Barefoot Contessa At Home

Don't you just love this?

"Something smells really good!" my husband Jeffrey exclaims every Friday
night when he walks in the door. Most weeks, Jeffrey has been around the world
and back and when he walks in that door, I want him to feel that he's really
home. What he doesn't realize is that what feels very casual is, in fact, quite
deliberate the music is playing, all the lights are on, there are flowers
everywhere, and chicken and onions are roasting in the oven."

And more

..."All day long, I feel as though I'm batting back the baseballs that are
being hurled at me; decisions to make, places to go, cranky people to deal
with... and when I come home I want my house to feel serene and beautiful, like
the way you feel when you get into a bed piled high with down pillows: you're
safe."

from the Barefoot Contessa at Home

For those of you not familiar with her cookbooks- she has some terrific simple recipes.

Go Girls Go

We're still getting eggs in January!!!




McMurray Hatchery raves about white leg horns I'm beginning to believe them.

What About Grapeseed Oil?

I found a bottle of grapeseed oil at Costco the other day. I was surprised to find it was cheaper per ounce than the olive oil. Anyway, I had run across this oil in many soap recipes and have been curious to give it a try so I bought it. While doing some research, I ran across some interesting facts from these two great sites:



5 Great Uses:



1. Use to treat blemishes

2. Use as a makeup remover

3. Use as a massage

4. Use to moisturize extremely sensitive skin

5. Use in your bath



Grapeseed Oil Good For Skin Care


Grapeseed oil has the same antioxidants as green tea, black tea, berries and red wine. These antioxidants are called procyanidolic oligomers (PCO’s), known for there health giving properties, and are more powerful than vitamin C and vitamin E.



Since our skin absorbs and sends into our bodies what we put on it, I love to use products on my skin that are safe to consume. Look at the ingredients you put on your skin. Would you eat them? Food for thought (so to speak:))

Breakfast Fun

Sometimes it's not so much what you serve, but how you serve it.


....we wished we had some granola to sprinkle on top :)

Tuesday is fish night

Today is Tuesday so it must be fish for dinner. Sometimes it's spicy, sometimes nutty, sometimes sweet the variations are endless. Tonight it is smothered in a creamy cajun parmesean sauce- yum. And, oh so easy!!!

Here's a terrific site for wonderful sauce recipes.

Here it is with cranberries, orange juice and pecans. Add salad, rice, brocolli and voila a meal!!!

What's in Your Hand?

"and the Lord said unto him, what is that in thine hand?" Exodus 4:2

I know I have posted on this subject before, but here we are again at the start of a new year and I'm tempted (again!!) to let my affections roam. I'm tempted to think what ifs, if onlys, when this, etc. When my thoughts roam they are not at home. I can't be focused on what is in my hand (my husband, my family, my home, my living situation) and what I'd like to be in my hand at the same time.

So.... here I am again asking God to help me be a better steward -a resourceful steward, a grateful steward, a contented steward -and use what I have more effectively.

We hope this will be a new year of resourceful thoughts, creative ideas, and contented thankfulness. May God bless you and your family as you use what's in your hand for His glory.

Cooking beans, chicken, soups, rice......

Here's my thinking - since we are heating with the wood burning stove let's use the heat as productively as possible. In years gone by we have kept a kettle of hot water on the stove to help humidify the air. Why it didn't dawn on me before now to cook ahead I don't know.
It has been really cold here and we have kept a fire going just about all day. Each morning I put a big pot of something (sometimes several pots :)) on and let it cook away. I'm cooking food that we may not eat for several months, but since we have a large freezer, that I'm running anyway, I might as well fill it up. Also, it is wonderful to have an endless supply of hot water.
The watering can to the left of the stove is keep water warm for the animals. We hope you are staying warm and not spending a fortune for your heat.