Simply....

Christmas Gifts

2011-11-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

It's so easy for me to get wrapped up (no pun intended..hee hee) in worrying about what to get my family for Christmas. I am not the most creative person in the world so that can make it a bit of a challenge. Today as I was thinking about everyone and what to make/buy, I realized that it's easy to lose sight of the whole reason we have Christmas to celebrate. Last night, all three of us went and bought a tree. It brought so much joy to us. Jubal and I had so much fun decorating it. As fun as it is to decorate and get in the "spirit" of Christmas, that's not the real reason. This morning on my walk, God reminded me that He sent His Son as a beautiful newborn boy. He IS the reason we celebrate. It's amazing to me that such a little bundle could bring the world freedom. It's easy to forget and get caught up in the materialism during the holidays. Let's take time to thank Him for what He did and focus on the real reason we celebrate this time of year.

Good gravy

2011-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Wow...it has taken me a long time to make time to blog again. I haven't written in so long that I forgot my password to get into my blog...hee hee...
But, here I am and I am so happy to be back. I don't know if anyone is even reading this anymore so I will give it a try. If you are there, I would love to hear from you.
So, I have entered into my 2nd and FINAL year of the associates nursing program. You just don't know how great that is to say. I am praying I make it to May with flying colors and another diploma in hand. Since my last entry, I have grown a lot, cried a lot, and stressed a lot. Through it all God has been the best Hope and Joy. He is so good.
I also have to give major props to my hubby and son. Stephen has been so amazing. He has endured my freeking out moments and my many hours of studying. It means so much to me to have his support.
Well, I am going to log off. Hopefully I have at least one "fan" left out there in cyberspace.

A lot to say

2011-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a long time since my last post...blush....but ya know? What's a nursing student/mom/wife/employee supposed to do? Hee hee.....
I figured since I had a moment I would say hello and see if anyone is out there, still reading my blog. Hmmm..this should be interesting...
So, a lot has happened since I last wrote an entry. First of all, God has been so incredibly good and faithful to my sweet family. I am so thankful for Him and His hope. He is truly amazing.
I completed my first semester of nursing school. It was so challenging, probably the hardest thing I have ever done, besides giving birth to Jubal. But it has been so incredible. I am learning so much about our bodies and how to care for the sick. One thing I learned, among many, is that I am a darn good shot giver. It's kind of freaky but I like to give them too. Don't tell anyone.
Another adventure is that we became a statistic in the unemployment realm. Stephen got laid off from his job a few months ago. For reasons we don't quite understand yet we have so much peace and have seen God do some incredible things. That leads me to his new adventure...drum roll please......Trips for Kids. God told him to do it and he is. What an amazing talent my husband has. I am so proud of him. You can follow his journey and find out more on http://tripsforkidswnc.com. It's very exciting to see how God is using and will continue to use my very own hubby in our community. He has also been the biggest support in my effort to complete my nursing degree. I couldn't do it without him. He is quite a cute stay at home dad if I say so myself. I love it.
Jubal is growing like a weed. He has lost a couple of teeth, gotten glasses, and is quite a little guy. I am so happy to be his mommy.
So that's about all I have to write now. I hope that I can post some more entries here and there. But I am not making any promises. ;)

New Adventures

2010-08-26T04:49:00.001-07:00

So blogging friends, I may not be back for a while. Life has taken on a new adventure called nursing school. It's going to be busy and full of learning (and reading) ;0).
I hope that I will be able to write an entry here and there but I don't know if it will be very often. Thanks so much for reading my posts. It's been fun. Have a great rest of your summer and be encouraged: God loves you so much!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeazy

2010-08-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

The Farmer's Almanac published some great ideas using lemons. I thought I would make a blog post out of it. Fun stuff.

For a sore throat or bad breath, gargle with some lemon juice.
Clean discolored utensils with a cloth dipped in lemon juice. Rinse with warm water.
Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and smelling fresh.
Use one part lemon juice and two parts salt to scour chinaware to its original luster.
A few drops of lemon juice in outdoor house-paint will keep insects away while you are painting and until the paint dries.
Remove scratches on furniture by mixing equal parts of lemon juice and salad oil and rubbing it on the scratches with a soft cloth.
To make furniture polish, mix one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil.
To clean the surface of white marble or ivory (such as piano keys), rub with a half a lemon, or make a lemon juice and salt paste. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth.
To renew hardened paintbrushes, dip into boiling lemon juice. Lower the heat and leave the brush for 15 minutes, then wash it in soapy water.
To remove dried paint from glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth. Leave until nearly dry, and then wipe off.
Rub kitchen and bathroom faucets with lemon peel. Wash and dry with a soft cloth to shine and remove spots.
Fresh lemon juice in rinse water removes soap film from interiors of ovens and refrigerators.
Create your own air freshener: Slice some lemons, cover with water, and let simmer in a pot for about an hour. (This will also clean your aluminum pots!)
Fish or onion odor on your hands can be removed by rubbing them with fresh lemons.
To get odors out of wooden rolling pins, bowls, or cutting boards, rub with a piece of lemon. Don’t rinse: The wood will absorb the lemon juice.
Save lemon and orange rinds to deter squirrels and cats from digging in the garden. Store rinds in the freezer during the winter, and then bury them just under the surface of the garden periodically throughout the spring and summer.
After a shampoo, rinse your hair with lemon juice to make it shine. Mix the strained juice of a lemon in an eight-ounce glass of warm water.
Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with two tablespoons of salt to make a rust-removing scrub.
Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice in the dust bag. It will make the house smell fresh.
Get grimy white cotton socks white again by boiling them in water with a slice of lemon.
Clean copper pots by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the cut side with alt until the salt sticks. Rub the lemon onto the metal, rinse with hot water, and polish dry.
Suck on a lemon to settle an upset stomach.

Some Randomness

2010-07-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made black bean burritos for dinner and I love roasting sweet potatoes to put on them. When I opened the oven to check on them, I thought it looked so cool so I took a pic. Am I wierd?

I also got some fun boots at a yard sale last year for 50 cents. What a deal! I wear them to work out in the yard and to take after the chicks.

Speaking of chicks.....

They are turning out to be quite pretty young ladies. At least I hope they are ladies ;)

Garden update

2010-07-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our growing garden. We have had some issues with a few tomatoes and peppers getting some brown spots on the bottom but it doesn't seem to be spreading too much.

This pepper plant is new for me. They are purple peppers. I can't wait to try them out.

The yellow squash with the green tip is supposed to be acorn squash. We'll see!

I am so thankful for all this food and praying I get enough tomatoes to can this year. If not, that's what the farmer's market is for ;).

This is an Amish paste tomato. They make the best tomato sauce....yum!

Do you have a garden this year? How is it going?

Honesty

2010-07-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

The more I walk with Christ and the more I fall in love with Him, the more the truth of God's word makes sense. I see the compassion and care Jesus has for me. For a long time I viewed God's word as a bunch of rules that I had to live by in order to be close to God. **sigh** Thank God I no longer have this at the forefront of my thinking and living. Trust me, I still struggle with it at times, but God is graciously showing me when I do so that I can give it to Him. What a freeing thing!
A very powerful truth in scripture is being honest. Not only being honest with others but being honest with ourselves. I truly believe that when we honestly look at ourselves, our need for grace and love from Christ, we can accept our faults and move on. God's grace becomes more beautiful to us. When we accept our faults and know that they are covered by Precious Blood, honesty becomes a lifestyle (among other things). Our defenses come down, our pride washes away, and we are more willing to face the truth of who we are and how we relate to others. We even look at others in a totally different way. Being offended becomes less and less and insults do not overwhelm our thinking. I used to feel that I had to be perfect in order for God to know that I loved Him. I would have so many excuses for my sin instead of owning up to it. Silly right? In writing it looks that way, but I think it's such a common mindset in so many believers. After I grasped that there is nothing I can do or can't do that earns the right to be God's child and walk in His grace, I don't feel the "need" to offer excuses to make myself feel and look better. Excuses can be forms of lying. God detests lying lips. He is glorified in honesty. What if more believers knew they were safe in God's grace and began to open up more and share struggles, fears, sins, temptations, as well as victories, answered prayers, and hope. I think American churches would change for the better. I think people that have questions about who God is or even people turned off to God would see Christianity differently. There would be more healing and less judgement.
My challenge to you: share yourself with people. Be open and honest the way God wants you to. Let God permeate your thoughts and let Him help you become the honest person He wants you to be.

Things that make you go.....eeeek!

2010-06-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

This is what I stumbled on last night after Jubal got out of the tub. I ain't gonna lie, it made me squeal. I love having a boy ;).

Life

2010-06-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Life is a big journey. I love that. I love that there are times that are so hard that I just don't think that I can make it one more second. I love that those are the times that draw me closer to Jesus. I love that in those times, I rely fully on the grace of Jesus. I love knowing that Jesus is shaping me more into a vessel that He can use to share His glory.

I love the beautiful, happy filled times. The times that don't seem like they can get any better. Times where I just feel like running through a flower-covered field and raise my hands as high as they will go, and joyfully yell at the top of my lungs. A place where I can tirelessly dance like there is no tomorrow.

Life is full of those times. I am so thankful for them. I am so thankful for my Jesus who loves me no matter if I am going through a very difficult time or a very exuberant time. He loves me. He has paid an incredible price for me. There is nothing beyond that. There is no next level. I don't have to prove myself to Him. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to wallow in my guilt of sin. I don't have to be judgemental. I can freely be myself, freely love, and freely forgive. I can share my struggles, I can freely admit when I am wrong and know that God loves me no less. I can walk in the present. I can freely share what Jesus has so sacrificially shared with me. There is so much more to life than wasting my time thinking I am better than someone else; pointing my finger at actions of people that make me uncomfortable. I can freely love them the way God wants me to. After all, I am no different than they. I was made by the same Creator and I need His grace. The same Jesus died for me and forgave me. His love is a gift. A gift that I receive with open arms. This gift has been so graciously given and for that I am so thankful.

Reusable Snack Bags

2010-06-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

I found a great tutorial from We Wilsons Blog. It is super easy and takes only minutes to make. If you are looking for ways to cut out plastic and trash, this is a great way to do it. You can use a cotton/cotton combo or you can use PU L/cotton fabric combo to make the bags waterproof. I don't have any PUL in my stash so I just used cotton. These will be great for pretzels, chips, crackers, dried fruit, etc. I couldn't believe how easy they were!

Here are step by step directions in case you want to try one or many.

1)Cut out 2 rectangles of desired fabric and desired size. A sandwich bag has a good basic measurement.

2) Put right sides together and sew short ends together.

3) Turn right side out. Iron

4) Measure velcro the same width as the top and bottom of rectangle. Sew each strip on side of fabric that you want on the inside.

5) Fold rectangle in half inside out. Sew sides together. Trim excess.

6) Fold right side out and you are done! Easy peasy.

**Note: I do not recommend using the sticky velcro. It's not good for sewing machine needles.

A homemade rainforest

2010-05-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Jubal has a project in school that he has been working on for the past couple of weeks. He had to pick out an animal, write about it, and make a visual for it. He will presenting it in his class this week. He has been so excited about it and we have had so much fun preparing it. He picked the sloth and we made a miniature rain forest habitat. He had to research the habitat, foods, a description of how it looks, why or why it wouldn't be a good pet, and an interesting fact. Simple and fun. Here is a picture of how the little project turned out.

If you are looking for something fun and educational to do this summer, this is a great idea.

Lentil soup with a twist

2010-05-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

I found this incredible recipe on Cookbooks 101. It is so delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Another good soup to add to my collection..... Serve with Naan or wheat rolls and you have a yummy and easy meal for the fam.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced (you can also use a yellow onion)
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped

Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft. You may need to add a little water throughout to keep it from getting too thick.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. The thicker this soup got, the more I liked it.

***I made a couple of adjustments to this recipe. I used all yellow split peas and I added the curry powder to the onion and butter mixture instead of toasting it first. I also added 1 veggie bouillon cube after the peas were tender. The soup turned out great.

Our new girls!

2010-05-29T16:30:00.001-07:00

Well, after a few failed attempts, I finally purchased more chickies. They are so funny and pretty wild from being free range with the previous owner. **It was a hoot watching Stephen and I round 'em up to get them in the coop the first night we had them**. America's funniest home videos anyone? We named them Daisy #2, Chicken Little #2, and Bacon #2. Fun.
Here are some pictures!

Texas is doing great too. We put a collar on him that has a high pitched beep and it has been a success. Sweet.

12 beautiful years

2010-05-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

I am a little late but hey, better late than never right? It's hard to believe that this past Sunday, Stephen and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary. The coolest part of the whole celebration is that it truly feels like a celebration. I am SO IN LOVE with him it's incredible. It's a love that has gotten stronger through the fun and hard years that we have been together. I wouldn't trade it for anything. He is my best friend and have I mentioned that I love him? I praise God for what He has done in our relationship. It has been one incredible adventure and I am looking forward to many more chapters to it. Stephen is my hero and I am so proud to be married to him.

Here we go!!!!!

2010-05-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our little family went camping and cheered Stephen on in his mountain bike race. He did great! Jubal and I managed to dodge some lightening and sheltered ourselves from the downpour while waiting at one of the rest stops. On the other hand, Stephen had the joy of riding in the glorious weather. Thank you, God for keeping him safe.

We had to cut short our camping trip because of the weather but we still had a great time. It was nice to come home to our cozy home and soft bed ;0).After we got unpacked and settled down for the evening, I ventured to open our little pile of mail. One letter stuck out to me. It had AB Tech on the envelope along with the word Admissions stamped on the front. Interesting. I was thinking maybe I forgot to turn something in with my nursing school application. I opened up the envelope and began to read it. Here's what it said. "The evaluation of all records pertaining to your application to the competitive allied health programs at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has been completed. Following is the final outcome of your application to the Fall 2010 program:

Associate Degree Nursing: ACCEPTED INTO PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!"

I had to read that sentence a few more times before it dawned on me that I was accepted. Praise God. I am in. I am so excited/nervous/preparing/dreaming. I am so thankful that God has opened this door for me to walk through. For those of you who prayed, thank you. God is good. I am so excited. I will start in August and that's all I know so far. I meet with my advisor in a couple of weeks.

It's crazy to think the one career that I never thought I would be doing, I will be going to school for in a few short weeks. God is so incredible.

Hopefully I won't be using needles as big as me. I don't know if I could handle that ;)

Try this again

2010-04-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Well, friday night my chickies met their demise. Poor chickies....they tried so hard to run away from that big black fluffy dog. Yes, that would be my dog Texas. I was really mad at him for a couple of days but now I am better. Instinct bites sometimes. Oh well. Will try to find some more girls to add to the unlived in coop. I will post pictures when we get them. Hopefully they will last a lot longer......

Here they are!!!!

2010-04-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

These are our precious chickies! They are so precious. We started with 3 but unfortunately lost one over the weekend. Hopefully the other 2 will live for a long time. So far so good....
Their names are Chicken Little (black one), Daisy (smaller red one). Bacon was the other red one...may she rest in peace ;).

Pics of the coop

2010-04-06T10:51:00.001-07:00

The chicken coop is complete! Hooray! Just a few more finishing touches and the chicks will have a wonderful home. Pics of the chicks coming soon!

Hard workin' boy

So cute!

Happy Spring

2010-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

I found a fun and super easy recipe to celebrate the spring season. Here it is!

Bird Nests (makes 1 dozen)

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
Handful of M&Ms or similar candy

Melt chocolate chips according to package. Mix in coconut. Spoon onto wax paper. With spoon make a small indention. Place 3-4 eggs on top. Let set.

Spinach Quiche Recipe

2010-03-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

I have been using this recipe for years and have really enjoyed making it for the fam. Whenever you have a little time on your hands to make a yummy and versatile meal, I highly recommend this one.

Single 10 inch pie crust (preferably homemade...yay!)

1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 eggs, barely whipped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups mix of fresh chopped spinach, broccoli, green/red pepper
2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella
**The cheese is very forgiving so you can substitute or just use one kind of cheese.

Line pastry. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 4-5 minutes. Remove.
Reduce oven to 325. In large skillet saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Set aside.
Beat eggs slightly. Stir in yogurt, whipping cream, salt and pepper. Stir in onion mixture, veggies and cheese. Pour into pastry. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes.

It should turn out something like this.......

A different kind of chip

2010-03-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

They look kind of funny but oh do they taste delicious! Kale chips is the name, eating them is the game. Have you ever had them? If not I highly encourage you to try them. They are super easy to make and a healthy delicious snack. Here is the recipe.....

Take a bunch of kale and wash it off. Dry the leaves extremely well as the moisture will keep them from getting crisp.

Cut the leaves off the stem and cut into smallish pieces.

Put leaves into a bowl and toss in olive oil (about 2 tbsp.) until well coated. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle some sea salt all over the leaves. You can add other spices if you wish.

Put into 200 degree preheated oven. Let bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. You can check the kale half way through and stir the leaves up a little bit so they bake evenly. Then turn up the oven to about 350 - 400 for about 10-15 minutes or until the kale is a deep dark green and crispy. Take out of oven and cool. If the leaves are still not crunchy at this point you can keep baking them until they are. Just watch them closely because it's easy to burn.

Store in a sealed container and keep in fridge or cool place; if you don't eat them all first.
Enjoy!

God's grace

2010-03-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been through a situation in your life that just ticked you off? Then after a while you begin to see how God's grace was so evident in it that you feel so humbled? One of those experiences happened to me this week so I thought I would share.
I finished up our taxes about 2 1/2 weeks ago and we ended up getting a bigger refund than expected. Thanks to our energy saving additions..... Stephen and I were both so excited about it. Thank you God for providing for us to have a little cushion in savings.
Then last Friday I received a letter from the IRS stating that I didn't claim some income from 2008 and we owed quite a bit of money. I was upset because I always claim our income. So after a couple of days calling, waiting in line, waiting on the phone, and trying to figure out what was wrong, I found out that somehow the IRS doesn't have the income documented. Theories aside, it's just not there. Unfortunately I can't pull out my 2008 return because it's gone from our computer virus last year. (Lesson learned: print out everything!) Any way I turn I can't prove that I filed that particular income. It's me vs. the IRS. Guess who's gonna win. Bummer. So I have had to suck up my pride and accept the fact that maybe I messed up somehow. All that to say, yesterday while I was waiting at the IRS office, God told me that He provided the money for the fine through our return this year. Gulp. Sigh. Relief. Thank you God for providing the money. Thank you that it happened at just the right time. He is so good. Even though our return won't be as big as I thought it would be, God is going to take care of us anyway. He is so good, all the time: even in those circumstances that make us upset and frustrated. Is there anything in your life right now that God is showing His grace to you? I would love to hear!

Misc. fun

2010-02-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

Jubal loves Leggos. He has gotten some cute little sets in the past couple of years and has done so well at putting them together. This past Christmas he got a big set from my folks. He loves it! He put it together once already and then took it apart. One day this week when he didn't have school, he was motivated to get a lot of it done. He finished it a couple days ago. It's definitely blog-worthy to post a picture. However, the picture does not give his hard work justice. There are lots of little parts.
He put together most of it himself. I just sat and watched for moral support. Cute.

It's really good.....I promise...

2010-02-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe worth posting and it's really healthy too. It's made from one of my favorite veggies.....cauliflower! The name is Curried Cauliflower Soup and it's from Vegetarian Times. It's so easy and delicious. It's definitely a keeper for my family.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tart apple; peeled, cored, and diced
1 tbsp curry powder
1-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cups veggie broth
1 tsp honey
1 tsp rice or red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in pot. Saute onion. Add apple, curry powder, and garlic. Saute for a minute or so. Add cauliflower and broth. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from burner and let sit for 20 minutes. Put soup into blender and puree until smooth. Place back into pot and add honey and vinegar. Serve.

**The curry powder makes the soup have a little kick so you can add 1 tbsp of yogurt to your bowl of soup to help ease the spice.

Cute craft....no sewing required!

2010-02-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

Have you seen those cute canvas wall hangings for rooms in your home? I love them. So, I got an idea in my head to try to make some for Jubal's room. I have heard of using styrofoam sheets as the base of the hanging. I went to the craft store to buy some but I changed my mind very quickly when I saw the price of one sheet: $5.99. I wanted to make four so you do the math. So I walked around trying to find an alternative. Sure enough I found a pack of 4 cork boards and the price was so much cheaper. It even came with mounting strips to hang the boards. I love it! So here is step by step how I made these cute little wall hangings for Jubal's room. If you are looking for something fun, easy, and cute to make for your child's room or even your own, this is a great way to do it! Get your creative juices together and make your own custom made wall art.

Supplies you need:

Fabric scraps of your choice
Glue gun
Rotary cutter or scissors
Ruler
Iron

Cut out your fabric to fit onto the cork. This cork is 12 x 12 so I cut my fabric piece 14 x 14. This gives you room to wrap it around the edges of the board. Iron the fabric so that it is wrinkle free.

Place the cork onto the wrong side of your fabric piece and center it the best you can.

With a glue gun, dot some glue on the corners and fold the fabric as shown.

Glue the sides

Turn over to see how cute it is!

Hang on the wall the way you like it and you are finished.
Easy peasy!

Chicken fun

2010-02-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

I remember the days when my mom would buy a whole chicken/turkey and I would watch her prepare it for dinner. I would usually start feeling nauseous seeing the giblets being taken out and the raw meat in her hands. I never thought I would try it myself one day. Well, here is proof that a girl's gag reflex can stay subdued......I bought a whole chicken the other day and actually cooked it. As I was washing it off and holding it in my hands I knew my mom would be proud. Smile.

I was at Ingles shopping for basic things and I saw that they had Tyson chicken on sale. If you look closely at the picture, with a magnifying glass ;), you will see that the chicken I bought was only $3.45. I had to do a quadruple take on it. (The meat guy probably thought I was crazy...no comments please....) You can't beat that price for dinner plus a couple more bucks for potatoes, carrots, and an onion. Perfect.

In case you have never cooked a whole chicken, it's really easy and I highly encourage my fellow carnivores to try it. It's so easy too. All you have to do is wash the chicken off with cool water, pull out the giblet bag and plop the chicken in the crockpot (or roaster).

I made a concoction of spices. It included thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. About 1/2 tsp each, give or take. Rub it on the chicken.

I also made a broth from an Edward 'N Sons "Not Chicken" bouillon cube. I thought it was funny since it's an imitation chicken broth and I was using it on REAL chicken ;)
No, I have not been cooped up in the house too long.....

I added potatoes, carrots and an onion. Pour 2 cups of Broth over all the food. You may need to add water to cover the veggies so they will cook evenly. Do so at your discretion.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on High for about 4-6 hours. You will enjoy a delicious tender chicken for dinner. The fun part is you can create more dinners with the left over chicken and broth. Have fun!

In the works....

2010-01-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

**Deep Breath*** I decided to try my first quilt. I have wanted to do one for a long time but have been intimidated by the whole process. Since I have gotten a little more sewing experience in the past year, I thought I would give it a try.
We got a new bed for Jubal after Christmas so this has been a perfect chance for me to have a go at making a quilt. I got the top done today and am very pleased with how it's turning out. I will post when I get it completely finished. I used some really cute fabric designed by David Walker called Robots. The design is adorable and fun. Let me know what you think!

Note the pirate ship in the middle ;0)

I am nutty for butternut!

2010-01-20T04:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a great recipe I found on the food network website. We really enjoyed it so here is the recipe! Let me know what you think if you try it.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 C. chicken/veggie stock (If you like a thicker and creamier soup, 5 cups would be better)
Dash nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter. Add onion until translucent. Add Squash and stock. Cook 15 - 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Take squash chunks out of liquid and blend until smooth. Stir squash back into liquid. Add spices until desired. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.

*To add more flavor, saute 2 chopped cloves of garlic with onion.

Whew!

2010-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post something quick since it has been super long since I have entered a post. I have missed having the time to share my life here but the holidays were just a whirlwind. I had an incredible opportunity to sew for a friend that needed some help with a lot of her orders on Etsy.com. It came at a perfect time to buy my new machine that I posted about before and I had a little extra to pay for some christmas gifts. Here are the pillowcases I helped with.

If you like them, head on over to her website and order one for valentine's day. They are super cute!
We had a wonderful christmas visiting our family and having some fun memory makers.
I started my new class today in Anatomy and Physiology. I am taking this class to prep me for nursing school so that I don't have to take it when I take the nursing classes. I will have enough on my plate with those classes.
So hopefully life will slow down a bit and I can start posting again.
Thank you for your patience!

Long time

2009-12-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I have entered an entry. Life has been crazy!!! Here are some highlights of the last few weeks.
- God has provided some work for me with a new sewing job (temporary) and it's paying for my new Baby Lock sewing machine. Praise the Lord for His provision.

- I have been using some of my extra time making gifts for the giving season of Christmas. I will post some pics after they have been given.

- My application is in for nursing school. Gasp*** Breathe***

- Volunteering in Jubal's school. I love it!

- And the last big adventure...drum roll please..... taking care of my husband who had an appendectomy Monday night. He got to come home yesterday and is on the mend. Whew! That was a wild ride. I am so glad he is feeling better.

Poor guy

Incisions on the belly

What have your latest adventures been?

My first Shoulder bag

2009-11-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to learn how to sew a shoulder bag for a while now and could not find a good tutorial on the internet. However, last week, Sew Mama Sew posted a tutorial for one and I tried to make it today. My efforts were successful and I finished my first shoulder bag in a couple of hours.

It was really easy and I added a little flower applique for a personal touch. I am so excited about it that I will hopefully crank some out over the next couple of weeks. If you are wanting a cute handmade bag to add to your collection, I highly encourage you to try this one.

On a roll!

2009-11-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic dinner roll recipe that I tried tonight and they are delicious. They are called Sweet Dinner Rolls and I got them from Allrecipes.com. They are made from yeast and so they take a little planning but they are so worth it. If you do not have a bread machine, you can mix the ingredients and knead until smooth and elastic. Then let the dough rise for an hour before shaping. If you have a bread machine, it's so easy peasy.
Happy Baking!

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.

When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Cabbage soup recipe

2009-11-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

I love cabbage. It has such an yummy earthy flavor and I love to find new ways of using it in my cooking. Recently I found a great recipe called Rustic Cabbage soup (101cookbooks.com) and it is so good! So, here it is. If you don't like cabbage so much, I encourage you to try it. I think you would like it in this soup. The bouillon in the recipe can be found at many health food stores. If you can't find it, a veggie stock will be just fine.

Rustic Cabbage Soup Recipe

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups stock, preferably no-salt Rapunzel Herb Bouillon
1 1/2 cups white beans, precooked or canned (drained & rinsed well)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons

Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes - it's o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning - getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is (varying widely between brands, homemade, etc)...

A beautiful day

2009-10-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Guess what Jubal and I did today after school?

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a great recipe I found on Pioneer Woman's website. Jubal helped me so this one is good to make with the kids. They are so moist and yummy and pretty healthy too! You can top with cream cheese frosting or just a cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Happy Fall Baking!

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 heaping cup pumpkin puree or just plain ol' canned pumpkin
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!

Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

A new home

2009-10-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am guilty. I am guilty of having some plastic bags in the house ;). My excuse: I really like having them to use as trashbags and picking up after the dog. For years I have just stuffed them in a back corner somewhere, out of sight, and sometimes out of mind.
Well, I was inspired a couple of weeks ago and now they are stuffed in a cute little sack in my kitchen. I got the idea from this tutorial and it turned out really cute. The other neat thing about it is that you can use any fabric scraps that you may have. I have quite a stash of scraps so I was eager to use some up. So now, all my plastic bags that were stuffed in a corner are now hanging in their cute happy home in the kitchen. Nice.

Good Bye Taco bell!

2009-10-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

I love taco night at our house. It's so easy to prepare and the fam really enjoys eating them. So tonight, I had it all ready and I was going to have dinner ready a little earlier so that we could have time to play before Jubal's bedtime. I got all my ingredients together but could not find my Taco Bell taco seasoning. Hmmm....where did I stash it? I looked in all kinds of places in the kitchen and could not find it. I concluded that the cashier forgot to put it in my bag. Bummer! Should I run to the store? No, I don't feel like hurrying out the door, wasting gas, waiting in line, and having a late dinner. Of course! The internet. So I did a search and found a wonderful recipe (on allrecipes.com) for some homemade taco seasoning. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It was wonderful! And I can pronounce the ingredients. So naturally I would love to share it with my blog friends.
You will need to double the recipe to make enough to season a pound of ground beef. There will be some leftover as well. For every pound of beef, chicken, or tofu, add 3 tbsp. of the mixture and 2/3 cup of water. You can also add about 1/2 tsp per batch of flour to thicken it up a little. Cut the amount of red pepper flakes/powder in half if you don't want it to be too spicy hot.

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes/powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Find

2009-10-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

I like to make my own cookies. It's so much healthier than the cookie doughs in the store and a lot more satisfying. However, there are days that I feel a little lazier and don't want to labor that much in the kitchen.
A few months ago, Ingles had a sale on some organic cookie dough from the Immaculate Baking Company. I bought it, tried it out and it is SO GOOD! So I thought I would promote them because of the reaction my family had to the cookies. They are made from all natural ingredients and there are no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. So even though a sweet tooth can be a dangerous thing, you can feel good that the ingredients are in pure form.

Disco Pajamas

2009-10-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

The other day I went through my big bin of fabric to try to simplify. I cleaned out a bunch of fabric but still have a fair amount left over. So, I am trying to make some fun things with what I do have. My first little project was pajamas for Jubal. They turned out really cute too. I think they look like they come out of the disco era. When my little red head wears them, it is super precious! I got the pants idea from this tutorial:
www.instructables.com/i/How_to_Sew_Your_Own_Pajama_Pants/.
It is super easy and quick. I think I made his pants in about 30 minutes. I like that kind of project! For his little shirt, I took an old white t-shirt and appliqued a star onto it. I encourage you to try making the pants. They are well worth it.

Snow!

2009-10-17T14:01:00.001-07:00

We saw our first snow today. I love this time of year!

Headband tutorial....finally!

2009-10-15T17:54:00.001-07:00

Here are quick and easy to understand instructions for making a headband. Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. If you end up making one, let me know how it goes. At the bottom of the page, I included the website that I got this tutorial from. Have fun!!!!

Main Piece: Cut 1 rectangle from your fabric as shown in Diagram 1. The width range of 4.5" (11 cm) to 12.5" (32 cm) results in finished headband widths ranging from 2" (51 mm) to 6" (15 cm), respectively. Multiply your desired finished headband width by two and add 0.5" (13 mm) to determine the exact fabric width to cut.
Connector Piece: Cut 1 rectangle from your fabric as shown in Diagram 1.

Note: Any grainline orientation should be fine, but laying the long sides of the rectangles crosswise (i.e., perpendicular to the selvage) will use the least fabric yardage.

Diagram 1

Sewing

Fold the short sides of the main piece in half with right sides together and, using a 0.25" (6 mm) seam allowance, sew the long raw edges together to create a tube as shown in Diagram 2. Repeat with the connector piece.

Diagram 2

Turn the main piece right side out and press so that the seam is positioned at center back (CB). Repeat with the connector piece. Use a safety pin or loop turner to turn the pieces right side out if needed.
Insert the elastic inside the connector piece using a safety pin or loop turner.
Sew the elastic and connector piece together at one end with a 0.25" (6 mm) seam allowance as shown in Diagram 3. (On the other end, just leave the end of the elastic sticking out for now; you can pin the end of the connector piece to the elastic to keep it in place if needed).

Diagram 3

Mark the short ends of the main piece about 0.375" (10 mm) away from each long (folded) edge as shown in Diagram 4. In between the markings on each end, make pleats as needed so that the width in between the markings matches the width of the connector piece, which in this case is 0.625" (16 mm). If your main piece is on the narrow side, try one knife pleat in the center; if it's on the wide side, try multiple knife pleats. You can also try an inverted or box pleat as shown in Diagram 4. Pin o r baste stitch the pleats to secure them.

Diagram 4

Lay the main piece down with the front side facing up (i.e., CB seam facing down). On top of the main piece, lay the connector piece down with the back side facing up (i.e., CB seam facing up), aligning the edge of the connector piece that is sewn to the elastic with one of the ends of the main piece. The connector piece should be laying on top of the pleated portion of the main piece and should fit just within the markings you made on the main piece. Fold the short sides of the main piece 0.375" over the connector piece (the folded sides will overlap), and sew all layers togethe r with a 0.25" (6 mm) seam allowance as shown in Diagram 5.

Diagram 5

Turn the headband right side out and test the fit by trying on the headband while stretching the elastic to the unattached end of th e main piece. Cut elastic to desired length.
Repeat Step 4 with the other ends of the elastic an d connector piece.
Repeat Step 6 with the other ends of the connector piece and main piece.
Turn the headband right side out.

**www.alteredcloth.com/blog/2007/07/how-to-make-a-h ead band-version-2-the-wide-headband.php

Beware...some major transparency

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

***I hope that whoever reads this is challenged and encouraged to trust in God's ways. He loves us so much and knows what is best. His timing is perfect. This is a testimony of how God is teaching me this invaluable lesson. He is so good!

Ever since I was a young girl, I dreamed of getting married to prince charming, having a handful of kids and living happily ever after. Being a homemaker and mommy has been a desire of mine for as long as I can remember. Well, I married my prince charming 11 years ago and had a son 5 years ago. My dreams and hopes seemed to be coming true.

For the past 3 years, I have experienced some of the hardest challenges I have ever faced regarding my desires. At this point, a future of having more children doesn't seem to be in God's plan for my life and family. It seems my Lord has other plans....plans that are beyond my control and plans that I don't fully understand. In the midst of this inner battle, Jesus has given me peace and direction. I read an incredible book and it helped me to understand that if life isn't going exactly the way "I want it to", trust God to lead me in the way He wants me to go. Set new goals and pray about them. Deep down I wondered if I even had other goals. If so, what were they? How could I figure them out? I really believe that God has given me the desires that I have but He also knows what is best for me in His time and in His way. He made me and He deserves my devotion and trust.

I have prayed over this so much and the Lord has reminded me of a few things. First, I have a husband and a son that I love very much. I need to invest my life in their lives and be thankful for what the Lord has already given me. He gave them to me and I need to treasure them. Second, I don't need to focus on what I don't have but what I do have. Third, I believe that God has given me a love for babies for a reason. I may not be able to use it directly in my personal life but I can share that love in other ways. As a result of this love and passion I am pursuing the realm of nursing. Now I dream of one day being able to put my love for babies and mommies to work and help them during a very life-changing time. (As well as loving my growing 5 year old miracle baby ;) I am excited about my new journey and looking forward to the things God is going to teach me. I don't know what the future holds, but God does and that should be enough for me. I still have days that I struggle with my biological clock and emotions but I rest in God's peace. He knows and understands how I feel. I am SO thankful for His hope. I choose to focus on Jesus and the things that He has planned for me. Sometimes those plans are not always what we plan or even dream of. This life is not my own, it belongs to the God I serve. What greater privilege do I have than this?

It's that time of year

2009-09-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's that wonderful time of year where the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are falling, and germs are spreading. I am always interested in learning new remedies that are natural AND effective for curing different ailments. A few weeks ago, Stephen started getting some sinus yuckiness so he started eating pieces of raw garlic. It seemed to work very well. He noticed a big difference in a short amount of time. So I decided to try it. I started getting a sore throat today so I made some garlic lemonade and ate a couple of garlic pieces. (Watch out world!) Immediately I can tell a difference. I am going to keep eating it this evening to see how it goes. If that works....hallelujah!

Some benefits of garlic:

High in Antioxidants
Good for healthy cells
Decongestant
A natural antibiotic
A wart fighter
Helps with high blood pressure
Can help get rid of poison ivy

So I encourage you to look into the benefits of garlic. If you find some cool things, let me know!

Presenting......Cocoa Crackles!

2009-09-16T09:04:00.001-07:00

This is a fun recipe to do with kiddos. They are pretty healthy too which is a definite plus. I got this recipe out of a cookbook Jubal got for his birthday. The book is called Yummy Cookies by Sesame Street.
If you are looking for something fun to do today with your kids, this is a great activity to try. What a fun way to bond with the little ones in your life.

Cocoa Crackles

3/4 Cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated or cane sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease to cookie sheets.
Stir together both flours, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until blended.
Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls. Roll balls of dough in the sugar until they are coated. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
Bake for abou11-13 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool cookies on sheets for a couple minutes and transfer to cooling rack.

Cozy Ginger Scones

2009-09-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

I found a great recipe on Organic Valley's website. It is fairly easy and the result is fantastic! If you like ginger, this is the way to go for a yummy breakfast/brunch food.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon peel (grated)***
11 tablespoons Organic Valley European-style Cultured Butter (cut into bits)
3/4 cup Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream
2/3 cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

***I increased the lemon peel to about 1 1/2 Tbsp. for a more lemony flavor.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter baking sheet. Blend flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon peel in a food processor. Add butter and cut in (using "pulse" button) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Make well in center; add 3/4 cup cream. Using fork, stir until just moist. Mix in ginger and cinnamon. Transfer dough to floured surface and gently knead until smooth, about 8 turns. Divide dough in half; pat each portion into 3/4-inch-thick round. Cut each round into 6 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons cream. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Coconut Rice and Beans recipe

2009-09-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

I am really excited about this recipe. I got it off of 5 dollar dinners.com. I love beans and I LOVE coconut so this recipe sounds so good. I haven't tried it yet but I will be soon. I will let you know how it goes. If you try it, let me know what you think!

1 15 oz. can of lite coconut milk
About 1/3 cup of pineapple juice from a can of pineapple
1/2 cup of water
1 cup uncooked white rice
Salt/Pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked pinto beans
4 carrot sticks, peeled and cut into circles
Honey drizzles
2 broccoli heads

Directions
(1/2. Cook about 1 cup of pinto beans in 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium high. Cover and cook for 1.5 -2 hours, or until beans are soft. Remove from heat, drain liquid.)
1. In medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, pineapple juice and water to a rolling boil. Add 1 cup of rice and return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 more minutes (do not uncover!). Fluff with fork before adding the beans.
2. Combine beans and rice in saucepan.
3. Steam carrots in steamer, or cook in 1/2 cup of water in small saucepan. Drizzle with honey to sweeten them up a smidge!
4. Steam broccoli.
5. Serve Coconut Rice and Beans with Honey Sweetened Carrots and Steamed Broccoli!

Dinner's on!

2009-09-04T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here is an idea for a yummy dinner for those of you who are looking for new ideas. Stuffed peppers. I have never been a fan of stuffed peppers but I really loved these. I think it's because they are used with a different kind of pepper and stuffed with fresh veggies and beans. We had gotten some huge sweet red peppers from a friend and the banana peppers are from our garden. We stuffed them with cheese, rice, black beans, sauteed onions and garlic, and a little taco meat that I had left over. Can you tell we like Mexican food?
After we stuffed them, Stephen was so nice to grill them. Yum! Happy cooking.

A pretty good crop

2009-09-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about our garden this year. It really gave us a good crop and I only had to water it once all summer! I think moving it to a different location in our yard and leaf mulch were the key ingredients. (Tip: if you get leaf mulch from an outside source, make sure you watch out for poison ivy!)
I planted 3 early girl tomato plants, 1 heatwave, 1 grape, and 1 roma. I got enough from the early girls alone to restock our canning supply. Great!
Now that summer is coming to a close, I can concentrate more on fun little sewing projects, recipes, and fun field trips. What an exciting fall it will be!
How has your summer been?

Salsa

2009-09-02T05:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a yummy recipe for tomatillo salsa. It's one of my favorites!

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with tortilla chips. Yummy!

2009-08-26T05:20:00.000-07:00

Jubal had a great first day in Kindergarten. I am so proud of him. I cried all day and wondered how his day was going. When I picked him up he gave me a great big hug and said "I had a super duper duper super fun day!" That made the day golden.

Big changes ahead

2009-08-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today is a reflective day for me. My little guy goes to kindergarten tomorrow and I am having some very mixed feelings today. Apart from doing my best not to cry in front of Jubal, I have such a heavy heart because I am going to miss him a lot. I am also so excited about the things he is going to learn, the friends he will make. I also pray that he will be used by Jesus in his new class.
We met his teacher yesterday and she seems very nice. The assistant is nice too. It was funny because they both remembered that we will be riding our bikes to school some. They also remembered Jubal's name too. That was impressive. Jubal is nervous but I think he is excited too. He got really hyper once the shock and nervousness wore off after meeting the teacher.
Being a mommy is a hard job. We deal with behavioral issues, we take care of their boo boos, we feed them, we train our children the best we can in being good kids and making good decisions. We even try to teach them things they can do to become more independent. Yet, when the first day of kindergarten rolls around, it's one of the hardest things yet (for me anyways). I feel really good about his school, his teacher, and the things he is going to learn. But I am still going to miss my little buddy. I can't believe how time has flown. God has taught me to cherish these days and to cherish Jubal. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for me, Stephen, and Jubal. Big changes ahead and many more fun memories to look forward to as well. Sniff....sniff....sniff......

New products

2009-08-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Props to Jesseca Bellemare and The Modern Baby Co. for new baby cuties! She has started all new items with vibrant fabrics and fresh designs. Check them out at www.themodernbabyco.com. Another cool thing is the onesies are organic, super soft and super cute! Let me know what you think!

A cool find

2009-08-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have a fantastic grocery store here in Asheville. It's called Amazing Savings. They sell organic (and some conventional) food at very discounted prices. Some of it is outdated but it's still good for the most part. The fun of it (apart from the prices) is you never know what they will have. It's different week to week. I love it! This week I went and found an incredible thing called Soap Nuts.

I have never heard of it before so when I found it, I was immediately sucked in. To educate you a little, soap nuts are the shells from the fruit of the soap nut tree. This tree grows in the wild in India and Nepal. When the nuts are in the water, they release a substance called saponins. It's a natural substance that works like soap to clean dirt and oils from textiles and other surfaces. The other cool thing is that I can reuse the nuts up to 3 times in the same day. What a great money saver and a healthy alternative too. So, if you see any soap nuts, now you know what they are. Have a great day today! Enjoy your family.

Sweet taters alive!

2009-08-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

My family loves biscuits. So when I found this recipe I was excited to try it. It turned out really yummy and with a healthy twist....sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted cold butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked mashed potatoes

- Preheat oven to 450
- Combine dry ingredients
- Cut butter in small pieces and add to flour
- Using fingers work butter into flour
- In small bowl, combine milk and sweet potatoes
- Add to flour mixture and stir until it forms a ball
- Turn dough on floured surface and knead 14 times
- Roll dough 1/2 inch thick and cut out biscuits
- Bake 8-10 minutes

Enjoy!!!!!

Interesting random facts

2009-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nonculinary uses of lemons:

• Lemon juice cleans piano keys and copper pots, brightens porcelain, absorbs odors, and removes lipstick and wine stains.

• Half a lemon, from which most of the juice has been squeezed, makes a fresh cleaning pad for faucets and sinks. Use it with a little salt as an abrasive.

• Equal parts lemon juice and beaten egg can be boiled briefly and scented with rose water to make a natural face lotion.

• Undiluted fresh lemon juice is just the thing to clean water spots and stains from your automobile chrome.

Before there were so many lotions and ointments in stores, people relied on commonsense cures. These remedies were recommended in the 1800s:

• If you cut yourself while cooking, apply molasses to the wound to bind it temporarily.

• For relief from a toothache, apply a poultice of gingerroot to your cheek on the side of the tooth pain.

*Copied from the online Farmer's Almanac, August 6, 2009 edition.

Stay tuned....

2009-08-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while. I sure have missed blogging. Our computer got infected with a virus and so I have been out of the cyber world for a couple of weeks. So, I have had some time to think (uh-oh) about what to write next. I will have some fun things to post over the next couple of weeks such as recipes, sewing finds, and things God has been teaching me. Keep checking in when you can.
On a different note, I want to send out best wishes for my friends that will be delivering little miracles in the next few days. I am so excited for you and so thankful that God has given you this beautiful opportunity. It's amazing being a mommy and I know you beautiful mamas are going to be fantastic in your births and beyond. I am praying for you ladies and I can't wait to see pictures!!!!!
Have an amazing, God-filled day!

A cute idea

2009-07-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw a little girl that we know wearing a cute little dress. I asked her mom where she got it and she replied, "I made it out of a pillowcase." What a cool concept and a great way to recycle pillowcases. That roused my curiosity so I did a little searching on the internet and found a great tutorial posted on one of my favorite blogs, Sew Mama Sew. Here is the link in case you are interested, www.jenleheny.com/pillowcase-dress-instructions.

I ended up making one for a precious 2 year old little girl I babysit. It turned out really cute. I didn't have a pillowcase on hand so I just sewed 2 smaller pieces of fabric together to mimic a pillowcase. I also added a little applique (designed by Jesseca Bellemare of "The Modern Baby Company") on the bottom. It was easy and fun. It's definitely worth a try!

Our little visitor

2009-07-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

The other night Stephen found a critter in our back yard. I wonder if that's why my zucchini flowers are disappearing...... He was kind of cute though. ;)

Little pesty problems

2009-07-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I noticed some of my tomatoes were getting holes in them and turning into brown mush...yuck! I didn't know what was going on. Then I picked one and found the answer. It was an earwig. I had no idea they liked tomatoes. After some research, I learned they like to eat tomato leaves and zinnia flowers. Sure enough, so I would have a pretty garden, I had planted zinnia seeds right next to one of my tomato plants.... bummer! Fortunately, they typically don't destroy the plant, they just ruin a few pieces of precious fruit. So I have been experimenting with a couple different things to get rid of these gross bugs. I ended up putting little bowls of soy sauce mixed with veggie oil next to my plants and haven't seen them in a couple days. Another remedy is to use beer because the earwigs like the yeast in it. Then the yeast makes them die. And for you adventurous people out there, you can also go out in the evening/early morning and pick them off by hand.
I also got a recipe for a bug repellant for your garden from the Farmer's Almanac. This solution is good for a lot of bugs that like to "share" the garden with us humans. So, if you are having some similar bug issues, I highly recommend using this solution. Just mix 1 tsp. dishsoap, 1 cup veggie oil, and 1 gallon of warm water. Spray on plants as needed. It won't hurt your plants or veggies, but it should keep the bugs away. Watch out bugs!

Grandma's quilt

2009-07-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

My grandmother made me and Stephen this quilt for our belated Christmas present. She made most of it by hand. She is an amazing lady! What an inspiration. I am so proud of it that I wanted to post it. It's definitely going to be in our family for a long time. What a family treasure.

2009-06-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

I love it when God provides for His children in ways that are so personal and loving. We had a provision like that over the weekend. To give a little background, I love playing the piano. I haven't had one for a long time and have missed playing and have gotten pretty rusty in the process ;). This past mother's day, Stephen and Jubal surprised me by telling me that they wanted to get me one. We found one but it didn't work out. We were a little disappointed but knew that God would provide one in His time. Then a few weeks ago, I took Jubal to the dentist and came out of the office with a big dentist bill that we will be paying on until the end of the year.....bummer...God will provide, God will provide.... He always does. Because of that, I thought it might be a while before we could get a piano.

Stephen found another piano last week and we went to look at it over the weekend. It was in great shape but they were asking a few hundred bucks for it. A good deal but still not feeling a peace about it. I was trying really hard but I just wasn't feeling it. On our way home from looking at the piano, Stephen mentioned that I had a message from a dear friend about a piano she saw. I called her back and she saw one at a yard sale for 50 bucks! I called the owner, we went to look at it, and we are now the proud owners of a beautifully used piano. I am so happy. When I sit down to play, I am just so thankful that God knows me so intimately to provide something that brings me joy like a piano. Hopefully my neighbors will be thankful too ;).

What are some ways that God has provided for you? I would love to hear.

Some garden pics

2009-06-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

We moved our garden spot this year and it has been a good decision. Everything is filling out and doing so well. I took a few pics so you can see how it's coming along. I planted the seeds I harvested last year to save money but all but 3 died. Bummer. I think my excitement got ahead of me and I transplanted them too soon. Oh well. Another lesson learned. I also bought Early Girl tomato plants this year and they are doing so much better than the other varieties I have planted in the past 3 years. Hopefully I will get enough fruit to replenish my stock of canned tomatoes. I also learned that tomato plants do not like to be watered a lot so I haven't watered them as much. It appears to be working.

Early Girl tomato plants

Sunflowers growing

The pink tape around our garden is to keep our little Texas out. He was sneaking some green tomatoes to snack on. Silly dog.

Do you have a garden? If so, how is it doing this summer?

Winter Coat

2009-06-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

No, this is not another dog. This is the hair I brushed out of Texas' coat this morning. I wonder if he can run faster......

Taking a moment......

2009-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain

Holy, Holy, is He

Sing a new song,

To Him who sits on Heaven's Mercy Seat

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come

With all creation I sing:

Praise to the King of Kings!

You are my everything,

And I will adore You…!

Clothed in rainbows, of living color

Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder

Blessing and honor,

Strength and glory and power be

To You the Only Wise King,

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come,

With all creation I sing:

Praise to the King of Kings!

You are my everything,

And I will adore You!

Filled with wonder,

Awestruck wonder

At the mention of Your Name

Jesus, Your Name is Power

Breath, and Living Water

Such a marvelous mystery

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come,

With all creation I sing:

Praise to the King of Kings!

You are my everything,

And I will adore You!

-Gateway Worship, "Revelation Song"

Yummy Stawberry Bread

2009-06-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

I had some strawberries that needed to be used quickly so I hunted for a recipe that sounded like it would satisfy the Janes' tastebuds. I succeeded in that endeavor so I want to post the recipe for my readers. It is really really good and I hope you can try it sometime. If you do, let me know what you think. It comes from http://www.joyofbaking.com/.

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) natural cane sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup (55 grams) toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch).

Place the walnuts (or pecans) on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely before chopping coarsely. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and walnuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake about one hour, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 1 loaf

A pair of Rain boots

2009-06-08T05:24:00.001-07:00

Reading a friend's blog gave me the idea to post this....thanks, Maggie ;)

When Jubal was 4, he was having a hard time understanding why he has some clothes that were labeled 3T. He is 5 now and the 4T size is still baffling him. The concept that if it still fits, you can wear it, no matter the size is really stumping him. It's gotten kind of funny. I have tried to make it fun for him since he was kind of upset when he discovered it. (He is such a detail-oriented little guy.) He has not said anything about it in the past few weeks so I thought maybe we were through that little phase. Well, I was wrong....

Last week we bought him some new rain boots. He was sitting on the floor and I was watching him admire his new frog boots. Then he looked up at me in complete 5 year old innocence and said, "But mommy, I am not 13. The boots say 13. That's not right."
Too cute! I love it..... Kids are great!

Do you have any cuteness to share about your kiddos?

Fun Pillows

2009-06-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Since we have gotten our addition mostly done, I have been so excited to look for some cute, inexpensive, and colorful pillows to go in the living room. I looked in so many stores and just realized that I could not spend 15-20 bucks (minimum) for 1 pillow. So, I went to my favorite fabric store, Asheville Cotton Company and looked around last week. After much pondering, walking back and forth in the store, and more pondering, I found the right fabrics for my pillows. The total for fabric and stuffing ended up being around 27 bucks. That's about $6.75 per pillow. I say that's pretty good. I finished them up today and I am happy with them. They make a nice addition to the couch.

The 5.2 Project

2009-05-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be announcing the launch of a new website called the "5.2 Project". I am still learning about it myself but I wanted to add props for it because God has started a really cool thing in a dear friend of mine. She has been through some incredible trials in her life and God has literally worked miracles in her life and her family. Here is an excerpt from an email she sent me to give you an idea what it is about:

"The “project”… is a way of life based off of the little boy who offered Jesus 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and encompassing the bi-lines “Know what you know, Live what you know, Share what you know. You’ll see many venues for participation.. straight from home taking only moments of your time. There are several blogs including one for prayer requests, one to share a thought from your devotions, one (VERY importantly) for offering praise, thanks or something that you know about God… strictly to simply praise Him!!!!"

I would just really encourage you to take time to read about it and if you want to participate, please do. I think it's a very practical way to share what God is doing in your life to help encourage believers and to share about Jesus to those who are searching.

What a great way to grow closer to God and share in that journey with others.

Let me know what you think if you get a chance to look around.

http://www.the52project.com/

Eat your Greens!

2009-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

10 reasons to include leafy green veggies in our diets:

1) Reduce risk of heart disease and cancer

2) Rich in vitamins, folic acid

3) High in fiber

4) Rich in potassium

5) Good source of iron and calcium

6) Boosts the immune system

7) Helps protect eye function

8) High in Antioxidants

9) Good for the bones

10) Cheap and easy to fix!

Some ideas for fixing greens are - saute them with fresh garlic and onions in olive oil, make a salad, add cooked or raw greens to burritos, lasagna, quesadillas, and soups. Add any leafy green as a side in dinner. It's a very inexpensive way to contribute to meal times and to your health.

What are some of your favorite leafy greens? Feel free to share any recipes too!

Strawberries Strawberries

2009-05-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever spent money on something that you totally regretted after the fact? Well, that happened to me yesterday. I am a pretty thrifty person but yesterday I went against my better judgement. For the past 3 years, the U-Pick farms in our area have not had good strawberry crops. As a result, we have bought strawberries from roadside stands or the farmer's market. I appreciate those establishments very much but I also enjoy taking Jubal to pick berries at a farm. Finally this year, I thought I hit the jackpot. The first part of May, I called a farm right up the road and the owner said they would have some. She said to call at the end of the month. So I did. But it was to no avail. No strawberries to pick this year....bummer. So, I decided to go to a tailgate market to buy some. There was only one stand and the berries were 3 dollars a pint. That's about 15 strawberries...maybe. In my reckless desire to have strawberries this year, I went ahead and bought 2 pints. 6 bucks. I know that may not sound like a lot but when I bought a gallon today for 8 bucks, that made me regret the purchase all the more. Oh well, I try to make tasty lemonade out of life's lemons so I wanted to make these strawberries count for something. So, last night I made muffins using a recipe I found on the internet. They ended up being very good. I would like to pass it on to my readers so you can enjoy them too. I have a few berries left over to add to some cereal. Yummy. I am thankful that I found some berries this morning at a little stand to make jam with. That really makes the start of my summer feel so good! I think I am feeling better already. At least there is another lesson learned for me to tuck away in my mind. For that I am thankful.

Strawberry Muffins

1/4 cup veggie oil

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped berries

Mix oil, milk, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients in seperate bowl. Toss stawberries into dry mixture. Add oil mixture in and mix gently until well blended. Pour into muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Put in 375 degree oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool.

New Pictures

2009-05-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

I think Energizer needs to replace the bunny with my husband. Really. My husband is one determined man and I am so proud of him and what he has done with our house. We finally got the contracted work done and inspected with flying colors. In the past week, Stephen has busted his tail to get the rest done. He laid the floors, painted the gable, stained the trim and put it up, framed and drywalled 2 closets, painted Jubal's room (with Jubal's help), moved furniture.... you get the idea that he has been a busy man. He has also maintained working full time at his other job as well. Whew!

We are so close to being done. Just a few little details remain. My plan is to make Jubal a comforter and curtains once we get him a new bed. I will also be converting Jubal's old room into my sewing/storage area. I will show pics of that when it's finished. We are so happy with how our house has turned out and so thankful for the extra room. The hard thing now is controlling myself at Target ;).

Here are the pics:

Our Bedroom

The Closet (Instead of doors, there will be curtains)

Living Room

Jubal's room (Blue specks are our handprints)

Jubal's room

For the Bathroom

2009-05-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

I love these ideas for the bathroom. I have tried most of them and they really work. I would love to hear any success stories out there!

1) Drain Cleaner - Pour 1 Cup soda, 1 cup salt, and 1/2 cup distilled vinegar down sink, tub, or shower drain. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Flush with hot water.

2) Clean combs, hairbrushes, curlers, loofahs, and makeup applicators by soaking in a solution of 4 tbsp baking soda in 1 quart water.

3) Grout cleaners - Clean mildew stains from grout with baking soda sprinkled on a wet toothbrush. Rinse well.

4) Clean chrome fixtures, sinks, tubs, showers, shower doors, ceramic tile with baking soda on a damp sponge. Rinse well.

5) Clean shower curtains of mildew by sprinkling soda on stains and scrubbing with wet brush. Rinse well and dry.

6) Clean the toilet bowl with 1/2 cup soda sprinkled in and scrubbed with toilet brush. Rinse.

2009-05-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some ideas to use baking soda for personal hygiene.

- Dissolve 1/2 cup of soda in bath water to clean the body.

- If you have a sore body, combine in a container, 2 cups of soda, 1 cup epsom salt, and 1/2 cup of salt. Use 1/2 cup per bath.

- For minor burns, soak in a tepid bath containing 1 cup of soda. Or for a small area that is burned, make a paste of 3 tbsp. baking soda and 1 tbsp witch hazel or water. Gently rub on affected area.

- Hair rinse: combine 1 tsp baking soda to 1 pint water. Add some vinegar for extra softness.

- Deoderant: Dust some soda under your arms for absorption and neutralizing odor.

- Face cleanser: Gently rub a paste of 3 tbsp soda and 1 tbsp water. Rinse and pat dry.

- Foot soak: Soak tired feet in solution of 1/2 cup soda and 2 quarts warm water for 10 minutes.

- Bee stings and insect bites: Apply 1 tbsp baking soda, and 1 tsp water to insect bites or bee stings. Cover with damp dressing.

- Rinse mouth with 1 tsp soda to half a glass of water for a fresh mouth.

- Poison Ivy relief: Make a paste of 1 tbsp soda and 1 tsp water and make a wet compress.

- Toothbrush cleaner: Soak toothbrush overnight in 1 tsp soda in 1/2 cup water.

- Teeth cleaner: clean teeth with wet toothbrush dabbed in soda.

Got Soda?

2009-05-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

I checked out a really cool book at our library called "Baking Soda Extravaganza." It's amazing that there are so many uses for baking soda that a book was made about it. It is such a practical, cheap, and healthy alternative to a lot of products out there. Since there are so many things you can do with baking soda, I will spread out what I learn and have practiced over a few blog posts. I hope these ideas help your family as it has mine. If you already do any of these tips, let me know how it's worked for you.

Ideas for the Kitchen:

1) Appliance and Sink cleaner - make a paste with soda and vinegar. Rub all over sink or appliance. Let sit for 15 minutes and rinse.

2) Soak kitchen sponges, nylon scrubbers, and scrub brushes overnight in a solution of 1/4 cup soda and 1 quart water for a thorough cleaning and degreasing.

3) Coffee pot cleaner - Wash glass, enamel, and stainless steel coffee pots with a solution of 4 tbsp. of soda in 1 quart of water.

4) Deodorize wood or plastic cutting boards of fish, onion, or garlic odors by scrubbing with a past of 3 tbsp baking soda and 1 tbsp water. Leave paste on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well and dry.

5) For the dishwasher -

* Sprinkle some soda in dishwasher between washings to control odors.

* Remove stains and odors from the insides by scrubbing soda with a damp sponge. Rinse.

* Wash the door gaskets to keep them clean and mildew free.

* Add 2 tbsp soda to hot water and add to the detergent for extra grease-cutting action.

6) Mix a container of 1 lb. of baking soda and 1 lb. salt. Store tightly covered. Once a week, poor 1/2 cup down the drain followed by 1 cup boiling water. Allow to sit for an hour or so and flush with hot tap water.

7) Clean wax and pesticide residues from fruits like apples, plums, nectarines, and pears with a paste of 3 tbsp soda and 1 tbsp water. Rinse well and dry.

8) Pour 1 Cup soda in garbage disposal to clean and deoderize. Keep water running briefly after all the baking soda is gone.

9) Eliminate onion, garlic, and fish smell from hands by wetting hands and scrubbing with baking soda. Rinse well and dry.

10) Clean microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, and plastic containers with a little baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge. Rinse and dry.

Little Abode

2009-05-11T04:30:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted house pics (or anything for that matter) so it is time to show some updates. We are getting close. We are waiting for the electrician to come and finish his part, the final inspection, and then Stephen will lay the hard wood floor and we will almost be done. Tell me what you think!

Our ceiling

Knocking out the old wall

Wall is gone, sheet rock is up, and living area is painted

A glimpse of our bedroom

Hardy plank siding

Siding is painted

O be careful little mouth what you say.....

2009-04-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." Prov. 10:19

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Prov. 13:3

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Prov. 12:18

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Prov. 15:1

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Prov. 16:24

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:17

As you can tell, my blog entry has everything to do with words. Over the past couple of weeks, God has really been talking to me about my words, how they affect others, and how they effect my walk with Him. Our words are such a powerful thing. The phrase "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," is a statement that I totally disagree with. It completely undermines the power of words. There are so many verses in Scripture about the impact that words have on people. God knows that it's something we struggle with and it's something that is so important to Him. As believers, I believe it is our duty to hold a tight rein on our tongues because we are living out the wonderful things God is doing and has done in our lives. We are an example of Christ. People are constantly watching us and our words are a testimony of our faith. The life of Jesus has really spoken to me as I have read and studied about the impact His words had on others. Jesus was a perfect man. He loved the unlovable, He healed the sick, He spent His life telling others about the love of His father. He never did anything wrong, yet people spit on Him. They made fun of Him. They said very unkind things to Him, even while He was dying. Yet, he didn't say anything unkind back. He took it a step further. He asked God, out loud, to forgive the people that were sinning (Luke 23:34). That is true love and true compassion. That kicks me in the pants so much. So often, I feel like I have to stand up for myself and plead my case when I am accused wrongly of something. I tend to make excuses when I am confronted about an offense I have made. When someone doesn't talk to me the way I think they should, I don't react the way Jesus did.
My prayer is that as believers, we focus on our words. Our words tell a lot about what is in our hearts and minds. They can really hurt or help. Unity among believers can be strengthened or broken down. It's amazing how powerful our tongues are. Please ask your Father, who knows that we stuggle with this issue, to open your eyes to your words; to make you more aware to the things you say and how you respond to others. It's easy to let your guard down. Let God's strength fill you in those times. Depend on Him.

It's Berry nice

2009-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here is our roof. It turned out so nice. I had my eye on this color (Berry) ever since we saw samples and I am so glad we picked it. We are planning on doing a green siding with white trim. I think it's going to look great! We are so pleased with how it is going. What do you think of the color?

Natural dyes

2009-04-07T12:46:00.001-07:00

It's almost Easter time and for some of you, dyeing eggs has been a family tradition. Here are some different foods you can put in water that add color to your "eggsperience".

Red: red onion skins, pomegranate juice, beets

Green: spinach

Blue: red cabbage

Yellow: yellow mustard, turmeric

Purple: grape juice, blueberries

Pink: cranberry juice, raspberries

Beige: strong brewed coffee

Just add food items to a sauce pan, individually. Add enough water to cover and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes to an hour. Strain liquid into another bowl. Add 2-3 tsp white vinegar to every cup of stained liquid.

**Another idea is to wrap rubberbands around the egg in different directions and dye them that way. It makes a fun tie-dye effect.

Do you have other fun ideas you do with eggs?

house pics

2009-03-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted some pics of the addition so here are some more. Some more framing has been done, we wrapped the house (nice present!), had some electrical work done, and put in most of the windows. It's really coming together nicely and we are so pleased with it all. We'll be knocking out the existing wall on the inside pretty soon. That will be fun! I will def. post pictures of that.

Wrapped Addition

First window installed

Inside new wall

Rafters

Outside wall

Cute little window installed

Drum Roll......

2009-03-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

These are the last few ideas I want to share to simplify your life. As you can see, a lot of it is creative and pretty simplistic. Once you get your creative juices going, it's really fun and beneficial.

***********

1)Reuse everything you can, from jars and containers to nails to clothing. You will need to buy much less new stuff.

2)Borrow or rent large items that you don’t use often, such as tools, garden equipment and party utensils. You can even rent a car for trips.

3)Don’t fall for the new advertising gimmick using the language of simplicity to sell all kinds of things. Simplicity isn’t about having the right stuff. It isn’t a style. And don’t fall for the idea that you need a lot of special containers, boxes, and so on to organize your stuff and thereby achieve simplicity.

If you and/or your family practice "simple things" in your family, I would love to hear!

Less Waste

2009-03-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

Start a compost pile for yard waste and food waste from the kitchen. This may seem less simple than throwing everything into the garbage, but it will help you to waste less food as you become more aware of where it is going, while reducing garbage, which could save money. The side benefit is, of course, a rich soil additive that will make your garden and all your trees and shrubs grow healthier.

Buy products with the least packaging possible. You will save money as well as resources and reduce your garbage.

A few examples of cutting down waste: 1) when purchasing produce, don't use the plastic bags for them. Just place them in your shopping cart/basket 2) use cloth bags instead of plastic at the grocery store 3) use mason jars to store food and leftovers in instead of plastic storage 4) Wash and reuse ziploc bags.

Be creative with it. It can be fun. If you have other ideas, I would love to hear!

Cheaper vacations

2009-03-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Instead of traveling to faraway places for vacation, look closer to home. Explore the place you live. You will save money on travel as well as accommodations and food, which always cost more at popular vacation spots.

2009-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Learn to mend clothing, toys, furniture and other items. Sewing holes in shirts and pants can be a relaxing activity. Darning socks and tights is a bit more difficult, but can double or triple the life of these items.

Another idea is to cut off pants when they start getting too short on the kiddos. It prolongs the life of that piece of clothing and makes something "new" for warmer weather. It works for adults too ;).

Voluntary Simplicity

2009-03-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

I came across some interesting information (http://www.greatriv.org/vs.htm#vs) on making our lives a little more simple. I think there are some very good and creative ideas in it that I wanted to share with you. I hope you find them helpful and beneficial for you and your family. It's pretty lengthy so I will break it up over several blogs. If you already incorporate these ideas in your life, let me know how it is working for you. I would love to hear!

1) De-clutter your house. Go through clothes, kitchenware, knickknacks, gadgets, small appliances and other possessions and give away or recycle some.

2) Try cooking more meals from scratch. This may sound like the opposite of simplifying, since cooking from scratch can take more time and be more complicated than microwaving a meal from a box, or ordering a pizza. However, you can make larger quantities and freeze the extra for a quick meal later. You also can avoid huge amounts of packaging, which is expensive and wasteful.

3) Buy in bulk. Food co-ops have many foods available in bins from which you fill your own container.

I am getting so excited

2009-03-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our house is coming right along. Today the walls were worked on and most of the rafters went up. Holy cow! I can't believe it. It's crazy how big it looks. It makes the existing house look so small (I am not at all complaining. It's actually kind of cute.) Here are some pics from today. Let me know what you think. They aren't completely done putting up the plywood and they will cut out the windows when that is done. So it will look a little different when that is done.

First wall up!!!!

There will be a window on this side

View from the road.

Sale News!

2009-02-28T14:04:00.001-08:00

There is a pretty big sale going on now. Check it out at http://www.themodernbabyco.etsy.com/.
Really good deals are in store for beautiful, one of a kind, handmade items.

Some more pics

2009-02-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's really starting to feel like the addition is coming together. We have come across some hurdles so it's taken a little longer than we expected but hopefully the progress will be quicker now. We'll see.

Here are some pictures of the concreke (as Jubal calls it) being poured for the slab. Once it cures, the framing will begin. Hopefully that will be next week sometime.

Nice Boots!

One Happy little boy

Do you think we should keep the beautiful siding?

Ready, Set, Cure!

A new website

2009-02-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

The company I sew for, Quilt Baby has officially changed it's name to The Modern Baby Company. The new website is http://www.themodernbabyco.com/. For those of you who need some high quality cute baby items check it out. There is also an etsy shop with some good deals. Fabric bundles and fabric by the yard is available for those of you with a crafty side.
Check out http://www.themodernbabyco.etsy.com for more details.

Another step

2009-02-18T04:33:00.000-08:00

Here are the footers being poured for the addition. It went pretty fast. I will post pics of the blocks next.

My sweet Valentine

2009-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

My husband is great. We have been married for 10 1/2 years and he still manages to surprise me with his creativity and love behind the gifts he gives me. This valentine's day was no exception. If you love working in the yard, you will appreciate this gift as much as I do. What a sweetheart! I had to work on the 14th, so when I got home, I noticed Stephen was working in the backyard. When I walked out to the backyard, my jaw dropped. My husband arranged huge rocks around my herb garden, the vegetable garden, and added another mulched area for a new flower garden for me to play in. Needless to say, it looks so good and I am so excited for spring now. In addition to all the rocks, Stephen also mulched and finished our new fence. Whew! He was busy wasn't he? I love you babe and appreciate all the creative fun things you do for me. You're awesome.

2009-02-11T04:37:00.000-08:00

My grandmother is an amazing woman. She has a 7th grade education and she is one of the smartest people I know. She never ceases to amaze me with her creativity and MacGyver-like inventions. She is in her 80s and still gardens, quilts, sews, cooks, and many other things. Did I mention she is amazing? I have always admired her sewing abilities and love that she is so good at it. She is currently making Stephen and I a quilt and when I get it, I will for sure post it on my blog. Not only is she a very talented woman, she is one of the most giving people I know. She is always giving of herself, time, and money to those in need. I am so thankful for the legacy she is to my family.

With hope to be like her in my sewing skills (as well as many other things), I am trying to learn how to make new things and broaden my horizon. So, in light of that, I made a miniature quilt. Granted it didn't take me as long and I did it on my sewing machine, but I think I got the idea and will hopefully make a bigger one in the future.

Don't be afraid to try something new.....

Feelin' a bit cozy

2009-02-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of a crayon cozy? I see them occassionally and think they are so cute and practical. So I did some research and found a great tutorial on how to make one.
Here is the link: (http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/04/25/on-a-roll/). It was so easy and it turned out really cute. It is so nice for Jubal to have some crayons within his reach while we are on a trip. It is also nice to have them all together and organized. So it's definitely a win win for mother and child. Here's how it turned out:

These would make great gifts too!

If you make one, please let me know how it goes. I would love to hear.

2009-02-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

I love soup. And for some reason this winter, I have been on a soup hunting kick. So far I have found some pretty good recipes. I just think it's so nice to sit down with the wonderful fam on a cold cold night and enjoy a warm bowl of soup. Ya can't beat it. Tonight I tried a new and super easy recipe for Broccoli and Cheese soup. Jubal isn't a huge fan of broccoli for some reason so I was wondering if he would like it. He did..... He pretty much gobbled it up. What a nice feeling.

Here's the recipe from Cooking Light:

1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets or 2 cups fresh broccoli
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

I will continue to post recipes that I find very yummy. Let me know what you think if you try them. I would love to hear how they turned out!

Attention Garbanzo Bean lovers!!

2009-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

This recipe is sooooo good. A friend of mine made it and I had to have the recipe. So, I will post it for you to enjoy. It's called Vegetable and Chickpea Curry. Another plus: it's a crockpot recipe. It is a little spicy so you can tone it down with couscous on the side or top with some yogurt and chopped cucumber. Or you can eliminate the serrano chile all together.

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 1/2 C chopped onion

1 C carrot, sliced

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp peeled and grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped

3 C cooked chickpeas

1 1/2 C cubed and peeled baking potato

1 C coarsely chopped green pepper

1 C green beans (1 inch cut)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can vegetable broth

3 C fresh baby spinach

1 C light coconut milk

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and carrot. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder and next 4 ingredients. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place onion in 5 qt. crockpot. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Add spinach and coconut milk. Stir until spinach wilts. Serve.

*Cooking Light Cookbook

Tractor Fun

2009-01-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

Jubal likes tractors a lot. Sometimes when we see one, he says he would like to ride one someday. Well that day came yesterday. After the workers dug up the stump from our tree (it was huge!!) Jubal got to ride on the tractor and level out the driveway. Way to go baby!

Pulling a lever

Starting with a bang

2009-01-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

The first stage of our big adventure started.

Unfortunately, we had to get one of our beautiful and big Maple trees cut down in order to add out to the front of our house. It was sad for me but it's for a good cause. We will also be able to use it for firewood.

It was quite a site to watch as the guys cut it down. They started with the limbs and then down came the big trunk of ol bessie! It was a loud thud and shook the ground. Quite a rush for sure!

Here are some pics of the process. In the background you can see the front of our house.

For those of you interested, I will definitely be posting pictures as I can. It is going to be pretty cool to see the changes. I am so thankful.

We still have to settle the plans for the addition so it may be a few weeks before any building occurs. But I will keep you, my darling blog fans posted.

Limbs being cut off

Hauling away limbs to get ready for the big daddy cut

Here it goes.....

Timber!!!!

Whew!

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

About 5 years ago, Stephen and I bought our first house. To be honest, it was not at all what I had "expected" we would buy. It was small (624 sq feet), had a lot of cleaning up to do, and many fixes had to be made. It would definitely be a sacrifice to live in a little house, but that's what we could afford so we would do the best we could. When Stephen and I talked about buying it, he envisioned all the things we could do and how it would look after it was done. It convinced me that we could make our little house so cute and cozy and we did...well Stephen did. Now, about 5 years later, all of the major work is done; new roof, new hardwood floors, new bathroom, new windows, a new deck, landscaping, and many new cosmetic projects. I am so proud of all the hard work that Stephen has done to make it very attractive and livable for our family. He has made this little dwelling our special little home. I have learned a lot about simplicity and being thankful for what God gives.
God has opened a big door for us to walk through and we are really excited about this new adventure. We are going to add on to our house. We are going to have wonderful contractors that will be doing the work as well. I will keep you updated on our addition so you can see what God is doing in our family.

Give yourself

2009-01-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

From my husband's blog:

"We were eating some delicious Picante Chicken that Rhonda whipped up and baked in our iron skillet. It was full of juicy onions and green peppers. Jubal was complaining about them, he is a 4 yr old. So, being the well rounded dad that I am I explained to him that some kids in the world don't have anything to eat. We moved on to dessert: a chocolate pudding brownie cake with whipped cream on top. As we were eating that, I mentioned to Jubal that some kids don't ever get dessert. After thinking for a few minutes, 4yr olds like to process deep thoughts, Jubal said
"Well, when I get big I'm going to help them". When I asked him to be more specific, he told us that he was going to go live with the kids that didn't have much and help them."

What are you doing in your life to help those around you?

This is a good one!

2009-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

I love Indian food. I love it especially when I can make it ;). I have had quite a few disasters attempting to make it. Despite my intimidation with it now, I tried making this super easy recipe. It's not the real thing but it's really good. If you like Indian food, you will really like this dish. It's called Chicken Curry in a hurry and I got it out of a Real Simple magazine. If you make it, let me know what you think!

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 C plain yogurt
3/4 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (optional)
1 rotisserie chicken (I used just regular chicken that I had cooked, seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 C cooked white rice (optional)
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in curry powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add yogurt and cream. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and tomatoes (if using). Remove from heat. Slice or shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Divide the rice (if using) and chicken among individual bowls and spoon sauce on top. Sprinkle with cilantro.

*Because we love garlic, I added about 3 cloves to the sauce. Tasty!

**You can also have pita bread as a substitute for rice.