Glimpses of Normalicy

Christmas!

2011-12-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good. Not amazing , but good is good! LOL
I was thankful to have both my parents , so many don't have that! My mom is getting stronger (and antsy). It was the Princesses BFs first Christmas with us . Well , time will tell on that one. They seem to fuss alot ! But they also both seem to thrive one it : drives me crazy.
I got a Kindle ...which I am thrilled with ! It is just the basic model but I have already read my first book on it . It is easy on the eyes . I could make the font as big as I wanted. And holding it sideways made it really feel similar to holding a book. So far I have only put free books on it , but I did also get a $50 gift card to buy books with . :-) I need a cover for it and am considering making one. I found several good tutes on-line for free.
We went with a very non-traditional lasagna for Christmas dinner. I did make homemade rolls to fancy it up a bit . Had salad and lots of cookies ! Yea,it's a delicate balance.LOL
I do leave my decorations up until after the first of the year. My walking partner said she began dismantling the decorations as the last guest left ! LOL Different strokes I guess.
More soon y'all , I hope !

oh dear...

2011-12-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

I have a really good reason why it has been almost 3 months since I posted! In around Oct. my mom got this crazy night vision. It was my brother telling her he's fine (passed away 2 years ago) and she needs to quit worrying about him and take care of herself. My mom testified to this in SS. She said she had cried every single day since he died. But since then she had not been teary. Not that she stopped missing him or anything it was just like a big weight lifted off her.
Then in just a couple weeks she developed a sinus infection,that went into bronchitis. That further developed into pneumonia. 4 antibiotics and a month later she went for a follow-up x-ray to make sure the pneumonia had cleared all the way. And there was a spot that had not gone away,and it was strangely up high in her lung up by her shoulder. The doctor ordered a CT scan, then sent her to a lung specialist, who eventually sent her for a PET scan. Which did indeed show activity. 2 Biopsies later it was confirmed that she had lung cancer. Just a small tumor , the size of a golf ball.
The Monday after Thanksgiving she had major surgery. They removed 20% of her rt lung. And from there until now , it has been a journey! She is getting stronger everyday and I am so glad i can be there to help most of the time.
Anyway.....I really came on here to share this crazy recipe I made. I was reading The Pioneer Woman's blog and I ran across this recipe for Indian fry bread. It looked so good I wanted it RIGHT NOW! So I set about making some. Then I decided I was going to have to improvise the whole Fry bread taco idea to make due with what I had on hand (how pioneer of me , don't ya think!) Well I ended up with ground beef , taco seasoning, frozen spinach and canned diced tomatoes.Made the fry bread, covered it in my concoction, then smothered it in shredded cheese.....YUMMMMMMMMMM......
Poor hubby wasn't here to enjoy it, that's a great ~~excuse~~ reason to make it again SOON !
So.....next post....Christmas ! See ya'll soon !

Thrifty fun !

2011-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

I have found so many fun things at the thrift stores lately ! I just had to share it! Yesterday I went to Metro Thrift over in Lawrenceville (since Mondays are 1/2 price everything!) And I found some of that really nice lighted garland for Christmas . I can hardly wait to try it . Will it go on the porch , the mantle ? Down the stairs ?? So many options ! I also found a cute mini-tree that I will probably put in the bathroom or kitchen . Plus 2 bags of ornament ball so I can try one of those lovely wreaths that I keep seeing ALL over blogland. :-)
I am currently plotting my fall decorating ! Since I can officially implement it at the end of this week ! WooHoo!! I love autumn ! It is my favorite season, hands down !
So ... what have you found lately ?
I will try to post pics as soon as the Christmas season decorating is upon us. :-)
What fun !!

Friday update

2011-09-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well ... here my progress report. I did get most of the furniture swapped around. (one table to go) . I got the shelf moved from one side of the dining room to the other. I even got some cereal boxes in it . I also put my desserts on it . And since I found brownie mix on sale at Publix a couple weeks ago for 2 for $3 plus they had a coupon for $1 off if you bought 2 that made them a dollar each ...so naturally I bought about 6 ! LOL
I posted ads for the rug and pillows and the dishes. I so want them to go away ! I may even give them away if they don"t sell quickly. Pray the sell , it supports my thrifting habit . LOL
I am working on clean up so my hubby doesn't freak out over the mess. Poor thing. God really had a sense of humor putting us together. I can step over piles and let laundry go until there's nothing left to wear. It all drives him to distraction. I try to meet him in the middle . Not sterile, but not hazardous either.
The new arrangement opens things up and the first thing I noticed is , I had been able to hide my dining room . But not now !! So I have allot of work left and I better get moving on it !
Just wanted to put a progress report out there ! :-)
Blessings , Lora

changing , re-arranging (again!)

2011-08-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

     It certainly isn’t fall yet. Temps are still in the 90’s here in zone 7b! But I find myself thinking about fall (and even Christmas!) It seems to be a season of change for me. I am in nesting mode…nope, not pregnant!

      I have made some new purchases that I am very excited about. So far they haven’t been put to use. But I believe all that is changing! I have wanted to move the furniture for a month. Today I took the plunge! I am past the point of no return. Not really but I tell myself that so I will keep going! LOL

      I think sometimes I miss the Lord in the fact that I love when He gives me ideas, but I am not good at implementing those ideas in a timely manner. And I think sometimes if I wait too long I miss the chance for things to line up the way He showed me.

      Let’s see…by the end of next week I should have a new look in all of down stairs. And some what in the Master bedroom as well! I am rearranging furniture, as I said before. I got a different rug for the living room. And I want to use the pictures I own already in fresh new ways!

      I bought kitchen curtains. And God gave me the idea to photo copy the fabric and decoupage the copies to my cabinet knobs! Then I went to Kohl’s and found rugs on a great sale (under $5!!) and a new hand towel too (for $3). I can hardly wait to get all that in! The new theme color in the kitchen is green. I think I’ll tie red bows on the knobs at Christmas time. J Fun!
Last but not least (for now) I want to clean off the book shelf in the dining room , swap it to the other side and then use it for food storage. Just for cereal boxes and such.
     I am UBER-excited ! Can't you tell ?!?! LoL ....Y'all have a good day !
Blessings , Lora

August ?!?

2011-08-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well here it is August already ! School is starting back (well ours never quit actually) . The afternoons are HOT . And we have the dreaded anniversary coming up . Loy will be gone from us 2 years this Sat. Days like today,when I saw something in the store he would have totally loved,make me miss him alot. He was a good brother . It was totally not his fault he was the favorite ! LOL ...He would have said I was and may make a point to when I get to heaven some day .
We went to the funeral of one of my sons friends dads yesterday. He was only 43 ! So sad. He leaves a wife and 15yo daughter . I do not know how they will make it ! It has made us look at each other differently. I am only 41 , but God could send that call anytime. I kind of hope He doesn't for quite a few years yet , but it could happen . I actually pray it isn't while my parent are still alive. Really.
OK ...on to lighter fare ! I am revamping a $10 yard sale dresser . And of course I forgot to take before pictures ! But I will post after photos and try to find somewhere to link up . I get such enjoyment out of reading all those blog parties! And it'd be nice to enter one for a change !
I am also doing a mini-redo on my kitchen . I got new curtains with some money my friend gave me for my birthday . They are green & white plaid ! SOooooo cute. Then Friday at Kohl's I found kitchen rugs and towels to match ! I am super excited! I wanted to paint the kitchen cabinets but this is a much easier way to spiff it up for a while !
We had one child move out . And we made her old room an office ! Wait...actually , since the room she moved out of was empty we cleaned it well then painted it and moved her brother in there. He got to pick paint colors and got a new (light-ly used) bed. He went from twin to queen ! He has enjoyed the improvement but is in need of a good cleaning ! Seriously. I told him I am going to start making him run in the morning when I go to walk every day until it's clean ! (starting Monday)
Oh, I guess that's another re-vamp ! LOL , I am walking 5 days a week . We go about 1 1/2 miles. but I am back home by 8 when school starts so it's good . That's a definite advantage to NOT having little children anymore ! I don't have to worry about leaving the 16yo here for an hr in the morning . :-)
Guess I should close out . Just wanted to make a quick post so my few readers wouldn't think I vanished ! :-) Blessings all ! Love , Lora

Busy Bee June

2011-06-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

This month has had my birthday on the 6th. We went to Atlanta Bread Company . LOL Shocked the whole family . They had convinced themselves I'd pick Golden Corral . It was tasty . DH and I each got a 1/2 & 1/2 combo and then also a whole Greek Salad to share . So yummy !
The 14th was our dd's birthday . She turned 22 . We went to an Italian place that gives you dinner free on your BD. She had her beau here from AZ. It was alittle tense because I am not thrilled with some of her choices lately . This guy is 40 , divorced, kids he has no parental right to . Oh , and his nick-name is Chaos. YAY ! That inspires trust in a mama to look up and see that tattoed on his neck . He did mind his P's&Q's and was polite to me . Her daddy was out of town . God did answer that prayer !
I am working on the office/hang-out room . All my creative juices are funneling that direction . I am posting this while waiting on the Spackle to dry.
I have been wondering just how wrong it would be to re-ground the 16 yo prince for something he did 3 years ago. I have patched 100's of dents in the walls from where he shot his air-soft guns in the room when it was his . UGH !
I am excited to have it done ! And soon !
Better go . I'll bet that first wall is ready. :-)

May on the way out

2011-05-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

May has been super busy and quite eventful . I had a few issues , mostly of my own making ! I over-scheduled myself and then my DH had 2 weeks in-town . Now, having my love in town is a blessing ~ don't get me wrong ! But it does change at home . I try to do nice dinners. I try to tidy or do something that shows some results s it doesn't look the same as when DH left in the morning . Now , obviously , if it was BH&G prefect looking the same would be fine ....ummmm....yeah......NO ! That's really not my life. It is a work in progress tho'. Most days I do try . Anyway....not trying to defend myself....just facts.
Hubby and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary this month . The young prince and I worked 2 charity events. A drag race . That was interesting...and LOUD ! I had a good time , made a new friend. It was a 15 hour day . But thru that , the prince has his camp fees paid completely . Love that !
Our other event was a golf tournament . That one benefited the local crisis pregnancy center . It's one of our favorite ministries. We got to judge the prize package hole-in-one shots . My hole was a new Ford Fusion , the Prince was presiding over a vacation prize . But we were on a golf cart , able to find shade , read , watch the critters . It was not a hard day . The prince befriended a squirrel , that he named Frank. Frank was really just a free-loading opportunist who was more than happy to share the sunflower seeds that have become the princes warm weather companion .
And then the prince had an impacted wisdom tooth remove yesterday . UGH ! Lots of pain , lots of swelling , ice, jello . Poor guy . At 16 he is always hungry , and then when your culinary world narrows to broth and jello...he was starving ! I made a turkey tenderloin and mashed potatoes. He ate the potatoes with the broth/drippings off the turkey . He is normally gravy phobic so it was a big step . He was desperate ! LOL Poor guy!
Today he is sleeping in . Which is a rare treat in our house ! Really rare ! I will go wake him soon . He needs the antibiotic . He may choose to fore go the pain meds . He is not much on meds....wonder where he gets that from ....HA ! He choose not to take the calming pill before the dentist . He also declined having the "laughing gas" . What a guy !
Better go , I have several things I'd like to get done today. Not sure how much will get done , but I have to try , right ?!
Blessings friends !
Love ya'll ! Lora

May

2011-05-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here it is May ! In 2 days my dh and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary! It is a very exciting moment in our lives. And to God be the glory ! We were literally bet against. The shortest time ? 2 weeks , the longest ? 6 months ! HA ! We were married about 9 years when we got saved . Things were SO NOT GOOD ! But God (I love that phrase! "BUT GOD!") stepped in . I was saved in March and my hubby in Aug. . We re-married in May the next year . We felt like it was important since we had lived together first , then went to the JP to get married (we already had a Little one). So yes, this is special !
I posted 6 books on paperback swap today . I think 5 were on wish-lists ! :-) Awesome !
I am working on our dining room chairs this week too . As soon as I figure out how to get a pic from my phone to my blog I will post the before picture .
Blessings all !
Lora Lee

Once a month blogging ?

2011-04-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well I would love to do once a week blogging ! But in 2 years it just hasn't happened ! Sigh ... I am going to try scheduling it into my Cozi acct and see if that helps .

I totally want to start taking pictures of some of the stuff I do and getting to play along with some of the craft memes I read . That's my newest addiction , craft blogs and "round-ups" . Pshew ! I feel better after confessing that ! HA !

OK....so as a general catch-up on life... My mom is doing much better ! Thank You Jesus ! She went back to work last week . It was probably a bit soon , because it wore her out completely! But she did OK . Her Dr. check-up went well . And now she should have check-ups pretty regularly.

Easter Sunday was quite lovely ! The weather was out-standing ! High of 80 and pure GA sunshine ! We did a very informal after church lunch at my moms . Deli meat sandwiches and home-made (by me) mac and cheese. Potato salad , deviled eggs , pasta salad (made by me - that was a FLOP! It's the only tastefully simple thing I have ever made that we didn't like !) All 7 of us got together and it was quite nice.

We went to NC to visit some precious friends a couple weeks ago . We started having car trouble on the way there . Not until we hit the mountains , so we were already far from home. We did make it . The car continued to mess up while we were there . It seriously messed up our plans! I couldn't explore on my own at all . DH took alot of time (and quite a bit of $$) working on the car. ~to no avail~ SIGH ~!

It took us 6 hours to make it home from what should have been a 2 & 1/2 hour trip . Yeah! Seriously! We asked our neighbor , who is a mechanic to please help us get it fixed. He found out there was a recall on the fuel pump . The fuel pump is what my dear daddy said it probably was after the things we tried in NC didn't work. We had a 3 week fiasco trying to get Ford to make good on replacing the recalled part . 3 weeks , 3 dealerships and numerous phone calls later and my little focus is back on the road ! I am so glad to have reliable wheels again ! I have been so frustrated I have seriously considered trading it in but I 1. really like it 2. only found 2 others I liked (and they'd use more fuel) 3. I'd have to sell this one to get another. 4. I hate change !

I hope to go pick Strawberries this week . They are in season at our local farm . I can make some jam ! Ummmm! I will try to post pictures of what I pick and/or make !

The prince went on a 2 field trip last week . One took him all the way to OHIO ! When I realized both my boys would be in OH , but not together , and neither with me & their dad, I was very sad ! But he had a blast and really enjoyed the Creation Museum . He was completely impressed that you could touch everything ! Tells you what kind of learner he is , huh? LOL . I wish I would have sent a camera with him ! Oh,well !

Better go get back to my wonderful life . I have boocootles to do today !

Blessings all ! Lora Lee

Wowzers !

2011-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the month ! The bible study wraps up this week . And tho' it has been wonderful I will be glad for the day back at home . We were meeting Tuesdays from 10am-noon (but I rarely got home before 2pm) And Sunday 4-6 . But my ds has been having band practice and stuff from 5:30 - 8pm so I would just go to the near-by Target or Publix (usually Target , since that one has a coffee shop !) which puts us home at 8:30 ish.

(the new picture is from our Valentines dinner!) It wasn't from this month but I couln't resist throwing it in there !) OK , on to this months adventures.....

The 13th was my moms BD . Sweet 69 ! LoL ...we all went to a lovely Italian dinner and then went back to her house only to have to call 911 a half hour later . She had been having some chest pain episodes but didn't really want to have to go to the ER . We took a lovely (NOT) ambulance ride . They admitted her and the next day did a heart cath . During which they found an 80% blockage so they put in a stent right away . She was mad no one asked her if she wanted it done ... but I think once she recovers she will get over that part . She has not been smoking since that day . So we think that's awesome ! She goes to the cardio-doc Wed so we are praying for a good report !

DD had her court date for the biggie ticket she got . It was expensive and I pray she learned well from the experience and I am glad it is over . She was able to procure her own auto ins. since that was finished. So we officially got her off of ours today . It has been hard watching her make some wrong choices and face the consequences but all we can do is love her thru it . We are praying that the stalker shows his true self before she gets in real trouble there . And we are praying for repaired relationship with my mom over some of the hurt that has come about . My folks think we have been so wrong . But they never gave us even one second to tell our side and defend our actions . I have been hurt and disappointed over that but not much I can do . Esp when we are trying not to stress out a heart patient , ya know !

I bought a used sewing machine for cheap off of CL . Now I am praying it works long years very well ! I hope to show-off some fun creations & re-makes on this blog and maybe turn it into something I will use more and maybe others might enjoy too . :-)

Better go: DH has a long week out this time and I am hoping to make some positive changes in the house to surprise him with some homeyness ! Maybe some I can post here ! LOL

Blessings one and all !

Lora

March already ?

2011-03-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Time just keeps flying along ! I keep hoping to get on here and start posting more but life gets busy and when something has to give this is usually one of the first ! :-/

The princess moved out last week . She is making decisions that are sad and a little scary . But since she's 21 all we can do is pray and hope that she won't walk too far away from HOME . The real forever home she has in heaven . Of course we like her close to this home too . And so far she's only 14 miles away and living with a member of the extended family .
The road has been a bit rocky with her for a few months so we have had some awesome prayer support from friends and our hearts and home are pretty peaceful .

The prince is moving into the vacated room his sister left . I am in the process of painting it and we are gathering the decor. He is going with grey . Kind of a cement color called anonymous . I am going to make curtains (I think) . Found a great coverlet in grey velour (GW $10 !) Found the throw rug at WM for $5 . I think it is going to come together nicely .

And when that room is done ...I move onto his newly vacated room to craft an office/prayer/reading room . I am so excited !

Pictures coming soon ! Blessings ! Lora

Menu plan Monday (my first of 2011)

2011-02-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

So it has been ages since I have done a menu plan ! I even signed up for the "saving dinner" subscription (which I actually had to pay for) ...but yet this is an area I consistently fail ! We eat out too often and it is generally worse when I don;t feel well .
So , DH is home this week with Jury Duty . And I thought this might be a good time to jump back on the bandwagon ! :-)
Sunday - Chinese after church (cheap and easy!)
Scrambled eggs and farm fresh pasture raised pork sausage.
Monday - Tortellini with meat sauce and fresh French bread

Tuesday- Baked chicken (bl/sl thighs), oven roasted potatoes , mixed veggies (steamer bag)

Wednesday-Hamburgers , homemade mac & cheese , green beans

Thursday - meatball subs (homemade meat balls) ,spinach salad with feta cheese

Friday - grilled cheese with 15 bean soup

Saturday- date night ! Our church is hosting a Valentines dance with dinner for couples :-)

Sunday- Hopefully , subs after church ! :-)

See , I feel better already just by making the plan out ! :-)
Have a lovely week !

outta control

2011-02-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

I had an awful cough for almost 3 weeks ! I usually just pretty much refuse to get sick ...but this time I pretty much followed to recipe for getting sick !
I ran out of vitamins
I got insomnia for several days
I went to Walmart
I was house-bound by snow

Individually each might not have pushed me over but all together ? BAM ! I was stricken !
I am doing the Here and Now , There and Then study . And Beth talks about her body not behaving ...because us having control is really just an illusion . I can do all the right things an still end up with undesirable results . Because it really isn't in my grasp to control . There is SOMEONE on the Throne ...but it is not me !
I had to go to the doctor ... something I avoid to great measures . I got cough cure stuff . But he was more concerned that I look very anemic. Well , of course I am pale , I'm a red-head after all ! They did blood work . The tech got blood on the first try , with no fishing ! WooHoo ! Practically unheard of ! I went home and googled the symptoms of being very anemic...I could check several things on that list ! UGH !
So , I went to a grocery store with a pharmacy and stocked up on red-meat while they filled the prescriptions...But I already had a chicken thawed for dinner . LOL I might make a smoothie with greens today . Time to do some research I guess !
Blessings friends ! I'm going to put up some Valentines decorations up today to combat the dreary rain ... BUT I am praising God it is not snow ! YEAH !

New week ...feeling better (a bit)

2011-01-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

So , I slept on the couch to try and let my DH get some good sleep . He left out this morning for a few days of work in NC . I still was coughing and I still kept him up some (I told you it's a small house) . But I feel better . Well , better than I did anyway . :-P
I did manage to accomplish a few things today . Laundry , clorox wipe-down of EVERYTHING,etc... I even hung a picture that we got for Christmas. DD noticed it right away . It needs a sprig or somethin close to it but I will work on it . Felt good to see it displayed ! And my mom wll be tickled when she sees it up too. Hey...I am happy! It's been less than a MONTH !
I have a few crafts I'd like to do . I will try to remember to take some pics to post . I am SOOooo jealous of those super crafty blogger that post often and do such cute stuff . I am crafty , really , life just gets in my way ! LOL I did finish another scarf ! I actually kept this one and have been wearing it too ! Maybe I'll take pictures of that !
I better go , I have a coffee cake in the oven for bible study tomorrow . Ummm....here's the recipe for that coffee cake . It sure smells yummy !

Things askew

2011-01-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well ... here in the sunny south things have been a bit askew ! We had a snow week . We had almost 10" and it shut us down , for real ! Even my hubby missed 2 days of work ...which has never happened before !
I have come down with ... something or other . Scratchy throat , cough , sinus drainage (which explains the other symptoms) Basically yuck ! I stayed home from church since there are people with so many situations . No one needs it (not even me)
I have 3 cakes to make tomorrow/Friday . We are having a "birthday bash" for all the ladies at church Saturday . What fun !
Hubby had to work the weekend dure to the missed days and he didn't get to come home between . Glad he's gone for the sickies ...but ,dang, I miss him !
Well I am going to eat my chicken noodle soup now ! Ya'll take care!

1st post of 2011

2011-01-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I didn't have a 2011 post up yet !~ UGH ! So much for wanting to blog more regularly ! :-/
Well...lets see ....Christmas 2010 was a good one ! New Years Eve was exhausting as we had multiple places to visit . (which I guess is a good problem to have) And this past week we had a snow storm ! I am still looking out the window at all white . I am SO ready for it to go away ! I mean , this is GEORGIA after all ! We usually get snow and in 2 days you'd never know it was here ! It snowed Sunday night and Monday,then we got some sleet . The nasty stuff totalled almost 10 inches ! But , PTL , we had plenty of notice and my wonderful hubby spent 1/2 of Saturday getting prepared . (mostly in case we lost power) (which we never did , Thank You Lord!)
This is Saturday again . I am getting ready for ds to have some spend the night company . It is an unusual occurrence in our house . I have dogs that aren't always friendly of fun to deal with , and BHG this ain't ! YKWIM ?!
Anyway ....just wanted to get a post on here to start the year off . Hopefully I will be back next week. I really want this to turn into usable space ! Maybe post my menus and crafts again ! :-)
Blessings ! Lora

On to Christmas....

2010-11-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

To kick off the Christmas "season" I got up early ....not insanely early like some....and hit a couple Black Friday sales . I went to Athens and went to Sears,Penneys and AE. Then on the way home I went to Tractor supply . I got everything that I had put on the list I made while perusing on-line sale fliers . It was a pretty good success ! I had to order one thing for the princess. They were out of her size but JcP offered free shipping to store and I still got the BF sale price . AND...it gives me an excuse to go browse the mall one day in the next week or so when it's not such a mad-house . It's a win-win situation ! :-)

Thanksgiving was a rousing success . Way too much food , of course ;-) . We had opened it to anyone who didn't have a plan , but it ended up just being family . That's OK . We want to try again next year and spread the word earlier . We raided the house of most of the fall decorations and took them to the church to decorate there. It wasn't planned to be a huge help to me but it was...now, the slate is mostly blank ---ready for Christmas decorations ! I hope to work on that next week but I have an election to work and sometimes that throws things off for days . This is looking to be a small run-off for 2 judges seats so maybe I won't be too wiped out ! It's still a long day !

Today my hubby got down winter clothes for me to go thru . I better go get back to it . The dryer will be done in just a few minits and then I can swap the cloths over . This is only our 2nd cold day this season . But looking at the forecast it is forecast to be much cooler this week and we will be needing the jeans and long sleeve shirts I am finding !

Blessings ! Lora

Thanksgiving week

2010-11-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe this is Thanksgiving week ! This year has FLOWN !
Wednesday would have been my brothers 51st birthday . My mom and Dad are both down with colds. My min-pin is in heat . And I may have bitten off more than I can chew!
We are going to have our Thanksgiving meal at our church . And we put out an open invite to anyone who needed someplace to go . And ppl might actually come ! Ummm....Help me Jesus ! I need some guidance .
So... I guess we will see if He chooses to use us to bless others . He is the miracle worker after-all !

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

This might be my first blogged menu this year! My DH will be home this week (which is unusual) and I decided I need a plan so we don't eat out too much .

Here goes....

Sunday - Chicken Enchilada Stew made with this mix I found at Ross. (I paid $2.99) I made it in the Crock-pot so it was waiting on us after church!

Monday - Baked Chicken per this recipe . It gets lots of stars ! I will serve with baked squash and a pasta side dish.

Tuesday - 15 bean soup with homemade cornbread ! This will be cooked with a HoneyBaked ham bone that you can get at thier store for $5-$6 ....totally worth it !

Wednesday- Left-over Enchilada Stew from Sunday. Church usually means something quick !

Thursday - this is usually my daughters day to cook - so we'll see !

Friday - Baked Country-fried Steaks . It is my friend Gina's recipe . You egg dip and flour batter the chopped steak . Fry it up in a skillet . Then place in a 9x13. Mix up a pack of onion soup mix with hot water . Pour soup over steaks and bake for 20 mins on 350 . I know it sounds crazy , but it is wonderful ! served with corn or baked potatoes and salad(spinach or fruit)

Saturday-Baked French toast

sandwichs and chips with pasta salad

2 for $20 at Applebees for date night !

Sunday - Chinese after church

grilled cheese and soup for dinner

breakfast for dinner

Well that wasn't so hard . I don't know why I hate sitting down and doing it so much ! :-)

Ya'll have a good week !

Sunday rest

2010-09-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday . The day of rest . It has been a good one .
Church was wonderful . God is doing some really cool stuff ! The worship leader even threw in an old hymn that many of us didn't know and it worked . In a Contemporary Worship service only God can do that ! :-)
I got a nap after church . Took the prince to "coffee house" , checked on my S-I-L's kitties , dabbled in the pond area for a few minits . Resisted the siren song of the ice-cream truck (that darn chipwich was calling my name!) And made a simple dinner that was scarffed up by all ! Pretty sucessful day ! :-)
I have been thinking about blogging about my escapades in trying to follow FlyLady . And I am newly addicted to craft blogs and blog parties . I will have to post a few of my own ideas...if I ever have time to actually craft them . I guess it equates to less computer time (:-/) which I need to work on anyway ! :-P
Ok ... gotta go start the dishwasher since hubby is out of the shower now !
Blessings !

End of August

2010-08-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well today is the last day of Aug. Which means we made it thru it ! The one year anniversary of my brothers dead was Friday . None of us can hardly believe it has been a year ! I get thru knowing I will get to see him again ! The HOPE of heaven ! My dad is not a Christian , I have no idea how he makes it !
The Princess started a new job at the tiny restaurant in town . She is loving it ! And I am SO glad she is working again . We are back to butting heads . Seems to happen when she has a beau . I have a hard time relating since I was married with a baby by the time I was her age .
The Prince is in his second week of school . We are using a cover school this year and so far he likes it ! I can hardly believe he only has 2 years left ! I try not to think what I will do after I have no more to school ...it generally causes panic or depression ...neither of which I usually struggle with .
Tonight is ladies night out at the church . They are doing a covered dish night at church and I will be bringing sausage and peppers ...or whatever it morphs into ! LOL
I am looking forward to fall . I totally want to decorate ! I figure it is pushing it too much when it is still 90 degrees here . But SOON ! Very SOON ! LOL

soggy clutter

2010-08-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am a clutter Queen . Sigh... I usually blame it on my small house , but it's just me . Wednesday I walked down first thing in the morning to throw in a load of laundry (It's the habit for Aug. flylady followers) ...anyway, there was a puddle on the garage floor by the washer . I mopped up the water with a towel or 2 and threw them in the wash too . I was figuring something was wrong with the washer so I packed towels around it .

I turned off the water to the washer last night , only to come down this morning to find a huge puddle again . DH said maybe the water heater that is next to the washer.
I had clothes and towels and lots of "stuff" by the washer and water heater...and guess what? It either needed immediate washing or was ruined already . I have spent 2 days cleaning down there in the garage/dungeon . I have gotten 3 barrels of trash out , and 2 boxes of "give-away" . Only a dumpster load to go !
I am taking the hot part of the day off and need to clean in the house . My dh comes home tomorrow and it is a mess , even more that usual !
I think I will store some of my plastic storage tubs over there from now on. no more clothes ! That thing had been leaking for a LONG time and I was blissfully unaware!
Yikes !

Homekeepers Journal (July 6th)

2010-07-07T03:32:00.000-07:00

Here I am back for another edition of the HomeKeepers Journal. :-) I love this meme ! I would love for it to "Catch-on" a bit more since I also enjoy reading other bloggers entries.

In my summer kitchen.... Last week I was elbow deep in peaches . I stayed busy for days with them . I canned crushed and halved peaches . They turned out beautiful ! And yummy too . We opened one jar after a week to make sure they were "fit to eat" as one of our friends says ! This week the kitchen is quiet and cluttered. We are heading to summer camp and will be mostly gone for 2 weeks . After that I will be back to canning and cooking !

In my summer yard.... a small garden with tomatoes and peppers , some green beans and wax beans . Oh , and some ground cherries too !~ The rest of the yard is mostly dandelions and dogs ! LOL

On my summer reading list... I am currently reading "Demon:a memoir" by Tosca Lee . It is awesome Christian Fiction . Order it ! I promise you will find it thought provoking ! I also have Liz Curtis Higgs newest book "Here burns my candle" . I love her fiction books !

When camp is done I will also be starting the Beth Moore study on Revelation . I think my whole family is going to do it together !

In my summer plans .... Well , seriously , camp always occupies a large chunk of my time and attention ! I work while I am there , so it isn't leisure at all . But it is enriching. I love it ! Our other plans are ... well , not sure ! I would like to find something fun and low stress to do as a family . Totally not sure what !

On my summer to do list ... Conquer my bed-room messiness ! Get the carpet and couches cleaned (professionally) and use my new coffee bar frequently !

To read more entries like this (but much more interesting !) follow this link to this site .

Homekeepers Journal June 29th

2010-07-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going on around my home...

In the yard.... Trying to get my little plastic pond in a happy place again . My pump broke and I have a new one ordered . I also have a crazy amount of green gook in there . It's an algae bloom that won't quit . And I haven't found anything I can get that's safe for my kitties (who drink from it often!)

On the grill ... grass fed beef steaks ! It was a heck of a splurge but I knew it would make my man smile . :-)

With my children... Trying to get ready for summer camp ! It is 10 days long and takes lots of energy and prep work !

On my mind... What I have to get done before we leave ! Too over-whelming !

The book of the bible I keep finding myself turning to lately ... Corinthians (mostly bk1)

What I am reading .... Demon by Tosca Lee , and my Fave blog right now "Ruffles and Stuff"

I am looking forward to ...getting my carpets cleaned after camp ! And the up-coming elections (I am a polling place manager)

That's all for now ya'll ! Have a wonderful 4th of July week-end ! And find a VET to say thanks too ! :-)

Homekeepers Journal - June 15th

2010-06-15T17:25:00.001-07:00

What's going on in my kitchen this week .... lots of raw veggies ! We are all helping out at VBS and they are making some food there . Not all of it can/will we eat so I have sandwich stuff . Trying to make smoothies in the morning . (Almond milk, frozen mixed fruit, banana,ice, sometimes flax seeds , coconut oil...whatever!) I got veggies at a stand this week-end and a few more (like celery) at the store. If they are available they will get eaten! We are also in a heat-wave here so if I do make a full dinner I will be using my new crock-pot !

Every time I try to .... send cards out I get them written but hardly ever get them mailed !If the thought is what counts I am good ! LOL But I am highly suspicious that my friends and church family would love to actually get a card ! :-/

Thinking very heavily on this right now... Summer camp ! I am working up examples and playing with craft ideas . We are all emailing back and forth about all the details and such . It is getting exciting !

I wish my Mother or someone had told me that ... laundry NEVER ends ! I was not taught to keep house. My mom kept house well but she felt it was her job . I was an awful kid too so I doubt I would have been teachable if she tried !

I am determined to ... keep trying to make more of what we eat from scratch . Weeding out as many harmful additives as possible ! Esp. MSG . I would like to scale back on eating out too but that's how my family likes to celebrate and such . And it's just plain too easy ! I just told my DH that I want to plan weekend food similar to a camping trip . Do as much prep ahead of time as I can so it throws together easily and quickly . I am going to try freezing some breakfast burritos and extra muffins too !

That's all for this week ! :-) Ya'll leave a comment if you stop by and don't forget to go by Christianhomekeeper.com to see the other posts ! Just follow the link <-----

homemade frapp'e

2010-06-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Those icy coffee Fraps are a delight to me and my kidd-o's (15 & 21 , I am not giving it to toddlers! LOL) The ones at the coffee shop are $3-$5 and the Mickey D's are about $2.50 or more . THat adds up ! I got one the other day when they were on the $1 special . I asked myself what makes them SO good ?! They are rich , creamy,sweet and COLD ! SO ...I have experimented here at home to see if I could make something satisfying .
Here's what I have found we like . :-) It is seriously yummy !
1 cup of coffee
2 Tbs unrefined sugar (or what ever you use)
1 Cup raw milk (or whole milk , or 1/2 & 1/2)
3 cap-full of vanilla
12 sprinkles of cinnamon
1 Tbs virgin coconut oil (I use spectrum)
lots of ice
I put the sweetner in the warm coffee and mix to dissolve , I pour that in the blender . Then the coconut oil . Next put the milk or cream , add vanilla and cinnamon ( I have fallen in love with Pampered Chefs) fill the blender with a large amount of ice ( I fill 3/4 of the way full) Blend ! I just guesstimate the amounts so play with it . The coconut oil adds a richness to this and it is a GOOD for you addition . It staves off hunger ! Seriously ! Look it up . :-)
If ya'll try it let me know !

Homekeepers Journal

2010-06-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is for the Homekeepers Journal posted on June 8th . I didn't find it until today . :-) I checked Monday and early Tuesday for it but then the week went crazy ! The princess has started a new job working with some cute little girls she just loves ! And the prince was away at an out-of town friends house. I did get quite allot done (not that you can much tell) And I did start working on crafts for camp . Playing with new ideas . I came up with a bracelet I think I am going to offer to the kids . I really like it ! I will try to post some pics Monday . DH is home and not feeling well so I know i won't get it done this weekend ;-)!

So here's the Homekeepers Journal entry:

My definition of a Homekeeper is.....well...a person whose life and ministry centers around the home .

My favorite place to practice the profession of home keeping is... The kitchen. I love finding nutritional recipes that my family actually likes. I love the nights we can have dinner all together (rare indeed!) I love canning too . But that also falls under providing good stuff for the consumption of ppl I love !

I do/do not find joy in keeping my home and I think the reason is.... I do find joy in it ! I know it is because I love my family . We homeschool so we really do live, love and learn here . We eat here , minister to neighbors , have bible study ,tend a garden and small pond . We have 6 pets so lots of life lessons there too . And since dear hubby travels allot with his job , I live to provide him a safe haven to come home to. And I am also , by default, the parent on call ...for what-ever arises .

At this point in my life , I believe my children, husband and/or other family members think about our house... Hubby loves coming home . When you frequently live out of a motel home is a luxury . DS enjoys being home . The princess is yearning for a home of her own . And by her age I was married and had a baby so I do understand . She can enjoy home , resent us, nit-pick it what-ever . She is at a dis-contented place. We try not to worry too much about the "others" part . Our home is far from picture-perfect but it is a work in progress and as I am finding out , so am I !

Things I wish someone had told me about homekeeping when I was young... That it's a real job ! That it is respectable to stay home and make your family priority #1 . I didn't know the Lord until 10 years ago and I certainly wish I had met Him as Savior long before that , He really changes the whole equation !

The message I received about being a wife and mother when I was growing up ... That they had to do it all , and it should come naturally . My mom did it all . Dinner on time , yard work , laundry . She didn't teach me any of it so I just assumed it must come natural when you needed it . HA.HA ! Wrong ! My poor hubby had some rough times as I struggle to learn what i needed to know . I crashed and burned ALLOT in the beginning ! I have totally raised my girl differently ! She knows most of what she needs . She my have a limited menu rotation ...but she wont starve of scare him . LOL

Six blessings God has given me this week ... healing for the awful dizzy spell I was having (praise God , none this week!)
Healing our kitty , bringing dh and ds home safe , advancing ds a grade in school , a wonderful floating light in my newly re-newed pond (got it at a thrift store for $3 !) a couple of nice hours with my mom . She rode with me to do some errands . It was a nice , low-stress time . Kind of rare sine my brother died last August .

Ya'll feel free to comment ! And don't forget to check the other entries !! Go here http://christianhomekeeper.org/blog/homekeepers-journal-june-8-with-linky-love/ to read the others !

Blessing ! Lora

It's Thursday

2010-06-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday ! Yay !
Why am I excited that it's Thursday ? Because today our prince got to come home from his special invite camping trip . He got to go on a beach camping trip ...for free ! He had an awesome time (which is great for a guy who isn't fond of the beach). He got sunburned a bit , because he fell asleep in a hammock . And he came home tired , and kind of hungry...since it was a beach trip , it made sense to the men-folk to have sea-food...except the prince doesn't really eat sea-food . LOL
So I made one of his faves for dinner . Beef-tips in rice . Well basically . I just shred up a small roast , use the drippings to make gravy , mix it together and ladle over brown rice . Simple , filling ...and the only GRAVY anything that he will eat !
Also , Thursday means my DH will be home tomorrow ...we have home-group too . Awesome !

Hopefully see ya'll tomorrow for 5 faves !

Homekeepers Journal

2010-06-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was super excited to find this ! :-) Thank you Sylvia for letting us join .

Here's what's happening in my home this week ...

1. In my Kitchen.... Homemade muffins , some of my moms favorite cookies (a recipe from her childhood that's really easy)
cooking a London Broil (that will be made over 3 times), trying to figure out how to cook for just 2 people , since it is just me
and the princess at home this week ! I will be making hard boiled eggs and some fruit salad as some safe "grab-it" foods to
satisfy that munchie attack I tend to get around 4pm daily !

2. In my marriage.... DH is out of town on a job . I did get a very welcome surprise and got to have lunch with him today since
he had to come back for something ! It was a great surprise ! And Cracker Barrel is always a winner for me . :-) We had a great
week-end over Memorial Day and I look completely forward to this coming weekend . It is my 40Th BD Sunday and we are going
to get together with friends . It should be very good .

3. With my children... The prince is away on a special invitation camping trip . He is at the beach , camping out , in his very own tent !
And I miss him ALLOT ! I am working on his room , more specifically , his laundry quandary while he is away . He just has too many
clothes ! And when I go to get a load I set the timer and do 15-20 mins worth of pick-up . I already see improvement ! And that makes
me happy.
The princess is out with a friend tonight . A girl that she has known since she was 10 and we were at our first church . She has a couple
jobs this week , so I will have quite abit of quiet time ...if I manage to stay home anyway ! I am trying to stay home more , it's hard to
tho' . (Does anyone else have this problem??)

4. I feel so relieved when... things work the way they are supposed to ! Recently my favorite crock-pot died . Then my back up didn't
work right either ! That ended up being one meal out and one meal of eggs and quickly thawed sausage ! Very frustrating !! When I
need papers printed for an interview I was suppose to conduct , the printer wouldn't work this morning ! I was out of black ink ! (and
because I had bought a refilled cartridge , it didn't tell me!) Sigh... I had warned the gentleman I was not a professional ! And then proved
it ! LOL

5. My spiritual life is declining (alittle) ..... We have had several people on our prayer list die in the last month . And I think that is a
whammy . I don't doubt Gods wisdom , timing or sovereignty . It just took the wind from my sails a little . We watched a friend lose his
battle with cancer . And saw how his wife fell apart and is fighting bitterness . Very sad ! One friend from church had his daddy die from
a horrible boating accident . God gave them 12 days together , to talk , and love each other tho' . Both my bible studies groups are 'off' for
the summer . So I HAVE to make the effort to get into the Word on my own !

6.If I am honest , the thing that keeps me from praying as often as I should is ... busy-ness , fake busy-ness even ! It seems to be satan
s favorite ploy for me . "just keep her going in circles"

7. I see God moving in ... My desires to make our home more home-y and welcoming . To have less stuff and stream-line a little . Not that
it's easy ... I have been a pack-rat (but I don't want to be a hoarder!)

8. This is in the deepest recesses of my mind but it should be moved into the light ... My tentative probing of how I feel about turning 40 .
My husband is 10+ years older than I am , and he makes me feel very loved ....just 40 is a biggie , or at least the world says it is ...so I am
wondering if it IS ?? And how I feel about that ?

That's all for this week ! Ya'll make sure to read the other posts over at Christian Homekeeper Network .
Have a blessed week !
Love,
Lora Lee

Friday's Five Fave

2010-05-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

This week I had to think a little for my 5 faves ! The stomach flu has been hitting us hard for 2 weeks . Hubby has it now ...sigh .

#1 . Still having my precious mama ! I love her , she is a friend and such a great grandmom !

#2. Proving ppl wrong ! My hubby and I celebrated 20 years of marriage on Wednesday. The longest ppl gave us was 6 months . (we were both a bit of a train wreck then) And by Gods Amazing Grace we are saved , raising godly & good kids and more in love today than ever !

#3. Knowing that God promises that "this too shall pass" . Most virus ills are short in their course . And we really needed to remind ourselves of that lately ...at 3 am ....throwing in another set of blankets.....

#4. Air Conditioning ! It was really hot in here yesterday and I turned the air on today . With hubby sick I hope the coolness will help him rest . (GA is really humid right now)

#5. My sweet dog , AbbyJean . She has comforted us all during the sickness . She is my friend and my more when my hubby is gone . She even encourages me to walk more . How can a 12 lb dog be so great yet so bossy ??) LOL

Ya'll feel free to comment ! I know I am LATE today ...but hopefully a few will stop by ! Have a wonderful Mothers Day

Major Anniversary !

2010-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow - on Cinco De Mayo , when 100's of ppl flock to the Mexican restaurants for food {and often drinks} - My DH and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage ! WoooooHooooo !

We can honestly say that we have a wonderful testimony of Gods amazing grace . If anyone had given us a list of what not to do--we did that . God let us go on our own rocky path for over 9 years . Then by our 10th anniversary we had gotten saved and we decided to get re-married in church by our Pastor . It was the start of a true covenant relationship . We have truly been blessed ! I am so thankful !

Strangely enough , we have to wait until this weekend to celebrate . DH is out of town on a job and I have a funeral to go to . I was really trying to work out going to have dinner with him (it's about 2 1/2 hours away) but my DD needs the car in the morning for going to a job and my brothers widows daddy just passed away this week , so I really feel like I need to go to the viewing to support her . Seriously , she lost her husband 8 months ago and now her dad . She has no children to be with her ...sigh . It saddens me greatly .

So I have a joy and sorrow tomorrow . Interesting , isn't it !? AND...I am praying for my DH because tonight when I talked to him he said he isn't feeling too good . The prince and I were sick with the stomach flu last week . I am asking God to please let Rick NOT get it ! Especially away from home .

Blessings all ! Have a good evening !

Blah !

2010-04-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

This has been a pretty sorry week !
I went to the Beth Moore conference Saturday (which was really good!) But I had to leave early because I was getting sick . I Proceeded thru the stomach flu the rest of Saturday and 1/2 of Sunday ... so no church for me !
Monday I was doing OK . Sore muscles , but livable . Tuesday I felt good . We even went to visit my folks and see a movie . THen Wed. .....UGH..........It was back ! I had everything but the fever . Sigh ....I am so far behind on my house , and errands ! My biggest praise is that DD got her license and has still been able to make it to her various sitting jobs . DS is not so sure about being home with no car tho' .
Anyway.........I took a phenegran and if I can keep my eyes open that should help !
Hopefully I will be back for F5F tomorrow ! See ya'll then !~

Friday's Five Fave #4

2010-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

#1. this week my CELL PHONE ! Seriously ...my dh was able to call and say he would be home 7 days earlier than expected ! With out our cells he might have just showed up . Have I mentioned I am NOT a surprize or change kinda gal ?? Remind me to tell you about when he rearranged the furniture as a surprize for me while I was shopping one time ! LOL I was horrified ; he was heartbroke and felt rejected!
And...My moms transmission went out this week and she had the cell to call my daddy ! I love our cells !
#2. Farmers markets . Our produce co-op started again at church . Someone goes every 2 weeks . I love this ! We got blueberries , strawberries,fresh corn , baking taters etc...yummy stuff!
3# New drip pans ! I bought new drip pans for my electric stove , and i love the clean look ! Small investment , big appeal !
#4.The eye care club . DD went for her contact exam and it did not cost her anything this time ! They are ordering the trial pair . She likes contacts best , they are an expensive accessory when you have astigmatism like hers !
#5. Being able to bless someone we love ! We were able to give the van I used to drive to someone who can really use it ! We are praying the Lord gives them 200,000 miles out of it!

So...there my 5 faves this week ! Good thing I haven't found a whine and grumble meme ! I could sure fill that list some days ! :-P

good week!

2010-04-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

This week has seemed less hectic than last week . DH is out-of-town on a job . He was not scheduled to be home this weekend but called a bit ago to say that , indeed he would be home. SO ...gears switching....we are getting ready for Daddy ! And I am glad . I woke up missing him much today .
DD had a break-up yesterday . She's nearing 21 and is getting that husband fever . I understand ...but it's frustrating ! I just wish the Lord would put a neon sign on the fella that says "this one!" LOL
DS had friend over to play air-soft . Sweating , shooting each other , getting dirty , ripping jeans ... the ultimate male bonding ! :-) They had fun ! We got pizza for lunch (gotta love Little Ceaser deals!)
I still have dishes to swap out so I better go get busy !
Have a wonderful weekend !

Friday's Five Fave #3

2010-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

This week I have looked for what my 5 faves would be all week ! LOL . It was a refreshing way to approach things .
1. Whan last summers shorts still fit ! LOL
I got out all the summer clothes and was pulling on the shorts with trepidation ! I was sure they would not go up ! But they did ...and they are not tight , just comfy ! Yay !

2. Having gran-pups ! Our sons Pitt-bull had 8 pups this week . They are ugly and cute all at the same time . I will try to post some pics on here soon .

3. Things that work as advertised . We are in high pollen season here and everything is yellow . I bought one of those swiffer dusters and it really did pick the pollen up and hold on to it ! My fave is how well it did the TV and all the little nooks and crevices in the back . Good product !

4. Coupons for things I really need ! This week I had a $3 coupon on dog food and $1 off the swiffer duster mentioned in #3 ! I am getting good at looking for printable coupons on line too . The Avenue has a $10 coupon which I think my daughter will use today . They have the best "foundation garments" there ! more on that later too !

5. Watching things grow ! I have 9 tomato plants on the window sill ...almost ready to go to the garden . I also have some new baby plants poking up . The wonderful , new leaves still have seeds on them ...it looks like they are praying ! Ahhh...love that !

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend ! Be looking for what makes your heart smile next week . It really does change your attitude ! :-)

Friday's Five Fave

2010-04-09T06:57:00.001-07:00

I am back for a second round ! Yea !

#1. My absolute fave this week is the RAIN we had yesterday ! After several day with pollen counts hovering around 6000 , it RAINED and washed the air clean ! Easier breathing and cleaning for so many . Thank You GOD for the rain !

#2. Going to the thrift store and leaving empty handed . I think it speaks much about contentment level for me . Now don't get me wrong , I love a good deal ! In fact I am going on the hunt for a yard sale or 2 as soon as I am done here !

#3. Homeschool flexibility ! We can make the school day fit the rest of of life . When we need to visit someone in the hospital , we just work around that . When my son comes home from CAP and says he needs to teach a safety class ...we can make it fit into school time . I love that!

#4. Hot coffee on a chilly morning . Ummm...my hubby left me some in the pot this morning .

#5. WIsteria ....it's everywhere here in GA now and it smells heavenly ! I know it is a pest of a plant but it is beautiful (and I LOVE the smell !)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-04-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get back to menu planning . I do so much better when I have a plan . Less trips to the grocery , to the drive-thru etc... less stress at 5pm when I realize I haven't got a CLUE ! LOL

Sunday we had a crock-pot mis-hap ! For some reason the roast did not get done ! So after church the princess and I were scrambling for what to make the family for our after church meal ! We ended up with quite the feast ! Left-over grilled chicken , salad, steam veggies and chips with cheese dip !

M- When the roast did get done late Sunday after-noon I broke it apart and refrigerated it . So tonight we will have pulled pork in gravy over rice . The prince , who is gravy phobic any other time LOVES this ! LOL

I will add some mixed veggies with it and some sweet tea

T- hamburgers and brats on the grill ! Served with chips and green shake smoothies

W-chicken and dumplins ! And hopefully enough to share with the Pastor .

T- Pork chops with baked potatoes(w/real butter,sour cream& fresh chives) and steamed green beans

F- Making an finger food to take to home group meeting

S- Steaks on the grill , baked sweet potato and salad

S- Crock-pot beans and cornbread (hope to have my new oval crock-pot by then!)

Ya'll have a blessed week !

Saturday at last....

2010-04-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ah....Finally a Saturday with-out alot of demands .
Oh, don't get me wrong, there's plenty to do . The "to do list" is as long as ever ! Some things on the list have to wait until there is money enough to do them (like building the new deck) . But...the kids are at Gram & Papa's , and it's just us and Abby home . We slept later than normal , had egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast and did some cyber surfing . Sitting here listening to the wind chimes ring in the delightfully cool spring breeze . It is in the 68-75 degree range .
I think DH is feeling the call of the grass . The mowers need to be checked over since the first trim of the season is surely only days away . The garden is needing tilled . Our church is planning a community garden for the first time this year . I want to help and am excited to see what God will do with it !
Well , have a joyous Resurrection Sunday !
See ya back here on Monday for MPM .

Friday's Five Fave

2010-04-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ok ....this is my first try at this so hereeeeeeeeee goes !

1. In honor of Good Friday .........

I thank Jesus for all He has done for me (for the world! John 3:16-17)

2. I am surrounded by beautiful spring flowers !

3. My min-pin Abby is my fave !

4. Spring isn't my favorite season ........but I am glad it's here ! GA is SOOOOOOOOO beautiful in the spring !

5. And last , for this week, my current fave song :-) Derek Webb "Wedding Dress" you can look it up on youtube and have a quick listen for free !

Well .... it wasn't fancy . But not bad for my frist try !

Have a blessed Resurrection Weekend !

2010-02-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

Everytime I say I want to try to post with some regularity it seems LONGER between postings ! It is silly really !
I have been trying to stick with menu planning fairly loosely ; mostly in my head . I have not been posting it. But with my DH home last week and this week failure to plan is certainly planning to fail . I may occasionallly be able to tell the kids that it is fend for yourself night but that will just not do for my hard-working man . LOL
Case in point , this morning it is 22 degrees and he is in the shop , handling all manner of tools and frozen steel . While we are in the nice warm house , cats and all . I am getting ready to have a cup of "Pure Empower-mint" tea (my fave!) My hubby has to be drinking coffee and adding and subtracting layers of clothes through out the day . He is a good man and a hard worker !
I am trying to participate in FlyLady's decluttering olympics . Yesterday didn't go so good but as MS marla says ...you are not behind , jump in where you are .
I did do a major closet clean out . Then I got stuck thinking about how much $$ I had spent on those clothes I was trying to purge , Ironically 1/2 of what was in the basket I actually bought new 1 ;-( ! I am the Good Will diva for the most part ! LOL
I also started doing Breaking Free Bible study by Beth moore . I am LOVING it . She encourages you to dig into the word and explore it . Think for yourself and then own it . there are a few questions that are introspective enough to sting a little . But we are hanging in there ! LOL
There are only 6 of us in the group and that includes the facilitator !
Back to the idea of menu planning...
I made Beef Stew in the oven for after church on Sunday . It turned out spectacular ! I used beef I had gotten on the markdown sale at my local grocery . I added 2 bags of frozen "for stew" veggies . The recipe on the veggie bag called for tomato soup and I couldn't find any so I sub-ed some beef broth (with no MSG) and some organic speg. sauce I had in the fridge. It cooked in the cast iron dutch oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hours . YUM ! I made some quick garlic cheese bread out of some hogie rolls . It is SO nice to have something new to add to the usual winter rotation .
I am ALWAYS looking for suggestions for after church meals to help keep us from going out . My DH is out of town allot with his work and that means he eats out all the time. So it is good for him to have nutritious , home cooked meals for body and mind . And on the financial side there are usually 6 of us and even at the Chinese cheap lunch , that adds up fast !
OK ........I guess I have prattled on long enough .
YA'LL have a great week and I will try to get get back here next week and post a menu plan . :-) Maybe I will manage to spend less at the grocery that way .

A new year !

2010-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to have a new year ! I am trying to get back into menu planning , organizing and baking ! The weather is definately co-operating on the baking end ! Wowzers ! It is SERIOUSLY COLD ! It isn't expected to crest the freezing mark today . This is GA folks...it ain't supposed to be this cold . I am Thanking God for the sun-shine tho' and least I can open the curtains and park the car in it ! Yes...simple pleasures !
Looking forward to posting more here too . See ya'll back soon !

2009-11-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Well we passed the 2 month mark since Loys death . Thanksgiving Day will be 3 months . UGH , I am dreading the week . The 24th would have been his 50th birthday . Then a few days later Thanksgiving .
We are going to some friend home for Thanksgiving Dinner . We also have another family of friends coming along . It will be a busy , boisterous day . I hope and pray , just what our family needs ! Our friends don't have anything that Loy made and I think that will help .
Ok , on to cheerier things ...My DH gifted me with his old i-pod . He got one that holds twice as much ! Sooooo...now I get to try to learn use it . We all listen to Christian music ...but different styles ! We all have our own preferences . I think my daughter would listen to alot of secular music (oldies) if she could . But it is a rule established in our home about 10 years ago .
We have our last video secession of the Esther study tomorrow night . Then Monday we will have a dinner and watch "one night with the King"
I can't remember what I signed up to bring to the pot-luck dinner . HMMM... too much in my head I guess !

2009-09-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since my brother died . We do believe he is alive in our hearts and alive with Christ but we are missing him here allot ! In some ways it is still sinking in for me . This is my first bit of time not slammed busy . I still have several thankyou cards to make out and send . And my house needs attension desperately ! I did some minor grocery shopping yesterday (since we were out of kitty food) And I think I will bring dinner over to my mom and dads tonight . Mannicotti ! Ummmm.... Publix had Paul Newmans marinara on a B1G1 sale . So I bought 4 ! LOL . If we are in a real press , I just fry up some meat add the sause and pour over cooked noodles . Done ! Of course we perfer homemade meat balls , salad , fresh bread ...but life calls for a quick , thought free meal occasionally !
I started the Beth Moore Ester bible study ! I am very excited about it ! I am going to look around the NET and see if anyone out there is blogging about it ! :-)
Have a great week ~ Lora

In loving memory

2009-09-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

My only brother died Thursday . He was in a motel room in TN getting ready for work . One of his co-workers said the last thing he told him was "here's a peach for ya Doc , I'm going to see the sunshine" Wow ! He could not have known how prophetic that would be ! He got to go see the SONShine !

Loy was a believer . We didn't always agree on everything but on the basics that make a difference in where your eternity will be spent we did ...so I have hope that I will get to see him again .

Yesterday was the funeral and it was so hard ! So hard to see my parents heartache . Their only son gone at 49 . He was married but the never had children . Very sad . He loved my kids allot though and we have many pictures . We are seeing again the value of good pictures ! There were 2 boxes of photos to go through at my moms ! It was hard but it allowed us to think of him in good times .

I had allot of people tell me I needed a release and I guess this is one way to do that . It isn't that I didn't cry , I just didn't act like others imagined I should I guess . Loy is gone , we are not and that leaves much to be dealt with . I have my mom and dad to support and watch-out for . My kids , who will miss their uncle greatly . My husband , who worked with him for over 20 years ! Was his friend , sparring partner , and much more . He stayed with Loy while the paramedics did all they could do . He watched his friend and brother in law be pronounced "gone". He has awful heart-ache . He has allot of anxiety about going back to the same job they were on and having to figure out how to work with other guys . Wanting other to care that he wants to go home with all his appendages each night .

Loy's wife will need a miracle to make it thru this . She has never been on her own . She does not even grocery shop by her-self . Thankfully , she is about 14 miles away from us and we can help if she will let us .

There is much to do in the days to come . We have another trip to make to the air-port . And life has to get back to some semblance of normality for every-one . Going back to work . Starting school again . ETC....

So if you are reading this , pray for us ! I know this happens all the time all around us . I will try to pray harder and understand more . I am learning as I go here . But my God grant me a teachable spirit !

random survey

2009-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~FOOD-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is your salad dressing of choice? Raspberry vinegarette
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Cracker Barrel
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Buttered noodles with cheese
What are your pizza toppings of choice? extra cheese, , olives
What do you like on your toast? cinnamon and real butter
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate!
~~~~~~~~~~~~TECHNOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many televisions are in your house? 1
What color cell phone do you have? PINK
Do you have a laptop? yes
~~~~~~~~~~~~BIOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? yes, my wisdom teeth years ago.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? My BWB canner full of water !
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? yes ! Once while pregnant !
~~~~~~~~~~~~DUMBOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 2
Last person you talked to on the phone? My friend Cindy
Last person you hugged? my son
~~~~~~~~~~~~FAVORITE-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Season? fall
Holiday? Thanksgiving
Day of the week? Tuesday (I usually get to stay home that day)
Month? Feb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~CURRENT-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing someone? yes
Mood? tired
What are you listening to? my dh and dd conversing
Watching? the blinking cursor
Worrying about? sleep
~~~~~~~~~~~~RANDOM-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
First place you went this morning? down-stairs
What's the last movie you saw? Monsters vs Aliens
Do you smile often? not enough
Do you always answer your phone? nope
If you could change your eye color what would it be? emerald green
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? cherry lime
Do you own a digital camera? yes
Have you ever had a pet fish? many times , many kinds .
Favorite Christmas song(s)? Carol of the Bells,We Three Kings, O Holy Night
What's on your wish list for your birthday? Grain mill
Can you do push-ups? no
Can you do a chin up? nuh-uh
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? excited
Do you have any saved texts? several
Ever been in a car wreck? several
Do you have an accent? sweetly souther
What was the last song to make you cry? standing in the gap

Plans tonight? sleep
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? yes
Have you ever been given roses? lots , my hubby is romantic !
Current hate right now? the powerlessness of the American people opposed to the supposed leaders !
Met someone who changed your life? Jesus ! And my first born !
How did you bring in the new year? Church
.What song represents you? Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Would you go back in time if you were given a chance? absolutely!
Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? yep !
Do you have any tattoos/piercings? certainly
What songs do you sing in the shower? What ever God wakes me with
Ever had someone sing to you? yes !

Do you like to cuddle? sometimes
How fast can you run? zero , sad , i know

Have you held hands with anyone today? yes !

Who was the last person you took a picture of? Larry
What kind of music did you sing in elementary school? pop
Are most of the friends in your life new or old? new
Do you like pulpy orange juice? if I made it

What is something your friends make fun of you for? my hiccups
Have you ever ridden a elephant? no
Do you like to play Scrabble? on-line
What are you saving your money up for right now? tires
When is the last time you ate peanut butter & jelly? last week . Grape jelly , creamy pb.
What were you doing at 12am last night? cleaning
What was the first thing you thought when you woke up? turn the alarm off QUICK !

1/2 way thru June

2009-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Gee ... I am glad I kow God says He is making the time short for the benefit of the saints ! Because it is alittle disconcerting to watch it whizz on by !
This is the day I have put EVERYTHING else off to stay home and get some MUCH needed cleaning done . I have done terrible lately and i am getting to the point I do not like my home . Not a fun place ! It seems like as soon as we made a plan to get rid of clutter it piled in on me more oppersively then ever !
The princess is gearing up for VBS . The prince is driving me bonkers waiting for a new air-soft gun he ordered . And the ceiling fan in the kitchen DIED this morning . Sigh . My hubby looked at the bright side and said " it lasted a long time" . And it did ! I just want a good deal on a new one . And I spent time browsing on-line today looking at different styles . I think I will go with antique brass (like the cabinet hinges) or white . Not sure . I have to have flush mount and I don't want to spend more than $100 . Hmmm.....
Guess I better run ! Gotta clean the other side of the kitchen now , this concludes my break . :-)

The princess turns 20

2009-06-10T06:23:00.001-07:00

Our princess turns 20 on Sunday ! WOW ! It is so hard to believe ! And it is harder to believe that she still doesn't have her license ! I am making her drive once everyday this week . To or from work or church (since we have church stuff all but Monday and Friday this week!) It's interesting . She is scared but I am praying that she will become more comfortable as it gets to be more familiar .
We will do a family dinner Saturday or Sunday . And she has requested that I make this cake . Looks tasty ! And not TOO hard . She wants to make a couple of changes . Omit the coconut , for the princes benefit . And add a layer of raspberry jam to the layer . I bought a Wal-Mart cake for her one year that was white cake and had a thin layer of jam between the layer . It stuck in her mind as her favorite ! LOL
She almost asked for an Oreo cake ...because I make the best one ever ! But her ex-intended made a point to say that was his favorite . So , since she is not completely healed from his abandonment she opted for something else . It has been hard watching her walk thru all that mess . But , on the bright side , there have been so many women that have share a testimony with her about how they were sure that a particular guy was THE one and God said NO in one way or another . But HE brought something better . How HE is faithful and worth waiting for His best for you . It has been very encouraging to witness !

volunteers !

2009-06-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Prince and I have been working hard in the garden trying to keep ahead of the weeds ! Ugh ! Some days it feels like they are winning ! But it is lovely to see all the veggies coming in . We have one cuke the is big enough to come in but we are letting it get bigger .
Speaking of cukes ....I was showing the prince the deluge of morning glories at the base of the fence between the garden plots . And telling him they could stay as long as we head them up the fence when they start vining . He looks down and says "yea , but what's that ?" I said "morning glory" he said "NO that triangle shaped leaf?!" I looked where he was pointing and lo & behold !! There are about 15 baby cucumber plants all in a bunch ! They must be the off-spring of on that got lost in the weeds at the end of the season last year . You know ...when you can't imagine how you can eat another cucumber , maybe for the rest of your life ?!? LOL .
God is SO kind . He knows just how long it takes to make our mouths water again at the thought of fresh veggies ! We are SO fickle . Manna never seems like enough . Shame on us !

Anyway ...I am going to leave the baby cukes there . I might take one or two and try them in a pot since I have wanted to try that and these guys didn't cost me anything . :-) I am very excited !

I hope to take some pictures tomorrow and get them posted on the garden progress ...so...be back soon !

Monday June 1st

2009-06-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....a brand new month started .Saturday I will start on a new year . And i am trying to start a new schedule . Lots of new stuff !
I tried my small pressure cooker for the first time today . I thought it was a bit scary . I did find some great sites on-line to help me out . It has a weighted gauge and it jiggling around kind of freaked me out at first .

I have spent 2 days (in part) blanching corn and cutting it off the cob . Then scrapping the cob and putting it in zipper bags to either freeze or can . My freezer space is a commodity , so I am hoping to can most of it .

I am making dinner for our pastors family tonight . (And we will eat the same) Turkey Breast roast , creamed corn , sliced tomatoes , coffee cake . Now I gotta go make the coffee cake ! I found a great recipe here http://www.tasteofhome.com/SiteSearch/FacetSearchResults.aspx?search=coffee+cake&st=2&vw=1&page=8&rs=10&sort=0 I went with a regular cinnamon type . I saw one that looked great ! But I realized I do not currently own a bundt pan ! :-/

Odd huh ? Better run , if I sit down too long I will be napping ! Ugh !

2009-05-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

I keep saying I will spend 15 min.s a day catching this thing up ! And I will ...one day ! LOL
I guess you can check my FB if you really want to know what's going on !

I have had the princess home sick most of the week . I have been uber busy with grad parties , ceremonies and life in general !
We had a bit of a scare Wed. Our Abby feel down the stairs out front ! It had been so wet and humid when it wasn't actually raining that the steps had grown a coating of algae ! Her little feet went right out from under her on the third step ...she tumbled the other five ! Very scary ! She had a scrap very close to her eye , lots of blood ! It looks much better today . Especially after she had her grooming appt yesterday . They always do a great job !

DH has to work Sat. to make up for the holiday so we get less time together this weekend but a least it looks as if it will be a beautiful one as far as the weather goes !

Ya'll enjoy !

Flylady to the rescue

2009-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

OK ...I have been "following FlyLady" for a while now . Mostly just reading the e-mails . :-( But she has "flywashed" my thinking . I do concider things as I move them , wash them and even browse the at the store .
I have been intending to start trying to do the missions with her too . So , finally , today I started ! I wiped down and cleaned off the kitchen counters . It took a whole 15 mins ! So , to stay motivated , I stopped to blog it . LOL
Now I have the trash can sitting on the front porch soaking . It was yesterdays mission to give it a good cleaning . I know she always says " you are not behind , jump in where you are" But it was pretty gross , so I decided to do it anyway .
It is a good feeling ....I don't feel like I have not accomplished anything . I think I will go throw some wrinkled (but clean) laundry back in the dryer so I can fold it . There are like 4 baskets down in the dungeon , I mean the garage . LOL ...at least I hope it can be a garage again someday .
SIGH ....one thing at a time ! :-)

Anniversary

2009-05-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

Today , May 5th is our 19th wedding anniversary ! Today marks the point at which I have been married to my husband for 1/2 my life . (Since I was 19 when we got married) Strangely enough my DH will not have been married to me for 1/2 his life for quite some time to come since he is a few years older than I am .
As we wished each other Happy Anniversary on the phone this morning he told me it would be great to actually get to say it face to face . And I reminded him that it has happened a few times !lol . I had hoped to be able to present DH with a new lap-top for our Anni. but it will have to wait . But more on that later .
I would be glad for any suggestion on celebration strategies that I might make use of this week-end when we are reunited . :-)
Blessings !

A different kind of day

2009-04-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well...this has been really different for me . DH is off on a job . I dropped the kids off at church Wed. at noon for thier mission trip to another state and came home to an accusing look from the dog , wondering what I had done with the kids ! LOL No,really , she searched the whole car ! LOL
Several little things that the kids usually do have fallen to me . Trash duty , feeding the livestock , vacuuming etc .... It adds up ! Then there came the point where I was done with all the little chores I intended to do for the night and realized I was quite alone ! Yes , it is enjoyable for a short period of time , but not too long ! Then I got to thinking ...my baby is 14 ! What ever will I do when the house is empty for real ???!!!??? Getting a dog is not the answer ...we have 3 !~lol
Ah, well , well cross that bridge when it comes ! I am sure the good Lord has something planned out I had not even thought of yet !
Better go get back to listening to the windchimes !

Saturday

2009-04-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well , here it is Saturday ....not sure how it snuck up on me ! Wow ! I didn't even get my menu posted this week (again) .
Today we have been doing outside stuff . I have been working around the pond . Mulching , pulling weeds watering my new flowers etc... I seriously under bought mulch ! I got 3 bags and needed 6 . I still have more to do out there but it is looking better .
We had a roofing guy come look at our roof today . We had an incredible storm come thru on the 10th of April . It dropped real , honest to goodness , golf ball size hail ! Scary stuff ! Then last Monday the 13th we had another front come in that had gust over 50 mph ! That's some serious wind !
Or neighbors lost a tree . And we had a few dead limbs drop out of the Pin Oaks out front . But they just went to the ground , not hitting anything .
We are now waiting for the insurance adjuster to come out and look it over .
Well ...I am only in for a water break . Rick is out tilling the garden since it is finally dry enough to get in it and I am going to work on the porch for a while . It is SO cluttery . I keep saying "this week I am going to follow FlyLady to the letter ....but I don't . Next week we are in the master bedroom ...where I need the most help ! So maybe this week , I really will !
Sigh ....of course I am having to work with the sunshine too . My dryer DIED ! Rick thought it was the belt but told me to go ahead and be looking for one since it was already running on 1/2 heat and I could probably buy one for less on Craigslist than he can fix that one for . When he got home he pulled it out to see and the gears disintergrated ! So it is a loss ! Oh well ...just praying I find a great one at a great price and God blesses it for us !
Have a good weekend ! Be back Monday . (I hope !)

God Pixels

2009-04-13T12:51:00.001-07:00

Driving the other day I saw a field that looked like it was brush painted with delicate strokes of periwinkle . Oh , it was delightful ! Then I had the idea that those were "God pixels" ! Why "God pixels" ? Because I knew that in each brush stroke there were 100's maybe 1000's of tiny purple flowers . Each one having beauty and value of it's own ! But lending its-self to be apart of the "bigger picture" . A Devine masterpiece !
The wonderful wall paper I have on the desk-top of my computer is made up of pixels . And it too reminds me to "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness"
Surround yourself with things that point you towards the Lord always . Even your every day stuff , like screen savers . You can also buy or make things like kitchen towels , aprons , note cards and much more to surround yourself in those things that point you towards the Creator and keep you with Eternity prospective .
A similar desk-top wall paper can be found here for those interested ! There are several scripture pictures if you just click around the site . :-)

MPM

2009-03-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

This week I will be experimenting with things I can put in the freezer . Our church has requested each lady out of our SS class to bring a "casserole type" meal that can be put in the freezer at church for some of the people who need a meal . Mostly single and elderly that live alone . I think it is a grand idea . But I have really only frozen soups ...so I am not sure what to make ! Any help greatly appreciated !!
I have a recipe to try tonight , and if it is good I will share it .

Monday - Freezer-Mate Casserole (will review)
Tuesday - Chicken and rice
Wednesday - Taco Bell (out)
Thursday - Cornbread and "old skool navys"
Friday - Home school talent show and fellowship . I am not sure what to bring for a crowd ! Again , any suggestions ?!
Saturday- Venison roast , home made biscuits , salad and pinto beans with onion
Sunday - Enchilada a'la crock-pot , served with chips and salsa and cheese dip and possibly salad

I made rice pudding that did not come out right , so I am putting it in a bit of milk and heating it for a hot cereal .
I will also make a batch of waffles to keep in the fridge .

For snacks , I hope to get some muffins made and some banana crackers ...and if we like those I will post the recipe on here !

Happy Sunday

2009-03-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday all ! It is a beautiful day here in GA . It is in the upper 60's , sunny and very spring ! All the Daffodils are either in full bloom or almost done already . Everywhere you look there is white and pink and yellow blooms ! My baby peach trees are getting their new leaves . Right now it just looks like a slight green ruffle going down the miniature trunk . They are a year and a half old and about 3 ft high (still in pots) .

Church was wonderful today ! God gave us one of those rare days of pure praise ! Several people came down for prayer for physical ailments . And then things just went right back into the praise and worship . We danced and cheered and almost lost my voice from all the singing . But oh , the joy . We just get a glimpse of practicing what we get to do for all eternity .

I will be back tomorrow (Lord willing) with Menu Plan Monday ! See y'all then !

just a random Thursday

2009-03-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well , I got back before too long this time !~LOL
This has been a busy week . Yesterday the prince and one of hs compatriots had an outside science class . They dissected a frog . The prince was pretty appalled ! He loves frogs and I had already told he he could exempt that one for our Apologia Bio labs . He also seems to have a hard time with the formaldehyde smell .
I also had to get the princess early and try to straighten out a mess with her eye wear . They lost the order for one of her pairs of glasses . But they did have one pair in and the new contacts . I shudder to think what her life would have been like in days long ago . (before vision correction)
My Abby is still in heat . We are on week 2 and it is so annoying ! She has such discontent . Poor girl . We are strongly weighing the possibility of getting her spayed . We had not because I wanted to get her bred but we tried twice and she was not receptive . And as I told DH I would most definitely want to keep a puppy , and we do NOT need another dog ! We will have no more big , outside dogs after these guys go . Tho I will always have a pet in the house for companionship I guess . But since the kittens are not quite a year yet , I could easily be in my 50's before we need another cat ! Wow , what a thought !
On another note , I am getting interested in the CVS game . I think I mentioned that in one of my last posts . I missed the body wash ...they were out of it by the Tuesday dead-line . But I did get the Sure . Can't wait to see next weeks now ! :-0
I have a ceramics class tonight ...I will try to post some pictures tomorrow if the camera batteries hold out . Hubby has the charger with him this week . It was an oops .
I am not cooking tonight so the menu is getting swapped around a bit . We are all going separate directions . I think I will still do the turkey breast tomorrow tho ' Yum !

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Monday - Taco Soup served with sour cream , cheese and tortilla chips

Tuesday - Speg. with home made meat balls and home-made
(bread machine) Bread

Wednesday - sandwiches (deli-type) served with mac & cheese w/carrots

Thursday - crock-pot chicken and rice (I have a class)

Friday - turkey breast roast with cranberry sauce and baked cauliflower (this recipe includes broccoli , I omit it and sub-in extra cauliflower.

Saturday - venison cube steaks (not sure what to do with these yet ...any suggestions ?? Please !??

Sunday - corn bread and beans after church (crock-pot meal using a Honey Baked ham bone...yummy !)

I need to get our eating out back under control ! So I am trying to plan better and easier to stick to menus . I will be looking thru the sale ads to plan next week out as well . I shop at the end of the week and try to get two weeks worth .
I am going to try the CVS ECB deals . And am also looking for a way to organize my coupons so that they are more usable .
Big goals this week ...but I know so many of you are with me !
Have a wonderful week !
Love , Lora

life gets too busy to blog !

2009-03-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well , once again it has been a while since I have been on here ! SIGH ~ I just get busy ! I have been going to classes on Sunday evenings and some Saturdays . My mom was sick . Yada,Yada ! Anyway ...Mondays are my only official day at HOME so I am taking time to update ! Yeah !
