Wordless Wednesday: Creation

Psalm 97

¹ The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
   let the distant shores rejoice.
² Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
   righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
³ Fire goes before him
   and consumes his foes on every side.
⁴ His lightning lights up the world;
   the earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
   before the Lord of all the earth.
⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
   and all peoples see his glory.

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Wordless Wednesday @ Beautiful Mess 
Wordless Wednesday @ Ramble Road
Wordless Wednesday @ Michelle's Journal

A Big Love Affair

Top 10 Reasons to drive a Suburban.

1. We camp.  Have you ever gone to Colorado or Yellowstone in a car with 8 passengers and their stuff?  Trust me a car would explode and so would I.
2. 4 kids, 1 dog & a daddy who likes to be prepared for ANYTHING!  Can you say Boy Scout?
3. I am short—I like to be able see what is coming.
4. The kids like looking down on cars & making faces.
5. Leg room.  I tried folding myself Into the back seat of a car the other day.  Wow how do you do that?
6. Teenage drivers.  Your teen will not only be safe if he/she drives as Suburban but will be intimidated by parallel parking.  Therefore delaying the drivers test.(Evil laugh)
7. I like telling the kids go get in the ‘Burban(not Bourbon).
8. A large car balances the number of bikes we attach to the back—makes it SO much fun to park at Wal-mart.
9. The seats are really just couches.  Very comfy for long drives.  Did I mention Yellowstone?
10. It is good for my self-confidence.  All the little cars just seem to get out of the way when I switch lanes.  I must be someone important.

I am thankful our old Suburban passed inspection today without any needed repairs.

Linking up at oh Amanda for Top 10 Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday: Happy Honey Wheat Bread

Do you have recipes in strange places?  Our bread recipe is on a sticky note that lives with our emergency phone numbers inside a cabinet.  Why is it there?  No one really knows. 

One of the first things my kids learn in the kitchen is how to make bread.  Everyone should know how to make bread.  One of my children made the above happy loaf of bread.   No one really knows who took the photo though.  Hmmmm

We cheat though.  My bread maker does all the work.  I don’t bake it in the machine.  It goes in my stoneware loaf pan & into the oven.

Confession.  I LOVE fresh baked bread.  As soon as it is cool enough I take it out of the pan & slice off the end.

Slather with butter & sprinkle cinnamon and sugar or Apple Butter.  Ahhhh.

Now that you are drooling over my bread.  Here is the recipe we’ve used for years.  It came with bread machine #1 that we no longer have—It wore out.

I know what I am making first thing this morning!

Honey Wheat Bread

1.5 cups HOT water
2 cups bread flour
2.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Butter—cut in to small pieces
2.5 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in the bread pan in order.  This makes a 2 pound loaf.

This post is linked up at 
Beauty & Bedlam
Tempt My Tummy  @ Blessed with Grace
Tuesday Twister @ Gnowflins
Tasty Tuesday @ Beautiful Mess
Hearth & Soul Hop  @ Moderate Life

Money saving Monday! Homemade Cocoa mix

My youngest LOVES hot cocoa.  We all like it and drink it in the winter a bunch but Joshua could live on it.  When he was 2 or 3(sippy cup stage) he would get a cup while I was fixing breakfast and then beg for more at breakfast.
Luckily my mother in law shared her recipe for homemade cocoa mix.  Elizabeth made the first batch up a couple of weeks ago.  She did a masterful job & when it gets cold out this week we will be ready!

We like this recipe so much more and it is great for a big family like ours.  I haven’t done a cost bread down but it is way cheaper than the mixes you can buy in the packets.  So get your kids in the kitchen and make up some cocoa mix!
Grandma’s Hot Cocoa Mix
10 cups dry powdered milk—we use 1-8 qt box from Aldi’s
4 1/2 cups creamer—we use a 16 oz jar from Aldi’s
1 lb Quik chocolate milk mix
1 lb powdered sugar
Mix well & place in dry sealed containers.  Head a mug of water & mix in 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of the mix.  Add marshmallows & enjoy!

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Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairytale

Tangling with a Cow (or A Lucky Old Man)

This morning started with smell of turkey.  I popped our turkey in the crock pot last night.  It was done this morning & ready for our dinner after church.
Got everyone to church even though my love wasn’t feeling the best.
Went to leave & had lost my keys—frustrating! But it worked out that I got 15 minutes alone with my oldest as he ran me home.  Sweet time to just talk.
Then things went south.
My Grandpa showed up with my aunts on their way to the hospital.  They were at my house to pick up my mom who would be skipping our turkey dinner to spend time waiting on a CAT scan and x-rays.  My grandpa is still a cattle farmer—he’s in his 80s and probably will never stop. 

He is 5 foot tall and 100 lbs soaking wet.  So yesterday when he and cow had a discussion in the barn she won. 

He had a black eye & lots of bruises.  Thankfully after he was checked out they said be more careful & you will be REALLY sore for a few days.  I am so thankful that he wasn’t hurt in any way. 

Love you Grandpa.

Linked up at http://heavenlyhomemakers.com for Gratituesday