Friday, December 30, 2011

~This Moment~


 - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama

Friday, December 23, 2011

~This Moment~

 - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas mornings in our home are always started with a Bible reading of birth of Jesus and then we open up gifts. After that The knight in shining armor will help the kids with putting toys together and unpacking things while I make breakfast. Breakfast on Christmas morning consists of  cinnamon rolls with birthday candles and some some sort of breakfast casserole that I've put together the night before. We all sing happy birthday to Jesus and then we feast on the sweet rolls that the Lord has provided us with.
  This year I tried a new recipe. The recipe "I made makes 7 pans of rolls. So instead of hording these delicious rolls for myself, I'm saving my backside the extra pounds and I'm handing them out to our neighbors.


The pan in front is what they looked like uncooked
 See how yummy they look. The icing is maple flavored.
 All packaged and ready to go.
 Out of the 7 pans that I made. 1 pan was eaten (I had to test them before I sent them out the door). 2 were stuck in the freezer for Christmas morning, and 4 were given out.
I think next year I'm going to make two batches.So that I have more to give away of course.Here's the recipe that I used. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

I will warn you that if you plan on making these, do expect to be eating some.

I also want to add that I've been asked to be a guest blogger over at http://www.journeytoezer.com/ today, if you would like to head on over there and take a peek.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

~Christmas this and that~

Having kids gives me more reasons to have crafting and baking time. This is some of our results for the season.


The little snowmen garland I found a pattern for on BHG I think. The kids decorated them after I cut them out.

Part of our Rice Crispie Holiday House.

                                        This I made using a tutorial that I found online.
                                     http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake
           

Here is a link to make some real pretty paper snowflakes.
.http://adamandhaleykjar.blogspot.com/2011/12/paper-snowflakes-101.html

 I paid like $3 for this wreath at Aldi's and hot glued the cinnamon sticks and berries that I found at the Dollar store.


These are print outs that I found online at http://servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-word-art.html and stuck them in frames that I found at Target on clearance.



These we made at our homeschool group Christmas party. It's where all the cool kids gather.
   
This I made using a recipe I found on http://calledtoezer.blogspot.com/2011/12/women-at-well-wednesdays_14.html. Love her!!!


These were my friends Wendy's idea AKA (Called to Ezer). Fold a tortilla shell and cut it like you would a snowflake. Then fry it in some butter and top it with a little cinnamon and sugar or a lot like my kids did.

Finally no Christmas would be complete without peanut butter blossoms.



So what have you all been up to this Christmas season. Leave me a comment with your link if you care to share.

Friday, December 16, 2011

~This Moment~

 - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

How to resolve a conflict with LOVE:

                                                  
  • Listen~Truly hear what the other person is saying. (James 1:19)  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
  • Speak the truth in LOVE~ in a way that doesn't threaten or accuse them.(Ephesians 4:15) Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 
  • Forgive~ forgiving means giving up the right to punish those who hurt or offended you. (Ephesians4:32)Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.        

Monday, December 12, 2011

Mommy's Ministry

Over the last 9 years that I've been a christian, I've done many different ministries. I've always had my children involved. When I first became a christian my oldest child was 6 years old. I dove into ministry serving as a youth leader in my church youth group. My husband and I brought him with us on a mission trip and we dragged him along in anything we did. Then child number two, three, and four came and the less I could be involved. I still helped out by cooking meals for people in need and I would help out in the nursery on Sunday mornings when needed. But that was about all I could do. It was a tough season for me to get through. I felt like I wasn't pulling my weight around the church and wanted to be more involved in things. I've had so many conversations with other young moms and they felt the same way. Then one day I was let in on a little secret by a more seasoned mom. MY CHILDREN ARE MY MINISTRY. I'm raising an army for God. I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing. I'm training my children to love others and serve God. Now my children are all a little older. My youngest is three years old and he tags along wherever our adventures take us. I've found many ways to be involved in ministries with my young children. We've served in the soup kitchen together, we've made meals for people in need within our church. We've also unpacked and folded clothes in our church mission. This week we're making cinnamon rolls with Happy Birthday Jesus tags on them and taking them to our neighbors. There are so many things that you can still do with your children even at young age. It might take a little extra work and some extra planning but it's possible to be involved and still be a good mom. And if you still can't find opportunities and all your doing is staying home raising your babies. That's where you need to be. There's a season for it all and your season will soon change. God has entrusted you with the most precious gift of all. His children. Raise them up for Him and He will be pleased.

Friday, December 9, 2011

~This Moment~


 - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.




If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Christmas Village

It's one of those things that you remember from your childhood. You remember looking at all the little people and the lights. You remember how you felt, that feeling of comfort that it brings. As I place each little figure in it's own special place I hope that my children will remember it fondly. Maybe one day they'll have their own little Christmas village.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Comfort in a mug.

My comfort food is actually not a food at all. It's a nice hot beverage. It doesn't really matter if it's hot cocoa, coffee, a latte, or tea. I'm not afraid to try new things either. Today I tried a nice frothy mug of Pumpkin Spiced Latte.  I've had the Dunkin Donuts version and it was delicious. But at $3 a cup, I thought that I would try my hand at making it at home. It was super easy to make. I found the recipe online at http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/beverage/diy-pumpkin-spice-latte-096277. The smell of pumpkin pie just wafted through my kitchen. It was heavenly. The final result tasted nothing like Dunkin Donuts, but it was still very tasty. So hears the recipe if you would like to try it yourself. Feel free to leave me a comment telling me what your favorite comfort food or drink in some cases may be.



Pumpkin Spice Latte

Makes 1-2 servings

2c milk
2tbl canned pumpkin or 1tsp of pumpkin spice syrup
2tbl sugar or Splenda to taste
2tbl vanilla extract
1/2tsp pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup espresso or 1/2c of strong brewed coffee)

In a sauce pan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you have a blender just whisk it. Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add espresso on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with pumkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Would you eat a horse? Ya or Naaaaa

Sorry about the title. I just couldn't help myself. So one of the hot new news stories is Obama legalizing the slaughtering of horses for consumption in the US. When I first read this story I thought "This can't be real". How barbaric. Lets just grab some clubs and put loin clothes on and live in caves. Then I read it all over FB. Surprisingly enough though it didn't seem to bother that many people. Then I started to think about it from different angles. When compared to just another farm animal, it doesn't seem like it's that bad. Although I would never eat one myself. I'm not a very big meat eater anyway. I think that horses are beautiful animals but does that mean that we should eat pigs because they're ugly. Just kiddin... I don't really think that pigs are ugly. They're cute when they're babies. I would love to hear your comments on this. What say you?

Friday, December 2, 2011

~This Moment~

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.






If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama

Sunday, November 20, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soule Mama

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Butternut squash soup

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. It's perfect. I've made it twice in the last three weeks and I'm already thinking about a third. It was a great treat to share with the girls at small group yesterday. The hardest part about making it is peeling and cutting the squash. Man those things are a pain to peel. It's so worth it though. You can make this with or without the Cayenne pepper. When my kids were babies I used to make it for them without the spice. Now I add just enough to give it a little kick. Oh yeah and you can cut the calories by using Neufchatel in place of the cream cheese.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

6 C peeled and cubed butternut squash (~3lbs raw squash)
6 tbl chopped onion
4tbl butter (you can use less of this if you want)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2-8oz packages of cream cheese * I only use 1 and it works fine.

In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add all other ingredients except the cream cheese. Bring it to a boil and cook for 20 min, or until the squash is tender.
                                                             My dinosaur food processor.

This is the messy part, puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in two batches until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat through. Do not allow it to boil. Then remove it from the heat and it will thicken as it cools.

That's it... now your done. Enjoy with friends!!!


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Something crafty

OK, first let me start by saying I'm sorry for my disappearing act. I've been very preoccupied with things none digital lately. But I'm back and I wanted to show you something fun and crafty that I made last night. I love canning jars and I have a ton of them around my kitchen. So yesterday while I was poking around the web I found this: http://www.acharmingnest.com/2011/06/ball-jars-i-love-you.html 
It's a cute little tutorial on how to change an ordinary canning jar into a soap dispenser. These things sell for like $15 on Etsy.

Looove it!!!

I'm thinking Christmas gifts. You could really make these things dressy with ribbon and stuff. I like it alone with no frills. Less stuff for me to keep clean you know what I mean jelly bean. Now it's your turn. Ready, set, go!!

Monday, October 17, 2011

I'm now classified as Hard Core.

So I don't recommend letting two weeks go by in between days running. Between the bad weather and going on vacation... I was starting to accumulate some cob webs on my running shoes. So this past weekend I finally got out for a run.  I did complete my 4.5 mile loop after about 50 minutes, but the next day.. I had some pain issues in the upper thigh area while putting my shoes on. On the upside though, I got to test out my new Under Armor Cold Gear top and compression tights. Love the top!! It's keeps you nice and toasty in temps of 50 degrees or less. It was just around 50 degrees and a little windy when I left the house. After about 1.5 miles I was starting to wonder if I had over done it. I love the the thumb holes because my hands seem to be the only things that really get cold when I first start out. That goes away after a little bit.  I'm hoping that it's still warm enough when the weather drops down to 20-30 degrees.
  Now my compression tights may take some getting used to. They don't leave a whole lot of room for the imagination. Thankfully my top is long enough to cover the real important areas.They start to slip down a little after a bit while I'm running too.  My husband seems to like them though and the oldest prince says that I look hard core in my new outfit.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad but I'll take it as a compliment. He has also promised me that if I buy him a top like mine he'll go running with me. I have a feeling that after one or two times out he'll probably go back on that promise though. I think it was the head band that really completed the outfit. Never the less I want you all to be thinking about me next Saturday morning while your snuggling down into your nice warm blankets. Just kidding, but really.. pray for me to make it through this winter so that I can do my half marathon this May. Oh and if any of you care to join me...give me a call and we can sport ice cycles hanging from our noses together.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

A Thankful Heart

As Thanksgiving draws near it's only natural to be reminded of all the things that we're thankful for. So I just wanted to take a minute to list some of the things that I'm thankful for.








Need I say more.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Exercise for the soul.

My five year old princess loves to go for runs with me. Of course it's not much of a run for me, but she gives it her all. She doesn't slow down till she's done her first mile. The second mile is a bit slower. It's more like a brisk walk. I love how at five everything is new and great. A simple thing like a bright red leaf becomes a treasure to bring home for daddy. She entrusted me with this treasure until we got home. After all she didn't want to crinkle it while she was running.
   Taking her with me completely kills my workout. I have to cut my distance in half or a third depending on how far I was planning on going and I can throw any record braking time out the window. But the time we spend together is completely worth it. As a busy homeschooling mom I treasure each of the opportunities that I get to spend with each one of my kids alone. This year I have scheduled dates with each one of my kids. Just me, daddy, and one of them. No other siblings. I find that when my children are separated from their brother's and sister they're totally different kids. These are the kids that I want to get to know in the brief amount of time that God has trusted me with their care.


Picture taken by Ezer Photography 
Check out her blog at http://journeytoezer.com/

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Score!!!!

 Look at the treasure that I just picked up at a yard sale today. 


This is a working 1951 Singer 201-2  Electric Sewing Machine with a cabinet full of goodies. Isn't it beautiful. Some consider this machine to be one of the best machines ever made. Even better then modern machines. These machines are still going strong after 60-80 years of service and probably will be for another 80 years. They are super powerful. These machine are selling from $150-$300 online. Can you guess how much I paid for it? $8.00. I'm just a little excited about this. I can't wait to clean her up and try her out.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I can flip pancakes without getting burned!!!

When I was growing up I was never taught how to cook anything except Lasagna. I'm not really sure why that is but that's it. I had to learn everything on my own in the kitchen. I think that it turned out OK though because I'm not afraid to put things together without a recipe in front of me.
   When my children were born I decided that their kitchen skills would be much different then mine. I started as soon as they were old enough to turn a spoon. They love to add the ingredients one by one and then pour the batter slowly into the pan and then watch our creation take shape as it bakes in the oven. Clean up is the most fun. I get out the spoons and they go to town on the bowl. Yes... I let my children eat raw batter. I know that some of you are cringing. As my children have gotten older I've increased the number of things that I let them help with. I just started letting them crack the eggs open into the bowl and flip pancakes. My daughter has decided to let everyone she meets know that she is five now and she can flip pancakes without getting burned. It somehow has become a right of passage for her. Like this magically happened the moment she turned five.
   I cook with my kids for lots of different reasons. It teaches them life skills and math lessons. It teaches them to share and provide a service for others. I also just like the time we get to spend together. So go and bake something yummy with your babies. To make it even more enriching you can bring your baked goods to a neighbor. The rewards will last them a life time and more.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Bring it on!!

OK another school year has began. I'm ready. I'm up at 6AM before the sun is up. I stumble through the kitchen to make my coffee. This is going to be a great year. I'm so ready for this. I walk quietly back out the living room. I sit down with my computer to check my emails and my daily morning devotion that comes straight to my email everyday. Awesome ha! A half hour later I hear thumping on the living room ceiling. "Mommy".... "Mommy I peed the bed" comes blaring through the house. OK no problem. Up the stairs I go. Chang the bed, clean the child, down the stairs I go with my extra load of laundry and three children following close behind. Breakfast comes next with only 1 spill it's on the table not the couch phew... Alright, let's focus... get chores done, get dressed, start school. OK chores are done without issue and after 3 outfits later the princess has found something to wear. At least till lunch time anyway. Just as as we sit down for morning prayer the phone rings.. ignore it. Math done, Language done,  can I have some bunny milk.. done, can you wipe me...done. Three year old climbing on the entertainment center, five year old helping herself to some cookie's and milk, six year old crying because he can't make a cursive f, and the 15 year old is still laying in bed. It's OK.. I got this. I pull the 3 year down, get the snack for the 5 year old, give the six year a break and the 15 year gets a nice tall glass of cold water... to drink of course. Lunch time comes and goes, switch over the laundry, vacuum the floor, clean up the kitchen, start school up again. ABC's and 123's wont you sing with me...It's my turn... she started it.... I'm tired.... can you wipe me.... and the beat goes on. Barney babysits while I exercise and shower. Load the kids in the car so the 15 year old can go play with the pigskin. Back home finish up my chores make dinner and prepare my smile for my Prince charming to walk through the door. Clean up, pick up the teen, and wash up the marker and spaghetti stained children. Off to bed they go. Night, night, mommy loves you, no more drinks tonight you'll pee the bed. Look over curriculum lessons, make some popcorn, cuddle with the Prince and let's do this again tomorrow. Bring it on!!

Monday, September 5, 2011

My husband's student

I have always been a very observant person. I love to watch people and how they interact with others. Most of my friends already know this. So it will be no surprise to you that I like to study my husband. I love to learn everything about the man and exactly what makes him tick. Not just because I enjoy observing him... which I do, but because I want him to be happy. I want to know exactly what it is that he likes to eat, wear, watch on TV, what he thinks is funny or sad or gross. I also like to know what he likes when it comes to me. How he likes my hair or what he likes me to wear. What to say and what not to say and at what time I should say it. He's really a very easy man to live with. So I haven't taken on this study because he's difficult. My husband is one of the most even tempered men you'll ever meet. Which is just one of the hundred reasons I married him. I guess the biggest reason is LOVE. I think when you really love someone... you will go to any length to make them happy. We've been married for going on 9 years this December and I still love when he walks through my kitchen door. I hope to continue this study for the next 70 years or so.  I may never acquire a degree from it but I sure do love the lessons.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Zucchini round up ~Simple and delicious~

This is a super easy one:

Grilled Zucchini and yellow squash


Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Vegetable oil 1-2 tbl
Salt
Garlic powder


Slice up equal amounts of however much Zucchini and Yellow squash that you may want for your family. Leave the skin on and scoop out the seeds if there are any. Lightly coat the slices with vegetable oil. Then sprinkle garlic and salt to taste over top. Line your grill with some foil. Heat up the grill to a medium heat and place the zucchini and squash on the foil. Cook for about 15 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork into them. Your going to turn them about half way through the cooking time. Turn the grill off and let the foil cool a little then you can fold the foil over the zucchini and lift the whole piece up off the grill and place on it on a dish. That's it. You have a healthy, yummy side dish to enjoy with your dinner. Enjoy!!!



Thursday, September 1, 2011

31 Days to Clean Challenge



I'm so excited to be joining a group of ladies online for the 31 Days to Clean Challenge. It originated from a book called 31 Days to Clean. The book is subtitled Having a Martha house the Mary way. I thought that was so cute. Anyhow, my house is by no means dirty, but it's definitely "lived in". I don't mind cleaning my house. I just don't always make the proper time for it.Cleaning may come natural for some of us but some of us might need a little motivation. I'm hoping to get some good motivation from this book. 31 Days to Clean is about the “why” and the vision and the heart for taking care of our domains. So what's the deal with the challenge you may ask?


After each days reading, you will be given two challenges:

The Mary Challenge -Something you do that encourages/engages your heart

The Martha Challenge – Specific cleaning tasks

Then you write a comment about it on the Challenge website. You can also write a post on your blog and link up with the website every Friday and other participants can read your thoughts about the challenges on your blog.


So if you want to take the challenge with me it starts today. You'll need to do two things. 
*First buy the book: 

 


I bought the PDF version of the book. You can get it right now for $2.50. Just enter the code Homemaker when you checkout. Click here for the PDF version http://31daystoclean.com/

The Kindle or Nook version is $4.99.

Click here for the Kindle version http://www.amazon.com/31-Days-to-Clean-ebook/dp/B004W3UK4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302603204&sr=8-1

or here for the Nook versionhttp://search.barnesandnoble.com/31-Days-to-Clean-Having-a-Martha-House-the-Mary-Way/Sarah-Mae/e/2940012496706?itm=1&USRI=31%2Bdays%2Bto%2Bclean%2Bhaving%2Ba%2Bmartha%2Bhouse%2Bthe%2Bmary%2Bway

*Then click on the link in the upper right hand corner of my blog to join in the challenge.
I hope you'll come join me. Happy cleaning!!!!



Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Zucchini Round up ~ Banana Zucchini Bread ~

Mmmm... another Zucchini recipe. This bread is so sweet. I love that the recipe makes two loaves of bread. You can either share with a friend or you can freeze the second one. Which also reminds me. Did you know that you can freeze your Zucchini. Just shred it, measure out 2 cups (that's what most baking recipes call for), squeeze the extra water out of it and put in a freezer bag. Then pop it into the freezer.

Banana Zucchini Bread


4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 mashed medium ripe bananas
3 c flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 c shredded unpeeled Zucchini
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts


  • In a bowl, beat eggs. Blend in sugar and oil. Add bananas and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly mix into the egg mixture. Stir in Zucchini and nuts. 
  • Pour into two greased 9in X 5in loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.(skip this part if your impatient like me)
Wrap and freeze one loaf or share with a friend.



Monday, August 29, 2011

But all of the other kids have one

It has come to my attention that my children are becoming just a tad bit spoiled. When I was growing up we never would have expected something because other kids had it. We were lucky to have food on the table and clothes on our back. Our clothes were hand me downs or bought from Kmart. There was no American Eagle or Aero. We had a few good outfits and that was it. My children have so many clothes in there drawers that I can't even close them. Not that I want them to grow up poor or I'm not thankful for all the clothes that they have but I want them to be grateful for the things that they have not just expect things. Have you ever been to a child's birthday party and the kid rips into his gifts, tosses the card to the side and then throws the gift into a pile with the others? He doesn't stop to thank anybody, probably because he has no clue who it's from because he tossed the card. That's the vision that I get in my head when my kids pitch a fit about getting a new toy because someone else has one. I have to proudly say that my children are not that bad, but when my six year old wants to toss an entire Lego set because he's missing one piece and then in the same breath asks me for a different set... that gets to me. So after this has all brewed in my mind for a while I had this great idea. An awesome, spectacular, glorious idea.
  I thought that this Christmas instead of buying my children 6-7 gifts each, I would only buy them a couple and then have them choose gifts to donate to a family in need this year with the money that I saved. Then they would be thankful for the few gifts that they received and would get a great lesson in being giving. After all isn't that the end goal. Don't we want our children to be thankful and giving. I don't want my children growing up to always want something more or better. I don't want them to have bitter and selfish hearts. The cold hard truth is; life is tough. The world doesn't owe you a thing and maybe we should be preparing our children for it instead of trying to shield them from it. Just sayin!

With a thankful heart,
Teresa

Friday, August 26, 2011

Zucchini round up ~dessert ~

OK now it's time for some dessert. The kids wont even know that there's veggies in these.


Zucchini Whoopie Pies

1 C shredded zucchini
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ C shortening
1 egg
2 C flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
½ C milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 C nuts (optional)
 
Mix zucchini, sugar, shortening and egg. Add dry ingredients. Mix, alternating with milk. Combine and stir in vanilla and nuts. Drop by teaspoons on greased pan about 2 in apart. Make sure you only do a tsp because they double in size.  Bake at 350 deg for 7-10 minutes. I substituted the Vanilla Extract with Almond because I like it better. I didn't use nuts because I didn't have any and I used a can of cream cheese frosting from my pantry because I was low on confectioners sugar. Next time I will definitely add the nuts and make my own filling.
 
 
Filling:
4 oz cream cheese
3 T softened margarine
½ lb confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla


Cool whoopie pies. Spread filling on a whoopie pie than top with a second pie, like a sandwich. Then eat up.
This recipe makes about 40 sandwiches. It was hard to get a good count because the kids kept stealing them off the plate.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Did you hear about Suzie down the street?

