I am leaving this evening to go to NY for "Mission Manhattan". Thank-you for all of your kind and helpful comments the last few weeks.

I pray that you and your families have a wonderful and blessed Easter.

-Erin

P.S. The tulips that I had asked you all about have come up in time for Easter!

My Week So Far...

Scott had his wisdom teeth out last Monday, seemed to be doing fine and then the pain got a lot worse. He is better now though still not back to normal. He could use your prayers.

Yesterday Shawn and I went down to Ogdensburg NY to pick up the skirts that I had ordered. They fit nicely. I love all the different colors. One in particular I really love is a jean skirt that falls right down to my ankles. I love wearing really long skirts.

We have been getting a lot of freezing rain/light snow since last night. Not very nice but.... almost all of our snow is gone now and it's not even April yet! We might even have some flowers up by Easter!

I have been busy getting ready to leave for NY on Monday. I still have all of my clothes to get ready. I was talking to Caroline today and got my last few questions answered so now all I have to do is pack! (she is my friend that I am going to be seeing down there).

I am going to be pretty busy the next few days getting ready to go as well as other things going on so you might not be hearing too much from me....but there will be some nice long posts when I get back. With pictures!

-Erin

A Nice Afternoon Out-



My friend Louise was home for a few days from college so she and I were able to go out today for lunch! We had such a nice time talking about what we had been up to and are going to be up to......

After lunch we went for a nice walk down along the river and talked some more. Thank-you Louise for such a nice afternoon! Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

I thought you would like the picture of this teapot Louise :)

Love, Erin

Fess Parker - August 16, 1924 - March 18, 2010

Mr. Parker is always a hit at our house. He was a wonderful Christian man and a loving husband and father.

-Fess Parker in his role as Daniel Boon

-Fess in "Davy Crockett"

-Fess Parker and Patricia Blair in "The Daniel Boon Show"

-Fess Parker, later years.

I wanted to do this post to tell you all about a very good film called "Gentleman's Agreement". With this film and other future ones I post about, there may be things in it that I don't agree with - such as smoking, excessive drinking, etc., though I do think the film has a good message and many will appreciative the content. This is one of my favourites!


Philip Schuyler Green (Gregory Peck) is a widowed journalist who has just moved to New York City with his son Tommy (Dean Stockwell) and mother (Anne Revere). Green meets with magazine publisher John Minify (Albert Dekker), who asks Green to write an article on antisemitism. After initially struggling with how to approach the topic in a fresh way, Green is inspired to adopt a Jewish identity ("Phil Greenberg") and write about his own first-hand experiences. Green and Minify agree to keep it secret that Phil is not Jewish; since he and his family are new to New York, it should be easy to hide.


At a dinner party, Phil meets Minify's divorced niece Kathy Lacey (Dorothy McGuire), who turns out to be the person who originally suggested the story idea. Minify provides her with a large apartment and money. Kathy "works" as a pre-school teacher. Phil and Kathy begin dating. Though she seems to have liberal views, when he reveals what he intends to do, she is taken aback and asks if he actually is Jewish. The strain on their relationship due to Kathy's subtle acquiescence to bigotry becomes a key theme in the film.


At the magazine, Phil is assigned a secretary, Elaine Wales (June Havoc), who reveals that she too is Jewish. She changed her name in order to get the job (her application under her real, Jewish-sounding name, Estelle Wilovsky, was rejected). After Phil informs Minify about Wales' experience, Minify orders the magazine to adopt hiring policies that are open to Jews. Wales has reservations about the new policy, fearing that the "wrong Jews" will be hired and ruin things for the few Jews working there now. Phil meets fashion editor Anne Dettrey (Celeste Holm), who becomes a good friend and potentially more, particularly as strains develop between Phil and Kathy.


As Phil's assignment proceeds, his childhood friend, Dave Goldman (John Garfield), who is Jewish, moves to New York for a job and lives with the Greens while he looks for a home for his family. Housing is scarce in the city, but it is particularly difficult for Goldman, since not all landlords will rent to a Jewish family. When Phil tells Dave about his project, Dave is supportive, but concerned.


As time goes on, Phil experiences several incidents of bigotry. When his mother becomes ill with a heart condition, the doctor discourages him from consulting a specialist with an obviously Jewish name, suggesting he might be cheated. When Phil reveals that he is himself Jewish, the doctor becomes uncomfortable and leaves. Also, when kids at school learn that Tommy is Jewish, he becomes the target of bullies. Phil is troubled by the way Kathy consoles Tommy, telling him that their taunts of "dirty Jew" are wrong because he isn't Jewish, not that the epithet is wrong in and of itself.