Lets see...The Prince has bowling on Tuesdays . It is going well ! He likes it OK . It works for a PE credit and it's not too expensive . Plus , We got him his own shoes at a thrift store for less that $5 ! So now we don't pay for shoe rental on practice days ! :-)
Our princess and her intended have been going to IHOP (church not pancakes) on Sunday evenings . But last night he had an issue and they left early . Not sure if they will go again . She may have to wait until she is driving on her own . Maybe it will spur her on ! LOL We are now aiming for before her birthday in June ...she is just not worried about it !
DH was in town last week . And it was very kind of the Lord to arrange that ! He ended up working on my car 4 different evenings . Our neighbor , who is a mechanic by trade , lent his expertise and they got it working correctly again ! Yeah ! I am so glad . It is such a great little car ! I treated it to a wash and vacuum the very next day . My DH walked by and asked whose car was in the driveway (confession : I and the prince tend to not mind a piggy mess {read ARE SLOBS here} )
We are planning to participate in "Decades day" with a local homeschooling group . The prince has the 1950's . And he intends to attack the project from a military view point . Could be worse I suppose .
This is the 3rd day of rain here in GA . I peeked at the forecast and it is supposed to be warmer and only partly cloudy tomorrow ! I miss the sunshine ! I am a southern girl thru & thru ! That also changes my menu . I will be moving the taco soup to tonight , since it compliments the cold weather well !
Better log off for now . I have much to do and little ambition . Sorry CC , I have been listening in those classes and even taking notes ! But my solar cells need charged up ! LOL

crazy week ... but God gets the glory !

2009-02-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we got word that Crystal River was ready to film the next video and they would need my DH . So ... we started making arrangements to make it all happen so we could go to Orlando , FL . We had pretty much everything lined up except calling our dear friend to take care of pet care . (there's only a handful of people my min-pin wont try to eat , or at least convince them she will!) Then Tuesday we get a call that the video is being re-schedle for another time . So , we went with that . But our week/weekend was already cleared out .
Wednesday , I took Kitty to the vet . He is 15 and I was afraid that the cold he caught from the kittens might do him in ! I got meds and needed to watch him close ....but I really didn't get to !
Thursday I went to get my dad to take him to take his drivers exam . He passed with no problems ! Yeah ! But my mom had stayed home sick from work and when we got back she was much sicker than when we left . Even tho' we were only gone a couple of hours . We made a doctors appt for her and ran to the store for somethings she needed . When we got back from the store she looked even worse ...GRAY ! She wanted us to call an ambulance and she was pretty scared .
It turns out that she had diarrhea since about 5:30 the previous afternoon . Then sometime in the night she started bleeding rectally . But she wanted my dad to pass his test with out additional worries . She had actually lost a dangerous amount of blood !
I already had Thursday cleared and one of our fellow HS moms was going to have the prince in the afternoon ...and she volunteered to pick up the princess once all this got in motion ! Thanks HC !! I rode in the ambulance with my mom . I had to ride up front and also had to concentrate alot so I wouldn't get car sick ! LOL , not a touch I wanted to add ! Anyway ... on the way there the dispatcher radios that the hospital we were in route to was turning patients away because they were full . The paramedic suggested we go to another one since that is where they would send us anyway . But I asked to go to the first one with the thought that that one has all my moms medical records . I could tell how NOT thrilled they were with my decision . But I stuck to it .
When we got to the hospital we were told to expect to be turned away . But we were waved in ! Then we were told to expect an hours long wait . But a nurse followed the stretcher in and started getting info . then they told the medics that she would have a room in a few minutes . In about 10 minutes we were in a room ! The staff was very attentive and kind . I was so surprised !
After several hours of tests and treatment the decided to admit my mom . The Doctor came in and told us how full the hospital was and that we should expect her to spend all night in the ER since there were no beds .
A half hour later I went to the nurses station to get something for mom and the nurse said ..."Oh , they have a room almost ready . Someone will be down to get her soon."
How cool is that ?!?! Soon they had her in a private room and had her situated . I was able to wait for the nursing staff to change shifts so I could meet the night nurse . And I went home knowing my mom was in great care ...GODS ! He had ordered things so well .
When I got home my wonderful children had straightened up the house so I wouldn't be stressed out . And the princess had made a simple , but satisfying dinner for herself and the prince . Oh , I am SO blessed !
Later I realized that God had taken care of another very personal matter for me . It further allowed me to think on what need my attention most and just deal with things as they came . (E-mail me personally if you can't stand the curiosity!)
Mom came home Saturday , having been diagnosed with Colitis . The bleeding stopped and she is resting . We are still waiting for the biopsy results to see what the cause was . It could be Salmonella or a virus .
When my DH came home Friday we stayed home and had a nice eat-in night . The princesses beau was sick so we all stayed home ...it was rather nice !
And Saturday ,since the calendar was cleared for filming, we had a relaxed day trying a new restaurant and going to see a movie . At a regular theater ! Gasp ! That NEVER happens ! We went to see TAKEN on the recommendation of one of hubby's co-workers . It was good and opened many discussion avenues for us with the children . The language was rough . I usually will walk out on one that takes the Lords name in vain (and this one did once ) . I am actually thinking of writing a letter to the lead character and asking him to consider negotiating scripts to not use those phrases . He may not know it still offends some people !
What do you think ?

BUSY

2009-02-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Our days filled up when we started school back in January ! Now we have weekly and monthly extra science . Bowling league one day a week . Church two or 3 times a week etc .... so ....my poor blog gets pushed aside .
I have still been menu planning (mostly) DH is out of town alot right now and I am much more lax on the meal dept. when he is gone . My kids love to tell me about it too ! LOL
I am also in a bit of a de-cluttering mode ! Praise God , someone must *seriously* be praying for me ! I am still overwhelmed if I look around , but bit by bit I can pick one small project per day .
I was blessed by finding the bookshelf I wanted on CraigsList for a very low price . I am moving the old one to my bathroom to become the new towel shelf . My old towel shelf is going to my moms for the princes room there . It is a kids entertainment center so I think it will actually save space for him there .
We had a couple of 70 degree days here ! I had almost forgot how much I love that median range ! A light jacket in the morning , ss in the afternoon . Ahh...and ,today, I miss it already ! It is 55 & cloudy now . I started out in ss , but now I have a blankie around my shoulders ! LOL I did pick out clothes and will change next time I am up-stairs .
We got the kittens fixed ! Yeah ! But the downside is now they seem to have a sneezy cold . Yep , both of them ! :-(
What else has happened since my last post ? Hmmm...oh yes , I found out I am a bonafide stress eater ! Might seem obvious to others , but until last week I would have said "no , not me" . Then some icky stuff happened between me & DH and the diet plans went right out the window . I had done well the week before ...even lost 2 lbs ! But that will NOT be the case this week I fear . And , of course , If I am not eating right , my mood suffers . SO , I am beginning to come out of the cloud/funk now . But I am still apprehensive about what is coming this weekend when DH gets home . I sincerely hope this will not be a ruined Valentines ! Sigh ~ OK , the cloud isn't gone completely ~
I will be posting my menu soon ....better late than never !
And next week I will try to get it out on time ! Next week is payday for us so that also mean the regular grocery trip . The last trip was made while our house was in the middle of flu-crisis . I am so glad that is past !

Menu Plan Monday (on Tuesday)

2009-01-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't get this out yesterday ....I have become pitifully addicted to this goofy game called PathWords . I spent way too much time on there yesterday . Sigh ~ I did beat my own high score , tho' ! :-) LOL

OK on to the menu !

Monday - Homemade bacon cheese burgers , served with deviled eggs and pineapple chunks .

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese with banana and mandrin orange salad and refried beans with cheese and chips to dip with

Wednesday - Chicken and rice , honey glazed carrotts and apple cake for dessert (I made one last week and it got gone fast !) Thanks Elise !http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001468apple_coffee_cake.php

Thursday - Venison Chili with cornbread (or frito's if I get by the store)

Friday - Left-over chili . The kids go to their Grandmas and DH comes home so it is for a whole other audience ...except for me ...and I don't mind having the same thing twice!

Saturday - Venison roast shredded in gravy served over brown rice , with baked sweet potatoes , real butter and cinnamon and brown sugar

Cooking Saturday to eat Sunday ....
Augratin taco bake (new...found here...http://www.recipezaar.com/Au-Gratin-Taco-Bake-279296) served with chips and salsa , sweet tea and sugar cookies for dessert .

Last Saturday I cooked a whole big batch of french toast and pancakes , that along with some cold cereal is our breakfast menu for the week .
Lunch is usually leftovers or what ever you can find . I rarely buy special lunch items . I do like the .75 cent frozen pizzas at Ingles (usually $1) . LOL yea , weird , I really do like them ! My mom calls them cardboard pizzas :-)

Titus 2

2009-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

There seems to be much talk about Titus 2 . Being a Titus 2 woman or having a Titus 2 ministry . I recently finished a bible study that carried that theme as an undercurrent .
I found a unique bent to this idea . There was a lady in the grocery store that had 3 young children in the cart . They were rambunctious and she was frazzled . Probably a pretty normal sight . But I choose to give a few words of encouragement , assure her I had lived thru that stage and since my youngest is now 14 I can tell her she will one day look back on this time with fondness . Since the kids paused to listen to me too , it gave everyone a short break , and the woman began to look at these precious children as potential teenagers . And at the aggravation of the day as a "this too shall pass moment" . Admittedly , I never mentioned Jesus . And it was a fleeting moment really . It was a true Titus 2 moment . I was blessed ; I hope she was too .

soup weather !

2009-01-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well , after weather that has felt more like April that January we are coming into some real soup weather . I wish dear hubby was going to be home to enjoy it ...but since he is not I will make the one soup out of the Harry and Davids gift set my mom got me for Christmas that he would not eat ! You see my DH is veg-a-phobic . Oh , sure there are some he will eat . And more now than ever before ~ we have made progress ! But he won't eat black-eyed peas and they are in this Tuscan Chicken soup mix . LOL

I love the practical gifts I got this year ! Almost all kitchen stuff . New baking sheets , a new muffin pan and a new knife set ! The one I had was like 20 years old from Fingerhut , with blue plastic handles ...it matched the country ducks I used to have in the kitchen at the old farm house we lived in . Hmmm...I will have to tell ya'll about that old house sometime ! It was interesting !!
My non-kitchen gift was the net book . I am finding it very useful ! Can't hardly wait to take it to the prayer room at IHOP tonight .
Better get moving ....the kitchen is not going to clean its-self . And the princess has her intended coming over to break biscuit with us tonight ...garlic cheese ones to be exact ! LOL

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

Monday - Canadian bacon & onion Quiche
Tuesday - maybe McD as a treat to the prince , the princess has to work late
(but if we end up eating out for lunch we'll do left over black-bean soup)
Wednesday - Tuscan Chicken soup with garlic cheese biscuits
Thursday - French toast , green shakes and oatmeal choco-chip muffins
Friday-Venison bacon burgers (new recipe,will post if good) with marinated slaw and scalloped potatoes
Saturday- open faced Lasagna sandwiches ....will post link
Sunday- our favorite Chinese place after church

I am going to try to be more consistant in my posting (esp. MPM) this year . I have had things I wanted to post everyday for a week now ...but no time ...well actually today I would have had time but I found this game on FaceBook called Pathwords ....neat game , and of course I have to try to beat my brothers score . LOL

New Years blessings ! Ya'll be sure to leave a comment to let me know you've been around . :-)

New toy

2008-12-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I got a new net-book from my DH for Christmas ! This is my first time trying to post from it . I don't have any pics on here yet .. and I am not yet used to the mini keyboard . So I can't type without looking at it . Still a lot of things I don't know about this yet . It offers me things I can down-load . I haven't investigated any of that yet .
The princess is away at a conference in MO . Her intended we as well . We are watching it on a live webcast . Go to IHOP.org and investigate . It is F*R*E*E* . And has been really neat .
We are gearing up for the New Year celebration . We will be at a church with friends giving and receiving prayer. I love that ~
I wanted to take the tree down today . But it didn't happen . I broke a jar of honey on the kitchen floor . I had to clean it up , triple strain what was left (big process) and the sweep and double mop the floor . Sigh ....There went the energy for anything else !
hate to change the mantle already tho' . I really like it. I also really like some of the clingy decorations I put up too . I put snow men and snowflakes all around the house ...even in the bathroom . I PUT SNOWFLAKES ON THE TANK OF THE TOILET !! My friends said I had gone too far then . LOL .
I already warned my family the cute snowman on the front door is probably with us for a while . I thing he is my favorite ...and he is not especially Christmas-y .
The prince got lots of teckkie things for Christmas ... so he is a rare site these days . It makes me long for re-starting school . Then I have him down here at least 1/2 the day ! LOL . Kudoes to the folks who made Praise Guitar . It is a great game . Maybe with the prince is doing his Algebra next week I will try it out . LOL :-D

kitchen marathon ~

2008-12-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today I am having a marathon baking day ! I have batches of bread dough going . (one on 1st rise , one on 2nd) I am making mini loaves of bread with one and monkey-bread minis with the other . This will all be gifts for our Pastors and for a few friends .
I am also trying cake-balls for the first time ! I found the recipe here http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-velvet-cake-balls.html (Thanks Bakerella ! I am making yellow cake (already cooling) mixed with chocolate frosting and dipped in chocolate ! When they are all done I might give them a drizzle of mint chocolate . I found a bag of Andes chips in the panty I had forgetten about . :-)
Right now I am between risings on the bread so I had a few minits . I guess I better go check it all ! I will post pictures when I am done !
Merry Christmas ya'll !

Trying new stuff

2008-12-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

We got a whole deer worth of Venison last week . Not as much as I would have thought . But a good amount ! I cleaned out both freezers ...got rid of the yuck that needed to be purged anyway . Got it all put away and then promptly started hunting for recipes ! LOL !! No big surprize to those of you who know me .
I made my first attempt tonight . I made meat balls and they are quite tasty ! I mixed one small "tube" of breakfast sasuage with about 1 1/2 lbs of ground venison . I had to let it warm up a bit so it would incorperate well . I added 1 egg , and 1/2 cup of italian bread crumbs . That's all . Then I oven baked them on a broiler pan for about 25 mins @ 350 .
Presently there are 30 of them simmering in some sauce waiting to go in the bread I made today . Yummy ! I can hardly wait !!

2008-12-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

Feeling morose today
wishing I could shake it someway
wanting to enjoy the season and play
instead of watching so much unravel and fray
knowing soon they'll be a day
when the Christmas tree is put away
and the memories are hidden from the day
then smiles and laughter can stay and play
and the farce of forgiveness can pretend to stay.

2008-12-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

So sitting in the prayer room @ ATL IHOP . I am reading bits of Dr Dale Fifes "The Secret Place" Ahhh....very convicting . I wonder if I am planted by the well and happy to be there . I am asking the Lord to awaken in me a longing for intamacy with Him . I want to learn how to drink . It makes me think of teaching my babies how to use a straw . they watched me and knew it was possible . I demonstrated over and over and they kept trying . But one day they got it right and they never forgot how after that ! Before they we OK with getting a trickle from the straw when I held my thumb over the end and dripped it in thier mouth . I feel like that with God right now . Just getting enough from others to really taste . I gotta learn to DRINK . To get my own , ya know ?!?

Menu Plan Monday (on Tuesday)

2008-12-16T06:20:00.001-08:00

Well , better late than never ! Here's my week ....

M-Pan-fried cube steak with baked beans and blue box mac&cheese

T-Baked pork chops with crashed potatos and green beans

W-Speg. with venison meatballs (will share the recipe if we really like them)

T- Breakfast for dinner . Eggs , fried spam , biscuits

F- We are going to a friends house , I might bring something snackish

Sat.-Home made chicken noodle soup , grilled cheese

Sunday (after church) Crock pot chicken ?? have not picked a recipe yet !

Lunch is usually left-overs or something quick like biscuit pizzas

Breakfast is always cereal (hot or cold) , organic pop-tarts, or choco-chip muffins (recipe from HHW)

It's been almost a month !

2008-12-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

Oh dear ! I can hardly believe that it has been almost a month since I posted on here .
It has been really busy ...since of course this tends to be the busy-ness season . There has been alot of sick-ness . The Princess has a tummy virus pick up from the pre-school she works at . I have had to viral illnesses . The latest one came with a horrible cough that just left me exausted and sleepless and sore . My hero DH hooked up a humidifier and put the mentholated goop in it and that helped alot . I also found that Delsym really is the better cough medicine . The cough I had laughed at the Robitussin . But the Delsym helped alot . And , as a bonus , it had a pleasant taste . I think my kids missed seeing me do the "Gad , that's nasty" dance in the kitchen tho' . LOL
Today my darling Prince is sleeping in . He was not feeling well yesterday . And I am wanting to head this thing off at the pass . Sleep and Vitamin C . I loaded him up on C before bed last night . I will have to go buy some today , as I only have 1000mg left .
He is really pitiful when he is ill . I guess it is because he is normally so animated .
School is going pretty well . DS finished Lit last week . We will be adding a more in depth bible study in Jan. He will take the Biology 1st sem. final this week . and Alg I is moving right along . He likes History this year . And tolerates English and spelling . He found a contradiction in the 2 yesterday . One said hanged and the other hung . Same publisher ....he was very frustrated .
I am going to go and work up a quick menu plan , I really do better with one !
I'll try not to let another month go by with out posting !

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

This week DH is out of town . So I am trying not to make all the days "fend for yourselves night" LOL

M-Eggs and sausauge with fresh baked biscuits

T-left-over porkchops (unless we go to Grams then prob. subs)

W - Thanksgiving dinner at Church

T-Meatball subs on fresh Italian bread

F- soup (it's just ME)

S-French toast

S-Chicken and rice in the crock-pot

Strange week ...I'll explain more in a post later or tomorrow ! :-) Love ya'll !

dinner !

2008-11-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

I just got dinner ready and realized I had never put that recipe on here ! It is SO good ...easy too . And can be made at a very reasonable price .
We call it taco bowls
cook rice
cook ground beef (drain fat)
put in taco seasoning (simply organic is my fav.)
add a can of beans ( I use black if I have them )
Simmer it all together for a while.
That's all for the basic recipe .

Then we add sour cream , shreadded cheese & salsa
I serve it with tortilla chips or tortillas (to make a burrito)

They are wonderful ! We cooked them in the Dutch Oven while camping one time and we had people coming up asking what we were making that smelled SO good ! LOL .

If you give them a try let me know what you think of them ! Its really a what's not to like recipe since it is so amendable to personal tastes ! Next time I think I may try adding a small can of tomato paste !

SIGH !

2008-11-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Well , I made it thru election day ! We had over 540 voters in our precinct . It was a REALLY busy day . I had several interesting situations pop up during the day . The absolute high light for me was a German couple who had just gained citizenship came to vote . Due to a glitch , he was cleared to vote but she was not . She went all the way back into the office and showed all her paper-work to the right officials . Then once she was cleared she came back to vote ! With no warning or coercion all of our crew applauded her effort when she walked in . She even had on a t-shirt that had an American flag on it claiming "GOD BLESS AMERICA" .

I woke up pretty sore from being on my feet on the hard school floor all day . When you get there at 5:30 am and don't leave until after 8pm it a LONG day .

I am a little dis-appointed over the election results . Tho' not the election turn out . The turn out was astounding ! I hope we as individuals and as a nation will turn our hearts towards heaven and our Heavenly Father in unprecedented numbers that puts the election turn out to shame . God is our only hope . Always has been , always will be . It's just becoming more apparent in these days and times .

I stand with the German born new American and say "God Bless America" ! I pray she survives with some semblance of dignity as our elected officials attempts to act out a parody of the captives being led off into Babylon . May God raise up many legions of people with the heart of Daniel . And more so a heart for the One True God .

2008-10-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

It has been an odd week . Last Tuesday something happened to my DH back and he was home the rest of the week . He was maxed out on personal time , so he did need to take some . We had just rather been able to use it under different circumstances . But God was very kind ! The time was there to take . We got along pretty well and just hung out . And today when he had to go back to work he said it was completely fine ! WOW !
Friday we tried to go to a local Judgement house . But they were not doing it that day . So we went out to eat @ Ruby Tuesdays and went to see Kung-FU Panda @ the dollar theater (which is actually the $1.99 theater) LOL . We treated the Princess and her intended to a pretty fun evening .
But then Friday a very tragic accident took the precious life of one of said intendeds friends . He has worked hard at dealing with his own loss and trying to be there for others who are hurting . He held together all Friday night and then Saturday when he got to our house he fell into the princesses arm and sobbed like a baby . It was SO heart wreching !! It is a new place for her to be learning to stand with the gallant young man the Lord has so graciously given to her ! It is awesome watching God develop this relationship . And , with His grace , He is letting them learn many important things before they are married and out on thier own .
It looks like , with out Gods intervention, the princly proteg'e may have to have some surgery . Yet another thing for them to learn of each-other thru . What satan means for harm God is always redeeming for our good . Wow ! It truly amazes me !!
Ok , I guess I have rambled enough today ...there is just SO much on my mind !
My next post will be a late MPM . Sigh ....life is many things , but seldom boring !

Saturday

2008-10-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

So .. I get to watch the most amazing thing happen . God has brought my daughter her future spouse . And they are trying hard to do things the right way . Wow . They are courting/dating .

Back on Track MPM

2008-10-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

Monday - Homemade Chili served with cheese , crackers , Fritos and sour cream

Tuesday - Chicken Pot Pie (homemade crust , frozen veggies)

Wednesday- We have been eating out on Wednesdays , it give J & R a little more time together

Thursday - Chicken and Dumplins ....hear the cheers rise ! Mom finally said yes to making this ! LOL

Friday - Hot Dogs with corn and salad , it has to be quick - we are prob. going to see one of the Judgement House type plays

Saturday - Big breakfast in the morning , but evening will be all left-overs

Sunday - Cornbread and beans (kept warm in the crock pot for after church)

I made Pizza Pockets last week that turned out WONDERFUL and I will post that recipe later ! Blessings for your week ! Lora

TGIF

2008-10-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yep , I am Thanking GOD it is Friday ! DH is coming home from TN today . And I have many other reasons to celebrate the day ! :-) I love my family , even the furry ones : even when they're sick ! One of the kitten got really sick in the house today . Thankfully it was on the dogs bed and it is washable . So out in the rain it went for a few minits and then directly into the washer ! Which lead me to the discovery that I need laundry soap . Ah , it really is constant , isn't it ?!?

I love Rachel Anne's post over at Home Sanctuary today . Yall go on over and check her out ! I am trying to post her site on my blog roll ...but it's being difficult .

better go , that banana bread is smelling done so I need to go check it . If we like the results I will post the recipe here later in the week .

Blessings !

Life

2008-10-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well , life gets crazy ...as we all do know ! So ...I have not posted in a couple of weeks . I was really beating myself up about it and thinking of doing away with the whole blog . But then a friend told me that she is a sporadic poster as well and may post a few days in a row then not at all for weeks . So , with renewed vigor , I am back ! LOL .... Thanks Donna !

I took the prince bowling with a couple of his friends today . It was pretty good . And since Donna is always full great info , I also got some great ideas . We might be able to get involved in some 4H stuff that would actually be enjoyable ...like archery ! The idea bears more investigation on my part .

I did some more canning . I did alot of pear combos . since I had gotten quite a few pears for free . I did a lovely spiced pear jelly . It used red-hots , which were really hard to find by the way . You can find that recipe here
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cider-Jelly I used fresh pear juice , not cider . The taste is very good and it is such a pretty red that I think it will make lovely Christmas gifts .

I haven't been posting my menu , and DH is out-of-town so I am not good at doing the whole routine when he's gone . But DD intended has been coming for dinner once a week so that keeps me anchored on task a little better . It is definately something I continue to work on ! I will ost the menu for next week ! And to be realistic .. may not be back on here until then ! So go find me on facebook , I am there more often ! LOL

changing , re-arranging

2008-09-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....seems like a time of change around here . I am trying to do better in many areas ...and suceeding to varying degrees !
We re-arranged the furniture , changes some curtains & rods out .
The weather has made a drastic change (for the better) . The a/c is off !
I got a major hair-cut .
DD is officially "in a relationship" .
DH is back to traveling after a little more than a month at home .
And I started a couple of new bible studies .

Did I mention change is usually not my fort'e ?!?

So ...I skipped menu - planning this week . And I am wishing I had just went ahead and done it . So I hope to be back on track next MPM .

SIGH ! I think I will de-stress and go make some jelly ! (LOL) yeah , I know :WEIRD !

Week end ?!

2008-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Oh my ! Where did the week go ?? I have been busy doing some canning , changing my furniture around and truthfully , just having on LAZY day this week . I have been trying to do the FlyLady thing . I must admit that it is looking a little better . Next week begings something called a "super-fling" Hummm....I am a little apprehensive . But as is one of her mottoes .....anyone can do anything for 15 mins . So I will try , 15 mins at a time !
We met with friends last night and had prayer with some really good , rousing discussion of scripture and events . There is SO much to pray about ! This must be the times like God was talking about in "Weary not"
Just wanted to pop in on my cyber friends ! I'll be back for MPM . And I have some pics to post too . :-) Ya'll get to meet a couple other of the fur kids !

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

2008-09-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here’s an easy substitute for sweetened condensed milk that’s much less processed than the commercial variety. This can be used in recipes that call for one can of sweetened condensed milk:
Ingredients:
1 cup dry milk powder
1/3 cup hot water
1/3 cup sugar
3 T. butter (melted)
Directions:Combine all ingredients in a blender, layering wet and dry ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Found on www.hobbyfarms.com
One of my new favorite sites !

Today I am making Muscadine JAM and probably doing something with more of the pears ...not sure what yet ! Any ideas out there ?

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

This week it is just the Children and I . But I am trying to not have it be SO different . I am really bad about totally slacking on cooking if DH is away . My intension is to do well this week , lol , we'll see huh? Gas prices are OUTRAGEOUS here because of the storm "Ike" , personally I think it is mostly hype . Thursday I filled up for $3.44 (with card discount at Ingles) and Friday is shot to $3.99 and is now $4.19 ....some places are even quite a bit higher than that . SO ... I am going to try to live mostly out of the pantry and freezer this week . I may need to stop at the store for fruit and salad . And I will incorperate it into taking DD to work so as not to waste a trip out .

Monday - Flank steak in the crock-pot similar to a roast with veggies (potatoes , carrots,celery,onion and maybe a handful of frozen green beans)

Tuesday - Breakfast for dinner french toast casserole and fried spam or bologna

(prayer meeting at church , so we will be eating late)

Wednesday - Smoked sausage , mac & cheese and garden fresh crowder peas

Thursday - Roast Beef sandwiches (made on bread machine bread) , and carrot and celery sticks and canned pineapple

Friday - Steaks , loaded mashed potatoes , limas and honey-oat bread from the bread machine

Saturday - lentil soup and grilled cheese

Sunday - Crock=pot Chicken & Rice with Ceaser salad

Lentil Soup

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup Red lentils

1 cup Brown lentils

6 cups Water

3 No MSG boullion

1/2 small Onion -- diced

1 Carrot -- diced 1

Rib celery -- diced

1/8 teaspoon Celery seed

3 tablespoons Instant Potatoe flakes*

1 large Potato -- diced

2 tablespoons Olive oil

2 Bay leaves

2 teaspoons Red wine vinegar (Optional)

mix all ingredients except the vinegar in a soup pot and cook until the lentils are very soft, about one hour. Stir in vinegar at the end, and serve. NOTE: Brought soup to boil, turned down and simmered uncovered 45 min. *If thinner soup is desired, omit potato flakes, or use lesser amount.

Used 3 quart sauce pan.

Ummmm....one of the few meatless things my DH likes

week-end up-date

2008-09-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Well , the week-end went by way too fast ! But isn't that always the way that seems to work out ?! Saturday we went and put up a Christmas display at church trying to set up for taking some family pictures . Yes , I know it is only Sept. ! But this is the best time and gives people plenty of time to get the pics printed and on cards or what-ever they want .
Sat. evening we went to a small group meeting over in Dacula Park . It was fun ! Mostly kids ...but it's all Gods anyway . There were even some skaters that sat on the fringes for a while . And every one handled them being there well . Some people did not seem serious about wanting to be there but that is pretty much going to be in any function . And , of course , I try not to judge too . SIGH ...but it is hard ...I just have to remind myself only God know the motives of the heart .
Sunday our church had a special guest named Murray , who is a Messianic Jew . It was SO good . Very informative and right on time since we had just recently gone to Beth Hallel to see Paul Wilbur . By-the-way...if the opportunity ever presents it's self for you to see Paul Wilbur GO ! He is phenomenal in person !
And Sunday after church we came home and Rick discovered a leak in one of the pipes for the Hot Water Heater . SO ~ we had to make an un-planned trip to Home Depot and he spent quite alot of time working on that . SO we did not go anywhere in the evening , as then he needed to pack .

And then next thing I knew it was MONDAY ! UGH ! :-)

2008-09-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

The pita making went well . I want to use some of the left-overs to make some cinnamon-sugar chips . These were easy & worth it ~I used the bread machine to do the mixing . :-) And if you Really wanted to cheat , you can get the bagged salad mix in ceasar (comes with dressing!) and just add your own cooked chicken . Next time I will do Greek . With spinach salad , feta ,seeds of change greek feta dressing and I will cook the chicken in Greek spice mix . Ummm....

Works for me Wednesday

2008-09-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Ok ...so I am trying to think of what works for me . Well what works for me and might benefit someone else anyway . I think I have to go with my *new* bread machine . We had a field trip to the Atlanta History center yesterday . So I put Speg. & pre-cooked meatballs in the crock-pot . Put Italian Herb and Cheese bread ingredients in the bread machine and set it to be done at 6:30 pm . Well except for the glitch of forgetting to push start it went great ! My DH was home before me , caught the boo-boo and correctly re-set everything and everything continued smoothly .
And I felt pretty accomplished !
Here's the recipe I based the bread off of . Ummmm....

Italian Herb and cheese bread
1 1/4 cups tepid water
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese (I used real Asiago, 'cuz that's what I had)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons powdered cheese (found in mac and cheese dinners)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the machine's manufacturer. Select White Bread or Basic cycle. Start.
This recipe yields a 1 1/2 pound loaf.

My first MPM

2008-09-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

My very first posted menu !~Yeah

Sunday - Chinese after church

Monday-Red Beans and rice w/smoked sausage (I start with the Mahatma bag and add 1 can lt.red kidney beans and an extra cup of brown rice . Cook it all up in my Favorite CIS(cast iron skillet)I will also make a wonderful fruit salad to go along with it (recipe to follow)

Tuesday-Hamburgers , pasta salad , pinto beans with banana pudding for dessert( I made a huge one for a Labor Day cook-out and my dh hardly got any, so now he gets his own!)

Wednesday-(church night) Pasties with big glasses of cold RAW milk

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,153169-230201,00.html here's the pasty recipe (I omit rutabagas)

Thursday-Chicken Ceaser Pitas served with Corn on the Cob . I will be trying Pitas from scratch for the first time . If they are as wonderful as I hope I will post the recipe later in the week!

Friday-Steaks with Baked Potatoes and garlic cheese bread (from the bread machine)

Saturday-Grilled cheese and homemade chicken or lentil soup (using honey wheat bread I made Sunday)

Fruit Salad

combine any friut you have on hand : we like diced apples,grape halves,mandrine oranges,sliced bananas,peaches,strawberries etc...

Make a sauce using 1/2 cup sour cream

and 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar (more or less to taste)

mix sauce up well , spoon onto servings of fruit salad

Works great as a dip for strawberries and pineapple and looks lovely layered in fancy glasses with small cut fruits !

Have a great week ! May the Lord Bless and Keep you and make His face shine upon you !

2008-09-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and I have had all afternoon to myself ! :-) Of course I was running errands most of the time but that's OK . I got to stop at a couple of yard sales and treated my-self to lunch at ABC . I had the waldrof chicken salad sandwich and fruit salad . Light and yummy . Then I got a chocoate crossiant to go ...ummmm...not so light . If anyone knows the calorie content on these things , please , DO NOT TELL ME !~
Kuduzs still in bloom ! It smells faintly like childrens Dimetapp . Fakey grape-ish .
DH and DD have been taking the "Omega Course" at IHOP all day . They should hit the door like a hurricane any minit now ...so I better get off of here . I'll go inventory so I can make my Menu Plan . :-)
Ya'll have a great week-end !
Lora
PS No post on Sunday (for the most part)

TGIF

2008-09-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was rough . The young Prince was sick . Fever and everything sick !~Thankfully that doesn't happen very often . So it was a bit of a down day . And not much got done ...except school ! It is a joke in our house that there are NO sick days here . When the Tylenol is working you can read you Lit. Book , right ?!
Happy to report that today has been better . The young Prince has recovered from the mystery bug quite nicely . And I did get a bit done .
The dad man and the #1 daughter have a class in the morning , the Prince will be at his Grams and I will be A-L-O-N-E !! I do have errands to run (like Sams) but I will do something for just me too . Hummm....ABC is calling ....LOL > I definately need to find some something nice for me's that don't go to my hips ~

Puppy power !

2008-09-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

AbbyJean is in heat . That means we have had quite a few male doggy visitors this week . A big yellow Lab showed up yesterday . He was SO not her type . She tips the scale at about 14lbs ! She is the black dog in the pic under the about me spot there in the side-bar . I will post more pics of her and the other critters when I have time and actually figure out what I am doing !~This is a different world to me !

Any way ... I realized AbbyJean can't go to the groomer until she is out of heat . Which is a bummer , 'cuz she needs her nails cut pretty bad - - - and I am not going to do it . She knows what a push-over I am ! If she hollers one good time i break out in a cold sweat and I am done ! So it is useless !

Anyone tried the file thing-y they are showing on TV now ? I'd love to see one or talk to someone who has one !

MPM

2008-09-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Next week I will be trying to do MPM ....Menu Plan Monday . For today I just wanted to say that last night we had one of our family favorite . Home-made Pizza ! I started with a good crust , pre-baked it . Then topped with Alfredo sauce , cooked & diced chicken , real bacon bits , chopped fresh spinach , and several handfuls of Mozz. Cheese . Just bake until the chesse is bubbly ~UMMM. I made 2 so we could have planned-overs . That's what we call when you make enough on pourpose to have "left-overs" . LOL
Next time I will try to get a picture of it . It was church night so we were in a hurry . Speaking of church , I wonder what ever we shall do on Wed now that the home group we were going to stopped meeting until January ! UGH !
Today I am going to try to get several loads of laundry done . And I have a new Craigslist find to go pick up ! I think I am addicted to Craigslist . Does anyone else have this problem ?

Apples

2008-09-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's glorious apple season here in GA ! I have got the privilege of picking from a few different trees around here . I have been busy making juice and canning cobbler filling for later use . I just completed 7 quarts and 2 pint jars last night . Every jar sealed ! Yeah ! I can hardly wait for the first good cold snap so I can bake ! I also hope to put a batch in my new dehydrators :-) !