Summer Fun: Sweet Treats

GGM asked our writers to share What their favourite summertime sweet treats were:

Well, that's a hard one. I love to bake and cook, and summer doesn't really stop me from doing that! But some of my favourite summer sweet treats that you don't have to bake are fruits - strawberries, apples, grapefruits, grapes, pears, nectarines, peaches, pineapple and kiwi fruits with a sweet dip. Besides those, I like to bake up some brownies, cookies, cookie bars or a make an ice cream cake using ice cream bars. For drinks I like whipping up a batch of yummy lemonade or ice herbal tea, both with honey of course!

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.


What are your favourite summertime sweet treats?
I really like popsicles and ice cream.

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

cherry ice cream, popsicles.

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.


What are your favourite summertime sweet treats?
Raspberry teas, Sonic Ocean Waters, popsicles! Iced mochas are great in the heat of summer!

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.


Popsicles, watermelon; we also used to make fruit pizza. I love anything with fresh fruit and berries in it. And whipped topping makes it even sweeter.

Mrs.D is the Sr. Executive Editor and regular columnist for GGM. She and her husband train their eight children up in the LORD home schooling on their small homestead in Indiana. They are the founders of Gleaning the Harvest, presenting widows and fatherless to the Body in the admonition of James 1:27. You can read encouraging home school articles, devotional, and more about the Dixon family at Walking Therein.

My brother and I like to freeze yogurt sticks and eat those instead of popcicles. Also freeze grapes for a cold snack!

Miss Virginia, who is also known as Gina, is the youngest of three homeschooling sisters and loves to cook and clean with her mommy. She loves to read, learn Math, and has a new interest in photography.

Summer Fun: Vacation

GGM asked our writers "What is your favourite vacation memory?" and they shared with us:

Last year, we took our first vacation since 2001. We went down to see my Dad's mom and dad who lived in New Mexico. They now in Louisiana. We also stayed with my Aunt Jen and Uncle Adrian for a day. I never knew how much fun it would be to live near an aunt! We stayed at Grandma Starr's Shoppe in Las Cruces while we were in NM for a week, and now she lives up here with us. Also during our trip to NM, we got to meet many bloggers and spend a few hours of fellowship with them. It was some time I will never forget, I can tell you that.

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.


I have enjoyed going to Mount Bachelor and Sunriver: cross-country skiing, inner-tubing, and vising state parks have all been fun!

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

My favourite vacation memory is from last year when we went out to eat at Nellie's, a favourite NM restaurant, with my Aunt Jen and Grandma. It was for my Dad's and brothers' birthday celebrations.

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.


My favorite vacation would have to be the one we took last summer: Vacation 2008 It was the longest and best one I think we have ever taken because it had been a while since we took one, we got to meet so many of our Blogger Friends and got to see family we hadn't seen in a long time. I love going on road trips so being on one for 2weeks was really great for me! :)
Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.


I am not sure. We have made several trips from IN to NM, and each time, there are more of us and more activities! Last year is freshest on my mind when we took a 5000 mile trip through 13 states and were able to meet several friends that we had not met face to face before. We also got to spend a week with family for which I am thankful.

Mrs.D is the Sr. Executive Editor and regular columnist for GGM. She and her husband train their eight children up in the LORD home schooling on their small homestead in Indiana. They are the founders of Gleaning the Harvest, presenting widows and fatherless to the Body in the admonition of James 1:27. You can read encouraging home school articles, devotional, and more about the Dixon family at Walking Therein.

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Summer Fun: Favorite Activities

GGM asked our writers: "What are your favourite summertime activities?"

Some of my favourite things to do in the summer time is working in the gardening, biking with all the family, taking walks down our country road, doing campfires with Dad and the Littles, plus Momma, having water fights, seeing the animals that have come out because the winter has gone, and being able to be outside without shoes or a coat on!

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.


I enjoy visiting the beach, hiking, and visiting the forest. Playing with water such as squirt
toys and slip n’ slides is fun, too :).

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Playing outside, get in a pool, planting.

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.


I love to go on walks and bike rides! Its a great way you can be outside during the beautiful weather and also a great activity you can do with your family. Another great summer fun thing you can do is play tennis which is my favorite sport! Frisbee is a really fun thing you can do during the warmth of the summer months. The great thing about all those are that you can do them as a family and include everyone!

I really just love being out in the sun. With the Indiana winter, you grow to love the summer and heat a lot more! I love enjoying the rays of the sun and just spending time in it! One of the ways I love to enjoy the sun is driving with my windows down when I go driving!
Lovin' summer!

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.


Gardening, mowing the lawn, walking, spending sunny days with our children.

Mrs.D is the Sr. Executive Editor and regular columnist for GGM. She and her husband train their eight children up in the LORD home schooling on their small homestead in Indiana. They are the founders of Gleaning the Harvest, presenting widows and fatherless to the Body in the admonition of James 1:27. You can read encouraging home school articles, devotional, and more about the Dixon family at Walking Therein.



We enjoy having barbecues with other believers and frequently go to the ball field to cheer for my husband. We live in a park community where there are plenty of places to go to and barbecue pits in most areas. We enjoy hiking as well and there is a small mountain we hike up, when we get to the top we can see over the entire city. We also get to swim at The Sarah Home each week and have lunch with the ladies there. Most of all we just really like to fellowship with other believers and get into the Word together. When the evenings are cool enough we like to go for a walk as a family before settling in for the night.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Summer Fun: Munchie

GGM wondered "what is your favourite summertime recipe or munchie" of our writers.

Getting some homemade trailmix is a good munchie for me - simply put some chocolate chips, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, pineapple, apples, bananas, apricots, coconut,) peanuts, cashews, almonds, some granola or like chex cereal, and pretzels. Other than that, we like to munch on fresh fruits and veggies all summer long.

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.


I don’t have a favorite recipe. I enjoy almost all cold treats. I also love eating watermelon and berries.

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Crackers and cheese ball

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Cranberry Fluff
2 cups raw chopped Cranberries
3/4 cup Unrefined Sugar
3 cups mini Marshmallows
1/2 chopped Pineapple, undrained
1 small can Mandrin Oranges, drained

Mix cranberries, sugar, marshmallows and pineapple.
Chill.

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1 8oz. carton of Cool Whip

Fold in walnuts and cool whip.
Chill before serving.

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.


Beef hot dogs and anything cooked on the grill! Lemonade. I love lemonade.

We also have a really good 7 layer bean dip we haven't had in quite some time that are great with chips. (We need to make that this summer!)

Mrs.D is the Sr. Executive Editor and regular columnist for GGM. She and her husband train their eight children up in the LORD home schooling on their small homestead in Indiana. They are the founders of Gleaning the Harvest, presenting widows and fatherless to the Body in the admonition of James 1:27. You can read encouraging home school articles, devotional, and more about the Dixon family at Walking Therein.

Some of our favorite things to munch on in the summer is cantaloupe and salads. We try to limit the cooking in the heat of the day so we'll often have col dinners or use the crock pot. We plan to experiment with different teas this summer. Our dear friend Mrs. J got an ice cream maker for our home so our guests can enjoy something special each week when they come over for our Bible studies. We currently have only made Vanilla topped with fruit, but are going to learn to make more recipes very soon.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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In Honor of Mom

Happy Mother's Day from the GGM Team!

by Miss Jessica

For Christmas 2003, Mum and Dad gave me several Emilie Barnes books written especially for girls. Emilie Barnes is an organization/homemaking author and one of my Mum’s favourite, so as you might guess the idea was Mum’s! These books includes party ideas, crafts and recipes, and home keeping. We had a special moment together as we flicked through the pages and talked about the books and giggled at the ‘clone’ I was to my Mum!

My Mum is so special to because she is always ready to listen, encourage, teach, love and challenge me. Being able to talk things through with her makes all the difference in my life.

Miss Jessica is a 14year old homeschool girl who lives in Australia. She loves the Lord and enjoys music, reading, history, computers and sewing. Jessica has a warped sense of humour and is always ready for a giggle. She helps her mum around the home and participates in the local church music team. You can find out more about Jess at her blog Little Miss Giggle.

by Miss Alyssa

My wonderful teacher
Always there to help and train
My unconditional friend
Always there to listen, talk, understand, and advise

Thank you, Mom, for all you do as a wife, mama, teacher, friend, and keeper at home!

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Could I Ask For Any Better
by Lady Rachel

I bet you have heard a lot of people tell you how special and that 'my momma is the best momma in the world.' Well, I must say it again - my momma is a very special person to me. She's my friend, mother, caretaker and one of the joys of my life. I don't know what I would do without my momma. If there ever was a more loving momma, I would like to see her. My momma is the best in the world.

She teaches me the things I will need to know that will help me along life's paths and bridges - how to care for my family (which is yet to come!), how to cook and prepare good, nurturing meals, how to clean the house and have it ready for unexpected guests, and lots of homemaking skills I will need when I have a house of my own.

Like everyone, we sometimes have our disagreements. But they always end in love and I always take away something to ponder on and learn from. I don't just get the talk and the consequences for my actions, but I get to take something away from it and learn from it.

I love my momma and I would not wish for any other momma in the world. I am so thankful that God gave me such a momma as He did. Thank You, Lord!

Could I Ask For Any Better?
Could I ask for any better,
Could I seek a better friend,
Than the one who will look for me in nasty weather,
That would look until her life's end?

I know that I am precious in her eyes,
And I want her to know she is precious in mine,
I know as time flies
We will become all the more entwined.

So, could I ask for anything more,
Than that someone so near to my soul
One whom I love and I adore,
Than my Momma who calls me her own?

My Momma is the best in the world.
I could not and would not ask
For anything better to behold,
Than my beautiful Momma who in her love I bask.

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.

More About Mothers
by Miss Jocelyn

April Showers bring Mother's Day Flowers, and give you a time to reflect and show your utmost respect to the Woman who has set her hand, her mind, and her heart to raise, love, and befriend you. Unfortunately today a dark light is cast upon on mothers, and Mother's Day is the only time that any affection is shown. This grieves me on both parties' end because I know how wonderful it can be to have a mother who is the truest comfort, steadiest rock, and bestest friend to you. I regret to say that it is not always I express my gratitude to her as I should, and I have a lot of lessons to learn. It is a interest thing to find out that "mom is always right and knows best" and I have learned to follow her advice and to just trust in her wisdom. I think this is one of the best way to show that you love and trust your mother. The LORD put her in your life for a reason. Don't let it pass you by and get yourself into trouble. Truly the Bible should have more about mothers and how you are to treat them. At least a chapter or two, but I suppose Mother's Day will have to do.


Miss Jocelyn, GGM Sr. Exec. Marketing- Manager, is a senior homeschool student with a passion for writing truth. She blogs from her heart at A Pondering Heart, designs blogs at A Pondering Heart Boutique, and owns and operates Feelin' Feminine.

by Miss Amanda

M olding together
A ll the things that
M ake me become
A woman of God

Being a mama is a million things in one. Its the most glorious title to attain, and also the hardest to complete. I look forward to the day I become a mama. I know its gonna be the best experience in the world. I am thankful for the mom God has given me. She has set an amazing example before me that I hope I can live in her footsteps when I become a mama. This year, let's make everyday mother's day for our mamas. They really deserve it!

Proverbs 31:28
"Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her:"

Let us as daughters make our mamas happy by giving her good fruit for her training and molding of us.

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.

*Scripture taken from the Complete Jewish Bible.

Mother is my friend
Others look up to you
Tea is what I make you
Heart is what I love you with
Everyday spending time with you
Resting with you

Two things I like about Mom:
She gives me things.
Spends time with me.

Two thing I learn from Mom:
How to read
How to wash the dishes

I love you, Mom!

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Mom, I love you so much. I thank God upon every remembrance of you,- Phil. 1:3. You are my best friend. The nights we stay up so late laughing are some of my best memories. The times when my 'friends' were so rude to me, you wiped my tears. Thanks for encouraging me to expand my education. Thank you for delving into the Bible with me. Thank you for hugging me throughout the day.

Thank you for being so smart, you always seem to know how to find the answers. Thank you for teaching me how to cook. Thank you for helping me to stand on my own two feet. Thank you for teaching me how to stand up for myself and for what the Bible says. Thank you for caring enough to homeschool me. Thank you for taking us on hikes and to the park. Thank you for holding me when I feel so drained. Thank you for everything you've ever given me; but, most of all, thank you for being MY mom.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in two local choirs, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

I just love my Mom. I love it when we study the Bible, fellowship and find things in it that we get excited about. I also like it when she runs errands and she lets me to go with her. It doesn't matter where we go, as long as I go with her. She doesn't have to spend money on me at all, as long as I am spending time with her.I really like when we sing for the Lord and we get along. It makes me sad when she gets disappointed with me, I like it when we get along because that is the way God intended it to be.

