My Friend Cayla {Review}

We were recently given the chance to review a fun new interactive doll named My Friend Cayla. My girls were excited when they saw her and couldn't wait to play with her, but they were even more excited that she talked to them like a real friend! She doesn't just talk and say the same thing over and over, she can ask and answer questions and talk interactively! Cayla usually starts off talking with them with a greeting like "Hi! It's great to see you again! I like to play outside. Do you play outside?"  Then the girls can answer and even ask her questions which she will answer! Their favorite thing to do with her is play games, but she can also read stories or tell about the pictures in her picture albums.  Cayla is seven years old and talks about a lot of favorite topics of young girls like her pets, friends, shopping, and what she likes to do.  She is an 18 in. doll and so my girls can dress her in some of the clothes they already have from their other dolls. They also love styling her long hair! 

A few drawbacks that I have noticed are that when talking with Cayla, the room needs to be fairly quiet or she doesn't understand the girls.  This can be a little tricky at our house with several other kids playing around at the same time.  Another thing is that the girls are constantly asking to use the iPad.  We try to limit screen time at our house, and this is one more thing they want to use it for.  And finally, I am always a little leery about letting my kids loose with any internet related information.  I know that it is programmed with kid safe software, but somehow it seems that the hacker creeps can always find ways around things like that.  So for now, we allow the girls to play with her off-line and give them some special time to play with her interactively on-line when we can be nearby to monitor them.  We are also able to use a word exclusion feature to turn off any words we don't want Cayla to use.  She will simply tell the girls it is not something appropriate to talk about and they need to ask their parents.
Overall my girls have loved playing with her and beg to use the iPad to interact with her. I have been pleased with how fun she is and that there are safety features to help protect my girls. I think she will be a pretty hot toy for Christmas this year! Cayla will be available at Target, Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers tomorrow!

Cayla is:

International Best Seller

• Winner of Innovative Toy of the Year Award 2015

• Gadget of the Year recipient

• Fully compatible with most clothing and accessories for 18” dolls

• Available at major US retailers starting August 2015  






Blessings,

The Identical {Review & Giveaway!}



I recently had the opportunity to review another great family movie, The Identical. It is a story that begins in the 1930s during the depression with a life changing decision made by desperately poor parents to give away one of their newborn twin sons.  The son that remains with them grows up into a famous rock star.  The other is adopted by a preacher and his wife who were unable to have children The movie follows the life of Ryan Wade, a young man who loves singing but is trying to please his father by following in his footsteps to become a preacher.  He was unaware that he had a twin and other parents, but as the story progresses, begins to discover some of the secrets from his past.

 

I thought this was a great family-friendly movie that I can share with my kiddos some day.  I think mine are a little young to understand parts of it yet, but I would not be afraid to let them watch it.  With so many inappropriate movies out there it is nice to find some good ones.  I really enjoyed the story in this movie and thought the Elvis-style music was fun.  I was a little sad that it doesn't have a "happily ever after" type of ending, but I guess that makes it more real-life-like since life often doesn't have that perfect ending.   It also has a great message that you can choose to be content with the life God gives you instead of being bitter about it.  Hubby, who prefers action type movies, found it to be a little on the boring side, but I am glad this is one movie we can add to our family's collection.

 

 

The Identical, starring Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his fathers desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really us. The Identical is a captivating story about a family restored and a life discovered that lifts your soul and warms your heart.

If you are interested in purchasing The Identical you can do so HERE where you will also find The Identity Series DVD free with your purchase!

And now for the GIVEAWAY! One of you will get to win your own copy of The Identical.  To enter, please just leave me a comment below with your favorite family movie.  Please make sure you also leave a way for me to contact you if you win!  I will pick a winner on January 10, 2015 at noon.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTCs 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 

Blessings,

The Boxcar Children DVD {Review and GIVEAWAY!}

The Boxcar Children books are a great series that so many people have enjoyed.  I remember reading The Boxcar Children books as a kid and now my kids are enjoying reading them.  I think just about everyone has at least heard of them, if not read at least one of them. So when I was offered a chance to review the new DVD of The Boxcar Children, I was excited and knew that my kids would be too!

We all really enjoyed watching this one together.  It is really well done.  I usually don't care for watching cartoons, but since this one was of a great story, I didn't even mind too much.  I like that the children are great examples for my own kiddos, kind and well-mannered. This is one movie that I don't mind my kids watching over and over.  I highly recommend this DVD as a wholesome movie for your whole family!  I hope that they make more of these!

About the Film

Four orphaned and homeless siblings happen upon an abandoned boxcar, which with a little creativity and hard work, they gradually furnish with all the comforts of home. Fearful that they will be sent to live with the reputedly cruel grandfather they have never met, the children keep their new home a secret - until a serious illness forces them to reveal themselves in order to save young Violet.

About the Cast

Featuring an all-star cast of voice actors, including Academy Award Nominee Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now), J.K. Simmons (Spiderman), Zach Gordon (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Joey King (Fargo), Mackenzie Foy (Twilight series), and Jadon Sand (LEGO: The Movie), this is the very first full-length, animated feature adaptation of Gertrude Chandler Warner's best-selling classic!
If you would like to pre-order, you may do so HERE.

And now for the giveaway!  One of you will also be able to add this great movie to your collection!  To enter, please leave me a comment below letting me know your favorite book or series as a kid.  Please also leave a way for me to contact you in case you win!  This giveaway will end Sunday, August 24, 2014 at noon when I will choose a winner via random.org. Open to US and Canada only.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Blessings,

Gathering Shadows {Review}

I recently had the opportunity to read Gathering Shadows by Nancy Mehl for review.  Although not my usual favorite historical romance, I thought the description sounded interesting and decided to try it.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.

From the back cover:

Wynter Evans is a promising young reporter for a television station in St. Louis, but even a bright future doesn't take away her pain over the disappearance of her brother nine years ago. So when she stumbles across a photograph of a boy with an eerie resemblance to him, she can't pass up the chance to track him down. With research for work as her cover, she sets out with one of the station's photogs for the place where the picture was taken: the town of Sanctuary.

Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets the town's handsome young mayor, Rueben King, and together they begin to uncover long held secrets that could tear the small town apart and change everything Wynter thought she knew about her life. As the truth of her family's past hides in the shadows, it's clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the answers she's searching for hidden forever--even if the cost is Wynter's very life.

I really enjoyed the mystery of this story.  Nancy Mehl did a great job of coming up with a suspenseful plot, interesting characters, and an overall well-written story.  Most mysteries I've read have been fairly easy to guess what the outcome would be, but not this one.  I was still trying to guess almost all the way through!  Nancy also did a nice job of developing Wynter's spiritual life in a natural, believable way.  One area of the story I found unbelievable though was the romance between Wynter and Rueben.  It was very rushed and lacked depth.  If you like mysteries, I would recommend Gathering Shadows, but if you are looking for a good romance story, you might want to find a different book.

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,

Signed, Sealed, Delivered {Review}

Did you ever watch the show Touched By An Angel?  It was one of our family's favorite shows when I was young.  We didn't watch a whole lot of TV and my parents were pretty particular about what we did watch, so having a wholesome show we could watch together as a family was great!

Recently the creator of Touched By An Angel, Martha Williamson, has come out with a new series, Signed, Sealed, Delivered. I had heard about it a few weeks ago and thought that maybe this could be a another good family show. I didn't get a chance to check it out until today, though.  It airs on Sundays at 8/7c on the Hallmark channel, but I got to preview this coming week's show just to be able to tell you all about it!

I thought this show was delightful!  It is definitely one that could be watched with my family without fear of them being exposed to all the negative things that fill most TV shows these days.  I don't know that our 5 and under crowd would sit and watch for too long, but our older kiddos would enjoy most of it.  The main characters, a team of postal workers named Oliver, Shane, Rita, and Norman, are quite likable as they work to deliver undeliverable mail. In the process they are drawn into the lives of the recipients. In this episode they meet a couple with down syndrome who are trying to be allowed to live their own lives.  There is also another storyline about Rita entering an office competition against the supervisor's daughter.  Both Rita and the couple with down syndrome learn to not let other people squash you or your dreams like a bug!

I love that scripture is incorporated into this series, something that is so rare in any TV show these days!  The American Bible Society has even created a 7 day study to go with each episode!  So after you've finished watching each week, you can still dig deeper into the scripture with this helpful study all week long! To sign up for this you need to head HERE, but hurry because it is currently only available for one week.  You can also watch previously aired episodes that you missed or want to watch again through that link.  I know that I will be finding some time to go back and watch the ones that I missed!

About the Series - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
From Martha Williamson, the creative force behind "Touched By An Angel"

The new original series "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is a wonderful combination of romance, comedy and drama that follows the lives of four postal detectives who transform themselves into a team of detectives to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail. Their missions take them out of the office and into an unpredictable world where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but somehow always on time. The team includes charming Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), a genius postal detective and the group’s leader; new team member, Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), a technophile who brings 21st century sensibility to the group; free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe) who has a photographic memory; and lovable Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson), a master in conventional research methods.

Be sure to check out the Hallmark channel on Sundays at 8/7c to watch this delightful new series! If you want to find out more about Signed, Sealed, Delivered, please feel free to check out the Hallmark Channel or the Facebook page. 

Thanks to FlyBy Promotions I was given the opportunity to preview the upcoming episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered.  All opinions are mine.  As a participant in this preview I will be entered in a drawing for a prize pack.

Blessings,

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn {Review}

I haven't done much reading since having our baby boy, but really enjoyed getting back into it with The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton.  One of my favorite kinds, Christian historical romance, this one is full of adventure, suspense, and romance. The settings, events, and characters are all described so well. The main characters, Jesse and Tamsen, are very likable. Often times, I can figure out how most stories will typically end, but I really couldn't figure this one out and was pleasantly surprised how it all came together in the end. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Lori Benton!

From the back cover:

Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love

In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance. 

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah.

Blessings,

Rhyme to Read {Review}

I recently had the chance to review a great new app called Rhyme to Read.  Since Lovebug is so excited to start Kindergarten since he turned 5 a few months ago, I thought this would be a fun app to try out and see if it is something he could use soon.  This app has 20 books that focus on word families.  Here is a screen shot of book 1 using the -at family.

This is near the end of the book and all the -at words that have already been used in the book are on the left.  This makes it easy to review the words before trying to read the sentence on the right.  Some site words are also introduced throughout the story and there is always a list of those in the upper right corner.  Kids can touch any of the words to hear it read to them if they are having trouble with it.

Each book also has some great suggestions for use at the beginning to give me ideas of how to best use this with Lovebug!

 Here is a little more about the app from the Rhyme to Read site:

The program emphasizes word families (e.g., cat, rat, sat) which are color-coded to assist children in discriminating the different patterns. The only prerequisites are the recognition of letters and knowledge of consonant letter-sound connections. Rhyme to Read enables children to feel confident as they enter the world of reading.

I think this will be a great app to use in helping my kiddos learn to read and I recommend it to any of you that would like to help your own kids!  Just head over to the Rhyme to Read site and you will be able to try one book for free or purchase all the books for only $9.99.

I received this app for free for review and all opinions are mine.

Blessings,

The Promise Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for The Promise DVD!  Here is the winner that random.org picked:

Congratulations Carla!  You will have 48 hours to get back to me or I will have to pick a new winner.




Blessings,

The Sound of Music Live!

 Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

One of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music.  I enjoy so many of the songs from it and it is such a great family movie.  So I was pretty excited to hear about the upcoming new LIVE version of this classic movie!  Coming this Thursday, December 5 at 8/7c, The Sound of Music will be shown live on NBC.  I can't wait to watch this with my family and hope that you all will be able to as well!

From executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Smash," "Hairspray," "Chicago") comes an instant holiday classic: "The Sound of Music," based on the original Broadway musical. Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star as Maria and Captain von Trapp in this beloved story of the young novice who falls in love with Captain von Trapp and his seven children, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria. The jewel in the Rodgers and Hammerstein crown, "The Sound of Music" contains some of the most famous songs ever written for the stage, including "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Climb Every Mountain" and "Edelweiss."

This new version of "The Sound of Music" will be a faithful adaptation of the original stage musical, to retell the story for a whole new generation. And more than that, it will be broadcast LIVE, adding a whole new level of immediacy and excitement. Get ready to reintroduce your family to the most joyful, most emotional and most musical family adventure of them all.

This post is part of the Faith & Family Viewing Party featuring THE SOUND OF MUSIC, live on NBC.  As a participant in this party, I will be receiving a $25 VISA gift card for pizza and snacks.

Blessings,

The Promise {Review and GIVEAWAY!}

We recently received a really great Christmas DVD called The Promise.  It is a musical about the first Christmas, Jesus' birth.  We loved watching this together as a family.  The kids liked that it is animated, but I really like that it is not a typical cartoon animation.  It is beautifully done!  We all enjoyed the songs, but it wasn't all singing and the story came through very nicely.  I think this would make a great gift for someone this Christmas season and highly recommend it!  Here is a trailer of it for you to enjoy:

The Promise: The Birth of the Messiah is an animated musical celebration of one of the most pivotal events in all human history, the birth of Jesus Christ.

This beautifully crafted musical is a faithful adaptation of the birth narrative from the Gospel of Luke in both story and song. The animated production leverages optical motion technology to blend traditional animation techniques with the performance talents of ballet dancers and dramatic stage actors. The result is a unique and worshipful story experience that will inspire audiences young and old for years to come.

And now for the giveaway! One of you lucky readers will receive your own copy of The Promise!  To be entered, please leave me a comment letting me know your favorite Christmas movie.  Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner!  This giveaway will end Monday, December 9 at 8 pm when I will pick a winner using random.org.

I received this DVD for free for review from FlyBy Promotions.

Blessings,

Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas Winner!

 Thanks to those of you who entered the Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas giveaway!  I wish you could all win so that your kiddos could enjoy it as much as mine do!  Here is the result from random.org:

Congratulations Regan D!  You have 48 hours to respond to me or I will have to pick a new winner.



Blessings,

Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas {Review and GIVEAWAY!}

Since having kids, I have come to realize how hard Christmas can be to keep the focus on Christ's birth and on others instead of on ourselves.  With all the decorating, parties, and gifts, Christmas can become a rather selfish time, especially if you are a young child.  So I was very excited when I was contacted about reviewing the new Veggie Tales DVD Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas.  My kids have always loved Veggie Tales and more recently have enjoyed watching the TV series Duck Dynasty.  Well, this new DVD brings both of them together and my kids couldn't have been more excited!

Here is a quick overview from the Veggie Tales website:

 Larry The Cucumber is a Christmas elf at the Spring Valley Mall who just wants to spread joy at the holidays. When he meets a little girl with a big heart whose only Christmas wish is to help a friend in need, "Merry Larry" sets off on adventure that will light up the holidays like never before and show the town of Spring Valley what Christmas is all about - "Christmas shines most bright and true when you give the love God gave to you!" Featuring Si Robertson as Silas the Okra!

My kids were not disappointed watching this one, they LOVED it! They couldn't help laughing every time Uncle Si's character was on! I really enjoyed this movie too.  I thought it did a very nice job of showing that Christmas is much more than making a list and getting gifts. It is a great way to start kids thinking on what they could do for others for Christmas (or anytime of year!) instead of being so focused on themselves.

Here is a trailer of the movie to give you a little taste of it:



To purchase Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas, you can head over to the Veggie Tales website  While you are there, you can also check out some behind the scenes with Si Robertson or download some really cute coloring pages for your kiddos!

And now for the giveaway!  One of you lucky readers will receive your own copy of Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas!  To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment below with one way you try to keep the focus of Christmas on God's love for us and others.  Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner!  This giveaway will end in one week on Saturday, November 30 at 8:00pm PMT when I will draw a winner using random.org.

I received this DVD for free for review and all opinions are my own.

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

A Couple New Patterns

 I've been working on a couple new patterns lately that I wanted to share with you all!  First up is an adorable sock monkey hat!

 Next I created this cute chunky infinity scarf that I think turned out really well!

 After making an adult sized scarf, my girls decided they each needed a scarf, so I whipped up some patterns for them too.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these or like one of these, please head over to my post all about my crochet obsession.  Maybe you will find some cute Christmas gifts while you are there! :) Thanks!

Blessings,

A Bride For Keeps {Review}

I really like sticking to authors that I know and enjoy because I'm never quite sure what to expect from a new one.  I recently read Melissa Jagears debut novel A Bride For Keeps, and boy, am I glad I found this new author!  I loved her book and had a hard time putting it down!

From the back cover:

Everett Cline will never humiliate himself by seeking a mail-order bride. Not again. He's already been jilted by three mail-order brides and figures a wife just isn't in his future. However, a well-meaning neighbor hasn't given up on seeing him settled, so she goes behind his back to bring yet another woman to town for him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. A mail-order marriage in faraway Kansas is a last resort, but she'll do anything to leave her life in Massachusetts and the heartbreak she's experienced there.

Although Everett doesn't see how a beautiful, cultured woman like Julia could be happy sharing his simple life, he could really use a helpmate on his homestead. Determined to prove she's more than just a pretty face, Julia agrees to a marriage in name only. Faced with the harsh realities of life on the prairie and hesitant to explore the tentative feelings growing between them, can Everett and Julia ever let each other in long enough to fall in love? 

If this is Melissa Jagears's debut novel, I can't wait to see what else she writes!  Her characters and story were very well written.  I have often wondered who would ever be or ask for a mail order bride, but Everett and Julia's story makes it very easy to understand why someone would go to such lengths for a spouse.  It is also a great story of how some of those marriages could even end with true love.  I thought everything flowed together nicely and had a very sweet ending!

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

 

Blessings,

Rebellious Heart {Review}

 I have to say that this was one of my favorite books to read!  I couldn't put it down!  In Rebellious Heart, Jody Hedlund does a great job of keeping your attention with a story full of suspense and romance.  I've read and enjoyed a few of Jody's books, but this one was definitely my favorite!  The story is set in the revolution era, so if you enjoy that time period along with a great story, you will love this book too.  Even if you don't particularly love that I era, I still highly recommend reading Rebellious Heart!

From the back cover:

Massachusetts, 1763
A Love That Would Shape History Forever
Because she's a woman, higher learning was always closed to Susanna Smith. But her quick mind and quicker tongue never back down from a challenge. And she's determined to marry well, so she'll be able to continue her work with the less fortunate.

Growing up with little to his name, poor country lawyer Benjamin Ross dreams of impacting the world for the better. When introduced to the Smiths he's taken by Susanna's intelligence and independent spirit, but her parents refuse to see him as a suitor for their daughter.

When the life of a runaway indentured servant is threatened, Susanna is forced to choose between justice and mercy, and Ben becomes her unlikely advisor. But drawing closer to this man of principle and intellect lands her in a dangerous, secret world of rebellion and revolution against everything she once held dear.

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,

The Secret Keeper {Review}

Although I am finding a few authors of Amish books that I really like, I still think that Beverly Lewis is my favorite!  After reading the first two books in the Home to Hickory Hollow series, I was really excited to be able to review another one! The Secret Keeper is just as good as the other ones.

From the back cover:

Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

Jennifer Burns shocks her family and friends when she bids farewell to her modern life in favor of the Old Order Amish world, settling in with Samuel and Rebecca Lapp.

The people of Hickory Hollow are curious about the beautiful young seeker among them--one handsome Amishman in particular--and Jenny faces many challenges in the Proving time the brethren set for her...challenges of the heart, as well as the spirit.

