Happy Homemaker Monday - July 18, 2011

I'm linking up today with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Happy Homemaker Monday.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

It's is the 60s right now. Forecast is for high 60s and rain AGAIN. (This was taken verbatum from my last post three weeks ago. Not too much progress towards summer here. Though to be honest I think we're supposed to get into the low 70s.)




Things that make me happy:

Our relaxed pace of life for the next few weeks is definitely welcome. Things start to pick up again once County Fair gets closer.

Book I'm reading:

So many since my last post...Overcoming Dyslexia, Disconnected Kids, Brain Allergies, The LCP Connection, The Kid Friendly ADHD Cookbook. Pretty heavy stuff.

What's on my TV today:

Not much as usual.

On the menu for dinner:

Hubby and our nine-year-old spent the last few days camping and brought home pink meat trout. It's a little like poor man's salmon. There's no fishy trout taste at all, so time to get creative with it tonight.

On my To Do List:

I really need to get a handle on the weeds in the garden. This rain and temperatures that encourage weeds has made a mess of things. We also ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO finish cleaning out the goat shed. That becomes my mulch material for the paths between the raised beds in the garden and a great weed suppressant.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

Since we're starting a sugar-gluten-casein free diet for H-Bob to see if that has an impact on her dyslexia and attention, cooking will be real interesting. I've armed myself with several gluten-free flours from Bob's Red Mill and a handful of cookbooks. I am probably dealing with this harder than she will since I feel like I can either cook two batches of things or be creative enough to keep everyone happy with only slight modifications to what her menu needs to be.

In the craft basket:

There are only wishes...

Looking forward to this week:

Our Marion berries are beginning to ripen. With the rain this year, they are fantastically plump. Now if we could only get a little sun to ripen them. I'm itching for a pie...guess it will have a gluten-free crust and ice cream? GF crust, yes; ice cream, no since that is a weakness of H-Bob's, but I did come across a recipe for slightly sweetened whipped coconut milk to replace whipped cream.

Source: cleangreensimple.com via Connie on Pinterest

Tips and Tricks:

I had started to use gallon ziplock bags to bundle up individual craft supplies with instructions taken from Family Fun magazine in a type of kit for H-Bob to grab and work on when I'm involved in something else. They're rather picked through at this point. Time to refresh them. It does a great job of keeping her productively occupied when I can't be there.

My favorite blog post this week:

In my search to learn how to prepare gluten-free foods, I stumbled across this post outlining what is gluten-free, how to use substitutions, what does and doesn't work. Thank you Gluten Free Mommy for sharing your experiences.

Blog Hopping:

Gluten Free Girl

On my mind:

Now that we've diagnosed H-Bob's dyslexia, we will obviously be continuing with her vision therapy, have started following the home sensory-motor correction program in Dr. Melillo's book Disconnected Kids to fire up her connections to the left hemisphere of her brain, are getting going full swing on an elimination diet to figure out her food sensitivities, as well as tackling a phonics intervention program to bring up her reading level. Lots and lots to keep my mind busy for sure.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

From my devotional that I have sent to my feed reader daily:

We can trust that God knows what is best for us and He will work to make it happen. When we seek the His will and do things His way, not our own, God will bring about the best outcome possible.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." - Psalm 37:5

Enjoy your week!

Happy Homemaker Monday - June 27, 2011

I'm linking up today with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Happy Homemaker Monday.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

It's is the 60s right now. Forecast is for high 60s and rain AGAIN.




Things that make me happy:

I'm purging one cabinet or drawer a day. I despise clutter, but is so easy to let it accumulate during the school year. Summer is my time to fling.

Book I'm reading:

I'm devouring Raising Your Spirited Child. It seems all of our kids would fall under one aspect of being spirited or the other. I'm finding it helpful to share it with Goat Princess, our fourteen-year-old. It's good to know you are not alone.

What's on my TV today:

Not much as usual.

On the menu for dinner:

I still have a portion of sturgeon left from hubby's fishing trip last week. Time to be creative with it. Far tastier eating it fresh than freezing it for later.

On my To Do List:

The u-pick fields are just now opening for strawberries. We pick an awful lot every year and freeze them. Today the girls have dentist appointments and one has a CYT Bible study right after dinner, so the trip to the berry field might have to wait until tomorrow.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

The broccoli in the garden is ready. I clipped a recipe from a magazine with an Asian twist to try.

In the craft basket:

These are the coolest looking reversible bags/totes. I would love to find time to make them.

Source: sewmamasew.com via Connie on Pinterest

Looking forward to this week:

Getting those berries in the freezer, weekly activities with our church, and finalizing H-Bob's fourth grade curriculum for next year.

Tips and Tricks:

I use a tremendous amount of garlic in the kitchen and prefer to use fresh cloves than the bottled variety even though it's a pain to work with. The easiest way I've found to handle it is to thinly slice off the root end, lay the clove flat on the cutting board, smash it with side of the blade of my largest knife which then allows me to just slip off the skin so that I can begin chopping. Works for me.

My favorite blog post this week:

This isn't a new post, but new to me...great looking social media icons that I updated my blog with. Now to find one for Pinterest...

Blog Hopping:

SmileMonsters.blogspot.com

No words needed:



Lesson learned the past few days:

It is wise to just stop what you are doing and be sure your child knows you are intently listening to what they are sharing with you. By far too easy to just, uh-huh, yeah, right, and then...what did you say? I've been guilty far too many times. It's not worth it.

On my mind:

I've been realizing that it is my job to know my kids inside and out. There is no one else who has been given that responsibility other than me. If it means I need to take the extra step to see things from their point of view, then so be it.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

From my devotional that I have sent to my feed reader daily:

Allowing frustration to make us impatient with others can tangle up our lives in a hurry. It creates messes that we have to go back and clean up later. How much better it would be to respond to someone’s unkind or thoughtless remark with kind words or even silence, rather than with a hurtful or mean reply. With the Lord’s help, we can do just that. Whatever situation we are presented with, we can respond by following the instructions given in God’s Word, and then wait patiently for Him to do the rest. It pays to be patient!

Enjoy your week!

Happy Homemaker Monday - June 20, 2011

I'm linking up today with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Happy Homemaker Monday.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

The weatherman has promised some sun this week. I'm certainly not holding my breath.



Things that make me happy:

I've been trying to come up with some activity that is universal from our 21-year-old at-home college student down to our youngest at nine that all of us can do together at least once month. You would be surprised how hard it is to find a) a time-frame that works for everyone and b) something all ages are able to participate in. So for June, we spent a day hiking this weekend and all had a great time.

Book I'm reading:

I'm working on my magazine stack which includes Woman's Day, Better Homes and Gardens, and Martha Stewart Living.

What's on my TV today:

We did watch the new True Grit from Redbox and then hubby wanted to watch the old version as well. Amazed at the similarity between the two.

On the menu for dinner:

I pulled out a frozen pork shoulder this weekend. And since I'm always on the quest for the 'perfect' recipe or method, I cooked half of it in the oven at a low temperature covered with foil until it reached 205 degrees internally. Good and tender but not much flavor. Then I put the other half on the Traeger grill and smoked it, gradually increasing the temperature up to 275 as my patience for it to be done wore thin, until it reached the same internal temperature. It tasted out of this world and was still drop-dead tender and easily shred. Definitely going to be my choice for now on.

On my To Do List:

I need to start planning both girls' homeschool curriculum for next year, as we need to place our book order some time in early July with the charter school.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

I have a lot of endive from the garden. I need to find a good salad recipe that will offset its tangy flavor that the kids are not fond of.

In the craft basket:

As much as I would love to venture back into crafting, gardening seems to take up my free time.

Looking forward to this week:

As selfish as this sounds, our 17-year-old is heading off to football camp this week, which means...I will no longer be wracking my brain for food ideas to keep him filled up. They eat at the college and pretty much get all the food they want during the camp. I told him to fill 'er up.

Tips and Tricks:

If I could remember to cold brew my coffee the night before so that I would have it ready to drink iced the next day, I would so love it. It's so easy and tastes far better than trying to ice down fresh brewed. I guess I just need some sort of a reminder system for myself.

My favorite blog post this week:

Brighton Park has a video on her site of her neice's wedding which included a surprise for the groom by the wedding party singing a capella to him. It's worth checking out it was so creative and yet special.

Blog Hopping:

Have you ever visited Food Gawker? Oh my. Do so and be prepared for deliciousness.

No words needed:

Lesson learned the past few days:

I just need to come to grip with the fact that I cannot get everything I want to do accomplished in 24 hours. It's best to just spend a set amount of time and then move on to something else. By attempting the all-or-nothing method, other responsibilities get neglected and become difficult to restore.

On my mind:

With my football player heading off to camp this week...that is if he clears his Impact test after a slight concussion last week...I sure do hope he stays safe. Being on the sidelines for half of his sophomore year with an ACL reconstruction and out his entire junior year due to his Lisfranc fracture, we all hope he can get in just one more solid year of football.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

From my devotional that I have sent to my feed reader daily:

All of these examples caused me to realize that God often uses seemingly under-qualified individuals to accomplish His will. Perhaps He knows their weakness will cause them to lean all the more on Him, or He wants to make it clear that any success comes from Him and not any one of us. Whatever His reasoning, it is clear that God is not as concerned with our abilities as He is with our availability. If God has called us to a certain task, we ought to be willing. That is all He requires. He will supply the ability.

Enjoy your week!

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm linking up today with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Happy Homemaker Monday.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Cloudy and gray as it has been since last September. Very depressing.

Things that make me happy:

The occasional one-day-stand of sun we seem to be getting. Watching my garden grow.

Book I'm reading:

Working on a summer schedule that will factor in some time for me to actually take the time to read. Something I miss dearly.

What's on my TV today:

Must say I never take time for TV. Way too much to accomplish elsewhere.

On the menu for dinner:

I always keep frozen taco meat from our yearly supply of elk and venison on hand. Tonight's no-brainer dinner will be a taco salad.

On my To Do List:

Keep looking for the pullet hen that escaped yesterday. I can't imagine she'll survive long on her own. Tackle nine-year-old's bedroom with her.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

Nothing I can think of presently.

In the craft basket:

I did see a great tutorial for a prayer journal that could be used for most any type of journal that I would like to try...time permitting that is.

Looking forward to this week:

The weatherman's promise of some sun. Any stretch of sun longer than a day or two is something to celebrate this year.

Tips and Tricks:

So thankful for the laminator I purchased last fall. So useful for lists of repeating items.

My favorite blog post this week:

Haven't had too much time to go through my feed reader yet.

Blog Hopping:

Providence Farms

No words needed:



Lesson learned the past few days:

From my wandering pullet hen...do not be in such a hurry to leave the protection of the Father. His ways are perfect.

On my mind:

Reflecting on the fact that my second-born will be a senior in high school next year. His last year of football will be here before we know it. We're praying for a healthy season in which he can play his heart out.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

The parables Jesus told of shepherds and farmers hold so many parallels to life. It is only a matter of time if you dabble in hobby farming to be keenly aware of how they specifically point to key areas of our lives.

Enjoy your week!