quote for the day

Something of God…flows into us from the blue of the sky, the taste of honey, the delicious embrace of water" C. S. Lewis

Applesauce Bread:

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and applesauce. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Slice while hot, slather on some real butter, and dig in.

quote for the Day

“Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.”
- Henry David Thoreau, Wild Apples
Canned more applesauce today. 1 pint and 7 half pints. Plus 1 qt of grape juice from left over grapes.

why don't I see you homeschool?

Why don't you see us homeschhool?  Because it is not a spectator's sport. No audience is necessary and in fact it just isn't worth the behavior problems caused by having someone here when we homeschool. How are we homeschooling? We unschool. I tried everything else with them and nothing worked. NOT FIAR, not Montessori(it can only go so far), not workbooks, not classical, not a Charlotte Mason approach, nothing. For us it has to be child led learning. Lizzi  fought me like a tiger, there were tears on both sides about reading. Nothing worked. You cannot stuff knowledge into a kid's head, you cannot beat knowledge into them (no I did not even try), you cannot yell and scream knowledge into them(Although I felt like it no I did not try this either). You cannot cry knowledge into them ( I did try this and it  doesn't work). You cannot doom and gloom it into them (yes, I did resort to sounding like my mother). THEY have got to want it AND they have got to have the switches turned on in the brain to understand what you're trying to teach them.. When they want it, NEED it AND their brains are physically ready, then and only then will they learn it and not a second before then.   Location can not change this one simple fact of biology and psychology. I'm dealing with a variety of learning problems.  I have had to learn the hard way about wanting to do something and having to be physically ready to do it. This is with kids who are very smart.Sometimes too smart. But have ODD and RAD. I am so tired of people asking when I am going to GIVE up and put them back in REAL school. I am NOT going to give up on these kids, my kids. So all of you need to accept that as their parent I AM the ONLY one who knows what is best and I am doing my best-- to do the best to meet these kids REAL needs-- not the ones you imagine-- or you think are the priority. What good is fighting over reading until the the underlying issues are improved and the barriers to learning are down ?Kind of like Jon's vocabulary- bring a dictionary-not bad for a kid who didn't talk four years ago.Yes they say they don't read they are learning but slowly but they do both read. It get's them more attention from you and causes more contention to say they don't. Did you miss the part about RAD? If you don't know how this goes together go read about it. That is REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDER. I will not get into an argument with anyone over this. It is a waste of my time and the time of any person who wants to change my mind. I am just going to printout  this statement and hand it to the next person who asks me about REAL SCHOOL. And how the kids are doing with homeschooling. It's like talking physics with Sheldon of big bang theory. You don't understand and you never will so stop bringing it up. I will not be moved. Taring me down is your only way isn't it? Well  I will stand firm and take it only so long. And going around me won't work either I am like the great wall of china. I can defend my position. I am resolute. I am also right.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

The author Horatio Spafford suffered many sorrows and disappointments - all four of his daughters died while crossing the Atlantic 

I love this Hymn.

"To every lonely heart,

Your heart may ache tonight.

You may feel alone.

Lost. Hurt. Broken.

Like no one cares or no one sees you.

I hope to remind you of this one thing tonight; you are not alone.

He is with you.

Much closer than you think.

Emmanuel.

Meaning, "God with us."

He sees you today.

You are not forgotten."

Christa Baca

I read this while searching the web,,loney...hurting...heart broken..I needed these words.

 

 

quote for the day

 

"It is around the family and the home

 that all the greatest virtues...are 

created, strengthened and maintained."

Winston Churchill

Gotcha Day

Today is our family's Anniversary. Our last Adoption was final on Sept 11th,2009 so for us this day is a happy day, a special day more  important than any other. Just wanted to share that with you.

I need to track how much we use in home canned goods so I will be updating this list and adding past totals as I find my diary. Each year is defined by the different Jam I make for the year. The year Taylor was born 1994 was Tipsy Peaches. When Camryn was a baby we made "baby sauce", the kids wouldn't eat pears so we made pear sauce and called it baby sauce. They loved it! One year I made an uncountable amount of Elderberry Jelly at the request of my Aunt Harriet Ross, she died this year(2012) at age 90.  I attribute some of her long life to the health benefits of elderberries. This year I couldn't find a single elderberry bush to make one tiny jar in her honor.


Canning Totals
2012-Choke Cherry
38 qts-9 pts Stewed Tomatoes
 3 qts-4pts  Tomato Sauce
11 8oz jars Tomato Jam(not a fan of this)
   qts- pts Dill Pikles
   qts- pts Sweet Pickles
1 qt Grape Juice
2 qts Choke Cherry Juice
7 8oz jars Choke Cherry Jelly
          Apple Pie Filling
          Applesauce
          Applebutter
1 pt- 5 8oz jars Pear Sauce
6 qts Peach Slices
4 qts Sweet Cherries
3 pts- 3 8oz- 10 1/4pt Sweet Relish
10 qts Chicken Soup Stock
7 pts Turkey stock with Carrots
1 pt steak strips(left overs)
1 pt chicken breast(left overs)
  pts Beans
7 qts Potatoes, Cubed (This was so good need to double this next year)
4 qts Pickled Peppers
27 pts Carrots(Deer Carrots)
1 qt 1 pt Plums in honey
21 qts venison

 2011-Apple Pie filling
apple sauce
apple pie filling
applebutter-big hit didn't make nearly enough!
chicken stock
beans
tomatoes
pickled peppers


2006
Tomatoes

2000-Salsa-- This was the year I was given 6 bushels of mixed peppers and didn't waste a single one.
1999-"Baby Sauce"really pear sauce/puree but don't tell! 
????-Elderberry Jelly-- I cant even remember exactly how many pints but it was about 152.
1994-Tipsy Peaches Wish I still had the recipe. It was a better homes and gardens magazine recipe.

Right now I am so into making small batches of fresh local foods. Plus a small batch this size can easily be made by an older child. I put this in the category of life skills. Putting food up in season is good skill for both boys and girls. It gives them a real sense of accomplishment. An adult on their own could easily make a jar for their own use. Or split this recipe for a hostess gift or Christmas giving to others.

 Small Batch of Strawberry Jam 

Makes 1 pint

1 quart strawberries (approximately 3 cups chopped)
1 cup honey (12 ounces)
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Chop berries and place them in a bowl. Add honey and stir. Stir to combine.When honey has dissolved and the strawberries are quite juicy, scrape the mixture into your pan.Bring to a bubble and cook over high heat for 8 to 12 minutes, until the jam is thick and sticky.Funnel jam into two prepared half pint jars and process in a small water bath canner for 10 minutes.When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a folded kitchen towel. When they're cool enough to handle, remove the rings and check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and eaten promptly. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.This recipe doesn't have to be processed in a water bath canner. If you prefer, you can skip that step and simply refrigerate the finished jars once they're cool. It will keep 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge.