Linda Gredy's Corn Chowder made in my Slow-Cooker

Linda Gredy's Corn Chowder made in my Slow-Cooker
Ingredients:
24 oz. bag of frozen shoepeg corn
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
6 tsp. sugar
2 Tb. butter
1 quart chicken broth
2 Tb. finely ground fresh black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (at the end)
8 oz. heavy cream (you could possibly use whole milk) (add after it's cooked and then warm up again)
8 oz. whole milk (add after it's cooked and then warm up again)
Directions:
1. Place corn, salt, sugar, butter, chicken broth, and pepper
into your slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low in slow cooker for three hours.
3. Add cream, milk, and cheese; stir well.
4. Cover and cook for an additional hour to warm it up again.

I remember the first time I had corn chowder. I was 35.  Linda Gredy made it and I thought she was so amazing for making something with such simple ingredients taste so good.

Happy People Usually Make Other Happy People or People Happy

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust

Fast Food that is Not Fast Food

8  Ten Minute Inexpensive Quick Healthy Meals for 1-4 Hungry Appetites

1.  Pasta Party.  1/2 lb Whole wheat pasta cooked and mixed with garlic powder, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar.  Mix well and add two cups broc (cooked or raw).

2.  Trail and Rice Mix.  1 box mix of white and wild rice (cooked) and 3/4 cup trail mix with raisins and nuts (without choc chips or chocolate candies) mixed in.  Serve hot or cold.

3. Semi-homemade Chili.  2 large chilis from Wendys, mixed with 1/2 cup water and one can kidney beans, drained.  Heat up again to serve 3 to 4.  Sprinkle a little more chili powder on for dad.  Ask for extra crackers at Wendys.   We grew up eating chili over a piece of bread.

4.  Apple dippin' lunch or dessert.  Core and slice thin, but don't peel several apples for each person.
Put apples on each person's plate and supply six community bowls for dipping.  a.  almond butter and a touch of honey stirred in  b.  dry pumpkin pie spice  c.  sprinkles   d.   salt   e. coconut  f.  sunflower seeds
g.  caramel sauce

5.  Chicken Salad with fruit.  One cup chicken salad mixed with one cup chopped apples and one cup red grapes.  Mix well and set on individual salad bowl filled with spinach leaves.

6.  Potato dippin' Party.  One raw red potato, washed and cut into small thin slices.  Choices for dipping
a. salt  b. crushed walnuts  c. brown spiced honey mustard

7.  Pumpkin French Toast.  Prepare one small mixing bowl with beaten two eggs, 1/2 cup milk or cream, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 cup pumpkin puree; mix well.   Heat frying pan and grease with margarine or spray.  Dip each slice of bread into pumpkin/egg mixture for a second on both sides.   Fry dipped bread on both sides.  Serve with real maple syrup.

8.  Kale Roll-ups.  Stir in a separate mixing bowl, 1 lb. washed Kale leaves with 1/2 cup walnut oil.  In each individual kale leaf, roll up olives in some, carrot sticks in some, and cashew butter into kale leaves and tack with a toothpick.  Perfect for having at the table while you are talking with friends or doing a game or puzzle together.

    

A Book is Born

Boxes of books are arriving and the new baby is born.  
Getting your Husband to Talk to you:  Secrets to Helping Him Share His Heart.  

What's for Dinner?

I was taking Bob to the train this morning and Bob asks, "What's for dinner?" 

I said, "Turkey Burgers wrapped in turkey bacon with fresh pineapple slices tucked under the bacon. Kale, Pear, and Cranbery Salad with a Confetti Vinegarette Dressing, and Watermelon Balls served in a chilled stemmed glass. 

Bob says, "Could I just have a normal burger with a sliced tomato from our garden and normal lettuce on it with a large hunk of watermelon or is that not cool enough to post on facebook?"

Confetti Vinegarette Dressing Recipe: 

Any Italian Salad Dressing (you could add a touch of sweetener to make it a Sweet Italian Salad Dressing.) 

Stir in to your dressing... super small little pieces of a green, a red, a yellow pepper, chopped. 

You won't be using the whole peppers of course, just a chunk off each one of them. You can wrap and

 save the leftovers of the three peppers for the next day. I make one bottle of Confetti Vinegarette for

the week and then leave it in the refrigerator for any salad.

Headless Husband

During the night, I woke for a moment, and patted Bob, who was laying close to me, on the head. I was going to touch his head to feel his warmth. I reached for his head and did not find the right spot, so I reached again. Failing a second time, I reached with both hands. Not succeeding in finding his head three times, I thought, "Oh no where is Bob's head? I really liked his head. This is horrific, what good is a husband without a head? Oh no, will I be blamed for my headless husband?" I almost had a heart attack. I leaped backward from the bed and flipped the light switch on. 

There was the evidence: I didn't realize Bob had cleaned out his side of the closest and everything he owned was in piles on his side of the bed packed so close together it resembled a man's body. I had mistaken it for Bob when I went to sleep, not turning the light on. 

Later explanation from Bob, when I found him on his computer writing in the gazebo outside: He had read an article by Jerry Jenkins and had started a new writing schedule without telling me using some late night hours so he could spend more time with the kids after dinner before they went to sleep.
Read Jerry Jenkins article about his writing schedule to allow time with his children

One Decade Behind and Losing Ground

I am about one decade behind.

I gave my beautician a picture of Farrah Fawcett and asked her to make me look like Farrah and it was 1995.


My beautician gave me a real weird puzzling look. 

I said, "Is that asking too much? I know my hair is thin and all. I am not asking for Farrah's face, just her hair and I am willing to use unlimited hair spray."

"No, it's 1995 not 1980, hair fashion wise people would be troubled by your look," she said.

I was not always like this. 

I stayed up with the times in high school, college, grad school, and marriage. But then came something I did not realize would change my fashion sense so much - babies.

Now, those same teen to adult babies remind me now how behind the times I am but have they ever considered they are the ones who caused my fall?

The decade behind for me is is not only fashion but also food.

"We are having our first Kale, Pear, and Cranberry Salad for supper," I told my friends in Starbucks this morning, hoping to impress them.

Most of them gave me a real weird puzzling look.

One said, "We had our first Kale Salad in 2005, we now use fresh dandelion greens from our own yard as the base in our salads."

"I didn't know about the new rave. I've been busy with my babies," I said, using my generic excuse.

"Your baby is 14." One friend quipped, she can pick the dandelion greens for you.

Lunch today on a bike ride picnic.

ZUCCHINI COINS
Ingredients:
Parchment paper
1 medium zucchini (not too wide)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan.  I love fresh real Parmesan Cheese!
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2.  Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
3.  Slice the zucchini into 1/5-inch thick rounds.
4   In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini coins with the oil.
5.  In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, fine grated carrots, and finely ground pepper.
6.  Stir the coins into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick as you place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
7.  Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. (Check often in case you want/need a short baking time.)
8.  Remove with spatula.
9.  Money!  Serve immediately or store after cooling.

Zuc homegrown in our family garden!

8 Ways to Answer Your Kids' Complaints on Vacation

1. "This is boring..."
Answer: Pretend you are one of the Irish Tenors and sing "Danny Boy" at the top of your voice while occasionally dabbing your eyes with a Kleenex."
2. "It's taking too long to get there..." 
Answer: Tell the kids, "The people we're going to visit serve stewed spinach and frozen ox tongue for breakfast and lunch every day. Still want us to step on it?"
3. "I'd rather be back home in my own room..."
Answer: Hold up an envelope and tear it in half again and again and say, "You're absolutely right. I always told your grandparents these tickets to Disneyland were a stupid idea from the very beginning."
4. "I think we need to stop, I'm feeling sick..." Answer: "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. But don't worry...look up... I've taped a lunch bag on the car ceiling above each seat."
5. "She's sitting on my side of the seat. Tell her to move over..."
Answer: Crawl over the back seat between them and attempt to stand on your head on the floor of the car while flailing your legs in the air shouting, "Danger...danger...Will Smith...intruder detected....danger...."
6. "You promised this would be fun..." 
Answer: Produce two oxygen masks from the glove compartment, putting one on your husband's face and the other on your own. Breathe deeply then start laughing hysterically. Keep laughing until you are crying, While you both are still unable to speak scratch out the words, "Laughing Gas" on a piece of paper. Offer to share your masks with the kids.
7. "There's nothing I like to eat here..." 
Answer: Bring along some large granola pieces poured into a dog food bag. Pour them out in a dish at the restaurant and start eating with just your mouth. Look up occasionally and bark. When you're finished say, "Hmmm...you're right. This tastes so much better. Here, you try some."
8. "We never have enough money to have any real fun..."
Answer: "Money doesn't grow on trees.
Second Answer: "Actually money does grow on trees, because it's made out of paper." 