This was another of Beverly Lewis' sweet Amish stories but had a different twist with an Englisher wanting to become Amish.  I really enjoyed this different perspective and found it interesting that Jenny wanted to be Amish despite growing up with a very modern family.  I also really enjoyed that Beverly included some familiar characters from past stories.  Although the conflict seemed a bit rushed to be resolved at the end and everything worked out a little too neatly, I still really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it or any other of Beverly Lewis' books.

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,

Tasty Tuesday: Buttermilk Pancakes

I recently shared a couple posts about making homemade baking mix and making your own buttermilk.  In this post, I will combine those two ingredients into one of the best tasting pancake recipes you will ever try!  These are by far some of the best pancakes we have ever had, they are so fluffy and tasty!  I double this recipe for our family of 6.

Ingredients:
2 cups baking mix (or Biquick)
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg

Directions:
Stir all the ingredients together.  Pour 1/4 cup scoopfuls on heated griddle or skillet and cook until edges are dry.  Turn and cook until golden.  Serve with your favorite pancake toppings!

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Baking Mix (Bisquick)

Since I prefer making my meals from scratch, I don't often buy mixes like Bisquick anymore.  Most of the time I don't mind, but once in a while I miss the ease of using it, especially in the morning when making pancakes or waffles.  Recently I came across a recipe for homemade baking mix, so I thought I would give it a try.  It works wonderfully! As easy and as tasty as recipes using Bisquick!  I made up a huge batch of this and am storing it in the freezer so it is all ready to go when I need it.

Ingredients:
5 cups flour, all-purpose or whole wheat (I use my freshly ground soft white whole wheat and it works great!)
1/4 cup baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar or sucanat
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup butter

Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is fine crumbles.  You can use it in any recipe that calls for Bisquick or baking mix. It can be stored at room temp for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Buttermilk

Buttermilk is super easy to make at home.  Even easier than homemade yogurt, but similar in that you need to culture the milk.  First you will need some buttermilk culture.  You can order some from places like Cultures for Health or go the easy way like me.  I just buy some cultured buttermilk from the store.

If you start with the cultures you will need to follow the directions your receive for your first batch.  After you have some cultured buttermilk, you can use some of that to make future batches.  Place about 1/2 cup of the cultured buttermilk in a quart jar and fill the rest of the way with milk.  Put a lid on and give it a gentle shake.  Then let it sit at room temp for 24 hours. Store in the fridge.

 Here's a jar of half used buttermilk that I currently have in my fridge.

The culture kits at Cultures for Health say that some can be used again up to 8 times and some indefinitely.  I have found that using buttermilk from the store usually only works for 4-5 times for me, but I usually am buttermilked out by then and need a break from finding recipes to use it in anyway. :)  Someday I may need to invest in the starter kit and keep it going though.

Blessings,

Linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
Teach Me Tuesdays
Titus 2sday
Women Living Well
A Delightful Home
Raising Arrows
The Modest Mom
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Into the Whirlwind {Review}

I've read a few of Elizabeth Camden's books and have really enjoyed each of them.  When I had a chance to review Into the Whirlwind, I knew I would enjoy it as well. Ms. Camden does a great job including history, suspense, and romance in her writing.  I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the Great Chicago fire and how it really affected the people whose homes and businesses were destroyed. The main characters, Mollie and Zach, were very likable, but the side characters were also interesting and all combined for a great story.  I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next and couldn't put the book down!

From the Back Cover
As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, Mollie Knox's future looks bright until the night the legendary Great Chicago Fire destroys her beloved city. With her world crumbling around her, Mollie will do whatever it takes to rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

Zack Kazmarek, an influential attorney for one of Chicago's finest department stores, is a force to be reckoned with among the city's most powerful citizens. Bold and shrewd, he's accustomed to getting exactly what he wants--until he meets Mollie Knox, the beguiling businesswoman just beyond his reach.

In the tumult as the people of Chicago race to rebuild a bigger and better city, Mollie comes face-to-face with the full force of Zack's character and influence. Zack believes this may finally be his chance to win her, but can Mollie ever accept this man and his whirlwind effect on her life, especially with her treasured company on the line?

I received this book for free for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Blessings,