Now, y’all know that I love me some pie, I love to make it and have a slice (and one more the next day if there’s any left!) but, what you may not know is that I only make pie every now and then….maybe once a month, if that. I really try to limit the sugar intake in my household. I know that doesn’t sound like fun, but it’s also not fun if we don’t feel well (we all know that too much sugar can cause health problems) or if a few extra pounds have caused us to look plumper-than-a-summer-peach-ripe-for-the-pickin’ and we have to struggle to button our pants! (I know all about that!)

Fortunately for me, I have a small sweet tooth. If I have a craving for sugar, one or two Hershey Kisses with Almonds can pretty much handle it. I remember as a teenager going to the movies with my cousins, and hours after the movie, I reached in my little purse and pulled out half of a candy bar to take a bite, well, what a ruckus they all made! (For crying out loud!) They could not BELIEVE I still had candy left! My cousin Dena still teases me to this day (”Got any left-over candy bars in your purse?”) (I have a few things I tease her about don’t-cha-know! We were at Disneyland heading over to Tom Sawyer’s Island on the river-raft and she kicked some lady in the bee-hind thinking it was me! Oh! I do declare, that was the funniest thing my eyes ever did see!)

When I do have a dessert, (on occasion) it had better be good and worth the calories. I would rather slowly savor and celebrate one slice of real good pie than several slices of a low sugar, fat-free, and not so good tasting pie. I think something sweet and yummy every now and then, in moderation, is a happy thing. But that’s just me!

I do have to say, I have become more health conscious as I have gotten older, so when my apron-ed self plans the meals for the week, I make sure to have plenty of farm fresh vegetables and fruits on the menu……I am so looking forward to spring and summer when juicy strawberries, blackberries, watermelon and cantaloupe will be in season!

I have also cut down on beef to maybe once a week and prepare mostly chicken or turkey. I use Olive Oil for cooking, (except when baking, I go with vegetable or canola oil sparingly) and natural butter instead of margarine, I also try to stay away from shortening (the waxy white stuff), if I can help it ( I know that some really good recipes call for it, but I try to use an alternative, if possible). Although I am not much of a fish eater, (does Tuna count? I do like Tuna!) I want to start incorporating some Salmon in our diet.

I’m just trying to make wiser choices with what I feed my family and myself. When my 10 year old little Summer Rose comes home from school, I will occasionally treat her to milk and cookies, but on most days her after school snack is a healthy one.

I put together a muffin tin of fresh veggies, ranch dip, sunflower seeds, cheese and low sugar alphabet mini-cookies. On other days, she might find popcorn, apple slices with peanut butter, dried apricots, and orange wedges.

I like the idea of using a muffin tin because everything stays neat and tidy, rather than rolling around on a plate and maybe onto the floor.

It also transports well, if Summer wants to take it out on the front porch steps or into the family room, it all stays put. You don’t really need to use the paper liners, but it looks pretty and the clean up is a breeze!

Here is Summer dressed as Laura Ingalls (From Little House On The Prairie) for a musical tribute to Famous Missourians at her school. Kids came dressed as Walt Disney (one of my hero’s!!!) Brad Pitt, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) Daniel Boone, Maya Angelou, Unsinkable Molly Brown, Calamity Jane…and many more….ain’t she adorable…love that little red-headed darlin’!

Some days Summer will fix her own snack, but she loves it when I have gone through the effort of preparing something for her….it makes her feel loved and cared for.

Another thing I do to keep things healthy, happy and homey in my nest is to give Summer a list of things she needs to be responsible for. Statistics show that children are more successful in life if their environment is in order, and they play a role in keeping it that way. It is also vital that the home atmosphere is emotionally safe and encouraging. Teaching our kids basic life skills, like taking care of themselves and the things they are responsible for, and maintaining a good attitude, is essential if they are to grow up with a healthy work ethic and appreciation for what they’ve been blessed with. Summer’s chore chart is titled “Summer’s Happy Day To-Do List”……

…because it’s a Happy Day when she gets her work done! Once her chart is checked off, she then has the freedom to have friends over, watch a TV show, play outside, do a craft and all kinds of fun stuff!

“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

I just typed up a list, added some scrapbooking stickers, slipped it into a plastic page protector (this way you don’t have to keep printing up a new list each week, just use a dry erase marker and wipe it clean) and put it on a clipboard that sits on her desk. I also clothes-pinned a little encouragement card at the top.

This is a little library nook in our hallway,

a cozy little spot for Summer to do her homework.

Instead of my old version of a Treasure Box for her weekly reward for completing her chores, Summer wanted the “treasures” to be in a large jar… she’s titled it The Jar Of Mystery….you close your eyes and reach in and pull out a wrapped mystery surprise! I like that!

