Enjoying God's Creation

No more training wheels!

2010-06-09T08:55:00.003-05:00

We have been through the whole "take the training wheels off", "put the training wheels back on" mode for a while now, but this last weekend Hannah finally learned how to ride her bike!

(getting her knee pads on)

(getting her helmet on)

(make sure mom is watching!)

There she goes!

I'm so glad we live on the deadest street around, so my kids can practice riding their bike up and down the street without much worry of traffic.

I told her I wanted to cry because my baby girl is getting to be such a big girl these days! Where does the time go?

Happy 9th Birthday Micah!

2010-03-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how each year the kids come up with a new idea that they want for their birthday cake! Even though Micah's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, this is the first time he has asked for a shamrock cake! Last year he wanted a butterfly cake, and when he was younger and liked Thomas the Train, I made him a train cake. Without looking back, I can't remember the other ones, but someday I'd like to gather all the cake pictures together and scan them onto here or Facebook. I enjoy making my children's birthday cakes!

Anyway, Micah gets to go to the homeschool office today for his last Lego Machines class he has been taking. Then we'll probably go to Coldstone Creamery for his birthday ice cream. Happy Birthday Micah! We love you!

Homemade Granola

2010-03-14T14:42:00.003-05:00

I love to make my own granola from time to time.

Mix together 2 C. old-fashioned oatmeal, 1 C. sliced almonds, & 1/2 C. sunflower seeds. (Sometimes I will toast the nuts and seeds for a few minutes in the oven first.)

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 C. oil and 1/2 C. honey.

Stir it into the oats, nuts and seeds. Mix well, then spread out in a large baking pan.

Bake at 300* for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Pour back into the bowl, then add dried fruits to it. I added 1/2 C. dried apricots (chopped), 1/3 C. craisins, and then threw in maybe 1/4 C. both light and dark raisins.

Mix the dried fruits in, let the granola cool, then store in a large ziploc bag or an airtight container.

We like to have a bowl of granola for cereal, or use it to top yogurt, or just snack on it right out of the bag.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T18:49:00.003-06:00

We found the recipe for these cute cookies here: http://annies-eats.com/2010/02/12/conversation-heart-cookies/

My little cookie helper!

These were big hit at our house!

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-02-10T14:36:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I've been thinking lately that cinnamon rolls sound good, so I cheated the other day and bought some frozen ones to bring home and bake. Did it work? Well, they did get ate, but they did not fill the bill for me. So, today I made some from scratch and they were so much better! I used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/index.html. I follow the recipe almost exactly, but I cut the filling ingredients in half and I don't use any nuts or raisins in mine. Now I just have to make sure there are some left when my husband gets home!

Our Little Fisherman

2010-02-03T17:54:00.002-06:00

Or is it fisherwoman? Fisher-girl? We went ice fishing over the weekend and Hannah caught her first fish!

She was trying to hold it up for a picture, but it got away from her!

She was so excited to catch her first fish!

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-14T17:29:00.003-06:00

Last year we made some little "gingerbread houses" out of graham crackers. This year we bought some gingerbread kits that were on sale because we waited til after Christmas. Hannah was working on some gingerbread cookie pops:

Micah was working on decorating a gingerbread house that came pre-assembled:

Jeremiah got a gingerbread house that came un-assembled, so he got to assemble it first and then decorate it:

Here is Micah's decorated house:

Here are Hannah's gingerbread cookie pops:

And here are a couple shots of Jeremiah's gingerbread house:

We also got a mini gingerbread village, but we haven't worked on it yet. It is supposed to make 5 little houses or whatever, and we thought since we are a family of 5 that we each could do one. So we are waiting for an evening when daddy is able to participate! The kids have been just having a blast with these though!

Balance

2010-01-01T12:33:00.002-06:00

.......that is what my goal is for the new year!! Learning how to balance everything : reading my Bible, praying, being a wife, being a mom, housekeeping, excercising, homeschooling, trying to find time to enjoy a few "fun" things. It all sounds overwhelming doesn't it? What are your goals for the New Year??

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2009-12-25T15:26:00.004-06:00

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oar123wgUH4

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Candy Sleds

2009-12-21T08:57:00.004-06:00

We made some cute little candy sleds to hand out to the kids lastnight at church after the Christmas program.

They are pretty simple. Just takes a fun-size candy bar and 2 miniature candy canes and a couple of gummy bears for each sled and melt some chocolate bark for the "glue"

I think the kids really liked them. And Jeremiah had fun passing them out! Randy and I were both kind of shocked that all 3 kids actually participated and did very well in the play this year!

Watching the Snow

2009-12-09T20:20:00.002-06:00

It was kind of pretty lastnight looking out the window and seeing the reflection of lights from the tree, as well as the snow coming down outside. Kind of just a cozy, Christmas-y feeling. It's been nice having the family home and safe and warm and not having to go anywhere on the yucky roads. I've been busy making Christmas candy while Randy's been busy making deer sticks, jerky, etc. The kids have been enjoying watching holiday movies. Have to enjoy it while it lasts! And pray that the roads get better so we can make it to the Live Animal Christmas Play this weekend!

Putting up the Christmas tree

2009-12-01T17:31:00.004-06:00

It was really fun this year kicking back and watching the kids do the tree. Usually I struggle to bring the tree up from the basement because Randy is usually hunting, but he was actually here to bring it up for me. YAY! Also, I usually assemble it myself, but I just sat on the couch and enjoyed watching Jeremiah do it this time. Then the kids had fun decorating it while Randy and I just kicked back and relaxed and talked about how they are growing up too fast!

The following picture is blurry as a result of Hannah running right in front of the camera just as I was taking this picture, but I posted it because we all thought it was rather interesting the way the lights look in it.

They had a lot of fun and did a pretty good job without our help!

The Finished Pies

2009-11-26T10:57:00.001-06:00

Here is the picture of the finished pies..........now if I can just keep my husband out of them so we can get them to the Porter Thanksgiving!!

It's beginning to look a lot like............

2009-11-25T16:03:00.003-06:00

THANKSGIVING!!! Sorry if I let anyone down who may have been looking for Christmas!! We don't do Christmas until after Thanksgiving here!

