Making Baby Blankets and Snickerdoodles --- Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Thanks for stopping by my Homemaking Link-Up weekend today!  Please link up at the end of the post and take a button so your friends can come back and say Hi!

New baby Brenna is one month old today!  She and big sister Kynthia are getting along great!

Since we had her just three days after I finished up my Christmas sewing, I haven't been able to show off my completed projects yet.  So, I decided to do a little belated Christmas post!  Here are the receiving blankets I made for baby Brenna.

This is one side of Brenna's quilt.  The pinks were given to me by my friend Audra at Brenna's baby shower.

Here's the other side.  Isn't it adorable?!

Here's Kynthia's quilt.  The two pink fabrics were scraps from one I made our cousin Sophie last year.  Sophie is just a few months older than Kynthia.

This is the reverse side of Kynthia's.  I also made her a pillowcase from the bear fabric above.

Kynthia's first baby doll got a matching blanket!

So...since I was thinking Christmas anyway, (and since I'm about ready to finally take down all the Christmas decor) I decided to make a little holiday treat.

I'd never made Snickerdoodles before and my friend Kerry gave me a GREAT recipe!

Cocoa with candy canes is a Christmas tradition at our place!

This is one of my new decorations this year.  Isn't this vintage tree just adorable?  The vendor had a couple more at her booth---wish I would have grabbed them!!

I didn't get to use these pink Christmasy napkins that I picked up early last spring on clearance.  I'll save these for something special next season!

Thanks so much to my professional background team---Ha!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 


<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> Also linking with:  Beverly's Pink Saturday
Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally
Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage 
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

"Mrs. Bradley's" Fruit and Nut Cake from Great Grandma's Kitchen

Last week, I started a series called, Great Grandma's Kitchen, where I share some of the recipes I found in box of my great-grandma's and great-great-grandma's recipes and cookbooks.  I made Banana Date Cookies and have received lots of compliments on them.  My kids LOVE them!

I've made my great-great grandma's Dark Fruit Cake before and everyone loved it, so I thought I'd share that today---with a few changes made.

Mrs. Bradley's Dark Fruit Cake was obviously a hit as you can see from the wear and stains on this card!  I found this in her daughter-in-law Annabelle's recipe box.  Annabelle was my great-grandmother.  I think it's a really neat recipe, but it's also at least 75 years old so there were a few changes I needed to make so it would be more baker-friendly today.  See the little scribbles on the card?  There are a lot more on the back.  Since my grandpa was the only child, I bet those were his scribbles!

The Mrs. Bradley referenced here is Mrs. Cora Jean Lasiter Bradley, my great-great grandmother on my mother's father's side.  I wish I had a photo of her!  I do, however, have a quilt that she made my great-grandpa when he was a little boy.  It's one of my most treasured things!
 

One reason I chose this recipe is because I need to use up this gigantic jar of molasses that my daughter bought at Christmas time!

In fact, it's a great recipe to use up several of the extra ingredients we have lying around from Christmas baking!

"Mrs. Bradley's Fruit and Nut Cake"

1/2 c. butter                             1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. molasses                        3 eggs
1/2 c. coffee (juice or water is fine too)

Mix these ingredients until well blended.  Then add:

2 1/2 c. flour                           1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda                   1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon                      1/4 tsp. cloves
pinch of mace (optional)

Mix well and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine:

4 c. raisins                              8 oz. figs, chopped
8 oz. chopped dates                1/2-1 c. chopped nuts
zest from 1 orange                 
chopped orange sections from zested orange

Pour batter over fruit and nut mixture and stir until well mixed. 

Mmm!  Look at all that fiber! (Ha!)

Pour into greased cake pan, bread pans, muffin cups, whatever.  I used a fluted cake pan.  Bake at 300 for 2-2 1/2 hours or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.  (Baking times reduced for smaller pan size...adjust accordingly).  Cool on rack and serve warm or cooled.

The kids are all excited to have some tonight!

Today I'm joining Coloradolady's Vintage Thingie Thursday, as well as Rachel's Heirloom Recipe Blog Hop at Bubbly Nature Creations.  Please visit both ladies and see what other great things are linked up!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

The Pinocchio Complex

Pinocchio Complex:  Question made to confuse, or befuddle someone.

If Pinocchio says, "My nose will grow now." What happens? A great Cretan once said; "All Cretans are liars." Is he lying or telling the truth?"

Ok, so this article actually has nothing to do with the Pinocchio Complex---but it is about Pinocchio.  I just thought the idea of the Pinocchio paradox was pretty awesome.  You can come back and think about it some more when you're done reading...


"Oh come, let us worship and bow down;  let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."  ~Psalm 95:6-7

I've slowly been reading the story of Pinocchio to the kids over the past couple of months.  We're only half way through and it's a wonderful story---but hard to read sometimes as well.  Not only is the language translated in sort of an old-fashiony way, (it was written in 1883 in Italian and translated to English in 1892) but the character of Pinocchio is much less likeable than the cute little puppet boy we know from the Disney cartoon.

Pinocchio finds himself rebelling against his father at every turn.  The real clincher (so far) comes when Gepetto sells his own coat to buy his son a spelling book so he can go to school.  Pinocchio turns around and sells the book so he can attend a puppet show.  After reading this part and sneaking a peek at the astonished looks on my kids' faces, I took the time, of course, to point out the sacrifices that good parents make for their children.  Even horribly selfish children who break their poor parents' hearts!

Every now and then, Pinocchio's "conscience" will pop up and try to steer him the right direction, but he's pretty good at beating it back down again.  I have a feeling that conscience is going to win, though.  We just got past the part where the ghost of the conscience tries to reason with him.  That "spirit" just won't be defeated!  (Maybe it's a Holy Spirit, hmmm???)

Oh, but aren't we all just like that self-centered Pinocchio?  Instead of being grateful to our Maker and obeying Him because of His great love for us, we often toss out His precious blessings in favor of our own pursuits.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who relentlessly attempts to guide us back home to our Father!

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;  and He will tell you things to come."  ~John 16:13  

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 This article was featured in the 97th edition of The Christian Home Magazine.

Also linking with:
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home  
Titus 2's Days @ Time Warp Wife 
Tuesday Linkup @ Courtship Connection 
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What is Good 
Wisdom Wednesdays @ Simply Helping Him  
Wholehearted Home Wednesday
Encouraging One Another @ Deep Roots at Home 
Homemaking Linkup @ Raising Homemakers 
Wise Woman linkup 
Legacy Leaver Thursday @ Leaving a Legacy 
Essential Friday Link-Up @ Essential Things Devotions 
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 

Exciting Opportunity for Me!

I'm excited to have just been added to Misty's Help Meet team at Simply Helping Him.  I'll be contributing DIY/craft articles beginning in February.  Look for my first article during the week of Valentines Day.  

In the mean time, stop by Simply Helping Him and say Hi to Misty!  You can find the other Help Meet Corner contributors on her right side bar.

Blessings to you and your family today!  

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 

Scrapbooking Sweet Memories --- Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Happy Friday!

Lately, I've been in the mood to do some scrapbooking.  I have SO many supplies but SO little time! Ha!  The last time I worked on scrapbooks, I was inspired by this sweet picture of Selah.  One day last year, she dressed up pretty, had Lynzie do her hair, and asked me to do a photo shoot!

When I was going through the pictures, I was reminded of this one we took of her when she was just a few days old.  This was her first day at church and she was wearing Lynzie's red baby dress.

Jamie bought me this pretty Victorian scrapbooking paper with pinks and reds and beautiful roses.  In fact, he's bought me a bunch of this over the last few years but I've not used it as much as I would have liked to.  So, one day I put together this layout featuring her in the red dress...

...and the baby dress!  Why oh why do they have to grow up so quickly?

I made a couple other sets but have yet to fill them with pictures and embellishments.

This one is my favorite but I think I'll change out that weird white bow at the bottom left of the page on the right.  The lace was sent to me by a good friend from Finland whom I met on Bookcrossing.com.

What kinds of pretty projects have you been working on lately?  Do you have a favorite of my three layouts? 




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> I'd love to have you join me for my Homemaking Link-Up Weekend.  Please link up your favorite posts and share the button on your blog so your friends can join too!

Blessings!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 


Linking up with:
Homemaking Link-Up Weekend
Beverly's Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Made With Love @ Sew Chatty 
What's In the Gunny Sack

Banana Date Cookies from Great Grandma's Kitchen

My great-grandpa Efeard, great-grandma Annabelle and grandpa George Bradley, Christmas 1942

Last year, I was given a box of my great-grandma's and great-great-grandma's recipes and cookbooks.

Great-great grandma Tresa Baker and son Harold, 1904

I know!  Totally a blessing, right?!!

I've been kicking around the idea of doing a series on Great Grandma's Kitchen where I share some of the more unique recipes they kept.  This morning, I was visiting Rachel at Bubbly Nature Creations where I discovered her Heirloom Recipes Blog Hop---the perfect place to link up these inherited recipes!


Please visit her blog hop at the end of this post and be inspired! You might even want to share your own Heirloom Recipes!

Although our family does not have any major food allergies that cause us to have to limit certain ingredients, I still like to be on the look out for wheat, sugar and egg-free recipes.  That way, I have something to either serve to our friends who are avoiding these groups, or offer to my kids for another healthy alternative.  Even better when I can find a recipe that uses up old bananas as we always seem to have a bunch! (Get it?  hee hee)

This recipe was featured in the March 7, 1979 issue of The Oregonian newspaper.  Nutritionist Pat Fitch put together this milk, egg, wheat and sugar free recipe which relies on fruit for sweetness.  It does contain nuts, which some have allergies to, but these can always be omitted.

I changed it up a little bit, substituting applesauce instead of oil (only healthy fats allowed in these cookies!) and adding cinnamon and nutmeg.  You could use several different purees in place of oil---pears, squash and pumpkin are all great substitutes.  They turned out excellent!  Very soft and dense.  They remind me of Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookies that I used to buy when we lived near Seattle.

Banana Date Cookies


3 bananas
3/4 c. applesauce or other fruit puree (or 1/3 c. oil)
1 c. chopped dates
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. oats
 

Mash bananas and use a spoon to mix in all other ingredients. 

Let the mixture stand for a few minutes so the oats can absorb some of the moisture. 

Drop onto a cookie sheet.  I use a Pampered Chef baking stone so I don't oil it but you might want to oil your cookie sheet a little since there's no oil in the recipe.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from sheet and cool on a rack.

Let me know if you try them out---I'd love to hear from you!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 

 

Hold Your Peace!

A peaceful evening in Morrow County, Eastern Oregon.

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength." ~ Isaiah 26: 3-4

"The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." ~ Exodus 14:14

Hold your peace!

That's a phrase we use when we want to tell someone to "calm down", "get a hold of yourself"...or, simply, "HUSH!"

Surely there was a little bit of that connotation associated with the phrase in chapter 14 of Exodus.  The Israelites had just left Egypt and had found out that Pharaoh was pursuing them.  Instead of trusting God and his miracles thus far, they were freaking out and accusing Moses of leading them out into the wilderness to be murdered by Pharaoh's army.

However, there's another truth we can extract from these words.   

"The LORD will fight for you"...

How does God's method of doing battle differ from ours?

"You shall hold your peace"...

"Hold" = retain, hold on to, don't let go of

How much more peaceful would our lives be if we let God handle those things that rile us up?

The best of relationships will face frustrating times now and then!

Often times, my children will become frustrated with one another---usually it's one of the little ones not "obeying" an older one.  The angered child will try over and over to make the irritating sibling bend to his/her will.  When they finally realize the other is not giving in, there are usually raised voices and resentful attitudes.

I've been training them to try to discuss the issue nicely once.  If that doesn't get the desired result, they're to come to me and let me decide if they should let it go or if I should mediate and help them out.  This makes for a much more peaceful atmosphere in our home.

I think this is what God desires to do with us.  He is willing to mediate our disagreements---and to fight our battles---so we can hold on to our peace.

Since He is the Perfect One---and we are the messed up ones---wouldn't it make sense to let Him?

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

  This article was featured in Issue #96 of The Christian Home magazine.

Linking with: Teach Me Tuesdays @ Growing Home
Titus 2sDays @ The Time Warp Wife 
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What is Good 
Courtship Connection 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home 
Wednesday linkup @ Wholehearted Home 
Wisdom Wednesday @ Simply Helping Him 
Homemaking Linkup @ Raising Homemakers 
Wise Woman linkup 
Legacy Leaver Thursdays @ Leaving a Legacy 
HomeAcre Hop @ The Self Sufficient HomeAcre 
Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife 

My Precious...

"He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." ~ John 12:25

When we have something precious, we tend to hold on to it very tightly---not necessarily because we are selfish, but because we are so afraid to lose it.  What would my life look like if I lost "my precious?"

