, Christians are to hinder social decay.  Like the light in the prevailing darkness, Christians are to illuminate society and show it a better way.  It's very important to grasp these two stages in the teaching of Jesus.  Most Christians accept that there is a distinction between the Christian and the non-Christian , between the church and the world.  God's new society, the church , is as different from the old society as salt from rotting meat and as light from darkness.


But there are too many people who stop there; too many people whose whole preoccupation is with survival- that is, maintaining the distinction...Salt and light are not just a bit different from their environment.  They are to have a powerful influence on their environment.  The salt is to be rubbed into the meat in order to stop the rot.  The light is to shine into the darkness.  It is to be set upon a lamp stand, and it is to give light to the environment.  That is an influence on the environment quite different from mere survival."

For me, this particular perspective on this verse gives me an urgency that goes beyond flavoring.  Flavoring is optional.  Not opting for salt makes for a bland world, but sometimes it seems as if the world is very happy being bland.  But, to stop social decay?  To be rubbed in to preserve?  This is not optional.  It's necessary and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tells us it is what we are.

Do I believe it?  Am I living out my purpose or merely surviving?  Ask these questions of yourself, too.  Let's see what the Spirit can do with us when we're willing to be what we've been created to be.  The result won't be boring.  I can tell you that. Pin It

Exploring Creation: Land Animals

We are into our third year of studying the Exploring Creation series for elementary level Science.  Within this series are three Zoology courses and that we are working through.  Two years ago, we studied Flying Creatures.  Last year, Swimming Creatures.  This year, it's Land Animals and we continue to be impressed by this curriculum.

The textbooks can be used alone, but for the first two years we studied them, I printed out the FREE workbook pages that can be downloaded easily from their website (click on "Course Notebook").  But last year, I noticed that they began making up their own notebooks and selling them as another option.  Not only that, but they offer a junior notebook as well.  I am planning on getting a junior version for Sadie next year.  The printable notebook pages follow the pre-made notebook closely, but there are a couple things that are left out.

The pre-made notebook is very well-made and designed.  Each chapter starts out with pages your student can work on while you read aloud the text.  There is ample space for them to write down some fun facts as well as places for them to draw pictures while they listen.  Following those pages are activity pages that include all sorts of things, some unique to each chapter, but all include scripture copywork (both in manuscript and cursive), a crossword puzzle, experiment speculation page, review questions, a page for their "lapbook" type booklet, etc.

As you can tell, we hadn't corrected spelling yet.

 

At the back of the notebook for Land Animals are the extras- the pages (in color) for the "lapbook" booklets, the pages they use to make their tracking booklet (so they can recognize different animal tracks), and, Sam's favorite, the stickers.  After we finish a chapter, Sam places the stickers of the animals we studied in that chapter onto our large world map (not included).

There are lesson plans put together for me in a neat chart that shows me which pages to read and which activities to have him do each time we do science.  It's laid out expecting that you'll choose to do Science two days a week for 28 weeks which means we'll finish Science before everything else (Sonlight goes 36 weeks).  This also allows for breaks during especially busy weeks.

I love the way these books read in such a conversational way and regularly address the views of evolution and present the reasons why creationists disagree with their claims.  I feel it is preparing Sam (and the rest of us) to think more critically when we hear secular scientists views on things that would otherwise intimidate me.

Now the big decision.   Do we study Botany next year or Anatomy?  So many choices:-).

I wrote this review because we love this curriculum.  I was not asked to do this nor was I given anything by the fine Apologia folks.

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A Fall Treat: Caramel Corn

I have absolutely loved reading about all your families' Christmas traditions.  Thank you so much for taking the time to share them with me.  Some of my face-to-face friends have remarked about how much they've enjoyed reading the comments, too, and I think some of them (like me) will be adopting new traditions thanks to you.

All this talk (and type) of Christmas brought something to my mind.  Caramel corn.  I was first introduced to the real stuff (not what comes in a third of those giant popcorn tins) when I met Jamey.  His mother made (and still does) real caramel popcorn every Christmas.  It wasn't a standard Christmas treat that I was used to but, my oh my, it has become one.

I recently made it for a church get-together and thought I should share the recipe with you.  I've stuck to my mother-in-law's ingredients and amounts, but have changed the proportions of popcorn to caramel a bit.  If you like yours coated less, use more popped popcorn.  If you want it coated even more heavily, decrease the popcorn or increase the caramel.  You all are smart.  You'll figure it out.

