Butterhorns

Usually, when a person has coffee or tea, an accompanying pastry or treat of some sort is in order. These little rolls are hard to describe. Made with just three ingredients and topped with a simple frosting, they are one of the most delicious pastries I have eaten. Judging by how quickly they have disappeared when I have taken them to parties or pot-lucks, I'm not the only one who loves these dainty confections. Their melt-in-your-mouth goodness is worth the little time it takes to chill and roll out the dough before baking them. They are best eaten fresh, as the texture will change somewhat if stored in a container for another day. Some of the dough can be frozen, however, and used at a later date after thawing in the refrigerator. This way, you can bake just a dozen at a time if you wish. Enjoy!

Butterhorns

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) cottage cheese

2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4-5 teaspoons milk

Cream butter and cheese together with mixer until blended; beat in flour until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Divide into 3 parts; form into balls.

On lightly floured surface, roll out flat into circles 12 inches in diameter.

Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges.

Roll each wedge from wide to small end; and place on cookie sheet with tips turned under.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown.

While butterhorns bake, mix frosting ingredients, gradually adding milk until desired consistency.

Spread frosting over tops of slightly warm rolls.

Makes 36. 

A Walk in the Woods

I've always been intrigued by those bristlecone pine trees that are thousands of years old. In fact, the oldest living tree, a bristlecone pine aptly named Methuselah, is believed to be over 5000 years old! It seems incredible to me that something could live that long. So when we found out that Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida has live oak trees that are 1000 years old, we decided to check them out.

As we walked along a path in the woods, we listened for birds in the tree tops. A few palm warblers chipped nearby. A cardinal sang somewhere in the distance. And a flock of robins flew overhead when we came to a small clearing. Wild orange trees grew along the path, and sweet gum trees were scattered about, their prickly fruit littering the ground.

Back in the woods, we rounded a corner, and there stood a big old oak tree, looking much like an Ent from The Lord of the Rings. As we admired its gnarled trunk and branches, we could almost see a face staring at us. Then suddenly, we heard it speaking! A sort of pulsating sound seemed to be emanating from somewhere within. But as we looked up toward the top of the tree, we discovered the source of the voice we heard. A yellow-bellied sapsucker clung to a branch, tapping away at the bark.The roots of the tree reminded us of feet, with giant toes that dug into the earth. Half expecting the thing to start walking around, we noticed the supporting structure that had been built decades ago to help hold the ancient trunk upright. As I circled around the base of the tree, I noticed a small hole near the ground and speculated who might live inside.

I wondered what this mighty oak has seen during its long life. Perhaps it was just a seedling when Leif Erikson sailed to North America. Squirrels ate its acorns as it grew, and many generations of birds built nests in its branches. Panthers probably lay in the limbs next to orchids, ferns, and moss that dangled from the canopy. And ivory-billed woodpeckers, now extinct, tapped away at the trunk of the majestic oak, harvesting insects for dinner. Perhaps children from some native tribe played in its shade, or a young couple met under the tree for a romantic rendezvous in the moonlight. By the time Ponce de Leon landed on the east coast of Florida and gave the place its name, the big oak was half a century old. Wars were fought, a nation was born, and people built towns nearby. A thousand years have passed, and squirrels still scamper about. Bobcats prowl in the woods at night. Ferns and moss adorn the tree, while birds flit to and fro catching mosquitoes. And a couple of curious hikers stare at the tree and wonder.

Purposeful Planning: No More Flying By the Seat of My Pants

It's January. Calendars and planners are on display in the center aisle of the office supply store, and beautiful journals tempt shoppers at the local book store. Some seem too pretty to write in, and others look so complicated that they will probably sit, unused, on someone's desk collecting dust. After inspecting ten or twenty possibilities, I plunk down my money on something I think will get me organized at last. But now what? Will that little book get my house in order? Well, it might help -- if I actually use it. The question is, how?

I have set aside some time each day for Bible reading and prayer. I've established a habit of doing thirty minutes of maintenance in the morning, before getting seriously involved in anything else. I have planned a strategy of attack, with a five-week cycle, for decluttering and cleaning my house. I have cleared the clutter from my mind by writing everything down in my spiral notebook. I have a good calendar with plenty of space to write reminders. And I've started a project notebook with dividers for each area of my house, plus personal projects and goals. So now that I have all these lists and ideas, how do I make them work for me? Now that I know where I want to go, can I figure out how to get there? By purposefully planning my days, I will get closer to my destination.

