Hello there!
It's been a few weeks since I made a post, and I figured I better get going and blog already!
I was looking through my cookbooks the other day, and as I organized them, I realized how MANY I had! How about you? Do you have a shelf (or shelves, in my case) full of cookbooks that are old and forlorn, covered with dust?
I like to pull one out at a time and pick 1 or 2 recipes I'd really like to try. Then, plan them into next week's menu. It's pretty simple, really.
If you haven't amassed an enormous collection of cookbooks, you can still find fun new things to try. Check You Tube for lots and lots of fun cooking videos. Two of my favorite You Tube "chefs" are Betty of "Betty's Kitchen" and Titli of "Titli's Busy Kitchen". Type what I have in quotations into the You Tube serach and you'll pull up lots of neat things.
Betty's Kitchen is great for you ladies (or gents) who don't have a lot of kitchen experience. She's really thorough in explaining each step. (Don't despair if you're a seasoned veteran- she posts the recipe at the bottom of each video and you can just use that, if you'd rather!) I think you'll really like her channel. "Lazy Day Lasagna" is one of our favorite casseroles that came courtesy of her.
Titli's Busy Kitchen is filled with lots of dishes from all around the globe! This lovely lady is from the UK, but she's traveled all over and makes many different dishes (some I'd never heard of before!) She also has a website that has lots of helpful conversions. Her sense of humor is fun and unique. Just tonight I made "Baked Courgettes (Zucchini) with Feta" and it was very very good!
So, that's my tip for today- use your cookbooks! Make those investments actually pay you back with delicious meals!
If you don't have many cookbooks, try using the web to find recipes.
Now, off topic, let's see. I hope that you're having a good day. If you're in an area of the country that's been plagued by nasty storms and tornadoes, I've been praying for you.
I want you to know that though we may never have met, I hope you feel some kind of care radiating out of this blog. I care about you and so do so many others. Reader, you are blessed because our awesome God loves and cares about you, too. He's actively pursuing you, you know. Have you noticed? :) He loves you!!
God's love and pull for you are so strong that it knows no bounds. He reaches out to you every minute of every day and is constantly searching for his lost sheep. His heart breaks when they turn away, but He doesn't give up on them. No matter what has happened in your life, or what will happen in the future, there's never a bad or a wrong time to turn to Jesus. He is here for you. All the time, 24/7, 365. No problem too big, no worry too small. He's here for you. Just ask.
And there's the Holy Spirit at work, folks. That paragraph flew off of my fingers. I didn't even have to think about writing it. It practically wrote itself. If you look at it, it's not really even the same writing style. Anyway, I digress.
My point was trying to be that I care about you and I hope you're all having a good week. Share any thoughts you'd like with me below. I'd love to know what's on your mind.
Have a great day and God bless you!
Mandy
Monday, March 5, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A thought that won't leave me alone...
If, as a Christian, I am only able to get one thing right, I hope that it's to love everyone I meet to the best of my ability.
Without love, everything else seems pretty pointless.
That's all for right now. I just felt a very strong urge to write that down.
I hope you are having a marvelous day. I pray that you are finding love, comfort, and peace in your life today.
:)
Mandy
Without love, everything else seems pretty pointless.
That's all for right now. I just felt a very strong urge to write that down.
I hope you are having a marvelous day. I pray that you are finding love, comfort, and peace in your life today.
:)
Mandy
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day!
Hello to one and all and a very Happy Valentine's Day to you!
Do you celebrate this holiday? If so, what do you do that makes it special?
In this household, we keep things simple. We exchange cards and do something small and inexpensive to let the other know how much we care for them. I baked peanut butter cookies for my husband, put them in a cute container, and then put some assorted conversation hearts on top of the container to dress it up a bit.
If he was home, I'm sure I'd make us a special dinner, but since he's working, it's just a regular old dinner for me tonight.
Actually, I was trying to use up some of the stuff in the fridge, freezer, and pantry, so I kind of just came up with dinner on a whim tonight. I started with 3 Italian sausage links, added in a decent sized onion, roughly chopped, and let that brown. Next, I stirred in a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes, added some water, and finally put some quick cooking rice into the pot. When the rice was fully cooked, I stirred in Cajun seasoning and finally added some uncooked shrimp that had been lurking in the freezer. It turned into a gumbo-like skillet meal. Not too bad, for just throwing stuff in on the fly! lol
Do you ever feel helpless about certain situations? I know I sure do. I keep turning it over to God, but I'm afraid there isn't much progress being made. I pray that things will turn around soon. I'm not terribly worried- God knows what He's doing and it's not my job to be like, "Hey, hurry it up already!" lol He'll do things in His own time. Humans are ridiculously impatient, aren't we?
Have you prepared your income tax return yet? My husband does ours every year with the aid of the H&R Block tax software. Our refund should be in our account shortly. Woohoo!
I'm planning a post on utilizing your cookbooks soon- using them, when it's time to get rid of them, etc. I'm looking forward to it!
Happy Valentine's Day to you. I sincerely hope that someone has taken the time to tell you how important you are to them. You are important, and you are loved! Have a great day!
May God Bless you!
Do you celebrate this holiday? If so, what do you do that makes it special?
In this household, we keep things simple. We exchange cards and do something small and inexpensive to let the other know how much we care for them. I baked peanut butter cookies for my husband, put them in a cute container, and then put some assorted conversation hearts on top of the container to dress it up a bit.
If he was home, I'm sure I'd make us a special dinner, but since he's working, it's just a regular old dinner for me tonight.
Actually, I was trying to use up some of the stuff in the fridge, freezer, and pantry, so I kind of just came up with dinner on a whim tonight. I started with 3 Italian sausage links, added in a decent sized onion, roughly chopped, and let that brown. Next, I stirred in a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes, added some water, and finally put some quick cooking rice into the pot. When the rice was fully cooked, I stirred in Cajun seasoning and finally added some uncooked shrimp that had been lurking in the freezer. It turned into a gumbo-like skillet meal. Not too bad, for just throwing stuff in on the fly! lol
Do you ever feel helpless about certain situations? I know I sure do. I keep turning it over to God, but I'm afraid there isn't much progress being made. I pray that things will turn around soon. I'm not terribly worried- God knows what He's doing and it's not my job to be like, "Hey, hurry it up already!" lol He'll do things in His own time. Humans are ridiculously impatient, aren't we?
Have you prepared your income tax return yet? My husband does ours every year with the aid of the H&R Block tax software. Our refund should be in our account shortly. Woohoo!
I'm planning a post on utilizing your cookbooks soon- using them, when it's time to get rid of them, etc. I'm looking forward to it!
Happy Valentine's Day to you. I sincerely hope that someone has taken the time to tell you how important you are to them. You are important, and you are loved! Have a great day!
May God Bless you!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Keeping the bedroom fresh in the winter time
If your home is anything like mine, in the winter time, the bedroom can be the stuffiest room of all- especially after you've been sleeping in it all night!
Here are a few easy tips to keep it smelling fresh, clean, and comfortable.
1. Crack a window open for a few minutes every day (yes, even if it's brutally cold out there- the room needs air!)
2. Change/wash your sheets weekly
3. Give your hamper a quick spray with lysol once a week.
That's it. It might not seem like a lot, but I think you'll find it makes quite a difference. We're all busy- I understand that! However, I really feel like three little things can add up to a nicer place to sleep. :)
Okay, now that the homemaking tip is up, I am afraid I have some sad news to report.
My grandma passed away on 1/26/12. I just spent the last few days at home with my family to attend the viewing and funeral. I know that she is free of pain and is happy to be with my grandpa again, but my heart aches and I miss her lots already.
The service was very nice and it was good to see my cousins, aunts, and extended family, although the circumstances were sad ones. I slept poorly while at my parents house, but last night, I was in my own bed and slept great. What a relief.
One thing that everyone brought up about my grandma was her kind and generous spirit. She always asked if she could make you something to eat, or if you wanted a drink as soon as you came in the door- and often times, even if you didn't really need anything, she'd make it for you anyway! lol
My grandma loved gardening and the flowers that were done for the funeral were gorgeous. My mom kept looking at them and said, "It's just perfect for mom. She would have loved them!"
My advice to all of you ladies is to show love and appreciation for the people in your life. You never know when they won't be around to tell. I know that may sound silly and cliche, but it's also very true.
Bless you, dear reader.
Here are a few easy tips to keep it smelling fresh, clean, and comfortable.
1. Crack a window open for a few minutes every day (yes, even if it's brutally cold out there- the room needs air!)
2. Change/wash your sheets weekly
3. Give your hamper a quick spray with lysol once a week.
That's it. It might not seem like a lot, but I think you'll find it makes quite a difference. We're all busy- I understand that! However, I really feel like three little things can add up to a nicer place to sleep. :)
Okay, now that the homemaking tip is up, I am afraid I have some sad news to report.
My grandma passed away on 1/26/12. I just spent the last few days at home with my family to attend the viewing and funeral. I know that she is free of pain and is happy to be with my grandpa again, but my heart aches and I miss her lots already.
The service was very nice and it was good to see my cousins, aunts, and extended family, although the circumstances were sad ones. I slept poorly while at my parents house, but last night, I was in my own bed and slept great. What a relief.
One thing that everyone brought up about my grandma was her kind and generous spirit. She always asked if she could make you something to eat, or if you wanted a drink as soon as you came in the door- and often times, even if you didn't really need anything, she'd make it for you anyway! lol
My grandma loved gardening and the flowers that were done for the funeral were gorgeous. My mom kept looking at them and said, "It's just perfect for mom. She would have loved them!"
My advice to all of you ladies is to show love and appreciation for the people in your life. You never know when they won't be around to tell. I know that may sound silly and cliche, but it's also very true.
Bless you, dear reader.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wasting time
Wasting time- we all do it. Sometimes we feel like we just need to do nothing.
Sure. Everyone needs a break. You're working hard, you come home, and you don't feel like cleaning up the house. I understand. I'm in the exact same situation.
Here's my suggestion. Take 15 minutes- that's all- and clean up 1 area of your house. Rotate what room you do on which day. And if you're feelin' it, keep on going!
Have you ever followed the FLY lady? She's all about routines- which are a good thing! The only ones I've ever been any good at are shining my sink and cleaning up things 15 minutes at a time. It really really works.
That's my advice to you today, readers. Clean up 15 minutes a day, whether you feel like it or not.
Your house will come together and you'll feel better.
Sure. Everyone needs a break. You're working hard, you come home, and you don't feel like cleaning up the house. I understand. I'm in the exact same situation.
Here's my suggestion. Take 15 minutes- that's all- and clean up 1 area of your house. Rotate what room you do on which day. And if you're feelin' it, keep on going!
Have you ever followed the FLY lady? She's all about routines- which are a good thing! The only ones I've ever been any good at are shining my sink and cleaning up things 15 minutes at a time. It really really works.
That's my advice to you today, readers. Clean up 15 minutes a day, whether you feel like it or not.
Your house will come together and you'll feel better.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A New Look!!
Well, I can't be shy about this because I'm thrilled that I finally took the time to learn how to do it- my blog is finally pretty!! Woohoo!
Do you know, reader, how long I have wished my blog looked nice? Since I started it...before that, even, since I used to blog with brave journal and I really couldn't change much.
I actually just spent some time reading through my old journal. I was a lot more entertaining then. lol I guess I'm old and stuffy now, compared to 2005-2009.
Here's one of the last things I blogged about (talking about different types of blogs I had found and how mine wasn't quite like any of them...which is still true today!).
November, 2009
"I'm not cheap enough for the frugal blogs (and I am cheap...I just don't paint toilet paper tubes and fill them with candy as Christmas presents...because that is ridiculous)."
Yes. I'm still not cheap enough to do that- not that I'm judging you if you're saving your Charmin tubes. lol!
MASH is on right now. I have no idea what is going on, but Radar is carrying a girl through this field. Looks like she's sick or hurt or something. Now Hawkeye is driving her back (I assume to MASH).
I made something new for supper tonight- pizza chicken rollups. It was in a Taste Of Home's Quick Cooking magazine and I have to say- it was easy and really good. Just take 4 chicken breasts, pound them out to about 1/4 inch thick, throw a few pieces of pepperoni on them, then put a slice of mozzarella cheese on them, roll em up, fasten with a toothpick and top them with pizza sauce. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (covered with foil) then uncover and put more cheese on top. Bake another 10 minutes or so, till the cheese is nice and melty.
I served mine with a spinach salad. It really wasn't hard to make. Pounding out chicken is always a pain in the rear, but hey, it produced delicious results.
I just picked up an old cross stitch project the other day- it has been a very long time since I've taken the time to work on any kind of needlework at all. However, I'm happy to be back at it. It's a nice cozy activity during these winter months. I still hope to piece together a quilt someday. Maybe. We shall see. I just have this feeling that I'd make the top and then lose interest.
I really sort of rambled off topic. Are you surprised?? lol You shouldn't be!
At any rate, to wrap things up, I am so glad to have you here, reading my blog and I hope that you enjoy the new look!
Have a great night everyone!
Mandy
Do you know, reader, how long I have wished my blog looked nice? Since I started it...before that, even, since I used to blog with brave journal and I really couldn't change much.
I actually just spent some time reading through my old journal. I was a lot more entertaining then. lol I guess I'm old and stuffy now, compared to 2005-2009.
Here's one of the last things I blogged about (talking about different types of blogs I had found and how mine wasn't quite like any of them...which is still true today!).
November, 2009
"I'm not cheap enough for the frugal blogs (and I am cheap...I just don't paint toilet paper tubes and fill them with candy as Christmas presents...because that is ridiculous)."
Yes. I'm still not cheap enough to do that- not that I'm judging you if you're saving your Charmin tubes. lol!
MASH is on right now. I have no idea what is going on, but Radar is carrying a girl through this field. Looks like she's sick or hurt or something. Now Hawkeye is driving her back (I assume to MASH).
I made something new for supper tonight- pizza chicken rollups. It was in a Taste Of Home's Quick Cooking magazine and I have to say- it was easy and really good. Just take 4 chicken breasts, pound them out to about 1/4 inch thick, throw a few pieces of pepperoni on them, then put a slice of mozzarella cheese on them, roll em up, fasten with a toothpick and top them with pizza sauce. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (covered with foil) then uncover and put more cheese on top. Bake another 10 minutes or so, till the cheese is nice and melty.
I served mine with a spinach salad. It really wasn't hard to make. Pounding out chicken is always a pain in the rear, but hey, it produced delicious results.
I just picked up an old cross stitch project the other day- it has been a very long time since I've taken the time to work on any kind of needlework at all. However, I'm happy to be back at it. It's a nice cozy activity during these winter months. I still hope to piece together a quilt someday. Maybe. We shall see. I just have this feeling that I'd make the top and then lose interest.
I really sort of rambled off topic. Are you surprised?? lol You shouldn't be!
At any rate, to wrap things up, I am so glad to have you here, reading my blog and I hope that you enjoy the new look!
Have a great night everyone!
Mandy
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Happy New Year! (A few days late)
Welcome to 2012, everyone! Now that we've been here for a few days and are starting to get comfortable, how's it going?
I can't really say that I'm big on resolutions. I sort of pretend to make one up and I think about it for a day or so, but I really don't ever get much out of it.
I did accomplish one thing last year- I read the Bible. Woot! I feel pretty good about finishing it up. I'm doing it again this year. It's free and pretty easy to do through CBN's website. You can even have the guy read it to you if you're busy doing other things. I tend to listen to it when I'm folding evaluation letters at work or opening mail. Both are mindless tasks that don't require me to focus so it's easy to do two things at once.
It's funny...I've looked through quite a few blogs on the blogger site- everyone seems to have some sort of area of expertise that they post about regularly, some hobby, craft, talent...just something. My blog is literally about what I am thinking about when I write it. I am terrible at planning things out. I like to do things off the top of my head. Maybe that could be how my blog is unique- it's not planned out, it's not really edited. It's just me being me. What you see is what you get. :)
I have a gut feeling that I'm going to get called in for jury duty next week. I hope that I'm wrong. So far, I've only been "on call" which means I don't have to report, but... I don't know. This week just feels different. I will check Friday after 5:15 like I'm supposed to. Hopefully it will still just say on call, but I have a feeling I'm going to be scheduled to show up.
You know what's funny? I would love to be a juror. There are so many bad people out there, and I'm so ready to listen and if they are bad, I am putting their butts away. I just am so so so apprehensive about driving to Scranton. I believe I've mentioned before how much I hate driving. Yeah, that hasn't changed. lol
So, what else is new? Not much. My grandma is still not doing well. She's been moved from the hospital to White Cliff Nursing Home. She has a Dr.'s appointment today, so they'll find out if the chemo stopped the cancer from growing at all. The Dr.'s aren't optimistic, but you never know. I've been praying a lot and I know that God does answer prayers. :)
I can't really say that I'm big on resolutions. I sort of pretend to make one up and I think about it for a day or so, but I really don't ever get much out of it.
I did accomplish one thing last year- I read the Bible. Woot! I feel pretty good about finishing it up. I'm doing it again this year. It's free and pretty easy to do through CBN's website. You can even have the guy read it to you if you're busy doing other things. I tend to listen to it when I'm folding evaluation letters at work or opening mail. Both are mindless tasks that don't require me to focus so it's easy to do two things at once.
It's funny...I've looked through quite a few blogs on the blogger site- everyone seems to have some sort of area of expertise that they post about regularly, some hobby, craft, talent...just something. My blog is literally about what I am thinking about when I write it. I am terrible at planning things out. I like to do things off the top of my head. Maybe that could be how my blog is unique- it's not planned out, it's not really edited. It's just me being me. What you see is what you get. :)
I have a gut feeling that I'm going to get called in for jury duty next week. I hope that I'm wrong. So far, I've only been "on call" which means I don't have to report, but... I don't know. This week just feels different. I will check Friday after 5:15 like I'm supposed to. Hopefully it will still just say on call, but I have a feeling I'm going to be scheduled to show up.
You know what's funny? I would love to be a juror. There are so many bad people out there, and I'm so ready to listen and if they are bad, I am putting their butts away. I just am so so so apprehensive about driving to Scranton. I believe I've mentioned before how much I hate driving. Yeah, that hasn't changed. lol
So, what else is new? Not much. My grandma is still not doing well. She's been moved from the hospital to White Cliff Nursing Home. She has a Dr.'s appointment today, so they'll find out if the chemo stopped the cancer from growing at all. The Dr.'s aren't optimistic, but you never know. I've been praying a lot and I know that God does answer prayers. :)
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