This week the menu includes:

Breakfasts :
oats and dried fruit
cereal and milk, fruit
toast, sausage, orange slices
apple slices baked on toast with cinnamon

Lunches:
homemade cream of tomato soup and crackers, cheese  and grapes
sandwiches
noodles with pesto

Suppers:
tuna casserole, fresh lima beans, homemade bread
spaghetti and homemade sauce
salisbury steak and mashed potatoes
Pork loin cooked on the grill in foil – this is my contribution to the family Labor Day picnic
beans and cornbread, salad
egg salad sandwiches, fresh spinach salad

Do you plan what you will eat for the week?  How do you go about it?

The basic plan?  You make a heavy white sauce using butter, flour and milk or broth and add flavors like chicken, mushrooms or asparagus. Each recipe makes about 10 ounces to its like having a can of undiluted cream of soup at your fingertips.

Basic Cream Of Soup

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
2. Blend 4 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter.
3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. Cooking for this length of time will minimize the ‘flour’ taste.
5. Slowly add 1 cup of milk, stirring constantly.
6. Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened

Now we can make alterations and get different flavors…..

For Cream Of Chicken Soup
Replace half the milk with good chicken stock OR add 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules to the milk.
Add 1/2 cup small bits of cooked chicken after step 5

For Cream Of Asparagus Soup
Add 1/2 cup drained, minced, canned asparagus and a pinch of garlic powder after step 5

For Cream Of Mushroom Soup
In a large skillet over medium heat cook 1 cup diced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter. Don’t crowd the skillet and cook til the mushrooms are light brown in color.
Add the cooked mushrooms after step 5.

You will probably use these immediately when you make them, but if you need to store them, keep them covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 3 days. They won’t keep much longer than that because of the milk and butter in them.

Now these are basic recipe. Which means you can tweak them to your heart’s content. That’s what I do. The richer and more flavorful your cream of soups are … the better the recipes you make with them will be.  So go ahead and add things like black pepper, more salt, garlic and herbs. Go ahead and experiment with using broths, bouillons and even heavy cream.  You will hit on just the right taste for you and your family and then you’ve got a Keeper!

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. Ps 127:3-5

In what ways are children a blessing to us?

They are enjoyable and entertaining! They are just as cute as they can be and a lot of fun to watch as they grown, learn and explore the world.

They are a great help to us in learning to be like Jesus. We learn self-sacrifice, patience, long-suffering,  joy, love, self-control and discipline by raising a child or even by being in the life of a child and we learn what it is so be trusted and depended on completely. That’s a huge responsibility.

They are of the greatest help to us with our work. Children should be given jobs in the home to learn that they are an essential part of a family. Children can be such good help to us as we do the things we must do every day for the family.

The enlarge our impact on the world for the glory of God! I think that is partially what it means in Psalms 127 where is says ….”They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”  Our influence goes beyond our children, through their lives and into the world.

This week the Homekeeper’s Journal is all about our children!

I am moving The Homekeeper’s Journal to Wednesdays so come by and look for it each week.

The Homekeeper’s Journal is a way to keep track of your thoughts, in journal form, online. I have given you the prompts, written my own responses, and given you a Mclinky to use to leave the link to your own Journal entry. A link back here is nice but not required. Its also a great way to get traffic moving to your blog and share your thoughts with others.

I can directly influence these children …..  my 5 children, my two grandchildren, the children of my good friends and children at Church.

Some specific ways that  I see my influence in my children are ….  I see my oldest son’s work ethic and devotion to the Church, my younger children taking stands on moral and ethical issues and in dealing with their friends making good choices and decisions. I see little girls coming to me at Church to talk and young men wanting to come to my house to hang out with my son.

The biggest area needing improvement in how I see my children is …  that I know they belong to God, they are His and a only a gift to me to train for His glory!

My greatest joy in my children is …  seeing them come to the Lord Jesus, seeing them serve in Church and serve others in Jesus name.

The best thing I ever did for my children was …  bringing them home to educate them.

One thing I want to be sure to impart to my children is ….  that they are here for a larger purpose than to make themselves happy. They are here to fulfill [art of God’s plan and take joy in doing it. No matter what they decide to do, I want them to be their very best to God’s honor.

This needs great prayer and thought regarding my children ….. how to help them make the transition from home to their own homes.

Now its your turn!
1. Make your own entry at your blog using the prompts that are in bold type above.
2. Finish out the prompts with your own words.
3. Grab the Homekeeper’s Journal picture above and use it on your blog with a link to CHK.
4. Come back here and put the link to your blog post in the Linky below.

This is a recipe that I found somewhere long, long ago.  We really like it and I have made enough changes in it over time that I can call it mine now. I love the color in this recipe!  Its bright and fresh and light tasting but I use Hoisin sauce which really makes it savory and good, not heavy just good.

This recipe makes enough for 6 or more people.

Sauce Ingredients:
2/3 cups Hoisin sauce
3/4 cups orange juice
Mix well and set aside.

Stir Fry Ingredients:
2 cups lean pork, cut into strips and tossed with 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 cup carrots cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup sugar snow peas

Noodles or Rice:
Cook a desired amount of noodles or rice. I used Japanese alimentary paste noodles but you could use udon or buckwheat noodles or even brown rice. Toss with Hoisin sauce to taste and set aside, keep warm.

Place the broccoli and carrots in a sauce pan of water and cook til done or you can do what I did, I cooked them in the rice cooker while I prepared the meat.

Heat a large skillet and 2 tablespoons oil. Add the pork that has been coated with cornstarch, cook til no longer pink.

Add the sauce mixture to the cooked pork and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrots. Add the snow peas. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Place a serving of noodles on each plate and top with the stir fry.

Its best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream, or even heavy cream poured over it.  And its such a simple recipe too. It has ingredients that most people have on hand. These are the fall flavors everyone loves!

Apple Walnut Crisp

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour (or use whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 cups apples – peeled, cored, & sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar (or use Rapidura for a deeper flavor)`
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, nuts, and butter in large bowl.
Place half of the crumb mixture into pan and press down evenly. Cover the layer of crumbs evenly with apples. Sprinkle the apples with the white sugar and cinnamon. Spread remaining crumb mixture over the top of the apples. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
This recipe is easily doubled and baked for 1 hour and 15 minutes in a 9×13 pan. Enjoy!

In my experience, most Christian women go to Church weekly but they don’t find a welcoming group of friends who know them and whom they know well.  Are you one of them?

Most of the Christian women I have ever known  have had only superficial relationships with other Churched friends. For several reasons, Churched women have a very hard time growing close. One thing that hinders us is our lack of sharing anything personal and important. We sometimes share prayer requests but it rarely gets any more personal than the initial sharing.

Because we have no real sense of community with other women, very few of us have close friends. How many women do you know who would say they have lots of acquaintances, and a lot of women they know, but no close friends?

Most women I know would say they are lonely. Many of those women would say they are too busy to stop and think about it but when they do think about it, it makes them sad. They feel regret for not getting to know other Christian women well  but they don’t know how to go about getting a friend like that much less two or three.

Then there is that whole group of women who are not busy, who have grown children and perhaps lost a spouse and they are just frankly bored and lonely. They lack that community of friends who could encourage them to godly pursuits or just provide companionship.

A community of Christian women is a precious thing. It includes friends that share, trust and call on one another for emotional support and prayer no matter what is going on in life.  Women need friends who won’t gossip about them or make them feel like failures. Women need friends who are true and who love at all times, even when they aren’t very lovable. And we are all unlovable at times, aren’t we?

Do you know why things like scrap-booking, quilting and all kinds of crafting events at Church are so very important?  Its because they bring women together over a common interest and those women can enjoy just being together and talking.  Its so important to talk. And talk.  Because in between looking at someone’s scrapbook and talking about the kids….. defenses are let down, people relax and begin to trust and then they talk about what is really on their minds.

And then the very spiritual and godly things happen that are meant to happen. The older women teach what is good, train the young women to love their husbands and children,  to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

That’s how it can happen at your Church, too.  But you have to be purposeful about it. You  mustn’t say, “I can’t” or “I won’t”.  If you are reading this and you are feeling that familiar tug of your heart by the Holy Spirit, then you must answer. It won’t happen if you don’t pray and ask God to move and work in your Church and be willing to be His instrument to bring community to your sisters in Christ.

Picture this: you’re washing your hands in the school bathroom and you hear someone crying from a bathroom stall. “Hello?” you ask, “Is anyone there?”  When the stall door finally opens, you see Joanna, the school bully, her face stained with tears.”Is anything wrong?” you ask.

At first she doesn’t say anything, and you’re about to walk out on her, but she finally spills it all out. Her family has been fighting among themselves for a long time, her parents are planning a divorce, her friends don’t like her anymore, her older sister ran away, and Joanna is pretty sure that life is over.

You feel sorry for her – and then you remember.

This is the same girl who stepped on your foot in the school play—on purpose. This is the same girl who brags on and on about the wonderful life she has. This is the same girl who brings up your favorite bands and calls them lame. This is the same girl who crushed your self-esteem. And now her life is falling apart? Is it possible?

And now you have a tough decision to make. You can:
A) Sit beside her, slip your arm around her shoulders, and ask, “Is there anything I can do?”
B) Chuckle a bit, say, “What a lie”, and walk out on her.

It’s never easy to be merciful, though. If somebody hurts you, you want to give them a taste of their own medicine. You want to gossip about them, be angry and bitter towards them, and reject them.
But, is that the right way to do it?

Let me give you an example of someone in the Bible that God showed mercy to: Paul, formerly named Saul. He viciously hated God’s people, and killed many of them. Now, God should’ve let his wrath and judgment out on this guy because he killed His people, right? After all, that’s the natural thing for us to do. But did God do that?

No.
Instead, God had a plan that led Saul to Christ, brought many people to Christ through him, and gave believers everywhere the letters that Paul wrote to different churches. Saul changed his name to Paul, and became one of the most known disciples in the Bible. If God didn’t show mercy to him, what would we have learned from Paul? If God can show mercy to Paul, a man who killed many of His people, then He can certainly show mercy to Joanna – and so should we.

Here are some verses on mercy:

“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out ‘Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy!’” (Exodus 34:6)

“Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.” (Psalms 28:6)

“Yet He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times He held back his anger and did not unleash His fury!” (Psalms 78:38)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
(Matthew 5:7 )

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and disbelief.”
(1 Timothy 1:13)

So, if you want to have the virtue of mercy, you need God. First, pray that God will give you a merciful and forgiving heart, and pray for the person who sinned against you.

Then, next time you see Joanna, just remember what God did to Paul. Then tell that bully that you’ll pray for her, and invite her to church sometime! Although mercy can seem impossible, with God, nothing is impossible.

Rachel is a 12 year old Christian homeschooler from Maine and is the daughter of one of our writers and message board administrator, Karen.. She loves to write Christian fiction and devotionals for tweens and teen girls. When she’s not writing, Rachel loves photography, blogging and listening to music. She desires to encourage other tweens and young teens through her writings.

Its fun to go though it all , well except for the bottom of the hall pantry which has been a catch all, working on making a list and getting it all re-stocked before it snows is the goal. Why do I want it all re-stocked before the first snow? Well, after that we cannot come down the driveway and it’s a bit harder to carry stuff to the house. So we try to keep the shopping days smaller, or at least easier to carry down the hill.

Why Have A Pantry

I know you are thinking that…

… the store is just down the street

… my husband can pick up what ever I need on the way home

… pantries are so old fashioned we don’t need them in today’s world

And I am sure there are plenty of other reasons people feel that you don’t need a pantry. Here are my reasons for having a pantry:

1. Getting the most for your dollar- Yes the store is just down the street, but you may not be getting the best price for the item you are buying, plus most people (and yes I am one of them) never seem to leave the store with just what I went in there for. Plus if you buy food in season and store it, it is cheaper.

