M-I-C --- See Ya Real Soon

Has it really been this long since I posted? I guess it has been my 12 days of Christmas. Time has flown by -- though not how I anticipated.

I fully intended to post more frequently. I certainly didn't intend to miss my weekly postings at the least! I guess this just means I won't run out of things to say in the near future. If I could just carve out the time and energy to say something.

Mostly I just want to touch bases with my bloggy friends. I don't want to lose my vast numbers of readers due to laziness!

See ya reeeall soon~

(If you have never watched Mickey Mouse Club reruns, I apologize for my post title)

Christmas Craft: Snowman Ornament

I combined and idea I saw here with an idea I saw here and we made these snowmen.



Make sure you use microwave popcorn. We used regular popcorn and it turned out okay eventually.

We are going to make some other stuff with clear ball ornaments too. What have you made with them? (They are 50% off right now at Joann's if you can get to one).

I am thankful for the icy weather that is forcing me to NOT finish my Christmas shopping and TO spend time doing fun things with my younger kids. We have several fun things lined up just in case the weather stays icy. What do you do with your kids when you are stranded at home?

Laurel's Blog, New Update

For anyone who has been following my cousin's progress after being burned in a car accident, there is a new update here.

As the update mentions, her husband was laid off after the accident as well. His employer loved him but there is just not a huge demand for custom cabinets right now.

If anyone is interested in making a donation to her family let me know. It would be a great charitable Christmas donation if you were considering one. There is an account set up in her town. Also, gift cards for anywhere including for food, clothing, utilities and gasoline are wonderful. I will make sure they get to her. They have no TV or computer either and she can't do much so I know she must be bored. I guess this is one positive about her hubby being laid off -- he can be with her and also drive her to appointments.

Many people in their situation still have several luxuries. When I spoke to her last I asked her if she had memorized all of the Perry Mason reruns since she can't do much. She just laughed and said no -- because they have no TV or computer. She reads some but can't hold a book for long periods of time. She has no iPod either, but they did get a CD player after the accident. The van had no player so theirs was in the van that burned.

Anyway, a few of you have asked me about updates so I thought I'd let you know there is one there now.

Stranded. Darn.

As I mentioned yesterday, it snowed here. And we don't get much snow in these here parts. So it's a pretty big deal.



Due to treacherous driving conditions because of ice, church was canceled yesterday. And all activities for tonight too. So we actually stayed home all day for two days!

May the snow stay long enough for me to get caught up on stacks of projects. You see, this way I can stay home, give rides to no one -- and still not be the villain who is not giving rides to anyone. Yes, that's the way uh-huh, uh-huh I like it. Uh-huh.

I loved staying all cozy all day yesterday. Except for playing in the snow of course.

We had nowhere to go. No agenda. It was pleasant.

I made the yummiest coffee cake evvv-uhr. Believe me when I say it.


You make the batter, pour pecan sauce over it, then bake it. Can you see it glistening?


I also made Salted Caramel Cocoa. With fresh whipped cream. And I mean fresh.
(That link no longer has the caramel sauce recipe so go here instead. This is a really, really great recipe and very versatile too).

Maybe it should have been ice cream!

I made mine a coffee. With a little something extra added. I discovered that Salted Irish Cream Caramel Coffee is very tasty indeed. Very.

I will be making these items on the first snow of the season every year. They are winners. In the taste category.

As for the nutrition category? Well, I'll just leave that one blank.

What kinds of foods make you feel all warm and snuggly? Any snow traditions (involving food or not).

(P.S. If you'd like to see more snow pics, you can look here, on our family blog)

Menu Plan Monday: Let It Snow!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Soup! Soup! Soup!!!

We usually only get snow only once per year. Today is the day! It is a day to stay home and celebrate. The rest of the week is a possibility too, as the temperatures will stay very low.

Because we don't get much snow, not many of us know how to drive in it very well. Adding to the drama of the day, it is very cold, so some of our roads are closed because of ice. Okay, I don't care if you DO know how to drive in snow. Ice should not be skated upon in a car. Bambi comes to mind...

The news coverage is showing cars sliding everywhere -- on side streets, on freeways, on BRIDGES! People are getting out and walking around. They are stopping and putting chains on cars. Very dangerous.

