Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Handmade Holiday Gift Series


I am so excited to announce that I am having a Handmade Holiday Gift Series starting
TOMORROW!! 

I will be featuring some very cute, affordably priced gift ideas that are handmade.  I just love handmade stuff!  Most of the items are sold on Etsy, some are not.  Some of the reviews will also include a GIVEAWAY!! 

I just wanted to give you all a heads up to stay tuned! 

Sunday, November 28, 2010

There is Power in the Blood

Lewis E. Jones

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains arelost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain


Praise the Lord for the Power in the Blood in the Lamb!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Critical Thinking Co. WINNERS!

Ooops!  I forgot to post the winners on Wednesday.  guess with haiving the Lil' Chef's birthday this week and having Thanksgiving dinner here I forgot.  So sorry!

Here are the winners were comment numbers 18 & 23

The Winner of the Balance Benders Lvel 1 is....
Gigi Lynn said...                               18
We love Editor in Chief!


The Winner of the Balance Math & More Level 1 is...
cooperkelly4 said...                          23
went to the critical thinking site and we liked the mind benders too. =0)
thanks for the math bender review.

Congrats Ladies!  Thanks everyone for entering.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

My Thanksgiving Menu

I wanted to share my Thanksgiving Day Menu with everyone.  Over the last few years we have found some yummy recipes and I wanted to share them with you. 

We used to all meet for the holidays at my mom and grandma's house but since they are no longer with us, my sister and I have kinda divided them up.  I usually do Thanksgiving. 

Here is what we are making:
Turkey - last year I started getting a turkey from Trader Joe's that was already brined, I had read that brined turkeys are more moist and juicy.  I have to agree, they are a WOW!  So if you can get a brined turkey I say GO FOR IT!! The way that prepare my turkey is, after I clean it up, I lift up the skin and rub my bird with a mixture of softened butter, rosemary, thyme and sage.  I also rub the top with butter, to give it a nice crispy finish.

Stuffing - I get the TJ's Cornbread Stuffing and then hook it up.  I am going to saute butter, onions, chopped carrots and celery along with some sage flavored pork sausage.  Once everything is all cooked up I am going to add it all to the stuffing mixture.  I usually do not put my stuffing in the turkey.  I actually thought this year I might try putting the stuffing the turkey because I think some people would like that.  Then, just this very morning, I turned on the Food Network and heard Alton Brown explain how all the RAW Turkey Juice drips onto the stuffing and how it is the last thing to cook and sometimes doesn't cook all the way.  So I was reminded why I DO NOT put my stuffing in my bird.  GROSS!! 

Gravy - Ok, I am going to be the first to admit that I have NOT perfected this and it is totally a learning process for me.  I think you have to be southern to really make good gravy, I think it is just something something so women are blessed with at birth.  This year i am going to try this recipe for Savory Turkey Gravy.  If you have a tried and true recipe that is fool proof, that you would like to share by all means, hook me up!

Mashed Potatoes - I have been using this recipe, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, for a while now.  I LOVE THEM!!  For starters, I love how you make these up in the morning and then stick them in the crock pot.  No more mixing up mashed potatoes at the last minute.  I LOVE that this recipe calls for sour cream, cream cheese and garlic, what's not to love about these babies! 

Creamed Corn - Another fabulous recipe I found on Allrecipes in Slow Cooker Creamed Corn.  This recipe is so simple my 4 year old could do it .  I just throw everything (well, everything except the sugar, it really doesn't need it)  in a small crock pot around 11am and then I forget about it until it is time to eat.  This recipe is soooo- goood!! 


Peach Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - I have recently found a new love, for cake!  Usually I make Pumpkin Rolls but this is truly my new love, it is to die for!  I will tell you all more about this wonderful cake soon.
My sister is making Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole,  Pumpkin Pies, and Baked Beans.  My Dad is going to be making Bread Pudding. 

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Sunday, November 21, 2010

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Refrain

Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain


I am so thankful that Jesus is my shelter in the time of storm!

A great GIVEAWAY for a Girls Dress with Matching Doll Dress

Over at Joyful Creations at Home you can enter to win a beautiful homemade dress for your little girl and a matching dress for her doll....

http://joyfulcreations2.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-etsy-christmas-countdown-custom.html

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Birthday Express Deluxe Party Pack Winner is...

McMama said...                         46

I just became a follower



Thanks to everyone that entered! 

Cinnamon-Apple Brunch Bake

I have never made these but I can't imagine them not tasting unbelievably good!  The Lil' Chef actually found this recipe in with some of my Mom's old recipes and suggested that I make it for the Mother-Daughter Cookie Swap.  She was excited when I told her that she could make it.

This would be great for a holiday morning breakfast or anytime!

Cinnamon-Apple Brunch Bake
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
  • 1 can of apple pie filling
  • 2 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 can of refrigerated biscuits
  • 1/2 cup of chopped nuts
In a sauce pan, melt the butter and then stir in the brown sugar, apple pie filling, cinnamon and vanilla.  Spread half of the mixture in a shallow 2 quart baking dish.  Next, cut your biscuits into quarters and arrange with the points up and spoon remaining mixture over biscuits.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes, serve warm.  Serves 8.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Cookie Swap Idea


I just wanted to share an idea with you all of something that I doing with my girls this year.  I decided to throw a Cookie Swap, but not just any old cookie swap, we are doing a Mother-Daughter Cookie Swap. 
I have been to a few cookie swaps but have never held one myself.  I have wanted to do one for quite a while but never had, until now.  I just really thought it would be lots of fun to include my girls.  They can help me bake the cookies and have their friends at the swap too! 
I decided to do it on the second Saturday in December, you know, it's about the time everyone starts getting crazy about the all the shopping they need to do.  We are doing it at 10:30 in the morning and we are having a brunch.  I am going to be making a Baked French Toast, Breakfast Casserole and Cinnamon-Apple Brunch Bake (recipe coming soon).  I have asked everyone to please bring something to add to the table.  I will also provide drinks. 
Everyone has until December 1st to RSVP and once I have a totally head count I will let everyone know how many cookies to bring.  Depending on how many people are going to come we will make 6-12 cookies per family.
The other day I remembered that I had previously ordered snowman paper products to use for a holiday party that didn't happen.  So guess what, I believe I already all the plates, napkins and cups that I am going need for the party.  I am going to try to remember to order them again at the end of the season for next year.  I think I had ordered them from Oriental Trading for a super good price. 
I am really excited and hope that all goes well.  Lord willing, I would like to make this a yearly tradition.  I will of course post pictures and let you all know how it goes!

Do you all have anything special planned this holiday season?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Critical Thinking Co. Review & Giveaway!

We were blessed with two books from the Critical Thinking Co., Mathematical Reasoning Level E and Balance Benders.
  

We have been using Mathematical Reasoning, since the beginning of the school year.  I actually switched The Lil' Chef over to this book for the year from a different program that she had been using for the last 2 years. She has started off with a spiral type math curriculum from the beginning and then started to struggle when she entered 3rd grade.  After getting some advice from some veteran home school moms I switched her over to mastery program, which worked for a while but really seemed to take away her love for math.  Yes, this child loves math!  Anyway, after two years of dragging thru math we started Mathematical Reasoning and guess what... She likes it, she really likes it!!  The Lil' Chef actually loves math again! 

She is doing great in this book, not because this book is easy for her because it isn't, the book challenges her but also explains new concepts to her in a way that she understands.  This is a spiral curriculum, which I believe works best for her, and it includes critical thinking skills.  With critical thinking skills included it is like getting 2 books in one. 


Here are the skills that are included in Mathematical Reasoning Level E:
  • Analyze
  • Angle
  • Area
  • Calendar
  • Capacity - customary, metric
  • Characteristics
  • Congruence
  • Coordinate System
  • Count
  • Data Analysis - bar graph, line graph, survey, table
  • Data Collection
  • Decimals - concept, add, subtract
  • Draw - parallel, perpendicular, by definition
  • Equations Expression
  • Equivalence
  • Estimation - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Factors - form/vocabulary, add, subtract
  • Fractions
  • Graph/Table/Chart - analyze, represent
  • Inequalities
  • Length - customary, metric
  • Likelihood/Prediction
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Mode
  • Money - add, subtract
  • Multiple
  • Negative Numbers
  • Order
  • Order of Operations
  • Pattern - geometric, numeric
  • Perimeter
  • Place Value - expanded notation, number form, word form
  • Polygon
  • Prime/Composite
  • Properties
  • Reflection, Translation, Rotation
  • Rounding
  • Shapes - 2D, 3D
  • Symmetry
  • Temperature - customary, metric
  • Time
  • Variable as Unknown - in addition, in subtraction, in multiplication, in division
  • Weight - customary, metric
  • Whole Numbers - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Word Problems
As you can see there are alot of great skills that are included at this level.  I appreciate that she gets to learn real life math, you know math that we everyday.  This series also includes several math skills that are normally not taught until the following grade level.

The Lil' Chef likes that she isn't doing the same thing every day and she enjoys the fun and colorful pages.  Mom likes that the answer key is included with this math book which means no extra money on a teacher's key.  For those of you who are probably wondering if I kept the teacher key in the back of the book, of course not.  I took the easy tear pages out, stapled them together and put them away.  I just pull them out to check her answers. 

The Mathematical Reasoning Series currently goes from PreK to 5th grade and ranges in price from $24.99 to $32.99.  I have to say that I very disappointed when I found out that this was the highest level for Mathematical Reasoning and I thought that I would have to again search for another program but I recently learned that they are working on a level for 5th and 6th grade.  Yippee!  So, providing it is available, I plan on using this curriculum again next year for The Lil' Chef.



Now for the Balance Benders, at first we didn't get it.  It really took a few times of sitting down and trying to figure out what we were supposed to be doing.  Once it clicked and we got it we really enjoyed Balance Benders, they are actually pretty fun.  These are not something that I have required her to do every day, although I probably should because she would be learning very valuable reasoning skills.  Mostly we just do them for fun, and even though I am not a math person I really enjoy them too!

These balance puzzles are not only fun but they help students get accustomed to Pre-Algebra.  Children have clues to use to help them to solve the puzzles.  The Balance Benders workbooks would be a great addition to any child's workboxes, these are great learning tools that kids really enjoy.  They would also be great for stocking stuffers or long car trips.


The Balance Benders Series has 4 books for children in grades 2nd thru 12th grades.  They are very affordable at only $9.99 each.

We have also used other products from the Critical Thinking Co. in the past and they have never disappointed us!  This company will continue to be one of my favorites!!

The Criticial Thinking Company has offered to do 2 Giveaways for my readers.  One will be for a Beginners Level Balance Benders book and the second giveaway will be for a Balance Math & More Level 1.  Both books are for grades 2-6.  


Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS! The giveaway is going to run until November 24, 2010. Here is how you can enter to win:
  • You must be a Follower of LSG to Win! Please leave me a comment and let me that you do.
  • If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
  • SPREAD THE WORD! If you blog about this giveaway, please come back and leave me a link to your post.
  • Please visit the Critical Thinking Company's website, and let me know what other products they have that interest you!  
  • Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
  • Like The Critical Thinking Company on Facebook and let me know about it. 

 These products were given to us free of charge from the Critical Thinking Company  for review purposes.  The opinions in this review are my own and I have not been paid in any other way.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

What's in the Bible DVD's

We were given a copy of the first and second episode of the What's in the Bible to review.  The What's in the Bible videos were created by the same creator of VeggieTales, Phil Vischer.  This video series currently has out 4 DVD's, which each have two 25 minute episodes. 


The first video, In the Beginning starts off in Genesis and explains how the Bible came to be and who wrote it.  We also learned about Adam, Eve and their sin in the garden. 

The second DVD, Let My People Go, explains who choose the books in the Bible and about salvation.  The kids will learn about how the Lord saved the Israelites out of the hands of the Pharaoh. 

The third DVD called Wanderin' in the Desert has such a cute title for the first episode, Don't lie, don't cheat and Don't TRIM YOUR BEARD?  Funny right!  Here we learn about God's rules, why He gave them to us and which ones still apply to us in today's world.  We finish learning about the first five books in the Bible and about Israels time in the desert or Israel's "time out" as they call it. 

The fourth video is called Battle for the Promised Land and it takes you though Joshua, Judges and Ruth.  Although there are only four dvd's available at this point, they have plans to make this a 13 DVD series. 

At first, for some reason, my kids did not seem real excited about watching these videos.  But once they started watching them they really did enjoy them. 

Here are some things that we really enjoyed about the What's in the Bible Videos:
  • The kids and I liked the comedy in them, the characters are really cute and funny.   It starts of as a news show with this guy Buck Denver and some of the cartoon characters want it to be their show and, well, you just need to watch it. 
  • Lots of great Bible history and facts.  Phil Vischer is in the videos along with the cartoon characters and he gives lots of insight on many bible truths.
  • We really enjoyed the fun songs that the different characters would sing.  I especially enjoyed the Bentlly Brothers.



One thing that I noticed and felt it was worth mentioning was that these videos seem to have more doctrine in them verses just bible stories.  There were a few things that I didn't agree with and was glad that I was watching with my children so that I could explain.  These were not things that would prevent me from letting the kids watch them but I just feel that I would need to preview them with the kids first.

All of the What's in the Bible videos can be purchased directly from What's in the Bible.

We were given this video for review purposes from What's in the Bible.  The opinions stated here are my own.  I was not compensated in any way to sway opinions.   


Monday, November 15, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

I have a menu plan for the week that been loosely hold too.  We are sick AGAIN!!!  So there have been a few meals that we have just kinda winged it.  Like last night for instance, as I lay sick on the couch The Hubs made PB&J's for every and I have cereal.  Real nutritious, right!  This is why I need to take the advice of my friend Joyce and really stock up on those freezer meals.  If for nothing else but to use in a pinch or in I am sick. 

Monday
Rosie's Hot Chicken Chowder with Tortilla's - I am reviewing a few cookbooks and this is one of the recipes.  It is SOOO good!  I will be posting this review very soon.

Tuesday
Chicken Tetrazinni - I am doubling this and sticking one in the freezer.

Wednesday
Beef Stroganoff- in the crocky pot.

Thursday
Mexican Chicken - All I do is throw some chicken (breasts of thighs) in the crock pot with a jar of salsa, a can of black beans (drained), a bag of frozen corn, taco seasoning and cumin.  I cook of low for about 4-6 hours and top with shredded cheddar when there is about 30 minutes left.  You can serve this over chopped romaine lettuce, and top with sour cream and tortilla chips.  You could also cut your chicken into strips and serve this on tortillas like a fajita. 

Friday
Crock Pot Sloppy Joe's - yes, again!  The Hubs bugs me EVERY week now for sloppy joe's and that Homemade Chili Cheeseburger Helper.  Gotta keep my man happy so yes it is sloppy joe's AGAIN!

Saturday
BBQ Chicken (in the you know what), Sweet Potatoes and Greens - Ok, I have never, that I can recall, eaten Greens (collard greens, kale) but oh my goodness they are great!!  My wonderful family of course did NOT like them one bit.  But I loved them!  So much in fact that I would eat them in car, on a train, in a boat in the rain!  I would eat them here or there.  By golly, I would eat them anywhere!   Your probably thinking it must be all that cold medicine she is taking, right!?

Sunday
Taco Bake - my one freezer meal of the week, it sure did come in handy!

TOS Crew: Corps of Re-Discovery

We were given the opportunity to do a craft kit from Corps of Re-Discovery, a company that specializes in crafts and other products from early American history, for the TOS Crew.    The craft kit that we were given to do was the Patchwork Quilt Kit.




At first I was a little concerned, because I am by no means a quilter.  My sewing skills are minimal at best.  Once the kit arrived and I checked it out my fears were very much relieved, and I was excited to get started wit the girls. 

Here are some things we found we really liked about the kit:
  • The kit came with great step by step instructions that even I could easily understand.
  • The pre-cut quilting squares and fabric took the hard work out of the project.
  • Even though the directions explained how to make one large patchwork doll quilt, I felt comfortable enough with the project to make it our own.  We actually made each of the girls a smaller doll quilt and pillow for their doll cradles.
  • I loved how I was able to do this together with the girls.  Computer Girl learned how to do a straight stitch by hand and The Little Chef was able to practice what she had already learned.  They both did a fabulous job!
  • This kit, as well as the others, are very affordable.  The Patchwork Quilt Kit is only $11.99. 

My children and I love the Pioneer time period, no matter what we are studying for history during the year we always take the week before Thanksgiving to study the pioneers.  Making this patchwork quilt was a great start to our studies.

We really enjoyed making the doll quilts and would love to try some of their other craft kits like the Corn Husk Doll Kit, My First Tatting Kit and the Early American Sampler.

NOTE:  I had some great pictures of our quilts but I can not upload them at this time because my computer that holds all of my pictures will not power up.  The Hubs could fix it tonight but he couldn't.  So, once the computer comes home from the shop I will upload the pictures.  


 
This product was given to us free of charge from Corps of Re-Discovery for review purposes.   The opinions here are my own and I was not compensated in any way. 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

You Made Us Your Own

by Steven & Vicki Cook, Bob Kauflin

We were ruined in our sin
We were guilty and undone
When Your love reached down with sovereign hands
And beckoned us to come

You sought out the wanderers
Made the prodigals come home
With a lavish feast You welcomed us
For You made us Your own

Chorus
You have loved us like You love Your Son
We are heirs with Christ, bought by His blood
Oh how great the love that we’ve been shown
We’re Your children now, You made us Your own

We are strangers to the world
But no strangers to Your throne
We draw near You now with confidence
For all our fears are gone

And when Christ our King returns
We’ll meet saints we’ve never known
And forever we will be amazed
That You made us Your own


This is a wonderful picture of what the Lord God has done for the Christian.  I am so very thankful for His love and His sovereign hand.

I am also thankful that when He looks at me, He sees His Son.  I do not boast because of anything that I have done, but because Jesus has done it all!

You can listen to this beautiful song here.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Birthday Express Review & GIVEAWAY!!

I was really excited to find out that we were going to be reviewing a Deluxe Party Pack from Birthday Express.  I love birthday parties and I really enjoy putting on a nice party for my kids but facts are, they are work.  Between running here and running there for party supplies, food and gifts I can get a little worn out.   So, that is why I was so glad to be using Birthday Express for Computer Girl's 7th Birthday!  I have to tell you this was one of the easiest parties that I have ever put together, Birthday Express made it so simple for me. 


I had Computer Girl go online and search through all the party themes and pick her favorite.  There were lots to choose from but she picked Zoology because she LOVES animals.  Her box arrived just a few days later.


The Deluxe Party Pack included:
  • 8 Invitations
  • 8 Dinner Plates
  • 8 Cups
  • 8 Forks
  • 8 Spoons
  • 8 Activity Placemats
  • 16 Napkins
  • 1 Solid-Color Table cover
  • 1 Centerpiece
  • 1 Foil Balloon
  • 18 Balloons (3 colors)
  • Crepe Paper Rolls (3 colors)
  • Curling Ribbon (3 colors)
  • Confetti and Cake Candles

It was a like a party in a box, minus the kids of course.  Computer Girl was so excited when her box arrived, and so was I!  It was so nice to have everything ready for the party all in one box.   

  

Birthday Express offers oodles of choices for party themes, some themes you can even get personalized with a photo and saying.  You can buy things separately or in a Deluxe Party Pack (starts at $38.99).  They also have games, favor boxes, pinatas, and they even offer personalized banners.  They are a one stop party shop, that delivers! 

We also received a personalized party banner and WOW!  I could not believe how nice it was!  The colors and details on the banner really amazed me.  It was very nice hanging up and will be a great keepsake from her party.   
Isn't this a beautiful banner!  The colors really pop.
  
The decorations all coordinated and looked great!
The table looked great too.  I was able to find beanie stuffed animals on sale, which we tagged and used as place cards and the kids got to take them home.
Here is what the place settings looked like.
Happy Birthday Computer Girl!
I decided I was not making the cake so we ordered a Madagascar cake, that was the closest thing to a "zoo" cake that we could find.
One of the games we played was musical chairs and we used animal music of course.
I just had to include this picture of the boys, evidently they did not have enough cake the first go round!


Thanks Birthday Express for helping us have an AWESOME party!
Birthday Express has offered to GIVEAWAY a Deluxe Party Pack of YOUR CHOICE to one of YOU!!  Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!  The giveaway is going to run until November 19, 2010.  Here is how you can enter to win:
You must be a Follower of LSG to Win! Please leave me a comment and let me that you do.
  • If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
  • SPREAD THE WORD! If you blog about this giveaway, please come back and leave me a link to your post.
  • Please visit the Birthday Express website, and let me know which Party Theme your kids would like!
  • Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
  • Like Birthday Express on Facebook and let me know about it.
  • Follow Birthday Express on Twitter and let me know about it.
These products were given to us free of charge from Birthday Express for review purposes.  We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wikki Stix Winner

The Wikki Stix Giveaway Winner is comment #38


Martianne said...

Just blogged about your givewaway


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveawat-news-wikkistix.html


Thanks to everyone that entered! 

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Chicken Stuffed Shells

My aunt gave me this recipe many years back and it has been a family favorite ever since.  The kids LOVE it and it is actually The Lil Chef's all time favorite meal. 

 
Since stuffing jumbo shells are involved this isn't exactly a speedy meal, BUT it is well worth the extra effort and a great thing to double and freeze. 

 
Chicken Stuffed Shells
  • 1 Box of Your Favorite Chicken or Cornbread Stuffing
  • 1 Box of Jumbo Shells
  •  About 2 cups of Cooked Chicken , shredded.  You can use either breasts or thighs, I prefer thighs. 
  • 1/2 Cup of Mayo
  • CranRaisins (optional, but very good)
  • 2 cans of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup (the Healthy request is MSG Free, to my knowledge)
  • 1 cup of Milk
  • Salt & Pepper
Follow the cooking instructions on the Jumbo Shells package.  After you drain them add a little olive oil to them, these babies are famous for sticking and sticking equals broken shells.  Set a side.

 
Cook the stuffing according to the package.  Add the already cooked shredded chicken, mayo and Cran-Raisins to the stuffing.  Stuff your shells and place them in a greased 9X13 casserole dish.

 
In a separate bowl mix up the 2 cans of soup and 1 cup of milk.  Add salt and pepper as desired, then pour over your stuffed shells.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until warm. 

 
I always serve this with Cranberry Sauce and Green Beans, it is like a mini Thanksgiving Dinner!  Enjoy!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

I love when we get back into fall comfort foods.  I start switching over to fall foods a little while back and then it got hot again.  I think it is safe to do soups, chili's and stews again as the weather seems to be getting colder.  Here is what we are cooking up this week...

Monday
Chicken with Cream Cheese over Brown Rice and Broccoli on the side

Tuesday
Stuffed Pepper Soup (with Ground Turkey) - My MIL has been talking about Green Pepper Soup fora while now and I am not sure I have ever made it so when I came across it I decided to give it a go.

Wednesday
Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper - I tried this a few weeks ago and The Hubs has asked for it every week since.

Thursday
Sausage, Peppers and Onions (Crock pot) over Rice with Mixed Veggies

Friday
Chicken Fajitas with Black Beans, Corn and Melon

Saturday
Homemade Pizza

Sunday
Spaghetti

If you all are wondering why I am mostly sticking to the same old stuff, well I had a talking to by the The Hubs. He prefers that I make the same old stuff that I know they like, in other words he would rather not be so adventurous in the food department. While I do try to throw in a few new recipes here and there I am trying to not add more than one or two.  

Do you have any family favorites that you think The Hubs would like?  Anything homemade that resembles Hamburger Helper or Sloppy Joe's would do.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

O Come, O Come Emmanual

by John M. Neale

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

  
I have loved this song for several years.  Last week I was blessed to sit in and listen to my oldster daughter's choir group practice it and the choir teacher explain it to the kids.  I am so thankful that I, through Jesus Christ, have victory over the grave.  My body will die one day but because of Christ I will worship Him for eternity. 

You can listen to the song here.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Saturday Solutions: Mass Producing Breakfast

For a while now I have been trying to keep my freezer full of breakfast foods for the kids.  I like to do this because I am NOT the kinda mom that likes to get up and put on a huge breakfast in the morning, I guess that is one reason that I like to do Breakfast Night for them.  The most I like to cook in the morning is oatmeal. 


I like to try to keep things like waffles, pancakes, french toast, banana bread and breakfast burritos in the freezer ready to roll.  I also prefer not to buy these things, I like to make them.  Sometimes I will go all out and do everything at once but most of the time I will just do a big batch of something, like this morning I made a ton of pancakes. 



I used to dream about having two skillets to cook on but only had one.  I contemplated buying a second one but thought it was a little frivolous, it's not like I have ten children and really needed an extra.  Then, last month my dream became reality, during our Fall camping trip I realized that I had forgotten my skillet.  Honestly, this was not on purpose!  So, I "had" to go buy one.  This morning, there they sat - TWO SKILLETS!  Side by side!  What a blessing to whip up all those pancakes in half the time!  I was so excited that I quadrupled my batch!  If you are able to acquire two skillets, I say go for it!



You may be wondering how I freeze them, with out them sticking together.  I take a sheet cake pan (from my pretending to be a cake decorator days) and I lay the pancakes on sheets of parchment paper.  I spread them out so that they freeze with out touching.  After they are good and frozen I throw them into large freezer bags.  This way we can pull out only the amount we need and they are not all stuck together.  I also save the parchment paper for the next time I mass produce! 




When I am making french toast I cut them into sticks and freeze them this way. 


When I do the Breakfast Burritos I start out by making a double batch of Oven Scrambled Eggs and then top them with shredded cheddar.  You can also add some salsa to this but my kids prefer them with just the cheese.  I put an ice cream scoop full of the eggs on to each tortilla and wrap.


I also freeze the Breakfast Burritos spread out on a baking sheet before I put them into freezer bags.

For other freezer friendly family meal ideas {say that one five times fast} check out Raising Olives and Smockity Frocks!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Another Great Meatloaf Recipe

My friend, who I have known since I was like 8 just told me this recipe a few weeks ago.  This is a women that I talk to almost daily and so when she threw this recipe out to me and said that her mom used to make it and SHE had been making it for years I couldn't believe it!!  REALLY??!!  And you are JUST NOW giving it to me, R E A L L Y ? ? ?  

I have made it twice now and it is FABULOUS!  Trust me, this is a WINNER dinner!  I don't think she gave a specific name for it so I am going to call it the...

I Can't Believe You Waited This Long To Give Me This Recipe Meatloaf

2 lbs of Ground Beef
1 Onion
Salt, Pepper, Parsley & Garlic Powder
Potatoes, quartered
2 Can or 1 Box of Creamy Tomato Soup

It is really easy, she said to make up a meatloaf as you normally would.  I use 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 1 chopped onion, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic powder, but feel free to use the spices that you normally use.


After you make up the meatloaf place it in a 9X13 with the potatoes around the meatloaf.  Pour the tomato soup over the meatloaf and potatoes.  At this point I added a little extra parsley, because I love it! 


Bake at 350 for 30-45minutes or until the meatloaf is no longer pink in the center.  We had this with green beans. 
This meatloaf was is a Perfect 10! 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wikki Stix Review & Giveaway!

We were given the chance to review Wikki Stix along with the Early Learning Trio which includes Alphabet Cards, Number Cards and Basic Shapes

  
All of my children have enjoyed playing with the Wikki Stix!  The girls have really enjoyed using them for school projects, making jewelry and to make models of different animals.  Alpha Boy loves to open his workboxes and find a few Wikki Stix and activity cards, I think he especially loves the letter and number cards.  Little Bits, well he has really enjoyed chewing on them and making them into balls to bounce on the floor.   
Things We Love About Wikki Stix
  • They leave plenty of room to let your imagination run wild!   The possibilities of things to make are endless.  REALLY! 
  • They are a great way to help children learn their letters, numbers and shapes.
  • Wikki Stix are fun to use to make models of things you are studying in school like the muscular system, the shape of different states and solar systems.  You can see some other fabulous educational ideas here.
  • I love how the kids can play and make all kinds of stuff and their isn't a huge mess to clean up.  That is a huge bonus!  Let me say it one more time HUGE BONUS!
  • The Wikki Stix and the activity sets are very affordable.  The Wikki Stix sets start at $3.25.  The Activity Card Sets start at $13.95.  Think holiday gifts or stocking stuffers!

Here are some of the things we did with our Wikki Stix...

During our pyramids study the girls made their own pyramids.
Since the Wikki Stix are made off wax coated wicks they were very easy to build different things with.
  
Computer Girl using the Alphabet Cards, she is tracing the letter B and the butterfly.

Alpha Boy used the Wikki Stix to trace many of the letters.

Computer Girl showing off her work.
The girls and I were studying the muscular system and we used the Wikki Stix to demonstrate where muscles are in our body.

We had a lot of fun using the Wikki Stix and this hands on project helped us to remember what we learned.
Wikki Stix has offered to host a GIVEAWAY for a package of Wikki Stix and The Early Learning Trio Cards (Letters, Numbers and Shapes) to a LSG Follower!  Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS! The giveaway is going to run until November 10, 2010.  Here is how you can enter to win The Wikki Stix Package:

  • You must be a Follower of LSG to Win! Please leave me a comment and let me that you do.
  • If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
  • SPREAD THE WORD! If you blog about this contest please come back and leave me a link to you post.
  • Please visit the Wikki Stix website, and let me know which other Wikki Stix product your kids would like! 
  • Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
  • Like Wikki Stix on Facebook and let me know. They have discount offers frequently. 
  • Follow Wikki Stix on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know.


We received these products free of charge, from Wikki Stix, for review purposes. The opinions stated in this review are our own and we were not paid in any way.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Grammar All Stars Review

We have been extremely blessed to be reviewing several book collections from Gareth Stevens Publishing this school year.   I wanted to share one of the ones that we have REALLY been enjoying so far, Grammar All Stars. 

Let me start by saying that these are not your average book, these books are of a very high quality.  The artwork in the Grammar Allstars books are fabulous, actually all of the Gareth Stevens books have great artwork!  I love that the kids go to these books all on their own, the stories interest them and they are reinforcing the language arts skills that they are already learning, which is a huge BONUS!   The girls really love reading these and many times I have seen Alpha Boy taking a huge stack of them to his bed with him for nap time, even though he can't read them he loves to look at them.

In each book we follow along with sportscaster Buzz Star as he teams up with a child reporter to call the plays for the games of the different sports.  As they go thru the games they share tips about writing and grammar.  These stories have been very enjoyable for all of my chidlren (ages 2-10), although they are geared towards children in grades 2-4. 

There are 3 sets in this series, Kinds of Words, Parts of Speech and Writing Tools, each set has six titles in it.



Kinds of Words
  • Catch-A-Wave Compounds
  • Half Pipe Homonyns 
  • Pit Stop Prefixes
  • Slap Shot Synonoms and Antomymns
  • Karate Contractions
  • Soccer Goal Suffixs


Parts of Speech

  • Bowling Alley Adjectives
  • Touchdown Nouns
  • Hole-in-One Adverbs
  • Slam Dunk Pronouns
  • Home Run Verbs
  • Tennis Court Conjunctions
Grammar All-Stars: Writing Tools


Writing Tools

  • Kick Ball Capitalization
  • Make-A-Splash Writing Rules
  • Pedaling to Perfect Punctuation
  • Skating to Spelling Success
  • Snowboarding Similes and Metaphors
  • Track Star Sentences
These books make a great addition to any family library, whether you homeschool or not.  You can purchase these books indiviually for $19.50, in sets of six for $117.00 or the complete set for $351.00 directly from Gareth Stevens. As I said earlier these are very high quality, hard cover books, if taken care of I imagine that they would last for a very long time.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Keeping things REAL SIMPLE this week....
Monday
Chicken Stuffed Shells - The Lil Chef has been bugging asking me for the longest time to make these, they are her favorite.  I will post the recipe soon, they really are fabulous!

Tuesday
Meatloaf - do you all remember me mentioning that I was going to try a new meatloaf recipe with tomato soup, well I did and it was AMAZING.  I will post this recipe as well.

Wednesday
Breakfast Night - Egg & Sausage Casserole in the Crockpot

Thursday
Rosemary Chicken w/ Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans in the Crockpot

Friday
Super Yummy Taco Bake w/ Tortilla Chips - I know I make this ALOT but it is sooo good and so easy to make.  It is so easy in fact that I am going to double my recipe and stick a second casserole in the freezer.

Saturday
Pizza

Sunday
Spaghetti w/ Salad

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