PAM'S PART

Fast Food/Fat Food

2011-09-24T06:52:00.004-05:00

Well, I am in my 4th (or 6th if you include summer school) semester of college with only one more semester of gen. eds. before I am eligible to attend for the Nutritional Science program. I start my application process later this semester.

This semester one of the classes I am taking is Intro to Nutrition. All I can say is that I am loving it!!! Our current assignment is to plan a days weight loss menu at a fast food restaurant that is also heart healthy. This means that the food item must have less than 30% total fat, 10% saturated fat and for the day, no more than 300 mg of cholesterol.

I texted family and friends to tell me what FF places they would like to know about. I have a list of 7 restaurants and will rate them below.

Arby's only had 3 food items that met the requirements and none of them were breakfast items so for breakfast I listed an applesauce from the kids menu.

Sonic scored even lower. There were only 2 items on the breakfast menu that could be considered at first glance because they were the only 2 that didn't have OVER 3oomg of cholesterol. When I calculated fat percentages those were knocked off also. So Sonic had 2 food items, the veggie burger and apple slices. Oh, you could also have the fat-free caramel dip for your apples.

I was unable to do a menu for Braum's because their nutritional facts are not on their website and I saw some problems with the sites that did list some of their items.

Taco Bueno does not list their cholesterol facts so they must have something to hide.

What a Burger was very limited also. They had a total of 5 food items that met heart healthy guidelines. This included cinnamon rolls, pancakes with or without bacon and 2 salad options but they fail to list dressing on their sight. So to be safe you would have to eat the Grilled Chicken Salad and side salad without dressing.

My 2 favorites were McDonalds and Chick Fil A. They were very good and you didn't feel like you were going to starve to stay within the calorie constraints. So below was what I selected from each.

McDonalds

Breakfast calories total fat sat.fat chol.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait 160 2 1 5

Coffee 0 0 0 0

Lunch

Prem. SW Salad w/ gr. chick 290 8 2.5 70

Apple Dippers 35 0 0 0

Newman's LF Ses. Ging. Dress. 90 2.5 0 0

Snack

Straw/Ban. Smoothie 12oz. 210 .5 0 5

Dinner

Prem. Gr. Chick. Clas. Sand. 350 9 2 65

Side Salad 20 0 0 0

Newman's LF Ses. Ging. Dress. 90 2.5 0 0

Dessert

Kiddie cone 45 1 .5 5

Total 1290 25.5 6 150

Chick Fil A

Breakfast

Yogurt parfait w/ granola 290 6 2 10

Mixed fruit blend 45 0 0 0

Lunch

Chargrilled Chick Cool Wrap 410 12 4 55

Fruit Cup 70 0 0 0

Dinner

Chargrilled Chick. Sand. 290 4 1 55

Hearty Breast of Chick Soup 140 4 1 25

Total 1245 26 8 145

I think these are great options. McDonalds did give a bit more variety but I would do both of these. So now we know we can eat heart healthy at a fast food restaurant.

The End is Coming....

2010-01-05T10:24:00.003-06:00

I will probably not be blogging for a long while after next week. I am starting classes at OU on the 19th and will be quite busy with the 13 hours I will be taking. I haven't studied in 26 years!!! Please pray for me & my family. I am excited and nervous. This week I am cooking food to freeze for nights when I'm either too busy or tired to cook. (every night :o) ) Next week is clean, iron & organize. Well back to cooking.

The Dawn Before the Day

2009-11-25T06:25:00.003-06:00

Well today I woke up before my 5:00am alarm. Thoughts of Thanksgiving preparations were filling my head. So I got up, let the dogs out, fed them, loaded the washer and took Max for his walk (that is my walk also). Today I will be doing a little laundry in preparation for Abbie & my trip to KC with "the girls" to see Wicked. We are all really excited about that. We will also spend time at The Plaza which I hear has spectacular Christmas lights. So, back to Thanksgiving. Today I will be brining the turkey, making the cornbread for our dressing, putting together my sweet potato casserole, making the cranberry salad, cooking the chicken for chicken & noodles & baking 3 of our 10 pies. Today I am baking the pecan, cherry & Kentucky derby pies. This evening my parents , my sister Denise and her son Tyler will be arriving. I am making a pot of chili with fritoes, cheese, & crackers. That way they can have it like they want it. I also will be getting a refresher on math from my dad. I am scheduled to take 3 tests at OU on Monday to assess what I have retained since high school. Hmmmmm. For all of you that are going to be traveling today, have a safe trip and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Day 2

