It had been a while since we tried a new macaroni and cheese recipe, so for this menu I came up with a truly unique variety: Bacon Mushroom Swiss. These flavors go so well together! Ingredients 3 cups macaroni (uncooked measure) 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup or 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom … [Read more...] about Bacon Mushroom Swiss Macaroni and Cheese
What To Do With Baby: A Guide to Developmentally Appropriate Play
Once Amaris, my infant daughter, stopped sleeping for most of the day, I found myself staring into her beautiful eyes and wondering what exactly I should do with her. I would hold her, talk to her, and sing to her, but given that children learn through play, I wondered if I should be doing more. I looked into developmentally appropriate … [Read more...] about What To Do With Baby: A Guide to Developmentally Appropriate Play
Making Lessons Stick
The last two years I've written year-end posts about the lessons I’ve learned in the preceding 12 months. I could do this again because I’ve learned a number of lessons this past year, but I’m suffering from recency effect—I’m having trouble remembering all but the most recent lessons (this is no doubt due to the demands of caring for my … [Read more...] about Making Lessons Stick
The Miraculous in the Mundane
To the casual observer, the events that surrounded Jesus’ birth seemed pretty unremarkable—a man traveling with his betrothed, a full inn, and a babe lying in a manger. While I’m sure it was not routine for babies to be born in the stable of the inn every day, there was no impressive caravan or pageantry to accompany Jesus as He arrived. These … [Read more...] about The Miraculous in the Mundane
Winter 2014 Menu
With a newborn baby in the house, we’ve been consuming many meals that we’ve assembled hastily. Now that our little one is two months old, we’re ready to get back on track with a menu. As I’ve shared in previous posts, I periodically develop monthly menus. We use each for 3 consecutive months before moving on to a new one (read more on … [Read more...] about Winter 2014 Menu
A Giveaway to Celebrate 2 Years of Blogging at Of The Hearth!
On December 9th, 2012, I published my first post on OF THE HEARTH. Two years and 260 posts later, I’m celebrating the wonderful things that have happened here! One way I’m celebrating is by giving YOU an opportunity to win an amazon.com gift card (see below for details). We’ve explored some interesting topics and engaged in some … [Read more...] about A Giveaway to Celebrate 2 Years of Blogging at Of The Hearth!
Gift Ideas for Teens
My husband and I have a couple of teenagers on our Christmas gift list. The more I try to brainstorm gifts for them, the more I realize how little I remember about being a teenager! After thinking on it for some time, I’ve come up with a number of fun and/or beneficial gifts for the teens in our lives. Perhaps they’ll be useful for … [Read more...] about Gift Ideas for Teens
Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas
With Thanksgiving over, many of us are searching for the perfect gifts to exchange with loved ones. If the increase in views of my Christmas in July: Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas post is any indication, then many of you are also looking for gift exchange ideas. That post is pretty brief, but I’ve identified several additional ideas … [Read more...] about Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas
