Pancake Night!

Welcome back. If you are new, this is the Tempt My Tummy Tuesday blog carnival. My twin sister, Lisa, and I co-host the fun. Please post a recipe, kitchen tip, fun food idea, or anything foodie related. From time to time, the carnival will be on my sister's blog. Make sure you visit her blog, as well to post your link.

First of all, I KNOW I have been a delinquent blogger. I KNOW!!! There has been so much going on, I just had to take a break, yes, I should have told you first, but I was not able to just sit and find the words. I has been crazy to say the least. I do plan on posting all about it but for now I will just say, my life should be slowing down a bit. This is a promise I have given my husband, my sweet, husband, who has let me spend many hours in rehearsals for months preparing. My Husband who knows that my true love after God, him and my daughter is singing praises to my God.
I had the privilege to lead in Worship this past weekend for our annual Ladies' Retreat. It blessed my socks off! I will tell you more, but just know, my plan is to get back into my Blogger groove soon!

Now, on the the FOOD!

Pancake Night!

Because last night was the end of the CRAZY around here, we opted for a nice easy dinner of pancakes. Boy, I forgot how good it is to have Breakfast for Dinner! Can I hear an amen out there? Growing up, we did this a lot. My Dad's favorite meal was breakfast, but he wanted it for dinner because he was too busy to have it in the morning.

My daughter LOVES pancakes and asks for them all the time. I like to make them a special treat, which means in Mommy talk, " I'm too busy to make them very often." When I do make them, we go all out! Now, I DO NOT make mine from scratch, that is just silly! I usually have our grocery store brand "bisquick" and I go from there.

I use the recipe on the box which calls for:
mix, milk, eggs and a little bit of sugar.
I add:
vanilla
cinnamon
and this is the MUST have ingredient at our house....
red food coloring to make PINK pancakes.

I do not measure my "extras" it is by taste preference. BUT the vanilla adds a nice homey taste and flavor that I really recommend. We also add mashed up bananas from time to time.

SO... what about you? Do you add anything fun to your pancakes?

Do tell!

What works for you? This really works for ME.

Cutest Aprons Ever

Are these not Adorable?
Well, not me... the kid is pretty cute... BUT I'm talking about our Aprons. How fancy and adorable? Don't you want one?

My cousin Carrie made them and gave them to us for Christmas.

What a fantastic gift! Kathryn and I love to cook together and doesn't every lady needs a fancy apron?

Kathryn loves her so much she wore it the rest of the day. I say this because you will see pictures of her wearing it in another post about her getting herself "protected." (That is all I can say about that right now, you'll just have to trust me and check back for that one. It will be worth it.)

BUT I'm trying to talk my cousin in to making these and selling them. SO... give me some comments and let's try and convince Carrie that she needs to sell these! Also, how much would you pay for something like this? Let me know... I'll be waiting!

So that is what works for me today... looking cute in my apron while cooking. I truly think it improves the flavor of the food! For more super fab ideas go Rocks In My Dryer... you'll be blown away!

My special mop

conversation in my kitchen this afternoon

Kathryn, Mommy & the Mop

Kathryn: Oh Mommy can I mop, Please... Please... Please!

Me: Mop? Really? Mop? (who is this child Lord?)

Kathryn: Oh, I love to mop, I do that at Granna's house.

Me: Well if you really want to... (thank you Lord, better her than me)

Kathryn: I'll be so careful with your mop, I know it is your special mop

Me: You are right honey, it is so special... I hardly ever use it.

Just being real people... just being real.

My Parents

What I am thankful for today is the legacy of Christian parents. I am blessed to have learned from my parents to love God, love family, love others and to serve God. I learned that each day should begin with prayer and end that way. I observed what it means to work hard and to be trustworthy.

I am thankful for parents who although not perfect, perfectly love each other, their children and now grandchildren. I am thankful that God brought them together so many years ago so they could be my parents.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Day.

I love you...always.

It works for me... always has, always will. For get helpful hints today to to Rocks In My Dyer for Works for me Wednesday.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

So...in an grand effort to continually add great recipes to my family's dinner rotation, my sweet sister had the great idea that we should start Tempt My Tummy Tuesday So this is the plan, every Tuesday let's see what great recipe you have, or a great meal you had at your favorite restaurant. Let's have fun with this. Go to Lisa's Blog for today's TMTT!

I am going to kill two birds with one stone today because I know that tomorrow's topic for WFMW is 5 ingredient or less recipe day. I'm very excited about that. So today I'm giving you my Crock-Pot Roast recipe.

You already know how much I love my Crock so this should be no surprise. BUT, I don't usually splurge on a big ole' chuck roast, in fact we just don't eat that much beef anymore, but HEB has lost their mind and I got a huge roast for $5. I was so excited, (yes, I do need a life). We had roast on Saturday night and leftovers after church on Sunday. It was just like the good ole days at Mom's house.
Here it is, Lana's Crock-Pot Roast Recipe

1- 3lb Chuck Roast (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder)
2- 1 can of fat free cream of mushroom soup
3- new potatoes, cut in half
4- carrots, peeled and cut in 2-3in pieces
5- 1 large onion, cut in large slices
Put the carrots and potatoes at the bottom then add the chuck roast on top of that. Put the onions on and pour the soup over. TA DA!
Put on low and cook all day or put on high and have it in 3-4 hours.

Don't forget to go to Lisa's to post your recipe today.

Making Financial Discussions Work

We are in our 6th week of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It has been great. I was hoping it would help my husband and I get on the same page as far as our finances go, and it truly has. We have been working for awhile to become debt free and to save. Going through this has helped us both see that we are SO much better off than most people and if we continue what we are doing and make a few changes based on what Dave recommends, we are going to be in great shape. I love what Dave says, "If you live like no one else, one day you will LIVE like no one else"
It is about choices. Do we buy this stuff now and suffer financially in debt or do we wait and save and know that our diligence will pay off in the end? We are choosing the big payoff in the end.

This program is tough but SO smart and easy to understand. Dave really helps you to see that you can pay off debt, you can save, you can give and you can LIVE! Last night my husband and I sat down and went over the budget for next month. We talked, listened to each other and made changes according to what we both agreed on. Honestly, months ago that talk would have been full of anxiety and tension. But not now, we have the same goals ahead. I know there will be some tough discussions about money in the future. OH YES, I am sure of it. But now we know that ultimately we are seeking the best for our family and our future- TOGETHER!

Are you giving, saving and planning for your future? Are you debt free? Dave has some simple steps:
1. save $1000 in an emergency fund
2. Pay off all debt except the house
3. Save 3-6 months expenses
4. Invest 15% of your household income in Roth IRA's and pre-tax retirement funds
5. College fund for kids
6. Pay off home early
7. Build wealth and give

It seems easy when you read it, but it is tough. BUT this program is great to help you see how to do it and the best thing...Dave is a Christian and he uses the scripture to help guide the way.

So, if you are needing help with finances, this week I have to say what works for us is Dave Ramsey. For more Works for Me Wednesday tips go to Rocks in My Dryer .

Yahtzee Works for Me

Do you remember this game? A game of our youth? Well, I can honestly say, I re-discovered it last summer. We were on vacation at the beach and I thought it would be fun to take some games. A friend of mine told me that she and her husband played Yahtzee for hours. So, I put it on the list and took it on vacation. Obsession began. I loved it. We had more fun and got my parents addicted to it also. When we came back I couldn't get enough, I was driven to play, I just knew the next roll would get me YAHTZEE But my husband got tired of playing it with me. Alas, so sad. Then I thought, I'm a Internet girl...so I found it, the best most wonderful version. I could play all I want, by myself or challenge the computer. Oh Joy or Bliss or Rapture! Then like thatit was gone. It was a free trial. HA! Free... I felt like a druggie looking for her next fix. They got me hooked with there wonderful colors and sounds and then NOTHING! So I broke down and bought it. The best $19 I ever spent. Hours of fun and I'm still playing. Not as much as I used to, I'm blogging now you see and trying to learn html, so tonight before working on my sister's blog, I played a few games. I beat the rascally old computer. Even with his 4 Yahtzee's I beat him. I ROCK!

So, the next time you need a good family game for your vacation. Don't forget my favorite, Yahtzee, it surely works for me.

For more Works for Me ideas check out Rocks in My Dryer.

Grow Something

As the days of summer come on strong we will be waiting for something to grow. It is a little project we began a few months ago. I told my daughter she could pick out some seeds and we would plant them. She picked carrots, basil and cilantro. OK...OK...I strongly suggested the basil and cilantro but carrots were her choice. She was so excited. She could envision Rabbit from our favorite Winnie the Pooh movie picking more carrots than she could imagine. Now, keep in mind, I had planned for us to use some large pots I already had. I figure, OK we'll see what happens. So we planed the seeds and everyday when we get in the car we would have to go out and look at our carrots, basil and cilantro. Every night when we went to bed we had to pray that God would help them all to grow. In fact I understand that she had her entire Sunday school class of 3 year old praying for them one morning. Well, we believe in prayer at our house and you know what... We have carrots.
It is pretty cool. I honestly did not think the carrots would make it but they are too cute and I have never seen her more proud. She carried them over to show our neighbors.
So this summer, while we are dying from the heat and wishing for clouds, rain, and cool days, we will be watching and waiting and watering our next batch of carrots.


For more ways to beat the heat this summer, check out all the great ideas at Works for me Wednesday home Rocks in My Dryer.

Works for me and Saves some Water!

What works for me today is
Over at the Crunchy Domestic Goddess she is challenging us to take 5 minutes showers. I say, "WOO HOO." I am totally on board with this and have been doing this for a long time. In fact if I took a full 5 minute shower, my husband would be shocked. I'm sure my quickness began because I was trying to get in and out before my daughter would wake up from a nap, but after awhile, it became my habit. I get in, get the job done and get out. I still get squeaky clean and save some water. So what about you? Can you take the challenge? Also, check out other great Works for me Wednesday ideas.

Vinegar... I know you told me so...

This is me saying... "Christine, you are right, it IS the best thing ever"
I have been fed up with the prices at the grocery store and honestly the prices of cleaning products are crazy. I have also been trying to be more aware of the impact my family is having in this world. The idea of harsh chemicals around my house, especially on the counter I prepare food on, has given me pause and caused me to re-think my methods. I began to think, there must be something better. I remembered Christine talking about Vinegar and it's wonderfully magical power and figured... why not. I wondered, "what about the smell?" Well, not a problem because when it dries, nothing.. not a smell. JUST CLEAN! Let me tell you it is the most shiny, sparkly clean my counter tops and sink have ever seen. I am in awe and can I tell you, it is so CHEAP. I'm using a half water/ half vinegar solution. It is incredible. I can not believe I fell for the expensive bottles of flowery-pine for all these years. There are plenty uses for this miracle too.
So, the next time you are passing down the cleaner aisle and like me sneezing at all the crazy fragrances, just keep walking down to the salad dressing aisle and get you a bottle of vinegar. I guarantee you'll be glad you did!

Works for Me Wednesday... Sinus Miracle

I'm joining the Works For Me Wednesday Group. Every Wednesday bloggers from all over talk about something good they have found that "Works for them". So, today I'm telling you about my miracle friend. The Neil Med Sinus Rinse First let me tell you, I have SERIOUS sinus issues. I've had two sinus surgeries and have chronic acute sinus infections. I will spare you the gross details, although some of you know how miserable it gets for me from time to time. Well, as it happens, today is a BAD sinus day. I could hardly wait to leave choir tonight to get home and rinse out my head. What a relief in minutes. Now I know, some of you are saying, "OH yeah, I use a nettie pot". Well I used to do that, and this is a nettie pot on steriods. I never had the relief and results with that like I do with this little wonder
I used to make my own mixture of baking soda and salt, but this comes pre-mixed and ready to go with me. Very convient. I LOVE this and it has saved me from having surgery again...I truly believe it. My allergist and ENT swear by it. Now, Becky, if you skulking around here... you better pipe in and give a big AMEN here. I know you love it like I do.