Lauries Kitchen

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Celebration of Life......

I read blogs on my home computer whenever I can. Just tonight I was reading one and Coy asked me a question and I didn't even realize he was talking to me! It's like when I get caught up in a good book.....anyways, I am getting sidetracked here...I read this blog daily and it got me to thinking http://scripturedig.com/2010/12/28/what-should-i-do-with-jesus/

Really thinking. Should I dig him out the box and place Baby Jesus somewhere to see him everyday? I have several.....I mean several. Since I am not a clutter person, I decided against that. Besides I would spend hours looking for him next Christmas when He would be right under my nose (but isn't that how HE works???) What if I celebrated his earthly life between now and Good Friday? What if I devoted those months to reading the red passages in the new testament? Kind of like a Celebration of Life????

Any thoughts????


I'm still thinking....I need more thoughts...help!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas 2010

Ok I have missed a couple days of blogging! Things have been busy around here. Grammy and PawPaw arrived and the fun began! Looking at the lights in Athens, Christmas Eve big breakfast (prepared by PawPaw and JoGail), decorating popcorn balls, playing Pokemon, Christmas Eve service at church, Pizza Hut , then opening presents before waiting on Santa to arrive. Yes, we still track him on NORAD. I do believe my 14 year old was just as excited as my 10 year old, too! The reindeer were fed and cookies were left out! Christmas morning was relaxing as gifts were played with and nerf bullets were flying everywhere. Lunch was served around 11:30 and was very good. I introduced mom and dad to homemade cranberry sauce and  I do think they liked it a little bit! Mom and Dad left headed for Abilene this morning while we headed to Keller to spend the day with Coy's family. Lots of great food and games were on the agenda. If we only knew the rules of the games we were playing we would have been set to go! It was a fun day!

Tomorrow I get back to straightening the house and checking things off the to do list.

One word best describes this Christmas. Relaxing. No stress no high expectations, just plain old good fun with out families. JoGail said her favorite thing about this Christmas was playing Pokemom with Grammy and PawPaw. Grace said hers was decorating the popcorn balls with Grammy and PawPaw. It's hard to beat spending good quality time with your grandkids!!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Day 2 of Christmas Vacation

Wow!!!! I am tired!!! Seems I have been the energizer bunny and just been going and going these last two days.....And yes, I woke up early again today!!!!  Seems the older I get the harder it is to sleep past 7:30!!!  I try not to take naps....which hasn't been a problem these past two days because I have been busy.

This morning JoGail and I finished the truffles.....once we 'found' the box of chocolate I 'hid'. Ok, I  misplaced...actually I had no idea where I placed it...and no idea why I put it in Grace's room....of all places...any ways, we found it, unopened and finished the truffles.....and let me tell ya, they are good! My sister sent the recipe...chocolate  and cream cheese...yummy!!!   But I must admit they I am not a chocolate dipper!!!!             truffle recipe

Then we completed the gingerbread house....doesn't look too bad. Maybe I can get pictures posted tomorrow. I just love watching the girls work together. JoGail drew the designs on then Grace came behind and 'decorated'. Then JoGail just took over everything! I don't think Grace minded, either....

Took Grace to the family doctor today. Yes, she probably popped her shoulder partially out of place in that basketball game about a week ago. She has some exercises to do to try and strengthen it. Her wrist-no broken bones, but the dr could hear the synnovial fluid (or something like that) 'grinding', so he ordered an MRI. Not sure what's going on there, but he thought something was. Her leg-she has a lipoma (fatty tissue). We are just going to watch it and see what happens. If it starts calcifying we will have to have it removed but it's not hurting anything right now. Took the doc less than 20 minutes for all that...I felt like we got a little bit better of a deal since she had three things wrong today, though!

It was  warm here today! Grace and I wore shorts! While we were gone JoGail and Coy worked outside and finally threw the16 watermelons left in the garden to the cows. They never ripened, so we had just left them there. They saved two of the biggest for us to try and cut open . I keep telling him they won't be ripe, but we'll see! Just going to make a sticky mess if you ask me....which he didn't! hummmmph

We had rotel chicken for supper. Again, a nice quick easy supper.....just throw some chicken in a pan with a can of rotel and some taco seasoning and bake. Grace requested it. She likes it rolled up in a tortilla.JoGail just likes to eat it as is.

Tomorrow I'm making a big pot of soup....warm weather or not! It's for Thursday night when my folks are here. That's one thing I cook that rivals my mom's....vegetable soup. Plus I start cooking for Christmas Day and for Coy's family get together.....making cranberry jalapeno relish and Jalapeno tree's green sauce...I am so thankful for my food processor!!!!   plus we are cleaning the house....as in mopping, etc. Not the girl's favorite thing to do (or mine for that matter) bu it must be done.....or so I am told....   :)   Oh and did I mention Aaron is coming over to watch a movie tomorrow afternoon????? 

Remember when I said I was trying to have a Mary Christmas ( as in the Mary and Martha story in the Bible)? I think I am. I suspect it will get harder as Christmas gets closer, but I am working on it! While I have been busy, it has not been stressful. It's been nice. It's been enjoyable to be around the girls and Coy. (Even if we have watched upteen recorded episodes of Star Trek and Phineas and Ferb).


Have a blessed night!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Tater Tot Casserole and Christmas Break!

Made this tonight for supper. It's been a long time since I have made this. The girls literally devoured it! It was so simple and yet so good!

We have had a good first day of Christmas vacation. Coy took Grace to her dr. visit in Dallas, so JoGail and I bakes sugar cookies. Then after they all got back we went and worked out/shot baskets/walked and then came home and decorated the cookies. I must say the cookies spread a little much this year, but I don't think anyone could tell because there's so much icing on the tops!

JoGail and I also made some fudge!!!! it actually turned out, too. Usually when I try to make fudge it never sets.  I think we're going to bag some up for the mailman. I started making truffles.....them lost the second box of chocolate (I swear it's here somewhere!). so I will have to wait until I make yet another trip to Brookshire's....and to think I thought I was done there for a while!      :(

Tomorrow's agenda includes assembling the gingerbread house and another dr visit for Grace (family doctor). I think there's some movie watching planned for tomorrow too!!!



Tater Tot Casserole
(many recipes thrown together)

1 lb Ground turkey (or hamburger)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 small package tater tots
1 can Campbell's roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1 small can veg all drained


Brown hamburger meat. Stir in Worcestershire sauce.
Mix in drained veg all and soup. Stir well.
Put in oven proof pan, I think I used 11x7.
Lay tater tots on top and bake according to tater tot package.

You could mix cheese in it if you want!


Enjoy!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Two new recipes!!

WHOOT !!! WHOOT!!!!!! Two new quick and easy recipes! I stole one from Tina at church, just tweaked it to make it easier for me to do and then the other one is from Mrs. beasley at Coy's school. I am making both to take to work tomorrow. It's the 3rd annual dish swap! We draw names. Then we buy a dish that costs less than $ 15.00 ( you can find cute ones at Hobby Lobby usually half off! ) and then we fill the dish with food. (I always try to fix soemthing they would like.) Then we all partake of all the food and then the dish goes home with whoever's name you drew! It's a cool way to add seasonal dished to your collection! On to the recipes!!!!

This doesn't have a name, so suggestions are welcome!
 Crescent Ham Rollups  ??????
1  can crescent rolls (if you can find the crescent sheet, that would work even better)
1 small tub spreadable cream cheese with onions and chives
shaved ham
shaved pepper jack cheese

I bought the Hillshire farm shaved ham and it worked great ( in the lunch meat section)
I used deli pepper jack cheese since they could shave it for me.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out crescent dough and pinch seams together. Spread cream cheese. Place ham over cream cheese and top with a row of cheese down the middle. Roll up jelly roll style. Cut into slices. Tina sliced hers really thin, I sliced mine like I would cinnamon rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-11 mins.


Cranberry Jalapeno Relish
from Mrs. Beasley

1 bag cranberries, rinsed
1 red onion
1/3 bunch cilantro
2 jalapenos
1 cup sugar

Combine in a food processor and process until fine. Refrigerate over night. Serve plain with crackers or serve over cream cheese. This makes alot. I made half the recipe and had plenty for 1 small bowl of plain and some to serve over cream cheese.


Enjoy!

Saturday, December 04, 2010

I found it!

