Freebie: Bible Activity Worksheets

Click here.

Whiter Than Snow

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
~Psalm 51:7~

Snow is Fun...

for those of us who don't get to see it much. This was yesterday, and we've got even more snow today. The backyard is full of interesting animal tracks, and the reflection off the snow is creating a lot of beautiful warm sunlight through the windows. I had to turn down the heat. I need to get outside to absorb some of that free  vitamin D!

Debbie Bags

Straight from Miss Debbie's sewing room, a small quilted hand bag in the mail today. This is perfect for me as I really prefer smaller bags, and it holds everything I need. Debbie's work is excellent; this bag will last a long time.

She has got more bags in her Etsy shop.

Still Snowing....

and we rarely get much snow - 6 and 10 inches of snow expected.

Free Preschool Printables: Veggies and Fruit Traceables

The bunny was from a Google image search, and the veggies(fruit also) from this site. They were colored, cut, and pasted. The original printables were/are traceable with dotted lines.

Cast Iron Cookware: Sauce Pans

Seems like everything is breaking or wearing out around our house lately! My old Revere-ware sauce pans have finally reached the point where I need to think about purchasing new pans. I've had these pans for over 20 years, and they were my grandmother's before this.

With some birthday money, I'm purchasing cast iron saucepans. All my skillets are cast iron, and I really like their ease and durability. The cast iron has flexibility of use as well; they go from stove top to oven with no problem. Even better, they can't go in the dishwasher, so it's two less pans to wash. Seasoned cast iron is cleaned with a little baking soda and a scrubby only, and then set to dry on a heated stove top with a little cooking oil. It's much like non-stick cookware if seasoned and used properly.

These are under $20.00 each for a 2 quart and 3 quart saucepan with lid.

Making Toast without a Toaster

My kitchen space is limited, so as small kitchen appliances have broken down, I've simply not replaced them, and made do with what I had. We haven't had a toaster in years, but then we rarely eat toast. This past weekend my MIL came to visit and asked for toast. No problem; we toasted the bread the old fashioned way - under the broiler.

Making Toast Without a Toaster

While she was visiting, our little microwave perished, so we have been warming leftovers in the oven, and using a teapot. I'm really liking all the extra room and the clutter free look on the counter tops. Simplicity is good.

Toliet Paper Roll Seed Starter

Time to begin planning the garden, and start cool season vegetable seeds inside.

Toilet paper roll seed starter directions here.

What To Do in the Garden - February(regional guide)

Homeschool Freebie: Vintage Preschool Picture Book/Cut and Paste

Cut and paste, or just for reading, The Children's Object Picture Book, Published/Created: London; New York: F. Warne & Co., [188-?]. Free and in public domain from the U.S. Library of Congress. Fully downloadable or readable online as HTML pages.

Features a home in 19th century London, England.

The Lost Art of Homemaking

Click here.

Orange Marmalade and Candied Peels

From Good Housekeeping, 1888
"Orange marmalade is the pet preserve of the Scotch housekeeper, and is a standard dainty upon the tables of all well-to-do Scotch people. Sweet, crumply biscuits or "short-bread," a cup of tea, and a tiny china saucer of orange marmalade, is a refreshment that may be offered you, and acceptably so, at any hour of the day. And Dundee marmalade, in its sturdy, white, black-lettered pots, has traveled on its merits and found a ready market for itself in every corner of the civilized world. The " Seville," or " bitter " orange is the one almost exclusively used in Scotland for making marmalade, as the pure, delicate, bitterness that distinguishes that variety prevents the confection cloying upon the palate. But the Seville orange does not seem to be generally imported for the benefit of Scottish-American lovers of the amber-colored preserve. An acceptable substitute is often found, however, in choice Jamaica or Florida fruit..."

Click through link to article and recipe for orange marmalade and candied peels.

For Darkening Gray Hair Naturally...

a black tea and sage rinse. This works over time, but you have to use this rinse repeatedly. Henna , my favorite hair dye, works much more quickly and lasts longer, but either is a good natural alternative.

Making No Pectin Jelly/Jam

This is so easy, and you can use frozen fruit if need be. See here for recipe. If you add water, you'll end up with syrup which is great for adding to plain yogurt or over desserts, pancakes, etc.

Also see here, vintage recipes(1883) for jellies.

See more at the Make-it-from-Scratch Carnival.

Housekeeping workbook--how to do it--house care and cleaning

Housekeeping workbook--how to do it--house care and cleaning
Author Lydia Ray Balderston
Publisher J.B. Lippincott company, 1935
Length 98 pages

To Make Dustless Dusters
cheesecloth to size of dusters. Prepare mixture:
One pt. hot water (very hot).
1/4 c. lemon-oil.
Stir oil in hot water.
Press in 4 or 5 pieces of cheesecloth.
Work oil and water into cloth.
Squeeze dry.
Hang to dry.

Read more tips here(Table of Contents). In public domain, and free to read online or download.

Homeschool Freebies: Saint Sebastian(multi-grade)

Sadlier's excelsior fifth reader, 1877, Saint Sebastian: " Speak!" growled Maximian, with an impatient gesture, " what skulking Christian hast thou tracked to his hole ?"— " Most gracious emperor," began the cringing informer.—" Be brief, I tell thee!"—"Is the emperor aware that in his own household, close to his very throne even, stands a Christian ? "— " Speak out, sirrah! I will have no mysteries."—" Then, at your imperial command," said the wily courtier, in a bland voice, " I accuse as a Christian the captain of your first cohort, Sebastian."
Story on pages 90-94.

Sacred and Legendary Art, 1870(high school and up): But Sebastian felt that this was not a time to hide himself, but to stand forth boldly and openly for the faith he professed; and he went to the palace and stood before the gate, on the steps which he knew the emperor must descend on his way to the Capitol; and he raised his voice, pleading for those who were condemned to suffer, and reproaching the emperor with his intolerance and cruelty; and the emperor, looking on him with amazement, said, ' Art thou not Sebastian ?' And he replied, ' I am Sebastian, whom God hath delivered from thy hand, that I might testify to the faith of Jesus Christ and plead for his servants.' Then Diocletian in his fury commanded that they should seize Sebastian and carry him to the Circus, and beat him to death with clubs ; and, that his body might be for ever hidden from his friends, it was thrown into the Cloaca Maxima. But these precautions were in vain, for a Christian lady, named Lucina, found means to recover the body of the saint, and interred it secretly in the catacombs, at the feet of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Pages 412-424.

Both are free and in public domain - free to download or read online. To print pages simply right click on the image of the page at the links, save or "view page", and print. 

Noted Humanitarians Pass On

Miep Gies (February 15, 1909 – January 11, 2010 was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II. She discovered and preserved Anne Frank's diary after the Franks were arrested. "I am not a hero, but did what seemed necessary at the time."

Freya von Moltke (March 29, 1911 – January 1, 2010) was a participant in the anti-Nazi resistance group, the Kreisau Circle, co-founded by her husband, Helmuth James Graf von Moltke. During World War II, her husband acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany. He became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, opposing the government of Adolf Hitler. The Nazi government executed her husband for treason, he having discussed with the Kreisau Circle group the prospects for a Germany based on moral and democratic principles that could develop after Hitler.

In October, 1941, her husband wrote, "Certainly more than a thousand people are murdered in this way every day, and another thousand German men are habituated to murder... What shall I say when I am asked: And what did you do during that time?" In the same letter he said, "Since Saturday the Berlin Jews are being rounded up. Then they are sent off with what they can carry.... How can anyone know these things and walk around free?"


May they rest in peace.

Above information from Wikipedia.

Wholesome Penny Pinching Dinner Recipe: Veggie-Chicken Red Beans and Rice

Veggie-Chicken Red Beans and Rice

- One can of Wylwood mixed vegetables(.48 cents with coupon at Save-A-Lot)
- One can of diced tomatoes(.65 cents at Save-A-Lot)
- One diced onion(browned in oil)
- One TB minced garlic(browned in oil)
- Chili seasonings, salt, and pepper(or any other seasonings you prefer)
- One and a half to two cups rice(dry)
- 1/2 bag of red beans(8 ounces), about .50 cents
- 1/4 cup of red chile sauce(.25 cents). Large can on sale for $1.00 at Dollar General
- 1/4 cup shredded chicken from .59 cent a pound chicken thighs(Save-A-Lot)
- One cup chicken stock made from the chicken thighs

Cook rice as directed. Simmer the rest of the ingredients in a pan on the stove top, and serve over cooked rice.

