Frazzled Mom and Friends

Fudgy Brownies a/k/a a good diversion from your New Year's Diet

2012-01-26T17:33:00.000-06:00

A friend wanted me to share my brownie recipe. Here it is:

Fudgy Brownies
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (1 ounce each)
1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt (I like Kosher)
1 cup walnuts (or pecans if you like)

Heat oven to 350. Grease your pan or use parchment paper at the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Melt the chocolate in your microwave according to the package directions. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the melted chocolate. After the chocolate is well mixed in (and cooler), add the eggs one at a time (mixing well between each one). Mix in remaining ingredients (except nuts). Don't overmix here. Mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Mix in nuts in just a few turns of your mixer. Spread in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can frost them with your favorite frosting after they cool slightly.

A optional topping we sometimes do is peanut butter. Put your favorite smooth peanut butter in a small zipper bag. Cut off a small portion of one corner. Pipe lines up and down the longest side of your pan a few inches apart. Take a toothpick and drag it through the lines. Drag it the other way. Here is a tutorial on another blog http://sweetopia.net/2010/04/how-to-marble-royal-icing/

More Winter Garden Beauty

2012-01-13T09:20:00.001-06:00

Thought I would share a few pictures of my winter garden to help brighten you day! Isn't God's creation magnificent!

huge head of cabbage! Check out my feetsies at the bottom. of the picture for scale.

cauliflower

huge head of cauliflower

Garden No. 3

Sweet Pea flower

Beautiful sweet pea pod - we have been eating them raw in salad - delish!

Regrowth of broccoli. After you cut away the initial head, you get tons of little shoots that come up.

a big fat, gorgeous Kale plant. Is there anything more beautiful?

My first harvest of cauliflower. Yummy! I'm going to try the mashed them like mashed potatoes.

Easy Enchilada Casserole

2012-01-12T21:26:00.000-06:00

Do you own a cast iron skillet? If you don't, you should think about investing in one. They are not expensive and the quality of cooking you can do with one surpasses any fancy skillet. Browning meat in cast iron is wonderful and you can't beat cornbread made in a cast iron skillet. The recipe below calls for one. Sure, you can get by with your regular pots, but a cast iron pot makes it so much better.

Sometimes I have a little taco meat leftover after my family eats my ground beef tacos. I usually save this in a small tupperware in the freezer. When I get a good amount, I make nachos or Enchilada Casserole. I thought you might like the recipe for my Enchilada Casserole.

Tortillas - I love to use Guerrero uncooked Taco Tortillas. A dear friend told me about them and I haven't used anything else since. Of course you can substitute already cooked Tortillas, but once you brown your own Guerrero tortillas in your cast iron skillet, you may never switch back. I brown them quickly in my black cast iron pan with the tiniest amount of corn oil. After the tortillas are done and the pot is nice and hot, you can cook the meat.

Taco Meat - (You can make a double batch and freeze half for another day of Tacos or Nachos)
1 lb. Ground Beef (low fat) (you can also use ground turkey)
1 Tbl. Olive or Corn oil
1 finely chopped yellow onion
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tsp. cumin
2 stems of cilantro chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Kosher salt
dash of Cholula Hot Sauce (or your favorite mexican hot sauce)

Brown the ground beef in the vegetable oil in a heavy black cast iron pan. The browner, the more flavor you will have. When the meat is browned, saute the onion and garlic until they turn clear. You don't need to remove the meat to saute the vegetables. Add the rest of the seasonings and 1/4 cup of water. Cook on low for 10 minutes.

Enchilada Sauce

- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cans tomato paste + 4 cans of water
1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes Muir Glen Organic
2 Tbl. chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Saute the onion & garlic in the butter. Once the onions turn clear, add the bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes. Run through your blender to make a smooth sauce. I highly recommend the blender if children will be eating. This recipe makes more than you need for the Enchilada recipe below. Use the extra to spread on a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, roll and microwave until cheese melts for a quick afternoon snack. This sauce is so much healthier and more delicious than any canned sauce!

EASY ENCHILADAS CASSEROLE
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas
Taco Meat (above)
Enchilada sauce (above)
1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream
sliced jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Use 9 x 11 pan. Spray bottom of pan with non-stick spray. Layer with flat tortillas first, meat, a few small globs of sour cream all around the pan, enchilada sauce. Then again: tortillas, meat, sour cream, enchilada sauce top with cheese. You can also add jalapenos on top. Cover with foil (sprayed with non-stick spray) Bake for 20 minutes in 350 oven. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Santa bought me a shiny, pretty thing

2012-01-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

I got some shiny, blingy things for Christmas. My husband bought me a new range and microwave. Some women might be put off by a gift of appliances. Not me! I love anything shiny that comes with a butter softening feature. That's right, butter softening. Mmmmm!

My husband isn't a stupid man. He knows that a happy cook means yummy in the tummy. He teased me that he expected my cooking to rise to a "whole nutha level". I chuckled back that it wasn't possible. I am happy to say I was dead wrong. My husband is happy to say that I was dead wrong.

I am soooooo glad I got a double oven. I have used both ovens simultaneously many times. Love it! If you are on the fence about this feature, get off and get the double oven! I love the warming feature. I have used it several times. I wish both the top and bottom ovens were convection. Only the bottom is. I have used the convection bake and roast. I have noticed that my bread is browned very evenly with the convection bake but it didn't shave any time off. Didn't notice a big difference in the convection baked chicken and it only shaved off 15 minutes from the baking time. I'm still experimenting, so I reserve the right to change my initial opinion.

The loaf on the right was baked in a convection oven

My husband only installed the microwave a few days ago.It should really be called a convection oven with a microwave feature. I have THREE ovens! I haven't had a chance to test out the convection oven feature in this appliance yet. The popcorn feature is amazing! It weighs the popcorn bag and adjusts the time accordingly. It also senses when it is done. My favorite feature is the butter softening. It's pitiful, I know it. But I LOVE this feature. The defrost feature of this microwave is amazing! It defrosts it perfectly without hot spots. The ground meat was just like I got it from the butcher.

Now, getting to this happy point has been a bit of a bumpy road. Got really great service at our local Lowe's appliance center. Gave positive feedback to the store manager. Delivered to the house and installed. Check. Hmmmmm... why does the convection fan keep kicking off? That's weird. E-mailed Kitchenaid customer service. They said that wasn't right. Called and confirmed with a different customer service person. OK then. We have a problem. Called Lowe's. They delivered a new one. Hmmmmm... same thing. Kitchenaid customer service confirmed AGAIN that the fan should stay on all the time. Called back and asked to talk to a technical person. Doesn't exist at Kitchenaid. What? Told the story again. Put on hold. Manuals pulled out. People consulted. Oh no, the fan DOES actually kick on and off. Everything is hunky dory ma'am. Really? Wish Kitchenaid knew their products. Would have saved me a bunch of trouble.

The manual that came with the Kitchenaid Double Oven Convection Gas Range Model KGRS505XSS is awful. The Kitchenaid convection microwave KHMC1857WSS manual is worse. For what I dropped on these things, they should have come with an in-home demonstration or at least a video online. Throw me something Kitchenaid! I remember when my mother bought one of the first Amana microwaves. We had a whole microwave cooking class at the appliance center and a huge cookbook with detailed instructions. Gone are those days. Is it too much to ask for a decent manual that actually mentions any of the features? I guess so.

I'm still testing out all the features, but so far I'm pretty impressed. I'm just really thrilled to have an oven that actually holds a temperature.

God has my back

2011-12-15T07:26:00.000-06:00

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? I Cor. 6:7

Believers can be unbelievably ugly to one another. That is the enemy's way dear friends. Destroy it from the inside. Recently, I was on the receiving end of ugliness. Someone was telling lies about me. I wasn't there to defend myself but God, my Defender, was there. My Defender came to my rescue even before I knew I was being wronged. God made sure the lie was later heard by someone who absolutely knew the truth. She spoke the truth out and set it straight. I am so thankful for those friends that defend you when you aren't around. My friend called me and told me about the lie. My first reaction was that the truth needed to be told and the person set straight. I called a friend and asked her to pray with me about the right way to handle this with the other party. She had been there when the lie was told and she was already praying about it. I sought God's wisdom through His Word and He gave me I Cor. 6:7. Really? Let it go? I'm in the legal profession and I long for justice. God showed me that He had already taken care of it even before I knew there was an issue. He didn't "let it go". He handled it. He didn't need me to take care of it further. I am so thankful to my ever-present Defender!

"The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment." Proverbs 12:19

Cooking for people with allergies

2011-12-13T12:44:00.000-06:00

Several years ago, members of our homeschool group joined together to form a group called the "Real Meal Blessing Team". We divide our group into two teams. Each team takes a turn to cook for anyone in our homeschool group that might need it because of illness, new baby or other life interruptions. We utilize a very cool free tool called the "Care Calendar" Our members can easily sign up for whichever date works best for them. To make it even easier, our members are not responsible for a whole meal (unless they want to). They only sign up for a portion of the meal like the dessert, vegetable and bread, meat, or side dish. It keeps it budget friendly and easy for our team members.

To serve our member in need best, we have only the team leader make the drop off of all the food. This keeps our dear friend from having too many feet tromping through her house during a time when privacy is most needed. We have been very blessed to serve many of our members over the years. Some that have received have even joined our group and gotten to return the blessing! They are very special members indeed!

On occasion, we run into a family with food allergies or other diet requirements. We do our very best to accommodate them. Recently, we learned of a family in our group that is gluten free. That seemed a little intimidating to me. I didn't know much about it, so I did some research. I even did a test run of the diet myself for a few weeks just to see if I could cook for them using my regular recipes. I was excited to find many of my favorite recipes that were gluten free. I did a lot of label reading in my pantry. Since rice is considered gluten free, I had lots and lots of Cajun recipes that fit the bill. I also did some internet research and found websites to help me. Allrecipes.com has a great section with lots of gluten free recipes here. The recipes on this website look wonderful http://glutenfreegirl.com/ Gourmet pictures too! I really liked the challenge of trying to cook gluten free. There really is so much help out there, that it probably wasn't much of a challenge.

Don't be intimidated when you are cooking for someone with food allergies or special diet requirements. First, ask them what you can cook. Also, ask if there is a restaurant they frequent and what they eat there. They know their diet better than anyone. They can give you some quick tips and hints, brands and where to get them. If you are still intimidated, you could give them a gift card or offer to deliver their preferred meal from their restaurant. Do a little internet research. Websites like allrecipes.com allow you to search for recipes "without" certain ingredients. Check it out here.

Funny but awful story... I have a dear friend who is allergic to bananas. I have known this for years and never managed to poison my sweet friend. I raved on and on about a recipe for hummingbird cake that I tried. One evening she came over for supper and I was so excited to serve her a piece of this delicious cake. As she took her second bite, it suddenly dawned on me that there were bananas in the recipe. Too late. Thankfully, her allergy isn't life threatening. I was absolutely horrified that I made a mistake like that but she just laughed it off and complemented me on the delicious cake. It's a wonder she still eats at my house. Argggg!

I have another friend who is allergic to onions and garlic. Now that allergy intimidates me! As a Cajun, cooking without those two ingredients in near impossible. I have one, count it one, main meal recipe that does not contain either of those ingredients. Guess she'll be eating a lot of Paninis if I ever have to cook for her! Thankfully, she loves them!

Taco Soup - a delicious soup sure to please everyone

2011-12-11T17:59:00.000-06:00

Tis the season for soup! It can simmer while you wrap gifts or cut out cookies. This soup even pleases my picky eater!

ELIZABETH LEGER'S TACO SOUP

Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 Tbl. Olive Oil or corn oil
1 can of Muir Glen Roasted Tomatoes
Kosher salt to taste (start with 1 Tbl.)
black pepper to taste (start with 1/4 tsp.)
a dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. of Cholula hot sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup of wheat flour mixed with 3/4 cup water in a small bowl (to thicken the soup) Pour in slowly.
2 small bunches of cilantro
1 small bunch of fresh oregano
1 tsp. of dried oregano
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound of lean ground meat
1 can of pinto beans
1/2 cup frozen corn

Garnishes for finished soup:
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Sour Cream

In a heavy black pot, saute garlic and onions in olive (or corn) oil. Add this mixture, roasted tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro and oregano in a blender and mix well. Brown ground meat very well. The darker, the more flavor your soup will have (but please don't burn it). A heavy black pot is the best for browning meat. Then add the rest of the ingredients including the mixture in the blender (except the cheese). I also add an additional bunch of cilantro to further flavor the soup and then remove it before I serve. Simmer for 30 minutes. You could also toss this in your slow cooker and return to a delicious meal. Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on the top and/or Tortilla chips and/or a dab of sour cream.

Christmas is for the birds!

2011-12-09T09:57:00.002-06:00

Continuing on my efforts to incorporate more of a natural theme into my decorating, I've used more birds this year in my decoration theme of "Enchanted Forest Christmas".

Found this beauty this year.
A blinged out bird is just perfect for my tree!

A little decoration for the post
and a happy greeting when you enter

This little baby cardinal is tucked away from the cold

My favorite large owl gets a little sparkle

A new baby owl on the mantle!

I've gone a little overboard in my table decorations, but if you are going to do it, you might as well overdo it.

My collection of acorns. A delight on the table.

My Hutch is all decorated for Christmas. I try to have large and small detail. The large detail draws someone in and the small detail gives them a delight when they get close.

My kitchen theme is sweets and coffee. Of course!

My new favorite, a blueberry pie.

Chocolate cake! Now I'm hungry!

The Mantle has a new look this year!

This year's wrapping gets a touch of nature too!

A new tree this year. A slender one doesn't hold all my ornaments but fits nicely in the corner.

Santa and his sleigh decorate the top.
The Christmas skirt was handmade with love by my Mamon.
It takes an honored spot here every year.

Fall Harvest

2011-11-18T11:21:00.001-06:00

I am truly convinced that square foot gardening is the way to go for me. I cannot believe how healthy, beautiful and plentiful my fall garden is. I made a few mistakes along the way.

-First, two of my beds are now in the shade because of the movement of the sun in the fall season. Most of my plants are still flourishing despite the fact that they don't get any direct sunlight. Some of my bean plants didn't like it and I pulled them out. The lack of sunlight also caused the soil to stay moister than the bed that gets direct sunlight. That caused a bit of a gnat infestation. They apparently like the moist soil. The gnats aren't causing any problems, they are just bothersome. I've adjusted my watering of those beds and the plants seem to be doing just fine.

-Second, I put up a climbing net on two sides of a bed. I am having difficulty being able to get to the plants in that corner. I can still access them from behind, it just isn't as easy as it should be. I'll move one of the nets to one of the new beds we plant in the spring.

My beds looks more crowded than I am used to with my old garden. In fact, everything is doing just fine because of the mixture they are growing in is extremely rich.

I am currently growing more in this garden than I ever have before. It takes up less space and grows more. I use less water (but water more often) and there are no weeds. I am currently growing cucumber, sweet peas, green beans, cabbage, kale, tomato (4 varieties), green onions, parsley, celery, cilantro, oregano, lettuce (3 varieties), broccoli (2 varieties), cauliflower, and decorative mums and jeruselum cherry. Leftover from Spring and doing well are patio tomato, bellpepper, jalapeno and banana pepper. I've already picked cucumber, green beans and tomatoes.

Garden three is thriving!

Gardens 1 and 2 that are now in the shade :(

Juliette tomatoes

Start of my broccoli

Healthy and beautiful. The worms got a few bites before I got them.

As beautiful as any flower!

sweet pea flower - come on sweet peas!

great crop of Louisiana Satsumas this year despite the drought

Covered all my gardens when we had a bit of cold night. Thanks to my son Lucas for making this covers!

Louisiana satsuma ripening in the sun

Feeding my obsession

2011-10-18T17:28:00.000-05:00

Is there anything more fun than getting a package in the mail? Even better, this was an unexpected gift from my dear friend Melissa. I was thrilled to open a package to find this:

Nordic Ware Acorn Cakelet Pan

Finished product!

As a Nordic Ware fanatic, I squealed when I opened the package. This cute little cakelets will be the star of my next tea party! I think I want to decorate the top of each acorn with sparkly sugar.

Thank you Melissa! You know the way to my baker's heart!

A Morning Walk in the Fall Garden

2011-10-16T10:16:00.001-05:00

Dew on the edge of a cucumber plant. Look at the beautiful curl.

I love to walk in the garden in the morning. There is no diamond necklace as beautiful as the dew drops on the edge of a leaf. Take a walk with me and enjoy.

Dew dappled cauliflower leaf

loving the way the light works in this picture of a cucumber leaf

two baby bell peppers covered in dew

the fingers of the sweet pea plant reaching for the lattice

Double headed cabbage with amazing purple veins

Broccoli is well on its way

Rosemary loving this spot

An overall view of gardens 1 and 2

An overall view of garden 3

Juliette tomatoes starting to produce

Patio tomatoes from spring getting their second wind in fall

cucumber taking advantage of the lattice

Carrots loving this pot

Only the rich soil of a square foot garden could support this amount of plants so close

Gift Ideas for Nursing Home Residents

2011-10-14T10:07:00.001-05:00

Every Christmas I do a list of gift ideas specific for a certain age or gender. (my other ones are teens and pre-teens here and budget friendly here) This year is special. My boys play games with the elderly every week. It is made possible by my friend Lydia who suggested the idea and who picks them up every week as my daily schedule won't allow me to drop them off in time. Yeah, she's pretty awesome!

Anyhow, I was brainstorming with my mother-in-law today with ideas of what gifts we could give them as prizes for winning a game. I wanted something meaningful and nice. Here is the list we came up with and I have supplemented with ideas from the Internet. Of course, you should check with the facility to ensure the item is OK. I have not put snacks or food items on this list as dietary concerns can be a problem.

Check Oriental Trading or your discount and dollar store for many of these items.

Music box
lapel pin (holiday pins are popular)
Small holiday decor item for their room
Book marker
Christmas ornament for the facility tree
fresh flowers
brushes & combs
magazines (readers digest, taste of home and farm & ranch)
small wreath
pocket games
picture frames
various blank cards (birthday, thank you)
balls
snowglobes (I love this idea)
Suncatchers
magnifying glasses
playing cards
silk flower corsages (I love this one too)
stuffed animals
tissues in decorative holiday boxes
tissue box holders
Old magazines from the 40's & 50's (totally in love with this)
hats (fishing hats & fedoras for the guys, pretty hats for the ladies)
puzzle books
handkerchief
yarn (for the knitters)
blankets
stamps
pens
chapstick (careful it isn't medicated)
Dusting powder (my friend Melissa suggested this great idea.)

Hell's Waiting Room or "My Day at the Veterans Hospital"

2011-10-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

If Hell had a waiting room, I was in it yesterday.

A family member needs surgery. As they are a veteran, we made an appointment to meet with the surgeon and discuss the surgery. Well, dear friends, our appointment was at 11:00. We arrived shortly after 10:30 because we left too early. We weren't sure of the traffic situation, didn't know exactly where the office was and didn't want to cause problems with the doctor's schedule by arriving late. The family member signed in and we sat and waited, and waited, and waited... and waited some more. At 2:15 p.m. we finally were face to face with the surgeon. Over three hours after our scheduled appointment. I couldn't believe it. Can you leave the waiting room? No. If you are called and you aren't present, they go on to the next person. They may or may not call your name later. Oh, and a person that doesn't speak English very well screams your name out. The room is huge and "L" shaped. The screamer is at one end of the "L" we are at another. Awful system. Surely there is something better. I like the idea of those hand held pagers like you get at restaurants. I finally snuck away and got us some popcorn (read lunch). Was it over after we saw the surgeon. Heck no. We then had to do all the prep work for the surgery. We went to the blood clinic and waited in line again for her blood to be drawn. Then we went and waited in line again for her to have her heart monitored. We went to the X-ray clinic and got a chest X-ray. This was the last stop and there was no wait. Thank God! Were we done? Nope. We had to make an appointment with the anesthesiologist for a workup before surgery. Then we have to come back for the actual surgery on another day. We finally crawled in the house at 5:45.

Personally, it makes me sick to my stomach to think of our veterans having to endure such conditions. You know those people that risk life and limb for us. Yes, those people.

The babies are up!

2011-09-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

I'm like a proud momma with a newborn! My babies have popped their heads up and are growing! Of course, I'm talking about my baby plants in my new Square Foot Gardens! I currently have three 4 x 4 gardens. If all goes well, my son will be building more boxes this spring.

I have broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, rosemary, cilantro, cucumbers, sweet peas, bush beans, lettuce, green onions and some very beautiful mums. I still have some open spaces in my garden. I will be planting more broccoli, beans and lettuce in a few more weeks to spread out the harvest. This is all a new concept for me. I'm so used to planting everything at one time that having empty squares sorta is bothering me. I'll get over it. On a positive note, my dog has lost her appetite for the garden soil. I wish I could say how it happened, but unfortunately, I have no clue. I hope we don't have to go through this drama again in spring!

Bush Beans - Garden 1

My bellpepper, jalapeno, patio tomatoes, basil, oregano, rosemary and banana peppers are leftover from my spring garden. They have all found their second wind in the cooling temperatures. Some blessed rain has finally fallen!

Here is a peek at my babies. Keep in mind, they have a lot of growing to do.

sweet peas - Garden 3

Garden 1 - mums, lettuce, cilantro, bush beans, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, broccoli

Garden 2 - Broccoli, Cauliflower, lettuce, green onions, cabbage, tomato (cherry)

Garden 3 - with two lattices - green onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, sweet peas, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce.
OK - we figured out too late that two lattices probably wasn't a good idea (you can't reach the plants in the corner - duh). We will move one of the lattices to another box in the spring. Live and learn.

baby lettuce - Garden 1

Beautiful fall mums in my favorite flower color

baby cucumber plant - a work of art!

Fall is here!

2011-09-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome fall! Everything about it makes me smile. The hummingbirds are here, the colors are great, and the weather is wonderful.

It's only natural that I would want to bring a little of that indoors. While hummingbirds aren't keen on living indoors, bringing the fall colors inside is doable!

Look who came to perch in my chandelier?

Fall Tablescape

Fall Mantlepiece

Closeup on the mantlepiece

Homeschooling Newbie Friends - Gotta love 'em!

2011-09-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like having a friend that is new to homeschooling to make you question a few things. It cracks me up every time. You old timers know what I mean...

"Well have you heard of this curriculum?" Uh no, I haven't looked at new curriculum in 10 years. I found what works and I'm sticking to it. If they invented a new curriculum that you could strap to your head and instantaneously acquire the knowledge I would never know.

"What kind of test scores are your kids getting on their general yearly testing?" What general yearly testing? There is no such thing in Texas. And the usual followup "Well, how do you know they are learning?" Because they are smarter than me and a box of rocks.

I also love how excited they are starting on the dot at 8:00 with the pledge of allegiance followed promptly by a phone call to me (who is still searching bleary eyed for a coffee cup). Any curriculum questions you ask this early will be answered with incoherent answers. Sorry dear friend.

Oh, and the eternal "Socialization" question. Let's all sigh together. *SIGH* I've put together a list of websites and good articles that address this and just forward it on. It all boils down to "Seriously, have you been to the mall lately?"

I guess dear friend I've become comfortable after this many years of home educating my kids. The proof is in the pudding. They are wonderful, smart, handsome, articulate boys. Have I missed something in their education? Yes, they have not memorized the Gettysburg address. Will they survive? Yup.

I cheer you on my newbie friend. I've been in your shoes. I was the one asking curriculum questions at 8:00 a.m. to another bleary eyed homeschool mom. Lord bless her! I raise my cup of coffee to you this morning!

Adventures in the Garden - Creature Edition (warning - more poop references)

2011-09-15T13:30:00.000-05:00

OK - brace yourself. I'm going to get all "homeschool-y" on you.

What is this creature? mmm hmmm, you think you know don't you.

I wasn't fast enough with the camera to capture our visitor, but this is what was in our back yard a few nights ago.

This is not a "Possum". (Putting on my teacher glasses) "The correct name for this noctural animal is 'Opposum'". What was he doing in my backyard? The poor thing was probably hunting for water. Texas has had an extreme drought this year. It is the worst drought on record. My bird bath probably seemed like an oasis.

Their ability to survive and adapt to awful conditions makes opposums amazing creatures in my book. In our Apologia science studies last year we got to learn a little about them. I didn't know the extent to which they play "possum". When scared, their body becomes stiff as if in rigor mortis, they emit a foul odor similar to that of a decaying body and foam comes out of their mouth. They are able to stay like this for long periods of time.

