Homemade Mayonnaise

2 Egg yolks,
1 Cup oil,
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice or white wine vinegar (I use lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1/4 tsp. dry mustard... See More
Of course, add seasonings to your taste.

Now, you have to REALLY whip this recipe a lot so it would be best to do it in a food processor, mixer or with a hand-held mixer. I make mine in my mixer with the whipping attachment.

Whip the egg yolks until they start to stiffen a bit. then add the lemon juice, salt and mustard, and mix together. While leaving the mixer or processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens.

It takes 10 minutes and costs pennies!

Spring

It seems that Spring has hit more than just the plants and animals outside our house, but has come to the hearts of my family as well. It's been a long, cold winter, filled with dread, worry, frustration, and sadness, but each of us is feeling as though we are moving past it into a new of renewal.

After so much frustration, it would seem that the last thing anyone would want is rules. Just one more thing to keep track of and to think about, yet those guidelines seem like the very thing that might bring us into a new era of discipline and peace. My family is excited to have reference points, a written, constant plan for each day. So, as we start our dance with discipline, I look forward to a time of renewed spirits, peace and sunshine.

My Dance with Discipline

After 26 years of married life, attending church, raising children, and reading numerous books about all manner of day to day living, you'd think that I would have a very firm grasp on the areas of discipline and organization. Whether that be on a personal level or as a family, I should have had it down by now, right?!!!

Unfortunately, just the opposite is true. Truth be told, after all of this I find that I am "doing it wrong" (Mr. Mom). Oh, the indications were there, I was just too lazy to take control or felt I was battling against others who would not be willing to be on board with the changes that might be necessary. I had a very defeatist attitude.

The problem with a lack of discipline, whether it be in the area of finances, family, spiritual, or personal issues, can be far reaching and, for us, have led to some nasty results. And now that we've gotten to the point of all but imploding as a family, I realize it's time to make some very big changes. Out with the old, in with the new, but where to start?

• Prayer: Ultimately, I believe my life is guided by the One that rules this universe yet loves me on a personal level. Being a part of his flock through salvation in His son, Jesus, I believe that I have the access and chance for help that comes with being part of a very special royal family. Crying out to Him for guidance, so that I am on the very best track, is the first and most important step.

• Identifying problem areas: For us, it's everything. There really isn't anything that hasn't been touched by our lack of discipline, whether it comes to washing the cars or mowing the lawn, or bigger issues such as finances and spirituality. Identifying where we are weak will allow for a game plan that will help us restructure and move ahead with better results.

• Charts & Lists: While my attitude in the past has been "why bother" since I felt I didn't have the support I wanted, I realize this was wrong. First, whether others decide to climb on board or not, it is still my responsibility in this family to lead the way. In other families perhaps it will be different but in our family I am the one that ultimately sets the tone for how things should proceed and I need to do just that. More to come as I figure out the steps to this dance. God bless you all!

Where are your photos?

Scrapbooking is something I've always loved as not only a hobby, but also as a way of preserving our family memories and history.

One of the things that really spurred me on was to be left an album of my Great-Grandmother's that (sadly) has absolutely no journaling in it, so now I have no idea who the other people are, where they were at, what the event was, etc. Anyone who might have remembered has passed away. Someday, soon, I will post a pic of this album.

The question I always ask is "Where are your photos"? If they are in old magnetic albums, or in a shoe box somewhere, I would encourage you to buy a cheap photo save pencil and storage boxes and (at the very least) sort, label and safely store the photos for the future.

I always thought I'd remember our picture details, but I sometimes don't and have had to have help recalling everything! You don't have to be into scrapbooking at all, just document the information for the future. Your kids and grandkids will appreciate it, I promise! Still, should you become enamoured with scrapbooking any time soon, I'd be happy to help you get going!

I am very excited to be starting as an Independent Consultant with Close To My Heart! While the company is new to me, scrapbooking and stamping are not. I love scrapbooking both as a hobby and as a tool to save what happens today for future generations.

As your Consultant, I will be using this site to keep you updated on future events and specials, as well as displaying Close To My Heart artwork (mine and yours).

God Bless!