Singing

I read John 10:10 yesterday, where Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Now the life part is easy to understand, it's the "to the full" that can be harder to comprehend. I've been ruminating on that one. I can tell you what it isn't. It isn't being busy that makes life full, activities don't add up to fullness. It isn't things. You can't buy enough stuff or get a house big enough to make you full inside. No, I think that God puts a song in each of our hearts, the life we are created to live, and those who have life to the full are those who are unafraid to sing it out loud. May we all choose to sing today the beautiful music of our maker's song.

Today I am thankful that I took the time to sit still and listen.
I'm thankful that He loves me, even though I sing off key.
I'm thankful that I've come to the place where I can stop comparing my song to everyone elses.
I'm thankful for lunches with friends and how they do wonders for the soul.

One from a Friend, One from the Garden

I didn't forget about Rednesday today, I was just a little busy helping at the school this morning. I have two pictures to share today. The first is a plant in my yard that I love. I don't know what it is called but it dies back in the winter and grows very tall each year and has these beautiful flowers on it all summer and then the berries. It started as a little sprig I cut off a plant at our friend Ruth's. Speaking of Mrs. Ruth, the other picture comes from her house. She is a treasure trove of red. Thank you for sharing.

While the Dew is Still on the...

...gardenias. I know you thought I was going to say roses. Well, at least any of you who were raised in a Southern Baptist church. Well, I decided to show y'all a different flower instead. My gardenia is still trying to bloom and I thought it deserved some attention. It smells so nice and looked so crisp and white.

It's Raining Cats and Dogs...Tigers and Elephants

That's my way of saying that it's really coming down at my house this morning. It reminds me of a verse in Ezekiel, "I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing." That's in Ezekiel 34:26. Since we're already at it, I'll give you another. Deuteronomy 32:2 says, "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like the dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."

I want to be sure and give a great big thank you to all who visited for Pink Saturday and for our new friends who decided to follow us. It was especially nice of them considering that my pink post didn't include any pink for most of the day. I'm not quite sure where that picture got off to, I know I put it on there, I guess it needed a little break. So next Saturday I'll have to post a new picture and stand guard that it doesn't wander off.

Now, what's for supper at our house this week? Here's what I've got cooking--
Monday--spaghetti, salad, garlic bread (brownies for dessert)
Tuesday--Skillet Chicken, stewed tomatoes and rice, steamed vegetables, biscuits
Wednesday--Meatballs in Brown Gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, rolls
Thursday--Chick-Fil-A (school fundraiser)
Friday--roast pork, green bean casserole, creamed corn, rolls
Saturday--homemade pizza
Sunday--leftovers

Well it's still raining here. I'm off to do chores and then go visit with my mom and aunts. But before I go, I wanted to leave you with one final thought. May we each choose today to listen to the wisdom that falls around us. May it renew us, and may we be tender and teachable. Hope your week is off to a great start.

Blue Birds, Zucchini Bread, and a Little Bit of Preachin'

Okay, so it's not actually preaching. It's more like a little lesson for our Food for Thought Friday, but 'preachin' just sounded better in the title. I could thump the desk for emphasis and pace in front of the keyboard a couple of times if that makes it more legitimate.

First of all, here's the picture for my inclusion in Pink Saturday. This time I've caught onto the fact that Pink Saturday has to be done before an actual Saturday. Sometimes I'm a little slow. Maybe I'll get it right this time. You can visit her site at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/



Next I have a recipe that was requested for some zucchini bread I made earlier in the week. The recipe actually came to me from our friend Ruth. I had it at her house a couple of years ago and asked her for it. My kids love it too. Oops, did I forget to tell them that there's zucchini in it? I guess in this instance what they don't know makes them healthier. Moms are sneaky that way.

Zucchini Bread

Step One:
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Step Two:
3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. chopped pecans

Mix ingredients for step one and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add other ingredients from step two one at a time. Add step one ingredients and mix. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

And now for us to "think on these things." There has been scenes from the U.N. in the news recently and talk on dignitaries and ambassadors, so I thought we could think for a moment about the job we do as ambassadors.

Take a look at II Corinthians 2:14-16. "But thanks be to God who always leads in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?"

There are two points to see here. The first is that God always leads in triumph. We may not always follow, but that is the way He leads. That is why we are doomed to fail when we stray from His path, because we've strayed from the path of victory. The second thing to see is that through us God makes the knowledge of Christ available to others. We serve as His ambassadors.

To those who are coming to Christ, our walk is an enticing aroma. It's drawing them in, interesting them in knowing more. That's why we much watch every step we take! II Corinthians also goes on to say that to others, the fragrance they smell is death. No wonder some people turn up their noses at Christianity. They find it spiritually repugnant. Whether they are wise in their own eyes and smell what they think is a dead religion with rotten ideas or whether they are in bondage to self and afraid that giving their life to Christ means death to all the things they think make them important, whatever it is that drives, they think Christianity stinks.

We overcome all this and walk victoriously by following in the steps of our Savior. What perfume are you wearing today?

Necessary Things...Like Cereal & Diet Coke

Today is our day to be thankful. I thought I'd take a step back from my grandiose ramblings to be thankful for some of the simple things that are necessities in my day, plus one other that isn't necessary every day but much appreciated none the less.

1. Coffee, without which my poor little eyes would not open

2. Hazelnut cream, which makes opening those eyes a much sweeter experience
3. Diet Coke, a requirement for each day--we're great friends, Diet Coke and I

4. Cereal, I eat it for breakfast every day. Could eat it every meal but the rest of my family likes a little something more substantial

5. Debbie's serenade, she sang to me over Skype (it was my birthday earlier this week) and I appreciated it very much. She'll appreciate it very much if I don't return the favor. *Please note: this blogger is unable to carry a tune.

What are your must haves for each day?

Fall Pictures, Part 2

Thankfully I had one or two with some red in them that I can use for Rednesday. I thought I'd better get back to that since I didn't have a chance to do it last week. I adore the wall clings that I found at Hobby Lobby last year with Joey on clearance. I've looked for others but haven't found them there (or anywhere around here). I also put one on my dishwasher which looks great. I'd seen those dishwasher panels in a magazine and liked them. I just made my own with one of the clings from my pack--$80 for a panel vs. part of a pack I paid $5 for...hmmm. I still have more stuff, just ran out of time and figured it was pumpkin picture overkill. Have fun doing your own fall decorating. Let me know about your great ideas.

Little Bit of Fall

Here are some pictures from the fall decorating I've been up to. I love pumpkins and tend to go a little overboard. This isn't all, just a few of the things. Fall is definitely my favorite season.

Sweaty Pumpkins

If you haven't visited Sugar Pie Farmhouse, you really should. She has such great decorating ideas for the season and such sweet things to say. I have been putting off doing my fall decorating because it's just so very hot here. I did put my fall wreath on the front door but felt very strange doing it. It's hard to have orange leaves and pumpkins out when it's 98 degrees. But she gave me fall fever. Once I get home from school pick-ups, I'm breaking out the decorating box. They may be sweaty, but I still want my pumpkins and scarecrows and leaves and old crates. The weather's brisk and breezy somewhere. A girl can festoon her porch and dream...

Diamonds in the Carpet...and a Sleepy Ballerina

I had been looking through some old pictures for one that had some pink in it when I came across this old one. I'd planned on some flowers, but couldn't resist showing you this sleepy ballerina. Even the fingernails are pink. All my hurrying didn't matter though, I missed the Pink Saturday submission by 42 minutes. Oh well, we'll enjoy it on Friday anyway.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about was last night. It had been a busy day and everyone else had gone to bed. I somehow let myself get sucked into watching The Apprentice. I thought I'd be smart during the commercials and clean up a little. It was at a commercial break and I got busy unloading the dishwasher. I dropped a glass and it shattered on the tile floor and all over the rug.

I stood there for a split second, catching my breath and figuring out where to step (since I was, of course, barefoot)and something occurred to me. I had a choice. I could either get aggravated and rattle off to myself a list of all the things I'd had to do that and the fact that I was the only one still up and working...or I could look down at my feet and see in the middle of the mess that I now had what looked like diamonds in my carpet.

It was a major moment, because it's true for all of life. Sometimes life seems to shatter. You think you're working along at a good pace, things are under control and then...bam, the glass hits the floor. It's been one of those years around here. I'm not dismissing what's broken. It's still broken and has to be dealt with. But there are two options. You can break out the "Why Me?" song and have a self-pity serenade or you can take a moment and look for the beauty in what has happened.

And there is beauty when life shatters. There is the unexpected kindness of acquaintences. There is the renewed appreciation of what is really important. There is a new strength you gain as you manage through it. These are the diamonds that sparkle in the carpet.

You still have to get out your vacuum at 10:30 at night and clean it up, but it's taught you something just the same.

I hope your carpets sparkle too. Have a wonderful weekend!

If You Can't Shrink 'Em, Change 'Em

Notice anything different? I tried to follow BJ's advice and shrink my flower, I really did. My computer seems to be a little tempermental when it comes to new programs. So, I decided to scrap it (that's what I get for trying it at night) and going with a different picture. Different picture needed different background and so on and so forth, until we get to a blog with more of a rustic and kind of fall (I thought, minus leaves or pumpkins) blog. How do y'all like it.

Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday. I was knee deep in the pile that is my middle school son's room. When we started looking for something he needed for archery on Tuesday night, it became evident quickly that an intervention was needed. My plan was to blog after I got done in there. You see when I got done. It does, however, look very nice now, even under the bed and in the closets (places few feared tread). The rule at my house is, mommy will step in and clean your room if it gets to the disasterous stage but beware, she has free reign to get rid of whatever she chooses.

I did want to share a couple of recipes with you. The Chicken Divan we had for supper. It's the easy version, not the authentic french version. We're keeping things simple, remember? The first time I ever made this dish (the frenchier one)was in high school French class. We borrowed the home ec room and started cooking. After that, I was hooked. The other recipe is a new one I tried this week for taking to a PTO meeting and for afternoon snacks. It was a yummy keeper that came from a Taste of Home magazine. You know it must be good when I don't feel the need to fidgit with the recipe.

Chicken Divan

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg broccoli
1/2 tsp. curry
1/4 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
salt to taste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. cheddar cheese, divided
Bread crumbs

Boil chicken breasts with onion and celery until cooked through; drain. Cook broccoli and season to taste; drain. Layer broccoli in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish. Layer chicken over broccoli. Combine lemon juice, curry, soup, mayonnaise, and 1/2 c. of cheese. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.


Oatmeal S'more Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. mini marhsmallows

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oats, chips, and marshmallows. Drop onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let set for two minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.


Don't forget, it's Thursday again (already), so what do you have to be thankful for? For me it's the leaves beginning to fall, the wind beginning to blow, a small (we're talking miniscule since it's still above 90) drop in temperate, cookies right out of the oven, and seeing the floor in my son's closet.

Watering the Grapefruit Tree

I was out watering my yard when I saw my poor little grapefruit tree. It's been looking rather puny but we could not figure out why. We knew something was eating it, but we couldn't see what it was. Well, I spied them last night!

(I didn't dare poke them again to get a picture, I found these on Google Images.)


They were three rather yucky looking caterpillars, the ones that look like bird poop. I went in the house and got the kids and a jar. We're always on the lookout for a good show-and-tell item for school. Up close these critters look like snake heads, their skin even looks a little scaly. When we went to put one in the jar, out popped what looked like a forked tongue and out sprayed a stench. Creepy. And smelly. And eatin' my grapefruit. I had to call in backup (Jon, my husband and bird poop caterpillar collecting hero). It was a smelly affair before they were all in the jar. He then sprayed the tree to discourage any more from visiting the grapefruit buffet.

For all their ugly, they actually turn into something beautiful.



The same can be true of us. People may not notice us at first. At first glance we may even be on the bird poop side of the beauty scale. Take a jab at us and you might catch a glimpse of our forked tongue or we might raise a stink. Oh, but just wait. Give us a little time, and the things we need to nourish our souls, and we'll amaze them all with what we'll become.

