Monday 28 December 2020

Homemaking Mondays: Frosty Days of Winter


Hello! 
How are you enjoying the frosty days of winter? 
Sometimes it is sunny and crisp
or foggy and moist. 

This past week my family joined some other
homeschoolers to enjoy some time out 
ice fishing on one of the big lakes not too far away.
Now we didn't catch any fish...
but it was a great time being outside.
The air was heavy with ice fog
that blurred the vision of our surroundings.
It changed colours all through the day
as the sun shone through or the fog thickened.  
My hair got very frosty out in the fog.
I felt like the trees with hoarfrost on them. 


The kids and I have been working on making some 
colourful sun catchers and ice candle holders 
for the snow castle
Some with twigs and seeds, 
others with fruit and berries.
They will be a treat for the squirrels and birds as they thaw.


This candle holder below had an interesting 
effect when the cranberries juiced
and ran down.  
Reminded my daughter of balloons. 


There have also been some wonderful nights where the 
temperatures have dropped and the moon 
has come out and the stars have
shone brightly.

Last night was one of those nights.
I woke to find the moon shining directly in my window on my face. 
It was so clear and I enjoyed watching it as it 
moved along in the sky until it was out of view.
Sometimes when the moon shines brightly it catches the 
icicles and lights them up along the house.
On nights like that you can see outside like during the day.
Shadows falling and the moonlight
lighting up the snow and sending the crystals 
to glittering.
What beauty the Lord God has created! 
All creation proclaims Him!

Also this week we've enjoyed opening up 
some of our canned beef stew.
It was so delicious and I'm glad there is more in the pantry.
I've also with the cold temperatures been able 
to put out extra baked bread in a rubbermaid 
into the sunroom to freeze.  Like an extra freezer space.

Thanks for dropping by!
Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Tuesday 22 December 2020

Keep Him In Perfect Peace

 


Hello! 
Sorry I didn't get a post up yesterday...life had other plans.
This past week my younger daughter had a birthday.
I made her a card....and no it's not wintery. 
It is just what seemed to come together.  
Are you like that with things.  
You begin with one idea 
and then when you are finished you think
that is not what I expected it to be?

Sounds like much of life. 
As I think of my daughter becoming an adult.
Trusting the Lord will lead her where He 
wants her to be.
Her course may take some detours and alternate routes.

Proverbs 16:9 
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."

As she trusts in the Lord He will make plain her way.

I also made a cheesecake for her.
She wanted a mint, chocolate swirl one. 
It did crack some...I have to be honest. 
So I made a truffle mix...filled in the holes
and smoothed it over the top.  then I added 
little truffles around the outside. 
Some chocolate sprinkles and pearls 
and it was delicious! 


The light has been a bit brighter lately as the temps 
have dropped some. 
When the temps drop, the skies usually clear.
Occasionally the sun will shine in the windows during a short part of the day.
Mostly it just touches the treetops and gives a golden glow. 
I love how the sun shines through the snow that is built up on the branches.



This is the shed we have and the snow has been 
accumulating quite a bit even with the one melt we had.
It has been a winter for playing in the snow for sure!


As the world swirls about us
trying to just rest in the Lord and enjoy the rhythm of each 
day at home.
Even with the needed grocery shopping and outings for the kids
always coming back to the comfort of home. 

Isaiah 26:3 
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 
whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Peace...true peace is found in Christ Jesus alone.

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 14 December 2020

Homemaking Mondays: The Variation of Light

 


Hello! 
Good Morning to you! 
I love the way that the variation of light 
changes so quickly in the morning 
and then in the evening as the sun sets. 
Cloudy skies sure do make for the best colours.

Often I find myself just considering how the light changes
in the clouds, in the snow, in the trees.
God has created such beauty and
I sometimes consider that most will
miss those variations in nature as life's 
demands keep us moving so quickly.

Thinking of light.
Our community centre has a snow castle being built.
It needs some lighting in the darkness.
There are some glow sticks that were available through
the community centre but they are only one time use items.
So we have decided to create some ice candle holders.
We can place tea lights in them and they can be used 
on more then one occasion.
Below is our first one.  
We used a mushroom container for the base and then
 a grape juice jug (cut in half) for the holder part.
We put some evergreen 
branches in the ice and as it warms 
they will give off some nice scent.


