My crafty side

Hi everyone, you know that I love to cook. The other thing I love to do is be crafty. I guess you could say that I inherited it. My mom is an artist, I am not so much. But I love to do a project here and there.

At our wedding, we hung two walls of ribbon to dance in the wind. It was truely beautiful, but I had a huge bag of ribbons left afterwards. I knew someday it would come to me, and day before yesterday, it did. I have made a wreath for our front door, next is garland for our fireplace.
Here is the wreath, I will share the garland later.

Birminghammomonline

I have entered my first giveaway. I am excited so far. The super sweet ladies at www.Birminghammomonline.com are having three weeks of giveaways. WOW, I am lucky enough to be #2. I put a "basket" in the giveaway. It includes an appetizer, entree, bread, dessert and a gift card for the ingredients. I've included a photo above.

All of the Homemade Gourmet products are easy and delicious. I cannot rave enough of these products!! I started selling them simply out of a whim, however, they have made my life so much easier. I love all the products, and they help me to put a wonderful, homemade meal on our table within thirty minutes in most cases. I was listing for my mother-in-law yesterday all the items that we have personally tried, and there wasn't one that we have eaten that wasn't good. In fact, many of them I would serve to a guest in a heartbeat.

Joyful Home

What makes for a joyful home?

This is one of those questions that is personal to each home. But I believe that our home is joyful because it is full of love! As newlyweds, we are learning how to make it more joyful each day.

For our one month anniversary, I wrote our Mission Statement for our home. I would like to share it:
We want our home to be filled with love, warmth and God. Our desire is that our home is a refuge in times plesant and difficult.
We want our home to be a place, clutter free, orderly and inviting for all our family and friends no matter what the occassion.
As we go about our lives we will come together over nourishing meals for our body and soul, prepared with love and served graciously. Prioritizing our life to further our marriage and support our individual and common goals.

Whew!!!!

Since I am having surgery this coming Wednesday, I decided to take on a challenge. Something that Jen at http://beautyandbedlam.com/ does this... Monthly Cooking!!!!!!!!! What you say? Yes, cook once for the month!



So, I took the trip to the store, bought TONS of groceries 199.04 for the month (do you think that is good or bad?) and I took to the kitchen! I made 10 meals, either from start to finish or readied them for my dear husband to put in the crockpot :)
1. Pot Roast
2. Beef Stroganoff
3. Garlic Lemon Chicken Wings
4. Asian Pork Tenderloin
5. Chili
6. Italian Chicken
7. Spaghetti
8. Hawaiian Chicken
9. Taco Meat
10. 15 Bean Soup

Whew! This was crazy! However, SO worth it! Now I know that feeling of accomplishment and am hooked.

If you are interested but 10 sounds like too much, come to a Make N Take with me, we will do four meals at a time. Four meals (with leftovers) will feed your family for 8 dinners. Imagine the time that you would free up to prepare meals and just have to pull them out a put them in the oven or crockpot.....

Look for my calendar to start Make N Takes again in December!

Key Lime Cheesecake Ball Mix

This is a product review of the Homemade Gourmet product Key Lime Cheesecake Ball Mix.

In one word: Delicious!

Customer comments "One of the best things I have put in my mouth."
"YUMMMMM"
"Oh, I could eat that all day long"

This mix is a simple dessert fit for family night or a party. If you haven't had it before, and you like key lime, this is something you have to try. The recipe is simple, simply mix the ingredients with 1/2 stick of butter and 8 oz of cream cheese, chill for one hour and you have yourself a dessert dip! Yes, it is that simple ANYONE can do it!

Ask me how to order it today!

Easy Tip

When you place leftovers in the fridge, put a piece of scotch tape on the with the name and/0r date, there will never be a question of "is that any good?"

Challenge for this week:
Organize your "junk" drawer.
We all have them, they take up space that could be better used, right? There couldn't be a better time for clean up than now... I will update with a picture of my new and improved junk drawer on Monday, what about you?

Faithful Friday

Today's verses are the first from Proverbs 16.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.