Soccer practice? Work? Church? So many activities that keep us out in the afternoon. Fear not, you can still enjoy a home-cooked meal!

Ingredients:
2 packages chicken drumsticks
1 sliced yellow onion
1 bulb garlic, separate the cloves but do not peel them
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pepper
Salt
2 teaspoons paprika

Place the onions on the bottom of your stoneware. Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl to cover the drumsticks evenly. Place on top of the onions. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Yummy!

My family loves granola.  If you are gluten free like we are, you're probably familiar with how expensive gluten free granola is.  I adapted this recipe from the Farm Chicks In The Kitchen Cook Book.

Ingredients:
6 Cups Gluten Free Oats
2 Cups unsweetened coconut
2 Cups Pecan Halves
1/3 Grape Seed Oil
1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/2 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Honey
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Mix the granola: Heat the oven to 325*. Combine the oats, coconut and pecan in a large bowl.  Combine the oil, honey, peanut butter, sugar, cinamon & vanilla in a small sauce pan. Stir until smooth. Pour over the oat mixture ans stir until well combined.

Bake:  Line a large cookie sheet with foil.  Spread the granola evenly and bake for 50 minutes.  Stir carefully every 10 minutes to avoid burning.  Cool on the cookie sheet on top of a wire rack for an addiditonal 10 minutes. Then stir once more.  Store in air-tight container for up to two weeks.

A huge thank you to Sasha @ Lemonade Makin' Mama  for inspiring me with her "Currently" Post! 






Currently loving... my scale every morning.
Currently adapting... to excercising twice a day.
Currently greatful...that although I have to work at my weight, God gives me strength to do so.
Currently trying... to learn patience as I try to let go of my need to control. Everything.
Currently praising... God for his continued provision. My husband's practice is booked solid daily.
Currently praying...for my son who will soon become a US Marine.
Currently looking... forward to booking our family vacation to Yosemite. 
Currently considering...switching to digital scrap booking, I'm only 6 years behind!
Currently have... 3 DIY projects in progress.
Currently been... 100% Gluten Free for 7 weeks and I feel fantastic! More on this later...
Currently humbled... by how much God grew me in 2011.
Currently more...in love with my husband today than the day I said, "I Do."
Currently priveledged... to still have my grandma who is always willing to help me with my sewing projects and always sends me home with a delicious batch of home made salsa.

This is some of my Valentine Board on Pinterest.   I am *hoping* to get all of these cute things made BEFORE V-Day...

Don't ya just love The Pioneer Woman?! I bought her book recently and it is GORGEOUS!  She has a NEW book coming out very soon, too.

So, I thought I would make an appetizer for my hubby's birthday party. Enter Jalapeno Poppers. Don't worry, they are not spicy at ALL (even the kids ate them!)  When you clean them, you will scoop out all of the membranes and seeds which is what makes peppers hot.


Serve hot or at room temperature. They won't last long!

I made this soup for our homeschool's Mom's Cooking Club and it was a hit. It's from one of my very favorite   gluten free crock-pot cookbooks, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea. The book was a recommendation from one of my dearest friends. All of the recipes in this book are family friendly and delish!

...These are hands down, my FAVORITE words to hear my hubby say. "Please clean the walls first."...my LEAST favorite words to hear him say. Did I want to? Nope. Did I think it was a completely unnecessary? Yes.

Hubby said the bathroom walls MUST be washed, rinsed and dried before he can paint. Ugh. Okay. Let's get this over with...

I was surprised at the filth and disgusted. I was wrong. He was right. I am so excited to show you the finished walls and new shower curtain!

I am super excited to begin our "journey" across the USA! We will be covering all 50 states, History and Geography, State symbols, historical figures and events, US Presidents, The Constitution, Civil War, Revolutionary War, Pioneers, State Reports and that's just a partial list!

I am hoping to cover two states per week. Thanks for this great resource, Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler!

We were having a beautiful homeschooling day when Little Miss asked for a snack.  I quickly checked  Facebook on my phone and I saw it. One of our local city council was announcing the procession (starting in 30 minutes.) for Sgt. Noah Korte, who was killed Dec. 27 in Afghanistan when insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device. He was a home grown hero from Lake Elsinore.  I called my little sister who quickly arrived, dumped the math lesson and off we went.

I picked up a little wood heart at the craft store. As I was getting ready to paint it with chalk board paint, my sweet 6 year old asked to "help". Well, she ended up painting the entire thing herself!

After it dried, I had my hubby use his staple gun to secure the gorgeous satin ribbon to the back. I tied a bow and hung it up.

It needed a little something more... so, I distressed the edges a bit with sand paper.

Perfect! Xoxo

A friend of mine started her own stamped, personalized jewelry line several years ago. She blessed my socks off when she gifted me this necklace....


Since then, I have ordered several other pieces for myself, my daughters, nieces and as gifts. Check out her Etsy shop!

I pinned a framed thermostat on Pinterest several months ago and ever since,  I've been keeping an eye out for the perfect frame. This week I went on an impromptu antique shopping trip with my sweet Mother-In-Law. (She really is the BEST!) Well, I found the perfect frame at a darling little antique shop. It was regularly $8.99 BUT was on sale for $3.99.  I love a good bargain!

I'm loving this magazine!  It's a free digital download from Focus on The Family. Grab your copy by clicking on the link below. I'm sure you will love it, too!

I was looking for a recipe to make and deliver to a friend and her family. I found this on Pinterest, of course! And it could not have been any easier. I even had enough to make a few rolls for my own family.  Only 2 out of 6 of us are okay with gluten & dairy so this is not a recipe I would normally make.  Although, with some wheat and dairy alternatives, I'm sure it can be done.






Here's the shopping list:


3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups Prego Spaghetti Sauce


In medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper.  Spread 1/2 cup mixture on each lasagna noodle; roll jelly-roll fashion.  In a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce.  Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in sauce in baking dish.  Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover and Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot. Serve, if desired, with additional Parmesan cheese.