20 Jan | 2013

A Pinteresting Saturday

Have you seen Pinterest? I know that a lot of my online friends have but I’m not sure about everyone else.  It can be a great source of inspiration- and a time drain if you let it.

Yesterday felt very much like Pinterest Saturday. It started with several projects related to things I’d seen pinned a long time ago.

I saw this and knew something like that would work great- and allow me to see all those shades of eye shadow I rarely use because I can’t get to them as easily. The problem being is that the breaker panel is literally against this wall.  So, we can’t put any holes in the wall.  I realized sometime this week that I might be able use a magnetic dry erase board and those command strips (the ones I’ll never use in a house we own after they took off the sheetrock in our old home.)  So, I went to Hobby Lobby and project Saturday was born.  The dry erase board I purchased had this metal back and I decided I liked it better- and it reflects more light in this little bathroom. I just hot-glued magnets to the lids of my make-up containers.  So far, it’s still up- 24 hours plus later.

Then I’d seen this and a gazillion posts using a frame with glass as a dry erase board. So, I made some.  This is hanging in the hallway.  I used this Dear Lizzy paper that I had and these letters from my last Studio Calico kit. The hardest thing about making these- well, beside putting the hardware to hang them (Thanks Sweetheart!) was just making the decision to use the stuff I really loved.  It seems like it would be easy.  But, unlike digital scrapbooking, once you’ve used it, you can’t use it again.  It’s something that’s taken some getting used to in Art Journaling, card making, and these projects. . . . but I just have to make the decision to use it.

I made this one for my office dry erase board to let folks know where I am etc.

And this one, with a blue striped paper though this shot doesn’t really show it- we’ll use it to make notes etc.

And then for dinner, we had this again. . .  We made this earlier this week only we used refrigerated cubed hashbrowns and didn’t cook the sausage ahead of time.  Then, Cody left the leftovers out.  I wound up making it again yesterday.  This time- well, we used real potatoes so I cooked those.  About the potatoes were cooked.  We put the sausage in another pan, the one I would assemble everything in and let it warm up.  I made the sauce with a bit of paprika in it.  Then we mixed the three- the potatoes, the sausage, and the sauce.  We didn’t bake it and we didn’t add the sharp cheddar.  It really was like eating the cheese potatoes my mom used to make with sausage in it.  Love it!

In case you want to find me on Pinterest, you can find me here.

Filed Under: Cooking, Creating Leave a Comment
3 Mar | 2012

The December Daily that Wasn’t

You may have read this post  with my first page for 2011 and then wondered where the rest of December went.  When December was over, I was definetely wondering where the rest of December went myself.  Crazy month and I knew when I decided to do that I might have been a bit crazy myself.  And, it wound up being something I had to let go in order to try to keep some of my sanity last December.

But, I still took quite a few pictures of the things happening around us and I think I held onto the spirit of the December Daily project but just not the documenting every day part. . .  I paid attention, cherished, and enjoyed as much as I could.

We had of course, just closed on our house when December started.  Lots of chaos, adjusting, and changes.

We went to Ikea to get some furniture.  Cody was the most wonderful thing throughout that whole thing- listening to what I wanted.  Helping me measure and visualize the night before just to make sure the plans seemed to work.  Driving down there.  Shopping in Ikea- and changing some of the plans up as we went.  Loading all the boxes- We had the truck filled.  Driving back from Houston.  Putting all the stuff we bought together.  Just the most amazing man- I was so impressed that he never lost his cool.

Oh, and on the way down there.  I had to laugh.  Cody was flipping stations and John Denver came on.  He knew me.  He started to turn it up and I started to gripe about him switching from John Denver.  He said he knew better than that! LOL! John Denver is meant to be played on road trips.

He had to turn around the next day, after almost the entire rest of the weekend putting things together, and drive back to Houston for work.

No rest for the wary.  Cody finished up the Ikea projects when he got back. Including putting shelves in our little alcove- which proved to be quite a task.

We stopped by to see the Billy, Mandy, and the girls.  I never really got a shot of Mandy in- Amy Lynn had to have the camera- she did get this shot along with a hole bunch of blurry ones that precious whirlwind just won’t hold the camera still yet.

Callie took to walking like her Grandpa with her arms behind her back while we were there- Mandy and Cody both got video of it- it was the funniest thing.  And of course, Amy was not to be outdone and starting taking care of her “baby” who had no name.

Callie’s getting the pose thing. . . . Amy’s hitting that goofy smile for the camera phase.

There were cookies.  Lots of them! At least before they left the house.  (Yes, that’s my very old oven that we have in this apartment)

My Uncle passed away.  I was so thankful for the time we got to spend with him these past few years since Katrina.  Tracy & Kim and their boys came in.  I didn’t get many shots- the entire weekend felt like a whirlwind to me.

Ryan really wanted to hide from the camera.  I wish he wouldn’t have so you could see how much that cute little one eating the cone looks just like his dad.  (And, I was impressed Mom never mentioned the bag lady. . .  Mom would tell you that’s how she learned her lesson about eating th bottom of an ice cream cone.)

So, I just kept snapping away. . . .

We had a graveside/burial service to attend for a family friend of Cody’s family the next day that took us out into the sticks.  We had a chance to see Clint for a wee bit and I know Cody very much enjoyed that.  We miss Clint and Tamara.  Afterwards, I actually got Cody to stop in Marshall to see the lights- which are suppose to be spectacular.

As we wondered downtown, I was taking pictures of some of the store windows. . .  and Cody, apparently, was actually looking in the windows.

Where he saw this:

As I was giving him a hard time about how he was the one who pointed it out while he paid for my Christmas gift, He said that he knew when he saw it that I’d bring it home. . .  He knows me so well!

We saw the lights and this big rocking horse that Billy and Mandy told us about.  It was tall but I loved the way it was painted/carved.

Truthfully though, I felt like the “Lights” part of this Marshall stop was a total tugboat parade.

Christmas itself was pretty calm.  We kept it really simple.  It was just the five of us. My brother had his new camera and some really new lenses that we played with a little while we waiting for the Mac & Cheese and Ham to bake.

And somewhere in all that- we hunted (in fact, Cody got a doe and we processed it), and worked, and unpacked, and settled in.  Whirlwind!

So, that’s the December that the December Daily did not happen.

Filed Under: At Home, Family and Friends, Life's Bits and Pieces, Me & Him, Snapshots of Life Leave a Comment
1 Mar | 2012

It was just “So Me”!

Several weeks ago, I had an ill-fated meeting with a cinnamon roll recipe. It was one of those mornings where nothing went as planned. And it started with the Food Processor.

I’d gotten rid of my large, huge, gigantic food processor that I’d been given whenever we moved. I knew that would only leave me with the mini. But, I knew at some point I’d be replacing the one I’d been given with a bigger one that had features I wanted.

So, the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and I had a date with the mini food processor way too early in the morning. Of course, I’m so good at overloading it that it decided to fight back. . . and not mix- in fact, the motor hit it’s shut-off point. At which I did not panic thinking the food processor was broken- I’ve done this many times before over the years- Cuisinart’s do that.

But, it did mean I had to go to plan B- the Mixmaster- which, as everything went that particular moment, threw butter pieces across the kitchen- it just wasn’t my morning. I managed to get it mixed promising myself that when our Tax Return came in, I was getting the food processor of my dreams.

As luck would have it that morning, when I went to get the croissant rolls I was going to use for dough. . . . there wasn’t any. And getting some that night at Walmart- the night before Valentine’s day, not so fun either. Oh well, I just laughed at it all and took it all much better than I normally would. But, what else can you do when all the forces seem to be against you and the cinnamon rolls which really weren’t that great either.

So, I set out to research and plan for my new Food Processor. I started with the new Cuisinart Elite Food Processors I’d seen. They were pricey but I could justify it in the sense that I use my food processor a lot and have had some great Cuisinart’s over the years. I spent so much time debating whether to get the 12-cup or 14-cup dragging Cody to several stores in hopes of laying eyes on one though I knew I’d order from Amazon. (No one around here had them!)

When the return hit the bank, I went on Amazon to prepare to order the 14 cup- It was $20 cheaper than it had been. Cool, I thought, I’ll order it as soon as the return clears the bank. A few days later, when I went to order it, the sucker was $40 more! It left me less than happy with my old faithful Amazon.

I could not justify $260 on a food processor. So, I set out to re-figure out what I was going to get. I researched. I created charts with the features of the ones I thought I was interested in. I created charts showing me the price differences. I created charts figuring the percentages of the ratings on Amazon- and totally the bottom three ratings. I read reviews. And more reviews. I googled.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I spent hours looking at food processors. And, I still had no idea- what kept getting me was the reviews and the price. How could I say for sure that any one of them would be worth that much. . . they clearly had unhappy viewers.

So I did what most people who can get the food processor of their dreams and who spend hours analyzing which food processor to be would do. Right?

I bought a Hamilton Beach food processor for less than $40! That’s just so me that I had to laugh. Looking at all my charts and knowing that in the end, it was all for not- knowing that I could probably live just fine with this one for quite some time and save serious bucks. In fact, I was also able to replace our pasta maker that had broken for less than even one of the cheapest food processors I was looking at would have cost me.

(And as you can see, it meant lots of little things to wash when they arrived.)

Filed Under: Cooking, Me, Myself, and I Leave a Comment
2 Dec | 2011

December Daily- December 1st

It’s time again.  I enjoyed this project so much last year that despite life’s chaos right now, I’m going for it again.  It brought so much to the holiday season last year.  I knew I needed to keep it simple so I created a basic design to be printed at home on 4X6 photo paper.  This year is all about making these simple for me.

I don’t have real internet access these days (hoping that changes next week, she says crossing her fingers), so me and my cell may get behind in posting these.  And these probably won’t be the normal quality images- I’ll be sure to post those when we get internet and update my layouts gallery.  (You can see last year’s December Daily there or do a search here.) We also don’t have TV yet and I think that’s about to drive Cody crazy.

I also realize I haven’t shared the current chaos with you but this DD lets you in on some of it.

 

Filed Under: At Home, Me, Myself, and I, Scrapbooking, The Satisfied Life 2 Comments
9 Oct | 2011

How to Eat Fried Worms & Share It: Ritz Chicken Casserole

This recipe came from my childhood best friend Caryn’s mom.  We always loved it.  At home, we called it Fried Worms because we loved the book How to Eat Fried Worms so much, didn’t really have a great name for this casserole.  (We thought of the poppy seeds as worm eyes- doesn’t that make you want to make this recipe! Just saying. . .  It’s what we called it. . . the imagination of kids, right?)

The thing about this recipe is that I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like it and it’s simple and easy.

Print
Ritz Chicken Casserole

Ritz Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

  • 6-8 Chicken Breasts, cooked/boiled, and cut up (Could be other cuts of chicken too)
  • 2 cans Cream of Chicken
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 2 tsp poppy seed
  • 2 Cups Ritz crackers, crumbled
  • 1-2 sticks of butter (Or margarine), melted

Instructions

Mix the chicken breasts, cream of chicken, and sour cream together.

Spread this mixture in the bottom of a 13 X 9

Mix the poppy seeds, ritz crackers, and butter together.

Cover the top of the chicken mixture with the crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the crumbs begin to brown.

http://www.ordinarydetails.com/2011/10/how-to-eat-fried-worms-share-it-ritz-chicken-casserole/

This time when I made it, I made it for work.  So, I actually baked it in the Roaster.  I’ll get all the stuff ready the night before then bake it at work.  Here’s what I do:

I mix the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup together and place them in a gallon size ziploc- refrigerate overnight next to the sticks of butter then put both in my cooler to take to work.

Then, I mix the crumbs and poppy seed and put that in a baggie.  I then gather everything up I need and put it all in the roaster: the roaster, the rack for the roaster, pot holders, the crumb mixture, a container and lid used to melt butter and mix the crumb mixture (I bring the lid so that I can close the dirty container and wash it at home), a foil covered 13 X 9 (foil for easy clean-up), and the lid to my 13X9.  (I have forks/knives/spoons at in my office.)

Then I put it together and bake in the roaster- it usually takes a little longer than at home.

 

Filed Under: Cooking Leave a Comment
14 Aug | 2011

Lasagna: So Easy A Child Can Make It

Tonight, I’m making an old favorite- Lasagna.  In fact, Cody likes this better than frozen lasagna.  It couldn’t be easier to make.  The recipe actually comes from a children’s cookbook.  It doesn’t require cooking the noodles and requires ordinary ingredients. 

 

Print
Lasagna: So Easy A Child Can Make It

1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Lasagna: So Easy A Child Can Make It

Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Children's Cook book.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef (we often use a bit more or a bit less)
  • 2 cups of Spaghetti Sauce (We use Prego Traditional)
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups (6 oz) Shredded Mozzarella
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
  • 3/4 cup hot water

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Cook the ground meat and drain. Remove from heat. Add spaghetti sauce and oregano. This will become your meat mixture.

Next, beat the eggs in a seperate bowl. Then, add: 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese. This will become your cheese mixture.

Next, line a 13 X 9 with foil (if desired- makes for super simple clean-up).

Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles in the pan. Layer 1/3 of the meat mixture and 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top. Be sure to cover the edges of the noodles. Add 3 more noodles and layer 1/3 of the meat mixture and the other half of the cheese mixture on top. Add the remaining three noodles and layer the meat mixture on top. Try to spread the meat mixture so that all of the edges get wet.

Next, pour the 3/4 cup water into the pan- to keep the edges from being crunchy, I pour the water over the edges of the noodles.

Cover and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When done, add the remaining mozzarella ( and more parmesan if desired) on top.

http://www.ordinarydetails.com/2011/08/lasagna-so-easy-a-child-can-make-it/

 The trick to this recipe, to me, is making sure that the edges of the noodles get either covered or at least moistened prior to baking.  My other tip- use foil for lining and covering the pan.

 

Filed Under: Cooking Leave a Comment
21 Jun | 2011

Birthday Cake

Most years, I don’t get a birthday cake and somehow that bothers me. This year, when I told Cody about it, he set out to fix it. We raided the pantry to see what kinds of cake mixes I had and there was Red Velvet Cake. So, Cody set out to make it. I had to laugh when he asked if he needed to split the eggs. It reminded me of just how many things we make from scratch in my home. But, of course, I told him no- it’s a box cake. They’re designed to be easy.

Next it was time for the icing- which happens to be Cody’s favorite icing, lucky for him, right? A little reward for him. Now our family’s red velvet cake icing isn’t hard but you kinda need to know what you’re doing. So, he reads the recipe. . . “5 tbsp of flour” I hear him exclaim. I explained that yes to you take the flour and the milk and you cook them until literally you can’t stir them anymore. Then you let it cool. He asked three times if he was done stirring.

He reminded me while stirring that I wasn’t stalking him with the camera- needless to say, I got the camera out.

When the cake was ready, he got it out. . . and since he knew I was taking pictures, he just had to have the cake tester facing so that you could read “Cake Tester”- he’s a nut as I’m sure you know.

Then it was time for him to study the icing recipe some more. I had to tell him that he needed to wait a bit or else the icing would totally melt.

So, he begins creaming the icing- using the pulse on the food processor. . . . Ah, you got to love him. He brought lots of smiles. And, he learned a few things, I hope- like cream means you let the food processor go for a while. As he was making the icing, he said he never figured his favorite icing would be so difficult.

Then, of course it was time to move on to the icing of the cake. I laughed when I heard him first get aggravated- red velvet cake always seems to crumble while icing it. But, then I noticed he was getting rather chinchy with icing. . . (He couldn’t wait to eat what remained, of course.)

The cake, it was delicious! (Sorry Jacksters, I know you both love this cake. Should have been here.)

PS Can you tell I was on a dish cleaning hiatus for the day?

Filed Under: Cooking Leave a Comment
1 Feb | 2011

One Little Word Update, Blog Hop, and Giveaway

January’s Gone, but not my .  Home.  In fact, I feel a bit renewed as a new month begins.  This month should mean less travel and more time at home.  I’m already tuning in to developing some better routines here at home. 

Some observations from January:

1) I knew this year would I’d be spending more nights waiting for Cody to come home.  But bright and early New Year’s Day, my One Little Word and the Future clicked.  I hadn’t thought about waiting for Cody to come home when/if he works nights.  He was out on a ride along when I woke up about an hour after he was to “get off”. . . and he wasn’t home.  My One Little Word took on a different meaning before 5 AM on 1/1/11.

2) As part of exploring my One Little Word and a prompt from Ali’s One Little Word Class/Community, I looked up the definition from home.  I hadn’t thought about baseball when I chose my word.  How could I have not thought about that!  or Home Field advantage.  I love the idea of having home field advantage- at home!  When I think of all that it means in sports, it’s brings confidence that things at home can be great this year.  (or more confidence that I can keep house, run a business, etc with the advantage of being at home!)  I’m also looking forward to SFA baseball starting this month- and sitting behind home plate.

3) Another definition that I loved- In One’s Element- as in at home within oneself.  I loved this definition.  I hope this year brings that sense to my life this year.

4) Cody and I’ve been getting more stuff done - I’ve got frames nearly painted for the bedroom.  We’ve done some re-arranging in the bedroom as well.  I’ve cooked more at home.  And we’ve got a few small projects we hope to get done in the next few days.  (We’re also bringing a new washer into our home. . .)

5) I’ve really spent a great deal of time concentrating on Reflective Scrapbooking and am excited to have scrapbook products available online now and soon some free videos about how to scrapbook digitally.  Loving the idea of working from home and my husband’s support as he helps out around our home while I’m working. 

6) I’ve loved seeing pictures of my childhood home.  As part of another class I’m taking, mom sent pictures my way.  I’ve loved looking at all the old pictures- though I’m dreading trying to deal with that lovely orange shag carpet in my scrapbook pages.  It’s been fun to see those pictures- including the things in the background of those pictures- the little bits of the stuff of life. 

So now, it’s February.  Wonder what surprises my One Little Word will bring home this month!  I know that I want to work on exercising here at home and building some better routines at home.  And I can’t wait to see what prompt Ali brings us today in our One Little Word.  (It’s certainly not to late to choose a word for 2011.  If you do, I highly recommend joining us in Ali’s class.  The community is awesome!)

Speaking of Ali’s class, I’m participating in a blog hop!  We’ll be sharing our January Prompts today.  And, I’ll be giving away here on this blog the Sinton Paper Collection that I created and used on my January prompt and title page. 

One Little Word Title Page

A New Picture taken in front of our home.

Page Protector Page

I created a template (available free here) for use with the page protectors for this class.  I really wanted to do something digi that wasn’t just one flat page.  This is the file before I printed it here at home and cut out the cards.

Since Ali urged us to handwrite- I decided I’d strike a balance and fill out part of the cards with my own writing.  I also took advantage of the size to try some sewing on my page. . . that was pretty fun. 

The Giveaway

I’m giving away these papers, the Sinton Paper Collection, to three lucky winners. 

To enter the drawing, leave a comment telling me what your One Little Word is or what it could be in 2011.  I generate a Randomly drawn winner from those comments left by 8 AM PST time 2/2/11 and announce the winner later on Wednesday.  (Comments can be left by clicking the number of comments just below the title of this post.)

The Blog Hop

I want to say thanks to Becky for directing folks over to my blog and encourage you to visit Marlene’s blog next.  All of our posts are due up by 8 AM Pacific Time. 

Here’s a full list of everyone participating:

  1. Margie http://www.xnomads.typepad.com
  2. Jill Conyers http://www.jillconyers.typepad.com/life_as_i_see_it/
  3.  Monica http://www.scraplifters.blogspot.com
  4. Lynn W http://www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
  5. Miranda http://www,mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
  6. Mandy http://www.captureandcreate.wordpress.com
  7. Kathy http://www.katswonderings.blogspot.com
  8. Lisa http://www.makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
  9. Donna http://www.donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
  10. Abbey http://www.athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
  11. Sam http://www.learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
  12. April http://www.capturethememories.blogspot.com
  13. Nicky http://www.seejanebake.blogspot.com
  14. Rebekah http://www.istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
  15. Relly http://www.rel.ly
  16. Nancy http://www.goshery.blogspot.com
  17.  Cynthia http://www.paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/
  18. Kathryn http://www.katlodesigns.com
  19. Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
  20. Heather http://www.scrappyhare.blogspot.com
  21.  Gayle www.lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com
  22. Kristina http://www.ciqis.blogspot.com
  23. Debra http://www.blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com
  24. Becky http://www.beckyandjames.com
  25. Amy http://ordinarydetails.com You are Here!
  26. Marlene http://www.moore-fun-in-the-sun.blogspot.com/
  27. Maureen http://www.cookingmylife.blogspot.com
  28. Cheri http://www.cheriandrews.blogspot.com
  29. Monica Scrapmom http://www.questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
  30. Jan http://www.mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
  31. Junelle http://www.yesandamenblog.blogspot.com
  32. Margaret http://www.gutsymom.blogspot.com
  33. Sharyn   http://www.analteredlife.com
  34.  Tere http://www.terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/
Filed Under: At Home, Family and Friends, Life's Bits and Pieces, Me, Myself, and I, Scrapbooking, The Life 16 Comments
29 Dec | 2010

One Little Word 2011: Home

Each year, Ali Edwards and a bunch of other folks choose a word for the year.  It’s kind of a resolution, a goal, and something to focus on in the coming year.  I usually think about doing it but for the past few years I’ve had a hard time settling in on a word- thinking hard about what that word might be even into January- and never really settling on just one word for the year.  This year, as I’ve had my word for 2011 since November. 

 My Word for 2011. . . Home

(Portrayed on my beautiful necklace that I ordered from Pumpkin Pie Designs/As We Dance.  It’s a custom order similar to her Keep Calm and Carry On necklace- all I had to do was ask  through a conversation.  I promise it’s gorgeous but we really haven’t had enough sunlight to get a beautiful picture of it yet.  Perhaps this will be the year I get rid of these privacy screens on that leave the house darker than it should be.)

Home.  It seems to be the perfect word for 2011 and sums up so much of what I want to focus on and look forward to in 2011. 

I want to focus on being present at home.  I want to enjoy my time at home and not just zone out here at home.  To relax at home.  To enjoy the time that Cody’s home.

 This is the year to settle in to our home- wherever that may be.  We’ve been in this home for 10 years in August but I don’t think Cody and I really feel settled in it.  We waited for this home to have a different purpose most of the time we’ve been here- and then the possibility of moving entered into our thoughts last year.  So, we’ve never taken the time to really settle in here.  By the end of this year, I want to feel totally settled in our home- whether it’s in this home or our next home. 

Settling is so much about making our house, our home.  That means focusing some time, attention, and monies on decorating and organzing our house to be our home.  I’ve already got a few projects in mind.  Some that I’ll be moving forward with soon and some that will wait until later in the year.

I’m also starting a home-based business.  So, this year will be about growing that business from here at home.  You’ve seen the preview of Reflective Scrapbooking but I’m still working on a few things behind the scenes and then I have lots of things I want to add.  I’ll be getting ready to devote much of my time to this online venture.

I also want to work on getting back to making this house run smoother, to be more organized, and to be better at cleaning this house.  In short, I’d like to be a better homemaker in 2011.  I know that our plans will need me to be more active in this roll than I have been in recent years- I need to take time to enjoy this part of my life more. . . One of the things I thought about during the Christmas Season when I remembered just how much I enjoy being .

I also dream of returning to my hometown of Kansas City some time this year but I don’t know if that will be possible. . . but the thought is there we’ll just have to see where 2011 leads us.

Home.

(Want to read more about , Check out Ali’s Blog here. If nothing else, check out all the words that have been posted and will be posted in the coming days- they are so inspiring.   And, I’m super excited that in this year when I’m so ready to focus on my One Little Word, Ali will be doing a 12-month class/community for One Little Word at Big Picture Classes.)

Filed Under: At Home, Life's Bits and Pieces, Me, Myself, and I, The Life 6 Comments
29 Dec | 2010

December Daily: Final Pages

Wow!  I finished this project and I’m so glad I did it.  Thanks to all of my  who put up with me “documenting” each day- and those that took shots for me as well.

I love how this project made me think about the little blessings throughout the day- and how I noticed even more afterwards while looking at the pictures and reflecting on each day.

Here are the last two daily pages:

December 24:

Traditional but untraditional- After a lazy day, we had our orange chicken without the gravy and rice for dinner. We opened gifts- I love this picture of Cody that captures the “Oh gee- I got a rain guage” I got until he realized why he got them. Our gifts proved we listen to each other. After Christmas eve service, Mom “helped” me with communion.

I needed an additional page so I made another hymn page to go to the left of my Christmas Day page:

December 25:

Christmas day was all about family-loving the little moments of togetherness like Cody and Coralyn , me and Jack making fritters, and everyone enjoying my scrapbooking.

That left me with the cover pages.  Since I ended up documenting hockey fights, screaming, and winning the day I took pictures of the house decorations, I decided I’d use those along with a few pictures of the tree for my covers.

Now, on to other projects. . . My for 2011 (I’ll be posting about that super soon as I’m really ready to begin 2011!), Yesterday and Today class at Big Pictures Classes, and Project Life/365- a third try to document the entire year.

Filed Under: Cooking, Creating, Family and Friends, Life's Bits and Pieces, Scrapbooking 1 Comment
24 Dec | 2010

December Daily: Dec 17-23

It’s almost Christmas and I’ve spent some time going back through the last week as I catch-up on my pages.  It’s amazing to me how much this project has made me thing about the special things this month- or even the regular everyday activities that December brings.  It’s also amazing that the project is almost over.

December 17

Journaling reads; Waiting, that was the name of the name of the game today. First, it was waiting for Cody to get done with his ride along so I could hear all about it- especially after he told me they went on a disturbance call. but, then, the wait was even longer for Lisa to get here so we could visit. Of course, by the time she made it, we were both ready for bed. But, we talked a while first.

 December 18 

Today was a great day. Cody was off hunting at the deer lease and left Lisa and I to ourselves. Lisa and I watched old videos of Jack when he was younger- we even posted one on his facebook- oh how Jack’s face in it made us laugh. then, we got down to business. . . creating a website for Lisa’s work. While web work isn’t exactly fun, it was fun being able to help Lisa out with all the things I’ve learned. We had a few challenges but they are just opportunties to learn. . . and a few tricks I’m even going to try on my website. But, in all the time we got to spend working on the site, we also got time to talk and catch up. We simply just got to spend the day together.

 December 19 

Journaling Reads: We had dad’s birthday lunch a day early. Conversations included their new cell phones, working out, the football game Cody was watching, and Cody’s ride-a-longs.

December 20

Journaling Reads: After Cody left for Lisa’s, I baked cookies, put on music, and decorated our tree. It was the first time we’ve put the King Ranch ornaments Coralyn has gotten us since 1996 on the main tree.

December 21

Journaling: Today seemed to be about preperation. Cody’s present arrived and I wrapped it before he had the chance to see it. I made several batters for cookies to bake Wednesday, and Cody helped me clean house before Coralyn came up.

 December 22

Journaling Reads: 234 Cookies plus a few. Today, Cody and I made five different kinds of cookies for the troopers at his office. Sad thing is, they’ll only get a dozen and a half each. We had less than 10 extra cookies. I don’t know how I’d have done it without Cody’s help.

 December 23 

Journaling Reads: Our traditional Christmas eve eve dinner wasn’t quite traditional. We used the mixture from Cody’s oopsy instead of mexican meat. Cody had put picante instead of spaghetti sauce with hamburger meat the night before. It still tasted good.

Filed Under: Cooking, Family and Friends, Life's Bits and Pieces, Me, Myself, and I 1 Comment
11 Dec | 2010

December Daily: Dec 7-11

Well, it’s safe to say that I got a wee bit behind on my pages- which I finished tonight.  But, I’m not behind on taking time to enjoy the season and this project. 

Here’s my pages up through tonight and a slice of life this last week.

Dec 7th

Dec 8th

Dec 10

Cody was off early today so he went to the grocery store, came home and packed, and went hunting. When I got home after work, there were three Little Debby Christmas Trees on the counter. I knew Cody was in the blind so I texted him.

And Lastly Tonight- Still can’t believe Pominville got in a fight. . .

Tis the Season- Hit Him!I was in the spirit tonight- not exactly the holiday spirit- but it was a fun game to watch even if we lost. I could be heard screaming- Make ‘em pay, shoot the Puck, Hit him! Score! This is the Season!

Filed Under: Cooking, Faith, Life's Bits and Pieces, Me & Him, Scrapbooking Leave a Comment
20 Aug | 2010

Then and Now: 5 Years- Some Pancakes and a Stink and Triggers

So, a few months back we went to the Caldwell Zoo with Lisa and Jack.  (We won’t talk about all the problems with the truck that followed that trip!).  While there I “manufactured” a shot to compare Jack then and now.  I knew I wanted a similar shot of him, so I helped myself with a little gentle push of Jack.

I thought I’d share those two pics today now that I’m starting to catch up on a back log of pics that I have for editing.  (New Computer= Freeing Lightroom with some Speed!- Sorry got geeky there, didn’t I.)  As I looked at them I noticed that I also had then and now shots from the same two visits in our kitchen.

It’s amazing to me how much this kid has grown in such a short time, but then again, part of me can’t believe it’s only been five years since the 2005 shots.  Was he really that little then?  It won’t be much longer and he’ll be taller than me. . . and really not that much longer than he’s taller that Cody. . . or at least I expect he’ll get that tall.

Ok. . . Comparison #1- In with the Rhinos where it definitely stinks.  I couldn’t quite get him to make the same expression. . . .

Summer 2005:

Summer 2010

;

A side note that I find interesting: The difference in his size and my camera is fairly obvious.  But what’s not as obvious is the similarities in his shirts.  The first shirt, a humorous look at 10 things not to say on a road trip, is from a trip he took with his Nana and Papa.  The second shirt is from the trip we took with him last year. 

Comparison #2- While #1 is somewhat staged, this one certainly isn’t.  It’s something that happens everytime Jack comes up.  In fact, it even happens at the deer lease and finally happened just last week when we were at his house.

