A New Wet & Wild Twist to VBS

July 26, 2008

Our church took a slightly different approach to a traditional week-long Vacation Bible School this year.

We attend a small country church about 30 miles away and we’re not the only ones that drive that far! The church is centrally located with people driving in from all directions.

With the price of gas so high, it was just too expensive for everyone to drive back and forth all week. Not to mention the gas the church bus would eat up transporting the kids nightly!

So it was time to think outside the box. We decided to do a one day, all day, VBS, at our place.

We advertised heavily, planned carefully and had a wet and wildly fun Saturday of VBS. We had 34 kids attend (amazing since there are only 12 kids in the church!) and focused the day on water.

We studied Bible stories that dealt with water, launched water balloons, had squirt gun fights and took a nature walk out to our ponds. We made beaded fish and sailor hats, had silly skits and ate hot dogs for lunch.

The kids were all over our large farmyard, chasing the chickens, watching the Amish neighbors drive by in buggies, and playing!

We set up a screened-in tent as our main meeting area and used our walk-out basement for crafts.

It was a very busy and exhausting day! But at the end, the kids all loaded the bus wet and tired but very happy! They kept saying, “This was the best Bible School ever!”

We might just have to do it again next year!

By Country Gal | Posted in Summer | Tagged , | Comment (1)

Fresh Cabbage: Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

July 23, 2008

I finally picked our 2 cabbages from the garden yesterday.

Yes, 2 cabbages. Out of the 12 cabbage plants that I put in, only 2 stayed alive and produced a head. I guess the rest all drowned in the rain!

Since my husband and I both love coleslaw, I took one of the precious cabbages and made a batch of Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw.

It’s a summer time favorite by the more discerning palettes in our home (read: adults). None of my children will touch it willingly, yet.

Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

Break noodles from 1 package of Ramen Noodles (any flavor) into bite size pieces in a bowl.

Add 1/2 head of shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1/2 cup diced green or red pepper, and 1 small carrot, shredded.

Mix together 1/2 cup of cooking oil, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar and the Ramen noodle seasonings.

Pour the dressing over the noodles and cabbage mixture and toss together. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours before serving.

It’s a fresh, tangy taste of summer!

By Country Gal | Posted in Cooking and Food, Salads, Summer | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Dog Days of Summer

July 19, 2008

We are definitely in the dog days of summer!

You hear that term often, but what exactly are they?

According to Wikipedia “the dog days of summer”, refers to “the hottest, most sultry days of summer… They are a phenomenon of the northern hemisphere that usually falls between early July and early September…they  can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress.”

Yep, that would be right now. High humidity (we call it “air you can wear”) and high heat.

The old-timers say, “It’s so hot you can hear the corn grow”. You almost can.

The weather makes doing anything hard. Our minds feel stagnant, or bodies heavy. Our days are definitely marked by a “dull lack of progress!”

What do we do to beat the heat?

You don’t. You simply learn to work with it. We get up early and accomplish everything we can before it gets really hot. Then we stop and rest in the heat of the day. When it starts to cool a little, we start working again.

And we listen to the corn grow.

By Country Gal | Posted in Summer | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Staying Cool on a Budget

July 19, 2008

It’s hot in my house today. I’m afraid the weather forecast doesn’t give much hope for the rest of the week. It’s gonna stay hot and humid.

What do you do when you’re living in an old farmhouse with no A/C?

You adjust.

We have.

We usually wake up early and work in the cool hours of the early morning, and then rest in the heat of the day.

We let the kids play outside after supper until dark so they get their fresh air when its cooler.

We try to keep fans running on us when we are inside.

We don’t run the oven. I use my crock pots, the electric skillet, or the stove top, or even just eat a cold meal.

I try to do something special in the afternoons so the kids have a treat to look forward too. It might something cold and special for snack time in the afternoon, like a homemade popsicle or pudding pop, a root beer float, a slushie,  or just even a glass of cold lemonade.

When the kids were younger it was time in the wading pool under the shade tree (mom, too!).

Now we sit and watch a movie in the heat of the day, with the shades pulled and fans blowing on us. It’s a nice rest and by the time the movie is over, things have cooled off a little and we’re ready to work again.

Most of all, we have learned to give ourselves a little “grace” during these hot spells. We accomplish what we can and know that our energy level will be better as soon as the mercury lowers.

By Country Gal | Posted in Summer, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Cilantro and Fresh Salsa

July 18, 2008

I am hooked on fresh cilantro!

I had never had it until a few years when my sister Teresa brought it to a family gathering. Now it can’t be summer without it!

I actually bought a plant this year so I could start some of my own, but my mom assures me it grows just fine from seed.

My favorite way to use it is cut up with fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic in a salsa.

Served with chips or on top of taco it brings the fresh taste of summer right to my dinner table!

By Country Gal | Posted in Summer | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)