Warning: This is not something you should make if you are trying to watch your butter or sugar intake.  If you are, click away mighty fast, my friends, or give a good portion of it away immediately.  You do not want this lingering in your house if you have hopes to stay away from it.  I am only responsible for my own over-indulging.  Not yours.  Just so we're clear:-).

Caramel Popcorn (Jamey's mom's recipe, proportions only have been changed)
Keep in mind that this takes a couple hours to make (from start to finish).  So, don't start it an hour before you want to take it somewhere:-).
Makes about 2 1/2 gallons of caramel corn.

9 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts (optional)
3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) butter (I use 2 1/2 sticks and it works well)
3/4 cup white corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place the popped popcorn and peanuts (if using) in a very large bowl or pot.  Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  The mixture will puff up and lighten in color as it boils.

 

Remove it from the heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda.  Pour over popcorn and peanuts and mix well.  If you stopped here, you would have soggy popcorn, so we need to bake it.  Turn out the popcorn into large baking pans (with sides) that are coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring/turning over every 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool only slightly.  Continue to set your timer- this time for every 10-15 minutes and while it's still warm, break up and stir the popcorn at these intervals until it's cooled completely.  This will keep it from sticking together in mammoth blocks.  When completely cooled, transfer to containers and keep in a cool, dry place.

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A First for Christmas

I don't mean to freak you out and made you think of Christmas before you're ready, but I've always found that the more thoughtful I can be about it ahead of time, the more meaningful it is come Advent and Christmas Day itself.  Bear with me, please.  I need your help.

For the first time in our married lives (of 14 years), we will be spending Christmas at home.  During those first 13 years, getting away to spend the holidays with both our families who live out of state (but in the same state) was easy.

The first 6 years we were married, it was a cinch to take off the time we wanted over Christmas- usually about a week.  My job was flexible and Jamey's workplace almost shut down over the holidays.  Then, the past four years came along with Jamey back in school.  Things got even cushier time-off-wise because he was on a university schedule and got a whole month off from mid-Decmeber to mid-January each year.  We could pack the kids up and go mooch off relatives for as long as we'd like.  I sure hope they didn't see it as mooching, though.

Now, we're back in the real world.  And, actually, working at a hospital may make things a little more real because it never closes down.  Not for weekends, holidays, not even during the night.  We've grown used to his varied schedule pretty well.  His shifts change daily, so we each take a look at the calendar each night to see what the next day will bring.  We've gotten used to it and we're over-the-moon thankful to God that he even has a job, that it's in a hospital (his first choice) and that we didn't have to move to take it.

Back to the holidays.  On one hand, I'm kind of excited to have Christmas at home with my little family.  In the past, our kids have always opened their presents three or four days before Christmas, before we started traveling.  This year, they'll be able to wake up in the morning and run downstairs to open their gifts, spend most of the day in the PJs and we'll all be together, just us.

But.  Knowing myself, I also know that when the actual day comes, I will think of our families all gathered together without us and it will make me a little sad.  What I hope to do is create some special little traditions (this is bound to happen in some future years as well), that will help us all see being home for Christmas as really special, too.

I've had a few ideas so far.

One, we'll get to go to Christmas Eve service at a church.  When we're out of town, there this didn't always fit in to the family plans, but I think it's such an important reminder of why we're celebrating in the first place.  It's hard enough for adults to keep that front and center during the holidays.  For kids, it's even harder with all those presents distracting them.

Idea two came from a commenter a little while back (I'm so sorry, I don't remember your name) who mentioned that they bake Christmas cookies leading up to Christmas, but don't eat any until Christmas day and then let everyone eat to their hearts content.  I ran this idea past the kids and they loved it, so this one we're going to try.

The other simple thought I had was to go all out and splurge on fruit.  We don't buy fruit out of season, so this would be a very special treat for all of us- a big plate pineapple, grapes, Sam even asked for Kiwi.  He must have been two the last time he had kiwi, but he remembers it evidently.

We also plan on checking in with neighbors to see who we can invite to a Christmas dinner who may not have plans for one.

Even with these ideas, I would love your help.  What traditions does your family keep that makes your Christmas day special that I might also glean from?  I'd love to hear. Pin It

Away

For the first time in almost 7 years, Jamey and I got away.  Alone.  Overnight.  Some dear friends graciously let us use their cabin to celebrate Jamey's birthday.

The leaves were at their peak.  The days were sunny and windy and cool.  The wood stove was warm and lovely.  The Scrabble games were competitive (I won both of them- shhh).  The hike was breathtaking (both the views and the climbs).  The company?  My favorite.

