Prairie Oak Homestead

I can hardly believe it's the end of the year already!  It seems 2010 has gone by so fast! My son turned 13 this year, we learned to ride a horse, raised some more chickens, I learned to make soap, lost a relationship that was very dear to me, learned that there is peace and grace in suffering, was reminded that God still answers prayers, learned that sometimes you lose things you dearly wanted to hold to, and that God can bless you with things unexpectedly that can change your life.  We went on our first cruise this year.  It was great. Learned that true friends are a blessing. It was a year of health issues, but was blessed with less issues with my Myasthenia Gravis. I am blessed to have a wonderfully patient husband who loves me dearly.  Blessed to be married to him for 14 years.  God has really changed his heart this year and it's been an awesome thing to be a part of... I am blessed to have a great teenage son. :)  I'm learning so much raising a...

I guess it could be worse...it's just been a crazy week. Yesterday started with a doctor's appointment to see what to do about my lungs.  I go in for Pulmonary Function Tests on Monday to see what the cause is of my shortness of breath...is it my Myasthenia Gravis causing it or COPD that keeps showing up on my chest x-rays...only God knows. Today I had another doctor's appointment to see how I am healing after my hysterectomy...I'm sad to say that I am not all healed. :(  I had to switch doctors because the doctor who did my surgery got fired.  They said she was mentally unstable.  Great.  After speaking with this new doctor, it seems Carcinoma In Situ is not cancer after all. (Was told by two doctors that it was) They categorize it as very severe dysplasia.  She said my hysterectomy was unnecessary and that the doctor didn't have to do it.  Great.  It was done under that doctors high recommendation to have it done.  My new doc did say wh...

Overview: Feverfew ( Tanacetum parthenium ), a member of the sunflower family, has been used for centuries in European folk medicine as a remedy for headaches, arthritis, and fevers. The term feverfew is adapted from the Latin word febrifugia or "fever reducer." Feverfew is also used to treat menstrual irregularities, labor difficulties, skin conditions, stomach aches, and asthma. Plant Description: Native to southeastern Europe, feverfew is now widespread throughout Europe, North America, and Australia. Feverfew is a short perennial that blooms between July and October, and gives off a strong and bitter odor. Its yellow-green leaves are alternate (the leaves grow on both sides of the stem at alternating levels), and turn downward with short hairs. The small, daisy-like yellow flowers are arranged in a dense flat-topped cluster. What's It Made Of?: Feverfew products usually consist of dried feverfew leaves, but all parts of the plant that grow above ground m...

Shining is always costly.  Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it.  An unlit candle does no shining.  Burning must come before shining.  We cannot be of great use to others without cost to ourselves.  Burning suggest suffering.  We shrink from pain. We are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full of kindly service. When we are called aside and can only suffer; when we are sick; when we are consumed with pain; when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use...that we are not doing anything. BUT, if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work.  We are burning now, and shining, because we are burning. "The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the d...

What kind of wife do we want to be?  One who is submissive and encouraging to her husband or one who is disobedient and tears him down? There are several examples God gives us in the bible of women who were not submissive.  First, Lot's wife was not obedient.  Her husband tried to protect her and take her out of the city, but she would not submit to the Lord and listen to His direction to not look back.  It cost her her life....Remember Lot's wife... There is Michal, David's wife, who made fun of him for dancing/celebrating before the Lord and she despised him in her heart.  She discouraged him.  She had no children to the day of her death. 2 Samuel 6:16-23 There is Jezebel who killed the Lord's prophets.  She was Ahab's wife and was a very demanding one. 1 Kings 21:25  She was very haughty. Then there is Vashti who was also disobedient and her royal position was taken from her and given to Esther. We are not to be like these women....

Stopping in today to say Merry Christmas!  We will probably be busy tomorrow to post. :)  We start off the morning with scripture then cinnamon rolls. :)  The rest of the day is spent as family time just enjoying the peace and awe of the day. I want to say Merry Christmas to those I cannot verbally wish a Merry Christmas to.  I pray your Christmas this year is as wonderful as the others.  This year is different for us, but the base is the same...Jesus. Enjoy eating all the goodies that were made for you. :)  I know I will. :)  I love that part of Christmas... I will end this sending my love to you all... Keep Christ close to your heart...

I got this from "The Legacy of the Home" I hope it makes you think, as it did I... Tonight is Christmas Eve. The stores and banks will close early. Families will be gathered at home, or visiting one another. There will be church services tonight and everyone will be pondering the birth of Christ and enjoying the Passages from the book of Luke. It is a heartwarming time of year. Yet, in some homes, there are financial woes. When these mothers think of Christmas, they despair at the idea of coming up with money for presents. They pray and cry out and wish they could afford gifts for their children. Perhaps the heating bill was too high this month? Or the car was acting up? Maybe the cost of basic food is getting to be impossible to manage. Regardless of the source of their worries, these mothers cannot imagine Christmas morning without some sadness.  They hear others say their shopping is done and the presents are wrapped , and they weep in their hearts, bec...

I have been trying to catch up on laundry ever since we returned from our vacation...I'm not getting very far. :) I am catching up on baking during this season which seems so much shorter this year.  I've been exhausted and asked Hunter if I could only make one cookie this year what kind would it be.  He said, Oatmeal Creme pies.  So I made those for him today.  I will be making more peanut butter balls tomorrow and that will be all I'll be doing this year.  Next week I have to make more peanut butter balls and pumpkin fudge for the captains side of the family. I've been pretty tuckered out lately.  I go in to see the doc next week about a finding on my chest x-ray that I had during my surgery physical.  Does it ever end?  To be quite frank with you all, I'm getting sick of having health issues.  Now it's focused on my lungs.  There is a possibility that I could have COPD.  I will need to have my lung function worked up to see wha...

Shrimp cocktail... Fancy appetizer my friend had...it was Salmon based... Cold tomato soup... Gluten free french toast with turkey bacon.... My husbands lox and bagel with chicken sausage... My husband's brownie dessert... Escargot... I can't remember what this was....lol. An amazing chocolate buffet.  There were so many different kinds of chocolate it was insane.  I had the chocolate mousse and it was divine! And there was a sushi bar...yuck.  But, my husband loved it. I didn't really take a lot of dinner pictures.  I wish I had.  I had an amazing flourless molten cake and it was THE best one ever. (wish I got a pic)  Most nights I forgot to take my camera to dinner with me.  The food was really good.  There was a cucumber soup I didn't care for and a cherry vanilla ice cream that was just ok.  We had lamb, lobster tail, free range spring chicken, shrimp, salmon, basa, mussels, prime rib, and more.  I ha...

Wow! What a vacation that was! No phone...no internet...no responsibilities...Just fun, food, and relaxing! We went on a cruise to the Caribbean.  Our stops were Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  We had a great time. The first two days our ship hit rough water so it rocked and rolled quite a bit.  There were several people that got sick including our friend, Jenny.  It was difficult to walk as you would stumble around due to the waves rolling the ship.  I over heard several people say that they never had a cruise that was that rocky.  Usually you can't even tell you are on a ship.  After day two it settled down and we got off in Puerto Rico. This was a night excursion.  We took a van ride for 1 1/2 hours to get to where we needed to go.  Before we left I had some, what I thought was decaf coffee.  Turns our it wasn't and I had to pee (sorry) really bad on the way.  We were only 20 minutes into it and I thought I'd die....