It's so pretty when there is a candle in it.  
Like a fireplace in the forest.


This week I also put up some chopped up roast.
I had canned chicken..now there is some canned beef.
Good for soup or a quick meal.
I'm finding the more time we are spending outside 
the less energy we have for meal prep.
So...I am especially thankful for these kinds of items 
tucked away in the pantry.


My younger daughter 
made some delightful sugar cookies this week.
They were pretty and tasted delicious!


With the variations of light.
It's amazing how the sun which is oh so slanted
at this time of year
lights up the evergreens so that they glow.
The boughs laden with snow on the outside 
giving concealment to the little birds 
that flutter in and out finding food.

The icicles hanging from the eves are also very pretty.
I was surprised the other day to see a chickadee 
fly up and land on one.
They do like to peer in the windows.
Perhaps it's their "people-vision"
and they find us entertaining? 


I took my children out for another ski yesterday afternoon.
It was later in the afternoon and the sun was going down. 
The light up through the clouds was beautiful
and as the light changed it was harder to see the snow under our skis.
A thoughtful neighbour made a skidoo trail for us through part of the forest 
so that we could meet the main trail. 

Attention to detail....
that is what I think of when I consider the variations 
of light that I see.
God is so specific....
in all things!  
May we read His Word 
and know His Truth!

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 7 December 2020

Homemaking Mondays: Adventure is Calling and I Must Go


Hello! 
Do you need some adventure in your life? 
I know many who feel they have to go and do grand things.
But what if there were adventures close to home
that you might miss while
looking out there?
This week my kids and I made a snowshoe trail around our place.
It meanders through the trees.
There was a lot of fun and laughter 
as we trudged through the snow. 

My boys and I went this week to our local community centre
no far from home.
We went skiing on the trails there
and went places we'd not been before.  
It was only three km we trekked 
but we discovered new hills to go down and
struggle up. hehehe 
We learned to glide better and turn corners. 
All of this through falling snow and wind. 
A little adventure close to home.

Trudging for hours in the wilderness 
is not necessary for adventure.

Now would I love to climb a mountain or 
raft a raging river?
If one day if the opportunity arose I would. 
I try not to get caught up in what is 
"out there"
for then I might just miss what is right here. 
In a world where we don't often know our neighbours,
or the alleyways between streets.
There are lots of places around us in cities, towns, or countryside.
Adventure can even be found in meeting someone new...
perhaps just saying hello to someone we pass by.


This week has had more adventure in the kitchen. 
I love baking buns in my skillets.  
The cast iron cooks so nicely and 
the bun never stick. 
I also tweaked my recipe awhile back
and now enjoy the fluffier texture. 
Also just the simple act of adding something interesting
like flax seeds or herbs to the bread
makes for a new flavour to savour.  
I like to add new things to the food I serve and then 
ask my family..."so what do you think?".
They answer with "what have you done this time?".
Adventure can be anywhere....
even in mom's cooking. :) 


This week our local Skills Canada office
was giving out cookie decorating kits to encourage children
to learn a bakery skills.
A local bakery made the gingerbread cookies and then the 
children used some of the wonderful 
decorating elements to create colourful tasty treats.
Perhaps one of my children might become a baker?

This week I also made some peanut butter balls.
They come by many names but they are all good. 
For mine I just take a bunch of peanut butter,
then I add "some" softened butter
"some" icing sugar (until it makes a fairly stiff mix)
Then I add in Rice Krispies. 
I roll them into balls and chill. 
then I melt chocolate chips with a dollop of coconut oil.
I dip the balls in the chocolate and then drizzle the 
leftover chocolate over top.  
Then chill again. 
So yummy and easy!


Adventures come in all shapes and sizes.  
Let us not limit adventure to something out there.
There is much to explore and enjoy 
close to home. 

To me homemaking is an adventure.
It is a gift the Lord Jesus has given me.
Those who think homemaking is boring just need to 
find adventure in the little things
close to home.
It's there if you just look.

Thanks for dropping by! 
Love and Prayers,
Jennifer