Have you ever said something and then right after you said it thought "why did I say that"? So often our mouths get us in trouble. When we hear something bad about someone we automatically need all the details. It's like Eww... Suzie's crying. Why? What happened? Who can I tell about this? Why can't we just learn to keep our mouths closed at the appropriate time? So many times it gets us in trouble and yet we never learn. God must feel like we do as parents when we tell our children "how many times have I told you...." I think it's an issue with both men and woman but it tends to be worse with woman. Probably because we talk just a tad bit more then men. I also think that woman can be a bit catty too. I think that most of the time we say things bad about others just to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Like for example when you are talking badly about Suzie and Joe Shmoe"s marriage down the street maybe the problem is in your marriage. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matt 7:3. The Bible gives us warnings over and over again about keeping or mouths closed. It refers to our tongue as a sword. Gossips are compared to murderer's. Just a few verses to get the point across.

Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.”

1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”


Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.”

Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

OK it was more then just a few. Just one more..last one I promise. This one is my favorite:
Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”
But you get it know right. Please don't get the impression that I never gossip. I'm just as much to blame as the next girl. I'm just becoming more aware of it and making it a point to watch what comes out of my mouth and removing the wood from the fire.

Peace Out,
Teresa


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A Well Planned Day

Over the last couple weeks I've had the privilege of reviewing The Well Planned Day 2011-2012 Planner in PDF form. This planner is loaded with lots charts and lists. It's a list makers dream come true. The planner has a section in the beginning to paste a picture of your family and record special family moments. Then a section for contacts and a chart for budgeting. Then there are chore charts and daily schedules for both you and your children. I don't always stick to a schedule but it's nice to have one to keep you on track for the day. I've also learned as a mom and a home school/Sunday school teacher that kids like structure. So having something for my kids to go by is nice as well.
   Then for your homeschooling needs, there are pages to set your semester goals and and write down your daily assignments for up to four children. The slots are small if your using it for four kids, but it's doable if you keep it brief and write small. At the back of the planner there is a report card to fill out and there are attendance reports for each child as well. There's a monthly calender and a Year at a glance calender included. The monthly calender has a section at the bottom of each month to write down your bills that are due that month and books you may want to read. You can also record field trips and activities for the month. A Bible reading is listed for each day as well. There are also great articles to read through out the planner and shopping lists. You can plan your meals out right on your assignment and daily activities pages. I love knowing what I'm cooking for the week ahead of time. It takes half of the battle out of putting dinner on the table. My kids love it when I post that nights meal on the blackboard each morning. Last but not least there is a section for holiday planning, greeting card list, and gift giving. They really put a lot of thought into this planner. OK so no review is complete without a pros and con's list so here it is:

Pros                                                                                     
*you can totally become organized with this planner even        
if you don't have a organizing bone in your body.                        

* It's very stylish. The colors are beautiful.

* You can reuse a lot of the pages for years to come if you
buy the PDF version.

* You can customize the pages in Adobe with the PDF version.

* It's a good price at $24.95 for 230 pages.

Con's
* I didn't like that I couldn't take the PDF version with me anywhere. If I wanted to print it all out it would cost me $30 in ink. Then you have to buy a binder on top of that. If you buy the already printed version you can't reuse the pages and customize it.

* a table of contents would have been helpful. I had to flip through 200 pages every time I wanted to find a certain page.

In the end the pros outweighed the con's so I would definitely recommend this planner to you. If your interested in purchasing one for yourself here's a link: http://www.wellplannedday.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=0002

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Zucchini round up

It's that time of year again when the Zucchini and Squash are plentiful. So I've been in search of some good recipes. This is my first post of a series of some good recipes to help use up some of your Zucchini and Squash stock pile.

My first recipe is for a Zucchini and Tomato Parmesan

You will need:

1 large Zucchini or 2 small ones
2 large tomatoes
1 1/2 c of Mozzarella cheese
1 jar of tomato sauce
4-6 tbl butter
garlic salt

Preheat your oven to 450

Slice up your Zucchini and tomatoes in 1/4 in thick slices. Saute your Zucchini in butter and place 1/3 of it in the bottom of a greased 9x12 pan, sprinkle with garlic salt, then layer 1/3 of your tomatoes on top of that, then 1/2 c sauce and 1/2 c cheese. Then repeat all that two more times. Bake in oven for 20-25 min until the cheese on top is browned and it's bubbling around the edges. It's going to look a little watery at first but the sauce will thicken when it cools a little. Serve over pasta and use the remainder of you sauce to put on top of the pasta. I used Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta. This is a great vegetarian dish. You wont even miss the meat.