They are not related to rats. They are marsupials (they have a pouch for their babies). They have a high level of immunity are not known to carry rabies or other diseases. In fact they are more resistant to rabies than any other mammal. It does not hang by its tail (despite what Disney says).

The opposum diet is quite revolting. They eat anything rotten, bugs, rats, over-ripe fruit, worms and dog poop. Our backyard was a banquet!

Speaking of poop... that's how we knew he was visiting. We found a little "evidence" on our back porch. I guessed an opposum or racoon based on the tracks in my garden (although it didn't eat anything). We turned on the porch light that night to see eyes gazing at us from the top of the fence. A little research found an easy method to discourage nightly visits. We just kept our porch light on for three nights in a row and it hasn't come back since. Here are some more safe methods of discouraging opposum visits. They are effective pest eliminators and mighty fine santiation workers. However, I don't want tracks through my garden!

Adventures in the Garden - Fall 2011 Edition

2011-09-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

What is the big mystery of life? Why are we here? Where did we come from? No, it is "Why does my dog eat our garden soil?"

I'm trying a new experiment this fall. Everything we thought about gardening has been turned on its head after reading the book on "Squarefoot Gardening". We are trying it out this fall to see if the hype is true. However, our beginnings have been wrought with mystery and turmoil. (insert scary music here) Read on.

My son lovingly slaved away in record-breaking Texas heat to build me three of the most beautiful garden boxes ever constructed. (ummmm, yes, it is going in his High School transcript, thank you very much) Isn't he so handsome working so hard? Some girl will be very blessed to have such a multi-talented husband. But I digress.

We called around and drove distances to get the precious vermiculite for our boxes. It is part of a super amazing mix that contains 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost. The compost has to be a mixture of 5 different composts (we found 2 kinds of cow poop, chicken poop, worm poop, and some other organic compost mixture. We never did find mushroom. Apparently we are compost deprived in this part of Houston. Who would have thunk it?)

the amazing mixture!

look at these beautiful boxes!

cooking up the mixture

We put together the mixture in the yard. We poured the correct amounts on the tarp and lifted the ends to mix it up. I'm sure we were a source of great entertainment for our neighbors looking on.

My dh mixing the soil in a tarp

We poured it in the boxes.

We planted a few seeds and plants.

The dog decided the poop trifecta mixture was too good to be true. Apparently cayenne pepper sprinkled on the soil as a deterrent only makes it more appetizing.

The dog pooped out poop mixed with vermiculite. (no pictures. Your welcome.)

We built some very cool trellises. The boys (and my husband) were threatened to within an inch of their lives if they used the nets as soccer nets. An inch I tell you. They were sorely disappointed.

The dog continued to go out at various times during the day for snacks. I can never catch her in the act!

We planted some more. You are supposed to plant like every two weeks to have a constant supply of fresh veggies and not a huge rush of too much.

Doggy footprints and chunks of soil missing. Yelling at the dog. More cayenne pepper (why do I continue to do something that clearly isn't working?)

I started my own compost to supplement our sorely lacking supply here in Houston. And its free. And it is in a very neat bin and not the open pile my husband tried to start and fed every rat in the tri-county area. And I wrote instructions on the lid of the compost heap so my husband doesn't throw bones, meat or citrus peels in it. And I'm kind of a control freak/nerd because I wrote too many instructions on the lid in permanent marker. Click the picture below to get a clear picture of my mental state. Stop laughing.

Take advantage of your house servants

2011-09-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

I've talked in the past about the efficiency strategy of touching things once. Another way I boost my productivity is to think about how to make use of time most effectively by utilizing technology. Now I'm not advocating going out and purchasing a bunch of new items. What I am suggesting is making use of what you currently own to its utmost. It's like hiring a bunch of household help for free! Here are some examples of using technology to save time:

I start the washing machine before unloading the dishwasher (or other task) so that it can be working while I am working.

One of my favorite things is the timer on my washing machine. I own an LG washer that has a "delay start" feature. When you are shopping for a new washer, look for this feature. I prize it above all other features. It means you can load the washing machine before you go to bed and have it start at 5:00 a.m. so that your freshly washed clothing is ready to go into the dryer when you awake. Your servant has worked while you slept.

I make good use of my crock pot. It can work while I do other things (including sleeping - see the theme here?).

I love my bread maker. It is working away making fresh bread while I go about my other work. It can even work while I am away from home. I also utilize it to make gifts. That's right! There isn't a better gift than a loaf of fresh bread!

Fold your clothes while they are still warm in the dryer. Take advantage of the fact that they are wrinkle free. More laundry tips here.

Make good use of your electronic calendar either on your phone, computer or other device. Use the alarm feature to remind you of appointments and birthdays. I have a Palm which does the job just fine. It isn't the latest gadget (I bought it used on Ebay), but I use it to its fullest. Don't forget to back it up because if it gets lost, so are you.

I love, love, love the shopping list software called SplashShopper. You can download it to your portable device (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad...) or computer. I use it to make my grocery list and keep track of the latest prices. It is an inexpensive program I use every day. It also comes with a travel list to help me remember what to pack.

Take a shower at night and let your hair dry overnight. Now, this isn't making use of technology, but it still is a good time saver strategy (and keeps your sheets cleaner). All you curly headed girls will disagree here!

I'm sure there are many more tips, but these are my top few. How do you use technology to make life easier for you?

Chewy Ginger Cookies are a Favorite in any Season

2011-09-04T07:35:00.001-05:00

I love these easy cookies! They are chewy, spicy and the stuff dreams are made of. This crowd pleaser comes from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook. They make 120 regular sized cookies (which is a ridiculous amount). They freeze very well so I will make a batch and freeze most of them. When I have company expected, I can pull a some out to defrost a few hours before they arrive. They will think you baked all morning!

Chewy Ginger Cookies (called "Giant Ginger Cookies" in the cookbook)

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses (I sometimes substitute 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup real maple syrup)

3/4 cup sugar (Use Sugar in the Raw)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (I use a melon baller to get the exact same cookies) Roll balls in the 3/4 cup sugar. Place 1-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed (do not overbake). Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Makes about 120 cookies (freezes well)

Shhhhh... the secret to keeping my sanity is my private chef

2011-08-28T13:40:00.001-05:00

Yes, I have a private chef. Don't hate me. Of course, I'm talking about my crock-pot! A combination of unusually high triple digit temperatures this summer, my husband being back in college classes in the evening and a new job in the afternoon has had me turning to my crock-pot more and more. I cooked 4 out of 5 evening meals in them last week. Starting my meal at noon and having it ready in the evening is like a dream. My dear husband comes in from class ready to eat. Keeping the meal in my crock-pot on warm is so convenient to his schedule. It truly is like having a private chef. I do a little prep work, throw it in the crock-pot and go about my business. It seems my dear friend Melissa has the same idea too. We keep passing tips, recipes and websites between each other. How about a year of crock-pot cooking? Check out this website http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ I'm excited to try dessert in the crock-pot! I may have to get a second crock-pot just for that purpose! Also check out http://www.allrecipes.com/ They have a crock-pot category. I also recently stumbled on a group on Facebook called "Crock Pot Girls" which, incidentally, at first glance I thought was "CRACK Pot Girls" which was intriguing to me for reasons unknown. They have started their own website here www.crockpotgirls.com as the FB page grew like crazy (They started on August 19 and in 9 days they had almost 100,000 likes).
Want to see all my crock-pot recipes? Many of my regular recipes have been adapted for the crock-pot. Click on the link to the right called "Recipes Found On This Blog" and look for "Crock-pot Recipes" in the list. I would love to hear about your favorite locations for crock-pot recipes.

Emergency radio a vital link during an emergency

2011-08-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

Living in the South, you are ever aware that a hurricane can strike with little notice. We are in the height of hurricane season right now so I was checking up on the status of my old radio when I discovered that the battery compartment was corroded. Time to shop for a new one. I found the neatest radio/flashlight/cell phone charger/weather station. It is powered by either solar or hand crank.

We were happy to have a radio during the last hurricane. It is a vital link when the electricity is out. Cell phones are great, but during Ike some of us didn't have any phone service. Even when we did have service, many people had trouble finding a place to charge up their cell phones. This radio has a USB charger which I do not own so I'm off to find one (one user complained that it fried his iPhone so be careful tech savy friends).

One feature I wish this radio had was the ability to tune into local TV stations. My previous radio had this feature until TV stations changed their formats to all digital transmission and it no longer worked. I could not find this feature on any radio in any price category anywhere. Business idea anyone?

Stop, Drop and Clean out your dryer hose

2011-07-30T16:31:00.002-05:00

We have been having trouble with our dryer working properly. Our clothes were still damp after the dryer cycle. It is only three years old, so I wasn't expecting any problems. Our appliance repair man was out to do a checkup on our washer, so I asked him about the dryer. He suggested that we clean out the dryer hose that is connected to the back of our dryer. So Greg and I took a few minutes to do so. I cannot tell you how much lint and other disgusting things had built up in that hose. (the picture to the left isn't our dryer. This one is "clean" compared to ours!) It filled our vacuum cleaner bag (that I had just changed). Can you say "fire hazard". I'm careful to always clean the lint trap so it was hard to believe that much lint had built up in the hose after only three years.

If your dryer is taking longer than normal to dry your clothes, a buildup of lint may be the problem. Even if your dryer seems to be working just fine and its been a few years since you did this process, take a few minutes, pull out your dryer, use the wand attachment and clean the floor and wall behind the dryer and the back of the dryer itself. Then remove the hose from both the wall and the dryer. Take it outside and shake it into a garbage bag. Greg made the mistake of dumping all the lint on the floor of the laundry room. He got some angry eyes. Use the wand attachment and clean out any lint that you can see inside the wall and just inside the dryer. If needed, a chimney sweep can also help get any that is in the wall you cannot reach.

Not only will this help save you time and money, it may save your life.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 1998, clothes dryers were associated with 15,600 fires, which resulted in 20 deaths and 370 injuries. Fires can occur when lint builds up in the dryer or in the exhaust duct. Lint can block the flow of air, cause excessive heat build-up, and result in a fire in some dryers.

This is from the CPC website to help prevent fires:

Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes. If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.

Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically. Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping. If it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked. To remove a blockage in the exhaust path, it may be necessary to disconnect the exhaust duct from the dryer. Remember to reconnect the ducting to the dryer and outside vent before using the dryer again.

Clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up. Have a qualified service person clean the interior of the dryer chassis periodically to minimize the amount of lint accumulation. Keep the area around the dryer clean and free of clutter.

Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting material with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct. Most manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, which provides maximum airflow. The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks or crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.

Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothing more than once to minimize the amount of volatile chemicals on the clothes and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle. To prevent clothes from igniting after drying, do not leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a laundry basket.

Hanging on to Childhood with Hangers?

2011-07-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

I'm embarrassed to say it but I never bought my big boys new hangers. Yes, we were still using those free hangers that came with their toddler clothes. Many hangers say 4T! I have no idea why I had not replaced them except that maybe I was unconsciously hanging on to their childhood! Oh dear! Their man-sized clothing was falling off of the hangers and it was time to replace them. I had purchased wood hangers for our master closet years ago and it made everything look so neat. Wood hangers are great but expensive. I didn't want to make such a big investment in their hangers. Especially because they are going to walk off and go to college with them in a few years. I redid a friend's closet and found some great hangers. Bed, Bath & Beyond has a great supply of organizational stuff right now with everyone preparing for college. I found these hangers and snatched them up. They come in great colors (silver, teal, spring green, white, pink and blue) and have built in hooks to attach the hangers together in a long chain to save space (if you like). They also have hooks at the top to keep straps from slipping off. They are only $3.99 for ten (10) hangers which makes them mucho affordable. You can find the white hangers here and the teal hangers here. My boys picked the silver hangers. While I hung up the clothing on the new hangers, we did a quick clean out of clothing that didn't fit any more. It is an inexpensive way to make a closet look orderly and maybe help momma let go a little bit.

Homeschooling a High Schooler - It isn't an olympic feat people!

2011-07-26T21:08:00.057-05:00

It is hilarious to me (now) that two years ago I was terrified of the idea of homeschooling a High School child. It isn't as daunting as I imagined it might be. Arming yourself with information is key.

Let me say, if you are contemplating homeschooling a child during their High School years, I would encourage you to take the leap. If you have homeschooled the child during several of his elementary years, now is the time you get to reap huge rewards friend! Consider this... by this age they will be mostly independent learners who have a fair idea of what talents God has blessed them with. These are truly the fun years (except for the occasional grouchy day)! You can point them in the right direction, with a little guidance and encouragement and watch them bloom. Take advantage of outside classes available to homeschoolers in your area to supplement those areas you are weak in. We have been very blessed to have our children take foreign language, science, speech and debate classes. If these classes aren't available in your area, organize them yourself! You might be surprised at the talent lurking amongst your circle of friends. Use social networking sites to search for teaching talent amongst your friends and family. Join local homeschool groups to find out what is available in your area.

We initially went to the websites of the colleges my son was interested in and printed off the minimum required coursework as a guide to what he needed to study during his High School Years. We attended a local seminar on homeschooling your High School student to gain some knowledge in the area. I organized a Q&A session with experienced homeschool moms in our area whose children had successfully graduated and gone on to college. It was wonderful to ask questions and get practical information and encouragement.

Other benefits:
Homeschool graduates are considered the top 10% of their graduating class which gives them a leg up on college entrance and scholarships. Colleges are actively recruiting homeschool students because they are excellent students! Family relationships are strengthened because siblings and parents are present in the teen's life. You can build your teen's self worth because you get to speak into their lives 24-7. No peer pressure (most of the time... my oldest son complains that he gets the most peer pressure from me because I balk at lack of fashion sense when picking out new clothing "Those pants are too homeschooly. We are not getting them!" Oh well!) Time for internships and volunteer work, both of which look great on a college transcript! Time for more travel. Graduate in less than four years if it is so desired. Time for work outside the home. More sleep! NO HOMEWORK! No wardrobe pressures (except the aforementioned fashion conscious mother). No problems with school administration (unless you aggravate mom). Did I say NO HOMEWORK! Yeah, that's a biggie!

Don't miss out on the golden High School years dear friends!

More about Users and Abusers

2011-07-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

In 2008, I wrote about Users and Abusers and the toll it takes on the lives of those who try to minister to them. As God is growing me in this area, I have come to recognize that not only does this type of person suck the very life out of those trying to minister to them, but continuing to try to assist these people is actually a deterrent to their healing and growth. Let me explain. I have come in contact with several people who for years have been telling the same sob story (usually in great detail) of how they are such victims. The whole world is against them. They even sometimes admit to making bad decisions to garner sympathy. I have seen them wear out their welcome in church and homeschool groups. They will even circle around after a few years to the same churches and homeschool groups when there is a fresh batch of people whom they haven't had a chance to bleed dry. That's where church and homeschool group leadership comes into play very well here. They know the stories and the people. Directing these people to leadership is the best thing that can be done to speed the healing. People in leadership are well versed in how to deal with this type of person. They have the spiritual maturity to recognize the signs. They know that while it is a hard decision, sometimes not assisting is the best thing. Experiencing consequences to habitual poor choices is the best teacher there is. How are these poor people ever going to learn to make good choices if you are always swooping in and saving them? Back off and pray for them. Of course, if the Lord calls you to assist, you should do so but be careful that this isn't just a kneejerk reaction to someone in trouble. Pray first! Of course, I would never let anyone go hungry or let a child suffer.

I would love to hear from readers about their experiences here. Has there ever been a time that you realized that stepping in and "saving" someone only prolonged their suffering?

The Office Redo or what I did with the first part of my summer

2011-07-07T17:27:00.002-05:00

When we first moved into our home twelve years ago, my dear husband tackled painting and putting up a wallpaper border in his office. Borders were still in style way back then but I still hated them. It was his office, so I let him make all the choices. I remembered that he had sanded down the texture of the wall before putting up the wallpaper, so I knew there was probably going to be trouble when I tried to remove it. There was. I'm so glad it was just a border.

Rabbit trail: After helping a friend redo her bathroom by stripping out all the wallpaper, I realized what a pain this stuff is if the wall isn't prepared properly. She purchased the house and inherited the nightmare that was the wallpapered bathroom. The wallpaper hanger put the wallpaper directly on the sheetrock WITHOUT PAINTING THE WALL. Big, big mistake. We were careful, but ended up taking off the first layer of paper that covers the sheetrock and had to make many repairs before we could paint. Now we know why someone opted to paint over the wallpaper and not remove it. We didn't have a choice at this point in time as the wallpaper was in a moist bathroom (who does that?) and it was falling down in places.

Back to the office redo: I put the texture back on the top of the walls. I picked out a beautiful mossy green color that was used elsewhere in my house. I also took a risk and painted right over the moulding trim that was decoratively applied to one wall. I really like the effect. His office feels cool and peaceful now. I was so done with the red color which I felt was too busy for an office. I covered his existing love seat with a chocolate velvet cover and I got rid of his oddly placed and outdated artwork. We also removed the area rug which didn't go with the new color scheme. He was pleased with the outcome. We have some new drapes that still need to be hung, but we are calling it completed.

BEFORE - note the ugly wallpaper border

AFTER - no more border and new artwork

BEFORE

AFTER - his furniture looks great against the new color

Summer time and the living is easy!

2011-06-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay readers. I've been assisting in dissecting pretty much everything under the sun! Worms, crawfish, flowers, frogs, hearts, fish, and fetal pigs (bacon anyone?). Its' been a busy few weeks but I'm happy to report that we are done! Another batch of dear home educated students will be queasy for the next six weeks. At least they can check that off their High School "to do" list.

OK, on to more pleasant things...

Gardens seems like a good topic. We are having record breaking heat and drought in our area. Tap water just isn't cutting it for my garden plants. They want the real stuff! At this point, we would get excited for a small hurricane! Yipes! Despite all the obstacles, we have harvested lots of goodies. Squash, tomatoes, banana peppers, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers and lots of herbs. What a blessing it is just to slip outside and get fresh basil and oregano for spaghetti or fresh parsley and green onions for my jambalaya! I hope all of you are enjoying your summer break and making lots of memories with your family members.

Biology Lab - Take 2

2011-05-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

Last year we held a two week biology lab in our home. It was so much fun! It sort of happened by accident. My dear Aunt taught this class years ago in California to a bunch of homeschooled students, including her own two sons. It somehow came up in conversation that my oldest would have to take it soon and I asked if she might consider teaching him. She asked if there might be others who might want to join us. There were. A class was born! My Aunt did such a great job, we decided to do it again even though neither of my sons will actually benefit this year. My oldest son will be an assistant teacher (which will go directly on his high school transcript, thank you). We have a full house of teens who make it so much fun! I can hardly wait for it to begin. I think it is so amazing how God orchestrates these types of things in the homeschool community. We have a parent with a talent who in turn teaches our children. My boys have been blessed to have wonderful supplemental teachers who have taught Latin, Spanish and Speech. The teachers always gush over our kids and tell us how much fun they had. Now, having assisted in teaching a class, I know what they mean. Even after only two weeks, I truly adore every kid. Don't overlook the talents of your friends and family. Tap into the richness that God has abundantly supplied you. Not only are your kids blessed, but the teacher gets blessed too!

Don't Trifle with me about Trifle!

2011-05-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

A friend posted a picture of a beautiful red, white and blue trifle she was making for Memorial Day. Trifle is soooo good and very pretty. Just the perfect thing to take to a party! I purchased an actual "Trifle" bowl years ago and have gotten lots of use out of it. It's a great way to show off the beautiful layers. Of course, a small punch bowl or other glass bowl will work too. Now, the picture to the left, isn't a picture of my trifle, but I couldn't find one on my drive. This one will have to do.

Trifle

3 boxes of instant french vanilla pudding (3.4 oz)
1 frozen Sara Lee Pound Cake
2 small tubs of Cool Whip (extra creamy)
2 pts. of fresh strawberries sliced

1. Follow recipe on box for pudding except substitute 1 cup of Cool Whip for 1 cup of milk (e.g. the recipe calls for 2 c. of milk, use 1 c. of milk and 1 c. of Cool Whip)
2. Slice pound cake thinly
3. Layer cake in a trifle bowl first, followed by pudding, followed by strawberries
4. Continue with the layers until about 1 inch from the top. Top with Cool Whip and decorate with a whole strawberry.

You can also use peaches, blueberries, raspberries and/or pineapples.

feeds 20 very impressed people

How to Get your Kids to Eat Squash or The Great Summer Squash Disappearing Act

2011-05-23T15:28:00.002-05:00

We overplanted yellow summer squash in our garden this year. The plants are overflowing our garden beds and have taken over the pine bark walk areas. This morning I found a huge squash that was begging to be sliced and fried. I obliged. This is a family favorite and helps the squash disappear like magic! It's fast and easy and makes a great side to anything. I like them with sandwiches or hamburgers as they make a nice replacement for french fries or chips.

Slice your squash in 1/4" slices.

Dip in a mixture of 1 egg and approximately 1/4 cup milk beat together with a fork

Toss in a mixture of 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour mixed with Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste (about 1-2 Tbl.)

Fry in hot peanut oil until golden brown and drain on paper towel

These guys are *HOT*! Be very careful. Don't burn your tongue in your haste to eat them before the kids get to them. :) Enjoy!

Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons can be applied to website purchases! Yipee!

2011-05-20T10:34:00.002-05:00

Yes they can! A call to my friendly Bed, Bath & Beyond operator gave me some valuable information I wanted to pass on. If you order something from the Bed, Bath & Beyond website, print out your Internet receipt, bring it along with the credit card you used and the coupons you want to use to any BBB store. They will immediately give you credit back on your credit card! Fabulous! According to the company representative, you don't even have to wait until the item comes in. I did it, and it worked! Of course, you should always call your local store and speak with a manager to confirm they will do this before you make the trip over there. You can also return any ordered items you don't want/like to the physical stores. Colors just don't translate well over the Internet. An easy return policy makes it much less of a hassle to take a chance on an online order. Why they don't publicize this on their website, I'll never know. They are losing out on major website business. Maybe they will read this and get a clue! BTW friends - as of this writing, BBB's policy is that they will accept coupons that are expired. Don't throw those suckers out! I clip them and save them in my coupon folder every time I see one. Because you can only use one per item, you can go through them quickly if you are buying towels or napkins. This frugal message brought to you by Frazzled Mom. :)

An economical and quick trick to juicing key limes!

2011-05-16T14:02:00.000-05:00

I'm a huge fan of my garlic press. It is also the perfect key lime juicer! That's right! It gets every bit of juice out and makes quick work of juicing these Lilliputian limes. I juiced a whole sack of them in no time. Normally, you could expect to get 1/2 a cup from the sack. I ended up with 1 1/2 cups! I froze the rest for future recipes. Now that's what I call economical!

A bit of interesting trivia, the yellow key limes are actually the ripe ones (not the green ones).

-Firmly roll the limes on a cutting board under the palm of your hand.

-Cut them in half across the fat middle part of the lime (not end to end).

-Put one half in your garlic press with the cut side to the bottom.

-Squeeze. An added benefit is that the seeds stay inside the press.

-Now you can make something yummy like a key lime pie!

About Marriage

2011-05-09T14:06:00.000-05:00

It is both surprising and *not* surprising when I hear about dear friends going through marital problems. Marriage is the foundation of families so of course our Enemy would want to strike this area. As Christians, we are all still works in progress and so are our marriages. I will be married twenty-three (23) years this May. Is our marriage a wonderland of bliss and perfect harmony? Uh... no. We're working on it though. (smile)

If I could go back in time and shake that newly married girl and give her some advice, what would I tell her? Probably nothing she would listen to (the stubborn thing).

Talk to your husband before you make a decision that affects him. Wow, that seems basic, but I can't tell you how many times I made plans with friends or relatives just assuming my dear husband would be just as excited about it as I was. He rarely was and he got his feelings hurt that I didn't consult him first. Unless I have talked with him about it first, I will wait to confirm plans until I've spoken with him.

Let your husband answer questions directed toward him. I came face to face with the ugliness of this not long ago. A newly married woman was constantly answering questions I lobbed at her husband. The husband was the strong but silent type and I tried to pull him into the conversation by asking him a few questions. The dear wife was probably trying to save him the trouble but ended up making him look whimpy. He looked helpless as she answered the questions over and over. That's the last thing you want to do ladies.

Ask your husband's advice and then follow it. Yes, you have to do the last part. Start with something small. Your husband knows you better than anyone on the planet. God has given him wisdom to be your husband. Trust that! I can't tell you how many times I have been so blessed just listening to what my husband was saying and doing it. He isn't always right, but it goes a long way when he sees me taking his advice.

If you are having marital difficulty, follow this one simple rule. Pray for your husband. If you can, pray together outloud for each other. It's awkward and weird at first. It gets better. You build intimacy for whom you pray and with whom you pray. This is the number one advice I was given and now I give.

If your husband is a basket case, pray that God would change you. What???!!! Yup. Let me tell you it works. As God works on me and my heart, he works on my husband in the background. God does it perfectly. Much better than our "suggestions" and nagging ever would.

Speak praise about your husband to others in front of him. Make a special effort to speak about the wonderful things your husband does for you. Make sure he hears it. Husbands need to hear it often. Don't assume your husband knows you appreciate him. They don't. If you are going through marital difficulty, this can be especially challenging. Find something, anything, you can praise him about. Matching socks or that he flosses regularly is good.

Remember what drew you to him. You picked the guy out of a crowd. There must have been something wonderful that caught your attention. Tell him about those special things that you admired when you first started dating. Look at old pictures together. Think about your dating days yourself during the day. By the time he gets home... Ahem!

Don't forget to date each other. My husband and I have been awful about this one. Paying for a babysitter is expensive. Now that our boys are older, we have no excuse. Recently we resolved to go out every month after our second paycheck. If your kids are still at the age they need a babysitter, trade off with another couple. Keep track with poker chips (1 poker chip for each hour) so that no one is taken advantage of. We so love dating one another again. I wish we had done this sooner. We also have a hobby we do together. If you know us, you know that is riding a motorcycle together. It is something we did when we were first married and we do now. My dear friend told me that she noticed a "spark" between us since we started this. Blush!

Maybe you were not exposed to a good marital example growing up. Make friends with older couples that you admire. Just remember, they aren't perfect either. Maybe there is a nugget or two they can share with you that will make your marriage stronger. A good marriage takes daily work. If you are coasting along, your marriage is dying. Resolve to not let a day pass without doing something positive for your spouse.

A tribute to my Mamon Guidry - a living legend

2011-05-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

Mamon Tribute

How does your garden grow?

2011-04-28T16:24:00.002-05:00

Our spring garden is doing very well so far. I have taken extreme measures against the birds this year but despite all of that, I found two green tomatoes with what appeared to be a pecked hole in it. I have such a love/hate relationship with these winged creatures! That's why you will see rubber snakes draped over my prize crop of tomatoes!

Here is our Patio Garden (if you click on the picture, it will open up larger)

here is our Pioneer Garden (if you click on the picture, it will open up larger)

Pioneer Garden - Green beans making good use of our homemade lattice

Behind the bunny you will see the beginnings of Purple Hull beans -
the purple beans magically turn green in hot water!

Our patio tomatoes and sugar cherry tomatoes are producing a nice crop!

The sugar cherry tomatoes produce fruit like a grape cluster and are just as sweet

Beautiful and fragrant basil

Cabbages are doing wonderfully. I had to pick some very fat and hungry worms off of them. No chemicals please.

the tomato cages do double duty as green bean poles

trying some carrots this year

Can't wait for these guys to get ripe! You can see my bird deterring rubber snake coiled amongst the fruit.

we will have a bumper crop of Louisiana satsumas this year. Here is a baby one.

first baby bellpepper

Patio tomatoes are producing! Snake to keep the birds away. You can also see a christmas ornament tucked in to fool the birds.

banana peppers producing

Already eating jalapenos

looking forward to a huge crop of squash this year

our first cucumber (still in pickle stage)

Warning: Don't ever make these delicious homemade buns!

2011-04-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

I'm totally messing with you people! These are great! The only downside is that now your family will be "hamburger bun snobs" and you will never EVER again be allowed to purchase store bought buns. Seriously, when I announce that we are having hamburgers, my boys ask "is it the homemade ones or store bought ones?". Store bought = groan. Homemade = Cheer. I'm warning you! OK, you were warned.

"Hamburger Bun Snob" Buns

Makes 12 buns

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 envelope active dry yeast

Combine the milk and water and heat in microwave safe dish for 60 seconds (or until warm).

Add everything to your bread maker (liquids first). Set your bread maker to dough.

When the maker finishes its dough cycle, punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your palm first. Set rolls aside and cover them until they double in size, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400

Bake for 14 minutes in a 400 degree oven or until nicely browned on the top and bottom. When they cool a bit, cut in half with a bread knife. They freeze beautifully. Enjoy!

Easter Tablescape

2011-04-07T18:40:00.001-05:00

I do love bunnies (just not real ones eating my garden). Here is my salute to them in my tablescape and Easter decorations.

Returning Crystallized Honey to its Original State

2011-04-06T09:46:00.000-05:00

We purchase a delicious local, raw honey for medicinal use in our family. A teaspoon a day during allergy season works wonders! Sometimes, however, we get some crystallization at the bottom of the jar. Soaking it in warm/hot water never worked for me. An easy fix is to stick the jar (with a tight lid) in the dishwasher and let it run through a cycle. Works like magic!

A Healthy Homeade Recipe for Baking Powder

2011-03-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

Do you ever run out of baking powder at the worst times? Of course, I never realize it until after I have my stomach all primed for some goodie and have started to assemble the ingredients. I suddenly realize that I need 2 Tablespoons of the stuff and my container is sorely lacking! Well friends, don't send your kids to the neighbors. You can make it yourself from ingredients already in your pantry. Also, baking powder does go bad. If you don't bake a lot, you are better off making it yourself so it is always fresh! This recipe is also aluminum free unlike most commercial brands!

Ingredients for 1 Tbl. baking powder:1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon corn starch (optional-if you are going to make a batch and store it)

Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar together until well combined. Use immediately.

Making a batch to store? Add a teaspoon of corn starch to the mixture, and stir. This will absorb any moisture from the air, and prevent the baking powder from reacting before you need it. Store in an air-tight container.

More Outdated Stuff Made New with Spray Paint!

2011-03-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm going to totally blame/thank my friend Melissa! I've gone crazy with the Oiled Bronze spray paint around here! I've done all the door knobs in the house. What a difference! I even did the front door hardware which was just plain awful before. As Melissa pointed out the other day, I bought two cans and spent less than $20 total to update all of my door hardware! I couldn't have replaced even one doorknob for that amount! She also pointed out that if I would ever need a quick touchup, I could spray a small amount in a paper plate and touch it up with an artists paint brush without having to remove the doorknob again.

Now a few of my master bath accessories needed to be changed (or so I thought). Years ago I spent a tidy sum at a high end store on these beautiful glass containers for my bathroom. I searched for something with a glass bottom and I had a hard time finding them. At the time, the price for these containers was hard to swallow. But now, years later, I'm glad I splurged. They were excellent quality and classic pattern. In the end, worth it. Now, the silver color wasn't right for my bathroom anymore since we changed to oiled bronze fixtures throughout. Believe me, I winced when I took sandpaper to the expensive top. Now, they look brand new and it cost me practically nothing!

My soap dispenser metal was also a shiny silver. Now, it blends well with the rest of my oiled bronze accessories. Oh,what's next?

More Kroger - The Party's Over Couponers

2011-03-26T08:50:00.001-05:00

This is a follow-up to my last article on Kroger's coupon policy. Kroger is discontinuting its double and triple coupon policy. Oh yeah, no more stacking either. Apparently, our friendly manager got wind of the changes and decided to implement them early. As you try to hurry up and use your coupons before the implementation of the new policy, understand that the manager of the store can put the kabosh on your using coupons if he feels like it. Have a nice day! :)

More Spring Garden

2011-03-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

Herb Garden Lattices

Oh, we have been having fun this week! My husband and I went on a hunt for sticks at a local park. "Sticks?" you say. After watching Lark Rise to Candleford last week, I noticed some very cute stick lattices that the townsfolk of Lark Rise used in their gardens. What a great solution for my vining plants to grow on! My boys obliged and built one lattice for the Pioneer Garden and another one for the herb garden right off my patio. Then I built a top part for the herb garden lattice and my husband hung it from the fence to create a very tall lattice for everything to grow up on. With a small garden, using vertical spaces is important!

Patio Tomato in pot

My husband and I also picked up some pine needles at the park. I recently learned to make some "tea" with the pine needles by steeping them in water in a bucket outside and pouring the acidic water over the tomatoes and parsley. I also worked some needles into the soil around my tomato plants. I put a little on top for decoration (and a cute pine cone that got raked up). I'm interested to see what a difference it will make this year.

Cabbage in the Pioneer Garden

Then today we all went to an adorable gardening place called "Enchanted Gardens". I was with men so we went in, got what we needed, and immediately left. That's the way it goes with men and shopping. They see no point in taking the scenic route! I'll take a slower, more leisurely tour when I am with some women friends. Well, we picked up three cabbages and some pepper plants that will spend the night in my garden bed tonight.

starter plants

All the plants I started from seed were ready to be planted this week. Cucumbers, squash and pole beans, oh my! How I love fresh green beans from the garden! Hate squash? Bet I can make you love it! We slice it and cook it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper in a black cast iron pan right on the grill outside. My boys also love it when it is sliced, dipped in beaten egg and then in flour that has a little Tony Chachere's seasoning in it. Fry in peanut oil and watch them disappear! The lettuce, spinich and carrots are all up and growing!

Check out my new pest deterrents. Rubber snakes and old CD's! I found some "poisonous" snakes at our local discount store for $1.00. The CD's were free!

Carrot Patch in the Pioneer Garden - nothing to look at right now!

Baby Cucumbers and Squash in the Pioneer Garden

Kroger's Manager could spoil the whole party

2011-03-11T12:13:00.007-06:00

UPDATE: See my latest article on Kroger discontinuing it's double and triple coupons and discontinuing stacking!

Recently I had an interesting experience at our local Kroger store. While I am a careful shopper and use my coupons when I can, I can't claim to be any sort of "coupon queen". I have always appreciated Kroger's coupon policy of doubling and tripling coupons and allowing stacking of coupons (using a manufacturers coupon at the same time as a store coupon for an item). Because of their good policy, I have always checked their flyers carefully for items that I can get a good deal on with a coupon I currently have. A competitor opened up a big grocery store near my home and Kroger sent some very generous coupons to my home to entice me to keep my business at Kroger. Watch how that backfired on them. I waited until those items were on sale and paired them with my manufacturers coupons. I skipped off to Kroger excited to see my savings.

Cue the "buzz kill" manager. You see, when I got to the register with my seven or so items, the young man checking me out wouldn't let me use the coupons Kroger had sent me in the mail with the manufactures coupons. I don't give checkers a hard time about this. They are just doing their job and sometimes don't know the store policy well. I figure he was new so I politely asked him to call over the manager so that he could clarify the policy. Well the manager told me that they didn't allowing stacking. What???? I told him I had always stacked coupons at this store and inquired if the policy had recently changed. His reply was a cool "no, this has always been our policy" and then he walked away. Did he just call me a liar? Uh... yes.

What happened to "the customer is always right?"

I was bewildered. I had on a previous occasion taken the time to speak with the customer service desk about the coupon policy so that I knew what was allowed. Policies change but according to this manager, I was living in a fantasy world. I thought that maybe I could get a clearer answer from the Kroger corporation, so I wrote their customer service. Here is their confusing response with my little comments in blue for your amusement:

Thank you for contacting The Kroger Co. We apologize for your recent experience and we appreciate your inquiry regarding our coupon policy. For your reference, I am including a copy of the coupon policy for your region. Please note that this policy is our most current; however it is subject to change without notice. For further clarification of this policy, please speak directly to store management. (I did that and that is why I am writing you. Duh...) Please do not hesitate to contact us at 800.576.4377 if we can be of further assistance. Thank you again and have a nice day.

(Brace yourself...) The store manager has the right to accept, decline or limit the quantity of coupons or items used or purchased in a single transaction, by a single customer, or in a single day. (seriously? So if he doesn't like the way I look that day, I'm outta luck? This is insane!)

OK - the rest of the letter is their "policy". I use that term loosely because they obviously don't have any policy if a manager can override it at any time for any reason.

Double Coupons:
o Manufacturer coupons of $0.50 or less will be "doubled".
o Manufacturer coupons of $.39 or less will be "tripled".
o Manufacturer coupons over $.51 will be redeemed at face value.
o Limit one (1) coupon per household for each "like" item will be "doubled/tripled".
Pharmacy Coupons:
o Competitor pharmacy coupons are accepted.
o LCM or Competitor Coupons may not be used in conjunction with our $4 Generic Program.
General Coupon Policy:
o Limit one (1) manufacturer coupon per item purchased.
o Limit one (1) store coupon per item purchased.
o One (1) manufacturer and One (1) store coupon can be used on the same item. (ah ha, here is my situation. Oh, but never mind, the manager hadn't had his latte that morning, so it all goes out the window)
o Coupons cannot be used on "free" items.
o Expired coupons are not accepted.
o Amount refunded cannot exceed the cost of the item.
PRINT-AT-HOME (PAH) COUPONS:
We only accept printable coupons if they scan properly at checkout.
We do not accept "free product" printable coupons that have no purchase requirement.
Buy-one-get-one-free coupons and other values that have a purchase requirement are acceptable but will be MUCH less common than traditional value-off coupons.
We do not accept coupons for more than about 75% of a product's value without advance notice.
Legitimate PAH coupons will not be for a high value relative to the cost of the item. For example, a $2.00 off coupon will be acceptable for a product that normally sells for $5.00 or more, but a $2.00 off printable coupon for a product that sells for $2.25 is unlikely to be legitimate.
Coupons will be rejected if they appear out of proportion or blurry, or are obvious duplicates. (blah, blah, blah)
Legitimate PAH coupons are never copied, sold, or traded. Nearly all coupons are "non-transferable," meaning they should not be photocopied or scanned and distributed to others.
Coupons will be rejected if they appear to have been altered in any way.
PAH coupons can be checked for validity at: http://www.printcoupons.com.
Sincerely,
Lori Rump
Consumer Affairs

Dearest Lori - you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble by sending me the following letter which is more like the truth.

Dear Customer: I would love to give your our coupon policy, but the manager can override it at any time for any reason he wants. Sorry about that. Good luck using your coupons in our stores. Maybe ask your friends which of our stores are more coupon friendly or check with the staff to see if the manager is in a good mood that day.

Ugh... I'm seriously disgusted. More people than ever are using coupons and shopping carefully. This sort of sloppy policy turns customers away and word spreads fast in this electronic age. Kroger would do well to have a firm coupon policy and stick to it. That's something we can all appreciate and make use of. If a customer can't plan ahead and know how much they will pay for an item, then why bother to go into the store at all? That's one for you to ponder Kroger. Thanks for the coupons... I guess.

Getting the Details Right or The Story of the Outdated Doorknobs

2011-03-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

After living in your home for a while, your eye passes right over things you might pick out when looking at a home to buy. One of those little details is the doorknobs. Recently, we changed out our back door and we picked new hardware to go with it. We chose a beautiful oil rubbed bronze. Suddenly all the shiny brass hardware in the great room jumped out at me as outdated. In redoing our bathroom, we changed to all oil rubbed bronze fixtures and the doorknobs jumped out at me again! The idea of purchasing all new knobs wasn't one I relished. The doorknobs weren't broken, so they weren't a priority. I was lamenting over this fact to my practical friend and she mentioned to me that she spray painted all her knobs and bathroom fixtures with marvelous results. Duh! What a great solution!

Rust-oleum Universal Oil Rubbed Bronze

The next weekend I tackled the project and I'm happy to report that they turned out better than I expected! I removed the doorknobs, scuffed up the shiny finish with sandpaper, cleaned them off and then painted away. I did 3 light coats. Don't forget the screws. Just poke them into something like styrofoam so only the tops show. I also did the plates that screw into the door frame and door. While the hardware was off, I gave the doors a new coat of paint. It looks so fresh and new! I am pleased with the results and my friend assures me they have held up well to handling in her home.

I used Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic in Oil Rubbed Bronze. Do this outside if you can because the fumes are awful. Every time I used the spray, I got a raging headache even though I was outside. I would suggest spraying and then moving quickly away to limit your exposure to the fumes. My son informs me that I have 30 more doorknobs to go. Guess what I'm doing for Spring Break! Yup! Happy updating ya'll!

Before

scuff up the shiny finish with sandpaper

The finished product!

Spring Has Sprung (really early)

2011-03-01T14:52:00.001-06:00

Our Louisiana satsuma in bloom

It's time to dust off the shovels and find our gardening gloves (which I badly need to replace). It is already unseasonably warm here in the Houston area. Want a sure-fire way to bring on a freeze? Plant your garden. It's too early, but I thought I would take a chance and get some of my herbs in the ground to give them a head start. I also grabbed a few tomato plants at my favorite gardening place, Nelson Water Gardens. They go fast around here. I'm going to attempt once again to grow tomatoes. It has been such a struggle for the past few years. However, I have a new tool in my arsenal of gardening knowledge. Pine Needle tea! No, no... I'm not serving this at my next party. It's pine leaves steeped in water in a bucket. The acidic tea is a treat for tomato plants (and parsley). I picked up this clever trick at a friend's garden class (thanks Bonnie!). Now to find someone with a pine tree that doesn't mind me coming and raking their yard. Really don't think that will be a problem in this area!

Here is what I have so far...

Large tomato for slicing and cooking

Small sugar tomatoes for salads

Rosemary and Thyme

Oregeno

Cilantro

Bell Pepper

Curley Parsley

Banana Sour Cream Bread

2011-03-01T12:07:00.003-06:00

We had our dear Arkansas friends over this weekend. I like to prepare things ahead of time so that we can have time to enjoy our company. One of the desserts I prepared ahead of time was Banana Sour Cream Bread. A while back, I went on a crusade to find the best recipe I could. After trying many different recipes, I settled on this delicious one from All Recipes. The sour cream gives the bread a delicious tang and the dusting of sugar and cinnamon on the edge is wonderful. With a house full of teenager boys, ripe bananas are a rarity. When I do get one, I peel it and stick it in the freezer. If I don't use it for a smoothie, it might be lucky enough to end up in this amazing bread!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Servings: 32

Ingredients:
Dust the pan with:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Bread Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans (I use 4 mini loaf pans and 1 regular loaf pan). In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Freezes very well.

Another project off the list! Master shower and tub surround

2011-02-16T12:24:00.001-06:00

We seem to have an endless string of projects that we want to attack here at home. We finally got to a big one this month... our master shower and tub surround. Suspiciously, the wall of our shower began to "give" a bit in one area and then the grout cracked. We filled in the grout, but we kept having issues with this wall being somewhat soft. We knew it needed to be done and dreaded opening up the wall for fear of what lay inside. We put aside a little more for this project for any remediation that needed to be done. We are glad we did. We were surprised that when the wall was torn away, it revealed a roof leak in that area. Something we didn't expect or even think was a possibility. There were no tell-tale signs of ceiling damage in the area, so we weren't clued in. Apparently, the roof leak was right around a pipe that went up to the roof. Rain leaked right down the pipe and was ruining the wall behind our shower. It was a quick and inexpensive fix and the damage to the studs wasn't extensive. It just looked gross. We are thankful to our contractor for identifying and getting this fixed to prevent future damage.

Picking the tile wasn't difficult. We wanted to pick up in the color of our floor tile done earlier. I was easily able to find both the floor tile color (Roman Stone - Noce by Del Conca) and a complementary shade (Venetian Stone - Rialto White by Del Conca) in the 6 x 6 tiles I wanted to use by the same maker as our floor tiles. A 10% off coupon at Lowe's saved me a bundle on this project. (Click here on where to find them.)

Mindful of future buyers, I had to stick with a classic design for the back wall of our shower. It's always nerve-wracking trying to be all-encompassing in your design.

We also were interested in having a little box built into the wall of the shower for our shampoo and soap. However, we were wary of having another point where the tile grout could crack and water could leak into the wall. Shelves didn't seem to suit our design. Our tile guy presented a very cool solution that both my husband and I were thrilled with. It is a one-piece solid design that you place into the wall and tile right over. All our concerns went away! I'm so glad we went with it. It looks amazing. All our shampoo bottles are hidden away but easy to reach.

We added a travertine pencil line accent piece that went along the top of the tile. I am so thankful for this now. Our walls were horribly crooked and this covered a world of sins. If your walls are awful, this could be your saving grace!

We struggled with what to do about the front of the tub. It is a whirlpool tub, so there are mechanical parts under the tub that one might need to get to in case of a problem. Usually there are access panels but I've never seen them done well. In the end, we decided to just tile over it and keep extra tiles and grout on hand in case in the future we had to get into it. It's maybe a $100 job to replace the tiles. We rarely use the tub, so we don't see that as a problem in the foreseeable future. The front of the tub looks great!

It's funny how making up update in a room accentuates the shabbiness of the other items. I'm eyeballing my awful builder-grade mirror and cheap "Hollywood" light fixture next.

BEFORE - oh the humanity!

AFTER - love it!

Protect your Credibility

2011-02-11T11:15:00.002-06:00

I am ever mindful of how as Christians and homeschoolers we have to protect our reputation by being careful what we post to groups, send by e-mail or post to social networking sites. I've been bitten before by innocent sounding e-mails. By golly, it was sent to me by a pastor who received the e-mail from their good friend who says it isn't a hoax. Well there you go. It must be truth. Simply put, passing on these e-mails without researching it first erodes your credibility. Unfortunately, when you have several people in a homeschool group who continue to pass on erroneous e-mails to the group, it makes all homeschoolers look like raging idiots. Before you click "send", check your sources. Post a few bad e-mails, and no one opens up any of your e-mails again seriously handicapping your communication with others. If you do send out an erroneous e-mail, you should send a followup note to everyone on the original e-mail list and let them know about the mistake to stop the spread of these things.

Let me give you an example. Just today, I saw on several social networking sites a story about the merging of Christianity and Islam called "Chrislam". It showed the church sign below which sparked a huge debate.

Well, the sign turned out to be a fake made on this website. Look at the picture below from the website. Notice anything familiar? Ummm hmmm.

This same church sign maker was used for a less serious prank about dogs going to heaven being debated on signs outside of two churches. Fakes also. Notice anything familiar?

Some of you may argue that while the picture is a fake, the arguments it brings up are are valid. Keep reading.

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." While this isn't a sin against me personally, going to the source first will give you a lot information. In this case, as soon as I saw the e-mail, I googled the church name and found this. This poor church is having to deal with the aftermath of a lie. Isn't Satan the author of division and confusion? Yup.

Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." The picture is not true, right or pure. It isn't worthy of our time or effort.

Maybe the author of the initial article thought it would be a good thing to bring some controversy to the table with this fake picture. On the other hand, maybe he didn't realize it wasn't real. He should have double checked his resources. Either way, the end result is that his credibility as a writer is shot.

How to keep your dogs from digging in the yard

2011-01-14T10:38:00.001-06:00

When we first got our Beagle, Tug, she was a naughty little girl. God made puppies cute for a reason my friends! Our dear neighbors had a dog also and our dogs were constantly digging under the fence to visit one another. We were determined to stop it. We hit upon a great solution that I thought I would share. We lined up the doggie "doo doo" along the fence where they were digging. Our neighbor did the same on her side. Problem solved. Dogs avoid their feces. They never again dug their way for a neighborly visit. Out of the blue, our Beagle started digging in our currently unused gardens. We used the same solution to great effect again.

How to Make Needle Felted Mushrooms and baby ferns - a fun craft for even the craft-phobic!

2010-12-12T14:47:00.000-06:00

I don't consider myself a "crafty" person, but I so enjoy needle felting. It's easy, relaxing and even a novice can turn out a nice product. It is an inexpensive craft to both start and maintain.

Here are the instructions for how to make some really cute Needle Felted Mushrooms and baby ferns (called fiddleheads). For basic instructions on the technique, please view this YouTube video before beginning.

100% wool roving (Hobby Lobby carries small amounts from "Felt Works" for $1.99 that are perfect for this project. For larger amounts, order online.)
Felting needle refill (here it is at Hobby Lobby for $7.99) You will use the needle alone, not in a holder.
piece of styrofoam
_________
Here is a nice needle and foam set for $3.99
Here is a starter set for $19.95
_________

First take a nice amount of white wool roving for the mushroom cap. Always make the cap first so you can make an appropriate sized stem for it later.

Shape it into a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Start punching into the wool. The fibers become tangled and start to compact together to form the cap of the mushroom. WARNING: the needle is very sharp and very brittle. Don't do this while you are distracted or when watching TV. You WILL poke yourself and it won't be fun. Don't bend the needle. Go in straight and come out staight. Go slow at first.

Punch several times and move the mushroom cap to prevent it from being embedded into the styrofoam. Turn it over and get the other side too. CAREFULLY punch the side of the cap to form the shape you like.

Now let's do the stem. Take a long piece of roving and roll it up.

Once it is rolled up, hold it tight and start punching where the loose fibers were the end of the roll so that the fibers tangle and it doesn't come unrolled. Then start punching it all over the stem so it is nice and firm. Leave the ends of the stem loose so that you can attach them later to the cap of the mushroom and the "dirt" base we will make later.

Now attach the stem to the cap. Punch from the underside of the mushroom cap all around at an angle to secure the stem. Be sure and go straight in and out at the same angle or your needle with break.

Here is the finished mushroom.

Uh oh, I got my yougest hooked on this! I would NOT recommend a child do this craft. He only begged so much and I constantly supervised him. He did poke himself.

My son will demonstrate how to make the "dirt". Take a nice amount of brown or black wool roving and form it into a sort of oval. If you are putting it into a container, use the base of the container as your guide to how big your "dirt" should be. The more you poke it, the flatter it will be. Don't get it too flat. You want to have some fibers to help the mushrooms and baby ferns stick to it. You can poke on the sides of the "dirt" to make the diameter smaller. Now attach the bottom of the mushrooms into the dirt the same way you attached the stems to the cap. That's it!

Baby Ferns or "fiddleheads". They seem to go naturally with the mushrooms. I used green and brown roving.

First, I made a long "snake" with the green roving. I rubbed it between my hands to compact the fibers a bit and then I needled it a bit to make it firm.

Then I wound the snake around a bamboo skewer.

I took it off the skewer and needled it a bit to keep the curl from coming apart.

I took a very small amount of brown roving. This is the "hair" of the baby fern.

I layed it gentle on the top of the baby fern and needled it a few times to keep it in place. Gently here.

Here is my first attempt at a "cricket".

Winter Wonderland Wedding Reception

2010-12-12T13:13:00.003-06:00

I was very excited when a friend of mine asked me to help with the decorations for her son's wedding reception. He had actually gotten married in another state, but she wanted to throw a reception here in Texas so that we could all celebrate and meet the new bride. Her budget was tight. Since the reception was to be held in December, what a better theme than "Winter Wonderland" with Christmas decorations? I already own an obscene amount of Christmas decorations in white and silver, so we actually only purchased an additional $10 worth of decorations that I could not reuse in my own Christmas decor. Yes, you read that right. She spent $10 out of pocket for decorations. She wanted everything to be simply decorated. My usual motto of "if something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing" had to be reined in here. It all worked perfectly. The bride and groom were not picky about the theme and my client is easy to please. Another of her dear friends handled the food. What a joy to do this job! I recruited my willing friend Janet (thank heavens for Janet) and my two boys (they are the best) to help with the labor, and off we went.

We used a lot of white with silver items. Christmas greenery added some nice natural color and emphasized our outdoor theme. White lights were everywhere we could stick them. We didn't forget the rest of the senses. We had Christmas music playing in the background and we had Christmas tree and pumpkin spice candles from the Legendary Candle Company wafting Christmas smells through the air. Janet let us borrow 6 small decorative trees to add to our forest. We used white sheets around the base to mimic snow. We used some uplights with blue bulbs to create a beautiful wintry effect on the walls. A nighttime, it would have been more dramatic.

The cake table decorated with a small decorated tree, sleigh, poinsettias and Christmas greenery. Netting with lights and iridescent snow highlighted the table.

I made tender lemon butter cookies decorated as snowflakes with silver and pearl candy accents. I am no Martha Stewart, but these are so delicious no one notices!

The simple small guest table decorations were borrowed mirrors, snowflake ornament and tree candles sprinkled with iridescent snow and confetti.

Homemade snowflakes on the glass front of the church added a wintry touch. Thanks to my boys for helping me with these.

These trees sat at the entrance. Placing them on a table gave added height to these small trees.

The adorable couple

Gail supplied a feast for the eyes and tummy!

Gail, the friend doing all the delicious food, made these gorgeous cheese balls in the shape of Pine cones to compliment the decor. She graciously agreed to supply me with the recipe. Yes, those are almonds!

Pine cone Cheese Ball

Mix together in mixer:
16 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1 oz. pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. real bacon pieces

When mixed well, shape into large pine cone, chill. Place on dish and position whole almonds over surface slightly overlapped, starting at the small end. Garnish with rosemary sprigs to resemble pine branches.
______________________
Here is the recipe for the punch Gail had. I'm always looking for a good punch recipe. This one was tops! There are some ingredients that must be frozen ahead of time, so plan ahead before jumping into this recipe.

Luscious Slush Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar
6 cups water
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 quart orange juice
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers. Gail used ziplock freezer bags.

When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle of lemon-lime soda until slushy.

A peek at the Christmas Decorations - Part 2

2010-12-10T09:20:00.001-06:00

Here is more of our 2010 Christmas Decor. Let me take you on a tour...

I've fallen in love with sparkly acorns and have a good collection of them now.

Tea time anyone? Pass the scones! I'm adding to my collection of Christmas tea cups every year. I also started collecting antique post cards. For someone that says they don't do any collecting, I sure do collect a lot of Christmas items!

I found this little beauty in an antique store in town. It has a strange irridescent green color with raised gold decoration and the word "Present" on the side. It says "Made in Germany" on the bottom, but no other maker marks. I've done some research on it, but haven't found out anything about it.

My little Currier and Ives village. Growing up in Louisiana, I'm fascinated with the idea that a small town is transformed into a winter wonderland overnight.

My Jewish village nativity scene. I received this as a birthday gift many years ago. Mary and Joseph move closer to the stable each day. On Christmas morning, we place the baby Jesus in the scene. A tangible way we remember the meaning of the celebration of Christmas.

The mantle

The tree

The two doves on our tree have special meaning. They were given to us at my husband father's funeral for each of our children. A beautiful reminder of their Grandaddy on the Christmas tree each year.

I love this feathery tree topper. Purchased locally from a small shop many years ago.

Closeups of the tree ornaments

Table topper

I love these ornament mushrooms

A bird nest decoration for the post in our home. You see it right when you walk in the house.

A Peek at the Christmas Decorations - Part 1

2010-12-09T16:14:00.000-06:00

Here is the first peek at my Christmas 2010 decoration. Of course, I continued with my white, iridescent and silver decor. This year I added to it with a more "Enchanted Forest" theme.

One of our new acquisitions is this beautiful Snowy Owl. It was inspired the photo to the right from Christopher Hyland's home in Traditional Home December 2010 magazine. The particular one was last years item from the New York shop Pany Silk and therefore unavailable, but I find a larger one at Save-On-Crafts.com. The price was right and he had the right look. I added some bling around his neck for just the right touch. Although I must say that the customer service from this company is the absolute pits! I called four times on the phone and the call was disconnected each time before I could talk to someone. I e-mailed customer service, but had no response. Be warned, if you order from this company, you are on your own if there are any problems.

Here is my owl. Don't you love his furry talons?

He was much too large for my chandelier. But here is my take on Mr. Hyland's design idea with a red cardinal. Stay tuned for more of my Christmas decor.

Cranberry Nut Loaf - a delicious Christmas tradition

2010-12-09T11:06:00.000-06:00

For me, it isn't the Christmas season until I taste this Cranberry Nut Loaf. The delicious burst of cranberry and orange in a tender loaf spiked with the crunch of nuts. Gorgeous when it is sliced for a tea or a buffet. A delicious and quick Christmas breakfast. Just slice and enjoy after a busy morning of gift exchange. I'm big into consumable gifts. Who needs another "thing" hanging around? Eat, enjoy and nothing to clutter the house. This is the perfect gift for teachers, neighbors and friends. Make a double batch (which makes 7 mini loaves) in one day and knock out 7 gifts! I am so excited to share this recipe with you.

Cranberry Nut Loaf

1 c. sugar
2 Tbl. shortening
1 egg
3/4 c. orange juice
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. grated orange peel (optional but delicious)

1 c. frozen cranberries rinses and coarsely chopped in food processor
1/2 cup of chopped nuts (I like pecans)

preheat oven to 350
Grease and flour loaf pan (9x5x3)
Cream shortening & sugar
add eggs and blend well
Add dry ingredients and orange juice alternating
Add orange peel

Stir in cranberries and nuts by hand (if you use the mixer, it will smash the cranberries too much and color the batter)

Bake 55 minutes

Icing: Confectionery sugar and water. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

If you double this recipe, you can make 7 mini-loaves or 5 mini-loaves and 1 regular loaf. Freezes well. Our Louisiana Satsumas are ripe just around this time so I have been using the juice and peel from this fruit for our loaves for the past few years. Delicious!

How to clean your white enamel cooktop (chemical free with stuff already in your kitchen!)

2010-12-08T08:12:00.001-06:00

I have an old stove that is on its last legs. I still want it to shine! I have used Formula 409 for years to get out the cooked on stains and keep my stovetop clean. However, the knuckleheads at Clorox changed their formula to an antibacterial formula that is inferior to the original. Don't mess with a good thing people! It doesn't take out the cooked on stains any more. Boo hiss! I poked around on the web and found a formula that I thought I might try. Wow! It worked great. Bonus - it is a chemical free cleaner made from stuff I already had! Thought I would pass it on.

Magic Formula

Lemon Juice

Baking Soda

That's it! Mix to a thick paste. Put on stovetop and rub into stain with your finger. You can let it sit for a few minutes to bleach out stubborn stains but I didn't find that necessary! (P.S. - this magic formula will also remove stains from plastic food storage containers.)

Fabulous! It bleached the stains that 409 couldn't touch. Check out these pictures. This is the picture of my stovetop after I cleaned it with antibacterial 409.

Here is the picture after I used the Magic Formula

Why I hate the post office...

2010-11-22T19:07:00.002-06:00

OK, if I ever had to ship something to you, I don't have to tell you I am a big-time procrastinator. Big, Big time! Like I wrote the book on it. Just ask Melissa or Jessica who have recently been on the receiving end of my horrid procrastination. Oh, they are so gracious, sweet and patient with me. Hugs to you two.

Can I say that I totally hate our little post office? Well, I guess I just did. I live in a small town and our post office was built in like the 60's and never updated or maintained. Our town population has exploded but they have never expanded this location. The people behind the counter are cold and uninterested. The lines are long. The employees dilly dally around instead of getting to business and helping move the line. I loath going there.

Of course, when I used to do Ebay shipping, way, way back in the dark ages of Ebay, I was much more prompt. Avoiding a bad rating was probably incentive enough to get my tushy in gear. Although hunting around for a box, packing material and forcing myself to drive to the post office was still an ordeal.

OK, can I tell you a secret? I found my solution. It is this "Flat Rate Box" thingy with "Click and Ship" where I can print postage on my printer. They will even bring the boxes to your house for free! Then I schedule for my long, haired Greek mailman to stop by and pick up my packages from my front porch. I AM IN HEAVEN PEOPLE! (no, I am not getting any kind of compensation from the USPS. This is just me raving.)

One glitch I found in the "Click and Ship" system is that you have to put the estimated weight into the "Enter Package Information" for the Flat Rate Box rates to come up on the next page. I was hunting everywhere for the Flat Rates. I wish they would just say that here. It would make life so much easier. Oh wait, we are talking about the U.S. Postal Service. My bad.

After you put in a fictitious weight, up pops all the flat rates on the next page. Scroll down a bit to find them. I didn't say it was easy. Remember, government website and all. (I'm going to get audited aren't I?)

No more schlepping to the post office! That just makes me smile. Wait a minute. A government program that makes me smile? I have to take a minute and seriously question my standards. At any rate, I recommend you give it a try.

Peach Cobbler or Blackberry Cobbler - the perfect fall dessert

2010-10-22T23:06:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe I haven't put this recipe on my blog yet. What is wrong with me? This is my "go to" recipe when I need a dessert quick. I double for parties or church meetings. I haven't met a person that doesn't love peach cobbler. They may be out there, but they don't hang around me. I must only attract the "pro-cobbler" kind of people!

Peach Cobbler

By: Elizabeth Leger

TOPPER
1 c. flour
1 Tbl. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. milk
1 egg

FILLING
1 bag frozen peaches
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbl. cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup of cold water. Mix well.
1 tsp. lemon juice
pinch allspice

Preheat oven to 400.
Boil the filling ingredients together until thick in a pan on top of the stove.
Mix the dry ingredients of the topper together. Cut in the butter. Stir in the milk and egg.

Pour filling ingredients into a 9 x 9 x 2 pan (if you double the recipe, use a larger pan). Put spoonfuls of the topper all over the top. Sprinkle with sugar (I use raw sugar).

Bake for 20 min. Top hot cobbler with ice cream. Enjoy!

BLACKBERRY COBBLER

Same recipe as above except you can substitute blackberries instead of peaches and leave out the cinnamon and allspice.

Feeds 6-8 Persons

Needle Felted Mushrooms - a beautiful addition to your fall decor

2010-10-19T19:36:00.003-05:00

Fall decorating is so beautiful. I think mushrooms and acorns add just the right touch. I was looking online for how to make homemade mushrooms and stumbled on these beauties. I never heard of sculptural needle felting, so I was intrigued. I found several helpful tutorials online and off I went.

This is a great tutorial on You Tube. I want mine to look more realistic like these. They are very well done!

The tools and materials were inexpensive, simple and the technique wasn't hard to master. Now this is a craft this girl can love!

Warning: the needles are very sharp and brittle. One broke off in my kitchen and has yet to be located. You have to be very careful not to bend the needle when doing this craft. Be careful to go straight in and straight out of the wool.

I found this beautiful website and was amazed by what can actually be done by masters. This wasn't the direction I was going for but lots of fun to look at.

What about Christian Yoga?

2010-10-14T19:48:00.000-05:00

OK, picture this... you and the Lord are walking together in the mall. You stop in front of a nail salon and see a statue of Buddha that has food offerings. You bend down and pick up a piece of fruit, polish it on your shirt and hand it to the Lord. Would you ever do this? I venture to say no.

Act 21:25 says (emphasis added): But as to the Gentiles who have the faith, we sent a letter, giving our decision that they were to keep themselves from offerings made to false gods, and from blood, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from the evil desires of the body.

That's pretty plain. Yoga was invented by men to worship false gods. No amount of polishing will make it pleasing to the Lord. Just because you call it "Christian" Yoga (which makes me throw up a little in my mouth) makes it acceptable.

A little background on yoga here. The actual postures themselves are an offering of worship to Hindu gods. Understand this, aside from a chant or words spoken, the movements are offerings. Psalm 81:9b says, …nor shall you worship any foreign god

You say "I'm just doing the moves because they are healthful. I'm not worshipping a Hindu god. In fact, I'm praying to God while I do the moves." OK, just say you just ignore my "polishing the fruit" argument for a moment. Is it really possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spiritual side? Nope.

Why?

- Yoga teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. 2 Timothy 3:2 People will be lovers of themselves...rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

- Yoga focuses on emptying one's mind. This is contrary to the Word of God. We are told to take on the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16) We are also instructed by God's word to renew our minds (Romans 12:2)

- It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life's difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God.

- Yoga originated as a worship of other gods. Yoga at its core is the worship of other gods.

- It leaves one open to deception from the enemy. Be on guard friends. Satan comes in like a thief. (John 10:10) Before you know it, you have been robbed. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

In an article entitled “An Open Letter to Evangelicals” from the January 1991 issue of Hinduism Today, Swami Sivasiva Palani writes, “A small army of yoga missionaries – hatha, raja, siddha and kundalini – beautifully trained in the last 10 years, is about to set upon the western world. They may not call themselves Hindu, but Hindus know where yoga came from and where it goes.” Where it goes? Where does it go? It opens the door to false gods.

You can't separate its religious practice from its physical. The physical moves are forms of prayers. The very moves are the practice of worship to other gods.

Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

How do we renew our minds? By reading the Word of God. John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Still not convinced? Pray, read the Word and ask God to reveal to you the truth about Yoga.

My thanks to Lee Brockinton of Life Church, Katy for his inspiration message on this topic. Many points in this article are taken from that sermon.

The Face of Illegal Immigration: A Challenge to the Church

2010-10-14T16:00:00.001-05:00

I posted a story about immigration on this blog site here. It is a personal story about my grandparents coming into the country and the stand that others took for them when they tried to gain their citizenship. I have a dear friend who was brought into this country illegally as a small baby. She had no choice in the matter. After she became a Christian and was old enough, she made application for her citizenship. In the meantime she had married a legal citizen and had two children. She was active in the homeschool community and her church. She is a loving person with an amazing servant's heart.

It has been a long, hard battle for her to work toward her citizenship. Doing what is right isn't always the easy way. Along the way, this friend, who is always there for others, needed a hand herself while in a foreign and dangerous place. She needed a guide in the dangerous city of Juarez while she was there for her meeting with the consulate. She reached out to the Church and Christians for help. No one was willing to help her. They turned her away. She was bruised and hurt. Satan saw his "in" and sent workers of iniquity to help her. Doubt crept into her heart. She is currently in a crisis of faith. My heart is so very sick for her. She is far away from her husband. She is living amongst evil. Her faith is being challenged. I pray for her that this deception is revealed to her. That she runs to Jesus in her pain. He will never, ever leave her or disappoint her.

Guess what? Her crisis of faith is our fault. As Christians and the Church we need to sensitive to our stand against illegal immigration. We need to realize that the face of illegal immigration isn't always the repeat offender we hear about on the news. Sometimes it is the little girl that was brought here unaware that she would be labeled an "illegal". What is wrong with us? Can't we see past the label of "illegal" to the human inside? Shame on us.

Her friendship has challenged me to question my knee-jerk reaction to labels. To get to know the person behind the label. I'm ashamed to say that I don't always do that. Isn't that what Jesus did? He wasn't afraid to talk to the woman at the well who obviously didn't have the best reputation. He spoke with prostitutes and thieves. He saw past their labels. He saw into their hearts. He never, ever excused their sin but loved them and called them out of it.

Please pray for my friend. God knows who she is. Pray that she find forgiveness in her heart for those that have wronged her. Pray that the truth would be illuminated in her heart. Pray that we as the church can look with others in compassion and with His eyes. May we be sensitive to his leading.

A Giveway on Frazzled Mom!

2010-10-04T14:33:00.000-05:00

Something for nothing? Yes, it exists! Would you like to win a beautiful collection of paper napkins so you too can become obsessed with them like yours truly (read about my paper napkin obsession here)? Alright, maybe you won't be obsessed with them because you aren't weak like me. But hey, it would be fun to see if it happens.

I love to entertain guests at my home. I use beautiful paper napkins like these at tea and when I'm serving dessert after a dinner. How would you use these?

This is a beautiful collection from Cypress Home. Each package (except the Christmas one) contains 20 napkins.

They include:

Harvest Gathering: (perfect for your Thanksgiving crowd)

Antiquities du Jardin (make an every day affair special)

Song Bird Bouquets (a lovely spring napkin)

A beautiful napkin based on Fleurs de Paris artwork below by Kathryn White.

(makes me want to go to the flea market)

A special bonus! 100 (yes, one hundred)- 15.75 x 13" Christmas Woodland Birds Cardinal set.

Let's have a party!

HOW DO I ENTER TO WIN?

You must leave a comment below telling me how you might use these gorgeous paper napkins.

Extra entries (let me know you did these in separate comments each):
*Link to the giveaway in your own blog. Please include the link from your website.
*Follow my blog (look to the right and go down a bit to find the title "Friends of Frazzled Mom")

Winner to be announced October 9, 2010!

In the interest of disclosure let me say that the folks at Cypress Home don't even know I share the planet with them. They did not give me these for a giveaway. I purchased ones I couldn't resist and decided to give them away. Wait... I really want those Christmas ones. Can I put my name in the pot? Uhhh... no.

An Everyday Strategy for Being Efficient: Touch Things Once

2010-09-28T14:44:00.002-05:00

This is a strategy I picked up years ago. I can't even remember where I read/learned about it. I just know it works so it has become a good habit of mine.

"Touch Things Once". That means don't set things aside to put them up later. Put them up now.

Lets apply this principle to everyday life:

Handling the mail:

Scenario one: You grab the mail on the way in from running errands. You throw them on the kitchen table to go through later. When suppertime comes, the mail is moved to a kitchen countertop. Someone throws library books on top of them. The library books are due and hastily grabbed to bring them back to the library. The mail is accidentally grabbed along with the stack. You throw everything in the car. Someone notices that there is mail with the library books. The library books are returned. The mail gets left in the backseat of the car. The electricity bill doesn't get paid. You are left blinking in the dark. You have to pay a fee to get your electricity back on.

Scenario two: You grab the mail on the way in from running errands. Mail has to be judged worthy to get into my house. You stand at the trash can in the garage and immediately toss out the junk mail. You open up the bills and throw away the junk mail in the bills. You put the bills in the bill spot. The bill gets paid. You are a hero.

Dishes:

Scenario one: You finished eating supper. You pick up your dish and put it in the sink. The sink becomes overflowing and you need to use the sink, so you put it on the counter.Then you need to use the counter, so the dish gets shoved into the sink again. Someone yells that there are no dishes and it finally gets loaded into the dishwasher. Of course the dishwasher doesn't get started and someone else yells that there are STILL no clean dishes. The dishwasher is finally started but by that time there is a huge backlog of more dirty dishes. Don't pretend like this never happened to you. You probably have a sink full of dirty dishes right now!

Scenario two: You finished eating supper. You pick up your dish and put it straight into the dishwasher which is started after the meal is done. Cue angelic music.

Laundry:

Scenario one: You pull the clean clothes out of the dryer and put them on the sofa. You are going to do laundry while you watch T.V. Oh, you are so efficient. The doorbell rings. You grab all the clean clothes and throw them on the floor of your bedroom and quickly shut the door. It is your nosy neighbor who stays way too long talking about absolutely nothing. You forget about your efficient plan of folding clothes. Night comes and you stumble into your room and discover the pile of wrinkled clothing. You are too tired to worry about it now. You wake up the next day and try and choose something from the top of the pile that isn't too wrinkled. You throw everything back into the dryer to get the wrinkles out and throw them back onto the sofa. The doorbell rings. You know this is you.

Scenario two: You stand at the dryer and fold and hang the clothes directly from the dryer. The doorbell rings. You close the dryer. It's your nosy neighbor who stays way too long talking about absolutely nothing. You excuse yourself for a moment and turn the dryer on fluff. The buzzer goes off and you say you must get back to the clothes. The neighbor leaves. You smile and get back to folding clothes. Everyone has wrinkle free clothes. Your husband looks so great in his wrinkle free clothes that he gets a huge raise. Well, OK... I may be stretching it a bit here... but it COULD happen.

The second scenarios result in peace. It is a simple thing but produces so much. I had to walk around telling myself "Touch Things Once" for several weeks before I got the habit down.

Easy Habits to Keep Your Car Clean on the Inside

2010-09-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had to pick up a friend for a ride in your car and had to shove aside tons of junk while you apologize profusely for your trashed out car? It's embarrassing isn't it?

Here are some easy tips we use to keep the car ready at a moments notice:

Before you step a foot out of the car at home, take a few seconds and have your passengers pick up any junk laying around and toss it immediately. Have them take any toys, books and games inside and put them away immediately. Pick up any food stuffs laying around. This is the source of a lot of stink. Make this a habit in your family. If you do this every time you come home, the inside of your car will be spotless.

Keep a bottle of "smell pretty" in the car. You can give it a quick spray before picking up a friend. Its a nice welcome to a friend to be greeted with a clean smell. If you have some tough odors, do a thorough cleaning with a good carpet cleaner like Resolve topped off with Nok-Out for the carpet and/or cloth seats. Leather seats can be cleaned with Pledge furniture polish.

Keep a sealed plastic bag in the car. This is great if someone feels sick in the car. I also keep a plastic grocery sack for wet clothes or shoes.

Keep a few paper towels in your car. It's easier to clean up a spill when it is fresh than when it is soaked into the carpet. For long trips, I put a few damp paper towels in a sealed plastic bag for sticky hands and faces.

We have a hard and fast rule that no kids can take drinks from a fast-food restaurant into the car. This cuts wayyyyy down on the sticky spills you have to handle. Let's face it, no matter how careful you are, a sudden jerky car movement can send those drinks a-flying. Just avoid it altogether.

Long car trips are always a challenge. It seems trash multiplies and it doesn't take long until your car resembled a trash dump. Bring several extra grocery sacks. Tie them to the door handles on each row or next to each child. Everyone can dispose of their trash immediately and keep the floor clean. When you make a bathroom stop, throw out the bags and put fresh ones. Also, bring along a small cooler of water bottles with pull up tops (like the Ozarka sport top). Spilled water is so much easier to clean up than sugary drinks. Don't even mess with the screw on caps. No one puts them back on and they inevitably get dropped on the floor.

I hope these tips will help you keep a clean car that you are proud to show off.