SRKindredSpirits

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook and bake, but I HATE very much dislike washing dishes! Well I still don't care for dish duty, but there are a few things I've found that help to make clean up easier when it comes to a sink full of dirty dishes! First of all, let me say that if there is one thing to spurge on in your kitchen, you should get a nice set of non-stick pans.  Earlier, this year my hubby bought me   a complete set of The Pampered Chief Executive Cookware  ( both the 7 piece & 5 piece )!! Here is a post with more info and some of my other favorite kitchen items. OK, so I really like my pan set, but sometimes, while cooking, I get expectantly called away from the kitchen. (that's what happens when you have three small kids, home school, run a home biz and try to operate a small homestead!) Occasionally, I come back (quite awhile later) to the stove only to find the inside of my pan looking somewhat like this: (Now, I'm sure non

  Stumbling Into Grace By Lisa Harper  "Confessions of a Sometimes Spiritually Clumsy Woman"  Rating: 5 Stars I must admit..... I LOVED this book! Sometimes, I get the feeling that all devotional books seem to blend together, sounding the same - but NOT this one!!!  I was happily surprised that Lisa Harper's "Stumbling Into Grace" was new and refreshing and everything I need in a devotional! I don't think there's a Christian woman who can't relate to this book. It 'hits the heart' in all the right spots.  Lisa never tries to hide her past or embarrassing moments, but uses them to encourage, teach and provide a little humor for you along the way.  It's nice to know I'm not the only one who makes a fool of myself on a regular basis. Stumbling Into Grace is the diary-devotional of one woman's honest, ongoing, bumbling journey of faith and how she finds encouragement through a deeper understanding of Christ&

veggies from the garden.....   I enjoy canning food for my family...... I love to open the pantry doors and know that I did my part to in feeding our family over the winter months!         My canning shelves the hubby built for me.... they are right by the garage door off the kitchen - I love them! Here is a list of some of my homemade canning must-haves.......  Green Beans ready for the canner....... Note: My oldest Daughter does not like cooked green beans...... she likes them raw.....straight from the garden!  Sweet Potatoes -  click here for the reciepe to make the best sweet potato bread you've ever ate ! Sweet Pickels   Squash - If you run out of pumpkin for pumpkin pie - Squash is a great substitute ( acually my hubby likes the squash pies better than pumpkin!) Chicken Broth - Pork Broth - Beef Broth - doen't have MSG in like store bought Shredded Po rk - great for bbq or reg. sandwiches T

Yesterday, August 31, 2011 our Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat  'Jelly Bean' had her first baby kids...... Twins!!! Meet 'Starburst' and 'Skittles' 'Starburst' was born at 11:18 pm and weighed in at 3 1/2 # - he is a big boy! 'Skittles' was born a few minutes later and weighed in at 2 3/8# - such a sweet tiny little girl!   Babies are doing great and Jelly Bean has turned into a fine Momma.  my helper during their birth..... (I think this counts as a learning experience.....don't ya love home school!!)     Baby Bug 'checkin' the baby out.....  I was raised on a farm, around cows, sheep, pigs, etc., but this is the first time I was the 'responsible' adult ( hubby missed it by just minutes ) in the whole goat birthing process..... every time I see the miracle of birth, I'm reminded of what a awesome God we have! We are gonna let the baby's be with momma the next 10 days and then

 This past weekend, we enjoyed a small vacation to Kentucky. On Friday, we stopped at the Diamond Caverns in Park City, KY. The Caverns are located just off I-65 at Exit 48 you can visit thier web site here.  The guided tour was a little over 1 hour in length, which included 1/2 mile and 350 stairs scattered throughout. The cave was a comfortable 58* which felt great on a humid summer day! This cave has three levels - the first two we walked through.... the third level has a river running through it, but is not open for tours. I am always amazed at God's creation.....  ......God is so Big, Powerful, Almighty..... .....the Splender and Beauty                             ....pictures don't compare!  Me and my baby girl.... (she wasn't too impressed with it!) the two oldest both liked the cave..... It is beyond me, how someone can look at God's Awesome Creation such as this and say there is no God..... "For the invisible things of him (God) fr

I am thankful that we switched from prescription drugs to  Shaklee's all natural food supplements for more reason than I can list. - But today, it may have just saved the life of my 17 month old baby girl, Adilayia Rose!  Adilayia Rose..... she is dirty from playing outside and is teething, so she has drool all down her shirt!  You see, today, after a busy morning in my 'office', helping hubby put up a new garage door opener in the shop, and picking tomatoes, I was more than a little behind in household chores. Anyway, I was busy in the kitchen making salsa to can. I had noticed that my son, QW (4 yr. old) was getting a drink of water with the fridge door open. Layia was with him, but since this is nothing unusual, I kept working up my tomatoes. My oldest daughter was busy practicing her piano for her first piano recital next week (she is doing really well!) and I was happily humming along in the kitchen. After she finished, I noticed that the two

I love the smell of fresh herbs and I am slowly learning how to cook with more herbs.........the only problem is that when you live in zone 5, it's quite hard to always have fresh herbs in the garden year round! Thus, you must  preserve them! One of my Herb beds.... Have you ever had trouble keeping fresh herbs fresh? Do your cilantro and parsley go wilty, limpy, or dry after a few days? The trick involves the clever use of a plastic bag. How to Store Parsley, Cilantro, and Other Fresh Herbs: 1 - Snip off the bottom of the stems. 2 - Make sure the leaves are completely dry. Better to hold off rinsing them until you're about to use them. 3 - Fill a jar or a water glass partially with water and place the stem ends of the herbs into the water in the jar. 4 - If you are storing the herbs in the refrigerator, cover loosely with a plastic bag. Cilantro loves cool temperatures and should be stored in the refrigerator.   Parsley can be stored at room temperature or