A Verse for Today

Redoing a Flower Arrangement

I recently found this floral arrangement at a second hand store.  I had been looking for something to put on our dining room table and I thought with some adjustments this might work.  As it was I thought it looked a bit cheap with the bow and gold rimmed rose. At the same time parts of it looked nice.  Buying quality fake flowers can be expensive so I generally always find them at thrift shops and make my own arrangements.  

When I removed the bow I realized it had been glued there to cover up a broken section on the pot. 

After mixing some acrylic paint together I painted the broken section. I didn't have exact colours in my supplies, but I thought it turned out close enough.

 For the arrangement, I first remove three or four of the flowers that I didn't care for, and then I added in a few berries I had on hand. This is how it turned out. :) 

I'm happy with it, and it matches great in the dining room. :)

Chocolatey Brownies, Low Carb, THM S

I happen to love brownies, and so, I wanted to find a good, chocolatey, moist, low carb, recipe for them (if that was possible).  Of all the recipes I've tried, this one has satisfied my chocolate craving the best. :) They turned out really good for being diet brownies. Just don't overbake them.  I enjoyed the added touch of the chocolate chips on top. I also added a few sprinkles of chopped walnuts to mine. 

Yum! 

The recipe I used:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil 

1/2 cup warm water

2 room temperature eggs

1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup gentle sweet 

3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup low carb stevia sweetened chocolate chips

Whisk together all the wet ingredients. Make sure your eggs are room temperature, you can get them warmed up quickly if you put them in a cup of hot water for a few minutes.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan, sprinkle on the chocolate chips (and a handful of walnuts if desired) and bake at 350 for around 20 mins, or until done. 

Enjoy! 

A Northern Leopard Frog

The children and I found this little frog hopping in the yard one day.  After everyone had a turn holding him we put it in the flower bed.   Curious what kind it was, I did a search, and found out it's a northern leopard frog. One interesting thing that I was surprised by is that these frogs can eat all kinds of things including birds! Here is what Wikipedia had to say:

"[These frogs] eat a wide variety of animals, including crickets, flies, worms, and smaller frogs. Using their large mouths, they can even swallow birds and garter snakes. In one case, a bat was recorded as prey of this frog.." 

 It was fun learning a little bit about this Northern Leopard Frog.  🐸 

Scripture For Today

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." 

Galatians 6:9-10

You Know You're a Mom....:)

 

These were funny because they were so true! Lol 

Hot Pumpkin Custard, THM S

I was looking for pumpkin recipes and found this custard. It's so good hot with a bit of butter and cinnamon!   This is a THM S.  Here is a link to the original recipe. 

As usual, I didn't have everything that was called for in the recipe so I left out some things and added a few according to my cooking style: if you don't have it, improvise! :)  Here is how I made mine. 

• 
  
• 2 eggs
• 1/2.c.  Water
• ⅓ c.  Plain canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1tsp. Cinnamon 
• 1/4 t. Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. Cloves
• 1/2 tsp.  Vanilla 
• ¼ t. glucomannan
• Gentle sweet to taste. I used around 2 Tbsp.
• 
  
• Topping:  Butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste.
• 
  
• Whisk the eggs in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir again.   Add the glucomannan while whisking so it doesn't clump up.  When the custard starts to bubble, pull the custard off the stove, reduce heat and put the pan back on the burner and keep whisking until the custard thickens. Whisk the entire time or it might curdle. I've had it curdle a few times, cooking it low and slow seems to be the best way to prevent this. 
• 
  
• Top the custard with a teaspoon of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Enjoy! I ate mine when it was warm, so yummy! 

A September Daybook

Out my window.....

High up on the treetops the branches are waving gently in the wind.  Among the dark green leaves of summer there are tinges of yellow, signalling the soon to come change of seasons.  I have mixed feelings about Autumn, it used to be my favourite time of year. How could anyone not love pumpkin treats, bonfires with toasted marshmallows, cozy sweaters, and beautiful foliage, right?   I used to think so, but after experiencing seven Saskatchewan winters (that last forever), now fall is a reminder of what is coming. I still enjoy it, :) but now my favourite time of year is the first truly warm day of spring when the children and I can go outside with bare feet and no jacket! :) 

Around the house...

