Herbs Post at Blissfully Domestic

Want a jumpstart on your herb garden for next year? Read my little article about getting started at Blissfully Domestic!

Spiderweb Munch

I made this Halloween treat for my office a few years ago. It only takes four ingredients (crisped rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar) and is very forgiving. I got it out of a Nestle Toll House book, but they now have the recipe available online. Add a fake spider and you're all set!

Pumpkin Report

My pumpkin harvest ended with these four, half-green specimen.

I wanted to grow my own pumpkins for carving. They're great if I'm trying to carve frogs. But I wasn't. I tried to cure them in my house because it's warm, but one of them got moldy. I gave another away to my sister-in-law, so I'm left with a little one and the big one, which I carved last night.



The Mortified Mommy
(You did what on the carpet? Again!)

In future years, I vow to time my pumpkin plantings better, water them regularly, trim the vines to promote fruit growth, harvest them at the last possible second, wash them with a bleach solution to discourage mold, and carve something cuter into them. I'll be happy if I just remember to water them, though. Apart from some potatoes and carrots still in the ground, thus ends my gardening season. Whew!

Queen of the Castle

Lynn Bowen Walker wrote an excellent book a few years ago entitled Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged, or Just Plain Tired Homemaker. In it, she covers a wide range of issues that today's Christian homemaker faces. There are chapters on taking care of ourselves, a few devoted to the importance of homemaking, one discussing the Sabbath, at least one for each major holiday throughout the year, and others for cleaning, gardening, and more! Each week begins with two new vocabulary words to stretch your brain. Then, Lynn weaves personal stories illustrating that week's theme with numerous quotes and ideas from books. She sprinkles in fun facts and research about holidays, as well as recipes (including a chocolate break every month!), and fun family activities. Chapters end with a Bible passage and short prayer.

I loved this book. I didn't have 52 weeks to read it (the library gave me 4) and for some reason I read it backward, but every week was full of encouragement and inspiration. I can't wait to try some of the chocolate break desserts, and I'm definitely copying the 9-day Easter treasure hunt, during which you hide little things around the house for kids and then read Bible passages relating to the Easter story. Lynn has read many, many books (like Lauren F. Winner's Mudhouse Sabbath), some of which I have read too! I love not only the wisdom that Lynn shares from both her own life and the best of all of these books, but also the very practical ways to hone our homemaking skills. If you're not a full-time homemaker (or even a mom), I'm convinced that you can still enjoy this heartfelt, sometimes hilarious, book. Lynn blogs at Queen of the Castle Recipes, so check out some of her great food ideas. (G - heartily recommended)

Patio Area Transformation

First, I would like to say that I was hugely blessed by the outpouring of love yesterday from my (in)courage article. God was able to use humble words I wrote months ago to encourage and reaffirm people right now. That is why I love writing.

Now, I wish I could say I love landscaping as much, but I don't. I told you that when we moved onto our property we had a few mature trees and dirt. Weeds were a free bonus. Here was our original patio area.

Here is our patio, which I installed by hand about two years ago. I shared some of the joys of creating the patio in my cats in my yard post. My husband's family did assist in the laying of the flagstone and the digging of the hole.

And here it is last week, with a little extra landscaping, a stone path behind the shed, etc. Totally love it and can't wait to add the rest of the plants the landscape designer suggested.  



You may also notice that the shed is a different color. I painted that puppy.

So, when it warms up again, please come and visit us. I'll serve you lemonade on the patio, all hospitable like.

Saying "No" to Good Things at (In)courage.me

Today I'm going to refer you to (in)courage, where I wrote the guest post. (Imagine me just about bursting with excitement!) Please head over there and check out their beautiful site and an article that I wrote about turning down good things.

If you're here visiting from (in)courage, please snoop around. I specialize in book reviews, chocolate desserts, quirky things about my home state of Montana, and garden disasters. Thanks for visiting!

The Book of Jane Review

The Book of Jane, by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt, reads like any other Christian chick-lit book. Except it's engaging. And well-written. And a modern retelling of the book of Job.

Jane Williams, the title character, has everything an up-and-coming New Yorker could want (job, boyfriend, apartment, dog). Then, she loses it all in the span of 24 hours. The story really begins at her lowest moment and where she goes (with God) from there.

I loved this book. Not only was it well-paced, but it had enough tasteful humor and realistic characters. The supporting cast they created kept me laughing and crying. (I did tear up at one point.)

In some books, the main character makes poor decisions. In this one, she kept making good ones (mostly), and bad things still happened. (That whole book of Job thing.) I enjoyed seeing how she kept her trust in God intact and had a good attitude through her trials. Even though I'm a stay-at-home mom in rural Montana, I could relate to her struggles. If you want a fast, fun, clean read, give this one a try. (G - highly recommended)

What Kind of Prize is this?

So, when I made the announcement that I was doing a giveaway because I was up to 20 followers, I didn't say what it was. I really wanted to give away $20, but hey, that's my allowance we're talking here, and I need that money for chocolate. So, I'm giving away half that, $10, which still leaves me with enough for some Dove dark chocolate bars.

Random.org picked the fourth comment, which happened to be....Nicole. Congrats! I'm sending it off in today's mail.

Thanks to everyone who entered and everyone who actually reads this thing I call a blog. I couldn't and probably wouldn't do it without you. Love, Bitterroot Mama

Really Big Biscuits

I recently ran across Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Owlhaven at the library. It's a fantastic cookbook that combines money-saving shopping techniques with family-friendly recipes. We have similar approaches to shopping (We don't use many coupons and only buy essential organic produce.) and similar taste buds. Reading the book was like listening to an older and wiser friend. (The author also keeps a wonderful blog over at http://www.owlhaven.net/.) I tried out a few of the recipes on my family and they were mostly very tasty. I'm going to try her Spanish Rice Bake this week, but I already know her biscuits are wonderful - and shortening-free. I recommend making a half batch for smaller families.

Really Big Biscuits (Yield: 16 big biscuits)
(adapted from Family Feasts for $75 a Week)
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Add milk slowly.
3. Knead dough on the counter about 15 times or until it's combined. Roll out the dough to 1" thick. Cut biscuits into desired shape and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the outside is slightly browned. Wonderful if eaten still warm!

Oh, and if you're entering the contest, this is the last post on which you can leave a comment this week. The contest is open until 12:00 p.m. MST on Friday, October 15, 2010. Did I mention that there will be monetary prizes? Up to one comment per day can be left on this week's (Oct. 11-15, 2010) posts for an entry. Winners will be chosen by random.org and announced on Monday.

My Bulb Addiction

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I LOVE BULBS! Every year I plant over 100 of them in my landscape. This year I was supposed to take it easy, but then I was at Costco and just had to buy 100 allium bulbs. And then my grandma, bless her heart, sent me 50 late-flowering tulips. If they weren't late-flowering I would have just kissed them goodbye because of what happens to my other tulips.

Look to the back of the picture to see half-eaten tulips.

But, it was a beautiful day yesterday and I wanted to finish up a little garden project. So, I planted all 150 of them (and two heads of garlic) during the baby's afternoon nap.

People who plant bulbs have to have advanced delayed gratification. Only 6 months until I can see them in their beauty. Of course, by then it'll be a complete surprise because I'll have forgotten where I planted them. Do you have any spring-flowering bulb planting extravaganzas planned or am I the only crazy one?

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

He had me at the byline: "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"

I've been married a short five years, but I had never contemplated marriage like this before. I knew that I had become a little less selfish and that I'd learned to compromise and treat my husband with respect. But the kind of selfless love and spiritual growth described in this book were not on my radar when I said, "I do."

In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas takes readers through a journey of how marriage can draw us closer to God. He uses all sorts of examples of how marriage can be done right and wrong. One thing I loved about the book is the assertion that Christians can pursue God in their current circumstances; we don't have to be monks or nuns to experience God's presence. We serve God by serving our spouses and learning through the trials in marriage that inevitably come.

In fact, marriage can be a huge mirror of the unrepented sin in our own lives. How many times has my husband told me I'm a crazy control freak (the last time just last night)? There is another way I could respond to those assertions, namely confessing my sin and asking God to help me change!

As much as I loved this book (and totally recommend it - PG-13 for lots of marriage talk), the lines that spoke to me the most weren't really about marriage. They also weren't written by the author. He quotes a long passage from Gary and Betsy Riccuci's Love That Lasts that opened up a new perspective on my life as a stay-at-home mom. They assert that I was created to be a servant, which is the genuine path to spiritual greatness. "Significance is found in giving your life away, not in selfishly trying to find personal happiness." That's been my problem this whole time - trying to find some significance in my new identity. But - news flash - it's not about me anymore. And, I suppose, it never was.

This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.

An Election Time Agenda

If you're like me, you're looking forward to the end of election season so that your mail contains more bills and rejection letters from children's magazines and fewer candidate advertisements.

I'm glad that we receive a voter information pamphlet, because I had no idea that some of these issues were on the ballot. I find it difficult to know what/who to vote for, so I thought I'd share some of my methods with you.

1. Get to know the candidates. Granted, this is easier to do in local elections because there are usually debates and forums for the candidates. I also happened to know quite a few of our candidates from working directly with them at the county, taking dance lessons from one of them, and helping lead an ecumenical youth group at one of the candidate's houses. (My husband also spilled chili on this person's NICE rug, so he kind of owes this person a vote.) Even if you don't get to snoop through that person's bathroom cabinets (not that we do that), you'll get a better feel for her.

2. Vote for the person, not the party. Once you get to know the people, vote for the one that will do the best job. While working for our county, I knew people on both sides of the political spectrum who were kind to employees and hard workers. I also knew people on both sides who were long-winded, lazy, and jerks to their employees. I'm not saying that the person's platform doesn't matter. It does. It just probably won't be as far-reaching as, say, the president, who gets to appoint people to the Supreme Court.

3. If you can, get the real story. There really are at least two sides to every issue. When I worked on a large, controversial project here locally, there was the true story, and then there was the story that was being spread by biased and misinformed groups. Some of the ballot issues may have the same kind of problem. Special interest groups want to make changes. The pamphlet they send you in the mail looks very convincing, but is it true? If possible, do a little research on the internet or ask people you know close to the source to determine what's really going on. It may change your vote.

Yes, researching the issues takes time, but it's the least you can do as a citizen. We have a wonderful opportunity to vote on issues and people who will be shaping our future. So, please do your homework and then vote!

Happy 20 Followers Week!

Dearest Followers and Readers,
This week I will be celebrating YOU! This blog now has 20 public followers, and who knows how many private ones, so if you're one of my followers or a normal reader, please leave a comment to let me know you a little better. If you comment anonymously, be sure to leave at least your initials or first name so I can identify you for the prize later this week. Oops! Did I give it away? You can enter up to a comment a post this week. And the prize, well, it'll be good, whatever it is. :) Thanks again for reading.
Love,
Bitterroot Mama

Half a Pound Cake (with Strawberry Topping)

We had a delightful time with the couple we had over for dinner last night. For dessert, I wanted to make pound cake. My husband decided it should be strawberry shortcake, so I ended up going against my rule of making something new for guests and made pound cake with a strawberry topping and whipped cream. Success! Here's how you can recreate this dessert.

Half a Pound Cake
(adapted from Michael Ruhlman's Ratio)
8 oz. butter (1 cup; 2 sticks), at room temperature

8 oz. sugar (approx. 1 1/8 c.)

1 tsp. salt
8 oz. eggs (4 large eggs plus one egg yolk), at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. flour (approx. 1 3/4 c.)


1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9" loaf pan.

2. Cream butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about a minute. Add sugar and salt and beat until the butter is pale and has increased in volume about 1/3. Add the eggs slowly. Add the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed and add the flour. Mix until just incorporated.

3. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for an hour. Loaf is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.



This loaf survived until dessert time by my amazing
powers of self-control.

 Strawberry Topping (serves 4)
(adapted from The New Best Recipe)

3/4 lb. strawberries, hulled

2 Tbsp. sugar
Puree a little less than half of the strawberries. Add sugar. Slice the rest of the strawberries and add to the puree. Allow it to macerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
 
Whipped Cream
Heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract (opt.)
 
1. Chill a whisk and glass bowl in the freezer while gathering ingredients. Then remove from freezer.
2. Add whipping cream, sugar to taste, and a little vanilla extract to bowl and whisk (electric beaters are wonderful) until stiff peaks form.
3. Chill until serving.

Feeding Picky Dinner Guests

Photo from Sxc.hu. This is NOT my
actual table, but I do like to fold
my cloth napkins for guests.

You're planning a dinner party and have visions of feeding your guests your grandma's lasagna recipe. Then you hear one of your guests is lactose-intolerant. Another is on a gluten-free diet. Now what can you serve?

Between diets, allergies, and plain old pickiness, it keeps getting harder to feed your guests. The focus of hospitality is to try to meet your guest's needs as best as possible, not focus on your great cooking (although I'm sure it's tasty!).  According to Lauren Winner's book, some Jewish families serve all of a meal's courses at one time to draw attention away from a finicky eater (in case he or she doesn't like one of the dishes).

You can try that and the following ways to keep everyone happy and focused on the fellowship, not the food.

1. Ask your guests in advance if they have food issues. There's nothing worse than watching a steaming casserole coming out of the oven to see that it has [insert disgusting food here] in it. At this point, your picky guest may say, "I ate before I came" and excuse themselves early to play with the kids.

2. Don't make a big deal out of it when they're there. Picky people especially might be embarrassed of having a special meal made just for them. You also don't want to hear about the bowel problems of the gluten-free person, so don't even bring it up! Even if this is not the way you do food at your house, try to be considerate of your guests.

3. Ask the guest to bring a dish for the meal. That way you know there will be at least ONE thing they can eat.

4. Ditch the casseroles and stick with whole foods. You can feed a wider variety of people if the meal components are separate. Think shredded pork (or a roast or ham) in a crockpot, a bowl of rice with parsley (for the gluten-free person), green beans in another dish (sans bacon for the vegetarian). The simpler, the better. Karen Ehman noted in her book, A Life that Says Welcome, that people want simple, delicious food and lots of it.

5. Provide options. Have a taco bar or baked potato bar where people can add whichever toppings they want. Leave the dressing off the salad and let people choose which kind they want (within reason). [I don't like dressing at all. (I know, weird!)] Don't go to crazy extremes here. A couple of options should be fine for almost everyone.

Realize that even with the best intentions, you're not going to change anyone by making a big deal out of the food. But, don't feel like you have to alter everything for the picky person. If you have enough variety, there will be something they can eat. If not, they can help themselves to Dairy Queen on the way home.

For more great tips on hospitality, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

Mudhouse Sabbath (or More on Hospitality)

This little gem came in the mail yesterday. Are you surprised that I couldn't restrain myself from reading it already? Yeah, me neither. Mudhouse Sabbath is the second Lauren Winner book that I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In a nutshell, it's a comparison of the spiritual practices of Jews and Christians. Having been both Jewish and Christian, Winner misses some of the traditions and community life of Judiasm. One difference is, "Practice is to Judaism what belief is to Christianity." She also discusses the importance that Jewish people place on the body, whereas Christians stress spirit more.

I loved all of the chapters in the book, but especially the ones on the Sabbath and hospitality. Regarding hospitality, she points out that all throughout the Bible, believers are instructed to offer hospitality. And the basis for it? Creation. Since God has created such a beautiful place for us to live, "to invite people into our homes is to respond with gratitude to the God who made a home for us." I love that she says we're not just inviting people into our homes though, we're inviting them to "enter into our lives." What a wonderful idea!

Winner states that hospitality requires intentionality. But, like Karen Ehman's book on hospitality, she agrees that our homes and ourselves don't have to be perfect. We're not supposed to rearrange our lives for our guests -- "we are meant to invite our guests to enter into our lives as they are." That means showing a little vulnerability. That means admitting that I'm not perfect. Ouch.

I never regret offering hospitality. Forging relationships with the people in my community is invaluable. I always end up learning something and letting a little more loose. I hope that you, too, are able to invite some people into your life this week. And if you need a little something to read, try Mudhouse Sabbath. (PG-13 for discussions of marital relations; highly recommended)

Why Gardens are a Necessity

This article from our local paper explains yet another advantage of having a garden up here in bear country, and growing zucchini in particular. What would she have done with a pumpkin? 

Pizza Nibblers

As much as I love bringing snacks three weeks in a row to our Bible study, I'll be glad to have a break next week. Apparently I have a thing for flavored pretzels, so this is what I served Wednesday night. My husband and baby loved them! The recipe comes from a Gooseberry Patch Autumn cookbook.

Pizza Nibblers (Serves 6-8)
1. Preheat oven to 275°. Line a large cookie sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 c. vegetable/canola oil, 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, 20 oz. pretzel nuggets, 1/4 oz. packet spaghetti sauce mix. Toss well.
3. Pour out mix on cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.