It is pie central around here today! Here is a pumpkin pie:

And a pecan pie:

And a blackberry pie (hubby's favorite):

This will be a French Silk Pie once I get the whipped cream and chocolate curls on it:

This will be a Reese's pie once I add the whipped cream and Reese's p.b. cups:

And this is a banana cream pie that needs whipped cream yet (my husband put in a plug for my father-in-law for this one!

So that's what I've been up to all day! I just need to whip up some whipping cream and put on all the finishing touches. I don't usually make this many pies, but I was showing Randy my list of possible pies I was willing to make and told him I was one pie pan short if I was going to make all the pies on the list. I asked, "Which ones should I make?" ......and what does he do?.......he wheels the shopping cart over to buy me another pie pan........so I got put on "pie patrol" for making all 6 I guess!! If I think of it, maybe I'll post pictures once the cream pies get their finishing touches. But for now I have to run!

1 Year Blogoversary!!

2009-11-11T14:05:00.003-06:00

The kids and I decided to make a little cake to celebrate our blogs' 1 year anniversary (or as I've seen others call it "blogoversary") Our blog is one year old today!! And I was probably better at blogging back then when it was "fresh and new", than what I am lately! We have just been too busy around here. But we are looking forward to the upcoming holidays and hopefully I will find time somewhere to blog!

........gotta go.......the kids want some cake!!

Fall Candy Wreath

2009-10-20T13:47:00.003-05:00

I was SO EXCITED when I got this fall candy wreath from my prayer pal on Sunday!! I have seen these kinds of things before and have thought about making one, but just have never taken the time out to do so!

This one has little cinnamon discs, butterscotch discs, and caramels on it:

I have seen different ones done with different kinds of candies and have thought they were the neatest things, so I was really excited to find this the other day with MY name on it!! Thanks S.P.P.!!!

Fun in the Sun!!

2009-10-15T18:03:00.004-05:00

Okay, well it may have been more work than fun, BUT it was nice to get out in the sun the other day on like the only day we've had sun all week!! Hannah and I decided to go out and rake leaves together.

She decided she wanted to take some pictures of mommy......so......

in that one I am headless and then there were a few I had to delete because her finger was in front of the lens, but she was rather excited when she got this one:

She was having fun being a photographer nonetheless! We also had some fun throwing leaves at each other, but there is no way to take pictures of that! We had fun though and were glad we got out while the weather was nice!

Apple Crisp

2009-10-07T07:43:00.003-05:00

After tantalizing so many people on facebook with my apple crisp, I thought I better share atleast the recipe!!

Peel, core, and cut up 6-8 Granny Smith apples into a 9x13 pan:

Then, in a bowl combine 1 1/2 C. flour, 1 1/2 C. brown sugar, 1 1/2 C. oatmeal, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Stir this together:

Add 2 sticks of butter:

Cut in wth a pastry blender (or a fork):

Till it's all crumbly like this:

Pour over the apples in the pan:

Then pat the mixture down :

Bake in a 350* oven for 45 min. or until golden brown like this:

(make sure you have a piece while it's still warm!)

Anyone else doing this?

2009-10-05T18:14:00.003-05:00

Raking leaves is an endless job here! But all the pretty leaves are enjoyable to look at....

What is your favorite thing about fall??

Field Trip Time!

2009-09-05T09:01:00.002-05:00

Well, it's field trip time again! We had 2 field trips this week. One was to Super Target:

Which was rather fun and interesting learning how many sandwiches were made in the deli and how many cakes were made in the bakery. We also got to tour the "back rooms" where they store the meat and dairy, the extra stock of groceries, and the extra supply of other things they sell at Target. After the tour we all sat down to a complimentary cookie and an Icee.

The other field trip was on "Honeybees" and took place at Indian Creek Nature Center. Here Hannah is holding a stuffed animal one:

And here the kids are standing in front of real live ones that are behind glass:

(by the way, they are standing on a step.......yes, Jeremiah is tall, but not THAT tall!!

And here are the bees:

And to complete the trip, we bought some honey to take home!

It was a fun week with both field trips and we look forward to the ones to come!

If you sneak into your boys room.......

2009-09-02T16:06:00.002-05:00

you might find this:

He loves to play army guys in the windowsill!

Where Oh Where Has My Summer Gone?

2009-09-01T15:58:00.005-05:00

Oh where, oh where could it be? Could it really be September 1st already? Where did June, July, and August go? This was the craziest, busiest summer I think we have ever had!! I took pictures of different things throughout the summer, but never took the time or even HAD the time to do any blogging!! We started back up our school year here recently, so spare time probably won't get any better. However, I will try to get a few things on here as time allows! One bonus for our daughter has been that our neighbors have had their granddaughter over quite a lot, and she and Hannah have become pretty good buddies over the summer months! Here are a couple pictures of them having some fun:

It's so nice that she finally has someone else to play with other than those crazy brothers!!

Fun at the Splash Pad

2009-07-25T11:28:00.003-05:00

Here is Micah under a bucket spilling out water:

Here is Hannah.....do you think she is cold?

Jeremiah wanted his picture taken here:

Then we went to Pinicon Ridge Park and climbed the tower:

And watched the geese:

Fun at the Playstation

2009-07-25T10:39:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was Kirby Fun Day at the Playstation. Our bank puts this on every summer for the kids. They get donuts and can play games. Here is Hannah with Kirby:

Micah won a Reese's in the candy machine and gave it to his sister who loves Reese's:

Here are the kids peeking out at us:

I went up and crawled around with them for a little bit

Here is my husband being a party pooper:

But I did manage to talk him into getting into the ball pit for a few minutes:

Happy 11th Birthday Jeremiah!

2009-07-22T15:14:00.003-05:00

I have NO idea how he went from this:

To this:

The boy is almost as tall as me! He is growing up so much lately, not just physically but also in many other ways. Randy and I still remember bringing him home from the hospital. Looking at him in the back seat and thinking "What are we doing?" But it has been a wonderful journey. He is one of the three greatest blessings God has given to us! We love you Jeremiah, have a great birthday!

