Modern Living

In the dear dead days of recipe books,
Papa came home and asked "What cooks?"
Now, when hunger pangs are gnawing
He walks in and says "What's thawing?"

~taken from our grandmother's book: Don McNeil's Breakfast Club Memory Time

And mind you...that was 1952! What would the poet think of us today?

The Breakfast Club was a morning program that ran on ABC radio from 1933-1968 which makes Don McNeil the longest talk show host ever, beating Johnny Carson and Bob Barker.

Mary Poppins

"In every job to be done, there is an element of fun. Find the fun, and - snap - the job's a game!"~Mary Poppins

Small Things in Life

What God may hereafter require of you, you must not give yourself the least trouble about. Everything He gives you to do, you must do as well as ever you can, and that is the best possible preparation for what He may want you to do next. If people would but do what they have to do, they would always find themselves ready for what came next.

~George MacDonald (1824-1905)

Is Christianity Good For the World?

A debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens and theologian Douglas Wilson.

Is Christianity Good For the World?

Trailer for upcoming documentary:

Collision: Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson

Obedience to the Point of Death

Follow Christ's Example ~Lori Sealy

Have this attitude in yourselves which is in Christ Jesus,who, though God, emptied Himself, became a servant became a man.He humbled Himself in obedience, obedience to the point of death.Willingly dying on the cross. Redeeming what was lost.

Let us not live selfishly but clothe ourselves in humility.Serving God & others first, follow Christ’s example.Children make my joy complete by living in unity.Of the same mind bound by love, follow Christ’s example.

Oh beloved do obey our Father’s righteous way.The Holy Spirit enables you to follow Christ’s example.Do not grumble or complain. Live as children without blame.Holding forth the Word of Truth, follow Christ’s example.

From Remember Your Creator CD:

Follow Christ's Example - Lori Sealy.com


Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Loving Our Neighbor on Our Knees

More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.
~Alfred Tennyson

Intercessory prayer might be defined as loving our neighbor on our knees.
~Charles H. Brent

Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you. ~I Samuel 12:23

Cake Music

Great version of a song that brings back memories and bucket loads of laughter from an old pastime.

CAKE music

Hungarian Paprika Chicken

Ingredients :

8 chicken thighs, with skins and bones, about 2 1/4 pounds
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups of onions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika, in the big red can!
1 14 ounce can of whole tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup of chicken broth or water
1 1/2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour, stirred together with 1 tablespoon of water
2 tablespoons of sour cream, plus additional for serving
2 tablespoons of parsley, chopped

Instructions:
Pat chicken dry. Remove skin and reserve. Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot, then cook skin until it renders about 1/4 cup fat. Discard skin with a slotted spoon.

Cook onion with salt in fat in pot over moderately high heat, covered, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary, until onion is very tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth, stirring vigorously to break up tomatoes. Add chicken and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Stir flour mixture and stir into sauce. Simmer, stirring, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, then season with salt and stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream. Serve, sprinkled with parsley, over noodles or rice, with additional sour cream on the side.

I doubled this recipe using 8 thighs and 8 legs and served it over Amish noodles.

I found this at Joy the Baker. She has pictures posted which show the dish and believe me it's as good as it looks!

Notes:
Cooking with paprika:
To release the full flavor and aroma of the paprika you have to add it to hot lard or oil, but pay attention because it can easily get burnt because of its sugar content. Burnt paprika tastes bitter and can ruin the whole dish. To be on the safe side turn the heat under the pan to the lowest level or remove the pan from the heat while you add the paprika to the hot oil and stir the mixture continuously.

Happy Crocheting!

Cozy Crochet ~ 26 projects from fashion to home decor - by Melissa Leapman.

I think crocheting is fun and for me, it's a lot easier than knitting. My grandmother crocheted and I learned from her. The first thing she taught me to do was a granny square, after making several we put them altogether to make an afghan. The main reason I bought this book is because it has directions for the old edgings you usually see on hand towels. Grandma showed me how to crochet the old-fashioned doilies but I never learned how to do edgings. Plus, it has a simple getting started section and 25 other projects, easy up to expert level. The girl's summertime hat made with raffia is one of my favorites.

Jerome Quote

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

~ Jerome (c. 347 – September 30, 420) was a monk and Bible scholar of the 5th century, a contemporary of Augustine.

Psalm 84

How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!

With All Your Mind

~Elisabeth Elliot

James Boswell, biographer, tells how when Samuel Johnson was still a child in petticoats, his mother put a prayer book into his hands, pointed out the collect for the day, and said, "Sam, you must get this by heart." She went upstairs, leaving him to study it. By the time she had reached the second floor, she heard him following her. "What's the matter?" she said. "I can say it," he replied, and repeated it distinctly, though he could not have read it more than twice.

Was he a genius at that age? Perhaps. But I think it more likely that his intellectual powers owed much to his parents' expectations and patient instruction.

Expect little and you'll surely get it.

Taken from~Keep A Quiet Heart

Spelling City

Educational and fun together is my kind of website for kids. Spelling City is a great spot for all ages. You can either pick words from their list or type in your own, be taught, tested, or play a game. Whether you choose a crossword, word search, or another game it automatically uses your chosen words. This month's list to pick from has words of Latin origin, compound words, Lion, Witch & Wardrobe and more plus a nifty handwriting sheet to print out. It' s exciting to run across something on the web when you're not actually looking for it!

Thanks to Ree for the link.

I've updated my sidebar with a few of our favorite sites for kids.

Let's Go Potty

A baby is an alimentary canal with a loud voice at one end and no responsibility at the other. ~ E. Adamson

Self Denial

~Elisabeth Elliot

"The earlier the parents begin to make the laws of order and beauty and quietness comprehensible to their children, the sooner they will acquire good, strong notions of what is so basic to real godliness: self-denial. A Christian home should be a place of peace, and there can be no peace where there is no self-denial."

Give up.
Give in.
Give way.
Give thanks.
Be ye kind.
Wait your turn.
Serve one another in love.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galations 5:22-23

Do Not Rush. Trust. And Keep a Quiet Heart

~ Annie Keary (1825-1879)

I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one's work. Then one can feel that perhaps one's true work - one's work for God - consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day - the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it.

Psalm 63:5-8

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Big Band

It's Time and Männersachen are two CD's we enjoy. It's surprising how similar these two guys sound. Michael Buble is a Canadian big band singer and Roger Cicero is a German jazz musician. If you enjoy Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, I bet you'll like these too.

Roger Cicero

Michael Bublé

Chocolate Rum Cake - Easy

1 box Betty Crocker dark chocolate cake mix
1 large 5.1 oz box Jello instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rum

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix on high speed for 10 minutes. Bake in a greased/floured bundt pan for 1 hour @ 350 degrees.

Glaze
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons rum

Put ingredients in a saucepan and heat until boiling, let boil for 2 minutes, no longer. Pour glaze around outside of cake pan immediately upon removing from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan.

The Book Club

Our next book to read is The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. Written in 1905, it takes place during the French Revolution. The Scarlet Pimpernel is the leader of a secret society. His nickname comes from the small red flower which he uses to sign his messages.

Orczy wrote in her autobiography, Links in the Chain of Life:
I have so often been asked the question: "But how did you come to think of The Scarlet Pimpernel?" And my answer has always been: "It was God's will that I should." And to you moderns, who perhaps do not believe as I do, I will say, "In the chain of my life, there were so many links, all of which tended towards bringing me to the fulfillment of my destiny..."

Making Books

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is a book artist and has a website with great ideas for making books with kids. She uses materials that are simple to find -brown paper bags, cereal boxes, used copy paper,etc. Easy directions and lots of creative fun.

Making Accordian Books

Susan's book ideas

Diligence

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good. ~Ecclesiastes 11:6