Summer Time

Sweet Summer Time Nights. 

Don't you just love summer nights?  I adore them.  The heat breaks, people come out of their homes and sit on their porches.  They walk their dogs or mow their lawns.  I love hearing everyone outside.  The kids come out again and ride their bikes, play ball and Frisbee.

The other night there was suppose to be a beautiful sunset, deeper red than usual.  I thought what a great time to drink some sweet tea, have some cookies and sit on the porch with the kids.  We always have sweet tea in the fridge so I just had to make up a batch of cookies.  The cookies I decided to make are No Bake Cookies.  Since it was so hot I really did not want to make it even hotter in my kitchen.  I am sure most of you have made these but I thought I would share my recipe.  They are a yummy quick cookie.  Great when momma needs a little chocolate.

                                      No Bake Chocolate  Oatmeal Cookies

                                                2 cups sugar
                                                4 Tablespoons cocoa
                                                1/2 cup milk
                                                1/2 cup margarine
                                                1/2 cup peanut butter
                                                3 cups uncooked oats

                    Combine sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil and boil for

                     1 minute add peanut butter and boil another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat 

                     and stir in oats.  Drop from Tablespoon onto Parchment paper.  Let set.

  I put the tea in canning jars, just because I thought it would be fun and have the feel of the Andy Griffith Show time.  You know how in those days people would sit on the porch, sing songs and drink sweet tea.  I love the feeling of those times.  So simple and family oriented times.  I called the kids and we all went outside, sat on the porch swing, ate cookies and drank sweet tea.  We waited for the sun to set but we did not get to see it happen.  I guess smoke was blowing in from some fires in Arizona just at sunset and covered it all up.  Oh well.  But we stayed outside till after 10:00 p.m. eating cookies, drinking tea, talking, playing Frisbee under the street light and looking for a kitten we heard some where.  What a wonderful evening it was sunset or not.  I am going to try to get us out there a lot more.  Maybe shortcake with strawberries on it for a Sunday evening on the porch swing.  It is a memory I will never forget and I pray my children won't either.



Court and Brit playing Frisbee under the street light



Look close and you will see I-Pods and  cell phones left behind.  Woo Hoo!!

  Hope you are making some fun summer time memories.  They don't have to be elaborate or expensive ideas.  Sitting on the porch or deck with your favorite dessert and summer time drink is plenty.  Food will also always get your teenage boy out there with you, if your boy is like mine. 

Summer Blessings

Crystal

(Missed you sweet Alyssa and sweet  hard working hubby).

Oh Christmas Tree and so much more

The Happy Home and Heart are in full Christmas swing.  Our Christmas decorations have been up for a few weeks now and I am just loving it.  It just puts me in the mood to stay home more than I already love to.  We are pretty simple at our house.  I am not an interior designer by any means.  But here is a look at our two trees.  You won't find grapevine or ribbon on our trees.  It is mainly Christmas balls and ornaments the kids have received through the years. I don't even have the lights even.  That is so funny to me.  The little tree downstairs in the family room has snowmen and white Christmas balls on it.  See I told you nothing fancy.


Downstairs Christmas tree



Upstairs Christmas tree

Courtney and I took a walk one evening in the cold.  It was so cold but so fun.  We went around the neighborhood and looked at the lights people decorated their homes with.  Here is a few pictures of our cold adventure.

The house Alyssa lives in at college has a pecan tree.  So she has been picking pecans for me.  She went for a walk in her neighborhood with a friend looking for pine cones for me also. I know I ask a lot of her. Believe it or not it is hard to find pine cones in our neck of the woods.   Well as she was walking she noticed her neighbor had a pecan tree also and he let her pick as many as she wanted from his yard too.  So I have a ton of pecans.  Yeah!!  Those things are a pain to shell though.  My fingers are sore.  I also received some from a family member.  Well with all those pecans I wanted to try a new recipe.  I tried Spiced Pecans. They turned out pretty good.  I think if I had not over cooked them they would be awesome.  Just like the ones you get at the mall in those little cone bags.  My daughters love those.  So I will try to make them again and try not to burn them this time.  Here is the recipe if you want to try them.

Spiced Nuts

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound unsalted pecans, cashews, walnut or almonds

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon coriander

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk egg white, water and salt in large bowl.  Add nuts and toss to coat.  Drain in colander for 5 minutes. 

2. Mix sugar, cinnamon ginger and coriander in large bowl.  Add drained nuts and toss to coat.  Spread nuts evenly on prepared baning sheets and bake until dry and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time.  Cool completely.  Break apart and serve. 