I know not everyone can get away.  Certainly not for a week to some sunny, far away tropical island.  But if you can get creative with childcare and the destination (even if it's an afternoon hike nearby), take the time to get away just you and your love.  The break will refresh you both (and your children, too). Pin It

Homemade Laundry Soap: It's About Time

Sometimes I shy away from projects.  Not because I think they will be too much work or too expensive but because I just can't handle thinking about one more thing.  That's what happened when I first considered making my own laundry soap a couple years ago.  Sometimes, not getting into one more thing is really smart.  Sometimes, it's not smart.  Waiting to start making my own laundry soap?  Turns out, not so smart.

It was a friend from church who jolted me to my senses by giving Jamey and I a couple gallons of her homemade laundry soap.  We used it and it worked great.  She also passed along her recipe and told us how cheap it was to make it.  I finally realized the silliness of my ways and pledged to make my own batch when my store-bought detergent ran out.

Our local (non-chain) grocery store carries all three of the ingredients, but they were out of the bar laundry soap for over a month, so I had to order it on Amazon (with my trusty swagbucks).  Last week, I set to work mixing it up even though my head felt like a bowling ball (I really hate colds.  I'm all better now.).  It was so easy and satisfying that it lightened my mood.  And it took all of 20 minutes to whip up.  Doing the math to determine the cost per load?  Well, that almost made me sing.

Do you want to know how cheap it is?  Well, it is my pleasure to tell you.

The Fels-Naptha bar cost $4.20 shipped from Amazon.  The box of washing soda (55 ounces) cost $3.35.  The box of borax (76 ounces) cost $4.45.  For this recipe, you'll use the whole laundry bar, but only 1 cup of the washing soda and only 1/2 cup borax.  When all the math is done (Jamey checked it for me), the 10 gallons of laundry soap cost $4.91.  The amount you use for a front loading machine and a top loading machine differs slightly.

Drum roll, please...

If you have a top loading machine (like me), you will use 5/8 of a cup per load.  If this is you, this 10 gallons of detergent will give you 256 loads of clean laundry at a cost of $4.91 which comes out to less than $0.02 per load.


If you have a front loading machine, you will use 1/4 cup per load.  If this is you, this 10 gallons of detergent will give you 640 loads of clean laundry at a cost of $4.91 which comes out to less than $0.008 (yes, less than a cent) per load.

Go on, do a happy laundry dance.  I'll wait.

Thank you, Jennifer, for giving me the jump start I needed (and free detergent)! :-)

Homemade Laundry Soap (recipe from Jennifer)
This recipe makes 5 gallons of concentrate which equals 10 gallons of ready-to-use laundry detergent.

1 five gallon bucket
a long handled spoon
an empty (used) laundry detergent container (or juice or vinegar container, clean)
hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap Bar
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Grate the laundry soap bar (I used my cheese grater) and add it to a medium sauce pot along with 4 cups of water.  Heat over medium high heat while stirring occasionally until the soap has melted completely.  While it's melting, fill your five gallon bucket half full with hot tap water.  Once the bar soap has melted, add it to the bucket along with the baking soda and borax.  Stir it well until everything has dissolved.  Add hot tap water to fill the bucket and stir again.  Cover tightly with the lid and let sit overnight to thicken.  Stir well (it will gel and separate a bit).  You just made concentrate.

When you're ready to use it, stir the detergent well, then fill your empty detergent container half full with the concentrate.  Fill the rest of the container with water.  Shake before each use.  Use 1/4 cup per load for a front loading machine and 5/8 cup per load for a top loading machine.

For an update after 8 months of using this detergent and a great how-to video on how to make it, go here.

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Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili

I made this the other weekend when we had friends over for dinner.  That morning, I put everything together in the crock pot, turned it on and went about my day.  In the afternoon, I mixed up a pan of our favorite cornbread and our dinner was ready.  This combination was perfect for a cool fall day.   It uses up ingredients I have on hand and it makes a lot.  The leftovers were excellent for lunches.

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili (adapted from All You magazine, September 2011)
Serve over warm cornbread.  Makes a full (4-quart) crock pot of chili.

3 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 (15 ounce) cans cooked black beans, drained
2 (14 ounce) cans or jars of tomatoes, chopped with juices
1-2 tbsp. chili powder (1 tbsp. was kid friendly)
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. dried oregano
4 cups of 1/2-inch cubed butternut squash
salt and pepper

Saute the onions, garlic, and bell pepper in oil until tender.  Transfer to crock pot.  Add remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper.  Cover and turn crock pot to high for 2 hours to give it a jump start.  Turn back to low heat and cook until dinner for a total cook time of 6-7 hours (or until butternut squash is tender).  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Spoon over warm cornbread and top with sour cream. Pin It

Prayer and Nasal Rinse

It's never a good time to get sick.  Never.  This time, I saw it coming.  Jamey came down with a really bad cold over the weekend and while I'm keeping my distance and he's kindly sleeping on the couch, last night I went to bed knowing that my turn had come.

Since having Sam, 8 years ago, when I get a cold it almost always morphs into a sinus infection.  Thankfully, a few years back I got up the nerve and tried a nasal rinse.  Similar to the neti pot idea, the rinse uses a plastic bottle to guide the rinse.  There's less head-tilting involved and it doesn't look like you're pouring tea up into your head.

Since using it, I haven't had a full-blown sinus infection.  As soon as I feel it coming on (the face pressure and head ache and sure signs for me), I use the rinse once a day until all symptoms are gone.  It usually only takes a few days.  If I feel it creeping back, I use it again.

Here is a link if you'd like to read more about it.  You can find it in most drug stores and I imagine larger stores have it as well. The gist goes like this...empty one of the little packets into the plastic squeeze bottle.  Fill the bottle to the fill line with warm water.  (Don't use well water.  I bought bottled water from the store and keep it on hand specifically for this.)  Place on the cap and place the cap against one nostril, making a seal.  Lean over a sink and squeeze the bottle gently.  After a few seconds, water will run out the other nostril.  Switch nostrils and repeat.  The rinse gets up into your sinuses, clearing out any irritants such as allergies and pesky germs.

I know it sounds weird, but trust me.

I'm praying that this time around it will be as successful as all the other times.  If you haven't tried it before, I highly recommend it.  It's so much better than just sitting by and letting yourself get sick.  Don't be scared.  If we can push babies out our bums, we can squirt some warm water up our noses.

Note: I'm not recommending this for anything other than cold and sinus problems.  And, if it doesn't help relieve the symptoms after a few days, by all means, go see your doctor.   I wrote this on my own accord. Pin It

Winter Squash Love

Winter squash is such nice change from summer squash, don't you think?  There's just less pressure with winter squash.  You can let it sit and sit and sit (in a cool, dry place) and deal with it when you please.  There's no pressure to cube it, shred it or eat it before it gets soft and squishy, then dried and shrivel-y.

There are some recipes that call for cubed squash and for those, of course, require cubing right before hand, but some of my favorite recipes call for pureed winter squash.  This, not so easy to whip up at the last minute- especially when you're days are full of work or homeschooling or being a parent and/or pregnant (not me), etc.  You get the picture.

I like to bake up and puree as much as my oven will hold at once and then freeze the pureed squash.  Setting a quart out to thaw the night before makes whipping up one of these recipes quick and easy. 

Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Streusel Bread 
Pumpkin Pie

Baking and Freezing Pureed Winter Squash

To bake the squash (I prefer butternut or goose-neck), trim off the stem end and cut the squash length-wise.  Scoop out and discard seeds and lay the squash halves cut-side down in baking pans (with sides) in an inch of water.  Bake at 350 degrees for up to an hour or until a knife inserted into the squash glides in without resistance.  Let cool slightly and remove the skin (either by scooping the squash out or peeling off the skin with a paring knife).  Mash with a potato masher and then puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender.  Cool completely and freeze in airtight containers, labeled with the amount in cups.

 
And, wallah!  You end up with my version of fast, pre-packaged {real} convenience food.   Who says I'm weird now?  Huh? ;-)

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179 Quarts

That's how many quarts of applesauce we canned and froze this past Tuesday- one less quart than last year.  We sauced the same amount as last year (8 bushel) because, while we did run out mid-summer, making more than 180 quarts just seems silly.  Doesn't it?

We used to travel north a couple states to make applesauce with my family because making applesauce with family is fun as well as because that is where we can get Cortland apples (our favorite saucing apple).  It makes a super-sweet sauce without added sugar and if you can get the red variety, the sauce is pink (we add red raspberries to make ours pinker).  As our little family grew, our share of the apples grew and, before we knew it, everyone was helping to (mostly) make our applesauce and that isn't quite fair.  So, starting last year, Jamey's parents (a.k.a. the apple angels) have been bringing down to us our apples (as well as their outdoor canner which holds 15 quart jars) and then they stay and help us make sauce.  I told you they're angels.

Last year we canned 103 quarts and froze the remainder.  Our freezers are much fuller this year, so we needed to can more.  We ended up putting 139 quarts of it in jars and the rest in plastic containers.  Our pantry and freezers are bursting at the seams.

The day went almost the same as last year.  We are becoming a well-oiled machine.  We were all at it by 7:30am, although my dear husband got up MUCH earlier and starting washing, chopping and turning.  Soon after 3pm, I was mopping the floors.

We can't thank Jamey's parents enough.  It's a long, steamy, sticky day, but it makes tackling a huge project like this quite enjoyable when you have good company to do it with.

Oh, and did I mention that after all that, Jamey's mom made us apple dumplings?  She did.

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Back Forty

Growing up, my dad would often refer to the "back forty".  It basically meant "out back" and I guess referred to the back forty acres even though we never lived on so much land.  Every once in awhile this phrase pops into my head and it reminds me of my dad and about how one day I'd love to own forty acres.  Unfortunately (or, more likely, fortunately for my more frugal and practical side) I'll likely never actually own forty acres, but today, I'm going to show you some pictures (mostly garden) of our "back forty" as it stands today.

 Remember those mangels we planted to feed to the chickens this winter?  Well, our first planting/crop failed for lack of weeding, so we planted another section at the end of our sunflower patch.  Some of them are huge.  I'll let you know how the chickens like them.

 Our sunflowers are finished for the year.  The whole experience went really well and I'll be sharing more details about it soon.

 Our year-old strawberry plants have spread out nicely.  I think we're due for a good crop next year and we can't wait.  Note to selves:  Start new patch in four years instead of waiting for five and basically going without any the year in between.

 Our pepper plants are as beautiful as our tomato plants are ugly.  As the tomato plants died (earlier than they should have), the peppers took off.  This has been the best pepper year/harvest yet.  There are still lots hanging on and I'm not sure what to do with them since our freezers are now completely full.  Would any locals like some green bell peppers??

 parsley and basil that will be dried shortly

 Last month, I believe, I showed you a picture of a very weedy corner of our garden.  Jamey put an end to it and planted oats all throughout the garden as a cover crop.  It will grow up and die, keeping weeds down and adding to the soil/mulch.  It sure looks a lot prettier than weeds.

 Just last week we started eating fresh lettuce and spinach again.  These cold frames should help us extend our salad season once we put the plexiglass "lids" on.

 asparagus

In the past couple weeks, I've found crickets, a grasshopper, ants, fruit flies, several spiders and even an earthworm in our house, but thanks be to God, I haven't yet found one of these.  I hope Jamey's work will understand if such a family emergency arises.

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Fall Flora

We bought our house in January almost seven years ago.  That spring and summer it was so much fun watching flowers sprout up and bushes bloom.  I was (and still am) a flower/bush novice.  Except for the roses, irises, and lilac bushes, I didn't know the names of anything.  I even weeded out a good number of my grape hyacinths before I realized what they were.  

From early spring when the daffodils emerge to fall, something is blooming here.  One of the benefits of buying an old house is enjoying all the bulbs, perennials, bushes and trees that the previous owners planted.  Because there were many owners we have wonderful variety.  The color palette and layouts were obviously not designed by a landscaping firm.  Instead, people planted what they loved.  And I love this.

I've added a couple things to the mix, but mostly just rearrange as plants outgrow their space.   This can be a wonderful way to fill in "bald" patches where a plant has died.  By dividing plants you already have, you not only save money, but you tie colors and shapes together, creating a more deliberate and balanced look.  

I have been so thrilled with the zinnias Jamey planted for me this spring.  To plant, you simply scatter the seeds and water.  We mulched them once they were tall enough and they have grown beautifully all summer and are still growing strong (despite dry spells).  The plants grew huge, some up to my shoulders and new buds opened in waves all summer long giving me a continuous supply of cut flowers.  I highly recommend them.

Another of my fall-blooming favorites is Autumn Sedum.  A succulent, it stays green and lovely all summer and then, come fall, reveals the most lovely clusters of tiny flowers.  The flowers open almost white, then turn light pink and later a deep purple-red.  

This, too, does wonderful during dry spells and requires no watering.  They fill out over a few years and are super easy to divide (using a big shovel) and transplant across the yard or wherever.  The butterflies and bees (and grasshoppers?) love them as much as I do.

Because my yard gives me such a wonderful supply, I almost always have fresh flowers inside on our table.  And I haven't even mentioned our sunflowers, but I'll talk more about them in an upcoming post when I'll give instructions on how to start your own cut flower "business".

I'm going to miss my flowers this winter.  Here's to next spring.

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