Last chance reminder - Jewelry Contest!

Last chance to win this beautiful necklace set! Contest ends on Tuesday, Oct 23rd at 5:00pm Eastern time.

You could be wearing this lovely, handmade jewelry set from Bead-Attitudes!!!

Go here to enter.

Recipe Roundup: Five Ingredients Or Less

When I know I'll be in a rush to get to a night-time meeting, I turn to recipes that call for only five ingredients or less. The following is actually one that is based on a recipe I found long ago in a magazine ad. I no longer have that recipe, but it was so easy I have it memorized.

Beef w/Bell Peppers

1 lb. beef, cut thinly for stir-fry
2 jars of bottled beef gravy (I use Heinz)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 med.-sized bell pepper, cut in strips

1) Brown the meat in a large non-stick skillet, and then the garlic.

2) Add the beef gravy. I actually use 1 1/2 jars of gravy. You can use more, or less, depending on how much gravy you like.

3) Add the bell peppers. Simmer until peppers are crisp-tender. Serve over rice.


To see the finished product, as well as other recipes, visit Just Mom Cooking.


Now it's your turn to share a recipe that requires only five ingredients or less. Use Mr. Linky below to link to your blog, and then leave a comment. If you don't have a blog, simply share your recipe in the comment box. Come back next week when our theme will be Chicken Dishes.

String of Pearls

There was a young girl who had very little and yet she was happy.

One day her father came home with a string of pearls and gave them to her. The girl was SO happy and she wore the pearls proudly and took such good care of them.

A few days later her father came home late at night and asked his daughter where her pearls were. "In my box Father." He told her to go and get the pearls, so the girl obeyed.

When she came back, her father told her to throw the pearls in the fire. Without asking "why" she once again obeyed him.

Then he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out another set of pearls. "I'm now giving you the REAL String of Pearls!"


Can we give up our fake string of pearls (earthly possessions) to our Heavenly Father as willingly as the little girl did so that we may receive our REAL String of Pearls (Heaven)?


And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18:3

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ~Matthew 19:24

Go Figure: The Holiday Trap

It's that time of year again! The crunchy leaves, the pumpkins, the cool air. The anticipation of the holiday season is building...and my tastebuds are already anticipating all that awaits them. Let's just say that what I'm really excited about is the crunchy caramel corn, the pumpkin pie, and the Cool Whip!

Well, if your family and friends are anything like mine, there will be a plethora of fattening, thigh-growing, belly-bulging foods, and oh-so-delicious foods at every home I enter...including my own. I especially love to cook and bake during the holidays, and most delectable holiday dishes aren't of the lowfat variety. So, how can one enjoy all of these wonderful things, and still maintain some semblance of a waistline? For me, I cut out the extras and adjust the portions.

I want to enjoy the holiday foods that I have grown up loving, and that still bring such joy to my tastebuds! I have found that I can eat a little of just about everything and maintain my figure. What I can't do is eat a lot of everything...everyday...all day....especially during the holidays when food is often readily available for much of the day!

Here are a few popular holiday foods that are typically loaded with fat and calories. I've found that I can enjoy them, virtually guilt free, if I make minor changes to the portions and skip the extras!

Mashed Potatoes: The hill vs. the mountain! Instead of creating a mountain with a ginormous gravy filled crater, think about making a small hill and just drizzle it with gravy. You'll still enjoy the taste and flavor, but not the fat and calories.

Pumpkin Pie: Would a Thanksgiving table be complete without one? Try a small sliver and skip the whipped cream.

Stuffing: Did you know that there are approximately 358 calories and 18 grams of fat in one cup of stuffing? Stuffing...what an appropriate name! Think about how much you want, and take half of that. The bowl will still be there if you want more...but chances are, you won't!

Egg Nog: I'll be honest, I don't like it, but I think I'm in the minority. It is loaded with sugar, fat, and calories, but I've seen the faces of those enjoying it. So, when indulging in this special treat, think shot glass, not Big Gulp!

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte: It would greatly pain me to have to give up my beloved Starbucks, but fortunately, I don't have to. A grande Pumpkin Spice Latte is 380 calories and 13 grams of fat. Ouch! Order a tall instead of a grande, substitute fat-free milk and skip the whipped cream and your drink is now 200 calories and 0 grams of fat. Yes, Z.E.R.O. grams of fat!

Let's be honest, most of us are going to indulge in our favorite, fatty, calorie-laden foods this holiday season. So, attack them with a plan that allows you to really enjoy them and not "wear" the results! For me, skipping the extras and taking smaller portions has been the key.

If you want to share any tips you have on how you avoid "The Holiday Trap", please do so in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you!

Tricks of the trade when Daddy's away.

Business trip for Dad = full week for Mom. Not only because Dad is gone, but because I fill our schedule with more activities than normal too. On a normal day, when Dad is home, my kids begin asking 'When is Daddy coming home?' from about 4 pm on. So when Dad is out of town, I must keep them SOO busy that I do NOT hear 'When's Daddy coming home Mom?'

We have a few regular commitments during the week but I always eliminate the nap and add another activity for each day, when Dad's away. My hubby left on Sunday, so I did try to make Sunday a little more fun than usual, and I think I went a bit too far with my plans and locked us out of the house. That was a GREAT adventure! :) On Monday, we added a lunch date with friends that led to a play date at the park. Double fun! The rest of the week was more of the same. 'No, you do not need a nap today because.... we. are. going. to. the. park.' I am the hero for the week and the kids literally melt into bed. Talk about a win win!

