Weekly Thankfulness & Growth Report #118

#118 - Weekly Thankfulness & Growth Report

If you were following this blog in 2015 then you will be familiar with my "365 Days of Being Thankful" challenge.  I have missed reporting on my thankfulness since I finished my challenge 2 years ago, so I decided to at least give a weekly Thankfulness Report & include a Growth Report also.  Growth in our Christian walk, growth in the garden & growth on this blog.  Finally, I am also including a "Posts From the Past" feature - ENJOY!


This week I have been thankful for my cousin and time spent together.  I am thankful for modern conveniences like air conditioners and freezers.  I am most thankful that God created a beautiful world where we are able to grow and harvest food from plants!

This post is part of a monthly series called "Old Fashion Sunday Hymn Sing" - five years ago we featured this amazing hymn -
Read: Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!


Just a few more rows of planting to go!  Next onto weeding (which never ends).

- Here are my Follower stats:

GFC (Google Friends Connect) - 2,237
Bloglovin - 4,476
Twitter - 6,916

Pinterest - 6,354
Google+ - 2,276
Facebook - 4,466
Instagram - 1,260
Linky Followers - 108
Activate - 574
That's a grand total of 28,667 followers in some form or another. (That's up 22 from last week!)

(click on the title to view the entire post)
Five years ago I was wrote many posts about growing arugula - this is one of my favorite arugula recipes:
Arugula Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing RECIPE










This week is EXTRA feature week - click HERE to LINK UP & you might just be featured next month!

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Click the button below to enter the Great Giveaways going on now!!:

Copyright, Permissions & Disclaimer

Linked to:
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Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

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Tuesdays with a Twist Blog Hop #266

Welcome to Tuesdays with a Twist #266!
Checkout the many great giveaways going on right now!

Click the button below to enter each Giveaway!!:

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Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

We're your hosts & co-hosts 

Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Checkout my amazing "Featured" Pinterest Board

(click HERE to view & follow)

Features!

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being featured. Be sure to check all of our blogs to see if you were featured! 

My Features this Week are:

1. "American Flag Krispy Treats" by Marilyns Treats

2. "Photo Display for Father's Day" by The Boondocks Blog

3. "Yarrow Profile and Uses" by Frugal Living on the Ranch

If you've been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

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The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Saturday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

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Your monthly ad could be here!

Click the button to see how

You're the STAR - Week#5 EXTRA (May 2018)

I hope that everyone is enjoying Memorial Day weekend (while giving the proper respect to what this day really stands for of course).

Thank you again for joining us!
There are many ways to follow me:

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

blog  |  facebook  |  pinterest  |  twitter  |  bloglovin  |  google+  |  instagram

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WELCOME to the May "You're the Star" Blog Hop!
Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:

Memorial Day Memories 
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WELCOME to EXTRA feature week of the May "You're the STAR" blog hop!
(Sometimes we will have 5 Mondays in a month - these 5th special Mondays are called "EXTRA feature" days)
Meet all of your STAR Hosts 

Swing by the STAR Hosts blogs:
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Colleen @ Butterfly in the Attic
Darlene @ Let It Shine
Miranda @ The Myrabev Life
Elizabeth @ Family Farm School
Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal
Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn
Heidi @ Heidi's Wanderings
This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories (except for this special EXTRA day - we will be featuring 2 extra).  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 
The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:
WEEK#1 GARDEN - gardening, homesteading, recycling &/or preserving (this can include any type of green living,  while remaining family friendly),
WEEK#2 CREATIVE - arts & crafts, music, writing &/or dramatic arts (this can include sewing, dance, art history, handmade jewelry, computer art, fashion etc - anything creative while remaining family friendly)
WEEK#3 FAMILY - parenting, fitness, finances & inspirational (this can include anything about children like: education ideas for children, also self help, beauty etc -  anything family friendly)
WEEK#4 HOME - recipes, home décor, antique/DIY &/or travel (this can include anything about your home - even history posts - all while remaining family friendly)




(All features were chosen from the April "You're the Star" blog hop)

DIY Chalkboard Table by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos


Coconut Shrimp With Tropical Dipping Sauce by Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen
 


Ila's Table Runner by EyeLoveKnots


Photography by Colleen - Weathered Flowers by Butterfly in the Attic



If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:

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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.
Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!
It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!
(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Click the button below to enter the Great Giveaways going on now!!:

Fruit of the Spirit #4 = PATIENCE

Fruit of the Spirit #4 = PATIENCE
When we become a Christian, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and these "fruits" (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are the characteristics that overflow from us.  This does not mean that we automatically produce Spiritual fruit without effort - we are still sinners and fall short of the Glory of God.  However, this fruitful Spirit will become easier and be like a good habit after years of practice.

Today we will concentrate on PATIENCE.

