Tea and Toast

We are of English descent.  Someone (my mother) is always asking for the kettle to be put on.  So we are regularly looking for bread recipes that go well with tea.

 

Last week, we checked out a few domestic books from our local public library.  One of them was a book for bread machine baking called More of America's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. We tried a recipe for an English Muffin Loaf ( pictured above). It goes very well with eggs, tea or by itself with a little jam.

Happy Baking.

America's History......Stolen

     I have recently read a book that infuriated me, in a good way.  It is called The Rewriting of America's History by Catherine Millard.  This book exposes how our Christian heritage is being methodically removed from all American monuments and historic sites.  It also reveals why the study of history is so important.

     History illustrates God's love and providence in the lives of His people.  Providence includes the concepts of sovereignty and predestination.  Mainstream Christianity acknowledges God's active role (sovereignty) in the lives of humanity, but we do not live in a way that reflects that belief.  When we forget all that God has done for us and the Godly men and women who helped make our country great, we became prideful and trust only ourselves. 

     This is why the study of history is so important.  Our ignorance of our founding has led to the removal of all traces of God from our history.  Here are some examples of how our Christian heritage is being taken from us and most people do not even know about them!

     When you enter Plimoth Plantation, you go through the Meeting House.  This was the primary place of worship.  Governor Bradford proclaimed

            "All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render thanksgiving to the Almighty             God for all His blessings."

     Unless you understand the Puritan's goal of simplifying the church, you would not be able to recognize the Meeting House's true use because there is no plaque or marker to explain the importance it had in their daily lives.  The pulpit is pushed in a corner where no one can see it.  I doubt this is where it resided when the Puritans used it. 

     For years there has been an unwritten law in Philadelphia: nothing is taller then the statue of William Penn standing atop city hall. Tradition held that he watched over the city he founded.  However, in the late 1980's all this changed.  A developer decided to build a skyscraper.  The city council voted to allow this….over the wishes of the people of Philadelphia and without respect for a prominent Founder.

     The beautiful stained glass windows, which have adorned Christ Church in Philadelphia for more then a hundred years, were removed in the late 1980's and placed in storage.  The stained glass windows commemorated the patriots and their families worshipping God, and the first prayer at the first Continental Congress led by the minister of Christ Church, Reverend Duche.  There is no viable reason to remove these windows except to hide what they represent.

     I was indignant when I began reading, but by the end of the book I realized how weak many history curriculums are, even some of the ones I have used! It also showed me the importance of original writings.  Many historians have a tainted worldview and that must be considered when choosing works to read. This book has increased my interest in American history a hundred fold and I am very interested in reading more about the Puritans. 

Have You Ever?

Last night I was feeling rather sorry for myself.  I haven't been, done, seen,  fill in the blank...  Then I started think about all the things I had done and seen without ever leaving home. The poem came out of that. See if you can guess all the books that I used.  They are listed at the bottom. 


Have You Ever?
by Audrey

Have you ever been under the sea
Or held a box of treasure without a key?
I have.

Have you ever flown,faster then the speed of light,
Just to the second star on the right?
I have .

Have you ever been down a hobbit's hole
Or held a conversation with a rat and a mole?
I have.

Have you ever seen a prize-winning pig
Or helped an orphaned kid?
I have.

Have you ever lived in a little house on the prairie
Or traveled with your sisters named Mary and Carrie?
I have.

Have you ever wandered a yellow brick road
Or used an out-of-date transportation mode?
I have.

If you have, you know what I mean,
Reading is totally keen!   










20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Treasure Island

Peter Pan

The Hobbit
Wind in the Willows

Charlotte's Web
David Copperfield

Little House on the Prairie

The Wizard of Oz
Around the World in Eighty Days

Weekend Getaway- Biltmore Estate

     Last weekend we went to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  This 250-room house was completed in late 1895 after 6 years of construction.  Mr.George Washington Vanderbilt modeled the house on European castles and chateaux that he had seen in his travels on that continent.  In October of 1898, George Vanderbilt brought to his estate the thing it needed: a mistress, Edith Stuvyesant Dresser.  They had a daughter Cornelia in 1900.

     In 1914, Mr. Vanderbilt died unexpectantly.  The family had difficulty making ends meet after that, eventually selling 87,000 acres to the federal government that became part of Pisgah National Forest.  In 1924, Cornelia married the honorable John Cecil.  They had two sons, George and William.  William was the most instrumental in making the house the tourist destination it is today.

 

This statue on the outside of the staircase is of St. Louis the 9th.

This stautue is of Joan of Arc

The architectural detail is incredible!

From the windows and gardens you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

The Conservatory must house thousands of different plants.

We had a wonderful day, even though we didn't get home until 9 pm! We probably won't go back for a few years, but these kinds of outings make for wonderful memories.

Hi...

I'm Audrey.

I am a 16 year old history fanatic. I love books and old clothes, babies and flowers, yarn and baked goods. I live with my parents and little sister, Jacqueline, in Georgia.

I decided to start this blog to record the lives of my family, to practice my research and writings skills, and most importantly to spotlight good books and show people God's hand in history.

History is a passion of mine. It reveals the wonderful outworking of God's love and providence in the lives of his people. God uses circumstances to make men more Christ-like. Great men write about their struggles and growth to exhort and encourage us. They provide amazing role models for us in our journey through life.

Unfortunately, history is being attacked. If you watch the news or listen to people talk about history, you can see that our Founding Fathers, the Puritans, and other Godly leaders and the principles they stood for are being censured. It is time to set the record straight. We, as Christians and Americans, need to find, learn, and defend the truth. My goal for this blog is to help people do just that.