~Menu Monday~

~Menu Monday~

Monday~  Lefotover Smoked Turkey Soup, Great Green Salad, rolls

Tuesday~  Shepherds Pie, pear salad, coffeecake

Wednesday~  Ritzy Chicken Casserole, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Fruit Salad

Thursday~  Raviloi's with lemon cream sauce, Rosemary Bread, Green Salad

Friday~  Salmon Patties, Rice A Roni, Garlic Broccoli

Saturday~  Mom's Barbecue Meatballs, scalloped potatoes, green beans with bacon, fried apples, brownies

Sunday~  Chicken Gumbo over rice, cornbread, chocolate cupcakes

Resting Day

I feel like I have been going since Tuesday.  I guess I have.  I am resting today.  The boys are visiting a church down the street.  I am in my pj's lounging in my bed.  A crock pot full of Smoked Turkey Soup is cooking in the kitchen.  We'll eat that with crackers and cheese, rolls with butter and maybe something green like salad.

I am posting my pictures from this week.  We've had Chris, Sharon and baby Anastasia over Friday and Saturday.  I am happy to say I only have  bit of mashed potato left.  Most everything else has been cleaned up!!







Four areas filled with leftovers.



Cuddle time.


Playing games on the new laptop.

More cuddles yesterday.  She was contentedly taking the binkie from me after she filled her belly with a bottle.  She refuses to do either of those for her parents!

Napping in the swing.

All in all,  it was a very nice holiday spent with some of the greatest folks.  We've had a very Thankful week!!

~~It's Thursday!~~

 Outside My Window~  It's chilly outside.  It's rained most of this afternoon.  It SNOWED!!  Yes for about 1/2 an hour it snowed before it rained!  I am not ready for winter!  I tried to take pics of the snow. . . it didn't work so well.

Around The House~  I am so stuffed.  I hurt.  Still savoring the taste of that smoked turkey.  The house was very cozy today.  I love my Christmas lights and the soft music playing in the background.

I Am Thinking~  I am amazed by God's grace and mercy.  I am thinking how thankful I am for all the things the Lord has done for me. 

Psalms 84:11  
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give GRACE and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

I Am Praying~  Always for wisdom.  For peace in making decisions.  Praying for far away family.  Praying for answers to prayer.  Praying for the desires of my heart.

From The Leaning Room~  No school today or tomorrow.  Piano lessons with the new teacher are going very well.  I am thankful we don't have to drive far for them.    

I Am Wearing~  Got my p.j.s on and I am lounging in my bed with Shadow the cat.  I have my blog open and am listening to soothing piano music as I type.

I Am Creating~  Not a thing going on in the creativity department.  Got to get that Christmas letter done.  My address labels should be here any day.  I've been Christmas shopping already and am proud to say that most of my shopping is done.  A few more things for the ladies and then wrapping.  DONE!  I am thinking of doing a giveaway on my blog.  There is something special I am looking for to make a craft for my giveaway and I haven't found it yet.  More details on the giveaway at a later date.

From the Kitchen~   ?  Must we discuss food right now? Really?   Oh all right then . . . leftovers with our friends Chris and Sharon tomorrow.  If I can move around comfortably by Saturday, I may put on a pot of Split Pea Soup for Sunday afternoon and a smoked turkey soup for Saturday.  It is soup weather for sure.

I Am Enjoying~ I am enjoying the church search we started three weeks ago.   We are feeling no pressure to be in a hurry to find a new place to worship.  We've had three amazing Sunday's of great family fellowship after morning church services.  We've tried to make Sunday afternoons a time to enjoying being together.  The last two of three churches we've tried have been great.  A long drive to each one but very nice.

One Of My Favorite Things~  Contentment. 

 My guys!

 

Have a great weekend!

Thinking about all my blog friends to day.  I am thankful for each one of you!

~ ~

Menu Monday

It's Thanksgiving week.  I can't wait.  One of my favorite holidays.  I have many fond memories of good food, great people and wonderful times.  We'll be sharing our holiday with the bachelors again this year.  This is their home away from home and we are like their family.

Playing around with the piano.

What are your plans for this week?  What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions?

Monday~  Bisquick's Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Tuesday~  Fish Taco's

Wednesday~  Ravioli's with lemon cream sauce, rosemary bread, green salad

Thursday~
Smoked Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing with veggies
Mashed Potatoes
Peas and Corn
Pistachio Salad
Dinner Rolls with jam
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry Cherry Pie
Banana Bread

Friday~  Leftovers!

Saturday~  Smoked Turkey Soup (using turkey carcass) leftover dinner rolls, Green Salad

Sunday~  Split Pea with Ham Soup, Cornbread, Green Salad OR-Turkey sandwiches


Shadow cat watching the squirrels and the leaves.

Fashion Tip Friday

Normally I would post a flashback today.  I happened upon a good fashion tip for this time of year and want to post it instead.  Thank you dear friend Liz for doing your Fashion Tip Friday's. They are unique and often crack me up!

Trying a scarf.  See six ways to wear a scarf.  Click on this picture for tutorial.

~~It's Thursday~~

 

Outside My Window~  Outside my window, after a big wind storm yesterday,  I see many leaves on the ground.  All the trees in my yard have lost their leaves.

Around The House~  Around the house I am enjoying my newly placed Christmas decorations.  I've got a gingerbread candle burning.  Christmas music is playing quietly in the background.

I Am Thinking~  I am thinking how thankful I am for all the things God has done for me.  He continues to provide for me, over and ABOVE what I ask.  I am amazed by GRACE.

I Am Praying~  Praying always for wisdom.  Praying for my husband and his safety as he has moved this week to a new squad.  In this new squad he will be much busier and maybe away from home a lot more.  This week he starts out with duty, the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift, tonight through Tuesday.   Duty will be about 5 days every 6-8 weeks. Praying for the Lords care for the future.  Praying for the desire of my heart. 

From The Leaning Room~   Compound words, root words, suffixes, time review of hour and half hour.  Counting by fives.  I am still amazed that this is first grade.  It seems very advanced. 

I Am Wearing~  My new purple, long sleeved tee shirt, with a new purple scarf and brown denim skirt with knee high socks. . .no slippers.

((Thank you one happy momma for giving us this picture!!  I love it!))

I Am Creating~  I've made a outline of my portion of our annual Christmas letter.  I've cracked the whip around here and I think #1 son is almost done with his 1st draft of something creative for the letter.  My husband is trying to cheat off my work and asked me last night what I have written so far.  I need to order the pictures and think I will do that online and have mailed to the house.  I have to purchase envelopes and stamps.  Have I ever shared that this Christmas letter has been my annual tradition for many, many years?  I send a letter and picture instead of cards.  I mail about 175 letters every year!  I love doing it.  I love the Christmas cards and photos I receive in return!

From the Kitchen~  My menu is out of order.  I'm going to make pancit and egg rolls for tonight.  I'm having my friend Sharon and baby Anastasia for lunch tomorrow.  My friend Alison and her girls may come as well.  I am serving meatloaf, homemade macaroni and cheese, garlic green bean,s buttermilk rolls and cherry cheesecake for dessert.  Saturday afternoon, the bachelors will come over and I'll feed them.  Not sure what they will be getting.   

I Am Enjoying~  I think I posted about this last year. . .  I love to purchase music c.d.s from those push button end caps at Wal Mart and Target.  Last year I found a great Christmas c.d. 

www.lifescapesmusic.com

((And see the link "Christmas"))

They do not have a sample of the one I have, Quiet Christmas Piano

 

I have another Hercule Poirot movie for this weekend as well. 

"The ABC Murders"

 

My husband replaced our old laptop last week.  Today is the first post I have made using the new computer.  IT IS SO FAST!!  I love it!

I am also enjoying watching FREE movies on the internet.  PBS is playing three new Sherlock Holmes movies until December 7th.

One Of My Favorite Things~   Dates with my manly man.  I think we're going out to lunch today.  I've never been to Panera Bread and have heard it's good.

Have a great weekend Friends!!

He was caught in a cozy unmade bed!
 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

 
   "Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life."

John 8:12


I got the bug.  The Christmas decorations had to come out.  It took me about 2 days to get everything the way I wanted it.  ((Click on pictures to enlarge))

BEFORE








See the tree in the middle of the table?  I got that at the thrift store 2 weeks ago.  It is cream with gold balls and artificial flowers.  That was my inspiration for color this year. 


While I was waiting for my men to bring home more white lights, Shadow cat came out to play with Mom's newly placed decorations.




She loved how these stocking touched the floor.





After
















The End!!

Terrific Tuesday and a Recipe!

Olive Garden Soupa Toscana

3/4 c. diced onion
1 slice bacon to 1/4 " dice
1 1/2 t. minced garlic
1 ounce chicken bulion granules
1 qt. water
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 c. cavallo or kale greens cut into fine strips
1 1/2 c. spicy Italian links cut into 1/2 " slices
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

In large non stick skillet, cook bacon, potatoes, onion and garlic until potatoes are just tender.  Transfer potato mix to large crock pot add bullion, water, greens and italian links.  Cover cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hours.  Just before serving add, heavy whipping cream.
**Recipe easily doubled.

~~Menu Monday~~

 

~~Menu Monday~~

Monday~  Spaghetti, Rosemary Bread, Green Salad, apple crisp and ice cream

Tuesday~  Grilled Maple Salmon, Rice a Roni, garlic green beans

Wednesday~ Chicken and Shrimp Pancit, egg rolls, wontons 

Thursday~  Baked Potatoes with big green salad

Friday~  Meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, fruit and cottage cheese, peas and corn, chocolate brownies

Saturday~  Bisquicks Easy Cheeseburger Pie with broccoli

Sunday~  Split Pea with Ham Soup, cornbread, Spice Cake with maple sugar drizzle

 

Flashback Friday

Summer 1988~  My sister and I