Hannah's Heartstrings

Here's a few reviews for some magazines I've been reading lately! :D Check them out! Enjoy...

Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)
Very good articles and recipes. A lot of ads, but on the whole, I’d say worth the price.

Vegetarian Times (www.vegetariantimes.com)
I wouldn’t buy this one again. Yes, some good recipes, but there is a very strong “animal rights” message throughout the whole magazine that I find disturbing and would rather not knowingly support.

Back Home Magazine (www.backhomemagazine.com)
I like this one. Tons of great information on farming, raising animals, “green living” (i.e., solar energy, etc.), with a seemingly good outlook and without the “in-your-face” animal rights message.

Organic Gardening (www.organicgardening.com)
Very good information, articles and recipes. Not too “green”, just good gardening/farming/animals stuff presented in a healthy, organic perspective.

NGJ (www.nogreaterjoy.org)
Though geared towards child training, marriage and family, this great magazine never fails to have something in it about herbs, gardening/farming or some other form of outdoor or nutritional information. Also, two of the Pearl family’s other ventures, The Bulk Herb store, and Shoshanna’s Herbs, are great places to buy herbs and herbal remedies from.

In progress.

"The Farming Game", also in progress.

Finished product.

Charlie and I sat down afterwards and figured out the approximate cost of our entire meal. We figured, including all our veggies, the meal cost about $9.72 to make. :D And that feeds 7 people, with leftovers.

So...inspired by my post yesterday, I decided to make pizza today! :D I used all millet flour, just to see how it worked. It make Beee-yoo-ti-full dough, but being that it has not gluten in it, it was slightly hard to roll out, because it doesn't hold together real well, and doesn't stretch like wheat dough. It was easier to work with that rice flour dough, but still a bit difficult.

Besides that, it tasted good! I still like the taste of the rice flour, but the millet has such a pretty color! It's more yellowy, almost like corn.

And alas, my siblings were starving and waiting with forks and knives when I pulled out the pizza, so I spared them a photo shoot. Next time... :P

Pizza Crust
2 cups water
1 ½ Tbsp. arrowroot
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups flour (rice or millet)

Dissolve arrowroot in the water, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until a dough ball is formed. If it is too dry, add a little more water; if too wet, add a little more flour.
If you use rice flour, the dough will not hold together for rolling like traditional pizza dough. So what I found that works is making a deep dish style by pressing the dough into an oiled 9x13 pan and piling the toppings on. :)
Millet flour holds together much better, though at the moment of typing this, I haven’t yet made an all-millet pizza.

Our special blood-type pizzas:

For A’s and B’s: mushrooms, onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil spread on the bottom, with Mozzarella cheese, cooked crumbled turkey, oregano, paprika, basil, parsley.

For AB’s and O’s: mushrooms, onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil spread on the bottom, tomato sauce, Mozzarella cheese, cooked crumbled turkey, oregano, paprika, basil, parsley.

We had a feast today.

We put pure olive oil in our deep fryer, sliced up various vegetables super thin: beets, parsnips, onions, butternut squash, kale, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes.

And we had veggie chips.

We tried to find veggie chips at the store. But they all---ALL---had something bad in them. Even the ones I thought were the best had maltodextrin in them. :(

So we made our own. They were delicious. :)

Sadly I don't have a picture. They were eaten too fast.

Here is a recipe I created for blueberry muffins this week! It was totally an experiment, and I was not sure if they'd be flat or not, but they worked great and are just perfect.