Homemade Cherry Pie

2009-07-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

Grandma Manternach ( my mom) called the other day to tell us that her cherry trees had cherries ready to pick. So Sunday after church, we went over to pick some. The boys had fun climbing up into the cherry trees to fill their pails with cherries.

My mom so graciously let me borrow her cherry pitter which is pictured below:

And I FINALLY got to use my pastry cutter that I got at a Pampered Chef party a few months ago:

And I think it did a fine job

And here is the final result fresh out of the oven:

It was very delicious! We had it warm with leftover homemade ice cream that we made this weekend! Yummy!

Hannah's new hair stylist......

2009-07-10T11:22:00.002-05:00

(he was having so much fun playing with her hair, and I just couldn't resist the chance to snap a couple shots!)

Patriotic Snack

2009-07-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

Here is a little patriotic snack with the 4th of July right around the corner. Just put a little vanilla yogurt in a bowl, top with a couple sliced strawberries and a handful of blueberries, and enjoy!!

Prayer Request

2009-06-30T08:53:00.002-05:00

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/49451707.html

The above link is a news story of a guy we go to church with named Adam Zimmerman who was in a work related accident yesterday and was buried up to his neck in dirt. He is the son of Don & Kathy Zimmerman, who I was mentioning on here yesterday. He was taken to the hospital and is doing fine. Please pray for him and his family and that he will have a quick recovery.

Be VERY Careful What You Say on Facebook....

2009-06-29T08:34:00.002-05:00

I had written a post on Facebook on Friday that read like this : I NEED SOME CHOCOLATE!!! After all it was one of those days and for anyone who knows me, I am a chocoholic! But little did I know that one of our deacons from church (Don Zimmerman) had read this and was calling his wife at the grocery store to have her buy a chocolate bar. This deacon is the guy who hands out the bulletins at our church and when I got mine on Sunday, I sat down and opened it up and found this:

That Don may look sweet and innocent, but he is a sneaky little stinker!!! The funny thing was that Randy asked to see the bulletin and I said," I'm not sharing my bulletin, there's a chocolate bar in there!" He actually figured it out before I did that it came from the post that I wrote on Facebook. I was sitting there trying to figure out why there was a chocolate bar in there and he said,"Maybe they saw what you wrote on Facebook." Well, he was right! Between Sunday School and Morning Service Don's wife Kathy said, "You better be careful what you wish for on Facebook!" What a sweet couple!

12 Years of Marriage

2009-06-16T17:40:00.004-05:00

We celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary on Sunday (June 14). I was going to post this sooner, but I was hoping to scan in a few pictures from our wedding day. However, I couldn't get our scanner to work the other night and Randy was going to mess with it lastnight, but the boys wanted him to take them fishing. So for now I just have a current picture. I'm not sure where the last 12 years have went, but it's been great spending them with the love of my life. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, and He has blessed us both with 3 wonderful children. I look forward to many more years of marriage to my handsome red-head.

Our Garden

2009-06-10T14:33:00.003-05:00

WOW! Has it really been almost a month since my last post? I guess once we finished the schoolyear we just got all kinds of projects and activities going on and I just haven't taken the time out to blog. So I thought I would share some pictures from our garden.

These are our strawberry plants: (which are the kids favorite thing to check on!)

These are our eggplants:

This is our row of cauliflower:

This is our broccoli: (which is already starting to produce)

This is some of our 18 tomato plants:

This is some of our pepper plants:

This is our onion row: (part of it!)

This is some of our 23 potato plants:

Here are a couple of our cucumber plants:

Here is our zucchini plants:

So even though school was out in May, we are still learning plenty of science! (and math!) We have had a couple of strawberries and a little broccoli, but we are excited about all the other stuff to come!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-05-13T18:14:00.002-05:00

Well, looks like my husband found the pie! OK,OK, I did too and so did Micah and Hannah! There were people requesting the recipe for this, so here goes:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 single pie crust

2-3 C. diced rhubarb

2 C. sliced strawberries

1 C. sugar

1/4 C. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into pie crust and then prepare the crumb topping that follows:

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. oatmeal

1/4 C. cold butter

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and oatmeal. Then cut in butter with a fork. Crumble over top of pie and bake at 375* (covering the edges with foil) for 25 minutes for fresh fruit or 50 minutes for frozen fruit. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 more minutes for fresh fruit or 20-30 minutes for frozen fruit or until top is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Fresh Fruit Salad

2009-04-25T20:13:00.003-05:00

Spring is a great time for making salads. Not that any other time of year is not, but atleast spring and summer brings more stuff that's in season and tastes good anyway!! I just LOVE fruit so I thought I'd share a good fruit salad recipe.

I guess I don't use any specific measurements on most of it. I just slice up as much of whatever I want in there including : strawberries, kiwi, bananas, grapes ( I cut the grapes in half if they are big), 1-2 cans of mandarin oranges (drained), and a big can of pineapple chunks. Do NOT drain the pineapple juice because you will pour it over the salad to keep the bananas from turning brown. Feel free to add or subtract fruits that you like or dislike. Chill in the fridge and is best to use the same day it is made. It won't kill you the next day or anything, it's just that the strawberries will try to dye the pineapple and bananas red so its just a presentation issue! Very delicious!

Easter Egg Decorating

2009-04-10T20:17:00.004-05:00

Is this not the best part of making cookies?

2009-04-04T18:26:00.001-05:00

Is this precious or what?

2009-04-01T12:21:00.005-05:00

This video was taken when Hannah was almost 2 years old. It is so hilarious, she is trying to tell daddy about the Christmas tree, but in her words it came out "dee-da-dee" and towards the end you can here her say "Cheese!" It is also cute watching her put her arms up to daddy! This is so precious and so funny! Enjoy!

(you may want to scroll to the bottom first and pause the blog music so you can hear the video)

Maple Syrup Field Trip

2009-03-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

The kids went on a maple syrupin' field trip on Tuesday so I thought I'd put a few pictures on here really quick with the few seconds that I have available this crazy busy week!!

Here they are in front of the Maple Syrup House and then after the tour they got to have some maple syrup over ice cream!! This was at the Indian Creek Nature Center. They of course had a blast!!

Happy 8th Birthday Micah!

