Archive for the ‘Personal Talk’ Category

My Mother’s Day Resolutions for this Year: I want to strive to be a godly example for my sons…and I hope to teach them this coming year to be “givers”…of their time and energy helping others…and from their money, faithfully giving their tithes and offerings…and to support the missionaries by giving to missions.

About my day:

My 3 boys have made me feel very special today with all the hugs and “Mom, I love you” expressions.  I received a couple of flowers, a card, a nice & cold frappuccino and didn’t have to cook breakfast (my hubby bought the boys donuts for this morning.)  I also received a little gift package from my secret sister and she did a terrific job of choosing all the favorite things that I like.

For lunch I requested my traditional Mother’s Day meal:  A Braum’s hamburger and a butter pecan malt.   I told my boys the story behind the “butter pecan malts”… After I gave birth to each of my babies, my hubby would bring me a butter pecan malt to the hospital.  It was my first requested “meal” if you can call that a meal? (Whatever the answer is to that, I’m still smiling content here.)

I want to personally wish every mom reader here a “Happy Mother’s Day.”   I hope this day you feel as special as you are!

Birthday Cakes and Birthday Boys Who Grow Up Too Fast

Attending a birthday party yesterday for a young boy in our church gave me a new awakening.   After our arrival, my two youngest boys immediately headed out to play with the group of kids that were there to enjoy the birthday party at the park.

My oldest, who is turning 14 tomorrow, lingered at the edge of the sidewalk simply gazing at the children who were playing with enthusiasm on the playground.   It struck me hard for the first time that my son really is growing up fast.  I sort of missed seeing him out there playing and running around on the playground.

My oldest son has certainly been a blessing to me.  He loves to help me and still isn’t too big to give me a hug and say, “I love you, Mom”.   If my hubby and I need any “technical” support on the computer, then he is the “go to” man for help.   Above all, if he grows up serving the Lord, then I shall be one happy, content Mother!  (I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. ~ III Jn. 1:4)

We decided to celebrate my son’s 14th birthday early, and so I made a really easy recipe since it was getting late last night.  It’s name is simply, “Chocolate Oil Cake“.  I actually cut the sugar in half, and it was still very enjoyable for us, especially with the delicious chocolate fudge frosting on top.  I’ve shared the simple recipe below with the original ingredients…

Chocolate Oil Cake

1 c. buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 TB of vinegar)

3/4 c. oil

2 eggs

2 c sugar

2 heaping tsp. soda

2 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients and beat well.  Add the vanilla last.

Bake 350 degrees about 35 min. in 9X13 pan.

Tips for Moist Cakes

I searched online to find a few suggestions for baking “moist” cakes and I thought I would share them with you.  If you have any additional tips or hints, please share them with the readers here.

- Check your cake a few minutes before time is up to prevent overbaking.

- Store your cake in an airtight container.

- One suggestion I found is to bake your cake in advance, let it cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap, store it in the freezer overnight and then take it out the next day to frost it.

- An additional suggestion I found is that you use “cake flour” if possible. (Add 2 tablespoons more of CAKE FLOUR for each cup of all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.)

Keeping Promises

As I young child, I remember being taught the value of keeping one’s promises.  “A man’s only as good as his word,” was the saying I often heard…

Don’t you love the fact, that God keeps ALL of His promises!?!  Still yet we see the rainbow which reminds us of the promise He made after Noah’s flood.

God’s Word assures us…

Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

A little personal story…

Just for fun, I wanted to share little personal story from my childhood days.

When I was in second and third grade, I often slept with my Raggedy Ann. During thunder storms, I hugged her tightly. Having no brothers or sisters, it was so comforting to be able to talk to her at night.

After having a man come to our home to demonstrate the value and importance of new smoke detectors in case of fires…and being shown terrifying slides of the devastation that fires can do to one’s home…I began to make solemn promises to my Raggedy Ann that if ever a fire were to take place in our home… I would NOT leave her behind…I would escape with HER tightly in my arms.

Today, I still have her…and she resides in my kitchen. I still smile when I see her and am reminded of those nights that I talked with her as a little girl. I imagine she holds some secrets that never another ear has heard…except my Heavenly Father above.

Rambling About My Weekend…and a sneak peek into my normal routine.

Seems like I’ve been awful busy lately coming and going…and planning what’s going to happen next in my kitchen.  I decided to slow down for a moment today and share with you about what’s going on here at the White House.

Thursday evening pre-planning takes place…and a little oops!

I decided to plan early for Friday morning’s breakfast by whipping up a batch of that peanut butter baked oatmeal.  I spread it in my baking pan, covered it and put it in the fridge so that it would be ready to stick into the oven the next morning.

It all actually turned out pretty well….except that I got in a big hurry and left a few spots of baking soda that didn’t get mixed well. (eeeewww!)  Wouldn’t  you know, my hubby and youngest son got those bitter bites in their pieces…and weren’t really thrilled.  Next time, I’ll slow down and mix a little more thoroughly.

Friday morning takes a big curve…

I really planned to relax a little bit and then get busy cleaning a little during the afternoon, but my hubby suggested we take off and travel to Ponca City to do a little shopping.  We try to plan a trip there about once a month to stock up on some supplies.  Unlike most of my past years of being a little “unflexible” with my planned schedule…I decided, Why Not!

So, my schedule quickly changed just like that!  Anyway, I find that being the age of “40 something” is a little thrilling.  Most of the little worries of my 20 & 30′s seem not so important now.  I still worry sometimes about that mess lurking my boys’ rooms…but hey…I guarantee more than likely it’ll still be there tomorrow.  It won’t be crawling anywhere…and if it does…then I’m relieved that I didn’t discover whatever was crawling in there. lol

I did have a great but tiresome day.  When we got back for the evening, I made my pizza dough to get ready for our Friday Pizza Night. (Some routines are a must…and pizza is one of those big “priorities”, you know.)

No worries about Friday’s tasks that didn’t get done…

To keep me from getting too far off course, my schedule organizer notebook is my support pal that makes sure that I get everything done.  I find that just taking time to plan a few priorities to get done everyday keeps my house from falling apart.

Peering back on yesterday’s schedule, I decided I’d better tackle those tasks today (Saturday), so I simply drew a little arrow over to Saturday. (See how easy that is?)  I then added only one other task of cleaning the bathroom so that I could easily get everything done in a timely manner.

Saturday is also the day to use up our leftovers…

For lunch, I grabbed leftover pizza to heat up for my boys and took out our leftover grapes to enjoy on the side. I ate some leftover stir fry. It was still yummy!

For supper, I wanted to use some of my leftover turkey, some homemade salsa, tortilla bits, and a little shredded cheese that I had left in my sandwich drawer in the fridge.

Mission accomplished: I found this recipe online: Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

It was the perfect solution (and quite delicious). I didn’t have sour cream, but I substituted with plain yogurt.

For the topping, I used leftover bits of tortilla chips that I keep in a bag for such an occasion.  Five minutes before serving, I tossed the bits into a little pan and popped them in my toaster oven to crisp them up.  I sprinkled the tortilla bits and cheese over the soup and it really added to the flavor and texture of the soup.

My day is done…almost.  I’m planning to try this recipe tonight for a sweet treat this weekend: “Peanut Butter Bars“.  With chocolate and peanut butter together, I figure I can’t go wrong.

I’m now looking forward to being in the Lord’s House on Sunday!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and please take time to share your weekend by commenting below.

Fun Hobbies and Collections

From the time I was a little girl I’ve had a genuine interest in collecting “stuff”.

Could it be hereditary?

My dad was a genuine collector of paper and envelopes.  The best part was that his hobby was absolutely free.  Incoming junk mail provided for his growing collection without a single cent forked out on his part.

I really love my dad!  He’s progressed over the years to collecting computer parts.  He’s a pro when it comes to messing with computers and putting old parts together to create new usable computers.  I’m enthused over his talent, but I think my mother is slightly weary of his ever-growing collection of parts in the garage. (I don’t blame her though; my hubby has quite a few growing collections that I wouldn’t mind disappearing. lol)

During my third grade year, I took up collecting stamps.  My wonderful mother supported my interest by allowing me to confiscate every stamp from incoming mail.  I learned to soak them and safely remove them from the envelopes. For years, I continued watch for new releases of stamps from the post office and watched intently over my growing collection.  I also collected a few other odds and ends such as some coins and pretty rocks.

When I was first married, I gained an interest in collecting Coca-Cola items for my kitchen.  Soon,  my kitchen was swamped with lots of this terrific “stuff”.  My passion has slowly turned to things that take up less space and require less commitment, such as my wooden spoons. (view picture here) And as you can see above, I have a very small collection of praying hands.

I think most human beings find a fascination in collecting “stuff”.  Collecting a variety of like items tends to offer such simple enjoyment…

Of course, it’s collecting something that you have a passion about that makes you a true genuine collector.  I mean, who could find a thrill about collecting worms if you hated them?  I think really it’s the “hunt” for the next item to add to one’s collection that adds to thrill of it all.

I believe collections are valuable (not necessarily in the sense of money value)…they inspire conversation and allow you to connect with others who have the same interest.  They allow you to relax for a moment and just enjoy the simple things in life.

I’m just wondering what sort of collections or fun hobbies that my readers have?  Please share with us here.  I would love to hear from you!

My Super Mom Picture

My 12-year-old son drew this picture of me this week.  At the top of the page it says, “Super Mom“... and as you can see at the bottom… apparently Super Mom cooks super fast! 

Just a note to self: Slow down!  No wonder I’m always making a mess in the kitchen!

For you moms out there, I want to encourage you not to feel like you have to be super mom all the time.  Remember to delegate jobs.   I started teaching my boys how to fold their own laundry when they were only 4 years old. (And remember, things don’t always have to be perfect!)

Does delegating  housework make me less of a mom? No, it definitely allows me to be an “unstressed” mom…and believe me, that’s a relief to everybody in our house! lol

How about you all? How do you get your kids involved at home?  Please share any tips or ideas!