Happy Memorial Day!

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. ~ Romans 13:7

From the very beginnings of this great country, countless men and women have fought and died for the freedoms that we enjoy every day. Today, whether you support the wars fought previously, the wars being fought today, or the policies that require us to have troops stationed around the world, today is a day we set aside our partisan ideas and recognize those who have sacrificed for us.

     And while many of us may have the day off spending time this Memorial Day with our friends and neighbors, let us remember that some families are spending this holiday with someone missing, someone they gave on the altar of freedom, a brother who will never walk again recovering in a hospital, a father who gave his life defending his country in a foreign land, men and women who did all they could to see the mission through.

    Others have a son or daughter still serving overseas, fighting a war in Afghanistan, patrolling the seas, serving duty at the Korean Peninsula or guarding a southern border.  There are hundreds of others at bases all around the world representing America's interests. Let us remember those who have fallen on the battlefields, and those who still serve.

   As you enjoy this holiday, don't forget the reason behind it. Today we salute our comrades and loved ones who have fought in the military. Not only remembering their sacrifice, but honoring them for their courage and service. 

   Their sacrificial service didn't just happen. It came from the Biblical principles upon which this great country was founded. They valued them and stood for them with courage. May we follow in their example. If we mirror their values and their courage, our nation can change if we too will stand with courage for the things we know to be true.
Happy Memorial Day!

  

Growing Green Onions In Your Kitchen

One of my favorite ways to save money on food is by growing it myself. So my frugal self is excited that my fifty cent bunch of green onions can be stretched for months of reuse. I grow onions in the garden as well, but this is my favorite way to keep them on hand in the kitchen for easy access all year long. You'll be amazed on how fast they grow! 

I cut our green onions about 3 inches above the white bulb/ roots.. but really you can cut them at any length as long as you stay 1/2 inch above the bulb. Place them in a glass jar with water in a sunny window and let them grow! And its as easy as that! 

This picture was taken at day ten with a few clips missing here and there as I needed them. The only other thing I recommend doing is every other day I rinse the bulbs & add fresh water to ensure they don't get all slimy & gross. So far so good =)

I'm excited to try this with some other kitchen veggie waste like celery & lemongrass. 

Chicks are here!

Our chickens arrived last week , praying for no roosters in the bunch but thinking we may have one. 

They are so cute but we all no that wont last long ;)

 

SMILE ;)





 

Happy Spring ;)

I'm a bit behind on my posts, but anyway Happy Spring! ;) I Love when Spring hits!  I'm in spring cleaning mode and  ready for all this snow to melt anyway.. I'm definitely not going to miss it any... Winter is my least favorite of all the seasons.  So bring on the warm weather! ;)

I sit here dreaming of my garden & can't wait to get it started.. Its one of my all time favorite hobbies. 

Each year we plan our garden,  the list gets bigger and bigger .. This year is no different, I think I may have to cut back on my list a bit.. as I'm going to run out of planting room. The garden does get larger each year, but if I had my way I could easily double it ;)

But enough dreaming of warm weather, green lawns & gardens the reality is there's still SNOW on the ground! Yuck! So I shall patiently wait!  

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.  And again Happy Spring! 

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. Genesis 1:14

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

A friend of mine introduced me to Elderberry a while back & I’m a believer that this stuff works. I  will now always kept it on hand especially during the winter months. So what is elderberry you ask? 

Elderberry syrup is a proven remedy for preventing and recovering from the flu, colds, excessive mucus, sore throats, and contains large amounts of antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, B, and C and list goes on.

Properties in elder stop the production of hormone-like cytokines that direct a class of white blood cells known as neutrophils to cause inflammation, especially in influenza and arthritis. On the other hand, elder increases the production non-inflammatory infection-fighting cytokines as much as 10 fold. Elder berries are known to be effective against eight strains of influenza.

There are several commercial brands of elderberry syrup available at your pharmacy but it is much more cost effective to make it, and you can avoid the unhealthy syrups that are often in store brands. At the pharmacy or health store you can usually find it for around $12-$15 or more for 4-8 ounces. This recipe makes 16 ounces for a cost of under ten dollars and its taste great! It cost me around $6 to make 16oz!

Homemade Elderberry Syrup Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Dried Black Elderberries (Sambucus Nigra)
• 3 1/2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, finely minced, or 1 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• small sprinkle of cloves or clove powder
• 1 cup (or less) raw honey    (you can also choose to use a sweetener of  your choice but honey is a natural preservative and using it in this recipe your syrup will last about 5 months. Using alternate sweeteners like stevia can be used, though this will create a liquid, rather than a syrup and it will only last 2-3 weeks in fridge) 

How do you make:

1. Put all ingredients except honey in a medium sized sauce pan.

   2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until liquid reduces by 1/3

   3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

  4. Next, Strain the liquid through a strainer or cheesecloth into a large glass jar or bowl. Discard the strained ingredients.

(this picture is from the internet as I neglected to take one at this stage of preparing)

    5. When liquid is still warm, add the honey and stir well. 

   6. Store in a glass bottle or jar in the fridge.

And Ta Da! You just made Homemade Elderberry Syrup! Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties.  

Standard dose is  1 tsp for kids over the age of 2  and  1 Tbsp for adults. If the Flu/Cold does strike, take the normal dose every 3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

Some additional info on the other Ingredients:

Honey: One of my Favorite Home Remedies Ever!  Nothing beats honey for a cough (in fact, it’s been shown to be more effective at soothing coughs than cough medicine itself). It’s also, of course, wildly antibacterial & an effective preservative. 

