Kaleena's baby shower

My cousin made this cake. It was her first professional cake ever. I was so impressed. Kaleena loves Koala's and that was her theme.


This diaper cake was a gift from the Derixson's. Hannah, Shelley and I put it together because the Derixson's were not able to be there. Shelley made the bow's and is trying to teach me. I think it turned out really well.

Were you drugged by your parents?

This is the tribute for Hannah's dad

It sure is hot in Kansas

I have been in Kansas for the last several days and it sure is hot. It was 108 the other day. This was an ice cream truck spotted in Wichita the other day. lol

How much water do I need?

Drinking water at certain time maximizes it's effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Seasoned chicken breasts

Properly sauteéd chicken breasts are completely excellent, and I'm going to offer you a tutorial here for just that.
You can do what you like with them when they're done: make the simple pan sauce and eat them as is, or slice them up to top a salad or pasta or to fill sandwiches or burritos. Try combining this recipe with a side of easy sauteéd mushrooms as they go very well with chicken. Buttered egg noodles make a great accompaniment, since the delicious juices seep over on the plate and season them perfectly.
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine or just use 1 cup chicken broth or another tasty liquid of your choosing if the wine is going to be too wine-y for your kids
1 handful fresh chopped parsley
A few tips on sautéing chicken:
Thick breasts take too long to cook, and the middle insists on remaining bland. Use very small chicken breasts, cut each one in half to make 2 skinnier breasts, or pound them using a meat tenderizer.
In a non-stick pan, the chicken may be disinclined to brown correctly, and the brown is where the flavor is here. Try to use a non-non-stick pan.
Don't be afraid of heat. You want to brown the chicken very well, and you want to do this before the inside turns to quilt batting. The chicken will seem, at first, like it's sticking, but once it's properly browned it will loosen itself as if by magic.
Slice each breast up crosswise before serving: this allows the sauce to get inside, making it more appealing to eat.
Directions
Begin by trimming the chicken breasts if they need trimming. I use my beloved kitchen scissors and snip off any shaggy bits of fat or gristle.
Pat them dry with paper towels (to helps them brown) and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
Heat a very large pan over medium-high heat and add the butter, which should melt and foam, and the olive oil, which should stop the butter from burning. When the fat is all very hot but not turning black (recipes say "when the foam subsides"), add the chicken breasts in one layer. Now leave them alone for 5 or so minutes while the bottom gets nice and crusty and brown.
Use tongs or a spatula to flip them over as they brown, and then cook another 4 or so minutes until the bottom is very brown and the chicken is cooked through. You may want to cut a piece open to check, but pressing a cooked breast with your fingertip will give you a feel for its doneness, which will develop over time into the skill of knowing when it's done without cutting it.
Pile the chicken on a heat-proof plate and pop it into a 200ºF heated oven while you "deglaze" the pan. Pour the wine in and scrape with a spatula to dissolve all the yummy browned bits while the wine bubbles and boils furiously in the hot pan.
When the wine has cooked down about halfway, add the broth, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce seems syrupy and delicious. Taste it for salt, then drizzle it over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Sometimes, if the chicken has browned but doesn't seem quite cooked through, I leave it in the pan while I make the sauce so that it can simmer in there a bit longer.
recipe source: http://family.go.com/food/pkg-family-approved-recipes/recipe-777767-basic-sauteed-chicken-t/

Tamalie Pie

This is one of those straightforward, inexpensive, one-pan meals that everybody loves and anybody can throw together. Use what you have in your fridge: ground turkey, if that's what you like, canned beans you have in the pantry, and feel free to skip the corn if you haven't got any. It makes a mildly spicy meal that is pleasantly smoky and tangy but not overly complicated.
Hands-On Time: 30 minutes

Ready In: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 smallish onion, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

½ teaspoon chipotle puree or smoked paprika (or more to taste)

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (or half as much table salt)

1 tablespoon plus1 teaspoon sugar, divided

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 8-ounce can Hunts tomato sauce

1 15-ounce can beans (I used pinto here, but black or kidney are good too)

2 cups frozen corn, thawed in a sieve under a hot tap

1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions
Heat the oven to 400ºF. In a 10- or 12-inch heavy oven-proof pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-low heat and sauté the onions until they are translucent and browning around the edges -- maybe 7 or 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, then crumble in the ground meat, raising the heat to medium, and cook, stirring and breaking it up until it's nice and browned and crumbly and does not look all raw-meaty.
Stir in the chipotle puree, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, the vinegar, the tomato sauce, the beans, and the corn, and simmer all of it together for a few minutes until everybody in the pan gets well acquainted. Taste it for seasoning--it should be tangy and savory and delicious.
Now whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and remaining tablespoon of sugar in one bowl, and whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in another (I actually do this latter whisking right in the cup where I measured the buttermilk).
Pour the liquids into the dries and combine with a few decisive strokes of a rubber spatula before stirring in half the cheese and pouring the mixture over the filling in the pan.
Top with the remaining cheese and bake 20 minutes--though you might want to check it at 15. When the cornbread is nicely browned and cooked-looking, it's done.