I wasn't planning to blog today but decided to since I am one happy girl! I found it! I found the nativity scene the girls have always had. I always put it in the bathtub with the girls and that's how they first learned the story of Christmas! It's a plastic set that I probably  bought for a dollar when Grace was 1 or 2. Both girls have played and played with it in the tub! Now if you think it's crazy that they had a nativity set in the bathroom, let me tell you, that 's just the start. They have had them everywhere! My grandma (MawMaw) started it. She made me a cloth one when I was in college. Then I just started getting new ones every so often. Coy thought I was crazy when we had our first Christmas. I think I have toned it down some since then, though! Then one Christmas I found the pattern at WalMart in the craft section (that basically doesn't exist anymore....:( ) and I made a cloth nativity scene for each girl. They have had them in the playroom and in the rooms and it's soo cool to see them playing with baby Jesus. Not so much any more, it's just the memories. One of my favorite decorations is one JoGail made when she was about 4. It's a thing you hang on the wall that has a simple nativity scene she glued onto it. It says Happy Birthday Jesus. Coy's mom made each of her kids a wooden nativity set one year as well. (Joseph is about 8-9" tall!) Then when she passed, we inherited the one that's got  Joseph over a foot tall! It's hard to display because the figures keep falling over, though. It's solid wood and plain. No paint, no decorations, just simple. Kind of like I imagine the first Christmas being. Simple. Which is another thing I am working on this Christmas.Simplicity. (This fits in with the Mary Christmas thing if you've read that post.) So if you don't see me getting all worked up over Christmas this year or running around trying to get everything just so. That's ok. We're going simple this year. Yes, that may mean changing some traditions and may include adding some new ones. But that' s ok. No, in case you were wondering, we don't have a Walton Christmas and not even a Hallmark one. We have ones filled with love and reflection. Homemade gifts, homemade decorations, and usually homemade food! :)



Laurie

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Grati-Tuesday

Ok I don't know if that day actually exists, but since it's the last day of November I thought I would share some thankfuls on my heart.

First of all, I am thankful for my family, both my big family, church family and what I call my little family. Let me explain.
My big family is my family and Coy's family. We get together when we can. but truth be told it's hard. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters are spread across Texas, Louisiana and somewhere below Hawaii on an island. I call it a side effect of a big family. It's hard fro all of us to get together and happens every 2-3 years but not always on holidays. We have always kind of had unique traditions in our family, so that we don't always get together on what others consider big holidays shouldn't be a surprise to any of us. Three of us have families and we all have in laws, too. Fortunately we all have pretty good in laws. Coy's side of the family got together for his 50th birthday this year but we are also (his 2 sisters and some of his nieces and nephews) are getting together soon after Christmas. I can't be thankful enough for how his family has taken me in and loved me for who I am.

My church family is FBC Eustace. I just can't explain how thankful I am for the "wisdom in them thar pews!" Again they have loved us and supported us unconditionally. They are literally helping to raise the girls and let me tell ya I am so thankful for that. I almost started crying the other night just thinking about my precious JoGail going through junior high. But I realized she is constantly being grounded in the faith and will be ok. She and Grace both are in God's hands-not mine.  Our whole family feels so at home in this church. We are especially thankful for our pastor, youth minister and other faithful servants including Miss Leslee and Mrs. Pat. But there are so many others that pray for us and  I am so grateful for that! FBC Eustace will always be the girls' home church......the one where they were baptized together on the same day!

My little family is just that. Coy, Grace and JoGail. Sometimes I  can't remember life before any of  them came into my life.  Of course I have known Coy for over 25 years. Haven't liked him for that many years, but I knew him. :)  I can say I have prayed for him for over 25 years.....that 's half his life! He is just such a blessing to me. He keeps me grounded and keeps my perspective on the main thing! Grace, oh my Grace. I couldn't wait until she turned 14 so we could finally be done with her being 13! She is  a 'mini me' in alot of ways. Strong as an ox but not a mean bone in her body. Smarter (way smarter) than I will ever be. I am so thankful God made her just the way she is -no take backs!   JoGail~my ray of sunshine. I never know what she will have in store for me! She  loves to cook with me and I enjoy our time in the kitchen. She's my snuggler, too. I am so grateful for just hanging out with my little family for Thanksgiving break. No stress, no worries. Just cooking what we like and watching Christmas movies we have all seen too many times. (All too soon we will waiting on someone to come home from college to cook and eat with.)   Yes we drive each other crazy and fight over who has to be JoGail's partner in the games of '42' we play, but we are a family and I am so grateful for that.

The Christmas season to me isn't necessarily about the presents, the decorations or really even the food. It's about the season of enjoying each other. Whether we are decorating outside or making pumpkin pies.

 I read a Christian blog titled the Martha complex. Yeah, like the Martha as in Mary and Martha.My saying this Christmas is "Mary Christmas!" As a reminder to me to have a servant's heart (like Mary) this season!


yeah, I've ramble and rambled.....that happens when you have bronchitis and am on steroids again!

Laurie

Friday, November 26, 2010

I'm back....

What a wonderful Thanksgiving day we had! I am so thankful for my family and the rest! Everyone's taken a nap every day so far this school break! We've watched movies together and just hung out together. We were talking at Thanksgiving lunch about the Black Friday shopping and the girls wanted to go....So I took them at 11:15 last night. They were shocked. I was tired. JoGail flat gave out before we got checked out. When we got there people had already gotten into the items for sale and had their buggies full and were waiting in line to check out. Of course the checkouts didn't ring up the sale prices until 12:01 am so the lines were all the way to the back of the store. The girls each picked out what they wanted from each other, so at least it was a semi productive trip. I don' think either really wants to go back anytime soon, either!

I made some homemade cranberry sauce this and I loved it....absolutely loved it! I can't wait to make it again! I found the recipe in a magazine....it's a Tom Collichio (Top Chef) recipe! I have never tried homemade cranberry sauce before, so I was really shocked that I liked it. Coy didn't try it because he prefers the Ocean Spray type straight out of the can with the ridges intact. JoGail likes both and Grace doesn't eat cranberries....so it was ALL mine!

The second is one I 'created' using ideas from all over the internet. Again, since everyone else likes the traditional meal, even for leftovers, it's all mine too!!!!

Cranberry Sauce
Tom Collichio recipe

1 bag cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

Mix in a pan over low heat. Be sure to use a pan with tall sides since the popping will spill up the sides. Keep over low heat, letting berries pop. It will jell when about ready. Cool. store in refrigerator.

Leftover Turkey Sandwich
Compilation of several recipes

Leftover turkey
Leftover Gravy
Leftover Cranberry Sauce
2 pieces bread
2 pieces provolone cheese

Preheat over to broil. Spread cranberry sauce on both pieces of bread. Top with cut up turkey and put on top of cranberry sauce.  Top with gravy and then a piece of cheese. Toast in oven. Some recipes called for dressing on the sandwich as well.


Love,

Laurie

Monday, October 25, 2010

Rotel chicken

I made these the other night thinking I would take them in my lunch the next day. Well, Grace came in and smelled it and that was all it took! She loved it! I made some more this weekend and we put it in a tortilla and rolled it up.....yum yum ! I'm not sure where I go tthis idea from. I'm sure I read it somewhere on the internet! I dont' even remember the right name! So I just named this Rotel Chicken!

Rotel chicken

1 package boneless chicken thawed
1 can rotel
1/4 package taco seasoning

Put all in crockpot, stir and cook until chicken is done.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Zuchinni Patties

This is a recipe I have been making for me, and me alone to eat. I know once the others try it I will have to share my shredded zuchinni in the freezer. I am able to tweak it a little to make it diet approved, so that's anoth reason I don't want to share!

We are busy as always this time of year. With Grace marching in the high school band, Grace playing volleyball and JoGail playing soccer, we stay busy pretty much every night of the week. I must admit it is fun, though. JoGail has gotten to play goalie some. That makes me a litte nervous. That's my baby they are shooting that ball at! Grace has gone through the training to be a referee for soccer. She hasn't had a chane to call her first game yet, since she had a volleyball tournament this weekend. The next two weekends are marching contests, so it'll be  a while before she can get in the rotation. Coy is busy keeping up with school activities and helping with AWANAS. I am helping with AWANAS, doing snacks and the bookkeeping-plus keeping everyone else where they are supposed to be and keeping everyone fed. Sometimes that's a job all unto itself!

Zuchinni Patties

makes 1-2 servings

1 cup shredded zuchinni
1/4 bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1 egg
Shredded parmesan cheese

Drain zuchinni really well. Mash on it while it's in the strainer and get as much water out as possbile. Mix with other ingredients and shape in patties. Fry patties, about 1-2 minutes per each side.  Tha'ts it!

~Laurie

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Mexican Mac and Cheese

Made this tonight as a last hurrah before going back on my diet Saturday. Yep, it's time. Need to go down 20 more pounds for my man's 50th birthday! Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to do it for him but for me~~~ but that's my goal and I'm sticking to it!!  So that means probably no new recipes for awhile. Back to cereal and soup nights around here! They'll survive......we're busy busy anyway! :)



Mexican Mac and Cheese

1 box prepared kradft mac and cheese
1 pound browned ground hamburger meat
1 can drained rotel

Mix and serve!!! I think you could add some extra cheese, too. I would try velveeta if I had any in the house !

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Baked Pasta and JoGail's brownies

I ran across this recipe on a blog the other day and decided to reamp it to make it easier. Well actually it started the other day when grace wanted me to get a pan of pasta from Pizza Hut. I looke dit up and the internet and it was cheap enough....then I went to the mutrition guide and nearly died! She did, too!!! So we stuck with hamburger helper that night and I decided to try a close recipe. Yeas this has fat in it from the cheese, but not near as much as the one I was going to buy! She and decided this might be something I make when Coy has board meeting. I like, too that I can get fiber rich pasta and the girls never know! JoGail like it for the cheese.....but we will actually eat the pasta mixed with the sauce. (She usually likes naked spahetti). Plus I had a coupon for a free jar of Ragu (thank you, Brookshire's)!!! I think you couls add eat some browned hamburger meat to give it more protein, too. So here what I did.

