Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all enjoy a special time with family and friends. We have things planned for the next few days and look forward to being with each other.
" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

Have a very, merry Christmas.....

First Snow

Thought you all would enjoy a few pictures of our first snow.

Time to stock up on hot chocolate!

Easy Christmas Decoration

Here is another idea that I found in that old Woman's World magazine....Make cones out of stiff scrapbook paper, glue on straps, and fill with candy, greens, or flowers! You are done! Hope you are enjoying being in your decorated home. We definitely are! It tends to be a busy time of year so coming home to our log cabin decorated for Christmas is such a treat.

Thanks for stopping by to visit with us!

It's the little things that often matter the most...

My daughter has a "Christmas Countdown" going on...my other daughter daily tells me how many days until she comes home from college. Me? Daily....um, I tend to panic! I try to start off my day with the Lord - before the kids wake up. It is my focus time. Decorating done. Menu planned. Christmas gifts bought? NO. I bought my first a couple of weeks ago. Will it get done? Yes. Will I have my moments? Sure, I will. We are big on traditions. Even those that to me are small, I am finding out from my three teens that traditions are important. Traditions don't have to be expensive....cut out sandwiches with Christmas cookie cutters, games on Christmas Eve, the guys in my family buy me an ornament each Christmas tree trimming
day....my mom makes an ornament for the kids each year.

I hope you all are enjoying this Christmas season...take some time...it is snowy here, so I think I will enjoy a caramel hot chocolate.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

My daughter wanted these as a treat for her 16th birthday. They are delicious!

This is what you need...

42 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos), 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup. With an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the side of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

Enjoy...!

Just a note about the dangling dazzlers in a previous post. I did hang them in a window and it is beautiful! It is easy to do and not too expensive or time-consuming.

Christmas craft...Dangling Dazzlers

Hope you are enjoying your Christmas decorating. We have our three large trees up. I do have the reputation of moving around the ornaments on the tree until??? Don't know why I do that. My daughter "followed" the travels of one ornament today...she said it had been in three different locations. My husband put up the outside lights....just a few more things I need to do. Here is the first of the Christmas craft ideas. I have not done this one yet ...going shopping tomorrow! The directions read:

Adorn glass prisms (I might look in the Christmas ornament section for something similar.) with paint pens in Christmas colors. They will sprinkle holiday cheer
around the room when the light shines through them.
This idea was found in an old Woman's World magazine that I got from our local library. So many good ideas!
Thanks for visiting with us...

It's that time of year...

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends at Thanksgiving. I know that we enjoyed a quiet time with family. Our daughter from college was able to be here. It is so rewarding to see her maturing into adulthood...following God's plan for her life. I really didn't know if I was ready for this time in her life....Are we ever really ready? We enjoyed a quiet time at home...visiting, decorating, and lots of cooking!

Today I sit here watching the sunrise on this chilly morning. Yes, with my coffee (Caribbean vanilla creamer)...Yum! I am reminded that this tends to be a busy time of year...Christmas is special to me. I don't want to lose the focus on what is important....the birth of Christ, family, helping others who could use the encouragement. So, after another cup of coffee, think I will sit down and schedule out the next few weeks...so that I will not overload!

Stay tuned for some cute Christmas ideas. Our local library had to "clean out" the magazine racks....I was able to get some good decorating tips from some of them. Tomorrow I will probably start that series.

Turkey Cookies

My daughter and I made these yummy Thanksgiving treats to take to a church function last week. So much fun.

1/4 cup butter

4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups rice cereal

28 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies

chocolate frosting

1 pkg. candy corn

Make the rise krispie treats. let cool 10 minutes, then form into balls.

Twist apart sandwich cookies, spread frosting on the insides of the cookies. Place 28 cookie halves under the balls to form the base of the turkeys. Place three pieces of candy corn in a fan pattern on the remaining halves; press halves onto a cereal ball to form the tail. Attach remaining candy corn with frosting to form the turkey's head.

A Special Day Fruit Salad

My mom's fruit salad is another family favorite. We usually have this every Thanksgiving and/ or Christmas. It is very easy to put together and can be done the day before serving.Quick Fruit Salad

1 large can peach pie filling

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 large can chunk pineapple, drained

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries

3 or 4 bananas, sliced

1 cup, pecans (optional)

Combine all ingredients in bowl, except bananas. Chill overnight.

