Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

I Heart Green Foam Insulation

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It’s been so long since I’ve shown you any living room pictures, I’m sure you’ve all continued to picture that the room looked like this…

Thankfully, we’ve made a LOT of progress since then. And by we’ve…I mean Matt and the boys. I’ve really only been able to be the side line cheerleader throughout this project. My asthma doesn’t allow me to help with a project that includes THIS much dust. Matt’s dad helped with the first two weeks of this project and helped us get much of the work done.

So let’s review a little bit shall we? First, Matt and his dad began to break down the walls and tear down the 100(+) year old plaster.

Once all the plaster was off (and completely covered the floor in a big mess), they began to tear off the lathe. We saved it for kindling – yay!

Would you look at that? Nothing between the lathe and the outside wall. THIS is why we’ve been so cold each winter!

Once they had the walls prepped, the boys and I vacated the house. Matt and his dad put on protective gear and they sprayed in foam insulation from SprayFoamDirect.

Oh look, green foam. That’s a whole lot better than cold air in the walls, wouldn’t you say?

But what’s even better is that now a little clean up is starting to happen. Check it out, there are floors under there…

My father in law had to fly back home, but Matt was able to get drywall up within the  next few days. This is getting exciting isn’t it? Now look…we have walls!

Better yet…our living room is clean and put back in order!!

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Now here’s the deal.  The drywall hasn’t been mudded or sanded or painted yet. The trim work is still not back up. There is still a lot of work to be done as we completely finish the living room. BUT…we ended up with some leftover spray foam…and if you don’t use it within thirty days, it loses it’s pressure. We are NOT going to waste that spray foam. Therefore…we begin project number two…

Our bedroom.

So, life continues to be a bit…dusty. Matt and I have moved into one of the guestrooms. I usually can not find my slippers.

But I am so thankful for my husband’s hard work and I am SO thankful that we are going to be warm.

One room at a time.

 

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Favorite Cookware and Bakeware? and Should We Eat Wheat? Podcast #5

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In today’s podcast, I address a question about my favorite types of cookware and bakeware…plus a question about whether or not wheat is even good for us.

I must warn you that because I don’t have a firm answer on the wheat eating issue…I ramble a little bit. YIKES! Sometimes it’s so much easier for me to write and edit, then write then delete… My apologies for the way I sort of stumble along answering this second question about wheat. It’s such a great question, with a bit of a blabby-blab answer. You are so excited to listen now, aren’t you? Don’t worry…the entire podcast only lasts about 11 minutes. At least I finally do bring my ramblings to a close…eventually.

Keep in mind that I am not an expert, both at understanding the whole picture of wheat…and at speaking in a podcast. I’m a just a mom who does her best to fix healthy meals…and every two weeks or so I work up a podcast for you. ;)

Heavenly Homemakers Podcast #5

Some links for topics or items I mentioned during the podcast:

If you feel like joining the confusion discussion, I’d love to hear what your feelings are about eating wheat.

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Does This Super Woman Cape Make Me Look Fat?

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I am very honored to be featured in the November 2010 edition of Parent Life Magazine. Plus, they asked me to guest post over on their site. If you’d like to take a peek at what I wrote, please click on over to read Does This Super Woman Cape Make Me Look Fat?.

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Healthy Caramel Frosting – with Homemade Sucanat Powdered Sugar

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Click here to see all of the recipes in the
Healthy Celebrations section of Heavenly Homemakers!

This Caramel Frosting recipe is very exciting because you can make it with your very own homemade powdered sugar!!! If you don’t have sucanat or you don’t feel like making powdered sugar, DO NOT substitute regular pre-made powdered sugar. This recipe won’t taste very caramelly if you use the white stuff. (I made up that word. It is pronounced:  care-uh-mellleeeeee. I like it.)  If you do need to make a substitution, use regular ol’ brown sugar.

You do need to know that this recipe takes several minutes to make. It isn’t hard to make, you just have to beat it (and beat it and beat it…) for several minutes to turn it into frosting. I had my kids take turns holding the beaters while I made the donuts to go with the frosting. They were making frosting…they did not mind holding the beaters.

Oh look, only four ingredients!!!

