ADorableDaze

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) -- Casting Crowns

2011-01-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine

**I needed to hear these words today. Not only hear them,but to DWELL in them. Thank you, Jesus.

Trials

2010-09-27T20:40:00.000-06:00

It's been long and busy summer. And this is just a quick note to let you know I'm still here. I have started a new blog, one I never wanted to start or thought I would need to start. It's a blog that will allow family and friends to keep up with my mom as she battles Breast Cancer. I hope to find time to update my aDorableDaze blog as well over the next little while with fun things and lovely pictures. But for now, enjoy this picture that Meghan entered in our county fair and won Best of Class with.

Silver Spurs (Day 2)

2010-07-13T16:16:00.000-06:00

Well, as you can see, I am terribly behind--here I am, still talking about what happened the middle of June and it's the middle of JULY! All I have to say is THAT'S MY LIFE.

The second day we were in Boise started very early. Especially since the night before I had to run Meghan to Target to pick up everything that got left behind. But I'll let her tell you about that on her blog. I'm sure she'll get to it eventually. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the show.

Such a cute pair!

I LOVE watching Arabians. Unfortunately, the judge did NOT feel the same way

We spent a lot of time doing this.

Since this was taken during the first class of the day I figure it's not a good sign for the rest of the 9 classes.

This was Meghan's first time showing English. She looks like a natural!

Did you know there is no smiling in English? I guess a big ol' country grin just wouldn't be proper!

Unless you surprise everyone by placing in this elite crowd!

Outfit change #3. It's like a fashion show for horse lovers!

Tay and Ken made a lot of trips from the tack stall to the arena dragging Zoey along.

Samantha is a GREAT cousin. If spending an entire day watching a horse show isn't love, I don't know what is!

Eventually, she just gave up. Once she crawled up on my lap, it took about 30 seconds. I kid you not! We work 'em hard at a horse show.

Check It Out!

2010-07-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

I am so excited! I have been looking for a website that would give me detailed book reviews for the books my kids want to read, but have not been able to find one. It's made it very difficult and time consuming to choose which books my kids are allowed to read. Finally, my husband said, "You should just do one." And I just laughed and thought, Yeah, I'll just do that in my spare time. But then I couldn't stop thinking about it. Ideas and layouts kept swarming around in my head. Finally I called my friend Lark; she would either talk me out of this CRAZY idea, or jump on the band wagon with me. She jumped! With both feet no less.

So this is me, introducing our new Book Review Blog. I have a couple more friends I need to talk into joining us, but until then, Lark and I will hold down the fort. Our format is similar to Plugged In Online, the BEST place to go for movie review. Our goal is to post a new book review every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We might not be able to do three a week in the beginning, but we're sure going to try.

We won't be reviewing classic literature, you can find those reviews most any where, and hey! they are classics for a reason! We will do both secular and Christian novels, for preteen to older teens, male and female. Pass the word along to anyone you may find this helpful, we'd love to see their smiling faces on our sidebar.

So stop on by Check It Out on Monday for our debut review. Lark has picked a great book to start out with.

Silver Spurs Horseshow (Day 1)

2010-06-30T08:16:00.001-06:00

A few weeks back, we took Meghan & Silver to show in their first out-of-town horse show. It was quite the experience. We brought my neice, Samantha, along for moral support (and extra manual labor!) for Meg and turned the weekend into a sort of mini vacation. The show was being held at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, ID.

We hauled up three horses and a WHOLE-LOT of tack.

Thanks to the advice Meghan received from the owner of the stables where she works, we rented an extra stall to use for tack. That was the BEST move we did all weekend!

This is the last time it ever looked this neat.

The horses did great for the long, hot 2+ hour drive but, were pretty glad to get out and stretch their legs a bit.

The stalls were roomy, but Silver still wasn't really sure what to think about his weekend home. He did fine though.

We came up a day early, so that Meg & Silver could get a feel for the arena and spend some time working up a sweat.

Is that a good cousin or what? She followed Meg around, cheering her on and lending all kinds of moral support all weekend. Those two are practically joined at the hip.

We had heard a lot about their fancy horse washing system. It's set up much like a do-it-yourself car wash. Meghan thought it was pretty handy and she was able to wash him in much less time than at home.

She had LOTS of helping hands.

Apparently, Silver is NOT impressed!

Brushing him out after his shower took quite a bit of work.

The kids learned from Day 1, that there would be a lot of time spent waiting.

Family Fire

2010-06-29T11:02:00.003-06:00

One of my kids' (and my husband's) favorite things is FIRE. So, what could be better than a fire pit, right in their backyard?

OK, so ours isn't really in our backyard, it's in a spot between my cottage and our shop, where Jeff and Jerry park their vehicles.

And ours isn't one of the cute pits that you can buy at Home Depot, it's made of rocks that Jeff and the kids hunted up, hauled and placed one by one in a perfect circle.

And, while I'm telling all our secrets, our furniture isn't a cute iron patio set from Wal-Mart, either. It's a hodge podge of camping chairs, pallets, railroad ties and more rocks.

Having said all that, lighting the fire and roasting s'mores is something our family LOVES to do.

I don't always go out for the Fire Festivities"--sometimes, I let it be a Daddy and kids thing--but when I DO go out, I get cracked up at what great fun it is.

Yeah, it's pretty Red-Neck.

But, it's also finger-lickin' tasty!

We're pretty laid back.

I think the gas can adds a bit of atmosphere, don't you? But, it's not really about the atmosphere, is it? It's about family, and memories.

And melty, ooey-gooey marshmallows dripping down over thick chocoalte.

Love

2010-05-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Here is another card from my Box of Unsent Cards. I think when I made it, I intended it to be an anniversary card. What was I thinking? If I don't remember send Birthday cards, what makes me think I'm going to send Anniversary cards? Yeesh! Anyway, it's still a great card and the whole layout makes me smile. Again, the pictures are crummy, but I think you can still get the idea.

The torn edge with the contrast behind makes me smile. I also like the way the word LOVE is scratched upward along the side.

This was one of the first time I used Bazzil paper. I have been hooked ever since. I stamped the rectagle background first in a brown slightly darker than the paper, then colored the flowers with markers and stamped it on top of the rectangle.

Yep, even with the bad picture color, this card is a keeper. (Apparently literally)

Bouquet of Gratefulness

2010-05-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

This size card, with the rounded corners on one side has become a favorite for me. It makes super cute cards very quickly. I have used this stem and flower stamp numerous times. I love the shading you get from a two-step flower.

You can never have enough Thank You cards, in my opinion. And this one is like sending along a sweet bouquet of flowers tied up with a little string.

Paisley Wishes

2010-05-26T15:00:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite cards; that's probably why it's still in my box, I can't bear to send it off! I love the simple colors and the clean lines. The pictures are terrible and do not do it justice. What can I say? I'm just getting this photography thing figured out and these were taken before I even STARTED trying to figure it out.

I think the simple little sentiment, wish, says it all.

With a photo on my blog, maybe I'll send the card out now. Who will be the lucky Birthday Girl?

$24 and a Whole-lotta Bowling

2010-05-26T09:12:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine posted a link on Facebook this morning that just made my kids summer a little more fun! Kids Bowl Free is just what it sounds like. All you have to do is click the link and enter your children's names and birthdate (just the month and year) for free bowling passes for your kiddos.

The program is for children under 15, but there is a Family Summer Pass that allows you to add on up to 4 adults for $24.95. The passes allow your kids to bowl TWICE, EVERY DAY until Sept 30, 2010. The shoes are not included, but it said on the site that you may be able to get an Unlimited Shoe Rental at your location. This is a Nationwide program, and even the little town where I live in Idaho had a location.

So get all your friends to sign up and get ready to bowl!

**I called our local bowling alley and the Unlimited Shoe Pass is $10 per person and is good for the duration of the Kids Bowl Free Promotion. Regular rentals are $2.75 per person and on Thursdays they are $1.

Happy Birthday Good Friend

2010-05-25T18:50:00.000-06:00

I dug into my card box and found some cards that bring back sweet memories of stamping with friends. Someday, I will get to stamp and play again, in the meantime, I will look back at what I've done with fond remembrance and share some pictures with you.

I'm pretty sure I cased this card from a stamping magazine, but it was quite a ways back and I have no idea where I found it. If it's yours, let me know and I'll be sure to give you credit! I love the three little flowers nestled together in the corner with the antique brads.

I think a Good Friend would love to get this card on their Big Day!

A New Family Favorite

2010-05-22T21:43:00.001-06:00

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would be hard pressed to choose between Mexican and Italian (if you notice, both use LOTS of cheese, my favorite food group), but these Taquitos make me lean a little more strongly toward the Mexican side. I rarely find a new recipe that my ENTIRE family goes ga-ga for, but let me tell you, the kids BEG me to make these multiple times a week. They are so tasty, I'm tempted to agree. Right now they are our weekly Tuesday night meal because Meghan, Taylor and Jeff can eat them on the way to 4-H.

My friend posted the original recipe from a blog that I have quickly fallen in love with. Here it is from Our Best Bites. Of course, if you know me, you know that because I am an incredibly picky eater, I can almost NEVER follow a recipe as written. So I had to make a few changes to what I've been told was already a KILLER recipe. I am not a fan of either lime or cilantro, so here is the recipe that I created based on the original recipe from Our Best Bites. So, now you can choose--lime and cilantro or NO lime and cilantro.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

4 cups chicken-cooked and finely chopped

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup salsa verde, pureed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic

3 cups co-jack, shredded

flour tortillas (soft taco size)

Combine all of the above ingredients. Place about 2 TBSP of the mixture across one end of a slightly warmed tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil. Make sure the taquitos do not touch each other on the baking sheet, so they get nice and crispy. Just before baking, lightly brush oil over the tops and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

I have not tried making these and freezing them before I bake then yet, we seem to eat all that we make each time, but they are supposed to freeze well. The last time I made this recipe, I got 26 taquitos, but I over-filled them and lots of the filling oozed out onto the pan, so I could probably get 3 or 4 more.

According to my salsa verde bottle, the La Victoria brand is gluten free, so if you change the tortillas you use, this is also a gluten free recipe.

Mother's Day 2010--Part 2

2010-05-22T21:11:00.000-06:00

The girls spent most of the afternoon on the horses. It had to be at least 2 or 3 hours and they never got bored. Meghan and Samantha finally traded places and Sam stood in the round pen with the Handy-Stick.

Meghan has gained so much confidence with the hoses over the last year.

She and Silver make a beautiful pair.

I don't think she loves anything more than being on his back.

Whenever I get the chance to watch her ride, I beg her to gallop for me. I love to see how proud Silver looks with his tail flying and his neck stretched forward.

I think that horse would do just about anything for her. Well, except Trail, but that's a whole other post!

My girls and their horses. It makes me a little teary eyed. My dad would be so proud!

Mother's Day 2010--Part 1

2010-05-22T20:46:00.000-06:00

I had hoped to get these posted earlier, but things rarely seem to go as I plan lately. Here are a few (OK, it's really more than a few...it's a LOT, so if you're not interested in horses or my kids, you might want to skip this post) pictures from our Mother's Day. My brother and his family and my Mom came over for a little BBQ.

When the girls decide to saddle one horse, all the horses gather to see what's going on. However, neither Meesha or Hunny actually WANT to be saddled.

Zoey thought she was quite the big helper when Cousin Sam let her carry the reins.

Elizabeth bribing Hunny with some oats. She'll come close for a snack as long as she doesn't see a lead rope any where close by.

Sackett was actually tied to the post, but Zoey thought she was in control.

She about gave us a heart attack when she wandered behind Sackett, but he just flicked his tail at her.

She gives him a little pat of encouragement.

I would LOVE to know what she's telling him here. She had quite a little talk with him. I especially love how both Sackett and Silver are listening intently.

While Meghan, Elizabeth and Samantha messed with the horses, Kennedy, Nate and Scotty spent most all of the afternoon climbing the peachcott. Taylor and Timothy were not in "picture taking range" for any of the day.

Doin' a little bareback.

Love this picture that Scott snapped of Nate on the porch stairs.

Elizabeth was a sweet cousin and spent a large chunk of her ride with Zoey on her lap. Hunny felt the need to keep pace with Sackett.

Meghan has been working with Hunny and has even gotten the saddle on her a couple of times. Usually after Silver and Sackett get saddled, Meesha and Hunny dissapear to the lower pasture. This time, however, Hunny stayed in the upper pasture and showed off her beautiful lope.

Meesha would not be outdone by her daughter and did some lovely prancing of her own. She may be getting old, but she has some spunk left in her!

Samantha spent some time in the round pen (that Meghan built all by herself) on Silver while Meghan stood by to give some tips.

This is right after Sackett got to going at a pretty nice little clip. See how excited Zoey is? She thought that was GREAT!

Cousinly advice?

These girls are inseperable!

Cheese, Daddy! Scott snapped all these pictures with his new DSLR camera.

Gettin' up to speed.

I love how much fun they have out there!

It takes a lot of trust to ride Silver while Meghan stands in the round pen with her Handy-Stick. Silver is completely loyal to Meghan.

Going Doubles.

Blogspot has decided to not let me post the rest of the pictures where I want them, so I will do the rest in another post.

Daddy's Big Helper

2010-04-02T18:38:00.000-06:00

Zoey's two favorite things in the world...

Being Outside
and
Being with Daddy

My favorite things?

Seeing them together.

Sometimes all the dirt and the poo and the unfinished house gets on my nerves. I should try to remember to look out my kitchen window more; that view always makes me smile.

OK-this sight kinda takes my breath away--and I'm not sure it's in a good way.

But she knows her Daddy will keep her safe.

*sigh*

Taking a Chance

2010-03-30T10:13:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post...I stumbled on a blog giving away FREE STUFF!! Cute stamps and frills to be exact. Wanna take a chance on winning with me? Check out Crafty Little Pigtails and leave her a post. Crossing my fingers...because, really...can you have to much bling?

Also, welcome to a new follower and fellow paper lover Jenny. She has some fab cards on her blog, so check her out as well.

Upward and Onward, Weeeeeeeeee.....

Branching Out

2010-03-27T10:00:00.001-06:00

I saw a card similar to this in the back of a stamp catalog, I think it was Stampin' Up!, but I'm not sure. I just had to try it out. This card is an odd size, it's a bit larger than the usual 4 1/2" x 5 to accomidate the size of the tree trunk and the circles.

I used various sizes of circle punches on different papers I pulled out of my scrap bags. It took me a bit of shifting things around until I had a layout that I liked.

From there, I pulled out my brads, buttons and other embellishments. The white velvet bird is {PERFECT} perched on the branch.

I used a ribbon instead of paper across the bottom and a Sharpie Fine Point Marker to outline the white layer. My friend Lark was with me when I made this card and conned me into making another one for her ;). Now I need to make one more to keep so I can send this one out.

It's All in the Details

2010-03-26T16:19:00.001-06:00

Those 5 little words say so much about how I think! Making this card was SO fun! I haven't spent time on cards like this in a long time. When I saw this set in the Stampin' Up! catalog, I just HAD to have it. This is the only card I've made with it so far, but I've used bits and pieces on other projects.

The paper clip tied with a snippet of ribbon is so whimisical! I keep borrowing the Notebook border punch from my sister-in-law, I think I'm going to need to get my own soon.

This is BY-FAR, one of my favorite cards that I've created in the last year or so.

A Quiet Joy...

2010-03-26T09:00:00.003-06:00

I love to watercolor when I am stamping. The Aqua-Painters from Stampin' Up! make it super easy and mess free. This simple stamp set is such fun to color. I was very pleased with how the card turned out. I wonder if I'll ever mail it...

A Stamping Pear

2010-03-25T14:54:00.000-06:00

Last October, I drove my mom to Washington for her birthday. I left all five of my kiddos at home with my AMAZING hubby and we spent a glorious 9 days with my sister. While I was there, I got to spend a WONDERFUL afternoon with my friend Shalyn, stamping. I have talked about Shay in a few of my earlier posts. We had such a wonderful time. In addition to palying with paper, we chatted and ate and she taught me to make REALLY yummy White Mochas at home. I didn't have any of my own stamp paraphanalia with me, so I had the chance to stretch my imaginantion and play with all of HER fun stuff.

This is the first (and my FAVORITE) of the two cards I was able to create that day. I love PEARS. Not to eat...blech...but to STAMP. Aren't the cozy and friendly looking?

I love the colors on this card. The golden yellow and that deep red just make me feel like Autumn. I didn't have a brown waterproof stamp pad with me, so I just used a regular one. It bled a little on one of the pears, but I fixed it with a brown pen. I think it turned out pretty good.

The little bronze hanger is from the Hodge Podge set from Stampin' Up!. I have never had a chance to use these before; I may have to add these to my wish list.

This is the second card (REMEMBER: you can click on the image to see it larger). It's actually the FIRST card I made that day. I really llike the paper, but am not in love with the over-all card.

I was going for that really rustic grunge look...I'm not convinced that this card pulled it off. Something about the checkered ribbon is a bit too country. I also thought I was being clever by tying the bits of twine to the ribbon, but when I look at the card, it makes me think of stitches. I don't HATE the card, it's just not my favorite.

I do love ALL of my fond memories from that October Journey with my Mama. I think it's about time for another road trip!

Stay tuned...I plan on posting more of my cards throughout the next few days.

Happy stamping!

A Matter for Miss Manners

2010-03-22T21:36:00.000-06:00

After running a few quick errands, my oldest daughter asked me to swing into Arby’s so she could grab a sandwich. We pulled into the drive thru and shouted our order to the sign with the big speaker and listened carefully as she read it back and gave us our price. “That will be $6.79,” she began, and I expected to hear ‘at the window’, but what followed sent us into fits of laughter. Her closing statement was, “and we invite you to our window.”

Seriously?

I wanted to reply, “Now that’s an invitation I can’t refuse…seeing as how THAT’S where my food will be!”

We continued to giggle, as we waited for it to be our turn to pull up to “the window”, and speculate as to what would cause them to offer us a PERSONAL invite to the drive-up window. Was this a Franchise thing or just her own little way of brightening our day? She didn’t seem to have an accent and a good grasp of English, so it wasn’t a language issue. It didn’t seem to be some kind of promotion. She was just inviting us (and let me tell you, she was very prim and proper about the invitation) to the window.

I’m not sure WHY, exactly it struck us as funny as it did, maybe it was because today was the first day in the last three that I’ve been out of bed, but it did!

So what I need to know now is; do I need to send a Thank You note?

Mama, What's For Tea Today?

2010-03-16T21:01:00.000-06:00

Sometime during this last year, my children have all developed at least one hollow leg each. Up until recently, one snack a day had been plenty, but now they are suddenly starving ALL THE TIME! My friend mentioned that she would like to start having tea with her kids occasionally and I thought, "How fun would THAT be"?! So, I decided that we would have tea every day at 2:00. Then I realized that Taylor had an online class at 2:00 and so she would miss having tea with us. So I moved it to 3:00.

My first thought was to just use our everyday tea cups and saucers, they are pretty white porcelain with hob nails around the top, but my oldest daughter (the bossy one) thought that we NEEDED to use my china for tea. I told her that if she wanted to use it that she would have to get it out of the hutch and wash it all by hand before and after tea. I thought that with 6 of us drinking tea, plus the dessert plates that she would opt to use the dishes that, 1). were already clean and 2). could go in the dishwasher.

WRONG. She pulled out all the cups and saucers and plates and began washing them.

Now remember, this idea for tea was a last minute thing, what I was going to serve to EAT with tea, I had no clue. After scrounging around for a bit I came up with Toasted Tortillas with Cinnamon and Sugar. Not my favorite, but the kids love them.

We didn't sit down at the dining room table for a formal tea this first time; we just sat at the bar in the kitchen. That didn't seem to bother the kids at all. They just loved that they got to eat fancy food and use the fancy dishes.

After we got everything all cleaned up and put away, I had to wonder if we would really keep up with this on a daily basis. For Tea Time, day two, I actually had a plan for treats; chocolate snack cake and poppy seed bread and THIS time we did sit down at the table. About two days later, I had to run a few errands and knew I was going to be gone at Tea Time. I thought for sure, that the kids will decide to just grab a granola bar and continue along with their day. WRONG, AGAIN. Taylor and Meghan worked together to put tea out for everyone.

Tea Time is an evolving event. It's now been moved to 11:00 and while Tay does have an online class then as well, it's only one day a week and she takes her tea to her room. Sometimes we sit at the dining room table and use the china, but a lot of the time we drink our tea at the bar out of our everyday cups. Really, it's just about being together.

Taste Tea

2010-03-16T12:00:00.005-06:00

Our church held a Gourmet Potato Bar Fundraiser to benefit our Women's Ministry last Saturday, where they raffled off different items that had been donated. I told the coordinator that I would love to do a Tea Basket, if she was interested, filled with some homemade goodies. She said yes, and so I spent Friday and Saturday creating a basket filled with tea, scones and love. What I pictured in my head, turned out to be way better in reality. I LOVE it when that happens.

This post will be pretty long, because there are a ton of pictures. Go make yourself a cup of tea, grab a cozy chair and get comfy.

I used a yellow, brown and white color scheme that just seemed to say RELAX. I picked up these cute little containers quite a while back at our local Dollar Store. They came in packs of three and because the Dollar Store was running a promotion on Tuesdays, they were only $0.88 a pack. You get can't better deals than that. I bought something like 5 packages. Now I wish I had bought more! I filled each little jar with loose leaf tea from a cooking store downtown. I spilled them all over my crafting table, but it smelled divine as I worked!

I used my scallop circle punch and the Pocket Silhouette stamp from Stampin' Up to create all my tags.

I found these cute containers at Wal-Mart and bought a bunch to organize my spice/baking cupboard. Isn't it SO great filled with the Strawberry Freezer Jam?

The Shortbread Cookies were one of the first baked goodies I packaged up and they set the stage for everything else.

The ribbon going around the cellophane bag was the perfect touch!

Next were the Mini British Scones. I mistakenly wrote ENGLISH scones on the package, but who cares? They still taste delish! I have been making the scones for our daily tea time, but decided to make these bite size. They are the perfect size to smear on a bit of jam and then pop them in your mouth. They have a little bit of a crunch to them because before you bake them, you top them with some sugar in the raw.

I had never had Irish Soda Bread before, but have wanted to try it for years. I watched Ina Garten make this recipe on her T.V. show The Barefoot Contessa. It seemed so simple, I had to try it! It's to die for yummy. I think it looks sort of French tied with the knot and the label off to the right.

The last baked goodie that I added to the basket, were the first scones I ever learned how to bake and the ones I have been asked to make for the last 4 or 5 ladies teas at our church. They are a Whole Wheat Scone from the Taste of Home series of recipes. My stamping friend Shalyn gave me the recipe to try and every time I make it I think of her. My friend, Lark, suggested the brown paper bag for packaging. Can I just say, "genius"?

My mind often comes up with ideas that I really don't have time for. While I was gathering things for the basket I had the idea to make a little book with some different facts about tea and a few recipes. I titled it Taste Tea...do you get it? No? Say it out loud, "Taste Tea", ahhh, see? Tasty! He-he-he, it took my family a little while too, and they were not nearly as impressed as I was. *sigh*, oh well.

In my opinion, this book is what sent this basket over the top. It turned out fabulous! I've never made anything like this before so I was a little nervous. My husband got me a Zutter Binding Machine for Christmas and it came with this huge stack of Chipboard Coasters. I had no idea what to do with them, but they seemed perfect for this project. Now I'm pretty sure I will find ALL sorts of uses for them.

When I put everything together and got it all arranged in the basket, I almost called and told Kim that I changed my mind. It was TOO adorable to give away! I did fill the Lemon Curd jar, but not until right before I left to take the basket to the church, by then I was done taking pictures. I'm sure you can picture the jar filled, it was yellow, and it was pretty!

I was so glad to hear that my friends the Graff family won the basket. They are another family with a passion for tea parties and all things pretty and yummy. From their Facebook posts, it sounds like it was much enjoyed! Mom and Oldest Daughter each have blogs for you to enjoy.

Creating gifts like this, is my absolute FAVORITE thing to do with all my paper and ink. This makes me SUPER happy!

NOTE: I rearrange the pictures in this post because I noticed some were stacked under others.

Crafting Weekend 2010

2010-03-15T13:20:00.003-06:00

Surprisingly, I got invited to spend another weekend this year crafting in Hagerman with my new crafty girlfriends. This year I got to sit next to someone new and loved every minute of it. Gwennie is aDorabledaze's newest follower, "Welcome, Gwennie! Make yourself at home." Her real name is actually Jennifer, but somehow she got the nickname Gwennie and that's what we called her all weekend, so that is how I think of her. She is not only a fellow crafter, but a fellow blogger as well. Take a minute and check out Gwennie's blog, but don't forget to come back!

As I said, I got my first taste of Bella and PRISMACOLOR last year, and renewed it this year. I didn't make as many cards this year because I spent the first part of the weekend working on Christmas gifts. Now, don't get excited, I'm not an over-achiever, these were gifts from LAST YEAR that I still needed to finish. See, I AM a loser! Luckily, my family (whom the gifts were for) still loves me. The pictures of the scrapbook will be yet another post. See, I may have FINISHED said Christmas gifts, but I have YET to mail them. Can't have you seeing them BEFORE they see them, right? This post will be filled, once again with my love, adoration and longing for PRISMACOLOR markers, and more pictures of cute cards.

When I was creating this card, I had my friend Shalyn in mind. She was the friend that was with me when I had my first taste of stamping. We have spent hours together at my dining room table, bent over, crafting our hearts out. She lives in Washington now, and I miss her dearly.

If there is one thing other than crafting that makes me think of Shay, it's coffee! I so wish she and I could sit down for a cup and a chat!

Look at the great color on her dress! I'm telling you, these markers are NOT your mother's crayola markers , baby! I whole heartedly believe that EVERY artist should begin buying these if they haven't already. And look at the background paper, isn't it fun? It's from a set that my mom got me for Christmas from Costco.

Pink, orange and blue are some colors that I NEVER thought I would use, but how cute are they? I'm in love with them. It has NOTHING to do with the Boise State Bronco colors of orange and blue.

This next card is another line from the same website as the Bella stamps. It's probably not one I would have picked up by myself, but during the weekend, Kathryn (who I also loved meeting) used it to make some of the cutest cards. I wasn't the only one who was struck by this little Pipi Longstocking like girl, many of us took turns stamping out pages to bring home with us. It didn't matter what color combo you used she was too adorable to pass up.

I find that because I don't get to stamp as often as I used to, my cards have become much simpler with less technique. It seemed to me, that all my cards were beginning to look the same and while they were still cute, nothing wowed me about them. For this card, I challenged myself to dig deep and dust off my imagination.

The ribbon here, looks like I pulled it up through the button, but we all know I'm much too lazy to mess with that. I just tied a knot and glued it to the top of the button. Super cute, no? (Thanks, Nej for letting me peek through your ideas!)

I crumpled and inked the background paper to give it a more grunge feel, I think it fits in well with the little girls funky hair and patched pants. I also used my paper piercer to poke holes in a pattern across the bottom of the paper. This turned out to be my favorite card of the weekend.

The weekend was, again, filled with much laughter, tons of delish food, and very little sleep. It was as fun as last year! I look forward to next year, if I get invited back!

Go. Create something!

How Cute Is That?

2010-03-15T09:53:00.000-06:00

My husband already shared this on Facebook, but it's too cute not to share here. Meghan is starting her early and Silver is one good horse!

Original Intent

2010-03-14T23:14:00.001-06:00

It's been a while and my oldest daughter has been nagging me to post something new, as apparently she is bored by what's been up. When she turned 16, she also turned very bossy. It's OK; I think she gets it from her mother. I have lots of things to blog about and they are all swirling around and making a mess in my head. Let's hope that I can get them cleaned up and into a few interesting posts before they all flitter away.

One of the main reasons I wanted to do a blog was to share my favorite hobby with you. I love to stamp! I got hooked on it when I was 16 and a dear, dear friend and I stopped at a little kiosk and the kind lady there showed us how to heat emboss. We were hooked and bought our first stamp that day-it was a carousel horse-along with a tub of bronze embossing powder that we would heat up over a burner in our kitchen. We've come a long way baby!

I still play with paper and ink as often as possible, though not as much as I would like. Last year another dear friend of mine, who also shares my obsession with paper and all things crafty, invited me on a Ladies Crafting Weekend where I got to meet 14 other amazing crafting maniacs, just like me. We laughed, we ate and we stayed up late. We even did some crafting. I thought I was pretty up on what's happening in the paper, marker, stamp world, but these ladies showed me a few things. Two things I fell in love with--PRISMACOLOR Markers and Bella Stamps! I had the chance to play with them both for an entire weekend.

Here are a few cards I created last year using Prisma Markers and the adorable Bella Stamps. Not too shabby for my first attempt!

The markers give rich color and blend beautifully! You also don't get the stroke marks like you do with other markers. It's a little hard to see in this photo, but I took my Stardust Glitter Pen and added some accents to the mirror. Love the Stardust Glitter Pen!

I love the color combination on this card. This card makes me want to steal one of my daughters retro-bikes and go for a summer ride. Thankfully it's too cold for that kind of nonsense right now. Is it wrong to be jealous of stamp's hair?

Again, with the Stardust Glitter Pen on Bella's cool, green bike!

Here's a confession; I actually made this card for a new friend who takes FABULOUS photos, but I never mailed it. What can I say? I'm a card horder.

I generally never write my own sentament on a card, my handwriting has it's ups and downs, but this one turned out pretty cute and it was exactly what I wanted to say. Maybe someday I'll put it in the mail. Maybe not, but you still make me smile, Jenn!

The next card isn't a Bella, it's a stamp I bought for something like $2 just because I loved the cute birdie. This was the first time I used it also and I did use the PRISMACOLOR markers on it and it was from the weekend last year, so it fits in with this post as well.

Well, now that's irritating. The picture is the right direction on my computer, so why not here? I will have to look into that, but you get the idea, right?

Can't get enough of that glitter pen. The kids put two more in my Christmas stocking last year! They know what Mama likes. I also love the look of that gathered up, wrinkled ribbon, but let me tell you, it's kind of a lot of work to get it glued down like that. maybe there is a trick I don't know about.

All in all, I was very much in envy of both the stamps and the markers. I left the retreat last year, determined to begin purchasing at least the markers. I never did and then began to wonder if they were really as wonderful as I first imagined. Well, I got invited back again this year and returned home even more determined than ever to begin my collection. The cute cards I made with them this year? That will have to be another post.

Happy crafting, friends!

Friendly Advice

2010-01-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the book of Job. At 5 in the morning, trying to understand it gives me a bit of a headache, but I am thankful for the Holy Spirit and the various commentaries that help me muddle through.

You know what else reading through Job's trails makes me thankful for? My health (such as it is) yes, but right now it makes me enormously greatful for my FRIENDS. The wise, Godly friends the Lord has brought into my life over the last few years. Friends that will admonish me, encourage me, love me, uplift me and pray for me. Friends whose wisdom and advice is steeped in the Word of God and whispered to me with an outpouring of love. Friends who care not only about my life here on earth, but for my everlasting soul.

"Thank you, Lord, for the friends you have sent to help me along my way. They will tell me when my heart is in the wrong and point my thoughts and actions back to You. They encourage and uplift me with Your words. Their wisdom flows from You. They will sit with me when there is nothing to say. They will laugh with me and cry with me all while praising Your name and Your holiness. They are my Godly gifts. Thank you, Lord, for not sending me Job's friends."

If you have amazing, wonderful friends that you LOVE, repost this note with your own thankful thoughts. If you don't do this in 3 minutes, ...wait, NO, just kidding--I hate those things! They make me want to hurl my computer through the nearest window while screaming.

Praying that this day is beautiful and blessed for both you and me.

Saving Money the Homemade Way

2010-01-16T12:26:00.001-07:00

I love convenience. Running to the store, picking up this or that; keeping it in my cupboard to grab when needed. This is how I roll. There are things I have learned to make from scratch, not because I've had to conserve, but because I wanted better tasting (think Alfredo Sauce). Now that the price of food is steadily climbing higher and higher (not to mention my growing kiddos eating more and more), I am beginning to look for ways I can save a buck. Making convenience foods from scratch is a great and TASTY way to do that.

I do still buy things that could probably be made at home, because let's face it, I have a TON on my plate and I can only do so much. I have found a couple of recipes that are super fast and super cheap. Hillbilly Housewife is a great site to wander around if you are looking for lots of ways to eat cheaper. Another place that you can look for ANY recipe, not just knock-offs is Recipe Zaar. Can I just say, "I LOVE RECIPE ZAAR!"?

I made homemade Bisquick the other night for our dinner biscuits. I found the recipe at Recipe Zaar. I would TOTALLY recommend this. It went together super fast-I did not sift the dry ingredients, I just used my small wisk to break up the lumps and make sure it was nice and fluffy.

We used it to make Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits. Turned out BEAUTIFULLY! Light and fluffy and o-so-tasty. Here is the recipe for you to try.

Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits
4 1/2 c. Bisquick Mix
1 1/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. (or more) granulated garlic
1 1/4 c. cheese, grated (we like colby jack or cheddar)

(We no longer measure the cheese or the garlic. We just kinda guess.)

Mix Bisquick, water and garlic together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the cheese until incorporated. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush tops of cooked biscuits with a little melted butter seasoned with a bit more garlic. This makes ABOUT 18 biscuits.

This morning, Jeff and I made homemade Pancake Syrup. I was leary--to say the least. I LOVE Mrs. Butterworth syrup. It's what I grew up with. Jeff loves REAL Maple Syrup--that stuff is spen-dy! This recipe worked WONDERFULLY for us. It's sort of a mix between real maple and Mrs. Butterworth. I loved it, Jeff loved it, the kids loved it. It's a WINNER and I'm a ROCKSTAR!

I may never BUY syrup again.

Here is the recipe that started it all. When Jeff and I started making it, I asked him if we were going to follow the recipe EXACTLY as it was, and he replied (in a VERY nasty, sarcastic little voice) "No, it's a recipe. Why would we follow THAT?"

So, because I can rarely follow a recipe as it is written, here is the recipe as I changed it.

Pancake Syrup
2 c. warm water
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar-packed
2 TBSP molasses
1 tsp. maple flavor (only because that's ALL we had in the bottle)
1TBSP butter

We followed the cooking directions from the link above, but I will rewrite them for you so you don't have to go back to the link again.

Combine the water, sugars and molasses in a good size pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Watch the pot because if it's too small and you're not looking it may bubble up and pour over onto your stove top. Can you say "sticky, nasty mess"? After it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes-DO NOT STIR during this 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and take the lid off. Stir in the maple (ok, honestly, Jeff didn't read the directions carefully, and he added the maple at the beginning with the sugar. The world did not end and the syrup still tasted like maple-go figure) and the butter. Let cool for 15 minutes.

When first made and still warm, this recipe has the consistency of real maple syrup. I have been told that after storing it in the fridge overnight, it thickens up to a consistency similar to store bought syrup.

Are there things you love to make from scratch that also save you a bit of money? Please share!

Birthday Traditions

2010-01-14T05:00:00.003-07:00

Today, my son turns 7, and my husband turns 39. It's a big day for us. Nate has been asking since before Christmas how many more days until his birthday. Now it's here. It's hard to believe that just 8 years ago we were without this little ball of fire. He has come and left a huge imprint on our lives.

Jeff just keeps saying, "Next year I'll be 40!" I don't think the idea excites him. It does me. He gets better and better with age--(can I just say that he was already pretty awesome to start with?). And I am SO glad he was born!

We don't do large "friend" parties every year for our kids, instead, we save the big parties for big birthdays, you know...5, 10, 13, 16, 18...

We do have two small traditions that we do each year. The first is that the birthday child gets to choose what they will have for dinner on their day. Anything they want. Last year, Nate chose Manwiches (YUCK!). I begrudgingly made them and we all ate them, but Nate hated them and never asked for THAT again. This year he chose Personal Pizzas. These are fun and super simple, so I am looking forward to dinner. I will be trying my hand at making homemade pizza dough for the first time. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The other tradition is one the kids look forward to almost as much as presents. On the morning of their birthday, Jeff takes each child out to breakfast, just the two of them. They begin choosing their restaurant weeks before the actual date, weighing food choices and locations. On years when birthdays fall on Sundays, Jeff takes them early, before church. Tomorrow, Jeff has an early job and so he will hustle to that and return to take Nate out between jobs-but it's too important to skip. Nate waits eagerly. I believe that Jeff waits, just as eager.

They will laugh and eat and grow closer. This will be what they remember when they are grown. Not the gifts or the parties, but the one-on-one time with a father that loves them deeply. They are so lucky, and so am I.

Aren't they great?

Scheduled Rituals

2010-01-13T06:57:00.002-07:00

Lately, my husband and I have been trying to start our day at 5:15...in the MORNING! Now, if you don't know, I am NOT in any way a morning person. If I had my way, the fun would run until midnight and day wouldn't start until noon {or LATER}! So just let me say E-GHADS! As I type this I have already had my cup of coffee and read my Bible and it's 5 minutes to 6.

I'm not a huge fan of schedules. Making one makes me kind of cranky and having to follow one makes me even more cranky, but when it's all said and done, schedules do seem to make the day run more smoothly (or should that be 'days run smoother'?) and THAT makes me happy.

Having cleared that up, I do LOVE ritual and there is a difference. It's my morning ritual that makes struggling out of bed even possible for me. Well, that and a huge push from the Lord, because believe me, if the Lord weren't shoving my behind out of bed, I would still be there, sinking into my cushioned topper, burrowing under my pile of blankets.

My morning looks a little something like this-

"I tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition.
Yawn and stretch and try to come to life"...

WAIT, that's Dolly Parton's song Nine to Five, but it does REALLY resemble my morning.

My alarm goes off (for the first time) at 5:05, I hit snooze and five minutes later it goes off again. So I lay there for a minute and glare at my phone (which is what I use for an alarm) until I can feel my brain slowly solidifying from the mush of sleep. Then I slowly sit up and stay there for just a minute to make sure no body parts fall off and that the world is still spinning as it should.

Next, I fumble my way to the closet to grab a sweater and a pair of socks (because I HATE to be bare footed) while my husband mumbles, "You can turn the light on if you need to", which I don't do because light at 5 a.m. is ridiculously bright.

I really do stumble toward the kitchen (there is always something out of place for me to trip on. Hello-there are 7 of us living here!), where I turn the espresso machine to 'warm'. But before I begin brewing my lovely bit of Morning Joe, I must, must, must turn on the heat! My husband and I sleep with the house as cold as we can possibly get it so by the time I walk from my bedroom to the kitchen my teeth are chattering and I am covered in goose-bumps.

Ahh, now HERE is the part where the ritual starts to warm my bones and comfort me in my morning duress. I begin to brew my coffee. The small ritual of grinding beans, measuring and heating milk, tamping grounds and measuring scoops of white chocolate and shots of espresso calms my breathing and opens my eyes. The whiff of coffee and white chocolate mingling in the air makes me smile, just a bit, in the dark quiet.

My sister bought me a Heated Throw for Christmas and it's rarely off. I have it folded next to my rocking chair in the living room and this is where I cuddle up with God. The heat of the blanket seeps into my bones and the heat of God's word seeps into my heart. This is the reason I rise. I used to say that 5:00 a.m. was an ungodly hour, I must recant. He is there at 5, waiting patiently for me to get to Him. He waits as I wake and read and sip. And we chat.

My children begin wandering in at 6 so they can begin their morning routine. I think they are less comforted by their routines than I am. Maybe theirs are schedules. They throw on clothes and I watch as the four oldest and their father head out to feed the animals. I watch as they toss hay and pour water and dump food. They do it TOGETHER now, and this is more routine that warms my heart. By the time they return they are more awake and laughing. This is bonding time.

Now I am ready. It's been an hour and I've readied my heart. I have found that after my rituals, my words run more softly, more patiently. I am more inclined toward grace and mercy as opposed to the law.

I may not LOVE 5 a.m., but I do enjoy the RESULT.

This year, I have purposed to read through the Bible. It's the first time I have ever done this consciously. I found a web site called One Year Bible OnLine that lists out your daily readings. I have seen this before, but what got me excited about this site, is that here you can choose to read through the Bible in chronological order, and you can set your start date so that if you are not starting on Jan 1, you can still easily keep track of what to read and when.

The site also has the option of reading the scriptures right from the computer in whatever translation you choose. I prefer to read from my own Bible where I can make notes and such, but I am thinking about opening the one on the computer to a translation that I don't have and comparing the two. It's a lot of reading, so I haven't done that quite yet.

I haven't spent much time looking around the site, so I can't guarantee what they teach. I did see that they also have a link to Matthew Henry’s Commentary if you are interested.

Join me, if you'd like, in reading through God's Story this year, you don't have to get up at 5 to do it! But contrary to popular belief, He is there at 5 a.m. and will help you meet Him there.

"Thank you, Lord, for Your Word. For taking my weak self and enabling it to come to You, even when it's so early that noone should be awake. Thank you for the few minutes of peace and quite that can be found at Your feet in the darkness. Bless this day, Father, and the activities and goals I have for it. Let me accomplish the things that will bring glory and honor to Your name. Season my words with salt today, that I may be an encouragement to those I encounter. ~Amen."

The Year of Saturate & Cling

2010-01-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

This morning, as I prepare to take Christmas down and return my house to a less bedazzled existance, I am a bit tired and worn down. So, before I begin, I sit awhile with my coffee and my computer, wandering here and there and reading this and that. It's on a blog brought to me by a friend that I stumble across this verse-

Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

Turning my Bible to Psalms 38:9-10, I read more

My heart throbs, my strength fails me;

And the light of my eyes, even that is gone from me.

These words, today, not only describe me, but fill my heart with hope. When noone else may see or know my heart-God does. When I no longer have the strength-God does. He knows my desires, my pain, and my failings and He still loves me; has called me to be His own.

I turn to another beloved passage in Psalm 119. Someday, I will memorize this entire chapter, but for now I will focus on these verses-

My soul cleaves to the dust;

Revive me according to Your word.

I have told of my ways, and You answered me;

Teach me Your statutes.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts,

So I will meditate on Your wonders.

My soul weeps because of grief;

Strengthen me according to Your word.

Remove the false way from me,

And graciously grant me Your law.

I have chosen the faithful way;

I have placed Your ordinances before me.

I cling to Your testimonies;

O Lord, do not put me to shame!

I shall run the way of Your commandments,

For You will enlarge my heart.

Psalm 119:25-32 NASB

This is the year that I will meditate and cling and saturate myself in the Word. I will breath the Word to my children and over my home. I will digest the Word, I will bathe in the Word. His Word will be at my fingertips and I will read it as I do my chores and as I sit to rest. His Word will fill me until I overflow.

Tacos-REBORN!

2009-12-29T18:23:00.009-07:00

I love Mexican food. I could eat it every day for a week, I think. Enchiladas and tacos are my favorite-mostly because they are perfect for a picky eater like me! You can customize them however YOU like them. For a while I made enchiladas on a pretty regular basis, but at some point I decided that they were just too messy and now I save them for special occasions. So instead I make tacos, but when I stopped eating ground beef (did I mention I have some picky food issues?) I stopped making tacos. For a Christmas Party this year we were asked to bring chicken for a taco bar (Don't you love taco bars? They are PERFECT for parties) and I remembered the Chicken Tacos I had at a friend's house for dinner a few years ago. They were delicious! Tacos have been REBORN!

Like I said, I used to make enchiladas all the time and for the tacos I used the same basic idea to prepare the chicken. Well, actually, my daughter Meghan took my instructions and made them hers, both for the Christmas Party and tonight for dinner. I will give you the *amounts* she used, but remember this is done mostly by sight/texture/taste. Honestly, I don't think you can mess it up.

Meghan's Chicken Tacos

1 1/4 lb chicken breast cooked and finely chopped
(We used about 19 frozen,boneless, skinless tenderloin cooked in the Pampered Chef Micro Cooker with no seasoning, in two batches for about 10 minutes-stir halfway through- or until the juices run clear)
1 (10 ounce) can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
7 tsp. of Taco Bell Taco Seasoning (this is almost a whole packet)
A little water

Put the cooked chicken in a skillet and add the taco seasoning and the water (just like making tacos) and cook a bit (I know, really technical, huh? Hey, it cooking not baking...) then add the enchilada sauce and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn and all the chicken gets nicely coated.

That's it. Super simple.

I eat mine wrapped up in the flour tortillas from our local Mexican bakery and top them only with cheese and crispy lettuce, (Here's a tip to keep your cheese melty and your lettuce cold and crispy-put the cheese on top of the meat and the lettuce on top of the cheese. I know it's not Taco Bell's way, but it sure tastes yummy!) but I am sure that for those of you who aren't Miss Picky you could add all kinds of goodies; sour cream, black olives, onions, tomatoes, guacamole...

For sides I heat up some refried beans (stir a little enchilada sauce into these as well as some cheese and they are extra yummy) and sometimes (although we forgot tonight) corn in a butter sauce.

This is one of the recipes I would love to make a huge batch of and freeze in small batches for quick dinners. One of these days I will try some Once A Month Cooking. I'll let you know how that turns out!

I love it that tacos are back on my menu.

Customer Christmas Boxes

2009-12-16T20:04:00.057-07:00

I have spent the last three days working on Customer Christmas Gifts for my husband. We started out talking about baking a few different kinds of cookies, but decided to settle on some thing we thought we be simpler and take less time.

We settled on Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with Sprinkles to start with. I had hoped to use the Pretzel Rods because they are so pretty in a cellophane bag, but the ones at Wal-mart were all broken up and they were completely out of them at Winco. I settled on the Snyder's of Hanover Olde Tyme. They are the BIG pretzel twists, not the little snack pretzels.

I love to use the Smooth and Melty Candies to do any dipping. You can buy them in bulk at Winco-they come in Milk, Dark and White Chocolate. I chose the Milk, but the Dark would have been beautiful as well. Smooth and Melty is very easy to work with. Just pour some in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 30 at a time and stir in between. After the first minute, stir every 15 seconds because they hold their shape even when they are melted. Once there are no lumps and it glossy, you're ready to start dipping.

I only dipped half the pretzel. Be sure to let the excess chocolate drain off. You can shake it a little to make it go faster. If you don't drain enough off, when you add the sprinkles the chocolate will be too heavy and begin dripping off.

I used three different sprinkles, but just one type per pretzel. The combination looked so pretty!

*NOTE* It's actually easier and neater to SPOON the sprinkles over the chocolate than to DIP them.

I laid them on foil to harden back up again. It doesn't take very long.

White Chocolate Peppermint Sticks were next on the list. I've made these before and I LOVE how beautiful they look. These were my WOW addition. They are super simple, but when packaged in a group they are stunning. Not to mention delicious.

You can do this with regular candy canes, but they are harder to package, in my opinion. I use these mint sticks I found at Cracker Barrel. They have a texture more like Butter Mints and a more mild peppermint flavor. We LOVE them! I used the Smooth and Melty White Chocolate and Wilton's white nonpareils from Michaels. Again, you just melt, dip, sprinkle and lay on foil until they are hard. Super simple, but check out how awesome they look!

Lastly I made Miss Lisa's Christmas Caramel Corn. This stuff is to DIE for. It's simple to make, but takes time and your attention. I will post the recipe at the end. We ate almost as much as we packaged (and that's A LOT)!

Everything got packaged up in cellophane bags I picked up at Zurchers. I like theirs because they have a gusseted bottom and are a heavier cellophane, so they are easier to work with for me.

I did two of each type of pretzel and tied the bag with a little bit of white cording and a hand stamped tag.

I made little toppers for the tops of the Peppermint Sticks and the Caramel Corn.

Over the last few weeks, I've bought two different size Martha Stewart snowflake punches at Michaels with my 40% Off coupon and I have been using them EVERY WHERE! Doesn't the smaller look great popped up on the Popcorn Topper?

Wal-mart had sets of gift boxes for $5 and I bought these to package all the goodies in. Each item got its own box and then I tied them all together with curling ribbon and tied on this aDorable gift tag.

I'm not sure that in the end these were EASIER, but they sure did turn out better than I imagined. I think our customers will feel appreciated-I know I would if someone dropped this off at my house! Here's a look at the whole package and the recipe for the Caramel Corn.
Miss Lisa's Caramel Corn

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
12 cups air popped popcorn (sift out the kernels that didn't pop)

In a medium sauce pan, heat the butter, sugar, corn syrup and salt on medium heat until it begins bubbling around the edges. Once it is bubbly, let it cook for 5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. Then remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour the mixture over the popcorn and stir in until the popcorn is evenly coated. This will take some patience and at first it will look like it's not enough caramel, keep working at it, there's enough! Divide the corn between 2 cookie sheets and bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Turn out onto wax paper to cool.

Happy Gifting!

A Year in Review

2009-12-13T20:47:00.030-07:00

{The Sanstrom Seven ~2009}

I can't believe I am going to post these before I send out my Christmas cards, but my brother did a great job {again} with our family pictures and I just have to share them.

Also, I am hoping that my mom's FAVORITE cousin {shhh, don't tell the others} will get a chance to come on by to take a peek!

This has been a big year for me. There have been lots of ups and downs (you can read about them a few posts back). Jeff and I spent a good chunk of the year running around and just trying to keep our heads above water. We also had a LOT of fun watching our kids grow into themselves. It almost seems as though I can watch them get bigger during dinner.

{Meghan Alexandrea}

My oldest daughter is turning 16 in just a few more days. It's a little crazy if you ask me! I hope to do a little blog with some photos over the last 16 years, but I hope for a lot of things! We'll see how time goes and if I get any scanned in. {I promise no naked baby pictures or any of you on the little blue potty in the living room, Meghan!}

Meghan's passion in life are horses. Mainly (I could have used "mane-ly" but resisted the pun) her Arabian named Silver. This time last year, she could barely ride Silver, and after a few lessons with Mike Zebarth {how can I sing this guy's praises? He's FANTASTIC} and hours and hours of practice, she is earning 1st place ribbons and riding bareback. These two have a bond that is amazing to watch. I can't wait to see how she does next year in 4H. She is beginning to work a bit with our mare Hunny. I hope she gets her trained soon, we really need another rideable horse!

She is a Sophomore in high school and doing a great job. Somehow she manages to get her school work done, work with the horses and help me out each day. This girl is my right hand woman around the house. She often knows and does what I need before I even have to ask her. She is such a blessing to me!

{Taylor Katherine}

Taylor is a 6th grader this year. That means that next year I will have TWO daughters in the "Teen" group at church. Am I really this old?

She may only be 11 but, most days I feel like she's turning 30!

Tay is interested in horses as well. This was her first year in 4H and I have to say I am still a little surprised when I see her heft that saddle over her horse's back. I'm not sure she's quite as enamored as Meghan (there was nothing horse related on HER Christmas list) but she still loves to ride and it comes to her naturally.

Lately she has been studying wolves and is very interested in them. She also loves to read and has devoured most every book in our house that is age appropriate. Janette Oke and Louisa May Alcott are two beloved authors.

I have heard mention that she is writing a book but, have not been invited to read it yet. If Meghan is my right hand around the house, Tay is defiantly my left! She is quickly learning all the ins and outs of homemaking. I'm not sure she enjoys the cleaning part {but really, who does?} but she loves to cook and makes one terrific Fried Egg Muffin!

{Kennedy Grace}

My little Kennedy is 10. That makes for {THREE} kids in double digits!

Kennedy is growing up to be quite a beautiful young lady. This girl is my dreamer. She loves to write and comes up with some wonderfully creative stories and poems. She also loves to draw and color; my fridge is often covered in her creations. She is another avid reader and enjoys books on slavery and the depression.

Kennedy is my most soft hearted--the little things are important to her. She will be the first one to give you hugs and hold your hand in the store and when she is making and giving little gifts she is thrilled!

Managing our little Chicken Operation is Kennedy's job. She feeds and waters them and collects their eggs daily. She is also in charge of selling their eggs to friends and family.

Kennedy is a {HUGE} help with Zoey. She has taken Zoey under her wing and mothers her like crazy. She loves to teach her all kinds of little cute faces and sayings.

{Nathaniel Grant}

My baby boy {he would die if he knew I was calling him that!} is turning 7 in January. It is so fun to watch him learn. He is starting to get the hang of reading and in church today kept pointing out his sight words on the screen as our Pastor read from Psalms. It was a {VERY} exciting moment for me to see it all beginning to click.

For someone who's "girl trapped", he is all boy. The BB gun he got for Christmas last year is his prize possession and he defends our home against the pesky squirrels and birds. {Lucky for the squirrels and birds his aim needs a little work.}

At every opportunity, he is at his dad's side helping him with anything he can. When he can't be with Jeff he does lower himself to entertain {or annoy depending on who's talking} his sisters.

He begs each day for school but really only wants to do History and Math. It's okay with him if we work on Language but groans and complains when we get to Phonics. As much as he says he hates it-the look on his face when he reads his sentences can only be described as ECSTATIC!

{Zoey Isabella}

Zoey turned 2 in September and is talking and jabbering more and more every day. How badly she wants to be big! It is happening faster than I would like.

She mimics the actions she sees her siblings do--she stomped her foot and said FINE! the other day. (She did get a little swat on her behind and a firm taking to because of the attitude--but dog-gone it, she was so CUTE when she did it!) Then she batted her eyes and said "Oh tay, mama."

She also has most every person around her wrapped around her finger. Every person in this house runs whenever she calls--{ESPECIALLY} her daddy! Each of the kids tries to influence her in some way. Meghan is passing on her love of horses. Taylor loves to cuddle her and read her stories. Kennedy puts the paper and colors in front of her and helps her to make pretty pictures. Nathan has taught her to fall down and die when he says "bang!".

{The Most Fabulous Five}

Look at them; aren't they amazing?

I know that in a blink it will be Zoey that is turning 16. Between now and then I will savor every moment. I am so incredibly {BLESSED} by them.

How is it that God chose ME to be the one to nurture them and teach them and love them? To BE loved by them?

Jeff is such a wonderful husband and daddy. He takes the time to make each child feel special and loved. He teaches them about life and shows them how to work. The way he lives shows them about sacrifice and giving. The way he loves shows them how a man should be. He helps them to find their dreams then encourages them once they find them.

This man is my life. These children are my heart. This family is my breath.

They make my {HEART} sing.

Prayers Needed

2009-12-13T19:43:00.005-07:00

**Updated again at 11:45 pm

Jeff and Del are in Oregon to do a job. They are close to where Del's father lives and decided to park the motor home there and spend the week with them.

I got a text from Jeff about 20 minutes ago saying that Grant (Del's dad) had fallen when he came out to greet them. He was unconscious for a bit and the ambulance was on the way. An update from Sandi a moment ago said that Del, Jeff and Bev (Grant's wife) were headed to the hospital. Del is very shaken up.

Please pray for the entire Sanstrom family and the doctors that will care for Grant. Grant is in his 90s.

***Here is an update...
Grant and Del went out to the shop and on the way back in, Grant slipped and fell on his back. He was unconscious immediately. Del ran in the house to have Jeff call 911 and headed back out with blankets and a pillow. Grant was just beginning to come to when Del got back outside. They were worried about moving him and so covered him with the blankets and put a pillow under his head while they waited for the ambulance (which came quickly).

They are all at the hospital in Hermiston where Grant is having an MRI and some X-rays. It sounds as though he will be admitted for the night. Bev was able to go and speak with him.

Del has two sisters that both live in Washington.

Jeff and Del have a scale to start installing tomorrow morning. They are trying very hard to be home in time for Meghan's 16th birthday party this Saturday. I am not sure if/how this will change their schedule.

Your prayers are a comfort and greatly appreciated.

***UPDATE

Thank you all for your prayers! Jeff just texted to say that Grant is being admitted for observation. They do not think he had a stroke or a heart attack. They think that when his head hit the concrete his heart skipped several beats and he passed out. The CT and X-rays looked good.

Jeff and Del will be starting their install tomorrow as planned.

What a wonderful gift Godly friendship is. Your faithful prayers have encourage my heart (and many others) this evening! Thank you.

10 Simple Pleasures

2009-12-09T09:30:00.008-07:00

I was wandering around on a new blog today and found a post on Simple Pleasures and decided that today would be a BEAUTIFUL day to do my own list.

10 Simple Pleasures AKA Things I Love

1. Cozy bed piled high with heavy blankets

2. Hugs from my babies

3. Hot tea in huge mugs

4. Beautiful Music

5. Watching horses out my kitchen window

6. Cuddly Kittens

7. Treasured Books

8. Candlelight

9. Hot, steamy bubble baths

10. Sunday naps

Thank you, Lord, for all the marvelous blessings in my life. Help me to remember to cherish each moment. Let my words today, bring glory and honor to Your Name. ~Amen

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-12-07T12:39:00.009-07:00

I got a recipe from my friend a few years back for Cake Mix Cookies. This is a great recipe to have in your recipe box. They are fast and easy and require only a few ingredients, but best of all they are super versatile. You can mix and match mixes and chips for all kinds of cookies. If you watch for cake mixes and chocolate chips to go on sale you can stock up and then you’ll be just a few steps away from Chewy Cookie Goodness all the time. The recipe I am posting is a single batch, but the original recipe was doubled so I know it doubles well.

The cookies I made today were with a Devils Food Chocolate Cake and Dark Chocolate & Mint Chips. They turned out FABULOUS! I will list some other combinations at the end of my post.

{INGREDIENTS}

1 box (any flavor) cake mix
2 eggs
1 stick of butter (soft)
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips (any flavor)

{DIRECTIONS}

Cream eggs, butter and vanilla. Add cake mix and stir until all powder is moist and combined. Mixture may be VERY thick.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 14-16 minutes. {The cookies should be "just set" and beginning to dry a bit on top when you take them out. Do not over bake them or they get crispy instead of staying soft and chewy.} Then remove from oven and let sit for 3 more minutes to finish the baking. Remove to a wire pan to cool.

Makes about 30 3" cookies

These go stale after about 4 days so eat them quickly!

Some other combinations are:

Yellow Cake with Milk Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Chips
German Chocolate Cake with pecans and coconut
Yellow Cake with Butterscotch Chips
Devils Food Cake with Cherry Chips

You get the idea-be creative! Now, go look in your cupboard and see what cookies you can whip up. Pour yourself a tall glass of milk, turn on some music and relax with me.

Enjoy!

Rebuilding in the Aftemath

2009-11-18T00:37:00.014-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog for quite some time {as if you hadn’t noticed} and I have been missing it. My life over the last six months has resembled something like a hurricane; a whirl of activity that left a wake of destruction behind and eventually burned it’s self out.

Throughout the summer, I struggled with a variety of health issues that left me exhausted, racked with pain and depressed. After seeing my doctor and having him run some tests, I was told that I was anemic and that the pain was my Fibromyalgia flaring up.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 9 years ago and shortly after moving to Idaho and the birth of my son, it seemed to go into sort of a remission. I hardly had any flare-ups {though they would happen occasionally} and I didn’t really have to alter my life in any way. But after my youngest daughter was born two years ago, the flare-ups started again and have become more frequent and intense, even affecting my mental state.

My summer was packed to the brim with activities and by the end of summer I was completely drained and seriously behind in every aspect of my life. This forced me to make some drastic changes. Over the last month I have quit every extracurricular activity I have been involved in, including stepping down as Head of Women’s Ministry and not singing on Praise Team, which was devastating for me. It was hard at the time, but it had to be done if I hoped to retain even the slightest bit of sanity.

I have also become a recluse-not answering the phone, not doing lunch with my friends and checking my Facebook only briefly-just so I’m not completely out of the loop. I haven’t even been to church in quite some time. I have become quite good friends with my heating pad and am learning {very slowly-and not the first time} what it feels like when a flare is coming.

It’s been a long, rough ride. But today, I feel like I am just beginning to get my feet back on steady ground. My husband and I made some changes to the way I handle a few of my duties at work that I think are going to make a huge difference in helping to manage my day. After this week, I should be able to get back into our regular school routine. I am determined to get a shower every day {and not just before I climb into bed either} and even blog every now and again. I am looking forward to a few {GENTLE} hugs from my peeps on Sunday. It will be some time before I am out in full force again, but right now, life for me is about baby steps.

Through it all I know the Lord is with me. He has a plan for everything that I face and holds me in the palm of His hand through it all. I will rejoice in the trials before me and Praise His Holy Name. He has blessed me beyond anything I deserve through my family, my friends and my church. Any suffering I endure pales in comparison to what He suffered on the cross to atone for my sins.

And now- A Summery Summary {or What I Did This Summer}

In June, my husband and I helped plan and then attended our church’s Family Camp at Campus Grove in Albion, ID. What an {AMAZING} location! There were a ton of great activities and I heard only wonderful things from the other families who attended. We all had a {BLESSED} time praising God, learning and fellowshipping. We are looking forward to next year, especially since we aren’t planning it!

In July I had the extreme {HONOR} of helping a very sweet young couple from our church plan their wedding. They even asked me to sing two songs for the ceremony. Just a few days before the wedding, I came down with a cold and had very little voice to sing with, but the Lord was {FAITHFUL}, as always, and I was able to sing-quite a bit lower than usual and with a very husky sound. I tried to pretend I was Nora Jones! It was such a treat to be able to help Cassie and Rand create a beautiful wedding.

Two of my daughters were in Horse 4H this year. We attended 3 horse shows, a parade and our week long county fair, in addition to weekly 4H meetings. They each did a {FABULOUS} job at the shows. My oldest daughter, Meghan, won First place in Showmanship and went to district where she won Second place. Taylor, won First place in her age division in Reining. {Just to name a few of their numerous ribbons!}

My sister, brother-in-law and niece drove over from WA for a visit toward the end of Fair Week. It was so much fun to see them. I wish we didn’t have to squeeze it in between fair activities though. The kids loved having them here. Uncle Greg took Nate around the fair one of the days where he did a little Sumo Wrestling and Bull Riding. Not to be out done by her younger brother, Kennedy conquered the Bull as well.

I spent the months of August and September trying to recover from the previous three months; getting caught up on housework, schooling the kids, working and preparing to take my Mom on a 12-hour, Birthday Road Trip to WA to visit my sister.

I was able to squeeze in weekend away with some {GIRLFRIENDS} at a cabin in Sun Valley. We spent the entire weekend getting a head start on our Christmas Gifts. Ahhh, what a {GLORIOUS} time. I give a little sigh of pleasure every time I think about it. We should really make this a semi-annual event.

The trip to Washington was a week-long practice in relaxation. I had planned to use that time to catch up on my blog, but instead spent it reading Diane Mott Davidson books, reconnecting with friends and painting the town with my sister.

Before I knew it, November was here. Now it’s time for our annual family pictures, major crafting binges, baking and the Holiday Rush. I am determined to enjoy as much of this Holiday Season {Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years} as I possibly can! I am still struggling with Fibro Flare Ups, but I am learning to slow down a bit, say no occasionally, and stop feeling bad because I feel bad. Best of all, I am learning to smile and enjoy {MY} life again!

A NOTE: I had hoped to spice up this post with some pictures from the summer, but for some reason I am unable to turn off my pop-up blocker. Hopefully I can get this issue resolved soon because a). I have read that blogs with out photos are blah and b). I have some cute photos I'd like to share!

The Plan for Food

2009-06-15T11:27:00.014-06:00

This week I am tired. It's only Monday and I think there is a good chance I will be dragging all week. On the bright side, my husband is home after being gone for 2 weeks and if I have a food plan (AKA menu) he will help me out. God has blessed me with the most amazing man. He can cook, knows how to run the dishwasher and the washing machine and can tell my kids what to clean as well as I can-but best of all-when I am not feeling my best, he is willing to do those things. Thank you, Lord, for my loving mate.

My menu this week is nothing to brag about except that I actually sat down and made it out and there is a veggie of some kind scheduled for every night. These are all my comfort meals that are easy to prepare and generally make me happy to eat!

Monday-Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken & Broccoli, Garlic Bread
Tuesday-Grilled Steak and Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Basil Carrots
Wednesday-Romano Crusted Chicken Nuggets, Potato Casserole, Corn
Thursday-Roast, Mashed Potatoes & gravy, Green Beans, Whole Wheat Bread
Friday-Tacos (chicken and beef), Refried Beans, Corn
Saturday-Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Almond Green Beans, Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

At this moment, everything sounds delicious to me. There is a good chance I'll stick to the plan if I get out of the house today and do some grocery shopping!

This is my favorite bread recipe. I got it from a friend in Washington and have made it numerous times. It is super simple and all the kneading is done in my mixer, it always turns out awesome!

Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Warm water
1 ½ TBSP saf-instant yeast
6-7 cups whole wheat flour (divided)
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup oil
1 ½ TBSP dough enhancer
2 ½ tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine water, yeast, and two cups of flour in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Allow to sponge (sit) for 15 minutes. While you are waiting, measure out remaining ingredients so they can be added quickly.
After 15 minutes, add honey, oil, dough enhancer, and salt. Using a dough hook attachment begin mixing. With mixer running, begin adding the remaining flour (4-5 cups) one cup at a time until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Do not let it get too stiff. It should be smooth and elastic. (I usually add right at the total of 7 cups of flour)
Knead dough 7 – 10 minutes. (I start timing after I add the last of the flour and go for about 5 minutes). Dough will be smooth and elastic.
Turn out on to a floured surface. Form two loaves and place in lightly-greased loaf pans.
Let rise 30-60 minutes or until about double in size.
***To rise, pre-heat oven to 170 degrees and turn off. Place pans in oven. (It usually takes about 45 minutes to double). When finished rising, remove bread from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Return loaves to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool bread completely before placing in bread bags to prevent sweating and soggy crust.

Enjoy!

Welcome, to Spa Kennedy

2009-06-12T18:34:00.044-06:00

(This was written on Saturday the 13th, but not posted until Monday the 15th.)

It's the day after. My back hurts, my feet are swollen and I am still smiling over the memory. My third daughter turned 10 yesterday. We don't give our kids big parties every year, we try to keep it just to the "big" birthdays. I consider turning 10 one of the big ones. It's the first year in double digits; not quite a teen but, too big for birthday hats and pin the tail on the donkey.

This year, with the help of a friend I planned a Spa Birthday.

I told Kennedy that she could invite five girls over to be pampered for the day.

Inside the invitation read: In celebration of 10 fabulous years, a reservation has been made in your name at Spa Kennedy Friday June 12 from 11:30 until 3:30. Confirm your registration by calling Dori.

The back of the invite gave our address. I also made VIP cards to include in the invitation that said: Your appointment will include Summer Facial, Mini Pedicure, Hand Massage and Young Ladies Lunch at Spa Kennedy's The Table Restaurant. VIP Pass Valid only June 12, 2009.

Each station we planned had a name; Spa Kennedy for the facials, massages and pedicures, Spa Designs Studio for creating their barrettes and hand bags, Spa Cafe where they got their spa snacks and The Table Restaurant where lunch was served. I hung some sheer drapes that I had between rooms where possible.

When the girls arrived, they went to Spa Cafe and ordered their snacks and got bottles of water that my sweet friend had decorated for me with the Spa Kennedy logo.

Then I told them what their appointments were. My sister-in-law and her two daughters came to lend a hand with pedicures and massages. Some girls started with Pedicures while one girl had her hands massaged and other the two girls who were waiting for their massage chatted in Spa Cafe. I found little pedicure sets at the dollar store and they were the colors I had chosen for the party so, I bought one for each girl. They were able to take them home after they used them for their pedicure.

After the first round of pedicures we went to Spa Designs Studio where the girls decorated purses and made darling flower barrettes.

From there, they were taken to their seats at The Table Restaurant where they ordered Italian Sodas and their choice of Soup or Salad. The lunch menu was Mini Quiches, Shoestring Veggies and Fruit Salad with Celebration Cake and Ice Cream for dessert.

After lunch, the girls ate cake and ice cream and Kennedy opened her presents. Meghan made the cake and it turned out fabulous!

Now it was time for the girls to get their chocolate facials. This was such a blast. The girls had a great time and afterward kept talking about how smooth their face felt. I may even try this on myself someday.

We finished up the day with the second round of pedicures and hand massages then everyone settled down to watch Kit Kitteridge until their parents arrived. All in all it was a fun day. The girls had a blast and I am sure this is a birthday that Kennedy and her friends will remember for a long time.

This is the first time I have tried doing a party this elaborate, but it was absolutely worth all the work. Now it's time to start thinking about Meghan's Sweet 16 this December.

Thanks for visiting Spa Kennedy. We hope we see you again.

Myth Buster

2009-06-11T07:57:00.011-06:00

All my life I have heard that "Bad things happen in threes". I have had the privilege of debunking that myth in the last few weeks. Here is the list of damages since my husband left to do a job out of town 11 days ago.

