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The Flourishing Family

Faith, Family, Health and Home

  • About
  • My Novel: Aliisa’s letter
  • Remembering Steven
  • Healthy Birth Practices
    • Preparing for Birth
    • Waiting for Labor to Start
    • Pelvic Measurement: Will the Baby Fit?
    • Emotional Support and Guidance During Labor
    • Is the Intervention Necessary?
    • Pushing Positions
    • Mom & Baby: Skin to Skin
    • A New Perspective: Home Birth
  • Family Health
    • Essential Oils
    • Colds Flu and Garlic
    • Calendula for a Healing Salve
    • Measles and the MMR
    • What about Vaccines?
    • Easing Painful Periods
  • Affiliate Links
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • My Novel: Aliisa’s letter
  • Remembering Steven
  • Healthy Birth Practices
    • Preparing for Birth
    • Waiting for Labor to Start
    • Pelvic Measurement: Will the Baby Fit?
    • Emotional Support and Guidance During Labor
    • Is the Intervention Necessary?
    • Pushing Positions
    • Mom & Baby: Skin to Skin
    • A New Perspective: Home Birth
  • Family Health
    • Essential Oils
    • Colds Flu and Garlic
    • Calendula for a Healing Salve
    • Measles and the MMR
    • What about Vaccines?
    • Easing Painful Periods
  • Affiliate Links
  • Privacy Policy
  • Abundant Apples
    Family - Michigan - Nature - Recipes

    Applesauce Cake

    October 17, 2025 - By Carol

    The apples are abundant this fall. The trees on the old farmland were heavy with fruit.

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  • Rosemary and Thyme
    Gardening - Herbs - Recipes

    Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme

    August 15, 2025 - By Carol

    Rosemary and thyme are flourishing in my garden. I am drying some for the winter, but also using it fresh. Rosemary and thyme flavor potatoes nicely. Here is a recipe that I have shared before. Ingredients 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced ¼ teaspoon…

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  • Ripe Elderberries
    Berries - Gardening - Health - Nutrition - Recipes

    Recipe for Elderberry Juice & Preserving It

    August 8, 2025 - By Carol

    My elderberries are beginning to ripen. The Johns elderberry bush ripens first, the Adams bushes ripen a few weeks later. Having a couple different varieties is beneficial for increased pollination and production of berries.. After picking each cluster of berries, clipping the stem behind the cluster, I bring them inside.…

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  • Apricot-Coconut Bread
    Marriage - Recipes

    Apricot-Coconut Bread

    February 14, 2025 - By Carol

    A sweet treat for Valentine's Day

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  • Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Syrup
    Recipes

    Cinnamon Rolls for the New Year

    December 28, 2024 - By Carol

    This post was first published in 2019 and has been edited. I’m wishing everyone a joy filled New Years’ Day and health in 2025! On New Year’s Day we like to sip coffee and enjoy cinnamon rolls while we watch the Rose Parade on TV. I have a recipe that…

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  • Berries & Cherries
    Berries - Finland - Gardening - Recipes

    Berries, Cherries, Pannukakku and Pie

    July 5, 2024 - By Carol

    Raspberries and blueberries are in season. The raspberries in my yard have abundant berries. They are so good with ice cream! They are also good with a Finnish oven pancake (Pannukakku). Here is a recipe for this slightly sweetened pancake. Ingredients: Preheat oven to 400°. Beat eggs in a large…

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  • Cardamom, A Favorite Spice
    Family - Finland - Recipes

    A Favorite Spice: Cardamom

    March 8, 2024 - By Carol

    When I was growing up, we usually had cardamom in the house—a spice necessary for a Finnish coffee bread, nisu. On special occasions my mother made nisu, and eventually I learned to make it. Cardamom grows only in tropical and subtropical zones. It is curious that it is a popular spice in…

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  • Berries - Gardening - Health - Nutrition - Recipes

    Elderberries for a Healthy Fall

    September 15, 2023 - By Carol

    The elderberry bushes in my yard have been harvested. I have canned elderberry juice for the winter, and I have berries in the freezer. Elderberry bushes have a long history of use. The flower heads in early summer are beautiful. The flowers can be used to make a cordial that…

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  • Zucchini Squash
    Family - Gardening - Recipes

    When Zucchini is Abundant: A Recipe

    September 1, 2023 - By Carol

    My mother often had a garden, and my grandmother managed a subsistence farm. So, I am following family tradition with a summer garden. This year the zucchini plant has been producing squash regularly. One zucchini grew to an enormous size while we were on vacation. I was explaining to a…

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  • Berries - Faith - Gardening - Recipes

    Fruit of the Garden

    July 14, 2023 - By Carol

    After I retired from clinical nursing, my work has changed. My work revolves around home and church. Gardening is a pleasant task at home. I enjoy planting and nourishing the garden. It is fulfilling to pick the produce and share it with family and friends. It is interesting that the…

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Welcome to my blog!

As I write, I give thanks for God’s design of the family and the gift of His word, the Bible.

It gives me joy to be a woman, a wife, a mother and grandmother. For many years I was a childbirth nurse, assisting mothers and their babies.

 

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My faith journey throughout Steven’s illness is included in this anthology

I was featured at the senior salon pit stop
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