She means the world to me,

Every day I wake up she is always full of glee.

She works around the house like a working bee,

That is who she is, that's my mommy.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

Thanks to all the GGM Authors and Contributors who shared their love of their Mothers with us this month! May you all be blessed!

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GGM Writers' Fave Books

by Lady Rachel

Reading is one of my favourite hobbies, and what better way to get a good book but by going to the library? We live about four miles from our little library and during the summer, often ride our bikes or walk into town to go to the library. But the library is not all for pleasure reading. You can get tons of history books for reading for school too. Most libraries also carry classics, such as Charles Dickens' books, and many more authors.

We have also used the library computers for school. At one point, we had only one online computer, and one that was offline, but didn't really work. We used to go to the library and each of us girls would use the computer for writing reports, articles or doing research.

These are some of the books I have had the pleasure of reading over the past year -

1. Marie's Home by Caroline Austin
2. The Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingals Wilder.
3. The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingals Wilder.
4. Rosa Of Linden Castle by Christoph von Schmid.
5. A Little Princess by Frances H. Burnett
6. Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard
7. The Courtship of Sarah McLean by Stephen Castleberry
8. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
9. Elsie's Endless Wait by Martha Finley
10. Elsie's Impossible Choice by Martha Finley
11. Millie's Unsettled Season by Martha Finley
12. Laylie's Daring Quest by Kersten Hamilton

There are some more of the series which I have yet to read of many of the above mentioned books. And since I don't have a copy of them, the library is the perfect place to get one!

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.

The GGM Writers would like to share their favorite reads with you!

~ some of Miss Hannah's favourites:

The Bible
Abraham Lincoln & George Washington by Augusta Stevenson
Anne Of Green Gables by LL Montgomery
Good And Evil Book by Michael Pearl
Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter
Black Beauty
Blackberry Hollow by Paul Peabody
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.


~some of Miss Jessica's favourites:

Every Day Deserves a Chance! – Max Lucado
Jane of Lantern Hill – L.M Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables (8 books) – L.M Montgomery
A Life of Faith: Millie Keith – abridged (8 books)
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Making my Room Special – Emilie Barnes
Christy – Catherine Marshall

Miss Jessica
Miss Jessica is a 14year old homeschool girl who lives in Australia. She loves the Lord and enjoys music, reading, history, computers and sewing. Jessica has a warped sense of humour and is always ready for a giggle. She helps her mum around the home and participates in the local church music team. You can find out more about Jess at her blog Little Miss Giggle.


~some Miss Alyssa's Favourites

Operation World by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk
Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally
Life of Faith series (Elsie Dinsmore, Millie Keith, Violet Travilla, etc.) published by Mission City Press
Verses of Virtue by Elizabeth Beall Phillips
The Hope Chest: Legacy of Love by Rebekah Wilson

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Open and Shut
by Miss Alyssa
A flower’s petals open wide
To let in the light
But close tightly
To shut out the darkness of night
May we open our hearts and minds
To the light of God’s Word
But securely close our hearts and minds
To the darkness of this world

~some of Miss Jocelyn's Favourites:

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus - Ann Spangler, Lois Tverberg
Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emma Orczy
Little Women - Lousia May Alcott
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Prairie Girl’s Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer projects for the Modern Girl” - Jennifer Worrick [caution: tone of feminism, great homemaking ideas though]

Miss Jocelyn, GGM Sr. Exec. Ad Manager, is a senior homeschool student with a passion for writing truth. She blogs from her heart at A Pondering Heart, dresses blogs at A Pondering Heart Boutique, and owns and operates Feelin' Feminine.


~some of Miss Amanda's Favourites:

Persuasion -Jane Austen
Great Expectations -Charles Dickens
David Copperfield -Charles Dickens
The Robe -Lloyd C. Douglas
The Big Fisherman -Lloyd C. Douglas
Anne of Green Gables Series -L.M. Montgomery
Stepping Heavenward -Mrs. E. Prentiss
Michael O’Halloran -Gene Stratton-Porter
The Bronze Bow -Elizabeth George Speare
The Lamb Among The Stars Series -Chris Walley
23 Minutes in Hell -Bill Wiese
6 Secrets To A Successful Quiet Time -Catherine Martin
The Maker's Diet -Jordan Rubin

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet.

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As with all book recommendations on GGM, please check with your parent for reading approval.

Planting A Garden for God

by Miss Hannah

Spring Rain
It rained today.

Outside it was cold and muddy.
The plants are getting watered.

The goats stayed in their pen.
The chickens were out eating the short grass.

I would like a sunny day.

Here are some things we have done in our gardening:
picking veggies,
green beans,
squash,
peas,
Lima beans,
red - green peppers,
carrots,
lettuce,
tomatoes
I like gardening, because its fun! I remember washing the veggies and throwing tomatoes at each other! I am looking forward to canning the veggies this year.
You can use potted soil, or garden soil. And you can use some old toilet paper rolls, cut them in half, and fill them with your soil. We are planting some in the house, so we are using a (cut in half) box and putting a bag over it to start our seeds in.
If you are freezing your tomatoes, put them in a baggie with a little bit of water. When it is frozen take it out, and you can use it for spaghetti. We canned 'em last year.
I love corn on the cob! We are (I think) going to plant some this year!!
After you have your seeds you need to have a good spot to plant them. With good soil. I remember, well, we bought the plants them we replanted them in our garden, I remember digging with a little shovel, and putting the plants in covering them up with dirt and watering them! It was a good time! Last year we got up early in the morning and went outside to plant some more seeds!
God not only planted vegetables, but trees in His garden! This is a verse out of the Bible.

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

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Abraham Lincoln Grows Up

by Miss Hannah

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."
~ from The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House by Francis B. Carpenter (Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Nebraska Press, 1995), p. 282. Also, Recollections of Abraham Lincoln by Ward Hill Lamon (Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Nebraska Press, 1994), p. 91.

One of my favorites books is Childhood of Famous Americans Abraham Lincoln - The Great Emancipator. It tells of Abraham Lincoln's Childhood.
They moved from Kentucky to Indiana to Illinois. He went to school each time they moved, and when they were in IL he was chopping down trees and making rails. He would plow and do his studies. After he was done, he would go out and break some rails. His relatives and friends would come over and ask him if he would like to go shoot a turkey, and he cried because he hated killing things.
There were some big boys and little boys who hurt a turtle, and Abe Lincoln was fishing and he went over and told them that God made the turtle and he doesn't want you to hurt it. He explained how God made the mud turtle and wouldn't laugh when it got hurt. They apologized.
His mother's name was Nancy Lincoln. She died in the Fall of 1818, when Abraham was 12. She would spin on the wheel, and Abe and Sarah would watch her, and his father. She asked him if they would like to do something else, and his father would tell them stories of Indian. His grandfather was killed by and Indian and captured his father also, and Abe's uncle shot the Indian and saved Abe's Dad.
Abraham studied his lessons until late into the night. They couldn't afford to burn candles, so he did his studies by firelight. He didn't have a pencil, so he used a partly burned stick of wood. He was determined to learn.

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."
~Lincoln Observed: The Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks edited by Michael Burlingame (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), p. 210.

Abraham Lincoln grew up and became the 16th President of the United States. He married Mary Todd, and they had 2 boys. Their names were Willie and Tad.

He was President during the Civil War between the North and the South, the Union and the Confederacy. He believed that the North and South should be one nation. He believed that the people were important in any government. He said, in one of his speeches, "government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Mr. Lincoln felt sorry for the people in the war and their families. He hated the cruel war, but believed in liberty and union were worth fighting for. The war ended in 1865.
President Lincoln was shot on April 14th and died from his wounds. There was no reason for him to be shot. Here is something he said about the Bible:

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book."
~ from The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII, "Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible" (September 7, 1864), p. 542.

I think President Lincoln was a brave as a boy and as a man.

Additional Resources:
Famous Quotes of Abraham Lincoln
President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

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The Colours of Spring
by Miss Hannah

Green grass
Yellow daffodils
Red peonies
Bluebells coming up
The orange sun
And blue sky
Robin redbreast
and brown tree bark.

Youth Art Month

compiled by Sr. Editor, Mrs. Dixon

An Imagination At Work...by Lady Rachel
Art is something that everyone can do, some better than others. For me, I do my best and see what turns out. I have always loved art, whether it was painting, sketching or drawing. Jocelyn used to draw/sketch quite a bit. She is actually the reason I tried my hand at art. I would try to imitate her by making my own drawing look as similar as I could to her original.

When you are an artist, you can express yourself through your art. All you need is a piece of paper, a pencil and a vast imagination to get you started. Then, sketch whatever you picture in your head. I like to call that 'drawing from scratch,' because that is what it is. There are many art kits you can choose from, whether you are a beginner, or a master at art.

I received a kit for my birthday a few years back, when I didn't draw that much, that had everything I needed to get me started. It had sketching pencils, (2 shades) a small sketchbook, two charcoal pencils, a tortillian, (that is a shading tool, simply a stub of rolled paper. Very handy) and also a little book to tell you about shades, position and angles. It was very handy to a new beginner like myself at the time.

This drawing here, I did not but three days ago. It was not particularly for this article, but seeing it was more recent than most of my work, I submitted it. It is of a little mouse doll from a very old little craft magazine/catalog. I did, however, change a bit of her clothing, imaging what I thought would look pretty on her.

She has little black shoes on her dainty feet, her head is covered by a large garden hat, with a rose in the middle, and she is properly dressed for working in the soft dirt in the garden. She would walk on her two hind legs and carry things her hand, not her mouth. This is a fictional character, but it is nonetheless an intriguing one, even to myself. When I saw the photo of the little mouse doll, I could no help but notice that her dress didn't match her hat, and therefore I had to draw my own so that I could make them match properly. And so, the finished product was above.

Happy Sketching!

Lady Rachel, a GGM Columnist, is a 15-year-old homeschool student and is the third daughter in eight children. She is a baker, babysitter, older sister, little sister, helper, homemaker-in-training, homesteader, gardener, avid reader, writer, artist, and a clean-freak at times. She enjoys being home, being in the barn, blogging, being with family, knitting, crocheting, and sewing and creating things in the kitchen. You can find out more about Lady Rachel at her blogs - A City On A Hill and Rachel's Reasoning.


Original artwork by Lady Jess




Proverbs 31:10
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.


Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in two local choirs, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.






Original artwork by Miss Hannah





Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Original artwork by Miss Alyssa

March is Youth Art Month. Art is a form of communication, therefore, we must be just as careful with our art as with our speech. Art consists not only of painting, drawing, sculpture, but also writing, film-making, dance, music composition, etc.

We are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we are doing so, there will be no immodesty, foul language, or false doctrines in our art. This is incredibly important!

We are to be a salt and light to this world and our art must reflect that. Something may be "well done"(technically) but still be "terribly done" (in every other respect); for example, there are some "classic" pieces of art which I think are completely shameful and inappropriate to look at because they depict gross immodesty. May we never do such a thing! Philippians 4:8 provides some wonderful guidelines.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What is your favorite type of art? Which type(s) do you do?

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Purim, from What I Learned

by Miss Hannah

A few days ago, we did study to do about the Purim. I learned that Esther came close to death to save her own people, so she went to the king and asked him to hold a banquet in his honer. The king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. The king then asked Esther what she wanted, and Esther said "All I want is my life." Then she told him about Haman's evil plan to kill her people. Esther saved her people!

These are some verses that I found in the Book of Esther:

Esther 9:31
To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

Esther 9:32
And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

Esther could had been killed, and although she was not afraid, well maybe a little bit, going to the king could be a very dangerous thing! God had a plan for that Queen Esther! Haman was hanged in the place he had for Mordecai.

Well, I hope that you all have a good day, and do some things about the Purim and Esther!

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Creative Kitchen: Graham Cracker House

This recipe is good for dessert and I wanted to share it with you.

Graham Cracker House

9 squares HONEY MAID Honey Grahams

1/2 cup ready-to-spread white frosting

9 Mini OREO Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

ASSEMBLE house, using 1 graham for floor and 4 for walls, sealing all seams with frosting. Cut 1 graham in half diagonally; with frosting, attach cut sides of graham halves to opposite ends of house top to form roof supports. With frosting, attach 2 grahams to form roof, sealing all edges. Allow house to dry completely.

CUT remaining grahams to use for doors and windows; attach with frosting. Separate cookies. Attach to roof, filling-side down, with frosting. Decorate as desired using remaining frosting, cookies, grahams and assorted candies.

