I LOVE wrapping paper. I really LOVE it. I LOVE it so much, I haven't had to buy any in YEARS and I still have a few rolls left. : )

This year I decided to use some of my 1000 feet of butcher paper that I purchased for our home school. (Don't ask...)

Here's what I used:
Acrylic Paint, any color - I used Bright Red (#20501)
Martha Stewart Crafts Multi Surface Glitter Paint
2 Foam Brushes
MDF Letters, available at any craft store
Butcher Paper
Yarn

I'm enjoying a wonderful vacation on the gorgeous island of Oahu. Sending you this beautiful Hawaiian sunset!

I saw this awesome mouse pad on Make It Yourself Monday. I think they'll make great teacher gifts!

Here's what you'll need:

Christmas crafts in progress...


lights are going up...



all the Christmas boxes are down from the attic...

Cranberry sauce is my favorite. Besides turkey an gravy that is. It is so easy to make. I hope you'll try this super easy and fast recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup of water or orange juice
1/2 cup of sugar (I use Stevia)

Now, throw it all into a pot, over a medium flame, give it a stir. Bring the water to a boil then set the timer for 5 quick minutes. The berries will begin to pop. Use a potato masher to break them up a bit more. Allow the sauce to cool and enjoy!

We had an opportunity to serve at church this year with our home school group. We boxed up food for the annual Thanksgiving outreach.

My two step kids attend public school. When I told them I would be checking them out of school early, they were mortified.

We are serving and doing kingdom work, I said. Of course, education is extremely important, but equally important is spiritual growth.

The Lord commands us as parents to train our kids up! It's up to us to teach our children morals and help them develop a heart for the kingdom of God. It is not something that happens in Sunday school once a week or at school from a teacher. It begins at home.

Although my dear daughter (honor roll-straight-A-student ASB treasurer) did not want to leave early, she thanked me after our event. She said she really felt good knowing that she was helping others that are less fortunate. : )

Now if that's not worth missing 6th period, I don't know what is. <3

                                                     3 of my 4 kids (Oldest son was at work.)

I really enjoyed reading The Twilight Books a few years ago. Last night,  I grabbed my little sister (19 years old)  She grabbed me and off  we went to the midnight premiere! We took my step daughter (13) with us.  All of us have read the series.  And we lined up with the masses at 8pm on a *chilly* (50 degrees) California evening to wait for the clock to strike midnight.

***SPOIL ALERT! Stop reading here if you don't want to know what happens!!!!

So, there's a honeymoon scene. It was beautifully written and I love that sex is portrayed as God intended, in a covenant relationship of marriage. (Of course, in Twilight it's a Vampire & a mortal.) The same scene is in the movie. You can read the details of the film on this fantastic website: Kids In Mind.

I have to say, the movie crossed the line for what I feel is appropriate for my step-daughter. I think it should have been rated "R".  Although, she understood and knew what was happening, I feel like it was a little much for her.  Use discretion and keep the little ones at home for this one!

Overall, it was a great movie!!! I can't wait for Part 2!

Just in case you're wondering.... I'm Team Jacob! ; )

Veronica

A little twist on a family favorite.

For the filling:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 shallot, chopped

2 tsp flour (GF works too)

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (homemade is best)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 carrots peeled and chopped

1 cup frozen organic corn

1 cup frozen organic peas

Place the vegetables in a small pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Melt butter in large pan. Sauté chicken until browned on all sides (about 8 minutes.) Add the shallot and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the flour to coat the chicken well. Add the wine, half and half and stock, the parsley and all the vegetables. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

For the turn overs you will need 1 box of puff pastry. 1 box makes 8 turnovers.

1 egg

Defrost dough on a floured surface. Cut each sheet into 4 pieces. With a well floured rolling pin, roll each square to about 30% larger than you originally cut.

Place about 1/3 cup of filling into each square and close by brushing the edges with the egg wash. Use a fork to crimp the edges shut. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes at 325*.

These "chalk" bags are so ADORABLE! The idea came form my super crafty friend's blog, Polkadot Notebook.  You can use these for lunch or any special occasion. The possibilities are endless!  I'm going to try these with colored chalk paint next. Maybe red for Christmas and Valentines Day?  We'll see...

These are a  little pre-Thanksgiving treat for my homeschool leadership team. I baked some yummy Pumpkin Bread from All Recipes.com, but adapted it to be gluten free and used stevia instead of white sugar.

Ingredients

Directions

Veronica

Have you seen the movie Courageous yet?!  My husband and I saw it a few weeks ago.  Every man young and old should see this movie. It's an amazing call to fathers and of course, it includes the message of salvation. A fantastic date night movie. Take along a box of tissue!

Synopsis

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they are confident and focused, standing up to the worst the streets can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge they're ill prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Sherwood Pictures, creators of Fireproof, returns with this heartfelt, action-packed story. Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? 

                                                   http://www.courageousthemovie.com

If you've already seen it, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!

This is my tired-and-true chicken noodle soup recipe. I make this every time my kids are sick.  And sometimes, just because.  This is THE soup I always wish someone would make for ME when I'm sick. (Thanks to Pinterest, I figured out how to make that  happen!)

If you're looking for a fast soup this isn't it. This is a bit of a process but worth every step. Once you make it, you'll know why.

Here's what you will need:

4 tablespoons grape seed oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 chicken, 4lbs, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into serving pieces

3 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus chopped for garnish

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1/2 package of gluten free, brown rice fettuccine noodles

salt and freshly ground pepper

*I prefer to use all organic ingredients, but you are most certainly welcome to use chemicals in your soup if you so desire. : )

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.  Add one half of the onions, one third of the carrots and celery and cook, stirring often until the onions are golden, about 8 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil  over high heat. Add the parsley sprigs, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf, reduce the heat to low. and cover partially.  Let simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface, until the chicken shows no signs of pink, about 40 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces and let cool slightly, keep the broth at a simmer.  Remove the skin and bones, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, cover, and set aside.  Return the skin and bones to the simmering broth, cover partially, and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Using a large spoon skim off any visible fat from surface, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Rinse and dry the pot, return to medium heat and add the remaining onions, carrots, and celery and cook stirring often, until softened. Add the broth and being to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover partially. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the noodles and cook for 12 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes, add the reserved chicken meat. Skim any visible fat from the surface.  Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and serve. So delicious and nutritious!


Remember the part about me being sick and wishing for this soup? Well, here's what I did:
Ladle your soup into each section of a muffin tin. Then, into the freezer for about 2 hours.  Place the tin in the sink (Or on a rimmed baking sheet.) with hot water but only for a minute or two. Use a butter knife to pop each one out.  They should slip right out.  Next, place two or three into a plastic freezer bag and freeze until needed!  To re-heat simply place in a pot on the stove-top and stir until hot.


I will be soo glad to have this in my freezer next time I'm sick! Happy Freezing!

Today is our first day of our Obedience Unit Study. Our vocabulary words:

Commandments
Authority
Submit
Institution
Obey
Government

Our memory verse: "Obey the voice of the Lord, your God" Jeremiah 26:13

It's a busy Monday morning. There are many lessons to cover in a short period of time. Early in the afternoon is our Keeper's Club Meeting where I am providing snack for 40 girls.

A friend gave me a recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes.

I can squeeze one more thing in, right? Not really! The other option is run by Target and purchase pre-made cookies. I love to cook and bake, but I have lessons to teach and I am responsible for child's education. So, Target cookies it is!


Here's why... Children learn obedience as modeled by their parents. By submitting to God's will, to authority and being in obedience to the law we live out obedience as an example to our kids.

I believe that home schooling is a calling.  That calling must be taken seriously. My daughter's entire education does not hinge on one or two missed lessons. My choice to buy cookies instead of bake does show her my obedience and diligence in doing what God has called me to do. Now, this may seem like an obvious choice to you. For me it was a huge victory. Hope you have a SUPER homeschooling day!

Have you visited How Does She?! I was introduced to it by one of by very sweet friends a couple of years ago. It has become my go-to blog for crafts, inspiration and even date night ideas!

So far, I have made:

This birthday wreath (twice) one was a gift for my sis-in-law. With four children in my family, it gets plenty of use! I normally put it up for my kids' entire birthday month. And for my hubby's too, of course!

Enjoy this great Blog and make some fun holiday crafts! Happy crafting!

We "Boo-ed" one of neighbors last year. Unfortunately, they didn't "Boo" anyone back. This year we have NEW neighbors, hooray! So, when one of my very good friends on our street told me she was Boo-ed, I basically BEGGED her to "Boo" us next since my kids were so disappointed last year. And... I am delighted to say, we have been Boo-ed!

I am loving my Motivated Moms App! My house is cleaner than clean and I don't have to think about what I should do clean next. I just open the app and start checking things off. It even has a daily scripture reading, quiet time and exercise.

Get your app here:

Motivated Moms App 2011

I know you will just love it!

Just had the BEST Post-workout Pumpkin Spice Smoothie with Protein!

Here's what I used:

8 ounces Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1/4 cup Organic Pumpkin Purée

2 scoops protein powder

1/2 teaspoon good vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup ice cubes

Everything went into the VitaMix. One quick whirl until it's smooth and drink up! Deliciousness!

Fall is here and so are Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Here are my BIG problems with that: they're full of sugar and empty calories and EXPENSIVE. Did I mention full of chemicals?

Here's my solution:

4 cups unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of your choice)

1/4 cup organic canned pumpkin purée

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup organic strong coffee

1 spoonful of TruWhip - it's dairy and gluten free (available at Whole Foods or Barrons)

Stevia or your choice of sugar.

Pour all ingredients except TruWhip into crock pot. Whisk until well blended. Turn crock pot on high for 2 hours. Top each cup with a nice big spoonful of whipped topping and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. I don't like mine very sweet but you can certainly add sugar to your liking. Enjoy this "wonderFall" beverage!

This "recipe" is super easy and adaptable. I like to make a large bowl and leave it in the fridge. It saves me on days I'm too hungry and busy to cook for myself. Low carb, high protein.

4 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cucumbers, diced

4 tomatoes, diced

1/2 small red onion (or more)

1 dozen hard boiled eggs with yolks removed

Combine all ingredients and add your favorite dressing! I like Newman's Own Organics Italian but Balsamic is also delish!

Our weekdays are SUPER busy. Between school, soccer practice, volleyball practice, softball games, bible study, it's a wonder I can keep up! Sunday is my day to get EVERYTHING organized and prepped for the week. Lesson plans are 1st followed by the week's menu. This week's menu includes all the meals my family will eat.  I have a separate menu... more weight-loss friendly. ; )  I love to cook ahead as much as possible. Some days, I run all 3 of my crock pots at once or crock pot at night for breakfast.

These are our main meals, however, there is plenty of in-between snacking too!


Monday:
Breakfast: Zucchini Frittata with Fruit
Lunch: Turkey Rolls with Cream Cheese, Apple & Cliff Bar
Dinner: Bean & Cheese Burritos (Thanks to my Mom's Cooking Club for the idea.)

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Crock Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberries and Eggs to order
Lunch: (2) Chile Colorado Tamales and Fruit
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie Turn Overs & Green Salad
Dessert: *still looking for a recipe for our bible study group...

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Zucchini Bread & Scrambled Eggs
Lunch: Tuna Salad, Carrots & Mozzerella Cheese Stick
Dinner: Beef Stroganoff & Green Salad

Thursday:
Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes!
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwiches with Fruit
Dinner: Cream of Artichoke Soup & Turkey Paninis

Friday:
Breakfast: Protein Smoothies
Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches & Grapes
Dinner: Garlic-Sherry Burgers with Stilton, Pub-Browns with Horseradish Sauce (from Rachel Ray Mag)