Are You A Sheep Or A Donkey?

In our area of the country,  we have a coyote problem. They have been known to gang up on a cow, goat, or sheep giving birth, killing the newborn and its mother. They have also been known to pick off the smaller and weaker animals in a herd or to pick off an animal that strayed away from the majority of the herd. Some farmers have taken to putting a guard donkey in their herds. The donkey senses the danger, brays loudly to warn of the danger, and will even confront the predator to keep the herd safe. Guard donkeys and the animals they protect got me to thinking one day about different types of people. I came to this conclusion; there are two types of people in this world, sheep or donkey.

Jesus used the shepherd and the sheep to talk about His love and relationship with the body of believers that made up the church. It is a good analogy. Sheep trust their shepherd to guide them where they need to go and to provide protection for them. It was an analogy the people in Biblical times could understand because it was part of the fabric of life in their area. 

However, there is another quirk about sheep, they follow someone blindly without giving any thought to where it may lead them. Once the flock or an individual member of the flock starts moving in one direction, all of the others fall right behind them. They don't stop to think for themselves they just go. They also have a tendency of getting stressed out when they become separated from the rest of the flock. Shepherds use their flock mentality to keep them together and move them with ease.

Donkeys are quite different form sheep. They are known for being stubborn. However, I see donkeys as an independent minded animal that is not easily moved. They are cautious animals with a high sense of self preservation. They are intelligent animals that study situations, people, and have to make up their own minds about something. Once a donkey knows he can trust and have confidence in someone, they become willing, hard-working, friendly animals. 

Now how does all of that relate to people. The behavior of the sheep and the donkey speaks volumes about people behave today. By placing people into these two types; it is easy to see who is of the world and those in the world. 

Sheep are people that are of the world and living in a worldly way. They conform to the world's way of thinking about people and their behaviors. They are conformist of the worse kind, because they don't seem to realize that they aren't thinking for themselves. They blindly follow whatever culture is dictating at the time. They are afraid to take a stand or to be different, because they can't handle being separated from the flock. They blindly follow people, public whims, and warped views of the culture without every stopping to think what harm they maybe doing to themselves and others. Sheep can't see the danger that is often right in front of them. 

Sheep are everywhere. If you don't believe, go to a public place to do a little people (sheep) watching. How many people do you see using their smart phones and are ignoring the people they are with? How many young ladies and young men do you see that are almost clones of each other with their choice of clothing and their looks? You really want to see sheep go to a high school or college campus. The students at both places claim to follow the beat of their own drummer. What they fail to see is that they are the biggest non-conformist, conformist in the culture.

Christians even fall into the destructive sheep mind-set when they makes statements like; "The church needs to change with the times.", "We shouldn't judge people, because we haven't walked in their shoes.", or my personal favorite "But God is a God of love." What they fail to see is that they are trying to make the church of the world, instead of being a separate people not of the world but in the world. They don't want to appear to be different from the world, because the thought of losing the world's approval frightens them. They want to claim Jesus with their lips, but are afraid to live Jesus in their lives. By doing so they are weakening the Gospel and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us. 

Donkeys are people that are in the world. They have placed their trust and faith in the Lord. They are independent enough to make decisions without the influence of anyone except for their master. They are non-conformist when it comes to the ways of the world. They aren't afraid to stand out and be different from those around them. If they like something, it is because they choose to like, not because everyone else does. They question the world and public whims. They go into a situation with their eyes wide open, looking for information, so that they can make an informed decision. They are often braying a warning for the sheep of danger close by. 

There are donkeys out there. Often times, they will stand out in a crowd. They are the people out there enjoying each others company. They have a sense of fashion and style that is they own. They like the things that appeal to them, whether it is the popular thing or not. They dare to be different. They dare to be the person God made them to be. They are the conformist, non-conformist. They are an individual. 

Donkeys are the Christians that are trying their best to let the love and light of God shine through their actions and deeds, not just through their words. They realize being a Christian isn't the easy thing to do. They know that God is a God of love but He is also a jealous God that can be a God of vengeance. He is a God that will hand out judgments and will judge us all one day. Donkeys know that Christians aren't to judge people of the world, but we have an obligation to rebuke one that calls themselves a brother or a sister in Christ out of love and concern for that person. Donkeys also aren't afraid to share the truth because they realize that there are going to be a lot of people loved right into Hell. They realize they aren't perfect and above reproach, but they try to live each day according to God's laws and commandments. They aren't afraid to proclaim God as their Father and Jesus as their Savior. They are unashamed to be in the world and not of the world.

Now, which are you? A sheep or a donkey? As for me, I am more of a donkey, but I will admit, I still have some sheep characteristics to work on. 

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

The Toll Of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a cruel, nasty disease. It robs a person of their treasure store of memories and eventually robs a family of a cherished, loved one. It takes a toll on the person afflicted and the loved ones around them. It drains all of them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Alzheimer's is a cruel, nasty disease. 

Tomorrow is my maternal grandmother's 89th birthday, but she won't remember that because she has Alzheimer's. She started showing signs of the disease about 7 to 8 years ago. It started out with little things, like forgetting to do something when making coffee in a coffee maker. It progressed to asking the same question over and over again over a period of time. It showed in conversations about rain and how it never rained at her house, when it clearly had because her driveway was muddy. It showed talking about her garden which was the worst garden she ever had but there would be fresh produce from her garden on the counter. 

Denial was the mantra of the day with my mother and her siblings for a long time, until it became so obvious something was wrong. The same question started coming over and over again within seconds. Names were forgotten. Items were misplaced. Pots of water were left on the burners unattended. As the disease progressed, it started showing up in her demeanor. She became mean and aggressive. At times, I think the anger came from a place of she knew something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what it was and it frustrated her.

Valiantly my mother and siblings did there best to keep my grandmother in her own home. It finally got to the point where my grandmother's health and safety became an issue. So reluctantly, they finally agreed to put her in an Alzheimer's full care facility. My grandmother has been there for almost a year now and is doing well. Some of the anger issues subsided. The caregivers said they saw that happen often and they believed because on some level, they know they are around people like them and it makes them more comfortable. Even in a place of comfort, the disease is still progressing. It is now to the point where she is not finishing sentences and her speech is at times garbled. 

My mother and siblings visit her several times each with, treasuring each moment they get to spend with her. She still recognizes her daughters as her daughters, but she can't put the right name to them. However, she often refers to them as her sisters.  She is slowly losing recognition of her sons. She talks often of going home, not the home of her married life, but of her childhood home. The few memories she has is from those early childhood years.

My grandmother no longer comes to family gatherings. It just became to stressful for her. It is sad not having her with us, but all want to do what is best for her. She is still our grandmother, but she isn't the woman we grew up calling grandma. Her memories of us are almost gone. We can still a glimmer of recognition in her eyes, but it only lasts for seconds. It is sadly to see her slowly fade away. In one way it is a blessing because we have been able to slowly say good-bye and begin the grieving process, but there are times I just want my grandma back. 

Alzheimer's is a cruel, nasty disease. It robs a person of their treasure store of memories and eventually robs a family of a cherished, loved one. It is robbing me of my grandma. 

If you have an Alzheimer's patient in your family or want to learn more about it,  please visit the Alzheimer's Association website. There you can find out the signs and symptoms. They have an educational and resource center. There are message boards you can sign up to discuss issues with other effected by it. They have news about the latest research that is being done. They have a blog and a caregiver center. It is a great place to get started if you are just learning about Alzheimer's or a newly diagnosed family member. 

Living with Alzheimer's in our family and praying for God's will be done! 

We Are Aspergers

Asperger's is a part of who we are as a family and it will always be a part of our DD's life. Our youngest nephew has it and we believe DH's youngest brother also has it. The curious thing is that all 3 of them - our DD, our nephew, and my BIL all had difficulties at birth. 

DD was born 14 weeks early and has other disabilities that helped mask the fact she had Asperger's. (You can read more about DD's early birth and disabilities, here.) From the beginning, we knew something just wasn't right with our daughter. She was easily overstimulated and had meltdowns, but we were told to expect that from premmies. There were other odd little things that she did, but thought it was because of her hearing impairment or her very mild cerebral palsy. 

I knew from my educational courses, she had some autistic tendencies. She would line up her toys and organize her toys, but never really played with her toys. She was affectionate, but not overly affectionate. She could communicate and carry on conversations, but it was often one sided and about her. Her vocabulary was way above her grade level, but we attributed that to all the books she read or we read to her from an early age.

None of this made any sense to us. It was hard to tell other people about it, because they weren't seeing the odd behaviors. They weren't dealing with the freak outs or meltdowns. All they saw was a sweet, smart girl and young lady. All of which she is. 

It wasn't until our youngest nephew came along and was diagnosed at the age of 3 with Asperger's that puzzle pieces started to fit. He was doing some of the same things our DD did at his age. He was having the freak outs and meltdowns. He was having the overstimulated issues. He was having sensitivity issues with temps and textures, which was something DD had issues with but we put off onto other things. 

As I began researching Asperger's in order to help our nephew and in order to support my BIL and his ex-wife, I began to find list of things DD had done and was continuing to do. One afternoon, I sat DH down and showed him what I was finding. With one look on his face, I knew he thought what I thought - our DD has Asperger's and what do we now?

We began to do more research and tried to learn as much as we could. We started looking into having her testing, whether it would help, and would insurance cover it. As we found out more and more, we knew testing was going to be beyond our financial reach. The cheapest quote we could find was $2500 and insurance wouldn't cover very much of it or any at all. 

Time went on and through some things we have had to work on and take care of, DD was finally tested with no cost to us. The psychologist she saw told DH there was no doubt in their mind that DD did indeed have Asperger's. The psychologist brought up signs and symptoms that we weren't even aware of but looking back we knew DD had them. While it wasn't a big surprise, it did help give us a peace of mind to know that all those odd things behaviors we were seeing weren't in our own minds, that they did have a cause and a name, Asperger's. 

I don't share this with you to garner any sympathy or for you to feel sorry for us. I share this in the hope to establish a little understanding and compassion. Not every child is born perfect. Most have some issue, handicap, or problem that they and their parents have to deal with. So the next time you see a child behaving oddly, in a wheelchair, or just having a bad day; don't look at them any differently than you would any other child. See them as the child of God they are. See them as the being God created them to be. Look at their parents with a look of support instead of a look at condemnation. 

Asperger's is NOT what has been inflicted on our family. It is just a part of who we are as a family and we are okay with that. We don't know what the future holds. We know there will be bumps along the way and things to get through, but we know who holds our future in His hand. We know with His grace, guidance, and love we can face anything. To God be the glory! 

Living life with Asperger's simply the best way we can, one day at a time!

Curing A Dry Winter Home

Does the dry, low humidity dry you out in the winter? It certainly does me and DH. This winter hasn't been that bad, but a few winters ago the humidity was so low we kept a sinus infection all winter from being dried out. It was that winter that I went searching for ways to add humidity to our house naturally. We implemented several of them and it helped tremendously. 

Tips For Adding Humidity To Your Home

• When you get done taking a shower, leave the shower curtain drawn back or the door open. A bonus to doing this is that I have seen less water stain build up on the surface of the shower by doing this.
• Use decorative bowls filled with water. Set them around the house in the bedrooms especially. You could also use vases. Change the water once a week.  
• Place ceramic or metal bowls filled with water on top of heat registers. Obviously, you will need to place them in an out of the way place.
• When you are cooking food or boiling water on the stove top, leave the lid off so the steam is released into the air. 
• Drying clothes in laundry room or bathroom. This is easy to do with the sweaters we wear in the winter. Those delicate items that you don't want to put in the dryer will work, too. 
• Houseplants are an easy, pretty way to add moisture to your home. When you water or spray them, they release moist in the air through transpiration. 
• Believe it or not, your pet's water bowl releases moisture, which is a good reason to have a pet living in your home. Right?
• Buy a sprayer bottle that has a mist feature and fill with water. Go around and spray a fine mist in every room, being careful not to mist too heavily.
• After taking a bath, leave the water in the tub until it has completed cooled. The cooling process will release moisture into the air. 
• If you own and use a dish washer, don't use the drying cycle. Simply open the door and let the dishes air dry, which will release moisture into the air. 

I hope these ideas will be of some use to you and help relieve the dry air you may have in your home during the winter. 

Forever looking for ways to live life in a way that helps us take care of the beautiful earth entrusted to our care and live it simply!

Simply Useful: Throw Blankets

We love, love throw blankets. They are so comfy to have around, especially on a chilly winter night. We have some in every room thrown over the back of a chair or on the end of the bed. We have them in many colors, shades, and textures. They are so handy and easy to take on the road making them a vacation go to. They are also great to offer to visitors who find our home a little of the chilly side. Miss Oakley even has a few she likes to cuddly up in.

I use them on my bed at night. During the winter, I keep only a sheet and blanket on my bed. I add throw blankets on top of that because they are so easy to take off when I get hot or to throw on when I get cold. DH does the same on his bed. DD keeps at least 3 on the end of her bed for easy access. 

It has taken a few years to compile our collection. We have been given several as gifts for birthdays or Christmas. We have purchased a few. Most throws are relatively cheap. You can buy some for as cheap as $5.00 at Walmart. The fluffy fleece ones costs a little more, but their texture is worth a splurge. 

Throw blankets are just one of those little things that are great to have around and are simply useful!

Living a simple life with my family and taking each moment as it comes! 

Simply Useful

An item that is used every day or is our go to item for a certain situation or task are just simply useful. Over the years of keeping our home, I have found several items that are just so useful that I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have them anymore. Of course, that is an exaggeration. I could do without them but it would require some readjustments. LOL! 

In order to share those little things I have found useful over the years, I am starting a new category and a new page tab on this blog called "Simply Useful." Most of these things are simple items that are probably in most households. However, some are different and not thought of very often. They are often an item that is meant to be used in one way, but I have reproposed them for another use. So be on the lookout for my "simply useful" things. 

Living a simple life and relishing every minute of it!  

Quick, Easy, Healthy Meal Ideas

These meal ideas I am sharing today are really quick, really easy, but only somewhat healthy. However, they are a lot healthier than what comes from a box or a fast food bag, although some of them do. These meals are also my go to meals when we need to be somewhere on a particular evening or when we have had a busy day. Most of these meals take less than 30 minutes. Some could even become travel food, if needed. If you have any meal ideas, please leave a comment and share them with me.