Going to be gone for 7 days and will be without internet.  Gonna focus on my husband and God and just plain enjoy myself.  :) It's been a bit of a rough year and it will be nice to shed some stress.  God has surely blessed me this year with the healing of cancer and leading me to new things. "It will greatly comfort you if you can see God's hand in both your losses and your crosses."C. H. Spurgeon

We are leaving Friday for our cruise and I'm getting excited. :)  I'm looking forward to focusing on my husband for 7 days. :)  I'm also looking forward to warm weather and having fun with two of our friends.  I hope it doesn't go by so fast.  I want to savor every moment. :)  I am working on living in the moment...what a way to apply it. :) I need to clean the chicken coop out tomorrow so it will be nice and clean while we are gone and they are "cooped" up for a while.  It is supposed to be bitter cold here while we are gone, so them being "cooped" up will be good for them.  They will be warmer that way.  My egg production has dropped drastically.  This cold weather doesn't quite agree with them. I hope to be a witness to others on this cruise.  I'd like to shine His light and be noted as one of His without even saying a word. Why? "Our lives touch others but perhaps once on the road of life; and then, mayhap, our ways diverge, ne...

What things are drawing your heart away from loving your husband? I mean REALLY loving your husband? We can be so distracted by the meaningless. Thinking that these things matter but they really don't. I was created to be my husband's helpmeet, but I need to constantly examine how I am doing in this area. I need to look at my life through his eyes to see how I am doing. I want to live a quiet life. A simple life and be busy with my hands. And be busy with that which pleases the Lord. I want to use my hands to build a home. I want younger women to know that we can do many good things, many meaningful things--but we must do the FIRST things that God has called us to and that is to be a helpmeet and to love respect our husbands. It is so easy to get off track, myself included. The homeschooling, the children, the house, the list can be endless while our husbands quietly take a back seat out of love for us. I want to bring him good and not harm all the days...

This is another one of my favorite herbs.  We use this herb when any of us get bronchitis or upper respiratory infections.  This is our "antibiotic." Oregano is an aromatic herb that belongs to the mint family, it can grow to about two feet in height. It is native to the Mediterranean region but is cultivated worldwide. The leaves as well as the volatile oil of oregano are used medicinally, but must be carefully distinguished as they are quite different. There is a common oregano that is use for cooking and the oregano that is use to make oil. Origanum Marjoram is the common oregano used for cooking. Origanum Vulgare is the wild oregano used for making oil. Oil of Oregano is a highly potent purifier that provides many benefits for human health. The two important compounds that are responsible for the many health benefits of oregano are carvacrol and thymol . Studies have shown that both of these compounds can inhibit the growth of bacteria, virus and fungi...

God's grace is great enough to meet the great things, The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul, The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless, The sudden storms beyond our life's control. His grace is great enough to meet the small things, The little pin-prick troubles that annoy, The insect worries, buzzing and persistent, The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy. Annie Johnson Flint

It finally snowed some here, but not much.  Winter seems to have finally come even though it's not official.  It's COLD.  My chickens have been doing fine except for the fact they have drastically reduced there laying.  I think I get 3 to 4 eggs a day right now from 18 chickens.  They do this every winter.  I am thankful for our woodstove that keeps our house nice and toasty.  It feels good on early mornings when I wake up before everyone to do my herbal lessons online.  It helps me relax.  It becomes a stove to cook on when the power goes out.  It has all kinds of purposes. :) This cold weather has me excited for our upcoming cruise.  My husband and I are going with another couple to the Caribbean.   I've never been, so this ought to be interesting. :)  I'm looking forward to relaxing and spending time with my husband and friends.  We are celebrating our anniversary, Christmas, birthday, and being cancer f...

      Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale) Ginger Root benefits Ginger is well known as a remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion and is used for wind, colic, irritable bowel, loss of appetite, chills, cold, flu, poor circulation, menstrual cramps, dyspepsia (bloating, heartburn, flatulence), indigestion and gastrointestinal problems such as gas and stomach cramps. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and there has been much recent interest in its use for joint problems. It has also been indicated for arthritis, fevers, headaches, toothaches, coughs, bronchitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, to ease tendinitis, lower cholesterol and blood-pressure and aid in preventing internal blood clots. Ginger has been well researched and many of its traditional uses confirmed. It is well known as a remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion. It is a warming remedy, ideal for boosting the circulation, lowering high blood pressure and k...

This is a wonderful time of year...I love "hibernating" at home by the woodstove and relaxing with the captain and Hunter.  We recently decorated the house and tree and couldn't help but be reminded of this time last year.  Hunter talked about "dad" today and how they came over and celebrated Christmas with us with a meal and we used our good china.  It was a good time...Made a good memory.  But, there is an ache behind that memory.  Not being able to celebrate this year with them and not being able to see him and wish him Merry Christmas. I sure miss him.  I hope he is well... It will take me years to shake the ache in my heart during this time of year.  But, even so, I am content with remembering the good that God allowed during this season last year. It's amazing how quickly a bond can form as if it was always there.  When it's broken, it's hurts all the more. I will continue to grow in Him and learn from all the experiences in my life....

I always loved peanut butter balls or buckeyes. :)  But, they were made with graham crackers and with having Celiac, I couldn't eat those.  So I made up this recipe and let me tell you, Celiac or not, these are wonderful!  I suggest you give them a try...they are very easy. Buckeyes/Peanut butter balls 1 package Arrowroot cookies from Midel (ground up in food processor) 1 jar crunchy peanut butter 2 c powdered sugar 1/3 c melted butter 2 bags chocolate chips (semi-sweet) Mix all ingredients except chocolate until well mixed (I mix with my hands :)  Roll into small balls and refrigerate until firm.  Melt chocolate chips. I use a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Dip balls into chocolate using a toothpick.  Refrigerate. :)

Have you ever felt like you were wandering in the desert?  I can honestly say that I feel like I have been wandering for some time.  Almost as if I were sleep walking.  I have packed so much information in my head on how to be a good wife, mother, and Christian woman.  But, it seems as if I have been wandering in the desert with the information.  I feel like God is waking me up and telling me it's time to really, truly apply all I have learned and that it is time to stop wandering. Let me tell you...it's overwhelming.  It's very difficult to truly apply certain godly principles in your life.  The main one for me (as most of you already know) is contentment.  My husband has noticed that I am very hard on myself.  I am very discontent with myself a lot of the time.  Even tonight, I was very discouraged to discover I forgot the mozzarella for tonights pizza.  All we have is cheddar.  I became disappointed in myself that I wasn'...

These turned out pretty good. :)  I got the recipe from the internet and wanted to share.  They were not hard to make at all. Pastry: 1 bag (3-1/2 cups) Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix discard the yeast packet 1 stick butter 1/2 c shortening ¼ cup ice cold water Jam or jelly for filling pastries Topping ( optional ): 1 egg 1 tsp water Sugar to taste - large crystal sugar is fun Cut the butter and shortening into the Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix until well incorporated. Pea-sized pieces of butter and flour should remain.Use the paddle attachment on a heavy duty stand mixer and blend for about 1 minute. Pour ¼ cup ice cold water into mixture and mix completely. Roll out dough between parchment paper. Cut dough into pieces about 4-½ inches tall by 7-inches wide (you will be folding this over to create a 4-½ inch tall by 3-½ inch wide tart). Roll dough to about 2/8 or 3/8-inch thick. Pastry Place jam in the cent...

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ. ~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~ When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence. ~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~ When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility-and endure it as Jesus endured. ~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~ When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God. ~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~ When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good ...

 This is one of my favorite herbs :) Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995. Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not. Elderberries contain organic ...

Our friend invited us to spend Thanksgiving with her family.  So we loaded up the vehicle and her, her husband, Ryan, Hunter, and I and set off for Ohio.  We played road games like I spy and talked and had a good time on the way over.  We arrived about 7 hours later and were glad to get something to eat and sit down. :) Her family was very kind to us and we felt very comfortable there.  It was great spending Thanksgiving with a lot of people.  The food was FANTASTIC!  We played cards, went to Wheeling to go to Cabela's, and just relaxed.  It was a great time for our family.  I loved seeing how their relationships worked.  They were all very close.  You could feel the love they had for each other.  It was great to be around. :)  I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving.  Now that we are home, we have a ton of stuff to do in the next two weeks.  We are leaving for our cruise on the 10th of December and I need to g...

