Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Lysa TerKeurst

















DIY Flock Block Substitute
Author: 
Recipe type: DIY Chicken Treat
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups scratch grains, or any mix of whole grains that you have hanging around
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • ¾ cup wheat germ
  • ½ cup raisins or cranberries
  • ½ cup crushed eggshells or oyster shell
  • 4 eggs + shells, crushed
  • ¾ molasses
  • ½ cup coconut oil, tallow, or lard
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (including the crushed egg shells).
  3. Mix the eggs, molasses and coconut oil in a separate bowl.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
  5. Pour your mixture into a greased pan. You can be creative here. I chose to split mine between an 8x8 metal pan and a round 8" cake pan. You can also use a loaf pan or something larger and deeper. It depends on what you have on hand and how many chickens you are expecting to share the block.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes (longer if you are using a deeper pan). The block is ready when the edges have become dark and the middle is firm.
  7. Allow to cool completely and then serve to your chickens.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015


Image

And The Beet Goes On

   It's really important to make friends with beets as they are one of the best foods for the gallbladder. 
   Beets are helpful in fat digestion, decongesting the gallbladder AND liver and thinning the bile. Not too shabby for a lowly root vegetable!
The bile has several functions in the body. 
   One is to break down the fat in the food we ingest. It is an emulsifier (detergent) that cuts through the fat like detergent cuts through grease, breaking it up into smaller molecules which the body can then distribute for other uses in the body. 

   Bile also helps with the elimination of toxins from the liver. For example, if you breathe in exhaust fumes from a car or a plane, or if you breathe in dust, it goes down into your lungs where your blood picks it up and deposits it into the liver. The liver filters the toxins from the blood and dumps them in the bile for removal. The bile takes them into the intestines for elimination. If the bile gets thick like cream and/or begins to form sludge, and does not flow smoothly, this indicates that the fat metabolism is
deficient, metabolism is deficient. If someone is not metabolizing fats and eats a fatty meal, they will start to burp immediately. This is a symptom of gallbladder trouble. So it is important to keep the bile thin and beets are one of the best foods to do that.   


Monday, September 28, 2015

Grocery shopping….it can be the bane of our existence at times.

We want to make healthy food choices and buy what is best for us and our family, but we want to keep our total bill to a manageable level. Sometimes the balancing act between good for you and good for the pocketbook can be a battle. Oftentimes, we enter the grocery store with the best intentions, but we end up buying more that we need and buying more of the stuff that isn’t entirely the best for our bodies. How can we buy healthier on a budget?
Shop the perimeter of the store first. Plan ahead with a grocery list and remember coupons are your friend.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Every Tom, Dick and Harry has to pass through this phase of life i.e. anxiety. Lots of people in this world has to deal with this condition in one way or the other. In this situation of anxiety your heart beats at a faster pace, one feels baffled and muddled. Anxiety is also a state when one feels worried without any apt reason. It results in poor concentration, trembling, sweating, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing and unwanted negative thoughts and behaviors.

That said, every problem has a solution. You will find different cures, herbs and oils which will help boost your health and control the situation of anxiety. Here are some cures that will control your anxiety:

Take a warm bath – The moment you start feeling anxious it will be a good idea to take a warm bath. It has been the most pleasant and reliable way to soothe your senses. Take the assistance of a balm add a bit of lavender oil in it put it in a tub and its pleasing fragrance will bring a calming effect. Lavender, a 2000 year old herb, has the reputation of offering calming and soothing effect on your nerves. If you don’t want to take a bath you can dab a little bit of lavender oil on your temples and forehead and you can feel its reaction.

Control your breath – Breathing helps in controlling your condition of anxiety. You will have to slow down and deepen your breath. To achieve this, sit down, put your hand over your abdomen and slowly and steadily inhale, this will result in your belly expanding under your hand and your shoulder will not rise. You will have to hold your breath for four or five seconds, then slowly exhale. Repeat this exercise until you feel tranquil.

Drink warm milk – Take the aid of milk when you are feeling restless. Milk contains tryptophan and amino acid which augments the comforting feeling. It’s also an old remedy to control insomnia.

Catnip, the dried herb – When tested on cats, this herb resulted in cats becoming hyperactive, but on humans it has a contrary effect. This herb contains chemicals which act as a mild sedative. Purchase catnip tea bags and you can enjoy the cup as and when you feel anxious.

Avoid taking colas – Avoid all sorts of cola drink including tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks when you feel this condition. Your anxiety condition will become more worrisome if you take caffeinated drink too often.

Aerobic Exercise – This exercise has the healing power. Take a brisk walk of 30-minutes it will enhance your mood and block pain. Beside this do some meditation

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

How to can pumpkin-- it's possible! You can the cubes and then mash when you are needing puree. Easy peasy.
Canning Pumpkin

Kitchen Notes:


The Dumbing Of America

Many Americans are aware that the nation's public education system is bloated, expensive and incompetent, turning out millions of high school graduates who can't read, write or speak well, cannot accurately recite U.S. history, and know very little about civics and government. As a result, more and more Americans are pulling their children out of public schools and either placing them in private secular or religious schools or home-schooling them.

That hasn't traditionally been the case for wealthier Americans, however. For years, most of them have avoided sending their children to public schools, opting instead to send them to pricey, exclusive private schools where they presumably received better educations than their public school counterparts.

All of that seems to be changing now. As reported by CNBC, the wealthy are increasingly pulling their kids out of private schools and opting instead to hire private tutors for in-home instruction.

As the financial news network reported, part of the reason appears to be that competition at elite schools is becoming more fierce – so much so that even exclusive private educations won't adequately prepare the children of the elite.





Tuesday, September 22, 2015

The Spa Treatment
The first step in the Spa Treatment is to give your hen an Epsom salt soak. Fill a tub with water that is warm but not too hot, the temperature that you would want to bathe in. Add a cup of Epsom salt to the water. Set your hen into the tub. Few hens struggle to get out. Yours should settle right in. You might have to gently encourage her to sit down. The water should come up to her chest, but no higher. Let her soak until the water cools. If she is particularly poopy or dirty, you can use soap and wash her, then refill the tub with water and Epsom salts and soak again. (To see how to bathe a hen, watch this  YouTube video.) Gently lift her out of the bath and pat dry with a towel, then use a blow dryer on low. The hens like that, too!

Next in the Spa Treatment is to dose with olive oil. Enabling a hen to clear out her intestinal tract can often set a hen right. Hopefully, your hen is strong enough to eat. Two teaspoons of olive oil helps to move whatever is in her system along. The easiest way to give this to her is to put it on her favorite treat and let her eat it (try it in cooked oatmeal or pieces of bread.) If your hen is not able to peck at and swallow even her favorite treat, then she is likely too sick for the Spa Treatment to work.
Lastly, she needs TLC. If the hen likes being in the quiet safety of a dog crate, away from bullying hens, give her some time on her own. If she prefers to be with the flock, put her back with her friends. Hopefully, all of this care will alleviate the symptoms. If the Spa Treatment is going to help your hen, you’ll know within twenty-four hours. If you see a positive change in your bird, you can give the treatment one more time. However, if there is no change, then whatever she has is more serious that than the Spa Treatment can help. If it doesn’t help, at least it hasn’t hurt, and you’ll have narrowed down what might be causing the symptoms.


Monday, September 21, 2015


Micah Playing With Daddy!
As difficult as it is to cope when life gets messy, we can view struggles as a great opportunity to operate in a new way. Rather than focusing on what’s wrong and imperfect, we can turn our focus to the Perfect One, our heavenly Father. When it’s obvious our best efforts and planning aren’t good enough, we can shift our perspective to the Source of our true strength.

Psalm 18:32, reminds us: Our own strength isn’t enough, but God’s is.

