So I have decided to take a challenge and blog for 31 days straight on one topic.  Am I crazy? Probably. But we will see what comes of it.  The Nester has thrown out this challenge, and I am surprised to see how many bloggers out there are up for it.  All you have to do is pick one topic and stick with it 31 times. I have wavered a bit on if I really was up for this and what I would blog about, but I think I have found a topic!  Actually, it is one that is near and dear to my heart...one I have struggled with mightily...one that has become a theme for my life.  It isn't a fun topic, but I am hoping that someone out there will find it useful...

Posted by Debbie at 2:20 PM 0 comments  

Labels: 31 Days of Forgiveness

Last night Tim and I watched The Grace Card.  I had eagerly been waiting to see this movie since "Grace" is my Word of the Year.  This movie is pretty hard-hitting when it comes to what a person needs to do in the face of hurt and pain.  Both the main characters (two police officers) must learn to forgive and show grace to those around them.

One of the concepts that God is teaching me is how freeing it is to forgive another person.  So many times we want to hold on to the anger and the pain, but by doing that we only hurt ourselves and our other relationships. This idea really comes through in the movie...that unforgiveness leads to bitterness which leads only to more broken relationships.

I would highly recommend The Grace Card. The movie has a website with more resources (free Bible study/devotional based on the movie and lists of helpful books).  Is there someone you need to extend grace (forgiveness) to?  It may be the best decision of your life!  I know it was for me!

Posted by Debbie at 11:44 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Faith, Word of the Year

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Bible, Homeschooling, Language Arts

Since the middle of June I have been working on memorizing the WHOLE book of James.  Am I crazy or what?  Actually, I know that it sounds like an impossible feat, but it really isn't as hard as I thought it would be.  It just takes time and patience! I am about halfway through the second chapter and am starting to grind to a halt.  The whole process seems too overwhelming if I look too far ahead. I still have three and half chapters to go!  So I decided that I needed to do something different to keep myself going.

Last week I found Scripture Typer.  Have you ever heard of it? It is a FREE program (gotta love FREE) in which you either type or import the verses that you are memorizing.  Then you can practice typing out the verses in three different modes:

Type it- You are shown the complete verse and you type it below it to practice learning it.

Memorize it- You are shown parts of the verse and you type it below it to begin the process of memorizing it.

Master it- You are not shown the verse and you have to type it.

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bible, Faith

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The rustle of fallen leaves
The colors of fall
Roasting marshmallows in our backyard
Titan playing in the leaves
Scripture Typer (a free online tool to memorize Scripture!)
Sun on golden leaves
Zach's excitement over a biology experiment
Chips and homemade salsa
Finally feeling thankful for some of the hard circumstances in my life
The privilege of sharing
An opportunity to serve
Contentment
A visit from Titan's mom
Autumn walks (my favorite!)
Time to rest and recuperate
A great Sunday School class
An overwhelming sense of peace this past weekend

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Multitude Mondays

Last September Tim was able to get a small part in a movie!  We just saw the trailer, and he is in it!  How cool is that?  So if you know Tim, look for him at 1:22 of the trailer. He is standing in the background behind his "movie family".

Posted by Debbie at 12:26 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Family

Here is one of my favorite crockpot meals that you would never think could be done in a crockpot!

Do you know what falafel is? Have you ever eaten it? Falafel is a mixture of mashed chickpeas that are seasoned with onion and spices that is formed into balls or patties and then fried. It is served in a flatbread (sometimes a pita) with tzatziki sauce, lettuce and tomato. I first had falafel in Dawson City in the Yukon (Canada) and fell in love with it! Since then I have been on a search for great falafel. Last summer a friend and I went to a local falafel stand in town and were disappointed. The falafel didn't taste like I remembered. It tasted off. So I decided that I had to make my own if I was going to fulfill my hankering for falafel!

I love cooking in a crockpot. So when I found a recipe to make falafel in a crockpot I thought, "Why not!" This recipe comes from A Year of Slowcooking. I changed it a bit by reducing the cumin. In my opinion, too much cumin makes food taste like dirt! I was amazed that this actually worked and the falafel was crisp!



Falafel

- 1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
-1 T dried parsley
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- 1 t ground cumin (the original recipe called for 2 teaspoons)
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1/4 t cayenne pepper
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 2 T olive oil (for the bottom of your crock)

Drain garbanzo beans. Dump them into a mixing bowl and smash them with a fork. Set aside.

Get out your blender or food processor. Blend together all of the spices, the onion, the garlic, the egg, and the lemon juice.

Pour on top of your smashed garbanzo beans. Use your fork to mix together, and add the breadcrumbs slowly until the mixture is wet and sticky but can be formed into balls nicely. I needed 3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs.

Pour 2 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert.

Form squished golf-ball sized patties of falafel. Dip each side into the olive oil and then nestle into your crockpot. It's okay if they overlap or are on top of each other.

Cook on high for 2-5 hours. Ours cooked on high for 3.5 hours--you will know that the falafels are done when they turn brownish-golden. You can flip them halfway through the cooking time if you feel like it, but they will brown on top even without flipping.

I LOVE Tzatziki sauce. Here is my favorite recipe:
Tzatziki Sauce
3 cups plain Greek Yogurt
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced (I normally use one English cucumber).
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Posted by Debbie at 7:00 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Recipes

Christmas is just around the corner, right?  Well, I have been perusing the internet looking for cute ideas for homemade gifts.  Here are some that I am thinking I will make...

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Christmas, Recipes

So what have you made lately?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: My Favorite Things, Tutorials

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Rainy days
The passage of time
God's favor even when we don't feel it
The end of a long work week
Hot soup and bread
Impromtu lunches with friends
Great math lesson with my son
Focus
Time to work on projects

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Multitude Mondays

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Homeschooling

As many of you know I do freezer cooking and LOVE it.  I don't know how I survived before with having to come up with dinner each night and then cooking it.  Life is so much easier and economical cooking in bulk and freezing it.  I used to have a cooking day with a friend to do our meals.  Lately though we have been making seven meals and then exchanging.  This system has a lot of benefits.  We don't have too coordinate a shopping list and I don't have to lug all my ingredients to her house.  We can cook in smaller batches and then exchange meals by a certain date.

Recently, I came across a great freezer meal, sour cream noodle bake.  I think I have had this dish before at church potlucks.  Here is the recipe:

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1 lb. hamburger
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
8 oz. (weight) egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350. Brown the hamburger, drain the fat and add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Stir and then simmer while you prepare the rest.  Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. Combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add pepper and then the noodles and onion and stir. To assemble: add half of the noodles to the baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat the layers. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Posted by Debbie at 7:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes

So I recently got a Pinterest account and am loving it!  Do you know about Pinterest? It is basically a virtual pin board where you can collect all the wonderful ideas you see on the internet. I love it because I am a visual person and at a glance can look through the ideas I have collected.  That way you will never have to go searching again for an idea you saw awhile back when you were surfing the web.  I am using it to save recipes, home organization ideas, gift ideas and homeschooling inspiration.  Here's a look at some of what I have "pinned".

Posted by Debbie at 6:54 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Gardening, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Recipes

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The call of geese heard overhead
Getting pictures developed
The opportunity to go to the Beth Moore Simulcast
New clothes for free
New Bible study
Time to work on crafts
Fall colors
A Sunday school class that went well
Not having to prepare lunch
Date nights
Tons of tomatoes

Posted by Debbie at 6:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Multitude Mondays