The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Kids in the Kitchen, Part 2: Get Them Eating!

Maybe the title of this post should be "Get Them Trying" because I can't make any guarantees, ha! But I have something to share today that I found in my recipe binders while cleaning out. It was a fun little experiment I did with my girls when they were young and I was trying to find healthy(-ish) recipes they could enjoy. I made these cards that I called "New Recipe Survey" and placed them on the dinner table anytime I tried a new recipe. I found that my girls were more enthusiastic about trying a new food if they could leave a review. It was fun for them and gave them the opportunity to respectfully offer their input. Above is what a blank card looked like and below are some of ... Read more

Kids in the Kitchen, Part 1: Get Them Cooking!

As I was cleaning out my cookbooks and recipe binders this summer, I came across so many sweet memories of my children in the kitchen and I realized wow, my kids really liked being in the kitchen! From an early age they were all eager to "help" and were proud to get the jobs of washing fruit, peeling veggies, stirring pots, adding ingredients, and setting the table. Let me just gush a second and say my kids were super cute in the kitchen! I remember that my first daughter at age 2 loved nothing more than to scrub things with the vegetable scrubber while standing on a chair at the sink (Do kids still stand on chairs?). She was so happy doing her scrubbing and I was tickled to have a cute ... Read more

Movie Recommendation!

Good Monday morning! Just popping in for a quick movie recommendation. Our church had a theater reserved yesterday afternoon for The Forge and it was such a great movie! It's about a young man who is at a pivotal point in his life. Having just graduated from high school with no direction for his future, very little respect for others, and a father who left the family, he must decide if he'll go the way of the world or chose forgiveness and Godly manhood. Our family has enjoyed all of the Kendrick Brother movies, and we think this one is their best yet! And the very best part of all......the return of Miss Clara!!! (from War Room) If you have a chance to see this movie, you won't be ... Read more

Are you weary and burdened?

I've had this photo of my kitty for a long time, and I think it must be what I look like when I'm so heavy-hearted and giving all my worries to God. You know when the weariness and stress of life has bubbled up to your eyeballs and you just want rest? Do you ever physically feel the effects of a Bible passage as you read it? When the truth of it calms your heart and eases your mind, causing your body's tension to release, your muscles to relax, and your lungs to let out a long cleansing sigh? This is what I feel when I read Jesus's words in Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday: First Week of School ’24

This week began a new school year for my son in homeschooling and my daughter with her online classes and the preschool where she works. There are always a few things to iron out the first week, but all in all, it was a good first week of school! Smoothies and banana muffins have been the popular breakfast for all so far! We got back to our study routine, sometimes at the kitchen table and sometimes lounging on the couch, but always a candle burning and a cat sleeping close by. I think the pets are happy that we're back to homeschooling. Guitar lessons and tennis lessons will continue this year, and we have great instructors for both! A friend to teach guitar and my nephew to ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: La Laverie!

It has been a really long time since I did a "Fluff the Nest Friday" post! They used to be one of my favorite posts to share so I'm going to try and get back to doing them. For any of you who might be new, I'll explain. Even though I do different cleaning chores throughout the week, Friday is typically my main cleaning day because I like for our nest to be nicely fluffed for the weekend. So, Friday just seems like a good day to post different housekeeping topics here on the blog. Today, I'd like to share something I learned about laundry.....from the French! A couple of years ago, my daughter gave me a very interesting book for Christmas. Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a ... Read more

Recipe Binders

As part of my summer organizing, I knew I had to get my recipes back under control. They were such a mess! I've had a great system for about 10 years, but it was time to clean it back up. I'm not talking so much about cookbooks today although I did straighten them and take out a couple to donate. Instead, I'll be talking about those loose recipes you tear out of a magazine, print off Pinterest, or have on a recipe card. When we moved to this house 11 years ago, I came with all my cookbooks and a big basket of those loose recipes. There were so many that anytime I wanted to use a particular one, I had to thumb through the entire stack. This hadn't been a problem when I first started the ... Read more

Prepping the Kitchen for Fall Cooking and Baking ’24

Summertime brings a huge cleanout for me each year. This summer, I reorganized a lot of areas of my house, but definitely spent the most time in the kitchen! My cabinets and drawers had really gotten bad. We do a LOT in there. It's more than just a kitchen, really. It's also our school, our science lab, art studio, gift wrap station, and much more. One of the benefits a of good kitchen cleanout is that everything I do in there now works a lot smoother than before and I'm already looking ahead and seeing how much more enjoyable it will be for fall cooking and baking. Last August '23 I posted 3 things I had done that month to prepare my kitchen for fall. You can read that post here. Today ... Read more