Crumbs and dust and dirt abound. :b   Since starting homeschool, housework has become a wee bit neglected.  Right now the baby is sleeping good and since we are finished with schoolwork I have time to clean, so that's good. :)

What's been happening lately...

Harvest on the farm is in full swing.  God has blessed with good weather thus far, for which we are thankful!  Looking forward to when the crop is off!  In other news I started the Trim Healthy Mama plan again last week.  So far it's going well.  Pinterest has been handy for finding new recipes.  This time I've tried incorporating more E meals, mostly for breakfast.  The first three days I only ate S meals and I could feel my energy drop, but once I started the E meals it seems to have balanced out again. One E recipe I tried was for overnight pumpkin spice oatmeal, it tasted good and was handy because I was able to make it the night before (when the baby was sleeping) and grab it out of the fridge in the morning to eat (when the baby is usually up and crying).  

What I am reading....

I haven't done much reading lately, there are several books on my list, but for now I usually only have time for the Bible.  I'm trying to read through it again this year, I only wish I'd set up the reading plan a bit different.  I prefer to read both Old and New Testament everyday, but my plan is set for reading straight though.  I use the app called "A Lamp Unto" it works great and helps keep me on track. :) 

In the kitchen....

I have leftover chicken in the refrigerator from the two birds I cooked the other day.  My plan is to make either a THM casserole, or soup with it.  I took the time to boil the bones from the chickens this time, combined with the reduced cooking liquid, it made a flavourful broth that will make a great soup.  Right now, it's starting to smell good in here from the two pans of muffins baking in the oven. They part of the children's supper, while I'm reducing carbs they still need them.  :) I must say though, the thought of fresh muffins sounds mighty appealing!  Despite all the claims from some die hard THM people, coconut flour mixed with almond meal does not make "just like the real thing" muffins or biscuits or bread, or cake....Ok, it's not that bad, just going through carb withdrawal here. Haha! :) Being serious again, I have found a few recipes containing the above mentioned ingredients which have tasted good. Hopefully I can post about them soon. 

What I'm thinking....

That I need to go downstairs and make a THM FP shake and then read some books to the four children who aren't napping. :)  Though I don't have much time for my books, I try to read short storybooks to the children as often as I can.  I want to instil a love of reading in them, just as I loved reading growing up!  My Mom and Dad always had good books for my siblings and I to read, and going to the library and finding new books was a highlight in my life back then. :) 

What I'm excited about...

All the things my brother fixed and made when he was here a few weeks ago!  He's an amazing handy man! :)   My sister came too and was a wonderful help to me!  I had such a nice time when they were here and the visit went far to fast! 

A favourite quote for today... 

"A Humble Christian studies his own infirmities and another's excellencies."  

A picture to share...

Love old barns! This one is part of an old an abandoned farm yard I'm guessing from the early 1900s. When my brother and sister were here we drove out and went exploring in the old house, and out buildings. We had fun, though we did get slightly worried when we noticed what appeared to be bear droppings in the yard and tall grass, thankfully we didn't encounter the actual bear! 

A Verse for today...

"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. "

~Jeremiah 9:23-24

A Treat From Tims

I was excited to see that Tim Hortons has pumpkin spice muffins back for the fall! Along with a cappuccino, it was a perfect treat. :)  

I'll be starting THM again soon so hopefully I can find some on plan pumpkin recipes that are good. Maybe I can post about them if I do. :) What are some of your favourite fall treats? 

A Good Verse to Memorize, and Most of all, Obey.

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Col 3:12-14

0.8 Magnitude Solar Eclipse

It was neat viewing the partial solar eclipse today!   We had around 0.8 magnitude eclipse here in Saskatchewan. While we had sunshine the entire time, the lighting definitely started looking strange outside!   We didn't have protective glasses or a welding helmet to view it, so we watched it other ways. 

Instead of making a pinhole viewer, we used a colander, that way we had multiple small projections of the sun to look at. This picture was taken at the maximum coverage for our area of around 80% or so. 

A picture of the crescent shapes projected though the tree leaves.  I couldn't get a great picture, but in real life it was cool! 

This picture captured the crescent sun shapes better. :) 

For being a partial eclipse it was a neat experience!  I remember the last partial eclipse I watched was back when I was seven or eight years old.  I'm sure it was amazing for those who were able to view the full eclipse down in the States! 

 

New Tea Tray

I recently had the opportunity to do some fun shopping, (while my awesome husband watched all the children). :) I decided to stop at Home Sense and was glad I did! I found a wooden tea tray for a good price.  The children broke my last one and I've been wanting to get another one since then. I also found some other nice items for the tray that I'm excited about. :) 

 

The tea tray, looking forward to using it! 

Some of the things I bought.

I love this unique wooden sugar bowl! 

I was probably most happy to find the blue and white enamelware teapot!! I really like enamelware, and have searched eBay many times for a teapot, but never could find one within the price range I was willing to pay, shipping always made it way to expensive. 

I thought the design on these little bowls was pretty! I almost passed them up, but I'm glad I got them in the end. 

Now to plan a tea party! Actually, I liked using my old tea tray regularly when I'd have a cup of tea. There is something cozy and fun about serving tea or coffee from a real teapot on a tray with maybe a few yummy treats. :) 

 

Verse From God's Word

Making an Ant Farm

When I was younger I used to want to have my own ant farm.  I thought ants were amazing little creatures and enjoyed watching them work.  Recently, one of the boys discovered several ant nests under rocks in the flower garden and was excited.  I thought it would be fun to capture some of the ants and teach the children a few things about them. Here is what we did. 

We started with two large mouth mason jars. In order to use less dirt and encourage the ants to make their tunnels closer to the outside where they would be more visible, we put a filler in the middle. You can use a empty paper towel tube, or whatever will fit in the middle of the jar. 

The boys had fun turning over rocks looking for ants. 

After searching a bit, we found enough ants with larva to dig up and add to our jar.

The two jars after being filled with dirt and ants. I only put them in the sunshine to get this picture. It's a good idea to place them in a cool dark place. 

After about 12 hours the ants had made lots of progress and dug many visible tunnels. As much as I tried, I could not get a clear picture.  It was lots of fun watching the ants work!  We kept them for around a week and a half and then let them go outside again. I wasn't sure what species of ants we had captured, so I didn't know what exactly to feed them. The bread, honey and veggies we gave them seemed to remain untouched, so I'm assuming they ate something else. 

It's interesting to me that ants are called "exceedingly wise" in God's Word! They are worth learning about, and "considering" as the Bible also says. :)  

Thoughts

 

God Sees All, Nothing is Hidden from Him

Let all the earth fear the LORD:

 let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. -Psalm 33:8

The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.   Psalm 33:13-15

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.   Proverbs 5:21

My Newly Organized Kitchen Cabinets

After posting about ordering some lazy Susan's and a few other things to help organize,

I finally took the time to actually tackle the chaos of the cupboards, and then took a few pictures to share. 

The Spice Cabinet 

Before picture. This cabinet is right above our stove. The top shelf is high enough that it's hard for me to reach everything, and with the lower one it was also hard to reach items that were pushed toward the back. It was a scrambled mess, and it wasn't fun trying to find a certain spice when I was cooking. 

After picture. It's nice what a difference two lazy Susan's can make! Now I can find the spice or herb I need super easily. Everything that I don't use frequently is on the top shelf. 

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The Baking Cabinet 

This cabinet was a disaster, one of my sisters had tried to help me organize it awhile ago, but it quickly went back to disarray. There was no real place for anything and the measuring cups and spoons were always buried behind something.  Whenever I would try baking, the little ones would also scramble things up more trying to find chocolate chips, walnuts, sprinkles and other things to make a mess with. 

And here we are after! I'm happy about how it turned out. :) Again just a couple lazy Susan's and a under shelf basket made a difference. 

