Rainy Day Fun
This year, it seems as if there has been more rain than ever. Some of you have seen a lot of snow and have been snowed in your homes with the kiddos. If you’ve been snowed in or just stuck inside on a rainy day, here are a couple of fun and edible ways to brighten up your day!
First, on our agenda is a recipe for Play Dough Cookies. I have tried this recipe, and had a ton of fun making them! A friend and I decided to make them during Christmas, although neither of us have children. My nephew thought the cookies “looked cool”, like a large lollipop. I’m sure that children of any age would enjoy this! They are fun, bright and very delicious! We found this recipe on The Secret is in the Sauce blog.
Play Dough Cookies
3/4 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
assorted food coloring (gel or paste works best)
*We used gel food coloring, and it was an absolute success!*
1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough into Fourths. Tint each with a different food coloring.
Wrap in plastic and chill for two hours. (I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes because I hate to wait!)
3. Preheat oven to 350. Shape colors into 3/4 inch balls.
For each cookie place one pink, one orange, one green, and one blue ball together and roll to make one giant ball. Roll into a 12 inch long snake, and then starting at one end coil roll to make a cookie.Place cookies 2 to 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet to allow for spreading.
4. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
We found that by placing the rolled balls back in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes, they were easier to roll out into snakes for some adorable cookies! Here, they are – the finished product!
Next, we are going to make homemade Play-Doh! Since it is homemade, it is also edible. I know that, as a child, my brother and I often considered eating the store bought kind. So mothers, never fear! Your child is safe to eat your “Play Dough”.
Play Dough for Kids
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
Food coloring/flavoring (optional)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until mixture begins to get thick. Pour onto wax paper and knead. Put into a zipper bag to keep fresh and soft.
To color:
Put amount of dough you wish to color in a zipper bag. Drop food coloring into bag with dough and knead while in bag.
I hope you have a fantastic time making the “Play Dough” and Play Dough cookies! The cookies are absolutely delicious, and definitely picture worthy! I have had a great time making each of these recipes. It might be said that I, too am just a big kid.
So, if you ever find yourself (and your children) stuck inside on a cold, nasty day grab up these recipes and prepare to brighten your day!
Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home
Get ready for this year’s 2nd Annual Spring Clean Challenge. It begins March 1, 2010!
There will be print outs and homework and heartwork… So plan ahead!
We will have discussion here on Weekdays (Monday – Friday). You can report your progress, discuss questions you have or share insights you have discovered.
Plus! We will be giving away great FREE PRIZES daily!! To enter to win, just comment on your progress and discuss the daily devotions each day!
Winners will be selected and notified every evening!
Join the Proverbs 31 Sisters Network to participate!
Valentine’s Day Menu
I love making my family feel special on Valentine’s Day. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday which is perfect for celebrating all day long! Here is a free download of our traditional Valentine’s Day Menu. I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Download the .pdf version of this menu along with the recipes here.
Breakfast:
Heart Shaped Pancakes with fresh Strawberries and Maple Syrup
Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits
Orange Juice
Dinner:
Spinach Lasagna Béchamel
Tossed Salad with Strawberries, Green Onion, Feta and Raspberry Vinaigrette
Garlic Toast
Strawberry Lemonade
Heart Shaped Butter Cookies
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream
Cheerful Homes will be a Light to Neighbors
We need more sunshiny parents and more sunshiny Christians. We are too much shut up within ourselves. Too often the kindly, encouraging word, the cheery smile, are withheld from our children and from the oppressed and discouraged.
Parents, upon you rests the responisbility of being light-bearers and light-givers. Shine as lights in the home, brightening the path that your children must travel. As you do this, your light will shine to those without.
Frome every Christian home a holy light should shine forth. Love should be revelaed in action. It should flow our in all home intercourse, showing itself in thoughtful kindness, in gentle, unselfish courtesy. There are homes where this principle is carried out – homes where God is worshiped and truest love reigns. From these homes morning and evening prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and His mercies and blessings descend upon the suppliants like the morning dew.
- Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 144
Sundays at Home
Well, today is Sunday. Which for me, generally means, getting the house back in shape if I am behind – which, today I am very behind. We spent nearly everyday last week working in the garden/ yard. I’ll share pictures of that later! I don’t think I have ever worked so hard in my life! Well, physically, anyway. Thankfully I have no pulled muscles and seem to be no worse for the wear.
I like being at home. Today it is raining – a true blessing because that means that whatever work is still awaiting me outside will have to wait until another day. That means I can devote the entire day to puttering around the house, cleaning, and making my home a haven for my family. Sometimes I use Sundays for rearranging things and “re-decorating” the house. I look forward to Sundays.
Today, we will be getting the house back in order after not just one week, but two weeks of being outside or just out of the house. It is unusual for me to be gone, but the week before last, I had appointments everyday of the week! I am in need of some home rejuvenation. So, how do I go from chaos to calm in less than a day?
How to Go from Chaos to Calm in Less Than a Day
This is only for the determined spirit, believe me! If you are easily distracted or overwhelmed, be sure to ask God for self-discipline and strength. A messy house is depressing. You will feel much, much better when it is all done! Believe me, I know!
1. Gather up the children.
2. Turn off the internet, television, video games, and any other distraction that may keep you and your children preoccupied.
3. Decide which room to begin with. I like to begin with the kitchen/ dining area of my home.
4. Assign each child a task within the room or just bark er, nicely give orders to the children such as:
“Put this away.”
“Scrub this wall, here is the cleaner and the Magic Eraser.”
“Dust this book shelf.”
“Quickly!”
“Let’s move!”
Anyway, you get the idea. Don’t let anyone finish a job without it being immediately replaced with a new one and don’t let one child work intentionally slow. Be sure to follow up with lots of praise!
5. Complete one room before moving to the next.
I generally save bedrooms for last and then we will either all clean each others rooms together or I will have the children work on their own space. Even the messiest rooms will be whipped into shape within 15 – 30 minutes if everyone works together and works efficiently.
I plan to have a “Ice Cream Sundae Bar” tonight to celebrate the hard work and the clean house! Maybe we’ll even enjoy a movie night and some scrapbooking….
Resurrection Cookies
We will be making this recipe on Saturday night. It has been a few years since we have made them and the children are excited!
Resurrection Cookies
You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a zipper baggy
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible
Instructions:
These are to be made the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300F.
*** (this is very important — don’t wait until you are half done with the recipe).
Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read: John 19:28-30
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read: John 10:10&11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read: Luke 23:27
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read: Matthew 27:57-60
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66
GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20&22
On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9
Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home 2009 Challenge!
Today we are beginning our 2009 Spring Clean Challenge over at A Virtuous Woman! I have written an e-book which will be available for download in installments as we work through the challenge. I hope you will join the group!
If you are not already a member at A Virtuous Woman, it’s free to join! And easy, too!
Here are 10 reasons to join:
1. Get your own free blog.
2. Upload photos and create photo albums.
3. Participate in the Discussion Forum.
4. Join a Special Interest Group.
5. Make new Friends.
6. Read hundreds of articles and devotions.
7. Receive the Proverbs 31 e-Newsletter each month.
8. You’ll be automatically entered to win monthly giveaways!
9. Members will receive A Woman of Worth Quarterly Journal and Cookbook e-Magazine in your email box for free! ($12.95 value)
10. Find the encouragement you need to become the woman God desires you to be.
I hope to see you over at A Virtuous Woman, joining me as I Spring Clean my Heart and Home!
Home…
A few moments ago my darling little, oh so precious little girl says to me, “Mommy, I want to stay five years old forever.”
And I said, “You can stay my little girl forever, even when you are all big.”
These are the best days of my life, for sure.
This morning began in the quiet stillness of dawn, with me curled up under a snuggly soft woven blanket on my sofa, sitting under the light of a lamp with a book in my lap. I have so thoroughly enjoyed reading My Utmost for His Highest. I can’t tell you how it has spoken to me… as if Oswald Chambers wrote it for me!
I wrote several pages in my prayer journal before rising to wake up the children. After cheery “Good Mornings” in a sing song voice and turning on lights with a request to get up, get dressed, make your beds and come down for breakfast, I went into the kitchen to start a pot of grits and fry up some vegetarian bacon. I had made Sourdough Blueberry Muffins yesterday as part of my bread baking day. So, those only needed to warmed.
