Pentecost Centerpiece
By Melafwife
Our centerpiece celebrates the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the
Birthday of our Church.
We wrapped some empty boxes with leftover
Christmas wrapping paper, printed out doves and our gifts and
glued them to the boxes.
We read about different Pentecost customs
online and read from Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible
Stories.
Many Blessings,
Melanie
John
20:19-23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the
Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, he showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Little Dresses
By Melafwife
I have
recently tried my hand at sewing little tops and pinafores for
Emily. I love it and it is easier than I
thought. I
really love the pinafore; a frugal way to dress up a plain top.
Here 3 great links:
http://www.made-by-rae.com/2008/04/free-itty-bitty-baby-dress-pattern.html
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=65
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=212
Kitchen Chores
By Melafwife- After breakfast run dishwasher & clean baby bottles
- Check for leftovers in fridge and how to use them up
- Check menu for dinner and make sure all ingredients are in-stock
- Wipe down countertops & front of cabinets
- Wipe down fridge door, dishwasher door, oven door and microwave
- Clean spills/crumbs in fridge as they happen
- Wipe down handle of fridge
- Wipe down stovetop if used
- Sweep floors
- Never to go to bed with a dirty kitchen
- Mop if necessary
Weekly Chores:
- Check expiration dates
- Check opened boxes of food and throw out if necessary
- Keep a list of in-stock items in cabinets and pantry shelf in basement before grocery shopping
- Clean inside of microwave with a natural steam cleaning (recipe link)
Monthly Chores:
- Bleach countertops
- Clean out utensil/silverware drawers and clean inside of the drawer
- Check items in freezer once a month
- Wipe out freezer
- Clean windows
- Wash kitchen curtains
- Clean oven if necessary
An Apple a Day
By Melafwife
I love apples; in pies, in cake, in salads, as sauce and the best way: right from the tree.
Apples are all natural, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and a great source of fiber (about 5g/large apple)
Research shows that eating apples can
- Help fight cancer and heart disease
- Strengthen bones
Here is a quick guide to some of my favorite apples:
1. McIntosh: juicy with a sweet and tart taste, bruise easily. Not recommended for pies because of the abundance of juice
2. Gala: Firm, juicy, fine textured, yellow white flesh. Sweet slightly tart flavor
3. Golden Delicious: Firm, crisp, juicy, flavorful flesh. Mild sweet distinctive flavor. High quality all purpose. Shrivels in storage. Requires gentle picking, bruises easily.
4.Red Delicious: Most purchased apple variety in the United States. Deep red skin covers a sweeter flavored apple. Poor for baking
5. Cortland: Very white crisp flesh. One of the best salad apples because it doesn't brown quickly
6.Jonagold: juicy, slightly tart, flesh. Good cooking properties. Will store in common refrigerator for 3 months.
7. Red Rome: Named for an apple-growing area in Ohio, not Italy. Slightly tart. Best for baking.
8. Idared: slightly tart flavor and hold their shape well making them an excellent choice for baking and cooking.
9. Honeycrisp: crisp and juicy, with a honey-sweet and tart flavor. Honeycrisps are also good for baking and sauce.
10. Granny Smith: One of the most popular tart apples, Granny Smiths are crisp and quite sour. They're a good all-purpose cooking apple, and their flavor is enhanced when paired with sweeter, spicier apples in pies and crisps.
And since I am a collector of quotes; here are some apple ones:
"When the apple is ripe it will fall." -- Irish proverb
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." -- Jane Austen
"I tell you, all politics is apple sauce." -- Will Rogers
"The rotten Apple spoils his Companion”
Benjamin Franklin
And on to some apple facts:
-Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California are the top 5 apple-producing states in the U.S. In all, 36 states produce apples commercially.
-The apple is the official state fruit of Washington, New York, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
-There are more than 7500 varieties of apples grown in the world. About 2500 varieties are grown in the United States.
-Red Delicious is the most popular and most-produced apple in the United States. Golden Delicious is the second most popular.
-The only apple native to North America is the crabapple.
-Half the United States apple crop is turned into apple products like applesauce and apple juice.
-Apple trees don't bear their first fruit until they are four or five years old.
-Archaeologists have evidence of people eating apples as far back as 6500 B.C.
Look out for apple recipes in my Hearth section during the month of March! Starting with homemade applesauce this weekend!
Hugs & Blessings,
Melanie
Car Seat Cover
By Melafwife
To make your own cover I recommend using one of the following tutorials:
Hippos and Dinosaurs
A Wednesday Afternoon
Make To Do
Have a blessed weekend!
Melanie
Coupons
By Melafwife
I never liked traditional coupon organizers, they would easily tear or were just too small or had too few categories for all my coupons. Needless to say, a lot of coupons expired before I had a chance to use them.
Here is my solution:
50c photo books
Benefits:
-Large windows for viewing coupons
-Many pages to customize
-Holds more coupons than traditional organizers
Now go Clip and $ave!!
Many Blessings,
Melanie
Dress up plain boots
By Melafwife
Just cut off the sleeves, trim to fit boots and hem.
I will go to the base thrift store on Thursday to find some pink, bright colored sweaters.
Now she can change the look of the boots.
Many Blessings,
Melanie
Frugal Living: Cleaning Cloths
By Melafwife
Cut an old tablecloth into squares or rectangles (the size is up to you) and sew a simple seam around the fabric.
I have also made placemats, napkins and aprons out of old tablecloths.
Many Blessings,
Melanie
Baby Wash Cloths
By Melafwife
Cut them into small pieces, sew some soft flannel to the back and turn them into baby wash cloths.
Or turn those towels into absorbent burp cloths.
Andes Peppermint Crunch Cupcakes
By Patti Katter
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to try a new recipe. While shopping for chocolate at one of the craft stores, I stumbled upon a package of Andes Peppermint Crunch. Of course, I didn't literally stumble. That would have been a site. ;-)
On the back of the package I noticed the Peppermint Crunch Cupcake recipe. It was a smash hit, so I thought I would share it with you.
Ingedients:
1 package (18.25 oz.) Devil's Food cake mix
(Eggs, oil, and water according to
package directions)
1 package (10 oz.) Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
1 container (16 oz.) white ready to spread frosting
Directions:
Preheat oven according to cake mix package directions.
Prepare cake mix; stir in 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips; reserve remaining chips.
Divide batter evenly into cupcake pans lines with foil baking cups.
Bake according to cake mix package directions.
Cool cupcakes in pans for 15 minutes; remove to cooling racks and cool completely.
Frost each cupcake with 1 rounded Tbs. of frosting and sprinkle with 2 tsp. reserved chips.
Yield:
24 Cupcakes
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