Happy New Year...a thought to ponder

This is my New Year's prayer for all of those who follow Christ.

Follow Me from J.R. Miller's devotional Come Ye Apart (emphases mine)

"When he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me." ~John 21:19

We have come now to the last day of the year. For a whole year in these daily readings we have been walking with Christ. Is there any better word with which to close this book and close the year than this invitation of Jesus--"Follow me"? This is thetrue outcome of all learning of Christ. Mere knowledge, though it be of spiritual things, avails nothing, save as it leads us to follow Christ.

We have seen Jesus in all the different phases of his life. We have heard many of his words. Now it remains only for us to follow him. The outcome of seeing and knowing should be living and doing. The last day of the year suggests also the same duty. Who is satisified with his life as it appears in retrospect from these evening shadows? The past, however blotted, must go as it is; we cannot change it, and we need not waste time in regretting. But the new year is before us, and if we would make that better than the stained past, it must be by following Christ more closely.

To follow Christ is to go where he leads, without questioning or demurring. It may be a life of trial, suffering, or sacrifice--but no matter; we have nothing whatever to do with the kind of life to which our Lord calls us. Our only simple duty is to obey and follow. We know that Jesus will lead us only in right paths, and that the way he takes slopes upward and ends at the feet of God.

The new year on which we are about to enter is unopened, and we know not what shall befall us; but if we follow Christ we need have no fear. So let us leave the old year with gratitude to God for its mercies, with penitence for its failures and sins, and let us enter the new with earnest resolve in Christ's name to make it the best and most beautiful year we have ever lived.

Life Worth Living

This is taken from J.R. Miller's devotional, Come Ye Apart, dated November 5th.

"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world." ~John 12:15

It would be a great deal safer, in one sense, for believers to be taken at once to heaven as soon as they begin to follow Christ. They would then have no temptations, no enemies to fight, no conflicts and struggles to pass through. But who would then do Christ's work in the world? There would be none to tell sinners about the Saviour, none to show to men the beauty of Christ in a holy life, none to witness for God and to fight His battles.

There is another reason why Christians are left here. They are not the most majestic trees that grow in the sheltered valleys, where no storms break, but those rather which are found upon the hill-tops and on the mountains, where they must encounter the fierce gales. It is so with men: the noblest are grown amid difficulties and hardships, not in pampered ease. Even Jesus himself was trained in the school of conflict and struggle. It may be the easiest thing to have no battles in life, to grow in some sheltered plain where the storms never blow, to meet no hardships, to have no burdens to carry; but what sort of life comes in the end from such a career? If we would reach the heights of blessedness we must be content to pass through the fields of struggle.

When armies return from victorious war, the loudest cheers are not for those who have fought the fewest battles, nor for the flags which are cleanest, but for the regiments which are cut down to a few men, and for the colours that are shot to pieces. So it will be in heaven when the redeemed are welcomed home: those who have fought the most battles, and bear the most "marks of the Lord Jesus," will receive the highest honors. It is better, then, even for Christians themselves to stay in this world, and to grow to strength through duty and conflict.

Exegetical Defense of the Woman as Keeper at Home

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career."
~C.S. Lewis

quote and picture borrowed from my friend Jenny at Blessed Femina

Since the advent of feminism, the role of homemaker has been not only in question, but under attack. Unfortunately, over time the church has also embraced feministic ideals and no longer holds in high esteem the role of mother and keeper at home. This is evidenced by their paid staff positions for women and the often-working pastor's wife.

Here I offer William Einwechter's defense of the woman as the keeper at home, the long held-to standard of the church through the ages until the 20th century. I pray we would all return to holding God's Word as the only and final authority for our lives in all areas.


Exegetical Defense of the Woman as Keeper At Home
by William Einwechter, February 9, 2004
(Original article found here.)

