HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
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01/01/11 Baby Sign Language, Recipes, Finicky Eaters, Toy Organization, Storybooks
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The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Please use these two e-mail addresses to subscribe and unsubscribe (as well as make changes of e-mail addresses):
[email protected]
IN THIS ISSUE:
THE HEART TO HEART BLOG - COMING VERY SOON!
ARE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR CALENDARS FOR 2011?
ENCOURAGING PREDICTIONS FOR 2011
THE BENEFITS OF TEACHING YOUR BABY SIGN LANGUAGE
SWEET POTATO DELIGHTS
QUICK AND EASY FRIED APPLES
SPINACH QUICHE
JENNIFER'S MARINATED CHICKEN SALAD PLATE
FINICKY EATERS AND PREVENTING FOOD WASTE
TIPS AND TIDBITS
FUN WINTER CRAFTS
TOYS - A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
RECORDABLE STORYBOOKS BY HALLMARK
PRECIOUS GEMS
THE HEART TO HEART BLOG - COMING VERY SOON!
There are still a few changes that need to be done to the blog before announcing the link, but I promise it will be announced before the Twelfth Anniversary of the Heart to Heart Newsletter. It began in February, 1999.
So far the Start-Up Kit, all the Christmas and Easter newsletters, as well as the majority of 2009 and 2010 have been posted. Most newsletters have been broken down into segments, so you won't have to wade through too much information to find what you're looking for. Inspirational music and photos are also included for your enjoyment.
The best part about the blog is that topics are categorized, which makes it easy to find what you are searching for!
Many ladies wrote, saying they prefer the newsletters continuing by e-mail. If you are receiving this newsletter, you will continue receiving monthly newsletters unless you unsubscribe yourself.
If you have a new e-mail address, however, you will need to make the changes as shown at the top of this newsletter. Otherwise your subscription will automatically be stopped, so please do remember that.
ARE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR CALENDARS FOR 2011?
If you have come up short on calendars for the new year, but have saved some old ones filed away for their beautiful pictures, see if you can find one from either 2005 or 1994, because those calendars will work for 2011!
ENCOURAGING PREDICTIONS FOR 2011
Author unknown
With all the problems the world is facing, it can be unsettling to the mind. It's wonderful to know Who really is in control and that "the Word of God endures forever." ~ I Peter 1:25
Top 10 Predictions for 2011
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on Earth..
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still honor the prayers of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
THE BENEFITS OF TEACHING YOUR BABY SIGN LANGUAGE
November 15, 2010 - by Mandy McCollum
http://christian-parent.com/benefits-teaching-baby-sign-language/
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, "Why should I teach my baby sign language when he/she is not deaf?" Well that is a good question. Even if your child is not deaf, there is scientific research that has been done to show the benefits of sign language for hearing babies.
Drs. Acredolo and Goodwyn, founders of Baby Signs program, have spent a lot of time and energy into research before they developed the program Baby Signs. In their research they focused on hearing babies and the benefits of using signs.
They wanted to make sure that if they made a product for hearing babies that they were not going to cause problems for them in the future.
One myth is that using sign language slows down the baby’s ability to speak. If they can communicate using signs then they will never talk, right? No…research actually proves the opposite.
Results of the study were amazing!!!
The tests revealed at 11-30 months signing babies had a three-month advantage over the non-signers. The babies using baby sign language were also putting together significantly longer and more complex sentences. At 36 months, signers were almost a FULL year ahead of their non signing age mates!!!
Test results at 8 years old, showed those who had used sign language as babies scored an average of 12 points higher in IQ tests then their non-signing peers.
Not only does using baby signs with your baby increase their IQ, it also has other benefits as well.
- Using sign language with your baby can reduce the frustration levels for both baby and mother alike. Have you been in a situation that you could not tell what your child wanted? The only thing that your child could do was drag you to the kitchen, and then point. Well does he want a drink, food, or something on the counter? You could not help him, and after many attempts to figure it out you get frustrated and so is he. Sign language comes in very handy.
