Free Learning Websites

Wow! There are sooo many free websites for children.  This Computer Cafe PDF was created for use in a First Grade computer lab and the kids loved it!  They just clicked on a picture in the box for the site they wanted.  Download this to your desktop to have ready access to some of the best sites for kids.  You can print the Computer Cafe Menu and laminate to keep by the computer.  Circle sites the kids can go to that day if you want them to be at specific sites.

Real Food Storage Resources (not MREs)

The history of the world is the record of man in quest of his daily bread and butter. ~Hendrik Van Loon

Food storage can be a real relief even if it's as simple as a few home-cooked casseroles stocked in the freezer for those "bad days," or a cabinet full of cans of chicken noodle soup when you have a cold.  Becoming prepared can seem like an overwhelming task, but it can be as simple as buying two cans of diced tomatoes and putting one in storage and the other in the kitchen.  Continue this with the rest of the grocery list.

Strive to have 72 hours worth of ready to eat food.  Then make it a week's worth and eventually 4 week's worth.  Next multiply that by 12 and I'll bet you will have a year's supply of food.  Do the same with paper products, hygiene, first aid, etc.

Of course storing a year's supply depends on whether you have the room.  Maybe you only have space for 72 hours or a week--it's okay to do what you can.  There is peace in knowing you can "shop" your pantry and not have to run to the store for every little thing!

Here are some sites I return to again and again for food storage knowledge and inspiration:

The Family Homestead is a site I enjoy exploring for inspiration.

http://thefamilyhomestead.com/
LDS Church Provident Living site runs the whole gammut of preparedness training.  I personally have used this site to buy a year's worth of food storage.

http://www.providentliving.org/

Provident Living is a source for food storage purchases.  They teach about preparedness and gardening and much, much more.

http://providentliving.com/

Food Storage Made Easy is your food storage 101 class for newbies.

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

Preparedness Skills

Random Sampler of Great Ideas!  (Ensign, June 1974) Has a ton of useful information beginning with how to dehydrate all kinds of food from the garden and even meat!  It explains how to smoke and can fresh caught fish.  I get a thick sales paper each week in my mailbox that must be put to some use or thrown away.  An idea is given to turn newsprint into bundles that can be stacked and used like wood.  (Or make these cute pioneer haysticks with newspaper that I found at Martha Stewart).  Whether a camping enthusiast or survivalist wannabe, learning how to cook using a tin can is a useful skill.  Instructions are given for recipes, a buddy burner, stove and oven.

Food Storage Rotation

For the real enthusiast, the question is how to keep up with the food storage and rotate it out so that nothing spoils and is wasted.  "Tracking Our Food Storage," by Leslie O. Anderson (Ensign, Feb 1996) uses a system much like the old library cards where each section of food storage has a card or slips of paper that you pull when you take something from that shelf.  Then you put the slips with the grocery list and replace the items.

Family History Albums

Cartoon by Cathy Guisewite

More than ever, we are OBSESSED with getting that "great shot" of ourselves for today's photo albums--Facebook and Selfies! With all these great photos floating around, hopefully we're doing a good job of providing the story behind the photo...the who, what, where, when and how of the person pictured. "Our posterity has a right to know their roots without scrounging for them" (Elaine Cannon)

Providing "the rest of the story" is keeping our genealogy up-to-date!  As Ethel Jackson Price once explained, "Anyone can leave money to their children, grandchildren, etc.  But we are the only ones who can leave them our memories, and they are truly worth more than money."

I have scrapbooked for the last twenty years and the following scrapbook resources have remained on my shelf:

Scrapbooking with Memory Makers
This is literally the best scrapbooking book that I have found and I have looked at a lot of them. I have gotten so many good ideas for pages in my albums, such as creative ideas for all the leftover photos. (ISBN 0883639289) 

Family History Scrapbooking by Becky Higgins

Everything you need to know to get started (and be really organized) with family history scrapping. (ISBN 1933516623)

Timeless Treasures by Emilie Barnes
This is a charming little book that I kept (and I don't keep many) because of all the great family history ideas such as having everyone outline their hands on a sheet used as a Thanksgiving or Christmas Day tablecloth and then later embroidering this or turning it into a one-of-a-kind quilt. (ISBN 1565074289)

I found most of these books at my local used bookstore and I'm sure they can be purchased online for even less!  Remember to take time to do something meaningful with all of those photos, even if it's just a caption to go with each photograph on your phone.  And remember to leave your phone's password with someone you trust so the phone can be opened and pictures retrieved in the event of your passing.

If you are going to write about your days, you had better be doing something to write about. ~Caroline Eyring Miner

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

As with everything else, I put off making the chocolate covered cherries (Christmas 2013) to the last minute.  That meant we had something to do while waiting to ring in the New Year (2014).  Chocolate covered cherries are a long process and I had never made them.  Ever since I had first tasted this delectable homemade candy (30 years ago!), I was determined to give it a try.

The fondant has to be made 24 hours ahead of time so I made it a full day ahead of New Year's Eve.  The cherries had to be thoroughly dried (save a small amount of the liquid).  Then on New Year's Eve we made Seven Layer Dip (which takes four hours to chill), chilled sparkling apple cider, and settled down to video-binge a long-anticipated cable series on DVD (we don't have cable).  

I dipped the very well dried cherries in the fondant which was melted in a double boiler.  These set on wax paper for one hour.  Then I dipped them in a mixture of chocolate chips and a small amount of shortening.  This worked very well, you just have to make sure you don't overheat the chocolate.  The chocolate covered cherries sit back on the wax paper for another two hours.  

We toasted New Year's Day with sparkling apple cider and the most divine chocolate covered cherries.  Then we blasted off our fire crackers for the whole neighborhood to see (since we live in the country).

Cheers!

I was surprised at how many different chocolate-covered cherry recipes there are out there.  Some seemed a little less demanding than this one.  Please let me know if you try this recipe and how it turned out for you.  I would like to try other recipes for chocolate-covered cherries if you have a favorite to share.

The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRIES (print)

Prep: 1 hour

Stand: 24 hours

Cook:  1 hour

2-1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

2-1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 (10-ounce) jars maraschino cherries with stems

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels

1 tablespoon shortening

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes to wash down sugar crystals from sides of pan.  Uncover and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or candy thermometer registers 236 degrees.  Pour mixture onto a marble slab that has been sprinkled with cold water.  (Do not scrap pan.)  Let stand 4 minutes.  ***I just used a clean kitchen counter***
2. Using a dampened metal scraper, pull sides of mixture into center repeatedly to ensure mixture cools evenly.  When mixture develops a yellowish tinge, continue working with dampened scraper, stirring mixture in a figure-8 motion.  When mixture suddenly turns white and becomes too stiff to stir, knead with wet hands until smooth and creamy enough to form a firm ball (about 10 minutes).  Place fondant in an airtight container, and let stand in a cool place at least 24 hours before using.
3. Drain cherries, reserving liquid; place cherries on paper towels to drain for several hours or overnight.
4. Place fondant in top of a double boiler; melt slowly over hot (not boiling) water, stirring constantly as it begins to melt.  Stir in 1 tablespoon reserved cherry liquid.  (Fondant should have the proper consistency for dipping when candy thermometer registers about 140 degrees.  Temperature should not rise above 140 degrees.)  If mixture seems to thick for dipping at this point, stir in one more tablespoon reserved cherry liquid.  Remove pan from heat, leaving fondant over hot water.
5. Working quickly and holding by the stem, dip each cherry into warm fondant, allowing excess to drain back into the pan.  Place cherries, stem up, on wax paper; let stand 1 hour or until firm.
6. Combine chocolate morsels and shortening in top of double boiler; bring water to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat, leaving chocolate mixture over hot water.
7. Holding by the stem, dip each cherry into warm chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drain back into pan.  Place cherries, stem up, on wax paper; let stand 2 hours or until firm.  Store cherries in an airtight container at room temperature.  Yield: 5 dozen.

Per cherry: Calories 68 Fat 1.6 g

Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 1mg

Quick and Easy Piping Bag for Gingerbread Cookies

So much goes on during the month of December that things have a way of getting away from you.  That is why the gingerbread cookies didn't get made until Christmas Eve last year!  However, everything turned out great because I enlisted the rest of the gang on Christmas Day to frost the cookies while we waited for our special dinner to cook.  In order for everyone to have a piping bag, I grabbed some freezer storage bags and cut them as shown.

It is best to only put a small amount of frosting in each bag as shown because the frosting will get very warm and messy from gently squeezing it with your hand.  I made a few extra and filled and kept them in the refrigerator so that we could swap them out when the frosting was too warm.  

We found that crushed peppermint sprinkled on top was very tasty and the next time I make this frosting, I will add a smidgen of peppermint extract for flavoring.  Here is the frosting recipe that worked out so well for us.  

WHITE FROSTING

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint!)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until mixture is spreading consistency.  Use frosting to outline gingerbread and to make cuffs, collars, belts, and shoes.  Yield 2 cups.

I find it makes Christmas Day much more relaxing if there is another festive activity going on while the meal is cooking.  Are there any favorite family-oriented traditions that you enjoy on Christmas Day?

