Herbs, Honey, Bread & Butter

I look forward to our Wednesday evening home group. This week it is our turn to bring snacks. I don't know why I ponder over what to bring. I'm sure whatever I bring, the people are so sweet that they will eat it anyway.

Last week during our Home Economics class, Sarah and I baked some homemade bread. This bread was by far the best we have ever baked. The recipe is a keeper for sure. We got the recipe while watching the video "Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making".

So I decided to bake bread for our home group. Here's an excerpt of the video.

Here's how our bread turned out. Of course we melted butter on our :)

Also, I managed to find fresh herbs really cheap in my area. I decided to make herb butter to go with it. Since my husband has a little sweet tooth (which I always cater too), I decided to make some honey butter as well.

Herb Butter

Herb Butter is fairly simple to make. You use 1 stick of butter. 3 teaspoons of your favorite fresh herbs. I like to use 3 different herbs. I also add a tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese; it's optional. Mix it on high with a hand blender until well blended.

Honey Butter

Honey Butter is just 2 ingredients: 1 stick of butter and 1/4 cup of honey. We like the taste of clover honey, so that's what I use.

I love to put my butters in small canning jars.

As the weather starts to warm up, I'm reminded that nothing compares to bread baking in the oven. Soon, I won't be able to crank that oven on. I'm enjoying it now while there's still a cool breeze today. Someday, I look forward to my grandchildren enjoying my fresh baked breads that I made for their mother and father when they were younger.

Home-Baked Bread

by Sally Croft

"Nothing gives a household a greater sense of stability and common comfort than the aroma of cooking bread. Begin, if you like, with a loaf of whole wheat, which requires neither sifting nor kneading, and go on from there to more cunning triumphs."
-The Joy of Cooking

What is it she is not saying?
"Cunning triumphs". It rings
Of insinuation. Step into my kitchen,
I have prepared a cunning triumph
for you. 

Spices and herbs
sealed in this porcelain jar,

a treasure of my great-aunt
who sat up past midnight
in her Massachusetts bedroom
when the moon was dark. Come,
rest your feet. 

I'll make
you tea with honey and slices

of warm bread spread with peach butter,

still fresh with dew. The fragrance
is seductive? I hoped you would say that.
See how the heat rises
when the bread opens. 

Come, we'll eat together, the small flakes

have scarcely any flavor. What cunning
triumphs we can discover in my upstairs room
where peach trees breathe their sweetness
beside the open window and
sun lies like honey on the floor.

"Mommy Moment" Turned Into a "Mommy Meltdown"

If you happen to be at the local WalMart (yes I do shop there) last night I'm sure you saw that woman too. She was the one in the toy aisle crying her eyes out while hugging her son who towers ever her. The son, reassuring her that it was okay. The thirteen year old daughter wondering what is wrong with her mother; she's reached an all time high of flooded emotions.

I'm sure you're wondering what was wrong with her like the others who saw the drama unfold; and that woman saying over and over again, "He reminds me so much of you. Remember you used to love Woody too." I did not say anything negative about that woman. I related to her all to well. Why? That woman was me.

Here's what happened. My son (17, will be 18 in a few weeks), my daughter (13) and myself were at the local WalMart. We had a few hours to waste until it was time to pick my husband up from work. We took our time walking around the store. We laughed and told jokes as we strolled up and down each aisle.

Photographer: Kim Tortora

I love the feeling of being able to spend time with my children. I wanted to make this week extra special because this is my son's last Spring break at home. Then, there will only be one child left at home. My plans for this week included lots of junk food. Watching movies during the day while my husband was at work. I had this week planned to perfection. What I didn't plan for was this.....

While hanging out in the toy aisle, a father and his little son walked by. The little boy was no older than three years of age. He had a twenty dollar bill in his hand. His father following close behind as the little boy led him through the toy aisle. The little kept saying, "I have to find Woody."

It was at that moment that I looked at my son and said, "Remember you used to love Woody too." That is when it hit me. I started crying because I knew that in a matter of months, my son would be leaving to go and train to service our country.

