Money Mondays ~ Week 31 in 2011

Sorry I've been gone from my own blog hop for so long.  I've moved and am now, hopefully, settled not only in the house but also in life.  Hahaha, who am I kidding...when are we ever settled in life?  So let's see all the new items you have out there for sale!  I can't wait to hop around and see them all...not to mention promote them!

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It's Monday and time to link-up and join in on the Blog Hop for Money Mondays. To read how Money Mondays got started check out my Money Mondays Page.

So here we go! Link Up your Etsy Stores, Shop Websites, Photography Sites, ect. I'm enjoying hosting this blog hop every week and visiting all of yours as well. Grab the button above and place it on your site. Please remember to keep it family friendly. Explicit Sites will be removed.  Remember to grab the Blog Hop Code below to place on your blog so that we all benefit from this hop!  Let's all have some fun, promote our own businesses and check out every one else!

Crazy Days of Summer ~ Bubbles

This weeks theme for Crazy Days of Summer is Bubbles!  Now one would think that this would be a great way to spend your summer day.  But for one that is living in Texas where the heat and drought are EXTREME I didn't want to get out in it more than I had to.  I'm thinking that the last time we saw any rain was back in May.  This week we are under an Extreme Heat Warning.  Temps are going to be near or at 110 degrees.  Along with the fact that having just moved one would think that I would have remembered where I packed my camera battery charger.  Hey...at least I had my camera ready to go.  So for this week I'm going back into the vaults while my camera battery is charging (Yes, I finally found it.) to bring you some unusual bubble pictures.  I give you Milk Bubbles!

Who said that bubbles have to be made with soap and water!

ReChurch: Healing Your Way Back to the People of God ~ Book Review

Product Review:

It seems that everyone who has ever been part of a church has suffered a “church hurt.” The pastor had an affair or the congregation fought over money or the leaders were disguising gossip as “prayer.” Stephen Mansfield has been there. Though he is now a New York Times best-selling author, he was a pastor for over 20 years, and he loved it—until he learned how much a church can hurt. Yet he also learned how to dig out of that hurt, break through the bitterness and anger, stop making excuses, and get back to where he ought to be with God and his people. If you’re ready to take the tough path to healing, Mansfield will walk you through it with brotherly love, showing you how you can be better than ever on the other side of this mess … if you’re willing to ReChurch.

My Review:

I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.  Now that I have read ReChurch, I have to say that it has great insight into the issues associated with leaving a church (for whatever reason).   The author Stephen Mansfield does not hand hold the hurt person but yet he wants to see them healed and back at church. Let's face it, unfortunately, Churches hurt people.  Often the hurt is over little things, sometimes it is over large things. But no matter the cause, once someone has left the church because they have been hurt, it is hard to get over the hurt and get back into church.  This would be a very good book for them.   I personally have not been hurt by a church but I know many who have.

Below Mansfield explains his purpose in writing `ReChurch':

I want to show you how to get clean and free from what you have done to yourself in your church hurt. That's it. Along the way we are going to talk a bit about how to be a part of a church without surrendering your soul and what healthy churches look like. But I'm not trying to fix the body of Christ. I'm trying to get you to fix what you can in you, so that God can fix the rest and get you back into the fold.  Counselors nurture souls. Coaches teach skills. I'm your coach.

Second, I want you to understand that you will not get free unless someone gets tough with you. When we are in pain, we have too many voices playing in our heads - voices from the past, voices of our critics, voices of our admirers, and even the voice of our own inner dialogue. There are likely other voices from demons we have known and loved... Suffice it to say, a riot is taking place in our souls when we hurt. All of this tends to make us distracted at best and crazy at worst. We need someone to cut in harshly and silence the storm. (p. 14)

The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The untold story of Nonna Bannister ~ Book Review

Product Review:

Nonna Bannister carried a secret almost to her Tennessee grave: the diaries she had kept as a young girl experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust. This book reveals that story. Nonna’s childhood writings, revisited in her late adulthood, tell the remarkable tale of how a Russian girl from a family that had known wealth and privilege, then exposed to German labor camps, learned the value of human life and the importance of forgiveness. This story of loss, of love, and of forgiveness is one you will not forget.

My Review:

WOW!  This is an amazing book and was very hard to put down.  Reading this book is like sitting down with Nonna Bannister herself as she unlocks the secrets of her past.  I actually found myself wanting more and more of her life told to me.  I was so engrossed in her writings and her family. I felt swept back in time with her experiencing almost the same sad and also some happy memories with her. I also like this book because is a view of the Holocaust that you don't normally read about.  This family was not Jewish and was from Russia.  I won't tell you much more about the story as it would spoil some of it for you.  I will tell you that some of the memories are horrific and you should monitor the age of those that read this book.  I felt that this was more a story of her and her family going through the Holocaust than the Holocaust itself.  I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading memoirs.  I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House and the views are my own.

