This has been a wonderful weekend! Mike and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary on Friday. All of us, Mike, myself, and the boys, went out to eat at TGI Fridays. We had a great meal ( I had a coupon which made it even better) ! After dinner we went back home and watched Wall-E while eating ice cream. It was a very nice and relaxing anniversary.

Today we made cookies for our new neighbors. We also went to the walking track. It was a nice day to be outside. The sun was out and it wasn't too cold. I had to go pick up a baby gift for a shower after church tomorrow. We are having a church dinner, then having the baby shower. It is the first baby for this couple. Tomorrow evening we are having a family from church come over for a Super Bowl party. Between the two of us I think we will have plenty of kids and food for a nice gathering.

I am participating in a project that my cousin over at http://laundrydaze.typepad.com/ mentioned. It is Project 365. I think it is wonderful. The challenge is to take a picture everyday of the year to capture the everyday moments of life. You can read more about it on her blog. Now, my challenge is to learn more about putting pictures on my blog. Still learning here!!!!

Have a great Saturday!

Kim

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5

I would like to share a couple of recipes that can be put together ahead of time. They only take 25-30 minutes of cooking time and make a great meal!

Poppy Seed Chicken
4 chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 cup butter, melted

Cut chicken into bite size pieces; place in 1 1/2 quart greased baking dish. Mix sour cream and soup; spread over chicken. Combine cracker crumbs, Poppy seeds, and butter; sprinkle over casserole. Bake in pre-heated over at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serves approx. 6 ( I usually crumble about 2 stacks of Ritz crackers )

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups sweet potatoes ( or one large can yams )
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Boil and mash potatoes. Mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Put in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Topping: Melt 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup chopped pecans. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
* Topping: Mix brown sugar, flour, and pecans together, then add melted butter. It will blend better this way.

These two dishes can be baked together. Put with a salad and rolls and you have a great meal in minutes.

I would like to thank my mom and Nancy Johnson for these recipes. I have used them often.

For a great Hillbilly Spaghetti recipe, check out Ruthann at Warm Pie, Happy Home. I hope to try it out next week. Also, Heritage Schoolhouse has some wonderful recipes to try out.

Enjoy!
Kim

Yesterday, after church, we had a wonderful time in downtown Chattanooga. We walked for about an hour or so, just exploring. You just get to see so much more by walking. We went to Coolidge Park, which has a carousel. During the warmer months the water fountains are going. We also walked the Walnut Street Bridge and up around the Hunter Museum of American Art. It was a great time.

After the walking, we went to see a movie. We ended up seeing Mall Cop. The movie was really funny in some places. I was a bit surprised with all the bad language for a PG rated movie. I don't understand why they do that. We did enjoy our popcorn and movie though!

Today we have school to complete, piano lessons to attend, and housecleaning to do! The boys are also working on their hobby of war gaming strategy. They went to a tournament on Saturday at Dicehead Games in Chattanooga. They are working hard with this and I think it is a very worthwhile endeavor. They learn strategy skills while doing the battles. They also paint their battle figures, which are incredibly small. This takes time and patience to stick with it. They have also made battle boards and done quite a bit of research. They will be working on this today also.

On tap this week for our menu:
Monday
Chicken Fingers, creamed corn, salad,Tea/Water
Tuesday
Hamburgers, homemade fries, salad,Tea/Water
Wednesday
Crock-pot BBQ chicken,baked beans,corn on the cob, Tea/Water
Thursday
Spaghetti, garlic bread,salad,Tea/Water
Friday
Anniversary Dinner with boys & Mike's mom
Saturday
Tacos,Mexican Dip & chips

Have a wonderful Monday!
Kim

Sunday's Thoughts

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding:
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJ

God's Garden

God made a beauteous garden
With lovely flowers strown,
But one straight, narrow pathway
That was not overgrown.
And to this beauteous garden
He brought mankind to live,
And said: "To you, my children,
These lovely flowers I give,
Prune ye my vines and fig trees,
With care my flowrets tend,
But keep the pathway open
Your home is at the end."

Then came another master,
Who did not love mankind,
And planted on the pathway,
Gold flowers for them to find.
And mankind saw the bright flowers,
That, glitt'ring in the sun,
Quite hid the thorns of av'rice
That poison blood and bone;
And far off many wandered,
And when life's night came on,
They still were seeking gold flowers,
Lost, helpless and alone.

O,cease to heed the glamour
That blinds your foolish eyes,
Look upward to the glitter
Of stars in God's clear skies,
Their ways are pure and harmless
And will not lead astray,

But aid your erring footsteps
To keep the narrow way,
And when the sun shines brightly
Tend flowers that God has given
And keep the pathway open
That leads you on to heaven.
Robert Frost

She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27 NKJ

What an exciting time January is! New goals, new dreams, time to discard what is not working and improve on what is working. Today, I would like to share a book recommendation and a recipe.

I have been reading The 15 Minure Organizer by Emilie Barnes.
This is an excellent resource guide for our homes. She begins with extablishing goals and daily priorities, then moves right into cleaning, children, finances, and more. What I really like about the book is the way it is organized. The book has short chapters with just the right amount of information for the task at hand. There is no fumbling through the whole book looking for that right cleaning advice or whatever you are looking for at the moment. In the book, she also gives some low cost cleaning methods and with tightening budgets, this is a life-saver. Check it out, I think you will enjoy it!

I would also like to share a recipe from my Gooseberry Patch calendar. First of all, let me say that I love this calendar. Wonderful quotes, uplifting messages, and great recipes! Here is the recipe on the calendar for January
Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

2 pie crusts
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
15-oz. can mixed vegetables, drained
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Line a 9" pie plate with one crust; set aside second crust. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; mix well and pour into pie plate. Top with remaining crust. Crimp crust to seal; cut several slits in top crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbly and crust is golden. Makes 6 servings.

My family loved this recipe. It was quick and easy, perfect for a busy night. Serve with a salad and fruit and you'll have a great meal in minutes.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Kim

Last night we had a wonderful PEP (Personal Edification Program) group. I really like this program. We have gotten to know people at church in a close setting. We meet the 3rd Sunday night of the month for a devotional and food. The groups are intended to be small so everyone can get to know each other better. We break during the summer and start up in September with new groups. My husband is the leader for our group and last night was our turn to meet at the church. We had a fabulous meeting! The fellowship was uplifting and the material was thought provoking. Next month we will meet at our home, so I hope to do a Valentine's theme with the food.

My oldest son's dual enrollment classes do not meet today because of the holiday, but we will be having school nonetheless. We have a graduation meeting to go to tonight that is across town, so I am not looking forward to that. The graduation will be in May and I know it will be special. It is just those late meetings that don't thrill me so much. Oh well, at least they only meet twice before graduation!

On tap with the menu this week is :
Monday
Baked Potato Bar, Salad, Fruit
Tuesday
Lasagna, Salad, Rolls, Pudding
Wednesday
Crock Pot Chili, Crackers, Salad, Jello
Thursday
Tacos, Chips, Salsa, Brownies
Friday
Pizza, Breadsticks, Salad,Cookies
Saturday
Chicken Fingers, Baked Beans, Corn, Apple Crisp

Sunday's Thoughts

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 NKJ

"Write it on your heart, that every day is the best day of the year."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wow! This month is off with a bang. Our school has started back nicely. Activities have all begun again. I love this time of year, with new goals and beginnings. One of my goals is to journal our family's daily adventures in this blog. Things tried, lessons learned, memories made. I would like to look back and have a wonderful journal to pass on to my children. So, on that note, I hope to learn more about how this blog thing works, with photos and all the side-kicks.

Also, I learn so much from other blogs, that I hope to pass on some inspiration also. In that light, Wednesdays will be All About the Home Day on here. I will post recipes, crafts, decorations, and book recommendations. I am excited about it all!

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend!

Kim

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to everyone! We just returned from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My in-laws and our family spent some wonderful days together on vacation. The weather was awesome! We were able to spend some time on the beach just relaxing and hanging out together. While we were there, we visited the Ripley's Aquarium. The aquarium had trees decorated for every state. They were beautiful. We also went to the Carolina Opry. If you ever get the chance to go see their show, it is well worth it. It is a long show, but the singing and dancing are really entertaining. We tried out some new eating places, like the Chicago Grill and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. On our way home, we stopped at the Isle of Palms and Charleston. We would like to go back to both of those places and spend some more time checking everything out. I will be posting some pictures of the aquarium visit later. We really enjoyed this vacation with family. The boys spent some good time with their cousins and we got to spend some good time with Mike's siblings. Plans are in the works for a weekend trip to Atlanta this month. Trips like this are very good for the boys to get to cement their relationship with extended family. In this day and time, strong family relationships are important. Mike and I haven't always done our best to make this happen, but hopefully we will be changing that this year. The days are too short to not make this happen. Anyway, we really enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to this new year!

Kim