How to Make Meatballs the Same Size

Love meatballs but not all the time that goes into rolling them out individually?  Want them to be a uniform size?  Here is an quick and easy method for making any kind of meatball including my favorite cheesy sausage balls recipe.  Pat the meat mixture into a rectangular shape out on wax paper or parchment.  Then use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the rectangle into small, equal-sized squares that are easy to separate and roll.  Meatballs freeze really well.  Let them freeze on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the freezer.  Don't let them touch.  When they have frozen, place the meatballs into a freezer bag.  They will be easy to remove and cook when needed.

Homemakers: The Homebuilders of the World

Homemaking skills are so needed in this world.  Today, these important skills should not only be taught to daughters, but also to sons.  Here is the homemaking formula I found in an old church manual:

imagination + skill = creativity

creativity + production = satisfaction

homemaking x creativity = happy living

happy living divided among others = love

I like the idea of training oneself to be a homebuilder.  A certain amount of professionalism should be applied to building our homes.  You get so much more accomplished if the job is taken seriously.  As a homemaker for more than twenty years, I thought of myself as the manager of my own home.  As with all managers, the job requires organizational skills.

To be a successful homemaker it helps to study as much as possible the best ways to go about housework, food preparation, organization, decorating, taking care of plants, pets and raising children.  One homemaker gave the following description, "I learned organization as the mother of a four-year-old and newborn twins. I never got over it.  I still read things, and I write down little bits of information, for later use" (Mary Ellen Jordon Haight).

There are so many great blogs now that are much easier to read than volumes of books. God bless those people who break everything down picture by picture. There's a special place in Heaven reserved for these sharing teachers who do not assume we are all brilliant.  This is just one of the wonderful homemaking blogs available to us now:

http://homegrownmom.com/homemaking-for-girls-30-days

Quick Starts to Your Family's Day

Sometimes repackaging the food in your pantry can make them much more appealing to the household.  When food is getting overlooked, I fill a large bowl or basket with all the leftover items and dispose of their boxes.  Not only does this free up space in the cabinets, it also allows me to display on the kitchen table or counter the groceries that are being overlooked.

This bowl shows instant grits, poptarts, granola bars, and cocoa.  Other items we have had are the mini boxes of cereal and instant oatmeal.  I have done this over and over and believe me IT WORKS!  Not only are you making sure the family is fed in the morning, the cabinets are getting some weeding out as well.

Grateful Living: Reflections on HOME

This is my post to share a touching story and lovely quotes about the most important place in a person's life--their home...

Best Snowflakes on the Block
It is Christmastime on our street. The homes are decorated with tinsel and many-colored lights. Some windows frame beautifully decorated trees, and well-shaped wreaths hang on the doors. At one home, however, a little confusion of homemade snowflakes congregates in the picture window. They are hung in childhood fashion (not in the adult perfection of other windows nearby) and whisper a special secret about the occupants of that home.

I want to share a secret with you. The secret is that children are more important than picture windows; that fingerprints and boot-drips and carpet stains aren't nearly as important as a child's self-esteem. Those little white snowflakes tell me something more. They tell me that smashed bouquets of dandelions adorn that kitchen table in the springtime and are loved as if they were the most beautiful of imported orchids. They tell me that a pet potato bug in a box can live there unmolested, that helping with a bug collection is just as important as doing the wash, that viewing the first violets of spring with a child's hand in yours is better than a shiny floor, that listening to a child's fears is more important than television, that children's art is more beautiful than the greatest of the old masters.
Oh, they do tell a special story, those snowflakes.
(Sherlene Parker, Ensign Dec. 1976)

A small house well-filled is better than an empty palace. ~Thomas Haliburton

Houses that express comfort and well-being can go a long way toward making us feel at home in the world. ~JoAnn Barwick

Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there.  ~Jacqueline Kennedy

Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free...Amish song

'Mid pleasures and palaces, though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
~Pa, Little House in the Big Woods

God bless this house And all that's in it

A garden of flowers Some books for the hours

Sweet dreams Good Health

and Love, glorious love. ~unknown

“...I remember thinking how often we look, but never see...we listen, but never hear...we exist, but never feel. We take our relationships for granted. A house is only a place. It has no life of its own. It needs human voices, activity and laughter to come alive.” 
― Erma Bombeck, A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair

Storing Wheat

Back of the loaf is the snowy flour, 

And back of the flour, the mill, 

And back of the mill is the wheat and the shower,
The sun and the Father's will.  ~Anonymous

Here's a good tip on Storing Wheat, from an old Ensign magazine:

"We purchased four shelf boards, and by stacking the three-pound cans we made a wall bookshelf.  These we painted the same color as the wall.  The total cost was seven dollars.  We have a lot of fun when friends compliment us on our new bookshelf.  We tell them there is more there than meets the eye--food for the body as well as food for the spirit.  They are amazed when we tell them about the 420 pounds of wheat stored there."  ~Bernice Ketner  Above is a picture found on Pinterest which gives a similar idea.