Think I Could Order This Somewhere?

It has been one of those days. I am thankful to have my eldest home from school again - we are having a great time! I loaded up all the kidlets and cautiously ventured out to the gym this morning through the ice. When I got back I immediately knew that I was in for a big suprise (yes, the smell was in the air). Our sweet Sheltie Chance decided to get in the trash and help himself to the tulips I threw away .... what the heck? He was eating the green stems! Now, I know he is wayy smarter than this. And then he proceeded to get sick and leave me 4 - yes, 4 piles of nasty poo to clean up off the carpet. So much fun! He has now been banned to the patio for the remainder of the day. I tell ya, it never stops around here friends - one big circus!

Menu Monday and some new friends!

It's co..co..cold here this week! So, I am settling in and making some warm dishes using my beloved crockpot.

Monday: Crockpot BBQ Chicken served with fresh green beans

Tuesday: Crockpot Hobo Dinner - absolutely delicious and I don't really care for cabbage

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: spaghetti

Friday: Roast in the crockpot

Guess what I did Friday? Dawn at Dawn's Diversions orchestrated a get together at a local restaurant (Fox and the Hound) for OK bloggers and at the very last minute I decided to go. I had the best time! Conversations about our favorite blogs, ideas for topics to post about and even some neat give-away ideas filled the air. Many new relationships were formed. My hubby thought I was nuts running off to meet strangers, but as you can see they were just the sweetest ladies and I enjoyed getting to meet all of them!

The whole bunch - a beautiful group of girls!

Here I am with Georgie at Decisionally Challenged and Dawn. I sat next to these 2 ladies and really enjoyed their company. It was such a great evening!

Sunday Rest

Friday Faves and an Award!

Wanted to share a few of my favorite things this week:

source

I love these pillows. They would fit well in several rooms in my house. Botanicals, birds, butterflies.....right up my alley!

Another great find from Ballards. I love anything French looking and this is taken straight out of a train station in Paris.

This mirror makes me giddy! It's just darling! I love the birdcage design and they have it hanging in front of a bookcase.

Swissmar Borner Slicer

I love this thing! I forgot I even had a mandolin slicer, much less that it was called a mandolin, but a neighbor mentioned she was given one recently and it sparked my memory. My mom gave this one to me and I have decided I am going to get it out and use it a lot more - it is soo easy. What have I been waiting for? I made scalloped potatoes last night and they turned out fabulous.

The color BLUE. I am searching for the best blue to paint my master. I may have found it.

This room is fabulous and the wall color - just gorgeous! This was done by my good friend Sarah at Vintage Lily when she worked full-time as a designer for a commercial firm. She is very talented in many things, much less decorating. She has great taste!

I love this show! I am addicted to it..it's definitely my guilty pleasure. Hubby has absolutely no idea why I watch such a "dumb" show as he calls it, but I enjoy tuning in to see what the girls are gonna do next. FUN!

This is my sweet K in her way cute tutu made by my best real-life buddy Jenn at Memoirs of a Southern Domestic Goddess. Isn't it darling? I love how it looks on my baby girl. She makes the cutest things and sells them on her blog. I also have a picture frame she made which I adore. Go by and check her out!


I got an award back at the first of January and am just now blogging about it.....whew! Gina at Six In The Country gave this to me...thanks Gina!

I am so grateful for the recognition! Go over for a visit and say hello. She has a great blog!

Enjoy your weekend friends. I have been working on a painting project and will be back next week to show you a peak at what is going on in this house!

Menu Plan Monday!

A new week is here..yea! Somehow, the weekend is never long enough, is it?

Here is what is on the menu for our home this week:

Monday: Rachael Ray's Indian Summer Chili
Tuesday: Chicken soft tacos
Wednesday: Ziti Bake
Thursday: Crock pot Thursday: Pork chops and potatoes
Friday: going out


I had a request to post the recipe for the oh-so-tasty chicken/green bean and potatoes dish I made the other night (that was quite a fiasco)!

Potato-Green Bean-Chicken Dish

Ingredients:
4-6 large chicken breasts (thawed)
3 large baking potatoes (pealed and cut up) or several sliced red potatoes
2-3 cans of green beans (drained)
1 stick butter
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water
2 packages Good Season Italian Dressing Mix
Black pepper, salt and parsley flakes (optional)

Directions:

Preheat over to 225. Put all above ingredients into a large casserole dish.
Mix butter, oil, water and seasoning mix together in a bowl.
Pour seasoning mixture over the chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Garnish with parsley, add salt and pepper.
Cover with foil. Bake at 225 for 2 hours. Then, turn up oven to 350 and cook for an additional 30-45 mins just to make sure that the chicken is well cooked and potatoes are soft. Or, you can slow cook this dish for 5-6 hours on 225.

I have a busy week ahead - kiddos are home from school today and I am enjoying my day with them! Thank you to all my new blogging friends and all the sweet comments...I will catch up on everything with you very soon!

Praying...please continue!

As most of you know, Kelly had her sweet baby girl Harper yesterday. She needs your prayers to the heavens for her daughter as Harper has had some complications and was flown to my neck of the woods. I know first-hand that she is in excellent care!

God is sovereign, mighty and is the Great Physician! We are in stand in faith that He will restore Harper's body and she will be in complete health soon!

Well, who watched it last night?

Man, I love this show!  I had to TIVO it because I was gone last night with hubby, but you can bet I cranked that thing up as soon as I got home!  I really liked last year's winner David Cook. He could perform the socks off just about any song.  And do you remember George Michael's performance on the finale?  I watched that at least 20 times...his voice was incredible and what a song!  Amazing!

What do you think of the new judge Kara DioGuardi? I'm not sure I'm sold on the whole thing..it's weird to me that they would have 4 judges on the show now.  Why did they even need a fourth? What happens if there is a tie?  She's got great credentials and seems to be nice. I guess we'll see!

That one girl that sang the Heart song Barracuda rocked it!  I loved her audition.  I also like the cute 16 year old and the girl named Stevie.  They had great voices!  And what about the oil-field guy from Texas?  Gotta give props to my Texas peeps!  He could sing pretty well, too.  And oh yea, that geeky guy at the end that sang to himself in the closet?  My gosh - he had some pipes! He was a big surprise!

Ok, so this is totally late and many of you have watched tonight's episode already.  I tivo'd it once again and will be turning it on shortly.  I'll be back to give my thoughts on it tomorrow!

Have a great night everyone!

A bit about me..

Happy Monday!

I know this is late and I really want to return to posting......I have tons of things that I want to talk about......
like Menu Plan Monday, a new award, inspiring new decor ideas and my resolutions for 2009....but that will have to wait till tomorrow.


I thought this meme was fun and stole it from a friend.

The things in bold are things I've done in my itty-bitty lifetime:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon - gonna hopefully start training for one next month - yea!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem - one of my life-long goals/dreams
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

A Very Wordless Wednesday

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Here we are...Tuesday night..quarter to 8...and dinner is still in the oven.

Know the old saying that most people who cook - and cook really well - will tell you? Read the ENTIRE recipe before starting a meal. Hmmm... what a novel idea! They actually might know somethin'!

I was so distracted by things today - trips/errands all over town, taking hubby's car to the repair shop, and feeling not quite up-to-par.

Here's what we should be eating. This little number has to cook at least 3 hours...if not 4. I was given this dish by a church friend of mine when I was on bedrest with K (my daughter). It was absolutely delicious and I have always wanted to make it.

Boy, does it smell good.... should be ready about 8:15...right before bed - yay!

This is what we actually had for dinner - cereal! I'm so glad that my children were very sweet about the whole fiasco.

I'm so glad for a new day tomorrow - thank you Lord! :)

Happy New Year!

Praying that each of you have a healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year 2009!

Today, I am making fresh black-eyed peas, cornbread, mashed potatoes and steak for our New Year's dinner. And, I might even bake a little, too. Do you make anything special for New Years?

To all of my friends - new and old, near or far....thank you for blessing my life. I am a better person because of you!

I look forward to all that God has in store for the Freeman family in 2009!

The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26