He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young
. {Isaiah 40:11}

30 September 2010

{Chocolate Granola}

I found this recipe in the Family Fun magazine.
I love how the chocolate is drizzled over all the healthy stuff so that you won't even notice you're eating good stuff! 
Quick, easy and yummy!
 
What You'll Need:
3 c of nuts {peanuts, almonds and/or pecans}
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c coconut flakes
1 c raisins
1/2 c dried cranberries or cherries
1 c chocolate chips
What To Do: 
Mix together the nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, raisins, and dried cranberries or cherries. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave. Pour the chocolate over the baking sheet in ribbons. Stir to coat everything. Let the chocolate cool, then break the mix into pieces and pack it in individual containers. Makes 12 servings.
 
Recipe Here 

29 September 2010

{Chicken Pot Pie}

This is our "go-to" meal in our home. If you have a baby and live near me... this is showing up at your door! If you're far away from me or baby-free then you here it is to make on your own. {It takes about 1 hour to make}
What You'll Need: 
1/3 cup margarine or 1/3 cup butter 
1/3 cup flour 
1/3 cup chopped onion 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1 3/4 cups chicken broth 
2/3 cup milk 
2 cups cut up cooked chicken 
1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables 
2 prepared pie crusts (1 top crust and 1 bottom crust) 
What to do:   
Heat butter over low heat until melted.
Blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat.
Stir in broth and milk.
Heat to boiling; stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
Stir in chicken and veggies. (Add in 1 - 2 diced cooked potatoes if you like!).
Reserve.
Line pie plate with prepared bottom crust.
Pour in filling.
Top with top crust. Cut slits in center to vent. Flute edges.
Cook uncovered in 425°F oven until crust is brown; approximately 30-35 minutes.

28 September 2010

My Tibute to Papi {Gulp!}

We did it. 
We just signed on dozens of dotted lines and today we are "proud" owners of a mini-van!
Ahhh!
Even before we were married, Hubs and I agreed that we weren't "mini-van people" and just "make do" with SUVs.
Boy, were we wrong.
Our wonderful green monster, aptly named "Papi", has been good to us {a.k.a. Honda Pilot}. He has taken us from South Carolina to Maine to Pennsylvania and many places in between with ease and comfort. He was our first big purchase as a married couple and has served as a travel mate for Hubs, myself, CJ, Miss Mak, Chesser and Mia. He has never given us a problem. Never broken down. Never malfunctioned. Not so much as a light has burned out on him. He was/is the best car a family could ask for. So why are we handing him over to the Honda dealership today? Because we someday plan to be a bigger family. Sweet Papi just can't contain rambunctious little ones the way a spacious mini-van can. So it is with great sadness that I publicly bid "adieu" to my favorite vehicle and enter a necessary {so we're told} season of our lives. I can tell you that I already look forward to a small and sporty SUV once our kids grow up and move out.

There is a season for everything!

27 September 2010

Sorry I missed you...

The past few days have been rather busy so I lost track of myself and took a day off. 
I'll be back tomorrow. 
Don't miss me too much!


24 September 2010

{No Bake Cookies {Preacher Cookies}}

I still remember the first time I had these cookies. I was in 4th grade at a friend's house. Her mom made these for us and I was enamored with how quick and easy they were to make. For some reason I got to calling them "preacher cookies" but whatever the reason, it is a fact that the two families that I know of who make them are both "preacher families". Anyway, as promised, they require no oven. Just 10 minutes, a stove top, and a little patience to let cool.

What You'll Need: 
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
3 T cocoa
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla
3 c quick oats
1/2 c peanut butter {all natural works}

Mix sugar, butter, cocoa and milk in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minutes and remove from heat. Add oats, vanilla and peanut butter directly into pan and mix. Drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper and let cool. 
 

{The most difficult step here is to wait to let them cool. Chocolate and peanut butter are hard to resist!}

23 September 2010

It's Fall Around Here

It's here! It's here! It's here! 
We appreciate the decor... 
 We smell the decor...
 
Then, we apparently pick our nose with the decor.

 And a special "congratulations" to black cow number 2 on "throwing a great calf" last week!  
{he he...throwing a calf!!}
Enjoy the  season!

