Just Bring Me Chocolate and I'll BeOkay!

It's been awhile since I've joined my good friend Nan for Making My Home Sing, and I think it's about time I did something about that.

See my home hasn't been singing to much the last couple of weeks.
Most of you know that our house was on the market. It's actually been on the market 3 different times in the past 5 years.
So as our contract was almost up, we decided that once it went off the market we would really sit and evaluate what we believed the Lord wanted us to do. Because WE thought He wanted us to get off the beach.
We resided to our home not selling and pressed on with life.
To make a long story short, we got a phone call from our Realtor and said someone has put an offer in on our home. WHAT? It's off the market in like 2 days?
Needless to say we signed a contract the LAST day our house was on the market.
God does have a sense of humor. Right? RIGHT? And HIS timing is PERFECT! Right? RIGHT?

Anyway, we signed just a little over a week ago and I immediately started packing, then stressing, then packing some more, then stressing some more, then NOT packing, and stressing some more. I kept taking all the details out of God's hands. I'm pretty sure He doesn't appreciate that. Oy!
So to make an even longer story short. I'm packing again, in faith, that God has it all worked out. Our closing date is the 21st of June. So if you were going to send me something (chocolate) you better send it (chocolate) now, because haven't I told you, we don't have a place to go yet. LOL!

We have a place we want to purchase but it's a short sale. Yeah, some of you just went, OH NO! With good reason. BUT, once again, God has THAT under control too.
So this week, as I'm PACKING (and wishing for someone to bring me chocolate and coffee), I'll be singing. Singing because I have a God that cares about every detail of our life and HE knows just how this is all going to work out!
Prayers (and chocolate) are appreciated though. LOL!

BIG HERSHEY'S KISS SIZE HUGS TO YOU!

Roasted Potato Salad!

Oh have mercy. This potato salad was soooo good.
I got the idea from my good friend Lisa's food blog.
But then I had to go and add a few twists of my own.
Whether you're a mustard based person or a mayonnaise based person, I think you are going to love this.
Just in time for Summer BBQ's.

Ingredients:
3lb. Organic Potatoes of your choice. I used baking potatoes.
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2c. chopped onion
5TBS. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 TBS Rosemary
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Dressing:
1/4-1/3 cup Mayo (low fat)
2 TBS. Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBS Mustard
1TBS Basil
Now you can use fresh herbs but I didn't have any on hand and it was still delicious.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut potatoes into chunks.
Place potatoes into a medium size bowl.
Add the Olive Oil - Black Pepper and combine evenly with the potatoes.
Place the potatoes onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Try not to have any overlapping so they can cook properly.
Cook for about 20-25 mins. Check to see if done by inserting a fork and it going in with out any effort. And the potatoes should be a bit brown from roasting.

Meanwhile combine your dressing ingredients.
When the potatoes are done cooking let sit till cooled.
Put in a bowl and add your dressing.
Chill and serve.
Actually this was good warm too.

ENJOY!

Friday Funnies! Busted!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

It's Friday, and it's time to giggle.
It's been a stressful week and I need me some giggles.
So PLEASE make me giggle. Just saying the word giggle kind of makes me giggle.
GIGGLE, GIGGLE, GIGGLE!
It even looks funny now! LOL!
Just post your family friendly funny and then come back here and link it up.


I thought this commercial was pretty funny.
I hate it when I get busted doing something I shouldn't. LOL!

Enjoy!

Beach Gardening!

Our family LOVES vegetables. We love big chunky salads full of different veggies.
And time and time again we've tried to grow our own, and sadly we haven't been very successful.
I think the thing we had the most success with was jalapeno's. But I really didn't need 100 jalapeno's.

Here's the reason for our dilemma.
See, this here is sand.
And since we live on a barrier island, that's pretty much our whole yard.
And unless you got a really nice tiller and A LOT of compost, you are not going to grow anything that resembles a vegetable, in it.

But we were quite determined to give it another shot. (When I say we I mean my husband and my 7 year old who is passionate about growing vegetables. I just reap the benefits. Not that I don't like to garden but it's kind of like a bonding thing between my husband and our oldest son.)

My best friend Kathy LOVES to garden and she came across a book that she knew my husband needed to read.
This book.

This book has renewed the passion of growing veggies in my husband. Not growing them IN my husband but my husband growing them....never mind. He was really excited about trying out what he had learned.
He read the WHOLE thing.

So here is what we have going this year. And once again, when I say we, I mean my hubby! Just know that from now on. LOL!
We are container gardening and combined with the knowledge that my hubby learned, it's the best looking garden we've had ever!

We've got bell peppers, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, radishes, strawberries, lettuce and cayenne peppers.

Here is a happy gardener now with a mammoth radish.

It's small in scale to most gardens but it's a start. And it just goes to show that you really can grow veggies anywhere.

Who knows what fall will bring!

What are you growing?


HUGS!

Random Bullets!

It's time again for some completely random thoughts.
And because you know I love em', I'll be using bullets to help me along.
Who knows, you might even learn something. I know I know, BONUS!

• We watched The Bee Movie last night. It was stupid. Don't bother watching it.

• Homemade Sloppy Joe's are just as good in a hot dog bun as they are in a hamburger bun.

• When making your own Sloppy Joe sauce, don't unscrew the lid to the Liquid Smoke and accidentally pour half the bottle into your mixture. All you have to do is flip the lid and let it come out of that little hole, s-l-o-w-ly! OY!

• Too often I wish someone would show up at my doorstep around 2:00 pm with the latest and greatest Starbuck's flavored coffee!

• I also wished that you all lived in Florida within a mile's radius of me. Now that would be fun.

• I need to make a list of my friends for my 40th party and give it to my BFF. Who wants to come? Refer to prior bullet.
  

• I'm so thankful for our Pastor and his wife. They are a blessing.

• My Gazania's are still alive. Woo! Hoo!

• I would really like to go to the Melting Pot again. (I love you honey!)

• The month of June is going to be a blurr. I'll tell you why soon!
  

• I have sadly neglected my cooking blog and I have quite a few recipes I want to post but haven't had time. For those of you who follow it, hang with me. I haven't abandoned it.
  

Well there you go. Now you can move along with your day.

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

HUGS!

Tell Me If You See It?

WARNING: The word SAW is used way to much in the following sentences. Read at own risk!

The other night I was sitting on the couch chit chatting with the family as I glanced out our front window.
I saw something and immediately started laughing because of the thought that quickly entered my mind on what I "thought" I saw.
Knowing that the thing I "thought" I saw was highly improbable I started to laugh even harder.

Before I tell you what I saw, take a look at the view I had.
Take a good look. Look around. What do you see that might look like "something" but really not be it at all.

My family immediately saw "it" as I was pointing it out to them and we all got a very good laugh.
Do you see it yet?



Here, let me zoom in on the general area.

What is the FIRST thing that enters your mind when you look at that?

For a split second, I thought I saw.......

....an OSTRICH! LOL!

Now living at the beach, I can pretty much guarantee you that you won't find an ostrich running around, let alone on top of a roof. Seeings how they don't even fly or anything.
We laughed so hard because the placement of the satellite dish and the attic vent were perfect in order to form the "ostrich". At least in my mind!

Go ahead. Laugh at me. It's okay. That's why I told you this story! Hee! Hee!

Have a fabulous day, my sweet friends that put up with me!

Friday Funnies! Mommy Like Deals!

Howdy Ya'll!
It's FRIDAY!! Woot! Woot!
I love Friday's!
There's just something about the day before the weekend that makes me giddy!

If you'd like to partake in Friday Funnies, link up your family friendly funny below and join in the fun.
If you just want to relax and get some giggles then that's good too.
Either way, I'm glad you stopped by!

My funny today makes me rethink how I will do my next garage sale!
Enjoy!

It may not take as long as I thought!

I'm sorry. It's just been sitting there starring at me, so I had to do something.
Yes, it's the 13 lb. 2.0 oz bag of baking soda!
I've been really good at not mentioning it hardly at all this week week but I am looking at this bag and thinking, "What was I thinking?" and "Seriously what am I going to do with it all?"And then the little yellow light bulb appeared over my head and I said to myself, "Self, you have a computer sitting right in front of you, do a search on baking soda." And so I did. And because I know that many of you rushed out to buy your own honkin' bag of baking soda and are now stuck with it starring at you as well, I will post my findings right here for you all to see.

