Freddie and The Girl

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

I probably could have saved her if I'd have moved sooner. But I thought it was just another nightmare, like the one I had the night before. There was... there was this guy; he had knives for fingers.

Geeze, am I ever glad we don't live on Elm Street. I think it is time to call it a night. I know I'm not going to have any trouble falling asleep. I don't even watch scary movies!

Guess what else guys....my next post is Number 100. I have 2 very awesome gifts to give away. Come on back tomorrow morning, I'll give you all the details and a picture of what you will receive if you are the random winner. Good Luck...sleep tight!

Trick or Treat

Here are the 2 ladies that will greet you at the door when you come for your candy, candy, candy....

This year I get to NOT answer the door. DH told me he would be glad to bring home the candy, and pass it out ~ am I dreaming~~ He now wants to do the every other one routine! He just had a group of 12 ~~LOL

Little ghosts, goblins, super heroes, and witches I do hope you will have a safe and fun night. Remember to take your flashlight with you, so you can see where you are going and other people can see you. Only eat part of your candy.... so your teacher doesn't have to pull you off the ceiling tomorrow. I'm going to go take a few pictures of the crowds. Skeletons scare me!

HOT HEAD

A creation from Saturday night. More to follow!

Check out my Slide Show!

10 Worst Snacks for Kids

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." Jim Davis, 'Garfield'

While waiting for DH to get his food handlers (I got mine too....100% on the test)certificate, I found an article on the 10 worst snacks for kids. I'm sharing it because I believe it is time to take a positive step towards healthy eating habits. Obviously there aren't any surprises on it and it doesn't just pertain to kids!

10 worst snacks for kids

written by Aubrey Merrel

1. Chips. At 150 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving, chips are one of the worst snack foods. The issues compound further when kids reach three to four servings deep into the bag.
2. Doughnuts. Yes, this includes doughnut holes, mini doughnuts and anything spelled "donut." Sugar will cause your child's insulin levels to fluctuate. Add to that deep-frying, 4 grams of trans fat and you have an equation for type II diabetes.
3. Cookies. Like doughnuts, kids love the sweetness and chewy texture of a chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie. Store-bought varieties always pack more fat and chemicals to prolong their shelf life.
4. Chicken nuggets. For some reason, children seem to love deep-fried, processed chicken. A McDonald's Kid's Meal portion not only packs four "nuggets", but 169 calories and 10 grams of fate (including 1 gram of trans fat) ***GRAND KIDS TAKE NOTE******
5. Cheese product. The title alone should deter you. Cheese product refers to cheese in a can, American cheese, cheese dips, Mac 'n Cheese, etc. Infused with emulsifiers, chemical preservatives, color additives and extra sodium, manufacturers cannot legally label cheese product as "real cheese."
6. Fruit snacks & fruit roll-ups. With the antioxidant craze of late, candy companies have jumped on the band-wagon to claim high quantities of the antioxidant vitamin C. Be careful of food labels. Fruit snacks and other fruit candies have always contained vitamin C if they were made from real fruit juice. Just because it says "antioxidants" doesn't mean it is healthy.
7. Candy. Grocery stores devote an entire aisle to it, and some pantries resemble it all too well. Sugar, the essence of candy, is one of the leading causes of obesity and type II diabetes. With the number of blue and green mouths running around, it's not wonder why obesity and diabetes rates are epidemically high.
8. White bread. Wonder bread. It really is a wonder how that five-inch square of fluffy white goodness can roll into a tiny ball. White bread, unless fortified, packs no nutritional value, but it puts the body's insulin levels on a roller coaster ride.
9. Soda & Energy drinks. One of the most terrifying aspects of my two-year waitress career was 2-year-old asking for Diet Coke on their own accord. The words, "Diet Coke" should not exist in a two-year-old's limited vocabulary. Parents complain about their kids bouncing off the walls, yet still feed them concentrated sugar and caffeine. A great deal of the childhood obesity epidemic relates to the sugar consumed by sipping soda.
10. CHIPS! Yes, chips are so unhealthy they made the list twice!

Dad's Turn to Tend

This afternoon I got a phone call from my son telling me how tired he was from having the kids this afternoon. First he had to pick them up from school. Hmmm that can't be to difficult! Then he took them to a company Halloween Trick -or- Treat party. That is a little more challenging because he had to first get them into their costumes, find their shoes, get them back in the car....Moms you all know the routine. After spending a couple hours collecting goodies or whatever you do at a company party, he brings them back home. They then make these darling chocolate spiders and call grandma to tell her about them. Amazing.

Now the cutest part of the story... Halie is telling me how much fun they have had and all about the spiders. I ask her if Dad has helped her with her homework, her response...."No, Grandma, Mom is coming home to do that." LOL My kids are my blessings!

Halloween, Halloween, Lots of Fun # 1 Picture

Here is the beginning of the pictures. I need more instruction on using Photoshop..

I think if you click on it, it will become bigger????

Fluffy Pumpkin Dip

From:
La Dolce Vita LeAnn's Kitchen
This is a very creamy and yummy vanilla pumpkin dip that is served with graham crackers. I like the cinnamon graham crackers sticks best, (this year we used Scooby Doo Honey Grahams...they look like dog bisquits...lol). You can use lite whipped topping and sugar free pudding and it still tastes great.
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) container frozen
whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant
vanilla pudding mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack
pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 8oz cream cheese
DIRECTIONS:
.
In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cream cheese. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping.

Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

I put it in a plastic container that fits inside a pumpkin for serving.

Well the party is over and the clean up took about 4 hours.. 2 last night until I was ready to drop and 2 more this morning. Now I still have to put away all of the stuff in the correct drawer, closet, storage shed! I'll get more pictures posted this afternoon, but Ohio Farm Girl wanted this recipe so I took a break and shared it will ya'll.

Everyone loves this dip, thank you for asking for the recipe Dianntha. I hope it is a favorite with your family soon.

Party Time Is Almost Here

Not much time to spend writing about it...I'm down to the last few hours before it all begins, but I'm thinking how ironic it is that I have spent (don't dare tell how many)hours preparing and it will all be over in about 4 hours. LOL

The pumpkins are washed and ready to be carved or painted (safety issue with tools for little ones). Only a few more items on my to do list: finish the chili, make pumpkin dip, rotel dip, hot chocolate, pick up ice, find the extension cords, assemble everything on the banquet tables for eating...hmm I'm there!

I Found a Great Give-a-way!

http://molly-coddled.com/2007/10/22/time-for-a-giveaway/

Don't we all just love give-a-ways. You need to hurry on over it ends tomorrow. I'm planning a give-a-way for my 100th post, it's coming up soon. I think you will love the package so come on back and check it out in a few days. I'm very very close to 100..... not in years!

Halloween Party Checklist

We have some serious tools....

We are into awesome patterns

Did I say serious tools? Yes sirree!

Oh sure, I think I have Halloween under control. Heck, I've been celebrating it since I was knee high to a Jack-0'-Lantern. Remember I even memorized a witch poem when I was 4. So here we are again preparing for another bash!. Here is my print out for our party supplies. I hope I haven't missed anything so I'll avoid that last minute rushing around. Who am I kidding......I'll be runing around like crazy Saturday morning. So if you think I've left something off PLEASE let me know!

Getting Started:

Invitations --- I had DH call everyone this year.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins.... I picked up about 20 today

Carving Tools & Patterns.......got it!

Tables and Chairs..........That is DH's job ~ it will be done.

Paper Goods:

Dinner Plates.....black this year

Dessert Plates....orange this year

Napkins..............cute designs

Cups...................black also

Stemware..........orange (and I put them in homemade coffins)

Table Covers.....orange, pattern, couple of sheets (black and white)

Food Assignments:

Chili...............Sweet J's Smokehouse Chili

Rolls.............. my job

Sandwich stuff...my job

Veggie Plate and Dip........one of the kids

Fruit Plate and Dip...........one of the kids

Chips and Dip......................one of the kids

Crackers and Cheese..........one of the kids

Dessert.................................my best friend

Drinks..................................one of the kids

Water...................................the sink will work

Hot Chocolate....................my job

Ice........................................my job

Salt & Pepper.....................my job

Lighting and Decorations:

Window lights...................my job

Candles...............................one of the kids

Lighter................................my job

Miscellaneous Supplies:

Camera............................the kid who is the best photographer

Batteries..........................my job

Garbage bags..................have plenty

Extension Cords............DH

Extension plugs.............DH

Okay, have I got it covered? Pictures will be up sometime Sunday. Trick or Treat

Harvest Medley Multigrain Pasta

This was dinner! I loved it, Ali had the veggies on the side, Al said it was okay...he doesn't complain much about what is put in front of him, but I'm thinking this wasn't a real hit with him. I'll share the recipe, it's healthy and it's colorful...I'll even finish off the left-overs tomorrow.

Thin Spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large red onion, cut into small wedges
2 cups fresh mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Olive Oil
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 - 4 roma tomatoes
1 14 oz can chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Italian Cheese Blend (optional)
Chopped Fresh Parsley (optional)

Hat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl stir together peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings. Sprinkle with olive oil; toss to coat evenly. Place into a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Bake 45 - 55 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are brown and tender. Cook pasta according to package directions; timing so that your vegetables are done at the same time. When I started the pasta I added the tomatoes to the vegetables and finished cooking. Heat the chicken broth until hot. Remove vegetables from oven; pour broth over vegetable mixture, stirring until well blended. Toss vegetable mixture and hot pasta. Sprinkle with cheese blend and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

I've been busy organizing the closets in my home, I'll share pictures soon. I even organized my shoes. I've come to the conclusion that I don't need to buy any more clothes or shoes for the rest of this year! I'll make a note of that and a conscious effort to stay the course.

Book Club October 2007 ~ Deb's Home

Today I think I have recovered from BC. I usually like to post the very next day, so my memory serves me well, but this time I needed a few days to regroup.

Deb is an amazing hostess. Her home is adorable, beautiful, cozy, darling, effeminate, fabulous, gorgeous, .........and the rest of the alphabet words for spectacular. The food was probably the very best meal we have ever had ~inside joke~! Honestly, we had steaks ~ that's a first for our group!

This month we read Quentins by Maeve Binchy. In this novel Binchy incorporates several characters from her previous novels into the action at Quentins ~ Signora from Evening Class, Ria from Tara Road and several others. We have read Evening Class and Tara Road, both of which I enjoyed. Quentins was well received by most of the group. I, of course, loved it! Lots of similarities in my life and Ella's....no - no vile Don Richardson in my life, but I am an only child, a teacher, and I have met and fallen in love with some very interesting guys. My DH is no exception. He is one to put his heart and soul into his work, which is what most of the characters in the novel did.

Of course, while reading this novel, you can see the ending, all happily ever after, coming a mile away, even so we all found something to like about Quentins. I loved the restaurant! Let's go out to eat!

Probably the best thing we should have received from the story (and the night's conversation in general) is how different people react to bad things that happen in life, and how some of those reactions help you to heal and move on, or will lead to bitterness or guilt, or worse.

The positive affirmations all over Deb's home motivated me to add some to my home, and leave this post with one for the road ~ "You are in charge of what enters your mind." Try not to waste precious energy complaining. It is far better to face what is bothering us and to do something about it than to dwell on something negative that dampens our spirits and the spirits of those around us.

The Seven Wonders of the World

7 Days of Grandkids

It has been several days since I've visited the blogging world. I have been tending grandkids, while their wonderful mom works on the family cabin.
Here are a few pictures from the work in progress. This first one is looking up the mountain side to the Southeast from the cabin site. It has rained, and rained, and rained
and still they work, and work, and work!

The west wall is done now.. it looks huge!

The kids and I weren't much help.
We just did a lot of walking around.

I have loved being with the grandkids in their home for the week. In fact when I dropped them off at school today, I was actually crying because I knew I wouldn't be the one picking them up this afternoon. Lucky for me....they were just excited about seeing friends at school.

I drove home with a few tears and lots of afternoon traffic. There is much to do while I'm on a three week break from school, so tomorrow I will start the projects that need my attention. (Getting caught up with my blogging friends is of course the #1 priority!)

William Tell Overture

I'm sure many of you have heard this, but I just had to have it. Please pause the music on my sidebar, it is annoying when you are trying to listen to something else!

Witch Hat Treats

The grandkids had so much fun helping with this quick and easy treat. We made ordinary marshmallow cereal treats cut into triangles (good math lesson). The chocolate frosting was made by heating chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave on 70% power for 1 minute. Be sure to heat in 10 to 20 second intervals until it is melted; stir until smooth. We used tube frosting for the black and orange strips, yellow for the buckle! Very tasty for everyone.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

It’s debatable whether chicken noodle soup can cure the common cold, but it’s undeniable that my family and many friends think that this recipe makes them feel better. It is also best if you're the sickie, that some good hearted friend drops in with dinner for the family. Here's our recipe...the aroma in your home will also soothe away those aches and pains.

I use a rotisserie chicken, which I cut up and put into 5 cups of chicken broth. The vegetables I use are 2 cups of julienned carrots, 2 cups chopped celery, 1 onion diced. Cover and cook until tender. Add 3 cups dry egg noodles and cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Mix 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 can evaporated milk, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Add this to the chicken and vegetables when they are cooked tender.

Next, Whisk 1/4 cup flour in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Stir flour mixture into soup and cook until thickened.

I promise it is yummy and nothing works better when you’re sick in bed—or even if you’re just feeling blue. Whether it’s something to do with the food itself, or the person who prepares it with love and care, creamy chicken noodle soup can satisfy the deepest needs of the body and soul. Homemade Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup - simply makes you feel loved!

Weekly Home Blessing Hour

The Weekly Home Blessing hour is the time FlyLady spends slipshod cleaning her home. No detailed cleaning required;
vacuum the middle of the floors only!
FlyLady sets her timer for 10 minutes to work on each of 7 tasks:
Vacuum
Dust
Mop
Polish Mirrors and Doors
Purge magazines
Change Sheets
Empty all trash
This takes approximately one hour; some tasks take less than 10 minutes.
"Don't obsess, set your timer for 10 minutes for each task, then QUIT!" ~

Posted by Kelly from Fly Lady....

What do you think friends, do we have just 1 hour this week for this project?

Saturday Night Dinner

The weather today came with a bit of snow, rain, and down right cold. We had planned to go out to dinner tonight, because our week has been so busy. After we finished up with the Wholefood 2 U work for the day, I just thought it would be nice to stay home and have a nice comfy dinner, watch a little baseball, and relax. So that is just what we did! I must give credit to Sandra at http://familycorner.blogspot.com/ she was the inspiration for this Cantonene Dinner with baby red potatoes, broccoli, mini garlic rolls, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins for dessert. Everything was delish!!! We even have plenty of left-overs for tomorrow night! Go check out Sandra's blog, she is amazing.

I Think Fall House Cleaning started....when????

Did you ever have to just give in and clean house? I’ve visited many blogs over the last 6 months and Fly Lady http://www.flylady.net/ has some really great ideas. When I found this site my adrenaline rush was overwhelming, I even bought her ostrich feather dusters(I'll post a picture soon). They are fantastic…if you use them! But all too often I find myself living in what she calls CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome). So, I started by shining my sink. Love it and it’s easy! Fly Lady gives fair warning about other members of your family not being passionate about your sink and believe me, she's right. I put nice towels so anyone who uses the sink can wipe it down....they use the towels to wipe their hands!

I thought I could move on to other projects that she suggests, but no such luck. Maybe I’m just not like most people who: wash walls, strip floors, clean windows, wipe cupboards, defrost the refrigerator/freezer, wash curtains, dry-clean drapes, steam-clean the carpets, sanitize the bathroom, paint the bedroom, clear out the garage, clean out the attic, reorganize the closets, take junk to the dump, pile bags of papers and boxes of unwanted items by the road for the garbage man to haul away.



Maybe you did that not long ago, or maybe you are planning to do it soon. For me it's a big job and a dirty job (did I see mold growing?).



But I know once it's done, it feels so good. I feel like I have accomplished something. And the house smells fresh and clean again. The garage on the other hand is always (except when I bring stuff home from school) spotless. You see DH is in charge of the garage. Maybe I should give him more chores inside the house! (What a novel idea!)

It is past time for me to do a thorough "Fall Cleaning" in my home. How important is it to you? Do you feel that this is important, not only for hygienic reasons, but also as a means of stewardship. When we do not do good upkeep on our homes, we are not taking care of the blessings that the Lord has given us.


God has given us a special privilege to display the glory of womanhood by keeping home, not only for our loved ones and ourselves but as a form of worship to our God. Titus 2:5 "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." KJV

“I like hugs and I like kisses, but what I’d really like is help with the dishes!”

I’m asking the DH for help!

You Know It's Close to Halloween When~

My very creative friend Nancy, made this "adoreable" witch! She told me she has had several bad hair days since she landed in their front yard. Tonight she looked quite charming, don't you think?

Halloween stirs up all kinds of memories. My dear dad loves poetry and the poem I'm leaving with you today if from my childhood. I recite it to my classrom now during Poetry Recital Day. It is a classic!

"The Witch"

She sits upon a little stool, and stirs her big black pot,

She places wood upon the fire to make it very hot.

Her nose is long and crooked, she wears a pointed hat,

By her side a broomstick and on her lap a cat.

Her home is just a hovel, in the middle of a wood,

And from what they say about her, she isn't very good.

Nor is she very friendly, and she lives there all alone,

Except for that big pussy cat, that's only skin and bone.

A witch she is, and therefore she whisper magic spells,

But what it is she murmurs, she never, never tells.

Hanging in a corner are bats with outstretched wings,

Rats and beetles, frogs and worms, and other creepy things.

They all go in the mixture, that she's stirring night and day,

And I've never heard of any, that ever got away.

I wouldn't like to meet her, I might go in the pot,

And though I'm really very brave, I think I'd rather not.

Whatever spells she whispers, and whatever she may cook,

I'm glad she's just a story, in my sister's fairy book.