Some Pictures:)

Kevin and Alexis with Axel sitting by the tree:)



This is Alexis right before her Violin Recital:)




Kevin wondering, why did my mom put this on my head?...LOL





Alexis, with her reindeer ears that light up:)





Alexis and her best friend Taylor.

Christmas Plates!

I brought out my Christmas plates this week. I think they are just so pretty!

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Today is Wednesday, and it is a beautiful COLD day. Alexis had her last ballet class yesterday until after the Holidays. So she has about a month off.

Last night's dinner was pigs in a blanket. I can not remember the last time I made those. Kevin was not home for dinner, so I thought I would make something fun. I made steamed carrots for a healthy side to go with...LOL.

Tonight's dinner is going to be boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Some of you are interested in the breakfasts I make, so yesterday morning I made bagels with cream cheese, turkey bacon and fresh fruit.
This morning's breakfast was french toast and fruit on the side.
Real bacon is made on weekends, My husband's favorite breakfast side.

...and yes, they do enjoy a bowl of cereal once in awhile, I have fun cereals and healthy cereals:)

I go to Costco and buy lots of fruit and veggies. Not only do my children eat a lot of fruit and veggies, I also juice too. So I need a lot. PLUS, my Guinea girls EAT a lot of veggies..:). There favorite thing to eat is wheat grass, they go crazy for it. I like to put it in my juicer, but I can't keep up with it...LOL.

I am sure you are all busy getting ready for Christmas, as I am:) I adore this time of year so much. It always seems to go by so fast.

Cookies!

Isn't this container cute! I bought it at Albertsons, perfect to store cookies in.

I made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies

The container seems to be missing some cookies..LOL
Now I am making some chocolate chip...and then the Decorated Sugar Cookie:)

The rain seems to have stopped, now it is just cold outside, BRRRRRRRRRR:)

Happy Baking!!

Rainy Monday!

Good Morning!!!

It is a cold and rainy day here in San Clemente, California! San Clemente, is in between Los Angeles and San Diego. It is a little beach town, but boy is it cold today:) I love the cold and rainy days we get.

We had a wonderful weekend. Hope you all did too.

Christmas is just around the corner, can you believe it? Are you ready?

I will be doing housework today and staying INSIDE. I will enjoy watching the rain though, through the windows.

It is an Ugg Boot day. I love my Ugg Boots! They keep you so warm. I think Ugg boots may be a California thing, I didn't see any in Georgia when I lived there.

Last night for dinner, we had Tacos.
Tonight's Dinner, will be Sausage, Steamed Broccoli, Rice and a Salad.

Happy Monday!

Happy Saturday!

This morning at about 9:00 I went to the Walmart and did some Christmas shopping for Little Kevin all by myself:) I got there early enough that it wasn't crazy busy. I picked out his new jammies, they are cars. I picked out a few toys he said he would like. I was happy with my purchases, I love the excitement in there eyes on Christmas morning.

I rarely ever go anywhere with out a child or my husband with me, so it was weird being all by myself..the checker asked me if I enjoyed shopping with out the children and I said with a big smile, NO!!!!...LOL.

So, we are supposed to have a big storm move in on Sunday evening and last until Tuesday, exciting, I love the rain. It is quite beautiful outside today, you would not know that it is December, more like a spring day.

I can't be too specific about the gifts on my blog or Facebook, because my daughter can read either at any time..so I have to keep some things secret:)

If you friend me on Facebook, from here, please let me know you are from my blog. Some people will ask to be my friend, and I get a little embarrassed because sometimes, I have no clue as to how I know them:(

For the rest of the day, I will continue with some housework, laundry and I aso want to make my Christmas cookies (sometime before Christmas..LOL)

Also, we always make Jesus a birthday cake. My daughter will most likely pick out what kind of cake this year and help me make it. It is very important that my children know the true meaning of Christmas. It is not all about the gifts. It is Jesus's Birthday.

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I was saddened to hear about Michelle Duggars miscarriage. It is truly heart breaking. It is also NOT for us to tell them how many children they should and shouldn't have. That is between them and God, AMEN!!!

Have a glorious Saturday!!

XOXO

My Guinea Girls:)

My girls say, Feed Me!!!

Tiki:)

My Tiki bird says, Hello!!

Before and After!

This is what my kitchen looked on Thanksgiving before I cleaned it.

This is what my kitchen looked liked after I put everything away and washed the dishes:)

Food From Thanksgiving:)

I have some pictures of the food from Thanksgiving. We fried our turkey. This is the White meat.

Dark Meat:)

Potatoes boiling away.....

Green Bean Casserole
(My Favorite!! :o)

Macaroni and Cheese

Burnt Brussel Spouts
This is them midway, I get them a lot crispier

My Dinner Rolls...are you tired of seeing my rolls...LOL

Deviled Eggs

I have some pictures of my kitchen after Thanksgiving dinner...oh, what a happy mess...LOL..then I have an after I cleaned it picture:) I will post those too.

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Tonight's Dinner:
We had Blackened Tilapia
Baked Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Salad
Dinner Rolls

Christmas Tree!

December!

Welcome December!
Are you getting ready for Jesus's Birthday?

Turkey Frier

This is what our turkey frier looks like. It has a metal basket that you put the turkey in and lower it into the grease. Then you put the lid on it and away it fries. 5 minutes per pound:)
Always do it outside!!

*Fred*

Fred says, "I'll see you all next year!"

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Menu:

Fried Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Burnt Brussel Sprouts
Stuffing
Macaroni and Cheese
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Salad
Cranberries
Stuffed Mushrooms
Deviled Eggs
I think that is all...LOL.
Have a wonderful and Blessed Thanksgiving:)

Green Bean Casserole:)

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

One of my favorite side dishes on Thanksgiving is the green bean casserole. You all have probably made it or ate it at one time or another. I can make it homemade with fresh mushrooms, fresh green beans, cream sauce..etc..BUT, I like it the way my grandmother makes it....the Campbell's soup version...LOL:)...YUM!!! :)

Will you be making the Green Bean Casserole this Thanksgiving?

:::Giggles:::

The Holidays don't start until Peter comes home :)

Baked Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!

You have to check this recipe out for BAKED CINNAMON PANCAKES at The Big Red Kitchen's Blog! An absolute perfect Christmas Morning dish:)


The Big Red Kitchen is also such a wonderful blog to visit too:)
I first came across Robin Sue's blog, when I saw her in a commercial promoting a dishwasher soap, and she mentioned her blog on the commercial, so of course I had to look...LOL. She has a really fun blog:)

Happy Friday!

Blogs:)

Hello!

I thought I would post some blogs I adore:) There are sooooooooo many wonderful blogs out there. Here are a few of the ones I enjoy.

Organized Homemaking for Christ

Making A House A Home

Mari's Little Corner of the World

The Pioneer Woman

Wednesday!

My alarm went off this morning and I hit the snooze. I must have been tired because I am usually up before my alarm:)

I got up, made breakfast, fed Tiki, fed the Guineas, pottied the dog...I had some coffee in between there:)

I got Alexis and Taylor(Alexis's best friend) off to school, then I headed to the grocery store. I got my turkeys too, YaY! Albertson's was having a buy one get one free, so I got two. After the store, I went to the bank. Came home, unloaded the groceries and put them away. Sooner did I do all that and then some, it was time to go back to Alexis's school and pick her up. It was parent/teacher conferences this week, and my appointment was at 12:30. School is half days this week and no school on Friday:) The conference went wonderful. Alexis got a glowing report and I am very, very proud of her.

Came home from that, prepped for dinner. We had Tacos. Little Kevin must have really been tired because he asked to go to bed at 6:30. The kitchen is clean, the animals are fed and I cleaned the guineas cage, the bottom of Tiki's perch, made sure my parakeets little feeders were filled and I also gave them a spray millet, which they love...whew:) Axel has his dogfood, but I think he would much rather have had a taco...LOL. Oh, I also cleaned the fish tank...whew again...this has been a wonderfully busy and productive day.



I will be so happy to stay home tomorrow though! I have lots of things I want to get done before Thanksgiving. I want to clean my Living room carpet again, I just need to figure out when I can do it..besides the kitchen it is the most used room in the house:)





I picked this picture out, because it made me giggle...LOL.

Happy Wednesday evening!!
Stay warm tonight!

Tuesday!

Butternut Squash!

I asked my family to taste them, Kevin thought they were sweet potatoes and Alexis thought they tasted like carrots. Little Kevin just ate them...LOL.

They are quite good, and the stores seem to have a bunch of different kinds of squash these days.
I kept it simple, just butter and salt and pepper. You could add some brown sugar, but my husband does not like sweet at dinner time.

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On Tuesday, I am the librarian for my daughter's library class. Well, I get there, turn on the computer, enter the passcode and it locks on me....Oh boy!! No one, and I mean no one knew what to do. So today the children checked out their books the old fashioned way, I used a pen and paper:)

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How are your plans coming along for Thanksgiving? Have you got your Turkey yet? Menu planned. Are you making the green bean casserole? That is one of my favorites:) Are you cleaning and getting the house ready?

Menu Plans:)

Thanksgiving is almost here. Are you ready? Are you cooking? Turkey?


I thought I would blog a little bit about my menu this week. Over the weekend, I made a pork roast, and I still have a considerable amount left. I planned it that way. I bought the roast knowing It would make two dinners.

I also roasted a bunch of chicken, one for dinner that way and another in a more creative fashion:)



Mondays Dinner:

Pulled Pork with BBQ sauce
Fresh bread to go with the pork
Steamed Broccoli
Mashed Potatoes
Salad

Tuesday's Dinner:

Chicken Bwak Bwak
(Leftover chicken cut up in bite size pieces or pulled apart, whatever works for you, then added to egg noodles with butter:)
Salad
and a steamed veggie


So, those are my first two nights of dinner. Using two leftover dishes, to make two completely different dishes.

The spice/herb rub I put on my chicken was a combination of:

Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Poultry seasoning
Thyme
Chili Powder
Cayenne powder
Salt and pepper

I eyeball the mixture, using lots of paprika to a smidge of the cayenne pepper
I mix it all together and rub it all over the chicken with a little bit of veggie oil I get under the skin too. I also learned a new tip, I prick the chicken with a fork to let the flavors seep into the meat:)

I do a lot of experimenting, I have used all different kinds of oils, I have used butter...meat tenderizer. If I use something with a lot of salt, I omit regular salt. It is all what flavors you like.


.

Do you recognize this menu?

Do recognize this Menu...LOL?

Waffle House and Cracker Barrel, nothing says you are in the south then these two restaurants:) I remember the very first time Kevin took me to a Waffle House....and you are sitting in the booth looking out the window at another Waffle House Catty Corner to the one you are at, just as full with people!
It was quite an experience, and a very different experience for this California girl...BUT, I loved it!! I love the South and Kevin and I hope to one day make it our home again. We will be visiting Georgia again real soon:)
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How is your cleaning going? Are you almost ready for Thanksgiving?
In my mind I am ready...but I still have a lot to do.
I have not gotten my Turkey yet. Have you? Are you going to make a turkey?

Time for a cup of coffee..I have Peppermint Mocha Creamer :)

Veteran's Day!

Skillet Cornbread:)

One of my favorite things in the kitchen is my cast iron skillet. So last night I made Skillet Cornbread. I got the package from the southern section of the grocery store! So I don't have a "recipe" I just used the directions on the package:) Isn't it cute!

Right now I have butter beans in the crockpot. I soaked them over night, so now they are cooking away in the crockpot, another one of my favorite things in the kitchen.

There is no school tomorrow, so we have a three day weekend.
Looking forward to that:)
I have laundry to do today too. It is supposed to be 75 degrees today and cooling off by tomorrow with rain on Saturday.

Time for another cup of coffee!

Wednesday!

This is one of my very favorite coffee creamers!!

Love, Love, Love it!!!

Hello, Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!
When I was in Walmart a few weeks ago, they were putting out their Fall Decor. These cute little turkeys caught my eye. They are little salt and pepper shakers, aren't they cute? The price was even better, in fact it was so good, when I went back to get a couple more the shelf was cleared of them...they were only $2.47......I guess everyone thought they were a great price too:) Have you seen these at your Walmart?

Monday!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend We had a nice one. On Saturday I went to take a load out of the wash and noticed the water had not drained. I tried every cycle and nothing would happen with the water. My husband pulled the washer out and the tube was kinked. I was thinking that my washer was done, but thankfully it was just a kink. Has that ever happened to you?

Here are a few things I have hanging in my kitchen

I just love things that are country-ish..I would love my kitchen to be like Cracker Barrel with all those fun things hanging everywhere:)

My daughter was giving here speech today at school for school president, I snuck in and watched her. She did really well. if she was nervous, I could not tell. Very clear speech:) After the speech, she found me...LOL. I gave her a hug and told her I was very proud of her!

Saturday:)

I can't remember if I shared these before. Aren't they cute. I used to make these when I was a little girl. Now my daughter has made some too. They are cute little pot holders. I hang them in my kitchen.

Outside!

This is what it looks like, looking out Little Kevin's bedroom window:)

Love rainy days!

Happy Friday, 59 degrees~~~BRRRRR

Today
Showers. Thunder possible. High 15C. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Thunder possible. High 59F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%


(that is a picture of the San Clemente Pier when it rains, pretty neat, huh?)
Picture courtesy of Google

How to Clean a toilet:)

Yes, there is even a Video for this:)

Good Morning!

Today, I am staying put...LOL:)
There is no place like home!

I am going to be doing housework today..I am going to start a load of laundry, and then I am going to scrub some toilets.

Let's see what all I can accomplish....especially if the phone doesn't ring...LOL

Busy Last Couple of Days:)

Whew!
These last three days were not the normal days I am used too. Monday was Halloween, Busy day:) Tuesday was ballet after school, and then today was Alexis's dentist appointment. Kevin and Alexis's next dental visit is together on the same day, so I can take them both together all at once. I took Kevin last week and Alexis this week, so in 6 months, I will take them all together :) I don't know how I got them off that, but I did. The good news is, Kevin and Alexis both had NO CAVITIES!! I am super thrilled. I also made many Walmart trips. Alexis is running for student council, so I went and picked up poster board. It was the wrong poster board...LOL. How can poster board be wrong? Anyway, I went back and got the right poster board. Then we worked on the posters and the speech.

Oh, on Friday Alexis's school had a Fall Festival. We all went, and when Little Kevin did the Pumpkin Walk (Cake walk) He landed on number 30, and when the lady picked the number 30.....the look on Little Kevin's face was priceless when he realized he won a big pumpkin, and then when he ran up to get the big pumpkin, it was endearing watching him trying to lift his prize:)

It has been a great and busy week, but I am soooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to tomorrow, being able to stay home and do what I love to do most, keeping my home. I have laundry and toilets and sweeping and scrubbing and cooking and baking....and so many other wonderful things to do. Taking care of my family is the thing I love most:)

I got home about 5 o'clock this evening from the Dentist and then quickly emptied the dish washer and made dinner. We had Blackened Tilapia, steamed rice, lima beans and Cucumbers in vinegar, it was a quick and easy dinner to feed my hungry family. While I was making dinner I made a cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer.

Have a wonderful evening and I will see you in the morning:)

Happy November!!!

Happy November!!!
Fall Cleaning for the Holidays:)