Menu Planning Monday, Some Fun Sites and More!

Hello, Friends,

Welcome to Menu Planning Monday, as well as other things, and, no, I'm not serving pussycats. However, I thought you might like to start out the week with a cozy picture of sleeping toms. They have claimed their usual place, the foot of my bed, and are down for the count! Awww, they make my heart go "thump-thump!"

I have a number of things to show you and talk to you about today. But first, for those of you who are visiting here from Laura's I'm An Organizing Junkie blog for Menu Planning Monday, following is my menu for the week, with accompanying links...

Monday - Firecracker Chicken, slaw and french bread (I was suppose to have this last week, but things changed.

Tuesday - Beef Stew, Green Beans and Rolls

Wednesday- Pinto Beans, Whole Wheat Cornbread, and Salad

Thursday - Granny's Chicken Soup, Whole Wheat Bread and

Friday -Veggie Stir-Fry and Rice, with Fruit Salad

Saturday - Leftovers!!!!

So, if you are on the run, you can stop here, or read on, if you like...
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Oooh, I just found the most wonderful links. They were first advertised on my friend Dawn's blog, The Feathered Nest. The links are for a blog called Care to Bead and the Etsy is Vintage Inspired Jewelry. I have to say that Kathi, the owner of this blog and Etsy shop, makes the prettiest earrings that I have ever seen. They are so pretty and whimsical, you must check them out. Here is just a sample of what she creates...Aren't they lovely? The prices are incredibly reasonable and I am sure at some point (such as when my husband is bringing home regular checks again) I will be a customer.
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Next, I want to thank all of you who kindly prayed and supported us with your thoughts these last few months because of my husband's unemployment situation. Mark was hired on Friday and begins his new job as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a smallish local company that specializes in personal coaching. Three years ago I would have jumped up and down to get this job, because our commission structure is excellent. But the greater economy has me worried for the future of anyone's job. So, I am thankful and grateful, but very sober about where our money will be going when we get paid - into our savings account!

Thank you again for all who prayed for us.

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Well, lovely ladies, I think I will close here (children are after me and I must go and be a mama). Stop-by tomorrow evening, because I should have my Giveaway posted.

God bless until then!
Elizabeth

Happy Sabbath

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with our friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows . . . May we cherish those we hold dear, and express our love to them in word and deed." —Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints

Ham and Cheese Bowties

Well, I promised you a recipe and here goes. Here is something you can do with leftover ham...

8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese
4 ounces cooked ham, julienned
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Add ham to pasta.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth.

Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.
Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Looking back on how I made this, I think that adding some green onions to this would make it look pretty and also more tasty.

Let me know what you think, if you use this recipe.

Love,
Elizabeth (who is praying Mark will be hired where he is currently interviewing - prayer, please!)

Some New Years Fun and A Sweet Boy's Poetry

Dear Friends,

It is frigid cold where we are. It takes my breath away when I step outside. There is much snow on the ground, too, and clumsy me has almost fallen a number of times on the ice. Ahh, the winter months. They are snow-laden and pretty, but, boy, getting around in them is an experience!

I was going to share a recipe today of the menu we had last night. But, instead, we had a lovely surprise...A friend gifted us with a meal of sweet & sour chicken (it was delicious!) and so I didn't cook. Imagine that?

After our wonderful meal, last night, we had a special family time, where we sat around the table and wrote on gold, paper stars I had cut out, some of our wishes for the New Year...My husband is wishing for his own guitar, this year, and to write and sing his music (he goes to open-mike nights at a place in Salt Lake City); Sarah is wishing to make a CD of the songs she's written and to move downstairs to a bigger bedroom; Robert is wishing for a trip to Disneyland (my girlfriend, an employee there, gets us in for free); I am wishing for a trip home to NC and VA (I still have my tickets from last year). All fun, do-able goals.

After our family time, Robert gave me a late Christmas gift - a calendar he put together at school with original poems he wrote, one for each month. Here are a few of my favorites:

There once was a little Kitten.
He loved to wear his mittens.
But one day he saw one
of his pretty mittens was gone.
Then he cried where he was sittin'.

Isn't that cute???? Here's another one, my favorite:

My mom is really cool,
And she likes to play "Life" with me.
She is the best cooker ever,
And she always likes to read with me.

Every night we read
to each other
And tell something we like
About the page or chapter.

Sometimes we play "Monopoly";
We go out and swing.
She loves to right (sic) on her blog,
And she loves telling.

Sometimes she tells stories
About her cats that she used to have
And her childhood
And all her life keys.

Sometimes I tell her what I like.
She enjoys going on a walk
And with people
She likes to talk.

Awwww! What a sweet boy!!

I promise some recipes tonight and more!

Love,
Elizabeth

Menu Planning Monday and a Wonderful Give-Away

One of my immediate goals for the New Year is to do my menu-planning every week, so that I am careful to stay within a good budget, I can use what I have on hand and also rotate my food storage items (more about that in a later post).

So, here is what the feasting will be this week...

Monday Turkey/Veggie Soup, homemade bread

Tursday Ham and Bow-Tie Pasta, Salad

Wednesday Meatloaf (meat and lentils), with mashed garlic potatoes, roasted garlic, lemon broccoli

Thursday Peanut Noodles and Veggie Stir-Fry

Friday Firecracker Chicken, rice and slaw

Saturday Tacos, beans, rice and salad


I will be posting my recipes everyday, so check back (as well as talking about many subjects this week).


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My friend Beth, at Aunties with Advice , is advertising a Give-Away. It goes like this:

EACH of you can win a FREE signed 8x10 print of your choice (out of the three prints), by copying and posting to your blog or website this whole post about his work! After you post then send an e-mail to David (contact@bowman-art.com) with your website or blog address telling him you posted it and that you read about this offer on my blog. Also send him your name and mailing address and he will send your signed 8x10 print of your choice :)
David Bowman: has had a passion for art ever since he could pick up a pencil. He loves creating images of the Savior that inspire and uplift. Along with his Christian fine art, David has also written and illustrated a series of scripture storybooks for children titled "Who's Your Hero".
Check out his website at www.bowman-art.com to see more of his precious art.

"Innocence" The Savior tells us we need to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. I've often wondered what it is about little children Jesus loves most, and I think its their innocence. They are clean slates, seeing the world and others through untarnished eyes. Their hearts are pure, without the baggage of cynicism and self-doubt. In this piece, I've tried to imagine how a child would act upon meeting the Master for the first time. Without reservation or inhibition, I think he would simply want to play with Him. He would be at complete ease, allowing his pure little heart to soak in the love and laughter of His pure, infinite heart. Its no wonder Christ delights in these little ones and sets them up to be our examples.
"Security" One of the greatest human needs is a sense of security. In all aspects of life, we naturally gravitate towards anything that makes us feel safe. In this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of complete peace and calm like only the Savior can provide. It's a security that allows us to rest assured, without fear or worry, when we put ourselves trustingly in His arms. Little children have that inherent kind of trust in their parents, so it's fitting that the man and girl who modeled for "Security" are actually father and daughter. They generated the exact feel I was looking for.

"My Child" This piece conveys an intimate, up-close-and-personal feeling of the Savior's love. Notice how all the lines draw your attention and point towards Jesus' face in the center. I chose the name "My Child" because the only thing that could compare (even remotely) to Christ's compassion for us is the love of a parent for his/her child. This image is also intended to put things in perspective. Above all, we are God's children first. He allows us the privilege of experiencing parenthood for ourselves and we are entrusted to be the mothers and fathers of His children here on earth.

This wonderful offer will end on Monday Jan 5th at noon!

Thanks Shauna for providing this opportunity for us and David for your wonderful generosity.

contact@bowman-art.com, & give him your blog address so he knows you posted to get your free art print.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

Love,
Elizabeth

One life and one alone we have to live
Upon this earth.
One life in which to learn so much –to
Seek and find and prove your worth.
So many dreams there are to dream —
So many things to know and do.
So many rosy peaks to climb —
So many pathways to pursue.

So waste no time on fruitless quests that
Get you nowhere in the end.
The God of Time is yours to squander or
With care, to use and spend.
It’s folly to postpone good deeds. "Tomorrow
Never comes," they say.
The future belongs to God. Your only chance
Is now –TODAY. ~ UNKNOWN
Love,
Elizabeth

Looking Backward and Forward!

Ruth over at Visions and Revisions has a wonderful post about Looking Backward and Forward at the New Year. I thought that I would join her with a similar post...

Goals for 2008

Well, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't really write any out last year...I can't remember what was on my mind a year ago...I know that I really wanted to make a trip out to NC/VA and even had tickets for it, but having me out at that time became very inconvenient (l.o.n.g. story) for my family and so we had to cancel plans...Then, my beautiful friend, Melissa, passed away and I never got to visit with her. That was terribly disappointing. On the other hand, I feel like I grew a lot spiritually last year. There are things that had disturbed me in my early life about which I feel the Lord helped me to have a better understanding. I am grateful for these insights, because they have brought me greater peace.

Goals for 2009

Physically
Ugh! I need to start getting regular exercise. I need to start getting regular exercise. I need to start getting regular exercise!!!

My strong goal is to get one hour of aerobic exercise five times a week, with upper body strengthening every other day! I use to be sooo good at doing that and in the recent last two to three years, it's been awful and, believe me, I'm not nearly in as good condition.

This past year I gave up drinking soda...Ugh, that took me FOREVER to do that. Now, I want to go back to eating only healthy foods: more whole grains, fruits and veggies!

I also want to be treated by my friend, Kathy, who practices plant/spirit medicine. It is alternative medicine and I know someone who has been helped greatly by this technique and so I'd like to give it a try.

Financially
Well, we are still out of work, with some possibilities for the first of the year. However, this year, I am determined to re-build a financial cushion underneath us, begin paying off debt (it is all health-related for us), and re-build my food storage. In these troubled times, I cannot stress enough how important I think it is to be as self-sufficient as possible. For me, that means storing food, health-related items, and even water, in case of emergencies. In case this may sound extreme, I must say that we have lived off of a great deal of our storage during our period of unemployment. How wonderful to have personal items, like contact lens solution, moisturizer, etc., already on hand, when money is tight. That's not to mention having some favorite foods that we wouldn't normally be able to afford now. Also, I live in an earthquake zone - and we are overdue for a major one...I have lived through natural disasters before and that taught me to always be prepared for them.

Gifts/Talents
I would like to expand on my blog. Do more writing and also add video about various topics I'm contemplating or...making. I would like to craft more. Make more gifts by hand. Beautify my home.

Read even more.

Personal
I pray to be able to make my long-awaited trip to NC/VA. I want to visit Melissa's family. Spend time with my sister. Go to White Lake, the area of NC that my family settled and all my local relatives. See my "NC mother", Holly Holland and her family. Visit my god-daughter, Rebecca.

Another trip to CA to visit my mother-in-law and husband's siblings would be great. I also have an adopted "Dad", Robert Braithewaite (my son Robert is named after him), whom I would like to see.

I need to write more letters to loved ones. Connect more...

Spiritually
I would like to grow my relationship with the Lord more, through more focused prayer, contemplative time and much more concentrated study of the scriptures. My spiritual habits have become a little distracted and sloppy. I am feeling the need to do better.
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Well, these are just some of the areas in which I'd like to make an improvements.

What are some of your goals as you look forward to this New Year? If you post about them, leave me a comment and I would love to come read them.

Love,
Elizabeth

More Holiday Fun

Friends,

I know that for many of you Christmas is over...Well, call me sentimental, but I'm still enjoying myself in the Season. Last night, we got together with two other families and went downtown to see the Christmas lights at historic Temple Square.

I wish my pictures were better, but I'm still figuring out nighttime picture-taking.

Here is the famous Salt Lake City LDS Temple.
I wish that I had done a better job of capturing this beautiful nativity. It was out in the middle of a huge fountain pool, with the Temple as a background, but I couldn't get all that in...
Here is my Sarah and her sweet friend, Mary (and Jackie, the dog)...
My Robert is here, clowning around with his friend, Brendan...
More lights and nativity statues...


Here are my dear friend, Sue and her daughter, Mary...
...and sweet Jack...
We had a really fun time together...We will be gathering on New Years day to eat and play fun games and enjoy each other's company.

I hope you are all still enjoying the holidays.

God bless,
Elizabeth