Rachel put sour gummy worms on the one we made! I love them the most! They are good, and if you try this recipe out, please tell me if you like!

Hope you enjoy!

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

National Bird Feeder Month

by Mrs. D
February is National Bird Feeding Month and Wild Bird Feeding Month. At the Dixon home, we love to have bird feeders out year-round and have several in clear view of our large picture windows.
February is an important month to remember to put out bird feeders, because in many places the weather is bad enough that the birds have a hard time finding food. One thing to remember is that if you put out a bird feeder in the winter months, you will need to continue to keep one out until spring so that the birds that are feeding on it will continue to have food.
That's a small price to pay for the beauty you get to see of the colorful Blue Jays, Tufted Titmouses, Juncos and Cardinals that are so beautiful against the snowy white layers.

For the Birds
by Miss Alyssa
We have 6 bird feeders on our property. We fill them with mostly black oil sunflower seeds. Here is a picture of one of them:

In the winter, suet can be put up for birds. The temperature should be below 70 degrees; otherwise, the suet can melt in the birds’ throat and choke them. So far we have seen the following species of birds on our property: Mourning Doves, Scrub Jays, Steller's Jays, American Goldfinches, House Finches, House Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Bushtits, White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-Capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Cedar Waxwings, robins, hawks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and more!

Some birds make interesting sounds. The Barred Owl and White-Winged Dove say, “Who cooks for you?” The California Quail’s location call is “Chicago.” The Inca Dove continually repeats “werl-pool” and the Yellow Warbler’s song sounds like “sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet.”

What kind of bird is your favorite?

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.


Family Fun Bird feeders
by Miss Hannah

This is so cool! We made Bird Feeders! Can I tell you what we did? There is a table cloth on the table so we won't get anything on the table. It is a wonderful thing to make for your porch!

We made them with:
Creamy Peanut Butter in a small bowl
A bowl filled with bird feed
butter knife to spread the peanut butter
Yarn or string, about 12" in length
Toilet paper roll
Something to poke a hole into the paper roll: Pencil, screwdriver or hole punch

1. To begin,you want to clean off the cardboard rolls from the toilet paper. Make sure all of the paper is removed.

2. Take a cardboard roll and poke two small holes across from each other, about an inch down.
3. You will need to put the string through the two holes into the toilet roll, and then tie it together.

4. Spread the peanut butter on the paper rolls, using the butter knife or your fingers.

5. After coating the paper roll with peanut butter, put a little bird feed on the table in a small pile, and push it down with your hands.

6. Put your hands in the paper rolls, and push while hands are in the paper rolls. You will want to continue to press it on and pour it over the roll until it is well-coated with seeds.

Then after you are done with it, put it on a big plate, if you have one, then let it dry for a bit. After that, you can hang them outside for the birds. It is a wonderful thing to make for outside, so people will see what we can do! I like to have people over, so, we can show them things that we made! I hope that you will make this wonderful Bird Feeder!

Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Be blessed as you search for the winter birds this season. Be sure to take the time to throw some food out, and if you can, make a bird feeder of your own. It will be a fun family time and well worth it to see all he gorgeous birds.

Let Them Eat Pie!

by Miss Hannah

Apple Pie, Apple Crisp & Pumpkin Pie!! Ohh ymmmm! I am ready to have some right now!! I love Apple Crisp the most, but I love Apple Pie and Pumpkin too, especially when Rachel makes it. One time she made Apple Pie, but it didn't turn out it well, so she made it into Apple Crisp. This time it turned out well, so I wanted to share the recipe with you, so your family will enjoy it to!!! Oh you can go to Lady Rachel's blog , if you please. It is at the top: My Tasty Treats! And here are the recipes, that I was about to give you!!

Pumpkin Pie is a very nice treat that you can enjoy! We all love it!!!

One-Crust Pie:
8-or-9inch
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp shortening or 1/3 cup lard
1 cup-all-propose flour*
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 3 tbsp cold water
9-inch
Pastry for 9-inch One-Crust Pie.
2 Eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry.
Beat eggs slightly with hand beater; beat in remaining ingredients.
Place pastry-lined pie plate on oven rack; pour is filling. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean,
9-inch pie 45 minutes longer, 10-inch pie 55 minutes longer.
Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream if desired.
Refrigerate any remaining pie immediately. 8 serving per 9-inch pie; 310 calories per serving.

Apple Pie is very good to eat for a desert! I love it, maybe you will to!

Two Crust Pie:
8 or-9 -inch
2/3 cups plus 2 tbsp shortening or 2/3 cup of lard
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tsp salt
4 to 5 tbsp cold water

Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
Stir in apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with margarine.
Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal the flute.
Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning: remove foil during last 15-minutes of baking.
Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40 to 50 minutes.
6 serving per 9-inch pie; 600 calories per serving.

Apple Crisp you can use for like when company come. We had it when the Richadsons came over! Rachel is a excellent baker of everything!!! I love it all! This is my most favorite one of all!!!!

Apple Crisp
4 medium apples, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2/3 to 3/4 cup of flour (I used cake flour for this)
1/2 cup of oats (regular oatmeal is fine)
1/3 cup of butter
3/4 tsp. of cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg

Heat the oven to 375*.
Arrange the apples in a greased 8×8×2inch baking pan.
(We used a 13×9x2 inch baking pan. It worked fine.)
Mix the remaining ingredients and then sprinkle it over the apples in the pan.
Bake this wonderful surprise for about 30 minutes, until it turns a golden brown on the top.
Serve it warm, if you want, or you can wait until it is cooled.
You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping

Then you may serve the Apple Crisp and the Apple Pie for desert!! Us kids love to help Rachel peel the apples for the apple pie or the apple crisp. I can even make apple crisp with a little bit of help!! Isaac and Caleb love to pour the things into the bowl with help from Rachel. We had Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving. We had many deserts on Thanksgiving! They where so good. We used these recipes!!! I love Apple Pie and Apple Crisp!!!

I hope that you will make it for your family!

Miss Hannah, 9 years old and the 4th daughter in a family of 8 children, is a regular contributor to GGM. She delights in serving her family, reading books, and playing with her favorite dolls. She enjoys being home, feeding the goats and chickens in the barn, playing with her baby sister and brothers, crocheting, and helping in the kitchen. You can find out more about Miss Hannah at Resting in the Arms of Grace.

Happy Birthday Hannah!!!

