Mexican Layered Dip

Here is the recipe for Mexican Layered Dip... there are many variations but I like this one best.

Refried beans equivalent to 1-2 cans
Salsa
Large container of sour cream
Diced tomatoes
Sliced green olives
Shredded cheddar cheese


In a glass 9x13 pan or other glass dish spread a layer of refried beans. Then a layer of salsa (you can also mix the salsa and refried beans together). Top with a layer of sour cream. Next the tomatoes, olives and last the cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from allposters.com

A Wise Woman Evening

This week I hosted a ladies evening, the theme was "A Wise Woman". I got the idea from the Creative Ladies Ministry site by  Julia Bettencourt. She has so many wonderful ideas - I could browse her site all day planning ladies events!

This is the sign I posted on our front door to welcome my guests.

 

 

This is the craft we did together. We sewed little felt owls (you can find the pattern here ) attached a ribbon on top to hang them and a tag with a verse regarding being a wise woman.

 

 

A close up of the owl I made.

 

This is the invitation I gave to my guests. I got the idea for it here.

 

This is the Get Wisdom Questionaire from Julia's Site. I just decorated them with little owls I printed, cut out and glued on.

 

Here is a picture of some of the little owls I used. I used them on the Who are You questionaire as well.

 

I read the Wisdom Getters devotional and then talked about what kind of wisdom we need, where and how do we get it and what is the result of getting it. I will share the talk in another post.

 

I served Mexican Layered Dip (recipe to follow), devilled eggs, veggies and dip, chips and wild leek dip, Red Satin Punch (recipe to follow), and owl cupcakes - they were so cute! ~smile~

 

It was a wonderful evening with some lovely ladies and I had a great time! I hope you are inspired to have a ladies evening soon too! ~smile~

 

Blessings,

Liisa

Living Simply

1 Timothy 6:7,8 - For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be there with content.

I have long been searching for simplicity. I have a sign in my bathroom that says "Live Simply" and I have another above my stove that says "Simplify", yet truly having a simplified life has eluded me. I'm sure it has eluded others as well given the number of books written on the subject.

There is one book though that holds the true key - The Bible. Everything we need to know about simple living is right there.

Too many things cluttering up your life? 1 Timothy 6:7,8.
Too many activities, commitments, jobs, errands and appointments? Titus 2 tells us to be keepers at home and 1 Timothy 5:13-14 tells us to guide our houses.

These are basic truths that I've read many times and yet are a profound revelation to me today. I've been piling our home full of things - many we do not need or have a good place for just because I like them. Reading Timothy I realize I need to learn contentment. I need to be content with what I have and thin things out ridding our home of things that clutter it up and add nothing to our lives. I am not advocating minimalism because I believe a home should be lovely, warm and welcoming, but not cluttered so I will be clearing out some things and organizing what is left.

I have a comic strip tape inside my kitchen cupboard that says something like...
Next on wild kingdom we observe the overbooked woman in her natural habitat and it shows a frazzled looking woman coming home after dark with pizza and her recycling box is overflowing with takeout containers.

I have been running around everyday so busy am rarely home and it takes it's toll on me, my husband, child and home. For me I am so stressed, rushed and always behind as well as exhausted. My family feels neglected, my home is in desperate need of attention and things just become too much.

God's Word tells us our priorities - God, husband ,children, home then outside interests. It also tells us to be keepers at home. When we let our priorities get out of order unhappiness always follows. Being a keeper at home keeps us from being overbooked because how can you be a keeper at home if you are never there?

I am purposing to be home unless I have to go out. I am going to designate one day a week for errands and things I need to do away from home, other than that I aim to be at home.

Yesterday I drove past a town where we used to live when my son was just four years old. I found myself longing for those days and remembering how I had time to enjoy a magazine, do crafts, bake everything, go for walks, be there for others, read, study the Bible at length, do outreach often- the list just goes on and on. My house was spotless and we had a home cooked meal made completely from scratch every night. How was this possible? Because I was a keeper at home! I'd go to town once a week do our errands and shopping and spend the majority of time in my own house. Life was so much simpler then - I need to get back to being at home!

The simple life awaits!
Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Meal Planning

One thing I am getting back to this year is meal planning. It helps me to be better organized and to save money. When I take time to do this each week it eliminates that rush and stress at the end of the day trying to figure out what is for dinner, it also eliminates the stops at the store for forgotten ingredients or ready made meals, not to mention take out food when I just give up altogether.

I recently received this idea to help with meal planning in an email from P&G. I thought it was a great idea so I thought I'd share!

Happy meal planning!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from allposters.com

A New Year

Happy New Year! 2012 WOW! Time truly does fly...I'm still trying to figure out how Christmas snuck up on me and then flew by so fast it felt like I blinked and missed it! ~smile~ Now here we are in a new year, with a new start. A gentleman at our church pointed out yesterday that each new day is a new start which is so true but I love the start of a new year. It just seems all fresh and new and filled with possibilities.

First of all I must mention that if you do not know Jesus as your personal Saviour PLEASE make that your first resolution. There is no greater joy in life than a personal relationship with God, it changes every little aspect of your life for the better! The Bible says if you seek you will find, so please seek out God today, He is waiting for you! It is so easy. Pray. Talk to God just as you would a close friend, tell Him you want Him in your life, that you want to know Him, confess your sins to Him (no one else needs to ever know those things) and ask for forgiveness. He loves you and wants to forgive you and have a real relationship with you, He is your Father, reach out to him even now. If you do this tell someone! There are many wonderful churches in every area and they would love to welcome you in and help you on your journey. ~smile~

This year I have many things I would like to do. I want, as always, to draw ever closer to my Heavenly Father. To do this I am going to make personal study, devotions and prayer time a bigger focus in my life. Sadly as life presses in and things get busy those things get pushed aside to make way for the things that seem to being crying out for my time...however when I let that happen my soul cries out. I need time with God each and everyday, it is so precious. It really does make all the difference as well in how my days go, in what kind of person I am, how I treat others and how I cope with what each day has in store. I receive a booklet each week at church called Power for Living, on the back cover this week it says...

The Bible is like a telescope.
If a man looks through his telescope he see worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that.
The Bible is a thing to be looked through, to see that which is beyond.
- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
I thought that was quite profound!

That is one of the areas I intend to improve in my life, others are working harder to be a better wife and mother. To reach out more with the gospel, to be better at caring for my home and to get better organized. I am also working on keeping my priorities in the right order ....amazing how quickly those can slide around and get all rearranged!

But more on this later!
I hope you have a blessed day in the Lord!
Happy Monday!
Liisa

Picture from allposters.com