~Counting My Blessings~

May. 4, 2008-Our Magnolia Tree

Spring is not the best of seasons.
Cold and flu are two good reasons;
wind and rain and other sorrow,
warm today and cold tomorrow.

~Author Unknown

The magnolia tree in our back yard always blooms the first weekend in May.

As for the poem above, it is so true for us the past week! 5 out of 6 of us have

been hit with yet another stomach bug.

2 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

May. 3, 2008-Attention Scrapbook lovers!

Posted in Just For Fun

Growing in Grace Magazine is having an awesome contest for us "Scrapbookers!" This may be just the thing to inspire me this summer and get working on my albums!

To read all about the contest just click here:

Growing in Grace Scrapbook giveaway!

0 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Apr. 22, 2008-Everything You Want to Know About Mothers....

Posted in Just For Fun

Kids Answer Questions About Mothers

Here's how several elementary school students answered the following questions about moms:

Why did God make mothers?

She's the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.
Mostly to clean the house.
To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
Magic, plus superpowers and a lot of stirring.
God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

We're related.
God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

1 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Mar. 22, 2008-Have a Blessed Easter Sunday

Posted in Heart Keeping

2 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Mar. 22, 2008-Easter Brunch Casserole

Posted in Handy Recipes

Make this wonderful casserole the night before!

Our Easter Brunch recipe:

Farmer's Strata

Submitted by: Pat Kuether
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 21 members Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

"For an inexpensive and easy-to-prepare dish, try this hearty casserole. You can assemble it ahead and bake it just before leaving for a potluck. People go back for seconds since it includes tasty basic ingredients like bacon, cheese and potatoes. -Pat Kuether, Westminster, Colorado"

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into

1/2 inch pieces

2 cups chopped fully cooked

ham

1 small onion, chopped

10 slices white bread, cubed

1 cup cubed cooked potatoes

3 cups shredded Cheddar

cheese

8 eggs

3 cups milk

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

sauce

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 dash salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain.

2. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese. Top with all of the bacon mixture. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs; add milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight.

4. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/22/2008

0 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Mar. 20, 2008-Happy Spring

Posted in Just For Fun

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

2 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Mar. 1, 2008-Longing for Spring....

3 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Feb. 26, 2008-Birthday Time

Posted in List of Blessings

We get a break from the "winter doldrums" by celebrating two birthdays at our house....

1st, in February, the "baby" turns THREE! He's all about "Go Diego Go" right now. :D I'm all about savoring each day because they are going by too fast!

And the next birthday is our eldest child and only daughter...

Now 15! Don't let having teenagers scare you -- we are enjoying ours! Teens actually come with many perks -- for example, they keep you updated on the latest trends, they will clean the house for extra priveleges and they provide 'free babysitting' for your younger ones! She also keeps me on my toes -- seems like nothing I say or do gets by her... so built in accountablility! And teaching my teen High School (at home) has really challenged me but in a good way ( today was our first attempt at dissections...).

5 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Feb. 13, 2008-

Verses for the heart:

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine HEART." Ps. 37:4

"My HEART is fixed (on thee), O God, my HEART is fixed: I will sing and give praise!" Ps. 57:7

"Create in my a pure HEART, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Ps. 51:10

"Love the Lord your God with all your HEART and with all your sol and with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:5

0 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

Feb. 11, 2008-Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Home Keeping

Here's my Menu Plan for this week including Valentines Day!

Monday - Stir Fry with snap peas, sweet red pepper, mushroom, onions and flank steak served over brown rice. I'll "kick it up a notch" with some chili garlic sauce!

Tuesday - Chicken Strips and Mac 'n' cheese (This is an easy dinner that my 14 yr. old can make - hubby and I are going out!)

Wednesday - Pot Roast with potatoes & gravy, carrots. For delicious pot roast use "beef round rump roast" and cook it in a covered pot on top of the stove (as the recipe name suggests!) - skip the crock pot, it's just not as good!

Thursday - Our Valentine Meal with the family will include:

Easy Lasagna (recipe below),

mixed green salad,

heart-shaped foccacia,

strawberries & whipped cream,

sparkly pink ginger ale served in tall glasses.

Friday - Turkey Soup & biscuits (Friday's are super busy as we are gone all day so I'm pulling this out of the freezer, my wonderful friend gave me some last week! :D)

Saturday - Cheeseburgers & fry's, plus Saturday is always Ice Cream Night!

Here's the Easy Lasagna recipe:

16 oz. package of Wide Egg Noodles - boiled

1 lb. ground beef (or mix 1/2 beef and 1/2 italian sausage)

large jar of spaghetti sauce

16 oz. cottage cheese

16 oz. sour cream

8 oz. shredded mozzerella

Brown & drain beef. Mix noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream & beef. Spread a layer of sauce in a 9x13 pan, spread a layer of beef mixture, then more sauce & some shredded mozzerella, rest of beef mixture, more sauce and top off with remainder shredded mozzerella.

Cover with foil and back at 350 F until heated through, (maybe 40 minutes- you know your oven!) and then uncover and finish baking about 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lasagne is bubbly.

To see many more great menu plans visit I'm An Organizing Junkie.

2 Comments * Share Your Thoughts , * Permanent Link

<- Last Page Next Page ->

1.	In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain.
2.	In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese. Top with all of the bacon mixture. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese.
3.	In a bowl, beat the eggs; add milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight.
4.	Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.