Constitution 101

The Meaning and History of the Constitution

Hillsdale College is a liberal arts school located in Hillsdale, Michigan, with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,450 students.  Founded in 1844, it was the first American college to prohibit in its charter any discrimination based on race, sex or national origin.  Hillsdale requires all students to study the Constitution, and the college is making that course available online and free of charge to all individuals interested in learning about the meaning and significance of our country’s founding documents!

The course began on February 20^th and will continue for ten weeks. Each Monday during the duration of the series, lectures and study materials will be released for viewing online at viewer convenience.  Each lecture session is led by Hillsdale College professors as well as Hillsdale’s president, Dr. Larry Arnn. 

To register for CONSTITUTION 101, go to www.hillsdale.edu where you can quickly complete a simple registration form.  Your participation is absolutely free! Ten weeks.  Ten lectures.  No fee.  Inestimable value!

Today, it is so important that we know why the Constitution was written, what it signifies, and who the men were that wrote it. Our country is facing two distinctly different futures and we, as Americans, need to know which path they would have us follow.  I have enjoyed the first lecture and look forward to the coming weeks!! 

If you sign up, let us know what you think!!         

Sunday Scripture

Our grapevine on our farm

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

                                                     ~ John 15:1-8

Whole Foods - Kid's Cooking Class

Today we went to Whole Foods for a Kid's Cooking Class.  If you have a Whole Foods in your area and small children, I highly recommend taking them to a class.  Today they learned how to make sweet potato muffins.  They had hands on experience using the mixer, mashing the potatoes and adding ingredients.  Each kid got a turn and was able to smell the spices, as well as taste some of the ingredients before they went in.  Lindsey, the Healthy Eating Specialist, explained what they were doing and helped them follow the recipe.

While the muffins were in the oven, she took them on a short tour of the store.

The first stop, of course, was the produce section.  They all talked about their favorite fruits and vegetables and sampled some as well.  They were able to touch and feel different vegetables that maybe they had never felt before.

The next stop was the Meat and Fish department, where they got to see a fish up close and personally.

After the tour, their muffins were done and they each got to take one home.  The kids had so much fun learning and cooking a food that they might not have thought about before.

They have a different class every two weeks.  Contact the store to sign your child up for a class.  I promise they will enjoy it!!  Whole Foods is an excellent source for eating healthy foods that you aren't growing yourself.   Go to their website,  Whole Foods to see the schedule of events.  If you do not live in Lexington, go this site as well and put in the zip code for your area and it will pull up your nearest Whole Foods.  New to Whole Foods?  They have adult classes too.  I took a class there in the beginning to learn about shopping for healthy foods on a budget.


Melissa

Homemade chicken nuggets

My son's favorite food in the world is chicken nuggets.  What kid doesn't love them?  However once we started watching our ingredients and learning more about how our foods are handled before they get to our plate, I just couldn't buy them already made anymore.  Have you ever searched McDonald's chicken nuggets on www.foodfacts.com?   Go here for a look  45+ ingredients, including TBHQ (petroleum based preservative) and hydrogenated oils.  Ever watched the video on how chicken nuggets are made?  Go here to view.  Those two websites will pretty much keep you from ever buying another chicken nugget.  So here is the solution.  Making your own, it is simple and your kids will think you are the most awesome Mom ever!  I even like them.

Ingredients

• 2-3 skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup oat bran
• ¼ cup wheat germ **
• 1 Tbsp coarsely ground flax seed
• ¼ cup coarsely ground almonds
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• Pinch of garlic powder

• ½ cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten **

**egg sensitivity, use almond milk instead and drop the water.

** Wheat allergy - split oat bran and flax seed to make 1/4 cup to replace

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1½ inches square. Set aside.
3. Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture.
4. Combine water and egg in a medium bowl (or use almond milk).  Dip each piece in the water-egg white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated.
5. Place on the baking sheet. When all of your chicken has been coated and your baking sheet is full, place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is done. Two chicken breasts will yield about 15-18 1-inch pieces.

Honey Mustard dipping sauce

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp honey
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

or homemade ketchup    Homemade ketchup Recipe

Melissa

Sunday Scripture

² When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.³ Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In 

the very heart of your house,  Your children like olive plants all around your table.  ⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed  who 

fears the Lord.

                                     ~ Psalm 128:2-5

Backyard Chickens

 Our Araucana

 About a year ago we started researching the foods that we eat.  We learned that many of the foods that we were eating had pesticides in them, steroids and antibiotics stuffed into them or contained petroleum.  We started trying to think about ways we could control the food that goes on our plate, making sure that it is as healthy as possible.  At that time we were eating a lot of eggs and my husband (smart man that he is) suggested raising our own chickens.  He had friends that did it and explained it wouldn’t be that difficult.  We had plenty of room and I eventually warmed up to the idea.  Don’t do like my husband did though and go buy the chickens and come home with them and say, well we need to build a coop before dark.  He and his brother went to Lowe’s and bought all the required materials to build a coop for our new birds.  We used a large chain link dog kennel to put the coop in.  It worked out really great and we have now expanded the kennel and even added another coop for our ever expanding flock.   Here is my advice if you are thinking of starting your own backyard chicken flock. 

The coops that husband built.

      1.  Check the laws in your city to determine if you are allowed to keep them and what the laws are       concerning chickens.  

          2.   Determine if you have enough space to keep them.

  

      3.  Learn all you can about chickens, BEFORE you get them.  How to care for them, what to feed them, etc. 

      4.  Make sure that it is not more than you can handle and be sure that the whole family is on board with    taking care of them. Kids love chickens and it is important for them to be a part of taking care of them.

      5.  Determine how many chickens you would like to have.  It would depend on how many eggs you would like to have.  Newly laying hens will lay about 1 egg a day, depending on the weather.  So if your family eats 6 eggs a week, you would be fine with one bird, 10-12 eggs a week you would need two and so forth.

      6.    Have your coop built and ready for them to live in before you purchase them.  You can build one from scratch with your own ideas, but there are lots of websites with plans to guide you through. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate or fancy.  Shelter, nesting boxes and somewhere to roost are what is important.

         7.  Chickens can be purchased through local Chicken Keeping groups and through online hatcheries like http://www.mthealthy.com/ and www.meyerhatchery.com.  If you are close to Cincinnati, OH you can go to Mt. Healthy and pick them up instead of having them delivered by mail.  With the hatcheries you can buy eggs to incubate yourself or day old chickens.  You can also buy young birds (pullets), your prices are cheaper the younger the stage of their lives.   

If you live in the Central Kentucky Area, CLUCK!  "Coop"erative of Lexington Urban Chicken Keepers is a great group to friend on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/#!/clucklex.  They are a great resource for learning about chickens and asking questions when you need some help. 

Hopefully this will get you started thinking about whether chicken keeping is for you!

Melissa

No Bake Cookies - Dairy Free

Dairy Free No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I made these for my son last night to put them in his lunchbox for a Valentine's Day surprise.  I shaped them into hearts.  (as best I could)

Ingredients:

¼ cup dairy free butter (I use ghee, clarified butter)
1/2 cup sugar
¼ cup almond milk
¼ cup peanut butter
1 cup oatmeal
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

1.  Melt butter & sugar together in a pan over medium heat.
2.  Once melted, add the almond milk. Stirring frequently.
3.  When it comes to a rolling boil, boil for one to two minutes.
4.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.
5.  When the peanut butter is melted in add the cocoa powder and mix well.
6.  Add the oatmeal and stir until completely covered.
7.  Drop by spoonful on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Makes about 12-14 cookies.

Melissa

Re-Purposed Jean Purse

This would make a great Valentine's Day gift for that special young lady in your life!  

My son is constantly wearing the knees out in his jeans.  I feel bad about donating them with holes and worn patches in the knees so I decided to make them into purses instead.  It really wasn't that hard and they were fun to make and even more fun to give as a gift. 

Disclaimer:  You don't have to be an expert seamstress for this project!!  You just need a sewing machine.

Instructions:

Things You need to Grab

• Old jeans or pants
• Thread
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Decorative beads or buttons
  
  
  
   1.  Using a pair of scissors, cut off the legs off of the pants right above the crotch area. This determines where the bottom of your purse will be. Do not cut into the zipper area.
  
  
  
  
  
   
  2.  Turn the pants inside-out and sew a 1/4-inch seam along the bottom of the purse. Use a zigzag stitch for extra reinforcement.
  
  
  
  
  
  3.   Turn the purse right side out, push out the corners.
  
  
  4.  Take the left over leg pieces that are good and make the handles.  Just cut a strip to the desired length and turn inside out.  Sew from top to bottom and then gently pull until right side out.  Attach each side to the inside top sides of the purse.  You could also use a sturdy ribbon if you prefer.
  
  
  5.   Decorate the purse with a ribbon threaded through the belt loops and tied into a bow.  Use beads, buttons or other embellishments to decorate the purse.
  
  

  Melissa
    
   

Sunday Scripture

¹⁷ The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

                                            ~ Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Fudge Bar - dairy free

Last year my 9 year old son was diagnosed with 42 food allergies/sensitivities.  (That is a long story for another day.)  With that event happening in our lives, we changed our diet completely and I literally had to learn to cook all over again.  It has been amazing and so wonderful for our family.  There were so many things that he couldn't have that we had to focus on what he COULD have.  

Most of the time recipes that I post will be allergy friendly.

This is one of his favorite snacks (even though it contains an avocado).  He even loves to help me make them.  Letting your kids help you make things really helps them better understand foods and makes it much more fun for them. 

You will have no guilt in allowing your child to splurge on this sweet treat!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup raw honey*

3/4 cup + 2 TBSP water

1 large, ripe avocado

2 ripe bananas 

 

Directions:

Place ingredients in a blender in the order listed above. Blend until smooth, stopping the blender a few times, as needed, to scrape down the sides with a spatula and/or to push the ingredients down into the blade.

Pour in Popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 8 hours.

Run mold under hot water until the fudge bar slides right out.  Enjoy!

*In case you are not familiar with RAW honey, it is not the honey you buy off the shelf at your local superstore.  This is honey made in your area by beekeepers, usually found at your local Farmer's Market or a health food store.

Melissa

Featured on Allergy Free Wednesdays!

 

Sunday Scripture

courtesy of www.fotosearch.com

My favorite psalm... verse 14 makes me tear up every time!

 PSALM 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”
 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

Homemade Deodorant (without the Aluminum!)

So, Melissa and I  have been talking about how we'd like to stop using store bought deodorant/antiperspirant. We know we are protected children of God, however, why do we need to keep putting chemicals under our arms every day? I mean, didn't God design us to sweat? Preventing our bodies' ability to get rid of toxins and cool itself just doesn't seem that smart! 

Obviously, no one wants to stink either or smell like a hippie soaked in patchouli oil!! So, I found a super easy recipe to try that several bloggers have sworn by! It might not work for 90 degree days in July, but hopefully it will for most days! I'll keep you all posted as I try it out!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 C baking soda
1/4 C corn starch
6 TBSP coconut oil (I love this stuff)

I just warmed the oil a bit until it wasn't solid anymore, combined the dry ingredients, and then mixed it all together! It smells like the beach and should be really good for anyone with sensitive skin! I put it in a mason jar and use a tongue depressor to apply! Fingers crossed!

The War Against Boys

  This is a great post from one of my favorite bloggers! Mothers of boys this is a valuable read and just the tip of the iceberg! It's useful for moms of girls too, someday they'll be looking for a husband! 

Check out parisiennefarmgirl.com to learn about everything from french food and design to home births and homeschooling!

The War Against Boys - Where Have all the Cowboys Gone???

I am pretty burned out.
Not because I am the Momma of a little boy but because I am the Momma of a little boy.
Allow me to explain...

If you get me going you'll be hard pressed to get me to shut up on the joys of being a Momma to a little boy (two little boys!).  It is so awesome and I love it!  (I'd have ten little boys.  The challenge is thrilling.)  You'll also be hard pressed to get me to shut up on the frustrations of being a Momma of a little boy and it's not because of the boy.

I am of the opinion that people, most people just don't "get" little boys these days.  I am of the strong opinion that anit-male feminism has corrupted our view of little boys and what they should be like.  Even sadder, I feel this anti-male feminism has pervaded our church and our families.


I am reading Christina Hoff-Sommers Book "The War Against Boys" so I have a lot of feelings up at the surface this evening.

Today so many... SO MANY little boys are drugged into submission and tranquility.  So many are wasting away in front of the television, Internet and video games.  So many are pumped full of sugar and then dumbed down on tranqs.  It's heartbreaking.  And almost all little boys are told to...
sit still,
don't hit,
be quiet,
don't run,
don't build,
don't shout,
don't fight,
don't get dirty
... did I say, "sit still."  Go to most homes, most church Sunday school rooms, most day care rooms and you will see a pile of safe, girly toys.  Nothing to jump off of, nothing to bash, crash. build and destroy.

This has been our families struggle in the last couple years.  We can clearly see that our son needs more room to be a boy - part of our desperate desire to get to a farm.  You should see him when he has room to "be".  He is a completely different child.

We live in a culture that is the advanced stages of beginning to find men completely disposable.  This culture seems to want to strip everything from men that makes them men, (and the same goes for little boys).  Today most men are so soft.  It's gross.  Their nice, safe and neutered.  And who needs men right?  Today women can earn tons of money, fight wars, shimmy up a fire(wo)man's ladder, heck... they can get pregnant without a man.  Men are to be soft, kind, polite... they can shake propper hands at church but when do they get to really cut loose... shoot a gun, shoot hoops, spar, drink a beer, act like they don't need a women around to tell them what to do???
I digress.  Sorry.  I do that on this topic...

Back to boys.  Let me give you a little reminder.  Boys are loud, aggressive, creative, destructive, curious... they eat A LOT, they shine flashlights in your eyes, they pester their little sisters, they want to wrestle, the bristle when you tell them to be careful, they don't want to be called "little", they long to know how strong they are, they want to be respected by their mothers and they want to feel like real men around their fathers.  You can tell them all day to be quiet, sit still and play nice but you might as well tell the sun not to shine.  Now, I am not excusing disrespectful or bad behavior... but sometimes I wonder how much we interperet as bad behavior because we too are a part of this brainwashed, overly feminine culture???  How might that behavior change if we were sure to give our little boys a chance to be BOYS.  How much of that "behavior" is because they feel like caged animals in our pretty, suburban houses and politically correct classrooms???
Where is Tom Sawyer with his pockets full of toads and his hilarious entrepreneurial white washing skills?  Where is Huck Finn and his risky raft?  Where is the worm and the fishing pole?  Where are the dirty bare feet?  Where are the cap gunns, the smoke bombs and dirt bikes?  Heck, where is John the Baptist... rockin' it out in the wilderness eating bugs and honey and skinning dead camels for his latest ensemble???

I am very wary of it all.  Probably to the point where I sometimes let my son get away with things he shouldn't because I get defensive when I think people think he should be behaving a certain way.  But I believe, we are paying for it as a culture... we want them to sit still and be quiet and then women complain when full grown men sit and play video games all night!
 Well, you wanted them to sit still didn't you???
I do fear for my son.  By the time he is a man I believe the popular consensus will be that he is totally dispensable as a man.  In the meantime I am trying to raise him to be a man.  Strong, courageous, Godly and dare I say... a bit wild.

Go on Man Cub.  Momma loves you.