Of Children and Home

Indefinite Hiatus

2008-04-04T20:31:00.001-07:00

Have decided to take a leave from blogging. I enjoy reading other blogs and will continue to do so, but right now time is so limited and I want to spend the time with family. I really thought I would get back into it once we returned from China, but never have. Time is just too short....Blessings!!!

Jet Lag

2008-03-09T14:23:00.001-07:00

Oh, the jet lag is just killing us!!! We returned from China on March 5th with our precious 3 year old daughter!! She has had strep throat, I've got a sinus infection, and my husband has a cold, and one of our sons has a stuffy nose. At least the kidney stone thingy is doing much better. We haven't been doing much other than laying around the house. Some wonderful friends came in and painted our kitchen, left food for us, and did some housecleaning while we were gone. It was so nice to come into a clean home when we returned. But have not managed to stay on top of it because we're just utterly exhausted!! We know this will pass and hopefully soon! We did manage to go to church today and my husband commented that it just wiped him out!! I think we could have all spread out and went to sleep in the pews!! Am hoping to be able to start blogging again on a regular basis--some days it is just too difficult to get to. Blessings,

Out of Commission

2008-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Have been out of commission due to two cystoscopies this week--not fun!!! The first one was done on Monday. When dye was put in, it made the stone migrate back upwards--just like passing a kidney stone all over again--Aaarghh!! Our local hospital didn't have quite long enough equipment to get it out, so I had to go to a larger hospital in the city and have the same procedure done the following night---again not fun! They were able to extract the stone and, at that time, put in a stent. The stent was taken out yesterday, with spasms as a side effect. Little did I know that these spasms are as bad as passing the kidney stone itself. They typically last between 45 minutes to an hour and are quite painful (I call it the "take me to the emergency room" type pain) and put me flat on my back. But these spasms should start to decrease here in the next 24 hours. Taking lots of OTC pain medication and have been in bed most of the week. We are discussing the possibility of postponing our trip--are scheduled to leave Tuesday, and will see how the next few days go. We really want to bring our daughter home! Blessings.

And Away He Goes....

2008-02-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I took our son to Walmart--he had some gift cards for his birthday and he wanted a new sled. They were out of the round, plastic style sleds, so he decided to purchase this inner tube style sled which has really come in quite handy this week with the latest snowstorm. I must say he loves it! We have a gentle slope in our yard, but am hearing reports that the tube goes really fast on the slope, and there's already been one sledding accident involving a neighbor boy and a bloody nose--I'm sure you can imagine!! The boys were also outside trying to build forts--using tote boxes, cardboard remnants, and ice cream bucket molds. If nothing else, I give them an "A" for creativity.

Blessings,

I've Been Negligent....

2008-01-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

in posting. Things around our household have just been nutty. We are going to be traveling internationally next month and I've been putting my energy into that, as well as dealing with a kidney stone. While at the doctor's yesterday, she thinks I have passed it because of a clean urine sample. If anyone knows a lot about kidney stones, please let me know. I still have a little bit of pain in my back, so I keep wondering. I will say that I've had a total of about 3 diet sodas since January 12th--I do believe I have weaned myself off of regular soda, but not without headaches. It didn't help that I went to Wal-mart this morning and spent way too much money. Does anything get less expensive? I'm rambling.

I've also have had some problems in posting pictures to Blogger lately. Will try and stop by and visit those blogs I normally do. I miss them!! Have a blessed day!!

Calendars for Kids

2008-01-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

This was a calendar that I printed off from over at daniellesplace.com for the Sunday School children. I was looking for a project that would be good for K-2 grade and found these. I printed them off on stock paper, put two hole punches at the tops of the calendar, and then used elastic type string for the binding. Then the kids were able to decorate them with some stickers I brought, and it was a really easy project for them to do. Each month has a Bible verse and the children can color the picture that's at the top. Have a blessed day!!

Am still hoping and praying that this kidney stone passes. Had another CT scan today and it's still there-UGH!! Need to do lots more drinking of water tomorrow.

Four-Cheese Baked Ziti

2008-01-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

If this looks rich, that's because it is, but it is oh so good!!! It sets up the same as lasagne and easily microwaves the next day!! This recipe was taken from the latest issue of Country Woman magazine.

Four-Cheese Baked Ziti

1 16-ounce package ziti or small tube pasta
2 cartons (10 ounce each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 8-ounce cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce carton Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (I used a four-cheese blend that included Romano)
1/4 minced fresh parsley
1-3/4 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

Cook the ziti according to the directions on the package. Drain and return to pan. Stir in both cartons of the Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half of this mixture into a lightly greased baking dish.

Combine the eggs, Ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, the Romano cheese and parsley (I did not put any parsley in mine). Spread this mixture over the pasta. Put remaining pasta mixture on top and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.

Cover and bake this at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and let bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. (I actually broiled it for the last few minutes to get the cheese a little brown around the edges.) Enjoy!!

Water, Water, and More Water

2008-01-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

Right now, I feel sooooooo waterlogged. This weekend, while hubby and I were in a class out of town, I started to develop abdominal pain, chills, and back pain. It went on pretty much all day, only letting up a little bit around lunch time. When the class ended, and we were headed home, I had him take me to the Emergency Room at our local hospital. After having tests runs, including a CT scan, it was determined I was passing a kidney stone!!! Yikes!! Not fun. They are very painful. The pain has subsided and I'm continuing to drink lots of water, but at this point all I'm doing is running to the bathroom. Am ready to give it a rest!! Have a blessed day!

Winter Scenes

2008-01-10T06:19:00.000-08:00

During the last ice storm, the trees were just magnificent. Of course, later on we were really starting to worry as lying in bed at night, you could here the trees start to snap and pop and we were wondering if one of them would come through our roof. We were quite greatful we did not have the wind with the storm, otherwise there would have been no power. So many people hate the snow and ice, and it is difficult to drive in without a doubt. But the beauty of it all still takes my breath away. Blessings.

A New Year - Time to Sew

2008-01-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a nice long break from blogging. I had been hinting to my dear husband that I would really love a sewing maching for Christmas. Guess what? I received this lovely sewing machine. I am definitely a beginning sewer and would really love to learn how to quilt eventually. It started a few years ago when our children started Scouts and needed patches sewn on their uniforms and I would hand do them, and it was just plain hard. Also, my husband usually needs his pants hemmed and so I would take them to a seamstress. Now that I've learned to do a double-fold hem with a little practice, I will be hemming his pants. Also, our children wanted pillows made during the holiday season, so I let them pick out a fleece fabric at the store and made them each their own pillow. I get a little teary eyed when I check on them at night and see them laying their heads on the pillows I've made--they seem to enjoy them so much. The pillows are nothing special--just square or rectangle pieces of fabric, but they really seem to like them. Our youngest has already mentioned he wants me to make him a blanket. We will see how that goes.

We have some big changes in store for our family this year--I will fill you in later. Have a blessed day!!

Time to Wind Down...

2007-12-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

and get away from blogging for a while. Our children begin their Christmas break early this afternoon and will not return to school until early January. Their grandmother will be here for a few days beginning Saturday and I'm planning on doing a little cleaning for the next few days and getting the house in order--although I don't plan on working too hard at it today after yesterday--I'd been painting our living room wall and all the cleanup that came with it. The tea in the photo above is a really good tea to relax and wind down with. I've had some good teas before, but I do believe this is one of my favorites--Vanilla Caramel Truffle from Lipton. Also, love the design of the teabag--it's a triangle shape made of a fine mesh-like material. It comes very close to tasting like a candy bar--YUM!! To you and yours, have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Busily Cleaning

2007-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

...and the Clorox Ready Mop is ready for action. This is one of my favorite cleaning products and has been since it came out. I think the reason I like it so much is because it is not waxy. We have laminate flooring throughout the main level of our home, except for the bathroom floors and the icky kitchen carpeting we have. I try not to overdue it on the cleaning products, and usually prefer hot soapy water for the bathroom floors. I have found this product to work just great for the laminate flooring. I could be more diligent about mopping, but if I were I would be mopping all the time with the boys shoe prints and all. I do need to do a thorough mopping, hopefully tomorrow, before Christmas break. If you haven't found the right product for your laminate floors, give this a try. I'm sure you will like it. Have a blessed day!!

Appetizers Anyone?

2007-12-18T15:35:00.001-08:00

This is an appetizer my dear husband made this weekend. He had it at food day at work and tried to replicate it. It tastes great!! I'm not sure I even have a name for it, so let's make something up.

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies (okay that works)

1 package bacon, thin cut
1 package beef smokies
brown sugar

You will need to cut the bacon in half. It's easier if it's still in the package and then take a knife and slice the bacon right down the middle. Wrap a piece of the bacon around each smokie and seal with a toothpick. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees on a rack you can set on top of your baking sheet until bacon is crisp, but not overdone. That way the grease will drip on the bottom of the baking sheet. You'll need to keep checking these.

We polished these off in no time at all. When you get to be older, you also realize that grease has an effect on you. So, maybe eat these in moderation if you can. Enjoy!!

Okay, I've got to start posting something other than recipes. It's just that we've been doing so much cooking lately and I'm always on the lookout for new recipes, that I just assume others are also. Have a blessed day!

Spiced Beef Stew

2007-12-14T19:43:00.001-08:00

Another wonderful recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Spiced Beef Stew

(I made some variations to this and this is what I used)
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1 can or bottle of beer
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can green beans
1/2 package baby carrots
1 can or jar chopped tomatoes

I used a dutch oven to melt the butter. Then coat the stew meat with flour and cook until browned through. After browning, remove the beef from the dutch oven and set aside.

Take the 1/4 cup flour and put in the dutch oven along with beef broth (add the broth slowly and whisk flour so it is not lumpy), the beer (grabbed a bottle of one of my husband's ales), onion, garlic, brown sugar, and thyme. Heat to boil. After this comes to a boil, add remaining vegetables. Cover and simmer until done (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours). As this was cooking, I watched to see if it needed to be thicker. If needed, mix some of the broth with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and add to stew to thicken. Enjoy!!

This is a really wonderful recipe on a cold day like today!!

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

2007-12-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

This recipe was pulled from Allrecipes.com. I love that website!!

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir the above ingredients into a large bowl. Take a mixing spoon to blend.

Add the following to the above.

2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat until well combined. Pour batter into greased 7 x 3 pans and put into preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Holiday Plates and Other Stuff

2007-12-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

My, aren't holiday plates so pretty? Normally, I'm not one for collecting items. Every year at my husband's Christmas party they have these really pretty Christmas items for the spouses--this year was a plate on a small black stand. It really is very pretty with a snowflake in the middle, the writing around the snowflake has the names of goodies, and around the rim is decorated with holly berries and leaves. We bought a new hutch for our kitchen this weekend, and it looks so pretty sitting on it. Now if only I could get the the rest of the kitchen done--we found out this weekend that the wonderful (icky) carpet in our kitchen is glued to the floor which is laying on another piece of flooring. EEEWWWW!! It's going to be a job to get it done, and not a lot of spare time these days!! So now as you enter our kitchen, there is a piece of torn carpet with the floor showing through--looks lovely!! Have a blessed day!!

Cream Cheese Cookies

2007-12-06T15:21:00.001-08:00

This is a very easy recipe from over at Making Home. It's cream cheese cookies and it only takes 4 items. I was in the mood to do some light baking this afternoon, so this recipe came in handy.

Cream Cheese Cookies

1 box cake mix (any kind)
2 eggs
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 stick butter

This recipe on her site called for 1 egg, but I was having problems getting all the ingredients to blend so I added another egg. Also, I used a german chocolate cake mix. It will help if your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Mix all ingredients together and drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. I like them just a little underdone. These cookies have the consistency of a cake-type cookie. Enjoy!!

Christmas Cactus

2007-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

I picked up one of these beautiful Christmas cactus' at the grocery store this past weekend!! Isn't it beautiful? I've never bought one of these before, so I thought I would give it a try. The flowers are starting to bloom. We did some Christmas decorating this weekend. Also picked up a salmon-colored poinsetta. I love plants, but am not very good with houseplants. I've tried before but typically my indoor plants always end up going in the garbage. May you have a blessed day!!

A Good One Was Lost Today

2007-12-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

No pictures today--they simply aren't needed. Life is simply too short. One of my 8-year-old son's classmates--her mother was killed in an automobile accident yesterday due to the ice on the roads. It came as quite a shock!! She was much too young! It's my understanding she lost control of her vehicle on the roads and her vehicle rolled. With a husband and three children--the younger two are not yet school aged. It is such a tragedy! This is not supposed to happen--we question why did God let this happen. It just doesn't make any sense......watch over your little ones.....

Sometimes You Need

2007-11-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

...a little treat! And today, for me, this was it!! I spied this at our local Wal-mart and thought, for $.75, I would give it a try. I like Dr. Pepper and I love chocolate--how could one possibly go wrong!! It has a really good taste, just like drinking a chocolate covered cherry (try to imagine). I'm not much of a diet soda drinker--just give me a regular Coca-Cola and I'm in heaven. I remember right after having given birth via C-section with our first born and asking our doctor if I could please have a Coca-Cola. He told me "no!" because it would make me sick--it was so disappointing. Oh, how I wanted one! But two days later my dear husband came into the hospital room and pulled out a Coca-Cola out of his winter coat pocket--aaahhh heaven--along with having a newborn son!! My that was a little over 10 years ago! I still love Coca-Cola, but love to try new products out on the market! This was one of them! Have a blessed day!!

A Little Bit of History

2007-11-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

These are candle sets I purchased at our church craft and cookie sale--I had my eye on them because they would add a nice touch to our "rustic" looking decor (or old decor as some might call it), so when I heard where they came from, I went "sold." They are two separate pieces of wood that are carved at the top to make places for candles to sit down in them. The candles smell of pine, vanilla, and I believe some sort of berry, and they make our kitchen smell wonderful. Not to mention they are quite pretty during this wonderful season. And here is the really neat part...the wood bases are made from rails that were in our old church before it was gutted. We weren't members of our church very long before they decided to build a new church, so it is really nice to have a little bit of history of our old church. Blessings!!

The First Snowfall

2007-11-21T06:40:00.001-08:00

...and boy is it ever pretty! There is something so magical about those first flakes! Our 8-year-old was outside by 7:45 a.m. making a snow angel and wanted me to take a picture of the angel. It's sad to think that looking out now, an hour later, that she is long gone!!

Our burning bushes will have no color one of these days as the cold sets in and the leaves will drop. This one has some last remaining color and some of the snow on it. It is cold and windy here, compared to the 70 degree "heat wave" earlier in the week. I'm actually glad--love the cold and love the snow, as long as I'm dressed for it. Have a great Thanksgiving and be thankful for all that God has offered to us. There are many on the planet who are much less fortunate. Have a blessed weekend!!

Getting Back to Normal

2007-11-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

...if there is such a thing! I feel like I haven't been following a consistent routine in blogging lately. At church last week, we had a cookie and craft sale which I co-chaired. We had cookies everywhere!! The picture above is some of the many wonderful goodies we had for sale. We managed to sell lots of homemade cookies, candies, and bars, and wonderful homemade jelly and crafts. Now that life is returning to normal, I am hoping to post on a more consistent basis. The weather has been wonderful here lately--almost too hot for this time of year. Am looking for a little cold snap to settle in. Have a blessed day!!

Of Boys and Bikes

2007-11-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Our younger son was just thrilled when dad put on these lights on the spokes of the bicycle tires. Now, every time he hits a bump, they light up. I must admit, it's kinda' cool!! Our younger son is an avid bicycle rider. In fact, about an hour ago, I was outside pulling his pant leg out of the chain--he was stuck. Now he's going to need a new pair of pants because the material ripped. We ended up getting him a new bicycle about a month ago, because his other bicycle tire was ruined, and it would cost too much to replace it. When I see our son on his bicycle, it really takes me back to my childhood and brings back those great memories of riding bikes. Blessings, Paula

Gumdrop Cookies

2007-11-08T17:38:00.002-08:00

I've been experimenting with different types of cookies for the past few months to take to our craft and cookie sale at church. Today, I pulled one from Gooseberry Patch's Christmas in the Country. I must say these are really good, and am thinking about taking several dozen of them. Here's the recipe.

Spiced Gumdrop Cookies (I used the Brach's Spice Drops)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup gumdrops, chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

First, I should say that I didn't use any nuts. Mix together the sugar, the brown sugar, shortening, beaten eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Add the gumdrops and nuts (if you wish). Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for a little under 15 minutes. Watch carefully toward the end to make sure they don't get too brown. This made about 3-1/2 dozen cookies for me. Enjoy!!

2007-11-08T17:38:00.001-08:00

Holiday Morning French Toast

2007-11-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Even though it's not quite the holidays, there are foods that I just want to start making now. This was one of the recipes I wanted to try. It is from the Gooseberry Patch Christmas in the Country cookbook.

Holiday Morning French Toast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon, divided
3-4 granny smith apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1 loaf French of Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick
8 to 9 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and one teaspoon cinnamon in a lightly greased deep 9 x 13 baking pan. Add the apples and raisins (I omitted the raisins); toss to coat well and spread the apple mixture in the bottom of the pan. Arrange slices of bread on top (I used good 'ole Texas Toast); set aside. Blend together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and the rest of the cinnamon until well mixed. Pour mixture over the bread, making sure all the bread is covered. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours (I made before bedtime and left in refrigerator overnight.). Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

It was really good on a cold morning like this morning. After slicing and putting on a serving plate, I drizzled with warm maple syrup. Enjoy!!

Just Remember....

2007-11-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

...not only are chocolate donuts for eating, but they are also very wonderful when your son writes a message such as "I love you" on the donut. What a wonderful way to start the day. Have a blessed day!!

November Already!!!

2007-11-02T19:21:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of our mum garden. They just bloomed and bloomed this year. I think it's because of all the wonderful rainshowers we received. I can't believe October is over. This week was just really busy and there's been little time for much of anything. I'm hoping things will slow down a bit after mid-month. Am looking forward to, believe it or not, doing a deep cleaning of my home prior to December--would also like to start decorating for Christmas. Our older son will have a birthday party next weekend with family coming to celebrate!! He will be in the double digits!! There are several blogs needing to be caught up on. I hope everyone has a great weekend--I apologize for the lack of posting! Blessings, Paula

There are Simply....

2007-10-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

...not enough hours in the day. After dropping the children off at school this morning, I came home and exercised for 1/2 hour (seems to be all I can fit in). Then I worked on our Craft and Cookie sale for our church that will be held next month. After that, I headed out for lunch with friends (boy do I love 2-1/2 hours lunches)!! Then came home and attended to some personal business, did laundry, made dinner, ran our oldest son to one of his activities, came home and started bath water for our younger son, discovered a "Behavior Contract" in our older son's backpack (lovely) and sat down to discuss it with my husband, and then went back to pick our son up. It's now around 8:30 p.m. and I'm exhausted and yawning! That long lunch must have really tired me out!! I hope your home was more "peaceful" than mine today!!

Halloween Cupcakes

2007-10-26T10:03:00.001-07:00

We have a Halloween party to attend tonight for children with disabilities and our family volunteered to bring cupcakes. These were plain old cupcakes out of the box, and then I used Wilton's Buttercream frosting (idea taken from "The Sparrow's Nest" blog) to finish up. I also used both orange and black edible glitter to make them a little nicer. Cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make and I enjoy decorating them so much!! Have a blessed weekend!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

2007-10-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

I pulled this recipe from over at allrecipes.com--one of my favorite websites!! I did modify some of the quantity of the ingredients. Breakfast casseroles are so wonderful!! This is very easy to make and tastes delicious!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. of breakfast sausage
1/8 cup of onion (add enough onion for your taste)
1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (or your choosing)
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons milk
3/4 package (2.64 ounce) country gravy mix
5 slices bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons melted butter (I think I used a little more)
paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 11 x 8 inch baking dish. (I have none that size so I used a 9 x 13.)

Brown the sausage and drain the grease. Mix the onion and sausage together and spread over bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Whisk the eggs, water, milk, and gravy mix and pour over the cheese and sausage. Take your bread cubes and put evenly over the top. I then drizzled the melted butter over the bread. I did not use any paprika.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes in the oven or until done. I took the tin foil off after the 40 minutes and baked an additional 5-7 minutes so the bread would get crispy. Enjoy!!

We Are Very Fortunate!!

2007-10-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

This is the view as we walk out our back garage door. The colors in the Maple tree are just glorious!! I can also see the Pine tree (to the left) and the Maple out of our kitchen window. We are very blessed to live where we live. Thinking about all of the individuals who are suffering now out on the West Coast who have lost everything and all of those who live in poverty having only the bare necessities makes me realize how fortunate we are to live where we do. There is color all over our yard, from the mum garden (I should post another picture now that all of the plants are in full bloom) to the small pumpkin patch to the trees. Please say a prayer for those who have been forced to evacuate in California that they are safe and may return to their homes soon. Blessings.

Coleus

2007-10-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I snapped this picture of this beautiful Coleus while we were in Branson. The color was absolutely gorgeous!! I haven't planted Coleus at our home in years--think we're more of perennial people than annual people. There are many different colors of this plant, and they are quite beautiful. If you like planting annuals, try the Coleus. The color is amazing!! Have a blessed day!

Homemade Soaps

2007-10-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

...I believe this is an indulgence!! When we were in Silver Dollar City and Branson, I had the opportunity to buy some homemade soaps. The one in front is Honeysuckle (it smells great), while the two in back are Eucalyptus and Lime--they both smell wonderful also. This is a skill that I would like to learn--that of making homemade soap. The thought of using lye somehow bothers me. In the meantime, I will just have to make due with the wonderful homemade soaps that others make.

