Old Family Recipe Cookbook And Thanksgiving Wishes

In honor of Thanksgiving this year, I have a special gift from me and several other Love Inspired Historical authors. It's a digital cookbook of favorite family recipes, with a heartwarming true-life story to accompany each recipe.

In the book you'll find everything from my very own banana pancake recipe to cabbage rolls to hunter's stew.

If you're interested in getting a copy of this book, please leave a comment below with your email address, and I'll be happy to send you a copy. I hope to eventually get this cookbook up on my website, where anyone interested can download it.

And now for what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: YOU. All of you wonderful blog readers who bless me with your presence and comments and positive spirits. Thank you for taking time to visit Making Home Work, and please take advantage of the cookbook.

Celebrating Independance Day: Quotes from the Founding Fathers

 As we look forward to celebrating Independence Day, I thought I'd share some patriotic quotes from our nation's founders.

"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."  John Adams

"Political interest [can] never be separated in the long run from moral right" Thomas Jefferson

"Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift from God?  Thomas Jefferson

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." Patrick Henry

"We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government."  James Madison

"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."  Thomas Jefferson

"A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." Thomas Jefferson


"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Patrick Henry

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." Patrick Henry

 "I never ... believed there was one code of morality for a public and another for a private man." Thomas Jefferson

"There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent an sudden usurpation." James Madison

May you all have a wonderful Independence Day! And may you rejoice in the liberties granted to us first by God and second by our Great Nation. I'll be taking the rest of the week off from blogging, but look forward to seeing you again on Monday.

Overnight Sticky Bun Recipe from Author Sherri Shackelford

Since Author Sherri Shackelford is our guest this week on Making Home Work, I asked her to share one of her favorite recipes with us. All I had to do was glance at this one to know I'll be adding it to my file.

Sherri is giving a copy of her book, Winning the Widows Heart, to one lucky winner at the end of the week. If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, be sure to stop by Sherri Shackelford's Interview and leave a comment.

Overnight Sticky Buns

Ingredients:
1 Package Rhoads frozen dinner rolls (I use the 24 count package)
1 stick butter
½ cup brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Box non-instant butterscotch pudding (4-5 oz – the smaller package.)

Directions:
1. Melt together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pudding.
2. Spray a bread pan or Bundt pan with Cooking Spray.
3. Place frozen rolls in pan evenly.
4. Pour butter mixture over the rolls. Place in a COLD oven.
5. DO NOT TURN ON. Leave overnight.
6. In the morning, turn oven to 350 F. (If the rolls puff over the top of the pan, just squish them back down.)
7. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN and bake 20 minutes. (Can bake up to 30 min, depending on oven).
8. Turn over on platter. Watch them disappear! These are great for Christmas morning, or any holiday where the kids are out of bed at the crack of dawn!

*****

As someone who's rather challenged in the kitchen (particularly with any recipe involving yeast), I love that the sticky bun dough comes from the store and I don't have to make it myself. I've never seen a sticky bun recipe that calls for instant pudding either, but I can imagine it makes for a really moist topping. Has anyone else tried a recipe like this? It sounds delicious, Sherri! Thanks for sharing.

Now here's a little description about Sherri's debut novel, Winning the Widow's Heart:

When Texas Ranger Jack Elder stormed the isolated Kansas homestead, he expected to find a band of outlaws. Instead, the only occupant is a heavily pregnant woman—and she's just gone into labor. A loner uneasy with emotion, Jack helps deliver widow Elizabeth Cole's baby girl and can't get back on the trail fast enough. The robber and murderer he's after killed one of Jack's own, and he vows to catch the man. But when he returns to check on Elizabeth and her little one, he discovers that she may hold the key to his unsettled past—and his hoped-for future.

A Fathers' Day Tribute

I'm sure most of us have good memories of our fathers. So in honor of Father's Day yesterday, I thought it would be fun to share some of our memories.

There are two things my dad did that I know I will never forget and cherish for as long as I live. First, he taught me now to ride a bike. It's a cliche memory, I know. But I still remember my dad taking me down to the deserted elementary school parking lot at the end of our block and helping me ride around on the hot asphalt.

The other thing I remember is him singing the hymn "How Great Thou Art" to me whenever I was upset or having trouble falling asleep. This memory brings a really big smile to my face. My father can't sing for anything, but I think those were the first song lyrics I ever learned.

As I watched my little boys with their daddy today, I wondered what memories my husband was forging with them even now. Things I don't even realize that my boys will cherish when they grow older.

So what about you? Are you watching your children make great memories with their daddy? Or do you have any great memories of your father? Share them in the comment section below. And here's a little video I found on YouTube that seems to encapsulate my sentiments towards Father's Day.