Makes a 13x9 pan!
Baked pasta

1 box rotini pasta (I used 14.5 oz box)
1 jar pasta sauce (26 oz)
mushrooms (I had fresh already sauted up so I used that, but canned would also work. Just drain them)
1 package shredded Italian cheese blend

Prepare pasta as directed on box. Drain pasta then mix with sauce and mushrooms. Add in about 1 cup cheese blend. Pour into sprayed 13x9 pan. Spread remaining pasta on top and bake till cheese melts! (about 10 mins)

Then I decide dto give the girls a new recipe for brownies.....not sure what to call them, but I took some recipes for rocky road brownies and smores brownies and kind mixed them up. I wasn't sure if Grace would like them but I KNEW JoGail would, so they are JoGail's brownies!

JoGail's brownies
1 package brownie mix, prepared as directed and baked. As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven spread 2 cups chocolate chips on them. They should start to melt. Spread 2 cups marshmallows on top. Broil until marshmallows begin to brown.

I hae a couple mroe recipes to try this weekend while Coy is out of pocket.....if they are good I'll post them!  One is  recipe my sister found for me to try!   :)

Saturday, August 28, 2010

JoGail's hat!

Add caption
JoGail had some freetime this week at school after taking a benchmark test....this is what she made....I love it! God has truly blessed her with creativity!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Finally... a new recipe

Finally! I haven't forgotten about this blog.....just been really busy with back to school stuff! Everyone's back in school and trying to get back in a routine. We're back to the so mething every night of the week routine! Grace has been so busy we haven't gotten her hair trimmed.....got is scheduled though! (Yeah it's driving her mother CRAZIER than crazy! ) We've been eating basic stuff....soup, sandwiches and (gasp) cereal. The girls are now into Honey Nut Cheerios.....adios Rice Krispies....Coy makes a concoction of about 3 cereals.....yeah....they are all healthy cereals, too! We 're going through about 2 gallons of milk a week at this point. Thank goodness I am back at work and can stop by store on my way home! So I had some chicken breasts in the fridge that I needed to cook. I decided to try honey lime chicken. Don't say ew just yet! I found alot of recipes for it on the internet. Like a ton. I didn't want all the soy sauce, etc. so I cut out some of, ok most of the stuff. I baked the whole pan hoping they would good to take in my lunch. Then I took out my deli thin bread and made a sandwich at lunch....I though I had died and gone to heaven. It was sooo good! It soo good I made another sandwich (on rye bread) for supper!

Honey Lime Chicken

1/4 c honey
3 Tablespoons Lime juice

Mix together.

1 package chicken breat

Poke holes in chicken with a fork.
Pour half honey/lime mixture.

Bake 350 25 minutes. Turn chicken and pour remaining mixture over chicken. Bake another 20 minutes or until center is no longer pink.

* Some recipes called for marinating it in the mixture for a couple hours but I didn't have time!


~Laurie

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happpy Birthday, Daddy! Let's see if I can count some  ways I am thankful for you!

1. You love the Lord.
2. You take care of Mama.
3. You taught us that nothing is impossible....especially at midnight with a chain saw.
4. You taught us how to 'hold it' form Victoria Tx all the way to groesbeck, Tx.
5. You encouraged us to try new things, suchas restaurants we had never been in before.
6. You kept us laughing as kids and adults.
7. You accepted all our husbands, weird as they are.
8. You taught us kids its ok to be the person who hand sthe nail to the person hammering.
9. You taught us to keep in touch with our friends.
10. You encouraged us to read.....magazines and then later books.
11. You taught us how to make homemade pancakes with BAM !
12. You taught us there's always room in the budget for cookies at the store.
13. You love Mama.
14. You encouraged me to do things NOONE had ever done before. Even when it involved being around teenage boys!
15. You let me write. And provided many notebooks while I was growing up.
16. You give me the space I need to deal with things.
17. You sacrificed many unknown things for me to go to track meets, basketball games and othe rhigh shcool activities.
18. You took us swimming in a lake when we lived in Dawson.
19. You taught me how to properly mow a yard.
20. You helped me earn my own money.
21.  You went driving with me, in a cemetary, whikle I was learning to drive.
22. You bought me the brown bomb to drive.......although the way to Dry Creek one summer! (Withou ta cell phone, too)
23. You drove practically all night to come see me graduate from college.
24. You had your red bana on at my wedding....
25. You always love me, no matter what!!

I love you!!! May you have many many more!

Monday, August 02, 2010

Awesome Lemon Refrigerator Pie

OK folks, this recipe was super easy. I mean from start to finish super easy! And it's not that expensive, either! Kind of reind sme of a banana pudding!

Lemon Refrigerator Pie completely copied from
http://allaboutkaylittle.blogspot.com/2010/04/lemon-ice-box-pie.html

4 eggs
2 cans sweetened consdensed milk
1/2 c lemon juice

1 box vanilla wafers

Line  some vanilla wafers in the bottom of a pie pan. Miz the first three ingredients together in a bowl until thick. ( It will happen, keep whisking). Pour 1/2 filling on top of vanilla wafers in the pie pan. Make another layer of vanilla wafers. Pour remaining filling on top of this. Take some vanilla wafers and push half way down around the edges of the pie. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

~Laurie

Linked up at http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/     Tempt My tummy Tuesday

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Baked sweet potatoes

While we were on vacation we ate alot of great steaks! One of the side I got was usually the baked sweet potato! Oh my they were good!!!  I got home and got to craving one, so I figured out my version of how to bake them!

2-4 sweet potatoes
pam
foil
cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean sweet potato. Spray potato with pam and wrap in foil. Bake under fork tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. Yummy!!!!

Coy loves them with real butter and a littl ebrown sugar on them.

~Laurie

Monday, July 26, 2010

Things I have heard and some blessings!

I know we have the garmin but we still need a map! Really, like her sweet voice can't find our way there????




I am never, ever living in Kansas...or Nebraska! I can understand this one.



Only 329 miles til our next turn!!!!!



Steak again???? I think they are secretly missing my cooking on this one!



JoGail, Be Quiet! Understandable !



I can't use my itouch. There's no wifi out here in the middle of nowhere. There's not even any houses!



Corn. More corn. and more corn. Saw it in 4 states!



Can we go back to the Battle of Little Big Horn this morning? This was not said by a female person in the family, by the way!



What do people do out here? I have no idea because there's not much out here that I can see. Lots of grassy plains and some rivers....



JoGail can you please play the quiet game?



I spy with my little eye......cornfields!!!!



Look there's another car on interstate with us! In Montana and Wyoming



We drove halfway through Oklahoma and just now saw another car with an Oklahoma license plate on it! Uhhh this was pretty much true!





Now to the blessings



The weatherr has been wodnerful. Absolutely wonderful.



Coy has driven and not gotten sleepy even though we haven't had alot of things to look at.



The girls has gotten along really good so far. JoGail has entertained herself and played her games. She has gotten mad when Grace won't play the magnetic tic tac toe game Missy made for her.



JoGail has made friend in every hotel pool she has swam in.



We have seen lots of corn. Which means farmers are having good crops.



We have been able to eat good food. We have not eaten at McDonald's yet!

The girls have tried new foods.



I have had my Bible study in the car every day. Been nice. No excuse not to have it.



I have seen Grace reading her Bible in the back seat. She is learning and trying.



I have apparently caught up on some much needed sleep!



The girls have been to a real, 1960's style motel. They loved it! Complete with a flyswatter hanging in the closet!



We have seen beautiful countryside and desolate highways!



We saw the biggest dandelions we have ever seen at Battle of the Little Big Horn!



Purple mountain flowers are beautiful!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

2 quick recipes

2 quick recipes before I finish getting everything ready.

Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
3 Tablespoons sugar or splenda
Juice of 1 lemon (or 4 tablespoons lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds

Mix all together and refrigerate. Really good on berries.

Sherry's Italian bread

1 loaf french bread cut in half lengthwise
1 small jar hellman's mayo
2 small cans olives drained and chopped
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix mayo, olives. cheese and green onions together. Spread on both halves of bread. Heat in oven about 40-45 mins.

I think mushrooms would also be good to chop and put in the mayo mixture, too. We had this at Mandie's birthday celebration at Sherry's yesterday and it was good !

These recipes are linked to:
http://www.ourhomeschoolhome.com/2010/07/on-grill-sweet-potato-fries.html

Monday, July 19, 2010

a few wedding pictures

MawMaw and Toot dancing
Dino, his mother, and brotherEric and Mr. MillerMe and my parentsDaddy, MawMaw, Toot and Uncle DavidMy favorite picture! JoGail and MawMaw (her great grandmother)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Catching up from this weekend

Boy amI glad to be home! Of course I was only gone two nights and we were busy the whole time! My cousin got married (congratulations Eric and Lacy!). So JoGail and I went. Coy and Grace stayed home to get her ready for her Mission Trip (she left this morning) and to attend the 100 year celebration at our church)The rehearsal dinner was at a restautrant called The Junction in Huntsville, Tx. We had a choice of entrees and I chose the celebration chicken. It was AWESOME! I keep thinking I have to figure out the recipes. It was chicken with a little sauce and lots of button mushrooms. It was really really good! And then incredible fried ice cream to top it off! Then on Saturday joGail and I met my brother and Joey at the Houston Zoo. We spent about 4 hours there and enjoyed every minute of it. A little snippet here.......we have always called my brother Thom 'TAC' because that's his initials-Thomas Allen Cole....well, JoGail decided his new nicknake is Tic Tac!!! HAHA what was funny was he wanted her to stop calling him that but couldn't make her stop! They bought JoGail cotton candy and became her friend for life! Then it was back to Huntsville for more visiting and getting ready for the wedding. We shared a hotel room with my parents and had a good time visiting with them. They looked good.  The wedding was beautiful and about the right length. Not too long and not too short. Lacy was absolutely stunning and Eric didn't look too bad, either. The reception was fun, with dancing and a candy bar. A candy bar is tables decorated with big jars of various candies. You get a bag, use the scoops and make youself a bag of candies! It as a huge hit! (And I was talking to a friend this afternoon and we had the idea that it would also be a hit at a kids' birthday party!)  My brother and I called it teh Shorty Table. Shorty was my grandpa's brother that lived next door to my grandparents. When we oudl visit he would always load us kids up adn take us to the little store where would could get any candy we wanted. He took us once a day every day we were there. Those are some good memories! But back to the wedding...it was a wonderufl experience and really highlighted Lacy and Eric's personalities.

