Simplifying, health and Nourishing Traditions...

Along with our simplifying as well as trying to save money like crazy...the first thing I thought of was meal planning, eating healthy and saving money. Ok...I'm working on that, and it seems to be working out well. The second thing I thought of was saving money on supplements. So...again, I poured over all of my books, prayed, and God has showed us (and is still showing us) a plan for health and thrift....as naturally as possible. I've been reading and putting some things into practice from Nourishing Traditions. It is a book by Sally Fallon, who follows the health studies from the Weston A Price Foundation. You can check out their extensive website here (hope the link works) Most of what is in the book is really good old-fashioned common sense, as well as centuries old practices of preparing food.

Here is some of what we are doing. You'll see jars sitting out on counters here, or in cupboards. The one on the left is 'beet kvass'...a wonderful blood and liver tonic, the one in the middle is my 'kombucha'...also a good liver tonic as well as loaded with enzymes and 'good' bacteria. The white one on the right is my kefir. I culture this daily, and make smoothies with frozen unsweetened strawberries that everyone likes...and it has so much more good bacteria even than yogart does...and is so much easier to make than homemade yogart!

This is not a complete tutorial...you can go to youtube and watch any tutorials on making these things that explain it very well. This is what my kefir 'grains' look like when strained. There are different schools of thought as to using metal utensils/spoons or not....from what I've read it doesn't make a difference.

Here is how I drain the kefir into my blender. Simple, isn't it?

This is a picture of the tea for the kombucha brewing while the 'mother' kombucha culture (some call mushroom) waits to be added.

And here is my glass of cold kombucha with ice ready to be enjoyed as well! It is really good...tastes like a cross between 'sweet' iced tea and ginger ale.

Along with doing these things, we're eating lots of broth. I've been making my own homemade broth for years....origionally because it tasted better. Then, because it was cheaper....now I know how rich in health benefits homemade bone broth is! I make chicken, turkey, beef, and vegetable broth...and even when I make the veggie broth, I throw in 1 or 2 beef bones to the broth.

What does this all have to do with supplements? Well...since we're boosting our nutrition thru food, and getting our good bacteria from yogart and kefir....I'm not buying probiotics anymore, and not giving a multi-vitamin everyday. We're also drinking our 'green lemonade' and carrot juice....the only supplements that I haven't figured out how to cut down or out completely is evening primrose oil for me, and cod liver oil.

So...as we're on this journey to simplify, save money, cut costs and do it in a healthy manner....cutting back on our meat consumption, eating more 'raw' foods....making everything we can from scratch and focusing on our meals and supplements has allowed us to save money...and be healthy. Does all of this take time and planning? Absolutely! Doing things in a simple way doesn't mean easy. Would it be easier for us to not cook everything from scratch? Sure! But it is so much cheaper and healthier for us to cook and eat whole grains, salads, fruits and veggies, and culture some of our food. I will say, that shopping at Aldi's once a week for our main shopping has saved us a ton! And, what I buy there is very healthy. Buying in bulk once a month from a natural foods co-op, Trader Joe's once a month, and costco once a month...then planning my meals accordingly also saves us quite a bit. We're still praying and planning on other ways to save money and cut costs as well. More in future posts as the Lord leads. I'm also reading everything I can as to the 'old-fashioned' ways of doing things....and now have 3 nice long clothes lines in my basement, more planned for outside when Spring arrives, and a garden this year. ( we haven't had a garden since we moved 3 years ago)....also learning to dehydrate, canning more and now...even making homemade ketchup! (did you know ketchup is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, and how bad it is for your health?!)

Anyway....off to get snacks for the kids, switch loads of laundry before Ty wakes up from his nap, then make our kefir smoothies. May the Lord bless you abundantly! ~Sue~

Unending Joy

Just a quick post here, because I need to go help with dinner. There is a new blog in town and I created it. Not for personal use, but as an updater of sorts. On it will be Lydia, myself and other girls who will be participating in the new documentary, Unending Joy. Here is the blog link:
http://unendingjoyfilm.blogspot.com/ so you can read all about it. It will be similar to the dvd Return of the Daughters only for younger girls ages 10-15. I will be posting the teaser trailer on the other blog soon, so watch for it and follow the blog so you can stay in-the- know about what's happening with the production!

Song Tag

I just got off of the phone with HP tech support. I talked to a tech person over in Mumbai, India for almost two hours trying to fix my webcam. But it is fixed, and I need to relax! So we have been tagged by Unworthy Maiden, and this one is my speciality, song lyrics! I am going to do ten song lyrics and you have to figure out what song they are from and by whom! Good luck! Comment on what you think they are!

1. And now I'll never ever be the same, It was the sweetest voice, That called my name


2. I won't convince you; with anything I say; But maybe you will see His love, in how it is portrayed. An act of kindness, A loving sacrifice-Simple little things that have the power to change your life!


