TOO CUTE!

First, we have this. One of the ladies at my bible study this week made this great treat for us. Have you ever seen such a cute little cake!!! Don't doubt us....we eventually gave in and put the knife to it. Awesome!




Next, we have these. Jonah and Glory had a great time getting outdoors late yesterday afternoon. It's rained so often around here that it has been difficult to be able to get out and play.

And then these. A sweet little senior citizen at church just made these for me. (If you missed my post this week about learning from older adults, read it.) I am so proud of the potholders. You can't go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy these. They are made with care, pride, and love!

Have a great weekend!

Taking Care of Business

First, I'm participating again in Keelie's TWOC. She did a great job detailing Christmas foods around our place. (We always have the traditional meal on Christmas Eve.)

I'm going to share several recipes for some old favorites of my mom and mother-in-law on our family recipe blog Pass Your Plate. Head on over there and be sure to follow along if you're a fan of good southern cookin'! These are going to be salads although they sort of taste like dessert!

Also wanted to mention that I enjoy getting in the kitchen and doing alot of baking this time of the year. Obviously, my last giveaway was all about desserts! I've already started trying the posted favorites of some of you fine ladies!

Here's my slab of  Cranberry Crunch Bark (Amy's) I just made. Yum cranberries and almonds!

I could eat the whole slab!!!

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Traveling Longhorns (Red Hen) passed this cute little thing on over to me. She remembered my bathroom redo and wanted me to have it to go along with the room. Thank you!

Here are the rules of this award: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to bloggers who like to smile and/or laugh. Hey to my readers this morning, would you like it, too? Then grab it.

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Thena at Patiently Waiting passed this precious award to me. Although I have been slow to get it out here, I am appreciative of her kind thoughts.

As it has been passed along to me, here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog" award:

1. Accept the award.

2. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

3. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. So I'm just taking the easy out...I am passing it on to any of my readers who need a little "pick me up" this morning. All of your blogs are awesome!

Ok........I think I'm caught up!! Have a great day! We've got the umbrellas back out--more rain today.

Learning from Older Adults

My grandmother made doll clothes with me and showed me how she made soap. A friend of my mom’s taught me to crochet. This same lady helped me with my sewing skills and some basic flower arranging. Ladies in a local nursing home shared their crafts proudly every time we visited there.

Although I didn’t realize it probably at the time, these experiences were just as valuable to them as to me. Giving older adults opportunities to share their experience, wisdom, and skills with young people only makes sense. It’s a win-win situation.

Of course, we have the obvious; the young people learn the skills. They enjoy the older adults who show them warmth, friendliness, care, and concern. Through these relationships, young people can be taught character traits that will influence them and impact future relationships.

But it also addresses the needs of older adults with feelings of achievement, belonging, and even power. The older adults enjoy sharing skills they perform well. It is a constructive use of their time that sometimes passes so slowly during the long days. They still enjoy helping people, working at something they enjoy, and being around young people.

Fellowship, friendship, and feelings of worth are invaluable regardless of the age. I was blessed to be around older adults as a child, and I still love being around them!

Please leave a comment and tell me what you learned from an older adult!

The Blind Side

Well, as some of you know, after most movie previews I usually say “No thanks” or “ I don’t think so!” Not so with this one. The first time I heard about it and then saw the preview I was hooked!



“The Blind Side” will be released November 20. I’ll be there the first weekend. This film is a true story based on a book of a similar name. The movie will feature Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, and Quinton Aaron. It’s the story about how a well to-do family adopts and changes the life of an uneducated, homeless and poor teenager. It is a powerful story of how they build a remarkable relationship with each other and ultimately are ALL changed for the better!

Although embedding a short clip was not possible, you can go to this site. So click over and watch it. You'll be touched and hooked in two minutes as well!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khtBvQdxta4 

Loved this Craft Show!

On Friday, I got to go to this show again along with my sister and a couple of friends. I love it for several reasons. One of the main ones, other than the most obvious of getting to see all the great crafts and products, is that it is a family-oriented show. It actually began years ago through the goal of eight Christian women. It is dedicated to bringing the market place to the public without any questionable or offensive merchandise included. You will find no pro-drug or sexual content of any kind being sold. Isn't that a great testimony! 

WE HAVE A ..........

Angie at"Just Shy of a Y" is the winner of my giveaway. She linked up her pumpkin bread. YUM!! You'll have to jump over and check out her family blog. She is a wife and mother of two little ones. She loves Target, earrings, and enchiladas just to name a few things. Congratulations, Angie.

Thanks to everyone who linked up recipes! You did a fantastic job, and I can't wait to try each and everyone of them. I have already tried a couple. I may have to limit myself to only two a week though! Be sure and check some of them out when you need a new "something."

Have a great Saturday. The weather here in North Texas is going to be beautiful today with no rain in our forecast. Woohoo!

White Chip Pumpkin Spice Cake

This cake recipe from "Very Best Baking" is so perfect for Fall and is so yummy delicious. Did I mention easy, too? It's just perfect for any occasion this time of the year! I'm so impressed with it I want to link it up to my own giveaway. Is that against "giveaway rules" around here?

1 pkg spice cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup White Chocolate Chip Morsels
White Chip Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan.
Combine cake mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vegetable oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until moist. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes; stir in white chips and pour into bundt pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes . Cool in pan on wire rack for 25 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Pour half of glaze on cooled cake; serve with remaining glaze.
White Chip Cinnamon Glaze:
Heat 3 Tablespoons Evaporated Milk in small sauce pan and heat over medium just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup white chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

ENDS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 10:00 PM

Traveling Longhorns ("Red Hen") passed this, Honest Scrap,  on to me. I've been a little slow to respond--but not because I don't appreciate the thoughts. The rules are you have to tell 10 honest things about yourself and then pass it along to 9 bloggers who you adore! So here goes (with the short answer version).

1. I am very fearful of drowning even though........

2. I used to water ski and even though.........

3. I have been on a cruise.

4. I love holidays.

5. I love family time.

5. I love to travel.

6. As a kid I loved to watch Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke, and other educational shows!

7. As a 4-H girl, I made my first cake and my first dress.

8. As a G.A. girl, I learned my first scripture and rode my first train.

9. I terrribly miss my parents, mother and father in-law, and brother-in-law.

10. I take comfort in knowing they are with God, and we will all be together again some day.

Psalms 16    ".........the Lord has richly blessed me."

 

(I pass this on to any of my family members who want to participate;  I SIMPLY ADORE YOU!)

When Life Gives You Scraps..............

Not sure whether you will think I've lost it or not!  I'll chance it! 

The flowered material was an old dress of days gone by. The yellow fabric was scraps of an old pillow case. 

Put the two together with just a few straight seams with the cute little.............

And WAALAA. I had an apron!

I was sort of proud of my first attempt. Hopefully, when I hook it up to the great sites below, they won't suggest I not come back! Keep your fingers crossed for me. I was sort of thinking about my second giveaway. I have lots of scraps and other patterns. Hmmmm....

P.S. Don't forget to share a favorite dessert recipe with us HERE. (You can make it an easy post, too, by just getting that good one out of your archives.) This 2010 Pillsbury Calendar along with other goodies just may be yours!

God is so Good

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!

He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He’s so good to me!

I love Him so,
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
He’s so good to me!

I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
He’s so good to me!

TWOC: Christmas Memories

This is week 2 of Keelie's "Twelve Weeks of Christmas." We were to post a favorite Christmas memory. Did she say "A" memory? That's tough!

 As I was trying to decide what to post, I read Marilyn's post about our family tradition of  a real Santa visiting on Christmas Eve each year. She tells how this got started years ago and continues today. To enjoy Marilyn's tale, read here. Of course, this immediately got me to thinking back on all those special times and memories. Hundreds of them.........

When all of a sudden, there arose such a clatter,

A picture memory popped out through all the gray matter!!

This is Justin as Santa comes "HO HO HOing " in the back door of Nannie and PaPa's house one Christmas Eve. The expression on his face is simply priceless!!!! 

And a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

P.S. Keep the dessert recipes coming in. Scroll down.

Oh dear friends, keep these wonderful recipes coming. You actually have until Friday, October 23, to get one. So that' s a whole week from now to dig in the recipe box or through the archives to find that one you want to share! Keep them coming. I'm stocking up on sugar and flour!

So for the details ....................scroll down!

Ok.....Fall is here! I know we have all started to think holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! There are great ideas and giveaways popping up everywhere. As promised, I've got another couple of them myself.

I wanted to make these two giveaways easy, fun, and useful. For any of you that know me just a little, I thoroughly enjoy food and baking! Thus, the birth of the first of two back-to-back giveaways.

Here's what the winner of this giveaway will receive!

A "Pillsbury Dessert Recipes"16-month 2010 calendar

A Fall Notebook/Journal

Homemade Salsa and Jelly (made by ME!!)

So.....To enter, do your own post about one of your favorite recipes for a fall or holiday dessert!! Might be a cake, candy, bars, pie, or cookies. Basically anything that has sugar in it works for me!! Then just come back here and hook up to Mr. MckLinky with me.

Now by entering you not only have a chance to win this gift, but you get to see each other's favorite desserts right here. Think of how many you can browse through when you want to try something different.

And the second way to get an extra entry is to just send someone else over for the contest. The more the merrier! You'll get credit for how many you send. Just tell them to mention your name.

Giveaway Time!

Ok.....Fall is here! I know we have all started to think holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! There are great ideas and giveaways popping up everywhere. As promised, I've got another couple of them myself.

I wanted to make these two giveaways easy, fun, and useful. For any of you that know me just a little, I thoroughly enjoy food and baking! Thus, the birth of the first of two back-to-back giveaways.

Here's what the winner of this giveaway will receive!

A "Pillsbury Dessert Recipes"16-month 2010 calendar

A Fall Notebook/Journal

Homemade Salsa and Jelly (made by ME!!)

So.....To enter, do your own post about one of your favorite recipes for a fall or holiday dessert!! Might be a cake, candy, bars, pie, or cookies. Basically anything that has sugar in it works for me!! Then just come back here and hook up to Mr. MckLinky with me.

Now by entering you not only have a chance to win this gift, but you get to see each other's favorite desserts right here. Think of how many you can browse through when you want to try something different.

And the second way to get an extra entry is to just send someone else over for the contest. The more the merrier! You'll get credit for how many you send. Just tell them to mention your name.

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I'm hooking up with DIY Show Off. I'm going to link up a recent bathroom redo. It went from yellowed wallpaper (ugh!) to some lightly applied texture, paint job, animal print, and feathers.

I am certainly enjoying the new look! Check it out!

Always...Patsy Cline

I love going to musicals and plays.  Last night Rick and I went to an area playhouse  to watch "Always...Patsy Cline." Whether we were born or not, we have all probably heard of her. I had seen the show several years ago so I knew what to expect. This is a great show so if you ever get the chance, put it on your calendar. Now, I will say if you don't like country music at ALL, then you probably won't enjoy it. The show is crammed packed full of all her hits. However, the storyline behind the play itself I would venture to say you could relate to. It's the TRUE story of Patsy's friendship with a Houston housewife named Louise Seger. Their friendship began one evening over a simple, strong cup of coffee. Through sharing life stories, cares, and concerns, they became forever pen pals until her death several years later. 

 There is one song that has jumped out at me both times I have seen this show. It is called "Come on In." Read through these lyrics carefully.

Written by V.F. Stewart
As released by Patsy Cline

Come on in and sit right down
And make yourself at home

If I had one wish, I wish I could
Go back to my old neighborhood
Where the good folks they all love you as their own
Then I'd go over to my neighbor's house
Knock on the door 'n they'd all sing out
Come on in and sit right down and make yourself at home.

I'd sing their praises long and loud
'Cause their all my folks and I'm mighty proud
Of the little old town back home where I was born
I wish that I could hear them say
In the good old-fashioned, friendly way
Come on in and sit right down and make yourself at home.

Well, they don't lock their doors at night
'Cause they all know they're a-doin' right
And the good Lord's bound to have them for his own
If I'd go back to hear them pray
In the little pine church, they all would say
Come on in and sit right down and make yourself at home.

When I was a child of only three
I said my prayers at my mother's knee
And I knew right then from God I'd never roam
When I get my summons on the Judgment Day
I hope I can hear my Savior say
Come on in and sit right down and make yourself at home.
Now, come on in and sit right down
And make yourself at home...

Now, wouldn't you agree that this song is full of good stuff? I'm curious. What jumped out at you in it? Please leave me a thought or two!

By the way, YouTube actually has her singing this. So... if you are in the mood for a little country music of years gone by, grab your boots, hat, and get ready for a little toe-tappin.' If you're not in the mood, I certainly understand. Skip "YouTube" but leave me a comment anyway about the lyrics.

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Made Me Glad

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times

He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There's none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need.

Cheesecake Bars and HO HO HO!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

(Martha Stewart)

FOR THE CRUST
20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.

Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.

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I am participating in Keelie's TWOC. Here's my very, very general list of things I will enjoy during the holidays. (Obviously, some of these could be broken down into more detailed "lists" and probably will be in the near future!)

Decorate the house
Bake goodies
Make Christmas crafts with the family
Go to church Christmas programs
Watch hub put out the yard stuff
Enjoy fires in the fireplace
Be out and about in town (no pressure--shopping will hopefully be complete)
Buy last minute stocking stuffers
Have family meals
Listen to Christmas music
Watch Christmas chick flicks

Chair Fair!

These chairs have been in my family for almost 65 years. I love them. However, it came time recently for a little makeover. So I would love to share this redo with you, Kimba, and everyone over at A Soft Place to Land.

Before.........

And now after a cordless screw driver, 

a staple gun, and just a little time.................

Have a great day!

And the Winner of.......

is Brooke @ Keeping Up with Hunter. 

Congratulations, Brooke! (Be sure and hop over to visit her.) I've had a great time and as always wish everyone could have won. Be sure and get in on the fun of all the giveaways of our blogging friends 'cause you  just never know! You might be the lucky one some day. Don't forget about Keelie's giveaways, and I can promise I'll be having a couple more REAL soon!

HEY, YA'LL!

My friend, Thena, at Patiently Waiting was hosting a great giveaway. It was just announced that I am the winner of her Paula Deen cookbook. How awesome is that! Thank you so much, Thena! You should hop over to her blog when you get a chance. She's a wife, mother, nana, and faithful follower. And my goodness, she's just got to be the sweetest thing--she grew up in Savannah!

And speaking of surprises...... tonight, I will close my own giveaway so that I can in turn surprise someone else. It's such a delight to give and receive! 

So last call for anyone to get in on the GIVEAWAY.  Good luck and "Best Dishes!" (Just couldn't help myself.)

Have a great day!

Special Edition!!   Read all about it!

This is going to be a super duper post. I've got so much to share with all you, my favoRITE gals!

First, I want to let you know you still have plenty of time to spread the word for me with a post on your site that my giveaway does not end until Tuesday night! I am so glad that you have gotten in on it. In fact, I came home from Tampa just so excited that I may just have to throw in a little something extra for the winner!

So......if by chance you haven't gotten in on it, better click fast.

GIVEAWAY ! CHECK IT OUT....

Next, I want to let you know that I will be participating in Keelie's Twelve Weeks of Christmas these next few weeks. I will hopefully have a "list" of some sort to post tomorrow. My goodness ladies---we all love Christmas soooooo much!

Next, we had a great trip to Tampa. We actually stayed in Clearwater. We also visited St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, and Sanibel. The weather was just perfect. We crammed as much as possible into our days. In keeping with our traveling style, we left out in the morning and returned late at night. We didn't let any grass grow under our feet! I'll just share three of my pictures for now. The first was taken near a restaurant in a marina area where we ate lunch. The other two were out sightseeing by car and boat.

And last but not least--a song that has touched me once again.

HE IS ABLE

He is able, more than able

To accomplish

What concerns me today.

He is able, more than able

To handle anything

That comes my way.

He is able, more than able

To do much more

Than I could ever dream.

He is able, more than able

To make me what

He wants me to be.

OK, that's it for today. See..... you got all this for the price of one! Have a good evening.