Dessert for Breakfast!

White flour.
White sugar.
Icing sugar.
Butter.
Heavy Cream.

Orange Cranberry Scones.


Like I said...dessert!

They are
Y.U.M.M.Y.

Jennifer Jo and I must have
similar taste buds.
I always enjoy her recipes.
And this, again,
was no exception.


I'm sending you to Jennifer Jo's
place for the recipe.
Click here to get there ~
Enjoy!

Occasionally.
*Wink*

24/7

Twitter.  Facebook.  Email.
Gmail.  Blogs.  Internet.

Computers.  Cell Phones.
Blackberries.  Ipods.


Always available.  Always on call.  24/7.
No end.  No break.  No rest.  No peace.


B.U.T.

We are commanded to *be still and know*...
How is this possible, unless we are intentional about the time
spent in front of these screens?
Intentional about time spent at HIS feet?

Some of my online friends have discontinued blogging.
Some have burned out.  Others have decided it's too
costly for a variety of reasons.

I understand.

I don't Tweet.  I just deactivated my Facebook.
I don't have a Blackberry or an Ipod.
We do have a cell ~ it is usually turned off. :)

I do have Email and Gmail.  I do have a blog ~
(if you are here...you are aware of that)!
But, I don't want any of these things to control me.
I want to be in control of them.

By God's Grace.

HE is able.  I look to HIM for the strength
to keep things in balance.  Do I do it perfectly?  No.
Am I seeking to follow HIM in it all?  Yes.


How do you manage your online life?
What safeguards do you have in place so it doesn't overtake you?
It would be a blessing to read how you are handling it.
I'm sure many will be encouraged.  Me included.

May the LORD help us all to live for HIS glory in everything.
Might we be pleasing to HIM in all that we do.

By HIS Grace.

Many Blessings, Camille


*Update ~ My husband sent me this link...
good food for thought!

Grain Free?

This is something new to me.
I never thought I would have to
drop the grains!
I actually didn't think it was overly
*do-able*.
But, it is!

Rather than re-invent the wheel,
so to speak,
I will just send you on over to
Keeper of the Home.

Click Here to get to her
most recent post on building
a grain free pantry.
It's an excellent starting point.


Just one thing I would like to clarify ~
We are not all *grain-free* around here.
Our child with Crohn's
is the only one who MUST
keep to this strict diet.

Although, I must admit,
I feel better when I follow
this way of eating.
I am thankful that I can serve *regular*
bread to the rest of the family.
God's mercies are new every morning!

Many blessings,
Camille

Yogurt Anyone?

Ease of operation.

I'm trying to do things in
a straightforward and streamlined way.

Saves the sanity.

Yogurt is a necessary part of the
healing process for
Crohn's Disease
according to the book
"Breaking the Vicious Cycle".

I never thought I would make yogurt.
It was not on my radar.
Not, that is, until this happened.

I am committed to doing all I can
to facilitate healing for our child.

Part of that is making yogurt.

In an effort to keep things simple,
I bought a yogurt maker.
I try to stay away from plastic as much as
possible, so I bought the glass jar that fits the yogurt maker.
I also buy the starters 12 boxes at a time.

The method is simple.

You heat the required amount of milk (1 litre or 2)
in a pot to simmering.
It should be 180 degrees ~ use a thermometer.

Then plunge the pot into a sink of cold water.

Stir while the milk cools ~
it should be lower than 100 degrees.

Mix about 1/2 cup of milk into the starter.
(Use 5 grams of starter for 1 litre
and 10 grams of starter for 2 litres)
Whisk it until dissolved.
Add the remaining milk and stir well.
Pour into your yogurt maker liner.

Seal.

Lower into the yogurt maker.
Make sure you put water in the yogurt maker up
to the lower line for a 1 litre batch and the upper
line for a 2 litre batch.

Put the lid of the yogurt maker on.
Plug it in.

Let it sit on your counter
fermenting for at least 24 hours,
but no longer than 32 hours.
(This longer incubation time
is to produce a lactose-free yogurt ~
Important for the *SCD).
If you do not require a lactose-free product,
your incubation time will be about 12 hours.

Once the time is up,
remove the yogurt batch
from the yogurt maker and
set gently in the fridge for 8 hours to cool.

To serve, spoon some yogurt into a bowl,
drizzle with a little honey
and add berries to taste.

You will have probiotics in a bowl ~
what a fabulous way to incorporate them into the diet! :)

Do you make yogurt?
Would you like to begin?
I'd enjoy hearing your yogurt stories.

Many blessings,
Camille

*SCD ~ Specific Carbohydrate Diet
as explained in "Breaking the Vicious Cycle"

Fixing Our Eyes

Fixing our eyes.

Not on ourselves.
Not on others.
Not on our Faith.
Not on our Faithfulness.

On the LORD.

HE alone is worthy.
HE alone is able.
HE alone is perfect.


We have nothing to fear.
Nothing to doubt.
Nothing to fret about.

How quickly our eyes lose focus.
How quickly our hearts grow cold.
How quickly we grow weary.

Yet, HE never loses HIS grip.

It is not about our hold on HIM.
It is all about HIS hold on us!
HE is always Faithful.
Even though we fail.

We must continually
remind ourselves to
look to HIM.
We must continually
fill our minds and hearts
with HIM.


We often respond like Peter did.
We only see the troubles.
The waves.
The storms of life.

But, the LORD is IN the storm.
HE has us in HIS perfect care.
We have nothing to fear
when HE is in control.

Look to HIM and live!

"Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith;
Who for the joy that
was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God."
~ Hebrews 12:2 ~

Many Blessings to you each one!
In HIS Love,
Camille

You Might be Mothering Teenage Boys if...

Your *big* cooking pot (8Qt) from your newlywed days
is only just the right size to reheat food
or make lunch in.

You have invested in *industrial* sized
cooking equipment so you *might* have leftovers.

You routinely multiply recipes

four or five times.

Your life seems to revolve around food!

You buy three 5 pound blocks of

cheese and hope they last the month.

Your fridge has over T.H.I.R.T.E.E.N. dozen eggs in it...

and you do not have any chickens in the back yard!

The Costco cashiers think you are buying

for a store.

You dedicate a laundry hamper to socks ONLY!

You fill your washing machine with socks

because you refuse to wash them with anything else.

S.T.E.R.I.L.I.Z.E. is the setting of choice.

Wrestling matches routinely take

place in the living room and kitchen...

with Dad! :)

A.N.D.

You are taken care of.

You are watched out for.

You are loved and cherished.

You have the opportunity to

be used to shape boys into men...

with God's equipping.

What an incredible gift to be mothering

this next generation of men!

May God give grace and patience day by day.

HE alone is able!

If any of you, dear friends,

are in this same boat ~

Be encouraged...it is a noble calling.

The LORD will give all that

is needed as we seek HIM for the wisdom

to do the task well ~

For HIS glory!

What a blessing that HE never

leaves us to ourselves.

What a blessing that HE is

Faithful even when we are not!

Let's keep our eyes fixed on HIM.

Many blessings,

Camille

Above and Below

On Auntie Mary's recent visit,
we had the opportunity to have her
stay with us in our home for a few days.
All to ourselves!

We planned a day trip to Seattle
to do some of the *touristy*
things we had not done before as a family.
Auntie Mary had never travelled that far
South into the USA.
It was a new experience for us all.

As we approached the city
we had a view of the Space Needle ~
the icon of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

Our first stop was not this landmark,
but rather, the underground.

Apparently, the city was originally built on
unstable ground and after a devastating fire,
was rebuilt using retaining walls and pilings
driven deep into the mud to find solid ground.

While the rebuilding took place,
life continued on in the city.
Although they knew that the ground floor
of the new buildings would eventually be covered up,
they conducted business as usual.

Once all the retaining walls were in place
the second storey became ground level,
and the first storey went underground.

In order to light the passageways below,
*skylights* were installed.

This is the view from underneath the sidewalk
where the glass is embedded in the cement.
Unfortunately, I don't have a photo
of this from above.

Every so often, we would emerge
at street level and then descend
another flight of stairs to get to
the next portion of the underground.

Toward the end of our tour,
we were shown this *water pipe* ~
It was hewn out of wood!
Imagine the troubles that would cause!

The second purpose of our trip
was to go up the Space Needle.

The observation level is over 500 feet above the city
and provides a spectacular 360 degree view.
We all enjoyed it very much!

Calvin was shooting helicopters and airplanes ~
Of course! :)

The required *group shot* was taken ~
L to R: Calvin, Austin, Fraser, Auntie Mary,
Emma, Camille and Howie.

The view from above the city.

A glorious sunset on the long drive home.

We said our goodbyes to Auntie Mary
the following afternoon at the airport.
We all miss her very much!
But, we are so thankful for
the special times we were able to share together.
God is so gracious with us, isn't HE?

