Neat Canning Idea

I have a Camp Chef to use for outdoor canning, but if I didn't, I would certainly be showing this picture to my husband!  

A Labor of Love

*UPDATE* All of the entries were completed and the afghan was won by a dear lady who really wants Mabel home!  Thank you ALL for supporting her adoption!!

Last year, I began a crochet class for our local homeschoolers. With a note on our facebook group, I began recruiting folks who wanted to be a part of a service project. Many families responded and we began.  Hardly any of the moms and none of the children had crochet experience, but they were diligent and began learning stitches quickly.  After about three months, look at what they had created! It's a beautiful, twin sized granny square afghan!

They made it specifically to raise funds for a little girl nicknamed "Mabel".  She's nearly eight years old and is living in a mental institution in Eastern Europe.  She had a family deeply in love with her and working hard to bring her home, but circumstances beyond their control forced them to release her. I am still dedicated to praying and advocating for her until she is home. This afghan fundraiser will be a huge blessing to whichever family chooses to bring her into their family. I know it was a blessing to me to see these children and their mommies working hard to create it.

You can enter to win this afghan! Each donation of $10 to Mabel's account is an entry. Only 25 entries are being accepted.   Donations are fully tax deductible!  Email your receipt to me at THIS LINK and you will be entered.  You can also share this drawing on your blog or facebook and get an entry for a $10 donation to ANY Reece's Rainbow waiting child or adopting family that you want! You must leave a comment and link on THIS POST to be entered for the Pick-A-Child contest. Winners will be drawn using Random.org.

Thank you so much for praying for Mabel and helping advocate for her!  Please pray diligently that she will be chosen again soon and be home FOREVER!

2012 Canning Inventory

I finally counted up last years canning. Here's the list!  I couldn't get enough apples, so my applesauce numbers are low and we will run out before apple season returns. I also couldn't can any apple marmalade or pie filling.  Also, I had so much jam left over from last year, I made very little this year.  Next year I hope to make more meals in a jar and canned meat and a wider variety of vegetables.

2012 Canning Inventory

7 pints Creamsicle

19 pints pizza sauce

13 quarts  chicken meat

75 quarts pinto beans

14 quarts Ranch beans

14 quarts ham and bean soup

8 1/2 pints Flamin’ Taco Sauce

5 quarts enchilada sauce

6 quarts spaghetti sauce

8 pints Banberry jam

7 quarts chicken soup

7 quarts meat chili

5 1/2 pints BBQ sauce

8 pint+1/2 dilly carrots

9 pint+1/2 dilly beans

7 pints apricots

2 pints mixed berry jam

8 quarts chicken broth

22 quarts zucchini salsa (given to K.)

19 quarts zucchini salsa

21 quarts zucchini sausage soup

4 pints black eyed peas

5 quarts chunky picante

2 quarts Vintage salsa

4 pints Vintage salsa (gifted to E.)

6 pints pickled peppers

6 pints pickled peppers (made with L.)

58 quarts green beans

7 quarts potatoes

2 quarts beef broth

1 quart mixed beef and chicken broth

11 quarts smooth picante

10 quarts applesauce

14 quarts pear applesauce

7 quarts stew meat

7 pints apple butter

3 1/2 pints cranberry sauce

14 quarts turkey broth

2011 Canning Inventory

Oops, I didn't add last years canning inventory to this blog.  Here it is!

I canned a lot more this year! I know that I need more canned pintos, more chili, and I need to focus on getting some meat dishes canned.  I'm pretty happy with what I got done, though.

18 pints chili
7 quarts OJ (don't can OJ, it gets bitter...this was a waste)
42 pints strawberry jam
21 quarts pinto beans
15 pints Creamsicle jam
10 pints strawberry boysenberry jam
22 pints mixed fruit jam
6 pints boysenberry jam
9 pints gingered plum jam
4 quarts picante sauce
68 quarts green beans
3 quarts tomato juice
10 pints pizza sauce
12 pints mock pineapple
4 quarts elderberry syrup
3 pints elderberry syrup
7 quarts peaches
7 pint-and-a-half peaches
3 pints peaches
20 pints peach-blueberry jam
7 quarts pears
11 pints pear syrup
35 quarts applesauce
8 pints apple butter
4 pints pickled habenero and jalepenos

Merry Christmas to Abbott

Donate to Abbott's Angel Tree adoption fund here. 

The higher the adoption grant, the more likely a child is to be chosen by a family.  All donations are tax deductible. 

As we begin to celebrate the Christmas season, my heart grieves for Abbott, and all the children of Reece's Rainbow, spending their lives locked away from sight.  Some special few are here listed here. Each has a Warrior trying to raise $1,000 for their child's adoption fund.

