January 13, 2009 at 9:31 pm (Blogging, Blogs I read, reformed women)
in case any of you haven’t worked it out, our former Pastor’s Wife and good friend Elaine (the first) has started a blog. She is promising big things (no pressure Elaine).
You can check her out here – please click over – be sure to leave her a comment to welcome her to the blogging world and if you don’t know Elaine the first, just tell her Elaine the second sent you 
January 12, 2009 at 10:01 pm (piano duet)
Tags: debussy, petite suite, piano duet, trinity college
January 10, 2009 at 11:13 pm (Recipes)
Tags: angel kisses, banana bread, challah, cheesecake, fudge, irish recipes, raspberry ruffle cheesecake, Recipes, sausages
Now that the holiday season is over and I have a mo I know I did promise quite a few people to direct them to recipes they requested.
So if you were looking for any of these just click as necessary -
Naomi’s Cranberry Sausages (delicious)
The Apple Challah recipe is here – Thanks to Tammy for that one- I’m still making it!
Jane’s Citrus Cheesecake recipe is here.
I think the Banana Bread I made last week was the best ever – thanks to Crystal for the recipe.
The homebakes for the teachers were these.
The fudge was Carla’s recipe – Thanks Carla. With crushed candy canes and peppermint flavouring.
The Raspberry Ruffle Cheesecake goes like this.
8oz digestive biscuits
4oz margarine
4 raspberry ruffle bars
2 raspberry yogurts
1 small whipping cream
4oz icing sugar.
200g Philadelphia Cheese
Melt the marg and mix with the crushed biscuits. Press into base. Cream sugar and cheese. Add rest of ingredients and beat until firm. Pour into base, leave to set and decorate with an extra bar of raspberry ruffle chopped.
I’ll try to remember to take a pic the next time I make it.
If I left something out that you had asked me to post just let me know.
January 10, 2009 at 2:37 pm (Blogs I read, Personal)
Tags: craft, embroidery, hospitality picture, irish sewing
I’ve been meaning to show and tell these embroidery patterns since I got them framed and hung in my kitchen.
These were stitched by my maternal Grandmother and the pieces were given to my by my Aunt.
I had them framed recently.
Sorry the light isn’t so good in the photos – I get a lot of natural light in my kitchen
I love how it mentions Ireland in this one as I loving having been born and bred here
Sorry for the reflections – my photography skills are poor 
I love how this one lets people know they are welcome in our home anytime.
Thanks for looking at my show and tell. For more show and tell visit Kelli at No place like home.
January 9, 2009 at 10:04 am (Books)
Tags: Books, frugal books, frugal finds, reformed
If you’re arriving from JP’s blog your very welcome to the feminine side of all things Reformed and Baptist
If you are a regular reader you may remember this post where I outlined some of the books I bought before Christmas in charity shops or what some of you guys call thrift stores.
JP has duplicated some of them on his recent post about the book finds.
In recent weeks I also purchased a copy of Evidence not seen (25p) (which is in our reading roundabout this year) for a friend at church who wanted a copy to give to a friend.
Lady in Waiting (25p) – this book has obviously never been used, I’m unfamiliar with the authors, anyone familiar with this book? It looks like it may be a good study for teenage girls, one for the future.
Elisabeth Elliot – Omnibus edition includes Through gates of splendour, Shadow of the Almighty, No Graven Image. A total gem for 25p.
Hallelujah, What a Savior - Hymn stories celebrating Christ our Redeemer – another pristine condition book which includes music for the hymns for 25p.
Digging Ditches by Helen Roseveare, we have her first in this series Give me this mountain in our Reading Roundabout this year and so this book will probably end up in the roundabout in the future God Willing. I believe we will need to read He gave me a Valley first to read them in the right order (keep your eyes peeled ladies!!). Again 25p.
Be Still my soul by Elizabeth Urch – I’m not familiar with this book, it’s a biography and has been recommended by Catherine Marshall, I’m looking forward to reading it. (25p)
My last frugal book find to-day is The one year book of devotion for kids. I have noticed these in the Christian book shops but will have to take a closer look at them. sssssshhhh – I’ll probably put it away for a Birthday present!! It cost £1.00 which seems a bit expensive to me now – What do you think?
