Yogurt Covered Strawberries

I have a great use for those Individually Frozen Strawberries that I showed to you the other day.
My family really liked these so much.  Again, they were gone before I could take a picture.  But I have the picture below from the blog that I found them on.

This recipe comes from This Chick Cooks.Net .  I did tweak mine a bit.  The original recipes is simply Fresh Strawberries and Vanilla Yogurt.  I wanted them to have a sweeter harder consistency so I melted White Chocolate Chips and blended it with the yogurt before I dipped the berries.  I also really liked starting with already frozen strawberries.  They seem to set up faster. 
Yogurt Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

• strawberries
• yogurt
• vanilla to taste

Instructions

1. Cut tops off of berries. Dip the berries into yogurt and place on cookie tray in the freezer until firm. Repeat process until the berries have your desired amount of yogurt shell. I dipped mine twice.
2. Store in the freezer.
3. These are best served after sitting out for a few minutes.

Once mine were frozen on the cookie sheet, I again transferred them to a zip lock bag to keep them fresh.  I hope you all enjoy these.

Jeannie

Book Club

I would like to see if some of you would like to join me in reading a book together.  I think if we break it down we can comfortably get it done by the end of summer.  Some of you might say well I can read much quicker than that,  that is great I will have a fast track set up for you.

The name of the book is The Bible.  To be specific the New Testament.  What happened to some of your enthusiasm?  A few of you dropped the thought right as I mentioned the book.  That is why this is a challenge.  I really want to challenge all of you to try to get through the entire New Testament in the months of July and August.  It has no more pages than a great Novel.

I know that we can do this.  Over at Women's Fellowship House my Mom’s blog she actually challenged her readers to read it all in July.  I know my schedule and I know that yours is similar, so I decided that we would need the remainder of the Summer.  In addition for those of you seeking more, I am going to have a verse to memorize each week.  Nothing hard.

God’s Holy word is our connection to Him.  He is our creator and His only thought is Us.  Why is it so hard for us?  We need to pray before we begin that God will open the eyes of our heart so that we are able to understand His truth.

Lord,
Collectively we come to you and pray that you will open the eyes of our hearts that we may see all that you have for us in your precious and Holy word.  We pray that we will be blessed because of our willing hearts, even if we don’t understand a word we are reading at first.  Please bring us clarity and understanding over the remainder of this Summer while we are in your word daily.  We pray that you will also make memorizing your word easy for us and pray that it would become hidden in our hearts.
In Jesus Name
Amen

Starting July 1st I will post the verses to be read for the week and the memory verse as well.  I will be doing this right on alongside you.  If anything comes to you during your reading that you would like to share we can use either the comments section or click on my Community Button(Blog Frog) at the top of the page and click “see all” and then on the next page click “New Conversation”.  That will get you started once you are a member. 

Jeannie

Freezing Strawberries

We were blessed with beautiful strawberries.  My friend Melissa let us come and pick with her at her Mother-in-law’s giant strawberry patch.  Thank you Melissa and Wendy.

She gave me a great tip on Freezing them, that is so simple, but I had never thought of it, so I thought I would pass it on to you.  She told me to put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them individually, once frozen you can throw them into a ziplock bag.  I love this it is so great for smoothies and all sorts of things.  You can just pull out a handful instead of thawing the whole big clump.


Here they are in the ziplock in the freezer.  We froze 3 gallons sized bags that way and we are already down to two. 
Enjoy!!
Jeannie

Linky Thank You!!!

I want to send out a BIG Thank you to the sites that have sent me readers.  I always appreciate when I get an email that says “I came over here from so and so’s blog” or anything that lets me know that someone was referred by another site.


From this month on I am going to recognize the top three Linkys. 
The top three from the past month are:

Comfy in the Kitchen Featured our Peanut Butter Cake from a few weeks ago.  Thank you Comfy in the Kitchen.


I have always liked this blog.  I love the idea of it and all that I find there.


I join in weekly in their Homestead Barn Hop.  I don't have a big piece of land to completely homestead on, but I do all that I can with the yard that we do have.

Here are a few of the others:

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/

http://moneysavingmom.com/

womenlivingwell.org

http://womensfellowshiphouse.blogspot.com/

http://myturn-evelyn.blogspot.com/

newlifeonahomestead.com

 

Thank You

 

Jeannie

Making Those Moments

This year being our first year with one income, we don’t have extra cash for vacations, yet our big kids are growing and growing and we don’t have many years left with them under our roof. 

So, we decided to frequently have camp fires in our backyard to just sit around with each other and talk and goof off.

Here are a few of the highlights from one of our fires.  Picture all of this with a stereo playing (at a respectful volume) Christian pop and alternative.  My big kids find some of the coolest Christian music.



Bella and Jacob roasting their marshmellows


My beautiful Allie making faces.  She was preparing the fixins for the S’mores.


Were wanting for the fire Dad.



Big Man make Little fire!


My little man, such a goof.  In the back ground you can see our old fire pit.  I like the new one that Mike made.



The Fire.


Our good boy Max.



We really did have fun.  They were just concentrating on finally getting that fire going.  Mike just cut down two trees a few weeks ago and the wood is still a little wet.  So, once the fire got going so did our fun. 
Time with our kids is so important.  It makes them feel like they are important to us and allows them to feel free to open up and talk.  But we have to make the effort to make those moments and the memories.

Jeannie

Raspberry Leaf Tea

The other day I was looking around on other blogs and came across a post on Raspberry Leaf Tea.  I have Raspberry bushes in our yard, so my ears(o.k. my eyes) perked up. 



You can’t see the bushes very well in this picture above, but aren’t those dogs so cute, that is Max, our dog and our neighbor’s dog Winston.  The bushes are to the right of the dogs.   Also, above is a plate of dried leaves.

It really has many health benefits.  Especially for women.  Here are the benefits that Jacquiline over at DeepRootatHome.com listed:

Benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf taken internally:

~It strengthening the wall of the uterus and the entire female reproductive tract.

~Regulates a menstrual period and decreases heavy periods (Drink 2-3 cups per day. After 2-3 months you should obtain a regular cycle.)

~It works during all stages of pregnancy. Relieves morning sickness and nausea.

~Is used as a preventative for hemorrhage during labor. It assists labor, making for an easier delivery.

 Tones uterine muscle before, during, and after childbirth.

~It increases and builds milk for nursing your baby.

~It is good for stomach aches and bowel problems in children and diarrhea in babies.

~It is good for digestion, as an antacid, and for those with bloating and gas.

~Treating Acne: It can act as an astringent on irritated skin by tightening the top layers of skin which effectively reduces secretions, relieves irritation and improves tissue firmness.

~Can be used as a mouth wash to soothe canker sores, swollen gums, and throat irritations.

~It is effective in urinary tract infections.
I do have one disclaimer:  I don't remember the details but I do remember something about this tea possibly causing early labor for pregnant women.  To be safe just check in with your Doctor or Midwife before drinking it in pregnancy, especially before 36 weeks.

So, of course I went right out and picked some of the leaves from my bushes.  I first made a cup of tea with fresh leaves and then later with dried leaves.  Not to much difference,  I think I did like the fresh better but, you can’t have that all year long. 

 

I dried them in our dehydrator,  it only took about 15 minutes.  laying each leaf on the tray took long enough, I didn’t want to have to do it all again the next day, if I had air dried them. 

Now, each night I have a cup of Red raspberry leaf tea.  Hope you can find some.  They are growing wild in many places right now. Or you can find it at Mountainroseherbs.com  Happy hunting.
Jeannie

Going it alone

About a year ago my friend Melissa and I started thinking about this blog and what it would look like and be about.  Over this last year things have changed for both of us.  She went back to work and I stopped running my daycare of 10 years. 


It has always been my dream to write and blog and Melissa was interested in the blog world.  So, we got started.  Just about the time we started is when both of our lives changed course. 

As, I’m sure you have noticed, Melissa has not posted very much.  This is because of the path that God has set before her.  So, Melissa has asked that I make this blog a one woman show and go it alone.

I have to tell you that even though you all have not heard much from her, she has been a constant inspiration to me and to this blog.  I could not have started or continued if it weren’t for her.  I love her heart and her encouragement and I know that she will continue to give that as she always has.
 
Thank you to my Best Friend Melissa for all that you have done to lift me up and help me to fly.
Jeannie

Oven French Fries and NO Link up

Sorry ladies no link up. The link up will be returning in 2-3 weeks.

I do however have a great recipe for the best oven fries I have ever had. So, these are not the crispy, crunchy fries that you would get at McD’s, they are the crisp full of great flavor kind. I found these on one of my favorites Taste of Home.

First cut your fries into strips as thick or thin as you like.

In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and soy sauce until smooth. Add potatoes; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

 Drain potatoes and pat dry on paper towels. Toss potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Then bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes on each side or until tender and golden brown.




Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into strips
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and soy sauce until smooth. Add potatoes; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Drain potatoes and pat dry on paper towels. Toss potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes on each side or until tender and golden brown. Yield: 2 servings.

I, of course triple the batch for our family
So sorry no picture of the final product, they disappeared to fast. You will have to make some to see what they look like. I warn you they will disappear fast take a quick look before they are gone.



