Good Things #3 & #4

Good Thing #3 - Just read an article reporting that Americans spend $3000 and up on coffees and lunch, annually. With coffees running in the $3-5 range, that’s anywhere from $800ish to $1300 annually for a coffee-shop coffee. Naturally, I was wondering how much it costs us to make our daily cappuccinos here at home. Are you ready for the answer? You might want to sit down. Less than 25¢ each….more accurately, it came to 19¢ a mug. In the spirit of full disclosure, that does not include the sales tax on milk. I also don’t pay sales tax on coffee, because I order it through Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. Makes our little homemade cappuccinos taste all the better.

Good Thing #4 Did the little piggy cry wee, wee, wee, all the way home?

*Snort* HeHe! Now how can you not smile at that?

Good Things #1 & #2

Good Thing #1 – I could hardly wait to share this recipe with you.  It is THAT good! Make it soon and thank me.

Moroccan Chicken aka More Rockin’ Chicken

Here are two inspirational foodie type websites, if you’d like to take a gander.
Tasty Kitchen: A Happy Recipe Community from Pioneer Woman.
Just a Pinch Haven’t spent as much time here, yet.
I like both these sites because they are real people posting workable recipes.

Good Thing #2 – I am purging our former homeschool room. The purging stage really isn’t that bad. Yes, there is some anxiety when parting with things from such a wonderful and fulfilling experience, but too many things make for a cluttered and unhappy space. So, a purging I go, without mercy, without remorse, and with purpose.

The Pile

Saved Treasures

One of Four Empty File Drawers

I know exactly what’s going back into that drawer because I have a plan. HaHa, not really, it just occurred to me as I sit here typing and looked at another junky space on my desk.
A friend shared this link for an organizing site, that I think looks pretty good. Last year the Organizing Junkie ran a 52 weeks of organizing type thing and all the info is still there. I am liking the project a week mentality. Its do-able and totally up to me as to what I dig into each week.

I hope to have this finished up by Friday at the latest because my next little project is a bit of a quickie and I might get it done over the weekend.

A nook and a cranny

My interior design skills are pretty much, nonexistent.  I buy lovely works of art to hang on the walls and call it good.  Every once in awhile, a wave of inspiration hits and I might do an ‘arrangement’ of things on a wall, but I wouldn’t call it creative by any means.  I am happy if everything is somewhat balanced and hanging straight.

When we would PCS (that’s “move to a new house” for you civvies), the walls would be pert near blank for about a year, especially if there was new paint on the walls.  I just don’t like putting nail holes in nice, smooth walls.

My big kitchen remodel is such an example of this, but The Hub and I changed that today.  This is the cranny.  I guess it’s a cranny….its definitely not a nook.  You would think its tucked away under an obscure staircase because I’m not sure anyone in this house knows where it is, other than myself.

Kiss The Cook

~Kiss The Cook ~  It took about 15 minutes to put that up there.  It’s been in it’s box since mid-December.  No…I don’t procrastinate….much.

You may also notice that I don’t do curtains.  The little plaque in the ledge says “Rejoice in the Lord always”  I need that reminder, especially when washing dishes or handling, ewww, raw chicken.

 

 

 

 

Now for the nook.

The Kitchen Nook

 

Yes, this is more nookish.  My whiteboard weekly calendar is a wonderful little thing.  One quick glance and I know what I’m doing and where I need to be that day.  As you might guess, this nook is a clutter magnet, but it looked good today, so I took a picture.

I don’t know if this will always be a desk.  Sometimes I think it would make a good place for the microwave, or some other kitchen gadget.

Chatterings 2

If there is a “1″, there must at least be a “2″.

Our Christmas decorations are still up.  that was a confession & a whine

The boys were glad to see their friends at school this past Monday, but are not so happy about the homework load!  Yowza!  January is a month with big chunks of class time missing for a variety of reasons and causes; thus, the pile-ons, I guess.

So, the New Year routine begins.

Back to the Y – tomorrow or the next day or the…..haha.  Yesterday was thwarted with a phone call for a jump start!  Ironic, since I needed a jump while away and I don’t think I’ve jump started a car in 20 years.  This morning is my big house cleaning time, so shooting for tomorrow!  My friend, Kristy is trying the Couch to 5K program, which I looked at back in November.  I may give this a go, albeit, at a much slower pace and I’d be content with a 2 mile run.  I don’t know though, I feel like a total dork when I run, so running in public is a humbling downright humiliating experience for me!

Back to cooking real food.  I am physically out of whack – not sure if its from frequent dining out, too much processed food, a hangover from December’s double flu whammy or what, but dinners will be clean and simple.   Last night was ground beef simply prepared in the pan with salt & pepper, turnip greens with yummy homemade ham stock,  a pot of brown rice for the boys, and strawberries.

Today will be a small hunk of steak and something green. (i could go for another pot of greens!)  Tomorrow or Friday, I will roast that big ole hen that is defrosting in the fridge.

About those steaks:  I bought a family pack of ribeye at Kroger this morning for a decent price.  While unwrapping them, I discovered they now come with a magnetic anti-theft strip.  Speaks volumes of the fallen world we live in, but also reminds me of a time when I was broke and hungry.

Needing a good sunshiny day soon….looks like I must wait until Friday.

Today’s comfort verse ~

“I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Psalm 118: 5-6

Chatterings 1

This little piggie came home last Sunday night.  I feel like I’ve been gone quite awhile…maybe because I kept extending my return home date.  First, we were driving home on Thursday, which quickly changed to Friday and then I decided to wait until the last minute to come home; being the proficient procrastinator that I am.

What I did during the first half of our trip:  drove a lot, talked a lot, ate, watched as much Food Network as I could squeeze in and some mighty fine football, sat beside my Dad- sometimes we talked and sometimes we didn’t wanna, worked on his crossword puzzles while he wasn’t looking, kept an eye on grandsons…..an all-around low-key time with family! Well, except the grandsons part!  Oy, such energy!

What I did during the second half:  drove just a little, still talked a lot, ate more, still had the FN & football games on (awesome game for the Saints!), got new recipes from my Sis, visited little Sis’s new home, cuddled with my other most favorite dog in the world, watched a homecoming basketball game & my nephew’s first bb game, shopped at the Mall where I used to hang out with friends in high school, caught up with one of those friends, too.

Loved my trip and time spent with those I love so much!

Carry Big

Yes, I am big, beautiful, and carry a big bone.  

Joy To The World!

Joy to the world, the Lord has come:
Let earth receive it’s king.
Let every heart, prepare Him room…
And Heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing, and heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

Much joy and celebration for such a lowly birth….still to this day. The festivities surrounding Jesus’ birthday thrill me the entire winter season.

Personally, I can’t wait for His glorious return!!! Can you imagine all the shouting and singing, the likes that hasn’t been seen, even in Dixie. You have to be ready ahead of time. Once the trumpet sounds, invites are over. Make ready and become A child of the King!

Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2012

A baby changed everything.

If you think a baby changes everything………wait until you meet Jesus Christ!!!

Meet the Newborn King this Christmas season as your Savior and rightfully make him King in your life. I promise, it will be your best Christmas ever and give you a brighter, better outlook for the New Year.

The most well-known bible verse, John 3:16 says it simply:

For God so loved the world, (the whole world, not just a select bunch of strange folks)
that He gave His only begotten Son (there is only one Savior, whom willing came to us, to reconcile our broken relationship with Him)
that whosoever (again, it’s for ALL of us)
believeth in Him (that’s your part…you gotta believe that Jesus is God Incarnate and that He came here for you)
should not perish (die without accepting Christ and spending your eternity separated from all light & love)
but have everlasting life. (eternity in a joyful, perfect, heaven)

Christmas is a time when we attempt to take care of so much.
We want to drown our family with gifts and favorite foods because we love them and they are precious to us.
Our close friends are on our minds and in our prayers and we want to share some holiday time with them.
We reach out to friends that we haven’t seen or spoken to since last Christmas.
Total strangers in need, burden our hearts as we donate money, gifts, and foods, to worthy and honorable causes.
All of this is good and right, but does it compare to taking care of your eternal soul?

A baby changed everything.