Photography-Adrianna Rae-1 Month old

 

Christmas Craft #4

Ok...one more Christmas idea for now.  These are great homemade gift giving ideas too!

This is a very fine wired, small strainer.  If the holes are too big it won't hold the spray paint as well.

Spray painted white, and then once dry, I painted the snowman face on it.

Next I used ribbon or material to fancy it up a little bit and string them together.  

I gave them to people and strung them together based on how many people they had in their family.  

You could also just hang one, which was the original idea.

I guess I didn't take a picture this way, but I also added a little letter to each handle, so when it was hanging it says S-N-O-W.

Or if there were only 3 it said Let-It-Snow

And if there were 2 together it said LET it-SNOW 

Get it?

It was fun to do.  I think you might enjoy it! :)

Fine Motor Skills

I got this idea from another blogger homeschool mom.  I can't remember which one now, but it's one of the blogs I have linked on the bottom right side of my blog page. :)

This is kinda like a craft, but it's a fine motor skill for them.  Just pick any page from a coloring book and have them trace the lines on a regular piece of paper.  The first time they had problems with moving it around too much, or bumping it. So the next time I solved that problem by first taping the coloring sheet to the table, and then taping the plain paper over top of it.

The top one I let Bear do this time in pencil, so it's a little harder to see but the bottom one Monkey did with crayon so that comes across easier for you to see.  

Give it a try.  They just might enjoy it, and then they are working on their steady skills, and their detail skills on seeing through the paper.

Christmas Craft #3

Here's another one.  

I like to make crafts at Christmas time to give to my friends.  

One year I did these.

I got the bowls at a craft show.  They were just the clay bowls waiting to be painted.

I made 2 versions.... a snowman watching it snow, and just a snowman head.

Snowmen are simple.  You can do it too! :)

A Thanksgiving Feast

Here's the low down on our Thanksgiving 2010.

Turkey

(made by Joy-my Mother-in-law)

Homemade Buns

(made by me)

 Garlic Mashed Potatoes

(made by Melissa and I)

Scalloped Corn

(made by Joy-my Mother-in-law)

Green Bean Casserole

(made by Melissa-my sister-in-law)

Cole Slaw Salad

(made by Joy-my mother-in-law)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

(made by me)

Sweet Potato Casserole 

(made by TJ)

Pumpkin Pie 

(my mother-in-law bought)

Apple Crisp

(from the apple orchard, where my in-laws were working)  

But I'm posting the link to my regular apple crisp recipe.

Click the links to see the recipes for each of them!

Now enjoy some pictures of our Thanksgiving weekend.

 The kids had fun playing in the toy box. :)

 Baby Adrianna....we did a couple photo shoots with her.  Of course! :)

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Before the marshmallows.

 After baking.

Ingredients/Directions:

4 large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups 2% Milk
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 bag marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.  Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Lower heat ad simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Drain.  In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until warm but not simmering.  Return the potatoes to the pot and add warm milk mixture, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.  Using a handheld mixer, whip until creamy.  Place in a 9x13 pan.  Top with marshmallows.  Cook until marshmallows are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Scalloped Corn

2 cans creamed corn
1 box jiffy corn bread mix
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 (8oz) sour cream

Mix all together and put it in a 9x11 pan.  (Not a 9x13)
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Top with cheese for the last 10-15 minutes.

Dough (buns)

This is a dough recipe that is good for buns, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns etc.

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour


Mix together in a kitchen aid, and let it mix on medium to knead it.  Pull apart and put in a greased pan.  Let raise for 2-4 hours until the size you desire.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cole Slaw Salad

Here's a twist on your regular coleslaw salad.

It's as easy as making your traditional, or basic, or regular, or favorite coleslaw recipe... and then adding apples and grapes to the mix!

My mother-in-law brought this one to the table as a new recipe for our Thanksgiving meal this year.
She said she just bought the coleslaw in a bag, along with a coleslaw mix plus the mayo.  Then added the cut up grapes and apples.

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

4 cans cut green beans
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 large can french fried onions
1 1/2 cups milk

(This is the recipe doubled)
Mix the beans, soup and milk.  Put in a 9x13 pan.  Top with french fried onions.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This is what my sister-in-law brought to the dinner table for Thanksgiving.  If you would like it to be a little more firm, I normally do not add the milk....just soup, beans and french fried onions.  What do you prefer?

Regular Apple Crisp

Apple crisp

6 cups sliced apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

topping:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar

cut apples, mix in sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Spread over the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix the topping ingredients together and top the apple layer. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Random Movie Quotes, v2

I was listening to the King of Queens last night while I was doing my typing work.  First of all, I've seen them all so many times because they are stinking hilarious.... that I can listen to them and pretty much know exactly what's going on.  Secondly, that works out good for me, because it's kinda hard to watch something while you are typing.  So it's a good alternative.  Anyway, one of his comments struck me funny last night.  I started this movie quote idea forever ago, and kinda forgot about it until now so here's volume 2.

First of all Doug is receiving what he believes are "Stalker" emails, which turns out to be just a prank.  Some guys come over and ask him to go to a movie with him.  He doesn't want Carrie to know about the emails so he picks up the laptop and starts heading out to the movie with the guys.


Carrie- Why are you bringing the laptop with to the movie?

Doug- Uh, so I can write about it on my blog.

hahaha....sounds like me! :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you are doing the same as I, today.  

That would be gathering together with family and friends, and remembering all the things we are thankful for, because we serve an awesome God,  and live in a blessed country.

Maybe some of you don't see it that way?!  

That is fine, but I will still choose to be grateful for many things.

Here's a few....

My awesome, incredible, all-knowing, unconditionally loving God!

My wonderful husband! and his great job,

My sweet  (even though sometimes naughty) children. :)

my family,

my friends,

a free country where we can (still) serve our Lord and Savior,

my house, clothes, bed, vehicle, heat, etc, etc....

There are many, many things I could continue to add to the list, but as you can see I said I'd list a FEW and I already exceeded that limit of 3. :)  lol

I hope you remember to give thanks more than just one day out of the year.  

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

 

 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

What are you remembering to give thanks for today?!

Craft Time-Door Hanger

In our Bible Devotional we were talking about reputation and telling the truth.

Our devotional book, which is great by the way, is
Gotta Have God 2 (Fun devotions for boys) ages 2-5

It has a craft, activity, or match the picture or something on the next page to go with the story.

So this time we were talking about telling the truth.  So we made these door hangars.  And the boys were supposed to put the word Truth, and some other stickers and color it.  Then we talked about how we should hang it on our bedroom door and every time we see it, it should be a reminder to us to always tell the truth.

Well, it seems to be working on the reminder part because Monkey's room is right by the bathroom, and his is hanging on his door.  A couple times now when Bear goes to the bathroom, he says, "Mom, every time I look at that thing on Monkey's door it reminds me to NOT LIE!

I just cut this shape out of cardstock.  And got 2 per page.  Then gave them some stickers and let them do what they wanted after putting the word TRUTH on there.

\

Chicken Alfredo Soup

TJ's whole food rating system is based off this meal being a 10 and the chicken alfredo lasagna being a 10....I'm not sure if anything else will ever get that high of a rating. :)

He LOVES this soup. :)  The first time I made it for him, he was standing there, and I gave him a taste from the spoon.  He said, this is so good, I have to sit down to handle it.  He's a funny guy. :)

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Homemade Alfredo Sauce
(This is important....it is NOT the same soup with a store bought jar of alfredo sauce!)
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove
3 cups chicken broth
2 cooked diced chicken breasts
1 Tbsp basil

Make Alfredo Sauce....
Place all veggies in sauce pan along with fresh garlic.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Meanwhile, cook and dice chicken.  Add chicken and alfredo sauce to broth.  Simmer 5 minutes more or until heated through.  Add basil and your ready to serve.

You could also make the alfredo sauce, cook the chicken then just mix everything together in a crockpot and let it cook until all heated through.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I have a couple recipes that use Alfredo.  I will only use my homemade alfredo sauce, verses a jar of alfredo sauce from the store.  It makes a HUGE difference in the taste!

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (real shredded kind)
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley

Melt butter and add cream.  Add seasonings.  Add cheese in small increments.  Stir while sauce thickens.

There you have it.  I use this in my basic Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, Chicken Alfredo Lasagna, and Chicken Alfredo Soup.

What to do with all those papers?!

I went through a phase last year where I had the boys color and draw a picture almost every day, and then I would journal for them.  Whatever they said, even if it didn't make sense.  And believe me, most of it didn't make sense.  But it was so funny to hear what they would have to say about the day, or how they were feeling, or what it was like outside, or anything.  I didn't want to get rid of all them, but I also don't want to have a million binders and stuff laying around.  I decided to turn their art/journaling into a book. Just put them in the order I wanted them in, and brought them down to officemax.  They bound it together and wha-la!  The boys love looking through it and so do I.  You can see some of their progressions in their thoughts, and in their coloring drawing style.  I'm going to continue this every year, and save the bests/favorites and make a book of their paperwork each year.  

So this is kinda like the 09-10 school year of paperwork.

One book for each boy.

 A sample of their drawing/my journaling for them.

What the binding looks like, up close.  It's about $3 per book to bind it.  Depends on how many pages it has.

I hope this can help you decide what to do with all your favorite kids papers at the end of the year.

Christmas Craft #2

Here's another little Christmas ornament craft I made for my tree.

I picked up some ordinary bells on sale at Country Goods in town.  

(They have great stuff if you've never been, by the way!)

I bought them for the purpose of painting them like a snowman.

Here's the finished project.  It's super easy.  You can totally do this too!

Happy Crafting!

Is it your thing?  Do you like it?  Are you going to try it for yourself?

Christmas Craft #1

I made this craft as ornaments for my Christmas tree awhile ago.   Thought I would share with you all.

They were really easy.  I bought a couple yards of fleece material, and some felt.  Cut out the shapes by hand, so they may not be precise.   But that gives them some charm. :)  I bought pillow stuffing and after sewing the design on the front.  Sewed 3 sides together, stuffed it like a little miniature pillow and then sewed the other side shut.

What do you think?  Is it simple enough for you to try it yourself?  Do you have a craft you've made as a part of your Christmas decorations?  Please share!

Photography-Brad & Angie Engaged!

Brad and Angie's Engagement photos!  

Congrats you guys!  

You had some great turn out for the chilly weather today!

Here's a sneak peak at some of their photos.