Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cooking Thursday~~Taco Salad

My recipes are very simple.  I usually do not follow a recipe exactly.  I throw in this and that.  So with this recipe you can add more or less of something depending on how your family likes it.


Taco Salad

2 bags of lettuce (or head of lettuce)
1 pound of ground beef or turkey
1 envelope of Taco seasoning
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1 bottle of 1000 Island dressing (sometimes called Russian dressing)
1 bag of Doritos (I've tried using the "fake" Doritos but it just does not taste the same.)
You can also add tomatoes, olives, onions ect.

Cook and drain the ground beef.   Add taco seasoning according to package and let it cool.

In a very large bowl or pot place lettuce and cheese toss to combine.  Pour half the bottle of dressing (depending on how much lettuce you have used, you can always add more).

Crunch up the Doritos and serve on top of the salad.  The original recipe says to add the Doritos into the salad before serving.  But if you have leftovers the Doritos will be soggy.  Blech!  This is our favorite summertime recipe.  I also make it year round.  You can also play around with the ingredients.  Use the different flavored Doritos for different fun flavors.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of SAHM.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Happy Homemaker Monday


The weather in my neck of the woods...
Finally feels summer like.  It is supposed to be in the 80's most of the week.

Things that make me happy...
Spending time with my family.

Book I'm reading...
Recently...it's been just text books for school!

What I'm enjoying on TV...
Last night hubby and I watched reruns of the show FAME.  It was funny watching those again.

On the menu for dinner...
Grilled ham and cheese

On my To Do list...
For the next 2 weeks i will be enrolled in 4 courses at Liberty University.  YIKES!  In the summer semester they do this so everything fits in.  So I'm a bit stressed about this.  But God is giving me grace to push through!  It really wouldn't be a problem now, but we are going camping this weekend and all my school work that is normally due on Sunday night has to be done my Friday night so we can leave Saturday morning.

Get ready for camping this weekend.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon...
Zucchini and bacon 3 cheese lasagna from Full Bellies, Happy Kids

In the craft basket...
nothing especially this week.  LOL!

Looking forward to this week...
Camping!!  Relaxing at the camper while the kids swim, fish or whatever they like.

Tips and Tricks...
Don't sweat the small stuff!

My favorite blog post of the week...
I didn't get to many blogs this week.  OR had a chance to work on my own.

New discovered blog...
Monthly Challenge cooking blog.

Favorite Picture...

I am SO excited I can hardly contain myself!!  In July I am going to be spending the week in this kitchen "living" in the 1800's at the Genesee Country Village and Museum.  I have been asked to help out for the week of their summer sampler.  I can not tell you how thrilled I am!!  I get to dress up and play cook for a few days.  WOOHOO!!

Lesson learned the past few days...
When serving the Lord, He will give you the grace to complete the tasks at hand.  Just do not neglect your time with Him.  No matter how busy you are!!

On my mind...
Everything I have to do this week.

Devotionals, Scripture reading, Key verses...
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."

For more information on Happy Homemaker Monday visit Diary of a SAHM.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Molly's Money Saving Digest~~June


This issue is so far one of my favorites!!  (whispering) I think I say that about them all!  But who wouldn't?  Every issue is full of money saving articles, recipes and tips.

Here is a sneak peak of included pages in this digest.  For only $4.95 download the June Molly’s Money-Saving Digest now!

OR become a monthly Molly Member and subscribe for only $3.95 per month!  In the Molly Member section you get all kinds of extra goodies! Every month there are member only specials, extra articles, and so much more.  It is SO worth the money.

In every issue one of my favorite article is "This 'n' That".  This page has a calendar with different "fun" days of the month.  For example...DID you know that tomorrow June 22 is "National Chocolate Eclair Day"???  To celebrate we are making a very easy Eclair "cake".  I'll post the recipe tomorrow.  This is a summertime favorite here.

Also, in the June issue you will get a spice substitution list.  There is nothing more frustrating than to be making something and notice you are out (or in our case almost out) of a spice.  This handy chart is now hanging on the inside of our spice cupboard.

Don't wait!! Go on over HERE and get a sample of the June digest.  I'm telling you, I love these digests.  Yes, I received this digest free in exchange for my honest review, BUT for only $4.95 you get 63 pages of money saving goodness!  Oh and did I mention there are also a number of recipes in each issue!  My favy!!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Lazy Days of Summer....

I have not forgotten about my blog.  But when it comes to summer I try to stay off the computer as much as possible.  The weather has been perfect here!!  Mid 70's and low 80's most of the week, with a lot of sunshine.  That is just perfect weather to sit outside sipping iced tea.  Today my family woke me up at the crack of 9ish...LOL! They wanted to head to our favorite living history museum.


This is the Pioneer Cabin.  This is probably what you would think of with Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.  This cabin was actually built in 1809.  The museum interprets it as 1820's with open hearth cooking.  This is one of my favorite buildings in the village.  We take so much for granted in 2011.  We have everything we need everywhere we turn.  When the family settled here they had to cut the trees down just to build their house.

The farmer's wife in the pioneer cabin.


Who can forget the museum's oxen?! Tom and Mike are their names.  They are such amazing creatures.  The pioneer would of used them for all kinds of things.  Plowing, pulling their wagon, moving the logs from the forest to build their cabin.  We love to just sit and watch them.

So as you can see I have not forgotten about my little blog.  I've just been enjoying the time with my family.  I love days with no plans, we just do what we want.  Living next to this museum is such a blessing!  Next week I'll feature another of the village homes.


Remember to take time each day to stop and smell the flowers.  Life goes by way to fast to be rushing around all the time.  Enjoy your family!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
"To everything there is a season,

      A time for every purpose under heaven:
        A time to be born,
And a time to die;
      A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;"

Friday, June 10, 2011

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Days 8-9


Day 8
Pray Matthew will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character—persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc. (Rom. 12:11; 1 Cor. 15:58 )


Day 9
Pray Matthew will handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Prov. 23:4-5; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:5)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Days 6-7

Day 6
Pray that Matthew will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. Pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life, and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil. (Prov. 27:12; John 17:15; 1 Cor. 10:12-13)


Day 7
Pray that Matthew will safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Pray that his heart will be pure and undivided in his commitment to me. (Prov. 6:23-24, 26; Rom. 13:14)


Thank you to Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for hosting this.

Monday, June 6, 2011

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Days 4-5

I got behind on these this week.  I still prayed for him as I do each day.  But just did not blog this weekend.  Sometimes that feels really good.

Day 4
Pray that Matthew will grow in leadership skills in your relationship—protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage. (Eph. 5:25-29; Col. 3:19)


I tried to find a picture of him in the pulpit.  But could not locate it.  This is from our camp, where we find ourselves refreshed and renewed spiritually!  He is a great spiritual leader of our family.  I look forward to the day when the Lord leads us into full time ministry.

Day 5
Pray that Matthew will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church. (Prov. 20:6; Gen. 2:24)


Saturday, June 4, 2011

Timberdoodle Product Review~~Drawing the Presidents


I was so excited to be chosen to review for Timberdoodle.  This company has anything and everything a homeschooling family could ask for. 

Our first review is of How to Draw the Life and Times of the Presidents.  The book we received to review was Theodore Roosevelt.  Not only is this book a history book it is also an art book.  Since we have one in the family who loves to draw this was a perfect fit. 

This book is a beautiful hard covered book.  The pictures are easy to follow.  We love the step by step approach to drawing. 

After carefully going through the book over and over trying to decide what to draw he finally picked one.  That was the hardest part of reviewing this book. 

He picked the log cabin to draw.

The pictures are so easy to follow I think anyone could learn to draw from these books.  Even me, with the stick figures and all.  LOL!

You can purchase these books individually for $9.95 HERE.  Or you can purchase the whole set for $195.00.

Legal Disclosure:
As a member of
Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Book Review~~A Reluctant Queen


"You know the Bible story.  Now discover the love story.  Experience the intimate, profoundly stirring story of Esther, a simple Jewish girl, and Ahasuerus, the Great King of Persia, who finds in her the companion of his soul."

This book was written by Joan Wolf.  She also wrote The Road to Avonlea.  I was unaware of how many books she had wrote.  Joan was born in New York City but raised her family in Connecticut.

This book captured my attention from the first paragraph, that does not happen very often.  Joan does a great job of keeping that attention all the way through the book.  It helped that one of my favorite people of the Bible was Esther.  Her words made me the reader feel as if I was sitting in Esther's home early in the morning while she made bread.   Esther was just an ordinary woman chosen by God to make a difference and change a nation.  This book was full of love, deceit and romance.  I can not say enough good things about this book.  It will be released in July 2011.  I highly recommend this book.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Day 3


Day 3
Pray that Matthew will be humble and quick to agree with God about his sin. Pray that his heart will be tender toward the voice of the Lord.
(Ps. 51:2-4; Micah 6:8 )

Psalm 51:2-4
"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge."

Micah 6:8
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God."

So often we as wives get so wrapped up in our problems, or lives that we forget to stop and remember why God created women.  It wasn't to "be all you can be", we were created to help our husbands.  They are the head of the home.  We need to stop and remember they struggle just as much as we do with sin, sometimes more.  Pray for your husbands, protect them as much as you can.  With God as your General, you will win the battle over sin.

Thank you to Sandra over at Diary of a SAHM for hosting this!

 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Day 2


Day 2
Pray that Matthew's relationship with God and His Word will bear fruit in his life. Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord. (Prov. 3:7, 9:10; Ps. 112:1)


Proverbs 3:7
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil."

Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Psalm 112:1
"Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments."

Matt and I were saved later in life (our 30's).  We are still babes in Christ and we are learning how to walk on our own.  Matt knew God has called him into ministry shortly after we were saved.  Watching this transformation in him has been such a blessing.  We compliment each other greatly!  I stray he reels me back in, he strays I reel him back in.  He definitely is being used by God.  We are excited to serve God, here or abroad in the mission field. 

Join us in praying for our husbands this month.  Thank you to Sandra for hosting this.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband~~Day 1


So many times we remember so and so in prayer, or praying for a particular problem we have.  But how often do we stop and actually pray with passion for our husbands?  For most of us our husbands are out there being bombarded with all kinds of things in the world.  The stress they have are a lot to deal with on a daily basis.  I am SO blessed to have a husband who works very hard so I may stay home with the children.  Not only that but stay home and be the wife he deserves.  I may not always act like I should about being a wife.  I let the selfish me get in the way.  So when Sandra over at Diary of a SAHM said she was going to do this, I was thrilled!  I have also written these down in a journal so I can continue on with this the whole year.

Day 1
Pray that Matthew will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines—Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization, etc. (2 Peter 3:18; Prov. 4:23)
 
2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV)
"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
 
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)
"Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life."
 
I love this man!!  Not only is he the head of our home but the spiritual leader of it as well.