The “treasures” consist of (per the request of little Miss Summer Rose) “Puzzle balls, squishy rubber bugs, small teddy bear, lip gloss or Chapstick, clues of where something is hidden in the house… like a treasure hunt, rubber balls and candy…Snickers, Tootsie Rolls, Starbursts, Milky Way, Skittles and more.” These little treats will not break the bank, and if they add a little fun, excitement and anticipation to getting her jobs done, then it’s a good thing!

“The development of strong character must be emphasized and rewarded in the home.” ~Charles Stanley

My kids have had chores since they were very young. Before they could read, I took a picture of them putting away their toys, making their bed, putting dirty laundry in a basket, sweeping the floor with their kiddie broom etc…,I punched a hole at the top of the photo and hung it on board with five nails (for five jobs…) , each time they completed a job they would turn the photo around on the nail and there would be a cute sticker of a smiling monkey or dinosaur with the words “Good Job!”. They would get a “ticket” for each job completed. At the end of the week they got to redeem their “tickets” for a prize in the treasure box (an old picnic basket) they LOVED counting their tickets and picking out a prize!

As they got older, I used a lot of different ideas to delegate household chores. I would change it up, from time to time. One time we had a jar with chores on little pieces of paper and they would draw three jobs for that week. You just have to find what works best for your family. It’s important to make it clear what is expected of them, make it fun, be encouraging, show your appreciation for their work and be consistent.

Out of my four kids, I have some messies and some cleanies (these terms are from Sandra Felton…an author of some great books on getting your house in order). And they didn’t always clean like I would have, but they were kids, and as long as they did their best, I did not expect perfection. After a meal, everyone was expected to pitch in and clean up, and on Saturday mornings, we all got busy and straightened up the house before we went out for the day (Saturdays was always a Family Fun Day). I also had a rule about whining…if you whine about a chore, you got to do an extra one! Good attitudes were encouraged!

As my first three kids got older, and the treasure box wasn’t an enticement anymore, then they earned privileges, things they wanted to do and places they wanted to go. When I heard “Mom, can I….?” I would reply, “Sure, if your chores are done!” (that is, if the request is reasonable!)

A very wise author and speaker Josh McDowell says that Rules without Relationship =Rebellion. In other words, when we have a loving relationship with our kids (doing fun things with them, telling them how much we love them, are proud of them, taking time with them, baking cookies together, going for a hike, fishing, throwing a ball outside, playing hide and go seek, watching a movie, laughing together, talking about things they are interested in, going out for an ice-cream, doing makeovers, one on one tea parties, having family devotions and prayer, leaving notes of appreciation on their pillow with a chocolate kiss, cheering them on at their football, baseball or soccer games, having family fun time, etc…) they will be more apt to obey without rebellion. Without a loving relationship, nagging will only cause them to rebel.

“Anything you do to prepare your children for the future is a way of saying ‘I love you.’ ” ~Tim Kimmel

Just four years ago, when all four kids were home, life got so busy with school and church activities, sports….practices and games, moving a couple of times, then the College years brought boyfriends and girlfriends, and eventually engagements, which led to planning Weddings. We also designed our house and started building it in Missouri while we lived in California. We did a lot of traveling back and forth. Everyone seemed to be going in different directions. During that time, things were so hectic, doing chores began to get out of sync and the house started to get a little out of control. We regrouped and got back on the track. But that’s just life! It happens when you have little ones and it happens when they get big……You just do what you can do and “don’t sweat the small stuff” as they say!

(Now I am down to one kid at home and it’s a breeze, although I really do miss the whole brood around the dinner table!) Through it all, I am soooooo thankful that my older kids, who have flown the coop, are responsible, caring and creative adults working full time (one is still in College while working) and little Summer is on her way….thank the good Lord!

The most important things in your home are people.

~Barbara Johnson

Say gals, my good friend Cynthia from Cynthia’s Cottage Design is having a give away! Click Here to sign up…you better hurry…she is announcing the winner March 8th! While you are there, check out her absolutely adorable blog and Web Store, it is so full of charm and wonderful ideas. Cynthia’s Cottage Design is one of my all-time favorite blogs!!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I so appreciate your comments, thank you all for taking the time to sprinkle your kindness! God Bless you!

Ruthann

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“I’m going to church where sweet bells call,

to ask our Heavenly Father to bless us all.” Ahh…the Old Country Church with it’s message of love, hope, mercy, and grace…. singing Hymns like Blessed Assurance…Softly And Tenderly…. and Amazing Grace brings such comfort to the soul!

Chatting on the church steps with sister Mary Grace and Effie and Clara, sharing with each other about how the Good Lord had blessed their hearts with such an uplifting sermon by the Reverend Honeycut. There was also a buzz in the air about the Church Supper and All Day Singing that afternoon. The ladies couldn’t wait to unload their boxes and baskets of fried chicken, green beans, potato salad, cornbread ‘n’ beans, ham ‘n’ biscuits, watermelon rind pickles, corn casserole, macaroni and cheese, not to mention all the delectable cakes, pies and cookies! Ice cold Lemonade, dipped from large crocks into jelly jars, offered a cooling refreshment under the shade of the old oak trees in the heat of the sun-baked afternoon.

Everyone kept an eye on Sister Liza Jane Honeycut (the Reverends wife) to watch where she would place her mouth watering, golden crusted Buttermilk pies, so they could be sure to snatch and savor a slice before the pans were left with just a few lonely crumbs. You didn’t dare wait until after you had your meal to get a piece of her pie, otherwise your sweet tooth would just have to go unsatisfied. The Reverends wife just seemed to have a knack for making the most tasty pies. Perhaps it was her tender loving care that she mixed into each one of them.

Sister Liza Jane would blush with humility whenever anyone asked her for her recipe. She was always happy and tickled-pink to oblige. Sweet Lizzie, as her dearest friends called her, did not believe in keeping Secret Recipes, “why, it would be like selfishly holding onto a blessing of the Lord, a joyful gift, that was meant to be shared by all. My heavenly days, why would anyone want to hoard joy for only themselves….if my recipes allow someone else to prepare a tasty treat, it will only spread more joy! It’s like scattering wild flower seeds, it will bring back to you a harvest of sweet, unspeakable delight, not to mention the blessing of knowing that you have pleased the good Lord! That is something I am not willing to miss out on.”

Verdeen Crumley, president of the Missionary Council, would beg to differ with Sister Liza Jane. Her lips were buttoned tight when it came to sharing the recipe for her moist and delicious Carrot Cake with the creamiest of cream cheese frosting. She was quoted as saying “I did not spend hours, by the sweat of my brow, concocting my prize winning secret recipe for someone else to take the glory!”

Well, sister Verdeen had a lot to learn about glory, and to whom it belongs. It was by God’s grace that she was able to do any concocting at all.

God Blesses us to be a blessing to others.

Blessed be His glorious name forever:

let the whole earth be filled with His glory!

Amen and Amen! Psalm 72:19

The Tabernacle

by Karla Worley and Brent Lamb

“Down by the Tabernacle oh,

where the June bugs danced

and the lemonade flowed,

and we prayed and we sang

’til the sun sank low,

laughing with our sisters and brothers,

Down by the tabernacle hey,

where you knew you were loved
and you wanted to stay,

though the summer heat was like judgment day

Start with this simple,

Pat-in-the-Pan Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups Flour (All Purpose Unbleached)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cold milk
• 2/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola–make sure it is fresh!)

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl until blended, add wet ingredients and stir gently until the dough forms a ball.( For a tender crust, do not over mix). Put dough into pie pan and pat it thin and flat to conform to the shape of the pan. Crimp the edges. You are now ready for the filling.

That’s it! See how simple!

Put dough in pie pan.Pat dough flat and even pressing up the sides of the pan.Crimp the edge by using your thumb on one hand to push the dough down into a “V” shape and your fingers on your other hand to support the dough on either side of your thumb. (I couldn’t show the whole technique since I was holding the camera.)

 

 

 

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled (1/2 cup of butter)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• pinch of grated Nutmeg

Mix flour and sugar…
Add Buttermilk…
Whisk eggs…

 

 

 

“This pie’s so good

it makes me mad at my mama.”~Glory Road

 

For those of you who asked about the lid for my cast iron pan, well I did some research and found it online…. click here, it’s made by Kitchen Collection, and sells for $9.99.

In my Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie post, there were a few gals who had a concern about cooking tomatoes in cast iron. The manufacturer of Lodge Cast Iron Company actually has recipes such as Chili (Click here) with tomatoes and this one for Skillet Steak alla Pizziaola. Perhaps the concern is that the acid in tomatoes would wear away the seasoning, but as long as you clean and re-oil your pan as soon as you are finished cooking, there should not be a problem. If the manufacturer encourages cooking with tomatoes, that’s good enough for me. I had one more thought on this…I’m pretty sure that cooking tomatoes in an aluminum pan can cause discoloration to the pan and give food a metalic taste, so maybe that is what caused the confusion. For anymore questions about cast iron care click HERE.

“Buttermilk Pie is the ultimate in Southern Pieness.”

~Terry Thorton

Well, I am so glad y’all stopped by for Sister Liza Jane’s Buttermilk pie! Once again I so appreciate your kind comments! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! I give God all the glory…so thankful for His grace and mercy!

Hugs!

Ruth Ann

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