All posts in People In My Heart

Christmas Treats That Schmeck

by admin on December 20, 2011 in Book Flavor, Foodie Like Me, Holiday Messages, People In My Heart with No comments

‘Food that Really Schmecks’ by Edna Staebler

I have mentioned this favorite old cook book before. I ‘inherited’ it, if you will, from my grandma. Her and my mother have enjoyed their copies of it for many many years, and so I had to have one too. Full of sweet stories and lovely practical Mennonite recipes, I have come to enjoy flipping through it time and time again as well. A favorite recipe that stopped me in my tracks the first time I had a gander was “Cranberry Pie”, or tarts if you put it into little shells instead.

Oh how pretty cranberries are. They are a favorite of mine and yet because of the punch-y bite they carry it can be hard to use them in large amounts. Some might have assumed this pie would be too tart right away, but seeing as my other total favorite pie is JUST rhubarb I figured I could handle it. Well hello cherry pie taste with no pitting! Yup, as lovely as cherry pie but FAR easier when making the filling from scratch!

I just boiled up a batch of filling today, in preparation for day two of my holiday baking cook off tomorrow. It looks so amazing on the stove, such a beautiful colour! I can’t help but feel cheery while cooking it:) This is a beautiful Christmas treat that will brighten up any holiday gathering!

Bellow is the recipe for the filling. Other then that all you need is a top and bottom pie crust from your favourite pastry recipe.

REMEMBER to make this ahead and cool in the fridge, even over night, because it really adds to the flavour!

Cranberry Pie

2 cups whole cranberries (fresh best but frozen are just fine)
1 cup chopped raisins
2 cups organic sugar (or coconut sugar, just add a half cup more)
2 cups water
2 generous tablespoons of unbleached flour
2 tsps vanilla
2 Tbsps butter

  1. Bring all the items listed to boil in a pot.
  2. Stir until nicely thickened.
  3. Turn the temperature down to low and let it stew down for 15 minutes.
  4. Cool thoroughly before putting into a crust. Best if it is cooled overnight in the fridge, for best taste.
  5. For tarts I will roll out the crust for the tops and use cookie cutters to cut out cute shapes in it, then just put a small shape in the middle of each tart.
  6. For pies I put it in a full shell top and bottom, putting a little design in it with a knife and then brushing the top with milk and sprinkling with sugar to give it a glow.
  7. BAKE at 350 degrees for about 30 in pie or tart crust(s).

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

TTFN

Day One Of The X-mas Bake Off

by admin on December 17, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me, Holiday Messages, People In My Heart with No comments
(Garnet’s sugarless blue berry pies, they are his priority this baking season. Yum, can’t wait.)

Mirelle started it… I was complaining about how I miss eating Christmas baking and she encouraged me to go for it again. We plan to get together during the holidays and make favorite items from our x-mas baking list but I woke up eager to feel like I had accomplished something so I crossed off a few from my list.

My Christmas Baking List

  • -walnut fudge pie or tarts
  • -cranberry pie or tarts
  • -ginger bread cakes (2)
  • -Scottish shortbread
  • -scuffles
  • -pumpkin spice roll out sugar cookies

And the last three are almost done. I am waiting for the scuffle dough to finish rising before I can work it into sweet little crescents. I must break for supper before making the butter icing for the pumpkin sugar cookies. Otherwise I feel well under way with the Scottish shortbread done and in the freezer. We will be enjoying them and the ginger cakes at our yearly Scottish tea on Christmas eve.

I put this off for a lot of years, with good reason… with Garnet being hypoglycemic it isn’t easy to make baking that is family friendly and secondly with moving to the city (and the crazy new life style that involves) and having my fourth child, I felt fine with just sluffing off the Christmas baking. We worked super hard at keeping this season nice and calm and it was so calm I guess I just needed a little nudge to give into the baking bug that was already niggling me.

I will for sure let you know how it goes when (and hopefully if) we, Mirelle and I and perhaps more, manage to do a together bake off night! Merry Christmas!

BESTEST BUTTER ICING đŸ™‚

2 cups organic icing sugar
2 1/2 Tbsps cream (or whole goats milk works great)
4 Tbsps butter
1 tsp vanilla

Over medium heat melt the butter in the cream till smooth. Add vanilla and stir. Mix in sugar till smooth. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer till thick and smooth.

TTFN

Families Be At Peace This Holiday:)

by admin on December 14, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Holiday Messages, Music Flavor, People In My Heart with No comments

Peace be unto all, especially your families. Be nice to each other this holiday season! As my mom always used to say, ‘If you can’t be nice to your (enter brother, sister, mother, grandpa, in-laws etc.) then treat them like acquaintances instead of relations!’

And with that, enjoy some lyrics from a favourite band of mine. This Christmas song of theirs has really been a blessing to me this year.

“Christmas lights tangle in knots annually
All families huddle closely
Betting warmth against the cold
All the bruises seem to surface Like mud beneath the snow

So we sing carols softly
As sweet as we know A prayer that our burdens will lift as we go
Like young love still waiting under mistletoe
We’ll welcome December with tireless hope

Let our bells keep on ringing
Making angels in the snow
And may the melody disarm us When the cracks begin to show

Like the petals in our pockets
May we remember who we are
Unconditionally cared for By those who share our broken hearts“

~Sleeping At Last ‘SNOW’

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TTFN

The Settling of Christmas Sentiment Upon My Heart

by admin on December 12, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Holiday Messages, Life Keeps Changing, People In My Heart with 1 Comment


After a heavy hitter week I fell into loving my family for the weekend. We had faced scary days at school, emotions at an all time high at home and death of a YOUNG sister in the Lord. Although the whole weekend was a whimsical reminder of Christmas’s approach, Sunday was particularly sparkly with special moments.

My sister performed in a jazz choir concert the day before, so I was already full to spilling with Christmas tunes in my heart when I arrived at church for a music service Sunday. With the special service all about ‘hope’ I must have cried and smiled the whole way through. The music was so moving and the message such a strong supportive embrace to my raw little spirit.

A cozy road trip followed as we trucked out to my before mentioned sister’s place. We had three BIG reasons to celebrate with them and so stopping to get them chocolates was in order. My eldest daughter insisted on the ‘joy’ Christmas tree decoration for them too. Her and I agreed it was applicable in such a case, a triple celebration kinda case! Our two families shared ‘non-sissy sushi’, yup, the real deal! We chatted, laughed and toured their lovely new condo.

We hadn’t made it back to the city when we managed to arrange a stop in to my brother’s home. We had hopes of meeting his doubly expanding family and dropping off a special little someone some toy trucks. It was a blessing to find time to drop in on more family. Time that was squeezed right in and worked out just right.

What a tired crew we where as we finally arrived back home. A small cold supper and big mugs of tea where in order. I got my crew of four tucked into bed and then found the LAST shortbread cookie. Feet up, lights down, except the Christmas tree.

Sighs and tears escaped me as Christmas sentiment settled into my heart and I reflected on a week of pain and love. SO much blessing! Such a mysteriously marvellous combination of pain and love life is. Thank you Jesus for it all. For the rain and for the sunny day. Times of struggle and rejoicing educate us in such essential and different ways; giving and growing us so very very much. All that is good comes from you and you are so good to me Jesus.

TTFN

Expectations Meet Grace

by admin on December 7, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments
(My families dainty Christmas tree, all decorated up by my three eldest children.)

Just watched a program about expectations. It shared the importance of finding the fine balance between bonding and empathising with the people you are close to and then expecting them to be like you.

When you start to see the similarities you will often assume they see, think and will react in the same way as you, or that their life is very much like yours. The fact is no matter how much we empathise, or connect, with people we are putting our slant on that too and we have to remember they are their own person.

The best thing we can do for those we love, in this regard, is empathise with them and wrap that in love so it doesn’t leak into unrealistic expectations of them. Expect too much, and then others failing you hurts, but it wasn’t that person who failed you as much as it could be you putting too much on them.

Assume the best of people when they make decisions that ‘let us down’. Seek to understand where they are coming from, and that it might be unlike anything in your world view; then offer your loved ones a large dose of grace.

TTFN

Doily Appreciation

by admin on December 2, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, People In My Heart with No comments
(A favourite doily from Grandma)

While the doily may not be in general a in trend style around the house I have noticed they are popping up everywhere else. I have seen some cute versions of them framed in stylish ways, necklaces with tiny crochet doilies and one of my favorite trendy scarves is basically one long doily.

Thanks to my Grandma Hicks I have a fabulously large collection of them now. I love presenting them on surfaces, in their traditional use, but I have plans to frame some pinned to pretty wall paper and I found a fabulous craft there you turn your sweet doilies into adorable dressy collar complete with pearl buttons.

Thanks to Grandma for these handmade treasures and I sure hope I can get over to learn how to crochet from you soon!

Fab ideas LINKED HERE,
and a necklace idea HERE,
OH and this sweet collar HERE,
More with a bracelet idea HERE,
and a scarf idea HERE!!

TTFN

X-mas Craft

by admin on December 2, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

I think my little hand made books are cute and cheerful! They mean a lot to me, as I don’t craft very often. Christmas seems to bring it out in me like no other time of year. My mom was just saying how this time of year brings out the seamstress in her and she can’t help but joyfully get busy at her sowing machine. She JUST brought down a box full of dolly clothing for my girls, oh how they treasure Nanny’s doll clothing.

Often my crafts include the kids, like the paper garlands one or two Christmases ago or the yarn dolly angels my eldest daughter and I made for our tree years ago. This year the project was just for me.

I made up two sweet little books and wrote two little stories about why babies and stuffies (stuffed animals) are meant for one another. They will be gifted to two very sweet little babies from my own dear extended family; the stories along with specific stuffies I choose for the little ones.

Oh do you wish you could see inside? I did the art work too and I am very pleased with the portrait drawings of each child with their stuffed toy. I feel like the pictures actually look like the babies I am giving them to. Considering my sketching style is faceless that isn’t always easy to accomplish.

With the gifts wrapped, and one packaged for the mail, I am beyond eager for the babies to meet their stuffy companion!

(This is one of the Christmas cards I sent out years ago, it is called ‘delivering the gifts’)

Ah I adore babies and stuffies and Christmas time.

TTFN

Owls

by admin on December 2, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, Little Things, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Posy the owl pillow, a treat for my couch.
I have a wooden owl statue in my living room as well. I like owls. I like them largely because my grandmother Smith liked them so much, Decorating with things that remind you of loved ones is never a bad way to go.

TTFN

Love Your Enemy

by admin on November 29, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments

43-47“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

~Matthew 5:43 (The Message)

Even Christians squirm at this teaching of Christs. It is easy to forget how powerful a love Jesus has called us to live in. We are called to live in HIS love and not ours. It is easy to do what is only natural and not go above and beyond loving those you find it easy to embrace, but this doesn’t make it right for us to turn from his clear teachings. Often that which is easy isn’t what is right and we know that deep down.

All the walls preventing us from practising this teaching come from a root of selfishness. If we are walking in our own strength we will slip into the mindset of the world, but then why call oneself a Christian if we don’t seek to live as Christ?

Living his way is only accomplished by sacrificing your whole self to living in and through him. Jesus is more then willing to take all you and your STUFF on. Are you willing to take on a completely counter cultural saviour?

P.S. May your heart be stirred to remember, when faced with a seeming foe, that Christ saw EVERYONE as worth loving. They might not be worthy of it, we aren’t usually worthy of it either, but Jesus declared they and we worth him dying on the cross.

For an inspiring message CLICK HERE to listen to the audio recording.

TTFN

TIME (Marriage Monday)

by admin on November 21, 2011 in Marriage Monday, People In My Heart with 5 Comments
(Flirting while snow gusts at us from off of the roof, it is amazing how fun time can be if you let it slow you down.)

Time is only of lasting worth if you turn it into memories. Slowing it all down, focusing directly on it at the time, seems to be the only way to really find the memories that should be yours. If you aren’t checked in you aren’t really owning it, even if everyone around you is.

People are what makes time worth it. Avoiding time sucking selfish activities is essential to blissful moments to look back at. Find your people and BE with them. My husband and kids are top of my list for human beings worthy of my precious time; and I try hard to be a keeper of moments where they are concerned. The best memories aren’t made but observed and allowed to happen. When they arrive I am zealous about recording them in my heart and being thankful for them. We all turn to ashes and it is always inopportune, so love with your time and the rest really does work itself out under that banner of love.

As a Christian my value of time has been heightened and the clarity with which I can live is intense. I have no time for regrets, guilt, grudges or unforgiveness; basically selfishness, as it ruins my time. If I hold on to all that nasty time stealing stuff the present will lack memories worth hugging to my heart, my future will look nothing but heavy and my past lovely memories will eventually be drowned out by the bleak. Christ is the expert in living free to enjoy TIME, hold to him and his teaching and watch how very magnificent your time will become!

P.s. The more time you put at something the better it gets so season your family, your marriage, with quantity time and don’t worry about quality time.

Other Time Posts

HERE
and
HERE

I am sure there are more in my archives, this is a favourite topic of mine since I realised it is natural for humans to waste time… sad but natural and often what comes naturally really needs to be retrained to what is healthy.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

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