Spring Song

“The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hillside’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven–
All’s right with the world!”

-Robert Browning

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,
Nancy

Thankful Thursday ~ March 11

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Today I am thankful for ~

~ the sun shining and the earth coming alive again after the winter.

~ simple days spent with my family.

~ time to work on my quilt.

~ children on the mend after weeks of illness.

~ kitties that snuggle up on the couch beside me.

~ the joy and peace that God gives us when we rest in His grace and trust Him with our lives.

~ simple pleasures.

~ porch weather!

To read more thankful thoughts, visit Laurie at Women Taking a Stand to find the list of participants in this week’s Thankful Thursday.

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy

Spring Sprouting!

I have been inside for so long that I didn’t realize what changes were taking place in the world outdoors. Yesterday the temperature was so lovely and warm that I took a walk around the yard and was so surprised to see that spring had arrived in our yard without my realizing it – not in full bloom by any means, but starting to sprout – the beginnings of spring, always a thrill!

Here are a few things that I found ~

Irises growing – they should be blooming by Easter ~

Maybe this year I will find out the name of this pretty little plant that comes back year to year and stays throughout the summer ~

My Daylily family is coming up ~

Lots of buds on the branches of this bush outside the kitchen window (I don’t know the name of this one either!) ~

And finally I noticed that the whole yard was starting to green up! ~

This morning we had a nice thunderstorm roll through, and the sun is now shining again. The temperature should be in the upper 60′s this afternoon – another wonderful sign of spring ~ porch weather!

Is spring sprouting where you live?

Blessings,
Nancy

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

So . . . Tommy requested this for his birthday dinner this year, just like last year, and thinking it might be quicker and easier to just look up the recipe on my blog rather than fishing through the recipe box I used that handy dandy “Search” box up there at the top under the header to locate the recipe quick as pie. Only one problem . . . it wasn’t there. I did find reference to it in Tommy’s birthday post from last year, saying that he had asked for it for his birthday dinner, and I even mentioned that I would be posting the recipe soon, but no recipe anywhere to be found. I had to wade through the recipe box after all, but it is one of the few recipes written on a green note card, so it didn’t take me very long to pull it out.

So . . . for those of you who have been waiting on the edge of your seat since last March for the much-anticipated recipe, the day has finally arrived. I don’t know where I got this recipe originally, but I’ve been using it for years to the delight of my children.

Ingredients
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
24 oz. pkg elbow macaroni noodles
2 cups Ritz crackers

One of the first things you want to do is grab one of your kiddos to be the “cracker smasher” – they love this job and are always happy to volunteer! Put the Ritz crackers in a large ziploc baggie and have them go at it with your rolling pin – so much fun! -

Meanwhile, put some water on to boil in a large pot, adding the macaroni noodles when ready and cooking until tender -

Melt one stick of butter in another large pan over medium-high heat -

Blend in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Cook and stir one minute -

Stir in cheese until melted -

Combine the cooked, drained macaroni and the cheese sauce in a buttered 13 x 9 pan -

Melt the remaining stick of butter in medium bowl, and then stir in the cracker crumbs that your helper crushed up for you. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over casserole -

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot -

Tommy requested his macaroni and cheese to be served with green beans and Strawberries and Cream Dessert Squares. It was quite yummy (and made for a beautiful picture too! ) -

So, now you finally have it. You can go back to whatever you were doing last year when you put your life on hold waiting for the no-show macaroni and cheese recipe!

I’ll be back soon -I really mean it this time!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ March 8

Here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .another rainy Monday, but tomorrow should be sunny and 70 degrees.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am thinking. . .about planting plans for the gardens.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the learning room. . .George Washington, Johnny Tremain, space rocks, and spiders.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am thankful for. . .David feeling better after the stomach virus last week, and for Tommy’s fever and sore throat going away leaving him with just a stuffy nose and cough.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the kitchen. . .not quite sure about this yet.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am wearing. . .long sleeve white shirt and jeans.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am creating. . .starting the last border on my Be-Attitudes quilt; piecing churn dash blocks and log cabin blocks for my Star Medallion quilt.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am going. . .to be teaching Laura some housekeeping skills this week as she is going to take over some of my chores to earn some extra money – can you say “live in housekeeper” – I may start calling her Alice if it goes well!
~~~~~~~~~~
I am reading. . .quilt patterns and my Bible.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am hoping. . .that the marathon dentist day this week will go okay – a number of fillings being filled with little people waiting around for too long can make for a challenging day!
~~~~~~~~~~
I am hearing. . .children chattering, dogs barking, kitty collars jingling, and Tommy coughing.
~~~~~~~~~~
Around the house. . .new Roman shades on our three back doors, onion sets soaking in water until I can get them in the garden, several children battling colds, and the new bigger water heater installed and heating our water nicely (which I am especially thankful for when we have 2 showers, the dishwasher, and the washing machine going at the same time!)
~~~~~~~~~~
One of my favorite things. . .the new season of “The Waltons” that Jeff gave me for Valentine’s Day.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few plans for the rest of the week. . .dentist day, ice skating, stamping club, and a visit to the quilt shop.
~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

Donna asked to see a picture of the Star Medallion quilt I am working on – this picture was included with the pattern. It will be a large 88″ x 88″ when it is done!

~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy’s site starting Tuesday to find the list of participants in this week’s Daybook.

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy

A few ice skating pictures ~

We started the new ice skating lesson session (try saying that three times fast!) this week. Tommy and Sarah are beginning their third session and continue to progress as they are starting to learn a few more difficult turns and skills. We usually arrive an hour or two early for free-skate each week so that they can warm up and practice the skills they are learning.

This session we have a new student added to the mix. Anna has now started taking lessons as well, and is so excited. Some friends handed her down a nice pair of skates, and she just loves to be on the ice.

It’s been fun watching them skate each week (when I’m not freezing to death). The instructors are really great and the kids are learning alot. Tommy and Sarah would like to go more often to get in more practice time – maybe this summer we’ll be able to add some extra practice time to our schedule.

Have a nice weekend!

Blessings,
Nancy

Thankful Thursday ~ March 4

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Today is my son, Tommy’s 13th birthday, so my thankful thoughts naturally are centering on him. Poor guy has been sick on the couch for the last 24 hours, but seems to be perking up a little and may be able to enjoy his birthday a little bit today after all. Here is my thankful list in honor of my sweet son, Tommy -

~ I am thankful for Tommy’s life and the blessing he is to our family.

~ I am thankful for his easy-going nature and his helpful spirit.

~ I am thankful for his love of family, tradition, and celebrating.

~ I am thankful for his spriritual growth in the the past year, and his committment to Christ.

~ I am thankful for the Lord’s protection over his life during his birth 13 years ago (he was my only breech baby/C-section birth).

~I am thankful for his wonderful sense of humor, and his love of laughter.

~ I am thankful for his big blue eyes that remind me of my grandfather when I look at him.

~ I am thankful to God for blessing us with such a special person as Tommy in our family!

Happy Birthday, Missur Tom!

Blessings,
Nancy

To read more thankful thoughts, visit Laurie at Women Taking a Stand. Laurie is hosting Thankful Thursday this month at her site.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Nancy

Mexican Chicken

Here is a delicious and easy recipe that is a favorite at our house. I got this recipe from a friend at church years ago and have made it many times since then. It has wonderful flavor and the crunch of the Fritos is a great addition. Here we go ~

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups cheddar cheese (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
3 cups corn chips

Start with freshly washed chicken breasts. I added a couple of extras for our family -

Place the chicken on a cutting board and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Even better, get your teenager to do this part – mine had a ball doing this! Place in a 13 x 9 casserole dish -

Mix together soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, milk, and seasoning mix -

Spoon over chicken -

Top with chips and cover with foil -

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes more or until cheese melts -

Served up with a fresh green salad, it’s a great meal -

Here’s what it looks like when we have salad for dinner at our house (often!). We bring out this supply of dressings, so that everyone can pick their choice for the day – no wonder my refrigerator is always so crowded! -

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Nancy

Quilting Books

Cindy asked me to recommend a good quilt book for learning to quilt. There are two books that I have been referring to as I make my way along this journey of learning to quilt. One is this book ~

This book has been good about taking my hand and talking to me as a beginner. It gives instructions for both hand and machine piecing, quilting, and all of the rest that goes along with the craft ~

I have also lately really been enjoying referring to this book ~

It is also good at teaching the basics, but in a question/answer format. So, when I don’t understand something or have a question about something, I can go right to the question and find my answer. I have cleared up many questions using this book. It’s a convenient size to keep in my quilting basket for whenever I need to refer to it, which has been alot lately since I am moving into new territory working on borders and soon into the quilting portion of my quilt.

Another great source for learning to quilt is a local quilt shop. They are popping up all over the place and they offer classes at every level and are always willing to answer questions that you may have. They also usually have a book section where you can find how-to quilt books as well as books full of patterns. I am sure you can probably find lots of information online, as well.

I have tended to get overwhelmed with the learning process as I felt like there was so much to learn, but I’ve found that just by taking it one step at a time, it has really not been difficult, and I learn more all the time. Just be patient and enjoy it – that’s the point of it anyway!

Lynn asked what a Be-Attitudes quilt was, so I am posting a picture of mine in progress. This quilt was designed by Nancy Halvorsen, as were the fabrics used in it. This is the quilt after sewing the blocks together, but minus the four borders that I am working on right now ~

I’ll post more pictures when I finish the top.

Blessings,
Nancy

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ March 1st

Happy March! The beginning of March to me means the beginning of spring, so I am celebrating! Thank you for stopping by to visit ~ here is my Daybook entry for today ~

Outside my window. . .rainy and chilly, but with the promise of beautiful weather the rest of the week. There are muddy shoes to be cleaned all over the front porch, as the children spent some time outside yesterday in the front yard.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am thinking. . .that it’s getting to be time to spruce up the gardens for spring planting.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the learning room. . .learning about turtles and perseverance this week with the youngers, Tommy is reading Johnny Tremain for history, and Sarah will be reading about George Washington. Science studies on space rocks and the usual reading, writing, and math.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am thankful for. . .Gods’s perfect love and acceptance of me.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the kitchen. . .Chicken Stuffing Casserole, green beans and applesauce. . . and the beginning of March just calls for a lemon cake for dessert.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am wearing. . .red shirt and blue jeans, with my white sweater.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am creating. . .working on the borders of my quilt, which is going nicely. I picked up the first block kit of a new quilt at the quilt shop this weekend and I’m so eager to begin working on it that I will be prewashing the fabric today to get it ready to start cutting – it’s a Star Medallion quilt all made from Civil War reproduction fabrics – so excited!
~~~~~~~~~~
I am going. . .to be glad to see the sun shine this week – enough of the cloudy gray skies!
~~~~~~~~~~
I am reading. . .“Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon, and “The Excellent Wife” for bible study.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am hoping. . .to get by the garden center to pick up some onion sets this week – I need to get them in the ground as soon as I can.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am hearing. . .
~~~~~~~~~~
Around the house. . .school is finished for the day, I have a new weekly cleaning schedule to start today, laundry and dishes await my attention.
~~~~~~~~~~
One of my favorite things. . .quilts made from Civil War reproduction fabrics – I just love the colors and traditional patterns.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few plans for the rest of the week. . .sewing, cleaning, ice skating, and celebrating Tommy’s 13th birthday!
~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a picture thought I am sharing. . .

~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook for this wonderful meme. Visit Peggy starting Tuesday to find the list of Daybookers participating in this week’s Daybook.

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy