Christmas Reading List 2018

Silent Days Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols ~ Review

Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock ~ Review

A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson ~ Review

The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson ~ Review

His Law is Love by Rebekah Morris ~ Review

O Come All Ye Faithful and Other Short Stories by Faith Blum ~ Review

The Christmas Scrapbook by  Philip Gulley ~ Review on Goodreads

THIS ONE IS REALLY FUNNY!

The Snowflake by Jamie Carie ~ Review on Goodreads

A Handmade Christmas... Ideas for Your Christmas List

I know it's getting late, but there's still time for handmade Christmas gifts. Here are some ideas to help, especially if money is tight. 

Homemade Gift Ideas

Paper Craft
~ decorated recipe cards (could add recipes and ingredients)
~ homemade greeting cards
~ scrapbook

From the Needles
~ tribbles
~ dishcloths
~ apron
~ mittens
~ doll clothes
~ skirt
~ tablet stand
~ camera bean bag
~ key chain
~ Christmas stockings
~ hair baubles
~ casserole hot pad
~ drawstring bags
~ kitchen curtains
~ tote bag
~ pillow cases
~ ornaments
~ crocheted twisty hair ribbons
~ tea towels
~ doilies
~ pacifier clip
~ earbud pouch
~ baby bib
~ tea wallet
~ pin cushion
~ shawl
~ slippers
~ socks
~ cape
~ camera strap
~ Bible cover
~ mug rug
~ tissue holder

Crafted
~ strap for guitar
~ ornaments
~ magnets
~ candles
~ soap
~ coasters

From the Kitchen
~ cookies
~ homemade vanilla
~ recipe scrapbook with photos or on large cards
~ bread
~ quick breads
~ candy
~ homemade mixes
~ Clementines in a pretty gallon jar
~ jam

Acts of Service
~ all clothes ironed
~ clean out car
~ babysitting


Be creative! Your imagination and ingenuity can make a thrifty budget stretch far!

Happy Christmasing!
Blessings,
Laura 

Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols

Snuggle up in a chair with your tea or cocoa and immerse yourself in a Christmas book that combines a touch of mystery with an abundance of good will and cheer. 

From the Publisher:

The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house . . .  

Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . . 

When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever.  


My Thoughts:

I just wanted to keep reading this. It's written from the perspective of an eleven  year old girl with a very big vocabulary and a very big heart. Sometimes as adults we don't really see what is going on around us. We're too busy with the business of life. Sometimes a child, an elderly person, or, if we take time to truly observe and listen, even we ourselves can see real needs for kindness, love, attention, time.

Last year, I read Christmas at Grey Sage. It was a balm to my soul during a difficult time of my life. I didn't want it to end. The characters just drew me into the story in such a way that I wanted to know what happened next and next and next. Silent Days, Holy Night is just like that. The Russell family is a giving, loving family, that has taught service and caring by example. It's what I've tried to do with my children as well.


This is a book that captures the spirit of Christmas—kindness, friendship, and the love of Christ.  I highly recommend this book.

Phyllis Clark Nichols' Website

#SilentDaysHolyNight #NetGalley

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this access to this e-book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My husband did it to me again!

He knows that I'm a do with what I've got kind of cook who often makes soup without a recipe. For the second day in a row, he's shared a photo of his lunch on Facebook. This time he promised I'd write out the recipe and share it here. So, here it is. I didn't measure when I made this, so my measurements are approximate. Please adjust for what you have on hand or your personal taste.

6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled, reserve grease
1 lb fresh broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 T cornstarch
3 handfuls of shredded cheddar (2 cups?)
salt and pepper to taste

This makes about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts. It fed four of us with no leftovers. I used a 3 quart saucepan to make it.

• Fry 6 slices of bacon. Cool and crumble. Set aside. 
• Trim 1 lb. fresh broccoli. I peel the stems and chop the softer inner core. I cut the florets into bite sized pieces.
• Chop one onion.
• Stir-fry the broccoli and onion a bit in the bacon grease. You want the broccoli to be just tender not fully cooked.
• Remove veggies from pot. 
• You can add a little hot water to deglaze the pan if needed. Remove and reserve excess grease before you do. You can add it back before the next step.
• Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with about half a cup of cold milk until smooth. 
• Add the cornstarch mix to the pan drippings. Add a bit of butter if needed. 
• Stir constantly as you add milk to make a white sauce the consistency that you like for cream soups. This is how I do it when I don't have cream.
• Return veggies and crumbled bacon to pot and stir.
• Add more milk as needed to get to the consistency you prefer. 
• Add 3 handfuls or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until melted through.
• Add more milk if desired. If it gets too thin, mix up some more cornstarch and milk and stir in.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

There you have it.

Go forth and enjoy!

ஐღLauraღஐ 

...doing what I can with what I've got

where I am on a short shoestring budget!

~~~~~

NOT JUST A BANANA

We've just come through several weeks of hard times.

Even after years of thrifty and frugal living,

God is still teaching me to trust him.

I wrote this just a few short weeks ago.

Things have improved for us greatly since then.

 I just selected a banana to eat. In awe of God's goodness, I breathed, "Thank you God for this banana."  I have never felt so thankful for a banana! 

 I've been praying each day, "Give us this day our daily bread." I really meant it, too! God showed me abundance. A friend took me out to lunch then took me grocery shopping.

 Two more friends brought more food before I could even put away the groceries. There was little overlap except eggs, oats, and bread. 

 My eldest son came over a few minutes later and picked me up to ride along to Walmart with him. He bought me vitamins I've been out of for months, eggnog, and whipped cream. Then my husband came home and bought us milk! 

I think God had a very specific message for me yesterday. 
I can trust him to care for us all the days of our lives. He is GOOD!


Still learning to trust,
Laura

Super Simple Chicken Soup

Super Simple Chicken Soup

Mix in a little crock pot: 
approx 2 cups shredded baked chicken (or any kind or amount you like)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 bag of mixed frozen veggies
hot water to cover the chicken and veggies
salt and pepper

Let it cook for a few hours until hot. Then mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of cold water until lumps are gone. Stir it into the hot soup and allow it to thicken before serving.

That's it! It makes about 4 servings. I like to make lunch soups in my little slow cooker since it's a great way to use up leftovers. I'm so glad my family loves soup! This is a great do with whatcha got soup.



Over the Moon

Sunday Supper ~ Taco Soup ~ Apple Crisp

Hey y'all!

Thank you so very much for praying for me. I'm recovering well from my last surgery. All that's left of this cancer journey is recovering from treatments, healing, appointments, tests, and rebuilding my health. Perhaps this is where the real work begins. ~smile~

One of the things I love about Sundays is that my adult children join us for dinner most weeks. We can't all make it each week, but we enjoy the time we have together with those who can make it.

This week we had taco soup with corn chips for dinner and apple crisp with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. I'll put the recipes below for my kids and for you!

Taco Soup

This is a variation of a recipe I printed off, way back in 2005, from the internet. I don't know where I found it originally.  I'm printing it with my changes.

1 or 2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef, browned and drained (We like 2.)

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 can corn, undrained

1 can black beans, undrained

2 cans kidney beans, undrained

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 envelope dry taco seasoning  (We prefer Old El Paso.)

1 small tomato sauce (optional)

Put it all in a slow cooker. Cook on low 4-6 hours. 

We serve this with corn chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Apple Goody / Apple Crisp

Original recipe from Evie Funke. I lived with her and her husband for a few months when I was in college.

I've recorded this with my changes.

Mix together:

5 cups apples, chopped

1 cup sugar 

1 T flour

1 t cinnamon

Place in a sprayed 13 x 9 pan.

Topping:

(This is the amount I make. It is double the original recipe.) 

Mix together until crumbly: 

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c brown sugar

   2/3 c melted butter

   1/2  t baking soda

   1/2 t  baking powder

Bake 30-40 minutes until golden.

Be blessed!

Laura

P.S. My apron was made by my friend Sarah at Lilacs and Springtime. 

She has some really nice things in her Etsy shop.

Over the Moon
Homemaker Party