Cooking Thursday~~Stuffed Pepper Soup

This recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine many years ago.  This is one of my families favorite meals! I've also made this in the crockpot.  I just cook and drain the ground beef first.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2 Pounds Ground Beef

1 Can Tomato Sauce -- 28Oz

1 Can Diced Tomatoes, Undrained -- 28Oz

2 Cups Cooked Long Grain White Rice

2 Cups Chopped Green Bell Pepper

2 Beef Bouillon Cube

1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown beef; drain. Add remaining

ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes

or until peppers are tender. Yield: 10 servings.

Go on over to Diary of a SAHM to see other Cooking Thursday posts.

Usborne Summer Reading Program

I love it when I see my kids reading a book.  There are so many different reading programs out there during the summer.  One that I came across for this year is at Usborne Books.  Your children get sponsors...aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpa, and of course mom and dad.

Your child pledges to read 400 minutes over three weeks.  You are also helping to provide books to the "Happy Wheels" cart at MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston, SC.

You can do this This Summer Reading Club can be done in conjunction with your local library's summer reading program; separate reading times are not required.

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

When I received Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, I didn't know what to expect.  Was it going to be just another steak type sauce?  I do not care for steak sauce that much.  I could not wait to tear into the box and see for myself.  The first thing we noticed was right on the label it says "Christ is our CEO" I LOVED that!! 

 Ok now back to the sauce...I decided to use it in the crockpot with pork chops.  I placed it all in the crock pot before we left for church on Sunday...let me tell you...IT WAS SO GOOD!!  My Mom and I were savoring every bite!! :-)  This sauce got 7 thumbs up from our family.  I used the left overs to make a stir fry the next day. 

This sauce is now going to be a must have in our house!!  I can not say enough good things about this sauce or its company!!  I can't wait to try the other sauces they have.  The cost of this sauce is the same as any other sauce you buy in the grocery store!!  Shipping is included in the price.

Simple Woman Daybook

Outside my window...

Hot and Humid

I am thinking...

of all the things that need to be done before leaving Friday

I am thankful for...

kids who are willing to help me in the garden.  We planted 4 watermelon plants, 4 cantalope, 6 zucchini, 6 summer squash, many hot peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions (planted a while ago)

From the learning rooms...

last offical week of school!!  Then we will start our exams.

From the kitchen...

I'm thinking its going to be a sandwich type of day for supper.

I am wearing...

Peach skirt, peach top

I am creating...

homemade cards

I am going...

camping this weekend!!  We are opening our camp up for the season.

I am reading...

Bible (2 Kings)

Captivating

10 Things Every Ministers wife should know

I am hoping...

for a good harvest from our gardens

I am hearing...

the birds out side singing

Around the house...

bathroom remodel is coming along nicely.  I will post pictures soon!!

One of my favorite things...

sipping a glass of lemon water in the heat of summer

A few plans for the rest of the week...

pack clothes for camp

finish yard work at our house

plant the green beans

Start exams

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... different stages of wool.

To see other Simple Woman Daybooks visit Peggy at the Simple Woman.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:

B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L

Things that make me happy:

Being the woman God has called me to be

Book I'm reading:

Bible (2 Kings)

Captivating

10 Things Every Minister's Wife Should Know

What I'm enjoying on TV:

nothing

On the menu for dinner:

stir fry with left over pork chops from yesterday

On my To Do List:

Last day of Co op classes for this session.

Plant our garden

Laundry

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

Do not have anything today.

In the craft basket:

Card making...although I have not had time to do any

Looking forward to this week:

Camping...its our first weekend of camping at our camp.

My favorite blog post this week:

Civil War Tour

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

Our favorite musuem now has a blog!!  Go on over and visit them: Genesee Country Village and Museum.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:

I love the simple things in life...planting a garden, mowing the lawn, preparing a meal for my family.

On my mind:

Our daughter Katrina...she is really struggling lately with a few things.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Proverbs 31:15

"She also rises while it is yet night,

And provides food for her household,

And a portion for her maidservants."

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Civil War Candlelight Tour

We had such a good time last night on the Civil War tour!!  Everyone at the museum was very knowledgeable about the Civil War.  They loved talking with us and interacting with us.  Besides the quick down pour we experienced at the museum it was GREAT!!

Be aware there are a lot of pictures.  So it will be a very long post.

As we entered the village we were given lanterns.  It was great...except my husband and I ended up with them.

This was the other woman who greeted us as we entered the village.

Our first stop was the Thomson Tavern with the small arms display.  These gentlemen were so great...especially with all the children.  Our son liked this one.

More of the small arms displays.

Sorry about the blurry picture...he was telling us all about how they carried ammo. 

Bags and pouches they carried, as well as a bayonet.

The other gentleman talking about guns and ammo.

Next we moved onto Confederate camp and camp life.  They were just getting camp set up so it was very interesting to see how it would of been done.

Officer's tent.

This guy was great!  He told us all about daily life in a camp and even answered a bunch of question.  We must of spent almost 20+ minutes.

Next it was on to the hospital.  This was interesting on the tools of the trade they had during the war.  Not your everyday hospital...thank goodness!

The guy trying to get off the table scared our poor daughter Katrina.  She was over looking at him and he yelled out in pain..LOL!  What I didn't capture was her running off.  She was ok. 

Here are a couple of soldiers we met along the way.  Our children loved talking with them.  They played the part well, by warning our children to stay away from the enemy.

Union Camp with platoon drills.  Again a great bunch of guys...ready to talk about their life as a soldier.

Cooking their supper....It smelled really good tho.

Hyde House in the distance.

Union Headquarters at the Jones Farm (my favorite house).  My camera did not like this house...LOL!

Confederate home life...she was asking the kids if they had anything to share with them, because they were hungry....Hannah thought she was serious..LOL!

Showing us the art of spinning wool!  It was very interesting.  Our daughter Hannah loved this.

Preparing dinner for many with very little.  Our kids said "like we do"..LOL!

Refugee camp...They wanted to cook something but the rain prohibited it....bummer!!

Couldn't pass up a chance to get a nice picture of our kiddos.  Katie did not want to take her poncho off....she was sure it was going to rain again.

The printing office.  He told us about putting out a newspaper during the civil war and what it took to do so.

MacKay House...funeral preparations.  The scene was a 14 year old boy was killed in a farming accident.  I would of liked to have seen something regarding the civil war.  But it was still interesting just the same.

The mother in mourning...she played her part very well.  It was extremely smokey in the house....it wasn't my camera again...:-)

The coffin...it sat in the house for a few days.  Someone was always sitting up with it.  Pretty interesting on how things have changed.

Neighbors came by and prepared food for the family...somethings never change praise the Lord.

This was our last stop...are you glad??  It was the Foster-Tufts House where they talked about quilting and dressmaking, something I love hearing about.  They talked about how they obtained cloth and wool during the civil war.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual Civil War tour at the Genesee Country Village and Museum.  I hope to do more posts on the museum this summer.

Book Review~~Divanomics by Michelle McKinney Hammond

Divanomics: How to Still Be Fabulous When You're Broke

By: Michelle McKinney Hammond

Tyndale House / 2010 / Paperback

 

This was a very well written book!  It's not going to make you "rich" by any means, but it gives you the tools and tips on cutting down on what you buy.  I loved her humor through out the book.  If over spending has got you in a rut, then this book is just what you need.  She goes through on how to cut down on spending...starting with credit cards!! 

At the end of the chapters you will find questions and activities to get you on the path to spending control.  I really loved this book.  I've read many books on how to get your spending under control...but this one is by far my favorite.  It was so easy to read...it was just like sitting down with a friend and chatting.

This book was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers free for review.

Book Review~~Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson

Life, in Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice

By: Kristen Jane Anderson, Tricia Goyer

Multnomah Publishers, Inc. / 2010 / Hardcover

 

All I can say is what a blessing this book was!  I could not put this book down.  It took me less than 2 days to read this.  This is a book about a seventeen year old who attempted suicide, but only through the saving grace of God did she survive.  In the book she talked all about her struggles with recovery, hospitals and therapy. 

As a mom of a child who struggles with Bi-Polar my heart went out to her mother.  At the end of the book Kristen's mom wrote a Afterword in there.  I wanted to hug her and her mother many times in this book.  Many times as parents we try to "fix" our children.  Through this book I realized that only God can "fix" them.  Not that they need to be fixed, they just need to realize their need for Him!!  God has plans for each of us...He created us just the way he wants us!

I am making this book a required reading for my daughter.  I am also going to pass it onto the youth leaders in our church.  Kristen was very honest in the book..there was no sugar coating any of the details of her journey! 

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah.

I MADE IT!!!

