Hello Old Friend...

On todays Menu:  My Old Friend The Pot Roast.  Nothing fancy, but a recipe I've made for years when I'm looking for a make-ahead meal...especially on a chilly weather day.  Well, Hello New Pot Roast recipe -- thanks to my friend Ree Drummond (aka:  The Pioneer Woman).   First I must tell you that it is still early afternoon - hours from dinner time -- and my kitchen smells amazing!  I feel like it is unfair for me to merely tell you about this yummy dinner...I really should invite y'all to our Kitchen table to eat it yourself!

The recipe is simple.  Almost just like momma taught you (& me)!  I think it's the addition of fresh Rosemary &  Thyme sprigs that make the difference!
                                                          Snow Day

PW "Perfect Pot Roast"



Tomorrow's agenda...  Sign-up for Weight Watchers (yes, the South has gotten to my figure...) AND make

"Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta" for my family (I'll be eating something else more figure friendly).  If my taste testers love the pasta, I'll give y'all the recipe!



Made from Scratch...With Love

We've had an eventful Christmas in Tennessee!  We knew that having 18 people in town would be fun and many memories would be made.  Unfortunately, our main memory will be that 17/18 of us got the flu.  Some would say that our holiday was ruined...but it wasn't.  Once again {as so often in life} we had choose whether to laugh or cry.  There was some crying involved...but we chose to laugh more than cry and just continue counting the # of people who shared in this bonding time.  As a result of the illness, food was not a highlight of the last 2 weeks -- Saltine Crackers & Club Soda were the only items on the menu.  BUT, with tummies feeling good again, it was time to open up my favorite cookbook.

With 6 kids sleeping here again I needed something new for breakfast.  They've had it all - Pancakes, Cereal, Smoothies, Eggs, etc.   So I opened up my PW cookbook and knew exactly where to turn.  **Homemade Cinnamon Rolls**  I have never made them from scratch.  In fact, I've never done more than open up my wallet, pay for them, bring them home & heat them up.  Gone are those days of eating store bought Cinnamon Rolls.  The PW ones are easy to make and yield 40-50 rolls in one batch.  Perfect for freezing or giving away to friends.

I began my rolls last night.  I made the dough and stored it in the refrigerator while I got my beauty sleep --  OK, not beauty sleep, more like Survival Sleep to keep up with the kids and dogs!  :)  I woke up at 7:00 and began the filling, rolling, slicing and baking.  Easy Easy Easy!  While the rolls baked, I prepared the Icing and poured it on when they were just out of the oven.  As with any recipe, I follow it precisely the first time then plan to make adjustments the next time.  That is the case with this one.  The rolls were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...and the Icing was yummy!  In the future, however, I would add a tad less coffee and a bit more Maple to the Icing.  Just a small change.

So there you have it --  6 Kids + 2 Adults + a Gazillion Cinnamon Rolls = A great start to the last day of Christmas Break.

 

Friendship and Vests

With every move, we get new neighbors.  Over the years, we've had some great ones!  No one has ever compared to our first neighbors, The Huntley Family...but those memories are for a different time!  We love our new neighborhood.  When we moved in, we were sure that the Southern Hospitality would be over-flowing...but people are busy {us included}.  Of course everyone waves as they pull into their driveway, but we wanted Friendships - not just waves...  SO, we had an idea...

It is a family tradition to have a Christmas Party each year.  This tradition started when we were first married.  The Elliott's, Kostjuk's, Waldeck's and Us!  We had fun year after year and made sweet memories.  Although we moved away, Jon & I have continued to host Christmas parties.  Sometimes it's with our Small Group, some years it's been a Christmas Brunch.  One year everything was ready except for the arrival of our guests....then the stomach flu hit me...and Cancelling the event was the only thing left to do. 

So, coming into this Christmas season, we knew we wanted to have a party ~ we just didn't know who to invite.  Then we thought about our neighbors!  As we walked door-to-door handing out invitations, I wondered if anyone would attend.  Regardless of that concern, the planning began.  I LOVE PLANNING PARTIES!  Love it all!  One thing that I do delegate gladly is the Activities for the evening.  That's where my other (better!) half comes in!  He is great at keeping a group happy.  I must admit that I had a few doubts about his idea, but I went with it.  Every "Holiday" party should have guests wearing their best "holiday" sweater, right?  The plan was for everyone to make their very own Holiday Vests. 

Fast Forward to December 17th, 7pm.  Jon and I put on our decked-out vests and we opened the door to greet our first guests.  They (remember, we don't know our neighbors) looked at our vests, gave an akward smile and continued talking.  I was so relieved when Jon told them it was a joke and that they too could make one!  This crazy idea turned out to be a fun time of bonding.