Add bananas before serving.

Very easy!

II Samuel 22:4a

"I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised:"

Don't forget Thanksgiving!

If you go any store right now you will probably notice Halloween is on clearance, Thanksgiving items have been pushed to the end of the aisle, and Christmas has taken over! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE Christmas...I guess we live in such a fast paced world, that a lot of people rush these special days. We are quick to make sure that our children know what Christmas means, but do they know how important Thanksgiving is? There are all kinds of activities you can find on the Internet for your children to do. Visit your local library. You can find books and movies about the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is an important family time for us, also. Spending time with each other has created some wonderful memories. The girls and I enjoy cooking, there are always football games, parades. My husband stuffs the turkey! I am thankful for a family that enjoys being together!

This year let's slow down and be thankful!

Chocolate Mice

I found another recipe site. I immediately thought of Nikki and Lori, friends of mine with small children, when I saw these mice. They are so cute. The website is www.justapinch.com. I thought of my friends because of their small children...but when my (almost) 16 year old daughter saw the mice...."AWWWWWW!" I have a feeling even my 18 year old will want to try making them because of her love of cherries. Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Be still...

Silly picture, I know. Something came up the other day...I had a child that was worried....frantic....We talked for a while, and it seemed my only advice at this point was to stay focused on the Lord and PRAY! It brought me to one of my favorite verses that God tells us to be still and KNOW that he is God. It make me think of one family "member" that is still. Our Titan is very content to be still. I need to be content in being still so that I can hear what God has to say to me. I have found that in stillness, I listen.
Am I always still? Sometimes I try to take care of things myself....doesn't always work that way. We are so busy with cleaning, taking care of our children, menu preparation...the list goes on. Then we let our heads hit the pillow without having any "still time." 15 minutes? I have found myself getting up a little early (before the kids), to have some quiet time. It helps me focus on my day and those around me.

Be still and know that he is God.

It is a wonderful thing.

Thanks for stopping in!

Fall is here!

The colors here are absolutely beautiful right now. Cooler weather-I call it sweatshirt weather-is hopefully here to stay. We have our pumpkins on the porch, and have done some decorating on the inside of our house also. That is always a special time for us.

The other day I looked around at all the beauty around me

and the Lord brought to my memory Psalm 96:4

"For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised."

Not again.....

As I began thinking about this blog I ALMOST began with an apology...."I should be writing more often." I did promise myself in the beginning that I would keep family first; not the blog. So..no apologies...I have been taking care of family, and trying to take that break with a glass of sweet tea. I will admit, it is harder with the home school year getting back into full swing. We have been homeschooling for quite a while, so I am used to things now. Well, except when the stomach flu hits on the first day of school and has passed through almost all of us. Now I think the kitten has even come down with a cold!

A couple of new websites for you!
http://tipnut.com This was a fun website with so many helpful hints.

www.tammysrecipes.com Near and dear to my heart...recipes! I should really STOP buying recipe books. I love to run across a good antique recipe book. There are so many good sites out there full of recipes. This site has a baked nacho recipe that we are going to try soon.


Fall weather has hit us in the past couple of days. I start thinking about my fall door wreath, pumpkins, and cappuccino. A friend of mine gave me this home-made recipe. It is a favorite of mine.

Cappuccino Mix
1 cup instant coffee creamer
1 cup instant chocolate drink mix
2/3 cup instant coffee
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Store in an airtight container. To prepare 1
serving, add 3 tbsp. mix to 6 oz. hot water. Stir well. Yields 3 cups cry mix.

Hot Spiced Tea
3/4 cup instant tea with lemon
2 cups tang
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp.cloves

2-3 tsp. to 1 cup of hot water

I know what you are thinking. "I can get these already made in the little packages at the grocery store." True, but it sure would be a nice gift for people. Just to let them know that we thought about them. It sure makes me think! As a matter of fact, I am thinking of someone right now that could use a little "thoughtfulness." Guess I need to get to the store....buy my ingredients, find that mason jar, and tie a cute ribbon on the rim!

Thanks for spending time with me today!