2009-11-24T08:49:00.002-06:00

Well, today I set out my bread to get stale for our dressing. We make a stale bread/cornbread combo dressing. It is one of my favorite things about the meal. I also will be getting the last of my Thanksgiving groceries today. Linens will be next on the list. I am ironing tablecloths and getting the napkins ready (see picture from table setting post). I have a few other odds and ends to deal with today. Oh, I almost forgot to mention.....I scheduled my advisory and testing for OU. Please pray that the testing goes well. I haven't tested in.....well some of you know since I went to high school with you :o)

So It Begins......

2009-11-23T09:21:00.001-06:00

Today is the day I set aside to move my turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator. Now that that is completed I will move on the final cleaning. What are you doing today for your Thanksgiving prep?

Place Setting Decided

2009-11-14T17:59:00.002-06:00

I have finally decided on our place setting for Thanksgiving. What do you think? I went pretty simple this time.

Thanksgiving Prep & Thanksgiving Past

2009-11-14T07:31:00.021-06:00

Well I have been doing some deep cleaning but now will hit surfaces which have suffered due to the deep cleaning. I can't tell you how many bags of "stuff" I threw away. I'm trying to get the laundry done today and tomorrow so that nothing will get in the way of cleaning next week. So if anyone is interested in having coffee.....call me after Thanksgiving weekend :o) The last time I hosted Thanksgiving was in 2006. Then we had 2007 at my sister-in-law Kim's house. Last year was at my sister Denise's house. So this year I nabbed it early. I have been struggling with how I am going to decorate the table and place settings. I'm hoping to resolve that this weekend so I can put it to rest. Posting the photos of the 2006 I realized that the living room was still yellow then and we still had wallpaper up in the kitchen. The pictures will look totally different this year.

Kid's bathroom remodel

2009-10-12T09:12:00.004-05:00

I recently changed the kids bathroom from the "fishy" bathroom to, what Riley calls a "girly" bathroom. The boys aren't around very often now and Abbie and I WERE the ones who went shopping for the new stuff sooooooo.......I guess it is "girly". The walls went from an aquamarine faux finish with a fish border to lime green. I like it! But I guess part of that is because it is my favorite color.

October favorites

2009-10-09T08:50:00.003-05:00

This weekends goal is to get the fall decorations out and assembled. It is a balmy (ya right) 39 degrees outside but this is my kind of weather. In the coming weeks I will be making what has become our October or Halloween tradition. I make a big batch of popcorn balls and carmeled apples. I usually color the syrup and Terry has requested orange and green for this year. What are some of your October/Halloween traditions?

Fall & Family

2009-10-07T13:02:00.002-05:00

This morning I was out walking our dog Max. The air was crisp and cool and the sky was blue. I have been noticing the trees beginning to change color also. All of this gave me that wonderful feeling that fall was here and that the holidays were just around the corner. Family and friends are a must in this combination. I have great memories of the holidays as a child. One is Thanksgiving at my Grandma & Grandpa Bale's house. There was food, a football game in the pasture, card tables set up for cards and dominoes, a football game on the TV, the women sitting around the dining room table discussing who knows what( I was never old enough to get in on that conversation) & us younger ones were either on the front porch swing, running around the yard or up in the barn loft full of hay bales (which was against the rules and we never wanted to get caught by Grandpa).

Busy, Busy, Busy.......

2009-08-06T07:20:00.002-05:00

As I listen to the thunderstorm outside & sip on my first cup of coffee, I am planning my day. I made a list of things to get done around here this week as I have been helping Terry at the office with some little things so he can work. He is in the process of hiring a new receptionist as his last one is going to law school. Good Luck to you, Anna. School is fast approaching and this weekend is Tax-free weekend. We are going through closets and drawers today. Riley is ordering the rest of his books for school, the bookstore is still unloading boxes and he needed to get a headstart on reading plays for his intro to acting class. Abbie has requested a room makeover for her 16th birthday so we have been shopping for bedding. We then decided to redo the kids bathroom since the boys will be gone. (this is the way most of my projects grow) Abbie has picked some great stuff and we bought paint earlier this week so I am hoping to start the painting part this weekend. I will post before and after pics when we are finished.

Les Miserables

2009-07-29T13:00:00.002-05:00

Les Mis starts tomorrow evening. I am so excited!!! I volunteered to usher so I could be there for most of the performances. Selfish, I know, but I love to watch my kids perform. Abbie is at the airport saying goodbye to a best friend who is headed home for Colorado. See you soon Hannah!!! Maybe in one of your ballets!!!

Where Has Summer Gone.....

2009-07-25T12:27:00.002-05:00

Can you believe next week is the last week of July!!! This coming week we will be attending the Sooner Theatre's performance of Les Miserable. Riley is playing the part of Jean Val Jean. This will be the last week for Abbie to see her very close friend Hannah as she will be flying home to Colorado. I know Abbie & Bekka will miss her terribly. Travis is having his last gig of the month at "The Red Room" this evening and Terry & I will be seeing "The Proposal" with his sister and her husband. Has anyone seen it? I really enjoy watching Sandra Bullock. This past Friday I got to spend the evening with Debbie (Soderboom) Wells, one of my best friends from high school. It was soooo much fun to catch up. Terry & I attended his 30th class reunion a few weeks ago and I enjoyed it so much I am now looking forward to my 30th reunion (not for 4 more years). Well after this week I guess we will be staring "Back to School" and birthday season (at our house) in the face.

Busy Week

2009-07-07T09:32:00.008-05:00

Sunday we said goodbye to Abbie for the week. She left for RYM church camp. Got a text from her this morning that she and a friend ran on the beach this morning. Riley started practice for the musical Les Miserable at the Sooner Theatre. He is getting to perform with his best friends. I am getting ready for a baby shower in the AM of Saturday and visiting friends for dinner that evening.

Last Minute Decision to Attend

2009-06-29T16:49:00.003-05:00

This past weekend Terry & I headed to Bartlesville. Terry had decided at the last minute to attend his 30th class reunion. We had a fun time and now I am looking forward to my 30th reunion in 4 years. It is weird to think that by that time all of our children will be in college or elsewhere. WOW!!! I actually knew one of his classmates. He had attended the same church we did when we were all growing up.

Summer Slow So Far

2009-06-10T12:26:00.002-05:00

Summer has been rather slow so far and if you know our family, that is driving some of us crazy. Abbie is healing nicely from her extractions and should be back to cycling next Tuesday night. We normally don't schedule vacations in the summer as Terry's work schedule is pretty busy. The holidays are a better time for us to get away. Abbie has church camp next month and Riley starts rehearsals for Les Miserables the first part of July. I am looking so forward to seeing it. Travis is busy with work and his band & I am one of the ones getting a bit stir-crazy. So today, Abbie and I are going to Barnes and Noble to peruse the books & magazines. Can anyone say "Carmel Latte"? If Abbie has the strength we will check Bed, Bath, & Beyond for any good sales on stuff for Riley's dorm room. Last but not least Walmart for a few items. That will break up the day nicely.

What can I say....

2009-06-05T15:21:00.004-05:00

Where do I begin....I haven't posted in forever and so much has happened. Riley and Abbie performed in the spring play at school. They did A Midsummer Nights Dream. Choir performances, & Aegis plays. Riley graduated from high school and enrolled for college. Travis' band "Action" had it's first show. They did great!!! Abbie had her wisdom teeth removed on Thursday and is beginning to experience the post-op swelling. Riley went in for his annual eye exam today and since he is going to college it was time to update not only his contacts but also the glasses. Yikes!!!! After Abbie recovers from her wisdom teeth hopefully we will do some summer stuff.

NNHS Chorale in NYC

2009-04-01T11:33:00.004-05:00

Here is another song the Chorale performed. Pictures are from the recent trip they took to NYC.

Men of the Chorale

2009-03-28T15:36:00.003-05:00

This is the song the men performed.

Riley's Choir

2009-03-27T08:46:00.006-05:00

This is the choir my son Riley is in at school. They recently performed at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa. Riley was so impressed with the acoustics that he wanted to order the CD. I thought I would share one of the songs with friends and family. Hope you enjoy it.