Blueberry Muffins

3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup honey
splash of vanilla
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. arrowroot
dash of salt
1 cup frozen blueberries (I put in a bit more than a cup) :)
2 cups water
6 TBSP. olive oil

Mix it all together. I didn't use muffin papers, becaseu I didn't have any, so I just oiled the muffins tins and it worked. The thing is, you have to re-oil them with each batch or they stick slightly. Bake at 375* for about 15 minutes. They come out of the tins best if you let them cool first.
Good served warm. Better served refridgerated. :D

Hey there! Welcome to my kitchen! I'm really excited to be able to present you all with this glimpse into one of my most important daily activities...the creation and preparation of food. So come along, pull up a chair and stay for dinner!!

p.s. By the way...my name isn't really Bethie. It's Hannah Elizabeth. Bethie is a nickname given to me by one of my very dear friends. :)

Vs 1: Waking to the radio
Don’t get up/ just let it go
Till I can’t stand it another minute more
Beginning the day
Trying to find a way
To figure out what on earth I’m here for

Ch 1: And so goes the story of my life
Spending the pages just trying to get it right
God I can’t do this alone
I give You all my own
If only You will help me to write
The story of my life

Vs 2: Rushing through my time
Saying everything is fine
When really my heart is filled with doubt
Then it occurs to me
There’s something I’m missing
Something maybe I’ve been leaving out

Ch 2: (repeat chorus 1)

Bridge: Why is it I always miss what’s right in front of me?
I always loose my way and come up empty when I fail to see
There is so much more and it’s alright and I don’t have to know it all
My Jesus will be there for me to pick me up when I fall!

Vs 3: I whisper a prayer
Because I know you’re there
I don’t know what I’d do without You
Tomorrow take up my pen
Please do it over again
I know with you I can make it through

Ch 3: This is the story of my life
Because of you I know its right
I am never alone
Don’t have to do it on my own
Thank you Lord for writingThe story of my life


Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael

Once upon a time, there was a girl. This girl was a part of a generation unlike any ever seen before in history. She rose above the normal expectations of the world and chose to live life differently. Her parents protected her and gave her opportunities she never would have had otherwise. Though there were those that would stand in her way and try to discourage her, it was then that she learned perseverance…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a friend that hurt her feelings and tried to make her feel inferior. She decided to hate this friend and did so successfully until she realized that her hatred didn’t change anything. It only made her bitter. Here, the girl learned her first lesson in forgiveness…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted above all things to have a little sister. She prayed and dreamed for years. Finally, when she had nearly given up all hope, her mother gave birth to an adorable blue-eyed baby girl, and she saw that all the while that she’d been waiting, she’d been learning patience…

Once upon a time, there was a girl whose friend became her unspoken enemy. All too soon and with a heavy heart, the girl realized there was nothing she could do to reconcile the relationship. She mourned the loss, but in her disappointment, she learned the true meaning of loyalty…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was faced life changing decisions. Two paths were before her. One led to her compromising her beliefs; the other led to her heart being broken and left alone. The choice was the most difficult she’d ever had to make. Yet even in the midst of her hurting, she knew what the right thing to do was. And it was in that decision that she found love in the grace of God and learned a lesson in determination…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who found herself surrounded by dozens of the dearest friends anyone could dream of. They loved her, encouraged her, danced with her, made her smile and laugh, talked with her and cried with her, inspired her and made her life more beautiful in every way imaginable. She felt so immensely blessed by God having allowed her to know them all and cherished every smile, every hug, every sparkling face and every little moment she had with them. With joy overflowing within her, she learned and strived to live the real meaning of friendship and love…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who learned to live, to love, to glorify God, to dream big and to be herself.
How do I know all this? I know because that girl was me.


Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael

I’m sitting here looking at the pictures
Remembering all the things you said
And everything you did to make me smile
My heart is so full and yet so empty
I never knew I could miss you so much
And you’ve only been gone a little while

There’s no sure way of knowing
How long till I see your face again
It could be tomorrow, or thirty-some long years
All I can do is keep loving you
Across the miles that seem so far
And wonder if I’ll ever run out of tears

So right now, from my heart to yours…

God be with you till we meet again
Until I can be by your side
Until I can hear your voice and see you smile
Keep your eye on the horizon
And your heart filled with Him
My friend forever, goodbye for a little while

The happy is slowly overtaking the sad
Even though I still miss you so much
My memories will keep me driving on
The jokes we laughed at
The stories we told; reliving them
Makes it feel as though you’ve never gone

I know we shall meet again
On this road called life
Each time better than before
Each day more dear
In my heart and soul
And I know God is smiling for sure

It feels like a dream that ended too soon
But I know you can hear me say…

God be with you till we meet again
Until I can be by your side
Until I can hear your voice and see you smile
Keep your eye on the horizon
And your heart filled with Him
My friend forever, goodbye for a little while


(c)Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael


*For all my dear friends far and wide whom I miss very much*

I’ve read about the controversy over the all too popular Twilight books and movies and since the topic is on the table, I thought I would add my twenty-five cents.
Some people love it, some hate it. Some read/watch it purely for the ability to criticize it. And just from hearing the opinions expressed by all three parties, and from walking past the nearly life sized posters in stores, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a part of any of those camps. I certainly don’t want to love it, and I have better uses for my energies than hating it. But most importantly I refuse to read or watch it just so I can know why I don’t want to love nor hate it, or to have debate fodder, or simply because I am curious about it. Here is where I believe that many people, particularly my fellow Christians, are treading on dangerous ground.

I know, just from seeing the posters, t-shirts and other various fan materials that Twilight is a bad thing. I can tell from my few unavoidable glimpses that it is emotional pornographic, not to mention evil to the nth degree. I don’t need to read the books to figure that out. I mean, just think about it---it’s about vampires. Vampires. Anyone who knows anything about mythology knows that vampires are evil. They are in the same category as witches, ghosts and goblins. Evil and demonic just barely begin to describe these mythical creatures. So putting them in a position where they are idolized, worshipped, and made the heroes of the story is nothing less than satanic. Sure, there are such creatures in stories like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, but the difference is that you know they are evil. They are the bad guys. They are defeated in the end by the ones who stand for what is good and right. How, then, can a story with a completely evil and satanic creature as the “good guy”, the “hero” and ultimately the “prince charming” be something that we, as believers in God, members of the Body of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit, should be filling our heads and hearts with? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” It’s not rocket science. It isn’t that hard to figure out.

We are swimming in shark infested waters when our desire to fit in and find the good in pop culture overrides our consciences and causes us to justify something we know, without a shadow of a doubt, is wrong. We know its wrong---why do we have to prove it? Yes, there are many instances where we do need to read or watch something in order to form our opinions of it. But in the case of Twilight, I don’t see that it is necessary.

We know that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were Christians. Their Biblical beliefs shine through their writing. Good always triumphs over evil, and the sides are easily distinguishable. Even Star Wars puts good and evil in their right places. Pirates of the Caribbean is a bit questionable, but that is a subject for another essay. However, Twilight is a different story. Evil is portrayed as good. Wrong is justified as right. The satanic, mythical beings are the heroes. Lust is encouraged, and infatuation is idolized.

The last point I mentioned is one particular reason that I refuse to be a part of any Twilight camp. It’s the same reason I’ve never watched High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Harry Potter, or any of the other popular secular infatuations. Obsession with anything but God is wrong. Passion about anything that does not somehow bring glory to God is dangerous. And indulging in something so demonic and so far from God as Twilight is sickening.
I believe this with my whole heart, and am cautioning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ to think and pray very hard, and to examine the true motives of their hearts before reading or watching Twilight. We are called to be lights in this world and reflections of our Savior. Is Twilight so beneficial to this calling? Is it so necessary to fill our hearts with such a vile concoction, merely for the ability to discredit it or argue about it?

If the latest fad was hurling yourself off a bridge, dooming yourself to certain injury and possibly even death, would you do it? Of course not. There is no logic in saying, “Well, I don’t know for sure how bad it is until I’ve tried it. Who knows? Maybe there is some good in it! I’m going to jump and see for myself.” That is just downright stupidity. Yet that seems to be the justifying mentality that I am seeing concerning Twilight; “Oh, perhaps it’s not so bad. There might be some good in it. I’m going to figure out for myself.” What glory is there in saying, “Yes, I read Twilight, and it’s as bad as we thought”? Well, of DUH! We knew that!
If you play with fire long enough, you will get burned. When you cross enemy lines with a cocky, “Hey, look at me! Bet you can’t do this!” attitude, eventually you will find yourself in a prison camp. Yes, some prisoners of war escape, but often some don’t live to talk about it. How many times in our lives have we been told to “just say no to drugs”? We know its not cool to dabble in wrong just to see if we can handle it. 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Again I will say, beware. On the subject of Twilight, we have the chance to stand apart from the world, as we have in so many other things. Let’s not back down, or compromise our morals now. We have so many better uses for our ever shortening time here on this earth. Let’s not waste it looking for the good in the blatantly and deliberately evil. Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

What if Christ were like Santa Claus,
And came to our homes once year?
Would we wait up all night just for a glimpse?
Or when we saw Him, would we stand up and cheer?
Would we spiff up the house, put lights everywhere,
Just to make sure He could see?
And would we wait in long lines at the shopping malls,
For a chance to just sit on His knee?
Would we set out a snack just especially for Him,
And make sure everything was just right?
Would we wait so impaitiently for the time once a year
When Jesus would be here for one night?
What if Christ were like Santa Claus?
Would we spend as much time preparing?
Would we get as dressed up in our best of clothes?
And spend lots of money decorating?
If Christ were to come to earth this Christmas
And ask you if you'd let him in,
Would your home and your heart be open
And ready to welcome Him?


Copyright (c) Hannah McMichael
November 30, 2006


**Written at age 17. This poem made it onto the back of a church bulletin ;) **

She came to me and told me her story
Filled with betrayal and broken trust
She held back her tears as I held her hand
Her good name crushed and scattered as dust
I stared in disbelief; what could I do?
I couldn’t change the rumors that had been spread
All I could do was stand by her side
As she tried to disprove what they’d said

If only we’d realize
The things our words do
The hurt that they cause
When we don’t think them through
Simply to love
Is God’s greatest command
How can we do that when
We make two sides on which to stand?

I listened in silence for a second time
To words about someone I knew
Someone told someone who told someone else
And they all were convinced it was true
My loyalties divided; who do I trust?
Whose side do I stand on this day?
I see walls erected, the battle begins
Will they gossip now over what I say?

If only we’d realize
The things our words do
The hurt that they cause
When we don’t think them through
Simply to love
Is God’s greatest command
How can we do that when
We make two sides on which to stand?

If I choose to believe the things that they say
On the say-so of other people’s word
I’m no better than those that started the gossip
Just trusting what everyone heard
I choose to find the good and not follow the crowd
Let God say if I’m right or wrong
Because I know if the rumors can stop with me
Then I’ll be in the right all along.

If only we’d realize
The things our words do
The hurt that they cause
When we don’t think them through
Simply to love
Is God’s greatest command
How can we do that when
We make two sides on which to stand?

Drawn to the idea
Drawn to the romance
She sees the chance to make her dreams come true
She questions her values
Questions her life’s song
All the while wondering what she should do
It seems so right, yet feels so wrong
The whispering pull is getting strong

Will she stand
Or will she fall?
Will she answer
The charming call?
Will she wait
Or will she run?
Will she regret it
When it’s done?
Will she stand or will she fall?

He sees the offer
The look that’s so tempting
He’s only one small step away
He wants to hold back
And he wants to give in
He must make his choice today
It seems so right, yet feels so wrong
The whispering pull is getting strong

Will he stand
Or will he fall?
Will he answer
The charming call?
Will he wait
Or will he run?
Will he regret it
When it’s done?
Will he stand or will he fall?

Here you are standing
Thinking and looking
And I see that look in your eyes
You’re at a crossing
Where two roads diverged
For which one will you rise?
One wide, one narrow, one right, one wrong
That whispering pull is getting strong

Will you stand
Or will you fall?
Will you answer
That charming call?
Will you wait
Or will you run?
Will you regret it
When it’s done?
Will you stand or will you fall?

The choices we make affect all our lives
And affect all those around us
If we take the road less traveled by
That will make the difference

Will we stand
Or will we fall?
Will we listen
For Jesus’ call?
Will we wait
Or will we run?
Will God say
“My child, well done”?
Will we stand or will we fall?


Copyright Hannah M. 2009