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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Homemade Softscrub Cleaner Recipe

Recipe - Tipnut.comHere’s a quick and easy recipe for a great soap scum buster on the tub surround or a great cleaner for around the kitchen and bathroom.
Homemade Softscrub
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup liquid dish detergent
1/8 cup – 1/4 cup vinegar
  • Mix the baking soda and dish detergent first, then add the vinegar. Adjust the baking soda or vinegar amounts until you have the consistency you like working with.
Tips:
  • Just use whatever’s on sale or a generic brand of dish detergent and you’ve got yourself some super cheap, yet very effective, homemade softscrub!
  • Use the amount of vinegar that gives you the consistency of softscrub that you prefer. Vinegar’s a great grime buster–so don’t be shy with it.

  • If you just want to do some spot cleaning and don’t need a large amount of softscrub, give the spot a light squirt of dish detergent, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top and scrub. You won’t need to bother with the vinegar for small spots like this.

  • Try heating the vinegar in the microwave first before mixing it in with the other ingredients. You don’t want it super hot, but a warm temperature that’s comfortable to work with.

  • http://tipnut.com/homemade-softscrub-cleaner-recipe/

    Horsing Around


    The telephone pole is a little distracting, but otherwise this is a fun photo. Rachel and I were driving around the Conewango Valley, New York Amish settlement last week and we witnessed all sorts of modes of transport Amish children used to come and go from school.  Most of the time the children were walking in small groups (often in separate clusters of boys and girls) swinging their lunch pails and bundled up against the snow and cold.  We even saw one boy heading to school on skis. I think the skis were twice as tall as he was.  I'm always so accustomed to seeing buggies in Amish country that I was caught off guard when we spotted this lone "horseman" charging down the road.  He was a boy probably about 11 or 12 years old wearing the traditional straw hat and plain clothing, but he carried his books in a sleek red and black backpack.  Rachel quickly snapped a couple of photos.  We tried to follow from a distance to see where he was headed but the boy quickly disappeared into the hills never to be seen by us again.
    http://www.oasisnewsfeatures.com/editor/horsing-around-0?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theamishcook+%28The+Amish+Cook+from+Oasis+Newsfeatures%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

    GOD'S DAY

    Even God took a day off.
    What makes you think you don't have to?
    In the Old Testament,the Sabbath simply referred to the seventh day of the week,This was an important observance,because"God  blessed the seventh day and declared it holy,because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation"(Gen. 2:3).Whether we observe the Sabbath on Saturday or Suday, God wants us to set aside one day a week for Him by resting from our routine and work .Unfortunately,most of us are just as busy on God's day as we are the rest of the week.
    May we suggest a new approach-God's approah-to His day? Set it apart for God.Celebrate His involvement in the big and small stuff in your life.Going to church is a good start,but don't rely on your pastor to celebrate for you. Continue to rest in God at home by recalling
    His faithfulness and enjoying His goodness.
    "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,"
    EXODUS 20:8






















































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    Tuesday, March 29, 2011

    Postive days

    Well not much change in the way I feel except I've had a sore throat for three days now.. Pain is still right up there.. My step mom has gone in for surgery on her back today so if you could add a small prayer for her.. I'm trying to look positive and keep telling myself better days are coming... Blessings..

    No Limits

    The Love Of God Has No Limits.
    Human Love is conditional.Whether we're dealing with a friendship or a marriage,our commitments will only go so far.Friendships fail and marriages end in divorce because one can no longer tolerate the other.
    But God's love is unconditional.He loved us before we were even interested in Him.He continues to love us even as we disappoint Him.He with our immature attitudes.And His love for us prevails although our conduct may offend Him.There is nothing we could do that would make God love us less.
    God's love extends to us in full measure.It is not distributed in small portions as we earn"spiritual brownie points"if we are good deed doers.There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
    God loves us unconditionally even though He knows we can't love Him backto that extent.That's what makes His love so perfect.
    Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean,nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our lord.
    ROMANS 8:39







    Saturday, March 26, 2011

    Surgery Up Date

    I would like to thank all my family friends for prayers.I had a block on my leg to help with pain.It's just coming around now and it is really paining awful..The good news is Dr. didn't have to cut the achilles tendon he just lifted it off to one side and took out a large bone and what didn't show up in the MRI was many broken bones so he took those out..

    I have a large splint and wrap on my foot and goes up to my knee.. I go back in two weeks it depends on the healing and swelling if I have a walking cast or hard one. I'm in bed and can't bare Weight. 

    Thought I would feel like blogging but guess I'm not quit ready yet..

    Thanks again for the prayers...

    Have a nice weekend..Blessings..

    Thursday, March 24, 2011

    Canning Jar Poem

    ~My Canning Jar~

    To some it's just a little jar,
    To me it's so much more.
    I have to go in search of these,
    ~From store, to store, to store.

    I fill them up and give them free,
    With fruits and so much more.
    I wish that I could get them free,
    ~But canning jars don't grow on trees.

    I've worked real hard to fill them up,
    And it has been such fun.
    `Twould be a special gift to me,
    If returned when you are done.

    Thank you for recycling.

    by Vickie Decker

    Wednesday, March 23, 2011

    A Hero's Hero

    So many soldiers
    Living On The Street
    Their Spirits Broken
    With Defeat.
    What must They Think
    When They Look Around
    Eyes Passing By,
    Staring At The Ground?
    Does Anger Fill Them
    When We Turn Away
    From The Debts We Owe
    That Should Be Repaid?
    What If At That Momoment,
    Just Once, Instead
    We Saluted In Honor,
    Right Hand to Head?
    To Let Them Know
    They Are Not Ghost,
    Thanking Them For Being
    Braver Than Most.
    If Everyone Would
    Show Them Grace
    We Just Might Find
    Their Pain Erased.
    For All The Heroes
    Still Fighting To Live
    And For Heroes Like You,
    Who Continue to Give.
    If You See Someone
    Who Is Really Lost
    Please Stop And Remember
    What Our Freedom Cost...

    Tomorrow Big Day


    Well tomorrow is surgery day please send a short prayer up for me..This will be my last post for a few days until I feel a tad better.. That means no cooking and cleaning , nothing but bed for (10) weeks.. I hope I keep my mind... I have a table that goes over the bed so I can you my lap top and figure that out... and sew I have a brothers sewing machine that can be used by the push of a finger... but still ten weeks is a long long time..

    This stove above is a homeclarion it is our's  its a great cookstove I sure will miss it...

    So I want to say blessings to my family and friends I'll be back with many posts in one day so be prepared... Will miss you all...
    Blessings sisterbrenda

    Get On The Plane

    It's one thing to have faith, and antoher matter intirely to act on your faith.
    Your faith becomes meaningful to you and effective for your salvation only when you have faith in God. But what if you never act one that faith?How meaningful and effective is it then?Look at it this way. Let's say you made a reservation to fly to Hawaii. When the day for your flight arrives,you drive to the airport,check in,and walk to your gate. But rather than taking your seat on the plane,you sit in the airport and watch the plane take off.Then you turn to some guy next to you and say,"Hey, you see that plane?I have a reservation for that flight. My reservation is going to Hawaii."
    Your faith in God is like that resservation to Hawaii.Just as you fulfill your reservation to Hawaii by getting on the plane,you fulfill your faith in God by getting with His plan(Eph.2:10).
    Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--It is dead and useless.
    JAMES 2:17

    Tuesday, March 22, 2011

    Fiddle Heads..Information~~ Recipes Lets talk

    Thought I would do a little research of fiddle heads..Its almost that time of year for some folks.. How many out there like them and eat them? Do you can them? Blessings..
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Fiddlehead fern, fiddlehead greens, ostrich fern, bracken fern, brake fern
    warabi (Japan)
    (Pteridium aquilinum, and others -- Family Polypodiaceae)
    The common fern family, Polypodiaceae, produces a multitude of edible "fiddleheads". The Matteuccia struthiopteris variety is the kind most often collected in Canada and mainland US. In Hawaii, it is the Diplazium esculentum that is the most common. The ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is another popular variety collected. Originating in Asia, the osterich fern is one of more than twenty species that regularly figured in the diet of the early American Indians. New Zealand has almost 200 native ferns, and the Pteridium aquilinum was an important plant food source for the Maori before the introduction of sweet potatoes and maize by white settlers. However, the fern most prized by them was Asplenium bulbiferum, the hen and chicken fern. Bracken fern is popular with native peoples in Canada, as well as in Japan and Korea, as is the cinnamon fern, zenmai (Osmunda cinnamomoea). Bracken root was often preferred to the shoot and made into warabi starch in Japan. Although consumption of these, and of the royal fern (Osmunda regalis), is an old practice in the Far East, experts are now advising against it as there is considerable evidence that they cause cancer of the stomach and esophagus, and eating only the young osterich fern is advised. When small and fresh, the osterich fern tastes like asparagus, artichokes, green beans, and mushrooms, with a chewy texture all of its own.
    The name fiddlehead refers to the resemblance between the tightly curled shoots and the scroll on a violin head. The practice of eating them is said to have started with the French settlers, who took that cue from the American Indian. The Maliseet Indians of New Brunswick, Canada, have a long history of harvesting and eating fiddleheads. They consider them to be a medicine, as well as a food, and were known to mark their canoes, wigwams, and clothing with a fiddlehead motif. The part that is eaten is the very young, tightly coiled shoot as it breaks through the ground in the spring. It is covered with brown scales which have to be scraped off, then boiled in at least one change of water to remove the bitterness. The texture is then crisp and the flavour nutty. Very young shoots can also be grilled, peeled, and eaten without any further preparation. The shoots resemble green asparagus in appearance. The taste is halfway between asparagus and spinach, but some think it is more like artichokes or wild mushrooms. Regardless, they are earthy, a little nutty, and somewhat grassy.
    All types of ferns go through a fiddlehead stage just prior to unfurling their new leaves. However, not all ferns are safe to eat as many are carcinogenic. The "osterich" fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is the only non-carcinogenic fern. Although several ferns are suspected of causing cancer, there may also be some that are downright poisonous as farm animals are known to avoid them. Therefore, such plants should not be tasted at random. If at all possible, watch the animals. They know which ones are safe and which ones are not and, like nuts, the scramble to get to them first begins. Some native peoples were known to eat the rhizomes as well. They roasted them in hot coals and then removed the outer bark, taking the white inner part and pulverizing it for cakes or to eat as candy. They did not eat the central fibrous veins as it was believed to cause paralysis. However, fern leaves, and hay contaminated with the fern, are known to be poisonous to livestock when eaten in large quantities. The toxic ingredient is an enzyme called thiaminase, which destroys the animal's thiamine reserves. Nothing is said whether this same principle holds true for humans, however, but it stands to reason that it should also apply.
    When choosing fiddleheads, pick ones that are a deep or bright green, tightly coiled and no larger than an inch and a half in diameter. When they become too big, they taste like green wood and fiber. Whether you find a dry brown casing on them depends on whether these scales have fallen off during the trip to the market. The scales are bitter and need to be removed before the fiddleheads can be used, which should be the same day as when they are bought or picked. They do freeze well after blanching. If cooking them, do so gently and quickly as they will soon lose their whimsical shape. They are usually served hot with a splash of lemon and butter or soy sauce with a little oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. Fiddleheads and mushrooms make a natural combination. Fiddleheads are a good source of vitamins A and C, niacin, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus
    http://www.innvista.com/health/foods/vegetables/fiddle.htm