I am taking a little blogging break until next week.
If any of you should choose to leave a comment
(I do *love* to hear from you!) ~
I will plan to publish them when I am back
*in the loop*.

Many blessings to you each one!
In HIS Love,
Camille

A State of Mind...

Thankfulness is a discipline.
A state of mind.
A state of the heart.

All gifts come from the LORD.
We owe HIM the thanks.

I'm ashamed to say there are
times when I am unthankful.
When I grumble and complain.
It makes me think of the children
of Israel and their complaining nature.
How it grieved the LORD.

How I grieve HIM.

Oh that the LORD would help me
to learn to give HIM thanks
in every situation.

This is a beginning...
It's Monday...
I continue to count.

1411. The ice cream attachment
for my Kitchenaid! ~
A Mother's Day gift. :)

1412. 50 lbs of grass-only beef
delivered to the door and now in the freezer

1413. Provisions...over and over and over again!

1414. That our son with Crohn's Disease is on the road to recovery ~
Blessings upon blessings.

1415. Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream ~
Oh. Dear. Me!

1416. Homeschool and its benefits

1417. Three lanes open through the tunnel
during rush hour AND the HOV lane.

1418. That my fight with the sardine tin
was not any worse

1419. Lavender Oil

1420. Quick healing and no infection

1421. A little helper who does things like this...
without any prompting by me...
W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

1422. A built-in babysitter

1423. A cell phone ~
just *in case*

1424. That my family LIKES
waffles for dinner

1425. Messes that I didn't make and
reminding myself sadly that it won't always be like this!

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

It Really Isn't All About Me

How often have I thought of myself
more highly than I ought to?
How often have I put myself above others?
How often have I thought that
what I had to say was of utmost importance,
and even would interrupt to get my words out?

Too often.

How often have I died to self?
How often have I let others go ahead of me?
How often have I sat in silence
to let others speak?

Not often enough.

Oh that I would truly
have the posture of a Christian
in all of the above.

Practical Christianity.


"For I say,
through the grace given unto me,
to every man that is among you,
not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think;
but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith."
~ Romans 12:3 ~

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things,
but every man also on the things of others."
~ Philippians 2:3-4 ~

Oh to walk humbly with my God.
How wonderful it is that we can draw
strength from our precious LORD
and are not called to walk this path
without HIS help and grace!

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God."
~ Hebrews 12:2 ~

May the LORD bless you each
this weekend, kind friends,
as you seek to follow HIM
with all your heart!

And remember, when we fail,
HE is there to pick us up and
give us a fresh beginning!
All because of what
the LORD Jesus Christ
has accomplished for HIS people.

"If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
~ I John 1:9 ~

What a glorious thought!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Sweet Beginner Novels

Emma has been reading up a storm.
She seems to have been bitten by the
same bug as her Mummy was at that age.
What a blessing!

J.O.Y.

Some of the earliest novels I read featured
The Bobbsey Twins ~
two sets of twins in one family.

The stories are set in quieter days and portray a
loving family who make their own fun.
Emma has enjoyed meeting them and
the adventures they have are right in step
with her own imagination.
How lovely to be able to
share these with her!

Currently available are the first twelve books
from a much larger series.
If you can find any of these at used book stores,
snap them up, as they are treasures to build
any child's library with!


The Boxcar Children
are another series of books
that appeal to the younger reader.

I didn't grow up reading them,
but they have Emma's stamp of approval.
What I like about these books is that they were
written long ago and represent
many of the values we are seeking
to instill in our children.

One word of caution ~
I know that there are newer titles available and I am
not familiar with the quality of their stories.
They may be just fine, but in my experience,
there are times when a new author
comes along at a later date
to add to a series of books and
sometimes does not do the
original series justice.

What were some of your favourite
books growing up?
I'd enjoy hearing about them.
Please share!

Blessings,
Camille

Simply Guacamole!

Super Easy!
So. Good. For. You.
Y.U.M.M.Y.

Simply Guacamole.
(Gwa-ka-moe-lee)


I use three or four ripe avocadoes.
(They are ripe when dark in colour
and slightly soft).

Wash the skin and slice length-wise
through to the pit.
Split in half and remove the pit
with the tip of your knife.

Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
Mash with a fork.
Add in the juice of one lemon.
A splash or two of Hot Sauce.
And a shake of garlic powder.


Mix together.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Chill and serve.
Enjoy! :)