Funny, Lucky or Blessed?

Being married for 33 years means we have been through 33 Valentines together. We started dating in September and married in January, so we did not experience Valentines prior to marriage and NO, we did not HAVE to get married. Back in the "olden days", that was always a big deal. Times have changed and so it goes with us and Valentines.......times have changed.



This is our life now and it is even more special than when we first met. For those of you who know my husband, he is what he is.....never puts on a front for anyone. Totally honest. Friendly to everyone he meets. Has been known to cause tears from laughing at crazy things he says and does. And what I am about to relate to you, may bring on more of those same tears or at least a good smile.

This is what he brought me home yesterday for my Valentines Day gift.



Beautiful red roses. Count them. Only 9. Don't the grocery stores usually sell them by the dozen? Hum? Being the totally honest person he is, after he gave them to me still wrapped in the cellophane wrapping from the grocery store, he proceeds to tell me the following story:

He had asked the Lord that morning to show him the perfect gift for me this year. (not sure i believed that part) He is not a greeting card type of guy, but he wanted something special. He had been to the gym to work out at lunch and then he and his workout buddy went to Subway to grab a sandwich before going back to work. When he opens his truck door, on the ground was this cellophane bag with a dozen roses. He looks around and doesn't see anyone that looks like they lost them, so being the honest person he is, he laid them on the back of his truck in case someone came looking for them while he was eating. They were still there when he came back out. One was a little broken. He plucks it out of the bag along with two nicer looking ones to give to his buddy so he could take them home to his wife. Such a sharing and thoughtful person, my husband. I got the nine remaining. The Lord had blessed my husband that day! A God sent gift for me!

After he confessed how he came about the special roses for me, I told him the Lord had just answered my need for the day. The day before, his buddy's wife asked her husband what they were going to do for Valentines Day. He replied that he was going out to help my husband work on retrofitting our motorhome with a flat screen tv. Her reply was "for real?".

Being the good wives we are, we prepared a meal and even took it to the barn for the guys so they could get to work quickly after the meal.
And, God provided that little something to make our table look like Valentines....red roses. I was blessed.



There we are.....great friends, great meal, beautiful, God sent roses, in the barn with the motorhome! How much better can it get? And this is the result of the hard work by the men.



A flat screen tv installed in the bedroom of the motorhome. Still needs some stain, but they did a great job!

Isn't Valentines about being with those you love? We had a great time in our own way. And, after hearing my daughter's story (they had to postpone Valentines until Saturday because the new "Swamp People" started Thursday night), I think our evening wasn't too bad for "old" people.

Have a Blessed Day

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Repurposed

I know the trend today is white and light and old. I love this in pictures, but in reality, I love color and my house reflects this. I also love new furniture and new accessories but more than that, I love different and unique.
This week I got to go to what I think must be the world's largest flea market in Canton, Texas. At least it had to be the world's busiest flea market. Surely you were there! It seemed like the entire world had to be there. The highlight of the trip was seeing Laurie Anna's Vintage Home's new expansion. Yes, she got most of my money this trip. We managed to go there twice in one day. If you are not familiar with her, visit www.laurieannas.com. It is a truly amazing store.
But the real find was from one of the more junk type dealers in the actual flea market. It had color and was just what I was looking for, even though I had no clue what it was when I found it. I had bought some 4' stems from Pottery Barn and Parkhill Interiors and needed something unique to hold these stems. When I saw this, I knew it was just what I needed and it was just the right color.



Do you recognize the container? It is an old grain auger - used to keep the grain dry.
It actually has the fan still in the bottom. Not sure how it was suppose to work and I am sure my son-in-law would have some of these around his farm and grain bins, but I knew I had to buy this one when I saw it. Surely he wouldn't have red ones.
I love to discover a unique find that works into my house so perfectly.



So much fun! What have you repurposed lately? What makes your house unique? Oh, the joy of decorating!
Have a Blessed day!

