What inspires my menus and all that jazz......

I recently posted photos on Facebook of a meal I made (see one below). A friend asked me some questions and so I replied. It turned into a wonderful little article that I thought I'd put on my blog. I hope it is helpful to others besides her!



JH: How do you plan your menus, Camille? Do you think of what sounds good or shop sales and build from there? Do you get in ruts? What inspires you???

**Warning: this is kind of a long reply. **

I love your questions! I'm a once-a-week menu planner. I use a small whiteboard that is magnetic to write it out and attach it to my refrigerator. I usually look at the ads and shop the sales or look at what is on sale before I start my menu planning. I use seasonal veggies and fruits to cut cost on fresh produce. Menu planning usually happens on Sunday, so that gives me time to thaw meat from my freezer and make a shopping list. I always keep my lists on my phone, categorized by store. I also have a shopping list on my fridge so I can add those quickly to my phone.

I stock up on items when they are sale, so if there is something I want to make, I often just look at what I might need to buy to complete it. I will also look at items in my pantry and fridge that are about to expire and try to use them up. A huge factor in menu planning is to look at my week to see how busy I am and try to plan meals that are easy for those days when I have no time to spend in the kitchen. I might plan a crock pot meal when I know I'll be gone for most of the day. I also (believe it or not), look at the weather for the week ahead. If it's going to be cold, I plan meals that are warm and cozy and for days when we can grill, I plan a few meals like that. Dave and I cook together so often that he's become a factor in my menu planning! He will chop veggies and meat and I will cook it. He grills, I marinade the meats that go on the grill. If he comes home early, I usually put him to work! He also cleans up my kitchen every night after dinner. Making meals with leftovers is also important because Nathaniel has to take meals with him when he's gone all day. He loves leftovers, so that helps!

I also keep a running list of menu ideas on my phone. I have an app where I can write notes and when I think of things I haven't had in a while, I jot them down so as not to forget (sometimes in the summer I write up ideas for winter meals). It can be as simple as "beef stew" to as complex as an entire menu "meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and baked apples."

I do get into a rut at times and that's when I ask my family for ideas when we are sitting around the dinner table either eating or after dinner when we're all stuffed full. I've found more success when they are hungry! :)

I probably have 100 cookbooks in my personal library (mostly those Pillsbury ones), but I also have about 10 folders with recipes I've printed from the Internet. Some are ones I've made (I date them so I remember) and others that look good and I want to make. I try to separate them into categories, but that has gotten away from me, so one of my tasks this winter is to organize them even better.

My mom was a fantastic cook and planned menus all the time. I still have a few of her written menus and look back at them for ideas. She taught me to have a variety of proteins in the week, so I try to plan at least one beef, one pork, one chicken, one vegetarian, and one fish/seafood menu each week. Some weeks I don't cook them all, but that's my general guideline. I also have menus on my blog which I sometimes peruse for ideas. I also look at the Internet for menu planning ideas. All of these inspire me. Once in a while I go out to dinner and when I find something on the menu that sounds good (or I actually order it), I will try to re-create it at home. This is inspiring too. I've actually looked up menus on the Internet from restaurants and found inspiration.



I've told my children that a healthy meal has many colors, so planning meals has become a challenge to incorporate color into the plate. Taking photos has really helped me to see the colors (or lack thereof) and my family's love for a large variety of food has been helpful.Put simply, we eat just about anything!

Overall, I think I've found a good balance by making family favorites and then adding in a few new recipes so that we don't get tired of the same food. I found that there are so many ways to eat vegetables for example, so if I find I'm in a bit of a rut, I might even try a new way to spice up or cook a veggie (which may not be on my menu).

I hope this has been helpful. I think this just turned into a blog post for my food blog: www.mealsbycamille.blogspot.com

Lessons I've learned from a Microwave Oven

It isn't often that I can say I've learned a lesson from an inanimate object. Today, while heating up leftover red beans and rice, I realized just how many lessons you can learn from a broken microwave oven.

Earlier this week, our microwave gave up the "ghost" and while it turns on, the whirling sound of the fan is gone, making it unsafe to use. We don't have one of those countertop microwaves. Ours is built into our cabinets and the control board connects to our wall oven. In other words, replacing it without replacing the entire oven unit is impossible. Needless to say, replacing it will also cost a lot more than a countertop microwave oven.

I grew up in a home that never had a microwave oven. In fact, they were rare. So rare that when my husband's family got one of the first ones, people thought it was a TV and no one ever put a TV in their kitchen. My husband often talks about his mother demonstrating the many wonders of cooking food in a microwave, but it was definitely not a trend that got our attention back in the early to mid-70's -- that's 1970's for anyone wondering!

In fact, I didn't get my first microwave oven until I moved to Madison at the age of 27. I remember picking it up at the Sears store at East Towne Mall. I was so proud of having a tool that would soon revolutionize my life. Being single, I could now cook food that normally took a minimum of a half hour to heat in the oven. It reheated leftovers, boiled water, and even made scrambled eggs in a coffee cup (minus the coffee). How did I live to the ripe old age of 27 without this thing?