Servings: Seven servings with generous portions of rice.
Calories: About 225 per serving.
Cost: Less than $2.50, or .35 cents a serving.

This meal was so good last night, and very filling. I did not find myself wanting to snack in the late evening.

Vintage Creole Recipe: Winter Ginger Cakes

From the The creole cookery book, 1885:

WINTER GINGER CAKES.

Break 3 eggs in a bowl, beat them well, add 1/2 pint of sweet cream, which must be beaten with them, and the whole put into a saucepan over the fire; stir till it gets warm; then add 1 lb. of butter, and 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, and 2 1/2 ounces of ginger, both powdered; stir the whole carefully over the fire, just to melt the butter; then pour it on to 2 lbs. of flour, and form it all into a paste; roll it or break it into pieces, as you think proper, and bake it.

I haven't tried this recipe, but that's a lot of cakes! I might make these ginger cakes in smaller quantities.

Natural American Indian Dyes

From The Book of Woodcraft(free and in public domain), 1921:

INDIAN DYES

The dyes used to stain porcupine quills, spruce roots, and other strong material, of which they made ornaments and utensils, were very numerous, and some of them very beautiful.

Red. Soak the roots in the juice of the Squaw-berry — Blitum or Mis-caw-wa. Many other berries give red or purple.

Black. Boil the roots, etc., with the bark, branches, and berries of sumac, or the bark and chips of oak and soft maple, with some iron in the pot.

Yellow. A beautiful yellow is made by boiling the inner bark of golden or black oak. Or the root of yellowroot or hydrastis. In the Rocky Mountains the yellow moss off pine trees serves.

Orange. By boiling with the inner bark of alder or sassafras.

Scarlet. Dye yellow first then dip in red.

Most berries and barks yield a dye, and experiments with them often result in delightful discoveries.

I Have a Dream

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.".....

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day...

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, 1963. May he rest in peace.

Amen. Let freedom ring!

Weight Loss Progress

I got a cold virus two weeks ago which pretty much made me a couch potato when I wasn't up and about with the kiddos. So, I gained a few pounds. I'm using a free program, Calorie Count which tracks my calories and weight loss on my toolbar. This has been so helpful to me. It also calculates BMI, exercise calories burned, your ideal weight, etc. It's a part of About.com, so you also get the benefit of forums and recipes if you need this.

I'm suppose to stop at 1500 every day.

Here's what my food log for today looks like :

Sun, Jan 17 2010  
Breakfast
Quick Oats150
1% milk 55
Coffee - Black  11
Vegetable juice 50
One teaspoon sugar 15
Cinnamon, Ground  5
Blueberries 20
Lunch
Two thin slices pizza(frozen) 388
Dinner
Tomato sauce 70
Onions
Pasta 210
Squash and cheese 50
Shredded chicken thigh 30
Tomato sauce 70
Pasta 210
Shredded chicken thigh 30
Squash and cheese 50
Snacks
Annie's bunny cheddar crackers(2 handfuls) 50
Small banana 90
Total Calories Consumed 1,554

I had to add the dinner recipe ingredients separately, and list them twice for seconds.

Note to self: Save some calories for evening! I'm hungry.

Tonight's Dinner: Tomato Sauce with Vegetables and Basil Over Pasta

Something like this recipe, but I sprinkle with lightly cheese, and bake in oven for a bit. The recipe calls for dry red wine; however it tastes fine without it. Squash substitutes nicely for zucchini, and in a pinch, use pre-made tomato sauce and "doctor" it up with the other non-tomato ingredients.Sometimes I'll add a handful of shredded chicken. In the past, I've made this recipe for about 360 calories a serving(no wine, with chicken and cheese).

Tired...

Today was a deep cleaning day.

Have a peaceful evening, or day depending on which part of the world you are visiting from.


Image from a teacher's periodical now in public domain(1910's).

Less of Me, More of Him

We pray to lose our self-centered pride when we pray, "hallowed be thy name."

We pray to lose our self-centeredness when we pray, "thy kingdom come."

We pray to lose our wills when we pray,
"thy will be done."

We pray to lose our self-sufficiency when we pray, "give us our daily bread."

We pray to lose our sins when we pray,
"forgive us our sins."

We pray to lose our grudges and pains when we pray, "as we forgive others."

We pray to lose our temptations when we pray,
"lead us not into temptation."

We pray to lose the evil in our lives when we pray, "deliver us from evil."

Father Dave Ruppert

HT to Micki

Homeschool Freebie: Multi-grade Vintage Winter Homeschool Lessons

Click here. Multi-grade stories and children's educational books of winter nature, winter birds and sports, stories, poetry, etc. I will be adding to this list over the next few days.

To print, simply click on the image of the page at the links, save or view image, and print. Books are free and in public domain, downloadable, and readable online.

Homeschool Freebie: Winter Botany

Nature and Science for Young Folks, St. Nicholas: a monthly magazine for boys and girls, 1909. Pages, 360-360. To print, simply right click on image of page at link, save or view image, and print. Free and in public domain.

Tonight's Frugal Dinner: Chinese Take-In Stir Fry

Bourbon sauce, frozen stir fry veggies, a bit of shredded chicken, and a fresh pot of rice cooked in bone stock(high on the vinegar) . Very good! I added a little fish sauce too.

Cell Phone Donations for Haiti

Click here.

For Haiti

 Donations for aid accepted at Catholic Relief Services
and American Red Cross, among others.


HT to Graphics Fairy for image.

A Little Free Form Painting...

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
-- Henry Ward Beecher

An impromptu request to paint. She mixes red, yellow, blue, black, and white; and directs(a lot), and paints a little as the cat watches on.

She asked for a doughnut, on a plate, by a window...it evolved...we are still working on it. ; )



Deciding which brush I must use - homeschool in reverse(giggle). Mostly she likes to tell me what to paint, but she's learning a lot about mixing colors just via experimentation.

Homemade Convenience Food: White Sauce(Bechemal)

With the rise of convenience food - pre-flavored foods, awareness or popularity of homemade white sauce(bechemal) has been kicked to the side, but not long ago it was one of the first things young people learned as beginner cooks. It the base of many sauces. Make the white sauce and add cheeses(cheese sauce, alfredo sauce), spices, herbs, seasonings - garlic and onions, wine, tomato sauce(creamy red sauce), broth(cream soups), meat drippings(gravy), or use it without the milk to thicken liquids(Roux). There are so many variations, and you can experiment and be creative with flavorings.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons butter(or oil, but it will change the flavor)
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup milk(and/or chicken stock)

See here for complete recipe.

Variations(from bechamel recipe):

* Sauce Aurore (Tomato cream sauce): whisk 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste into 2 cups of béchamel. Serve with eggs, fish, chicken or vegetables.
* Sauce Crème (Cream sauce): stir 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a squeeze of lemon juice into 2 cups of béchamel. Use over vegetables, fish, chicken or eggs.
* Sauce Dijonnaise (Mustard sauce): add 2-4 tablespoons of Dijon or other mustard to 2 cups of béchamel. Good with fish or ham.
* Sauce Mornay (Cheese sauce): stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated or crumbled cheese into 2 cups of hot béchamel until it is completely melted. Do not boil or the sauce may become stringy. Good cheeses to try are Parmesan, Swiss, cheddar, or blue cheese. Use a good quality cheese or your sauce may be bland. Use for vegetable gratins, macaroni and cheese, eggs and hors d'oeuvres.
* Sauce Soubise (Creamy onion sauce): slowly sauté about 1 pound of sliced white onions in some butter until they wilt completely. Do not allow them to brown. Add 2 cups of béchamel, cover and simmer slowly about 20-30 minutes. Puree, strain through a sieve and serve. Goes well with fish and poultry. An essential component of veal Orloff.
* À la King: an American invention, it's great for leftovers. Just add about 2 cups of chicken, ham, dried chipped beef, peas, mushrooms, etc., to every cup of béchamel. Simmer together and serve over toast or puff pastry shells.
* Béchamel is ideal for creating vegetable gratins. Simply blanch or slowly sauté some vegetables until they are partially cooked. Spread them in a shallow baking dish. Spread a layer of béchamel over the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place in a 375°F oven and cook until browned on the top.
* Add some chopped ham, chopped parsley, some chopped carrots as optional seasonings if you like.
* A little squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine added at the end can brighten this sauce considerably.

Thicker white sauce recipes, and sauce recipes using white sauce as a base. Here too.

I haven't tried this recipe, but here is a low fat version.

Slipcover a Chair with an Inexpensive Drop Cloth

We've used drop cloth for curtains(no-sew) and as no-sew furniture covers. I never got up the courage to tackle a sewn slip cover, but this blogger did, and it turned out nicely! See here for how she did it.

Also see Decorating with Drop Cloths(curtains).

Free Vintage ebook: Winter Camping

Brrrr, you won't catch me doing this. That "soulless and deceitful regulator of modern life" is a good indicator of me staying inside. lol....but for the hardier souls:

  Winter Camping, by Warwick Stevens Carpenter, Macmillan, 1920:

"THE NEW SPORT

IF cold were quite the absolute condition which a materialistic thermometer would have us believe, we should hardly camp in winter. As it is, that soulless and deceitful regulator of modern life has all but subordinated our independence and enthusiasm to its despotic rule. We have become as bats, which are said to retire at a certain temperature to their caverns and hollow trees, there to slumber until a rise of mercury brings them forth, willy nilly, or, like the automatons of the barometer, that can stay in through no fair weather and out in no foul.

Contrary to such unimaginative dictates, cold is quite a relative matter, not to any fixed degree as a standard of comparison, but rather, first, to humidity, a fact of common knowledge, and, second, to whether we are oscillating all day between a super-heated building and out of doors. This second relativity is a chief element in that trans-Stygian conception which holds that as soon as the inhabitants have become inured to extreme heat, the climate forthwith changes to one of extreme cold, and vice versa.

During the last fourteen years I have camped in winter at every available opportunity, in cabins, tents, and lean-tos, and now between black flies, midgets, and all the pests of summer and the problem of warmth in winter, I would quickly choose the latter if I could have but one. Yet companions who were caught out with me on our way to a cabin fourteen years ago expressed gratification at the incident, because, they said, they had learned that it is really possible to stay out all night in the woods in winter without freezing! And we had with us blankets galore, an axe, and plenty of food!

Such ideas regarding the feasibility of camping in the open in winter were far more current ten or fifteen years ago than they are today. Since then winter vacations have become increasingly common and camping in winter no longer excites the wondering comments which our own little expedition into the frozen woods brought forth. In fact, nearly every summer vacation resort is now livened from time to time during the winter months by the more fortunate of its summer frequenters, who return for a taste of that appeal which Jack Frost throws over vacation land."

Downloadable book here. This book is in public domain and is readable online.

Cooking School: How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken

I didn't realize my favorite recipe site, AllRecipes.com had a "Cooking School" section. Here's a useful tutorial: How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken. Check out the other tutorials as well - very helpful.



Image for Allrecipes.com.

Frugal Chicken and Bean Burrito Dinner

I cooked some shredded chicken and black eyed peas/beans in a little canned enchilada sauce, homemade chicken stock, diced onions, garlic, and spices such as cumin, paprika, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper. I didn't have any chili powder, but it still turned out well. The burritos had a filling of  shredded cheese, shredded lettuce mix, and salsa. Yummy and inexpensive.

Costs of Ingredients:

- 28 ounces enchilada sauce: $1.00  at Dollar General - will not get this again as it was fairly tasteless. I'll make my own next time, or if I'm feeling exotic, a chicken mole sauce(with cocoa powder/sugar).
- Ten large tortillas for $1.00 at Save-A-Lot
- Shredded chicken(.59 cents a pound)
- Black eyed peas/beans($1.70 for a medium bag which makes about 32 servings)
- Shredded Mexican style cheese about $2.00? at Save-A-Lot
- Various spices, garlic, and onions - all bargains from Save-A-Lot, Dollar General, and the Dollar Store
- 15.5 ounce Tostito's Salsa, $2.50 a jar
- Shredded lettuce mix, .50 cents a bag at Save-A-Lot
- 28 ounce enchilada sauce, $1.00 at Dollar General

Total cost: about .55 cents a large burrito.

We only used a small portion of the above ingredients, and after having eaten five burritos, there was a little more than half of the chicken/bean filling left over . We'll have this again tomorrow night.

In a Neat Little Row...

This makes a really cute tiled desktop image. Free and in public domain from a 1920's Primary Education magazine. Click on image to enlarge and save.

Free Educational Software for Teachers

This offer is open to homeschool teachers as well. There are free downloads here at Sheppard Software. Free online games for all grades and subjects here. The preschool/kindergarten games remind me of Starfall.

Free Homeschool Printable: Vintage SAT Exam for Grades 4-8

Here's something to spring on the kiddos if they complain of boredom mid-year: a SAT exam for 1922. No answers are given. The questions are interesting.

Free and in public domain. You can copy and save(select all, save) and/or paste the HTML page, or use the Plain Text version.

Instant view
Download page

Baptism of the Lord(Celebrated on Sunday)

Commentary: Attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-c. 236):

Someone is coming who is more powerful than l am;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
As soon as he had been baptized, Jesus came out of the water. The heavens were opened to him and the Spirit of God in the form of a dove came down and rested on him. Then a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
If the Lord had yielded to John’s persuasion and had not been baptized, do you realize what great blessings and how many we should have been deprived of?
Heaven was closed until then; our homeland on high was inaccessible. Once we had descended into the depths we were incapable of rising again to such lofty heights. The Lord was not only baptized himself; he also renewed our fallen nature and restored to us our status as God’s children.
At once the heavens were opened to him. The world we see was reconciled with the world that lies beyond our vision; the angels were filled with joy; earthly disorders were remedied; mysteries were revealed; enemies were made friends.
The heavens were opened to him you have heard the evangelist say. This happened for three wonderful reasons.
The heavenly bridal chamber had to open its shining gates to Christ at his baptism because he was the bridegroom.
The gates of heaven had also to be lifted up to allow the Holy Spirit to descend in the form of a dove and the Father’s voice to resound far and wide.
The heavens were opened to him and a voice said: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
This is my beloved Son who appeared on earth without leaving his Father’s side. He both appeared and did not appear, for he was not what he seemed
As far as appearance goes the one who confers baptism is superior to the one who receives it. This is why the Father sent the Holy Spirit down on him from heaven.
As in Noah’s ark a dove revealed God’s love for the human race, so now it was in the form of a dove, as though with an olive branch in its beak, that the Spirit descended and rested on him to whom the Father would bear witness.
He did so to make sure that the Father’s voice would be recognized and the ancient prophecy believed. Which prophecy?
The one that says: The Lord’s voice resounded over the waters. The God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders across many waters. And what does he say? This is my beloved Son in whom lam well pleased.
Pay close attention now, I beg you, for I want to return to the fountain of life and contemplate its healing waters at their source.
The Father of immortality sent his immortal Son and Word into the world; he came to us to cleanse us with water and the Spirit. To give us a new birth that would make our bodies and souls immortal, he breathed into us the Spirit of life and armed us with incorruptibility.
Therefore in a herald’s voice I cry:
Peoples of every nation, come and receive the immortality given in baptism. To you who have spent all your days in the darkness of ignorance I bring the good news of life. Leave your slavery for freedom, the tyrant’s yoke for a kingdom, corruptibility for eternal life.
Do you wish to know how to do this? By water and the Holy Spirit. This is to say, by the water through which we are born again and given life, and by the Spirit who is the Comforter sent for your sake to make you a child of God.

HT to Concord Pastor.

Inexpensive Dinners for Small and Large Families, $5.00 and Under

I shop at Save-A-Lot grocery store(similar to Aldi's), and sometimes I like to search for blog posts mentioning the store. Last month, I found a five dollar coupon with a Save-A-Lot search. Saving Your Cents  has recently taken advantage of the .59 cents a pound chicken parts deal. Sometimes they are chicken quarters, sometimes chicken thighs, but they are usually for sale for either .79 cents or .59 cents a pound. She boiled hers for shredded chicken and broth like I did, and managed to make four tasty dinners for four people with other purchases totaling $15.00($5.00 coupon used).

I've never figured out exactly how much we spend per meal, but tonight we had a one dish meal of shredded chicken, rice, black eyed beans, and a can of  Margaret Holmes Tomatoes, Okra, and Corn. I estimate this fed all four of us(2 adults and two children) for less than $2.00. I only used a cup of dry rice from a 10 pound bag($7.99), a small portion(about two cups) of  a cooked bag of black eyed peas that was about $1.70, two handfuls of shredded chicken(.59 cents pound), and a .79 cent can of highly seasoned Southern style veggies.

And we've got enough shredded chicken from the ten pound bag of .59 cents a pound chicken and cooked black eyed peas(one bag $1.70) for about eight meals. Pinto beans cost much less, but we like the black eyed peas.

For larger families, Stephanie, a homeschool blogger had a post in April 2009 mentioning Save-A-Lot chicken. She was able to put together a Cheesy Chicken(we cook this too) meal for an estimated $4.46 for 7-10 people! If you cook your own beans, you could bring the cost down some more.

Printable Save-A-Lot coupons here.

Kitchen Pantry Dry Skin Relief

All natural olive oil is effective at getting rid of itchy dry winter skin. We have sensitive skin in my family, and this natural oil works gently for the children and adults. I've even tried canola oil, but it's a bit too light as a moisturizer for winter. Heavier kitchen oils work the best. Between baking soda baths and olive oil as a moisturizer, I've managed to keep away my daughter's winter rash.

Olive oil is also great for hot oil dry hair treatments. However, just warm it slightly; it gets hot very quickly.

Although we usually get a large sized olive oil at our local Save-A-Lot grocery store, I've seen olive oil at the Dollar Store, so it can be found very inexpensively. I also get a large container of sea salts at the Dollar Store for a natural facial scrub. There is something about winter dry skin and blemishes that calls for a gentle scrub to help turn that flaky skin over.

Also see 15 Household Uses for Olive Oil.

Saving on Heating Costs

Despite the colder weather this year, we've managed to keep down our heating costs. Here's how we have done it:

- Thermostat at 59 degrees.
- Close all the vents upstairs. Warm air naturally rises.
- Keep doors to rooms closed to hold in the heat.
- Zone heating in den/kitchen with small electric fire place insert.
- Dress warmly inside - sweaters, heavy socks, and leg warmers.
- Feather comforters and extra blankets at night.
- Insulated drapes
- Open drapes in sunny rooms during the daylight hours for natural warming.
- Leave oven slightly ajar after I'm done.
- Turn down thermostat on water heater at night, and during daytime non-use.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Air dry laundry on racks.

Our bills for natural gas and electric have been lower these past two years, even with older windows. A combination of using the above methods, and new energy saving appliances and light bulbs have helped as well. We also turn off lights when we leave a room and use plug strips to turn off electronics with sleep mode lights.

For the past two months, I've been turning our natural gas water heater thermostat all the way down, turning it up only for bathing. It's hard to tell yet, but I think it's reduced the monthly natural gas bill by a few dollars.

In a few years, we'll be ready for new windows, and we'll see better results, but for now it's nice to know we have a little control over the electric and natural gas bills.

Great Masters Art History Freebie for Elementary School Students: Fra Angelico

Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (1387-1455) (surnamed because of his saintly character " Angelico ") was an Italian Dominican monk. He is said always to have said a prayer before beginning to paint. "The life of this really angelic father," says Vasari, "was devoted to the service of God, the benefit of the world, and duty toward his neighbor. He shunned the worldly in all things, and during his pure and simple life was such a friend to the poor that I think his soul must now be in Heaven. He painted incessantly, but would never lay his hand to any but a sacred subject; he might have had wealth, but he scorned it, saying that true riches were to be found in content. He might have ruled over many, but he would not, saying that obedience was easier and less liable to error. He might have enjoyed dignities, but disdained them, affirming that the only dignity he sought was to avoid hell and gain Heaven. He was wont to say that the practice of art required repose and holy thoughts, and that he who would depict the acts of Christ must learn to live with Christ."


Method. — Show the children as many of the angels as is possible, and allow them to choose their favorites. Tell them the story of his life, giving to them some idea of monastic life. Read to them portions, at least, of Vasari's account given above, and perhaps even bits from Ruskin. (See pp. xvii, 7, 8, 9.)  Read entire lesson here, pages 69-72.

From:
Picture study in elementary schools: a manual for teachers
Author Williams Wilson
Publisher The Macmillan company, 1909
Book free and in public domain - downloadable, printable, and readable online. To print, simply right click on image of page at the link, save or view image, and print.

January studies also include:

Mona Lisa , Leonardo De Vinci
Delphic Sibyl, Michelangelo
Sistine Madonna, Raphael

Free Printable Moon and Stars Kindergarten and Early Elementary Stories

The Wind and the Moon by George MacDonald, pages 245-248.

Linda and the Lights by Emilie Poulsson, pages 404-406.

To print, simply right click on the image of the page, save or view image, and print. Both are in public domain.

Free Printable: The Story of Saint Agnes

"THE story of Saint Agnes is one of the oldest and most authentic, as well as one of the most beautiful, in religious history. There is none, next to the Evangelists and Apostles, whose effigy is more ancient, for representations of Saint Agnes are found on glass and earthenware vessels used by Christians as far back as the early part of the third century. In these early portraits the lamb, which later became her inseparable emblem, does not appear, but there is no doubt as to their identity, for they are inscribed with her name. It is not known just when the lamb was first employed, but all the later painters used it as an emblem of the virgin-martyr's innocence and meekness. It is probable that the similarity of her name to agn us, Latin for lamb, led to this association, the more so on account of her chaste and gentle disposition.

...On her refusal to worship the heathen gods, Sempronius became furious and threatened her with death in terrible forms, even dragging her before the altar in chains ; but she remained steadfast in her faith."

Read entire story at Godey's magazine, 1887 here(pages 22-26).

To print, simply right click on the image of the page, save or view image, and print.

The feast of Saint Agnes is January 21st.

Food Lion's Scott and Cottonelle Toliet Tissue Deal

For my Southern U.S.A. readers, Starting Friday(1/8/10), Food Lion is having a three day sale on Scott's toliet tissue - 8 mega rolls or 12 double rolls for $4.99! The limit is two per customer. Cottonelle toliet tissue(12 double rolls) is on sale with the same deal. The regular price for these is about $7.00 - $9.00.

Battle of the Bulge Barracks Facing Closure

This is unfortunate:

The barracks is the home of the Belgian 1st Field Artillery Regiment, currently deployed in Afghanistan, and also houses a small museum dedicated to the sacrifice made by US and British troops.

The Battle of the Bulge has special significance for allied war veterans as it is seen as key turning point in WW2.

From 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, a snow-covered Bastogne was encircled by German troops and appeared set to capitulate. Within the small town set deep in the Ardennes forest close to the border with Luxembourg were thousands of US soldiers, including the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by McAuliffe, whose HQ was in a cellar of the barracks now earmarked for closure.

It was from here on December 22, 1944 that the German Commander Heinrich Freiherr von Luttwitz sent McAuliffe a note demanding the Americans surrender, to which McAuliffe famously sent a terse reply which read, "NUTS!"

...The barrack's museum has been preserved in recent years by two retired Belgian soldiers, Eric Lemoine and Michel Marecaux, and their guided tours of it are popular, particularly among visiting US and British tourists and war veterans who are drawn to the area because of its history.


Read the rest here.

HT to About.com 20th Century History

Vintage Guide: Raising Chickens

Profits in poultry: Useful and ornamental breeds, and their profitable management
Authors T. M. Ferris, Mason Cogswell Weld, P. H. Jacobs
Publisher O. Judd Co., 1889
Original from the University of California
Digitized Nov 26, 2007
Length 256 pages
Overview

I know very little about raising chickens, but this book looked interesting, so I thought I'd pass it along. The book includes some helpful ideas and designs for chicken coops. This public domain book is free to read online, print, and/or download.

Bamboo Furniture Plans

This DIY project a bit advanced for most people, but a great eco-friendly furniture plan if you are a good carpenter, and have access to bamboo. Taken from a 1920 Popular Mechanics magazine, see pages 789-791.

"If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation"

Pope's peace message focuses on environment January 1, 2010:

In his address, called "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," the pope said peace with the natural environment is the beginning of peace with all of God's creation, including people.

"Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works, and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind," the pope said.

Pope Benedict XVI challenged the faithful to be good stewards of what "God has given us," suggesting that peace with the Earth will lead to peace on Earth.

Read the entire article here.

HT to Mrs. L

Worksheet: Can You Make It on One Income?

Thinking about quitting your job to stay home with the kids, start a business or pursue another interest, but not sure your family can make it on one income?" Click here for helpful worksheet.

Find and Trim the Fat in Your Budget

"Are extras weighing down your budget? Use this list to identify the extras in your budget; then, decide which are worth keeping and which are just keeping you at work." Read more here.

Make Family-time Priority One

"Make family-time priority one: Is this frugal, you ask? I say it is for sure. Today the five of us spent two hours at a local sledding hill and returned to our minivan for some G-rated tailgating of hot chocolate and cookies brought from home. We didn’t spend a penny, got a great work out and laughed for two hours straight. I can’t remember a better day in our recent past and look forward to many more like it in the New Year." ~ Shoestring Living: Here's to a frugal fresh start in 2010