After eating all weekend, I made a hot ham sandwich for supper. It was soooo good! I am also making supper for a friend this week and am making the dessert tonight, which is the recipe I am going to post. I honestly do not know where I got this recipe from. I don't even have it written down yet yet. I just remember it. I would love to give credit to whoever it came from, but I have no clue! I have made this several times and it is always good. Sometimes it rises in the oven then falls when I take it out and it cools. It is still good, though. And there are only 2 ingredients!!!!  I have heard it's also good with lite pie filling but I haven't tried that. I have made both blueberry and cherry though and we enjoy both.


Angel Cake Dessert

1 box angel food cake mix (Disregard directions on box)
1 can pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 pan with pam. In mixing bowl mix the two ingredients until well combined. Pour into pan. Bake for about 40 minutes. Let cool before serving. Really good with whipped cream on top or with a cup of coffee!

* Note--you do not add anything to this except the dry cake mix and can of pie filling.

~Laurie

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Zuchinni Ribbons and Seasoned Drumsticks....

I tried two new recipes tonight and they were both a hit! I have been wanting to try Easy Peasy Chicken Legs from Mommy's Kitchen for awhile but wasn't sure how the gang would feel about eating their chicken legs with their hands....my gang can be kind of picky about that! But since we have been on an "No eating out" kick, I decided to slip it in. It was wonderful and not very expensive! I think the package of drumsticks was $4.36. I had the seasoning. So it was really really cheap! Then I got a hankering (is that a real word??) for the zuchinni ribbons I always order at Pappadaeux's. So I saved  one of our club sized zuchinnis and scrubbed it clean. I searched the net for a recipe and really didn't find one for cooked zuchinni ribbons. Most were used in salads. So I just decided to try a simple way. I just used my vegetable peeler to peel the zuchinni. I stopped when I got the seeded part. Sauted it in some real butter with salt and pepper....oh it was delicious! Since the zuchinni was so big I only used about half of it but will be cooking it up tomorrow-probably for a mid aftenroon snack! So that part of supper was free!!!! Then I cooked the girls some cauliflower and broccoli.....they love that stuff! Got out the leftover potato salad and sliced a garden fresh tomato...I figure I fed the family of four with NO leftovers for less than $8.00 total!!!!  And to top it off Coy ahs been trying his hand at making fresh pie crust and a new chocolate pie recipe! So we even have a dessert! He's trying a new chocolate pie recipe.....tomorrow we're going to make a lemon pie! I can't wait! That's my favorite! I do feel like he has somewhat invaded my territory in the kitchen though. He can't do it without me though, because he hasn't figured out my storage for everything. As you migth imagine, I don't keep things exactly where his mom used to keep them, so he has to try adn think where would Laurie put that!!! Haha Got him there!

Zuchinni Ribbons
1 large zuchinni (Mine was about a foot long and 4 inches around-from our garden)
1/2 cup real butter
salt
pepper
Cast iron skillet

Scrub zuchinni clean. Using a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons down the zuchinni until you reach the seeded part. (At this point I used a knife and cut the ribbons into thirds to make them easier to eat). Heat butter in cast iron skillet. Put ribbons in and sprinkle in salt and pepper. Cook til crisp...about 5-7 minutes.

Seasoned Drumsticks
(adapted from Mommy's Kitchen)

1 package chicken drumsticks...I think there were 12-14 in my package
Mrs. Dash Grilling Blends-Chicken

Spray roasting pan with pan. Sprinkle seasoning on drumsticks and place in pan. Bake at 350 for about and hour-hour and a half or until chicken is no longer pink.


This post has been linked to http://www.ourhomeschoolhome.com/2010/07/on-grill-memories-and-smoked-trout.html.

Enjoy~~~Laurie

Thursday, July 08, 2010

July...already??

Time for a catch up blog!

Last Friday Grace go ther four wisdom teeth out. Almost a weeek later sheis still in pain so we are going back this morning. I suspect she has a dry socket, but we'll see. I don't do well when my baby (I know, she's 13) is up at 3 am crying because it hurts so bad.....don't do well at all.....she has just over a week before she heads out on her mission trip. We are starting to get things together.

JoGai lis enjoying her carefree summer...sleeping late mostly. She thinks that makes her soo grown up! I took her to Sherry's yesterday and she got toswin with Haley and she really enjoyed that. She has been to visit Leadan adn held her. She couldn't beleive how soft and small Leadan is! She is also happy because one of her kindergarten friends moved back and was at church last night! She was so excited to see Justin!

I met soem friends from Mabank and had lunch with them on Tuesday. It was great seeing everybody and getting a little heads up on some major changes coming our way when we get back to work. We'll survive....we always do! I have continues with the walking and have been working outside as much as possible, to help combat the prednisone effects. I think it's working. I'm not losing but I'm not really gaining either! I actually enjoy mowing, etc. Right now I am working on a project to move rocks...taking awhile but I'm slowly getting it done with the help of the little red wagon!

Coy is super busy at work. Trying to get the budget finalized and grant applications completed. I know he will be ready for our vacation in a couple of weeks!!!!

Gotta finsh my menu planning and make my grocery list....I have switched to google calendar for this and I like it so far. I hope I can pull it up at work when I need to, though!

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Bisquick Chicken and Corn Flake Zuchinni

Yes you read the right...It is not a typo!  I have been seeing the recipe on my blogs and everyone was raving about them. Then we accumulated so much zuchinni from the garden.....and I'm sure there's more to come with the sweet rain we hav ebeen having lately....so I decided to try it. Coy added more seasoning to his but JoGail adnI loved loved loved it! Grace is still recovering from getting her wisdom teeth out, so she's stuck with blue box macaroni and cheese! It's been over 12 hours since she has even had an advil, so I think she's doing well. I tried the bisquick chicken for two reasons....I had the stuff and it reminded me of the chicken we used to make out the Mission Outreach Center in Brownsville every Wednesday.....I've been hunting that recipe and I thinkk I finally found something pretty close. It was wonderful. Just be careful not to let the chicken cook too long or it may dry out.

Tomorrow I will try to post again and show you a picture of what I made.....took awhile....but it should be pretty cute, patriotic, and tasteful!

I'm still working on how to add a page to my blog so I can index the recipes...it's like reading a foreign language to me at this point!

Bisquick Chicken
 1 tablespoon butter, melted
2/3 c bisquick (I had the heart healthy kind)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 pounds chicken

Heat overn to 350. Put melted butter in baking pan (I used my cast iron skillet)
Mix dry ingredients in a pie pan. Dip chicken in dry ingredients and place in pan. Bake 30 minutes then turn. Bake 20-30 more minutes or until juices run clear.


Cornflake Zuchinni

1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes
2 beaten eggs (can add salt/pepper to season)
1-2 zuchinni (depending on size)

Heat oven to 350. Get out baking sheet and line with foil for easy clean up. Spray with pam. Slice zuchinni. Dip each slice in egg then coat with cornflakes. Push cornflakes into zuchinni a little to help make it stick. Bake about 30 minutes. These are really crunchy!

optional.....you can put shredded parmesan cheese on top when they are almost done.

Nope I have not been on my diet today.....been a nice little break! I did walk extra long yesterday and this morning though !

This post has been linked up to Potluck Sunday at http://www.mommyskitchen.net/  

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I am trying....

I am trying to get my menu ready for next week....had a week off !!!!  Grace gets her wisdom teeth out Friday...say a prayer...she's never had any kind of anethesia before! By the way, one of my best friends became a Nana yesterday! Good job Jessica and Josh! She's a cutie for sure! So back to menu planning...I feel like we are really beginning to eat the same thing over and over...the upside is that they eat what I cook! We are planning on cooking out Sat for the 4th.  Here's what I have come up with so far....

Hamburgers with all the trimmings (fresh tomatoes from the garden!!!!)
French Fries-cooked by Grace if she is up to it
Red white and blue jello finger food (has a layer of eagle brand in it)
Toffee bars (new recipe I want to sneak in! )
Tea
Lemonade

Now to the rest of the week!

Wednesday-pizza at church
Thursday-Shrimp!
Friday-lunch --tuna sandwiches with veggies and hummus (yummo)
Friday supper----no idea yet
Saturday-hamburgers one meal, cereal the other
Sunday -Hernandez!  and then leftovers
Monday -pork chops and veggies
Tuesday-spaghetti with bread sticks


There you go . I finished it....Now to stick with it and pick out what I can/cannot eat! I have to remember that cooked a bunch of meat up and froze it this week. I want to try a recipe with chicken drumsticks and may try that one day at lunch next week. That would be good to heat up as well! My basket of lunch food is running over!!! YEAH!!!! Got strawberries fro $1.38 a carton alst week and froze almost all of them! Planning to make smoothies with those! Gotta add snacks for our trip, though. Need to start stocking up. Going to be along trip....but that's another story!

I'm glad Coyis home from his trip. There's just something about my little family being together that makes me feel all gushy inside!

~Laurie

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Zuchinni and Squash Succotash

Now I'm not sure what succotash is, but this is what Coy calls it. I needed another way to cook so much coming from the garden and came up with this. It's healthy and delish. The rotel gives it just enough kick!
Of course you could add more or even fresh jalepenos if you want more spice!

Zuchinni and Squash Succotash

1 large zuchinni
1 regular sized squash
1 can rotel
garlic powder
onion powder

Cube zuchinni and squash and saute in a pan. You can add water if it starts sticking. (Just a little bit) Cook down a little. Add rotel and spices and continue sauteing about 7-8 mins. I love to cook mine in the cast iron skillet.

It's been a sad day. We had to take Palidin to the animal shelter. It was just not working out. He had begn to chase cars on 316. Since we weren't willing and able to build a fence, it was really our only option. He also had gotten into everythingin the garage and chewed up everything. It was getting old really really fast. But our biggest fear was coming home and finding him run over.

Coy's getting ready to head out to his conference. We had zuchinni succotash, fresh corn on the cob, shepherd's pie and watermelon for lunch. There's nothing left. I'm fixing girl's requests while he is gone. Stromboli, macaroni and chesse from the blue box. Grace only has workouts on Tues and Thus this week . Then on Friday she get sher wisdom teeth out. They are already starting to come in crooked. So we are just going to go ahead and get them out. She's doing really wel lon her medication. Her moods have levelled out tremendously and she is lseeping so much better. Of course that could be because of the workouts, as well, though.

We're watching Buck Privates with abbott and Costello right now. It's hilarious! Grace is laughing the hardest. I love to hear her laugh! I'm not sure how much of it JoGail gets.....

I've got more zuchinnie to put up so I 'd better get to it! I still think we planted a jumbo variety!

~Laurie

Friday, June 25, 2010

Goals for the next three days

Maybe if I write these they will actually get done!

1. Go thru certificates, awards, etc in the girls' folders.

2. Sort and label medals hanging on the doorknob. This will be an adventure!!! Most of JoGail's are labeled (the school started dong this, but I still have a ton to sort thru)

3. Walk twice a day.

In case yo uhaven't talked to Deanna lately, she's going to be a grandma hopefully on Monday! Leadan Grace should be making her appearance!

~Laurie

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Chocolate Pie

Why oh why have I waited so long to try Mrs. Tipp's Chocolate pie recipe??? I thin kit was fear....fear that mine wouldn't taste anything like hers.....by oh did it ever!!!! Mrs. Tipp was a sweet old lady who lived cattycornered from u sin Evant. She thought Grce hung the moon. She had a special place in her tv stand for toys for Grace. Just Grace. We would go visit. She also wore a hearing aid and we were visiting one time around Christmas abd her hearing aid made that loud beeping sound and Grace thought it was Rudolph's nose! Sych precious memories. I was so surprised when the church gave me a baby shower at her homemade quilts--for both of the girls. She was a seamstress. When I was learning to sew she was so helpful . I would drag the material, pattern, the whole nine yards across the stree to her house. The firs thing she would always tell me was to throw the pattern directions away! She always said those people didn't have a clue what they were tlaking about! Her Bible was very worn out and she loved what she could. She was married but Mr. Tipp passed away before I got to know her. Her was creative as well. He had carved ac lock out of wood. It was GORGEOUS!  She brought this pie over one Saturday and we stuck it in the fridge. A storm blew in the next day and I remember Coy and I sitting on the floor in the living room eating this. It was good!

I cheated a little and used a pillsbury crust. I wasn't that brave! It wasn't really hard to make at all. Just took a little tender loving time!

Mrs. Tipp's Chocolate Pie
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T oleo

1 1/4 cup sugar
3 Big Tablespoons flour
1/2 c milk
3 eggs, separated
pinch salt
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Baked pie crust.

Meringue

In a heavy sauce pan heat milk and oleo. In a bowl mix next 6 ingredients (add only the egg yolks, save the whites for the meringue).  Gradually add to milk and oleo. Keeping heat on. Keep stirring and stirring. Mixtures will thicken. When nice and thick stir in vanilla. Let sit about a minute then pour into baked pie crust.

Meringue

3 egg white at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablesppons sugar

For best results,  place metal bowl and beaters in freezer for about 30 mins before making meringue. Gradually beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually stir in cream of tartar and sugar. Add vanilla. When mixed pour over pie. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, watching it carefully. You want brown peaks, not burnt ones!



Crockpot Mexican Steak


1 package round steak
3 potatoes
1 package baby carrots
1 jar beef gravy
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 onion, sliced

Layer in crockpot in order given.
Cook on low 5-6 hours.

~Laurie

Linked up at   http://www.mommyskitchen.net/

Friday, June 18, 2010

Two new recipes!

Wow! I have been in the kitchen alot so far this summer break! It's been wonderful! And JoGail has been right beside me most of the time, talking away and talking away and talking away! She's becoming quite the helper in the kitchenin the process, though! I found a new recipe in a cookbook to try with all the zuchinni. I'm already wishing I had shredded more! I hope we get some more big ones !!! They shred so easily in the food processor! This first recipe is like a zuchinni cornbread.....sort of ! It's really good!

Crustless Zuchinni Pie
Adapted from Fast Fixes with Mixes

1 cup Bisquick
2 cups shredded zuchinni
1/2 c oil
4 beaten eggs
Salt and pepper

Mix all together and pour in sprayed 8x8 pan. Bake 350 about 30 minutes.

I would imagine you could add some cheese in it, too.....but you know how Coy is about cheese!


This next recipe is what I have been making me for lunch. I got the idea from a friend who had it at El Chico. I call it Pineapple Chicken Salad. Not like egg salad, though, more with greens. Makes enough for 1.

Pinepaple Chicken Salad
4 ounces chicken
Balsamic Vinegar ( I just use the cheap brand)
2 pineapple rings or some fresh pineapple
Shredded lettuce or a bowl of greens

Marinate chicken in balsamic vinegar. I poke the chicken with a fork to let is soak in good. Pan cook chicken. Move chicken to another plate to cool. Heat/cook pineapple in same skillet. Layer lettuce/greens in bowl, top with chicken and pineapple. I don't even need a dressing for this one!

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far!

Links this post is linked to:
http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.simplysweethome.com/

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Helllooooooo any body out there reading this?????

Please leave me a comment if you do! I wonder if I just post to hear myself talk sometimes!

Ok....VBS food....These recipes come from the LifeWay Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS kit...

Monday --Sugar COokie Belt Buckles (decorate store bought sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles)
Tuesday--CamFires (take a ritz cracker break some pretzel sticks in half and stack on the cracker. Add some cheese in a can for the fire)
Wednesday--I called them Buckaroo Burgers because I can't ever remember the official name--Recipe follows
Thursday--Hay Bales (recipe follows)
Friday-Horse feed--basically cereals, candy corn, peanuts, raisins, etc. We let the kids make their own in a Saddle Ridge cup.

There are tons more awesome snacks in the kit. These are just a few we chose that would work for us. Check out the whole kit for more good ideas for a western themed snack!

Hay Bales

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch Chips (1/2 bag)

Spray cookie sheet with pam. Spray large pot with pam. Melt butter and brown sugar together. Add in marshmallows until almost melted then stir in butterscotch chips. Let rest about a minute. Then stir in rice krispies. Pan into the pan, making sure they are kind of thick. Let cool. Cut in to 2x4 bars or bales of hay. Tie a piece of licorice around to make it look westerny.


Buckaroo Burgers
1 package waffle fries (we used  the Great value brand)
1 pack homestyle meatballs (Great Value brand) thawed out
American cheese slices
Pickles
Ketchup

Cook a pan of waffle fries. Cut meatballs in half. Lay a 11/4 of the piece of cheese on the waffle fry. Top with a 1/2 of the meatball and heat until cheese melts and meatball is cooked. Let kids add ketchup or pickles.


I think the Buckaroo Burgers would be great as a party appetizer or maybe even something to take to work. They are easy and relatively cheap to make. Holly mentioned maybe using sausage balls and using a differentt cheese...so many options! Kids love them! They just pop it in their mouth.

Again, these are all from the LifeWay Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS Kit.



~Laurie

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Zuchinni oh my!

I thinkn we must have bought the jumbo zuchinni variety to plant! I have never seen so many huge zuchinni! The plant itself if as big or bigger than my kitchen table. We are grilling tonight so I am going to slice some of these bad boys up and try them that way! Of course I will fry some up as well......I use pancake mix for the batter....yummy! They way I figured it we have at least $5 worth of zuchinni here if not more....and there's much more to come! The cantalope and watermelon plants are really spreading out!

I ran across a version of recipe in a new cookbook that I had to try! It's called Green Light Salad. Since I love all kinds of jello salad, especially what we called 'pink salad' growing up I thought I would try this. I have had it before but had totally forgotten about it!

Green Light Salad
From Easy Diabetic Coooking Recipes

1 small package green jello
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons mayonaise
1 small can crushed or tidbit sized pineapple.

Mix together. Refrigerate before serving.

Love, love, love it!

JoGail and I have been making cookie for the cookie walk at the church's family fun festival this afternoon. I cheated and finally found a way to use up the frozen cookie dough accumulated through various fundraisers! SI am blessed with double ovens, it made it a breeze. Then we bagged them in old fashioned sandwich bags (the kind that fold over-I paid 50 cents for the WHOLE box) and tied a bow around them with various ribbons I had in a box. So cute! and so much fun with JoGail. She figured out a way to put two ribbons together that looked really cute! We also bought some $1 a package muffin mixes and made those up as well. She is really becoming quite the help in the kitchen. Grace has started doing her own laundry today.....YEAH!!!!!!  A part of me wants to scream "wahooo it's about time" and another wants to curl up and cry because it's just one more independent living skill she is learning....hard to believe she will be in college in five years....five years...driving in 3!!! She completed volleyball camp this past week....and can overhead serve consistently now :). She also figured out she loves blocking and spiking. Next week she starts morning workouts and then both girls have basketball camp until 12. They are both eating breakfast and lunch at school since it's FREE the month of June! I have four more days of work and then I am finally done for the summer. My house is a wreck but I keep telling myself I will get to it when I am finished with work!!!   (Uhm yeah right!)

My diet has been out of whack these past couple of weeks and I am hoping to get back on the wagon soon. I haven't really gained but I haven't lost either! I need to keep losing!  Keep me in your prayers. It's hard and very challenging. I'm hoping the walking will help, too when I get off work....finally!

This recipe is linked up to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen. http://www.mommyskitchen.net/
~Laurie

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Recipes needed

Boy was ait hot yesterday at the soccer tournament. We knew it was going to be a scorcher when they gave the girls water breaks during the 8:00 am game. I sat under a shade tree during most of the games. It was alot less stressful than being on the sidelines! Those girls played hard and played their hearts out. We got second which really isn't bad since we were playing up in the 'academy' bracket instead of the recreational bracket. JoGail lost another tooth during 7:15 game last night. She was excited! We ate lunch at Red Robin--I love that place and thei zuchinni sticks! Then we headed to Academy.....and said goodbye to more money.....JoGail had to have a new pair of shoes. (AGAIN). Her toe was beginning to push through this recent pair of tennis shoes. She is now in a woman's size 8 shoe....yes you read that right, size 8! Grace got some more summer workout clothes. I think we are set now for a while...until we start shopping for back to school clothes....

Grace is doing much better. I think we are beginning to see the effects of he rnew medication.  She got a little dizzy once at the tournament but was better when we got some protein in her. She's sleeping well and laughing quite a bit.  One of her friends from second grade rode up with us and spent the first night with us. They had a great time laughing and recalling stories. It was music to my ears to hear my girl laughing again. Please continue to pray as we travel this road. We are all still adjusting. I have probably had the hardest time but I am doing better. I have been resting better. I have a minivacation coming up with teh girls at work. We are going to a conference in San Marcos Monday-Wednesday. I imagine I will sleep all the way down there in the car. I don't really want to leave my family right now but I know it will probably be good for me and give me some alone time before my summer officially begins. I can't wait to walk! I am thinking I might try to get started a little next week. :)  I officially finish work Friday. But we are required to get 4 comp days in for next year. I'm not sure what the plan will be yet, but I htink we are going to try and knock them out that next week so I can be totally done. I should have about 6 full weeks of walking! (maybe more since they reduced the number of days the diags work next year) I can't wait to see all my friends!

Menu planning......not much point to do it while I am gone...I'm certain they will eat out at least once! (probably more!)   Wednesday night is supper at church. Thursday we will have Grace's fish and Friday we will have spaghetti and bread. Saturday I might see if Coy will grill some hamburgers or maybe a steak!

I am wanting to learn to grill fruit on the grill. Do you have any recipes? Suggestions? Tips? If you do, please let me know. I am thinking of maybe trying a fruit kabob first..that way I can kind of taste and see which ones I (we) like and go from there. Any ideas????

I have so many recipes to try this summer and can't wait to get started.....here's a sampling of what I want to try.
http://singingwithbirds.blogspot.com/2010/05/whats-in-name.html

http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com/2010/05/magic-marshmallow-cresent-puffs.html

http://oddmom.net/2010/06/01/primordial-ooze-salad-recipe-i-e-cucumber-sour-cream-and-dill-salad/

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1093672

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2008/12/chocolate-peanut-buddy-bars.html

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/05/tasty-tuesday-pineapple-pretzel-fluff.html


What's on your list of things to do this summer???

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Dancing

This past week has been rough but has also been a blessing. Rough for some obvious reasons. Blessing because I have been reminded that people do care. I mean really really do care. I read sometime that when you ar ein the valley to try adn think about what the view will be like when you get to the top of the mountaintop. Well, my view would include my friends and church family. I found a Bible verse that I think I will 'adopt'. Psalm 30:11. "You turned my sobbing into dancing;you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." What do you'll think? I go to sleep each night knowing three things.....one God loves me more than anything. Two, I have friends praying that I will sleep well, and three ...I will dance tomorrow....(four....Coy is right beside me! )

OK, onto one of my all time favorite cafeteia foods....I doubt they get to make this anymore with all the new nutrition requirements, but it does have peanut butter in it....that's a protein, right? And it's not fried! That should count for something! Now I haven't tried this exact recipe, because I just found it...but I have taken arecipe from teh kitchen of Evant ISD and Nanny Hyatt and tried it before. Evant's cafeteria always made this as a test day snack. And the techers ate as much as the kids! Sometimes they would serve it for breakfast. They always made a pan for the kids and a pan fro the teachers! When I was pregnant I ate it EVERy time they made it. It is definately a favorite!!  I plan to make this in a couple of weeks for Wacky Wednesdays as a snack soon. I know the kids will love it!


http://www.nancyskitchen.com




Peanut Butter Cornflake Candy




1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
5 c. cornflakes



Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and stir in peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter has melted. Add cornflakes and stir. Mixture will be stiff. Drop on waxed paper to cool.





source   http://www.nancyskitchen.com/

Enjoy!

~Laurie

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Doom on you!

Sitting here watching Ice Age with Coy and JoGail and heard one of my all time favorite movie lines....said by the dodo birds....."if you weren't smart anough to plan ahead then doom on you!" Reminded me to try and do a menu plan for this week. This is the last week of school for the girls. Things have been really wild around here lately.  I am not going to do a menu plan for this week. Most nights we will settle with cold cereal and enjoy it since it's so hot here. Coy saw a bank sign that said it's 104 degrees today!  Coy is set to leave for Austin for a NCLB meeting on Tuesday and return Friday. Then we might have a soccer tournament this weekend, plus a big day Sunday at church.

Speaking of church, i just want to say how much I love our church-the people not necessarily  the building. I have always heard that when you are hurting you should draw your strength from your church family. That is definately happening for me right now. It's amazing how a prayer with a prayer warrior can calm me and let me rest. Just knowing others are praying has been comforting to Coy and I.  I realize not everyone may feel that way about my church or any church for that matter. But for us it is a source of strength, as I imagine God intended it to be. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

~Laurie

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Hershey Bar Brownie Cake

Wonderfully moist cake from cooks. com . The family enjoyed but the ladies at work REALLY enjoyed it! I need to make one to send to Coy's office.....maybe next week!

HERSHEY BAR BROWNIE CAKE




1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. can Hershey syrup
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

6 Hershey bars (thin bars)



Beat butter, then add the rest of the ingredients, except Hershey bars, and pour into greased 13x9 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.



On hot cake, place Hershey bars on top as needed. Spread the melted candy bars when cooler.



Tastes good just by itself or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (hardens candy) or a dollop of real whipped cream.



This recipe is super easy and very moist.  Linked to http://www.mommyskitchen.net/

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Two new recipes!!!!

I am posting two new recipes to fix for out Bosses' luncheon tomorrow. One I had at my baby sister's graduation party.....green bean bundles...and let me tell you they are good and NOT on my diet! (Way too much salt)

Speaking of my diet, it hasn't been going to well lately...I think it's the antibiotic for my sinuses that are throwing it off. And the bad part i sthat I don't think it's working! Headaches are becoming a part of my life again and I do not like it. Please keep me in your prayers so that we know what the next course of treatment should be. I am supposed to go back to the dr for a CT scan on July 1 but I doubt seriously if I will make it that long unless something starts changing. Specifically it's my left sinus right under my eye. That's the same place I got hit with a softball while teachign in Evant. I have always wondered if that has something to do with it. On to my recipes!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Green-Bean-Bundles/Detail.aspx


This one is straight from all recipes......

Green Bean Bundles
Ingredients


3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole green beans, drained

1 pound bacon, cut in half

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.Wrap 7 green beans with bacon and place in prepared dish. Repeat, using all the green beans and bacon.

3.Combine butter with brown sugar. Pour over green bean bundles and sprinkle with garlic salt.

4.Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
 
Basically these are long green beans wrapped in bacon and topped with butter, brown sugar and some garlic. The butter and brown sugar caremelize making it awesome! I am going to cook them today and then just reheat them tomorrow. They can be eaten with just your hands, too !

The next recipe is one I have not tried.....but I am going to! I'm planning on taking it tomorrow as welll..No it's not on my diet, either!!! 

Easy Fruit Salad
Drain two cans fruit cocktail and mix with a small box french vanilla pudding mix. Chill before serving

I am beginning to think of what I need to teach the girls this summer. How to do their own laundry is definately on the list. I am thinking I mam going to write the steps down and post it by the washing machine. Grace may also learn to mop while Joail is vacumming. JoGail already vacumms so it'll just be working with Grace. I love being off and having time to walk with my friends and kind of get caught up around the house. The girls are great about helping, too. I am so blessed!

Friday, May 21, 2010

My girls.....and my menu plan for next week


Here's my latest picture of the two! Grace look so tough!! HAHA  Her hair looks a little shaggy, too...   JoGail is just the cutest thing I have ever seen! Each is so beautiful yet so different. Amazing how God works all that out!

Well we go from one of the busiest weeks last week to one of the slowest this coming week! I think I get to cook a meal most nights this week! I had a hard time coming up with a menu for this coming week, but I think I have one that will work.

Monday night     shrimp
Tuesday night     chicken with stuffing
Wednesday        stromboli
Thursday            fish
Friday                spaghetti

Off to a soccer tournament tomorrow and hopefully Sunday! Go Lady Destroyers.....

Sunday, May 16, 2010

WOW!!!! What a weekend! I had a wonderful time visitng my baby sister and watching her graduate! We had a chance to catch up in person and go shopping! It was a wonderful experience.

Back to my regular life.....kids, work and watching what I eat! It is finally nice to talk about it! I made it to the halfwya point of my goal.....wow!!!!No I didn't stay on the diet this past weekend, but figured if I was half way to goal I needed a splurge! Here's our schedule this week.....It's a busy, busy one!

Monday Top Ten Banquet (always a favorite)
Tuesday Coy-board meeitng, Grace-soccer practice
Wednesday -church AWANAS awards
Thursday Grace awards ceremony
Friday NOTHING
Saturday Grace-soccer tournament and Coy sports banquet

Not alot of chacnes fro me to cook this week.....summer's coming though and I get to cook lots then!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I am so excited!!!!!

My big secret will be revealed this weekend!!!  I can't wait....all I can say is it may not be a BIG deal to alot of people but it is very important to me. This is osmething I have worked very hard for, cried for and prayed for.

I am so excited to get to go see my parents and my baby sister this coming weekend. Yes, I will miss the 3 on 3 soccer tournament. But it will so be worth it. Coy is on his own with JoGail at that tournament in Mabank this weekend. Great bonding time for them! I'm sure I wll text him  like crazy, though! He had enough girls from his team want to play so he is coaching 2 teams. I'm thinking he will be too busy to really miss me. But I will miss him and JoGail and Grace!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Two new recipes!!!!

Oh I am in heaven this Mother's Day!!!!!  I got to try two new recipes and both worked out! One is a honey lime chicken recipe and the other is a zuchinni recipe! Have I told you how much I love them both????

Honey Lime chicken

1 small package chicken tenders
1/2 cup or more to taste lime juice
1/4 cup honey

Score chicken and marinate overnight. Then place in cast iron skillet and bake at 350 til done. I poured the extra marinade in the pan and bake dthe chicken in all of it and I think it made the fidderence because the chicken was really moist. You could also grill the chicken and even add soy or teriyaki sauce to the marinade. I can't wait to make some chicken salad with this! I think it would make awesome K bobs, too. I will definately make this again!


Broiled Zuchinni Rounds

Slice a zuchinni into rounds. Place on a baking sheet. Spray with spray butter....I used I can't beleive it's not butter... and season. Broil for about 5 minutes. You can also put paremesan cheese on top before you broil. I think these would be awesome dipped in leftover spaghetti or marina sauce !

As I said in my earlier post I have a busy busy week! My secret will be out of the bag soon, people!!!! I can't wait! No we are not expecting.

Menu Plan Sunday

Its' going to be another busy week!! I guess I forgot how busy everything can get around here this time of year! I usually call it Banquet Season since there is som any that Coy and I are invited to for school activities. We thoroughly enjoy them. Seeing the kids and teacher get honored is amazing and very uplifting for us. Reminds us of why we are in the education field!

Soccer is over for JoGail as far as the regular season goes. They went undefeated! She is so proud and should be. Her improvement has been alot espeically this season. She has a 3 on 3 tounament this coming weekend. Then she is through until next fall. Grace still has a couple of games and 2 tournaments. One is in Tyler and the other is in Garland.

On the the menu plan....

Sunday....Happy Mother's Day !!!  Pancakes by Coy

Monday ....FFA Awards/Fish

Tuesday....Shepherd's Pie

Wednesday...Church!

Thursday......NHS Banquet & I leave to go to my sister's

Friday.....On their own!

Saturday...on their own!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Forgot to post my menu for this week!

Monday           Shrimp and cocktail sauce
Tuesday          Hodpdge....Soccer Sisters game and Middle School Band Concert
Wedensday    Church
Thursday        Sandwiches for the girls, EISD Employee Banquet me and my Coy
Friday            Shepherd's Pie....didn't get to it last week
Saturday         Sandwiches...soccer game and cooking Mother's Day Steaks !

What a day!

  Today has been wodnerful!   I finally hit "30" and I was rewarded by receiving a necklace in the mail I had won awhile back.(Way before Ihit 30!) God works in wonderful, ways, doesn't he???  This weekend was absolutely fabulous. JoGail sang in front of the church for the first time and Grace particpated in the youth's drama production. The drama production was wonderful and powerful. It was Incredible Enounters with Christ. It has realy challenged me to get out of my bubble and quit worrying about how people might hurt me and get onto helping others. Yes, I know it will be hard. With God's help, I can do it for 20 more school days, though! I have got to return to looking for ways to help others. Sounds easier than it will probably be, but sooo worth it.

Changing gears, here. I hav ebeen thinking about how my grandmothers help teach me to cook. I don't think this iw really writen down anywhere, because I have never really thought about it. Maw Maw Collins (mom's mom) was theone who taught me the difference between a teaspoon and tablespoon. A  table spoon is as big as table and a teaspoon is something as small as a teacup. (Another thing she taught me was that when she sent a sympathy card she would always include a book of stamps.) I wish I had learned to make her roast gravy. I have never tasted anyone's  quite like hers. It was so good over rice. MawMaw Cole (Dad's mom) taught me how to make green beans, pancakes and all kinds of stuff! She has tried to teach us how to make her famous sweet tea.  I think the secret is in the jug...she totes it and sends it to people in either a washed milk jug or washed out gallon vinegar jug. It usually has my PawPaw's name O.W. Cole on it somehwere.  She is also famous for her chocolate cake. She makes that in a roasting pan. Yep, a roasting pan. Always has. I think the story is something like that's all she had the first couple of times she made it and it just got to where she always made it in THAT pan! I think probably the most improtant thing she has modeled for me was to enjoy cooking. I have never heard her complain about cooking. She always put the radio on (even if the tv is on) and dances while she cooks-especially in the mornings. She doesn't cook near as much as she used to but you can still see her moving around her kitchen to the music on most mornings when you visit.

OK, enough reminiscing and on to a recipe!

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix, any flavor
2 eggs
1/2 c oil

Mix together and drop like drop cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven (350) for about 7-6 mintes. When I make lemon I love to put cream cheese icing on them!


This next recipe is one I make when the funds are low. Since Coy and I pracitcally get paid on teh day each month, we have to make the funds stretch sometimes. I can usually still make this even if we are stretching!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 8-9 minutes.



~Laurie

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Thinking back....

I have been thinking alot lately about my parents. They are truly special people and I believe have done an awesome job raising their kids. They met one summer out at a Baptist camp called Glorieta. I have always thought it was funny that they had to travel to states away (they were in Louisiana then) to find each other when they both participated at the BSU on their college campus and only lived 30 minutes from each other. Currently they are full time volunteers at Glorieta. They are helping keep the campgrounds up and running so that others can enjoy what they have. From teh time I can remember other people have always been apart of out family. In Dawson, TX our family of seven picked up Mrs. Nelson (lived across the street, the Pitts, Larry Blackerby, the Etters and anyone else who happended along that needed some friendship or good food. I can remember hoping someone would come to eat beacuse that meant I knew it was going to be good! After moving to Groesbeck TX the summer before I started 7 th grade, it was harder (town was bigger) but the traditions continued...Ms. Mondell, Tommy Kasner, the Furlows.....It was fun and always an adventure. By then I was in Jr High/High school was busy with activities. I remember girls from teh basketball team always wanting to come overr because they knew my mom would have cooked. I remember mom and dad suggesting we invite a particuliarly difficult teacher over. Man I did not like him. But we did  it and kind of adopted him as a 'secret' project.....little did I know how that little secret project would turn out! Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself....one of the neat ideas my dad and mom have had is to write a book the past two Christmases that have stories and recipes in them. It' s not big and uses pretty simple vocabulary...I have read them over and over. There are food stains in each one....I just love those books.....they have my parents all in them. They survived a house fire some years back ( I think about 12-14 years ago) and mom lost alot of recipes in the fire. She has worked hard to remember and recreate as many as she could to include in the book. Don't go looking for healthy recipes, either. You won't find them in their books. I have decided to post a few of her recipes here. I do not know the true source of manyof these recipes, so I apologize if I do not give credit. Most are just recipes I grew up with, called what we called them. Remember, my mom had five kids to feed, too. This first one is a definate family memory maker. I think most of us actually loved it growing up.....now, not so much. The boys still love it, though. For some reason she always served it with corn.

Mrs. Denny's

1 pound hamburger
chopped onion to taste
2 TBS BBQ sauce
1 can pinto beans (DO not drain)

Brown onion and hamburger meat over medium heat. Add BBQ sauce and undrained beans. (You can add worc. sauce if you want and spice it up however). Cook until mixture is not soupy.

I am not certain of the origin of this recipe. My parents started making this after we had all grown up and moved out! It's great to take to church or work, though.

Cobbler Ole

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1 /2 cups water
2 cup sugar

1 dozen FLOUR tortillas
1 large can cherry pie filling

Melt butter, water and sugar together until it boils in a small saucepan. Spray a 10x13 pan with pam. Fill each tortillas with pie filling and roll up like you would an enhiclada and place it seam side downin the pan. After filling and rolling all 12, pour butter mixture over top. Set aside fro 45 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Let come to room temperature and bake for 30-35 minutes. Really good over ice cream!


I saw a qupte the other day that stuck with me.....the struggle will stop when the gratitude starts.....hummmm........still 10/5.14 !!!  I hope to feature recipes from my siblings and Coy's family in the near future....so email me if you have a request or have one for me to post!!!



Laurie

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Strawberry Sprite

Ok I tried something I have never, ever tried to my knowledge....and JoGail and I loved it!    Some of you may think...ummm Laurie that's old....but I have never been an alcoholic drinker or really even one to make a drink in the blender. I know.....I know...I am just beginning to venture into that realm of cooking. Should have gone there a long long time ago. So tonight I tried a new recipe. I'm going to call Strawberry Sprite!

Blend 1/2 cup cleaned and cored strawberries with 8 ounces sprite. Place drink in freezer for about 30 minutes. Really really good! I can't wait to try this on a hot summer day! I believe it will also work well with a diet Sprite or Seven Up!  Tomorrow night I am going to try it with blueberries....

Company's a comin' this weekend....so I have some planning to do. So far I have done well on the menu plan this week! Time to start planning next week's!

~Laurie

Monday, April 26, 2010

tuna melt and mustard crusted chicken

Ok OK I admit it...I had never had a tuna melt until tonight.....and oh my! One of my friends at church was telling me how she did it and I thought...I could do that! I opended the tuna, mixed in a smidgen of maynonaise and put it on a sandwich thin. Then I put a piece of cheese on it and broiled it for  afew minutes.......oh it was good! I had a choice of American or provolone cheese and I opted for the provolone....I bet the American would be good too...Gotta remember this for the summer..This would make a quick meal for everyone and somewhat healthy!

This next recipe is one that is going in the gotta try file. It's from siggyspice.blogspot.com. Again, this can be somewhat healthy with some tweaking...I can't wait to try it!


Mustard crusted chicken

•4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts


•1 ½ cups bread crumbs, I like to use the Italian style

•½ cup grated parmesan cheese

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon Worchester sauce

•½ cup melted butter

•1 clove garlic, finely minced (you can use the jarred or frozen garlic equivalent)

•1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix bread crumbs, salt, and parmesan cheese.

Melt butter in separate bowl and add garlic, Worchester sauce, and Dijon mustard.

Allow butter mixture to cool a bit, then dip chicken in mixture to coat.

Dip coated chicken in crumb mixture. Place in baking dish , 13"x9" works well, that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or butter.

Cook for 45 minutes – 1 hour until cooked through.
 
 
On a side note I found some unsalted pretzels tonight and they weren't bad! I also bought some fresh raspberries....neve rhad them as far as I know.....trying to branch out to  new things!
 
10x5.14
 
~Laurie

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Spring things...Sunday of seven

 Spring in Texas means several things to our family .....
1. Bluebonnets and wildflowers
2. Severe weather
3. Allergies/sinus troubles
4. Soccer tournaments
5. Lots of sunshine
6. Lots of mowing the yard and
7. TAKS testing

TAKS testing is the acronym for the state's tests that are given every year to school children to ensure that they are making adequte progress academically. It's a big deal to schools and kids. Schools of course want their kids to do well so they can earn a higher accountability rating. You can see this posted on banners and schools across the state. The highest category is exemplary. While I admit it is important......it really isn't important. Yes I grew up in a household of educators and am married to one. It is hard to keep it all in focus....funding comes from the rating, communities love the exemplary ratings, and the kids feel more conficent when they do well. But it is ONE DAY IN THE SCHOOL LIFE OF A CHILD. Period. No child should be forced to feel stupid or inadequate because they did not perform well on that particiulair test on that particuliar day. Yes, I realize that Texas is under mandate from the federal government to have an accountability test. I do not have the answer. I just think way too much emphasis is put on a single test given on a single day. Both of my daughters are of TAKS testing age. Both of their normal every day lives comes to a screeching halt during TAKS week. No school activities. Limited church activities. Getting to bed early. Does it really have to be this way? For Grace, probably not. She is learning self discipline and could probably handle it. For JoGail, absolutely. Not being a great test taker and not having much self discipline yet, we have to slow her down and make sure she gets lots of rest this week. Enough of my rambling..and good luck to my teacher friends and friends of TAKS taking age!

Grace adn Coy are back at Waxahachie for the final day of the soccer tournament. I stayed home with JoGail. Gives us a littel chance to rest before out big week. (TAKS testing)  The Lady Destroyers played well yesterday even though they lost one game. The team they played was really good and probably a year older. Alot can be learned from that little scrappy team. Just to look at them you wouldn't htink they would be very aggressive or good at soccer, but they are. There's a core group of girls that has been together since the beginning of third grade. Grace is about the only one with any kind of size. Most of them are blond and skinny. A couple of red head thrown in (twins). We have one dark haired girl, MariLu. We call MariLu the matriarch since she is the oldest. She is actually a grade ahead of most of the girls in school. She is super quiet and plays ferociously. C-Ray is the youngest. She plays center mid and is a natural  in that position. She goes up against girls two times her size. I've seen her run through another players legs and flips girls twice her size. She knows how to use her shortened stature to her advantage. These girls and their families have become family to us over the past 5 years. We've watched and helped them grow up. Yes they are normal teen age girls. We confiscate phones prior to games and they giggle in the blankets at the cold games.  Why they may be normal, I think they are above average. I cannot think of a time when these girls have been mean to one another. In fact, I think it's the opposite. The maddest I have seen the team is when someone gets hurt. They are loyal to the core to one another. Yep, they have a temper when someone gets hurt or they even think someone is playing unfair. Love those girls and their families. Hope they are playing well this afternoon!

I guess I have rambled on enough for one post.
Here's my menu plan for the week. We'll see if we stick to it!

Monday : Soup and Sandwiches (planning on working in the yard)
Tuesday : Pinto beans and cornbread
Wednesday: Church ---we eat at church and it's always a surprise what we are having
Thursday: Cold shrimp
Friday: Stacia's shepherd's pie

Thursday, April 22, 2010

7 things about me.......

7 things I did before


1. Was a student

2. Wasinvolved in student government at high school and college

3. Was a summer missionary in Brownsville

4. Learned to drive a stick shift bus in Matamoros, Mexico

5. Taught physical education to elementary students

6. Was the first student female stuxent trainer at GHS

7. Kept a church nursey during college




7 things I do now

1. Cook! for friends and family
2. Check facebook every day I can

3. Read the Bible every day

4. Read Coy's blog Monday-Friday

5. Try to sleep in a little bit EVERY day

6. Love to walk with my friends in the summer
7. Evaluate and diagnose special needs kids





7 things I want to do

1. Memorize more scripture
2. Blog more frequently

3. Keep in better touch with long distance relatives

4. Work out more

5. Run, not walk a 5k this summer

6. Learn to decorate cakes with fondant

7. Do a better job remembering birthdays





7 things that attract me about the opposite sex

1. Sensitivity/tenderheartedness

2. Postive attitude

3. Integrity

4. Kindness and playfulness

5. Old Fashioned Gentlemanly habits

6. Enjoys sports and outdoors

7. Must love good , old fashioned food, good quality food. Lots of it.








7 Favorite Foods

1. BBQ chicken

2. Chips and salsa

3. Roasted butternut squash

4. My mama's potato salad

5. Cantaloupe

6. Watermelons

7. Mr. G's snowcones-cinnamon with leche





7 things I say Most Often:

1.  UUGHGHH!!!!

2. Oh my!

3. Who's is this?

4. Why is this here and not where it belongs?

5. Do I have to get up?

6. JoGail! Emphasis on the G in Gail

7. Really?