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

Asparagus Quiche

Ingredient:

• 3 shallots diced
• 1 cup diced sweet peppers
• 2 cups bite size pieces of asparagus
• 2 tablespoons Coconut oil
• Pie shell (we used a purchased gluten free pie shell)
• ¾ cup your favourite cheese

Directions:

1. Sauté the shallots, peppers and asparagus in a frying pan for about 4 minutes and let cool
2. In a bowl beat 2 eggs
3. Add 1/2 cup milk (we used almond milk), 1 1/2 teaspoons Turmeric and 1 teaspoon nutmeg
4. Spread evenly into your pie shell the cooled sautéed the vegetables
5. Pour your milk and egg mixture over this
6. Bake at 450°F until knife comes out clean

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Bald Eagle Nesting in Captivity

On Wednesday normally there are no words and it is important to know that this majestic bird and her mate are  rescued birds unable to fly but a few feet.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Anchor yourself in breath

Slow down and take 10 deep breaths

This is a common re-frame that you hear people  tell someone who is about to lose their temper.  And all of us would benefit from stopping and taking 10 deliberate deep breaths a day. 

Through attention to our breath we become aware the life sustaining presence of air entering and leaving our bodies and we create a brief timeout from our busy lives.

We can anchor ourselves back into our bodies. 

This week stop in the middle of your day, close your eyes and take 10 deep anchoring breaths.  

Calm your mind, become aware of your body, your feelings and then open your eyes and become aware of what is around you.

Do this exercise with your (grand)children you will be amazed what happens.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

For He Is Our Peace

In reading the lectionary scriptures for this week there were two that stood out and brought new insight.

 “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” Psalm 23: 3

The honor is not for me.

No promotion, no financial gain, no prestige, no honours at all are for me they are for God.  

The fact that Christians experience these blessing would mean that in all we have we  acknowledge God’s sovereignty over them.  How and what we do as a result of promotions at work, the money we earn/win/inherit, and our power both positional and personal would be at God’s direction, God’s leading through the Holy Spirit and in keeping with the direction Christ.

 "for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down. Ephesians 2:14

This verse has been preached and does refer to the political and cultural wall between Jew and Gentile.  It can equally apply to the division in the lives of Christians who have a religious life and then live a secular life.

Paul and I went into volunteer service MCC  through our Mennonite Church we lived and worked service.  We were paid nothing for our time, and we lived with those we were serving.  For those two years we accumulated nothing for ourselves, we brought our clothing and put the rest (secular) of our lives into storage.  It was amazing, there was such freedom and we worked very hard.  It is a time in our life that we often long for and yet now we struggle to give up, pensions, health care, vacations, and the list goes on.

God is our peace in all things when “the middle wall” between our religious lives and our secular lives “of the enclosure [is broken] down” and all that we are and have is done on “the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”  

This is the experience of Haven On Earth

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Homesickness

Grandma I don't feel well!

We heard this refrain four times on our vacation from Ruth and Emily and this is how homesickness starts with real physical pain.  That butterfly feeling in your tummy followed by an overwhelming sense that something is terribly wrong. 

Homesickness in our experience happens under three conditions.

Most frequently about 30 minutes after bedtime, when the lights are turned low, the room has gone quiet and there is nothing to distract the young mind from noticing that: 

• the pillow and sheets feel different and most importantly the smell different, 
• the sounds of the house or hotel room are different and unexplainable and 
• lastly comes the realization that Mom and Dad are not in the next room and you have no way to get to them.

The second condition is illness or accident where your young ward is experiencing physical pain.  Here they just want their parents!  It is an irrational and overwhelming need for the feel, sound and smell of their parents.

The third is when they have been corrected or disciplined.  They experience embarrassment and shock that you that special grandparent, Aunt or Uncle would call them out just like their parents.

The final condition is in the first hour following contact with their parents and here is it the understanding that they do miss them and to see them on an electronic screen or hear their voice on a telephone only makes their hearts ache more.

