Happy Homemaker Monday 11/23

The first snow fall in my area was a bit uneventful, though it seemed that EVERYONE else all around us had much more than we did.  Most of the day it was rain with some snow, but by the afternoon we did see some big fluffly flakes, and it did put a thin blanket of white on everything, and now the weather on Sunday was fa-reezing.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful week, and a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

weather1123

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Just finished Thrill Me Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold sixth year, and 18th book.  I’m looking forward to adding some books geared around Christmas for this holiday season.  I’m starting the season off with book 19 in this series, Marry Me at Christmas.  I just visited Susan Mallery’s web site and found that with this book she has included a literary scavenger hunt.   There is a list to print out, and twelve objects to find while reading the book, that’s different, and should be fun.  What I also like is that for each one of these books, she has pictures and bios on every character.  It’s fun to put a face to them as you read along.

WHAT I’M COOKING FOR THE HOLIDAY:
Turkey
Ham
Green beans with bacon
Corn
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole (yep the one with the marshmallows)
Dressing
Mac and Cheese (homemade, not the Kraft in a box, which is what I thought of when I first heard serving Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving 🙂 )
Brown and Serve Rolls and/or Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Dessert:
Oreo Surprise
Banana Pudding

I’ll also be helping the twins make a few things for their Friendsgiving on Wednesday at their friend’s house.  It’s the first year they are doing this, should be interesting…a bunch of 20 year-olds “planning” dinner, but with this group of friends, it will definitely be a fun time for them.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
12107063_860853270663524_8215076613673453991_n

THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
On Thanksgiving night, my daughter and I will participate in the Shop in your Pajamas-O-rama.  We usually meet up with my sister and her daughter.  There are a couple of stores in town that will be open at 8 p.m. until Midnight.  One is a gift shop that has unbelievable Christmas decorations, and several trees decorated throughout, they serve coffee and hot apple cider.  They have two cats roaming around too, it’s just a real cozy atmosphere, and it’s one of the older buildings in town, so it has a lot of character.  If only I had about $1000 just lying around, I’d spend it easily in this place.  A girl I went to high school with has a t-shirt shop that we stop at, and her partner has a unique gift shop as well, where she makes a lot of the stuff in there.  She takes old wooden windows and paints sayings and quotes on the glass, they are just gorgeous.  It’s just a real fun time, and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

So many things happening in town for the holidays, which include the holiday parade, with real reindeer, the Library’s Gala Fundraiser, Ice Sculptors on the main street, and a chance to take pictures with the real reindeer!!

It is the most wonderful time of the year!!

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
My daughter shared this with me.  She asked me if I had seen the Adele “Hello” video, and I hadn’t, just heard all the hype.  So she was like, you don’t have to watch the whole thing, just a little bit, it will be well worth it once you see this.

We LOVE Miss Piggy!!

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

© 2015 Liv’s Photography

QUOTES:

Happy Homemaker Monday 11/16

Had a nice weekend visiting with family celebrating my mom’s 75th birthday!!  The weather warmed up a little bit, but we are back to gloomy and cold, lots of rain on the way.  You know I am just waiting for the snow!! 🙂  Cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week already.  These weeks are just flying by.

Even in the midst of my busy, I continue to pray for the families across the world who endured such sadness this weekend.

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

weather1116

WHAT I’M READING:
I love my Kindle and how they always recommend books for me, I think there have only been a few that I did not like.  The one I just finished was really good.  It’s by Lucy Score and the title is Pretend You’re Mine.  Yeah I know…the title…I was expecting the usual story where they pretend to be together and of course have super hot chemistry, and that’s about it.  But this had so much more in the story line, once I got half way through I had a hard time putting it down.  The dialogue between all the characters was filled with so much playful banter, it made me laugh quite a few times.  It was a timely book too with last week being Veterans day, and the main character is deployed for 6 months.

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY:
These look so yummy…I would probably add a scoop of ice cream to mine. 🙂

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
If only…

1390534_422136011242125_1293958053_n

 

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
My daughter found this and shared it with me.  Another one of my favorite things…castles!!  It breaks my heart to see such beauty neglected, but the beauty is still there.  Not sure I would like to live in a place surrounded by a mote though, lol.  You can read about it here.

 

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

 

PRAYERS:

Happy Homemaker Monday 11/09

So this is my 200th post!!  I look forward to so many more.  This has been possible for me with the many different blogs that I link too.  So grateful for all those who take the time to stop by to read my posts, and comment.  Also grateful for all the amazing people I have met through blogging, and especially the ones who I now call friends 🙂

Have a wonderful week!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

weather1109

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
On to Book 4 in The Buchanan Saga by Susan Mallery.  Finished Irresistible, this one had a bit of a surprise in it, which made it really good.  The last book is called Tempting.  These titles though, lol…usually her titles have a two-fold kinda meaning, I’m just not feeling these.

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY/HAVE TRIED:12211275_635909243215792_520154966_o
I did get a chance to make the Grands!® Baked Sugar Doughnuts, my youngest helped me.  (Note to self:  find a recipe that doesn’t involve cinnamon and sugar for him…more of it ends up on the floor than on the dessert 🙂 )  These were a big hit.  We added chocolate chips to some of them…it’s a problem…I know.  My daughter did the honors in capturing the sweet details for you.

 

I want to try this recipe next.  Believe it or not, it’s actually food…AND includes a vegetable!!  *gasp* This looks really yummy, I love cauliflower!! Yes…I said that out loud.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
10155436_517891818315121_2954567180735148400_n

LOL…I do not make it a habit of pushing people down the stairs…this just makes me laugh 🙂

CREATIVE CORNER:
I was so excited to win the #Blogbattle Creative Writer Award for Week 33!!  This is my second win, and it was extra special for me since the story included two of my favorite characters that I have created.  You can read it here: Hair Razor.

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I don’t even like pumpkin…but these guys are too cute!!

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

© 2015 Liv’s Photography

QUOTES:

Happy Homemaker Monday 11/02

It’s a beautiful sunny, breezy day.  I have the windows open to air out the house after spending several days last week with a couple of stuffy, sniffily kids about.  We have some beautiful weather coming up this week, 70s in November…go home Mother Nature…you’re drunk. 🙂

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

weather1102WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Finished Delicious by Susan Mallery.  This one was OK, I didn’t enjoy the characters like I normally do.  I’m on to the next one in the series called Irresistible, and this one seems more interesting, and characters that I am used to from this author.

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY:
These look really good and easy.  Would like to try these sometime this week.  I think I will add a powdered sugar glaze for dipping.  Found this on the pillsbury.com website.

Grands!® Baked Sugar Doughnuts4ac610f2-fea9-416e-977d-d758fb43cfb1

Ingredients

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ refrigerated biscuits
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Place biscuits on cutting board. With 1 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut hole in center of each.

In bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Dip all sides of biscuits and centers into butter; shake off excess butter. Coat with cinnamon-sugar. Place on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake at 350°F 14 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

But I sure enjoyed that extra hour!! 🙂

CREATIVE CORNER:12122444_633057040167679_1847343957101852743_n
My daughter has been drawing on canvas with Sharpie Markers.  This is one of her drawings.  She also does these beautiful designs with intricate details, all with sharpie markers, they are just gorgeous, but I don’t have any pics of those yet, will share when I do.

ON THE TV:
Congrats to the Kansas City Royals for winning the World Series, I couldn’t bring myself to watch any of the games 😦  Need to catch up on my favorites.  With the twins both sick at the same time, they were both home…all…weekend….long, just chillin’ in front of the TV.  I watched a couple of episodes of Undateble with them.  That’s a funny show, especially the episodes they film live.

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I love abandoned buildings, and the photographers who capture them.  Came across this video, and he has a website too at SephLawless.com

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:
This is the town that my daughter’s BFF lives in.

© 2015 Liv’s Photography

QUOTES:

Happy Homemaker Monday 10/26

HHMAnother week has come and gone.  Looking forward to the Daylight Savings Time ending and getting that hour back 🙂 Hope everyone has a safe Halloween.  We don’t really celebrate Halloween, but being that we are at my mom’s house, she does pass out candy for the trick-or-treaters.  She always told us that she would have about 400 kids, and it literally is that many, that is when the weather is nice.  Today I am enjoying a day off from home schooling. 🙂

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

weather1026

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Haven’t been doing too much reading this past week, hoping to get to some this week.  I’m  still reading Delicious by Susan Mallery, hope to finish it.

NEW RECIPE I TRIED THIS WEEK/RECIPE TO SHARE:
I don’t think I ever shared this recipe, but it’s one of my favorite desserts.  My mom used to makes these when I was younger.  They have also been called Prison Delights.  Where we used to live, my oldest son’s friend lived next door, and seemed to spend a lot of time grounded.  But his room was right next to our driveway, so they would still talk through his bedroom window.  I made these one day, and knowing that they would be gone before he was no longer grounded and would be back at our house, I asked him if it was OK to feed the prisoner.  He did not hesitate to push the screen out of the window, to receive his treat.  These snacks had become his favorite, and that is what he named them 🙂 But I’ve always known them as:

Fudge Jumbles
1 cup butter/margarine
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups Oatmeal
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ cup Peanut Butter

Filling:
12 oz. Chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp. Butter/margarine
½ t salt

Preheat oven 350

Mix all ingredients together.  Take 2/3 of mixture, spread on bottom of 10 x 15 pan.
Mix filling ingredients in a double boiler or over low heat.
Pour over first layer.
Drop spoonfuls of remaining mixture on top

Bake for 25 minutes.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

85f64d8f7fb20e36314beee9ad0f437c

 ON THE TV:
The usual, Castle, The Good Wife, Blindspot.  Wish I was watching the World Series…there’s always next year. #diehardCubsfan

CREATIVE CORNER:
IMG_3374My daughter decided to do a craft with my youngest son the other day.  They walked to the Dollar store to get the supplies, and then put these jars together, I’m sure she got the idea on Pinterst.  They also bought battery operated candles to put in the bottom of them, and when they are lit, they look really pretty.

 

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

 © 2015 Liv's Photography

© 2015 Liv’s Photography

 

QUOTES/INSPIRATION:
11149538_957194350981275_1905836204959311356_n