Trusting God

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog. Yes, it started out as being to busy, but then I had nothing "GOOD" to post. Nothing positive, nothing anyone would want to know about. I don't like being down or making anyone else feel down.

Underneath my smile, isn't really a smile. I am trusting God all the way with the decisions we are making in our life right now. I know that His plans are much better then what I want to happen. My thoughts absorb so much of my time now and only high priority routines are getting done. But I should stay focused on all of the things that need to get done. So many deadlines, but nothing I am interested in getting done. To stay positive, I am trying to remember the things I am thankful for.

If you feel a distance in my attitude, please understand that it is not anything between you and me, I am just absorbed in myself right now.

For those dear friends who do read this, thank you for your prayers.

Yes, My Speghetti Has Carrots In It!?!

Tonight I am making Home Made Company Spaghetti. This is the kind of spaghetti that my Italian Grandmother Annette always made. Each time she made it, it would be slightly different. Each time she made it, it had different ingredients in it. If you asked her for the recipe like I did so often, she would reply, "It doesn't have one Shereeee. It is a little of tis and a little of tat!" Over time, I learned by arriving early that she was cleaning out the refrigerator while she made it. Along the way she left me tips by teaching me to freeze unused veggies (like tips and edible stocks) that I would of just thrown away and putting them in a freezer bag marked for soup. I think she also used it for her Spaghetti sauce chopped into tiny pieces.

I also had a friend who was Italian, and she would add spinach chopped up finally to her sauce. Her daughter would try to make it without the onions, garlic and spinach and then would complain that it didn't taste right. Silly girl!

So these are my rules for my Company Spaghetti Sauce.
1. I use 3 types of meat and one is always Italian Sausage (Turkey, beef or Chicken)
2. Yes, I put carrots in it along with what any other veggies I find in the refer.
* Tip - Run them through the food processor and whatever you don't use, put in the freezer marked veggies.
3. I triple the garlic.
4. I always use fresh basil. Yum!!! I love my fresh herbs from the garden in it too.
5. DON"T ADD SUGAR! Use red wine instead. Make sure it is one that is drinkable. Those cooking wines are nasty.

My Grandma would be so proud of me, or mad at me for giving away her secrets!

Shereeee now needs to stir the sauce.

Summer of 2009 :P

This summer we have been working on getting rid of excess stuff. The girls have been painfully working on their rooms. I will have to post pictures when they are finally done. It is getting close. We have gotten rid of a lot of stuff so far, and it feels better. But things are still a bit over-whelming. We still have things that belong to other people that are occupying space, things that are piled to get sold, and things that are garbage that was waiting for room in the trash trailer so it can get hauled away. I keep trying to look at the vision in my head and not the way it looks right now. It has also been hard for me to relax instead of get frustrated that other people in this house are not motivated to get rid of the clutter as fast as I am. If I had my way, I wouldn't sell anything, but haul it off quickly and quietly before anyone changes their minds.

So nothing exciting happening in the Temple household.

First Time for Making Banana Pudding

I have to share this funny little story.

I just taught one of my daughters to make pudding in my Tupperware Quick Shake. She thought it was so neat, that she wanted to make us banana pudding the very next day. I didn't pay attention to what she was doing. Soon she handed us a bowl each of her pudding. It was sour. We checked the milk. The date still had 2 weeks left. Smelled the milk and it had a slight sour smell. I don't drink milk and so it always smells sour to me. Poured it out. Threw the pudding away. I started to clean up her mess (still working on her about that), and came across the box. I read the box and it was the pectin I bought for making Cherry Jam. So now we all know, pectin makes sour banana pudding. Hoping lesson learned ~ Read the box and instructions.

My Crock Pot Sheppard Pie

My crock pot is a great tool for dinner without heating up the house. My family loved this one. It is all gone. :)

Sheri's Crock Pot Sheppard Pie

Step 1

2 lbs of ground meat thawed ~I used ground turkey
3 cups water
3 cups of mixed frozen veggies
1 onion chopped
1 pkg of Lipton Onion Soup

-Mix together in a crock pot until blended. Cook on high for 3 or 4 hours or until meat is done.

Step 2
Add in making for making 3 cups of mashed potatoes minus the water as indicated on the instant mashed potatoes packaging. (milk, butter and instant potatoes)~I used soy milk instead.

- add in butter and milk and stir until butter is melted.
- Sprinkle on instant potatoes.
- Cook until potatoes are done. (if too watery after 15 minutes, sprinkle with more instant potatoes)
- With a fork, fluff potatoes and serve.

Search for easy recipes and LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN recipe

Every Summer I struggle to stay within the food budget. "It's too hot to cook!" or we get too busy to cook. We end up eating out where we don't have to heat up the kitchen. This year that is not an option. We just can't go over budget.

I am on a search this year to find recipes that are super easy and don't heat up the kitchen. I have been loving Tupperware, because they have products that are made just for this kind of thinking. And there are some great Tupperware recipes for quick and easy and without a box

I know that I have friends who feel that the microwave is evil, but I think you can adapt the recipes easily to an oven or your cooking choice. With food allergies and Celiac a concern with our family, I look for the best solution for the situation. I don't think anyone will argue with me about the microwave being a better choice then eating out, where you have no control of contamination or quality.

This is my latest recipe find that my family really enjoyed last night. I don't know what I would call it, because I think you can change the flavor by the seasoning you use. I just so happen to have all of the ingredients for it and so I will call it what it is.

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN

Boneless, skinless Chicken breast (I cut mine up in chunks)
Miracle Whip (I used plain old mayonnaise and just plopped 3 unmeasured spoonfuls in)
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (Next time I plan on using taco seasoning)

1. Coat the chicken breast with mayo and sprinkle with seasoning.
2. Place the chicken in a microwave Tupperware container. Place lid on container. (I used my "Heat N'Serve") Microwave for 8 to 9 minutes on high setting.
3. Let stand, covered, for 2 more minutes to finish cooking. (If chicken is not fully cooked, place back in microwave and finish cooking it.

Note: Mine was creamy enough to add mixed veggies and serve over noodles. I thought about serving it over potatoes, rice or even gluten free toast.

Our Plans for School Next Year

BOTH GIRLS FINISHED SCHOOL THIS WEEK!!!! Yippee!!!!!

Can you tell I am very excited. Even more excited then the kids. I am very proud of all of us this year. This is the first time we finished up before public school lets out for the summer. We were consistent, made up time that was missed and made school a high priority this year.

Math
We really like Math-U-See. It is a wonderful program that teaches the kids hands on. They are big on kids understanding the concept and working out the problem. They also have story problems every day. Which I like, because it shows them ways we apply the math and they don't seem to be scared of the story problems like I was when I was a child.

Language Arts
We followed a curriculum using Rod and Staff. There are things that I like about this program, such as the instructions and lesson plans are easy to understand so that the kids can do it on their own. And the teacher book is easy to follow. But after a year, there are areas that I feel they need work on. Such as grammar didn't stick to their brains like I hoped, spelling needs improvement, and I would like them to do more creative writing, book reports, and articles about field trips. I really like the approach of Charlotte Mason. I was using that approach in pre-school through first grade, before I even knew what style of teacher I was.

For next year, I would like to return back to this style, because I notice that we all do better. I have a collection of copy work for the kids to do, like quotes from Mother Teresa and Benjamin Franklin. I also wanted the kids to put together a spelling rules notebook with examples in it. I even have a copy that I did for them to copy to make their own. I found a grammar lapbook that I think the kids would treasure. And I want to encourage more reading for enjoyment and teach them how to write a book report.

We are planning on using Easy Grammar and Daily Grams to keep us reviewing and improving our grammar.

I found The Natural Speller, which is along the lines of what I have always wanted to do for spelling. We will be starting Spelling now and just do spelling bee's for awhile

I found a great Cursive program that I will be using to teach Vicky cursive and Liz for practicing her cursive. We are going to start this now. Also, I found a great pencil that trains children to hold the pencil correctly. I bought some for Vicky, because she just can't remember the correct way to hold a pencil. She really is liking them, because they look different and it is new.

We are also going to work on encouraging them to read more this summer and do reading comprehension. I am signing them up for the library Summer Reading Program. They are excited about this.

Science
We allow them to learn by interest. We did use a program called Considering God's Creation. We still have some lessons left to do. I would like to finish this and then when they are in High School, re-due it with more in-depth research.

History
Pat teaches them well in this area. I would still like to read them some American Stories and study the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. The girls would like to study both The Presidents on their birthdays and study a state a month. We will see which way we will go next year in this area.

So there you have it, we have a plan for next year. I can relax this summer, because we know what we are doing. We have our books for next year and the kids are even excited about what we will be doing. Vicky keeps asking me if we can start Cursive.

As far as my grammar on this - it is late and I am tired and so editing will have to come when I get a chance.

Motivation for Work We Hate To Do

I have started working on a project I have been avoiding for a long time. It is those darn business books. I do not like working on them. Every 30 minutes I am looking for excuses to take a break. I am hungrier for no apparent reason other then an excuse to leave my desk. Yesterday, I realized that when the kids are unmotivated about school, they most likely feel the same way that I do. So how does one stay motivated to keep on the project one don't like to do? I need a mommy to motivate me! lol Now back to being serious. Well, with the kids schoolwork....
- I reward them with breaks.
- I have them stop and run around the house three times.
- I withhold lunch or snack until it is done. (Their schoolwork is not longer then 1 1/2 hour - so no, it is not terrible).
- We schedule fun things into the week as a motivational tool to work towards a goal before we can go.

So, I can apply the same principle to my project....
- Take breaks after one our of steady work.
- Take a walk or ride the bike around the block.
- Withhold snacks until 2 hours of steady work is done. Yes, I will work for dark chocolate M&M's or gourmet jelly beans. :)
- Schedule in fun things into the week and work towards a goal before we can go.

With this project, I am also asking the kids help with chores. They even offered to help with sorting and filing. That was a huge help and they did a great job.

If you have ideas about how you motivate your kids with working on school, I would love to hear them. I am always looking for new ideas.

Friendship Is A Precious Stone!

I have had my share of best-friends. Each one was special, important, loving, and wonderful. I am also thankful for the ones I have today. And even though my husband is also my best-friend, I am leaving him out, because he is in a class all by himself. Luckily, I stand by his side with pride. =)

One of my best-friends stands out. She was my best-friends during my lowest time. I knew her during her lowest time and prayed deeply for her. She knows my faults and still loves me just the same. She is all those wonderful definitions for a best-friend. When we were young, I called her "mother hen" behind her back. She didn't approve of anyone I went out with and kept telling me that they were not good enough for me. (she was right) When I met my husband, I didn't introduce her to him. I thought she would tell me he wasn't right for me. I knew he was different and special. But I was wrong to do that, because she would of approved. As annoying as this was to me. I knew she was looking out for me and wanted what was best for me. She wanted me to strive harder. She kept me from repeating costly mistakes.

My long time, best-friend, Kim and her wonderful smile with her son!

This best-friend also encouraged me, kept my confidence up, was empathetic, stood by my side no matter what the situation was, and still remembers the truth in everything. There is no "should of" or "could of" around her. It does not exist. What is done is done, and it had it's reasons. Move on......



And today, she is just as loving as she was 20 years ago. Older, wiser, and more beautiful. I appreciate her deeply. She makes today's best-friends a hard comparison. There is no one just like her. I hope I can be that kind of best-friend to her and to my close friends of today.



Thank you Kim for your acts of love, kindness, friendship and more. And for showing me the way I should be towards my friends.



You might be asking why this comes up. Yesterday, Kim called me and told me how much she appreciates me. She had no idea about the timing. Later that day, I watched hurtful words about my friends in a group that I helped start last summer. A group that I had visions of everyone helping each other and those new to homeschooling. A place that others welcome newcomers. I had realized my vision was not going to happen last January, but dear friends who shared my vision were shown the reality. And some new ones were unwelcome and one was called "scary". I was sad and hurt for them, but because of Kim's loving words from earlier, I was focused on loving and praying for my friends instead of taking any of it personally. Tomorrow is much brighter. And I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!!

Chickens

We posted our 2 year old hens on Craigslist to a good home. Wow! There was a lot of interest!

They will be living out in the country with 2 roosters and other hens. And with a home that knows more about chickens then I do. :) They will get to free range all day long. They will be very happy in their new home.

We spent the week-end stripping down the coop, removing the roof, and removing all of the litter. We sprayed it down and washed out the inside of the hen house and nesting box. Now I just wait for the sun to finish sanitizing and drying out the ground. Our plans are to rebuild the chicken walk and build in a frame for my roof. I like my chickens to live in a dry coop.

The chicks are now 6 weeks and 4 weeks old. The big ones are ready to live outside. All of them have spent their days outside in our old bunny run and come inside at night. They are really enjoying the grass and the room to stretch their wings and fly across the run.

Misty is enjoying the entertainment of the chicks. She has less interest in them and seems to understand that they are pets, but I don't allow her out when the chickens are out. Our Misty is a bird dog breed. and I don't want to chance it with instinct.

We are hoping to move the chicks into their clean coop in a couple of days.

Prayers Lead to Answers and Peace

As I am in the car crying away, my friend Terry calls out of the blue. She ministered to me and we prayed over the phone. And she urged me to pick up one of my favorite books are start praying. It is called "Power of a Praying Wife." And it works. I have read it many times, loaned it out once and didn't get it back and then bought another copy. It is that good.

I spent yesterday at Angie's house for the last time. I helped her clean (the high spots - yes, that was a friendly jab at Ang.) and watched her home become empty. Very heart wrenching for me and I know it must have been more painful for Angie.

It was a very tough day.....

The best thing that happened yesterday, was Pat and I had a much needed family prayer AND LISTEN for God's voice. We tend to do a lot of family prayers, but few of them are with silently waiting for answers. The girls were involved and even though they didn't quite know what was going on, they jumped in with their own concerns, which happened to be about the stress that we project. God continued to give us answers though out the night and morning. I realize that I have a problem with submitting to my husband, when I am unsure if he is being led by God. Although I do know that their is more to it and I am not the only one to blame, at least it is more information to pray about. If anything, I am at peace..... and that is good.

Today will be another tough day, as we go to the park and say good-bye to Angie and her boys.

Depressed - Where is the sand?

I am always the last one to admit depression, but this month has done me in. I am usually diagnosed and then arguing about that diagnosis. But now I honestly know that I am depressed and have no control of any aspect of my life now. For a control freak girl, this is not good. If it wasn't for my Angie moving, I would be trying to find a place to stick my head in the sand and wait as the world goes by.

Most of all this stems from the economy. I don't even have control of my menu, because I can't even get all of the groceries needed for my menu. And then their is the complaining that goes on when I try to stretch out the meal with beans. I am in need of clothes and my daughter broke my cute pink sandals. Pat's truck has problems and we can't figure it out. There goes the last of my inheritance from my Grandma. Gone and unable to face my Dad. And what does my grandmother think from heaven? And then when I protest and try to voice my opinion, I am not being submissive. Heck, I am a failure in all areas of my life.

The only good thing right now is that Pat is exploring ways to stay and not move us out of state.

I do have a plan today. I am going to Angie's, most likely for the last time. Until my husband calls me back home so we can strip away dignity and close out some accounts. :(

A Prayer and My View About The Economy

Common sense keeps telling me that if we survive this last winter and then use our money wisely through the summer and save up for the next winter, we will be just fine. May is usually the calm before the busy season for us. The economy does better during summer months. Consumers should gain confidence during the summer.

So far, God has taken good care of us. We are doing better then others. It hasn't been easy and our boat is taking in water. I have a strong calling to go to work. I am trying so hard to trust my faith and not allow fear to make decisions for me.

This week-end has brought me confusion and has cost me my energy. My dear husband is talking about moving us 2000 miles from my Oregon home. Yes, there are benefits, I admit. But I am confused about our reasons for moving us away from our home, family and friends. They sound like they could be intellegent reasons, but they feel so wrong. All I see for our reason for leaving is out of fear that the economy will not improve. To me, I feel we are running away and becoming refuges. This goes against what common sense is telling me about my prediction about the economy. I am no expert, however.

I admit, I am not good at being submissive when things don't feel like they are the smart thing to do. And so I am praying for a lot of things and seeking God word for peace.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray for our nation, who needs your mercy. Please bring this out of this recession. We not always know what we want, please give us all the wisdom to make choices that make this country the nation it was set up to be. Help the people to not live in fear, but have the confidence that we will recover (with Your great strength.)

I pray that you will use our President for Your glory (even if he doesn't realize it) and every decision he makes is in Your hands. Please protect us from turning into a socialist country or losing our freedoms.

I pray for companies to continue to operate and keep their American employee's working. I pray for the American unemployed to find jobs that can take care of the needs of their families. I pray for our financial institutes to operate the way they were originally set up to operate. I pray for the manufactures (auto and rv, just to name a few) to be able to go back into full production manufacturing in the states. Lord, I pray they happen soon.

I pray that You will keep me from living in fear. I pray that my faith will stay strong. Help me Lord by closing doors You don't want us to go through and opening doors that will keep us on Your path. Please bring us the work needed to survive this economy. May You place Your will in our hearts and minds. Shout if you have to. Replace our worry with peace.

Thank you for all of your blessings you bring us. And loving us so much. Forgive me when I worry and complain. Thank you for giving us the strength we need to endure what we must.

In Jesus name we pray, Aman.

100% Spring

Outside my window it is 100% Spring, minus the sun. We have birds eating the bird feeder dry, humming birds fighting over feeder territory (and it is out), birds busy building nests in the houses, fruit trees in full bloom, and the garden and yard just calling me out to work in it.

We are all a bit distracted by the beauty of nature.

Vicky has been busy building mud trenches in the driveway, the girls have built their first Teepee in the yard with the branches we cut down, they have also been busy making forts next door, and I have been dreaming about the joys of Summer.

Today, between showers, I am taking my camera out to capture some beauty. I love those close up shots of flowers. And those pictures always come in handy to use for cards, stationary, memorials, web pages, desktop background, and crafts.

Happy Spring!

Springtime School Blahs

School lately has been blah! Motivating mud kind of days. I am frustrated because nothing is getting done and if it is, it is so slowwwww.

I decided to make up a contract with each child of there daily chores and school. I had them sign it.

Here is the new rules, signed and understood by everyone.

-No TV or playing until all chores and school is done. (I told them that if it meant they work into the night, too bad. Dad won't rescue them!)

-Mom is no longer available for school after 2pm. (Because I am mentally done at that time and don't want to be bothered with it. Plus I am tired of feeling the punishment for their Slowski mood) They can ask Dad for help when he gets home. And Dad can ask why they are taking all day!?!

-If they don't chose to get their school work done, it cuts into their summer. Yes, I decided to take summer off. I needed some bribery power!


Two days into it and I think we have something that is working, at least for the moment!

Go Say I Love You To Those You Love

I haven't been in the mood for blogging lately, because my thoughts have been dreary. I try to keep my blog upbeat. But I decided I could still make it beneficial.

I recently was connected with one of my old and dear best-friends. We were there for each other through the most difficult times and age of a person's life. And we were inseparable. I am very thankful that she was there during those times.

We reconnected about 11 years ago and she helped me through my morning sickness with my first child. I thought I was possessed, because it was terrible. We were both prego's at the time. But that is another story. Times were not easy for either one of us back then.

Now we are both at a new place. It was fun to hear her laugh again, silly names, and sweet tone.

But things can change in a second. When God blesses our day, moment, second - we should cherish it with all of our heart. Because we don't know what God's plan is and things can change unexpectedly. So tell your husband, children, parents, siblings friends, etc... you love them when you can, because it might be the last chance that you have.

This past week, I have asked God, "Why? It seems so unfair to take the love away from my dear friends life! He was the best thing for her." Well, God had answered this question 4 years ago.

In 2005 we were in a car accident that was very traumatic for our family. We were T-boned and very lucky to be alive. Our lives flashed before our eyes and in the moment we were certain someone was going to die. (This is my testimony of testimonies and I will have to post it another time.) This accident left us angry, confused and blessed at the same time. We were angry and wondering why God would do this to us? The answer arrived in a daily devotion we received by e-mail from God's Daily Promises. I lost it, but know it is:

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (NLT)

God's Daily Promises added (from memory) - No matter how unfair or unjust things are, God is in control and has a reason for it.