We ate breakfast around the table. The dishes were cleared. I then read from this year’s children’s devotional. Today’s topic was Backyard Missionaries and a story of two boys who were able to witness about what the Bible really says to a friend of theirs. Then, we sang a worship song – today was “Praise Him, Praise Him.” We ended with prayer.
I then instructed the children to spend a few minutes straightening up their rooms and I went about tidying the rest of the house. Amazingly enough, after just a few minutes of putting away clutter and wiping down the bathroom sink and loading the dishwasher and getting it started, I found myself trying to find something that needed to be done. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am still in the midst of Spring Cleaning, but those chores will be done later today. The house was tidy. In fact, after having so much chaos in my life toward the end of last year, having a clean house everyday for several weeks has been so refreshing. Having it so clean that I just need to spend a few minutes each maintaining my previous work is tremendously satisfying!
So, having nothing better to do, and went and sat down in my Sunroom to enjoy the view from my window. I saw the book The Adventist Home sitting on the table and decided to pick up that and read a chapter. The words are always inspiring. I wanted to share some of those with you.
Creating a Pure AtmosphereEvery Christian home should have rules; and parents should, in their words and deportment toward each other, give to the children a precious, living example of what they desire them to be. Purity in speech and true Christian courtesy should be constantly practiced. Teach the children and youth to respect themselves, to be true to God, true to principle; teach them to respect and obey the law of God. These principles will control their lives and will be carried out in their associations with others. They will create a pure atmosphere – one that will have an influence that will encourage weak souls in the upward path that leads to holiness and heaven.
Children who receive this kind of instruction … will be prepared to fill places of responsiblity and, by precept and example, will be constantly aiding others to do right.
God would have our families symbols of the family in heaven. Let parents and children bear this in mind every day, relating themselves to one another as members of the family of God. Then their lives will be of such character as to give to the world an object lesson of what families who love God and jeep His commandments may be. Christ will be glorified; His peace and frace and love will pervade the family circle like a precious perfume.
Much depends on the father and mother. They are to be firm and kind in their discipline, and they are to work most earnestly to have an orderly, correct household, that the heavenly angels may be attracted to it to impart peace and a fragrant influence.
Valentine’s Day Goodies
Well, we ended up not being able to celebrate our Valentine’s Day on Friday (yesterday), s0 we will be doing that tomorrow! However, throughout the week, I received a number of goodies! How lucky can one girl get???
The beautiful and very fragrant, potted (living) flowers above were delivered to me from my Daddy who lives in Atlanta, GA.
My husband, rather than buying me flowers that would fade and die bought me some things that really made my heart sing…
Grapevines!!! 4 different kinds no less!
1 blueberry plant (I plan to get a few more of these!)
10 strawberry plants
80 red onion seeds
80 yellow onion seeds
A toaster oven. Now, you may be thinking, ‘Who wants a toaster oven when you could have diamonds!’ Well, I really don’t wear much jewelry and it isn’t practical… and I am a practical kind of girl. My other toaster oven died about a year ago. I like this one better.
Okay, this one was funny! It is amazing how so many things about married life are universal.
Again, you may be thinking, “A Tractor Suppy Company Catalog???’ Yes, well, I was thrilled – you see I don’t get out much and this way, I can sit at home and shop! He also brought me a TSC bucket for use hauling dirt and other stuff for the garden – Only $2.50! And two galvanized pails which I just adore. And then, the biggest surprise was the stack of magazines pictured below. He almost never buys magazine off the rack. And they were on one of my favorite topics!
So, what did you get for Valentines Day?
Valentine’s Day Menu
I wanted to share my menu for this Valentine’s Day. We rarely ever go out to eat and I like to make the holidays special by cooking food my family will love – and remember!
Download the printable menu plus recipes here.
Breakfast:
Heart Shaped Pancakes with fresh Strawberries and Maple Syrup
Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits
Orange Juice
Dinner:
Spinach Lasagna Béchamel
Tossed Salad with Strawberries, Green Onion, Feta and
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Garlic Toast
Strawberry Lemonade
Heart Shaped Butter Cookies
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream
