Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: Sunrise

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This week, our church has brought in Jerry and Lynn Jones to present their Relationships Matter seminar. Sunday through Wednesday of this week, we are blessed to go to hear them speak. I love that what they have to say is relevant in so many areas of life.

I loved this statement shared last night regarding walking through trying times in life:

The best way to find the sun is to head east into the darkness so that you can catch the sun coming up.

What I hear in that is exactly what I feel God doing with me on my journey to let go of self. I can avoid doing battle, shrug off my struggles, put up my guard, and carry on as I have been. In many ways, it seems so much easier. Taking the hard path? Doing what is difficult? Seeking a whole heart that is fully God’s, while letting go of the control I so desperately want to hold onto? Why would I willingly go down a road so dark and difficult when I could just take the short-cut and avoid digging into the root of my sin?

If I really want to see the glory of the sunrise, if I want true healing and wholeness that can only come by way of full surrender to our creator – I will walk the harder road. I’ll journey down the path that seems dark because of all the unknowns through new territory. I’ll even walk it confidently because I am guided by the One who sees the way clearly.

The blessed irony of walking the difficult road is that letting go of control and grabbing the hand of the One who holds me while I stumble along is actually much easier than trying to navigate the road on my own cleverly constructed map. My own map has become a series of unsolvable mazes and dead-ends. It may seem well lit, but the roads lead to nowhere. Been there, done that. Now which way should I turn?

I’m choosing to head east. You’re walking me through this, Lord? You know where the potholes and branches are that I need to avoid? You see the dangers ahead and protect me from them? You know exactly where I’m supposed to turn and what I am supposed to do along the way? I give you the control then. Lead me, Lord.

I’ll joyfully keep taking steps toward the east, knowing that what awaits me on the other side is a beauty so radiant it can only been seen after looking through the black.

A glorious sunrise!

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

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21 Healthy Fall Recipes

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Feeling spicy? As in – do you have plenty of cinnamon on hand? You’ll need it after you look through all the recipes in this post.

While I think about food year-round and enjoy all the different flavors each different season brings, I have to say that there is something so exciting about Fall Recipes. It must be the cinnamon, and the warm drinks, and the comfort that comes along with all of these flavors – not to mention the anticipation of upcoming holidays.

Today I compiled 21 of my favorite fall recipes. If you don’t have pumpkins or apples around – you’ll need to go get some. And I believe we already covered the need for cinnamon….

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1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2. Apple Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

3. Warm Pumpkin Custard

4. Pumpkin Pancakes

5. Applesauce Bread

6. Cinnamon Apple Toast

7. Mini Apple Pies

8. Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins

9. Apple Crisp

10. Cream Cheese Apple Dip

11. Hot Caramel Sauce

12. Peanut Butter Apple Cookie Bars

13. Pumpkin Pie Pecan Squares

14. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

15. Pumpkin Pie with Whole Wheat Pie Crust

16. Multi Grain Pumpkin Waffles and Pancakes

17. Crock Pot Apple Butter

18. Apple Pie Filling

19. Apple Fruit Leather

In addition, you’ll definitely want to check out these tutorials:

20. The Easiest Way to Make Homemade Applesauce

21. How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin (To Make Pumpkin Puree)

Now your turn. What are your favorite fall recipes?

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Menu Plan for the Week {With Pumpkins}

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A few weeks ago, Malachi helped me pick the pumpkins that we had grown in our garden. He “gave them all a bath” to get the mud off, then we used them as decorations on our mantle for a couple weeks. This weekend, I saw that they needed to be baked and pureed. (Some of them were starting to get squishy.)  And so, I followed these instructions for cooking them whole. I now have pumpkin puree for pies and all kinds of other recipes I’ll share with you this week!

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Here’s what’s on our menu:

Sunday, October 20
Homemade instant oatmeal, fruit
Scrambled egg sandwiches, oranges
Pizza with church family

Monday, October 21
Easy oatmeal breakfast bars, applesauce
Homemade pigs in a blanket, baby carrots, pears
Chicken noodle soup, veggies

Tuesday, October 22
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Potato soup, carrots, soft pretzels
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Wednesday, October 23
Fried eggs on toast, creamy orange cooler
Hamburger patties, potato wedges, asparagus
Easy chicken pot pie, tossed salad

Thursday, October 24
Flaky cream cheese pastry, berries
Crustless pizza, tossed salad
Calico beans, veggies

Friday, October 25
Dark chocolate almond granola, fruit
Chicken patty sandwiches, peas, grapes
Calzones, raw veggies

Saturday, October 26
Scrambled eggs, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, apples
Leftovers
Chili, corn chips, cheese, olives, carrots

 

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Confessions of an Applesauce Maker

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I’m not making any applesauce this year.  Not even a little bit. As much as I love making and preserving applesauce for my family, and as easy as it is to make applesauce with my Victorio – I am very happy to take the year off from this endeavor.

Why am I not making applesauce? Because I counted up jars I have leftover from the stash I made last year, and I found that I have plenty of applesauce to last us through the winter. I don’t need any, so I’m checking that task off my list. Yay!

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For those of you who don’t have a pantry full of applesauce, I did want to remind you of what I learned last year:  Making applesauce with a Victorio is by far the easiest method I’ve found.

So how about you? Are you making applesauce this year?

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One Child Matters – A Ministry Partnership Opportunity with us at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Remember several months ago when I told you I had a special service opportunity that we could all participate in together? I’ve been so excited to share this with you – but there has been one delay after another…technical difficulties. Finally, after months of hard work on the part of the One Child Matters Team, I am able to announce a ministry I’d love for you to join me in!

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The more I get to know you, whether it is “in real life” or through your emails and comments, the more I feel like we are all on a journey together. A journey toward healthy living, a journey toward raising godly families, a journey toward making our homes heavenly, and ultimately, a journey as we all strive toward our heavenly home. The whole concept gives me chills, that through this blog, we can all be working toward so many positive goals together.

That’s why I’m so excited to share this opportunity with you. Together, we can work to make a difference. The best part of this opportunity is that it isn’t just something you and I can do. It is something our families can be involved in too! (Selfless, servant-hearted focus, here we come!)

There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes here at Heavenly Homemakers, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally announce this new ministry opportunity to you!

Actually, the opportunity itself isn’t new. One Child Matters has been around for quite some time. (You may have known them as Mission of Mercy.)  What is new is a partnership I’m eager to share with you – a partnership between my family, your family, and One Child Matters.

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First, let me tell you a little bit about this ministry.

One Child Matters is an organization based out of Colorado Springs that truly cares about kids on a holistic level. They work to help children in 16 countries in the world, meeting their spiritual, physical, socio-emotional, and mental needs. At this point, they are serving over 40,000 children. What a blessing!

All of these children live in poverty. Many of them are on their own much of the day – even the little ones – as their parents work away from home for hours to put food on the table each night. One Child Matters provides schooling, guidance, nourishment, medical care, and most importantly – they teach these children about Jesus!

If you spend some time at the One Child Matters website, I guarantee you’ll be drawn in and begin to fall in love with these children, just like my family has. Together, we’ve spent time learning about the One Child Matters mission, how they work, what they do, and how much they care. Above all, we’re seeing the faces of the children they care for as more than just pictures. These are kids – just like yours and mine. They have needs – and together, we can help One Child Matters meet these needs!

How can you help?

Well, this isn’t a ministry that you’ll decide to jump into on a whim (unless after these few minutes you already feel called to participate!). This is something that I encourage you to pray about with your family. Study this ministry to see if its something you might feel called to be a part of. How cool to think that we can all be a part of this ministry together – your family and mine!

After prayer and discussion, Matt, the boys, and I have signed up to sponsor a child in Honduras. (I’ll share more details soon. I can’t wait to introduce you to our adorable new “family member!”)  Our sponsorship involves a $34 per month donation, as well as a committment to connect with our sponsored child, and most importantly, a pledge to pray for our child.

This is something all six of our family members have chosen to be a part of. The $34 monthly donation? Well, we’ve talked to our kids about the fact that while it may mean we need to give up something we want – doing so will help our sponsored child receive the basic care needed each day. Our kids are on board, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Please consider joining my family in a ministry that will surely be a blessing to all involved! We can make a difference in the lives of children around the world – and in doing so, we will be teaching our families more about being like Jesus. If that’s not a win-win situation, I’m not sure what is.

Please head over to the One Child Matters site and spend time in prayer about joining with us in this ministry. I’ll be sharing more in the upcoming weeks about how we can all work together in this!

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Win a $50 Gift Certificate from Lilla Rose

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lilla_rose_octLilla Rose Flexi-Clips are my favorite hair accessory! They are pretty, functional, and easy – perfect for those of us who are busy and need a quick hair solution.

Today I have fun news:

1)  Paula from Lilla Rose is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one winner of this giveaway.

2)  From now through Sunday, October 20 Lilla Rose is offering 10% off all items and 15% off select items.

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If you have girls on your Christmas list, or you simply want to invest in high quality hair accessories for you or someone else, this is a great time to stock up! Before I started wearing Flexi-Clips, I went through tons of hair bands. They stretched out quickly, allowing me to only use them a few times before they started pulling my hair. But my Flexi-Clips have been going strong for several years now, making them a great money-saver. Plus, they never pull my hair. I love ’em!

Go check out all that Lilla Rose has to offer. Take advantage of the 10-15% off sale! And come back here to leave a comment letting us know what items you’d pick if you win the $50 gift certificate.

I’ll draw a random winner on Monday, October 21. Be watching for a post stating the winner as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

Want extra entries? Like Paula’s Facebook page and/or subscribe to Paula’s newsletter – then leave an additional comment here letting me know that you did.

And by the way, I don’t just love their Flexi-Clips. I often wear their Bobby Pins. And I finally figured out how to wear their Headbands. (I’m challenged when it comes to hair.)  All their products are great. Having fun shopping with the discount!

 

 

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Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

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Easy_Oatmeal_Bars

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What’s great about these Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars?  You can eat them in a house. You can eat them in a rush. You can eat them in a car. You can eat them near or far. Inside outside upside down. Sam…I am.

We’re in the process of trading in Seuss for Shakespeare at this point in our lives, so apparently I felt the need for a Dr. Seuss flashback. I mean, I could have gone with Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet and said, “All that glitters is not breakfast” or “An oatmeal bar by any other name would smell as sweet” but those didn’t make nearly as much sense within the context of this post. And as all of us who have ever come across a nooth grush on our tooth brush can attest to, Dr. Seuss always makes perfect sense.

You might look at this recipe and ask, “How is this one different from your Breakfast Cake, Giant Breakfast Cookie, and Oatmeal Cookie recipes? I would answer by telling you that they are all similar, except that this recipe uses the fewest ingredients and is easiest to throw together. It’s also a little gooier and chewier and at this point in my life, since it’s so fast and easy, it has become my favorite of them all.

I usually try to make these at night before going to bed so that when we get up in the morning, breakfast is ready to eat right away. Which leads me back to how you can eat them in a rush, in a car, with your coffee, wherever you are. Parting is such sweet sorrow. I’ll stop now.

Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sucanat or 1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)

Stir together melted butter and sucanat. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in oats and flour until well combined. Spread mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Feel free to stir 1/2 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter before baking!

To Freeze These Bars:  Bake as directed and allow them to cool completely. Cut into bars, then wrap individually. Place wrapped bars in a freezer bag in the freezer. Thaw for at least one hour before eating.

Who do you enjoy more? Seuss or Shakespeare?

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Peace

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If you haven’t already, you may want to go back and read Raw, Guilt , Beginning, Anxiety, Seek, Stop, Pride, and Surrender before reading this post.

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I longed to hold onto and remain in control of my life. But the truth was, the control that I longed to hold onto was actually controlling me. It had its grip around my chest and would not let me breathe with all of the fear and panic it created inside of me. Once I learned to surrender my self to Jesus – that is when I was able to enjoy His gift of peace.

Realizing this was glorious, and then I lived happily ever after.

Oh how I wish that happily ever after was the end of the story. I wish that recognizing the need to surrender fully to the Savior, letting go of self, and embracing His peace would keep me always and forever where I needed to be in my relationship with our Creator. But here’s what I am learning:

  • We are to take up our cross daily.
  • We live in a world that fights for our flesh and against all that is good and right.
  • Our journey will never be over – until we meet Jesus face to face.

Learning to surrender myself and my sin to Jesus was a huge breaking point. It was one Satan didn’t like. It was one I was quite inexperienced with. After all, I’d had a solid three dozen years of practice holding on very tightly to control and selfishness. Surrender? I just learned this. Peace? I like it. Now, how do I hold on to this feeling?

Ah, the feeling of peace. It’s great, isn’t it? But what if I told you that my time studying the Word has taught me that peace isn’t a feeling? I always thought it was. “I just don’t feel peace about this,” we say. “Ah, I love how peaceful it feels here.”

God has taught me that peace is not a feeling. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. Peace is a gift (Psalm 29:11).

When we surrender our sin, our selfishness, our fear, our anxiety to Jesus – He replaces them with His peace. But only if we choose to accept this gift.

See, once we let go of something we’ve been holding onto for a very long time, there is a sin-sized hole in that place in our hearts. This is what I found in myself – a huge hole that had been overflowing with anxiety and fear. God was helping me to recognize this and to rid it from my life, but then what? God said, “Here, now accept this gift of peace that I’ve been longing to give you. Let my peace fill that hole.”

I then had to reach out and accept it. The Spirit fills that hole, and the fruit that bubbles forth out of that space is all that He has been longing to become in our lives.

I loved this. I found myself experiencing the beauty of the Father and the work of the Spirit in my life in ways I had never experienced. It was glorious. But only if I continued to recognize that I could never take my self back. That the hole Jesus had filled left no room for anxiety. That peace and fear can not co-exist. If I chose to grab hold of fear again, my clumsy arms could not also hold onto peace.

I began to struggle with how to juggle. How to hold onto this blessed gift of peace I was beginning to experience. How to continue to surrender myself and not take my self back.

The difficulty then turned to this:  Thanks to God, I was learning, growing, and healing. But now I didn’t know who I was anymore. All my life I’ve been the Go!Go!Go! girl and the anxious person, and the drop-everything-for-friends friend. I understood that I was becoming a new person. But what exactly was that supposed to look like? And how was I supposed to act? And who was I supposed to serve? I found myself crying,  “Who am I, Lord?!”

Continue reading: Empty

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Making Homemade Soft Pretzels

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The recipe is a tiny bit more time consuming that some of my other baked goods, so I find that I don’t make my Homemade Soft Pretzels very often anymore. But now that the weather has cooled off, I’m excited to make these pretzels to go with a pot of soup. I guarantee my family will not argue with my idea.

Have you tried making Homemade Soft Pretzels? Give this recipe a try. They are SO delicious!

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Gratituesday: Hot Drinks

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I feel like this is a silly thing to be grateful for, but hey, it’s the little things, right?

I am typically cold from September until May. Slippers, long johns, wool socks, and sweaters are my best friends during these months. Beyond those, I love my hot drinks. Hot tea, Hot Cocoa, and Crio Bru really hit the spot, and yes, it even appears that I can now add coffee to that list. (Who starts liking coffee at the age of 40? This girl, apparently.)

What I really love about hot drinks is that now I associate them with my Bible reading time. There is something so comforting about enjoying my favorite mug filled with a warm drink while I spend time in the Word each morning. Then later in the day, even if I’m not able to sit down again to read, fixing a hot drink triggers memories of Truths I read earlier in the day and reminds me to keep my focus on the One I’m learning to completely surrender my life to.

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Yep, sometimes I also share my Bible time with a Lego army.

So hot drinks remind me of Jesus? Well no wonder I am so grateful for them. :)  Are you a fan of hot drinks?

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!