In Titus 2:3-5 the apostle Paul charges the older women in the church to teach the younger women “to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” The instruction for women to be “keepers at home” generally has been understood by the church as teaching that the sphere of a married woman’s work is her home. This understanding is reflected by the Puritan commentator Matthew Poole, who interpreted the phrase to mean: “housewives, not spending their time gadding abroad, but in looking to the affairs of their own families.” ([1]) The Christian woman as a housewife, looking diligently to the affairs of her family, was the standard in Puritan New England:

In seventeenth century New England no respectable person questioned that a woman’s place was in the home. By the laws of Massachusetts as by those of England a married woman could hold no property of her own. When she became a wife, she gave up everything to her husband and devoted herself exclusively to managing his household. Henceforth her duty was to “keep at home, educating her children, keeping and improving what is got by the industry of the man.”([2])

However, this view went beyond the Puritans and was the perspective of all branches of the church and a central aspect of Western Christian culture. For example, Lenski, the eminent Lutheran commentator, stated that the phrase “keepers at home” indicates domestic responsibility and that the home is the place of a married woman’s work; she is a “housekeeper” who dispenses “all good things in this domain.” ([3])

Nonetheless, in accord with the spirit of our age that looks in disdain upon the notion that the sphere of a married woman’s work is her home, many in the church have rejected the earlier consensus understanding of “keepers at home.” Instead, to be “keepers at home” is interpreted to mean that a wife and mother is “to be busy at home” (NIV), i.e., she “should not be idle or derelict in fulfilling home duties.” ([4]) In other words, “keepers at home” does not define the married woman’s calling or the sphere of her work, but is simply an admonition not to neglect her domestic duties. Therefore, a wife and mother may pursue a career outside of the home — as a lawyer, teacher, sales clerk, etc. — as long as she fulfills her responsibilities in the home.

The difference between the traditional interpretation of “keepers at home” and the modern version is considerable. While the traditional interpretation established the home as the sphere of a married woman’s work and calling, the modern understanding says that the term does nothing of the kind. While the traditional interpretation defined a married woman’s “career” as homemaking, the modern view teaches that a married woman may pursue a career outside of the home as long as she does not neglect homemaking. While the traditional interpretation calls the woman to focus her energy, time, and talents in the home in the service of her family, the modern view says that she is not so “restricted” and may go outside the home for her employment. Which is the correct understanding? It is our belief that the traditional interpretation is the correct one. We base this opinion on the meaning of the Greek word translated “keepers at home,” and on the wider Biblical teaching on the roles of the wife and mother.

The Meaning of “Keepers at Home”
The Greek word translated “keepers at home” is oikourous. This word is derived from two Greek words. The first, oikos, means a house, a dwelling, or, by metonymy, a household or family. The second, ouros, refers to a keeper, watcher or guardian, i.e., one who has the oversight and responsibility for something. Thus, the basic significance of oikourous is that of a “housekeeper,” that is, one who watches over a household and family, seeing to it that all members are cared for, and all things maintained in good order. Oikourous is used only in the New Testament in Titus 2:5; therefore, in seeking to accurately discern its meaning we must look to the Greek literature of the New Testament era. There, the word oikourous meant watching or keeping the house. It was employed in reference to a watchdog and to a rooster, but more germane to the context of Titus 2:5, oikourous also meant keeping at home, and was employed as a substantive, “housekeeper,” to indicate the mistress of the house. Furthermore, it was specifically used in praise of a good wife. Interestingly, oikourous is utilized contemptuously of a man who refused to go out to war, designating him a “stay-at-home” man. ([5]) The verbal form, oikoureo, meant to watch or keep the house. It was used of women to indicate those who were at home to watch over the affairs of a household, and of men to designate those who stayed at home to avoid military service. ([6]) Other closely related words such as 1) oikourema, meant keeping the house and staying at home, and was used to refer to women as the “stay-at-homes”; 2) oikouria, referred to women as those employed in the work of housekeeping; 3) oikourios, meant the wages or rewards for the work of keeping the house, but also designated, significantly, keeping children within the doors of the house, i.e., keeping them at home. ([7])

On the basis of this word study, it is concluded that oikourous was primarily used in the positive sense to indicate both the nature and sphere of a married woman’s work. The nature of her work is to manage the affairs of her household, and the sphere of her work is the home. It is important to note that oikourous and its cognates all included the idea of staying at home. Therefore, we believe that the “keepers at home” are those who stay at home for the purpose of managing their households. Paul’s admonition is definite: Let the older women teach the younger women to remain within the sphere of their own households so that they might properly attend to their duties of caring for their family and managing its everyday affairs.

The Biblical Roles of a Wife and Mother
The fact that “keepers at home” refers to the married woman’s responsibility to stay at home to care for her family is confirmed when the Biblical teaching on the roles of a wife and mother are considered. Her role is so vital to the well-being of her husband and children, her responsibilities in keeping the home so demanding, that it would not be possible to properly fulfill them unless she devotes herself entirely to them. She cannot do what God has called her to do unless she abides at home.

God assigns three specific roles to the wife and mother. First, she is to be the helper of her husband. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18). Here is revealed the primary purpose of the woman in relation to her husband. The Hebrew word “help” (ezer) comes from two roots: the first meaning to rescue or save, and the second meaning to be strong. It indicates one who is able (has what it takes) to come to the aid of someone who is in need. Thus, God created the woman so that she would be able to come to the aid of the man and be his support and help. The word “meet” means corresponding to, suitable, or comparable to. The woman will be man’s counterpart equal to him mentally, spiritually, and physically. Note carefully that “meet” is a word of essence or nature, while “help” is a word of function. This means that in essence the woman is equal to man, but in function she is subordinate to the man — she is to assist and support him in his calling; or, her calling is to help enable him to be successful in his calling. As Calvin states: “Now, since God assigns the woman as a help to the man, he not only prescribes to wives the rule of their vocation, to instruct them in their duty, but he also pronounces that marriage will really prove to men the best support in life. We may therefore conclude, that the order of nature implies that the woman should be the helper of man.” [8]) Other important Scriptures indicate that the woman was made for the man to be his helper, and that his success in due measure is dependent on her love and support (1 Cor. 11:7-9; Tit. 2:4; Pr. 12:4; 18:22; 31:10-12, 23).

Second, the wife is to bear and nurture the children. The bearing and raising of children is one of the central purposes of marriage (Gen. 1:28). By God’s creative design, the woman is the primary caregiver for a child; she is called and equipped by him to nurture the life and soul of a child. She was created with the marvelous capacity of conceiving and carrying life within her. After birth, she is prepared by God to nurse the child and provide the tender love and affection the child so greatly needs. In conjunction with her duty to help her husband, the wife has the great privilege and high calling to nurture the children of the marriage. The English word “nurture” is a beautiful word to describe a mother’s role. It means to nourish both body and soul. It refers to the tasks of feeding and educating a child.

The Scripture is definite in regard to the motherly responsibilities of the woman. When Paul discusses the qualifications for those widows who will receive support from the church, he gives a list of “good works” that should be present in the report concerning her. The first good work on the list is “if she has brought up children” (1 Tim. 5:10). The Greek word translated “brought up” (tropheo) is extremely important. It means not only to raise, but also carries with it the idea of personal attendance, that of being with the child to care for and to train. Furthermore, the word “brought up” indicates that the rearing takes place in the home. The noun form of “brought up,” trophia, means “brought up in the house, reared at home.” In other words, the good work of the widow in view is that she stayed at home to raise her children! In Paul’s instructions to younger women, he admonishes them to marry and “bear children” (1 Tim. 5:14). To “bear children” means to bring them into the world, but also to nurture and train them. In another text, where Paul discusses the public ministry of the church, he says that women are not to teach but be in silence. However, he quickly points them to the place of ministry God has called them to — “childbearing” (1 Tim. 2:15). This word is a comprehensive term that comprehends all the duties of a mother — physical care, training, etc. — and could be translated as “motherhood.” Hiebert states:

“Childbearing” denotes the proper sphere in which woman finds the true fulfillment of her destiny. It speaks of the highest ideal of Christian womanhood. It brings out that which is noblest and best within her being. Paul’s thought naturally includes the training of children in a Christian home. It stands in opposition to the sphere of public teaching closed to her. ([9])

The motherly nurture of children in their physical and spiritual development is of utmost importance to the kingdom of God. The next generation of God’s servants is largely in her hands. If she is faithful in fulfilling her calling, God will highly honor her, and she shall be counted as one of the true heroes of the Faith.

Third, the wife is to manage the home. In Paul’s charge to the younger women, he exhorts them to “marry, bear children, guide the house . . .” (1 Tim. 5:14). The verb “guide” (oikodespotein) is an expressive term meaning to rule the household, to manage family affairs. It indicates that the sphere of a woman’s authority is the home (as opposed to the spheres of church and state). Furthermore, “guide” is a present infinitive indicating that managing the home is the wife’s constant occupation, her full-time job. In the Biblical description of the virtuous woman, we are told that “she looketh well to the ways of her household” (Pr. 31:27), meaning that she is a wise and diligent manager, supervising all aspects of family life. Additionally, the Scripture says that through her skill as a manager a wise woman secures the well-being of her household, while a foolish woman neglects her managerial responsibilities and her house comes to ruin (Pr. 14:1).

Thus the roles assigned to the married woman by God confirms that “keepers at home” refers to those who remain at home so that they might properly attend to their duties of caring for their family and managing its everyday affairs. When her duties are understood in all their scope and significance, it becomes clear that only by being “keepers at home” can a wife and mother fulfill her high calling from God to be a helper to her husband, a mother to her children, and a manager of her household.

What About the Virtuous Woman?
A common objection to the interpretation that to be “keepers at home” requires a married woman to confine her work, her “career,” to that of her home, is that the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 did not so confine herself. We are told that she was a “business woman” engaged in pursuits beyond the sphere of her own household, thus justifying the claim that a wife and mother is free to pursue employment and a career outside of the home. But the picture of Proverbs 31 is that of a woman managing her own household, not of a woman leaving the home for employment elsewhere. Actually, the portrayal of the virtuous woman provides strong support for the traditional interpretation of “keepers at home.” She is a wise manager of the resources her husband commits to her care (vv. 14, 16, 24). She is a true helper to her husband enabling him to rise to prominence (v. 11, 12, 23). She cares for the needs of her children and husband, assuring that they are well fed and well clothed (v. 15, 21). She sees that all their property is put to good use (v. 16). ([10]) She even engages in “cottage industry” by using any available time and strength to make fine linen and sashes to be sold to the merchants. ([r:>11])

Conclusion
May God be pleased to restore to the church the proper understanding of “keepers at home” so that the Christian family and the Christian church might once again benefit from having the wife and mother in the home filling it with her presence, love, care, and wisdom. We often speak of the home as being the foundational unit of both church and state. We often say, “As goes the family, so goes all else.” So let us give it the priority it deserves, and return the wife to her indispensable role of helping her husband, nurturing her children, and managing her household. We know that a well-ordered home is one of life’s greatest treasures. So let us act accordingly, and return the jewel that truly makes the home a treasure. Let us obey God’s law when he commands the wife and mother to stay at home so that she can properly care for her family and manage her household. Let us give honor to “keepers at home” for to such much honor is due. Our hope for the future of the church and society rests, in large measure, with the virtuous women who are “keepers at home.”



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1. Matthew Poole, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, 3 vols. (Edinburgh, [1685] 1990), 3:803.

2. Edmund S. Morgan, The Puritan Family (New York, 1944), 42.

3. R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon (Minneapolis, 1937), 912.

4. Richard A. Taylor, “Who Are ‘Keepers at Home’?” Reflections (Spring 1982), 17.

5. Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed. (Oxford, 1940), 1205.

6. ibid.

7. ibid.

8. John Calvin, Commentaries on the First Book of Moses called Genesis, trans. John King (Grand Rapids, reprint ed. 1989), 129.