Main Course

• Tomato soup (we use Campbells) w/ grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese or crackers, or cheese quesdillas, or choose your family's favorite soup.
• Hot dogs (grilled or baked) w/ chili & slaw or slice the hot dogs the long way place cheese slices in the cut bake in oven until cheese melts serve as is or w/ chili, (our favorite in Oscar Meyer Beef Bun Length Hot Dogs).
• Cheese quesdillas, (either fried in a pan or made in the microwave), add some green chilies if your family likes a little spice.
• Homemade deli sandwiches, use a variety of meats & cheeses, tomato slices, lettuce or spinach, slice pickles, choice of condiments.
• Sandwich wraps, use flour tortillas, use a variety of meats & cheeses, cut up grape tomatoes, lettuce or spinach, chopped onions/peppers/canned mushrooms, choice of condiments, a pickle spear on the side.
• Digiorno pizzas - They have a wide variety and are done in about 20 minutes. They were voted the best frozen pizza by America's Test Kitchen.
• Hamburgers (grilled, baked, or pan fried), serve on toasted buns, add cheese for a cheeseburger, with tomato/lettuce/pickles, or chili/onions/slaw.
• Tacos - There are a variety of taco meal kits out there with hard or soft shells. Our favorite is Old El Paso Stand & Stuff. You can make beef or chicken. Serve with tomato, lettuce or spinach.
• Frozen Popcorn Chicken (our favorite is the Great Value Brand from Walmart), read the ingredients to make sure you are getting chicken made with real chicken not processed pieces, serve with favorite dipping sauces.

  

The sides can range from very healthy to relatively healthy. Most require a little prep but nothing that can't be done while other things are cooking. 

Sides

• Fresh fruit of all kinds - in the spring there are strawberries/blueberries, in the summer watermelon/cantaloupe/peaches/blackberries, in the fall apples/pears/cranberries, in the winter grapes/apples/oranges/pineapples/bananas. Serve with some sort of dip, peanut butter, or plain is just fine. 
• Veggies - cut up broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, carrots or use baby carrots, grape tomatoes. Serve with your family's favorite dip.
• Popcorn, multi-grain tortilla chips with salsa or cheese dip, chips w/ dip, crackers w/ cheese. 
• French fries - I have found that the shoestring fries are the easiest to fix and only take about 5 to 7 minutes to bake. 
• Salads are a quickly prepared side that goes with almost anything. Best of all it can be easily tailored to your family's taste. 

Fix a quick and easy meal that is somewhat healthy is simple to do. Next time you are in the search for something quick to fix, rethink things before you grab something in a box or bag laden with preservatives and chemicals. 

 

Living a simple life and forever looking for ways to make it simpler!

Cooking And Baking

Cooking and baking is something I really enjoy doing, especially when I feel like it. I realize sometimes cooking a meal or baking a treat can be a chore when you don't feel like doing it. Those times are when an offer to go out to eat or order take out are a relief.

Over the years, my cooking and baking has improved. I have learned helpful techniques, time saving tips, and ideas. A lot of them come from cooking/baking shows I like to watch. Some have come from Martha Stewart. Others from cookbooks and housekeeping books. Some I learned on my own. 

Part of the reason, I started this blog was to pass on those things I have found useful in keeping our home and cooking for my family. Cooking a meal everyday isn't such a drudge with a little planning and the use of time saving measure. So over the course of my blogging journey, I will be sharing what I have learned. I also will share some of my favorite cookbooks, cooking shows, and favorite recipes with you.

Enjoying the simple pleasures of cooking and baking in this simple life I live! 

Seasons Of Life

Just as the seasons change in this beautiful the Lord created for us to live in, our lives have seasons, too. Each brings its own challenges, teaches its own lessons, and imparts its own wisdom. The key is to recognize what can be learned and gleaned from them.

Our childhood years and our teenage years are the seasons we start out in. As we grow and get older these seasons prepare us for all the seasons we will live through when we reach adulthood. Those early seasons shape the person we are when we get married.

Starting out as a newlyweds we are in the "getting to know you season", we bring our own individual ideas and ways into the marriage. We have to meld those individual ideas and ways into the ideas and ways of a couple which has become one. The season is a difficult one to go through, but it is also a carefree season without may responsibilities and cares. That is until children enter the picture. 

The season of "babies and toddlers" is one of the most exciting and tiring one we go through. The joy of an impending birth brings such happiness and closeness to a couple but with the birth everything changes. There is another person in the relationship completely dependent on the both of you. There are diapers to change and a feeding schedule to maintain. There may be a colic baby that makes sleeping impossible. There are plans that have to be changed due to a sick baby. Add a toddler or two trying to form their own opinions and assert their independence, not to mention a house that forever seems to be messy with toys lying about everywhere, can make it feel like this season will go on forever. However, with all of that, this season in life is one of the sweetest. Those moments of holding your baby in your arms staring into each others eyes is priceless and should be cherished. Those moments when a pudgy armed toddler throws their arms around your neck to give you a hug or the look on their face when they discover something new is worth all the tantrums and sleepless nights. 

Next comes the "going to school" season and then the dreaded "teenage" season. Each with its rushing from place to place, cramming down a meal on the run, homework arguments, social media worries, and those we no longer have a baby moments. Yet, each of these stages have their sweet rewards if we look for them. I so wish I had taken the time to do so. 

The having a "college age adult child" season is next, which may be followed by "child getting married" season or an "adult child moving back home" season. Both of these seasons are hard to navigate. When a child marries, it is their final act of independence and can be bittersweet, but it is a necessary part of their lives. There are also those of us for what every reason have a child who is an adult living in or moving back into your house. Yet, it is another season some have to go through and is the season we are in right now. We have done everything in our power to try to find our DD a job. She is a very smart young lady and has a bachelor's degree, but she has a few mild disabilities that seem to be holding her back. However, we know that this is a season we have to go through. We know God is guiding us and sometimes carrying us through this season. We know their is a Master plan God has for our family. We just have to wait on His timing. 

As the years pass, we know we have more seasons to go through. Soon we will be entering the "taking care of our elderly parents" season and eventually our "old age" season. We know there is no use dreading them, but to face them head on asking God to be with us along the way.

Each season has its ups and downs. Each one has its lessons to learn from. How we get through each season helps shape the person we become. We can let the difficulties beat us down or we can seek the wisdom to be found from each. The seasons of life can be scary, but filled with many, many more rewards. So live your life being thankful for the season you are going through right now!

Living our current season of life, embracing the difficulties and challenges, and learning to cherish each moment of it!    

Trying To Do It All

When I started out as a young bride in the late 1980's, there was movement going on trying to convince women that they could have it all. They could work full time, have a perfectly kept home, pursue hobbies, keep physically fit, spend quality time with their children, and still have time to be romantic for my husband. All you had to do was be organized, run on a schedule, and keep yourself highly motivated. Being a young woman without a lot of maturity or wisdom, I thought since I was still young I could do it all if I just tried hard enough. 

I read organizing books. I read books about how to make a schedule and stick to it. I organized, made out chore charts, and made a schedule. I made a whole list of things I wanted to do with or teach our DD. I had big ideas of DH coming home to a spotless house, a happy daughter, and a romantic candle light dinner. All that happened was that I would have a melt down from feeling so stressed out and feeling like a failure. 

Over the years, I added a part time job, started  homeschooling, and gardening. I readjusted schedules and reworked chore charts. I looked for ways to include things that I like to do and that would help me relax. The more I added, the more I reworked, the more I became frustrated. I just couldn't figure out why I couldn't do what needed to be done and still have time for what I wanted to do. I was too hard headed to see what was right in front of me; it is impossible for me or anyone else to do it all. 

If I spent the time needed for me to have a spotlessly clean house, I didn't have time to work in my veggie/flower garden. If I spent time making bread and fixing food to freeze, I didn't have time to keep the house spotless. If I spent the time to keep all of the gardens beds weed free and looking neat, I didn't have the time to cook and bake nor did I feel like it. If I took the time to work on my hobbies, I felt guilty for not taking care of my homekeeping duties. It was a vicious cycle that I was in and it was keeping me stressed and worn out. 

It has only been in the last two years or so that I have REALLY realized I couldn't do it and that is okay. I have learned to let things go and to be flexible. I have also learned to rework things the right way. For example, in the spring when my gardens require a lot of attention, I make sure to schedule simple meals and buy something for dessert. I learned if I have a week with a lot of running around to do, it is okay if a few rooms don't get cleaned. I have learned to give and to take. I have learned that my family would rather have me happy and relaxed instead of stressed and wound tight. I have learned that perfection can only be found in one being and that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As women, we have a very important role in our family. We are the part that keeps the whole thing running. We are the chief housekeeper, cook, child entertainer, partner in love, head laundress, and main chauffeur. We have a lot of responsibilities to take care of, but we have out limitations. We need to be okay with doing less and asking for help when we need it. We need to recognize we can't do it all and do it perfectly. We are after all only human, right?

Living a simple life and acknowledging I can't do it all! 

"A Life Lived Simply" FB Page

"A Life Lived Simply" now has its own FB page and can be found at the following link; "A Life Lived Simply." 

On our FB page you will find blog posts highlighted that I believe will be of a special interest; such as recipes, views on topics of the day, or the start of a new series, etc. I will also be posting things that you won't find on the blog such as; holiday ideas & decorations, snapshots of our simple life, and observations of the day, etc.

I would love to hear from you. Please leave me comment under the post or write something of your own. However, I do ask that any comment or post be written without any vulgar language or name calling. If you disagree with something I have shared, please feel free to discuss it with me, but do so in a courteous, polite way; also, please, remember we may have to agree to disagree. 

If you like the blog or like what you see on the FB page, then, please give it a like and share the page with your friends.  

Living the simple life and wouldn't trade it for anything! 

A Week Of Candy: Potato Candy

Don't let the odd ingredient in this recipe turn you off. It is very, very yummy and very, very rich. I had this candy along time ago at a family reunion. I spent years looking for this recipe and finally found it in a cookbook of Appalachian recipes. It has become a surprising family favorite and favorite of others once they tried it. 

Potato Candy

• 1/2 cup of warm cooked potatoes mashed. (You can use leftover mashed or baked potato.)
• 4 to 6 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 cup of creamy peanut butter

Mash the potatoes till there are no lumps. Place in a mixer, add one cup of powder sugar, and combine. Continue to add sugar until the mixture resembles pie dough and is dry enough it won't stick to your hand. Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper into a rectangular shape and 1/4" thickness. 

Spread peanut butter on to the top, keeping it about 1/2" from the edges. Roll  up as you would a jelly roll and then chill in frig until firm. Slice into slices and enjoy!

 

Living the simple life and thankful for it!

A Week Of Candy: Buckeye Hearts

Chocolate and Peanut Butter are just one of those perfect combinations. That is what makes this candy so perfect. I took the classic Buckeye Candy recipe and adapted it for a Valentine's Day treat for my family this year. The original recipe came from the Martha Stewart Living magazine and can be here. The candy dough is shaped into acorns in the original recipe and that got my wheels spinning. So I came up with an idea and went for it. 

When I made these acorns, I found the candy dough softened quickly and made it hard to work with. I know humidity of different regions effect recipes, so I think that is what made the dough so soft. I adjusted the amount of powdered sugar and chilled it in the freezer instead of the frig. They weren't the prettiest candies in the world. I am still learning how to deal with melted chocolate and haven't got it all figured out yet. The candy was still yummy and a hit with DH and DD. 

Buckeye Hearts

• 3/4 cup of soft peanut butter
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup of chocolate chips - half milk & half semi
• 1 tbsp. of butter

All the ingredients you will need.

In a mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter and butter until well blended. Add the sugar, mix until a smooth dough is formed. 

Peanut Butter and Butter blended together.

Add sugar and blend.

Mix until a smooth dough forms.

To make sure the dough was well knead, I remove it from the bowl and kneaded it a few times, then I formed it into a rectangular shape.

Finished dough formed into a rectangular shape.

If you were going to form balls or acorns to chocolate, you would put the dough in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes, then form the balls or acorns and chill for another 30 minutes. Since I was going to cut this dough into hearts, I went ahead and rolled the dough out into a rectangular shape about 1/8" in thickness between two sheets of parchment paper, then I put it into the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 

Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper, then...

roll out to 1/8" thickness.

After 30 minutes, I pulled the dough out and started cutting out the heart shapes using a cookie cutter. I placed the hearts on a baking sheet to pop back into the freezer for another 30 minutes. (I forgot to take a picture of this step.)

While the dough is chilling, get the chocolate and 1 tbsp. butter ready to melt over a bain marie. Melt until smooth and fluid.

For my bain marie, I use a medium size pot of simmering water and a medium bowl fitted on top.

Almost ready for the hearts to be dipped.

I only dipped one half of the hearts in the chocolate. Once dipped I placed the hearts back on to the baking sheet so they could chill one more time for about 2 hours or until chocolate is set. 

The finished product doesn't look the neatest but it is the yummyness that counts, right? 

The most important thing I can say about this recipe is to keep the dough COLD. It makes it a lot easier to work with. I only used about half of the dough and that yielded about 30 hearts. I froze the rest for later use. 

Making these candies involves a lot of steps and wait time, but it is well worth it, especially when you are fixing them for the ones you love.  

Living life simply and thankful for every minute of it!

A Week Of Candy: Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles are a new family favorite. I found this recipe taped to the top of an Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk can. As with most recipes, I tweaked this one to fit our tastes. This recipe also allows you to customize the outside of your truffles. 

Chocolate Truffles

• 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.*
• 1 -14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• coating options - finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, powdered sugar, colored sugars 

The ingredients.

In a large sauce pan, over low heat, melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. 

 

Pour into a medium bowl. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours; until firm. 

 

Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in desired coating and/or decorate with frosting and candies. Chill for an 1 hour, then eat. 

 

I rolled the ones I made in powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa, and colored sugars. 

Finished product.

These truffles were really good. When I made them I used 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup milk chocolate chips.* The next time I make these I am going to use half and half. Another thing I learned from making these is that you need to roll them balls in the coating as soon as you shape them. If you don't, it is harder to get the coating to stick to the outside of the truffle. Over all I was pleased with the finally product and so was my family. 

 

Living a life that is simple and loving every minute of it! 

A Week Of Candy: Fudge

As a cook, I love this recipe. It is easy to fix and is so versatile that you can make any kind of fudge you want. We especially like the chocolate or peanut butter fudge. 

Here is what you will need to make this fudge.

Fudge

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 stick of butter
• 12 regular size marshmallows
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of candy chips (chocolate, peanut butter)

Place sugar, butter (cut into pieces), marshmallows (I usually tear them into 4 piece), evaporated milk, and pinch of salt  into a large pot.

 

Place all the ingredients into a pot and stir.

I use organic sugar that is why the mixture looks brown.

Cutting the butter into small pieces and tearing the marshmallows melt quicker.

The butter has melted. Just waiting for the marshmallow.

Almost there.

Starting to come to a boil

Now at a boil

 

When the butter and marshmallows have melted and the mixture has come to a boil, cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. 

 

While you are waiting for the mixture to boil, pour the peanut butter chips into a glass measuring cup. When you have about 2 minutes left on the boiling time, pop the peanut butter chip into the microwave for about 30 seconds. This will help them melt better when you add them to the mixture after it has boiled for 5 minutes. 

 

When the mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from heat and add the slightly melted chips and vanilla extract then stir. I usually put the pot back over the burner I just turned off to use the residual heat to help combine everything well while stirring. 

 

Melt candy chips in microwave for about 30 seconds to begin the melting process.

After 5 minutes of boiling remove from heat, add the candy chips and vanilla. 

Stir until combined.

The look of the finished product.

Pour the fudge into a smaller size pan or casserole dish, greased with butter or lined with non-stick aluminum foil. 

 

I use a 8" X 11" pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil to pour my fudge into.

The fudge is ready to put in the frig for a few hours.

Set the pan of fudge in the frig to chill for several hours. Remove from pan or foil, cut into bite size pieces. 

 

The fudge removed from pan and foil ready to cut into small pieces.

Cut and ready to eat.

I store the fudge in the frig in the summer, but in the winter I leave a container of it sitting on the counter in the kitchen. It doesn't last long.

 

When I make chocolate fudge, I use 2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of milk chocolate chips. I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate so I like adding some milk chocolate chips. If you like dark chocolate, just use all semi-sweet. I have made white chocolate fudge by using 1 cups of vanilla chips, which was yummy. You could add nuts to any mixture you wanted. Just add the nuts when you add the candy chips and vanilla. 

 

If you use this recipe, I will promise you will use it again and again. 

 

Enjoying the simple pleasure of the sweet things in life! 

A Week Of Candy: Butter Mints

Since it is the week leading up to Valentine's Day, I thought I would share some of my family's favorite recipes. So instead of buying candy for your love ones, you could try making them candy made by you with love. Some are fairly simply. Others require a little more work, but I think you will like all of them. 

Today's recipe is Butter Mints. They are easy to make and easy to shape. Using food coloring you can make them any color you want. You can roll them into little balls then flatten them with your thumb to make a disk or you could just leave them as little balls. You can also roll the candy dough out and cut the mints into desired shapes by using small cookie cutters. When I made these for my family for Valentine's Day, I used red to make a third of the dough - red, a third - pink, and left the rest white. I used heart cookie cutters of different sizes for the shapes. 

Butter Mints

• 1/3 cup of butter, softened
• 1/3 cup of light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of peppermint flavoring 
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups powder sugar, sifted

In a large bowl, mix together the butter, corn syrup, salt, and peppermint flavoring. Add sugar cup by cup until you have added 4 cups and mix until blended smooth. If dough is still damp feeling, add a 1/2 cup of sugar until it feels dry but not cracking. Shape and color as desired. Store in the frig or a cool place. 

 

These mints taste just like the little butter mints you buy in the stores that are popular to serve a baby/wedding showers or receptions. Give them a try. I think your family will like them and so will you. 

 

Living life simply and simply living!    

Our Fur Babies: Our Kittens

Almost 4 years ago this spring, a feral momma cat had a litter of 4 kittens around our home. We were keeping an eye on her, making sure she had good food to eat, and were making a plan to catch her and the kittens. She kept moving them around and she finally moved them where we couldn't find them, until a stormy, rainy May morning. 

On a Monday morning in May, I woke up early to get ready to go to an appointment. It was raining hard and thundering. When I went out to feed Snowflake, I keep hearing what I thought was a bird. At first, I didn't think much of it, but the sound became louder and more persistent. So I started following the sound. It was then I found them, two little kittens curled up together in our front yard soaking wet, cold, and scared. I was amazed to find the one making all the noise was the littlest one. I picked them up and carried them into the house. I dried them off and put them in a box with a bunch of towels so they could snuggle and get warm. 

Not sure what to do I called my MIL who has recused a lot of feral cats and asked her what to do. The first question she asked me was if I had found the other 2 kittens. So upset by finding the first two abandoned, cold, and wet. I didn't think about the other two. After telling me what to do, I went to look for the other two. I found one of them crawling out of the culvert underneath the driveway and the other one still inside. It was raining hard by now and the culvert was getting fuller with water by the minute. I screamed, yelled, and coaxed the other kitten out. I took them inside, dried them off, and put them in the box with their siblings, then headed off to my appointment. 

So that is how 4 little kittens wormed their way into my dog lover's heart. I taught them how to use a litter box. I taught them how to drink formula out of a bowl. Luckily, they were old enough that I didn't have to bottle feed them, but I still had to get up at night to feed them. We kept them in our closet and bathroom. It turned out that there were 3 females and one male. We took them to the vet and they were in good shape considering what they had been through.

I would have loved to keep all four of them but I knew that was impossible, especially when DH is allergic to cats. Since I knew we would have to find some of them good homes, I spent a lot of timing holding them and petting them so they would be gentled. The male was spoken for quickly and we knew we were going to keep the runt that called me to them. So we were looking for a home for the other two females. We finally decided just to give one of them away, so we kept the other little one that was with the runt. Their names are Copper and Bashful. 

Copper is an orange tabby and was the runt. She weighed .4 pounds at her first vet visit. She is now close to 18 and her belly sways as she walks. She loves to walk in front of you, flop down, and roll over on her back, because she loves to have her belly rubbed. She is an easy going cat and loves to lay beside Snowflake. 
 

Her imperious look.

Her rub my belly please look.

Bashful is a grey tabby. Her names suits her well because she is very shy, but she loves to be loved on and held when she chooses. She has a habit of trying to groom me when we let them in the house. She doesn't like my camera and often hides when she sees it. I have to sneak to take pictures of her, which is hard to do because she has quick reflexes. She is my little hunter and has gotten scolded many times for the dead or injured birds and baby bunnies we have found. I have sat and watched her in fascination as she ate a mouse. It was so gross, but cool at the same time.

She is stalking something as long as it is not a bird or baby bunny, I am fine with it.

She spotted me and the camera but I was too quick for her this time.

They are outside cats and are let in when it is really hot, cold, or stormy. We put them up at night so they won't become coyote snack food. They are excellent company when I am outside working. They also alert me when something or someone strange is in our yard, by growling. So they are good guard cats. It would be hard to imagine life without these two. I never saw myself as becoming a cat lover, but these two proved me wrong. They are one of life's simple surprises.

Living life simply and enjoying every minute of it! 

Our Fur Babies: Our Black Snowflake

On a cold, icy December morning in 2002, I saw something black shining against the snow at our mailbox and it was moving. When I went to investigate, I found a black female puppy that looked a lot like a black lab. 

Her paws weren't wet, so I knew most likely she didn't wander off. I had a feeling she was set out in our yard by someone hoping to find her a good home. Just to be sure, we called around and asked neighbors if anyone was missing a puppy. We put the word out that we had found a puppy and was looking for her owner. However, no one responded. Knowing that I have a soft heart for dogs and couldn't bear to put her in a shelter, he agreed to let us keep it. I decided to call her Snowflake in honor of the snowy morning we found her. 

She grew quickly and is now over 60 pounds. She seems so big and so scary. Her bark seems terrifying and very exuberant, but she is really just a big softy. She just wants to be everyone's friend. She is very gentle with our cats and one of them even lays down beside her. She would just as soon lick you to death as to bite you. She has been such a blessing and has kept all kinds of critters out of the yard, including the human kind. Our out buildings haven't been broken in to in the middle of the night since we have had her. We aren't bothered by critters eating our veggies in our garden. Best of all with our bad coyote problem, she has been the biggest deterrent to keeping them out of our yard. As a matter of fact, she makes sure to alert us any time she spot one in the pasture. She is an excellent watch dog. 

For a big dog, she has lived a long time. If she makes it to October, she will be 14 years old. She is getting grey hair. Walking is getting difficult for her, but she still enjoys going on walks with me. She has a fatty tumor on her side, but it doesn't appear to be bothering her. Yes, she is see the vet yearly and the tumor is being monitored closely, but so far it is just a bump on her side and nothing to worry about. 

Snowflake is a sweet, sweet dog, but can be something of a wrecking ball with her big thick tail. Since we live so close to the road, she has always stayed on a lead line. For of her favorite activities was escaping from her collar and getting off her line. We don't know how she managed it a lot of times and she amazed us with her escapist artist skills. However, we eventually found a collar she couldn't get out of, yet.

The day is coming when our sweet big black scary dog will leave us, but she has given us a lifetime of memories to cherish!

She wants to say hello and give you a big lick.

She is getting old but she is still sweet as ever.

Living the the simple life and loving very minute of it!