Paint Storage Organization {how to...}

{before}



{after}



It has been at least 16 years that I have put this project off. That is major procrastination! And you know what? It took less than an hour to get it done. Maybe I should have baked one less dessert or dinner or skipped a load of laundry somewhere over the years.

Please tell me I am not the only one that has had issues with nasty, dirty, bug- infested, rusty, old paint cans. PLEEEASE! Wanna know the straw that broke the camel's back? We had paint cans all over including ones that were stuffed under my hubby's work bench. I needed a color to touch up some spots. No, it wasn't in the closet or anywhere handy. It was jammed way behind the work bench. I have no idea how we got them under there because of the lip on the bottom shelf. Anyhoo, I had to use a rubber mallet to bang it out at an angle. Now you know why I had to get this project done ASAP.

Here is the tutorial: {fancy schmancy name for how to...do it!}

What you will need:

*a label maker, a sharpie pen, or adddress labels

*mason jars and platic screw lids OR clean plastic food storage containers {Cash and Carry}

*free paint stir sticks...Home Depot gives them to you!

*3x5 index cards

*an envelope to keep 3x5 index cards in

*hanging file folder for your files


Directions:


1. Stir paint thoroughly with stir stick and pour into new container.



2. Make label for top of paint container. If you are over 40, Do this right away! You don't want to forget what is what...unless you are only doing one can...then you shouldn't have a problem. :)




3. Take a 3x5 index card and write down all of the paint info. Where you bought it, color code, type of finish ie. satin, flat etc. If you are super organized, you could staple the info to a card. File the info away into an envelope.










NOW, that you are all oganized or thinkin' about it, be sure to do this every time you get new paint. It will make your hubby swoon and it will keep your knuckles from bruising up the next time you are digging for "that color"!


GOODBYE, NASTINESS!




HELLO, little beauties!





Happy Spring Cleaning to YOU!

Linked to:

, at the picket fence

Baby Birdie Macaroon Nests

Is there anything sweeter than a momma bird feathering her nest...and then the little eggs waiting to hatch? DO you LOVE SPRING?

I have felt like a momma bird feathering my nest over the past week while the kiddies were gone...and last night we were all together for a very fun family dinner night. Nothing beats cleaning house and making a nice hot dinner for family.

It used to be that I would make crockpot dinners on Monday nights quite a bit. It was great because Monday is laundry day...but somewhere along the line, I stopped doing it. Anyhoo, last night we enjoyed dinner made by the crockpot. All I had to do was plug it in and add some mushrooms my momma had picked, make a salad and the bread took all of five minutes...so not bad at all!

I love the chattering, the craziness, and the VOLUME of a full house. Vacation laundry was going during dinner and we had Nana's machine going with Rachel's laundry and ours going with Rissy's mounds of clothes. Nana folded all of Rachel's laundry and I had to stuff the rest of Rissy's wet laundry into a bag for her to finish at school. BAD MOMMA! Well, the girlies were in a rush because they had homework to do that DID NOT GET DONE duringspring break. Imagine that!

Caleb was full of stories from his trip to Mexico, as well. Thank you for praying for him. It was an amazing trip for him. I think he is still tired from all the hard work and can NOT wait to do it again next year.

So, the macaroons are the same recipe I used for the lime macaroons without the lime. I thought they would be cute made into little nests. A little reminder of what a priviledge it is to be a nurturing momma bird! As tiring and full of messes it can be at times!

I am making these little sweet treats for Easter...they are packaged into a small BIO BOX from Cash and Carry. They fit perfectly and will be fun to package and make tags for. I think I found the perfect ribbon, too!

Happy Tuesday!

Idea shared with: Moms Crazy Cooking

Chocolate Lava Cake {aka Chocolate Brownie Souffles}

,





Chocolate Espresso Lava Cake
Adapted from my friend Julie Hasson


Prepare 6 half pint, wide-mouth, mini canning jars

I always double this recipe...because they are great to have on hand to pass out to neighbors and friends! My hubby reminds me not to use the word "always"...but truly, I have never made a single batch...always made 12, honey!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 tsp. instant espresso powder {the jury is out…more friends like it when made with General Foods International Flavors Coffee Drink Mix…but…ONE.BIG.OLE.PROBLEM. WANNA guess? YEP. HFCS. NOT good for you. :}

1 ½ tsp. Rumford baking powder {Aluminum-Free}

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup organic sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed in tight

4 eggs…no soy flour this time

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. pure almond extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips OR 1 cup chopped Resse’s Peanut Butter cups {EVERYBODY”S FAVORITE!!}

*chocolate syrup

*homemade ice cream

Directions:

*In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and baking powder all together. Set aside.

*In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugars until it is all blended.
Add in eggs and whisk away. Add in extracts. Mix all ingredients together.

*Spoon about 2/3 of a cup into prepared half-pint mini canning jars {I squeeeel…because they are so a.dor.able!}

*Top each with chocolate chips or whatever you want that will melt!!! Press chips into batter with the back of a spoon. Cover and let chill overnight…or at least for an hour.

*Preheat oven to 350*. Let jars sit out at room temp for about five minutes to avoid cracked glass!!!

*Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO KEEP BAKING THEM. They will be runny. Let cool for about 5 minutes and top with HOMEMADE ice cream and Organic Midnight MOO Chocolate Syrup {Trader Joe’s}

Clothes and Random Thoughts

For those of you who really really know me, I am so not into clothes. I have no patience for clothes shopping whatsoever. I would rather sit in a dentist chair and have my teeth drilled at than shop. I love hand-me-downs and for the most part, my hubby and daughter and twinsie are the ones who clothe me.

As I was reading in Colossians today, this was the verse, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" Colossians 3:12.

First of all it is a commandment and it is not something somebody else can do for us. It is something that HAS to be done by us. It isn't easy, but nothing is easy when we are doing it by ourselves and with our own strength. It is something that God is more than happy to help us with!

Well, at the grocery store today {Problem #1}, I decided to really conscientiously apply compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience {Problem #2}!

There is a reason I do not shop the day before the weekend. I was missing my family and I was a hormonal mess!

I am not kidding, by the time I left the grocery store, I thought I was going to have to call my honey home from the station!

This is how the shopping errand went:

*A lady was swearing at her tiny babies

*Two very young girls were shopping alone...I felt so bad for them????

*An elderly man in a wheelchair stopped beside me while I was ordering from the deli and said, "I can't believe what is happening to food prices." He was very sad about it. So, later I wondered if I should have bought his groceries!

*An elderly lady standing behind me with a bottle of wine and a card looked as though it had taken all her energy to make it to the store. I asked if she would like to go in front of me. She was so KIND and GENTLE herself. We had quite the little conversation. She had almost forgotten it was her son's birthday and she was so HAPPY she had remembered. She was an absolute doll. I wanted to take her home with me!

Anyway, it is amazing how God can work in our lives through such little things. I was emotional, but also touched by looking at my errand with a definite purpose in mind. I loved having a homework assignment during spring break!

So, tomorrow morning, I am going to try to remember as I am getting dressed to clothe myself with the same five attributes and just see if I look at things differently...the way God would have me be. The best things about clothing ourselves with kindness, gentleness, humility, patience and compassion is this:

*no shopping required

*it fits into the budget

*no laundering

*no ironing

*it always fits

*always in style

*it can be handed down {MY FAVORITE!!}

*one size fits all

*doesn't take up room in the closet

*AND it wont offend anybody! {Nobody will be reminding me my skirts are too short!}

What will be your favorite attribute to show others TODAY?

In other news:

*It finally dawned on me today to write the name of the spice on my bulk tag today and not JUST the number. Seriously! I am so excited. I have never thought of doing that until today!

*Chocolate Espresso Lava Cakes are the easiest to make ever. I always forget about making them. I guess I made them to many times and got tired of making them. Anyhoo, they are back in the dessert rotation.{Imagine how pretty they will look with a scoop of my hubby's homemade vanilla ice cream down inside the chocolate volcano!





*S&W puts HFCS in their Mexican Blend...so I have switched to S&W diced tomatoes with spices and chilies for Oma's Salsa and it turned out way better!!

*Back on a cooking with yogurt kick. The little shrimpies are swimming away {marinating} in yogurt, pepitas, cilantro, garlic etc. etc. before they get skewered onto mini skewers tomorrow.

*HAPPY FRUGAL FIND = Mini skewers at Cash and Carry for less than $1.00. Can I tell you how many times I have cut skewers in half!

*I always feel so domesticated when I roast my own peppers as opposed to buying the little can of green chiles. OH! The small pleasures in life!



Aren't they beautiful?


Okay! Enough of my blah.blah.blahing!

So please don't forget to use one or all five attributes tomorrow! I would LOVE to read through some on Saturday!

Happy Happy Thursday!

This post is linked to: THE SATURDAY EVENING BLOG POST at:

http://www.elizabethesther.com/

Lime Infused Coconut Macaroons {Simply Addicting}

Lime Infused Coconut Macaroons
Adapted from my friend Maria


Ingredients:

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp. freshly grated lime zest

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 14 oz. packages of shredded, sweetened coconut

1 cup melted white chocolate {with desired coloring added}

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

Line perforated baking sheet with SILPAT.

In a medium bowl, combine egg whites and salt and whisk for 2 minutes.

Add milk, zest, lime juice and extracts and combine

Fold in coconut

Using an ice cream scoop, make mounds that are about 2.5 inches and place about 1 inch apart on SILPAT.

Bake 20 minutes or until macaroons are golden brown.

Cool completely on a cooling rack.

When macaroons are cool, dip bottoms of macaroons in melted chocolate.

Place on ROULPAT or on parchment paper to set. Drizzle tops with the rest of your melted white or pastel colored chocolate.

ENJOY!

I can not find my Easter macaroons anywhere. I think I deleted them from my memory card. Guess I am going to have to make another batch...they are so adorable and YUMMEE! I wanted to add lime for a bit of green for spring. Light pink chocolate is simply sweet...if you want to make mini nests, mini CADBURY eggs are perfect for little birdie eggs! MAYBE TOMORROW...I will have a chance to make some more.

Happy Spring!

I know I am a day late in wishing you all a happy spring...but every time I think I am going to have time to sit down to blog...something else needs to be done. So, if you are still reading my poor, neglected blog...sorry.

I am giddy about spring this year. REALLY, I am. We are just a few days shy of completing the kids' bedrooms and will only have the main bathroom left to do and honestly, I am in NO.RUSH.WHATSOEVER to start on another messy project!

It has been so nice to be able to go through so much stuff and be able to bless others with what we no longer need. It is so great. My hubby is not against garage sales, but he feels that since we have been blessed above and beyond what we need, we should be able to pass our things along to those who may need what we have. This is another reason I LOVE MY MAN. He is always so generous and he learned it from his parents. So, today he was able to promise a co-worker of his Caleb's catching gear and baseball equipment. He donated and cleaned out his chest-of-drawers so that a family who needed them would be able to enjoy the ones we were given over 20 years ago! The list goes on. I am not by any means trying to come across as "better than thou"...I am just encouraging you to look at what you have and think about how you may be able to bless someone with what you may be able to share. Not only will your home feel lighter and be easier to keep clean, but the thought of sharing what you have will be just what the doctor ordered for a very happy heart!

So far in March, we have celebrated five family birthdays, sent one child to Cali, one on a missions trip to Mexico, painted our bedroom twice {I changed my mind on the color}, ripped out carpet and floor staples, three trips to goodwill, two trips to the dump, dinners with friends, a saturday brunch, breakfast in bed for my honey, a wedding consult...which was a BLAST, menu planning for a dinner party...gonna stick with my go-to CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO LAVA CAKE IN HALF PINT JARS WITH HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM FOR DESSERT...NO MATTER WHAT!!! Cleaning out grammy's things...lotsa wrapping and cleaning and cleaning and wrapping. Today, I spent over an hour looking at old pictures. I loved it. I can not believe how incredibly neat and organized she is. Everything including old fabric is pressed and labeled! Files are immaculate and everything is accounted for. AMAZING!

I hope this post finds you happy and full of zest for life!

Easter Dinner Organization...for leftovers

Don't forget: SHARPIE, tags, tape for labeling containers








As we all begin with our individual preparations for Easter which may include out-of-town guests, travel plans, pet care, housecleaning, coupon clipping, stocking up on paper towels, tin foil and groceries, it is easy to forget about LEFTOVERS.

I could care less about any of the leftovers. Having said that, I can get myself into a major tizzy if we don't come home with Auntie Debie's broccoli salad and Oma's dessert. "Mean-spirited" might be a better adjective, actually. You would be too!

How many times have you been cleaning up after your Easter DINNER in anticipation for dessert {at least that is the order in which we do it!} and you discover you are short on containers for leftovers? Seriously, it used to happen EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

You can only save sooo many Cool Whip, sour cream and cottage cheese containers! Then, if you are lucky enough to find the actual containers, you start breaking out into a sweat looking for the lids. We have had our share of Saran Wrap and rubber bands wrapped around a container with greasy gravy and ham one TOO many times...all over the back of the car. I wonder how many of you have had a food disaster heading to or returning from an Easter dinner? Anyway, misery loves company. {PLEASE DO TELL!}

I hope you aren't checking for Grammar here. ANYhoo, enough is enough.

Several years ago, I started planning for the leftovers. I decided to add to my Cash and Carry stash to ensure that we all had DISPOSABLE containers to pack leftovers in. Can I tell you how nice it is for everyone to be able to take containers home without needing to return them? 'Cause I can't even remember how many times I have ended up with my Momma's orange Tupperware from the 70's, knowing, it had better not end up in the bags for GOODWILL. It is also nice for your fridge to NOT be cluttered with three sour cream containers only to have to take the lids off of all three before finding the leftover green bean casserole! I know it could be labeled with a SHARPIE, but it still stressed me out.:)

AHHHHH, it is so nice. It is not a huge investment, either. You can purchase 5o take-out boxes for less than $5.00. I usually have other containers in different sizes only because I use them for alot of different projects, but you could easily decide on a basic size and go with one kind, or you might want to go halvsies with a friend. I have two other friends and my twinsie that I have split cash and carry products with and it works out great!



So, if it floats your boat to save containers, just make sure you have the lids! If you want to stock up on disposables...be sure to plan for leftovers...your hubby will be happy for the turkey sandwiches, you will be happy with the pie, your children wont need to be rushed in for counseling due to the trauma of spilled food... and your car will thank you, too. I am guessing there is a reason why car fresheners smell like pine, vanilla or strawberries and NOT mashed potatoes and gravy or turkey!

HAPPY PLANNING!



*edited and re-posted

linked to:

Salmon Burgers with Special Sauce

Spring days can get quite crazy around here, especially when we are in the middle of home improvements and major spring cleaning. There are evenings when it would be way more convenient to just go out! So, here is one go-to dinner that is nutritious and delicious that is simple to prepare and everyone is happy with the menu...including our little dappled dachsund doggie.



Menu:

Water or Soda Pop...the good kind...no high fructose corn syrup, right? :)

Dinner Salad

Salmon Burgers...store bought

Pub Buns...extra durable and really good

Sweet Potato Fries...Trader Joes

Chips...Kettle Brand...no junk in them.

Side Condiments

ICE CTREAM!


Special Sauce {Dill Cream}

1 cup Daisy Sour Cream...best brand ever

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. fresh dill...I freeze extra dill when I buy it.

1 serrrano pepper, deveined and seeds removed

Blend in blender or mini food processor. Chill until ready to use.

I always dip my chips in this sauce, too!

You will LOVE this spring green dip! It is BEE.U.TEE.FULL!


Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite go-to meal for busy spring evenings or do you enjoy going out to dinner or being invited to a friends home?


Happy Mundane Monday!

It's time to start winding down and I should be exhausted from painting the rest of our bedroom, baseboards, closets, closet doors etc., but the carpet is getting installed in the early A.M and I am so excited. My hubby and I are camping on the family room floor listening to Pandora {Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald}

Caleb is packed for his Missions trip to Mexico and the little doggie is cuddled right between my hubby and I. I guess she thinks it is okay since we are on the floor. We will have to see about that! Nighty Night.



Edited and re-posted

Leftovers and Hospitality

I love to take meals to people when they are sick, have had surgery or just need a little extra tlc when life gets overwhelming. Sometimes it is easy to become so focused on my own family that it becomes difficult to think of others around me who are in need of help.

There have been PLENTY of times in my life when I have been taken under the wings of others and have been shown mercy that it is still a blessing to me today to even just think about. I can't help but to think of how it feels to be taken care of. It is one of the best feelings in the world! Don't you want to share what you have been blessed with?

Tortilla soup or Chicken Noodle soup is one of the most comforting meals I can think of...except for homemade Macaroni and Cheese...OH! and mashed potatoes, banana milkshakes...


When I know I am going to be taking soup to somebody, I like to make rice for dinner the night before and then use the leftover rice (I don't measure, I just toss it in) in my Tortilla soup. It helps to stretch the soup so that you can feed your family and take some to another family to enjoy as well.

I use LEFTOVER containers to take dinner in so nothing has to be washed and returned. I keep some basic containers on hand that I purchase at Cash and Carry, but I save jam jars, little boxes, containers from berries, tomatoes etc. to re-use.

Do you have a favorite way to use or "disguise" leftovers? Do you make something in advance with plans to bless others?

This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another." Zechariah 7:9

Lemon Chicken Farfalle

For the most part people either looooove lemon or really don't care for it. There isn't a whole lot of middle ground. So, if you are not crazy about lemon, you will want to skip this recipe altogether...because it is definitely zesty and yummy or yucky if you aren't a lemon fan!


Lemon Chicken Farfalle

Lisa Pearson



Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter {divided}

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced {use a garlic press if you have one}

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken broth

juice of 1 large lemon {medium if you want it less lemony}

zest of one large lemon {medium if you want it less lemony}

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp. cornstarch {dissolve in the cream sherry}

1/4 cup cream sherry or white wine

1 lb. farfalle pasta {I like Barilla brand}

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

In a large sautee pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter with olive oil. Sautee chicken and add onion and garlic.

Add chicken broth, lemon peel, pepper, bay leaf, and cornstarch mixture into pan. Turn the heat up a bit and allow sauce to boil and thicken {about 2 minutes}.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Lower heat and add lemon juice and stir.

Prepare pasta according to directions on the package. Pour sauce on hot noodles and sprinkle with cheese.


CLAM SAUCE VARIATION: Use 2 {6.5 ounce} cans clams...I like Trader Joe's whole clams
in place of the chicken. Use the clam juice in place of the chicken broth and add the clams in with remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter to avoid tough, chewy clams that may resemble chewing rubber!




Menu suggestion:

Pink Lemonade

Artisan bread

Lemon Chicken Farfalle

Steamed broccoli or asparagus

Chocolate chip cookies


Happy Happy Wednesday!

P.S. My children like the chicken version better, but the adults {ahem} enjoy it with seafood...so I only have a pic with the clams...oh.so.yummy!!!

Happy Birthday...Sweet Twinsie of Mine!

{The good news is I only have one blog, the bad news is that I only have one blog...so, since it is my "journal" for my family...there is probably way too much blah.blah.blah going on for most or all of you. So, I am not assuming that everybody is interrested in our bathroom remodel drama, my pitty parties, and how I organize my home, but today is all about my twinsie! I hope you read it because I love to brag about my TWINSIE...if not...I promise it's okay!} :)

Happy Birthday, Laur! EEEKKK 42! Can you believe it? Oh what a year this has been. I am so happy to be journaling, because I love to read old entries and remember all the highlights of years past and look forward to all the new memories and adventures twinsies have to explore.

Aside from Mom, Grammas and Aunties, it was you Laur who shaped my ideas of how I wanted my home to be when I grew up.

Playing "home" as little girls was our favorite! Our baby dolls would be tucked into their cardboard box cribs at night and would be changed into their pretty homemade dresses before we would go to school. We would babysit eachother's babies, "invite" eachother over for dinners, clean house, make tea with our real live teapots...we would talk and talk for hours at night about traditions and things we would do when we "grew up". I am so thankful for your sisterly advice, comfort and love.

Never has a girl been as blessed as I to have a twinsie like YOU!

You, little Laur, were my first birthday gift...how grateful I am to our Heavenly Father for a gift as special and as thoughtful as YOU~

{I thought you may enjoy a sneek peek from a very rough draft of a book that my twinsie and I are writing together. She likened me to her editor this morning handing out deadlines, but I wanted to share a bit of her chapter on "home". Thank you, Laur...now, you can go have your coffee and take your walk!}

"When your thoughts turn to home, maybe you think about the wonderful aromas that greet you when you enter your house at the end of a long day. Whatever thoughts that surface concerning your home, it is probably a pretty safe bet to say that you see the need for it to be more than your physical house and your material possessions. It goes beyond the temporal and reaches into the priceless realm of relationships. Your home is not and cannot be limited to a mere coexistence of lives. It has to be that place where relationships are valued and where the constancy of love is guaranteed and continually being cultivated. Maybe it’s the relationships and memories. Or is it the feelings that well up deep inside of you when you think about the culmination of all those things?
As I sit here writing this, I am convinced that it is a combination of many things that make our house a home. I think it is really significant to look at our home environment when it comes to having a thriving relationship with our spouse as well as our family. Our home is where we retreat to when we are not working, and it is where our relationships are cultivated and reinforced. In a sense, our home acts as an anchor. When the raging waters of life surround us, we should know that we can come home and feel safe. When our home is anchored through the storm with Christ at the helm, it doesn’t prevent the storm from happening, but it certainly affects how we come through it."






Happy last day of birthday week!

A Cookie Jar with "The Fringe on Top"

I hope everybody had a great weekend doing something fun.

We had an awesome weekend which included going to a new restaurant. It was fun celebrating a friend's birthday along other friends. I love entertaining from home, but I have to admit going out was a treat!

In honor of MUNDANE MONDAY, I thought I would post a simple idea for you...just in case you are feeling overwhelmed with your "to do list" for the week. How does that sound?

As tempting as it may be to bake fancy desserts or to purchase pricey ones from the bakery, a little cookie jar can be your new best friend.

The next time you have time to bake cookies, bake up an extra batch and freeze them for a grab and go dessert. If you don't have time to make them, store bought cookies taken from their packaging and placed into a cookie jar will be the talk of the party!!!

If you want to make it extra special, you may want to think about taking cookie bags along, too. Sometimes people are too full to enjoy a cookie after dinner, but it may be a fun snack to eat on the way home or after the kiddies are in bed for the night.

Happy Monday!

Mexican Stacki Upi Bowls

It is never too soon to start thinking about spring and summer picnics. Honestly, we picnic all year long...because we take food everywhere. Not only is it fun to package up, but it is a much healthier and economical alternative to fast food.

Picnics are also dinners to go when you are taking people meals. Did you know that? I am just kidding...but since I LOVE picnics...I like to think of it that way. Doesn't that sound like a fun thing to get to do???

Anyhoo...I am still in swoonville from my birthday. I am warning you now...you will be tired of hearing about my day sooner than later.

I need to learn to be more focused when writing...but there is so much to cram into this little post while my hubby makes a trip to Goodwill {dropping things off...not picking anything up!}

Back to Mexican Stacki Upi Bowls: They are great to pack up and go, and amazingly SIMPLE to prep ahead of time or for a casual evening of entertaining. You can easily assign friends to bring a topping. You can provide the rice and warm beans...and if you have a rice cooker...you will have NO excuse not to have a party at your house. Start makin' your guest list now.

We grew up on Javanese Stacki Upis {frequently requested}...but this is the Mexican version:

Steamed Jasmine rice...white or brown

Yumm sauce {from YUMM Cafe} I am working on figuring this sauce out. This is optional...we just started using the sauce.

Warmed black beans

Grilled Chicken breast or rotisserie chicken from Costco {also optional}

Sliced olives

Cilantro

Shredded Tillamook Cheese

Avocado

Sour cream and Salsa

jalapeno rounds...yummy!


That is it!

For a Picnic:

Just layer ingredients into to-go containers...send extra salsa in portion cups.

For children: Layer rice, olives, cheese and chicken

***I have also sent all the toppings in individual chinese to-go boxes {Cash and Carry} and boxed up the rice in a large BIO BOX {Cash and Carry} Whatever floats your boat or what will work best for whom you will be taking a picnic to. :}

PLEASE don't forget the lemonade! REALLY, you neeeed this.

Sugar cookie sandwiches with lemon buttercream frosting for the filling

Don't forget to include fun napkins {inexpensive at IKEA} and plastic ware so there is no clean up or dishes to return.






For at home: Simply set out a large bowl of rice and all of the individual toppings on a kitchen island or dining room table and serve it buffet style.

For my birthday dinner, I wanted the table set nice, so I set the table with cloth napkins, silverware, champagne flutes and straws, PINK LEMONADE {A MUST WITH THIS MEAL!} ice water, candles and a birthday banner {more on this next week!!!!} and the dinner was set on the island along with the plates.

I served corn on the side along with spinach...chips and salsa. Easy peasy!!! You can make it as simple or as fancy schmancy as you like...but as you can see you will not be slaving over this very fun and healthy dinner. Best of all, if someone doesn't like something, they don't have to pick it out! YAY!

***Skewered grilled shrimp can dress this easy dinner up if you like***

OH WHAT FUN!

Hubby had to work...soooo, he made my favorite homemade strawberry ice cream and carrot cake and I got to go to the station {Caleb DROVE!} with the kiddies for birthday dessert. I am a lucky little ducky! Birthday evening with my man in uniform sitting right next to me, city lights, and happy teenagers=HAPPY MOMMA!

So, between my bestie coming over and SHOWERING me with my to-die-for birthday gifts...{more to come}, the bathroom being done...for the most part...a fun birthday dinner with family and my other bestie, lots of e-mails and birthday wishes...I am filled to the brim with joy and thankfulness that God has given me another year of life to bask in HIS blessings. What a wonderful life!!!




Here is a sneek peek for March Show-N-Tell:






Shared with: comfy in the kitchen, stone gable

Happy Birthday!!

I hijacked Lisa's blog today because I wanted to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to one of the loveliest and dearest friends I have ever known.
I am so profoundly grateful to have you in my life!!!

I LOVE YOU BUNNY!!!

Note on a Stick

Lately the word mercy has been coming up alot. What does the word mercy mean to you? I know that we have all been shown mercy at some time in our lives...but doesn't it feel so good when it is extended from someone to you? It is so very undeserving and it is usually received with a very humble heart.

Last month when I was sick, I felt like mercy was extended to me. I just had food poisoning...nothing major, but I was showered with kindness. It was a great reminder to me to take the TIME to show others that they do matter. Nothing extravagant. A simple text, a phone call, an e-mail, a flower, a plant, whatever you may have time to do.

If you have small children and are already overwhelmed with the everyday, you may want to come up with one single idea that you will use until you have something else you would like to do. Your little ones may have some great ideas to. Imagine that! What fun to give them a "project" to help others.

Since we all know that getting cards together can sometimes seem daunting, it has helped me to make up generic phrases on the computer and punch them out for quick notes. I make them on white cardstock so that they go with anything. Colored paper may be added for a pop of color. You can easily tape them to the back of sucker sticks or skewers {just be sure to watch your kiddies} with the sharp end cut off.

The notes on a stick can be stuck into plants, herbs, cupcakes, muffins, bread etc.

Plants can be wrapped with wax paper sheets {Cash and Carry} and tied with hair doodles...thank you Rissy!

God has shown us mercy, who is it today that needs to be blessed and comforted?

"I love the Lord for He has heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live." Psalm 116:1-2