Have you picked up any good bargains – let me know.
If you haven’t checked out JP’s full list be sure to do so.
January 8, 2009 at 10:54 pm (Uncategorized)
I just realised 8 January was the date that Jim Elliot was killed in 1956.
My own mother passed away on 8 January 2 years ago. She didn’t quite reach 70.
Jim Elliot didn’t reach 30.
Many would ask why.
Reformed Baptist Fellowship blog have a video posted about Jim and Elizabeth Elliot and it also highlights the work that has continued with the Auca Indians.
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot loose. Jim Elliott.
January 8, 2009 at 10:20 pm (Children, You had to be there)
For those of you who know me, I thought I would make you smile with this funny but sadly true story.
Granda very kindly decided to take youngest son on a train trip to-day.
Bangor County Down which makes for 4 train journeys.
Impressive if you are 4.
All was well.
Until.
While sitting on the train waiting for it to depart from the Bangor station they realised they were missing something.
Important.
Him.
and that’s not funny…..
so they had to get off the train and go back to the coffee shop where they had lunch to rescue the abandoned chap.
Thankfully a train departs every half hour so the day was not ruined.
The story was told many times this afternoon and the blame is resting fully on the victim.
I personally can only imagine the look on 4 year olds face on the rescue mission.
Who put that picture in there?
January 7, 2009 at 10:14 pm (Uncategorized)
Yes the Christmas season has come and gone and so have the new year celebrations. The funny thing is life is just the same as it was before.
I find that funny because when you look at most people on the run up to Christmas you are convinced they think life will never be the same.
I think I learned quite a lot over the past few weeks, in no particular order:
It doesn’t matter what traditions you have in your family for Christmas, if God overrules they just won’t happen.
If you have too much money and not enough sense it will become most apparent at Christmas.
Sometimes the best forms of hospitality are the impromptu type.
If you have a need and a friend unknowingly meets that need they may never know (no matter how many times you thank them) how much they have blessed you with their simple act of kindness, but God knows.
Most Christians and yes even this country we live in are starved of Biblical teaching. (I knew this before but it concerns me more and more at this time of the year).
Worldly Love is not the same as Christian Love.
It doesn’t always rain at Giant’s Causeway. If you need proof you can check out my photos on facebook.
Other random thoughts,
I’m going to post that recipe of Raspberry Ruffle Cheesecake soon for those who are waiting.
I’m a calendar person and have been since I left work. After years of hawking an A5 diary round I decided life would be lighter with a calendar when at home full-time. Problem was I didn’t get any nice calendars this year but I did get one of these from my best friend and do you know, it’s just so cute that I’m using it all the time – are you a diary or a calendar person?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s good to set goals at the beginning of the year Crystal has encouraged us to list some for the new year as opposed to resolutions.
I’m hoping to use Jess’s guidelines for Bible Study this year – read a book a month. It really gives you time to go slowly through 12 books rather than trying to get through the whole Bible in 12 months.
As well as reading the remaining books on our ladies Reading Roundabout I really want to read more to the kids, especially my daughter. We’re currently reading Rainbow Garden. My daughter is 6 and I find it hard to get books suitable to read to her – I like the look of most of the books on this site but think they are much too old for her. Any suggestions?
I’d like to get to the end of my spring cleaning this year, I’ve done drawers and wardrobes in the kids rooms so far and that’s a good start.
I have a mental list of all the people I want to have over for hospitality this year, mostly people we don’t normally get together with but have come into contact with. I hope to make a paper list, then make it happen
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I’m challenging myself to try a new meal every week. Would anyone else be up for the challenge? Perhaps I’ll organise a button! If you don’t have a blog you can join in by leaving comments and linking to any on-line recipes you try.
This is a very long and rambling post, if you were at prayer meeting to-night you may have thought that JP was on Commission for the book he was recommending, I can assure you he isn’t. It’s either a very good book or he overdid it a little.
I’m off to bed to find out…… I’ll let you know