22 September 2010

{Tangy BBQ Beef Sammies}


What You'll Need: 
3 c chopped celery
1 c chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed and cut in half
14 to 18 hamburger buns, split

What To Do:
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Add roast. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook 7-8 hours longer or until meat is tender.
Remove roast; cool. Shred meat and return to sauce; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, fill each bun with about 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Yield: 14-18 servings.



21 September 2010

Pintuck Pillowcase


I have always thought this look was classy so, of course, I assumed it must be difficult to do. However, after analyzing a pintucked blanket in a store I realized that this is not so! In fact, it's embarrassingly easy! If you iron a crease and sew a straight line... well, lots of them, really... then you can do this!

What You'll Need: 
fabric {linen or silk look best, in my opinion}
pre-fab pillow or batting

OnE: Cut your top fabric about 5" larger than your pillow top. I started with a 19"x18" square and ended up with a 16"x15". With this project, give yourself more than you think you need because you can always trim it down however you cannot add.

TwO: Using a straight edge and a pencil or water soluble pen, on the back of your fabric, draw a 45 degree angled line and then lines every 2" from that line. Then turn your fabric to a 90 degree angle and repeat.

THrEe:  Fold your fabric onto one of your lines and press to create a crisp seam. {If you used pencil, keep your lines to the back and make your creases on the top so you don't see the pencil marks when you're done.} Do this for all your lines going in one direction.
 {Because of the way I was working, I pressed half 
of the lines going in one direction, sewed them into place,
then did the other half. This kept me for "un-ironing" 
creases I had already made.}


 
FoUr: Using a 1/8" or 1/4" seam, sew all your creases into place. 

FiVe:  Once you have completed one direction, flip your piece, right-side-down, and iron. This will give you a flatter working surface to complete the lines in the opposite direction.

SiX: Repeats steps THrEe and FoUr for the lines going in the opposite direction.

SeVeN: Iron your piece from the back again.


EiGHt: Measure your pre-fab pillow from side-to-side and top-to-bottom.
Add 1" for seam allowance on both measurements.
 {My pre-fab pillow measured 15"x14" 
so I cut my top to be 16"x15"}

NiNe: To cut your two back pieces {A and B} Cut "A" the same length as your pillow top and 4" wider than half your width. Cut "B" the same length as your pillow top and 1" wider than half your width.
  {Confused? My length was 14" and my width was 15". 
I cut my "A" piece to14"x11.5" 
and my "B" piece to 8.5"}

TeN: On both your "A" and "B" pieces, fold one side of your width back 1", press into place and sew down using 1/2" seam. {click picture to enlarge}

EleVen: Pin your "A" piece down first. Then pin your "B" over it.
TWeLvE: Sew around the entire edge using a 1/2" seam.
THirTeEn: Turn and stuff.

{Note: I made this for a pre-fab pillow that I tucked into the case but you could easily do this with just batting by cutting a back piece that is the same size as your finished top, putting them right-sides-together, stitching, using 1/4" seam, and being sure to leave a 3"-5" gap for turning and stuffing. Hand sew shut.}

20 September 2010

Chalk Wall with Tips

Chances are, if you're like me and do any blog-stalking {which you obviously do} you've come across chalkboard something-r-others. Today, I will not disappoint... here's mine.



I bought both of these cans at Home Depot.

{See, it truly is magnetic!}

Condition the Board: 
You have to condition the board before using which means your board will never look clean again that you'll need some chalk, an eraser, and a damp cloth. 
First, cover the board with chalk. 
Then erase it all. 
 Then wipe the whole thing down with a damp cloth. 
 Good to go! 

Chalk Ink:
 
 I found a great product called Chalk Ink at Michael's thought you can buy it online too. I bought the fall color pack for $12 and it colors and covers just like a paint pen. It's great stuff! 

DIY Eraser:
Felt is a great fabric for erasing. Depending on what feels comfortable in your hand, you can sew several layers together to make a pad-like eraser. I went for a bundle of sorts by cutting a circle out of felt, laying a large "wad" of felt scraps and batting into the center, pinching the edges together, and tying it all off with raffia. {This can be easily duplicated with whatever you have on hand.} 
 
FYI - I first saw this idea at Lil Blue Boo. She's so crafty!

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