More then anything, I remember "No matter how unfair and unjust life can be - It's God's PLAN! and things will be better for us in the end." This became our verse for the next couple of years and kept us comforted through the loss of beloved family members that passed on in 2005 - 2008.

Now, go say "I LOVE YOU!!!" to those you love. And if you can, give them a strong HUG!

Potato Candy Recipe for St. Patty's Day

I found this recipe for Potato Candy at this Irish Food web site. Very easy to make. I am going to teach the girls to make them tomorrow.

Of course, I adapted it, more out of budget of what was in the house at the time. The kids loved it, but Pat didn't like the potato texture in his candy. I didn't measure anything, I went by taste.


Potato Candy

Baked Potatoes
Butter
Vanilla
Powdered Sugar
Sweetened Flaked Coconut (optional) - You could even try Ground nuts
Cinnamon mixed with Sugar

Step One - I baked the potatoes until the skin starts to pull away from the potato. Allow it to cool enough to peel the skin off.

Step Two - Mash or mix with a blender the potato and add enough butter until it resembles a thick mash potato. You could also use left over mash potatoes if you like.

Step Three - Mix in your vanilla, powdered sugar and coconut (or whatever you decide to add). Should be sweet, and able to form balls.

Step Four - Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Step Five - Form balls in the shape of potatoes and roll in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Now they should look like a potato. To make the potato darker, use more cinnamon in your cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Step Six - Eat and enjoy!!!!!!!

Happy Saint Patty's Day!!!

New Recipes That I Am Trying

I am a bit adventurous this week. I decided to try out as many new recipes that I can this week. So here is my plan, printed out and all ready to go. I believe I have almost all of the ingredients. 8) All of these are either gluten free/dairy free or adaptable to gluten free/dairy free. And of course - pork free.

New Breakfast Dishes I Am Trying.
-Baked Oatmeal (Kids didn't like the older recipe that I tried- too sweet)
-Crock Pot Oatmeal (different one than what I usually use)
-Oven French Toast
-Universal Muffin Mix (need one that is versatile)
-Mini Baked Donuts

New Lunch Dishes I Am Trying
-Glass Noodle Soup (recipe from Jeanette)
-Greek Risotto

New Dinner Dishes I Am Trying.
-Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
- All In One Saucy Pasta (recipe from Heather - Love those easy ones!)
-Beef Taco Skillet
- Chinese Fried Rice (adapting from Jeanette's Mushroom Chicken, which has been a life saver, thanks)
-Saucy Mac Skillet
-Scalloped Potatoes with Salmon

New Desert Recipes That I Am Trying
-Wacky Cake (already made it once but I am going to add more chocolate and sugar)
-Vegan Cheesecake (A dairy free girl has got to do what a dairy free girl needs to do!)
-Angie's Boat Brownies

Thankful for the ME God Made

I have a ton of stuff to do, but I am in a blogging mood.

This week I have reconnected by e-mail with some of my best friends from my youth. I thought a lot about the person I use to be. So unguided and rebellious. Oh, how I wish I could of done things differently. Now that I am wiser, I know how wrong I was. And now that I am a parent, I have more respect for the family name that my father wanted to protect so much. And I wish I would of been the daughter that I expect my girls to be.

The unguided ME of my youth. I was 17 in this picture. And look, I WAS SO SKINNY!!!!

And yes, the dress is so 80's because it was 1986!

I am thankful to my loving Father in heaven that he gave me a guided life that I so desperately needed. I am also thankful for the ME that God molded me to be. I like this ME of today so much more then the one 21 years ago. 21 years ago I was baptised and decided to follow a new, brightly lit path. Growing was not easy, but not the pain I experienced on that dark unguided path.



How wonderful it is that God gave me these precious gifts along the way of this brightly lit path. No other man would of had patience for my growing pains. No other man would of loved me as much as he loves me And I never have or never will love anyone as much as I love my husband. And our treasures from God are both of our girls. I want to give our girls the mother that I didn't have. I don't want them searching to fill in the pieces like I did growing up.


Thank you God!

Easy Skillet Granola

I love Granola! But I have burned it in the oven more then once. =( So I don't make it anymore, well I won't in the oven. I am also avoiding making it, because of the price of gluten free oats is expensive. For those that are not gluten free, regular oats are contaminated, from what I read. I haven't noticed a reaction and so only eat them when friends are nice enough to make us something safe for us. I love my friends. :) Back to granola, I buy the Gluten Free granola. It is expensive and very disappointing, because it is not the same from what I remember. :(

I found this recipe on a blog. It makes a lot. I just wanted a cup of granola to try it out and so I just eye balled the adjustments. It turned out great. I also cooked it without the honey on a higher heat for about 5 minutes and then added the honey at the end. So for me, that was almost instant. lol I love eating mine with yogurt, soy yogurt that is.

Easy Skillet Granola --to the table in less than 30 minutes
-1 cup oil
-1 cup honey
-12 cups of oats
-dash of cinnamon.
-3 cups dried fruit
Heat oil and honey together in skillet with oats -- stir in with dash of cinnamon, keep stirring at low-medium heat until well coated and lightly brown (15-20 min) Then add dried fruit. Serve with milk.

You can find this recipe along with some other breakfast recipes at http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/01/you-were-asking.html Not all are gluten free.

Picture Tag

I have been tagged. Picture tagged by Jen. You can view her picture here. Very cute picture Jen. I see E in that one.

Picture Tag
A little photo meme.
Here are the rules:Find your 5th photo file folder,then the 5th photo in that file folder.
Post that picture on your blog.
Tag 5 others to do the same.

Here is mine. I used my childhood photo album (hard copy), because our pictures on the computer are mixed with business and most likely you would get a picture of someones home. So here is the real photo. This is me! I am not sure about the exact age. Nothing was written on it. I was the only child for 8 years and so there is no question about it. It is definitely me. My parents took lots of pictures of me all the way up to Fist grade, before they got a divorce.

Optional: I have a confession. The 6th picture on the page brought more emotion. This is my Grandma and Grandpa the first time they visited me. This is her worst photo in her younger years (under 50), but I have a lot of love for it, because it is the only one of us in my childhood. I have lots of memories of her, but she was a bit camera shy during these years due to her weight. This was the only period that she was over weight. She took off the weight after being diagnosed with Diabetes. She lived to be 87 and died of cancer in 2006. By the way - the poodles didn't like me! I think it had something to do with ear and tail pulling!?!

I tag... Liz , Christi, Susan, Charissa, and Kim (sorry Kim, take your time).

Bowling on Vicky's Birthday

Vicky after she got a spare!

The final score of the first game. The Birthday girl won!!!!

It was Vicky's Birthday yesterday. What did she pick out to do? To Go Bowling! She won the first game with an amazing ball that would travel 3 to 4 miles per hour. She also had the bumper bars up. And I needed those bumber bars, but I didn't have them. My sweet husband was making fun of my consistent gutter balls. This time I had a come back. "Compared to Brian, your terrible (or some other word like that)!" Thank you Wendy and CHIL Dad's! Now understand, my husband is the youngest of 2 very competitive older brothers. When he plays a game, he likes to win and rub it in! If he looses, he accuses the other of cheating. And so when we play a game, it is war!

Both games, I came in last and that made my kids feel very good! The girls both did good. Their scores were close to their Dad's. The second round, Liz came in second place, 20 points under her Dad's. I guess that just goes to show you that WE DESPERATELY NEED A WII! AND MORE PRACTICE ON THE FLOOR WEARING THOSE TERRIBLE SHOES!!!!!

And Brian is always more then welcome to call Pat to go bowling with him :)

Yes, humility for Pat's sportsmanship is good.

Menu for Feb 2nd - 8th

I posted my menu for this week on my other blog. You can view it here

Garden Therapy and Planning.

After I posted on Friday, I walked out into the yard and pruned the frustration right out of my head. My Roses got a hair cut, my skin absorbed the vitamin D and I got motivated for planning my garden.

I love to garden. My mind enjoys the peace, quiet and tranquility that I receive from these moments by myself. I have time to pray without interruptions, listen to His voice and think about improvements. I guess to me it is cheap therapy.

The weather was beautiful and teased me to start seeds and get things ready to plant. I went to the seed workshop and found out that I am way too early to think about seeds in any soil right now. But that is ok, I have so much to do now with moving plants, spraying trees, and preparing my soil with left over chicken manure.

Each sunny day is another day to walk out in the garden!

Bad day

I have had a lousy day today. It is a simple case of "being too tired to motivate the unmotivated!" Four hours of motivating one stubborn child to do 3 simple 10 minute pages of math is just plain obnoxious. Why Lord? Why? At what point will this child realize that if she waists my day, her life is miserable? She is unloading the dishwasher with an angry streak and then she gets to do her English. But I don't think I have anymore motivation potion left. I don't want to help her anymore today. Yes, her life is really miserable today. And the Mommy needs a vacation, retreat or something to restore smiles back in our house.

Balloons Science

Pat is coordinating the Light Dad's Science Day this year in May. This year the theme will be balloons. We have been looking at and trying out different science experiments and having a little too much fun. My poor kitchen showed the signs of a mad scientist at work with lots of balloon body parts scattered and water every where. After all of the experiments, I struggled with getting the kids to start regular school. I guess that was my mistake, science before regular school!?! What was I thinking? Vicky is still doing different experiments with balloons, like the picture above. She is measuring and charting a water balloon as it freezes. Every 30 minutes she is taking it out and measuring it. Will it change size? Bigger or smaller? And my question is, "When will she get tired and stop doing these science experiments?" It has been one after another for 2 days. I can't keep up!

My menu for Jan 26-Feb 1

You can find my menu on my other website
Here is the link http://hope-love-and-joy.blogspot.com/2009/01/menu-for-january-26th-february-1st.html

I Submitted a Recipe and Won

Our Group Won I had to post this on both sites, because it is so exciting for our family. It has really helped my Gluten Free baking confidence.


I submitted a recipe to Toro - Taste Like Real Food Contest for the Best Use of Whole Meal Bread. You can view all the winners at http://www.tasteslikerealfood.com/latest/



You can also view all of the winning recipes at http://www.tasteslikerealfood.com/baking-contest-winners.html



I made Drop Buiscuits and sent the recipe in September 2008. They were so good that I had a feeling about them. It was such a treat to enjoy buiscuits again. It was the first buiscuit that the kids and I had for 3 years.

Here is the recipe for OUR AWARD WINNING DROP BUISCUITS!

Drop BiscuitsWinner: Best Use of Whole Meal Bread
Preheat oven to 425 F

1 1/2 cup of Toro Whole Meal Bread Mix
1/2 cup of corn starch
2 tsp xantham gum
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk, soy milk or rice milk
2 large eggs


1. Grease cookie sheet well.
2. In medium size bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, blend in the butter, milk and egg until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and blend the dough until well blended. Mixture will be sticky.
4. Dip spoon in water and drop dough onto cookie sheet leaving enough room for biscuits to rise and spread while baking. (I use a cookie/ ice cream spoon with a release. Forming a 1 inch drop biscuit seems to bake the best.)
5. Bake in pre-heated 425 F oven for 12 - 20 minutes depending on the size of the biscuits. Biscuits are done when they have a nice brown look on the top.
6. Cool and enjoy.


Visit us at our groups website - Gluten Free Kids R.O.C.K. http://gf-kids-rock.tripod.com/

Does Tomorrow's Economy = Fear and Worry?

I have been washing my zip lock bags, because I have been trying to be frugal. We no longer have a Cosco card and I just can't stomach buying a little box of zip lock bags for the going price. And then one of my friends has been talking about her fears about the possibility of no more plastic bags and so I have been saving and even washing out my produce bags and saving them. I did think it was a little over doing it. On Friday, one of my friends asked me, "And what are you going to do with those bags?" I honestly don't know. (Thanks J, I now know I am being ridiculous) The first thought I had was what the Flylady would say about this..... Really now, why are we saving our garbage? To add to the clutter?

I have been worried about the economy since last Fall. Afraid for what life will be like soon. The gas prices have caused our family to have to cut our budget. Things cost more now and our income is less. I know that I am not the only one with these fears and worries. My friends have been talking about frugal, making things, saving things, and being self sufficient. These are all good things, but I believe we are motivated for the wrong reasons.


For the month that followed 9/11 we had the news on every waking moment. Fear of terrorist blowing up our malls was one I shared with many. I was truly depressed. I called my pasture and before I could ramble on, he interrupted with these words... "What do you fear?"


My remember my response seemed so lame at that moment. As lame as believing in monsters in the closet.

My pasture's next response was....
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." 1 John 4:18
"Then you will know the truth , and the truth will set you free." John 8:32


And how does this apply to now?


What do I fear?
-hunger, will there be enough money to feed us?
-cold, will we be able to pay our electric bill?
-homeless, will we lose our home?
-etc...


This all shows that I lack faith in God to provide for my needs.


What is the truth?
-God will always provide food. (Just for a giggle - Worse case scenario, we could eat raccoon, pigeons, and seagulls. lol By the way, I have a recipe for pigeon.)
-God will provide all of our clothing and means to keep us warm. Look around, don't we already have plenty.
-God will provide shelter. If we do lose our home, we will just rent a home or apartment.

And here is the truth that will set us free from our worry and fears about our economy.

From Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So enough worrying about tomorrow, I am going to practice this truth and be set free.

Yum, Crockpot Tamale Pie Recipe - My Review!

I made Crockpot Tamale Pie tonight and I really liked it. Best of all, it was so easy to make. I decided to post it, because I wanted to make sure I didn't lose this recipe. You can find the original post at the website below.

Crockpot Tamale Pie
Recipe from Stephanie O'dea
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/04/crockpot-tamale-pie-recipe.html

Cornbread topping:
-3/4 cup cornmeal
-1 1/4 cup flour (Stephanie used Pamela's baking mix) {I used Betty Hagman's Buiscuit Mix}
-1 cup milk {I used rice milk}
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 egg
-1 t baking powder (only if not using Pamela's or similar gluten free baking mix that already has baking powder added) {I did add it}

The Filling.
Stephanie made hers Vegetarian
-1lb of your favorite browned meat if you'd like.
-1 can drained and rinsed black beans {I used pinto beans}
-1 can fire roasted tomatoes {I used regular diced tomatoes and added 1 tsp of chili pepper}
-1 can drained corn
-1 T chili powder
-1 t cumin
-1/2 t paprika
-1/4 cup diced onion {I used more, about a cup}
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese {I used shredded soy cheese, but next time I think I will do without. It has enough flavor.}

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray. Dump in the filling ingredients--cheese, too!-- and stir well to distribute the spices. You will not be able to stir this again, so please check to see that the spices aren't in a clump anywhere.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cornbread topping. When finished, pour evenly over the filling, spreading with a spatula if needed.

Cover and cook on low for 4-7 hours or on high for 2-4.

Rockets, Sand, and Waves!

Sunday, my wonderful husband decided we were all piling into the car and going to the coast to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Here is my husband - Pat, The Great!!!

(I did get one with out the thumb, but I knew he would want this one posted instead)

We arrive in the parking lot at Washburn park and the thermometer read 65 deg. No fog, no wind. Just beautiful.
Liz on the beach, thinking about getting those toes wet.

Vicky on the beach with wet toes. Can't delay that with this one.

All three of my puppies playing chase with the waves.
Misty liked attacking the waves by biting them.

Looking for sand crabs and shrimp..........

Vicky digging holes and finding sand creatures.

Liz digs and captures the sand creature!

Captain Pat reading the codes to launch the rocket. Shhhhh! Top Secret from NASA

(Look, no thumb... A total of 6 shots of my dear husband in one day without the thumb. Wow it is my lucky day!)

Assembling the rocket.

Getting ready for the count down.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4,

3, 2, 1 BLAST OFF!!!!

It shot up over 600 feet and we lost sight with the camera, but here it is coming down.

Liz runs after it.

And here it is.

We launched four rockets before one was captured by the sea and swept away.

Liz was heartbroken and we had to stop her from running into the tide after it. :(

Daddy Pat - The Great saves the day and gives her his rocket. Yes, he has a rocket too. :)

I tried to capture two of these on video with my camera, but I didn't know what I was doing. Instead I have video up to the beginning of the count down. :(

Time to go walk the beach.

The intriguing piece of driftwood before it was time to leave.

Ranch Dressing and Beerocks Casserole Recipe

I posted a Ranch Dressing Recipe and Beerocks Casserole Recipe on my Gluten Free Blog. You can view them at Love, Hope, and Joy

Sheri's Smoothies - Easiest way to add fiber

Sheri's Smoothies - Easiest way to add fiber

-1 or 2 banana's
-Handful of frozen berries/fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or any type of fruit)
-Handful of a different type of frozen berry/fruit1/4 to 1/2 cup of yogurt/milk/soy milk/rice milk or orange juice
-1 to 2 tbsp of ground flax seed
-2 Tbsp of orange juice concentrate
-1 or 2 raw egg (optional)
-Honey of real maple syrup to sweeten if needed

In a blender, add all of the ingredient. Blend on high until well blended. Addmore liquid if needed. Taste and add sweetener if needed. Serve in a glass with love and a smile.


To learn more about fiber, read my article on my Gluten Free Blog at
http://hope-love-and-joy.blogspot.com/

My Menu and recipes link for Jan 12-18 2009

I posted my menu on my gluten free blog. Instead of posting everything again, I thought I would post a link instead.

http://hope-love-and-joy.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-12-18-menu.html

Liz's Clean Room

I had to post this because I am so proud of her. She worked really hard last week and finished this week. Even though she doesn't believe in The House Fairy, she still wants me to post them. Yes, for this she does derserve something special. I am thinking a date with Mom would be special.

She also removed lots of garbage, 1 box of toys, and 1 box of things that belonged other areas in the house. Way to go Liz!!!!

Good-bye Bell

Do you know the theme song for "Old Yeller?" Well that is the theme song of our four pawed faithful friend, Bell. We changed a word here and there.

"Old Beller!

Come back Beller!
Best dog gone dog in the West!"

And she was the best dog in the world.

We rescued her from the pound in 2001. She was quiet and sweet. She didn't bark for the first 4 months. She was already well trained, except for the leash. She liked to lead and drag you down the street. She loved to go with us on trips, but hated car rides and would whine constantly while we drove down the road. She was very proper and polite to other dogs, just as long as they kept their nose away from her privates. For a treat she would dance, roll over, say she loved you "arf, arf, arf", shake hands, catch the treat in the air, and sit pretty.

I will always remember....

-How she would pull us up heal when we were hiking.

-Greet everyone who came to the door with a lick.

-Herd us when we would go in four different directions on the beach.

-Run from the vacuum.

-Follow the kids when they went out to play.

-Chase the neighbor kids who were afraid of her, just because she thought they were playing.

-Beg for treats from the neighbor while he was in his UPS uniform. She knew that is when he had them.

-That Bell did not like to get her paws muddy if at all possible. I built a cement path in the back yard and she used it faithfully.

-Bell didn't like to swim, but she liked to rescue sticks floating at the edge of the water.

-She loved to mother chicks. She would put her nose down by them and talk to them in a gentle tone.

-She loved kids and was gentle with babies. She never bit.

-She was an escape artist and then would wait for us in the driveway while we were gone.

-And many more memories.

She also suffered from allergies. It started with flea allergies and later food and pollen. Eventually she was on low doses of prednisone, that gave us an extra year with her. And when the ear and skin infections became a chronic condition, we just couldn't watch her suffer anymore.

So on Monday, January 5th 2009 we enjoyed our last day with her. We hugged her, took her on her last walks, and spoiled her with her treats. We all cried on her last trip to the vet. We tried not to cry in front of her, but at the vet, we could not hold back any longer. We said good-bye. And then cried all the way home.

Her corner is very empty now that she is gone and we miss her. She will always be in our hearts as the "best dog in the west."

estimated birth 2000 - January 5th, 2009