~trying out some new salads this week~

First up was tonight's 

Asian Wonton Salad 

from Our Best Bites .

The salad is topped with a sweet asian dressing.

Every single time I make homemade dressing,

I wonder...

why do I ever buy salad dressing at the grocery???

Homemade is so much better,

so much easier really, 

(I rarely even have to buy a special ingredient - 

it's all in my pantry already)

so much better for you,

and...so much cheaper!

I left the chicken out of the recipe, 

because I wanted it vegetarian for me,

and I served the family

chicken egg rolls and fried rice.

Because as we all know,

if I served just a salad for supper...

well, it just wouldn't be pretty. ;-)

Menu Plan Monday

Supper Menus
August 15th-20th

Monday
spaghetti and meatballs, caesar salad
Tuesday
asian wonton salad, fried rice, egg rolls
Wednesday
swiss steak, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls
Thursday
southwest pasta salad, bean and cheese burritos, taquitos, tortilla chips, picante sauce, guacamole
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
bbq ribs, potato salad, pinto beans 

S'mores...in a jar!

Did you know that August 10th is 

National S'mores Day? :-) 

How about celebrating this year with some 

S'mores in a Jar?

In a one quart mason jar layer -

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Use a cute ribbon to tie on the instructions.

Yummy!

Campfire s'mores goodness...

in a jar!

Linked up to Jam Hands Recipe Sharing Monday 3.

Bakin' with Blueberries

Fresh Blueberry Cobbler
6-8 servings

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 3/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons white sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish. Place blueberries into baking dish, and mix with vanilla and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of flour, then stir in 1 tablespoon melted butter. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups of flour, baking powder, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Cut in 5 tablespoons butter until it is in small pieces. Make a well in the center, and quickly stir in the milk. Mix just until moistened. Cover, and let batter rest for 10 minutes. Spoon batter over blueberries. Mix together cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar; sprinkle over top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm with a dollop of ice cream!

Learn about blueberries here -

Blueberries 
Pick your own blueberries here -
Pick Your Own Blueberries 

Soul Surfer

Bible Quiz Day 80

Answer to question 79 - Felix (Acts 24:25)

Question 80 - When __________ baptized Jesus, the spirit descended in the the shape of a __________.

Menu Plan Monday

Supper Menus 
August 8th-13th

Monday
homemade pizza
Tuesday
fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, fried okra, dinner rolls, blueberry cobbler
Wednesday
sassy tailgate sandwiches, potato chips, carrots and celery with ranch dip
Thursday
baked potatoes with toppings
Friday
four cheese baked ziti, roasted pepper salad
Saturday
out for anniversary 

Daisy is 4!

My Daisy girl turned 4 years old today.

She is just the best little dog,

with the sweetest temperament.  

I am so thankful to have her.

I certainly don't know what I'd do without her. :-)

Happy birthday Daisy! 

Chuy's Jalapeno Ranch Dip

Chuy's Jalapeno Ranch Dip
feeds a crowd

8 ounces mayonaise
24 ounces sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup tomatillo salsa
1 handful of cilantro
3 ranch dressing packets
1/2 cup pickled jalapenos

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Awhile back I had never eaten at a Chuy's Mexican food restaurant, but had heard the jalapeno ranch dip there was very good. Then I tried a friend's homemade version and loved it! When our new Chuy's opened here in town, I couldn't wait to go and try the jalapeno dip. Guess what?? I thought my friend's was better! :-) This is her recipe. I've made it twice now, and to scale it down a bit to serve just our family, I used 1 packet of ranch, 1/4 cup jalapenos and 1/4 of the other listed ingredients.  

Linked up with Jam Hands Recipe Sharing Monday 3.

Bible Quiz Day 79

Answer to question 78 - Agrippa (Acts 26:28)

Question 79 - __________ said to Paul, "When I have a convenient season I will call for thee."

~my best parenting advice~

Today I'm linking up at Kelly's Korner

for Show Us Your Life "Parenting Advice".

When my children were small I had this quote hanging near my rocking chair -

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow,

For babies grow up, I've learned to my sorrow.

So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep!"

Against the advice of almost everyone I knew, I rocked both of my babies to sleep every-single-night until they hopped out of my lap on their own.  I have never regretted this and I remember just plugging my ears when others told me not to, that they needed to "learn" to go to sleep on their own.  Guess what?  They did learn!  When THEY thought they were too old to be rocked by Momma. ;-)

During that time I did do my cleaning and scrubbing,

but I worked it in around rocking, playing games (lots of games!), trips to the park and to the library, reading stories, playing in the backyard, homeschooling, having play dates, and hosting children's parties (lots of parties!).  Oh, how I loved the 10 and under years.  My motto back then was - ENJOY! :-)

Now, I have a tween and a teen...and most days I truly feel like I have absolutely no idea what I am doing!  Maybe when they graduate college, I might have some parenting advice for these years.

A good sign to hang right now would be -

"Keep calm and carry on!"

My motto now is - SURVIVE! ;-)

and to always remember...

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord." Psalms 127:3


...and could it be just a coincidence, or my subliminal thought process, that the pic I chose for this post of my tween and teen covers up their mouths?? ;-)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ~Pie~

What a neat idea!

The recipe can be found here.

You might also like

chocolate chip cookie dough truffles.

It's time for a hen party! ;-)

Today the chickens are one year old!

Happy birthday Loretta, Tammy, Dolly, 

Emmy Lou and Jenna Rae!

Today they go from being pullets to officially being hens. :-)

I'm still gathering between 3 and 5 eggs every day. 

Miss Dolly is still sweet.

Miss Loretta is still the one to do everything first,

including now being the first to peck at me!

She's even drawn blood once or twice...

I am threatening the stew pot!

I know most people view chickens as just yard birds 

and eggs as just something that appear in cartons 

on their grocery shelf 

and they don't ever think one more thing of it.

But to me, raising chickens has been a very rewarding,

very educational experience and I am so  thankful for it.

It's made me think about a simple little thing like an egg.

And what a wonderful, amazing thing it really is.

I plan to add three more chicks to the flock next spring.

Can't wait! :-)

~roses to remember~

I am hoping these pretty pink roses

will bring a smile to a friend's face and remind her that she is loved.

She has dealt with more physical pain in the past few years

than most of us will feel in a lifetime.

I kept out one blossom to keep on my counter.

So I will think of her when I see it.

And remember to pray for her.

I think I am going to do that from now on.

Whenever I give someone flowers.

~my best marriage advice~

Today I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner

for Show Us Your Life "Marriage Advice".

Mr. H. and I have been married for almost 17 years.

And, over those years I have certainly learned a thing or two. ;-)

My best marriage advice can be summed up in a short list...

NEVER tell your husband what to do.

NEVER tell your husband he CAN'T do something.

NEVER complain about your husband to ANYONE.

COOK for him.

SMILE and BE SWEET.

So simple, but I guarantee if you do these things 

you will be treated like a queen and everything else will just fall into place. :-)




"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 
Matthew 7:12

"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Ephesians 4:32

"Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything."

Ephesian 5:22-24

"...teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Titus 2:4-5

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.  Do not let your adornment be merely outward- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the site of God."

1 Peter 3:1-4

California Day 7 Coming Home

Today we left the last hotel we stayed at

and headed home.

After leaving Sonoma,

we drove through the beautiful

Napa Valley to the airport.

We drove through miles and miles of

grape vine covered hill sides.

Goodbye California!

Hello Heritages Schoolhouse! :-)

California Day 6 San Francisco

We enjoyed visiting San Francisco today!

a peg leg sea gull :-(

Alcatraz

Hyde Street Pier

at Fisherman's Warf 

Ghirardelli Square

driving down Lombard Street

900 Lombard Street

from Jimmy Stewart's "Vertigo"

the "Full House" house :-)

Sonoma