Happy Birthday Carolyn!

Happy Birthday Carolyn  Thursday, June 26, 2013

Happy Birthday Today to Carolyn, one of Cheryl's Sisters                                      Sister Carolyn shown here with her three daughters

How to Know if you are an "Over the Top" Grandparent

All of us have run into grandparents all too eager to show us pictures, slides, jpegs and endless other representations of their grandchildren. While these pictures are immensely interesting to the grandparents themselves, they can prove to be a "real snoozer" for the casual participant (trapped victim).

Here are ten ways to know if you have become the slightly obnoxious, (okay, at times really obnoxious) "Over the Top" Grandparent:

1)  You hold up traffic at busy intersections trying to interest the driver in the next lane with pictures of your grandchild's first visit to Santa (and it's now August).

2)  You buy a new black suit, take it to Walgreen's, and have the photo department burn a life-size picture on the suit jacket of the delivery room nurse holding up your first grandchild seconds after birth (no need to wear a tie -- the umbilical cord does the trick).

3)  You have a billboard installed in your front yard with a picture of you and your grandchild -- rotating spotlights are used to highlight dimples. 

4)  Crime drops in your area as even would-be intruders are afraid of being confronted in the middle of the night with your accordion-like string of wallet-sized pictures of the twins.

5)  You have pay extra for the three vanity license plates on the back of your car that combined read, "IM GREATST GRANDPRT IN WRLD W/ QUTEST GRANDCHLD EVR IN HISTRY OF WORLD -- HONK IF U'D LIKE TO C PICHURES." 

6)  You try making the same face your little niece does when she eats oatmeal to the nice highways patrolman who pulled you over. He reaches for the handcuffs. 

7)  You are hired by the Sleep Insomnia Clinic to cure patients by endlessly talking about sweet Janey's first music recital and how her mother also played the piano when she was just that age (you have a 100% success rate within 10 minutes).

8)  Waterboarding is no longer needed at Guantanomo Bay to extract information, rather interrogators simply pipe in (non-stop) video and audio recordings of little Suzy's first year of practicing the saxophone (everyone eventually breaks).

9)  Several hospitals are able to cut the amount of anesthesia needed to put patients "under" before surgery by hiring you to stand next to the operating table and recite over and over all the cute little things your grand daughter said to you on the phone last week (belly-laughing at them all). Like magic patients lapse into deep unconsciousness.

10) You invent a code that foreign nations cannot break based on the adorable little names your adorable little grandchildren call you (...grinpappa calling grandmeow...please send secret formula to grampooza from pappaw....do you copy?) 

  Obnoxious picture carrying and blog writing Grandma Cheryl  

Don't just laugh at me; laugh with me. Read Mom's Stuck on Spin Cycle

Summer Veggies Turkey Roast

Ingredients:

1 - 3 lbs. fresh turkey breast roast

4 stalks, fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch slices

1 long stalk of rhubarb, cut into 1 inch slices

6 thin sliced large rings of purple onions

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms

1 packet dry turkey gravy mix

2 tsps. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Place turkey breast in slow cooker.

2.  Sprinkle veggies on top of meat

3.  Sprinkle dry turkey gravy mix and freshly ground pepper on top of all.

4.  Cover and cook on low setting for eight hours.

From Creative Slow-Cooker Meals by Cheryl Moeller

Our Children are Not a Herd

 4 Questions Parents Need to Consider as they Leave the Harbour Sailing into Summer

1. What activity could I cut out of my schedule or my children's schedule, so I can have time to take each one of my children out individually each month?

2. When out one-on-one with one of my children, what's a short personal story from my childhood I can share about myself that I have not shared with my kids up until now?

3. What are some "soft first steps" heart- to-heart questions that I could ask when out individually with one of my children to get a conversation going that is beyond head-to-head logistics instead directed heart-to-heart?

4. What are some whole family group activities that everyone can have fun at regardless of the ages of the children or grandchildren in my family?

Track Season Done and New Horizons on the Scene with Summer Fast Arriving after A Cold Spring
Revised saying:  May Showers Bring June Flowers

Which Card are You Going to Pick out for Dad on Father's Day?

12 Father's Day Cards

Sample #4
#4.  Dear Dad, how come whenever you make dinner a car with a lit up sign on its roof pulls into our driveway? Happy Father's Day.
Read all 12 

Happy Father's Day! Especially to my dad Roy and father-in-law Homer, who are both now in heaven.
Happy Father's Day to the father of our six children, Bob.
Happy Father's Day to my grandson's father and our great son-in-law Stephen

We add now also a daughter-in-law and grandson since this picture was taken.

Follow Me Boys!

I was raised the youngest of four girls. 

We spent our free time swinging, playing paperdolls, and making mud pies in the church parking lot. When it rained, we played in the street trying hard not to get drawn in to the whirlpool of the sewers.

All four of us shared the same bike, taking turns to ride it around the block. One night the three alcoholic brothers who lived in a garage behind the parsonage took our bike.

The next evening my dad waited patiently in the dark upstairs on the second floor of the Christian Education building. When one of brothers rode our bike home late that night, my dad tossed a few pebbles on their heads. While giving them a wake up stone shower my dad said in an other wordly voice, "This is God speaking. Is that your bicycle?" They instantly dropped the bike behind the church and ran to seek cover in their garage home."

I had no brothers so I pretended like my boy cousins were my brothers and Opey on Andy Griffith as well.

After marrying Bob, we had three boys and three girls.

What I learned about boys: boys will be boys.

There is a lot of talk about Boy Scouts this weekend. It made me reflect back on our family's short-lived brush with the Scouts.

Our eldest, Robby "RJ" dramatically begged us over a long period of time to join the Boy Scouts.

Our neighborhood troop was led by two mothers. The Den Mothers' call to fame is that they met each Monday at noon before the meeting and each finished off a bottle of wine before the meeting started at 4:00 pm.

They did not like the outdoors, neither did they like boys. What they did like besides wine was cottonballs.

For some reason at least twice a month each scout had to bring a large bag of cottonballs. Cottonballs, accorrding to the Den Mothers, were foundational for crafts of all kinds.

"RJ" Robby, was kicked out of Boy Scouts after one year. The two moms called me on a conference call even though one lived across the street from us and the other one kitty corner behind us. They said not even their wine binges could drown out Robby's behavior. I asked them what it was that now prevented "RJ" from ever going on to become an Eagle Scout. The Den Mothers said "RJ" had talked all their precious innocent Scouts into bombarding them with the 16,000 cotton balls. Furthermore, RJ had told the other Scouts that cotton balls were really summer snow balls.

Our family must have watched Follow Me Boys with Fred McMurray 100 times. We could all say it word for word. In fact I checked it out of the library today to watch it with the family over this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Click here for preview video about Follow Me Boys!

Nine Signs Mom is Not Taking Care of Herself

By Cheryl Moeller - Family Funny Stuff

Nine Signs Mom is Not Taking Care of Herself

1.  Her idea of a day at the spa is walking inside a $4.00 car wash and savoring the shampoo cycle.    Read the other eight: 

I'm a syndicated humor columnist on 12 sites including my largest one familiesonlinemagazine.com

Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed: Blueberry Bacon Silver Dollar Pancakes

Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed: Blueberry Bacon Silver Dollar Pancakes make a complete breakfast with fruit, protein, milk, etc. 