It feels great to get these two cabinets done! It may not seem like much, but it's sometimes hard for me to find time and the motivation to do things like this with all six little children around wanting to "help" getting into everything and needing me crying etc.  Anyway, I'm very happy with both cabinet results, now to tackle the bathroom cupboards. :) 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.." Ecc. 9:10a

 

Fixing an Ant Problem 🐜

Here is a quick tip to help keep ants out of you humming bird feeder. My feeder is hanging on a shepherds hook so the ants have access to it from the ground, they were taking full advantage of it too, this morning it was covered with them! 

I started noticing that the humming birds were not coming nearly as often as before, and wondered if it might have something to do with the ants.  

To fix the problem, I rinsed the feeder and refilled it with fresh sugar water, then I took packing tape and starting with the sticky side out, wrapped the pole with it. Two sided tape may work as well, but I think if it rains I may have to replace the tape, and it would be messy to remove. This way, using regular tape, it will slide right off because it's not sticky on the inside and it only takes about a minute to put on again. 

Here's the pole after I put the tape on. 

 

It was funny to watch the ants after! They would crawl up the pole and when they reached the tape they stopped short for one to two seconds then promptly turned around and headed down again, only to be replaced by another one coming up from behind. I watched, off and on, for around 20 minutes before they started slowing down. It looks like the tape is a big success! :) 

Hopefully the humming birds will start coming back as much as they were before the ant problem! 

 

Spring Cookout

A few weeks back I thought it would be fun to have a cookout. The weather was beautiful and the children were excited, especially about the idea of roasting marshmallows. :) 

Getting all the food together. 

Out at the picnic table.

The fire.

We ate our marshmallows first to give the fire a chance to burn down a bit before I cooked the smokies. :)   Graham was able to join us, which made it even better. With spring planting on the farm he stays very busy and we love to see him when we can. :) 

 

Blueberry Muffins

I mixed up the dry ingredients for these muffins several days ago before realizing I didn't have eggs.  I have a bad habit of not checking to make sure I have all the things I need before starting a recipe. :b  It all turned out well in the end, I bought some eggs today and just finished making them. Here's a plateful warm from the oven. The children are enjoying eating them as I type. :) 

Blueberry Muffins 

1 egg

1 c. milk

1/4 c. oil

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

3 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. fresh blueberries, or 3/4 c. frozen

Mix together the wet ingredients, set aside. In a different bowl stir together all the dry ingredients. Stir the blueberries into the dry ingredients. Poor the liquids into the dry and mix just until moist. The batter should be lumpy. Fill twelve muffin cups. Bake at 375 for around 12-15 minutes, or until done.

Because He Lives!

 

Loving Mercy

"To love mercy is to find it delightful to extend compassion where religion would judge and walk on by. Mercy sees the need for patience, for sympathy, for longsuffering, for suspension of retaliation and rejection. Mercy is putting others before your repulsion and disgust. Mercy is having pity, compassion, and understanding. Mercy is a willingness to lay down your life for another. Mercy is responding in a positive manner first, and then, if you have to judge, doing so with humility. Mercy is seeing each person as a soul destined for eternity. It is caring deeply enough to pray, and looking for any way possible to lead them to the right path....God says...[we are to] “love mercy.” -selected 

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8

Looking Forward to Doing some Organizing!

For what seems like forever I've had the idea to organize my kitchen cupboards.  I just never took the time and I was a bit frustrated because I didn't have the items I needed. I very rarely make it into town to just to shop,  small children make it difficult to go by myself.  In any event, it was one of those projects that I kept putting off.   I wanted a few lazy Susan turntables for the spice cabinet, and under-shelf baskets to hold other items as well as a few more space saving shelves. I finally took the time to look online and purchased the things I needed, and they have now been arriving in the mail. 

Some of the under shelf baskets. 

Lazy Susans!  I ordered these off Amazon.ca the large size was expensive, but after looking other places and getting frustrated by not finding what I needed I went ahead and brought them. If you live in the States you can get them for around half the price of what I paid. With our low dollar it wasn't worth it for me to buy them on Amazon.com after the conversion and shipping. 

Hopefully I can do some before and after pictures of my cabinets soon! :) 

Little Cats

Its been fun having a few new kittens on the farm. :) 

Pretty cute

Yesterday, was the first time we took them all out of the cat box to play on the grass. The children and I had fun watching them explore. :)