Great blog I found and Love!!!

I have been enjoying a blog for the past week called: Simply Living...For Him.  It is a wonderful blog about living more simply and walking the Christian walk :)  They are currently gearing up to take an amazing roadtrip and will be available to speak at various events!!!  They are currently giving away a $25 Amazon giftcard to one of their readers!!! Pop on over there and it could be you!!!  I highly recommend this site because of the purity in the posts and I find it very encouraging when I need that reminder to let me know to slow down and relax.  I have posted the link to her recent blog post below and I know you will all enjoy it!!!

Simply Living...For Him

Caramelicious...

Today was a fun day for our Feingold following kiddos :)  I have been feeling bad about our kids not being able to eat wonderful apple filled items this fall so I decided to give them some special fall treats that are Feingold approved!!!  The first wonderful treat that I made was caramel popcorn!!!  I visited with a wonderful friend yesterday and she showed me how to make popcorn on the stovetop!!!  I don't know why I had never done it before, but I decided to make it with a wonderful carmel drizzle!!!  I found a wonderful recipe from Kelly the Kitchen Kop and adapted it to our own.  You can find Kelley the Kitchen Kop's recipe here. Enjoy!!!

Ann's Feingold Friendly Carmel Popcorn

Stovetop Popcorn:

• 1/4 c. butter (I use butter instead of oil, because it is better for you.)
• Enough popcorn to make the bottom of the pan one kernel deep
• Turn stove to Medium high, cover with lid and gently shake the pan until it is finished popping. (This can take a few minutes)
• Vent the lid to let the steam escape as necessary.  (I use a vented lid)
• When the kernels stop popping, dump the popcorn into a bowl.

Caramel Topping:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or Sucanat (I prefer sucanat for the extra nutrients)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• Put all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and stir continuously on medium high heat.
• Once the syrup comes to a boil, continue stirring while it boils for an additional two minutes.
• Immediately drizzle the caramel over the popcorn and stir to cover as many kernels as possible.
• YUM!!!

The next treat I made was to replace the beloved caramel apples.  I found a wonderful deal on Bartlett Pears this week and made caramel pears!!! I found a recipe for caramel that did not use corn syrup and used it for our pears. I would post the recipe on my site, but I loved how she posted some videos along with the recipe and I didn't feel I could do it justice by simply putting a recipe on here :)  We used sucanat instead of brown sugar and used pears instead of apples.  It was a great treat, but one tip I wish I would have figured out was to grease the wax paper!!!  Enjoy the recipe link for the Caramel Apples, old timey style here.

"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so." -Genesis 1:11

Feingold Diet for our Family

One of the things that has been a struggle in our family was the realization that my son has been displaying some ADHD/Autistic behaviors. I have been nervous as any mother would be and did the first thing that I do when I have finished praying about a situation...I begin research! I looked up so many things on the Internet and came across information about the Feingold Program. The interesting thing is that I had taken a wonderful online class last October (I think) from Kelly the Kitchen Kop called Real Food For Rookies and during one of the classes was taught about the dangers of artificial food additives in our food. This was the first time I had heard about the Feingold Association, but I am glad it wasn't the last. Since our family moved only a couple months later, I let Feingold drift from my mind, but a couple weeks ago I was snapped back into reality! I called the association to find out some information and spoke with a wonderful lady by the name of Jane Hersey who has written several books about her family's experience with Feingold. She and I both agreed that my son was probably dealing with a chemical sensitivity and I was confident after the call that the days ahead would be different!!!

Through many ups and downs of  life on the Feingold program we can now say success!!!  The hardest part was trying to give my children foods that don't have tomatoes!  They love pizza and pasta and meatloaf and you name it...it has tomatoes :(  Well, I am happy to say that we found a solution to that just last week!  We decided to try Feingold's "untomato sauce" which has beets and carrots and some spices mixed together to make a scrumptious sauce!!!  I couldn't believe that it was good and the kids ate an entire jar of it in a week!    I made an accidental adjustment to the recipe and it turned out great so here is my version of the "untomato sauce":

Ann's Untomato Sauce

1 can sliced beets  (drained and not pickled)
1 can sliced carrots (drained)
1/2 cup celery juice
1 cup of water
2 Tablespoons of white vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar (You could probably substitute honey, maple syrup, rapadura, or sucanat here, but I haven't tried them yet because it is such a tiny amount of sugar)

Mix all of the the ingredients in a food processor and puree until it is about the consistency of applesauce.  That is it, just put it in a jar and refrigerate or use immediately.   I used the sauce as a pizza sauce for tortilla shell pizzas and the kids went bonkers for it!!!  I tasted them and agreed with the kids!!!

Even if you are not on Feingold, beets are excellent for you as are carrots and this is a great way to add them to your diet!!!!  Sorry about the lack of pictures, but I forgot to take a picture of the sauce before making it. I will try to take some pictures of the other Feingold recipes I come up with :)

And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

1 Samuel 25:6

I Won an Award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited!!!! I actually won an award for my blog!!! This AWESOME lady named Tracy who writes and AMAZING blog called, A Slice of Smith Life, enjoyed my blog and awarded me for it!!!! I get the opportunity now to give an award to others as a sort of "pay it forward" game!!!! So here is my list of 15 sites you MUST see, in no particular order!!!

1. Ruth at http://underneathhiswrapping.blogspot.com/
2. Liz at http://elizcross.blogspot.com/
3. Benson & Kristin at http://lukesexton.blogspot.com/
4. Jamie at http://www.sophistimom.com/
5. Amy at http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/
6. Liz at http://lovingmom2boys.blogspot.com/
7. Kelli at http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com/
8. Michelle at http://www.shelookethwell.blogspot.com/
9. Bradie at http://quiltcetera.wordpress.com/
10. Rachel at http://www.psiquilt.com/
11. Tiffany at http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/
12. The large family at http://ladyofvirtue.blogspot.com/
13. A wise woman at http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/
14. Emily Rose at http://www.simplyvintagegirl.com/blog/
15. Theresa at http://jborolandlady.wordpress.com/

So here are the rules for accepting this award...


1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.


What a fun activity for all you bloggers out there!!! Thanks so much, Tracy, for including me :)

The Boy Who Changed the World

I was blessed with a wonderful opportunity to receive a book that I thought would be interesting from Booksneeze, a book review website, in exchange for an honest review.  I don't have to like the book or dislike the book I just have to be honest. I don't get paid if you buy the book or anything like that.  I just get a free copy for my own personal use!!!! You can't beat that!!!


 My Review:

The Boy Who Changed the World

By Andy Andrew

Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description from Booksneeze

Did you know that what you do today can change the world forever?

The Boy Who Changed the World opens with a young Norman Borlaug playing in his family’s cornfields with his sisters. One day, Norman would grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world! Or was it Henry Wallace who changed the world? Or maybe it was George Washington Carver?

This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! Based on The Butterfly Effect, Andy’s timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can affect all of humanity. The book is beautifully illustrated and shares the stories of Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug, Vice President Henry Wallace, Inventor George Washington Carver, and Farmer Moses Carver. Through the stories of each, a different butterfly will appear. The book will end with a flourish of butterflies and a charge to the child that they, too, can be the boy or girl who changes the world.

I really enjoyed reading, The Boy Who Changed the World, with my children. The book flows very well from start to finish and leaves you feeling like you have just journeyed through history. It is a great resource for a Charlotte Mason type class where you can make history come alive!!! When the book parallels the boys' stories with the butterfly effect my children went wild!! They found it so interesting that one butterfly flapping its wings can make such a difference. This gave them a little bit of science in a history class!!! We homeschool and so it is great to have an opportunity to get a little history, a little reading, and a little science all wrapped up in one book!!!! Oh, and the artwork was lovely throughout the entire book!! All in all, I would recommend, The Boy Who Changed the World, to anyone with kids or without!!! I, too, enjoyed learning about history through this children’s book!!!

One Con:
I am not a big fan of the use of artificial means (super seeds) to grow food for myself, but it was a big part of our history and it does have the potential to help many others who would die of starvation otherwise.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful today for my freedom!!! I am thankful that I live in a country where I can choose to homeschool, go to church, read the Bible, go to the doctor I choose, etc... 

I find it very discouraging when I see how many rights the government is trying to take away from us and hope that we as citizens fight this to the end!!!

Think of our freedom today as you go through the pictures & read

The Pledge of Allegiance that we, as citizens, have all agreed to!!!!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

 and to the republic for which it stands, one nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sacred Sunday - John 14

John 14

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.


2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.


3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.


4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?


6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.


7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.


8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.


9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?


10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.


12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.


13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.


14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.


15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;


17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.


18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.


19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.


20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.


22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.


24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.


25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.


26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.


28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.


29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.


31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.