A Family Thanksgiving

We started cooking on Wednesday for our 2 day event.....

The Family Thanksgiving/Reunion

Among the many dishes Britni and I made (11 sides plus a turkey and a ham) Abi made "Pilgrim Hat" cookies all by herself! (thank you Pinterest)

Britni did all the table settings- This was what she did for Thursday's dinner

I think she did a great job

Dan's parents and his brother Tim & his wife, Angela,
shared Thanksgiving Day with us.

On Friday  morning we added two six foot
tables on either end of our dining room table
so we could seat everyone Family style!

Dan and 3 of his siblings
(Rick, Tim, Carrie)

And let the feasting begin!!!

Mom & Dad with 4 of their 5 Children
Carrie, Rick, Tim, & Dan

And last but not least 9 of the 12 cousins
(front left) Grace, Abi, Wyatt, Nathaniel
(back left) Ricky, Dillion, Anja, Naomi, & Britni holding the
 1st of the second cousins- Alex

Everyone had such a great time- happy memories made. The day went by so quickly and before we knew it, we were saying good-byes.....

                                                                         .....until next time. 

Abi's New Room

Well after patiently waiting for several coats of paint to dry Abi got her new room!

Drum roll please...........

We hung the quilt Nonna made for her on the door

Purple bunk beds

Toy Shelf

Books and Legos

 Now she can look outside when
 she practices piano

Enough space under the bunk for tea!

She is pleased as punch! (And so is mommy)

Slow Cooker Sunday's

Well... last week came with a flurry of craziness including a trip to the ER so my wonderful husband took me out for a cozy dinner after church therefore....no slow cooker Sunday. This week I needed another quick to put together recipe using what I had on hand so I turned to my favorite low-carb cookbook. Today we enjoyed Carolina Crock Pork. This recipe usually calls for a pork shoulder roast but I used boneless pork ribs today and it was just as delicious. The recipe also instructs you to brown the roast before you put it in the crock-pot, which I usually do, however I didn't know how the ribs would hold up to the browning so I skipped that step. I honestly couldn't tell any difference. When the roast is done it can be shredded and served on your favorite sandwich rolls. Bon Appetit!

 Carolina Crock Pork

1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup tomato paste ( I used a 6 oz. can)
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the pork roast on all sides. Place in a Crock-Pot with remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 5 to 7 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. When done, shred with two forks and serve with Crock-pot juices.

Bathroom Make-over

I don't know about you but when November rolls around I start getting the make-over bug. I love to spruce up the place a bit before we decorate for Christmas. Some years it is just simple organizing or a small change like new curtains or simply rearranging furniture. This year the bug has bitten hard. I decided to start with the bathroom because I actually started changing things a bit last spring. I should have taken before and after shots but I didn't think about that until I finished. (I will do before and after shots of the other rooms when I do them later this week)

before Christmas decor 

another before shot

These are pictures I took a few years back when I made new shower and window curtains to change it for Christmas. The wall color is a light sage green, which I kept, and I white-washed the vanity and medicine cabinet a few years before this picture was taken. (It will give you the basic idea.)

The Reveal....

The Pictures really don't do it justice.The berry vine above the window was my inspiration piece. I purchased the "Berry Vine" shower and window curtains from The Country House last spring. I found the wall cling at an Amish market last summer....His Love Endures Forever...
We added wrought iron hooks in place of towel bars beside the sink and behind the door. 

This is my favorite find. I have been looking for months for something to put towels in. You'll never guess where I found this little retro cabinet...
.......My basement! It was left here by the previous owners when we bought the house 7 years ago. It was behind another cabinet. My husband noticed it and pulled it out. The bottom was a light cream color and was rusty. I sanded it down and we found a spray paint that was the perfect color. The top is agate, which is a perfect complement to the agate shelf I had purchased last year. (It is hanging above) I love the handles!

 I found this little wooden shelf at a yard sale a few weeks ago for $2 and bought it without having a use for it. But for $2 I couldn't pass it up. You can't see it but the stacked boxes on top are actually a lamp that I found at the Christmas Tree Shop on our trip to Lancaster in October. Live. Love. Laugh.









Abi helped me take down the medicine cabinet and in
its place we put up an antique mirror that my mom gave me years ago. I had it in my bathroom at our old house and it has only taken me 6 1/2  years to put it up. The vanity was originally a light oak color which I white washed when we moved in. I matched the color of the gingham in the curtains and painted away. 

I still have some more to do like add some more art work. I think it is so much prettier in person but you'll just have to stop by sometime and see for yourself. 

Next up.....Project Abi's Room......
                                            Stay Tuned!

Slow Cooker Sunday

I really enjoyed the '31 days challenge' that I took part in during the month of October and I didn't want to loose steam, so to speak, and fall behind with my blog postings. I really enjoyed the Five For Fun Series I did a while back so I thought it was time for another one. Introducing....

Slow Cooker Sunday

 Because of our responsibilities at church when we get home everyone is starving and if we haven't planned ahead we wind up going out or ordering in. So in an attempt to have a nice Sunday dinner waiting for us when we get home I am turning to my crock pot. Years ago, I used my crock pot every Sunday but when we combined households with my mom for some reason I got away from it. So for my first week I chose a "go to" recipe that I got from my cousin Angie. 

Easy Salsa Chicken

1 Whole Chicken

3 cups of your favorite salsa

Put the chicken in the crock-pot and pour the salsa over it. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours or until done. 

 That's it. I told you it was easy! The chicken stays so moist and the salsa cooks out to make a wonderfully flavored sauce. We have served it over rice or pasta. Any of your favorite Mexican sides would go nicely or keep it simple and just add a salad. (It tastes like chicken cacciatore without all the work.)  This recipe gets even better. I have made this with a frozen chicken too. I keep a cleaned, whole chicken in the freezer for times when I know I will be out all day and need a quick dinner prep in the morning. Just throw it in the crock-pot frozen, pour over your salsa and cook on high for 6 hours. The sauce is thin but you could thicken it with some cornstarch before you serve it if you desire. I use medium salsa so it's not too spicy for the kids. Enjoy!

{31 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas} Day 31~Last But Not Least

Well it's day 31 and I saved my most valuable tip for last. When I looked back over the years that I felt stressed and overwhelmed through the holidays, I tried to pinpoint what my stress triggers were. Many of them I've shared over the last 30 days. Planning ahead and not procrastinating really seemed to alleviate a great deal of my stress. However in recent years, I realized that I was planning lots of fun things for everyone else. I focused on doing rather than enjoying. I dislike the phrase "me time" because it sounds selfish but I also know that when I have some time to relax and be alone I seem to cope with life a bit better. So I began looking for a few things that I could do to keep me sane through the holidays. Because our schedules can be hectic during December, I make a point of taking a night or an afternoon to go out for coffee with my husband. We usually bring our laptops and go to one of our favorite coffee houses. We have a blast sharing favorite websites and making plans for the future. When you live with a "techie" who has ADHD you need to find ways to connect   that work best for them. I know that it may not seem romantic to be gazing at each other over computer screens or some may feel like "he's not giving you his full attention" but it works for us.  I also try to go out for coffee with a few lady 
friends. Girl time always does wonders for de-stressing.

The past few years I have made a special trip to the library to 
check out a Christmas novel for myself.  Some of my favorites are books by Debbie Macomber. They are fun quick reads usually with a touch of romance. Last year I read 
The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson. It was a  charming Christian fiction book I downloaded for free on my Kindle. Every night I take a cup of cocoa or tea to the comfy chair in my room and spend some time reading. 

Whatever your plans for the Christmas season are, I hope you can use some of the tips I've shared to have a joyful season making precious memories with your loved ones. 

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours as you celebrate the birth of the King of Glory.  

{31 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas} Day 30~A Box of Surprises

So what do you do when you when the kiddos get "bored" over the holidays? One would think that all the new toys and games that they got for Christmas would keep them busy for years. Usually that's not the case in our home. It is amazing how this "boredom" always hits right when I am in the middle of doing something important or when our dinner guests would like to linger over desert and coffee. There is nothing like bored whiny kids to raise my stress level. Enter- A Box of Surprises!! (This tip actually came from my oldest daughter and it is one I am going to use this year). To start this project, fine some type of box with a lid. It could be a small Rubbermaid box or a copy paper box. During the month of November start picking up some small kid friendly craft supplies from the dollar store or your favorite craft store. Include things like coloring books, stickers, markers, foam shapes, construction paper, plaster Christmas ornaments and paints, sun-catchers, etc. You may even have stuff around the house that your kids haven't seen. Simply put the supplies in the box and hide. Now when the boredom hits you are armed and dangerous creative. (The box can even have some new card games or puzzles that your kids have never played with.) Pull out your box and you have ready made fun. Busy kids....happy mom....no stress....it's a good thing.