Making a House a Home

The Gentleness Challenge...

2012-01-02T15:08:00.001-05:00

OOOOOOOOH how this convicted me as I read this morning!!! Go here and read the challenge that Courtney has given.

Anyone up for a challenge??

Black Friday rerun sale!!!!

2011-12-10T07:58:00.000-05:00

On marriage...

2011-12-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

Homemade croutons...

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yummy, crunchy croutons. Who doesn't love 'em? That's usually everyone's favorite part of a salad, right? Well, why buy premade croutons when you can make your own?

First, choose the bread you want to use. Here I used whole wheat bread, but I have also used day-old rolls, French bread, or white bread. Cut them up into the size croutons you and your family like.

Here's where you get creative- spices. Salt and pepper are needed for whatever other spices you choose. Today I used Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Use whatever favorite flavors your family prefers and sprinkle about a teaspoon of each over all your cut up bread.

We LOVE garlic in our family and always make sure we use TONS of it.

After you've added the spices you like, drizzle olive oil over the bread cubes. Start off with 3-4 T and, using your hands, toss the bread cubes around, making sure that all the bread is covered in oil. The spices that you added earlier will be tossed around, too, to make sure they are more evenly distributed. If the bread still looks too dry, then add a little more oil and toss.

Here they are! All ready for the oven!

Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, taking them out to toss them around in the pan every 10 minutes. Watch closely to make sure that they do not burn. You want your croutons nicely browned all over, but not burned.

Mmmmmm!!!! The finished product!! Yummy, crunchy, flavorful, homemade croutons!!

Bar Keepers Friend...

2011-11-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

This product, ladies and gentlemen, is my new best friend!!! For YEARS I have heard how awesome Bar Keepers Friend is. For some odd reason, I only thought this product was at specialty stores so I never bothered to look for it. Lo and behold, there it was last week at Walmart of all places! Sitting on the bottom shelf, just waiting for me to bring it home and give it a try.

Mr. U suggested that I clean the worst pot first. I got my stainless steel pots and pans almost 2 years ago and this pot is the one that I always use to steep tea bags in to make sweet tea. The pot is THIS STAINED in less than 2 years of making tea!!

But just LOOK at how shiny the same pot is after I used Bar Keepers Friend!!!

I am SOLD! I will most definitely keep some on hand now- at all times!! So far I've scrubbed TONS of things. What is it about a new cleaning product that makes you want to clean and clean? LOL!!!

Do any of y'all love Bar Keepers Friend? If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!!

Who knew? Cleaning your washing machine!!!!

2011-11-14T07:04:00.000-05:00

Will someone PLEASE tell me that I am not the last one to learn that we are supposed to clean our washing machines???? Seriously, I had no idea! Yes, I wash the outside of the machine, but I never gave any thought to the inside of it!! So what's a girl to do? Yes, GOOGLE THE ANSWER!! And here's I found...

Throw in dirty clothes, add some detergent, turn a dial and come back later to clean clothes. Ever wonder where all that dirt goes? Most of it rushes away with the drain water; but some lurks in your machine and can cause laundry to appear dull and gray...

Keep reading....and then be sure and tell me if you've ever cleaned your washing machine!!

Mothering on our Knees...

2011-10-26T22:54:00.000-04:00

(photo found here)

I love this post from Lorie. While I do not (yet) have the resource she recommends, I can gain a lot from the 10 prayer topics she shares.

As she says, "Good mothering must always begins on our knees."

Homemade Butterfingers????

2011-10-21T00:03:00.000-04:00

Oh y'all!! I am on Pinterest (who isn't, right?) and recently found a recipe for homemade Butterfingers! And the secret is..... are you ready??...... CANDY CORN!!!

The texture is not exactly like the store bought Butterfingers, but the taste is very, very close to it. Mr. U is a major Butterfinger fan and REALLY likes these.

So since they are sooo easy, why don't you give Homemade Butterfingers a shot? They are DELICIOUS, for sure!!

Housework, Again?

2011-10-17T20:48:00.001-04:00

(photo found here)

“I’ve swept the floor three times already and it’s dirty again!”

Does this reality discourage you, make you want to walk away some days?

Keep reading what Kelly shares at Generation Cedar....

Do you know the bones of your Bible?

2011-09-13T15:52:00.000-04:00

(photo credit)

Thank you to Do Not Depart for a GREAT article reminding us why we need to memorize the books of the Bible!!! Read here...

Homeschool Classroom Tour...

2011-08-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

My friend Gretchen has a wonderful homeschool classroom!! She is GREAT with organization and she offers some great tips. Thank you, Gretchen!

A Fun Giveaway!

2011-08-13T09:44:00.001-04:00

A new website called Your Home. Well Done. has some GREAT ideas to encourage the homemaker AND the homeschooling mom! Gretchen, the owner of Your Home. Well Done. says,

"Do you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the how’s? How will I find the time to get all my tasks accomplished? How do I manage my family’s schedule? How do I home educate my children when I don’t even remember grammar rules, the presidents, who did what when, etc? How do I sneak some “me time” in when I can’t even catch my breath?!

Do you find yourself wanting help but don’t even know where to start? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves, take action, and see lasting results? You are not alone. Let’s do this!"

And guess what? Gretchen is having a giveaway to celebrate!!! Here's how to enter!!

Your Home. Well Done. is celebrating "Back to School" week. This week on my website I will be posting activities, projects, tour of our school room, and will be having a prize giveaway! It is for a year subscription to FamilyFun Magazine. The deadline is Tuesday, August 16th EST 12:00 and the winner will be announced on Wed. August 17th. In order to participate in the drawing become a fan on my Facebook page- Your Home. Well Done. If they don't have a Facebook account then they can email me their name at yourhomewelldone@gmail.com

Be sure and visit Your Home. Well Done. on Facebook and enter to win!!!

Cleaning tips from all of you...

2011-08-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

On this post, I asked for cleaning tips and WOW did I get some great ones!! Listed below are all the tips that y'all shared. Thank you so much, ladies, for sharing all of these!! I know many of us will benefit greatly from them!!

-Oh boy, cleaning tips...keep it natural (store bought or homemade cleaners) and I love baking soda and vinegar! They have so many uses. Oh, and I like to put half lemons in the garbage disposer to freshen up about once a week :-)

-My tip is to make a cleaning check list for my non-readers. I took pictures of the things that needed cleaning and then used the pictures to make a check list for the room they were responsible for.

-I really love Barkeeper's Friend for stubborn countertop stains and for cleaning the sink and stove.

-Cleaning tips? Get rid of what isn't used and declutter every nook and cranny every 6 months. and those wet / dry covered swiffer heads work great to pick up dog hair that sweeping leaves behind.

-As far as a cleaning tip, one thing I found is that while you are waiting for something, talking on the phone, watching the kids in the tub, do cleaning the in room you are in. If you are on the phone, cleaning goes by fast and it is amazing how nice it looks and you got a visit with a friend. While the kids are in the tub, shine the sink, wash the toilet (crack the window if you are worried about fumes) and sweep the floor, wiping around the toilet too. Give the kids a wash rag and some baking soda and have them clean the tub. The baking soda won't hurt them and it will get the tub cleaner!

-I think one of my best cleaning tips is getting the children involved! When they help so much more can be done! And with things like Norwex microfiber cloths being available they can do so much more to help!

-Tip: Train your young ones to help, and when they get older, they can take over most of the cleaning/laundry/yardwork

-Hmm, a cleaning tip from me is one I've often gone back to that I learned from Fly Lady: Do something everyday. Start with the kitchen sink. Even when it seems overwhelming, just keeping ONE thing sparkly (the kitchen sink) and it will spur you on.

-My one cleaning tip: wipe something up or off EVERY time you are in the bathroom. If you are drinking enough water you will be in there lots. This really does KEEP the bathroom clean!!

-Tip: I clean the bathroom while my girls are in the tub. I can be right there and keep an eye on them, but get some cleaning done. I use Trader Joe's multi-purpose cleaner so no worries about fumes.

I also have my 3 & 4 year olds help with the laundry. They fold the towels and their clothes and are getting really good at it. They also sort the laundry for me. We make a game of it and they LOVE laundry time. You would think I was giving them a huge reward.

OxiClean is wonderful for getting stains out of the carpet and I put a half of scoop in with each load of laundry (placed in the tub with the clothes) and it keeps the whites so white and pretty and they come out so fresh and clean smelling.

-Cleaning tip: Using a couple of drops of liquid dishwasher soap and a scotchbrite pad makes stainless steel sinks sparkle and removes stains. Just be sure to rinse it well.

-I'm not sure this is the best cleaning tip...but we like clean kitchen floors. When we have company coming, of course we scrub and clean. After everyone leaves (usually it's a large family) I feel the floor is dirtier than it was before they came! So my option is to just spot clean any major dirt quickly before the company visit and do a good scrub after they leave! Like I said...maybe not the best cleaning tip, but it works for us. :)

-White Vinegar and Baking Soda make a wonderful cleaning paste!
We even washed our clear vinyl shower curtain in this - came out looking like new!

-My cleaning tip is: to make a chart and list things to do daily in blue and then have one or two weekly chores added as well in red.

-My cleaning tip would be to establish a schedule to maintain cleanliness and prevent you from having to pull out the super harsh chemical products.

-One of my favourite cleaning tips is to spread the cleaning tasks and laundry over the week instead of doing a whole house clean or all the laundry once a week. I prefer this to the giant clean-a-thons.

-Cleaning tip: we are in the process of selling and relocating and so in order to put our house on the market and keep it clean, I had to declutter, declutter and declutter some more. :-) Now that I've gone through things to prepare for my move, I realized how much stuff I didn't really need. I think setting aside time to declutter (even if your not moving) can really motivate you and encourage you to do the next thing on your list.

And the winner is....

2011-08-05T21:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations, Deb!! You are the winner!! I will contact you and get your email information.

And by the way, if y'all have never been to Deb's blog before, please stop by!! She is talented, loves the Lord and seems so warm and friendly!

Do YOU like to have a clean home? A GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-01T10:15:00.001-04:00

Did you read 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae? Were you wanting more challenges?? If so, you are in luck!!

Jennifer Ross of Renewing Housewives has written a follow up entitled Encouraging Challenges- The Month After 31 Days to Clean. Jennifer said she enjoyed Sarah Mae's ebook so much that she wanted MORE!! So Sarah Mae encouraged Jennifer to write the follow up. And she did just that!!

Even if you did not read 31 Days to Clean, Jennifer's ebook, Encouraging Challenges, is STILL a must have! SO many inspiring words and helpful hints!

Encouraging Challenges is chock full of more encouragement and more cleaning challenges for you!! And the great thing is, I get to host a giveaway!!!

Here's how to enter....

1)Be sure and leave a comment below and I'll enter you in the drawing for this FABULOUS ebook!!

2)Share a cleaning tip that's been helpful for you and I'll enter your name twice!!!

3) Go visit Jennifer's blog to see all the wonderful ideas she has to spur us homemakers on in our roles!! Be sure and let me know that you have visited her!!

BUT WAIT!!! IT GETS EVEN BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jennifer's husband, Jason Ross, also has a new ebook out. It's entitled Nurturing a Godly Wife. Jason has included tips and analogies to help our husbands understand us wives a little better. Always a WONDERFUL thing!! And you can win THIS, too!!

Don't forget to enter! And be sure and tell your friends!! Both of these ebooks are certain to encourage and grow you and your family! And even if your name isn't drawn, you can still purchase both of these ebooks through the links I've provided- Encouraging Challenges and Nurturing a Godly Wife.

The deadline to enter will be 12:00 midnight EST this Thursday, August 4th, EST. I will announce the winner on Fruiday, August 5th.

Worth reading...

2011-07-20T18:22:00.000-04:00

(photo found here)

Here are two articles I found very encouraging lately. I hope you enjoy them, too!

Motherhood is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Home: A Woman's Domain

I soooo enjoy these....

2011-07-18T15:15:00.000-04:00

Anyone else LOOOOOOVE McDonald's Mocha Frappes???

Saying I Love You with Food...

2011-07-12T12:21:00.003-04:00

(photo credit)

From Living On a Dime...

In this day and age of fast food restaurants and convenience food, we tend to think that most people, when going through a hard time, don't need a meal or a jar of soup brought to them.
Many years ago, before there were stores or fast food restaurants on every corner or microwaves in every kitchen, a neighbor bringing in a meal was sometimes a matter of physical survival. That isn't usually the case these days.
Even so, I hate to see bringing a meal to someone who is sick, has just had a baby or has lost a love one fall by the wayside. We often think the person or family can just pick something up or cook something easy in the microwave. They probably can but there are a couple of reasons why it is still nice to bring someone a meal.
Usually at these stressful times people are exhausted, both physically and emotionally. When this happens it is so hard to think and make decisions. Just ask anyone who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Trying to decide what to cook or buy for a meal can be very overwhelming. It's often the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Having someone call and say, "I'm bringing a meal for you tonight," can help so much to ease a persons mind, which is probably overloaded with other things. It is just one less decision to make.
Bringing food is a way of saying, "I love you," or, "I care." Food is comforting to most people. (I'm not talking about people overeating to comfort themselves so please don't comment on that). Being a grandma, the minute I know the grandkids are coming, I get out the cookies and candy and, when friends arrive, the first thing I do is bring out a plate of cookies or put on the kettle.
Taking a plate of cookies to a new neighbor says, "Welcome! We are glad to have you!" Taking a meal to someone who is sick says, "I care." Let's not let another way of saying, "I care," fall by the wayside.
I will try to share more ideas on this subject in a future post but, for now, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Make things as easy as possible for the person you are helping. Send napkins, plastic forks and spoons.
Start looking now for inexpensive bowls, platters and dishes at garage sales. You can leave these dishes when you take food to people so they don't have to worry about returning the dishes. When you can, try to use disposable pans and dishes so the people who are already overwhelmed don't have to wash dishes.
There is a time and place to save the environment and this is not it. I save and wash most of the containers that I get when I buy things at the bakery or the grocery store and reuse them at these times. You would be surprised how many containers you get every day that would work great if you remove the labels and wash them.

Some good blogs I've visited lately...

2011-07-08T15:42:00.001-04:00

Here's a few of the great blogs I've recently discovered...

- The Practical Housewife- Many of y'all will remember Mrs. Catherine from her former blog, Making It Home, a few years ago. She's SO encouraging to me to get my home clean for my family. She's starting a week by week cleaning challenge next week. YAY!!

-Mommy Evangelism- How in the WORLD are you still able to share your faith AND mother little ones at the same time?? Help (and encouragement) is here!

-Inspired to Action- I LOVE how Kat has a plan to keep herself focused on daily seeking the Lord FIRST and she also makes sure that she fits in exercise to keep herself physically healthy to serve her family.

-Renewing Housewives- Written to encourage us homemakers in our calling. GREAT blog!!

Why memorize Scripture?

2011-06-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

As Christians, we should be memorizing Scripture-hiding God's Word in our hearts. We are to have the mind of Christ and how better to do that than to truly know them by heart?

How to get started? Here are a few helpful ways from...

1) A Holy Experience

2) Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore)

3) Revive Our Hearts (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

And here's what John Piper has to say about memorizing God's Word....

So... what are YOU memorizing right now?

What came in the mail today....

2011-06-06T23:12:00.001-04:00

YAY!! Today I received the newest Duggar book in the mail!! I'm in chapter 4 already and LOVE A Love That Multiplies. The book gives many details that were covered on the show, but tells more about each situation. Very interesting and, as always, very encouraging in the Lord.

Spaghetti Bolognese...

2011-04-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Mad Hungry (the cookbook AND the cooking show). Lucinda Scala Quinn's recipes have all been super delicious and easy to follow. This Spaghetti Bolognese of hers is DELICIOUS! Our whole family heartily recommends this!

Chocolate Bird Nests for Springtime...

2011-04-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

Our family has a tradition of celebrating the change of each season with a special tea. Elizabeth really gets excited about these and even counts down the days! She was so happy when I told her she could pick out our special dessert for our Springtime tea and she chose these Chocolate Bird Nests. They were very simple to make and she LOVED being so involved with all the ingredients. Her favorite part? Licking the bowl, of course!!!!

Homemade Peanut Butter...

2011-02-28T00:18:00.007-05:00

Elizabeth received a new cookbook for Christmas, Sesame Street C is for Cooking, and she LOVES it. The first recipe she wanted to make was peanut butter.

The recipe is very simple and, with the help of my blender, we whipped it up in no time!! When it was first finished, it was warm and runny. But after it spent the night in the refrigerator, it was PERFECT!! It was even more perfect on a piece of toast. Yum!!

Cookie Monster's Homemade Peanut Butter

1 pound (3 cups) dry roasted peanuts, unsalted or lightly salted
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

In large bowl, combine peanuts with oil. With a spoon, stir to mix well.

Pour the oiled peanuts into a food processor (I used a blender). Process until very smooth, about 3-4 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the peanut butter to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I'm linking up with....

Today at Raising Homemakers...

2011-02-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

Today at Raising Homemakers...

Over the years, the “picture” of what a homemaker is, or should be, has faded into one of drudgery, where a dull-minded, incapable woman fulfills her endless, boring duties of cleaning toilets, washing dishes, and vacuuming, reaping no rewards or satisfaction. She has a few children, which makes her job even harder, and the best she can hope for is the day they start school. This picture is being constantly promoted, devastating the sanctity of home and any desire to guard and keep it....(keep reading)...

Happy National Pie Day!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-24T20:24:00.001-05:00

Okay, well, yes, I will admit that I am a day late, but still, y'all, let's CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do have a good excuse for missing yesterday. A sweet lady from church and her granddaughter and grandson-in-law invited us to go out to eat with them after church. I had planned on celebrating National Pie Day yesterday, but I think celebrating dear friends visiting is way more important!!!

On with the pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In honor of the day, I chose to celebrate with a simple quiche this year!!! Nope, no dessert pie here this year, but in it's stead a yummy and super easy bacon and cheese quiche. Yum!!

Bacon and Cheese Quiche
1/2 lb cooked bacon, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used mozzarella and parmesan)
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust (uncooked)
4 eggs
1 cup half and half OR whipping cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
dash of garlic powder

Place bacon and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into pie shell. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes until center is puffed. Allow quiche to stand 5 minutes before cutting.

(Note: I usually use PioneerWoman's pie crust recipe, but this time I used the Cream Cheese Pastry Dough from Mad Hungry.)

To do today....

2011-01-18T07:01:00.000-05:00

To do today.....

1) 4 loads of laundry

2) dust ceiling fans

3) vacuum

4) clean master bathroom

5) steam and freeze Caroline's food

6) read and play with the girls

What's on YOUR to do list today?

Good Morning Girls...

2011-01-13T16:47:00.000-05:00

Are any of y'all involved with Good Morning Girls? The next session is starting up on January 15th and I'd love to be part of a group!! Let me know if anyone is interested!

His,
Mrs. U

Let's celebrate National Pie Day 2011!!!!...

2011-01-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to start deciding what pie you will be baking for your family to celebrate National Pie Day this year!! It'll be celebrated on Sunday, January 23, so you've still got a bit of time to pick the pie you want to bake and serve that day!!

So, anyone else want to celebrate National Pie Day with me this year?

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards...

2011-01-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

To welcome in the new year, I wanted to share with you the 70 resolutions that Jonathan Edwards wrote to challenge himself in his walk with the Lord. He faithfully read them once a week.

You can read all 70 resolutions here.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

read the rest here....

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-23T22:55:00.003-05:00

Thank you to Courtney for sharing this.

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime: but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity; but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angelsand crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return; but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails.

12 years ago today....

2010-12-12T23:42:00.000-05:00

On December 12, 1998, I married the man of my dreams and my very best friend. I am shocked that these 12 years have gone by so very quickly!!! How I love my sweet husband!! He is FAR too good for me!! I truly thank the Lord daily for allowing me to be his wife.

Today from True Woman...

2010-11-30T15:18:00.002-05:00

“Do we as a society believe that family is so important that we uphold caring for home and children as the best and most important job a woman might ever have?”...continued...

Putting God Back in the Holidays...

2010-11-14T16:13:00.000-05:00

I enjoy reading what Courtney shares at Women Living Well. She is so encouraging to remind her readers to get in the Word and focus on the Lord. Right now she has a giveaway for a book entitled "Putting God Back in the Holidays". Y"all be sure and head over there and enter to win!!

Reading the Word...

2010-10-29T08:51:00.002-04:00

“Yes, I read the Bible this morning. Don’t ask me what it said, because I don’t remember!”... read more....

Ready for a cleaning challenge??

2010-10-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

Who's up for a cleaning challenge????

Here's a GREAT challenge from FlyLady if any of y'all want to do this! I am BAD about stuffing things in the closet, closing the door and walking away and forgetting about it. I appreciate how FlyLady believes in baby steps- something THIS perfectionist needs to be able to get my homekeeping done!!!

I love being a mommy....

2010-10-07T06:02:00.000-04:00

...especially when I get sweet little pictures like this!!

The Writing CLAW.....

2010-09-28T15:33:00.002-04:00

I LOOOOOVE this Writing Claw!!! It's made it so much easier for Elizabeth to hold her pencil. Her fingers simply fit into the little cups and away she goes!!! She would hold it so improperly before that I knew it would lead to handwriting issues later on. I was happy to find this Writing CLAW at our local teacher supply store.

Just wondering.....

2010-09-17T14:53:00.002-04:00

Am I the only person NOT on facebook????

Feminism exposed...

2010-09-15T15:04:00.000-04:00

I want to get straight to the heart of the issue and expose some of the many and greatest lies of feminism. As you read through this list, honestly ask yourself which of these lies you may have believed in the past or present in some form or another.

Shall we begin?

1. I have my rights.

2. I can have it all.

3. I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings.

4. A career outside the home is more valuable and fulfilling than being a wife and mother.

5. It’s all about me.

6. If my husband is passive I need to lead.

7. If I submit, I’ll be miserable.

8. I have to have ________ to make me happy.

9. Children are a hindrance and a burden.

10. Women are smarter than men.

Continue reading here at Mrs. Fuentes' blog...

Butter help....

2010-09-13T07:16:00.003-04:00

We've all had recipes that have called for "cold butter, diced". It's such a pain, in my opinion, to try to dice butter. Even when it's straight out of the refrigerator, it still starts melting pretty fast once your hand starts touching it.

I've discovered a tip that works for me!! I put the butter in the FREEZER about 20 minutes and then take it out and cut it into sticks and then dice it up. It's firmer so it cuts more easily and it doesn't melt as quickly when my hands touch it. After I dice it, I'll put it in a bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes just to make sure it's cold when I use it. This way it's perfectly cold for my biscuits or pie crust or whatever I need "cold butter, diced" for!!!

Help!!!!

2010-09-10T21:02:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: Problem fixed!! Mr. U realized that Firefox was my problem and did something to fix it (I am NOT computer savvy AT ALL, so I have no idea what he did). If anyone else encounters this strange problem, it may be Firefox!!!!

Is anyone else having trouble posting pictures on blogger??? When I try to, at the bottom left of the screen, it says "waiting to connect to blogger.com" and then changes to "connecting to draft.blogger.com" and they flash back and forth SUPER DUPER fast.

ACK!!!

Any ideas? I've already restarted the computer with no luck.

First day of school....

2010-09-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was our first day of school here in our homeschool. I consider Elizabeth to be in PreK even though her work is all K and 1st. She is SO excited about learning more.

I've got pumpkin!!!!

2010-09-07T16:25:00.001-04:00

Some of y'all may remember me blogging about the pumpkin shortage. As you can tell by the above photo, I HAVE PUMPKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sweet, real-life friend, Melissa, found the Libby's cans at a grocery store near her and her granny found the other cans at another grocery store!! I was SOOOOO excited when I got them!!

So can you guess what we had today for our meal? Yes, something with pumpkin in it!! Pumpkin Sausage Pasta that my family adores.

Ready for a change....

2010-09-01T13:40:00.000-04:00

I just can't help it, y'all. I am SOOO ready for Fall!! I am OVER the extreme heat we've had all summer long here down South and ready for cooler days and changing leaves. The nights have been a tad cooler lately so it only makes me want Fall all the more.

Anyone else ready for Fall?

What I did on Saturday night....

2010-08-30T07:06:00.000-04:00

I cleaned my sink. Yessireebob, I did. I did it the Flylady way and it is SPARKLING clean now!!! It is amazing how simply cleaning the sink has gotten me into a cleaning mood!! Look out dirt and dust, here I come!!!

I LOVE my Ped Egg!!!

2010-08-18T08:20:00.000-04:00

For years, I have done all I thought I could do for my poor dry, cracked heels and NOTHING seemed to help. I figured I was going to have to deal with them for the rest of my life. What a pain!!

And then, I bought a Ped Egg while grocery shopping at Walmart last week.

Did you hear the Hallelujah Chorus last week from the South? Yep, that was ME! I LOOOOVE my Ped Egg!!! It is the ONLY thing that has ever helped my icky heels. Elizabeth asked me what I was doing and I told her, laughingly, that I was trying to make my heels as nice and pretty as her 4 year old heels are. HA! Well, y'all, guess what? THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, well, not EXACTLY as nice as a 4 year olds, but a MILLION times better than they were! I am super excited about my Ped Egg!!

I know I'm not the only one who has had to deal with nasty, dry, cracked, sore heels, am I?? If that's you, definitely give your feet a break and buy a Ped Egg. You will be SO happy with it!!

And no, I'm not getting any money from Ped Egg. I just want to help out anyone else who has the same problem I was dealing with.

YAY!! Soft heels are here to stay!!!!

Groceries...

2010-08-16T07:01:00.000-04:00

Groceries. Oh dear. The cost of buying groceries has gone up SOO much in the past few years!! I'd love to know what your family is paying each month on groceries.

Also, how much does your family eat out??

I shop right after each payday- the 10th and the 25th. Just last week, our bill was $260!!!! And that didn't even include any meat!!!! There are 3 adults in our home and a 4 year old. I'm not even counting formula for Caroline in this purchase. I buy store brands as much as possible and don't buy anything premade (no chips or cookies or frozen meals) because I enjoy making things from scratch. Coupons aren't always helpful since the store brand is usually much cheaper. Wow, that totals $520 a month!!

What does your family do to keep the cost of food down?

Chicken Enchiladas....

2010-08-11T11:20:00.002-04:00

Tammy shared yesterday that she made a homemade Green Enchilada Sauce and WOW does it look YUMMY!!! I've made several enchilada recipes, but I'd REALLY love to know YOUR favorite enchilada recipe that uses green enchilada sauce! I'm just dying to try this new recipe.

Would y'all share?? Pretty please???

Trying to figure this all out.....

2010-08-04T16:23:00.002-04:00

I remember well when we first brought Elizabeth home from China. I was in a fog for about 6 months, it seems, trying to figure out how to do things around the home and still watch her AND include her in what I was doing. Somewhere along the way, it all clicked in my brain and we found a routine that worked very nicely.

Since Caroline's been home (she was born here in the South), I'm finding myself in that same fog that I was in in 2007. Cooking is easier because Caroline is younger than Elizabeth was when she first came home and I can find more time to cook during all her napping. Hosuework hasn't been too difficult, either, but, I must admit, my house isn't nearly as clean or tidy as it was just a couple of months ago. With car seat carriers, boxes of clothes, Sam's-sized diaper purchases and soon-to-be-used Bumbo seats, I'm finding that our tiny home is feeling quite cluttered these days.

My main confusion these days, however, has been in trying to handle Elizabeth!! HA! She is SOOO excited about being big sister that she wants to pick up Caroline and do all kinds of things with her! LOL!! I told her in a few months she'll be sitting up and will be able to play more. Of course, to a 4 year old, "a few months" seems like an eternity!!!

But OOOOH am I thankful for my two little ones!!! They'll grow up and become wives and mothers all too soon. And I pray that, above all, they'll grow up into women of God- ladies that truly have a heart to follow the Lord no matter the cost.

For now? For now I'll enjoy the clutter and the smiles and the giggles. What sweet blessings I've been given!!!

Italian Beef Soup...

2010-07-23T05:27:00.001-04:00

I made this up today because this was all I had on hand. Surprisingly, it was GOOD!! I love when a recipe comes together so nicely!!

Italian Beef Soup

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 piece bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced *
4 cups chicken stock
1 (14 oz) can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
3 T freshly minced rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano reggiano

In stock pot, heat extra virgin olive oil. Stir in bacon and cook until crisp. Add onions and ground beef and cook until pink is gone from meat and onions are translucent. Stir in garlic and cook until you start to smell the garlic fragrance (maybe 1 minute). Stir in stock, beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Let come to a boil and then simmer about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano before serving.

*I have to tell y'all, we are BIG TIME garlic fans in our home. You don't have to use 4 garlic cloves if you don't want to. Please change it to make YOUR family happy. :)

2 months old...

2010-07-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

Here's our little Caroline at 2 months old. WOW how much she has changed!! So full of love and life and SMILES and giggles! I LOOOOVE it!!

Next Food Network Star....

2010-07-19T00:08:00.003-04:00

It's no secret. I LOVE to cook. And I really enjoy watching the Next Food Network Star. My favorite this year? Hands down, Aarti!!

If any other NFNS fans are reading this, be aware that you can go vote for the Fan Favorite!! You can vote up to 10 times a day until August 16th and the winner will be 6 episode web-only show. FUN!! I want Aarti to win the whole thing AND win the web show, too! Go Aarti!!!

The Baby Conference....

2010-07-11T18:07:00.003-04:00

Our family has been in San Antonio, Texas, attending The Baby Conference. What FUN we've had here!! We were blessed to meet some old friends, make new friends, visit a beautiful city and be encouraged in our family vision! It's been wonderful!!

Were any of y'all here?

A pumpkin shortage????

2010-07-03T23:15:00.002-04:00

I know I can't be the only one out there that has looked EVERYWHERE for canned pumpkin lately, can I? If you're like me and cannot find it, I just found out there is a pumpkin shortage!! For real! Read about it here...

Still, this doesn't AT ALL change the fact that my family and I are really craving Pumpkin Sausage Pasta and Thai Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup!!!

Typical morning around here these days...

2010-06-25T07:53:00.000-04:00

Napping....

2010-06-22T15:43:00.004-04:00

(photo found here)

Yep, I just finished a nice little 30 minute nap. I've always loved being able to take a quick nap, but now that we're still adjusting to Caroline, I'm definitely in need of them!!! And how wonderful to know that naps are good for you!!! While Elizabeth and Caroline are napping away, this mommy will certainly find time to fit in a little shut eye.

What our family has been busy with lately.....

2010-06-17T23:23:00.003-04:00

Yep!! A BABY!!!! Caroline Elaine was born May 12 and we were able to bring her home yesterday, June 16. We are SO blessed!!!

Thank you all for your prayers and support of our adoption! I am quite sure more stories and photos of her will be on this blog soon!

Regeneration...

2010-06-13T15:54:00.001-04:00

Regeneration

O God of the Highest Heaven,
occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme, lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.
Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul.
served with my every act of life.
Thou has loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favoured, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.
I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
ne ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee; But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.

HT- A Portrait of a Lady

Raising Homemakers...

2010-06-01T23:41:00.005-04:00

I am SO looking forward to learning from this blog!! Y'all be sure and check it out!!

RaisingHomemakers.com was born out of a desire grow, learn, and be encouraged by women who were living out Titus 2 and who were managing their homes well for the glory of God.

Brokenness and Worship...

2010-05-31T11:17:00.003-04:00

From Nancy Leigh DeMoss

It seems there’s a lot of emphasis in the church today on freedom, love, and worship, as there should be. But we need to remember that God has established a process that leads to true freedom, love, and worship—and there are no short-cuts.

True worship begins with brokenness and humility over our sin. Mourning over our sin leads to repentance and then forgiveness. That produces freedom from guilt and bondage. Freedom gives us a greater capacity for love and then for worship.

And of course, true love and worship will lead us back to a new level of brokenness, deeper repentance, increased forgiveness, freedom, love, and worship.

So there’s nothing wrong with popping in a worship CD. But remember, we can’t experience true freedom, love, and worship unless we enter by way of humility, repentance, and forgiveness.

The Mom Song...

2010-05-25T15:25:00.002-04:00

My sister just found this over at GirlTalk and OH is it cute!!!!

Trouble in a 9x13...

2010-05-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

I have made Congo Bars before and they were good. But these? Oh dear. Trouble. Nothing but trouble. The recipe is slightly different but WOW is there a big difference in taste!!!

Thank you, Bakerella, for sharing this recipe!!

Congo Bars

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

By mixer:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Stir in chips and then pecans.

By hand:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Our graduate...

2010-05-18T19:58:00.006-04:00

Yep, that's my Joshua!!! He graduated this past Saturday from Liberty University! YAY!!! He's now working toward a degree in Masters of Arts and Religion with a concentration in Biblical Studies. It is so hard to believe that this is the same little boy that used to snuggle with me. Who said he could grow up so quickly???? But WOW am I proud of him!!!

Oh, and in case anyone is interested, he completed his undergraduate degree (and now working on his Masters degree) through Liberty University Online. He LOVES it!! Feel free to contact him through his blog if you have any questions.

Thank you!!!

2010-05-04T23:25:00.004-04:00

THANK YOU to everyone who helped support our next adoption by shopping with Blessings Unlimited!!! We were so blessed by Charree for allowing us to have her commission for the sales.

Now... just to bring a baby home...

You are cordially invited....

2010-04-26T23:30:00.000-04:00

.... to my blog party!!!!

Yep, I'm very excited to announce that I am having a Blessings Unlimited party!! My sweet friend (and new mommy!!) Charree, at Held in His Hands, is a representative with them and is very kindly giving all her commission from the sales of this party of us for our next adoption!!!! I am soooo humbled by this!!!

Anyway, y'all be sure and head over to Blessings Unlimited and place an order. Mother's Day is coming up and this would be the perfect place to find a gift for your mother or grandmother or the special mother in your life that you want to bless that day. Or you could find something super cute to go in your own home.

Here's what I found out about Blessings Unlimited...

At Blessings Unlimited, our Mission Statement is "To pursue the heart of God and bring blessings to others." We are a company which operates upon Christian principles for the purpose of Christian ministry, not just a company that sells religious products.

Not only does buying from them help our adoption, but it also supports a Christian company, too!

This online party will be over Friday, April 30th. Thank you to EVERYONE who can help us through this party!!!

Contented at home?

2010-04-13T06:20:00.000-04:00

Because we are all sinful human beings it can be very easy to be a keeper
at home who is miserable, discontent, longing for “greener pastures” and
foolishly plucking down her home with her own hands (Proverbs14:1).
Self-absorption and the demanding of our “rights” can steal our joy and destroy
our effectiveness in the mighty work the Lord has given us to do.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Spring cleaning, anyone?...

2010-04-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

Since Spring weather has officially arrived in our area (although it was in the 90s last week.... kind of seemed more like summer!!!), it's time to get spring cleaning done!!!

Here's a link to suggestions from Martha Stewart about spring cleaning ideas- click here.

Have you already started your spring cleaning?

Ricotta Cookies....

2010-04-02T21:55:00.007-04:00

(Yes, there is a cookie missing. I am guilty!!!)

I'll be the first to admit that using ricotta cheese in a cookie recipe sounds a little weird. That's just not normal. Ricotta is used in cheesecakes and lasagna- not cookies!

But WOW was I impressed when Elizabeth and I made these Thursday! I wanted to try a new cookie to share at a church meal and found this recipe while browsing Allrecipes (LOOOOOOOOVE Allrecipes!!!!)

The cookie reminds me more of a Little Debbie snack cake instead of a cookie. It is cakelike inside and slightly sweet and ooooh soooo good!! The lightly lemon flavored glaze surrounding it really pushes this over the top in goodness!!

See how puffy they got! Yum!

Enough talk. Y'all try them soon!! They are REALLY good and definitely not like your typical everyday cookie!

Ricotta Cookies...

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
16 ounces ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1/2 cup colored candy sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the ricotta cheese and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, stir into the ricotta mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting warm the milk, 1/2 teaspoon of butter and shortening, in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until solids are melted. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar and lemon extract. Dip each cookie into the icing then dip in colored sugar or sprinkles.

See, even Elizabeth loved them! Of course, I think her favorite part was putting sprinkles on each cookie.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas...

2010-03-17T16:20:00.003-04:00

I love trying different enchilada recipes and I was excited when I saw Kelli share this recently. They are really good!! I'm thinking that it's the cilantro (my FAVORITE herb in the world!!!!) that made it sooo delicous!!!

Thank you, Kelli!!!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup salsa
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. Mix sour cream, enchilada sauce, salsa, green chiles, and cilantro together in bowl. Set aside.

2. In separate bowl, mix shredded chicken, 1 cup of the sour cream mixture, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. I also seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, and a little cumin.

3. Heat tortillas in microwave oven until soft. Pour enough of the sour cream mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish to coat bottom.

3. Place 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbling.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies...

2010-03-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

These are crispy cookies with a very slight chew in the middle. Yum. My normal sugar cookie recipe is very soft and almost cakelike in the middle. This is a nice change.

Mr. U, who normally doesn't like sugar cookies, said these were quite tasty and that they reminded him of pound cake!! WOW! I think it must be the sour cream in the recipe. They don't make me think of pound cake, but they are good!!!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
-adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees line cookie sheets with parchment paper (my FAVORITE thing in the kitchen these days!!!). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.

With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; mix just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon.)

Scoop 1 1/2 T of dough into your hand and roll into a ball and then roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 13-17 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Our Forever day...

2010-02-25T12:25:00.002-05:00

My dearest, loveliest Elizabeth. Three years ago today you were placed in our arms. That was the happiest day of my life!! I am so glad that the Lord chose us to be your forever family.

Waiting....

2010-02-24T15:56:00.004-05:00

So, what's up with our adoption? Well, our homestudy update was completed in November and we're officially in "waiting" mode. This could take weeks, months or, gasp, years. Yep, I recently found out about a family that waited FOUR YEARS for their child. Oh my. Am I prepared for that?? Heaven help me!!!!

The wait for China was much easier. I knew how their system worked and I knew that we were kind of standing in line for it to be our turn to be matched with our child. But now? Oh my. There is no line. There is no system to figure out. It's just one big waiting game. Sigh.

So... what does a girl do while waiting? Well, you go shopping, of course!!!!

I didn't buy anything major. These are just some burp cloths, tiny socks and tiny onesies. I realized the other day that we have NOTHING in this house for a newborn, so when "the call" finally does come, we'll be going crazy trying to get things together!! So I figured I'd buy a few things here and there to prepare.

I don't know whether to buy girl or boy things. We requested a little girl because we already have tons of girl things and also because our house is small and the baby will be sharing a room with Elizabeth. If the agency calls us with news of a little boy, I am KNOW we will be more than thrilled and, well, we'll just figure out what to do about the bedrooms. :)

So that's where we stand with our adoption. Waiting. Just waiting. And one day "the call" will come and I'll be a nervous wreck. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Cheeseburger Soup....

2010-02-19T15:14:00.003-05:00

Once again, a post with NO PHOTOS!!!! I am sad, but what could I do? We had company today for lunch and she would've thought I was NUTS for taking pictures of the food! HAHA!!! I do promise, though, that we all LOOOOVED this!!! I most definitely will be making this again!!!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 1/4 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley flakes
4 T butter, divided
4 cups chicken stock, divided
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 T all-purpose flour
8 ounces process American cheese*
1-1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

In small sauté pan, melt 3 T butter. Add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes until mixture turns light brown. Gradually stir in 1 cup chicken stock, whisking as you add more stock to make a smooth and thick mixture.

In a dutch oven, melt 1 T butter and then brown beef; remove any grease and then stir in onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley. Add 3 cups chicken stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add butter/flour/stock mixture to dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

8 servings

*I used 8 oz of American cheese sandwich slices!! Yep, I unwrapped each one. Seriously!! It was SO perfectly wonderful!! I'll do it again, too!! YUM!!

Lasagna Soup...

2010-02-18T07:07:00.002-05:00

While the snow started coming down last Friday, I was MORE than happy to make this delicious soup for my family. Boy is this GOOD!!! Thank you, Jesse, for the recipe!!!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
8 oz fusilli (or other) pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and saute 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat from pot. Add onions and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown color (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes with their juices, stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add pasta and increase heat to medium high. Boil soup until pasta is cooked. Discard bay leaves and sitr in basil and salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper and mix well. To serve, place 1 1/2 T of this mixture in each bowl. Sprinkle with mozzarella and ladle soup on top.

Makes 13 cups

And, I am sorry to say, I do not have a photo of this dish. Next time I make this (and the whole family insists I WILL be making this again!! YUM!!!!), I will take a photo to share.

So, y'all, make sure you have all the ingredients and make this SOON for your family!!!!

Farmhouse Crackers....

2010-02-16T06:33:00.002-05:00

I got a sample issue of Mary Jane's Farm a week or two ago in the mail. Included was a recipe for Farmhouse Crackers. Yum. Homemade crackers. Crackers that don't have tons of weird ingredients listed in them like this...

What IS all that stuff, anyway?

Ahem...

Not only are these SUPER easy, but they are VERY tasty, too! Mr. U said "Stop buying those flavored Cheez-its for me and make these from now on!!!" I'll be more than happy to do that!!!

This is how my recipe ended up (remember, I have a VERY hard time sticking exactly to any recipe!! HA!)...

Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper Farmhouse Crackers

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear off three sheets of parchment paper (2 will be for cookie sheets and 1 will be used to roll out the dough).

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients and then stir in oil and water. Take 1/4 of the dough and put it in the middle of a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top and smoosh it down a bit (LOOOVE my technical terms!! HA!!). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out as thinly as possible (I go for 1/8th inch thick). Carefully peel the top piece of parchment off and then score the rolled out dough into the shape and size of crackers you want (a pizza cutter or pastry wheel will make quick work of this) . Then, just bake them in the oven about 14 minutes until the crackers are crispy brown. Mmmm.

Take them out of the oven and remove the whole piece of parchment paper and set it on a cooling rack. Wait about 5 minutes and then carefully break the crackers apart and let them cool about 10 minutes longer before moving them off the cooling rack.

Repeat this same process for the rest of the cracker dough.

I have NO idea how long these will keep. They've never made it more than 3 days here before we eat them all up. Yum!!!

UPDATE: I forgot to add in this post that the last time I made these crackers, I added 1 tsp of garlic powder and WOW they were good, too!! I also made a batch where I left out the parmesan and the black pepper and added 1 T fresh, finely minced rosemary and 3 cloves of finely minced garlic. These were very good, too!!!

And y'all, if you make your own variation and they are great, PLEASE let me know!!!!

Old Love...

2010-02-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

I found this on Mrs. B's site the other day. I just love it.

Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?

Yes, there is a more beautiful thing.

It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped; their faces are seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one another.

Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love....

Old love.

~Author Unknown~

Around here lately...

2010-02-12T14:42:00.002-05:00

My camera is broken. Such a sad thing!! We sent it to Canon to be repaired and it'll be back on Monday, but until then, I've been camera-less. Not good when you're someone who likes to blog with photos!!! :)

After hearing about all the snow up north, we are FINALLY getting snow here!! YAY!!! We Southerners surely like to see snow... maybe because it doesn't come very often and when it does, it's not very much. It's coming down pretty heavily, but not sticking to anything. Who knows? Maybe we'll wake up to a winter wonderland tomorrow morning!!!!

Tonight for dinner? Lasagna Soup!!! Sounds delicious! It's a new recipe from our friend Jesse and YUM I can't wait to try it!! I'll have to share the recipe (minus the photo, mind you) later on. Any recipe with fresh basil and ricotta cheese has GOT to be delicious, right?

What are y'all having for dinner tonight? Any new recipes you are trying out?

Around home today...

2010-02-05T15:47:00.004-05:00

(Photo found here)

It's been raining and cold all day. No fun. Gray skies give me thoughts of heading back to bed!! HA!!

Today has been a day of being lazy for Elizabeth and I. We had a quiet morning and then we cooked lunch. Because Mr. U works right next door to our home (we live in the parsonage) and Joshua works just a mile down the street, we have our main meal of the day at lunchtime. We LOVE having the biggest meal earlier! Oftentimes we'll have leftovers for dinner or just a sandwich.

We were supposed to have roast chicken with potatoes, but the chicken didn't thaw out soon enough. So, I thinly sliced the chicken and it thawed out very quickly!! Then I sauteed it with onions, peppers and garlic and stirred in some pasta sauce. Next I served it over pasta and served green beans on the side. YUM! It came together quickly and prevented me from allowing myself to get in a bad mood because the chicken wasn't thawed completely! YAY! Gourmet? No!! Quick and easy? YES!!!! (Do any of y'all ever allow yourself to get in a bad mood when something food related doesn't turn out like you like??)

Elizabeth is resting now. She hasn't napped for months, but will rest quietly in her room each afternoon. I use this time to check email or blogs or even take a nap, too!!!

We don't have any big plans for the weekend. Hopefully we'll be enjoying sunshine tomorrow instead of all this rain we've been getting today!!

What helps you grow in holiness?

2010-02-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

This is from Nancy Leigh DeMoss....

What helps you to grow in holiness?

“Come to the Holiness Conference—this weekend at the Expo Center!”

“Buy 7 Steps to Holiness today, at your local Christian retailer.”

You know, God uses something surprising to teach us holiness—suffering! In fact, the pathway to holiness always involves suffering.

When our lives are all roses and no thorns, we tend to be spiritually complacent. We neglect serious self-examination and confession. But affliction has a way of stripping away the stubborn deposits of selfishness that build up in the course of everyday life.

The psalmist put it this way, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”

Are you going through a time of suffering? Let me encourage you, hard as it may be, to embrace it as a gift from God. Ask Him to use this time to make you more like Him.

Happy National Pie Day 2010!!!

2010-01-23T14:17:00.004-05:00

Happy National Pie Day!!!!!

We celebrated with a Chocolate Chess Pie. YUM!!!

What kind of pie did you and your family celebrate with?

Something to think on this weekend...

2010-01-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

Peanut Butter Granola...

2010-01-13T08:56:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth LOVES Peanut Butter Granola for breakfast! And I love that I know every single ingredient that is in it.

Peanut Butter Granola
(adapted from Hillbilly Housewife)

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats

Begin by melting the butter and peanut butter together in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the honey, vanilla and salt. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and hot throughout. It doesn’t need to boil. Add the oats. Stir until the oats are completely coated with the sticky gooey peanut butter mixture. It will be chunky. Turn the mixture into an ungreased cookie sheet, or a large 9 by 13-inch pan. Spread the granola out evenly and bake it at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes. It should be brown and crispy. Now remove it from the oven and allow it to cool right there in the pan. Break it up into pieces after it is cooled. Transfer the granola to a sealed canister to store.

I'm not sure how long this would actually last before spoiling. Elizabeth eats it too quickly!! :)

TONIGHT!!! Return to Cranford...

2010-01-10T14:28:00.004-05:00

I am positive I am not the only one who fell in love with the dear townspeople of Cranford. And tonight Masterpiece Theatre is airing part one of Return to Cranford!! Be sure and check your local TV listings so you can watch it!!!

New dish towels...

2010-01-08T06:45:00.001-05:00

I just LOVE starting off the new year with a drawer full of fresh new dish towels!!! I buy new sets every two years and get so excited when it's time to purchase them!

We don't have a lot of storage space in our small home, so after I wash and dry the dish towels, I fold them and roll them up so that they fit neatly into a kitchen drawer.

Is there something that you do every year or every other year in your kitchen to make your house a home?

Coming soon!! National Pie Day!!!!

2010-01-05T14:55:00.004-05:00

Once again, I'm going to be celebrating National Pie Day!! Anyone else wanna join in?

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, will be the date to serve and eat some delicious pie!!!

Hmmmm... now to narrow down which pie I want to make to celebrate that day...

(Photo found here.)

3 years ago today....

2010-01-04T15:34:00.002-05:00

Three years ago today we got to see our first glimpse of our dearest, loveliest Elizabeth when our agency emailed her photo to us. I had NO CLUE that I could ever possibly love one human being so very much!!!!

How did we ever live without her? We are SO blessed!! Thank you, Lord!!!!!

Cinnamon Rolls...

2010-01-02T20:00:00.006-05:00

UPDATE: Okay, so we put the extra cinnamon rolls in the freezer for later. We couldn't stand knowing they were in there, so the next day we took them out of the freezer, let them stand maybe 5 minutes and then popped them into a 250 degree oven for 18 minutes (we put them in a cold oven) and they were even BETTER than they were the day I first made them!!! Seriously!!!

Yep, these are THOSE cinnamon rolls. YUM!!!

Anyone that loves to cook and is online has surely heard of the Pioneer Woman by now!! These are her famous cinnamon rolls! Oh my are these GOOD!!! I halved the recipe and they still came out PERFECTLY!! 24 yummy cinnamon rolls!! One pan we gobbled up immediately and the other is in the freezer (fully cooked and iced!!) for another not-too-distant day.

A homekeeper....

2010-01-01T09:56:00.000-05:00

The job of keeping a home is an honorable one. There is a difference between a housekeeper and a homekeeper. A hired housekeeper will keep the home clean and do the duties as expected of her employer, but a homekeeper does the duties in her home from her heart. She does it out of love for her family. She looks upon her duties as the most important job in all the world. It takes a lot of patience, skill, commitment and love to be a keeper of your home. Be faithful; in due time, your familoy will rise up and call you blessed. I am honored to be the keeper of my home.

Mrs. Martha Greene, from Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills

We have a NEW winner!!!

2009-12-28T16:18:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Mrs. Pear!!!! She is the winner of the book A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman!!!!

Mrs. Pear, please email me as soon as possible with your mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can send you your autographed copy of her wonderful book!!!

Congratulations!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

And the winner is.......

2009-12-21T08:36:00.005-05:00

Update: kimlessig, please email me by this Sunday, December 27th, so that I can get your mailing address. If I do not hear from you by then, I will need to draw another name.

Congratulations to......

kimlessig said...
This looks like a really nice keepsake book.
Hope to win.

I am confident you will love this book, kimlessig!! Please email me with your full name and mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can get the book mailed to you!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Corn Chowder and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

2009-12-18T07:16:00.003-05:00

Mmmmmmm... nothing warms me up better than a bowl full of soup, stew or chowder. Today's recipe isn't just any old regular corn chowder, however. It's from an awesome book I just finished entitled A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman- a book about hospitality and welcoming others into your home and your life.

Mrs. Ehman kindly shared some of her favorite recipes in her book. Corn Chowder is just one of them and it is DELICIOUS!! All four of us LOVED it!!! Let me get to the recipe...

Corn Chowder

In a large pot combine:
4 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups water with bouillon cubes to taste)
6 cups diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery

Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Then add:
3 T butter
1-2 cups finely chopped leftover ham
1 1/2 cups leftover corn
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Just before serving, add:
8 ounces sour cream

Thin with a little milk, if needed. Stir well. Serves 8-10.

YUMMMMMM!!!! Warm and delicious AND my family loved it. What can get better???

Okay... so there's the recipe.... NOW for the GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For everyone that leaves a comment before SUNDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 20th, before 8:00 pm EST, you get ONE entry.

If you blog about this on your blog, too, then you can be entered TWICE!!!!!

What is the giveaway???? Mrs. Ehman is graciously giving an AUTOGRAPHED copy of her wonderful book, A Life That Says Welcome!!!!

Y'all will be so encouraged and challenged with this book! I love it and I am sure y'all will, too!!!!

Please enter right away!! Sunday night will be here before know it!!

Southern Living at Home...

2009-12-15T08:58:00.003-05:00

My real life friend, Melissa, at Desiring to be a Godly Woman, just started selling Southern Living at Home!!!

If y'all have never seen any of their products, please go visit her website. WOW!! Lovely things for your home, for sure!!!

Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls...

2009-12-14T07:25:00.001-05:00

I know I'm not the only one around the web to have discovered Pioneer Woman's cooking site called Tasty Kitchen. There are some seriously YUMMY looking recipes on there!!!

Recently I made the Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls and they are just that- perfectly easy!! They are definitely the easiest rolls I have ever made AND they were tasty, too!!!

Here they are before rising and baking. And remember, the recipe says to roll these into smooth balls. But hey, I had a 3 1/2 year old helper and, well, this is as smooth as they get. (And I'm pretty sure they were extra tasty because Elizabeth was helping! smile!!!)

Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls...

Prep Time 20 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes
Servings 24
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
1 cup Warm Water (105F To 115F)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
½ cups Butter, Melted (1 Stick)
½ cups Sugar
3 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
4 cups To 4 1/2 Cups Unbleached All-purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter (optional)

Preparation Instructions
Combine the warm water (I usually go to 115F) in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let stand for 5 to 8 minutes for a good proof. Stir in butter, sugar, beaten eggs and salt. Beat in 1 cup flour at a time (I use a wooden spoon) until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 days in a lightly greased bowl.

Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan (I use butter). Turn out chilled dough onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise in a warm location until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve. You can obviously make clover leaf rolls from this recipe.

And here is the end result. Seriously yummy dinner rolls!!

So sorry...

2009-12-13T14:56:00.003-05:00

To all of you that comment on my blog as "anonymous", I am so sorry, but I have had to stop allowing anonymous comments. I've gotten TONS of comments with links to businesses, places of ill repute, even just plain old weird comments. All of these I have had to go back and delete. I am simply tired of going MANY times a day and deleting the comments. Perhaps in the future I will be able to allow anonymous comments again, but for now, I will not.

I am very sorry. I do pray that all these spam comments stop posting on blogs. So sad.

His,
Mrs. U

Table manners...

2009-12-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

(photo found here)

Since the Christmas season is upon us and many of us will be invited to other homes for meals, I thought it might be of interest to read up on table manners.

Thank you, Mrs. S., for sharing this on your blog!!

Table Manners

1.) A meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. Guests should then do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. The napkin rests on the lap until the end of the meal. The host will signal the end of the meal by placing their napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate.

2.) When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.

3.) Once used, your utensils, including the handles, should not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.

4.) Pass food from the left to the right.

5.) Always say please when asking for something. Be sure to say thank you to your server or host after they have removed any used items.

6.) Taste your food before seasoning it.

7.) Do try a little of everything on your plate.

8.) Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait.

9.) Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.

10.) Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.

11.) Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.

This rule is especially important as we are able to enter a bad flu season!

12.) Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.

A few General Rules

1.) Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Do not arrive earlier as your host or hostess may not be ready for you yet.

2.) Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside.

Challenge for TONIGHT!!!!

2009-12-10T16:44:00.004-05:00

Anyone up for a challenge tonight? Why not take a few minutes and do the 27 Fling Boogie from Flylady!!!!

27 Flling Boogie....

We do this assignment as fast as we can. Take a garbage bag and walk
through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it.

A job for a "big girl"...

2009-12-09T06:49:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's my sweet Elizabeth carefully putting all the cleaned silverware back in its proper place. She LOVES to do this!! She is a "big girl" now with a big girl bed, wearing panties (even during nap time!!!) and getting big girl jobs to do around the house. She couldn't be happier!!!

Gingerbread Scones...

2009-12-04T09:15:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Heritage Schoolhouse, we had a yummy breakfast this morning of Gingerbread Scones and piping hot coffee. Mmmm! Definitely the best way to start off a day!!!

Gingerbread Scones
8 servings

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup plus 2 T milk
1 egg, separated
sugar

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8 inch circle; cut into 8 wedges and place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm and enjoy!