Love Letters & National Encouragement Day

Did you know that the 10th of every month is Love Letter Day?
Did you know that September 12 is the National Day of Encouragement?

If you have anyone in your life who counts Words of Affirmation as their primary love language, these are great opportunities to intentionally speak love in their language!

Dayspring offers a ton of free ecards - no registration or hoops to jump through required! (Hint: You can hop over and complete one right now and then where it says "send greeting on" just change the date to have it auto-sent either tomorrow or the 12th.)

Or you can do things the old fashioned way - grab a piece of paper (extra points if it's pretty) and write a few lines reminding someone that you're thinking of them and leave it somewhere they're sure to find it.

Who do you know that could really use some encouragement this week?

Our Last Great Hope

Pastor Ronnie Floyd is rabidly passionate about the Great Commission (in a good way). He's something of an expert on the subject: In addition to considering it his own personal mission statement and that of the large church he leads in Arkansas, Floyd spent a year doing intensive research on the GC for the Southern Baptist Convention's Great Commission Task Force. In an effort to share his passion and broad knowledge with others, he has distilled all the essentials into a single enthusiastic call to action entitled Our Last Great Hope.

Floyd writes with unbridled energy and an unselfish spirit; he wants everyone to share the same thrilling move-of-God adventure he's on. I was surprised and impressed by the insights he drew from verses so over-quoted as to be rote and ignorable in other contexts. I also gave high marks for his courage to tackle notoriously touchy subjects like money.


Having dealt with poorly run churches, however, I cringed at his suggestion that thousands of new churches need to planted. I struggled with his singularly outward perspective; training was in order on how to evangelize, but no mention was made of crucial issues often ripping apart the church such as building strong marriages or handling finances (beyond tithing).
Anyone interested in missions or church leadership would do well to read this book. Cynics will either be humbled or need to read it with a grain of salt.

Housewives: The Original Smart Meters

I'm fairly sure audio books weren't intended to be talked back to, but I couldn't help myself recently while listening to Mike Huckabee's A Simple Government. The man had plenty of commonsense things to say, but one comment really set me off: Mr. Huckabee is in favor of Smart Meters.

Are you familiar with Smart Meters? They're an “upgraded” version of your gas/electric meters that monitor the energy your home consumes and provide constant, specific feedback to the provider company about what you're using and when. Supposedly, they have many wonderful uses such as allowing cost differentials in your bill (based on whether you use energy at peak or off times) and generating reports on what appliance upgrades will give you the biggest bang for your buck (by assessing which ones run most often and create the biggest power drains).

Of course, anyone with an innate tendency towards skepticism or *ahem * subversion might be quick to point out that they are also programmed with capability to interface with the new “Smart Appliances” - to the extent that your power company (or other powers that be) can selectively turn off or cut off any appliances in your house that they feel are drawing too much power or being run too often. I'm sure I don't need to get into why that is not something most of us would cheerily sign up for on purpose. (Oh yeah - they may expose your family to unsafely high levels of radiation too.)

But, all ranting about the value of Smart Meters aside, what irked me most about Mr. Huckabee's support of the idea was that he'd just finished talking about how things like rising crime rates, falling literacy levels and the seriously precarious state of Americans' health were all family problems. We don't need new social service regimes or psychologically overhauled criminal justice procedures – we need to fix the family issues at the root of the problem! I completely agree with that assertion, which is why I'm baffled that he misses the same point when it's made in a different (but related) context.

Excessive energy usage is a family problem too.

There are abundant studies proving what should be common sense: every time a family fragments into divided homes, national energy consumption increases. Every person that lives alone, running their own heat, appliances, etc. is doubling the amount of energy needed over what would be required if they shared a home with their family.

Every family in which both parents work because they don't feel they can afford to live on one income almost automatically is forced to run numerous appliances at peak hours – because that's the only time they're home! They can't choose to run laundry in the middle of the morning, because everyone's at work. They can't choose to save money by hanging clothes on the line to dry because they don't get home until after dark and have to be out before the sun is up the next day. (Or because their HOA doesn't allow clotheslines, but that's a whole story unto itself.)

The most ironic part of this whole subject? Americans used to have Smart Meters. They were called Housewives. Women who were able to plan their days around what needed to be done at home were able to run laundry while the kids were in school (and hang it on the line to dry). Their households were able to accommodate live-in grandparents or single relatives. Guess what? They could carpool, make food from scratch and engage in a bunch of other “green”, “socially responsible” and “health conscious” lifestyle choices too! (In fact, some modern housewives are already getting plenty of press for doing just that!)

Am I saying every family must have a stay- at- home wife/mother? No.

Do I think it's foolish to praise such limited, potentially dangerous technology when there is an obvious and multi-beneficial alternative readily available to tackle multiple major concerns in one fell swoop? You bet.

What do you think? Could housewives be the secret weapon of the next Green Movement?

Recipes & The Great Marshmallow Disaster

I have a tendency to clip / print / stash recipes that sound appealing, with full intentions of making them in the future. When it's the right season, when I have the ingredients in the house, when I have time for something new and complex, etc.

