The Simple Woman's Day book

FOR TODAY, January 4th, 2011...

Outside My Window...
It's gotten very cold again and of course it's so early in the day now that it's still dark, dark, dark . . . I think I'm the only person crazy enough in this neighbourhood to be up this early! Old habits die hard!

I am thinking...
About how clean and new we are when we are born. Free of all the things of this world that would drag us down . . . like regrets, ambition, fear, worry, embarassment . . . expectations. We are totally unencumbered and so fresh from our Heavenly Father that I am sure we remember having been with Him . . . ceptin we can't tell anyone coz we can't talk yet! Then we learn to have all those things that drag us down, and then we spend the rest of our lives trying to get rid of them! It's like we have this spiritual umbilical cord from God when He first touched us and then . . . it's gone and we have to find our way back again. Makes me sad sometimes that so many of us are floundering with no sense of purpose in our lives, no real meaning . . . no idea of who we really are. I am so grateful that I have all those things and that I am headed in the right direction!

I am thankful for...
I seem to spend so much of my time in pain these days. I am thankful for having lost my job when I did. I don't think I would have been able to carry on working in any capacity like this. There were signs of it over the past few years . . . days when my knees would lock for no reason at all and I've been trying to find out what's wrong with my right hip for about 6 years now. The pain has been worse these past 4 0r 5 months though and now I can barely walk. Just putting one foot in front of the other has become a real effort, but I am grateful that it is an effort I can still make!

From the kitchen...
There's some muffins, but that's about all. Not a lot really! So NOT like me!

I am wearing...
Pink and yellow jim jams and my long blue robe. Warm.

I am creating...
I am working on some new designs and getting ready to sew something special!

I am going...
I have a Doctor's appointment this morning to see if I can't get some physio therapy. There is a brother at our church who has the same problem and he's been getting physio for it and he says there has been a vast improvement. I can't believe that I haven't been offered any. I think you really have to push for these things.

I am reading...



21 Days closer to Christ by emily freeman, with paintings by Simon Dewey
Inside the dust jacket we are invited to "embark on a life-changing, 21-day journey toward a closer personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ." It promises to help us recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives and to make us even more aware of the comfort and support that is available only with His help. I have only just started it. I bought this book because one of my goals for 2011 is to draw closer to the Saviour and I thought it might help me to do so. I'll let you know how I get on!

"Behold I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name."
~Abraham 1:18 (A promise to us from the Saviour)

I am hoping...
Mitzie is going in for her spaying on Thursday. I am hoping and praying that all goes well. It will be fun trying to keep that plastic thing on her head for 10 days after, but we shall see how it goes! She might surprise us!

I am hearing...
Early morning sounds . . . the house cracking and snapping as it comes alive. Clocks ticking. Walls creaking . . . the Westminster chimes from our newest clock, Mitzie snuffling here beside me. Joyful sounds. The house is waking up. Some things never change . . .

Around the house...
The decorations are all down and things now look a bit bare. Funny how that goes! It's the same every year!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Docs first thing this morning, Primary Presidency meeting tomorrow night, Mitzie to the Vets Thursday and then we are having the missionaries over for their tea on Friday night, all told a very good week is shaping up . . .


Here is picture thought I am sharing...



I just love this bedroom, well except for the cowboy boots at the end of the bed. I'd get rid of those, and replace them with some vintage slippers. I love the colours of this room and that wall paper is just so pretty. It has a cosy want to snuggle in and stay here all day feel about it, don't you think? I've been thinking about getting myself a doll house and decorating it. I reckon it's probably about the only way I'm ever going to be able to afford indulging my decorating fantasies!

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds and shine!
~Buddha

A thought to inspire for today. I can do that!


And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!

I thought I’d share my favourite soup with you today. My mother always had a soup pot on the boil it seemed and there was never any real recipe to follow . . . it was just made. I tried very hard to put my recipe down on paper yesterday . . . and this is the end result. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we do!



*Chicken With Rice Soup*
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

Commonly known as Jewish Penicillin this soup is good for whatever ails you. I always keep my carcasses from my roast chickens to make this soup. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup also! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!

1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated
1 handful of long grain rice

Put your chicken carcass in a pot and cover with boiling water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, celery leaves, onion and salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard vegetables and pick off as much meat as you can from off of the bones. Cut into small chunks. Bring broth to a boil and reduce somewhat. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If it is not very strong you can add a TBS or two of Marigold vegetable stock powder, but it really shouldn‘t be necessary.)

Add the grated vegetables and the rice and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked. Add the diced chicken meat. Heat through and then ladle into hot bowls. Serve with some nice crusty bread.




Over in The English Kitchen today, some delicious Mustard Chops!
Co