We were never meant to stay at the bird poop stage. We're only here long enough to get prepared for what is to come. We were created for beauty. We were created to fly.

We'd better all go eat a grapefruit.

Oh So Monday, Menus, and My Poem by Request

I could sure tell it was Monday, or maybe that I'm getting older, or both. It was hard to get everyone out the door this morning. There was some grumping involved (and the kids were fussy too). Then I got home and saw the quote I've posted as the Thought for the Day and felt even worse. It makes me stop and wonder just what it is I've been contributing.

I have managed to put some supper in the crockpot. That way I won't have to be busy cooking supper this evening and can add a few positive contributions. I've also planned out what's for supper the rest of the week.

Monday--Roast with potatoes & carrots, rolls
Tuesday--Sandy Cove Stew, cornbread, sliced tomatoes
Wednesday--Chicken Divan, Rice Pilaf, tossed salad
Thursday--Penne Pasta Bake, Garlic Bread, salad
Friday--Grilled Pork Chops, Hashbrown Casserole, green beans, rolls
Saturday--homemade pizza
Sunday--leftovers

I've also had a request for a poem I wrote years ago. I wrote it for friends who lost their child in childbirth. I have been blessed that it has also been a comfort to other family and friends. I thought I would post it on here so she could get it and share it with you as well. It isn't the easiest topic to think about, but sometimes what isn't easy is what's necessary.

Goodbye sweet child I could not know,
sweet hands I could not hold,
sweet smile that could not warm me
through this bitter cold.

Goodbye sweet eyes that could not see
these broken tears I cry,
sweet ears that could not hear me sing
this parting lullaby.

Goodbye sweet heart that could not beat
by the power of my will,
sweet mind that with life's wonders,
could not someday be filled.

Goodbye sweet child I could not keep,
sweet feet I shall not see
until I get to Heaven
and they're running to meet me.

Pinkest Room in the House

When our friend LV asked me to participate in Pink Saturday, I decided I'd better go to the pinkest room in the house in order to find some pictures to share--Meredith's room. Left to her own devices, the walls would be pink, the furniture would be pink, all clothes would be pink, the carpet would be pink. You get the idea. Here are a few tidbits I thought I'd share.

Youth Group Scoop

Yesterday went great. I could tell y'all were in my corner when I pulled up at Walmart (for the second time by 9:00 a.m.) and got the first parking space by the front door. That spot only becomes available with much prayer and fasting. =) Jack's test also went well, as did my speaking at the meeting.

Today I'm on to youth group. I write a devotional to present at our youth group's meeting once a month. I thought since we haven't had a Food for Thought Friday in a while, I'd share what I've written for that with you.


Spice it Up—Don’t Be a Flavorless Christian


When we look around us at the world God has created, we can tell one thing immediately—He is not a dull God. Everywhere we look there is color, there is variety; He created different personality types, different places, different faces. Even the food we eat offers endless possibilities and flavor combinations.

So often when the world thinks of Christians, they think God wants us to be bland and boring. But, the opposite is true. He expects us to take the talents He’s given us, the personality He’s supplied, and the Holy Spirit who indwells us, and use all these to flavor our world. He even speaks about it in His word.

What is the most important spice in the world? Without a doubt, it’s salt. Salt plays a major role in our cooking. It’s something we all use, and salt is a major example that God uses to convey a message to us. Let’s stop for just a minute and look at four different ways salt is mentioned in the Bible and the implications they hold for us.

The first is back in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 2:13. “Season all your grain offering with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.” Salt is important. Especially in ancient times, it was costly and invaluable to the diet. Think about it guys, in the days before refrigerators, salt was a major preservative. Why was ‘the salt of the covenant’ a command? God didn’t want them skimping on what they brought. He gives us His best. He expects our best in return. Serving Him doesn’t come without cost. First and foremost, to be of any good in this work, to add any flavor, we must be willing to give up some of ourselves to follow Him.

Next, let’s take a look at the passage we probably all think of most when we think of salt in the Bible. It’s found in Matthew 5:13. This is one of the first things recorded in Matthew’s gospel after Jesus called His disciples and began His ministry. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Ouch! I don’t want to be thought of as good for nothing, and neither do you. We are the salt of the earth—essential, flavorful, a preservative. But we must guard against losing our effectiveness. How do we do that? What makes us lose our effectiveness? It’s the same thing that hampered the salt of Jesus’ day—impurities. Where Christ lived, salt was supplied from the Dead Sea. It could also include impurities which affected the flavor. When we allow the impurities of sin to creep into our lives, we lose our “flavor” with the world. In fact, the more we sin and still announce to the world “I’m a Christian,” the more we end up leaving a bad taste in their mouths.

Third, let’s flip over a gospel to Mark 9:50. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Again there is a warning about losing our flavor which means it’s something we’ve really got to be careful about. This time it’s followed by a command to have salt in ourselves and to be at peace with each other. Adding flavor to the world is hard to do when we’re fussing with each other. And it’s easy to lose the peace when we get caught up in looking around at those around us instead of working on ourselves. We have to work at acquiring our saltiness and we do that through studying the word and becoming more like Christ.

Lastly, it’s Colossians 4:6. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” We’ve moved from salt in general to salt in ourselves, to salt in our relationships to salt in our speech. Why would we make that progression? Because, the main we interact with others is through our conversations. The way we make an impact is through our words. We need to be sure that they include the “preservatives” of grace and Christ-likeness. One of the best qualities of salt is its ability to preserve. When we filter our words through the “whatsoever is true, noble, right…” filter of Philippians 4:8, we can be sure that we are preserved from a whole lot of trouble and adding a good saltiness to the world around you.

So go ahead, spice things up. That’s what you were meant to do. There’s nothing boring or bland about what God created you to be. And that is something to be thankful for.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Thankful for the Crazies

It's Thursday. And, yes, I'm still at it. What do we have to be thankful for today?
Here's my list--
1. That this day can only last 24 hours. It's packed full, but guaranteed to be over with tomorrow. Oh wait, tomorrow's busy too. Oh well, there's always Saturday.

2. I'm thankful for all the blogging friends who find their way to us. They're all so talented and full of great ideas. Be sure to visit them too.

3. I'm thankful Jack's science project is almost over. I too feel like a mineral that's been through the scratch test (unfortunately, on the Mohs scale, I'm pretty soft).

4. I'm a glass half full kind of girl and I'm thankful for that. Sometimes that glass is full of some pretty nasty medicine, but at least I've still got a glass! Some people never look around to notice they're drinking champagne while the rest have only water. They're too busy complaining that their glass isn't bigger. (Oops, I need to practice a little more thankfulness and a little less ranting.)

5. I'm thankful for your prayers today. It's an incredibly busy day and, among other things, includes a medical test for one of my children and ends with me having speak in front of a crowd tonight. I could use a little extra help for the day to run smoothly. Thank you.

Yesterday

Yesterday...lots of distratctions seemed to come my way
oh, I didn't blog...yesterday.

Okay, I'm singing to the tune of that old song. I just know a little of the chorus but I think that's more than enough. Singing ability isn't something I'm blessed with. At all. When they won't let you be in third grade chorus you know you're bad.

I'm still running today. I'm in between a breakfast I had to go to for one child and a lunch I've got to be at for another. It must be eat at elementary school day. But I didn't want y'all to think I'd forgetten about you, so here I am. There's not much to report since I still have no clue what I'm having for supper. I guess it's menu block.

I will share a little something red for Rednesday. It is Wednesday, right? With Labor Day on Monday, I've been a little off this week. This is one of the chairs in what the kids refer to as 'the parlor'. I guess I should serve them tea and crumpets in there when they get home from school. We're just so fancy around here.

Laboring through the Day

Hope you're having a good Labor Day. I'm going to be laboring through some projects that I never seem to have time for. I'm tired of piles of things staring at me. But before I get busy with that, I did want to let you know of a few things.

**First, our friend Jennifer has started a blog. It's the jennalane blog that I've added to my favorites. Be sure to click on it and visit, she is a wonderful photographer and I know you'll enjoy seeing the pictures she's taken.

**I've made a little change to my site too. I've deleted the recipes that were listed on the right. The list kept stretching out to take too much space no matter what I did. Never fear, I've added a search box down at the bottom of the page. Now you can find any recipe, or any topic, that you want. It's a vast improvement on the old way. I'm learning this stuff, slowly but surely.

**Finally, I thought I'd share the good news--we are skink free. Riley can add skink wrestler to his repetoire. He caught it with his bare hands. Yuck. But thank you, thank you, thank you.

We're grilling burgers later today and doing the usual holiday picnic festivities. I'll be back tomorrow with the menus for the rest of the week. Have a great day!

Peekaboo

I spotted him just long enough to get a picture for you but not enough to catch him. Too bad y'all can't see his tail, that's his best feature.

Skink on the Loose...and Five Dollar Bargains

Watch your step around here, we've got a skink running around. This is the second time it's happened this year. I wish they'd take a liking to someone else's house. For our non-southern friends, a skink is a snake-like lizard that's black with yellow stripes and an electric blue tail. It moves more like a snake than a lizard and having one in the house is just creepy. I tried to take a picture of it to show y'all, but the thing's too fast.

I managed to stop at one yard sale with my mom today on our way to an appointment. I bought a big box full of ribbon for hair bows and belts, a Longaberger napkin basket, a leather wallet for my mom, and a new pack of recipe cards...all for under five dollars. I was very pleased.

That's it for me for now. I've got a swollen hand from a wasp sting and typing is not so easy.

Thanks Again

It's Thankful Thursday, a day to pause and count our blessings. Here are a few of mine. Don't forget to leave a comment with yours.

Today I am thankful for--
1.) Sitting at the lunch table with giggling five year old girls. Hearing that is good for the soul.

2.) Watching my quiet child find something he really loves and is good at. It's great to see when they blossom.

3.) Quiet days after busy ones.

4.) Commiserating with good friends. What a joy and strength it is to have people who go through the same things you do and can be an encouragement.

5.) Keeping busy. Having lots to do reminds us that we are useful, seeing it through proves we are capable, being tired at the end of it reminds us we are human.

A Little Bit of Red...and Lunch with Teresa

For those who read yesterday's blog, we've got an instrument. And he sounds remarkably good. He'd told me his band teacher commented on how well he played it when trying it for the first time at tryouts. Skeptic that I am, I thought they were being kind. They were serious. Fifteen minutes into playing it after we got it he was sounding good. No terrible new instrument squawking. I could tell what song he was playing. Oh me of little faith.

Enough mama bragging, I was going show you a couple of pictures. The first is a little something red for Rednesday. These things sit on my kitchen counter. I love the old red handled utensils. The recipe holder was painted by my neighbor. And for those who are interested, that's a sugar pig. You pull the cork off and sugar comes out. There's an old country music song that's called "Shake the Sugar Tree" and everytime I use that little pig I sing "shake the sugar pig". Y'all don't know what entertainment you're missing at my house!



And speaking of my house, our friend Teresa came over for lunch yesterday. I thought the lunch was so cute I had to share it with you. (I know it's odd, but I have to share pretty food.) We had my special noodle soup, chicken wraps, cornbread salad, and grapes. She had pear cobbler for dessert, I had one of those brownie cookies.



Cornbread Salad

1 box cornbread mix (I used Jiffy)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can niblet corn
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped fine
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
1 8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing
parsley for garnish

Make cornbread according to package directions. You may use your own recipe if preferred. In a trifle dish or other large glass bowl, crumble cooled cornbread for bottom layer. Add remaining ingredients for layers. Pour dressing over to cover the salad evenly. Crush parsley in your hands, sprinkling as you go. Refrigerate several hours before serving. This is a great dish to make the day before an event. Plus, it makes a pretty presentation.


Guess that's about it for me today. I'm off to sort a couple hundred t-shirts that have come in from our PTO fundraiser. Y'all have a wonderful day.