In Honor of Memorial Day

I want to personally thank all the men and women who have given of their time, labor, and lives in the service of the United States of America. Please know that I'm saying a special prayer of gratitude to those soldiers who have died defending our great country, and for those family members who have given up their loved ones.

Here's a special prayer I found online at http://www.usmemorialday.org/. It beautifully sums up my thoughts, and I invite you to visit the rest of the site for further information.

By Rev. Dick Kozelka (ret)
First Congregational Church of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN.

Eternal God,
Creator of years, of centuries,
Lord of whatever is beyond time,
Maker of all species and master of all history --
How shall we speak to you
from our smallness and inconsequence?
Except that you have called us to worship you
in spirit and in truth;
You have dignified us with loves and loyalties;
You have lifted us up with your lovingkindnesses.
Therefore we are bold to come before you without groveling
[though we sometimes feel that low]
and without fear
[though we are often anxious].
We sing with spirit and pray with courage
because you have dignified us;
You have redeemed us from the aimlessness
of things' going meaninglessly well.
God, lift the hearts of those
for whom this holiday is not just diversion,
but painful memory and continued deprivation.
Bless those whose dear ones have died
needlessly, wastefully [as it seems]
in accident or misadventure.
We remember with compassion those who have died
serving their countries
in the futility of combat.
There is none of us but must come to bereavement and separation,
when all the answers we are offered
fail the question death asks of each of us.
We believe that you will provide for us
as others have been provided with the fulfillment of
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Mother's Day Traditions

"Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I'm happy I have a mom
As super as you."

This is the poem that appeared in the  homemade card my five year old gave me for Mother's Day yesterday. Isn't it sweet?

I love Mother's Day, both memories of what I used to do for my mother when I was growing up, and the things my husband and children now do for me. It's fun to watch a holiday like Mother's Day come full circle so that the daughter is now the mother.

So now I'm curious about the rest of you. Does anyone have a great Mother's Day tradition to share? A unique surprise you got one year? I'd love to trade some stories.

For us, every year our church does a Mother's Day potluck where the men have to make the food, set up for potluck, and clean up the kitchen afterwards. It's a fun day and an especially nice change of pace for me (since I'm usually in charge of running the potlucks and cleaning up).

How about the rest of you?

Year in Review: What's Realy Important?

Every time I've hopped on the internet this week, I'm inundated with headlines like: "Best and Worst of Reality TV in 2011," "Worst Celebrity Break Ups of 2011," "Most Beautiful Celebrity Weddings of 2011," "Most Influential Celebrity of 2011," "Celebrities Who Had Ingrown Toenails in 2011" . . . okay, maybe not the ingrown toenail article, but you get the idea.

As January 1 approaches, everybody everywhere has some list we're supposed to read to about people who are more important than us. Personally, I think we'd be a lot better to evaluating our own lives rather than some celebrity's. So as you approach the new year, I encourage you to make your own 2011-2012 lists and ask yourself several things to improve your life:

1. What's most important to me?
Go ahead. List out the top five or ten things that are, or should be, most important. For me, the list would look something like:

a. My relationship with God
b. My relationship with my husband
c. Raising my two little boys to love and honor God
d. Growing my writing career
e. Ministering to others

2. What did these aspects of my life look like twelve months ago?
Go ahead, ask yourself the question and spend some time analyzing the list. Can you see how your relationship with God has grown over the past year. Is your relationship with your husband in a better place than it was one year ago today? The answers to these questions should be yes, but far to often, if I honestly evaluate my own life, I have to answer "No" or "not as much as I'd like."

3. Where do I want to be in another 12 months?
Now look at your list and ask yourself this last question. Write down some tangible goals in every area, save the piece of paper, and work toward those goals in the coming year. When you feel yourself loosing sight of what's most important (and we all do this) take the list out and remind yourself of your goals. Then next year at this time, pull that paper back out and evaluate your life. See if your New Year's Resolutions really stuck.

If we're really interested in changing, growing, and becoming better people, then we need to take a clear, honest look at our own goals and priorities, rather than be concerned with what happened to a bunch of celebrities, whom most of us will never even meet.

Now that you know what my goals and priorities are for 2012, why don't you share some of yours? Leave a comment below, and thanks for stopping by. I'll be back on Monday, announcing some changes for 2012 to Making Home Work. And in the meantime, Happy New Year!!!

Homemade Christmas Gifts

If you were anything like my mother, when it came time to give gifts to friends and acquaintances like teachers, pastors, and neighbors, you filled baskets with homemade jam and fruit bread. If you were anything like my grandmother, you spent the year knitting scarves and hats and gloves and even homemade Christmas stockings with each person's name spelled out across the top to give to your children and grandchildren. (That Christmas stocking is probably my favorite ever homemade gift.)

