Adventures in Homelife

The end is near....

I'm really glad that the end is near....the end of summer that is!  Don't get me wrong. We had fun..and we worked hard. We harvested ALOT of honey and got the stings to prove it.  And we sweated.....did I mention it's hot in South Ms in the summer? It is. And humid. So...I ,like most of the deep south, look forward to the reprieve of fall. All two weeks of it.   While I'm waiting for those precious few days of brisk evenings and bright foilage, I just might have to saunter on down to the lake.
                                                    

Lately

I've started making homemade yogurt. I could almost kick myself for not doing this sooner. We eat a lot of yogurt at our house. The day often begins with a smoothie and I can eat tons of the stuff with just a little honey or jam mixed in. We're also big fans of using it to accompany various Indian dishes we make -- dahl, aloo gobi and chana masala, to name a few. While I'm on the subject, I love this cookbook for simple and tasty Indian dishes. Perhaps we'll be having some homemade Indian food tonight. Sounds good.  Anyway, back to this topic of this homemade yogurt. I made a GIANT jar for less than it costs to buy one large container at the store. And it's good. Really good. And it was super easy. I used my slow cooker, believe it or not!

via curiousbird.typepad.com

I'm going to give this a try! I love yogurt and so do the peeps, but alas, it's not very economical in our large household. This sounds so easy!

And here lies the essence of Darwinism.....

Darwinism 101: 3-Year-Old Girl Denied Transplant Due to Disabilities

Joseph and Chrissy Rivera were devastated last month when they were told that their three-year-old little girl Amelia was ineligible to receive a kidney transplant.

Kidney transplants are rare, especially in children, but that was not why this little girl was being denied help. Amelia was being denied a transplant because she suffers from Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has left her with mental disabilities. Her doctors said her quality of life was not adequate to justify a kidney transplant. A hospital social worker explained that the little girl was better off anyway because she would not be able to take care of herself in the future when her parents passed away.

Amelia’s story has prompted a public outcry as more than 37,000 people have signed an online petition to urge the hospital involved to reconsider. In the face of massive public pressure, the Philadelphia hospital has now relented and is allowing the family to go through a review process, although they have yet to confirm whether Amelia will be approved for a transplant.

This story is far from unique, as an ever-increasing number of medical practitioners use a “quality of life” calculus in determining how they will and will not treat their patients. If the patient’s “quality of life” is deemed sufficiently low, they will be given more limited treatment options or, in some cases, deprived of care altogether. Given the financial cost and burden to the system, the argument goes, theirs is in not a life worth saving.

This is no small matter, as it represents the triumph of Darwinian ethics over Biblical ethics of life. According to Darwinism, man is not made in the image of God and neither is life sacred. Instead, evolution views man as one among many anomalies in the evolutionary process — a selfish animal who only thinks himself superior to others in the animal kingdom.

What is the result of this denial of God’s Word? Darwin stated it succinctly: “The survival of the fittest”; the weak and infirm should be left to die.

The doctors’ response to Amelia is textbook Darwinism. Instead of recognizing her as a little girl made in the image of God and using their skills and knowledge to improve her health, the doctors involved have deemed her not fit to survive due to her mental disabilities.

The ethical implications of Darwinism are serious, and we as Christians must be prepared to address them with clarity and conviction, as Vision Forum does in our Bioethics of Life DVD Collection.

Where the curtain falls on these issues — as the case of little Amelia shows — means life or death for the weak

via www.visionforum.com

This is what "Darwin's World" looks like. I wonder what the next criteria for "quality of life " will be?

Joseph and Chrissy Rivera were devastated last month when they were told that their three-year-old little girl Amelia was ineligible to receive a kidney transplant.

Kidney transplants are rare, especially in children, but that was not why this little girl was being denied help. Amelia was being denied a transplant because she suffers from Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has left her with mental disabilities. Her doctors said her quality of life was not adequate to justify a kidney transplant. A hospital social worker explained that the little girl was better off anyway because she would not be able to take care of herself in the future when her parents passed away.

Amelia’s story has prompted a public outcry as more than 37,000 people have signed an online petition to urge the hospital involved to reconsider. In the face of massive public pressure, the Philadelphia hospital has now relented and is allowing the family to go through a review process, although they have yet to confirm whether Amelia will be approved for a transplant.

This story is far from unique, as an ever-increasing number of medical practitioners use a “quality of life” calculus in determining how they will and will not treat their patients. If the patient’s “quality of life” is deemed sufficiently low, they will be given more limited treatment options or, in some cases, deprived of care altogether. Given the financial cost and burden to the system, the argument goes, theirs is in not a life worth saving.

This is no small matter, as it represents the triumph of Darwinian ethics over Biblical ethics of life. According to Darwinism, man is not made in the image of God and neither is life sacred. Instead, evolution views man as one among many anomalies in the evolutionary process — a selfish animal who only thinks himself superior to others in the animal kingdom.

What is the result of this denial of God’s Word? Darwin stated it succinctly: “The survival of the fittest”; the weak and infirm should be left to die.

The doctors’ response to Amelia is textbook Darwinism. Instead of recognizing her as a little girl made in the image of God and using their skills and knowledge to improve her health, the doctors involved have deemed her not fit to survive due to her mental disabilities.

The ethical implications of Darwinism are serious, and we as Christians must be prepared to address them with clarity and conviction, as Vision Forum does in our Bioethics of Life DVD Collection.

Where the curtain falls on these issues — as the case of little Amelia shows — means life or death for the weak

Orange Glazed Muffins...yes, please.