And So It Begins Again....

2009-03-10T15:04:00.006-05:00

Well, the last few weeks I have started working in my vegetable garden and here is where we stand so far. My strawberries are flowering, radishes are showing their first leaves, I have had to replant broccoli and cabbages as I didn't cover them the last cold front, first squares of lettuce are planted (I added romaine to my garden this year for my sister-in-laws yummy strawberry pecan with poppy seed dressing salad), 1 square of spinach to start with, sugar snap peas, carrots (I got a sample of rainbow carrots this year so I planted one square, thought my niece's kids would enjoy the surprise), onions and potatoes. I am so excited when they start coming up.

Baby Shower, Family Dinner and Pillar Group

2009-03-09T17:21:00.006-05:00

This past week I worked really hard on my house. I got a 3 for 1 return for my efforts. Saturday morning I was one of 4 hostesses for a baby shower at our home. There was a great turn out for Grace. She is so sweet. Saturday evening we had Kim and Tim over for dinner (Terry's sister and husband). This morning I hosted our monthly CTK pillar group. We have the best group!!! I had so much fun with each event but now I am dragging. I got a few loads of laundry done and planted a few seeds in my vegetable garden but that was all I had in me. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. How was your day? I am adding pics from the shower. Enjoy.

Driver's Permit, Chorale, Spring Play etc., etc.....

2009-02-24T08:23:00.004-06:00

Well, one thing I did not mention yet is that while Riley and I were at his Musical Theater Audition, Abbie and Terry were at the Department of Public Safety taking the written test (on computers that crashed the day before), and getting her permit. This was all sandwiched in between her attending Southwestern Model UN. She had a blast and YES, she got her permit! Yeah Abbie!!! Last week Abbie auditioned for Mr. G. to be accepted into Chorale. This is a Nationally recognized choir at school.(I just found that out last week, a little slow aren't I) So Congratulations Abbie!!! She made Chorale for next year. Now she and Riley can concentrate on the spring play (A Midsummer Nights Dream), oh wait, they have Mnemosyne (pronounced "new moss sin e") this Friday and Saturday. That is the competitive acting meet their school puts on. I will be cooking and working that one. Abbie informed me that Friday is also enrollment day. I only have one to enroll this year :o( They have grown up so fast!!! I'm proud of each of them.

College Auditions Finished, Now the Waiting Game

2009-02-21T11:20:00.002-06:00

Riley is finished with College Auditions!!! Now is the waiting game. I got to go with him yesterday for his Musical Theater audition. The school we were at has a very concentrated group. They have a total of 50 students, freshmen thru seniors, in the entire program. They are ranked in the top 5 in the country. This year they will be admitting 12 new students for fall. Six girls and Six guys. Wow!!! We had a great time and Riley actually had one of his good friends auditioning also. I will let you know the outcome of these 3 auditions.

2 Down 1 To Go

2009-02-17T07:38:00.003-06:00

Well, Saturday and Sunday's auditions went well and Riley and Terry were impressed with one of the school's drama department. They didn't actually go to the other school, as it was an off campus audition, so we don't have a lot of info on the school other than what we have read online. Friday is the last audition and I will be attending this time since it is a workday. I have to admit, I am a bit excited about going. I get that way when my kids are doing something new for their future. I was the same way when we were getting Travis off to college. I think I enjoyed the whole process more than he did. Pray that Riley stays healthy as there is singing involved in this one. This one is for a musical theater department. I'm torn as to which I would rather him do. Either way I will still get to see him perform and that makes it all worth it.

Let the Auditions Begin....

2009-02-10T15:12:00.008-06:00

Well starting Saturday, Riley will begin the college audition process. He has 2 drama auditions and 1 musical theater audition. Terry will be accompanying him on these adventures. I will be at home praying. He has already been accepted to one of the schools and we won't hear from the other until April. Now comes being accepted to the departments. Good luck Riley!!! I love you and will be praying for you.

1+1=2

2009-02-06T09:49:00.002-06:00

I finished my mittens!!! Now I am working on a matching scarf. I usually only work on these in the orthodontist office, or other waiting rooms. Then I am not so disappointed by the bad selection of magazines my dentist has. Abbie has her wisdom teeth out this summer so I will need to come up with something that day.

De Ja Vu

2009-01-27T11:04:00.011-06:00

Well, we have had our annual ice storm but this year we got sleet on top. That is giving us a bit more traction. Also, we still have power. Yea heat!!! I thought I would share some pics I took this morning. The little twig of a tree is our new tree that took the place of last years loss. We call him Sherman. I had to completely redo that garden. Also, the pic of the little shrub sticking up out of the sleet is actually in a garden. It is probably my favorite holly bush. It is called a "Little Rascal" I love the shape of the leaves. He is not looking very pretty as we had a new roof put on last week and the front half of his branches were broken off by things being dropped on him. The kids are enjoying their "snow day" so I guess we will be relaxing at home.

Is It Happening Again?

2009-01-26T10:28:00.010-06:00

Well, today it is lightly raining. The first precipitation we have had in a while. The only problem is it is 27 degrees outside. It reminds me of last winter when we had sooo much ice that we lost our oak tree. The first photo is a spider web with ice on it on one of our shrubs. Second is my poor Japanese maple I had planted just a couple of months before. The third is the morning electricity started going off and our tree started giving up on the fight against the ice. I looked outside and there was a hawk in our tree. The next is one of our trips to Starbucks while our electricity was out. (I have to have my coffee :o) ) The last is what our tree looked like by the end of the day. I got out about an hour ago and hit a few slick spots and saw one accident.

Our Next Dog

2009-01-23T10:39:00.003-06:00

I do believe I have found the breed of dog that will become the new dog member of our family. This isn't something that will be happening soon but I do know that Zorro (our 117 lb. black lab) is 12 years old and we want our next larger dog to be mid-size. This being our boys will be in college and out on their own. I have relied on them to help me get Zorro to the vet for many years as he does not like getting in the car. We want a dog that sheds very little and is hypo-allergenic. I saw a Portuguese Water Dog this morning on the news and fell in love. I looked it up online and think if would make a great addition to our family when the time is right. I plan to make him my jogging buddy.

Bacon Penne Alfredo Recipe

2009-01-22T05:36:00.003-06:00

Last night I made a pasta dish that has become a favorite at our house. It is from "Southern Living Ultimate Quick and Easy" cookbook. It is soooo easy.

16 oz. uncooked penne
1 lb. bacon
1, 8 oz package of sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 C. whipping cream
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 C. sliced green onions

Cook pasta according to package including salt. Place back in pan after draining. (You will be mixing the pasta with sauce in this pan) While that is coming to a boil, fry the pound of bacon crisp. Drain on paper towel and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Crumble the bacon.
Place the reserved drippings in the pan you fried you bacon in and saute the mushrooms and garlic for 3 minutes or until tender. Pour this over the pasta along with the Parmesan cheese, whipping cream and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, until sauce is thickened, stirring often. Stir in crumbled bacon and sliced green onions and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

One More To Go

2009-01-21T09:35:00.003-06:00

Here is my first attempt at mittens. I have finished this one and have "one more to go". I have made several scarfs, a ribbed beanie, and a pair of socks. This was a good pattern to work with and went pretty fast. Especially compared to the socks I made Abbie. What do you think?

Oreo Delight Recipe

2009-01-19T09:36:00.003-06:00

I made a dessert this past weekend that we have not had since we were first married. My mother-in-law used to make this and it is great for a group. It is easy so anyone can do this. All you need is:

1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream, softened
8 oz. container of Cool Whip
1 pkg. of Oreo cookies

Set the ice cream out on the counter for a little while. Thaw your Cool Whip. Place the whole bag of Oreos in a gallon ziploc bag. Pound them with a mallet or something similar. Place the ice cream, cool whip and crushed Oreos in a large bowl and mix together. Pour your mixture into a 9x13 and cover. Place in the freezer to set up. Slice and serve when ready. I made mine on Saturday and served it on Sunday. Enjoy.

Annual Visitor

2009-01-18T13:36:00.002-06:00

We have this unexpected visitor show up at our neighbors house every year. This crane has made an appearance for the last 3 or 4 years. We live next to a wooded area that attracts a lot of different birds and wildlife. In fact, the land used to belong to a man very interested in birds, George M. Sutton.