I have bought a few Christmas gifts mainly for family members that I need to get in the mail. That means a lot of wrapping. I am still working on the kids gifts.  This year I am struggling to buy for Alyssa.  Usually she is the easiest for me. Ryan, I am almost done.  Courtney I am also still working on.  Mike and I do not usually exchange gifts.  Our budget just really does not allow for that.  We would both rather spend the money on the kids.  That is good with me.  We will some day have our chance again but right now it is about our babies who really are not babies any more.  But you know how it is they will always be your babies.  Do people with kids exchange gifts for Christmas?  I don't know.  We have just always spent it on the kids.  



 It is so hard for me to put Jesus in human form. I wonder was he just the cutest little boy people had ever seen?   To think he was on this earth just as we are.  That for thirty-three years he felt everything we feel from feeling weary, afraid, happy, scared.  He got tummy aches, headaches, colds.  That is just amazing to me.  I am so grateful for all he with through just for me.  I know I am so undeserving and it brings tears to my eyes when I think he had to suffer so much just for me (us).  It just makes my tummy sick when I think of any one who has to suffer.  I am just so grateful.  I hope you are this Christmas also.  



Lastly, I am not a person who really takes naps.  But yesterday after church, wrapping presents and taking Court to volleyball I was so tired.  So my sweet husband said go lay down and you know what I listened to him and slept for 1 1/2 hours.  Wow, I was shocked I was able to sleep during the day.  I am really trying hard to not let the hustle and bustle of Christmas get to me.  I pray you are able to do the same.  

Merry Christmas

Crystal    

Still Enjoying the Fall Time

Life in the Happy Home has been busy once again.  The kids have been taking turns coming home on the weekends from college.  Not that they are taking turns on purpose it just happens to work out that way.  It is always nice to hear them say, "I just needed to come home for a couple of days".  Sweet words to the heart. 

It is almost competitive volleyball season again for Court.  She had tryouts this last weekend.  She is on a team but there has been so much confusion.  My hubby keeps telling me it will all work out and not to worry.  I am trying, really, really trying.  He was right it all did work out and Court is on a team.  And to make things even better one of the coaches was a setter at one time and she plans to work with court.  Yea.  One on one is always helpful. 



I have been busy watching for sales on all the Thanksgiving items we need.  So far we have 18 people that will be here.  I have been watching for those turkeys to go on sale at a great price.  Right now the best price is at Walmart for .68 cents a pound.  That is not bad but I am still holding out a few more days.  There is just nothing better than getting groceries at a good price.  Every week I usually save 40-50% on my grocery bill.  I of course use lots of coupons and I usually don't buy something unless it is on sale.  The other day I was about out of milk.  I just have not had time to run to Sams Club, which is about 45 minutes away, to stock up on my milk again.  The going price at Sams on milk right now is about $2.30.  That is really a pretty high price for them.  But I needed milk to make potato soup so I ran into my local grocery store and had to pay $3.59.  Wow!  That is a high price for milk.  Having a nice bowl of soup on a cold day is wonderful.  Here is the potatoe soup we love.

9 medium potatoes

2/3 cups flour

2/3 cups butter or margarine

7 cups of milk

1/2 Tablespoon of salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup crumbled bacon

3 green onions chopped

10 oz. cheddar cheese

8 oz sour cream

Bake potatoes (or microwave) until almost done.  Scoop out and break into bite size pieces.  Melt butter, add flour and cook for 1 minute.  It will be very thick.  Gradually add milk.  Stir constantly till thickened.  Stir in potato pieces salt and pepper, bacon, onion and cheese.  Cook until heated through then add the sour cream.  

Love this with home made rolls.  One of my favorite recipes comes from $5 dinners.  I use this cookbook all the time.  I was not sure I am allowed to post the recipe sorry.  But she has a great web site if you have not seen it before go here.  There are so many recipes to save you money. You would love her book I think.  I ordered mine using my Swagbucks on Amazon.

We are still enjoying this fall weather.  At times it is a little cooler than I like but when you get outside it just seems to open your mind up.  My dog loves it when we go for a walk/run.  He can also sit out there forever just basking in the sun.  I do not really enjoy how early it gets dark though.   It seems to make my night short.  I know it really is not but I just can not get use to it.



Well lastly I want to give a shout out to Rachel at the Cupcake Sprinkles in Life.  I was the winner on her blog for a $20.00 gift card to DaySpring.  Yea!!  My husband asked what I was going to buy myself.  I am thinking I am going to buy a Christmas gift for someone.  I am so excited.  Thanks Rachel.  You should check out her blog.  She is a sweet, cute, God loving, family loving person. 

Blessings

Crystal