The Supplies

The Hosts

The Food





Some of the guests

The evening was a success.  Plenty of food, drinks, laughter, happy kids and more!  The best part was that we made new friends.  We are all busy and rarely take the time to do more than wave... but now we have shared memories and can continue building friendships with these sweet neighbors.  I am continually grateful that God placed us in this neighborhood.  I was convinced that House # 1 then #2 then #3 were the perfect houses for us.  I was wrong {again}.  God knew what we needed and I will be faithful with what He has given us and whom He has placed us near.

If I had a Penny...

IF I HAD A PENNY every time I've thought about updating this blog...hhhmmm....I'd have at least 20 cents!  I haven't forgotten about the blog, life is just speeding by so quickly and I can't align my "creative thoughts" with actually sitting at the computer to type them >>>  UNTIL NOW!

Where to begin?  Where I left off is the best place.  Yes, in my last post I shared about being the recipient of a Speeding Ticket.  After 2 months, I am finally right with the LAW again.  You see, yesterday I had the privilege of going to City Hall and standing before the judge at 7:30 a.m.  In front of a room full of people, I had to say the word "Guilty" and I said "Yes, I do want to attend traffic school...Thank You".   So that is where I begin...

Now what has this Tennessee girl been up to for the past 2 months?  Well, all y'all can keep reading to find out!  :)

My dear Friend Kelli E.  and her sweet girls came to visit Franklin (uh, I mean ME) in October!  We had a great time seeing everything a tourist should see, eating lots of great food and spending time with a friend that lives too far away.  She was the photographer that week so pictures are on her blog.  http://www.moment4milk.blogspot.com/  

November came and went in a hurry.  My girl, K, turned 9 years old and we had such fun celebrating HER on several occasions.  On the night of her Birthday, we loaded up the car {even the dog} and headed to Texas.  In the past, we have always flown to TX...but we were up for the adventure of a 10.5 hour drive.  Arriving early to surprise my parents was such fun and we loved having extra time with them.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family!

Now...December is half over, and I am wondering where the days have gone.  The house is decorated, lights are up, family is coming soon and we are eager to celebrate the birth of Jesus ~ our Savior.

Until next time...

**P.S.  Sorry for the lack {non-existence} of  pictures...This was definitely a "catch-up" post...Pictures coming soon!

PERFECT day

On a PERFECT Fall day I decided to cook dinner before my kids got home from school.  That is always my intention but rarely does it happen...  The afternoon would be PERFECT!  With dinner in the fridge (only needing to be baked), 3 kids happy to be picked up from school, a special treat at Henpeck (a Franklin fave), then off to the Pumpkin Patch.  PERFECT (in theory!).  Pulling out of Henpeck - snacks being consumed - I looked in my rearview mirror and realized that something was happening that was not a part of my PERFECT plan for the afternoon.  I saw flashing lights!  I told the kids to be quiet and keep eating...because I needed to pull over even though I had no idea why.  Once pulled over, the Police Man informed me that I was speeding.  Now, I'm pretty sure that I've said in the past (most likely to my hubby) that I have never gotten a speeding ticket before...Well I can't say that anymore!  My mom always told me, "Never say Never"...and history has proven that correct over & over.  For instance, I will never move from California (ha!) and I would never have a C-Section (3/3).  Anways, back to my almost-PERFECT afternoon with the kids.  Once I had the ticket in hand the tears came.  My daughter unbuckled her seat belt, climbed to where she could reach me and just hugged me!  Thank you God for giving K the gift of mercy.  I needed that hug!  With tears on my face, we proceeded to the Pumpkin Patch.  Upon our arrival, I saw 6 letters that made me sad:  CLOSED.   Yep, it is only open on weekends.  Jacob wanted to find another pumpkin patch, but I decided that I'd spent enough money (expensive ticket) already that day...so we'll get our Pumpkins on Saturday instead! 

The good news is that once I got home I only had to turn on the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes...then dinner was Finished!  I made the Pioneer Woman's recipe of Mac N' Cheese.  This was my 1st time ever making this comfort food - my kids think there is only 1 kind of yummy Mac N' Cheese - Kraft in the box.  My big kids sat and had happy hearts at the table...loading their plate with veggies and the dinner I prepared.  My little guy, B, was concerned that it "looked different".  After a few bites, B exclaimed, "I like it!"    I proceeded to once again remind him of the Green Eggs & Ham book - "I do like them, Sam I Am."    If you have the cookbook, try this recipe.  It was good - not my favorite - but yummy.  I added crumbled bacon on top because...well, everything is better with Bacon!  :)

SO, All in All, my PERFECT day was good.  It was the day God had planned for me.  In it I was shown compassion from my daughter in the form of a hug and I got to teach my kids that we respect authority and admit when we are wrong (even when it's hard). 

I'm a list maker (probably not a surprise)...I'm just going to start leaving some blank lines on my Daily To-Do list to help me remember that there is no such thing as a PERFECT day and that God will add what He knows I need to my schedule. 

 

LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES

Several weeks ago we invited a family over for dinner.  It was a family that we have said hello to on Sunday's and waived to as we scurry by them in the preschool hallway at church.  We had been wanting to get to know them...and so when our schedule's finally aligned, we set a date!  Of course this also gave me the opportunity to flip through my *Favorite* cookbook and think about what recipes I could make.  I settled on 2 recipes.  Bought all of the ingredients.  Unloaded Groceries.  Then proceeded with the days plans:  church event, soccer game, another trip to the grocery store, middle child losing a tooth, last minute cleaning...you know the routine!  Finally, it was time to prepare dinner.

My Dinner Menu was:

*PW Homemade Artichoke Dip (for the Appetizer)
*PW Lasagna
*Salad
*Green Beans
*Loaf of crusy Italian Bread

A simple menu for sure ~ but a Yummy one!

Well, I proceeded to open my cookbook and prep the Lasagna.  I feel the need to confess that I have never even purchased Lasagna noodles before!  So, this once shy-cook is gaining in culinary confidence once again.  Steps 1-5 = No problem!    Then Step 6.  In this ever so important step, I am instructed to let the mixture SIMMER for 45 minutes!  Yikes!  At this point I am so thankful that I made the last-minute decision to not make the Artichoke dip so I was actually about 45 minutes ahead of schedule.  LESSON LEARNED:  Read the entire recipe before starting!   {Which I always tell my Sous-Chef Karli to do}.  After nearly an hour of simmering, my kitchen smelled like it belonged in Italy.  :)  It was then time to layer the Lasagna & Bake.   45 minutes later we had a Masterpiece!

To quote The Pioneer Woman,

"If it weren't for my beautiful bronze skin or calf roping skills,

 he would've married me for my lasagna. 

 In other words, he married me for my Lasagna!" 

Life is full of choices!  The Pre-"Pioneer Woman Cookbook" Kelli would've served Option A for Dinner . 

Nothing wrong with it {& I will use it for a crazy soccer night this fall, I'm sure}.

OPTION A

But can I just tell you how much fun it was to serve Option B to my family and guests!  I love creating food and watching people enjoy it as we sit around the family table.  As I've written before, it's not just about the ingredients...it's about the experience! 

OPTION B



A Julie Andrews Song Comes To Mind... {Cue Music}

These are a few of my FAVORITE THINGS!

I'm not a collector.  I don't follow fads [on purpose].  My favorite places to shop are Target & Costco...but I've been known to enjoy a trip to Nordstrom every now & again.  I'm a simple Country Girl and these are some of the things I like! 

This is one of my family's FAVORITE WORDS this year.  SIMPLIFY.  Stuff, activities, busyness, whatever...just SIMPLIFY. 

This sign is on top of my kitchen cabinet as a daily reminder to do a "What's truly important?" check often.

Does it get more Simple than sitting on a PORCH SWING drinking Sweet Tea

(Ok, I'm not that Southern ~ A Diet Coke for me, please!).  This swing came with the house and I love it. 

I know I risk ridicule and being stereo-typed with this next Favorite Thing!  But don't knock it till you printed your first LABEL!  I use my LABEL MAKER often and I'm more organized because of it!

A new SIGN I got from Hobby Lobby.  I won't really charge my kids $5 for Whining...

but I'm not going to tell them that!  Sssshhhh...

Love these new plastic SERVING PIECES from Target. 

I use the small plates for appetizers ~ too cute!

                                                           

MEASURING CUPS from Pier 1.  So cute, practical and definitely help keep me happy while cooking. 

 It's the little things, really!

This NECKLACE is a favorite.  Not because it has Jewels on it - it doesn't.  Not because the Pearl is real - it's not.  Not because it was expensive - it wasn't.  This necklace is a favorite for what it says.  "Raising Generations".  Isn't that what we're doing as Mother's?  We are raising the next generation of people. 

 I have lots of FAVORITE THINGS!  But they are just that..Things!  My Salvation, The Word of God, My Family & Friends...that's what is truly in my Heart and for which I am most GRATEFUL!

P.S.  If you have any FAVORITE THINGS, I'd love to hear about them!  :)