Some recipes I get around to pretty quickly. Others, for one reason or another keep getting shuffled through my pile but linger unmade. So I decided this past weekend to pick a handful of the long neglected and make time to try them.

The results? Three successes and one apocalyptic disaster.

Marie's Chicken French  was easy, inexpensive and every bit as delicious the versions I remember serving ad infinitum in my catering days.

Mushroom and Potato Gratin with Thyme and Parmesan was a Williams Sonoma recipe that was much easier than it sounds, but every bit as decadent as you'd expect. (Did you know WS makes a huge selection of their fail-proof recipes available for free on their website?)

Carrots Normandy - Essentially glazed carrots with the added zing of vinegar, these were unique and excellent, quick, cheap and easy. Really, what more can you ask for? (No link for this one, so here's the recipe. I tossed some cinnamon in with the sugar for good measure.)
       2 cups carrots (sliced into 2" strips or large diced)
       1/4 tbsp cornstarch
       1/2 cup vinegar
       1/2 cup sugar
       1/4 tsp salt
       2 tbsp butter

Boil carrots 7-10 minutes; drain. In a saucepan, stir starch into vinegar. Add sugar and salt; boil 5 min. Add butter, stir until melted. Reheat carrots in sauce and serve hot.

Speculoos - everything you like about spice cake in a super convenient cookie! Reminiscent of snicker-doodles, I liked these because they had a very quick, very forgiving dough. I used about 1/4 cup less sugar than suggested and was quite happy with the result. (I also cut mine into half- dollar- sized rounds rather than sticks, but they cooked up in the same amount of time.)


My only kitchen disaster was my enthusiastic attempt to make my own marshmallows using the recipe from the awesome cookbook Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It. Everything else I've tried from that source was fantastic, so I had high hopes for this as well. After all, who wouldn't be psyched about the idea of making something so inherently commercial looking in your own kitchen? Totally- from-scratch s'mores, anyone? 

It started well, with my sugar boiling on the stove, gelatin softening in a bowl and my greased, sugared pan waiting. At the last minute, about ten degrees before my sugar hit the required temperature it abruptly caramelized. Pulling it off the heat, I tried to finish the steps, hoping I could salvage the project and just have unintentionally gourmet caramel marshmallows. Instead of getting puffy, though, the mixture turned into a clingy, toffee-like mess that crawled up my electric mixer beaters like a sci-fi alien over a space ship and stuck fast to everything it touched. The final result had the consistency of bubble gum and an only vaguely caramelized flavor. Final score: sugar monster: 1, me: 0.  Clearly, there will be no s'mores....

Anywho, we can't win them all and I am pleased with myself for tackling the project even if it was unsuccessful. Much praise is also due to my boys for being patient with my kitchen endeavors...

Incidentally, I highly recommend cooking with a border collie on hand. When my sugar alien left me sticking to my bowl (and my spatula and everything else) and decidedly in need of assistance, Arthas ran and fetched his Daddy to come rescue me. Lol. Note to self: don't try crazy cooking projects without supervision and backup!

What wild kitchen fun have you whipped up lately?

Real Food Cookbook Giveaway at Raising Homemakers!

Raising Homemakers is hosting a cookbook giveaway - Health for Godly Generations by Renee DeGroot!

Although I haven't read this one personally, a quick review of available info suggests that it is right on track. You have until midnight next Tues (Sept 13th) to leave a comment on the Raising Homemakers page to be entered to win.

If you or anyone you know would benefit from a free book like this, please consider checking it out. RH doesn't sell names, emails or anything else so there's no risk to enter!

Great Finds

I posted last week about some solutions I've found and things that really work for me. That must have gotten my brain going more than I realized, because I've noticed several other things since then that really should have made that post. So here's a few more great things that really make my life easier.

(Please note, these are all just my opinions. I don't profit from any of them, and was in no way compensated for these happy remarks, except by the convenience or satisfaction they bring me when I use them.)

The Sourdough Cookbook I've tried sourdough at least four times in the past, but I've never been able to master it. The starter didn't work, it turned moldy, the bread didn't turn out well or the process outlined in the books were for artisan breads that took multiple days to make and I just couldn't hack it. On a not-very-hopeful whim, I picked up The Sourdough Cookbook from my library. It was written in the 70's by a lady who looks like she was channeling the Betty Crocker of her era, but wow is it amazing! The starter was simple, took right away and works like a charm! The recipes are easy, widely varied and flexible. The bread turns out delectably, and I can't wait to try the sweet rolls, cookies and waffles too! If you've been eying the health benefits of sourdough but have struggled for success like I did, snag yourself a copy of this and enjoy!

Watermelon Frosty I am not a huge fan of watermelon, and only eat bananas if they're baked into something. But when I got a giant watermelon from the CSA, I figured I'd have to get creative to use it all up before it went bad. I'm still not sure how an entirely healthy treat, made almost entirely out of two ingredients I'm not thrilled with ends up being so awesome, but I've decided not to worry about it. Try it. I bet you'll love it too!

