The Winds of Change.........revisited

Ok, again my bad for not posting. Alot has going on in my life.........AGAIN. The winds of change are blowing, which can be scary for someone like me who hates change. LOL

Here's a re-cap: Jon (my husband) got laid off of work the last week of January. His company had originally told us that he would be laid off at the end of February and then a week later basically said "Sorry our mistake, you are getting laid off next Friday AND we don't know when we are calling you back." They actually can keep him on a recall list for up to 3 FRIGGIN years. WTF? I guess I should have been thankful that he was given some type of notice as I know of some people that didn't even get that common courtesy. Bleh. Good news there is he is finally getting unemployment and will be getting sub pay from said company that he is technically still "employed" with. We are also checking out some apprenticeship oportunities and ODJFS is saying he is eligible for some type of training.

I was working 5 days a week BUT they cut us all down to 4 days for right now. The other girls I work with said it's always slow this time of year and that it will pick up toward the end of this month. I have noticed things picking up too, which is good. The nice thing where I work is that it's right off of 71 in Bellville, so we will always get people traveling:) In a way, I kind of hope that I stay at 4 days a week because I will be starting college during the spring quarter at NCSC (formally NCTC). Going for LPN, then once I'm done with that, I will "hop" into the RN program:) I was honestly freaking out because I knew that I couldn't afford to pay with school as long as Jon is laid off. I informed the school about our hardship AND a long story short the committee looked over everything and gave me a Pell Grant to pay for my spring quarter. I did my FASFA last night online for the 2009-2010 and my EFC is lower than what it was for the spring quarter............So I did another "special circumstance/loss of income petition" and hopefully the committee will help me out again. Worst case senario though is that I will have to get a student loan. Again, bleh. I don't want a loan BUT I will if I have to.

Once I am done with school I will be seriously looking at moving out of state, but we will see. The winds can always change direction, eh?

The boys are doing great. Jay is moving up the coroporate ladder where he works. He was recently made a lead and got another pay raise. He is also getting health insurance for $5.00 a week! I was jealous. LOL Jeremy is looking at going into the military. I don't want him to do that but he is a man now and has to do what is best for him. Jake is still Jake......only taller:)

Like the title says, the winds of change is blowing......and although we may not like the change that is happening all around us, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise........

Good bye 2008!!!!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that is happy 2008 is gone. It was a very trying year indeed.

I'm more optimistic about 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Planning for the new year!

I am soooo ready for 2009! I am looking at different things to make myself a healthier, happier me:)

I will start off with an internal cleansing. It will work on the blood, colon, liver, kidney and lymphatic systems.

I will also change my eating habits. Granted, it won't be all gung ho at first, but I will be making gradual changes to my diet. Right now, I am slowly eliminating the "whites" out of my system. Which include, white rice, white pasta, white bread, sugar and white-flour products.

I have done some research on different diets and have chosen the raw food diet. Here is a couple of links on the raw food diet: http://rawfoodsdiet.wetpaint.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism .

I particularly like these two ladies that have written books on raw foodism:

Natalia Rose: http://www.detoxtheworld.com/ I have read one of her books and really like the way she thinks. She advocates deep breathing, sweating and dry brushing, among other things. I will be incorporating all of that into my daily routine.

The other lady is Ani Phyo, her website is here: http://www.aniphyo.com/ What is cool about Ani is on her website she has recipes posted AND you can go to YouTube to see her "cooking" videos! Wooohoooo!

Can't wait to get started! What are some on your plans for the new year?

OMG I love this TV show!

Ok, I'll admit that I do watch some tv........not alot mind you, but some. LOL I found this awesome tv show on DIY network this afternoon called "From Junky To Funky". Basically, during each episode the hosts Samatha Gleisten and Tim Brontrager go into a home and redo one room with stuff has has been "re-purposed". I was freaked when I saw this!!!! People after my own heart. LOL

I love looking at something and "seeing" it's potential. Looking at something and thinking "what can I make this into."

Here is the link to their show: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dfjf/0,,DIY_23297,00.html

There is also directions and videos on how to assemble some of the items on the show.

Enjoy!

Tunnel

Don't ya just love this picture? I do! It was taken at Old Man's Caves in Hocking Hills. I always love going there because the scenery is breathtaking. Such wild abandon and peacefulness mingling together.........



I chose this picture because sometimes we go through life not really opening up to others, but rather we choose to travel in our own little "tunnel".



Think about it............we live in our own little world with our own problems not paying any attention to others around us. We lose sight of connectedness to others. We become de-sensitized. We become selfish.



While traveling in a tunnel it is dark so we only stare straight ahead (worrying about ourselves/problems), keeping an eye on the light at the end of the tunnel and not really noticing what is going on around us while we are there. A vast majority of us choose to keep ourselves IN the tunnel, so that we focus on ourselves and ONLY ourselves.



Sometimes, we do decide to reach the opening of the tunnel and it can be scary..........not knowing what to expect, along with the feeling of not being "protected" anymore within the darkness. We are hidden from scrutiny.



IF we do choose to come out of the "tunnel" we can connect with others in a way that can enrich our lives beyond any thing we could ever imagine.



I am not saying the climb is easy, it's not. There will be bumps and slipping along the way, but think about the rewards..........friendship, love, learning, growing.......to TRULY live.



So for today, think about how far down the "tunnel" you are.





I'm here waiting patiently for you at the opening, take my hand........

I have been busy for the past few months, going through alot of life changes and realizations. Some good and some bad. Here is some things I have been pondering.....

Why is it that some people feel that they have to control others?

Do they feel threatened by the person they are trying to control?

Maybe they do not want the person they are trying to control to be independent......

Why can't we just accept others for who they are instead of trying to make them into something they are not?

FDA knows best............NOT

Ok, so today I see a post on one of my yahoo groups talking about a lawsuit against the makers of Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. The first thing that comes to my mind is horror when I googled Gardasil........you see all these lovely "free evaluation" articles "pop" up by injury lawyers on the side effects of it. WHY? I decided to take a closer look. Here is an article that I found on the information super highway:

Gardasil Side Effects and Injuries - Free Case Review by our Gardasil Lawyers and Attorneys.
Keywords: Gardasil Lawyer Injury Side Effects Attorney Blood Clots Lawsuit Miscarriage DeathThe lawyers and attorneys at our firm are investigating instances of serious side effects linked to Gardasil, an HPV vaccine, including blood clots and deaths. Since Gardasil was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), its maker, Merck Inc., has undertaken an aggressive campaign to force families to subject their daughters to the Gardasil vaccine. And even thought Gardasil side effect reports are increasing, the FDA has refused to review the safety of this vaccine. Our Gardasil side effect lawyers are offering free consultations to anyone who suffered serious complications from Gardasil or their families. The Gardasil side effect lawyers at our firm will work hard to make sure Gardasil victims receive the compensation they deserve.
Gardasil was approved by the FDA in June 2006. At the time of its approval, Merck & Co., the maker of Gardasil, said that clinical trials had proven the vaccine to be between 90-100% effective in preventing the transmission of some strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer. The approval of Gardasil was much hyped, with Merck claiming that it had the potential to eventually eliminate most cervical cancers. The investigation conducted by our Gardasil side effect lawyers has concluded that the FDA erred in its rush to approve Gardasil, and did not study the vaccine's possible side effects thoroughly.
The Gardasil side effect lawyer at our firm are disturbed at Merck's attempts to force Gardasil vaccines on your women. Following its approval, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that all young girls between the ages of 11 and 12 receive the Gardasil vaccine. Recently, 20 states pushed for federal mandates to make Gardasil mandatory for sixth grade girls
Merck was more than happy to echo the CDC recommendations, and actually began an intensive lobbying effort to convince state health authorities to make Gardasil vaccinations mandatory for young girls. Merck’s heavy promotion of Gardasil has been effective, as some analysts estimate that Gardasil could net the company as much as $1.4 billion in its first full year on the market.
Gardasil Linked to Blood Clots, Miscarriages and Deaths
Since its approval, Merck has claimed that Gardasil is practically side effect free, with pain at the injection site being the most common complaint about the vaccine. However, a 2007 Judicial Watch analysis of the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System reveals that Gardasil has not been as side effect free as Merck claims. Oddly, Judicial Watch was only able to obtain the FDA’s reports on Gardasil after it filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the agency.
Since its approval, there have been at least 3,461 complaints of adverse reactions to the Gardasil vaccine, and there could have been as many as eight deaths attributable to Gardasil. According to Judicial Watch, in several instances, blood clots were reported to have occurred after the administration of Gardasil.
Other side effects including paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures were also reported. Our Gardasil side effect attorneys believe that even these Gardasil adverse event reports could be underestimating the true number of serious Gardisil side effect incidents that have actually occurred. For that reason, we are seeking to speak with anyone who experienced serious Gardasil side effects.
Gardasil has also been linked to an increased instance of fainting following administration of the vaccine. From 2002-2004 there were a total of about 50 reports of vaccine-related fainting. But from 2005 until last July, reports of vaccine-related fainting spiked to about 230. About 180 of those cases followed a shot of Gardasil, according to the CDC).
The Gardasil side effect reports also include 28 women who miscarried after receiving Gardasil. In May 2007, a 24-year-old woman suffered a miscarriage, which an investigator in a report issued to the federal government said, “may have been caused by Gardasil because the patient received the injection within 30 days of the pregnancy.” In July 2007, a 17-year-old girl from Texas was unaware she was pregnant when she got her second dose of Gardasil. She miscarried, but the cause of the miscarriage hasn’t been determined, according to a report.
The reasons for two other miscarriages in Florida in 2007 - one by a 16-year-old and another by a 24-year-old both - are undetermined, according to reports. But it is known that both women had Gardasil vaccinations shortly before the miscarriages. If you or someone you know suffered a miscarriage following the administration of Gardasil, it is important that you contact one of our Gardasil side effect lawyers in order to protect your rights.
Most disturbing among the Gardasil side effect reports are those that involve the deaths of young women. Three young women in the US died shortly after receiving Gardasil, while two other women in Europe also died after the vaccine was administered. Despite all of these reports, Merck continues to market Gardasil as virtually side-effect free. Our Gardasil side effect lawyers believe that Merck has misled the public about Gardasil's potential dangers, and our law firm intends to hold Merck accountable for these dangerous Gardasil side effects

Here is the website where I found this article at: http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/gardasil_side_effects Feel free to check it out.

Sooooooo, Gardasil is so great eh? I think not. You see, the FDA approved this drug and I'm sorry but whenever they "approve" anything I take a closer look. The FDA is a government authority and anyone that knows me, knows what I think of our government. Especially government ran institutions..............I love my country but hate my government.

The article states (as many other articles I read) that the law firm (and other law firms) is investigating serious side effects such as blood clots and death. Let me repeat that..........BLOOD CLOTS AND DEATH. That's enough reason for me not to make my daughter get it. That is, if I had a daughter. LOL And to think several states are pushing for federal mandates to have girls entering the sixth grade get the vaccine, which in layman's terms means if it's mandated, your daughter will be made to get it. End of story. Oh I'm sure you could fight it, but you are going to have one heck of a time trying to get your kid out of not getting vaccinated.

This whole rant leads to one thing, we as parents should be the only and I mean ONLY ones that dictate what goes into our childrens' bodies. Not some bureaucrat. Think for yourself, instead of being a sheeple.........

Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?

So I took the "Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You" quiz. I have to say I was pleasantly pleased:)

Take the Quiz here!

You Are...Elinor Dashwood!

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Huh?! Who knew?

Ok, I left my sanity around here somewhere!

Ok, it's been a while since I posted. I actually had ALOT going on. I feel as though I have "lost" my sanity somewhere. Ya know, they say that during a full moon people act "abnormal". Let's see what all I've been up to..........

Got garden put in, weeded garden several times, got a flower bed put in the front yard, planning our vacation for next year, getting rid of clutter, working on 2 crocheting projects, decoupaging an end table, put middle son through driver's ed, took said son to get driver's license (which he did pass), shampooed carpets through out the house, finish up some sewing projects and lastly, I took nurse aide training (and passed my state test with flying colors!!!!) Whew! I am also currently redoing some stuff to decorate the different rooms:)

So now that things have SEEMED to slow down a little I believe I have the extra time to go hunt for my sanity..........I know it's around here somewhere. I hope.

Finally got it done!

Ok, so I FINALLY got my desk done. I love how it turned out! I had originally bought it for $1.99 at a thrift store. I spent about $9.00 (give or take) for spray paint and about $4.00 for the new knobs. I had the modge podge, gold paint, cut out scraps (for the top of the desk) and polyurethane. So the grand total of this craft adventure is: $14.99. Looks pretty awesome, eh? I love the colors and couldn't be happier. I love decoupaging. It's like putting a puzzle together:)

I'm trying to finish up a scarf for my one son's girlfriend along with a couple of other crochet projects. Thennnnnnn, I'll work on decoupaging my two end tables that I recently painted. Those are gonna turn out awesome as well!

Decoupaging is a fun and easy craft anyone can do. A friend recently said "If you can paste something to something else, you can decoupage." I couldn't agree more!

Here are some links to get you started on the path to decoupaging:

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/decoupage/a/012201a.htm (this link is decoupage 101)

http://www.wikihow.com/Decoupage (this link is also a basic how to article)

And

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_nobanner/text/0,1783,HGTV_10680_14711,FF.html

(this link is a wonderful collection of decoupage crafts to get your feet wet!)

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a recipe I made the other night. It's a Shepard's pie of my own recipe:)

Easy Shepard's Pie

2 cans of mushroom gravy

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or ground turkey)

3 cups of instant mashed potatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Pour into a oblong pan or oven proof casserole dish. Mix mushroom gravy into the ground beef. While you are doing the previous step, you need to be making enough instant potatoes for 3 cups. After you have the potatoes ready, spread on top of the beef mixture. Put a layer of shredded cheddar cheese on top and then sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Until I post again, I hope everyone has a safe and happy week!

Slainte~

Uses of vinegar

I was originally going to post different uses of vinegar on my blog today BUT I got to reading some other stuff and got off track......see previous post. LOL

Anyway, no harm in going ahead and posting the info,eh?

Tip 1: To make hard boiled eggs super easy to shell, add 2 Tbsps of white vinegar to a 4 quart pot of water before you bring it to boil.

Tip 2: To clean a drain. Add 1 cup baking soda and then 1 cup of white vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes and follow it with a couple of cups of boiling water.

Tip 3: To get rid of the onion order from your hands. Just rub your hands with some white vinegar.

Tip 4: To clean a hair brush, soak it in white vinegar.

Tip 5: All purpose window cleaner. A couple of ounces of white vinegar in a quart of water.

Here is an awesome website with lots of uses for vinegar: http://www.vinegartips.com/

Lastly, here is a recipe the boys and I like to make. It gives tuna a bit of a zing to it!

Can of tuna, mayo of your choice, and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Mix all together. Chill and enjoy!

Have a great week everyone!

FIRED UP!

Ok, this morning I'm in a bit of a mood. Not happy with the continuous crap our government tries to shove down our collective throats........

Example: Gas prices. I've been ticked about this for some time. Last time I looked crude oil was about $105.00 a barrel. Oh, it's slightly down from last season. Great. They are blaming the weakening U.S. dollar on the skyrocketing prices. I believe I heard in a news report on the radio that the sluggish economy is to blame as well. HUH? I'm sorry I don't see how a sluggish U.S. economy can cause gas prices to rise. If anything, the demand would go down because no one can afford to go anywhere. Good news, analysts are saying that oil demand SHOULD go down the second half of the year. We will see. I"m not holding my breath. I will be doing research on the alternatives of gas and what I can do to save not only money but the environment. I'll post my findings:)

Another gripe I have this morning is how the USDA is trying to make it harder for you to buy local fruits, veggies and meat. Here is an article about the subject. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01hedin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Big Corporations in Texas, Florida and California feel threatened by these local farmers.....why? Because they have a superior product. They want to "nip" this expanding movement in the bud before it gets too big. Somebody is getting a little too greedy. Not to mention, it looks like our wonderful government (USDA) is helping these big corporations. Lovely. I say get on local harvest.com and buy your stuff locally. At least you will know how it was raised, how long it had been sitting around AND you will be helping your local economy. Here is the link to local harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/ I'm always up to put a hurting on somebody that tries to be a bully:)

I thought this was supposed to be a government of the people and for the people...........What can we each do to help remedy the problems that our nation currently face?

I hope I have made you pause and think about what is going on in this country this week. We as American citizens need to stand up and use our voices.

To start, maybe get out and vote, sign petitions (or start a petition!), call or write your local, state and federal government. Nothing will change if we sit idly by......... Be heard and seen, they can't shut all of us up. LOL

Sick babies and boycotts.......

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted, hasn't it? I have had a sick husband and two sick kids.

I'm happy to report my husband is over the flu and my boys are recovering as well. The flu that's going around can really throw someone for a loop. I'm REALLY surprized that Jeremy or I have gotten it yet. I have given them medicine and making sure they have lots of fluids. It's helped:)

I have talked briefly on here about ebay and wanted to share my thoughts on the "boycott". I have seen where several members (mostly sellers I believe) will be boycotting ebay this week. I as a seller (and even as a buyer) will not be involved in the boycott. Athough, I commend those that will be sacrificing their income for a cause they believe in, cannot do the same. I haven't been selling now for well over a month, so money is not the issue with me. What is, is the fact that ebay is a multi-million dollar company. They will not listen to a few thousand dis-gruntled sellers. Not being rude, just stating a fact. ebay is there to make money.

As one person on a yahoo group I belong to stated basically that ebay is a publically traded company, they have to answer to their shareholders, etc. I also agree with some that has said that if it wasn't for the buyers, us sellers would be out of business. I certainly agree with that. Most buyers by nature want a fair price on a product, along with a smooth transaction. I know that's what I look for. IF all the sellers on ebay left, then these buyers would find other venues to buy products. Plain and simple. We as sellers have to be creative and give outstanding customer service. If some of our DSR's are low, then we need to look at why and remedy the problem. If anything, it will make us better sellers because we willing be ever striving to be better and in turn will help our business to grow. And isn't that one of the reasons we sell on ebay, to make money?

Have a wonderful and safe week!

Filling my plate......

Well, I am starting to fill up my plate. I will be starting my new job next week. I think I'm gonna like it. The place seems more laid back than my last job:) It will just be part time, so that's cool.

I also joined a new group called Women of Strength and Inner Beauty. They have different "gardens" to join if you like. I have joined the faery garden, little sisters garden and the literary garden. Once I get my paint shop pro software in I'm going to join the creators garden. The ladies there are such wonderful people and I already love interacting with them.

Lastly, I'm getting my ebay business up and running. I have my new templates for my auctions and about me page. So that will be getting done this weekend. I have lots of new stuff to sell. I have an account now on ecrater as well and will be listing items there as well. I'm very excited!!!!!! I have been comtemplating on what I want to sell and what kind of products I want to make. Over the weekend I will be finally doing up a business plan and answering questions I have for myself so that I can narrow what I want to offer. Like, what do I like to do? What creative outlets do I want to persue that I think I can make money at? I like the feel of a cozy cottage. The wonderful intermingling of new and old. Faded prints, crystals twinkling in the light and bright soothing colors. So whenever I list an item in my shop that is what I will keep in mind.......would it look like it would be a cottage?

Changing one day at a time........

Good evening everyone! My projects are getting closer to being done and I will post pics this week on what I have been doing:) I don't know if I mentioned it in my previous post but I will be using this blog for musings, recipes, crafts and homeschooling along with business info. So, if you "tune" in from time to time you'll know what this blog is about. My myspace blog will be about my spiritual studies and my spiritual journey.

Well, I joined a new group called "Women of Strength and Inner Beauty". A great group of gals! They have different "gardens" that you can join. Right now I'm kind of browsing to see which ones I wanna join. I've also gotten alot of stuff organized to start back up selling again on ebay. New name, new slogan and new "theme". It's alot more of my style. I'm really happy with it.

I have been eating alot better as well. Weaning myself off of meat somewhat. I don't think I could be completely vegan but I think I am going a step in the right direction health wise for me. Researching recipes and thinking about what meatless meals that I would enjoy. There is soooooo many options out there now for vegetarians. Yum!

Well, it's Friday night and I am gonna snuggle up with hubby to finish watching a movie. Here is a recipe of the meal that I cooked tonight!

Rancheo Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1-2 cans of tomato sauce
cottage cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
Doritos
Chilli powder
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef in skillet. Drain fat. Add the tomato sauce, chilli powder and garlic salt. Let simmer. In the meantime, put a layer of Doritos in a casserole pan. Make sure you crunch them up good in the pan. Take the meat mixture and spread it over the Doritos. Next, layer cottage cheese and lastly top with cheddar cheese. Put into the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares. While it's cooking you can chop up some tomatoes, onions and lettuce, etc. so that you can top the rancheo casserole with.

Enjoy!

Hurray for the new year!

Good evening everyone! I hope the new year has started off great for you and I hope you are all well. I have been busy organizing, cleaning and creating!

I have decided that this blog will feature my creations, musings and recipes while my blog on myspace will feature my spiritual journey.

I have several projects going on right now and hope to have pics of a few posted in the next few days BUT in the meantime I'll share with you a new favorite recipe of my family's and tell you what I have in store for myself in the next few days.

My husband and I are helping out a lady that he works with as she is in the process of getting her kids back and needs 3T and 4T boy's clothes. So tomorrow I'll hit a couple of thrift stores and see if I can find her anything. She works through a temp agency so she isn't making as much as Jon. She'll be a single mom and that's gonna be hard enough without worrying about finding clothes for her little ones. On Tuesday, I have a class in Berlin, Ohio on rug hooking!!!!! I can't wait. I'm going to use that craft skill along with a few others that I'm learning and put it to use developing a product line. I'm very excited! Along with all of that this week I am organizing my office, start back up listing stuff on ebay and maybe even open a store on ecrater. Needless to say my week is gonna be busy. I have several days where I'll be cooking something quick and easy. Gotta love the crockpot!

Speaking of cooking, here is my recipe that "whipped" up tonight for the very first time and my family loved it!

Chicken and dumplings:

28 oz of can of chicken
49.5 oz of chicken broth
2 cups of bisquick mix
2/3 cups milk
Salt, pepper and parsley to taste

Pour into pot: Broth, chicken, salt, pepper and parsley. Bring to boil. While you are waiting for the broth to boil combine the bisquick mix and milk. Mix with fork. When the broth is boiling, reduce heat and add spoonfuls of biscuits into the broth. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes. After that, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve while hot!

Enjoy! I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

What a week!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while but I have had a crazy week!

First off, last Sunday my middle son (pictured) had his 16th birthday!!!!! My babies are growing up!!!!!! I'm so very proud of them and the men they are turning out to be. I remember having him the hospital........everyone thought for sure he was gonna be a girl. LOL I'm very glad he wasn't though:) Hopefully soon I'll be able to get him into the driver's training course and he'll get his license. He's all ready turning out to be an excellent driver. Jeremy, you're an awesome person and I'm so blessed you are in my life.

Secondly, Jeremy's girlfriend (Debi) had to have emergency surgery on Wednesday. Jeremy, Jay and Becca (Jay's gf) all went up to the hospital and waited until the surgery was done. Surgery went all right and the hospital released her the following evening. She had appendicitis. Jay, Becca and Jeremy all "Debi-sitted" yesterday. She seemed to be moving around better and I guess she wants the boys and I to take her holiday shopping today.

Lastly, I have been baking cookies. Sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and snickerdoodles. Yum! Not to mention, trying to get a few last minute presents done before the big day:)

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Traditions

I woke up this morning thinking about Christmas's gone by. Remembering the different things I used to do when I was a kid this time of year. It was usually christmas shopping, followed by baking, playing in the snow and even more baking:) Every year mom would bake oodles and oodles of cookies (which my brother and I got to decorate!) along with various goodies that my family has made as far back as can be remembered. I'm a bit of a non-conformist but looking back I value and enjoyed these little "traditions" that my family did every year. Just like clockwork. (grin)

So today I share with you some of my family's recipes that I make every year with my children, which was made when I was a kid and was even made by my mother before me. By sharing these "traditions" we connect our children to those loved ones that have gone on before.

BUTTERHORNS: 4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon yeast, 1/4 cup butter, 3 egg yokes (keep the whites in a separate bowl) 1/2 cup carnation milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix everything together, except the egg whites. Divide into 8 balls. Roll ball out (like you would a pie crust) in powdered sugar and cut into 8 wedges (like pie slices). On each wedge add a rounded teaspoon of filling (recipe follows) on the "large" edge of the wedge and then roll it up. Repeat these steps with the last 7 balls. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet until filling is just lightly brown.

Filling: 3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup pecans, 3 cups sugar, 3/4 cup dates (chopped). Beat egg whites to "peaks". Add sugar and vanilla, stir by hand. Blend in rest.

POTATO CANDY: We always used left over mashed potatoes from a previous dinner. Put potatoes in a bowl and mix with powdered sugar. Flour surface with powdered sugar. Put "dough" onto floured surface. Roll out (rectangle shape) but make sure that you DO NOT roll out too thin. Spread peanut butter on "dough". Roll up like you would a jelly roll. Wrap in wax paper and chill for a couple of hours. When done being chilled, cut into slices.

BUCKEYES: 1/2 pound or two sticks of butter ( at room temperature), 1 pound of peanut butter. Mix together the butter and peanut butter and add 3 cups powdered sugar. Shape into balls and put in fridge. After being chilled for awhile dip in melted chocolate, but make sure not to cover the whole "ball" because you want to see some of the peanut butter "peeking" through. Hence, the reason it looks like a buckeye.

SNICKERDOODLES: 1/2 cup butter (softened), 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl mix 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, set aside. Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small balls. Roll each ball into the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I also hope that they help to weave wonderful holiday memories that you and your will remember for years to come.........

Snow Day!

Ok, so I look out my front door this morning and what do I see? SNOW. Yep, lots of it too:) So I have decided to give the boys a snow day. I mean, even though we homeschool sometimes you gotta stop and just have a day to goof off, right? Today is the perfect day for that. I also don't have to go to my part-time job outside of the home so that's a double YAY! I'm not fond of snow but I have to say that it does look very beautiful out there with everything blanketed in white.

I know alot of you are into the swing of things for the holidays so I thought I would also post a couple of quick recipes for your upcoming holiday meal.

This one is for homemade turkey gravy. It's very simple, so I know you'll like it. Who needs complicated, right?

Turkey Gravy: First off, I put my whole turkey into a roaster the previous night before bedtime and cook it on about 250-300 degrees all night long. The reason I telling you this is because I put a few cups on water in the bottom of the pan, that way the next day when it's time to make your gravy you have your turkey stock (water w/ fat drippings from the turkey). Take the turkey stock (about 2 cups) and put into a pot. Next take about a 1/2 cup of water and mix with 2 tablespoons of corn starch until disolved. Bring Turkey stock to boil and add the water w/corn starch. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Now it will still be somewhat runny until it starts to cool some, that's when it will thicken:) Let cool alittle to thicken and you're done!


Here is my simple version of the green bean casserole.

Green Bean Casserole: You will need two cans of green beans, one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of french fried onions. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Add to a bowl your green beans and soup. Also add a small handful of the french fried onions and a dash of garlic salt. Mix. Pour into a heat proof dish. Around the edge of the dish spinkle the remaining french fried onions. Pop into the oven for about 30 minutes. That's all there is to it!

I hope you enjoy the recipes and I'll try to post later this week some of the recipes of the homemade goodies we used to make when I was a kid. Yummmmm. Until then, I hope everyone is safe throughout the day! Now, I have to go get my butt in gear and list some stuff on ebay because today is the last day we get free gallery pictures!

Fa, La, La, La...........huh?

Well, the madness has begun. LOL People out shopping for their loved ones, friends, co-workers, neighbors, an uncle twice removed, long lost cousin, etc..........you get the point. (grin) It always amazes me how some people become so "giving" during the holiday season. Granted, some people do need an extra helping hand during this time of year, but, what bothers me is why should we WAIT until the holiday season to reach out to help our fellow man? There are people in need all year........

The child that has to go home every day from school to an empty house because Mom and Dad have to both work two jobs just to make ends meet.

The single mom who cannot afford a single present for her children much less buy a Christmas tree to put up and worries how she is going to keep the electric on until she gets paid again.

A terminally ill man who has no family is spending his last days on earth alone and scared. He wishes more than anything someone would sit with him awhile.

And the soldier fighting in a foreign country, being away from his young wife and newborn son. He will be missing his son's first Christmas, first smile, first words.........

This post in no way was meant to be a rant about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It is my intention for it to serve as an awakening. We need to "awaken" to the world around us. For need knows no season.

This time of year does bring out the best (and sometimes the worst) in people. What will each of you bring to the world around you every day? The best or the worst? I will choose to offer the best within myself every day..................What will you choose?