a canoe made sailboat

We jsut got back from a family reunion. We had a really great time. We went to a local lake and let the kids play in the water. In the afternoon it became windy. Two boys age 9 and 12 were trying their best to canoe across the water. The wind kept on pushing them back.The harder they paddled, the harder the wind blew them back. They got a great idea to turn the canoe into a sailboat.They worked hard for several hours trying to figure it out. With some logs, rope, and a sail made from a tarp, they were ready to set sail. They did not get so far before it all fell apart, but the experience was one they will not soon forget.

It was a REAL adventure. Those boys were using their skills. They were using all their senses. This was becoming a part of who they are.We all watched them struggle and grow. No one said "You can't do it!" no one discouraged them. We all knew that this was a great growing and learning opportunity for these little boys. It was wonderful that the family came together in a way to create such memories.  Kids need these kinds of memories. They need real adventures, not computer generated adventures.

 LET THE KIDS BE KIDS AND EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND THEM. ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE REAL ADVENTURES.

linked at teaching what is good, and homestead barn hop, teach me tuesday,  momma moments monday

Finally! We have eggs

While our son was helping to water and feed the chickens today, he found the surpise we have been waiting for. Two small brown eggs. The kids were so excited they could hardly contain it. They couldn't wait to call Dad and tell him. All three kids had to tell Dad all about the eggs.

It will be nice to have our own supply of eggs. I love the color and taste of fresh eggs. They have such a bright yellow yolk. It is nice to see  all our efforts paid off.


linked with I did it frugal tuesdays

Showing your love in a way they understand.

The Present Parent loves their children in a way they understand

                                  THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES a book by Gary Chapman


This is a book I highly recommend for everyone. I read it before I got married to my husband. Seven years later we are happily married. His oldest daughter just got married and we bought her a copy. I hope she will read it and take it to heart.

 It begins with a chapter entitled "What happens to love after the marriage?"  The second chapter is about our "love tank" and how to keep it full.  Then it goes into detail about the different love languages.

Each person feels love in a different way. Learning to love our family in a way they understand is key to family happiness. 


The five love languages are.......


Words of affirmation


Quality time


Recieving gifts


Acts of service


Physical touch


Where do you fall? What about those around you?  Are those you love feeling it?

My husband's love language is quality time and physical touch. I show love with acts of service. Sometimes we run into trouble when I am so busy  running about doing things for him. I forget to do things with him. He and the children like to help with the housekeeping. I can get a little upset with them. I feel like keeping up the house is something I want to do for them. I enjoy being alone with myself, thinking and doing for them.  Doing it with me is what they are really craving. I have to remember that they need time with me to feel love.

Like Father, like son. Our boy is just like his dad. Both crave quality time and physical touch. Sometimes it is hard to fit in time for each of them. We can run into some jelousy issues when one is feeling like I am spending more time and attention on the other. I am learning how to make it work for us. I am learning to balance it all. I am trying to remember to touch those two men in my life daily. A hand on the shoulder of my son, a tousel of his hair, can speak volumes to him. Slowing down and holding hands with my husband really makes him tick. In the evenings; I would much rather tell him I love him by making sure the house is clean and orderly.  He would rather I stop and sit a while with him. I choose to love him. I stop and sit with him a while. I don't worry so much about the other things. 

One point that was brought up in the book that caught my attention. He said that the children who grow up on an empty love tank. Have alot more troubles. They are likely to "act out". They are more likely to try and find love somewhere else. Had my parents not spoke the love language "acts of service". I would have been one of those kids. My parents spoke all the languages to some extent. I am grateful for that. I am working on being more well rounded. I am learning to pay attention to those whom I love and  and learning to speak  their language. I am learning a new language "words of affirmation"

Our  two girls are very sensitive to the words we say. They need to be told daily that they are loved. They need to know they are special. The younger of the two girls speaks the other languages pretty well. She is well rounded. Her older sister's main love language is Words of affirmation. I have to work hard to make sure that she is feeling loved. This is the language I speak the least. Learning to speak softly, gently, and in a positive tone of voice, has really made a difference. Making sure she knows that I notice the good things she does and telling her is soooo important for her. She needs alot of praise. I have to make it a real point to say something good to her everyday. "You did a great job at ____!"  "I appreciate that you listened the first time I asked you to  ___."   and so on the list goes. It seems like an overwhelming amount of praise to me, but I know it is important for her.

I have recently come the conclusion that this is my Mother's love language. She would shower me with words of affermation. She was telling me I love you. I heard "Blah Blah Blah". I would roll my eyes at her. "Oh mom, enough already."  I had one boyfreind that was great at showering me with all the praises in the world and I just thought he was "full of hot air" I totally did not get that these people were saying "I love you" My daughter gets this.This is why she loves Grandma so much. Grandma speaks her love languge.

I have seen the positive outcome of my efforts to LOVE MY FAMILY WELL. There is still much to learn. There are many skills to develop.We are making Giant strides in the right direction. Our family is alot better for our efforts. Our home is alot nicer. There is less tension. Our home is becoming a "soft place to fall" when the world gets to us. It is worth my efforts to make sure that those I love are not running on empty and  to love them in a way they understand.



Is someone you love running on an empty love tank? Are you running on empty yourself? Do you need to learn a new "love language?" 

How are you loving you family well?  leave a comment below






shared atteaching what is good

Marinade 101

With the summer BBQ season in full swing, I thought I would share some Marinating wisdom.


A Marinade is a seasoned liquid in which meat, fish, veg, etc. are steeped before cooking.

A marinade consists of several key elements

1. something salty
2. something sweet
3. something acidic
4. Flavorings (herbs and spices).

Marinades can be very simple, or a marriage of complex flavors.

Why marinate?

To tenderize, moisturize, and flavor the food.

Each of the elements of a marinade help in this process. The acid breaks down the proteins in the meat and makes it tender. Salt helps to flavor the meat, and aids in the distribution of water throughout the meat so it does not dry out as easily during the cooking process. This is expecially true with lean cuts of meat such as boneless skinless chicken or fish. A balance between salty and sweet helps in the overall flavor profile. We crave that sweet salty balance. The sugar also aids in the browning process adding much flavor.There are many flavorings herbs etc that add to the overall aroma and flavor of the food. All these things combine together to create a great food experience.


How long does it take to marinate?


The larger and tougher the cut of meat the longer it takes. We want the acid in the marinade to penetrate the meat and break down the proteins. We also want to get the flavor into the meat and not just on the surface.

here are some suggested marinating times.

chicken bone in 1-2 hours
chicken boneless 20-50 minutes
Beef roast 2-3 hours
flank steak or london broil 1-2 hours
skirt steaks 30-50 minutes
pork chops or pork loin 30-60 minutes
pork butt or pork shoulder roast 2-3 hours
lamb chops 30-40 minutes
fish 10-20 minutes
shrimp shelled 10-20 minutes
shrimp with shell on 30-45 minutes
Vegetables 30 minutes


Marinate in the fridge in a non metalic container

this is my favorite marinade container  it is about  2 inches deep with a lid.

Marinate items in the fridge, stiring or turning several times through the marinade process. This ensures that all the food gets covered in goodness. Large Ziptop bags can make for mess free marinating.


 Why make your own marinade?

First of all, most marinades are super easy. Second, you know what went into it. Store bought marinades can have a bunch of ingredients that you may not want. Third, the cost is so much less when you make your own.





Here are a few of my favorite quick and easy marinades.


quick and easy marinade for turkey or chicken

12-16 ounces of a lemon lime soda
1 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
mix ingredients together and pour over 2-3 pounds of  bonless skinless chicken or turkey. let sit refrigerated for about 45 minutes then cook on a hot grill.



beef marinade

4 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 of a medium onion grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
juice of half a  lemon
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
11/2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
mix all together and pour over 11/2-2 pounds of beef

I use this often for a london broil or a flank steak marinating for about 2 hours before grilling


I just recently found a marinade for salmon that used the fresh mint in my garden It was yummy so I thought I would share it here

Minted Salmon

1 bunch fresh mint stems removed
1 bunch fresh parsley stems removed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

blend together in the food processor or blender
pour over 6 salmon portions 6 oz each.  marinate for about 10 minutes

Family fun times

I'm the farmer

My Kaytlin loves to wear her bibby overall shorts and dresses.  Several times a week she says. "I want to be a farmer!" We put on her overall dress or shorts; to which she responds "I am going to find a cow!" She then goes off looking for her brother and sister and announces that they are the cows. They start "mooooing" and the fun begins. I love my active and entertaining kids. When in the car, we do not put on a movie like other families. We play "old fashioned" road games

Last summer we started a game of "dunk the cows".  The car is divided into two teams. One team on each side of the car. Each team looks for cows on their side of the road, collecting as many cows as they can. When water is found on your side of the road, you get to dunk the other teams cows. They start all over again collecting cows. It started off with cows, but then went on to whole farmyards. It is a fun game for everyone including the little ones.

What do you do to keep your kids active?    What road games to you play with your family?

layered green salad

Love this recipe. It is really easy   It is tasty to look at and to eat.  It has been in my recipe collection for years.

Summer BBQ/potluck season is in full swing and it is a great time to share this recipe. It really is a great "make ahead" item for such occasions.




yes, this is a green salad!  It has the dressing, cheese, and bacon on top


Make ahead layered green salad

Layer all ingredients in listed order in a shallow dish .* DO NOT STIR OR MIX
 I use my 9x13  pan.  It has a cover that makes it easy to take along with me to a party.



1  large head of  lettuce such as iceberg or romaine, cut into bite size peices

1 1/2 -2 cups crunchy vegetables chopped. The recipe suggests celery, bell pepper, and waterchestnuts. I used celery, carrots, broccoli, and jicama this time around

1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts).

1 package frozen peas (about 12 ounces) straight from the freezer do not thaw

1 1/2 cups of real good mayonaise. I used a cheap "lite" version that was given to us. It was not as good.

2 teaspoons of sugar sprinkled over the mayonaise.

1/2 cup grated cheese.   parmesan and cheddar are the recomended cheeses.

1 teaspoon seasoned salt sprinkled over the top

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt sprinkled over the top

8-12 ounces cooked crumbled bacon.

Chill for at least 12 hours. keeps up to four days in the fridge.

This is the salad layer I had  before adding the dressing and toppings.

All finished and ready for a party.   

Homemade yogurt

I saw milk for super cheap today. I knew it was time to try making yogurt again. I tried once in the past with limited sucess. It ended up stringy and a yucky texture. Thanks to the internet, I was able to troubleshoot. SUCCESS!   It cost me $1.60 to make  nearly four quarts of yogurt.

Wikihow has the best tutorial  that I have found on how to make your own yougurt at home. The instructions are easy to follow. They were detailed, and had good information about many different methods of incubation. I love that there are many ways to acheive the end result. Choose what method might work for you. No need for any fancy equipment. I began the incubation proccess with the rice cooker on warm, but the temp got up to 140 in about 40 minutes time. (To warm for this process). I cooled it back down and stirred in another starter. I ended up using an ice chest.

I lined the bottom of the ice chest with a blanket. I wrapped each quart jar with a dish towel and placed the jars inside. I then used some small kids blankets to insulate all around the jars. I tucked the jars in all nice and cozy. I then popped the lid on tight and put the whole thing away where the kids wouldn't bother it. 9 1/2 hours later (when I remembered to check on it), the yogurt was done. It was really yummy and we had enough to share with some friends and bless their lives as well.








This post shared at homestead barn hop

also shared at momma moments monday

and monday mania
also at melt in your mouth monday
and at make a move monday