First, I have a weekly routine. This is a general plan for what gets done each day. One day is reserved for shopping, so the day before that I clean out the refrigerator and get my meals planned and grocery list made. A couple days are set aside for extra attention to projects. Mondays, I shovel out the mess from the weekend. This is also the day I do my Weekly Review. Every Monday morning, I will sit down with my spiral notebook, calendar, and project notebook to make my plans for the week.

Weekly Review

• I review the list in my spiral notebook to see if there are any items that should be transferred to my calendar or project notebook. Perhaps I have been asked to play my flute for a special church service in three weeks. I will transfer that note to my calendar so I don't forget. Maybe I noticed that my recipe file is a mess and the area rug in the living room needs replaced. I have written these things down on my list, so now I will transfer them to my project notebook in the kitchen and living room sections. 
• I check my calendar for activities that must be done this week. Perhaps I see that I am scheduled to play my flute this coming Sunday. I will be reminded to get out my music and work on that sometime during the week. I will also note in which area of the house I will be working -- kitchen, living room, or whatever.
• I look at my project notebook in the appropriate section and decide if there are any things listed that can be done this week. Perhaps I should straighten out those recipes if I am working in the kitchen. Or if this is the week for the living room, I may start looking for an area rug. I will also look at the personal projects and goals section to determine which of these activities I can schedule this week. By having these things written down, I see them regularly and am reminded to spend some time on personal goals.
• Now I can choose which projects to do on what day and write those down in my calendar.  I can schedule errands to be run on days when I have the car and am already out and about. And those days when I don't have to go anywhere, I can get into more involved projects. I can decide what we are going to eat for dinner each day, keeping in mind certain days that might call for quick and easy meals. I might even  find some time in my schedule for sewing or painting! 

Now that my plans are made for the week, I can look at my calendar each morning while I sip my coffee, and prepare for the day's activities. No more flying by the seat of my pants! I now have a plan with a purpose. And now I can get to work!

Clearing the Clutter From My Mind

My head is exploding with ideas, I have a million things that must be done, and I am constantly bombarded with information -- much of it valuable. How do I get the clutter out of my mind so I can think straight? I have found a few inexpensive tools that have helped me organize my thoughts and actually get things done. So while I am decluttering my house, I am also going to work on clearing the clutter from my mind. Here's how:

My Spiral Notebook
The first step is to get all that stuff out of my brain and onto paper. Some people call this a brain dump. I take a simple spiral notebook and write down everything I have been thinking about -- things I must do, projects I would like to start, products to purchase, books to borrow or buy, people to call, websites to check out, questions to research -- everything. And in no particular order. This could take a while, initially, but once I have cleaned the jumble of information from my mind, I can see more clearly what needs to be done. I keep this notebook nearby and add to it as more thoughts come to me.

Looking at what I have written, I will see some things that can be done at the moment, if they will only take a minute or two. And some of what I wrote down may be deemed unimportant and can simply be crossed off and forgotten. But there will be other items that require some sort of special attention.

My Calendar
As I run down my list, I see some things that can be written down immediately in my calendar. If I need to remember something in six months, I write a note on my calendar page for that month. Now I can cross it off my list. My calendar is filled with reminders -- rotate the tires in March; fertilize the trees and shrubs in March, June, and October; start on the Christmas cards in November. If it's not written down, I am likely to forget these things when life gets busy. Now that I have these reminders, I can rest assured they won't be forgotten.

My Project Notebook
Some things, such as projects, are more involved. Those things will go in my project notebook. Here, I have dividers for each area of my house, including the garage and yard, plus personal projects and goals. I move the items from my brain dump list into the appropriate section for future review.  Now I can cross those things off my list, as well. When I am working in the foyer, I will look at my project notebook and see that the paint on the front door needs touched up. When I make my plans for the week, I may choose to get out those brushes and paint.

Now that I have cleared my head, I can see what actually needs done. I am not wasting energy worrying about things that don't need to be done for months. I have a list of things I would like to do, and may think of even more lofty goals. What now? All these lists won't get my house looking good or move me toward those goals. But now that I know where I want to go, maybe I can figure out how to get there. Coming up next: Purposeful Planning: No More Flying By the Seat of My Pants.

Jettison the Junk!

