My mom's friend Carolyn sent me this French bread recipe that she makes to go with soup and I thought I would share it will all of you. She sent me a few pictures to go along with the recipe.
I haven't tried this recipe yet, but its so easy I'm definitely going to have to make some soup and try it out!
If any of you have a favorite recipe, you can email it to me and I'll do a post with it. You don't have to send pictures but if you have some, go ahead and include them!

                   Easy French Bread

·2 ½ cups warm water
·2 Tbls yeast
·2 Tbls sugar
·1 tsp salt
·3 Tbls vegetable oil
·5 ½ - 6 cups flour(Carolyn uses about 7 cups)


First: Combine (whisk) water and yeast.
Sprinkle the sugar over top and let it sit for about five minutes. The mixture will get bubbly/foamy on top.
Next: Stir in the salt, oil, and flour
Then: Stir the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and pulls away from the bowl (this will be very sticky)
Cover your bowl with a warm wet towel and let the dough sit for about 15 minutes.
Flour your counter and place dough onto the flour and knead, incorporating the flour in until it’s no longer sticky.
 Next, divide the dough into two long loaves (rolling like a jelly roll and tucking in the ends).
Place both loaves side by side on a greased cookie sheet.
Take a knife and slash the tops of each loaf diagonally.
Allow the loaves to sit while you preheat your oven to 375*. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. 
For an extra crunchy crust, mix together on egg white with 1 Tbls water and brush on cooked bread and cook for another 3 mintues.
*This is much easier when doing the first 3 steps in a stand mixer*

Thanks for sending me this recipe, Carolyn!

Come, sinners, view the Lamb of God,
Wounded and dying, bathed in blood!
Behold His side, and venture near,
The well of endless life is here.

Here I forget my cares and pains,
I drink yet still my thirst remains;
Only the fountainhead above,
Can satisfy the thirst of love.

His thorns and nails pierce through my heart,
In ev’ry groan I bear a part;
I view His wounds with streaming eyes:
But see! He bows His head and dies!

Oh that I thus could always feel!
Lord, more and more Your love reveal!
Then my glad tongue shall loud proclaim
The grace and glory of Your name.

John Newton, 1725-1807

You can hear the lyrics set to music below

Here's a humorous story about a mom's day. I don't know where I got it but it's been floating around in my book folder for awhile and I thought I would share it with you all.

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do the laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper.
She will get out one pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two-year-old.
While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are,
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

My friend Keri's mom, Sheryl,(this is the family I stayed with during Bible School week) is conducting a Beth Moor Bible study right now and she has a blog where she posts different things related to the study or lessons she is learning. The study is nearing its end, but she plans on continuing to post on her blog, God is Singing Over You.
Yesterday she posted a video of the ladies in the Bible study doing cardboard testimonies. The video is called What Love Does...
Check out her blog...she has some interesting and informative stuff on there. I'm always eager to check my feed page to see if there is a new post from her!

This is a video I got of Bannie and Charlie play sparing this fall. It was so much fun to watch them.

The Christian Warfare

Friend, did you ever have a lonely battle,

A fight that only you can feel and hear,

A fight that only you alone were fighting,

And then you seemed to see the Saviour dear.

 

At night, at times I wake and watch and worry,

I toss and turn and wonder who can care,

And then I turn my eyes upon the Saviour,

And find that thro' my tears he hears my prayer.

 

I find there's a vict'ry in the blood of Jesus;

It's just matter of how we live for Him;

He's nearer than the things that are about us,

He knows and sends the vict'ry once again.

 

Chorus:

Fight on, my brother, fight on,

There's victory awaiting for you;

If your faith is fixed upon the Savior,

With Him, you'll fight the battle through.

2 cups flour

2 cups of sugar (The recipe called for white sugar, which I didn't have, so I used brown and it tasted wonderful!)

2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 cup strong coffee or hot water

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Bake at 350* for 35-38 minutes

I didn't want to make frosting so I sprinkled powdered sugar on top. I'm not really fond of frosting because its so sweet. Powdered sugar adds just enough without overpowering my taste buds!!

This cake is really moist and rich. I love how smooth and chocolaty it is. I think this recipe is going in my favorite recipe folder!