I got the official word this morning that I've been accepted as part of the 2010-2011 The Old Schoolhouse Crew.  What does that mean you ask???  I have been chosen to be a part of curriculum testing!!  We will get a variety of curriculum sent to us FREE to try out and give our opinion!  The Lord answers prayers...let me tell you!  My husband and I were not sure how we were going to afford curriculum this year.  We were going to have to piece together "cheap" curriculum.  Now we will be able to buy a very nice inexpensive curriculum and have a lot to add to it.  It's a lot of work...But BRING it on...I'm up for it.  I'm am SO beyond excited.  I can not wait to share all this wonderful information with you.  This is their 3rd year of doing this...what a blessing to be a part of it!!  Anyway with all this talk about curriculum I thought I'd talk a bit on how we choose one.

Well it starts off with many many days of prayer for the Lord to direct us to what He wants us to use.  Talk to people!!  Home schooling families are so open to sharing their experience with certain curriculum's.  Another thing I highly suggest is subscribe to the many home school magazines out there.  The first one we subscribed to in our first year was The Old Schoolhouse Magazine we are still subscribers today.  Then we joined a local home school group (LEAH~Loving Education at Home) 

Many home schoolers will tell you that choosing a curriculum is quiet over whelming.  I remember our first year of home schooling, we had just pulled our children out of public school.  I really did not know anyone who home schooled.  We were doing it blind...we were also newly saved...less than a year.  That first year we did not go with one curriculum.  We bought many different things...wasted a lot of money.

For us cost is such a factor in which curriculum we will choose.  We have 3 children to buy curriculum for that can get pretty costly.  We had 3 curriculum choices in the "running" for this coming year was, Rod and Staff, Switched on Schoolhouse, and Download n Go.  We are still praying about which to use...but we do have one in the lead.  I'll post more about what we choose later.  If there are any of you out there that would like to know more about home schooling please do not hesitate to ask me!!

Cooking Thursday~~Rhubarb Crunch

Rhubarb is one of the first fruits here in NY.  We just planted some and are looking forward to it in a few years.  For now I'll be borrowing some from my parents.

Rhubarb Crunch

•1/2 cup butter, melted

•1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

•1 cup packed light brown sugar

•3/4 cup oats

•4 cups diced rhubarb

•1 cup sugar

•2 T. cornstarch

•1 cup water

•1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

•1/2 tsp. lemon extract

•1 cup fresh sliced strawberries (optional)

•Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the melted butter, flour, brown sugar and oats in a medium bowl and mix until crumbly. Place half the mixture in an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Top with the rhubarb.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Spoon the sauce over the rhubarb. If desired, add sliced strawberries for extra sweetness. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on top. Bake 1 hour, then remove to a cooling rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Opening Day at the Genesee Country Museum

Many people have asked me to put more of my pictures from opening day at the Genesee Country Village and Museum.  Did you know they even have a blog???  I'm REALLY hoping they post some of the yummy recipes that the cooks make in the village!! Hint Hint!

Anyway, onto the pictures...

This is looking down the street at the MacKay House and the Amherst Humphrey House.

Andrew...the new village statue?

The well behind Amherst Humphrey House.  I love to view the small details of the museum.  That is one thing I really enjoyed when I worked there as a housekeeper.

Interpreter telling us about yarn dying.  I could stand there for hours listening to them.  No matter how many times we go, we always pick up on something new.

Pots over the fire.  Something about the smell of an open fire. 

Wagon in the Blacksmith shop, Andrew loves this building the best!  I can picture a family in this wagon, loading up their belongings and heading out to homestead.  Such a simple, yet very hard life!

Spring cleaning at the Pioneer Cabin.  Putting new straw into the mattress.

Roasting a chicken in the hearth.  I love this!  It's hard to see the chicken..it is the tan blur in the background.

I'm currious to know what type of chickens they have here at the museum.  I love the color.

Another beauty!!

Schoolhouse!  Our children love going into this building.  They read the chalkboard and try to answer it.

Oxen...Mike and Pat!!  They are SO big.  I can see why The Ingalls' used Oxen.

Cook at Jones Farm..this is my favorite house in the village.  They also make cheese in this house.  She was working on it as well this day.  Here she is making a rhubarb pie!!

Romulus Girls School.  This is new this year...the inside has been all remodeled and is now being interpreted.  I loved how the desks went from larger in the back to smaller in the front.  I look forward to seeing more from this building.  The building has been there but did not have interpreters in it.  It was also dark and dreary.

Such a beautiful table in the Livingston Backus House.  I wonder why most of us do not set beautiful tables anymore?

Crushing cinnamon..this smelled so wonderful!

There will be more pictures coming this weekend...we are going on the Civil War Candlelight Tour!! We are so excited.  The children are going along as an end of the year field trip.  We studied the Civil War a lot this year.