My Roller Skate Key

My  Roller Skate Key
Opens skates
Opens side-walks to worlds
Opens imagination to a generous childhood

I love funny scarecrow twins in our garden rows
I love hot or cold in my thermos
I love my silent broom sweeper while they sleep
I love dust mops and dusters
I love vinegar, peroxide, and baking soda for cleaning 
I love my treadle sewing machine making shirts
I love rakes in fall and shovels in winter
I love my bike with no gears 
I love to "skate" on wet leaves on shoes no skates unraked sidewalks 
I love two tin cans a piece of string between two houses filled with children
I love paper and quill pen for the lost art of letter writing
I love sweet cards my daughters and sons make with scissors
I love term papers written on a manual typewriter 
I love beans opened with a hand can opener 
I love cornbread cooked in a cast iron skillet
I love candles at night with no other lights on

My roller skate key opens more worlds than a computer password
Technology can't improve on imagination

2 Soups Thursday

Two Soups to make tomorrow on Thursday, this will give you time to purchase ingredients. :) I make two soups every Thursday which gives family members a choice of which one to eat for a meal or snack.
1. Charles Sumner Pumpkin Soup 2. Italian Tomato Rice Soup (easy). Hey, this week they are both easy and you know who Charles Sumner is, right? He helped to write up the papers to buy the Alaska territory for the United States from Russia.

 

Soup #1  Charles Sumner Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped (optional) or some dried onion flakes
1 lb. fresh uncooked pumpkin meat or 1 – 16 oz. pumpkin, canned
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt, optional
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream, not sweet

Preparation:

1.  In a large slow cooker, place all ingredients.
2.  Cook for about 6 hours on low with cover on.
3.  Discard bay leaf. Cool slightly.
4.  In a blender or food processor, process soup in batches until smooth.
5.  Return to slow cooker and add 1/2 cup whipping cream (not sweet).
6.  Heat up again for one hour in slow cooker.
7.  To serve, garnish each bowl of soup with a sprig of fresh parsley.

Soup #2  Italian Tomato Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1  36 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked

Preparation:

1.  Empty contents of spaghetti sauce into crockpot with 1/2 cup rice.
2.  Simmer 6 hours in crockpot on low with cover on.
3.  Serve with cut provolone cheese and Italian croutons.

Make your week work better with Cheryl's Cookbook.  Cheryl not only gives you recipes, but your whole menu with two slow cookers going.  Lots of soup recipes included.  Perfect Christmas gift for everyone on your list. Click here

Who Can Take Mom Seriously when She Blurts Out...

Manipulative, absurd, and impulsive statements.   It's hard to take mom seriously, when she makes these kinds of promises (threats)...

If you don’t finish your essay for English class…
1. I’m going to post your unfinished assignment on an expressway billboard where there’s lots of traffic.  

2.  You will be grounded for the rest of your life.
3.  You will have to deal with Dad when he gets home from work!

If you don't eat your vegetatbles...
1. The starving people in the world will be very angry at you!
2. You'll eat it for breakfast.
3. Your other food won’t dissolve in your stomach for six years.

If you don't clean your room...
1. I am going to clean it myself and then you’ll feel bad.
2. I will take the batteries out of your transistor radio.

3. I’m going to give all your stuff to someone who will appreciate it.

If you don't do your homework…
1.   You'll flunk and then you'll go through the rest of school with your next youngest sibling.

2.  I'll do the homework for you.
3.  I’m going to ask the principal to put this on your permanent record.

If you don’t play with your little sister…
1.  I’ll make sure you don’t see your friends until you are 60.

2.  Spacebook, My Face, you are off all of it.

3.  I will personally tell Santa Claus and not spare any details.

If you don't clean your plate...
1.  What will people think.

2.  They won’t name a NFL team after you.

3.   I hear the bubonic plague is making a come back.

Cheryl's Bestselling Alaskan Cookbook FREE Until Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Dear friends,

We would love for you to connect with us and not miss any of our articles, news, events, or latest products!

Until Wednesday, October 31, you can receive a free PDF file copy of Cheryl's
whole Alaskan Cookbook for signing up for one or all of our website email news. 

Let me know by email by sending your email address to momlaughs@gmail.com.
Let me know if you want to be on momlaughs.blogspot.com, writingmentor.blogspot.com, and/or forkeepsministries.com.  I will put you on one, two or all of them, but you have to be very
specific as to what you want.

To show you our deep appreciation for following us, we will send you by email our 60 page first
cookbook Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook by Cheryl Moeller by email as a PDF file.
It's brimming with all sorts of creative recipes and ideas for birthday parties or banquets.
Basically, it's a must have.  Light a candle, brew some tea, and cozy up to read this delectable
cookbook, written by the author also of Creative Slow Cooker Meals.

Here's some more information about the cookbook for you to check out before you send us your email for a free PDF file of the whole cookbook.

Thanks so much,

Cheryl Moeller, Momlaughs
www.momlaughs.blogspot.com
www.writingmentor.blogspot.com
www.forkeepsministries.com

Buy my New Cookbook! Creative Slow-Cooker Meals by Cheryl Moeller

Please consider my new cookbook now that the weather is changing, perfect for slow cooker meals.

A cookbook is a lot of hard work, but I would not have traded the experience!

It brought my whole life together in a wonderful way. Click here to see sample pages and buy!

Two Soups Thursday

Two Soups in Two Slow Cookers: same theme; one creamy and one not

Remember rice expands x4 in expansion when cooked so stick to the measurements.


We try to publish the two soup recipes early in the week, so you have time to shop for Thursday.


1.  Creamy Chicken Rice Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon onion flakes
1 large carrot, chopped very small
2 celery ribs, chopped very small
1 teaspoon garlic powder
60 oz. chicken broth (you may need to add a little more later or the next day)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, optional, depending on type of chicken broth used
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped small
1 1/2 cups fat free evaporated milk

Preparation:

1.  Melt one stick of margarine or butter on low.  Don't burn.
2.  Add the flour.  Don't burn.
3.  Stir well.
4.  Add the veggies and everything else, except evaporated milk.
5.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low in crockpot.
6.  Add evaporated milk and and cover crockpot again.
7.  Heat up for about one more hour.

2.  Chicken Rice Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon onion flakes
1 large carrot, chopped very small
2 celery ribs, chopped very small
1 teaspoon garlic powder
60 oz. chicken broth (you may need to add a little more later or the next day)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, optional, depending on type of chicken broth used
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped small

Preparation:

1.  Add the veggies and everything else to the slow cooker.
2.  Stir well.
3.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low in crockpot.

2 Soups Thursday

1. Simple Carrot Top Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. carrots, sliced

1 tsp. pure maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
*optional add a touch of  butter or walnut oil to taste

Preparation:

1. Put the carrots, butter, stock, and the maple syrup in the crockpot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook 6 hours on low.
2. Pour into a blender container in batches and carefully puree.  Best served hot with a sprinkle of ground ginger.  

2.  Simple Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 long carrot, chopped
2. 1 long celery stalk, chopped
3. 1 1/2 cups dry lentils
4. 6 - 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Instructions:

1.  Add lentils, carrots, celery to 6 cups boiling broth in the crockpot. 
2.  Cook for 6-7 hours on low. 

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Two Soups Thursday

1.  Chicken Pot Pie Comfort Soup with Pie Crust Crackers

This is a great slow cooker soup to put on in the morning.  Play or work all day and come home to a comfort meal with a to-die-for aroma.  Make the Pie Crust Crackers quickly right before supper.

Ingredients:
 
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
2 cups fresh mini-baby carrots
2 cups frozen or fresh green peas (sometimes I substitute 2 cups celery, chopped)
3 cups tiny petite red potatoes with skin left on, washed and cut in half
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup evaporated milk or cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground pepper
Refrigerated pie crust that you roll out

Preparation for the Soup:

1.  In a crock pot, melt the stick of margarine or butter.
2.  Sprinkle the flour on the melted butter and stir around for five minutes until thickening starts.
3.  Place all the rest of the ingredients in except for milk/cream and pie crust.
4.  Stir well.
5.  Place crock pot cover on and cook for 4 hours on low or 7-8 hours on high.

6.  Add the cream and stir well and cook one hour more, before serving.

Preparation for the Pie Crust Crackers: 

1.  Preheat oven to 375. 
2.  Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
3.  Roll out the pie dough and cut into small pie shaped pieces, maybe 12 of them.
4.  Variation might be to sprinkle with a touch of sea salt or celery salt.
5.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
6.  These are your "crackers" for your soup.

2.  It's Too Easy Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
2 15-ounce cans black beans,drained (sometimes I use the juice also)
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup prepared salsa


Preparation for Soup:
1.  Put everything into the slow cooker, except the corn or flour tortillas
2.  Stir well.
3.  Cover your slow cooker.
4.  Cook on high for three hours or low for six hours.
5.  Serve with cut fresh limes to squeeze into your soup.


Preparation for Tortilla Crackers:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.
2.  Cut several corn or flour tortillas into 8 pie shaped pieces.
3.  Lay on parchment paper on cookie sheet.
4.  Bake for 15 minutes, watching closely. 
5.  These are the "crackers" for your bean soup.



Cheryl's Cookbooks feature many great recipes including soups

                                                                        Buy Now!

                                                                        Buy Now!

Two of my Friend's Posts that Made Me Laugh

 

10 Lamest Compliments I've Ever Received

Goofy Dinner Night

Both posts are from Kate Hall's blog.  Read and Enjoy

10 Ways to Deeper Intimacy with God, your Hubby & your Kids

By Cheryl Moeller

 

If you are too busy to do these some of the 10 Ways to Intimacy, then you are too busy.

1.  Read out loud to your kids.  First of all the Bible.  Let them hear your voice and daddy’s voice.  Missionary’s biographies, stories of great Christians, and stories with characters of strong character.  Memorize long portions of Scripture over a year’s time.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

2.  A. Make a homemade sauna in your bathroom (shut the bathroom door and windows and turn the water on with no plug in the tub, the hottest possible which now make you stay in there at all times with the hot water running) and all sit on the floor on towels to bond in your PJs or swimming suits. 
B. Old slow life down southern tradition.  Draw a bath for a child.  Mom sits on the floor on a towel and talk.  Talk a whole lot less and let them talk.  Tell a short story from your childhood.
“that He will never leave us or forsake us.” Hebrews 13:5

3.  Family Traditions that don’t cost you any money.  Example:  Wrap all your ornaments after Christmas, so when you open the Christmas decoration boxes, you unwrap each ornament and oooou and aaaaa.
”For God hat not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Tim 1:7

4.  No more Herd Mentality.  Your children are not a herd; every hour cannot be spent as a herd group.  You don’t have to go places that cost money.  Once a month one-on-one with each child.

Examples:
One-on-one with first child with dad.  One-on-one with first child with mom.  One-on-one with first child, dad, and mom.
One-on-one with second child with dad.  One-on-one with second child with mom.  One-on-one with second child, dad, and mom.
” I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever for their own good and the good of their children after them.”  Jeremiah 32:39

5.  Your Church is a Steak and Lobster Fest – What a wonderful church in a wonderful place.  My advice to you – Be the church want to attend.  To your child, your complaining about your church on the phone, in front of them, to others including your husband is like your complaining in front of them about God.  They can’t separate out the difference and is there a difference?
”And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18

6. 10 times a day give a hug and/or kiss to your husband and kids.
“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”
Psalm 85:9-11

7. Two pictures of each child on their bed stand  A. I am loved – picture of each child with a picture of their family. For the purpose of included/belonging, intimacy, and being loved.  B.  I am capable – picture of each child with soccer ball or chef’s hat or in a swimming suit. 
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

8.  Decide today that you can’t have it all. Time is the new wealth. We didn’t want to end up relationship poor.  Life does not consist in the abundance of things. 
How do you find contentment?  All it will cost you is your misery.
”For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors.” 1 Peter 1:18

9.  Be the over the top parent where it really matters. 
”I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” Psalm 119:125

10.  Prayer makes our home a house of God.  Your home can be Bethel – the House of God. Makes your marriage solid, which is the greatest gift you can give your children.
“Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
”So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³ Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” Genesis 35:1-3
           

Can you change your world, your home, your mothering in one hour?  Yes you can!
What are some steps I can do today to change my chaotic life?
Why are you busy? What are you busy with? 
 Are you a victim of your own success? Are you a victim of peer pressure?
Are you the adult?
Are you good at making excuses? Are you hopeless, helpless? 
Are you making the Error of Fatalism (a pagan religion)?

Get a new calendar and put in God, family, church, church related activities including family outreach, family time 5x a week /nesting/all family members home all together (not on the phone or texting.)
Schedule mama papa date. Schedule mama papa intimacy.
Schedule free time.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2

Cheryl Moeller copyright 2012, cherylmoeller@comcast.net, momlaughs.blogspot.com forkeepsministries.com writingmentor.blogspot.com 

I would love to come and do stand up comedy for moms and a challenge to moms guarding against busyness. cherylmoeller@comcast.net

Kids that can and will Answer God's Call

I wish I would have been more self protective when it came to mothering, meaning saving my kids for myself.

Oh no, not me.

I told my kids
- the safest place to be is the center of God's will.
- maybe God wanted them to go where others would not go or could not go.
- their gifts were God's to use, not mine or their's.
- although they mean the world to me, I could make it without them (albeit for small periods of time. :)
- even if they were afraid, that God would be with them.
- God was bigger than their fears or mine.
- I would always be there for them even if I wasn't with them.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

 So, now the three oldest are in U.K., CA, and going to Afgan.

I wish I would have been more self protective when it came to mothering, meaning saving my kids for myself on a human level, but from heaven's point of view....

I pray
- our kids will become more and more like Jesus every day no matter where that takes them.
- our kids will have the courage to do God's will.
- our kids won't take the safe way, but instead God's way because that is the safe way.

                                                                     Our Six Kids

Ten Reasons Why a Mom Should Be President

It seems like no sooner does one Presidential campaign end than another gets underway. Yet, if we are really to solve our nation’s problems perhaps we should turn to one person who can provide the real answers in times of crises --- Mom. So what would happen if Mom was elected President? Well for starters…

1. Her presidential cabinet would be reorganized to consist of experts who could find shoes that fit (Department of the Insole), make microwave dinners taste homemade (Department of Homeland Mac and Cheese), and get ketchup stains out of clothes (Department of Clorox Security).

2. She would instantly command the respect of world leaders by demonstrating her multitasking abilities – negotiating a nuclear arms treaty while doing her child’s math and simultaneously rescheduling the next visit to the orthodontist.

3. All presidential limos will be replaced with bullet-proof minivans equipped with DVD players and yogurt cup holders.

4. Everyone in the nation will receive a “McDonald’s Happy Meal©” tax credit. (An additional stimulus package consisting of one Filet-O-Fish© and McFlurry© per family will be presented to Congress.)

5. Her first one hundred days in office will focus on making sure there are no dangerous electrical outlets in the West Wing.

6. The Presidential Seal with the eagle brandishing arrows will be replaced with a picture of the Gerber Baby© waving a Sippy Cup.

7. Her first choice in a vice-president will be a reliable baby sitter.

8. She will encourage Supreme Court Justices to form a choir since they already all wear those nice matching black robes.

9. The leaders of the G7 nations will be forced to play a game of soccer on the front lawn of the White House. If they can learn to play as a team they will all get juice boxes and a granola bars at the end of the game (warning: two yellow cards and you get sent home).

10. After the first 100 Days Alvin and the Chipmunks© will deliver a command performance at the White House.