recipe source:http://family.go.com/food/recipe-778723-tamale-pie-t/

Tuna Cakes

I've taken my traditional tuna cakes recipe and revamped it replacing salted top saltines, whole egg and baking rather than frying. The result is just as delicious but far healthier.

Hands-On Time: 5 minutesReady In: 21 minutes
Yield: 4 servings Ingredients
2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) tuna in water - undrained
1 sleeve no salt tops saltines - crushed
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons each finely diced red, yellow and green pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place crushed saltines in a bowl and add tuna with water, egg whites, soy sauce and garlic powder. Mix until well blended.
recipe source:http://family.go.com/food/recipe-630319--tuna-cakes-t/
Add peppers and stir until well distributed.
Form mixture into 8 evenly sized patties and place on greased baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes and turn over. Bake for another 8 minutes.
See more recipes from Anne Coleman (aka Short Order Mom).

Almost Lasagna

We make a version of lasagna that I call "Almost Lasagna" that is very versatile and easy to make ahead and heat later. Add a crusty bread and bagged salad, and dinner is complete!
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked (or other similarly shaped pasta-like small shells)
1 pound Ground turkey (or beef, chicken, sausage or tofu crumbles)
1 jar Pasta Sauce (26 ounces)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 selects eggs
1 pound Ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups Veggies (diced zucchini, matchstick carrots, etc.)
salt and pepper
Directions
Brown meat and drain well, if necessary.
While meat is cooking, stir together eggs, ricotta, grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.
Mix cooked meat, macaroni, sauce and veggies. Add ricotta mixture and blend well.
Coat a 9-by-13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
Coat a 9-by-13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Craigslist ad

I found this over at Paratus Familia: http://paratusfamilia.blogspot.com/

A friend gave this to Sir Knight, but I got a chuckle out of it.
Whether it is a real ad, we will probably never know

.An Actual Craigslist Personals Ad
To the guy who tried to mug me in downtown Savannah night before last.Date: 2010-09-27, 1:43 a.m. E.S.T.

I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives.
You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings.

I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.
First, I'd like to apologize for your embarrassment;

I didn't expect you to actually **** in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket.
The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason... my girlfriend was happy that I just returned safely from my 2nd tour as a Combat Marine in Afghanistan.

She had just bought me that Kimber Custom Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a should holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head, isn't it?

I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with **** in your pants. I'm sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone and wallet with me. (That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again).

After I called your mother or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of what you'd done.
Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, - on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 153 gallons and was extremely grateful!

I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all the cash in your wallet. (That made his day!)

I then threw your wallet into the big pink "pimp mobile" that was parked at the curb...after I broke the windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver's side of the car.

Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA's office and one to the FBI, while mentioned President Obama as my possible target. The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number, etc.).

In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you....but I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime.

I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you've chosen to pursue in life. Remember, next time you might not be so lucky.

Have a good day.
Thoughtfully yours,
Semper Fi,
Alex

Life goes on

At Hannah's dad funeral her aunt who's daughter died in a car wreck just a few weeks ago was there. Its been a hard summer for this family. I hugged her and murmured a few words of condolence mostly just gave her a look that said more.

After the funeral dinner this aunt had to get going because one of her other kids had something they had to do.
We spoke for a few minutes about how they almost had not had a birthday party for their surviving daughter because the aunts brother had just died when she realized that he would not have wanted that at all. I whispered to her that life goes on and she agreed.

When you are grieving you lose track of time and it seems unreal that yours is the only life that seems to have stood still. Life is still going on around you.

I realized last night that one of the reasons I feel that I don't know what to do to comfort my daughter is that when my husband Charlie died 16 years ago I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I really left the older girls to deal with it on their own. I am sorry for that. This time I am grieving but its more for Hannah and that side of the family than it is for myself and I don't know what to do for her.

Never Argue with a Woman

Never Argue with a Woman
One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside cottage after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap.

Ahough not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out.

She motors out ashort distance, anchors, puts her feet up, and begins to read her book.

The peace and solitude aremagnificent.

Along comes a Fish and Game Warden in his boat

.He pulls up alongside the woman and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am.

What are you doing?' 'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't that obvious?')

'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her.

'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading.''Yes, but I see you have all the equipment.

For all I know you could start at any moment

.I'll have to take you in and write you up.''If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault,' says the woman.

'But I haven't even touched you,' says the Game Warden.'

That's true, but you have all the equipment.. For all I know you could start at any moment.

Have a nice day ma'am,' and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads.

Part 2

Have you heard about this?

A sweet poem

WALKING WITH GRANDMA
I like to walk with grandma,
Her steps are short like mine.
She doesn't say "Now hurry up",
She always takes her time.I
like to walk with grandma,
Her eyes see things like mine do
-Wee pebbles bright, a funny cloud,
Half hidden drops of dew.
Most people have to hurry,
They don't stop and see
I'm glad that God made Grandma.
Unrushed, and young like me.


~Poem by Thena Smith~

I found this poem here:http://oldfashionedsimplyliving.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-23T12%3A01%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=10

My daughter with friends of her dad's

This a picture of my daughter Hannah at the funeral dinner with some friends of her late dads. Tina was the only girl in the crowd for years. They were all very happy to see the beautiful girl Hannah is and talk to her about her dad.

A picture of me

My great niece drew a picture of me. As you can see the writing above the picture says aunt Debra. J'Tihya is 3 now and absolutly adorable.

Another loss

My youngest daughter Hannah 's dad died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 39, she will be 15 next month, he would have been 40 next month.
Her dad was a glass blower in Kinsley Kansas.
This is a hard time for Hannah because he had a job two hours away and was looking forward to being closer to her. He was 13 hours away.

July 17th was the 16th anniv. of my husband Charlie's death then two days later Hannah lost her dad.

Life is hard sometimes.

Today's sewing

After Yolanda asked about the snaps squishing the contents I decided to design another type of bag. These just have fold over flaps. Sorry the pictures are fuzzy.


I also embellished 4 flat fold diapers to be used as burp cloths.

The liquid soap is now bottled and labeled so now there is no danger of them getting dumped.

Look who Hannah met..ummm.....NOT

Hannah was with a friend at the mall when she saw this poster of Justin Bieber and had a picture taken wih it. I really enjoy Hannah, she has such a fun personality. She cracks me up.

Classmates and family

This is my cousin Brian and his beautiful family. His wife Stephanie is the kind of gal who will try anything. She figures if she just tries she can do it. She is a great mom. Brain is a hard working dad who loves his kids.


This is my friend Barb, we lived across the street from each other when we were two. So we have known each other for a very long time. Her's is the family I learned about family devotions from. This is her husband Dave who is a pastor in Iowa. The lady in the middle is that Buchannon lady who is running for president. I think that is her name anyway.

Do you read these books or watch the movies?

Gone too soon

This is the only family picture we ever took and Mollie wasn't even born yet.


This was our last vacation. We were in St. Elmo, Colorado. This was in June. Charles Michael Hornung my husband died 3 weeks later. He was so sweet and good and handsome. When I look at this picture it makes me cry. I miss him so. The younger girls never got to know him and the older girls miss him so much.
He was 41. It is 16 years ago July 17, 2011. Time passes. Hearts remember. I love you Charlie.

I am thankful that God allowed me to meet and marry Jeff. He has stepped up and been a father to the girls. I know he and Charlie would have liked each other. I love Jeff too.
Jeff and I have been married for over 10 years and most people don't realize that Jeff is not the biological father of the girls. They all act like blood. Sometimes I think we even forget.

Time heals all wounds. I never thought I would love again. But I did and I do.

My little Aunt Jemimas

In case you thought I was joking in the last post, here is Hannah with Elijah and Sammy with kerchiefs tied like Aunt Jemimah.

Sammy

This is Sammy our preachers son. He is the cutest thing ever. Hannah is always playing with him and getting him to wear funny hats and such. This is what she came up with for him the other day. He got the funniest look when his mom was taking his picture. I just get such a kick out of him and his whole family actually. See why we love them?

My first attempt at sewing a diaper

Sorry for the fuzzy picture, I took this from my phone and my daughter told me how to send it to my email. I am happy with my first attempt at diaper making. I should get really good at it by the time Kaleena delivers


This is the inside showing the pocket to add a soaker pad. The outside fabric is fleece and the inside is flannel.

Ths is the diaper at the widest waist position. IT can be made smaller for a younger baby. I will take these to church tomorrow and ask a mom who cloth diapers to test them for me and give me feedback.

Kinda funny kinda not

Yesterday I wrote about making a pot of liquid soap. I let it sit on the stove all day. I was making sure the consistency was right when it cooled down.
Last evening my sweet husband was washing dishes. He asked what was in the pot and I said its a pot of soap.
For some reason he thought I said its on to soak, so he poured it down the drain and washed the pot. I was busy crocheting a new pattern so I was concentrating on my stitches.
He proudly announced, "Look who did the dishes", at which time I looked up and noticed the pot gone from the stove and the self same pot upside down on the drainer.
I tried not to get mad but I did a little bit. At least the drain is clean and I had enough of the ingredients I needed to make another batch.
He was really sorry.

It's a lot more funny today than it was then.

Washable sandwich and snack bags

My husband likes these better than plastic bags because then he says his sandwiches don't get soggy. He wraps his sandwich in a paper towel and then slips it into the bag. When he eats lunch he uses the paper towel for a napkin.

These are the reusable, washable sandwich and snack bags I have been making today. Once I got the right ends on my snap thing, it worked very good. Last night I kept messing up the snaps so I just tried again today and finally figured out that I had the wrong ends on the pliers thing and then wowie zowie it worked like a whiz bang.

This one is a twin bag to take two kinds of snack.

Liquid hand soap and other stuff

This morning I cooked up a batch of my liquid hand soap. It can be used with or without water and is handy to carry in a tool box, on a boat or what ever. My son in law sells my Pink Monkey Soap products at the place he works in Branson. Branson 2 for 1 on the strip. If you ever go to Branson, tell him his mother in law said to stop in and say Hi and he will hook you up with a good deal on tickets.

I am also sewing this morning. Right now I am making reusable fabric snack bags. Yesterday while I was sewing reusable fabric sandwich bags and idea struck me. I kept thinking of a few small children I know who would love to have a little bag to carry a few snacks in to the park, zoo or beach. I then changed my pattern up a bit and made the cutest little snack bags.

I am in a sewing mood lately and I also have to get everything rounded up that I need to take to Dodge in two weeks. I will be picking Mollie up on the way and then we will be having a baby shower for Kaleena while we are there. I think I have everything under control and have not forgotten anything, but you never know. I know for sure I need to pick up some cute napkins.

Tomorrow, Jeff needs to go to Victoria so I of course have a list of things I want to do while we are there. Buy wool yarn for crocheting soakers, look for material with Koala bears on it for some projects for the new baby and a few other things.

I hope you are having a pleasant and productive day.

This n that

The beans didn't quite get done so I reboiled them for 15 min and put them back in the thermal cooker over night, I have not opened them yet to see if they are done.

I have been sewing the last few days. I am making burp cloths, reusable snack and sandwich bags, neck coolers and now I am working on diapers. I cut several out a while back but then got intimidated and stopped. Yesterday I took one I had cut from scraps and just sat down and sewed it. Its not near as hard as I had anticipated. I think it will be something I will enjoy making.

I need a fabric allowance. Money to spend on material for all my projects.

Jeff wants to go to Victoria on Saturday to get his glasses adjusted so maybe I can shop for fabric while we are there.

Bread failure

Yesterday I mixed up a small batch of no knead bread to try to bake in my thermal cooker. I followed a recipe on a thermal cooking blog. I let the bread rise and placed it in an empty wax cereal liner and placed it in the pot. I put water in the bottom pot and boiled for 10 min. I then placed the boiled water and the bread in the thermal cooker and went to bed. This morning the bread was only half cooked. I think I should have boiled it longer.

Last night I soaked beans for baked beans today. I love Yolanda's baked bean recipe as do all my family. This morning I added all the ingredients for baked beans after I had rinsed the beans a few times. I then boiled the beans on the stove. This time I poured boiling water in the thermal pot while I was boiling the beans. I boiled the beans for about 15 min. Then I poured out the hot water and placed the beans in their pot into the thermal cooker and quickly shut the lid.

At about 4:00 pm I will check the beans and if they are not done I will boil them on the stove for a bit. Once I figure out how to use this thermal pot it should be a good addition to my low fuel arsenal.

I have yet to try solar cooking again but I did buy some turkey bags. That way when I am in the mood to try it I have what I need on hand.

Last week I also bought 16 fireproof bricks to build a 16 brick rocket stove. I need to figure out where I want to put it and build it and try cooking on it as well.

We have a propane stove here in the RV as well as a fairly large toaster oven to cook with. I am trying to learn methods of cooking that use less fuel because we are spending $22.00 per month on propane. I know that is not bad but I would like to learn to use as little fuel as possible. You never know when you will need to know this type of skill.

I was featured

I wrote a very poorly written article that actually got chosen to be included in a contest at a pretty famous blog.
You can read my article here.
http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/how-to-make-homemade-soap/#comment-46535

CHEERIO-CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER BARS

CHEERIO-CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,144181-230196,00.htmlContent Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1/2 c. corn syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. peanut butter
3 c. Cheerios
1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
Butter 9"x9"x2" pan. In large pan heat syrup, sugar and salt to boiling. Stir in peanut butter, remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over Cheerios and chocolate chips. Refrigerate 1 hour.
I doubled this recipe because I wanted it to fill a 9X13 pan.

Peanut Butter Crackles1

Peanut Butter Crackles
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
5 c. corn flakes
Melt the sugars and syrup together over med. heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and add corn flakes. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Cool.

Please pray for my daughter

My second daughter, Kaleena is very sick with the flu. She is pregnant and had just gotten over the first tri mester of sickies. She lost her first baby so of course she is extra concerned. She threw up and had diarrhea all yesterday and has started in again today. She has lost 5 pounds and I am just asking anyone who reads this to intercede with God for her today. Thank you.

No NURSING HOME FOR me!!!

No nursing home for us. We'll be checking into a Holiday Inn!
With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble. I've already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn.
For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it's $59.23 per night.
Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon.
That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies.

Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc.
Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.$5 worth of tips a day you'll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
They treat you like a customer, not a patient.

There's a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free.
The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp).
To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays.
For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there.

While you're at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up.
It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today.
And you're not stuck in one place forever -- you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city.

Want to see Hawaii? They have Holiday Inn there too.
TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem.. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.
The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they'll call an ambulance . . . or the undertaker.
If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation.
The grandkids can use the pool.
What more could I ask for?So, when I reach that golden age, I'll face it with a grin.

AIDS WARNING!
To all of you approaching 50 or have REACHED 50 and past, this email is especially for you......

SENIOR CITIZENS ARE THE NATION'S LEADING CARRIERS OF AIDS!HEARING AIDS BAND AIDS ROLL AIDS WALKING AIDS MEDICAL AIDS GOVERNMENT AIDS MOST OF ALL, MONETARY AID TO THEIR KIDS! Not forgetting HIV
(Hair is Vanishing)I'm only sending this to my 'old' friends.
I love to see you smile.

Cheerios® Caramel Crisp Bars

Cheerios® Caramel Crisp Bars
A Cheerios® Challenge recipe! Surprise! Cereal, chocolate and caramel mixed up in a bar makes a super tasty low-fat day starter. From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:50 min
makes:36 bars
Bars
6 cups Cheerios® cereal
1 bag (14 oz) caramels
3 tablespoons water
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup miniature semisweet candy-coated chocolate candies for baking
Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening
1. Butter bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and water uncovered on High 2 1/2 to 4 minutes, stirring after each minute, until smooth. Pour over cereal; gently stir until well coated. Add marshmallows; gently stir. Press evenly in pan, using buttered back of spoon.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave glaze ingredients uncovered on Medium (50%) about 1 minute or until mixture can be stirred smooth; drizzle over bars.
4. Sprinkle bars with candies. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until bars are firm and glaze is set.

For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered.
Stove-Top Directions: Butter bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, heat caramels and water over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Pour over cereal; gently stir until well coated. Add marshmallows; gently stir. Press evenly in pan, using buttered back of spoon.

In 1-quart saucepan, heat glaze ingredients over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth; drizzle over bars. Sprinkle bars with candies. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until bars are firm and glaze is set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Nutritional Information
1 Bar: Calories 90 (Calories from Fat 20); Total Fat 2g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 50mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 8g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Crunchy Trail Mix Bars

Crunchy Trail Mix Bars
Nuts about Nuts
Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats from nuts may help lower blood cholesterol. But fats are high in calories so keep portions small.
Special Touch
If you plan to take these to a gathering, cut them into bars and place on a plate hiding in your cupboard that you want to recycle. You won't need to carry the plate home when you ask your host to "pass it on."
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MultiGrain Cheerios® cereal combines with trail mix for a super on-the-go grabber in 30 minutes. From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:30 min
makes:36 bars

4 cups MultiGrain Cheerios® cereal
3 cups trail mix (seeds, nuts and dried fruits)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1.Grease 13x9-inch pan with shortening, or spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cereal and trail mix; set aside.
2.In 2-quart saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, flour and corn syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3.Pour mixture evenly over cereal mixture; toss to coat. Press mixture in pan. Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.
Nutritional Information
1 Bar: Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 70mg; Total Carbohydrate 18g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 12g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 2%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Cheerios® Marshmallow Bars

Cheerios® Marshmallow Bars


Tips
Make it Different
Instead of Cheerios® from the yellow box, you can use the same amount of MultiGrain Cheerios® or Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal.
Nutrition Informaion:
What could be better than Cheerios® and marshmallows in a bar!
Prep time:
15 Min
Total time:
1 Hr
Makes:
24 bars
Ingredients
· 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
· 1 bag (10 1/2 oz) miniature marshmallows (6 cups)
· 5 cups Cheerios® cereal
Directions
1. Butter 13x9-inch pan.
2. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter and marshmallows uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring after every minute, until smooth.
3. Immediately stir in cereal until evenly coated. Using buttered back of spoon or hands, press mixture firmly in pan; cool. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered.

Orphans Unlimited Report

From: "Brenda Lange"
Date: July 9, 2011 10:07:10 PM CDT
To: Subject: Blog, Saturday, July 9, 2011
As all you Americans were waking up on Saturday, our water well team was completing the deepest well we’ve had to drill so far.In a Meluco County Village Called N’Coripo, they hit TONS of WATER at 52 meters (169 ft.).
Everyone was dancing and having a party, as these people have long suffered without a source of clean drinking water.YOUR LOVE GIFTS are making this possible and the Lord Jesus and Orphans Unlimited thank you for your awesome generosity that is saving 1000’s of lives.

Blessings, Bush Bunny Brenda

We also thank you for your prayers for the Meluco mission station’s need for water. We are confident that God will show these men where the water to drill in that area. The team promises to not give up.

Fruit and Nut Snack Bars

Fruit and Nut Snack Bars
We raised the bar on snacks with these sweet treats—great for lunch boxes, on-the-road nibbles and wrapped in a tin box as a gift! From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:50 min
makes:36 bars
Snack Mix
4cups Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal
1cup dried tropical three-fruit mix (from 7-oz bag)
1/2cup sunflower nuts
1/2cup dry-roasted peanuts
Syrup3/4cup packed brown sugar
1/2cup corn syrup
1/4cup peanut butter
1teaspoon vanilla

1.Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix snack mix ingredients; set aside.
2.In 2-quart saucepan, mix all syrup ingredients except vanilla. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
3.Pour syrup over snack mix, stirring until evenly coated. Press mixture firmly in pan. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Nutritional Information
1 Bar: Calories 100 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 60mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 10g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Orphans Unlimited Report

From: "Brenda Lange"
Date: July 9, 2011 3:08:23 AM CDT
Subject: Blog July 9, 2011WATER WELL DRILLING STARTS TODAY

The geology team from our water well company has located good water sources in 3 of the villages where water wells are desperately needed.But all of us are frustrated as no adequate underground water can be found in the area nearest our Meluco mission station.

The geology team will return in 14 days to try again in an area further out that could still be within range of our “water fetcher” on his bicycle.For 4 years, our Meluco mission has been on water rationing.

Each day our “water pumping man” has to pump water at 3a.m., which is the only time the ONE well in the area lacks a big crowd. This well serves over 5,000 people. A hand pump well if pumped 12 hours a day can serve about 1000 people.This is water rationing in its truest sense.

IN THE BUSH, THE LITTLEST OF THINGS CAN TAKE YOU DOWN
Don Hitsman and our team of corn sprayers were scheduled to go to Meluco on Thursday this week to spray 10 tons or corn purchased in the only part of Meluco county that survived the January drought. On Wed. afternoon, Don mentioned he had a bit of diarrhea, so he was given a strong dysentery treatment (we lovingly call the “BOMB”) which took care of the issue as he was fine on Thursday morning.

When Don left, he had with him our normal bush survival kit containing all he’d need to handle malaria, dysentery, and small wounds, as he would be in the bush for 3 days.Twelve hours later, Don calls me (Meluco now has a cell tower) saying his situation was worse and he was vomiting and had diarrhea again. (Living in a bush latrine is not nice since it’s just a hole in the ground without a seat.) I instructed him to eat some bread and take another “Bomb” treatment.

Our truck driver then drove him in our 6 ton truck to the Meluco hospital 2 miles away for a malaria test. Bouncing down a rough road when you are sick is NOT a nice experience, but when it’s the only vehicle in town, you deal with it. Don’s malaria test was negative, but the hospital staff started him on malaria treatment all the same. Better safe than sorry, since these finger stick malaria tests are not always correct.

So all bases were covered.On our side, I alerted Eric, who threw a few things in his car, plus 4 rolls of toilet paper, and within 40 minutes was on the road to rescue Don in case he grew worse. Arriving 5 hours later (9:30p.m.), Eric arrived at our base to find Don resting in his tent, weak and tired from “living in the outhouse” J, but otherwise doing OK.

After 2 days on malaria treatment, it is evident he had only amoebic dysentery and not malaria. With electrolyte replacement and a day’s rest, he and his trusty hammer were back at work around our Balama station. Don is a strong, healthy guy, but an infestation of amoebas, probably from something as simple as eating with his hands after touching a fruit peel, showed the whole team how fast amoebic dysentery can take down an adult.

FYI: Fruit peels place 2nd ONLY to dirty drinking water in causing amoebic dysentery. AMOEBIC DYSENTERY is the #1 killer in northern Mozambique, as it can kill a baby in 12 hours, a small child in a day, and adults in 3 days due to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

Water wells are a clean source of water, and the reason Orphans Unlimited will continue to put in more water wells as the Lord provides the funds.Clean water means fewer orphans.

PRAISE THE LORD for the dedication and faithfulness of BLESSINGS INTERNATIONAL IN TULSA, OK who provide missionaries around the world with the life-saving medication that stops this deadly killer.

FYI: The “Bomb” is called Tinidazole in 500mg tablets.

Highly recommended you take some with you if traveling where clean water isn’t readily available.It’s a true life saver.

BLESSINGS TO ALL FROM THE BALAMA STAFF!

Bush Bunny Brenda

What I have been doing.....

I have been sewing, trying to get ready for a craft fair. A friend gave me a darling little shrug thing I want to make. She bought it years ago at a craft fair. I think it will go over good.

I am also sewing up a bunch of the neck coolers. Yesterday was spent experimenting with how much of the crystals to put in. Its amazing how little you need.

I also started a coupon group on face book where I post all my deals/finds/coupons to share with others.

Sunday we drive back to Alvin and leave both girls there. Hannah for just a few days but Mollie will be gone the rest of the month. Hopefully Hannah will be interested in helping me with my projects for the craft fair.

The girls and I are also working on a baby shower for my second oldest. We are all going to be in Dodge at the same time so we thought we'd have a shower. Much of our family didn't get to go to her wedding shower because it was so far away in Branson, so we thought we'd have a shower where a lot of family is.

Today will be spent sewing, watching for coupon deals and just the regular stuff.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you that I was chosen to review and help edit a book written by a friend. How exciting is that? I always wanted to do something like that. Now I am. Yeah.

Picnic-Perfect Tuna-and-Macaroni Salad

Picnic-Perfect Tuna-and-Macaroni Salad
Photo by: Photo: Mark Thomas; Styling: Stephana Bottom
YIELD: Serves 8
COOK TIME:7 MINUTES
PREP TIME:15 MINUTES
COST PER SERVING:$.80
COURSE: Main Dishes, Salads
Ingredients
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 carrot, grated
1 12-oz. can tuna in water, drained
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. cider vinegar
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
2. While pasta is cooking, combine celery, onion, parsley, carrot and tuna in a large bowl. Add cooled macaroni and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and whisk. Pour over pasta and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 312
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 0.0g
Protein: 18g
Carbohydrate: 48g
Fiber: 3g
Cholesterol: 19mg
Sodium: 520mg
All You MAY 2010

Peanut Butter Oat Bites

Peanut Butter Oat Bites

YIELD: 24 Servings
COST PER SERVING:$.20
COURSE: Desserts, Snacks
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
Preparation
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.
Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Form mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in chopped peanuts, pressing to coat. Store in refrigerator.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 125
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 2g
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrate: 14g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Sodium: 38mg
All You FEBRUARY 2008

Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pies
Satisfy the biggest sweet tooth with these delightful little snacks.

YIELD: 3 dozen
COST PER SERVING:$.12
COURSE: Desserts
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make cakes: Sift flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and beat at medium speed until fully incorporated. Change mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients, alternating with milk, mixing until just blended.
Drop batter 1/2 Tbsp. at a time and about 2 inches apart onto each sheet to make 18 cakes per baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, until mini cakes are springy to touch. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to racks to cool completely. Change parchment paper and repeat to make 72 cakes.
Match cakes in pairs so tops and bottoms are similar in shape. Spread bottoms with cream filling and cover with top.
For Cream Filling, combine 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar in a bowl and beat at low speed until blended. Then beat at high speed until mixture is fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract and 2 cups marshmallow cream; mix at low speed until blended well. (Makes 2 1/3 cups)
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 136
Fat: 6g
Saturated fat: 3g
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 21g
Fiber: 0g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 93mg
All You SEPTEMBER 2005

Potato-Mushroom Gratin

True new potatoes are freshly dug and may be as small as marbles or as large as full-size potatoes. Since the sugars in new potatoes haven't converted to starch, they have a crispy texture and thin skin, which means they cook quickly. Keep an eye out for them in your produce section or at your local farmer's market from late spring through early summer.

YIELD: 6 Servings
COST PER SERVING:$.87
COURSE: Casseroles, Side Dishes/Vegetables
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces small mushrooms, preferably cremini, quartered
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound cooked small white new potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart casserole. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in mushrooms, potatoes and cheese. Place in casserole and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 205
Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 6g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrate: 19g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 98mg
Sodium: 426mg
All You APRIL 2005

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic and Herbs

Photo by: Photo: Charles Schiller; Styling: Lynn Miller
YIELD: Serves 8
COOK TIME:20 MINUTES
PREP TIME:40 MINUTES
COST PER SERVING:$.79
COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables
Ingredients
3 red tomatoes, halved
3 yellow tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Preparation
1. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and place, cut side down, on a paper towel–lined plate. Let stand 30 minutes to drain.
2. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Mist a baking dish with cooking spray, then arrange tomato halves, cut side up, in a single layer in dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine herbs, shallot and garlic. Add pepper, to taste. Spread herb mixture evenly over tomatoes. Drizzle with oil.
4. Bake in oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, top with fresh basil and serve.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 86
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 1g
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 6g
Fiber: 1g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Sodium: 167mg
All You SEPTEMBER 2009

Crunchy Broccoli Slaw

YIELD: 8 Servings
COST PER SERVING:$.82
COURSE: Salads, Side Dishes/Vegetables
Ingredients
8 slices bacon
1 large head broccoli
1 small red onion, minced (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Cook bacon in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium heat until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
Cut florets from broccoli stems and chop into small pieces. Transfer to a salad bowl and toss with minced onion and raisins.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and vinegar until smooth. Add honey, salt and pepper, whisking to combine. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and toss to coat evenly. Crumble bacon pieces over broccoli slaw and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 158
Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 2g
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 224mg
All You APRIL 2007

Should I really get on facebook?

A good laugh for people in the over 50 group !!!
Also for those who know people like us.

When I bought my Blackberry I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebookand Twitter.
I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way.

I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation.

I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive.

I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot." P.S. I know some of you are not over 50. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.

Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.

Polar bear attack

This is actual footage of a polar bear attack. They said the victim has made a full recovery but the photographer was so scared because he could do nothing to help. lol

4th of July holiday

~We had a grand time this weekend with our dear friends. We drove to their home on saturday evening so we could be there the next day for church, yeah, we got to stay for evening service as well.

~Monday, the 4th of July we hung out at their house because we figured the beach would be crowded and we really didn't want to see all the ick and drinking we knew would be going on. So we decided to stay home and have fun there. Christina invited several people over for supper and we ate steaks, corn on the cob, jalapeno poppers, ribs and later had smores and ice cream. We played games and stayed up until 1:30 am to finish a domino's game.
~One mother/daughter that was there said it was the most fun they had had in a long time.

~Tuesday we decided to go to the beach and had a good day there. We got home late last night and were all very tired and happy.

~Today I am washing clothes, I picked the garden and a few okra got over grown but I still was able to get two trays of sliced okra into the dehydrator. The girls like dried okra, they say it tastes like friend okra without the calories and fat.
I also found two nice cucumbers which I promptly sliced into the sugar/vinegar in the fridge.
There were also several tomatoes that were ripe and ready to pick.

Grape Salad

2 to 3 lbs. green/red grapes (use a mixture of these or all of one kind), rinse and pat dry.
Mix 8 oz. cream cheese (room tempature)
1/2 c. sour cream
1//2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
Pour over grapes and fold in.
Top with 1/3 c. brown sugar mixed with 1/2 c. chopped nuts
Chill for a couple of hours

This recipe was given to me by Kathy Marek

Armadillo eggs

Armadillo eggs
1 # sausage
2 c. grated cheese
1 t. garlic powder
2 T. grated onion
Mix well, form a walnut sized ball. Take cleaned canned whole jalapenos that have been seeded and patted dry. Place cubed mozzarella cheese in the jalapeno and wrap the sausage around the jalapeno/cheese. Roll in pork flavored shake and bake.
Place on a rack and on a cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees 15-17 min. until done.

This recipe was given to me by Kathy Marek

Baby bib from a bar towel

This is a little bib I made for Elijah. Quiet, don't tell his mommy, its a surprise. I like these bibs because they fit from 8 months or so on up to and past two years old. You can toss them into the wash easily with other wash cloths and towels and they really cover up the whole front of the child. This is just one of my projects I made today. I will take pictures of the other things I made when I get done with the embellishments.

I'm saving up for one of these machines