He looked down at me and said, "It's okay mom. I'm gonna be okay."

I know he's gonna be okay. The problem is he grew up too fast. Where has time gone? It seems as if it was just yesterday that my husband and I were taking him down the toy aisle looking for a Woody for him.

It was at that moment when all the memories came to my mind and I didn't have a "Mommy Moment". I had a "Mommy Meltdown" and it wasn't a small meltdown either. So much has happened. So much is happening even right now. I wrote here about all the transitions taking place in our family.

I'm so glad my son is so compassionate. I love him so much. He brings so much joy into our lives. I still remember when he was a timid child who wouldn't dare confront anyone or anything. Now, he quickly stands for what he believes in. He's not ashamed to stand in front of a room full of peers and stick up for the unborn child. He's been labeled "The Born Diplomat" in speech and debate. He worked hard and recently went to state for speech and debate. He made us so proud.

I know that in height, he towers over my husband and I, but he will always be my baby.

I'm sure gonna miss him having fun with him when he leaves this summer.

I know he will proudly serve our country with the same passion that he serves our Lord. I'm so proud of him!

After I got myself together, my children and I walked by the seasonal items. There we saw a big bottle of bubbles. The tears started to well up again. I turned to my children and asked, "Remember when we used to play with bubbles? Wouldn't it be fun to play with bubbles again just for fun."

*Confession: I put the bubbles in the basket. After some time, I realized that I needed to put the bubbles back. So I did. That season in my life has passed. As hard as it seems to watch them grow up, they must grow up. As a mom, I can honestly say that my children have made me proud to be their mother. Each day I thank God for choosing me to mother these children here on earth. Mothers, cherish your children. Create memories to last a lifetime.

Clear Skies and Sunshine

Finally after months cold and wet weather, Spring is here. Where I live, it's not that unusual to have constant rain. The winter days and night are dreary and long. Someone mentioned to me last week that without the rain we wouldn't have the beautiful spring flowers and the pretty green trees.

As I was preparing my home for Spring and sorting through my stashes of fabric, I lifted my head. I'm smiled quickly as the glistening sun appeared through the evergreen greens.

From that point on I was motivated with excitement and my mind went there. My mind took me to a place where a perfect Spring for me would consist dresses, dresses and more dresses. Did I mention that I love dresses? Well, I do. Add to that, my "need" for just more Spring clothes in general. I can't leave out my obsession with aprons. Surely, I picture myself wearing the cutest floral printed aprons.

It doesn't take long for me to snap back to reality. Reality is where I live. Before I can do any of the things my mind took me, I need to do some Spring cleaning. I found a wonderful home management notebook that's free. All you have to do is download it.

I chuckled a bit as I turned to the first page.

Yep, before I start living out my fantasy of making multiple Spring dresses, I had to make sure my home was in order. You can find the link here at Proverbs 31 Mama. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for your free "Personal Home Diary".

I am happy to say that all of my Spring material is sorted and ready to glide through the steel plates of Pearl. Pearl is my sewing machine and she has quickly become my new "bff". So if you stopped by my house this Spring, you will find me at the table with Sarah doing homeschool work, Pearl and I at the other end trying to live out my fantasy of dresses and aprons galore.

Here's a peak into my Spring projects:

Solid Linen Fabrics

Floral Printed Linen and Rayon Fabrics

Cotton Fabrics: aprons for me, aprons as gifts and house-dresses. 

I'm going to make a few aprons for some Army moms that I've met on Facebook. Our children are in basic training together right now. I will meet these women as we gather together and watch our soldiers graduate from basic training. They don't read my blog so they will be surprised :)



I do have some other aprons I will be making for me. I found this material on sale at JoAnn's Fabric. I'm getting a little more bolder with my fabric selection as I age gracefully.

I also had to sort through my patterns as well. I would not dare show a photo of all my patterns. I'm afraid my friends and neighbors will report me for hoarding. Here are the patterns that I will use this Spring.