Mom was in our entry way just coming in from chores when suddenly there was an awful racket just outside the window. We thought the dogs were fighting with each other but when Mom aimed her flashlight out the window, we could see they were fighting with a cat. It jumped up and clung to the window screen until we could call the dogs off and get them inside. Mom tried to encourage the cat to jump down on its own because she wasn't sure if the cat would be friendly or not. The cat wouldn't get down so finally Mom just grabbed it. He just melted into her arms.
Mom brought him inside and we locked him in the bathroom with some food and milk, but he cried every time we left. He's very friendly but very thin. He has an injury on one of his legs(you can see him holding it up in the picture below) and his ears might be frost bit. We named him Sidney for now.

Levi and Lydia are going to a rabbit show in Lansing on Saturday with their friend, Nancy Taylor, who they have gotten several rabbits from. She has taken them under her wing and given them lots of helpful advice. Today they and mom were getting the rabbits ready, trimming nails and such and they snapped some pictures while they were at it. Don't ask me which rabbits are which...the only way I can tell them apart is by what hutch they are in out in the barn!!

Today I submitted the first book for editing. My editing consultant said it usually takes 3-4 weeks. After it is finished, I have to submit the finished manuscript with the completed drawings and cover illustration, then it takes 4-5 weeks for them to put everything together and send it to the printers, at which point it is considered published.
If everything goes as planned, we should have it ready by May or June! Hard to believe it's almost finished after three years of work!

Today we went to Ohio to church and it was the Sunday for the nursing home ministry. We had a meal after church, then went to sing with a bunch of other people.
We had a good time and everyone seemed to enjoy it. One older couple that was sitting near me sung nearly all the songs from memory and recited the 23rd psalm from memory too.
One of the nurses joined us partway through the singing and when the song leader asked for selections, she called out a number we had sung at the beginning!! We got plenty of practice on that one! We always enjoy going to the nursing home.

I captured a beautiful sunset yesterday evening. The sight was amazing with the sun reflecting off ice crusted snow.

Another bright sunny day!! Its about 25*. The roads were a little slippery coming home from the auction hall yesterday because all the rain that fell on Thursday froze during the night. I had thought I might try going for a ride today but not with all this ice. It's too slippery for me and the horses. So I'll have  to wait a while more.
The picture above was taken this morning from our side door. I love taking pictures of the silos in the morning.
Today I plan on playing catch up with a million and one things!! I have a lot of work to do with the books and for some reason...I've been craving soup the last few days, but haven't had time to make any because I've been working at the auction hall. Whenever I make soup, I make a big pot and eat it like crazy!! I usually am not a big eater so Dad and the boys get a kick out of how many bowls of soup I can eat in a day! Soup never lasts long around our house.
Another thing I could eat a lot of and never get tired of it is chicken pot pie. We rarely make it as it is a rather time consuming process. I think it has been probably three years since I made it last. I think its about time to make some! I'll have to do that soon and do a recipe post with it. It would be a long one since there are many steps involved.
 Well, I'd better get started one that million and one things I have to do today!

After weeks of unusually cold weather we've had some warmer tempertures the last few days. Wednesday it was it the 40's and the sun was shining brightly. Yesterday it was in the thirties, that's still warm compared to what it has been, and it was raining pretty heavy all day. That melted some of the snow but there's still plenty left! Today its in the thirties again. The sky is overcast and there's a strong breeze. It feels and smells like spring, but next week its supposed to go down to teens during the day and single digits at night.
I've started making another skirt like the black one I posted on here awhile ago. Its red with little blue and white flowers. I also got material for a blue one and I'm doing a two color one. The four back panels will be blue and the front layers will be tan. These will make nice work skirts. I'll post pictures when they're finished.
How's the weather where you are?

