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A Peek From My Porch

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Last week I was privileged to attend yet another decorating class at Gracious Designs, a lovely design store in Johnson City.  I’ve attended many other classes, and each one inspires me and teaches me how to make my home inviting and lovely, and also tastefully Southern.

Signs like these are scattered about Gracious Designs Store.

Last Saturday the class was on bringing summer into your home.  It piqued my interest since summer is my favorite season!  Bring summer inside?  How do I do that?  Here were some of their suggestions:

  • Bring bits of outside inside.  
    • Do you have a lantern you could use in your kitchen or entry way?  
    • Is there an outside table or chair you could put in your bathroom?  Do it!  
  • Brighten up your color palette.  
    • Add corals, greens and turquoise.
      • Do that with pillows on the sofa or cloth napkins and runners on the table.
  • Change out your artwork.  Canvas paintings are an inexpensive way to do that.
  • If you have a fireplace, fill in that “black hole.” Remove the fireplace screen and add silk flowers with lit branches added.

Here are a few touches I’ve added:

Click on picture to enlarge.

I am looking for time to change the drawing on my chalkboard hanging over the fireplace to something summery.  But it’s always a work in progress!

Look around to see what you could you bring in that would add some summery touches.  Perhaps a birdhouse or an iron bench or chair would be the perfect addition to a bedroom or your living room.  Let me know if you find something to add!

Thanks for stopping by for a peek!

With love from my country porch,

Unplug for Summer!
Child training · Family life · summertime

Unplug for Summer!

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I have a confession:  I have a pet peeve – it’s children + electronics.  Call me old fashioned, a stick-in-the-mud or a fuddy-duddy.  It’s okay.  I still don’t like children and electronics.  When you put an electronic device in a child’s hands, their minds are disengaged.  Checked out.  They hear nothing around them.  They see no one around them.  They are in Cyberspace until the beeping of a low battery signals them back to earth.

It’s summertime, moms!  Can I encourage you to get your kids outside and on the move?  Give them some fun activity to do every day while they’re on break and put a “no-electronics” rule in place.  How about sitting down with them and making a list of fun things they’d enjoy doing?  Then cut those into strips and drop them into a jar.  Let someone choose out one activity each day.  Let the anticipation build.  Make summertime fun! Why not unplug for summer?  Need some suggestions?
  • If you have a large tree at your house, hang a tree swing in the branches.
  • Build a fort outside under a tree.
  • Go to the park and play on the playground equipment.  Eat lunch there.
  • Go to the library and everyone pick out 5 books to read this week.
  • Attend a Bible club or VBS.
  • Make Popsicles with fruit juice. 
  • Play in the sprinkler.
  • Fill up a small swimming pool in the backyard.  
  • Have a lemonade stand and give away cups to people who pass.
  • Go to the local Hands-on-Museum.
  • Have a play date with other moms and their children.
  • Bake cookies.
  • Wash your bikes.  Add streamers to handlebars.  Have a bike parade.
Here are other great lists of things to do.  Of course Pinterest is full of good suggestions, too.  The point is, someone has to plan, and that someone is you, Mom.  Don’t let the summer slip by with everyone plopped in front of the television or behind an iPad screen.  Make good use of these months to create wonderful memories of fun times as a family!
What activities have you planned for your children this summer?  

With love,

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What’s Cookin’ in the Country?

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Last week in our Apples of Gold class I shared a meatless menu.  The benefit of a menu without meat is, of course, that it’s so cost effective.  It also suits those guests that might be vegetarian.  I am a meat lover, but I really enjoy this menu.  It’s filling and you really don’t know you’re missing anything!

I’ve shared the Black Bean Cakes here before.  Have you tried them?  I was surprised how really good they are.  They’re packed with ingredients that give it great flavor.  If you haven’t tried them yet, you need to get this on your menu!  I added a couple new salads that were a great accompaniment and then we ended the meal with a Southern Living cake – Strawberry lemonade.  Wow!  Is that a keeper!

Our lesson was about Loving Our Children, so I wanted to decorate the tables in a way that would be appropriate for entertaining children.  I set out board games for part of the centerpiece, then added flowers that coordinated with the games.  If you’re having game night at your house, why not use the game to set the stage for the meal?




Greek Ravioli Salad
Cucumber Salad with Dill
Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Cucumber Salad with Dill

Ingredients
1 large cucumber
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp light sour cream
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Directions

Peel your cucumber – or you can leave the peel on if you want – slice cucumber into fairly thin slices. Place into a colander and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Set on something to catch the water that drains off, and set aside.
Mix together sour cream, onion, dill, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and place in fridge.
Let cucumbers drain and dressing chill for at least an hour, up to 2 hours.
Before serving, rinse cucumbers under running water briefly. Pat dry with paper towel.

Toss dressing with cucumbers and serve.

Greek Pasta Salad
2 9oz pkgs cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
2 bunches asparagus, cooked and cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup green onion, chopped
1 yellow squash, finely chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
4 oz. Feta Cheese
4 oz. semi-hard cheese (such as Gruyere), grated
1 small can sliced black olives
6 diced tomatoes
Lemon Dressing

Cook ravioli and drain.  Mix all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper ot taste.  Chill.  Serves 8-10 (or more!)

Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 lemon juice
3 Tbl tarragon vinegar
2 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl minced green onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
dash pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with tight-fitting lid.  Shake well and let stand until ingredients are well blended.  Refrigerate.

This cake is a little involved, but is so easy if you spread the prep out over several days.  To make it, I would recommend baking the cake layers a week before you need them and putting them in the freezer.  Then make the jam a few days before, too.  The day before you need the cake, ice it and put it in the fridge so it can set up.  It will be perfect for cutting the next day!


Strawberry Lemonade Cake
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened 
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated 
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 cup milk 
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Shortening

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
2. Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in zest and juice.
3. Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into 4 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
4. Bake at 350° for 16 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter, and spread with about 1/2 cup Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Spoon 1 cup Strawberry Frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe a ring of frosting around cake layer just inside the top edge. Top with second and third cake layers, repeating procedure with filling and frosting between each layer. Top with last cake layer, and spread remaining Strawberry Frosting on top and sides of cake.

Strawberry Lemonade Jam
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation

1. Process strawberries in a blender until smooth; press through a wire-mesh strainer into a 3-qt. saucepan, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice; discard pulp. Stir in sugar.

2. Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch; gradually whisk into strawberry mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place plastic wrap directly on warm jam; chill 2 hours or until cold. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Strawberry Icing
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 drop pink food coloring gel (optional)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth; add strawberries and food coloring (if desired); beat until blended.
2. Beat cream and juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half of cream mixture into cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture. Use immediately.

I hope you’ll incorporate one or more of these recipes into your menu this week.  Stop back and tell me how you like them!  I believe all the apples members enjoyed this meal.  It’s perfect for entertaining and the great thing is that so much can be done the day before.  You’ll look like a perfect hostess all calm and collected!  

Thanks for stopping by my country kitchen,

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Freshen Up Friday

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Sometimes it’s just the little things that make my day, like a glass bottle on my bathroom sink.  Yeah, I’m a bit odd like that.  But the truth is, I don’t like lots of “stuff” on the counter in the bathroom. What is on there needs to be pretty.  I dislike bottles of lotions, toothpaste, or makeup out cluttering up the space.  So I’m always trying to think of either clever ways to disguise the containers or good storage ideas.

I like using a mouthwash, but I didn’t want to leave that ugly bottle sitting out, but if it’s not out where I can see it, I forget to use it!!  So, I looked at TJ Maxx for a pretty bottle to pour it into.  I found this one for $4!  I brought it home, washed it out and poured the remainder of the mouthwash into it.  Now it’ll look pretty and be in plain view so I won’t forget to rinse after brushing!

I know this isn’t genius, but like I said, sometimes it’s just the little things that make you smile.  If your bathroom counter is cluttered up, why not look for pretty ways to display the necessary creams and liquids.  You might want to label the bottles if you have more than one.  You don’t want to rinse your mouth with rubbing alcohol.  =)  That could turn a smiling day into a puckering one!

Stay refreshed,

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Yelling At God

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“Your children are made in the image of God.  
When you are yelling at them, you need to 
understand that you are yelling at God.”

These words were spoken by the mentor who taught our recent Apples of Gold lesson on “Loving your children.”  The truth touched the heart of one of the women, I know, and I’m sure others were struck at the seriousness of this understated action, this

YELLING.
We rationalize it.  A mother might say to herself, “Yelling at our children out of frustration is a natural response, right?  Doesn’t every mother yell at her children?”  But where does it come from?  It comes from our sinful, selfish hearts.  We yell because the children aren’t doing what we told them to do, or they’re not doing it fast enough, or just like we wanted.
So we yell.
The yelling doesn’t make the situation better, nor does it make the child feel better.  And though we might feel better at the moment after releasing our frustration, we feel pretty low once “the moment” has passed.
Perhaps if we could picture ourselves standing in front of our God instead of our child, finger extended, face reddened, body leaning forward slightly, and our voices lifted to Him saying exactly what we just voiced to our child, we would stop before we speak.  Perhaps then we would bow and pray and ask for His help, His grace, His tone, His attitude – all that He uses when He speaks to us.
  • He never raises His voice.
  • He whispers.
  • He loves.
  • He teaches.
Angry disciplinarians produce angry children.
We do need to correct our children when they don’t obey or don’t do what they are told,  but we need to do it with kind tones.  We need to discipline our children, but it must be couched in love.
Stop and listen to yourself when you’re talking to your children today.  How about hitting “record” on the voice recorder on your phone while you’re talking with your child during a frustrating period?  When you play it back, you’ll quickly find out if your tone reflects the way God deals with His children.  Listen with honest ears, then if it’s less than loving, proceed with God’s grace to make the changes necessary.
Are you yelling at God?  Ask Him for forgiveness and then ask for His help.  He will answer you…but it will be in a whisper.
With love,