Asking for Support

Hi Everyone-

Our church has been blessed with the opportunity to help a pastor and his wife minister to a local community in a remote part of Alaska at the end of August. I greatly desire to go help in this endeavor and to use some of the skills God has allowed me to learn to be of service. Here is where I need your help - the trip costs about $1,400.00. If you feel you could help me raise the support to take this trip, I would be so thankful!! You can go about this in one of two ways; first, you could send a donation to my paypal account at matermaus@gmail.com OR you can send a check to our church, Christ Church Spokane, 228 E. Gordon Avenue, Spokane, WA 99207. If you send a check to the church in my name, that amount is tax deductible.

If you cannot help monetarily, please pray, both for this pastor and his wife and also that I might be able to raise the needed support money.

Thanks so much!!

Amy

Kamut bread recipe

Kamut Bread

4 1/2 cups water at 110 degrees
1 cup honey
1 cup melted coconut oil (melted on low and then removed from heat)
4 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons dough enhancer
6 cups Kamut flour
2 Tablespoons yeast
Approx 6 more cups flour or until sides of kitchen mixer clear.

Knead for 7-12 minutes on medium speed. Makes 5 - 2 lb loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes after rising.

Recommending a book I have never read

I am going to recommend a book I havent even read because there are several girls in our church, including one of my daughters, who have absolutely loved it. It is called, "Joyfully At Home" by Jasmine Baucham. If you have older girls, buy this book!!

On other fronts, like plugs away here. Kids out of the home are having major struggles (I had a friend who used to say, "Sin and Suffering - they go together." )

Here we are getting ready for farming season, watching the lambs and new calf grow, getting ready to build our hugelkultur garden beds, learning to spin wool, etc....

Lastly, I am greatly enjoying listening to sermons by Paul Washer. He is hard hitting and not afraid to offend people in their wishy washy existence. Many of his sermons are available on Sermon Audio - check them out!!

Family Menu

Lord willing I will get back to more regular posting soon but anyway, here is the menu for this week:

Maus Family Menu -
2/14/2011

Monday:
Breakfast-Cream of wheat
Lunch -Fried rice (shredded carrots, celery, onions, sweet peppers, liquid aminos, honey, garlic, salt and pepper, scrambled eggs)
Dinner -Baked chicken, Potatoes, Spinach


Tuesday:
Breakfast-Sourdough Apple Bread
Lunch- Tuna Sandwiches, Oranges
Dinner -Chicken pot pie, muffins


Wednesday:
Breakfast -Oatmeal
Lunch -Bean and Ham Soup
Dinner -Cod, Green beans, Rice

Thursday:
Breakfast -Sourdough Coffee Cake
Lunch -Tortillas, Black beans, Eggs, Salsa
Dinner -Spaghetti, Italian Bread, Corn

Friday: -
Breakfast -Muffins (cranberry)
Lunch -Peanut butter honey sandwiches, popcorn
Dinner -Grilled Pizza

Saturday:
Breakfast -Pancakes
Lunch -Macaroni and cheese
Dinner -Teriyaki, scones

Sunday:
Breakfast -Peanut butter granola
Lunch/Dinner -Meatball Stew, Cornbread, Pudding

This Week's Menu

I have had some folks ask for a copy of our weekly menu. I plan the week's menu on Sunday afternoons and post it on the wall so the kids can see what is coming up and we can all start thinking about what will need to be done for each meal ahead of time. I hope to post each week's menu from now on, Lord willing...

So, here you go:

Maus Family Menu -
2/7/2011

Monday:
Breakfast-Cream of wheat
Lunch -Fried rice (shredded carrots, celery, onions, sweet peppers, liquid aminos, honey, garlic, salt and pepper, scrambled eggs)
Dinner -Sausage Potato casserole, spinach


Tuesday:
Breakfast-Muffins (blackberry, almond)
Lunch- Tuna Sandwiches, Popcorn, Fruit
Dinner -Enchiladas, Ice cream and cookies (Raven's Birthday Dinner)


Wednesday:
Breakfast -Pumpkin bread
Lunch -Bean and Chorizo Soup
Dinner -Mahi Mahi, Delicata Squash, Broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast -Oatmeal
Lunch -Tortillas, Refried beans, Cheese, Salsa
Dinner -Sweet potato soup, Pumpernickel bread

Friday: -
Breakfast -Muffins (cranberry)
Lunch -Peanut butter honey sandwiches, cookies
Dinner -Pizza

Saturday:
Breakfast -Pancakes
Lunch -Macaroni and cheese
Dinner -Barbecue Pork, Sauerkraut, Corn

Sunday:
Breakfast -Peanut butter granola
Lunch/Dinner -Church Potluck

January is planning month....

Here is my month to month plan for this year:

January - Planning

February - Clean, Organize, Sell off surplus (house)

March - Make summer clothing

April - Clean, Organize, Sell off surplus (outside)

May - Garden/Farm

June - Garden/Farm

July - Garden/Farm

August - Make winter clothes, Winter gear, blankets, Gather/purchase wood

September - Canning, Drying, Freezing

October - Canning, Drying, Freezing

November - Holidays

December - Holidays


During January we have made the yearly farm plan, outlined the garden plan, figured out what craft items I want to work on, what house projects we want to finish, etc... then we post these month by month schedules on the wall so we can be reminded daily of what our goals are.

More organization tips coming up...

Lila Tueller designs

http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-giveaway-time-again.html


Check out this fabric giveaway!!

Master Grocery List

God has given me a gift for being pretty organized. I do my grocery shopping once per month, mostly from a whole food supplier. I thought some might benefit from this master list - I make sure to order what I need from this list each month so we have a steady supply of ingredients on hand.

Here you go:


Master Grocery List:


Frozen fruit: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, peaches

Frozen veggies: spinach, broccoli, corn, green beans, mixed veggies, hot peppers, sweet peppers, zucchini

Grains: Oats, Soft white wheat, Hard white wheat, Hard Red Wheat, Rye, Spelt, Rice, Kamut, Barley, Durum Wheat

Flours: White wheat, White Spelt, Cornmeal, Masa

Canned goods: Tomato paste, Tomato sauce, Tomatoes, Tuna, Pumpkin

Spices: as needed

Baking supplies: Baking powder, Baking soda, salt, yeast, cocoa, chocolate chips, Dough Enhancer, Lemon Juice, Cream of Tartar, Corn starch

Flavor extracts: Vanilla, others as needed

Oils: Coconut, Palm Oil Shortening, Olive, Safflower

Condiments: Vinegar, Liquid Aminos

Sweeteners: Rapadura, Honey, Stevia

Nuts: Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Peanuts, Peanut butter, Pistachios

Dried Fruit: Apples, Coconut, Raisins, Cherries

Drinks: Tea, Coffee, Chai

Cleaning Supplies: Bac Out, All Purpose cleaner, Soy Lube, Soy degreaser, Laundry Detergent, Non Chlorine Bleach, Bathtub Scrub, Toilet Bowl cleaner, White Vinegar, Dishwashing Soap

Paper goods: Toilet paper, Tissue, Diapers, Training Pants, Feminine Products, Trash bags, Storage bags, napkins, baby wipes

Produce: Whats in season

Toiletry items: Shampoo, Conditioner, Progesterone Cream, Deodorant, Hair spray, Air Freshener, Bubble bath, tooth cleaner

Supplements: Thytrophin, Symplex M and F, Blue Ice Royal

Beans: Kidney, Great Northern, Black, Pinto

Seeds: Sprouts

Essential Oils: As needed

Medicines: Echinacea Herbal, Throat Coat, Herba Tussin

Dairy: Butter, cheese

Farm: Alfalfa, Milk filters, Sea 90, Kelp, DE, Seeds, plants, fish fertilizer

Household items: Band aids, lightbulbs, matches, firestarters, tape, glue, pencils, pens, paper, envelopes, wood chips

Meat: Fish, chicken, beef (ground and roast), lamb, pork sausage, pork large cuts, turkey, turkey bacon, bison

Dogs: Chicken, pork bones

Healing Illness

Recently, our two littlest ones, ages 2 and almost 4 became sick - fever, lethargy, vomiting, etc... Now that we are over the illness, I told Steve that I thought I should post my thoughts on dealing with illness, both in ourselves and our children.

As a parent, its extremely hard to watch your child be sick, in pain or uncomfortable. In our allopathic society, at the first hint of discomfort, we tend to start popping medicine. However, God designed our bodies with the amazing ability to fight off illness, if we are generally healthy in body, soul and spirit.

When a virus or bacteria attacks us, our bodies will usually:

1. Heat up (fever). Our bodies heat up to kill the offending virus or bacteria.

2. We tend to stop eating/become lethargic/tired. This is because our bodies are concentrating their efforts on destroying the enemy, not on digestion and our normal work routine.

3. We have diarrhea, vomiting, runny noses, etc... - this is because our bodies are trying to purge the offenders.

Once our bodies have gone through this process, an amazing thing happens - immunity against that particular virus or bacteria.

If we take medicines to halt the healing efforts of the body, all of this is negated. Now, obviously there are circumstances that allopathic medicines are justified and necessary (such as when my first born son became septic at 11 months and ran a fever of 105 degrees) but I am referring here to the everyday cold, flu, allergy attack, etc...

As an aside, when a child becomes ill, I do use immune boosting herbs to help their bodies be extra strong in fighting the illness. I have to become better at not wanting to give them comfort foods that are sweet (since sugar weakens the immune system) but rather nourishing foods (broths, honeyed tea, etc...) - that is a post for another time.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts on illness...

Beer Braised Beef and Onion Soup

Beer Braised Beef and Onion Soup (serves 16)

1. Brine 2 chuck roasts for two days in 2 1/2 gallons of water and 1 1/4 cups of salt

2. The night before soup is to be served, generously sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Sear both sides in several tablespoons of coconut oil and then place in roaster.

3. Add to roaster:

a. 2 large onions, thickly sliced
b. 6 cloves of garlic
c. 2 teaspoons of rosemary
d. 1 tablespoon of thyme
e. 3 cans of beer

4. Simmer overnight at 250 degrees. The next day, a few hours before serving, remove meat and add water as needed for proper amount of soup. Shred meat and return to roaster.

5. One half hour before serving, add:

a. 6 T. Sugar
b. 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
c. 2 cups of cream blended with 1/2 cup of flour


We made this recipe for Epiphany and it was quite good. My family loved it!!