3. There is love, there is forgiveness;there is love in times of need. When life is cold, there is a promise; you'll never go without, oh


4. With so much more than I deserve; to be here with the ones that love me- to love them so much it hurts...


5. The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you're thinking- Be careful if you think you stand, you just might be sinking...


6. (My mom's favorite)When we left the movie show the future wasn't bright; But came the dawn the show goes on and I don't want to say good night! (Easy one here)


7. And I have been made new by the one who has found me. Words just can't say enough, when all I can feel is love...


8. Let me be your shelter; let daylight dry your tears; I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm anad calm you...
   
9. something familiar, something peculiar something for everyone... (M & M fill in the blank!)
10. I'm gonna roll that stone away, live my life my way, stand up for my faith just like the sun rises everyday, the tide is gonna change, you can't keep me...

Legacy Part 1 of 1

*I have had requests to post the next part of my short story, Legacy. Well, here it is! For all who have not seen the giveaway yet, the giveaway ends Sunday, February 22nd, 2009. You have 4 days left to enter.*

Part #1:
“I got it, I caught the fish! Cogí un pez!” The dark haired little boy waved a fish in the air, which received applause from his sister. Isabella was braiding wildflowers into her long dark hair, but she smiled when her brother called her. Isa was ten years old, only seven years after the exile. She, along with her brother and foster mother, were re-located to Segovia after their father died, leaving their half brother, Henry the IV, as heir. Isabella was still saddened about her father’s death, but she tried not to show it. She knew Alfonso’s health was delicate and her foster mother worked from sun up to sun down to provide for them. Isabella couldn't’t count how many times she would wake up in the night and hear weeping. Madre is working so hard for us. All because Henry had to be such a odio egoista tonto! He was always a hateful selfish fool, but I never thought it would come to this. Isabella threw aside her daisy chain and lay back in the soft grass. The Spanish moss trees drooped overhead, and Isabella smiled. “Isa, Isa, you must come quickly! Madre says to hurry!” Alfonso shouted from across the stream, and Isa quickly leaped to her feet. Grabbing her cloak off a nearby bush, she followed her brother across a wheat field and into the small village where they lived. Smiling at their elderly neighbor, she dashed into their house; stopping short when she saw a knight of Castile. She quietly sat down on a mat and listened to what the man, who she recognized as her father’s most trusted knight, had to say.

“King Henry has summoned the young children, Isabella and Alfonso, to court. His summons cannot be denied. I have brought a royal carriage for them to travel in, and boarding has been taken care of.” Isabella quickly looked at her mother, who looked shocked and a mite dazed. “Of course, orders are orders. When do we leave?” Isa’s foster mother asked, rising to curtsy. “That is one problem. You are not to come. That was a stipulation that was clearly stated by the king himself.” Isa and Alfonso’s faces paled and their mother drew herself tall. “They will not move one step without their Madre. Surely the king can understand that.” The knight shook his head, gathered the children, and set them inside the carriage. “NO! Madre, a dejar decirle que! Tell him to stop, please!” Alfonso wept and pleaded with the guards. They are taking us away yet again. Taking us away from another mother. Will these tyrants stop at nothing? Isabella sunk into her seat, sobbing as the carriage pulled away from the village. Madre, weeping and shaking her head, went inside to cry in private. The elderly neighbor followed her inside, where she found her lying on the floor: she had fainted in her grief.

Three days went by, the hours seeming longer and longer for the children. No room to play, barely any to sleep, and the food was stale and moldy. Isabella and Alfonso read prayers to each other as their only comfort. “Lord, you are holy and mighty. You shall deliver us out of this venomous pit of doom. “ Isa spoke, Alfonso resting his head on her shoulder. They stayed in this position until their arrival at Castile. They were led out of the carriage and into the castle, where two maid servants were awaiting them. “Lucille, Cecelia: these are the two charges. Take good care of them, and do not let them wander out of your peripheral line of vision. Understood?” When the maids nodded, the guard marched down the corridor.

Friday with Friends!

This is a slightly belated post, since it is now Tuesday, but better late than never! :) This past Friday the 13th we had some friends over for snacks and a movie. These friends were Caelyn, Morgan and Gabriella (all sisters) and earlier in the day Sarah and Rachel came over. It was so much fun! As customary that afternoon before dinner, Mum made us strawberry Kefir smoothies. They were yummy! Because this time we had Stevia to sweeten it with instead of honey. I MUCH prefer Stevia to honey in our smoothies. :) Sarah and Rachel both had some smoothie, too. Here's Sarah drinking some:

The poster child for Strawberry Kefir Smoothies! :)

Almost as soon as they walked through the door, poor Sarah and Rachel were cajoled (forced!) into tasting Mum's kombucha; as were Caelyn and Morgan. Mum is such a great sport with our friends, but forcing kombucha on them was a little overly much. Caelyn said she didn't mind it, and that she'd drink it. Morgan said that it tasted better than it smelled. Amen to that! :)

Our lovely beverage that our friends got hounded to try a sip. Out of us four kids, Anna seems to like it and I don't mind it.....the other two.....well, not so much. :)

Here is Mum and Rachel in our kitchen....Mum with a big glass of Kombucha in her hand. Rachel's face was priceless when she tasted it. :)

Here is sweet Rachel crocheting. By the end of the day she had finished a hot pad for her mom. We showed her a few new crochet stitches and had a blast! She was my crocheting buddy.