I moved to Virginia Beach to attend law school at the age of 31 with my trusty microwave oven in tow. One day, while my roommate was using it, the microwave just went kaput. I do not recall if my roommate had a replacement or if I just adjusted to living without it. In any case, its demise did not make a big impression on me (although I did miss my cute little oven). 

Soon I graduated from law school and moved to Indiana where my apartment was equipped with a built-in microwave oven. I was thrilled! Even after I got married, wherever we lived, we had a microwave oven (we bought one when one of our residences had none). We bought our house more than 17 years ago and I instantly fell in love with the kitchen because it had a built-in microwave. No more counter space taken up by a clunky oven, I suddenly thought of all the "useful" gadgets I could put in its place!

All of that background, leads me to today when I was warming up the red beans and rice. You are likely asking yourself, "so what lessons, pray-tell, have you learned from your microwave?"

First of all, I've learned I am impatient. Without a microwave oven, I have to now heat my leftovers the old-fashioned way -- in a pot on the stove. Ugh! I have more dishes to dirty, a stove to wipe down, and I actually have to stand next to the stove and stir the leftovers so they don't burn! Impatiently, I tap my foot, and, I must confess, with a little bit of anger in my heart! I take a bite of food. "Still cold...." I mumble to myself. Tap...tap...tap. Yes, it took a whole 10 minutes to heat the food! Well, maybe not, because I cranked up the burner to high, like a fool, walked away for a moment, and nearly burned the beans due to my impatience.

Second, I am an instant gratification kind of person. That is a hard thing to admit because that is how babies act and who wants to act like a baby? But I know now that if I don't have instant results, I just might throw a tantrum or give up altogether. How foolish to think that the best things in life come instantly. How often do we go to drive-thru restaurants and instantly get our food (I know, less often than it used to be)? We get instant results when we "Google" our questions. We even have IM (that's "instant messenger" for those over the age of 55) on our Facebook page and smart phones. Whatever happened to the world where we actually have to wait for something?

I still remember my mom telling me, "Good things happen to those who wait" and "A watched pot never boils." Because of my desire for instant gratification, all too often I look for instant results from my children and my husband. The Lord has been long-suffering with me, yet I forget that people aren't a microwave oven which can boil water in under two minutes.

Third, my microwave oven has taught me that life doesn't always go as you planned. Proverbs 16:9 says, " The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." There is nothing wrong with making plans, just like there is nothing wrong with using a microwave oven (unless you are in the camp that says microwave ovens will kill you because it alters the molecular structure of your food). However, we should always be flexible since the Lord is the one who establishes our steps. A broken microwave oven will definitely make you flexible.

Finally, the most important lesson I have learned from my microwave oven is to not put your trust in "stuff," but rather put your trust in the Lord. The things of this world will pass away, but the Word of the Lord will last forever. I'm certain, over time, I will get a new microwave oven and I will likely learn more lessons from this inanimate object again, but these four lessons have taught me enough for one day.

Let's face it, complaining about a broken microwave is folly. It's time to take a fresh look at how God desires my heart more than my comfort. And I am certain when I learn that lesson, there will be more lessons like this one in my future. I just hope my toilet doesn't break next because I can think of a lot of lessons I could learn from that too!

On Being a Vigilant Homeschooler. . . .

Last Thursday Debi Ketron and I were invited to a meeting with several top staffers in the Governor’s Office to talk about the latest draft of the Indiana Education standards. Because this was the first time we were invited to a meeting of this type, we spoke little and listened much. We were grateful that the Governor’s Office extended an invitation to us; however, I felt a bit out of place since state standards do not apply to homeschoolers. In any case, we were given some interesting handouts that, if interested, you can peruse at your leisure here.

Homeschoolers should oppose Common Core because this is a Constitutional issue. Common Core's attempt is to nationalize education and directly violates states rights. Everyone knows or should know that since the beginning of our nation, educational policy and funding fall squarely within the bounds of state, not federal, government. Any student of the US Constitution understands that national educational standards violate the concept of enumerated powers; so, on principle alone, homeschoolers should join hands to oppose anything that violates state sovereignty. Indiana, through Senate Bill 91, pulled out of Common Core, a bold move that was lauded by many. Now the only question is whether Indiana can actually remove itself from federal standards when federal education money is so enticing. Not only is it enticing, it is political suicide to reject federal funding on which  local schools and parents have become addicted.

With criticism about the new Indiana standards coming from all sides of the political spectrum, I started thinking about homeschooling and why we must remain vigilant to defend our freedom to home educate our children, unhindered from any state (or federal) mandates or intrusions. First, homeschoolers receive no state money and therefore, we have the ultimate freedom to determine the best education for our children. No state official tells us what to teach our children and when to teach it to them. We do not choose our curriculum from a list generated by the bureaucrats in Indianapolis who review curriculum to make sure it meets certain standards. Our standards are simple and curriculum choices depend upon the learning and teaching styles of our children and us.

Second, we have no obligation to “register” with the State of Indiana, so no data is collected on the teacher/parent, our household income, and more importantly, our children. However, we must remain vigilant to make certain this data is not collected, since we have evidence that homeschool information is one of the most sought-after data by some groups who may not have the purest of motives. We can expect to see more data collection bills move through our state and federal government. If ever there was a time to be politically active, now is that time. We cannot afford to lose our homeschool freedoms to some over-reaching bureaucratic agency that looks at children as jobs to be filled rather than individuals with talents and gifts.

Third, homeschoolers come in all shapes, sizes, color, and with a list of motivations longer than the Amazon River! Very few homeschools look exactly the same. The children do not turn out exactly the same because the uniqueness of each child is what makes homeschooling so extraordinary. For example, some children are reading before Kindergarten, while others don’t read fluently until they are 10. Some children learn their ABC’s as toddlers, while others show no interest in learning them until they “have to.” Yes, homeschoolers make mistakes just like professional teachers in public and private schools, but most homeschoolers turn their mistakes into opportunities, rather than obstacles. It takes perseverance and character, not to mention tons of prayer and chocolate!

Finally, homeschooling takes sacrifice.  Anything worth pursuing comes with a price. While we should be concerned about public school standards, we need to keep our eye on the bigger picture: freedom. And with that freedom we are given a great responsibility to fight for and preserve our God-given right to “train up a child in the way that he should go.” If ever there was a time to be politically-active, now is that time.

 The bottom line is that homeschooling places the burden of education squarely where it needs to be placed – on the individual. It shifts education from the state and federal politicians and bureaucrats and places the onus on parents to take control. Don’t ever take this freedom to homeschool for granted, lest we lose it.

Christmas 2012 Letter

Christmas 2012

Dear Family and Friends:

What an amazing year we have had seeing good come from difficult circumstances and experiencing the faithfulness of Christ!

It was 6 a.m. on April 2^nd when David discovered the back door of our home wide open and many of our electronic items gone from our family room and office. A TV, two laptop computers, two game systems, three cameras, a purse, keys, wallet, cell phone, and more were all gone in an instant while we lay fast asleep upstairs in our bedrooms. Nathaniel’s backpacking items were in the living room as he readied himself for a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with the church youth group. He still made it and had a glorious time, but in an instant we became victims of a home burglary. Later, our neighbor shared the recording of the entire burglary from their home security tape which we turned over to police. But they could do nothing to catch the thief. Yes, he came – a thief in the night – and we were not prepared. Fortunately, he only took “stuff” – much of it was broken or not working. So after insurance settlements and many tears later, we discovered that God’s plan was better than anything we could imagine. Our home and car locks were replaced, and we soon discovered how the Lord gives and takes away and gives again. We could replace nearly everything except a few video tapes of the kids when they were young. More importantly, we learned many lessons about the love and comfort of the Holy Spirit, the beauty that comes from the ashes of sinful behavior of people, and how to cling tightly to Jesus and not to our earthly treasures.

Just six weeks after the burglary, we got a call on May 18^th. Nathaniel was faithfully doing yard work for a friend when David received a phone call, “I’ve cut off my fingers!” David jumped in his car so quickly I could only fall on my face and cry out, “Please, Lord, help!”  Within minutes, David was at the ER (only minutes from our house) and six hours later, with the help of a world-class hand surgery center physician, Nathaniel’s fingers were repaired and months later, he was declared “healed.” God provided once again, leaving us stunned and amazed at the faithfulness of Christ to supply all that we needed and more! Nathaniel will always have the scars, but he learned a bigger lesson of trusting the Lord in the midst of trouble. Once again, we saw the mercy of the Lord and once again, we learned that our treasures in Heaven are much better than those on this earth.

We are happy to report the rest of the year was fairly dull and unexciting and we are thankful for that! 

Nathaniel indeed had an eventful year. In February, he had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor which was attended by friends and Aunt Dru who took wonderful photos of the event and family photos we will always treasure. He turned 15 in June, but was unable to attend Boy Scout camp due to his injuries. He continues to play cello and guitar, playing in two bands at church one of which he leads. Homeschooling is going very well and he remains active in Boy Scouts and Awana. He earned two Eagle Palms this year – additional awards Eagle Scouts earn for completing merit badges and staying active in their Troop. He serves as Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and looks for opportunities to hone his leadership skills. With the encouragement of a friend, he learned to swing dance and helps with nursery duty at church. A hard worker, he made enough money to invest in a new electric guitar and iPhone this year. Nathaniel’s biggest accomplishment came in October when he cycled 195 miles in three days across Indiana with his Boy Scout Troop. Using David’s 1970’s road bike, he biked all of those miles without hitching a ride on the sag wagon that followed along. 