We all want to be strong and competent. 
Striving for perfection is exhausting. But God waits for us to give in and step aside. Once I end my pursuit of perfection, God can begin His perfecting work in me. We’re unable to create perfection, but God makes our way perfect


Commonly put on the skin, elderberry has been utilized for hundreds of years to take care of wounds. It’s also frequently taken orally to take care of respiratory diseases like influenza and colds. In several nations around the world, elder blossom is also very commonly utilized when treating colds and influenza. Some evidence indicates that compounds in the flower and berries may lessen swelling in mucous membranes, like the sinuses, and help reduce nasal blockage. Elder might also have anticancer properties in addition to being antiviral and anti-inflammatory. It is frequently taken in tea form and there are many supplements that make use of its extract.


health benefits of elderberry

Saturday, September 19, 2015


October
The Bees
The bees are busy gathering the last bits of nectar and pollen they can find. There are a few late blooming flowers that provide both of these (asters, rabbit brush etc) to help the hive prepare for the coming winter. They are also busy gathering propolis to seal the hive against drafts which can harm the colony while in cluster formation, drafts/cracks allow cold air to blow into the hive and can chill and kill the outer cluster bees and reduce the overall population which keeps the queen
and colony warm.

The workers are now starting to kick out almost all of the drones to help reserve the honey stores for those bees that will actually help the colony survive. A few drones may be retained throughout the winter for reasons not completely understood so if you see them flying on warm days don't be concerned (unless you see lots of them, then you could have a drone laying queen or an egg laying worker).


Wednesday, September 16, 2015


Garlic Planted
I planted garlic yesterday. Each garlic bulb is divided into cloves. I plant each clove 3 inches deep and 6 inches apart. That's it! Your garlic is ready for winter.
 

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Only Thing Keeping Me From Doing The Right Thing Is Me! 
I know what I should do … what I could do … but when it comes right down to it, excuses slip in and override my good intentions:

  • I want to read my Bible every day, but I’m tired and I have worked so hard at the gym..
  • I could go to the nursing home and visit, but those people don't need me.
  • I should start a diet … but this lasagna and garlic bread are calling my name! I’ll start tomorrow.

And so it goes. The Bible says the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38). I must be a super weakling, because self-discipline is as unnatural to me as exercise.

Recently, I heard today’s key verse  and it gave me a new perspective on self-discipline. It’s a familiar verse to me and I love the first part of it: "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).


Monday, September 14, 2015

 Birthday Boy
Our grandson was 1 this past weekend. He loves Mickey Mouse. Who doesn't! So the theme of the party was pretty much Mickey all the way. 
Sweet Potatoes
I finally dug my sweet potatoes yesterday. I had only planted six slips, so I think it was a good return. Sweet potatoes are on my list of vegetables to plant next year.


Sunday, September 13, 2015



chicken
Our public food supply is being taken over by corporations which have no qualms about using the most horrifying and inhumane practices in order to increase output and profits. This is a rather new development in the history of farming, and in just a few short years the entire landscape of meat production has turned into something so cruel, and so horrible, that people are becoming outraged.

Look at these birds! How can anyone be so cruel?


Thursday, September 10, 2015

Leaves turning and falling signal important tasks for your home and garden. Make sure your spaces are ready for a long Winter's nap. Learning what are and how to use the various attachments for your vacuum can maximize its efficiency. Take an old-fashioned approach to cleaning, using gentle soaps and simple products you can find in your kitchen, such as baking soda or white vinegar. It's a must! 



Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Door To Door House Calls
Health insurance is such a joke that some companies aren't accepting it at all anymore. These companies are approaching healthcare the old-fashioned way by sending doctors straight to patients' doors and charging flat fees. Instead of taking health insurance and charging high deductibles, the companies charge a simple, honest fee for their services.

The companies are also using computer apps to make the medical house calls easier. One company, a startup called Heal, charges $99 for a house call or $200 for a family checkup. The company operates like a mobile urgent care clinic and deploys fully trained doctors straight to a patient's front door to treat anything from strep throat to lacerations that need to be stitched. Heal, which is based in Los Angeles, even promises to have a doctor "to your sofa in under an hour."

 

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Hash Brown Casserole
1 lb. sausage
Package of hash browns
Pour over potatoes and sausage, 5 eggs, 1/2 cup milk and 12oz. cheddar cheese.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.




Monday, September 7, 2015



'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.'*


I want to have that alert mind and be on the lookout for ways to pray more personal, specific prayers for everyone in my sphere of influence … especially the teachers in my world.

So as this new school year begins, will you join me in prayer for our teachers? Whether they’re public or private teachers, home-schooling parents, college professors, children’s church leaders or Bible study teachers, they’re all influencing others.


Thursday, September 3, 2015


Beautiful fall colors, the smell of leaves and fresh baked bread, sweater and scarves, football, and of course, National Honey Month. That’s right, September is National Honey Month, and this month we want to focus on all the benefits that make honey sweet enough to have its very own month!

Now, of course honey is the fabulous kitchen staple that we turn to for a touch of sweetness, to balance out flavors (like the bitterness of gluten-free flour), add beautiful color to any dish, lock in moisture of grilled meats (making it the perfect tailgate sidekick) and even extend shelf life of baked goods. We also know that honey is a great all-natural alternative to granulated sweetener, but this liquid gold can do so much more than just add a touch of sweetness to your tea.

  • Thanks to its humectant and antimicrobial properties, honey boasts being an effective moisturizer and fights bacteria to keep skin clear and breakout-free, making it a great addition to any beauty regimen.
  • Have a pesky cough that won’t relent? You can use honey for that too! Just a small dose of honey given before bedtime provided the greatest improvement of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children over one year of age compared to dextromethorphan and no treatment (and it also soothes your sore throat with a touch of sweetness).
  • Needing a little extra boost to push you through your workout? Honey’s got you covered with 17 grams of carbohydrates, and only 64 calories, per tablespoon for an all-natural burst of energy.
So in celebration of National Honey Month, and our namesake’s various benefits, this edition of Honey Feast features recipes that showcase the versatility of nature’s favorite sweetener.


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

When you have your flavoring choice and sweetener together, warm up 3 cups of half-and-half or 1.5 cups of milk and 1.5 cups of cream sufficiently to dissolve the flavored powders and sweeteners of choice. Here's the list of 25 flavors mixtures, courtesy of The Organic Prepper.

1) Mocha Java: 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 4 tbsp of muscovado or brown sugar
2) Mexican Mocha: Same as Mocha Java, but add 1 tsp of cinnamon
3) Nutella or Chocolate Hazelnut: 4 tbps of Nutella, sweetener unnecessary
4) Gingerbread: 2 tsp molasses, 2 tbsp of muscavodo or brown sugar, 1/2 tsp each of ginger, clove, and cinnamon
5) Almond Toffee: 4 tbsp of your sugar choice, 1 tsp of almond extract
6) Vanilla Latte: 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, 4 tbsp of turbinado sugar
7) Great White North Maple Java: 6 tbsp of pure maple syrup
8) Mocha Mint: 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp of pur peppemint extract, 4 tbsp of turbinado sugar
9) Cinnamon Roll: 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 4 tbsp of muscovado or brown sugar, a dash of sea salt
10) Caramel Mockiatto: 6 tbsp of muscovado or brown sugar, dash of salt, 1 tbsp of cocoa, 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
11) Amaretto: 1 tbsp almond extract, 4 tbsp turbinado or white sugar
12) Cherry Amaretto: 1 tbsp almond extract, 4 tbsp turbinado or white sugar, 1/2 tsp of cherry extract
13) White Chocolate Mocha: 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 tsp of cocoa -- whisk the chips in the warm milk enough to melt and mix them
14) Mint White Chocolate: Just like #13, but add 1 tsp of pure peppermint extract
15) Black Forest: 2 tbsp cocoa, 4 tbsp muscovado or brown sugar, 1 tsp of cherry extract
16) Chocolate Coconut Mocha: 2 tbsp cocoa, 4 tbsp turbinado or white sugar, 2 tsp coconut extract, or use coconut milk for half of your milk cream mixture
17) Irish Cream: 2 tbsp cocoa, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 2 tbsp instant coffee, 4 tbsp turbinado sugar
18) Eggnog: 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 tsp rum extract, 1 tsp nutmeg
19) Pumpkin Pie Latte: No need for Starbucks! 3 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 4 tbsp muscovado or brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
20) Hazelnut: 1 tsp hazelnut extract, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 4 tbsp turbinado or white sugar
21) Frangelico Cream: 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp of hazelnut extract, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 4 tbsp of muscovado or brown sugar
22) Chai Latte: Simmer 3 Chai tea bags in creamer, mix with 4 tbsp muscovado or brown sugar
23) Chocolate Raspberry: 4 tbsp seedless raspberry jelly, 2 tbsp cocoa powder
24) Almond Joy: 2 tbsp of cocoa, 4 tbsp of turbinado or white sugar, 1 tsp almond extract, 2 tsp coconut extract or replace half your milk mixture with coconut milk
25) Salted Caramel: 6 tbsp muscovado or brown sugar, dash of salt.


 

 


 
 Tomatoes, sauce and salsa. Green beans, beets, pickles.
 Honey
 Pear preserves
Summer Bounty
So if you ever opened a jar of store bought tomato sauce and thought, “how can I make tomato sauce at home” then you’re going to love today’s post. And if you ever wondered how to make your own cream soups for recipes instead of the condensed chemical filled ones from the store, then you’ll love my processed replacement make your own cream of soup replacement. Now that’s a whole lotta foodie love happening.
You might think organic tomato sauce isn’t too expensive to purchase from the store, but all of the tomato sauce in my neck of the woods from store, even organic, is in metal cans. And we all know tomatoes are a bit acid, which means the bad chemicals in the metal cans is leached out at a higher rate than regular vegetables. You can read Why You Should Never Use Canned Tomatoes here.
So what’s a person to do? Make their own tomato sauce of course. And I’ve got just the homemade tomato sauce recipe for you, with canning instructions for both the water bath and the pressure canner. Yep, because a girl can never have too many options or canning recipes. Right?!
First off, you can use any tomato, but truly, paste tomatoes are the best for making sauces. Why you ask? (I love it when you ask questions, I truly do) Paste tomatoes have less water inside and are fleshier, meaning a thicker sauce without so much reduction time. And saving time, I’m all about saving time in the kitchen.
Some good paste tomato options are Roma tomatoes and of course, the mother of all paste tomatoes and possibly, quite possibly, the best paste tomato of the bunch is the heirloom San Marzano Lungo No. 2 (it also happens to be one of the varieties I grew this year and ripened first) We liked the flavor diced and tossed onto pizza, but it really shines in sauces and pastes.

What you’ll need to make tomato sauce: Recipe adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Canning *affiliate link This should be front and center on any home canner’s shelf, it’s packed with cook recipes and tips
Tomatoes (about 20 pounds makes 7 pints of sauce)
Bottled lemon juice
Salt
Basil (optional)
Canning jars, lids, and bands



Tuesday, September 1, 2015




David's beautiful Victorian doll house is for sale. Asking 200.00. For information call 270-799--7922


Female Hummingbird And Bee

Busybodies can look busy, but in reality they are busy with things that don’t concern them. As a result, they neglect the work they should be doing.

This truth cut right to my heart. When I take on responsibilities that aren’t mine to assume, I’m ineffective in what I am called to do. As a result, my schedule gets chaotic, and the people I love suffer from my too-busy life.

Here’s another truth. The Bible doesn’t say we need to be busy all the time. We need God’s wisdom to know when to work and when to stop. Jesus modeled rest as well as hard work. He knew when to draw away from the crowds, from ministry, from work and press pause in the middle of the day. Jesus also modeled honoring the Sabbath as a complete day of rest and honor to God.

The Bible shows us how to be busy in a healthy way. We can learn to care for our priorities and not take on those assigned to others. We are not slaves to being over busy. We can trust God to help us get our work done in six days so we can honor His command to rest.