Happy Homemaker Monday 04.11.16

Morning!!   Spring is broken!!  But it really doesn’t do any good to complain, since spring around here is like one day anyway 😀  I only look forward to the warmer weather for my flip-flops!!  Me and heat don’t really get along, not since I was pregnant with the twins during the hottest summer on record!!  Anniehow…here’s to warmer weather…it has to get here eventually!!

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

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

MOVIE REVIEW:
My family loves Star Wars. I like the movies, but I’m just not that into it, and really can’t tell which episode is which. But I did watch The Force Awakens this weekend with the boys, and I really enjoy it. Since I did see the original one in the theaters, it was nice that they brought back all the original characters, albeit the very old original characters, lol. I really liked the new BB8 droid, he was really cute, and it was good to see my all time favorite Chewbacca.


LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

12931173_1189678284378368_8305186213625165391_n

 

RECIPE I TRIED AND ONE I WANT TO TRY:
So…I tired the Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookie thingy. Yeah…bleh. First of all I didn’t actually make cookies, I usually don’t make individual cookies, I make pan cookies, spread everything in a pan and whala…cookie bars. The flavor wasn’t disgusting or anything, I just didn’t like how they turned out, they were really flat. Probably from the greasy bacon, which I did drain. It also wasn’t a taste like…wow…this is absolutely amazing!! I’ll stick to the normal Toll House Squares thankyouverymuch!!

But up next… is this!!


FAVORITE VIDEO FROM THE WEB:
Nature is amazing!!

HOMEMAKING LIFE TIP:
A FB Post from my feed: Frosted Mini Wheats challenge. Eat all the frickin’ things before the powdered sugar dissolves off because of the milk.

After having this show up on my FB feed from my daughter’s friend, I shared with her how I do it, and her mom eventually chimed in, and thought it was Genius!! (her word not mine)  Made her have a bowl right then and there, LOL. So I thought I’d share it with you:

I dip mine individually in a glass of milk, and eat them one by one. It’s the perfect amount of milk for each piece. My son also eats his this way as well. Spoons are optional, LOL.  ♥ LOVE Frosted Mini Wheats!!

FROM THE CAMERA:

© 2016 Liv’s Photography

 

QUOTES:

 

Happy Homemaker Monday 04.04.16

Good Afternoon!!   It’s slow going today, as we get ourselves back in the swing of things, so hard to get motivated after a break like that, plus I have one sniffly kid as well.  It’s a gloomy, freezing day outside, so that doesn’t help.  Hope everyone has a great week ahead!!

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

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
Bullsh…lol, sorry that just sums it up.

weather0404

WHAT’S FEEDING MY BOOK ADDICTION:
House on Cooper Lane by Oliver Phipps. This is based on a true story. When I read the summary, it sounded pretty interesting; a haunted house that was turned into apartments. The story is about what one guy and his dog finds when they rent an apartment on the bottom floor, and why the other apartments haven’t been rented out for years. One of the reviews stated that it was chilling, and very scary. Eh…it was mediocre. The story was decent, but nothing bone chilling or suspenseful. When I am reading on my kindle, the bottom shows the percentage of what was read. So I’m like at 78% and the story ends, and I’m like that’s it? There was a sample chapter of another story at the end of this one 😐 If your looking for a typical haunted house story, it’s worth a read, it’s not horrible. I guess I was expecting more.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

RECIPE I TRIED:
OK…so now I’m getting fancy. This one just looked so yummy, I think it’s because it’s so colorful, lol. I did add Water Chestnuts to mine, I just like the little added crunch they add to a dish like this. I also served it over rice, turned out good.

Here is the link for the recipe: http://bit.ly/1PrlKux

 

FAVORITE VIDEO FROM THE WEB:
There is something so calming in watching this video. I. Want. One!!


FROM THE CAMERA:

© 2016 Liv’s Photography

QUOTES:

 

Happy Homemaker Monday 04/27

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

 Hey there!!  I missed last week’s post, so here we go for this week.  Hope everyone is doing well.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
Redonkulous!!  It’s been in the 30s all last week, and rained over the weekend.  We are looking at 50s and 60s for the upcoming week…here’s hopin’.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
Coffee with Hot for Cookie Creamer and an Entenmanns’ Chocolate Donut.  I can’t seem to get enough of these donuts.  It might have something to do with the fact that my 19-year-old son likes to eat THREE of them when he comes home late at night from work.

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:
The trees finally have some green on them.  I’m waiting for the trees across the street to bloom with their beautiful white flowers.  No one seems to know what kind they are, but they are so pretty.

ON TODAY’S TO DO LIST:
Home school – cursive with a left-handed boy #challenges
Laundry
Cleaning I didn’t do this weekend
Writing for this week’s blogbattle.

CURRENTLY READING:
I recently read “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins.  It was good, a bit dark and twisted, but good.  I kept reading it just to see how it would all turn out.  I’m fascinated by the depths of the imagination of an author when writing a story like this.

After I read that I needed something a lot lighter, so I read “The Best Medicine” by Tracy Brogan.  She did not disappoint; again she had me laughing with the things her characters say.  A 35-year-old plastic surgeon meets a 27-year-old handsome (of course) guy who is drunk after crashing a stolen jet ski into a dock.  She is called to the ER to take care of the gash on the side of his face.  Another fun read, as she enters the dating world via a dating web site, yet fighting the attraction to the younger hooligan she stitched up.  She has a list of requirements for the perfect man, and just maybe he isn’t the kind of guy she first perceives him to be.  This is the second book in the Bell Harbor Novel series and some of the characters from the first book make an appearance, like Fontaine the interior decorator…love him!!

ON THE TV TODAY:
The Voice will be fun to watch.  The current coaches are bringing in some of the old coaches to help with the team members that are left.  Looking forward to see Cee Lo Green, he was one of the original coaches and always very entertaining.

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
I need more variety, I get stuck on the same things sometimes.

Hamburger, Fries, Deviled Eggs
Lasagna Pasta, Salad
Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup with Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches
Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Flavored Fettuccini noodles, Green Beans, Italian Herb and Cheese Bread
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad (trying this one again)

WHAT I AM CREATING AT THE MOMENT:
Doing some creative writing as I have joined #blogbattle.  So much fun for me and I am really enjoying it.  I always wanted to write fictional stories, but never got around to it, this gave me the nudge I needed to just do it.  I was very nervous posting my first story; it was like sending your child out in the world for the first time, scary, but at the same time exhilarating.  Plus the #blogbattle community is so encouraging and fun to be a part of.

NEW RECIPE I TRIED OR WANT TO TRY THIS WEEK:
Being that it was cold and raining on Saturday, I made Cream of Chicken with Rice Soup with Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches.  Need to tweak it a bit, the flavor wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.  It probably didn’t help that my daughter and I spent a good part of Friday afternoon talking about how we wanted the soup from the little diner in town.  We should have gone there for lunch; I still have a taste for it.  Anniehow….

I also made the Banana Split Cookies that Carrie shared.  OMG…these are like eating a rainbow sprinkled with sunshine…SO good!!

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

Liv’s Photography ©2015

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES (PRAYERS OR DEVOTIONALS):

Quotation-Non-Nomen-best-Meetville-Quotes-210402

 

Happy Homemaker Monday 04/13

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

 Hey there!!  Enjoyed my spring break last week, didn’t do much of anything, read a couple of books (big surprise, lol) I just have to tell you about ;-).  This is what I’ve been up to, hope you have a great week!!

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
Started out a little gloomy, but now it’s sunny and warm, in the 70s.  Looks like Mother Nature has decided to stay for the party…60’s all week…that’s what I’m talking about!!

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
Coffee and an Entenmanns’ Chocolate Donut.

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:
I am watching the construction guys put up the siding on the new house behind us.  As I mentioned before, my mom has a little contest for all of us to pick the color, the winner gets a Subway gift card.  I won last time, and this time I picked the color beige, we had a couple of those, a couple of reds and a blue.  And the color of the house is?!?!…gray…the house is gray.  (cue the defeating cymbal crash).  It’s not even a nice gray, kinda drab.  But we will soon try again, there’s another house right next to it.

RIGHT NOW I AM:
Finishing up this post, working on fixing the other laptop and enjoying some bread pudding!! Ahhhh…multitasking!!

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE:
It’s nice and clean, enjoyed cleaning this weekend, with the windows open.

ON TODAY’S TO DO LIST:
Laundry.  Also working on trying to get my son’s laptop working again.  It says it’s connected to the Internet, but it really isn’t.  As we enter in the final stretch of school, I’d like to get it working again, so we can finish out using it, and hold off on getting a new one.  Was scouring the Internet yesterday on all the geeky tech sites, tried all kinds of things thinking this has to be it, but no such luck.  Going to just restore the whole thing.

CURRENTLY READING:
So here’s the books I’ve read…

It Had To Be Him by Tamra Baumann – Megan has always been considered by her family to be a screw up.  When she becomes pregnant and her boyfriend leaves her, she must return home to a town where her father is the Mayor, one brother is the Doctor, another brother is the Sheriff, and her sister runs the very private hotel to the stars.  Her boyfriend Josh, comes looking for her and their daughter, and wants a second chance.  Meg and her family don’t want anything to do with him.  She thinks he left her because she got pregnant, but he needs to let her know the real reason…in time.  It gets really interesting and the characters come alive when Josh shows up and gets shot by the shotgun toting grandma, who is an excellent marksman, but only grazes his arm.  He finds himself facing the law, (one brother) needing a doctor (the other brother) and needing a place to stay (the sister).  I loved Meg’s determination to prove her family wrong about her, and also love how this story actually made me laugh out loud.

Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan.  This is another laugh out loud funny book.  Recently divorced Sadie finds herself spending the summer along with her two kids at the home of her Aunt Dody.  Sadie soon finds out that also staying at the house are her two cousins, Dody’s sons, Jasper a chef at a fancy restaurant, and Fontaine an interior designer.  This book is written in Sadie’s perspective, and I found myself reading it fairly fast at times, because that just seems how Sadie’s mind works.  Sadie is fluent in sarcasm, and with Dody and Fontaine, you never know what is going to come out of their mouths.  Dody likes to use the wrong words when she has a conversation, and is just oblivious to her mistakes.  Add in the handsome, house sitting Doctor, and you definitely have a fun read!!

ON THE TV TODAY:
The Voice is in the finals.  I really don’t know which team I want to win, so much good talent.  I need to finish one episode of The Good Wife.  I’m looking forward to June when Devious Maids starts again.

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
Lasagna Pasta, garlic bread
BBQ Breaded Pork Chops, Rice, Broccoli/Cauliflower and bread crumbs, crescent rolls
Swiss Steak Supper with Hawaiian Rolls
Pork Fajitas
Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

WHAT I AM CREATING AT THE MOMENT:
I have a kit to make some stepping stones for the garden out of plaster.  Maybe I’ll have the boys help me make them.  I won’t have them help me paint them, since they have flowers on them and are very girly, LOL.  But the directions say the bottom can be decorated as well, so I might have them put their hand prints in them and design something around that.

Created a new look for my blog.  With the warm weather and the spring cleaning, wanted to change it up.  That is also a current picture (as in Easter day current).  The ones I had up before were from a couple of years ago.

NEW RECIPE I TRIED OR WANT TO TRY THIS WEEK:
My new recipe for this week is Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, looks really interesting, will share the results next week.

But I have to mention I made the Lasagna Pasta on Saturday, after a day of cleaning, it was so simple to make, and a good hearty meal without all the fuss.  As I was spooning mine onto my plate, I’m thinkin’….hmmm…I bet olives would taste good in this.  I had some in the fridge, cut them up and added it to mine.  A very delicious addition, I must say, adds a little kick and nice texture.  I used green olives.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:
The last time I was at the store, I went ahead and bought this beautiful bouquet of flowers just because.  🙂

© Liv’s Photography 2015

 

There is always a picture to be taken and a moment to be captured

© Liv’s Photography 2015

First Day Back

We had a good first day back to school.  It may take me a couple of days to get my day to day thing going, since I have the twins doing 7th grade, and Elijah is in 2nd.  I need to get the older two working so I can focus with Elijah.  Not to mention, he is just so excited with school, and not very patient when waiting for me.  I made the candy bars for them, and when I gave it to them, Elijah was too excited.  He was like thanks mom, these are the best ever.  Everything to him is the best ever!!  But he is such a grateful kid.  I don’t know how many times he thanked me today for school.  If that doesn’t want to make you keep going, I don’t know what does.  So the 3 “school kids” got the Back to the Books bars, and Benji of course got something special.  He received a Back To Benji Bar, since all he has to do is be Benji.  He was as thrilled as Elijah was to get his.  He is Elijah’s shadow, whatever Elijah says or does, Benji repeats him.  I also made the Oreo Surpise dessert for them, and as I mentioned yesterday, here is the recipe.  Most people probably know this as “Dirt”, but we of course add a little twist to it, and make it Oreo Surprise, (it’s a nicer name too).

1 pkg Double Stuff Oreo Cookies
1 pkg Regular Oreo Cookies
12 oz. tub of Cool Whip
5.1 oz. Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 cups milk
Maraschino Cherries
Bananas
Pecans

First, put the Oreos in the freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Then take them out, and crush them in a blender or food processor, until they are fine crumbs (that resemble dirt).  I usually use one whole package of Double Stuff, and about 1 1/2 rows of regular.  Set aside.  Mix the Cool Whip, vanilla pudding and milk with an electric mixer.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.  In an 8 1/2 X 11 cake pan, start off with a thin layer of Cool Whip mixture, then layer Oreo cookies, then you can do a thicker layer of Cool Whip Mixture. and Oreo cookies, keep doing that until you finish with a top layer of Oreos.  Put in the refrigerator uncovered.  It is ready to eat in about 30 minutes.  When serving, add maraschino cherries, sliced bananas, and pecans, or any combination of the three.  Store uncovered in refrigerator if you have any left.  This usually serves about 10 – 12.

When we have described this to people with the cherries, bananas and pecans, most people are a little skeptical about the combination.  But when they try it, they are like, you know you’re right this is good this way.  I personally don’t eat it with the pecans, but the people that do say the pecans just add a little something to it.  Hope you try this and enjoy it as much as we do.