Courting Cate by Leslie Gould-Book Review

Courting Cate 

Cate Miller's mother passed away when she was very young so Cate took over the mothering job for her younger sister Betsy.  Having to grow up fast to take care of the home and her younger sister made Cate a little more feisty and outspoken than the average Amish young woman. She has pushed away those who have shown interest in her and now that Betsy is old enough to court, most men don't give Cate a second look.  Cate has given up hope that she will ever find love and is content to surround herself with good books and live life helping her father. 

The problem she encounters is that her Dat makes a rule that her younger sister Betsy cannot court or marry until Cate does.  This upsets the young men in their community because Betsy is cute and sweet and loves to flirt.  So the young men of the community and her sister come up with a plan to "help" Cate out without her knowledge.

Pete Treger enters the picture.  He's not from the area but comes to town to work for Cate's Dat. Cate finds herself drawn to the handsome stranger but is hesitant to trust her heart again.  After overhearing a private conversation, she is truly confused.  She is hurt and plans on cutting ties until her sister confesses a "secret" to her which throws everyone's world into chaos.  As usual, Cate puts the needs of her sister first and begins a difficult journey in a life she did not want.

However, she finds that God had a plan in all of it and Cate comes to appreciate the lessons she learned from the hard times.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through a book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Home in Drayton Valley-Book Review

A Home in Drayton Valley 

I'm a sucker for a good love story.  I especially like Christian romance books.  If that's your cup of tea then you will love this book...A Home in Drayton Valley by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

The story begins in 1880 in New York.  People had traveled to America in hopes of starting a new life.  Tarsie Raines had come as a child and been in the city for 12 years.  She befriended Mary Brubacher, a young woman with two small children and a husband, Joss, that had a bad drinking and gambling problem.  Mary was also very sickly.  Tarsie tried to help Mary with her home remedies, but the polluted air in the city just seemed to be making Mary more and more sick. When Tarsie came across a brochure about land in Kansas, she was convinced this would be the perfect solution for her friend.  Not only would the clean, fresh air help Mary's breathing difficulties, Joss would be further away from the bad influences the city had on him. 

Mary agreed to try to talk Joss into the move, but he wasn't interested.  That is, until he got in trouble with his gambling debts.  Suddenly, getting out of town didn't sound so bad after all.  Mary insisted that Tarsie come with them and Tarsie agreed.  Mary was her closest friend and it sounded like quite an adventure. She no longer had anyone keeping her in New York and Kansas sounded like a wonderful place to start a new life.

The group travels by train initially and then switch to a wagon train for the final leg of their journey. There are some unexpected turns in the trip and they are left having to make difficult decisions. Nothing turned out quite like they had planned, but they learn to adapt.

The thing I liked so much about this book is that it's not just your typical love story.  It delves into deeper issues that you wouldn't expect... issues of addiction, prejudice and prohibition are all interlaced, and of course, spiritual issues are included too. It makes for an interesting read and I hope you will check it out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through a book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Pleasure In The Simple Things

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with many happy memories.  Of course, with it being Thanksgiving week, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on the things I have to be thankful for.  There are many.  The older I get, the more I notice that the things that make me the happiest are the simple things in life. 

Yesterday was such a beautiful day!  After stuffing ourselves, we spent the afternoon relaxing with family and friends.  We played yahtzee.  My dice were not cooperating with me but I didn't care.  We went for a walk down the drive.  It was absolutely gorgeous out there.  The leaves are changing colors right now and it was so beautiful and peaceful.  It was as if God was taking a stroll with us.  :-)

Today we decided to teach our youngest son how to play Go Fish.  Oh my goodness!  He is so cute trying to hold cards.  Then my husband wanted to teach me to play Texas Hold 'Em.  Let's just say professional poker playing is not in my future.  I had so much fun though.

I've caught myself several times in this last week watching my boys playing together, talking, wrestling, snuggling .  It doesn't matter how old they are getting, I will never tire of watching them.  This time is so precious.

The holidays are bittersweet for me.  I know for many it is a difficult time of year.  I think of all those that are no longer here, wishing they were here to share this time with us.  But I am so grateful for the years we had together.  We will see them again some day. 

This has been a pretty difficult year for us in many respects.  But even with that, I still think of the many, many blessings that we have been given.  I am so grateful for all that God has entrusted to me.  So whether I'm singing hymns with our sweet, sweet church family or  sitting in my recliner crocheting while my hubby is watching the football game or watching my little one picking wildflowers and adding to his rock collection, or watching my oldest salivate over homemade pumpkin bread, I choose to rejoice. Life is good, God is great and I am one very blessed individual.  :-)

God bless!

