14/52 photos of me

Well, it's that time again. Carin from Forever in Blue Jeans has issued the challenge. I've accepted. Here's my picture:


*sigh* Sad, I know. I've been pretty busy this week and Thursday was here before I knew it. I had to sneak in a pic with my sleeping baby. Well, at least it's adorable. He is. Not me.

Can you tell I'm aching? My muscles are screaming at me. I'd rather they give me the silent treatment. I'm hurting in places I'd forgotten I had muscles. Just so you know, the last time I was in good shape was back in the Air Force. That was in the last decade. Hey, for that matter, that was in the last century! 1995-1997 to be exact. So, I've got a lot of time to make up for.

But, thanks for all the encouragement from you other suckers out there. :) You know what I mean. Honestly, who in their right, ever-lovin' mind would voluntarily let someone bully them into inflicting pain upon themself? Yeah, me. Well, at least I get to kick myself in the butt and not let someone else do it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go watch this, this, and this. And that's just level one. Yeah, I thought so, too. No, actually, I have no idea what you're thinking. Duh!

Can you tell I'm in a mood? Ok. Well, I'm stopping now. Sheesh!

So, to see some more moms who are usually hiding out behind the camera, go visit Carin.


Until next time...

Blueberry Cake for Lisa's Cake Week

Hey, remember Lisa is having a Cake Week over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates? Well, today is the day you go over and link up a cake or cupcake recipe. And get some more great recipes. Hey, I need all the dessert recipes I can get. If I don't make it through the 30 Day Shred, at least I can have someone smuggle in some cake to me on my death bed. It might even revive me. Well, a gal can hope anyway.

So here's my cake recipe: (sorry I don't have a picture)

Blueberry Cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter at room temp.
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp gated lemon rind/peel
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Blueberry filling (see recipe below)
Topping (also below)

Stir together flour, baking powder, and soda. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, at medium speed, thoroughly butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon peel. Beat in eggs one at a time, then sour cream. At low speed gradually beat in the flour mixture until blended.

Turn about 1/3 of the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch tube pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the Blueberry Filling. Repeat layers. Spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake on the rack below the center in a preheated 350 degree oven until cake tester comes out free of batter, about 50 minutes. Loosen edges and around the tube and turn out on rack; cool completely. Invert on a cake platter.

Blueberry Filling:
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped medium fine

Topping:
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

This makes a good breakfast. :)

Enjoy your cake. For me.

Until next time...

30 Day Shred that everyone loves - NOT!!!

So. I've succumbed. Yep, that's right folks. I have invested in *gasp* the 30 Day Shred. Oh, yeah, you read that right. Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. 'Shred' is right. I feel like every muscle in my body has been shredded. I'm on day 2. I'll be sure and update ya'll - if I can still function, that is.

Until next time...(if I live thru it)

Cake Week at Lisa's

Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates is having a Cake Week this week. Go over and visit her and get some great cake recipes.

She's also got giveaways!

So this week you can have your cake and eat it too! Check it out!


Until next time...

Chocolate Friday - 4 Layer Dessert plus more!

My week has been full of chocolate. Full! I tell ya'! It all started with Mother's Day. I went to visit my mom and she had a dessert she had made earlier in the week. She had a little left over and we finished it off, then my oldest made another pan of it. There was about half left over from that one. We took it home and ate it the next morning for breakfast. :) I didn't get a picture of it (bad me), but I do have the recipe. It's from my aunt, and I don't know where she got it from or if she just made it up. It does not have to be baked for very long at all, how 'cool' is that? (pun totally intended there) Great for the upcoming summer months. You can actually bake the crust in the morning before it gets hot and it will be ready for the rest later. Here goes:

Four Layer Dessert

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped finely
1 stick butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large tub cool whip
2 boxes instant pudding, chocolate fudge flavor
3 cups milk

Directions:
1st layer: melt butter, mix with flour and pecans
press into 9X13 pan and bake on 350 for 18 minutes
let cool
2nd layer: blend cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup of cool whip until creamy
spread on the cooled crust
3rd layer: blend pudding and 3 cups of milk until thick
spread on top of 2nd layer
4th layer: cover with the remaining cool whip

Let it set for about an hour before eating...if you can!
Number of servings: Depends on how well you like it...several.
Prep time: 30 minutes

So, that's the yummy dessert that started all this madness. It went on to include this:



And this:


Then, Wednesday my two-year-old turned 3. We had this:



and this:



aaand this:


Yes, that is chocolate cheesecake. I had the one that was all chocolate.

And the birthday boy got a small cake all his own:


He had to finish it off the next morning, too.

Just so you know, I usually bake their birthday cakes. This time, my dear husband offered to pick one up on the way home. I was all for that if it didn't mean I had to crank the oven up. That way I got cheesecake, too. :) Yay for me!

And every day I eat one piece of this:

It's hard, but I limit myself to just one piece.

So that's why my week was FULL of chocolate. How was yours?

Head over to Lisa's at Stop and Smell the Chocolates and find more chocolate-y recipes.




Until next time...

13/52 photos of me

********************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
**************************************

The above taken from Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans.

And now, my submission for this week.


Just keepin' it real, folks.


Until next time...

Tomorrow last day for Vision Forum sale

If you missed my giveaway on a new DVD from Vision Forum don't despair, you still have another day to get these newly released DVDs at an incredible price. But tomorrow is the last day for this sale so go check them out!
Go here for the great deal!

Until next time...

Book Review - Love in a Diet by Wendy Jeub

I mentioned this book in an earlier post. I had already decided to review it today, but I also had someone ask about it.


This is not your typical diet book. For one thing, it's small. You're not bogged down with all kinds of statistics, diet myths, and menus. For another, Wendy Jeub is an average, American woman. (Or not so average if you consider that she's had 15 children). And the amazing thing is that she weighs the same now as she did at 18! How!? Well, read this book and you'll find out. How did she lose so much weight eating chocolate every day and not giving up her coffee? If you really want to know, go here and get the book. It's actually cheaper if you order it off their website.

When I got the book last week, I sat down and started reading it. She tells you not to jump right into a diet, but to make a journal of what you eat for a week. That way, you can evaluate what is going into your body. So, I'm on day 4 of the journal. No, I'm not going to tell you what I've been eating. Sheesh, people. ;)

Anyway, it's also not a diet per se, but more of a way of changing how you eat and what you eat. Oh, and a handful of walnuts really does curb the appetite. Really. I tried it.

So, I heartily recommend this book. It's short, sweet, and to the point. Plus, if you order now, you get a sample of their second cookbook that will be coming out shortly.


Until next time...

Prayer Requests

Pray for my youngest. He has a fever and feels yucky. He just got two new teeth, his first actually, and it's not fun for him. :(
He does not feel this good right now.

Yummy

Also pray for a friend of ours. An IRL friend. He was in a bad motorcycle accident. A car came into his lane and hit him head-on (he was on the motorcycle). It's a miracle he's alive. He told me on the phone that he seriously thought he'd be seeing Jesus face-to-face when it happened.

It's bad enough that he has a broken arm and three places in his pelvic bone broken, and a lot of bumps, and bruises, but he has to contend with the fact that he's an amputee. Not because of this wreck. He's had only one leg for years. But that hasn't slowed him down one bit. He hiked the Appalachian Trail a few years ago. The whole thing. Hey, I couldn't do that with two good legs! He rises to the challenge of what life throws him and I don't see this hindering him one bit. He'll be back on his feet as soon as possible. (I say feet, because he has a prosthesis).

Just some additional information about our friend. You know the verse, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". (John 15:13) Sure, that means, like, a person would die for his friend. But I also think it could mean that a person would lay aside his own life, the activities and plans that he has right now, in order to help out a friend. This friend and his family are like that. They are people you can depend on. I know for a fact, that if we need help, they would do everything possible to help us. They would literally "lay down their life" for their friends. This family set aside their life temporarily last year when I had to go into the hospital to have our baby. It was unexpected and at the last minute they willingly came and stayed with our other children so that we could be in the hospital. Since they live about an hour away, we offered them our house. It was easier on them because of some water difficulties they had been having last summer. So say a prayer for the Rogers Family that everything would work out for them.


You can check out his blog here.



Until next time...

Mother's Day happenings

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was pretty relaxing for the most part. I went to visit my mom. We had lots of chocolate. :) Always a plus. I helped her sort through some things she's wanting to get rid of via a yard sale. We still have a few boxes to go. Snapped a picture right before I left.

She protested as I was taking the pic, but let me keep it. I told her it was going on my blog and she said "Oh well, nobody that knows me will see it." She much have forgotten a couple of her sisters read it. :)

Well all said and done I had a good Mother's Day. The kids made me stuff, but I didn't get a chance to get pics.

Go check out a couple of my aunts' blogs, two of my mom's sisters: That Crazy Goat Woman and the Teacher.

Until next time...

And the winner is...

Mimi from He & me + 3.

Congratulations Mimi! Contact me with your address and confirm the DVD you would like for free.

Thank you for playing.

Until next time...

Giveaway! DVD from Vision Forum

Vision forum has a new set of DVDs out.

Right now you can buy all five for a very discounted price.

OR you can win one of them right now, right here on my blog! That's right! Vision Forum is letting me give away one of their DVDs to one lucky winner!

So, go over to the Vision Forum website, read about the five DVDs in the new set and pick which one you would like. Then come back here and leave a comment in the comment section below telling me what you like about Vision Forum's website and which one of the 5 DVDs you would like to win.

The drawing will last until midnight Sunday night. I'll draw and announce the winner Monday morning.

******It has been brought to my attention that the button doesn't take you to the right page. I have contacted Vision Forum about the problem. Until they get back to me use this link to go to the correct page. *************

Until next time...

Chocolate Friday - Chocolate Peanut Butter Snacks

Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates has tons of chocolate recipes for you to try. Go visit her. She also has this meme each Friday for others to link up their chocolate posts.

Here's my submission for this week. This recipe is good for those summer months when you want a cookie but don't want to heat up the house by turning on the oven.



Chocolate Peanut Butter Snacks

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups Kroger Crisp Crunch cereal (something like Captain Crunch)

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Combine corn syrup, chocolate chips, and sugar in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Stir in cereal until all pieces are evenly coated. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Chill 30 minutes or until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. (Yeah, right. They’re gone within 5 minutes of being done. Even with the recipe doubled).

And there you have it.

BTW - how many "diets" have you went on that says lay off the chocolate? A lot I'm sure. Well, here's a diet book that doesn't say that. In fact, it says you can eat chocolate every day! Every day!! Now that's the kind of diet I want to go on. Want a book like that? I'm glad you asked. You can find it here. And guess what...it's not a hard book to read. I finished it in about an hour. Love in a Diet by Wendy Jeub.

Until next time...

12/52 photos of me

********************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
**************************************

I've accepted the challenge and here is my entry for this week.

Craziness, huh?

Until next time...

Ten-hut!

I get a MOMYS digest for "mothers of many young siblings". One asked a question about what is basic training like. This was my answer.

"Boot camp is culture shock. If a person gets past the first week they'll be fine. Obviously you don't want to yell at your kids and you might not want to do everything, but it's true that there are some things they could do that are the same. Making sure everything is clean and tidy is a major part of it. And it's not their idea of what clean and tidy is, but the TIs. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. Beds made as soon as your feet hit the floor. Clothes hung up the night before (a certain way). Shoes under the head of the bed. (However I wouldn't recommend waking them up at 1:30 a.m. to shine them because your flashlight doesn't reflect back at you :) Yes that's what they did to us). Drawers kept in a certain order with things in a certain place. Teeth brushed as soon as you're dressed. Sinks were wiped out, dried as soon as they were done being used. No trash left in the trash can when everyone left the room. Everything cleaned and shined. Marching everywhere you go. I still carry things in my left hand so that my right hand is free to salute an officer :) and I've been out of the military for over 10 years! Standing at attention when there is nothing to be done. When addressed, saying "Sir/Ma'am, Airmen (insert last name here) reports as ordered", (the 6 magic words), and then answering the question. Reading/studying your BMTM (Basic Military Training Manual) every free minute. Making sure your canteen is always full. In San Antonio, TX in the summer that's just common sense. Learning to work together as a team. If something isn't done right the first time, do it until it is done right. Wearing a uniform for everything. Individuality is out the window. PT - physical training - running, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups. (A girl in my flight and I got in trouble one day for wearing our PT sweatshirt with our shorts and t-shirt; it was cool in the early morning. We were yelled at and had to take them off and lay them on the ground. We forgot about them after PT and never saw them again). Showers are group showers, 5 minutes or less, and that's if you got one. We usually got one on days we did PT or if we had to do something special. I'd say in the 6 weeks of Basic we got 12-15 showers. No kidding. Baby wipes became our best friend. We couldn't carry anything in our pockets except for our id card, money list, and 3 - 341s (a piece of paper that we had to turn in if we got in trouble - you did NOT want a 341 pulled). We girls found our sports bra to be pretty handy as a hidden pocket. Finger nail clippers, breath spray, and anything else we could think of went in there. Money was locked in our personal drawer, the key around our neck, and any time we spent money we had to update our money lists. A money list had written on it the denomination of the bills we had and the serial number of each. We had two; one in the drawer and one in our pocket. If we got a BX (base exchange - kind of like a Wal-Mart, a mini-BX was like a convenient store) run, when we got back we had to mark out the ones we used and write in any new ones. Tedious job, made us want to not go very much."


For anyone considering the military, there's your warning. :)

Until next time...

Word-filled Wednesday - Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God: ~ Psalm 46:10a

For more inspiring verses and pictures, go visit Amy at 160 Acre Woods.


Until next time...

Book Review - Help! I'm Being Intimidated by the Proverbs 31 Woman!

This book cover and title:








has been updated to this (with devotional and study material added):
















Regardless, it's a good book. A really good book. It speaks the truth and is rotflol funny. (For those of you who don't know, that was rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-out-loud). Seriously, I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. And this was it. But you know what? It actually helped me. Now that is a bonus.

This is the first book I've read by Nancy Kennedy, but I sincerely hope it won't be the last. I've already got my eyes on a couple of other books by her that I'd really like to read.

Now how many of us are also intimidated by that Proverbs 31 woman? The way that chapter reads you'd think she did all of that in one day. Whew! I don't know about you, but I'm always exhausted after reading that particular chapter. Just thinking of all the things I do that don't measure up makes me - I don't know - depressed? Well, Mrs. Kennedy has taken that chapter and broken it down for us. Each chapter of her book talks about a verse of Proverbs 31 and shows us how we CAN be that woman. It just might not be in a way we originally think. We don't have to go plant cotton, pick it, spin it, weave it, and then sew it. But what about looking for the best bargains to fit our budget?

And to help one of you out (and entertain in the bargain)...

That's right! I'm giving it away! Not my copy. Are you kidding?! That book's a keeper. I might need to re-read it someday. No, you'll get your very own copy, brand-new from me. Here's how:

Leave me a comment telling me what verse in Proverbs 31 you believe is the hardest for you to achieve. Which characteristic of that woman, do you find personally challenging to you? To get it started I'll tell you mine.

Proverbs 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

Yep, that's right. I would much rather sleep in than get up. Definitely a night owl over here. In fact, it's just been in the last year that I've risen to the challenge of getting up with an alarm. (pun intended) It's been hard, but I'm trying. That's not the only one I need to work on, but I figure to keep it short. No need to go over the whole chapter. :)

So leave me a comment by midnight tomorrow night (that's Wednesday) with your particularly challenging verse. I will draw randomly and announce the winner Thursday. Also, let me know which one you would rather have. The original or the one with devotional and study material added.


Until next time...

Help!!

The month of May is super busy for me. I need your help. I have 6 birthdays and 1 gradauation. Thankfully they are pretty spread out. The dilemma is that 5 of the birthdays are of the male persuasion. What do you get a man/boy for his birthday? When it comes to my sons, no problem. I know what they want. Another toy. My brother? I have no idea. My dad? Same. Two male cousins? Nada. Zip. The female cousin and the graduate are female. I can manage something for them. So, for those of you out there that know what the guys want for a birthday present - please, please, please tell me! Should I go with an actual gift? A gift card? The good-for-any-occasion money gift? Actually, since I have so many cousins I'm just sticking with cards for them. So all I really need are ideas for my brother and dad. And to make this even easier - my dad and I aren't really close, so it doesn't have to be spectacularly personal or anything. Hey, maybe I'll just get him a card. *sigh* See? I have no idea!! HELP!!!


Until next time...

And the winner is...

...drumroll please...

Ebie!! Congratulations!!

Ebie said...

oh it's been a while since i read lori wick - great giveaway!

Ebie will be receiving this:

So, Ebie, I'll be sending you an email requesting your mailing information.

To everyone, thanks for participating. Check back periodically for another giveaway. This particular giveaway was part of the Spring Giveaway Carnival from Heaven Homemakers. But I've already got a few ideas for some more giveaways. I'm really getting into this! :)

Until next time...

Dessert Friday - Pecan Pie

Today is Dessert Friday. Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates hosts this every Friday. The first Friday of the month is Dessert Friday, the others are Chocolate Friday. A pretty fair balance I guess. :)

So is there any dessert that I like that doesn't have chocolate in it? You betcha! I love a good ole Southern Pecan Pie! The only problem is - I can't make one. *gasp* Yes, you read that right. My favorite pie and I can't even make it. Now that presents itself as a challenge. I am determined to make a good pecan pie. My grandma can. I love her pies. Alas, I live too far away for a impromptu class on pecan pie making with her. The best I can do is follow a recipe. So here's what I'm going to do. I am going to find a recipe and try it. If it doesn't quite meet up with my expectations, I'll have to find another one. Ah, the trials of finding a good dessert. ;)


So how about you? Do you have a dessert that you like and it doesn't have chocolate in it? Well, if not, that's ok too. You can still play along. Go visit Lisa and find some more recipes. Chocolate or not, they've got to be good!

Oh and do you want to win some chocolate? This is the last day for my giveaway, so go here and enter before noon.

Until next time...