Wellness Cookies

February 15, 2011 · Filed under cooking, Family, Favorite things

There have been some nasty viruses going around our corner of the world.  We usually are able to avoid whatever bugs are being passed around, however, this one has gotten to us. Yesterday, Jacob awoke with a fever of 101.5, and today Nona too has got a fever.

As Jacob was starting to feel a little better today, he became disappointed that he had missed Valentine’s day yesterday. His request was to have some Valentine’s day cookies made.

So as I searched the internet for a quick & simple recipe, I wanted to find one that offered to do 3 things.  1. Provide the comfort, that a comfort food should provide, 2. give the kids immune systems an added boost, & 3. not have a lot of sugar. I found this recipe which I changed slightly to make into Wellness Cookies.  My favorite part is that this recipes calls for NO SUGAR, & the cookies taste great with Vernor’s ginger ale (which is another important matter when you are sick in our family!

Jacob, my rosy cheeked boy, who hasn’t eaten much of anything all day long, ate a handful of these cookies. I’m glad that I could feel good about saying “Eat as many as you like. They’ll make you feel better.”.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3 (2 g) bags Echinacea Complete Care tea (made by Celestial Seasonings)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and honey until smooth. Empty the contents of the tea bags into the mixture and discard the bags. Mix until well blended. Stir in the orange juice concentrate. Blend in the flour and baking powder.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough at a time to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch round shapes using a cookie cutter. NOTE: You can refrigerate the dough for 1 hr, then roll it out to cut shaped cookies. I put the dough into my cookie press which worked just fine.  Place cookies onto ungreased baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
  3. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are dry, and the edges begin to brown lightly. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature when completely cooled.

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We’re Snowed In!

February 2, 2011 · Filed under Life, local, Nature, Seasons, winter

This is what I saw when I opened the door to let the dog out this morning.

The kids could barely get out the door to play.

We love it actually.  The kids played outdoors all day & I kept the house warm by baking coffee cake and cookies!

How are you surviving the snowstorm?

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Shadow Puppets

February 2, 2011 · Filed under handmade, homeschooling, kids

As we study the Middle Ages with King Arthur, Robin Hood, & St. George, we have found shadow puppets to be the perfect tool for reenacting the tales that we read. Since puppets produced hours of entertainment for the children of this time period we thought it fitting that we also enjoy making puppets during.

Below you can find pdfs that you are welcome to download (click on the links below each image, not the images themselves) and use (for personal use only please). Just print them out on cardstock and cut them out.

* note: although the images below are in varying dimensions, the pdf files are all in proportion to each other (i.e. the knights & the prince are the same size)

You can find some instructions for making a theater here. The only change I might add is using freezer paper for you screen. It is a bit larger than an 8.5×11 sheet of paper.

Knights & Horse

 

 

Prince & Princess

Captive princess

Magic Fruit Tree

This dragon & many other silhouettes can be found at Becky’s Wildlife and Fantasy Art.

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Creative Play = Learning

January 30, 2011 · Filed under Family, homeschooling, kids, Tutorial

In learning at home, we have found that our two children learn in two very different ways.  Our daughter learns best in a more traditional way of reading books, and listening as someone is teaching. She loves the busy work of worksheets, and appreciates having a way to measure her success in tests.  Our son, on the other hand, is the opposite. He too loves to learn, but only if he doesn’t realize that he is learning. He is very inquisitive, and asks many thoughtful questions, but has a hard time with listening as someone is teaching. Sometimes, he will ask a great question, and as I am trying to explain the answer, he will jump to his next questions.  He is a hands-on learner who likes to try things himself, and tries to solve his own problems before asking for help. Our son detests busy work, and we often have a hard time measuring his success in learning through traditional testing.

