Silliness is sometimes the best ingredient in family fun.  I was recently reminded of a silly thing our Alli and her daddy would do every single day when she was in elementary school.

They had a name that they would lovingly call one another – it was Buster.  Then it got to be a game to see who could call the other person a Buster before the other.  They would creep out of bed, looking for one another, hiding, sneeking, and creeping around doors and hallways so they could jump out and YELL,

Pitchfork religion.  Ever heard of it?  It happens when someone hears preaching – let’s say on gossip, and they think of  Mrs. So-and-So, who is “the biggest gossip in town.”  The tendency is to think, “She sure needs to hear this message!” forgetting that her last phone conversation included talking about her neighbors who had just moved in.  In Pitchfork religion the application of the preaching is always for someone else, because, after all, it’s sure easier to see everyone else’s sins as worse than our own.

When Joshua, the great warrior of the Lord was dying, he gave commands to the children of Israel.  One directive was,

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp butter
1 Cup chopped onion
1 Cup Green pepper, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
8 Cups Frozen Hash browns, thawed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 ounces diced ham
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and ham; cook 16 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Now, on to dessert…

My husband could be a Cookie Monster.  In the day, he would devour a package of cookies in a sitting.  No more.  Now he’s far more conscious of how long it takes to remove the pounds!  But he does indulge in a single cookie with great delight.  One of his favorites is a soft sugar cookie with icing- the kind you see in the bakery section of the grocery store.  When I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Perfect Frosted Sugar Cookies, I knew he would love it if I made those for him.  I was right! =)

After I baked them, I put them in a freezer bag and popped them into the freezer.  When he wants a cookie, he just pulls one out and pops it into the microwave for a few seconds.  He says they’re every bit as good as the one at the bakery!  All they need is a glass of milk!

This recipe says it makes 1 dozen cookies, but those are huge. I made mine normal size and got a little more than 2 dozen.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup all vegetable shortening (unflavored), at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 recipe Vanilla Frosting, recipe follows
Vanilla Frosting
• 1/3 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp half-and-half – or milk
• food coloring, optional

• Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, then whisk it just a few times, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, on medium speed, whip together butter, shortening and sugar until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in egg and mix until combine, then add egg white, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combine. With mixer running, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 during the last 10 minutes of refrigeration.
• Scoop dough out an even 1/4 cup at a time (If you want BIG cookies)  and roll into a ball. Place dough ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle top lightly with flour, then using something flat and smooth (such as the storage container lid), press and evenly flatten dough to 1/2″ thick (so you should have about a 2 2/3″ – 2 3/4 ” circular cookie). Transfer flattened dough to a Silpat or buttered cookie sheet and repeat process with remaining dough (you’ll have to use 2 cookie sheets). Bake in preheated oven 9 – 11 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with Vanilla Frosting (note that frosting begins to set quickly so if you are adding sprinkles, sprinkle each cookie immediately after frosting it, don’t frost the whole batch of cookies then try to sprinkle them because the sprinkles wont stick).
Vanilla Frosting
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Mix in food coloring if desired 

What is your fella’s favorite treat?  

From my parsonage kitchen,

                                            
Another great thing to make for the freezer is Waffles.  Bake them up, then let them cool.  Place in freezer bags with waxed paper in between layers.

                                              
Money Saving Mom posted a recipe for frozen biscuit dough.  I’m anxious to try them!

Do you freeze something I haven’t mentioned?

Be refreshed,
                           

Mommies say a lot of things to their children. All day.  Every day.

“It’s time to get up.”
“I said it’s time to get up!”
“Fine.  You’re going to be late for school.”
“Did you wash your face?”
“Hurry and eat your breakfast.”
“Where’s your other shoe?”
“Stop hitting your brother.”
“Don’t forget your lunch!”
“Leave the car window up.”
“Stay out of the puddles.”
“Don’t throw that!”
“Eat your supper.”
“You’re not allowed to watch that show.”
“You can’t have a snack because you didn’t eat your supper.”
“It’s time for your bath.”
“Get back in bed.”
“If I have to tell you one more time…”

Children don’t come already trained, so it’s mommy’s responsibility to teach them, and we use our words to do just that.  It’s necessary.  But what if we went from talking at our children to talking to our children?  Is there a difference?  Yes, I believe so.  The phrases at the beginning of this post would be considered talking at our children. 

What if at bedtime we say to our child who is of school age and is having trouble getting up in the mornings:

“Your alarm clock is set for 6:30.  When it goes off in the morning, because you’re going to bed when Mommy has told you, you will have slept for nine hours!  You need to get up and turn off the alarm.  Then after you’ve washed up in the bathroom, come downstairs for breakfast.  We’re going to have your favorite Blueberry muffins and oatmeal before you go to school!  As long as you get up right away, you’ll have time for both the oatmeal and the muffin.  If you sleep in, you’ll have toast instead of the muffin. Now let’s pray and ask the Lord to help you sleep well and get up  on time.”

While talking to your child doesn’t guarantee obedience and compliance, it sets the precedence for what is expected and what will happen if they choose to disobey.  Instead of nagging all day long, moms need to be instructing them (talk to their child) before the situations arise.

Consider another scenario:

Before you head to the grocery store you talk to your child, eyeball to eyeball and tell them what’s on the agenda for the afternoon and what’s expected of them.  Then there are no surprises.

“Rebecca, Mommy has to go to town and go to the grocery store.  Before we leave, you may choose a CD you’d like to listen to in the car.   We’re not going to buy treats at the store today, but you may take a snack with you from our snack basket to eat while I shop.  I will need you to stay in the cart while I shop, so you will be safe.  Now, when can you eat your snack?  Where are you to sit while I shop?  That’s right!   Will you help me count how many things we put into our cart?  When we get home, if you have obeyed by sitting in the cart and not asking for treats, we’ll read your book, “Ten Items or Less.”  Ready to find a CD and a snack?  Let’s go!”

By talking to your child beforehand, you’ve told them what’s going to happen, what they can do and what they can’t do.  You’ve also told them about the reward if they obey.  You have provided instruction so that the begging in the store, the whining to get down, the asking for everything they see has already been addressed.  If they start with those scenarios, you ask, “What did we talk about in the living room before we left?”  If it continues, remind them they’ve lost the reward of the story afterwards.  If it still continues, then leave the cart and the groceries, and head to the car to do the necessary instruction on their “seat of learning” in private.  Then return to the store.

It’s so much more loving to talk to your child before situations arise. I’m sure thankful the Lord gives us loving instruction in His Word.  He is our example. We need to love our child enough to instruct them.  We respect them enough to know that they can listen and obey.  And the truth is, that you’ll be doing much less of the nagging-kind of talking at your child because you’ve spent quality time talking to them.  You’ll notice the difference, and so will your child!

What part of instructing your child is most challenging to you?

With love,