Guess what... Hannah's 9th Birthday was this week!!! I hope hope you had a good one Hannah :) Eat LOTS of cake!

Happy Birthday to you...
Happy birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to Hannah...
Happy Birthday to YOU:)

Birthday girl!!!


















YUMMY...Cupcakes!!!













Look at the birthday card.












Look at that presents, I wonder what is in it?!?!














Oh!!! A dress was in the present!One size fits all you know.



















You need a crown to match that dress!








Don't let those balloons fly away!! Catch them!!












H.umble
A.biding in Christ
N.eat (as far as I know) :)
N.ice
A.mbitious
H.orse lover

Did you ever know that your name is a palindrome? That is where you can turn your name around and have it spelled the same way!!

Hannah
Hannah :)

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY HANNAH!!!

What I Am Thankful For

by Miss Hannah

This is what I am thankful for:

My F-a-m-i-l-y
My beautiful home,
The Goats,
My Grandparents,
My warm Afghan,
Writing for Growing In Grace Magazine,
My blog,
My food,
My sisters to cook the food for me,
The dogs,
The feed, ( that we get)
The Flowers,
Dad working for me,
My birthday

I am thankful for a lot of things! The Lord has given me a lot of things to be thankful for.

Here is a verse that is talking about thankfulness!

Colossians 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Yes, I am built up in Him. Thankfulness is about being thankful for what you get. I know you all know that right?

Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey,
Sweet Peas,
Glazed Carrots,
Green bean Casserole,
Corn on the Cop,
Corn Dish,

For DESSERT:
Cranberry Bombe,
Pumpkin Pie (with Whipped Topping on the top!),
Fruit Salad

There are a lot of yummy things that we make for Thanksgiving. I like to make the dinner for Thanksgiving. It is fun to peel the carrots, make the turkey and the fruit salad, the corn dish, and the green bean casserole.

National Sandwich Day

by Miss Hannah

November 2nd is National Sandwich Day.

What is a Sandwich?

A sandwich is 2 pieces of bread, with a nice piece whole-grain bread, topped with any of meats, or toppings like bacon, cheese, onion, turkey, tomatoes. A sandwich can be used as a snack, or it can be used for dinner, like grilled cheese sandwiches. We make grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. Other people like, in Europe, have sandwiches too. People make sandwiches in most all countries.

What is an Open sandwich?

An open sandwich, is a sandwich that has one side that has one piece of bread with your fixin's on it. It can be used for lunch and dinner.

What I Like on a Sandwich

Some of the sandwiches I like are: Cheese with bacon and onion sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, cheese and turkey with dill pickles, and lettuce. You can put cooked eggs, and cut them up, and make egg salad and to make a sandwich. A delicious bread to use is French Bread when you are making your sandwich!

This is what you can put on your sandwiches, if you like: bacon and onion, peanut butter and jelly, cheese turkey and dill pickles (you can also put hot sauce on your sandwich too).

We make our own sandwiches at home. We go to the store, and we get things to make for sandwiches like peanut butter and jelly. We buy strawberry jelly, apple jelly, raspberry jelly. That is what we buy.

People in the US make sandwiches to sell for money, and that is why you should make your own sandwiches at home, so when you want a sandwich you don't have to go to the store and get one.

Sources at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sandwich
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich

Light and White Like An Angel

This month is National Angel Food Cake month. Angel food cake is popular in the US today because of the invention of the egg beater. If you have eaten Angel Food Cake, you know how light and white it is. They call it Angel Food Cake because of its texture and to contrast the chocolate Devil's Food Cake, which was another popular American cake which appeared the same general time as the Angel Food Cake. Angel Food Cake is a type of foam cake in opposite of the Devil's Food Cake is a butter cake.

Most people put whipped topping, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on their Angel Food Cake! In the U.S people had to come up with a recipe of how to make the angel food cake. What kind of toppings do you like on your Angel Food Cake?

When you make an Angel Food Cake, you make it in a bundt pan. A bundt pan is a tall round pan that has a tube in the middle of it. The fluted side can make it hard to release the cake though, so it can be difficult. The center of the tube allows the cake to rise higher by clinging to the pan.

Here is a recipe for you to try:
ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 1/2 cups powdered suger
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375. Mix powdered sugar and flour. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in 3-quart bowl on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar on high speed, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition of sugar; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat.
Sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until sugar-flour mixture disappears. Spread batter in ungreased tube pan, 10x4 inches. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula.
Bake until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Invert pan on heatproof funnel; let hang until cake is cold. Remove from pan. Spread top of cake with Vanilla Glaze if desired. 16 servings; 130 calories per serving.

You can also make Chocolate Angel Food Cake by substituting 1/4 cup cocoa for 1/4 cup of the flour. Omit almond extract.
Or Coconut Angel Food Cake by folding in 1 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup at a time, after folding in suger-flour mixture.

I hope to make this cake with my Lady Rachel soon. She is the keeping the house filled with dessert like these: cakes, cookies, brownies, and ether things!!
This recipe is for after eating dinner to have to desserts!!!

Let's Go Pop Some Popcorn!

October is National Popcorn Popping month. So pop some popcorn and let's take a look at popcorn!

The earliest record we have of popcorn is from the Indians. They have found 5 groups of sweet corns: Indian corn, pod corn, popcorn, sweet corn, and field corn. Popcorn was originally started in Mexico, but it went around the world to India, China, and Sumatra.They made popcorn by putting it on stones that had been heated extremely hot by a fire, catching the popcorn as it popped.
After going to North and South America, Christopher Columbus took notes of the West Indian natives wearing popcorn corsages and using popped corn to decorate their headdresses. Indians also sold popcorn to his sailors.
In 1612 in the Great Lakes Region, French explorers noted that the Iroquois used popcorn too. They popped their popcorn in pottery with heated sand. The French had a dinner with the Iroquois of popcorn soup. The Winnebago tribe figured out a way to have popcorn while it was still on the cob.
Popcorn was a big thing when the Pilgrims arrived. When they had Thanksgiving with the Indians, the Indians brought popcorn to dinner.
The Papago Indians of Arizona still pop their popcorn in clay pots called "ollas". They are eight feet wide, so imagine how much popcorn you can make in them!

Popcorn was a big thing and you could find it every way! It was considered a special treat to eat. Until the Great Depression, everyone was eating popcorn, but when WWII was going on the sugar was rationed, so candy was very hard to get. Because they didn't have candy, the Americans went back to popcorn and consumed more than three times what they had before!
Today Americans eat more than one billion pounds of popcorn per year that equals seventeen and a half billion quarts! Six localities in the United States claim to be the "Popcorn Capital of the World". They are: Valparaiso, Indiana; Van Buren, Indiana; Marion, Ohio; Ridgway, Illinois; Schaller, Iowa; and North Loup, Nebraska.
The USDA says that most of the maize used for popcorn production is specifically planted for th purpose of popcorn. Most of it is grown in Nebraska and Indiana, but Texas is increasing their production too!



There are many ways that popcorn is made:

Cook it in oil in a skillet or pan.
Hot air popper
Movie theater popcorn is made in a Theater Pop Popcorn Machine

You can eat popcorn a lot of ways too:

Carameled
Kettled (sweet and salty)
Buttered
Cheesed

Popcorn is also threaded onto a string with cranberries and used on a wall or as a Christmas tree decoration.

I really like popcorn and I wanted to show you how I make it. You will need:

a pan
potholders
Canola oil
popping corn
butter
salt
bowl

Pour canola oil in a pan and heat. When you think its heated up, put a few kernels in the pan and wait a minute to see if it changes color and pops. When it does, pour your desired amount into the pan and cover.
Shake with potholders and watch it pop! Keep shaking every once in a while, so that it won't burn.
While its popping, melt some butter to pour on the popcorn.
When it is done, put in a bowl and pour the butter, stirring while you pour. The salt the popcorn.
You have just made some homemade popcorn! YUM! We like to eat it with parmesan cheese on it too. Mom likes hers with Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco.

What is your favorite popcorn topping?

Here is a recipe of Caramel Almond Popcorn Clusters:

10 cups freshly popped popcorn
2 cups whole almonds
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Spray 15 x 10 baking sheet with non-stick spray. Mix popcorn and almonds in large bowl.
* Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Over low heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond extract and baking soda.
* Pour over popcorn and almonds, immediately stirring gently to coat. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly.
* Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Go make some popcorn and enjoy with your family! Thank you to my brother, Eric, for taking the above pictures!

Filling the Generation Gap: Honoring Our GrandParents

September 7th is celebrated as Grandparents' Day. I am so thrilled to be able to still share life with my Grandparents. My mother's mother, my maternal grandmother, went to be with Jesus when I was only twelve. I have other Grandparents who are still alive, and I get to talk to and see and share my family with. I think it is so important to allow our children to get to know and love my grandparents who are so much older than they.

My grandparents survived the Great Depression as children, were young adults serving our country when World War 1 and World War 2 took place, and have lived to see things like our transportation go literally from horse and buggy to rockets in outer space.

We were so blessed because we were able to visit Mr.D's Grandfather when we visited family in Louisiana in June. I am a better person because I have a love for our grandparents, and our children are better people because they know our grandparents.

Because my Grandparents do not know the Lord, I am praying for and looking forward to the day when they do accept them into their hearts and live for Him with eternal security that I will see them in heaven along with the other Grandmas and Grandpas I know are going to be there.

I thank the Lord I still have them in my life.

They're So Grand! by Miss Amanda
Over the past couple of years, I have come to realize how important it is to have your family near your life. I have been able to be in close relationships with many of my grandparents and for that I am so grateful.

I have always been close with my Grandma Starr. Some of my favorite memories with Grandma are: going to work at her beauty shoppe with her, singing praises to our Lord in the truck with her, playing the "arm guitar" ( I would use her arm as a guitar while we were singing), making Ramen noodles for dinner, watching Bible movies and so much more! I love my grandma so much and can't wait til we live close by again!
I always so enjoyed going to my Grandpa Walters house. We would make spaghetti noodles with Italian dressing, drink cranberry juice with sprite and watch movies together. My grandpa also drives motorhomes across the US and I have been able to go on a few of his trips. I always loved going places with him and spending time with him.
Back in 2003, I started writing back and forth with my Great Grandma Starr and have come to know and love her dearly. It is so great to have a relationship with her and she is so encouraging!
I have also grown closer to my Great Grandpa and Grandma Walters. I am so blessed by the relationship I now have with them. I have been able to witness to them because we have such a close relationship. They are also changed people because of our relationship.
I was able to make a special service scrapbook for my great grandfather and through it I have grown closer to him. He does not like to talk about his wartime experiences, but I know how much he appreciates the album that I made.
I know that they do not have much time left on this earth, and that thought pains me, but I am thankful that I have been able to witness to them and show them how a Believer is. Please pray for their salvation.

Having a relationship with your grandparents is so important and it is something you must strive to have. They have so much knowledge and experience, there is no ending to what you can learn from them and what you can do for them!

All Started With A Letter by Miss Jocelyn
I have never really lived near any of my grandparents, but that hasn't stopped me from having a good relationship with them. A few years ago for our homeschool my mother had each of us older girls pick which Great Grandmother they wanted to write to so we could know our elderly relatives. I started writing her father's mother, who we all just call Grandma Walters. Her friends and family call her Dot though, short for Dorothy, and I hope, in honour of her, one of my daughters will also be named Dorothy (I actually had another great grandmother named Dorothy as well).

I think I started writing her when I was only 12-13 and I am so glad I did. I have a wonderful relationship with her and she now enjoys being around so many kids and doesn't mind the noise. When I call she always asks how I'm doing and says "I love you" before hanging up, especially if I don't first. My grandmother and grandfather are such sweet, kind, fun people, and I love them dearly.

When my grandfather fell ill a few years ago I decided I needed to share my faith with them, and so I wrote them a letter. I don't know for certain, but I pray it made a big impact on their lives and soften their hearts to the truth.

Though we still don't see my grandparents as often as I like I still have a wonderful relationship with them. My grandmother is too old to write long letters anymore so we usually just call each other. For their 65th wedding anniversary I was able to make my grandparents a photo album starting when they first met each other back in the 1930s up until the 1960s. I still have another to make, but it was so fun to see the people they are today, in looks and in the way they were.

I hope I have blessed them and been a witness to them throughout these past years. God has blessed me with such loving grandparents and I hope I have done good for his kingdom in return. I hope all girls have a good relationship with their grandparents, especially their grandmothers. There are so many things they can teach each other and so many fun things to do and talk about.

Making Memories by Miss Kaitlyn
I am blessed to have more grandparents than most children! We keep them all in our daily prayers.