9. D. Edmond Hiebert, First Timothy (Chicago, 1957), 62.

10. The true sense of Proverbs 16:31 is not that she purchases real estate, but that she puts the family’s property to good use. The virtuous woman sees a field belonging to her husband that is either sitting idle or is not being used in the most profitable way. So she, literally, “takes” it (not “buys” it; see Hebrew text, and the center column reference of KJV), and sets it to good use by planting a vineyard there.

11. But she herself is not a merchant moving in the marketplace. She is a woman working out of her home under the authority of her husband (not some other man) to provide extra income for the family as she is able.

Used With Permission - Chalcedon Foundation

Christ's Work Inside Our Doors

I may have posted this in the past, but it is worth re-reading. :o)

"There is opportunity for every woman whose heart God has touched to be a ministering angel to those who need sympathy or help. There are many who are free to serve in caring for the poor, for the sick, for the orphaned and the aged.

But it should be understood that for every wife the first duty is the making and keeping of her own home. Her first and best work should be done there, and till it is well done she has no right to go outside to take up other duties. She is to be a "keeper at home." She must look upon her home as the one spot on earth for which she alone is responsible, and which she must cultivate well for God if she never does anything outside. For her the Father's business is not attending Dorcas societies and missionary meetings and mothers' meetings and temperance conventions, or even teaching a Sunday-school class, until she has made her own home all that her wisest thought and best skill can make it.

There have been wives who in their zeal for Christ's work outside have neglected Christ's work inside their own doors. They have had eyes and hearts for human need and human sorrow in the broad fields lying far out, but neither eye nor heart for the work of love close about their own feet. The result has been that while they were doing angelic work in the lanes and streets, the angels were mourning over their neglected duties within the hallowed walls of their own homes. While they were winning a place in the hearts of the poor or the sick or the orphan, they were losing their rightful place in the hearts of their own household. Let it be remembered that Christ's work in the home is the first that He gives to every wife, and that no amount of consecrated activities in other spheres will atone for neglect or failure there."

--from The Home Beautiful by J.R. Miller

Bible-based Wisdom must be our guide...

This is a wonderful quote worth writing down and saving for regular review:

"Confidence that one's impressions are God-given is no guarantee that this is really so, even when they persist and grow stronger through long seasons of prayer. Bible-based wisdom must judge them." --J.I. Packer

Soul-Love

I may have posted this sometime in the past, but it is worth repeating. May we be faithful to train our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

"Soul love is the soul of all love. To pet and pamper and indulge your child, as if this world was all he had to look to and this life the only season for happiness---to do this is not true love, but cruelty. It is treating him like some beast of the earth, which has but one world to look to, and nothing after death. It is hiding from him that grand truth, which he ought to be made to learn from his very infancy,---that the chief end of his life is the salvation of his soul." --J.C. Ryle from The Duties of Parents, my top pick for best parenting book of all-time. (You can print and/or read it online for free by clicking on the title.)

Elisabeth Elliot's Mother

"Mother did not think of herself as deeply spiritual. She would have protested if anyone had said she was. But she was certainly hungry for God, deeply conscious of her own weakness and need of Him. Called to be a mother, entrusted with the holy task of cooperating with God in shaping the destinies of six people, she knew it was too heavy a burden to carry alone. She did not try. She went to Him whose name is Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. She asked His help--daily."

--from The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot, a wonderful book that every mother should read.

Serving God in the Mundane

We had the privilege of having James and Stacy McDonald visit with us in our home last summer. Though the circumstances were not ideal as they were in California because of a death in their family, our time together was sweet and we truly enjoyed fellowshipping with one another, along with our dear mutual friend, Carmon Friedrich. Stacy posted this on her blog recently and I thought it worth repeating here, especially since she and Carmon are both examples to me of this kind of service to their families. Thank you for the wonderful reminder, Stacy, and the wonderful example, Carmon.

"As wives and mothers, we must learn to view serving our families as acts of service to God, rather than as acts that “get in the way” of serving Him. It’s so easy to get bogged down with all the mundane chores of everyday life. Changing diapers, scrubbing floors, repeatedly correcting children, teaching phonics, cleaning the rock collection out of your son’s sock drawer…all these things may seem insignificant, but it’s an illusion.

Martin Luther encouraged the housewife with these words…“[Christian faith] opens its eyes, looks upon all [the] insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. A wife…should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works.”Remember, your obedience and joyful attitude toward your calling is precious to Him. Embrace it, rejoice in it, and know that God is there in the midst of it all."

The Law of Kindness...

"If we would have a true home, we must guard well our thoughts and actions. A single bitter word may disquiet the home for a whole day; but, like unexpected flowers which spring up along our path full of freshness, fragrance and beauty, so do kind words, gentle acts and sweet disposition make glad the home where peace and blessing dwell. No matter how humble the abode, if it be thus garnished with grace and sweetened by kindness and smiles, the heart will turn lovingly towards it from all the tumults of the world, and home, “be it ever so humble” will be the dearest spot under the sun. --Circa 1882"

--taken from The Homemaker's Mentor website

A Few Recipes

Dear Friends,

Here are a few recipes that some of my friends have requested recently. I thought it would be easiest to combine them all here in one post and then share them with you! Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to this, life is always busy. I'm praying that since my taxes are now done (hooray!) and I have a few other things beginning to slow down that I may have opportunity to occasionally blog again. :o)

Homemade Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey
1 T vanilla extract
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsulfured raisins (if desired...I hate raisins) :o)
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground into meal (optional)

1. In an ungreased 9X13" baking pan, mix oats, honey, cinnamon and vanilla until oats are coated. Add nuts and seeds.
2. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 15 minutes. Stir well. Bake 7-10 minutes longer, until golden brown. Make sure the granola does not over-bake and burn.
3. Remove from oven and let cool. Add flaxseed meal, raisins, or any other dried fruit as desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I found this recipe at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/, A Year of Crockpotting, a wonderful site for finding crockpot recipes. I make about twice as much as comes in the containers and it costs about half the price (for organic). I'm making it out of organic milk that I recently began purchasing at WalMart Super Center for $4 per GALLON. That's a lot cheaper than I was paying before, though I'm hoping very soon to start buying raw milk and using it to make my yogurt and my own butter. Our local supplier is waiting for her cow to calve...

Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized.
1/2 cup store-bought yogurt as starter (I use organic)
Fresh fruit as desired

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a day when you are home to monitor. I used a 4-quart crockpot. Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours. Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours. When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt, then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine. Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation. Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours. In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt. If you prefer your yogurt thicker (like I do), whisk in 1/2 cup dry milk with the 8 cups of milk at the very beginning. Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually. Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup with Herbs
*I've adapted the recipe slightly to make it a little less expensive per serving

6 chicken thighs, skinned (*I use three)
2/3 cup barley (*I use a whole cup)
8 cups chicken stock or water (*I use 10 cups)
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
4-5 carrots, sliced
1-2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 10-ounce package frozen corn
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. thyme
dash of cayenne pepper
2 T minced fresh parsley

Put chicken, barley, herbs and garlic in stock or water in large stock pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the chicken thighs from soup to cool and return liquid to a boil. Add vegetables and cut meat into bite-sized pieces and return to pot. Simmer until vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness. (We prefer slightly al-dente). Adjust seasonings and salt and pepper to taste; add fresh parsley and serve.

Homemade Mocha (or, how to keep from spending $2.85 at Starbucks!) :o)
*This recipe is really for homemade hot chocolate and comes from my nearly 40 year-old red-checkered Better Homes and Garden cookbook which I still use quite often.

1 cup milk
2 T sugar (I use slightly under this amount)
1-2 T cocoa powder (as desired)
dash of salt

Bring all ingredients to just under boiling in a saucepan while whisking. Pour into large coffee mug through small strainer until cup is about half full. Add hot, fresh, french-pressed coffee to mug, leaving enough room to top with whipped cream. Enjoy!