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Sunset

This was the view out of the window in front of my desk at our new house.  How beautiful!

 
If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Project Alicia and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies.  Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Berries and Cream Popsicles

I'm finally moved and have done some creating.  I had some leftover berries that we had over the 4th of July and created some Berries and Cream Popsicles.   ENJOY!

Berries and Cream Popsicles

Berry Layer:
1 Cup Frozen Berries Thawed with juices. (I used Strawberries, Blueberries and Blackberries)
1 Cup Strawberry Koolaid (or you can use Crystal Light Strawberry or an off brand)
If needed....1 packet of sweetner

Cream Layer:
1 Cup milk
3 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Place berry mixture and koolaid in a blender and blend to a liquid consistency.  In another bowl you can go ahead and mix together all of the cream layer and place in your refrigerator until needed.  Pour in some of the berry layer and let freeze for one hour.  Then pour a cream layer and freeze for one hour.  Finally pour one more layer of the berries and put in the stick and freeze for another few hours.  I had enough that I made 6 in my molds and 6 more in dixie cups with popsicle sticks.

Sam said that these were the best he's had...and I have to agree!  Can't wait to make more as we've been eating them like crazy ever since they froze.  Looking at making more kinds of popsicles really soon.  Stay tuned.....
 

Seriouslly???

It is currently 104 outside.  We've been in 100 degree weather for I don't know how long now. And we haven't seen rain in...forever!  And here is our 10-day forecast:

Crazy Days of Summer ~ Patriotism

This weeks theme for Crazy Days of Summer is Patriotism.  I thought of many ways that I could go with this photo.  But after taking my Mom and Dad to the Dallas/Ft Worth National Cemetery on July 4th I knew exactly what photo would represent and mean Patriotism.  It's a fairly new National Cemetery as far as National Cemeteries go as it's only been open since 2000.  It's set on 638 acres of beautiful rolling hills and once it is at capacity it will hold 280,000 eligible veterans and their dependents.  Here are just a few of the brave men and women that gave their lives for their country.

Below is the same area but taken from further away.

I'm also submitting the first photo for the "Favorite Photo of the Week Contest", "Show {Off} Your Shot" and "Fabulous Friday".  

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Popsicle!

We are finally in our new house but have yet to finish unpacking. YEAH!  I thought that I would take a break and post my Wordless/Wordful Wednesday post.

With the temperatures we've had lately (in the 100s for days on end and no rain in sight) a good Popsicle is a great way to cool off.  I'm going to be trying some different recipes soon and if they are any good I'll share them with you here.  This one that Sam and I enjoyed today was super simple.  Just make up your favorite jello flavor (we used cherry) according to the package instructions and then pour into your popsicle molds or paper dixie cups and freeze.  I do have to say that frozen jello has a different texture than most popsicles but they are still soooo good on a hot day.

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Project Alicia and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies.  Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Crazy Days of Summer ~ Light

Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here.

This weeks theme for Crazy Days of Summer is: Light.  As you read this I'll be moving my house in the wonderful 100 degree temperatures that we are having here in TX.  So please take a moment and say a prayer. :)  Once we get somewhat settled I'll take a break and check out all of the other wonderful photos that will be submitted.  For this week I'm recycling a photo as I have not had any time this week to even look at my camera much less grab it and take a couple of snapshots.  SIGH.  Hopefully next week I'll be unpacked enough to play along for real.

I've always loved the way the light shines on the corner of this iron gate.  It was an early quiet morning when I took this shot.  I was away with some girlfriends for a weekend in Fredricksburg, TX, and what a great weekend it was! It was wonderful to take some time the morning that we left to find beauty in the simple things around me.

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Legos

STOP!  Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. You can vote 3 time a day per day until July 4th. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here!

My son doesn't need any kits to build with his legos...here's proof:

This kid amazes me every time he builds something!

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Project Alicia and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies.  Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

STOP!  Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. You can vote 3 time a day per day until July 4th. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here!



Reaching back into my archives again this week to share a recipe with you because we're moving on Friday and I really haven't cooked anything that is really worth sharing.  So today we're going back a few years to a few days before Christmas when I asked Sam what kind of cookies he would like to make and leave for Santa. He told me that he wanted to make peppermint chocolate chip cookies. Okay, I had never heard of that kind of cookie. I told him I would look on the Internet because I had never seen a recipe for them before. Lo, and behold, there were many recipes for peppermint chocolate chip cookies. We made them and I have to tell you...WOW! They are some cookies! And they would be enjoyed anytime of year...not just Christmas.  I found the recipe that I used on Home Baking Association's website. The cookie recipe will follow below. But first, there are pictures to share with you!

Here is Sam putting out the cookies for Santa. The note that he wrote to Santa that year said "Santa! You Rock" on the front.

Peppermint-Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

1/3 cup shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1½ cups all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup chopped nuts

1/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candies
1 package (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix sugars, margarine, shortening, vanilla, and egg in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Serves 42. Approximate Nutrition Analysis (per serving): calories, 95; protein, 1 g; carbohydrate, 12 g; fat, 5 g; cholesterol, 5 mg; sodium, 55 mg.

My notes: I used all-purpose flour, omitted the nuts, and increased the chocolate chips to 1 1/4 cups. I cooked them for 9 minutes on parchment paper and then cooled them for 2 minutes before putting them on the rack to cool the rest of the way.

ENJOY!

Money Mondays ~ Week 26 in 2011

Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. You can vote 3 time a day per day until July 4th. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here to link up!

Time to sign up on the blog hop and support each other! Don't forget to promote this blog hop on your blog (if you have a blog as it's not required), facebook, twitter and any other social media out there.

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It's Monday and time to link-up and join in on the Blog Hop for Money Mondays. To read how Money Mondays got started check out my Money Mondays Page.

So here we go! Link Up your Etsy Stores, Shop Websites, Photography Sites, ect. I'm enjoying hosting this blog hop every week and visiting all of yours as well. Grab the button above and place it on your site. Please remember to keep it family friendly. Explicit Sites will be removed.  Remember to grab the Blog Hop Code below to place on your blog so that we all benefit from this hop!  Let's all have some fun, promote our own businesses and check out every one else!

Crazy Days of Summer ~ Yellow

Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here.

This weeks theme for Crazy Days of Summer is: Yellow.  Since I have been packing up my house this week I haven't had much time to go out and look for "yellow" to take some pictures of.  I went as far as our yard and found a weed.  Much to my surprise I have had a ton of fun playing around with this weeds picture.  Below are just the original picture and 5 other processes (using Picnik ... Love that site!) that I did out of the 18 that I had fun making.  I'm also submitting this photo for the "Favorite Photo of the Week Contest", "Show {Off} Your Shot" and "Fabulous Friday".  

So without further ado...I give you:

The Yellow Weed

The Band That Played On ~ Book Review

I received "The Band That Played On", by Steve Turner, for free from BookSneeze.com in return for my honest review of the material. If you are interested in receiving materials in exchange for honest reviews, please check out BookSneeze.com. 

This is not your typical book about the Titanic.  In fact it is about the 8 band members that were assigned to the Titanic on it's maiden voyage.  There isn't much known about these men but author, Steve Turner, researched their lives before they ever went aboard.  Not only did he research these 8 men but he gave us the history of the company that hired them as well.  It's an amazing book and I would recommend this book to history buffs and non-history buffs as it is very well written.

I found a video on Amazon.com that I've linked to here.  That and with the product description below you'll understand how amazing this book is.  I really can't wait to read more of his books in the future.

Product Description

When Titanic collided with an iceberg at 23:40 on April 14^th, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and mufflers came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians simply moved to the deck and continued to play, calming the passengers as the ship sank. One second class passenger said: "Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame." Survivors' accounts differ about whether their final tune was "L'Automme" or "Nearer My God To Thee." What has never been disputed is the courage of these musicians who deliberately sacrificed the possibility of escape in order to produce a mood of tranquillity at a time of extreme anxiety. But who were they? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Had any of them previously displayed signs of great courage? Who did they leave behind? Historian and biographer Steve Turner delves into the lives of these brave men, revealing eight unique portraits of bravery.

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ In Memory

I'm not going to be very wordless today. One of my best friends, Wendy, lost her long battle with cancer last Friday evening. I am so happy that she is no longer in any pain and is dancing in heaven. But a big part of me misses her dearly and is being very selfish because there was still so much we had planned to do. Whoever thought that at 43 I would be burying one of my best friends! I know this is all part of the grief process but some days so far have been harder than others. Luckily packing up my house and getting us ready to move has occupied a big part of my days.

But enough of that...I want to share a photo of her from two Decembers ago when our Bunko group went to a B&B in Fredricksburg, TX. What a fantastic weekend we all had. One evening we were playing games with one of them being Left, Right, Center. Wendy had just one a hand and was bringing in the dough. So here is Princess Wendy (as she was known) enjoying a great evening of fun!

If you would like to see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Project Alicia and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies.  Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Dragons of the Valley ~ Book Review

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Water Brook through there Blogging for Books program.  I have finished reading "Dragons of the Valley" by Donita K. Paul and I would have to say that it was enjoyable! I hadn’t read the first book in the series so I was worried I wouldn’t know what was going on, but Donita K. Paul does a fantastic job of getting the story going with no knowledge from the prior book. I also loved the fact that there is an appendix in the back of the book that helps with the terms of some of the words used in this sci-fi world.  VERY HELPFUL!  Dragons of the Valley was exciting from start to finish. And now I really want to read the first book as well as the next book in the series!  I also enjoy the fact that this book is a Christian Fantasy Fiction.  I love the fact that Paul didn't shy away from writing this story with the purpose of revealing God to her readers. This is book 2 in a new series and it follows book one titled "The Vanishing Sculptor". Which is now a book that I'm going to have to read before going on to the next one.  This is a book however that you can read without reading the first one. I would definitely recommend this book for those that are pre-teen and older especially if you love sci-fi books!

Product Description

War threatens the peaceful land of Chiril… can one painter-turned-reluctant-swordsman really help?

With an invasion of her country imminent, Tipper Schope is drawn into a mission to keep three important statues from falling into the enemy’s clutches. Her friend, the artist Bealomondore, helps her execute the plan, and along the way he learns to brandish a sword rather than a paintbrush.

As odd disappearances and a rash of volatile behavior sweep Chiril, no one is safe. A terrible danger has made his vicious presence known: The Grawl, a hunter unlike any creature encountered before.

To restore their country, Tipper, Bealomondore, and their party must hide the statues in the Valley of the Dragons and find a way to defeat the invading army. When it falls to the artistic Bealomondore to wield his sword as powerfully and naturally as a paintbrush, will he answer Wulder’s call for a champion? 

About the Author

Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and nine novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging writers.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe's

STOP!  Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. You can vote 3 time a day per day until July 4th. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here!



This week I find myself using a recipe that I posted on here over a year ago for this weeks Tasty Tuesday.  I'm doing so because I'm in the midst of packing up our house and we'll be moving in two weeks.  So, unless I do something new this week it will be reruns again next Tuesday as well.  But I'm hoping not.  This time Tuesday just snuck up on me.

A year or so ago I tried my hand at making Homemade Sloppy Joe's.  I was in the mood to have them but didn't have my usual packet or can of sloppy joe mix.  So to the computer I went to find a recipe because I couldn't find my grandma's recipe.  I thought that I had it but if I do it's not with my recipes or in one of the old church recipe books.  I found a TON of recipes on the Internet but none that really peaked my interest.  So I made it up as I went along.  After reading through so many of them I knew the basics and went to town.  I am turning into my dad when it comes to some of my cooking because when I make it up as I go along I tend to forget what I did and don't write it down.    I used what I had here at the house and if you would like to give it a try here is what I did.

Slow Cooker Homemade Sloppy Joe's

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
3 tbs dried onion
1 red bell pepper diced (small to medium size but no larger)
2 tbs of Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (this is basically minced garlic, minced onion, salt, garlic powder, and chives)
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
3 tbs vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

Brown the meat and just before the meat was completely browned I added in the dried onions. Drain the meat. Return meat to pan and add in the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Put everything into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

It turned out so well that we all had seconds! It even made enough that I have leftovers in the freezer for another night.

Money Mondays ~ Week 25 in 2011

STOP!  Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. You can vote 3 time a day per day until July 4th. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here to link up!

Time to sign up on the blog hop and support each other! Don't forget to promote this blog hop on your blog (if you have a blog as it's not required), facebook, twitter and any other social media out there.

<a border="0" href="http://themisplacedmidwesterner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5068579509_847ba6c8d0_m.jpg" /></a>

It's Monday and time to link-up and join in on the Blog Hop for Money Mondays. To read how Money Mondays got started check out my Money Mondays Page.

So here we go! Link Up your Etsy Stores, Shop Websites, Photography Sites, ect. I'm enjoying hosting this blog hop every week and visiting all of yours as well. Grab the button above and place it on your site. Please remember to keep it family friendly. Explicit Sites will be removed.  Remember to grab the Blog Hop Code below to place on your blog so that we all benefit from this hop!  Let's all have some fun, promote our own businesses and check out every one else!

Crazy Days of Summer ~ Water

Before you do anything else I have a HUGE favor to ask you. Please read this post "HERE" and vote for the school mentioned trying to win the grand prize from Big Lots. It would mean the world to them as they have so little while we all have so much. Then come back here and check out this weeks entries for Alicia and Kristi's:

This weeks theme is water.  After last weeks theme of refreshing and using a picture from one of our trips to a water park I knew I couldn't use one of those again.  Even if I used a completely different picture I still wanted to do something I hadn't done before.  Off to the store I went yesterday to buy a bag of oranges.  I wanted to capture an orange being dropped into an ice cold glass of water.  With it being near 100 degrees here I knew that I had to work fast!  The ice cubes were melting faster than I could take the picture.  Not to mention how fast I was melting.  I am happy with what I got and I'll definitely do that one again when it's not quite as hot outside as I had a lot of fun doing it. I'm also submitting this photo for the "Favorite Photo of the Week Contest" and "Fabulous Friday".