Would you be a Phil Robertson?

 This whole Phil Robertson controversy has really got me thinking today. The Duck Dynasty show and Robertson family hasn't made it big because of the beards, the duck calls, or even their sweet Louisiana personalities. I really feel that the reason that millions of American people have fallen in love with this family is simply because of their beliefs, the fact that they speak the truth and we are very hard pressed to hear these things on many other TV shows or stations in America today. Things like, family means so much and reading and quoting scriptures from the Bible. Scriptures that this country was founded on! For me and my family, it is like a breath of fresh air watching this show, and not because we have gotten caught up in the phenomenon of Duck Dynasty, but because it is a show that we can sit together with our children and watch without being worried that they will see or hear something inappropriate or questionable to our beliefs. The fact that they pray at the end of the show (together around a meal) is my favorite part EVERY week. This is how our family, and many other christian families in America live every day! That is why we are drawn to them, they are us. I know this may sound funny, but besides having the wealth that this family has found in the duck call business, our family right here in Virginia could have a show very similar to this one!


So my thoughts this morning are, What if we were Phil Robertson? What if we had a stage as big as he does and millions of Americans attention to share the love of Christ and the truth of the Bible and what it teaches, what would we do with it? We are the "Phils" in our own town! If all these millions of American followers who are outraged right now would just STAND UP, stand up for their beliefs and what is right, I believe we would see a revival in our land. Yes, I said a revival! That is exactly what this country needs.

It is my challenge to each one of you who reads this today, to stand up for what you believe in. If each one of us would take the stand to do what is right in our own home, work place, and community just imagine what a difference we could make. It may not be easy, and sure you may be laughed at or ridiculed but isn't that what Christ said we would endure as believers? It is not meant to be easy, but we need to stand for what is right.

Christmas Crafts

We had a very rainy day here in Virginia today. I decided it was the perfect day to do some Christmas crafts. I just started pulling stuff that we already had out and the little ones had just collected some pine cones yesterday, so this is what we came up with. Fun for all on a rainy, December day!

 
 
Finished product: Candy canes, pine cone wreath, and an egg crate Christmas tree.

Thanksgiving Blessings

 Thanksgiving is a very special holiday to me. I have so many reasons to be thankful and I just love to share these things with friends and family. I consider it a wonderful blessing to teach my children the importance of giving thanks. The Lord has blessed us for many years with good things and it is only fitting that we return thanks to HIM for these blessings.

This year I am most thankful that we will have our foster child for one more holiday season. It has been a blessing and wonderful opportunity to minister to him. Even though the fostering job is a hard one, I am very thankful that God chose us to play a special part in this little guy's life. I would like to take this moment to encourage you (if you have ever thought about becoming a foster parent) to please check into this and get involved. There are so many children waiting for a special home and family to be a part of. Even if you don't think you could be a foster parent, reach out to a foster family in your town this holiday season. Foster families can always use a helping hand.

We have the wonderful tradition of spending the Thanksgiving holiday at the beach with my sister and her family. It is always such a wonderful time. I pray that each and every one of you will have a very blessed Thanksgiving.

Beck's Famous Pumpkin Rolls

Well, it is that time of year again. I LOVE the fall season! Pumpkins, falling leaves, cooler temps, and did I mention all that pumpkin goodness!? I really enjoy baking pumpkin dishes and one of my favorites to make is the pumpkin cake roll. My recipe isn't really anything special, I simply follow the recipe on the Libby's can of pumpkin.

I have lots of people ask me how I get them so perfect, but I think it comes with LOTS and LOTS of practice. I do not use a jelly roll pan, just a cookie sheet lined with foil. The key to rolling and filling a pumpkin roll is the amount of time you take to cool it (in my opinion). If you let it cool for too long it will crack when unrolling, filling, and rolling again. If you don't let it cool for long enough, your filling will melt and run everywhere.

SO, here are the steps I use to create the "perfect" pumpkin roll.

Step 1: Mix ingredients following recipe.

 

Step 2: Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray (generously).

 

 

 Step3: Prepare your towel for cooling. Lay a clean dish towel flat and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Step 4: Spread your batter evenly on foil lined pan.

 

 

 Step 5: Bake as directed 13-15 minutes. 13 minutes is perfect for my stove.

You want the cake to be a golden brown but not too golden! :)

 

 

 Step 6: Carefully turn cake out onto prepared towel.

 

 

 Step 7: Gently roll cake into the towel to cool.

I usually allow one hour to cool.

 

 

Step 8: Unroll cake and smooth on filling.

 

Carefully re-roll and you have a delicious and beautiful pumpkin roll!!!!

 

 

Life is Good!

