queen excluders are bee excluders-journal #43 9/12/2010

Kendrick Sydney Picking Wild Flowers

On My Mind 
Grandones Christmas gifts this year...something to wear...something to do...something to hug


Little Katie's anniversary yesterday...9/11 gives us two reasons for sadness...I miss going to her grave on the day...Nikki went and sent pics...

Celebrate
God's amazing hand in my life. He leads me to answers to my prayers in amazing ways. 

Keeping a Home

Pantry Principle area 4...it is hard to keep things looking nice without a vacuum.

Deliciousness 

In honor of my blog buddy and friend Anne, the Island School House Lady, who was recently diagnosed with Celiac's Disease, I developed a new recipe. It follows Eat to Live to a T, is dairy-free, contains no gluten, filled with fiber and nutrients, and is surprisingly scrumptious. Enjoy! 

Anne's Creamy Island Broccoli Soup 

1 1/2 c. dried small white beans, soaked for 12-24 hours

2 large onions, cut in random chunks

2 stalks celery, cut in random chunks

1-1.5 lbs. broccoli, including stems

1 t. red pepper flakes (optional)

freshly ground pepper

Cook soaked beans, onions, red pepper flakes, and celery in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Add broccoli to the pot 15 min before you want to eat. Blend soup until creamy  after broccoli is softened but still bright in color. Garnish liberally with freshly ground pepper. Serve this with a large spinach, shredded carrot, and valencia orange section salad topped with Dr. Fuhrman's Orange Cashew dressing (found in Eat for Health). A nice dessert with this is banana and apple salad with nutmeg and sliced almonds. Easily serves 6 with side dishes.

Toward Real Education 

Spending a lot of time with HerbMentor.com. and get to start my study of School of Natural Healing by Dr. John R. Christopher tomorrow...I've found preparing for my educational videos forces me to learn the subject inside and out...I like it and can't wait to get my new website up and running...my physical and virtual students are coming along very well

Bee News
Removed one whole hive body last night. Maybe we'll get a bit of honey this year but not a lot...it seems queen excluders are bee excluders...with all the activity in the apiary one super we looked at last night was bone dry.

Garden Gate
summer squash has come to an end but still have lots of hot peppers ripening to beautiful red...I dry most of them for our pepper flake shaker and cayenne tincture

Apothecary News
After trying every remedy I could think of for a nasty ear infection, I got out the heating pad to get rid of the pain. Since I can't stand to do nothing, I listened to a Village Herbalist 2 lecture on Herb Mentor. The presenter was speaking about pathogens and recommended calendula infused oil for ear infections. Amazingly, I had a batch of calendula oil that was over due for straining in the cabinet. I'm here to report that it works very well. And it smells wonderful.

Biblo Fix 
Treasure Island with my class...

Appearance
Charcoal and black, ballet-length, wool skirt, pink blouse, charcoal cashmere cardigan, black leggings, and my new mary jane birkies--I certainly don't follow fashion trends but have a great time with my thrift store wardrobe.--I got about 3 inches trimmed off my hair and some layers added. Looking much better, I'm glad to get the faded brown cut off my dark hair. While it was so damaged, now it is soft and shiny again.
 

Scripture Meditations 

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  John 14:6 I'm so glad I was raised in a home that taught the truthfulness of Jesus life and mission on earth.

Praying For

Our little man Quinn, such a funny darling boy. I'm so grateful to be his grandma, although I've not spent as much time with him as I would like. He's getting old enough to want to spend time with us, which will be lots of fun. I pray that his mother and father will be inspired to love and care for him in just the right way to build him up and lead him to Jesus. I pray that he will be happy, healthy, and safe. I pray that all children in the world can be as loved as he.

Adam, my cousin's youngest boy (20), was randomly shot in the head last Sunday....he's still alive but not the Adam of last Saturday...nor will he ever be...I know the pain my cousin and his wife are feeling at this time...whether he lives or dies this tragedy will change their lives forever...

What's Coming

...Christmas sewing projects...garden clean up...
 

Simple Pleasure
giant salads with balsamic vinegar

Images From My Life
 Here are a few of the young adults that hang out at our house. I'm enjoying these last days of having young people in our home. Some are leaving on missions this winter. Others are going off on other adventures. Their energy is contagious and joyful.  I don't know what I'll do, when the fridge stays full, and it's quiet all the time. 

Commitment to Loveliness

1)I bought some denim to make a new skirt this week--A-line with two kick pleats in front. If it turns out, I'll post a pic next week....maybe

2)I'd really like to learn to spin and knit well enough to make cashmere socks, but I'll have to wait a few more years until I'm done with my ND degree.

3)Even though I don't use dairy products anymore, I'd still like to have goats again for the great manure they produce. Raising Cashmere goats would be the perfect marriage between these two desires.

4)Right now our yard looks like a dump. We've found the source of the leaking basement. To fix this required ripping out quite a bit of cement, which is lying all over the place. It should be finished this week with an additional cement strip between the shed and the south and west fences. Why is this lovely? It's to be the new home of our bees and wood pile, which we'll move once the cold weather hits in full force.