I love Johnny Cash and I really like this song for Thanksgiving. I am thankful for so many things. I thank the Lord He made my husband, my son, friends, family, my church family, people who have stepped up and became a mentor to me, and yes I am thankful He made Johnny Cash :). I have been truly blessed. This Thanksgiving I want to focus on thankfulness and not sadness. I want to focus on contentment. It is such a strong, wonderful characteristic to have. One that I desire to achieve. I pray everyone has a good Thanksgiving. Remember your loved ones that are not sitting around the table with you. They are there in your heart...

The tests of life are to make us, not break us.  Trouble may demolish a man's business, but build up his character.  The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man.  If God, then, puts or permits anything hard to our lives, be sure that the real peril, the real trouble, is what we shall lose if we flinch or rebel. ~ Maltbie Babcock

I am studying to become an herbalist.  Here in my state there is no licensing, only certification, but you don't have to be certified either and can be self-educated.  I have been studying herbs for a long time, but I decided I wanted to really get into it.  Of course, I won't be working outside the home.  I just wanted some more knowledge and to be able to help friends. So every once in a while I will post something about an herb.  Today is Turmeric.  I really like this herb.  It does so many great things... Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Turmeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye. The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the tre...

This comes from the book, "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Willow -Never allow yourself to complain about anything-not even the weather. -Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else. -Never compare your lot with another's. -Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise. -Never dwell on tomorrow-remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours. I have been working a lot on contentment.  I have done previous posts on not realizing just how discontent I was.  It's a sneaky thing that worms it's way into my life....many times.  It is something that I have to constantly give over to Christ.  I am hoping that it will become easier as time goes on.  The list above is a good start to help me keep it in check.  I have failed at each one of these points...sadly. I know I am one to complain about the weather...especially when it's cold and yucky.  I picture myself other places a lot...like in the mountains. I compare my lot with...

I don't know about you, but the prices of food going up has really affected my bill.  I am thankful for the harvest I was able to put up this summer, but it wasn't a tremendous amount.  I am so glad canning and preserving the harvest is a passion of mine.  One that I've had since I was a little girl. A passion I think every wife should have. :) Sometimes I feel like we are living back in the dirty 30's when the depression was in full force.  I know "they" say we are not in a depression, but it sure feels like it at the grocery store.  All the good for you foods have jumped up in price.  It stings a little this time of year when my husband is laid off for the winter.  He won't go back until mid March or so.  So what's a girl to do? We try to be good stewards of our money.  I am pretty frugal and I don't squander my husband's hard earned money.  I am very thorough at the grocery store and make sure I get the best price for each item p...

We had this last night and it was wonderful! Mushroom and Blueberry Balsamic Roast 1 whole 3 -4 Pound Chuck Roast olive oil and butter Salt And Pepper, to taste 2 whole Onions, Quartered 1-½ cup Baby Carrots 1 cup Baby Portobello Mushrooms, Sliced Thick 4 cloves Garlic, Thinly Sliced ½ cups Balsamic Vinegar ½ cups Beef Broth ¼ cups Tomato Sauce 2 cups Fresh Blueberries Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over chuck roast and generously salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Cut two onions in quarters and cut 6 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Add the carrots into the same pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Add a little more olive oil if necessary an...

     10 An  excellent wife, who can find?          For her worth is far  above rubies.      11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,          And he will have no lack of gain.      12 She does him good and not evil          All the days of her life.      13 She looks for wool and flax          And works with her hands in delight.      14 She is like  merchant ships;          She brings her food from afar.      15 She rises also while it is still night          And  gives food to her household          And portions to her maid...