Kathy's attitudes are revealed further when she and Phil announce their engagement. Her sister Jane (Jane Wyatt) invites them to a celebration in her home in Darien, Connecticut, which is known to be a "restricted" community where Jews are not welcome. Fearing an awkward scene, Kathy wants to tell her family and friends that Phil is only pretending to be a Jew, but Phil prevails on Kathy to tell only Jane. At the party, everyone is very friendly to Phil, though many people are "unable" to attend at the last minute.


Dave announces that he will have to quit his job because he cannot find a place for his family. Kathy owns a vacant cottage in Darien, but though Phil sees it as the obvious solution to Dave's problem, Kathy is unwilling to offend her neighbors by renting it to a Jewish family. She and Phil break their engagement. Phil announces that he will be moving away from New York when his article is published. When it comes out, it is very well received by the magazine staff.
Kathy meets with Dave and tells him how sick she felt when a party guest told a bigoted joke. However, she has no answer when Dave repeatedly asks her what she did about it. She comes to realize that remaining silent condones the prejudice.


The next day...... you'll have to watch it :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"The beautiful prayer of St. Patrick, popularly known as 'St. Patrick's Breast-Plate,' is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text . . ."


I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.


I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.


I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.


I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.


I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.


I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.


Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.


Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.


I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

My week so far....

I am thinking a lot about NY the last few weeks! I am leaving in just 14 days. I have to slip down to NY to a UPS store. It is only about an hour and a half from our house. I am ordering some skirts from a really nice modest clothing store in the states. The skirts fit nicely and are very comfortable.They are also very good about returns if need be.


Thank-you Shawn for driving me :)

I am growing three pots of tulips for Easter and they have been growing fine....but they have gotten so tall that they are starting to fall right over. We have put some string around them hoping to try and keep them upright but it is not working. We were thinking of just cutting them and putting them in a vase, but they are not open at all really, just slowly starting to peel back at the top. Do you think that this will work? Please leave your thoughts!!

I was doing some cleaning today with Mom (it is March break here!?!) It is interesting how the house seems to keep getting dirty isn't it? There is a a quote that I really like.

"Better to die tired by doing good, then to just die"

From "Mom"

I was given a beautiful pot of violets at Christmas (I just love violets). There are about seven buds on it and I think in about a week or two it will look like this :)

Have a great rest of your week everyone!

Erin

A weekend smile.....

A five dollar bill met a twenty dollar bill and said. “Hey. Where’ve you been? I haven’t seen you around here much.” The twenty answered. “I've been hanging out at the Casinos, went on a cruise and did the rounds of the ship, back to the United States for a while, went to a couple of baseball games, to the mall, that kind of stuff. How about you? The five dollar bill said, “You know, same old stuff…church, church, church.



Have a great weekend everyone..... and don't forget to "Spring Forward" tonight!

Boiled Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients-

1/2 cup butter ( I used margarine )

1/2 cup milk (I used rice dream )

2 cups sugar (I used 1 1/4 cup sucanet)

1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 rolled oats ( I used 3 cups because I used less sugar )

Directions-

Put butter, milk, sugar and cocoa in large saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring often. Boil for 5 minutes. .Remove from heat. Stir in rolled oats.

Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.

Makes about 3 dozen

Substitutions.....

I wanted to do a post on substitutions.



We have some food allergies in our house so we have gotten used to changing our recipes around. Pretty well all of the recipes that I will be posting are changed :) I will add what I have done at the bottom of the recipes.

We use organic Coconut milk and Coconut Oil in our baking, they give the baking a tasty and non greasy flavor. We also use rice dream and goat milk, as well as cow's milk.

When we use sugar in baking I usually use sucanet. We buy from Wholesome Sweeteners-we get the 50 pound bag which is about $115.00- this lasts our family+my grandparents at least a year and three months ( and we bake alot )When we bake with it we use 1/3 cup to the 1 cup the recipe calls for. That way it is not too sweet. Sucanet has a very nice taste to it as well.







