Home School Stamper of 3

Chief's Academy

2012-02-10T12:19:00.010-05:00

Forgive me for neglecting my blog. I spent so much time preparing to visit Danny in California where he's been for the last 6 weeks. Now that I'm here, he's had to show me everything he's experienced since he got here.

This is the view from our room of the morning fog rolling over the hills.

I was walking to the coffee shop and these guys crossed my path. There were 8 total and they just danced back and forth across the path in front of me.

While I was enjoying my coffee and the entertainment of the turkey, Danny was running a 10K. He crossed the finish line at 54 minutes and a few seconds. Yeah, Danny!

This pole that Danny is standing on is about 15 or so feet high. Want to see what he had to do next?

He had to jump from the pole to that trapeze bar!

There is a spiders web of cable in the tops of these giant pine trees! I was amazed when I saw this COPE course. I couldn't believe how high the cables were. This was an important part of their training because, it challenged their abilities, they worked as a team, and it was fun. You'd think they were wearing hard hats in case of a fall, but there was a secondary purpose...to protect them from the 5 pound pine cones that fell! Wouldn't want that to fall on my head! OUCH!

That's about all for now. We have to get ready to go to the ball! I'll be back on track soon!

Danny's T-shirt Quilt...Finally!

2012-02-03T00:10:00.013-05:00

Last summer I put a memory quilt together for Cameron. Well, we had a little problem...dad wanted one too! Danny began to think I was never going to get around to finishing his because a different project would jump to the head of the line. My poor hubby has watched me pull this project out and put it away a couple dozen times over the last 6 years. He'd had enough...he took Cameron's quilt ransom and refused to give it up until his was finished. He would snuggle in it and say to Cam...tell mom to finish mine so you can have yours.
We've just been so busy...I thought I could finish it for our anniversary, but that came and went. Then Danny asked, can I have it for Christmas? That came and went too! How about my birthday? Still couldn't get it finished! Danny left for California almost 5 weeks ago for training at the Chief's Academy...well, I've had to keep myself busy and guess what was first on my priority list? How about for graduation, dear?

Once I got the shirts from his childhood, high school years, years in the service, t-ball and soccer coaching, scouts, ski trips, family reunion, and a couple special pieces of the kids clothes all put together for the top, my neighbor and friend offered to let me use her long arm Gammill to quilt it! WOW...can I just say that is an intimidating machine! It only took me a moment to remember how how frustrating it was to quilt Cam's on my little machine...intimidating was worth it!

I have to share this, it took me a week to quilt Cam's and 7 hours to quilt Danny's! Most of that time was me getting comfortable with the new equipment! Danny's quilt is about 18 in. longer and wider than Cam's...there's no way I would have been able to finish it on my machine!

I'm glad it's finished and I can't wait to give it to him! No more t-shirt quilts for a while. Although, Colin did ask me, "Ma, when I get Cam's age will you make me a quilt with my shirts!" How can you not say yes to such a sweet request?! Thankfully I have some time!

I've linked this post to Homestead Revival's Barn Hop and Teaching Good Thing :Fiber Arts Monday

Coverall Dresses

2012-02-01T09:44:00.005-05:00

About two weeks ago I stumbled upon the cutest coverall dress. In the link you will see how to make this darling little dress made from an old pair of coverall's. I love coverall's and remembered that I put two pair that Cassie had outgrown in length in the attic. You guessed it, I ventured into the attic for those coverall's! It really was easy...pick out some fabric, cut off the legs and attach the skirt! VIOLA...the overalls are back in business!

Faith Comes By Hearing

2012-01-26T14:53:00.007-05:00

Today, I finished Genesis and it only took me 3 days! Not only do I have a mental timeline in my brain now (something I've never been able to grasp) but I understood all of the information. Now I'm not one to curl up with a good book...I never have been because I can't sit still long enough. I have this uncontrollable urge to keep moving. But over the last few weeks, I've heard on the radio and read on a few blogs of people doing a read the bible in 90 days challenge. I was thinking to myself, that sounds impossible for me, even if I could read it, how much would I understand? I don't want to read the bible just to say I've read it cover to cover...I want to read it as well as understand it, enjoy it, and be able to retain it! Reading the bible from cover to cover is something I've always wanted to do. I've attempted, but sadly it always resulted in frustration and me quiting. Then I came across this post at Raising Homemakers the other day and suddenly I felt encouraged. Covering the bible in 90 days or even a year didn't seem so impossible anymore!

I set my computer up in the kitchen, pressed play and began to clean! Clean? What does covering the bible in 90 days have to do with cleaning? Well, I can listen to the bible and feed my urge to move by cleaning!

This is just one of the cabinets I was able to clean out and organize while listening to the bible! Hearing the bible is amazing! If you prefer, you can hear it word for word as a drama which brings the words to life.

If you're like me and have a hard time sitting still long enough to read, I encourage you to give listening a try! What's even more exciting, is my little ones enjoy listening too!
Free Audio Bible Download | Faith Comes By Hearing

Making Soap!

2012-01-19T17:28:00.019-05:00

Well, I promised some photo's of making soap!
First, you'll want to find a recipe...my first batch as well as the one I'm about to show you came from an e-book that I purchased for $10 from Homemaking on the Homestead. This book was written for beginners and gives step by step photo tutorials on how to make 3 basic bars of soap...even a laundry bar! I was very intimidated when I first considered making my own soap, but I highly recommend this book if you are interested in soap making because it's full of photos and each step is explained very well!

Let's get started...
First, I precisely measured the oils and melted them over medium heat in a stainless steal pot.

Second, I precisely measured my lye and water in separate glass measuring cups.

For this next step, you'll want to move to a well ventilated place or even outside to mix your water and lye. ***VERY IMPORTANT*** Never pour the water into the lye it will result in a dangerous eruption...remember to mix carefully. I recommend skin and eye protection.

Next, I had to let both mixtures cool.

Once the mixtures are at the correct temperature, it's time to combine them. Again, be very careful, because the lye is caustic. If by chance you do get it on your skin, you'll want to rinse the area immediately with white vinegar to neutralize the lye.

The stick blender will speed up the saponification process. It took me about 12 minutes to achieve "trace".

Trace is difficult to explain, but easy to recognize. It's the point when the mixture is ready for fragrance, exfoliants, and pouring. The fragrance oils will sometimes change the color of your mixture depending on what kind you're using.

Completely mix in your fragrance oil and pour into a mold. As you can see, my soap looks a bit like Fels Naptha...which is what I currently use to make my laundry detergent! I can't wait to use these!

Insulate your mold with a towel so it can cool slowly. Allow it to rest for at least 24 hours.

After it has rested, remove from mold and cut it into bars.

Let your bars rest on a shelf for the allotted amount of time.

There you have it...homemade soap! My new most favorite fun thing to do!

Butter

2012-01-14T20:35:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, I came across a recipe for 9 grain bread! It was by far the best bread I've ever tasted and so very easy to make. However, you'll have to come back another day for the bread...today's post is about butter, because you can't have warm bread without butter!

Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into your mixer and a couple pinches of salt (optional). Set on med-high speed.

About 5 or so minutes into mixing, you'll hit the whipped cream stage...just add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla. Not today though, we have to keep mixing because that bread is about ready to come out of the oven!

Almost there! You can see that it's starting to change color and separate a little. Keep mixing!

You'll know when it's finished when all the butter collects on the whip and buttermilk is left in the bowl.

Pull your butter off the whip and run it under very cold water. You'll want to work the butter and squeeze as much buttermilk out of it as you can.

You can put it in a dish, roll it in a ball, or make it any shape you'd like. I personally use an old mold that was given to me by a very sweet and generous lady I go to church with. I hunted for a mold for months and you'd be shocked how much they sell for!

Don't throw that buttermilk out! Save it for some pancakes or salad dressing!

Here's my butter with that OH SOOOO YUMMY 9 grain bread! There aren't words!

Finished Block

2012-01-13T10:19:00.003-05:00

Here is my finished 12x12 quilt block for January. It was interesting working with the smaller pieces...something I'm not used to. I can't wait to see what next months block will look like!

Block of the Month Club

2012-01-12T15:56:00.008-05:00

Does your local quilt shop have a block of the month club? Ours does and for $5 you can have a quilt top in December! It's been 10 years since I participated in a block of the month club. It's an easy way to feed that need to sew and not get overwhelmed with picking out fabric and finding the time to actually do the project! For example, right now I am working on a T-shirt quilt for my hubby that has been moved to the back burner 100+ times over the last 6 years! I'm determined to complete it so I can give it to him when he returns home from the Chief's Academy!

Because it's only $5, there are rules. You must complete your block by the second Saturday of the following month to take in and show to receive the new pattern and material at no charge. If you can't make it, our quilt shop is generous enough to give you 1 free pass but any missed after that will require another $5 fee. It's almost like you have to earn your next pattern! A quilt for $5 is well worth completing 1 block to turn in each month!

SmOOOOOthie-sicle!

2012-01-11T10:54:00.009-05:00

In an effort to get more fruits into my pickiest eater, I have resorted to Popsicles! I don't know if it's a texture issue or a visual dislike, but I am on a mission to get more fruits and veggies in her! Cassie has a much stronger will than her brothers do, especially when it comes to food. Maybe it's because she's the baby or maybe because she's a girl; I don't know, but I'm at my breaking point when it comes to the battle over food.

For the last two days, I've made smoothies with breakfast. Colin and I can't get enough, but little Miss Cassie can pick out even the smallest strawberry seed! I guess I'll have to invest in a blender that pulverises seeds at some point.

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 kiwi
4 peach halves
1/2 cup thawed strawberries
1/4 cup pineapple
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1/8 cup coconut milk
2 TBSP honey

I'm really hoping this Popsicle disguise will help! We'll see and I'll let you know how it turns out. If you have any fruit and vegetable tricks that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it...and give it a try!

SOAP!

2011-12-30T09:24:00.005-05:00

I've entered the world of soap making! It all started when we picked up some homemade soap and shampoo bars at a couple of craft fairs a while back. We LOVED the results...no more cracked hands and clearer complexions. When we ran out of soap, we noticed a change in our skin immediately...cracking, blemishes, and dryness returned! Could making it be that hard? I've been making laundry soap and dishwasher detergent for about 8 months now...why not make body wash and shampoo too?

I made my pitch to the hubby and he tucked that information away! So, for my birthday and Christmas, I got all the supplies I need to make soap for my family at home!

I could hardly wait to make soap after opening each gift! Next, we went to the grocery and hardware store to pick up the ingredients! In my excitement, I didn't take any photos of the actual process...I will next time! Here's a picture of my candy cane bars curing...they smell heavenly!

Wonderful Gifts

2011-12-20T07:32:00.008-05:00

Last week I did a series of posts about making Christmas gift baskets filled with homemade goodies! Today I want to share a few gifts from a few of my friends...

We had another Christmas gathering to attend last night...for Boy Scouts. My friend Lisa made these adorable little angel earrings for me! Tucked in with the earrings, was the scripture, Luke 2:10, But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people."

Lisa also made a special gift for the kids! PLAY DOUGH...with cookie cutters! What an awesome idea!

I just had to get these adorable little dolls for Cassie! Aren't they cute? Notice that I couldn't get just one...I thought one would be lonely! These were made by my dear friend Allison!

Here's Rusty all snuggled up with MY corn bag! These are a hot (no pun intended) item around my house! We've worn out the sleeves that hold the inner corn bag, but our corn is still going strong! My friend Chrissy makes these soothing bags that can be heated in the microwave or put in the freezer as a cold pack! I use mine to warm my spot up before climbing in bed! You can check out these and other great items HERE!

And the winner is...

2011-12-17T11:13:00.003-05:00

This morning, we wrote the names of the 3 ladies that entered my card giveaway on little slips of papar and did a drawing! Colin picked the lucky lady...

Congratulations, Tiffany! Thank you ladies for visiting my blog and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2012!

Christmas Decorating

2011-12-15T08:18:00.011-05:00

I've enjoyed seeing all the different ways people decorate for Christmas. We've seen some spectacular light displays on homes in our community. What I've enjoyed most is seeing all of the beautiful handmade decorations at my fellow bloggers blog's...

Isn't this beautiful? I just love this idea! You can check this and many other ideas out at Teaching Good Things

For the last couple of years we've gotten our tree at friend's big red barn! When we got it home and Danny was getting it set up, he says, "Who's idea was it to bring a tree in the house?" Me being who I am said, "Well, I guess it was mine." In his frustration, lets just say that wasn't the answer he was looking for. Trying to keep from laughing, I had to ask, "What's wrong?" He didn't respond, just a grumble, that is until he started stringing the brand new lights that only 2/3 of worked. Again, he asks in his frustrated voice, "Who's idea was it to bring a tree in the house...and put lights on it?" Knowing he wasn't looking for the first answer I gave him, I had to giggle and respond, "Me, dear." So, we managed to gather some working lights together and got our tree decorated.

The kids are constantly rearranging the ornaments and moving them from tree to tree. Yes, we have more than one tree! The kids look forward to getting an ornament from their Me-Me and Pa-Paw every year. Throw in all the ornaments they make each year, that equals a lot of ornaments! To remedy this, we got the kids their own little tree to hang all of their personal ornaments on. This is a picture of Colin's tree...he LOVES his nut crackers! This year he asked me to make him a yo-yo garland like the one I purchased for Cassie's tree at a craft fair last year. The yo-yo garland is probably my favorite decoration because I used scraps from quilts I've made over the years, so each scrap has a memory.

One more thing I wanted to share was how I display our Christmas cards. There were some neat idea's at the Barn Hop this week!

Homemade Gift Ideas Part 4 & Giveaway!

2011-12-14T07:00:00.003-05:00

Another great idea for your Christmas gift basket is cookies! Baking cookies is a Christmas tradition in most homes. Some of my favorites are...

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies...these are a favorite around here! They taste like a Girl Scout Thin Mint to me! Some how I don't feel as guilty when I eat 10 of mine! Here's how to make them!

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use a 50/50 mix of fresh milled hard and soft wheat to give me an all purpose flour)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped Andes mints

Directions:
1. Cream first 3 ingredients.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl then add to wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Spoon on to a greased (I use parchment paper) cookie sheet. Bake 7-12 minutes at 350*, until cookies are just done, but not well-done. Over cooking will make them dry and hard. Cookies will flatten as they cool. Leave on pan for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Another one of my favorites is Fruit Cake Cookies. I don't know about you, but I think fruit cake gets a bad wrap. All the terrible stories I'd heard about fruit cake kept me from ever trying it...that is until I tasted my mother-n-law's fruit cake cookies! The first time I tried them, my thought was I'd give it a try since it was bite sized and easy to throw out if I didn't like it! Now, I make them every year and they are a hit everywhere I take them.

Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3 cups sifted flour (I don't sift because my flour is fresh milled. I use 3 1/2 cups of a 50/50 mixture of soft and hard wheat to give me an all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs well beaten
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/4 evaporated milk
1 lb. of each, white raisins and dates
8 oz. of each, chopped green and red candied cherries
16 oz. chopped candied pineapple
5 cups of nuts (I use a mixture of walnuts and pecans)

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Stir in eggs.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to cream mixture.
4. In a cup, mix sherry and milk and add alternately with fruit and nut mixture.
5. Drop cookies in balls on a parchment paper lined pan and bake at 300* for 20 minutes.

This next one is a new favorite around our house! I made this recipe for the first time the other day with the help of my niece Hannah...Thank you, Hannah! I always called these Snowballs when I was growing up, but they are also know as Pecan Sandies. Again, I went to my mother-n-law who has an indefinite stash of recipes and this one is an old recipe she clipped out of the paper many years ago!

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (Again, I used the 50/50 soft and hard wheat mixture, but add an extra 1/2 cup to any recipe you are converting)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Confectioners' sugar to roll warm balls in after baking.

Directions:
1. Cream butter; add sugar and continue; add egg and vanilla and continue mixing.
2. Mix dry ingredients and gradually add to wet mixture.
3. Add pecans and mix.
4. Shape dough into balls and bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes or lightly browned.
5. Roll in confectioners' sugar while still warm and then again when cool.

Since Christmas is the season of giving, I thought this would be the perfect time to do my first giveaway! Did you see the cards I posted yesterday? Well, I'm giving those 5 plus 7 more away...that equals 12 cards for Christmas! Below is a photo of the additional 7 you'll receive! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (please make sure your email or blog link is in the post so I can contact the winner). Giveaway will close this Friday, December 16th at midnight! Check back on Saturday to find out who the winner is! Merry Christmas and Thank you for visiting my blog!

This post is linked to the Raising Homemaker's Wednesday Homemaking Link-up!

Homemade Gift Ideas Part 3

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Every Christmas we put together baskets full of homemade goodies to give away. Here is another goodie idea that you can add...homemade cards!

Homemade Gift Ideas Part 2

2011-12-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I posted an idea about filling baskets with homemade items to give as a Christmas gift. We enjoy filling ours with more than just food items. Several weeks ago, I was reading a Birds & Blooms magazine and came across an adorable little bird feeder project and thought this would be the cutest little addition to one of our Christmas baskets!

The first thing you need is a tea cup and saucer. So, back to the thrift store I went in search of tea cups and saucers. This was just one set I was lucky to find for less than a dollar!

Then you need to go to Lowe's for a Dremel tile bit (most expensive part of the project...$12...I'll have to make enough to get my $$$'s worth) so you can drill a hole in the side without a handle and another in the bottom for drainage. Before you drill, you'll want to glue the cup to the saucer with water proof craft glue.

Next you can purchase some jewelry wire and beads from your local craft store. I actually found some of my glass beads at a thrift store and some at a yard sale. Then just bend and twist till your heart's content! When you're finished embellishing your re-purposed cup and saucer, you can give your handmade gift or keep it for yourself to enjoy watching birds visit this attractive little feeder!

Homemade Gift Ideas Part 1

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Do you have trouble finding that perfect gift? Does shopping make you anxious? My attitude about shopping of any sort isn't pleasant, so I try to do it as little as possible. I also shop with a list that way I can get in and get out as fast as possible! When it comes to Christmas shopping, we enjoy homemade. Every year, we go to the thrift store and collect a bunch of baskets to fill. What can you fill baskets with? ANYTHING! One item that will go in our baskets is jam and jelly.

Last weekend, I spent my time making jam and jelly! About 35 jars of blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, fig, and spiced peach! I used fruit that we picked and froze this past summer and it works just the same as fresh!

Pecans!

2011-12-10T09:00:00.006-05:00

We were invited to pick-up pecans with some friends from church. If you ever need a way to keep your youngin's busy, take them to pick-up pecans and then let them shell them! There is nothing like fresh pecans. I think we ate as many as we bagged. Rusty, the dog, was even begging for the tasty treat! We ended up bagging 5 quarts...they will be SO yummy in Pecan Sandies or a pecan pie! MMMMMM!

Colin and Cassie hard at work!

Colin was in charge of the pecan cracker!

Miss Cassie wasn't strong enough to use the cracker, but she didn't mind, because she got to eat more picking out the shells.

Sweet Potatoes

2011-11-12T07:36:00.007-05:00

I'm so sorry for neglecting my blog over the last few weeks. Things are typically busy around my home, but things have been down right hectic lately. From craft shows, birthday parties, scouting events, leading a ladies bible study, and hospital visits (we 5 are fine), to the regular tasks like homeschooling, church, cooking, and cleaning! AHHHHH! This is just what I have on my plate...it seems that Dan and Cameron have lists equal to or grater than mine! We can't complain, it's a good feeling to see so many different things being accomplished.

So it's sweet potato time! Every fall we get about 80 pounds and freeze about 50 of it. The average weight of these was about 3 pounds!

Danny's mama has been visiting for the last few days to help me process these mutant sweet potatoes we got from a farmer friend.

Cassie and Colin wanted to help, so they formed a potato passing line from the sink to the pot.

Here's my littlest man helping mash the potatoes so I could bag them up. See that handy dandy little bag holder next to the pot? Danny found that for me and I have to say it's a helpful gadget!

Best Birthday Suprise Ever!

2011-10-29T21:14:00.003-04:00

Oh, what a wonderful day!
Let me back up a few weeks. This year my littlest man turned 8, on October 17th to be exact. He had a request that warmed my heart. You see, his cousin Noah's birthday is also in October. He tells me, "Mom, I don't want to celebrate my birthday on my birthday this year, I want to have my birthday with Noah." That sounded fine to me, we just needed to work out a few details.
Let me side track for a moment...Noah's father has been deployed on the USS Bush since May. We all try to share details from home with Brian so that he doesn't feel like he's missing too much. When he shared that he was one of the crew members that was selected to fly home a month early, we were thrilled! SO, we immediately started brain storming about how we could make this the biggest and best birthday surprise ever!
Everything began to fall into place! There were a couple of hiccups with his flight, but it all worked out and he arrived home about 36 hours before the party. Brian could hardly keep it a secret he was anticipating seeing his babies for so long.
Dan had everything planned perfectly. His plan was to cue me when Brian was in the driveway to start the prayer over the meal, so just as we finished, Brian would walk in the door. Dan gave the signal and we asked the blessing over the boys, the food, and then a special prayer request for Brian to have a quick and safe return home. While I was praying, Dan gave a phone cue to Brian that we were praying so that he would know just when to walk in.
Well, what can I say...for the next 10 minutes, there were shouts of joy, lots of hugs and not a dry eye in the house! I do believe that this was the best birthday surprise ever! Happy Birthday, Noah and Colin! Welcome home, Brian!

This is Hannah and Noah enjoying a wonderful, long awaited hug from their Daddy!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Log

2011-10-20T21:19:00.011-04:00

I've never made a cake roll of any sort, so I was a little intimidated about trying to make a pumpkin log as the desert I was going to take to bible study! Should I take an experiment? Oh my, I hope the pumpkin log turns out!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
4 TBSP butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Step 1: Mix wet ingredients together.

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. I use a 50/50 combination of hard and soft white wheat.

Step 3: Mix wet and dry ingredients together and pour onto a jelly roll pan lined with wax paper.

Step 4: Bake at 375* for 15 minutes.

Step 5: While the cake is baking, soften the cream cheese and butter and beat together with sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Step 6: Let the roll cool 15 minutes on pan. Leave on wax paper and move to a tea towel to cool for 15 more minutes. Then flip the cake over onto a piece of plastic wrap and peel off the wax paper and roll the cake in the tea towel and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Step 7: Unroll and spread the filling to within an inch of all edges.

Step 8: Roll up your pumpkin log, chill for at least 2 hours and serve. I know the edges aren't pretty...just cut them off and enjoy a sample!

I wish I would have had the opportunity to take a picture of what each slice looked like when I served it. It turned out so pretty. The ladies at bible study loved it and the little bit that I brought home didn't last 5 minutes! Maybe I'll get a photo when I make another one with the rest of my pumpkin!

Butterfly Bliss

2011-10-18T18:46:00.006-04:00

I've been wanting to use the Bliss stamp set for a long time and I finally got to play with it the other day! It's only been sitting on my shelf for about 4 months!

Knife Block

2011-10-15T09:31:00.005-04:00

There are SO many cool ideas out there and I came across this one on Pinterest. A couple of people mentioned Pinterest on their blog and I thought I'd take a peek! This is just one of the cool ideas I came across!

I painted my knife block green...bright green...and monogrammed it with a "C"! This knife block was a thrift store find and it wasn't pretty, but held a lot more knives then the one I had! I paid $2 for the knife block and already had the paint on hand, so I thought, "Why not...jazz my knife block up a little...right?" If I didn't like it, I wasn't really out much!

This is what it looks like with my mismatched knife collection! I love it! Between my bright yellow walls, red apples decor, and the addition of the green knife block, my kitchen is my favorite room!

Sweet Golden Deliciousness

2011-10-10T13:29:00.004-04:00

What is that giant one gallon pickle jar filled with? Now at first glance you might think it's filled with refreshing sun tea. Now, I'll admit a glass of sun tea on a hot day is quite refreshing, but this jar is far more valuable! This jar is filled with sweet golden deliciousness...HONEY! I actually got 2 full jars that are not only beautiful, but OH...SO...YUMMY! Some dear friends that live just down the street collected 22+ gallons of this gold!

These are large, well established hives and to watch these bees do their thing is just amazing. I hope to learn the art of bee keeping from this seasoned pro one day! Oh, fresh warm bread with butter and honey...a spoon full in a warm cup of tea...or (like my little ones) I could just eat a spoonful all by itself! MMMM!

Little Alien Friend

2011-10-08T20:26:00.005-04:00

My youngins came running into my room screaming, "Mommy, Mommy, a Praying Mantis! A Praying Mantis!" I'd never seen one this late in the season, so I didn't think they'd actually seen one. Much to my surprise, there was one on the front porch railing.

It was a very photogenic little critter and to give you an idea of it's size, I let it climb on my hand. EEEEWWW!

Fall is in the air!

2011-09-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

With the cooler weather and rain, our plans for the weekend were all washed out. The air show was all but cancelled and my back yard is a swamp, so we stayed inside to keep dry and relax. I started playing around with my stamps and let's just say, I got on a roll and it turned into a card making marathon! This is one of the cards that I created using the French Foliage stamp set. It was so quick and easy to make, that I made 6!

Happy Birthday,Evan!

2011-09-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

Colin's buddy Evan turns 7 today and we're celebrating with cup cakes, ice cream and bowling! I've said it before, but the Sweet Scoops stamp set is my favorite set for a kids birthday card.

Green Eggs & Ham

2011-09-24T20:29:00.004-04:00

Well I wouldn't say green eggs and ham...it was more like green egg and bacon! I guess that's close enough...well it was for the kids anyway!
Do you remember the chickens we hatched earlier this year? Well, a couple of them were an Ameraucana mix (mom was an Ameraucana and Dad was a Rhode Island Red) and one of them laid her first egg today! We, especially my bouncing babies, were so excited when we saw that it was green. I'm thinking she was a little stressed laying her first egg with all the rain we've been getting because she laid her egg right in the mud. Poor thing, better luck tomorrow now that she knows what's happening.

On our way home...

2011-09-08T12:05:00.010-04:00

We've actually been home since Friday, but with all the unpacking, catching up, yard work (some from hurricane Irene) and starting school, I've been a little swamped! I am glad to report that school started on time and we're off to a great start.

We headed south towards Utah and the first stop was Flaming Gorge. There was a storm in the distance that was moving towards us. The overcast really made the reds stand out...I can only imagine what it looked like a sunset.

We stayed stayed 2 nights in Colorado Springs. On our day to venture out, we visited the Garden of the Gods. How do I explain a cluster of red rock formations shooting up out of the ground? Again, it's one of those things you have to experience.

The rock formation to the left is called Steamboat rock and the formation to the right is called Balancing Rock. You are actually allowed to climb these rock formations. Not me! Avoiding a visit to the hospital was #1 on my list! Dan and the kids climbed up to the balancing rock so they could get a picture of them looking like they were holding it up. After we drove through the park, we went to the near by outlet malls to walk around and check out some bargains.

Passing through the pan handle of Texas and Oklahoma was the longest day of our drive home. Our stop for the night was in Arkansas. There were lots of cattle ranches and a lot of dried up crops. Both states were is desperate need of some rain.

The long day of driving was worth the stop in Memphis. Dan was on a mission to hit the Cozy Corner for lunch. Let me rewind a little, Danny was in school a few years ago and on his weekend off he and a couple of friends did the Memphis BBQ tour. All he could talk about was the ribs they ate at the Cozy Corner. He swears they are the best ribs he's ever tasted...EVER! He plotted our course home just so we would pass through Memphis for lunch to eat ribs with Mrs. Desiree. So I've think I've mentioned that the ribs and all the fixin's were out of this world, but I haven't mentioned that the company made the trip even more special. We got to eat lunch with Mrs. Desiree Robinson, her and her late husband started the Cozy Corner 25+ years ago! Mrs. Desiree has a deep love for family, friends, good food, and her faith in God. We sort of lost track of time, but our bellies were full and so were our hearts. I've never done a review before, but I give the Cozy Corner in Memphis, Tennessee a 10+!

While in Memphis, we visited the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. The motel has been turned into a museum, but the front of the building has been preserved just as it looked the day he was killed.

Then we drove past the SUN Studio. This is the studio where Johnny Cash recorded his first album.

It was time to get back on the road so we could make it to Nashville for the night. Before we checked in to our hotel, Danny took us to see a couple of sites. First we drove past the Ryman Auditorium also known as the Grand Ol' Opry. I wish we could have seen it during the day, because evenings in that part of town was party time. After we saw the Grand Ol' Opry, we had to go see the Opryland Hotel. We drove up and Dan kicked me out of the car...He said, "I'm not paying $20 an hour to park, but you're not going to miss what's inside!" Can I say...WOW! It reminded me of the hotel we stayed in, the Polynesian, for our honeymoon in Disney World. It was the perfect end to our trip, because 1. it flooded me with memories of our wedding day and honeymoon and 2. because this vacation was to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! Had the children not been with us, I think we would have treated ourselves to a night in celebration of our 10 wonderful years.

The next day, we got up early and headed home. I didn't think I would want our vacation to end, but I have to say, I'm sure glad to be home! We had a wonderful trip...the trip of a lifetime in my book. We put 7000 wonderful miles on our van, took a rock to the wind shield, and need new brakes from driving thru all those mountains, but I wouldn't trade the memories we made for a million bucks!

A day on the Snake River

2011-09-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

On Thursday, of our week in Jackson Hole, Danny and Cameron spent the morning rafting down the Snake River. They had so much fun...

So, the river looks pretty calm at this point...Click HERE to see the action shots that were taken by Floatograph. The pictures were taken at the rapid set called the Big Kahuna! Cameron "rode the bull" or sat on the nose of the raft through this set!

This is just one of the Bald Eagles they spotted on their trip.

After picking Danny and Cam up from their rafting trip, we headed over to the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve. Danny and Cam went on a hike at Phelps Lake. While the little ones and I went to the Ranger Station to see a ranger presentation about the grizzly and black bears native to the park. The presentation was the last requirement they needed to complete their Grand Teton Junior Ranger Badge. The photo is of a mosaic made up of tiny pictures of different plants, animals, and rock formations in the park.

Those aren't twigs in a puddle...no, this is the view from the top of Jumping Rock and those are actually logs about 10 feet below the surface of the water. Just past that pile of logs was a very deep drop off. Cameron and Danny weren't going to hike 2 miles to Jumping Rock and turn around. WARNING: Grandma's, you will want to skip the next part of this post.

That's Cam thinking about it. Will he do it?

Yes, he will!

OK, Danny's turn! He looks ready...will he jump?

Wait a second...he turned around...did he change his mind?

Nope...he got a running start! I think they momentarily lost their marbles...CRAZY BOYS!

Friday, Danny, Colin, and myself took the same rafting trip down the Snake River. This is my little Buddy showing us how he was going to ride through the rapids. His excitement got everyone in the raft excited!

Did I look cheesy? Just a little! It was SOOOO much fun...and our crew was fantastic!

Dan voluntarily went over board!

I had to jump in rescue the love of my life!

To become a member of the Snake River Swim Team, you had to go over board. My little man wanted to be a member and earn his swim bracelet, so he eased his way into the chilly water. I think he has more sense than the rest of us! I almost forgot...to check out the Floatographs from our trip click HERE.

Yellowstone Continued

2011-09-01T06:00:00.022-04:00

If I haven't already mentioned it, the environment around you constantly changes in Yellowstone. There are prairie lands, canyons, meadows, valleys, glaciers, hills, lakes, rivers, and streams that are a very chilly 55 degrees in August and boiling geysers and springs. It's not something that I can really put into words and my pictures don't do the unstable environment of Yellowstone any justice. It is truly a place that must be experienced.

So, I left off yesterday's post at Tower Falls. These falls drop 132 feet and are at the north end of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

All over the parks in the Rockies, you see "Fire: Friend or Foe?". You would also see areas in these parks where a wildfire once consumed everything in its path. Or did it? When people think of fire, they think destruction. Well, it is destructive, but it's also something that occurs naturally and some ecosystems depend on wildfires to reproduce and thrive. For example these Lodgepole Pines...they drop their resin coated cones that lay dormant on the ground until a wildfire melts the resin off the seed so it can germinate. I had no idea! Many of the plants and even the animals have adapted to living with wildfires. One thing I read was, the spring following a wildfire usually produce the prettiest displays of wildflowers . As you can see in this photo, there are lots of tress that were killed in a fire here, but just below there are thousands of new Lodgepole Pines growing! Read more about fire in Yellowstone HERE.

As it cools off in the afternoon the chance of seeing wildlife increases. Here is a Mule Deer that was grazing in a meadow.

Why take a picture of a yucky ol' Raven? For one reason, this black bird was bigger than my dog! Granted, my dog is a chihuahua, but I believe this giant Raven could fly away with my 7 pound puppy!

We made it to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone near sunset. The evening sun was beautiful in the canyon!

This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, looking to our right from the top of the rim at the lower falls overlook.

This is a view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, looking to our left at the same overlook. In this photo you see the Yellowstone river's lower falls. These falls are the highest falls in the park and drop 308 feet.

Another Bison? This is Danny taking video of the Bison walking past us. Why are they all walking on the opposite side of the road?

I liked this picture because the evening sky reflected beautifully off the still water.

Traffic started slowing down after that last bison we saw...then we saw this herd! Aren't they awesome?!

Finally, there were some bison on my side of the van! Aren't they sweet? It is mating season and I'm guessing this big guy was tending this female.

Here are a couple of little guys that were thinking about crossing the road.

Then these guys decided to cross from the other side. Traffic was VERY SLOW for about 30+ minutes because the road went right thru this herds crossing.

Seeing these two big guys charge each other and lock horns was very exciting. I'll have to share the video later!

The last site we saw before sun down at Yellowstone was the Mud Volcano also known as Black Dragon's Caldron. It makes a low hissing noise that's a little eerie especially close to dark.

I'll be honest, I didn't like Yellowstone after dark...I was SO afraid that an animal would walk out in front of us. Lets face it the swamp deer in North Carolina a puny compared to the big game out west! They don't total your car when you hit them...yes, I'm speaking from experience ...twice! Thankfully we didn't even see any big game near the road until we got close to where we were staying...it was a long ride home that night and my neck and shoulders were so tense.

Those are all the highlights of our visit to Yellowstone National Park...I actually took about 500 photos just in Yellowstone! I'll be sharing more vacation photos in the days to come!

Back to Yellowstone

2011-08-31T12:37:00.015-04:00

We had to make a second trip to Yellowstone because there was no way we could see the entire park in one day. We traveled back through Idaho to the west entrance of the park. On our way, we took a small detour to see Mesa Falls which was recommended by an Idaho Park Ranger. Boy were we glad we took the Rangers advice, because the upper and lower falls were spectacular.

Lower Mesa Falls

Upper Mesa Falls

Rainbow at Mesa Falls

Our first stop in the park on this day was to see Artists Paintpots. It's very colorful and there are areas that are boiling.

What is that walking along side of the road? A BISON! I wanted to get my dash in the picture, so you would have an idea of just how close we were! From what we learned at the Junior Ranger talks, Bison are the most aggressive animal in the park...even more than the Grrrrizzly!

The next stop was at Mammoth Hot Springs. We didn't hike up to the springs for a few reasons: 1. Parking was horrendous here, 2. the kids were anxious to here the Ranger talk about Elk so they could earn their Yellowstone Junior Ranger patch, 3. we had a lot more to see at the park and 4. I had a momentary out of body experience.

We then got a chance to see a petrified tree.

What's that? Another Bison walking down the street!

I can't remember where exactly this photo was taken, but it was somewhere near Tower Falls.

I have another handful of Yellowstone photos that I want to share, but this post is getting a little long, so I'll save them for another day!

Turning to the North

2011-08-27T22:14:00.018-04:00

We haven't had any trouble staying busy here in Wyoming. If I remember correctly, we started our week off with some hiking.

Danny and Cameron took a hike at Leigh Lake that was 2 miles each way. In the middle of their hike they swam out to an island, hiked around it for a while and swam back. I want to remind you that these lakes and rivers are glacier run-off, so the temp is right around 50 degrees! It's a little chilly even if your hot and sweaty!

While Danny and Cam were off on their hike, Cassie, Colin, and myself did a hike too. We did a 2.3 mile hike at Jenny lake that ended at Cascade Falls with a boat ride back to where we started. We also saw a young moose and it's mother in a valley. This hike wasn't straight and flat...we went up and down hills, over rocks and around the bends of this beautiful lake!

We finally saw bison! This was so exciting. I know they aren't easy to see, but all those little brown spots on the ridge are BISON! This wasn't our only bison sighting...I'll share some close encounters later!

The next day, we made it to Yellowstone. In the back ground, you can see Lewis River. This river is flowing south and we were headed north into the park. Before long, the river was far below in a canyon. Then we reached the falls and the lake that fed the river.

The first day, we started up the south-west side of the park loop and crossed the Continental Divide 3 times.

Our first animal encounter in Yellowstone was when we saw this elk. We stopped, because it looked like it was going to cross the street. Sure enough, she did and 2 others crossed with her right in front of us! AMAZING!

Yes, that is Old Faithful spewing hot steaming water out of the earth. What an amazing site these erupting geysers were!

This picture of the Grand Prismatic Spring does this feature of the the park no justice. The vivid yellow, orange, green, and many shades of blue were beautiful. The yellows and oranges were heat loving micro organisms that thrived in these waters. The blues were a sign of the waters depth. Although you can't see it in this photo, there were spots that were actually boiling. The unappealing part of visiting the hot springs, steam vents and geysers was the smell of sulfur or as my kids would say stinky hard-boiled eggs.

Since we got a late start to the day, we only got to see about a quarter of the park. Another day was a must! On our way to the west entrance (we took this route because it was shorter and took us through Montana, Idaho, and the Teton Pass), we saw this little guy, his mama and another elk friend cross the Firehole River and then the street right in front of our van.

Further West

2011-08-25T23:34:00.011-04:00

We are having a fantastic time! Since I'm sleepy, I'll skip the words and get right to the pictures.

We visited Mount Rushmore at night. The presentation was fantastic! They did a tribute to the veteran's and the local boy scout troop did the flag ceremony.

The kids have been doing Junior Ranger programs at the parks we visit. So far they have earned: Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, and Yellowstone. Tomorrow, they will complete the Grand Teton's badge.

We finally made it to Wyoming! The first stop we made, was Devil's Tower.

We passed through a little town called Thermopolis. Danny and I both fell in love with this little town. There were hot springs that you could swim in, but that's not what grabbed our attention. It was the curvy canyon road that had a river running next to it. The road was on one side of the river and the train tracks were on the other and the fly fishermen were in the middle!

On our first day in Jackson Hole there was a Scottish Festival. Danny loves bagpipes!

We had to do the touristy thing and get a family photo under the elk antler arch.

Grand Teton and its neighboring peaks are stunning. You can see the glaciers on them. Jackson averages about 60 feet of snow a year! No AC needed here!

This young bull moose roams the resort we are staying at! We were driving in and he was on the side of the road chomping on trees! We were about 20 feet from him (in our car) and he wasn't bothered by us a bit!

Heading West!

2011-08-20T22:30:00.014-04:00

I've literally taken like 500 photos so far. I have the ability to blog in the car, but I find myself glued to the window with camera in hand because I don't want to miss a thing. We have such a beautiful country and this trip is to places we've never seen. I don't want to even blink! The next few photos are from the first few days of our trip.

This guy was actually on a farm that raised stock to be released into the wild. The game in this part of the country are BIG!

There was corn as far as the eye could see and it went on for miles and miles and miles...and miles!

We stopped in Walnut Grove, Minnesota to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. We also visited the spot where their dugout was on Plum Creek. Here Danny locked the kids up in this jail cell replica from that period.

Our next stop was in Mitchell, South Dakota at the Corn Palace. Yes, those murals are made completely from corn!

We were on our way to Wall, South Dakota when we started seeing these fields of yellow in the distance. I asked Dan what he thought they were and his guess was mustard...I honestly didn't have a clue, but when I saw that they were sunflowers, my jaw fell! I've always heard how pretty a field of sunflowers was, but never seen one this size.

This is a recently harvested wheat field. The stripes went as far as the eye could see. I can't describe what it's like to see farms on this scale. I live in a farming community, but the land where I live is flat...here in the hills, you can see for miles and it really is breath taking.

Here are few mountain goat we saw in the Badlands of South Dakota.

There is beautiful prairie land surrounding the Badlands.

Check in later for photos from Rushmore!

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

2011-08-15T00:12:00.003-04:00

My niece Hannah turned 12 last week! I believe the Sweet Scoops (a retired set from Stampin' Up!) stamp set is one of my favorite sets! Who doesn't love ice cream for their birthday? Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Robyn O'Brien on Food Allergies

2011-08-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-08-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

When I want to make a special card for a special someone, I usually turn to Michelle Zindorf for an idea. Her work is more like art rather than card making. I love how she gives a step by step tutorial on how to make one of her beautiful cards all by yourself. So, this is the card I chose and if you take a look at Michelle's, you'll notice that I had to substitute a few things. I think it turned out nice and I think my mom will love it when I give it to her! Happy Birthday, Mom!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

2011-08-12T11:06:00.005-04:00

Why would I want to make my own dishwasher detergent? Reason one, it saves a lot of $$$! Reason 2, it's easy to make! Reason 3, it cleans far better than the stuff I used to buy!