First, the refrigerator and microwave stopped working. We plugged the fridge into an extension cord and it works again so, it must be the outlet. Then a few days later, the door handle to our main bathroom broke. It could be used from the outside, but if you were inside, tough luck for you-have fun spinning the handle. So Meghan took the handle off completely and now the kids stuff toilet paper in the peep hole and use part of the handle to open the door. One of them often forgets to bring the little metal "key" into the bathroom with her and so finds herself screaming out the peep hole for someone to help her. Then the lid to my toilet broke. Now, it's not completely off, just one hinge snapped in two so, it's all wobbly and sits sort of catty-whompus. After the lid broke I laughed and said, "Well, you know, bad things happen in threes. At least that's over."

Today is the big day. It's the day of baking and decorating for my 10 year old's big spa birthday. (I will post pictures of the decor and the party on Saturday) There is a ton of stuff to be done. My youngest daughter decided to wake up at 6:45 this morning and has since been a horrible, grumpy, whiney, cry-baby. I thought about taking a video to post for all of you out there who think she is just so adorable and never cries. Let's see if you still think that when the snot is running into her mouth because she won't quite screaming at her brother every time he looks at her.

So while I am trying to get her cleaned up after dumping most of her oatmeal down her clothing and she is still screaming in my ear, my middle daughter calls out from the main bathroom, "Something's leaking".

My second daughter says' "Oh, yeah, I saw that yesterday."

I am hoping that it's a bottle of shampoo or cleaning product that hasn't been closed all the way, but no. The pipe under the sink is drip, drip, dripping away. I have them clean out under the sink and put a bucket under the pipe.

Now if you count the screaming daughter (which I consider a VERY bad thing-the screaming, not the daughter) that's 5.

Myth Busted.

Flocked!!

2009-06-10T08:39:00.015-06:00

Last night, around 9:30, my oldest daughter came in to tell me goodnight and instead ended up curling into bed with me while we overindulged in the Food Network. At 11:00, after munching on crackers and learning about the molds in cheese, we decided that neither of us could stay awake any longer so I walked with her toward her room to make sure all the lights were off.

There is a long skinny window right next to my front door and as I walked past my entry way, something caught my eye. At first, I thought that my 6 year old son had taped a picture to the window, then I realized it was taped to the outside and that I had gone in and out of my front door since all the younger children had gone to bed. So Meg and I sneaked to the front door to peer out.

Earlier, while Meghan and I were still snuggled safe in my bed, giggling blissfully unaware, some person, completely unknown to me, had done their own sneaking about and strategically placed 14, very pink flamingos in my front yard.

They appeared to be aimlessly wandering around and generally having a grand old time of it. One, in fact seemed stood at a somewhat drunken angle.

The paper taped to my window read: “You Have Been “Flamingoed”!!!

Now, the flamingos themselves are not what disturb me, Meg and I were cracking up and plotting as we went to bed. It was later, when I realized that someone (and if I’m truthful, probably more than one someone) had pranced about in my yard, whispering and smothering giggles, and even fiddled around my front door, all without being detected. I cannot even claim that it was my being asleep that caused me to miss all the outdoor action. I was wide awake being grossed out by street vendor’s hot dog water and how mold is used in cheese making (it was a very educational evening and for your information, I will never eat a hot dog-also known as a dirty dog- from a street vendor, but will happily continue to eat cheese). Perhaps, when Jeff gets home from California he will be the proud new owner of a Pit Bull or Doberman Pincer.

Luckily, for me it was a friendly someone in my front yard that dark and windy night, out raising funds for a trip to Boise with the Mayor’s Youth Council. My “flamingoed” paper gave me all the details. For $10 I can have the flamingos removed. For $20 I get to choose the next victim and for $30 I can guarantee the flamingos never come back to visit me (for this fundraiser only I am sure). It even gave me the name of the person that sent the flamingos to me. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.

She had been at my house twice, earlier that day and never even wore a smirk or a I-know-something-you-don’t-know grin. This woman is good. They had been sent to her a few days earlier by her daughter and son-in-law. I thought for sure, that by letting her know that I would never have sent the flamingos to her, that I would be safe from them landing at my house, but apparently no one is safe.

I have to admit, that this is a pretty clever fundraiser, and something I have never seen before. What a fun way to bully someone into giving up their hard earned wages. There is no awkward door-to-door magazine sales, no bland dinners to endure, no buying things at an auction that you will then just re-donate to the next fund raising event, and most off all no standing out in the sun all day while trying to convince other people to by my old junk at a garage sale. Instead it has that “Maffia Insurance” feel to it. Wonderful! I love it and will be keeping it mind for the next time I see a really great handbag that I cannot afford.

Now the only things left to do are; choose my next victims (will it be one of you readers or some person who has no idea what may be awaiting them) and decide on the revenge for my sweet mother-in-law. The first will be done within a few hours. The second? Well, I have heard that “revenge is a dish better served cold”.

Watch out!

What Do We Eat When Jeff is Gone?

2009-06-01T10:30:00.015-06:00

When I got done preparing this week's menu, I looked at it and thought-"It's like Homemade Junk Food Week!" Jeff is out of town, so I am cooking all MY favorites. At first, I asked the kids what THEY wanted for dinner and they started coming up with things like Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken or (ACK!) Grilled Steak! Are you kidding me? My husband is gone, this is almost like a vacation. They are lucky they are not eating cereal and boxed mac and cheese all week. I will be cooking things that go together very easy. Casseroles, One Pot Meals and the like. YUM!! I can't wait.

On the Menu This Week:

Monday - Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole with Carrots and Cheddar Biscuits

Tuesday - Chicken Pockets and Fruit Salad

Wednesday - Homemade Personal Pizzas

Thursday - Chicken Tacos, Refried Beans and Corn

Friday - One Pan Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta, Salad and Garlic Bread

Saturday - Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans and Rolls

Can you tell when Jeff is supposed to get home? I'll give you a hint-look for the first green veggie (salad does count as a veggie, right?) and the red meat!

This week I am going to give you my One Pot Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta recipe. This pasta is an all-time favorite with my family. I cook everything in one large skillet-including the angel hair. It is one of my staple quick and easy recipes.

One Pot Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta

1 pound dry angel hair pasta
3 cans diced tomatoes with onion, basil and oregano (not Italian Stewed Tomatoes)
5-10 cloves of garlic, pressed
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups of grated Romano cheese, plus extra for topping
32 ounce box of chicken broth
Fresh basil, chopped (dried works fine, too-but use A LOT)

In a large skillet with sides and a lid, saute the garlic in olive oil just until you smell it. Add all three cans of tomatoes (DO NOT DRAIN). Cook these until they start to get bubbly, stir in the Romano cheese. Add about 1/2 the box of chicken broth and bring to a boil, salt and pepper to taste. Add the dry pasta and spoon the tomato sauce over the noodles, add more broth to cover the noodles and keep it at a boil. Add fresh basil, cover the pot and let it cook until the pasta is cooked just enough to stir it into the sauce more. Keep cooking with the lid on, stirring occasionally (separate the pasta so it doesn't stick together) until the pasta is cooked how you like it. It takes about 15 minutes and the pasta will absorb quite a bit of the liquid, I keep adding more broth until the pasta is almost done. The sauce is not soupy like a spaghetti sauce-it's more chunky. Top with more Romano cheese and chopped basil.

This is one of those recipes that I totally eyeball. You can't really mess it up. Just keep tasting it and make sure the pasta gets cooked all the way and you will love it!

*The sauce itself is gluten free (check your tomatoes and broth)-just make sure that you get a pasta that is gluten free also.

Enjoy!

Quick Pics Before the Rain Comes

2009-05-28T14:15:00.003-06:00

On Sunday we had a beautiful, sunny day. We all decided we needed some backyard time. Zoey is learning to swing on the "Big Kid" swing and the other kids had fun jumping rope, reading in the shade and playing a bit of soccer. Then, all of a sudden the sky began to darken and the winds picked up. We all bustled inside to stay dry, but I was able to snap a few pictures before it all got nasty. Aren't they just the cutest?!

Zoey is a big girl now!

A little friendly jump roping

I love this picture of Meghan! It captures her perfectly!

They all love the new swing in the shade. Maybe we'll call it the "Book Nook"

Soccer in rubber boots, do you think it will catch on?

Nate and his big sis.

Daddy chillin' on the hammock while his girls play.

Happy Summer Days, Friends!

Menu Ideas with Two Gluten Free Recipes

2009-05-25T08:57:00.009-06:00

I try to do a menu every week at our house. If I don't, I find that most evenings when 5:00 rolls around, I have no idea what to cook-nor do I feel like cooking-so more often than not, we have something super healthy like grilled cheese sandwiches or better yet we pick up a pizza from Papa Murphy's. This is not my husbands idea of what dinner should look like!

While I'm not a pro at the whole menu thing, I try-but it's rarely easy. It's not creating the menu that is hard for me, it's partly shopping for ONLY the ingredients needed for the menu. There are some things that I like to keep on hand and I buy them even if they are not needed for my 2 week menu. I'm sure a few of these are OK, but I have an alternate two week menu floating around in the back of my mind that I am also wanting to buying for. This is not so good for my budget.

The other problem I have is sticking to the menu. Maybe Fish Friday is just not calling my name, maybe I want Tacos! (See problem # 1) I don't believe that the menu has to be strictly followed. I am a chef that allows substitutions.

I have found that my two problems go hand in hand. It's a catch 22. So this last time I committed to buying only the things I needed for my menu and that while I could switch days around, I would only cook food that was already on the menu. I found that for the most part, this was a pretty good way to go. I cooked dinner almost every night for the last 2 weeks and rarely found myself not wanting what was on the menu-how could I, there was no other food in the pantry to choose from-if I used the cream of celery for a different dish on Monday, I wouldn't have it for Thursday's casserole! A couple of times that I got behind, we did decide to have leftovers, but it seemed to work OK because I had cooked earlier in the week and there actually were leftovers in the fridge that were edible.

So here is our menu for this week. I will provide recipes for two of the dishes at the end of the menu.

Monday - BBQ Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and French Fries (it's Memorial Day!)
Tuesday - Taco Soup
Wednesday - Chicken Noodle and Carrot Casserole, Salad and Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
Thursday - Pasta Alfredo, Green Beans and Garlic Bread
Friday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Corn
Saturday - Grilled Steak & Chicken, Rice-a-Roni and Salad

Hey, I never said we were health nuts!

Friday and Saturday are meals that either my husband or my oldest daughter can prepare as I will be off having a crafting weekend with my friend. Whoo-Hoo!!

Taco Soup
(I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen Celebrates!)

This is one of my favorite recipes. It goes together in just a few minutes and if you want, you can toss it in the crock pot in the morning on low and it's ready in a few hours. It's one of the recipes that I keep all the ingredients for in my pantry at all times! If you use a gluten free taco seasoning, this recipe can be gluten free.

(3) cloves of garlic, pressed (or minced)
(1) 32 oz. box of chicken broth
(2) cans of black beans, drained
(2) cans of diced tomatoes with chilies (sometimes called Mexican Tomatoes)-my family doesn't like chunks, so I puree these in my blender
1 cup water
(2) cans of canned chicken (costco size), drained
1 packet plus 1 1/2 tsp of taco seasoning
1 cup corn

Combine everything, except the corn, in a large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Add the corn and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Top with your favorite toppings; grated cheese, sour cream, diced avocados, tortilla chips, and/or salsa.

Feeds my family of 7 with about one bowl left over for me to have for lunch the next day.

Alfredo Sauce

(This recipe will not turn out as thick as a jarred alfredo sauce, but tastes a lot better! My kids prefer it over a store bought sauce. It is also a gluten free recipe.)

1 cup butter
2 pints heavy cream
6 cloves of garlic, pressed (or minced)
2 cups of Romano Cheese, grated (get it at Costco) plus more for topping
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a saucepan, melt butter and sautee garlic briefly. Pour in the cream and stirring almost constantly, heat at medium high until the sauce begins to simmer. Add the 2 cups of cheese and continue to simmer, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. It seems to take a while, but don't hurry it by turning up the heat or you will scortch the sauce--be patient, it's worth it! Pour sauce over cooked pasta noodles-gluten free if needed (we love penne because it holds the sauce in all it's nooks and crannies) -and top with more freshly grated romano cheese.

This feeds my family of 7 (and we eat a lot of it) and we generally have a bit of sauce left over. The sauce will get very thick in the fridge, but will smooth out after you heat it on the stove. If you microwave it, the butter will most likely seperate but it doesn't really affect the taste.

Give these recipes a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Most Improved

2009-05-23T19:46:00.025-06:00

Today was the first half of the 4H Most Improved Horse Show. This one is a little bit different than the other horse shows for a couple of reasons; first, it's a two part show and second, the girls are really only competing against themselves rather than everyone else.

Our day started at 6:00 this morning with everyone racing around to get showered, eat, hair braided, diaper bag packed and horses loaded. We were right on track when we pulled out at 7:30.

4H requires that anyone entering the arena be wearing "show attire". This consists of a cowboy hat, western style button up, long sleeve shirt with collar and cuffs, belt, dark jeans (no holes) and boots. Yesterday, my mom and I took Taylor around town to find her a show shirt, hat and belt. We had a terrible time finding a hat that would fit her, but finally we did and it even had pink trim to match her shirt and pink belt.

They looked so aDorable in their show outfits!

Taylor and Sackett

Meghan and Silver

Jeff had the opportunity to go Bass fishing with friends today, so he missed the show--that meant that I needed to pull the horse trailer again. We left a little early in hopes that we would be among the first to arrive and I would have lots of room to maneuver and I could nose in in such a way that no one would be able to park in front of me. Imagine our surprise (and my panic) to find out that there were quite a few trailers already there. To make things worse, Meghan informed me that our group needed to be parked in the same area (I'll not fall for that again) and so I was going to have to park in the row behind the other trailers.

In my now incredibly nervous state, I did not drive forward enough and so when I turned and pulled in behind the front row, I was not only too close to the trailer in front of me, but I was also terribly crooked! For one fleeting moment I thought I was going to have to back the trailer up and try to get it straight with 15 families watching me. Thank goodness one of the guys in our club was there and I happily hopped out and let him back us up and re-park us.

The girls entered both events; Showmanship and Horsemanship. In Showmanship you are on the ground leading your horse in a pattern. For this particular show it was-set up your horse at the first cone, walk to the second cone, trot to the third cone, back your horse three steps, execute a 270 degree turn and the walk to the judge.

Horsemanship is in the saddle, riding a different pattern. Today's was-set up at the first cone, walk to the first cone, trot to the second cone, lope a circle to the left in a left lead at the center cone do a simple lead change and lope a circle to the right (makes a figure 8) in a right lead, trot to the fourth cone and back 5 steps the exit the arena.

Meg and Silver doing the Showmanship Pattern

Taylor and Sackett doing the 270 during Showmanship

The patterns have to be memorized and you are penalized for not following the pattern exactly (among other things). For most shows, they post the pattern just before the show begins, but this year the kids were given the pattern a few days in advance. The judges make notes all through the routine and then the girls will get a copy of those notes telling them the things they were marked down for and what they need to work on for the next few months. Then in August, shortly before the fair, they will do the exact same patterns again in front of the same judges and they will compare the scores from the two shows. Those from each age group and for each event that have "made the most improvement" will win "Most Improved". For Showmanship you win a show halter and for Horsemanship you win a belt buckle. Needless to say, both girls want very badly to win!

Meghan being judged during Horsemanship

Taylor during Horsemanship

They both did a great job. There is plenty of room for improvement though, so there is a chance that they could be the ones to win! I love watching them work hard and then stand before the judges. I always get a little teary eyed. This year is especially big for me not only because I have two daughters this time, but because Meghan is getting to use my dad's horse for it this year. He would be so incredibly proud of his little cowgirls! I wish he were here to see them.

Blogger's Block and Trying New Things

2009-05-21T16:46:00.013-06:00

Well, I have to say that the day I started blogging I had so many "blogging topics" running through my head that I thought to myself, "You should probably write these down somewhere because tomorrow you won't remember any of them", and I was right-I should have written them down because now I am bemoaning the fact that I can think of nothing to blog about.

I am preparing this post using my daughter's computer as mine has been acting up lately and is now at Tek-Hut, hopefully being repaired. Could it be the Facebook apps that my husband blames it on? I choose to hope that it is not, but am willing to sacrifice them if it is.

This has been a pretty uneventful week, but there was one small event that might be slightly blog worthy. I needed to pull the horse trailer to 4H on Tuesday. While this might not sound like a big deal, for me it was HUGE. When Meghan started taking 4H, one of the first things I made clear was that I would not, under any circumstances, be pulling the horses. I managed to go a whole year without needing to and then Jeff decided to take Hunter's Safety Classes. So, Tuesday afternoon found me having my own little Driver's Ed Course with my husband as the teacher. I made sure to lay down the rules for him first.

1). Under no circumstance was he to become upset with me or yell at me.
2). He had to be super gentle and sweet with me the whole time(see rule #1).
3). I refused to back the trailer-we would nose-in wherever I needed to go and that included the driveway at home (see rule #1 and 2).
4). I would practice with an empty trailer so as not to kill my daughters' horses.

He agreed and after trying to reassure me that I would do fine and that it was much easier than it seemed, we were off. I managed to pull out of the driveway and make it to the fair grounds (about 6 or 7 miles away) and home again without any damage to myself, my husband or the trailer. I drove only on the back roads (in hopes of avoiding other traffic-which did not work) and I did not drive over 20 miles an hour for the first 2-3 miles of the trip and still not over 35 for the rest of it, even though the speed limit was 50 most of the way. I only had to be reminded to stop a little earlier and slow down to a crawl over the railroad tracks.

That night, Jeff graciously left the trailer hooked-up for me, and after the girls loaded the horses and we piled in the truck. Silver had a tiny bit of trouble loading and for a moment I thought we might not be going after all. I was a little disappointed when he actually hopped in the trailer just a few tries later--though I did feel a bit guilty for it.

After a few deep breaths and a quick prayer for safety, I once again made it all the way to the fairgrounds-remembering to stop earlier and slow way down over the railroad tracks (even though the girls assured me their dad went over them much faster). Jeff must have worried about me driving home in the dark because he ended up at 4H after his class and drove the trailer home. He also rearranged his schedule last night so that he dropped the girls off and unhitched the trailer while I followed in the van. I think that was because he was embarrassed to show up at Hunter's Safety again in a purple minivan. Now until Saturday, I won't have to pull the trailer again. Let's hope that I will be awake enough to drive it safely at 6:30 in the morning.

I will admit that I feel a little braver, having pushed myself to do something that terrified me. If my cowboy boots made me feel more like a cowgirl's mama-imagine what pulling that trailer did. Isn't God amazing in the way that He helps us take the little steps and trust in Him to keep us safe?

So, until next time-
"Put on your cowgirl panties and ride"!

P.S. Tip to other bloggers out there: If you are attempting to blog while cooking dinner, make sure you put the food in the oven that was preheated and not the cold one or 25 minutes later, your casserole will look the same as when it went in and your husband will have to grab a burger on his way to class.

It's Dinner, You'll Like It

2009-05-13T20:47:00.009-06:00

So what is blogging etiquette? Is it o.k. to post twice or even *gasp* three times in one day or should you save it all up and do one major post each night? Well, things in my life are either feast or famine and I'm pretty sure it's going to be the same with this blog, so forgive my blogging excess and fill up, who knows when I will post again.

I have been trying to branch out when it comes to cooking dinner. Who am I kidding, I'm doing great if I actually cook dinner lately! But, in the last few days I have tried two new recipes and I must admit, I am pretty impressed with myself. The first recipe was Spaghetti Carbonara (made with eggs and no cream) which my husband called "weird" but ended up liking o.k., the recipe needs a few tweaks, but I will probably try it again. The other recipe I tried out tonight.

A few months ago The Hubby and I took Miss M to a horse clinic in Utah with some friends of ours and we ate dinner at The Olive Garden. I ordered their Chicken Gnocchi Soup, which was to DIE for and have been pining away for an Olive Garden to be in Twin ever since. Then a few weeks ago I saw an episode on the cooking channel with one of their chefs making homemade gnocchi and I thought, "Ah-Ha! I can do this." So after some web searching, I found a knock-off recipe for the soup at Olive Garden and another recipe for gnocchi.

The soup itself was pretty simple to make and I had most all of the ingredients in my pantry (or I would have if it wasn't so close to pay day). The gnocchi was a bit harder and in retrospect, I would make the gnocchi one day and refrigerate it to use at a later date rather than try it all at once. I'm not in love with the gnocchi recipe I found, it wasn't quite as "dumpling-like" as I remembered, although it WAS tasty. It was mostly like little balls of mashed potato in my soup-not a bad thing because I love mashed potatoes! I am wondering if I had too much potato and not enough egg. I will experiment and see if I can get it just right. The Hubby and most of the children liked the soup and I know I will be making it again, and probably soon. I will share the soup and the gnocchi recipe with you. It's dinner, you'll like it!

Potato Gnocchi

(this recipe made twice as much gnocchi as I needed for the soup. I will freeze the rest of my uncooked gnocchi to use later)

1 lb. of potatoes-baked, cooled and peeled
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP all purpose flour (divided)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I used white pepper)

Mash potatoes until smooth (use a ricer if you have one). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg and 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP of flour. Knead until a dough forms, but do not over knead or it will become tough. Pour the other 1/4 cup of flour onto the counter. Turn dough onto floured counter and roll into a log about 1 inch wide. Cut log into 1 inch pieces and roll each across the times of a fork (this is what will hold the sauce). Put pieces all at once into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Pull gnocchi out with a slotted spoon and use as desired. (I cooked my gnocchi directly in my soup)

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

3-4 chicken breast, cooked and diced (I used 12 tenderloin)
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups heavy cream
1 stalk of celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup of carrot, chopped or grated
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 - 1/2 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. thyme
salt
white pepper
16 ounces of potato gnocchi

Sautee the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Add in the chicken stock, cream, salt and pepper, chicken pieces, and thyme.

Boil gently for 10 minutes.

Add in the gnocchi and spinach and boil for another 5 minutes.
(If you would like your soup thicker you can mix a little corn starch and water and add that in.)

I served this soup with a green salad and all the fixin's and Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits. I am still stuffed.

Enjoy!

In the Beginning

2009-05-13T11:36:00.004-06:00

I have had the desire to start blogging for awhile now and couldn't decide what exactly that would look like. After much deliberation, I have decided it won't look exactly like anything! It will just be a "Daze". A little bit of this and that--some crafting, some recipes, some daily life and some random thoughts. We'll see how it goes and how often I post.

At this very moment, I am putting off a number of things that I really MUST get done today and instead I am starting on this new adventure called "blogging". There is (as always) laundry to wash, fold and put away, groceries to buy, food to cook, children to school and billing to be readied not to mention an entire house in need of a good scrubbing. My husband said to me a little while ago, "You should start your own blog." That's a good thing since I already started one. I'm not sure he will be thrilled with one more time sucker (once he figures out that that is what it will be), but he will adjust, because that's the kind of guy he is. Somehow I will get it all in...

And so it begins, the Daze of the Blogger.