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    How to Pick Fiddleheadsthumbnail
    Fiddleheads
    The arrival of Spring brings fiddleheads to the eastern coast of the United States and Canada. These tightly coiled croziers, of the Ostrich fern, later uncoil into magnificent ferns that blanket the river and stream banks. It earns its name from the tightly coiled head that resembles the head of a fiddle. But it is not the beauty of the mature fern that excites the natives; it is the delicate flavor of this natural


  • Look for fiddleheads along stream and river banks. If you are unsure which ferns are fiddleheads, ask a friend or neighbor to show you.

  • 2
    Pick fiddleheads on a sunny day when fiddleheads are dry. Dry fiddleheads are much easier to take care of and tend to be cleaner and free of debris

    • Choose large fiddleheads that are growing on stalks six to eight inches from the ground. Fiddleheads that are loosely coiled or have begun to unfurl should be avoided. Young fiddleheads that are just emerging from the ground are often wet and difficult to clean.
    • 4
      Grasp the fiddlehead in your hand and snap it off at the stalk. Be sure to leave at least one to two inches of the stalk attached to the fiddlehead. Not only is this stalk tender and delicious, it will make cleaning much easier, too.
    • 5
      Toss picked fiddleheads into a small bucket carried in the left hand. Although some people prefer to pick into a plastic bag, using a small bucket is actually faster and easier. Once you get into the rhythm of picking and dropping them into the bucket, it's a breeze.
    • 6
      Empty the bucket into a clean plastic bag each time it is filled.
    • 7
      Pick entire clusters of fiddleheads at one time by grasping them below the head; quickly snapping off several stems at once.

    Cleaning Fiddleheads

    • 1
      Open a large paper bag and set it beside your cleaning area.
    • 2
      Grasp the stems of several dry fiddleheads. Hold the fiddleheads over the bag by the stem so that the heads are in the bag. With a twist of the wrist, sharply snap the fiddlehead against the inside of the bag. This will remove the brown papery covering on the fiddleheads. Remove any excess flecks of brown by hand and place cleaned fiddleheads in a large bowl. If ends have turned brown, simply snap off a small portion of the stem and discard it.
    • 3
      Pour fiddleheads into a large bowl of cold water and mix with your fingers to remove and remaining debris. The water should completely cover the fiddleheads with an additional inch of water beyond the fiddleheads. Scoop any floating debris off the top of the water and discard. Drain and repeat, if necessary.
    • 4
      Pour fiddleheads into a colander and run under cold water for a final rinse.


    Read more: How to Pick Fiddleheads | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2302388_pick-fiddleheads.html#ixzz1HM4aKwSo

    Fiddleheads Recipes - Fiddlehead Fern Recipe Collection

    Fiddleheads are a New England spring delicacy that can be consumed raw or cooked. Here are some fiddleheads recipes from New England to help you prepare this vegetable, which is actually a tightly coiled young fern, at home. Also learn how to share your own favorite fiddlehead fern recipe.

    What Are Fiddleheads?

    Before you cook fiddleheads, learn all about these unique ferns that are harvested in New England in the spring.

    Easy Recipe for Boiled Fiddleheads

    An easy recipe for boiled fiddleheads, including advice on where to find wild New England fiddlehead ferns, submitted by Lona of the Hill People.

    Fiddlehead Omelet Recipe

    Reader Rachel Evans, who married a long-time Mainer, shares this recipe for a Fiddlehead Omelet made with fresh Maine fiddleheads.

    Recipe for Fiddleheads with Mushrooms, Onions and Garlic

    Recipe for fiddleheads with mushrooms onions and garlic, submitted by Janine. Serve over pasta or as a side veggie.

    Cream of Fiddlehead Soup

    Here's a recipe for a creamy soup with fiddleheads from Vermont Public Radio's Cheryl Willoughby.

    Dijon Fiddleheads

    Add the savory flavor of dijon mustard to your fiddleheads with this recipe from Yankee Magazine.

    Fiddlehead Dip

    From the "What's For Suppah?" program on Maine's PBS station, here is a recipe for a warm dip featuring chopped fiddleheads, garlic, sweet onions and cheeses.

    Fiddlehead Ferns and Angel Hair Pasta

    From native New Englander and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, here's a recipe that combines fiddleheads, pasta and Creole seasoning.

    Fiddlehead Ferns with Brown Butter and Prosciutto

    From the Today Show, here is a unique recipe for fiddlehead ferns shared by Chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine.

    Fiddlehead Pasta Prima Vera

    Here's a New England fiddleheads recipe to try at home if you're craving a vegetarian pasta dish.

    Gnocchi and Fiddleheads

    Starchefs.com gives us this recipe from chef Dante deMagistris of the blu in Boston for Potato Gnocchi in Celery Broth with Sauteed Fava Beans, Fiddleheads, Asparagus and Pecorino Romano. That's a mouthful!

    Maine Fiddlehead Salad

    This zesty salad recipe incorporates cooked fiddleheads.

    Mainiac Ham and Cheese Pie with Fiddleheads

    Whip up a taste of Maine with this recipe from Castleview By the Sea Bed and Breakfast in Camden, Maine. It uses crab meat and fiddleheads, along with the ham and cheese.

    Marinated Fiddlehead Salad

    From the "What's For Suppah?" program on Maine's PBS station, here is a recipe for a chilled and marinated fiddlehead salad.

    Morel and Fiddlehead Fern Ragout

    Emeril cooking with fiddleheads? Yup. Although you might associate the celebrity chef with Louisiana, he actually hails from New England.

    Risotto with Fiddleheads and Morels

    From Yankee Magazine, here is a gourmet fiddleheads recipe from Lee Skawinski, chef/owner of Vignola and Cinque Terre in Portland, Maine.

    River Catfish with Fiddleheads and Potatoes

    From Yankee Magazine, here's a recipe for a wild supper featuring both fiddleheads and catfish filets.

    Stir-Fried Fiddleheads

    Scroll down to the bottom of this page to find this easy recipe for stir-fried fiddleheads from A Taste of the Mountains cooking school in New Hampshire, as published by Mother Earth News.

    Vermont Fiddlehead Pie

    This spring specialty recipe from The Combes Family Inn in Ludlow, Vermont, features chopped fiddleheads and Vermont cheddar.

    Vermont Fiddleheads with Cob Smoked Ham and Pasta

    This recipe is a Vermont variation on a classic Italian pasta dish.

    Share YOUR Fiddlehead Fern Recipe

    Have your own favorite way to prepare fiddleheads? Here's how to submit your fiddleheads recipe for possible publication.
     

    Bowling Green, Missouri - Part I

    I would like to share this with you..
    I have not been to Bowling Green, Missouri, but I have met several Amish people over the years with ties to this small, well-established settlement.  It's located about an hour and 20 minutes northwest of St. Louis.  It's a pretty conservative church with close ties to the Swiss Amish of Adams and Jay Counties in Indiana.  Seymour, Missouri is another settlement that also shares these ties, although Seymour has grown and prospered (to a degree) that Bowling Green hasn't.  Both Seymour and Bowling Green are pretty conservative but the Seymour settlement seems to have made more inroads into tourism and little shops than the BG Amish have.
    The top photo really illustratres some key features of the settlement quite well.  The photos are provided to us by Beth Russo, so a big thanks to her for sharing. She and her husband, Scott, visited BG over the weekend.  The top photo shows a pony-cart (which Beth got to ride on), laundry on the line and a tiny "ice house" in the background. The ice house is insulated with saw-dust and in comparison to similar structures at other Amish homes I have visited, this one is very small.  I've seen Amish take abandoned semi-trucks to turn into ice-houses, but this one probably serves the family's needs quite well.  Most Amish that use these type of ice-houses cut ice from a nearby pond during the height of winter and store it away where it keeps food cold throughout the year.
    The clothing colors are quite typical of what I've seen in Indiana.  While most Amish clothing hews to a similar color spectrum, there are certain styles that are shared and found in various communities.
    The bottom photo is of an Amish boy power-washing a piece of farm equipment.  More about the farm equipment tomorrow.  Also, below is an excerpt of my "email interview" with Beth. I thought some of you near St. Louis would find her map link helpful if you ever choose to visit Bowling Green.  Even though the settlement isn't very "touristy" the Amish who own and operate shops always appreciate the business, just be respectful when you visit!  Excerpt from Beth:
    This is the map we used to get around (http://www.visitbowlinggreenmo.com/amish_map.pdf) and it’s pretty accurate so that helped. We didn’t go to most of the home “shops” because we were pressed for time, but we spent a lot of time at the J&D Woodworking shop and the Hilty’s, which is meats, jams, and beehives & honey. Also, the Eicher home that sells odds and ends is a cute little shop. We mostly stayed at those places because they didn’t mind us taking pictures (if they weren’t in them) and they liked to talk as much as my husband and I did.
    http://www.oasisnewsfeatures.com/editor/bowling-green-missouri-part-i?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theamishcook+%28The+Amish+Cook+from+Oasis+Newsfeatures%29

    Have Faith In God

    Having faith is essential to living,but having faith in God is essential to living forever.
    Do you know that it's possible to have faith in faith? We may not set out to trust in our belief,but that can easily happen.Here's how it works.We start out in our spiritual lives with a desire to serve God,and somewhere along the line we read,"It is impossible to please God without faith"(Heb:6).So we start having faith in faith.
    We start believing that our faith is what saves us and our faith is what saves us and our faith is what keeps us going. Wrong!Faith is what gets us to the one who saves us and to the One who        keeps us going. What good is it just to have faith!Unless our fath points to the all-powerful,all-loving,totally just,completely holy God of the universe,it won't do us andy good.Don't have faith in faith. Have faith in God.
    So you see,isn't enough just to have faith.
    JAMES 2:17               

    Monday, March 21, 2011

    Happy Spring ( with a snow storm


    Happy Spring... It started snowing around mid afternoon and we are in a snow watch warning.. We have almost (3") of snow it looks so clean cause the snow we had was looking dirty..

    I had a busy day had a Dr. appointment and EKG with blood work getting ready for surgery Thursday.. I will still blog cause Ray got me a lap  top computer so I can keep up..

    Well Have to go .. Hope to get devotion on next if we don't loose power.. This is a very wet snow and the trees look pretty wish I had a camera...

