BOY IT GOT COLDER HERE!!!!

We were enjoying some sunny days and warmer temperatures, I actually went out a couple of times in a short sleeve shirt and was hot.

I should have known that wouldn't last long though, yesterday we got rain and cooler temperatures and today we're back to 20 degrees with ice and really really cold weather surrounded by dark purple clouds. Rain anyone?????

So before I go on, I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!!! I would be lying if I told you that hubby and I celebrate it, we don't. We don't give each other anything and we don't do anything special, it's always been that way and we really don't care LOL We tell each other "I love you" everyday and show how much love we have, so we don't need one specific day to say it. How do you all celebrate your Valentine's Day??? Are we the only ones who don't do a big shebang about it???

Now I'm not going to blab and brag about the TV card again, but I do want to tell you that I've been able to do my computer stuff while watching the Christian Channels...I actually just finished watching Joyce Meyer WHILE.I.BLOG.......how about that???? Even better, I'm able to record the shows to rewatch later, I mean come on, nothing like a good Christian show that you can watch over and over, after all the Lord's word never gets tiring does it???

I'm happy to say that Nicholas is all better, he's finally able to turn his head without having to turn his whole body, poor thing. He's also back to his normal smart-aleck-self. He just cracks us up with the things he says LOL

I have to tell you we are lucky with the kids we have, they are a riot. Just yesterday we were all in the living room talking and Curt was going on and on about something, and Jasmine just calmly turns to him and says "Ugh daddy why don't you go skipping through the daisies?" LOL I only wish you guys could have seen his face LOL

Then this morning I made Banana Nut Muffins, and Nic devoured his on the couch, leaving a huge mount of little crumbs. When I asked him why he made such a mess, he replied "well I was really hungry mommy" LOL Ohhhhkayyy!
Kids have the ability to make you laugh even when you're having a bad day :)


You all know that I LOVE sewing and crafting, I haven't had much time to do anything and I start getting antsy about it. But when I see things like that fabric stack above, I just want to dive in there and start up a new project.

I do have to say though, I think I'm more into the cooking projects, throw me a new recipe and put me in the kitchen for a day, I'm a happy camper. What do I have planned to try this weekend too???

Aren't those the cutest little cupcakes you've ever seen??? I know I know, I already said I have other cooking projects planned for this weekend but really what harm would it do, if anything I'll just give my family a sugar overload LOL
Maybe I'll be nice and not make them all the same day, I could try to decide between them all but it's so hard.

Whatever I make though, I'll be sure to have pictures to share with everyone.

So what do I have planned for today?? Well there's always dishes waiting to be done, no matter how many times I run the dishwasher, there's always something sitting in the sink and patiently waiting it's turn. The living room is a mess today, there's a comforter, yes you heard me, a COMFORTER on the couch.....Nicholas loves his and when he's not feeling well, he manages to drag his pillow and comforter downstairs and lounge on the couch all day long.

Here's my to do list for today:

Vacuum living room
Steam Clean Carpet
Mop kitchen floor and downstairs bathroom
Bake bread
Make Menu and Grocery List for tomorrow

Guess I'll be busy as usual. So I'm heading out hopefully to come say hi to you guys real quick before I start my day.
First I'm going to grab another cup of hot cinnamon coffee, it's freezing here right now and I think it will hit the spot. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!

God Bless,

Nothing that some mommy love won't cure!!!

Isn't it amazing that no matter how the little ones are feeling, just a mere kiss on the cheek or a hug from mommy makes it all go away.

It's no wonder that even at this age, how many times do we find ourselves wanting mommy around, to help us through a hard time, to give us a hug and make us some soup when we're feeling under the weather. It's just an amazing bond, that of a mother and child.

My little one is feeling a little better, he still has a hard time turning his neck, but that's not surprising, whenever I do that to my neck I know I'll be in pain for at least a week. He's a trooper though, Jasmine wants him to play and he gets right in there, yelping once in a while about his neck hurting....but he loves his sister to death and would rather be in pain that disappoint her. I just hope they keep this bond throughout their lives.

Well, I just got back from doing my taxes, I have to say usually it takes forever but it was pretty fast today and everything is done and taken care of. Now usually we use our taxes to pay off bills or splurge on something nice for us. This year, all that money is being saved for our trip to South Africa, and let me tell you we still have a LOT more to save to be able to accomplish that wish.

We always go to H&R Block, yes I know a lot of people do it themselves but quite frankly, I would rather pay the $100 fee and let them deal with everything than try to do it myself and screw up majorly. I do NOT want to get bad faction with the IRS.....here's what I find funny though....after the taxes are done they always try to pull you in with more money. Oh here you go, do you want us to give you a check right now for the full amount??? I mean really, you can if you want to, but obviously we need to deduct another $300 from your Tax Return....am I really that desperate to blow that money that I would pay those extra fees???
My answer is always "NO, thank you, I'm not in a rush to get the money" LOL

Really, I am kinda, but not really desperate enough to end up almost loosing a thousand dollars just to walk away with it when I can be patient and wait a week or two. PATIENCE PEOPLE PATIENCE

Remember yesterday I said I wanted to start my Spring Cleaning??? I'm so glad I didn't even try to this week, there is so much going on and I'm constantly running around I have absolutely no time to tackle organizing, windows, curtains etc....it WILL have to wait until next week.

Anyway, I was looking through some of my favorite blogs online, some of which I just browse and lurk in the shadows, I don't comment because, well because I have nothing interesting to say to them LOL They are crafting blogs and let me tell you these women are brilliant, absolutely brilliant. They are always chock-full of sewing and decorating projects and yummy, did I say YUMMY recipes??? Good grief, you can't visit these blogs before having your tummy nice and full, lest you want to go around devouring everything in sight.

But, yeah I was looking through some and I'm keeping a list of things I want to make, and I ran across one which I am definitely making this weekend. Homemade Granola....come on, who doesn't like fresh homemade granola??? So yeah, that one is definitely on my To Do List this weekend.
Then I have these in mind too, I'm hoping to make them for Valentine's Day, I think they would be perfect. I also want to give these a try sometime, don't they just look divine and so easy to make? I'm thinking I'll start thanking the teachers with homemade food, you think they would object???

Yesterday I managed to stop by some of my favorite blogs and say hi, and if I didn't make it to yours is because I ran out of time. I always go with the best of intentions and hoping to get to everyone, but for some reason by the time I get to 3/4 of my bloglines list, I'm out of time, I think today I'll start on the bottom and work my way up. This is what happens when you have a gazillion blogs that you're interested in. Can't you people just become boring so I can stop reading you??? LOL

Is it me or do my blog posts seem to be getting shorter and shorter?? I feel like I'm babbling away but yet I haven't said much at all. WEIRD!!!



Last night I watched "Wife Swap" and I have to tell you I was so envious of the Christian Family, I mean the mom seemed to be so put together and to have everything running so smoothly, and here I am pushing and trodding through my life trying to act like I have everything under control when God only knows how hard it is at times.
The fact that she managed to do the housework and homeschool and cook from scratch everyday, bake fresh bread and fresh pies....see I look at stuff like that and it's MY IDEA of a perfect life.

Of course others will think, wow, that's a bit too much, or, where does she get the time. Yes no one said that being a wife and a mother and taking care of your family, is easy. It's not, Lord knows it's definitely not easy to do the same things day in and day out and keep a smile on your face, but when I look at what I have around me and what I do, I don't see it as a chore, I see it as my contribution to the family and I take pleasure and pride in taking care of my house, in doing the mundane things such as laundry and cleaning up, cooking and baking, ironing...all of that stuff, YES, even scrubbing the toilets. It's not the most glamorous job on earth but I think it's the one with the BEST benefits and rewards. Either that or I'm living in a totally deluded state of mind LOL

Anyway, I have GOT to get a move on, I need to vacuum and steam clean my living room carpet, do a load of laundry, go by the post office and get my menus and grocery list ready for thusrday. I hope you all have a wonderful tuesday, don't forget American Idol is on tonight.

God Bless,

What a weekend!!!!!

Is there anything worse than your little 3 year old in pain??? Thursday night Nicholas pulled a muscle in his neck, while sleeping, so I was up all night with him screaming in pain and not able to move his head at all.

I HATE seeing my kids in pain, there's nothing like that feeling of helplessness and not being able to do anyting.

He spent the whole weekend complaining about it, and though he can move around and I've even caught him running with his sister, he still has a hard time looking to the right, so he does that whole body turn....but at least he's able to sleep and that's always a good thing right?

I spent this weekend cleaning the house, doing laundry, mopping and sweeping and all that other fun stuff. I have to tell you, I really don't mind doing housework, except for putting away laundry. OH.MY.GOODNESS do I HATE that...give me a ton of laundry to iron and I'm a happy camper, but then tell me to go put it away and I quickly become a sour puss. It's a scary thing to witness.

So saturday morning I woke up and felt something on one of my upper teeth, it felt like something was stuck there, I removed it and low and behold it's a part of my tooth. Ok, am I really getting that old that my poor teeth are falling apart???
I have the weakest teeth in the world, seriously, I actually told my dentist to just remove them all and give me fake ones, that's how tired I am of dealing with them.....unfortunately he keeps telling me that I have good teeth and good bone structure and he won't do that. *SIGH*.........guess the day I walk in there toothless will be the day he actually LISTENS to me LOL

I have a busy week ahead of me again, I tell you, the day I have my Green Card in my hand I will breathe a huge sigh of relief and throw the biggest party.

I have to tell you this TV Tuner card was the BEST thing I ever could have done. It is wonderful being able to watch tv while I'm quickly emailing or blogging, paying bills etc. No more missing the news or my favorite show....it's just wonderful.

I have to start my Spring Cleaning and it's overwhelming trying to come up with a plan and a list of things to do and when to do them. Let's face it, when you have kids it's hard to try and fit in everything that needs to be done in one day, so I found this great checklist online....well actually you fill in how many hours you want to clean, what room etc and it compiles a plan for you, even including the cleaning supplies you need...I'm ALL for outside help.

So I have my checklist printed out and I'm planning to start next monday, I have so much scheduled for this week and I honestly don't think I'll have time to squeeze in anymore.
If you want to see an example of my Spring Cleaning Checklist, go here.

For wednesday I need to come up with something inexpensive for Jasmine to take to her Valentine's Day party, I need HELP, I need ideas on what to make with stuff I already have on hand. Can you ladies help me out???

That's all I have time for today, I'm about to quickly do a fly by post on your blogs and then I'm heading out for the day. Have a wonderful monday, oh and don't forget to go check out Laura's blog for the "Menu Plan Monday" and if you want to see my menus just go check out my food blog.

God Bless,

Greatest Places on Earth!!!!

Well it's friday and it means we should have our coffee in hand and our minds open and ready for a new experience....see every week I take you to a beautiful place on earth, I give you some background info, I give you pictures and video and even music. Are you ready for today's trip???

We're heading to SCOTLAND!!! Jasmine picked the place for today, she's been enjoying my "Greatest Places on Earth" and wanted to be the one to decide where we're heading this morning, so while she's at school we're heading across the ocean to a beautiful land.

Come on, grab your coffee and coat, let's head out.

SCOTLAND

HISTORY

From the stone circles of Orkney to the new parliament building being erected in Edinburgh, Scotland's dramatic history spans 8,000 years, years marked by invasions and independence, wars and religious upheavals, intrigues and subjugation.

Yet it also saw the flowering of an imagination and inventiveness across many different fields of human endeavour and resulted in Scotland occupying a pivotal position, not only in a British context but in a European and worldwide one also - 19th-century Glasgow's title as Second City of the British Empire was no idle boast!

Such a history has left its mark on the nation's psyche - as well as the landscape - and has contributed in no small way to the fierce pride with which the Scots view themselves and their country today.

Arts and Culture

A nation's artistic and cultural life says much about its people and the vibrancy and creativity we display across a wide range of artforms quickly dispels the myth of the dour, downbeat Scot. In successive generations, Scotland has produced writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, composers and dancers whose talents have received both national and international acclaim.

Some of these artforms - such as our traditional dance and music - are uniquely Scottish both in style and inspiration and are appreciated chiefly at home. Others - such as theatre, opera and painting - draw on and incorporate influences from elsewhere in the world and consequently receive wider recognition. All, however, have the power to enthrall, challenge, provoke and inspire.

