Hawthorne Hill Farm

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

Hello All,

A dear friend shared a Christmas family tradition with me.  Each child gets three presents as Baby Jesus got three presents of gold, frankinsense and myrrh.  They focus on the importance of  the three gifts. A great idea some of you may want to incorporate into your family Christmas.  We read The Advent Book daily and on Christmas Eve we put out the lights and light a few candles.  Then we read from Luke 1 and 2 about Jesus birth. 

I would love to hear from others.  What are your Christmas Family traditions to focus on Jesus?

In Christ,

Mrs. Quilty

Looking for other Staber Washer owners

Does anyone out there have a Staber Washing Machine?  We have had ours for about a year and a half and find it does a very good job.  However, in the last week it has started leaking if I do a large load of clothes.  I call the company and they were very good to send new shaft seals.  I will let you know if they prove difficult to replace.  Has anyone else had similiar experience?  Just wondering.....

(For anyone interested, Staber Washers are a low water and low energy use washer that is great for off-grid use or those just wanting to conserve water and energy.  They have a website if you want more info.)

Return from Homeschool Camp

Hello All!

Back after a week at homeschool camp.  What a blessing!  Mike Riddle from Answers in Genesis was there all week and we learned so much!  What faith reenforcing information!  I would highly recommend going to their website. 

Beyond the great presentations, there was swimming, biking, basketball, a dinosaur dig, classes and crafts.  Whew!  Lots of activities OR lots of quiet time and fellowship if you chose it.  A great time of refreshing.  Thank you Lord for the times of refreshing.

If your homeschool family is seeking a Christian homeschool camp I would highly recommend this one.  There is a link from homeschool blessings website or  leave me a message and I will send the link to you. 

Your Sister in Christ,

Lori <@><

Why Eat Organic?

Hello,

After posting my banana bread recipe, I got to thinking.  I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.  I'm not some 'all-natural hickory nut.'  I used to eat organically many years ago, even vegan.  Then I got away from it.  I'm sad to say I needed convenience more than I needed good nutrition.   Since retirement, along with having more time on my hands, I find I am moving back into organics. 

We have used whole grains, avoided white sugar, etc. for many years so organics are not really something new to us.  However, we have come to a way of thinking that aligns with God's Holy Word.  If the Holy Spirit resides within us and our body is His temple, would He want garbage going in?  No more than He would want us taking in garbage through our eyes or ears.   I had to rethink this many years ago when I had a reaction to Nutri-sweet; a deadly poision.  Do some research on the internet.  I was having a racing heart and an erratic heartbeat.  I started eliminating different elements from my diet.  When Nutri-sweet was eliminated all my symptoms went away.  Have you ever read the labels on foods and seen how many things it is in?  Most of Europe has banned it.  What do they know that the American public does not know?  Carrying our food choices further is just an extension of our faith.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not the food police    but try to make good choices.  And I fail, sometimes miserabaly.  Do any of you have some suggestions on how to eat  a healthier diet that have worked for you?  I'm open to suggestions.  Thanks!

Your Sis in Christ,

Lori

yummy Banana Bread Recipe

This is a recipe I have tweaked through the years.  Enjoy!

Lori’s Banana Bread

Makes 2 large loaves

4 cups organic whole wheat flour

2 cups of organic oatmeal-uncooked-I prefer quick oats but can be old-fashioned style

4 teaspoons baking powder (non-aluminum)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup organic butter (soft or melted)

2 cups organic sugar

4-5 mashed organic bananas (I have used as many as 6 for a stronger banana taste)

4 eggs (organic)

 1 1/3  Sour cream (organic)

Mix together all dry ingredients.  Then mix in all the ingredients and  mix until blended.

Pour into two  9 x 5  well greased loaf pans and cook in oven at 350 degrees

 for 55-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (For this recipe I used

 9 x 9  Corelle dishes.)

Enjoy!  This is a recipe I have made for many years and we really enjoy it.  I have added

chopped apple,  coconut,  pineapple pieces, etc. so we never tire of it. :o)

Summer is winding down.....

Summer is winding down and how I hate to see it go but I do love fall.  God always shows his majesty in the fall.  Yellows, oranges, and reds so rich you could take a bite out of them.  The smell of leaves on the ground and the taste of apple cider.  I love to settle into a comfy chair with my quilting or knitting.  (Makes you feel like snuggling a quilt around you, doesn't it?)

The flying squirrels have moved into their new houses.  Hip, hip hooray!  I went out and knocked on the side of the houses and an unhappy squirrel looked at me like, 'lady, why are you waking me up?'  But it was the only way to find out if they had moved in.  They are in both of them and I have one more house to put up.  By the end of Sept. the babies should be big enough to move with the adults out of my attic. 

Here's a pic of one of the houses.  There is actually 3 compartments inside with an opening in the floor leading from one compartment to another.  They live in colonies so a group will live in one of these houses.  You can see the opening on the lower right.  There is another opening on the upper left that you cannot see.  These 2 openings allow an escape route in case of predators.  I put the tin roof on, too.  I have been watching them come to my bird feeders at night.  They are very cute and have to be the fastest animal I have ever seen.  Don't blink or you will miss them! :o) 

This has been a wonderful learning adventure and I have found a great deal of information on flyers online.  There is the National Flying Squirrel Association (really) and the squirrel board.  The folks there have been so friendly and very helpful answering my questions.  If anyone is interested, do a internet search on flying squirrels.  Lots and lots of info out there. 

Thanks for reading. 

In Christ,

Lori 

Recipe for Green Beans called Green Bean Skillet Pie a Vegan Recipe

Have a lot of green beans and looking for a new recipe? This is a one-skillet meal that we love at our house.  Start with green beans (fresh that have been steamed slightly) or frozen (steamed) or canned (right out of the jar).  Put the green beans into a large skillet.  How many green beans?  How big is your skillet? :o) Now pour your favorite spagetti sauce (large size jar) into the pan. You can use your home-made sauce or store-bought.  Mix it up and put you burner on a med. setting as you want the sauce and beans heated through. Now you can add the optional things-green onions-mushrooms-green pepper-whatever is in the 'fridge.  Now sprinkle shredded cheese over the bean/sauce mix.  Your choice of cheese type; again whatever is in the 'fridge.  Now beat 5-6 eggs in a bowl and add your favorite seasonings.  Pour the eggs over the top of the skillet trying to get some eggs over all the green beans.  Put a lid on the skillet or cover it with foil and turn your heat down to a low setting.  Let this cook for approx. 25-30 minutes until the egg on top is firm.  Cut it into wedge shaped pieces like a pie.  Enjoy!  For those wanting less fat, you can use Eggbeaters for the egg and low fat cheese.  Still yummy!  Tastes like Green Bean Lasagna.

A Day in the Country

July 23, 2007

We are a Christian homeschool family living in Michigan.  This blog is about our experiences of living in the country, both past experience and current ones.  We homeschool year-round and have only one child, Jeff, age 12.  This is our eighth year of homeschooling as Jeff has never been to public school.  We love it and it works for our family.  DH, Jim works during the day and is home evenings.  I am recently retired from GM as I took one of their early retirement offers.  It is the hugest blessing to our family.  I was working 4 p.m. to midnight and homeschooling during the day while dh was at work.  DH would be home evenings when I was working.  It was very hard on all of us.  I was planning on retiring in 5 years anyway, so this early offer was a God-send.  Every day I praise God for this huge blessing. 

Does anyone know about flying squirrels?  I didn't before this year.  We have had something (?) living in our attic for the last year.  I knew it was a nocturnal animal as I could hear it leave at dark and come back in before light.  I had tried sitting outside, watching to see it as well as putting down corn meal to see it's footprints.  Nothing had worked. In January, I was cleaning out the bird roost boxes that I have for the wild birds.  Opening one box, I heard some commotion inside.  When I opened it up, 3 small gray animals were staring at me.  It reminded me of hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil.:o) They had a short tail like a chinchilla and white on their stomach area and large nocturnal eyes.  They were very cute and I quickly shut the cover to the box.  What in the world was that?  After doing some research on the 'net I figured out they were flying squirrels.  Thus my story begins.....  Talking to some flying squirrel experts on the flying squirrel board (yes, it exists, check it out) they had some suggestions for getting them out of the attic.  Right now, I'm waiting until cooler weather (Oct.)and the fact that Momma squirrel is preggy.  The babies should be big enough by then.  I have new diggs for them to move into (outside) as my brother-in-law the woodworker made some 3 level houses.  The squirrel house plan is on the internet and he did a wonderful job.  I put a metal roof on them so they should last a while.  I will post a photo.  The squirrels are really cute and if you are willing to stay up to 2 or 3 a.m. you can see them at the bird feeders.  I see why folks have them for pets.  They move so fast!  Don't blink or you'll miss them. :o) Today I'm setting a live trap for the racoons living in the barn.  Oh, but that is another story for another day.  :o)