And the winner is....

Good Morning my dears.. 

Just a short posting this lovely morning to let you know whose name Terry picked to win the little egg gatherer... 

Thank you so much for each of you that entered and to all of the new followers.. And to all of the faithful ones who read and comment no matter how boring I am.. 

I appreciate each and every one of you.. 

So.... 

here are the names... 

Some had 2 chances and some had 3 so please forgive my writing..

I put them in a  bowl and Terry picked a name...

And the winner is ....

DEB..... 

There you go.... Deb has a blog called Loyalist Cottage.. 

She is a Canadian..

 The first time he has picked one..

smile...  

Anyway, have a wonderful weekend with your families.. 

God is good and greatly to be praised.. 

eh?

Love and prayers... 

Give away Reminder and Blanche...

Good Evening .... 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth tonight... 

So glad you all stopped by..

Hope everything is lovely in your part of the world..

We are having cool but sunny days and working away at things..

Isn't there a lot to do this time of year?  

Besides the regular things we are trying to do a bit of spring cleaning and getting things done for the shop.

Today I finished this lady ...

Her name is Blanche...

Her dress is made from calico and her apron is an old dresser scarf...

She is holding a real nest with eggs and dried cedar.. She is hanging on the closet door in the foyer... 

Thank you all for joining in on the little lady giveaway.. 

There are only 2 more days until the draw for the giveaway ...If you have not signed up just click HERE and 

if you haven't joined me over at Like a Bubbling Brook for a 

guest post on Lentils and recipes please click HERE..

Thank you, my dears...

I really appreciate you guys and your sweet comments..

Welcome to all of the new followers, too..

Praying for you all... 

For the Love of Lentils and Recipes...

Good morning my dears.. 

I am hoping you will join me today HERE at Like a Bubbling Brook with Jaime Gibbs.. 

As you know I am very honored to be a contributing Titus 2 writer there once a month. 

This month you will find a posting about lentils... 

I have included several tips and recipes that you might enjoy. 

Jaime has a wonderful BLOG on Biblical homemaking and whole foods.. 

Come on over and join us HERE..

Please leave her one of your sweet comments that you are all so good at.. smile..

And if you are visiting from Like a Bubbling Brook then  please know that you are very welcome.. We are blessed to have you.

Love and Prayers ..

Faye  

Seeded Bread, Homework and the Giveaway..

Good Morning everyone.. 

Hope your day is going well.. 

We woke up to a snowy morning.. The ground is again covered but I am sure it will not last.. Cooler, too than last week.. 

It is still March, though and we usually have snow into April.. 

Life in Canada, eh?

I have been reading a lot about the value of seeds in our diet and came across a recipe in a UK magazine Country Living for a bread topper.. 

I thought it was lovely and then in a UK Country Homes they had a recipe for Seeded Soda Bread.. 

Terry and I have cut back on bread but if we do have it then I want it to be homemade.. With that in mind I thought I would give the recipe a try.. I sort of combined a couple of recipes .. 

This is the seed recipe that I used because of what I already had in my pantry.. 

Seed Bread Topping...

2 1/2 T. each of ...Pumpkin, Sesame, Poppy, Flax. Sunflower

 and 1 tsp. Fennel seeds...

How do you store your seeds??

I put mine in mason jars as I do my herbs.. 

That lovely idea is from a Canadian chef Michael Smith who lives here in the Maritimes in P. E. I... 

He is one of my fave chefs, of course.. smile..

Here is the recipe for Seeded Soda Bread that I used.. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 3/4 cups of rye flour

2 cups of white unbleached flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. salt

Whisk together with a whisk or sift.. 

Martha Steward says that whisking is the same as sifting.. 

I find it much faster... smile..

Add the above seed mixture except for 2 T. for the top and stir..

Then you make a well in the centre and add...

1 3/4 cups of buttermilk except for 1 T. for topping... (one recipe used plain yogurt..)

The keepers know to buy buttermilk powder in bulk at the Bulk Barn and then you always have some on hand.. smile.. 

Using a round edged knife mix together

Take out and knead for one minute and place either in a greased loaf pan or shape into a ball and place on a greased baking sheet.. 

Make a few scores on the top with a serrated knife..

Brush with buttermilk...

Cover with the 2T. of saved seeds and bake for 30 minutes.. 

I baked mine for 35 to 40 minutes and I think it was a speck too long.. Just keep your eye on it.. smile.. 

And here it is...

We found it delicious with a slice of tomato.. 

We put tomato on everything..

The UK magazine put slices of bacon in between.. 

Yummy.. Alas, we try not to eat much bacon, either.. 

Let me know if you give this recipe a try and how you like it.. 

You may make some changes and I would love to know.. OK?

How is your homework doing?  We have our Keepers meeting the first Saturday of April and I will post more after that.. 

But for now I thought you might like to check with a dear girl who lives over in England.. She posted about her homework and I think you will find it interesting and inspiring... 

Just click HERE..

Her name is Carly... She so kindly allowed me to link to her.. 

lf any of you post about it please let me know... 

Here is a wee gift my hubby gave me ..

Don't you love that kitchen..

Praying God will bless you all  int this little endevor... smile.. 

Well, my dears... It was a nice visit today.. 

Please check in tomorrow ?????? 

Oh... don't forget about my giveaway.. 

You can find it HERE...

Thank you so much for stopping by and WELCOME to all of the new followers..

And a great big thank you for all of your kind anniversary wishes..

 So glad to have you all.. 

Praying for you  that God's blessings will be upon you.. 

Hugs..

LINKED TO...HOMESTEAD REVIVAL

LINKED TO...TEACH ME TUESDAYS

LINKED TO....INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS..

Just an old chocolate box.....

filled with poems written by a 16 year old girl...

who loved a boy....

So now I close with this prayer

That our love together we shall share...

And in the years ahead as in the days gone by

We will love each other until we die..

November 3, 1969..

And still does... 

xoxo...

Saturday night dinner...

Hello my dears.. 

Here it is Saturday evening again.. 

I wanted to thank all of you dear girls for signing up for my little giveaway.. Click HERE to sign up if you would like to.. 

Anyway, tonight I am making a special dinner for Terry and I.. 

I thought I would share the table setting with you.. 

You probably saw these dishes before when I did a guest posting for Like a Bubbling Brook.  They are a thrift store find.. 

We have a little bouquet that is our very first flowers to bloom.. 

They come early every year and my Mom calls them Heather.. 

I don't know what the correct name is.. smile.. 

They are pretty, though and so Spring like..

The colors are lovely, eh? 

We are having Ham slices baked in milk and brown sugar, mashed potatoes, sauteed green peas and onions, salad and such for dinner.

Just an old fashioned meal.. 

I remember the first meal that I made for Terry 42 years ago..

. 

Potato Scallop, sausages, peas and chocolate cake.. 

I loved to cook even at the beginning of our marriage and thought he would love the meal. 

I did not know that the temperature of the oven was way off and the cake fell and the scallop was rather crisp.. grin..

He still liked it, though... 

And he fixed the stove.. smile..

And a bit of candle light.. 

The candle is one that I modge podged a toile napkin on.. 

That posting is on HERE for the how to..

Well, dear ladies... He will soon be in .. With this lovely weather it is hard to get him in before 7 o'clock at least.. 

He has so much to do outside this time of year.. 

Although, it is much sooner than usual.. 

Thank you all so much for your sweet visit and welcome to all the new followers.  I look forward to hearing from you all..

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day..smile.. 

Have a blessed one.. 

Hugs..

A Giveaway for you all.....

Hello there everyone.. 

Just a short posting tonight as I may not have the time tomorrow and I wanted to do it before the weekend.. 

This doll is handmade even her face.. A girl by the name of Pam McFarland  made her.. I do not know this girl but I bought it at a craft show in Augusta, Maine ... 

Anyway, my dear husband and I will be celebrating our 42nd wedding anniversary on Monday.. 

Can you imagine?? 

Forty two years.. 

We are getting old but do you know that even though our bodies are slowing and ageing our hearts are as young as ever.. 

He still makes my heart sing and I still see that dear twinkle in his eye when he tells me that he thinks I am beautiful.. 

Now that must be love, eh?  smile.. 

This blog is about HOME... 

It is about keeping our homes and loving our God and our families.. 

I kind of thought that this doll reminds me of the keeper of the home.. 

She has just collected her eggs...Can you see them?

I don't have chickens.. I wish I did.. smile..

So, if you would like the doll then these are the rules..

1.. Be a follower of this blog if you are not yet then you are more than welcome..

2.. Leave a comment on this post ... 

3.. If you post about it or put it on your sidebar then you get another chance but please let me know.. 

So you can have as many as 3 chances.. 

We will make the draw on March 31...

I will also include a  surprise... OK?

Thanks for all your lovely visits and comments.. 

I really appreciate them.. 

May God bless and keep you..

Hugs..

A Salmon Salad Recipe for you....

Good Morning dear ladies..

What a beautiful day we are having again this week.. Yesterday was so Summer like that I thought we should head for the Bay of Fundy.. 

We didn't... smile..

Instead we headed for the hills to our old farm.. It was a lot cooler there.. But all of the snow in our lane was gone and the brook was overflowing it's banks..

Terry put a fire on and guess what I did?

I worked on my homework for Keepers. 

I found a few ideas in some old books that were there..

How are you ladies making out getting it done?

It is more of a thinking and dreaming process this month.. eh?

Anyway... I thought I would share a couple of recipes with you ... 

I made this and we really loved it so I thought you might, too..

Every once in awhile I will buy some fresh salmon..

I had this old menu from Kings Landing and happened to come across it the other day and thought that I would try and make their salmon salad which is called...

 Skoodawabskoosis Salad...

That must be an Indian name...

Well, let's just say I made my version of it.. smile.. 

Poached Salmon... 

In a frying pan add.. 

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of white cooking wine

1 green onion chopped

1 piece of fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried dill  

(my dear man does not like the texture of fresh dill so I try and use dried) 

Bring to a simmer and add your salmon fillets or pieces.... You could use steaks, too..

Bring back to a simmer and cover.. 

Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until cooked through.. Do not overcook..

Season with pepper and cool... 

OK..

Now this is the dressing that I made.. 

We are not great lovers of tarragon so I did dill.. 

In a small bowl whisk together.. 

1/4 cup of yogurt (I used Greek)

1/4 cup of low fat mayo

1/8 cup of milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. minced dried onion

1 tsp. dried dill or fresh chopped

1 tsp. fresh parsley chopped

a small pinch of red pepper flakes.. 

Whisk together and let sit for a bit ....

Meanwhile..

Wash and dry some lettuces.. 

I used a Spring Mix... 

Add some chopped celery and red onion..

Slice some English cukes thin..

Place all of this mixture on your serving plate except the cukes which you can arrange around the edge...

Place your drained and cooled salmon in the centre.. 

Drizzle with dressing and add a few capers if desired.. I love them and he doesn't.. smile..

Voila....

You now have a Skoodawabskoosis Salad..

If you can say it you can eat it.. 

Grin.. 

Have a wonderful God blessed day dear friends.. 

Isn't God good.. 

To give us so many blessings.. 

Undeserving that's what we are .. 

Want to thank Him.. 

Love and praise Him.. 

A little more today and whole lot more tomorrow.. 

Remember that old chorus??? 

Thanks for the dear visit and welcome to you new followers.. So happy to have you.. 

Looking forward to hearing from you all.. 

Hugs...

Linked up to INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS

Frugal Decor...

Hello everyone.. 