If you read my blog, you know that Abbott is my special little guy. I've been advocating for him since  January and have posted about him often.

I imagine how he would look with his mother, playing at the park.  He'd have a smile on his face, rather than looking pensive, as he does in his profile picture.  His little, chubby cheeks would be flushed with joy. He'd love swinging through the air, feeling the wind rushing by and the tickle in his belly from the motion.

Then the slide would catch his eye and he'd point to it.  Mama would carry him over and guide him up. He'd slide with abandon, giggling the entire way down.  She'd swoop him into her arms and swing him in circles, hugging him tightly.  What a joy he is to her!  What a treasure!

But this is just my daydream for Abbott spends his days confined in a mental institution.  He has no mama to love him, no one at all who cherishes him.  Is he even allowed out of one single room?  We don't know.  Is he grouped with boys two times his size who bully him? We don't know.  Is he drugged into a stupor to keep him still and quiet? We don't know. Does he get enough food or any medicine when he's sick? We just don't know.

I pray that someone will see Abbott's picture and feel that tug at their heart. The tug that whispers "He's YOURS!" Adoption is a long, expensive process, but SO worth it!  The entire Reece's Rainbow community helps bring these children home. Over and over I see them rally and raise the ransom needed to complete families. To change lives. To make real change in this sometimes ugly world.  

Please pray for Abbott right now. Please pray for him tomorrow and the next day, too. Please pray for him until he's playing with his mama at that park.

Angel Tree is Almost Over!

There's only half a month left for Angel Tree and for me to raise Abbott's fund by $1,000.  So far we've raised $353 for him and his grant is standing at exactly $3000.  Praise the Lord!  Now I can announce that I have another $50 matching grant opportunity for him.  When his fund reaches $3050, $50 more will be sent his way by a generous donor.  Remember that all donations are fully tax deductible, so it's a double win!

Donate to Abbott here

The Crew's Thanksgiving Menu

I love Thanksgiving time!  I enjoy the whole nine yards as far as the feast goes, and thought I would share our menu with you this year.

The turkey is brined in a mixture of 2 gallons water, 2 cups of kosher salt and 2 cups of white sugar.  I added three bay leaves and an orange and lemon sliced up.  After heating, to dissolve the sugar and salt, add some ice to cool it.  Not too much!  Brine the turkey an hour per pound.  My husband is smoking the turkey this year on our outdoor wood barbecue.

Also cooking outside, in a roaster oven, is a ham from Costco.

Side dishes will be homemade mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, buttered corn, Granny's Stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce (and canned for the sickos that prefer it), and french bread rolls.  This meal will be neither gluten-free nor low-carb!

Desserts will be lemon meringue pie, cherry cheesecake, and cherry pie.

What are you serving?

Angelina in 3G

Angelina is in Abbott's region. I imagine them adopted together and growing up as brother and sister!  However, she is in need of heart sugary.  She's not a baby any more, she's four and a half years old! She's probably been transferred already, but news is sparse, so we are not sure. Who knows how she is doing and if she's being followed by a cardiologist?

She has an excellent Warrior who is working hard all year long to raise the ransom for her future family.  There are many ways you can help Angelina.  Firstly, pray for her.  Pray for her health, for her safety and for her family to find her soon.

To help financially, you can give $35 (or more) to her FSP and get a beautiful Christmas tree ornament with her beautiful picture  on it.

If you like to shop online for gifts, Deb has a great shop called Love Leaving Legacy.  She has a facebook page and an Etsy shop.

She's also doing a Wreaths of Maine fundraiser.  Just select "Wielhouwer L 5084"  as the affiliate upon checkout.

You can shop with purpose for many of the Reece's Rainbow children this upcoming Christmas season.  Just visit "Intentional Christmas Shopping" and visit the many links.

'Tis the Season....

...for coughs!  Make up a batch of this remedy to have on hand when they arrive.

Honey Cough Remedy
 ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
 ¼ teaspoon Ginger
 1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar (an organic one is preferred)
 2 Tablespoons Water

 1 Tablespoon Honey (use a locally produced raw honey, if possible)

 Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water.
 Add honey and shake well.
 Take 1 Tablespoon as needed for cough.

You can also take raw garlic and grapefruit seed extract to help stop any infection that may be developing. 

I found this recipe at Organic Herbal Solutions on 

Facebook.

Kitty Korner

Winter must be coming on....the kitties are all wanting to laze around and even spend time on laps!  The Lambies thought it funny that all three kitties were snoozing so close to one another the other day, and asked me to take a picture of "Kitty Korner".