2. Weather - Out here it is mostly snow in the winter and there are weeks that it might be pay day and therefore shopping day but due to the weather I can’t leave the house safely for a few days. And one year in the summer there was a flood, one that we were not expecting to happen to the level that it did. And it happened the night before shopping day, if I didn’t have a pantry we would have been trouble.

3. To serve others- Yes a pantry helps you to serve others, when the neighbor calls asking for something you can say “Yes, I have that”, when the church calls and asks you to make something for a dinner you can say “Sure, no problem”, when the boy scout comes to the door collecting food for the local pantry you can say “Here you go.”.

4. Illness- You never know when it is going to happen, and if you have a well stocked pantry you can better care for the ill ones, or if mom is ill the family is going to have something to eat. Plus if you find out others are ill, you have on hand the food to make them a meal.

5. Budget- When your husband comes to you and says “Dear, we need to cut the budget somewhere for the next two months”  due to extra bills, car repairs, etc., or if he comes home and says “I’ve been laid off” . You can say “No problem, dear”  and eat mostly out of the pantry for the lean times, restocking in the times of plenty.

Where To Have Your Pantry

The definition of a pantry is :
1.a room or closet in which food, groceries, and other provisions, or silverware, dishes, etc., are kept.

And my definition, is a pantry is not necessary the place, but the food stored. A take off of the saying the church is not the building but the people.

So based on the first definition a pantry is a storage area for food, so lets talk about were to have your pantry.

1. A closet, I have taken a coat closet that was never used as more then a dumping ground and had my son build some shelves in there. I have also in the past stored the sheets in the bedrooms and the towels in the bathroom in order to use a hallway linen closet as a pantry.
2. The good old shelves in the basement, not very pretty but it works. For this you just need a not damp basement, and some shelves
3. The kitchen. I find that for my size family and pantry needs I still need a second location.
4. Just about any other place you can think about that doesn’t get to hot or freezing cold. We have used a wall in the laundry room, you could use some shelves in a bedroom and cover the fronts with fabric, a attached garage, just about any spot.

Midge is a stay at home mom of 6 children from 18 to 3.  She enjoys reading, crafts, and making a home for her family. She and  her family live on 7 wonderful acres in the middle of nowhere, and enjoy spending time together as a family. You can find Midge’s Blog here.

Have you ever started baking a cake or sweet bread and found you didn’t have an egg? Or ran out of sugar right before you were finished measuring it for a pie? Maybe you were making a dish that called for white wine and you don’t have any one hand. I’ve got some substitutions for you. Its always best to use what your recipe calls for, but if you’re in a pinch, these substitutions are so very handy!

This information has been collected, compiled and edited by me over the past 20 years. I have found most of it in old cookbooks, some of it online and some of it was passed to me by word of mouth. I have not tried all of it, I’d say a good 80% of it I have and it works. So I don’t guarantee any of it! But like I said, I have used most of it successfully.

If you’d like to print it out and use it, go ahead. But, if you want to email it to someone or give it to someone after you print it out, please include my name and blog address. Do not reprint this information for public use, anywhere! Thanks!

BAKING

ACTIVE DRY YEAST, 1 PKG (1/4 OUNCE)
1 Cake Compressed Yeast

ARROWROOT, 1 TBS.
2 tbs. All-purpose Flour
or 1 tbs. Cornstarch

BAKING POWDER, 1 TSP.. DOUBLE ACTING
1-1/2 tsp. Phosphate Baking Powder
or 2 tsp. Tartrate Baking Powder

BAKING POWDER, 1 TSP.
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar plus1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
or 1/4 tsp. Soda plus 1/2 cup Soured Milk or Buttermilk
or 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda plus 1/2 tbs. Vinegar
or Lemon Juice used with Sweet Milk to make 1/2 cup
or 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda plus 1/4 – 1/2 cup Molasses
or 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda plus 1/2 cup Buttermilk or Soured Milk (reduce
liquid ingredients by 1/2 cup)

BAKING SODA (IN BREADS)
Equal amount of White of Hardwood Ashes

CORNMEAL, SELF-RISING, 1 CUP
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Cornmeal
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tbs. Fat
or
7/8 cup Plain Flour
1-1/2 tbs. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
Equivalent: 1 pound = 3 cups

CORNSTARCH, 1 TBS.
2 tbs. All-purpose Flour (for thickening)
or 2 tbs. Granular Tapioca

FLOUR, 1 TBS. (for thickening)
1/2 tbs. Cornstarch, Potato Starch, Rice Starch or Arrowroot Starch
or 1 tbs. Tapioca

FLOUR, ALL-PURPOSE, 1 CUP
3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

FLOUR, all purpose, 4 cups, 1 pound
or 3-1/2 C. unsifted
or 1-1/8 C. cake flour
or 1 C. cornmeal
or 1/2 C. potato flour
or 7/8 C. rice flour
or 1-1/2 C. rye flour
or 1-1/2 C. oat flour

FLOUR, 1 CUP (for baking bread)
Up to 1/2 cup Bran, Whole Wheat Flour or Cornmeal plus enough flour to make
one cup

FLOUR, CAKE, 1 CUP
1 cup minus 2 tbs. All-purpose Flour
Equivalent: 1 pound – 4-3/4 cups

FLOUR, SELF-RISING, 1 CUP
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

FLOUR, WHOLE WHEAT, 1 CUP
1 cup All-purpose Flour
Equivalent: 1 pound = 3-3/4 cups

GELATIN, FLAVORED, 3 OUNCES
1 tbs. plain gelatin
2 cup fruit juice

JELLYING AGENT FOR JELLY MAKING
1 tsp. Epsom Salts for each 5 pounds (2.27 Kg) of Fruit

TAPIOCA, 2 TBS.
1 tbs. Flour

YEAST, 5/8-OUNCE CAKE
1 Packet active dry yeast

YEAST, ACTIVE DRY, 1 TBS.
1 Cake Compressed Yeast

DAIRY

BUTTER, 1 CUP
1 cup margarine
or 7/8 to 1 cup hydrogenated fat plus 1/2 tsp. salt
or 7/8 cup lard plus1/2 tsp. salt
or 4/5 cup bacon fat, clarified
or 3/4 cup chicken fat, clarified
or 7/8 cup oil
or 14 tbs. solid shortening

BUTTERMILK OR SOUR MILK, 1 CUP
1 tbs. vinegar or lemon juice plus enough sweet milk to make 1 cup (let
stand 5 minutes before using)
or 1-3/4 tsp. cream of tartar plus 1 cup sweet milk
or 1 cup plain yogurt

BUTTERMILK, REDUCED FAT, 1 CUP
1 tbs. lemon juice or vinegar plus enough 2% milk to make 1 cup (let stand
5 minutes before using)
or 1-3/4 tsp. cream of tartar plus 1 cup 2% milk
or 1 cup plain yogurt, lite or diet

CREAM, HALF & HALF, 1 CUP, (12-16% fat)
7/8 cup milk and 3 TBS… butter or margarine (for use in cooking and baking)
or 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted

CREAM, LIGHT, 1 CUP, (18-20% fat)
7/8 cup milk and 3tbs. butter or margarine (for use in cooking and baking)
or 1 c evaporated milk, undiluted

CREAM, HEAVY, 1 CUP, (36-40% fat) or (2 ­ 2-1/2 CUPS, WHIPPED)
3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or margarine (for baking only, will not whip)

EGG WHOLE, RAW
2 Egg Yolks
or 3 tbs. plus 1 tsp. thawed frozen egg
or 2 tbs. and 2 tsp. dry whole egg powder plus 2 tsp. water
Equivalent: 1 large = 3 tbs, 1 cup = 5 large, 1 cup = 6 medium

EGG WHITE, RAW
2 tbs. thawed frozen egg white
or 2 tsp. dry egg white plus 2 tbs. water
Equivalent: 1 = 2 tbs.; 1 cup = 8 large

EGG YOLK, RAW
3-1/2 tsp. thawed frozen egg yolk
or 2 tbs. dry egg yolk plus 2 tsp. water
Equivalent: 1 = 1-1/2 tbs, 1 cup = 12 large

EQUAL TO AN EGG in baking:
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp fat

MILK, SKIM, 1 CUP
or 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk plus 3/4 cup water

MILK, WHOLE, 1 CUP
1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk plus 2-1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
or 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus1/2 cup water,
or 1/4 cup sifted dry whole milk powder plus 7/8 cup water

MILK, 1 CUP
1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 1 cup minus 1 tbs. water
or 3 tbs. sifted regular nonfat dry milk plus 1 cup minus 1 tbs. water

MILK, SWEETENED, CONDENSED, 1 CAN= 1-1/3 CUP
1 cup plus 2 tbs. dry milk plus 1/2 cup warm water; mix well, add 3/4 cup
sugar and 3 tbs. melted butter or margarine. Stir until smooth.
or1/3 cup plus 2 tbs. evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, and 3 tbs. melted butter
or margarine. Heat and stir until sugar and butter dissolve.

SOUR CREAM, 1 CUP
1 cup plain yogurt
or 7/8 cup sour milk plus 3 tbs. butter
or 1 cup plain yogurt plus 3 tbs. melted butter or margarine

FATS

COOKING OIL, 1 cup (oil and solid shortening are not interchangeable unless
specified in the recipe)
1 cup melted shortening

SHORTENING, MELTED 1 CUP
1 cup cooking oil

SHORTENING, SOLID, 1 CUP
7/8 cup lard
or 1-1/8 cup butter or margarine (decrease salt in recipe by 1/2)

FLAVORINGS AND EXTRACTS

ANISE EXTRACT, PURE, 1 TSP.
1-1/2 tsp. Anise Seed

ASIAN FISH SAUCE, 1 TBS.
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
2 each Mashed Anchovies

BRANDY
1 tsp. Brandy Extract

BROTH, CHICKEN OR BEEF
1 Bouillon Cube
or 1 Envelope Instant Broth

CHILI SAUCE
Ketchup with prepared horseradish and lemon juice to taste

CHINESE BLACK VINEGAR
Balsamic Vinegar

FISH STOCK
Equal parts clam juice and water

FRESH HORSERADISH, 1 TBS. GRATED
2 tbs. Prepared Horseradish, well-drained

HOT SAUCE (TABASCO)
Red Pepper Flakes or ground red pepper

LEMON
Equivalent: 1 medium = 1 – 3 tbs. juice or 1 – 2 tsp. grated peel

LIQUOR, 1/2 CUP (RUM, BOURBON, WHISKEY)
1/4 cup Unsweetened Fruit Juice or Broth

WHITE WINE:
equal amount of apple juice

PREPARED MUSTARD, 1 TABLESPOON
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
2 tsp. Wine Vinegar, white wine or water

RICE VINEGAR, SEASONED,1 TBS..
1 tbs. Rice Vinegar OR1 TBS.. White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Salt

SOY SAUCE, 1/2 CUP
3 tbs. Worcestershire sauce plus 1 tbs. water

TAMARIND PASTE, 1 TBS.
1 tsp. Dates
1 tsp. Prunes
1 tsp. Dried apricots
1 tsp. Lemon juice

VANILLA EXTRACT, PURE, 1 TSP.
1 tsp. Vanilla Powder

WINE, 1/2 CUP (FOR MARINADE)
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Water
1 tbs. Sugar

MISCELLANEOUS

BREAD CRUMBS, DRIED, 1/4 CUP
1/4 cup cracker crumbs
or 2/3 cup rolled oats
or 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs

COCOA, 1/4 CUP
1 ounce (square) unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 tbs.)

COCONUT, GRATED, 1 CUP
1-1/3 cup flaked coconut

COCONUT, MILK OR CREAM, 1 CUP
1 cup milk or cream
or 1 cup milk or cream plus 1/4 tsp. coconut extract

CURRANTS, DRIED
Chopped dark raisins

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS, 1 CUP
15 graham crackers, ground in a blender
or 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

HAZELNUTS
Walnuts or pecans

MUSHROOMS, FRESH, 1 POUND
3 ounces (85 g) dried
or 6 ounces (170 g) canned

NUTS
Equal amount of browned rolled oats

PINE NUTS
Walnuts or Almonds

SPICES/SEASONINGS

ALLSPICE, 1 tsp. GROUND
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
or
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves

ALLSPICE, 2 TSP.. GROUND
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger

APPLE PIE SPICE, 1 TSP.
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Cardamom

CELERY SEED, 1/2 TSP.
1 tbs. finely chopped celery leaves

CHIVES, FRESH
Green Onion, including tops

CINNAMON SUGAR, 1 CUP
7/8 c Granulated sugar or superfine sugar
2tbs. Ground cinnamon

FINE HERBES, 4 TSP.
1 tsp. Chervil
1 tsp. Chives
1 tsp. Tarragon
1 tsp. Parsley

FIVE SPICE POWDER, 5 TSP.
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground cloves
1 tsp. Fennel seed
1 tsp. Star anise
1 tsp. Szechwan peppercorns

FRESH HERBS, 1 TBS. MINCED
1 tsp. dried, of the same kind

GARLIC, 1 CLOVE
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
or 1/4 tsp. garlic salt (reduce salt in recipe by 1/2 tsp.)

GINGER, FRESH CHOPPED, 1 TSP.
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger

GINGER, FRESH, 1 TBS.
1/8 tsp. Powdered Ginger

ITALIAN HERB SEASONING, 1 TSP.
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Basil
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1/4 tsp. Rosemary
Dash Cayenne

ITALIAN HERB SEASONING, 2 TBS.
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Sage

LEMON GRASS, 1 TBS.. MINCED
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

LEMON PEEL, GRATED, 1 TSP..
1/2 tsp. Lemon Extract
or 1/2 tsp. dried Peel
or 1 tsp. grated Orange or Lime Peel (colored part only)

MACE, 1 TSP..
1 tsp. Nutmeg, Cinnamon or Allspice

ONION, DRY, INSTANT, 1 TBS..
1/4 cup chopped fresh Onion
or 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

ONION, 1 SMALL (1/3 CUP)
1 tsp. Onion Powder
or 1 tbs. Instant Minced Onion

ONION, 1 MEDIUM (2/3 CUP)
1 tbs. Onion Powder
or 1/4 Instant Chopped Onion

ONON, 1 CUP, CHOPPED
1 tbs. Dried Minced Onion, reconstituted

PARSLEY, FRESH
Celery Tops, (when flavoring soups and stews)

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE, 1 TSP
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Ground ginger
1/8 tsp. Ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground mace
1/8 tsp. Ground cloves
OR
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Allspice
1/8 tsp. Cardamom

SHALLOTS
Minced onion with half a small clove of minced garlic

TACO SEASONING
6 tsp. Chili Powder
5 tsp. Paprika
4 -1/2 tsp. Cumin
3 tsp. Onion Powder
2-1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Makes 21 tsp. (about 1/2 cup). Seven tsp. of mix equal a 1.25 oz. (35 gr.)
pkg. of purchased taco seasoning mix.

TOMATO SAUCE, 1 CUP
3/8 cup Tomato paste
1/2 cup Water

SUGARS AND SWEETENERS

CHOCOLATE, SEMI-SWEET, 2 OUNCES (56.5 G.)
1 ounce (28 g) unsweetened chocolate plus 2 tbs. sugar
or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

CHOCOLATE, UNSWEETENED, 1 SQUARE) 1 OUNCE (28 G.)
3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tbs. vegetable shortening or cooking
oil

HONEY, 1 CUP
1-1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup water or milk

SUGAR (FOR BAKING), 1/4 CUP
1 tsp. (3 packets) Sweet N Low, Equal or Sweet One artificial sweetener

SUGAR, DARK BROWN, 1 CUP
1 cup light brown sugar plus 1 tbs. molasses

SUGAR, GRANULATED, 1 CUP
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
or 13 tbs. honey (when baking, decrease liquid ingredients by 3tbs.
or increase flour by 3 tbs., 1/2 tsp. soda)
or 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
or 1 cup corn syrup (decrease liquid called for in recipe by 1/4 cup)
or 1 cup molasses (decrease liquid called for in recipe by 1/4 cup)
Equivalent: 1 pound (454 g) granulated sugar = 2-1/4 cups

SUGAR, LIGHT BROWN, 1 CUP 1 cup granulated sugar plus 3 tbs. molasses
or 1/2 cup dark brown sugar plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar

SUGAR, POWDERED, 1 CUP
7/8 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tbs. cornstarch mixed at high in blender
Equivalent: 1 pound (454 g) = 3-1/2 – 4 cups

SYRUP, LIGHT CORN, 1 CUP
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup water, boiled until syrupy

SYRUP, DARK CORN, 1 CUP
3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup light molasses
or 1-1/4 cup dark brown sugar plus 3 tbs. water

TOMATO PRODUCTS

CHILI SAUCE, 1/2 CUP
1/2 cup ketchup with prepared horseradish and lemon juice, to taste

HOT PEPPER SAUCE, A FEW DROPS
Dash of cayenne or red pepper

KETCHUP OR CHILI SAUCE, 1/2 CUP
1/2 cup tomato sauce PLUS 2 tbs. sugar, 1 tbs. vinegar, 1/8 tsp. ground
cloves, 1/8 tsp. allspice

TOMATOES, FRESH
Canned Italian Plum tomatoes

TOMATO JUICE, 1 CUP
1/2 cup tomato puree or sauce plus 1/2 cup water

TOMATO PASTE, 1 TBS…
1 tbs. ketchup

TOMATO PUREE, 2 CUPS
3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1-1/4 cups water

TOMATO SAUCE, 2 CUPS
3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water

Reprinted with permission from Sylvia Britton, The Christian Homekeeper 2010 http://www.christianhomekeeper.org

Last week my husband and I took a little drive to a nearby town to do some errands. After we were done, we decided to get something to drink. He was pulling into a gas station to get some bottled water or pop and I asked if we could go to McDonald’s for some sweet tea. Sweet Tea is my downfall. sigh. Anyway, he drove on down, we missed our turn, but he managed to get where we were going. We got in the drive up line and ordered our tea.

This particular McDonald’s has two drive thru lines and then after you’ve ordered your line merges with the other line. I have no idea how they manage to keep that straight but they do.
The line next to us had stopped and a man was out of his car looking all around. Finally I saw what he was doing, or rather heard it.

There was a tiny little kitten running all around his car, meowing very loudly. The kitten was so small I almost didn’t see it . He was afraid he was going to hit it so had stopped and gotten out when he heard it. There were cars everywhere and the kitten was very frightened.

The kitten was hiding in the flower bed by the intercom. And it was so vocal! And skinny, and so very dirty.
So I just said, “Oh, poor thing.” And my husband, the “anti-more-animals-in-the-house-man” said,”Well, get it.” I gave him the “I don’t believe you and are you sure about this” look. He said, “Well, we can’t leave him to fend for himself.”

So I motioned for the man to bring the kitten to me. And he did.  We bought it a sausage and biscuit and brought it home.

I bathed it, ascertained that it was a male and named him Mickie because of where we found him. Mickie was covered in fleas and his bath water was black when I was finished. I cleaned and fluffed him and sprayed him with coat conditioner that I use on the other animals.

Now he’s nice and fluffy and smells so good. He is sitting in my lap as I type and thinks I am his mother. lol

So welcome Mickie the CHK Kitten and see how he grows.