I love my Grandpa Otto, my mom's dad. He has such a kind and generous spirit. Whenever he comes over he tells us the same jokes, which never get old and we play fun games with him. We always look forward of having mom's lasagna and Grandpa's rootbeer floats! They are the best I have ever had. His wife Vickey is fun to shop with. She is talkative and funny!

I also love my Grandma Carole. She is so creative. Whenever she sends us postcards she add lots of frills and doodles! She taught me how to draw different things when I was younger. I love to have conversations with her about God, the Bible and many other things. Her husband, Frank, is a truck driver and travels all over the U.S. He loves to talk to us about the things of God!

I love it when Grandma Jan and Grandpa Jim come to visit. They are the ones who gave us our Boston Terrier dog, Quimby. They bring Quimby's brother, Baby with them when they visit. They enjoy shopping, talking and going on adventures. Last time they visited we toured the USS Turner Joy museum.

My Grandma Linda is creative and has a one-of-a-kind sense of humor. She taught my mom to sew and she loves to knit and crochet.

I love learning from my grandparents and making memories with them. I am looking forward many more good times with them in the future!

Grandparents Are Special by Lady Rachel
I have several grandparents who are still alive and I get to spend time with. My Mom's mom lives in New Mexico, and so I don't get to see her very much. She is a beautician, and I love that she loves to spend time with me and do my hair. I have always loved it when my Grandma comes up, and does all of our hair. I wash it and she combs it and cuts it for me. I hope that I can spend more time with her in the future. Now that she has a blog, I can comment on her blog and she comments on mine.

I have also have been writing to my Grandma for about two years. It's always a thrill to me when I get a letter from her in the mail. It's like opening a present. She takes time out of her busy scheduel to write a letter to me. I learn a lot from her concerning Bible passages from her blog. She posts a Thought For The Day, and it usually is a Bible verse. There is so much that I can learn from my Grandmother and my Great-Grandparents that I could not learn from a book.
With much adieu,

Spending Time Together by Lady Olivia

I love my grandma and grandpa. They are special because they have taught me lots of things like cross-stitching, cooking, and how to be nice. They are never sad. They always have a happy face. I enjoy being around them. Whenever we are together we like to play a game with dominos called chicken foot. Everyone is very competitive. We get loud and noisy. It is a lot of fun.

My Nana and Papa are my mom’s parents. We have a lot of fun together too. My papa taught me how to go fishing and all about computers. Whenever I go to their house he always pays me for foot massages. I like Nana to tell me stories. She is the best story teller ever! A tradition at their house is that whenever we go over there, we get pecan pancakes.
I love my grandparents!

Glad to know My Grandparents by Miss Hannah

I am very glad that I have gotten to know my grandparents, especially my great grandparents. I am glad to spend time with them too. I wish I could spend more time with my grandparents, but most of them live far away. My Grandma Starr lives in New Mexico and so does my Grandma and Grandpa Dixon. My other grandparents live in Indiana, but don't live close to us.
Most of my grandparents are in their 70's and 80's or even 90's. [insert by Mom: I had to leave this in here. It is to cute! They aren't even in their 70's, though!] One of my great-grandma's died earlier this year in New Mexico; it was my Dad's grandma. I am sad because I didn't know her very well. I am happy that she knew Jesus, because I will see her in Heaven soon.

My grandparents are very special to me, and I love them very much. I am glad that most of my grandparents are Christians. I am praying for the ones that aren't, and I hope they accept Jesus soon.

If you would like to celebrate Grandparent's Day by honouring your Grandparents with a blog post, please link to us and share your post/permanent link on the Linky below. The permanent link is the specific url of your Grandparent post.

Johnny Appleseed: Sowing the Gospel and Appletrees

Johnny Appleseed, whose real name is John Chapman, was born in September 26 1774. He was born in Massachusetts. He had a brother and a sister, then his mother died, and his father remarried and had 10 children.

When he was about 18, he headed out toward the headwaters of Susquehanna where he practiced his nursery skills. Johnny went around planting apple tree nurseries, building fences to protect them from livestock. He then left the nurseries with neighbors who would sell the trees with shares, and Johnny would return every year or two to tend them. Johnny obtained apple seeds for free, because the cider mills wanted more apples for business, they just gave them to him. Johnny dressed in the worst of what clothing he got in barter, and gave away the good clothes. He didn't wear any shoes, even in the winter. Someone was always in need that he helped out and he was able to do that because he did not have a house to maintain.

Johnny Appleseed's managers would sell the trees on credit, but Johnny would accept corn meal, cash, or used clothing in barter for the trees he had planted. While the notes of sale did not have a maturity date and didn't get paid at all, Johnny never pressed for payment.

One time, when he heard about a horse that was going to be put down, he bought the horse, bought some land, and turned the horse out to recover. Then gave the horse to a needy farmer exacting a promise from him that he would treat the horse well.

Johnny led a subsistent life and often eschewed normal clothing even in the coldest winter. Towards the end of Johnny's career, he was at an open air service of an itinerant missionary who was preaching on the topic of extravagance, because pioneers started buying indulgences like calico and story bought tea. The missionary repeatedly asked, "Where now is the man, who like the primitive Christians, is traveling to heaven barefoot and clad in coarse raiment?" til Johnny whose endurance ran out, walked up to the podium, put his barefoot on the stage and said, "Here is your primitive Christian!" The missionary then dismissed the congregation.

Johnny Appleseed spent most of his life traveling from home to home on the frontier preaching the Swedenborgian gospel ("news right from heaven") to the adults. In exchange for his message he would receive a place to sleep at night and a warm meal. He would often tear pages out of his Swedenborg books and leave them with his hosts. He made several trips back east to his sister's and also to get more Swedenborgian literature to share with the pioneers!

Johnny Appleseed died of pneumonia on February 18th, 1845, and while his gravesite is disputed, there is a 12 acre memorial park right outside of Fort Wayne, In and in that park is a tombstone marking Johnny Appleseed's grave.


Johnny Appleseed was a great man. In Fort Wayne, IN, there is a memorial to him in Swinney Park. They also have a festival in honor of him every September. It was created to tell them about Johnny's life and how he did things.

We went last year and I learned many things. They had bagpipes playing, cannon shootings, and different things about the civil war. The food and drink was of Johnny's time period too. They showed us many different ways to make things with apples.

I hope to be like Johnny Appleseed because he shared the Gospel with everyone he met.

Photography credit: Miss Rachel and Mrs.D