Lovely Fridays

I feel like sometimes when Friday gets here that
I have lived two weeks instead of one. I learned some
things this week I would like to share.
Before my daughter got married she would always
use the apple peeler for me when I was going to make
apple pie or anything like that. I prefer a knife.
Then she got married and she wanted to take the apple
peeler with her. I was happy with a knife. I like peeling apples
and trying to get the skin off on one unbroken peel. I have only
done it once.

Last Christmas her MIL got her a apple peeler for Christmas.
She gave mine back. On Wednesday, I decided to use it.
I figured it out after many tries, but the thing I learned was,
Learn how to operate the apple peeler before your daughter gets
married. I have relied on my children too much and consequently
I have forgotten how to do simple things.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I hope fall is putting
on her gorgeous clothes and you will get to experience her
in all of her finery.

Blessings,

~Kim~

Baking Day

Today I just couldn't take it anymore and I had to have a
baking day. One of the things that I have wondered was
if I could make recipes Gluten free and would my family notice.

My husband is now gluten free. He works so
hard all of the time that I still need to give him food to eat, rather
than how I eat.
I ran across a recipe at Bees, Birds, Berries and Blooms and she had
a recipe for Apple Kuchen that was her Grandmothers. As I looked at
it I knew I could make it Gluten free and it was apple so I made it today.


I decided that I also wanted the smell of pumpkin and spices
cooking so I made pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
These are gluten free too.



Then I thought today was Thursday and I was going to celebrate
that tomorrow was Friday so I baked a batch of cookies that were
not gluten free for my kids, then they told me it was Wednesday.



They are giant cookies because you use a ice cream scoop
and only put 5 per cookie sheet.
The name in my cook book calls them Buffalo Chips,
but if I told my daughter that was the name she couldn't eat
them so I told her they were called Clean Out The Cupboard Cookies.
Because you do. It was nice to use up all of the chocolate chips I had
in the pantry. It is one of those recipes I love because it makes great
quantities.

Buffalo Chips
2 cups butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups corn flakes or Team
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Optional
1-1/2 cup raisins and 1 cup coconut; or
1 large package chocolate chips and 1 cup walnuts; or
1 large package butterscotch chops and 1 cup peanuts

Blend butter and sugars, Stir in eggs and vanilla. Mix in oatmeal and
corn flakes. Sift flour, soda and baking powder. Add to mixture and mix thoroughly.
Stir in optional items. Drop by ice cream scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Do not put more than 6 scoops to a cookie sheet, cookies spread during baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. Leave on pan a few minutes before removing to
cooling racks. These cookies freeze well. Makes 3 1/2 dozen saucer size cookies.

What I changed:
I didn't have corn flakes I would have used Rice Krispies but we were out
of those so I added another cup of oatmeal and another cup of flour.
I added sunflower seeds and walnuts. I also added milk chocolate chips and
semi sweet chips. I also added Hershey cocoa to the mixture because I like
dark looking cookies.

They come out of the oven very pretty. They would be a cookie I would take
somewhere because of how pretty they are and how well they seem to hold up.

My son came in from school and I cornered him with his backpack on and made
him take samples. He said everything was exceptional and after the fast food
he ate today, everything tasted healthy.

My husband likes baking day. I am trying to work on recipes that at Thanksgiving
will take care of the traditional recipes I have used through the years so I am experimenting.
It is kind of fun. Now that the weather is cooler.

I hope you have a lovely Thursday.
~Kim~

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

It is a good thing that Patrice does Chats on the Farmhouse Porch.
I have been so busy for the last two days that my brain has
been in the deep freeze which effects my fingers so that
I can't spell.
Anyway, On to the questions:

1. Did you have a way to earn money as a child or teen?

When I was 5 years old my grand parents bought a cow for me. When the cow calved (had her baby) it was mine. Then when the calf was weaned and sold to the sale, they would take that money and put it in my saving account. As I got older, I raised more steers.
Then I went to work in my Dad's store, so there was always a way to make money.

2. Does your body run hot or cold? (Are you in a sweater/jumper when everyone else is in short sleeves or do you wear a sweatshirt when everyone has on parkas?)

I think I must run about normal. I don't notice that I am one way or the other.


3. What's your level of computer savvy?

I don't consider myself computer savvy, but I am surrounded by a houseful of very talented
people who are so that helps. They are all willing to come and show me anything I ask so I am very blessed in that way.


4. When you have pasta, do you prefer a red sauce (marinara type) or a white sauce (fettuccine type)?

I have never really been a big fan of pasta. Now that I am not eating wheat, it is okay with me.
I have never really been fond of sauces either. My kids love it all so I will fix them both.

5. What's your favorite thing to put in brownies?

My teeth. :) Oh I don't know, just plain ole brownies. My kids like to chop them up and put them
in ice cream. Again, not eating wheat nor sugar either so I am not eating brownies.

Thanks to Patrice for always thinking up questions, I hope you week is a good one.

~Kim~

Everyday Ruralty

Stuff I Was Thinking About

A year ago I was going through a trial that seemed like it
had gone on forever. A year later, I see how God used it
in my life and I can tell you, I am very, very thankful I am
here now and not where I was a year ago. I bet you thought
I was going to tell you how happy I was, I will tell you the truth.
I wasn't happy about it and I am afraid I bellyached and if I had
waited quietly it might have been over sooner.
But, I wrote this after I had made it through the other side. It ministers
to me. I know that there are so many of my friends in the midst of
much harder trials than anything I have ever encountered.
Today this is for you. I pray for you daily but God's Word is just
that and this is what I sort of learned.
Blessings to you.

Stuff I learned about Trials.

I don't know why I ponder stuff like I do but I do think
about trials and my response to them. I was reading in my
Streams of The Desert and it is one of the selections I love
because it amazes me.

"A bar of steel worth five dollars, when wrought into horseshoes,
is worth ten dollars. If made into needles, it is worth three
hundred and fifty dollars; if into penknife blades, it is worth
Thirty-two thousand dollars, into springs for watches it is worth
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. What drilling the poor bar must undergo
to be worth this! But the more it is manipulated, the
more it is hammered, and passed through the fire, beaten and
pounded and polished, the greater the value.
May this parable help us to be silent, still, and long-suffering.
Those who suffer most are capable of yielding most; and it is
through pain that God is getting the most out of us, for His glory and the
blessing of others."
(selected)



Then today, as I was reading in John 11:1-6 It is the part of scripture that
talks about the letter Jesus receives from Mary and Martha. John wants us
to know that it is the Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus and used her hair
to wipe it away. The sisters tell their friend Jesus that the one that he loves is
sick.
I have always pondered why Jesus just didn't speak a word and heal Lazarus,
why didn't Jesus rush back and comfort the family. It says, that Jesus tarried
for two days longer, because He wanted God to be glorified and for God's
glory.

But today as I was reading it what jumped out at me was the simple phase,
in verse 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
I kept thinking about it all day, Jesus loved them, John wants us to know
deep in our hearts, that this was love. Not that anyone did anything wrong,
not that someone was out of God's will, not because Jesus couldn't. It was
for the simple reason that they would all see the glory of God.



As I kept pondering the faith it takes to jump from waiting to trusting.
I know that Mary and Martha waited, as their brother got sicker and sicker
and then the moment when he died, I bet they felt unloved and forsaken
and very alone. I bet they doubted everything they had heard Jesus teach.
I bet the were angry too.
I think you see it when Mary remains sitting in the house, but Martha runs
to Him while He is still far off. It has been 4 very long days. I am sure there
are no more tears. I imagine they are exhausted from sorrow.

But still Jesus waits for Martha to reach out from the fiber of all that she believes
to trust Him. I think one of the most profound moments in scripture is when
Jesus says to move the stone, Martha does not want to trust Him, but He reminds
her of what He has just said, " Do you not want to see the glory of God?
Then He calls Lazarus.
Do you ever wonder about that scene, He must have had at least 100 pounds
of spices wrapped in the grave clothes. Was he sad to come back? Did he ever tell
his grand kids about the time he died and what it felt to come back?
Did he tell people what he saw?



I think so often my responses are like Martha's I want my own comfort, before I
want to see the glory of God. I want my life and those I love to have it easy and
trial free. But because God wants me to know that it is for my good and His glory,
He chooses to wait. I must have that place in my life to take that leap into trusting
and doing what He says, I must let Him open that tomb of my life, so I can
have a new life come out into the light of day.

I have been thinking about that and the more I read it over and over, I see
so many ways that Jesus still calls me Martha, Martha when I want my own
way instead of Mary who got the best part.
Just things I was thinking about and thought I would share them with
you. Have a great Tuesday!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)