Some of my Most Favorite Homemaking Books

I am a book lover. I love them. I love bookcases full of them. My dream would  be to  have a room in my house that is totally full of built in bookcases...and a grand piano... ( dream big) :)


I was raised in the 70's and 80's. During that time raising daughters into homemakers wasn't exactly in vogue. I married knowing very little about homemaking or cooking. My mom did it all, and she did it efficiently. I was a little spoiled, I am not going to lie about it.  I actually thought it was a punishment when she would leave a list for me to complete on Saturday mornings before I could jump in my black Camaro and hit the roads with my friends.

Then I got married to a very easy going and patient man. The first meal I cooked consisted of creamed potatoes. I used the wrong beaters for the hand mixer, and I successfully slung hot potatoes across the room and upside the back of my hubby's head. I can laugh about it now, and we laughed then, but I hated feeling so dumb!

I would like to say that I jumped right into learning during that honeymoon period, but I didn't. We both worked full time jobs and ate a lot of processed food. It wasn't until I began my homeschool journey that I started to see that I really needed to change some things. I met beautiful women with houses full of kids. They were making lovely homes, honoring their husbands, and of course, baking some awesome bread! I began devouring books on the subjects of homemaking, Godly womanhood, nutrition, and homeschooling. I couldn't get enough. Then came along blogs and the internet. Oh my! So many things that I just had to know!


Fast forward to the present time. I am now 46 years old. I have four lovely children, the oldest will be 21 soon, the youngest is 8.  How in the world did that happen so fast? If I have learned one thing it is to embrace it all. Take it all in.....all of the dishes...all of the laundry...all of the cleaning. Do it with as much joy as you can. Your family will grow up so fast and you will never get these days back. Do you want them to remember their mom as a constant complaining and slothful woman, or a woman that ran a household that made them want to have the same thing?

So, I have complied a list of some of my all time favorite reads on the subject of Homemaking. These are the books that I will never give away, except to pass on to my daughters or my future daughter in law.

Some of these are out of print, but you can find them on various used books sites. I like these: Abebooks.com and Thriftbooks.com

Homemaking, by J.R.Miller  This book was first published in 1882. I adore old books. I love this book because it speaks about the wedded life, the role of each spouse, and children in the home. It is old fashioned, but I think we can learn a lot from the way that they conducted themselves back then. I am romantic, I know.  

The Hidden Art of Homemaking, by Edith Schaeffer Mrs. Schaeffer was the wife to the great Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer ( if you have never watched How Shall we Then Live, then I highly recommend that you do)  What I love about this book is that her focus to me is that we should create lovely homes that are filled with beauty. God was the greatest artist of all, and he created the most beautiful things for us to enjoy. We should strive to create a home that is full of creativity and originality. Her chapters include music, paintings, poetry, flowers, gardening. It isn't a how to book of cleaning secrets, but a book about creating an atmosphere that is a haven to all who enter.

The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace While not a homemaking book exactly, it takes a content wife to make a beautiful home. I was also raised in the time when feminism was raging, and women were being taught that being empowered meant not being in subjection to any man. However, we will almost always  be under the rule of someone else, and want to please whoever that may be.  I myself have been more concerned about pleasing my superiors (when I worked outside the home), more than trying to please my husband. The bible says that we are not our own in 1 Corinthians 7:4 it tells us: The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. So, this book helped me to see that I am not belittling myself by wanting to be an excellent wife, I am simply trying to be what God created me to be. We have a wonderfully peaceful home. I am not ill and discontented or feel that I am a "slave" to anyone. I feel that we are both happier than we've ever been. I have given this as a gift at wedding showers. It is sad to watch the women of all ages make fun of it.... 

Created to be His Helpmeet, by Debi Pearl I know, I know. This one can be controversial..I am sorry, but I like this book, I like that she just shoots it straight. Do I get brainwashed by every word? No, But I also do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I am married to Mr Steady. This book helped me to understand him. It made me not sit around and wait on him to do everything. I want him to know that I am capable. If I can fix the washer, or the screen door, then I will do it! I am not going to pile one more thing on his plate. He works hard and long hours, and he pastors a church. In the words of Mrs. Pearl....Don't be a dumb cluck. lol

Large Family Logistics, by Kim Brenneman   Okay, so I may not have a LARGE family, but I don't think this book only applies to families with 10 kids. A friend convinced me of that, and I am glad I bought it. It has 47 chapters on every subject you could encounter in running a home and rasing a family. My favorite was the chapter on Self Discipline....trust me.... I still have to press into not being lazy and self centered. 

I will also add the Flylady's book Sink Reflections was one of the most helpful books that I have ever read. Period. I loaned it out, so I couldn't make a picture. 

There you have it. My personal list of the books I consider to be some of the best to help you grow and become a better homemaker, and a better person too!

Blessings, 

Linking up here: Raising Homemakers , Strangers & Pilgrims, Coffee & Conversation, Hearts for Home

Hello and Meal Prepping

(Isn't that an exciting way to wake up a sleepy comatose blog)

Well, I will try to make this short, and make it make sense.

I just quit blogging, and I wish that I hadn't done that. Not that it is a great resource that has helped thousands, but that it is a great journal for me...because I quit scrapbooking too. :)

So, I would like to jump back in a share a little about our days.

In the span of time of that this blog really went inactive I have graduated my first child from our homeschool, and whoa..... let me tell you....that is a big thing for a mom's heart. Perhaps I can blog about that later.


For this post I would like to share something that is so simple, but it really is so helpful to running a smooth household.


Who thinks it is a fun thing to stay in the kitchen most of the day on Saturday? (Goodbye to a lot of you, right?)  Well, I happen to really enjoy meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping. It makes me feel more in control. I have 5 people asking me several times a day the eternal question: "What is there to eat?" By spending a little productive time in the kitchen I have really made my entire week easier.  Will I have the luxury of doing this every Saturday? Who knows, but I hope that I can most of the time.

This week here is what I did, and  I can already see what I will do different next week.

1) Sliced fruit. So easy, but gosh it is so good to have it in the fridge. We will stare at a cantaloupe on the countertop until it goes bad, but when I sliced it up the thing was gone by Monday morning. So, next week I will buy more fruit.

2) Waffles. Jessie was reading a book in which the characters eat a lot of waffles. Naturally, she decided she needed waffles. So, we made the Bread Beckers pancake/waffle recipe from the Red Book that you can find here: Bread Beckers  We put them in a Ziploc bag, and just heat them up in the toaster oven.

3) Egg Muffins: There are so many variations of these on the Internet and mine aren't anything new, but they are so good!  Basically this is what I did:

PREHEAT oven to 350

6 Eggs

1 Cup of Egg Whites

Diced Red Bell Pepper (about a 1/4 of the pepper)

Shredded Zucchini squash (1/2 of a squash)

Green Onion (sliced thinly, one onion)

1/2 C or more Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

1 pound lean pork or turkey sausage, browned

Mix it all together, pour into a muffin pan (this one is the BEST.  NO OIL NEEDED)

Bake for 12-15 min, or until firmly set and not jiggly at all.

If you'd like a real recipe to go by check this one out: SkinnyTaste Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins

4) I made a basic recipe from the Bread Beckers book (Zojirushi recipe) and shaped them into buns. On Sunday we had the buns with chicken salad. Do you have a pressure cooker? My Instapot makes chicken tender, and easy to shred, in 30 minutes. I use it several times a week. 

So, there you go. A way to kick the week off feeling like you are one step ahead.

For your convenience, I have put links in where I mention products I use. (Some of the links are affiliate links)

Sorry for the plain photo....as I get back to blogging I will make them look better. :) 

Have a blessed day. I am going to listen to a Podcast featuring Cindy Rollins and organize my school area.  :)

One More Fingerless Glove Pattern

Wondering about that title? Lol there are endless choices when it comes to crochet patterns for fingerless gloves, but I just had to do my own thing. 

(My ten year old is the model, they are not as roomy on my adult hands)

So, here it is. I've made several, but it's in my head. If you see an issue with the pattern and instructions  please leave me a polite comment. It's my first pattern writing venture, y'all! 

Materials: Worsted weight yarn

                   Size 7 (4.50mm) Hook

Stitches: 

FHDC- foundation half double crochet

SC- single crochet

DC- double crochet

Sl st- slip stitch

Ch- chain

DC Cluster - 3 DC in same stitch

V stitch- DC ch1 DC in same stitch 

 

Row 1:FHDC 30, join with slip stitch

Row 2: 

Ch 3, 2 dc in same stitch, *skip 2 stitches, 3 dc in third stitch, repeat from * around until there 

are only 2 stitches left, join to top of  ch 3 (10 DC clusters made) 

Row 3:. 

Sl st in middle dc of dc cluster, ch 4(counts as 1st DC and Ch 1) , dc in same stitch, *dc in middle stitch of next dc cluster, ch 1, dc in same stitch, repeat from * around, join 3rd chain of ch 4 in beginning of the round. (10 V stitches made) 

Row 4: 

slip stitch into the chain space of the first V stitch, chain three, 2 DC in same space.*3 dc in ch 1 space of the next V stitch, repeat from * around, join (10 DC clusters)

 

Row 5: 

Sl st in middle dc of dc cluster, ch 4(counts as 1st DC and Ch 1), dc in same stitch, *dc in middle stitch of next dc cluster, ch 1, dc in same stitch, repeat from * around, join to 3rd chain of ch 4. (10 V stitches made)

Row 6: repeat row 4

Row 7: repeat row 5

Row 8: repeat row 4

Row 9:  Repeat Round 5 until the last dc cluster, skip the last dc cluster, and join to 3rd chain of ch 4 with sl st (that is your thumb space)  (9 V stitches made) 

Row 10: repeat row 4 (do not work into the space left for the thumb,) (9 DC clusters) 

Row 11: repeat row 5

Row 12: repeat row 4

Row 13: chain 1, sc in the next stitch and every stitch around. Join row.  (27 stitches)

Row 14: chain 1; SC, ch2, SC (into  the same space as the ch 1), *skip next stitch. SC, ch2, SC into next stitch*repeat from *to* join with slip stitch to chain 1 at beg. Of round. (13 SC shells made) Bind off, weave in the ends. 

Thumb Space (optional) 

Pick a spot around the thumb opening and attach yarn.  Chain 3(counts as 1st DC) place 11 DC evenly around the thumb opening. (12 DC) 

Sl st to beginning top of chain 3. Ch 1; sc, ch1, sc in every other stitch around. Sl st to beg. of round. Bind off weave in ends.

There you have it! These are fast and cute. My favorite yarn to use is Impeccable. 

☕️Melanie

Luscious Lavender Lip Balm {DIY}

Are you in love with that creamy lip balm in the yellow tubes with the cute little bee on it? Yeah, me too. But, this is better. I promise.

 Here is a picture heavy (because I live with a photographer and I like her work) blog post that will take the mystery out of how they get that wonderful balm in that little tube.



 I am calling this Luscious Lavender Lip Balm because, well, that is exactly what it is.

      Luscious Lavender Lip Balm  1 oz beeswax (This what I used Beeswax Organic Pastilles) 1 Tbsp jojoba oil (or sweet almond)
2 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil
1/2 oz Organic cocoa butter 20 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil  24 Lip Balm Tubes 1 funnel (click the link, this funnel fits the tubes perfectly)

 

 Finally, a good use for that food scale.  *big wink*


















Melt them together gently in a double boiler. 

Once is it all melted, remove from heat and use a toothpick to stir in the Young Living essential oil of choice. 

I used Lavender, of course.
Line your little containers up.

 Then pour into containers.

 Allow the balm to harden. 

Then you can make some really cute labels, if you have the patience for that sort of thing. ;) I may work on that later.


So, there you have it. Easy as pie! By the way, I didn't come up with this lovely recipe all by myself. My friend, Michelle, shared it on Facebook cause she is just wonderful like that. 



Now, you may think that all of that yummy, organic stuff cost a lot. Let me tell you, I have made 4 batches of lip balm and I haven't made a dent in my supply, except for the tubes. It all goes a very long way!

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.


Don't have the wonderful Young Living Lavender essential oil? Let me help you with that! 

Send me an email, just click the link on the sidebar. 

P.S. This blog post contains affiliate links. I can promise you, I am not getting rich off of these, but if you click them I may earn a few bucks. My hubby thanks you. :)

Alpha-Phonics~ A review

Teaching a child to read has to be one of the most daunting task facing a homeschooling mom. I remember the days of teaching my first born, who has great dyslexic tendencies, let's just say it was very stressful for me. I really wish that I had tried Samuel Blumenfeld's Alpha Phonics program way back then.

I have come a long way in my homeschool journey and, I can tell within the first two minutes of browsing a curriculum if it is one that I would stick with.
 I like no frills.
 I like minimal teacher prep..... look.... I just don't want to be cutting and pasting and setting up games for hours.

Alpha Phonics fits the bill. Open the book and get started.

 Let me share a little about the program in detail. All you need to do this program is the Alpha-Phonics book. That is it.
In the textbook the student lessons begin on page 3....not a lot of fluff to go through before you start!
The back of textbook, on pages 131-150, includes a complete set of instructions for the parent/tutor. There is also a page that features the cursive alphabet and 159-168 have a pre-reading alphabet exercises. You start with the short vowel A and on the last lesson page, which is lesson 128, the student will be reading words like "gymnasium" and "hypnosis"........ now that is a lot of learning in 128 lessons! All in one, easy to go through, NO TEACHER PREP, book! Also, if you prefer the computer, there is also included a CD-Rom you can plug in and go through that matches the workbook. It is not a high tech CD-Rom with lots to annoy and distract the tutor or the student. It is very basic, but gets the job done.
 

This is a screen shot of the opening screen of the CD-Rom

Screen shot of lesson 1

But should you need more, they haven't left you on your own. This is where a lot of single book reading programs may hurt themselves, you CAN get a workbook and readers that  perfectly go with the basic Alpha-Phonics book. I can remember using another program that is just one book and wishing that I had these two things. I felt kind of lost as to how to supplement my children's learning to read experience. I bought readers, but I was really unsure of which levels to buy and what to expect from my child.

If you want a time tested and well thought out method to quickly teach your child to read then you should try this! For under 40 dollars you not only get a full phonics program, but handwriting and spelling can easily be taught from the one Alpha-Phonics textbook.


Please follow any of the links I have added to the Alpha Phonics Site. They have a ton of free sample pages and videos to help you get started or to decide if this is the right program for you.



And lastly, I'd like to include an excerpt  from the publishers of Alpha Phonics because it says a lot about the kind of people that I like to do business with.

"How can we make this offer of the Alpha-Phonics book and the Alpha-Phonics the Book on CD ROM both for the price of the book alone?
Also, why are we doing this?
HOW? The Paradigm Co., Inc. publishers of Alpha-Phonics and the CD ROM version have worked hard to make this possible. First, we have made special arrangements for the production of the book and CDs in large quantities so as to make a significant savings without sacrificing any quality. Second, we have made special arrangements to save on royalties. Third, we are reducing our profit margin on the products to an absolute bare minimum. Fourth, we believe increased volume of orders by virtue of the exceptional value offered will cover much of the extra cost of providing both items for such a low price.

WHY? The Paradigm Co. is as much a ministry as it is a business. As such we attempt to save little minds from a life of actual illiteracy or functional illiteracy. Profit, therefore, is not our goal. Naturally it is important that we operate at a level which will enable us to continue with this ministry on a permanent basis, but to simply make a big profit is unimportant.
A second reason for this special offer is that we are a relatively small company competing with many much larger firms. We believe most sincerely our Alpha-Phonics intensive, systematic phonics reading instruction program is probably the best all round program available. In order to be able to help more families succeed in teaching their children to be good readers we needed to find a way to stand out among the field. The answer was for us to be able to offer our absolutely unbeatable product combination at an absolutely unbeatable price.
Will the low price be only temporary? NO! We plan to keep this price indefinitely.
If you order from one of our fine vendor/resellers please be sure to use this specific ISBN number: 9780941995306"

Many blessings and Happy Homeschooling!


P.S. Wow! It has been a long, long time since I have blogged.....hope to change that this coming new year!  I was given the Alpha-Phonics textbook, workbook and readers in exchange for my honest review.

Weight Loss that Last- How my friend has lost 170 pounds (and counting)

Weight loss that last.
A diet / lifestyle that you can live with for more than three months.
Lasting change without regaining the weight you fought so hard to lose.
This is the goal of countless numbers of people, including me.
Few find it.

 My friend has!
 She is amazing, and what an inspiration!
She has lost 170 pounds and went from a size 28 to a size 16!
With hard work and determination. That is it!
 I am going to tell you about her in just a bit.


 First, a bit about me. If you have read any of this blog for any time then you know that I have been pursuing health for a couple of years. I have done Trim Healthy Mama, 17 Day Diet and Weight Watchers.  I am not going into the details of those diets here. There is plenty of info all over the web about them. There are things I learned from all of them, and the many other books I have read. I love reading about nutrition. I love cooking for my family and feeling like I am making the best choices. The biggest thing I have learned is that you have to be able to maintain whatever eating plan you choose. If not, chances are you won't keep it up. This is especially hard with a family of six. Most days I cook three meals a day for them. I made a valiant effort to cook separate things for myself but after a while that gets tiring and expensive. We already spend a lot on groceries.

 While I was going through all of these plans, and thinking I had finally found what I could maintain, only to quit after a weight stall, I was seeing my friend on facebook ( and in real life) shrink. This wasn't an overnight transformation. She was changing herself slowly and she was happy. I read every post and would always come away encouraged. She has the gift of encouragement. Let me tell you about Karla.

I sent Karla a message and asked her if I could write about her journey. When I want to give up she is the first person I think about. She was gracious, and agreed to let me share her story as to encourage myself and anyone else who reads this.


 This is her story in her own words. What a blessing she is and she has the best attitude!

"Karla Williams Project Manager at Shaw Industries, Inc. Age 43 Married to one of my biggest Cheerleaders, Michael Together we have 3 Children, ages 12-23"

 I have struggled with my weight my whole life, even as a child I was heavy.

 In 2009 I was battling a health scare with high BP and elevated Glucose levels. I had even begun to have diabetic ulcers under the flaps of my skin. Both my Parents are diabetics and we have family history of high BP and high cholesterol. I told myself if I don’t get this under control now I may never do it. I decided to make a change in my life to become healthy. I never really just sat down and realized how much food I put in my body. I was committing a sin daily of Gluttony. Now most people say well that is not really a sin but it is and we all often partake in this sin without realizing it. I began to keep a food journal and wrote down everything that went in my mouth for a week. It was then that I realized I was taking in anywhere form 4000-6000 calories a day. I should only consume around 1200-1500 per day to maintain a healthy weight. I quickly realized that I was not really hungry I was either bored, or just eating because it was easier to hit a drive thru than prepare food. I signed up and did Weight Watchers for a while until I learned how to eat in smaller portions. I was too embarrassed to go to the gym so for the first year I did all my workouts at home. I started out by using the Walk away the pounds videos and the weight started coming off 1-2 lbs per week. Most of us modern day people are always looking for a Magic Pill or a Quick Fix but that is not the answer. Even if you find one it won’t last forever.

My motto is “If you cannot see yourself doing it for the rest of your life DON’T START IT” The true answer is “Eat Less. Move More” Smaller portions and exercise is how you maintain a healthy weight.
Now, I am a country girl at heart, I love Fried Chicken, Ribs, Bread, and Sweets…I still eat those things I just eat them in moderation. I hear people say all the time I can’t diet I don’t like vegetables or salads. One funny fact about me is that I DO NOT eat any vegetables or salads, the only green that I eat is green beans. And yes I have still lost weight the key to this is “everything in moderation.”

 In the beginning I weighed myself once a week just to stay on track, but now I avoid the scales all together and just go by how my clothes feel. My biggest goal was to one day be able to walk in Cato’s and go to the right instead of to the left (Plus Size Side) But seriously, just start with saying: I will lose 5 lbs, then 5 more, then 5 more. Eventually you will be on your way to your big goal.

In this journey I give GOD all the glory, He is the one who has made this possible. He gives me the Strength, Determination, and Courage to face all the obstacles that come my way every day. My husband and my family are all very supportive. The main thing comes down to Prayer and holding yourself accountable for your decisions with food and activity.

Doesn't she look amazing????!!! And I see her out in real life. She is bubbly, happy and radiant! She works out like a boss and in my next post I will pick her brain about her specific workout routines and ask her some questions about her eating habits. Have anything you'd like to know? Ask them in the comments sections and I will try to answer them in the follow-up post.

Learning New Things

My oh my! Can I just say that I am addicted to crochet!!
 I really didn't see this coming.
 My friend, Karen, causally mentioned that she was crocheting and I said, "I have always wanted to do that!" You see, I tried to learn from my Granny when I very young. It didn't stick. Karen suggested that I take a Craftsy class. A what? Can you believe that I had never ever heard of Craftsy? It's a whole new world folks!

 I took a beginners class. When I would get stuck I would go to YouTube. ( if you know what to search for, stitch wise, you can find it there) I am about 3 weeks into it. Here are my projects. Some are flops. Some are just cute. I have loved every minute of it.

And, can I tell you weary homeschooling mom who don't even have time for the basics, that it was worth spending the time.

Here is how: STRESS RELIEF!!

No kidding!

 When the child is doing the dreaded Algebra....I can crochet instead of sitting there antsy and fretting... I just stitch, and I DON'T YELL at the computer (Teaching Textbooks) anymore. No kidding. Now, you may not have that problem, but I can be wound a little tightly sometimes, and honest to goodness crocheting is bringing it down to a level of pleasantry.

 Praise the Lord.

 I am a crafty person, and it has been years since I have done anything crafty. I just can't tell you what this little hobby is to me right now. So, if there is something you have always wanted to do perhaps you should just give yourself a little grace and do it. (I really want to grow a garden......)
Now this was supposed to be a boot cuff.....laugh. out. loud...... oh well, it is pretty on her head......
Then I made the boot cuff and it turns down over her boots. Cute enough. Then, the coffee cozy....is that not just cute?
And look, my son allowed me to make a Techie Cozy for his iPod touch. Then I made one for the metronome.

I also made a Granny Square... Oh me, Granny was sure smart. That thing about drove me insane. :)

Thanks for dropping by!

As a Child (from archives)

*Pulling from the archives here.....because sometimes I need to remind myself. :)

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4

It was late.

What a nice day we had all had.

Snow covered everything. It was just as I had hoped for. Snowed in. With Dad here too.

So, why  was I getting ill?

Well, not to make excuses but it had been a full day of washing the snow covered wet clothes, and cooking, washing dishes, cooking again..... I was just tired. It was late.

The third or fourth western was blaring, the men were hooting. I was throwing a little pity party in my mind. (please know this did not last long)

Little Jenna wants to help. She is more than willing. I gave in and said "yes" to her plea to.....wash dishes.....gulp.....

So, I had not said a word. Just mumbling in my head. "I'm tired. I want to sit and read, or blog, I'm just working while everyone is at leisure."  Honestly, I'm embarrassed to tell it. But, for the sake of transparency, I will.

Jenna starts singing.....

A hymn...

Joyfully....

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Lord, forgive me, my heart cries. I talk to my girls about serving in your home, joyfully. 

Then it takes a little child to remind me.

I thank you, Lord, for these precious teachers in my little home.

~~~~

It's ten p.m. The sweet man is really needing chocolate. 

" I'll bake you some brownies"

"Are you sure? You have just finished cleaning the kitchen."

"Yes, it is no problem."

We are snowed in, what else do I need to do?

Enjoy my blessings. That's what I need to do.

A Give Away!!!

A confession:
 I have 6 slow cookers!
 I am thinking of getting another one. ;)

Who doesn't love cooking in one? It is one way a busy family can always have a home cooked meal. Just add up all of the money you spend eating out just because it is convenient.

Go ahead.....I'll wait.

 Now, pick up you chin off of the floor. Yeah, eating out is expensive!

 All you need is a slow cooker and some wonderful recipes. Here is your chance!

 Stacy from Stacy Makes Cents has just released her new cookbook "Keep Crockin' A Poorganic Slow Cooker Cookbook"
Click here to view more details

 Is that not brilliant~ "Poorganic" Love it!

And She has released the following recipe for your enjoyment! Chicken Tikki Masala 
 ( Just click that link and check it out AFTER you enter the give away.)
Enter using the widget below and good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bananas in a Blanket

What?

That banana has BACON wrapped around it!
 Bacon, bacon, everywhere bacon, right?

 Well, I have never heard of such a thing! I was browsing through an old cookbook that we picked up at a flea market.

 Here it is:

The Joy of Cooking.
 An old copy. We bagged it for 5 bucks! On that note, did you know that the original 1931 copy of this book is going for $5000.00 bucks on used books sites? Yeah. I know, right? The edition we have is selling for $250.00 and so that makes it pretty awesome.

 You can get a new copy here: Joy of Cooking

 So, as I was browsing this lovely treasure I found this simple recipe.

I changed it only by using crushed pineapple and not pineapple strips, as called for in the book.  I cut a little well down the length of the banana and spooned the pineapple in it. Then broiled it until the bacon was done.
 Now, was I craving something crazy like this? No. I just couldn't help myself. I mean people are crazy over bacon right now. So just for fun I did it. You know, I could see this being an awesome thing for breakfast. Add some sort of drizzle made out of the leftover pineapple. 

So here is to bringing back a dead blog with bacon. I actually had a friend in mind when I made this. She loves bacon and bananas so I am going to send her a link now. ;) 
Go eat some bacon! And a banana, bananas are good.
  (This post contains an affiliate link.)

Talk About a Shock! (My blog was featured)

On Sunday, I think it was Sunday, I was just checking my emails and clicked on one that I was sure was just spam.

 It said that my blog was featured on another blog.

Really? Yeah right, what are they trying to get from me?

My blog as been anything but hopping lately. I just haven't had the time. I have lots of things to say, but no time to form them into anything coherent that you would understand. ;)

 Needless to say, when I clicked the link (cautiously) I was overwhelmed.
 I was also encouraged!
 Thank you so much!  I am humbled and happy. It really gives me a reason to get a little organized with my blogging.

 So, without further ado, here is the wonderful post where she list a wealth of wonderful homeschool blogs. Many of which I have been a long time follower and reader.

50 Must Read Homeschooling Mom Blogs

Go visit the site. I am sure that you will find many blessings on these wonderful blogs. (and truly, I am so shocked to be on this list) Have a blessed day!