    Blessing to my family and friends..Sisterbrenda

    Saturday, March 19, 2011

    Amish In Maine

    WLBZ, the NBC affiliate in Bangor, Maine offered a fascinating story about an Amish settlement that I was completely unfamiliar with (i don't know where EVERY Amish settlement is!Smile)  The Amish have gained a small foothold in Maine during the past decade.  The communities I was aware of are in Unity and the oldest Amish settlement in the state at Smyrna.  There is also a "plain fellowship" around Corinna.  This featured Amish settlement is at Fort Fairfield which is waaaaaaay up near the border with New Brunswick. Amish churches that are so isolated (only 10 families call this area home) often don't last unless they attract others which may be difficult in such a cold climate.  I think the video is very interesting because it sounds like this is a very conservative settlement.  The statements made in the video about the Amish in this community generally not having checking accounts and Amish girls changing their "kapp" color at age 15 are customs not true in every settlement.
    Click here to watch the video.  Some of it is kind of hokey and Maine folksy, but it is generally quite good
    http://www.oasisnewsfeatures.com/

    Have a Great Weekend



    I'm a little late in posting.. sorry..I don't do much posting over the weekend... So just to fill you in a little..Had a very busy day this morning went looking for a bed table found one that went over the bed and also tilts.. I can put my new lap top on it.. I have to be in bed for two months so I need a little comfort.. Then Ray helped me clean the house my ankle was so sore then made a large lasagna and salad and for dessert had strawberry jello with strawberries in it.. It all came out good. We had a few friends over and it was fun..

    So I hope all my family and friends are having a great weekend.. I'm be back on Monday with devotion and a few more posts...

    Good night and many blessings for a great weekend..

    Friday, March 18, 2011

    Wind Lost Of Power


    Today started out busy running errands this morning and then the wind picked up really bad.. We got home no power... It has been off for hours..We can stay warm we have an outdoor furnace.. Plus our cook stove and a few other sources of heat.. The sun is bright but just windy.. So this is going to be my last post for the day cause I don't know if we may loose power again. If been flickering off and on..
    Ray is taking a nap and I'm trying to get ready for surgery next week..I've been cutting a night gown out today...When Ray gets up we talked about going to best buy to buy a new lap top ..That will be nice.. I think if I ordered off line I could save some money I might check that again.. We are looking at a HP..
    We I hope you all have a great day.. Blessings to my family and friends thanks for stopping bye..

    What Would Jesus Do?

    If you're going to compare yourself to anyone,compare yourself to Jesus.
    The greatest person who ever walked the earth was Jesus. The life of Christ as told in the Bible truly is the Greatest Story Ever Told. Yet Jesus is more than a person,and His life is more than a story.
    Jesus is God with skin on, the Creator of the universe in human form. The Bible says that God is a Spririt (John 4:24),which is why no one has seen God.But we have seen Jesus,who became of us so that we could see God more clearly (John 1:18).
    Jesus experinced all of our temptations and human frailties,yet He lived a perfect life. That's why we can look to Jesus as our example for living.In fact,we must look to Him and His life if we are going to identify with God at all.
    Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
    1 JOHN 2:6

    Thursday, March 17, 2011

    EightSteps for How to Make Better Garden Soil

    How many are thinking about gardening ? And what are you doing to get ready...
    For me here in Maine we still have lots of snow... So for me I'm thinking what I want to plant and how I'm going to improve my soil...

    Hope you enjoy this...Blessings..

    Lodge ( how Cast Iron Cookware is made)

    Thought this might be interesting for some folks.. Enjoy... Sisterbrenda

    Jesus ' Authority

    The word of God heard from your mouth is moreeffective if it is also seen in your life.
    When pople heard Jesus teach,they were amazed. They had listened many times to the religious leaders who read the Scriptures and gave explanatiions that were dry,lifeless,and mostly irrelevant.
    But Jesus' manner of teaching was different,and so was his content. He explained the scriptures in a way that made them relevant to life. Jesus spoke with authority because He knew the scripture. The people could see from the actions of His life that He beliebed what He taught.
    Is your life more like the lives of the religious leaders of like Jesus? When you talk about spiritural matters,do you make them sound dry and lifeless? Or can you communicate the truth about God in a way that makes it seem exciting and appealing to others? Your answers to these questions will depend upon how much you know,and beleive,about God. If He is a work in your life,then what you say about Him will be authentic.
    They were amazed at his teaching,for he taught as one who had real authority-quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
    MARK 1:22

    Happy St. Patrick's Day


    I would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day... And it was filled with a pot of gold...

    Wednesday, March 16, 2011

    Good Afternoon ...


    Hi Sunny day will be coming soon.. Here in Maine it has snow and rained all the day.. Been gone all day to see the Dr. As some of you know I have to have surgery.. It is called this
    Haglund’s Correction with Removal of Retrocalcaneal Spur and Transverse Achilles Tenoplasty
    Link to this is http://podiatry.wordpress.com/2007/01/01/haglund%E2%80%99s-correction-with-removal-of-retrocalcaneal-spur-and-transverse-achilles-tenoplasty-2-case-reports/
    I will have to be in bed for (8) weeks.. have a splint for two weeks then the (5) week have a cast put on and then , they will take it off and take xrays to make sure no infection then in  (3) weeks another cast gets put on and then with good luck I should have all casts off and start to walk again.. 
    So if you have a prayer group @ church please put me on it thanks so much.. 
    Well have to get off here and do a few things.. I will keep posting every day and we will be buying a new laptop for me.. So stay tuned for some great things to go on here... 
    Blessings to all my family and friends.. Sisterbrenda

    Tuesday, March 15, 2011

    How to make a Caramel Frappe like Mcdonalds


    I thought I would share with you this you tube.. I like McDonalds Frappe but don't like there price tage.. So I did a seach on youtube and this is what I came up with from our kitchen to yours...

    Just click the white writting if it doesn't come up.. From our kitchen to yours..

    Gluten Free Sites

    Here are some gluten free links.. From our kitchen to yours..


    Gluten Free Sites

    Duplicate Cake

    This recipe I've had for a long time It was in our local paper.. I wish my camera was working cause I just made it and it came out so good... From our Kitchen to Yours..

         Duplicate Cake
    This recipe is from Jan Barrett's mother In-law. She was a very frugal woman who still cooked on a wood stove back in the 1960's, not just because she lived during the Great Depression,but because she had five kids and her husband was the sole bread winner. It is a very mosit chocolate cake. Missing in the recipe are eggs and mild perhaps they were scarce @ the time the recipe was developed...
         2 cups sugars
         3 cups flour
         1 tsp salt
         1/2 cup bakers cocoa
         2 tsp baking soda
         2 Tbsp vinegar
         1 tsp vanilla
         2/3 cup salad oil (vegetable oil)
         2 cups water
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
    Mix all ingredients together by hand till smooth (batter will be thin). Bake in 9x13 greased pan for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Top with peanut butter (or any other kind ) frosting or none at all ( some folks have been known to eat it hot right out the oven with butter) and watch it disappear.
    _Courtesy of Ware Stree Inn

    Monday, March 14, 2011

    Looking for some help?

    I'm trying very hard to put some of my pics on my blog under the title and different places.. Could someone help me out in baby steps? please and thank you...

    My horse Ready

    I would like to share a picture of my horse Ready.. I would like for you all to know we have had alot of animals on our farm but with a head injury that I had left permanent damage and I had to get rid of my animals.. I also had a great greenhouse business as well.. But I can no longer do anymore heavy work over my head no lifting hay and so on.. This horse was great on the road.. I would cart him everwhere.. He's name was Ready.. I got him when he retired from the race track he was fast..  He and my two other horses are sadly missed...Sisterbrenda

    Head covering poem

    I'm cleaning out some folders and found this thought its cute.. Enjoy..
    Head Covering Poem

    I have a head covering in public I wear.
    I am the one who put it there.
    I heard in my heart a voice.
    It was then I made my choice.
    Some asked who forced this on me.
    I tell them it is no one did,
    I chose it freely.
    I do it in my respect to God.
    But you wouldn't know the path I trod.
    They may have never experienced his love.
    Nor been saved by a blessing from above.
    People see how I am dressed and at times they stare.
    But so be it,
    You know I don't care.
    I gave my life to him.
    The love and light in my heart shall never dim.
    So let them talk and do as they will.
    It is for him these things I fulfill.
    For it is in my life that I shall spend
    Loving my Lord until the end.

    Well I better go and get the last load of lundry in.

    Blessings to my family and friends..

    My Apple Pie Filling Tutorial step by step

    Somebody asked for my apple pie filling and I can't remember who??? I just came across it while keeping my computer up... Sisterbrenda
    Well yesterday I was busy all day making apple pie filling. I couldn't believe how long it too to make and clean up. I've posted a step by step with my twist on the apple pie filling..
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Here I cut the apple in half and used a melon ball er scooped out the seeds.

    Next I peeled the apples

    Then I sliced the apples up..

    Got the jars lined up ready to fill

    Now its time to fill the jars

    Now its time to put the filling in that has been boiling on the stove..

    Boy this is hot filling here we come.. I suggest you leave an 1 inch of head space directions say 1/2 but that's not enough..
    Her it is all done I did a double batch and made 14 quarts..

    Recipe from Monica..site all recipes
    Canned Apple pie filling..
    4 1/2 cups white sugar
    1 cup cornstarch
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    2 teaspoons salt
    10 cups water
    3 tablespoon lemon juice
    2 drops yellow food coloring
    6 pounds of apples
    Directions
    In a large pan,mix sugar,cornstarch,cinnamon,and nutmeg. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly . Remove from heat and add lemon juice and food coloring..
    2~sterilize canning jars,lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.
    3~peel,cor,and slice apples .Pack the slice apples into hot canning jars,leaving a 1/2 space NOTE I used 1 inch I don't think 1/2 inch in enough..
    4~fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife.
    5~put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes..
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I would like to add I like to do tutorial because I'm a hands on gal.. I have a memory problem so this helps me if I need to go back and see what to do...
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    From my kitchen to yours..

    What is Your favorite piece in the kitchen???

    One of my favorite things in the kitchen is my hoosier.. I would like to share with you.

    What is your favorite piece?
    Well I have several but I really like my hoosier alot and I can store so much... Like 25 pounds of flour in the flour bin and a bread box and so many extra things.. So I would like to share a picture of it..

    Flour sifer that holds 25 pds of flour



    Some items I just have to have for baking..

    More things in the hoosier it holds alot of things..

    One of my flour boards

     More staples I need for baking...
    We must not forget this hoosier has a wonderful table the pulls out..
    My pot and pans rack..