Carrie

 Pumpkin Bread(my mama's recipe)

3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups sugar

Mix all these together.  Then add:

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin

Mix together and then bake at 350degrees for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes.  (I bake mine in a bundt pan).

This is so good.  It's very moist and one of our family favorites.  I hope you enjoy it!

Free Books

Thank you to all of our military past and present and their families for their service to our country and the sacrifices they have made.   Happy Veteran's Day!

I promised some info on free books the other day so here you go....I love to read!  I love free stuff!  So when Micah told me about a program he had signed up for where you get free books, I thought this sounds too good to be true.  It's not though.  It's free to sign up.  The only requirement is that once you read the book you have to write a review of it and post it.  :-) Don't fret about the reviews either.  There is nothing to them.  You don't have to write it a specific way.  There are no special requirements that you must have in the review.  You just have to put a note at the end that you received the book for free in exchange for writing the review.  They don't care if your review is favorable or not.  You could hate the book and write about that. LOL!

  If you like to read, I definitely suggest checking out these programs.  You even get to pick out which book you receive. There are all varieties of books.  My favorite is Christian Fiction.  Once you've submitted your review to them, then you can sign up to get another free book.  I'm going to sign up myself now that I have my own blog.  (Until now, I've been doing it for Micah's blog.  :-)

Here are the links for the free programs:


http://booksneeze.com/
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/
http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/doborete.html


I thought I'd post a copy of one of my reviews here to give you an idea of what they're like.  But I want to emphasize there is no right or wrong.  Do your own thing with it.  :-)  Hope you check out this program.  I've gotten several books now and have totally enjoyed it!

This book was Whispers in the Wind by Lauraine Snelling.

Twenty year old Cassie Lockwood has been the star of a Wild West Show since she was very young.  Traveling from place to place with the other people in the show has given her a sense of family, especially after her parents deaths.  The show is all she has, that is until she finds out that it is bankrupt.  Her “uncle” has been managing the money, but failed to mention to anyone that things were not going so well.   His announcement that they were breaking up the show and all going their separate ways was a shock to all.  

Cassie does the only thing she knows to do.  She gathers her belongings and along with two close  friends from the show, Chief, and Micah, sets out to find the valley her father had always talked about.  It had been her father's dream to settle there some day and raise horses.

After many days journeying, and many lessons on how to fend for herself, Cassie and her party arrive in the valley, with animals and wagon and one additional person, Runs Like a Deer, that they picked up along the way, with them.  Imagine her surprise to find a family already living on the land.  Mavis Engstrom, her daughter and two grown sons have been living in the valley for years now and developed the land into a working ranch.  Cassie's arrival creates a difficult situation for Mavis and forces her to uncover some long buried secrets.  Between the distrust from Mavis's eldest son and the tension in town towards Cassie's Indian friends, she's uncertain what she should do.  She learns though, that God has a way of working things out in His timing.  We just have to listen to the Whispers in the Wind for they will guide us each step of the way.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through a book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."



I hope you all have a blessed week!

Carrie

Two Favorite Recipes

Sorry I haven't been keeping up lately.  It's been a busy couple of weeks.  I thought I'd share a couple of our favorite recipes.  If you're like us, we get tired of the same 'ol, same 'ol.  Because of that, I'm always looking for new recipes and I love getting a new cookbook to try new things.  :-)  I have the boys rank recipes from one to ten(ten being great).  I write it on the top so I can remember how much we like a new one.  I have gotten some of my best recipes from sharing with friends and family and them with me.  I've never understood people who want to keep ingredients secret.  If we find one that we think is awesome, I love to share.  Anyway, with that being said, here are two of our favorites.

This first one is a new favorite for us that we tried the other day.  It is another one that I found in the recipes from my grandmother's recipe box.  I have no idea if she ever fixed this, but it was in her stuff.  LOL!  If she was like I am, I have a lot of recipes that I haven't tried yet.  Hopefully, she did make this one because it is a definite keeper for our family! I had thought when reading the ingredients that it would be similar to a homemade hamburger helper.  WRONG!!!!   It makes hamburger helper look like dog food.  Micah hates hamburger helper and he loved this! Hope you do too!

Chili Mac

2 lbs. ground beef(or half beef and half pork sausage)(I did half of each)
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked acc. to package directions(wait about twenty minutes after starting the chili part before cooking the noodles)
shredded cheddar or jack cheese

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, brown the meat, green pepper, onion and garlic.  Drain excess fat.  Add tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, water, chili powder, salt, cumin and cayenne.  Cover and simmer on low heat 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.  Prepare elbow macaroni according to package directions.  Drain.  Stir macaroni into chili.  Serve in bowls; garnish with shredded cheese.  Yields: 10-12 servings.



The second recipe that I want to share is one I got out of an old Taste of Home magazine.  Years ago I used to have a subscription and have several favorites from that time.  :-)  This is one of the quickest, simplest and tastiest recipes I've ever gotten from a magazine.  Just a note about this one...it is not pretty looking.  The only thing of color in it is the green onions.  But do not let that fool you!  This has an incredible flavor to it that I think you will love.

Hurry Up Ham and Noodles

5-6 cups egg noodles, cooked acc. to package directions and drain
1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Stir in the whipping cream and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the ham, Parmesan cheese, green onions, salt and pepper; heat through.   Add the noodles and the sauce/ ham mixture together and heat through.  

I hope you enjoy these two recipes as much as we have.  I have a couple recipes from other days if you're interested, check them out too. 

I hope to post some info tomorrow on how you can get free books.  It's rare to find something that is really free anymore.  We came across a program that gives you free books and all you have to do is write a review about it after you've read it.  You get to pick which books you want to review too.  But  enough about that for now.  Tune in tomorrow and I'll give you all the details.  :-) 

Blessings to you all,

Carrie

Carpet Care

My sister in law asked me about a cleaner for carpets. I knew I had saved some, but I had to find them first Maigan!  lol!  I've found several that are supposed to have great results.  All are made with simple ingredients that you probably have in your home already.  I do want to say that I have not yet tried these.  I do feel pretty confident that they must work because I read a bunch of reviews when I was looking for them.  Almost all were positive results.  They use some of the same ingredients that the other homemade products I've posted already use.  With each homemade product that I've tried, I've had very good results.  All that being said, however, I cannot speak from first hand experience on these yet.  :-)  If you try them, please write and let me know your experience with them, good or bad.  My goal in all of this is not necessarily to be the "go to expert" on all of the homemade products, I simply want to find alternatives to the expensive cleaners we buy in the stores that work as well, are cheaper and safer than the brand names.  If others can benefit from our research, I'm thrilled to share what we find. 

1)  Spot Cleaner for Carpet

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup warm water

Put in spray bottle and spray directly on the stain and let sit for a few minutes.  Use a damp cloth to rub stain.

For tougher stains found two more solutions:

2)   Carpet Cleaner Solution for Tough Stains

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup borax
1/4 cup white vinegar

Mix to make a paste.  Use fingers to rub into carpet and leave for a few hours.  Than vacuum over several times. 

3)  Second Cleaner for Tough Stains

1 Tablespoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water

Mix baking soda and vinegar(this will fizz quite a bit at first).  Add water and stir.  Put in spray bottle.  Scrub with a brush.  Wait 5-10 minutes and blot dry.



4)  Carpet Deodorizer

2 cups baking soda
10 drops of your favorite essential oil

Mix together.  Sprinkle powder on carpet.  Let sit for 30-60 minutes and then vacuum. 


5)  Steam Cleaner Solution  for Steam Cleaning Machines

1/4 cup lemon scented ammonia
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 teaspoons dishwashing soap
a little less than one gallon of hot water

Mix together and add to the solution compartment on your steam cleaner.

I can't wait to try these!  Between having a new puppy and our foyer having carpet in it, we have lots of spots that need cleaning!  Until I can afford to rip up the carpet in the foyer and replace with something more visitor friendly, I will continue trying to keep it clean.  I'm hoping to try these this week since I have a couple of extra days off.    I'll give you an update when I do to let you know how they worked for me. 


UPDATE ON THE DRAIN CLEANER:
Along that same note,  I did use the drain cleaner yesterday and had pretty good results.  I'm shedding hair worse than a cat so our drains seem to constantly be stopping up.  Our drain was not totally clogged yet, just very slow draining.  After using the drain cleaner, it drained much more quickly, but was still a little stopped.  When it is totally unstopped it makes an awful sucking sound. ( It scared Samuel half to death the first time it happened!  lol! He was climbing up the back of the wall trying to get away from it.  )  I think I'm going to do another round of the drain cleaner to see if it completely clears.  Like I said, it drained out much faster, so it did work, but I like it when there is NO standing water at all.  I'm hoping with a second application that'll do the trick.    Remember that this mixture is also used for drain maintenance about once a month.    I think once I get it totally unplugged and use the cleaner as maintenance, we probably won't have the problems we've been having the last few years.


Happy carpet cleaning!  Hope you have good results.  :-)

Have a wonderful week! 

God bless!

Carrie

Homemade drain cleaner

Well, I confess I've been a bad blogger this week.  Between traveling on Monday to see a friend whose dad was not doing well, keeping the baby a couple of days and being sick a couple of days, I just haven't made time for blogging.  I hope to make up for missing by giving you several things today.

First of all:

Homemade Drain Cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar

Pour in the baking soda and then add the vinegar.  Normal for it to fizz, so don't worry.

This recipe got rave reviews for both clearing a blocked drain and for maintenance cleaning of your drains(do about once a month).

It's all natural, no harsh chemicals, cheap and used with items you probably already have in your home.  :-)

I'm planning on trying this today.  We have a slow flowing drain right now.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Second item I want to share today is a recipe Micah's Aunt Gail gave me years ago.  It is wonderful and so simple to make.

Crockpot Cream  Cheese Chicken

3 lbs. chicken pieces
1 package Italian salad dressing mix
4 T. melted butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place chicken pieces in crockpot and sprinkle Italian salad dressing mix over the chicken.  Drizzle 2T. melted butter over chicken.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Melt 2T. butter in a saucepan and saute onion and garlic.  Add the cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and chicken broth.  Stir until smooth.  Add this mixture to the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Serve over rice or noodles.  (We like it over rice)

Enjoy!

Last thing to share today...

I read this article on one of the homesteading sites that I like to read each day.  They have tons of ideas on all natural items you can try.

This one is for natural ways to helps clear up a pimple.  Not something lots of folks like to talk about but nevertheless part of most of our lives.  I break out worse now than when I was a teenager!  Go figure!   Anyway,  the simplest one that struck me and I continue to find this recommended is toothpaste!  I can't wait to give this a try.

I'm going to print the article here for you.  I do suggest you check out their site though.  I think you'll be hooked once you see it.  :-)

Homesteading Self Sufficiency Survival

 

How to Get Rid of Acne Overnight There are several easily available items found in our homes that can be used for getting rid of acne fast. Some of the home remedies are as follows: 1. Ice Pack: Application of ice will help to reduce the swelling and irritation associated with acne. For this, take some crushed ice and wrap it up in an aluminum foil so that the ice do not get melted quickly. The n put it inside a plastic bag and cover it up with a towel. Now place the ice pack over the can for about 10-15 minutes. Thus the open pores will shrink and force the oil and dirt to come out of the pores. Take a break for few minutes and apply it once again. 2. Toothpaste: This is one of the most popular method to treat acne because it actually helps to get rid of acne overnight. Still, there are many people who do not know the exact method of how to get rid of acne overnight with toothpaste. Take a coin size of toothpaste on your fingertip and apply it on the acne. Allow it to stay on the acne overnight. It will absorb excess of oil from the acne and reduce its size to a great extent. Next morning, wash it off with lukewarm water and then with cold water and you will be surprised to see the difference! However, you should not gel toothpaste for this purpose. Find more on toothpaste on pimples - does it work. 3. Sandalwood Powder: The natural medicinal properties of sandalwood helps to heal up the acne at the same time prevent acne scars. Prepare a thick paste of sandalwood powder and black gram powder and some rosewater. You can replace rosewater with milk as well. Apply the paste all over your face and leave it overnight. Rinse it off with water on the next morning and you will notice that the size of the acne has gone down and the skin pores look smaller as well. 4. Egg Mask: Before applying this mask make sure your face is thoroughly cleaned. Take white portion of two eggs and add 2 tablespoons of lime juice into it. Beat the mixture well so that the two components blend well with each other. Dip a cotton swab into it and apply it on the acne generously. Wait for about 15 minutes and then wash off thoroughly with cold water. 5. Honey and Cinnamon: The antibacterial properties of honey and cinnamon helps to reduce acne very quickly. You have to prepare a face mask with the help of one tablespoon of raw honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply it liberally on the acne on your face. If you have acne scars then you can use this paste on them as well for acne scar removal. Leave it on the acne for about half an hour and wash off. You can see that the redness of the acne going down almost instantly. Before you start any of the treatments given in this article on how to get rid of acne overnight, I would like to tell you that all the methods of treatment given here may not be suitable for you. Every skin type is unique and what suits your friend may not suit you at all. Therefore, try to find out which one is just right for you. You should clean your face with a mild cleanser before any treatment for best effect. Eat the right kind of foods that consist of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for acne prevention. Cut down on fried and processed foods. Drinking ample amounts of water will help to flush out the toxins from the system. Thus, your skin will stay healthy and acne will be in check.   Blessings to you all this coming week!   Carrie  Philippians 4:19--"  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Write a comment...