Although our children are very different in the ways that they learn, they both tend to do most of their learning through creative play.  I have sometimes asked myself, “Should our homeschooling look more traditional?” “Should I continue to let them play most of the day?” “Are they getting too old for days spent in make believe?”.  The answer I cannot escape in my heart, is a resounding “NO”.  I can see that they ARE learning the subjects we are studying. They are learning about events that took place in history, important people who lived before us, and the world they lived in. They are learning about different cultures and ideas, and how the world around us works.  They play out different scenarios, and they face some of the very same problems that people have had to solve in the past. Through their play, they have the opportunity to try and solve these problems on their own before learning how those in the past have solved them. I don’t see how any of this could not be beneficial to learning, or how it makes for a day wasted in make believe.  I am choosing to embrace this way of learning, for as we study subjects at home, I can easily see if our children are understanding a concept by listening to how they are playing.  They often role play and act out the stories that we have recently been learning about.  I find that  many of my days are full of answering “what if” & “how” questions as the story line in their current game unfolds and changes.

As I create  tools of play for my own children to learn from,  I’d like to share them with you. My first offering will be later this week. I have a fun tutorial to share with you, but it’s not quite ready yet.

 

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News from the field

January 22, 2011 · Filed under The Rocking Yak, Tibet


If you have been following this blog or have spent any time looking around the archives you know that I am apart of a wool project  called The Rocking Yak.  The Tibetan people are very dear to my heart, and therefore, so is the work we are doing here.  Over the years it has become a large part of who I am.  2010 has been a year of growing for The Rocking Yak, and as we know with growth comes growing pains.  2010 has provided us with a number of obstacles to overcome and grow by.

Today I’d like to share with you some news from the field.

Written by Bret

January 20, 2011

I woke up this morning thinking about yesterdays events and a Chinese proverb came to my mind that goes like this.

A poor man in a village who had only one horse woke up to find out his only horse had run away.  Upon hearing the news the other villagers gathered around him and said, “we’re so sorry to hear about your bad luck.” The man said, “why is this bad luck?”

The next day the horse came back with 10 wild horses following it.  The man’s neighbors came over to congratulate him on his good luck.  The man said, “why is this good luck?”

The next day his only son was riding one of the wild horses fell off and broke his leg.  The man’s neighbors came over to console him on his bad luck, he said, “why is this bad luck?”

The next day a local war lord came to the village and drafted all the young men to fight in a war but his son couldn’t go because he broke his leg.  The neighbors once again came over to congratulate him on his good luck.  Once again he said, why is this good luck?”

The proverb stops here.

It’s so easy to be moved by circumstances (this roller-coster ride I’m on) but isn’t God big enough to turn this supposed difficulty around for His glory?  Of course He can, I just can’t see it yet and may not until much later.

Having said that here is the latest news I just got on the wool.

“Your wool stuck along the road somewhere on the mountain….as per weather forecast may snow around there next few days.”

I would really like to get this wool to the ladies in the villages 10-11 hours from where I’m sitting right now before I leave next month.

Lets pray for a break in the weather where the wool is, that it will be so hot there, that all the snow melts and the truck gets through, like tomorrow.  You want to talk about faith statement it feels like it’s going to snow here and that mountain is father north and much higher than here.

January 21, 2011

Guess what? The wool arrived yesterday I got a phone call it was in town but I wanted to wait to inform you until I actually picked it up today. So at 10:00 AM yesterday I got a phone call the wool was still stuck on a mountain with snow in the forecast for the next 3 days then at 2:00 PM I got a phone call that it arrived.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isn’t that amazing?!
Yesterday I heard God challenging me to grow in my faith.  He told me that my days have been a struggle because I’m going it alone. I don’t invite him into my day. I don’t ask for his guidance in the small, everyday situations that I find myself bogged down with.   After hearing this, my response was “of coarse you are welcome in my day god!  How am I not inviting you?”.  His answer, “by not praying.” I get up in the morning and start my day with a cup of coffee as I read through my emails. I try to get organized & prepare for a day of learning & chores, but I never check in with God.  I don’t come before Him with the tasks that need completing, or with the power struggles I face daily with one certain little boy. I don’t ask for wisdom, & I don’t ask what is on His agenda for the day.
My mother-in-law is such a great example to me of what a life lived in prayer can look like. She is in constant communication with God. Whether she is looking for something missing at home, or a parking space, or hoping to have an important conversation with her grandkids about gratefulness. She brings EVERYTHING to Gods feet.
So as I read this news about the wool being stuck in snow, I prayed. I was reminded of the mountains that I have already seen God move, and I had faith that this snowy mountain was no obstacle. So this morning as I read that the wool arrived, I felt a nod in my spirit – a confirmation that God is at work.  In my eyes, God moved that mountain!

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The value of staying at home

January 16, 2011 · Filed under Economy, Family, Life

Like most families, the economical down fall has had it’s effects on our family. I often find myself wondering if there is a way that I could better contribute to our family finances, whether through selling handmade items, or getting a part-time job.

This last week I saw an opportunity to go back to work part-time. My old job, that I had LOVED doing before having children, is hiring for the same position I held before. I spoke with the director, and brought home an application to fill out. Then, as I was thinking about how it could all work with childcare & getting to work (we are a one car family) it started to get complicated. If I went back to work, it would mean that we would need a second car. In order to bring home a paycheck, we would have to add a car payment, car insurance, and gas to run the car. hmmm…

Then I started thinking about what it would mean for our family. I would go to work everyday at 2pm, so we would have to make sure all of our homeschool work was finished by then. I also would have to squeeze in housework and cooking. I would be more tired during the day which for me also means more cranky. That in turn would make my husband and kids cranky. Knowing myself, I wouldn’t keep up with housework, which would also lead to my husbands frustration and crankiness. I would want help, which would lead to arguing over the housework … You can see where this is heading.

I decided not to take the job, but going down that mental road was good for me. I often start to feel that I am not contributing enough to our families finances, since I am not bring home a paycheck. But I realized this week that I am able to save our family more money than what I could bring home having a part-time job. We can easily get by with 1 car (which saves us also on car insurance & gas).  I have the time and the desire to cook nutritious meals for my family which means I don’t have to buy the more expensive pre-made meals that are so convenient. I can homeschool our children, which does, in fact, save our family money.  I am rested and happy. My children are rested and happy, and my husband only has to focus on going to work, and spending time with our family, which makes him a much happier man.  And even though happiness doesn’t necessarily have a monetary value, it certainly has great value.

So as I head into this next week, I find that I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom. I love spending my days at home with my children learning about our world and how things work. I love providing a clean home, clean clothes, and nutritious food for the ones I love. I now, I am also thankful that I don’t have the added guilt of feeling like I should be doing more. Loving and caring for my family is in fact adding to our family finances.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sorry no picture this week.

On a side note, I hate our camera. Yup I finally said it – I hate it. I just doesn’t capture images like I think a camera should. Like I know a better camera would. I used to really love photography and did a lot of it in high school when everyone was still using 35mm. Then, I got my first digital camera (the one I have now) when we started having kids.  I just can not do the same things that I could with my 35mm. Aren’t digital cameras suppose to be better & give you more options than 35mm? I’m hoping to be able to get a new digital for my birthday.  Then, I will enjoy taking pictures, and capturing images that have a better quality, and posting pictures to the blog won’t be such a drag.

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Winter’s Long Stretch

January 10, 2011 · Filed under Family, kids, Life, winter

It seems that every year at this time we get a lot of snow. At least for the last 6 years it seems. I’ve noticed, only because on the night before my son was born it snowed, a lot. The next day the world was quiet and still as I held my new little boy. Every year since, I’ve looked out the window on Jacob’s birthday and seeing it snow remember that night. This year is no exception. As our celebrations have come to an end, I am remembering how perfect it was that January 8th of 2005.   I love the snow.  For as much as I love being outdoors in the summer, I really love being indoors in the winter.  I also know that this time of year, after the holidays have ended, and everyone has eased back into their daily routine, it can become a challenge for families with children who long for warmer days of play. I know this season will come for our family as well. So as the winter drones on, and the nights remain long, I will be writing some posts that focus on family. I have some exciting giveaways in the line up over the next few months to help with the entertaining of children, who so desperately long for the longer days of summer.  I hope you will follow along and share some of your ideas as together, we work to creatively help our children make it through this season of cabin fever. Be sure to subscribe, so that you won’t miss any of the giveaways in the up coming weeks!

 

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Oh Christmas Tree

December 5, 2010 · Filed under Christmas, Journal Your Christmas, winter

In reading through my journal from last year, I came to this entry:

I do remember this problem that we endured all December. The first note to myself from the holiday last year is

1. Get a tree early.  Jacob was VERY frustrated/grumpy for 3 weeks. It started “Black Friday” & didn’t end until we put up our tree.  He kept saying he was grumpy because he wanted Christmas to start.  He couldn’t wait for the Christmas spirit that comes with the fresh pine scent.

Taking this heed, we got our tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

We asked the kids if they would like to go cut down a fresh tree or buy an already cut tree. They chose to buy one that was already cut. Jacob said “That’s alright, that sounds like a lot of work. Let’s just get one that is already cut.” So off to Lowes we went. We quickly picked out our tree. Our only requirement was that it had short, prickly needles to hold the ornaments.

Jacob is testing the needles to see if they are “prickly” enough.

Once we got the tree home, the boys worked together to trim off the extra branches & put it in the tree stand. Then we all helped to decorate.

One thing I am trying really hard to do this Christmas season, is to be more laid back, and let other family members have a say in what we do and how things look. Normally I would insist on having all white lights for our tree. I had written off colored lights as tacky a long time ago.   When Phil & Jacob chose colored lights for our tree this year, I was disappointed, but I kept that to myself and went with it.   After the lights were on the tree, I liked them! It’s not what I would have chosen, but by letting the boys choose, they were happy, and it works. I’m finding that it feels really good not to have to be in control of everything. It’s nice to sit back and let someone else make some decisions.  It feels good to not have everything just perfect.

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Thanksgiving & a Christmas Journal

December 3, 2010 · Filed under Celebrations, Christmas, creative every day, Family, Journal Your Christmas, Thanksgiving

I have been so excited to begin this journal that I started it early.

I found my journal that I made last year so helpful in planning for the holidays this year, that I also wanted to include Thanksgiving.

This was the first year that I have hosted the Thanksgiving meal in our home for 20 people. It was a TON of work, but really, I enjoyed all of it. I just realized that I should start sooner with the preparations. It can’t all be done the day before. I was so busy that they day flew by in a blur. I didn’t get to stop to enjoy the moment until  we all sat down to play a game of Uno.  There are things that I would do differently, but overall I loved the day and I loved hosting. I want Thanksgiving to be a holiday that we host on a regular basis, so I need a place to keep track of notes about recipes I used, what we enjoyed, and what steps I should start even earlier next time, or skip all together.

In all the hullabaloo, I was only able to take one photograph of the day, but it is a special one. In the quite moments before everyone else arrived, Poppy is telling the cousins an imaginative story that kept their attention until the very end. The kids loved every moment of it.

It took me a week to recuperate, but now that I have, I plan to slow down, relax and enjoy the season.

I hope your December is off to jolly start!

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Hurry, It’s Not Too Late

November 18, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized

A couple of holiday activities that it’s not too late to join in.

Summaritan’s Purse has a program that they do every year called Operation Christmas Child. It’s a program that our family has participated in since our children were old enough to understand what we were doing. It has brought much joy and meaning to our holiday season, and I know it will do the same for yours.

Hurry though, the drop off dates are November 15 – 22.

 

 

 

 

and…

I signed up for this e-coarse last year, and really enjoyed it. It was such a great way to slow down, and be present throughout the busy holiday season. The best part is that once you’ve signed up to take this class, you are able to participate in the class every year after that for free.  So I will definitely be journalling my Christmas again this year.

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