Redken Smooth Down Shampoo & Conditioner I love having long hair, but it has a tendency to frizz in any kind of humidity which drives me nuts! (We get a lot of humidity around here.) I finally got up my nerve to ask my hair-stylist neighbor if he could recommend anything and he was happy to toss me some samples of this fabulous stuff! I've never been one to spend lots of money on hair products, and this isn't cheap, but it's SO worth it! Combined with Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Relaxing Balm it keeps my hair soft, non-frizzy and completely free of the gunky, sticky, un-touchable mess that it can quickly become if I try to use hairspray or gel. The sheer amount of stress reduction involved in not having to worry about or fuss with my hair throughout the day is fantastic! (Hint: if you know a stylist, ask if they'd be willing to barter with you for good hair products! They can buy this stuff for half what it costs the rest of us, and many would be glad to swap some out for whatever you have access to. Yeah for tax-free bartering!) :0)

Pinterest Yes, I admit that if you struggle with managing your online time you probably want to stay far away from Pinterest. But if, like me, you find your web browser bookmarks spilling over into double pages and making it a struggle to find the recipe, museum exhibit idea or the link for that shirt you wanted to buy every time you hop on this could be the perfect solution! It's essentially an online corkboard that allows you to grab a picture from any website, caption it, and “tack” it to a themed board of your choice without interrupting anything else you're doing. (I have boards for the museum, food, clothes, holiday gifts ideas, etc.) When you want to find something again, you pull up the board and all your photos are there, making it easy to scroll through and snag the one you want. Click on it, and it auto-opens to the original link! You can also send “pins” to people or see what other people are pinning. It has seriously cleaned up my browser and saved me a bunch of time.

Pottery Barn Color Palette Okay, so this hasn't actually made my own life easier but it's such an awesome idea I had to include it anyway. Benjamin Moore puts out a paint palette (on display at my local hardware store) with all the current Pottery Barn colors! I would be one of those people that marketers hate; I refuse to spend $500 on PB decor when I can recreate the look for a lot cheaper with similar pieces from The Christmas Tree Store. If you are the same way, check your local store for this display. It's a great resource to have, especially if you're looking to recreate a color scheme with accessories – grab a few paint chips, tuck them in your purse and take them shopping with you! It's the best way I've found to ensure that all your pieces from various places match and you end up with the same coordinated look as if you shelled out oodles of money at PB or its equivalent.

Hope some of these make your life easier the way they have mine!

Trial Run

The interwebs abound this week with blog posts about what people learned (or should have) from Hurricane Irene.

Locally, I know several people who found themselves unable to get to work and a few businesses/ services closed for a day or two because their employees were stranded on the wrong side of the river with no way to get across. Even after the weather had cleared and the sun was shining, our electricity flicked off and on erratically as crews removed trees from power lines. Thirty-six hours post typhoon we got a boil-water order.

Of the most impact to me personally was news that if NYC had been hit hard my husband and his unit would have been called up and had to go down there to assist with evacuation efforts. Fortunately, they were able to function on just volunteers this time through, but it made me think.

I tend to consider myself pretty prepared, but this trial-run provided me with some valuable feedback with which to evaluate and improve my preps and plans.

Menus My stove-top stayed on, but every time the power flicked off my oven went out. I am thankful I have a collection of skillet recipes, but I realized that I need to be more proactive about keeping crackers and other dry, ready-edibles in the house.

Escape Routes Our plan has always been to shelter in place unless evacuation became truly impossible to avoid. But having seen so many bridges out and portions of the major highways completely shut down has forced me to explore alternative bug-out locations. If “out” is open in only one direction, how do I get somewhere safe? Something to think about.

Me, Myself and the Dog I've always known that there's a good chance emergency will strike while my husband is deployed; I'd never considered that he might be home and deployed because of the emergency. Honestly, a little heart work is necessary here because I'd be pretty pissed if he had to go take care of strangers somewhere like NYC sure to be full of looting, rioting and people who've never bothered to prep at all (reference their complete melt down last winter during a snow storm for the basis of my assessment) rather than here with his family and friends. Beyond that, I clearly need to address our communication plans since I could be forced to evacuate while he's gone and it would be important that we be able to relay valuable info despite cell restrictions. I'd been trying to avoid the third-party plan, but I may have to bite the bullet and make it happen.

Like a Good Neighbor Friends of ours have a three month old baby; the father works with my husband. God forbid they got called up, the poor new mom would be by herself – all their local family is on the other side of the river! Although I'm used to keeping half an eye out for my physical neighbors, this was the first event that made me consider whether or not I need to expand my view when it comes to thinking of people to check on or offer to assist.

Procrastination Is A Suicide Installment Plan A slightly more impressive version of the “don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today” idea, I picked up this line in Mary Kay training believe it or not! It really stood out to me as the most valuable lesson from this storm, though. Laundry, food prep, grocery shopping – life if meant to be lived, certainly, but letting chores and seemingly mundane tasks pile up simply because we assume we can always do them later could come back to bite us badly in an emergency when everything instantly gets harder or takes longer.

Those lessons give me plenty to work on right now. What did you learn?