Album:Wall Photos Shared with:Public Tag This Photo View LargerDownloadRe

 

Mountains and Valleys

It's been a difficult couple of weeks for me.  I find, however, that no matter how down I may be, I always seem to come across folks that are going through a much more difficult time than I am.  Why is it that we tend to think we are the only ones suffering?  For it is not so.  The whole world is full of people going through their own struggles.  If we could only take our eyes off ourselves and open them to the needs of others, focusing on our blessings, instead of what we don't have,  maybe we would stop wallowing in self pity.  I think it would put things in a more accurate perspective, for sure.  Life is hard.  There is no way around it.  It is filled with mountains and valleys.  Hopefully, more mountains than valleys.  :-)  But I find as I look back at my 42 years of life, it has been through the difficult times that I have grown the most.  My relationship with my Lord has strengthened as it never would have had I stayed on the mountain top.  So I think I can honestly say, "Thank you Lord for the valleys."  I am a much stronger Christian because of the valleys and a much stronger person overall.  I pray that my trials will bring honor and glory to God.  I hope that my life will magnify the name of Jesus...always!  If you are on the mountain top, praise Him!  If you are going through difficulties, praise Him even more!  For it is through the refiner's fire that we are made more like our Savior.


"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. "
Phillippians 4:11

God bless,

Carrie

Homemade Shampoo

Well, I have to admit this next tip, I was very skeptical about.  Homemade shampoo.  I knew there would be recipes out there for homemade shampoo, but the one I kept coming across most frequently was surprising.  It only has two ingredients:  baking soda and water.  Yep, that's all.  It just sounded too simple.  However, I'm willing to try anything once, so I figured I'd give it a try.

Here is the recipe:

Homemade Shampoo

1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Cup water

Mix together and put in an old shampoo bottle for convenience.  Shake well before each use.  Can be doubled or tripled depending on the size of the bottle you want to store it in.  Work in a little at a time and massage in for about 1-2 minutes.  Rinse very thoroughly.

**One note about this mixture that will seem different...the consistency of the shampoo.  It feels like you're squirting water on your head.  It's not going to be thick like a normal shampoo. **

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  It did not take very much and I have a LOT of hair!  My hair looks and feels very clean.  I would even go so far as to say my hair feels cleaner than it does with my normal shampoo.  It doesn't have that "heavy" feel that some shampoos leave.

I'm curious as to whether it will stay clean as long as it does with normal shampoo.  I just washed with this this morning before church, so I will have to let you know in the next few days how it does for keeping my hair clean compared to regular shampoo.  I normally only have to wash my hair about every 3 days.  We'll see if I can go that long with this mixture.

Stay tuned for more experiments in going "all natural".  I have been very pleased with all the results so far.  I haven't found one thing that did not work yet.  I plan to continue switching over to all natural one by one.  I'm loving all the money that I'm saving and there is a sense of pleasure over knowing that not only am I being a better steward, but it's better for our family by not using so many man-made chemicals/products and better for the environment too.  :-)  It's a win/win situation all around!

Thanks for reading!  ;-)

Blessings to you all this week!

Carrie

Another Money Saving Idea

Here is a money saving idea that we have been doing for the last couple of months...instead of drying your clothes in the clothes dryer, hang dry them on a line.  Our electric bill has gone down by $15 just by doing this one simple thing.  I have been so excited!  I didn't think it would make that much difference.

  One thing that you will notice is that the towels and jeans are more stiff.  I do like soft towels.  However, I don't like them enough to pay an extra $15/month to dry them in the clothes dryer.

  A couple of thoughts on how to help this problem, if you just can't stand the stiffness--

1. You can try throwing them in the dryer for about 5-10 min.  with a wet wash cloth and a dryer sheet.

2. Take them out before they completely finish the spin cycle and then hang.  The more damp they are, apparently reduces stiffness.

3.  Hang your jeans, pants and shirts upside down.  This seems to lessen the stiffness and it also decreases wrinkles too.  :-)

Also, the more they move while on the line...like a windy day, is supposed to decrease the stiffness, too.

If you're like our family though, we seem to have a constant flow of laundry.  So I can't wait for windy days. The stiff feeling is not a big deal to me.  I'm just trying to get the water off me after all, but you decide what you think.

Another thought about line drying your clothes...It's not as hard on your clothes and it's better for the environment and of course, my favorite part of it,  easier on your pocket book.

I've noticed that while I'm out there hanging the clothes up, I tend to spend my time talking to the Lord.  There's something about being outside in nature that just makes me feel closer to Him....always a good thing.

A friend mentioned a while back about a homemade fabric softener that you spray on while hanging them on the line.  When I get the recipe for that, I'll pass it along.  It's made from hair conditioner.  Sounds interesting, but I haven't tried that yet.

Anyhow,  hope you have a blessed weekend!

Carrie

Is Jesus Your Savior?

Well, I got some bad news this evening.  My mom's oldest sister passed away today.  She was 83.  This makes the fourth death in less than a week.  :-(  The one thing they all had in common was their Savior, Jesus Christ.  So I guess I should say the bad news was for us, not them.  They are in a much better place and I know some day I will see them again.  :-)   I suppose it is only natural that as I get older, I know more and more people that are dying.  It doesn't make it any easier though.  We grieve for our loss.  But one thing I find myself reflecting on more and more is.....am I doing all I can to make sure my family and friends know Jesus as their Savior?  Am I living a life that reflects Christ's love to others?  Do I witness to people?  Do I pray for them? Am I inviting others to church? Loving them? Comforting them? Encouraging them? Am I doing all I can to live a life pleasing to my Lord?  I know I have a great deal of room for improvement.  It's so easy to get busy with "life" and forget our purpose for being here on earth.  If God didn't have plans for us, He would take us to Heaven as soon as we got saved.  But He doesn't do that because He wants us to share with others His love for them, what He has done for us, how He will do that for them too.  We should pray for opportunities to share God's love with others and to help us recognize the opportunities right in front of us.  The fields are ripe unto harvest and our time is short.  We don't know how long we'll have on this earth.  Two of the people that died were in their 80's, but the other two were 52 and 47.  When will our day come?  We don't know, but we need to be ready.  Are you ready?  Is Jesus your Savior? If you died today, where would you be?  Where would you spend eternity?  If He is not, please do not wait another day. 

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "
Romans 10:9




 
God bless!

Carrie

Homemade Bathtub Cleaner

Thanks to everybody for the prayers.  I want to ask for continued prayers for us as we attempt to discern the Lord's will for our family...in particular my job situation.  I know God has a perfect will in all of this.  We're just trying to make sure we are in it.   I have some possibilities, so prayers for guidance would be greatly appreciated.  Sure wish He would just send an angel to show me the path.  :-)

I'm trying something new tonight.  It's a homemade bathtub cleaner.  I'll have to come back in an hour and let you know how it worked. I read about it in several places today and they all swear it works very well.  We have a particularly difficult bathtub!  It does not like to be cleaned! I have to admit though, that the bathtub is probably one of the most neglected things in our home!  lol!  I hate cleaning it.  It is one of those old(blue) iron(I think) tubs that the finish is gone from, which makes it very hard to make look clean even when you've scrubbed til your hand is about to fall off!  I am hoping that this homemade concoction will work well.  From what I read, not only does it clean, but it comes clean easily.  We'll see.  I have to admit I am skeptical on this one...at least on our tub.  I sure hope I'm wrong though.  Would love to be wrong this time.  :-)  Stay tuned for the reveal in about 45 minutes or so.  I'm going to put the recipe on here so you can try it too if it works and so you'll know if it doesn't, not to try it.

Homemade Bathtub Cleaner

Equal parts of :

Dawn dishwashing liquid
White vinegar

Warm the vinegar and add the Dawn. Put in a spray bottle.   Shake a little to mix.  Spray over entire surface and wait one hour.  Scrub clean and rinse thoroughly.

Very simple and inexpensive if it works.  :-)  Keep your fingers crossed!


FINDINGS ARE IN!

I am happy to report that it does work!  Yay!  I've thought for 3 1/2 years our bathtub was a dingy brown, but I was wrong!  Who knew?!!!!  It's really blue underneath all that yuck!  TMI, I know!  I would like to say that I did have to put some elbow grease into it too.  It didn't just wipe off for me.  However, that being said ours is especially hard to clean b/c of the lack of finish on it.  Even with store bought cleaners, I have to really scrub and it does not look as clean as it does now.  It really is taking the grime off(This is embarrassing.  Mine was pretty bad.)  I missed a few places when I sprayed it and I'm putting some there now to go back and get it in an hour.  I don't think for most folks it would be as difficult since most bathtubs have a finish on them.  Give it a try and see what you think.  Let me know how it works for you.  Now that I've found something that will actually make it look clean, maybe I'll clean it more often...maybe....hopefully, lol!  :-)

Homemade Washing Powder

Hmmm, well today has been another "bad news day" for our family, unfortunately.  :-(  It seems like we've had a constant barrage of those in the last couple of months.  I am remarkably at peace though.  I can only attribute that to being a "God thing", because otherwise, I'd be a basket case.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. "
Philippians 4:7


Without boring you with the details, suffice it to say that things just got a lot tighter for us financially.  It seems like the noose is getting a little more tight every week that goes by.  However, that being said, our God is faithful to supply all of our needs.  He has never failed us and I know He never will. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.  :-)

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. "
Philippians 4:19

I wanted to share another tip on saving money that we have discovered.  It's making your own washing powder.  We were buying the large box of Arm and Hammer washing powder before we started making our own and it was around $15... a pretty penny to drop just to have clean clothes.  We have been so pleased with the results of the homemade washing powder and it costs pennies per load compared to the brand names.  I think you will be very pleased with the results.  If the economists are correct, things are going to get much more expensive in the very near future, so I think many people will be looking to save as much money as they can.  I encourage you to give this a try.  You won't be disappointed.

HOMEMADE WASHING POWDER

1 bar pure soap (Fels-Naptha, castille, etc) , grated first and then run through food processor.(washes out very easily)
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
(We add a couple of Tablespoons of Phosphorus to this.)

Place soap in a medium sized container with lid. Add washing soda & borax. Mix well.
Use 1 Tbsp per load or 2 Tbsp per load for heavily soiled clothing.

Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to your washer in the fabric softener part. This will help get the soap out of the clothes.  (They do not smell like vinegar once dry.  :-))

The clothes smell very  fresh and clean once dry.

Well, I hope you all have a blessed week!

Carrie

Rainy Sunday

Instead of waking up to the wonderful pitter patter of rain on the roof, I woke up to Samuel crying because he was sick. Not good!  He started throwing up just before seven and kept on until after eleven.  My poor baby!  He is so pitiful when he's sick.  So he and I stayed home from church this rainy morning.  He does seem to feel a little better now,  I'm happy to report.  Thank you for the prayers for him in church this morning.

Well, since we have a sick one amongst us, I thought I'd make some homemade chicken noodle soup.  This recipe is one I found in my grandmother's recipe box and we love it.  Micah doesn't even like soup and he likes this one a lot!   Not sure how my mother ended up with my mama's recipe box when she died.  Mother was not really "into" cooking so much...maybe that's why she needed the recipe box.  lol! I thought I'd share this recipe with you.  It's easy to make.  Hope you'll try it sometime.  It puts the canned chicken noodle soups to shame!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
12 cups water
1 cup diced carrots
4-7 chicken flavored instant bouillon cubes(depending on how strong you want it)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 oz. wide egg noodles

In a large Dutch oven, cook celery and onion in butter until tender; add remaining ingredients except noodles.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer covered 30 minutes.  Add noodles. Cook 10 minutes longer or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.  Makes about 4 quarts.

Hope you enjoy it too!

One last thing for today....I mentioned yesterday about all the people we know having difficulties.  It seems like everywhere you turn people are hurting and struggling.  I was really down the other day because it was a difficult week for us.  Micah and I started talking about the hard times so many folks are going through right now, ourselves included.  My frustration was at a high.  It seems like Christians, in particular, seem to be under attack.  People we know who have dedicated their life to serving God and ministering to those in need are going through the most horrible trials.  It just didn't seem "fair".   As we talked through some scriptures and I got alone with God and talked to Him, a peace came over me.  The reality is that we are under attack by a terrible enemy, Satan.  The Bible tells us that he wants to destroy us.   Micah found Psalm 73 for me and we read through it together.  It discusses this very topic...that the evil seem to thrive while the Christians struggle.  However, if you read to the end of the chapter, you will see how the story ends.  I encourage you to read this chapter too if you are going through difficulty and struggling with the "whys?" of it all.  One last verse to leave you with...


"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. "
John 16:33

Hope this will help you too. Thanks for reading!
God bless...

HOMEMADE DISHWASHING POWDER

For my first post on my new blog I thought I'd share a little about why I decided to create a blog.  My husband, Micah, and I have been discussing how we can become more self sufficient.  There has never been a time in my life that I have known more people out of work, more people struggling to make ends meet, more people who are finding it difficult to sustain a good quality of life.  The Bible tells us that as Christians we should not only be good stewards of the resources the Lord has entrusted us with, but to also be aware of the times we live in.  We feel like it's just a matter of time before some crisis happens to our country, whether it be man made or natural, and we are not prepared to survive.  Our grandparents lived through the depression and knew how to make do with less.  They knew how to grow their own food, fix their own clothes, make their own things.  Most young families today have no clue how to do any of these things.  Micah and I found ourselves in that same category.  I don't know if this prompting to become more self sufficient was the Lord laying it on our hearts or not, but this year we have started trying to learn what we need to do to be able to take care of our family if the need arises.  The Lord will always help those who call on Him, but He also gives us common sense to do what we can to be prepared.  We are also striving to be better stewards which is why we're teaching ourselves how to make our dollars stretch.

My blog is entitled "Odds & Ends" because I plan on putting a little bit of everything on here.  As I said, we are new to all of this prepping/homesteading stuff so we are still learning.  As we try out new things, my hope is to post about it and let you know what our findings are. My memory is not what it used to be(not that it's ever been great), so I'm hoping having it all in one place will help me too.  I hope to not only post recipes for homemade items, like washing powder, dishwashing powder, soap, fabric softener and many other items we use in our homes, but also food recipes that we've tried and like, natural medicinal things and our gardening adventures.  I say adventures because we had our first garden this year and we learned a lot.  Next year, we are hoping to expand it greatly.  I tried my hand at canning this year too.  I'm hoping to do much more of that next year with our expanded garden.

I also hope to share other tidbits of information as the Lord lays it on my heart.  We have been through a lot in our forty something years.  I feel like God has allowed these things in our life so that we may help others who are going through similar situations.   He promises us that all things work together for our good.  It doesn't always mean what we are going through is good, but that God can work it for our good. 

A little about me now...Micah and I have two wonderful sons, Zachary, 17, and Samuel, 4.  Micah and I have been in the ministry for 18 of the 21 years that we've been married.  About 17 years ago, Micah was bitten by a tick and developed Lyme's Disease as a result.  This has been something that has been a struggle for us because of the seizures and pain that Lyme's causes.  There may be days that I write about the things we've learned from this journey we've been on.

Basically, I want this blog to be a help and a type of daily journal of all that we are learning.  I pray that it will honor my heavenly Father above.  I don't know yet what it may develop into, but at this point these are the ideas that I'm hoping to share on this site.  But, of course, I reserve the right to put any other random thoughts I may have here too(scary, I know!)

Thanks for checking out my blog!  God bless!

Carrie

HOMEMADE DISHWASHING POWDER

1 cup borax
1 cup washing powder(looks like a big baking soda box, in the cleaning supplies of your store)
1/2 cup citric acid(found this in the canning supplies at walmart)
1/2 cup Kosher salt
*2 T. phosphorus(we added this too.  many of the recipes we found for homemade do not have this)*

Mix these together thoroughly.  You'll need to stir this every time you think about it for the first couple of days or else it will form a solid block.  After that, it didn't do it anymore.

Use 1 T. of the mixture and also put 1 T. of regular distilled vinegar in the rinse compartment(this will keep your glasses from getting cloudy.

 *A note about the phosphorus...Micah said that phosphorus used to be in all of our cleaning supplies and the government took it out because of the ecofriendly laws that had been passed.  The problem was that the cleaners did a much poorer job of cleaning without it in there.  Feel free to research the phosphorus issue and decide if you want to add it to yours.  We like the results.  It can be added to your washing powder for clothes too.  :-)

This is so much cheaper than the brand name dishwashing powders and does a good job cleaning the dishes.  I think you'll be very pleased with the results.