Leaf Wreaths

I am not a crafty or creative person, but inspired by some pretty leaves we found in the backyard and a MOPS email, we decided to do a project. All we needed was leaves, sticks, paper, scissors, and tacky glue and we have leaf wreaths! T-man was more inspired by the sticks and bark.

Kids movies aren't always for kids

Warning parents, just because they made a movie out of a beloved children's book does not mean it is OK for your kids to watch. Case in point:

Chris taped The Cat in the Hat movie for us to watch which we thought would be seemingly innocent and did not read a review before watching with the kiddos. Well we thought wrong.

We actually turned it off after about 30 minutes in. In that short amount of time we saw: The Cat ogle a supposedly racey picture of their mother, The Cat pretend to be a mechanic with more than a little crack showing, the boyfriend belch and call one of the children a suck-up, and The Cat bleep curse (but still!). The children didn't enjoy it either. I think they were actually scared of The Cat.

I learned my lesson, always review movies first at http://pluggedinonline.com Sheesh!

The secret ingredient

I discovered the secret ingredient to holiday cooking. Do you already know what it is? Yep, its BUTTER. We took a holiday cooking class at Dierberg's last night and oh the butter, butter, and more butter. Chris and I cooked the mashed potatoes and green beans and used almost two sticks. We also had turkey breast w/ cranberry/apple compote, rolls, and bread pudding (OMG!) and you guessed it, they all had loads of butter. The one exception was the appetizer but it had cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and BACON among the main ingredients. It was all extremely tasty though and my second meal of the night........I rolled all the way home.

If we ever do the cooking class again we will probably do the observation instead of the participation class. We had fun but I would really like to see how all of the dishes are made and we redefined the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen". In addition, let's face it, on a Friday night I would much rather sit back, have a glass of wine, and watch someone else cook.........and of course EAT!

New creation

Well it's new to me. I tried a baked mostaccioli with chicken and it was YUMMY! Definitely a keeper. Here is what I did:

Ingredients: 6 chicken breasts (about 2 lbs), 1 jar red pepper and onion Ragu, 1 jar light Parmesan Alfredo Ragu, 1 12 ou box Penne, 8 ou (at least) shredded mozzerella, green pepper, onion, garlic, chicken broth (just a little), Italian Seasoning, and some Parmesan and pecorino romano sprinkled on top (just because I had it on hand)....btw the Ragu is on sale for $1.86 a jar at Dierberg's this week ;-)

1) Sprinkle the chicken with cajun seasoning and cook in a pan with olive oil for a few minutes on each side. Put pan in a 400 deg oven to bake for 15 minutes. Then remove, shred, and put back in pan.

2) Turn pan on low heat and add broth, green pepper, onion, garlic, and Italian Seasoning. Cook until chicken soaks up the broth. In the meantime, boil the Penne and drain.

3) Mix up the Penne, sauces, and chicken mixture and put in 9x13 pan. Top with mozzerella and other cheeses.

4) Bake for 25-30 min in 350 degrees oven.

The first rule of cookie baking

You must try at least one from each batch that goes in the oven, also including samples of the dough:

Check out my self-control today....I have not had ONE of those home-baked chocolate chip cookies today................yet.

Great Expectations

"Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed" -Alexander Pope

***modified version for ML****"Blessed is the man who expects little, for he won't be as heartbroken with disappointment" -MS

I searched for this quote today after pondering this lately. I really want to be a laid back person who doesn't expect much and is delighted in most everything. I also am cementing the biblical principle in my mind that every experience is valuable whether good, bad, or indifferent.

I guess lately I have been involved in some grass roots efforts here and there and God is whispering to me "if it benefits at least one and pulls them towards me, it is worth the effort. Even if that person is you".

Stress

I was talking to my kids about the Fruits of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit the other day. One we emphasized was self-control. This week I am realizing stress and anxiety will diminish self-control pretty quickly. I know too, I need to keep up with exercise, because that burns that anxiety up and evens me out but with much work to do by the auction it falls on the priority list.

On that note, have you seen the new Street Strider Biggest Loser contestants are using? I want one!!! Maybe in a year or two I can find one on Craig's list. Too cool.

Fears piece

This piece is a great contemporary number about a woman conquering her fears. I never heard this song by Patti Labelle before but it is fantastic!

Quote

Every person's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers. -Hans Christian Anderson