Jeannie

Marriage Moment-Successful Husbands

I heard a radio program (I think Focus on the Family) the other day about what makes us as wives and our husbands feel valuable.  I will start with the woman’s topic first because I want to focus more on the husbands.  The place that most women feel valued is in feeling secure, secure that our ideas are good, that we are appreciated by those who love and need us, secure in that they also unconditionally love us.  I would agree with all of that. 

Men gain their sense of value from successes, success in marriage, success in parenting, success in their work, etc… .



That same day, so funny how God works, my husband was asked to go out to lunch with some of the upper management in his company.  He usually comes home for lunch to see us but he thought he would go with these guys that day.  These are the guys who have “made it” (successful) in the company.  But they are also the guys that work 12-14 hour days, travel a lot and do business lunches daily.

  The talk swirling around the table was of work and business, but one guy in particular talked about going on vacation with his family that he rarely sees.  He wanted to trick them by shaving off a long time beard, to see if they would recognize him.  They didn’t at first apparently, which made one of the children angry.  His response to that was, well at least I know they love my credit card.


This man is successful in business, to his standards, but not so successful with his family.

My husband is a very successful man.  Yes, he does his job well, but he is also a great dad that teaches his children about the Lord and who loves their mother very much and makes her feel secure.  My husband has not always known how to be successful but the Lord had plans for him and for our family.

Make sure that your husband knows that he is a successful man in your eyes and your kids, and give him the support to become that incredibly successful man in the Lord.


This dad did something to deserve that kiss.  Better than any award the world can give.
Jeannie

Trick To Fresh Berries

My friend Carolyn just emailed this great tip for keeping Strawberries fresh longer.  The funny thing is that I just spent the entire day yesterday working on strawberries that we picked on Wednesday night.  So, here is the tip straight from the email:

But they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.

(Photo credit to healthyfellow.com)

Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets,  Foodlushblog.com shared this excellent tip on how to salvage berries that are starting to lose their luster. Now I'm here to share a tip on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:

Wash them with vinegar.

A friend of mine shared this tip with me a few weeks ago, and it really, really works. When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.
The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and I've had strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.

Credit for the information in this email goes to healthyfellow.com

Stay tuned next week for more Strawberry info and recipes.

Jeannie

Homemade Really Good Chocolate Sauce and 2 Better Tuesday Link up

Yesterday I told you that we had a small group party.  The theme of the party was Homemade Ice Cream.  So, I brought strawberries and this chocolate sauce.
I found this sauce on allrecipes.com, but I tweaked it a bit.

1/4 cup Corn Syrup
2/3 cup Cocoa
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Dark Chocolate Chips
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Mix well, all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 full minute.  Take off of the heat and let it cool.  I keep mine in the fridge.


This also makes great syrup for Chocolate Milk.  Add about 1 Tablespoon to a glass milk.
Enjoy!
Jeannie

---

This linky list is not open yet. It will open for new entries in 2 hrs, 4 min (6/5/2012 12:01 AM North America - Central Standard Time)

Powered by Linky Tools

Our Small Group

This weekend our small group met to celebrate the end of another book.  We just finished

The 5 Love Languages of Children By Gary Chapman, Ph.D. & Ross Campbell, M.D. / Northfield

   I learned so much about myself and my children, in reading that along with my husband and the group. 

Each time we finish a book we have a party with the kids.  The kids are always there when we meet but they usually play in the basement or watch a movie together.  We have 10 children between the 3 families, usually my 2 big kids don’t come but all 8 of the others do.   They play so well together that we like to reward them at the end of the books.

I do have to do a plug for small groups.  We started our small group in September, and I feel like Mike and I have forever friends.  Meeting weekly helps you to feel free to open up and share things that you can’t in passing with friends.

It has also drawn us  together as a couple .  We have a common topic on our minds, from our book study, that we can mull over together.  It also gives us time to see other marriages in action and also parenting in action as well.  We can all grow from what we see others do, the good, the bad and the ugly alike.  If you have a couple or two that you would like to get to know, I encourage you to talk to them about starting a small group and meeting regularly together.  We have a group at our church that has been together for 6 or 7 years.  Talk about forever friends.

Together

I’m sure you saw that I underlined all of the times I used the word “together”.  I did that because I started to noticed a theme as I was writing.  If you have ever done an inductive Bible study you know all about this.  When a word is mentioned many times you need to perk up to the word and check out the theme.  Same here, the word together is such a rare thing in our iSociety, that being together is a thing we really need to work to do.   It also goes along with our blogs theme of the three strand cord.  You can have friends and that is great but friends in Christ are where you can gain your strength.

I’ll let you know what our next book is as soon as I find out.
Jeannie