Thursday, August 30, 2012

Omelet Cups

 These bacon wrapped egg muffins have been a hit with the males in my house.  I really wish that I could find the website where I saw this idea, but I just saw a picture on someone's pinterest board.  If I find it I will try to give credit, but I never opened up the site or pinned it myself so I am not sure where to start!

Ingredients
10 eggs
3 TBS water
12 strips of bacon or turkey bacon
chopped tomatoes, pepper, onion, mushrooms-whatever you like in your omelet

Line muffin pan with strips of bacon and cook for 30 minutes at 400.  Mix eggs, water and chopped veggies.  Remove the pan from the oven and turn it down to 350.  Turn bacon ring upside down so that the crispy bacon is on the bottom of the cup.  (I also clean the bacon grease out of the cups!)    Pour egg mixture into the cups and bake for 20 minutes. 


If the egg mixture won't stay inside the bacon everytime, but that is ok.  It will work better with a thicker sliced bacon.  This recipe is great to make ahead of time and reheat for a quick breakfast.  We reheat these in the toaster oven and sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top.  The toaster oven makes the bacon nice and crispy!  Yum yum!
 

 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Homeschooling: The Space



 
We began homeschooling our oldest son timidly at the kitchen table with a crate of books and a laptop.  After the first year went well we decided that this “homeschool thing” was working for our family and we needed to dive into it with a little more solidity.  We revamped our dining room/front room to create an area for the kids and I to learn and play.  I am thankful both for the space and a husband who was willing to let this part of our lives take over even the setup of our home.

 Our beloved dining room table has been abused as our homeschool table.  An old TV armoire serves as a cabinet for Legos, games, coloring books, pencils and more.  My two older kids each have a drawer to keep art projects out of the view of the younger two.  We bought book cases from Costco that came with large fabric storage boxes for toys and books.  Then we split up our living room furniture so tha t there was a soft place to sit and read and play. 

Learning and school does not stay on this half of our house.  It spreads to the kitchen table, the floor, the back yard and let’s not forget the van.  Much to our children’s dismay we do not have a DVD player, and the kids are subject to questions such as “Can anyone tell me what direction we are heading?” or, “If yesterday the temperature was 0 and today it is -10, which day is warmer?”  Iowa winters are great for math.  J

I wanted to up the field trips this year since I don’t have a nursing baby!  We have had a membership to a local living historical museum and will be going a couple more times in September before our membership runs out.  We have field trips planned to the zoo, historical building, the woods, an apple orchard and pumpkin patch, and state capitol.  We are hoping to take in a few of the plays available in our city.

I am so thankful for the space we have in our home for school and so thankful for a town with so many wonderful learning opportunities.  We are looking forward to a year of learning in so many different contexts! 
 
This post is linked up at We are that Family, Heavenly Homemakers and Raising Homemakers

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

What Our Homeschool Looks Like

This year I began my 3rd year (what?!) of homeschooling and added a second official pupil.  I have wrestled with a great deal of fears and concerns, but we are about to begin week 4, and by God’s grace it is going relatively well.   We prefer an earlier August start and then are finished earlier in May.  We also enjoy a 4 “book day” school week and one day for extra classes and field trips. 


This week I will begin a series of posts about our homeschool year.  People who are curious about homeschooling are typically in two camps 1) Homeschooling is a foreign concept, and they don’t know how anyone would go about it or 2) They are homeschooling themselves and looking for ideas.  I have been in both camps at different times and am willing to let others look at our journey as we learn together.   We will look at the following:

The Space: Where we homeschool (learning is everywhere!) and where we keep the homeschool stuff.

The Books: What we are using for curriculum this year.

The Plan: How I map out our days and weeks.

The Reality: A day in the life-Our day never doesn’t always go as planned.  We’ll see what it looks like when the rubber meets the road.

 Do you have any burning homeschool questions?  I will do my best to address them (as a pilgrim, not a sage!)  I am looking forward to this series, and I hope that you enjoy it too! 


This post is linked at Raising Arrows, We are that Family, Homestead Revival, and Mamal Diane

Monday, August 27, 2012

Make A Move Monday (without a post!)

I DID NOT write a post for Make A Move Monday last night because the move that I made for our family was to the shower and to bed.  It was a long week and the best possible move I could have made!  :) 

Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link:
http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Laundry Links You Need!


This year I started making my own laundry soap.  It is super easy, effective, and cheap, Cheap, CHEAP!  I have expanded my laundry adventures to stain removers.  Today I am passing along my favorite laundry links!


Liquid Laundry Detergent-I use liquid because this is what was recommended by the manufacturer.  This recipe makes a lot so if your have a small family and little storage find a friend or neighbor and split the batch.  I used this soap to pre-treat a shirt after popsicle fiasco the other night.  I put the soap on the shirt after bedtime baths but waited to wash it with the regular laundry the next morning.  Not a bit of color on it!  Hooray!

Powder Laundry Detergent-While I don't personally have experience with this recipe I have a couple of friends who love taking the powder short cut!

Homemade Oxiclean-I don't normally buy white T-shirts for my 7 year old son, but I found a pile of new Nike T-shirts for $0.50 each at a garage sale.  White or not they were a bargain!  I have been using oxiclean this summer to try to keep them white!

Everything Cleanser-I still love this stuff.  I use it on my stainless steal pains, our tubs and toilets and yes, on our clothes.  I love solid shirts, but in my chosen profession is kind of messy.  I end up with a lot of those annoying oil spots that look wet after they are dry!  This stuff does the trick!

Fabric Softener/Color Catcher-White vinegar works wonders in the laundry room and it is oh so cheap too! 

 
May your laundry be clean and may the little laundry elves fold the clothes while you sleep! :)
 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Spicing Things Up


I think that there is much wisdom in the way that household chores were divided by the pioneer women long ago. 

Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday."

While my weekly chores look nothing like the chores of those amazing women I can apply this principle of efficiency.  I have been attempting to have a day that is set aside for cooking and kitchen prep.  Cooking/Kitchen day is after grocery/errand day so I can chop fruits and veggies and theoretically have all the ingredients for snacks or freezer meals. 
This week I was restocking my pantry with a few of the seasonings that I mix up myself. The benefits to making them myself are…

1.      Cost-I don’t need to pay someone with a hairnet down at Tone’s to mix up my Italian Seasoning.  I can do that myself.

2.      Personal Taste-I can adjust recipes to our family’s taste. 

3.    Health-My ranch mix does not contain maltodextrin, moosodium glutamate, lactic acid, citric acid, or artificial flavors.
 
Last Thursday I mixed up a few great ones and put them into recycled jars to keep handy in the cupboard.

Italian Seasoning I didn’t have the celery leaf, but it still tastes great!

Ranch Dressing Mix- We go through a lot of this when you consider that only 50% of the people in my house eat it.  Those of us who do get to dip our veggies love it.  I use about 1 tablespoon to 1 cup of sour cream and it is great for carrots, broccoli cucumbers and baked potatoes!

5 teaspoons onion powder
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Taco Seasoning (Cumin is the key to taco seasoning.  I used to think that as long as I put something spicy with garlic and onion I would be okay.  Other spices can be altered (we omit the cayenne and red pepper) but don’t skip the cumin!)

Baking Powder-It is really simple to make aluminum free baking powder.  (I just keep it in an old baking powder container!)  Use 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda and 1 part corn starch.  Easy Peasy!

This post is linked up at Tammy's Recipes, Food Renegade, The Nourishing Gourmet, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Quick Easy Cheap Healthy, Frugally Sustainable and Elsa Cooks

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Help! My Kid has Poop Issues!


  I cannot believe that I am writing about poop!  I am sure that I am breaking some sort of etiquette rule, but I also cannot believe how often I get into a conversation with another mom about children and poop problems.  Whether it is an issue of consistency or frequency, as those in charge of what goes in and out of our family, moms take great responsibility for their kids’ output!  I have learned through the past few years that there are three things moms should look at if their little guy or gal are having issues in the bathroom: intolerances, inefficiencies and incidents.

Intolerances-There are the well known triggers of milk, soy and gluten that require a complete avoidance of certain foods, but many people have lesser intolerances.  Some only have to avoid drinking a glass of milk or eating ice cream but are fine with yogurt and baked in diary.  Eliminating all grains might not be the solution, but limiting grains may be the answer for some.  Refined white sugar, food dyes and artificial preservatives were not meant to be ingested by the body and cause problems in some people.  If a child is having issues I recommend starting first by looking for an intolerance.  While this is probably a result of our own experience with our son, it does no good to pump a child full of fiber when another food or food substance is actually causing the issue.  I highly recommend the book What is Eating Your Child? for more information about this issue.


