Yummus Hummus

Here is a hummus recipe that will knock your socks off! This is fast and easy and so good you just want to eat it with a big spoon. But if you can hold out, make some good Easy Flat Bread and dip it with that instead. Oh, so good.

Yummus Hummus

3/4 olive oil
the juice and zest of 2 large lemons
2 cans of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp course salt

Blend all until smooth. Cover and refrigerate one hour to meld flavors, if you can leave it alone that long. Otherwise, just grab that big spoon and go for it.

Easy Flat Bread

3 cups flour, plus some for rolling out
3 T shortening
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda
1 cup cold water

Preheat skillet to medium high. Mix dry ingredients, then cut shortening into the mixture until crumbly. Add water and mix until a dough forms. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of a tennis ball and knead each one a few strokes on a floured surface until smooth. Roll out dough, or press out with fingers until circle is about 1/2 inch thick. Add a tsp of olive oil to skillet, then cook bread on each side for about one minute until nicely browned. Serve with hummus.

Twenty in Twenty - Challenge Update

We have donated or trashed fourteen bags of stuff, and I am so thrilled! I have exactly one week left to move six more bags of junk off the Pecan Bluff premises. So far we've culled clothes, shoes, games, toys, kitchen items, and even a variety of old boxes (now why on earth was I storing those?) I also made a conscious effort to use up various hair products and soaps, etc, that we started and then moved on to using something else. What a waste, and what needless clutter to have those half-empty bottles hanging around! So, we've tossed lots of bottles and jars too, as we've used them up finally.

Our home feels lighter, and my heart feels joyful at seeing open space where it wasn't before. This has been a great way to bless my family and teach my children that the stuff of this world musn't keep us from doing our job on this earth ~ to bring glory to God. Sharing things we don't need and paring down what we own has already helped our family work and serve more effectively in the past couple of weeks, and that's been a wonderful change.

Incredibly, we accomplished this big challenge so easily in the house and yard that we didn't even do much clearing in the garage yet. And it really needs it. So, this challenge may be reinstated for the month of March so we can get that mammoth job done before the hot weather hits.

I got emails that some of you were working toward cleaning up your messes along with me this month. If you joined me in the Twenty in Twenty Challenge, congratulations on all your hard work. Let me know how you are doing, and keep on blessing your home and your family. To God be the glory!

Home Schooling Year Round - Update

alternatively titled

Why I Love the South in February

alternatively titled

Why On Earth Did It Take Me So Long

 to Try Year Round School?

Yep, this whole winter break thing is working out really, really well. 

Proud Parents!

Our beautiful daughter wrote this the other day

 when she hit the teen years,

 and I just have to share it here. 

We are so proud of her, and so thankful to be her parents.

 We love you, R!

Typical Teen

by R

Me, age 13

People seem to think that when a child turns thirteen, that he or she has to act, speak, dress differently than they have in the past. I am positive that when I turned thirteen last week, that I did NOT turn into what everyone might expect ~ a rebellious, lazy, self-centered teen. Some people think that it is like turning a switch, some parents think that their child has to turn into a monster. My parents will NEVER think that. They believe (and it's true) that the Bible never tells us to let kids act out, even when they are teenagers. It says that we are supposed love each other, respect our parents, and obey God, even when we are teens. The Bible never will give any excuse to teens to let them do things that they SHOULD NOT do, just because they become a teen. No excuses! If you think every teen has to be obnoxious and rebellious, just stand back and watch me! I don't plan to do those things, because I really do love the Lord and I really do love and respect my parents.

The Blankie (aka "Buppy")

I'm growing up

and I'm such a big girl

I can even close the gate all by myself...

... but I still need my Buppy.

The Challenge : Twenty in Twenty

I'm ready for a new challenge, people!
Before this month is up we will purge our home and garage of 20 bags of stuff we don't need! It's a big challenge, but I think we can do it. That's one bag per day every day until the end of February ~ 20 bags in 20 days. Want to jump in and join us?
I'm aiming to get one large trash bag filled per day, but even small bags will count. Plus, if I get rid of a big item (like the giant electronic phonics game I found today that makes the X sound no matter which letter you push) it counts as one bag of stuff all by it's lonesome.
So, we are off to dig through closets, rummage through the garage, and shuffle through shelves to find stuff we don't need, don't want, or don't use. If we find something we haven't used in the past year then we're going to think long and hard on whether we really, truly need that thingamajig. Then we'll haul all those donations to Goodwill and pray that someone needing just such an item will find it there.
This is gonna feel great!

Snow!

How on earth do you northern mamas do this for all those winter months? We have four inches of snow today and the temps are in the twenties. The kids were so excited to play in it that they could hardly wait long enough to scarf down breakfast. They dragged out every warm thing they own and I bundled them snuggly into the layers. They doubled up on socks and gloves, pulled on their cowboy boots, then ran out into a winter wonderland.

Not ten minutes later they came to the door like stiff snowmen, covered from head to toe in powder and half-frozen. I peeled off all their layers into a massive pile of soggy stuff, then hung it all to dry in front of the stove. The children thawed out with hot chocolate, and I mopped up the floor where they undressed and left a big puddle. Now they are ready to do it all over again!

Snow may be beautiful, but it's exhausting, what with all the sopping clothes, the changing in and out, the thawing of appendages, the heaving on and off of frozen boots. I really don't know how you moms up north manage it every day. Hats off to you!