Creating Dialogue after a Sermon

Though, often times our kids are in Junior Church, there are times that they hear the sermon at church. I liked this post by Joe Holland about talking to your kids about the sermon. It was a good reminder that they are taking in more than we realize.

a good quote - "Without an emphasis on Jesus your little saints will grow up thinking that the Bible is all about them."

Read it HERE

Need a Carb Fix?

I posted pictures a long time ago on my other blog when I made homemade bagels. I was remembering yesterday when I was making them that I had alot of requests for the recipe. Well, today is the day that I finally got around to putting it up!! These bagels are positively yummy. I usually use white flour just because the wheat makes them very very dense. Sometimes I will mix in 1/2-1 cup of whole wheat if I am feeling a little guilty! The recipe seems long and tedious but it really isn't bad. It is well worth it when you can smell them cooking and you can pull them out and spread lots of butter or cream cheese on them with a cup of tea - heavenly!!

Homemade Bagels

Dissolve 1 pkg. yeast (or 1 T.), 2 T. honey or brown sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. When it bubbles add 1 3/4 cup cold water. In food processor or Kitchen Aid, mix 5 cups flour with 2 tsp. salt. (I have tried the food processor and have had much better success with my kitchen aid using the kneading paddle thingy.)

Add yeast/water and mix slowly (over 2 minutes) to flour mixture with food processor or blender turned on. Once the dough is sufficiently mixed to form a nice dough, knead just a few times on floured surface. Let rise 1 hr. in covered tupperware or warm place. Punch down and knead again a few times.

Roll into cylinders 6" long. Shape into knots or donut shapes. Moisten ends with water to fasten securely. (I just wrap it around and do a small knot. I've never moistened the ends.) Rise 15 min.

In big pot, bring water with 1 tsp. salt and 2 T. sugar to boil. Drop bagels into water for 3 min. turning often. Take out and set on a wire wrack over a bowl to drain just a few minutes.

Bake at 425 on well-greased cookie sheet about 25 min. (mine usually don't take that long - check after about 12 minutes) or until golden brown.

This batch usually makes between 13-16 bagels depending on what size you make them. In our house, about half of them are gone right away!! Hope you enjoy them.

Homemade Soft Clay

This week our unit in school is the horse. We have had lots of fun doing activities related to horses and reading fun books about them. Here is a picture of the kids making there own horse and the letter H out of some homemade soft clay.

I have a quick easy recipe for homemade soft clay

In a pan, mix:

• 1 to 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 T. cream of tartar

combine and add to the pan:

• 1 cup water
• 1 T. oil
• a few drops of food coloring

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture stiffens and forms a ball. Spoon onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes. Now you're ready for some fun! Store in an air-tight plastic bag.

What's New on the Bookshelf

Our newest resources for instructing our children to know and love God:

Instructing a Child's Heart by Tedd and Margy Tripp

Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce A. Ware

Not Sure Why

So, I truly don't have time for this blog but thought I'd give it a whirl.  I already have a family blog but I would like to expand a little and try a site for posting all sorts of random tid bits.  Mostly these ramblings will relate to teaching our kids at home which we love and a little this and that.  I dabble in a little gardening, sewing, knitting and so forth and for some strange reason I am compelled to share it with everyone else. 

Who knows, maybe no one will ever read this stuff or worse will die of boredom trying.  Try to look past the grammatical errors and dorkiness and let's see how it goes. . .