mamakay

managing a household of 10 by the grace of God

planning

September: the New (Old) January

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Fall is by far my favorite season! I love the cooling of the air, the shortening of the days, and the invitation to prepare for winter by preserving the harvest (even if its not from my own garden). It is the time of returning to routines and the home is central to it all. Warm meals and baking are welcomed after so many hot months where the kitchen seems unappealing. School begins and the rhythms of life become more predictable.

Each season brings a time for reflection for me. What is working in our lives? What isn’t working? What can we do differently? How do we want to spend our time during this season? I try to take some time to really think through these things. The last 2 years I have been able to get away for a couple days and it has been such a blessing to have the time and space to consider our lives. We have made some huge changes this past year and having some space really helped me have some clarity.

This year I also started making a wall calendar on a half sheet of poster board for the family for the season. It has been amazing to me how much it has helped us be intentional about our time. Seeing our schedule a little zoomed out has helped us so much as we make our plans.

I have been thinking about how much September seems like new year. It is a time for making plans, lists and preparations for the coming time. And then it hit me as I looked at the calendar. Rosh Hashanah was this week. In the Jewish calendar, September has been the new year all along.

So Happy New Year! May God bless you in this coming year!

MamaKay

 

Bullet Journals, Planners and Goals! Oh, My!

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For the last few years I have working to find a system to keep myself on track with all the things going on in this busy life as a Manager of a household of 10. I started using a Bullet Journal in January 2016 so that I could have everything in one place! I loved its flexibility and having one place. But I quickly tired of my sloppy attempts to draw calendars and using it for a future tracker proved to be difficult.

Enter the Happy Planner! I had heard people rave about them online and then they had them at Costco last December. I immediately fell in love! They are so pretty and using stickers is so much fun! I use it for my brain dump to do lists, calendar, memory recorder, meal planner, prayer list reminders and focused to do lists.

It worked so well I bought a special Teacher Edition to keep track of our homeschooling. I previously had used A Blue Sky Planner which included a monthly calendar and a paragraph sized space for each day of the week. I love that the teacher edition has spaces for subjects and has more space since it only has 5 days a week. I use 1 side for my individual students and the other side for our group subjects. It also has a monthly calendar and a place to write goals. Plus using stickers is fun too!

Then I got my hands on the Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets in May!  (The new sets for 2018 will be available in just a couple more weeks.) I love how they guide you through brainstorming what you want your life to look like and then break that down into practical goals.  The tending sheet is wonderful as a habit tracker and keeping my goals before me. Just this month I realized I could tear it out of the book, paste it to a blank page to insert into my Happy Planner! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!

I still love my bullet journal for all my ideas. I use it for planning, journaling, my commonplace notes, reading journal, notes from podcasts and meetings and keeping track of ideas I don’t want to lose.

I also use Google calendar to help communicate with our family what is on the schedule as well as Google Assistant to set reminders of random tasks I need to do at specific times. Most of us have smart phones now so it works well to be able to check schedules where ever we are.

At the beginning of the month I try to take a couple of hours to sit down and reflect on the past month and develop a vision for the coming month. I use the Powersheets to help me work through that.

 

 

Then I plug in the details into my Happy Planner including tucking the Tending List into my planner. I put all the main things on calendar and start my brain dump to do list.

Then on Sundays, I plan out that particular week. I use my stickers to decorate and get my mind wrapped around what I need to focus on. I add a To-Do list bookmark to the week. On a daily basis I try to add anything I want to remember, track things like my steps and look ahead to the next day.

 

 

Before bed I pull out my Leuchtturm1917 and record my day. I’ve been using a modification of the 5 Minute Journal to provide a template for what I want to record.

I am a very visual person and I need to be able to see all the details. All of these tools help me to do that! I tried to go digital but there is just something about writing things out that really help me to cement them in my memory. If I keep to my routines I can sleep better not worrying about what I need to remember or spending so much time trying to find a bit of information I need.

