Sandhill Plum Jelly

I grew up picking sandhill plums in late July. They are tart cherry-sized berries that grow on thickets in sandy areas like the countryside near my hometown. I don't actually remember helping my mother process them or make them into jelly, but I do remember eating the jelly and giving it away as gifts to teachers and family members at Christmas.

A few years into my marriage, I became very interested in sustainble living. I started sewing, baking my own bread, and canning. It was at this time I began picking sandhill plums once again. They are pretty much free for the taking because they grow wild along roadsides. All a person needs to do is brave the tall weeds, deep ditches, and thorns.

Once you've picked a bucket load (one year I picked a cooler load!), you take them home and lay them out to fully ripen. Once they are fully ripe, you process them. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say, you cook them down w/ a bit of water, remove the seeds and then pulverize them and strain them. This gives you what is called "pulp."

From here, you are ready to make jelly.

Now, here comes my disclaimer:
If you have never made jelly before, do not start here. First off, sandhill plums don't grow everywhere, and secondly, these instructions are not that great. lol

If you are an avid jelly maker, I would highly suggest going to your local bulk food store and buying your pectin in a bulk quantity. A box of pectin contains approximately 6 TBSP. 1 batch of jelly takes 1 box of pectin. You are also going to need a massive amount of sugar...so much sugar, it will almost make you naseous to see how much is going into it. (yes, I know there are sugar-free ways of doing this, but this entry will not be addressing that) You also need jelly jars...size and style depends on your family size and preferences. And I do a water bath, so I have a huge canning pot and the lifter tongs (I'm sure there is some technical name for them...but no matter, their job is to lift the jars from the boiling water bath.)

I do highly suggest buying 1 box of pectin. The only reason I say this is because the little insert of instructions in that box is invaluable. For sandhill plums, I use the sour plum recipe.

So, after 4.5 cups of pulp, 6 TBSP of pectin, 7 c. of sugar, and 2 minutes at a rolling boil, I pour the almost-jelly into my jars (this is where that metal funnel comes in handy!), and throw the lids on. Water bath those little guys and spend the rest of the day listening to the lids pop as they seal, only to have your children and husband beg you to pry the lid back off so they can eat some!

Mmmm! Mmmmm! And just for your information, this jelly still retains a nice tart taste to it.

So, what if you don't have sandhill plums in your area? I would encourage you to buy a box of pectin and check out that little insert. It is utterly amazing the amount of fruit and vegetables that can be made into jelly or jam or preserves. Try something different...jalepeno jelly for instance or guava or tomato preserves. Does something grow wild in your area that you could make into something yummy for the family? I still stand amazed at all God provides that never requires a trip to the supermarket!

A Letter of Encouragement to a Young Woman

Recently, I was asked to write a letter to a young woman turning 16 to encourage her in her womanhood. The task seeemed a bit daunting because I am only 15 years her senior and quite often do not feel as though I have a clue. In fact, I have only 9 years of truly living for the Lord under my belt. What could I possibly say to this young woman who in many ways seems light years ahead of me? Well, I decided to take my 12 years of marriage, 9 years of Christianity, nearly 6 children and give her the three things I have found to be most important.

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Dear _________,


Fifteen years ago, I was your age. My aspirations were simple and superficial, and quite often downright sinful. I had no real direction or purpose, so the advice I offer you today does not come from someone who began womanhood with trusting and honoring the Lord at the forefront of her mind. What I offer you today is more along the lines of what I wish I had known based on what I have learned of womanhood since becoming a Christian in 1999 at the age of 22, already married with one child.

First of all, let me start by admitting to you that you are being watched. I have watched you serve your father, serve your siblings, but most of all, serve your mother. You have a servant's heart, and that one trait alone speaks volumes of who you will become as a woman. More than likely, the Lord will place a husband and children in your future. The servanthood I see in you now places you far ahead of the crowd of other young women (yes, even Christian young women) who will someday be serving a family of their own. Human beings are naturally selfish, but the Word tells us that true love is not self-seeking. It is rare to find a woman of your age who understands this and finds joy in serving others.

Secondly, I would encourage you to always be teachable. As you age, you will continue to grow in the knowledge and the wisdom of the Lord, but you are not an island. There is a very real reason for the passages in Titus that entreat the older women to teach the younger women. Contrary to modern thinking, Biblical womanhood and all that comes with it does not place you in a mindless oppressed state of being. As a wife and mother, I daily have problems, issues, and circumstances that I must work through. Quite often, I need the guidance of someone else. As with everything, your knowledge of Scripture must be sufficient to weigh any advice you receive against God's Holy Word. So when you ask advice from those who have already worked through the issues you are dealing with, you not only learn how to do something you did not know how to do before, but you hopefully learn how Scripture sheds light on the subject at hand. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Do not be afraid to try something new. But, most importantly, do not be afraid to ignore bad advice. These are all components of being teachable and getting that wisdom the Lord so highly values.

Lastly, purpose today to commit your ways to the Lord. In Romans 8:31b, it says, "If God is for us, who is against us?" The Lord is your compass. Keep your eyes on the prize, run the race with that end in mind. As long as the Lord is your guide, all the cares and worries of this world will be unable to truly harm you. No wind will sway you, no storm will beat you down. The sinfulness of this world will not draw you in for you know you will find great reward in Heaven.

Happy Birthday, Dear! May the Lord delight in your path.

Love,
Amy

Crock Pot Lasagna

While in the mountains, we attended a pot-luck at the lodge near our cabin. We love these little get-togethers and always bring something to cook for that meal along with us. This year it was Crock Pot Lasagna and the reviews were all raves, which surprised me considering how very easy it is. In fact, several people wanted the recipe. I think they were quite pleased to learn that it is not difficult at all. I am not going to even bother giving you amounts of anything...that's just how easy it is!

Put a bit of your spaghetti sauce (canned or homemade) in the bottom of a large crock pot.

Then, layer your ingredients as you would for a regular oven lasagna. DO NOT cook your noodles. And honestly, is DOES NOT MATTER whether or not you use those fancy "new" noodles that say they don't need to be cooked. I use cheapies. ;)

You probably have a recipe for lasagna that you like, so just use those layers, but in case you are wondering, here are my layers:
noodles
sauce
hamburger
cottage cheese
shredded colby jack
and repeat...

One word of caution is DO NOT SKIMP ON THE SAUCE! It will be too dry if you do. And on your last layer, make sure all of your noodles are covered in sauce so you don't end up w/ crispy critters. I usually add a nice layer of cheese to the very top. YUM!

Set your temp to HIGH for an hour or two, and then back off to LOW for another 4-6. I can usually start this at lunch time and have it ready to eat for supper.

For quick sides, heat some corn or toss a salad and make some garlic toast. For garlic toast, you can either spray each side of a piece of bread w/ butter spray or butter it the old-fashioned way, sprinkle garlic salt on it, and lightly brown the slice in a skillet or on a griddle.

Enjoy!

When the Roller Coaster Begins to Slow

About the time we were leaving the hospital following Emily's sugeries, a friend of ours started work on a grief website to go along with the book she was writing. She asked if I would consider writing about our "trial" once life slowed down a bit. Writing has always been my outlet, so this seemed like a natural way to document and reflect on all we had been through during those 2 months. I considered titles and particular points I wanted to make and decided I wanted to relate it to viewing a roller coaster from the sidewalk below. It would be something I had once ridden, with all its twists and turns, but a ride I was no longer on. It would be me gaining a clearer view of the ride and all that had happened as I observed the ride on solid ground.

But, solid ground was not to be mine.

After 5 1/2 months of living life without my precious daughter, I cannot say that I am on the sidewalk, but I can feel the roller coaster beginning to slow. I no longer feel as though I am being carried away. The movements seem much more deliberate and I have more time to view my surroundings.

The morning sickness has begun to subside as well. This has brought me to a place where "normal" activities seem inviting once again. I am beginning to cook and clean and school on a regular basis.

But, with this slowing back to normal speed comes a certain amount of reflection. Not the kind of reflection I would be capable of if I were on the ground, but the kind of reflection one feels when one is suspended upside-down or is slowly climbing yet another hill. I find myself fearfully asking, "What next?" I consider what I perceive to be the future ahead of me and I struggle to find joy with that picture. But, I am also seeing where I have been and considering all the loops and hills I have already survived.

Sometimes I long for the sidewalk below; that place where I was going to gain all this clarity and share all this insight with other onlookers or those just coming off the ride themselves. And after I had given out words of wisdom, I was going to breathe a huge sigh of relief and say, "So glad that is over!"

You see, the way I have dealt with many difficult things in my life is to shut my eyes and wait for it to be over. If this were your average roller coaster, that might work. But, the truth of this particular roller coaster is no matter how tight I shut my eyes and no matter how long I hold my breath, it won't be "over." Oh yes, someday the roller coaster will level out to the point I may forget I am even on it, but there will also be days all throughout my life when I will find myself diving over a hill or looping upside-down and sideways. This ride will only be over as I take my final breath.

Yet, this thought does not cause me angst. Consider the number of truly "rough spots" on a roller coaster. They are actually very few. What causes the most difficulty is the anticipation of those rough spots. As I gain more clarity from being on the ride itself, I pray that I will be "anxious for nothing" for the Lord, Who put me on this ride, buckled me in and sits beside me. He has heard my cries and has bottled my tears. He will be there to the end and will welcome me to the beginning.

To The Mountains!

Every year we head to the mountains to cool off. It is also a time to simplify our lives and get back to the basics. The cell phone is off, there is no land-line, there is no computer, there are no toys. There is only mountain air, animals, wildflowers, and ponds.

It is during these vacations that I take time to evaluate where I am spiritually and whether or not my life is matching God's word. This is when I take a hard look at our homeschool and the children's behavior. This is when Ty and I have 20+ hours of windshield time to discuss all these things and more!

This year, we did a lot of fishing and actually caught some whoppers! Here are my men with the catch of the day...Rainbow Trout!



We also like to hike while we are there. Here is Little K taking a snooze on Daddy's head after our long trek.



We also took in some archeological sites. The picture below is from Mesa Verde. In addition to that, we visited the Anasazi (now known as the Ancient Puebloan) ruins. Nothing like a little school while on vacation!



And finally, our train ride from Durango to Silverton and back. Stunning scenery!

Washing Away the Cares of the Day

Pregnancy often brings with it new emotions, new thoughts, and new aches and pains. It is just a fact of life, literally. Bringing a new life into this world does not come without changes and sometimes those changes are somewhat painful.

One of my favorite "remedies" for these aches and pains is a nice warm bath, complete with candles and soothing music. Indulgent? Maybe. Medicinal? Definitely!

But beyond that, this is the time of day when the house is quiet and I can start to quiet my own soul. This is when I can take the time to marvel at the new life the Lord has blessed us with. This is where I can cry out the Lord when I am missing my dear, sweet Emmy. This is where I can talk to God without interruption. As I take time to slow down, the aches and pains begin to subside and the calm I need in order to fall into a sound sleep overtakes me.

But, what about our children's baths? Is bath time in your house a time to marvel at all your little blessings? Is it a time to help them relax? Is it a time when you can talk to them about the Lord and all He has done for them that day? If it is anything like bath time in our home, probably not.

Bath time for us is often a rushed orchestration of Dunk 'Em, Dry 'Em, Diaper 'Em, Dress 'Em. Certainly, there are times when it isn't quite that quick and I sit and giggle and chit-chat with them, but even those times are not purposeful. I am not purposefully trying to help them relax, nor am I purposefully using this time when I have them completely confined to four porcelain walls to truly minister to their little minds as I wash their little bodies.

I do have a verse posted by the bathtub that reminds me not to begrudge bath time...

John 13:14-15
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

But, lately I feel that simply not despising something is not enough. Sure, it's a start, but it's not a finish. Just as I wash away the cares of my day, I must wash away theirs. Not only am I preparing their little bodies for bed, but their hearts and minds as well.

Remembering Emily

On July 4, 2007, Emily Sofia entered this world weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces. A beautiful bundle of baby girl. Our 5th child.



The photo above was taken the day we brought her home. We're both in our "going-home" outfits. I could not get over just how beautiful she was.



She was a traveling baby. By the time she was 3 months old, she had been in 6 states. This is us enjoying a snack in South Dakota.




I'm a "baby-wearing" mama so Emily was never very far from my heart.



And then one day, my usually happy-go-lucky quiet baby girl, got fussy. For several days she just fussed off and on. Then, she started vomiting yellow. We took her to the ER. The next morning, she was whisked off to surgery. During the surgery, they discovered she had been born w/ a congenital defect called malrotation of her intestines. At some point, her intestines had twisted. They were black. 2 days later they went back in, resected 1/3 of her bowels, and we spent the next week in PICU. A terrible yeast infection in her blood stream kept us in the hospital for 3 weeks, but we brought her home on Christmas Eve to celebrate. She was fussy, but we were so happy to have her home!

But, 2 weeks later, we were back in the hospital. She was still throwing up yellow. 5 more cm of bowel were resected and in only 6 days we were home! But, Emmy was tiny. She weighed at 7 months what she had weighed at 7 weeks.



But, still she was beautiful. When fully clothed, no one could see how very tiny she was. We tried everything we could think of to help her gain weight, but the weight just would not come on her.



But, the doctors were not concerned because her hair looked good, her nails were growing, she was nursing well. And she was still beautiful.

And then one day, she was gone.

The child my husband had placed in my arms 7 months and 6 days earlier, I now had to place in a stranger's arms. I had to walk away from her and begin a life that did not include caring for Emily.

So, the 4th of July approaches bittersweetly.


~In memory of Emily Sofia. Born 7/4/07 ~ Died 2/10/08 ~