protein pancakes (and a flying girl!)...

okay...i'm officially declaring it "recipe week" here.  although, i post a lot of recipes, but not a week's worth.  in the last 3 days or so, i've mixed up several things that i thought were blog-worthy and hope you'll find them helpful.  

one of the things i love about my midwives is that they are so much more than that.  they are counselors, nutritionists, dietitians, herbalists, mentors, so on and so on.  i am encouraged to eat 80g of protein a day during pregnancy (including 2 eggs per day) along with a ton of other healthy stuff (maybe that's another post?!?) to promote good health for me and baby.  good nutrition is essential for a successful homebirth, and protein is so crucial for the development of babies and energy for moms.  SO -- you may notice that all of these recipes focus on protein!!! :-)

today's recipe comes from a friend/neighbor.  i've been wanting to try it for sometime now and just kept forgetting about it.  it is adapted from the More with Less cookbook....  click here for printable version.

in a blender or bowl with wire whisk, whip together:

1 cup cottage cheese

4 eggs

1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. sugar

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1 t. cinnamon (optional)

C was helping me make the pancakes this morning and she told me she was going to fly...her way of flying struck me as really funny so i grabbed the camera and had her do it again...

okay...this is an example of what NOT to do...

those beautiful pancakes above turned out like this...

yeah...it looks like a pancake battleground.  reason: too much batter and a griddle that was not greased enough.  SO -- make SMALL pancakes, and be sure to oil your griddle well.  these are stickier than regular pancakes.  you will see below that i went with a smaller amount and they turned out much better 

overall, these were pretty good...my husband still says he prefers regular pancakes, but i think he was a little grossed out once i told him WHAT the secret ingredient (cottage cheese) was. :)  i will probably make them again, if only as another breakfast/snack option for me to get in some protein.  i ended up using about 1/2 of a 1/3 cup measuring cup to pour the batter out, and it made about 16 pancakes.  that means they have about 3.5g protein each.  i want to try making them with whole wheat flour, with would bump them up to 4g of protein each.  

my favorite marriage books...so far...

(y'all....i have typed this post 3 times now and blogger is still not cooperating, so please forgive the different size and color font for the second half of the post.  i'm done trying to fix it.)

we celebrated our 7th anniversary in may.  sometimes i can't believe it's been that long and other times i wonder where the time has gone, because wasn't it just yesterday we were on our honeymoon?!?  i think that's a good thing...when you feel like you've been with someone forever, but yet, it's been so great that you just don't know where the time has gone.  couples who have been married for 40, 50, even 60 years say the same thing.  i feel like i have nothing to offer when i look at them, because they have had SO much more experience than me with my 7 years.  but...they had 7 years...and then 7 more...and then 7 more...and so on...  so, everyone has to start somewhere.  

in those 7 years, we have read a handful (and it really is a handful considering just how many are out there!) of books, specifically pertaining to marriage.  all of them have been good, but there have been 3 that have really "hit home" with me.  if you haven't read them, i encourage you to secure a copy as soon as you can and read it with your spouse, or read it individually and then make time to discuss it together.  we actually went on a date several months ago for the purpose of discussing one of these books that we had read individually.  i was pleased to find that at least 2 of them are available through my local library system, but there's always used copies on amazon, or post on facebook and see if a friend has a copy you can borrow.  :)   if you have read them, i'd love to know your feedback.

the subtitle to this book doesn't show up in this little box, but the subtitle says, "What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy more Than Happy?"  that is a good summary of what the book is about (imagine that!). "Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person.  It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply."  we read this book together several years ago (before C) and it sparked a lot of good discussions between us.  i've been wanting to read it again, because i feel like i need the reminders...constantly.  i'm forgetful, y'all.  gary thomas also has two other books out that i really want to read (in fact i had them from the library but had to return them before i was able to read them.)...sacred influence - for wives, and sacred parenting...for parents, obviously. :)

i have to admit that of these 3 books i am listing here, this one is probably my 3rd choice.  but, it did make the cut and it is being discussed here, so obviously i thought it was good.  watch out -- this one is pretty convicting, if i remember correctly...it's been awhile since we read this one too.  Dave Harvey not only offers a biblical diagnosis of marital strife, but prescribes the cure as well - the gospel.  When Sinners Say "I Do" provides clarity in conflict, hope in despair, and points the way to a joy-filled, God glorifying marriage. -- C.J. Mahaney  the style of this one is a little bit lighter and i remember having several laughs as we read.

 

this is our most recent read of the three, and my favorite.  i think i can safely say that this book profoundly changed a lot of the ideas i had about marriage and really helped me to understand the roles of husbands and wives so much better.  i was NOT on-board with everything in this book because of some personality differences and ways in which i felt the author was being stereo-typical of men and women, but for the most part i thought he had some great things to say.  he has 6 chapters of practical helps for wives to know what it really means to respect their husbands, and 6 chapters of practical helps for husbands to know what it really means to love their wives.  while not all of these things will appeal to all couples, i think every couple can find something on the list that they can relate to.  if nothing else, it really gets you to talking (or it did us) and communicating about feelings, needs, etc.  while the other two books focus more on the individual's and couple's spiritual lives, this focuses more on practically living that out.  both are so important for a healthy, God-glorifying marriage.  

SO -- if you were looking for something to read...look no further. :)  again, if you have read any of these books, i'd love to hear your feedback, and probably so would the rest of the readers...because they need more than just MY opinion. :-)

PS - thanks to y'all who have told me recently that you enjoy reading this blog.  i enjoy writing it and sharing our lives with you.  thanks for reading and encouraging me!

macaroni salad

the base for this recipe could actually be used for potato salad too, i think.  i made some alterations to the original recipe, so i'll give you my version and then list the link to the original recipe below.

Click here for printable version.
2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles (i used whole grain...don't recommend it...they are a bit too grainy)
4 hard-boiled eggs,chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (i didn't have any, so i omitted)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (i used green)
2 Tbsp. pickle relish
2 cups miracle whip
3 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1/8-1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp celery seed (i didn't have any, so i omitted)
black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
paprika to taste

bring large pot of lightly salted water to boil.  add macaroni and cook for 8-10 minutes. drain and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish.  In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, white sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and celery seed.  Pour over the vegetables, and stir in the macaroni until well blended.  Sprinkle paprika on top.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  this may be too much sauce for this amount of macaroni, so pour slowly and if you don't
use  all the sauce, save it and check again after it sits, as the pasta will absorb some of the sauce.

original recipe found HERE

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

these were originally supposed to go on top of the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (recipe HERE), but it just seemed better to keep them separate.  but they were still good cookies. :-)

Click here for printable version.

1/2 c. butter flavored shortening 

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. cocoa

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

sugar, for rolling

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cream shortening, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.  Add vanilla and beat again.  

2.  In a medium bowl combine cocoa, flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir until completely incorporated.  Place extra sugar in a small bowl.  Roll mixture into small balls (size is completely up to you, I did about 1/2") and roll in sugar.  Place about 2" apart on greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove, let sit for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

original recipe found HERE

C "reading" (another bonus post for the grandparents)

this is one of C's favorite books, which is kinda funny seeing as i tend to think of it as more of a "boy's" book. she loves to watch big machinery and has especially enjoyed the crane on a road nearby.  we've been reading this book ever since she could sit up, so it's really no surprise that she has it memorized, but it still caught me off guard when i heard her "reading" it to herself the other day.  i convinced her to read it for me on the camera, but as you will see, she is quick to finish so she can "see" herself. :)  also...she had been eating ice, so she is having trouble forming some of the words...probably just noticeable to me, but thought i'd mention it anyway. :)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting...

Click here for printable version.

3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 sticks butter, softened

2 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Cinnamon sugar: 

1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together dry ingredients (except for cinnamon sugar).  In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 -3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour.  Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove. Let cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

With the paddle attachment cream butter until smooth and creamy for 2-3 minutes.  With mixer on low speed, add 3 cups sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon; mix until light and fluffy.  If necessary gradually add remaining cup of sugar to reach desired consistency.  Frost cupcakes and add a chocolate snickerdoodle, if desired. 

original recipe found HERE

journal of a housewife (sans desperation)...

a friend and i were talking recently about how our perspective has changed since becoming mothers, and how it doesn't take much for us to feel like we got a lot done in a day...but, i know for me that didn't happen right away and i really struggled with NOT being able to get as much done as i used to...but, it really is all about perspective and realizing that training these little souls and minds is our most important job and the rest will get done...eventually. :)

follow that up with a recent blog post by another friend (HERE) which i thoroughly enjoyed reading (mom says it's 'cause i'm nosy...i say it's 'cause i miss my friends and like to know how/what they're doing), and i decided to give you a glimpse into a stay-at-home day here.  i really do like hearing what other moms/families are doing, so any of you bloggers out there, feel free to copy the idea...like i am doing.

i should start by saying that yesterday was a bit of an unusual day for us for several reasons...C was running a fever all day (2 year molars???) and i had extreme nausea coupled with unusual amounts of energy (combo of 1st and 2nd trimester?!?)...so it was a low-key day and yet i was still able to be productive as C didn't feel like doing too much. (we won't go into the amount of elmo watched yesterday, but when a usually active 2 year old spends much of the day lying on the couch...)

i love to listen to music and i like the way that certain music sets the tone for our home/day.  so, when we weren't listening to elmo, we listened to these cds...

• made breakfast (eggs & biscuits), C assisted
• got very, very sick while cooking and scared C (she had no idea i could make those sorts of sounds!)
• cleaned up from breakfast, dumped ice trays, loaf of wheat bread in breadmaker
• cut-up cantaloupe that has been sitting on counter for 6 days smelling very strongly... (C helped taste-test while i cut...)

• set-up C's art things in dining room so she could color for a while...

(yes, she is in her jammies...fever days call for jammies.)

• fought with a new box of stretch-tite (my favorite plastic wrap, btw...usually works great, but the beginning was a little rough going for this box)
• discovered a load of laundry in the washer that had been sitting for 2 days...restarted :-(
• made casserole for the freezer and worked on menu for next week
• read and cuddled with C for about 30 min.
• switched laundry over to dryer/started cleaning washing machine using THIS method
• bread out of machine, cleaned kitchen, started dishwasher
• folded 2 loads of laundry that had been sitting in the laundry room mocking me for 2 days
• straightened the house (along with stopping to have a tea party with C and play restaurant)
• folded laundry
• made lunch - oatmeal for C (her choice), leftover chicken & broccoli alfredo for me (yum!)
• cleaned up, bread in oven, banana wheat bread in machine (recipe HERE)
• napped with C for 30 minutes, checked e-mail, blogs, facebook, pinterest while she slept
• clipped coupons from the last week and the ones that mom sent in the mail

• snuggled with C on the couch and shared a snack of warm banana wheat bread with PB :-)
• talk to my dad on the phone, played tea party and blocks with C
• worked on coupons some more
• snuggled with C on the couch and watched Little House (oh so dreary!)
• made dinner/started to unload d/w but got phone call (thanks for finishing, G!!)
• cleaned up from dinner
• sat on couch with C...she fell asleep...i fell asleep...30-45 minutes
• fixed snack for C (glad she wanted to eat!)
• went to bed at 9:30 (i know...party-animal!)

so there ya have it...i think C started feeling worse as the day progressed, thus the frequent snuggling in the afternoon/evening, but i was happy to snuggle and thankful to be able to do so.

what do your days look like?

banana wheat bread (bread machine recipe)

Click here for printable version.
3/4 cup tap water

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup ripe banana (sliced)

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. honey

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast

2 tbsp. poppy seeds (optional - i left them out)

i used the dough setting on my machine, which runs for 1:40.  when finished, i transfer to a loaf pan and let rise for 45 minutes.  then, bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

this is a mild banana flavor, so it's not like a sweet banana bread.  it's more like sandwich bread with banana flavor...so, it would be pretty gross for a turkey sandwich...but PBJ or PBH would be downright tasty.

i enjoyed it as a snack with some PB yesterday...and the idea of nutella on it sounds really good too.

and that is blueberry-pomegranate juice...one of my new obsessions. :-)

the next american idol...

thanks for the title idea...you know who you are. :)  yep, sorry folks, no exciting recipes or homemaking tips for you today...just another video of our little diva.  i've been trying to capture this one for awhile now, but i was always a few seconds too late or she wasn't in the mood, or she got camera shy, or some other such nonsense.  but, yesterday i had it all planned out and by george! i was determined to get it.  once she realized the camera was set-up, she decided she was more interested in that...  thus the comments at the beginning about "all done elmo."  no, i do not force my child to watch elmo.  quite the opposite.  i have to limit the amount of elmo because for her it would be all-elmo-all-the-time. :)  if you are not familiar with the section of sesame street known as elmo's world (usually in the last 30 min of the program), it's about a 10-15 minute segment and it's actually pretty cute.  there's a interesting cartoon lady who sings songs and in this particular episode she's singing/performing "the wheels on the bike".  i needn't tell you that we are fond of that song around here. :)  we noticed that every time it would come on, C would jump up on the ottoman and start singing and dancing/performing the motions.  classic.  so, i finally captured it on video.

now...and then...

August 2011 

August 2010

the abc's...according to C...

and once again...grab your dramamine and enjoy! :-)

PS -- you will also notice...when she's done...she's DONE!

Old Domma Had a Farm...

perhaps we had some sugar before this filming...i don't remember...  then again...she has this much energy most days.

**warning**  not for the faint of stomach... dramamine not included...

crockpot enchiladas...the recipe i promised last week...

i mentioned this recipe last week on facebook and had every intention of posting it the next day, but never got around to it.  so here it is, finally.  this is another one that i saw on pinterest, but the original recipe (and as usual, a better picture) is from HERE.

Brown ground chicken breast (i used turkey), chopped onions and green peppers in a skillet. 

stir in kidney beans, rotel, water, chili powder, and black pepper; bring to a boil.

in the meantime, prepare the crockpot -- spray with cooking spray.

cover and simmer meat mixture for 10 minutes.

layer about 3/4 cup meat mixture in bottom of crockpot.

top with cheese

and a tortilla

and continue layering...

until all ingredients are used

cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  

Click here for printable version.
Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken breast 
2 tsps chili powder 
1 cup chopped onions 
1/8 tsp black pepper 
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers 
3 ozs shredded cheddar cheese
3 ozs shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
30 ozs canned dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
10 ozs undrained tomatoes and green chilies 
8 whole fat-free flour tortillas 
1/3 cup water

Directions:

In a skillet, cook chicken, onions, and bell peppers until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes and green chilies, water, chili powder, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for ten minutes. 
In a small bowl, combine shredded cheeses. In a 5-quart slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup chicken mixture, one tortilla and some cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for five hours or until heated through.

Makes 10 Servings

Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories 296; Total Fat 8 g; Cholesterol 44 g;
Carbs 32 g; Sodium 626 mg; Fiber 6 g; WW Points 6

junk drawer organization...

i would venture to guess that everyone has at least one drawer in their house that becomes a "catch-all".  we have at least one, and it's in the kitchen...home to phone/bluetooth chargers, some office supplies, extra keys, flashlights, notepads, gum stash, etc.  i was frequently frustrated when trying to find something in this drawer because things never stayed where i put them when the drawer was opened/closed.  so i decided to organize it...  but i didn't want to go out and buy a drawer organizer...  enter the plastic containers i've been keeping for who-knows-why...

and that is my free drawer organizer, and even though it might seem a little tacky...it's in a drawer that is usually closed, and it makes me happy to see the organization every time i open it.

the easiest dinner you will ever make...

OKAY...first of all, can i just say that i am so incredibly happy with blogger today?!?!  yep...you read that right.  and anybody who has ever used blogger knows that we don't say that too often.  now, i can upload MORE than 5 pictures at a time, and they load IN ORDER!!!  maybe i'm the only one who had issues with this...  if so, don't tell me...ignorance is bliss. :-)

also, one more housekeeping detail before moving on to this amazing recipe i have for you today...you will notice there is a poll on the left side of this page -- please vote.  we're curious.  and we won't know it's you or how you voted...unless you tell us, of course. :)

so...last night was pretty much the easiest dinner i have ever made...my husband asked if it was easier than PBJ and i said, "yeah, i think so."  i can't take credit for the original idea, as i saw it on pinterest, and it originally came from HERE.  but, i certainly couldn't resist sharing it.  so here ya go...

put 1 bag frozen chicken tenderloins in crockpot. (i typically use less meat than recipes call for as a way to save money, and especially in recipes like this with beans and cheese to boost up the protein.)

place 1 block cream cheese on top of chicken.

dump 1 can corn on top of cheese. (i used a small bag of frozen corn.)

dump 1 can black beans (drain & rinse first!) on top of corn.

dump 1 can of rotel on top of beans.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours.  Serve over rice.

after swimming yesterday, the kitchen smelled fabulous when we came home to this, and i was hungry, so i tasted some...to me, it was a little bland, so i added in 1 packet of taco seasoning, which seemed to give it just the right amount of "kick".  so then it looked like this...

we had it over white rice and brown rice, and both were good.  today i had the leftovers heated up in a tortilla and that was delightful. :-)

allllll fruuuuuuu tooooooown... (aka bonus post for the grandparents)

omelets...or not.

so, we had omelets for dinner last night...well...we had attempted-omelets.  i have NEVER been able to make a good omelet.  say nothing of the fact that when i started to pull out the ingredients from the refrigerator, i realized were were OUT of cheese.  what's an omelet without cheese?  eh.

earlier in the day i had been reading this book...

...and happened upon Julia's wisdom for making omelets...which i found so...er...well...here's what she had to say...

"Set the omelet pan over highest heat, add the butter, and tilt pan in all directions to film the bottom and sides.  When the butter foam has almost subsided but just before the butter browns, pour in the eggs.  Shake the pan briefly by its handle to spread the eggs over the bottom of the pan.  Hold still for several seconds while the eggs coagulate on the bottom.  Then start jerking the pan toward you, throwing the egg mass against the far edge.  Keep jerking roughly, gradually lifting up by the handle and tilting the far edge of the pan over the heat as the omelet begins to roll over on itself.  Push any stray egg back into the mass with the rubber spatula, then bang on the handle close to the pan with your fist and the omelet will start curling at its far edge.  To unmold, rapidly turn the pan handle to your right and grab its underside with your right hand, palm up under the handle and thumb on top.  Holding the plate in your left hand, tilt pan and plate toward each other, turning the pan down over the plate, and the omelet falls into place."

uh-huh.  anyone else confused?  that's a lot of jerking, lifting, tilting, banging, and turning...  just sayin'.  SO...we had scrambled egg mess with some ham, green peppers, and tomatoes thrown in to make it SEEM like an omelet.    currently taking all advice regarding making omelets...but NOT if it resembles the above... 

wednesday wardrobe...

it's been awhile since i posted one of these, but as i was getting C dressed yesterday, i knew i HAD to take a picture.

shirt & skort (Target), shoes (Walmart), glasses (Dollar General)

i picked up the skort on friday at target because 1)i love yellow, 2)it was on clearance, and 3) i had in mind that she would wear it with this shirt. i was excited to put it on her today and when i asked her whether she would like to wear pink crocs or pink flip-flops, she said "butterfly sandals". heh...if you've already got a lot of color, why not add some more?!? and the glasses...those were her idea too. :-)

mouth-watering...

so...maybe i should declare this week book-week around here since i seem to be heading in that direction. but sure as i do, i'll think of some great non-book post and won't be able to come up with any more book posts. so, no...nothing official. we'll just see what happens...

i love to cook. i love to read cookbooks. my favorite things to cook usually fall into the categories of italian, mexican, or traditional southern, so when i saw this book on pinterest, i knew i had to read it. my library was quick to get it in for me and i browsed the entire thing yesterday afternoon.

CLICK HERE to go to amazon.

and, as i always do when reading cookbooks, i complied a list of recipes that i want to try...only trouble is, the list is rather long, and i can only keep the book for 6 weeks (at max!)... i may be looking for a used copy as i could see this becoming a go-to book. oh...and just in case you weren't already curious enough...here's my list to provide further temptation...my comments in italics. ;-)

Yazoo Cheese Straws (ultimate baby/wedding shower food)

Sold My Soul to the Devil-ed Eggs

Pimiento Cheese

Chicken Salad

Lunch Counter Egg Salad Sandwich

Three-Day Slaw

Homemade Mayonnaise

Monday Red Beans and Rice

Proper Fried Chicken (pretty sure I'm not currently making PROPER fried chicken)

Chicken Pot Pie

Barq's Root Beer Glazed Ham

Blue Cheese Porterhouse

Country-Fried Steak

Crumb Cauliflower

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Sweet Potato Souffle

Inside-Out Sweet Potatoes (you should SEE the picture for THESE!)

Apron-String Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits (with a slice of that root beer glazed ham...yes, please!)

Blueberry Muffins

Biloxi Banana Bread

Banana Pudding (individual servings in mason jars!)

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Fresh Coconut Layer Cake

The Devil's Own Red Velvet Cake

Ponchatoula Strawberry Cupcakes

Cream Puffs

Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream (current pregnancy craving...)

(while it occurs to me that i already HAVE several of these recipes, i feel quite certain that the recipes i am using are not quite as authentic, so i'm anxious to try the "real deal.")

favorites...

C has formed quite an attachment to a couple library books recently...which means, we read them several (3, 4, 5, 8, 24...) times a day... she adores these books.

THIS ONE is pretty neat because it's an easier version of "i spy."

THIS ONE she likes because it has photographs of real children doing things that she does all the time. and...she loves the page with the "i'm a little teapot song" and the last page of counting.

italian chops

when i think italian, i think red sauce and some heavy seasonings, such as oregano and garlic. these are not quite that...but i think they could be considered american-italian.

this is one of my favorite cookbooks, especially as i LOVE crockpot cooking.

this is my go-to book when i want to cook something in the crockpot, but i'm not sure if i can, or need a good recipe for it. most of the recipes use normal ingredients and many are what you keep in your pantry anyway. CLICK HERE to go directly to amazon.

for this recipe, start by slicing an onion and layering it in the bottom of the crockpot.

next, place 4-6 pork chops on top of the onions.

wash, and cut potatoes (& carrots if desired) and layer on top of pork.

pour a bottle (16oz) of italian dressing on top.

cover and cook on high 6-8 hours (mine was ready in 5, but my crockpot cooks fast).

we all enjoyed this recipe...my 2 year old LOVED the meat (and beans) and ate a few of the potatoes (she prefers her potatoes mashed or as fries). it has a bit of a tang to it because of the dressing, but it's a nice change.

one website you should check out...

there are LOTS of coupon websites out there, and i use several of them. but this one is a little different. this one is called:

SAVINGSTAR

it's a linky...click on it. ;-)

for this one, you plug-in your store rewards card numbers once you set up an account, and then you "load" the coupons to your account. BUT, they don't come off of your total at the register. instead, when you purchase one of the items at one of the stores with your reward card, the amount of that coupon is put into your savingstar account, and once you reach a certain amount ($5.00, i think) you can cash it in for gift cards, etc.

now...you could spend time matching these "coupons" with your other coupons and grocery sales and if you have time to do that, it's probably the best way to use the site. i choose to load up all the coupons i think i MIGHT use at the beginning of each month, and then i don't think about it again until the next month when i log in to load up my cards. it's kind of a fun surprise to see if i've gotten any money in my account over the past month, and i don't spend much time on it at all. (note: because this does not affect your total at the cash register, it is not like the cellfire coupons that will cancel out your paper coupons at Kroger and other stores. you can still use paper coupons with these.)

let me know if you're already using savingstar and any tips you have...

summer reading

here in the south, summers are HOT and HUMID, and even at 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. it is muggy outside. we love the days when the humidity is low and a gentle breeze makes it pleasant to be outside. otherwise, we are looking for things to keep busy inside (praise the LORD for air conditioning), or we head to the pool. two of our inside activities have been watching movies (when mommy is nauseous or exhausted and needs to rest!) and reading books. we've been regulars at the library...they're starting to recognize us...our once every 4-6 weeks visit have been once every couple of days visits. today, we LOADED up on books (thanks Mom for that library bag on WHEELS!)...in fact, i was worried i might be over the maximum number of items and have to pull out G's card...but i was alright.

i'm excited that i've finally been able to use some of the books that i purchased (or was given) way back when i was single and had some expendable cash that i used to buy books. i have used them at times when babysitting and tutoring, but THIS is the use for which they were intended and i'm so excited to be teaching my own child and using these resources. so -- here are three books that i've been looking through before we head to the library to get some ideas of books for us to read... (blogger hates me today, so instead of clicking on the pictures to be redirected to amazon, you'll have to click on my descriptions underneath...)

this one is probably my favorite, as i like the age-appropriate list divisions, as well as the chapters at the beginning with suggestions for reading.

this one also has the age-appropriate list divisions.

this one does is not broken up into age categories, but rather by subject. i think this one will be more helpful when we are in the elementary school years and up.

crock-pot chicken and dressing

photo credit

this is one of my favorite recipes to use when we have fellowship lunch after church on sunday. since it only cooks for about 2 hours, i can prepare everything on saturday, throw it in the crockpot before we walk out the door on sunday, and cook it during church. it is a bit rich, but i have a feeling that may be because of the adjustments i've chosen to make. if you stick to the recipe precisely, it may not be so. (my adjustments will be listed in parentheses)  Click here for printable version.

2 eggs

2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups cooked corn bread

1 cup bread crumbs (i use a box of stuffing mix and i use all of it)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

salt and pepper to taste (i omit this as the stuffing mix has seasonings)

4 chicken breasts, cooked and de-boned (i usually use 2)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

combine all ingredients except for 1 can of cream of chicken soup. rub crock-pot bottom and sides with remaining can of cream of chicken soup. pour mixed ingredients into crockpot. cook on LOW for 2 hours (mine ususally cooks for about 3), do NOT lift lid while cooking. stir before serving.

ps - i forgot to take a picture, so i found a pretty one online to use. it is also from a crockpot chicken and dressing recipe, but i have not tried it...it certainly looks good though!

like. a. weed.

2 years old

1 year old

1 month old

him...

i love this man. i adore this man. i respect this man. more than i did 7 years ago when i married him...which i didn't think was possible at the time. this is the man that gets up early to read and study to help him grow as a man of God, as my husband, and C's daddy. i can't say it enough. i love this man.

"Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord."

Psalm 128:4