2009-03-17T12:24:00.003-05:00

Here is a look back to 8 years ago. I'd like to say he was a cute little guy because he WAS cute, but he WASN'T little. At 10lbs. 4 oz. I thought I was gonna have to call the fire department in with the jaws of life to get him out. But he finally arrived!

And here he is now, 8 years old. How does that happen anyway? Did somebody push fast forward or something?

He is all about bugs and nature and the outdoors, so he wanted me to make him a butterfly cake.

It was a challenge, but it didn't turn out too bad. Beats paying $15-20 for the ones at the store! Happy Birthday Pal!

Watergate Salad

2009-03-16T14:59:00.004-05:00

Here is a yummy green salad for those of you who like something green for St. Patrick's Day. It is so easy you can do it with your eyes closed! I recommend you keep them open though!

All you need is a small box of pistachio pudding, a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, 2 C. mini marshmallows, and an 8oz. tub of Cool Whip. Stir the first three ingredients together and then fold in the Cool Whip. Best to refrigerate overnight if you can so the marshmallows can soften.

Doesn't look very green in my picture, but it is a green salad which will be ready for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!

Orange Julius

2009-03-12T11:22:00.003-05:00

Once in a while I just have to make Orange Julius. It's such a yummy treat!

In a blender add 1C. milk, 1C. water, 1/2 of a 12oz. can of frozen orange juice concentrate, 1/2C. sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Blend this together and then add 2C. of small ice cubes and set blender to ice crush setting to blend this in.

Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Just make sure you don't stick your finger in the blender while it is running! (don't ask me how I know this!) I didn't do it today, but have done it in the past and had stitches in my finger for something I knew better but didn't think my finger was far enough down. I was just going to tap down some ice cubes really quick and next thing my oldest child is calling my husband to come take me to the hospital for stitches! I can safely say I've never poked anything down with my finger in the blender ever since!

Salted Nut Roll Bars

2009-03-10T15:37:00.002-05:00

O.K. ....I had to make something with nuts to keep my husband and father-in-law happy! My kids dislike it when I add nuts to recipes, but Randy and Russ like things better with nuts in it. Don't know why, they are already nutty enough aren't they??!! It's hard to please everyone, but I try!

You start with a box of yellow cake mix, then add 2/3C. melted butter and an egg. Mix well and press into a 9x13 pan.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350*. Then pour 3C. miniature marshmallows over the top.

Put back in oven for 3-5 more minutes till marshmallows puff like this:

Then you will need these ingredients:

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and 2/3C. corn syrup, then add a package of peanut butter chips.

Stir until smooth. Then add 1-2 C. salted peanuts

and 2C. Rice Krispies

Mix well

Then spread over the marshmallows in pan.

There will be one happy husband when he gets home and sees these. (and one happy father-in-law when hubby takes some to work tomorrow!)

My Favorite Toy!

2009-03-05T08:59:00.004-06:00

I would have to say without a doubt that my KitchenAid stand mixer is like my favorite toy and best gift I have ever gotten. A couple years ago I was following the Kohls sale ads before Christmas for the best deal on one and my wonderful husband bought it for me for Christmas!
(this way he gets his chocolate chip cookies more often, right?)

Then sometime in the last year or so we bought the slicer/shredder attatchment for it. They have many different attatchments you can get (meat grinder, can opener, pasta roller,etc.)

Here I am using the shredder to make some homemade coleslaw. Figure I better post something healthy to balance out all the sweets on here! Yes, we do TRY to eat healthy. It's just that we both have a sweet tooth and I just LOVE making desserts! So I appologize if they rule the rest on here!

I just grind up some green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots.

Then stir them together like this:

Then decide whether to make a creamy dressing or a vinagrette dressing because they both are so good!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2009-03-02T13:17:00.002-06:00

I think I may have finally figured out how to start a line above the top picture after about 3 or 4 months of blogging now with failure every time I tried!!! How dumb am I??!!

Preheat oven to 350*. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle 1C. brown sugar over the butter.

Place pineapple rings on top.

Put a marachino cherry inside of each pineapple ring.

Prepare pineapple cake mix according to package directions.

Pour on top and spread it out.

Bake for 48 minutes at 350*

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving dish. (I just flipped mine into a 10x15 pan)

Let cool until your middle child (who loves pineapple) spots it. Then you have to cut into it and try it out!

Peanut Butter Pie

2009-02-26T18:44:00.002-06:00

About a month ago I made peanut butter pie and it was okay, but I thought "this would be much better with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in it". So I made it again today with the p.b. cups in it and it is soooo gooood!! The reason I waited to make it again (if anyone remembers) was my daughters comment fom last time - "why do we put peanut butter in everything?"

Well the way I see it there are 4 food groups:

1. Chocolate and peanut butter

2. Chocolate and caramel

3. Chocolate and marshmallow

4. Chocolate and mint

As long as there is chocolate, how can one go wrong?

Homemade T.V. Dinner

2009-02-26T18:16:00.003-06:00

Browning the patties

Adding mushrooms and beef broth

Making the gravy

Pouring it into pan to bake in the oven

Salisbury Steak from scratch! Much better than the one from Banquet in the cardboard box! I found the recipe here: http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/2008/08/salisbury-steak-crock-pot-style.html. If I remember right her blog is called Mommy's Kitchen. I've been checking out recipes on other cooking blogs and she has some great recipes on hers!

Hannah's Hair

2009-02-26T18:08:00.003-06:00

Hannah absolutely HATES it when I do things with her hair! I am lucky enough if I can get it brushed, muchless styled. So when I was able to get by with putting it up in a cute little bun, I thought I better take a picture of it quick while it lasted!!!

Marshmallow Sludge Bars

2009-02-23T14:27:00.008-06:00

I made these delicious bars for a church potluck we had yesterday and came home with an empty pan! Will definitely be making these again! I found the recipe here: http://www.cpbgallery.com/2009/01/22/marshmallow-sludge-bars/ . This blog/website is titled "The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery". I think I will be going back to look at more of her recipes!

Just one of those days!!!

