May 2025 ~ The “why” behind Motherhood; Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes; Outdoors on the Farm… and more

Thinking: The reason for motherhood

Have you ever considered the why behind motherhood? What is the framework for thinking properly about it? After 25 years of motherhood, I will share two brief thoughts that I think are foundational to our comprehension of this God-given role.

The why behind motherhood is first of all the covenantal love between a man and a woman. It is the beautiful and natural result of that sacred love. Second, our ideas about motherhood are best held within a framework of self-sacrifice (not self-fulfillment or self-glorification).

Yes, it is a giving up of yourself! And this is good, wholesome, and entirely redemptive. God has big purposes in putting us through the school of motherhood, so it will be tough and at times seem to be possibly the least fulfilling thing you have ever done. Hang in there, work is in progress, you are not at the end of the story.

Gardening: Outdoors on the farm

My irises are blooming for the first time since we moved out here (this is our third spring here). I moved the bulbs from our previous house and had given up hope of them ever blooming again. But then~ this!

Continue reading “May 2025 ~ The “why” behind Motherhood; Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes; Outdoors on the Farm… and more”

February 2025 ~ Soup Recipe, Parenting Pre-Teens, Chickens & Eggs…

Eight short sections this month!

A Meal We Love ~ Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

I have probably made this soup recipe more than any other. I love making it in the winter with fresh rolls. It’s simple and adaptable, and it makes great use of those frozen garden tomatoes. (This summer I will have to share about the no-fail, simplest-ever method for freezing tomatoes.)

Continue reading “February 2025 ~ Soup Recipe, Parenting Pre-Teens, Chickens & Eggs…”

Hello Again!

After a hiatus of almost three years—hello! How are you??

One of my plans for 2025 is to post a blog here once a month, maybe a scattering of homemaking, cooking, raising children, general happenings, and what have you. We’ll see! How I have missed posting and sharing here.

I’ve updated my bio and about the blog page, to reflect where I am in life now. I’ll let you hop over to those pages to catch up, but I do have to say… I’m a Grammy now! Oh the changes three years can bring!

A Meal We Love ~ Chicken Pot Pie

The main thing with this recipe is the filling. Feel free to use any cooked chicken/canned chicken, any assortment of veggies, and feel free to use a frozen pie crust. It’s the filling that makes all the difference. We always eat it with a salad.

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7 Days of Supper Menus

With my older boys home (and the leaf back in our dining room table), meal prep has recently become even more of a focus for me than it was before. Also, Katie, who had been helping me with supper prep, is now away most evenings putting her cooking skills to work elsewhere, so I’m back to being the main cook again.

Here’s what we’ve been eating for our main meal each day, for the past week. All of these are tried and true crowd pleasers at our house. Feeding a family is such a big job, and it never ends. I hope this post (lacking in photos, but not in links and recipes) will give you some new ideas.

Friday: Summer Salad, Homemade breadsticks, Snickerdoodles
A summer salad is basically a chef salad made on a platter.

How I make a Summer Salad: I use a circular platter like a pizza pan. First I make a bed of lettuce, and then on top of that I start making rings of various toppings. I always boil eggs earlier in the day so they are ready to go as a topping. Some kind of meat topping is a must when feeding growing boys. Chopped chicken or ham are a good choice, or baby shrimp as a special treat. Other topping possibilities include: chopped tomatoes, celery, sweet peppers, carrots, nuts such as sliced almonds, cranberries, cheese, croutons or crushed buttery crackers. It looks so pretty when it’s finished!

Katie made the Snickerdoodles and they were exelente!

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Feeding Teenage Boys (including three recipes)

This boy right here is 18 today. We are celebrating the emergence of our firstborn into adulthood. As a mom, I can’t help but reflect on the experience of raising this young man. I have learned so much. I have enjoyed the journey these past 18 years, immensely. So much to be thankful for.  Continue reading “Feeding Teenage Boys (including three recipes)”