Wednesday - Lightning and Eggplant Pizzas

Today started off with Nana making cards for Papa with the girls.  She always bring lots of fun crafts and the girls enjoy doing them with her.

After the card making session, they took a walk to the park.

While they were gone to the park, I made this 

Good for You Greek Salad.

3 large tomatoes, chopped

2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper

4 oz. feta cheese

6 black Greek olives, pitted and sliced

Since this salad recipe was not planned, I had to use a white onion and omitted the olives since I had none.  But it was delicious anyway!

Then I whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  

After lunch, we had planned on spending the afternoon at the pool.  However, about 10 minutes after getting in, we had to get out because of lightning.  We ended up getting our money back and going home.  That and getting stuck in traffic from two accidents made for an unprofitable afternoon. :(

However, I tried a new recipe for dinner and really enjoyed it!  

Eggplant Pizzas

2 eggs

seasoned bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

oil

1 large eggplant - sliced in 1/2 inch rounds

Dip each round in egg then in the mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Fry in the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Arrange on a baking sheet. 

pizza sauce

mozzarella cheese

Top with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

I enjoyed these very much!  I served them with Southwest chicken strips and the Good for You Greek Salad - chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Then it was a Silent Auction that Nana put together for the girls and work for Mommy.

Sierra did mention that when it got dark...they would have a Girl Chat Time on the deck. :)

Tuesday - Hot August Nights and Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Picking up Nana at the airport!

Classic car show - Hot August Nights.  Great event every year in Reno.

We then stopped at our new church building and took Nana on a tour.  We even visited the Pastor in his office and looked through the church yearbook. :)

Dinner was one of the family's favorites - 

Corned beef and cabbage!  

Corned beef and cabbage is sooo easy. 

1 corned beef flat brisket

8-10 red potatoes

1 bag of baby carrots

1 onion sliced in rings

1 head of cabbage (cut in fourths)

I split this up into two slow cookers.  Simply cut the brisket in half.  Top with carrots, red potatoes, and onion.  Add spice packet and water.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours (depending on slow cooker).  Add cabbage on top the last couple hours.

I also made a batch of Bread Machine Dinner Rolls by Betty Crocker.  Sooo good!

1 cup water

2 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

3 1/4 cup Better for Bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. bread machine or active dry yeast

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended.  Select Dough/Manual cycle.

Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.

Grease large cookie sheet. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with melted butter.

For dessert, Five Minute Cheesecake.  You can find the recipe at this link.

After dinner, we sang around the piano, had family devotions and sat on the deck and talked under the night sky and my solar light jars. :)

Everyday things.

Everyday Moments

Today is a very special day...my mom comes for her yearly visit!  

Enjoy the everyday moments is the theme.  

No, I am not that crazy to plan a theme for a family visit.  LOL!  Now, I do have every day planned with an activity that we will be doing as well as my dinner menu. :)

Sometimes, the little things that you do every day is the most memorable.  I asked my girls one time what was their favorite thing to do with Nana when she comes and they said, Taking a walk around the neighborhood.

An everyday moment.

I want to...

Bake oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies.

Sit on our deck on the swing and enjoy the night.

Watch the sunset.

Enjoy a morning cup of coffee.

Spend an afternoon at the pool.

Talk.

Do crafts with the kids.

Have a family dinner.

Go thrift store shopping.

Talk.

Sing together in church.

Just everyday things.

Do something everyday today.

You Were There

Yesterday, I had a very real experience.

My client at my work lost her husband of 74 years about three weeks ago.  Since that time, she has fallen into a deep depression and has lost her will to live.

This lady, who has lived 93 years on this earth, came to the end, faced a situation and had no hope.  

As I drove home, I just bawled.  The tears kept flowing and I couldn't stop them.  This song came on the CD my daughter had in my van.

"You Were There"

Weary from the trials that it seemed I faced alone.

Wondering why God left me here to struggle on my own.

I thought of all the verses and the Scriptures I had read.

How He promised to be with me,

How He never would forsake me.

So with all the faith within me, I cried out to God and said,

"You were there for Moses; you were there for Joseph;

you were there for David when he didn't have a prayer.

You were there for Stephen so I believe in time I'll see

That through it all, you were there for me."

I could hardly imagine a life lived without God.  

I could barely envision a life lived and no hope.  

It was almost too much to really comprehend.

The most wonderful thing...around 6:30am yesterday morning, she bowed her head and trusted Jesus as her Savior.

What was I thinking on my way home?

Who else do I know that doesn't know Jesus as THEIR Savior?  Who else do I know is without hope?

Is it you? 

 You may say, I have a wonderful life.  So did she.  Yet, she came to the end and realized that no matter what a good life she had, it was all a loss without Jesus.

I beg you if you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior today, that you won't wait.  

I beg you if you are already a Christian, ask God daily for these two things:  

First, pray for salvation of the people you already know that live among and around you.

Secondly, ask God for divine opportunities to share Christ.

  

I thank God that "He was there for me."

My Go-To Dessert: Five Minute Cheesecake

Someone recently asked me if I had a "go to" meal that I take to those in need such as having a baby, moving to a new home, illness or surgery, etc.

I think I would claim this recipe as my "go to" dessert.  It is simple, quick and you will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't care for cheesecake. :)

Five Minute - Four Ingredient - No Bake Cheesecake

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 - 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese

Soften the cream cheese.  Mix with a beater.  Add sweetened condensed milk and then Cool Whip.  Mix in lemon or lime juice.  Pour into a graham cracker crust.  Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours.

You can add any type of topping you want or serve plain.

What "Always" Really Means

"You always..."

Have you ever said the statement "You always..." followed by a negative statement to someone?  Has someone ever said that statement to you?

What does that really mean to that person?  You feel it means that you are simply stating a fact.  However, it really says something much deeper to that person.

It says..."You always...therefore you always fail."  You see, when the ALWAYS and a negative are combined, it states that the person has NEVER succeeded in that particular area of life.   Are there times that this may be true?  Perhaps.  But not likely.  

Does this person know they struggle?  I would say 99.9% of the time, yes.  They realize their struggle.  They understand their faults.  Yet when they are told that they always do that thing that they struggle with...they can't remember their victories.  For all that is brought up is failure. 

Do you know what can help any relationship?  Eliminate the words always and never from your vocabulary. Your spouse needs to hear your love and encouragement - not to feel defeated and like a failure.  Your children need moms and dads who believe in them and make them feel so.  Pastor's wives, church members need to know that even though failure is present...they can still succeed with Christ.

Reevaluate today and take out those words...always and never.  I know it will make a positive change in your relationships.

Life is Messy. Stop Fighting.

Some days just seem a whirlwind of chaos.  Life just seems messy.  

You mop the floor...the dog walks on it with muddy paws.

You wash the dishes...someone decides they now need a glass of milk.

You bathe and dress your toddler...they apply lotion to their hair instead of their skin.

Perhaps it is more life serious.

You go to the doctor and are diagnosed with an illness.

An unexpected bill arrives and buries you financially.

You are laid off from your place of employment.

No matter how small or big the storm is...we are ready to fight.  We are ready to save ourselves and those around us.  

But we cannot be the hero of our story.  

We must let God have control.  

For it is when we give up control, that is when God can come and save us from the storm of chaos.

"I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me."

Psalms 55:8,16

What whirlwind is creating a chaotic mess of your life today?  Call upon the Lord...and be saved.

Summer Fun on a Budget

Summer is quickly flying by.  Don't miss out on many great things for kids - many that are very cheap or free!  There is still time to make a few more summer memories yet. :)

I take my girls to the free summer lunch program every day at the park.  This saves on my grocery budget weekly and we get fresh air and sunshine.

Check out your local pools and splash parks in your town.  The above photo is our new local splash park right around the corner.  It is $3 per person...take snacks, a cool drink and a good book to read!  Or just go to the river - it's free. :)

VBS - Last week, our girls attended a week long Vacation Bible School at a local church in our area every evening.  They have a great time and look forward to it every day.

This week, they attended an afternoon Bible Day Camp at a park right by our house.  Again, they have a great time playing games, puppets, songs and crafts. 

Keep your eye out for freebies or cheapies!  Of course, we had to get free slurpees on 7-11.  Last summer, we got the $.50 ice cream cones at Burger King once a week.  Then it was $.25 iced coffees.  There are lots of goodies to find that are a big deal to kids!

(The one in front is my adopted child, Reagan. ;)  I babysit her.)

The library is probably our favorite free summer spot!

And you can find many great family events that are free.  Here are the girls at a production of Charlotte's Web by a local theater company in Reno that was free.  It was a great play and we enjoyed it very much!

Next week, we will be taking a two day mini vacation to California.  The girls entered a reading program last school year and earned each a free ticket to Six Flags Amusement Park!  The next day, we will take a free tour of the Jelly Belly Factory.  What a fun and free time!

So get out there and make a few more memories before the summer ends!

Three Helpful Items to Organize Your Personal Closet

Here are three items that I have found to be very helpful in organizing my personal closet.

1.  A hanging shoe organizer.

2.  A hanging scarf organizer.

3.  A hanging purse organizer.

The shoe organizer is great for all the summer flip flops, sandals and cute little flats.  I still use the bottom of the closet for boots, tennis shoes and heels.

The scarf organizer was given to me for my birthday by my MIL.  It is great to keep your scarves organized and it is very easy to find the perfect scarf to match your outfit quickly.

The purse organizer I purchased on Amazon.com and it is really a great item!  It holds six purses (I do have a couple doubled up).   

For my clothes side (since my closet is on the small side), I use skirt hangars bought at a garage sale for $1 each which hold 4 skirts per hangar.  These greatly decrease the space used in my closet. 

Purge!

Take out all empty hangars and store in a separate place.

Organize by category.  

(Skirts, short-sleeve casual, long-sleeve casual, sweaters/cardigans, short-sleeve dressy, long-sleeve dressy, dresses, etc.)

Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

Guest Post:  By Jenny Musser

I usually post about organizing and decorating! I am done with working for the summer and with my to do list...until I think of something that needs to be re-organized or re-painted!  :)  

My mom is in town for a few weeks and I plan on relaxing and enjoying the rest of the summer!  One thing I always like to make during the summer is this pasta salad.  I got the recipe from my mom...it's so easy and yummy!! 

Italian Pasta Salad

-box of spiral noodles

-16oz bottle of Wish Bone Italian Dressing 

(I have tried other brands but Wish Bone is my personal favorite) 

-small block of cheese (whatever is your favorite)

-red pepper, green pepper, cucumber

You can also add olives, pepperoni or cherry tomatoes. 

It taste best when you make it the night before and let it marinate.

Hope you enjoy this easy summer recipe!   

How To Organize Your Belts

One of my organizing projects I had on my to do list was to deal with the issue of belts.  I kept mine in a drawer and my husband kept his on hangars but both were not the best way to keep them organized and easily accessible.

I decided to install a single curtain rod in the back of my husband's closet.  I couldn't seem to find the right S hooks that I originally wanted.  The employee at True Value suggested these (on the left above) and they worked just fine. :)  They are shower curtain hooks.

I found the ones on the right at Dollar General and am keeping them for future projects. 

Simply open the hook and hang on the rod with the belt.

A super simple project completed in less than 10 minutes. 

Take a few minutes each day to organize!

Organizing Chunky Necklaces

So my friend, Jenny, created a problem for me.  She gave me more jewelry than I had room for in my jewelry box.  Good problem. ;)  So I decided it was time to solve the problem.  

Remember the hat bar in yesterday's post?  Well, I created the same thing for my necklaces!  Now, there are many different ideas for organizing jewelry on Pinterest.  

Jenny shared her ideas in a previous post found here!  

Organizing Your Accessories

Right now, I needed something just for my chunky necklaces.  

One curtain rod.  And shower hooks.  The style I chose were double hooks.  I can actually hang two necklaces from one hook!

Again, you can hang this inside a closet but we don't have large enough closets for this.  However, it is pretty enough to hang on a bedroom wall...and that is what I did!

A future project is to hang a second curtain rod above this one for my bracelets.  I will use the S shape shower curtain hooks for bracelets.  

The only problem...it makes it more enticing for my daughters to borrow my jewelry. ;)  

Happy Organizing!

Idea for Organizing Hats

Hats.  What a difficult item to store and keep organized.

My husband is particular about his hats.  Of course, you don't want to squish them where they lose their shape.  It can take valuable space on a closet shelf. (Or in our case, a jumbled pile of dusty hats on the closet shelf.)  

I found this idea on Pinterest and created a hat bar for my husband!

I bought a simple curtain rod.  And I bought the shower rings that have clips on them.  

Simply clip on the back of the hat and you are done!  The clips work great especially for fitted hats which won't have the opening in the back for a hook or ring like other styles of shower rings.

You could install this in a closet if you have the space.  We don't so I installed mine on the wall behind our bedroom door.  

This would be a wonderful idea for husbands or sons!  Happy organizing!

Recipe: Broccoli-Bacon Salad

A lady in our church made this delicious salad for a potluck and I wanted to share it with you.  Delicious!

Broccoli-Bacon Salad

Medium bowl of chopped broccoli (2 heads)

1/2 cup chopped red onions

1 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled

Sauce:

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sugar 

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Such a refreshing salad for a warm summer day!

How to RePurpose Old Decor

Repurposing Old Decor

*By:  Mrs. Jenny Musser*

Josh and I have been working hard these last few weekends in our backyard getting things crossed off our list of projects.  One thing on my list was to decorate our back patio.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on this so I looked through the garage to see if I could repurpose anything by spray painting it a bright color. 

I had a metal tree that had been out in the sun and was faded.  I also had a tray, an urn and a wall hanging. They were all metal so they would be great for outside.  

So a coat of bright spray paint gives new life to these old items.  My favorite spray paint is Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X which is about $4 a can.  If you do a lot of spray painting, you have to get one of these spray guns for $7 at Home Depot..no more getting spray paint all over your fingers!  Before you paint, just make sure you clean whatever you plan on painting!  

Happy Repurposing!!!   

King Solomon and HGTV

While working nights, I often watch HGTV.  Sigh...House Hunters and Property Brothers to be exact. I love it very much. :) 

There was one episode where this couple was searching for a home...and she made this statement:

"I want to come home from work and feel this house is worth going to work for."

Living your life to accumulate wealth on this earth.  And then you die and it is over.  

The book of Ecclesiastes personifies this beautifully.  The richest man on all the earth...had all that he could desire and more...yet proclaimed it "all vanity".

What is the one thing worth striving for in this life?  The one thing to get up for in the morning?

God.  

Are you finding yourself going through the motions of life?  Has the light gone out of your eye?  Has your joy disappeared?

God.

Are you discouraged...defeated...down?  Not sure why you do what you do anymore?

God.  

I challenge you today to view everything temporal in the light of the eternal.  

Recipe: Praline Cheesecake

Quiet 4th of July...this is what I did...

Praline Cheesecake

This recipe is very easy and makes for an awesome presentation!  Great for any special occasion.

66 vanilla wafers, divided
1 cup and 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine of butter, melted
3 packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 bag Kraft caramel bits
3 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325.

Crush 50 wafers finely; mix with 1/4 cup sugar and margarine.  Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Stand remaining wafers around the edge, pressing gently into crust to secure.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended.  Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended.  Pour over crust.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set.  Run small knife around the rim of pan to loosed crust.  Cool before removing rim.  Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Microwave caramels and milk in microwavable bowl on high 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds.  Cool slightly.  Pour over cheesecake; top with nuts.