Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Help! I cooked too much Mac and Cheese!!!

Dear blogging friends,

HELP!!! I made a very delicious macaroni and cheese today, but it made TOO much! Do any of y'all know if I can freeze this? And does it reheat well, if so??

I use the recipe for Homemade Mac and Cheese from Allrecipes, but, of course, I changed it up a bit. Instead of cheddar and parmesan cheeses, I used extra sharp cheddar, mozzarella and Swiss cheese!! I also added a couple of sprinkles of dry mustard, a pinch of salt and some white pepper, too. OH MY!! It is very tasty!!

Now, PLEASE, is there any hope? Will I have to throw it away and lose it??

His,
Mrs. U

Kettle Corn...


I have been a huge fan of the Hillbilly Housewife for years. I link to the recipes on that site because they are tasty, easy and budget friendly.

Sunday night, I made the Kettle Corn recipe. OH MY STARS!! This tasted JUST like Fiddle Faddle! SO VERY GOOD!!! I will definitely make this again!!

Kettle Corn

1/3 cup corn oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
Salt to taste

Over a medium-high flame, heat the corn oil in the bottom of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Sprinkle in 2 or 3 popcorn kernels. When the kernels pop add the sugar, and then the remaining popcorn. Cover with a good lid. Shake the pan over the heat while the popcorn pops. When the popping stops, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately pour the hot popcorn into a bowl. Try to remove any oldmaids with a spoon or fork. The popcorn will be hot and sticky so be very careful not to burn yourself. The popcorn should be lightly coated with a beautiful amber caramel. Salt the kettle corn to taste and serve to thankful recipients. Makes a large bowlful. Tastes best late at night while watching a scary movie with friends and family.

Also, it is VERY hot when it is first finished. When you pour it into a bowl, let it sit for about 5 minutes before touching it. Then give it a really good stir to let all the kernels on the bottom cool. Cool completely before eating.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Show & Tell Friday- a favorite teapot...

Today is Show & Tell over at Kelli's blog, There's No Place Like Home.



This is one of my favorite teapots. How CUTE is this little lady!?!

I got this teapot a few years ago from my Secret Sister at church. She knew I was collecting teapots, so she kindly gave me this adorable little girl!!



Here's the back view of the teapot. I love how her pigtail is the pouring spout!!

And just look at this! The teapot lid is actually her dainty pink hat!!

Thank you for visiting with me today for my Show & Tell. Be sure and head over to Kelli's for more fun!!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I need some SERIOUS blogging help...

If anyone is hoping for a sweet, encouraging blog post, stop reading here. This is simply a post of me ranting and needing HELP!!! :)

Once again, I am having troubles with Photobucket. I upload the photos from my computer to Photobucket and then transfer them to my blog. But for the past month or so, when I take the photos from Photobucket to my blog, they are SUPER DUPER HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY?????? And, unless I resize them to teensy tinsy, they will NOT fit on my blog posts (they will be too wide and HUGE!)!!!!!!

Grrrrr......

And I've tried Flickr, as well. But I have YET to get a photo to upload with them. Each time Flickr has the message that it didn't upload and to try again. Ridiculous.

This is seriously getting on my nerves. I would LOVE to be able to share things here on my blog, but I can NOT figure out how to get the photos loaded properly.

Does anyone have any kind of suggestion???

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Ruby Rebel

rubyrebel




Oh ladies!! I just read about being a Ruby Rebel and I had to share it with you!!

Here's some of what Kelly has to say about it...

Another thing about rare jewels...jewels are rare because there are not in abundance, but also because they have to be "hewn out" of the rock around them. They have to be chipped out, polished, chiseled on and perfected. You don't just stumble upon a ruby that is perfectly formed and sparkling. It must endure some work.
So what kind of wife are you? Do you desire to be a rare jewel? I know I do! I want my marriage to be quite uncommon from the world's view of marriage. I want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in all things and that includes in the area of being a wife and living that out according to Scripture.

Have I arrived? Nope. Do I mess up? Daily. Wait. No. Make that hourly. But I still desire for the Lord to polish and chisel me into His image- not the world's image.

So ladies, are YOU a Ruby Rebel? If so, how do you daily live out the Scriptural commands for a wife?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Sunny, happy flowers...



After running errands yesterday, I arrived home to find these flowers!!! A sunny, sweet surprise from my son, Joshua!! What a sweetheart!!!!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Have you always loved to and wanted to stay at home?

In the comments of the post "Staying Home is Not a Waste of Time if You Don't Waste it", this question was asked by Exhausted SAH Mom...


I just have to ask whether the owner of this site and those who post here have always felt this love toward staying home and homemaking.

I have to admit that this was not what I had planned for my life and I do not always deal well with it.

Where I live, people do not drop by, ever. It's hard to get someone to come over by invitation. Everyone is so busy that they have no time, even within the Christian homeschool group I am in.

I would love to find someone to talk to. I need to move from being here because I have to be (long story) to where I am at least content with being here at home.


Dear wife and mother!! If there were a way for me to come and sit down with you and talk for a while, I definitely would!! I am definitely sending (((((hugs))))) your way as I am writing this.

My entire life, all I ever wanted to be was a wife, mother and teacher- a homemaker. Marrying my husband and adopting his children made me an instant wife and mother!! Then the Lord led us to homeschool and I was a teacher! The Lord definitely blessed me!!

The main reason that I wanted to be a homemaker was because I grew up watching my mother as a homemaker. If you were to sit down with her today and ask her what she did to become such a wonderful homemaker, she would probably laugh and say that she was far from that description. I saw differently, however. I saw a lady that loved her husband and loved her children. I saw a lady that chose to be with us instead of doing her own thing. She chose to serve our family and she had JOY when she did it!! When the Lord saved me when I was in college, He gave me an ever stronger desire to love and nuture my future family. Today, I am blessed to be able to do just that.

You mentioned that no one drops by and that you have no one to talk to. Please know that what I am saying is NOT meant to be cruel, but are you approachable? What does the countenance on your face look like to others? Do you look unhappy? If the answer to any of these is yes, may I suggest that you put on a friendly face the next time you are headed to your Christian homeschool group? Perhaps that would help draw new friends to you (or I could be FAR off.. .if so, please forgive me.).

You also mentioned that staying home is not something that you always planned for your life, that you don't always deal with it well, and that you "have" to be home. It seems as if you see yourself as "stuck" in this situation. If you are a Christian, please pray and ask the Lord to help change your attitude in this area. You are only as "stuck" as you decide to be. The Lord has given you children and He has you at home for His glory- not for your happiness. BUT when you pour your heart out to the Lord and lean on His understanding, He will make His desires YOUR desires as well!! His ways and His thoughts are SO much higher than ours!

Again, dear friend, I could be SO far off with my words here. I do wish I knew more of your situation. But what I DO know is that the Lord knows all about it. I definitely pray that He will give you wisdom and peace in this area.

Dear readers, please feel free to share advice and wisdom with this mother. Perhaps some of you have been in a similar situation? Perhaps some of you have friends or family that the Lord has given them joy to be at home? Please share as the Lord gives His you wisdom about this.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Children are a blessing... at least, God says they are...


"Just one night a month, I have to get away from my kid. I don't care if other kids are there at the get-together or not. I don't have to take care of other kids. I just have to get away from my kid one night a month."

No, this is NOT a made up quote. I actually heard this out of the mouth of a new mother today. Her sweet baby girl is only 3 months old and already she just has to get away from her.

Am I the only one that has a problem with this? Does anyone else see this as selfish??? If children are truly a gift from the Lord (and He says they are in Psalm 127:3), then why do so many mothers today get tired of that gift?

It just broke my heart this afternoon to hear this. Just yesterday, Joshua was 10 years old and he will be 21 next month. Just yesterday, Elizabeth was a tiny little 9 1/2 month old who could do nothing for herself and today she is 2 1/2 and thinks she can do EVERYTHING all on her own. Children are young only once and only for such a short period of time. Mothers, do not let that time slip by. Surely you can set yourself and your desires to the side for a few years.

New mothers- Yes, it can be very hard adjusting to life with a new little one. May I encourage you to find a godly, older mother who has already raised a few children? Seek her out and ask her advice. Share your heart with her. Cry if you need to. She will understand and help you put things into perspective and she'll be able to give you invaluable advice.

Older mothers- Please be aware of the new mothers around you. Just because your children aren't babies anymore, it doesn't mean that you are finished with that age. The Lord has given you wisdom to share with the new mothers. Wisdom that only time and experience can teach. The new mothers might not want new advice at first, but stick around- they will be SO happy that you are close by for advice and help!!!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Today...

Tonight is our monthly Ladies Fellowship at church. The theme? Thanksgiving dinner. YUM!! Ladies could each volunteer to take a dish and I volunteered for corn pudding. Not just any corn pudding, mind you, but Ina Garten's to-die-for Sagaponack Corn Pudding. Delightful. For that matter, anything that Ina Garten makes is delightful!!!!

Today has been just a typical day around here. Errands this morning, lunch with friends at our regular Monday pizza place, laundry this afternoon and a nap for Miss Elizabeth. Well, she was SUPPOSED to nap, but, well, that's not happening today. The life of a 2 1/2 year old, huh? :)

Fall seems to be more colorful than ever around here. The trees are SO pretty!!! Just look at the lovely yellow and the blue, blue sky!!!!



Have a happy Monday, y'all!!

(Sorry for the extremely large photo again!! I am at odds with either blogger or photobucket- I've yet to determine who the culprit is!!!!!)

Thursday, November 06, 2008

A fall giveaway!!!




Charree is having a "Happy Fall Giveaway"!! Y'all be sure and visit her and sign up for her giveaway!!

While you're at it, check out her post about Caramel Apple Goodies!! They look pretty AND delicious!!!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...




Last week when I shared about making Pumpkin Butter, I forgot to tell y'all about roasted pumpkin seeds!!!

Once you have cleaned out the inside of your pumpkin, place all the insides of the pumpkin (pulp and seeds) in a collander and rinse them well. The seeds will still be sticky, but that's okay. Place the seeds on a cookie sheet and leave them alone for about 24 hours to dry. Do NOT put the seeds on a paper towel (trust me on this) because they will STICK LIKE CRAZY!! Just let them sit on the cookie sheet and they will be nice and dry the next day.

The following day, I drizzled them with some olive oil and sprinkled them with some salt and tossed them around to coat each seed. Bake the seeds in a 325 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until they are toasty brown and make sure that you stir them around every 10 minutes or so to make sure they brown pretty evenly. Once they came out of the oven, I sprinkled a little garlic powder and seasoning salt on them and BOY were these tasty!!! I stored these in an air-tight container and they stayed crispy for about 5 days.

I will definitely make these again!!

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Take a visit to...



I want to encourage y'all to go visit Making a House Home's new blog sponsor, Bedroom Furniture Direct . They have lovely furniture to help make your house a home!!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Saturday, November 01, 2008

My dear friend....



Today my dear friend, Melissa, is getting married!! Please be in prayer for her as she and her husband start their new life together. Oh, and go over and visit her and tell her congratulations!!

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