When we are baking bread I make Spelt bread for Mom and I as sometimes wheat bothers us. There will be a post on that soon! I also find with spelt you sometimes have to use a bit more as it is a very soft grain. I always use spelt when I am making cookies, cakes... things like that. I usually make the boys whole wheat bread. I will be doing a post on how I make our bread soon! I also like using dark (whole) spelt when I bake with cocoa. Nobody knows!


Blessings,


Erin

MASHED POTATO BISCUITS

Ingredients


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used light spelt )


2 tablespoons baking powder


1 teaspoon salt


1/4 cup sugar ( I used sucanet )


1/4 cup butter or margarine ( I used coconut oil )


1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes


1 egg, beaten


1/3 cup cold water


1/3 cup milk ( I used rice milk )


extra milk for brushing the tops


Directions


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).


In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter, until pieces of butter are no larger than peas. Use a fork to stir in mashed potatoes, breaking them up into chunks. Make a well in the mixture, and pour in egg, water and milk. Stir into a loose dough using the fork.


Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 6 or 8 times so the dough holds together.


Pat the dough out to about 3/4 inch thickness, and cut into circles with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of milk.


Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottoms are golden.

Make about 12


These taste wonderful! I had always wanted to do some baking with mashed potatoes in them and this fit the bill! Worth a try...

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

My Cat Jenny...

IT STARTS WITH ASH WEDNESDAY.....

Lent lasts 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Holy Thursday. The Lenten journey begins with ashes, a solemn reminder of life's limits, as we hear "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return". Ash Wednesday calls us to repent of our sins and to return to communion with Christ, in preparation for the joy of His Easter resurrection.

What does this mean for my Lenten journey?

A few days ago I posted one of my favorite chapters in the Bible~ 1 Corinthians 13. Through Lent I like to spend more time in prayer and at church. I also like to read many scriptures that remind me of Christ and His great sacrifice. His great love for us.

I will be sharing some of my favorite scriptures throughout Lent and after Holy week.

God Bless you all!

I THINK SPRING IS ALMOST HERE !!!

What beautiful weather the LORD has given us the last few days! When my family and I were at church today the first spring buds where coming out in the flower beds :)

My brother Shawn and I went back into town today after we had lunch and went for a nice, long walk with our golden retriever, Ralph. Ralph had a wonderful time with us. He always seems a bit worried when we first set out, then relaxes after we pass "the exits" to the groomers and the vets!

I have been busy getting ready to go to NY the last week. I got a pretty suitcase that has blue flowers on it (hopefully the little matching carry-on that we ordered will get here on time!)

Monday is going to be a busy day :) I need to wash and carton eggs for my customers as well as school work and some baking for the boys.

I think the chickens can hardly wait for spring to come! I have 21 birds but I only am getting about 16 eggs a day...I need to have a talk with them!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend :)

Blessings,

Erin

I miss you!!!! I can hardly wait to see you in just 22 days..... :)

1 Corinthians 13


Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Cranberry Blueberry Coffee Cake

2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk

1 cup cranberries, blueberries or raspberries

Topping

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix flour,sugar,baking powder and salt together in mixing bowl.

In another bowl beat eggs until frothy. Mix in oil and milk. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix. Fold in berries. Scrape into greased 9 inch(23 cm) tube pan.

Topping- Mix flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of batter. Bake in 350*F (180*C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until it begins to shrink away from sides of pan. Cool about 30 min. before removing from the pan. Turn right side up.

Great with a scoop of ice-cream and a cup of your favorite tea :)

I am going to New York City!

I am going to NY for Holy week and Easter Sunday this year to see a very dear friend of mine who has been volunteering down there since July of last year.

I will be a part of "Mission Manhattan". We will be working in soup kitchens, doing a "midnight run" and going to all the different Masses and spending a lot of time in prayer.

I will be flying down with her to NY, so we will have lots of time to catch up {smile}. I am flying home alone though so that should be an adventure!

Thank-you Mommy and Daddy for letting me go away for a whole week!!! As well as helping me get things all ready for me to go the next few weeks.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the mission, here is the link, http://www.tristatemissionnetwork.com/?q=/node/75

~Erin

"You have to believe in happiness,
Or happiness never comes...
Oh, that's the reason a bird can sing-
On his darkest day he believes in Spring."

D. Malloch

Welcome....

I am starting this blog to share what I have been up to and how the Lord has been working in my life. I will also share recipes as I love to cook and bake.

Feel free to leave me a comment to let me know you dropped by.

~Erin