While I'm not "Mrs. Crafty Homemaker," I still manage to make homemade gifts. So what did I make this year? Chocolate covered pretzels and nuts, and caramel corn (you can find the pretzel recipe here and the caramel corn recipe here). I handed them out to church members and friends and even managed to save some for around the house. Next year I'm hoping to find something my five year old will be able to help make.

And guess what? I even received a homemade gift from my husband. A homemade toilet paper holder. Yes really. You may wonder why my husband didn't simply buy me a toilet paper holder. Well, first because he's really handy and enjoys woodworking, and second because this one looks great with the custom cedar trim in our bathroom.

So what about you? Do you have a favorite ever homemade gift? Or do you have an example of a really great gift that you've made? I'd love to hear about some new ideas.

Creating Memories: Holiday Traditions

Hey Everyone,

Naomi here, and happy day after Christmas. I trust you had a fabulous time on Christmas and Christmas Eve, sharing food and fun with families, opening presents, and remembering Christ's birth.

Every Christmas, not only do I enjoy the typical delights of food and presents, but I also enjoy thinking back to those Christmases long ago and reflecting on the special memories that surface. For example, when I was growing up, we always piled onto my parents bed and read the Christmas story before we opened presents. That's a memory I cherish, not just the reading of Scripture, but the "piling on the bed" part could get rather interesting. And it's a tradition me and my family still uphold.

I'd wager that most of you have memories from past Christmases that you still cherish today. So my question is, What holiday traditions are you creating for your kids? They will grow up one day. They will leave the nostalgic Christmas atmosphere you've maintained and make their own.

This year I started--or attempted to start--a new tradition with my son. We made a ginger bread house for a local competition. Did I enjoy making the gingerbread? No. Did I enjoy making the frosting? Nope. Putting the house together? Nada.

So before I sound like a complete Scrooge, let me tell you why I did it. MY SON.

I knew he would love to decorate the house. And he did. His face lit with delight each time he placed a gumdrop on the roof or a candy cane over the door. And I hope he will look back on it one day as a fond Christmas memory. Will we do it every year? I have no idea. I think it will make a good tradition, and so I might be willing to put up with the mess in the kitchen and frustration of getting the walls to stand up straight.

But my point is this: Creating memories takes effort and time. So we might need to set aside an afternoon to take the kids skating or build a snowman or make a gingerbread house. But the memories one day will be worth it.

What special traditions do you have in your family? Have you carried any over from when you were a child? Did you establish something new? And if you haven't found time to do something special with your children yet this holiday season, you still have one week left! Block out an afternoon on your calendar and go make some memories.

Wishing you all blessed holiday season,
Naomi

P. S. For those of you wondering how my son fared in the gingerbread competition, he didn't. His toddler brother scooted a chair up to the counter, climbed up, and pulled half the gumdrops off before I caught him. Maybe next year the house will actually make it to the competition. :)

Attack of the Messy House!

There are many things I would rather do than clean my house. If it weren’t for hosting a weekly women’s Bible study on Wednesday mornings, my house would probably not get cleaned on a regular basis. A few times a year, I treat myself to hiring a cleaning service (usually through a Groupon or Living Social deal) and the spectacular results make my heart sing in gratitude.

However, with four kids, a husband and two cats, I have to clean on a regular basis. I’m fortunate in that my husband cleans the bathrooms at least twice a month and my kids can do the wipe-down method with those cleaning cloths in between times. (Yes, he does a great job, but no, it’s not how I would do it. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in nearly a dozen years of marriage—if your husband is willing to clean the bathrooms and the results are clean enough, then step back, let go and enjoy!)



Being a left-brained, organized (at times, overly so) person, I approach cleaning systematically and orderly. At times, though, the clutter and messiness of my house can be overwhelming, and that’s when I employ the Kamikaze Cleaning method, developed by my friend, Stephanie Buckwalter.

The Kamikaze method is designed to be easy, keep the decision-making to a minimum, and start the long-term project of getting your whole house livable again. “This is really about getting your house presentable so you can let people in the front door again. A side bonus is that you will be able to function in your space again. You might even get a few kudos from your family,” she writes in her e-book, Kamikaze Cleaning.

With Christmas around the corner, there’s time to get your house in order before the big day. “Basically, the method involves putting everything into boxes that you don’t use right now in your life,” says Stephanie. “You can do a whole room in three passes and have it ready in time for the holidays.”

This month, Stephanie’s giving away a copy of her ebook Preparing Your Home for the Holidays, which tells you how to clean the high visibility areas for the greatest impact. Sign up for her free e-newsletter at http://www.busyhomemaker.com/ by Dec. 12 to get your copy of Preparing Your Home for the Holidays.

Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and editor, and author of Hired@Home, a guide to unlocking women’s work-from-home potential now available on Kindle. Her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband and four children. Visit her online at http://www.sarahhamaker.com/, where she blogs about working from home.