Book #2-Chapter 17: The Secret Labyrinth

   "We've only got two candles." Anders observed. "How 'bout the girls work together and the guys worked together." He pulled the candle from his pocket and lit it from the first one. 
   Handing it to Amy, he picked up his candle. "You take that side of the room and we'll take this side." he said. 
   "Yes sir!" Amy snapped her hand up in a smart salute. 
   Anders rolled his eyes and turned away as Amy joined the other girls, laughing softly. 
   "So, where do we start?" Rachel asked. 
   Amy shrugged. "I guess we can do the same thing we did in the library. Let's just start going over every inch of the walls and floor." 
    Roseann shivered as she bent to study the floor. "It's cold down here." 
    "Toughen up!" Anders yelled from across the room. 
     "Hey! Be nice!" Roseann called back. 
     Amy heard Anders laugh. "You better be nice…or else!" she told him. 
    "Uh oh!" she saw Tyler shake his head. "That didn't sound like an empty threat!" 
    Anders shrugged. "I'm not scared of someone who's shorter than me!" 
    "Someone who's shorter than you can still pull a good one over on you!" Amy countered. 
   "Knock it off! We're supposed to be working!" Anders told her. 
    "Knock what off? Hunting for the treasure?" 
    Anders shook his head. "Okay little sister, you win!" 
    "Yes!" Amy cheered. 
   Still chuckling, she turned back to the wall she had been searching. 
    "Why'd he call you little sister?" Rachel asked. 
   Amy shrugged. "It's just a joke between us. We've known each other since we were little and we kid around sometimes. He calls me sister and vice versa."
   Rachel chuckled. "I enjoy listening to your little arguments! You two pick on and tease each other constantly but you both seem to enjoy it!" 
    Amy laughed. "Yes, we do. I suppose if we didn't tease each other, we'd think something was wrong. Dad says he always knows where to go if he needs some entertainment." 
   "I think it’s a good thing you can do that." Hannah spoke up. "I mean, both of you always seem to be able to find a laugh in any situation, even one you created! You never get upset at his jokes, even though they aren't always funny." 
    "Well, I can't always laugh at his jokes. We've had some real fights before, but we always made up before a week was out. He can get annoying sometimes." Amy admitted. "But the times he makes me laugh make up for it!" 
    "Are you talking about me?" Anders hollered across the room. "It'd better be good stories you're telling, Amy!" 
   "Don't worry!" she called back. "Your reputation is safe!"

I'm a poor wayfaring stranger
While traveling thru this world of woe
Yet there's no sickness, toil, or danger
In that bright world to which I go

I'm going there to see my Father
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home

I know dark clouds will hang 'round me,
I know my way is rough and steep
Yet beauteous fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed their virgils keep
 
I'm going there to see my mother
She said she'd meet me when I come
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home

Mmmm......I love fruit smoothies!! They are delicious and you can eat them guilt free because they are also good for you!! I'm not a fan of weird tasting food even if it is good for me...just ask my mom about that...so when I discovered how easy it was to make fruit smoothies, I found something that tasted good, was good for me and satisfied my healthy food crazy mom!
This smoothie serves two...though on occasion I have eaten the whole thing myself when no siblings were around to beg for a share!! I am using a stick blender to make this but you can use a regular blender too. Make sure you have a big enough container if you do use the stick blender...or you might end up with a smoothie on you instead of in you!!
 And believe me....its much nicer to have it in you!

About two cups of whole frozen strawberries

About a cup or cup and a half of mixed berries.
(I'm using blackberry, raspberry and blueberry here)

Add about 3-3 1/2 cups of milk
(I never measure so these amounts are just guesses. You really can't go wrong with a smoothie!!

Blend with a stick blender or regular blender.

Yummy Smoothie!! This is a great start or end to the day.
I must confess....I do add a little bit of sugar to my smoothie....I know, I know...healthy fruit and milk and unhealthy sugar just shouldn't go together but it makes it taste better. You could also add honey, molasses or maple syrup if you don't want to add sugar but find that it is just a little too tart.
Enjoy!!

By the way guys, I know this is purply pink drink, but the color doesn't change the flavor! Or the health benefits.
Even my manly brothers don't hesitate to drain their glasses!!

On Saturday, Mom, Dad, Levi and Lydia went to a college rodeo at the MSU pavilion. I was going to go but Kristina invited me to go to an ordination service with her family and there was going to be several people there I hadn't seen in about 2 years so I decided not to go to the rodeo...but Mom ended up video taping the whole thing so I can watch it here at home.

She got a lot of good pictures too which I've posted below. Click on them to view a larger image.

Today I went out and took some pictures of the crazy amount of snow we have gotten. I can't remember a winter with so much snow. Dad has told us stories of the amazing amount of snow they got when he was a boy....he says it doesn't even compare but....there's a lot of snow out there!!! Even in places where it isn't drifted it can get to over my knees. (That's not saying much....seeing as I'm so short!)

Temperatures have been warming up slightly...its in the twenty's today. The sun was out for a little while, but has disappeared behind gray clouds once again.

A Prayer for Grace

Ross H. Minkler/Stanza 3 by Charles W. Naylor

 

Grace, dear Lord, grace, dear Lord,

To sweetly obey Thy will;

May self be slain, Thy will remain,

O help me Thy law to fulfill.

 

Strength I need, strength indeed,

That only Thy power can give;

Impart to me grace full and free,

That only for Thee I'll live.

 

Let Thy Word in me, Lord,

So richly abide each day,

That fruits of worth may be bro't forth

To garnish Thy holy way.

 

Chorus:

Under the shadows of Calvary,

There I would linger and pray,

Finding the grace that I need, dear Lord,

Grace to be like Thee each day.

We've been having some interesting happenings here in the frigid thumb of Michigan.

For starters, during a few bitterly cold days last week...all, I mean ALL, our outside water hydrants froze solid. There wasn't one hydrant that worked. And with, let's see....about fifty animals all in need of water...that was a serious problem. So we started hauling water from the house...and we continue to haul water as the cold has not let up and we don't expect the hydrants to thaw until spring.

Thankfully, the water for the sheep is still open so we don't have to haul water for them...that would have been a real mess. We ended up moving the cows over with them because it was just too much work to haul for two, thousand pound cows that drink how many gallons of water a day.

Other than filling up the buckets for the others to haul, I've pretty much escaped having much to do with this chore because of my back. (Which is doing great. I only wear my brace if I'm going to be doing work that includes a lot of bending and twisting. Or if I'm going out to work with animals. My back is feeling stronger every day...which might be a bad thing because I'm getting more courageous! Before the accident, my favorite seat was on the arm of the couch...well, I climbed up there for the first time in four months about three days ago! Dad looked at me and said. "Getting a little braver, are we?" Yep, we are! Still taking it easy(what is easy for me anyway!) but gradually getting back to normal. I'm itching to start riding again, but the cold seems to have a negative affect on my back muscles...they start tensing up when I am outside too long and that doesn't help my back...so I am waiting for a slightly warmer day to go for my first ride. Today would have been perfect but I was at the auction hall. A little sunshine, no wind and temperatures in the twenty's and I'll be all set!)

Libby's twin boys are doing great. Thomas was a little weak in the beginning but he seems to be getting stronger. Libby has been acting punky....Mom dosed her up with a whole bunch of stuff to ward off infection and pneumonia...still not really sure what's going on. Could be that the cold is getting to her.

Lena is getting chubbier every day. We are sure now that the donkey jack, Luke, is the father of her baby...and that would make her earliest due date sometime in March and her latest...probably sometime June. That's quite a span of time...I'm inclined to think it will be earlier than later....and that's just fine with me!! The other day I went out to put on her blanket and she was not happy with me. Being so long away from daily interaction with the horses has made us loose some of the connection we had before. I gave her a quick, but thorough lesson in respect!! She DOES NOT like the blanket straps, or anything really, rubbing on her stomach. I let her know that while she is welcome to communicate that fact to me by subtle body language, she is NOT allowed to bite me!

I put Smoke's blanket on too. When we first got her, she would not let me lead her by putting my arm around her neck. She would throw her head up and dash away. It took me awhile, but eventually she would lead anywhere with just my hand on her mane. No one has led her like that for four months, so she was a little resistant when I tried to lead her over to the hay barn to get the blanket. She is a very gentle, sensitive horse and all the correction she ever needs is a stern look and a firmly spoken "No." She settled down quickly and followed me quietly.

Bannie, on the other hand, is a much more laid back horse. He looks at everything through rose colored glasses and it is nearly impossible to scold him because quite frankly, he could care less what you think!! You can give him a stern correction with a swat and he will just stick his head in your chest and ask for a face massage. He's such a loving boy. He looks at you with those big chocolate eyes and blinks. He loves affection...I think he could live on it! He loves to snuggle his nose in my neck, or gently hold my hand in his teeth. His absolute favorite thing to do is to carefully grab a mouthful of my coat front or collar and give it a gently tug. He has nipped me on occasion, but always apologizes so sincerely it is impossible to refuse to grant it!! His favorite treat is peppermint candy! I give him one before I kiss him...that way his breath is nice and fresh!! The best place to kiss a horse is the top of their nose...its is very soft and velvety.

I've been posting on here a lot the last while because many of my normal activities have been limited so I've had some extra time on my hands. I expect to be getting busier so the posts will probably slow somewhat.

Stay warm!

Here is a 4 1/2 minute video by Sarah and Grace Mally discussing Bill Nye's comment during the debate with Ken Ham that the Bible is like the telephone game, that it has been distorted over the years. Sarah and Grace provided answers to the questions this statement raises.

“When Queen Victoria first came to the British throne the whole of India was not under British rule, and it was only during her reign that Punjab became her possession. At that time the Maharajah was a mere boy. In order to show his allegiance to the Empress of India, he sent Queen Victoria the wonderful jewel known as the Kiginoor diamond. The magnificent offering was placed in the Tower of London, among the other carefully guarded crown jewels.

“Some years later, when the Maharajah was a grown man, he paid a visit to England, and of course, went to Buckingham Palace to pay his respects to the Queen. He was taken to the state apartments, and after bowing to Her Majesty, he requested that he might be allowed to see the Kiginoor. Greatly wondering at his request, the Queen with her usual kindiness and courtesy gave orders that it should be brought under armed guard, and shown the Maharajah.

“After a little time the priceless jewel was brought in and presented before the young Indian Prince. Very reverently he took it in his hands, and then walked over to the window where he examined it carefully. Then, while the onlookers gazed in wonder, he turned and knelt at the feet of the Queen, saying with great emotion in his voice: ‘Madam, I gave you this jewel when I was too young to know what I was doing. I want to give it again, in the fullness of my strength, with all my heart, and affection, and gratitude, now and forever, fully realizing all that I do.’ ”

                                                                         – Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

God's son, Jesus Christ, came to earth and shed His blood on the cross for us. He suffered pain, humiliation and rejection from His Father. Salvation and an eternity spent with Him are His priceless gifts to us....won't you accept them?

My mom's friend, Debbie, makes lovely soap with goats milk. She has lots of different scents. All of her soaps are hand milled, which means that after it is made into bars, it is grated and melted down, then reformed into bars, creating a harder, longer lasting bar. She adds different herbs to the soap from her garden that give it that nice homemade look. She does a great job on her packaging too....its really cute!

You can check out her website by clicking here

Send Debbie a note from her contact page to get information on ordering. You'll love her soap!!

Okay, I was half asleep when I took the pictures for this post so at least one of the steps has no picture....it should still make sense!! Just ignore the pictures if you want and go by the directions!!            I think they're right!!

Melt 2 sticks(1 C.) butter

Combine melted butter and 2 C. sugar

Add 4 Eggs

Melt 4 squares unsweetened chocolate.        Or 4 ounces unsweetened chips and add to other ingredients.

Mix together well.

Add 1 C. flour and mix.

(This is the step I missed...should have been a picture of the flour before being mixed in!!)

Spread evenly in 9"x13" greased pan.

Bake at 325* for 30-35 minutes.

Cut into bars while still warm

Yum! I was craving something chocolate, so I flipped through the cookbook until I found this recipe. Sweet tooth satisfied for the moment!

A few years ago my grandma got me what I call my prairie dress. Its really cute with a layered front. I love it and it is almost worn to pieces now. Kristina and I are working on a project that we need our picture taken for and we wanted to wear matching outfits with our boots. We decided we were going to make skirts from the prairie dress pattern. I decided to try it and here's what I came up with.

(The side was tucked in funny in these pictures, but I didn't realize it until I had them uploaded already and I didn't want to retake  them...oh well! You get the general idea.)

I didn't feel like setting up my sewing machine so I hand stitched this in one afternoon. Talk about sore fingers!! But it was worth it. I love this skirt! I have enough material left over that I'll probably make one for Kristina. These won't be the ones we use in our picture, but they'll be handy for working at the auction hall and such. The skirt goes great with my new cowboy boots!!