Caramel FrostingYum

2 cups homemade sucanat powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place sucanat powdered sugar, butter and cream in a pan on the stove. Cook until butter is melted. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring allthewhile (I made up that word too. It is pronounced ahll-thuh-wyle. It means – keep stirring for the whole minute and whatever you do, don’t stop). Remove this from the heat and pour it into a mixing bowl. Beat mixture with electric beaters for 15 minutes or until it thickens and becomes spreading consistency. Add vanilla and beat for a little bit longer, because you just love beating your frosting and you know it.

Here is the mixture as it is beginning to boil…

Now, we have poured it into our favorite stainless steel bowl and we are beginning to beat it…

Hello there. We are still beating our mixture. 
It has been only a few minutes but already it is getting thicker…

Wow, will you look at that? It’s been about eight minutes and not only is the frosting getting thicker, it is turning a nice shade of…what shade of brown would you call that? Caramelly?

Eleven minutes and counting. Thicker and thicker it becomes allthewhile we have been beating it. We have switched beater holders a few times. Life is getting more and more exciting as we see that this really might become frosting after all…

Almost done. I think we’ve been beating for longer than fifteen minutes. What is that about?

Okay, we are going to pronounce that the Caramel Frosting is now finished. It’s not as thick as we may have expected, but we can certainly spread it on our donuts. (Or on a cake if that’s what we were making this for.)

Sure enough, we were able to spread this Caramel Frosting on our donuts.

The moral of the story is this:  Just when you think you can’t possibly keep beating your frosting, stick those beaters back in the bowl and KEEP BEATING. Hey, if you’re alone in your kitchen, it’ll be good prayer time. Who says you can’t pray over your bowl and beaters? 

The other moral of the story is this:  Good things come to those who beat. For a long time. When you eat this frosting on a cake or on donuts or on cookies…you will recognize that the beating was all worth it.

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Sucanat, Brown Rice and Cottage Cheese – FAQ

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What do sucanat, brown rice and cottage cheese have in common? Not a whole lot, except that they were hot topics last week during the Recipe and Cooking Tips Parade. There were so many questions in each comment section that I will admit to being overwhelmed and after just a tiny bit of panic on my part because of my lack of time and ability to keep up, I decided just to try to answer the most frequently asked questions here. I’m still not answering every question, and for that I apologize. If I missed your question in those posts, please feel free to ask  it here and maybe, just maybe I will actually get to it!

So, for no reason at all, let’s begin with Cottage Cheese. I loved all of the ideas you mentioned about ways you eat cottage cheese! Who knew there were so many great ways to eat the cute little curds. There were two questions that were asked several times in that post:

1. What kind of cottage cheese do you buy? I’m afraid of the cottage cheese in my store because it has all kinds of added ingredients!

Ah, indeed. All the yucky additives and whatnots that we can’t pronounce on the label. If I can, I like to buy Organic Valley Cottage Cheese from my health food co-op. But, I have found that at my Walmart, I can get Nordica brand, which is not organic, but is at least without hormones. It has a very good taste, unlike the cheaper brands that really freak me out.

2. Do you make your own cottage cheese? Will you tell us how to do that?

I have made cottage cheese a few times, but I’ve never been pleased with the results. If I ever get a good cottage cheese thing going on, you’ll be the first to know. (Second, actually, because I’ll be standing on my porch yelling, “WAHOOO! I just made cottage cheese that tastes good!” It’s okay, my neighbors already know I’m weird.)

Okay…now Sucanat questions:

1. What is sucanat? Is it healthier than other sugars?

I’ve addressed sucanat and other natural sweeteners here.

2. Where do you buy sucanat?

I try to order it through my health food co-op, Azure Standard. It’s much less expensive there. Otherwise I save my swagbucks and buy it through Amazon. If at all possible, buy it in bulk…it’s much less expensive! The best price I’ve found is just over $2/pound. Sounds expensive, but that’s a great deal for what you’re getting!

Last but not least…Brown Rice:

1. Where do you buy brown rice?

Again, Azure Standard or Amazon. I always buy organic, but that’s just me.

