A little something that I made this week...

I am a big fan of Ree Drummond. You know who I mean right?

Oh wait, I mean The Pioneer Woman! Ah, now you know who I mean.

I have read her blog since the early days before she was even famous. And I have loved her since the first post I read. But what I really love are her recipes. I don't think I've tried one yet that we didn't like. I mean there was her chicken spaghetti that practically has my guys licking their plates, and those twice baked potatoes that my son-in-law loves, and her iced coffee that I practically lived on last summer. So when I saw her make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars on her tv show I knew I had to try them. They are kind of like those Nutri Grain bars only much better. Oh, and I used homemade jelly, so I'm sure that made them even better. So if you're looking for something to make for your kids for a snack, or want to have something they can just grab for breakfast try these and I think you will not be disappointed.
Go HERE for the recipe

School Is Out Already?

I am still a bit in shock at how quickly the last few months have gone by. I haven't posted since mid-March. Right after my last post life got a little crazy and I just have had a hard time composing my thoughts much less writing them. My mother in law took a turn for the worse and we went home to see her. I think that is the last time all eight of her kids were together with her at the same time before she died. It was a bittersweet day because we could tell the end was near, and she was not herself, but she was very pleased to have all of her children there with her.

While we were there we got word that a young woman from our church was killed in a car accident. I have been friends with her mother since we were in first grade. It's hard to watch people grieve the loss of their child. And it reminds one that all life is fleeting and we need to savor each moment.

A week later we were at another funeral, this one for my mother in law. I have wanted to sit down and write out what she meant to me. But the words are stuck in my heart right now and haven't quite made it out. She was a good woman and not only loved by her family but her friends and neighbors.

And then there have been national tragedies such as the bombing in Boston and tornadoes in Oklahoma. These are emotional, gripping events that sweep us up and twist us until we feel like a dish rag wrung up and left in a corner.

So, I have been in a bit of limbo. I was reminded to make the moments count. I have been trying to spend more time with my kids and less time on my computer. I have been trying to do things that count, not count the things that I do. I have been praying for my children and my grandchildren that they will learn to love Jesus and not the world. And I have been crying over the poor choices that they make and the poor choices that I have made.

Now school is out and my boys will be home all day, so I will probably have even less time to write. But I will be here working in my garden, playing with the kids, hopefully encouraging them to read more and want to learn more. Most of all I want to set the example that life is to be lived, not just viewed like a television.

I hope you all have a memorable Memorial Day and that you take time to really make your day count.

Let's play a little Candyland

Last week the boys and slipped away for a couple of days to go see the kids in the eastern part of the state. Here the boys are playing candyland with their 3 year old cousin Molly.

As you can see, they were having a good time. :)

But I really had to stop and take this picture when my oldest son sat down and joined the game. He is such a good brother/uncle.

Out with the old, in with the new

The old are gone

The new are here.

The thing this woman is excited about is that with the dryer opening to the side it will be much easier to bend down and get clothes out of the dryer. And as Martha Stewart would say, "that is a very good thing."

What I've Been Reading Lately

Last month I got a free book to read on my Nook. It was called It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer. I have to admit, I got very depressed when I read this book and I can't really put my finger on why. It was about a marriage going very wrong and how you could see it slowly falling apart but the characters either didn't notice or didn't care. It was about people who were very selfish and couldn't see outside themselves. At first I thought the reason I felt depressed when I read this was because in that same week I heard about three different couples whose marriages were ending or headed that way. One couple has been married about the same length of time as me and my husband and have children the same ages, this really made me blue to think that they couldn't work things out after all these years together. Anyway, my daughter mentioned that she too had read this book and felt very depressed afterwards. So, I guess I'm giving a warning. Read this at your own risk.

I just finished The Marriage Wish by Dee Henderson. I loved her O'Malley series, and although this book was good, it wasn't her best. But I'm okay with that. Sometimes I just like a nice read and this was just that.

I have also been challenging myself to read more nonfiction this year. When I was in the thrift store I saw a copy of The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. I had been wanting to read this and for $1 I figured I couldn't go wrong. This has to be one the best books I've read in a long time. And a plus for me is that each chapter is on it's own, so I just read a chapter each night before I went to bed. It was inspiring to read about men and women who overcame challenges for a greater cause. I think my generation has lost that. I hope we can find it, soon. On a side note: I was interested to learn that Tom Brokaw came from a little town in South Dakota and wrote about many people from the Midwest.

I am loving the fact that I can download library books onto my tablet via Library Overdrive. This works great for me because many times I am wanting something new to read on the weekend or in the evening when the library is closed. I just checked out The Heirloom Life Gardener and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. If they are good I will let you know.

Half and Half

Traditionally when you buy half and half at the grocery store you expect to get something that is half whole milk and half cream. Or at least this is what I expect to buy. Last week my daughter was coming and I know she likes a bit of cream in her coffee so I just quickly picked up a bottle of half and half. Well, I thought that was what I picked up. But when I got home I noticed that it was fat-free half and half. The country girl in me instantly wondered how they could make cream fat free so I read the ingredients.

 

 

Ingredients: nonfat milk, milk*,corn syrup,contains less than 1% of: artificial color**, sugar, dipotassium phosphate, sodium citrate, mono and diglycerides*,carrageenan, natural and artificial flavors, vitamin A palmitate. *Adds a trivil amount of fat. **An ingredient not normally found in half and half. (no kidding?)
This product has 20 calories per serving and 2 grams of sugar per serving.
Needless to say that this product was found wanting in flavor and texture. My daughter said it did not mix in her coffee well at all.

The next trip I made to the store I picked up my usual bottle of half and half.

Guess what the ingredients are?
Ingredients: Organic Grade A milk, Organic Grade A Cream

No added flavors or colorings. No added sugars. And it tastes so much better.
One serving is 40 calories but only 1 gram of sugar, so I think it probably evens itself out there. Plus, it is more satisfying with the added fats so I think one is less likely to overindulge. One serving is 2 tablespoonfuls and I only use about a teaspoon in my coffee.

I need to remind myself to take my time in the store and remember to watch those labels!

Who Do They Pray To?

Earlier today I read a plea from a woman I know on Facebook. She was asking for prayer for a loved one who has a serious health condition. This is not unusual to see since most of my friends are professing Christians. But this particular post was unusual because this woman is not a Christian. In fact she has always been pretty adamant that there isn't a God and she is strong and intelligent and can get through life without religious crutches.

Her post left me to wonder, just who exactly did she want me to pray too?