Such a beautiful Spring like day here in Eastern Canada and we didn't even need a sweater...  

I finally put away all the snowmen in our front foyer..I know it is a bit late but we do still have a bit of snow out there..

That is my story and I am sticking to it.. grin..

I have to redecorate the foyer.. It needs a fresh touch without costing much..

As you know I love the country prim type of decor.

So ... with that in mind  I decided to make some pillows but they are not finished ..I thought about bringing up an old bureau but Trevor (our oldest son) had made me the bench .. I decided to keep it there for a bit longer.. 

I will share it all with you later but for today I did a wee lamp. 

It may not be to every one's taste but I kind of like it. 

It is made with a mason jar kit. 

My Dad had given me the large mason jar many long years ago.. I have kept it because he gave it to me.. 

 I thought this would be a neat way to keep it for awhile..

There is a prim border in the foyer and hallway.  As there was a roll left I decided to use it.  

I just fitted it to the jar and glued it on a shade that I had.. 

I think the little blessings written on it are suitable for an entry..

May the happiness of heart and home be one, and may all who enter be enveloped in it's warmth.. 

May love, joy, peace and health be bestowed upon all who pass through our doors.. 

I also did this..

I need to buy some brown ink to make the crow part darker or perhaps I just need to tea dye it, too.. 

And maybe I should take out the glass.. 

What say you?

I will show it later, too.. smile..

I took a pic of my basil plant, too.. 

It is hard to believe that I brought this in from outside last Fall.. 

It has been in blossom for a couple of months.. 

It looks a bit sad but it is still alive and well..grin..

I will be doing this again for sure.. 

So Happy Spring my dears.. 

My all time fave time of year.. 

How about you?  What is your favorite season?

I thank you all for stopping by.. I so enjoy hearing from you, too. 

It makes blogging worthwhile when you know someone is reading.. 

God bless...

A Lovely Visit...

Happy Monday everyone.. 

How are you all this evening?

We visited our daughter and her family yesterday after Sunday morning service.. 

They had returned home safe and sound from Florida last week so we went down to see them.. 

 It was a lovely visit.. Our grandsons are growing like crazy.. 

The dear things.. 

Shonda cooked a wonderful meal..

Turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, squash and dressing.. 

Sooo good and then coffee and apple crisp..

Her wonderful husband did all the cleaning up.. 

Thanks, Dave.. 

As usual, I look around to see any new decor... smile.. 

She had new little gathering in her foyer.. 

Very prim, I think.. smile..

You may have noticed that I do not put pics of the grandsons on my blog.. Only once in a blue moon.. 

Their parents prefer that I abstain... So, I do.. 

You will have to take my word that they are handsome..

I can show you their cat, though..

Meet Buddy... 

Him and I have a lot in common.. 

Fat and lazy... grin.. 

Sorry Buddy... 

After we had spent the afternoon there, Terry wanted to go and check the cottage as we were so close.. 

The old place was still standing.. 

Thank you, Lord...

It is just waiting for us to arrive for the Summer and it will come back to life.. 

Lots of boys running up the back stairs to their clubhouse.. 

Terry mending things and  I will be getting the shop open and ready... 

Lots of company dropping by trying to get cooled off in the  Bay of Fundy.. 

Only a couple of months, now.. 

Here is the lighthouse over in West Quaco.. 

My uncle Skip helped to build this..

There were a lot of boats out waiting to come in..

It must be lobster season, soon.. 

The tide is coming in, now..

It is a bit rough out there tonight..

We need to get home... An hour and a half away.. 

Hope you all had a blessed Sunday..

Our pastor preached on grace yesterday.. 

No matter what your trial is dear ladies, the Lord will be there and go right through it with you.. 

He is faithful and as close as the mention of His name. 

He will give you grace to make it ..

Such a privilege to know Him... 

Thank you dear ladies for your sweet visit.. 

Looking forward to hearing from you all..

Peace..