2. Is Minute Brown Rice healthy and okay to eat?

I’ve never used the Minute brand of brown rice and because it’s processed, I guess my OPINION is that I’d prefer to avoid it. However, at the store the other day, I peeked at the box and the ingredients only list “brown rice” as an ingredient. Can’t be that bad, I guess. :)  If the choice is white rice or Minute Brown Rice…I say go with Minute Brown Rice if it helps you transition to this whole ingredient. In fact, here’s a coupon:  $0.50 off any one (1) Minute Rice Product

3. I cooked my brown rice for over 45 minutes but it still isn’t cooked all the way. What am I doing wrong?

Altitude and who knows what can make a difference in your rice being cooked the way you want it. I found this article at Pinch My Salt. Interesting and helpful!

4. Have you ever tried soaking your rice, Nourishing Traditions style?

No, and I don’t know why. I should add that to my list. Do you ever get tired of hearing me say that? Do you ever wonder what “my list” looks like?

I don’t think you really want to know. ;)

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Gratituesday: Love in Christ

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Last weekend, our church hosted a biannual Clothing Exchange, where we opened our doors for everyone in the community to come and get free clothing. It takes hours and hours and hours of exhausting work to get an event such as this set up. Thousands of articles of clothing were donated and needed to be organized. I had the privilege of working for a few of those hours alongside so many brothers and sisters who gave so much of their time. Hundreds of people in our church and in our community were served through this event. All I can ever think of while we are preparing for this is, “THIS is what it means to serve. THIS is what it means to be a church. THIS is how we show Jesus to others.” There were over 80 people LINED UP at the door on Saturday morning ready to come in and get clothes for their families, and many more who followed throughout the morning. It truly is beautiful to see that we are making an impact in the community.

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Then, just today our church family met to celebrate the life of one of our elders who died suddenly last Monday. While it’s such a painful and sorrowful time of grieving together…as I see everyone hugging and crying together, again I think, “THIS is what it means to be unified. THIS is who we are called to be. THIS is what it means to show love and to be selfless.”

Barriers break down when Christians serve alongside Christians. Walls crumble when a loved one dies and we all grieve together. Love prevails when together we are reminded that only one thing is truly important.

THIS is what Christianity is all about.

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it 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!

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!

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Living Out My Vows (In Sickness and in Health)

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help meet

Today, I am privileged to introduce guest poster Jill Roper, my friend and mentor – remember how I got to see her on our Michigan trip!!?! Her role as “help meet” and wife has drastically changed during the past year and a half and I have hurt and prayed along with her family as her husband’s health has taken a terrible turn. Jill (of From the Heart of Jill) shares her real life example of what it truly means to care for and love your husband “in sickness and in health”.

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“LORD, I need your arms tightly wrapped around me”. That was my prayer when I looked over at my husband the other day. How did we ever get to this place?

Nineteen months ago our lives were turned upside down. Hubby woke up with a terrible back ache and noticed later in the day a very odd rash going in a perfect line from his waist down to the bottom of his foot. Life has never been the same since.

In my mind’s eye I can clearly see us both in the church saying our wedding vows. The future looked so bright and I happily said those words, “In sickness and in health” with the rest of the vows truly not knowing what that would mean 32 years later.

I grieve now from the very depths of my soul. My life partner is slipping away and there is not a thing I can do about it. My husband has a very rare neurological disorder that has robbed him of who he was. He is on 15 different medicines daily. The disease causes him to jerk uncontrollably and his speech can be very difficult to understand during a severe bout which happens daily. It is very difficult for him to walk.

My husband spent 22 years proudly serving his country. He then spent the next 10 years in full time ministry and as a marriage and family therapist. The man holds 3 Master’s degrees and yet most days he can’t remember what day it is. He helped foster over 30 special needs children and together we have raised seven children.

In my book we have only lived a half a life so far. It appears now that the second half of the dream will never be realized. I have often said to friends, “I sure wish there was a book out there to help me navigate this storm!”

I have two choices. I can give up  and say it’s  just too hard  or…..I can allow God to put me through the fire again and share what I have learned with others.

My Abba Father is teaching me once more to trust with my whole heart. You see, some years ago we lost our baby girl, Celeste at birth and then our son David died when he was just 13 months old. You come to a crossroads when death smacks you in the face.

How do you deal with such loss? How do you get up the courage to breathe again? The following passage spoke to my heart all those years ago just like it speaks to me now.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Cor. 1:2

God allows bad things to happen to good people for His purposes. God is the ultimate comforter. When we have been comforted he wants us to turn around and comfort others. I chose JOY! I chose to daily walk with joy in my heart, knowing that God is truly in control. This trial does not escape His notice. 

I stand committed today just like I did 32 years ago to say with confidence, “For better or worse, for richer or poor, in sickness and in health till death do us part.

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Jill writes a daily devotional blog which I always find to be inspiring, comforting, challenging and refreshing. As a busy mom (can you relate?), I have found it to be such a blessing to pop over to Jill’s site and find a few moments of spiritual enouragement. I highly encourage you to check out From the Heart of Jill and consider letting Jill be a daily source of spiritual refreshment for you too!

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Menu Plan for the Week

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I just proof read this post and almost put myself to sleep. Either I’m really sleepy, or this is a really boring and dry post….

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My freezer foods have officially been depleted. I have been amazed at how helpful it is to have those grab and go meals prepared! Therefore, I have been amazed at how much I miss them now that they are gone. Over the next few days, I’m planning to cook a little extra so that we can have a well stocked freezer full of healthy convenience foods. I’ll show pictures of my progress once I’ve made some progress. :)

Speaking of making progress…I bet you’re wondering how our living room is coming along! I’ve got tons of pictures to show you and will put them into a post sometime this week. 

By the way, Danielle made a great suggestion to put a link to the Recipe Parade link-up right on the top tool bar of the website. That way, if you want to reference all the great recipes linked up (86 and counting!), you’ll be able to find the post easily!! So…do you see it up there in the toolbar? Just to the right of the Links link. No, your other right.  Ah, you got it. Feel free to add your recipe links at any time!

Last week was a sad week for our church family as one of our elders died very suddenly. He was a great man and ugh…how I hurt for his family. We have company coming in tonight for the funeral. We’re so excited that they’re coming to town and will be staying with us, and so sad for the reason they are coming. I am so thankful for the Hope we have in Jesus!

Here’s what’s on our menu this week:

Sunday, October 31
Oatmeal, pears
Italian Pasta Bake, tossed salad, cream corn
Fall Party Cookout with our Small Group

Monday, November 1
Whole Wheat Waffles, blueberry syrup
Funeral dinner with our church family  (a mixture of celebration and sadness)
BBQ brisket, cream scalloped potatoes, green beans

Tuesday,  November 2
Applesauce Bread, bananas
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, carrot sticks
Hamburgers, homemade fries, raw veggies

Wednesday, November 3
Warm Chocolate Soother, toast
Homemade corn dogs, peas, fruit-kefir smoothies
Steak fajitas with the works

Thursday, November 4
Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins, applesauce
Chicken and noodles, carrots, soft pretzels
Veggie Egg Scramble, fruit-kefir smoothies

Friday, November 5
Mini Breakfast Pizzas, oranges
Chicken Tortilla Soup, peaches
Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta, tossed salad, steamed broccoli

Saturday, November 6
Giant Breakfast Cookies, apples
Cheesy Turkey Sausage Stromboli, fruit salad
Leftovers

So, was that a boring post or am I just sleepy?

I wonder if I can sneak in a nap before small group.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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Gluten Free eBook Package

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In an effort to provide you with a great deal on loads of healthy (and gluten free) recipes, we’ve combined all four of our GF eBooks into a package at a special price! If you’d like to learn more specifics about each ebook, click on each link:

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Gluten Free Casseroles, Soups and Stews

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Here is a list of the recipes you’ll find in Casseroles, Soups and Stews:  Hobo Dinners, Potato and Meat Patties, Jenny’s Enchiladas, Noodle Free Spaghetti, Pizza, Porcupine Meatballs, Kellee’s Meatloaf, Salsa Chicken, Fried Chicken, Zucchini Lasagna, Laura’s Spaghetti Sauce, Crab Cakes, Parmesan and Garlic Chicken, Stroganoff, Easy Breakfast Casserole, Hobo Stew, Butternut Squash Soup, Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder, Chicken and Rice Soup, Tom’s Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Meatball Soup, Michele’s Cheese Soup, White Chicken Chili, Hamburger Soup, Deena’s Creamy Broccoli Soup, Broccoli Soup, Corn Muffins

Gluten Free Casseroles, Soups and Stews eBook
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