Cobwebs can be swept, and windows can be washed, but it is impossible to really clean the house when there is clutter everywhere. So my first task is to get rid of the garbage. It's amazing how much stuff a family can accumulate over the years. Some things may have been useful when we acquired them, but no longer serve a purpose; perhaps someone else could use them. Other things are simply in the wrong place; those items need to be relocated. And some things just need to be thrown away. It's time to clear the clutter that is distracting us from that which is useful or beautiful. It's time to jettison the junk!

In order to deal with the paraphernalia throughout the house, I must look at things with a fresh vision. As I walk in the front door, I imagine that I am a visitor. What do I see? Would guests wonder why there is a beach towel lying on the first flat surface they encounter? Must there be five pairs of shoes in the middle of the living room floor? And why is the dog's tennis ball sitting on the dining room server?

Why do I have lotions and potions in my bathroom that are nearly ten years old? Do I honestly think I will sew anything using those patterns from 1979? Will I ever get around to making some craft with that bag of sea shells I collected 20 years ago? Must I keep every box that comes to the house from Amazon? And do I really need all those little air-filled plastic bags they use for packing?

Are coffee cups so costly that I am forced to use ones that are chipped and faded? Why are we keeping that bottle of whiskey that someone gave us years ago, when we don't drink alcohol? What is that old bread machine doing in the cupboard when I now have a KitchenAid mixer and bake my bread in the oven? And how many plastic food storage containers does a person really need?

Armed with a couple of boxes, a garbage bag, a small notebook and pen, I am ready to begin. One of the boxes is for items I will give away. The other is for those things that are simply out of place. And the garbage bag is for, well, garbage! As I go through each room, I will notice things that need to be done -- touch up the paint on the front door, wash the wall around that window, look for a new area rug. Those things will be written down in my notebook. I won't stop what I am doing and dig out the paint and brushes. But the next time I work on the foyer, I may decide to work on that door.

One by one, drawers will be emptied, and only the things that belong will be returned. Cupboards will be cleared, cleaned, and filled with just the things I need. Shelves will be dusted, and only that which is useful or beautiful will occupy space there again. Books we don't love will be banished. Papers will be put away or thrown away. Shoes that look shabby will be tossed, and clothes that are no longer worn will be given to charity. Away with the mess! Enough of this nonsense! This year, I am getting organized!

A Strategy of Attack

Most of the books I have read about organization and home management start out with explanations of why one should get organized and the history of the author’s struggle with a messy house (or how the author, at age five, cleaned and organized her entire home). At least a chapter or two are devoted to the philosophy of cleaning one’s house and why the method in this book works when others don’t. Then the reader is instructed to get a planner and make a schedule of some sort. The trouble with this is that, while I am sitting around making lists and charting chores, the house is not getting clean. So, in case you are working through this along with me, I am saving my explanation about calendar planning and list making until after we get the ball rolling. The only way to make progress on getting one’s house in order is to get busy and do something!

In order to conquer the clutter and get this place cleaned up, I must do more than Thirty Minutes of Maintenance each day. I need a Strategy of Attack! I must focus on each battle zone and, little by little, advance through the whole house. The question is, where do I begin? One book I read suggested starting at the front door. Another advised commencing with my closet. And yet another recommended embarking on a year-long operation, spending one month in each room, including the basement, garage, and office. If I were to spend an entire month cleaning the garage while neglecting the rest of my house, I can’t even imagine the chaos that would ensue! 

I need a plan that will allow time to focus on each area of the house, while keeping a reasonable sense of order throughout. So I will concentrate on one area for one week, then move on to the next. After spending one week in each room, I will go back to the beginning and repeat the process. By doing this, every area will receive some extra attention about every five weeks. I won't achieve perfection in one week. I may only have fifteen minutes each day to spend on this endeavor. But the next time through the cycle, I will accomplish a little more. And eventually, I will reach some semblance of order. I have divided my home into the following areas:

1. Front porch, foyer, and living room

2. Dining room and patio

3. Kitchen

4. Bathrooms

5. Bedroom (Kids' rooms are not included here. That's a subject for another day!)

So what will I do in these five areas? Whatever needs to be done! From the top down and the whole way around. Yes, I will be cleaning. But first, I'll start with the clutter! Care to join me? Let's sort through the surplus and discard the debris! Then we can organize those things that we choose to keep. Coming up next: Jettison the Junk!

Thirty Minutes of Maintenance

Something has got to be done about this mess.

Where do you begin when the whole house is a disaster area and you have a million things on your mind? Should you begin at the front door and work your way in, or start at the back of the house and work your way out? Should you purchase a new planner and set up a schedule? Maybe get all the laundry done? Go to the store and buy storage solutions for all the stuff that’s piled up here and there? It’s easy to be overwhelmed by it all, and to just sit down with a bag of chips and do nothing. But that won’t alleviate the situation at hand. It’s time to take action!

I have read so many books on how to get one’s house and life under control, it’s downright embarrassing. Some were filled with brilliant ideas, and some have been disappointing. But I believe that by combining the best of what I have read, maybe I can make some progress in my quest to get organized. I already made great strides on my closet when I implemented the ten item wardrobe plan. So let’s see where this leads.

The trouble with major decluttering operations and cleaning marathons is that, while I am working on one part of the house, the rest of the place gets totally out of control. After all, laundry still has to be done, meals need to be prepared, and dishes must be washed. Life goes on, even when one is in the midst of combating clutter. So my first strategy is Thirty Minutes of Maintenance, before getting seriously involved in anything else. I will throw a load of laundry into the washing machine so that it will be working for me while I spend about five minutes in each room tidying up. This is not the time for mopping floors or cleaning cupboards; it’s just a quick pick-up. Now admittedly, before any decluttering has been done, this may not make much difference, but at least a few things will get put away, and I will see other things that can be added to my to-do list for the future (more on this to come). So what can be done in five minutes? Here are some ideas:

Thirty Minutes of Maintenance

• Unload the dishwasher and reload with breakfast dishes.
• Empty the dish rack.
• Change the tablecloth.
• Pick up and put away stray items.
• Make the bed.
• Put dirty clothes in the hamper.
• Throw away loose trash.
• Wipe off the bathroom sink.
• Empty trash cans.

Once I finish my Thirty Minutes of Maintenance, I can sit down with a cup of coffee, check my calendar, and make my battle plan for the day. I have already accomplished something, and the day has just begun! I can do this! Next up: A Strategy of Attack.

A New Year, A Fresh Start

It's a new year! And, like many people so often do when the date changes from one year to the next, I like to set new goals. Resolutions may be too strong a term for me. After all, I can resolve to do something really important any time. But there is something about flipping that calendar and seeing a new year that makes me think of new beginnings and a fresh start. Just think of the possibilities! Maybe it has something to do with taking down the Christmas tree and putting the holiday decorations back into storage. Suddenly, the living room is so much bigger! And it makes me want to tidy up the house. Every year, I make the announcement: This year, I'm going to get organized! And every year, we all just kind of laugh. Usually, I read a book to get me motivated, and then I begin to clean, sort, and throw away the useless junk that has accumulated. But it doesn't last long. Life gets busy again, and before you know it, my determination wanes and things get back to normal. Nevertheless, it doesn't stop me from once again setting a goal to get my house in order. This year, I'm going to get organized!

These next few weeks, I will share some of the ideas I have gleaned from the most helpful books I have read on the subject of organization and household management. And perhaps by doing so, I will actually make some progress in my own life. Maybe you have some great ideas or things that have worked for you. Please feel free to share them in the comments below. 

The first thing I recommend is that you set aside some time each day for Bible reading and prayer. After all, God is the most organized person I know, and He certainly has some great advice for getting your life in order. 

Have you ever read through the whole Bible? If not, that would be a great goal for the new year! It may sound like a daunting task, but it can be done. Find a good Bible reading plan or checklist and get started! I use Professor Horner's Bible Reading System, and have 10 bookmarks to keep my place as I read. You may prefer a different method. Some of these systems promise that you will get through the Bible in one year. But what if you don't? What if you miss a day or a week or more? Don't give up! Just pick up where you left off. You can do this! 

Prayer is another important element that will help you to stay focused on what is really important. Keeping a prayer journal can be very encouraging as you see what the Lord has done in your life and how He answers prayer. Just get yourself a notebook and write down the things you are praying about. You will be amazed when you see the results! A recent movie, War Room, (now on DVD) is about the power of prayer and will motivate you to get serious about talking to God.

As you begin to focus on that which is most important, the rest will begin to fall into place. This month, as others fret about losing weight, paying off debts, and yes, organizing their homes, I encourage you to renew your relationship with God by spending more time with Him. Now that's a resolution worth keeping!