Just a Few Current Topics

• I was reading a magazine this morning as I ate my breakfast, and it had a chart for best dogs to run with in certain conditions (like long runs, fast runs, cold runs, hot runs...) And  German Shepherds only showed up in the cold running column(of course!). Ugh, I'm not getting out in the cold to run! (You guys can go run around out back to your hearts content. I'll stay here and drink my cocoa.) My doggies will do just fine on our 2 mile walks/jogs during nice warm weather.
• We have a For Sale By Owner sign in our front yard. So if you are looking for a house in Blue Springs, MO let me know!! It's a beautiful house, but we can't pass up getting a beautiful house in the country. I was raised a country girl. None of this neighborhood stuff for me!
• It's cold! Feels like winter. But, our bill will be nice this month because we haven't had our air conditioner or furnace running for over a month. Yay for saving money!
• On that note, my husband and I were making dinner a week ago. And David says "Why don't we do another thirty days of eating what we have?"...as he looks in our overly full freezer for some food item. Yay! 30 days of kitchen cupboard cooking, again. Our third time? So, we'll go to the store for milk and such, but I get to make meals from what we have, and I know I can do it. Join me if you dare...
• And do you like the purse picture at the top of this post? I'm having a arts and crafts open house and one like it will be for sale. Tons of super cute things: lanyards, key wristlets, jewelry, photo mats, purses... view some at the My Crafts tab at the top of the page. Email me for more info. ArtsyEnna@live.com
• My final note: I'm starting a Christian book club for teen girls. Starts Tuesday, November 9th at my house. I've created a new page and the tab is at the top of this page. Check it out, and if you're a teen girl and love to read let me know! I'm so excited about this!

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend and stay safe Trick-or-Treating.

Book Review: The Help

What a wonderfully written book!

This is Kathryn Stockett’s first book and she did an exceptional job developing the plot and characters. This story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the year 1962 and follows the lives of three different women. The first is Skeeter, a 22 year old college graduate that returns from college to find that her childhood maid, Constantine, is gone and no one will tell her where she went. Skeeter is an aspiring writer who begins to question her friendships and the way maids are treated in their households. The second lady is a black maid that helps raise her employer’s daughter and tries to instill in the child that we’re all created equal no matter the color of our skin. The third woman is a short and sassy maid that always says what’s on her mind, even when it’s to her white employer.These three women’s lives intertwine as they work together on something that will hopefully change how Mississippi, and the United States, views one another.

Stockett does a wonderful job and I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It’s a very engaging book in that I wanted to read on to see how these women’s lives, jobs, and reputations were affected for taking a stand on what they believed.

The Help is a classic story of a time in our history that we should all be aware of.

Look forward to more great book reviews by me (b/c I always get way too many books from the library!)

Healthy Granola Bars

     Just the other night I whipped up a pan of my favorite healthy granola bars. I got this recipe from a friend and they are so good! We’re going camping tonight so I knew granola bars would be an easy snack to bring along. However, my husband texted me yesterday saying they were “SO GOOD” and that “they won’t last long.” Luckily there are some left for tonight, mostly because half the pan has dried cranberries(because I like them). I know my husband would pick them out if he had to. So, these bars are very yummy and soft and filling and healthy. Here’s the recipe if you’re interested.

Healthy Granola Bars

Dry ingredients:
2 cups oats (not quick oats)
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup rice krispees(optional)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts, chopped
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips, or dried fruit (or all of the above)


Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1. Put first 5 dry ingredients into glass bowl (oven safe). Toast in oven 10-12 minutes 350˚. Stir every 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted (you can tell by the smell when it's toasted). Remove from oven and add last dry ingredient(s).


2. While toasting mixture, melt butter in a large skillet. Add sugar and honey (now is when you would use peanut butter instead of honey or with less honey). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until mixture stops foaming (mine never stopped but it was foaming less) and begins to turn clear amber. Do not cook mixture for more than 10 minutes or it will taste scorched (the longer it cooks the harder the bar). Remove from heat and add extract and salt.


3. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Turn out onto wax paper (i lined my 9x13 pan with wax paper, dumped the mixture in, then i covered it with wax paper, and pressed into the pan). Cool then cut (wait 20 minutes or less to cut. The bars were really soft until they had set up overnight.)

My Life in Bullets

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but life has been so busy lately. So, to save time, here is what's been going on in my life in bullets.

• Today is my birthday. My husband made me breakfast this morning. What a sweetie! He never cooks!
• My husband also surprised me with a dozen roses at work. He's the best!
• We had a garage sale this weekend. We made money, and got rid of stuff.
• Our workout competition is on a standstill. My hubby hurt his knee... torn meniscus... not good...
• Our month of $100 food budget went great. I've just been so busy I haven't been able to do it again.
• We tore out wallpaper and painted our kitchen. Looks beautiful!
• Our wonderful house has a "For Sale By Owner" sign in the lawn because we found an even more wonderful house in the country.
• I'm going to have a open house craft sale soon! Need to sell some of my crafts.
• Now, it's back to work. :D

Weekend Fun!

Here's a quick update of all the fun and business that has surrounded our house...

We finished painting our kitchen. Just a few more finishing touches 

and then I'll post photos of all our hard work.

We took our doggies to the carnival at my old church.

All the kids loved them and wanted to pet them!

They were good boys!

Cooked up some Weight Watchers Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies 

and had other (mostly) healthy snacks for a Thirty-One party.
Just don't order a thunderstorm, they're a party pooper. :(

My friend Glenda had all these cute goodie bags for us, 

and a fun drawing for the thermal bag.

 

So many cute bags and such! What's a girl to do??

You can check Thirty-One out or order some items here.

Today I spent some time to myself and...

Labeled my organizer

And I painted some coasters

& used cute scrap fabric for the center

I finished off the night with a yummy salad:

Spinach, fresh strawberries, feta cheese and poppy seed dressing.

Life is busy, but that's ok.

"There is hope for me yet
Because God won’t forget
All the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see
He’s not finished with me yet"

Wait and See by Brandon Heath

Works in Progress...

Does anyone else leave projects unfinished?

I started this quilt in high shool.

About FIVE years ago!

I want to finish it now, because it will be SO cute!

I'm also making these super cute picture mats.

They're really cute and fun.

Thanks grandma for the mat board cutter. 

 

 And now there is no more time for crafts...

we're tearing out wall paper...

that was on the CEILING in our kitchen!

It's gotta go, no more flowers.

And now my house is talking to me.

The writing's on the.... bookcase.

Messy, dirty, dusty house.

But it's worth it because my house will be BEAUTIFUL!

"Well if I had one place
Just one place to be
Well, I'd be at Your feet
And if I had one prayer
I know that I'd pray
I'd ask You to fall down on me"

Fall Down by Phillips Craig and Dean

$100 Grocery Budget for the Month

(A beautiful double rainbow)

(And a promise from God)

     Ever wonder how in the world you can go to the store and spend hundreds of dollars of groceries. As you push your cart out the door you wonder what exactly you bought that cost so much. And I know that when I went to the store as a child with my mother we all wanted these cookies, or that cereal. 

     I feel that we spend so much on groceries and it's only my husband and I! No little kiddies yet. So, I got the urge to do a revamp on my kitchen cupboard cooking. Check out what I did for this here. It's basically cooking from  you have for one month and only buying milk or other have-to-have items.

     The challenge: One month with $100 for groceries.

     To make sure I only spend that amount I got it as cash and have it in a separate part of my billfold.

     We're currently one week in and here's the breakdown of spending:

          Wal-Mart: Only $12.00!  Thanks to sticking to the list!

          Hy-Vee: $40.00  There were some great sales.

          Aldi: $3.00   Woo-Hoo! Only milk and sugar.

     Grand total left for three weeks: $45.00. I can do it! It's been great. The past couple of nights we've had chicken Parmesan over spaghetti, grilled salmon and loaded baked potatoes. 

     I'll keep you posted on how the rest of the month plays out.

"Lord I trust you
To move in miraculous ways!
Now I feel your arms around me
And I'll worship you all of my days
And give you praise"

Unconditional by SonicFlood