    I also love my pot and pan rack... We don't have any over head cabinets except a few by  the stove that way we can look out and see beautiful views of the fields...
    Thanks for stopping by..
    Sisterbrenda

    CAPTIVE THOUGHTS

    The best way to keep your thoughts on God is to invite Him to control them.
         Thought control has a negative connotation.None of us wants someone else to tell us what to think. During the Cold War,people talked about how the Communists were using propaganda and "thought control"to manipulate the citizery.Consequently,we'd like to think we can and should control our own thoughts.
         If we were to be completely open and honest,we would admit that we aren't very good at controlling our thoughts. If our thoughts were printed out for all to read,we would be pretty embarrassed. It's not as though we we're plotting to overthrow governments or wondering how to do nasty things to people. It's those little wanderings into the dark corners of our hearts and minds that are the constant problem. That's why we need to ask God to control our thought,which He will do through the Holy Spirit,who will teach us and remind us of everything God has told us (John 14:26)
         And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
         2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 NIV

    Sunday, March 13, 2011

    Reusable Canning Lids

    I had miss placed this and now find again so happy I'm going to try a few this year..
    Sisterbrenda
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    TATTLER Canning Lid's proven success, as a reusable product, has earned them the distinction of widespread customer satisfaction and acceptance since their origination in 1976.  The years of development of this product have brought to the home canner a jar lid that is truly reusable.  In fact, the longevity of TATTLER Canning Lids presents the likelihood they will be handed down to the next generation of food preservation enthusiasts!

    Properly used, with any standard Mason jar and metal screw band, these reusable lids will last a lifetime. If you ever wear this lid out, we will replace it free! Follow standard directions and procedures, for two piece canning jar lids, with any normal home canning process, and obtain excellent results
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    Homestead Law (History)

    Thought I would do a little histroy here..
    Homestead Law, a law granting free land to settlers. The first such law was the Homestead Act passed by Congress in 1862. It gave the privilege of obtaining a quarter section (160 acres [65 hectares]) of land, free of charge, to any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of 21 years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such. The applicant had to pay a small filing fee, build a house and live on the land for five years (reduced to three years in 1912), and meet certain conditions as to cultivation. Later laws provided for homestead grants of up to 640 acres (259 hectares) on semi-arid land not irrigable and not valuable for minerals or timber.
    A homesteading familyA homesteading family on the trail in 1886.
    Persons who settled on homestead lands were called homesteaders. Those who settled on public lands illegally were called squatters. In many instances they were given the right to acquire title to the land.
    During the early history of the nation the federal government sold land from its vast public domain, usually for $1.25 an acre. The homestead movement began about 1800 with strong support in the West but with opposition in the South and East. A homestead bill was passed by Congress in 1860 but vetoed by President James Buchanan. The victory of the Republicans in 1860 and the secession of the Southern states cleared the way for adoption in 1862. The homestead laws were administered by the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior. Some 1,400,000 homesteads were granted under these laws. The federal government ended the homestead program in 1976 in all states but Alaska; there the Homestead Act remained in force until 1986.
    Canada passed a similar homestead law, the Dominion Lands Act of 1872, designed to encourage settlement of its western lands. All lands that were still unoccupied in 1930 were transferred to the control of the provinces.

    My Table Setting For St. Patrick's Day

    I like to do up my tables so here is my St. Patrick's Day table... Blessings to my family and friends..

    Saturday, March 12, 2011

    History of ironing

    Has anyone ever thought about this.. Good night Blessings to my family and friends..
    Two people using pan iron on length of fabric
    No-one can say exactly when people started trying to press cloth smooth, but we know that the Chinese were using hot metal for ironing before anyone else. Pans filled with hot coals were pressed over stretched cloth as illustrated in the drawing to the right. A thousand years ago this method was already well-established.
    Meanwhile people in Northern Europe were using stones, glass and wood for smoothing. These continued in use for "ironing" in some places into the mid-19th century, long after Western blacksmiths started to forge smoothing irons in the late Middle Ages.
    >>mangles    >> flat-irons & sad-irons    >> box irons    >> ironing in Asia
    >>>>irons for frills    >>>> ironing boards    >>>> early electric irons
    Also: >>>> history of laundry and >>>> laundry from 1800   

    Linen smoothers: stones, glass, presses

    Flattish hand-size stones could be rubbed over woven cloth to smooth it, polish it, or to press in pleated folds. Simple round linen smoothers made of dark glass have been found in many Viking women's graves, and are believed to have been used with smoothing boards. Archaeologists know there were plenty of these across medieval Europe, but they aren't completely sure how they were used. Water may have been used to dampen linen, but it is unlikely the smoothers were heated.
    dark green glass slickstone with handle More recent glass smoothers often had handles, like these from Wales, or the English one in the picture (left). They were also called slickers, slickstones, sleekstones, or slickenstones. Decorative 18th and 19th century glass smoothers in "inverted mushroom" shape may turn up at antiques auctions. Occasionally they are made of marble or hard wood.
    linen press with two drawers and screw mechanism above Slickstones were standard pieces of laundering equipment in the late Middle Ages, in England and elsewhere, and went on being used up to the 19th century, long after the introduction of metal irons. They were convenient for small jobs when you didn't want to heat up irons, lay out ironing blankets on boards, and so on.
    Other methods were available to the rich. Medieval launderers preparing big sheets, tablecloths etc. for a large household may have used frames to stretch damp cloth smooth, or passed it between "calenders" (rollers). They could also flatten and smooth linen in screw-presses of the kind known in Europe since the Romans had used them for smoothing cloth. Later presses (see right) sometimes doubled as storage furniture, with linen left folded flat under the board after pressing even when there were no drawers.