Cinnamon: Not only does cinnamon help control your blood sugar and blood pressure, it’s been historically used to treat the cold and flu.

Ginger Root: Is well known for defeating nauseousness, ginger root may not only treat your symptoms of stomach yuckiness, but it may very well help beat your other symptoms, as well. It' by far, one of the most popular medicinal herbs – and  it tastes great in this syrup

Cloves: Although most spices are excellent sources of antioxidants, cloves rank as the richest source of them all. The abundant health benefits of cloves have been well known for centuries. Cloves have antiseptic and germicidal properties that help fight infections, relieve digestive problems and arthritis pain.

I'm thinking I may try adding Echinacea & Rose hips to my next batch since both have such great health benefits as well but for now this works for me :)

Oh and just a reminder, I’m not a health professional, and this blog post does not constitute medical advice. I'm just sharing a natural alternative to unhealthy store bought medication that I have found that works for my family. ;) As we would rather use natural herbal remedies rather then these worldly medications/shots that are out there.  

May God help us all to eat and live healthy for HIS Glory! 

Hello 2013 ;)

Today, the first day of the year! So refreshing and exciting to start a NEW year!

Another Year to Live to please and honour God! How could that not be exciting?!

God has granted us the gift of another day, another year's beginning, so that He can continue the timeless plan of His redemption in our lives.

 

 

 

I don't know about you but I'm glad to say 2012 is behind me. Don't get me wrong I'm so thankful for all God's blessed us with ( good & bad) & for everyday in the year in itself.  I have learned so much from all Ive experienced throughout. I have many great memories to carry forward. Its just been such a trying year for me & I'm glad to put it behind me. I know the Lord has such wonderful plans ahead & I'm excited to see what opportunities He brings into our lives.  

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU & YOURS

 

May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;

Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;

Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;

Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.

God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.



Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17



32 Random Acts of Kindness!

As I said yesterday, My birthday wish is to complete 32 Random Acts of Kindness, one for every year of my life thus far. I planned out 32 acts ahead of time just in case, but prayed for opportunities to arise throughout the day to bless those around me!

I must say this was by far the most wonderful, most heartwarming  Birthday I have EVER had! I'm so thankful for everyone that came along to help. It is amazing how easy it is to see the need when you're staring it in the face.  Just putting a smile or look of surprise on someones face made it all worth it.





OUR 32 ACTS

1. Left a Sweet Treat for our Newspaper Delivery Man.

2. Left a Scentsy gift & card for our Mail Lady.

3.  Put Quarters on gumball machines for children to find.

4. We went into Dunkin Donuts & due to the storm not many people were out..BUT as we ordered hot chocolate for the girls a lady pulled up to the drive thru. I told the cashier I'd like to pay for the drive thru order...  The Lady in the car was so thankful she kept asking the cashier if i knew her etc... (of course i did not) At this point the cashier was in tears of joy that I was being so kind. I had all I could do not to break down in tears myself.   What a wonderful moment!

5. We gave out homemade cards at our bank, Wishing them a great day, filled with God's blessings!

6. Handed out cards & cookies at the Police Station.

7. Brought cookies & cards to our Town Office ( We absolutely love those ladies :)

8. Donated to Coats for Kids

9. Donated Bag of clothes to those in need

10. Brought Laundry Soap & Quarters to Laundry Mat for someone that might need it

11. Brought carts back to the store for customers! They were so Thankful as the weather was yucky!

12. Left someone a popcorn treat at the local redbox!

13. We purchased 2-Hannaford Gift Cards & gave them out to random shoppers. The reactions were priceless ;)

14. We also gave out cards while we were there.

15. Cleaned off  a Lady's car that was covered in snow .

16. Hide $ in the toy section at Dollar Tree

( I so wish I was able to see the children's faces when they found them)

17. Sent Cards to the Ronald McDonald House for parents & children

18. Left a Note & Quarters at the DIY Car wash

19. We Brought Balloons & Teddy Bears to the Hospitals Pediatric center.

What a touching heartfelt moment!

20. Also left coloring books, crayons & books about Jesus in the waiting room

21. Brought Cookies & a card to the Local Post Office for the staff.

22. Fulfilled a 1 year old boys wish on the Giving Tree  ( Learning toys)

23. Fulfilled a 10 year old girls wish on the Giving tree ( Barbie & Winter Gloves)

24. Left a Act of Kindness at a Soda Machines

25. We handed out Lollipops to children ( with the parents permission, of course!)

26. We went to the Sandy River Assisted Living Center & gave out Cards & Teddy Bears

27. My Nephew wanted to bring cookies & a card to his doctor, so we did :)

28.  Went to Evergreen Behavior Services to deliver them cupcakes & a card

29. At this point we needed gas so we gave cookies to our very thankful gas attendant

30. Donated to our local Knights of Columbus

31. Donated our change that we've been saving to the BGMC (children's) program at church.

32. Stopped in for a visit with our Pastor with cupcakes, a card & much needed HUGS ;)

and that's how we celebrated my Birthday! Wow, what an amazing day!  I am so thankful that God gave us the opportunity to BLESS so many other people today!

Thank you to everyone that celebrated with me! We are all so humbled by today's acts  and exhausted but mostly reminded how opportunities to help others are all around us all the time.. and at times we are just to busy to even notice.

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.- Matthew 5:16