Is there any better way to start the morning than with muffins? (ok..maybe coffee...with the muffin ) While my hubby is a grits, eggs, and bacon kinda guy,  I'm quite content with a healthy dose of sugar and caffine. These orangey  muffins are a happy medium--not too sweet, but sweet enough to appease my inner cookie monster.  This is my "go-to" recipe for muffins. It's easy , quick, frugal, and delicious of course! And did I mention versatile...just add what you like! Today this family favorite got a little upgrade with a very donut-esque glaze. The inspiration came from a recipe on www.mybakingaddiction.com.   Wanna give'em a try?

Muffins

1.5 cups all purpose flour--1/2c. sugar--2 tsp. baking powder--1/2 tsp. salt--1 egg, beaten--1/2c milk--1/4 c. veg. oil--2 tsp. orange extract.

( I've substituted 1/3 c. applesauce for the oil...and I bet some orange zest would be good..I didn't have any. )

 400 degrees

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl, combine egg, milk, oil and extract. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray ( I spray my paper liners as well) and fill 2/3 full with batter. Cook for 12-15 min.  Allow to cool slightly, then dip tops in glaze. (You can double dip if you'd like) It will harden like donut glaze...:o)

Glaze

3 tablespoons butter; melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons hot water

Let me know how they turn out!

Simple Delights...

Learn to like what doesn’t cost too much.
Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different from you.
Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house, and fixing things.
Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day.
Learn to keep your wants simple, and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.

–Lowell B. Bennion

From: The Best of Lowell L. Bennion: Selected Writings 1928-1988,  Edited by Eugene England, p. xxiii

 I'll add to this list of simple delights--  Coffee on the porch swing. visiting family on Sunday afternoons, warm, homemade cookies, playing chess with my husband, singing hymns while doing the dishes, good books and fresh baked bread!

What are some of your simple delights?

Develop Challenge

A picture is worth a thousand words... It's true.  Images can spark emotion, inspire, and rekindle memories. They tell a story... document our wanderings...freeze moments of time to be savored long after the moment is passed. 

My  sister, who is a amazing photographer, (see her work here) has inspired me to take part in a creative challenge that Tiffany Dahle of Develop is hosting. A new word is given every month to be interpeted anyway the photographer chooses. This month's word is FRESH.. and could be fresh ideas, fresh perspective, literally fresh....you get the idea. The guidelines are quite loose, you can submit as many or as few images as you like. I think once a week would be something for me to aim for.  If your interested in joining this challenge, here's a link to it! It's amateur friendly....so don't be shy! 

I'm doing new things...pushing myself, just a little,  out of my normal parameters and am delighted to find out that it's FUN!

Here's one of the images I'm submitting for FRESH. Nice, new pencils...full of fresh potential!

Sprouting....

Well...looks like our midwinter "spring" is coming to an end this week. Sunny 70 degree weather has given way to rain..and then winter shall return, We've enjoyed balmy weather for several days now,enough to turn my thought toward "green" endeavors. It's almost time to start seeds indoors, and Jeremiah and I are planning to try our hand at starting several varieties of flowers and veggies in these starter kits that use peat moss instead of soil. 

 Grandmaw always just stuck seeds in cups of dirt and they would sprout...but I really do think she could've coaxed a broom handle into budding without much effort.  Anyway, the peatmoss seems to be a less "dirty" endeavor. We'll see!

All of our vegetables will be heirloom varieties so we'll be able to save seed for the following season. We ordered the seeds online from this company.  

A well armed militia.....

Some members of our family hold their right to bear arms very dear!  John has constructed some kind of fortress underneath their treehouse and it's heavily guarded! In spite of the "No Intruders" warning, I dared to interupt their strategizing and they were forgiving enough to pose for a few snapshots..documenting history perhaps? 

 

 

DIY version of a bias tape maker

I have one of those cool bias tape makers. I'm sure you've seen them and the impressive results they produce. I bet many of you even have experienced such results. Not me. I've been a little embarrassed to say, I couldn't do it. I couldn't get mine to work. Then it happened. The proverbial light bulb went off and it became shamefully obvious why. You see, I have the 1/2 inch bias tape maker.I expected to get bias tape that measured 1/2 inch when finished. Pictured above is actually double fold bias tape. The neat little tool makes single fold tape. Now I knew it wouldn't come out of the tool looking like this. I knew it would be a strip with both sides folded in to the center, my problem was making the distinction between the terminology.  It may have been wise to read those directions instead of throwing them away. I had been cutting my strips the width needed for 1/2 inch double fold tape. I know, not very smart. Once I had my moment of enlightenment, I cut a strip around 1 inch wide (maybe slightly less) and whatdayaknow, the tool works beautifully!  All that semi-coherent babble isn't intended to be a tutorial, since I'm sure you all understood how to correctly use a bias tape maker, or at the very least would be wise enough to read the directions first. No, the tutorial is for a less fancy, but nearly as effective DIY version of the bias tape maker, and you can easily adjust it to make any size bias tape you like.

via creativelittledaisy.typepad.com

I think I'll be giving this a try this weekend! I never have bias tape when I need it and making has always seemed so ticky. This really looks easy!

Chocolate Crinkles

I love the feel of powdered sugar on my lips....that's why these cookies make me smile. (ok. all cookies make me smile, but ecspecially these.) There so fudgy and chewy! Alot like a brownie, but easier to eat.. Here's how it all goes down :

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours, or pop it in the freezer for about an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. Don't skimp on the powdered sugar...the more the merrier!
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

 

Enjoy!