Mini vacation

Sorry...been away from the computer for a while. That is not a bad thing at times. We did send my daughter off to college. What an emotional time that was for all of us. My husband knew that we have been so busy the past several months...it was time to sit back for a little while. Off we went West Salem, Ohio. What is in West Salem, Ohio? Not a whole lot....but that is why we enjoyed it. Great place if you need peace and quiet. There are things to do....near Amish country. This is a restored house and you get it all to yourself.

On the way home we visited Marblehead lighthouse on Lake Erie. Cute little gift shops and restaurants are in the area.

I am refreshed and ready to go. Taking time....yes, I enjoyed my morning coffee
on the B&B porch in the morning...

Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 33:20

I have found a good recipe site....her recipes are very family-friendly.

www.oldhousekitchen.blogspot.com

Christmas....

Christmas?! Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Sending our oldest off to college, getting things ready for my other two children for school; It is hard to think of Christmas preparations....A friend of mine shared with me something called the holiday grand plan. It is wonderful! The plan starts now to organize everything for the holidays.

http://christmas.organizedhome.com/

Countdown....Part 2...TWO Recipes

I promised a taco salad recipe....my daughter changed her mind about one of the meals! I will still share the taco salad AND share with you the chicken enchiladas also.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef

Brown and drain.

ADD 1 c. diced onion, 1/3 c. bell pepper, garlic to taste

Saute and simmer together.

Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. chili powder.

In top of a double boiler, melt 16 oz. Velveeta cheese. Add 1 can ro-tel tomatoes.

Shred 2 heads of lettuce and chop one large tomato (or more, depending on how you like it) in a large bowl. Add meat mixture and lightly crushed tortilla chips. Toss with cheese mixture. Serve immediately.

This was a favorite that my mom fixed...now my kids enjoy it also. The second recipe is (Drum roll, please...)

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2 c. diced cooked chicken

1 c. diced onion

1 c. diced green pepper

5 tbl. melted butter, divided

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. diced green chilies (to your taste)

2 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. sour cream

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese. divided

1/2 c. black olives, sliced

flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, pepper, and 2 tablespoons butter. In a medium saucepan, cook the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, flour, chilies, and broth until thick. Add sour cream, 1/2 cup cheese, and olives with sauce. Mix 1/2 cup sauce with chicken. Dip tortillas in sauce and fill with 2-3 tablespoons chicken mixture. Roll up and place in a pan. Top tortillas with remaining sauce 1 cup remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.

I hope these recipes prove useful to you. I am off to finish my monthly menu. It's not always an enjoyable "experience," but well worth it as my busy month seems to fly by. Let me leave you with this thought. We all have changes in our lives...some small like my daughter changing a meal idea. Other changes are big changes...like going to away to college for the first time. God knows what we are going through...Isaiah 41:10 says,"Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with thy right hand of my righteousness."

A Countdown!

My daughter will be going away to college in two weeks...the countdown! She has asked that we have a couple of favorite meals before she leaves.

It's August (and a little warm), but this is a definite comfort food.

Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup

3/4 cup chopped onion 2 10-oz pkg. frozen chopped broccoli

2 tbl. margarine 6 cups milk

6 cups water 1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

6 chicken bouillon cubes pepper to taste

12 oz. fine egg noodles

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Saute onion in margarine. Add water and bouillon cubes; heat to boiling to dissolve cubes. Add noodles and salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic powder and broccoli, and cook for four minutes. Add milk, cheese,and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Makes four quarts. Can be frozen.

Good soup and is quick and easy! A different twist to Taco Salad will be posted soon. Thanks for dropping in!

Taking time....

Awhile back I considered starting a blog. A blog that you can go to for encouragement, something new to learn, a laugh, a cry...a place that you can take the time for a cool glass of tea, sit in your rocker.....and take a breather! Wives and moms get so busy. Our lives revolve around those that we love. It is so rewarding! I hope this blog will be a blessing to you... So, sit back and relax!

I really wasn't sure of where to start with this idea of a blog. Two things today impressed me...then it hit me! I knew which direction to go with this blog.
1. My daughter wrote a beautiful blog today...about being a "Martha or Mary." Are we too busy just doing things? Do we take time to slow down to listen to what God has for us? Wow! It really made me think.
2. A friend of mine stopped by this morning and we ended up chatting on the porch. It was so much fun doing some catching up with each other.

Taking time to slow down is so important. We live in a very fast-paced world and always have something do.....Grab a glass of tea (my favorite is sweet) and take some time....