The futility of frugal orange marmalade

Recently I was wondering about the possibility of using the peels of nice oranges to make orange marmalade. You know how it goes... "waste not, want not." Well I love orange marmalade and sometime in the far, distant past I heard that you could save the peels (after you've used the inside fruit of the orange for other purposes) and make orange marmalde with basically peels, sugar, and water. So I Googled orange marmalade in search of the magic recipe. Well, I really couldn't find one, so I thought perhaps I could simply put it together on my own.

O.k. guys - here is the low-down on how NOT to make orange marmalade.

I used the peels of 4 large navel oranges, plus 1 whole orange

I put them all in my small food processor and chopped it all up.

I then added 2 cups orange juice (out of a carton) and 4 cups water.

I cooked this for about 1 hour. Cooled. Refrigerated overnight.

Next afternoon: I measured the mess and put an equal amount of sugar in the pot with it. Cooked it for about 1 hour. Cooled. Refrigerated overnight. (First I tasted it before refrigerating it and thought, "My this has a 'bite' to it!")

Today, I took it out of the fridge and tasted it. I intended to perhaps add a cup of water and another cup of sugar and cook until it thickened. However, after this taste "treat" I decided that my tongue and my stomach would not be able to tolerate the "bitters" this much. So now I have a syrupy mess to dispose of.

Now I want all of you good jamming cooks to get your chuckles out of this for I have learned my lesson - there just isn't anyway to use those orange peels and make decent orange marmalade. Folks, I'll stick to the good store-bought stuff any day over the mess I conjured up.

Snow, ice, snow = not good

Well folks, we just got to go back to school today after a winter storm that deposited a nice amount of snow on those of us here in North Carolina. And now, they are telling us that North Carolina is about to get socked again - this time with snow, then ice, then snow, and maybe some rain somewhere in there. At first they said the stuff was coming with no appreciable accumulation. We can deal with that. Of course, some of the first snow is still hanging around waiting for some new snow friends to play with.

Then earlier today they (the forecasters of things dealing with the weather in general) said, "Oh yes, yes sirree! There IS going to be some accumulation of the stuff. We're speaking 2 to 4 inches of snow, then 1/4 to 1/2 inch ice, and then a wee bit more snow on top of that. Well, that is enough to scare those of us here in North Carolina who are already trying to recover from a case of cabin fever or "snow-drip-mess-up-the-house-itis."

Now it may be that our part of North Carolina has just been "granted" a slight reprieve. They (again the aforesaid prognosticators of things dealing with the weather) are now prognosticating that our particular little wedge of North Carolina is lying betwixt and between the area of "you gonna get a lot" and "you just might get spared a bit on this one." So we're waiting tenuously for the outcome and trusting that we'll get spared this time.

Choose you

Today's Bible Verse:
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15 (King James Version)

Through the years, we have held to this verse as a declaration for our household - we will serve the LORD. Raising our children, we taught them and led them in the ways of the LORD. God is important. Jesus, the Son of God, is important as our Redeemer and Saviour. This we declare.

So "choose ye this day" if you, too, will serve the LORD.

A broken tea cup, a humble manger, and the best deal I've ever gotten (borrowed)

A few weeks ago, my rambunctious two-year-old accidentally knocked and broke a very special tea cup of mine. As I was sweeping the pieces of glass into a dustpan, I realized this was something one could easily find themselves upset over.

But instead of frustration, I found myself feeling grateful. Our lean law school years--when a hot cup of tea in my special tea cup was one of life's few luxuries--had taught me a profound lesson: things don't buy happiness.

It's a trite phrase, to be sure, but when you've found much happiness in spite of the lack of things and the lack of money to buy things, it seems anything but cliche.

There are likely many reading this right now who are experiencing financial difficulty. Maybe your husband is unemployed and there are no job possibilities on the horizon despite your incessant knocking on doors. Perhaps you have no idea how you are going to pay your rent or your mortgage and you're beyond tired of eating endless varieties of beans and rice.

No matter your current financial struggles, you can have happiness. In fact, you can find the very same kind of happiness I had when we were living on $800 a month in a little basement apartment in a new town with few friends.

You've likely read here about a lot of deals I've scored over the past few years, but today I want to tell you about the best "deal" I've ever gotten--one which changed my life forever and gave me lasting happiness and peace.

Two thousand years ago, in a humble manger in Bethlehem, a little baby was born. This baby, Jesus, would grow up to be the Savior of the world.

When I was 11 years old, I committed my life to Jesus and He became my personal Lord and Savior. Since then, my world has been turned upside down.

Where once I lived in constant fear and worry, I now have lasting peace. Where once I had emptiness, I now have true fulfillment.

Is my life perfect? Far from it! But I am loved unconditionally by the Creator of the universe. And that, my friends, is worth more than all the money in the world. He is what brings me true happiness.

As I swept up those pieces of shattered glass, I realized I wasn't upset over my favorite tea cup breaking because I have something which pales in comparison to a thousand expensive tea cups--I have Jesus.

The things of this world will fade, crack, break, and die. Jesus is Eternal. He will never leave me or forsake me. And someday, I get to spend Eternity with Him!

This Christmas, my prayer is that you also know Jesus, too. If not, don't delay another day until you get to know Him and commit your life to Him. (Go here to read more about Jesus and how He can change your world, too.)

I promise, this will be the best deal you'll ever find--worth more than all the money in the world can buy!

Borrowed from "MoneySavingMom" blog at Financial Freedom and Peace

"...and His name shall be .... "

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (King James Version)

In every condition in sickness in health. . .

Throughout the year, individuals and families alike are hit by diverse calamities and sorrows that can really unsettle them. But when it happens during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, to New Year time span, it seems to be particularly devastating. That is, to those who have no hope.

Those whose lives and hearts are filled with the hope that lies in their heart because their heart belongs to Jesus Christ, because He has redeemed them, because He has set them free to depend on Him for strength in time of sorrow and hope in time of distress. For those without Him, there is no hope. For He is Hope.

I recently learned that a dear one in our family has multiple friends who are struggling with sorrow upon the recent death of a loved one, or the nearly unbearable sorrow of knowing that a loved one is dying. Though not family, they are dear friends with whom friendship has spanned decades. But they have Hope because they have Him. Yes, there is sorrow, yes there is pain, yes there is distress but there is HOPE!

As the old hymn says . . . .

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

When we are down or when we are low. . . .

Some days when you put on your big girl panties, don't you feel that even they won't help because the elastic is all worn out, you've had to pin them so they'll stay up, and then they still wiggle down when they shouldn't????? Don't you feel that all the chocolate has been swiped from the secret hiding place you so desperately established? Don't you feel that the gray of the rain and the cold of the day won't ever go away?

I know I've been there, done that, an still have my moments. However. . . . . . . . . . .

I have a portion of God's Word that I've clung to for years

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

And, no, just thinking about the peace of God, or praying for His peace, or seeking and coveting His grace doesn't make it come instantly. God is there in the grey of the day, the dark of the night, the hurt of the moment as well as the song of the bird or the leap of joy or the moment of peace and the moment of rest. I know. I've been there. I've had many moments and many long nights when I've felt there was no peace, no joy, no worthiness in me, no sense of being, no sense of achievement. But God has been there, too; and He has held my hand and protected me with His Shield of Faith.