An ordinary day in my life

Romans 14: 6 a

He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he

who eats, does so for the Lord, 

for he gives thanks to God

Hello dear readers,
I thought I would share a typical day. I enjoy reading how other homemakers spend their days, so I wanted to share mine, but before I do I'm super excited that some new ladies have started following me. That brought so much joy to my heart I can hardly even explain it :) It made me more motivated to actually write more (thank you).
Okay here we go:

6.30 am My hubby wakes me up...then I put the laundry on, chat with hubby and then prepare his snacks to take to work (he comes home for lunch). Make myself a cup of coffee and head back to my bedroom to have my quiet time. We don't eat breakfast right now as we're practising intermittent fasting and I eat at 10.am or 12.00. I pretty much do this every morning, except the days I go and help my daughter, then I make the lunches early in the morning too. I am a creature of habit ! :)

Painting by: François de Bruycker

7.30 am Prayer time, Bible reading (1 Peter chapter 1 ff at the moment). Then I write in my journal. I like to journal about everyday things: what I'm cooking, prayer needs, current affairs, family issues, goals, spiritual inspiration from the bible reading etc. I also go back and read through old journals. It's very interesting :) Then I check emails on my laptop.

8.00 or 9.00 am depending on my schedule, I shower and prepare for my day. If I have any soap orders I package them up now. I will normally bake in the morning or put bread in the breadmaker for my husband. It takes him about 4 days to get through a loaf. This morning I made him apricot and white chocolate slice (one of his favourites).

Apricot & White Chocolate Slice

Ingredients

1 x 400g pkt of vanilla wine biscuits - crushed

125g melted butter

1/2 can of condensed milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut

1 cup chopped apricots

1 cup white chocolate chips

extra white choc to scatter on top

1 T organic coconut oil

extra coconut

Method:

1. Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar and the condensed milk. Whisk until all are

combined.

2. Place the coconut, apricots and crushed biscuits in a bowl.

3. Pour the melted mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well.

4. Press into a parchment lined square tin.

5. Melt the coconut oil and the white chocolate chips together in a small bowl in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

6. Pour the melted chocolate over the base. Sprinkle with extra coconut. Refrigerate until hard. Cut into 12 or 16 pieces and enjoy.  :)

..............................................................

10.30 am. Make myself a cup of decaf tea. Then I do some cleaning, dust, vacuum etc or clean bathroom. I discovered we have ants in the kitchen grr, so I've set up a little lid with some ant poison to try and nip that in the bud.

11.00 am I made some homemade laundry powder. I know a lot of people do this and I have too on and off over the years. As I already had the ingredients I thought I would just try and use some of them up. I know there's hundreds of recipes out there for homemade laundry powder - liquid ones and dry. I've tried them both. I just found this one quick to make and it makes a large quantity. 

So far it's doing what it's designed for :)

L A U N D R Y  P O W D E R

Ingredients

1.5 Kilogram - Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

1 .5 Kilogram - Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate - washing soda)

1 .5 Cups of Castile Liquid Soap

1.5 cups of Epsom Salts

1.5 cups Sea Salt

Essential Oil: I used  Lemongrass, Tea Tree & Peppermint

M E T H O D:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients well in a large stainless/or enamel basin. I wore a disk mask. 

2. Add however much essential oil you want to use (or none) to the castile soap and mix well. 

3. Pour the liquid soap into the dry ingredients and one again, mix well :)

4. Let it dry a little bit, maybe 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Spoon into whatever you want to store it in. Mines stored in large plastic containers. 

6. Use 2 Tablespoons per load.

11.45 am Prepare lunches. I made myself a tuna/egg salad and a ham/cheese and lettuce sandwich with homemade bread for Bruce. I also had a couple of squares of very dark 80% cacao chocolate with my lunch and a cup of decaf coffee. Bruce had some Banana Cake.

1.00 pm I drove Bruce back to work, so I could use the car. He works in the next town over from where we live (population about 8,000 people). Our small town has around 2,500 people. I call it Smallville. We downsized to one car a few years ago and it works fine for us this way. 

While I was in town I went to the small fabric store as they had a sale on. I've found it hard in the past few years to find clothing that I like, so I'm teaching myself to sew, or should I say resurrecting my sewing skills.  I sewed various things for my children when they were small and I've made a couple of quilts etc. Anyway I bought a top last year I really liked the style of and decided to try and make a pattern. I've got an old tea trolley, so I store my sewing machine on that and my sewing box and material, so I have it all close by to actually use all the material I have. Anyway at the sale I got some material for a new nightie on sale for only $6 a metre !!. I was very pleased. Next I went and looked around a couple of thrift stores (we call them op shops). At one of them I found quite a few patterns for only .50 cents each..!! I was overjoyed.

Next I went to the supermarket as I needed to get Bananas, Milk, and a few other things.

2.30pm Back home again, I was pooped and needed a rest. So I put away the groceries and the other bits and pieces and sat down with a cup of tea and a THM (Trim Healthy Mama) chocolate blueberry muffin. I like to split it in half, spread a little peanut butter and some sliced banana - it's delicious ! 

I sat and read for a while. I'm re-reading books from my vast collection of Amish novels. Currently its book two from the Rose Trilogy - 'The Judgement'. I love Beverly Lewis Amish Books :)

3.00pm - I decided to wash my stash of fabric I intend to use to make two night gowns, several aprons and a couple of skirts and tops. This was a big job, but I got it done and will iron it when it's dry, so it's all ready to be used for my projects. It's my daughters birthday coming up soon and she;s requested I make her some Beeswax wraps :) I did a post on that a while back - a sort of tutorial. https://fhawk.blogspot.com/2019/03/making-beeswax-wraps.html

I have lots of pretty lightweight floral fabrics which will be perfect for wraps. The thinner the fabric the better when it comes to these. Poplin is a great option. 

3.30 pm- I printed off some labels for soap and wooden soap dishes (that's something that I can work away at quietly in the evenings.) I hurt my back two weeks ago now and it is taking a long time to heal. It's been two and a half years since I hurt it last (my chiropractor told me it was this long) and I had forgotten how awful it is to be in pain and have to do everything so slowly. 

4.00 pm - I start planning for the evening meal. I actually plan it out in the morning or even the day before, eg. if something is going in the crockpot or needs defrosting. Tonight we are just having chicken burgers. 

Note: this particular image is not mine, I just got it off the net, but this is pretty much what it looked like, except I had a grain free THM Swiss bread. Sometimes I'll have a homemade sourdough english muffin for my bun. 

5.30 - 6pm This is around about when we eat. If I'm still preparing dinner when hubby arrives home he will read to me from a book we choose together. We've read our way through many many christian biographies, missionary tales etc from our church library or that friends have lent us. After dinner, we wash the dishes together, watch the 700 club, via the computer hooked up to a TV screen as we don't actually have TV. We stopped having TV about 6 years ago and don't miss it. I started calling it the uninvited guest that was bringing it's worldly viewpoints into our home via adverts etc, so we all decided we didn't want it or cable anymore. It was liberating to unplug from it all. 

7pm - 9pm - My husband Bruce and I both normally spend time checking emails or I might be wrapping soap, printing labels etc for my soap business until around 9m and then we prepare for bed.

Before we go to sleep Bruce prays and then reads a chapter from the bible. We've been doing this every night for a few years and it's just wonderful. I would encourage everyone to start and close their day with prayer and the word of God. It's so great to know that as the day begins we first seek the Lord's covering for our day, and at the close I like to keep short accounts with God...thinking over the day, what I may have said, thought or done that perhaps I could have done better, been kinder, or more thoughtful towards my husband or others. I ask for His help and guidance, and also repent of anything I feel I need to. We both love to read as well, so we read for a bit too.

Well thats my day, thanks so much for coming along and sharing it. 

Blessings to anyone who stops by here.

Please leave me a comment, if you feel too, it always makes me smile :)

Linda :)

'So teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom'

Psalm 90:12

Church Morning Tea

Hi friends,
I thought I would do something a bit different today (I actually got this idea from some other bloggers), and made a series of little videos, instead of writing and taking photo's like my usual blog post format.
My husband and I are on the morning tea roster once or twice a term at our church and I prepare a similar selection each time. This consists of Cheese/crackers and relish, some chocolate packet biscuits, some nice packet biscuits for the children's morning tea and maybe some fruit as well in summer. I also bake a cake (usually large butter cake, carrot cake or chocolate cake), and lastly I make scones or pikelets. I butter the scones and normally spread some raspberry or strawberry jam on them and then top them with a generous dollop of whipped cream just before the last hymn.

I thought I'd share getting ready for the morning tea in videos. I hope if you stop by and watch and enjoy these that you might leave me a sweet comment or even better, if you would like my video on youtube and subscribe to my channel there :)

 I hope to upload more videos as I have opportunity about different things I'm doing, whether that be gardening, soap making etc or even just a little bit of spiritual encouragement from something I've read during my quiet time that I think may also encourage someone else.

Blessings to you all ~ Linda








This last video I forgot to film it on wide screen, but it just shows all the food I prepared for the morning tea. :)

The Heart of God

Hi everyone,

I read this beautiful quote today and I just wanted to share it. 

'God has identified himself with the hungry, the sick, the naked,

the homeless; 

hunger, not only for bread,

but for love, for care, to be somebody to someone:

nakedness, not of clothing only,

but nakedness of that compassion

that very few people give to the unknown;

homelessness, not only just from a shelter made of stone,

but that homelessness that comes from from having

no one to call your own'.

~ Mother Theresa ~

I've always had a lot of love and respect for Mother Theresa.

No I am not a Catholic, just a follower of Christ. 

I loved her heart, her living faith and wondrous compassion and mercy. 

She still continues to inspire me. Anyone does with a heart like that.

I felt she gave people a precious gift. When she would touch them physically, even lepers, 

they felt loved and in that moment she gave them back their dignity.

~ Amen ~

Daily Bread

Hi everyone,
Bread :) Isn't it just wonderful !!
I just wanted to pop on quickly and share a recipe that I'm quite happy with.  I recently started using my breadmaker again, to make a small loaf of bread for my husband. I make English sourdough muffins for myself to eat for lunch and occasionally he has those too, but so I'm not constantly standing over a hot griddle I started making him a small breadmaker loaf.
One of the problems I've had with breadmaker bread in the past is that it doesn't stay fresh very long. A loaf will last my husband about 4 days. Usually by the end of 2 days (maximum) the bread would be getting dry. So I started researching and experimenting to improve the situation. I thought I would go ahead and share this even though many people may have already perfected it for themselves, but you never know someone may stop by and just have a hallelujah moment after reading this :) and give easy homemade bread another chance.

My bread maker is this model below, and the shape of the tin is like the picture above.

Anyway here is my recipe for this standard size breadmaker.

Softy Breadmaker Loaf

1 &1/2 Cups Warm milk
(I put the cold fridge milk in a pyrex jug on high for 1 minute, then dissolve the
salt and brown sugar into this)

1 Dessertspoon - Honey or Brown sugar

( Honey is a humectant and draws moisture to itself.)

3 teaspoons Gluten flour

2 Cups white high grade bread flour -unbleached is best

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour - freshly ground is best

(of course you could use all wholegrain, the loaf will just be denser)

1 Dessertspoon oats

1 t salt  - fine pink himalayan

3 teaspoons breadmaker yeast (surebake in NZ)
1 teaspoon whole psyllium husks

2 T light olive oil

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into the loaf tin. Place into the machine.

2. Set the control to the first setting - Basic (this is the quickest cycle).

3. Set the crust level to 'Light'. Previously I had always selected medium. Press start !

~

After it's been whizzing and whirring for a few minutes I normally get in there with a spatula just to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Then once it is I step away from the machine :) lol

After the loaf has cooled on a rack I store it in a airtight ziplock plastic bag (well as much as I can get it) and then into a cloth bag. I hope someone will try this and discover how great it is. After about 3 or 4 days I make him a toasted sandwich for lunch and he thinks that's just wonderful :)

Blessings to you all ~ Linda

The Joys of Home

Hi dear readers,

sorry it's been so long since my last home update, but here I am again :) 

I've been enjoying some beautiful wintry days here at the little homestead. We harvested all the feijoas but I didn't bottle any this year as we were too busy with the renovations. Anyway it's all finished now and our lives have returned to normal :) We lead a very quiet, simple life here and all that disruption was very difficult.

The new bathroom is a real joy. I never thought we would ever be able to afford to do much of anything with the other bathroom, so that part of it has all been a wonderful unexpected joy. The picture isn't that clear but the walls are painted half sisal. Its a lovely pale coffee colour. We also got a new bathroom door.

We've lived at this house now for 13 years and our old bathroom was actually just an old kitchen unit with a sink..very shabby. However I tried to pretty it up with a nice shower curtain, I painted the cupboards, put fake flowers in a vase etc etc. and some pictures on the walls. I always tried to keep it very clean. I think if something smells fresh and looks cared for, its more welcoming. It's always good to accept our situation, be thankful for what we have, and then think how can I improve this room with the resources that I have, especially when you have a limited budget.

~

~

We also painted the small hallway and laundry half sisal too. My laundry room

feels so fresh now. I still have to paint a little cupboard under the sink and then it will be complete.

I added a little piece of art to the wall, it a picture of a beach I used to go to as a child when we lived in a different part of New Zealand. We moved to the North Island when I was 14 years old and the picture is from the lower South island. It's a lovely memory of my childhood and playing for hours in the rock pools with my sister.

Home Joys: Cooking 

Theme: Inexpensive, quick, easy recipes

~ Chocolate Chip Banana Bread ~

Recipe 1.

I wanted to share this recipe as its so delicious, stays moist and is good to pack in lunch boxes. It's also a great way to use up an excess of ripe bananas. My husband loves it. It's from his book 'Amish Friends' ~ Wanda E. Brunstetter. It's a whole lot of very good recipes from Amish cooks. Let me know if you try it :)

~ There's just something about fresh baking cooling on the bench that I find comforting ~

~ Recipe 2. ~

~ Trim healthy Mama style coleslaw ~

We eat this coleslaw quite a lot. Cabbages are inexpensive where we live and go a long way and if you have carrots in the garden like I do, your halfway there :)  I use a lovely spice mix called 'Italian dressing mix'. I got the recipe and the free jar top printable label from a lovely blog site called 'Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth'. Sadly Jess is no longer blogging, but thankfully she has left her beautiful blog up. It's a truly lovely peaceful place to visit with so many wonderful tips, encouragement and resources to support those who strive to live a simple Christian life as a homemaker. I've included the link to her lovely blog and also the recipe for the seasoning mix. Do try them. I made all of them and think they're wonderful. On with the recipe....

 ~ Homemade Coleslaw (sugar free) ~

1/4 head of cabbage - thinly sliced

1 med size carrot - grated

2 sticks celery - diced

1/4 red onion - diced fine

Dressing:

 3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 - 2 teaspoons alternative sweetener (I use a mixture of 1 teaspoon Stevia to 1 Cup Erythritol). I think this is called Gentle Sweet substitute.

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Italian dressing mix (thanks Jess)

http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2015/05/make-your-own-seasoning-mixes-with.html

Mix the raw prepared vegetables together, pour over the dressing and mix well. Place in a serving bow or covered bowl and refrigerate for later use. We enjoy this with many different meals, but my favourite is alongside chilli. I normally will have a couple of corn chips and no rice, but this time I made an exception. I usually grate over a little cheese, then a good dollop of Greek yoghurt and a garnish of parsley = delicious :)

~ Recipe 3. ~

~ Simple Quick Tasty Versatile Quiche ~

I first started making this quiche when my children were small. They always enjoyed it and I would use either a can of tuna or small packet of bacon (which I would cook slightly and chop).

This time I used tuna. It's very quick to make if you remember to get your pastry ut of the freezer in time or you could make your own, as I often do. I like homemade pastry with real butter and wholemeal flour best. This quiche is lovely to make when one is asked to make a meal for someone in need or to take to a church luncheon. I've always had good feedback about its good flavour.

~ Basic Quiche Recipe ~

4 - 6 servings

1.5 sheets of flaky pastry

1/4 red onion - diced fine

1/2 - 3/4  Cup grated tasty cheese

1 Can of tuna in oil - drained

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

1/4 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

6 eggs

chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. Spray oil or grease a round or square pie/quiche dish. preheat oven to 180 C.

2. Lay the pastry in on the paper, so it comes up 2 sides of the dish. Cut the 1/2 sheet of pastry in half again and use to make sides for the other 2 edges. Seal well. 

3. Spread the diced onion over the base. Then add tuna, parsley and grated cheese.

4. In a medium size bowl beat all the liquid ingredients and the eggs together. Season it with a good amount of fresh black pepper and some salt. Pour this over the base. I use a fork to make sure it runs through to the bottom of the other ingredients.

5. Bake for 45 minutes until risen and slightly browned. I normally poke the top after about 20 minutes. It lets some steam out and seems to cook better.

I served this tonight with steamed potatoes and green beans.

about to go in the oven :)

~ Other activities ~

~ Family: Our oldest granddaughter Lily celebrated her 9th birthday. When I look back through this blog I have a picture of her when she was just 1 1/2 :) following me around while I picked black currants in the garden. Now she is such a big girl who loves God, chickens, reading and her new sister Laura Joy...and eating ! She has a special gift with animals and even helped her cousin Alex hold a chicken for the first time after quite a bit of gentle coaching and a reward of a handful of jellybeans and 50 cents for his courage - lol. Such a character !

~ 9 year old Lily ~ such a farm girl :) ~

~ Laura Joy - sweet little sister ~

~Reading: I decided I'm not going to check any books out of the library for a while as we have so many books of our own. I especially love Amish novels and have quite the collection, so I'm slowly making my way through some of the ones I haven't read for a few years. I started the Rose Trilogy series last night:

~ Movies: We watched this movie last weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially loved the child that played the part of Christopher Robin. he was adorable and his acting was just brilliant. If your a fan of Winnie the Pooh stories then you'll enjoy this true story about the author's life. 

My only critique: I didn't really like the mother (not the actress), but just the mother in general. I also didn't like the actor who was chosen for the role of the grown up Christopher Robin. He just seemed too different from what the little boy was like. Let me know if you've seen this film. It's not a children's movie (in my opinion).

 This one is for children though and is also lovely.

 I'm always busy here at home with homemaking, my family and my soap business, which sees me either making or packaging a lot of soap these days, plus all the other products I make. I feel very blessed and thankful to be able to work from my home which I love. Thank you Lord. 

~ Lemon Poppy Seed Sea Salt Bars ~

Well that's all for now dear readers. If you stop by and would like to leave me a comment that would be wonderful. I love hearing from you. Blessings to you all,

~ Linda xo ~