Pumpkin Banana Bread for the Homemaking Party

(Whoa! You're not hallucinating...this picture is blurry!  Well...I can't be wonderful all of the time!  You get the general idea, right?)

There is never a shortage of bananas in our house! Some of the kids love to eat them with breakfast, and I always buy extra for baking.  Our two favorite breakfast breads are banana and pumpkin---so I thought, why not mix them!

This bread turned out so moist and soft---and everyone loved it!

Blessed at Home #17: When to Let Go

Thank you for stopping by our 17th week of Blessed At Home.  Please visit the Contributor Page to read more about this excellent ministry from some of your favorite homemaking bloggers.

Today's featured contributor is Meghan from First Comes Love. 

Meghan @ First Comes Love


Meghan is an English major undergrad – law school graduate turned homeschooling stay-at-home mother of six. She considers herself blessed to have given up what could have been a lucrative law career for the only opportunity she will ever have to guide, nurture, and love the precious blessings the Lord has given her and her husband. She’s living the dream she didn’t know she had. 
Meghan and her husband have been married over twenty years, and their three boys and three girls range in age from thirteen years to two years. Blessed that her husband loves to cook for his family J, she strives every day to create a loving and peaceful environment for her family with her words, attitudes, and actions.
The Lord has also given her a passion for writing uplifting and inspirational fiction, and she scribbles out her stories of hope (praying for eventual publication) during the quiet moments of naptime. In addition to reading classics and contemporary Christian fiction, she sews for her girls, laughs and plays with the children, endeavors to grow closer to the Lord so as to see His will more clearly, homeschools alongside her students, and helps her husband as he tackles the challenges of raising a family for the Lord.

Named from the Biblical command to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, her blog First Comes Love, focuses on homeschooling, homemaking, big families, and pleasing the Lord in all we do.

Today's topic is, When to Let Go.

Jennifer, Mama Economics

As our family continues to grow closer to the Lord, the more we realize that God's word is perfect. His word applies to us just as much today as it did when Jesus walked the earth. Sad to say, we often get caught up in the legalities of how our family should live for the Lord, that we often lose sight of actually living for the Lord. This weeks Blessed at Home topic couldn't be more timely for our family as we are learning just what it means to know 'when to let things go'. How true God's word is when He tells us 'to everything there is a season'.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

Our family is in the throes of learning when and how to let go. This does not come easy for us, especially as we have lived a relatively structured and sheltered life for the past 10 years. We have immersed ourselves in God's word, seeking to honor and obey all of God's laws and commands, only to come up short. You see, it is impossible to live up to God's standards. There was only one perfect being to walk the face of this earth and it was Jesus. With Christ interceding for us, we do not have to live in bondage to the 'laws'. Yes, we should obey God and continue to read His word, but our focus should be living a life of service with joy and peace in our hearts.

There are so many areas in our life where opportunities may arise for us to respectfully 'let go'. Sometimes God allows us to go through certain seasons to teach us humility, long-suffering, and a plethora of other godly characteristics. When there is angst and discord in our lives, we should pray, read the Bible, and do a personal evaluation of our current circumstances to see if there are situations or environments that we may need to separate ourselves from. As followers of the One True God, we are not destined to live a life of bondage. God set us free by giving us His Son as our Precious Redeemer.

Removing yourself from certain lifestyle choices or circumstances does not mean you are giving up or foregoing your convictions, it simply means you have chosen to take a different path. I am guilty of worrying about what others will think or say about me if I choose an alternative path than the one I'm currently walking; but I have to look towards Christ and trust that He is leading me no matter what it may look like to an outsider. So I encourage you today, if you find yourself at a crossroad, do not fear the change-- for God has made it perfectly clear, to everything there is a season.

With Love,

Jennifer

Christy

As mothers, our goal is to raise healthy, intelligent, responsible, independent, God-loving children who grow into adults with these same qualities. 

After years of training and nurturing our children, it is hard to know when to let go.

I think it is easier on everyone if we let go a little at a time, starting from early on. We should not make every decision for them, but instead help guide them and teach them how the choices we all make affect our lives.

I always say, "choose your battles, mom!" Let them start with small decisions when they are young and gradually give them the freedom to decide more important things as they mature. We need to trust them and give them some opportunities to make good choices. They will learn and get stronger from their choices.


The hardest part of being a mother with grown children is knowing when to let go.

Misty, Simply Helping Him

Knowing when to let go has never been easy for me. Don't get me wrong I've walked away from many things, but I don't think I knew for all of them that it was time for me to let go. 

The few times I knew 100% that it was time to let go were after much time in prayer seeking the Lord. 

If your spirit is not at peace or you're wondering if a particular venture is God's will for you, then start right and seek Him. He will guide you when you seek Him with your whole heart. 

Meghan, First Comes Love

When to Let Go

When worry wiggles its way into life, consuming thoughts, attitudes, and decisions…let it go.

When past hurts haunt the nights and fill the days with difficulty…let it go.

When prayers return with the continued refrain of “no”…let it go.

When habit becomes distracting or harmful…let it go.

When thinking leads astray of whatever is true, noble, and pure…let it go.

When any activity or practice distracts from the glory of God…let it go.

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays

Pumpkin Pie Fudge: Make Bake Create #23

I am so ready for summer to be over and fall to begin!  A few years ago, Mom and I went to a Holiday bazaar and sampled some wonderful pumpkin fudge.  I've been wanting to recreate it and finally did this past weekend!  

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

3/4 c. butter

3 c. sugar

2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. pumpkin puree

2 T. corn syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each of cloves, nutmeg, ginger

12 oz. white chocolate chips

7 oz. marshmallow creme

1 tsp. vanilla

Line a 9x9 pan with foil and then butter it or spray with oil. Melt butter over medium heat.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin, and spices.  Return to heat and stir constantly until mixture reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer.  (It is very important that it reaches this temp.)  Remove from heat and quickly stir in white chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, and vanilla.  Stir until all ingredients are completely melted and combined.  Pour into pan and let cool for several hours.

There were lots of great ideas and yummy food featured last week.  Here are a few of my favorites.  If you're featured, make sure to grab a "featured button" for your blog!

<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRn09kU2RemU6LsKqKpqOxSc8lLCH9RDGzDVK164-4hJaY289rNS0LDGtgG6gOHfZ3qztHJIBAyR85U5zoDA-wpv7s0wvCPwTpE9Enlgg7f-zlcNbDGukTGMhU6Vz15YkqBkjpsBcl5Vl/s240/MBCFEATURED.png " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

Artsy VaVa is a regular featured blogger here but she just SO inspires me!  I love this cute memo board she made---and really love her cute story of all that went into it.  Want to know her secret? Check it out at Artsy VaVa!

I love fall and I'm so inspired and impressed by this awesome Burlap Leaf Table Runner from Purple Hues and Me.  You will be too when you see how simple it is to make!

As soon as I saw these Oreo Frogs from Made to Be a Momma, I knew I had to pin them!  How awesome---can't wait to make these for my kids!

Follow our Make Bake Create Party Pin Board where we will be pinning the projects linked up here!  

* Be sure to include The Make Bake Create button or text link to in your linked post; this is recommended in order to be featured!




<a href="http://www.hopeineveryseason.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn1UUMpAzaGe_3JUer40CRLomsJ8W_qJq-_fEujrdlbIDZnn3aQ4sVuaSAkTSTFAOOvWicE_8TQIhUSwc5Lp_Wa43i8lNKKj2Kt6d9tnTTuRuBB7zUYJTERT9Ryz7Xtz3er0eFuAc035o/s220/makebakecreate.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

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