So what to do when you are hundreds of miles away from Mom and Dad and turning around is not an option!

We found that long comforting talks take one of two bad turns.  

1. The first is they can go on too long and it is your voice and physical closeness not the words that are bring the child comfort and so you have to keep talking along after you want too.  
2. Second with older children is somewhere along the comforting talk they stop being homesick and now it is a game to one up you.  They begin to come up with more and more scenarios about what could happen and how you would get them to their parents or their parents to them, and each scenario is more horrific then the last until you catch on and send them to bed.

You cannot ignore homesickness because it is a real physical pain and you have a real emotionally distressed child you must attend to it.

Solutions!

We found that for bedtime homesickness the best response was to lay down with them in their bed and just hold them,  soon they will fall asleep and you just get up and go back to your bed.  Do not offer to have come into your bed because they are then there for the night.

For the first few hours after a phone call or Skype contact with family it is best to have a fun and distracting activity planned one that they know is coming and can communication to their parents near the end of the conversation giving them a way to say good bye and then be distracted.

For homesickness after both an injury and being disciplined just hold the child and tell them you love them, these words are enough as it is being physical close to you that will calm them.

They will get homesick and is has nothing to do with you or their love for you it has everything to do with being well attached to their parents and this we want this for them.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

Chickpea and mushroom spaghetti sauce Vegan

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 19 fluid oz can chickpeas drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 fresh chopped basil 
• 4 cups your favourite tomato sauce
• spaghetti noodles we use Ancient Harvest Gluten Free quinoa pasta

Directions

1. Prepare the vegetables 
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the vegetables until the mushroom are almost cooked
3. Add the chickpeas and spices
4. Heat for a further 5 minutes and set aside
5. Cook your pasta and tomatoe sauce
6. Return your chickpeas and vegetables to the heat and add the basil cook until the basil is bright green
7. To serve pour a portion of the tomatoe sauce on the pasta and top with chickpeas and vegetables

From Our Table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Crocheting The 2015 Sky

June 2015

A Red Red Rose

O, my Luve’s like a red, red rose,

Thant’s newly sprung in June.

O, my Luve’s like a melodie

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair as thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will love thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:

I will love thess till, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run;

And fare thee well, my only luve!

And fare thee weel, a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho’ it ware ten thousand mile.

By Robert Burns

 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Chicken Coop

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness Stand Out

Do we really want our children to ‘fit in’?

To fit in they have to be like everyone else and this comes at a cost - their uniqueness!

Grandma used to say if everyone else jumped off a cliff would you jump too?

Of course the correct answer is no, yet everything our children see in this consumer driven world is designed to make them ‘fit in’ to jump off the cliff and like it.

Be mindful of their and your uniqueness.

Celebrate difference in them and yourself.

Embrace your own uniqueness 

And

Stand Out.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

The Fullness of Time

And in this way God moves among us. 

God’s steadfast love and compassion for his children, creates the possibility that we can live in communities of peace.

Communities where everyone is as important as the next person, where uniqueness is celebrated as the gift from God that it is.

Communities where emotional, spiritual and physical well-being are experienced by all.

Communities built on compassion and unconditional love for all members where success is not measure by growth domestic product.  

It is measured by the happiness of it's smallest, most vulnerable members.

Communities built on reconciliation rather than punishment, cooperation verses competition, and Unconditional Love.

A place where God moves freely among us.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Carla's Rice Salad

One of great things about visiting with family that you do not see every day is getting to try new and wonderful recipes.  Carla’s rice salad is just one of many that you will see over the next few weeks.  This salad is both a summer and winter hit and keeps well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked rice
•  1 cup chopped celery
•  1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped sweet peppers

Dressing

• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2  tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Cook rice and drain
2. While rice is cook chop vegetables and set aside
3. In sauce pan add all ingredients of the dressing and simmer for 3 minutes stirring constantly, remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl combine the rice and vegetables 
5. Stir in dressing
6. Serve

This salad is great served both hot or cold and is a hit at potluck dinners

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Wild Rose

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

10 Things to Tell Your (Grand)children in June

We are a treasure trove of knowledge and it is important to share the knowledge we have of our parents, the families we come from and ourselves.

Father’s Day occurs in June:

1)      Describe to each of your (grand)children what you remember about their birth and how you felt to become their (grand)father. (if in the role of father)

Yes this is the same question from May only this times it applies to fathers.  It is important to remember that each of us will have a unique perspective of all life events and it is key to the family story that all perspectives are provided.

 2) Talk to them about what you remember about your father and how you celebrated Father’s Day with him.

 3) Remember your Grandfather to your (grand)children.  What is your fondest memory of him?

Grandpa John loved to go for early morning drives and my fondest memories of these times.

4) Talk to your (grand)children about the type of (grand)father you are striving to be. (if in the role of a father) 

5) Talk about your greatest struggle as a man and how you overcame it or are working to over come.

June 27^th is the American backyard camping: 

As a child of the 50's summers were filled with backyard camping.  Sticks, rope, Mom's sheets and blankets made amazing tents.  Then there was the trip to the local gas station for a bag of penny candy which by the next day was a sticky mess and waking up to the smell of damp candy and sheets brings back fond memories even 60 years later.

6) Share your memories of backyard camping? Create new memories by planning a staycation with your (grand)children plan a backyard camping trip. 

June also brings the end of the school year:

7) What do you remember of those last days of school?  

Mine are never being sure if the dreaded report card would say pass or fail, the end of school was a mix of dread and anticipation.  

8) Did you go on any end of school trips, (grand)children will enjoy these stories and these destinations can become summer destinations for your family.

9) What did you do with your school notebooks and reports?  If you had a traditional way to dispose of these personal possessions describe these and how you feel about it today.  If you have any of your school books take them out and share them.

Recipe:

10) When you think of the month of June is there a favourite food that comes to mind?  Write the recipe out and make it with your (grand)children.

Strawberries clean and fresh sprinkled with white sugar and swimming in fresh cream bring back memories of June, and my Grandmother.  

 Grandma Snyder

© 2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness - Say What You Do

What do you mean?!

My children know what I think because I tell them!

That is not true - actions speak louder than words -  children will make sense of absurdities between what we say and what we do.

What does the teenager do with being lectured on drinking and driving his dad’s car then two weeks later watches his dad drive in the driveway coming home from the bar?

Might he conclude that what his father was saying was you can drink and drive your own car not somebody else’s. 

And

When parents are silent on issues of importance children will look to parental behaviours and from this create a parental position.

Be mindful of what you are saying and not saying to the children in your life.

Is there congruency between what you say and what you do?

Talk with your children!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

My Grace is Sufficient For You

When life is flowing as we desire, when we appear to be in control, all too often there is little thought given to how God’s grace is playing out in our lives.

Yes we offer quick prayers “Thank you Lord for life’s blessings” or words similar too this, however what are the specific blessings we are referring to?  Are we just offering platitudes since really we have done all the work.

We were playing cards with friends when the call came in that Dad was in hospital and five days later we were planning his funeral.  Life that been measured in days and weeks now was reduced to moments.  

We moved through those moments with the pray “Lord Jesus Christ Holy Son of God of Mercy on me…” as a constant refrain because we could nothing else, we had no words.

We made it through that week because God’s grace was sufficient.  During a week when everything was out of control a week we rode a tidal wave of grief, anger and pain God’s power, God’s unconditional love for us was made perfect by our weakness, we felt it because we could feel nothing else, we understood it and knew it to be true.

We prayed Thank you Lord for standing with us, for standing witness to our grief, for holding us from falling and for setting our feet back on solid ground when we healed.

Resilience is knowing that thou we are weak and life is out of our control we will make it through because of God’s grace. 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls