Posts

Showing posts from August, 2011

How to Get Your Children to Help Around the House

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 When you have little children, it is easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated at trying to be supermom. You need help. And that help comes from your family. As a mother, it's your job to get your children to help with the housework cheerfully. They will benefit by one day becoming independent, responsible adults who are pleased with their accomplishments. So make housework fun, give clearly defined directions, keep the jobs realistic, and avoid criticism. Above all shower them with genuine praise. Children thrive on praise and encouragement. I've tried different systems over the years, and while we've had a measure of success with each, by far, the one that has never failed me is our Daily Work Planner Chart. It is simple to make on microsoft word and can be adjusted as necessary. The chart itself remains the same, but I will add or subtract a job here or the

Beware the Little Foxes: Susan Wise Bauer

A couple of years ago, I bought the book, Writing With Ease by author and professing Christian, Susan Wise Bauer. I based my purchase upon the rave reviews this book and the author received. At the time, I was exploring the copy and narration method and this book seemed to be ideal to fit that bill...that is, until I opened the book.   The reviews I read failed to mention some of her choices in literature. In this book, she uses several excerpts from Alice In Wonderland. I realize that many people think of this work of fiction to be innocent and fun, but I simply disagree. The author of Alice was known to be pedophile. And if that wasn't bad enough, he is on record as a suspect in the unsolved murders of the Jack the Ripper case.  Whether or not these rumors are true, I don't find any redeeming qualiteis to the story itself.  I really think it's important to find out who an author IS because it is related to what that author writes. So personally, I think it is an

Rich Chocolate Cream Pie

Image
One of my husband's favorite desserts is Chocolate Cream pie.  It took me a while to find a good recipe that didn't use boxed mixes.  This one is easy, yummy and fits the bill.  The only consension is the can of sweetened condensed milk.  But I can live with that.  :) Rich Chocolate Cream Pie 1 2/3 cups water 3 TB cornstarch 6 TB cocoa 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 3 egg yolks 2 TB butter 1/2 tsp pure almond extract 1 (9 in) graham cracker pie crust Directions For crust: Crush one package graham crackers (1 1/2 cups). Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press into greased pie dish and bake 10 minutes at 350 deg.  Let cool. Directions For Pie Filling 1) Whisk water, cornstarch and cocoa in medium saucepan until smooth 2) Stir in milk and egg yolks 3) Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly and pudding looks thickened 4) Stir in butter and vanilla 5) cool slightly and pour into baked pie shell. Cool completely before moving on. 7) Whip about

Lifestyle Of Decluttering

Have you ever looked around at all the clutter in your home and wondered how in the world it all got there?  I think we all know the answer. One day at a time.  If we stop and consider the sheer mass of objects that make their way into our homes via daily mail, groceries, packaging, gadgets, clothing, library books, shoes, hats, coats, gifts from holidays and birthdays and special occasions...it really adds up.  But a house is only so big. The piles of merchandise cluttering the average house in America make many homes feel and look more like warehouses than homes. What Comes In Must Go Out My solution to the clutter in my home is to declutter a little bit each week.  I don't really have a system or schedule to it,  I've just incorporated this into my lifestyle.  When I go around from room to room picking up, I gather things that don't belong.  Some of it is trash and some of it is just stuff .  The trash part is easy.  It's the "just stuff" that gets t

Clara's Kitchen

Have you seen Clara's Kitchen yet?  Clara Cannucciari is a woman in her 90's who cooks what she and her family used to eat during The Great Depression.  She tells some stories while she cooks.  I love to watch Clara and hear her stories.  She is just a doll. And it's actually really relaxing to watch her.  You can check out one of her videos  here .  She also has a recipe book out which would be a nice addition to my cookbook collection.

Chili Mac

Image
If you have a pound of ground beef and a few common pantry staples, you can whip up a simple but satisfying meal for your family in about half an hour all in one pan.  My family always enjoys this meal and it's very easy to make.  I didn't remember to take a picture last night, so I found this one which looks pretty close to what mine did. You will need: 1 lb ground beef (grass fed is best) 1 small onion, diced 15 oz can tomato sauce 15 oz can diced tomatoes 15 oz can red kidney beans 4 oz can diced green chilies (optional) 1/2 cup dry macaroni 1 TB chili powder 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp salt (celtic is best) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Brown ground beef and onions; add all ingredients except cheese .  Cover and cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until pasta is done. Top with cheese.  Serves 4-6 This recipe is really friendly for add-ins like corn, green onions, black olives, sour cream or even monterey jack instead of cheddar. I like to s