Letter to Santa....

I have two children left that still sit on Santa's lap.

This is Portia's letter to Santa this year.

Dear Santa

  So I am haveing a problem.  I don't now what to get from you.  You deside.  OK here they are.

1. The "Sun Set" Malibu barbie 'n friend's,

2. The barbie camper or

3. Juliette Hair Styling Salon.

you You chouse chouce  chose choes chore choues

love Portia

So my dilema is......

Portia loves looking at my vintage 1971 Sears toy catalog.  WELL... she decided to write her Christmas list from that!!

I said honey, they don't make those toys anymore, so Santa won't be able to get them.

She said...

Mom!

Santa can make anything!

At least she gave Santa a choice!

I adore date night, it actually makes my whole week.

Lauren who is 14 does the babysitting.  I also adore having children old enough to babysit!

I found these picture on my camera after date night last week.

This is what my girls do when we are gone...

So they dance around to the music station on TV...

Use the baby rattle for a microphone...

At least Sophie had her bath already.

Nothin' like some air guitar with your umbrella.

Nice one Lolli!

So this is why the dishes are never done when we get home!!



Have you started Christmas shopping?

Here are a few good places to find your gifts!

Tinkered Treasures











Elyse from Tinkered Treasures, makes the cutest little things. 
She makes ordinary objects all bright and pretty.




Another gal I know makes signs, ornaments, tiles, home decor....
Her shop is Said in Stone.









Deborah from Art and Soul  now has jewelry pendants in addition to her watercolors.








Of course the Farm Chicks



Isn't that sweet?  I love the fun little things there.  I only wish I could
go to the actual store and shop!



















Do you know of a sweet little girl that needs a new dress?

Tammy from She Wears Flowers makes these dresses.



This pink dress is so sweet with it's ruffly flower across the top.




This little white dress is precious, I want one for my little girl.  You could put a little apron over it or a cardigan or she could wear it over jeans.


One of my favorite etsy shops is Pixel Impress



She has calling cards, greeting cards, note cards, calendars....and so much more!
I get all my business cards (calling cards) from her.



My friend Lisa has a home show business with
My Thirty One


They have bags, totes, lunch totes, aprons, blankets and so  much more!




There are beautiful pictures at http://www.nejellaphotoart.etsy.com/

I also love http://www.pamg.etsy.com/

If you have a cook in your family, a great gift would be a subscription to the new
Where Women Cook magazine.  While your there check out the Where Women Create magazine too!
It's my favorite!

Of course a Lollibag makes a great gift too!

Where is your favorite place to shop for Christmas gifts?

Food Friday~An Old Favorite



Remember this recipe?

A veggie pizza made with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls!

Now I know crescent rolls are NOT good for you, BUT who doesn't love them?

My grandma always made a ton at the holidays and my best friends dad worked for Pillsbury in Minneapolis his whole life.  Rach and I used to take the bus downtown with him and hang out at his office all day on a Saturday.  It was so much fun!  We would take the skyways to the IDS building and EVERYWHERE! We had to have been only 13 or 14, that is one of my favorite memories in my whole life.

Oh I would love to do that again Rach! Lets do!

OH and I made this way back in middle school in Home Ec.

Veggie Pizza

1 8oz. pkg crescent rolls

1 8 oz. container of desired flavored vegetable dip (1 cup)

1 1/2 C chopped raw veggies (red peppers, broccoli, carrots, etc.)

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 13x9x2 baking pan with foil, allowing ends of foil to hang over edge of pan.  For crust, unroll dough (do not seperate).  Press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing perforations to seal.

Bake about 12 minutes or until golden.  Cool crust in the pan on a wire rack.  Using the foil to lift, remove crust from pan; remove and discard foil.  Transfer crust to a serving tray.

Spread vegetable dip over the cooled crust to within 1/2 in. of the edges.  Arrange assorted veggies and cheese on top of the dip.  Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 1 hour.  Cut into squares to serve.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings.

Do you remember this recipe?

Trust?



The other night my 8 year old brought a book to me, she wanted me to read it for devotions.

It was a story about Elijah and the prophets of baal.  Taken from 1 Kings 17-18.

As I read the story, I realized I needed to read it.  The story of Elijah is amazing!

Then I remembered, hey!  Wasn't Elijah taken to heaven without dying?  YES! 

So I looked up that verse...

2 Kings 2:11

As they (elijah and elisha) were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Isn't that amazing??  Then I remembered I had a book about Elijah by Charles Swindoll.

I am reading it right now.  At one point God tells Elijah to go to Cherith and live by a brook and he will send ravens to bring him food.

How is that for having to trust in God?

Can you imagine God telling you to go somewhere and live by a brook and trust that birds will bring you food??  I would grow impatient, I'm sure...

Like I am now, with our home for sale.... not knowing, when it will sell, where we will live..looking at the economy, thinking HOW??  The thing is, I cannot do anything about it,  BUT trust in God!

I do not like not knowing, I like having a plan, being prepared, in control.

I am none of these things at the moment and for who knows how long?

And I suppose that is THE POINT!

Trust.

All I want for Christmas is....

My house sold and a Lehman's gift card!

I know...Lehman's... you ask?

Yes, there is something about being able to make do and live off your land, that appeals to me.

Odd, I know.

Since I also cannot live without a trip to the cosmetics counter once a month.

Or a beauty salon.

And every garden I've ever planted has failed.

Where did these two sides of me come from?

They are so different!

I mean how odd is it that if you gave me $400, I would really be waivering between a Kate Spade dress or kitchen supplies from Lehman's???

Practicality will win out every time.

One thing I have ALWAYS wanted to do, is to bake my own bread.

I just have never been good at baking with yeast.

I want to get my own 25 lb. bin of Prairie Gold Wheat Berries

and grind my own flour with this mill.

and then bake it in my oven heated by a wood fire.

And I'll tell ya somethin' else...

I WILL have a farmhouse sink in my next kitchen!

When we moved to this farm 7 years ago, hubby promised me I could do whatever my heart desired on the inside.  He said if you just will move here for me, you can decorate and remodel as you wish.

Well when I showed him the picture of the farmhouse sink I wanted, that promise went straight out those 1972 windows!

Hubby didn't like it.

Did you gals know you can get a farmhouse sink at Ikea for only $299?

YES!

I'm not saying I wouildn't love Kohler's vintage look sinks, Oh yes that would be my dream sink.

But if it comes down to the bare bones of either I get my farmhouse sink from Ikea or none at all, you bet I'm having that Ikea sink.

So yes I am assuming there will be some remodeling going on at the new home we will live in, wherever that may be.  Even if the only thing I do is to install a farmhouse sink.

I have really gotten off track here. 

I am going to try and bake my own bread. I am going to the health food store to buy a small portion of wheat berries and grind them up in  my vitamix.  And then I am going to try my  hand at homemade bread.

I would love to not buy bread at the store anymore.

Do you guys have any advice for me? 

Or good bread recipes?

Food Friday~Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

This was my favorite cake growing up.  Still is.

Every birthday I requested Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.

I don't know why my  mom called it lemon because there is no lemon in it.

But every year for my birthday, I had her

"Lemon" poppy seed cake with Breyers Vanilla Bean ice cream.

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

 1pkg. white or yellow cake mix

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding (small pkg.)

5 eggs

1/2 C salad oil

1/2 t. almond extract

1 C liquid (juice or juice and water or half and half!)

1/4 C poppy seeds

Beat all ingredients in bowl for 5 minutes.

Grease bundt pan well and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 for 45 min.

When I make this cake, my poor kids always have to hear how I had this when I was little.

And when I taste it again, it brings back such good memories!

What is the recipe that most reminds you of your mom?



Straight from the horses mouth

And that horse would be 3 year old Sophie.

Everyday she says:

Gonna get blessed

Mom, gonna get blessed

Bunny gonna get blessed too.

Well what she is really saying is:

Gonna get dressed

Mom, gonna get dressed

Bunny gonna get dressed too.

It's so sweet though.

And every once in a while she will shout with joy,

Mom!  Dee us love me!

I say yes honey Jesus loves you!

She loves to sing Jesus loves me in the bath.  I always have replaced:

Yes Jesus loves me

with

Yes, Jesus loves Sophie!

So she thinks that song is just for her.

Here's our pumpkin carving picture from last night.

Nic helped Sophie carve her pumpkin.

We also made caramel apples!

Lauren played with matches the whole time.  It was fun though!

And today is November 1!!

Where does the time go?

Food Friday~Autumn Spice Bread

This recipe is from Gooseberry Patch

Family Favorites cookbook.

Autumn Spice Bread

3 1/2 C flour

2 t baking soda

2 t cinnamon

1 t salt

1 t nutmeg

1/2 t ginger

1/2 t cloves

  1 C butter

2 C sugar

2 C canned pumpkin

4 eggs, lightly whipped

1 1/2 C choc. chips (I don't add these)

1 1/2 C walnuts, chopped (I dont' add these)

Grease 2 loaf pans; set aside.  Combine flour, soda and spices.  Cream butter with sugar and pumpkin, blend in eggs.  At low speed add dry ingredients to egg mixture.  Mix in chocolate chips and one cup walnuts, stir to blend.  Pour into loaf pans and sprinkle with 1/2 C nuts.

Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, top with spice glaze.  Makes 2 loaves.

Spice Glaze (optional)

1 C powdered sugar

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t cinnamon

2 to 3 t cream or milk

1/2 C walnuts, chopped

Combine dry ingredients, blending in cream or milk until mixture becomes the consistency of glaze.

Spread on loaves when removed from oven.  Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

After 5 min. remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Here's my loaves

I don't ever add the nuts, obviously cuz Sophie can't have nuts, or the chocolate chips or the glaze.

I don't want that much sweetness in it, it is already a super yummy sweet bread without the added sugar.

But I thought I would give you the whole recipe in case you wanted to add those things.

I make this all the time. 

The kids eat it for breakfast or snack when they get home from school.

And usually for dessert after dinner.

And it smells so good baking!

Let me know if you try it!

Ok Lord....

Our farm is for sale.

My hubby and I planned on giving this land to our children someday.

We imagined grandkids on this farm.

But God, I do believe, sits back and chuckles at our plans.

In a loving fatherly way that is....

And so this new story is just beginning, in the fall, no less.  A time when you hunker down,

fire up the wood stove,  make huge batches of soup in your crockpot.  You get out your Christmas decor...

I think to myself....fall, Lord?  Really?  How about summer?

I am always up for an adventure, but not at the start of winter.

But there is no use arguing, I have already surrendered to the whole notion of change.

But only because it is God's idea, not mine or my hubby's, it is God's alone.

Yes, we have come up with our own reasonings as to why this is taking place.

But again, I think I hear God chuckling as He says.... ok, think what you must...

just follow me.

Stay tuned.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Thankful

I am so thankful.

I heard Sophie's play iron going and I peeked into the play room and saw her ironing away, taking care of her baby (portia).  I'm so thankful for her.

I am thankful for curler nights.

I am thankful for chocolate milk shakes, and the daughter that drinks them.

I am thankful for my oldest children.  My sons are hard working young men, who have values and respect for their parents.  My loving daughter cares for her little sisters.

I am thankful for black sheep.

And for the farm help who feeds the sheep.

I am thankful for a good nights sleep. 

I am thankful for another birthday.  That we are all alive to celebrate another birthday!

I am thankful for the moments that my girls are playing together and I see them caring for each other.

I am thankful to be married to a hard working man, who would work any job to support his family.

I am thankful my fridge is full and so is my pantry.

I am thankful to drive a car that runs and to have money to fill that car with gas.

And there is oh so much more.

 I wanted to remember all the blessings in my life today!

What are you thankful for?