- Using sign language with your baby builds trust between the baby and you. Imagine the above situation again. Your child drags you to the kitchen (actually this would not happen if you were signing with them). You are in the kitchen and your baby signs “drink”. You know exactly how to help them, and you give them a drink. Not only does your child walk away with new confidence about himself, he also walks away with the trust that you know how to help him when he needs you.
- Using sign language allows babies to share their world to you. Babies are able to communicate at a very young age. But unfortunately their verbal skills fall far behind, and they are not able to communicate things with us. If they know sign language and have the confidence that you understand them, they will show you what they are thinking and looking at, what they want to know more about, what their interests are, what they don’t like, the list goes on and on.
- Using sign language boosts their positive emotional development, confidence, as well as self esteem. They know what they want, and they have to figure out a way to communicate to us before they can speak. Sign language “bridges” the gap before they can verbalize it to us.
In conclusion, the evidence shows that using sign language with your baby is good for baby as well as for you, the parents. Now you know that signing with your baby increases their IQ throughout their life, decreases the frustration level, builds trust, allows you to share in their world and understand what they are thinking, and boosts confidence and self esteem. The better question to ask would be “Why not use sign language?”
Mandy McCollum has been passionate about sign language since she was young. She is one quarter away from receiving her sign language interpreting degree and has taken classes at the Chicago Deaf Center. She has also taught children sign language as part of a homeschool curriculum. For more sign language resources visit http://www.hands4sign.com.
SWEET POTATO DELIGHTS
This is a favorite recipe of ours that my mother-in-law used to make when we all came to Mother and Daddy Breneman's home. Our children still remember eating these when they were quite small. Here's how they are made:
Boil or bake scrubbed unpeeled sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash, adding salt, butter and cinnamon if desired. Shape into small oblong sweet potatoes (about 4 inches long). Coat with crushed cracker crumbs, cornflake crumbs or whole wheat flour. Fry in oil until golden brown, being careful not to burn. Grated unsweetened coconut could be added to the breading for an extra special touch.
The way I like to make them ahead of time to freeze is to shape into oval patties (without any breading), separated with wax paper. They stack nicely this way and take up less freezer space. Then when I want to make them, I simply separate as many as needed with a sharp knife and thaw them. After breading them, they are fried in oil. This makes a wonderful last minute addition to a meal, since they can be thawed in the microwave.
QUICK AND EASY FRIED APPLES
This is a dish my husband likes to make. In fact, he surprised me and made some a while ago! Mmmm! Peel and slice cooking apples such as Granny Smith, McIntosch, Stayman Winesap, Golden Delicious, etc. As the apples cook in a buttered skillet, add cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and enough stevia to sweeten naturally without lots of carbs and calories. Add raisins if you'd like. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Eat them hot or cold. Of course, they are really delicious hot with vanilla ice cream!
Note: While peeling and slicing the apples, put them into a large bowl of salt water to keep from browning.
SPINACH QUICHE
(Yields 2 pies) Delicious recipe from my sister-in-law, Linda Walker and my aunt, Sherlyn Kohr, both in Pennsylvania - These pies freeze very well baked or unbaked.
2 unbaked pie crusts
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or broccoli)
1/4 cup shallots or 2 Tbsp. onion, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) real butter
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups heavy cream or Half and Half
1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Dry spinach as much as possible; place evenly in the two unbaked pie crusts.
Place the remaining ingredients in the blender or whisk in a bowl until frothy.
Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees, until an inserted knife comes out clean.
You may want to cover lightly with foil toward the last few minutes to prevent too much browning.
Let set about 10 minutes before cutting.
JENNIFER'S MARINATED CHICKEN SALAD PLATE
Thanks to Beth Cummings in Virginia for this delicious recipe! Beth says, "This is a favorite recipe of ours from Steve and Jennifer Parker.
1 cup oil 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. salt 1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. basil 2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. thyme 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 lb. boneless chicken breast
Pour over 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts. Marinate overnight: (I usually fix it the same day though); turn once. Remove chicken from marinade 1/2 hour before grilling. (I'm usually in hurry and put it directly on the grill) Grill 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Check chicken carefully not to overcook.
Arranging Chicken Salad on Plates:
Follow the marinated chicken recipe above. After grilling, cut into strips or chunks and refrigerate. (I serve them warm right off the grill). Use two kinds of lettuce (i.e, curly leaf, bibb, iceberg) ( I use green and red leaf lettuce, depending what I have on hand) or with fresh spinach. Prepare as a salad. Use three kinds of fruit (i.e. melon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, pineapple). Cut fruit into chunks. Use two kinds of cheese (i.e. Monterey Jack, cheddar, Swiss, Colby). Use walnuts or pecans, chopped.
On individual salad plates, arrange lettuce/spinach, top with a variety of fruit chunks, add cubed cheese, sprinkle with nuts, top with marinated chicken chunks or strips, and garnish top with strawberry fan or orange slice.
Poppy Seed Dressing
Mix in Blender:
1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt 1 or 2 tsp. poppy seeds
Add 3 Tbsp. grated onions (to achieve pink colored dressing, use purple onion - (This is nice for a ladies' luncheon.)
Gradually add and beat continually:
1 cup salad oil
FINICKY EATERS AND PREVENTING FOOD WASTE
by Lois Breneman - Copyright 2011 - Heart to Heart
Sweet Potato Pie ~ Our grandson, Justin (7), loves pumpkin pie, but he says he doesn't like sweet potatoes. So after we had made pumpkin pies together during his last two visits, for Thanksgiving Day I made two *sweet potato* pies just before his arrival (can't freeze custard pies). I realize pumpkin is a very healthy vegetable as well as sweet potatoes, but wanted to help our sweet finicky eater see (and taste) that sweet potatoes are delicious too!
To remove the fibrous threads of sweet potatoes which some people don't care for, I used the mixer first, removing the threads that automatically collect at the base of the beaters by rinsing under running water. Next I put the potatoes in the blender to get them as smooth as silk.
I made sure I didn't lie about the pie and say it was "pumpkin pie," but called it "Thanksgiving pie!" The Libby's recipe for pumpkin pie (found on the can or Online), was used with a little less sweetener (I used mostly sucanat, a natural sugar, and a little stevia). Justin ate almost two pieces and really loved the pie! He obviously tasted no difference, so it was a success in this grammie’s eyes! He helped to serve the pie, calling it "Thanksgiving pie" as well. He decided he did like sweet potatoes - at least in pie! Why not enjoy sweet potato and pumpkin pies all year round?
Spaghetti Sauce ~ If your child likes spaghetti, but rarely ever eats vegetables, you can sneak pureed red beets and carrots into the sauce, without him knowing it. Start out using just a bit, and adding more vegetables each time. To save yourself time and energy, cook, puree, and freeze those "sneaky foods" in ice cube trays (when he's not looking). Then add a few ice cubes at a time to spaghetti, chili, and other foods in which the red/orange color will not give away your secret. You may find that your child will acquire a taste for those vegetables that he has convinced himself that he hates. Just keep it to yourself as long as you need to though.
Pancakes ~ Switch to using more whole grain flour (freshly milled will provide even more nutrition) in pancakes and in all your baking. You can make your own pancake mix by mixing all the dry ingredients and freezing in individual batches, then adding the wet ingredients when making pancakes. Even if you have no food mill, try using your blender to mill wheat berries to replace a portion of the flour you now use.
You could also mix up and make a large amount of pancakes ahead, and freeze them. Then simply pop them in the toaster for a tastier and more nutritious breakfast than pop tarts, yet just as easy in the morning! Add pureed pumpkin, sweet potatoes, or carrots to the pancake batter for even more nutritional value.
What to do with Leftover Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? ~ Throw them out? No! Here's a way to save them and serve up a tasty treat! Wrap and refrigerate them for later. Then spread a thin coat of butter on the outside of both sides, as you would when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Grill in a pan, and I think you'll find your kids and grandkids will love them, as ours did! They are really good! Two of our grandchildren like honey in place of jelly, but our other grandchild likes jelly, so his mother wisely buys "All Fruit" jams, as I do. They are made with only fruit - no sugar or additional sweetener.
Free Freezer Soup ~ Any time you have leftovers of meat, vegetables, pasta, broth, or cheese, add them to a "Soup Pot" in your freezer. Almost any 1-3 quart container will work as long as it has a lid. Then when it's full and you need a meal in a hurry, thaw the contents in the microwave, and add whatever else you think the soup needs - diced potatoes, fresh or frozen vegetables, salt, or herbs. Considering you may have tossed out those leftovers, or left them in the fridge to grow pussy willows, you will be serving a very tasty "Free Soup." That's better than "Stone Soup," as the story goes!
TIPS AND TIDBITS
Leg Warmers for Little Girls ~ Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for this tutorial link! Basically you buy a pair of socks for women, cut off the foot section, turn up the raw edge of the leg portion, and slip stitch (hand sewing). The leg warmers can be worn over top of tights, other socks, or under pants. Very cute! Actually you could also make leg warmers from old sweaters, using the sleeves. http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2009/09/tutoriallittle-girls-leg-warmers.html
Cleaning Stove Vents ~ As dust and grease builds up in hard-to-reach areas such as stove vents, cover a table knife with a wet, soapy, and rung out cleaning cloth, and go to work. It works!
TOYS - A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
by Lois Breneman - Copyright 2010
What to Do with All Those Toys?
Are you bothered by toys spread on the floor throughout your home all day long? Are you the one at the end of the day picking up the toys after your children are in bed? How's that low back pain from picking up the toys, after a full day of caring for your children?
Here's a solution if your child is still a baby - so young he can't pick up toys yet. A unique tool for you would be the "Grabber," sold in department and drug stores. It's a tool for the elderly, but hey, we're looking for a good solution, and I know this works. Whatever it takes to get the job done, right? I used the grabber to pick up and organize a large playroom, sorting all the toys into categories, and it certainly saved my back from a whole lot of stooping! When your children see you using the grabber, they may want to steal your special tool and do the job themselves! So let them! It's a Tom Sawyer trick! This tool is also great for picking up sticks off the ground after a forceful wind, and I’m sure there are many other uses.
Small toys of various categories can be kept in fabric drawstring bags, and hung on hooks on a wall, in order to keep them separated. Teach your children and visitors the "One Bag at a Time" rule, letting them know they can play with each one, as long as they don't have several bags out at a time. That rule will need to be enforced by you. The children will soon associate a certain bag with specific toys, which is a good memory skill. You will soon find your children know where every toy can be found.
Toy animals, other than stuffed variety, can go in one bag; small balls in another. Puzzles, and a host of tiny toys will be kept together and not lost by using this method. Bins also work well to separate toys, can hold more, and you don't need to hold open a bag as toys are picked up, but they take up more space, and are more costly. A bag of toys can be grabbed to take along with you if necessary, so maybe you'd want to have an assortment of both storage solutions.
How Do You Get Toddlers and Young Children to Pick up Small Toys?
Recently my three year old granddaughter had a unique response when her mom asked her to pick up her toys, saying matter-of-factly to her mom, "I'm not interested," and walked away! Many others don’t say this, but still walk away.
Getting toddlers and young children to pick up toys is an issue all parents deal with. While in our home recently, my sweet two year old grandson wasn't interested in picking up his brand new colorful wooden blocks he got for a gift either. So I told him I had an idea of a fun way to pick them up. I came back with a small, clean dustpan with a matching brush! His eyes lit up and that did it! He absolutely loved that new way of scooping up his blocks, and with his mommy's help, the job got done quickly.
A one dollar dustpan saved the day! That dustpan became his favorite new toy, and he carried it around with him the rest of his time with us! And, of course, I gave it to him to take home! A larger dustpan would be a great help as well. Another idea of getting toys from the floor to a bin or box would be to put them first into a dump truck, then haul them to a bin and dump!
