Rhubarb crunch

I have fond memories as a child grabbing mother’s sugar bowl and running out to the rhubarb patch where we would break off the large leaves (poisonous) and the curved white bit at the bottom, licking the end of the rhubarb stick (more sugar that way) and dipping it in the sugar bowl.  With each bite we would dip again.  

Now I am not endorsing letting your (grand)children eat that much sugar, we could go through an entire cup of sugar in our day. 

I still do like rhubarb and here is one of Grandma’s recipes remade to be gluten free.

Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour
• ¾ cup gluten-free oatmeal
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups diced rhubarb
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Combined the first five ingredients in a bowl until you have crumbs
2. Press half of the crumbs in a greased 9 inch baking pan
3. Add diced rhubarb
4. In a saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla and cook until thick and clear
5. Pour over rhubarb
6. Top with remaining crumbs
7. Bake at 350°F for one hour
8. Cut into squares and serve

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

10 Things to Tell Your (Grand)children in July

In North America the month of July is when both Canada and the United States celebrate the founding of their countries.  July 1st is Canada day and July 4th Independence Day.  So take the opportunity to talk to our children and grandchildren about what it means to be a citizen.

Countries like people change and evolve so the country that you grew up in will be different than today.

1)Remember back to some of your earliest memories of your country and share these with your children.  

It was a family vacation where we drove from our home in Ontario to British Columbia and it was the vastness of the prairies that I remember and from that point on I measured Canada not in miles but in the number of sleeps it took to cross this amazing country.

2) If you were not born in the country  you now hold citizenship in talk with your children about what it was like to move to this new country what had you or your family expected and what did they find?

3) What makes your proud to be a citizen?

 I am proud of the peace keeping the Canada does around the world.  I'm proud that Canada encourages diversity and makes space for the cultural and religion backgrounds  of it's citizens.

4) How would you like to see your country change?  What are some areas of growth, talk to children about this and how together might get involved in changing the politics and social million of the country you live in.

5) If you exercise your right to vote remember back to the first time  tell your to children about what that felt like.  And if you do not exercise this right tell them your reason for withdrawing and the impact you think this has.

6) Have you ever participated either as a child or now as an adult in your local government?   Attended town hall meetings, supported the election of your preferred candidate as a two examples.  Share these memories.

7) Have you ever been so upset with your government or the politics of the day that you protested or wrote letters to the government?  If you have talk to children about that what it felt like, did make a difference, would you do the same thing now?

8) Canada and the USA is built upon the freedom for its citizens and that freedom came at a price.   If a member of your family or you have participate in military service or  in the Red Cross supporting the soldiers overseas talk to the children it is important that we remember.

9) Volunteerism is a vital part of how Canada and the USA provide services to its citizens.  Volunteering at food banks, Habitat for Humanity, in schools, hospitals, children's sporting groups and so many other ways.  How has volunteerism played out in your family?  Do you or other members of your family volunteer?  Share this with your children and think about ways you can volunteer with them, creating new memories.

10) As a child how was July 1 or July 4 celebrated?  Was it a big event with fireworks and picnics or a small family gathering?  Share these memories.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

Chair in winter

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Imagine

Petroglyphs 

The greatest gift we can give our children and ourselves is time and space to imagine, for everything that was created by human beings was first imagined and then created.

It is appalling that the public school system is doing away with art, music, and creative poetry in favour of curriculums designed to accommodate standardized testing.

Where will the creators and problem solvers of the next generation come from?

As parent and grandparents we need to create space for imagination for both our children and ourselves.

When was the last time you sat in a lawn chair or laid on the grass and looked up at the sky being mindful of the clouds and imagined?

Be mindful of creating space in each day to allow your imagine to create.

Play imagination games with your (grand)children.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

They Filled Twelve Baskets

Is our God no longer able to do these awesome miracles in 2015?

Or

In the presence of our science driven society we no longer call them miracles?

Or

Do we ask, except too little of our God and when God provides for us we attribute it to something or someone else?

I had the pleasure of listening to an Africa Mennonite talk about the miracles happening in his small developing church.

These were Old Testament fall on your face in fear and joy miracles.  Water to wine, loaves and fishes miracles, stuff!

You could tell that he had had a close encounter of the Spiritual kind.

He had been in the presence of God!

And what did the group of North American men and women do with this knowledge?  We offered polite applause at the end of his sermon and asked questions about, the politics of the area, access to clean water, health care and education.

No one and I am included in that group jumped up and said praise God brother tell me more about the miracles and God’s presence.

Children understand the miraculous and can still see it in the world around them.

When did we become willfully blind to God’s miracles? 

How is it we are more comfortable with a scientific answer or worse saying today's miracles are found in our science?

We are rich in all things compared to most of the rest of the world and so our faith has to pass through the eye of the needle.

Our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Let’s look to our children and grandchildren and seek to see the miracles of our Lord through their eyes for I know they are there if I will only look with eyes willing to see.

Grandma Snyder 

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls