RUT RO!

This morning as DD2 was sitting on her little potty in front of Diego on Nick, I thought I'd reboot the laundry. Well, I hear a strange voice and to my sheer total dismay, Ki, butt naked at the OPEN front door had been out on the front porch! A passerby (some dude) stopped and ushered her inside. Oh my goodness! Try topping that one!

MFT - Cappuccino Coolers

Today I am going to share with you one of my weaknesses. COFFEE! Hot, iced! No matter!!

On the days it is just way too hot to drink more than one cup of java I reach for my Cappuccino Coolers! I love them! Mix with an ice cold glass of milk and I'm in Heaven for about 20 seconds!

Hazelnut will send me to the hospital so I have never tried that one but the French Vanilla is very good. A bit too sweet for my taste but there just is not much available out there. I tried the liquids that came out not long ago. Y-U-C-K!!!!!! I am a black coffee drinker but still love cold coffee with milk.

If any of you live near Trader Joe's they have the most AMAZING iced coffee mix (or used to when we lived near one).

Quote

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.

-Unknown

Meal plan

I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for.

Spaghetti, Bread sticks, salad
Chicken legs (recipe below), rice, broccoli, corn
Baked Ziti
Lasagna, garlic bread, salad
Ground Beef Stroganoff

Shepherd's Pie

Chicken LegsChicken legs
4 Tbs melter butter
Mixed together in a bowl
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teas paprika
1 teas garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin from chicken legs, Melt butter/ then dip the chicken legs in the melted butter, roll the legs in the bread crumb mixture, Baked in a greased pan for an hour at 350 degrees

River

From our trip to the river this weekend.

Scripture

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed.

~Psalm 71:23

What Your Handbag Says About You

What Your Handbag Says About You

You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace. You are a low maintenance person. You can adapt to a variety of situations. You are open and comfortable with who you are. You don't hide anything. You are an organized and together person. You are competent and successful. You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

Random Thought Friday

1. I burned myself TWICE this week! My poor left hand! Kinda bad too:( No more frying of ANYTHING for a while!
2. J lost his khaki band pants, again! Spent an hour looking for them. To Do List: MUST get all the boys to organize better, somehow.
3. If you didn't see my post here, I finally found a great prescription savings card this week and got my cancer meds for only $9!
4. Ki is getting so big. We were at the grocery store yesterday and she decided she was going to say "Hi!" to EVERYONE!!! and I mean EVERYONE!!!
5. My M is having a "Snack Feast" at school today, she is extremely excited!
6. G broke a physical Education record at his school Yesterday. You Go G!
7. I am working on my 101 for 1001 list!
8. Looking forward to a good weekend with all the kids!
9. I like this! Get all those stray thoughts down.

Friday Fill-Ins #1

1. Cool weather, A big harvest moon and NOT my birthday are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I scream and make noise in play, just because.

3. I have SIX children, and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I really, really need coffee.

5. At the computer or in the laundry room is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for Nap or Great Book.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to make our own pizzas here at home, tomorrow my plans include going to the Bluffs at the River with the kids and a picnic and Sunday, I want to rest and play!

Scripture

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

~(1 Corinthians 3:8)

Greatest Compliments

Thirteen of the Great Compliments I have received:

1. You children are so well behaved!
2. You're too young to have so many children.
3. How do you keep your house clean with so many people in it?
4. You have beautiful children.
5. Mom you're the bestest cook EVER!
6. Mommy, you're pretty.
7. You have a very positive attitude.
8. You're a very good mother Tammy.
9. You look way younger than that!
10. You are very organized.
11. You're smart.
12. I appreciate you're doing this.
13. I LOVE YOU!

When you throw up

You know you’ve been sick way too long when a song on a kiddie show is supposed to be about “when you grow up,” and all you can hear is “when you throw up.”

Brain: 0, illness: 1.

Coffee filters

Some terrific coffee filter tricks!

1. Cover a bowl of food with a coffee filter to prevent splattering when cooking in the microwave.
2. Coffee filters can shine your mirrors, TV screen and your computer monitor.
3. Prevent rust in your stored iron cookware by placing a coffee filter in it to absorb moisture.
4. Clean your glasses with a coffee filter and they will be lint free.
5. Place a coffee filter over the drain hole in the bottom of a planter so the soil won't leak out.
6. Use a coffee filter line your round cake pans.
7. Use filters to serve pretzels, popcorn, cookies and even hot dogs.
8. Put baking soda or borax into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
9. After deep fat frying, use coffee filters in a mesh strainer to help catch the small bits of food from the oil.
10. Use coffee filters to separate your china plates and keep them from rattling.

Derby Pie

This week we are sharing a favorite recipe.

Source

Derby Pie

1 stick butter, melted & cooled
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 c chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1 unbaked pie crust

Mix sugar, flour, butter & eggs together. Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes.

You have no idea now good this is. I put it in the fridge and eat it for breakfast!!!

TT/TAT - Clothes Line Madness (2008)

This week I tried to hang a clothesline. Actually… I hung four of them—twice—and I am this close to giving up.

I’m trying to hang them high enough so the six kiddies don’t use them as jungle gyms, but low enough that I can still reach them—and so the clothes don’t drag on the ground. Apparently that’s asking a lot.

I was determined to do this without buying anything besides clothespins and line, but it’s looking like I’m going to need a center support. BUMMER.

I hung my first four loads out on Friday, and it was so humid they never dried. Then I woke up Saturday to find ALL of it on the ground (the hook pulled right out of the 4x4). I tightened everything—again—and just when it was almost dry… IT POURED.

I would have completely given up if I hadn’t done a little research on Friday and discovered that line-drying can save an average of 74 cents per load. With a family of eight, that works out to about $92 a month—or roughly $1,104 a year! That little discovery has encouraged me to continue my efforts!

Fall Preparations

Fall is a busy time for home maintenance. It is good to prepare your home for the cold months ahead. A little home maintenance now can prevent problems in the future. Check out the following tips to give you a head start on your home maintenance.

• Clean out the gutters and downspouts. Autumn means lots of falling leaves which tend to wind up in those two places. Removing the debris when most of the leaves have fallen will help ensure that your gutters do not get clogged and cause moisture problems.

• Check the roof for any loose or missing shingles. The cold weather can be tough on loose shingles so get them fixed now.

• Hire a chimney sweep to clean out your chimney. If it gets clogged, it can cause carbon monoxide to back up into your home.

• Have your heater serviced. If you ignore this bit of home maintenance, you may be in for some cold nights!

• Replace the filters and have the ducts cleaned while you’re at it. This improves the efficiency of your heater and the air quality, too.

• Check the weather stripping around doors and windows and caulking them if needed. This is an important step in maintaining your home. You don’t want your warm air to leak out and the cold winter air to creep in.

• Change out your summer screens from your windows and replace them with cold weather storm windows. This can help reduce your energy costs for the winter.

• Check your insulation. For this home maintenance, you may want to get a professional to help. Good insulation is one of the best ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency.

• Make sure pipes are all well-insulated. You don’t want a pipe to freeze during the winter weather.

• Check the vents in your attic to make sure that your screens are all in place. Your attic will be much warmer than outside. You may have some unwelcome guests using your attic to hibernate unless you prevent them from getting in.

• Clean and put away your yard tools so that they are ready to go in the spring.

A little work now can help ensure that your home is nice and warm and ready to handle the harsh winter weather.

Meal Planning

I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for. I only planned 6 meals as I am sure one night at least will be leftovers.

Grandma's Casserole
Baked Ziti
Leftovers
Smothered hamburger Steaks/Rice
Make Your Own Pizza!!!!
BBQ Chicken w/ rice
Ham, Sweet potato casserole!!!

Scripture Sunday

Giggles!

This was emailed to me I regret I cannot give the source but it is way too cute to not post!

Scripture

Philippians 2:2Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Quote

“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
—Henry Miller

Doubled Up! Cancer Bites and is a Blessing Too

Today I'm gonna do two versions the first Thirteen Reasons why Cancer Bites!

The second version, Thirteen Reasons Cancer is a blessing.

Cancer Bites........

1. Exhaustion - totally and completely! Unfortunately it seems that it will never, ever go away!
2. Ugliness -Baldness - Brrrr and my some people are surprisingly extremely rude! Completely washed out!
3. Surgeries = Pain (Please don't stick me AGAIN!)
4. Emotional Rollercoaster Ride.
5. Okay already, I know I have six children including the newborn. (I was pregnant when diagnosed.)
6. Poverty Unsurmountable.
7. Instant Menopause = hot flashes, weight gain, insomnia, exhaustion!
8. Oh My! The horrible unforgetable smell of chemotherapy. oh! Nauseating!
9. Nightmares, literally. Well, I believe they are actually called night terrors! Horrible unimaginable ones....I could compete with Steven King very, very well. I think it is the Tamoxifen.
10. No babysitters anywhere and I just can't breathe, think, or feel. I just want to sleep for 30 minutes. Can't stand up long enough to cook! Much less the smell of it!
11. School buses promptly at 6:20 and 6:45 regardless of ability to move a muscle. Gotta get the oldest four up and ready........
12. Okay, this is a HUGE one, "Oh you have cancer? My friend (Dad, Mom, sister, uncle, whatever!) died from cancer." Oh come on, let's think for a moment how could that possibly encourage me. I cannot count the number of times this happened! Seriously!
13. Uninsurable forevermore.

Cancer Was Also a Blessing.....

1. I appreciate life more.
2. I am WAY, WAY more patient with others.
3. The understanding that you have NO IDEA what is going on in other peoples lives and you really cannot judge them in any way shape or form.
4. It gave me the opportunity to bond a little with other survivors.
5. Very quick showers and dressing (no hair = no shampooing, conditioning, brushing, curling and even no shaving!)
6. I have somewhat become an advocate for self-exams.
7. I know how strong I am.
8. I know who I can and cannot count on!
9. I know the Lord isn't quite done with me down here.
10. The birth of our healthy sweet #6 blessing, Kiera, even despite the cancer in my body.
11. hmmm, running a little dry here, but thinking....I have a story to tell now, wish I could be diligent enough to finish getting is down on paper.
12. Hey, I like pink anyhow, you know....the pink ribbons.
13. I will be able to encourage other cancer patients!!!

This took me two weeks to do!

Olay Regenerist

Oil of Olay - Regenerist is absolutely the most amazing moisturizer ever concocted! I am 40 years old, mother of six, been through chemotherapy and radiation and still have super soft skin. I began moisturizing at 20 twice a day religiously! Amazing stuff.

Works for Me Wednesday

Okay, I have a very, very wonderful tip.

I’m fairly new to having a cat in the house—and let’s be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan. Mostly because of the smell. I tried baking soda. I tried the pricey litter. I tried holding my breath. Nothing worked. So I finally broke down and begged my friends for advice.

A friend came through with this gem: sprinkle Borax in the litter pan before adding the litter.

Oh. My. Oh. My.

Miracle. Worker.
Who would’ve thunk it?

No more stinky litter box. None. Zero. It’s like the odor just packed up and moved out.

Now… new problem.

Does anyone have a foolproof method for keeping the dog from treating the litter box like an all-you-can-eat snack bar? Because, I am officially out of ideas and deeply disturbed.

Quote

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
~Abraham Lincoln

Family Mission Statement

Have any of you ever written a "mission statement" for your family, listing the core values you would like to see emphasized. Does the way you spend most of your time and money reflect these values? If so, how about sharing it with us. I have been giving it a lot of thought lately and would like to but I am also curious about your family's. Feel free to either discuss it here in te comments or on your blog and leave a link here in Mr. Linky. I really do appreciate reading all of them. I will post mine as soon as I'm finished "tweaking".

My Name's Meaning

What Tammy Means

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Quote

The smile is the lighting system of the face and the heating system of the heart.

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.

Menu Planning Monday

What to do? What to do? I have no idea what on earth to put on this weeks menu. It should be easy enough, pick a meat, a vegetable and a starch, but I am running out of steam.

Ok onto the menu plan:
Monday: Shepherds Pie
Tuesday: Chicken fingers, potatoes, salad
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, veggie
Friday: Spaghetti (Sauce with leftover meatloaf, if there is any)
Saturday: Mexican Chicken Casserole
Sunday: uh........wing it? Hey six out of seven aint bad!

Scripture Sunday

Quote

For every minute of anger, you loose 60 seconds of happiness.

Photos

Frugal Fridays

Shaving Cream, I know it isn't terribly expensive but hair conditioner actually works much better and goes way further. Especially if you happen to have a bottle of one you really didn't like how it did on your hair! Great way to use it without waste. Try it...you'll love it!

Quote

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
~Danny Kaye

Remember 9.11

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about Baking 1. Aroma 2. Warmth 3. Sweet 4. Fulfilling 5. Fresh 6. Inexpensive 7. Childhood memories 8. Comforting 9. Homey 10. Yummy 11. Variety 12. Cinnamon 13. Satisfying

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
Thursday Thirteen Participants

1. Bethany

2. JO

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

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Wordless Wednesday

Works for Me Wednesday

I detest cutting disks out of waxed paper to line my cake pans, so i just use coffee filters and then spray with Pam. Works like a charm every single time!

Quote

Without forgiveness life is governed by...an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.
~Roberto Assagiolo

Quote

The ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic by experts. Don't wait for experts.

-Murray Cohen

Giggles

I hate that I cannot give credit for this but I can't but whoever took it, wow! Cool shot!!!!

Easy Rolls

Ingredients: 2 cup self-rising flour 1 cup milk 2 tablespoon sugar 4 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour and milk. Add sugar and mayonnaise. Bake in slightly greased muffin tins for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown. Yield: 12 rolls Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 12 to 15 minutes Ease of preparation: easy Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday: Chicken enchadalas, corn
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Smothered Burgers, Rice, Peas
Friday: Spaghetti, Homemade rolls
Saturday: BBQ Chicken, Rice, broccoli
Sunday: Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizzas!!!

Quote

“I’ve been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I’ve never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn’t thank God for the privilege.I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.”- John McCain in his acceptance speech at the RNC

Scripture Sunday

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Frugal Fridays

I read a frugal report a while ago that discussed dryer lint filters. It said that the screens get build up on them from soap residue and fabric softeners and fabric softener sheets. They recommend washing out the filter once a month with hot soapy water. If you want to see how it gets clogged up before you rinse it out hold it under the faucet and see how little water flows through it. After do the same. I keep my filter really clean, you know family of eight=tons of laundry, but I was surprised!!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about coffee 1. Aroma 2. Warmth 3. Caffeine 4. Flavor 5. Calorie Free 6. Inexpensive 7. Easy 8. Comforting 9. Relaxing 10. Widely available 11. Versatile 12. Refreshing iced 13. Satisfying

Things I Love Thursday

Oh, I adore my Kitchen aide stand mixer! Love, love, love it actually. I finally got one for my Birthday in 1999 and I tell you what that baby still looks brand new!!! I baby it a bit. My ex tried to nab it in the divorce, believe it of not that is one of the things I held out for!!! It makes baking wonderful! Everything so easy. And with my new condition, Cold Urticaria (allergy to cold, ), it has been wonderful. I can't let anything cold touch my skin or I swell up with hives so even making meatloaf, hamburgers, meatballs, etc welts me up. But not with this baby!

Chores

It is still backwards theme so I am to pose a question. Now that school is back in I really need to hammer on all these kids to get some chores done. Often I rather just do it myself because I get so incredibly tired of refereeing. I know that does not teach accountability or responsibility. Don't get me wrong they all help it just isn't structured. I have made many, many chore charts over the years. My question is....how does your family handle daily chores, incentives and whatnots?

Macaroni-Potato Salad

One of my Favorites from Hawaii
Macaroni-Potato Salad


1/2 lb macaroni, cooked & drained
3 red potatoes, cooked & cubed
1 T salt
1 T vinegar
2 c mayonaise
1/2 t. allspice
1/2 t. pepper
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed & drained

Directions: Combine, gently mix and chill until cold.

Childbirth Meme

How long were your labors?
#1: Premature, they tried to stop it, then start it, whatever.....16 hours.
#2: 7 hours
#3: Uh....maybe 5?
#4: Um.....maybe 5?
#5: Well! Tons of complications with this one but 18 hours.

How did you know you were in labor?
#1: Food poisoning, water broke six weeks early
#2: Contractions, one day early
#3: Contractions
#4: Water broke
#5: Schedule inducement early due to my Brest Cancer and beginning chemo in 6 days

Where did you deliver?
Hospital for all of them! Definitely! Yes!

Drugs?
Epidural for all of them. Swore each time I'd never do it again did every time. Almost killed me with Ki. Too much medicine went up instead of down, "numbing" my heart and lungs.

C-section?
Nope. Never. Only one stitch with the first!

Weights?
#1: 6-13
#2: 8-3
#3: 8-8
#4: 9-15
#5: 6-12

Who delivered?
#1: An absolutely WONDERFUL female doctor!!!!!
#2: A different doctor. Oh My!!!! OUCH! Window in the WRONG spot!
#3: Stupid doctor wouldn't come!! Head already half way by the time she got there.
#4: Some on call doctor, nice huh!
#5: The numbscule who didn't believe that little lump was a problem.

Feel free to play along. Let me know in the comments so I can read about your joy.

Baking bread

This week I spent one entire day cleaning out the three girls closet and going through all the clothes in holding! What a nightmare! Well, I wound up with 5 large kitchen garbage bags for free cycle. WOW! I feel much better. Then I organized the "keepers" into sized bins. That was an enormous amount of clothes! Worth quite a bit of money. I couldn't possibly DREAM of not thanking someone. I didn't want gratitude just a little politeness.

I also tacked baking bread FINALLY! I have been planning on it for quite some time. And it was a tremendous hit, everyone loves it! I can't wait to try it for french toast!!

Vacuum cleane

One of my favorite things is most definitely my Kenmore Progressive vacuum cleaner. With a family of eight I obviously do a lot of vacuuming. The thing I like most about it is that it is beltless. Never a burning rubber smell, running to the store for a belt, or skinning up your knuckles trying to get it on! And boy does it suck. Amazing machine!

Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Grilled Chicken, Rice, Greens
Tuesday: Chicken Nuggets, Mac n Cheese and Green Beans
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti
Friday: Grandma's CasseroleSaturday: Chicken Quesadillas
Sunday: Hamburgers, Beans, Coleslaw