I want to live an intentional life! In order to do that I have to set aside time regularly to make sure I am getting the things done that I say I want to do. Life slips by so easily! I want to remember what has happened and choose where I am going to the best of my ability!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11(ESV)

MamaKay

My Thinking Spot

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This past year I felt like a barely kept my head above water. I know I had a new baby (and it was bit harder since the boys are 3 years apart). And really ever since we moved to Montana I felt like I was behind, unorganized and it was getting worse. Our kids are getting bigger and have more activities than we have ever had before coupled with little ones still at home has made for some difficult juggling. I had to come to accept that we are in a new season of life.

I also did some hard thinking about who I am and what I need to be successful in this new season of life. I really process things through writing and I realized I had nowhere to write! I need some quiet and my books, journals, room for my laptop, etc… so I can plan our days, process our days and somehow work my way out of the deep waters.

So as we prepared for a better year my husband helped me carve out a spot in our room and I tried to carve out some time in the evenings to sit and work through this life we’ve been given. I haven’t been able to do it every night but several times a week and I already feel like my head is clearer and we are accomplishing more with our days. I even have a record of the highlights of each day so far this year! I’m feeling stronger and praise God that he showed me what I was missing and that we were able to correct that (without even spending any money!)

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength! And He does provide a way when we seek after Him.

I have found several tools to help me organize my life and I hope to be able to share those ideas with you soon but for now jut having the time and space to think about my day has made all of the difference!

What is it you need? Do you have a spot just for you? It doesn’t have to look like a magazine picture or pinterest post. Just something that works for you! I’d love to see your spot 🙂

MamaKay

Christmas Cookies

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I love making cookies for our friends and family every year. I usually dedicate one day to baking as many cookies as I can. I try to involve the children in some of the fun ones. I plan it just like an investment cooking day. I pull together all my recipes and compile a grocery list of all the ingredients I need. Then I put together a plan of which order to do them in. Some need the dough refrigerated and other recipes need to be baked right away. I grind all the flour I need for all of the recipes at once. I also use parchment paper on the pans to make clean up and doing the next batch easier.

As I have become more health conscious I have looked for cookie recipes that are actually good for you instead of ones filled with trans fats, refined sugars and flour. Some simple changes you can make to recipes are just ingredient replacements although you will need to experiment to make sure that you get the consistency you desire. By making these simple changes even your holiday cooking can be an investment in your health.

Here is a basic list of replacements:

All-purpose flour: soft wheat/pastry flour, spelt flour or if you must use white flour try King Arthur’s unbleached white flour

Fat: you can use butter or Spectrum Naturals has an all vegetable shortening made from palm oil that is not hydrogenated and therefore has no trans fats in it, you can also use applesauce in cake, brownies or moist cookies with good results

Refined Sugar: use evaporated cane juice sugar (Sucanat or Rapadora), honey or molasses

Make sure that if you are using baking powder that you use a brand that contains no aluminum in it. Rumford is the brand I use.

Instead of grabbing regular salt use one that still has minerals in it. Use an unrefined sea salt. I like RealSalt which is readily available.

Always use free range eggs instead of the battery eggs. The yolks should be a bright golden to orange color not the pale yellow that you get from the normal grocery store eggs. If you can get your eggs from someone locally that has their chickens outside all days that is even better!

Recipes:

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

½ pound butter — softened
1 cup brown sugar — firmly packed
½ cup evaporated cane juice sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups oats — rolled, raw
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, & cinnamon.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; mix well.

By hand, add oats & raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Snickerdoodles

3 ¾ cups soft wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening (non-hydrogenated)
2 cups sugar (evaporated cane juice)
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift together 1st 4 ingredients. Set aside.

Beat butter & shortening for 30 seconds; add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat well.

Add dry ingredients a cup at a time mixing until well combined.

Chill dough for at least 1 hour.

Form dough into balls the size of walnuts; roll in mixture of cinnamon & sugar

Place on cookie sheet & flatten slightly.

Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes or until light golden brown.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

½ cup butter — softened
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups soft wheat pastry flour — divided
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add molasses and eggs.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt & spices; beat into molasses mixture. Gradually add remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.

Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shaped with cookie cutters.

Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Date Balls

(Dates are one of the highest fiber foods, have more iron than beets and more potassium than bananas!)

In a food processor combine:

10 oz. pitted dates
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup nuts (we like almonds)
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup shredded coconut

Whiz together until everything is mixed then add 2 tablespoons of barley malt or brown rice syrup to bind it all together.

With damp hands, roll mixture into balls.

Variation: Use peanuts and peanut butter

The Magnificat:

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luke 1:46-55

Cooking for the Holidays

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The holidays are upon us. I love this time of year. I love baking and having friends and family over to share in the bounty that God has supplied us with.

Are you ready for the holidays? I love this time of year. I love baking and having friends and family over to share in the bounty that God has supplied us with. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Every year we make a Thanksgiving Tree.  It is wonderful to focus on the things that God has blessed us with and give him the glory.
Investment cooking can help you to make the most of your time during the holiday season. Look at your menu. What could you make ahead of time? Are there things you could prepare early so that the stress of preparing a huge meal doesn’t interfere with the purpose of the holiday? Did you know that there are many foods you can make ahead for your holiday celebrations? In the recipe section you will find a great recipe for mashed potatoes that you can make ahead of time. Another benefit of making the potatoes this way is that they will actually stay hot through the meal instead of getting cold. The dough for the rolls can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator or you can freeze the dough and then take it out the night before to thaw in the refrigerator. It will take a little longer to rise but the rolls will still turn out delicious! Pie crusts can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use them.

Make sure to allow plenty of time for your turkey to thaw. This will take up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If it is still partially frozen Thursday morning let it sit in the sink with cool running water to finish the thawing.

Here’s our Thanksgiving Menu for this year:

Roast Turkey in Brine
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes
Smothered Green Beans
Orange Cranberry Sauce (My MIL’s specialty)
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and never forget our Creator to whom we should address our thanks every day and not just on Thanksgiving.

Recipes:

ROAST TURKEY IN BRINE

1 14 pound frozen turkey
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1 gallon iced water
1 red apple — sliced
1/2 onion — sliced
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
butter

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a small pan and cook until steeped about 15 minutes)

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with butter. Roast on lowest level of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Source:
“adapted from Good Eats (Food Network)”
Copyright:
“1999”
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Light Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

By: Krystal Bickel

10 cups whole wheat (or spelt) flour — freshly ground
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/8 teaspoon Vitamin C granules
3 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 cups kefir (you can use more water or regular milk if you don’t have kefir)
1 ½ cups water — warm
2/3 cup virgin coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup honey
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon sea salt

Mix 5 cups flour, vital wheat gluten, Vitamin C, and yeast in mixer bowl.

Add water, kefir, oil & honey. Mix well for 1-2 minutes. Turn off and sponge for 15 minutes.

Add eggs and salt.

Turn on mixer, add flour 1 cup at a time until dough forms a ball and cleans side of bowl.

Knead for 5-6 minutes for soft dough.

Shape dough into rolls. Let rise until very light.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Do not over bake.

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Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Recipe By: Tara Wohlenhaus & Nanci Slagle
The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet

5 pounds potatoes
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter — melted
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup almonds — sliced (optional)
paprika

Peel & quarter potatoes. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, and then gently cook until tender. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cream cheese, egg, garlic powder & salt. Mash well by hand or with an electric mixer.

Spoon potatoes into a greased 3 qt casserole or 9×13 pan. Drizzle or brush melted butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with almonds if desired and paprika.

Refrigerate for up to 2 days or label and freeze for later.
To serve: thaw completely. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until top is golden.
Serving Ideas: Optional Toppings or Stir Ins:
1/4 cup crumbled, crisp bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Holiday Freezer Cookbook
From 30 Day Gourmet

Holiday Freezer Cooking (Downloadable eBook for only $6.95) is a unique system for assembling and freezing your entire holiday meal, as well as appetizers and breakfast/brunch foods, ahead of time. No more all night cooking! Make dinner when YOU have the time! These traditional feasts serve 6 to 36 guests without the traditional hassles.

The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family
(Includes The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration devotionals!)

A couple years ago I found this wonderful ebook written by Sheri Graham and is called The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family. It contains all the forms you need to prepare for this holiday season so that they will be what you want them to be plus you will have a record for future years. Even though we have less than 12 weeks to go, this planner can help make your holidays successful. I am loving my copy!

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
Psalms 95:1-6

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