If any of you have purchased homemade soaps via the web, please point me to their website. I'd be interested in buying some more. Have a blessed day!!

Table Rock Lake

2007-10-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

Every morning while on vacation, we tried to hike along the rocky shore line. We usually walked out onto the docks to take in the stunning view across the lake. It is so pretty there!! It makes you not want to leave. Our sons try to skip stones on the water and look for little shells. Imagine my surprise when walking along the natural rocks and coming across a retaining stone (the kind I use at home in our landscaping--ugh!!). I actually thought for a moment about picking it up and bringing it back with us!? The trees had not quite turned their glorious color yet, but were just beginning as we needed to pack up and head home. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Celebration City Foliage

2007-10-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

This was some of the beautiful foliage at Celebration City in Branson, Missouri--complete with the meandering waterfall and gorgeous spruce tree. We had never been to Celebration City before. It is a more downsized amusement park. The children loved riding the go-karts, the bumper cars, and the log ride. I enjoyed all of the wonderful trees and plants they had. It is open in the evenings and very, very clean. The park was really decked out for Fall, and we had quite a laugh when our younger son was walking around the perimeter of a tree and said "Look Mom, a scarecrow," and then the scarecrow actually started talking to him. Both of our children "jumped" pretty high. We had a wonderful evening there and I'm sure we'll travel there again in the future.

Silver Dollar City

2007-10-17T17:15:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a few days in Branson, Missouri. We normally stay on Indian Point not far from Silver Dollar City. There are many places on Indian Point which overlook Table Rock Lake. It's a safe bet to say it is our favorite vacation spot and we've been several times. This picture was taken near the entrance of Silver Dollar City. I don't know how to explain the park, other than to say it will take you back in time to a bygone era. And the potatoes fried up in large round skillets with vegetables are my favorite. The women all wear long flowery dresses while working in their shops. During the Fall, they host a craftsmen festival with some of the most beautiful crafts I've seen. Our children love to ride the rides and had such fun getting soaking wet on the log ride. Silver Dollar City has a few hilly areas, and I think our vacation was somewhat of a workout because my legs were stiff after doing lots of walking. It's good to be back home and will try to share some pictures of the area during the week. Blessings!!

On Vacation For a Few Days....

2007-10-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Cookbooks!!

2007-10-10T16:24:00.001-07:00

...don't you? I love very practical cookbooks. This Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Christmas in the Country, has some wonderful recipes that I can't wait to try now that the weather is turning colder. I've picked up many cookbooks throughout the years, and some I just keep reaching for again and again, and I'm sure this will be one of them. You know how it is when you are searching for a recipe, and then you skim the ingredient list, and realize there is not a store near you that sells any of the exotic spices the recipe calls for. I have a few cookbooks like that and I haven't looked at a recipe in them for years. I love comfort foods and this cookbook has plenty of recipes along that line--especially some wonderful breakfast recipes I can't wait to try.

What is your favorite cookbook?

Gourds for Decorating

2007-10-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

What would Fall be without gourds for decorating? Our younger son had a cub scout outing at a local farm this past Friday and we came home with all sorts of gourds. The kids had a blast finding their own unique gourds and were very anxious to show us adults what they had found. The white-colored pumpkins were especially wonderful, but I think the children didn't want to stray far from the usual orange-colored pumpkins as there weren't too many takers of the white variety. We also went to a small field full of Indian corn, and many were on the lookout for the red variety, which is especially pretty. This does give me the idea that next year we should plant some Indian corn. But for now, the gourds happily decorate our front steps.

What unusual variety of gourds do you have? Have a blessed day!!

How Full Are Your Baskets??

2007-10-08T12:51:00.001-07:00

Do you have baskets that sometimes look like this? This is just a plain 'ole laundry basket absolutely filled beyond capacity. Sometimes life can be like this also. Being a homemaker you would think I would have it together, but a lot of times there is absolute overload. Much of it comes from doing things outside the home--volunteer work comes to mind, along with too many errands, as well as childrens' activities. But how does one do away with it? I enjoy serving others in some capacity, but at what expense to the home. I have a hard time saying no to serving on committees, and realize the time is going to come where I will need to say "no" in order to keep our home in order, otherwise it can get out of control too fast. Our children aren't in a tremendous amount of activities, but it does take time running them back and forth to activities--this is not something I'm fond of, especially as it seems to appear that our society feels that children need to start sports and activities when they are in pre-school--huh?? It wasn't that way when we were kids. For those of you who are homemakers who are considering taking on too many activities outside the home, ask yourself first if it is absolutely necessary. There is just way too much work to be done inside the home, then you will be able to have "baskets" that aren't overflowing. Have a blessed day!!

Clean Scents

2007-10-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

This dish and hand soap from Yankee Candle is wonderful if you are looking for clean smelling dish soap for your pots and pans. I purchased this from a garden/feed supply store that carries Yankee Candle products and it was half price. This has the wonderful smell of lavender. I use it quite often to clean large pots that will not fit into our dishwasher. If you are looking for some great smelling dish soaps, you might want to give this a try. Have a great weekend!!

Chicken and Noodles

2007-10-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

Chicken and noodles we make at our home are pretty simple. We don't use many ingredients and it's simple to put together. Fall is a busy time around our home with many gardening projects and our children's and church events. I do as much slow cooking as possible.

Chicken and Noodles

8 ounces homestyle noodles
1 large can of Swanson chicken broth (49 ounce size)
2 cans Swanson white meat chunk chicken breast (9-3/4 ounce cans)

Bring your chicken broth to a boil. Cook your noodles in the chicken broth. Read your directions for how long your noodles should cook--normally 10-12 minutes, but some types of noodles take longer. Place your cooked noodles and broth, along with the chicken meat, in a slow cooker on low for a few hours. This can be served for dinner with a vegetable and dinner rolls or bread.

You can also use cooked chicken breasts that you have cut up in place of the canned chicken. I prefer the canned--I think it's because it has the right amount of salt. I don't put any seasonings in this--just pepper when we sit down to eat. Have a blessed day!!

Fall Gardening Project

2007-10-03T11:08:00.001-07:00

This has been one of my fall gardening projects. These gardening beds were full of weeds that were unmanageable. In order to make a nicer space for gardening, I pulled all the weeds and then put down landscaping cloth. And then, one by one, carried these retaining blocks in order to make an enclosed border. Before, the border consisted of old railroad ties and they were all rotting out. Instead of replacing the ties, we decided that the bricks would be much better with little maintenance required. Now, when next spring rolls around, we will be ready to go. Have a blessed day!!

Sedum

2007-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

These are some of the last blooming flowers that we have in our garden--they are sedum. This variety of sedum has pretty white blooms that open in the late summer. We have so much of it, we need to cut it back. We also have some, I believe it's called, Autumn Joy sedum, more of a purplish red bloom that are also very beautiful. The only drawback to these flowers that I can think of is that they tend to attract a lot of bees. Sedum is a nice perennial that would make a great addition to any garden!!

Glitter Pumpkins

2007-10-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

I give total credit to Martha Stewart for these wonderful pumpkins! I was watching Martha well over one year ago when she was making these beautiful pumpkins, so I decided I would have to try them. Last October, my children and I made the glitter pumpkins using glitter purchased at our local Wal-mart store. We mixed colors, such as blue and gold. We also used red. This weekend I was in a craft store that actually had the Martha Stewart line of glitter, so I decided to pick some up. These are very easy to make. Your supplies should include a pumpkin (small works wonderfully), a bottle of glue (I used Elmer's), a sponge paint brush, glitter of your choosing, and some wax paper to sit the pumpkin on. This year, our children weren't the least bit interested in making these, so I did two of them myself. Simply put some of the glue into a small dish and then use the sponge paint brush and apply glue all over the pumpkin, making sure the glue is applied as evenly as possible. Then spoon the glitter on all over the pumpkin (don't worry about applying too much because it will shake off) and let dry. If you missed some spots on the pumpkin, try and dab on the glue and then reapply your glitter. That's its!! These pumpkins have such a beautiful sheen to them! This is a wonderful project to do with your daughters!! (I also should say that if you notice a slight smell in a week or so after having done these, please check your pumpkin, as it might be leaking a bit.) Have a blessed day!!

Building, Breaking, and Blowing Things Up!!

2007-09-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

Those are the three "Bs" in our home--they probably are in yours also, especially if you have boys. Fortunately, at their current ages, we are much more heavy on the building part of things!! Our boys love to build! They've got lots of Legos and they like to build with the Magnetix (shown above). They received some of these for Christmas a few years ago. The Magnetix are wonderful if you are ever looking for toys in addition to Legos. Our children also found a large bag of the Magnetix at a garage sale this summer. Moms, please give your sons lots and lots of things to build with--they will get really creative, just sit back and watch. Have a blessed weekend!!

Caramel Apples

2007-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the date of this photo, we cheated--we made caramel apples in July!! And we didn't even melt all of the caramels. We happened to be at Cracker Barrel, and they had this kit which came with the sticks, a tray of caramel (all you had to do was heat it in the microwave), and sprinkles, chopped nuts, and toffee bits. The kit was not too expensive--I should have purchased a couple of them, because the next time I went back to Cracker Barrel, there weren't any. I wanted to save it for the Fall, but my son had other ideas so, needless to say, we had them in late July. Now is the perfect time to be making caramel apples with your children, and it is a wonderful way to enjoy being in the kitchen and spending time together!! Have a blessed day!!

It's The Small Things!

2007-09-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

Little things can make a huge difference--even kitchen towels--and they don't have to be expensive. A lot of my kitchen towels look like I've been using them a long time, and I don't know why I haven't thrown them out. I think it's because my parents told me long ago not to waste things. But I did buy these three kitchen towels the other day and they have made quite a difference rather than hanging my old, ugly ones on the oven handle. My dear husband said they were too pretty to use for drying his hands. If you have some type of dollar store near you, check out their towels. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by some of the things they do carry that don't cost much money.

What bargains have you found lately for your home? Have a blessed day!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2007-09-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting making different types of cookies for a craft and cookie sale being held later this year at our church. I made these cookies last week and my younger son said they "were delicious." This recipe was pulled from allrecipes.com and, if you like peanut butter, you will like these!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the peanut butter cups, put them in a plastic-type container, and then put them in the freezer. (A lot of the comments on allrecipes.com suggested doing this as they won't melt when you are pushing them into your cookie later--I agree with this.)

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy, then set aside. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk (I would add one more tablespoon of milk to make them a little more moist) to your sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.

Shape these into 40 balls (I believe mine made around 32 or so) and place each ball into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7-1/2 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. I then sprinkled with decorative sprinkles. Cool and carefully remove from the pan. These are best eaten within a day or two of making them. Enjoy!!

A Day Out!

2007-09-24T09:00:00.001-07:00

This weekend my older son and I spent the day out shopping, while my dear husband and younger son travelled to grandma's house. When it was time for lunch, my son wanted to go to Culver's. YUM!! (The photo above I took of the place mat that's placed on your tray.) I had never been before--what a great place!! You place your order at the counter and then the food is delivered to your table. But the best part is the terrific looking custard you can order. My son had a shake, of which I managed a few sips between eating my fries and patty melt, and it was really good! His cheddarburger was huge, and the crinkle style fries tasted terrific. Needless to say, the place was packed. At the end of the meal, he smiled telling me that "we really need to come here more often." I'm sure we'll be going back sometime soon! If you have the opportunity to visit a Culver's, most likely you will definitely enjoy it!! Have a blessed day!!

Slag Glass

2007-09-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

When we were at a garden center/feed store this past spring, I got out of the car and noticed these wonderful chunks of glass. My dear husband informed me it was called slag glass. They had all of these beautiful colors, so I picked up one in blue (shown above) and one in purple. When the sunlight shines upon these pieces of glass, they are absolutely stunning to look at. To this day, I wish I had bought more pieces of this glass to put in all kinds of spots around our garden. The pieces of glass do add a nice touch to the garden. Oh well, there is always next spring!! Have a blessed weekend!

Fall Crafting

2007-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Above is a photo of fall leaves that were painted and then pressed onto large brown paper bags to create a placemat. A few years ago, my son did a project at school that involved painting leaves and then pressing them onto a sweatshirt. I liked the idea so much that I used it for a women's fellowship meeting last fall. You can simply go out into your yard and gather some leaves and press them flat into a book for a few days until you are ready to use them. I found the big brown paper bags at Wal-mart in the garbage bag section and took them home and cut sections of the bags into placemat size. Then I used fall colors of paint--red, yellow, orange, green, and brown--and painted the vein side of the leaf and then turned the leaf over and pressed the leaf (painted side down) onto the placemat. Keep pressing on the leaf for a little while to make sure the paint is evenly distributed on your placemat and then peel off gently. This way, the leaf's veins will show on the paper. This is a fun project to do with kids, although I'm sure the sweatshirt would go over better with them!! Have a blessed day!!

Have a Happy Day!!

2007-09-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

This morning, I was outside cleaning out the garden and picking the last remaining tomatoes and peppers. Then I brought them in and was cutting the peppers into rings and strips in order to freeze them. I sliced off the top portion of this pepper and looked down only to notice a little "smiley face" in the pepper. I did a double take and thought, oh, I need to post this on the blog. With that, may you all have a happy day and enjoy the fall season!!

Chicken with Sauce

2007-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

...Bone Suckin' Sauce, that is! This sauce is wonderful, and the next time you are at Cracker Barrel Restaurant, you might want to pick some up. I originally picked up the original style of this sauce, and then went on-line an ordered some of their thicker style.

Chicken with Sauce

4 chicken breasts
1 jar Bone Suckin' Sauce

Place the chicken breasts (I used frozen) in a slow cooker on low for about 5 hours. Take them out after that time and then cut them into chunks. Remove the chicken juices from the slow cooker and discard. Put the chicken back into the slow cooker and pour the sauce on top. You can then cook on low for another 3-4 hours. Enjoy!!

The sauce is really good, and so I wised up and googled "Bone Suckin' Sauce" and ordered several bottles to keep on hand. I have also used the original style of the sauce with chunks of chicken and pit ham slow cooked together. The combination of the two meats with the sauce also tastes really good! Have a blessed day!!

Juncus Big Twister

2007-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

This plant I found out Wal-mart a few weeks ago. I'd never seen anything like it, so decided that I would give it a try and plant it in our garden. It mentioned that it will survive to -10 degrees, so I'm not sure if it will survive winter. It has these long, green corkscrew type spindles--in other words, I'm not really sure what they are called (laughing)!! I tried to find out some information about this plant by doing an Internet search, but there was not much information out there. It sounds as if it doesn't necessarily do well as a houseplant, and does quite well in wet soil. We shall see if it comes back next spring.

Glade's Flameless Candle

2007-09-14T07:14:00.001-07:00

...aaahhhhh, the power of marketing. When seeing the commercial for Glade's Flameless Candle, I was wondering how it worked. On my last trip to Wal-mart, at the end of an aisle, there it was, so naturally I picked one up--the Clean Linen scent. I went home, followed the instructions on the package, and the result is shown above. It operates on batteries. The flameless candle gives off a nice scent every so often--it has a scented oil bottle that you put in the base. Also, if you press down in the center of the candle, the light will come on and flicker just like a candle. My husband, who as an engineering background, was also impressed with how they made the candle flicker. I imagine a candle ring with flowers or some type of decorative based could be placed around the bottom of the candle. If you are looking for something different to try in the way of home scents, this is something you may enjoy. Have a great weekend!!

Today Has Been a Blur!!

2007-09-13T13:13:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have days like this--they just seem like a blur because you've been so busy all day that you haven't had time to sit and reflect? Today has been one of those days where all I've been doing is running. The children will be home any minute, and then the running will start again before 5:00 p.m. and won't end until 8:30 p.m. or so. I'm not especially fond of these days because I feel like outside influences are taking way too much time that they shouldn't. How do you feel about days like these? The picture above was taken by our son in the inside of a restaurant that has huge fish tanks and jellyfish lights, but it definitely fits with today.

First Pumpkin of the Season

2007-09-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is the first pumpkin of the season from our garden--although he's a little leaky because I ended up pulling most of the top stem off!! We haven't planted pumpkins for a couple of years because there's not a lot of time to check them daily. We decided to plant a few hills this year because we love having them in the fall, but again this year there was just not enough time to check on them regularly. Imagine my surprise when I found this guy a few weeks ago--I figured we wouldn't have any pumpkins because they just didn't get regular care--i.e, we just planted them and let them go. He's not very big, and also noticed there are more pumpkins on their way--hooray!! Pumpkins take a lot of room to grow--if you have the room, try growing some--I did notice some of the pumkin vines were growing up into our pine trees. They are also just great for the kids in the fall!! Have a very blessed day!!

Mums Gone Wild!

2007-09-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Chrysanthemums, that is! We love mums! Last year I planted about 10 new mum plants in a relatively small garden area (I planted these in memory of my mother)--one didn't survive, but the rest really took off and grew quite large. Two of the mums bloomed this summer, and the light purple one shown above is now showing glorious color. Am patiently waiting for the others to start blooming. We did try and make sure to keep these watered frequently this spring and summer, plus we had some great rainfall that really helped. I also planted some mums last year on the south side of our house in direct sun--most of them did not come back, I think it was just too hot. If you love mums, now is the time to plant as you will find lots of them at your local garden center or nursery. These are also great for fall decorating. Have a blessed day!!

Brats!!

2007-09-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

We love brats!! I should also say that we bought these brats from Kurzweil's Country Meats in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. They've got lots of great meats, but somehow we managed to attach quite well to all the wonderful brats and polish sausage they have! They are delicious! And when we travel to Kansas City or Branson, we always make sure to stop there on the way home.

Brats with Peppers and Onions

1 package of your favorite brats
1 small onion, sliced into thin rings

1-2 peppers (or more), sliced into thin strips or rings

Place the brats in a slowcooker for 2-3 hours on low. When they are heated through, remove them and brown them in 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. (Sometimes if you cook them long enough in the slow cooker, they will brown themselves--this just speeds up the process a little bit.) Then put the brats back in the slowcooker. Take your sliced onions and peppers and put them into the same frying pan with the remaining oil and heat through until a little brown or almost tender. Put the peppers and onion in the slowcooker with the brats and let all heat through. You will be able to tell when it's done by the softness of the peppers and onions. You can either eat these plain or put on your favorite brat buns!! Enjoy

Miniature Roses

2007-09-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I was at a local nursery browsing all of the wonderful plants and flowers they had when I stumbled across some miniature roses--oh my, were they stunning!! Absolutely breathtaking!! I planted two other minature roses, one which has orange-pink petals and has already bloomed (I never took any pictures either--that will teach me!). Of course, you may have to wait until next spring or summer to find these at your local nursery. They are small and take up very little space. If you have a small spot in your garden and wish to add some gorgeous color, try these--I don't think you will be disappointed. Have a great weekend!!

Hot Beef Sandwiches

2007-09-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe found over at allrecipes.com. I made them last year for my husband, and he really liked them. Needless to say, they've become a regular in our home.

Hot Beef Sandwiches

1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds sirloin tip steak
1 packet of Italian salad dressing mix (dry)
1-1/2 cups water

Place your steak in a slow cooker. Cover with water and add salad dressing mix (I believe mine was the zesty style). Cook on low for 7 hours, then up to high for 1-2 hours. Take the meat out when finished, put on a plate and shred with a fork. (You will know when the meat is done because it will shred very easily.) Place the meat back in the slow cooker for a few minutes to mix with the juices, then serve on your favorite hoagie-style roll. You can use the juices for dipping. You should be able to get 4 sandwiches out of this recipe, depending on how much of the beef you place on each roll. Enjoy!

Way Too Many Trees!!!

2007-09-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is a very small portion of our back yard. As you can see it is quite overgrown. We had a tree service come yesterday to clear out 10 trees including 3 apple trees--we have many more trees to be cut down next spring also. I have every intention of laying down landscaping cloth in this area followed by mulch, and then adding some nice compact plants and shrubs and stepping stones to create a meandering path (sounds lovely, doesnt it??--ha!!). Follow along and we will see how much I can get accomplished with this area this fall before the first snowfall. Have a blessed day!!

Budgeting for Home Maintenance

2007-09-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

It would be nice if it only took pennies but, unfortunately, budgeting for home repairs and maintenance takes much more than that. I have heard professional money managers discuss that you should budget annually 1% of the value of your home for repairs and maintenance. Personally, I think that is on the conservative side, especially if you have an older home where items tend to all break down at the same time--ha! So, for instance, if your home is valued at $100,000, you should put away $1,000 for repairs and maintenance. In today's economy, I think 1% is much too low of a percentage figure and, personally, 2-3% makes much better sense for our household. When we first bought our home, the pressure tank that runs our well broke down about one or two months after we moved in--OUCH! We also had a wraparound deck which never had been treated or stained so the boards were literally falling apart--another OUCH! Budgeting for home repairs and maintenance is one financial area that we do not budget as much as we should. Even replacing something as simple as light bulbs or something more difficult such as replacing the flooring in a room should be budgeted for. And you never know when the air conditioning or water heater will break down...

What's one item that unexpectedly needed to be replaced in your home that you wish you had budgeted for?

Sauce for Meatballs

2007-08-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

We like meatballs, both homemade and frozen. And if you can find a good sauce or gravy to put on them, they're even better!! This is a very simple recipe that was given to me by another parent at the school where our children attend. She took them for Teacher Appreciation Day, and they loved them!! I make this at home when I'm crunched for time, and it's a great slow cooker sauce.

Sauce for Meatballs

1 cup ketchup
1 cup grape jelly

That's it!! Simply make your favorite meatballs, or use frozen. Put the meatballs in the slow cooker and then add the ingredients above to the slow cooker. You can increase the amount in equal parts if you want more sauce. It doesn't look too appetizing when you add the jelly, but after it cooks down, it's wonderful!! It normally takes 2-1/2 to 3 hours for the sauce to blend together. Enjoy!

Peppers

2007-08-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

I found this rather large pepper (this photo was really close up!) in the garden a few weeks ago, along with other, not quite so large, peppers. The peppers this year had a late start because I let too many weeds grow around them--they really needed room to breathe, so to speak. Once I cleared the weeds away and allowed them to have lots of sunshine, they took off and grew. The nice thing about peppers is they do not take a tremendous amount of room to grow. Some peppers were sliced thin and others were chopped and put in the freezer. They are great for stir frys or other dishes where you want some additional taste and color. Or, in our case, we love them sauteed with onions and then fixed with brats! Yum!!

Hibiscus in the Garden

2007-08-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most beautiful flowers we have in our garden. When I planted it a couple of years ago, it was a rather small plant. Little did I realize how large and beautiful it would become. It needs some room to grow and good, regular watering. The blooms are quite large, and this photo really doesn't do justice to how beautiful the blooms are. We also have one that has purple flowers on the plant, but because it was planted under our pine trees, the blooms are not producing that well. I've also seen another hibiscus plant in our area that has red blooms and is quite beautiful. This is one flower that you really can't go wrong with!!

"Hidden Treasures"

2007-08-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

You're probably thinking "what is that?" It's certainly doesn't look like one of those heirlooms you find in the attic. It happens to be the icky candy wrappers and crumbs of food under the sofa cushions--YUK!! My dear husband was picking up some toys this weekend in our living room and was looking under the sofa cushions when he stumbled across this mess. Having just arrived home from a meeting, I also took a look and was disgusted at the icky mess. Anyone who has children and lets them eat in the living room--yes, we are guilty--should be very aware of what is lurking under their sofa cushions. It is not a pretty sight!! Go ahead and take a peek under your cushions. If it looks anything like ours, pick up the larger scrap pieces and then take the vacuum hose right away to the smaller objects and get rid of it, you will feel much better knowing you did (as the second picture shows a clean sofa cushion). During the cleaning session, we did find a few "hidden treasures" under our cushions--2 remote controls and our older son made out with $1.49 in change, not a bad deal...do you know what's lurking under your sofa cushions?

Easy Chicken Salad

2007-08-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Whenever you are short on time and looking for a quick sandwich to make, this recipe is fast and easy.

Easy Chicken Salad

1 can of white chicken breast (9.75 ounce)

1 to 1-1/2 tbsp. green onion tops

2 to 3 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. mayonnaise

Seasoned black pepper to taste

Mix the first four ingredients together (you may need to shred the canned chicken with a fork), and then add pepper to taste. Serve on your favorite bread. This basic recipe will make 2 to 3 sandwiches. I've also used a little onion powder or some chopped onion if I don't have green onion. This recipe is very easy to double or triple. I've tripled the recipe and then put the mixture on cocktail buns to take to fellowship gatherings. You won't need any salt in this recipe because of the canned chicken. Enjoy!

P.S. If anyone can tell me what to do to make my ingredient list show up with single spacing, I would appreciate it very much.

I Don't Have the Heart

2007-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

to open these. Even though these would come in handy, they belonged to my mother who is deceased. I've been thinking about what decade these tea towels were made in, and I am thinking possibly the 1950s (am thinking this based purely by looking at the hairstyle on the package--please correct me if I'm wrong)? I'm almost wondering if she didn't receive these as a shower or wedding gift. Though it is sad to lose someone you love, when we look at these heirlooms, they bring back some wonderful memories of that person, and you somehow try to imagine in your mind what their life was like at the time they would have used those tea towels. I don't see tea towels being used much anymore--my, how times have changed! Have a good weekend everyone!!

Simple Centerpieces

2007-08-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

Centerpieces do not have to be elaborate--they can be very simple. The one above sits on our kitchen table. You can use any type of cloth or doily--this doily has a very nice appearance, and I've placed a Yankee Candle on it. Centerpieces add a nice touch to a very plain table, and they don't have to cost a lot of money. Fresh flowers from the garden tucked into a vase or small pitcher are also nice. Look around your home and see what might work on your kitchen or dining table. Let the creativity come out!! What do you have as a centerpiece on your table?

Back to School!!

2007-08-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's back to school time!! I admire those mothers who homeschool, and think about doing it every now and then. Our youngest has special needs and does wonderfully in a structured school environment, but that's not what this post is really about. If you're sending your child off to school or use a backpack on a regular basis, please consider buying one of good quality. I've heard friends comment that they bought their son or daughter a backpack from a discount store, and the backpack usually falls apart after a short period of time. Spend a little more money to buy a backpack that provides durability over the years--you won't regret it. If I may also suggest, try not to purchase one that has a type of print on it such as animals or flowers (and believe me I think those backpacks are really cute!), because sooner or later they will want something that is very plain, especially if you have a son. Sporting good stores are also a good choice for finding more durable backpacks.

Have a blessed day!!

Morning Glory

2007-08-21T04:48:00.001-07:00

I snapped this photo the other day while working in the garden. We have lots of these morning glories. They are a very pretty blueish purple flower. This plant would be a good choice if you have an arbor or trellis as it seems to be a climber and has "taken over" some of our garden fence. As I was looking at this flower, I noticed a little green thing down in the middle of it, and then he decided to crawl out and make his presence known. I had never seen this type of spider before. If anyone has any idea what type of spider this is, please let me know.

Sausage Cheese Bake

2007-08-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe was found over at Cooks.com. You can make it for breakfast or for brunch. I've taken it to church events--it's easy to make and tastes pretty good.

Sausage Cheese Bake

1 pound pork sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon mustard
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or use any kind)
2 slices bread

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with Pam cooking oil. Tear the bread into pieces to cover the bottom of baking dish. Saute sausage until brown. Beat the eggs with milk and mustard. Layer the bread, sausage, and cheese in the dish, and then pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover and put in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of mustard--I would cut that amount back to 1/2 teaspoon and use a mustard which is subtle in flavor. Also, the recipe calls for it to bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes--the times I've made this, it takes longer to cook and at a higher temperature. So I bake it the first 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, then bake it another 20-25 minutes at 375-400 degrees and remove the tin foil so it can lightly brown. You may want to see what temperature works best for your oven.

Enjoy!!

Fading Days of Summer

2007-08-17T06:56:00.001-07:00

The days of summer are slowly starting to fade away--the nights are getting shorter, the blooms are starting to dull, the children are heading back to school. Football is on people's minds. There is much work to be done in the garden in the coming weeks. We have a lot of weeding to do, and many tree branches and vines need to be trimmed. It's also about time to start thinking about any flowers you may want to plant for next year. Any local nursery or garden center has a variety of flowers or trees to choose from. Simply take a look around the outside of your home and envision what might look good in your garden!! You might be surprised!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Cleaning the Microwave

2007-08-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

In cleaning the microwave, I used a tip from the show "How Clean is Your House?" In the top photo, it is somewhat difficult to see the stains, but much easier to see the "clean" in the bottom photo. Take a bowl of water, put in slices of fresh lemon, and then heat the bowl in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. All of the steam that is created loosens the stains, and you can wipe the microwave clean. Typically, I don't have lemons on hand, so I use lemon juice instead. This is a very easy method of cleaning the microve, and you will see "fresh" results! Have a wonderful day!

Birthday Toast

2007-08-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! That is a piece of toast with peanut butter and a candle made by my 8-year-old son with a little help from dad. What do they say, 44 is the new 34 or something like that...at least that's what I tell my children since they seem to have no problem stating in a very clear, loud manner how old I am to anyone who will listen to them--Ha! On a few days it seems more like 44 is the new 54--that's when you wake up with an aching anything.

I love being in my 40s--I do believe there's just such an awareness of what is important in life--God, family, friends. My husband woke up a little while ago and wished me a Happy Birthday, and then my son woke up, went downstairs, and brought up a couple of boxes of Russell Stover chocolates--yum!! My dear husband is taking the day off and we are going to lunch and a movie with the boys!! I'm sure they will be excited--I know I am!!

Have a blessed day!

Have Trouble Opening a Lid??

2007-08-15T04:13:00.000-07:00

This is a nifty little tool that helps you with opening the lids off of your jars. It really comes in handy. I have noticed that from age 35 onward, I started to struggle with getting the lids off of jars. When my husband is home, I will usually ask him to help me with a difficult lid. My mother use to take a knife and bang on a lid that wouldn't open hard enough to loosen it--I also did that for a while. I figured I was going to have to buy some new knives if I continued this way. You get to the point where you are thinking "there's got to be a better way." It was ordered from Amazon and expands for opening lids up to 4"--not sure who manufactured it. So if you're starting to have difficulty with opening lids, you might want to think about buying one of these and save your knives.

Easy Goulash

2007-08-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

For a quick and easy meal, try goulash. It's fairly basic and tastes wonderful. Here's the recipe I use.

Easy Goulash

1 pound hamburger

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can tomatoes (15-16 ounce)

1 can tomato sauce (15-16 ounce)

2 cups small elbow macaroni, uncooked

Seasoned black pepper

Salt

Paprika

Saute chopped onion and chopped green pepper in olive oil and set aside. Brown hamburger in same pan used for onion and pepper and drain when finished. Add onion, green pepper, tomatoes and tomato sauce to browned hamburger. While this is simmering, cook the macaroni. When macaroni is finished cooking, add to hamburger mixture. Finish by adding seasoned black pepper, salt, and paprika to taste. Let simmer for a few minutes until heated through before serving.

You can always add an orange pepper or red pepper in place of the green one--or use a pepper from the garden. Also, for those of you who garden and can tomatoes, pull out a jar of those tomatoes instead of one from the grocery store.

Serve with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!

When Did Sunday.....

2007-08-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

become a day of work? For the past few years, I have started to notice that Sundays are no longer a day of rest, but rather working to get caught up with tasks not accomplished during the week such as laundry, small amounts of shopping, cleaning, and cooking or baking. After attending church on Sunday mornings, the afternoon is filled with the above activities. It no longer seems a day of rest or spending simple leisurely time. This didn't happen when I was a child. Our Sundays were simple. I spent the afternoons with my parents relaxing or we travelled to my grandparents house and spent the day with cousins. My mother didn't shop nor did she do much cooking on Sundays. Now, even sports activities are taking up our Sundays. I feel a very strong need to get back to Sundays that don't have a lot of activity taking place, but struggle with this as I'm sure many people do today.

How are your Sundays spent??

Mexican Heather

2007-08-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

This plant is called Mexican Heather. I planted it this spring when it was much smaller, but with the nice spring rains we had, and all the rain we have had lately, it is really growing. I'd never heard of this plant, but understand that it grows a into a nice compact size. It has small purple flowers which add a nice colorful touch to the garden.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-08-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

Baking is one of my favorite things to do. This recipe is from one of my children's teachers, and it has become one of our favorites.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 ounces chocolate chips

In large bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until creamy. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and eggs into the sugar/butter mixture stirring until well blended.

In another bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the above creamed mixture and mix well until blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoon on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (or until cookie edges start to brown). Let cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet.

These cookies are wonderful!! I mix all ingredients by hand and use a small "scooper" so the cookies are formed the same size. And adding some extra chocolate chips make them a little richer!! You can also place cookie dough by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet, place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes, then place the frozen cookies into a container. This way, you will be able to bake a few at a time whenever you want them. It also helps if they are at room temperature before you bake them. Enjoy!!

Water Lily

2007-08-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

I was looking out our kitchen window the other day and saw this very beautiful water lily in full bloom. Several years ago when we bought our home, it had four small ponds on the property. The ponds already had some water plants, but I wanted to put a hardy water lily plant in the pond. I started by simply putting the basic plant in a plastic pot (I believe I put potting soil around it) and then set it by the edge of the pond under water. Well, a few weeks later, the pot fell down deeper into the center of the pond, and it has produced these stunning pink blooms ever since. This one water lily that was planted has really taken over the majority of one of our ponds. It does provide some nice shade for our koi. I hope you had a blessed day!!

Transforming Furniture

2007-08-07T05:20:00.001-07:00

This used to be in our kitchen and we stored food items in it--it was all white. We redid our dining room and made it into a utility room. This storage piece now resides in there. I ended up painting it grey, and the color turned out really nice. I put our china pieces inside on the left side. The other three drawers on the top to middle right now hold plates and other pieces we use. In the bottom top two baskets, I put kitchen towels while the bottom baskets hold potatoes and lasagna noodles. Finding other ways to put furniture to use can sometimes be difficult, but with a little creativity and handiwork, the results can turn out just great!!

It's Hot

2007-08-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

It was very hot on Sunday and is supposed to be very hot the rest of the week. Noone in our family likes the heat very well--we just don't function very well when the temperature gets too high. I told myself at the beginning of the summer that I was going to try to not complain about the heat--did very well until the past few week or so. With the heat, it is also very humid. Our windows are steamy. I will need to water the tomatoes and peppers today, along with the flowers. When it gets this hot, even the children have no desire to do anything outside. I do have lots of cleaning to do today, and will continue on with canning tomatoes. If I get a bit of energy later in the early evening, I may and try to mow the lawn, otherwise it may have to wait until it cools down a bit.

Tomatoes!

2007-08-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

This year, I planted 8 tomato plants--not very many. They have, however, produced quite a few tomatoes. Three of the plants were of the roma variety, which have produced a lot of tomatoes. I have been canning them--it is wonderful to pull out a jar of tomatoes in the middle of winter for soups and stews. We received a lot of nice, spring rains which really helped the tomatoes. I have tried to water them every other day this summer. It has really been hot lately, but Wednesday we received a substantial downpour, so I may not need to water them for a while. We also like to slice them and pour French dressing over them. Yum!!

Time to Start

2007-08-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to blog for a while after reading some blogs that I just love! I have no idea what direction this blog will take, but wanted to write about daily happenings of being home, along with sharing recipes, thoughts about homemaking, children, and gardening tips. I'm sure there will be other things as well. A little about me--I am blessed to be married to a wonderful man going on 11 years this September. We have two boys who keep me quite busy. When my children are at school, I spend quite a bit of time outside working on our garden and yard. I love being at home and all that home has to offer. I thought I would start blogging when my children headed back to school this fall, but realized the time to start is now.