    Mangle boards, box mangles

    mangle board with horse handle and carved decoration Even in modest homes with no presses, large items needed to be tackled with something bigger than a slickstone. They could be smoothed with a mangle board and rolling pin combination; many wonderfully carved antique Scandinavian or Dutch mangle boards have been preserved by collectors. The board, often carved by a young man for his bride-to-be, was pressed back and forth across cloth wound on the roller.
    In England boards, paddles or bats like these were called battledores, battels, beatels, beetles, or other "beating" names. In Yorkshire a bittle and pin was used in the same way as the Scandinavian mangle board and roller. The earlier mechanical mangles copied this method of pressing a flat surface across rollers. The box mangle was a heavy box weighted with stones functioning as the "mangle board", with linen wound on cylinders underneath, or spread under the rollers. The boards/bats used for smoothing were similar to wooden implements used in washing: washing beetles used to beat clothes clean, perhaps in a stream. Sometimes they were cylindrical like the mangle rollers, sometimes flat. Instead of pressing you could simply whack your household linen with a bat/paddle against a flat surface, as witnessed in the Scottish Borders in 1803 by Dorothy Wordsworth.
    Early box mangles (see left-hand column), like Baker's Patent Mangle, were devised for pressing and smoothing. Mangles with two rollers (above left) could also be used for wringing water out of fabric. Many Victorian households would complete the "ironing" of sheets and table-linen with a mangle, using hot irons just for clothing. In the UK laundry could be sent for smoothing to a mangle-woman, working at home, often a widow earning pennies with a mangle bought by well-wishers after her husband's death. In the late 19th/early 20th century US commercial laundries described the mangling or pressing of large items as "flatwork" to distinguish it from the detailed ironing given to shaped clothing.

    >>>> more on mangles and mangle boards

    Flat irons, sad irons

    1 flatiron with a heavy base, 2 smallerBlacksmiths started forging simple flat irons in the late Middle Ages. Plain metal irons were heated by a fire or on a stove. Some were made of stone, like these soapstone irons from Italy. Earthenware and terracotta were also used, from the Middle East to France and the Netherlands.
    Flat irons were also called sad irons or smoothing irons. Metal handles had to be gripped in a pad or thick rag. Some irons had cool wooden handles and in 1870 a detachable handle was patented in the US. This stayed cool while the metal bases were heated and the idea was widely imitated. (See these irons from Central Europe.) The sad in sad iron (or sadiron) is an old word for solid, and in some contexts this name suggests something bigger and heavier than a flat iron. Goose or tailor's goose was another iron name, and this came from the goose-neck curve in some handles. In Scotland people spoke of gusing (goosing) irons.
    You'd need at least two irons on the go together for an effective system: one in use, and one re-heating. Large households with servants had a special ironing-stove for this purpose. Some were fitted with slots for several irons, and a water-jug on top.
    At home, ironing traditional fabrics without the benefit of electricity was a hot, arduous job. Irons had to be kept immaculately clean, sand-papered and polished. They must be kept away from burning fuel, and be regularly but lightly greased to avoid rusting. Beeswax prevented irons sticking to starched cloth. Constant care was needed over temperature. Experience would help decide when the iron was hot enough, but not so hot that it would scorch the cloth. A well-known test was spitting on the hot metal, but Charles Dickens describes someone with a more genteel technique in The Old Curiosity Shop. She held "the iron at an alarmingly short distance from her cheek, to test its temperature..."
    Box iron with wooden handle pressing bright cloth The same straightforward "press with hot metal" technique can be seen in Egypt where a few traditional "ironing men" (makwagi) still use long, heavy pieces of iron, pressed across the cloth with their feet. Berber people in Algeria traditionally use heated metal ovals on long handles, called fers kabyles (Kabyle irons) in France, where they were adopted for intricate ironing tasks.

    Box irons, charcoal irons

    If you make the base of your iron into a container you can put glowing coals inside it and keep it hot a bit longer. This is a charcoal iron, and the photograph (right) shows one being used in India, where it's not unusual to have your ironing done by a "press wallah" at a stall with a brazier nearby. Notice the hinged lid and the air holes to allow the charcoal to keep smouldering. These are sometimes called ironing boxes, or charcoal box irons, and may come with their own stand.
    Laundry Maid with lace cap and collar using box iron For centuries charcoal irons have been used in many different countries. When they have a funnel to keep smokey smells away from the cloth, they may be called chimney irons. Antique charcoal irons are attractive to many collectors, while modern charcoal irons are manufactured in Asia and also used in much of Africa. Some of these are sold to Westerners as reproductions or replica "antiques".
    Some irons were shallower boxes and had fitted "slugs" or "heaters" - slabs of metal - which were heated in the fire and inserted into the base instead of charcoal. It was easier to keep the ironing surface spotlessly clean, away from the fuel, than with flatirons or charcoal irons. Brick inserts could be used for a longer-lasting, less intense heat. These are box or slug irons, once known as ironing boxes too. In some countries they are called ox-tongue irons after a particular shape of insert.
    Late 19th century iron designs experimented with heat-retaining fillings. Designs of this period became more and more ingenious and complicated, with reversible bases, gas jets and other innovations. See some inventive US models here. By 1900 there were electric irons in use on both sides of the Atlantic.

    >>>> more on early electric irons  
    >>>> more on charcoal iron design  

    Ironing in Asia

    Ironing continued to be done with hot coals in open metal pans in China, the basic principles no different from an enclosed charcoal iron. Pan irons could be simple or highly decorative. Further west, clay smoothers were sometimes used. Solid ones could be heated for pressing. Others were designed to hold hot embers like the North African terracotta iron on this page. The ladies preparing newly-woven silk in a 12th century Chinese painting are using a pan iron, in the same way as the ironers in the 19th century drawing at the top of this page. Although that drawing comes from Korea, Koreans were traditionally known for smoothing their clothes with pairs of ironing sticks, beating cloth rhythmically on a stone support. A single club for beating clothes smooth was used in Japan, on a stand called a kinuta. In many parts of the world similar techniques were used in both cloth manufacturing and laundering: in Senegal, for example.

    >>>> more on ironing in Korea and Japan  
    http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx