Goals for Advent Season

I'm a list maker. In my planner, my journal, the family notebook, anywhere I deem it necessary a list can be formed. Sometimes they are very helpful, other times just a waste of time. However, the day after Thanksgiving I felt a rush of holiday excitement and in the fear of missing some fun opportunities in this Advent season, I made a list!

~Make cookies for us just to eat 3x
~Learn Christmas Piano Music
~Finish 1,000 gifts gratitude journal...counting #938!(aholyexperience.com)
~Work on making Christmas gifts
~Send Christmas packages to people I love
~spend time in the cozy living room
~Read Christmas books with the others

Toward that end...I have made some Christmas cookies. Perhaps they are not typical, but they have become my "trademark" for teachers. The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa. They. are. unbelievable. Because I am giving them to those who don't have dietary restrictions, I can go for the real deal.

1/2 lb. unsalted butter, room temp
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 extra lg. eggs
2/3 c. good cocoa (unsweetened)
2 c. white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs. good chocolate, chopped (why not just use chocolate chips, if you want!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit  Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, eggs, and cocoa. Separately stir together the flour, soda and salt. Combine all mixtures. Spoon dough onto ungreased cookie sheet and flatten spoonfuls with damp hands. Bake for exactly 15 mins. Cool slightly on pan then transfer to a cookie rack.

Enjoy...or not! Maybe package them in plastic wrap or tissue with a cute ribbon and give them to someone you want to bless this Advent season.

For pleasure reading I greatly enjoy these along with the rest of my family.


A Tree for Peter by Kate Seredy 
A Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco
The Tree of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
Uncle Vovo's Tree by Patricia Polacco
A Small Miracle by Peter Collington 
A Cowboy Christmas by Audrey Wood
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
The Lion in the Box by Marguerite de Angeli

Enjoy savoring this beautiful Advent season with all of its cozy, yummy potential!

Come, Lord Jesus

Lavendar Sachet

Thanksgiving break...computer problems...Mama gone, me in charge...busy...hectic...crazy...chaotic. To say the least I feel that I haven't been the most "unshod" the past couple days. Forgive the lack of posts. Maybe this month will have more. But the Lord is a companion even when the trying is hard or I give up trying. In all of this mess, I at last found a moment to make something. It is a little lavender sachet for some Christmas package.

2 squares of felted wool sweater 

(How to felt a sweater: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/how-to-felt-wool-ze0z10zhir.aspx)

Little scraps of wool or other fabrics

Really, all this takes is a little imagination and a very limited amount of sewing capability. Cut two squares of felted wool in the same size. On one square, applique a small design. Perhaps a Christmas tree, stocking, holly leaf etc. Then place the wrong sides together and stitch along three sides of the square leaving one open to fill with lavender. ( The raw edges will be visible) Fill the sachet with lavender and then zigzag stitch along the raw edge of the sachet making a cute border. Sniff and send to someone you love for a little holiday present!

Come, Lord Jesus.

Just a Poem

   

i thank You God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth

day of life and love and wings;and of the gay

great happening ilimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any - lifted from the no

of all nothing - human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e. e. cummings

Come, Lord Jesus.

Worship

Take a moment to listen to this song. I love it . It is a beautiful Fernando Ortega worship piece.

We are yours, Lord. Open our eyes to see the myriad gifts in every single moment of these: our very full lives. You are so good.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 Tbs. grapeseed oil
1/2 cup honey or 1 cup date sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin


Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Combine both mixtures. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 mins. I like the muffins a bit more gooey and moist, so if you don't prefer that you may want to cook them a little longer. Makes approx. 8 muffins.

 Eat warm with lots of butter!

printable recipe

recipe from elanaspantry.com

Porridge Recipe

Porridge









This is a recipe for yummy porridge. It is best to soak it overnight, because oats become more digestible having been soaked.

2 cups oats
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
juice of one lemon
4 cups water
1 tsp. sea salt

Combine oats, coconut, lemon and water in a medium pot. Stir to combine. Let ingredients soak overnight. In the morning, add salt and cook on medium high heat stirring regularly (unless you want smoked porridge!).

Serve with crushed nuts, dried or fresh fruit, maple syrup, whipped cream, honey, and whatever appeals to you. Very filling and nutritious. Around here, six hungry children eat it every Tuesday morning!

Enjoy!

This recipe is inspired by the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Relishing

~Becket on my lap in a diaper~

~hair hardly held in a clip~

~the quilt underneath smoothed~

~peach underside of an orange leaf~

~the only pajamas he'll wear found~

~books in the correct spot~

~a slow day for recovery~

~rich brownie as promised~

Madeleine's Brownies

2                 sticks butter

1/2 cup       cocoa powder

3/4 cup       xylitol (or sugar)

4                 eggs

1 1/2 cups   almond flour

1/2 tsp.       sea salt

1 tsp.          vanilla

Melt butter and cocoa in double boiler. Add butter mixture to large mixing bowl and add all other ingredients mixing as you add ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 mins or until a knife remains clean when poked in middle of pan.                                  

Glorification

Christian being non-photogenic

blue Mary Jane's

a flaming tree

mix-matched warmth

Almond Pancakes

3               Eggs
1 Tbs.       Vanilla
1 Tbs.       Water
2 Tbs.        Honey
1 1/2 c.     Almond flour
1/4 tsp.      Sea Salt
1/4 tsp.      Baking Soda

Oil for cooking

Mix eggs, vanilla, water and honey. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda. Scoop a small amount of batter onto a pan (skillet) and cook on medium high. Don't turn until the bubbles pop.

Yields 6-8 pancakes

printable recipe

Recipe from Elana's Pantry elanaspantry.com Check out her other beautiful recipes, they are delicious!