2009-02-18T19:10:00.002-06:00

I generally enjoy cooking and baking, but today it was rather cold out and I was just plain tired. Randy and I both had sore throats over the weekend, so I have been rather exhausted the last couple of days. So it's just "one of those days" where you say,"Let's just have pizza tonight"!

Then my hubby was searching for something sweet to eat, so Betty Crocker came to the rescue for that with some fudge brownies! Not the most healthiest meals, I know, but we are just going to cuddle up and enjoy each other with the extra time not spent making a meal or doing the dishes. (Praise the Lord for paper plates!)

Valentine Goodies

2009-02-13T15:27:00.003-06:00

My kitchen has turned into a Valentine goodies factory today! Gotta spoil my husband who is my main Valentine and our 3 little "Valentines"!

(see recipes & pictures below!)

Peanut Butter Hearts

2009-02-13T15:06:00.003-06:00

This is the same dough as for making peanut butter balls.

Mix well, then roll out. Cut with heart shaped cookie cutters.

Then have your lovely assistant place them in the pan for you!

Oh, yeah...this is MY lovely assistant...sorry. The shirt says it all "I'm A Special Hershey's Girl". What can I say, like mother like daughter!

Once in pan, put them in the freezer to harden up a bit.

Once they are firmed up you can dunk them in chocolate! Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2009-02-13T15:01:00.003-06:00

I figured as long as I was into the chocolate I might as well make some chocolate covered strawberries......right??

Cake Balls

2009-02-13T14:43:00.003-06:00

Prepare cake mix according to package directions.

Once cake is mostly cooled, crumble it up and add a can of frosting.

Mix well.

Scoop out into balls on cookie sheet.

Dip into vanilla or chocolate coating.

I made some of each.

Final result! This is just one of our Valentine goodies! .....stay tuned for more!

WANTED!!!!

2009-02-12T19:51:00.002-06:00

Here are the most recent photos for "America's Most Wanted". Has anyone seen these people lately? If so, you are encouraged not to take action yourself as they may be armed and dangerous. Let the law enforcement handle it!

The kids had a field trip to the Marion Police Department today as well as the Marion Fire Department. I was unable to get more pictures because apparently nobody else brought their cameras so I was instantly the "camera lady" taking pictures of their kids too! But they got to get their mugshots taken, sit in the police car, and see the K9 dog. Then they got to see some firetrucks and see a fireman get dressed up in his full gear. They were so excited! They were all trying to tell daddy everything all at once and I couldn't hardly get a word in edgewise!

Grilling Out!

2009-02-10T17:42:00.002-06:00

I'm so glad we've had a couple of nice days for grilling out! Lastnight we had barbequed chicken on the grill and tonight we are having grilled chicken breasts with Webers "kickin chicken" seasoning on them. We are also having mixed veggies and homemade bread to go with it. I was also THRILLED to be able to "shove" my kids outside for the afternoon!! What can I say....when you are a stay-at-home mom, and homeschool your three kids, and have been stuck inside all winter....you look forward to spring so you can send them outside for a while!!!

Sledding Fun!

2009-02-06T07:53:00.005-06:00

Lastnight was a sledding night with the Marion Homeschool Program at Squaw Creek Park. I put my husband in charge of the camera lastnight and these were the only 2 pictures he took!! Although I wish I would have had it when HE went down the hill (the smaller one) STANDING UP on the sled!! It was rather comical I must say!

We started out the night going down the BIG hill. Micah took the little green saucer down the hill by himself while the remaining 4 of us piled on the blue sled and FLEW down the hill. This made me question whether or not I wanted to do anymore sledding the rest of the evening or not! I sat out a couple and watched my adventurous husband from the top of the hill. Then the kids wanted to take a trip down on the blue sled so I loaded them up and gave them a push. Half way down they hit a bump that sent them falling off the sled. I wondered if they were alright because Randy started his normal over-animated "You guys o.k.? How bad is it?" which gets me going! Don't get me wrong, I have concern for my kids too, but my concern is a more calmer concern. Anyone who knows Randy knows he is very animated and so by the time he starts in, you are sitting there thinking *o.k. do we need stitches...is there a broken arm....broken leg....* and then you find out that everyone is o.k. and it is just daddy that needs to settle down.

After a couple trips down the BIG hill, the kids and I are ready to try the small hill! WOW, what a difference! I could do this hill a hundred times! Randy on the other hand (Mr. Adventurous) is bored and ready to go home. I'm like- the kids are just now starting to have fun! (without fearing their life!) Go get some hot chocolate and sit down and relax! Anyway, I've probably rambled on long enough, but we all had a blast by the end of the evening. The kids were talking about it all the way home. It was a highlight for them because we haven't done much all winter!

SWEET & SOUR

2009-02-02T16:34:00.004-06:00

My SWEET little boy loves SOUR stuff....

So I made him a loaf of lemon blueberry bread. Did he like it? Well, I'd say the smile on his face tells half of the story. And the fact that he's eaten 2 or 3 slices of it already tells the other half!!

The funny things kids say!!!

2009-01-30T17:37:00.003-06:00

As I was making a peanut butter pie today, my daughter was standing next to me saying "Mom why do we have to put peanut butter in everything we make?" (as I had made some bars the other day that had peanut butter in them) So I got a good laugh out of that!

But what's even funnier is that she just so happened to be wearing her Reese's shirt today (it is her favorite candy bar) So it's not like peanut butter should bother my little Reese's girl anyway. But I sure got a good laugh out of the deal!

Is this really happening?

2009-01-25T14:05:00.002-06:00

Look at all these tools! Is this really happening?

My husband is finally getting a wall up in the bathroom.

And the kitchen!!! By the way.....sorry for the "blog fog" (lack of blogging) lately. If only you could see all of the messes in our house right now! I didn't want to post pictures of them for fear of scaring you all away! But we have been CRAZY BUSY trying to get some projects done. So bear with my blog fog and hopefully things will get better around here soon!

Tunnel of Fun!

2009-01-17T15:11:00.003-06:00

Daddy and the boys decided to make a tunnel in the snow today.

Here are the boys inside of it.

And here is Hannah inside of it.

Here is a view from the inside looking out.

Here is mommy and daddy inside the tunnel! (via Jeremiah Photography!!)

