Never too Old for the First Day of School Picture!!!

Our youngest is growing up so fast......while she will

be a sophomore in high school, our middle will

be a sophomore in college....WOW!

Running right now to find middle daughter and make a picture

like this of her college years!!!

Does Your Cell Phone Fall to the Bottom of Your Purse?

First I have to apologize for the poor picture

quality.

A certain youngest daughter borrowed my point and click

camera and left it at her grandparents' home.

Ok, now on to the important business.

I have a Blackberry Torch.

My very first "smart" phone.

I was so scared I would break the face of it, I

bought an Otterbox.

I broke the Otterbox.

I have not replaced the Otterbox.

Otterbox needs to make a better one or lower

the price.

The Blackeberry Torch has a terrible fallacy.

The lock key on it is very very easily unlocked.

Just trying to push it into a pocket will unlock it.

I do NOT like this at all.

I am sure people do NOT like

getting butt dialed by me.

I know I don't want to risk the data charges should

I accidentally hit the touch screen while

unlocked in my pocket.

I had to come up with a way of keeping track of it in my purse

and also tyring to keep it from getting unlocked in my

bottomless canyon purse.

Quite some time ago, I started clipping my keys

to the straps on my purse.

This kept me from digging and pulling everything out

in a panic even when I KNEW they were in my purse.

You know, that split second thought...."UH OH".

I know it is nerdy, but it works for me.

I use a rock climber thing-a-ma-jig.

So, if I can easily find my keys, why can't I find my cell phone?

I decided to give a cell phone pouch a try.

I can just make it like a key chain and hook

it to my keys.

I didn't want to go get specific material for this

project....I didn't even know if it would turn out.

I had found an old pair of capri's at our LOVE CLOSET.

No one wanted them, so I decided to re-purpose them.

I started by  searching YouTube for any tutorials.

I couldn't get the right key words or there aren't any out there

specifically for this product.

I improvised.

I watched a POUCH tutorial.

I had to make a few adjustments, like adding the little

hanger strap, but it was pretty easy.

I had to use interfacing again.....I had to read

the directions on which side to iron AGAIN...thank

goodness I saved them...or I am sure I would have to YouTube

the instructions...LOL.

After about 1 hour and 45 minutes, I had my

pouch finished.  I tried to take a picture of my

cute pouch holding the cell phone, but.....

like I said earlier....I didn't have my camera

and had to use my phone camera.

It is a little wider than I needed, but it works just fine.

I even added some little Velcro dots to

keep it closed.

I am thinking I could make these like the

Dave Ramsey envelopes complete

with a zipper! 

I hope I've inspired you to try something new.

24 Years Ago Today.......

I was 19.

I was young and in love.

I didn't know what love really was.

I married my high school sweetheart.

I am pretty sure people didn't expect us to last this long.

I remember on my honeymoon, having

a mini-panic attack.

I was repeating to myself....I can just get

a divorce if it doesn't work out.

I made myself sick...literally.

I was sick for our entire honeymoon.

I survived.

We managed to graduate college.

We managed to raise three beautiful girls.

We managed to go against the cultural norm

of divorce.

We've managed to stay married.

I almost feel sorry for those who haven't experienced

a lengthy marriage.

I know I can honestly say, I am truly, madly

deeply in love with my "Carl".

No, our interests aren't the same....he has his

hobbies and I have mine.  We appreciate that

about each other.

It works for us.

We've grown up together....we've been with

each other longer than we were with

our own parents.

We are ready for next year...the big 25!

We are going to just hit the road and check

out some diners, dives and drives!!!

SQUEAL!!!!!

I love you Carl!!!  I really really do!!!

I would say I DO all over again!!!

How to Excercise Goats for Stockshows

Remember JoJo the GOOSE CHASER?

I managed to get a video of his excitement

when it comes to exercising our show goats.

This is not a posh poodle...he would happily

live outside in the barn with the goats.

BEFORE YOU HIT PLAY

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM

AND PAUSE THE MUSIC!

52 NEW RECIPES in 2011 (#4)

Homemade Queso & Tortillas

I have to tell you that the pics are terrible.

I had planned on making chicken enchiladas with

homemade tortillas, but it sort of changed....sort of.

While on allrecipes.com, I found this recipe for QUESO.

Please note:  I made my chicken in the crockpot with mexican

seasonings all day before starting this quest.

Since I had fresh chicken broth, I used it in the queso instead

of water.  I also cut the recipe in 1/2...that cheese

is EXPENSIVE.

 Here are the ingredients for the TORTILLAS.

 4 cups of all purpose flour.

1/8 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup shortening (I used lard)

1 cup lukewarm water w/ 1 1/4 tsp. salt dissolved in it

Mix the flour, baking powder and lard until crumbly. 

 Once it is crumbly, slowly pour in the warm water

and continue to mix with your hand.

It should start making a wetish dough...not

as dry as bread dough.

 Once you get a ball formed, let it rest for 20+ min.

covered with a warm wet towel.

(This is where I started making the QUESO)

 This picture is out of order....but too hard to try to move

it on this post....sorry.

Divide the dough into golf ball size balls.

 Pound the ball flat and then using a rolling pin, begin rolling it

out...ideally, you roll it into a circle.

Ideally, it will be a circle when finished.

Guess what...."ideally" went out the window

with me....they still taste the same!  :P

 Heat a griddle...NO OIL.

Carefully peel up the tortilla dough and place it in the pan.

Let it cook for oh about 15 - 20 seconds and then

flip it over and do another 15 - 20 seconds.

You have to make them enough to figure out how long to cook them.

I cooked mine too long and they were more like chips after they

dried.

Here is my routine:

Roll

Put in pan

While one is in pan, roll another tortilla

1/2 way thru the rolling, turn tortilla in pan

Finish rolling

Take tortilla out of pan

Put new one in the pan

Repeat until finished.

 I used the leftover peppers and onions by

adding them to some chopped up chicken and sauteing them

with a tad bit of butter to put into the enchiladas...or

burritos....I have no idea what they really were.

I used my fancy food processor to make the refried beans.....

I just threw a can of pinto beans in it with 1/4 cup of lard

and hit the pulse button.

I heated on the stove, added salt and pepper.

 I heated the taco chips in the oven at 325 degrees for 10 min.

I topped the enchiladas/burritos with the QUESO.

Topped that with some hot salsa.

Dear husband ate 2 plates of this stuff!

He had to rush out the door and I didn't get a picture

of his "review".

He said he would give it 4 thumbs up if he had 4 thumbs.

 Here is the QUESO.

Cutting the recipe in 1/2 was A LOT of QUESO.

You could easily cut it into 1/4 and have PLENTY.

 The kitchen was a pit!

With practice, this will get quite easy.

From start to finish it took 1 hour and 45 min. to

get the food to the table.

It took another 45 min. to clean the kitchen....GAH!

Will I make it again?

YES!!!

Next time, SOMEONE ELSE will clean the kitchen....

See?  I shaved 45 minutes off that easily!!!

 Regan gave it 2 thumbs up!

She only ate the bean burrito and QUESO.

Homeschool Art @ The Purple Glaze Studio

I know, it looks like a cake.....

but it is a rather large mixing bowl.

A few weeks ago, our church youth group went to

The Purple Glaze Studio to make ceramic crosses to

decorate the wall in the youth room.

 Regan finished her cross and got started on

some dragon goblet.  Of course, she

didn't finish before it was time to leave.....

which meant we would have to make a

return trip to The Purple Glaze Studio.

 Well, if you know me well, you know there

was NO way I was going to just sit and

watch her paint.

I've done this before and was really not that

impressed with how my ceramic piece turned out.

If you don't get EVEN painted layers, they will look

faded in certain areas on the piece.

 The sweet young worker girl showed me EXPLOSION

PAINT.  You just paint 2 coats....it has chunks in it

that will EXPLODE when heated and create

a 60's style effect on the pottery.

 Now THAT excited me enough to want to make an

ASHTRAY.....yah, you heard me right...and ASHTRAY.

No, I do not smoke nor allow anyone to smoke in my house.

I thought it would be way cool to have a 1960s looking ashtray

in my office to

prop my paint brushes on when painting!!!

GREAT IDEA RIGHT????

 Well, that is what I had planned on making when I got there....

until a HUGE bowl kept calling my name......

I think I have a mixing bowl fetish.....

So, I picked up the lonely bowl and picked my paint.

Since my kitchen cabinets are guacamole green,

I choose one that was going to be white with

green specks.

I slapped my two coats of paint on.....

and TAH DAH!!!

 I think it is UH MAZING!!!

This project cost me $25.19....

AND IT ISN'T MADE IN CHINA!!!

 See how I like to keep my bowls at arms reach in the kitchen.

I use mixing bowls all the time.

I just realized that one is actually missing in the picture....

I have a vintage turquoise print one as well.

I know you were worried I wouldn't show Regan's

goblet...well, here yah go!!!  She did an awesome job

on her project and earned an "A".  I'm the

teacher and I can do that!!!

Turkey Hunting.....

 Meet my 3 turkeys!

Regan, Carly and Sydni.

I probably took 15 pictures of this pose....this is the ONLY

picture where all three are somewhat looking in my direction!

 I gave up on open eyes......

 There were some turkeys who actually wanted their pictures taken.....

 This turkey is really hard to capture....she never stops talking.

She also does NOT like having her picture taken....I think

I proved she can take a good picture.

 This is our family portrait....yes, I am the glamour queen on the ground in

the front.  I had to set the timer on the camera and it was a very

very long run to reach the group....

that is as far as I made it before the camera CLICKED.

I was quite impressed I was even in the frame....

Mental Note:  Must. Exercise. More.

 My sister, Julie and her husband, Donald.

I really should put the picture before this...he was

really BITING her face....and that got the

laugh response!

 My mother and step-dad.

I just wanted to see what silly poses I could

get them to do....

It sure wasn't hard...they just jumped on

whatever I said to do.....

We laughed so hard, we might have

let out a little pee in our pants.

 Sister again with her daughter, Laura.

Three generations....almost.

My twin nieces, Cortney and Lindsay.

They are such sweet blessing to this family.

Not just a "gansta" pose.

Laura, on the left, is preggie with baby #1.

Brittany, on the right, is preggie with baby #4.

They are sisters-in-law.

The twin, Lindsay with her husband, Stuart and son, Tristan.

Like I've said before....please don't judge them by their

choice in clothing.  They are family and we will love them

even when they wear such despicable clothing.

My sister, Terri and her husband, Vern.

As you might remember, Terri is the

one I force beg to do the Christmas

parade thing with each year.

I wonder if he even realizes the cougar woman is about to attack....

 The other twin, Cortney and her special guy, Chris.

Such posers.

I must admit, 2010 was an awesome Thanksgiving holiday!

I had a wonderful time laughing, loving and sharing with the families.

Thanks guys for sharing with me!