Savoring

peppermint tea 

a day to wear a sweater

two pumpkin muffins with lots of butter

trees turning already

a book finished

hands in a bowl of almond butter

overdue books

a child in bed early

Brothers of Mine

I have lively brothers. My self is surrounded with their dirty feet and sticky faces. Lest you misunderstand, they are super fantastic and I love them very much. But sometimes I can only laugh. Recently, after looking for my leather belt for months, I was lingering around the computer picture screensaver and spied this photo:

 

Do you see the brown belt around his waist? Yes. It was an essential accessory it seems. After the photo, it didn't take long for me to find the belt in his closet. But when a brother hugs me with a face of innocence, could anyone ever hold it against him? 

Sometimes the entrance to the upstairs is hindered by threads. Yes, threads, connected to medieval knight figures in order to create the illusion of falling. And occasionally a brother is inspired by a pile of mud. 

They have been asked, "So boys, who will make sure your feet are clean before you get in bed?" They replied, "Why our sisters, of course." How could they more literally go unshod? I just don't look at the tub water.  They make me laugh. They love my treats. They glue together birthday cards. What would my life be without them? Surely, my life would be something more empty and less adventurous. As Mama says, perhaps cleanliness isn't next to godliness. 

Our Walk

Our Walk

Why is it that whatever is stressful, whatever is upsetting, whatever is frustrating, is no longer so in nature? 

Being outside brings perspective.

Perhaps we have a time limit, but we bask in the out of doors anyway.

 "Can we?" "Just give me your shoes."

Theme for English: Me

This was an assignment for Mama's literature class. I most certainly had fun!

theme for english: me

i am five and ten years of age,

and five foot four inches. though i am

living in the 20th century, occasionally i choose to

forget it, that is, when it comes to clothing. i am never

awakened by a storm in the middle of the night and i prefer

to end the day at half past eight in the evening and arise no

later that half past six in the morning. i delight in spending my time

outside, which could mean reading on the hammock under our apple
tree or going on hiking expeditions. i enjoy creating beautiful things
through fabric and almond flour. i love picnics in a basket. if i had a
whole day to spend on a project i would be contented with a messy room
that begs

organization.

i adore playing

classical piano

music and dreaming

of a baby grand piano.

i write in cursive. i don’t

twist the toothpaste tube.

cleaning out the fridge makes

my day. i love biking in a skirt. this is me.

Pear Sauce

6 ripe pears

2 T. cinnamon

We had several organic pears that were mealy and very soft. So...I ground them up in the food processor and added lots of cinnamon. It is delicious! Give it a try, and tell me what you think. Of course, half the excitement is putting it in a blue mason jar! :)

Penny's Cafe

Penny's Cafe



Today I visited a superb cafe located on Upstairs Row in Green House City!



They had a delicious menu!

I ate a fabulous salad with a mango smoothie and raspberry tart. 



The owner was delightful!

Her waiter was very helpful.

 

They had a very well equipped and cute kitchen!

I think I might return to Penny's Cafe sometime in the near future. If you are around, make sure you pop in!

Book List for 2012

Book List

Here is a list of seemingly delightful books that I am to read this year!

Biographies

There's a Sheep in My Bathtub by Brian Hogan  (No, it's not a board book!)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep by Floyd McClung
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

History

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by John Bankston
The Road from Home by David Kherdian
The Yanks Are Coming by Albert Marrin
Hitler by Albert Marrin
The Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson
Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist by John B. Severance
Stalin by Albert Marrin
Red Scarf Girl by Jiang Ji-Li
America and Vietnam by Albert Marrin
To Destroy You is No Loss by Joan Criddle
A History of the American People, Paul Johnson (selections)
Snow Goose by Paul Gallico
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula

Literature

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Night by Ellie Wiesel
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Perelandra by C.S. Lewis


Be my fellow reader?

Reading...

This school year I am reading constantly. Today I lay on the hammock, looking at the pure blue sky, reading about Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. There just isn't a more lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Because my Mama has focused this year on the reading of fabulous books, I am going to include the book list of the books I will be reading this year. Perhaps you will be inspired to take a few moments and read a masterpiece!

Fairy House

 This is my lovely sister, Gillian.

Yes. She is beautiful, creative, funny, and most of all her laugh is contagious and life-giving. She brings life and joy into the room and is very committed to following Jesus. She is also a fabulous pianist and violinist, not to mention accomplished artist.

She has been chattering about creating a fairy house for some time and at last her dreams became reality. I think it is so darling.

So here it is for you all to admire.
Notice the leaf hammock and the walnut shell stool, my personal favorites!

Peach Pear Ginger Crisp

 Peach Pear Ginger Crisp

Filling:

4           peaches, sliced
4           pears, sliced
2           limes, squeezed
1T.       grated ginger root
1/4 c.    date sugar

Topping:

2 c.      almond meal
1/2  c.  raisins
2/3 c.   grapeseed oil (or other oil)
1 t.       cinnamon
1/4 t.    allspice
1/4 t.    ground ginger
1/2 c.   date sugar (or honey; if you use honey don't add almond milk)
1/4 c.   almond milk


Mix all filling ingredients and place in 9 by 13 pan. Mix topping ingredients in food processor and crumble over filling.

Bake at 350* F for 20 mins covered, and then, uncovered for another 10 mins or until crust is lightly browned and fruit is soft.

This recipe is Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, and Starch free. Surprisingly, without all that yummy-ness it's still very delicious!! :)

Serve plain or with whipped cream.

Savoring Through Photography

Summer Photos of Beautiful Ordinary Life 

 

 

 

Nathanael wanted to pour...why not?

Farm eggs from Wisconsin produced five double yolks in a dozen!

our apple harvest

My favorite tea in a beautiful mug.