Time to Decorate for Fall!

Last night my husband pulled out my fall bins from our storage room. I worked on it a little last night and wanted to share some of the photos with you. There's a lot of things I didn't get out yet. Some things I wait to pull out until the night before Thanksgiving when I'm getting the dining room table ready for the next day. That is one of my favorite moments of the whole year! I am never happier than when I'm getting ready for the holidays.

This is our living room mantel.

And this is a shot from our kitchen.

The lanterns were found at a local furniture store. I found the garland at Pottery Barn a few years ago. I usually try to go there just before Thanksgiving. In the past, they have marked fall decorations down at that time. Speaking of Pottery Barn, my husband and I came up with a great knock-off of one of their holiday decorations for much less. I'll be posting that one a little later.

And just in a little while, this guy will be making his appearance on our deck.

Hope you're all having fun this magical time of year! Blessings!

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com   and www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com as well as www.atthepicketfence.com  virginiasweetpea.com

The Simple Things

I haven't written a blog in awhile. There hasn't been anything big going on. We have just been doing our daily routines of home schooling, cleaning, cooking, etc. That list goes on and on sometimes. I have been reading a lot of other moms' blogs, though, and enjoying every minute. I read one yesterday and was so touched by her writing, that I put it on my facebook. If you get a moment, check this blog out:

www.memoriesoncloverlane.com

It is a beautifully written post about staying home with your children when they are little. I hope you can take the time to read it.

It makes me thankful and oh so grateful, that I have been given the wonderful blessing of staying home with my kids from babyhood on. Even when we were living and working at a ministry called Teen Challenge (and money was tight), my husband was always on board with my staying home and taking care of each and every sweet baby.

Now my last "baby" is seven years old, but what fun we've had together!

Yesterday, my 15 yr.old was finishing up a long day of school work. I saw her sitting at the dining room table and felt the Lord speak to my heart, "Take her to Starbucks and get her a little treat." It was a rainy day, but we dashed out the door and had so much fun together.  We even squeezed in a few minutes at TJ Maxx before heading back home. (We had a good laugh when I discovered - as we were leaving the store -that I had forgotten my jeans were rolled way up at the bottom. I was totally oblivious to that fact the whole time I was window shopping).






It's a rainy day here again, but sometimes I like those days the best. Don't you love the look of yellow leaves blowing across the sidewalk? The whole world feels cozy to me on days like this.

The day is beginning and it's almost time to pull out the books again before having a couple days off for the weekend.

Wherever you are today, I hope you have a blessed and happy day!

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com   and www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com  and www.atthepicketfence.com  kellyskornerblog.com

A Wink From God

If you know me even a little, then you know that I am in the midst of my most favorite time of the year. My daughter and I drove to her orthodontist appointment yesterday and my heart was just so happy the whole drive there. The trees are in their autumn splendor here up North and every turn of the road seemed to show an even more beautiful sight.

That evening, my daughter and littlest boy and I drove down the road a little ways because of a sign that read, "Pumpkins $3.00".  I was over the moon! It was like God gave me a little wink and said, "I know how much you love this time of year, so I surprised you with a field full of pumpkins right by your house." Well, that is how I like to think of God. He loves giving us delightful surprises.

My little boy wasn't in the picture taking mood at this moment.

His good mood has returned!

Of course, I had to drive back there a few minutes later. This time big brother joined us.  Here they are giving us their rendition of "Waiting for the Great Pumpkin". It did seem like Linus and Sally should be sitting out there with them.

And now the front of our home looks like this.  I just need to add some yellow mums.

Happy October everyone!! There's joy all around - maybe even down the road from your house:)

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com     and www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com    and www.atthepicketfence.com

The Asthma Bell

Here it is. The "asthma bell".

A few weeks ago, our oldest son, Evan, was having a lot of trouble with wheezing, coughing, and some shortness of breath. His inhaler had run out and I was searching through the medicine cabinet for anything that might give him some relief.

I came across some Prednisone pills and set them on the kitchen counter with a note for him. I went on to bed, but then sat up, worried. My husband's sister has severe asthma and has almost died during asthma attacks. I knew my son's asthma was NOTHING like that, but it suddenly occurred to me that I had seen a bell in the kitchen cabinet. (No, I have no idea why a bell was in my kitchen cabinet) So, I went downstairs, found the bell, and set it on his bed.  I figured that if he really ran into some severe problems with asthma during the night - however unlikely that may be - then he could just ring the bell. I mean, what if he woke up, gasping for air and he couldn't even walk to our bedroom? I have a very dramatic mind. But I knew I would sleep better if there was a plan.

Later, when I heard him get home, I called out to him about what the bell on his bed was for.  He came into our room laughing so hard. "Mother! I almost died laughing when I saw that bell and heard you say what it was for." I think he was wheezing and laughing at the same time. My husband looked at me a bit incredulously that I would place a bell on my son's bed,  but I ask you...

Isn't that what we mothers are for?

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com    

www.kellyskornerblog.com

Crisp Weather Means Pumpkin Crisp

When September rolls around, I love to begin baking anything pumpkin-y. This recipe comes from the November 2005 issue of Southern Living. (Notice those lovely fall colored nails holding the magazine - aren't they groovy?)

 The dessert is called Pumpkin Crisp and I've been making it during this season for the past 7 years. It's easy to put together and so good with either whipped cream or ice cream.



Here are a few of the main ingredients.

The recipe is as follows:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 box butter-flavored yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture; sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Drizzle melted butter evenly over pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes OR until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream (sprinkled with nutmeg) or ice cream.



I add pecans to only half the pan since my kids aren't fond of nuts




Finally!

Since I haven't posted a blog in a couple of weeks, I thought I'd add a few more photos for you to look at.

This beautiful bouquet was given to me by my son, Evan, who saw them at the Farmer's Market and knew I'd like them. Aren't they pretty? I don't know what the puffy, round flowers are called.

It's starting to feel cool and fall-like outside. I snapped a picture of some flowers on the deck.

Last, but not least, my favorite candle has always been Yankee Candle's Buttercream. I love having one burning in the kitchen on a cool fall or winter's day.

I hope you enjoy the dessert and these lovely days of fall. I was in Target yesterday and guess what? There was one aisle with Christmas cards displayed already! Yippee and Happy Fall, y'all!


Linking up to www.homestoriesatoz.com    and www.savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com     and www.impartinggrace.com   www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com  diyshowoff.com

Making a Cake Mix Special!

Not long after we were married, I had the most wonderful piece of chocolate cake with thick, white, frosting on top. Dave's mom has been making this frosting for many years and it quickly became my favorite. She told me it was called Seven Minute Frosting. I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Not the greatest photo quality with the old point and shoot camera

                                                                                  

I had never tasted this frosting before. It is creamy with an almost marshmallow-y consistency. In fact, I thought at first that it must have a jar of marshmallow cream in the recipe (it doesn't). It is so good! The name comes from the fact that you must whip the frosting over a double boiler for seven minutes.

The recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 c cold water
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar OR 2 tsp. light colored corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

In the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, cold water, egg whites, and cream of tartar or the corn syrup. Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds.

Now place over boiling water (upper pan should not touch water). Cook, beating constantly with the electric mixer on high speed about 7 minutes or til frosting forms stiff peaks. As you're standing there mixing, 7 minutes will seem to go on forever, but believe me, you'll be glad you did it!


 Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat 2 - 3 minutes more or til it reaches spreading consistency. This frosts the top and sides of 2  8-or 9- inch cake layers or a 13 x 9 pan.

If you don't have a double boiler, you can improvise. You will need an oven proof bowl (like Pyrex) that will fit over a pan of boiling water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Keep it at a low boil and mix for 7 minutes.

It is a little more work than some frostings, but well worth the effort. There is usually a line in our kitchen of people wanting to lick the bowl and the beaters. When you've tasted that first bite of delectable frosting on moist, chocolate cake ....you'll want a second piece right away! You'll also understand why that cake does not even last one full day at our house.

My mother-in-law makes the chocolate cake from scratch, but I use a Pillsbury Devil's Food Chocolate cake mix. I usually cook it less than what the back of the box says because I don't like a dry cake.

I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do! It's a simple way of dressing up a plain cake mix for your family.

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com          

 and www.savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com   

and www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com and  www.atthepicketfence.com

kellyskornerblog.com  martysmusings.net

 

Why I Love Trash Day

Source: Pinterest

Whenever Tuesday morning rolls around, I feel so happy. Why? Because it's trash pick up day and I love trash day! (It's the little things in life that make me happy.) In case this seems like the strangest topic, bear with me, because I am making a point:)

Trash day means a brand new, fresh start. It means out with the old and in with the new. The house feels like it can breathe again after I cram everything I can into those two garbage cans. Am I the only one that feels so delighted to do that? When I "feel" cluttered, I have a harder time functioning.

 It may be clutter around the house that is bugging me, or sometimes even "emotional" clutter in my mind.  Sometimes things need to be thrown not only out of our house but out of our minds as well. I often try to carry too much responsibility, when God wants me to give it to Him. Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He wants to carry our "stuff".

A couple of years ago, we hosted our son's high school graduation party. I placed a sign on my trash cans. One that read "trash" and one that read "cans" so that people could easily dispose of their things. Well, guess what? Someone (me) forgot to take the "trash" sign off of the trashcan. You guessed it.  I had to go buy a whole new trash can that week since they took my sign seriously.

I guess I need to think of my mind clutter like that. I need wisdom of what to give to God and what to toss in the trash can.

As a side note, I don't feel the same way about the Christmas tree disposal guy. The kids and I used to sadly stand by the dining room window and watch as our poor post- Christmas tree was dumped in the back of his truck with all the other poor trees. What a depressing job. We felt like somone should be playing Taps as we watched him. But that is for another post.


As we now are fast approaching the holiday season, my heart bursts with thankfulness about all the little things that makes my day to day life of taking care of my family easier. How could any of us make or keep our homes lovely without this service? Who doesn't like a brand new start once a week?

This was not sponsored in any way by the sanitation department, and no one I know works there, but I love those guys! Thank you!

Linking up to www.impartinggrace.com     

The Ones God Gave Me

 Motherhood can be a little strange. Sometimes it feels like I would give my right arm to be alone in my own house for a few hours. Then, if I actually do get out of the house, I find myself thinking about the kids or missing them.

Dave and I will sometimes drive to Starbucks for a coffee and then run into a store and look around. For some odd reason, when we go into one particular store, I feel this melancholy feeling. I suddenly start thinking about the kids as if I haven't seen them in days. It's not a store designed for kids. It's mostly curtains, dishes, and miscellaneous items for your home. So you wouldn't think it would trigger any feeling like that. But I feel sort of sad as I'm walking around. When I get into the car again to leave, I think I may even smile.

I think that even though days as a mom can be so monotonous, they are actually creating our fondest memories. A few months ago I wrote about this on another blog I had, so if you've read this before, please bear with me:)

When our son was little, we never knew when we woke up in the morning if this would be a day that he would end up back in the hospital. It was very stressful living in that environment day in and day out. On the days that he was in the hospital, I would find myself staring out the hospital window, feeling very torn. Of course, I wanted to be with him, but I also had other little ones at home. When we were finally back home again, I found the greatest joy in just washing the dishes and looking out the window of our home at Teen Challenge. The smallest, most mundane tasks were wonderful to me. It's what I call "beautiful monotony".

 We as moms do tend to wipe down the same counters, wash the same loads of laundry, load the dishwasher with the same dishes, pick up the same toys...the list goes on and on. But how wonderful! That means you have a family to care for and little people there that need you. They are the ones God has given you to care for. No one can take your place.

On the terrible day that we took our son, Alex, to the hospital and he did not come home again, I went into his room that I had left just hours before. I stood in front of his closet and looked at his clothes. His clothes still smelled like him. I realized I had been living a lovely life. No, things weren't perfect. If your child's health is not good, then it can never be perfect. But we had our life together - both good times and bad times, all under one roof together. Our time with each other had been a gift.

That's why I encourage you to never take any of your days for granted. I remember what it is like when all your children are small. Take a break when you can, of course. Take a walk or browse around Target, but remember - these days when they are small, or age 12, or age 15, 18, 20, 21 - these days will never come back again. The time to enjoy it is now. These days are the ones God has given you.

I reminded myself of this just this morning as I watched our 12 year old son leave for school. I was fine until I watched him from my kitchen window. I watched as he walked up the sidewalk to the bus stop and then I burst into tears.  Next summer, he won't be 12 years old anymore. That was only for this summer. The way his hair looks right now, his sun tanned skin, his smile, all those things may look slightly different next summer. Next summer, he will be thirteen! There is only one 12th summer.

Too often, I want to hurry something up. I want summer to hurry up, so that it can be my favorite season of fall. But I was reminded this morning not to hurry things up. Because then I am hurrying up their childhood.

These beautiful children are the ones that God has given me and I thank Him so much. I am very, very rich.


Linking up to www.savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com   

  kellyskornerblog.com
www.homestoriesatz.com  www.impartinggrace.com   and www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

A Favorite Pioneer Woman Recipe

If you have never heard of The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, then you are in for a treat. She has a website, two cookbooks, and a cooking show on The Food Network. I found her through her website a year or so ago, and have tried several of her recipes. We have loved everything that we have tried thus far such as her Restaurant Style Salsa, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Best Ever Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe, but my favorite is this one.


 Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

The ingredients she lists are:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I use more because I have a bigger family)
8 whole sundried tomatoes, packed in oil (I found these on the tomato sauce aisle)
3 T. prepared Basil Pesto (I found this near the spaghetti sauce)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. mayo
2 whole red bell peppers
8 whole slies provolone or mozzarella
8 slices good whole grain sandwich bread
4 T. butter, softened

Marinating Chicken in sun dried tomato/pesto mixture

In a blender or food processor, puree the sundried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add half of this mixture to a large ziplock bag with the chicken breasts. Smush around to coat the chicken, then refrigerate several hours or overnight. After marinating, either grill or cook in heavy skillet til done. Slice chicken into strips. I actually reverse this a bit. I cut up the chicken first, then cook in a skillet until done.

Spread:  In a small bowl, combine mayo and 3 T. of the sundried tomato mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate til needed.

Roasted Red Peppers: In your oven broiler, completely blacken peppers on all sides, then immediately seal in ziplock bag. Allow peppers to sit, sealed, in the bag for 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove from bag and use fingers to slip off the blackened skin. Lop off the top cut in half, then seed and slice into strips.

To Assemble: To make the panini, spread generous amounts of the tomato/pesto spread on one side of all the pieces of bread. On four of the pieces, arrange 1/4 of the chicken slices, 1/4 of the pepper, and two pieces of provolone. Top with the other pieces of bread with the spread face down. Butter both sides and grill in panini maker. ( I do not have a panini maker, so I improvise by putting in a 400 degree oven). Or, she says that you can put in a skillet and place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich as each side browns.

This is the finished product and they are so good! My daughter asks that I only give her half of one as they are so filling. The sun dried tomatoes and pesto give so much flavor.




The Pioneer Woman comes on The Food Network at 9:30 a.m. and her website is www.thepioneerwoman.com  Her recipes are very easy to follow. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Linking up to www.homestoriesatz.com