My niece was told she had to find a way to get in to work today at Nordstrom. Treacherous. Shame on Nordstrom. I am glad she stayed home anyway. I'd rather she lose her job than some other things she could lose. And who, may I ask, is even shopping today around here?

Menu Plan for the week:

Today I am making coffee cake, Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa (adapt to coffee for me) and French Onion Soup. Will probably throw in some Nacho Spuds this evening when we watch a movie, snuggled together under blankets. If we have electricity.

The rest of the week I am making more soup. Check my sidebar for tons of tried and true, yummy soup links.

And Macaroni and Cheese. Or Loaded BBQ Potato casserole.

And maybe a roast, cooked in a dutch oven just like my grandma used to make for me, served with mashed potatoes.

Comfort food week. (Obviously I am not abiding by the food prescription my ND has me on this week. I told her I am taking a break for Christmas and she was fine with that).

Next Saturday we will celebrate Christmas with my husband's side of the family. It is also one of my son's 14th birthday. My MIL is a great cook and always makes comfort food. And each of us gals are also bringing part of the meal. I like taking salads and desserts best. We'll see what she wants me to bring.

I'll be working this week on our food plans for Christmas. My extended family does a soup cook-off and a cookie bake-off, usually on Christmas Eve. The gathering is at our house. We even give out awards. I'll show you later.

I am looking forward to The Princess (little sister) coming into town from California. She always stays with us over Christmas Eve night. She isn't married so doesn't have children and enjoys seeing ours get their stockings and gifts on Christmas morning. Sometimes some of my brothers stay over too. It's very festive.

Have a hunker-down-and-relax-under-warm-blankies-with-those-you-love kind of week!

Soup's On! Saturday: Past Soup Links

For Soup's On! Saturday today, I have finally finished linking each soup recipe on my side bar. I am still working on linking for a couple unlisted blogs. Other than that, they are all there I think! Look to the right, under my S.O.S. button. And, please, take the code for your blog too. Enjoy this week's festivities. And, if you live near me, stay safe in the impending snow and possible ice! Enjoy! We don't get it much. (If you want to link, leave me a comment and I will put up a Mr. Linky.)

Surmisionist History

Today I went with my Older and Wiser Sister with four of my children to O.M.S.I. For you who are not local, that is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

We went to a planetarium show called Cosmic Collisions.

Robert Redford's classic voice narrated our show.

The pretty lights on a dark background, the dimensional planets and stars, and the movements that made my two year old turn around and snuggle close when he thought the planets were really coming at us were all mesmerizing.

Some of the ideas they presented were fascinating -- such as a spaceship possibly using gravity to slowly steer huge and devastating meteors away from earth.

I am assuming neither Mr. Redford, nor the writers, directors or producers of the the production were there when the Milky Way or the moon were formed. I mean, Mr. Redford is getting a teeny bit older. But not THAT old. Not as old as dirt. Or space dust.

There were no witnesses. No written word. No verbal word. No stories passed from one generation to the next.

Therefore, making "this is what happened" statements, and presenting theory as fact, is misleading my children.

Way to get my dander up.

(You've probably heard of "revisionist history"? That means someone has revised history, changed it from one form to another. But when history is told with no knowledge of what happened, when they just surmise about what happened, does that means it is surmisionist history? )

Several times they even alluded to knowing how long something took to happen or to form -- "it is hard to believe but the moon was formed in just one month". Something else took a week, something else six months. And they seemed to have figured out just how long it will be before the Milky Way collides with the galaxy Andromeda too. They have clearly figured out what happened to the earth that caused the demise of Dino. And they spelled it out in gorgeous animation that made it look real.

To quote a much loved and missed character "Danjuh, danjuh, danjuh".

I'm so grateful I was with my kids so we can discuss the difference between fact and theory. Who knows how inaccuracies, however they are conveyed, can have a lifelong affect on our lambs?

Be wary mom and dad. Talk about everything.
Discuss.
Debate.
Do Not Assume.
Demand truth be told to these trusting little ones in your care.

"...be ye therefore wise as serpents..." (Matthew 10:16)

How will you wrap it?

I think we've all probably seen the words "Where's George?" stamped on money. I think it is kind of fun to go to their site and see where your money has been.

I have recently stumbled upon a newer product that also has a tracking feature. This one encourages reusing and recycling.

Wrapsacks are cute cloth bags for shopping, gifts and wine. You can buy several different styles and colors. They even offer a reusable greeting card that doubles as (or can be reused as) a business card or gift card holder.

The shopping bag, "Zipsack", folds down and zips into convenient small package that is easy to keep in your car or diaper bag. It then folds out into a larger sized shopping or tote bag -- "From wallet sized to shopping bag in 3.6 seconds" (you can even watch a video of this on their website).

The gift bags come in several sizes, shapes and colors, and they even offer a value pack with a variety. Pricing is about the same as a high end paper gift bag, or twice the price of a paper gift bag at a box store. If you use them at least twice in your own home, for same house family members, you will have paid for it already when you pass it, making it be essentially free.

What I think is especially fun about this product is that they offer a program called Track-A-Sack. Each sack comes with a unique number sewn inside. When you buy it, you can go online and register it. You can name it, list where it is going and/or who it is going to and what is in it. You can even set a goal for the bag such as saying you want it to go from your town, across the country, and back again. Then you encourage your recipient to regift the bag and track it's progress, and so on. What fun -- and an educational idea for your kids too.

I just got a few of these for some of the gifts I am giving this Christmas season. The bag will be part of the gift. They are kind of hippie prints but fun!

Lemonade Award

I got my first blog award on Thanksgiving week. Barb at Southern Dining Diva gave me the Lemonade Award. It is an award for those who show great attitude and/or gratitude on their blogs. I am guessing it is called Lemonade because of the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

Here's the cute award:

I know I am not always positive. But I do try to be encouraging. I think if I am not at least somewhat open, I present an untrue picture of myself and life.

I think it is discouraging when I read blogs where someone appears to be perfect and have a perfect life all of the time.

And make crafts and good food and take walks and have sheer, crisply starched curtains billowing in the breeze at the windows while trendy soothing music plays.

And babies play at her feet as she knits -- after homeschooling kids who always have happy hearts and are good artists.

Even though she has never had a professional pedicure and doesn't need time to herself outside of reading the latest quilting magazine and decorating her home and preparing gourmet meals to the delight of her ALWAYS adoring husband.

It's the comparison thing I talk about in my "Why But I Had A Tiara" post on my sidebar. I get that feeling that I just can't measure up.

Well, because I can't.

So I hope that is my little bit of encouragement to you -- don't compare yourself to what you read here or on anyone else's blog. You are only seeing what you are shown. And we don't like to broadcast our shortcomings and struggles as much as the happy things and the things we do have a handle on (even if we don't, it's not that hard to make it sound like we do!).

If you think for a minute that I have my act together, you are deceived:)

I am supposed to pass this award along. I am just so happy that I know TWO women who have been miraculously healed in the past month of serious sickness. How many times do you hear of THAT? They have had hearts trusting God through it all.

I asked for prayer for Elizabeth a few weeks ago. She is my friend from church and our small group ("House Church") who I got to know at Women of Faith. I want to make sure you read her update on her blog "Elizabeth Embracing Life". She was HEALED and it is documented in medical records! She is a mother of five, and was looking at horrible treatment but she was trusting in the Lord all along.

Deena is another lady whose blog, "Can I Be Pretty In Pink?" , I read regularly. I was initially attracted to her blog because of the little bird on her header. But, boy! I have been blessed by her spirit and grace as she has walked through serious, life-threatening cancer.

I'd like to give this award to these two ladies. Because when life gave them lemons, they not only made lemonade, but they looked around to see who might want some.

And I hope they will pass it on.

You ladies bless me.

Thank you Barb for the sweet award, my very first one. It will also remind me for the future how powerful our words are.

Pantry Raid: Craft Projects, Charity, Calendars and Cards

I have not yet accomplished everything from last week I had hoped to by now. But I've been working on it.

I did have a photo session with my kids in hopes of getting a photo to use. I did get a picture I love. But I can't find a card formatted properly to accommodate it so I still have not ordered our cards. Time's a wastin'. (UPDATE: Yeah! I ordered the cards Monday morning!)

I have made progress but am still working on the calendar. I did do several fun things with the kids this week, which is the point of working on the calendar. So, yes, I am making progress.

I completed a craft project I have wanted to complete for several years, a banner made with felt. It has 24 smaller felt pieces, each representing something special about who Christ is and why we celebrate His coming. I will be posting (hopefully) more about that on our family blog.

How did you do this week?

This is about encouragement, about freedom and about getting things DONE! It's about being purposeful with our time and priorities, about setting and completing goals. You can link anything related to that or to any of the past Pantry Raid themes.

But we still have to call it Pantry Raid, cuz I just can't give up those undies:)

Menu Plan Monday, December 8-14

This past week was crazy. You will see several repeats because we had a few fairly sudden changes of plans so the planned meals had quicker substitutions.

This coming week will be very busy too. I had planned to go visit my grandma but am delaying that until January. With so much to do and a hubby that will be working hard this month, I decided the timing was not good. I am extra sad because my sister is visiting from Indiana for a family event and we would have had more time together. Sniff.

If I just say I don't want to cook, will one of you feed my family?

Basketball season is just beginning. We have two games this week (for one son) then a lull until the new year. After that I will pretty much be living in area gymnasiums. Only three boys in basketball this year instead of four so it might be a bit easier than last year!

Monday: House Church, eat early -- Italian chicken and rice in crockpot.

Tuesday: Basketball Game Nacho Spuds

Wednesday: Chili and cornbread

Thursday: Basketball Game, try new soup for Soup's On! Saturday

Friday: Oldest Son's 19th Birthday! Out to dinner:)

Saturday: Loaded BBQ Potato Casserole
I will make my own BBQ sauce and cook the pork outside on the Traeger that morning. The pork will be great for my college aged son to take in wraps for lunches next week too.

Sunday: Dinner in crockpot so it will be ready to eat when we get home from church.
Crockpot Barbeque Beef and Bean Burritos

Soup's On! Saturday: Tex Mex Turkey Soup

Sorry I am a little late today. I had problems with a sluggish computer. In fact, that's a large part of why I haven't posted more all week. But here I am:) Still with a very sluggish computer that needs Metamucil.

For details about S.O.S. click on my little S.O.S. blog button to the right. Feel free to copy the code to post on your blog too!

I wanted to post a recipe this week that used TURKEY. After all, I cooked two of them for Thanksgiving and I wanted to use it all up. Every last morsel and drip.

I found a recipe we enjoyed, with our own modifications of course. Why is that anyway? If I get a recipe, it can be a recipe that is perfectly tasty -- and I still have to modify it. What is it that compels me to do so? I guess we just want our own special brand? Whatever.

Tex Mex Turkey Soup (find original recipe here)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Saute in butter or olive oil until onions are translucent then add:
2 teaspoons chili powder
1+ teaspoons cumin (Should I say it again? I LOVE cumin:)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
6 cups turkey broth (made with bone broth if possible)
2 quarts canned tomatoes
2 anaheim chiles, roasted and diced
(instead of home canned tomatoes and chiles you can use canned if you wish)
1 and 1/2 cups salsa
1 pound COOKED beans of your choice (or one 14 ounce can)
1 cup corn (my hubby doesn't like corn so I go easy on it, sadly. I know it is unamerican.)
4 cups shredded turkey
Heat until bubbly then let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. I put mine in the crockpot and left at all day so the flavors could mingle. Then stir in:
4-8 ounces cream cheese
Stir until melted then add:
Sour cream, creme fraiche or plain yogurt to taste
Cilantro to taste

Serve topped with any/all of the following:
tortilla chips
sour cream
green onions
salsa
cilantro
avocado
tomatoes
olives
CHEESE

How have you used your turkey leftovers? Any soups today?

I am hoping to tell you about another way I used up our turkey in my Menu Plan Monday post. But I will be traveling to see my Grandma so am not sure if I will get it posted or not.

Don't forget about Pantry Raid: Craft Projects, Charity, Calendars and Cards on Monday as well.

Here's Mr. Linky in case you'd like to post a soup recipe this week too.




Have a great week!