7th Heaven in Texas
• Monday, January 5, 2009 - Hello Blog friends
Posted By PrairieMouse's House
It has been awhile again since I have writen but I miss everyone so thought I would make some time to say hello.
I pray that everyone will have a blessed blessed New Year. I pray that everyone's days will be filled with love and laughter and that your marriages will be blessed and your families filled with happiness.
I am not going to list resolutions for myself this year, my only prayer for me is that I come closer to the Lord each and every day.
God's Blessings..... everyone! |
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• 2009-Jan-5 - More Self-Sufficient in the New Year
Posted By April M
Happy New Year to all of you. This year our family hopes to make some changes that include Dad at home more. As part of this goal, our family is looking for more ways to be self-sufficient. For us self-sufficiency means supplying for the needs of our family from our own sweat and land. Here is our list of things we plan on producing for ourselves this year:
- Soap - we are giving up shampoo, hand soap, face soap, and dish soap. The only soap we plan on continuing to buy is laundry soap. I've made my own before but have not found that it worked as well. We may try again.
- Animal food - our plan is to put in mangrels, oats, and corn for animal feed so that we don't have to buy any animal food in the coming year.
- Dairy products - we may not get to total self-sufficiency but soon we will be milking our goats and using their milk for cheese, yogurt, and milk.
- Gardening - we will be raising our own seedlings this year, Lord willing, and we will be saving seeds for some of the easier seed saving items.
We will add these items to our self-sufficiency measures that already includes sewing many of our own clothes and raising the majority of our own food. We will also begin raising meat, eggs, and vegetables to sell at the local farmer's market. This will allow us to have Dad home more. He is already beginning to help with the homeschooling and it is such a blessing to feel that we are working together as a team. Happy homesteading in the new year . . . |
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Mon 5 Jan 2009 - Spiced Tea
Spiced Tea
Makes 12 to 14 servings
4 cups water
4 tea bags
2 sticks cinnamon
10 whole cloves
4 cups pomegranate juice
4 cups apple cider
Garnish: cinnamon sticks and clove-studded lemon slice
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove from heat; add tea bags, cinnamon and cloves; steep 20
minutes. Strain; return tea to pan, discarding solids. Stir in
pomegranate juice and apple cider. Cook over medium-low heat 10
minutes. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm. Garnish.
Source: Cooking with Paula Deen magazine.
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sun 4 Jan 2009 - Mulled Grape Juice
Mulled Grape Juice
2 c Unsweetened grape juice
1 c ;water
1 c Sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
6 Whole cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Mix juice, water, and sugar in saucepan. Tie spices in a small
cheesecloth bag and add to liquid. Bring to a boil. Stir and simmer over
very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove spice bag and add lemon juice.
Bring again just to a boil. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings.
Source: Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery. |
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sun 4 Jan 2009 - Spiced Warm Cider
Spiced Warm Cider
1/2 gallon apple cider
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
5 whole allspice berries
1 (1/2" x 1/2") chunk fresh ginger (peeled)
3 whole cloves
8 orange slices
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks,
allspice berries, ginger, and cloves. Heat to a simmer and allow to
cook 20 minutes. Strain into a punch bowl and garnish with orange
slices. Serve warm.
Source: Country Living.com |
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sunday, January 4, 2009 - Cute photo
I thought I would share this photo of my children -- taken a few weeks back at our little church's Christmas pageant. My camera broke down that night and my pastor's wife took this snapshot. :) I loved it........ this was our children's first ever Church Christmas pageant. Our previous Church never held Christmas pageants or Christmas' Eve services, so you can imagine how very excited the kids to be involved with the nativity pageant this year! The text was taken right from the bible word for word, so the kids had a bit of memorizing to do - but they did a great job and enjoyed themselves. ( they are holding treat bags in the photo -- the "wise man" brought "gifts" for the children)
The kids had the following parts:
Hannah: Mary
Jacob: A Wise Man
Rachel: A sheperd
Samuel: Joseph
Paul: Zachariah
Peter: An angel
Rebekah: The angel Gabriel
Sarah: A Sheperd
John & Naomi : "sheep"
I am so thankful for my little Church that focused on the true meaning of Christmas this year and really chose godly activities to bring Jesus front and center to the Holiday season. It is so refreshing.
~ gloria ~ |
Comments (5) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sun 4 Jan 2009 - New England Boiled Dinner...I could eat this everyday!
New England Boiled Dinner
Early New Englanders brought this dish from Ireland, where boiled
beef, cabbage, and potatoes appear in numerous incarnations. I'm only
guessing at that, but I know from intimate personal experience that
this meal is as satisfying to body and soul as any dish on earth,
especially if there is a bit of a chill in the night air.
1-4 to 5 lb (approx. 2 kg) corned beef ( I have also used ham)
10 to 12 medium-sized beets, peeled
3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into large pieces
6 to 8 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
3 to 4 turnips, peeled and quartered
10 to 15 small onions, peeled
6 to 8 medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges
Dijon style mustard and prepared horseradish as condiments.
Place the corned beef along with the pickling liquid and spices in a
large pot and add enough water to cover it. Simmer for about one hour
per pound, adding water as necessary to keep the beef covered. Remove
from the liquid, leaving the liquid in the pot, and place in a shallow
baking dish or other container. Place a cutting board or other baking
dish on top, and place several heavy weights (cans of food, cast iron
cookware, etc) on top to compress it. Boil the beets in a separate pot
for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile add the parsnips,
carrots, and turnips to the beef cooking liquid and simmer for 30
minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer for an additional 15 minutes,
then add the cabbage wedges and simmer 15 minutes more. Slice the beef
and arrange with the vegetables on a large, deep platter, along with a
generous amount of the cooking liquid. Serve mustard and horseradish
on the side.
Serves 8 to 12
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sunday, January 4, 2009 - Its a wonderful life
Posted By Kris
This new year has started out great--Yesterday here in my part of the world we had record breaking temps--77 degrees!!!--This broke the record from 2004 when the temp was 74--today is 40!!--We actually took the opprotunity to drive over to our Oklahoma 'soon to be farm' and look around and make the final decisions as to where we will be putting critters--with the leaves off the trees and underbrush gone it makes the task easier since more is visiable--We both are just itching to get over there and begin the hard task of clearing, working and planning--we both feel such a sense of peace when we are there--we have pondered many names to name our farm and we are still undecided--one keeps coming to mind, but we shall see--we found the perfect spot for a home--off the beaten path a ways but also close enough to the road that you don't feel totally isolated(which I like, but hubby does not)--I could live 25 miles from a road and be content--LOL--I am not much of a people person anymore--I like my solitude and peace and the less attention I can draw to myself the better off I feel--Not much longer now until the temps will warm up and life will begin to pop up everywhere--I just get all excited thinking about it!--New land, new home, new critters being born, new plant life abundant everywhere--I just feel happy when I think about it--Winter is just not my 'cup o' tea--Its depressing to me and I have such a hard time health wise in the winter--Spring to me means so many things--new beginnings for one--and this year will be a new beginning in the rest of our lives on a wonderful peice of land that the Lord blessed us with and I hope to establish memories for my grandchildren there that they can pass on for years to come--The work will be much--but so very worth it--
~Kris |
Comments (1) :: Permanent Link
|
• Sat 3 Jan 2009 - Chipotle Chicken Soup
Chipotle Chicken Soup
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh tomato, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
black pepper
1/4 cup canned chipotle chilies
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 sprigs cilantro
1 avocado, cubed; optional
1 cup cooked brown rice; optional
crushed tortilla chips; optional
lemon slices for garnish
In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add tomato and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. In a separate large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add chicken, sauteed vegetables, pepper, chilies, beans and cilantro. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, adding extra broth if necessary. If desired stir in avocado, rice or tortilla chips and serve in warmed bowls. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 8.
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sat 3 Jan 2009 - Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 cup oil
1 cup flour
2 large onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large chicken, cut into pieces
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch green onions, tops only, chopped
2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
filé powder to taste
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats. In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat, stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it. Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes. Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed. Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Accompany with a good beer and lots of hot, crispy French bread. 12 servings.
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
|
|
|
|
