Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Yummy Bread Bowls
2 yellow onions chopped up
1 clove of garlic finely minced
2 bellpepper chopped up
4 cans cream of potato (do not dilute)
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans cream of corn
2 lbs of crawfish tails
1 Stick of Butter melted
Tony Chachere’s Seasoning
Saute onion, bellpepper & garlic in butter. Cook until onions are clear.
Add crawfish, potato soup, cream of corn, seasoning, evaporated milk.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Valentine Decorations

Monday, January 26, 2009
The Greatest Author of All Time

We started arranging all of the books on the shelf and I didn't realize how many great classics my husband had hidden in his library. Many of which I can use for the boys school work. Some of the books I had read many years ago, but hadn't picked them up in years so I had forgotten a lot of the details. Many I had never read, but Greg told me they were worth reading.
This Sunday I looked around at the faces in church and realized how our congregation is like a bookshelf full of books. Some of them I know well and can quote from their lives. Others I have only read a chapter or two and want to know more. Some I haven't even picked up yet, but have heard about their story and I am very interested. Their "covers" often don't hint as to their content.
The great Author has written their stories. He knows every word and every scene. Most I know are still being written. A few have ended quietly... a few tragically.
I take comfort that my life is in control of the great Author. He knows just what Chapters lay ahead in my life. He knows the ending. He has even written my name in His book called the Lamb's Book of Life when I accepted him as my Savior. Doing so assures me of the best ending of all.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The miracle of the wedding band

Thursday, January 15, 2009
January - National Homeschool Burnout Month
It is common for first timer and old timers to feel frustrated with homeschooling during this time. We have just come off of a long break from school and getting back into the routine can be difficult.
Many first timers hold the end of the December as their “trial” period. “We will see how it goes until the end of the year.” Then January burnout hits and they throw up their hands in frustration. It is normal.
Some people don’t experience burnout. I am not one of those people. Although I have homeschooled for six years, I still experience it. I try and have a sense of humor about it all and over the years have given myself some strategies to work with the frustration.
- I ease into school work after a long break. Adding only a few subjects when we start and slowly adding all the subject in over a two week period.
- We take breaks and visit with friends or go to the park.
- I don’t overcommit myself this month to projects outside of homeschool.
- I take some time to relax and do something I enjoy away from homeschooling.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Dear Editor: Is there Cappuccino in heaven?


-Use an aluminum frothing container.
-Use whole milk. I like the Wal-Mart brand organic milk. It seems to froth the best.
-Put the frothing container and the milk in the freezer right before you start the process of making the cappuccino. You don't want it to be frozen, but making it a little colder than normal really helps it hold its froth.
-Use Sugar in the Raw. It doesn't have the aftertaste white sugar does. Although at this writing I am out and really missing it.
-Move the frothing container up and down on the steam nozzle and hold it at a slight angle toward the espresso machine.
-Bang the frothing container on the counter during and after the process to pop all the bubbles and make the froth denser.
-Dust the finished cappuccino with a little McCormick Saigon Cinnamon. Yes, it makes a difference.
If all this talk about cappuccinos has made you crave one, run rapidly to your kitchen and make one by all means. Enjoy!
Friday, January 9, 2009
How to make a Budget

Water
Mortgage
Home Phone & Internet
Gasoline
Homeschooling (books, field trips...)
Dining & Entertainment
Haircuts
Tithe
Netflix
Cell Phone
Electricity
Trash
Natural Gas
Car Insurance
Dad's Fun Money
Mom's Fun Money
Pets
Medical - Doctor visits
Medical - Medicine
Home Repairs
Dining & Entertainment
Clothing
Groceries & household
Gifts given
Dues
Inside Out Cabbage Rolls - economical and delish!
Gluten Free Option:
Inside Out Cabbage Rolls
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What about suicide?

Thursday, January 1, 2009
Puppies and Mrs. Warbler

Our across-the-street neighbor man, we'll call him Spaz, divorced his wife. The day the ex-wife and the three kids moved out, a new lady moved right in. Let's call her Stick. I couldn't believe that Spaz moved a new lady right in to his 4 bedroom home and his three kids have to live in an apartment. Whatever. That's their deal. A few months later, while typing at my computer, I heard noise outside my window. I looked to see Stick and the ex-wife screaming at each other and Stick was towering over the ex-wife ready to strike. I see the kids running for the house. I went across the street and broke up the fight but not before Stick yelled a threat at the ex-wife. Awesome. Stick called the police on the ex-wife... what? No, the police never talked to me about the whole situation even though I was right in the middle. Wonderful work by our crack police force. The ex-wife goes to jail. Go figure. What was the whole fight about? Stick decided to turn the children against their mother by speaking despairingly about her directly to them. The ex-wife confronted her about it.
I recently saw Spaz standing on his roof yelling at his neighbor's dog for barking. Your ideal dog owners wouldn't you say.
She is in her front yard all morning with the dogs and makes sure she gets our attention when we returning home from shopping. She makes a point to say she got the dogs from "your neighbors". She was rubbing it in my face. I just went inside and ignored her. My husband carries on a whole conversation with her which just gets my goat. He heard it from me when he got inside. I reminded him who washed his socks and made his meals. Don't say "sour grapes" to me please. I'm just seething mad.
I know our friend had no idea about these people or she wouldn't have sold her beloved dogs to them. She just wanted to get rid of these last two puppies. It just hit me on the wrong day at the wrong time.
I went in the back yard to cool off. I was just praying and praying and rocking and rocking in my rocking chair. Then the cutest little green bird came into the yard and cleaned the bugs off of my flowers. I've never seen him before. I thought he was a Finch. He wasn't afraid of me at all. He entertained me and got my mind off of my anger. I calmed down a bit and came inside. I looked it up in my bird book, she was a Mourning Warbler. I thought that was a wonderful sign.