Bagel Update

I made the bagels, Honey Whole Wheat Bagels, mentioned in my previous bagel post last weekend. Hubby said, "They were pretty good- not quite like a normal bagel but good." I think he is referring to the fact that they were dense and decently hard. They were not puck-like but would have suffered little damage if they were accidentally left in the bottom of a bag.
However, due to the boiling, the bagels really are chewy. I think that these are the modifications that I would make next time I try.


-  Use some white flour

-  Let rise for longer

-  Broil on low for a slightly shorter amount of time.
-  Bake for a few (3ish) minutes less.


Questions - I wonder if I could soak these at all. I'm convinced that if my family is going to be eating all whole wheat we need to soak it so that we are not inhibiting our ability to absorb critical nutrients. I see this as especially important since I'm taking synthetic vitamins right now which may also contribute to nutrient loss.

I'll see if i can update this with a picture. (Which would demand that I upload pictures from my camera.)

Bagles

My husband LOVES bagels. Every once in a while I ask him to pick something up from the grocery store on his way home from work if he is going to get home after I do.  He always picks up bagels on the way home. So, since I want to redeem our family's food, I was ecstatic when Laura of Heavenly Homemakers posted about her honey whole wheat bagels. Whoot whoot!
I plan on trying these no later than Saturday. (Then they will be ready for both my dear hubby and my parents.) - Next? Maybe cream cheese.

See additional bagel post for reviews. 

Redeemption is Earth Deep

This Sunday evening our pastor gave a wonderful sermon. The main point was that what the world really needs is God's redemptive plan.

His first point is that is redemptive plan is antagonistic by nature. Before sin there was harmony between us and God but also between God and creation. After sin, because God is holy, we and creation are under judgment. Since God is good, He offers us salvation and redemption through His Son. Though Christ's relationship with the redeemed, creation will be redeemed as well. So accordingly, God's redemptive plan has a global effect. It is also gracious in nature. He gives us the grace to continually pursue him in spite of our sinful natures that are at war within us.

Part of God's creation is food and our work in making healthy homes. A quick look around will easily display how homes are in need of redemption: relationships, environments, work, food, habits...
It is also easy to see how sin has affected our food and is destroying us. How can we glorify God with our food and our bodies when we are knowledgeably destroying both?

I guess that I've been rambling but in redeeming creation and reclaiming it for Christ means redeeming food. Putting off imitations of food and those that poison the body is part of redeeming food. Reintroducing our families to real food that promotes health bodies is redeeming food. Making real food look and taste beautiful is redeeming food. Changing the tastes of our families is redeeming food.

While this takes thought, work, and care... we can look forward to the day when Christ has banished sin and established a new world without sin. A world in which food is uncorrupted. No more tears, no more pain, no more chronic diseases.

Praise the Lord and His continual grace in redemption!

Giveaway!

There are a lot of blogs that share great ideas. They share pictures and patterns too. Every once in a while they have giveaways! I just found out that Laura at Heavenly Homemakers is sponsoring a giveaway- anything form her shop! There are a bunch of other bloggers who are participating.

Lenetta from Nettacow is one of them. She has some great stuff like a book about organizing, or how to clean anything, or Babylegs! Even if you don't win anything, she has some great patterns on here sight- Like how to make your own babylegs! Have a blessed day!

Oh, I am pretty sure that the give away ends tomorrow!

Why " The Homemaker's Circle"?

As soon as I showed the name of this blog to my husband, he asked, "Why the homemaker's circle"?

Well, I decided that I wanted it to be a place where women could come together to get ideas, learn, discuss, and share- like a quilting circle or a circle of friends. Women always form circles to discuss the issues and situations that they deal with. Additionally, I would like to have a couple co-authors too. (I'm in the process of asking them.) This would enable the blog to have a larger variety of topics within our main focus and more expertise.

It took some consideration to use the word "homemaker." However, every woman wants her own home and to be the mistress/ lady/ queen of her own domain. A house, apartment, town home, cottage, duplex is not necessarily a home. A home has to be created and nurtured. It takes work and commitment. You do not have to be a stay-at-home mother or wife to be a homemaker.  I personally have a full-time out-of-the-house job at this time. I teach at a Christian school. I think that it makes homemaking more challenging. There are many things that I am unable to do between 7am and 5 or 6pm.  (I also do not have any children at this time so I do not have to take into account  blessed complication.  There are a lot of homemaking and home-keeping ideas that we can share regardless where we live or what percentage of our day is spent there.

May God bless you in your endeavors that they may bring more glory to Him.

In the beginning...

So I decided to start my own blog. I'd like to discuss food, local resources (Pella, IA and surrounding), non-toxic living, healthy choices, having a Christ- centered life. I also want to share what is going on in my life with those that I love.

Now, the question is- Where to start?

I want to live a life the glorifies God in every aspect. Pleasing to Him and a witness to others. I believe that God wants me and my family to be healthy. I believe that this means taking the toxins out of my house, eliminating foods that decrease or inhibit wellness, providing amble opportunities for physical wellness, academic learning, emotional stability, and spiritual growth. 

I believe that all four of these areas dramatically impact the others.  If you are not feeling well, you are more prone to sin. If you are emotionally off-kilter your learning is difficult. If you are not learning, you have a hard time taking good care of your self. If you are not right with God, your emotions are groundless. There are countless examples. Of these, I think that the two  most influential ones are the physical and spiritual aspects. 

It is a tragedy that our world tries to help people fix the problems in their life and work though their challenges without addressing our relationship with God. He is the Lover of our souls, the Creator/ Sustainer of our bodies, the Great Teacher, and the Anchor of our emotions. 

Let all things that have breath praise the Lord!