The two Sara(h)'s on my Sara's laptop. They were looking at different blog backgrounds, how to make them.....they hardly came off of the bed until it was dinner time. :) They were funny. And no, the Sarah on the left is not sleeping. :) She has what I called her 'thinking cap' on over her eyes. :) While our Sara is hamming it up. While watching a movie that evening they made some adorable jewelry together on the floor and did not spill any beads! :)

We loved getting to know Caelyn, Morgan and Gabriella better and found that we have a lot of the same passions and interests. Mum made her 'famous' popcorn and set out Salsa Verde and Tortilla chips. We had some homemade lattes-mine wasn't really a latte. I had more coffee than milk. :) But you know me. :) We watched the movie State Fair from 1945 and loved it! Caelyn and Morgan are into old movies, too, and had never seen this one. Unfortunetly they had to leave before it was finished because it was getting late. :(

Caelyn, Sarah and your's truly. :) Coincidentally, we're the three oldest girls in our families.

Morgan and Sara. Look at those adorable glasses. :)

Our rather blurry group shot of the night. :) In front of me you can see a popcorn container. :) Big surprise. Seated on the couch are from left to right: Rachel, Gabriella, Morgan and Sara

Seated on the floor are Caelyn and Sarah.

We had SO much fun with all of you girls! We have to do it again soon and watch another old movie. :) It was such a fun time, though we did get to bed rather late. Luckily the next day was a Saturday so we could sleep in. :) Sorry about the post being so late!

God's gentle correction and grace....

Had to post a picture of the beautiful roses Ron gave me for Valentine's day. They looked so pretty this morning, especially with the sunlight coming thru the lace curtains, and set against my antique china with pink roses in the backround. These roses also represent to me, the grace that has been shown in my marriage as well as God's gentle correction in that area...but that's a post for another time!

God has been doing such a work in me! His patience with me continues to amaze me....years ago, when I was a new Christian, God basically showed me His plan for our family's lifestyle. How He wanted us to live, what our homeschool plan should look like....and somehow, over the years...I've taken my focus off of "His" plan for our family....and either focused on what I thought our lives should look like or I compared our family to other families that we know...again, taking my focus off of His plan for us.

I've been feeling God's prompting strongly lately...to simplify. But, in reality, it is to repent and turn to God...to return to God's plan for us...to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you"....to seek Him, and follow his commands....not ignore them, and do what I want to do. A friend and I were recently talking about God's rebukes, and for me, it was confirmation that what I was doing was grieving God's heart. He had called us to live simply and be content...and with our focus off of His plan, we were filled with discontent and a lack of gratitude to God.

I can't speak for any other family, nor do I want to. But for us...God's plan has always led us to simplify...to move further and further from what the world thinks is important...to live simply, to live in a God honoring way. Do we always do that? Of course not! Living simply means different things for each family. Again, I only know what God has been speaking for our family. For us it means, no big vacations, no shopping at trending stores at the mall...no Starbucks everyday. (ok...Starbucks every long once in a while!) It means watching our pennies closely, saving as much as we can, being 'creatively frugal'...living simply. In order for our family to live the lifestyle that God has called us to live, a simple homeschooling lifestyle, this requires me to stay at home and have us to have one income. And...since that income is not huge....we have to choose wisely how to spend it. Would vacations be nice? Of course! Can we live without them? Of course! Can we thrive without them? Yes! If we cultivate a spirit of gratefulness....and contentedness....and practice the habit of being content with whatever God has for us. If day trips to lakes, fishing, trips to Kennywood or Idlewild Park, to Mingo Creek, or the Science Center,, a day at the Butler county fair, a day spent antiquing...or sipping sweet tea on our deck in the shade while the little ones play in a small pool is God's plan for our family...then we are abundantly blessed!!!! It might not sound exciting by the worlds standards, but it is peaceful, fun and filled with family memories...and it is God's will for us...therefore, it is God's best for us!

As we continue to follow God's plan for our family, I'm sure I'll be posting all the little joys of our days...some of which you may not think of as joys...but whatever God's calls us to, He equips us for. For me....hanging laundry on the line is a joy...especially taking it down...warm, sweet outdoor smell. That brings me joy! Crocheting with a wooden hook with some soft warm wool or super soft yarn brings me joy. Beautiful fabric, especially using scraps to quilt or make gifts, brings me joy! Giving my family a hot, healthy homecooked meal brings me joy...and offering hospitality to family and friends brings me joy. Having my children's friends here for a fun evening brings me joy! I don't need frills, expensive vacations, expensive clothes or filet mignon (although I do like filet mignon!)....I'm just as happy at my big wooden table with a big bowl of navy beans and my family happy.

Whatever God has for your family...embrace it! Cultivate contentment...and practice gratitude! Living the life that God has for you is different for each family....for our family, we will continue to simplify and find joy in the everyday. Living simply is not an easy life....but the rewards are endless as are the lessons learned. As my Gram used to say " hard work never hurt anybody" ....as well as "many hands make light work"....both good lessons to teach my children....and to remember myself. May you have a joyful day! ~Sue~

Menu plan Monday!

Another week....another menu! I've found that planning my menus helps me so much...and my girls, too. We're able to look at the plan, get things started, and save time and money in the process. Along with the main meals, we've been having strawberry kefir smoothies everyday, kombucha and either 'carrot lemonade' or 'green lemonade'...along with a little bit of elderberry here and there! Trying to boost our immune systems a little bit! LOL Here's this weeks menus:

Monday
oatmeal custard with raisins
veg't soup, cheese & GF crackers
Pasta carbonara, salad

Tuesday
cheesy eggs, potatoes
banana bread, yogart, pineapple
grain/garden burgers, refried black beans with cheese, cucumbers & beets

Wednesday
apple cinnamon millet
leftovers/pbj
seafood bisque,salad, cheddar garlic biscuits

Thursday
cereal, bananas, juice
GF mac & cheese, veggies
sausage potato stew, green beans

Friday
GF blueberry pancakes
brown rice lentil casserole, veggies
chicken soup, GF Foccacia bread

Saturday
oatmeal with raisins
eggs, turkey sausage, potatoes
Birthday party for Maggie & Maria!

Sunday
cereal, bananas
crockpot soup, cheese & crackers
GF chicken pot pie, green beans

Have a healthy, blessed week!

Valentines Day for Maidens

Happy Valentines Day!

Because I have a very, (*ahem!*) romantic heart, this holiday is a very sentimental one for me. :) Anyone who knows me knows that I am incredibly romantic and sentimental. :) For instance, because my hard-working Dad had to work this morning/afternoon, yesterday he came home from the store with a bouquet of light pink roses for Mum. :) It was a token of his love for her. Well, for Mum and all his 'little women.' :) Right now, I am listening to Frank Sinatra crooning a Jerome Kern song called, "The Way You Look Tonight," eating a box of Nerd candies, (wishing I had a certain Mr. D pillow) drinking a strawberry smoothie (pink!) and I just read a few 'courtship stories' from YLCF. So I'm just a weeee bit in a romantic mood. :)

I don't have a special someone to share it with but that doesn't make me 'single.' I have wonderful family and friends and the Lord who loves me unconditionally! So I'm not going to feel all pessimistic about Valentines Day or have a huge pity party with me as the honorary guest. That is not glorifying to the Lord nor a good heart attitude. The right heart attitude is to be content and happy where the Lord has placed you. Within your family. As a stay at home daughter and a maiden of virtue. I know that when the Lord's time comes, that He alone will bring my husband into my life and lead through my Dad......speaking of him.....

My wonderful Dad always gives us big hugs and tells us how much he loves us....and how we're growing up so/too fast. He does this everyday, but with just an extra measure on Valentines Day. Poor Dad....as he hugged me with a big, sentimental smile on his face, I looked up at him and grinned impishly. My dimples mirrored his. "And next Valentines Day I'm going to be 16!" He looked so sad! :) I'm a 'Daddy's girl', alright. :)

My friend Ella and I were talking the other evening about what we look for in a spouse. I personally, aside from a few silly things that I've listed over the years (ahem ahem!) I never really thought about what I wanted in a husband. I wanted him to be tall-my Dad's tall-and I like looking up. :) But, aside from silly preferences about his appearance, I never really thought about what the kind of man I want for a husband. I have been thinking about it recently and one thing I want in a husband is for him to be gentle and a 'Mr. Steady.' Like my Dad. :) On one of the Duggar episodes, one of the younger boys says, "You know, boys look for someone who's like their mom....so girls look for someone just like their dad." That's true for me! :)

I'm not going to be all mopey that I don't have a 'boyfriend' or that I'm 'never going to get married! WAAAH!' but rest in the Lord's will for my life right now. I'm sure as I get older, it will get harder and my patience and contentment will be tried but the Lord has already picked out who I am going to marry, and when.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope."