Slow Cooking Thursday

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

BUFFALO CHICKEN LASAGNA

--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles (I used Tinkyada brand)
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crockpot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients.

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit.

Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into. Or it will fall apart. Ask me how I know this...

{ Wanna Try That Wednesday }

-- I'm hoping to start feeling better so that I can make some of these dandelions with the kids. What sweet decorations they will make for the house.

-- I also want to finish making some of these, I started some for Jasmine's birthday and then got sick so had to put them aside. They're the cutest little Blossom Fairies.

-- A sweet treat of Butterscotch Confetti sounds really good right about now.

-- We've made flubber, next we're making Gak. Pretty much same thing but using Starch instead of Borax. I think the kids will have fun making this one too.

-- And if that doesn't get them happy, then this Puff Paint will. I only wish I had ever thought of doing this, how neat?

-- I'm all out of bread, so this afternoon I'll be trying this easy bread recipe.

-- Do you have a lot of tea towels and no idea what to do with them all? Apartment Therapy has a great post giving us 8 Uses for Tea Towels....go on and check it out.

Slowly.....very slowly coming around

Nicholas came down with whatever I had, he's been home from school with the exact same symptoms, so this morning, I hauled us both to the doctor and said "ok....enough now, fix it once and for all".

Turns out we have Respiratory Infections and let me tell you, for someone who had never had anything like this, it is awful and draining and frustrating to boot. The worst for me? The coughing that makes my chest burn...the pits!

Both Nicholas and I are on antibiotics, Azithromycin, he on the kid dose and I'm on the Z Pack....we also got prescribed stuff for the horrible coughs we have and Nicholas got an inhaler too. I feel better knowing exactly what we have and getting the right medication for it, I'm pretty tired of dragging these things out, this way we can knock it out once and for all.

Just a quick question for those out there either on the Z Pack right now or have been before. It says to take it on an empty stomach but I took my first dose and goodness gracious, I had the runs and bad stomach cramps. Now I know it's one of the side effects, but should I try taking it with food and seeing if that helps out a bit? Any suggestions for taking this antibiotic?

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, I'm so completely out of the loop, I haven't done anything but be at home trying to keep this house together and cooking and driving while slowly moving through this terrible virus.

To all those who have emailed me, I apologize, I haven't had the strength to do much but open the email program every morning and shut it down right away, just don't have the energy to sit on the computer for more than a minute or two.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well. Please keep us in your prayers, I'm hoping Nicholas can head back to school tomorrow and that I can handle the antibiotics long enough for them to work.

Hugs and kisses and God Bless,

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Knit Two
Vicks, Kleenex, Motrin, Tylenol etc etc


On my TV:
Five Mile Creek Season 1
Paranormal State


On the menu for tonight:
Chicken in a Cream Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes


On my To Do List:
Get some cleaning done, since I've pretty much been sick for a week everything's just fallen behind.


New Recipe I tried last week:
Nothing


In the craft basket:
Bread Bags - still
Fairies for Jasmine


Looking forward to:
This ridiculous virus leaving our home for GOOD. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
The best birthday you could give your kids, is to let them have their own day...from deciding what they want for meals, to what kind of cake to what activities they do.


Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Didn't read any blogs last week, so I'll leave this one empty for today


Favorite photo from last week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
When you suddenly find yourself in bed because of sickness, allow your children to pamper you. You would be surprised at just how much they'll make you smile and how much better you will feel.


On my Prayer List:
My family
My husband and children
My family in South Africa


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Happy Birthday Jasmine!

10 years old today.....10 years old. It feels weird even saying it, I can't believe my baby girl is entering the Tween age when it seems like just yesterday I was watching her take her first steps, seeing her smile and flashing her first teeth.

Now, she is an absolutely gorgeous red head with a killer smile and the biggest heart. She's everything we could have ever wished for and more and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't sit back and marvel at the wonderful young lady she is becoming.

It makes me proud and it also saddens me to know that she's growing up so fast, I want her to stay little so that I can protect her and shelter her from the world, but we know that is not going to happen.

It's been such a blessing being her parents, she makes us laugh until our sides hurt and there's also times she pushes our buttons until we can't take it anymore, but through it all she's been the best daughter.

We love watching her grow, watching her become independent and change from a little girl into a young lady.

A whole new chapter is beginning for her AND for us and we can't wait to go down this path with her.

Happy Birthday baby girl, we love you so very much and wish nothing but the best of the best for you.

102.3, cough, congestion and so forth

I'm sure you're wondering where I disappeared to especially since I haven't even made it to the Slow Cooking Links from yesterday.

I'm sorry, but I'm in bed with a high fever, cough, sore throat and bad congestion. I feel absolutely horrid, but of course it's not surprising. And when it rains it absolutely pours for me, my cars water pump is broken AND it's that time of the month. How wonderful.

When Jasmine got sick last weekend, you'll remember that I was going through a stomach flu, my poor immune system was already weak, so of course, I caught whatever she had.

I'll be in bed, I can't seem to bring down the fever and it's just draining me. I WILL come in tomorrow morning to wish my baby girl a Happy Birthday. Until then, please please say a prayer for us both, for her to get completely better and for me to get over this fever.

I can handle the cough and the congestion but I can't bear the fever, not when I have to drive little ones around and cook and clean. It's just too much, so much so that I burst into tears earlier, which is something I don't do very often, that's how desperate I am.

Have yourselves a wonderful Friday, I miss everyone but I need to get better first.

God Bless,

Slow Cooking Thursday

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

Gayle’s Honey Orange Chicken

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs — frozen
1/2 cup honey
1 cup orange juice
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 tsps. worcestershire sauce
2 tsps. fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp. wasabi paste
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 12 oz pkg. frozen broccoli cuts
2 tbsps. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup orange juice (optional)

Directions

1. Put the frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Good luck prying it out of the package.
2. Whisk together all the ingredients, up to the broccoli. You won’t need the broccoli until later and it will just muck up your whisk, anyway.
3. Pour the liquid mix over the chicken. Put the lid on, set your crockpot to either low (cooking time is about 7-8 hours) or high (5-6 hours) depending on how patient you are. Now, walk away.
4. About one hour before you want to eat, throw in the frozen broccoli. Do not stir. Cover the pot and walk away again.

He always knows best!

Yet for some unknown reason I still question and wonder and get frustrated and sometimes I downright demand answers from Him, as if I think I deserve anything with the attitude.

See it's always been a struggle for me, the whole control issue has been exhausted in my life and even on my blog, I've mentioned it quite a bit so you would think by this point in time I would be a pro, an expert at dealing with the Lord, a know it all and been through it all. Quite wrong actually, so this is why I'm writing this post today, in the hopes that others out there will share with me, and you, their personal experiences in a way to maybe get some insight and learn a lesson or two.

When Jasmine got sick again on Saturday I didn't think much of it, kids get sick all the time. Ok, MY kids seem to get sick all the time, but that's neither here nor there, the point is that I didn't really worry about it, until monday morning when the fever kept getting higher and she kept getting weaker and more miserable etc.

Then I stopped, and during my prayers, asked the Lord to please take the fever away, to make her better, to step in and heal her. Then I sat back with a stupid grin on my face and thanked Him for doing it.


Again, it's the control thing and the ignorance on my part, because no matter how many times I've heard the saying "all in His time" I still tend to think I have some special line to Him, that He will put everything and everyone else aside for my problems and issues. How ridiculously unfair and quite pathetic on my part....but you know, I'm human and I err and continually stumble and mess up. This is why I love my blog, because on here I can be ME, the real me, without hiding behind a facade or pretending to be something I'm not.

By Monday afternoon I began feeling extremely irritable, I couldn't understand why such a simple request for my child to be better, was not being answered. The truth is that it WAS, I was just too blinded by my need to have things done on MY time that I wasn't seeing anything else.

When Curt and I had to take her to Urgent Care yesterday I was beyond annoyed. Yes, I get annoyed at the Lord and anyone who says they don't, is lying....with me it doesn't last for long but there's that split second where I think "Come on, why are You not answering my prayers?"

I sat there with my little girl running a fever of 103.4, out of it, extremely sick and as I look down at her I felt helpless, like I had never felt in my entire life. That overpowering feeling of knowing that you've done everything you can but yet it's not enough, it's not up to you anymore. That's when I had that brief meltdown and inwardly told the Lord that I was really upset with Him.

But after being to the doctor, getting the antibiotics, coming home and now watching my girl starting to get better, it suddenly hit me.

He didn't ignore my prayers, Yes, he didn't take away the fever and make her all better when I asked him, but it doesn't mean He wasn't at work. He was. The proof is in the fact that any other time I would have kept doing what I was doing, giving the Motrin and doing the washcloths and the baths and the fluids and hoped that she would feel better. But I didn't, I scooped her up and took her to Urgent Care all the time questioning the Lord, wondering why I was having to go this far when it was nothing more than a cold.

Now I look back and think "You were right, You couldn't take the fever away on monday and just make it all go away, because she needed the antibiotics, she needed to have a doctor look at her and see that her ear is red and her throat is red and she's really sick".

And once again I was hit with the reality of it all. STOP trying to control things, STOP trying to tell the Lord what His timeline should be. Let go and Let God! So simple but yet so so hard for me to grasp. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever quite get it, I would like to think that one day I will but for now.....not quite there yet. Still stumbling, still learning.

What about you? I want to know if at any time you asked for something from the Lord and got irritated that it wasn't done when you wanted it, only to have it come to fruition at a later date and making you realize that it was for the best. That it really wouldn't have been the same or good if it had happened when you asked.

Won't you share with us?

{ Wanna Try That Wednesday }

Image credit: LuckyKate Crafts

-- Oh these are just too adorable NOT to try. Imagine how cute your Jam jars will look with these toppers on.

-- When Nicholas was born, the Squadron Commander's wife came over with a gift. It was this adorable hooded towel and since then I've wanted to make more and never got around to it. But now, I am going to jump right in and get to it with this great tutorial from Make and Takes.

Image credit: Annie's Eats

-- This Bacon, Mushroom and Broccoli Quiche is beckoning me, and really, who am I to deny it?

Image credit: Daisy Cottage

-- Mixing two of my passions in life, books and pretty fabrics...I can't wait to try these Book Cozies from Daisy Cottage.

Image credit: sewtakeahike

-- How about a cute kitchen scrubbie that is crocheted with tulle? Yes you heard right, I said TULLE. Well I'll be.....Sewtakeahike is amazing with her work.

Image credit: Dinners for a Year and Beyond

-- Roasted Bacon and Parmesan Stuffed Chicken. Need I say more? Yeah, I didn't think so *snicker*

Sweet Child of Mine!

You always hear "follow your instincts as a parent" and today was one of those days. One of the days to take that lesson to heart and follow through on it, no matter how many doubts may have plagued you or how you may question what you're doing. It's not what others think that matters, it's what YOU think.

Jasmine came down with a fever again on Saturday late afternoon, this morning, she was still running the fever, and it spiked to 103.4, at which point I said ....that's it...that's enough, I don't care if anyone thinks I'm crazy or that I'm overreacting. It's been two days since she's had good nourishment, she is sleeping all the time, doesn't want to eat or play and is weak and her body aches from the high temperatures.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that my kids have been sick with colds for what seems like ever. It's every other month one or both is down with fevers and runny noses, sore throats etc.
You'll also remember that the doctor on base we have been to a few times is really not cutting it....and that's putting it mildly.

So Curt and I took her to Urgent Care this morning and I'm so thankful we did. We had the best doctor, very attentive, used to children with little ones of his own and within a few minutes of examining her, he told us she has Strep Throat and an Ear Infection....plus, get this....what seems to be conjunctivitis which seems to hit her every time she gets a bad cold.

My poor child was absolutely miserable, but I'm SO glad I made the decision to just take her in and not sit around thinking this is just another bout of the cold and she'll be fine in no time.

The doctor gave her some Motrin right away to bring down that really high fever, and prescribed Antibiotics and Eye Drops.....he says by tomorrow she'll be feeling so much better. In the meantime we are going to keep filling her with fluids, trying to make her eat and alternating motrin and tylenol as per doctors orders.

I just hope she feels much better by Thursday and can return to school, her birthday is on Saturday and I would hate for her to be miserable and unhappy then.

Anyway, I'm off to love on my child, just wanted to come in and give everyone and update and remind you that YOU are the voice for your children, do everything in your power and explore every avenue when it comes to their health. They are too precious to deserve anything other.

God Bless,

Breakfast is served!

Good Morning everyone, come on in and have some breakfast with me.

I made some more Homemade Butter yesterday and had a cup of buttermilk left, so I used it to whip up a batch of wonderful fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes. So good!

You'll never used the boxed pancake mixes again.

But for those that are in the mood for something else, I also made a batch of Cream Scones slathered with fresh whipped cream and strawberry jam. Delicious!

So help yourselves, there's coffee and tea as well.

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
The Friday Night Knit Club
Small mason jar with fresh flowers
Country living magazine


On my TV:
Robin Hood Season 3
Paranormal State


On the menu for tonight:
Cowpoke Chili -recipe will be up on the food blog later


On my To Do List:
Just a quick pick up after the weekend....I did all my spring cleaning last week so I have a spotless house.


New Recipe I tried last week:
Hearty Baked Potato Soup - Absolutely love it


In the craft basket:
Bread Bags - I'll show you soon


Looking forward to:
Getting back into my Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred. I got the stomach bug last week and had to stop exercising for 3 days, I miss it.
Also looking forward to Jasmine's birthday this Saturday, my baby girl is turning 10 years old.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
If you have tons of canning jars laying around and not quite sure what to do with them...go on and read Sanity Saving Ideas for Canning Jars.


Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
My View from my Window....


Favorite photo from last week:

A clean house, nothing like it.

Lesson learned the past few days:
When you suddenly find yourself in bed because of sickness, allow your children to pamper you. You would be surprised at just how much they'll make you smile and how much better you will feel.


On my Prayer List:
My family
My husband and children
My family in South Africa


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid.

You are worth more than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:30-31 (NIV)

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without

Image Credit: Debbie Mumm

Remember the old saying?

It seems so fitting for today's struggling economy, doesn't it? For me, personally, I try my best to live by that saying....I use the things I have at hand, wear them out as long as I possibly can, make do with what I have or I just do without.

It's really not that hard to adapt once you realize that pretty much everything you have in your house has more than just one use. It's fun for me, exploring and researching and finding new uses for an item which otherwise I would have just thrown out.

I guess I could attribute this love for the simple things, to my love for anything from days gone by. The pioneer days, the time when they struggled to make a living with what they grew in their gardens, with the tools they had nearby and so many times cooking by candle light.

Their wagons tightly packed with all their belongings....cast iron skillets, kettles.....do you want an idea of what you may have found in one of their Conestoga wagons?

Bedding And Tent Supplies

Blankets, feather beds, ground cloths, pillows, tent, poles, stakes, ropes.

Weaponry

Rifle, pistol, knife, hatchet, gunpowder, lead, bullet mold, powder horn, bullet pouch, holster.

Food

Flour, bacon, coffee, baking soda, corn meal, hardtack, dried beans, dried beef, dried fruit, molasses, vinegar, pepper, eggs, salt, sugar, rice, tea.

Cooking Utensils

Dutch oven, kettle, skillet, reflector oven, coffee grinder, coffee pot, teapot, butcher knife, ladle, tin tableware, water keg, matches

Miscellaneous Items

Surgical instruments, liniments, bandages, campstool, chamber pot, washbowl, lanterns, candle molds, tallow, spyglasses, scissors, needles, pins, thread.

Clothing

Wool sack coats, rubber coats, cotton dresses, wool pantaloons, buckskin pants, duck trousers, cotton shirts, flannel shirts, cotton socks, brogans, boots, felt hats, Palm-leaf sun hats, green goggles, sunbonnets.

Tools And Extra Equipment

Set of augers, gimlet, ax, hammer, hoe, plow, shovel, spade, whetstone, oxbows, axels, kingbolts, linchpins, ox shoes, spokes, wagon tongue, heavy ropes, chains.

Luxuries

Canned foods, plant cuttings, schoolbooks, musical instruments, dolls, family albums, jewelry, china, silverware, fine linens, iron stoves, furniture.

Something I learned through all my reading, is that what we usually see in the movies, you know, the family in the wagon travelling through the rough terrain on their way to a new homestead, is not exactly how things would have been.

The wagons were so small that unless you were injured or very ill, you walked....imagine if you will, walking around 2000 miles to your new home?

Nowadays we complain if we have to walk from the parking lot to the door of the store, we fight for that spot RIGHT in front because really, if it were up to us and it was socially acceptable, we would just drive our vehicles right inside and travel down the aisles shopping.

When God made man,
He seemed to think it best
To make him in the East,
And let him travel west.

One of the places I get my inspiration from are books and Amazon has this wonderful series called Historic Communities. With titles like A Child's Day, Games from Long Ago and Old Time Toys.

While browsing through Amazon, I realized I had a $20 gift card to use, so I picked up 3 books.

The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl

Frontier fun meets a home-spun touch in this heart-warming mixture of pioneer projects and wistful nostalgia. Jennifer Worick teaches readers how to sew a quilt, master the art of bread-and-butter pickles, speak old-time slang, and much much more. This is for the legions of Laura Ingalls Wilder fans who have dreamed of what a pioneer life out on the prairie would be like. Combining step-by-step how-to on crafts, with tongue-in-cheek instructions on prairie slang, winning a spelling bee, and singing a lullaby, The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life allows fans to finally act out their childhood dreams or to simply enjoy the vicarious thrill of reading about it one more time. This is a book that will pull at the heart strings of every childhood Laura and also teach us a few prairie-time crafts along the way.

A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840

There are instructions for simple, fun activities such as growing a potato plant, dyeing fabric using an onion, or making a cardboard jumping jack; pioneer games that will even entertain today's children for hours such as shadow shapes or knucklebones; and recipes that are easy for children.

Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks: Historic Recipes, Lore & Wisdom

Reminisce about a simpler time as four 20th century mountain pioneer women share their cooking secraets. These great old-timey cooks stir in their own wisdom and tales of growing up on rural farms, where they prepared delicious melas by lantern light on wood cookstoves. Included are heirloom recipes, proverbs, folk remedies, 80 vintage photos, 19th century autograph rhymes and lots of stories. 72 pages.

So I leave you with a question? Are you trying to live simpler times? Are you also using it up, wearing it out, making it do or doing without? And if so, why don't you share with us what you've been doing.

Hello everyone.....

Thank you for all the prayers, I feel so much better today, though not 100% yet, but at least I'm able to walk around.

Yesterday was plain awful, I couldn't get out of bed, my body hurt so bad, I was running a fever of 103, tummy aches, nauseated, you name it. It was just horrible. Thankfully I have an amazing husband and children, they took wonderful care of me.

Curt went to pick the kiddos up early yesterday and I was laying on the couch when they came home. Nicholas gave me the biggest surprise ever....he walked in with two backpacks and at first I was confused. "Did he bring someone else's backpack home?" or "is he bringing a friend to play?".

Nope, none of that. The school had each teacher pick the top student to receive an Outstanding Student Certificate and Backpack with all sort of goodies inside. Nicholas was chosen from his classroom....how extremely proud we are of this amazing little boy. He is such a good kid. He gave me a hug and then handed me a piece of paper where he had written in his kindergarten handwriting "I am srre you are sick. I wut you to get betr"....he said he did it during the free time while the other kids were playing. Melts this mommy's heart :)

Jasmine also brought home a handmade card with flowers and hearts and also saying she hopes I feel better and she loves me.

Anyway, enough bragging about my babies....or I could just go on forever.

After Curt left for work, I was so unwell, I climbed into bed. The kids covered me with a blanket, put a ton of soft plush toys around me and then lay next to me watching cartoons.

I was able to drag myself out of bed around 4pm and start some chicken soup, lay down on the couch while it cooked and then we all sat at the kitchen table eating. I tell you, it took EVERYTHING out of me to do that, I was plain worn out by the time dinner was over. Thankfully my wonderful husband walked in through the door, he had told work that I was very sick and they sent him home.

So, here I am....I got plenty of rest and am well on the way to recovery. I do have to watch what I eat today though, I'm sticking to the Bratty diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Tea, Toast and Yogurt.

Curt had to go into work today for 5 hours, so this morning I set about giving the house a really good cleaning, I had already started on thursday so didn't have much to do today, which is a good thing, I am known for overdoing it when I'm sick and I really don't want to push myself.

But, my house is spotless, I mean spotless to the point where I don't have anything to do, there's no laundry waiting to be washed and put away, there are no floors needing to be swept and mopped, there are no dishes needing to be washed or rugs needing to be vacuumed, there aren't even toilets needing scrubbing. It's a great feeling!

Now I can sit back and relax, which is just what I need, thankfully Monday the kids don't have school either, so it's a long weekend.

Oh come look at my plants....remember I was never able to grow anything? I'm so happy with myself for keeping these alive.

Here are the Zinnias

And the Marigold's

Whatever I'm doing, I guess I am doing it right. If only I could transfer this same rate of success to my poor lavender. I just cannot get those to grow.

I finally got around to uploading the video of Jasmine's Dance at school. I'm sure you'll spot her right away, she's wearing tight black leggings and a white shirt.




I just love watching the video, she did so good and remember she didn't even want to go up there, but she said she was doing it for her Aunt Nadine and all her cousins that dance...so Nadine, Tiffany, Taryn-Lee and Alyssa, this one's for you :)

And that's it for me, I'm going to go rest for a bit before heading to the kitchen to start dinner. I'm making some Chicken Egg Rolls which are baked instead of fried. So much healthier but still very tasty....come back later and I'll have the recipe on the Food Blog.

Hope you're all having a great Saturday....see you tomorrow!

I'm out for the count!

Expiration dates are there for a reason....next time you think you're safe to eat or drink something past that date.....think TWICE!

I'm in bed, I can't even bear to stand up, I feel so sick. Stomach issues are so debilitating at times, especially when you have young children to take care of and meals to cook and homes to clean.

I did drive the kids to school this morning but Curt just went to pick them up early because I can't get out of bed.

Keep me in your thoughts, he has to leave for work soon and I'll be taking care of my children while running to the bathroom every 5 minutes.

Slow Cooking Thursday

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff
Makes about 4 servings

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (I misread this part of the original recipe and cooked my chicken whole, then shredded it. I'd prefer it in cubes next time.)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 (4 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 to 2/3 cup of beef broth
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter & 1 Tbsp. olive oil to saute the mushrooms
1 pkg. egg noodles
2 Tbsp. cornstarch added to 1/4 cup cold water for thickening
Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Drain off liquids. Transfer liquids to a saucepan.

2. To the saucepan of liquids, add cream cheese, sour cream and beef broth. Add half of the thickening mixture and bring to a boil. If it is still too thin, add the remaining cornstarch and bring to a boil again. Add sauce back to the chicken cubes.

3. Saute the mushrooms with the butter and olive oil until browned. Add to the chicken and sauce mixture. Turn Crockpot to high and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Cook egg noodles according to instructions. Serve chicken and sauce over the egg noodles. Sprinkle with parsley.

Grocery Shopping, Bill Paying, House Cleaning...

So went my day. Pay days are usually the busiest for me, they start early and end late in the evening, when I finally sit down and take the weight off my feet, giving my weary body a much needed break.

This morning started with a trip to the commissary, now for some shopping is frustrating and annoying, but I love it. I love being able to take my time and slowly move around the store, looking through the items, picking the right one for my family and comparing prices.


The food is bought and the refrigerator is full.....and clean. I always give it a good cleaning before I put the new groceries in. But looking at the photo you would think the last shelf was dirty, but it's not....it's scratched. One of the perks of being a military family and constantly being on the move, we know all the appliances in these houses have been used by numerous families.


Bringing the mail in and finding two new Netflix movies to watch. Always makes me smile. If you're wondering what it is, it's Duchess of Duke Street.

After doing some dishes, washing more laundry and and then a quick pick up of the living room area, Curt and I headed to the school.

Jasmine had a Dance Show she was participating in. She was so nervous yesterday and actually told me she would prefer to stay home.

Now here's the thing, I don't ever force my kids to do things they don't want to do, hence the reason why they are not signed up for any after school activities.

I talked to her and told her that I would like her to go, that she would enjoy it and it would be something to remember her Fourth Grade year by....but I also let her know that I wouldn't force her and if she really felt strongly against doing it, I would oblige.

After some thought she decided that she would just go for it and try to have fun. I'm so glad she did, and so is she because she loved it and told us that if she had decided not to participate she would have been regretting it now.

I'll upload the video for you tomorrow....

While I'm typing up this post, the wind is howling outside, the tree branches slamming against our windows. Just look at my lemons falling from the tree.....

Yep, looks like rain is on the way.

I'm going to go switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer, pay some more bills and spend some time with the kiddos.

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday.

Wanna Try That Wednesday!

Image credit:Little Birdie Secrets

-- Jasmine loves dresses and with summer just around the corner, I think some of these vintage pillowcase dresses are just perfect for her.

Image credit: Life on hackberry road

-- My kid love pepperoni, I mean they pretty much inhale the stuff, so when I saw this recipe for making your own pepperoni on Life on Hackberry Road, I just knew I had to give it a try....can't wait.

Image credit: Wise Bread

-- I love canning jars, I usually have a ton just hanging out in one of the kitchen cabinets and I use them for all sorts of things, but I didn't realize there were so many more great uses, so thank you Wise Bread for such a great post Sanity Saving Ideas for Canning Jars.

Image credit: The Crepes of Wrath

-- Orange Cream Cupcakes....going on my list to make next week.




-- I love reading and especially late at night, in bed. I think these Bedside Pockets are just what I need, can't wait to make some.

Image credit: CraftyPod

-- My kids would love me forever if I made them one of these Super Hero books....how neat is that?

Image credit: Marie Cooks Britain

-- Marie's Scones....Oh yes...even though I'm the only one that likes scones in my household, but that don't matter, I'm making these really soon.

Hodgepodge Post!

For lack of a better title.

I'm sure you're all wondering what happened at the school. I took the kids in today and then stopped and talked to Jasmine's teacher, I asked her to get the girl who was being the bully and the two of us, plus the girl and Jasmine stood outside the classroom talking.

The girl started by denying doing anything but quickly changed her tune when the teacher told her that I was not going to stand for bullying and I had enough. She did admit to doing and saying some things and was warned to stop it immediately. By the end she was in tears but I think she got the message that what she is doing is wrong and not acceptable. I left feeling a LOT better, I'm not going to completely forget about it, I'll definitely be on my toes and ready to step in again should things resume or escalate.

Thank you all for the wonderful comments and words of encouragement, and for the prayers, those were definitely answered.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I'm so sore right now....I just moved to Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred and oh my word....OUCH! For the first time in my life I actually felt sick to my stomach and had to stop, but you know what? I'm seeing the changes, my body is getting really firm and tight and my clothes are starting to become baggy.

Some of you were wondering what exercise I was talking about. It's the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser. She is TOUGH people, really tough but it works.

So if you're looking for a good workout that actually shows results....go for it, but come back and let me know ok?

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Now let me show you something that.....well.....honestly I don't even know what to say LOL

Ok so it's bedtime and I go and tuck Jasmine into bed, as I head to close her closet, I feel something rub up against my leg and I quickly pull back, I look down and see what I thought was wire. My first thought was "why is there a piece of wire sticking out from behind the dollhouse?"

I turn the light on and what I saw was this:

What do you think? It's like the light playing tricks on your eyes isn't it?

I mean, I NEVER in my life have seen something like this LOL We have grass growing through the walls people.....grass, or weeds, or whatever the heck it is, it just doesn't belong there.

I am calling Housing Maintenance tomorrow morning and having them come out and fix it. How ever they are going to do it, I am not sure LOL

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

This past weekend, while daddy played with the kids, I was able to take all the laundry into my bedroom, throw it all on the bed and while I folded and separated it, I popped in a couple of movies.

My wonderful family allowed me to spend hours, which honestly, I didn't even realize until I came out at 5pm to start dinner.

But let me tell you about the movies, oh the movies....you all know how much I love the 1800's and the Victorian and Edwardian Eras.

The first movie I watched was The Duchess. It was based on a true story about the Duchess of Devonshire, which to me makes it even more enjoyable, there's something great about a movie that is not only well acted but historically informative.

Then I popped in Atonement...little did I know that Keira Knightley would be the main actress in this movie too. I'm a little split on this one, it was a good movie but some of the things going on really irritated me, and since I don't want to ruin it for those that haven't watched it, that's all I'll say.

Next came Dresden which I had received from Netflix. Oh my goodness, I LOVED this one. Again another wonderful movie based on the bombings of Dresden in 1945 and the love between a German girl and a British Fighter Pilot.

And last but not least....Australia. Another really good movie and again based on history. Of course Hugh Jackman as the lead man makes the movie very interesting indeed LOL Loved it.

So there you have it, just some great movies that you may all enjoy.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Now I'm off to finish my grocery list for tomorrow and post the Menu plan on my food blog.

It's getting to that time of the day, washing dinner dishes, rounding up homework, picking up around the house, baths and book reading and all that fun stuff before getting into our warm beds and getting some much needed sleep.

Have a blessed night everyone!

I am SO upset right now!

I literally could feel myself wanting to spit nails.

I'm about to rant and rave and I thought about not doing it here, but this is my blog and I'm entitled to say what I feel.

I'm usually a calm person and it takes a lot, and I mean A LOT to get me going, but if there's one thing that is off limits with me, is my children.

Let me start by saying that I've talked about the kid's school before and I've talked about how I don't want to be "that" mother. You know, the one that is constantly bugging the teachers, or the one that complains every time another child looks at one of my kids sideways.

But there comes a time when you need to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and you need to take action.

I've always taught my children to be respectful, to stand up for themselves and to mind their manners. I know that school is tough, we've all been through it and we know that there is bullying and injustices done daily, but when I start feeling that the teachers are not doing their job in protecting my children, then the mother bear comes out, claws drawn and ready for a fight.

Last week I told you all about the girl in Jasmine's class and the problem we had with her. Well since that same week, one of the sisters of another girl in Jasmine's class, has been bullying and picking on my daughter and her friend.

This girl is in fifth grade and comes around with her friends at recess, yells at them, picks on them, tells them the spot their sitting in is their spot. She went as far as throwing grass in Jasmine's friends hair and physically pushing Jasmine. After speaking to my daughter she said that they had brought it up to their teacher and she had informed them that she would be talking to the other girl's teacher....I chose not to get involved, but I warned her that if this continued, I would step in.

Needless to say, she came home from school upset because the girl was bullying them again, throwing half eaten celery at them and in their faces.

Now I ask you, when is enough is enough for you? Would you let it go or would you put your foot down and say "that's it".

Because that is what I did. Unfortunately the duty teachers who are supposed to be out there during recess are choosing to stay in ONE area and not going around checking on everyone. Ridiculous!

I've already emailed the teacher and told her that I'm putting a stop to this today. She will either take care of it tomorrow or I will take it straight to the principal and the authorities. I'm at the point where I am sick and tired of seeing my daughter and her friend coming home upset and broken down.

I trust the school to take care of my children, I send them off EVERY morning with the confidence that while I'm not there, someone else is looking out for them, but it's sad when you hear about how much bullying goes unnoticed in schools and how much is being let go because the child is "having some issues" or "going through some changes".

We all go through changes and we all have issues, very serious issues in our lives, is it ok for us to start going around bullying our neighbors and members of the community? Should I just start walking around chewing on celery and throwing it at people that walk by because I'M HAVING A BAD DAY?

NO, it's not alright and it's not ok and I for one am determined to do my best to stop some of these injustices, it may just start with my daughter and her friend, but I think that in the long run, I may just be protecting another innocent girl or boy from being bullied by this same group of girls who seem to think that they're entitled to this behavior.

Do I blame the parents? I don't know them, I don't know what they do at home or what kind of life they have. DoI think they need to be made aware of what is going on? Absolutely!
If my daughter was doing this at school, even with all the lessons I am teaching her at home, I would want to know, I would actually "expect" the school to contact me.

I'm just tired, sick and tired of this. It frustrates me to no end when I hear statements such as "No Tolerance" when all I'm seeing is otherwise. It's pushing me to seriously consider home schooling, but then on the other hand, I don't want the bullies to win, it's scary the way that public schools have become and I think as parents we need to be completely involved and aware of what is going on.

I ask you this? Have you talked to your children lately? Have you asked them, really asked them, what is going on at school?

I'm done venting and ranting, but I leave you with one question and please feel free to be honest. Am I overreacting or do any of you out there feel exactly the same way that I do?

Let's talk, let's let it all out, I would love to hear from other parents who are dealing with bullying against their children.

Spring Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway, if I had known that the crochet goodies would be so popular, I would have given more away a LONG time ago. :)

Unfortunately there can only be one winner.

I had Jasmine help pick a winner, we wrote all the names down on paper and put them into a box, she then drew a winner and that person is:


Crystal at Be The Change You Want To See

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Crochet wash cloth that I'm making,
A love Woven True - Great book


On my TV:
Appaloosa
Paranormal State


On the menu for tonight:
Ham and Potato Casserole


On my To Do List:
Change kids bed linens
Put laundry away
Dust
Wash all the windows in the house


New Recipe I tried last week:
Crockpot Salsa Chicken - SO good, I'm glad I tried it.


In the craft basket:
Crochet Dish and Wash cloths
More crochet eggs and donuts, cupcakes etc


Looking forward to:
Finishing my 10 days of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred. It's hard but I've kept to it and I'm noticing a huge change in my body...love it.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
If you want a great online calendar that incorporates chores as well, check out Cozi. It's a great site.


Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I didn't get much blog reading done last week, so I'll leave this one empty today.


Favorite photo from last week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
Enjoy every single second you have with your children, they grow too fast, you're not going to get a second chance to do it over, so make every minute count.
With Nicholas turning 6 years old this last Saturday and Jasmine about to turn 10 years old, I'm reminded of how quickly time flies and how much I want to cherish every moment.


On my Prayer List:
My family
My husband and children



Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2: 5

Happy Easter!

Matthew 28:1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."


I still can't read that verse without tears forming in my eyes, it is truly powerful isn't it?

It's Easter morning, the egg hunt has been completed, though it was inside this year because of the rain and the wet grass out back.

I have a beautiful spiral ham cooking away in the slow cooker, I also have a cheesy potato casserole in the other slow cooker, the scents in the house are drool worthy right now.

Here in a few minutes we'll start decorating Easter Eggs and while the kids do that, I'll be making deviled eggs out of the other half a dozen.

I have to say, I love Easter, I love the quietness of the day and the feelings and emotions it evokes in me, the way my mind is constantly reminded of the Lord's Resurrection and what it signifies for us.

So my dear friends, I am going to go and enjoy this day, I hope you're all having a blessed time with your families.

Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Nicholas!

Six years ago, this precious bundle came into the world....little did we know the amount of joy and fun he would bring into our daily lives.

We are so extremely blessed to have him and I thank the Lord everyday.

Being your parents has been one of the greatest gifts in our life. We love the way you smile, the way you laugh at yourself, the way you persevere through any obstacles thrown your way and the way you show us everyday just how intelligent you are.

We love playing games with you and reading books, seeing the world through your eyes which turns even the darkest and saddest moment into one of the happiest. Your ability to indirectly show us just how precious life is.



We hope you continue to grow into the amazing young man you are becoming.

Happy Birthday sweet boy.....or should I say Little Man! Where has the time gone, I feel like just yesterday I was rocking him to sleep and now, here we are, about to finish Kindergarten and start First Grade in a few months.


All I know is that I will do everything in my power to cherish every single second I have with my handsome son.

Watching the Storms roll in...

I love thunderstorms, I love the clouds dark and gray and the scent of the rain before it starts pitter pattering down.


We have storms on the way, the wind is howling outside, the clouds are rolling in and I'm eagerly anticipating the rhythmic sound of the drops on my roof.


I'm off to cuddle in bed with a good book and crocheted afghan. What are YOU doing tonight?

I'm glad it's friday!

Not much has been going on here, other than the fact that I woke up yesterday morning feeling so sick, stomach cramps and nauseated etc. Thankfully the stomach thing seems to have gone but I still feel like I have to throw up all the time. Hopefully it goes away soon.

Even though I felt awful today, I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, baking. 48 cupcakes!


It's our little man's birthday tomorrow, I can't believe he's turning 6 years old, where did my little baby go? So, I made 24 cupcakes for him to take to school this morning and then another 24 for us at home, it's only fair right?

The kids got to decorate them which was a huge help for me. Tomorrow will be a full day of celebration, it will start with a special breakfast of Pumpkin Pancakes which Nicholas loves, opening presents and then we'll be doing whatever the little man wants to.

We have this tradition on birthdays, the kids get to pick whatever they want to do, within the realm of possibility of course, they pick what they want to eat for dinner, what kind of cake mommy bakes (I've ALWAYS baked their cakes, since their first birthday) and whatever activities we do.

So this is what he wants:

• Pizza from Pizza Hut
• Play Rock Band with the family
• Play Super Mario Party 8 with the family
• Play GI Joe's with daddy and sister
• Go to the park

No birthday party, no big hoopla. Just a day of fun "6 year old" style. It makes me smile because it's so simple but yet it's the things that he loves and make him happy, and that's what we want.

I snapped some pics of the kids yesterday, they were wearing their new t-shirts from the Kruger National Park, and they wanted to show Tita. Excuse me while I switch to Portuguese for a second LOL

Nela, aqui estao os miudos com as t-shirts que envias-te. Adoraram e vestiram logo no mesmo dia para a escola. Beijocas!




We're gearing up for Easter on Sunday, I'm going to do a little Egg Hunt here at home as it seems we'll be getting rain this weekend. We'll also decorate eggs and enjoy a delicious Mustard Glazed Ham and a lot more yummy goodness.

But for me, the best part is watching Jesus of Nazareth. I watch it every single year and it never gets old, it always warms my heart and it always brings tears to my eyes. It also makes me think of home and my childhood, that's how long I've been enjoying this amazing movie.

You can catch it on Sunday the 12th at 7:00 pm on the TBN channel.

Oh and before I forget, here is a cute link to share with your kids. From Precious Moments, The Resurrection Story told by Katie Bennet. It's so sweet :)



I'm off, I am still not 100% and sitting here on the computer is starting to give me a headache. I'll leave you with a link to last night's dinner which unfortunately I was unable to enjoy....but the kids and Curt loved it. Crockpot Salsa Chicken....YUM!

Slow Cooking Thursday

I apologize for posting this so late, I have some sort of stomach bug going on and was not well at all this morning....I'm finally able to get up and around. Hope you understand :)

EDIT: I'm so sorry, I left out the name of the recipe....I'm adding it now!


Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

Credit: Simplemom.net

Crockpot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oil
3 cups water
12 ounces cooked sausage links, sliced
1/2 cups diced cooked chicken (from my weekly roast chicken)
2 cups sliced okra or 10-ounce package frozen okra
1 cup onion, diced (about 1 large)
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
3 cups hot cooked rice

To make the roux, stir together oil and flour in a medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more until it’s a dark, reddish-brown color. Cool.

Place water in a Crock Pot and add roux; stir. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, pepper, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, or on high heat for 3 hours. Skim off the fat, and serve over rice.

View from my window!

At the end of a busy day, there's something very peaceful and relaxing about looking out the window and seeing the world slowing down, watching everything switching from a fast pace to almost a crawl in anticipation of the evening.

So it goes every night, I look out the back door or the kitchen window and I get to smile, whether I'm washing dishes at the kitchen sink while showered in a beautiful sunset light...

Or I'm standing at the back door while the kids play outside.

My lemon tree looks even more beautiful in the sunset light doesn't it?

This orange tree is two houses down

Now let me quickly show you my seedlings, remember I was dreading planting anything? I feared the "Thumb of Death" would make it's nasty appearance?

I must be doing something right, they're growing, they're thriving and they've survived in my house LOL

Problem is, I don't know what I'm doing different which means next time I plant something, chances are they'll die.

My poor Lavender is the only one so pathetic it makes me sad....I talk to it everyday and ask it to please grow because I need to smell that beautiful scent....but so far, my pleas are unanswered.

I'm off to enjoy some Cheater Chicken and Dumplings. Oh don't worry, I always make enough to share, and if you want to make it for your family, just go get the recipe here at Full Bellies, Happy Kids. I just posted it for you.

Wanna Try That Wednesday!

Image: Little Birdie Secrets

-- My kids are always drawing me pictures and as much as I love them, they do tend to overtake the house, so I'm always wondering what to do with them, so when I saw this link over at Little Birdie Secrets, I knew this was it.....this is exactly what I'm going to do with them, embroider their artwork.


--Have you heard of Cozi? It's a great free Family Calendar online and just what I need right now, with the school year coming to an end, we have all these activities going on at school and home and it's sometimes hard to keep track of things....this is perfect for us.

Image: Marthastewart.com

-- Jasmine has sleepovers and sometimes it's hard to get all her belongings into a bag that will fit what she needs but also looks cute. This Sleeper Bag is on my "To Do List" and I'll definitely be making one real soon.

Image: Crepes of Wrath

-- I LOVE Snickerdoodles, but what if you could have that same wonderful taste IN A CAKE? Yeah, I'm making this one for sure. Thank you to Sydney over at the Crepes of Wrath!

Image: Grand Revival

-- I think these adorable ruffle skirts are perfect for Jasmine. She's a girly girl and loves her skirts and I'm all about easy to make patterns.

Image: Fresh from the Farm

-- Caramel Krispie Bars....Enough said!


-- These crocheted dishcloths are next on my list.

-- I remember in my childhood, making juice popsicles in the summer, it's something I want to make with my kids again. Here are some great ideas for the popsicles.

• I like using just simple juice, orange or apple or whatever other kind....I freeze them in popsicle molds or if you don't have those, I've used ice cube trays too, just pop in a popsicle stick and you're good to go.
• Try mixing some orange juice with some vanilla ice cream, mix well until runny and then freeze that mixture in popsicle molds. YUM, it's SO good!
• If you need more ideas, just go here. Now go on, go make some popsicles!

-- While in the middle of planning our summer vacations this year, I've been making lists and lists and more lists. This universal list is so helpful, you can enter the dates of the trip, what kind of a trip it is, what kind of transportation you're using etc. PERFECT! And I'm also going to give this Vacation Packing List a try too.

Spring Giveaway!

Remember I told you I had something to give away on the blog this week?

Well, what would you say to some Crochet and Knitted goodies? Mind you, I'm no expert at either craft but I do enjoy making cute things for the home and I wanted to share it with a lucky winner, so let me show you what I'm giving away.


Here's all you will get.....the knitted dishcloth underneath, an acorn knitted bookmark, 2 crocheted eggs (one white, one pink), one chocolate donut with white icing and sprinkles, 1 chocolate cupcake with white icing and sprinkles and one chocolate cupcake with pink icing and a cherry on top. AND I'll also throw in this little cookbook:

All you have to do is leave me a comment and a way to contact you. I'll leave it up until Easter Sunday and I'll announce a winner on Monday the 13th.

Close up of the yummy donut....it's Nicholas' favorite, he plays with the one I made him ALL the time.


I love the little acorn bookmark, I have a few of these in different colors for my books and I've also given a few as gifts.


Remember, leave me a way to contact you in case you win. Good Luck!

Days at Home!

Life has been pretty much routine, I enjoy the quietness and the easiness during the day while the kids are at school and Curt is still sleeping.

I putter around, cleaning here and cleaning there, completely immersed in my life as a homemaker.

But the minute these two amazing little human beings get home from school, I sigh a breath of relief, because I've missed them so much when they're away. It's like I feel my life is complete again.





Over peanut butter and honey sandwiches and sips of apple juice, we talk about the day. What they did, what they learned, even what they ate for lunch. I'm super curious and I want to know everything and I'm glad they indulge me in their sweet and sometimes hilarious stories.

After a delicious dinner of Pasta e Faglioli and ice cream sundaes for dessert



I grabbed the camera and we headed out into the backyard. Just as the sun was starting to set showering everything in a orange/pinkish glow, I began snapping pictures as they played on the swing set.







Some of the best photos are obtained when you get down to their level and close up and personal. I love their expressions.

And so go my days at home, filled with love, filled with simplicity and filled with the normal day to day life. There's nothing out of the ordinary here folks, we have our ups and downs and we have our sick days and sad days and we have those days where everyone is cranky and the level of noise is high......there's chaos and craziness, but in the middle of it all there is an enormous amount of love in this family and for that I'm truly thankful and blessed.

Happy Homemaker Monday!

On my bedside table:

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - What a great book, I'm loving it.
Crochet wash cloth that I'm making, some magazines and a basket with my lotions and potions. *snicker*


On my TV:
Paranormal State
Dancing with the Stars
Dresden - Disc 1
Dresden - Disc 2


On the menu for tonight:
Pasta e faglioli


On my To Do List:
Sweep and Mop floors
Change kids bed linens
Finish putting laundry away
Commissary for some items


New Recipe I tried last week:
Apple Puff Pancake


In the craft basket:
Crochet Dish and Wash cloths - have to finish one for a giveaway
Finish sewing the fabric Easter eggs


Looking forward to:
Starting my new 30 Day Shred DVD from Jillian Michaels, today. I've read such great reviews and I'm excited to start it.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
Check out Chore Buster, it is a great website where you can:

Enter in people and chores
Specify how hard / undesirable each chore is, and how often it should be done
ChoreBuster automatically generates a fair schedule of chores
Schedule emailed to you daily or weekly - no need to log in

I'm going to be using this for my kids chores, I think it will help a lot.


Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
My View of Bath by Linds at Rocking Chair Reflections. Loved all the beautiful photos she shared.


Favorite photo from last week:

Love my crochet eggs and the fact that the kids placed them in the refrigerator made them even cuter.

Lesson learned the past few days:
You and your husband are the only people who can look out for your children's welfare, they rely on you to keep them safe. When Jasmine had an incident at school last week, I didn't let it go, I contacted the teacher and made sure the issue was taken care of and the girl involved was punished for what she said.
Listen to your children, that's the lesson I am constantly being reminded of.


On my Prayer List:
Soldiers overseas
My husband and children



Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

1 Tim. 4:7-8: Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (NIV).

Flubber Time....

I'm always on the lookout for fun kid crafts and this one has now become one of our favorites. It was fun, it wasn't messy like I thought it would be and it was definitely educational.

After school yesterday, we came home and pulled up the link that I shared with you all on Wednesday, here at the Wanna Try That post.

In goes the food coloring. The kids couldn't decide on which color to make it so they ended up using yellow, red, blue and green and ended up with this really cool funky color.

In goes the Borax and water

Right away the chemical reaction of the borax and the glue starts happening and it's SO neat to watch what it does. What fun!

The result was hours and hours of fun, the kids had a blast with the Flubber and have already asked me to make more.

FLUBBER

1 8-ounce bottle of glue
2 cups of warm water, divided
food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoon Borax powder
bowls for mixing

Pour the whole bottle of glue into a big bowl then fill the empty bottle with 1 cup of warm water and add that to the glue. Stir it up until it thins out.

Then add several drops of food coloring and mix that in.

In a separate bowl mix the Borax and the second cup of warm water until the Borax dissolves.

Stirring CONSTANTLY, slowly pour the Borax into the bowl of glue. Stir and stir and stir until it forms into a goopy, slimy, mass.

Remember to store it in an airtight container or it will dry out.


Before I leave you, I have to share these photos of my handsome husband in his new DCC (Dedicated Crew Chief) Maintenance Suit.

Doesn't he look great?

Living Life!

So it goes, that when you think you may have some time to sit down and chat a bit, you realize you don't. You are on the roller coaster of life, going day by day and trying to grasp everything coming at you.

It's been a busy and interesting week around here. We've had some issues at the kids schools, for the most part it's a wonderful public school with very attentive and wonderful teachers, but I think that sometimes even the best schools can have their meltdowns, their little "no no's".

My biggest pet peeve is when I see children insulting each other and saying things that make me wonder "just what are you learning at home?". Look, I'm not perfect and neither are my kids, but I like to think that my husband and I have instilled in them morals and values and respect for other human beings, my children are respectful and considerate of others and would never say hurtful things.....and by that I mean, the kind of talk that makes you cringe, makes you think why a young girl/boy would EVER say something like that and think it's acceptable....

Take yesterday for example, I picked up the kids from school and I could tell that Jasmine was upset. When I asked her what happened, she said that one of the girls in her class.....fourth grade, mind you.....told her and her friend to "shut up or I will bash a hole through your teeth". Excuse me?!?!?!

As a parent do you let it go or do you do something about it? Because the way I see it, my children rely on my husband and I to keep them safe and to watch out for their best interests. So, as soon as we got home, I shot off an email to her teacher, explained the situation and told her in no uncertain terms that my daughter is NOT used to that kind of language and that I expect the other girl to apologize for what she said and that if the teacher doesn't take care of it, then I will step in and personally contact her parents.

A little bit pushy? Maybe. But I don't think so, I think that if we let these small things go, they will quickly escalate from a "bash a hole through your teeth" to something more serious.

Anyway, the teacher was very cooperative and understanding and informed me that she would be talking to the girl and her parents.



So, onto other things, there seems to be more colds and sniffles going around, a couple of kids at school have been sick at home AGAIN. So when I picked up Nicholas from school yesterday and he was running a low grade fever, coughing, runny nose and congested, I thought....NOT AGAIN!

But, last night I did the Vicks thing on the feet again.....I had heard about it before and I had done it but I didn't use the socks and now I believe that is what makes the difference. I rubbed both his feet with tons of Vicks, put on some nice warm socks and tucked him into bed. NO meds for the low grade fever, I'm tired of pumping medicine into their little bodies, unless the fever is extremely high, I don't want to resort to medicine. Anyway, within 30 minutes he was sweating, and I mean SWEATING. He must have sweated out all the bad stuff, because he woke up this morning 100% better, what a change, it's like night and day. So if you've never tried the Vicks trick...do it!


What else is going on? Oh, I got my laptop back, finally. They had to replace the power cord and the hard drive, on a laptop that was a month old. Thankfully it's under warranty. It feels good to have my own computer back, I don't mind using Curt's but you know how it is, when it's someone else's you're always worried you may break something.

I'm also working on some Crocheted Kitchen Towel holders, they work up really fast and I love their look hanging from the Oven door. With kids, they tend to wipe their hands and then the towels end up on the floor, this way, they're going nowhere.

I'll be having a little giveaway next week with some of the crochet things I've made, so if you like the cupcakes, donuts, easter eggs etc....be sure to keep an eye out for those.

I thought it would be fun to end this post with something I always used to do when I first started blogging, it kind of rounds up the day for me and helps me keep track of what I'm doing.



WHAT I'M COOKING:

Lunch will probably just be Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

Dinner is Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork. Extremely easy to make and the kids love it.



WHAT I'M WATCHING:

The Wings of the Dove from Netflix
Farmhouse
Most Haunted



WHAT I'M DOING:

Post office
Laundry
Sweep and Mop
Making flubber with the kids after school

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

As always, share your slow cooking recipes but if you REALLY REALLY don't have one and still want to participate, then you can share any kind of recipe.

World's Best Chili Verde
Marta Norton, Redlands, California

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
3 lb. boneless pork roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cans tomato sauce
1 7-oz. can green chilies, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup beef broth
2 tsp. salt to taste
2 jalapeños, chopped fine (optional)
1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Mix. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Serve with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

Wanna Try That Wednesday!

- I've been wanting to make Homemade Laundry Detergent for a long time, so while searching the internet for a good recipe, I came across this one from Instructables. Sounds easy enough!

- With all the craziness and the recalls on Peanut Butter lately, I'm thinking I may just start making my own, and maybe even get the kids involved.

- I'm going Easter Egg crazy, crochet and fabric etc, but then I stumbled across these Secret Pocket Easter Eggs and thought....YEAH, I should make one each for the kids and hide it during their Egg Hunt. I'm sure they'll love that!

- I just have to try these Baby Bluebird Cupcakes from Annie's Eats, I mean, have you ever seen anything cuter?

- And if that is enough to make me drool, I came across this Butterscotch Finger Cake which I just absolutely.positively MUST TRY.

- I'm always looking for great movies to add to my Netflix Queue, and North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is one I am wanting to see. Unfortunately it's not available at Netflix, but I'll have to hunt it down somewhere else.

- I'm starting my Spring Cleaning and Julia at Ohdeedoh, posted a wonderful link to help us courtesy of TLC.

- I LOVE English Muffins and Pennies on a Platter has a great recipe to make some.

- My kids love bubbles and I hate buying them because they make a mess, and they're sticky and half the time they don't work right. But when I saw the huge bubbles Candace at Sparkle Power made, I just knew I had to try them. Guess what we'll be making this weekend?

- Since I'm into crocheting right now, I'm thinking this Crochet Clothespin bag may just be my next project.

- I smiled when I read this post from Attic 24. She summarized so well what I feel with my children and how sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the everyday life and instantly say no to every little question the kids ask.

- Oh and before I forget, we're also making Flubber this weekend. I saw it over at Scribbit and then this morning over at Knowledge House Academy, it just made me want to go ahead and make it. Should be a very productive and fun filled weekend with the kids, there will be tons of photos to share, I'm sure.