Summer 2005

Summer 2010

Back then of course, we helped him make the pancakes.  These days we just sit in the living room demanding he cook us breakfast. . . not that he isn’t a willing participant or that if he wanted us to come in there we would.  But, he can make them from start to finish on his own now- all those early mornings of getting up to help him fix pancakes are paying off now- I can be lazy now.

Comparison #3. . . so while typing this, I realized I had yet another pair of then and now shots from these two visits.  While the others show progression in size and cooking abilities, this one shows a whole other progression- one that I’m sure Uncle Cody is super proud of and one that Jack is more than happy to make. 

Summer 2005

Summer 2010

Cody had promised that Jack would get to shoot the pistols next time he came up, so they had to squeeze a little time in this trip to do so.  Jack posted one of the pics from shooting pistols on his facebook and his comment says it all “I love that gun”

Another interesting to me side note: Back then, we had introduced Jack to Johnny Horton music (is there any better road music at that age?) and so the coke cans he was shooting became the “Bloody British”.  Just last week, Cody said that a Johnny Horton song came on the TV while he was down there and Jack started singing it.

Filed Under: Cooking, Family and Friends, Outdoors Leave a Comment
19 Apr | 2010

Kitchen Discontent: Some New Recipes

For whatever reason, I haven’t been content to make the same old things at night for dinner.  I’ve been trying a number of new recipes and have enjoyed most of them.  Here’s a few examples:

I picked up a cookbook with Campbell’s Soup recipes which included these:

Each Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas (We both thought it needed a little less of the creamy sauce)

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Rice (We fell in love with this one)

Another great source of recipes that I love is Kraft Foods.  I subscribe to their Food & Family Magazine and look forward to each issue.

When I got my iphone last month, I downloaded “ifood” which is from Kraft Foods.  Some of the recipes we’ve tried from there include:

Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

Gotta Empanadas Of course, I made this with homemade pie crust.

Southwest Chicken Salad Panini

Taco Bake

Mexican Style Lasagna

We’ll probably grill tonight but I wonder what we’ll have tomorrow.

Filed Under: Cooking Leave a Comment
27 Dec | 2009

Christmas in Pictures, Not! Christmas Without Pictures

Since I haven’t blogged in a while, you’ll have to bear with me for a short tangent.  Last Christmas, or maybe the year before, my nephew got a Wii.  We’ve been down there a few times and loved playing it.  He and his mom came up earlier this week and they brought the Wii. . . Well one thing led to another and we wound up buying a Wii ourselves. which arrived just about the time they left Wednesday taking their Wii with them . . .

I do not have any pictures from our Christmas gathering this year.  I didn’t even get my camera out.  We didn’t get into any shooting wars.  I think that’s a first for my family in many, many years.

My mother-in-law drove up and arrived on Wednesday.  My parents, brother, and his girlfriend came over Christmas Day.  I was more organized than ever with the meal.  I had to be. . . I had plans for Christmas Day and while I wanted to eat good, I did not want to spend the day . 

As soon as my family arrived, we let them grab a small snack and then hit them with our best shot.  Sorry, couldn’t resist that.  We created Mii’s for them and then made each of them thake the Wii Fit Body Test. . . Isn’t that just what you should do to all your houseguests and a festival (AKA feast day)?  But, that’s what we did. . .

And then the games began. . . We played the Wii Fit all day long.  We flew through the air, ski jumped, headed soccer balls, caught fish while sliding on icebergs, and had a few snowball fights despite the fact we did not have a white Christmas.   We all threw caution to the wind and made fools of ourselves.  And with a few broken no camera moments by my brother and father, there are no pictures to embarrass us with.

Before we knew it, it was time to eat.  Yum, Yum.  We had our typical Stephenson’s Restaurant and Family Recipe meal.  We started with just a doubled batch of Banana Fritters (usually, it’s banana, apple, and another flavor).  Then came the meal- ham, Grandma’s macaroni and cheese, green beans, bread, and frozen fruit salad.  Did I leave anything out. . . I don’t think so. . . we made sure we did not have any repeats of the Thanksgiving forgets.  For dessert, we had banana cake and pumpkin pie.  And a few more Wii games.  Now, I just have to keep up with the Wii to work off all that food.

Before I knew it the day was over without any pictures.  Even the clean-up was mighty easy and didn’t get any pics.  It was one of the absolute funnest Christmas’s I can remember.

Filed Under: Cooking, Family and Friends Leave a Comment
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