I use vinegar, borax, and washing soda to make a variety of household cleaners because my eyes would burn, I'd cough from inhaling the fumes, and my skin would itch and crack. So, the other day when I ran out of dish detergent, I thought, I make all my other cleaners, why not try to make dishwasher detergent? The only thing I was missing was citric acid...well, it was a little expensive and I had to order it because it's not something you can run to the store and pick up. So, I searched around to see if there was anything I could substitute it with until I could order some. Lemi Shine! The side of the bottle says you can clean your washer with a tablespoon full, so I did that before I made my detergent. There was a big improvement! Next, I loaded my dishwasher, added 1 Tablespoon of my new detergent, and hit start! I couldn't believe it...my glasses weren't cloudy anymore! Then I loaded every clear glass, vase, and jar in to get a wash! No more cloudy glasses, they all came out clear!

The recipe to make your own dishwasher detergent is...
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup Lemi Shine or Citric Acid
The vinegar is your rinse aid. Use this instead of Jet Dry...it's cheaper and don't worry, it won't smell!

***UPDATE***
The first batch I made, I stored in a glass jar...it became one big clump that was difficult to use. The next bag I mixed and stored in a Ziploc bag. No more clumping problems!

Apple Jelly

2011-08-08T15:21:00.007-04:00

Last week I found a recipe and did a post on some peach jelly I made using peach juice that I made by boiling the skins and pits. I'm sure that was a run-on!Anyway, I fell in love with the clarity of the peach jelly and wanted to try making apple. My girlfriend picked a bunch of apples and pears at another friends house and brought a big bag of each to me. So I put the apples through my apple-corer-slicer-peeler, put the peels and cores in a pot, and saved my apple slices for another dish.

Here are my cores and peels at a full boil. I boiled them hard like this for about 15 minutes.

After boiling, I dumped everything in the pot into a strainer to capture my lovely apple juice!

Here is my apple juice! Like the peach juice, it's cloudy!

With my juice, I had to make some jelly! It's not as clear as the peach was, but it's still pretty and OH SO YUMMY! Apple Jelly was my favorite kind of jelly when I was a girl. So, this was a real treat that brought back some memories! I'll have to try pink apples next time, so my juice will be a pretty rose color!

To make the jelly, you need...
4 cups of juice
1 box of Sure Jell*
2 tsp. lemon juice
5 cups of sugar
Bring the first 3 ingredients to a rolling boil, add sugar, when it comes back to a full boil, boil hard 1 minute. Ladle jelly into hot jars and process for 10 minutes. Next I'll be making Pear jelly! MMMMM!

Repost of Scout Banner's

2011-08-06T08:34:00.004-04:00

When we lived in California, I had a little side business making banner's for scouts. Each time Cameron would earn a patch, we would stick it in a bag and toss it in a drawer. Too many times, I would hear stories about kids losing their patch vest, so I never even considered displaying Cameron's patches that way.

One Christmas, a friend of ours made a banner for Cameron. Silly me would sew them on as he got them...Cameron had accumulated so many patches that I needed more room. Sadly, I ended up messing his original banner up becasue I pulled out stitches to reposition the patches so many times. I ended up having to make him a new one using the original as a guide.

Then another friend was visiting and saw Cameron's banner on display in his room and asked if I could make one for their son. I considered it and decided, why not? I made a few here and there, then it grew into boy scouts and girl scouts. Living in Los Angeles meant there were a lot of possibilities and a big customer base. So, I was pretty busy visiting packs and troops and making banners. Once I moved back to North Carolina, the customer base was nothing compared to LA, so I decided to put the banners in the attic.

These are Cameron's patches from Cub Scouts. You can check out both of his banners hanging at his Eagle Court of Honor here.

Here is a banner in cub scout colors.

This is a banner in Boy Scout colors.

I gave girl scout banners a try too!

Finally, I did a special order banner for a dear friend's son who made Eagle. His banner was 4 feet wide by 5 feet tall...this kid was very active in scouting and had his entire scout career on this banner! It was an awesome banner, but A LOT of work!
If you look closely in the bottom left corner, I embroidered his name and the date that he made Eagle Scout.

Court of Honor

2011-08-03T20:53:00.022-04:00

Sorry to keep everyone waiting on these pictures! Cameron's Eagle Court of Honor couldn't have been more perfect!

We set up a table to display his scrapbook and signature pages, awards, congratulatory letters and certificates, service project book, and his patch banners are hanging in the background.

A good friend and co-worker of Danny's has a side business making cakes called Who Wants Cake? Not only did it look great, but it was SO yummy!

Mr. Randy Keaton, Pasquotank County Manager, was the benefactor of Cameron's service project. Cameron's cleared and restored an abandoned 19th century cemetery.

Here Cameron joined the other Eagle Scouts in reaffirming their allegiance to scouting.

Cameron with his official Eagle Scout certificate and flag that was flown over the Capital Building in DC.

This is me holding back my tears as my baby pins me with my last mother's pin.

Danny removed Cam's troop neckerchief and replaced it with his final and official Eagle Scout neckerchief.

Billy Broyles, a dear family friend and excellent Assistant Scout Master, was the recipient of Cameron's mentor pin. This man can do anything and his example is one worthy of looking up to.

Colin gave the benediction and blessing over the food.

Bring on the BBQ! MMM...MMM...MMM!

The Lions Club congratulated Cameron on their sign! How cool is that?

Yes, we had his name and Eagle Scout printed on M&M's!

I should have used different containers for his center pieces, because I was in serious need of quart jars for canning tomatoes! We also gave Lifesavers a new wrapper and gave them as party favors.

We are so proud of this goal...I can't say boy anymore...our young man has achieved. He has worked hard, done very well, and we are blessed by all the joy he has brought to our lives. We love you, Cameron!

Two Eagles

2011-07-30T07:45:00.003-04:00

Today is a big day for my oldest son Cameron. We've only been planning this day for months and it's hard to believe that it's finally here. Today he will be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. To see all the pictures of his big day, you'll have to check back tomorrow! For today though, I'm going to leave you with a picture of an Eagle I spotted less than a mile from my house the day before yesterday.

Lots of Blueberries

2011-07-29T06:13:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to Uncle Dale's house...well he's not really an Uncle to any of us, but the kids just started calling him that and it stuck. Uncle Dale is actually Cousin Dale to Danny. So, Dale invites us every year to pick his blueberries and like the peaches, they were the prettiest I'd ever seen and tasted from these bushes. Let me just add that one bush was about 8 feet tall and all 7 of us could stand around the same bush with our arms stretched out and not touch each other! Yes, this bush was that big and full of berries! There were 3 more bushes, but they were only about a quarter to half the size.

I've been terrible lately about my camera...it wasn't the battery this time, I just neglected to bring it with me. It was 100*, very humid, I was still in my Sunday dress, and the heat was starting to get to me. So, I picked for a while, but then I had to retreat to the house for some ice cold water.

We ended up bringing 3 gallons home and the bushes were still loaded! You might ask what I'm going to do with 3 gallons of blueberries? Well, I made the yummiest blueberry muffins; then I made a big bunch of the yummiest whole wheat blueberry pancakes; we froze some; and all the parents requested that I make blueberry syrup.

There are a few ways you can make it...
You can make small batches as you go and just keep it in the refrigerator or you can make a big batch and can it so you only have to make it once. I went with the make a batch so I'd only have to do it once!

For mine I used a couple of different sources...one called for making a juice
first, then strain it through cheese cloth, then make your syrup, and then can it. I don't enjoy straining with cheese cloth because it takes to long for me. Another just had you put everything in the pot, bring to a boil and then pour it through a mesh strainer. There was even one that had you just leave the berries in. Like anything you cook, personal preference is going to play a part. I personally don't mind a bit of pulp, so I opted to toss it all in the pot, cook, pour through the mesh strainer, and then I followed the canning procedure.

For mine, I used 1 cup of sugar for every cup of berries and 1 TBSP of lemon juice for every 3 cups of berries. I brought the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, I covered the pot and simmered for 10 minutes. Next, I poured my mixture through a mesh strainer. Finally, I poured it in the jars and processed for 10 minutes in my canner.

This is what 4 cups of berries made...4 delicious half pints of blueberry syrup! Bring on the cheesecake!

Oh, So Pretty...Peach Jelly!

2011-07-28T13:53:00.010-04:00

We took a drive and a ferry ride to Knott's Island the weekend before last and picked peaches. I don't know if it's me becoming more appreciative of God's creations or if the peaches were actually the prettiest I've ever seen, but the orchard was full of giant ready to eat peaches! We only picked 2 over-flowing pecks, but it was plenty to keep me busy.

Here's my little man wanting to go up to the top deck and visit with the captain of the ferry. Then he was distracted by the birds flying by and the motorcycles that were on board...we never made it to the the upper deck.

This is my baby girl watching the wake of the ferry. She was also wondering if there was a way we could retrieve the ring she just dropped over board. Then the conversation went into, "Mommy, what would happen if I went overboard?" I said, "Well, Daddy and I would jump over to get you and then the Coast Guard would probably come and pick us up!" Colin added, "Or, they would just put the little life boat from the upper deck in the water and come get you." He was really checking out that upper deck! I'm so glad that he pays attention to detail!

I didn't get any pictures of us picking peaches, because I forgot...yes I forgot...to charge the battery in my camera. OOPS! They smelled good, they were pretty and the weather was great. You're just going to have to take my word for it! Here is what I canned of the peaches.

So what's this you ask? Well, it's a jar of peach juice I made using the skins and pit of the peaches! I used every bit of those peaches! You might be wondering why I would want to make peach juice? Well, to make peach jelly of course! I stumbled upon a blog post that had a tutorial of how to make some beautiful clear peach jelly.

This is the finished product...6 jars of this beautiful clear rose colored peach jelly that is just as yummy as it looks! If you would like to see a step by step process of how you can make your own peach juice and jelly click here!

Tomatoes

2011-07-27T07:22:00.012-04:00

This year my tomatoes have produced more than I can keep up with! That's a good thing, because last year I had several big...no, giant plants that didn't produce anything. Come to find out, when I cleaned out my chicken coop, I would throw all the bedding in the garden...duh...I over fertilized them! This is my second gardening season and I must say that our garden has been very successful this year. We gained a little confidence and hope to plant a fall/winter garden!

Getting back to my tomatoes...I only have 8 plants: 3 Celebrity, 3 Beef Steak and 2 Cherry's. The only problem I'm having this year is birds! I have to pick before they peck!

This is one days worth of beautiful ripe tomatoes. I've been getting 15-30 a day!The heat has slowed them down a bit, but I'm still getting quite a few.

Colin and Cassie love to help strain our fruits and veggies. This handy dandy gadget separates the skin and seeds from the pulp and juice! I love this contraption. Here they are straining all those big beautiful tomatoes. As you can see the pulp and juice flow down the white slide into the silver bowl and the skin and seed come through a tube into my garbage bowl. Off to the side I am straining the tomatoes. I've been using the heavy pulp for salsa and the finer pulp and juice to make spaghetti sauce.

On the left is a jar of mild, but oh so delicious salsa. A couple of girl friends and myself had a salsa party 2 weeks ago. We combined all of our tomatoes, onions, and a variety of peppers. We added some garlic, black pepper and cider vinegar to taste. We devoured a big bowl full and were still able to can 10 jars! I've made 2 smaller batches since! With the left over pulp and juice I made a couple batches of spaghetti sauce...so far I've canned about 25 jars worth! There's another batch of tomatoes on my table waiting to be processed! Here we go again!

HOT! HOT! HOT!

2011-07-22T11:26:00.004-04:00

All I can say today, is it's HOT! It's not even noon and my thermometer reads 102*!

2011-12 Curriculum!

2011-07-21T15:14:00.008-04:00

Our curriculum has arrived! It's always exciting when the boxes begin to arrive! Yesterday, Colin and Cassie's books arrived. Today, Cameron's books arrived. Now all we need are the DVD's that go with all these books!

Last year, the kids did Bob Jones University's DVD curriculm. Overall, we loved it! All of my children are auditory learners...for me (a person who can't sit still) to sit and read the material to them, is difficult to do with 3 kids. BJU's DVD option was perfect not only for the kids, but for me! There were fewer arguments and the kids actually enjoyed their teachers...they enjoyed listening to them better than boring ol' mom!

Unfortunately, we had a few issues ordering this years 12th grade subjects. Bob Jones just didn't offer much of a selection for electives and they weren't very flexible with what they offered for each grade. I began to worry...a lot...so I prayed that there was an alternative. Then I remembered a friend telling me that A Beka Academy had a DVD option. So, I immidiately looked into it! I used A Beka Book way back when and loved it, but over the years, for medical reason's mostly, we had to switch. Anyway, I loved what I saw and we made the choice to use A Beka Academy for all 3 kids this year! I'm excited, they're excited...we're all happy and can't wait to start school...after our trip to Yellowstone! What better way to start a school year than a field trip across the country!

These are Cassie's books. She is starting Kindergarten for 5 year olds. It will cover: Bible, Phonics/Reading, Readiness Skills/Art, Cursive Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. She is so excited and wants to start today!

Here are Colin's books. He's starting the 3rd grade. Getting his books brought back a lot of memories, because we started homeschooling Cameron when he started the 3rd grade with A Beka Book. I can't believe my big boy will graduate this year and my baby boy is starting the 3rd grade. I still feel like a beginner, but this is my 10th year of homeschooling! I can't believe it! Getting back on track...Colin's day will consist of Reading, Language, Spelling, Penmanship, Arithmatic, Science, Health, History, and Art.

Cameron got 3 boxes of books all to himself! He's actually looking forward to this year...probably because he sees the finish line! He was a little shy in the elective credit department, so aside from the regular 12th grade requirements, he has a small handfull of electives to complete. All of which, accept Speech, he is interested in, so they shouldn't be overly demanding. He will be doing Government/Economics, Chemistry, Consumer Math, English 12, Health, Document Processing, Speech, and Food & Family Management.

Along with all the Teacher's Manual's, here is an additional stack of DVD Manual's. These lay out a schedule for how to administer each days work. The thing I love most about A Beka, is that they don't leave anything out. There isn't much thinking involved on my part because they lay everything out for you! Being less of a teacher and more of an administrator, leaves more time for me to be mom and wife, to cook, clean, garden, sew, and everything else on my to do list! Last year I must have printed thousands of additional pages of worksheets, study guides, tests & quizzes, calendars, and more. Not this year, A Beka provides every little thing you need!

Lady Bug Tote

2011-07-19T07:22:00.006-04:00

When I am feeling stressed, I usually retreat to my crafting station for some therapy. As I was going through my project dresser (I use an old dresser to house my fabric and unfinished projects), I came across these squares that I had planned to turn into a crib quilt. I really wanted to do a quick little project, so I thought a tote wouldn't pull me away from all the other things I had going on for too long! When I was finished, I took it over to my dear neighbor and friend who loves lady bugs. She loved her new tote!
Back to canning I go...tomatoes and peaches today!

With Sympathy

2011-07-18T21:38:00.006-04:00

Just a quick post today... Usually, when Danny puts in a request for a card for a co-worker, it's to congratulate someone on a joyous occasion. When he called, he had great sorrow in his voice and asked if I could make a couple of sympathy cards. Please keep the White family in your prayers.

Happy 40th Big Brother!

2011-07-13T19:44:00.004-04:00

My big brother is turning 40 on Sunday! This is the card I made him. I thought it was fitting to use the Uncharted Territory stamp set...since the years to come will be uncharted territory! Happy Birthday, Ronnie!

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T09:39:00.003-04:00

Today is a day that we should celebrate our freedom; freedom that was fought for. I am thankful that I have the freedom to educate my children, the freedom to worship Jesus Christ, and the freedom to use my voice. I'm going to spend some time today reflecting on the fact that I have the freedom to do many things...freedom I might not have if I lived somewhere else in the world.

Outer Banks

2011-06-28T13:24:00.009-04:00

On Saturday, we decided to pack up the kids and van and head to the beach! We stopped in for a bite to eat at the PIT...awesome wraps! When Danny got his, he said I think this thing might weight close to 6 pounds! It was HUGE and not expensive at all! Once our bellies were full, we continued down the road towards Cape Hatteras. We didn't go quite that far...instead we found a spot in Rodanthe that had good waves for the guys to surf. Cassie splashed around in the water, Colin was very confident with his little board, and Danny and Cam spent most of their time in the line up catching waves. As for me, well, me and sand don't get along. I don't like it, I don't think it likes me, but since everyone but me loves the beach and I don't want to miss seeing how much fun they're having, I have to deal with it for a few hours. So, I just stand at the waters edge and take pictures and before I know it they're ready to go. My darling hubby brings jugs of water to rinse all that yucky sand off me so I don't complain all the way home...I'd like to say that he brings the water for me, but he doesn't...he brings it to minimize the amount of sand in the van!

Colin's excitement was worth the sand! He was trilled with every wave he rode to shore. He'd say, "Mommy, watch me...check this out...watch this!" He was so proud of himself and felt like one of the big guys.

Cassie ran from every wave at first. But once I showed her the little critters that would bury themselves after each wave she quickly became interested in catching them.

The last few times we've gone to the beach Cam has attempted the surf board and this time he actually got a decent wave and was able to get vertical on the board.

What can I say...Daddy is proud that his baby girl can ride with him! From the look on her face in this picture she was enjoying the ride. When she got to shore, she let me know that she was upset with Daddy for doing a duck dive with her.

This is her telling me she got water in her mouth and she was never going surfing again! This is the same reaction every time she goes surfing with Daddy, but every time we go, she asks if Daddy will take her!

Since we had gone to the beach so late in the day, we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset! This was definitely a God sighting!

The Wall

2011-06-23T07:03:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to get to my last Washington DC post, but just haven't had a chance. This last post, in my opinion, is of the most touching Memorial in DC. Most of you know the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial is a wall of names for all who lost their lives in that war. I wasn't even a thought in my parents mind when they were serving in the Navy during Vietnam. All I can do is listen and read about that period and try to form a mental picture of what it was like.

When you walk up to the wall, 50,000 names is put into perspective. You become flooded with emotion when you see the names, the flowers, the letters, or loved ones trying to snap a picture of a name.

I was doing a good job holding back tears until I saw some of the Memorial Day tributes that children had left at the wall. This is just one of the many that were there.

Listen to the words of this song...The Wall by Dailey and Vincent.

Memory Quilt

2011-06-20T07:17:00.006-04:00

I finally finished Cameron's memory quilt! He's only been asking me to make him one for the last 5 years! I'm glad I waited, because he's participated in some pretty neat events and the t-shirts he got were the perfect touch to his quilt. Since he's not too interested in blogging I think it's safe for me to post it for you guys to see!

Every square on the quilt is made from a t-shirt either from an event he participated in or a team he played on. I did have to use some fabric as a filler to make the squares line up. I found some boyscout printed fabric at Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire a few years ago and saved it for this very project! I'm waiting to give it to him at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor (which is July 30) since most of the shirts are scout related. For the back, Cameron requested flannel so it would be nice and cozy. I had him pick out a few different patterns and he chose hunting and fishing and a red and black print that looked like his PJ pants. Overall, I'm thrilled with how it turned out and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be...that's really why I put it off for so long. Guess what I'm doing now...one for Danny...my goal is to have it done by our 10 year anniversary in August! Wish me luck!

I've linked this post to Barn Hop #17 at Homestead Revival. Hop on over and find some fantastic ideas!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T15:12:00.005-04:00

There aren't any better word's than we love you! Happy Father's Day!

Danny and Cam

Danny and Colin

Danny and Cassie

Happy Birthday Ellery!

2011-06-10T07:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I made this card for Ellery's 14th birthday. This isn't just any 14th birthday...Ellery has worked, I should say fought for this birthday! She deserves the biggest, best, most spectacular birthday ever! Ellery is still in the midst of her battle with Leukemia. Thankfully the break between treatments fell perfectly for her birthday, so she is feeling good and her energy level is the best is been since all this started! She's feeling so good that she went swimming the other day and from what I understand she felt like she was on top of the world! She immediately texted her swim coach and teammates the big news! Prayer is definitely working for Ellery and her family, so I ask that you keep them in your prayers!

More DC Photo's

2011-06-08T20:51:00.009-04:00

Here is an image of what I was talking about in my last Washington Mall post. If you look up through the center pillar, this is what you saw. The Eagle's were giant and the way they were positioned made it look like they were floating with the ribbon in their mouth holding the wreath. That was a mouth full and I'm not sure I communicated it very well...it was just beautiful!

After the WWII Memorial, we headed towards the Reflection Pond. Sadly, it was under construction due to a problem with leaks and this was what it looked like.

While walking to our next site, a gentleman selling water offered Cassie and Colin a peanut to feed to the squirrels. It was so neat to see them so close. This one walked up and just took the peanut out of her hand then went to find a spot to bury it.

Here's Colin feeding another squirrel. These little park friends must be very used to people, because they were very healthy and very friendly. This little guy took his nut and started eating it right there.

This is another memorial that I don't remember seeing when I was in DC as a teen. These figures were only part of the Korean War Memorial. This memorial had a wall similar to the Vietnam Memorial except instead of names it had faces etched all over it.

From there we went to the Lincoln Memorial. Colin thought it was so neat to see the actual memorial that's on the back of a tiny penny. If you notice, one hand is open and one hand is closed. The closed hand represents the strength and determination he needed for his Presidency and the open hand represents the compassion and respect he showed to all people.

Well, I still have more photo's of DC, but that's all for today's post.

No Agenda

2011-06-04T21:20:00.008-04:00

Today we left the hotel with no agenda. We started off strolling around Bolling Air Force base. Lets just say, if we ever got stationed here, I would never have to leave the base. There is a plenty of housing, a commissary, an exchange, a kids splash park and many play grounds, a craft center with wood shop, a sports field and track, a boat ramp and marina, a dog park and vet, a clinic, a community center, and I'm sure much more that we didn't get to explore! It's a beautiful compound right on the water with houses that reminded me of living in San Pedro, California especially with the California-like weather!

While strolling around the base, we stumbled upon an MWR bike club demonstration. Part of the demonstrations was to test ride all of the bikes! This was a fabulous find, because one, we had no plans, two, we had lots of fun, and three it was free and we got free bike locks just for trying out the bikes!

All of the bikes, some new, some used and some antique, were neat and fun! We must have spent 2 hours out there just riding around...it was a BLAST!

Our next find was pretty cool! In one section of housing, there was a kids splash park! How cool would that be right outside your front door?

Our "No Agenda" day ended up being packed full of family fun!

Washington Mall

2011-06-04T09:18:00.014-04:00

The Washington Mall is the area where the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Capital Building, White House, Smithsonian and smaller memorials and museums are located in DC. The weather was perfect yesterday so we started walking from the hotel to catch the bus, then from the bus to the Metro, and from the Metro we got off at the Federal Triangle. There we found an open air market with a banjo player and a lot of beautiful office buildings that housed most of the government departments.

The first stop on our walk was the White House visitor's center. There were paintings from the White House and lots of information about how it was built and how it functions. Then it was off to see the White House!

After viewing the White House and National Christmas tree, we headed towards the Boy Scout Memorial. In this photo, I wanted to focus on the Eagle Scout since my boy just earned his, but there were 2 Greek god-like figures standing behind him.

Here is Cameron next to the base of the statue where there was an inscription of the Scout Oath which says, "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the scout law. To help other people at all times to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

Next we headed over to the Washington Monument. I love the ring of American flags blowing in the breeze around the base of the monument.

From there we walked towards the reflection pool. Much to my surprise, we came to the WWII memorial. I don't recall seeing this the last time I was in DC and I have to say it was beautiful. This picture only shows half of the memorial. Each pillar and wreath represents a state or US territory that served in this war. The center pillar's represented the the Atlantic and Pacific. If you looked up through the center, the sun would shine through a giant wreath being held up by 4 eagles.

I have a bunch more photo's, so check in later to see some more!

Arlington Cemetery

2011-06-02T23:46:00.008-04:00

After a brief visit home from the gospel singing (long enough to do laundry and pack it again), we arrived in Washington DC today. Cameron is participating in the Generation Joshua IGovern camp here this week. So we decided to take a couple of extra days and see the sites of our nation's capital before we drop him off. We didn't have too much time this afternoon, so we decided to venture out on the Metro...very interesting with kids! Today we visited Arlington Cemetery and it was amazing, beautiful, emotional, and just breath taking. The one thing we wanted to make sure we saw while there was the changing of the guard.

These guys are very sharp and flawless.

These are the tombs of the unknown soldiers. The inscription on the tomb says, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God".

We also visited the resting place of John Kennedy, his wife, brother, and children.

As I was walking through the hills of Arlington, I thought of a song by Set Apart where it talks about walking through a garden of stone to say good-bye to a loved one, but we can have hope in believing in Jesus Christ that we'll see them again.

This is Colin making his own pizza and Cameron stealing a piece of pepperoni! After a lot of walking and riding the Metro, we worked up and appetite that we filled with Rock Bottom.

Here's Daddy helping his baby girl make her pizza. We hadn't eaten at a Rock Bottom since we lived in Los Angeles...I know I was hungry, but I think I enjoyed resting my feet more! We'll be doing a lot more walking and site seeing over the next couple of days, so check back in for more adventures on the Metro in DC!

Salute to our service men and women

2011-05-30T19:58:00.006-04:00

Today is a day that we remember our fallen service men and women and I thank God for the sacrifice they made for my freedom. As a military wife, daughter, and sister-n-law, I am honored by the service of our military. My father served 24 years in the US Navy and my mother served 3 years active duty, 25 years civil service, and continues to work as a contractor for the Navy. My hubby is in his 17th year serving in the US Coast Guard as a C-130 Mission System Operator. His brother is serving in the US Navy on the USS Bush which just got underway for a 7 month mission. All of our military services deserve a salute for their dedication, sacrifice, and service to this wonderful country. Most of all they should remain in our prayers.

Winkler Bakery

2011-05-25T09:54:00.006-04:00

Yesterday Danny took us to a Moravian bakery in Old Salem, NC. The Winkler Bakery is still in use after 200 years! It was amazing to listen to the Master Baker tell us about how he would make traditional breads, cakes and cookies in this oven in the same fashion that the original family would make them. First he would push stacks of wood into the oven and light the wood to heat the bricks. While the bricks were warming he would prepare his dough. He said he could bake 96 one pound loaves at a time.

As you can see this room was pretty dark and all the baker had was a small lamp to look into the oven to check what he was baking. My assumption to not having lights in the room with the brick oven, is that everything was covered in black soot, the heat, and windows would would affect the temperature of the oven. He didn't have a timer, he just paid very close attention to whatever he was baking. There was no temperature gauge, he could feel that the oven was ready just by holding his arm in front of the opening. The baking time varied with temperature and humidity.

This is the room where the breads, cakes and cookies were prepared. Then they were passed through the window and the baker would place them in the oven.

Chicken Pen

2011-05-23T19:11:00.009-04:00

I'm so sorry that I have neglected my blog over the last couple of weeks, but we've been VERY busy trying to finish several projects before we went on vacation. Today we left town to attend the annual Memorial Day gospel singing at Dominion Valley Park in Stuart, VA. All of our favorite gospel music bands are playing this coming weekend and we are so excited, but we have to wait until Friday. So until then, we are just sitting outside enjoying some beautiful country air, family and wonderful friends.
The big project we were determined to complete before we left town was our chicken pen. We have a protable chicken tractor, but we have 4 little ones that we need to introduce to the flock and our coop would be a little crowded with my 6 hens and the 4 biddies. SO, I begged my wonderful, talented, and very handy hubby (hope he reads this) to build me a pen for my chickens. We were worried we wouldn't finish before we it was time to leave town, but 4 nights of working past dark with head lamps on our head after a long day of work, paid off! We finished our pen, my girls are VERY happy, and the babies have moved in!

Here it is! My big beautiful chicken pen! The coop fits right inside! We wanted to be able to move the coop in and out in case of a bad storm or hurricane. We'd just roll the coop (with the girls) into the shed or garage.

Is it ok that my children like being in the pen?

My girls love that I can come right in and visit with them.

I've linked this post over at the Barn Hop where you can check out other homesteads.

Mother's Day Banquet

2011-05-10T14:33:00.005-04:00

It's finally done...that is until next year! This year's Mother-Daughter Banquet was a huge success. We usually average about 65 ladies, but this year we had 86 sign up! Everything we did had to be done 86 times! The food was awesome, the door prizes were amazing and the special guests were incredible! If this event grows like it did this year, we'll have to find another venue to hold our event! What a blessing to have this special event grow! I have to admit, I did get a tad worried at one point, because Robin would call me and say can you add 2 more, can you add 4 more, can you add 3 more...as my stack of paper dwindled away, I feared I would run out! Thankfully, I didn't run out, but I did use every piece I ordered...I had the perfect amount! However, 3 nights before the big day, I started setting up and when I started counting plates and glasses (no paper for this event), I found out that we didn't have enough! So, I searched a few stores and found a few great bargains and we were back in business...that was close!

I believe this year was such a huge success, because of our talented and very loved special guests...Josh and Christi Williams, who just happen to be my neighbors...Lucky me! When this couple sings, you can just hear, see, and feel God's love pour from their hearts. If you are local to Elizabeth City, NC and you have an opportunity to see the Barry Overman family perform, all I can say is go see them, because chances are you will see Josh and Christi with them. Not only will you be entertained, but you will be tremendously blessed by the entire group!

Everyone had a name card and favor. As I was filling bags, cutting, folding, punching and tying ribbon, my son says, "you have to do every single little step 86 times!" Yep, I sure do, thanks for reminding me!
My wonderful and very talented hubby made old-fashioned pineapple glass candy for me to put inside of all the favors and I must say it was a HUGE hit!

My friend Carole designed the center pieces. Sadly, her father passed away and she had to leave town for a couple of weeks. I didn't want her to have another thing to worry about, so I went and got the materials from her and finished up the center pieces. One special lady at each table took one home. Let me just say, when they were told who the winner at each table was, the winners picked up their prize and wouldn't set it down! I'd have to say they were a hit too!

This is a photo of my mom (right), my mom-n-law (left), and me at the banquet. I was so glad that they could share this wonderful Mother's Day with me.
Notice the picture in the back ground...my friend Joan painted that just for our banquet! This photo certainly doesn't do it justice, because it was absolutely gorgeous!

Turkey Wing Bone Caller

2011-05-09T08:04:00.011-04:00

We dropped in on my husbands parents a couple of weeks ago and I saw these laying on my father-n-law's desk. Curious as to what they were, I had to inquire! Phillip went on to tell me that it was a turkey caller that he had made out of wing bones from a turkey he got a few weeks prior. He demonstrated a locating call, a yelp and a cluck and much to my surprise, the calls sounded like a turkey! I also have to add, that they make a very interesting conversation piece!

Making callers out of a turkey's bones isn't new. In fact it's something Native Americans have done for thousands of years. They believe in using every part of an animal that was killed. There are many variations on how to make them like, weather you should use a tom or a hen's bones, weather it's a spring or fall bird, or how many bones you should use. That's what makes these so neat, depending on the materials, you can create different sounds and tones. I know avid turkey hunters like to carry several different callers with them on a hunt so they can change the type of call, the tone of the call, and the volume to make a more successful hunt. I didn't realize how technical turkey calling was!

Since I am easily fascinated, I asked him how he made them. There are 3 specific bones in a turkey's wing that are used, the Humerus, Radius and Ulna. You clean them out, trim them to size and fit them together. He painted these with metallic acrylic paint and coated them with epoxy for protection. Here is a link I found that gives step by step (with pictures) directions on how you can make your own turkey wing bone caller.

This all came about when Papaw was at camp one weekend, he was showing what he had made to a friend and much to his surprise, his friend offered him $40 for the caller! So, I told Papaw that I would put a couple on my blog and see how they do! So, if you are interested in purchasing one of these turkey callers, leave me a post with your email address or visit my profile and send me an email.

This post has been linked at Homestead Revival's Barn Hop! Hop on over and check out some other fabulous ideas and shares!

Time of Reflection

2011-05-01T15:16:00.009-04:00

Forgive me for not posting this past week. I've been wrapped up in listening to, reading about, and praying for the people who's lives were turned upside down by recent tornado's. I don't personally know anyone who lost anything in the storms, but I have several friends who have family and friends who lost everything. As I read, I can't help but be in awe of how some of these families can see the blessings even through something as traumatic as this. Only God's grace can bring comfort during one of life's storms.

This leads me to share our Sunday service with you...our pastor started by abandoning the sermon he prepared and felt moved to put this weeks devastation into perspective and hold a special time of prayer. We started by reading Matthew 24: 36-46, which is an illustration of Christ's return...36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41"Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

Pastor then invited a dear friend of ours to share the story of his cousin who thankfully survived the tornado, but their home was literally sucked from above them. After Jason shared his cousins story, which you can read more about here, Pastor Jeff decided to give us a couple of visuals. The first visual he gave us was bringing 10 people to the front of the church. These 10 people represented a portion of Pleasant Grove, Alabama (where Jason and Jackie's family live), but he asked 2 to return to their seat. Those two represented the 20% of the community that perished. Then he asked 4 more to take their seat and they represented the 40% who lost everything but their lives. Finally he asked the rest to take their seat. You see, no one was left standing because everyone in the community was affected by the devastation. Since Pastor Jeff was on a roll with visuals, he invited another group of 10 to come to the front of the church. This time using some statistics, he asked 6 folks to return to their seats. Those 6 represented the 60% of our country who don't know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That was shocking to me! The 4 left standing represented the 40% of Americans who know Christ! I want to ask you to think about this...put those two visual examples together! How many perished not knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Is something keeping you from sharing the love of Jesus Christ with someone you know and love? Don't wait because you don't know what tomorrow holds!

Easter Surprise!

2011-04-23T14:22:00.007-04:00

Peeeeep! Peeeeep! Peeeeep! I kept hearing a crying chick. Thinking that maybe one of the babies hopped out of the brooder, I kept peeking in on them and all was fine. So, back to cleaning the kitchen I went...then while I was wiping off the table, I just happened to glance at the incubator and there it was, a cute little baby had hatched! That's were all the peeping was coming from! Now that's strange, because the incubator still reads 6 more days...WHAT? I'm thinking a hen was doing some sitting prior to me getting the eggs! The crazy stuff always happens on my watch! Thankfully, this time wasn't a scare, it was a tiny Easter surprise!

Peeeeep! Peeeeep! Peeeeep!

Here's the new arrival next to Butterscotch (20 days old today)! It's amazing how fast they grow!

Outdoor Seedling Protection

2011-04-17T21:33:00.014-04:00

The wind was strong, the sky was eerie, the lights flickered, and the weather radio alerts were constant, but we did weather the storm with no problems...and so did our garden! I thought for sure that we would loose everything we planted yesterday morning, but thanks to my brilliant and very thrifty hubby, all of our little seedlings had adequate protection from the storm. When Dan asked me to save all of our large olive oil and juice bottles last summer, I didn't give it much thought...that is until yesterday! He cut the bottoms off the bottles, threw the caps away, and tossed them in a bag to serve a purpose this year. Once we got the seedlings in the ground, he put the bottle around the young plants to act as a green house and to protect their delicate little stems from the wind and rabbits! So, yesterday morning when I got up I wanted to evaluate things and to my surprise, all of my plants were safe and sound in their bottles.

Here is the garden with everything planted. I know it doesn't look like much now, but in a few weeks it should look nice and healthy and in a few short months, the harvesting will begin! I can't wait!

Here are our recycled bottles being put to good use! Inside these bottles are bush beans!

I know this isn't a picture of my garden, but I still wanted to share it. Your probably wondering what it is. Well, we were driving home from church last night and I was admiring how beautiful the full moon was. My brain then moved on and again I didn't think much more of it...that is until, I walked in the house with my arms full! Since my arms were full, I couldn't flip on the light switch and when I set all my stuff on the table, I glanced out the back door and saw the moon again. I rubbed my eyes and asked if anyone else could see the cross around the moon. It wasn't my eyes because everyone could see it. We figured out that the screen door fragmented the moons halo which caused it to appear like cross. It was an interesting sight! I know my picture of the moon wasn't very good, but my camera did capture what I wanted to share...so shortly after sunset tonight, look at the moon through a screen and you should see the cross with the moon at the center. It's a wonderful reminder of how awesome our Lord is!

Till Time!

2011-04-16T09:02:00.011-04:00

We finally had time to get our garden tilled! WOOHOO...it was so exciting to see all of the beautiful dirt ready for work! Danny added a couple of extra rows this year because I'm going to plant more root veggies. I'll still have squash, tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, crowder peas, etc. OH, I can't wait! Today, while I plant, Danny will be building our new chicken yard! They'll need the room when these little ones are ready to move outside.

While Danny was tilling the little ones would go around the edge and sweep the dirt back in! There's just something about that hard working man that I absolutely love!

Colin got his turn at tilling!

Cassie wanted a turn too!

Then we let the girls have a shot at tilling! They did great and loved every second!

All of our blueberry bushes are hanging full of blooms like this one!

I wish you could smell this Carolina Jasmine...it's gorgeous!

I was so glad to see these red tulips come up...at first there were only yellow ones!

I can't forget the blackberries...they're growing strong too!

10 and 11 days old!

2011-04-14T12:28:00.007-04:00

The one with the white in its wings is 11 days old and I believe it's a girl. The other one with the dark strip down its back is 10 days old and I believe it's a boy. I won't tell you why I think one's a boy and one's a girl...lets just say I saw something on one and not the other!
Aren't they SO CUTE...they're fun too! Everyone in the house stops to talk to the babies every time we walk past the brooder. So I decided to take the babies out into the big world today...OK, we actually introduced them the other day, but they looked like they wanted to go outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine again today!

"Let me get that!"

"You shouldn't rush through grooming!"

Look at those pretty feathers coming in!

Didn't expect that breeze!

Sure looks big out there!

Two Sweet Babies!

2011-04-06T08:56:00.009-04:00

You know the incubating eggs I showed you a couple of weeks ago? Well, two babies made it and we are SO excited! We actually saw the first one hatch. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

Here's the first sign of hatching! It took the first one about 12 hours to hatch out! You could see the crack a little, then it would get tuckered out and rest a while. Then we could hear it peep and try again...this went on for the next 12 hours! Finally right at the end, the crack made a complete circle and then the end popped off...just like in cartoons!

It's out! Next it wiggled its way between the other two eggs for some snuggling and encouragement.

This is what we woke up to the next morning! Arent' they SO SWEET!

See it's egg tooth? Here's my little powder puff before it moved into the brooder! SO SWEET!

It looks like the one is whispering something to the other...If I had to guess it'd probably be something like, "That crazy lady with the flashing thing is back!"

I'll be posting on their progress over the next several weeks!

Happy Birthday Josh!

2011-04-02T09:38:00.002-04:00

I just love this little owl punch! I'm ashamed to say that I've had it for several months and this is the first time I've used mine...isn't he cute...I'm sorry I waited so long! I clear embossed the balloon's using the stamp from the Birthday Whimsy set and then attached them with some embroidery floss. For the hat, I just cut a triangle, punched a little circle then attached it to the little guy!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2011-04-01T18:31:00.012-04:00

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is by far our favorite ice cream! At $5 per half gallon...that's a little steep for our wallet considering how much we enjoy ice cream! At least now, we know what the ingredients are, it's not nearly as expensive, and boy is it yummy!
Last Mother's Day the boys got me this ice cream maker...sadly, I didn't use it all that much. However, my wanna be chef son decided he'd play around with some recipes! Boy are we glad he did, because now we can have Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream on demand...WOOHOO!

Here's what you'll need:
-a 2 quart ice cream maker
-4 cups of milk
-1 cup sugar (we use Wholesome Organic evaporated cane juice)
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
-1 tsp peppermint extract
-1 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes mints

Step 1: In a bowl/measuring cup dissolve the sugar and salt in the milk.

Step 2: After sugar and salt are dissolved add the vanilla and peppermint and mix well.

Step 3: Pour mixture into the ice cream bowl and churn for 40 minutes.

Step 4: 5 minutes before churning is done add chips...MMMM...almost done! You can enjoy it as soft serve or put in the freezer for later! It has the consistency of snow cream...light and creamy!

Old Jeans, New Skirt(s)!

2011-03-30T19:26:00.010-04:00

I came across these over at the Barn Hop...lots of neat ideas there, but you can check this fabulous idea out along with its how to's HERE! I went COO-COO for these adorable recycled jean skirts! Let me just give you a brief history about Cassie and jeans...well, lets just say that Cassie and jeans have issues...big issues! She has the length of a 5T, but the waist of on average a 2T! Some of her shorts are actually pants she wore when she was 18-24 months old! Her waist is that tiny! SO...with this new, awesome, and VERY thrifty idea, I decided to venture into the attic where we keep EVERYTHING...need to remedy that soon (or NOT)...pulled out some pants that I knew fit her waist but no longer fit in length and I started cutting!

Here's skirt #1! My fabric is dwindling away! I almost made this fat quarter into napkins...I'm SO glad I didn't!

Here's skirt #2! The tag on these says 24 months and she still needs a belt! I have bean pole babies!

This one was her favorite...can you tell?! I'm working on a coverall one now...I'll show that when it's all done!

Tomato Sauce

2011-03-25T07:54:00.011-04:00

For this week's Food Friday post, I'll be sharing my favorite Tomato Sauce! I have to be honest, I've never measured my ingredients for this recipe before...that is until today! I have to say, it turned out VERY yummy! I use this recipe for pizza and pasta because it's a nice thick sauce that's FULL of flavor!

What you'll need:
12-14 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 10 oz. can of tomato paste
1 Large Sweet Onion (chopped)
2 TBSP Garlic (crushed)
3 TBSP Olive Oil
2 Cups Water
3 TBSP Parsley
1 TBSP Sea Salt
2 TBSP Basil
2 TBSP Oregano
1 TBSP Pepper
2 TBSP Sugar
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Garlic Powder (I love garlic)
4 Bay Leaves

Step 1: Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and clear.

Step 2: Puree the tomatoes, paste and onion/garlic mixture in the blender then pour into pot.

Step 3: Add all of the spices and water, stir, and simmer 4-6 hours...be sure to stir occasionally to keep from burning the bottom! The longer it simmers, the thicker and richer it gets! I usually keep mine on the stove all day!

Step 4: Once your sauce is cool, spoon it into quart size freezer bags! I put about 3 cups of sauce in each bag which is plenty for a few pizza's!

Note: When I use this sauce for pasta, I scramble some meat (sausage, deer, beef or bison) and add it to the sauce! You can add the meat before freezing too!

Greenhouse Garden

2011-03-24T14:38:00.006-04:00

I was in need of a couple of cards...I actually need to make a few more, but I only had time to make these two! I was a bit rusty on the first one, but I thought the second one turned out rather nice...maybe it's because I used yellow! Yellow just make me feel happy!

Traveling Farm?

2011-03-20T21:43:00.017-04:00

Yesterday, we went to a birthday party for our friend's daughter Evelyn. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVELYN! Evelyn had the best birthday party ever! These little creatures visit nursing homes and children's birthday parties. It was obvious that they got lots of attention because they loved the affection they were getting from all the little hands hugging and touching them!

Was it wrong of me to have more fun than the kids? I kinda think I did...maybe I didn't, but I was definitely in my own little fantasy farm world!

Here's Peaches, my new little Frizzle friend! Love the doo!

Isn't he sweet? He was a fainter!

This is Chief, the Alpaca! Have you ever watched a cartoon when the boy character sees the most beautiful girl he's ever laid eyes on and he floats off the floor and hearts pop out of his eyes? Well, that's what happened when I saw Chief...I fell in love...it's OK, Danny already knows! Still thinking of Chief this morning, I decided to ask Danny what he thought about Chief...he says, "Well, he kinda reminded me of you!" HUH? Then he says, "You know when they were loading up all the animals and Chief started to hum and pace back and forth as if he were worried they were going to leave him?" OK. Danny says, "Chief was you in Alpaca form...worried!" Is that a sign?

These big bunnies were Colin's new Pal's! They were so big and SO SOFT!

This was Cassie's favorite little friend! This little cutie was a goat-sheep cross.

This is an Indian Runner Duck...they run...not fly! She was so sweet and probably Danny's favorite of the back yard barn animals! Do I see a duck in our future?

I didn't catch Cameron checking out any of the animals, but this arrived yesterday! WHAAAAAA...first he turns 17, now his class ring...why'd this have to happen in the same week...WHAAAAAA!

OK, I wanted to ask her what her name was, but I just couldn't disturb her nap time! Isn't she adorable!

Chair Socks!

2011-03-15T09:41:00.012-04:00

Back in November, my hubby and his best bud put wood floors down in the kitchen! To preserve our new floors, Danny put felt pads on the bottom of everything! We've been adjusting the felt pads on the chairs ever since! It was getting bothersome and expensive...those felt pads add up when your constantly replacing them! I thought I'd search online for something other than felt pads. I found the tennis balls...I don't really care for the look. So I kept searching...then I found some adorable little chair socks! They were perfect...accept they cost $10 before shipping and tax for a set of 4! Four socks times 8 chairs times $10 before shipping and tax...not looking so perfect after all! That is until I had a light bulb moment...don't you love those?!
Remember when I was talking about all that fabric I had when I was making napkins...I made like 30 napkins and didn't even make a dent in my fabric! Well, I thought I'd make my own chair socks...the chair sock idea was looking perfect again!

Here's what you need:
-a 6 inch circle pattern (I just used a piece of paper and a protractor)
-64 fabric circles (for 8 chairs)
-32 tight weave batting circles
-Raffia, twine, or ribbon

Step 1: Trace 64 circles onto your fabric (I doubled my fabric over and pinned it so I'd only have to cut 32) and 32 circles onto your batting.

Step 2: Layer 2 pieces of fabric with a piece of batting in the middle and pin.

Step 3: Sew a 1/2 inch seam on your circles leaving raw edges.

Step 4: Next you are going to rag your edges by sniping the edges all the way around each circle! It's time consuming, but the end result it too cute!

Step 5: Place the circle on the leg of your chair, wrap the raffia around to cinch it together, and then fluff the edges! This is the unwashed look.

This is the look after they are washed and dryed, which is the true "rag" look!

Note: I left the felt pads on each leg to give it a little more padding.

So much to be thankful for

2011-03-14T07:29:00.016-04:00

I'm sure everyone is keeping up with the happenings in Japan and the devastation it is suffering. I don't know about you, but events like this usually cause me to evaluate all that I have and how thankful I am for it. God has blessed me and my family abundantly and for that I am very grateful. I do question if we'd be prepared if we were to suffer a devastating natural disaster. Yes, I have more put away than other's, but could we sustain ourselves and help others for any length of time...No, I don't believe so. Got some work to do!

Speaking of being blessed, we visited some friends that we just don't visit enough and I have to say, am in awe of their talents and wish to learn more. I didn't snap any picture's of the quilts my dear friend was working on (like 25 different and absolutely amazing quilt tops) most of which were for project Linus! What a ministry...I'm definitely inspired!

I did however snap some photo's of their other hobbies; chickens, gardening, and bees!

We were on standby all week for the birth of some little chic's and we got the call Friday evening. Already in PJ's we rushed down to see the new arrival! The poor little baby had a tough time, but it finally arrived Saturday morning and the little fluff ball was precious!

Here's one of the little darlings that hatched the night before! Sadly, we missed the arrival of the first two, so I was determined not to miss #3! They are SO SWEET!

So we went back to their house Sunday between church services to see all the little critters. Like me, they are loving the beautiful warm weather we are having!

This is Big Daddy! He is a very beautiful and sweet Rhode Island Red Rooster.

I could have watched these amazing honey bees all day. They didn't bother me a bit, in fact I comfortably stood just a couple of feet from their hive. The buzz of hundreds (maybe thousands) of bees is incredible. I did have to crouch down, because I stood right in their flight path, but still they weren't concerned with me...only their mission! Honey bees are very fascinating and I'm looking forward to learning more.

Aren't these peach blossoms beautiful? I was hoping to catch a busy bee in action, but they were traveling to some blossoming pear trees in the neighbor's yard.

What is this? Well it is my gracious neighbor's egg incubator! When I was given the offer to borrow this, I was like a kid at Christmas! We are hatching 2 Americana's (those are the green one's) and 1 Barred Rock (the dark brown one). Well, they won't be pure breeds because Big Daddy is the daddy. So, what kind of chick's will I have? They will be referred to as sex lings which is a term for chick's with parents of different breeds. As far as their looks, I'm not sure, but I can't wait to find out!

I'll definitely keep you posted on these little ones! Their due date is in about 20 days...check back to see the little peeps! Today, I am thankful for the wonderful people God has put in my path!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2011-03-04T22:46:00.006-05:00

Sorry I didn't do a Food Friday post last week, but the hubby was out of the country and things were a tad busy! Anyway, he made it home last night and all is back to normal! Thank you for all of your prayers!
A dear friend of mine gave me a bag full of broccoli, so I decided to make Broccoli Cheddar soup...one of my favorites!

What you'll need:
3 large heads of broccoli
4 cups of cream
4 cups of stock (I used turkey that I had frozen)
1 chopped onion
1 stick + 1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup flour (I used fresh milled)
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups half & half
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Wash and chop broccoli and set aside.

Step 2: Saute' chopped onion in 1 TBSP of butter and set aside.

Step 3: Melt stick of butter in pot, add flour, and whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Steps 4-7: Stir in half & half until well blended. Then add stock (thaw first!) and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and onions and simmer 30 minutes more. This next step is optional...after simmering, you can puree' the mixture in the blender.

Step 8: If you decided to blend, add the mixture back to the pot and add 4 cups of shredded cheese and mix until melted. Then its ready to eat and like most soups, it was better the second day!

FREEDOM!

2011-03-01T17:02:00.013-05:00

Cassie doesn't usually collect the eggs by herself, but today, she thought she'd give it a try. I was busy in the kitchen and didn't think much of her going out in the backyard. When I peeked out the window she was running to the house with her hands folded to her neck. As she got closer I realized she had her arms filled with eggs. She was so excited that there were 5 eggs, that she left the coop open and the girls ran for freedom.

I had just finished making my Broccoli Cheddar Soup and my Chicken Pot Pie had a few more minutes in the oven (more on those in another post...MMMM). I grabbed my scrap bowl and headed out to gather the girls. When I have the scrap bowl in hand, they come running!

So, I corralled them into the coop and gave them their scraps and headed back to the house. Only to realize I didn't close the side door on the coop that Cassie left open. Yup...they got their treat and ran for freedom...AGAIN!

"Hey, you got anymore of those scraps?"

Napkins!

2011-02-24T20:17:00.003-05:00

In my quest to simplify, I came across this great idea! Napkins! Wait, before you say how is creating more laundry simplifying? Well, it's simplifying our family budget and I really like that we won't be creating as much trash, which in a round about way is simplifying in many ways! I have to say my favorite part of this project is using all those lovely fabrics I've been hanging on to just waiting for the perfect project to come along! Click here if you'd like to see a step by step tutorial on fabric napkins.

My First Callah Bread

2011-02-22T19:03:00.004-05:00

Well, I was reading a blog the other day that inspired me to give Callah Bread a try. I must admit, I really wanted to give it a try just so I could try the 6 strand braid! Tammy has a video on her blog that shows you how to create this beautiful braided loaf!

Here's my loaf before I baked it! Isn't that braid impressive!

Here's my loaf after it was baked! YUMMY! The loaf was giant...I think next time I'll split the recipe into 2 loaves or one loaf and some rolls!

Spring is in the air!

2011-02-21T20:42:00.007-05:00

Spring is in the air...well it was today anyway! Looking at the weather forecast for tomorrow, spring isn't in the air full- time yet:( We still enjoyed it for today! One thing I love about visiting my in-laws is their backyard. Their back yard is right against the woods, which is the perfect place to catch a peek at some beautiful little birds. The birds aren't in their full spring plumage yet, but they sure were active today.

This little American Gold Finch and his pals were the most active of the birds. I can't wait to see them with their breeding feathers.

When this Red-bellied Woodpecker flew to the feeder, my day was made! The Gold Finches didn't mind him either.

Then there's the fuzzy little squirrel. He looks as if he's saying in a timid little chatter, "Um, do you have anything for me?"

I know this isn't a very good picture, but I wanted to share what happened. Our windows were open and I heard this loud honking...I guess that's the noise a goose makes...but it wasn't the normal bunch I usually hear. It was much louder (those Canadian Geese)! So, I ran for my camera and ran out the door to see 3 V's of geese merge together into a mass of geese. What was cool is when they all came together, they reorganized into one big V. Birds are like my TV from God!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2011-02-18T08:18:00.013-05:00

Welcome to "Food Friday" #3! I'm so excited about this new adventure on my blog. So much so, that I've been reading a ton about "real food" and brainstorming how I can share it with you! I truly believe that sharing this adventure is something that God has pressed on my heart! Before I start babbling, I'll get a move on to the ever so yummy BBQ Chicken Pizza!

What you'll need:
-a batch of whole wheat dough
-pizza stone
-favorite BBQ sauce (ours is Sweet Baby Rays)
-favorite hot sauce (ours is Schlotzsky's hot sauce, but I use all kinds)
-5-8 chicken tenderloins
-2 cups of mozzarella cheese
-1 medium onion
-2 TBSP honey
-1 TBSP brown sugar
-olive oil
-TBSP butter

*Note* You can make your pizza crust in advance or fresh the day of!

Step 1: Marinate your chicken at least 3 hours in your favorite BBQ sauce and a couple TBSP of olive oil.

Step 2: In a small bowl mix 3/4-1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, 1 TBSP of your favorite hot sauce, 1 TBSP of brown sugar, 2 TBSP's of honey.

Step 3: Baste all of the above mixture onto your pizza crust. You can make more sauce than this...I don't, because my crew doesn't care for super saucy pizza.

Step 4 & 5: Chop your onion into small slices. Then your going to caramelize them in a pan with 1 TBSP of butter over med hi heat.

Step 6 & 7: Grill your chicken and cut in to small bits or shred. While your working on this step pre-heat your oven to 350*.

Step 8: Top your pizza with onions and chicken.

Step 9: Cover with mozzarella cheese and put it in the oven for 17-20 minutes. I turn my oven to broil for the last minute to make my cheese nice and golden.

Step 10: ENJOY!

Happy Birthday Caden!

2011-02-12T20:44:00.002-05:00

Colin's buddy turned 7 today and we celebrated with a party at the bowling alley! Good thing we got some practice when we were out of town! Colin loves the Sweet Scoops stamp set from Stampin' Up and requested that I make Caden's card with it.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

2011-02-11T13:52:00.013-05:00

Welcome to Food Friday #2...Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls! I start with a basic dough recipe but instead of making bread I roll it out flat and made cinnamon rolls!

Ingredients:
Basic batch of whole wheat dough
1 stick of butter divided in half
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 block of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Note: You can cut out some of the butter in the filling and icing and replace it with honey to make these a healthier treat!

While my dough was rising, I went ahead and started the next step.

I started by melting 1/2 stick of butter. Then mix in granulated sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Step 2: Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture on your rolled out dough. After I spread it all over the dough I sprinkled some crushed walnuts on half of it!

Step 3: Once you've spead all your yummy filling, go ahead and roll it up into a log.

Step 4: You'll want to make a cut every 1-1 1/2 in.

Step 5: Place all of your cut rolls onto an oiled cookie sheet making sure you leave room for the rolls to rise.

Step 6 & 7: Let rise until they are double in size, about 20-30 minutes. Then bake for 17-20 minutes at 350*.

Step 8: While your rolls are baking, you can prepare your icing. Melt the other half stick of butter and cream cheese. Mix in the vanilla and powdered sugar.

Step 9: Spoon your icing onto your rolls and enjoy a tasty treat!

Sugar Grove, West Virginia

2011-02-09T19:29:00.017-05:00

Sunday we headed to West Virginia for a few days to enjoy a mountain getaway. The boys got to do some skiing and Cassie and myself did some relaxing. Had Cassie and I not had stomach aches, we probably would have joined the boys and done a little site seeing while they were on the slopes. Instead, we decided to lounge around and take it easy.

Since we got an early start Sunday, we were able to take our time driving. We weren't in the car 30 minutes before our first stop. I was looking out the window at different birds. I had seen Tundra Swan, Canadian Geese, and a couple of hawks, but then at the top of this isolated dead tree, there it was a beautiful Bald Eagle. I couldn't believe my eyes and Dan stopped the car in disbelief.

Once we got back on track we decided to take the ferry from Surry to Jamestown. The weather was perfect for the trip across the water. This is a monument at the Jamestown settlement.

The trees in the mountains are all bare this time of year. I love the fall foliage, but there was something beautiful about the cold grey sky, leafless trees and icicles. Farms are abundant, we saw cattle, alpacas, sheep and chickens. Every farm had it's own charm.

Here's my littlest man all decked out going down the slope! I wish someone could take photo's of Danny, because he can ski backwards to capture video of the kids!

Since Monday was ski day for the boys, Tuesday Danny started the day with a wonderful country breakfast and then took us bowling. They had something planned for later that afternoon, but they were tight lipped about what it was.

Colin would strategically calculate how he wanted his ball to bounce off the bumper and hit the pins. This was pretty impressive, because he was actually able to pick up spares!

Since it was only a two lane alley, Cassie would walk down the side of the lane to watch her ball hit the pins. Occasionally, Dan would have to assist her ball to the end. The lightest ball was 8 pounds and she only weighs 28!

Even Cameron had a very unique style. I for the life of me couldn't figure out how he threw the ball without hurting his wrist, but he managed to do it gracefully.

You couldn't hear Dan set his ball down, but once he released it, it flew and the pins would shatter.

For me, I haven't touched a bowling ball in many years. Some of you may know that bowling is something I used to enjoy. I may look like I know what I'm doing, but without my own shoes and ball...lets just say my score didn't reflect my knowledge of bowling! We had so much fun!

Finally, the boys had a little surprise up their sleeve to finish out the day. On their drive to the ski resort they passed a farm that had what looked like were Alpaca's. I would love to have an Alpaca (or some Alpaca's) one day, so they thought taking me to see some would be the next best thing. So, they took me back to this farm where I saw sheep, a couple of donkeys and a couple of lama's.

You'll see lama's with different herds because they protect them. So, it was snowing...a lot...it was cold, but I got to see some lama and sheep. Then I saw the owner of this sheep herd and I asked him if we could take a closer look at his animals for just a minute and he very warmly invited us to come on in. It just so happened that his herd was all female, they were all pregnant, and they had just started to lamb (have their babies). The babies were less than a day old and he said he would continue to deliver babies for the next two weeks. He picked up one of the babies for us to hold. That was a mistake for me because I fell in love! I mentioned wanting Alpaca's...well, now I want sheep too! The babies are precious, while I was holding him, he just nestled his little nose right in my neck. I could have taken the little guy home had his mama not been stomping her foot at me to put him back!

"He's so cute?"

"Isn't he so sweet?"

"What a cute little guy!"

"Honey, Please can we take him home? He's SO incredibly cute and he likes me!"

Food Friday! Homemade Vanilla Yogurt!

2011-02-04T09:44:00.016-05:00

Lately, I've been asked questions about food. For those of you who know me, know I do a lot of things from scratch but you may not know why I do things this way. For those of you who don't know me, welcome to my new adventure. Well, first and foremost, I believe that God designed us to eat a certain way. I've found that taking a little extra time to prepare the things we eat truly benefits our health! With that said, this week I would like to demonstrate homemade vanilla yogurt!

What you will need!
Candy thermometer
4 1/2 cups of milk (I use whole, but it works with 1% and 2%...I haven't tried skim)
4 Tbsp powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp plain yogurt (starter)
1 Tbsp vanilla

Step 1: Pour 4 cups of milk into pot and place over medium heat

Step 2: In a cup mix 4 Tbsp powdered milk with 1/2 milk. Mix until dissolved and pour into pot.

Step 3: Pour 1/2 cup sugar into pot and mix until dissolved. Occasionally stir to keep from sticking.

Step 4: Bring mixture up to 185* and hold for 5 minutes. You'll notice my thermometer reads 190*, that's OK, just adjust your heat and try to maintain 185* as best as you can.

Step 5: Let mixture rest until cooled to 112*. Pay attention to this step, because you'll end up with a separated cheese if you let it cool below 112*...BLAH!

Step 6: In a cup, mix 4 Tbsp. yogurt with vanilla and 1/2 cup of mixture form the pot. Mix well and add back to the pot. Let me explain this step a little more. Yogurt has good bacteria in it that aids in proper digestion. You must add bacteria to the milk as a starter for more bacteria to grow. One important thing you should notice when picking out your yogurt is how many bacteria or cultures are in the yogurt. You need for it to have at least 3 active cultures for the good bacteria to make it past your stomach acid into your intestines to do their job! I personally use Stonyfield Organic because it has 6 active cultures.

Step 7: Pour mixture into jars.

Step 8: Let jars rest in yogurt maker for at least 4 hours. After 4 hours you can periodically check a jar to see if it has reached the consistency you like. We prefer ours a little firm, which is like a custard style, so I leave mine in for about 8 hours.

Step 9: Place in refrigerator and cool at least 3 hours. Then it's ready to eat and boy is it worth the wait! The flavors are limitless, my kids like chocolate syrup in theirs, Danny adds granola to his, and I like adding some of my homemade jams with granola to mine!

More Pressed Flowers

2011-02-03T12:58:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love this technique! One thing I didn't mention yesterday, was to use your glue stick to adhere your flowers (unless it already has adhesive on it). You can make a lot of cards with a Simply Scrappin' Kit...I only made 3, but have plenty of supplies to keep going!

Faux Pressed Flowers

2011-02-02T12:24:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to try this technique ever since a friend showed it to me a while back. Today I was sorting through some of my paper and I came across an old Simply Scrapin' kit from Stampin' Up! I thought the flowers in this pack would be perfect for layering. Step one was to stamp a background image and I used the the flower stem from the Thoughts and Prayers set. Then I just started layering the flowers on. Once I got all my flowers in place, I ran the card front through my big shot in the Square Lattice embossing folder. Added a couple of embellishments then mounted it to the card! It sort of looks like old fashioned needle point...I just love this look!

Happy Birthday Kit!

2011-01-31T09:49:00.004-05:00

Today I made a card for my friend Kit! She celebrated her birthday this weekend and I'm sure her wish this year is for Ellery to beat her Leukemia. I want to ask all of my friends, family and visitor's to my blog to please keep this family in your prayers. God's purpose usually isn't clear when we're in the midst of a trial, but if we trust in Him, He can see us through anything!
For this card, I used the Blueberry Crisp designer paper, the hat pin and beads from the retired Stampin' Up pretties kit, and the Elements of Style stamp set. After I punched a 1 3/4" circle in the top piece of paper I punched a smaller circle on the next layer. Then I poked an even number of holes around the edge and began stitching with some metalic embrodiary floss.

More Party Favor Idea's

2011-01-29T09:07:00.002-05:00

After posting my little favor idea's yesterday, I couldn't stop creating! I ended up making a place card and holder and a matching favor! I thought they turned out really cute and I think they'll be a hit!

Winter Birds

2011-01-27T07:45:00.007-05:00

Lately, I've been privileged to watch the birds that not only winter here, but also the birds that migrate here. I'll start with the active Robin's. Yesterday, the Robin's were very active. But there was this one that caught my eye...it was different than the rest of them. It had some white feathers. How odd? This is called partial albinism. I watched him pick berries off the tree out back and pull worms out of the ground. He was an active little guy!
The next bird or flock of birds is a bit larger. They are Tundra Swan's. Gorgeous big white birds from Canada and loud...does the loud have to do with being Canadian? Just kidding to all my Canadian friends...I love you all! You may notice that not all of these birds are white. Some of them are grey...those are juvenile birds probably born last spring. It's awesome to watch these birds fly over and circle down into the field by my house!

Off to a rusty start!

2011-01-26T15:13:00.004-05:00

I know I've been pretty lame with my blog the last several weeks. The biggest excuse for my absence is our new schedule. I love it, however the younger Carr's are not adjusting as well!
It's been about a month since I've even touched a stamp...I must say, I was very rusty! I'm always inspired by Michelle Zindorf's work, so I decided to give one of her tutorial's a try. I liked how mine turned out, but not nearly as much as liked hers!
The rose card is for a young lady in my community that is battling Leukemia. She is so strong, but still needs many prayers because this is a difficult road!

Only 3 posts this month?

2010-12-31T09:03:00.003-05:00

Oh my, I can't believe this month is already coming to an end! We've been so busy and the snow...Oh the snow...every time I turn around I have to dress the kids up to go play in the snow! I can't remember the last time I saw it snow in December and it's already snowed 4 times! We almost had a white Christmas!
The kids love it! I can remember going out as a kid, playing for about 20 minutes and then coming in to put my stuff in the dryer get some cocoa, and maybe venture out when the feeling came back to my toes. Not my kids...either the winter stuff they make these days is tingly finger proof or my boys are tough because once they get all geared up, they stay out for hours! Notice I said my boys...little Miss Cassie Mae comes in when her nose starts to run! That's OK because she gets her apron on and helps me make soup and cocoa for when the boys come in!
In case you were wondering what that picture of the the Star Wars Lego figures is. Well, some curious boys thought it would be funny for mom to find these pictures on her NEW camera!

Children's Christmas Program

2010-12-22T08:28:00.006-05:00

This year's Christmas program was so much fun to work on! They've been working on the bells since early October and were able to make 3 performances so far! They played two songs; Joy to the World and Noel. It was amazing to see how easy they picked it up, even Cassie! The bells will certainly be something we continue working with the kids on. After their bell performance, they hurried off stage to change into their costumes so they could perform the Nativity Story. Since they worked so hard on the bells, we decided to have a more traditional performance with narrated scenes instead. They all performed perfectly. What a blessing it was for me to work with them and I'm sure it was a blessing for everyone who had a hand in it and everyone who came out to watch!
God bless you this Christmas!

Waterfront Market

2010-12-12T16:54:00.006-05:00

Sorry for seriously neglecting my blog lately! Here's a big part of the reason why...I participated in a Crafter's Market at Waterfront Park in Elizabeth City the last two Saturday's. My girlfriend Chrissy...I should call her my partner in crime...talked me into it! So, I put a table full of things together from coaster's to cards, purse's to banner's and a few other random things. Chrissy is an experienced Crafter's Market participant and me...well, I'm not so seasoned! I did learn a few things but most important, I had a lot of fun! I have to thank her for breaking me in! Thankfully Chrissy's product kept us warm...she makes corn bags and powder mitts! If you look closely, you'll see the microwave...we just tossed our corn bags and hand warmers in for a minute or so and we actually stayed pretty comfortable! Even though it looked sunny and nice...it was FRIGID! Shortly after we packed up for the day, it started to snow! I have to wish Chrissy "Good Luck" for next week...I can't go cause it's my birthday...more on that later!

What a week!

2010-11-27T19:07:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful...so wonderful, I don't know where to start! I spent a good portion of the week prepping for the "big dinner"! We of course had turkey, then came all the special requests...sweet potato casserole, butternut squash souffle`, green bean casserole, stuffing muffins, cranberry salad, sweet corn, apple sauce, crowder peas, and fresh bread. There's no such thing as too many cooks in my kitchen! Earlier in the week, we made cookies and candy!
We had a couple of friends and family over to share the feast with us, but had enough food to feed a small army!
After dinner was over and everyone headed home for the evening, we immediately started moving all of the appliances out of my kitchen...why you ask...well, since the kitchen is where I spend most of my time, my dear darling husband decided to take advantage of the long weekend and put new floors in for me!
Friday, we needed to leave the house for the day. Cameron went hunting with his Papa and my mom and I took the little ones to Virginia. Since I don't much care for shopping, black Friday shopping was not an option, so we had to be creative! My mom suggested we take the little ones to do some of the things she used to take me to do during the holiday's when I was little. We started at the Virginia Beach Farmer's Market for lunch and then it was off the see the old Colman's Nursery Christmas Collection at the Courthouse Galleries. If any of you locals remember the Colman's Nursery, they had a spectacular Christmas display, but lost most of it in a fire. What they were able to salvage, was worth seeing. My little ones enjoyed it as much as I did, if not more, because they made it interactive with a scavenger hunt! Right next door to the gallery, is the Children's Museum and you know that was a blast. Pony and train rides, face painting, a balloon sword and rose, neat science stuff and more...who wouldn't have a blast! It was only mid afternoon and Danny was no where near done and needed us to be gone for several more hours, so we decided to do some visiting!