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10/26/09 Gain 1 Hour, Pumpkins, Occult, Infertility, Freezer, Sunday D inner, Tips, Pyrex, Gifts, Gems

#1 · October 26, 2009, 4:08 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 26, 2009, 4:08 pm
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
  HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman

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10/26/09 Gain 1 Hour, Pumpkins, Occult, Infertility, Freezer, Sunday Dinner, Tips, Pyrex, Gifts, Gems

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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. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at <A title=mailto:jhbreneman@... onclick="top.checkNewBrowser('[email protected]&count=1256244555')" href="http://webmaila.juno.com/webmail/new/21?folder=NEWSLETTERS&msgNum=00001^G0:001AnZ4900003OzM&count=1256239533&attachId=0&isUnDisplayableMail=yes&blockImages=0#" xcomment="target=_blank">[email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.

Please let me know if you stop receiving the newsletter, but did not unsubscribe.
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I suggest you PRINT this newsletter to read at your convenience, but save the original e-mail for checking links.
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IN THIS ISSUE:

GAIN 1 HOUR ON NOVEMBER 1!

FLORAL PUMPKINS
PUMPKIN FUN
PUMPKIN CUSTARD
MAGIC, THE OCCULT, WICCA AND NEW AGE BELIEFS

MARCIA MONTENEGRO'S STRANGE BUT TRUE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
INFERTILITY?
THANKFULNESS FOR WHAT YOU COULD NOT AFFORD
PARENTING TIP - THE GRATEFULNESS PRINCIPLE
MOMENTS FOR MOM

THE TEACHER APPLICANT
IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY SUNDAY DINNERS
A GIFT FOR YOU: FREEZER MEALS FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER
TIPS AND TIDBITS
EXPLODING PYREX DISHES

GIFT IDEAS
DINNER TONIGHT?
MEXICAN MANICOTTI
THE "SUPERIOR WIFE SYNDROME"
PRECIOUS GEMS FROM LITTLE ONES

GAIN 1 HOUR ON NOVEMBER 1!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS - STANDARD TIME BEGINS!
Spring forth, Fall back!   Zzzz!

FLORAL PUMPKINS
You don't need to carve faces on pumpkins. Try decorating them with autumn flowers such as chrysanthemums! It will take quite a few flowers for an all-over effect, but a simple design would be really pretty as well. Draw the design on the pumpkin first. Poke holes in the pumpkin with an ice pick, and insert stems of flowers into each hole. Put enough water in the pumpkin to make the flowers last.

PUMPKIN FUN
by Julie Druck, York, PA - Editor of A Heart for Home - Used by permission

* A Pumpkin Warmer – Cut a lid, clean out a small pumpkin and carve a simple design like a heart in the front of it. On the underside of the lid, cut criss-cross lines into the flesh. Mix a tabl. of cinnamon and 1 tsp. of ginger together (or whatever autumn-smelling spices you wish). Sprinkle about 1/2 of the mixture onto the lid and press into the flesh. Next, score the inside of the pumpkin with lines and press the remaining mixture into the flesh. Add a votive candle and light. You’ll have a nice-smelling pumpkin warmer!

* Door Stop – Use a pumpkin as a door stop – it will add to your autumn décor!

* Autumn Windowboxes – After the flowers in my windowboxes have died off for the season, I often pile small pumpkins and gourds into them. Much prettier than empty windowboxes until spring . . .

* Stone Pumpkins – Find a medium or large stone that sits flat on the bottom and clean it off. Apply orange acrylic paint (two coats if necessary). Glue a twig “stem” on top of each stone.

* Frosted Pumpkins – Using tubed fabric paint (or other similar paint in tubes), apply snowflake shapes onto pumpkins. Add lines coming down from each stem as well. Work quickly and then add white glitter to the wet paint. When dry, it will look as if there’s frost on your pumpkins.

* Decoupage Pumpkins – These are so festive and will look great on your sheltered porch! Tear colorful tissue paper into squares and paste them on a pumpkin with ModPodge or watered-down glue. (Using a double layer of tissue squares will come out with a bolder color.) Overlap the squares here and there or make any pattern you wish. When finished, add a coat of ModPodge or glue to the entire pumpkin.

To subscribe to A Heart for Home, send a blank e-mail to: [email protected]    To send Julie a personal e-mail, write to: [email protected]     To view Julie's blog, visit: www.lifeinskunkhollow.blogspot.com

PUMPKIN CUSTARD
Thanks to Janis Williamson in Tennessee for this recipe!

1 5-to-7 pound pumpkin                        1/4 tsp. ginger
6 eggs                                                     1/2 cup brown sugar (Sucanat is a healthier alternative)
1 tsp. cinnamon                                      1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 cups whipping cream                         2 Tbsp. butter

      Cut the lid off the pumpkin (as if making a jack-o-lantern.) Save lid. Clean out fibers and seeds. Set butter aside; mix together all other ingredients and pour into pumpkin. Do not fill to the top-the custard will expand while baking.   Top mixture with butter. Cover with pumpkin lid, using wooden toothpicks to keep it from falling into custard as it bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 ½ hours, or until mixture inside pumpkin has set like custard. If mixture has not set after 1 hour, try removing the lid for the last 30 minutes of baking.
      Serve from the pumpkin, scraping some meat from the pumpkin sides with each serving. A dollop of whipped cream is always a nice addition. Serves 8.

MAGIC, THE OCCULT, WICCA AND NEW AGE BELIEFS

With Halloween coming soon, this is a good time to cover this topic. Most of us know of someone entangled in these beliefs that completely go against God's Word. You will want to read the complete story of Marcia Montenegro about how she was drawn in and engulfed in these beliefs. Even some who call themselves Christians believe in occultic games, magic, spell, divination, or allow their children to read books that encourage and entice these practices. I heard the following personal testimony given on the very informative Christian radio broadcast, Point of View (www.pointofview.net).

MARCIA MONTENEGRO'S STRANGE BUT TRUE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

When witches and wizards are popular and cool, Christians need to understand what the Bible teaches about the supernatural world. Marcia Montenegro is a former astrologer who became a Christian in 1990. She is the author of "10 Q&A on Magic, Spells, and Divination" by Rose Publishing, as well as a key contributor to "Christianity, Cults, and the Occult."

"Spirit guides, meditation, astrology, the "higher Self," raising the kundalini, developing psychic abilities, praying to gurus, astral travel, numerology, Tarot cards, contacting the dead, hanging out with witches, Sufis, followers of Muktananda, Rajneesh, Sai Baba, Maharaji, -- all these and more were part of my journey. How did I get on this path?

I grew up with an agnostic father and a mother who was raised going to church. My sister and I had to attend church, because my mother thought that was the right thing to do, although she did not always go. Due to my father's job in the Foreign Service, we moved around a lot, so we ended up in different churches located overseas and in the Washington, DC, area. Eventually, I became serious about religion. In high school, I had the idea that being good would please God and get me into heaven. But reading about other religions and meeting those who believed differently made me wonder. Maybe there was more to it than what I had -- some knowledge of God and Jesus which was mostly superficial. I wanted something deeper, more experiential. I was also rejecting the idea of hell and was disillusioned with Christians. Christianity seemed defined by sermons, going to Sunday School, and doing good works. How boring! I was missing out on something! Also, I never fit in during my high school years. Being someone who wrote poetry, being in an alcoholic home, having no real roots all combined to make me feel different and unlike other people. I started my journey at the end of high school.

That journey continued through college where I had paranormal experiences, made friends with someone who said she saw auras, and attended spiritualist meetings where the ministers received messages from the dead. One bright sunny Florida afternoon, as I rested on my bed fully awake with eyes partly closed, I felt myself floating...Click here to continue reading Marcia's personal story.

INFERTILITY?
      There are countless wives who desire more than anything to have a child of their own, but have not been able to conceive, or they suffer greatly in the experience of having one miscarriage after the other.
      If you have a story about infertility or would like to share your own personal story on this subject in Heart to Heart, please let me know. I will be glad to help edit your story for the newsletter.
      Many Heart to Heart ladies have also found adoption to be a wonderful blessing in their families, and they love those children just as though they carried them for nine months in their womb!
      For those who might be having trouble getting pregnant, a fertility watch will help remove the guesswork of exactly when you can conceive during a given month. This is a relatively new invention and has helped several women I know of to get pregnant more quickly. In no way does it conflict with moral issues. It is simply a plastic watch that you wear at night. Through a sensor it accurately tells you the four days you are fertile (Fertile - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4) and the days you are ovulating (Ovulation - Day 1, Day 2). Aside from the cost of the watch, which varies a good bit, there is the monthly cost of a sensor, which runs about $30. You might do an Internet search to find more information on this amazing invention.

THANKFULNESS FOR WHAT YOU COULD NOT AFFORD
Author unknown - Thanks to Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sending this.

Suppose God charged us for the rain, or put a price on a songbird’s strain, of music, the dawn, mist on the plain.

How much would autumn landscapes cost, or a window etched with winter’s frost,
         and a rainbow’s glory so quickly lost?

Suppose the people had to pay to see the sunset’s crimson play, and the magic stars on the Milky Way.

Suppose it was fifty cents a night to watch the pale moon’s silvery light, or watch a gull in graceful flight.

How much, I wonder, would it be worth to smell the good, brown fragrant earth in spring? The miracle of birth-

How much do you think people would pay for a baby’s laugh at the close of the day?
         Suppose God charged us for them, I say.

Suppose we paid to look at the hills, for the rippling mountain hills, or the mating song of a whippoorwill,
Or the curving breakers of the sea, for grace and beauty and majesty.  And all these things God gives us free.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. ~ 1Timothy 6:17-19

PARENTING TIP - THE GRATEFULNESS PRINCIPLE
This tip comes from the book Parenting is Heart Work by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN. You can sign up for Parenting Tips at www.biblicalparenting.org. Used by permission.

Gratitude increases closeness in relationships. As you parent your children, look for opportunities to take advantage of gratefulness to draw closer to your kids. Give your children small gifts of love day after day. Be careful, though, that you don’t confuse the gratefulness principle with the overindulgence trap.

Some parents, wanting their children to like them, recognize giving gifts opens the heart, so they overdo it by giving them too many things. Giving to your kids must be tied into relationship, or the gifts feed selfishness instead of gratefulness.

Overindulgence is giving your children more than their character can handle. When children lack gratitude, then the more you give them, the less they appreciate. Parents must restrain themselves or they’ll exceed their children’s ability to manage the blessings.

Overindulged children rarely become grateful when you give them more things. They grow to be more demanding and selfish. Parents then feel unappreciated and become resentful. The hearts of both parents and children harden toward each other, and closeness becomes a thing of the past.

If your children become overindulged rather than grateful, then pull back on the area where you’re giving too much. Look for creative ways to give differently to your child. Teaching the heart gratefulness can be a challenge. Having a child say thank you is just behavior. Gratefulness comes from the heart.

Monitor your child’s response to gifts of love to determine if you’re growing gratitude or overindulgence. As gratefulness increases, you can slowly give blessings in a way that will produce more gratefulness. You’ll know if you’re moving too quickly by your child’s response.

MOMENTS FOR MOM
Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2009 - November, 2009 - Used by permission
You can learn more about Elisabeth at www.elisabethcorcoran.com or at http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/.

I struggled with friendships growing up. Like, really, really struggled. I moved a lot, which I’m sure had something to do with it, but still…I couldn’t find good friends, couldn’t keep good friends. It was a constant source of stress throughout my entire childhood.

So, to hear my son say recently, “You know the boy who really makes me laugh at lunch?” “Yep,” I said, smiling. “He told me I can’t sit with him and his friends anymore today.”

Nothing, and I am pretty sure I literally mean nothing, makes my heart break more than that. Than hearing one of my children say that they are having friend struggles. That some kid said something hurtful to them. (Heart hurting again just thinking about it.) I actually started to cry. I don’t know if that helped him at all to know that I really felt for him or if it just made him more sad.

What I wanted to do was go to his school, find that “funny” boy in the cafeteria, and, I don’t know, maybe knock his head against a lunch box or something. Something Christ-like like that. But I didn’t do that…don’t go emailing me.

What I did was this. I prayed for Jack right there, with tears streaming down my face, asking Jesus to not only heal his hurting heart, but to bring him a good friend and to become his best friend. I thanked Jack for sharing that with me. And then I got the idea of going to his school (don’t worry) and taking him out to lunch.

The look on his face when he “reported” to the office only to find his mom there asking for a lunch date was worth the whole thing. And then I made him listen to a Sara Groves song (Song for My Sons ... see lyrics here:
http://www.saragroves.com/store/tellmewhatyouknow/lyrics/songformysons/) and I told him that I will always want to sit by him, always want to have lunch with him or dinner with him, or whatever with him, and that I will always, always love him just for who he is. He told me after hot dogs and chips and a huge cookie that “this was nice”, and he thanked me.

Now, I have no idea if he’ll remember this. But I do know as I drove home that I knew that that one hour of my life would have eternal ramifications…some hours feel like I just wasted them and will never get them back…but that one hour meant something.

And I know that this can’t be the end of it. I need to work with him on this. We need to talk about how it feels to be left out. To talk about how to treat this mean boy (still with respect). To talk about what it means to choose a good friend, to be a good friend. To talk about how to reach out to others who might be lonely. To talk about what it means to trust in Jesus enough that He can truly be your closest friend, even at age 11. There’s more to talk about, let’s just say. But this was all a start.

(And to that boy out there who told my son not to sit with him…you know what, I just said a prayer for you…because God doesn’t like his children being picked on or excluded, and there just might be some justice coming your way that might make a lunch box to the noggin look like child’s play. I don’t know that for sure, but I’m just sayin’…)

Moms, let’s patch up the boo-boos, and kiss away the hurts, but let’s not just leave it at that. Go deeper with your kids…they may resist and act like they don’t want to talk about it anymore, but deep down, they want to be pursued.

THE TEACHER APPLICANT
Author unknown

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right? You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and do the following:

1. Correct their disruptive behavior
2. Observe them for signs of abuse
3. Monitor their dress habits
4. Censor their T-shirt messages
5. Instill in them a love for learning
6. Check their backpacks for weapons
7. Wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases
8. Raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride
9. Teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play
10. Teach them how to register to vote
11. Balance a checkbook
12. Apply for a job
13. You want me to check their heads for lice
14. Recognize signs of anti-social behavior
15. Make sure that they all pass the state exams
16. Provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps
17. Communicate regularly with their parents in English and Spanish by letter, telephone, conferences, email, homework hotline, web page, midterm newsletters, and report card
18. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps
19. You want me to do all this and then you tell me I CAN'T PRAY?

IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY SUNDAY DINNERS
by Lois Breneman - Copyright 2009 - Heart to Heart Newsletter - [email protected]

It used to be that I would always prepare a nice Sunday dinner in the oven for our family when our children were still at home, after planning and doing most of the preparation on Saturday. Then on Sunday mornings before leaving for Sunday school and church, I'd put dinner in the oven (at about 275 degrees or so), so it would be done when we got home. Often it would be a thawed frozen casserole and I'd add a frozen vegetable to cook in the microwave when we got home. Baked chicken, a pot roast or a meatloaf with baked potatoes made good meals to come home to as well. The wonderful aroma when we'd walk through the door would be worth the effort, and eating within a few minutes as soon as a vegetable was microwaved, helped make the afternoon a little longer.

In the last few years though, we sometimes have more simplified meals - nothing fancy, but aneasy meal to make Sunday a more stress free day with all the running back and forth across town to morning and evening services. We eat out some Sundays, usually using a "Buy One, Get One Free" coupon, but we mostly eat at home.

Here are a few meal ideas with less Sunday preparation. The ones marked with an asterisk* are "wing-it meals" - no preparation needed at all, as long as you have the ingredients on hand. Those can be stand-by meals for when you didn't have time to prepare ahead of time.

* Taco Salad - Tortilla Chips on individual plates with pre-cooked beans, sliced ripe olives, grated cheese and salsa on top. Plates can be heated in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese, unless you want to heat each one at a time in the microwave. Shredded lettuce can be added after that, if you'd like. It helps speed up things if toppings are prepared the day before.

* Loaded baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave). Toppings could be butter, sour cream or plain yogurt, chives, cheese, beans, etc. Serve a green microwaved vegetable on the side. Note: If you cook a large pot of dried beans ahead of time and freeze them in meal-sized Ziplock bags, that helps on the budget and the flavor is better as well.

* Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, heated in the microwave

* Frozen talapia, baked potatoes or rice and a frozen vegetable

* Salmon patties, baked potatoes (micowave) and a frozen vegetable

* Any breakfast meal is good for Sunday noon.

* Frozen pizza and a green vegetable

Sometimes I cook a double casserole during the week to have the 2nd one on Sunday. Then heating in the microwave is all it takes to have it ready, except for a frozen vegetable cooked in the microwave as well.

Sometimes I marinate and cook enough meat for two meals, so there's some leftover for Sunday. Then microwaved baked potatoes or rice and a vegetable complete the meal.

Rice and vegetables with cheese melted on top -  I make this in large quantities and freeze it in meal-sized Ziplock bags. It makes a delicious meatless meal. First I saute' lots of finely chopped onions and carrots, then add a large pot of cooked brown rice as well as herbs and spices. I use a dishpan to make this, so it does make quite a few meals to have in the freezer, which is always nice! Thaw a frozen pack in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave after church. Serve with a vegetable or salad on the side.

You might ask your family what their favorite meals are and see if some could be mass produced ahead of time and frozen for easier Sunday meals. Let the children help put them together to give them experience in cooking. Teach them how to set the table, and get them involved in helping.

A GIFT FOR YOU: FREEZER MEALS FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER
by Malia M. Russell, http://www.homemaking911.com, Free Download! Used by permission

A friend of mine here in Louisville asked me a brand new question. I thought it was fabulous, so I wanted to share the answer with my readers. She told me she had to go out of town to deal with some family health issues and she wanted to prepare some meals ahead that anyone in her family could simply pop into the slow cooker. In this way, she could leave her family for a few days and not have to worry about serving healthy dinners on a budget.

I thought it was a great question, so I quickly put together a list of some recipes you can actually prepare ahead of time for the slow cooker. Then, I decided it was SUCH a good question that all my readers and friends may want to hear the answer. So, I put it together in a little ebook for you. Since some email servers may block attachments in newsletters (for your safety and security of your computer). So rather than attaching it, I have it available as a free download here:  http://www.homemaking911.com/?dl_id=48 You can feel free to share this link with your friends who may be interested.  Happy Homemaking!

TIPS AND TIDBITS
Please PRAY and VOTE on November 3! Every election counts!

Heal Our Land ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1KqI3PPPjw

He Is Able ~ YouTube - Wintley Phipps - "He Is Able"

How to Accept the Jewish Messiah ~ Follow the fascinating journey of Dr. Michael Rydelnik's search for spiritual truth in the three-part, 90-minute documentary DVD My Search for Messiah. www.wtlboffer.org

More about Shots for H1N1 Virus ~ http://www.pathmed.com/faq/?p=431

Booklet Format on Printer ~ I just recently started receiving your newsletters and was a bit overwhelmed by all the holiday issues. I'm not complaining mind you, I actually have a suggestion. I don't like using up too much paper or printer ink on things, so I fiddled with my printer properties and actually found one that allowed me to print two pages on one sheet. There was also a setting for duplexing, and then I discovered booklet format! Now I have these great half page booklets of your newsletter. I know some people aren't that printer literate, but some folks just don't realize what their printers can do. I thought this might be a worthwhile suggestion for the thrifty at heart. ~ Shelby Dittman, Florida

Christmas Ornaments ~ http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/ornaments/easy-christmas-ornaments/?page=17

3,600 Recipes - http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cookbook/

How-To Book for Men Dealing with a Loved One's Breast Cancer ~ Stand by Her by John Anderson.  His wife survived stage 3 breast cancer, and he wrote a How-To book for men as a resource. His mother died of cancer, and his wife, sister and a friend are cancer survivors. His wife is now 50 and cancer free. The book, Stand by Her has already received considerable advance publicity, appearing on the "Today" show. John shares five golden rules which he calls "The Starting 5," for a man dealing with a loved one's breast cancer. His book tells about tough times too.

EXPLODING PYREX DISHES
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp - True!   Thanks to Linda Crosby in Virginia for this warning!

Beware of buying Pyrex baking dishes! If you have Pyrex dishes made 25 years ago or earlier, hold onto those! Look for the original Corning-ware casserole dishes at yard sales. I've been using the same ones (often) that we received as wedding gifts over forty-one years ago, and not a one has broken.

Here's part of the story from the link above:
      A long, long time ago in a country we all know and love was a company named Corning. They made Pryex dishes. The material they used is called borosilicate glass. This stuff is indestructible. But like everything else, the Bottom Liners had a great idea: sell the technology to another company. The Chinese discovered that using soda lime glass was almost as good as borosilicate glass and a lot cheaper.  Today, Wal-Mart is the largest distributor of Pryex products. Corning not only sold the technology to a company called World Kitchen, they also sold the rights to the original Pyrex logo. Seamless. The consumer will never know. Now it seems people are getting hurt using soda lime Pyrex. ... Some dishes explode when they are lifted from the heating rack in the oven with devastating results. Some people are heavily scarred. World Kitchen is in denial. They say that the dishes are another brand, not theirs. Contrary to their denials the victims usually have more than one of these dishes and the Pryex logo is clearly visible.
      If you buy a Pryex dish beware. The label on the front says oven safe, freezer safe, microwave safe. The instructions on the back tell another story. You cannot move a soda lime Pyrex dish from the freezer to the oven and expect it to survive. The fine print goes on and on about what you are not allowed to do with the Pyrex dish.
The fine print has prevented World Kitchen from being sued because they have warned the consumer.

ADDITIONAL GIFT IDEAS
Idea for Grandmas to Give: Kids' Quotes in Booklet Form ~ Many times I have advised moms to scribble down all the cute quotes of their children. My daughter often tells me things her kids say, so I scribble down each one, just in case she misses any in her own records. So Grandmas, try putting together a little booklet of your grandchildren's quotes to give to your children! You know they will love it!

Scripture Verse Picture Book ~ Get a list of all the scripture verses your children or grandchildren learn in school, Sunday school or Awana. Then make them a picture book with each scripture verse. It will be a very special gift to help them review those verses, so they will be engrained in their minds and heart all their lives.

Handmade Soap Recipes ~ Debbie Tuott in Minnesota says, "I want to make homemade presents for all my extended family. We have made soaps before, but I am inviting several families over at different times to make as big a variety of these soaps as possible-- tons and I mean TONS of ideas and recipes and pics here." http://www.millersoap.com/soapallveg.html#Sudsy

Make Rose Petal Soaps In Minutes - Video

Creative Handmade Projects for Christmas ~ http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/crafts/christmas-holiday-crafts/?sssdmh=dm17.405116&esrc=nwxmascraftsNew5_10_1&email=2227786527

The Snuglett ~ Debbie Tuott in Minnesota says, "My daughter and I made many of these for Christmas last year to rave reviews!! This is pdf file but it is easy to do and we hand sewed them all very quickly!!"
http://www.sissonfamily.com/Sewingroom/images/2006projects/thesnuglet.pdf

A Perfect Gift for Seniors would be to make them freezer meals!

DINNER TONIGHT?
by Brenda Nixon - Used by permission

Recently on Twitter I shared, "Family dinners are more important than play, storytime and other family events in development of vocabulary of youngsters," (Harvard Research, 1996).

And did you know about the Columbia University survey? It revealed that teenagers who eat with their families at least five times a week are more likely to get better grades in school and are less likely to have substance abuse problems? I realize every family today is totally overloaded with schedules and stress. It's difficult to get everyone to come together on a decision much less the table! But our society's family-dinner deficit today is a contributing factor to childhood obesity, teen substance abuse, poor academic performance and increased household stress! So it makes sense to me that one component of good parenting - and good discipline - is to try having dinner together at least three times a week. You don't have to be June & Ward Clever, but want to join me in that goal?

When I was growing up, my mom wouldn't let us joke and laugh at dinner (maybe she thought we should be dignified like the Clevers). But I beg to differ with dear ole Mom. Keep your dinnertime enjoyable by playing:

"20 Questions" with a theme each night, such as cities with funny names, state capitols, favorite seasons, etc. Not only will everyone at the table be engaged but it could encourage kids to study about the theme prior to meal time.

"Fiddly Diddly Dee" I see something you don't see. Describe the shape and color of something in your kitchen and see who can guess the object.

"What Was Your Fave Today?" by asking each person around the table to share his/her fave part of the day.

For fascinating about research on family meals read http://nutrition.wsu.edu/ebet/background.html.

Daily discipline may just be sitting together with your kids over dinner where you are teaching them many lessons.



(c)Copyright, 2009, Brenda Nixon. The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start is available at bookstores and online at Amazon . Follow my work and life in just 140 characters at http://is.gd/jaTZ http://www.twitter.com/BrendaNixon.

Brenda's Discipline Tip is delivered FREE each week. <A onclick="top.checkNewBrowser('[email protected]&count=1255436748')" href="mailto:[email protected]" xcomment="target=_blank">[email protected]

MEXICAN MANICOTTI
Twara Kellam - www.LivingonaDime.com - Used by permission

1 lb. ground beef                                       1 (16 oz.) jar picante sauce
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans                     2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder                              1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano                          1/4 cup sliced green onions, optional
1 (8 oz.) pkg. manicotti shells                  Sliced ripe olives, optional
2 1/2 cups water

Combine uncooked beef, beans, chili pwd. and oregano. Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells; place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine water and picante sauce and pour over shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake 1 hour at 350°. Uncover and spoon sour cream on top. Sprinkle cheese, onion and olives on top of that. Bake 5-10 minutes longer to melt cheese. Serves 8.

THE "SUPERIOR WIFE SYNDROME"
by Barbara Rainey - © Copyright 2009 by FamilyLife - Used by permission

On a recent Monday morning, I had turned on the Today Show to catch our local news and weather on the half hour. As I listened from the kitchen I heard one of the hosts introduce an author with new research on wives. The title of her book is The Superior Wife Syndrome. When I heard the intro I grabbed my notepad and sat down to hear about the latest syndrome to afflict our population. I was ready to critique.

But as I listened I found myself agreeing with some of what she said, though I wouldn't go so far as to label it a syndrome. The author, Karen Rubenstein, has discovered that millions of wives think they do everything better than their husbands. They feel they are more responsible, more capable, and in a word, more superior. Hmmm, I thought. Sounds a little more like pride to me.

There is truth to this discovery. Beginning in the 1960s, women have been instructed to do it all. We've been told we can work full time and raise kids at the same time, all with great success. Many have gone so far as to say we don't need men. Women's drive to achieve equality in the work place has resulted in this attitude of superiority, I believe.

This temptation to exalt ourselves over our men is as old as the earth. I find myself dealing with this attitude more than I'd care to admit. I load the dishwasher more efficiently than he, I fold the clothes better than he, and I pack the car much more neatly than his haphazard preference of just throwing it all in and slamming the door to keep it from falling out.

And when I focus on how much better I am in certain tasks and responsibilities I can quickly move to feeling superior. In addition I'm learning this is much more of a temptation in the empty nest. When we had kids my corrective measures were directed at them and less at my husband. Now he is the sole focus of my rehabilitation and retraining efforts. Poor man.

Rubenstein gave three tips for this syndrome which are not new, but they are good to remember because they are timeless. First, ask for help. He can't read your mind. Second, educate him with logic, not emotional outbursts. And third, be willing to settle for less.

I would add a fourth tip: Let him be who he is, as my husband would say. And he is so right, because there is more than one way to do a task. My way isn't always right and his isn't always wrong. Most of our conflicts aren't about right and wrong anyway, but about personal preferences for how something is accomplished. In the end it's not a big deal anyway. Certainly not worth the damage to your marriage and to your man that an attitude of superiority will cause.

You can read more from Barbara Rainey on FamilyLife MomBlog. Check out one of her books like Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember or buy the book she co-wrote with Susan Yates on sale now: Barbara and Susan's Guide to the Empty Nest.      Marriage Memo archives

PRECIOUS GEMS FROM LITTLE ONES

Here’s a cute saying from my granddaughter: My daughter and granddaughter were talking about the death of my mother this summer. My daughter said to her, “Remember when Daddy’s grandma died? That is the same now with your other great grandma” to which my granddaughter became very sad, then replied, “Now I have two broken hearts!” ~ Sharon Garber in New Jersey

We have a funny child training story to send: We have a wood-burning stove (our only heating) in the center of our living room, so we train each of our babies not to touch the stove or the rock slab that it sits on. My youngest has started crawling, so we've started training. The first time she touched the rock, I said, "No" and gently swatted the back of her hand with my finger.  She cried, but touched the rock again, and we repeated the process three or four times until she gave up and found something else to do. The next day, she touched the rock, I swatted her hand once, and she cried but didn't touch it again. The third day, she crawled over to the rock slab, stopped and looked at it, then plopped herself down and started crying. Apparently she figured she would save time!  (That was two months ago, and she leaves the rock alone now without crying!) ~ Lisa Yarbrough in California

Christy Carter in North Carolina says, "I cannot believe Cydney is 7 months old!   I was explaining to Caleigh, 5,

that I wanted them BOTH to stop growing up so fast. She in all her wisdom tells me, 'I don't have that kind of 'trole' (later determined this was 'control), but God does and if you tell Him to not let us grow, He won't listen to you.' Maybe she should be homeschooling me??

Our two year old granddaughter, Ryan Elizabeth, is a Mama's girl as well as a definite girly girl. Recently she started with temper tantrums, and when she has an "episode," she cries loudly, "I want Daddy! My Daddy!!!" She loves the word, "my!" So her Mama gives "Daddy" a call and that instantly solves the problem! A couple weeks ago, our daughter called, saying, "Ryan came into the room saying she wanted to talk to Grammie and PawPaw." Of course, that warmed our hearts as we listened to her sing several songs and jabber away! We are looking forward a fourth grandchild next June, as yet another precious little one is being formed by God the Creator - the second child for our oldest son, Jeff, and his sweet wife, Rachael! Prayers are appreciated - and thanks! ~ Lois

Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady and her family as you receive your newsletter.  Many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!

Pray each day for the protection of our troops, as well as for their families left at home!

(¨`·.·´¨)                                     God bless you and your family and keep you in His loving care!

`·.¸(¨`·.·´¨)                                           And remember, I love to hear from you dear ladies!

      `·.¸.·´                                                             Your Heart to Heart friend,

"Heart to Heart"                                                                                                Lois

                                  (II Chronicles 7:14 (Click on the "7" and go down to verse 14 to read this verse)

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HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman

~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~
10/26/09 Gain 1 Hour, Pumpkins, Occult, Infertility, Freezer, Sunday Dinner, Tips, Pyrex, Gifts, Gems

~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~

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. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at <A title=mailto:jhbreneman@... onclick="top.checkNewBrowser('[email protected]&count=1256244555')" href="http://webmaila.juno.com/webmail/new/21?folder=NEWSLETTERS&msgNum=00001^G0:001AnZ4900003OzM&count=1256239533&attachId=0&isUnDisplayableMail=yes&blockImages=0#" xcomment="target=_blank">[email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.

Please let me know if you stop receiving the newsletter, but did not unsubscribe.
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I suggest you PRINT this newsletter to read at your convenience, but save the original e-mail for checking links.
If "Heart to Heart" fills a need in your life, bringing blessing and encouragement, please INVITE your women friends and family to subscribe and be blessed and encouraged as well. Instructions appear at the beginning or very end of each newsletter.

IN THIS ISSUE:

GAIN 1 HOUR ON NOVEMBER 1!

FLORAL PUMPKINS
PUMPKIN FUN
PUMPKIN CUSTARD
MAGIC, THE OCCULT, WICCA AND NEW AGE BELIEFS

MARCIA MONTENEGRO'S STRANGE BUT TRUE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
INFERTILITY?
THANKFULNESS FOR WHAT YOU COULD NOT AFFORD
PARENTING TIP - THE GRATEFULNESS PRINCIPLE
MOMENTS FOR MOM

THE TEACHER APPLICANT
IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY SUNDAY DINNERS
A GIFT FOR YOU: FREEZER MEALS FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER
TIPS AND TIDBITS
EXPLODING PYREX DISHES

GIFT IDEAS
DINNER TONIGHT?
MEXICAN MANICOTTI
THE "SUPERIOR WIFE SYNDROME"
PRECIOUS GEMS FROM LITTLE ONES

GAIN 1 HOUR ON NOVEMBER 1!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS - STANDARD TIME BEGINS!
Spring forth, Fall back! Zzzz!

FLORAL PUMPKINS
You don't need to carve faces on pumpkins. Try decorating them with autumn flowers such as chrysanthemums! It will take quite a few flowers for an all-over effect, but a simple design would be really pretty as well. Draw the design on the pumpkin first. Poke holes in the pumpkin with an ice pick, and insert stems of flowers into each hole. Put enough water in the pumpkin to make the flowers last.

PUMPKIN FUN
by Julie Druck, York, PA - Editor of A Heart for Home - Used by permission

* A Pumpkin Warmer – Cut a lid, clean out a small pumpkin and carve a simple design like a heart in the front of it. On the underside of the lid, cut criss-cross lines into the flesh. Mix a tabl. of cinnamon and 1 tsp. of ginger together (or whatever autumn-smelling spices you wish). Sprinkle about 1/2 of the mixture onto the lid and press into the flesh. Next, score the inside of the pumpkin with lines and press the remaining mixture into the flesh. Add a votive candle and light. You’ll have a nice-smelling pumpkin warmer!

* Door Stop – Use a pumpkin as a door stop – it will add to your autumn décor!

* Autumn Windowboxes – After the flowers in my windowboxes have died off for the season, I often pile small pumpkins and gourds into them. Much prettier than empty windowboxes until spring . . .

* Stone Pumpkins – Find a medium or large stone that sits flat on the bottom and clean it off. Apply orange acrylic paint (two coats if necessary). Glue a twig “stem” on top of each stone.

* Frosted Pumpkins – Using tubed fabric paint (or other similar paint in tubes), apply snowflake shapes onto pumpkins. Add lines coming down from each stem as well. Work quickly and then add white glitter to the wet paint. When dry, it will look as if there’s frost on your pumpkins.

* Decoupage Pumpkins – These are so festive and will look great on your sheltered porch! Tear colorful tissue paper into squares and paste them on a pumpkin with ModPodge or watered-down glue. (Using a double layer of tissue squares will come out with a bolder color.) Overlap the squares here and there or make any pattern you wish. When finished, add a coat of ModPodge or glue to the entire pumpkin.

To subscribe to A Heart for Home, send a blank e-mail to: [email protected] To send Julie a personal e-mail, write to: [email protected] To view Julie's blog, visit: http://www.lifeinskunkhollow.blogspot.com

PUMPKIN CUSTARD
Thanks to Janis Williamson in Tennessee for this recipe!

1 5-to-7 pound pumpkin                        1/4 tsp. ginger
6 eggs                                                     1/2 cup brown sugar (Sucanat is a healthier alternative)
1 tsp. cinnamon                                      1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 cups whipping cream                         2 Tbsp. butter

Cut the lid off the pumpkin (as if making a jack-o-lantern.) Save lid. Clean out fibers and seeds. Set butter aside; mix together all other ingredients and pour into pumpkin. Do not fill to the top-the custard will expand while baking. Top mixture with butter. Cover with pumpkin lid, using wooden toothpicks to keep it from falling into custard as it bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 ½ hours, or until mixture inside pumpkin has set like custard. If mixture has not set after 1 hour, try removing the lid for the last 30 minutes of baking.
Serve from the pumpkin, scraping some meat from the pumpkin sides with each serving. A dollop of whipped cream is always a nice addition. Serves 8.

MAGIC, THE OCCULT, WICCA AND NEW AGE BELIEFS

With Halloween coming soon, this is a good time to cover this topic. Most of us know of someone entangled in these beliefs that completely go against God's Word. You will want to read the complete story of Marcia Montenegro about how she was drawn in and engulfed in these beliefs. Even some who call themselves Christians believe in occultic games, magic, spell, divination, or allow their children to read books that encourage and entice these practices. I heard the following personal testimony given on the very informative Christian radio broadcast, Point of View (http://www.pointofview.net).

MARCIA MONTENEGRO'S STRANGE BUT TRUE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

When witches and wizards are popular and cool, Christians need to understand what the Bible teaches about the supernatural world. Marcia Montenegro is a former astrologer who became a Christian in 1990. She is the author of "10 Q&A on Magic, Spells, and Divination" by Rose Publishing, as well as a key contributor to "Christianity, Cults, and the Occult."

"Spirit guides, meditation, astrology, the "higher Self," raising the kundalini, developing psychic abilities, praying to gurus, astral travel, numerology, Tarot cards, contacting the dead, hanging out with witches, Sufis, followers of Muktananda, Rajneesh, Sai Baba, Maharaji, -- all these and more were part of my journey. How did I get on this path?

I grew up with an agnostic father and a mother who was raised going to church. My sister and I had to attend church, because my mother thought that was the right thing to do, although she did not always go. Due to my father's job in the Foreign Service, we moved around a lot, so we ended up in different churches located overseas and in the Washington, DC, area. Eventually, I became serious about religion. In high school, I had the idea that being good would please God and get me into heaven. But reading about other religions and meeting those who believed differently made me wonder. Maybe there was more to it than what I had -- some knowledge of God and Jesus which was mostly superficial. I wanted something deeper, more experiential. I was also rejecting the idea of hell and was disillusioned with Christians. Christianity seemed defined by sermons, going to Sunday School, and doing good works. How boring! I was missing out on something! Also, I never fit in during my high school years. Being someone who wrote poetry, being in an alcoholic home, having no real roots all combined to make me feel different and unlike other people. I started my journey at the end of high school.

That journey continued through college where I had paranormal experiences, made friends with someone who said she saw auras, and attended spiritualist meetings where the ministers received messages from the dead. One bright sunny Florida afternoon, as I rested on my bed fully awake with eyes partly closed, I felt myself floating...Click here to continue reading Marcia's personal story.