Another thing I do when Daddy is away is make sure we have cooked our meals in bulk the weeks prior to his trip. That leaves me with only re-heating meals. Such a life saver!!! We've had leftover Roast, Chili, Vegetable Beef Soup, Chicken/Sausage Jambalaya, Sloppy Joe's, Chicken 'n Dumplins y'all, and Spaghetti. Not an exciting variety, but I didn't have to cook. :)

The kids love to make a special craft or color page for Dad (often they make him several). We work on their creation and put it on Daddy's desk so he can find it upon walking in the door. Unless it is super late, I let the kids stay up late to wait for Dad and we have an ice cream party or popcorn. Something special. My kids LOVE to hide from Daddy and let him seek them, so they get the thrill of him walking in the door.

This last time HC has known the day Daddy is coming home. So we have used our school calendar to remind her how far/near his return is. We put a special sticker on the date and she can see if we are closer to his arrival. The hardest part for me is getting good rest. I find it hard to fall asleep when hubby is away. By mid-week I am worn out (my kids are EARLY risers). But since I have prepared ahead of time, my week isn't nearly as tiring as it could have been.

What tricks work for you?

A willing heart = A changed heart.

I am a hoarder, a saver, a collector, a stasher, a poker, a stuffer, a pig.

Not in every area of my life. Not even in most areas of my life. But in those few dark closets, those few hidden shelves, those few forgotten about hide-aways...I tend to let the 'crap', for lack of a better word, pile up.

My bedroom seems to be the main focus of this disorder. It quickly becomes the catch all for empty shopping bags that I leave the receipt of my purchases in just in case I have a change of heart, the one missing sock that I am hopeful will turn up...and more than likely it's mate has already been thrown, the pants that need a button sown on or need ironing but HA! we all know that will never happen. And so the piles build.

They build and build and for so long I do not even notice. I come into my room at the end of the day, flop myself down onto the bed in utter exhaustion and I don't even SEE the chaos around me. Or maybe, I do not want to see it. Maybe if all other corners of the house appear organized than this one 'little' indulgence will not be so bad. Maybe if I contain the clutter, excess, GARBAGE to one room...my room, no one will know that this part of me exists.

But I know. And it bothers me. And He knows. And it bothers Him. He knows that my spiritual closets are full of junk as well. And even though I can go on for days, weeks, and sometimes months over-looking it and ignoring it, one day He opens my eyes.

It happens this way every time. In one moment I am content to poke around the bottom of my closet for a missing shoe...pushing aside shopping bags, fallen sweaters, and discarded pants, and in the next moment I am not. I drag on daily with a tank that is full of worldly garbage...and spiritually on empty.

I am horrified at what lies before me, within me. The dust collected on my reading lamp. The three weeks worth of newspapers under my nightstand, the cut off tags from clothing strewn across my dresser, the pairs of shoes haphazardly flung around the room, the glasses of half-full water lining the window sill, the pants that were tried on and dropped where I stood... on and on my eyes are opened to the pig-sty both around me and within me. And I feel the shame of what I am seeing and of what it implies about the resident of this room.

But like always, God restores what is damaged. He mends what is broken. And He loves despite it all. As I pick up the pieces again and again, I am reminded that I am a work in progress. And even if the rest of the world does not see my brokenness, He does. And He cares. And He heals. But only when I am ready and when my hands are active in the process as well. He longs to take out the garbage, if I will just hand it over. A willing heart...a changed heart.

The Bronze Bow book review

I started reading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare to my daughters, ages 7 and 10, a few weeks ago. We have been intrigued by the life of Jews during the time Jesus was on earth. The book has sparked many discussions about God's word and our faith. I highly recommend that you read this book with your family.



In Jerusalem, in the time when Christ began his ministry on earth, a boy named Daniel is trying to find his own way in the world. Have you ever wondered if you had been a Jew at the time when Jesus was teaching would you have listened? Would you have believed? I think about that often, especially when I struggle with doubts. When I question God.



Daniel has joined a renegade group who want to rise up against the Romans. He carries memories of the damage the Romans did to his family and to his sister, who cannot leave her house. The terror that entered their lives when they were young, has left his sister tormented by demons and turned Daniel’s fear into anger.

When he hears of a man named Jesus and the things he talks about, the coming Kingdom, Daniel wonders if Jesus is like him. Could Jesus be the savior that could free them from the Roman rule?

But the more Daniel hears Jesus speak and as he witnesses Jesus’s healing power, he can’t help but turn these strange things over in his mind. Jesus teaches they should love their enemies, but surely he doesn’t mean they should love the Romans? Jesus teaches the story of the good Samaritan and Daniel scoffs, “If Jesus means that the Jews and Samaritans should treat each other like neighbors, that is foolish. It could never happen.”

Daniel and his friends make a pact to stand together for God’s victory. They linger over the words of David, “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” And they hope for freedom. Will it come as they expect it?

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live at the time of Jesus, this book will take you there. On the streets of Capernaum and Galilee you will find out what it was like to live in this tumultuous time. And you will see Jesus through the eyes of a Jewish boy.

If you would like to win a copy of this book, leave a comment on this post. I will draw a winner one week from today.


Update: Congratulations to AshleyR! Your copy of The Bronze Bow is on its way!