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Bacon Pimneto Macaroni and Cheese

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love Paula Deen and her sons and their recipes!  My husband knows that Saturday mornings are for lounging in bed and watching the Food Network until Paula and Jamie Deen and the Pioneer Woman have shown me their new recipes for the week.  That is my idea of what Saturday mornings are about.  Of course, they are being recorded in case something interferes.

A few weeks ago, Paula made a mac and cheese that looked wonderful.  You can see the recipe here or keep reading for my rendition.  We got together with friends for Labor Day so I took that opportunity to try this recipe.  As one of the men said, "I have never had mac and cheese that tasted better than this."

 

The recipe says to use five 1-cup ramekins.  I used 6 and had almost that much more left over to send to my daughter.  Hope they loved it as much as we did!

 

 

Word of caution to those who try this recipe - have all the ingredients cooked, crumbled, measured, etc before you start mixing together because this is kind of like making gravy, there is no time to quit stirring to take care of those things.

 

Bacon Pimento Macaroni and Cheese

 

Ingredients:

Non stick cooking spray

6 bacon slices

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 cup flour

4 cups half and half

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

One 4 ounce jar diced pimentos, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper (I used smoked blacked pepper)

1 pound macaroni, cooked, drained and kept warm

3 cups shredded smoked cheddar (1 small brick grated)

3 cups shredded Parmesan

 

Directions:

Preheat broiler.  Spray five 1-cup ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. (You could use one large casserole for this)

 

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from the Dutch oven and drain on paper towels.  Reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in the Dutch oven, and discard the remaining drippings.  (I didn't have any to discard.)  Crumble the bacon and set aside.

 

Add the butter to the drippings and heat over medium-high heat until the butter melts.

 

Whisk in the flour, whisking until smooth.

 

Whisk in the half-and-half, and cook until the mixture is thickened and smooth, whisking constantly.  (This doesn't get super thick and doesn't really need to be if you aren't able to serve it right when it gets done.)

 

Add the ground red pepper.

 

Stir in the cream cheese and let it melt.

 

Add pimentos and bacon.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Add 2 cups smoked Cheddar and 2 cups Parmesan.  Stir until smooth.

 

Add pasta and stir.  Spoon into ramekins or casserole and top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar and 1 cup Parmesan.

 

Broil until cheese is lightly brown, about 4 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

Have a Blessed day!



Hook n' Go

I am always on the search for something to make my Mother's life easier. She is 84 and barely weighs 105 pounds, so lifting and carrying things can be difficult for her. Just a few days before her birthday and Mothers Day, I found something on Zulily that looked like a great gadget for her.


It is called a Hook n' Go. You hang your plastic grocery sacks over the little hooks and wheel them all into the house at one time. No straining. No wearing out the muscles. And it even jumps the four inch tire bump with ease. If you have steps going into our house, it might not work too well. She loved it so much that I decided I needed one.



Equalize the bags on each side. It will hold eight heavy bags. (If you are wondering why I have so many soft drinks in my car, it's because we had a group from church over last Sunday evening.) The one down side to this gadget is that your soft drinks have to be in plastic bags for it to haul them. I just leave it in the garage for the next time I come home loaded down with groceries.

I found mine on Amazon.com and had to pay an extra $10, but I think it definitely was worth it. For those who have arm, back, shoulder pains, it is a great investment.

Hope this simplifies your life.
Have a Blessed day!

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A Life Changing Post

This post may be life changing for you or at least someone in your family. I have no clue who the smart person was that figured this out, but let me tell you, it can be a blessing once you discover it and share it with those in need. Are you tempted to eat the entire cake if it is in your house? Do you have a parent who lives alone, loves sweets, but has no need for an entire cake? Do you have small children who need a summer cooking class to keep them busy? Do you have a college student who only has a microwave in their dorm room? The list goes on and on for someone this blog can be very beneficial to. Here is the answer.



