Making a House a Home

Mr. U and I LOVE to watch The Andy Griffith Show. We have watched reruns after reruns after reruns and we've never tired of it yet.

We just finished an episode and I noticed a few things about his Aunt Bee. She and her friend, Clara Edwards, were at the market purchasing some meat. Clara shared with Aunt Bee about a huge sale on beef, but in order to save, you had to buy the entire side of beef. Aunt Bee bought the side of beef, you know, "to save money", and put it in her deep freezer. The freezer? Well, it was old and ended up being broken and she was left with a big freezer full of stinky beef.

What about THAT taught me a lesson? Well, it wasn't actually the story that I learned from, but when Aunt Bee and Clara were at the market, they both had on lovely dresses, pearls, both had a dainty purse hanging on their arm, their hair in a beautiful updo, and gloves on their hands- at the grocery story!!! They left their homes looking lovely, looking feminine. If Aunt Bee went to that much trouble to look lady-like, I would think I could spend a few minutes tidying myself up to go to the grocery store, too.

Is it necessary that I wear pearls and heels or even gloves? Oh no, not unless I truly want to dress that way. But I think making sure my clothes are clean and pressed is a good place to start. How about my hair? Is it brushed nicely? Is my face clean? Do I need to apply a bit of makeup? What do I smell like? Have I brushed my teeth today? These are just a few things that I could do to make myself more feminine, more lovely. It truly does shock me that there are some ladies who do not even do the most basic of cleaning when leaving their home!!!

What do you wear when you go the grocery store or just running errands? Do you show up in baggy shorts? Or at you dressed up with pearls and gloves? Or are you somewhere in between?

Thank you, Aunt Bee, for setting a lovely example for me of loveliness!!

Have any of y'all ever listened to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss? Elizabeth and I listen to her almost every day for our "teaching time". I am blessed to be able to hear Miss DeMoss share about the Lord.

On her website, she has lots of wonderful downloads you can print out for free. Things like "30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge", "The Style Quiz", "How to Endure Suffering", and "Evidences of Pride" and many, MANY more!!! All there for you to download and read!!

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has helped me grow in my relationship in the Lord. I appreciate her insight and her always pointing me to the Word of God.

Oh y'all!! I am SOOO excited!! I'm a little late in noticing, but Mrs. Pear is writing a book!!! How exciting!! And guess what?? She needs YOUR help!! So please head on over to her site and help her out with her research for her book.

And guess what else?? She's having a giveaway!! For everyone that helps her, they'll be entered into a drawing for some wonderful prizes. So... don't just sit there, head on over to Mrs. Pear's place!!!

Oh boy!! This is a HIT with me!! Yummy blueberries in a delicous cake with just a hint of lemon in the glaze!!! YUMMMM!!!!

I'm not sure where I found this recipe, but I've made it several times and I always love it!!

Blueberry Yogurt Cake
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 T plus 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 t vanilla
4 large egg whites
6 ounces plain lowfat yogurt

Glaze
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 T water

In one bowl, toss berries with 1 T of flour.

In second bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.

In third bowl, beat softened butter until smooth. Beat in sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add egg whites and beat until smooth. Beat in flour alternating with yogurt. Gently fold in berries. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes. Be sure and test "doneness" of cake by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready!! Let cake stand 10 minutes before turning out.

Once cake is completely cool, stir together ingredients for glaze. Add water as needed for glaze to be drizzling consistency.

Enjoy!!!

I received this email about two weeks ago...

Dear Mrs. U,
I enjoyed today's blog posting on creating a "SenseSational" home. Would you ever consider creating a blog entry on the single woman and her home? Some encouragement as to why she should bother doing ANYTHING to/or in her home? What you (and your readers) wish you had done or known before marriage and family, etc. etc. etc. It's so easy to see the point in creating a beautiful, restful "sanctuary" for a husband and children, but when it's just you..........why bother? It's easy to think your time would be best used elsewhere. I bet you could offer ALOT of encouragement, tips, and advice to many women.

:)
anonymous - HA!

Just so that y'all know, I know who this "anonymous" person is...


Please allow me to introduce my sister, Miss F.,pictured here with Elizabeth. (I was going to share more lovely pictures of her, but I'm pretty sure she would kill me! LOL!!).

Okay, ladies, so what advice can you offer to her as well as to all single ladies? It's easy to see why single ladies with children should care for their home because they want to teach their children. But what about single ladies, living on their own with no children? Why should they even bother to "make their house a home"?

To be honest with you, I have never even thought of this before. That's why I'm coming to all of y'all. Please be sure and share ideas to encourage Miss F. in her homekeeping endeavors.

Oh, and by the way, if any of y'all know a SUPER GODLY single man, let me know!! Mr. U and I will be more than happy to check him out before allowing him to speak with Miss F!!! (Oooh... my blogging days are over... she's going to kill me for sure now!!!!)

I sure do love my sister.:)

I have had the hardest time with my broom ever since we got our new floor put in. The old floor was lighter in color than this one and I guess I couldn't see the dirt as easily. Now I see every tiny little speck that's on the floor. Could be the new floor color, sure, but I suspect it could also be the fact that Elizabeth is always picking up the tiniest little pieces of dirt to give to me that causes me to notice!! (Hey, at least she's finally past the stage of putting it all in her mouth!! Now she just hands me all the dirt! LOL!!!!)

So, what's a girl to do? The good ol' broom was NO HELP at all!! It seemed to just scatter the dirt rather than helping direct it into a pile to be disposed of!!! No fun!!!

After much looking around, I discovered this...


It's called the Vileda (or O-Cedar) Hardwood Pro™ Microfiber Dust Mop and it's wonderful!! Here's the details from their website:

-Ideal for hardwood floors and other flooring surfaces

-Soft microfiber attracts and holds dust, dirt, and hair

-Rotating head and adjustable handle for hard to reach areas

-Machine washable mop head

It's the BEST!! It cuts my sweeping time in half, too! Can't beat that! And I just throw in the mop head in the wash each week but I do NOT use fabric softener otherwise it will repel the dirt instead of attracting it. Can you believe that I actually LIKE sweeping now? WOW!!

Oh and I'm not the only one around here that likes to use this thing... :)


The handle on this is adjustable, so I can use it at the regular length or I can shorten it for little Miss Elizabeth to use. She LOVES it!!!!

Well, we're home!! We got home Friday night and I had mountains of laundry to do. I KNOW all of y'all understand that!!

We actually weren't on "vacation". We were at a week long conference that we go to every summer in Birmingham, AL. It's on the campus of Samford University and it's hosted by Beeson Divinity School. It's called Pastor's School and they have classes and wonderful speakers for the whole family. We look forward to going each year and seeing the same sweet friends over and over. It's a blessing for sure!! And this year we got to introduce everyone to Elizabeth. They were so happy to finally meet her- they had prayed for her for two years!! :)

While we are there, we stay in the dorms on campus. It's a lot of fun and reminds me of my days in college. Oh, and we get to eat in the campus dining hall and BOY DO THEY HAVE SOME AWESOME FOOD!!!! When I was in college, everyone avoided the dining hall because it was pretty much tasteless- but not at Samford!!!! They have incredible food and I REALLY over ate all week long! And the desserts!!! Oh dear, don't get me started!!! I gained 5 pounds just last week!!!!

And before I forget, if anyone reading this lives in Birmingham, do you KNOW how blessed you are to be near O'Henry's Coffee??? I fell in LOVE with this place!!!

Our family will be off on vacation this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful week with their families!!

Be sure and take some extra time in the Word this week!!!

Yes!!!! That icky bag of, what used to be, lettuce was in MY refrigerator!!! And do you know when I discovered it? I discovered it when we had a dear friend over for dinner!!! She was in the kitchen with me, helping with the meal. I reached into the vegetable crisper to pull out some newly purchased romaine lettuce when, lo and behold, I pulled out this disgusting bag of very old lettuce!!!!! I had to laugh to cover my embarrassment!!! It was horrible!! And, to make matters worse, I had two very old tomatoes in there, too!! They were, well, horribly nasty!!!

Hence, this post.

Ladies, please, Please, PLEASE go through your refrigerator WEEKLY and discard any old produce. Also, please check all of your leftover containers to make sure you aren't growing any penicillin in there (yes, I've been guilty of that before, as well). I don't want anyone to be as astonished as I was at the discovery of this repulsive find. So, head to your refrigerators today and make sure everything is fresh!!!

Also, while you are in the refrigerator, you may as well clean it. Clean it, as in use soap and water and wash it out. Never done that before? You're in luck! I happened upon this site just yesterday and the author gives clear steps to clean it in a flash!

Let's all get our refrigerators in top shape with NO old veggies inside!!!

Mrs. Pear is doing a fabulous job of sharing about her method of freezer meals. She gives very clear instructions and some to-die-for-recipes, too!!! Y'all be sure and head on over and learn about this wonderful way to bless your family with homemade food AND save yourself time as well!!!

In case you have ever struggled with neatly folding fitted sheets, here's a video for you. To be honest with you, I sort of just semi folded mine and sat the fitted sheet on top so that no one could see my poorly executed attempt at folding. I tried to comfort myself with the fact that at least I DID try to fold it, however bad the end result was. I have actually heard of people that didn't bother to fold them at all. They just wadded them up and stuck them in the back of their linen closet!!

When I found this video, I followed her instructions and now I can happily say that I can neatly fold a fitted sheet!!!!!


Are you able to fold a fitted sheet?? If not, try following this ladies helpful advice. :)

About a month before Mr. U and I married in 1998, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar with Christian author and interior designer Terry Willits. She gave many ideas for little touches here and there that you could make around your home to make it more "SenseSational". She has writte several books, but the one I was blessed with purchasing that night was "Creating a SenseSational Home".

What exactly is "SenseSational"? It is using your five senses to enhance your home. For example:

sight- fluff your pillows
taste- try a new recipe
hear- play a CD of beautiful music
touch- dust your furniture
smell- fill a vase ful of fragrant flowers

I'm sure there are a million ideas that you could come up with in these areas, and Mrs. Willits shares a good number of them in this book!!

I must confess, I've read this book before years ago when I first purchased it. However, I didn't really appreciate it like I do now. So, I've pulled it out and I am re-reading it. There is so much wonderful information to glean from this book.

Here's just a little peek at Mrs. Willit's thoughts from the first chapter:

Throughout Scripture, God is referred to as our spiritual refuge. We are told to run to him for safety, security, rest, replenishment, comfort, and never-ending love. In the same way, I believe God created our homes to be our physical refuge. He knew we would need a corner of the world to call our own. We go to our homes in hopes of finding physically many of the same qualities God offers us spiritually- a restful place, safe from the storms and stresses of the world, filled with love, comfort, and absolute acceptance. A warm bed, an encouraging word, a tasty meal, a crackling fire all give comfort, security, and love. Home is to be the refuge we run to after doing battle in the world. It should be where we are reminded of who we are, to whom we belong, and what really matters in life. Home needs to be a safe place where we house not only our bodies, but our hearts and our souls.

How do YOU make your home SenseSational?

Do you have this book? If so, please share what you've learned!!

Our family loves all types of meatloaf, but this recipe is TOPS in our home!! It's sooo easy and soooo delicious!! It's even great reheated the next day- IF you actually have any leftover!!!

Mrs. U’s Meat Loaf Pie

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup ketchup
2 cups shredded cheddar (we like extra sharp)
½ tablespoon dried oregano

In a bowl, combine ground beef, milk, bread crumbs and garlic powder. Mix well and press into the bottom of a prepared 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Drain if needed. Spread ketchup over meatloaf, half of the oregano, top with cheddar cheese and then sprinkle the other ½ of the oregano on top of the cheese. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes longer until the cheese is melted.

Serves 8

What do I like to serve with this? Mashed potatoes and green beans, of course!!!

(As always, every oven is different. The first time you make this, you may want to cut into the meat to make sure it is done before adding the ketchup, cheddar and oregano. Adjust cooking time if needed.)

Today and Friday and time for Kelli's Show and Tell Friday!! There are so many wonderful blogs to visit, so y'all please head on over there and see who is participating! I LOVE Show and Tell Fridays even when I'm not able to take part!!

For my Show and Tell Friday, I would like to share with y'all a few of the flowers that the Lord has grown in our garden this year. I haven't spent nearly as much time with the flowers this year as I have in the past. I still haven't quite figured out how to watch Elizabeth AND pull weeds at the same time. Next year, though, watch out!!! I'll be super ready to really play in the dirt!!!

This is one of the blooms on my hibiscus plant. They have HUGE blooms that are bigger than my hand is long!!! Such a lovely deep, rich, red color, too.

This is one of the oriental lillies that are blooming currently. I had some pink ones bloom a few weeks ago and now the whites one are all blooming. Interesting how God has them timed to open like this. :)

These are some of my black-eyed Susans. I think these are such happy flowers. They grow very easily around our home- who doesn't love easy to grow flowers!!!!


Thank you for visiting with me and seeing just a few of the flowers that God has grown in our yard this year!!

Aaahhh... don't you just LOVE when you find a fabulous new blog? You just want to run out and tell everyone you know about it!! So... I am!!!

I discovered Muffins, Buns and Biscuits recently. I loved her posts so much, that I went back and read them all!! No, I am not joking. She has some very wonderful posts about being ladylike and, well, I'm saying no more. You just need to go pay her a visit and find out for yourself. :)

And while this isn't a blog, I did want to let you know about it. I've read and loved So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. I just found out they are in the process of making a documentary entitled "Return of the Daughters". The link has snippet of the project that they hope to release later this year.

Another soon-to-be-released film that has my attention is "The Monstrous Regiment of Women". You can click on the link and view the trailer. I am sure this will be an eye opening piece.

I hope y'all enjoy visiting some of these new-to-me places today!!!

My mom makes the BEST Chicken Pot Pie!! She doesn't make it a traditional way with pie crust on the top and on the bottom. She makes a simplified version that is my family's FAVORITE!!! There is a crust on top that is yummy and flavorful and the juice thickens up and has the perfect hint of spices in it.

Mom's Chicken Pot Pie
4 to 5 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 stick of butter
3 (14 oz) cans of mixed veggies
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken broth
poultry seasoning, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in your oven that is heated to 350 degrees. Once the butter is melted, remove pan from oven and add drained veggies. Season to taste with poultry seasoning, freshly ground pepper and garlic powder. Place chicken on top. Combine cream of chicken and chicken broth and pour this over the chicken in the 9x13. Season again. Mix flour and milk and pour on top (this will form the "crust"). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve this with a big salad and, of course, I always welcome dessert with any meal. :)


NOTE: I did not have any cream of chicken soup when I made this the other day so I made a substitute. This is probably much healthier than buying the canned stuff anyway!!!


Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
3 T Butter
3 T Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chicken stock, water or milk

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Blend flour and salt into saucepan while cooking and stirring until bubbly. using a wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in liquid ingredient choice slowly. Medium thick sauce is comparable to undiluted condensed soups and makes approximately the same amount as a 10 oz can.

John and Jennie Mangrave had eager plans when they married and took over the old farm. But their great faith dwindled as the first years passed. John worked later and later in the evenings. Jennie took more and more of the heavy tasks upon her own shoulders and had no time for the home and children. They were no further on, and life had degenerated into a straining, hopeless struggle.

Continue reading here...

I just found this at Growing Up Gracefully. Lovely.

Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood is giving away a 10 volume set of Ballantyne books!!! What an incredible giveaway!!!! Be sure and go by and enter before this coming Saturday- I know I am!!!

When Mr. U and I were first married, our town had a quaint coffee shop called Calico Coffee. At first, we visited every once in a while. Then it turned to weekly visits and before we knew it, we were there at least twice a week!!

We went in for breakfast. The owner had WONDERFUL coffee (and offered endless cups, too, if you ate in her shop!!) and big, Texas sized muffins. Yum!! I can still smell the fresh coffee brewing, the warm muffins coming out of the oven and hear Andrea Bocelli playing over her sound system.

Unfortunately, the coffee shop closed a few years ago. But the owner was kind enough to share a few of her recipes with me!! Mr. U's favorite, by far, and her best-seller-muffin was the Sausage Cheese Muffin. Y'all, it is SOO delicious!! Maybe you should surprise your family one morning with this scrumptious offering.

Sausage Cheese Muffins

3 cups Bisquick *
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup grated cheddar (feel FREE to use MORE cheese!!!)
1 pound sausage (we use hot)
1 1/3 cup milk

Brown sausage and onion until brown. Drain. Stir together Bisquick and cheese and then sausage/onion mixture. Stir in milk and mix well. Pour into prepared muffin tins (we use Texas size muffin tins). Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

* I will almost always use 3 cups of self-rising flour and then cup in about 1/4 cup of Crisco instead of using Bisquick.

Note: ALWAYS watch your oven! Oven temperatures vary so your oven may cook slower OR quicker!!!