A new years ramble...

Well hello there dear hearts.. 

Happy New Year to you all.. 

It has been awhile since I have put on a regular post but here I am..

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season!  

But here we are in another new year and wondering where the last one went to.. 

Time just seems to fly the older we get.. 

The last year had a few trials but really there is not a thing to complain about.. 

An old chorus we sing sometimes says it just the way it is.. 

There is a roof up above me

Got a fine place to sleep.. 

Food on my table..

 Shoes on my feet.. 

You gave me your love, Lord and a fine family... 

Thank you, Lord for your blessings on me.. 

So thankful for all the past year brought our way and looking forward to a new year and all the surprises that await us.. 

Knowing who holds our hand really gives us peace in a world that seems to have lost it's way, eh? 

I have proved it over and over that God is faithful and just trusting Him for the year 2018... 

Now on with what has been happening here the last few weeks.. 

Today I started putting away the Christmas decor.. 

Decided to leave out the snowmen things for another month, though.. 

Made a lovely Lentil Soup for lunch.. 

The recipe is here in one of my old posts.. 

Click HERE

Christmas is such a busy season.. 

Lots of activities and such..  

This year I joined my friends in a gift exchange.. 

This is one of the things I included in the basket I gave.. 

Little snowmen made from salt shakers.. 

Enjoyed the time we had together ... 

Eating lunch and gabbing with friends made for a lovely afternoon.. 

I did find a purchase at the Thrift shop..

Yes, I did decide not to buy anything but books at thrift shops this fall but couldn't turn this one down.. 

All this for only five dollars..

I found out with the help of my friend Bev that these are Peruvian pottery.. 

Called Corn Bowls..

So in the next bit I want to try them out.. 

Do any of you have any suggestions for recipes using the dishes.. 

Maybe you have a Peruvian recipe that you could share with me..

I plan to do a bit of research and see what I can find. 

While I was making the snow girls for my friends I made a few extra for Shonda, Tammy and my Mom.. 

I love using all the little bits of jewellery and such that I had collected in my craft supplies.. 

Terry said I sounded like a hen scratching as I pushed the pieces around on the kitchen table.. 

He was very relieved when I finished them and finally cleaned the table off ..

I don't know why I don't craft somewhere else but just love working at the kitchen table.. smile.. 

Had this for my birthday dinner.. 

My Mom and Step-Father were here for supper and I made something I love.. German Meatballs..

Recipe Here

We also had a Scottish dish called Clapshot.. 

RECIPE HERE

They brought the cake.. 

So sweet as it was a cold day for them to get out but Mom just wanted me to have my gift... So dear!!... 

Your kid is always your kid even if they are now a senior.. grin..

I also enjoyed a Christmas House Tour and a tea with some friends and a trip to an old Railway Station house dressed for the season.. Then the Christmas concert and Christmas Eve service was lovely..

Lots of stuff going on.. 

We had to wait a whole week to celebrate with our family here as our daughter and her family were away.. 

Our oldest son had to work and our youngest was away also.. 

We did get to have a Christmas dinner at Shonda's after they returned home.. 

But on New Year's Eve look who showed up and spent the night.. 

Our five lovely grandsons.. 

Made Grandpa's and Gram's Year.. 

Old and New.. smile.. 

Next day their parents came early and we had a Turkey Ham dinner..  

We all opened our gifts and then played the Yankee Swap game.. 

Shonda and Dave had it all prepared and even brought all the wrapped gifts!

A few jokey ones gave us a few laughs.. 

Thank you sweeties.. 

There just is nothing like family.. 

I am so grateful for ours.. 

Each one is different but so precious to this momma.. 

We found this Christmas tugging at our hearts more as our youngest son wasn't with us.. 

It was the very first Christmas he was not here on Christmas day... 

But.. 

He is happy and doing well and I know he is in God's hands.. 

We received a nice big box of gifts from him and they were so lovely.. He has a talent for picking presents that click if you know what I mean.. 

Parents love their children and miss them when they are away.. 

That is just how it is.. 

You raise them and love them and then you let them fly.. 

But they are always in our heart... Always.... 

Anyway, all is well here in the Henry house.. 

Tomorrow a very large storm is to hit the Maritimes.. 

They are calling it a beast of a storm.. 

We will see... 

Our children will call and want to know if I have done my storm list.. 

Make a big soup and salad.. 

Have a couple thermoses full of coffee and tea.. 

Fill the washer and tubs with water for flushing .. 

Fill a few jugs with water for drinking.. 

So tomorrow morning I have a turkey carcass that will make a good soup before the storm hits.. 

I hope the hydro doesn't go off but they are forecasting big winds.. 

What do you do to prepare for a storm?  

I know this is one long post my friends and if you don't read it all I understand.. smile.. 

Hope you are enjoying your days.... 

This year I want to keep my family close and keep God first in my life.. 

How about you?  

Looking forward to hearing from you as always and God bless.. 

Hugs.. 

The days of January...

Hello everyone.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth again today.. 

Are you experiencing this cold weather?  

I guess we expect this in Canada and we get along fine with it.. 

Terry just keeps putting wood in the furnace and I make soup.. smile.. 

Lentil Soup... 

the recipe is HERE...

It is also sprout week..

Love my sprouts and I told you how to do them HERE..

I guess this is a bit of this and that kind of post.. 

Today I was making curtains to replace my Christmas kitchen ones.. 

In the process I noted that the windows needed cleaning.. 

Terry had picked me up one of these cloths at the Dollar Store.. 

I have been using them for several months and they are great.. 

All you do is wet the cloth and wash your windows.. 

They really work.. 

We have lots of French doors in this house and they are great for doing quick wipe ups... 

Just thought you might like to know that.. grin.. 

We went on our town day yesterday and did a bit of thrift shopping.. 

I bought this great crock type container for three dollars.. 

It is for my bananas that I dried.. 

I told you about them last post and yes we really like them.. 

All you do is slice them and dip them in lemon juice and then place on your dehydrator.. 

I think next time I will slice them crosswise and a bit thicker.. 

The item I saw on the internet sliced them lengthwise into about five slices, though.. 

Also, I will not dry them quite so long.. 

After several hours then just start checking.. 

But they are good.. 

One reader in my last post mentioned she dips them in water and honey which I would like to try, also... 

If she reads this perhaps she will share the measurements with us in the comment section.. 

Thanks.. 

This is what I was doing today.. 

Making a valance.. 

A double one.. 

I had bought a sheet at the thrift store that had this tag on it.. 

Anyway.. 

I measured and started tearing the fabric.. 

After I tore two pieces I noticed that it was not tearing straight.. 

Oh great... 

It took me a few hours to finally get all of the pieces the right measurements and sewn... 

I love the colours and they look fine..

It was too dark tonight to take a pic when I finally got them finished.. 

Perhaps, tomorrow.. 

Step one in my kitchen little redo.. smile..  

What are you girls busy doing ? 

I bought a lovely red wool coat yesterday to do my felted bed runner... 

Hopefully, I will get that started tomorrow.. 

I still have my tree up.. 

Is that not pathetic??? 

I have everything else down and taken to the basement where I am storing them for the first time.. 

That will leave me with a whole double closet up here.. 

Tomorrow for sure, I hope.. 

When I get done here I want to make a loaf of bread for tomorrow.. 

The link for that is HERE..

Are you making this bread? 

 Tomorrow is going to be one of the coldest days so I think we will appreciate the smell of baking bread, eh? 

I guess that is all for today, my friends.. 

Hope you are keeping warm.. 

Next time, I will post a little questionnaire for you all.. 

Looking forward to hearing from you and glad you like the Anonymous being back on.... 

God bless.. 

LENTIL SOUP RECIPE AND DINNERWARE STORAGE IDEA...

Happy Friday, everyone.. Another weekend is here... Thank you, Lord...

I think that almost everyone loves the weekends unless they have to work..

I still love to strive to accomplish a few chores on the weekends even though we no longer HAVE to do it then.  We can putter along all week unless Terry is actually working...lol.. He does once in a while..

So, with that in mind I thought I would give you one of MY favorite SOUP recipes.

I know that I make soup often... (Most days, to be honest)  Terry has learned to appreciate most of them...lol..

I just can't imagine opening a can when you can make such a big pot so EASILY.

Then you can freeze it or use it for lunches.

I don't make as big of batches as I used to but we still eat it ALL...

This is a recipe that I made up as I love Middle Eastern food.  I took 2 recipes and kind of combined them.. I could eat this for breakfast... I think it is my favorite..

LENTIL SOUP

LENTIL SOUP

1 - 16 OZ. can of lentils

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced

1/2 cup raw rice

1 cup water

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

1 tsp. cumin

salt pepper to taste..

In a soup pot put lentils, water and chicken stock.  Add the rice and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

In a separate frying pan saute the onion in the olive oil until transparent.. Add the garlic at the end just for a moment.. (until you can smell it) Set aside..

When the rice is cooked add the onion mixture, lemon juice, cumin, and parsley..

Season with salt and pepper..

I guess I must confess that Terry does not like this soup.. I can't quite get him into some of my concotions..lol..

With your fry pan just add a pita and toast on both sides.. It goes lovely with your soup and is a nice change. I try not to eat a lot of bread so this is a nice solution.

Also, my friend Christine who lives in Florida posted these wonderful BISCUITS that you can freeze.. They would be lovely to make on a Saturday morning and then have them for the week..

Thank you, Christine for letting me link to your site.. That is her photo of her biscuits.. 

Also, I wanted to share a couple of organizing tips for your dinnerware and cutlery..

Sometimes it is not only convenient to store it on the counter but pretty, too..

I found this pic on the web and have tried to find where but cannot.. If you know could you let me know where I found it.. It was a very good site...

This is just a canner rack and wide mouthed mason jars for your cutlery.. Neat, eh?

They would be handy and easy to put away..Also, add a decor touch...

Then I used this at the farm.. It is a plate rack that I picked up at a thrift store.

I do not have much cupboard space there and this works lovely..

Well, my dears this is all for today..

Thank you so much for stopping by and remember that I delight in your comments...  

God Bless...

Faye..