It's Cold Outside

While I am very eager to get my hands in the dirt next spring, I am quite content to sit by the fireplace today and make this post.  This week we celebrated the 5th Birthday of Little Lyss by taking her to Papadeaux a favorite nearby seafood restaurant.  She loves to go there for the "red lobsters" in the tank.  She had a great time and her little one was very well behaved as well.

The Birthday Girl and her baby out to eat with Mom and Dad for her birthday dinner.

 Since it has been cold we also enjoyed a favorite warm, wintry dessert with Sunday dinner this week.  We grabbed some of the peaches we canned from this summer and had this delicious Peach Cobbler with some vanilla bean ice cream on the side.  I'm already anticipating peach season here in the South next summer.  I hope you'll try the recipe, it's a good one!

Yummy Peach Cobbler for my Sweet Georgia Peach!

Scratch-made Peach Cobbler

• 1 quart home canned peaches , peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 3/4 cup pure cane sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping

• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pure cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• ground cinnamon for sprinkling

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9x13 baking dish. Allow the butter to melt in pan in oven as it preheats.  Remove the pan from the oven before the butter gets browned.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Gently add the milk until barely combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter and smooth it into an even layer. 
3. Ladle the peaches and juice on top of the batter. With a heavy hand, sprinkle the cinnamon over the top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 38-40 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if that's what y'all like.

See y'all around the homestead!

Melissa

What Happened to the Water??

Well, it finally happened this week...we ran completely out. of. water.  As in, I'm standing in the shower mid-rinse and drip, drab, it's gone!  There have been two other times this has happened and we normally just switch over to the other well.  This time that did not work.  Eight people living in one house use quite a bit of water, not to mention our animals needs as well.  We will be sure to have a deep well when we build our next homestead.  There was a lightning strike a day ago that took out our router, computer monitor, and our Vonage device.  We are beginning to suspect it may have affected the well pump also.  In the meantime we are continuing to pray for rain since we are officially in a drought situation here with the average rainfall between 4 and 7 inches below average for this time of year.

Our sweet Muscovy Nellie Olson sitting on our Ancona eggs.  These Muscovy are great mothers!

Two day old fuzzy Ancona duckling with Little Lyss.  They already love the water!

Getting some sweet snuggles with the other duckling before he's eagerly back in the  pond!

Last week we were celebrating the arrival of our 4 sweet Ancona ducklings that hatched.  Sadly, only two of the little yellow fuzzies made it to this week.  We fear something came up from the woods behind the duckhouse and got them as there has been no sign of them.  The remaining two are getting huge in just one week's time.  They grow much more rapidly than baby chicks and the sight of them out in their little pond swimming around is the absolute cutest!


We'll see you 'round the homestead,
Melissa

Lazy Days of Summer

Chief chicken chaser on his way to find "his" chicken.

Here chicken, chicken...where are you?

Our silkies safe from hawks in the run.

Girls in the sandbox which - I am surprised to say - has not become a chicken dust bath ;-)

While the kids enjoy some time off from school and we don't have a lot of gardening or harvesting to do they love to play in the sandbox and Mama loves to play in her garden box!  This is one of my raised beds that is really having a bit of trouble this year.  Just a week ago it was FILLED with dense, thick foliage on the squash and tomatoes.  Now, just rot remains in most of the bed.  I have decided that with all of the rain we get here in the summers there was simply not enough air circulation to keep the leaves dry.  Hindsight tells me that I should prune the squash leaves and tomatoes heavily.  Lesson learned.

The nice thing about my raised beds though has been that the chickens do not get in them much at all.  They are much more concerned with pecking and scratching the ground than in digging up my raised bed plants.  The powdery mildew in this bed has been a constant battle.  With the abundance of rain and poor air flow due to density, this is one battle I have lost for sure.  Oh well, it's all part of Dixie Living, right?





See you around the Homestead,
-Melissa

Healthy Home Remedy: How to Make Elderberry Syrup

It always seems this time of year brings merriment, overindulging, and inevitable sickness.  Our family has found a wonderful remedy that we have begun making at home - Elderberry Syrup.  There are many Civil War time accounts of its use to aid with dysentery and other stomach maladies.  I have not been able to find any growing locally so I am buying mine from Shoshanna here.  Once the dried berries arrive it is a cinch to whip up this helpful remedy in no time.  Because black elderberries have been shown to ward off illness and hasten recovery, we keep a Mason jar full in the fridge and take some everyday with grape juice to avoid the stomach crud.  So far, so good!  Here is the recipe we are using to support our immune systems:

Elderberry Syrup

4c. Water, well-water, filtered, spring, etc.

1c. Dried Elderberries

1/3c. Dried Echinacea

Fresh Ginger, 2 thumb-size nubs, scraped and chopped

1-2t. Whole Cloves

1-2t. Dried Rosehips

Half a lemon

1 1/2 c. Raw Honey

*Leave out echinacea if using as a preventive, rather than to treat an active illness as echinacea should not be taken for more than two weeks at a time.

Bring elderberries and all spices/herbs to boil in water in a medium aluminum-free pot.   

Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for an hour.  Stir from time to time to prevent sticking.

Allow to cook down until liquid has been reduced by half.  

Pour into strainer and allow to drain into pitcher or mason jar as liquid comes to room temperature.

Once COMPLETELY cooled, squeeze in juice of half lemon and stir in honey until dissolved.

Every adult (13+) gets 1T/day

Every kiddo gets 1t./day

Enjoying Dixie Living,

Melissa

Summertime Standby

Well I had hoped to be blogging about the NCFIC conference that our church hosted this weekend. Instead I am home with a feverish Merry and her uncharacteristic irritability due to a stomach bug.  Thank goodness for Elderberry syrup!!  I'll still give you the low-down on what we've been up to this week.
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Sew Cute: Since I had several orders to fill this week for embroidered swim team towels and totes I didn't have much time for recreational sewing. I was pleased with how the towels turned out as it was my first time designing a logo from scratch. My customers were happy and I was too when other parents placed their orders for more towels. The only sewing I did for fun was this bib n bow n sock set that I am calling GaGa for Grapes. What do you think?
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Taste Test: With orders to fill, a sick little one, a swim meet this week, and extra food to be made for our conference at church I needed a break from the kitchen. This favorite standby comes together easily 'cause it's made in the crock pot. It's a little long on the prep time but then you can leave it once it's in the pot. My kids LOVE to chop, chop, chop. Add a loaf of homemade bread and some tea... and you've got dinner! No need for salad since there are plenty of veggies in the bowl. By the way, I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine.
Slow-Cooker Chicken and Pasta Soup
4 carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 long strips lemon zest
4 sprigs fresh dill, plus 2-3 T chopped
2 T Extra Virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup small pasta, such as pastina
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ bunch fresh spinach, stemmed
4 ounces Feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper and some lemon wedges for serving
1 – Combine the carrots, lemon zest, dill sprigs, olive oil and ½ tsp salt in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Season the chicken with salt and add to the slow cooker. Add the broth and 4 cups of water, cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.
2 – About 20 minutes before serving, add the pasta to the slow cooker, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
3 – Stir the chopped dill, peas and spinach into the soup and cover until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir to break up the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and crumble the feta on top. Serve with lemon and bread, if desired.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family Matters: In January this year we set a goal to memorize the book of Titus as a family. We have been buzzing along nicely but I have noticed our pace beginning to slow a bit this summer. Perhaps it is due to our more relaxed schedule. Normally we review at lunchtime since everyone is together and we are not usually in need of getting to whatever is on our evening agenda. These last few weeks we have not all been together during the lunch hour due to practices, appointments, etc. Much of our review has been done independently. I trust our efforts will be more productive once we get back to our school year routine this fall. What works for your family as you seek to hide God's Word in your hearts?
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Homestead Happenings: We are continuing to enjoy our home grown produce. My husband worked hard this year to till up a larger area for our summer garden. The size and quality keeps getting better each time we gather. Here is Freckles with our two largest yellow squash as well as our two largest cucumbers so far. Not bad for a suburban gardener, eh?
My Deal of the Week was found on eBay. I have 3 daughters, therefore we play with dolls a lot around our house. We have some very nice My Twinn dolls but I had never been able to bring myself to splurge on an American Girl doll. Call me cheap, call me mean but I just could not do it. In fact, I still haven't. Tender Heart has had her tender little heart set on owning one so she used money from her savings to purchase Molly. She's the cutie with the glasses and braids. We were fortunate to get an original Pleasant Company Molly in superb condition for $30. I'll be sure to post a pic of our new friend soon.

Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa

Just Peachy

True to my word this is the second installment of my Weekly Update format. It helps me to organize the few topics that I like to faithfully blog about rather than having to pull from the tons of random events of daily life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sew Cute: This week I spent some time working on some bib, sock, and bow sets that I plan to put in my shop. The bright pink and green are a perfect color combination for summertime little girls. I just cant get enough of these frilly socks for the days when you have to cover up those adorable little toesies!

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Taste Test: We are just starting to get some peaches in some of the local farmer's markets here in Georgia. Peaches are so versatile, fitting in seamlessly in any course of the meal whether in an appetizer salad, poached atop a main entree, grilled on the side, or featured in a tasty dessert. Here I served them in a tasty traditional Peach Muffin which I served at a brunch hosted in my home. I did substitute some of my home ground wheat for half of the white flour but just could not bring myself to trade it out entirely. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to use all wheat instead of half and half.
Georgia Girl Peach Muffins
Peel & Dice about 1-2 fresh peaches so that you have ½ cup
1 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
1 ½ cup all purpose flour (or substitute as I did)
1 ½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg :)
1/2 cup milk
For Topping: 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon and ½ cup real butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line or spray muffin cups. Cream butter and ½ cup sugar. Add egg; mix. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; stir flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with the milk. Gently fold in peaches. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. While baking, melt butter. Mix ½ cup sugar with cinnamon. When muffins are done, immediately dip tops into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar mixture.
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Family Matters: We are participating this summer in our county Swim League. I cannot tell you what a great recreation this has been for all of us. I cannot fathom running from practice to practice and field to field as each of my children participate in a sport of some sort. Swimming, for us, has been the perfect solution.**Here's Tender Heart in the Backstroke**

Each week we not only compete against another swim team for points, but each child also competes against himself in an effort to improve his/her personal time. The top 50 times in each event will qualify to swim in the County Finals at the end of the season at Georgia Tech. As you know our family is a Tech family. Tech was also where the Olympic swimming events were helf when Atlanta hosted the Olympics here in 1996. For those to reasons, we would love to qualify. We were excited this week as Freckles earned his first "heat winner" ribbon so I am putting up a shot of my happy little fishy below. What makes my heart happiest though is seeing his sisters standing at the end of his lane cheering him on and being the first to give him a congratulatory hug when he comes out of the water.

**Yeah!!!! Heat Winner**

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Keeping Hearts and Home: It is summertime so we are in the garden. This week the kids and I had a lot of fun putting up some pickles for the first time. It was important to me that they be crunchy after processing, not just sour. I was pleased with the results. It is also quite rewarding to see my stash of home-canned items growing in the pantry.**We did some quick-process and some traditional**

As this was my first time canning with the girls it went a little slower than when I'm just buzzing right along on my own. As with all aspects of training the results will show up according to my patience and effort. This endeavor was no different. Lil' Liss ended up getting bored and leaving halfway through, Freckles scrubbed and chopped, disappeared, showed up periodically for tasting, and Tender Heart excitedly saw the entire process through to completion, helping and learning much along the way.
My Deal of the Week was found again at CVS. I am sorry but I do use disposable diapers for when we are out and about. It is just tidier for me not to have to tote around Jolly's soiled diapers until we get home. Consequently, we buy diapers in bulk. This week I bought a case of 96 diapers at CVS for $19.99, used a $3 off store coupon plus a $3 off Huggies coupon printed from here. That brought me down to $13.99 for the diapers. I paid that with Extra Care Bucks, scanned my Green Bag Card and left having paid $0 out of pocket, money added to my Green Tag fund, another $5 off store coupon, PLUS $10 more in Extra Care Bucks!!! Now if I can just find someone else to change Merry's diapers since she has started solid food...pyuuuwie!!!

Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa

Asparagus and Chicken and Cheese, Oh My!

Are your children afraid of the word "asparagus"? Does it give you, as a mom, the shakes? I happen to adore asparagus and am looking forward to having a few of my own in my garden one day soon.  Our bed is on year three and we should finally be able to harvest a real crop.  Until then I will continue to get them from the farmer's market every time they are available. One recipe that I have developed to make them more enjoyable involves something almost everyone loves...cheese and chicken. This comes together alot like a quiche. I originally made it with a refrigerated pie crust and it was great. This time around I made my own crust from scratch using whole wheat pastry flour...I know, I know! Either way it is sure to be devoured. Go collect what you'll need and let's get started.

Asparagus with Chicken

You will need the following:

1/2 refrigerated pie crust or make your own

1 cup milk or half and half

3 farm fresh eggs

2 T real butter

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh asparagus, use frozen if you must

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1t dry mustard

2 boneless, skinless free range chicken breasts

1 1/2c Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 450. Unroll your softened pie crust and roll it into about a 12 inch circle and line your pie pan with it. Use a deep dish pie pan and prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake that for 6-8 minutes, remove and turn your oven down to 375.

Melt your butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute your onion, garlic, and asparagus for about 3-5 minutes. DO NOT cook them to death! Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Using the oil that was left in the pan, add the chicken and cook it for about 5-7 minutes. You will want it to be lightly browned. Remove this from the pan and set aside too. In a bowl you will now whisk together the milk, eggs, mustard, and some salt and pepper to taste.

To asssemble this dish you will want to sprinkle about 1 cup of the cheese into the bottom of crust then layer the chicken and vegetables. Pour egg mixture over this and finally, top with the remaining cheese. I am showing two here because I made one to share. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and allow this to cool 10-15 minutes before you actually serve it.

Presto! You just ate asparagus and lived to tell about it ;)



Enjoying Dixie Living,



Melissa

Cooking Up Fun

Part of our job as parents is to produce individuals who are capable of successfully caring for a household of their own one day.  Rearing kids that are producers vs. consumers is a challenge.  My husband and I want our son to be a loving provider and protector of his own family. That is why everyone (not just the girls) takes a turn at being the Kitchen Helper on the chore rotation. I know for a fact that he prefers this job to his tasks as Baby Helper for the week. One way he can provide and care for his wife is by ministering to her needs during illness or after the delivery of a new child. Some men also find time in the kitchen enjoyable. I know my son enjoys every minute of mess-making in there! Here are a few shots of Freckles as he prepares his Chicken Fingers. I'll jot down the recipe below.

Now run to the pantry and refrigerator and collect these items:

2 Cups Shredded Wheat Cereal (not Frosted) 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt 1/4 tsp. Paprika 1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise 1 T. Honey 2 tsp. prepared Mustard

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 x 2-inch strips.



Crush up the cereal and pour into a shallow pan for coating. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cereal, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, paprika, and garlic powder in shallow pan. Combine mayo, honey, and mustard in another shallow dish. Stir chicken strips into the mayo mixture, roll in cereal mixture to coat evenly. Place on rack in shallow baking pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until strips are no longer pink in center. Or, you can place them in a deep fryer in small batches as I have done here. Enjoy your meal and your time together as family.
Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa

Pancake Mix

Even with the meal planning I do, I am constantly plagued with the same question each morning, "What's for breakfast Mom?" It is nice to be able to refer them to the list and know that there is a healthy breakfast waiting to start their day. However, I also am VERY interested in convenience as well. So often the convenience foods available at the store are some of the worst things we can use to fuel our bodies. The following is a great recipe for a Pancake Mix that I keep in the refrigerator so that it is ready to use and simple enough for even my 9 year old to prepare.






Start by assembling your ingredients for the mix as pictured here. You will need the following:



4 Cups Quick Oats
1 Cup Nonfat Dry Milk
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
2 T Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 T + 1 1/2 t. Salt
3 T Baking Powder
1/2 t. Cream of Tartar


Simply stir the dry ingredients together and store in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use the mix you will need to prepare the pancake batter.


1. Beat 2 Eggs 2. Add 1/3 C Vegetable Oil

3. Beat in 2 Cups Mix and 1 1/4 Cups of Water





Prepare on griddle or in skillet as usual, top with a little real butter and some honey. This is a tasty breakfast you and your kiddos will enjoy!



Many thanks to my demonstrator Tender Heart who was kind enough to prepare this and several other breakfasts. You are such a help to this busy Mama. These happy smiles and full tummies are a great way to start the day.
Enjoying Dixie Living,
Homespun HoneyBee

Dare To Compare

• What if my savings at the co-op don't compare to others savings at the grocery store?
  You really should not compare non-organic food prices to organic food prices.  You really aren't comparing apples to apples!   Actually, I’ve found that when you simply don’t compare yourself to others, you enjoy life a lot more.
  Make decisions based upon what is best for your family as you are led by the Lord, and then be inspired by others... but don’t feel guilted by them.
  
• How can I put my money where my mouth is?  
•  Folks, if you can afford it, spend it. We are in trouble here in America.  Consumers need to use our funds to support small family farms AND organic food whenever possible.  This is not just because organic is better for our bodies, but it is better for the land as too.  Did you know that chemicals actually turn the soil to dust?  There is no enrichment taking place.            
• Where can I get the most bang for my couponing buck?  
• Have some fun and play the drug store game.  Use Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks, etc. to get all the other stuff–toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, toilet paper, feminine products for FREE or close to it. This is probably the only area that you can really be an Extreme Coupon Queen.  If you don't do paper goods, you can also find natural/cheap alternatives to these things-we don’t use paper towels, disposable diapers/wipes when at home, etc.  I know some folks make their own deodorant-which eliminates the aluminum dangers of the store bought brands. I just began using Dr. Bronner's for almost everything in our house-which is natural and organic. You can even brush your teeth with it   I know, why would you, right?? If you look around, there really is so much *stuff* you can just stop buying once you find cheaper, smarter alternatives!  You can really build up your pantry and preps this way.
• I too have struggled with many of these same questions…you can read many of my conclusions here.  Eating WELL does cost more, that is the ugly, naked truth. Would you consider the alternative? I would much rather have my spending set a little higher (if it is affordable) to support local, organic, agriculture.  Quality fresh fruits and seasonal vegetables are worth the extra cost for our family! I’m LEARNING to do my best to determine works for our family without comparing my numbers with others…Blessings to you!
• What are some of the new things your family is attempting in an effort to live healthier lives?

Enjoying Dixie Living,

Melissa

Fresh Savings for the Homestead

• How can I save the most money on fresh fruits and vegetables?
  In the summer I utilize a CSA, and in the winter (my husband is particular) – I buy whatever is the best buy by looking at the sale ads for that week. So, I go every day or two and buy from Kroger, Publix, and Trader Joe's.  Simply whatever is cheapest, organic, and on sale that week are my criteria.   I often purchase frozen berries from Trader Joes since they are really inexpensive.
  
  What is the big "organic" deal?
• You may find considerable savings by buying only the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables organic? Is there a nearby Farmer’s Market?  Many smaller local farms may not be *certified* organic, but the fruits and veggies are often much better choices than conventionally grown produce that is shipped to you from factory farms. You may learn that they did not use pesticides at all…you will just have to ask the farmers!
  
  What about fruits?

• If your family enjoys frozen berries, then try looking for local u-pick farms in the summer. These may not be 100% organic, but I have found smaller farmers are less likely to be putting as many industrial chemicals on their plants.  Get the kids involved and pick as much as you can afford, wash and freeze it. We pick at least 20 quarts of strawberries annually and freeze for smoothies and such. I know it wouldn't be prudent to buy them throughout the winter otherwise, they're too expensive! I also find great deals at the Farmers Market my town hosts each weekend. I bought 10 quarts of fresh blackberries at $2 each just to freeze. I also froze the peaches we purchased after I got tired of canning them.  $12 for half-bushel was a great price! I can always find great prices on apples from the north Georgia Mountains, minimally sprayed for just $10 a bushel. Start looking in the summer and in a few years you will have your own list of farmers and contacts to help get fresh fruits and veggies in season to can, dehydrate or freeze. They are better tasting and local!!
  
  Where have you found the best local fruits and veggie buys for your family?
  
  Enjoying Dixie Living,
  Melissa

Selling to Save

Eating organic and healthier foods doesn’t have to set you up for bankruptcy!
Perhaps one of the biggest battles to overcome is our thoughts on food. Is it really wise to be buying all of those snacks if they do nothing to actually nourish our bodies? My husband and I regularly used to buy 2 bottles of sodas and a half gallon of ice cream each week – whether or not they were on sale.  But even when on sale, those costs add up!  We eventually cut out purchases like these so that we could afford to buy raw milk at $7.50 a gallon.
I also sold a lot of stuff to purchase bulk grains! I went through our basement and garage and pulled out everything that was cluttering up those areas that I could sell. Within just a few weeks I had sold enough on Craigslist to make a bulk purchase at a local natural foods bulk store (Bread Beckers) and bought enough grains and wheat for a year as well as natural sweeteners, oils, beans, staples and salt. I was also able to purchase more than enough herbs and spices for making my own dressings and seasoning mixes. This decision allowed us to enjoy healthier foods without the initial start up costs that many balk at.
We actually went from a “couponing” budget of $300.00 for 2 adults, 2 kids, and a toddler to spending only $300.00 on mostly organic and whole foods.  It can be done!  You could also do the "phase out" method where you replace used up items with only the "good stuff" rather than tossing that brand new bag of evil white sugar!!  I like the idea of selling things to purchase bulk foods. I think that often the mentality is to put your money into things that don’t get consumed, but in reality, this approach will leave you healthier and more clutter-free.  What ways has your family been successful at saving money on "real" food?

Enjoying Dixie Living,
Melissa

In The Secret of His Presence

I have been enjoying my break from blogging for a while but I do have this one jewel to share. As part of my morning Quiet Time I have been compiling a notebook/journal of sorts that includes scripture excerpts, songs of praise, hymns, and worthy poetry. My notebook serves as a great source of help for me as I attempt to come before my Father. Many times I need some prompting to get my meditations started and this particular poem that I wish to share has become one that I refer to at least weekly as I ask the Saviour to search my heart.
~ In The Secret of His Presence~
In the secret of His presence
How my soul delights to hide!
Oh, how precious are the lessons
Which I learn at Jesus' side!

Earthly cares can never vex me,
Neither trials lay me low;
For when Satan comes to tempt me,
To the secret place I go.

I tell Him all my doubts, my griefs,
And fears; Oh, how patiently He listens,
And my drooping soul He cheers.

Do you think He ne'er reproves me?
What a false friend He would be
If He never, never told me
Of the sins which He must see.

Would you like to know the sweetness
Of the secret of the Lord?
Go and rest beneath His shadow-
This shall then be your reward!

And when e'er you leave the silence of
That happy meeting place,
You will surely bear the image of the
Master in your face!
-Ellen Lakshmi Goreh
Next time you need a little prompting for your heart's devotion, I hope that you will consider this work by Ellen Goreh a great aid as you ponder your Saviour.

Enjoy Dixie Living,
Homespun HoneyBee

Homestead Living is Thrifty Living

As panic struck Wall Street earlier this month many families lost their sole source of income. Even if you are just frugal (read cheapskate) like me you don't want to miss any opportunities to keep a little more of your hard-earned money. As a blogger, one of my favorite sites just for general thrifty living is the collection found here. This is an eclectic collaboration of writers, moms, economists, and other professionals who really know how to help us save more of our family resources. The actual post I've sent you to is a GREAT resource for getting started with a family budget. While you're there be sure to look around on the sidebars for other authors of interest.
That said, I would be remiss if I did not mention another resource that our missionary to Poland, Becky Petersen, shared with me last week. The owner of this site is actually her sister and she sells coupons as well as other savings aids that may be of interest if you have a specific ongoing need -- like diapers. I am constantly on the lookout for other moms with home businesses that I can patronize. This year the owner of this site used her profits to take her missionary sister and her family on a wonderful all-expenses paid trip to Egypt. As you can imagine this was a tremendous blessing to this missionary family who probably would otherwise not have been able to afford such a journey.
While you're out looking for savings don't forget to take a peek here. There are many times when I am looking for a printable coupon for a specific store (maybe Jo@nn) and I have already used the one they mailed me. I just go to this handy dandy site, look up my store and PRESTO! I print myself a coupon when they're available.
Make it a goal to organize and keep your coupons with you whenever you are out. I try to challenge myself to never pay full price.  As always remember the old-time mantra "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
Enjoy Dixie Living,
Homespun HoneyBee