Joshua, 13, was hit the hardest by the burglary. He lost all of his Xbox games, two gaming systems, gaming accessories, and a computer screen. He had gone to bed only a half hour before the burglary occurred and we are thankful he was not harmed. He never complained and made us all proud as he waited patiently to have most of the loss restored, including new games, new Xbox, and an HD TV instead of a broken computer screen! Joshua is doing well in school, but has discovered his internal clock runs best later in the day. Joshua, almost as tall as his dad, is growing up to be a charming young man with a great sense of humor. He enjoys Boy Scouts, became a member of Order of the Arrow, and gained Star Scout rank this year. Joshua loves camping and never misses an opportunity to sleep outdoors in a tent! He attended summer camp and earned his Shot Gun Shooting merit badge, scoring 23 out of 25 shots! He has discovered his love of American history this year and loves to study battles and wars in particular. Earning his Meritorious Award in May, he started his 10^th year of Awana in August!

David’s business endeavors are going well, as we celebrated our fifth year of self-employment in November, adding one new client this year. We are so thankful that the Lord has allowed him to continue building his business despite the economic slowdown. He works long and often strange hours, but his clients appreciate his dedication as he helps other small businesses work better and smarter. He and Camille co-lead the high school Awana club called Journey. We are humbled by our new “calling” to minister to high schoolers and find it both challenging and inspiring.

Camille continues to manage the household: cleaning the house and clothes, planning and preparing meals, and keeping the home school schedule on track. After a year of testing four different washers and dryers, we finally settled on the one to purchase – a Maytag top loading washer with all the bells and whistles. Happy with the new appliances, the only disappointment is that the clothes do not fold themselves and put themselves back into the dressers and closets! Camille’s sister, Pam, planned a family reunion in July which we were blessed to attend. It was a huge success and fun to see so many family members. We camped two nights at a wonderful campground and had a great time! Friends Jack and Tonya Johnson stopped in for a visit and we gave them a tour of the city. Camille always looks forward to Pam and Tim’s annual visit to Indy and this year was fun as we stumbled upon a free concert in the Artsgarden downtown. It definitely put us in the Christmas spirit and, while always too infrequent, family and friends are always welcomed to visit.

Three of us received our first aid, CPR, and AED certification this year. David and Camille were “camp cooks” for the weekend biking trip across Indiana. We made and delivered two healthy and hot dinners to the troop members when they finished biking for the day. While cooking is a fun hobby, we finally put to rest any aspirations of opening our own café!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our special needs friend Susie McCloud again this year. She has no family, so we’ve made her a part of ours. As the year winds down, we will celebrate Christmas Eve with our neighbor singing carols and fellowshipping with a meal and snacks. We are definitely dreaming of a white Christmas and more snow this winter than we had last year.

As we close 2012, our prayer for you is the same as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus: 

…that He (Christ) would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:16-19

Wishing you a most blessed Christmas and a happy year to come!

 Love,

The Cantwell Family

 David, Camille, Nathaniel, & Joshua

Cantwell-Style Chick'n and Dumplin's

 I won't lie -- this recipe takes a long time to make, but with planning and some help, you can make a meal of chick'n and dumplin's that your family will never forget. Sure, there are easier recipes out there, but we made this one up one weekend when we had to prepare a meal for a bunch of hungry Boy Scouts who were camping after a day of biking one-third of the way across Indiana. It was their second day of biking and it was cold. They eventually biked 190+ miles across the State of Indiana. We like to think our high-carb comfort food brought them a little bit of home while they were out on the "trail."

Chicken

1 (4-5 lb) whole chicken (or whole chicken cut up), neck and giblets removed

1 stalk celery with leaves

1 small onion

5-6 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

fresh herbs (such as parsley, rosemary, thyme)

1-2 tsp. salt

Water to cover chicken

A day in advance, or several hours ahead, prepare the chicken by placing all of the ingredients in a large stockpot. Be sure chicken is fully covered with water. Cover and boil until chicken is completely cooked (half hour to an hour). Remove chicken from broth and place in a covered bowl in the refrigerator to cool. Strain broth and place in covered bowl and cool in refrigerator. Once cold enough to handle, remove chicken from bones, shred meat and refrigerate until ready to use. Skim fat off chicken broth. Remove 8-9 cups of broth and place back into the stock pot and let it come to a rolling boil. (Freeze any leftover broth for another use.)

Dumplin's
2 cups flour
1  tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. room-temperature butter
1/2 cup HOT chicken broth left over from cooking chicken
Extra flour (save any used flour on the counter for later)

In a small mixing bowl, mix flour and salt. Add butter (no need to blend). Add hot chicken broth and stir until dough starts to pull away from sides of the bowl. Place on a well-floured surface and knead in enough flour to pat out dough to about 1/8 inch. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares using a pizza cutter. Make sure there is plenty of flour to avoid sticking to the surface. The dough will be quite soft in texture. Save the flour from the dumplin's and place in a small bowl (you will use this to thicken the dish later).

Drop half the dumplin's in the hot chicken broth. Cook for about 5 or 6 minutes (until they are firm, but not completely done. Remove with a slotted spoon into a small bowl. Add the other half of the dumplin's and cook for another 5 or 6 minutes. When they are firm, dump the first batch back into the chicken broth and add the chicken meat to the broth to heat. Simmer until dumplin's are done (about 15-20 minutes longer).

In the meantime, prepare veggies below:

2-3 stalks celery, sliced
2-4 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced

In a large frying pan, melt 4 Tbsp butter. Add veggies and saute' until tender (about 10 minutes). Add leftover flour from dumplin's (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup), 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Stir until well blended.

Dump the veggie-flour mixture into the boiling pot of chicken and dumplin's and broth. Boil until thickened, stirring constantly to avoid burning the bottom of the pan. Add more broth if it is too thick. It should be a very thick "gravy" that clings to a spoon. Adjust seasoning.

Optional: add 1 cup of frozen peas and stir. Cook until peas are thawed. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve over mashed potatoes or for less carbs, just eat the chicken with the dumplings! Warm, comforting, and high carb, so don't eat too much, but enjoy this on a cold fall or winter's night!

QUICKER RECIPE:
If you don't want to boil a whole chicken and make homemade broth, you can use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenders (cut into chunks or leave whole if they are small) and boxed or canned chicken broth. If you do, the broth won't be quite as flavorful, but you can probably make chicken and dumplings in about 45 minutes or less. Saute' the chicken and vegetables together and put extra butter in the pan for a richer flavor. Also, you can add milk or half and half to the "gravy" to make it creamy. Experiment with the flavors and techniques. The key is the dumplings which can still be made the same way as above.

Makes 6-8 generous servings.

Homeschooling Thoughts: Another Year Begins

Homeschooling can be a very lonely place knowing that some of my siblings have said to my face that they disagree with our decision to homeschool. I have no doubt they criticize me behind my back as well. It is their opinion, not fact, that the public schools are better at educating my children than me. If they want to defend the failing educational standards in the USA, they are free to do so. I happen to believe that most people could homeschool if they wanted to do it. My circle of friends certainly have made the sacrifices – some of them homeschool through grade school while others homeschool through high school like me. Dave and I happen to believe it is the best way for children to develop mature social skills without the social pressure put on them by other children or teachers.

While some of you may believe homeschoolers are “behind” in social skills, the studies I have seen do not bear that out – nor has my personal observation. We live in a society with mixed age groups except in the traditional school setting. I don’t believe that separating children by age or grade is the real world, nor is it the best way for children to learn “social skills.” Eight and 12 year olds do not know how to model social skills to other eight and 12 year olds, and the social skills they do model are not ones I want my children to learn! Character education must begin at home, as does socialization. It is important that my boys are involved in their community and church and both have unique personalities when interacting with adults, peers, and children. My older son may be more outgoing than my younger son, but both have no trouble interacting with people of all ages!

As for my children’s test scores – all I can say is that when I test them, including the Iowa Standardized tests, they score very high. I don’t say this to brag, but rather to note that they are good at taking standardized tests. Even if they weren’t good at taking tests and scored low, it doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent or that they aren’t learning anything. My children are self-learners. While I guide them and tutor them, they have been self-taught since 7^th grade in most things, using curriculum we both pick out. Of course, if they have questions or get stuck, we are here to help, but they are independent learners nevertheless.

Both of my children have thanked me and Dave for making homeschool a priority in our family. I believe they will be well-prepared for higher education should they choose to go that route. More importantly, they do not suffer bullying and the peer pressure that comes with Jr. High and High school. They speak with us about any issues they have and we have regular family meetings  around the dinner table to discuss anything we need to discuss. We have not neglected to teach them sex education, drug and alcohol education, the dangers of smoking, and hanging around with the wrong crowd. 

While we are very involved in church activities and have Christian friends, they  also spend time with individuals who do not believe what we believe. We have a diverse neighborhood and they have grown up with Asians, Africans, Hispanics, Muslims, Indians who are Hindus, and those in the Jewish faith, so they do not just hang out with white male Protestants! We even have at least one Redneck in the neighborhood! Trust me, they understand and know many things, but they need not experience them to understand them!

We attend a church with many other homeschoolers and we find each family of homeschoolers is unique. Metropolitan Indianapolis area has many homeschooling groups, but we belong to none, although we have belonged to some in the past. Our Boy Scout troop has no other homeschoolers, but we’ve found the boys' involvement in the Troop to be one of the best social activities for our children. The other boys and adult leaders accept them and challenge them all at the same time! They have unique opportunities for leadership roles as well as following roles.  

Both Dave and I value education, but it is not our “God” because we know that a degree is merely a tool, not necessarily a display of true character, excellence, or intelligence. Having had 7 years of higher education myself, I know that formal education is not the only way to gain experience or understanding in this world. Some of the most financially successful people today never finished their 4-year degree! We did not come to the decision to homeschool without research and prayer. We believe it is best for our family and that is all that really matters. What others do is their business, but I have taken great pains NOT to personally attack or criticize their decisions, even when I disagree with them.

I do believe the public schools have more problems than they can solve. We have many charter schools in Indianapolis which seem to be doing better, but even they have issues in which to contend and overcome. Some of the private schools in Indy are wonderful, while others are no different than the public schools. In the end, I will not worry about what others do or say. Dave and I are confident this is the best route for us and our family. We do not ask you to agree with us, but we do expect you to respect our decision. We do not expect to produce super-stars, but we are raising children who love to learn and that was our goal all along!

A note on copyright

I received a friendly note from someone regarding the copyright of recipes I post. Here is the law from the copyright office: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html

"Copyright law does not protect recipes that are mere listings of ingredients. Nor does it protect other mere listings of ingredients such as those found in formulas, compounds, or prescriptions. Copyright protection may, however, extend to substantial literary expression—a description, explanation, or illustration, for example—that accompanies a recipe or formula or to a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook.
Only original works of authorship are protected by copyright. “Original” means that an author produced a work by his or her own intellectual effort instead of copying it from an existing work.
For further information about copyright, see Circular 1, Copyright Basics. Note that if your recipe has secret ingredients that you do not want to reveal, you may not want to submit it for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records"

So listing ingredients is not protected by copyright law, but I believe a word-for-word description of how those ingredients are put together could be subject to copyright, so in those cases, I have done my best to acknowledge my original post or add a link where needed (or both). However, factual information such as temperature of an oven, time to bake, etc. are not copyrighted even in the text of the recipe. The literary expression of how a list of ingredients or facts are written up can be copyrighted (for more information, see http://www.schwimmerlegal.com/2006/01/can-recipes-be-copyrighted.html) , but this is why I have taken great pains to not copy a recipe description word for word without acknowledging it. Furthermore, if you change the amount of ingredients, add to or remove ingredients from the body of the recipe, you are no longer violating copyright law because the process is now changed.

Finally, all of the photos I use are either ones I have personally taken (which ARE copyrighted) or I've received permission from a family member to publish their photos on my blog. I will acknowledge them any time I use a photo I have not personally taken. This is also notice that any use of my photos require my permission to use with proper acknowledgement to me for taking the photo. This is why I do not upload my photos to recipe sites.

Okay -- glad my friend brought this up. I think this is always a tricky area, but I am certain that since I started this blog and researched copyright law of recipes that I have not violated the law; however, there are always times when you could find a recipe that is exactly like mine. If that happens, don't assume I copied them -- perhaps they copied me!

Now that the legal mumble jumble is done -- just enjoy my recipes. This blog is NOT about the law -- it is about cooking and life and family, all of which I love!

Recurring Law School Dream

Rex, my friend from law school just wrote me a note to tell me about his recurring law school dream:
" Finals were stressful, but generally I handled the stress OK. Some were worse than others. You know, I still have this recurring bad dream about law school. It's changed a bit over the years, but it basically revolves around them discovering I was an hour short, and I could have made it up if I'd known it before the latest semester, but it's too late. I'll have to go back and start all over from the LSAT. I can't do something else or I'll get in trouble for practicing law without a license. I wake up with a sick feeling every time. I have no idea what they did to my brain that causes that...."

This would not be so odd, except that I have almost the exact recurring law school dream. Mine is: I discover I am one class or credit short right when I'm about to graduate from law school. Had I known I needed the class, I would have taken it, but it is either because I failed an exam or I just came up short when counting credits. As a result, I'm sitting there in my cap and gown and realize I have to start law school all over again! Sometimes I end up just having to take the class the next year and I can graduate, but when I realize that I can't get my law degree, I wake up...same sick feeling every time. 

Could it be that they actually did alter our brains during law school? Could it be the fact that your entire grade rests on one final exam and there is no way to make up the class, except to take it again? Could it be that we studied so hard for our exams that the only thing that counted was finals week. In reality the entire trimester (in our case) mattered because you could never cram everything you needed to know in your head unless you understood the materials, read everything, briefed your cases and made your outlines along the way! Yet the only way the professor knew if you understood it all was to give you that final exam. Intense is putting it mildly...watching classmates fall like flies after a year was perhaps the worst. Who would be next to drop out because they just could not make the grade? No one thought it would be you...so in your dream you imagine it is you and you realize that your world will end if you don't have all your classes and credits by the end of the three years!

Whew! So glad it is just a dream...but maybe that is what life is all about. One big test and in the end, when you're standing before those Pearly Gates you have to ask yourself, did I miss the purpose of this life? Did I fail to get all of the credits I needed to pass from this life to the next? Surely I won't have to start all over again! Nope...that's not how it works (whew!) and there's no getting into Heaven by your own good works (that's good). Only one way....trusting in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That seems too easy...and yet, it is the hardest test we'll ever take...the test of trust...complete trust and faith in Him. 

My hope is in the truth of God's word and I will wake up on the other side with a glorious feeling of relief just as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Rex, that should make you feel better! 

On Being a Content Mom and Wife.....

I determined to live a more simple life many years ago when I decided not to have my children involved in so many activities, but to focus on just one or two important activities, homeschool my children at home (co-ops are great for some people, they just aren't for us), cook healthy meals, enjoy dinner around the table at least 5 or 6 nights a week, and make every moment count for God. I still have too much "stuff" in my house, but even that doesn't get in the way of living simply. It just means that our focus is on people and not things (and sometimes "things" pile up).

 

I have concluded after at least 10 years of living like this that my life is actually richer than those who have two-income families, go on lavish vacations and buy a new car every other year. We take each day at a time and do what we can to love people and look for ways to bless others. We are learning to be content with what we have (not what we want) and learning not to compare ourselves with others. 

 

God's blessings have come in ways we don't expect and He has shown Himself faithful in ways others cannot see. Maybe it is because they aren't looking for those small, simple blessings that the Lord pours out on us to enjoy each day...like a smile from our children, an item that goes on sale just when we need it, or even a burglary in my home so that God can bless us with new items that have become worn out or broken.

 

My prayer today is that we can keep our focus on what is important -- teaching our children to have a Biblical worldview and learning how to be empathetic toward other people's plights. It is always more rewarding and glorifies our Heavenly Father when we just keep our life simple and keep our focus on Christ.

Praising the Lord for His Goodness in Hard Times

Below is a letter I wrote to my second oldest sister, Joyce. I've edited it slightly to take out any personal stuff that isn't relative to this post. The reason I am posting it is because the Lord has really done so much for our family over the past 6 or 7 weeks. It is easy to forget, so hopefully this letter will always help us to remember:

Dear Joyce: Thanks for your note. I’ll let Nathaniel and Joshua know you are thinking of them. He (Nathaniel) is able to bend his fingers and move them more, but they are still wrapped and in little hard “football helmets” as the medical assistant called them. He was at Therapy on Tuesday getting the dressings removed and it nearly sent Nathaniel through the ceiling as they had to peel the dried blood-soaked gauze off the wound. He decided he wanted to go off the narcotics and just took 2 Tylenol and 3 Motrin that morning, so he felt more pain than he anticipated he would. The MA was so sweet and gentle and took an hour just to change his dressings and show him some simple things to do to keep his fingers moving and to de-sensitize them. Nathaniel has kept his incredibly great sense of humor through all of this, and although he could be “kicking” himself, he has a “heavenly” perspective on this all. And Joshua is stepping up doing Nathaniel’s chores while Nathaniel is unable to do them…without complaint and without expecting anything in return. Yup – I have two wonderful boys who love Jesus and that makes me very happy and very proud.

One of the most kind things was how quickly Dru’s family and Pam’s family responded, lavishing gifts on him and sending sweet notes of love and comfort just when he needed it most. He got the funniest card from Michelle today a sweet note from Mack who hardly even knows him. They sent a balloon to help “lighten” up the pain which he promptly inflated and put in his room. It’s the simple thing that often mean the most!

Amazing things happens when tragedy strikes – neighbors, friends, church members, my friends on Facebook and Nathaniel’s Facebook friends have all sent kind and caring messages to him. I got a friend request from the mother of one of Nathaniel’s friends on Facebook who is an evangelical Christian and a homeschooler. They want to send Nathaniel a get-well card and asked if I minded sending our address – they want to surprise him and they have never even met him! So, I guess it really shows how much love people really do have for one another.  As Dave’s mom said in a sweet note she sent to him, “sometimes accidents happen.”  Hindsight Is always 20/20, but I have always found the Lord has a reason for everything and even this tragedy will result in something good in the end…perhaps it will help Nathaniel become more empathetic toward others who are hurting, perhaps it will open up new opportunities and doors for more blessings. It will most definitely give him a great story that he can tell for many years to come. AND we have heard our share of “finger” and lawnmower stories, helping us to realize how much worse it could have been.

On another note, our insurance settlement came through and we got a partial check for the depreciated amount. Already we have watched the Lord open up opportunities and bargains to us. Just tonight as we were looking to buy a replacement for the DSLR camera that was stolen, we found one for $250 cheaper than everywhere else we had looked. We wanted to get it, but none were on the shelf and the sale ended today. The store policy is NOT to give rain checks on advertised items, but the sales guy felt sorry for us and gave us one anyhow. The rain check is good for 30 days! Two days earlier we found the exact laptop computer that I had gotten for my birthday (which was stolen as well) on sale for less than we paid when Dave bought it before. We had a warranty on the stolen computer which our insurance would not cover (exclusion for items insuring future loss), but the store honored the original warranty minus only $30. They should have taken much more off. Joshua’s Xbox that was stolen we got for almost $100 less than we paid for it two Christmases ago…again new and exact same model. We have found games that were stolen for the same amount or even cheaper than we originally paid for them….I could go on and on….

