The Help

I've heard it's hard to find good help these days.

I don't agree at all. =)

I think I've posted it before, but here's a link to an article about children helping in the home. It's not just for parents of older kids either. Kids who are only 2 or 3 can help too!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

I've never made any kind of muffin from scratch except for walnut muffins. We are blueberry muffin lovers but for some reason it has never occurred to me to make them without a mix.

For a long time I used the mix with the imitation berries (I'm gagging a little now that I think about it). I thought I was really stepping up in the world when I switched to the mix with the real blueberries in a can. While my kids gobbled those up faster than I could clean up the mess from making them, they just didn't have much flavor. They were bland.

This week Julia and I decided to try our hand at homemade muffins for some new neighbors we have. I found a recipe, we made them last night, and behold.......

I am now a homemade muffin snob!

I know you want the recipe. It's so simple it's ridiculous. And they are SOOOO good! They even have a fancy crumb topping that makes them perfect.

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (or a little more)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries

(topping)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 4oo. Grease muffin pan or use liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
• Place vegetable oil in measuring cup. Add egg and enough milk to make 1 cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Add vanilla.
  
• Fold in blueberries.
• Fill muffin cups.
  
• To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
• Sprinkle crumb topping on top of muffin batter.
• Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
  

**Muffin tops are the best part so don't be skimpy when you fill your muffin pan!
**Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before making any kind of muffin.
**Don't make these when you have just started a new diet. Trust me.

And if you want more muffin related reading, this is a great post. =)

Great Tradition To Consider!

I never have and never will like all the candy that goes along with Halloween (or fall festivals, or whatever else your family may participate in). I saw a great idea the other day that we may start this year. I doubt I'll go all crafty to do it, but the basic idea is still so great. So simple yet so genius. Why didn't I think of this?

What do you think about "The Magic Halloween Bag" idea???

Into Focus

I have so much to post, but not enough time to do it. Sadly, it was one of those days (more my fault than the kids', I think) and I was in great need of this particular article. It's a good one and if you don't have a moment to read it now, I hope you'll read it later. Or am I the only one who ever struggles with patience, especially in the child-rearing area? Hmmm......

As for the many things I want to post, I will say for now that for so many, many months we've been following God's leading without quite knowing where we were going. We've said to ourselves many times, "If we only knew where we were going next......"

But we didn't know. And we learned to be okay with that.

We knew bits and pieces here and there, but that was about it. Our future seemed a jumble of blurry places and plans.

But over the past week or so, it's as if God is bringing things into focus.

How very, very exciting to finally be "in the know", at least on a few things.......

Better is a dry morsel....

I read a thought provoking (and for me quite convicting) blog post today that I thought many of my own readers would enjoy. It is based on Proverbs 17:1 which says,

"Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife."

Although I can honestly say that I've made great strides lately, I'm still learning to put first things first. I'm learning gentleness and its great power in child raising. I'm learning to treasure my children and not punctuate perfection.

I'm remembering that those treasures will see (or not see) Jesus in me. I'm understanding that degree or no degree, a job with eternal value has been given to me.

None of the stuff matters. My family matters.

Mrs. Parunak says in her post:

"As is so often the case in the Christian life, attitude trumps accomplishment. We should aspire to do wonderful things with our lives and our homes, but we have to remember to start with hearts and relationships and continually put quietness before lavish sacrifice."

I hope you will read her post in its entirety and I hope it encourages you as it did me.....

Teeth Brushing and our Kids

If you are like me (as in you have kids and brushing teeth sometimes just seems like more trouble than it's worth) then you should really read this post written by a dental hygienist. It's very informative, inspiring (in a "kick you in the rear" kind of way), and a little scary. 

Thanks, Team Hill, for a great post.....