Friday, March 30, 2007

A Free Vacuum!

5 Minutes for Mom is sponsoring contest to give away a new Dyson vacuum! I'm so excited! Just follow the directions on the link and enter to win the Dyson Slim .

Friday's Fixin's....

Chocolate for Breakfast......

I don't make this very often (about once a month or two) but it is a real favorite around here and a purely Southern original. My kids go wild when they hear what is for breakfast on the mornings I make this .....

Chocolate Gravy & Biscuits
(now before anyone goes ...... ewwww! This is NOT made with grease!)

Now all of these measurements are approximate ..... around here we learn to cook from our mothers and grandmothers and they just throw it all together without measuring much of anything........

1cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1can evaporated milk (but also have some regular milk on hand too)
1stick of butter
about a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract

Mix the first 2 ingredients in a saucepan and then stir in a can of evaporated
milk....begin to heat over medium heat.....add a stick of butter and stir often ....just about nonstop really.... I use a wisk....
(it will stick and get lumpy other wise)
once it starts thickening you can add reg. milk until it gets to the
consistency you like.....some like it thicker than others......just before serving stir in a bit of vanilla......
(you can substitute corn starch for the flour but use a little
less) ............
I have used both flour and cornstarch ..... if you use cornstarch, to me the gravy thickens faster and has a more mild chocolaty flavor over the flour.....

Experiment with it..... adding more cocoa will give it a rich dark chocolate taste.

Drop biscuits go well with this gravy ...... we love to crumble the biscuit up and pour the gravy over that..
I usually have scrambled eggs and bacon on the side of this early morning pleaser!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Thursday's thoughts.....

What a day! Why is it that every time we seem to be getting on the right track something comes up to wham! side swipe ya! We learned today we need a new battery for the truck. So we are down to one vehicle until that can happen.....don't ya love Murphy's Law....NOT!!!

Thanks to all my wonderful friends that keep us in your prayers! We are getting there ...... one baby step at a time. I know the Lord has a plan for us..... it is just hard sometimes to wait for His timing.

Blessings to all in Blogland.....

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Wednesday's Word

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1John 5:1-4 KJV

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Monday, March 26, 2007

Wow, a great day here.... ran errands in town with my wonderful husband then he surprised me with a lunch date! Just something simple and non-expensive but it was so nice to go somewhere and feel like a semi - date..... he is just the best!

This evening I made my Sausage/ Apple Pie .... just too good.... and easy to make!
Ingredients:
Pound of Sage Sausage
3 med. Granny Smith Apples (or other tart apples will do)
1 med. onion
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Swiss cheese ( use as much as you like.... I use lots)
Pie Crusts


Take a pound of Sage Sausage and brown ... crumbling it up good....
take about 3 medium Granny Smith Apples and peel and Dice
one medium onion (I like to use yellow, but red would do just as nicely) diced as well....
after sausage is cooked remove from pan and drain away grease.... then put pan back on heat and add the apples and onions.... stir and let cook for about 5-8 minutes.... then add the sausage back into the pan and mix in with the apples and onions. Add about a half cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and let cook down..... then add to prepared pied shell (I admit ... I use store bought.... I just can't seem to get the crust right) top with Swiss Cheese and then add a criss-cross of crust to the top of pie.... bake at 400 degrees until pie crust is golden.... take out and let stand for just a few minutes and serve ..... mmmmmmmmmmmm goooooooooooodddddd!!!

(I just realized this is the second time this recipe is posted....heehee .... yes, its that good!)

And the family (mostly) loves it!!! (I have a picky eater for a daughter) I had enough tonight to make a second litttle calzone type pie to a friend.... she liked it too!!!

Please Help Me Pray for John...

John has Fanconi Anemia, a rare genetic blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure and possible to many cancers.... he had a bone marrow transplant over a year ago and has been battling some set backs.... he has some spinal fractures due to the large amount of steroids he now takes and has now been battling a digestive problem for many weeks now.... he is being treated at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville ..... here is John's story.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

I was going over my blog here and noticed I didn't have a picture of my oldest son..... so here we go.........



Handsome huh?..... he is getting to be just so big.... and tall.... and such a hard worker too..... spent the weekend working side by side with Eric on the farm.

Friday, March 23, 2007

What a great day yesterday was! I got several loads of laundry hung out to dry in the great weather we are having, I got most of the office organized and went though the files and decluttered old ones and refiled and put away some newer ones that I had been procrastinating on (it felt so good to get that done) ... I got a free freezer (thanks again D... I love it!) and had a most wonderful time with family and friends for dinner. I had gotten two pork roasts on sale and put them in the crockpot and let them cook all night long and all day and when I was ready they pulled apart so well....made the best bar-b-que and I made baked beans and we had chips and I made a fruit topping for shortcakes. Great eats and wonderful company to share it with!!!

Well, the move is (Lord willing) in just over 2 months.... and I still have so much to do! My, I am starting to feel the time slip away! Eric is sending in an application and resume to the Technology Center for a Educational Asst. job (please pray this works out).... it would be a good job for him and he would do well in that setting. (Thankfully, over the last few months the migraines have become less and less.... I know that the experts say that stress really does not have much to do with triggering most migraines, but in Eric's case I think that they are wrong.... he seems to be doing so much better and the frequency of the migraines is much less.)

Today we are headed to the farm.... Eric and Travis are going to work on clearing more fence rows and then also work in the garden this weekend. I am going to go by the market and get seed potatoes and onion for the garden, I may even add a few peppers because I don't think we have any this year.... we are hoping for a good year with the garden.... and although I am banned from working in the garden (major allergies.... I was banned 2 years ago after a head to toe break out of hives after being in the garden for no more than 3 or 4 minutes.... Eric said no more and that he did not want me to develop any worse allergies) I am only allowed on the perimeter of the garden and have to stay well back, oh well, I can at least do the canning and freezing.

Well, I'm off to start the day and get the rest of the folks out of bed to start going.... I plan on taking my camera and taking pictures today! Be back to post some later!

Optimist/ Pessimist?

Well, just to see if I agreed with the test I took it..... Just like I figured....


You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass.
You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is...
But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on.
You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Wednesday's Word

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee. Psalms 33:18-22

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Happy Birthday to Amaris!!!



Well, my baby girl turned 10 today....double digits.... were does the time go? I find it hard to believe its been 10 years since the doctor pulled her from my body. Oh, how well I remember that night.... Eric the tears falling and the smiles beaming..... such a proud daddy. Thank you Lord for blessing us with a wonderful gift. She is so ready to love, laugh and enjoy life. She is so care free and fun loving..... so spontaneous and such a great blessing to us!

Once again .......Happy Birthday to my girl!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Just had the best weekend .......... we went to the annual Youth Rally at the Lomax Church of Christ and it was great! Well over 700 in attendance and just a great time of fellowship, singing, worshiping and learning ..... this year the theme was ...got blessings?........ and it was a great reminder to all that God blesses us tremendously daily!

We also stayed an extra night to visit with family and to attended my "uncle's" 50th Birthday Party.... see he is not really my uncle ....he is my cousin, but I've always called him Uncle Don.... so he is Uncle Don and will always be so..... I guess it is a Southern thing.

Anyway, then I got home last night and stopped by my good friend Denita's house to pick up my house key.....she had been taking care of Ripley (our Min. Schnauzer)... and she could not find the key....so after tearing her house apart for an hour I called the landlady and asked it I could come and get her key to get in (Eric stayed at his parents to work on the farm for the next couple of days) ........ so I did finally get into the house last night ...........D, you found that key yet???? lol

So after no sleep this weekend I slept lots today, the kids are on Spring Break and I did not have to get up until Jed woke me and then as soon as Mia woke I let her watch Jed while I took a nap ........ now I feel more human and less like a Zombie. So, now for the rest of the week....Cleaning is in order..... and going to start looking at packing and labeling stuff for yard sale and to donate..... the move is in 2 months.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Book MeMe

Okay, MrsGaylynn.... I'll play.... here it is.....

Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read* Italicize the ones you want to read* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in. And in my case,I marked *** for movies I’ve watched.
* If you are reading this, tag, you’re it!
1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)***
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)***
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)***
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)***
6.The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)***
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)***
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)***
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)***
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)***
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)***
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)***
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)***
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)***
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)***
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26.The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)***
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)***
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)***actually read the whole series myself......
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)***read the first 3 books so far.... want to read more
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)***
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Korenna (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)***
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)***
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)***
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)***
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)***I have started this one once or twice
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)***
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)***
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)***I have met one of the actors from this movie
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)***
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)***
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World Accordi Garp ng to(John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)***
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)***
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)***
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)***I've read this one many times
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)***
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)***
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Well, the sick bug got me too yesterday... I was sick most of the day and all night long.... now Eric is sick and laid out on the couch ....poor guy..... All the kids are doing better now and all but Mia went to school today.... she was still running a bit of fever and had developed the Scarlett Fever Rash too..... I do think she will be back at school tomorrow though..... Just wanted to update and to say thanks once more to ...Denita..... thanks so much for the soup and tea.... you are such a wonderful friend!! and also Thanks to Angel for all the thoughts and prayers going up on our behalf.... well, little man is getting fussy so I must go tend to him.... be back some time later.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Well, the kids see the doctor this afternoon.... I cannot get Amaris' fever down for very long and Mia is about in the same boat... Jed's fever is gone but he is so congested and rattly that I would feel better knowing he had been looked at too.... so I'll update later......

UPDATE

Well, the doctor tested the girls and its Strep.... and Amaris has Scarlettina (not sure of the spelling) to go along with it.... so he decided to give all the kids (Jed too) meds for that.... now Eric is not feeling well and I'm hoping he is not coming down with it as well....so I may be out of internetland for a bit longer.....

Sunday, March 11, 2007

I can't keep us all well...

The sickies have come again with no mercy........ Travis came down with a stomach virus during the night on Wednesday.... was sick Thursday and Friday ...by Friday night Amaris and Jed were sick and last night Mia came home with fever and started throwing up during the night.... ughh.... I cannot seem to get us all well and keep us that way this past year.... it does seem to go that way for us.... some years are good and hardly any sickies come to visit at all and some years we cannot keep the sickies away.... seems this is gonna be one bad year....I'm going later today to buy more disinfectants and clear soda to help with settling everyone's tummies....this time around it seems to be a stomach bug along with a croup bug to boot.... everyone has a cough, sore throat and congestion as well as classic stomach virus issues.... any and all suggestions are welcome!!!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Soccer season has started...




and Mia's team won their first game!!! Whooohooo 2/0 great start!!!


...

Friday, March 02, 2007

Sometimes its the simple things....


Jed's new favorite toy it seems is a simple Dixie paper plate.... last night Travis, our oldest, was watching him for me while I was doing some work here in the office and back in the bedroom and when I finished and was ready to get the little guy for bed I found him happily playing with a paper plate.... upon trying to take it from him to get him readyu for bed he turned into a very unhappy little guy.... Travis found this so cute he grabbed a Sharpie and wrote "Jed's plate" on the front of it and handed it back to him..... the boy was so happy to play with a paper plate while I got him ready for bed and again this morning upon waking..... sometimes it is the simplest things .......