Sorry, not sorry.

Strange post title. I know.

I have been seriously neglecting this blog. Sorry......but also not sorry.

We have been soooooooo busy! There are so many things going on around here that I feel like a dog chasing it's tail just trying to keep up.

There are lots of home improvement and small reno projects going on. I'm trying to remember to photo document all of it so I can share it with you later. A little bit of everything from flooring the attic (I won't bore you with photos of that) so we could move the rest of our things out of our rented storage unit, to re-facing an outdoor building, to building an outbuilding, to painting and faux finishing some cabinets, to cutting down several dead trees on the property. Add all of that and more to the mix of daily life and embroidery orders and baked good orders and you'll see why I'm so crazy. AND why I haven't had the time to blog much.

Who am I kidding? You probably didn't even notice that I wasn't here. For that matter, there may not even be anyone reading this.

Ok, so with all that said, I still have a TON of stuff going on over the next two or three weeks......Thanksgiving, a huge birthday party that we are hosting for my uncle who's turning 80, aaaaaaannnnndddd my annual ornament swap party. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it!

Oh, yeah......my point. My point is this: You may not hear from me again for another couple of weeks.

Sorry, not sorry.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful everyday. But, I like to devote Thursday as the day I share with you what I'm thankful for. However, if there is one thing I could say to you that is more important than anything else, it is this: DO NOT save a particular day each week, month, or year to tell the ones you love how thankful you are for them and the things they do for you. We are never promised tomorrow and they deserve to know that you love them and are thankful for them! Ok, I'm done. **steps down from soap box**

Here is a short list of what I'm thankful for this week:

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Prayer
• Grace
• Mercy
• Forgiveness
• My hubby. He has my heart - always. forever.
• Family - immediate and extended
• The ability to change my schedule at a moments notice. If I worked outside the home I would not have been able to go with my mom (with only a few hours notice) to visit my uncle who had been admitted to the hospital in a town a couple of hours from here.
• Embroidery. We bought a used embroidery machine. I've been keeping that thing plenty busy! Looking forward to earning some cash for our family!
• My baby boy. He turned 9 yesterday. Not sure how he got so big/grown so fast. I miss the days when he was my cherub faced baby!
• Sleep. I got some last night. It was good!
• Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Mom and I went to our local (2 hours away) ReStore this past weekend and got a small set of cabinets for $150!!! Small reno in the kitchen coming very soon!
• New beginnings. More on this later - hopefully.
• Cool weather.
• Leaves changing.
• Etsy
• Internet
• This blog

Be happy today. Spread your joy. Let your light shine!

Thankful Thursday

Hey! I missed you last week. I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember that I was busy.
We've had a lot going on. I will share more about that later. But I wanted to stop in and share some things that I am truly thankful for.

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Mercy
• Grace
• Prayer
• Forgiveness
• Love
• Family
• Fall - It's finally here!
• Cooler temps - see above
• My pastor.
• Work. I have added a new "craft" to my repertoire and have been working from home and earning a few (very few, lol) dollars for my family.
• Homeschool. Every time I see something else about this new Common Core curriculum, I praise Jesus that we pulled our kids out of public school when we did!
• Fewer bugs. Did I mention it's finally Fall?
• My husband. I am truly, truly thankful for him. I love him more now than I ever knew that I could. When I look at him, he makes my heart skip a beat. In his arms is my favorite place to be.
• My mom. She is the best mom ever - for me. I know your mom may be awesome too, but my mom is the perfect mom for me. She is a gift from God.
• My sister and my baby nephew, W. I get to see them both next month and I can't wait! It's been too long.
• PUPPIES! We have a new puppy! Her name is Sadie. I will give her her own post later.
• My teenager. Have I ever told you that I'm short? My hubs is tall. Working on big projects with him is not easy and is downright hilarious at times. We've got several big projects going on around here. The teenager is BIG. VERY BIG. Bigger than his dad. They work better together than the hubs and I. I am VERY thankful for my teenager.
• Friends. So very blessed to have a great group of people I can call friends.
• Fall
• Pinterest - I am ashamed to say I tried a GREAT new recipe last week and didn't document it for you. But, you should look it up. It sounded scary difficult, but wasn't hard at all. Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. You can thank me later.
• Sleeping with the windows open.
• Country living. It's so peaceful.
• Fall
• You

There's more. There's always a lot more. But, I'll stop here for today. Love and hugs to you, my blog reading friend. Happy Thursday. I hope you find lots to be thankful for.

Sweet Lucy

 

Lucy

Lucy became a member of our family in 2009. She was a stray kitty that my sister-in-law found. I've always been a "dog person", but I couldn't resist this sweet kitty. She was so loving and cute. We took her home and she has been a great pet and friend to my children.

Lucy passed away on Monday. It was not expected and very hard on all of us.

Lucy was an excellent mole hunter and loved to bring her kills to the doorstep to show us. Lucy was a protector for our chickens, weird, but true. She would try to run off dogs that came up in the yard and got near the chicken's pen. Hilarious AND so sweet. And so un-catlike. Lucy had quite a few names. We often called her Lucy Lu, Fat Lu (she had gained a bit of weight), Fatness Caterdeen (Hunger Games poke at her weight gain), and a few others. Lucy was a best friend to our little Z. He is crushed by this loss. Lucy was a good pet and sweet friend for the teenager. He is equally crushed by the loss of our sweet kitty.

We are all feeling the loss. She spent a lot of time in certain places and it's hard to not see her there.

We love you and miss you Lucy.



Thankful Thursday

It has been a doozy of a week. It is very easy to be consumed with your situation or surroundings. We are in the middle of a life storm. Things don't look very bright right now. It would be very easy for me to say "Woe is me. My life is so hard. Why? Why? Why?". I could get down and depressed and roll up into the fetal position in bed and not leave until the storm had passed. I could bury my head and choose not to see the life all around me that is not affected by the storm I'm in.

Satan is a master of his craft. He has had thousands of years to practice on us humans and preys on our weaknesses. When bad things come your way, he is right there whispering doubts into your ear. He spends his time trying to convince you that your situation is worse than dismal. He might even try to convince you that this is the end of everything and your life is ruined. I know, because he's tried that one with me before. But.......I've got news for him. He shall not conquer me or my family. My faith stands strong. I know God is in control.

So, while the winds of this storm whip around me, I will remember that I have so much to be thankful for and I will say those things out loud. Satan does not like that. It makes him nervous. God IS good. God is my salvation. God is my protector. God is my strength. God is for me. And if He is for me, then it doesn't matter who is against me.

I am thankful for:

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Salvation
• Mercy
• Grace
• Forgiveness
• Prayer
• The finished work of the cross. (Take a hike, Satan. You have no power over me.)
• My husband. He is my rock. He helps strengthen my faith. He is always right here.
• My Mom. She is my rock. She is comforting. She has ALWAYS been right here.
• My children. I love them ALL!!! I love them more than they will ever understand. More than words can express.
• Friends. Really good friends. The kind who are always there for you. The kind that bolster your faith. The kind that encourage you and when you just need to vent, they are right there listening. Love you, K!
• Life. I'm so thankful that everyone that I love woke up this morning!!!
• My pastor. Another rock for me to lean on. He has always been there for us. He is a prayer warrior.
• Tomorrow. Though we are never promised tomorrow here on earth, I have an eternity of tomorrows to look forward to.

I could list so many more things that I am thankful for, but these are the "big" things.

Hugs to you, blog reader, friend. I hope this Thankful Thursday has encouraged you in some way.

Thankful Thursday

Sorry I missed you last week. It has been very busy around here. It's been kind of crazy this week also, but I have a lot to be thankful for.

• Jesus. Always. Forever
• Forgiveness
• Grace and Mercy
• Hardworking Hubby
• My clothes dryer. You don't notice it until it's not working.
• Children with a helpful heart.
• The ability to stay home to care for my family. It's where God designed me to be. So glad to finally be fully embracing that truth.
• Homeschooling
• Bug spray
• Fall is on it's way. WooHoo!!!
• Internet service. Same concept as the clothes dryer....you don't notice it until it's not working.
• Answered prayer
• Family
• Friends
• Our homeschool group
• Craigslist

Ummm. This list got interrupted by schoolwork, which means I lost my train of thought. It doesn't take much. I will close today with a couple of things that I am NOT thankful for: ticks and chiggers.

Happy Thursday! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Lasagna

Lasagna. Such a simple word. It evokes images of layers of carb, cheese, and sauce heaven. I love lasagna. I have been eating lasagna my whole adult life. But then, someone said "homemade lasagna". My heart stopped. I was frozen with fear. NO! Not possible. It's too difficult. It must be. I mean, LOOK at it!

Many years ago, we enjoyed lasagna probably as often as every two weeks or so. How did we do this if I was too scared to make lasagna? Don't judge.........sigh........gulp.......we ate some pre-made, frozen, full of chemicals lasagna out of a box. Whew! That wasn't as hard to say as I thought it would be. I worked full time back then. Easy was the name of the game most every night.

Somewhere along the way, I had the pleasure of eating some homemade lasagna that my sister-in-law made. It was soooo good! So much better than the out of the box stuff. I'm not sure if I asked her about it the first time. I probably didn't. I was probably too in awe of her culinary skills. I mean, she made homemade lasagna for her family on a repeated basis for Pete's sake! But, sometime between my first bite of her lasagna and maybe as much as the umpteenth time I had eaten it, I asked her about how she made it, fully prepared to have to write a small book of recipe and instruction. Don't ask me why I was eating her lasagna so often. I truly don't recall. Maybe we were enjoying their company a lot, maybe specifically on the nights she made lasagna. LOL. No, I doubt that was it. She probably felt sorry for us and our routine of feeding our family quick style meals that often came out of the freezer section of the grocery store.

So she shared her recipe with me and the instructions on how she assembled hers. And, I was truly shocked at how easy it sounded. Lots of steps, but not rocket science. So I decided to try it, convinced I would not be able to pull it off and she would laugh at me when I wasn't looking. To my surprise, I did pull it off and it has been a staple in our menu planning for years now.

Thanks, Debbie, for showing a silly girl how to make a delicious lasagna. You are a saint. And a great cook.

Gee, I talk a lot. Sorry. But, if you want to know how to make this lasagna, you're going to have to bear with me AND all of my words. Ha.

I saw a pin on Pinterest a good while back titled "Lasagna Roll Ups". I don't think I pinned it. But, the idea was genius! I had been making lasagna for years using the traditional layering method. But, this "roll up" idea was to take each lasagna noodle and layer the ingredients on, then roll it all up and place in the pan. So, I tried it. It was great. It still makes the same amount of lasagna, but in convenient little lasagna packages. No slicing and having the lasagna slide apart before you get it to the plate. We still make lasagna the traditional layered way, but sometimes I like to do it this way.

I made the teenager very happy last night. He's been asking for lasagna for a while.

So here's where you will start. This recipe will make a large casserole dish FULL of lasagna. Enough to feed a small army - or a family of 5 or 6 for two nights.

Here is your ingredient line up:

Two pounds of ground beef 

 

 

One 16oz container of ricotta cheese, one pound of mozzarella cheese, and one pound of monterey jack (this is our preference. You could just go with mozzarella only, or use cheddar. Whatever sounds good to you.).

Black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. I normally use cloves of garlic, but went the easy route this time. I do not use any salt. You don't need it and will not miss it.

 



 

Tomato sauce - I used three larger cans, Crushed or diced tomatoes - I asked for a large can of crushed tomatoes, but since I didn't have to go to the store, I used what the teenager brought me. And a package of regular lasagna (or lasagne-if you are Italian) noodles.

 

Brown your ground beef in a large pot or very large skillet and drain off any fat. This is going to make a lot of sauce.

 

 

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce.

 

Time for the seasoning. I don't measure. Sorry. A little black pepper then I gave a light covering to the whole pot of garlic powder. We LOVE garlic. If you are using garlic cloves, use at least three large cloves.

 



 

Now, the Italian seasoning. Again no measurement. Sorry. I'll try to do better with that next time. I just (again) gave a light covering of the Italian seasoning to the whole pot.

 

 

Give it a stir and turn the burner down to low and let it simmer.

 

 

Get out a large pot and fill 3/4 full with water for the noodles. And then, wait patiently for the water to boil.

 

 

Add noodles to boiling water. It really is boiling even though you can't see it here. Follow the directions on the pasta box about the length of time to cook your lasagna noodles.

 

 

Now, sauce is simmering and noodles are cooking. Time to grate the cheese. I use a large bowl and grate both solid cheeses into one bowl and then mix it up to make sure you get some of each cheese in every handful.

 

 

Now, get your prep area ready. I like to use some parchment paper, aluminum foil, or wax paper to line my counter for ease of clean up. A large cookie sheet would always work as well.

 

I've got my large casserole dish ready and all my cheeses.

 

 

Take several noodles and lay them flat on your prep area.

 

 

Spoon some ricotta on to those noodles and spread it over the length of the noodle.

 

 

Time for the sauce. A large spoon or ladle makes this a little easier. But this will be messy!

 

Now, for the shredded cheeses.

 



 

Starting on the end closest to you, roll those noodles up and place into your casserole dish. Remember, you're going to get messy. Be ready to have saucy, cheesy hands.

 

 

I packed my casserole dish with as many rolls as I could get in there. I was able to fit 12.

Scoop up all the sauce/cheese mixture from your work space and toss it on top of the rolls - you don't want to lose any of that deliciousness.

 

Add the remainder of your sauce and then cheese to the top of your rolls.

 

 

Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until it's hot and bubbly). You can turn the broiler on for a minute to add some beautiful color to the top.

 

Yum!

 

 

This is very easy to serve. Just scoop out a roll and plate it up!

 

 

 

 

If you've never made lasagna, I hope this post will encourage you to try it. It takes a while to make, but is so worth it!

 

Thanks again, Debbie, for teaching a silly girl not to be scared of making difficult looking dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday is here again! Here is what I'm thankful for this week:

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Prayer
• Forgiveness
• Answered Prayer
• Skilled doctors that performed surgery on my bestie.
• Answered Prayer (see above)
• Pear tree in our backyard (post to follow about that)
• Our homeschool group
• Teenagers that drive - this is getting repetitive, I know. But I am REALLY thankful for mine.
• Batteries. Nothing quite like a blogger with a dead camera. Side note: Don't buy cheap batteries for your camera.
• Pinterest
• FOOTBALL - yes, I am one of those girls. I love me some football! Plus, it means fall is coming.
• Humor - my hubby said something to me almost two weeks ago and every time I think about it, I laugh out loud.
• Being able to stay home and be the full time keeper of my home and teacher to my children.
• Sleep. I love sleep. I got some sleep the other night and then a little more and even more the following night. When I awoke after two nights of good sleep plus a nap in between, I actually felt rested and refreshed. I miss good sleep. Maybe one day good sleep and I can be close friends again.
• This blog and those who read it.

I'd love to hear what you are thankful for this week.

Thankful Thursday

Thursday's here again. Time to share what I'm thankful for.

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Prayer
• Forgiveness
• My Momma - I have really missed her this week.
• My husband
• My kids
• Family time
• Having a state park practically in our backyard
• Long weekends
• Hugs
• Snuggles
• Face Time (on iPhone)

Sorry, no sass or sarcasm this week.

I hope your week has been great so far. I hope you find lots of things to be thankful for.

Life Lessons

Life lesson #287:

If you have children, do not leave any type of cleaner with bleach out on the counter. Not even for one second. Don't turn your back on it and do not blink.


Now, as you may know, my youngest child is eight. Actually he's almost nine. Definitely not a curious toddler anymore.

So, I really didn't think much about leaving a bottle of bathroom cleaner with bleach on the counter after spraying down an item in the bathroom. I went into another room to work on another task while the cleaner did its work.

I went into the bathroom a short while later to find this:

So, that's not so terrible. Someone was obviously trying to help out, right?!

But then, there was this.........Hold tight. I'm being very real here. There is visible dirt on/around this rug. Don't judge. We live here, after all.

And then, this.......

There was bleach cleaner on a lot of different items in the bathroom. As I cleaned up the mess, my eyes fell to my toothbrush lying on the counter. FEAR. Whomever had been so haphazard with the cleaner was oblivious to the danger of it and was spraying it on everything. The thought of keeling over after brushing my teeth passed through my mind. The person that found my lifeless body lying on the bleached out bathroom rug would likely not notice that, though I was dead, my teeth were now bright and sparkling white.

I am grateful to say that after a thorough inspection, my toothbrush was not affected and I seem to have suffered no ill effects after brushing my teeth.

Strange thing is, when I asked the usual culprits, it seems no one knew anything about it. And, no one touched the bottle of cleaner with bleach.

When I was growing up, my mom referred to no one as the "not me ghost". Pesky creatures no one  and the not me ghost are.

I hope no one or the not me ghost at least gets an allowance. I see the purchase of some new bathroom rugs in their near future.

Thankful Thursday

Thursday's here again. Time to share what I'm thankful for.

• Jesus. Always. Forever
• Waking up this morning
• Sleep. I truly love sleep.
• Air conditioning
• Three day weekends when the hubs is actually OFF WORK!
• Seeing "N/C" (no charge) on my charge sheet at the eye doctor's office after my appointment! I haven't worked for this doctor for well over 10 years, but he still treats me like part of his office "family". 
• That God places people in our path/lives that need help and gives us the means to help them. There's nothing like the joy that comes from giving! It really does the heart good.
• Teenagers. Although often a source of exasperation, they have the bodies of grown people and can be VERY helpful/useful when you need another adult but don't have one handy.
• Silence. There's often not enough of that around here. As I type this, there is an eight year old running his mouth nonstop in my ear.
• Did I mention silence? I covet the quiet.
• Love
• Hugs
• Etsy - both as a seller and a buyer
• KLOVE. It keeps my heart happy.
• True friends
• This blog

I want to share a little song with you. It is one of my life anthems and it goes along with Thankful Thursday.

I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you're thankful for today.

Monday. Yuck!

I know what some of you are thinking......."How can someone who gets to stay at home complain about Mondays?!"

Indulge me for a moment. Those of us who stay at home, generally (but not in every situation), work just as hard as those of you who work outside the home. If you are not at home, there is no one there to make a mess. If the house is full of people all day every day, more messes are made. More meals are cooked. More of everything. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. And, if you observe that day of rest correctly, little or no work gets done. On Sunday evening, while the rest of you are moaning about having to go to work the next day, the rest of us - the SAHM and the SAHW or sometimes, the SAHD - are silently making a huge "to do" list in our heads. The list for Monday is often longer and filled with more tasks than any other day of the week because we "rested" on Sunday. And, maybe sometimes, we have even taken "off" on Saturday too. YIKES!

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I work harder at home than I have ever worked at any job I've held anywhere. Sometimes it still boggles my mind how we ever got anything done around the house when I worked outside the home. Then I remember. I had a LOT of help. The hubs did most of the cooking because he arrived home before I did. He also did a lot of laundry and straightening up. The kids have had daily chores since they were young, so they were pitching in a lot too. I think you could probably say I was a bit spoiled back then. I did plenty, but it never felt like I was doing enough. To be honest, I don't know if a woman ever feels like she gets everything done or if she ever feels like she's done enough.

So anyway.......Mondays. They are just as yucky for us stay at home types as they are for the rest of you. Lots to do. When Monday rolls around, I mentally pull up my to-do list and shudder. I just want to take Monday slow. Ease into the new week. Maybe a slower pace would make Monday feel a little nicer. But, then Tuesday would show up and the to-do list would be longer and Tuesday would end up being the bad guy.

This week I've got my regular to-do list, plus this FABULOUS additional to-do list I've made for myself. I've got a couple of canvases to paint for my nephew's nursery. I signed up for a booth at a craft fair, so I've got candles and wax melts to make plus some sewing to do. I plan on having some homemade fruit preserves and butters for my booth, so there's that. I bought material to make me a new purse since I can't find one I like anywhere. I have an order for baked goods this week. I know I'm forgetting something. I listed these things for a reason. NOT, so you would be impressed and think that I am superwoman - I likely won't get half of this done - but, so that I could say this:

I am truly BLESSED to be able to stay at home to raise my children and care for my family!!! I LOVE doing all those things in that list above. I LOVE everything about being able to stay at home!!! Well, except for the cleaning. I don't like the cleaning part. But, I LOVE that I am here and able to do it!

I have never been happier. No other job I've held or dream job that I could think up could possibly bring me the joy that I have now. I only wish that I had realized that sooooo many years ago.

Bring it on, MONDAY! I'll take on your hideousness and (try to) do it with a smile on my face! I'm gonna whip that to-do list and love every minute of it. I'm gonna tackle my additional to-do list with fervor, remembering all the while, that these are the things that make me happy.

Ok. Time to quit running my mouth. That to-do list isn't getting any shorter and I haven't gotten a single thing done sitting here talking to you.

I wish you a happy Monday, today and all the rest of your Mondays. May you remember that you are blessed and may you keep a smile on your face Monday and all the other days of the week.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup. Yum!

I made this soup for the first time just a few months ago. I'm pretty sure I saw it on Pinterest. It looked so delicious to me and I wanted to try it really badly. I have a deep love for Mexican food. And Tex-Mex. And.....well, really, pretty much all food. It's a problem. I know. I probably need an intervention. Or a 12 step program. Or both.

So, when I told the hubby I was going to make this soup the first time. He was like "Uhhhh. Soup? Tortilla soup?? I don't know about that.". My family (with the exclusion of my mom and me) is not very big on homemade soups. My husband loves chili and loves to make chili (he's the official chili maker in our family). But the moment I mention homemade chicken noodle soup, potato soup (one of my all time favorites), veggie soup, beef stew, etc., my fellas all let out a very loud sigh. I think it's a guy thing. Guys want something to chew when they sit down to eat.

Back to the chicken tortilla soup. I ended up following The Pioneer Woman's chicken tortilla soup recipe. Well, sort of. My boys won't touch anything with bell peppers or onions in it. Exasperating. They will eat raw bell peppers and one of them LOVES onion rings. Goofballs. I also didn't add cornmeal to thicken and I did not add tortilla strips into the soup. We fried ours. Okay, now that I think about it, I don't think I followed the recipe that closely. I think I used it kind of as a launching pad for my twist on it. BUT, my family loved it! I wish I could underline loved again. There was not a single drop of the soup left after dinner. They boys now request this soup almost weekly. I don't make it that often, but it is tempting sometimes.

Chicken tortilla soup was on the menu for this week and I was (sadly) about a 1/3 of the way in to cooking when I realized "Hey, I should share this on the blog!". So, I'm missing a few photos. And it was nighttime. And the batteries in my camera were dead. And the lighting in the kitchen is HORRIBLE. So, please forgive me.

Here is my version of Chicken Tortilla Soup:

I start with 2 or 3 (usually 3) chicken breasts either pre-cooked, or not. This particular go round, I put three frozen chicken breasts into the stockpot with about an inch of water and turned on the heat. I have also thrown the whole ingredient list into the crockpot, frozen chicken breasts and all, and turned it on low and left it all day. It turns out just as great in a stockpot on the stovetop or in a crockpot. I would definitely take advantage of the crockpot if you are a busy working mom.

When the chicken breasts were cooked through, I took them out of the pot and shredded them. I left whatever tiny amount of water was left in the pot in there. If you use the crockpot method, you will need to remove chicken breasts from crockpot and shred before serving. I threw the shredded chicken breasts back in to the stockpot and added a large can of diced tomato. I think I normally use crushed tomato, but the teenager went grocery shopping for me. I used what he bought. And, it doesn't really matter. The original recipe (above) calls for using a can of Rotel. We really don't like a lot of heat, though.

 

 

 

Please excuse the shadows in these photos. Nighttime, bad lighting, and an iPhone don't make a good mix for awesome blog photography. I will do better next time. I promise.

 

Here is the seasoning I use. I have made my own spice blend for this soup several times and loved it. I opted for convenience this time. One package of taco seasoning (we always use low sodium) and chicken base. If you have never used chicken base, leave right now and go to the store to get some. It is awesome stuff. Don't know how I ever lived without it.

Empty package of seasoning (or your own blend) into pot.

 

 

Add 2-3 tablespoons of chicken base.

 

 

Add two 16oz cans of tomato sauce.

 

 

Add one 16oz bag of frozen corn and two cans of black beans that have been drained and rinsed well.

 

 

Give it a good stir.

 

 

Now, it's time to add some water. I added 3 or 4 cups of water. I don't like this soup thick, and I want a LOT of it. Use whatever amount of water looks good to you. If you like your soup a little thicker, add less.

 

 

The tomato sauce and chicken base make a very hearty stock for this soup. I have never added cornmeal to mine. I opted for actual corn for the corn flavor. I'm just funny that way.

 

 

Let simmer on medium or medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until it is piping hot. I use this time to prepare the tortilla part of Chicken Tortilla Soup.

You are going to need some tortillas. We used corn but you could also use flour tortillas. Whatever tickles your fancy. 

 

 

Get you a small pot, or a large one. It doesn't matter to me. Add in about an inch or so of oil. Whatever kind of oil you like to cook with. We used good ol' vegetable oil. I said "we" because I put the teenager on the task of tortilla strip frying.

 

 

And put on the heat! You are going to fry up some deliciousness. You know your stove top best, get that oil nice and hot, but not hot enough to smoke.

 

Time for the tortillas.

 

 

We like to cut ours into shorter strips. So cut them in half first.

 

 

And, then cut into strips. As wide or as thin as you would like.

 

 

Please take note of the fine china I am using for this task. I avoid making dirty dishes any way I can. Dirty dishes are my nemesis. They are everywhere. All the time. They reproduce in the sink when you turn your back. They magically appear out of nowhere right after you have loaded every single dirty dish in the house into the dishwasher and turn it on.

 

Sorry. I got distracted for a moment.

 

You will need to cut LOTS of tortilla strips. They will mysteriously disappear from the paper towel laden plate you are draining them on. Make LOTS. Did I already say that?

 

Stacks of deliciousness.

 

 

Now, drop those strips into the hot oil. Not too many.

 

 

It only takes a moment or two and they are ready. Crispy, but not too brown.

This was only about half what we made that night.

 

 

Picture shadows! AAARRGGGHH!!!

 

Ladle up some soup, add some hot, crispy tortilla strips, and ENJOY!

 

 

 

Ingredient list:

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1 large can diced or crushed tomato
• 2 16oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2-3 Tbsp of chicken base
• 1 16oz package frozen corn
• 2 cans black beans
• Vegetable or other oil
• One package corn or flour tortillas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Thankful Thursday

Thursday's here again. Wow, this last week has flown by!

Today I'm thankful for:

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Mercy
• Grace
• Forgiveness
• Prayer
• Blessings - they have been raining down on my family this week!
• Sleep
• Iced Coffee
• Duck Dynasty
• Honest reviews by customers. Even if the review isn't a good one.
• REAL friends
• Homeschooling
• Candles and wax melts
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Family and friends that do all they can to try to help build my business
• Flip flops
• Summer is coming to an end

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday is here again and, as always, I have a lot to be thankful for.

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Forgiveness
• My hubby
• Quiet
• Sleep
• Cell phones. They keep us connected when we can't be near the ones we love. Phone calls and texts with the hubby have been so needed this week. My phone also allows me to have a live video conversation with my sister and nephew. He is growing SO fast and we are missing out on so much! VERY thankful for my phone!
• My voice. I learned this week that it is not always easy to communicate without it. I'm blessed to have a voice and to be able to speak clearly (99.9% of the time). There are those in this world who cannot speak or speak clearly. How frustrating to not be able to just say what you want to say. My heart goes out to them.
• Energy. Though I don't ever seem to have as much as I want, having less than normal has really thrown a monkey wrench into my plans for the week.
• Teenage son with drivers license. He has been invaluable this week. When my energy was depleted, he took over and got us the things we needed.
• Kids who have an agenda/want something. Often overlooked parenting tool. Definitely used this to my advantage this week. Got a clean kitchen out of the deal when I was too tired to do it myself.
• YouTube. Anything you ever needed to learn how to do in video tutorial form.
• Etsy & Facebook. Great resources for finding creative folks trying to build their business. Often much more creative and more wallet friendly than traditional brick and mortar businesses.
• The sweet couple who came and took that evil rooster away. I know, twice in a row I've listed them. But, my hens are so much happier with Big G gone.
• My chickens. "Free" eggs. I will never have to buy eggs again.
• Orders. My little bakery "business" has been getting quite a few orders. YAY!
• Caffeine
• Sunshine
• Cooler Temperatures
• Homeschooling

Ok. I'll stop here. Partly because you don't want to spend all day reading this list and partly because my brain is tired.

Challenge for you today: If there is a person that is on your Thankful Thursday (or any day) list, go tell them how thankful you are for them. If they have blessed you enough for you to be thankful for them, they deserve to know it!

Strangely Quiet

It has been strangely quiet around here this week.

Seems a slight bit of allergy/sinus trouble snuck up on me over the weekend. It's not even enough to really bother me, but I woke up Sunday with almost no voice. And then, it got a little bit worse on Monday. I have a sneaking suspicion that this strange symptom may be answered prayer for my boys.

My sweet hubby is out of town for work this week. I miss him. A LOT. I don't always have to talk when we are together. Just being with him is enough. But, not being able to really talk to him when he calls is driving me nuts!

As someone who enjoys talking a lot, I have had to resist the urge to make phone calls to my sister and to friends this week. I am feeling lonely and the inability to speak much seems to have exacerbated that feeling. But, when I have reached for the phone and decided that I will strain my voice and make the person on the other end of the phone have a conversation with someone who sounds like a bullfrog fresh out of throat surgery, I have had to lay the phone back down without dialing. Seems my inability to speak much has left me with nothing to say. Freaky.

Maybe it's because my head is swimming, not from medicine, but from trying to settle disputes, break up fights, and scream NO all without opening my mouth. And, I see the smiles in their eyes. They wouldn't dare let me catch them actually smiling. But, I know.

I am exhausted from all the effort it takes to not talk when you need to talk. That doesn't even make sense, but I think it's pretty accurate.

I will be so glad to get my voice back. But, for now, I welcome the quiet and will do my best to enjoy every moment of silence while it lasts.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful everyday. Well......most days. Let's have Thursday as a day to share what we are thankful for.

I am thankful for:

• Jesus
• Prayer
• The fact that I woke up this morning
• My marriage
• Having a husband who works very hard for our family
• My mom
• Healthy children
• My sister
• My new nephew, Wyatt
• Friends
• Having a bakery "business" as a way to contribute to our family's finances
• The smell of freshly baked cake at 8am (I believe cake smells the most delicious in the morning............or maybe I'm just hungry.)
• Co-workers of my husband who sent a huge bag of food fresh from their garden
• The internet
• A girl named Selina and her husband who came and got that evil rooster of mine yesterday (after he flogged -if flogged is not a real word, blame on yesterday's post - me and left a 4" gash on my forearm). See ya later, Big G! Enjoy your new home.
• Pinterest
• Hobby Lobby
• This list could go on and on. I will stop now, because I feel it becoming more random. And, though, I am VERY random by nature, the beauty of a random mind is not always fully appreciated.

So, there is my short (or maybe long by your definition) list of what I'm thankful for today. I'd love to hear what you are thankful for..............

Wordfull Wednesday

My friend, Tammy over at Country Girl at Home , recently wrote a post entitled "Wordless Wednesday". I like Wordless Wednesday. Tammy is a smart lady. Her posts make you think. They make you smile. You feel like you've learned something.

That won't happen here.

I'm doing something a little different today. I talk. A lot. I'm guessing you've figured that out by now. I am introducing WordFULL Wednesday, where I encourage you to not only fill your Wednesday with words, I want to encourage you to use words you might not normally use - no, not the ugly kind.....don't use those.....It makes you look less than intelligent.

Feel free to make up words for WordFULL Wednesday however you see fit. The easiest way is to add a "y" or "ish" on the end of your new word.
Example:

• This is kind of wrong-ish.
• That candle smells cappuccino-y.

Note: Using "ish" on the end of a word is a common practice, among women especially, when making a statement and trying not to hurt someone's feelings. It is often assumed that using "ish" on the end of a word takes away some of the sting of a harsh statement. Example: That is grotesque-ish. If you already use this practice in your everyday speak, try to get creative. Try to use "ish" more often, or replace "ish" with "y".

I would also like to bring back old southern country words not commonly used any more. Words like if'n, git (sounds totally different than get), ice box, and frontchard. You get the idea. Y'all and ain't are all too common these days. To spice things up, try NOT to use those two on WordFULL Wednesday OR use them a LOT. It's up to you, really. Oh, and if you need a definition for any of the southern country words above, don't use them. You'll just sound silly.

WordFULL Wednesday needs to be full of, obviously, words. You need to try to talk a LOT today. Be fun, be spontaneous, be this guy.....

Oh my gosh, that makes me laugh so hard. Really, this whole post does.

Life is too short to be too serious! Have fun today! And, if you actually participate in WordFULL Wednesday, I'd love to hear from you.

Feeling blah

Yesterday was my birthday. Yuck. I don't get excited about birthdays anymore. Especially since my age has had the number "4" at the beginning. Now, don't get me wrong, I am VERY grateful to have birthdays. I am VERY grateful for each and every day that I get to wake up. And, I AM grateful that I have reached my forties. Birthdays just aren't fun anymore.

I have gladly accepted "Happy Birthday" wishes and thanked all the thoughtful people who wanted to take time out of their busy life to send me those wishes with a phone call, text, or Facebook post. I have reluctantly accepted gifts and given thanks for those as well. But, it doesn't feel exciting any more.

I spend my birthdays the same way I spend all my other days: taking care of kids, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, breaking up fights, breaking up arguments, breaking up wrestling matches, answering calls, answering texts, checking emails, handling the office duties of our HVAC business, and somewhere in there trying to find the time to shower and look like a human by the time the hubby gets home.

Life gets kind of monotonous. It gets kind of mundane. It gets boring and TOTALLY unexciting.

I start to feel really, really blah.

I was totally in a self-induced funk about my birthday (and life in general) and wishing for the days when birthdays (and other days) were FUN and the focus was on me. Wishing for kids who acknowledge and appreciate all that I do for them. Wishing for someone to notice how much I do and how much of myself I am sacrificing to do what I do. 

And then I read this:

Today I can be a woman who remembers I'm raising Christ-followers. When I feel unnoticed, unappreciated and completely uninspired in the daily grind as a mom, I'll lift my focus off the laundry baskets, etc. ....and look to Jesus.

As He leads me, I'll lead my kids with patience, love, and perseverance. And remember I'm building His Kingdom by investing in my children. I can take joy in this season because Jesus is More Than Enough to give me hope and delight.
(Posted by Proverbs 31 Ministries)

If you are a mom, I hope that spoke to you the same way it did to me. Don't get lost in the mundane and forget why we are here.

I love it when God reaches out to me. He reaches way down into the pit I'm hanging out in - the one I dug for myself with my pity shovel - and hits me with a reminder that I'm not forgotten. I'm not unappreciated. And, I'm not unimportant. He reminds me of why I CHOSE this life. That's right I chose to live a totally boring and often mundane lifestyle. I CHOSE to walk away from a business that I owned and ran. I was an entrepreneur, for goodness sakes! I chose to stay out of the corporate workplace. I chose my FAMILY! I chose to invest in my children. I decided that my children were more important than any self-satisfaction I may receive by working for others, or even myself. I decided that their future as Christ-followers was the best investment of my time and myself.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for reminding me that this life is not my own. Thank You for Your perfect timing. Thank You for never forgetting me. Thank You for noticing me. Thank You for forgiving me when I get wrapped up in myself.

I'll take however many more days and birthdays He wants to give me. I'll take them without the hoopla and celebration that my flesh craves. I'll take any number of mundane and monotonous days He chooses to give me. I'll try to fill them with joy and praise. And, I'll hope that I can bring Him glory some way some how.  

I reject BLAH! I choose JOY! Because Jesus is more than enough.

Facebook Woes

Oh, Facebook! I definitely have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.

I am a very verbal person (if you've read my other posts, you've figured that out). I often have a hard time keeping my opinion to myself.

Facebook was a place that I had been sharing my thoughts for several years. I mean it is MY page after all. Right? That's what it's for - sharing your thoughts. Sharing my thoughts kept getting me into trouble, though. Let me explain. I'm VERY conservative, Christian, and some of my beliefs are considered extreme (extreme because most people believe that the bible is "interpretable" and only want to follow God's word if it doesn't interfere with the kind of life they want to live) even to my church family. I was causing problems. My "friends" (and sometimes family) on Facebook would often get offended by my posts and would tell me by commenting on my posts - and sometimes not in a very nice way. *Sigh* Causing trouble. Stirring the pot. Being a drama queen. These are not words I want people to think of when they think of me.

Enter December 2012. There was a lot going on in our nation and lots of young moms were voicing their concerns on Facebook about their fears of sending their children to public school when the time came. So, I made a post about my feelings on homeschooling. Oi Vey! Shoulda kept my mouth shut! Woohoo, did I stir it up with that one! So much so, that my then 18 year old daughter felt like she had to come to my defense and she was never homeschooled. So, I made the decision that it would just be better to shut my Facebook page down. I didn't want to be one of THOSE people. You know, like I mentioned above. I made a brief post stating that I was leaving, said I would miss everyone, and then said goodbye.

Now, imagine the next week or two. I deleted the Facebook app from my phone. I still reached for it from time to time, out of habit, to check in and see what everyone was doing. Then, all of a sudden, life became so much less stressful. Without reading everyone's business, seeing disturbing articles about politics, and just general nonsense, I felt much happier!

This bliss lasted for about 3 1/2 months. I decided to re-open my business. I had owned a small boutique when we lived in the city and had closed it more than a year before because of economic conditions. Of course, I see now, that it didn't really have anything to do with that at all. God had allowed me to follow that dream, but it was more important for me to be at home caring for and teaching my children. Back to the store - I wanted to see if I could do any business by offering the same products I had sold in my store in an online setting. I wanted to contribute to our family finances without interfering with my duties at home. The easiest place to do that without investing a dime is, you guessed it, Facebook. But, you can't have or run a Facebook business page without having a personal page.

I did give it a go for a while with my store online. Didn't work. Seems people are still broke. So, I gave that up. But, I had made a page for my bakery "business". It's not really a business, but I do bake for others from time to time. I wanted a place to share photos of available items if someone wanted to order something.

Facebook began getting under my skin again. Well, not really Facebook as much as my "friends" on Facebook. It is exhausting to see people who are "Christians" posting pictures of themselves doing very un-Christian like things. It makes my heart hurt. And, sometimes, I get downright mad. Add in all the political posts that come into my feed, the abortion discussions, articles about food companies poisoning the food we eat, videos of children dancing like strippers while adults watch and laugh, posts about drinking, drugs, partying and such. I had had enough. Now, I don't want to live with my head in the sand, but I also don't want to be bombarded with so much filth and negativity. Before you call me out, I did not have MOST of those listed things showing up in my newsfeed by MY choice. Most of those items were coming across because a "friend" had "liked" this page or that, or "liked" a post by someone else. I had cleaned up my "friends" list when I re-entered the world of Facebook a few months ago. I figured if some of the offenders thought I was gone forever anyway, they wouldn't notice if I "un-friended" them.

What to do? What to do? I was sick of seeing so much nonsense. The simplest thing to do was to de-activate my page again. Permanently. But.....what about my cousins that live thousands of miles away? What about my high school friends that live across the country and sometimes around the world? I would miss out on so much. A phone call is great, but.....pictures. I would miss seeing their lives through photos and posts. Some of my cousins have grandchildren already. I would likely never get to see these beautiful children without Facebook. I do NOT do high school reunions. And, neither would most of the friends from high school that I want to stay in touch with - some of them live hundreds and maybe even as far as thousands of miles away. I love seeing their lives and children on Facebook. If I de-activate, I lose the things about Facebook that make me smile, and sometimes even LOL!

Today, I decided that I would not let others ruin the Facebook experience for me. I logged on, hid myself from view (so no one would try to start a conversation with me) and started the horrid task of the BIG CLEAN-UP. I un-liked a LOT of pages of both big and small companies. If I didn't want to delete or un-like them, I hid their posts from my newsfeed. I only left the ones that I really, really wanted to see. On to my list of "friends". Some of these people are family. Since I had deleted people from that list a few months ago that were not either really close to me, or made a positive impact on my life, I did not delete anyone else. BUT, I did hide a LOT of these folks from showing up in my newsfeed any longer. They won't know that I hid them, so their feelings won't get hurt, and I don't have to see their nonsense anymore! I'm sad to say some of these people are my family members.

I feel so much better! Now, if I could just convince my husband that Facebook is not the devil! Ha! He HATES Facebook with a passion. He has never had a Facebook page and never will. He believes that Facebook is a cause for divorce. Based on a report I read the other day, he's right. A large percentage of divorce cases have the word FACEBOOK listed in their cause for divorce. For goodness sakes, don't let something as silly as Facebook come between you and your spouse. If Facebook is causing a problem in your marriage, shut your page down and walk away and don't look back. Ever. Please.

Since my arrival back on Facebook a few months ago, I have spent very little time on the site. My goal is to use Facebook even more sparingly now than I have recently. I want to use it as a positive tool for keeping in touch with those whom I don't see often.

I think my point is this.....Any social media can be good OR bad. It's how you choose to use it that makes the difference. It makes more sense to me to feel a little bad for deleting someone from your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or whatever if they are filling that space in your life with negativity, than it is to feel bad EVERY time you decide to visit your social media sites because the stuff that OTHER people are posting hurts your heart or makes you mad. I don't want to be mad. Life is too short. If any social media site is causing you to rethink your presence there, consider a clean-up like I did. If it doesn't work, shut it down. You'll be surprised how little you'll miss it.