Thomas Whitmore
Thomas is a steady husband and father who leads his family with patience, truth, and faithful care. He guides their learning through daily example and family worship.
Welcome To The Little Reformed Library
Ancient Truthsfor Little Hearts
Join the Whitmore family as they learn enduring truths through catechism, Scripture, family worship, and classic Reformed books.
The Whitmore Family
Meet the family
The Whitmores
The Whitmores gather around Scripture, catechism, family worship, and trusted books. Learn alongside them as rich truths become part of ordinary family life.
Clara Whitmore
Clara is a gentle wife, mother, and teacher who fills ordinary moments with kindness and instruction. She helps her children treasure Scripture and serve one another.
Caleb Whitmore
Caleb is a curious, tenderhearted little learner who asks thoughtful questions. He practices speaking truth, receiving instruction, and showing kindness.
Lucy Whitmore
Lucy is a gentle, helpful daughter who loves learning beside her family. She listens carefully, serves gladly, and brings kindness to their home.
Little Questions, Big Truths
Stories with the Whitmores
Each story begins with a question from Caleb or Lucy. The Whitmores talk it through in an ordinary moment, then read Scripture together. Every story closes with a Big Truth, words For Little Ones, and a passage to Read Together.
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 1
Why Do We Pray?
Lucy wonders why we pray when God already knows everything.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 2
Does God Keep His Promises?
As Caleb plants a seed, he learns why every promise God makes can be trusted.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 3
Can God See Me?
A game of hide-and-seek helps Caleb learn that no place is hidden from God.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 4
Why Do We Read the Bible?
At bedtime, Lucy learns why her family reads God’s Word again and again.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 5
What Should I Do When I Sin?
After knocking down Lucy’s blocks, Caleb learns to confess his sin and make things right.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
Little Questions, Big Truths · Story 6
Why Should I Forgive?
Lucy learns to forgive Caleb and show kindness as they rebuild their block town.
Big TruthFor Little OnesRead TogetherAsk Your Child
The Whitmore home
Clara’s Corner
Practical help for wives and mothers in the ordinary work of home. Find simple recipes, household rhythms, and ideas for days with little ones.
Choose something from Clara’s worktable to open a collection.
Hover over an object to see what it holds, then click or tap to open it.
Printable helpers · 4 sheets
Keep a useful page close at hand
Weekly Meal PlannerPlan seven suppers and note what to prepare ahead.Open printable PDF →Grocery ListShop with one organized list.Open printable PDF →Lord’s Day PreparationA short checklist for worship and fellowship.Open printable PDF →Little Helpers ChartChoose small jobs for a child to practice.Open printable PDF →
From Clara’s kitchen · 12 recipes
Simple food for the family table
Use a food thermometer for meat and egg dishes. See safe cooking temperatures.
Clara’s Corner · Preservation
Preserving food at home
Explore the little illustrated recipe notes here, then use the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s complete tested instructions before making any recipe.
Canning
Apple Juice
A clear, mellow way to keep the apple harvest for another season.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Pour a chilled glass beside Sunday breakfast, or warm a cup with cinnamon on a cold afternoon.
Yield: Yield varies with the amount of juice.
Ingredients
- Freshly pressed apple juice, ideally a blend of apple varieties.
Method
- Refrigerate the pressed juice for 24 to 48 hours. Pour the clear juice away from the sediment without stirring. Filter it through a paper coffee filter or two layers of damp cheesecloth.
- Heat the clear juice quickly, stirring now and then, until it just begins to boil. Fill sterile pint or quart jars, or clean half-gallon jars, at once. Leave ¼ inch of headspace. Apply lids.
- Process in a boiling-water canner using the time for your jar size and elevation below. Read NCHFP’s jar sterilization and boiling-water canning instructions before beginning.
| Jar size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pint or quart | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
| Half-gallon | 10 min | 15 min | 20 min |
The 5-minute pint and quart schedule calls for sterile jars. See NCHFP’s directions for sterilizing empty jars.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Cranberries
Bright berries ready for winter meals and holiday tables.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Spoon these glossy berries beside a holiday roast, or tuck a jar into a hostess basket.
Yield: Yield depends on the amount of fruit and syrup.
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries, washed and stemmed.
- Heavy syrup made from water and sugar. For a nine-pint canner load, NCHFP gives 5 cups water and 3¼ cups sugar.
Method
- Heat the water and sugar together until boiling to make heavy syrup. Add cranberries carefully and quickly. Boil for 3 minutes.
- Pack the hot fruit into hot pint or quart jars. Cover with boiling syrup. Leave ½ inch of headspace for both fruit and syrup. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims with a damp clean paper towel, and apply two-piece lids.
- Process hot-packed jars in a boiling-water canner at the elevation-specific time below.
| Jar size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–3,000 ft | 3,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pint or quart | 15 min | 20 min | 20 min | 25 min |
The heavy-syrup quantities come from NCHFP’s separate syrup guide. Check that guide if you need another batch size.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Jams & Jellies
Plum Conserve
A richly colored fruit preserve for toast and the breakfast table.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Spread a little on warm biscuits for a slow Saturday breakfast.
Yield: About 10 half-pint jars.
Ingredients
- 2½ quarts chopped, pitted plums, about 4½ pounds
- ¾ cup thinly sliced orange peel
- 2 cups seedless raisins
- 1¾ cups chopped orange pulp, about 2 large oranges
- 6 cups sugar
- 2 cups broken pecans or other nuts
Method
- Sterilize canning jars. Combine plums, orange pulp and peel, raisins, and sugar. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook rapidly for about 15 to 20 minutes, almost to the jellying point. The target is 8°F above the local boiling point of water, or 220°F at sea level. Stir often as it thickens. Add the nuts during the last 5 minutes.
- Ladle hot conserve into hot sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe rims with a damp clean paper towel, apply two-piece lids, and process in a boiling-water canner at the time below.
| Jar size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-pint or pint | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
Use sterile jars for the 5-minute schedule.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Cranberry Marmalade
Tart cranberry and citrus in a cheerful jar.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Bring out a jar with toast and tea when friends visit in winter.
Yield: About 10 or 11 half-pint jars.
Ingredients
- 2 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 3 cups water
- 1 pound fully ripe cranberries, about 4 cups
- 1 box powdered pectin
- 7 cups sugar
Method
- Sterilize canning jars and prepare two-piece lids as the maker directs. Peel the oranges and lemon. Remove half the white pith from their rinds, then finely chop or grind the remaining rinds. Simmer the rinds in the water, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Chop the peeled citrus. Wash and sort the cranberries. Add both fruits to the rind mixture, cover, and cook gently for 10 minutes more.
- Measure 6 cups of cooked fruit into a large kettle. Add water if needed to reach 6 cups. Mix in the powdered pectin. Stir constantly over high heat until the mixture reaches a full boil. Add sugar, return to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute while stirring. Remove from heat and skim.
- Fill hot sterile jars immediately, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe rims with a damp clean paper towel, apply two-piece lids, and process in a boiling-water canner at the time below.
| Jar size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-pint or pint | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
Use sterile jars for the 5-minute schedule.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Pickling
Coming soon
Fermenting
Kombucha Tea
A cultured tea project to approach with clean equipment and careful attention.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Serve it over ice with fresh mint after fermentation, following NCHFP’s serving and refrigeration guidance.
Yield: 27 to 34 four-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water, divided
- 3 tablespoons black tea, or 6 tea bags
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons green tea, or 13 tea bags
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 SCOBY with starter liquid
Method
- First read NCHFP’s kombucha overview and FAQ. Clean the work area. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wash and rinse equipment, then sanitize it in water at 171°F or hotter for at least 30 seconds.
- Test 1 tablespoon of starter liquid with a pH strip as its maker directs. Discard the tested sample. Use the starter only if its pH is 4.0 or lower. If it is above 4.0, discard the starter and obtain fresh starter liquid.
- Heat 4 cups water to 160–170°F and steep both teas for 2 minutes. Remove tea bags or strain loose tea. Pour the tea into the fermentation vessel, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add 12 cups cold water. Check that the tea is below 95°F.
- Add the SCOBY and approved starter liquid. Stir for 10 seconds. Dry the vessel rim. Cover with a paper towel, coffee filter, or clean cheesecloth secured by a band or string. Date the vessel as Day 0.
- Ferment at 68–77°F for 7 to 10 days. Transfer fully fermented tea to clean, sanitized jars or bottles and refrigerate promptly. Use within 30 days. Airtight bottles can build dangerous carbonation pressure. Read NCHFP’s bottle warning before storage.
If you mix in flavorings after fermentation, drink at once or refrigerate for no more than 2 days.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Sauerkraut
Cabbage transformed through fermentation into a pantry favorite.
About this recipe and full method
A little idea: Pile a forkful beside sausages or tuck it into a warm sandwich.
Yield: About 9 quarts.
Ingredients
- 25 pounds firm, fresh cabbage
- ¾ cup canning or pickling salt
- If needed for coverage: cooled brine made from 1½ tablespoons salt per quart of boiled water
Method
- Begin with cabbage harvested 24 to 48 hours earlier when possible. Work in 5-pound batches. Discard outer leaves, rinse, drain, quarter, remove cores, and shred or slice about ¼ inch thick.
- For each 5 pounds, mix in 3 tablespoons salt using clean hands. Pack tightly in a suitable fermentation vessel until juices appear. Repeat for all the cabbage. Leave at least 4 to 5 inches between cabbage and vessel rim.
- Keep the cabbage below its juice. If needed, add the cooled boiled brine listed above. Add a suitable plate and weights, then cover with a clean bath towel. Follow NCHFP’s guidance for fermentation vessels, covers, and weights.
- Ferment at 70–75°F for about 3 to 4 weeks, or at 60–65°F for about 5 to 6 weeks. Below 60°F fermentation may fail. Above 75°F the kraut may soften. If using a brine-filled bag as a weight, leave the crock alone until bubbling stops. If using jars as weights, check 2 to 3 times weekly and remove any scum.
- Keep fully fermented kraut tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months, or can it. For a hot pack, slowly bring kraut and liquid to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and pack jars firmly with kraut and juices. For a raw pack, pack jars firmly and cover with juices. Leave ½ inch headspace for either pack. Apply lids and process in a boiling-water canner using the matching row below.
| Pack and jar | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–3,000 ft | 3,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, pint | 10 min | 15 min | 15 min | 20 min |
| Hot, quart | 15 min | 20 min | 20 min | 25 min |
| Raw, pint | 20 min | 25 min | 30 min | 35 min |
| Raw, quart | 25 min | 30 min | 35 min | 40 min |
The fermentation temperatures and canning times are part of the tested method. Check the original directions before starting.
Use the full tested NCHFP instructions ↗ for complete safety guidance and any updates before preparing this recipe.
Freezing
Coming soon
Drying
Coming soon
Curing & Smoking
Coming soon
Storing
Coming soon
Recipe introductions are for browsing. Always use the linked NCHFP instructions for safe preparation, processing, and storage.
Home rhythms · 12 guides
For the work of an ordinary week
With Little Ones · 12 guides
For life alongside young children
The library shelf
Learn one faithful truth at a time.
Begin with illustrated family studies, devotionals, and guided worship readings. Return whenever your household is ready for the next lesson.
Westminster Shorter Catechism for Little Ones
Historic questions, plain explanations, and Scripture for family learning.
Resolved for Little Ones
Follow Abigail Mercer, Josiah Reed, Samuel Whitaker, Mercy Hale, Nathaniel Pike, Thomas Avery, Eliza Finch, Lydia Brooks, Benjamin Clarke, and Hannah Wells through Jonathan Edwards’s resolutions.
Lord, Help My Unbelief
A ten-day devotional for children, adapted from an article by Pastor Paul E. Shireman entitled Prayerful Dependence on God: Faith’s Remedy for Unbelief.
New collection · Collection seven
Contentment for Little Ones
A collection of short stories inspired by Thomas Watson and written for young hearts.
The Family Worship Shelf
Guided readings, catechism practice, hymns, and prayers for the household.
Family Worship for Busy Nights · Reading 1Why Do We Read the Bible?
Songs We Sing · Hymn 1
How Firm a Foundation
Five verses with music notation for family singing.
Family Scripture memory · 21 verses
Memory Verses
Learn one NASB 1995 passage at a time. Begin with this week’s featured verse, browse by theme, and keep your family’s progress on this device.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org
Collection one
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Follow along through the 107 questions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
107 family lessonsProgress saved hereSearch by topic or verse
The illustrated edition
Read the complete storybook.
Follow Ethan and Claire through the illustrated pages. Jump to any question, continue where your family stopped, or browse every illustration.
Showing 107 questions