October Blessings Pt. 5

(#289-316 )
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October 23rd: 3 Gifts Begun

• A new Scripture memory goal
• A new attitude towards my Doula role
• A new season as the cool weather rolls in...

• Also, a praise for a medical situation for one of the children being easily resolved. 
• A fearful momma calmed by the Father who knows

October 24th: 3 Gifts Accomplished

• A friend who had been waiting LONG, whose time was finally Accomplished!!!
• Children's Scripture memory goals for the week: Accomplished!
• Learning to lean on Him through extraordinary circumstances, for today: Accomplished! (I certainly wish I did not have to learn this daily!)

October 25th: 3 Gifts Enjoying

• Fresh Snow
• 4 wonderful annual checkup reports at the eye doctor
• A delicious meal, prepared by a friend (Thank you Holly!!!)

October 26th: 3 Gifts Extravagant

• God's grace towards me, always more extravagant than I deserve
• A visit with my Grandma, always a treat
• A night out with friends, a date with my hubby even!

• A new recipe
• Ben and Tyler went hiking/hunting
• Great morning at home with my younger crew

October 27th: Humbling, Honoring, Happy

• Humbling: a morning conversation
• Honoring: sharing a birthday celebration
• Happy: The Huskers beat Michigan! Made yummy snacks to celebrate football game night, even if it was only on the radio

October 28th: 3 Gifts in Christ

• The Body of Christ, gathered in worship
• In Christ, good byes are not forever
• Food and Fellowship go hand in hand... :)

...the kids had blessings to add too:

• Emma: Thankful for for my friend going to Germany to tell others about Jesus!
• Tyler: Thankful we got to go swimming this week
• Wyatt: Thankful for Get-well cards from his sisters. 
• Mayda: Thankful for bedtime prayers

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Join us in counting our blessings? Over at A Holy Experience...

Lemon Bars

Last night we attended a lovely going away party for some friends of ours who are going to Germany to serve with Cadence International. We were so thankful to get to know them while they were here preparing for the Lord's plans and perfect timing... and we will really miss them! But we are really excited to see all that God will do through them as they minister to our troops in Germany. If you're not familiar with Cadence, I encourage you to read their "About" Page:

"Cadence International is an evangelical mission agency dedicated to reaching the military communities of the United States and of the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ."

And if the Lord lays it on your heart to help the Scotts, please do!

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So, I had been trying to figure out what to bake for the party that afternoon, and I was real need of getting to the grocery store, but without enough time to do both. I happened upon this recipe for Easy Lemon Bars, but i was missing a few of the ingredients, so I changed it... quite a bit. :)

They were a hit! So here's the recipe for you:

Laura's Lemon Bars

• One lemon cake mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 egg

Mix these three items and reserve one cup of this dough before pressing in a 9x13 baking dish and baking at 350 until puffed for a crust. Don't quite let it brown, since it will bake again.

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I used home-made)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 egg
• and 1/2 cup of reserved dough (save the last 1/2 cup for topping)

Blend this and pour over par-baked crust. 

• 1/2 cup reserved dough
• 1/4 cup flour

Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over as a top layer. Bake until golden brown around the edges, cool and cut into squares; drizzle with vanilla almond bark.

PS: just so you know, posts currently in the works for this coming week:

• Curriculum Review: My Father's World - Kindergarten
• Bread Recipe
• Acorn Squash Recipes
• October Blessings Pt. 5

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The Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

The Pumpkin Patch Trip is a ritual in our home, but not because we are getting ready for Halloween... We LOVE autumn at our house, the bounty that surrounds us: from garden to kitchen, from school to church. It is a time of thanksgiving. What says "bountiful" like a field full of ripe pumpkins, and children picking them with eyes that are bigger than their arms!?!?

God's love for us is bountiful, as should be our thankfulness towards Him!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

1 Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

Jonah 2:9
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

Ephesians 5:20
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 1:2
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

For More on Giving Thanks...

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October Garden

Garden dying back in beautiful color.

Even here in Nebraska, even in October, there is something going on in the garden...

We finally had a hard freeze and the majority of the garden was finished off. A few days before the freeze, we went out and picked all of the unripened tomatoes. My Roma tomatoes were running late this summer, so most of them were harvested green, but never-the-less they turned ripe just nicely in a box in the basement (thanks for the tip, Kristin!) Now I'm blanching and skinning them for salsa.

How to blanch tomatoes:

1. Wash the tomatoes.
2. Put on a pot of boiling water
3. Put a basin of cold water in the sink (ice is great too)
4. In batches, put the tomatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds...
5. Then place them in the ice water immediately.
6. With a paring knife or with your fingers, gently  remove the skin, it should peel easily. 
7. Chop the tomatoes for salsa, or freeze or can for later use. 
8. Of course, feed the skins to your chickens!

chickens cleaning up a broccoli plant

We still have lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli growing, and the lettuce tastes better than ever.

The pumpkins and acorn squash are done now too. Unfortunately, this little pumpkin was our only yield  but there were about 10 acorn squash. I'll post a recipe for those soon. :)

Even as it dies back, the rhubarb is so beautiful in its color... 

...and I'm daydreaming of next year's garden already. Anyone interested in artichokes?????

You know, I think this really is the worlds oldest profession:

Genesis 2:15 

Then the LORD God took the man 

and put him into the garden of Eden 

to cultivate it and keep it.

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Related Posts:

September Garden Update
Garden Progress in May
Spring has Sprung
Pruning Grapes- The Lord's Pruning for a Purpose

October Blessings Pt. 4

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(#260 - #288)

October 16th:

• A day to focus
• Bills paid
• Rest for a sick child
• Food from the freezer
• Catching up with my momma on the phone

October 17: 3 Gifts Ugly/Beautiful

• A Pig (or half anyway)... in my freezer (picked up my order at the butcher)
• Ugly Wind didn't stop a lovely field trip
• Dying Garden

• Lots of errands run
• Visit with Grandma
• Awana

October 18th: Shared, Saved, Surrendered

• Shared, a Field Trip to Asia
• Saved hubby a trip to town by picking up something for him
• Surrendered, worries about future plans
• Another visit to Grandma
• Mayda baking for the Alzheimer's Benefit Auction

October 19th: 3 Gifts Unexpected

• A new client, lovely to meet (not totally unexpected)
• A day for baking
• God's provision in a "new" car (a 1977 Chevette!)

October 20th: 3 Gifts Unconventional

• Beautiful fall weather for the farmer's market, in October, that is unconventional
• A parade right past the farmer's market, an unexpected treat
• A quiet evening at home with hubby

October 21st: 3 Gifts Undervalued

• Corporate worship
• A kind word or look
• Time spent serving

October 22nd: Silent, Still, Strong

• Silent: waiting on a call
• Still: He asks my heart to be.
• Strong: My God is Stronger than my struggles

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2012 Summer Farmer's Market Season

We had a fantastic time at the Farmer's Market this weekend, as it was likely our last (there is one more, but I'm not sure we can attend).

This season we focused on selling eggs and baked goods. Mayda sold out of her sugar cookies, and Wyatt sold plenty of Doggie Treats. I didn't sell too many Biscotti or Scones (pictured), but the Banana Bread was gone in a flash. :) And the Granola ALWAYS sells well!


 Here were a few of our market neighbors. (I didn't get a picture of everyone)

Wind Harvest Farm

Our Booth

Kethera's Cookies

Victory Hill Farm

The Cupcakery

The weather was amazing and there was a parade downtown to boot, and sine it went right by the market the kids had a front row seat. Emma took these fun pictures of the parade (plus about 80 more):