It has been awhile since my last post, life is GOOD! We are busy, busy with our school year and all kinds of fall festivities. I have been in the "baking mood" lately so we have been eating good too! I have been baking LOTS of pies. So far I have made apple, chocolate, and a Kentucky Derby pie (which is a recipe from Grandma Britt). My pie crust is "to die for" and comes from Grandma Shappell. My husband keeps joking that I should open a pie shop. Ooh, that would be fun!

 We are all ready for cooler temps here in Virginia and work has begun on our smoke house! Stay tuned for more on this in the next few weeks.

This weekend wraps up my race season and I will be headed to Kingsport, Tn. to run my fourth half marathon of the year! The plan is to continue running, but not as much as I have been (yeah right)!

Stay tuned for my next post on cake rolls coming in the next couple of weeks! Happy fall y'all!

Waking up "Awesome"

 I spend lots of time teaching my children, but sometimes they teach me so much too. I was just talking to another homeschooling Mom yesterday and she was telling me about an article she read. It was about a little girl and how she would wake up "awesome". She was so free spirited and just loved life. I really got to thinking about my sweet Abby. She is so much like this. She wakes up EVERY day so full of joy and adventure and has such a fun personality!
Yesterday, she wanted to wear her "cowgirl" boots with shorts, and even though it wouldn't have been my first choice, I let her go with it. She was so happy and proud of her boots.
 Today, we are going to an adoption party and she woke up saying, "Mom I think I should wear my tutu today!" I thought about telling her no, and that it wouldn't look nice for a party like this one. Then, I got to thinking, what difference does it make? She is four, if she wants to wear a tutu to a party, then why not!? So, she is wearing the tutu and is so excited!

I learned so much today from this sweet girl. We have today, we are not promised tomorrow. If we wake up feeling "awesome" and decide to dye and wear our hair pink (in support of breast cancer awareness) or think what if I wore those boots with this dress or skirt then just do it!  Life is too short to not live it out to the fullest and to be free spirited at times! Who cares what others may think. I think if I had a tutu, I would wear one with her today!

Make it a fun filled, free spirited day!

Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Last year my oldest daughter and I decided to get a pink streak in our hair for October (breast cancer awareness month). It cost us over $30 for these two "streaks" and I had to call all over town to find someone to do it that cheap.
SO, this year I did some research and decided to try and do it myself. It worked, I now have pink hair!!! Decided to do more than a streak this year, so my whole bottom layer is now PINK and I LOVE it!

 

 

This was super easy and very inexpensive to do at home. I have no idea how long it will last, but as easy as it was, I could do it weekly if need be. Simply add red food coloring (I counted 5 drops) to white conditioner or hair gel, mix and apply to hair. We used an old tooth brush to paint it on. Wrap in tin foil and let sit for 30 minutes or as long as needed depending on your natural hair color. It didn't take long for mine since my hair is blond. Air or blow dry and don't wash your hair for at least 24 hours.

My Bearded Man

I feel it necessary to write about my wonderful husband today! He is my rock, best friend, bearded knight in shining armor, and the one who made me the "Hillbillie Housewife"!!!!  We have had our fair share of ups and downs in our almost seventeen years together, but each challenge has made our love that much stronger. I can honestly say that we are closer today then the day we were married, and I couldn't do this thing called "life" without him!

Almost two years ago, I took up running. I have (to put it mildly) fallen in love with it. There is NO WAY that I could do this for fun, exercise, and certainly not for competition without the help and support from my husband. He has been there for me from the beginning and is so encouraging and supportive. I never get tired of seeing him and the kids on the sidelines at each race cheering me on. In fact, I get teary eyed EVERY time! He definitely has his hands full on race days with all the kids, but NEVER complains.

We started doing foster care almost 5 years ago. Aaron has also been very supportive in this and we are learning and growing so much through these experiences. I have been homeschooling our children now for going on seven years and whenever I am ready to give up and throw in the towel, he is there to help me through.

I love this life and I am so happy I have someone as special as my bearded man to share it with! Thanks so much honey for loving, supporting, and encouraging me always!

Surprise for Mom

My two and four year old children have been collecting pine cones for several days. They wanted to make a craft with them, so my eleven year old daughter helped them make this! It is a beautiful centerpiece and was so simple and easy to make! Looks great with our other decorations too. They surprised me with this, then asked would I do a "blog post" on it, so here your go. Hope you all enjoy it and will make some with your little ones!
Fun for everyone and Mom is enjoying having a little bit of fall indoors!

To make:
Simply arrange the pine cones in a vase. You can put a few pine needles and sticks in too if you'd like. Also would be neat to spray paint the pine cones for a winter or Christmas look.

Jar-O-Lantern

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! I get very excited right about now preparing for pumpkin flavored goodies, trick or treating, and the falling leaves! Not to even mention the cooler temps!

The kids and I created an art project that was very simple and turned out great! The kids (all ages) loved doing this one.

 Also, great if you have left over canning jars from the summer. I was able to pull this one together with just things we had around the house. Fun for all and makes a great decoration for fall!

You can use Ball jars or empty pickle or salsa jars work well too. I prefer plain jars (they are easier to paint).

Cut your eyes, mouth, and nose and place on the jar. We used the blue painter's tape.

 

Choose your paint. LOVE this craft paint, and it works well.

 

 

 

 Begin painting the jar all over even the mouth of the jar.

 

 You might want to apply two coats, just wait for it to dry and decide. We applied two coats.

Our finished project!

Mama's Homemade Bread

There is not much that I love more than fresh baked bread!! I LOVE to bake bread and used to do it weekly for our family. As more children started coming and my life got busier and busier, I just stopped.

 Last week we ran out of bread!!!! Instead of making a trip "to town" to buy more, I decided I just needed to bake some since it had been awhile. The recipe that I like to use makes three loaves and of course you know that doesn't last too long in this house! If you don't have so many little ones eating it though, it freezes REALLY well and makes an excellent gift!

 

Hillbillie Housewife's White/Wheat Bread

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. salt
3 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. (2 pkg.) yeast
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
6 1/2 cups white flour

Mix sugar, flour and salt. Add water. Stir well and add yeast. Let set until it rises a bit, add vegetable oil. Mix well, then add flour (add the last cups of flour slowly until dough pulls away from sides, may or may not need the last 1/2 cup or so). Then, I knead in my stand mixer with dough hooks for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl (spray with cooking spray) and let rise until doubled in size. Turn out onto well floured surface and divide dough evenly into 3 pieces. I usually knead each loaf again for several minutes. Form 3 loaves, place into bread pans, and let rise again Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I find the kneading very therapeutic and you can never knead it to much. I have made this with all white flour too. Either way it is delicious!

 My oldest son has been begging for more so looks like I need to go back to baking it weekly!

Another Summer Favorite (Corn on the Cob)

Who doesn't love corn on the cob? This summer has been a great one for our corn crop. The corn has come in and it is plentiful and OH SO GOOD!!!!!! My husband prefers silver queen corn so that's what we planted. For those of you wondering how to know when the corn is ready to pick......watch for the silks to turn brown at the top (where they come out of the husks). When this happens, it's getting close! You can then peel it back and check to see that the kernels are plump and juicy looking.

 I spent the day today freezing corn for the winter. There are several ways to do this, but I decided to blanch it and freeze some on the cob and then cut some off the cob as well. We shucked the corn first, then blanched for 8 minutes, cooled in ice bath for 8 minutes. Final step is to wrap the corn in plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn, then seal and store in freezer bag.
 If you prefer, you can cut the corn off the cob and freeze in freezer bag. This process didn't take too long and I sure am looking forward to enjoying this corn in January!

Peaches Part 2

Another fantastic and fairly simple way to preserve peaches is to freeze them. By freezing the peaches, you actually keep more of the nutrients in place. When frozen, they are great for smoothies or to use as an ice cream topping, etc. at a later date!

Simply blanch them as discussed in my previous blog (this allows the skin to peel right off). Then cut into cubes and add about 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 crushed Vitamin C capsule to them, mix and place in freezer bags. Lay flat in freezer to freeze. The Vitamin C helps to prevent them from turning brown.

For more information on this technique visit Alton Brown's site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/frozen-peaches-recipe/index.html

Mmmmm Peaches!

Peaches are definitely a summertime treat. Whenever I think of peaches I think of the summer, which is a great reason to preserve some now for the winter! On a cold, January day I can open a jar of peach preserves and be transported back to the warm, sunny days of summer!

We do not have a peach tree or at least not one that is yielding fruit yet; so we went to our local orchard and bought some. I decided to make peach preserves for starters then hope to can or freeze some too so we can REALLY enjoy the peachy goodness this winter.

 

 

I discovered an easy way to peel the peaches while researching recipes and such. The quickest way to skin the peaches is to blanch them first (just like I do with tomatoes). You will need to place them in boiling water for 30-90 seconds depending on the ripeness of the peach. I found out the hard way that if the peach is not yet ripe enough it will need longer in the boiling water and still may be harder to peel and process. From what I have read, it is best to use fruit that is not too ripe though when making preserves.

Once your peaches are peeled and pitted, you can start chopping or mashing. I used my food chopper or mini food processor to make quick work of this. Be careful not to puree the fruit (I know my family prefers a few bits of peaches in the preserves). I also had to cook the peaches first since they were not super ripe when I started. So, I just put them in a large sauce pan over medium heat until soft about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them and stir frequently to prevent burning. I found this out the hard way too! After chopping or mashing the fruit you simply measure 6 cups of fruit and 4 cups of sugar and bring to a boil, add one box of pectin then return to full rolling boil for one minute. Ladle into jars and place in water bath for 10 minutes. Now you can enjoy this super sweet summer treat until next peach season comes around!

Things My Mom Never Taught Me

 

 

My Mom has taught me many wonderful things, but canning was not one of them. I do remember as a little girl going to our neighbor's house and helping her or watching her can tomatoes. I have been wishing for a large garden for many years and this year my dream came true! Our garden has been done SO well this summer and is giving us many vegetables. We have cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, beans  (several varieties), corn, green peppers, and several different melon plants. We are fortunate to have our garden on the river bank where the sandy soil and plenty of rain has been great for it.

In the past, I have only canned tomatoes and made jam, but this year (with the abundance from the garden), I decided to do more. For the first time, I made pickles dill and bread and butter (see previous post) and also pickled some green beans. Both turned out great! I am thankful that my husband replaced our old metal shelves in the pantry with sturdy wood shelves because I am filling it up! The old shelving would have collapsed by now with the weight.

I never had anyone teach me how to can, and was honestly really nervous about doing it at first. I did plenty of reading and research on my own. You can find many wonderful websites on how to process and put away fruit and vegetables on the web. One of my favorite sites is www.pickyourown.org. You can find information here about where to get your fruits and vegetables, when the produce is in season, and how to prepare, process, and store your produce. I have also found many great recipes here.

Even though canning is LOTS of work, it is very rewarding and I'm sure will be even more this winter when we are still eating our fresh garden vegetables. Not to even mention how much money it will save us this fall and winter!

So, go ahead give canning a try. You may LOVE it and it is fun! Your family will thank you this winter!

 

 

 

Grandpa's Apple Strudel

This recipe was given to me by my father in law. My husband remembers his Dad making this as a kid and he said it was "always a special treat".
The recipe is simple and quick to make. Great for a Saturday morning breakfast or even a Sunday brunch item. Would be great for a dessert too!


Our neighbor had an abundance of apples on his tree so this seemed like a perfect thing to make to kick off our weekend.

Wash and peel apples, slice.

Roll out dough and brush on melted butter, cinnamon, sugar and apples.

Fold sides to meet in the middle and on ends. Make sure the pastry is sealed where it meets. Bake, frost and enjoy!

 

 

Grandpa's Apple Strudel

 

 

Pastry

2c flour

3 T baking powder

1/2tsp salt

3T sugar

1/2c shortening

2/3c milk

 

3T melted butter

 1tsp cinnamon

1/2c sugar

3/4 c chopped apples

 

 

 

 

Icing:

4 T milk

10x sugar to paste

1/2tsp vanilla

Nuts, optional

 

Blend flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, shortening and milk together. Turn onto slightly floured board and knead gently. Roll dough into a rectangular shape 1/4" thick. Brush melted butter over top. Add cinnamon, sugar, chopped apples. Roll. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Ice and sprinkle with chopped nuts (if desired).

Pickling, pickling, and more pickling!!!

Our garden is starting to really produce some beautiful vegetables! We are loving working as a family to harvest this goodness. So far we have had an abundance of cucumbers and green beans. We all  LOVE pickles so of course we decided that we needed to make pickles. I have never made them before, so was VERY impressed when they turned out so delicious! We made dill sliced or hamburger pickles and bread and butter. We also pickled some green beans and they are fantastic too!!! Today, when finishing up the bread and butter, we had some left over "juice" so decided to throw some squash in and they too turned out very good. I guess I found out that you can really do whatever you want with this "pickling" thing.


First you have to wash and slice the cucumbers. I have a Julienne Slicer which made the job super quick!

Of course with the beans you snap and wash. You want to keep the long length.

This was the bread and butter pickles cooking. Smells wonderful while cooking too!

Our finished product.......hamburger pickles and dill green beans!

 ......................bread and butter pickles and squash!

There are hundreds of recipes online for pickling or making pickles. You really just have to decide what kind you want and how you would like to prepare. Some are "no boil" recipes, and some you use the boiling water bath to seal the jars. We chose to "can" or seal the jars since we are hoping to put them away to last us into the winter months. With the other method, they should keep for about 6 months in the refrigerator.

Oh and I tip I feel necessary to post is that the turmeric (in the bread & butter pickles) will stain your kitchen counter and or any other kitchen utensils. Very good to know!