When You're Nine Years Old.....

..... and you have a stomach virus, drinking ginger ale out of your new tea cup makes you feel a little better.

Happy Boxing Day

My friend Rachel told me about this English, Canadian, (Commonwealth nations) tradition. Here is how it is described on Microsoft Calendar Updates:

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th. It is a statutory holiday in the federal jurisdiction and in Ontario. If it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the working day immediately preceding or following Boxing Day is considered a legal holiday.
Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".
Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor, by the clergy, the day after Christmas.
Throughout the Christmas season, many organizations keep the original tradition of Boxing Day alive by donating their time, energy, and money to fill the Food Bank and provide gifts for the poor.

Since we are already taking a gift of food to some folks, we decided to put it in a box and make ourselves part of this English tradition. We may make the giving aspect of Boxing Day a part of our yearly, after Christmas tradition.

Would you like to join us?

Merry Christmas

The Putneys

Creativity in Action

Caroline and Lydia helped prepare the table for our Christmas morning breakfast when we will have a few friends over. The Better Homes and Garden's website gave us an idea for folding napkins like Christmas trees. The girls made oragami stars for the tree napkin tops.

Remembering Grandma

I baked two new pies today because Grandma made them at Christmas- Lemon Mirangue and 1850 Blackberry Pie. My first attempt at mirangue actually turned out!

English Toffee

I am sharing our new favorite recipe for Christmas gifts- English Toffee.

This recipe came in my email newsletter from The Urban Homemaker. It is easy and delicious!

Enstrom’s Style Toffee
2 3/4 Cup sugar
1 pound salted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup slivered almonds
1 - 12 oz pkg milk chocolate chip
3/4 cup whole almonds, chopped very, very finely in a blender- almost a powder

Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan - about 3 quart size over medium to medium high heat. Add the salt. When the butter is almost melted, add the sugar in quickly. Stir slowly, using a figure 8 motion with a wooden spoon. The sugar will not immediately dissolve or mix in, this is normal.
When the sugar absorbs into the butter the mixture will look more homogeneous and smooth. This takes 5-10 minutes. Then add the slivered almonds. This is what it will look like when you add the almonds. A would call this the blonde stage.

Continue to slowly stir the mixture in the saucepan for about another 10-15 minutes until the mixture reaches the hard crack stage. This is 290 ° F on a thermometer. You will notice that the sugar mixture is turning a darker more caramel color and it is almost starting to smell like burnt sugar. You can also drop a small amount of the mixture into iced water to test for the hard crack stage. Do not under cook. This picture shows how much darker the mixture becomes.
If the mixture has reached 290 or hard crack, pour the mixture onto a large cookie sheet and allow it to spread out. Place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack NOT ON A COUNTER because the mixture is so hot it could warp your counter.

After the toffee hardens, about 30 minutes, melt half the chocolate chips in a double boiler and spread over the toffee in a thin layer. Sprinkle with finely diced almonds. When this is cooled, flip the toffee over and repeat. Spread the other half of the chocolate chips, melted over the toffee and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds. When it is totally cooled, put portions into cellophane bags tied with a ribbon to use for gifts.

Sometimes You Get Exactly What You Want.....

....and Nanny lets you open your fashlight early because you need to use it caroling (which was cancelled because of the snow storm :(

A Smart Blonde Joke

From a former blonde, who seems to have more and more gray with each passing month.....

A cop pulls over a blonde, and says, “Ma’am, you were speeding. May I please see your driver’s license?”
“Oh, well, you see officer, I don’t have a drivers license,” the blonde replies. “I never really had the time to go to the DMV and stand for hours in line…and anyway, all you get are terrible pictures.” The slightly taken aback cop says, “Well, then, may I see your proof of registration?"

“Well, officer,” the blonde says, “this isn’t my car. I wanted to borrow it from my neighbor, because it’s so much faster than mine and I was late for a wedding – that’s why I was speeding – but he said no really rudely, so I hit him over the head with a tire iron and stuffed him in the trunk.”

The horrified police officer backs away and calls for backup, and the police chief himself comes out, along with a squad, to see about this.

“Ma’am,” says the chief, “may I see your driver’s license?” The blonde hands it to him and it hasn’t expired or anything, everything’s okay. “May I see your proof of registration?" The blonde hands that to him, and it’s her car, and everything’s okay. “I hate to bother you,” the chief says, “but may I look in your trunk?”

So she pops the trunk and there’s nothing in there. The chief comes back to her window. “We’re sorry, ma’am. The officer over there said that you didn’t have a driver’s license, this wasn’t your car, and that you’d killed a man.”

“You know what,” says the blonde, “I bet he told you I was speeding, too.”

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Another snow storm hit New York today! No one from our house was going to make it to our church this morning, so we visited Mebane, NC live at 11:00 am from the comfort of our livingroom. Here is a link if you are ever snowbound or home sick with the kids. Grace Reformed Baptist Church- Mebane NC. Another option we enjoy is listening to sermons on Sermon Audio. Some of our recent favorite speakers: John Piper, Albert N. Martin, Dr. R.C Spoul, Ted Donnally.

Frugal Recipe #3

Yet another recipe from Karen. Very frugal. We added turkey sausage and made it a complete meal. Yum!

Herbed Lentils and Rice Karen C.
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup dry lentils
1 cup rice
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup dry white wine (or water)
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. garlic powder
salt, pepper
Combine all ingredients. Put mixture in ungreased 2 qt. casserole with a tight lid. Bake covered 350̊ for 1½ to 2 hours or until lentils and rice are done, stirring twice. May top with grated white cheese and bake 2-3 minutes more until cheese melts. Optional: Add two or three Italian sausages before baking to enhance flavor and variety.

Where Have You Been?

Sick-but happy to be up and around again. It has been a busy week, trying to make up for 3 1/2 weeks of lost holiday preparations. Hopefully blogging will continue again.

Making Fun of Ourselves

I have had a life with plenty of joke material. For one thing, I grew up in WV which provides plenty of material for hillbilly jokes. When West Virginians get together, they can really enjoy some good laughs over hillbilly jokes. However, it is not funny to a West Virginian when a Virginian or Pennsylvanian tells the same joke.

Now I live in New York. I am in a state that is a perpetual, political hee haw. We have to laugh or we'll cry!

I also graduated from a Christian college that has had a less than stellar reputation in the public sphere. As a matter of fact, I usually don't mention where my diploma came from. But when I meet up with a fellow graduate from this institution, there is an instant bond of jokes and stories that can keep a conversation going for hours.

Now I am a homeschooling mom. Talk about material for ridicule. There is nothing more fun for me than to get together with other homeschool moms and make jokes about thrift store blue jean jumpers, failed science experiments, driving 10-year-old mini-vans, and our unsocialized children. We have great fun with our stereo-types.

And now the next generation is continuing on this great tradition of making fun of themselves. My daughters posted this video on their blog called "Anti social- A Homeschool Story." After I watched this video my first thought was that I wish I could meet this boys' mothers. Hey, we're all in this together. Enjoy the camaraderie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqBNP7RPcC8

Frugal Recipe #2

Caroline made this meal tonight and we loved it! So much easier than spinach lasagna. Thanks for sharing Karen.

Shells and Spinach Bake Karen C.
4 cups medium shells, uncooked
32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozz. cheese
1 box frozen spinach, thawed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
pepper, as desired
Cook shells according to package directions, drain. Toss with 2½ cups sauce. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. In 2½ quart casserole, layer ½ shell mixture; spread cheese filling over shells. Cover with remaining shells; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Nutcracker Ballet

We traditionally attend the yearly performance of The Nutcracker Ballet

Nutcracker Ballet

It's that time of the year. The official kick-off of the holiday season is the attendance of The Nutcracker Ballet. We were trying to recall how many years we've been attending and we think its been 12 years! Everyone has their favorite part but for me it's just sitting, enjoying the music, and soaking in the aura of our beautiful theater. The Stanley Theater was closed last year (we didn't see the ballet in 2007) as they enlarged the stage and put in a new chandelier. This was a very big deal in small town USA where a thriving economy is not one of our bragging points even when we're not in a recession.

My camera does not take very good pictures in low light, but here are a few shots I was able to get:

We had the privilege of taking some of Abby's friends with us this year. After the ballet we all came home for a tea party lunch. A very girlie day!

Dreaming of a Perfect Afternoon

A cup of tea

A quiet nook

A cookie and

A picture book

A lump of sugar

On my spoon,

Now that's a
PERFECT
afternoon.

Eileen Spinelli

A Little Christmas Decorating

Frugal Recipes

Last month I sent out an email to various friends who have a reputation of seeking to provide frugally, nutritious meals for their families. I asked them to send me a favorite recipe, then I cut and pasted the collection into a document and sent a copy out to everyone who participated. The response was great! Some where frugal and some were just FAST. And most ladies sent me more than one of their favorites. Here is a delicious soup recipe. I added more broth and our family of 6 ate it for two nights with some left for lunches. No turkey required! I used stewed beef.

I will post other recipes from the collection as our family tries them. Each of the girls will be choosing one recipe to make over the next 2 weeks.

Beef Barley Soup LauraLee B.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or stew beef cubed)
1 med. onion - chopped
1 tbsp oil
6 cups beef broth
1 cup pearl barley
4 med. carrots - sliced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. dried parsley
salt to taste

Prepare onions, carrots and stew beef if used. In a large pot brown meat with the onion in oil. Add broth, barley, carrots and spices, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 min. or until meat is cooked and the carrots are at the desired tenderness. Add parsley just before serving. Serves 10. Enjoy!

You Live in Upstate NY.....

Here's a list that we've been laughing about all week

You live in Upstate NY:

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse gets more snow than any other major city in the US.

You might live in Upstate NY:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through May.

You might live in Upstate New York :
If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here.

You might live near Oswego in Upstate New York:

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year, you might live, bundled up, in Upstate New York.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in Upstate NY.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day, you might live in Upstate New York

.If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Upstate New York.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE UPSTATE NEW YORKER WHEN:'

Vacation' means going south past Syracuse for the weekend.You measure distance in hours.

You know several people who have hit a deer - more than once.

You often switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

You can identify a southern or eastern accent.Down South to you means Corning .

Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed.

You go out for a fish fry every Friday.

Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

You find 10 degrees 'a little chilly.' And 55 is shorts weather.

You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Upstate New York friends and to those who used to live here and left(chickens).

What I'm Thankful For

My first thought was that I am thankful that I am not hosting Thanksgiving dinner after being sick for several days. But here is the real list that I was inspired to write after reading

Hannah's blog:~living in a land of plenty
~ living in a land where even those who do not claim to love God still have the common grace to do good for others (like food pantries and soup kitchens)

~ my Rubies in the Rough and watching them grow in wisdom and knowlege

~ my parents in NC are having a house full of people with whom they will enjoy the day

~my Uncle Charlie is spending Thanksgiving at my parents house because God saw fit to heal his body

~a loving husband who cares to meet my needs physically, emotionally and spirtually

~sweet suprises (this is from a book that I used to read to my little girls about doing something sweet for someone who's not expecting it)

~Carissa's homeschool graduation and spending the day being enveloped with the joy of choosing the homeschool path

~watching my 9 year old choose to read

~friends who inspire me to do right

~Elizabeth Elliot, Martha Peace, and Edith Schaffer who have written books that inspire me to do right

I need to stop.... thank you for reading

Sometimes It's Worth Getting Sick

Especially when the sentiment comes from your husband who knows that yellow roses are your favorite.

The Next Generation Steps Up

It's not been a good week- Mom in bed with the flu. Caroline stepped up to the plate today and made the rolls for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner at my in-law's house. I'm hoping that I will be able to enjoy the rolls around the the table with everyone else.

Last Day of Fall Co-op

Abby's cake decorating class

I am so glad this class can take place somewhere other than my dining room.

Then I went waaayyy outside of my comfort zone, helping with "Ooey Gooey Fun." Fifteen 3-5 year olds making a mess and having a great time!

An early Christmas gift......

YEAH!!!

On Being a Lady

The ladies in our house will occasionally pick from the bookshelf, How to be a Lady, a Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy. Sometimes it gives us a good laugh and sometimes it pricks our conscience. Here are some entries:

~A lady doesn't talk during a performance, a sermon, or a lecture.

~A lady should never ask if she looks fat in something.

~A lady does not whine.

~A lady does not dump the contents of her purse on the table for all to see.

~A lady doesn't wear white shoes before Easter nor after Labor Day.

(see girls, it's actually in print!)

~A lady donates the clothing she no longer wears to those less fortunate than she.

~A lady lets the gentlemen friends in her life know she appreciates their behavior toward her.

More to come.

Sometimes I'm Reminded.....

....what a joy it is when a gracious heart brings you a sweet surprise. A good lesson for tonight.

Then a daughter bakes Dad his favorite surprise.

Friday Co-op

When you come to Homeschool Co-op you never know what you'll go home with.

There is usually a box or two of clothes, shoes, books, magazines, housewares, etc.... Homeschooling mom's are some of the most sharing and generous people on the planet. We're all in this together.

Sometimes you go home with extra children in your van who will be spending the day and sometimes you go home with less children than you came with.

Yesterday, in a moment of weakness and temporary insanity, I agreed to go home with a new member of the household.

Meet Essie, the "Esther Bunny." No box is able to contain this bunny. Right now she is living in a dog crate big enough for a golden retriever. Time for a crash course on rabbit keeping.

Spoiled already?

Happy Adoption Day Alice....

........and congratulations to the rest of the family. Here is a video of the event covered by the local news: http://www.9wsyr.com/news/national/default.aspx?articleID=248717

This past Sunday evening, Tom and I finished the book, Tying the Knot Tighter, by Martha Peace and John Crotts. We have been reading a chapter a week on Sunday afternoons when we arrive home from church . Some weeks went by without reading, especially when company visited, but for the most part we were able to be consistent. Every chapter concludes with questions for the wife and husband to openly discuss. I can not say that each week was pleasant. With a chapter entitled, "The Wife Sets the Tone in the Home," you know some of the discussion is going to sting. But we made a pack on the first week- we would not use the time as a venting session and we would remember that we both have each others good-will at heart. What wife can be offended when she has a husband like mine who is continually telling her how much he loves and appreciates her?
I have learned many new things about my husband in the past few months. With the constant changes that take place in our lives and family, a natural consequence will be changes in our marriage too. We have grown together through the reading of this book and have resolved to repair the areas that need fixing.

A Bridge Instead of a Wall

They say a wife and husband bit by bit,

Can rear between their lives a mighty wall,

So thick they can not talk with ease through it,

Nor can they see across, it stands so tall!

Its nearness frightens them but each alone

Is powerless to tear its bulk away,

And each, dejected, wishes he had known

For such a wall, some magic thing to say.

So let us build with master art, my dear,

A bridge of faith between you life and mine,

A bridge of tenderness and very near

A bridge of understanding, strong and fine-

Till we have formed so many lovely ties

There never will be room for walls to rise!

Author Unknown