Our Deer Hunt

2009-01-17T14:50:00.002-06:00

My husband took me out deer hunting with him the last Saturday in December. I tried to upload the pictures back then, but they wouldn't load that day for some reason so my husband keeps reminding me that I need to post these pictures, so here they are! He got a nice symetrycal 10 point buck with his muzzeloader. I went out with him last year too, but only saw a couple deer then. But this year was much more exciting with 8-10 deer (almost all bucks) going through, and some of them right below the stand we were in! Talk about an exciting deer hunt!

Recipe Request for Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

2009-01-15T17:44:00.003-06:00

Here is the recipe you requested Jessica!

8 qt. box instant dry milk
6 oz. powdered coffee creamer
15 oz. Nestle Quick drink mix
2 C. powdered sugar

Dump all ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Store in a tightly sealed container. (I use a cleaned out ice cream bucket) To use: Measure 1/3 C. mix into a mug of hot water.

It does cost a bit to put this together, but it lasts through the whole winter. If anyone has any questions, don't be afraid to ask!

A hot drink on a cold day!

2009-01-15T10:52:00.002-06:00

Is anybody else tired of these freezing temperatures? Anyway here are a couple of my favorite hot drinks to warm me up on a cold day! My middle child and I have taken a liking to the Land O Lakes Mint Hot Cocoa......so yummy. Only problem is that they don't sell it in a canister, they sell it by the single packets.

This Chai Latte is a new thing for me. I am not a coffee drinker, but I do like tea and I recently came across this and really like it! It is black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger. I may try to figure out how to make a homemade version of this mix. I make our hot chocolate mix from scratch. I'm always out for a food challenge as well as a "way to save money" challenge! We shall see!!!

Happy Birthday Gabe!

2009-01-13T08:06:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my handsome little nephew Gabriel Graham (he is the one wearing red). This picture is from a couple summers ago when our family took a trip to Maryland to see my sister Sharon and her family. This little guy loves art and he loves to be constantly on the go- usually chasing down "bad guys". Happy Birthday Bud!

4 Wheeler/ Sledding Fun

2009-01-11T20:25:00.002-06:00

Here are "the guys" on the 4 wheeler getting ready to pull the sled

Here is little Miss Hannah getting ready for her ride!

There she goes!

They all switch off and take turns. They even got me on there. Then I had Randy show me how to drive his new toy so that I could pull him on it! This is probably the most entertainment you will find in little old Coggon!

Cream Puffs

2009-01-11T19:18:00.003-06:00

cream puff dough going into the oven

out on a rack to cool

getting filled with my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator that I bought a while back on Ebay but just now FINALLY got around to using!!!

some chocolate icing over the tops

MMMmmmmm.........can you taste that???

Wings for supper!

2009-01-10T18:11:00.002-06:00

I took a 5 lb. package of chicken wings and cut them up (discarding the tips), then baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile I melted a half a stick of butter and added 5T. of hot sauce and stir well. Once the wings were cooked I put the hot sauce mixture over half of them and Sweet Baby Ray's honey barbeque sauce over the other half, then put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Oh, yeah....then I took a picture with my cell phone and sent it to hubby's cell phone since he is down south hunting so he could see what he was missing out on!! :0)

Black Bean Soup with Italian Sausage

2009-01-09T17:12:00.002-06:00

Drain and rinse 2 cans of black beans

Cook 1/2 lb. italian sausage

Put together with a can of chicken broth and a cup of water. I sprinkled some Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning over it. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer.

Serve with garlic bread. Yummy!

Hannah's Cake

2009-01-08T20:54:00.002-06:00

The dent in the bottom of the cake (under her name) is from her trying to put her candle in before I was ready for it!

a very excited birthday girl!

blowing out the candles!

digging in!!!

Thank you Lord for sending us a little girl 6 years ago! I pray that she has many more birthdays to come!!

Happy 6th Birthday Hannah

2009-01-08T08:46:00.004-06:00

Today is my precious, beautiful daughter's birthday! She is 6 today. We went in to the hospital 6 years ago at 9:00 a.m. and she was born just shortly after noon.

I like to make the kids birthday cakes each year and so I let them choose the flavor of cake and Hannah chose the funfetti kind.

They are in the oven baking right now with more pictures to come later!

In the meantime we are going to snack on the fresh monkey bread that Randy missed out on by about 10 minutes because he HAD to get going!!!!

.......stay tuned for more pictures of Hannah's birthday cake!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Porter!

2009-01-07T20:07:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my favoritest father-in-law ever in the whole wide world!!! I am kind of late in the day to wish this, but it has been a CRAZY day here. The kids and I left the house at 10:00 this morning to run a few errands ( you know....the kind that's supposed to take only a couple of hours...right? ) Well, we got home just after 7:00 and I put the groceries away and here I am shortly after 8:00 FINALLY getting a chance to put birthday wishes on our blog. Happy birthday to a WONDERFUL father, father-in-law, and one AWESOME grandpa! (Russ Porter)

Back to the grind of things......

2009-01-05T18:50:00.003-06:00

I was going to title this "Getting back to normal", but what is normal anyway? There is no normal in this house! "Normal" kids go to school and sit at desks all day with their shoes on and sit still listening to their teachers all day right? Well, I guess my kids aren't normal then because they prefer the couch over a desk, barefeet over shoes, and they don't sit still all day! However they DO listen to their teacher!! :) They don't have a choice there! So as the title I went with says, we are getting back to the grind of things! And praise the Lord for our daily devotions that Jeremiah told me today he enjoys because the "normal" kids aren't allowed to have God in the schools. I guess that is a day in the life of a homeschooling family!

Heading into a new year....

2009-01-01T19:53:00.003-06:00

As we head into a new year there are a couple of Bible verses that are going to be helpful (for me atleast) in getting through another year. One of them is: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Ps.90:12) and the other one is: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13) and I'm sure I will find myself in the book of James for the words about "wisdom" that can be found there! The "number our days" for me is about time management, and for anyone who is interested in a good book on this (other than the Bible of course!) there is a great book by Elizabeth George that is titled "Life Management for Busy Women" and underneath that it says "Living Out God's Plan with Passion & Purpose". The crazy thing is I haven't gotten through the whole book myself yet! Which is why I need God's help in the time management area! It is my hope this year to draw closer to God, my husband, and my 3 children.

With that said, our family would like to wish you a Happy New Year to you and yours! Have a great year!

The Aftermath of Christmas!

2008-12-28T17:27:00.002-06:00

Here is our dining room with the aftermath of Christmas! The living room is where our tree is, but it is actually clean because all the gifts have been opened and we've been to both sides Christmases and when we have came back home, everyone has just set there stuff down in this room! I am so exhausted too! Hopefully we will find the table and the floor again soon!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:04:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to you all and let's not forget the true meaning of the day which is the birth of Christ! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Our roadtrip yesterday.....

2008-12-23T09:45:00.002-06:00

Can anyone guess where we went for our roadtrip yesterday? Well my wonderful husband has been on ebay a LOT lately pondering over 4 wheelers. He bid on one that was down in Kentucky and he won it! The owner (Justin Basham) was wonderful to work with as he was willing to meet us halfway to save us the cost of having it shipped. So early Monday morning everyone got up and we were on our way down to Wentzville, Missouri for the day! While Randy was visiting with Justin, I was playing with our GPS to see what was around for restaurants. I thought....*hmmmm, I wonder if there are any Cracker Barrels around*. So I typed it into the GPS and found one in St. Charles. Once Randy and the kids got back in the truck and he looked over and saw his wife batting her eyes at him he said to the kids- "Looks like mom's up to something"

Looks like the batting of the eyes won. I FINALLY got to go to a Cracker Barrel! I kept hearing all the time how good they are and I finally got to go to one! It was excellent!

Jeremiah and I were "fighting" over who would get the HUGE Hershey bar! For those who don't know, I am a chocoholic. I figure it's better than being an alcoholic! And of the 3 kids, Jeremiah seems to have picked up the chocolate gene too. His eating likes are almost identical to mine while Micah's are almost identical to Randy! And we're not sure about Hannah yet. Anyway, Jeremiah and I were able to refrain from purchasing the chocolate bar!

Then lo and behold, what was nearby but a Bass Pro Shop store! Of course we HAD to go there!
We had fun looking around in there and Randy was a good little boy. The only thing he bought was some straps to tie down the 4 wheeler with for the trip home! Needless to say we all had a blast on our little road trip to Missouri!

Snow Day!

2008-12-19T10:35:00.005-06:00

When we got up this morning, this was the snow in front of the patio door.

It was 7 1/2"

Then I got ready to go out to start cleaning the snow off the deck and I couldn't even get out the door! I had Randy get me a yardstick so I could measure the drift in front of our porch door.

It was almost 17 inches!

Here is a picture after I finally found a path out the door!

Here is Randy with the snowblower! (the easy job)

So guess who got the shovel? (the hard job)

Actually Randy offered to help with the deck, but I being the farm girl that I am, was having fun getting a good workout removing snow.

Am I done yet? Oh yeah, one more deck to go!

Wait a minute....what's he doing? Sitting in the van talking on the cell phone? O.K. how about the kids?

Ohhhh, must be nice! Sound asleep in bed.

And the other on is sound asleep in OUR bed. Little stinkers!

Our Gingerbread Creations!

2008-12-18T21:17:00.002-06:00

I've been wanting to do a gingerbread house project with the kids and not only did I finally get around to it, I was also able to get "daddy" involved!

What's funny about the picture above is that I was getting ready to take a picture of him assembling his house and as I started to take the picture he was going to lick his finger and I caught Randy being Randy!!!

Here are the houses made with graham crackers and royal icing, along with the toppings of gumdrops, M&M's, Mike & Ike's, pretzels, and cereal.

Here is Jeremiah creating his house.

And Hannah and Micah creating theirs. This is right up Hannah's alley as she is our little artist! However, we were ALL having fun. Even Randy said he was having fun being a kid again!

Here are the front sides of our finished houses. From left to right they are lined up from the youngest creator to the oldest: Hannah, Micah, Jeremiah, Mommy, Daddy

And these are the back sides, lined up in the same order.

Mommy and Daddy's up close. Mommy did a log cabin and daddy added an addition to his!

Back side of Mommy and Daddy's houses.

One tired mommy (with daughter) who still has to clean up the mess and put these pictures on the blog! We had lots of fun though! A great family fun night, and maybe some day we'll make bigger ones. I thought it would be best to start out small and see how it went. I'd say it went pretty good!

The Candy Cane Legend

2008-12-18T12:38:00.002-06:00

THE LEGEND OF THE CANDY CANE

According to legend, there was a candy maker who wanted to invent a candy that was a witness to Christ. First of all, he used a hard candy because Christ is the rock of ages. This hard candy was shaped so that it would resemble a “J” for Jesus or, turned upside down, a shepherd’s staff. He made it white to represent the purity of Christ. Finally, a red stripe was added to represent the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world, and three thinner red stripes for the stripes He received on our behalf when the Roman soldiers whipped Him. Sometimes a green stripe is added as a reminder that Jesus is a gift from God. The flavor of the cane is peppermint, which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is in the mint family and was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice. Jesus is the pure Lamb of God, come to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. So, every time you see a candy cane, remember the message of the candy maker: Christ is born!

Ssshhh...don't tell Randy!!!!!

2008-12-12T14:29:00.003-06:00

boiling the mixture to make the caramel

then stir in the pecans

then drop into blobs on parchment paper

then they get dunked into chocolate

Here they are - homemade turtles. Ssshhh...don't tell Randy they are done!!!! These are his and my favorites of my homemade holiday candies. I think Hannah likes them too, but praise the Lord the boys don't like them....more for us! Actually many of them go onto the holiday goodie plates we pass out!

....more goodies to come.....

Rocky Road

2008-12-12T14:22:00.002-06:00

This is one of our favorites around here! It is rocky road and it is so simple to make. I just melt some chocolate bark, add Rice Krispies and marshmallows, stir and scoop out onto waxed paper to let cool. It has become one of our holiday candy favorites!

My sugar shakin' elves

2008-12-12T13:32:00.003-06:00

My sugar shakin elves have been busy sprinkling the covered pretzels with red and green sugars!

....more candy coming!!!

Toffee Time!

2008-12-11T14:00:00.004-06:00

boiling the mixture, then adding the nuts

pour into pan

score into bars, then dunk into chocolate

here they are!!!

It's that time of year for doing my holiday baking and candy making! This is my toffee which are almost like little Heath bars. It is one of the favorites among the goodie plates we give to nieghbors/family/friends.

More goodies to come..........

Best Buddies!

2008-12-09T09:49:00.002-06:00

I just HAD to take a picture of my two handsome boys running around in their camoflauge! These guys are best buddies!

Happy Birthday Kirsten!

2008-12-06T07:41:00.004-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday to Kirsten Ann Collins!

The weather outside is frightful.....

2008-12-04T14:47:00.002-06:00

The weather outside is frightful.........

But the fire is so delightful.......

But since there IS a place I'd like to go.......

(PLEASE)....NO MORE SNOW

.....NO MORE SNOW

.....NO MORE SNOW !!!

Hannah and I made cookies to take for the church ladies annual Christmas party with a cookie exchange tonight so I hope this weather will quit so we can go!!!

Father/Daughter Time

2008-12-03T14:52:00.002-06:00

Nothing is more precious than seeing our daughter and her daddy having a little father/daughter time! Hannah was painting a picture and wanted daddy to help her. So I couldn't resist the chance to grab the camera really quick and snap a couple shots!

Another sick child!

2008-12-01T14:51:00.000-06:00

Micah came down with some really bad coughing this last week, but since it was during the Thanksgiving holiday, we waited to take him to the doctor. So today, I took him, thinking that maybe he had bronchitis like Jeremiah did. Doctor Sevening said that he may have a touch of bronchitis, but he thought he had more of a walking pneumonia!! Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers that he will get over it quickly. And that he doesn't share it with the rest of us!

Uncle Bob's Birthday

2008-12-01T14:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Bob!

(Bob Collins)

Hubby's Deer Hunt with His Dad

2008-11-30T19:35:00.000-06:00

Randy and his dad went hunting on Friday Nov. 28 and here is their finds! This is Russ's first deer with a bow. So needless to say, they were both very excited!

What a surprise!!

2008-11-30T18:55:00.000-06:00

My wonderful husband surprised me this weekend with a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates! He wanted to show his appreciation for all that I've put up with, as this is the time of year that I become a "widow" while he is out hunting as much as he can! What a sweetheart!

Be Ye Thankful

2008-11-27T09:18:00.002-06:00

Take time to......

.....and be thankful today!

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:20)

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High (Psalm 92:1)

"In every thing give thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1Thess. 5:18)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be sure and take time today to give thanks to God for all of the blessings in your life!

....more pies!

2008-11-26T14:16:00.001-06:00

Blackberry pie in the making....

....and another pumpkin pie!

These are the pies that are going to Rod and Diane's for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without a pumpkin pie, would it? And I made a blackberry pie for the other one because it is my hubby's favorite!

Happy Birthday Jeanna!

2008-11-26T09:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Jeanna!

We love you!

Oreo Cookie Turkeys

2008-11-25T12:25:00.001-06:00

Here are the turkey makers..... or are they the turkeys?!!

We decided to make our Oreo Cookie Turkeys today. We use Oreo cookies, candy corn, Hershey Kisses, and a little chocolate frosting for the "glue".

playing dead??

2008-11-25T12:16:00.000-06:00

This cute little guy is a turkey balloon in the neighbor's yard. Do you suppose he's playing dead so he doesn't become Thanksgiving dinner? Actually, I think the wind has blown on him so much lately that his head wants to stay to the side now. But I still think he's cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA !

2008-11-23T16:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Manternach today! My dad turned 68 years old today. Where has the time gone? My mom had her Thanksgiving today so we went over there after church. And we were surprised to see my 2 nephews there. We haven't seen them for a long time. So I thought I better take their picture incase I don't see them for another long time! My mom had invited them to come, but she never heard back from them, so she was as surprised as the rest of us to see them there. It was great to see you, Derek and Jeffrey!

...it's pumpkin pie time!!!

2008-11-22T10:38:00.000-06:00

Why is it that pumpkin pie only seems to come around this time of year? Can't we have it all the time? O.K. , I guess if we did that maybe I wouldn't like it so much. But this is what I am up to today. Making a pumpkin pie to take to Grandpa & Grandma Manternach's (my parents) house tomorrow afternoon for their Thanksgiving.

Pizza Hut

2008-11-22T10:11:00.000-06:00

o.k. .......so I forgot to bring the camera lastnight. What was I thinking? I must be a mom or something because I was making sure I had all 3 kids, and that they all had their shoes and coats and gloves on, and that I had our bag of books and movies to return to the library, and that I had my purse and keys, and that I had my own shoes and coat on. (Thank goodness the kids are all potty trained and I don't have to remember a diaper bag too). So it isn't until we met up with Randy and went to Pizza Hut that I think *Oh duh, I should have brought the camera* With doing this blog now I should be bringing my camera along with me. But it isn't a thought that comes naturally for me because a camera is usually something I think of when we go on vacations, not for a trip to town. Anyway.....we went to Pizza Hut lastnight because the kids are in the "Book It " program where they get a personal pan size pizza for each month if they complete their reading goals for that month. But since I forgot my camera I guess all I have to offer is pictures of the leftovers of the pizza Randy and I shared. And no, I didn't think it was possible to have leftovers after a meal with Randy either, but it is!! :)

OOPS!

2008-11-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

I was fixing a roasted chicken for supper lastnight and upon using the last of a bottle of rotisserie chicken seasoning, I went to my spices to get a new one out. So here I am sprinkling my chicken and I am starting to notice a slightly different shade of color appearing (??) hmmm....I just bought a new rotisserie chicken seasoning, so why is the color looking like it is old or something? ....so I look at the bottle and realize...duh, this is cajun seasoning! So I tried rubbing off what I could (which thankfully wasn't very much) and I got out the right stuff. Certain parts of the chicken did still have a bit of a cajun taste, but it actually ended up being a hit!