Why do parents take these kind of pictures???

I honestly do not think I EVER took a pic of my children on the potty! haha... well, maybe I should go back thru my pictures and check! Circa 1952.

Click here to see what others are posting for Sincerely 'Fro Me to You!

NEVER FORGET! 9/11/01

"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?"

Please never forget! This day is etched in our minds, our hearts.... Today is a day of remembrance and a day to lift in prayer the victims, the victims' families, the survivors, our emergency response support, the volunteers, our nation!

For a wonderfully written poem about Never Forget, please visit this Delightfully Digital.

Procrastination Project #3 - My dresser top

This is my dresser. Yeah! MINE! Got rid of the socks and storage containers to their home, threw away some of the stack of papers and book, decluttered the dust!! Done and now my bedroom feels that much more comfortable!

The jewelry box is not quite my style but it was my mother's and it is lovely. The framed object in the middle is also a music box, plays our favotite: "Unchained Melody."

Have something you have been procrastinating doing? Join us! Click here to join and to see what others have been doing!

1973 - We were "hotties" back then! - Wordless Wednesday!

No words needed! LOL

Want to see what others are posting for Wordless Wednesday? Click here and find out!

Taco Mac

• 1 package (24 ounces) shells and cheese dinner mix
• 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
• 1/3 cup taco sauce
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 4 cups shredded lettuce
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Directions:

Prepare shells and cheese mix according to package directions. Stir in sausage, taco sauce and seasoning. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings. *Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Kraft Velveeta Family-Size Shells & Cheese.

Chicken Pesto Pan Pizza

Chicken Pesto Pan Pizza
Source: Taste of Home

• 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 envelope pesto sauce mix
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:

Unroll pizza crust into an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Prick dough several items with a fork. Bake at 425° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, combine the water, oil and pesto sauce mix in a saucepan. Cook until heated through (do not boil). Add the spinach, ricotta and onion; mix well. Spread over crust. Top with the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and Swiss and Romano cheeses. Bake at 425° for 7 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

Cooking Spray Substitute

I have not tried this yet, but will be soon, as my spray is just about gone! I am trying to be more frugal with our money.

1/2 C vegetable oil or canola oil

1/2 C shortening room temp

1/2 C all purpose flour

Place all in mixing bowl. Beat until it doubles in volume and looks kind of like marshmallow cream. Place in container with lid and store on counter or in cabinet. This mixture has a tendency to want to separate, so just stir it up before using. Use a pastry brush to coat baking sheets or pans. This will not leave a residue like sprays do. Keeps indefinitely. Worth trying that is for sure!

Mayonnaise

I love mayonnaise. No, I mean I really LOVE it! Give me a BLT with Mayonnaise just SLATHERED on it and I would be in heaven! I remember seeing a Sandra Lee Semi Homemade segment. She was making some sandwich and she said be generous with the mayo... I thought "That is how much I put on when I am being LESS than generous! " lol. Mom made the BEST BLTs. I would love, as a kid, to come in from swimming or playing and see BLTs for us on the table! Oh, that first bite... always something to look forward to... UNLESS...... unless, she used Miracle Whip! I hated Miracle Whip! How can the two be interchangeable? Mayo is so good and tangy and Miracle Whip is sweet! Yuck! Give me tangy... but alas, we grow older and we try to become more health conscience. I have tried the light mayos and fat free and NO WAY... so Mayonnaise has still been plentiful in my diet. But the time has come. It is time to put the taste aside and move on to a healthier product. I don't like this like I like REAL mayonnaise. It lacks the tang. It lacks the flavor. But it is made with olive oil and is a healthier version. I am getting old anyway. Old enough where nothing tastes like it used to taste or should taste! So, I am resolved to accept this. Best Foods REAL Mayonnaise, I will miss you but it is time to grow up and put my tastes aside for a somewhat healthier product. Try hard not to jump in my basket when I pass you by in the grocery aisle!

This has just been a general chatter post. I think I will use it for Talk about Tuesday! If you would like to see what others are talking about, click here!

Folding and organizing fabric

From Tipnut today.

Menu Planning Monday

Here is my menu for the week!

Monday - Crockpot BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Tuesday - Chicken Fajita Pizza
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - BLTs
Friday - dinner at friends
Saturday - Taco Salad
Sunday - Crockpot Pot Roast

I am trying to keep things simple and as inexpensive as possible as my husband is (sadly) out on strike. Not a good thing for us.

To see what others have on their menu, click here!

FALL is in the air!!!

I absolutely LOVE the fall!! From September to Thanksgiving I love to put out the warm, beautiful decorations of the season! This is the first floral arrangement that I ever made back in 1995 and I just love it! I saw a picture in a catalog and it was VERY expensive. My friend said you can make that, so I took her at her word, went to JoAnns and purchased the goodies to make this puppy up! I then proceeded to procrastinate!!! lol Finally autumn was coming to a close and Billie asked me when I was going to make that! I made the time and I put it together. Thru the years, it has been picked at by my daughter, and grandchildren and our lovely golden retriever! The turkey needs to be resecured and the flowers need to be renewed. I may use this as a procrastination project as I have been saying this for about 4 or more years now! I need to do it! But I thought I would share this with you as it looks so comforting and inviting on the table in front of our living room window. I used to put it on the coffee in the front room but we so seldom are in there; we can enjoy it more here. :)

September Procrastination Project #2!

This is what you saw when you walked in my front door. Yeah! Really! The bottom box is family pictures - it has sat around since we moved in here, waiting for me to update and find where I wanted to put them. (We moved in here in December 2004!! Granted we don't use the front room much, we sit in the living room more when company comes over, but if they use the front door, this is what they see! How disgusting! The big green storage box is a bunch of antique pics that I need to store and/or find a home for! The top black bag is my fall autumn arrangement. It is the first floral arrangement that I have ever made (back in 95) and I am so very proud of it and love it. I put it there after the end of the LAST autumn, because I really needed to redo it... between my special angel, grand children and the DOG, it has been messed up a bit! And yes, it STILL needs to be renewed! There was also my album of Webkinz cards that I have collected that the kids like to go thru. Ok... Now it is all cleaned out of this corner and my guests are greeted by a more pleasant sight. The box of antique pics is out in our storage area (and a note in my organizer to sort). The box of pics has been picked thru and a couple of pics have been tagged for my wall (a future procrastination project) and a couple frames taken out for updating pics for the family wall. The autumn arrangement? It is proudly being displayed on my table in front of our window. I will show you it in another post. The floor has been vacuumed and I am a happy decluttering fool! :)

To see what others have been doing in the challenge, check out Virtually Organized! And feel free to join us in the challenge! It doesn't have to be a huge project. This project took me about 40 minutes! :)

BisQuickAsAWink Biscuit Mix

This makes a great mix to have on hand! :) More economical than purchasing baking mixes.

BisQuickAsAWink Mix

Use this mix in any recipe calling for Bisquick or other commercial baking mixes. From Gloria Pitzer, The Recipe Detective.

8 cups flour
1 1/4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups shortening


Combine flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in a very large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Store in tightly closed covered container in a cool place.

Yield: about 10 cups

I make this a lot. You can even put in quart jars and decorate and give as a gift. I want to try this with whole wheat WHITE flour but haven't yet. I can seem to find that flour in the stores. I may have to order some online and give it a try. :)

Savory Pull Apart Bread

Savory Pull Apart Bread

10 sun-dried tomato halves, (not packed in oil)

2 cups Original Bisquick Mix

1 package (8 ounces) feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, from 7-ounce jar, drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Grease square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Cover dried tomatoes with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Finely chop tomatoes.

2. Mix Bisquick mix, tomatoes, half of the cheese and the milk in medium bowl until dough forms. Mix remaining cheese, the bell peppers, oregano, basil, garlic and oil in small bowl. Drop half of the dough by tablespoonfuls closely together in irregular pattern in pan. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over dough. Drop remaining dough over cheese mixture. Top with remaining cheese mixture.

3. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Fall Candy Corn & Peanut Bars

Fall Candy Corn & Peanut Bars

1 Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup margarine, softened
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 egg
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups rice crispy cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup halloween fall candy corns

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl combine cake mix and margarine, mix well. Stir in egg, blend well. Press in bottom of ungreased 15x10x1 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10-14 minutes or until base is set and light brown. Remove pan from oven; immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional 1-4 minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff. Cool while preparing topping. In large saucepan, combine syrup, sugar and brown sugar, blend well. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in cereal, peanuts and candy corns. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows. Spread to cover pan. Chill until firm. Makes about 48 bars

FINISHED! :)

Here is the finished product! Click HERE to see what it USED to look like! I cleared off my pigs from the top of the desk and put them on my shelf in the 1/2 bath with the rest of my collection. I added a basket in the middle for mail to be put in and sorted once or twice a week. The baskets on the far end are one for me and one for DH to keep things and be sorted as desired (BEFORE piling high!) I moved my paperclips to the drawer after I took the picture. They don't need to be on the desktop. I decluttered a lot of stuff off the desk top. Pictures and recipes were put into two seperate bins to sort and take put away. I decluttered the dust! I have paper to make notes on to the left of my computer. On my right I have a coil file holder for receipts, coupons to be used and in the back I have a couple of checks to deposit. :) My notebooks contain my TOH birthdays that I post every morning and my CURRENT Secret Sister information! I think it will work. But if it doesn't I am prepared to make the changes as needed. I now feel comfortable sitting here and making out my menu and grocery list and I feel more comfortable visiting with YOU! What do you think?

What project have you been putting off? Tell us about it! And go over to Virtually Organized and join in this Procrastination Challenge! It doesn't have to be a big project and you never know! You might win the prize! Of course I think I am going to win it but who knows! LOL

Pillsbury's Chicken Fajita Pizza

1 (13.8 ounce) can Pillsbury(R) Refrigerated Pizza Crust

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1 cup green or red bell pepper strips (2x1/4-inch)

1/2 cup Old El Paso(R) Thick 'n Chunky Salsa

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan or 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll dough; place in sprayed pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to edge of pan. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; sprinkle with chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onions and bell pepper strips; cook and stir an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Remove crust from oven. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Spoon salsa over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Return to oven; bake an additional 14 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

MY comment: I don't think I would go out and buy pizza crust. I would just make my own crust!! At the same time, DON'T feel guilty if you need to purchase the pizza crust to make this work as far and time and needs for YOUR family!

Speedy Chili Mac

2 c Uncooked elbow macaroni
1 can (15 ounces) chili without beans
1 c (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 can (11-1/8 ounces) cream of mushroom

2 can (2.8 ounces each) Durkee Onion Rings

Instructions for Speedy Chili-Mac

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, combine all ingredients except 1 can French Fried Onions. Bake, covered, at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining onions. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until onions are golden.

Edited to include my personal pictures.

Source: Favorite Recipes: Quick & Easy Casseroles 2/9/88.

Pepper Jack Cheese Quick Bread

Source of Recipe

Betty Crocker: Soup, Stew & Chili - February 2004, #205
Pepper Jack Cheese Quick Bread

Great with chili or other soups!

2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (4-oz.)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottom only of 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, with shortening or cooking spray.

Stir together flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Spread in pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; run knife around edges of pan to loosen. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool 30 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

The Friday Declutter Challenge - Sept 5, 2008

Well, as I posted yesterday, my desk is my challenge for this month! And I have started decluttering it. Here are 2 pictures of the piles I have decluttered this week. Magazines in a pile, glanced at the Pfaltzgraff catalog, first time to see one.. way too cool!!... in the garbage... woman's catalogs... in the garbage... Terri's Village, glanced at it.. oh.. some cute things.. in the garbage (it is online if I find I really can't live without something!)... Cooking With Paula Deen... yummy recipes.. ok this is one I never throw out.. Into the Magazine holder with other Paula Deen magazines... a couple of other mags, tossed, flung.. into the garbage...

Next Pile: Oh good grief! A Whoopers container! recipe clipping, old receipts.. flung, filed in the round file neverr to see their way back to my desk again. Gift certificates.. one I forgot I had! Put into my purse and a note in my organizer to USE them with a list from the stores of what I need. A couple of computer disks put away in my box where I store them. My new gas card put into my purse where it belongs! A stack of paper clips that won't fit into my paper clip container - in a plastic baggie to go to work with me. Vehicle repair receipt from August 9th, filed in my vehicle file. An OLD QVC schedule - garbage. The desk is improved but a long ways to go! But sure feels good to get rid of the clutter and working on my plan! Plus I decluttered my camera. I erased the pictures after downloading them to my computer! :)

The third picture? It is a yearbook. It is not my yearbook. It is not my husbands. It is not for any school that I attended. It is for a neighboring school ... I don't remember the circumstances but it was given to me because someone thought I might like it! I remembered this book while visiting Virtually Organized this morning! She was talking about the most bizarre thing she had decluttered and it brought this to mind. I had only to glance over to my bookshelf to see that yes, I still did possess this yearbook. It doesn't bring me happiness, it doesn't make me smile. I don't get it out and look at it! It is GONE. FLUNG! Not needed to clutter up space!

Want to see what others are doing? Check out The Organising Queen to see! While you are there check out her new layout! Looks so chic! What have you decluttered this week?

Thank you, Diane!!!

Well, this is fun! My friend, Diane, from Where Do I Get Started?????? gave me this award! Thank you, Diane! It is very sweet of you and now I get to pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers!

Rock on Sistah Friends!!

Lori Jean, you ROCK! Lori Jean is a just a very special friend! She has a blog where she shares crafts that are fun and affordable for gift giving. In my world, Lori Jean ROCKS!

Ginger, you ROCK! Ginger is another crafting friend. You can find her blog at lovestodream and her website at Crafts & You! Ginger shares a variety of ideas on her blog from fun pictures to crafts to freebies! Something for everybody! :)

Connie, YOU Rock!! Connie is a friend from the TOH boards and the host of Boondock Babble. She has a way of sharing her life that makes you feel like you have experienced it yourself. I love to read her posts!! She never fails to put a smile on my face; from her tales of making yogurt to the kids gathering slugs! (you have to live in the Northwest to appreciate that one! lol)

So thanks again, Diane for this award and to my fellow sistahs, I pass the "torch"!

My Dad and Mom - 1938

Today would have been their anniversary. They were married in a small ceremony with my maternal grandparents, my paternal grandma and aunt. Mom turned 20 just 3 weeks after getting married. They were married almost 50 years. Dad passed away 10 months short of that milestone. They are the BEST! I love ya and I miss ya, folks! A LOT! You were always there for me!

OK! Here is my procrastination project!!!!

This is my desk! :( Yes! Honestly! This is where I sit and visit with you!! Can you imagine that? I'd rather visit in my kitchen! LOL This is my procrastination project and my declutter project! :) I have my mail stacking up on my left along with recipes. There are some great cubby holes that I need to put to good use rather than stuffing junk in..... On my right are a couple of notebooks; one is my TOH birthdays that I post every morning the other is... oh wait I have to grab it and find out... Oh, my! It is my January 2007 Secret Sisters group! Good grief.. Well, I am accountable now so let the work begin! I will keep you posted! Meanwhile, click on the Virtually Organized icon to see what other procrastinators are working on!

Apple Praline Bread

This is one of the nummiest breads around! Makes a great hostess gift. I got this recipe from ApplePraline on the TOH recipe boards. She has made this for years and sells it. It is a recipe that her mom gave her and may have it's origin with Better Homes and Gardens. At any rate it is NUMMY! Enjoy!

Praline Apple Bread

1 c granulated sugar
1 8 ounce carton dairy sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups chopped, peeled tart apples
1 c chopped pecans
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/4 c packed brown sugar

In A large mixing bowl beat together granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla on low speed of an electric mixer till combined, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to sour cream mixture, beating on low speed till combined. Stir in apple and 1/2 c of the pecans. Turn into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans; press lightly into batter.

Bake in a 350º oven for 55-60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (If necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.) Coo, in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter or margarine and brown sugar; cook and stir till mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 1 minute. Remove bread from pan. Drizzle top with brown sugar mixture; cool. Makes 1 loaf (18 servings)

Artichoke Olive Chicken Bake from Easy Home Cooking

Aritochoke Olive Chicken Bake
Serves 8

1-1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can (about 14 ounces) diced tomatoes with Italian-style herbs

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 can (6 ounces) sliced black olives, drained

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

3.Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and bell pepper; cook and stir 1 minute. Add pasta, chicken, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and Italian seasoning; mix until blended.

4.Place half of chicken mixture in prepared dish; sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining chicken mixture and cheese.

5.Bake, covered, 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Beefy Nacho Crescent Bake

Beefy Nacho Crescent Bake

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted

1 cup milk

1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent roll dough

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro

Salsa (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13X9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Season beef and onion with salt and pepper. Brown beef and onion in large skillet 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Stir in chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cook and stir 2 minutes; remove from heat. Stir together soup and milk in medium bowl; pour evenly into prepared dish.

3.Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles; press perforations together firmly. Roll each rectangle to 8X4 inches. Cut each rectangle in half crosswise to form 8 (4-inch) squares.

4.Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into center of each square. Lift 4 corners of dough up over filling to meet in center; pinch and twist firmly to seal. Place squares in prepared dish.

5.Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Sprinkle cheese over squares. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. To serve, spoon soup mixture in dish over each serving; sprinkle with cilantro, if desired. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Yields: 4 servings

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size:
Sodium	126 mg
Protein	31 g
Fiber	3 g
Carbohydrate	35 g
Cholesterol	93 mg
Total Fat	35 g
Calories	564

Dietary Exchange:

Fat	5-1/2
Meat	3
Starch	2

Thank you!!

I have been awarded this neat award from Connie at Boondock Babble! I LOVE her blog and so enjoy reading what she and her family have been doing. Connie, her husband and 2 children live in rural Oregon. I love to hear the stories of their everyday life as they strive to live a more simplified life and homeschool their children. Please check out her blog as I am sure that you will enjoy it also! Connie truly is a supercommenter! She often brings a smile to my face!!!! Thank you again, Connie!

Now it is MY pleasure to now pass this award on to a couple of special bloggers that I have gotten to know and enjoy!

First would be Diane at Where do I get Started???? Bless her heart! We have gotten to know one another from a decluttering challenge and it has been fun to encourage one another and see how we both have grown from this challenge! I truly value this new friendship!!

Second, is Patricia from Gifts that Say WOW! Patricia and I "know" each other from a craft board that we haunt. It has been fun getting to know one another even more thru the decluttering challenge that we have been involved in. Again, a friendship has grown. I have to say that both Diane and Patricia really opened up in this challenge and let us see it like it was and both came away with some wonderful insights shared with all of us. So, congratulations, both of you! You deserve this award!!

Thirdly is Lori at Myah's Page. I don't know Lori, but Lori has a special angel in her life and my heart connects with hers. I am touched when I read about her life, the ups and downs of her daughter and see pictures of her beautiful gift from God. She is a SuperCommenter!

Last but certainly not least is Marcia of The Organising Queen. As her blog says, She is the "go to gal for all things organized!" What a neat (no pun intended) person, Marcia is! Of course it helps that we share the same spelling for our first names! lol Marcia has been an inspiration, encourager and coach in my decluttering challenge. She is a very unique and special person and I believe very deserving of this award! :)

Grandson's Birth Announcement - Wordless Wednesday

See what others are posting for Wordless Wednesday!

My Kitchen - Talk About Tuesday!

With organization and decluttering comes peace of mind. .... deep inhale!..... sigh... This kitchen has been a work of art in the process! lol I LOVE my kitchen but it has always seemed "disjointed" to me since we moved in December of 2004. I think that I have conquered some of that feeling now. I took part in the decluttering challenge that The Organised Queen sponsored in August and found out a lot about myself and my decluttering style! Check out my complete blog for all my projects, please. But back to my kitchen. Somewhere in the challenge, I was reading other blogs and organizing articles. Someone suggested putting ALL your baking needs together. I had my mixing bowls in one place, my flour and sugar in another and my vanilla, corn starch, baking powder, etc in another cupboard and my measuring cups and spoons in another cupboard. SO, I would go to several areas to get what I needed. What do I have NOW? My mixing bowls, mearsuring cups, pie pans are on that top shelf. The baking ingredients are below, shortening, flours, sugars, all! In a drawer are my spoons and dry measuring cups.This cupboard is above the counter top oven/convection oven on my counter! Works perfect there! Behind me on the stove are are the container of spatulas and wooden spoons. All nice and neat. Large free standing Kitchen Aid. On the counter... no! Don't want that.. want it out of the way but handy.... Pantry... No.. too heavy and large... Hmmmm, what can I do? Hmmm, I have a nice kitchen cart right around the corner in the breakfast nook. There you go. Looks nice and out of the way... when need to use, wheel the cart around the corner plug in and use... More space and works perfect! So why am I posting my pictures again? Because I wanted to take part in the Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer! : and share again the wonderful serene feeling that I get from my kitchen without the pictures showing the clutter.
One of the BEST things to happen to me in August was to take part of Declutter Challenge. Just wait until you see what I am going to work on for my procrastination challenge at Virtually Organized!!!!

Menu Plan Monday!

I am a bit late this week.

Monday - BBQ Burgers
Tuesday - Turkey cornbread Tostados (planned last week, the power went out one night for 2 hours, so we had to improvise. No tostados that night we had sandwiches instead with pasta salad and fruit)
Wednesday - Cheesy BLT Pie
Thursday - Deep Dish Taco Squares
Friday - Skillet Chicken Parm
Saturday - Lemon Dill Breaded Tilapia (we haven't trie tilapia yet!)
Sunday - Crockpot Roast

With working and trying to get a meal on the table within an hour of getting home, I have planned very easy and quick meals! To check out what others are planning, click here!