A new class to jump start my spring

Oh, I have been having winter cooking blues. I am sooo a soup person but the rest of the family is not. So I am very much looking forward to spring to give us some new local foods to play with. I am also dreaming of opening my windows for fresh air and digging in the dirt to plant those first seeds. With my spirits renewed every spring I getting excited for spring and summers bounty, the end of regular school days, and the preserving of the bounty God gives us in those seasons. I am all about learning how our great grandparents kept and preserved fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. So I signed up(finally) for classes on how to do lacto-fermentation to culture all those foods. I am a visual learner so video tutorials are a great thing. The site for these classes is here at Nourished Kitchen. If you sign-up today they send you a link for a free e-book with yummy recipes.

My first attempts at making fermented foods other then yogurt were not so successful. I was assured that I will get better at it as I learn what to do with these courses. 

Knitting for beginners

So I started knitting last year and fell in love with this easy pattern by Sarah Montie on Etsy.com.
I plan on making a few more for friends that I love dearly and who have done soooo much for me. Below is a picture of how far I was in December and I am now almost done. Yeah, for easy patterns. Now if only I could find a beret pattern that I can actually figure out on my own.

Believing without seeing

Matthew 18:1-6 ¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”² Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. -Bible

 18:1-6 Christ spoke many words of his sufferings, but only one of his glory; yet the disciples fasten upon that, and overlook the others. Many love to hear and speak of privileges and glory, who are willing to pass by the thoughts of work and trouble. Our Lord set a little child before them, solemnly assuring them, that unless they were converted and made like little children, they could not enter his kingdom. Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are marks of childhood, and render them proper emblems of the lowly minds of true Christians. Surely we need to be daily renewed in the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. Let us daily study this subject, and examine our own spirits.

Source(s):

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 1706

Lately in my Bible study I have been coming across passages that scholars are splitting hairs about and making things muddy and unclear for believers. So because we have a relationship with a living God I went to prayer about this subject. Wow, I kept coming back to this verse. Sometimes it is hard to swallow all of it when you feel like you should always have an intellect answer when someone questions a passage's validity. But we live by faith and sometimes... many times faith is believing without seeing! Amen

"Eating is an Agricultural Act" - Wendell Berry

Ok, maybe I am not normal... I don't know many woman who get so excited about getting the bill for the summer/fall CSA(Community Supported Agriculture). I love organic fresh local food! I am so craving fresh! I know what your thinking "just go to the grocery store you silly and pick-up some food". I am trying not to buy much at the store and live on mostly local grown in-season foods. A personal challenge of sorts. I noticed with this challenge I am so much more grateful for what God gives us in each season. The photo below was a week from last years CSA pick-up. Doesn't that look refreshing.