I looked up "patience" in the thesaurus:  long suffering, tolerance, mercy, leniency, forbearance, forgiving, accommodating, persistence, enduring and lack of complaint.


"Everyone" is the key word in the verse above - we are to "be patient with everyone."  This means that race, religion, size, mental condition and social standing does NOT matter.  Nobody is excluded - we must be patient with all....with every person!



Two points strike me in this verse (see above):
1.  "In season and out of season" - that means always & forever!  There is never an occasion or a situation when we should not be patient.  Patience all the time!
2.  "Rebuke & encourage with great patience" - Whether we are using constructive criticism or positive encouragement - great patience must be used in both.  The positive and negative sides of life require patience.



The above verse is so amazing - specifically the word "unlimited".  Jesus' has enough patience for everyone and for eternity.....it is never ending......goes on for eternity......unlimited.  We must follow Christ's example and His glory will shine through us.

We must be patient always and with everyone!  What will you do with your wheel barrow of patience this week?

Other "Fruit of the SPIRIT" Posts

LOVE

JOY

PEACE

PATIENCE

KINDNESS

GOODNESS

FAITHFULNESS

GENTLENESS

SELF-CONTROL

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Linked to:
Over the Moon Linky Party
Happiness is Homemade
Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday

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Click HERE to view or join this community

If you need prayer please fill out this

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Homemade Peach Ice Cream RECIPE

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

I'm doing a new series on Sundays about "The Fruit of the Spirit" - you see, when one becomes a Christian they are filled with the Holy Spirit.  As a result, there are certain characteristics that overflow from a Christian's life (like love, joy, kindness etc).


I decided that during the week after each "Fruit of the Spirit" post I will feature the actual fruit that I symbolically used for that characteristic.  Most recently we studied "PEACE" (click HERE to read the entire post "Fruit of the Spirit #3 - PEACE").  Today, I am featuring one special recipe using PEACHES - (this was the fruit that I used as a symbol of PEACE).

Many people dislike eating peach skins because of the fuzzy texture but peach skins are so full of flavor - so in this recipe I make a peach juice from the skin that is then added into the ice cream.

Printable Recipe


 

Begin by making the Peach mash & Peach Skin Juice
4 peaches - rinsed, peeled (SAVE the peelings), discard the pit & mash the sliced peaches with a potato masher (4 peaches should equal 1 cup mashed peaches)

peach peelings from the step above
1/2 cup water

In a medium saucepan bring the peach peelings and water to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer.  Simmer for about 20 minutes and then strain.  Add the peach juice to the peach mash (see the collage above).  Set the juice/mash aside until later.

 

Now continue onto making the custard.

Custard
1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

dash of sea salt

In a large mixing bowl combine the egg yolks & half of the sugar (1/2 cup sugar) - whisk together until the sugar is combined & the yolks are a little frothy (see top left picture) - set aside until later. 

In a saucepan combine the other half of the sugar (1/2 cup sugar), dash of salt and the corn starch.  Stir until mixed.  Now add the milk, whipping cream & vanilla extract (add this into the corn starch/sugar mixture).  Stir gently with a whisk making sure that there are no sugar/starch clumps.  Place this full saucepan on medium heat and stir gently all the time while cooking.  Continue cooking until this mixture starts to thicken - remove from heat (see picture above right). 

It's time to temper the egg yolk mixture.  Pour about 1/3 of the hot milk/cream mixture into the egg yolk/sugar mixture and whisk when adding the hot mixture.  Your eggs have now been tempered.  Now add the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk/cream mixture (stirring all the time).  Place back on medium/low heat and cook (stirring all the time) for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Allow the hot custard to rest for about 5 minutes.  Then strain through a sieve to get rid of any clumps of any kind.



Now it is time to add the peach juice/mash (the juice/mash that you had set aside from the first step).  See picture above.  Completely stir the juice/mash into the custard (see picture below).




Chill the custard in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Process the chilled mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions

Serve & ENJOY!

To make it extra peachy you might try topping your ice cream dessert with homemade peach syrup (click HERE to view that entire post) ENJOY!

Other Ice Cream RECIPES on this blog

(click on each title to view entire post with recipe):

Seedless Raspberry Ice Cream
"Coffee Crisp" Ice Cream
Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

Blueberry Ice Cream with Blueberry Syrup
Cookies'n Mint Ice Cream
Mixed Nutty Mocha Ice Cream

Other Fruit Feature Posts:

STRAWBERRIES

LEMONS

HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM

PEARS

BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE PIE

GRAPES

APPLES

RASPBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES

Copyright, Permissions & Disclaimer

Linked to:
Happiness is Homemade
Over the Moon Linky Party
Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday
Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Summer Fun Link Party 2019

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Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

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