Aprons

Clothes

I know that's a lot of material and a lot of ideas. I can't help but to think of the fun that Pearl and I will have as we work together watching the beautiful Spring skies in my neck of the woods.

A Wife Like Sarah

When I grasp the concept that there was a pattern set for me to follow to be the best wife that I could be, I scratched my head in amazement. Could it have really been that simple? Well, perhaps.

Casually, I was reading the word of God and something hit me like a ton of bricks. The revelation wasn't so deep that I put it into practice right away. No, I pondered it for a few days. I talked to my husband about it. Then I decided to plunge deeper and study this wife. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted, in a sense, to emulate her if at all possible. Her name was Sarah. She was the wife to Abraham.

Sarah was the type of wife that every man would dream about, but only few men would ever have the privilege of being married to a woman such as her. Sarah was beautiful, though, that may have had something to do with why her husband honored her; but I'm sure there was much more. Beauty is only surface. If we go below the surface, we see it was all about the way she reverenced him.

What's a husband to do when his wife calls him lord?


I'm sure this may cause a man to take his guard down and make himself completely venerable. Which is something men may have difficulty doing. I can't speak for other husbands, but I can speak for mine.

The true essence of a man can't help but to respond to the counterpart of himself because she's of reflection of him; yet has many things that he, himself, can not obtain. Those things he can't obtain within him are made complete through his wife. At least this is what my husband conveys. He says that when a man is respected by his wife, he has need of nothing else.

So, I want to be like her. I want to be a wife like Sarah. I'm striving to respect my husband in such a way that I not only obey the Scripture, but that my life honors Him who breathe the words that gave me the pattern to follow.

My beloved and I are celebrating our anniversary this weekend. We are more in love today than ever before.

Before we were married.

In Honor of International Women's Day

In honor of International Women's Day, 

I would like to honor all the women who are truly 

striving to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Each day, as Proverbs 31 women, we rise early. We do so not to catch up on the latest gossip circuiting the news media. Many of us rise early just to catch a glimpse of what His instructions are for us written in His word.

We go into our secret place to pour out our souls to the One whom we rely on each day. Knowing that without Him, we couldn't celebrate this day or any other day; but rather succomb to the pressures of the latest trend which society tells us what a real woman is. While there in that place, we die to ourselves so that when our family looks at us, they see Him.

Some pity us because they have the tendency to think that our days are filled with drudgery. Yes, some days are hard because we are going against our selfish nature that wants to be catered to rather than catering to others. For the most part we look forward to serving our husband and training our children. Some may see us as women who sit around all day eating Bon Bons while watching the latest daytime drama on television. Truth be told, we wish we had a moment to sit and watch anything. We live our lives not being busybodies in other men's/women's matters, but rather spending our days being keepers in our homes.

At the end of today just like any other day, we will praise God for blessing our day. We will praise Him for helping us get through this day. If it's His will that we rise tomorrow morning, we will praise Him again. We live our lives to praise Him each and every day in all that we do.

  

My First Grandbaby Is Now 1 Years Old

I really wished someone had sat me down a year ago and explained to me how becoming a grandmother would change my life forever. 

I heard the cliches about being a grandmother; but what I'm experiencing can't be explained through mere words. 

Maybe that's why others couldn't express their feelings through words. 

The only word that I can use when describing what it's like to be a grandmother is phenomenal!

 This was right after he was born.

His first birthday party!

I feel beyond blessed. My first grandbaby will be a big brother next month.

Whenever he comes over, I always do something fun with him. 

Like silly glasses.

Teaching him how to jump up and down on the couch. 

Yes, my grandbabies can get away with that, but my children never could. 

You won't understand that unless you're a grandmother :)

Cinnamon Roll Cake

 

I found this recipe on Pinterest for a Cinnamon Roll Cake. Upon my first glance at the picture, I knew I had to make it. I love cinnamon rolls and I love cake. What a great combination.

Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Mix everything together except for the butter.

Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes. While baking, prepare the glaze.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

When the cake is done. Wait about 5-10 minutes, then drizzle glaze. 

Taste delicious while it's warm.

If you're on pinterest, look me up :)