I love saying honkin'. It's just so fun to say and it creates that sweet red squiggly line under it.

Sorry moving along.
Here are just some of the things you can do with your 13lb bag of Baking Soda.
I am going to print this out and cross off all the ways I used my Baking Soda and because I know you'll want to know, I'll tell you about it. I'll also tell you when I finish the bag. That is if I'm still blogging 3 years from now! Hee! Hee!

60 Uses for Baking Soda!
(I don't expect you to read all of these right now but you might benefit from printing them out for later use!)

1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch. 2. Be sure to keep an extra box of baking soda by your stove in case of grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out. 3. Keep a container of baking soda in your garage as well as in your car to put out a fire. It won't damage anything it touches. 4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery and rugs. 5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rise the produce. 6. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda. 7. Wash garbage cans with baking soda. 8. Oil and grease - stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water. 9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. rinse with clear water. 10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months. 11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts kitty litter on top. 12. Always add 1/2 cup soda to your washing machine load. 13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution. 14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water. 15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda in 1 quart of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse. 16. Clean formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge. 17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells. 18. To remove stubborn stains from marble, formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of soda and water. 19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution ( 3 tbsp. soda to 1 quart water). 20. Run you coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse. 21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water. 22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off. 23. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse. 24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry. 25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry. 26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom. 27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning. 28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad. 29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean next day. 30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry baking soda to shine it up. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain. 31. Clean plastic, porcelain and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry. 32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water. 33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor. 34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge - sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc. 35. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water. 36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them. 37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse. 38. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it. 39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor. 40. Add 1/2 cups or more of baking soda to your bath water to soften your skin. 41. Putting 2 tbsp. of baking soda in your baby's bath water will help relieve diaper rash irritations. 42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water. 43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox. 44. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn. 45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth. 46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain. 47. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water. 48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar. 49. Bee sting: use a poultice of baking soda and water. 50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly. 51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch. 52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant. 53. If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odor will go away. 54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white. 55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out. 56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible. 57. Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game. 58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths. 59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean. 60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.
Have a most excellent day my friends!!! HUGS!

I've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'!

They call them Love Bugs!

And they love to land on you and crawl on you.

They love to smash into your windshield and cause it to look like this only minutes after it NOT looking like this.

They cause your bumper to have a nice "gutsy" feel to it.
They love my plumerias for some reason and have caused me not to want to go up and smell the wonderful and beautiful flowers that are blooming right now.

They love to congregate by the thousands around your front door and walkway so that when you go to get the mail you have them in your hair and heading for your mouth.
(Anything that looks like a black speck is a love bug!)
Feel free to click the picture to make it larger!
Yes my friends, this is a one way love.
I don't love them one bit, but the sure do love me!

This is honestly the worst I've seen them in YEARS!
Oy!

What's pestering you right now and do you think baking soda will get those off my windshield? LOL! You know some of you are laughing right now!

Blokus!

It all started one rainy Sunday afternoon. Church was over but a handful of us found ourselves "stuck" inside because of the downpour that was going on outside. Our Pastor used this opportunity to break out one of his favorite games, Blokus.
I had never heard of Blokus. But quickly fell in love with it.
It isn't hard to learn at all. And it's oh so fun!

I set out to buy it and it has become our favorite family game. We actually just leave it out all the time so we can grab it often, to play.
Even our youngest (5) has caught on and plays quite well.

I found a great review on it if you would like to learn more about it.
It's really really fun and doesn't take a long time to play.

What's your favorite family game?

Coconut Flour Giveaway! This stuff is GOOD!

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who participated.
The winner was picked using Random.org and it picked #43 Matt!
Congratulations Matt!

After last weeks posts I'm sure you would have thought that I may have been willing to give away some of my 13lbs of baking soda but alas, I am not.

No, this week I had the pleasure of trying and now giving away Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour. Let me tell you something, this stuff is sooooo good.
I knew that this would be the next thing that I would want to try because I have heard so much about it and let me tell you it is just as good as they have made it out to be.
I wanted to try it in a couple of recipes before I promoted it and my family has loved and devoured them both and I can't wait to try more. I am sold on this stuff.

Would you like to win a bag?
Trust me you do!

Here's how to enter:
1. Go to the Tropical Traditions recipe page for coconut flour and tell me what recipe you'd try first if you win.
2. Sign up for the Tropical Traditioins newsletter.
3. Become a fan on Facebook
4. Spread the news on Twitter or Facebook.
Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at Noon EST and I will announce a winner later on that day.

And just to tantalize your taste buds, here's a recipe I made with the Coconut Flour.

Nut Butter Balls

1/2 cup of either Almond butter or Peanut Butter. (I've used both and it's excellent either way!)
3 TBS. Honey
4TBS Coconut Flour

Optional:
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Wheat Germ

Simply combine the first 3 ingredients and roll into walnut size balls.
Roll them in the Shredded Coconut or Wheat Germ for a little extra kick.
Let set in fridge for 1/2 an hour or so before eating.
Store in the fridge.
These won't last long. Trust me!
Enjoy!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada. Note for Canadian bloggers: Tropical Traditions is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge if you decide to participate in this Tropical Traditions sponsored blog giveaway.



Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Friday Funnies! Oh Yes I Did!

Hello all my wonderful friends!
Do you have a family friendly funny to share?
Link it up below.
Did you come here to get a laugh?
I'll see what I can do.
Did you take a wrong turn in Albuquerque and end up here some how?
Welcome!

Okay! I'm sorry, but I had to.
I know this is only going to be funny to a handful of you that have actually been to my blog all week but it was worth it to give you this laugh!
Enjoy!



Everybody else, all you'd have to do is go back through the last 3 days and you'll see why this is funny!

Happy Friday!!!

Do You Read Other's Comments?

You know I'm just seeing how many times I can talk about Baking Soda in one week. LOL!
But seriously, after my Baking Soda post, I really got a lot of good ideas in addition to my own, on what to use my big ol' honkin' bag of baking soda for.
(And I realized that the word honkin' makes some of you giggle!)

And it looks like some of you read the comments as well and are now on your way to Sam's to buy yourself a massive bag of baking soda too.
Sam's isn't going to know what hit them when the baking soda starts flying off the shelf. LOL!
Baking Soda, Baking Soda, Baking Soda, Baking Soda!
BAKING SODA!

Sorry, I was just having a moment! I was rereading my post and started laughing at all the times I've already said Baking Soda so I had to just end it with a few more. It's very bad writing, but I guess I don't care because I'm not going to change it! It's how I roll. Hee! Hee!

I promise (maybe) that this is it about baking soda.
And if you want to go back and read my post in case you missed it and read the helpful comments you can go here.
It ended up having 29 comments. LOL! That ranked right up there with my shopping post.
You all are so funny! Or am I funny? Frankly I think we're all nuts!
Either way, thank you for making my blog fun to not only write, but read, via your comments!

BIG GINORMOUS HUGS!

Seriously, What can top a post about Baking Soda?

I'm convinced that you all don't expect too much from me when it comes to my posts because I got 27 comments on my post about my baking soda yesterday! LOL!
For me it's all about keepin' it real.

My Mom can't understand why anyone would want to read about my washer and dryer or my obvious love of baking soda or what I find at the thrift stores etc.
Though my posts may sometimes be senseless, it's my hopes that when you leave, you are happier then when you came! That's why you come here right?
Of course, once and awhile you get thrown off your rocker with a cool makeover post or a rockin' craft tutorial. LOL! Oh yeah baby! I have a handful of people who think I'm pretty crafty and wait for the posts when I reveal something amazing. (You'll be waiting a little longer!) Oops, there goes another follower! LOL! Oh me!

Okay I'll stop before YOU wonder why you read my nonsense!
So today I just thought I'd ask for your opinion on something.

See we just bought this great burgundy shag carpet from Wal-Mart online. (They are having a clearance on them if you are interested. Site to Store is free.)
After we painted our living room I never put anything back up on or around my front window.

It's my favorite window in the house because I get to see my front yard with all the birds and flowers and my deck and such, so I don't want the windows to be covered up.
What do you suggest I do to blend the window and the wall space together?
What do you envision?

Here's our new carpet.

And the window space.

Now talk to me.

THANK YOU MY FRIENDS!

So Who Needs 13.5lbs of Baking Soda?

Apparently I do.

I hate it when a good deal gets the best of me and then I get home and think, now what?

Here's what 13.5lbs of Baking Soda looks like.
Yes, 13.5 lbs.!

Here's what 1 lb. of baking soda looks like.

You know you want to see them together, because it's actually quite funny!

Now in my defense I do use baking soda quite a bit. I use it with vinegar to clean my toilet, I bake with it, I disinfect with it and I use it as a mild abrasive to clean juice and stuff off my counter. AND I did save a total of $4.17 and may never have to buy baking soda again!
But now I don't know where to put this honkin' bag.

I don't know. I don't think I can be trusted to go to Sam's Club by myself any more! LOL!

What have you bought and then got home and thought, and why did I buy this?


HUGS!

Sub-Woofers, Food and Friends! Oh My!

*Warning: This post is lengthy so if you don't have time to read it all, you are excused. Those of you who love me, carry on!*LOL!

Nothing like a good guilt trip huh? LOL!

Mother's Day Weekend 2010
I'll be honest with you, Saturday I wish I could have ran screaming from the house with my hands waving in the air. I won't go into why, but it did involve 2 little boys. LOL!
So needless to say when my husband got home from work I was a completely little bit out of sorts. He was so kind and patient and listened to my woes and then lovingly asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. I hadn't hinted at anything because honestly I don't need anything. BUT then I remembered that the sub-woofer in my SUV had blown out and it was driving me crazy. (Momma likes her music loud when she's cruising the strip road alone!)

Seriously, IMMEDIATELY he got to work. He took the panel off of the speaker and thought that it was going to be as simple as unscrewing 6 screws and "popping" out the old, blown out speaker.
Boy was he wrong. To make this part of the long story short, let's show some pictures shall we!
What's left of the speaker!

My honey bunches getting what's left of the speaker out with the Dremel tool.
(Oh yeah, he meant business.)
Come to find out, if you wanted to do it the "right" way you had to take the whole back of the SUV apart to get to the speaker box, that had the speaker in it, that was SCREWED into the speaker box, from the BACK!
My husband REFUSED to do it that way. He was on a roll and you weren't gonna stop him!
Don't mess with my husband FORD! You won't win! LOL!

Moving on to Mother's Day!

Sadly I woke up to an extreme headache but I wasn't going to let that get me down.

I woke up, had my coffee and my precious daughter made french toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
We then set off for church!
After my hubby taught Sunday School the Pastor got a phone call from a friend of his who is opening a brand new restaurant on the river and he needed people to come and give the waitresses a trial run. So after church we headed out to lunch at Grill's.
Did I mention that it was all FREE!!!!

So whoever from our church who wanted to go, got to go. I honestly couldn't believe more people didn't show up, but believe me it was there loss. A total benefit from having a smaller congregation! Woot! Woot!
So here's some of the gang getting ready to enter Grill's!

More of the gang.
The tables were really pretty but of course I didn't get a picture of one of them to show you. Not that you really care either. LOL!
Someone was being a booger when as I took the picture, so my daughter just photo-shopped in a nice picture to make up for it. I think it looks a lot like him! I'm pretty sure he's wanted by the law! Ha! Ha! Oh me!

Some of the view!

For whatever reason blogger is totally messing with my pictures so I guess I'll end the photos here. And I was going to show you the most amazing bathroom. LOL!
Yes, we actually went into the bathroom just to take pictures and sadly I can't show them to you because they keep disappearing on my posts.

So to wrap it all up, the meal was fabulous, we had a great time, we came home, my daughter made me a peanut butter pie and we called it a day!
I love you my family and church family!!
And those of you who actually read this whole post! LOL!
HUGS!