Take one regular cake mix, any flavor, and mix together with one Angel Food cake mix. I store mine in a baggy, but I am thinking about getting something more permanent next time since this really turned out great. All you are doing is mixing the two boxes of mix together, no other ingredients for this.




Take an individual microwaveable dish and add three (3) heaping tablespoons of the cake mixture and



Two (2) level tablespoons of water (you do realize you can't "heap" water in a spoon. Ha). Stir until mix and water are combined.


Place in microwave and cook on high for 1 minute





Remove from microwave and you have a light and fluffy individual cake!


If you want a little frosting on your cake.....


try some coconut pecan frosting. This will last for weeks in the refrigerator so you can use it each time you treat yourself or someone else to their own cake.




it is hard to tell, but I added the frosting to this cake. Talk about yummy! And the best thing is, it is nice and warm and so fresh! I used a German Chocolate cake mix for my first try. Remember that the Angel Food cake mix will make your chocolate not so dark, but it still tastes great. This is also fun to do when friends pop in. They will be so impressed with your skills! I think next time I may try it with a sugar free cake mix. At least you would be cutting out half the sugar that way. Wouldn't this be great to take on a vacation where you have a microwave for a late night snack? The possibilities are endless.

Hope you enjoy!

Have a Blessed week!

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Foot Care

Do you have dry, cracked heels? I have found something that really works and believe me I have tried many products. If a store had a product that claimed to cure dry, cracked heels, I would buy it. Some worked better than others, but none worked totally, until now.



O'Keefe's for Healthy Feet works. I found it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond but you can also buy it on Amazon and I am sure other places. It was only $6.99 too which makes it even better!

The other thing I got new this week is also great for the feet and looks good too. I have searched for the perfect sofa for me. I probably would have rather had a recliner, or so I thought, but since every living room needs a sofa, I couldn't go that route. Most reclining sofas are a little too bulky for my liking. So I Googled reclining sofas and came upon the perfect sofa for my living space. It is Ethan Allen, the Conor incliner. It doesn't really recline, but it goes back a little, has a foot rest for the feet and looks stylish. It has the foot rest on each end. My color is called pear which has a little more green than the picture shows. It comes in leather too and it was only a couple of inches taller than my old sofa. I ordered it in January and just got it yesterday. I do believe it was worth the wait! Hope you like it too! Now I need to find the right pillow(s) to decorate it. Guess that calls for another shopping trip!


Hope your Easter is a Blessed day!


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A Life Changer

I must say right up front that I am totally addicted to smart phones, the computer and my iPad especially. Yes, if we are home in the evenings, we have the tv on, but our real attention is directed to the iPad for me and the laptop for my hubby. With that disclaimer out of the way, I want to tell you about the best app that money can buy, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.


A very dear friend has had a life changing experience recently and this daily devotional book was a part of that experience. After she started talking about her devotional for the day and how it so spoke to her, I decided to get the app. There is nothing quite like waking up and reading a Word from your Father before you ever get out of bed. I can say, it speaks to you EVERY day. It puts your day in perspective and gives you assurance that your Father will be there no matter what the day brings. It gives you a whole new perspective on living each day.
The nice thing about having the app on your smart phone is that it goes with you every where you go. Forget to read it one day, it is there with you no matter when you remember or no matter when you need it. Each devotional is a short, one page reading packed with just what you need for the day.
My husband has also become hooked on hearing from the Father each morning. They are easy to share on Facebook and Twitter too. Reaching the world to let them know there is Hope has never been easier. Whatever problem you face in life, I think listening to Jesus each day will certainly be a life changer for you.
Have a very Blessed day!
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Dear Teacher

Dear teacher,

I have entrusted you with my dear, precious child (ok, maybe not so precious all the time, but still precious to me and to God) for seven hours a day, five days a week.  For my young child, that means you will be with him more waking hours than I will.  That is a scary feeling. 