INFERTILITY?
      There are countless wives who desire more than anything to have a child of their own, but have not been able to conceive, or they suffer greatly in the experience of having one miscarriage after the other.
      If you have a story about infertility or would like to share your own personal story on this subject in Heart to Heart, please let me know. I will be glad to help edit your story for the newsletter.
      Many Heart to Heart ladies have also found adoption to be a wonderful blessing in their families, and they love those children just as though they carried them for nine months in their womb!
      For those who might be having trouble getting pregnant, a fertility watch will help remove the guesswork of exactly when you can conceive during a given month. This is a relatively new invention and has helped several women I know of to get pregnant more quickly. In no way does it conflict with moral issues. It is simply a plastic watch that you wear at night. Through a sensor it accurately tells you the four days you are fertile (Fertile - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4) and the days you are ovulating (Ovulation - Day 1, Day 2). Aside from the cost of the watch, which varies a good bit, there is the monthly cost of a sensor, which runs about $30. You might do an Internet search to find more information on this amazing invention.

THANKFULNESS FOR WHAT YOU COULD NOT AFFORD
Author unknown - Thanks to Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sending this.

Suppose God charged us for the rain, or put a price on a songbird’s strain, of music, the dawn, mist on the plain.

How much would autumn landscapes cost, or a window etched with winter’s frost,
and a rainbow’s glory so quickly lost?

Suppose the people had to pay to see the sunset’s crimson play, and the magic stars on the Milky Way.

Suppose it was fifty cents a night to watch the pale moon’s silvery light, or watch a gull in graceful flight.

How much, I wonder, would it be worth to smell the good, brown fragrant earth in spring? The miracle of birth-

How much do you think people would pay for a baby’s laugh at the close of the day?
Suppose God charged us for them, I say.

Suppose we paid to look at the hills, for the rippling mountain hills, or the mating song of a whippoorwill,
Or the curving breakers of the sea, for grace and beauty and majesty. And all these things God gives us free.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. ~ 1Timothy 6:17-19

PARENTING TIP - THE GRATEFULNESS PRINCIPLE
This tip comes from the book Parenting is Heart Work by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN. You can sign up for Parenting Tips at http://www.biblicalparenting.org. Used by permission.

Gratitude increases closeness in relationships. As you parent your children, look for opportunities to take advantage of gratefulness to draw closer to your kids. Give your children small gifts of love day after day. Be careful, though, that you don’t confuse the gratefulness principle with the overindulgence trap.

Some parents, wanting their children to like them, recognize giving gifts opens the heart, so they overdo it by giving them too many things. Giving to your kids must be tied into relationship, or the gifts feed selfishness instead of gratefulness.

Overindulgence is giving your children more than their character can handle. When children lack gratitude, then the more you give them, the less they appreciate. Parents must restrain themselves or they’ll exceed their children’s ability to manage the blessings.

Overindulged children rarely become grateful when you give them more things. They grow to be more demanding and selfish. Parents then feel unappreciated and become resentful. The hearts of both parents and children harden toward each other, and closeness becomes a thing of the past.

If your children become overindulged rather than grateful, then pull back on the area where you’re giving too much. Look for creative ways to give differently to your child. Teaching the heart gratefulness can be a challenge. Having a child say thank you is just behavior. Gratefulness comes from the heart.

Monitor your child’s response to gifts of love to determine if you’re growing gratitude or overindulgence. As gratefulness increases, you can slowly give blessings in a way that will produce more gratefulness. You’ll know if you’re moving too quickly by your child’s response.

MOMENTS FOR MOM
Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2009 - November, 2009 - Used by permission
You can learn more about Elisabeth at http://www.elisabethcorcoran.com or at http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/.

I struggled with friendships growing up. Like, really, really struggled. I moved a lot, which I’m sure had something to do with it, but still…I couldn’t find good friends, couldn’t keep good friends. It was a constant source of stress throughout my entire childhood.

So, to hear my son say recently, “You know the boy who really makes me laugh at lunch?” “Yep,” I said, smiling. “He told me I can’t sit with him and his friends anymore today.”

Nothing, and I am pretty sure I literally mean nothing, makes my heart break more than that. Than hearing one of my children say that they are having friend struggles. That some kid said something hurtful to them. (Heart hurting again just thinking about it.) I actually started to cry. I don’t know if that helped him at all to know that I really felt for him or if it just made him more sad.

What I wanted to do was go to his school, find that “funny” boy in the cafeteria, and, I don’t know, maybe knock his head against a lunch box or something. Something Christ-like like that. But I didn’t do that…don’t go emailing me.

What I did was this. I prayed for Jack right there, with tears streaming down my face, asking Jesus to not only heal his hurting heart, but to bring him a good friend and to become his best friend. I thanked Jack for sharing that with me. And then I got the idea of going to his school (don’t worry) and taking him out to lunch.

The look on his face when he “reported” to the office only to find his mom there asking for a lunch date was worth the whole thing. And then I made him listen to a Sara Groves song (Song for My Sons ... see lyrics here:
http://www.saragroves.com/store/tellmewhatyouknow/lyrics/songformysons/) and I told him that I will always want to sit by him, always want to have lunch with him or dinner with him, or whatever with him, and that I will always, always love him just for who he is. He told me after hot dogs and chips and a huge cookie that “this was nice”, and he thanked me.

Now, I have no idea if he’ll remember this. But I do know as I drove home that I knew that that one hour of my life would have eternal ramifications…some hours feel like I just wasted them and will never get them back…but that one hour meant something.

And I know that this can’t be the end of it. I need to work with him on this. We need to talk about how it feels to be left out. To talk about how to treat this mean boy (still with respect). To talk about what it means to choose a good friend, to be a good friend. To talk about how to reach out to others who might be lonely. To talk about what it means to trust in Jesus enough that He can truly be your closest friend, even at age 11. There’s more to talk about, let’s just say. But this was all a start.

(And to that boy out there who told my son not to sit with him…you know what, I just said a prayer for you…because God doesn’t like his children being picked on or excluded, and there just might be some justice coming your way that might make a lunch box to the noggin look like child’s play. I don’t know that for sure, but I’m just sayin’…)

Moms, let’s patch up the boo-boos, and kiss away the hurts, but let’s not just leave it at that. Go deeper with your kids…they may resist and act like they don’t want to talk about it anymore, but deep down, they want to be pursued.

THE TEACHER APPLICANT
Author unknown

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right? You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and do the following:

1. Correct their disruptive behavior
2. Observe them for signs of abuse
3. Monitor their dress habits
4. Censor their T-shirt messages
5. Instill in them a love for learning
6. Check their backpacks for weapons
7. Wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases
8. Raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride
9. Teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play
10. Teach them how to register to vote
11. Balance a checkbook
12. Apply for a job
13. You want me to check their heads for lice
14. Recognize signs of anti-social behavior
15. Make sure that they all pass the state exams
16. Provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps
17. Communicate regularly with their parents in English and Spanish by letter, telephone, conferences, email, homework hotline, web page, midterm newsletters, and report card
18. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps
19. You want me to do all this and then you tell me I CAN'T PRAY?

IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY SUNDAY DINNERS
by Lois Breneman - Copyright 2009 - Heart to Heart Newsletter - [email protected]

It used to be that I would always prepare a nice Sunday dinner in the oven for our family when our children were still at home, after planning and doing most of the preparation on Saturday. Then on Sunday mornings before leaving for Sunday school and church, I'd put dinner in the oven (at about 275 degrees or so), so it would be done when we got home. Often it would be a thawed frozen casserole and I'd add a frozen vegetable to cook in the microwave when we got home. Baked chicken, a pot roast or a meatloaf with baked potatoes made good meals to come home to as well. The wonderful aroma when we'd walk through the door would be worth the effort, and eating within a few minutes as soon as a vegetable was microwaved, helped make the afternoon a little longer.

In the last few years though, we sometimes have more simplified meals - nothing fancy, but aneasy meal to make Sunday a more stress free day with all the running back and forth across town to morning and evening services. We eat out some Sundays, usually using a "Buy One, Get One Free" coupon, but we mostly eat at home.

Here are a few meal ideas with less Sunday preparation. The ones marked with an asterisk* are "wing-it meals" - no preparation needed at all, as long as you have the ingredients on hand. Those can be stand-by meals for when you didn't have time to prepare ahead of time.

* Taco Salad - Tortilla Chips on individual plates with pre-cooked beans, sliced ripe olives, grated cheese and salsa on top. Plates can be heated in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese, unless you want to heat each one at a time in the microwave. Shredded lettuce can be added after that, if you'd like. It helps speed up things if toppings are prepared the day before.

* Loaded baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave). Toppings could be butter, sour cream or plain yogurt, chives, cheese, beans, etc. Serve a green microwaved vegetable on the side. Note: If you cook a large pot of dried beans ahead of time and freeze them in meal-sized Ziplock bags, that helps on the budget and the flavor is better as well.

* Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, heated in the microwave

* Frozen talapia, baked potatoes or rice and a frozen vegetable

* Salmon patties, baked potatoes (micowave) and a frozen vegetable

* Any breakfast meal is good for Sunday noon.

* Frozen pizza and a green vegetable

Sometimes I cook a double casserole during the week to have the 2nd one on Sunday. Then heating in the microwave is all it takes to have it ready, except for a frozen vegetable cooked in the microwave as well.

Sometimes I marinate and cook enough meat for two meals, so there's some leftover for Sunday. Then microwaved baked potatoes or rice and a vegetable complete the meal.

Rice and vegetables with cheese melted on top - I make this in large quantities and freeze it in meal-sized Ziplock bags. It makes a delicious meatless meal. First I saute' lots of finely chopped onions and carrots, then add a large pot of cooked brown rice as well as herbs and spices. I use a dishpan to make this, so it does make quite a few meals to have in the freezer, which is always nice! Thaw a frozen pack in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave after church. Serve with a vegetable or salad on the side.

You might ask your family what their favorite meals are and see if some could be mass produced ahead of time and frozen for easier Sunday meals. Let the children help put them together to give them experience in cooking. Teach them how to set the table, and get them involved in helping.

A GIFT FOR YOU: FREEZER MEALS FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER
by Malia M. Russell, http://www.homemaking911.com, Free Download! Used by permission

A friend of mine here in Louisville asked me a brand new question. I thought it was fabulous, so I wanted to share the answer with my readers. She told me she had to go out of town to deal with some family health issues and she wanted to prepare some meals ahead that anyone in her family could simply pop into the slow cooker. In this way, she could leave her family for a few days and not have to worry about serving healthy dinners on a budget.

I thought it was a great question, so I quickly put together a list of some recipes you can actually prepare ahead of time for the slow cooker. Then, I decided it was SUCH a good question that all my readers and friends may want to hear the answer. So, I put it together in a little ebook for you. Since some email servers may block attachments in newsletters (for your safety and security of your computer). So rather than attaching it, I have it available as a free download here: http://www.homemaking911.com/?dl_id=48 You can feel free to share this link with your friends who may be interested. Happy Homemaking!

TIPS AND TIDBITS
Please PRAY and VOTE on November 3! Every election counts!

Heal Our Land ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1KqI3PPPjw

He Is Able ~ YouTube - Wintley Phipps - "He Is Able"

How to Accept the Jewish Messiah ~ Follow the fascinating journey of Dr. Michael Rydelnik's search for spiritual truth in the three-part, 90-minute documentary DVD My Search for Messiah. http://www.wtlboffer.org

More about Shots for H1N1 Virus ~ http://www.pathmed.com/faq/?p=431

Booklet Format on Printer ~ I just recently started receiving your newsletters and was a bit overwhelmed by all the holiday issues. I'm not complaining mind you, I actually have a suggestion. I don't like using up too much paper or printer ink on things, so I fiddled with my printer properties and actually found one that allowed me to print two pages on one sheet. There was also a setting for duplexing, and then I discovered booklet format! Now I have these great half page booklets of your newsletter. I know some people aren't that printer literate, but some folks just don't realize what their printers can do. I thought this might be a worthwhile suggestion for the thrifty at heart. ~ Shelby Dittman, Florida

Christmas Ornaments ~ http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/ornaments/easy-christmas-ornaments/?page=17

3,600 Recipes - http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cookbook/

How-To Book for Men Dealing with a Loved One's Breast Cancer ~ Stand by Her by John Anderson. His wife survived stage 3 breast cancer, and he wrote a How-To book for men as a resource. His mother died of cancer, and his wife, sister and a friend are cancer survivors. His wife is now 50 and cancer free. The book, Stand by Her has already received considerable advance publicity, appearing on the "Today" show. John shares five golden rules which he calls "The Starting 5," for a man dealing with a loved one's breast cancer. His book tells about tough times too.

EXPLODING PYREX DISHES
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp - True!   Thanks to Linda Crosby in Virginia for this warning!

Beware of buying Pyrex baking dishes! If you have Pyrex dishes made 25 years ago or earlier, hold onto those! Look for the original Corning-ware casserole dishes at yard sales. I've been using the same ones (often) that we received as wedding gifts over forty-one years ago, and not a one has broken.

Here's part of the story from the link above:
      A long, long time ago in a country we all know and love was a company named Corning. They made Pryex dishes. The material they used is called borosilicate glass. This stuff is indestructible. But like everything else, the Bottom Liners had a great idea: sell the technology to another company. The Chinese discovered that using soda lime glass was almost as good as borosilicate glass and a lot cheaper.  Today, Wal-Mart is the largest distributor of Pryex products. Corning not only sold the technology to a company called World Kitchen, they also sold the rights to the original Pyrex logo. Seamless. The consumer will never know. Now it seems people are getting hurt using soda lime Pyrex. ... Some dishes explode when they are lifted from the heating rack in the oven with devastating results. Some people are heavily scarred. World Kitchen is in denial. They say that the dishes are another brand, not theirs. Contrary to their denials the victims usually have more than one of these dishes and the Pryex logo is clearly visible.
      If you buy a Pryex dish beware. The label on the front says oven safe, freezer safe, microwave safe. The instructions on the back tell another story. You cannot move a soda lime Pyrex dish from the freezer to the oven and expect it to survive. The fine print goes on and on about what you are not allowed to do with the Pyrex dish.
The fine print has prevented World Kitchen from being sued because they have warned the consumer.

ADDITIONAL GIFT IDEAS
Idea for Grandmas to Give: Kids' Quotes in Booklet Form ~ Many times I have advised moms to scribble down all the cute quotes of their children. My daughter often tells me things her kids say, so I scribble down each one, just in case she misses any in her own records. So Grandmas, try putting together a little booklet of your grandchildren's quotes to give to your children! You know they will love it!

Scripture Verse Picture Book ~ Get a list of all the scripture verses your children or grandchildren learn in school, Sunday school or Awana. Then make them a picture book with each scripture verse. It will be a very special gift to help them review those verses, so they will be engrained in their minds and heart all their lives.

Handmade Soap Recipes ~ Debbie Tuott in Minnesota says, "I want to make homemade presents for all my extended family. We have made soaps before, but I am inviting several families over at different times to make as big a variety of these soaps as possible-- tons and I mean TONS of ideas and recipes and pics here." http://www.millersoap.com/soapallveg.html#Sudsy

Make Rose Petal Soaps In Minutes - Video

Creative Handmade Projects for Christmas ~ http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/crafts/christmas-holiday-crafts/?sssdmh=dm17.405116&esrc=nwxmascraftsNew5_10_1&email=2227786527

The Snuglett ~ Debbie Tuott in Minnesota says, "My daughter and I made many of these for Christmas last year to rave reviews!! This is pdf file but it is easy to do and we hand sewed them all very quickly!!"
http://www.sissonfamily.com/Sewingroom/images/2006projects/thesnuglet.pdf

A Perfect Gift for Seniors would be to make them freezer meals!

