From Here to Eternity

A Housework Prayer

As I go about my housework
Let me see each job I do,
As a service for my King
And a way of loving You.

Let me wash away my judgments
Of others right or wrong,
As I wash up all the dishes
Place within my heart a song.

As I clean up little fingerprints
And lots of muddy shoes,
May I remember how you cleaned the feet
Of the loved ones you did choose.

As I mend up torn pajamas
And sew a button on,
Show me where I need to mend a breech
That’s gone on for far too long.

Let me tidy up my thoughts
As I tidy up the toys,
Let me sweep away my fears
Like the dirt from little boys.

May I be just as quick with my forgiveness
As I am with mop and broom,
Sweeping up the clutter
In my heart and living room.

May I rinse out pride and ego
As I rinse the bathtub out,
And while we’re at it Lord
Let’s take care of anger, hate and doubt.

Please remind me often Lord
That the way I’m called to serve,
Is an honor given me
And not below what I deserve.

You know Lord, as I look
At all the work we need to do,
I think we’d better house clean
At least each day or two.

~Author Unknown

illustration courtsey of www.allposters.com

"Kitchen Antiques" by T. C. Chui

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes
6-8 servings

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
sandwich buns

Cook ground beef and onion over medium heat; drain. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until heated through. Spoon meat onto buns. And get those sweet bakery fresh buns instead of hamburger buns - makes all the difference!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

A Lunchtime Treat

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles and reading my favorite blogs!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
2 servings

4 ounces thin rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons chopped peanuts

Mix peanut butter with water until combined. Stir in soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds and spices. Toss with hot noodles and top with peanuts. Enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

Summer Morning Granola

Summer Granola
8 cups

4 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup dry milk powder
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup oat bran
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped dates
1 cup dried apricots

Combine oats, milk powder, wheat germ, oat bran, pecans, almonds, sesame seeds and cinnamon; set aside. Bring water and brown sugar to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in oil, honey and vanilla. Add to oat mixture and mix well. Spread evenly on two cookie sheets. Bake at 275° for 1 hour. Let cool. Stir in cranberries, raisins, apricots and dates. Store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or top with yogurt and enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

I am participating in "The Simple Woman's Daybook" -
please visit www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com to join in the fun!


~for today~
Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Outside my window...it's 96 degrees!

I am thinking...it's only June!

I am thankful for...air conditioning! :-)

From the kitchen...my daughter requested chinese food for supper.

I am going...to the grocery store today.

I am wearing...a pink t-shirt, denim skirt, and flip flops.

I am reading...my new Rainbow Resource home school supply catalog.

I am creating...a list of things to do this week.

I am hoping...it might rain soon.

I am hearing...the children picking up their rooms.

Around the house...it's been a quite day.

One of my favorite things...is to organize a drawer or cabinet. ;-)

A few plans for the rest of the week...stay home (it's too hot to go anywhere!)
and get to a few little projects.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you...strawberries on the hutch.

"A little word in kindness spoken,
A motion, or a tear,
Has often healed the heart that's broken
And made a friend sincere.

A word, a look, has crushed to earth
Full many a budding flower,
Which, had a smile but owned its birth,
Would bless life's darkest hour.

Then deem it not an idle thing
A pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear, the thought you bring,
A heart may heal or break."

~John Greenleaf Whittier

Supper Menus
June 23rd-28th

Monday
szechwan chicken, rice
Tuesday
sloppy joes, spicy potato wedges, coleslaw
Wednesday
quesadillas, spanish rice, refried beans
Thursday
chicken parmesan, ceasar salad, garlic bread, chocolate covered strawberries cake
Friday
panhandle beef brisket, potato salad, pinto beans
Saturday
honey-eyed chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, biscuits, chocolate peanut butter parfaits

Each week I take part in menu-plan-monday. Please stop by www.orgjunkie.com to view other weekly menu plans.

Chicken Provolone and Artichoke Pasta

Chicken Provolone
4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
8 fresh basil leaves
4 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham
4 slices provolone cheese

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Heat oil and butter in skillet. Cook chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until done. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet. Top each breast with basil, prosciutto and cheese. Broil 6-8 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted and begun to brown. Enjoy!

Artichoke Pasta

4 servings

8 ounces cooked angel hair pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bag "steam in bag" broccoli

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Steam broccoli. Saute broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, and artichoke hearts in oil. Add salt and oregano. Combine flour and chicken broth; add to vegetables. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Toss with pasta, top with parmesan and serve. Enjoy!

First Snow Cone of the Summer!

strawberry cheesecake and wedding cake flavors...yummm! :-)

These Joys are Mine

"The joy of a rose with its sweet perfume
On a lazy summer day.

The blue of the sky as the dawn steals through
To welcome a bright new day.

A little child with a laughing heart...
A hope and a peace supreme.

A hilltop fair with its whispering wind
And a valley nestled between.

A friendly smile and a handclasp warm
A gladness to call my own.

A fireside warm and a happy thought
Whenever I'm alone.

A quiet joy that can fill my mind
Each night at the long day's end.

A thrill complete and a rich content
Because I have been a friend.

These joys are mine as I walk life's road
Wherever the journey might lead.

These are the hope and the faith I know,
All that my heart can need.

The richest treasures, the brightest dreams
To last throughout all time.

My heart holds a smile and my soul is content.
I'm rich, for these joys are mine! "

~Garnett Ann Schultz

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Summer Landscape" by Pierre -Auguste Renoir

"Family faces are magic mirrors.

Looking at people who belong to us,

we see the past, present, and future."

~Gail Lumet Buckley

This quote has always made me cry. It especially touches me tonight as I think back on this past week. We have been surrounded by family - first a family reunion at the beach, then part of my husband's side of the family returning home from living overseas, and at the same time my niece spending a few days with us. We've spent lots of time with extended family and even extended family's family! We are so very blessed. We are so very thankful.

Happy Summer Solstice!

It's the official first day of summer. The longest day of the year...

Enjoy the morning,

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

~John Lubbock

the afternoon,

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

~Henry James

and the night!

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

~Wallace Stevens

Trailside Cookies

Trailside Cookies
4 dozen

1 ½ cups shortening
1 ½ cups peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups oats
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream shortening and peanut butter. Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls unto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 - 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
8 servings
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup cream
1 quart strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Rinse berries; drain well. Hull and slice the berries; place in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar; cover and let stand for about 1 hour. Whip the cream until it holds a soft peak. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips) combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; mix. Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Combine until mixture resembles coarse meal, but with a few pea-size chunks of butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream, just until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times, until it is holding together and is less sticky. Gently pat the dough about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a floured round cutter. Transfer to a buttered foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush on a little cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 425, until risen and golden brown. Split each biscuit horizontally. Butter the hot biscuits then top with about 1/3 cup of berry mixture. Replace the tops and top with more berries and whipped cream. Enjoy!

I had some leftover crushed strawberries from my jam making, but not enough for another batch. I just added some sugar to them and used them for the strawberries in this recipe.

Tip for making whip cream - keep everything cold! Chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer before starting. Start whipping as soon as you take the cream out of the fridge. Also, place your bowl in a large bowl of ice while whipping and use an aluminum bowl, instead of a glass or plastic one - it will hold the cold better.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

The fruits of my labor - haha! Pun intended. ;-)

Sure-Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam
makes 48 ounces

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
4 cups sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
¾ cup water

Mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 1 minute. Stir the boiling water into the strawberries. Stir the berries and pectin until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour into glass jars to store in fridge or plastic jars for long term freezer storage. Place tops on the containers and leave on the counter for 24 hours to set up. Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to a year.

I used two, 2 lb cartons of strawberries. After washing, hulling and crushing them, I had slightly less than 5 cups of crushed berries. I did two batches (you aren’t supposed to double the recipe or the jam might not set up right) and it made four 16 ounce jars and almost four 8 ounce jars.

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup, Fun Summer Recipes.

Strawberry Moon

According to my Susan Branch calendar today is "Strawberry Moon" day. I have never heard of a strawberrry moon. I found out that -

"Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year.

Full Strawberry Moon - June
This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!"

~from www.thefarmersalmanac.com

Here are the traditional names given to each month's full moon from the "Farmer's Almanac" -

January Wolf Moon
February Snow Moon
March Worm Moon
April Pink Moon
May Flower Moon
June Strawberry Moon
July Buck Moon
August Sturgeon Moon
September Harvest Moon
October Hunter's Moon
November Beaver Moon
December Cold Moon

Sesame Ginger Chicken
4 servings

4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Combine soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds and ginger in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in sauce; covering both sides. Preheat broiler to 350°. Place chicken on broiler pan and broil 3 inches from heat for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, turn chicken and coat with more sauce. Discard any remaining sauce. Serve with rice and chinese veggies. Enjoy!

To toast sesame seeds - place in sauce pan; cook and stir over medium heat until browned.

Supper Menus
June 17th-21st

Tuesday
sesame ginger chicken, rice, oriental stir fry veggies
Wednesday
chili dogs, home fries, baked beans, macaroni salad, strawberry shortcake
Thursday
homemade pizza, green salad, ice cream sundaes
Friday
chicken provolone, artichoke pasta, foccacia bread
Saturday
fajitas, spanish rice, pinto beans

Please visit Menu Plan Monday at www.orgjunkie.com for more menu plans. Also, please stop back by later in the week. I will be posting recipes and pictures as I prepare my menus. Happy cooking! :-)

Back from the beach...

sleepy children,
suntans,
sandy beach bags,
mountains of laundry,
my own bed!

It's good to be home. :-)