Spicing things up a bit.....

I buy most of my spices in bulk since they are far cheaper that way and you can buy more for your money this way too.......So I went in search of a spice rack that I could use for my spices and found they are VERY costly......So I tried to get creative and look for little jars, I thought of going to the restaurant supply store for salt shakers but then realized I needed them sealed so I went into the section in the grocery store where they sell small plastic containers and VOILA......canning supplies hit me first and there were these darling little tiny (I want to say 2 oz) jars with lids for a whopping $3.79 for a dozen.....and they came with the little darling labels to boot.......Later in the week I even came accrossed a coupon for $1 off so I would've used it if I had it and it would've been even cheaper.....I like how you can open the jar and dip your measuring spoon right into the jar easily.......I plan to buy another set since I am a collector of unique candy sprinkles for cupcakes, cookies or dessert toppers and I thought how sweet all the different colored sprinkles and candies will look as the holidays approach (some of you may not care if "cuteness" is in the picture...but I do...it's the little things right? haha) So......just a thought for you to save some $$! This is a great time of year to find these jars since it's canning season...are you canning? we're canning about a dozen jars of apple sauce this Fall and a few jars of spiced apples......mmmm I love apple anything!!!

My day.....

For today...



Outside my window.....a bit blustery, Fall feeling temperatures, I like it..the windows are wide opened!

I am thinking......about what to make for this week's menu

I am thankful for......A God who is always so faithful to me, even when I forgot all the wonderful things he's done for me, for great friends who have listened to me bemoan the "teenage" years lately and for a great hubby who is on my team thankfully! haha

From the learning rooms........heading to the library today, for a long visit, Grace always wants to play on the computers there and complains I NEVER let her! ha

From the kitchen....double batches of Chocolate chip cookie dough and Peanut butter cookie dough. Made 6 dozen for a work bee at Jordan's school today, a dozen to eat and froze several dozen dough balls for future use!

I am wearing.....JEANS and a t shirt, some days don't you just love to snuggle into your favorite pair of soft jeans? the zipper broke on my favorite pair but if you don't tuck your t shirt in who's gonna know? ha and a gray t shirt

I am reading.....a fiction series about a Quaker Pastor by Phillip Gully, they are enchanting and fluffy! and Got Teens

I am hoping......to have a nice relaxing afternoon of nail salon and the library trip

I am hearing......the wind swishing through the trees and feeling the breezes blow in, love it!

Around the house.......pretty "tidy" yes, clean? NO!

One of my favorite things.........Apple stuff, apple pie, applesauce, apple muffins etc. When fall is approaching I'm thinking hot apple something........

A few plans for the rest of the week......Dinner and a movie with just Grace, Mike and the older kids going to an amusement park, letting Mike's aunt host a Pampered Chef party at my house, enjoying the last bits of summer fun, I do LOVE summer and swimming and sunning and playing outside, we'll play long into Fall outdoors, I also love having my kids to myself the entire day! boo hoo when school starts.....but they are ready and excited! You can go here to make up your own Daybook of fun!

Back after a long break........

Well we're finally settled in at home for a while anyhow! we've had a fun summer for sure!

Mike had a church meeting this week and I usually send the snack so I always like to make something that sounds good to me too so I can snitch some myself so.....this week it was No bake cookies and Vegetable pizza! two of my favs. So here are the recipes, I love this recipe for No Bakes from my friend Vicky...I tweaked it a bit and I used dark cocoa which I love, I get it at a great Mennonite bulk food store, but you don't have to use it! and I think JIF is the ONLY peanut butter to use......haha Before you begin be sure to lay a long piece of waxed paper out on your counter to spoon the cookies out on to, it sets up fast so have this step ready, about 24" of paper should do nicely!

No Bakes:

2 C. sugar

3 Tb. dark cocoa

1/2 C. milk

1/4 C. butter

Melt butter, add milk, sugar and cocoa and boil this mixture hard for one minute, stirring. REMOVE from heat.

*Add:

1 ts. Vanilla

pinch salt

3/4 C. peanut butter

3 C. oatmeal

Drop onto waxed paper by Tbs. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies! delish!

Vegetable pizza:

1 roll canned Croissants

1-8oz block of cream cheese

1/3 C. Ranch dressing

1/4 ts. Seasoning salt

pepper

1-2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (I love to shred my own for this, it makes nice long shreds that way and spreads nicely!)

2 broccoli crowns (two florets) washed and chopped fine, like pea sized (if you have a veggie chopper it works great!)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped the same

1/2 Red. pepper, cleaned and chopped the same

Open canned croissant and spread into a cookie sheet, you can use a small roller if you have it, that helps or your fingers (a 9 x 13 gives you a bit of a higher crust if you like) Bake according to can.

Meanwhile, mix cream cheese, Ranch dressing, seasoning salt, and a few dashes of pepper by hand or in a food processor.

After crust cools spread evenly with cream cheese mixture, sprinkle veggies on one and a time and TOP with cheese. Serve that day, since I find it gets very soggy if you make it too far ahead and it is done for the next day as far as the crust being crispy! p.s. You can use ANY veggies you like, I like to add black or green olives, green onions, other peppers.....your imagination is yours!

ENJOY the rest of summer.....Macy and I have a school shopping trip yet, we hope to go to the zoo in a few weeks, a few more picnics and many more pool days!

Good reading.......

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/08/damaged-goods.html

This was such a great read that I had to share the link for you to read it......don't we all feel like this at some point! and forget about what's "delightful" in our lives?

Give Away!

Danielle is having a COOL coupon organizer give away....hurry over, it ends tonight!! I want to win it!!! She has some other cool give aways......you might win! so check out her sight.......her button is on my sidebar for quick navigation to her page!!!

Back from camp....on to more summer fun!

Well we're back from a week at church camp......Church camp is trailers, mobile homes, tents, pop ups......any type of camping you can think of! It doesn't have a pool or pond, no biking or camp fires.......but it just draws you somehow each and every year! My kids love meeting friends they haven't seen for a year or having alot of time to spend with good church friends that camp too.....















There's an awesome play ground......this is my little red headed nephew Jacob who is a dear sweet soul.....how he loves to run all over camp and if we didn't force feed him I think he would skip meals all together at camp! haha We live in an old mobile home which is nice and spacious until bedtime when we try to fit 7 of us and sometimes 9 of us in there...then it seems a bit snug but we manage! My friend Leanne squeezes her 6 ducklings, a husband and herself into a far smaller trailer! haha she reminded me not to complain about our mobile! haha

















There are services every morning at 10 a.m. with that one being a bible study style and seminars at 2:30 (which I only attended one day ha I read or napped the other days) and evening services at 6:45......every year it's such a time to refresh spiritually......yet it's exhausting too.....lots to wrap our minds around and pack in during those 10 days.....The last day I said to someone "I'm refreshed in spirit yet weary in body!" ha

The kids services are amazing, wild, fun, and right in touch with each age....all 3 of my kids had many times they felt God speaking to their hearts.....which is music to a parent's ear! Especially for Jordan and Macy's age....I love that they are refreshed in spirit too before they go back to school and get into a routine!

This is just the view of one street at camp......it's amazing how many campers can pack in.....evening service can have over 2000 people in it and this year there were 1000 that were 18 years old and UNDER! amazing......what a great thought that 1000 kids in the next generations to come are learning how to live with purpose and learning more and more about God!

Jordan had a ball hanging daily with friends......playing cards, one night a friend had a guitar and they sang praise songs on his friend's patio, they giggle and laugh and screech and have a ball.....I love hearing them tell each other what touched them at camp when they are on each others facebook pages.....it's all so worth the dust, rain, HOT HOT weather, stains that never come out, cooking every meal in an electric skillet, listening to 1000 kids run and scream(smile), pouty faces because they have to come home for a meal, cramped quarters, 2 minutes of hot water in the shower, power outages, and no McDonalds close by........ to learn more about God's word and learn practical things to get us through the day to day, to live it out in front of others to draw them to Him and to reach another generation.........and I'm not even the camping type! hahaha