Inefficiencies- This is the most common assumption.  “Not enough fiber in the diet.”  I think most people equate fiber with whole grains, but whole grains aren’t the most effective food (neither are all whole grans the same.)  While I agree that whole grains are the way to go when eating grains, they will not add nearly the amount of fiber that veggies do.  I have a few ideas for pushing the veggies, but I think that the biggest one is cut out all sugar for a while until enough veggies are consumed.  Children are smart enough to figure out that “I will only be hungry for a few hours if I skip eating a healthy lunch.  Come 3:00 Mom will bring out the gold fish crackers and juice.  I will get full then so that I don’t have to eat the green stuff at supper.”  We have had that a couple times here, and the lunch plate goes in the fridge and is served at snack time.  J 

Water is another area where a child might be inefficient in the amount that they consume.  Juice does not equal water; milk does not equal water.  Water=water.  Guess what…beefing up on fiber can make constipation worse if the body is not getting enough water! 

Probiotics are so helpful at achieving a balance of bacteria in the gut and keeping things rolling at a safe and steady pace.  The easiest place is yogurt (again watch the sugar!), but there are also probiotic powers that can be mixed in applesauce or sprinkled between the bread of a pb&j. 

Omega-3s are getting a lot of buzz these days for the benefit that they give to the body.  One of these benefits is a healthy digestive tract.  We try to eat fish at our house a couple times a month but that is not nearly enough omega-3s to make a healthy body.  We take Cod Liver Oil supplements (we use Nordic Naturals) and add flax or chia seeds to some of our baked goods.  (Fish oils also helped my son with bed wetting!  Bonus!)
Incidents-Sometimes there are circumstances that cause issues for kids.  Potty training, starting school or a new baby in the house might just make them nervous and feel sick for a while.  Make sure that their diets are high in fruits and veggies and low in sugars and processed foods to give them the best chance possible at feeling well and having success in the bathroom!

Spinal alignment can make a big difference on the nerves that affect our digestion.  A great chiropractor can work wonders for those with digestive issues.  



What about Juice?  Juice is high in sugar.  The sugar found in juice cannot be digested by the body so it quickly eliminates it.  It is effective, but should be used with caution.  Kids who get used to sugary drinks will not drink water (which they need.)  Juice can spike the blood sugar and is also really hard on kids’ teeth.  It isn’t something that they should have every day.  Juice isn’t necessarily healthy and doesn’t solve the problem.  It masks it.


I am not a doctor, just a mom of four who has wiped a lot of bottoms and dealt with quite a lot of poop in the last several years.  I try hard to keep everyone’s tummies healthy and happy because a troubled tummy makes for a crabby kid! 


This post is linked up at http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/  http://www.raisingarrows.net/  http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/  http://wearethatfamily.com/

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Success-Or So My Husband Tells Me

We real food wives have set before our husbands many less than gourmet meals. Some meals have been met with success, but there have been a couple of occasions that I didn’t even bother putting the leftovers in the fridge because it wasn’t worth it! The unfortunate part (for me and I am sure many, many others) is that while I am serving new and highly suspect food I am trying to convince my husband that real food is not only worth the time and effort but also tastes good! 

I asked him the other day for a list of some of the recipes or foods that he is really glad that have changed in the past few years.  It is always nice to focus on the positive!  He came up with quite a list of things that he truly enjoys eating.

v  Roasts-If there is nothing better than a tender, flavorful roast there is nothing worse than the disappointment of a chewy, bland piece of meat.  It took me a while to learn how to cook roast.  I love it when Jordan smiles across the table and says, “You’ve got this down!” 

v  Bread-I started making homemade bread this year.  I was really hoping to make a great sandwich bread, but to be honest our bread rarely makes it to the sandwich.  Homemade bread is just too good fresh from the oven with a little butter.  If a loaf survives long enough to be made into sandwiches we love using it for grilled cheese and BLTs.  Jordan not only likes homemade bread but also homemade buns.  The other day I asked him if he wanted homemade or bakery buns for his hamburger and he choose homemade buns.  Had I not been sitting down when I asked I think that I would have fallen over!

v  Potatoes-I didn’t grow up with instant potatoes.  My mom made real mashed potatoes and my grandpa made real mashed potatoes.  Real potatoes were all that I knew!  In addition to mashed potatoes, we love cheesy potatoes.  I started making French fries this summer, and I get an “Oh, Good!” from Jordan when I tell him we are having homemade fries for supper.  I never got that from a bag of frozen Ore Idas!

v  Veggies-We are not a steamed vegetables family.  Surprise, surprise we like a little fat with our veggies.  Fortunately for us many of the vitamins in vegetables are fat soluble and are better absorbed by the body when eaten with a fat!  Oven-roasted, sautĂ©ed, or grilled is how we prefer to cook our veggies.  I am THRILLED to have discovered ghee.  It is butter that has been clarified.  With the milk solids removed, so is the casein and lactose, making this dairy digestible by those who are dairy-free.  Now this d-free family can have our veggies cooked with that wonderful butter flavor!  Ghee is pricey so I am hoping to figure out how to make it myself! 

v  Granola Bars-I am going to steal a line from my friend’s husband, “These granola bars are the best healthy food thing that has happened to our family!”  We use a little less honey in ours, but we love these!  My husband has even taken these to work and shared them with co-workers!

v  Stove Top Popcorn-This one surprised me.  When I first made popcorn on the stove my husband gave me a very skeptical look and said, “Really?  Even our pop corn can’t be normal?”  The other night I left him with four kids and a movie and he said, “If I wanted to make that popcorn on the stove like you do, how would I do that?”  I asked him if it would just be easier to use the air popper.  “I really like the taste of it on the stove better!”  It is enough for me to have my husband enjoy real food.  It is quite another for him to start cooking it himself!

I have heard stories of husbands that cast the vision for healthier eating for their family.   I don’t think that they are urban legends.  They really are out there.  That is not our family.  Jordan agrees with the idea of eating real food, but like most of us he is resistant to actual change.  As we have changed our diet over the last few years even his body has realized the difference between real and packaged food.  Every now and then he’ll say something to the effect of “I have eaten healthy with you for a long time now.  When you are at the store please get me something else.”  I am not an unreasonable person and will get him the Double Stuffed Oreos or something to that nature.  He eats them and then usually regrets it.   He admits that he “can’t eat like that anymore!”  I have ruined him.  (Wink!)

Monday, August 13, 2012

This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef



If you bring up the subject of roasts around my mom she will talk about the wonderful Sunday roasts my dad’s grandmother Cornie made in the oven.  She swears that no one can cook a roast like Cornie.  My mother-in-law makes wonderful roasts as well.  If there is anything I dread to hear at the table it is, “Well, it’s good, but not as good as my moms.”  (Even after 11 years of marriage I still hear that when I attempt to make cookies.  Result:  I rarely make cookies!)  How do I cook a roast so that it is tender and falls apart so that we don’t have to chew and chew until our jaws ache?  Here are a few tips that I have learned from a lot of trial and error.
·         Start with fresh or completely thawed meat.  We often get beef roast from my in-law’s farm or I stock up with a good sale.  I cannot take the roast out of the freezer a few hours before cooking it and expect good results.  Roasts don’t require a lot of work, but they do require thinking ahead at least 24 hours if they are sitting down in my deep freezer.  Never put a frozen roast in the crock pot and expect much from it!

·         Slow and Low-I make my roasts in the crock pot.  It needs 8 hours, maybe 7 if I am lucky and in a hurry.  The mistake I make is thinking, “It looks done so it must be ready.”  No, it needs time to cook down and fall apart!

·         Acid-Acidity helps tenderize the meat.  Vinegar, wine or a citrus can all be used in small amounts for big results.  Sometimes I am really on the ball and soak the meat in the acid while it is thawing and that makes for a juicy roast!

If I start with the guidelines above I can go anywhere with flavor.  Sometimes I go for a sweeter flavor with fruit, though often onions, garlic, salt and pepper are enough for a flavorful base. Rosemary balsamic marinade is one of our favorites, and Crockpot365 has some wonderful recipes as well. 

Don’t let roasts scare you.  They are a great protein and easy to stretch into several meals making them quite cost effective.   Try it for shredded meat sandwiches, stir fry, burritos, or my husband’s favorite--beef and noodles.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Make A Move Monday: In the Spirit of Honesty


Blogging is so permanent.  I can think something, write it and send it out into the abyss of cyberspace…forever.  My thoughts and feelings are not so permanent.  Sometimes I change my mind, and I feel that an update is in order on a few posts!



Apple Cider Vinegar-I still love the stuff and think it is amazingly effective.  I would drink it every day…if I could.  I have low blood pressure and after a few months on ACV I was really struggling with vertigo.  I stopped taking ACV and the vertigo went away.  I went back on it and vertigo was back.  My skin and allergies love apple cider vinegar.  I am working on the balance, lower dosages, every other day, a week on a week off?  I am not sure what is going to work, but I am going to keep trying to find out how much is good for my body!

Summer School SummerFun-While we did well with our reading goals this summer, we did not follow our science and math plans.  One day in the beginning of July my son said to me, “I am tired of playing math games.  Can I just do worksheets instead?”  Something tells me that this is not typical, but I will take it.  His reaction to our summer of plant experiments was less than enthusiastic.  “I was really hoping we would just do experiments where we made things explode.”  While we didn’t do the plant experiments I had planned we did grow a garden, and my older three children assisted in weeding and watering.  They helped dig potatoes which to their surprise grew underground, and the older two helped freeze corn.  They helped pick it, husk it and wash it.  Grandpa cut it; I cooked it.   Then they labeled it for the freezer and a year of eating freezer corn.  Even without our experiments they learned how plants grow and where their food comes from.

Deodorant-I am having deodorant woes.  First, when I added the beeswax to my recipe it did stay solid in the heat, but it also left residue on my shirts.  Then I started dealing with an unexplained skin irritation on my arms, and I didn’t know what that was from but ended up switching back to store bought deodorant.  My skin appears to have cleared up now so I plan on trying rubbing alcohol as a spray deodorant to see if I can get this thing figured out!

I feel much better now that the truth is out there.  It is always good to come clean!
Anyone else with an update?  It is time for Make A Move Monday!   Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments. Last week there were some great ones!


Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link:
http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Monday, August 6, 2012

I couldn't have said it better myself (so I didn't)

I think it is fitting to end a series of real food posts with a reality check.  I think that real food is important, but I know that it can get out of hand.  These blog posts already say what I feel in my heart.  I hope that if you need encouragement keeping real food in balance with the rest of life that you will find some in these posts!

The Terrible Tragedy of the Healthy Eater - A crude but humorus look at the slippery slope of healthy eating!

 Food is Not Your God - Stacy is tired of the debates and feeling like she doesn't measure up (but she still eats whole foods!) 

Food Choices Are Not a Moral Issue - An encouragment to put relationships above food choices.

OK, it is time for a link up! Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.  Last week there were some great ones!

Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link:
http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Sunday, August 5, 2012

School Year Prep

I have been laser focused on school the past week or two.  I wish that I could say that after all of this sorting and reading and planning and organizing I was confident and ready for the start of this school year.  The scissors and glue have been organized into little labeled boxes, and I typed out a schedule that we will probably try to use twice before it blows up in my face and I learn for the millionth time to go with the flow
I am more nervous than I remember being in the past.  In other years I was worried that I would not be able to teach the material in a way that my son could learn it.  For some reason that isn't on my list of worries this year.  This time I am concerned about our family dynamics as we a new pupil.
This year our family has a 2nd grader, Kindergartner, a 3 year old and a 19 month old.  The Kindergartner is ready and ripe for learning.  It will be fun to watch her grow and learn, but pulling her out to work on phonics and other skills will change life for my 3 year old.  She is his best playmate.  He is left to play with the baby.  His interactions with the baby usually consists of torturing her.  The days are about to get interesting.  My 2nd grader is great and will do what is asked of him, but if I am not right there keep him going on the next thing he sneaks off to find Legos or some craft/building project.  He has totally caught on to the fact that if he is busy and quiet he can put off school work.  This is the puzzle I am trying to put together this year. 
I wonder if I can be a good teacher and a good mom at the same time.  How can I explain borrowing from the 10s column while keeping the little ones busy?  Even as I type that it makes me sad.  Aren't I supposed to be doing something more with them than simply "keeping them busy"?  Can I keep a mindset that I am called to train them not just entertain them?  Can I make learning a joy for all of us instead of just a list books, subjects and worksheets that are to be completed? Is there a way that we can learn together or is that just a nice idea that you read about? 
With all these questions and worries I am left in one of two places.  Either I am left alone with my thoughts and fears and drive myself crazy or I fall to my knees begging God to give me wisdom.  I know that I am in over my head.  The tasks is too large, and I am too human.  I think that is why God gives me big tasks sometimes-to keep me completely dependant on Him.  My school prep begins in the book of Proverbs this year.  Seeking the wisdom of God and an understanding that only He can give. 
Proverbs 1:2-7
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction