Another little lesson learned today

The gas station has a lot of good things. But, pumpkin spice coffee is not one of them.

The pumpkin spice coffee at the gas station for $1.12 is not anywhere near as tasty as the coffee at Starbucks for $4.32.

The Best Beef Stew

Its Foodie Friday!

I got my Aunt Aliree's cookbooks when she died.

I flipped through the pages and recipes, handwritten and clipped from the newspaper or a magazine, would occasionally fall out. I felt like I was sitting in her den and she was telling me of some recipe she had seen, and had plans to try, and here I was looking at it.

So I decided, I needed to start doing the same thing, cutting out recipes and sticking them in books for someone else to find.

and I am so glad I had this little plan of mine.

This Beef Stew recipe was my first attempt. and now I have made it for the last two weekends in a row. It is the easiest and best tasting beef stew I have ever made. Each time, I planned to freeze some for later, but instead, ended up bringing containers full of it to friends with sick husbands, neighbors, elderly aunts, and then to lunch myself.

Its been impossible to hang onto this beef stew.

Both weekends, I never had any left over to freeze for later! I have half a mind to make it again this weekend. It is really good enough to make three weekends in a row.

This is from a Worcestershire ad, with my modifications:

Salt and Pepper and then brown 3 pounds or so stew meat in skillet until all sides are very brown.

Throw in crock pot with the following:

1 bag of baby carrots
1 chopped onion
3 or 4 diced potatoes
2 cans (or jars) of brown gravy
1 can of beef broth
1 can of water
1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 package of already cut mushrooms

Cook in crock pot on high for 8 hours.
The longer it cooks, the more tender the stew meat becomes.

At serving, add 1 can of drained green peas and give it a stir.

and don't forget it is Foodie Friday! Go! Visit others!

Another sneak peak at bathroom

Crown molding is up. New floors scheduled to go in Monday.

I know... your on the edge of your seat.

What I learned today

I cant let these ride in the front seat leaving the grocery store.

A sneak peek at the kitchen bathroom

The God Chronicles

More God Chronicles here

Ways I have seen God working that I want to remember:

I have a heart to serve in the food ministry at Church. I really, really want to serve. But it is hard to get off work early some days, and the older people we deliver to go to bed at 6:30, usually before I even pull up in their driveway. And the traffic. There is nothing that stresses me out faster than traffic, which means when I finally do arrive I can do little more than fling the dinner at them and huff off. I drag myself home, well after dark, stressed out, convinced I have done no one any good, and wondering if this is really where God has put me.

because of the stress that surrounds getting the meals out, my usual cooking twice a month dwindled to once a month, then for the past few months has come to a dead stop, and its not just me having a hard time with it. Other women are having other problems. The ministry is slowly fading away.

After another woman announced in the middle of Sunday School class a few weeks ago that she wanted to help the ministry, she has no problem delivering but just did not have time, skill or inclination to really cook, a plan was hatched.

Now, about three times a month, I cook, package up meals and leave in an ice chest outside my door at 7:30a. Jill comes by at 3:00p, gets the ice chest and makes deliveries on her way home.

And.... because God is good with details like that....it just so happens that when Jill leaves work, my house is the first house she passes on her usual route home, and all the deliveries she makes are between my house and her house. The older people get their food early and delivered with a smile, and Jill still gets home stress free, not even gone out off her usual route.

Doesn't it just amaze you how God can work out details like this!

More meals for sharing here!

What Day 17 of The Nester's 31 days to a better dressed house looks like at my house

The little side table in the dining room had been collecting photos for quite some time.

Until Day 17 at the Nesting Place , when the house got shopped. The wreath and birdhouse are from the entry way, and the plate was in the trunk of my car to return to TJ Maxx.

The entry way got the photos, the other plates and a large crystal bowl, a wedding gift that was just stored away.

Now.... where else in my house will benefit from a little house shop?

Yard Sale Saturday $15.50

Clear candle holder, already on the mantle $.25

Small Tupperware container $.50



Angel Food cake pan $1


Small glass container with lid $.25

Soap Dish $.25

Old white platter $.25 (the one on the bottom). It matches the other one I got a few months ago, also for $.25

7 small Chandelier shades for an upcoming project.... hint.... it involves a chandelier. $1 each

Lazy Susan, now holding cans in the pantry. $3

Large, 3 wick candle. $2

3 hole punch $1

Look what came in the mail today:

I have such big plans.......

There is a reason the toliet is on my back porch

Because this is what my kitchen bathroom currently looks like:



But progress is being made... the floor man came today with an estimate.

And, the new sink is here.... in the dining room

Banana Trees really do make....

Bananas! Who Knew?!

It probably has something to do with the fact that its 91 degrees in October, and the bananas are confused thinking this is some island on the center of the equator.




The little boy next door is beside himself with excitement over it all.

The first thing he said when we got home from vacation was.... "I picked one of your bananas and I can fit through the dog door"

and in other backyard news...

Angel tree trumpets are showing off

Just in case you were thinking how classy that Bobbie girl is.....

Yes, its a toilet sitting on my back porch.

Just a little Fall decorating at my house. . . .

Can you guess what project is next at my house?