Who are you?  What kind of personality do you have?  Will you love my child in the way my child needs love?  Do you have the morals that I want my child to learn from someone that spends that much time with him?  Will you honestly seek out the best ways to help him comprehend the concepts that he must learn at his age?  Or, do you just consider this a job and do the same things the way you have done them for ten, twenty or even thirty years?  Are you a screamer or will you give my child that special hug that only a teacher can give when my child needs it?  Will my child look up to you or will he be indifferent to you?  Will you be the teacher that is disciplined and requires discipline in return?  Children can sense the kind of love that is real, that comes from discipline.  Please don’t let them do whatever they want to make them happy.  Life is not that way and they need to learn that at an early age.

Do you comprehend that teaching is not a competition with other teachers?  It is God’s gift to you and you are to do your very best as though you are teaching for the Lord, not for the other teachers or even the administration.  Do you find yourself jealous when other teachers seem to be doing a better job than you or maybe when other teachers get a compliment?  Do you talk about other teachers behind their back trying to make yourself seem more important?  Shame on you.  Do not be slanderers or gossipers.  Do not be jealous!  Try to learn from that person.  Go to other teachers and ask questions.  Sharing ideas is wonderful.  No one person knows it all.  Learn from others.  See if they have a method of teaching that you might use.  It is NOT a competition!  It is my child’s life at stake.  No matter what the grade, you influence them whether it is a positive influence or a negative one.  What my child sees and learns from you could be the beginning of a wonderful life or the beginning of a life of misery. 

If my child doesn’t get the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, he will feel he is a failure when he is older.  If he doesn’t learn how to interact with others in a mannerly and considerate way, he will not achieve the things in life that could be his.  If he doesn’t learn to respect his teachers, he will never respect adults in life.  If he doesn’t learn to abide by the rules, he may land in jail.  You are molding my child’s life.  This is not a job, nor a competition.  It is my child’s life you are dealing with.  Each day before you enter the classroom, please pray that it will be the day that makes a difference and I will be praying for you.  In my eyes, you have the most important job in the whole wide world.  Don’t abuse it but adore it.

Have a Blessed day!

Just thought I would share a few pictures of my Christmas decorations this year.  Not much changed, but they are still fun to look at if you are like me!  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to all.  Hope you are enjoying this time of preparation for the big day as much as I am!

Have a Blessed Season!

Texas Corn Bread

I am bad and I didn't take a picture, but I so wanted you to have this recipe!  It is absolutely the best corn bread you will ever eat.  At least I think so.  My mother bought the little cookbook around 50 years ago.  It is "LBJ Barbeque Cook Book" by the caterer to the LBJ Ranch - Walter Jetton.  The actual writer is Arthur Whitman.  Be sure to read the entire recipe.  It is quite comical since it was originally made to be cooked out on the open range.  I added my more modern version at the end for all us Southern City Folk. 
I had not had this recipe in a rather long time and I still had memories of this recipe being the one that turned me on to corn bread. My mother is 83 now and has been cleaning out and giving things away for several years now.  She was giving away some of her cook books since she rarely uses them these days and I told her that was the cook book I wanted.  It might be the oldest thing she has that reminds me of my childhood.  I remember the day trip to the LBJ Ranch and her purchasing the cookbook.  Was the recipe as good as I remembered?  It ABSOLUTELY was!!

Here is the recipe.

Texas Corn Bread

(LBJ Barbeque Cook Book)

Read entire recipe before starting!

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup sweet milk (that is plain milk to you young readers)
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder

Mix corn meal, flour and salt. Add all the other ingredients and let stand at least 15 minutes without

mixing. Grease the skillet well and heat it. Now stir the mixture and pour into the skillet. Cover the
skillet and bake in the coals, checking every few minutes to see that the heat is right. It is cooked when the top crust is a golden brown color. You will find that the bottom is somewhat moist at this time.
That is fine, for it should be.

HOW I MAKE IT FOR THE MODERN WORLD

Put ½ stick butter in cast iron skillet in a 400° oven and let it melt. Mix corn meal, flour, 4 Tablespoons powdered butter milk and salt in mixing bowl. (I use powdered buttermilk all the time since we don’t drink regular butter milk. Keep it in the refrigerator after opening the container so the powder won’t turn to a hard brick). Add all other ingredients plus a cup of water (to replace the liquid for the buttermilk) on top of the powdered mixture. DO NOT STIR! Pour the hot melted butter on top of all the other ingredients. Let stand for 15 minutes without mixing. This is a very important step. At the end of 13 minutes, return the cast iron skillet to the oven to get hot again. After the full 15 minutes, stir the batter, pour into the hot skillet and bake in 400° oven for 18 – 20 minutes (uncovered) until the corn bread starts loosening around the edges and the top is starting to turn golden and the bottom is really brown. This is so good when it comes out of the oven that you don’t even need to add butter to it! Might want to make two recipes so no one will know you ate the first one all by yourself!

I also made this today with white corn meal because my mother's recipe for corn bread dressing says to use white corn meal.  Works great with that too.  Hope you enjoy!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

I am so excited! My daughter upgraded her camera, so I got her old one which is more complicated than a point and shoot type camera, but hopefully, I will be able to do better pictures for my blog! I am starting with my fall decorations. Everything was done on automatic since I was learning about tripod usage. I am really basic. :)). Enjoy the fall pictures and hope they inspire you to do something seasonal at your house. I do think if you decorate for the seasons it says you love your home.































I can see those last two are really dark. Oh well, hope they inspire you nevertheless. Hope you have a Blessed week!

Friends

What kind of friend are you? 

What kind of friend do you prefer to have around you? 

One that always agrees with you or one that can help you to see other ways of looking at issues? 

I have found too many times we want friends that will agree with us no matter what the issue.  For instance, your other half, better known as a spouse, husband, wife, etc, does something that really sets you off.  It is just infuriating or maybe frustrating or so dumb.  You get my drift.  They are just so opposite of the way we think they should be.  We have all been there. (If only everyone were as perfect as we are.)  Girls are really bad about this....they run to their best friend and start ragging about their husband.  The friend so many times starts agreeing and may even add fuel to the fire.  Something that may have started out a small issue suddenly becomes major.  It may eventually make you want to give up on a marriage!

Is this the kind of friend you really need and is this the kind of friend you ought to be?  I want to suggest the answer to that question is a rather large NO!  A friend should be there to help you see the issue clearly and maybe even help you see the spouses view point - no matter what her view point is.  Sure she may agree he is a jerk, but she shouldn't tell you that right at this moment. 

A true friend would try to give you positives to look at, help you calm down, and work with you until the situation becomes better.  She would think before she speaks negatively.  She wouldn't add fuel to the fire.   She would pray for you and with you.  After all, a true friend would want to do all she could to help you keep your marriage together.

Think about the kind of friend you are.  It could change your world.

Have a Blessed day!

Life's Challenges

Building character.  How does that happen?  How long does it take?  What is the process one must go through?  I really don't have the answers, but by the time you reach your mid 50's, I guess you have developed character whether it is a good character or bad.  The past month, I had an opportunity to reflect on the type of character I have built.

I am not exactly the best at getting my mammograms done in a timely fashion.  One year suddenly is two or three and then I decide I must go.  This time and the last time also, I got called back in for a second look.  This time, it was inconclusive after 7 films and an ultrasound, so I was on my way to UAMS in Little Rock to try and get a conclusion with a MRI.  Now that was an experience! But that isn't my story.  My story is about all the days between all the procedures.

From the first mammogram to the second one was a wait of over two weeks.  During this time, I got aggravated having to wait so long and decided I was going to tell the radiologist about it.  (He is a friend.)  That is a long time for someone not to know if they are sick or not.  However, as I was sitting in the waiting room waiting on the second one, I realized if they did it all in one day, you wouldn't have time to reflect and see your real character.

I am not one to really worry.  I truly believe the Lord is in control and He will see me through wherever my journey in life takes me.  (Now if it is my child, I might not be as strong, but with me, I am pretty good at handling things.)  While waiting on the second mammogram and ultrasound, I sensed that I would need the next step, but I know from countless other women, that this does not mean there is a real problem.  Sure enough, the doctor came in and told me quite honestly, that he could not make a call whether what he was seeing was anything or just a false something and that he would like for me to have an MRI.  I am a logical person, asked where I go for that and he gave me a list of options and said it would be best if my OB/GYN made the appointment for me.  This had been going on for 17 days, so I drove straight to the gynecologist office (another friend of ours) and got the appointment made for 2 days later in Little Rock.  (If I went to Little Rock, I could take a bumper my husband needed to have chromed and see my daughter too!  So that was a logical place to go for a logical thinking person. ha)

Went on a Friday for the MRI expecting the results the next week but it actually took 15 days.  (No one told me to take the films with me so they had to be mailed.  If this ever happens to you, TAKE THE FILMS.)  This is when I had time to reflect.  What if the worst case scenerio happened and I had cancer.  I truly didn't believe that would happen, but you have to prepare.  The worst ending (in the world's eyes) would be death.  Was I ready for that?  Without any hesitation, I said yes.  I know where I am going when I die, and I know who will be waiting for me when I get there.  For a Christian, it is the ultimate reward and healing and I truly believe for a Christian, death is not a bad thing when you face it.  In my heart, I knew that would not be bad at all, EXCEPT for the husband, the daughter and my 83 year old mother that I would be leaving behind.  These three people depend on me for lots of things (at least I tell myself that.)  That would be the hardest part because I would feel I was letting them down and not carrying my load til the end of time which should be many years from now.  But I know, people die all the time and the ones left behind learn to deal with it, each in their own way.  By day 13 of waiting for the MRI results, I knew deep in my heart all was clear.  I had a real peace that only comes from the Lord.

The biggest blessing from this whole event, was not finding out that everything was ok and I did not have cancer.  The biggest blessing was seeing that I am truly not a real worrier even in the midst of a situation like this and seeing the true peace one can have during such a time.  It is a peace that only comes from truly knowing the Lord as your personal Saviour. 

A quote that came across facebook today:

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Reagon

 

Have a Blessed Day!

Learning from Trees

 Jeremiah 17: 7 -8
"Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  

This is one of my favorite scriptures and so applicable today with the drought going on in Texas, but even if there were no drought, it still speaks to our hearts.  We all have times of drought in our lives.  Our nation is facing the largest debt crisis in it's history.  Some have lost their jobs, their homes, their businesses and maybe even their retirement due to this economy.  Some face medical issues where God is the only answer.  Where is your confidence placed?  Do you feel it is up to you to solve the problems you face today?  Or, is your confidence in the Lord?

Matthew 6:27-29 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are

Matthew 6:30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

If you are a person of great Faith, share it with others who may not be so Blessed.  God is good ALL the time.

Have a Blessed day!

Salty Lessons

Everything is better with salt and sea salt is even better for you, but that is not what this blog is about.  A little salt makes most things taste better, but too much salt can ruin the best dish.  Ask my son-in-law.  The first meal my daughter ever cooked for him included my mother's peach cobbler recipe.  I suggested she double the recipe so they would have plenty.

PEACH COBBLER

Cream together:

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup sugar

Sift together:

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in:

1/2 cup milk

and margarine mixture until smooth

Pour into greased baking dish.  Drain juice from 1 large can of peaches; reserving the juice.  Place peaches on the batter.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and pour juice over sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Easy enough!  Double the recipe for a 9x13 dish. 

Not easy when you have never cooked a dish, practically, and you are cooking for someone that could possibly turn out to be your future husband, and you are doubling the recipe.  What if you double the salt and read the measurement as cups rather than teaspoons!  I won't repeat what the son-in-law said, but he had to spit the dessert out of his mouth. 

Fast forward to this past month - about 4 years later to this picture:

That is the same daughter TEACHING a group of my friends how to cook some new dishes!  She is a Pampered Chef hostess now in her spare time.  Who would have ever thought that she would have come so far in 4 years.  The fact that she moved to a small town with 1 1/2 restaurants (one is only open for breakfast and lunch), a pizza place, Sonic and now a Subway has contributed to the need to learn how to cook, as well as being married to a hard working farmer who works long hours in this awful heat and needs a substantial and good meal at the end of the day.  She can make the most awesome dishes now and even has learned to bake home made bread!  Move over Pioneer Woman!  Look closely at that first picture.  She is even making that food look pretty!

Moral of the story:  Read the recipe carefully.  Cups mean cups and teaspoons mean teaspoons.  A little salt does wonders in life.  Too much can ruin a good thing.  Nothing is life is hopeless if you set your mind to do it.  You too can become a good .................. whatever it takes to fill in that blank, if you try.  And, it doesn't hurt to make mistakes if you learn from them.  God is a forgiving God and you too should forgive yourself and move on and accomplish your goals.  And, last but not least, I am one proud mother! 

Have a Blessed day!

Parents

Something to ponder.  For those of you with young children, you cannot fathom the amount of love that you have for your child or children.  No one can explain it to you before you give birth to your own children, but it is truly amazing love.  No words can describe the depth of  love you have for them.  Am I right?

So think on this, that same love you have for your child, your parents have for YOU.  Yes, maybe you don't see that love or feel that love coming from your parents, but it is there.  As a parent, you don't lose that love for your children, ever.  Your parents would die for you just as you would die for your children.  Please don't forget that.  Maybe they have not always been there for you.  Maybe they haven't always exhibited their love for you in a way that you could see it, but it is there.  Maybe (surely) they have made mistakes, but these mistakes were not intentional.  Being a parent is always a learning process, even when your children have children.  But they love you still.

Include them in your lives.  Forgive them when they do not do or act exactly the way you think they should.  Forgive them for not loving you they way you think you ought to be loved.  Treat them the way you would want your children to treat you one day when the roles are reversed.   Don't put higher standards on them than you would want your children to put on you one day. 

Pray for them. 

They are your parents.

Have a Blessed day.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

For those of you who live in Texarkana, have you been to the Mixing Bowl?  It is one of my favorite stores - one of those stores where you can find any kitchen gadget and I love kitchen gadgets. One thing I bought my dear 83 year old mother was something that looked like a plastic tomato.  It is made to store left over tomato.  Since my mother lives alone and eats salad almost daily, I thought she would love that.  She told me today she was storing 1/2 of her apple in it as well as tomatoes.  (not at the same time...ha)

My latest find was the small bundt pans.

One recipe makes two cakes.

Those are on small plates so don't be deceived.  I used my mother's recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake and made two.  One we had for Mother's Day with strawberries and fresh whipped cream and one got frozen for a weekend of camping.  It is a simple recipe and doesn't take pounds of butter like most pound cake recipes.  I thought you might enjoy having the recipe.  Yes, you definitely can make one large cake, but the two small ones were fun!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 yellow butter cake mix
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
Vanilla

Cream together cream cheese, butter and water.  Beat until smooth.  Add cake mix.  Blend.  Add oil and sugar.  Blend.  Add eggs one at a time mixing in between each one.  Add vanilla.  Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

I also used a sugar free cake mix and substituted Splenda for the sugar with this same recipe and it turned out just as good.  That works great for anyone who may need to watch their sugar intake. 

A good way to spruce up a cake mix and an easy recipe for those of you who are not used to baking.  Enjoy!

Have a Blessed Day!