I know I need to work on my attitude and willingness when it comes to serving others with my life---especially in the area of hospitality.  When the opportunity for serving outside my role as wife and mom comes up, I often look for an excuse to avoid it.  In most cases, this is okay.  My ministry is to my husband and our nine kids---and with 10 people to serve, any other time is pretty limited.  However, God likes to test my heart now and then and I'm not as ashamed as I should be to say that I usually fail.

I think I'm just holding so tightly to "my precious" life that I don't want to share it with anyone.  What if the moments we're spending on other people are the last moments of our life together?  Am I the only one who tries to control every aspect of her life to make it just perfect?

"To whom much is given, much is required." ~ Luke 12:48

I used to think that this verse was just about responsibility.  However, I'm finding out that God wants me to do more with the life he's given me than just manage it responsibly.  He wants me to share the happy times with others, to use it to provide a witness of His goodness and provision, and to "offer hospitality without grumbling." ~ 1 Peter 4:9

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 

This article was featured in The Christian Home Magazine, Issue 95. 

Linking with:  Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home 

Tuesday Link Up Party @ The Courtship Connection 

Women Helping Women @ Teaching What is Good 

Whole Hearted Home Wednesdays  

Encouraging One Another at Deep Roots at Home

Homemaking Linkup at Raising Homemakers

Legacy Leaver Thursday  

Wise Woman  Link up

Titus 2sDays @ The Time Warp Wife 

Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife

Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter 

If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure by Sheri Rose Shepherd --- Book Review

Sometimes I read passages in the Bible that sound so great---but I have a difficult time really putting them into practice.  Ecclesiastes 5:18 is one of those verses:  "It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life."  As one who has always struggled with her weight, the thought of eating and drinking---while still accepting my lot in life---doesn't sound as promising as it might to someone else who has a little more self control.  It seems my lot in life, thus far, has been to eat, drink, and gain weight.

Author Sheri Rose Shepherd has been there too.  As a teenager, Sheri Rose was overweight, depressed and struggling with an eating disorder.  Over time, she's allowed God's healing to change her life and put her on a healthy path.

I've been a big fan of Sheri Rose Shepherd for about 8 years now and own several of her resources.  I even had the opportunity to hear her speak at a women's conference several years ago and was very blessed.  That's why I was super excited when I was given the opportunity to review her newest book, If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure. 

As soon as received my free copy of the book, I flipped through it just to have a look at some of the topics.  What I saw were tons of recipes! Yay!  I love my copy of Sheri Rose's cook book, Eating for Excellence, so I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy this one as well! 

Sheri Rose offers several "craving" scenarios:  things like cravings for rest, energy, and times of celebration---and gives her readers Biblical principles, coupled with delicious healthy recipes, to help satisfy those cravings.  

One Scripture that she shares in her chapter on rest really stood out to me and is inviting me to study and pray about it further.  Isaiah 28:12, "God has told his people, 'Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here.  This is a place of quiet rest.'  But they would not listen."  Wow!  I really crave that place of rest!

If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to find the source of their soul's unrest and the reason for feelings of emptiness or lack in many areas of their life.  I know Sheri's godly wisdom is going to help me, not only as I battle my cravings for unhealthy foods, but in several areas of my life where I need to trust God.  I encourage my readers to visit Sheri Rose online at, www.biblelifecoaching.com, and try to pick up some of her resources---you will be blessed for sure!

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. 

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 

Antique Plate Hanger for the Homemaker's Uniform

   
Today I want to show off this cute apron hanger I made for my two pretty pink aprons.  Armed with my hot glue gun, it only took me a couple minutes to put this together.  I just grabbed a pretty antique saucer, glued an antique glass drawer pull to the middle, and glued a pretty vintage-looking button to the middle of the drawer pull.  I glued some ribbon to the back for a hanger and even fixed a pearly embellishment to the nail in the wall!

On it, I've hung this patchwork apron that I won in Connie's giveaway at Living Beautifully, along with a pink apron that I purchased from Mrs. White at The Legacy of Home---she hand-stitched the whole thing! 

I love wearing aprons around the house---not only are they practical for shielding against grease splatters, soap suds, and baby spit-ups, but they also serve as sort of a homemaker's uniform!  When I wear my apron, I know it's time for business and it motivates me to focus on the things that need to be done around my home for my family's sake.  You will not find me sitting here in my bed, snuggled up with my blanket and writing---with my apron on!  Ha!