Restoration House, a review

The subtitle of this book by Kennesha Buycks is Creating a Home That Gives Life and Connection to All Who Enter.  Which should have been my first clue that this is not just a book about the decorating of homes.

Instead, while the author shares her love of making a home lovely with the readers, she also reminds us that it is our relationship with the Lord that is the basis of everything we do.  We will not be satisfied with our houses if we have not found our peace in Him.

I found as I read through Restoration House, a sense of peace one rarely finds in reading a book about interior design.  For it is about much more than that.  In this book, you will find ways to restore yourself as well as the home in which you live.  It is the kind of book you will leave on the coffee table to enjoy over and over.

Another nice surprise was that the author is African American.  It is good to see more diversity of skin color in interior design books.  We know that we will share Heaven with people of every tribe and color that God created.

Restoration House was provided by the publisher for the sake of review but the opinions are my own.

Find more information... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Preparing for Company

I have out-of-state company arriving today.  They hopefully enjoyed a visit to Louisville last night and are attending church services before traveling to our house.  Tomorrow we will enjoy a combination Memorial Day/Birthday celebration (not mine!) and then next weekend another get-together which will include an extended family member we don't see often.

While there wasn't a lot that needed to be done to the house, I did work hard yesterday to get as much maintenance chores finished in advance.  One enjoyable task was to finish my container garden that is on and in front of the porch.  I decided this year to invest in porch plants and pretty much skip the deck for budget purposes.

At the last minute, I found that all my clay pots had cracked over the winter.  Most likely a combination of extreme cold and then a wet spring.  It seems like it has rained every day and while I am certain that is not true, it has rained enough that we were always working around showers or storms to accomplish anything outside.

So I took my stressed self to the nursery for three flower pots (a nice sturdy plastic this time) and enjoyed walking through their aisles, even though I wasn't there to buy flowers or herbs.  Nurseries like this are among my favorite happy places.  The aroma alone, a combination of flowers and veggie plants and herbs and dirt... blended together from recent rains... were so calming that I was tempted to stay longer than needed.  I did but just a little while.

When I arrived home, the remaining herbs and two dahlias were planted and even if I do say so myself... it looks lovely even in these early stages.  The herbs will probably have to go to the deck eventually for more direct sunlight but they look nice on the porch at the moment.

What I at first thought was a hardship, having to purchase a few more flowerpots, ended up being a blessing.  I felt so much calmer when I arrived home.  A calm I tried to hold on to for the rest of the evening.

The only stress I was experiencing was put upon myself but you know how it is when people you haven't seen in a long time are coming for a visit.  You want everything done before they get here!  It isn't all perfect but it is... good enough.

Cookie dough is waiting in the deep freeze and I only have to place the preformed (with my favorite little scoop) frozen cookies on the baking sheet to bake on Memorial Day.  Potatoes are boiling as I write and will be the base for our favorite potato salad recipe.  Then there has to be the preparation of lemon bars for those who prefer them to chocolate.  Everything is to be readied today to make tomorrow a true holiday for the cooks.

I will be writing a book review mid-week and then I must take next weekend off from blog writing as it will be even busier than this weekend.  Have an enjoyable Memorial Day, I hope no severe weather comes your way.  We are watching the skies closely today...

Mentioned in this Blog Post
Heloise's potato salad... here.
Chocolate chip cookies... here.

The lemon bars are from the Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook (which is a treasure!)... here.  I couldn't find this one online. There are a lot of inexpensive copies third-party.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  I thank you!

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - The basic pantry

My mother always had a basic pantry, as long as I can remember... even in the tiny house she called home in her elderly years.  As she grew older, her pantry reflected her preferences of what is important more than previous years.  For there may have been a few cans of vegetables on the shelves but one would find multiple large cans of coffee.  I come by it honestly.   ;)

A basic pantry is important for many reasons.  Some of which are:

1. You can stock up on essential items when they are on sale.
2. You have extra cans, packages, etc. of necessary items so you do not have to run to the grocery store at the last minute.
3. A well stocked pantry provides essential items for your most used recipes should you decide to bake or cook something at the last minute.
4. Keeping a basic pantry provides a foundation to what is most important should you decide to deepen the pantry.

I will talk more about deepening the pantry next time.  Which will be two weeks from today since we have a large family get together next weekend.  I learned long ago that a basic pantry is essential to both creative cooking and staying on a budget but a deep pantry can save you from being a victim in an emergency situation... but more about that in two weeks!  ;)

I have a few places that I keep pantry items.  Obviously in a kitchen cabinet resides those items I use all the time for recipes.  There is a set of four shelves in the garage that is the extension of those shelves, where more of these items reside.  Then there is the tall yellow chimney pantry we inherited from my mother-in-law.  It stands in the kitchen in all its' chippy yellow beauty.

I also consider the freezer in the refrigerator and the deep freeze part of my pantry.  We had a very small chest style deep freeze for years that we had been given when it was old already.  When it finally died, we went without one for years.  It became a priority when I was still working seasonal part-time work on campus and we purchased a medium size chest style deep freeze at that time.

The freezer allows me to purchase meat on sale, packages of frozen veggies and fruit on sale, ice cream on sale (and left in the deep freeze so it won't tempt me in the Kitchen!), etc.  I also freeze bags of flour for a week or two after purchasing to help kill any bug eggs in them.  Sometimes I'm glad we can't see what may be in our food.   If you don't have very much room, our first deep freeze was what was called "apartment size" and it didn't take up much room at all.

I keep some items in the plastic grocery store bags (like whole chickens) when I put them in the deep freeze, making them much easier to lift out without standing on my head to do so.

I probably should mention the red shelves in the kitchen that hold bulk products in jars and baking items like flour, sugar, brown sugar, etc.  I also keep both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips in jars on this shelf as they need a more consistent temperatures. These were my husband's bookshelves in his childhood bedroom and continue to work just fine as an extension of the pantry.

So, what do I consider essential in the pantry?  My list would probably be slightly different than yours but there would be a major overlap in some areas.  You may not consider the two types of Indian sauces in jars that I buy at Aldi's as being essential but I'm pretty sure you will want the baking basics.

My priorities are decided upon by looking through my most used recipes and my previous grocery lists (I keep all my once a month stock up grocery lists in an envelope).  I will provide examples of my pantry list when I write more about deepening the pantry next time!

Image:  The yellow chimney pantry holds a lot of my basic supplies and condiments that do not need to be refrigerated.  Ummmm... the table is also our charging table, that may obvious.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Looking for Beauty in the Thin Places

I have a fascination with what Celtic Christians termed "the thin places".  That name originally given by pagans to locations where they believed the boundary between Heaven and Earth is "thin".  Then taken up by those who follow the One True God to describe locations where it seems easier to hear God speak to the hearts of men.  Where it seemed the very Breath of Heaven could be felt as the cool breeze rustled trees on a hot, dry day.

I admit this term is often used in the New Age movement, too.  However, like so many things that God created... the enemy of our souls has a copycat version.  Which is why from the oldest of chapters in the Old Testament, we are warned of the danger in following false gods.  We understand that we are not to worship the tree but the God who created it.

I like to look at the Bible to see if there is anything similar to what we find in this 21st Century (or Middle Ages) world.  Of course there is, only we do not call them thin places.  They are called Mt. Sinai where God spoke to Moses and Peniel where Jacob had the vision of the ladder going between Earth and Heaven.

We cannot forget the Judean desert wilderness where John the Baptist lived and our Lord experienced 40 days of praying to the Father and being tempted by Satan.  St. Paul was led to the Arabian desert for three years after his conversion to Christianity to be taught by God Himself.  All places where one would be alone with God to hear Him clearly.

There are more instances in the Bible where our ancient fathers and mothers had experiences with God that were beyond the normal.  We are told that they often built altars to God on that particular place as a remembrance of His presence.

Of course, both the Celtic Christians and those of us who are ever so much more sophisticated know that we can talk to God and hear from Him in any location.  But I understand why the thin places would feel special.  I have often wondered if it was not so much the location itself but the people who came to inhabit each place that made it special, leaving an imprint of their own holy... albeit imperfect... walk with God.

I do know that whether on an island off the shores of Scotland, a woods in England, or on a mountain in Ireland... these places where it is said one can hear from God are always in the seclusion of natural beauty and... peace.

I know in my own life that in the darkest of days, I hear Him best amidst the beauty of nature.  There were many times in the past when I prayed as I walked a trail in the woods or sat on the shore of Lake Michigan with an open Bible... the silence brought His voice clearer and the surrounding beauty sent my thoughts to Heavenly places.

The Bibles tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people.  Perhaps in the midst of the natural beauty surrounding those who came before us... those who chose to live in remote areas to devote their days to prayer... they brought Heaven closer to Earth.

The results of their prayers and devotion was the British Isles turning from paganism to Christ.  I have read that many of the Celtic Highlander Scottish believers left their country during a time of persecution and settled in North America and Australia.  They arrived in America just in time to help spark the Second Great Awakening. 

These thin places as they are called, while beautiful in their surroundings, were not always places of warmth and comfort.  Especially those islands off the coast of Scotland, Ireland, and England.  The brutally cold winds of winter would cut through one's home since many were made from stone... before the days of thermal windows.

Sometimes I think those surroundings reflect our own life on this planet.  Our lives contain both seasons of great beauty and seasons of harsh reality.  There are days when we give praise to God as we enjoy an obvious answer to prayer.  Then there are the seasons when our prayers seem to hit the ceiling and life continues one difficult day at a time.

But I'm thinking... and the more I ponder, the more I believe it... that the harsh climate and the surrounding beauty were both needed to form these men and women into the fierce warriors of God for which they are known.  Some prayer warriors... a few actual saints who went into battle.

It is the same set of circumstances which transformed the place in which they lived into a thin place... one where it was easy to hear from God.  Serious, continuing, and persistent prayer isn't needed in the good times but oh, how we fall on our knees when the hurricane force winds of adversity are whirling around us.

Perhaps that is why we have created our own thin places, where we hear His voice easier.  Not all of us can spend days hiking on trails, or watching waves coming and going on a beach, or even sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair watching the return of the forest birds during a morning quiet time.

We are much more likely to pray as we wash the dinner dishes, change a diaper, sweep the floor, sort the laundry, or wait for the children during soccer practice.  Many of the instances I most felt God's presence was when I awoke in the middle of the night and moved to the sofa, deeply burdened for a loved one or a national leader.  Prayer came easier in the darkness, with no distractions of everyday living.

In closing, I think often of Susannah Wesley raising ten children, whose daily prayer ritual consisted of throwing her apron over her head to get some alone time between this mother and her God.  God took those prayers as seriously as if they were asked from an altar in the greatest of cathedrals.

Susannah could not travel to a mountain in Ireland or spend a week at a retreat with like minded women but she helped change the world through praying, as well as the rearing and education of her children, especially John and Charles Wesley. 

This should give each of us hope that God speaks to us right where we are... as we search for the beauty that surrounds us in nature, in our own home, or perhaps even in the people for whom we pray.

Image:  Croagh Patrick in Ireland

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - What started the Saturday pantry posts?

It has been a long time since I wrote a basic pantry post series, having figured everyone would be tired of the same thing over and over.  However, I have heard from enough people to know that is not true.  I'm not even going to write from past pantry posts.  Let's try to make this new series as fresh as possible!

First, why do I talk about a pantry lifestyle?  Well, generations before us lived a pantry lifestyle.  They did not call stocking up "emergency preparedness".  To them it was a way of life, following the seasons.  In harvest time, one prepares the food, firewood, etc. for winter.  Not to do so would be lunacy or laziness... in their eyes they are one and the same.

I learned from writing about preparedness, both before and after Y2K that when one only stocks up for an emergency, sometimes the items chosen can be a waste of time and money.  I was curious as to who actually used their extra food and supplies and found that people who bought food made for emergencies (and back then they were kinda' yucky) rarely used them.

However, people who purchased or put up extra amounts of what they already use ended up in a good place.  I did both and found this true in our home.  I stocked extra basic foods we always have in the pantry and purchased a few items that would be helpful to have such as extra flashlights and batteries.  I also purchased some #10 cans of dehydrated food and filled a few buckets with various beans because they "store for a long time".

Well, the food we always have in the pantry was enjoyed by both us and our newly married daughter.  We had an unexpected job loss within a couple of months and the deep pantry helped a great deal.  We also used the items like extra flashlights and batteries.  I still have the oil lamps purchased then and I sent one to a good friend who lived in an area that often has the power go out.

What was not used?  Almost everything dehydrated for emergency preparedness.  There were a couple items that we liked and the powdered milk was used but mostly I found the food not palatable for everyday use.  Remembering that this was twenty years ago and the emergency food industry has come a long way.  Having said that, dehydrated food from the grocery store was used..  Once again, these were items we often had on hand for snacks, anyway.

We also did not eat any of the food that was not on our menu before... like dried beans.  They found a home with families who did cook them often!  I have always heard that people will eat anything if they are starving.  In doing my Y2K research, I found that is not always true.  I read about instances in WWII where people did not eat food they hated (and my son despised beans at that time).

All of my friends who prepared for Y2K said the lessons they learned were invaluable.  I think the emergency food industry learned from the feedback, too.  That is why if one is going to put back emergency preparedness food, I mostly recommend freeze dried food like Mountain House.  While their food can be put back for emergency situations, it is also used every day by hikers, campers, and even bloggers who are very tired and decide to "borrow" from their preparedness stash.

I do have a couple Augason Farms #10 cans.  I mentioned last week that I keep a can of their banana chips for an emergency should I need a sweet food fix in case of low blood sugar.  That is only for emergency preparedness.  However, I also have a can of their Gluten Free Black Bean Burger mix that is not for an emergency and I plan to try it soon for everyday meals.  I had another emergency preparedness brand that I used for dinners once in awhile but it seems to have gone out of business. I hope this brand is as good as that was.

Otherwise, I use my limited food budget to stock extra items that I use every week.  Especially when I find a good "stock up price", when the sale is so good that it is worth buying a flat of cans, a few bags of flour, meat for the freezer, etc.

Next week I'll write more about my every day pantry and then I will write about further deepening the pantry in a couple weeks.  I will share my specific Mountain House favorites again in a couple weeks.

I should mention here that part of my "pantry" is a good selection of cookbooks and books about preparedness.  Below I will add a link to two very good books that are easy to read, full of basic information, and inexpensive.  I have recommended them before.

See you next week when we do more pantry talking!

Mentioned in this Blog Post
Augason Farms Gluten Free Black Bean Burger Mix... here.
Augason Farms Banana Chips... here.

Survival Mom book... here.
Survival Mom Kindle edition (on sale at the moment!)... here.  (I have the Kindle version.)
The Made From Scratch Life... here.  (I keep it with my quick reference books.)

How I Choose the Books I Review

There was a comment about the number of Bibles I have been reviewing because people only need one Bible.  So I thought I'd again share how I go about accepting review books.

On the subject of Bibles, there seems to be a couple times a year when publishers bring out new study Bibles.  That is one reason you will see quite a few reviews in a short amount of time.  Then there may be months before another Bible review.

Also, I know personally there are many denominations (as well as Catholics) represented in the readership of this blog.  Many people have their favorite Bible translation and if one were to notice, most of the Bibles recently reviewed were of different translations including the NIV, NKJV, KJV, and most recently the ESV version.  I believe that was the first ESV Bible I have been offered to review in many years.

The uniqueness of various study Bibles would also appeal to different people and denominations.  I have accepted study Bibles that are completely different from each other this past year, hoping readers have access to information on various types of specialties.

I rarely have actually reviewed many fiction books and when I do, they have tended to be the Amish novels that have four short stories in them.  Once in awhile a fiction offer sounds too good to pass up. My own preference has been reading D. E. Stevenson, Goudge, and classic authors I have enjoyed for decades but the Amish short stories are perfect for a mental vacation.

I accept Christian nonfiction books that either I have an interest in or I think readers will have an interest.  I am currently reading a book about decorating that will be reviewed next week.  It has been a long time since such a book was offered and this one was from a Christian publisher.

When I first began reviewing, there were multiple publishers offering review opportunities to bloggers.  Many of these programs no longer exist, especially the secular nonfiction programs.  That is why you rarely see reviews of cookbooks and design books these days.

I review less quantity of books these days to protect the time I need for reading just for enjoyment.  Especially dealing with less ability to read for longer hours with the right eye still healing.

I hope that helps people understand the whys and wherefores of what I review! Right now I can only handle one review book a week and still have time for my old favorites. 

Image:  Time for Reading by Judy Gibson (yes, an often used favorite image!)

ESV Prayer Bible, a review

The ESV (English Standard Version) version of the Bible is a favorite among many of my friends and family members.  It is easy to read while being trustworthy in its' translation.

This Bible is unique in that it includes prayers from many well known Christians from history embedded within the text in appropriate places.  It also contains a short Introductory essay about Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney, an Author Index featuring short bios of the people whose prayers are featured, and an index of prayers and reference to prayers in the Bible.

While all of the above makes this a Bible worth owning, what I absolutely loved about this edition is the size of the hardback version I received and how easy it is to read through the one column text.  If you are looking for a good reading Bible, the kind you can pick up just to read and enjoy, this is such a Bible.  It can function as your primary Bible to use for study as well.

While the size is compact, the font is large enough that anyone not needing a large print Bible should be able to easily read it, although the embedded prayers are in a smaller (but not tiny) font.  I highly recommend the ESV Prayer Bible.

The ESV Prayer Bible was provided by Crossway for the sake of review but the opinions are my own.

More information can be found... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links

Image:  The above photo of the hardback version of the Bible shows it as it is sold, the small white paper slip cover providing information comes off easily and the cover is one solid color.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Stalking Beauty Part Deux

One of the items on my To Do list this week was to sort out the enormous stack of stuff sitting in the In-basket on my desk.  Much of it was junk mail but amidst the throw-away papers were those which were important and needed to be filed.

While filing them, I came across another file I had set up a couple years ago that held favorite decorating articles.  At the time, I had pulled them from numerous hanging folders in our large file cabinet to have these articles close to my desk.  They were favorites from the many articles and magazine photos I saved through the decades.

Some... okay, a lot of them... were from the 1980s and 90s.  I think that is only because that was the season of life when I was forming my own decorating preferences.  There are so many articles and photos of houses, rooms, gardens, etc. because many designers along the way recommended cutting out photos and articles when we saw something we like in a magazine.

One was not to ponder why they caught our eye but just to file them away.  When there was enough collected, they would show a pattern of those things we are attracted to, that which makes our heart sing.  Whenever I look through these files, I realize that I have been stalking Beauty for a very long time.  It is a good habit to enjoy.

If you were to come over for coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon, I would let you peek into those decorating files as a show and tell of what I'm talking about.  They would reflect the colors I find both peaceful and energizing, period furniture and accessories that keep appearing, and full articles would tell stories of people who know how to make a home warm and cozy.

They have taught me that I prefer a combination of English Country, Early American, and Primitive American rooms. You would not find an all white room in any of the pictures, nor would you find any obviously plastic decorations (maybe on the deck!), modern furniture, or empty walls.

They are especially helpful in being a mirror for what accessories I enjoy.  For instance, many of the magazine photos had lots of plants in the room.  I have loved plants for so long that when I told the florist what I wanted in my wedding bouquet, it was yellow roses and lots of greenery.  So my home has a combination of real plants and very well made "fake plants" in the rooms.

It would be so much fun to enjoy sipping coffee or tea together, nibbling on cake (for if I knew you were coming, I would definitely bake a cake), and chatting about likes and dislikes when it comes to the decoration of houses.  Honestly, I think at least 75% of of the messages my daughter and I talk about on Instagram has to do with the subject.  Which is, I expect, why she has a degree in Interior Design.

I reread a few chapters of The Hidden Art of Homemaking when I had it out to share with you last week.  It reminded me that God not only understands our need for Beauty in our homes, it was His idea in the first place.  It only becomes a problem when we make it a problem by never being satisfied with what we have been given in this life and always comparing our homes to others. 

I still search the magazine photos for ideas, borrowing from other people's good taste to find what would work in my home... especially accessories that I can look for while thrifting.  I still learn important lessons about Beauty from other people.

Another way I have come to learn special ways to make a room beautiful is when I visit other houses and notice what they have done in their homes.  Not in any way to be envious of another home but to gain ideas from what another maker of the home has done to create Beauty that I hadn't considered before.

For instance, I once went to a meeting at the home of a woman I didn't know very well.  As soon as I walked through the doors, I knew I would like her.  Just from the warm and cozy way her house was decorated. As was my habit, I looked around to get an idea why her family room looked so inviting and I realized it was her use of one large piece of artwork over the sofa. 

I had stayed away from such large artwork before and you can guess that the next time I saw a print I loved and that was in my budget, it came home with me.  One of the prints is in my living room between the two large bookshelves even today and has been moved a few times since the original purchase.

I have shared before about another house I still remember after lots of years have gone by (I won't say just how many).  I was nineteen and engaged to my husband when he invited me to meet one of his favorite families while visiting his hometown.  He had told me the mother was well known for the banners she created for churches.

However, what filled my heart with joy in that home was how there were multiple creative projects in process, many on the large dining table.  This was an entire family who worked with their hands to create.  I think that was the first time I encountered "creative clutter". 

There was so much joy in that family, no wonder my husband had become friends with them.  I knew then that this was a woman of faith who would be an influence to me as a homemaker, even though I would never meet her again.  I'm sure she had no idea of the affect her homemaking had on this bride-to-be.

Just because I have all the furniture I need (some of it inherited from our parents) and my husband says there is no space left on any wall (and his point is?)... I still enjoy the process of making my home a canvas for my favorite form of art.  No longer am I searching for the right sofa but usually some small accessory or kitchen item.  I have a mental list of items to watch for when walking through a thrift store or antique mall... like a large Pyrex bowl similar to a smaller bowl I own.

As you can tell, the entire concept of stalking Beauty is dear to my heart and there are so many ways we can search out Beauty and bring it inside.  Sometimes it is a bouquet of daffodils, it doesn't have to be an antique Hoosier cabinet... the one piece of furniture I would make room for these days!

Enjoy the search...  we are never too young nor too old to be blessed by the Beauty around us... or to bless others as we welcome them into our homes.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer...  here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links
Image:  Brambley Hedge

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Ponderings on Preparedness

I saw an interview recently with the head of a company that makes emergency preparedness food.  He was saying the food is getting more expensive, not only because some food prices are rising but because less people are preparing, some companies have gone out of business who made such food.

Now, food prepared for long term storage was not high on my priority list but after reading a book by a father and daughter who joined a mountain climbing team, I decided to try Mountain House pouches.  That brand is what most hikers liked best and they were available to purchase one meal at a time (each pouch feeds one or two people, according to appetite).  So I tried a few various pouches and then purchased a few for a true emergency.  It is nice to have some meals put back that one doesn't have to worry about shelf life.

I thought for awhile about what he said, it came after a couple weeks of headlines which would indicate plenty of reasons to be prepared.  U.S. war ships are moving toward the Middle East due to rising concerns about Iran.  War in the Middle East is already happening if you count the number of missiles hitting Israel.

The uprisings in Venezuela are getting worse.  A possible trade war with China looms. Not to mention continued wacky weather causing problems with our food supply.  Farmers here have been trying to plant in between rainy days.  Would any of these affect us directly?  Perhaps not but a few of them could easily make the cost of oil rise sharply, bring an increase in the price of so many things. 

I have to admit that I haven't written about preparedness for a long time, even though it was one of the original reasons I started blogging. It isn't that I don't believe in preparedness anymore, for I still believe it is essential.  I felt like I had written about it so often, there wasn't more to say.

However, I think it is time to revisit the subject of preparedness and why I began calling it "deepening the pantry" long ago instead of emergency preparedness.  I became concerned that so many articles about preparedness online seemed to be more about Armageddon than for instance... job loss, bad weather, etc.

When our view of being prepared is only about the big stuff, we tend to get easily overwhelmed.  Quite often the advice is as life changing as a move out to the country or at least it contains long lists of what we need to buy and store for hard times.  I changed my mind about that long ago.

I've written about preparedness since the 1990s and the number one reason I find people stop any kind of preparing for hard times is that they get this idea it is all or nothing.  When instead of a bunker mentality, we should have a great grandmother mentality.

Those who came before us would think having one week or one day's worth of food would be only for the very poor.  Yet, prosperous families all over the Western world have very little in their pantry.  I grew up with a mom who kept a pantry but many families I knew only shopped for food once a week and kept no reserves in the house.

Those who came before us were connected with the land and with a knowledge of how quickly life can change.  They knew there was a season for planting, a season for harvesting, and a great need to preserve food and set aside those items that would get us through the winter when there were no gardens in the backyard... especially in Northern climates.

So I'm going to talk about preparedness and pantries again for a few weeks.  I think it is time.  Next week I will talk about deepening the pantry for day to day use.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
I mentioned that I do have some pouches of freeze dried food that I have set aside for true emergencies.  There is a place for them, although in my home they are just extras to my regular pantry.  I find them good insurance for true emergency situations when I may not be able to cook. 

Below is listed some of the Mountain House dinners I have tried and liked. 
Beef Stew 4-Pack... here.*
Breakfast Skillet 4-Pack... here.*
Biscuits and Gravy individual pouches... here.
Chicken and Dumplings individual pouches... here.

(I read that many people recommended mixing a prepared pouch of Biscuits and Gravy with a prepared pouch of Breakfast Skillet to serve for breakfast.  I haven't tried that but it sounds interesting.)

Augason Farms Banana Chips... here.  (I have one of these cans in case carbs are needed quickly in an emergency.)

*These 4-Pack offers are new since I made a purchase and a good way to save money from individual pouch purchases if you know you like a product already.  I noticed some foods have 3-Pack offers.  Most Mountain House food is also available in #10 cans.  Although these links are to Amazon, I did see Mountain House pouches at Walmart's camping section but that was years ago.  I haven't checked recently.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

The Making of Us, a review

The timing that I came across this book was perfect.  For it is about Sheridan Voysey and his friend's pilgrimage to walk in the steps of the Celtic Saint Cuthbert.  I had only recently watched a documentary about the Celtic Saint  Aidan and was fascinated by the men who brought Christianity to Northern England from Ireland.

Now, don't let the fact they have "Saint" in front of their name draw you away from the story if you are of a less orthodox faith. The places the two men walk in this pilgrimage will interest everyone, as will the conversation.  For as the subtitle suggests, this is not only the story of a pilgrimage but it asks the questions of "Who we can become when life doesn't go as planned". 

Sheridan Voysey is not a person you would think to be central in the story of such a pilgrimage but that is exactly what made it interesting to read.  He is at a juncture in his life when he has had to deal with loss and giving up a dream.  His insights and the conversations between Voysey and his friend, DJ, point us to God and to that fact that rarely does any life go as we planned.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It may not be for everyone but if you are searching for answers and need to know you are not alone, you will enjoy this book.  If you have an interest in the history of the Church, I think you will also find this book appealing. 

The Making of Us was provided for review but the opinions are my own.

More information can be found.... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Stalking Beauty

I have taken up a career of stalking once again.  You may remember that I stalked Jonathan Edwards off and on for a couple of years... searching for books, eying articles, and watching anyone that mentioned J.E. that I could locate online.

If I can blame John Piper for that stalking experience, which by the way... I want to resume someday... I can lay the blame for my obsession with stalking Beauty at the shelf in my home library that holds the Edith Schaeffer books.  I think one can safely say she inspired many of us in that search.

It could also be safe to say that the seeds of my love for Beauty began in childhood from spending the short amount of time I had with my father.  He loved to make things.  Although not the kind of furniture that one would find in antique stores.  No, his idea of furniture was much more... functional.

He loved flowers and gardens and animals, especially cows.  I recall many times we were in the car and he had to stop to take photos of cows in the field.  Which may explain... in a genetic sort of way... why last year my daughter sent me photos of a handsome bull outside their window in England and just this week, I forwarded to her an Instagram photo of the cutest cow I think I've ever seen.

While she may not understand my obsession with cows and poultry... those are my "chicken" garden shoes above... she does realize they make me happy and often her gifts reflect that understanding, even they are given with rolled eyes.  ;)

Beauty is definitely in the eyes of the beholder and my search for Beauty will most likely not be exactly like yours.  The important thing is to understand we need Beauty in our lives every day. It is not only a good thing to search out Beauty, I believe it is a Godly character.  We are created in the image of the Creator of all things beautiful.

I love what Edith writes in The Hidden Art of Homemaking:

"...a Christian, above all people, should live artistically, aesthetically, and creatively.   We are suppose to be representing the Creator who is there, and whom we acknowledge to be there.  It is true that all men are created in the image of God, but Christians are suppose to be conscious of that fact, and being conscious of it should recognize the importance of living artistically, aesthetically, and creatively, as creative creatures of the Creator.  If we have been created in the image of an Artist, then we should look for expressions of artistry, and be sensitive to beauty, responsive to what has been created for our appreciation."

Our search for Beauty and the making of it can become a form of worship to the Creator.  It all depends on our attitude in the process.  I like what Edith says about being "conscious of the beauty around us" (paraphrased).  That is what I have been attempting in this attempt Stalk Beauty... I suppose one could say I'm once again being more conscious of it in my surroundings.

For instance, as I write this blog post, the voice of John Denver is coming from the CD player.  His music brings to mind my love of the beauty of nature.  I could easily be a Christian tree hugger.  With the rebirth of the natural world here by the forest, I find it easy to stop what I'm doing to soak in Beauty, whether the songs of the returning birds, the flowering dogwood in full bloom, or last night's amazing sunset (albeit seen only through branches now that the leaves have returned to the trees of the forest).

I have even been searching out new and inexpensive ways to perk up the various area of my house that need a fresh touch of added beauty.  If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen the little bouquet of artificial daffodils I bought at Goodwill last week for 99 cents.  Tucked inside my dad's shaving mug, it added both beauty and sentiment to the dark corner where the red Kitchen Aid mixer resides.

Two areas in the house are especially decorated with my style of Beauty.  They are the kitchen and the Study.  The Study is all mine, except when I let people I love who are visiting use it as a respite from crowds.  The kitchen I share but I still make it mine, especially with the red and yellow color scheme.

An item does not have to be very big to bring joy, off to the far left on my desk, out of the way of the work area, resides a small vintage book called Your Bible and You by Arthur S. Maxwell, copyrighted when I was five years old.  I think I paid a dollar for it at a library sale long ago. The front and back covers are beautiful works of vintage art and the content reveals old fashioned Christ centered values.  It makes me happy just to see it sitting on that corner of the desk.

I will leave you to your own search for Beauty this week and will probably ponder more about it next Sunday.  Even if you, like my family, laugh at my chicken shoes (I have garden boots that match them).

Mentioned in the Blog Post
The Hidden Art of Homemaking... here.
(Called Hidden Art when it was originally published in hardback, a title Edith has said she preferred.)

Your Bible and You... here. (Third party)

The cute Slogger's chicken garden shoes... here.
Their matching Slogger's garden boots... here.
They come in all kinds of colors and styles.

Instagram:  @coffeeteabooksandme

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - More seasonal changes

I almost titled this something like "everything I didn't get accomplished this week".  Another week of mostly rainy days has set my little-at-a-time yard work plans way behind while irritation in my right eye set my reading and reviewing plans equally past due.

Oh, well... we do what we can, when we can, with what we can.

Last month, I purchased a package of 32 oz. freezer deli food containers that a food blogger had raved about recently.  It so happened that a friend needed some containers for her Seder dinner so I gave a few to her even before I tried them. 

They work great and are exactly what I need for my plans to prepare soup in the cool of the mornings for the deep freeze.  That project has not begun but it should this week.

I may eventually purchase the 16 oz. freezer deli containers.  They will be the perfect size for other freezer foods.  It has been a goal for a long time to stock the deep freeze for those days I'm not feeling all that great.  The Great Freezer Disaster of 2018 put that way back on my calendar but now it is cleaned and disinfected and has been in use a couple of months.

Yesterday was my first stock up grocery shopping day since it has become Spring (kinda' feels like Spring).  I'm slowly making the transition to warmer weather cooking while preferring my lower cost proteins at the store.  I do not serve meat based main dishes but a few times a week, which helps the budget.

I bought two large whole chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound and one family size package of chicken thighs at 99 cents a pound at Meijers.  I purchased two packages of Aldi's organic ground beef (I had two in the freezer and this pricey item is not one I stock up on) and one package of round steak that will be cubed for an oven stew.

I had a coupon for my favorite brand of thick bacon and it was on sale so I purchased one package for the deep freeze.  Although I may make bacon and eggs or BLT sandwiches sometimes, I prefer to use it as a seasoning... a delicious seasoning.  I mean, really... bacon.

I'm still working on warm weather dinner ideas but a few things I always do is to plan more stove top main dishes and easily assembled dishes.  We have more sandwiches in warmer weather like chicken tacos (using chicken I may have used in a casserole in cold weather).  

I also plan to dust off the lentil salad recipe I used for my son's homeschool graduation (so that tells you how long it has been since I made it!)  It was given to me by my Jewish friend, Sheila (who recently had the Seder dinner).  I'll put the link to it below.

In addition to trying some more similar salads.  I like lentils so there may be more experimentation with them.  I do not like quinoa.  I've tried! So no quinoa based salads.

Okay, now to answer a few questions or comments I've received.

First... how did I get so interested in ethnic foods?  Well, you can mostly blame my two kids for that.  We liked the usual Chinese, Italian, Mexican, etc. restaurants already.  However, both kids introduced me to new foods when they were in college.  I remember the first time I tried hummus!  That was when Stephanie was in college. 

Christopher and I both worked part-time at a bookstore on campus at one time, so we had lunch together once in awhile.  He introduced me to other Middle Eastern food (including my first taste of hummus with sumac) and my favorite restaurant was an Indian place that had great food.  The last new restaurant he took me to before moving away was a Vietnamese Pho restaurant. 

We are basically a foodie family so we enjoyed trying new foods when we traveled, too.  I no longer travel but one of the kids will often tell me about a new recipe they are trying.

I did try both types of za-ataar (mentioned in last week's Pantry post) on store bought hummus and the American style was the big winner there.  Probably because it has herbs I'm used to already.  I also like just sumac sprinkled on hummus but the za-ataar added a nice depth of flavor that store bought hummus can sometimes use.  I will try more za-ataar suggestions from Comments, too.

I was also asked if one can roll out their cinnamon rolls and let them rise in the refrigerator over night?  I have a small refrigerator so I've only had the dough rise overnight covered in a bowl but I think I saw the Pioneer Woman do that on an episode of her show.  She has those huge refrigerators at the Lodge.  I don't see why not as long as they are covered completely with plastic wrap.

You may want to let them sit uncovered (so moisture does not condense on the plastic wrap) at room temp fifteen or twenty minutes before popping them in the oven.

I think I'm caught up but if  you have questions, just leave them in Comments!  I know most people do not take time to leave a comment and I get it (I rarely leave comments even for friends).  But they are a gift to bloggers.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
32 ounce freezer/deli containers... here.
American style (made with English thyme and oregano) Za-ataar... here.

The Lentil Salad recipe is... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  I thank you.

Photo:  This has nothing to do with my blog post but isn't it pretty?  It is a vintage cranberry glass cake stand, one of my all time favorite Goodwill finds.  Just in time for Easter dinner!