13 June 2013
We’ve enjoyed picking these juicy red beauties from our strawberry patch this week. God has blessed us with an abundant and oh-so-delicious harvest!
P.S. There’s a give-away of Breezy’s “Teach Them Diligently” chalkboard art print and an opportunity to help a family in need!
21 May 2013
The sliced potatoes frying in the skillet looked in need of some fresh chive. I quickly slipped outside to the edge of the garden and cut some of the green beauty that was blowing in the strong Indiana wind.
After a quick rinse and a few chops of the knife, the chives were tossed into the skillet to join the potatoes! It made for a delicious side dish at dinner last evening.
“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
—Proverbs 15:16-17
20 May 2013
Praising God for this new family!
It was a delight to stand and rejoice with this dear couple as they covenanted before God and man to be husband and wife. Looking forward to all that the Lord has in store for this family as they seek Him in all their ways!
“In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
—Ephesians 5:28-34
6 April 2013
Years ago I enjoyed my first scone at a local tearoom. My grandmother had taken me there as a surprise for my birthday – at the table we had a lovely array of tea, sandwiches, and cranberry scones with lemon curd. At that first bite, scones became a favorite.
We’ve tried a few delicious scone recipes and these blueberry scones are right up there at the top (competing with lemon scones for first place). Since finding this recipe, I’ve lost count of how many batches we’ve made.
Blueberry Scones
GLUTEN-Free, GRAIN-Free, DAIRY-Free
(Based on this recipe from Nourishing Flourishing – thanks, Katie!)
2½ cups blanched almond flour (we use Honeyville)
2 Tb. arrowroot powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
1 farm-fresh egg
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tb. vanilla
¾ cup frozen blueberries
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold blueberries into the well-mixed batter.
Divide dough into eight equal portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. With wet hands, shape dough into triangles about ¾″ thick, leaving space between each for baking.
Place in 350°F oven for about 15-18 minutes, removing when edges and tops start to brown. Best served while still warm from the oven.
Whether accompanied with tea (or coffee) or as a Saturday morning breakfast, these blueberry scones make for a perfect treat! Enjoy!
26 March 2013
Great joy comes with working together as a family. With businesses born and run in our home, we’ve learned what a blessing it can be to manage cottage industries.
Each part of the family contributes a different skill, giving the rest of us even more appreciation for the various talents God gives people. We’re all working alongside each other towards the same goal, growing in our relationships with one another and in our walks with the Lord. We love it! Whether it’s illustrating a new art print, or writing a note to be shipped off with an embroidery kit, we take pleasure in the work God has given us.
Although it wasn’t necessarily a dream of ours to own businesses, we are thankful that the Lord has directed our steps and laid in our laps many projects and opportunities over the past few years.
We’re certainly not business experts, but a lot has been learned along the way (more than we ever imagined!). There is much, much more to learn and we always find it a great opportunity when we can gain wisdom from wise and experienced entrepreneurs.
We’ve listened to the audio from a couple previous Family Economics Conferences, which has been a source of encouragement as we work together as a family and, Lord willing, grow our businesses.
The great news is that Generations with Vision is hosting yet another conference this year! The 2013 Family Economics and Discipleship Mega-Conference has a full panel of wonderful speakers including Joel Salatin, The Botkin Family, R.C. Sproul Jr., Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, and more!
This May, in St. Louis, Missouri, you can spend four days learning about economics, meeting and enjoying fellowship with other families, soaking up sound biblical wisdom, being encouraged in family discipleship – the list could go on and on!
You can find out more about this great opportunity here:
The early bird discount ends March 31st, so if you plan to register,
make sure to do so by the end of the month!
P.S. Our businesses will be represented at a booth in the vendor hall – whoever is there would be glad to have you drop by and say hello!
28 February 2013
“He only can be esteemed really and permanently happy,
who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God.”
—Noah Webster
14 February 2013
The past couple months have been filled with a great many things! New patterns are in the works for Clementine, wonderful books are being read, coffee is being brewed (and heartily drank), memories are being made, and hearts are filled with gratefulness. (What a wonderful God we serve!)
One of the projects (details still under wraps) involves a good deal of this:
Breezy (left) illustrating and yours truly (right) scanning and editing illustrations. It is such a joy to be able to work alongside my sister. Not only do we share a home studio, but our interests and talents compliment one another, going hand-in-hand.
How wonderfully true this is:
“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” —Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
To top it all off, we all – even our dog Bently – are enjoying every ounce of sunshine the Lord sends.
2 February 2013
The final two installments of our Fruit of the Spirit PDF Embroidery Patterns are here – and you can download them for free through February 8th!
Click here to download the Gentleness PDF Embroidery Pattern
by Clementine Pattern Co.
(For personal use only. This PDF pattern download is available for free through February 8th. After that, it’ll be headed to the shop!)
Click here to download the Self-control PDF Embroidery Pattern
by Clementine Pattern Co.
(For personal use only. This PDF pattern download is available for free through February 8th. After that, it’ll be headed to the shop!)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
—Galatians 5:22-24
19 January 2013
This is a delightful and simple way to add an extra dash of “warm and cozy” to your home during these cold winter months. We first encountered this delicious aroma at our friend Laura’s home, and ever since it has been a favorite of ours.
Combine the following in a small pot:
• Clementine Rinds
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Whole Cloves
• Ground Nutmeg, optional
• Water
Let simmer on the stove, being sure to frequently check the water level and not let it get too low.