Even the insurance adjuster at State Farm was a blessing. She kept giving us more and more and felt badly that we had to wait so long because of playing telephone tag and then some other things that had happened that prevented me from calling back (my good friend from church was ill and hospitalized, so I arranged meals for her family and helped her with the AWANA closing programs this year). Our claim was for around $10,000 in the end and as Dave and I have already seen, we are saving far more than we ever expected…deals popping up before our eyes, checking websites and sales at just the right time, etc. It is as though the Lord is saying to us that He will take care of us…and the best thing of all is that He’s giving us new things for the old and worn out stuff we had….not so much that they did not work, but they weren’t in perfect condition. It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 61:3, "...to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

I could go on and on, but I guess it is all to say that I am still learning how to trust the Lord when difficulties come…but I know that in the end, the Lord has the big picture in mind and He works all things together for good. What may appear to the unseeing eye as a foolish or a crazy mistake is not foolish in the Lord’s eyes. He has a greater purpose and plan in mind. All we must do is trust in the Lord and allow His handiwork to shine through us.

It is a wait and see situation with us…much depends upon the outcome of Nathaniel’s fingers and our financial situation after that is all said and done. With no health insurance, we have no other choice but to trust that the Lord will work it all out…and you know what? He will! We have applied for assistance from the government, a necessary step even if we don’t qualify, but we are not worried because we know the Lord’s plans are not our plans, and there is no point in worrying about tomorrow! If He can take care of the sparrows, how much more will He also take care of us?!

We are almost finished with school…the burglary and accident put us a little behind, but I am Nathaniel’s scribe for his Geometry final which means he will finish school tomorrow. Joshua should be finished as well. Nathaniel will see the hand surgeon on Tuesday and hopefully will let us know if he can go to summer boy scout camp in 3 weeks. We are thinking it might not happen and Nathaniel, who is learning to accept the things he cannot change, is fine with that. He can still play guitar and cello, albeit, holding a pick and a bow is a little bit of a challenge right now. He may have lost the opportunity to perform his cello recital, but he has gained amazing character, perseverance and faith in the Lord because of this….money cannot buy any of those things! We are so immensely thankful that the Lord would count us worthy of such trials and tribulations to endure. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” We are anxiously awaiting to see what the Lord has in store for us next! Hopefully we will be able to stand strong and endure anything that comes our way. We are definitely praying for God’s mercy!

Have a wonderful summer and enjoy your flowers….they have been blooming here and we are taking each day one day at a time.

Love,

Camille and the rest of the Cantwell gang

A Thief in the Night

"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Matthew 24:42-44

Muddy footprint left behind by the burglar on my family room carpet.

On April 2, 2012 at 4 a.m. our home was burglarized. We have a video tape of the entire incident from the vantage point of our neighbor's home. It was as much a shock to us to come downstairs at 6 a.m., expecting a normal day like all the others (except we were sending our oldest son off for 5 days to go backpacking on the Appalachian Trail), only to find our back door wide open and many items gone. No one expects to have their home entered, let alone, have it entered while they are upstairs sleeping!


After making sure my sons were all safe and my youngest son was in his bed sleeping, I ran to my bedroom and fell down on my knees. I could only whisper a brief prayer as I cried out to the Lord, "Father, help us, show us what to do!"


Picking myself up, I made sure Dave had already called 911, but it didn't matter, the thief was gone and there would be no "hot pursuit." 


Once I discovered my purse was gone, we immediately called the bank and credit card companies (only 2) to cancel our cards. No one had attempted to take money from our accounts or make unwanted charges. I was relieved, but then the reality hit me that I felt so violated. Why would anyone take my purse? It had less than $10 in it, a set of keys, my cell phone, wallet and some obvious things of little value or worth. A few days later, I realized that my son's Bible was still inside....could I possibly pray that the burglar would pick up the Bible in his own desperation and read it and get saved? Heck yeah! Foolish as it seems, I prayed, believing, just as a little child would, that somehow this young man would, in his desperation, read the most powerful book in the world -- the WORD of GOD!

What was taken (TV, Wii, basket with Wii accessories) and what was left behind (most of the stereo equipment, dust, a brand new Roku, a cardboard insert from a Wii remote). I don't want to be left behind.

I'll write more about what happened in another post, but today, as I was praying for this young man to be saved (my prayer is not that we would get our stuff back, but that somehow this man would repent and be saved -- a much more eternal outcome than just the fleeting return of our stolen goods), I remembered the verse in Matthew posted above and it spoke volumes to my heart -- will I be ready when Jesus returns?


A startling analogy and one that hits so close to home right now. Am I ready? Do I really know the hour or day that Jesus will come? Is my heart fixed on heaven above and not on the things of this earth? Do I trust Jesus enough to believe that He works all things together for good? I do know this -- my life is but a fleeting moment in the blip of history. Do I cherish my life on this earth MORE than I cherish our Heavenly Father and my eternal home? Do I dwell more on the things this world has to offer, than the eternal things that matter most? Am I fervently telling others about Jesus and proclaiming the message of His Salvation so that none would perish and all would come to repentance? For whom and what am I living today?


I hope the photos of the aftermath of this burglary will  serve as a reminder to keep my focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. The petty things of this life that weigh me down seem so unimportant.....and the protecting hand of my loving Savior serves as a stark reality that Jesus is so merciful and kind, gentle and caring....more about that will come as I write about the way Christ is always glorified when we turn to Him.

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3