When it comes to flippin', it's easiest for kids to flip mini ones. 

Blueberry Bacon Silver Dollar Pancakes  

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white all-purpose flour AND 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey or sugar
1 1/4 cups milk or plain Kefer drinkable yogurt
2 egg whites, beaten to a slight froth but not stiff
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup bacon bits, turkey bits or veggie bits

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. Make a well in the center and pour in the honey, milk, and oil.
3. Mix until smooth.
4. Gently fold in the frothy egg white mixture.
5. Gently fold in blueberries and bacon bits
6. Let set for 15 minutes for the baking powder to work its magic.
7. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.
8. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/8 cup for each pancake.
9. Brown on both sides.
10. Serve hot with extra fruit on top.

What to watch out for in the preparation: 

1. Don't stir too long.
2. Beating the egg whites separately and carefully folding them in give your cakes
a restaurant type quality.
Picture is up close silver dollar pancakes

12 Tips for Preschool Mom's Frugal Homemade Spa Day

12 Tips for Preschool Mom's Frugal Homemade Spa Day

by Cheryl Moeller (Momlaughs) on whattoexpect.com

#3.  Your personal homemade sauna.

One of my grandmothers, Emma Nyman Windquist, was from Finland. I love saunas. It must be in my blood because in Finland, there are more saunas than people. Make a homemade sauna in your bathroom by shutting the bathroom door and windows. Then turn the water on the hottest possible with no plug in the tub. Bring a book and your favorite pillow in with you to sit on the floor for about 20 to 30 minutes, slowly and fully breathing the steam in. The culmination of any good Finnish sauna is to jump in a lake or swimming pool, if you have one, cold or not. 

Read the other 11 preschool mom's tips

Cheryl's new monthly serious column syndicated on and from NY, NY

Whattoexpect.com 

Mother's Day is a Time to Get Your Mom Things She Really Needs Because...

By Cheryl Moeller - Family Funny Stuff

Nine Signs Mom is Not Taking Care of Herself

1.  Her idea of a day at the spa is walking inside a $4.00 car wash and savoring the shampoo cycle.    Read the other eight: 

12 Mother's Day Frugal or Free Gifts

I have observed this through the years...  On Mother's Day people drive their cars real slow with mom in tow.  On Father's Day, dad's day, they blast around corners without braking and floor it out on the expressways.  

If you have more holidays than money this year, here's some options for Frugal and Free for Mom.  If she complains, tell her that she trained you well to be thrifty...

1. Coastal.com has free first pair of glasses.  Both of our two younger daughters took advantage of this and we are happy with the designer glasses.  Only had to pay for shipping

2.  About 1/3 of my Harvest House Publishers' cookbook is free every day of every week on amazon.com books, Creative Slow Cooker Meals:  On Amazon books and other online websites, you can get 1/3 my cookbook for free, seriously, this is true of most books on online sites and also on on google books.  To know my cookbook is to love it click here

3. Cool printables like banners and random stuff
Free Mother's Day Stuff on Freebie-Depot  
Pinterest Mother's Day Ideas 
Click here


4.  Free Admission to Local Public Gardens on National Public Gardens Day, Saturday, May 11, 2013.  Print off as many coupons as you need. Click here

5. Mom cute gift tags Neat labels Free printables from Paper Coterie Click here

Printables from Coolmompicks

6.  Chill your salad plates.  A simple gesture for Mother's Day means a lot.
Keep the thought going even after Mother's Day...  Stack and store glass salad plates in the frig on a bottom shelf.  Put foil over the top plate and all the rest of the plates will stay clean because they are hidden/stacked.  My fav salad is equal amounts of cut avocado and  cut tomatoes, served cold.       

7.  Free Marriage Conferences For Better For Worse For Keeps future events or buy CD 4-Part Set or DVD 4-Part Set of a conference 

8. Help! Mom's Stuck on Spin Cycle by Cheryl Moeller Moms laugh their way through Mother's Day

as Kindle 

as paperback  

9.  A perfect picture Mother's dream.  Give her free luggage tags (google to find some you can personalize, also) in a Mother's Day card to represent that fab vacation you are going to take her on this summer.  A luggage tag says 1,000 words (actually about 10 words) but you score big points on May 12 but don't have to redeem them until July.  Click here for newest printable luggage tags

Duct tape Trendy fabric Laminated fabric Luggage Tags on ehow

10.  DIY BUTTON RING on culdesaccool.com

Is your mom old?  

I mean is your mom vintage?  

I mean does youR mom like vintage?  click here

Picture from culdesaccool.com 
 

11. Andrea, the queen of momsaware.com
I love Andrea Fabry's Luscious Healthy Soaps.  I just ran out today. I know I better get some of Andrea's soaps on Mother's Day Sunday or I am ordering myself on Mother's Day Monday Click here 

12.  Nerdly Cell Phone Necklace
I don't care what anyone thinks; I can never find my cell phone when it's ringing.  My friend (mom and professor) Dr. Cheryl Ann Luczak wears one...So this mom Cheryl Anne is going too, also.  Click here 

Happy Mother's Day! Luv

I Finally Tricked My Kids Homemade Skillet Queso Dip easy recipe (Chili's Restaurant Wanna Be)

I Finally Tricked My Kids Homemade Skillet Queso Dip easy recipe 
(Chili's Restaurant Wanna Be) 

Ingredients:
1. One jar of this from store
http://www.amazon.com/Velveeta-Cheesy-Chili-15oz-Glass/dp/B00784GN8Y
2. 1/4 to 1/3 package of this: turkey precooked sausage crumbles from store
https://jimmydean.com/products/turkey-hearty-sausage-crumbles.aspx
3. 1 drained can of black beans or kidney beans. maybe 1/2 can drained to start with depending on how "beany" you want it.... 

Preparation:
1. Mix all three ingredients together in the pan or glass dish you are using.
2. Cook for a couple of minutes in one of three ways.
Choice One. Maybe heat in a pre-heated oven in a small iron skillet and serve in the same.
or
Choice Two. Microwave in a glass dish that you will serve in?
or
Choice Three: Stovetop heating or on your grill in small iron skillet and serve in same

Serve with Mexican chips or veggie tray.
Yep, they thought it was from Chili's. :)

Creative Slow-Cooker Meals: Use Two Slow Cookers for Tasty and Easy Dinners

Do you have a slow-cooker? Do you have two? I love this recipe book by Cheryl Moeller entitled Creative Slow-Cooker Meals: Use Two Slow Cookers for Tasty and Easy Dinners by Harvest House Publishers.

Let me tell you… the title is misleading… this cookbook is brimming with FAR more than just dinners! There are breakfast recipes, dessert recipes, beverage recipes and they all are cooked in the slow-cooker! Click here

Keeping it Real

I committed my life to Christ at the young age of six.

But after that, the fact is in high school and college, I made some bad choices in my life. There came a day though when I made a great choice: I recommitted my life to Christ to trust Christ's plan for my life, which He had sacrificed so grieveously to provide for me.

Through the years, I may not have always liked His answers but in the end, it works! 

I suggest following Christ to others, as often as I can.  Trusting Him and giving Him complete total control is sometimes a tough day to day walk.  But, when we are His child, what peaces flows when we obey what He says through His Holy Word! 

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."  Proverbs 12:25   

- Cheryl

                                          My sisters and I in 1958

Discounts on Home School Curriculum or Those in Ministry

This is a great list on a missionary's blog.  Please check it out or send to someone who needs it.

List of discounts on Home School Curriculum or those in ministry and missionary work Click here

 

Multi-tasking Uses for Diaper Genie By-Products

(Those long strings of diapers individually twist-wrapped in clear cellophane.) 1) Soak them in cement and use for building suspension bridges (another modern marvel).
2) Dye red, white, and blue and use for outdoor bunting (keeps people off your grass during local parades).
3) Dye them yellow and black and sell them to the local police department for "Do Not Cross" tape (guaranteed no one will try crossing).
4) Weave them together and make large area rugs (keeps room traffic way down).
5) Spray gold, red, or green to use as garland on next year's "Christmas Tree" (great homeopathic cure for sinus congestion)
6) Spray them silver and tie them post to post as a chain link fence (guaranteed to turn back all unwanted intruders).
7) Hang around the neck of the large marble statute in the park to imitate a string of pearls (pigeons are history).
8) Tier around your coat like a rope belt (allows you to walk safely to your car at night).
9) Cut them into shorter pieces and wear as a necktie to a party (where you don't want to have to talk to anyone).
10) Store in your husband's brief case (guarantees him his own seat on the bus or train).

One of Our Daughter's 2013 version new retro twist to a "Tupperware party"

"My friends are planning a Tupperware party during lunch tomorrow," Megan said. "Which one of your 16 year old high school friends is selling Tupperware?" I asked. "Why would you sell Tupperware? You can buy it though on vintage Etsy sites. At our Tupperware parties everyone brings a Tupperware container full of food. It's like a potluck we have at church or for our block parties. We make a buffet table out of our cafeteria table at lunch so everyone can share. I was supposed to bring swedish meatballs, but due to horse issues with IKEA's swedish meatballs, I promised my friends that we would make swedish meatballs from scratch to fill grandma's big vintage Tupperware bowl. Tupperware is cool now because it's retro," Megan informed me. "Are boys involved?" I asked. "No, unless they bring a Tupperware full of food we like."

Free Maps for Every State in the Union

FREE State Maps for every state in the Union. Nothing like riding along retro Route 66 with the windows down and a state map open on the seat next to you, hopefully the map of the state that you are presently in or moving toward. Click here for all 50 links I am getting TN KY MI IL GA TX OK MO

Top Ten Excuses Mothers Hear From Children

Top Ten Excuses Mothers Hear From Children 1. I gave the cat a hair-cut because he said he was hot outside. 2. I ate the last cookie so I wouldn’t spoil my appetite for tomorrow’s night’s supper. 3. I sprayed my brother with the hose just to get rid of all his germs – he’s healthy now. 4. I didn’t draw on the wall – the dog did – but I tried to stop him. 5. I didn’t brush my teeth because the tooth fairy needs business. 6. I stuck my peanut butter sandwich to the bottom of my chair so I can eat it while I’m crawling around. 7. I sprayed all your perfume on the hamster because she wants a boyfriend. 8. I put glue in my sister’s hair so her pony tail wouldn’t fall off. 9. I took your cell phone with me in the bathtub so I could call you when I was ready to get out. 10. I used the red marker to show my sister what chickenpox looks like – now she can tell you when she gets them.

Momlaughs Radio Show with Humor, Audio Cooking Show, and a Mom Thought to Encourage You

Momlaughs Radio Link for week of March 4
Listen to my new episode Why a Mom Should Be President 

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.

Audio Crockpot Cooking Show - with my cookbook
Creative Slow-Cooker Meals:  Use Two Slow Cookers to Make Easy and Tasty Meals

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 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground pepper
1 cup evaporated milk or cream
Add more water at the end, if necessary
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 high or 7-8 hours on low.

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 or veggie 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.


Thought for Mom

God Always Has Us On His Mind - He will always be Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider!

Our car was in the shop on a rainy day in September.  I needed groceries for dinner but it was raining too hard to ride my bike.  I went to the garage to clean a little.  I opened the cooler from my husband's fishing trip in June.  Inside the cooler, I found a lot of canned and boxed goods.  He had obviously not used all his groceries on his fishing trip.  We had a great supper that night and I thanked God for his provision of food for the meal. What three things has God done for you, your husband, your children, your parents or your siblings that you can tell three people about today? 
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
Dear God, In the morning, afternoon, and evening, may I often thank you and tell others all that you have done. In Jesus' name, Amen


Momlaughs Radio Link for week of March 4
Listen to my new episode Why a Mom Should Be President