RECORDABLE STORYBOOKS BY HALLMARK
You can locate the Hallmark recordable books at www.hallmark.com/online/in-stores/recordable-storybooks/
Two friends told me about these wonderful books, after having given them or received them as gifts. Carol Miller in Pennsylvania received one from her grandson and really cherishes it. Margie DeMonbrum in Missouri gave these Hallmark books to her younger grandchildren, but intends to give them to her older ones as well. They were a great hit with everyone!
Margie gives the details:
These books are a little expensive at $30 each, but I think they are worth it since it is a keepsake. These books can be kept for future generations. All they will have to do is replace the batteries once in a while.
At that site there is a place to click on and listen to a little bit of "The Night Before Christmas."
You can also click on each book and it will enlarge it and tell more detail about the contents.
The instructions are enclosed and are very easy. I loved doing it.
We got, "The Night Before Christmas", for Andrew (perfect for his age - 4) and "The Very First Christmas," for
Ben (great for his age - 7).
Now that I see how great these books are (they preserve permanently your voice - which is a treasure -
especially after we go to Heaven) I am going to buy one for each of the other grandkids - even the older ones:
Christopher, Kelsey and Olivia - "On The Night You Were Born"
Jessica - "Bright and Beautiful"
PRECIOUS GEMS
Ladies, thanks so much for these Precious Gems from your children and grandchildren! Please keep them coming! I love them, and I'm sure everyone else does too! This first one is one of the cutest kids’ quotes I’ve ever heard!
Lauren telling her friend, Mary: So, I made those chocolate cookies, and Savannah (3) asked me who taught me to make them. I told her Mary did, and she replied, "OH MY WORD! Jesus' mommy made cookies with you when you were a kid?" ~ Lauren Beckner in Virginia
My 5-year-old is practicing his blossoming reading skills everywhere we go. We were driving through town recently when he exclaimed with a gasp, "No 'P' words are allowed on this street!" (He saw a 'No Parking' sign with the 'P' crossed out!) ~ Jaime Horst in Pennsylvania
My grandson, Austin (4) told me, "Grammy, I'm going to heaven because I asked Jesus in my heart." I told him, " I was about your age when I asked Jesus into my heart. I knew that I did bad things and Jesus died on the cross to take my discipline, and He came alive so I could go to heaven to be with Him someday." To which Austin replied, "We can be in heaven together. But first you have to go to a nursing home because you're pretty old like my great grandma." ~ Linda Bahn in Pennsylvania
Earlier this evening when I was putting Samantha (6) to bed, she asked me, "Mommy, when you were a little girl, was the world black and white?" I asked if she meant as in black and white TV. She said, "No, like in the Old Testament and there wasn't any color.? Just how old does this child think that her mother is?!?!? 🙂 ~ Amanda Clarke in Virginia
I spent the morning playing Legos with my boys. Then when I answered Levi's (7) question of when Lego's were invented, I told him in the early 60's before his dad and I were born. Levi's response - "Oh, yeah. Back in Colonial days, or was that Civil War days?" ! ~ Lisa Weddle in Virginia
When Josh was 4 or 5, Roger and I were downstairs ordering Christmas presents on the computer. He started calling for us and crying. When we let him come downstairs, he told us he was "sore afraid" because he couldn't find us. ~ Lisa Weddle in Virginia
My mother-in-law just happened to be at our home when I went into labor with Joshua 13 years ago ( Dec. 1997). She told me what happened while I was in the hospital and she was home with 4 year old Sarah. Sarah was always playing dress up, so when she came down the hall with clothes hangers all over her and trailing behind her, Nana asked her " Well, who are you?" Sarah said, " Don't ask me who I am. Ask me who I WAS. In my former life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley." Nana got a big kick out of that, since she had just read Sarah "A Christmas Carol" ~ Lisa Weddle in Virginia
Have a happy and blessed New Year!
Your Heart to Heart friend,
Lois
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Please use these two e-mail addresses to subscribe and unsubscribe (as well as make changes of e-mail addresses):
[email protected]
Disclaimer: Various web sites are given as credits or to supply additional information for readers. However, all the views and advertisements represented by web sites given in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the editor. Please use your own discretion regarding all information given in this newsletter.
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