Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

So I have to say that I made this ice cream by divine revelation.  I had this crazy strange dream last night and right before I woke up I had this idea on how to make chocolate peanut butter ice cream.  So here is the recipe I created today for the first time and I must say it is delicious.

You will need:

An Ice Cream Freezer
or a Freezer Safe container with an airtight lid
3 1/2 C half and half
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 C peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix 1/2 C half and half, 1/2 C choc chips, 1/4 C peanut butter, 1/2 C sugar in a sauce pan. Stirring continuously, melt and then bring to a thick bubbly sauce over medium low heat.  It should have the consistency of a heated fudge sauce.  Place the sauce to cool and then set into the refrigerator until ready to use. 

In a bowl, mix well, 3 C half and half, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 C sugar together.  This is your ice cream base.  Place the base in an ice cream maker/freezer for 20-25 min until soft serve consistency or place into a freezer safe container and stir every 20 min until desired consistency.  After your base is soft serve consistency, fold in dollops of firmed up chocolate peanut butter fudge sauce.  Your sauce should be almost like peanut butter thick.  Let freeze the rest of the way in the freezer and serve when ready to enjoy :)  

So there you have it.  I really do hope you all enjoy this wonderful (additive free) ice cream.  We have gotten so use to homemade ice cream that we have a difficult time eating anything else.  I will post a photo later :)

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Recently my family and I began a new journey through the land of Aerwiar.  For my son and my husband who dive into books and are never distracted by the tasks of home economics they were fascinated from the beginning.  However, I on the other hand, am constantly being interrupted and so it has taken me a little longer to get completely involved with the Igiby's and feel like they deserve a permanent residence here at the Schober Hollow.  Now that I have gotten to know them and their thwap filled garden, I cannot imagine my library without them in it.  So I am writing to all of you to inform you that if you are interested in a new adventure full of excitement and unimaginable creatures of every kind....might I dangle a new read in front of your faces, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson is the first in the Wingfeather Saga and one I think will lead you to the others (North or Be Eaten!, The Monster in the Hollows and finally, The Warden and the Wolf King soon to be released in April of 2014).  Below is a link to a note from the Author to us parents.  I hope you are blessed.

 http://networkedblogs.com/BItbi  (click on the link and then all the way to the right is a tab that says A Note to Parents)

Aerwiar

Aerwiar

Aerwiar

Aerwiar

Aerwiar

Liquid Laundry Detergent

This is for one gallon at a time. 

1/6 or 2cm of a bar of fels naptha soap, grated

3C cold water

1/4 C Arm & Hammer super washing soda

1/4 C borax

2 C hot water

20 drops of essential oils if you wish

Heat 3 C water and fels naptha in a pan until dissolved, then boil mixture for 15 min.  Remove from heat and add 2C of Hot Water then add super washing soda and borax.  stir well.  should be the consistency of honey.  Pour into a one gallon jug and add enough cold water to make up a gallon.  Put in essential oils at this time if you are going to do so.  I like Lavender.  Leave some headroom because you will need to be able to shake the pee diddle out of it later.  Mix until blended.  (I use a 1 gal Tupperware container and transfer to a Kirkland detergent dispenser later but the 1 gal vinegar jugs from Costco are heavy duty and work well)  Let sit for 24 hours, soap will gel.  shake until well mixed and smooth or use a beater if able.  1/2 cup for each load.

the initial ingredients cost less than 11 dollars all together and can save you up to 150 a year.

This recipe is adapted from another one I found online at the following link : http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

Having a Heart of Worship

Crashing waves
          Thrusting against the rocks
                     Weathering the reefs of coral

                                  Molding each into the depths of the sea

                                              Behold the beauty of our Father’s creations

                                                          He commands each wave

                                                                       He calms each gust of wind

                                                          Each grain of sand smoothed by His hands

                                                                       Every pearl accounted for

                                                                               His greatness endures forever

                                                                   10-14-98

My greatest desire is to be consistent in having a heart of worship.

You might ask, “What does that mean?”  Let’s look at some definitions from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and some scriptural references and see what the Lord says to us. 

I looked up the definition for heart, its always fun to read definitions because they can be quite comical when you are looking for a meaning that fits the context of your research.  So for heart:

1. A hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a force pump maintaining the circulation of blood. 
2. A playing card marked with a stylized figure of a red heart
3. Personality/disposition
4. The emotional or moral as distinguished from the intellectual nature as generous disposition; compassion, love affection (won her heart), courage/ardor (never lost heart).
5. Ones innermost character, feelings, or inclinations (knew it in his heart).
6. The central or innermost part, the essential or most vital part of something.

I want you to ponder more on the sixth definition, The central or innermost part, the essential or most vital part of something. 

But before we do that (since we are laying a foundation here) lets look at our other definition, that of worship:

1. Chiefly British, a person of importance-used as a title for various officials.
2. Reverence offered a divine being or super natural power, an act of expressing such reverence.
3. A form of religious practice with its creed and ritual.
4. Extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.
5. (verb) To honor or reverence as a divine being or super natural power.
6. (verb) To regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion.

Notice the last two both apply to our Lord?  The noun definitions could apply to almost anything-anyone.  However, the act or verb as some may call it of worship truly depicts what we are doing when we say we are worshiping our Lord.  But for arguments sake, I am going to just pick one and that is the last definition on the list, to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion. 

I believe that what the Lord truly wants from us when He asks us to worship Him is to worship Him by using the central or innermost part, the essential or most vital part of ourselves-our heart, to what? To regard Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior with great extravagant respect, honor and devotion. 

I looked up the word worship in the Vines Complete Expository Dictionary and this is what it said:

For the Old Testement: 

Sahah “to worship, prostrate oneself, bow down”.  Saha is used as the common term for coming before God in worship.  The act of bowing down in homage was generally done before a superior or a ruler.

For the New Testement: 

There are five different translations to worship, proskuneo “to make obeisance, do reverence to” from pros, “towards” and kuneo “to kiss” is the most frequent word rendered “to worship”. It is used as an act of homage or reverence to God, to Christ, to man, to the Dragon, to the Beast, to the image of the Beast, to demons, and to idols. 

Sebomai “to revere”, stressing the feeling of awe or devotion to God or to a goddess.

Sebazomai “to honor religiously”.

Latreuo “to serve, to render religious service or homage”.

Eusebeo “to act piously towards”.

I found this interesting though, in the notes it states:

The worship of God is nowhere defined in scripture. 

I found this relieving because in all of this searching of the text, I was struggling to find any scripture that truly defined worship.  However, there are several great examples of worship and encouragements in having a pure heart of worship. Let’s take a look. 

Gen 24:48

And I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 

Gen 24:52

And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

Ex 4:31

So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Josh 5:14

So He said, “No, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

2 Chron 7:3

When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord saying, “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”

1 Chron 16:29

Give the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

(what can we bring as an offering to the King? Our lives perhaps?)

2Chron 29:28

So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 

(notice that it does not say that everybody sang or that everybody played an instrument)

Psalm 66:4

All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

Matt. 2:21 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

(giving God our best)

Luke 24:51-53

Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven and they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

(worshiping the Lord causes us great joy)

John 4:23-24

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Matthew Henry says:

Spiritual affections, as shown in fervent prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, form the worship of an upright heart, in which God delights and is glorified.

Eph 6:5-8

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 

Some of us learned in a recent study by Cynthia Heald that a servant does not go beyond their obligation, they merely do what was their duty to do, however, a bond slave or doulos is willing to do whatever He (our Master) asks. 

**excerpt from Becoming a Woman of Strength**

Oswald Chambers provides a good summary of this chapter:

To have a master and to be mastered is not the same thing.  To have a master means that there is one who knows me better than I know myself, one who is closer than a friend, one who fathoms the remotest abyss of my heart and satisfies it, one who has brought me into the secure sense that he has met and solved every perplexity and problem of my mind.  To have a master is this and nothing less-He wants us in the relationship in which He is easily Master without our conscious knowledge of it, all we know is that we are His to obey.

Col 3:23

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. 

Okay, so what does having a heart of worship look like?

I love my husband.  He says, “It’s simple honey, the Bible says in Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.”

I had to get out our Matthew Henry’s Commentary to further explain to me this scene I was looking at in Psalm 2.

The story starts back at vs 10 and says…”Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed you judges of the earth.  Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. 

Matthew Henry states this:

Whatever we rejoice in, in this world, it must always be with trembling because of the uncertainty of all things in it.  To welcome Jesus Christ, and to submit to Him, is our wisdom and interest.  Let Him be very dear and precious; love Him above all, love Him in sincerity, love Him much, as she did to whom much was forgiven, and in token of it, kissed his feet in Luke 7:38 and with a kiss of loyalty take this yoke upon you, and give up yourselves to be governed by His laws, disposed of by His providence, and entirely devoted to His cause. 

Having a heart of worship is so much more than bringing gifts to our King, singing praises to His Name, playing our best for Him. God does not want us to put worshiping Him into a box.  I believe He left it open so that we could see that everything we do with our whole hearts unto Him is worship.  We are so uniquely different, from the center of our being all the way to the outer core, that it is impossible to say this is worship or that is worship.  It really boils down to the heart.  And only the Lord truly knows what is in the heart.

 So when we do something as unto the Lord, even if it is just scrubbing toilets, making beds, doing the laundry, remember all of this is a sweet fragrance to Him when our heart is directed toward pleasing our Master.  It’s in the having of that intimate communication with the Lord while we seek His face.

Kiss the Son.  Be intimate in everything.

The Christian Parenting Handbook ~ A Heart Based Approach to Parenting

Can I say that I am just so amazed by Jesus!  He gives us the tools we need right when we need them.  This week I have been posting on facebook and Life As We Know It about the new book out by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller called The Christian Parenting Handbook.  This week is their launch week for the new book.  The National Center for Biblical Parenting has been offering a special deal to all of those interested in helping give The Christian Parenting Handbook some extra attention, by purchasing the book this week you can also receive $400 of parenting resources for free.  Yes, that's right folks, free :)  The authors provide real life examples of a heart based approach to parenting.  Rather than reacting to the situation at hand, full swing, ready to fight, step back, think rationally and see how you might creatively approach the infraction committed so that instead of getting the stubborn mule look from your child you hit the heart of the matter and are able to work towards change and lasting results. 

So here I was reading a few chapters of this great new book available in stores now at Christianbooks.com or Biblicalparenting.org at this time other stores are sold out and I run into a parenting moment that causes me to want to react and I seriously mean react.  It is hard to give your child the benefit of the doubt and ask them calmly to explain what I see before me.  This instance happened to just be a note with vulgar language on it.  However, to me, this is big because the child is only eleven!  But in reading just a few chapters of The Christian Parenting Handbook and with the Holy Spirit knocking on my heart, I am able to see that this particular child is very stubborn and will not respond well to an outrage due to their discretion.  I am coming to know that if I want the whole story and I want the true whole story not a made up one, I must absolutely must be as nonchelant as possible and ask for our child to explain what we see before us.  There could be a logical explanation.

I know that some may read this and think, it was just a misuse of language, no big deal.  However, it is a big deal in our home because we are firm believers that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" which means something else is going on or this child doesn't fully understand the meaning of the words they were using.  Either way, it needs to be addressed.  I won't be doing the addressing.  My wonderful, patient, and loving husband will speak with our kid about this because I am a matter of fact person and though that can work with some children, it will not work with this one.  But I do know that the tools that I have gleaned from the aforementioned book have helped me to rethink my parenting.  I do want to be an effective parent.  I do not want my kids to close off from me and hide what is really going on.  I need a new approach.  I believe that with God and the tools offered in The Christian Parenting Handbook, we may see some change yet.  And it may be more in my heart than in anybody Else's but where is a better place to start? 

If you are a struggling parent just trying to figure out how to keep communication open with your young school age child, pre-teen, teenager, or even young adult, I suggest you give this book a thought.  And this week you get free resources to go along with it if you email gift@biblicalparenting.org a copy of your receipt.  The free resources are this week only, but the benefits of a new mindset are life long :) 

My Version of a Root-beer Italian Soda:

Fill a glass 2/3 of the way full of your favorite rootbeer
Add just enough heavy cream to change it to your favorite coffee color :)

stir and wah-la :)  yummy Root-beer Italian Soda