Singing Like Edith Bunker

I sing like Edith Bunker. There is a phrase " can't carry a tune in a bucket" That is me all the way. ~smile~

I used to be too embarrassed to really sing in church especially as my hubby can;t help but hear me when I am right beside him. Then I thought about the reason we sing in church at all - it's not for my hubby or those in the pews around me. It is for my Heavenly Father. It is singing praises and prayers to Him - not to anyone else.

He created me - He knows what my voice sounds like. I may be in the "joyful noise" category but it is joyful and full of love for Jesus. I know it pleases Him, so I stopped worrying about others hearing me and I am so blessed by worship times now as I put my hear into those songs and focus on the One who I a singing to and not everyone else.

I also realized that everyone is doing the same thing! They are focused on God and worshiping Him not on me and what I sound like.

So sing out all the Edith Bunkers of the world! Praise and worship God with all your heart!

Happy Tuesday!

Blessings,

Liisa

Chicken

Today I just thought I would talk about chicken. ~smile~  Yesterday my hubby barbecued a whole chicken. He is so sweet and put the chicken on in the morning and it was done when we got home from church so we had the afternoon free to spend together. ~big smile!~
 He LOVES to BBQ and it is so much easier for him to do it as there is no big roast pan to wash after etc. Our chickens are 10-12 lbs. each and a friend of ours raises them. I love getting chickens from him as the flavor is amazing, they are always juicy and we know what they eat. They are also drug free and as an added bonus for me and even more so for the chickens is that they have happy chicken lives. They are allowed outside and there are no cages or over crowding involved.
Yay for happy, healthy chickens!
We usually eat the chicken for dinner then I package up the rest of it (as in the picture above). After dinner I take all the meat off the bones and cut it up in little pieces which I divide up into sandwich bags. Then I put all the baggies in a big freezer bag and freeze it for later use. I portion the meat out to be enough for fried rice, casseroles, pot pies, pizzas, curries etc. One chicken can yield about 12 dinners including the first meal since I usually use less meat than recipes call for to stretch meat a bit further and save money. I just added more veggies etc to fill it out. If a recipe does need more meat I just use two baggies.

Just a little food prep to save time later - it is so great to be able to just pull out ready cooked chicken whenever you need it.

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Church Work and Some Saturday Ramblings

 allposters

I spent a large part of yesterday catching up on some work at the church. I am the librarian and I had two boxes, yes two boxes, BIG boxes, full of new books that were donated that I needed to look after. I hadn't been able to do it sooner because our church is in another town and the weather hasn't been great for driving (ok not that bad I mean we live in Canada so I should be used to it but I am a Big Wimp winter driving chicken.)  My hubby is sweet and had offered to take me but I knew it would take me several hours to do everything I had to and that it wouldn't be fair for him to come and wait for me.
I was able to get all the books looked after, old books culled to make way for the new ones, the "library spotlight book" review page made and set up with the book on the foyer table, a poster for the bulletin board to let everyone know that I will be setting out the culled books for 2 Sundays in March for everyone to help themselves before they are donated. I also printed the next 7 weeks of Bible study commentary for my ladies Bible study and do some much needed organizing and rearranging

This time the "spotlight" book is ...

What a relief to have that big job done! I have felt like it was hanging over me. It is always that way when I know I have something that really needs to get done. Now I just have to finish purging our home. ~smile~
We are hoping to sell our home this year and move into a smaller house. I remember when we moved in here. It is a big old house and I remember standing with my hubby upstairs the day we got the keys and saying how are we ever going to fill this big of a house. Now I am standing here 18 years later saying how are we ever going to downsize! *sigh* It is a sad time for me. I love this house. I moved alot all my life and this is the first house I ever felt at home in right away from the very first night. It is also the first house we ever owned and the one where we raised our son, watching him go from a little boy, 8 years old when we moved here, to the man he is today. So many memories! But my hubby says we take our memories with us they don't stay here. He is right but it is hard for me and yet exciting to see where God takes us next. I am looking forward to less housework that comes with a smaller home and less things. *wink*

Just some Saturday ramblings. And now I had best get busy, I need to make some cookies for church tonight, it is our annual meeting and we always have a dessert fellowship before the meeting. I also need to make my hubby some lunch and get some cleaning done. 

Happy Saturday!
Blessings,
Liisa

A Comfort Gift Basket

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I have a wonderful friend who gave me a gift bag one time before I went for surgery. I was so blessed by her thoughtfulness I try and give a similar "comfort basket" to anyone who is faced with a hospital stay.

Inside my bag was...
Chap stick
Mints - very handy as you can't get up whenever you like to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth.
Ferraro Rocher - Every thing is better when there is chocolate! ~smile~
Socks - My feet freeze after surgery so socks were very welcome. I put in some aloe infused or super fuzzy socks as an added comfort.
A beautiful devotional - Moments of Peace from Psalms
Body/Hand Lotion - so comforting.

I use a basket lined with a pretty cloth and also add a pen, a small notebook, and a puzzle book.

Just a little way to bless someone with a few things they may not have thought to bring with them for their stay.

Blessings,
Liisa

Hospital Packlist for After Surgery

Hospital Room of the Fifties at AllPosters

I have had several surgeries the last few years so I thought I would share what I bring with me for the hospital stay, just some things I am so glad I have with me and a few things I wish had brought along.

First is a satin pillowcase. I have long hair (down to my hips) and it really helped my hair not to mat and knot up. It also made the hospital bed a wee bit nicer.

Next is my own modest nightgowns and house coat. I was so glad I had these because you have visitors, your room mate has visitors and you have to get up and walk the hallways in front of everyone.

Slippers that you can slide your feet into but that aren't going to cause you to trip. For most surgeries you are not going to be able to and or want to bend over to put them on. You really do need footwear.

Soap and 2in1 shampoo are third on my list. Hospital toiletries are not very nice so having your own is a real plus.

Other personal items I brought are - comb, brush, barrette, elastics to braid my hair (so much better when you are in bed all day ~smile~) antiperspirant, toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, face moisturizer, body moisturizer, I put all these things in a toiletry bag so it was all contained and easy to take in the washroom with me. It also makes it easier to ask someone to pass it to you if you have a day or two when you cannot get out of bed. I did end up putting the brush, elastic, barrette and antiperspirant in the bed table to be able to freshen up easier.

Dry shampoo in case you are not allowed to shower right away. Dove makes a nice one. It is nice to know you won't have greasy hair if you can't wash it for a couple of days.

A bit of money concealed in a mint tin or somewhere. It is nice to have enough to top up your TV/ Internet or to ask someone to grab you a "real" coffee or tea from Timmies.

Another item I loved having was my cel. phone and charger. It was so nice to have my own phone to use so I could easily get and make calls. Just be sure to slip it in your robe pocket when you leave your room and remember to bring your charger home with you! The orderly told me that almost everyone forgets their charger so they have TONS in the lost and found. The bonus of others forgetting is that if you forgot to bring a charger to the hospital with you they can likely lend you one of the ones that have been left behind. *wink*

Books, puzzle books, devotionals etc. Your Bible of course though  I ended up using the Bible that was on my phone - it was easier to hold in bed but I missed the real thing.

Sermons on your phone or ipod are a real blessing. Some uplifting music too can really perk you up.

Tea bags! Hospital coffee is truly unpleasant but when they bring you tea they bring hot water with the bag on the side so it is nice to switch it up with your own teas.

Cornstarch. Oh how I wished I had some cornstarch the time before last. I got heat rash so badly on the back of my legs and arms. I had to lay on my back the whole time and plastic mattresses do NOT breathe. I asked for something but all they had was body powder and it was perfumed and just made it itch worse and burn. My last stay I was able to get a fan in the room and it really helped.

A notebook is very handy for writing down things you want to remember, things that occur to you, prayers, ideas etc. etc. Don't forget a few pens - I had a new pen that chose not to work so I was grateful for backups.

Note cards/ Thank you cards for helpful staff , room mates, special nurses etc. Also you can get a start on thank you cards for visits, gifts/ flowers etc. you receive in the hospital. I did not do that and the notebook was handy for me to keep track of notes I needed to write.

Whatever makes you comfortable! Blanket, afghan, pictures of your family etc. I always bring a picture of my hubby it helps a little bit with being away from him at night.

Other ideas travel size mouth wash, breath spray, mints, hard candies, - mouths are very dry for days after anesthetic, correspondence to catch up on, small projects you can do in bed.

I think that is about it. Now you don't want to show up with a travel trunk hee! hee! but it is so good to be prepared it will make your stay so much more pleasant. ~smile~

So just somethings I that I thought I would share in case someone might be facing a surgery or know someone who is.
Happy Thursday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's Day my hubby and I are going to have a quiet evening at home together. He is so sweet and decided to get pizza for us for dinner so I won't have to cook. We are saving up for our trip to Tennessee and Kentucky this spring so we are trying not  to eat out much so it is an extra bonus that Valentine's Day is Tuesday this year because our local pizza place has a pizza special every Tuesday. ~smile~
He is so sweet and I am so blessed to have him for my husband.

Yesterday I had a Ladies Valentine's Tea here at home. I had 8 ladies here and we had a wonderful time. I totally forgot to take ANY pictures! *sigh*
It was a bit of a challenge getting ready for it. Yesterday morning the kitchen sink clogged up! I got out the plunger and was able to free it up and was thinking Yay! I fixed the sink which quickly turned into Oh No! I broke the sink when I spied water coming out from under my sink! YIKES! I opened it up and all the pipes were wet, the floor of the cupboard was covered in water. I quickly called my hubby at work and he said he had no idea what happened and told me to call our friend who is also our plumber. I did and left a message. I took everything out from under the sink dried it off put in a towel though there was no obvious leak and kept trying to clean the house, decorate make food and get ready for ladies to arrive. Our friend called me back and assured me that the water had likely just backed up out of the vent and as long as I didn't smell any sewer smell it was fine. If had of then we would need a new vent gasket but it is all ok. PHEW! God is good. With all that going on I just finished getting things ready and put the vacuum away as the first lady arrived.

We had chocolate cupcakes with pink icing, love brownies (deep dish chocolate chip brownies), iced sugar cookies, a box of chocolates, apples and veggies and dip. My friend brought some wonderful cherry tarts she made with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. So pretty and so yummy! Of course we also had a variety of teas and coffee.

We made a craft - this  LOVE banner.

It is made out of wired ribbon and the blocks and letters are felt. I cut a skewer to be the stick at the top and hung it with kitchen string. It is decorated with raffia and some pips. I found a whole ziploc bag of these wired ribbons at the second hand store a couple of months ago for 50 cents. I didn't know what I would do with them but I loved them and the price was right. ~smile~ They ended up being perfect for this craft.


It was just a good time of visiting together I am so blessed with so many sweet friends.

Now I'd best get ready for Bible Study. I don't know if I mentioned it before but I have a ladies Bible study here every Tuesday afternoon. There are just a few of us but it is a blessed time in God's Word. I use commentaries by Pastor David Guzik that I found years ago on blueletterbible.org. We have been doing this for years. Right now we are nearing the end of Job. It has been a really good study as we have two ladies who have been having a really hard go of it lately and it has encouraged them to press on. Lots of great lessons for us all. Next we will be doing Matthew again as we have some new ladies who have not done it before and it has been many years since we did it last. Matthew is my favorite book so I am really looking forward to it.

Happy Tuesday!
Blesssings.
Liisa

Chicken Fajita Pizza

         allposters

Today I will share the recipes I used to make this yummy pizza including the one I used to make the crust.
Again I have no idea where I got the recipe for the pizza so if it is yours please let me know. ~smile~

Homemade Pizza Dough

3 cups flour
1 tbsp. yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil
9 fl. oz. warm water

Put water in a bowl, stir in sugar to dissolve. Sprinkle yeast on top of water and wait for it to foam.
Stir in oil.
Blend flour and salt then add gradually to water mixture.
Turn out on a lightly floured surface and kneed for about 5 minutes until it is a nice smooth ball that springs back a bit when you press your fingers into it.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a warm damp cloth.
Set in a warm spot until doubled.
Turn out and kneed lightly.
Now you can divide it and roll out for whatever size pan you are using but I rolled out the whole thing for a 15x10 pan for this pizza.

Chicken Fajita

Pizza dough
Cooked chicken
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup salsa
2 cups Mexican cheese ( I just used mozzarella with a bit of cheddar mixed in)

Roll dough into a 15x10 pan. Flatten and build up edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Saute veggies and chicken.
Spread salsa on crust.
Top with 1 cup cheese, chicken mixture and remaining cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese in bubbly and golden brown.

Enjoy!
Blessings,
Liisa

Apple Cake

I thought I'd share a couple of recipes I made this week. ~smile~ Today I'll share the recipe for the apple cake I made.

I forget where I found this recipe as I have had it for years but if it is yours please let me know and I will give you credit for it.This recipe is actually a peach cake that you can make with apples or blueberries instead.

Aunt Eileen's Peach Cake
4 eggs                                
2 cups sugar      
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup orange juice (I used milk instead)
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Filling
2 cups sliced fresh peaches or 2 cups fresh blueberries or 2-3 large apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced.
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Icing sugar to dust the top of the cake - optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat egg and add sugar and oil mixing well.
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternately with juice (or milk)
Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl toss fruit with sugar and cinnamon.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into a greased, lightly floured tube pan.
Layer 1/2 the fruit mixture over that. Then 1/3 batter, the rest of the fruit and then remaining batter.
Bake 1 hour or until it tests done. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Sprinkle with icing sugar if using.
Serves 10.            

Enjoy!
Blessings,
Liisa

What a Crazy Week!

 allposters

 

Wow what a crazy week this has been! Monday I was busy all day baking and cleaning. I made bread, herbed dinner rolls, an apple cake, and some pizza dough for our dinner.
Tuesday we had our Pastor and his wife over for dinner. It was a wonderful evening but a busy day getting ready.~smile~  I cleaned the house, made beef stroganoff, and a chocolate cream pie. Tuesday is also the day I have ladies over for a Bible study! Oh and I also had a reaction to a medication I just started and had vision issues just for an added little bit of "excitement" in my week.
Wednesday I had to go to a nearby city for a CT scan. It is a 45 minute drive so my Mum and I made the most of the trip and did some shopping too and went out for lunch.
Thursday I took my Mum back to that same city for a cortisone shot in her knee.
God is so good by the way - I did so much praying about the weather as winter driving is not my friend and we were supposed to have snow squalls and blowing snow both those days. But God heard and answered because the snow missed the road we had to take completely until we were very nearly back home Thursday!
Today I had to catch up some laundry and do some housework from 2 days away from home. I had a lovely coffee break with a sweet older lady who lives next door and walked down town for a few errands just before my hubby arrived home from work.
Tomorrow we drive 3 hours to drop my Mum and my son's girlfriend off at the airport (they are heading to Cuba!) Then 3 hours back home. However we are going to make some stops along the way back and enjoy some time out with our son.
Sunday my friend and I teach our Sunday school class and then it's time for Church.
Whew!
Hope you have had a good week too!
Blessings,
Liisa

Baking Bread

Monday is the  day I make our bread for the week. I had always struggled with bread baking until I found a You Tube tutorial by Big Family Homestead. Here is a link to that video - Amish White Bread.
My bread always used to turn out VERY heavy, super dense and generally yucky. I even failed at making bread with a bread machine! My hubby is so sweet and supportive that  he ate it anyway and told me it was good. Poor guy! He is sooo happy that I found that tutorial.

One thing that made a difference is the temperature of the water. I never had the water hot enough because I was afraid of killing the yeast. The other is covering the dough in the bowl and then in the pans with a warm wet cloth.

I cut an old duvet cover into a large rectangle that will double up over 4 loaf pans. It works really well.
I also learned how to properly knead the dough. ~smile~
To make clean up much easier I wipe the counter with a warm damp dish cloth then lay plastic wrap over it....the wetness helps the plastic wrap to stick to the counter well. Then I  work on top of it. This way when I am done I can gather up the plastic wrap and all the mess at once. I do the same when I am making pie crust. So quick and easy.

You can't really see the plastic wrap in this picture but that is because of how well it sticks with a damp counter. *wink*
I hope if you haven't already tried making your own bread, or if you are like me and haven't had any success before that you will give the tutorial a try!
Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Enjoy the Little Things

 I just love this cup! I found it at a second hand store and it just made me smile. I love how pretty it is but I also love it's message. On the inside edge it says Life is Good, Enjoy the Little Things.

It is something I think we all need to do. These days it is so easy to get caught up in negativity which is everywhere.  But yet life is good because God is good. Sometimes I need that reminder and need to remember to enjoy the little things. The everyday joys and gifts. Sun shining on the snow, flannel sheets, a sweet grey and white cat that loves to curl up on my lap and purr,  a warm safe home, good food and a loving family, and my afternoon coffee in a pretty cup.
Happy Friday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This afternoon I made some cookies for my son who loves oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  He hurt his back at work yesterday and I thought he could use a little treat. To make them a little special I tried substituting half the butter in the recipe for peanut butter. They are so yummy! The peanut butter really makes a difference.
For a bit of frugal twist for the chocolate chips I used the chocolate from 2 advent calendars my Mum bought that were not used in December. I just broke up the little squares of chocolate and you would never know it isn't chocolate chips in the cookies. ~smile~

Blessings,
Liisa

Sauerkraut

Tonight we had homemade sauerkraut with bacon, double smoked farmer's sausage and potatoes for dinner. mmmmm!
Here is a picture of the sauerkraut and bacon on the stove.

My hubby and son made the sauerkraut this fall. It was quite the process and a little scary the first time but oh my it is soooo good.  They had an elderly German lady teach them. They made a 5 gallon pail full. When it was ready we divided it up into medium freezer bags and froze it. It came out just like it was fresh - freezing it didn't hurt it at all. ~smile~
To prepare it for dinner I chopped up half a pound of bacon which I cooked in a medium pot, I drained most of the fat then added in the defrosted sauerkraut and cooked it on low all afternoon stirring now and then. The picture is after it had been cooked.

Blessings,
Liisa

Beautifying My Home

I have been doing some projects to simplify, organize and beautify our home. This is what I did today.

Every time I looked at the tv stand it bothered me that you could see everything in it - the printer, blue ray player, a stack of dvds, printer paper etc. It just always looked messy no matter how I tidied it. So my solution was to make some curtains for the doors.
I  found some small curtains at the second hand store, for a dollar, that I cut down and remade to fit the glass. Then I bought some little curtain rods, also for a dollar a package.
 I attached them with stick on hooks I got at the dollar store. The top two are up right and the bottom 2 are facing down to hold the lower rod.

What a difference it makes to that corner of the living room. It make sme smile every time I see it! The whole project cost me about $3.50 - so worth it! ~smile~

Happy Wednesday!
Blessings,
Liisa

New Favorite Blog

Lately I have been really enjoying a blog called  My Heart is Always Home. Wendi has been such an inspiration to me as I seek to be a better homemaker, wife and mom. If you have a few minutes check it out! 
Blessings,
Liisa