| Homelife August 2001 Dear Sisters I noticed that we were getting a lot of ants in our kitchen. And so, I followed their 'march' ~ right to our pantry! They were collecting their harvest from our pantry, and passing over our kitchen counters en route to their home ~ to store and feast on. This was a good reason to start cleaning the pantry thoroughly. Although our pantry is sorted on a weekly basis, so that we can make our shopping lists, it was in need of a more intensive 'cleansing'. Sauce gathered around the necks of bottles, honey and jam jars sticky on the outside, dry goods in boxes were all sources of food for these ants. We cleaned and washed the bottles and jars. Then we sorted all the dry foods and put them in containers. We wiped and disinfected the shelves, just in case the ants could smell 'sweetness', even though we couldn't see or feel it. Our pantry now contains bottles, cans, jars, plastic containers and tins. No foodstuff is in its original box anymore. And the result: no more ants! At least for now. I didn't think that the ants would be marching in such cold weather as we have here in Australia at this time. But, alas ~ they are still up and about. Perhaps they're Eskimo ants. Smile...... <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Do you find that the hardest part of having somebody over to dinner is deciding what to cook? I have. Often! For so long, I have saved recipes, printed recipes, made my own recipes, yet despite all this, I am left with the same dilemma: what shall I cook? I have begun to file these recipes, place them in order. I have several folders, with plastic sleeves inside of them. I have sorted, and continue to sort different meal recipes into their relevant folders. I have one for 'company' dinners, including what to cook for a large crowd. I have one for cakes, biscuits and desserts. I have one for gluten free meals. In yet another, I have ideas for the lunch menu. In another, breakfasts. As I learn about new recipes, I either copy or type them out (or have one of the children type them out for me, as typing practice!) then file it in it's rightful place! This has helped me so much! At a moment's notice, I refer to our recipe folders. If I am busy elsewhere, I can ask one of the girls to look into the folders, and begin with the mis-en-plas (a French term for gathering your ingredients before you start to cook or bake) of whatever menu we decide to use. All tried and true! <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< I make a special meal for our five dogs. Early in the mornings, we give them biscuits. Then, later in the day, I mix a 'hot meal' for them, to keep them warm on our chilly nights. Here's what I do: I cook 500g of minced kangaroo meat. Then I cook 2 cups of rice and add this to the meat, mixing well. Finally, I add 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds to this mix. Our vet told me that this helps so much with their skin and coats. Our dogs (and one cat) love this mix and the benefits sure do show in their shiny coats! To clean their teeth, we give them raw chicken bones ~ at least once a week. This may sound expensive, but one large bag of dog biscuits lasts a long time, as they are not the sole source of food for our dogs. Our pet shop owner pre-packs the meat ready for us, so that when we go in to pick it up, he greets us with a huge packet of chilled produce, in whatever quantities we have requested earlier in the week. We buy most of our dry goods in bulk, and the rice and flaxseeds are no exceptions (both last a long time!) The chicken wings are often on special at local supermarkets. I sure hope that this may help those of you who have pets and are wondering what to feed them. For those of you who live in non-kangaroo zones (smile), perhaps you may have an alternate source of pet meat. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< For those of you who love those pot holders that hang above the centre benches or else above the stove, it is quite easy and inexpensive to own one yourself. Usually, they are made from wrought iron and cost a lot of money. The alternative way is to find some type of metal frame. It can be any type of frame. If you search the scrap yards, second hand stores or even your local tip (if you live in the country!) you will probably find all sorts of treasures that can be turned into something useful. My friend uses an old rectangle frame ~ goodness knows what from. She has painted it a heritage green and has made her own 'hooks' by bending a sturdy type of wire into 'S' shapes. It looks so 'country' ~ hung there with colanders, graters, pots and pans, woks, potato mashers, whisks etc. All you need is four hooks screwed into your ceiling, with some chain available from the hardware store. Hang your 'original' frame from the chains, then enjoy filling it up. Bunches of dried flowers, wheat or berry branches can be hung at all four corners to give it an old fashioned look (and didn't our foremothers use all types of interesting natural plant life to decorate?). Fun, fun, fun! <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Do you have a kitchen 'mess' drawer? We do. I have 'fought' against this for years. I've wanted neat, functional drawers in my kitchen for so long. I clean them out, wash the contents, return all that belongs in them. A couple of weeks go by, then, before I know it, my 'mess' drawer has once again emerged! Well, I have erected my white flag in this battle. I have surrendered! And you know what? We now have a functional 'mess' drawer. I have allocated the drawer nearest to the wall phone for this. It contains our phone books, address books, calendar with our schedules on, pens, pencils, scissors and tape, cards and contacts, a variety of 'found' items (smile) and finally, a book for our utility bills (see below). Instead of fighting against our tendencies to somehow assist these items to a convenient kitchen drawer, and later removing them to what we thought would be a more appropriate location (office), we now have a mini control centre. Oh, and we keep our mobile phone chargers in this drawer for easy access. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< I have been teaching the girls how to do phone banking and payments. They are familiarising themselves with the structure of a variety of our utility bills (to start with), by noting biller codes and references. I'm hoping to teach them how to cope with paperwork and bill payments, as well as how to communicate effectively and efficiently with the real people on the other end of the line. I have composed a 'Phone Banking Book'. The front of the book is used to record account balances and transactions (transfers, deposits and withdrawals). The back of the books is used to record bill payments. Each time we make a payment, we record who the payment has been made to, the date, the amount, and the receipt number. The actual bill remains tucked in the book, until it is paid, and then it is filed away in the filing cabinet. Now that my girls can do this, I find that it gives me the opportunity to perform a variety of chores, while they are on the phone ~ learning. Not to mention the peace of mind, knowing that our bills are being paid! <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< All of our family love garlic butter. Here is how I make our own: I take a block of butter out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for however long it takes to soften a little, making it easier to work with (I say 'however long it takes', because we are all in different climatic zones!). Although softer, the butter must still be firm. Add 2-3 teaspoons of crushed garlic paste or finely chopped fresh garlic Add 2-3 teaspoons of chopped parsley, depending on taste and the quantity of butter you want to make. (We use these quantities of garlic and parsley to a 1kg block of butter). Mix the garlic and parsley well into the butter. Divide the butter, so that you can create 'rolls'. (I get four rolls out of a 1kg block) Place these sections of butter onto greaseproof paper and begin to roll, forming a cylindrical shape or 'roll' of butter, covered by the greaseproof paper. Twist the paper at the ends, so the resultant finished roll of garlic butter looks like a Christmas cracker. Freeze or refrigerate, depending on how much butter you use. Garlic butter tastes wonderful as a frying medium with a little olive oil. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< For most of my married life, I have not had the pleasure of owning a dishwasher. However, 3 years ago, my lovely Andre bought me one. I hadn't asked him to; he wanted to! About 3 months ago, our dishwasher broke down. It just stopped working and wouldn't even make a noise when I pushed the 'on' button. I reported this to Andre, and he told me that he would have a look at it and perhaps attempt to fix it. Well, he has been so busy, and I didn't want to keep reminding him about this, as it would just add to his burden, so we have been happy enough to carry on washing dishes by hand. Until this morning..... On the way to church, we were discussing 'tools of the trade'. I pointed out to my husband that when men's tools break down, they attempt to fix and / or replace them as soon as possible. Often immediately! I wasn't trying to hint at him, and he knew this. He agreed with my comment, and to my delight, he immediately apologised for not having looked at my 'tool of the trade' sooner and has promised to look at it this week. Thank you, Lord! <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< My son, Sam, enjoys playing his guitar. He is learning to play several hymns and one of the men from church is teaching him to 'pick' at the strings, as well as play the chords. I have always endeavoured to encourage my children in whatever they enjoy, whatever makes them smile. They are not wanting children. They seldom ask us for anything. However, for some time, I have noticed that Sam has had a desire to build up his music paraphernalia. I give it this name, ~ 'paraphernalia ~ as although I enjoy encouraging Sam, I am not musically minded, and don't even know, nor understand musical terms and equipment! hee.... The word 'capo' has come up in conversation several times. We have never been asked to supply him with one. (We all knew they were an expensive item). You can imagine our joy when Sam came home one day, clutching an almost-new capo, which he immediately told us was given to him by one of the other young men from church. "Mom, I didn't even ask and Dan gave this to me." It thrills my heart to see young men encouraging the boys in church. Again, the Lord provided ~ even when we hadn't even asked Him. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another...." Romans 12:10 <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< We remain excited about the prospect of our coffee shop! There is much to learn and wherever we go, we take note of every detail whenever we get the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee or meal in the variety of cafes and restaurants we visit. Emma and Sarah are looking forward to the up and coming fine food fare, so that we can see what is available on the market. Oh, Sisters, who would have thought that we would be led down this avenue? A coffee shop? I would never have thought.... From a life of being a stay-at-home-mom ~ keeper of the home, helping my husband in his line of work to this. It is awesome, Sisters! This shows that we never know what the Lord has in store for us. Oh, please be encouraged in whatever you do, whatever the Lord will have you do in service to Him. Be faithful in the small things. May you all continue to bask in His love, Love, Helen |