This is the place where Ladies can join in and talk about anything from Cooking, Gardening, Beauty, Decorating, Holiday Ideas, Favorite Products, Parenting or anything to do with Homemaking! http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php Wed, 16 May 2012 13:46:32 -0700 15 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7617
4 cups peeled and finely diced fresh peaches
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
7 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch Certo fruit pectin (or whatever you're accustom to)

First Prepare the fruit: Peel and pit about 3 pounds peaches, grind fruite or chop very fine. Measure 4 cups into 6 or 8 quart saucepot. Add lemon juice.

Then make the jam: Thoroughly mix sugar into fruit in saucepan. Place over high heat, bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. At once stir in fruit pectin. Then bring back to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Ladle quickly into hot jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Invert jars for 5 minutes and turn upright. After 1 hour, check seals.

Yield: About 8 cups or 9 (8 fl. oz) jars.]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 09:54:50 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7617 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7616
I loved this part. I shared it with the ladies in my prayer group, and thought some of you ladies might enjoy it, too. The book is called King's Cross by Timothy Keller. From p. 142-143:

"When you have children, they're in a state of dependency. They have so many needs; they can't stand on their own. And they will not just grow out of their dependency automatically. The only way that your children will grow beyond their dependency into self-sufficient adults is for you to essentially abandon your own independence for twenty years or so. . . Unless you sacrifice much of your freedom and a good bit of your time, your children will not grow up healthy and equipped to function. Unfortunately, there are plenty of parents who just won't do it. They won't disrupt their lives that much; they won't pour themselves into their
children. They won't make the sacrifice. And their kids grow up physically, but they're still children emotionally -- needy, vulnerable, and dependent. Think about it this way: You can make the sacrifice or they're going to make the sacrifice. It's them or you. Either you suffer temporarily and in a redemptive way, or they're going to suffer tragically, in a wasteful and destructive way. It's at least partly up to you. All real, life-changing love is substitutionary sacrifice."

I thought that was a really cool way of looking at what we do as moms -- even when our kids are grown and we continue to bring them before the Lord in prayer.]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 09:40:39 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7616 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7615
Do you have any favourite books on homemaking or faith (or both!!) that you would recommend?

I am always on the look out for new books to read! I don't really hear about new releases in these categories - they just don't seem to be advertised over here.

Thank you!

Jenny]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 09:35:47 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7615 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7614
They started out like this:



Darn, I don't guess I took a picture of them in the blender, but that's how I "mashed" them! I added lemon juice and put them on the stove.


This looks like too big a pot, but you can't imagine how "big" they become before they are through boiling!

Of course, I washed all the new jars and lids before I got started in very hot water and let them dry while I got going on the rest of the process. Truth is, I should have washed and dried them and placed them on the counter BEFORE I put the berries on to boil! I'll try to remember that for next time!



I had my sure jell and sugar ready to go.





7.5 cups of sugar!!!

Next, bring everything to a boil stirring constantly! See how it is rising?



The berries and parts were no longer there by the time all the boiling was done. Here it is after I added the sure jell!



I am always afraid it is going to overflow like lava from a volcano!!!!

Then here is the final product!



I'll report back in a few days after they have had time to set about how good the jam is! I sure hope it is!!]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 19:57:10 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7614 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7613
One of the clients I knew there was found dead in a heavily wooded area. Her body was so badly decomposed that they couldn't tell the
gender of the person. It's just such a sad account of someone trying to get out of this homeless lifestyle. She would come in and try to
find things appropriate to wear on a job interview. I helped her find some things several months ago. I personally haven't seen her in a
long time but others had.

krem.com (that's the news station that is featuring the story)

Kayla Williams was her name if you want to read about it. She would come into the shelter and use the phone there to call her mom. I'm sure
her mom is absolutely devastated. Our volunteer coordinator called me to let me know. I just feel sick. Please pray for Kayla's mom, for peace
and comfort.]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 16:41:48 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7613 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7612
I have made:

Patty Melts - Delicious!
Oven Baked Cheesy Bacon Chips with Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce
Peanut Butter Cup S'Mores Bars (Oh, my goodness, ladies, make that one!)
A fort for Jeremiah out of a curtain - best idea ever!
Slow cooker cheesy chicken and rice - meh. Blah.

Let's have a thread for sharing what you have tried and what you think of it, if it was worth sharing, if it was good, bad, or ugly! What do you think?]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 12:41:01 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7612 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7611
Do you ladies wear accessories?]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 10:07:18 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7611 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7610 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=h60r2...be_gdata_player]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 08:57:19 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7610 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7609 ]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 06:09:07 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7609 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7608




For anybody interested in the chips history -
Chocolate Chips were invented in 1937 by a lady named Ruth Graves Wakefield who worked at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts.







She took a bar of chocolate, cut it into chunks and added the chunks to a cookie recipe - and voila - we have never been the same. For awhile Nestle's sold a small "chipping" tool with their chocolate bars so you could make your own chips.]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 04:40:07 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7608 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7607

And here are some of the blueberries and the peaches. I think tomorrow will be Peach Jam day around here!



The blueberries are so good and so good for you! Lots of antioxidants!]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 11:53:47 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7607 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7606 it looks as if many of our opinions have been found distasteful enough to be completely wiped off this forum. If there are rules against having discussions about the state of our country, maybe there should be a stated rule about what we are allowed to discuss. I am honestly quite frustrated and feel like only a certain side has freedom to speak and be heard. Mon, 14 May 2012 11:41:14 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7606 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7605
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=856...136354996439929

Hugs & Blessings,

Brenda]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 06:52:47 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7605 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7604
But boy, this one was a whopper! We're all smiling now (well, ok he's smiling from medication I think lol) but glad the day is over. I'll check in with you this week to let you know how he's healing. Bet it'll be great judging from how much improved he is already this evening.

Whew...so glad God is good all the time and with us all the time!!!

Oh...and my SIL graduated from the city fire department academy and soon I'll have a link to the cool video the fire department produced and showed at the graduation. You can see the ceremony photos at the following link and he and my daughter are in #29, 30 and I'm even in #37 with part of our family in the first row. I wanted to share this with you along with a heartfelt thanks for your many prayers for my SIL getting this job and hope that you'll remember him as he works as a firefighter and for the success of his one-year probationary period too.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101...e=1&theater]]> Sun, 13 May 2012 21:39:51 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7604 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7603 Sun, 13 May 2012 20:48:12 -0700 http://forums.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/index.php?showtopic=7603