DINNER TONIGHT?
by Brenda Nixon - Used by permission

Recently on Twitter I shared, "Family dinners are more important than play, storytime and other family events in development of vocabulary of youngsters," (Harvard Research, 1996).

And did you know about the Columbia University survey? It revealed that teenagers who eat with their families at least five times a week are more likely to get better grades in school and are less likely to have substance abuse problems? I realize every family today is totally overloaded with schedules and stress. It's difficult to get everyone to come together on a decision much less the table! But our society's family-dinner deficit today is a contributing factor to childhood obesity, teen substance abuse, poor academic performance and increased household stress! So it makes sense to me that one component of good parenting - and good discipline - is to try having dinner together at least three times a week. You don't have to be June & Ward Clever, but want to join me in that goal?

When I was growing up, my mom wouldn't let us joke and laugh at dinner (maybe she thought we should be dignified like the Clevers). But I beg to differ with dear ole Mom. Keep your dinnertime enjoyable by playing:

"20 Questions" with a theme each night, such as cities with funny names, state capitols, favorite seasons, etc. Not only will everyone at the table be engaged but it could encourage kids to study about the theme prior to meal time.

"Fiddly Diddly Dee" I see something you don't see. Describe the shape and color of something in your kitchen and see who can guess the object.

"What Was Your Fave Today?" by asking each person around the table to share his/her fave part of the day.

For fascinating about research on family meals read http://nutrition.wsu.edu/ebet/background.html.

Daily discipline may just be sitting together with your kids over dinner where you are teaching them many lessons.

(c)Copyright, 2009, Brenda Nixon. The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start is available at bookstores and online at Amazon . Follow my work and life in just 140 characters at http://is.gd/jaTZhttp://www.twitter.com/BrendaNixon.

Brenda's Discipline Tip is delivered FREE each week. <A onclick="top.checkNewBrowser('[email protected]&count=1255436748')" href="mailto:[email protected]" xcomment="target=_blank">[email protected]

MEXICAN MANICOTTI
Twara Kellam - http://www.LivingonaDime.com - Used by permission

1 lb. ground beef                                       1 (16 oz.) jar picante sauce
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans                     2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder                              1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano                          1/4 cup sliced green onions, optional
1 (8 oz.) pkg. manicotti shells                  Sliced ripe olives, optional
2 1/2 cups water

Combine uncooked beef, beans, chili pwd. and oregano. Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells; place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine water and picante sauce and pour over shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake 1 hour at 350°. Uncover and spoon sour cream on top. Sprinkle cheese, onion and olives on top of that. Bake 5-10 minutes longer to melt cheese. Serves 8.

On a recent Monday morning, I had turned on the Today Show to catch our local news and weather on the half hour. As I listened from the kitchen I heard one of the hosts introduce an author with new research on wives. The title of her book is The Superior Wife Syndrome. When I heard the intro I grabbed my notepad and sat down to hear about the latest syndrome to afflict our population. I was ready to critique.

But as I listened I found myself agreeing with some of what she said, though I wouldn't go so far as to label it a syndrome. The author, Karen Rubenstein, has discovered that millions of wives think they do everything better than their husbands. They feel they are more responsible, more capable, and in a word, more superior. Hmmm, I thought. Sounds a little more like pride to me.

There is truth to this discovery. Beginning in the 1960s, women have been instructed to do it all. We've been told we can work full time and raise kids at the same time, all with great success. Many have gone so far as to say we don't need men. Women's drive to achieve equality in the work place has resulted in this attitude of superiority, I believe.

This temptation to exalt ourselves over our men is as old as the earth. I find myself dealing with this attitude more than I'd care to admit. I load the dishwasher more efficiently than he, I fold the clothes better than he, and I pack the car much more neatly than his haphazard preference of just throwing it all in and slamming the door to keep it from falling out.

And when I focus on how much better I am in certain tasks and responsibilities I can quickly move to feeling superior. In addition I'm learning this is much more of a temptation in the empty nest. When we had kids my corrective measures were directed at them and less at my husband. Now he is the sole focus of my rehabilitation and retraining efforts. Poor man.

Rubenstein gave three tips for this syndrome which are not new, but they are good to remember because they are timeless. First, ask for help. He can't read your mind. Second, educate him with logic, not emotional outbursts. And third, be willing to settle for less.

I would add a fourth tip: Let him be who he is, as my husband would say. And he is so right, because there is more than one way to do a task. My way isn't always right and his isn't always wrong. Most of our conflicts aren't about right and wrong anyway, but about personal preferences for how something is accomplished. In the end it's not a big deal anyway. Certainly not worth the damage to your marriage and to your man that an attitude of superiority will cause.

You can read more from Barbara Rainey on FamilyLife MomBlog. Check out one of her books like Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember or buy the book she co-wrote with Susan Yates on sale now: Barbara and Susan's Guide to the Empty Nest. Marriage Memo archives

PRECIOUS GEMS FROM LITTLE ONES

Here’s a cute saying from my granddaughter: My daughter and granddaughter were talking about the death of my mother this summer. My daughter said to her, “Remember when Daddy’s grandma died? That is the same now with your other great grandma” to which my granddaughter became very sad, then replied, “Now I have two broken hearts!” ~ Sharon Garber in New Jersey

We have a funny child training story to send: We have a wood-burning stove (our only heating) in the center of our living room, so we train each of our babies not to touch the stove or the rock slab that it sits on. My youngest has started crawling, so we've started training. The first time she touched the rock, I said, "No" and gently swatted the back of her hand with my finger. She cried, but touched the rock again, and we repeated the process three or four times until she gave up and found something else to do. The next day, she touched the rock, I swatted her hand once, and she cried but didn't touch it again. The third day, she crawled over to the rock slab, stopped and looked at it, then plopped herself down and started crying. Apparently she figured she would save time! (That was two months ago, and she leaves the rock alone now without crying!) ~ Lisa Yarbrough in California

Christy Carter in North Carolina says, "I cannot believe Cydney is 7 months old! I was explaining to Caleigh, 5,

that I wanted them BOTH to stop growing up so fast. She in all her wisdom tells me, 'I don't have that kind of 'trole' (later determined this was 'control), but God does and if you tell Him to not let us grow, He won't listen to you.' Maybe she should be homeschooling me??

Our two year old granddaughter, Ryan Elizabeth, is a Mama's girl as well as a definite girly girl. Recently she started with temper tantrums, and when she has an "episode," she cries loudly, "I want Daddy! My Daddy!!!" She loves the word, "my!" So her Mama gives "Daddy" a call and that instantly solves the problem! A couple weeks ago, our daughter called, saying, "Ryan came into the room saying she wanted to talk to Grammie and PawPaw." Of course, that warmed our hearts as we listened to her sing several songs and jabber away! We are looking forward a fourth grandchild next June, as yet another precious little one is being formed by God the Creator - the second child for our oldest son, Jeff, and his sweet wife, Rachael! Prayers are appreciated - and thanks! ~ Lois

Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady and her family as you receive your newsletter. Many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!

Pray each day for the protection of our troops, as well as for their families left at home!

(¨`·.·´¨) God bless you and your family and keep you in His loving care!

`·.¸(¨`·.·´¨) And remember, I love to hear from you dear ladies!

`·.¸.·´ Your Heart to Heart friend,

"Heart to Heart" Lois

(II Chronicles 7:14 (Click on the "7" and go down to verse 14 to read this verse)

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