I won this amazing Cook Book, and...

I have decided to post how the recipe and meals go.  A few days ago, via snail mail, well Fed Ex, actually, I received a cook book that I had won for posting a comment to a blog post for the Crockin' Girls.  The cook book is HUGE!  After looking it over, the recipes both look good in the pictures and sound relatively easy to make.  It is a crock pot cook book after all, so ease is a big part of it, but most of the ingredients are things that are usually in our pantry anyway.

So, the first recipe I made for last night, was Salisbury Steak.  The recipe called for golden mushroom soup in a can, and since I have neither heard of, nor seem that, I had to improvise a bit.  Instead I added cream of chicken soup along with a small can of sliced mushroom, minus the can juices.  Also, I served the salisbury steak over egg noodles, and let me tell you...

It was a great big hit! With everyone, kids, hubby and me! We will be having that one again!

On tap for tonight, Cola Roast, and yes as the name infers, cola is added.  I am interested to see what the cola does to the meat.  My plan is to serve the roast with mashed potatoes.  I will let you know how that goes.

Buhlwinkles!

Okay, okay I know...The cartoon Moose is named Bullwinkle.  But, I am not talking about him!  There is a store here, similar to that of a craft mall.  Except, when you walk in this store, there are no booths where individuals set up their own stuff, instead there are "rooms" of things.  There is a kitchen, where you will find homemade hand stitched dish towels, sets of bowl, cook books and the like, there is a "baby room" where there are handmade blankets, handmade dresses, and dolls, etc.  This store is run by a very sweet woman, who knows mmembers from my in-law family, and so always greets me so warmly. 

Over the years, I have purchased many items from her.  Mostly for gifts for Christmas or Anniversaries for family that live elsewhere and cannot visit her store themselves, because a lot of the things available there are fun and unique.  In addition to buying things this time around, I intend to sell some items starting this Fall, and leading into Christmas. 

As mentioned in prior posts, I have been working on cross stitched Christmas ornaments, and Boise State and Idaho State ornaments for themed Christmas trees.  I have also made some baby burp cloths with sayings on them. 

I will be going over to Buhlwinkles in the next few days hopefully to chat with the owner about doing this, and also participating in the yearly holiday craft fair that she oversees.  This is an intimidating thing for me, but I am excited about it!

I am happy for you, I really am...but!

How many of you have those friends on social media site who brag.  We all do right, but there is inevitably one or two or even more who seem to "pour it on a bit thick," right?  You know who I am talking about.  Those who are going on an amazing vacation, and share every single moment, or those who have a beautiful yard that you have only ever seen in architectural magazines, or those who take so many pictures of their children, that you almost want to say, "Enough, already!"

You see, I have wonderful friends and family and they mean so much to me, they really do, I would go to bat for them in a heartbeat, but come on! Seeing showroom photos of your newest car with a ribbon on it, seeing the cruise photos of not only the scenery, which is gorgeous bytheway, but seeing the pictures of the food you eat before and after, what is that about!  And then there are the numerous photos of your "precious" child in each and every new outfit that you just purchased for him/her at the most recent outing to some larger city.  Or better yet, all the Mommy and me, and the swimming lessons, and the library reading moments that you share.

That is not entirely what gets me though.  I love to see the pictures, but what puts it over the top for me are the descriptions.  The detailed descriptions of how much things cost, and how it is now a weekly thing or how "amazing" it is that you can go to the coast for the third time in 3-4 months. 

I am not saying that I am jealous, I am not.  I am truly happy that you and your family are able to do those things together, and buy those things.  But, for me seeing how well you are doing, helps me realize just how much we are doing without.  I use to try my best to "keep up appearances."  But that is just crazy.  So, when we visit you, or you come to see us, and you see my kids in the second hand of second hand clothes, do not let it shock you.  This is how we were before, we just never let you see it until now.

Next weekend, I have a friend from high school driving through and the plan is that we will get together for a while and catch up.  As if after 22 years, that is at all possible to completely catch up.  I never lied about our living situation to her, not at all, but I am a bit worried...if she comes to our house, what will she think, we live here, it is not a showplace.  If they want to go out to eat somewhere, can we afford it?  Will my kids let me pick out their clothes that day without WWIII happening, and so they do not look like they were just playing out back in the mud pile... Only time will tell!

Mormon Messages!

The "Mormon Messages" are short videos, that share something, talk about something, and teach something to those who watch them.  They are funny sometimes, poinant, sweet, and even make a person think.  For me, and my little girls, they bring peace into our home.  Not all the time, but it seems that when I let these messages stream on the tv, we are a lot more relaxed, and calm than at other times.  I usually "play all" so that I do not need to stop what I am otherwise doing to begin a new video.  I turn up the volume loud enough so that we can be in the kitchen or dining room and still hear the message, but not too loud to not be able to discuss what the girls just heard. 
I have gather much knowledge and understanding from these short messages, and have even had a "Wow!" moment during one of them, well more than one actually.  But, my favorite is "Dare to Stand Alone" which talks about President Monson's time in boot camp. His statement about Daring to be a Mormon, and having a purpose and sharing it was an eye-opener for me! 

Focus on the Positive!

I have spent the last few months in the bit of a funk.  Each evening, while myhusband waters the yeard, waters the garden, pulls weeds, and plays with the kids, I am sadly left out.  I hear them screeching and giggling, yelling, and laughing, all while I remain inside.  Not that I do not want to be a part of what is happening, but I cannot.
My intention earlier in the year was to do all of those things.  I wanted to be the one pulling weeds, and watering and harvesting the garden, but alas, I am not.  We had hoped that this pain pump that now lives within my body would be working at "full capacity" and I would be able to take on some of the outside work/ burden that my dear hubby now finds himself saddled with.  Instead, I find that I am having to do another round of intense physical therapy, and more frequent doctor visits, with an x-ray, and impending MRI.  All because of nerve damage that has presented itself since I went to visit family back in May.
The purpose, or so I had hoped for this pain pump was for me, in my mind to be able and participate, even just a little in my family's lives.  I still hope for this, and will continue to do so, but frustration is settling in.
So, until then I spend my days doing whatever and however much I can, be it a little or more than that.  I read, mostly scriptures, as I hope to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, a few other books as well, mostly repeats of favorite authors, and I cross stitch, I am working on Christmas gifts again this year.  The only thing with that is that, with my hands going numb, that is getting harder and harder to do. 

Apricot Jam...

I tried something new today, and it was sure yummy! A very sweet, dear friend and neighbor brought over a large bag of apricots from her tree yesterday, and I had just enough to make a batch of apricot jam.  As I have never done it before, I found a recipe on the internet, I was worried because it did not call for pectin, to which my concerns were unfounded as there was enough natural pectin that I did not need it.  We are not a raw apricot family, but we are now a apricot jam one!  Yum!

8 cups of diced apricots (peeled) - this is the messy, messy part, and my hands are stained an orange tint now, so I might suggest rubber gloves.
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 cups sugar

I combined all of the ingredients, in a large stock pot, because at one point at the beginning of the process the ingredients double in size, then bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Once it begins the rolling boil at the same temperature, I stirred frequently to keep the jam from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot for 30 minutes.  This seems like a long time, but it will be worth it, I promise!

The recipe, said that it would take 10 half-pint, sterilized jars, but I ended up filling 12.  Probably because my cup measurements were generous.  Don' forget to seal in a water bath canner anything you do not plan to consume right away to eat later, or in our case, give as gifts!

Dare...

I am 40 years old this year, there I said it.  I am a convert to my faith and I never did experience traditional occurrences within my church, primary classes, and singing time, baptism at eight, the young womens organization, girls camp and EFY (Especially for Youth), so when I found out that I could actually take part on my own in the Young Women's Personal Progress Program, I decided to do so.  I am currently working on the first attribute, faith. 

The first task is to establish a habit of prayer, which I think is good for anyone in any faith or church that they attend, I am doing better now, at the end of the first week.  The first two days or so, I had to find express time to sit and quietly pray, away from the hustle and noise that is my life.  Not that I did not pray before, it is just that I am making a conscience decision to take time away from my routine to thank my Heavenly Father for the blessings that I experience in my life, and I want to focus explicitly on that.  I am also working on bits and pieces of the other tasks as well as the project I have chosen which has to do with aspects of planting and harvesting a garden, and how that is related to Faith. 

My point though being, is that I was watching a "Mormon Message" today, and it was about Thomas S. Monson, the President of the Church, and he was speaking to the youth in an address.  He was talking about his military service, and he said something that was so profound to me, and it felt as though he was speaking directly to me.  You see, I am the only member, aside from a step-sister, to whom I am not that close to, and I married a man who does not believe as I do, so there are times when I feel alone, and rely heavily on prayer, and I also am a bit timid to share my beliefs with others also.  His quote is as follows: 

"Dare to be a Mormon,

Dare to Stand Alone,

Dare to Have a Purpose Firm,

Dare to Make it Known."