Themed Herb Gardens

I've kept an herb/veggie garden in the past, but this year, because I knew I wouldn't have quite so much time to devote to it, I've decided to downsize ~ hoping to have a bigger garden next year, again ~ and just have a small herb garden for now.

 Wouldn't you love to 

stroll through this 

garden?

All I have currently is rosemary, sage, lavender, echinacea, cilantro, dill, oregano and chamomile. Love my herbs.

 Above are some herbs that

are still in my mini hot houses (baggies),

below are some that are ready
for transplant into my herb baskets

for the front porch

(I wait until they are at least

1" high to transplant)

I still have some "babies" in my window ~ using plastic baggies over the starter pots as mini hot houses. But after I write this, I'm going to transplant them into my cute little herb baskets that I found at Meijers, and set them on my porch. I still want a strawberry pot, but none were around when/where I was looking this year.

 Strawberry Pot

Another idea that I LOVE and will HAVE to try someday, is to use an old wagon wheel for herb garden sections. Isn't that cute?

 Wagon Wheel Garden

I am a sucker for books on herbs, essential oils and home rememdies, so on one of my weekly visits to my favorite bulk food store a while back, I picked up a sweet little book called, "The Beauty of Herbs" by Jessica Dorfsmith. The best part: it's written from a Christian viewpoint.

Her first rule for using herbs states: "Carefully avoid New Age or witchcraft influences sometimes associated with herbs. Accept herbs for what they are: a gift from God for the benefit of man, to be properly used and never abused." Amen, sister!

So much of her philosophy and uses of herbs are very similar to mine, even some of her recipes are almost identical. Something that she writes about are "Theme Gardens." A small patch with herbs that meet specific needs ~ I've done that and it's my favorite way to plan. Another thing I want to get back to next year.

This is what Jessica has to say about them . . . 

Herbs planted in separate small gardens, each with its own theme, is gardening at its best! It's also good for the beginning herb gardener, preventing confusion between culinary and medicinal herbs . . . The following ideas are simply that: ideas! Use them as a springboard to get your imagination running. Choose herbs that do best in your climate, suit your family's medicinal needs, and please your eyes and taste buds.

TEA-TIME GARDEN ~ 

Mint                       Chamomile
Lemon balm       Catnip
Lemon thyme     Fennel
Lime and Lemon Basil          Bergamot

CULINARY HERB GARDEN ~

Chives                    Savory
Basil                       Sage
Oregano                Parsley
Cilantro                 Thyme

IMMUNE-BUILDER GARDEN ~

Echinacea            Horehound
Chamomile         Horseradish
Peppermint         Lemon Balm
Mullein                 Rosemary

These are just a few of her ideas. I'm looking forward to using some of these ideas next year.

What do you like to plant?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Rosemary Biscuits with Lavender and Honey Butter

My family doesn't eat as much "regular-type" bread as we used to. These days, we eat more of my homemade Ezekiel Bread and THE Man eats my homemade Paleo Bread. 

BUT . . . on those days (Sundays ~ our "grace" day ~ or holidays) we like really make the yummy treat of a wheat flour bread rock! :-) 

One of my favorites is rosemary bread, biscuits or scones (which you can make with this recipe) and lavender and honey butter.

For the biscuits~

You Will Need:

~2 c. bread flour (for a light, fluffy rise)
~2 c. whole wheat OR coconut flour
~4 ts. turbiano (Suger in the Raw) OR coconut sugar
~1/2 ts. sea salt
~2 TB. baking powder
~1 ts. cream of tartar
~1-1/3 c. milk (rice milk OR almond milk works well, too)
~3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
~1 TB chopped fresh rosemary OR slightly crunched dried rosemary
~whisk
~spatula
~med-large mixing bowl
~medium mixing bowl
~cookie sheet (OR loaf pan for bread OR cast iron skillet for scones)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400* (f)
2) Using the whisk, in the med-large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients
3) In the smaller bowl, combine all the other ingredients EXCEPT the rosemary
4) In small amounts, add the wet ingredients to the dry
5) Stir in the rosemary
6) Pinch off chunks of the dough and roll to about 2" in diameter
7) Place onto cookie sheet
8) Bake 10-12 minutes 

**NOTE** You can make a small loaf of bread OR scones from this recipe, just use an 8"x3" loaf pan OR a cast iron skillet for the scones.

Lavender and Honey Butter~

You will need:

~homemade butter (roughly 1 lb.)
~1 TB. honey (local is best, especially if you have allergies)
~1 TB. slightly crunched/ground-up dried lavender flowers
~wooden spoon
~small mixing bowl
~air-tight container

Directions:

1) blend butter, honey and lavender flowers together
2) store in an air-tight container . . . OR . . . roll into a cylender and wrap in waxed paper, chill and then cut into slices onto a pretty plate to serve . . . OR . . . put into butter molds for pretty shapes

Enjoy!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#146~ America, God Shed His Grace on Thee

"These are the word of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation . . . You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked . . . Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here i am! I stand at the door and knock. I f anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.

"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
~Rev. 3:14, 17, 19-22

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a preganant women, and they will not excape.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day . . . But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For god did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

~1 Thess. 5:1-5, 8-9

 

I watch the news, I listen to and partake of conversations about our culture and society, I watch the mannerisms and listen to the foul language of our culture and I grieve greatly for our once great nation. We slipped so far during the 1990's and now ~ now ~ we have fallen So far, SO quickly in the last 6 years, in particular. 

Everyone is so self-absorbed. Our culture's speech has become so rude, so foul. Values have completely flip-flopped ~ what for all time has been considered good, is bad; what for all time has been considered sacred, is considered hateful; what for all time has been written in man's soul as right and wrong, has been seared from the unsaved soul, ridiculed and maligned. 

"Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet 

and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their

own eyes

and clever in their own sight."

~Isaiah 5:20-21

They ". . . do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." 

We, as Christians, are so different. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! As this world gets darker and darker, our lights will shine brighter and brighter. THIS time is when we are to let our lights shine (Matt. 5:16). And as we shine brighter and brighter in this dark, sinful world, we will attract both the seeking and the wicked. Our light is tempored with faith, hope, love and self-control. 

Those who are seeking will be drawn to us because they want Who we have, they recognize that they need forgiveness for their sins and want to spend eternity with the Lord. While those who are wicked seek our distruction ~ it's already started in the Middle-East ~ just as the Lord warned us: 

"They will put you out of the synagague; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service of God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you." ~John 16:2-4(a)

These last days bring such conflicts of emotions: such happiness because the Lord is coming back soon. Such sorrow because so many we love will not go with us. Such fear because no one wants to be tortured or lose a loved one. Such certainty that our faith will be rewarded, that it will soon become sight! (Hebrews 1:1)

Stay vigilant, be strong, speak God's truth. People are dying to hear it.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#145~ All Dogs Go to Heaven? Really?

"And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to thier kinds. And God saw that it was good.

"The God siad, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creature that move along the ground.'

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them.

"God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increasing number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"
~Genesis 1:24-28 [emphasis, mine]

"Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchnaged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds, and animals and reptiles . . . They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator ~ Who is forever praised. Amen."
~Romans 1:22-23, 25 [emphasis, mine]

I love animals. Really LOVE animals. The only times in my life I've never had a pet, preferably a dog, has been when I lived in rentals that forbade pets. At one time in my youth, I had: 2 dogs, 1 mama cat and 5 kittens, a duck and a crow. It was a lovely menagerie.

I believe that, as Scripture plainly states, animals ~ and ALL of creation ~ is a gift to us from The Creator, God Almighty. And as gifts, they are here for our use and pleasure and, yes, in many cases, to love. BUT . . . they are NOT to be worshiped. 

People like the militant sillies in organizations such as PETA, worship the creation and they worship at the expense of their morals, their finances and in increasing number, their sanity. It seems that every news story about them is yet another expression of the futile scraping and searching of pitiable lives without Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Yes, love your pets; yes, protect animals from being abused; yes, appreciate what God has made and given us to enjoy ~ but ~ DO NOT worship them. Don't go to the rediculous, border-line insanity of American PETA DEMANDING that the oldest pub in Britan should change it's name from from Ye Olde Fighting Cocks because it offends chickens. Really? REALLY? 

It seems that these poor people are looking for meaning in their lives and they go to pitiable and often to deadly extremes to replace a relationship with God ~ just as Scirpture said they would ~ with created things. They are looking for significance without relationship in the One Who created them and can give them eternal significance.

In my humble opinion, human life . . . with a soul . . . made in the image of God . . . is of more importance than animals who have no soul. Even as much as I love them. If you want to work of something really important, with eternal impact, let's get Roe vs. Wade repealed.

And yes, it would be so lovely to get to heaven and see some of my favorite pets run up and greet me as I arrive ~ my sweet kitty Boots, our wonderful Sheltie, Hickory, 
and our current cutie, Maggie Mae ~ but it won't happen. Now, we know that there will be at least 4 horses in Heaven (Rev. 19:11), but will there be more to go around for those of us to want to to take a scenic ride around Heaven? I doubt it. These things are not mentioned in the Bible, so either they aren't there, or it will be a wonderful surprise.

I'm good with surprises, but until then, I'll love our little Maggie and any other sweet pets the Lord puts into our lives and enjoy them while I may, while letting Him give meaning to my life.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#144~ Servant Leadership

" . . . whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave ~ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom from many." ~Matthew 20:26(b)-28 [Jesus speaking]

It seems that all of my life, I have been put in positions as a servant. Even in ANY leadership role I have had, I have been in the position as a servant ~ THE Man's helpmate, mother, daughter, homeschool teacher. Nearly every job outside the home I've ever had has been in some sort of servant capacity ~ sales, speaker. Some other positions were as a servant/leader ~ county homeschool coordinator, homeschool support group leader, speaker, writer, blogger, workshop instructor, worship leader. 

It seems that all of my leadership opportunities have been combined with servitude. And as a follower of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I find it encouraging that He would choose to gift me with those positions. 

In many ways, those positions are heavy and emotional; some of those positions consume a great deal of time and hand holding. Some of them put one is a humble position of giving of yourself, whether it be prayer, time, advice, instruction, emotional/mental stress and, at times, physically hard work. 

But in most cases, it is well worth it when the Lord lets you see fruit from your labor, whether it's a successful project or an answer to prayer. It's worth it.

I hope that the end result of any servant/leadership that I offer is that of an encourager . . . if I can do it, so can YOU. I hope that anything anyone learns from me ~ personally, through my work, through my blog, through my writing, through my workshops ~ that as a sinner saved by grace, having learned life lessons in the School of Hard Knocks ~ I hope to be considered as one who has walked along side and shared lessons learned . . . a servant/leader.

Who was a great servant/leader in your life?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><   

Homemade Night Cream ~ for Normal to Oily Skin

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I ~ and my whole family ~ have oily, acne-prone skin. Ick. :-( I'll tell ya, when you're 56 (as of this writing) and your face is STILL a grease ball, it gets a little old. My HUGE saving graces are my own homemade oily skin face wash and my astringent/toner. They keep my oily skin completely zit free and I RARELY stray from that path.

As for keeping my skin moist and supple, I love (love, love, LOVE) hyaluronic acid. Your skin recognizes it as something is used to make a lot of and, therefore, uses it to the max. I use this after cleansing and toning every day and night.

But I have wondered if I might need a little extra umph in the evening, so I found an interesting recipe and then ~ of course ~ you know me ~ tweaked it to, hopefully, hydrate AND help me remain acne-free.

Now . . . a word about "hydrating" vs "moisturizing." Something I learned years ago, when I worked for Clinique (before I became a free-lance make-up artist; seems like another life ago), is that American women have completely lost the meaning of hydrating and moisturizing. Somewhere along the road, we were suckered into thinking that to moisturize we HAVE to use icky, gooey, greasy creams in order to keep our skin youngish and supple.

WRONG!

What our skin really calls out for HYDRATION. The two things, in my humble opinion (and experience), that are the closest to what our skin produces, to natural hydration, are hyaluronic acid and coconut oil. 

So . . . here's what I'm thinking . . . I'm going to make my luscious, fluffy oily skin face cream and use it at night and my hyaluronic acid during the day, under my makeup. 

Anyone want to try this with me?

Here's what we will need:

~1 c. coconut oil (in it's solid state)
~1/2 ts. frankincense essential oil
~1/2 ts. tea tree ess. oil
~1/4 ts. lavender ess. oil
~3 drops thieves oil
~3 drops lemongrass ess. oil
~2 drops clove ess. oil

Directions:

1) blend together with a spoon or a blender on low (for a fluffier blend).
2) lightly apply for face and neck.

**This would probably make a great foot cream, too.

Let me know how you like it.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#143~ God is STILL on His Throne

"I will heal their waywardness

and love them freely,

for My anger has turned away

from them . . . 

The way of the LORD are right;

the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them."

~Hosea 14:4 and 9(b)

"'Even now,' declares the LORD, 

'return to Me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and

mourning.'

Rend your heart

and not your garments.

Return to the LORD your God,

for He is gracious and

compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in love,

and He relents from sending

calamity.'"

~Joel 2:12-13

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father . . . Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come . . . So you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." ~Matt. 24:36, 42, 44

We live in such treacherous times. Our dear nation has fallen so far SO fast, particularly in the last 6 years. Everyday, I look for the Lord's return.

This wonderful country can still, as a phoenix, rise from the ashes ~ we've done it before ~ but I think we are nearing the last days. I think we are nearing the great return of our Savior, Jesus, and His taking away of His own. 

Even though the day and hour are not known, even though God is STILL on His throne, we must be ready.

I am ready . . . are you? 

SERIOUSLY . . . ARE YOU?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Christian Women's Voice Magazine ~ May/June 2015 is Available!

Yippee Skippie! The May/June 2015 issue of Christian Women's Voice magazine is out and available for order or subscription. 

BE SURE to order yours, today.

FYI ~ my Frugal Living with Kim column is about "Castile Soap ~ How Did We Ever Live Without It?" :-)

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><