Dinners in December

Each month I make seven different dinners doubled.  I then keep the dinners in my freezer and give the doubles to a friend.  She does the same for me.  Here is what I am doing for December...

Enchiladas

Spicy Mexican Soup

Super easy super yummy crock pot soup: can of rotel, can of corn, can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 2 frozen chicken breasts, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 packet dry ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder. Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours. Shred chicken, and enjoy!

Meatballs (with two different sauces: Sweet and Sour, BBQ)

Veggie Stirfry with Noodles

Pierogi and Sausage Stirfry

Lawnmower Tacos

 

Forget the New Year's Resolutions

A Word of the Year...I can handle that!  Three years ago I starting picking out one word to focus on for the year. Although I had made New Year's resolutions in the past, I flounder with them.  It seems that having too many goals for a year meant that I didn't achieve any of them.

So in 2009, I chose the word, "Patience", and a tradition began.  Since that first year I have picked "Prayer" (2010) and "Grace" (2011).  Each year has been a tremendous growing opportunity for me in the area that my word focused on.  It seems that whatever word I pick God uses it to teach some valuable lessons.  This year has been an amazing year of "Grace"!  I can not tell you the depth of what I have learned! Giving grace has become central to my life, and I have come to realize how freeing it is to show grace to those around you.  You become less agitated and more forgiving which in the end makes a more peaceful person.

I am still pondering my word for 2012...I have some ideas:

"Truth"-as I am fascinated that Jesus was full of grace and truth.  Sometimes those qualities seem like complete opposites.  Being truthful with someone can hurt...so is that grace?

"Faith"-learning to trust God at all times has always been a challenge for me.

"Glory" (Shekinah)-God's glory...how can I live my life to the glory of God? What are the things that I do that stifle His glory?

So I have about a month to think about it and decide.  Do you choose a Word of the Year? If so, what are you planning on picking?

A Season of Thanks

It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.

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-Fingers to type with
-Cooking shows
-Crockpots
-Putting up the Christmas decorations
-Munching on muddy buddies while watching Polar Express
-Getting some Christmas shopping done
-Great discussions with Zach
-Having time to give haircuts to Tim and Noah
-Christmas lights
-Watching Tim and the boys putting up the Christmas village
-A college degree
-Time with God

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a blessed holiday!

Hoping to...

...get some reading done!  I found some classics at our local bookstore.  Spending this year reading classics has certainly enriched my life! I am definitely not going to be able to finish all these before the end of  the year, but at least I have a pile to work on!

Astronomy and Art

This semester Noah is taking a science-based art class on astronomy. Each student in the class has created a book of the solar system.  The works of art are done with several different types of media: tissue paper, Mod Podge, pastels, ink, markers, glitter, etc. Here is a peak at what Noah has done...

{The Sun and the first five planets}

{Four more celestial bodies...we really can't call Pluto a planet anymore.}

{The Earth and the Moon.  The Earth is done in pointillism.}

{Mars}

{Jupiter and some of its moons}

{Saturn}

{This is my favorite! Uranus and Neptune.  I think I am partial to the colors.}

{Pluto...the one with the identity crisis! LOL}

Thanksgiving

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*The above photo! Love Dad's photography!

*Time to read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

*The opportunity to influence young people's lives

*A house with heat when it is 30 below zero!

*Thanksgiving with friends

*A low-key week

*Homemade pretzels fresh out of the oven

*Watching a lazy puppy sleep

*Time in God's Word

*Watching my boys grow

*The tick of a clock

*That our anguish can turn to joy

*Freedom in Christ

*Coats, mittens, hats, snow pants and other paraphernalia that keeps us warm

 

Gift Basket Ideas

I just came across a site with cute gift basket ideas! Daring Doodles has so great printables and ideas to pull together some cute baskets!  Check it out!

Cranberry Coconut Bars

Just got this recipe from a friend...they are so yummy! We pick lots (or at least try to) of low bush cranberries each year. This recipe is a delicious way to use those cranberries!

Cranberry Coconut Bars

Mix: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, 3 T. powdered sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9" square pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Mix 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. salt, 1 t. vanilla, 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional), 1/2 cup flaked coconut, 1/2 cup cranberries. Pour 2nd mixture over crust and spread gently. Return to oven and bake at 350 for 35 min.

Amish Grace

My Word of the Year for 2011 has been grace. I love picking out a word to focus on...I have learned so much about patience, prayer and grace these past few years. God has shown me this year that a form of grace is forgiveness. Recently, I read about an amazing forgiveness story, Amish Grace.

Do you remember the shooting at an Amish schoolhouse a few years back? Within hours of the shooting the families of the victims were extending grace to the shooter's family.  

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy details the tragedy and the subsequent responses of the Amish community to the shooting. What an amazing story of overcoming anger and bitterness through forgiveness! Not only did I learn more about forgiveness, but I now understand the Amish culture better and what drove them to offer forgiveness from the beginning. Oh, that we could all offer up forgiveness without reservation!

"The acid of hate destroys the container." --Amish Farmer

Breakfast Sandwiches

I love making food in bulk and freezing it.  With our busy lives it is about the only way we eat dinner anymore.  Otherwise, the sad truth is, we would go hungry! Breakfast foods can also be frozen for mornings when you can't seem to get out of bed in time.  Here at The Architect and the Artist I have two breakfast in the freezer plans.  Here is the first and the second.

I recently came across a detailed post on making breakfast sandwiches.  I love her idea of cooking the eggs in muffin tins! I am thinking that I need to make some on these soon!

Thankful People

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*Thanksgiving plans

*Learning a new job

*Finishing off my bulk cooking for the month

*Exercising

*Beth Stone Studios- I just order her most recent hymn collage, "Amazing Grace". I so love these works of art!!!

*Hot tea

*New area rugs

*Flatbread pizzas

*Lunch at Bruegger's

*History...I love the stories.

*That Jesus is filled with grace and truth.  How I want to be like Him!

*A brand new Sunday School classroom to teach in! Ok, not exactly, but it has been repainted and decorated! Looks so awesome!

*Learning boundaries with others

 

Literature for High School

This past year I have taken on the goal to read more literature to make some decisions on what my boys will read in their high school years (We homeschool).   It has been a great adventure! I have re-read some of my favorites and enjoyed new stories I have never read before.  Here is a brief rundown of some of what I have read...

To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition-This was a first time read for me.  I would have to say that To Kill a Mockingbird has been one of my favorites!  I love how Atticus understands people...that they consist of both good and bad.  I will be requiring both my boys to read it.

The Count of Monte Cristo-Also another great read.  The only problem is the length.  I, unknowingly, picked up an abridged version which confused me because there were some "holes" in the story.  The abridged version was awfully long...can't imagine reading the complete text.  With that being said, I loved the storyline!  Definitely, a book that explores how a person deals with their enemies.

A Tale of Two Cities-Loved this one. I will have my boys read it. Such a story of self-sacrifice.

Fahrenheit 451-Not one of my favorites, but I think I will at least have my oldest read it since it deals with technology.  My oldest adores anything to do with technology.  Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates the effects of losing literature...such a sad outcome.

Lord of the Flies (Perigee)-Just finished reading this one.  About halfway through the book I was gripped.  I enjoyed the way William Golding writes, but I have to say that the storyline is brutal.  Definitely Lord of the Flies is a book for boys.  I am probably going to have both my boys read it since the themes of good and evil (and where evil comes from) flow throughout the book.  There is a plethora of discussion topics there.

Wuthering Heights-This was a re-read for me.  Loved it as a teen, not so much as an adult. The characters are truly obsessive and dysfunctional.  I am thinking that neither of my boys would do well with this book.  Girls on the others might fare better.

Great Expectations-Also a re-read.  Love this book! The characters jump off the page into your head so that you never will forget them!  Miss Havisham will forever be burned in my memory! Going to get both my boys to read this Dickens novel.
Heart of Darkness-Another re-read.  Once again, like Wuthering Heights, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first time.  Heart of Darkness  and Lord of the Flies are very similar in theme...how men fall into depravity and that there is evil lurking in all of us.  It would be interesting to read both and then discuss the similarities and differences.

So what am I moving on to next?  I have never read Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath.  So I will be tackling one of those soon.  What have you been reading lately?

Homeschooling High School

Kris over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschooolers is doing a series on homeschooling high school...since we just started high school with our oldest this year I will be interested to see what she says! Check it out if you are in the same boat! :-)