Deuteronomy 6:6-7

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-7


Friday, July 29, 2011

Food Fun!

What's the last thing you ate?
A peanut butter dark chocolate protein bar.

What's your favorite cheese?
Mozzarella
.
What's your favorite fish?
Deep fried cod.

What's your favorite fruit?
Pineapple.

When, if ever, did you start liking olives?
I'll only eat black olives if they're sliced up on pizza.

When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish?
Allergic.

What's the best thing your parents used to make?
Chicken in a rich creamy sauce, oriental pork, and roast beef/pork.

What's the native specialty of your hometown?
Deep dish pizza.

What's your favorite comfort food?
Pizza!

What's your favorite type of chocolate?
All of it!

How do you like your steak?
Well done.

How do you like your burger?
Well done.

How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled.

How do you like your potatoes?
Mashed.

How do you take your coffee?
Black.

How do you take your tea?
Straight up.

What's your favorite mug?
My white snoopy mug.

What's your cookie of choice?
Chocolate chip.

What's your ideal breakfast?
Pancakes!

What's your ideal sandwich?
Hot roast beef with mozzarella cheese on a croissant.

What's your ideal pizza (topping and base)?
Deep dish cheese from Gino's East.

What's your ideal pie?
French silk.

What's your ideal salad?
Mixed greens with chicken, chopped apples, carrots, celery, cheese, and walnuts, with balsamic dressing.


What food do you always like to have in the fridge?
Peanut butter.

What food do you always like to have in the freezer?
Waffles.

What food do you always like to have in the cupboard?
Pasta.

What spices can you not live without?
Basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper.

What sauces can you not live without?
Spaghetti sauce, pesto, alfredo.

Where do you buy most of your food?
Aldi.

How often do you go food shopping?
At least once a week.

What's the most you've spent on a single food item?
Probably some gluten free item, I think brownie or pancake mix. It was somewhere around $7.00.

What's the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own?
My kitchenaid  mixer.

What's the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen?
Coffee pot.

What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
Microwave.

How many times a month do you cook from scratch?
It's usually a mix of fresh ingredients with a couple of convenience products thrown in.

What's the last thing you cooked from scratch?
Peanut butter cookies.

What's your favorite thing to make for yourself?
Cream of broccoli soup and/or peanut butter cookies.

What meats have you eaten besides beef, pork, chicken and turkey?
I'm not too adventurous- duck.

What's the last thing you ate that had fallen on the floor?
I don't - too much of a germaphobe.

What's the last time you have eaten something you picked from the wild?
Apples from the orchard last fall.

Place the following cuisines in order of preference- greatest to least- Italian, Sushi, Chinese, French, Indian Thai.
Italian, French, Chinese, Indian, Thai, and no thank you.

Place the following flavors in order of preference - greatest to least - Garlic, Ginger, Basil, Lime,  Aniseed.
Basil, garlic, lime, ginger, aniseed.

Place the following fruits in order of preference - greatest to least - Cherry, Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Watermelon.
Pineapple, Watermelon, Cherry, Apple, Orange.

Bread and spread?
Fresh hot bread and butter.

What's your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order?
Wendy's - Broccoli and cheese baked potato, side salad.

What are three of the best dining out experiences you've had?
1.) Wonderful meal at a local place called The Birch River Grill.The chicken was amazing.
2 ) Gino's East pizza.
3.) Brunch at The Millrose.

Favorite cookbook?
Too many to name just one.

Favorite food blogs?
Not yet.

What's the next thing you'll eat?
Homemade meatballs, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, and a salad.

Hungry anyone? Post a link to your blog if you play along :)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Free Summer Digital Edition of TOS!

Take a look at the brand new Summer digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. TOS is offering this digital issue of the magazine totally free with no strings attached. Enjoy this free gift from TOS—no registration or email address required to view the magazine! Take a peek here. Then share the link with your friends by clicking on the share button at the top of the magazine pages.

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/freegift#pg2

Monday, July 25, 2011

Robert Pierre - I'm All In!





I am so excited to tell you about a new worship CD that I was given to listen to and review for you. Allow me to introduce you to Robert Pierre, a great  worship leader from the Orlando, Fla. area, who is debuting his third studio album "I'm All In!" TOMORROW, July 26!!

From the moment I put that CD into the disc player, the whole family has been singing the tunes, and dancing around. My very favorite has to be the title track I'm All In. That song will have you up and moving, praising, and dancing, for sure! The rest of the album doesn't disappoint either. I love Who R U, Be Lifted Up, oh, who's kidding who, I love it all!

A short aside here, I had just received this CD to review, when lo and behold, the next day, who was at our church performing that weekend, but Mr. Robert Pierre himself! And, he was amazing! So fun!

You'll love the upbeat, contemporary sounds of this album, from the first to last song. Definitely two thumbs up from over here!

How about a few words from the publisher?...


For Robert, I'm All In is more than the name of his third studio album, due July 26 from thinkaboutit records. It has become Robert's life motto as he responds to God's calling to live fully committed to Him. In addition to writing and recording I'm All In and playing on a summer tour, Robert also leads regular Sunday morning worship at his 800 member Orlando, Fla., church. And he's done it all as a high school senior.

"All of the songs have something to do with things I was going through my senior year," Robert said of I'm All In, "preparing to say goodbye to friends and not really knowing what would come next, but finding comfort and piece in the Lord's plans for my life. The bible talks about how the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro throughout the earth, searching for someone whose heart is wholly His, someone He can strongly support. This CD is me saying, I'm all in."

Creating I'm All In was a powerfully personal experience for Robert, who teamed with veteran songwriter Jason Ingram (Tenth Avenue North, Sanctus Real, Bebo Norman) and legendary producer Matt Bronleewe (Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman) on the album. The result is a collection of songs that enthusiastically and energetically worship God while wrestling with what it means to be a Christian in a world full of difficulty and joy, anxiety and excitement.

You can check out Robert Pierre's website here at http://robertpierre.com/
Listen to a sample of the album, and purchase it here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059388YI/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1310674129&sr=8-1

Now, for the real fun. The publisher is generously making a copy available to one lucky reader!!! Free!!!
What do you need to do?
You may enter the drawing in a couple of ways.

1.) Follow me here on my blog, then leave me a comment telling me you did so. Please include your name and email so I can notify you if you are the winner.
                  and/or....
2.) Check out Robert's facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RobertPierreMusic and like the page. Then, come back here and leave a comment telling me you did, again, leave your email please.

How easy is that? You have until Monday, August 1st to enter, so don't miss this opportunity! I will notify the winner on Tuesday August 2nd. Good Luck!


UPDATE: Tuesday, August 2 - Congratulations to Jane from Mozi Esme, our "I'm All In" CD winner! A copy is on the way to you!



" Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services  I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday - An Afternoon At The Nature Center

My lovely little ladies.












Leaves of three...let them be.



Walk like a chicken.



Smile!





Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Blues

I have to say, this summer is not going the way I had planned. As May turned into June, I was mentally making plans for summer school lessons, warm weather field trips, dance recitals, and maybe, just maybe, a little weekend getaway.

Instead, what we got was a crazy busy couple of weeks filled with last minute dance rehearsals, summer colds, summer tummy viruses, visits from out of town relatives...I could go on and on. But, I won't.
Suffice it to say, that now, as I find myself, and our whole family, approaching mid July already, I'm feeling overwhelmed and a little disappointed
.
This week, the girls are enjoying VBS at a local church every morning through Friday. We look forward to it all year long. I love my children, which goes without saying, but it is really nice to have just a couple of hours of my own personal alone time- mommy time as my youngest calls it.

So, every year the question is, what do I do with my time? My answer was given to me from the message we heard at church this past weekend. The topic was prayer, and the key verse is Jeremiah 33:3 which says, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."

I dropped the kids off on Monday morning, and the house was mine. And I called out to God. I enjoyed praying aloud to God and just giving Him my burdens. It was a sweet time, and all too soon it was time to get the girls. But I felt lighter in my spirit, and a song that we sang at church kept coming to my mind called always. I love the words to this praise song...

 "Oh my God, You will not delay, my refuge and strength, always."

So, here I sit typing. My circumstances have not changed. I have a tooth that still hurts. The kids go back and forth between loving on each other and fighting. I still haven't gotten my lessons for school completed, and the dog just made a mess on the rug. But...God knows, and He sees me where I am. And it makes all the difference.