So, wherever you are in Scotland and whenever you visit, there is always something to enjoy amongst the rich diversity of our artistic and cultural heritage.

SCENERY:

VIDEO:

Beautiful city of Dumfries:

WEBCAMS IN SCOTLAND:

Live Edinburgh Castle

Eilean Donan Castle on the road to Skye, Scotland

SCOTTISH RECIPES

Scotland has a distinctive cuisine, often based on very traditional foods.

Apple Scone

There are many different varieties of scone - this one uses finely chopped apple to supply its flavour.

Main Ingredients:
One medium cooking apple
8 oz (250g or two cups) self raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder)
½ teaspoon salt
Level teaspoon baking powder
2 oz (60g or ½ stick) butter
2 oz (60g or ¼ cup) castor (fine granulated) sugar
Up to ¼ pint (150ml or half cup) milk

Ingredients for glaze:
A little milk
1oz demerara (light brown) sugar


Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6). Peel and core the apple and then finely chop. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then rub in the butter followed by the sugar and chopped apple and mix.

Add milk until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Roll out on a floured surface to about ¼" thick and 8" round and mark into 8 wedges. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush the top with milk and sprinkle with the demerara (light brown) sugar.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6) for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

*******************************************************************************************

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

This traditional soup, with prunes included in the ingredients, is mentioned as early as the 16th century. It is often served at Burns Suppers or St Andrew's Night Dinner (30 November) as well as an every-day soup in winter. Some people omit the prunes though!

Ingredients:
1 boiling chicken, about 4lb, including legs and wings
1lb leeks (about 12) cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 pints stock or water
1oz long grained rice
4oz cooked, stoned prunes
One teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Garnish of bay leaf, parsley, thyme
Some recipes also have 3 chopped rashers of streaky bacon

Method:
Put the chicken and bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Remove the bird. Some thrifty chefs use the bird as another course, others cut the meat into small pieces and add them back to the soup (certainly it should have some pieces of chicken in it when served). Add the rice and drained prunes and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check for flavour and serve with a little chopped parsley.

Serves 6/8 people.

*******************************************************************************************

Fisherman's Pie

There's nowhere in Scotland more than 50 miles from the sea and even inland there are many rivers, so fresh fish has been an important element of the Scottish diet and recipes incorporating fish abound. Here's a simple recipe which combines fish with that other Scottish staple ingredient - potato. The quantities below are sufficient for four people.

Ingredients:
One to One-and-a-half (450-575g) cooked fish. It can be either smoked fish (such as haddock) or most white fish. White fish and shelled fish such as prawns make good companions too.
Three quarters of a pint/15 fluid ounces (450 ml or two cups (scant) or one US pint which is different from a UK pint!) of white sauce.
One pound (450g or about four cups) mashed/creamed potato
Two medium onions, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese
Butter

Method:
Sauté the onions until soft. Flake the fish and mix with the onions and white sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in an oven-proof dish.

Cover with the mashed potato, dot with butter and sprinkle with cheese (quantity depends on personal preference).

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F (200C or Gas Mark 7) until brown. Serve with green vegetables.

*******************************************************************************************

And that is it my friends, we're out of time and I made sure to deliver you all back home safe and sound. I truly hope you enjoyed the visit to Scotland, it's just another amazing country to add to our "Greatest Places on Earth".

Slow Cooking Thursday!

I decided to update my banner, I figured with it being a new year, we needed a new one :) Please update your banners when participating ok???

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your favorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

Well ladies, hopefully today I'll be lucky and get more than 4 comments on this, I thought you guys were enjoying but I guess it's run it's course.....will see how today goes, if I'm still not getting much response to it, I think it may be the last one I do, I don't want to keep putting something up that people are not interested in anymore :)

Anyway, here we go:

Bachelor's Beef And Beer Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds cubed beef
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 package dry onion soup mix
12 ounces beer

Directions:

Combine flour, sugar, thyme and soup mix. Toss cubed beef in to coat. Dump in crock pot.

Add bay leaf, pour beer over beef mixture. Stir. Put lid on and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Remove bay leaf. Serve over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.