A Lovely Day

Today was a lovely day. January – but the temperature was in the 70′s and did I ever get Spring Fever! I spent most of the afternoon outside planning my gardens for this year. I also washed off the porch rockers and spent some time there thinking and enjoying the weather. The kids kept busy playing four-square, basketball, and exploring by the pond. Michael got out my Dad’s old tackle box and tried to get his fishing pole lined up.

I had mixed up some Taco Soup in the crock-pot earlier in the day, so all I needed to do for dinner was pop some cornbread in the oven, which gave me even more time to enjoy the outdoors. Sarah baked some Brownie Pops, so dessert was covered, too.

As the sun started to set this evening, the sky was very beautiful, all striped in blue and pink. The moon came out and was lit up with a lovely bright white light. It was a serendipity day – a blessing that I didn’t expect. The kind that makes my heart sing and my soul praise the Lord.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.”
-Psalm 19:1-4

I’m so thankful for this lovely day – a nice break from winter to enjoy, and the promise of Spring ahead that it brings to mind.

Blessings,
Nancy

Iced In

I know that many around the country are dealing with snow and ice this week, and we are no exception. It started for us Tuesday morning, when we had rain, which turned to freezing rain and snow – mostly ice. The temperatures have not been above freezing since then and so the ice remains. Many businesses have been shut down all week, and so far, all of our “out of the house” activities have been cancelled too. We have been keeping busy with school (a little), games, movies, and cleaning projects. Jeff worked from home the first two days, but crept in to work today. We are expecting a little more snow tomorrow, but the temperatures should go above freezing finally on Saturday, so there is an end in sight!

I filled the bird feeders on Monday, and have enjoyed watching the many little visitors all week – sometimes around 30 at a time. I have seen many sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, and juncos.

Hope you are staying warm where you are this week!

Blessings,
Nancy

Winter Nature Walk

On Monday I took a walk with the kids around the property to see what we could find. The snow had stopped falling and the air was cold and still. We ventured farther than the day before when snowball fights and snowman building was the priority of the day. As we walked, I was amazed to find treasures in the winter landscape that would have gone unnoticed had I not ventured out – I was so glad that I did!

I love the look of snow on trees and so I took a few pictures of them, although the pictures never do the real thing justice. The red berries on the tree above really popped in the white snow – truly beautiful!

Icicles on the barn ~

We found a number of pretty evergreens blanketed in snow back by the creek ~

One of the kids had walked around in circles the day before and we came upon their tracks ~

And then we came across these tracks – behind the barn and leading down the peninsula and then down to the creek. We think it is probably from a deer ~

We spent alot of time inspecting these tracks and the creek at the back of our lot. My camera battery started to die and so I didn’t get as many pictures as I would like. I was able to squeeze out a couple more before we went back inside. We think that these little tracks were probably made by a squirrel. ~

Snowy nature walks are extra special around here, because we only get to take them once or twice a year. This was our first chance this year ~ we’ll see if we get another one in the next month or so.

Stay warm and have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Nancy

A Fun Snowy Day

Yesterday we were blessed with a fun and beautiful snowy day around our part of the world. The snow started to fall late morning and it came down hard ~

Most of the kids and I stayed home from church due to the wintry mix that was falling preceding the snow. I don’t like to be out and about in that stuff at all. We were all pretty excited to see those large flakes falling from the sky, but David was extra excited and kept reporting on everything that was being covered by it -”Your car is all covered in snow, Mom!” and “The pool toys are covered with snow, Mom!” and “The front part that’s not the sidewalk that’s by the sidewalk is covered up in snow, Mom!”

Even Macey was fascinated by the changing world outside ~

And Jack got to spend a warm and cozy day inside ~

About the time Jeff arrived home from church I determined that enough snow had fallen to make it worthwhile to send them all out in it to play. . . so out came the winter hat, scarf, and mitten box, and on went the warm clothes, shoes, coats and hats.

They headed out the front door all ready for fun in the snow ~

The snowball fights commenced quickly and children (and their father) were running all around the house and yard blasting each other ~

I went out to snap some pictures, but spent most of the day inside peering out the windows – after all, someone had to make the hot chocolate for the cold and weary snowpeople, right?

And I made some of these for everyone, too ~

Sarah stayed out the longest, since she was the only one who decided to build a snowman and she worked on it for quite awhile ~

After about an hour or so, most of the children were back inside to warm up and drink hot chocolate and warm cookies and watch “White Christmas” (yet again – I told you before it’s one of our favorites this year!)

I spent some time finishing up this little mini quilt ~ it is the first in a year long series. There will be a different mini quilt for each month that I can display on this pretty metal stand ~

After the movie was over the kids bundled up again and went out for another play in the snow before it got dark. I took a few more pictures ~

Laura took Jack out for a romp in the snow, which he thoroughly enjoyed ~

By bedtime there were wet coats, mittens, hats, scarfs, socks, shoes, and clothes laying around drying; and lots of tired, but satisfied children laying around also ~ they slept well indeed.

Blessings,
Nancy

Chicken Tetrazzini

This is a delicious, warm, comfort casserole for those chilly winter nights. I make this year round, but it is especially good at this time of year. I have been making Chicken Tetrazzini for my entire married life, but a few years back my brother-in-law and sister-in-law brought this to us for dinner (I think after David was born) and it was so creamy and wonderful I asked them for the recipe. It turns out that the recipe came from Southern Living magazine, and it is the recipe that I have used for Chicken Tetrazzini ever since. It is simple, easy and did I mention delicious?

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 (16 oz.) package vermicelli (I just use regular spaghetti)
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of celery soup
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (6 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I leave these out)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese (I think I usually use a bit more) – this is not the grated cheese in the jar, but the shredded found in bags in the cheese section of the grocery store.
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

- Cook vermicelli according to package directions; drain. Return to pot and toss with chicken broth.

- Stir together chicken and next 8 ingredients, add vermicelli, and toss well. Spoon mixture into 2 lightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dishes (I use one 13 x 9 dish). Sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese.

- Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 12 servings.

This casserole is great with a tossed salad, rolls and something chocolatey for dessert. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Nancy

Welcome December!

Photo courtesy of Flickr

December has arrived, as well as everything wonderful that goes along with it! The snow has started to fall on the blog and our household is busy as elves with preparations and celebrations of the season. I know that I’ve been amiss at posting this past month, but I will try my best to sit and write more during the month of December. Take some time to settle down with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the quiet moments (when you can find them) this month.

Be back soon ~

Blessings,
Nancy

Crockpot Chilli

Here is a simple recipe for chilli in the crockpot that I picked up somewhere along the line. It’s great to come home to on a cold day. I made it recently on the day we had ice skating lessons – so nice to look forward to while freezing at the ice rink!

Ingredients

4 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained
4 sm. cans tomato sauce
3 pkts. McCormick chilli seasoning (I use mild)
2 cups water

Mix all of the ingredients in your crockpot. Cook until heated through, although the longer it cooks the more flavorful it gets – I cooked mine several hours on high, or you can cook it all day on low.

When it’s done – and your house smells all yummy – serve it up with shredded cheese, onions and corn chips for a delicious dinner.

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Nancy

Snowy Day Lapbooks

We finished our Snowy Day lapbooks this week. I did these with Michael, Anna, and David. The lapbooks were centered around two snowy books – “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats and “White Snow Bright Snow” by Alvin Tresselt, as shown in the picture above.

We read the stories and then completed the activities for our lapbooks. We took our time with this one, completing one or two activities per day.

If you are wondering – What exactly is a lapbook? – it is a way to record the information that you learn as you study just about any topic. It is recorded in little booklets with writings and drawings that are then glued into the lapbook. When finished, a lapbook is a great keepsake for the kids, that they love to look back at throughout the years. I purchased and downloaded this lapbook from one of my favorite Lapbooking sites – A Journey Through Learning – I love their graphics! You can find out more about lapbooking by visiting their site.

“A Snowy Day” is one of my all time favorite winter stories to read with the children, and our lapbooks documented the many fun activities that Peter had on his snowy day.

I had not read “White Snow Bright Snow” before, even though it was sitting on our bookshelf. It was a very sweet story about how the snow affects all of the people in the town – the postman, the farmer, the policeman and his wife, the children, the animals, and even the houses and buildings of the town. It ends up showing how things change as spring approaches – a delightful book!

Both lapbooks were glued together to make one large lapbook which looks like this folded out -

I loved some of the special touches that the children gave their pictures, like the eyelashes on Anna’s snowman snowgirl? -

And the snow on David’s tree -

We had fun putting these together. David was sad to see the end of it – he loves cutting and pasting. I am all set with a new one for next month for all of the kids this time. It is a lapbook on the Winter 2010 Olympics, which promises to be lots of fun as we study different events and record the medal winners in our lapbooks.

Blessings,
Nancy

Chicken and Dumplings

Well, I finally did it. I finally made Chicken and Dumplings, which I have been talking about wanting to do for a least a year now. We had lunch at a friend’s home awhile back, where we were served the most delicious Chicken and Dumplings – exactly the way I would want them to taste. So, of course, I asked my friend for the recipe. Once I had it in hand (or umm…computer), it still took me a bit to get around to making it – I tend to be scared of trying new recipes – well, not really scared – just hesitant, due to the learning curve. Not that I don’t try new recipes – obviously I do, or I would still be heating up microdinners – but, I have to really be in the mood on just the right night. So . . . long story short – I was finally in the mood on just the right night, and I had the ingredients ready at hand, so I dove in.

It turned out to be quite simple, and now that I’ve made them, I will certainly be making them again – in fact, I plan on cooking another batch this Monday, barring unforeseen circumstances. So, here is my friend’s recipe (thanks Tammy!) and a few pictures along the way ~

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken
Salt

Place whole chicken and a little salt in a crock pot. Fill crock pot half full of water. If the chicken is frozen, cook on low overnight or on high for about 6 hours. If the chicken is not frozen, cook on low about 6 hours or high about 3 hours until the meat is tender and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and let cool. Remove the meat from the bones. Set aside until the dumplings are done. While you are making the dumplings, place the broth from the chicken in a stew pot and bring to a boil.

To make the dumplings:

4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups milk

Blend all the dumpling ingredients well. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll the dough in the flour. Make sure that there is plenty of flour still under the dough or it will stick to the counter top or surface of the mat you are working on. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut it with a knife into 1 inch squares -

Place the dumplings one at a time, into the boiling broth (you may need to add some water – keep the broth/water mixture in a large stew pot at a level that’s more than half way full but not 3/4 full). Let them cook uncovered at a boil for 10 minutes stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover the dumplings. Let them cook 10 more minutes. They will need to be stirred often to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Once the dumplings are done, add the boned chicken to the dumplings and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. This recipe is actually thicker and yummier the day after it is made.

I made these on one of the days before Christmas when it was snowing, and it was a perfect snowy day dinner. It made so much that several of us ate it for lunch all throughout the week. It was yummy down to the last drop in the pot!

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Nancy

Hello There!

Well, it’s a new month in a new year! I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in 2010, and pray that it will be a blessed year for you all. Whatever comes our way, it is all in the Lord’s sovereign hands and we can find such peace and rest when we trust Him to work out His plan in His time.

We have started back to school, which has had a few bumps, but seems to be going smoother now – it’s hard for all of us to get back in the routine, but also feels good to have more “regular” days at home, rather than being so busy outside the house all the time.

Yesterday we celebrated Matthew’s 19th birthday! How does the time fly? We will be celebrating with the whole family this weekend, as well as celebrating his graduation, even though he has basically been finished since last year. He begins taking courses at a local college in a week or two. He will be taking 4 classes – English, Speech, Sociology, and Humanities. He has been saving furiously for a car, and should be able to buy one when the right one appears any day now.

Along with starting back to school with the kids, I have been spending my days packing up the Christmas decorations, and redecorating the house. I usually just put everything back out in their normal spots, but this year I am finding myself wanting to change things up, not putting out so many knick knacks and moving things around a bit. I am trying to lighten the load around the house – less cluttered and more space than we have had previously.

Basketball and Cheerleading have started up for Michael and Anna – they have had two games already and are enjoying it. We do these through the Upwards program at an area church – this is our 4th year there – we are always pleased with the program – good teaching with a Christian focus, and not too much pressure or time involved. Tommy and Sarah have started back their ice skating lessons once a week and are learning some harder moves already this year.

Our ladies Bible study has begun a new study that will last throughout this year. We are studying Martha Peace’s book “The Excellent Wife”. We have a lot of ladies joining in, and are looking forward to a good year of study.

Well, enough updates for now ~ I’ll be posting my Daybook next, a little later than usual, but one of my favorite ways to start a new week. Have a wonderful day wherever you are, and stay warm!

Blessings,
Nancy