Happy Mother's Day!

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five hungry people, promptly announces that she has never really cared for pie."

~Tenneva Jordan

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 servings

6 medium bell peppers

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

2 cups cooked rice

1 can (11 ounces) corn kernels, drained

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Slice tops off peppers; cut away ribs and remove seeds. Steam peppers until softened slightly, about 4 minutes. Brown ground beef and onion; drain fat. Add Worcestershire sauce, stewed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir in cooked rice, corn, and seasonings. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Place the peppers upright in a casserole dish and spoon filling into peppers. Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle tops of the peppers with remaining cheese and bake uncovered 10 minutes more or until cheese has browned. Enjoy!

This recipe makes more meat mixture then you need for six peppers - so freeze half of it. On a busy night, all you need to do is thaw the filling, steam six more peppers and you're ready to go!

A Little Thread of Gold

"Doing up cut fingers, kissing hurt places, and singing bedtime songs are small things by themselves; but they will inculcate a love for home and family that will last through life and help to keep America a land of homes.

Putting up the school lunch for the children or cooking a good meal for the family may seem very insignificant tasks as compared with giving a lecture, writing a book, or doing other things that have a larger audience; but I doubt if, in the ultimate reckoning, they will count for as much. It belittles us to think of our daily tasks as small things, and if we continue to do so, it will in time make us small. It will narrow our horizon and make of our work just drudgery.

There are so many little things that are really very great, and when we learn to look beyond the insignificant appearing acts themselves to their far reaching consequences, we will 'despise not the day of small things.' We will feel an added dignity and poise from the fact that our everyday round of duties is as important as any other part of the work of the world.

And just as a little thread of gold, running through a fabric, brightens the whole garment, so women's work at home, while only the doing of little things, is like the golden gleam of sunlight that runs through and brightens all the fabric of civilization."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder, May 1923

Linked to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

My new kitchen chalkboard...

...a la Mrs. Wilt.

Thank you, Mrs. Wilt, for the wonderful idea. I will enjoy this new addition to my kitchen very much!

And thank you to my handy, sweet husband for hanging it for me as soon as I brought it home!

(Please visit TheSparrowsNest for my inspiration!)

How long 'till school's out?

11 days!

Who's more excited - the students or the teacher? Sometimes it's a bit hard to tell around here! :-)

My sweet husband's newest hobby. :-)

(I requested a "George Strait" guitar and that's what he got!)

I Cannot Change the World

I Cannot Change the World

I cannot change the world, Lord,
No matter how I try.
Only You have power
Of things beneath the sky.

But, still You do encourage
The little things I do,
Like showing love and kindness
And telling folks of You.

I cannot change the world, Lord,
But I can love and care.
I know that You will nurture
Each seed I plant out there.

And You will bring forth blossoms
From little things I do.
I cannot change the world, Lord,
But I’ll do my best for you.

~John and Edna Massimilla

"...the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." I Corinthians 3:5-9

Chicken Jambalaya
6 servings

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tablespoon oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 -3 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

Saute chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes, or until nicely browned. Stir in the broth, rice, celery, onion, green pepper, seasoning, garlic, and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Shine Your Sink Every Day...

the FlyLady way!

To keep my sink shiny I have a friend -

Mrs. Meyer!

Thank you to Mrs. Wilt, of The Sparrow's Nest, for introducing us!

My reminder for all those times when the sink isn't quite so 'shiny'...

Thank you God for dirty dishes;

They have a tale to tell.

While other folk go hungry,

We're eating very well.

With home and health and happiness,

We shouldn't want to fuss;

For by this stack of evidence,

God's been very good to us!

The Laundry Room

"Keep it clean and orderly. Decorate it cheerfully so that it won't be a trial for you to get in there and do your work. Keep the dryer and washer free from clutter on the tops. Hang shelves for your supplies and detergents. Have respect for yourself and treat your clothes with thankfulness and love. Your family is special. Each one deserves to have clothing which fits properly and has not been treated horribly by shoving all the colors and textures into one large load. All your family's clothes should be able to have the label - washed with tender loving care!"

from Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills by Martha Greene

The Laundry Schedule

Monday - dish towels, bath towels, undergarments
Tuesday - white shirts, tan/gray shirts, black/blue shirts
Wednesday - maroon/red shirts, camouflage (yes, I have enough to do a separate load of camo each week!)
Thursday - light colors, dark colors
Friday - dress clothes, Dryel
Saturday - sheets, bedspreads, blankets

Some homekeepers like to do all the laundry one day a week - two or three loads each day, started early, works for me!

The Laundry Baskets

A labeled basket for each load makes sorting laundry painless!

(And a husband that builds all the shelves you could ever need to hold those baskets makes doing laundry a joy!)

Ode to the Backyard Clothesline

You'll say I'm "quaintly countrified,"
Old fashioned - as you please.
But I love the sight of fresh, clean laundry
Tossing in the breeze.
To suspend each garment on the line,
Then give the wind full play;
To caress and gently fragrance
In that sweet "outdoorsy"way.
They bask in sunny radiance,
Towels neatly hung in rows;
Snowy linens snapping crisply
Darling dancing baby clothes.
And when at dusk I gather them
I feel extremely blessed
That line-dried and sun kissed cleanliness
Clothe the ones that I love best.

by Juanita M. Vernon

from Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills by Martha Greene

Yesterday afternoon, I had just finished preparing the corn and black bean salsa. The scent of chopped onion and cilantro, as well as the freshly squeezed lime juice was still lingering in the air. My sweet husband happened to pass by my computer as I was posting the picture of the salsa. He said, "Mmmm...is that 'smell-a-vision'?" :-)

Spiral Pasta Salad

Spiral Pasta Salad
12 servings

1 package (12 ounces) tri color spiral pasta
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Combine pasta, tomato, pepper, onion, and olives. Combine vinegar, honey, mustard and spices. Whisk in oil. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving and enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup - Summertime Fun, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup - Potluck Favorites.

Favorite Homekeeping and Home Organization Books

Better Homes and Gardens - Making a House a Home
Emilie Barnes - The Creative Home Organizer
Emilie Barnes - Household Hints
Martha Greene - Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills
Cheryl Mendelson - Home Comforts
Donna Otto - Get More Done in Less Time
Deniece Schofield - Confessions of an Organized Housewife
Deniece Schofield - Confessions of a Happily Organized Family

Home School Helps

for resources

• rainbowresource
• christianbookdistributors
• christianlibertypress

for curriculum

• oldfashionededucation
• amblesideonline
• notebookingpages
• nationalgeographic
• enchantedlearning
• worksheetworks
• saxonmathhomeschoolonlineactivities
• wordlywise3000onlineactivities

for planning

• donnayoung

for encouragement

• smoothingtheway

for fun

• bookitprogram

Rainy Evening Game

Basari

Happy Cinco di Mayo!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
(makes two pans - one to eat and one to freeze!)
10 servings

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 cups cooked chicken, shredded
20 flour tortillas
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican blend cheese

Beat cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken. Place 1/4 cup mixture down center of each tortilla and place seam side down in 2 greased 13x9x2 in. baking dishes. Combine soup, sour cream, milk and chilies; pour over enchiladas. Baked, uncovered at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

I used all low fat ingredients in this recipe to help it not be such a "girdle buster". :-) My family didn't notice a thing and the recipe was still so rich that one enchilada was very satisfying.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Corn and Black Bean Salsa
6 cups

1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

juice of 1 lime

Combine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 dozen

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil and egg; blend well. Add dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round Up

Thrifting Treasure

Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining 1959

"The hostess who thinks of her party as a gift to her friends can't go wrong - a gift of people with whom they'll have fun - a gift of food they will enjoy - a gift of herself by having that food ready to serve without confusion - and a gift of confidence by letting them know what kind of a party is planned and how to dress for it."

Rainy Days and Mondays Always...

...make me smile! :-)