Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: Too Many

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Sometimes I get grumpy. Just ask my kids.

I get grumpy when I have too much to do. Too many messes. Too many deadlines. Too many responsibilities. Too many.

I struggle every day against letting my circumstances determine my mood. Lately I’ve been trying to focus on what makes me grumpy and to put a STOP to it.

Here’s what I realized:  I complain too much about having too much and too many.

  • Too many dishes to wash
  • Too much laundry to do
  • Too many hand-me-downs to sort through
  • Too many emails to answer
  • Too much food to preserve
  • Too many people who need something from me
  • Too many messes all over the house

SO…as I was sorting through EIGHT huge rubbermaids of hand-me-downs and figuring out what warm clothes fit which boy this year…I was starting to feel discouraged and overwhelmed.

And then I realized:  LAURA! You’re complaining about having SO MANY FREE CLOTHES you hardly know what to do with yourself! Listen to yourself!! STOP it!

It seems that the things I complain about the most are the things I love the most.  I LOVE my children…even if they do make messes. I can’t even express how happy I am to have four loud boys around to make messes!!!

I love all this garden produce that takes me hours to preserve. I REALLY love it in the winter when all I have to do is grab a jar out of the pantry, open it and eat it! I love hand-me-downs. I love all the emails I get! I love having people around me that need me. I love being a homemaker. I’d rather be at home doing mountains of dishes and laundry than anywhere else in the world!

So, I’m working on recognizing the times my heart turns sinful and wants to complain and whine about the blessings around me. That really is what I’m doing when I complain about everything around me…complaining about TOO MANY BLESSINGS. 

Today…I choose to be thankful for “too many”. Too many is really, really good.
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then link up here so we can all come read about how God is working in your life! If you don’t have a blog, please be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

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

Menu Plan for the Week

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Nothing says “Welcome to Autumn” in Nebraska like falling snow mixed with falling leaves!! Brr! 

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I actually think it’s sorta pretty. 
Green grass, brown and yellow leaves, white snow. 

We got our fireplace going for the first time this season. Toasty! It is definitely soup weather here! Here’s our menu for the week:

Sunday, October 11
Oatmeal, peaches
Lamb chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans
Cream cheese salsa dip with chips, apples

Monday, October 12
Honey whole wheat bagels, pears
Chili, carrot sticks
Roasted chicken, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli

Tuesday, October 13
Scrambled egg sandwiches, clementines
Alphabet soup, homemade soft pretzels
Sloppy cornbread, peas

Wednesday, October 14
French toast, blueberries
BBQ chicken, ranch potato wedges, carrots
Beef garden casserole, tossed salad

Thursday, October 15
Creamy vanilla soother, fruit
Chicken tostadas, cantaloupe
Spinach quiche, tossed salad

Friday, October 16
Breakfast cookies
Tortilla wraps, carrot sticks, apples
Hamburgers, onion rings

Saturday, October 17
Fried eggs on toast, oranges
Bean dip with chips, fruit
Three cheese garlic chicken pasta, green beans
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Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration!

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Don’t Know Much (A Poem by the Heavenly Homemaker)

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Don’t Know Much

I don’t know much about American Girl Dolls.

I know way too much about wresting matches that start on the couch
and end up on the floor and all the way down the hall.

I don’t know much about little pink dresses.

I know way too much about all of the episodes of Star Wars.

I don’t know much about hair bows.

I know way too much about friendly
(and not so friendly) competition.

I don’t know much about fingernail polish.

I know way too much about nerf gun wars.

I don’t know much about little purses.

I know way too much about toots.

I don’t know much about having leftovers.

I know way too much about toots at the lunch table.

I don’t know much about princesses.

I know way too much about toots-on-demand at the lunch table.

I don’t know much about ballet slippers.

I know way, way, way too much about toots-on-demand
at the lunch table that cause extreme excess laughter
and disrupt the quiet calm of what could be
a peaceful family lunch.

I don’t know much about how to make that problem go away.

I know way too much to even try
because if I did that that would prove that

I don’t know much.

Written with love on this day, October 2009 by the Heavenly Homemaker after deciding, “If I have to sit here and experience ONE MORE TOOT followed by gales of laughter at the lunch table I am SO gonna lose it.”

(It’s likely that someday a few years down the road when they all have homes of their own…I’m going to sit at my lunch table where it’s way too peaceful and quiet.  Then I’ll sigh and think wistfully, “Oh if only they could be little once again and come toot at my table just one more time….”)

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Chocolate Swirl Bread (Oh Yes I DID Just Say Chocolate!)

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After showing you how to make Cinnamon Swirl Bread…I got a notion to try Chocolate Swirl Bread. (I get chocolate notions all the time.)

Let me just say that I’m very glad I got that notion. Now we can all have chocolate for breakfast!!! What a great start to the day…

Chocolate Swirl Bread is just as simple to make as the Cinnamon Swirl Bread…you pretty much just substitute cocoa powder for cinnamon!

chocolateswirlbread2sm

Yum

I used this bread recipe, then rolled out the dough before shaping the loaf. Then I spread butter over the dough and sprinkled on about 1/4 cup sucanat (dehydrated cane sugar juice) mixed with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder. Roll it up and bake as directed.

Chocolate_Swirl_Bread

Do you think it would be too much to have this Chocolate Swirl Bread with Hot Cocoa? I think I could handle washing down my chocolate with a little chocolate.

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Gratituesday: Our New Niece!

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Remember this Gratituesday post back in June? The one about how Matt’s brother Randy and his wife Kari adopted a baby boy?

Well just wait until you hear what God has done for them now! 

Randy and Kari’s little boy is almost two years old. Just a few short weeks ago, at the end of August, they heard of another possible opportunity to adopt.

And we fall to our knees and rejoice! Last week their sweet baby girl was born!

bethany2

 Here’s a quote from Randy and Kari’s blog… 

Her name is Bethany. Luke 24:50 — “And Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.”
God has lead us to be blessed with this beautiful, little girl. May our daughter seek and know Him all of her life.

bethanysm

Her name is Paige.
Randy’s sister is Lori Paige, a wonderful woman of strength and character, whom we love dearly. May our daughter have a love for God and others like her Aunt Lori.

Her Name is Coppinger.
Our daughter, the newest member of the our family. How blessed we are to be together. May all of our family, church, community and friends fill our daughter’s life with love.

bethany3
Here’s the proud big brother with “Baby Sister”!

Everytime I think of Bethany Paige, I feel like dancing for joy! I also am having to sit on myself to keep from driving directly to the airport. Oh, you have no idea how far away I feel right now. 

Bethany…I can’t wait to meet you. As soon as I can, I’m going to send you something very pink. I am so thankful God blessed our family with one as sweet as you.
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God is SO good! Please share what you’re thankful for, either by writing about it on your blog then linking up here…or by leaving a comment on this post!

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

Menu for the Week

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Last week Shorty asked this question:

I love reading your plans for the week. I was wondering how often you go off plan? Do you make what is on plan even if it doesn’t sound good out of discipline? 

Well…if I tell you that I occasionally rearrange my menu and sometimes don’t even fix what I have planned…will you be horribly disappointed in me?

Yes, it’s true. Especially lately while I’ve been trying to juggle almost daily soccer games and practices, finish canning and preserving our garden produce, teach the boys and keep up with my blog. I’ve had a hard time finding socks that match…much less sticking to my menu plan.

BUT…while I don’t always fix Wednesday’s meals on Wednesday…I find that having a detailed menu plan like the one I usually make is incredibly helpful even if I don’t stick to it exactly. When I plan three meals for seven days in a row…I can be sure I’ve got a good balance and variety of foods. I can try to cook ahead of times for busy soccer days. I can have food purchased and ready for the week. When something comes up or I run out of time or forget to thaw a roast…I switch meals around. It works just fine. 

How do all of you handle menu plans and sticking to them?

Here’s our menu for this week. This weekend my dad and his wife are coming for a short visit. Can’t wait to see them!

Sunday, October 4
Strawberry muffins
BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, peas
Leftovers

Monday, October 5
Apples with strawberry yogurt fruit dip
BLTs, sweet bell peppers, fruit-kefir smoothies
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Tuesday, October 6
Scrambled eggs, orange slices
Tuna melts, strawberry-peach slushies
Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, October 7
Sourdough pancakes, pears
Popcorn chicken, stir fried rice and veggies
Spaghetti, tossed salad, corn

Thursday, October 8
Breakfast cake, bananas
Butternut squash soup, toast
Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, carrots

Friday, October 9
Donuts (Remember my dad is coming. Papa likes to buy donuts. )  :)
Sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies (Some of the guys will go golfing!)
Lasagna, tossed salad, french bread, dessert (Big dinner with lots of family members!)

Saturday, October 10
Fried eggs, turkey bacon, hashbrowns, peaches
Potato soup, homemade bread, carrot sticks
Tacos

If you haven’t signed up to win a Shutterfly Photo Book…there are just a few hours left to enter the giveaway!!

The Fall Giveaway Carnival starts bright and early Monday morning. Plus…I can’t wait for Gratituesday! Just wait till you hear what God did for our family!! Make plans to join us for both!!
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Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration!

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

Homeschool Hubbub: School Schedule

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If you’re new to HeavenlyHomemakers and want to know more about our homeschooling…read about our curriculum choice here, the books we’ll be using this year here and our budget here.
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Here is our current schooling schedule, subject daily to being changed and rearranged and shifted and completely messed up:

  1. Bible reading time during breakfast
  2. M/W – United States Geography Portfolios; T/Th – Science Units (all together)
  3. History (all together) (boys play with legos or something else similar while I read)
  4. Asa – Math at computer; Justus and Elias – Handwriting, Spelling and Phonics
  5. Ten minute break
  6. Justus and Elias – Math; Asa – Spelling and Language Arts
  7. Boys finish up work and take turns at computer using Typing Instructor program (I work on lunch)
  8. Lunchtime – I read our latest “Read-Aloud” book while boys eat
  9. M/W – Journal writing; T/Th – Proverbs study
  10. Reading – boys cozy up on couches and read independently

Now the big question:  What does Malachi do during all of this?

Why, he sits quietly and colors pictures of course.

Yeah, right. Rarely do any of my children ever sit quietly and color pictures. 

Malachi is four and a half and actually does a pretty good job now just playing quietly on his own while I’m reading to the boys during History and Science and Geography. (He LOVES Legos.)  He often joins us for science if we’re doing something fun…or plays USA Bingo with us during Geography. Otherwise, he just plays. 

As far as his own personal school work goes…maybe when I am completely finished with canning and preserving…and soccer season is over…I can get a little bit of Pre-K time in with him. He’s obviously not suffering because of neglect. He is amazing us with how he can spell words and write letters and even answer History questions! 

I know many of you want to know how I schooled the boys when they were all littler…and how I handled school when some of them were babies. And, you want to know what I suggest you do with your little guys while you’re schooling your older ones. SUCH good questions. I’m thinking through those questions and will write a post soon to answer them. 

In the meantime…while writing THIS post…I was just feeling like it would be easier to explain how we homeschool and how our day goes if you could all just COME OVER and watch. But since my living room just isn’t that big…and you know…some of you live across the ocean from me…I decided that someday next week I’ll take bunches of pictures throughout the day and do a “Day in the Life” post or something like that.

How does that sound?

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Garlic Chicken Pasta and Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta

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Several of you have requested this Garlic Chicken Pasta recipe when you’ve seen it on my menu plans. I put off posting it because I was still tweaking it. I THINK I’ve got it the way I like it now!

I like this Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe so much that I finally tried using the same method of cooking the pasta in the milk for this new recipe too. Aha! Now I like it.

Garlic Chicken Pasta
Yum
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (great way to use up leftover chicken)
1 clove garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or more if you like lots of garlic)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
3 cups whole milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 t. sea salt
grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil. Turn to low heat to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a big pot with the milk, butter and salt. Stir almost constantly, especially as the pasta is becoming tender and the milk is beginning to boil. Cook and stir over medium heat until pasta is tender and the starch from the pasta has thickened the milk, creating a creamy sauce. Stir in the chicken and serve immediately…sprinkling parmesan cheese on each serving.

garlicchickenpastasm

To make this recipe into Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta:

Follow recipe as above, except before adding chicken to cooked pasta…remove from heat and add 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar and 3 oz. cream cheese. Stir until cheese has melted…add chicken and serve with parmesan cheese.

Grocery List

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Gratituesday: Pajama Day

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gratituesdayfall2

Well…today I pulled a “pajama day”.

I’ve been going non-stop for weeks now. The garden is finally slowing down, so I think I’m almost finished canning. Soccer? It won’t stop for a while. I’m actually thinking about pitching a tent at the soccer complex and just moving in for a few weeks. It might be easier than running back and forth so much.

Anyway…my busy-ness level culminated yesterday into a headache that would not go away. This morning when I woke up…it was still there. I got up long enough to realize that I could not get up. So I went back to bed and told Matt that I’d decided to take the morning off. He worked on trying to massage away the headache before feeding the boys and heading off to work.

Then…we had a school morning (sort of) in our jammies in Mommy’s bed. It was great (in a “please don’t shake the bed, my head hurts” sort of way). Who knew so many boys and math books could fit on a bed at the same time? 

Then of course Justus, my chef, made me stay in bed while he made lunch. I didn’t argue. 

Taking the day off is just what I needed to do today. Tomorrow…I’ll get dressed. :)  Today…I had a day of rest. Wow am I thankful!
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What are you grateful 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 thankful for!

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

Menu Plan for the Week

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Thanks for your fun comments and breakfast suggestions on this post! HOPEFULLY my children will appreciate (and EAT) my breakfast choices for this week. I’d hate to have to pull out my trusty “back in the day” speech.

Sunday, September 27
Oatmeal, peaches
Cheesy beef and rice, steamed broccoli
Corn dog muffins, apples

Monday, September 28
Mini breakfast pizzas, grapes
Chili with cheese, carrot sticks
Chicken fajitas, tossed salad

Tuesday, September 29
Cinnamon swirl bread, cantaloupe
Pizza casserole, corn
Beef stew with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday, September 30
Whole wheat waffles
Grilled turkey ham and cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Garlic chicken pasta, tossed salad

Thursday, October 1
Sourdough biscuits, pears
Salmon patties, hashbrowns, peas
BLTs, chips and salsa

Friday, October 2
Breakfast cookies, peaches
Beef and cheese burritos, apples
Homemade pizza, watermelon

Saturday, October 3
Applesauce bread, scrambled eggs
Cheeseburger macaroni, steamed carrots
BBQ meatballs, baked potatoes, tossed salad

Be sure to make plans now to join us NEXT WEEK for the Fall Giveaway Carnival!!! Read details here.

AND…if you haven’t picked up your FREE Preschool ideas and activities e-book, head over here to get yours!
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Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration.

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