My Baby is Growing Up

2009-01-17T07:56:00.016-06:00

Well the day has arrived. Abbie starts driver's ed today! How exciting for her! I remember being pregnant with her. On her first birthday we got her an enormous balloon. (She loved them) She would call them "boons". Now she is nearly 15 1/2 and next month we will be making the trip to the DMV to take her written test and then the driving begins. I don't know how well you do with that but the whole time I am riding with my "new drivers" I am a nervous wreck. I am exhausted everytime we arrive at home. So today Abbie I say, Congratulations!!! You've reached another milestone. I love you very much.

More Details

2009-01-08T08:23:00.003-06:00

Ok, my youngest sister has informed me that I left out a few details when writing about Riley's college applications. First, he is applying to NYU and OU. Second, he would like to major in Drama, Musical Theater or Linguistics. He has auditions in February for the first 2. We have scheduled our audition for NYU and only have to send in the RSVP's for the other 2 auditions at OU. Next, we will be putting together his Resume and Headshots. But like I said previously the applications are in and that was the biggie.

Waiting game....

2009-01-06T08:06:00.002-06:00

College applications are now in. We have audition forms to get in but that is small potatoes. Now we play the waiting game. I don't know if Riley is as excited about this as I am. To me it's like waiting to open Christmas presents when you were a kid. My prayer is that God will open the door that he wants Riley to go through and prepare us all for what lies ahead.

New Year

2009-01-05T08:31:00.005-06:00

Well the holidays are behind us and now it is time to get ready for duathlons, gardening, organizing closets, etc. We had a wonderful trip to Copper Mountain for skiing (me) and boarding (the rest of the family). Abbie made it home safe last night. Thank you Olson family for entertaining our daughter!!! Terry is back to a full schedule, Riley and Abbie are back to school with plays and semester finals approaching. Travis is job hunting and working on his music. I love the new beginnings of January. It feels like you could tear a sheet out of a notebook and start over fresh. I hope you have a wonderful New Year.

CTK WIC Cookie Exchange

2008-12-11T11:14:00.011-06:00

The ladies of our church had a cookie exchange on Monday night. The turnout was small but it was a very nice event. The location was wonderful. I made 2 types of cookies and will post the recipes the next couple of days. They were Peppermint Shortbreads and White Chocolate Orange Dream Cookies. Today I am posting pictures.

Travis is 20!!!!

2008-12-09T09:52:00.034-06:00

It is such a day of mixed emotions. One I am so proud of Travis, and the other, I can't believe it has been 20 years since I gave birth to Travis. I was 10 days late and seemed like 10 months. Terry was in law school at the tail end of finals for that semester. Fortunately, it was only his oil and gas law final he had left.(his undergrad was in petroleum land management) Travis came in at 9lbs., 2oz. What a boy!!! One of my favorite memories is of him acting out the song "Step in time" from Mary Poppins. He has played trombone in marching band and had his own garage band in high school named "Gello". I thought they were pretty good and had countless hours of listening to them practice in our garage. I have gleamed with joy over the years at all he has attempted and accomplished. I look forward to seeing what he will do in the future. He has great ambition. So here's to you Travis. You are no longer a teenager.

Finished Project

2008-12-04T08:54:00.005-06:00

I finally finished my reversible cable knit scarf. I worked on it on our Thanksgiving road trip and finished. I will be able to take it with us skiing.

Thanksgiving recipe #3

2008-12-03T10:08:00.002-06:00

Ok, this is a recipe my mother-in-law brought me one year. She clips recipes and articles from newspapers to share with us and I love getting them. This has become a Thanksgiving evening tradition that we all look forward to. It is called....
Cranberry Tea

8 C. water
2 C. sugar
5 Cinnamon sticks
48 oz. Cranberry juice cocktail
2 C. Orange juice
1 C. pineapple juice
2 t. lemon juice

In a dutch oven or stock pot, bring water, sugar and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and heat until warm.

You will notice this has NO TEA. I have no idea why it is call Cranberry TEA. It is delicious and more like a wassle or spiced drink.

Thanksgiving recipe #2

2008-12-02T07:52:00.004-06:00

Ok, today's recipe is for my sweet potatoes. I got this recipe from Southern Living probably 10 years ago. It is called....

Nannie's Candied Sweet Potatoes

6 large sweet potatoes, about 4 pounds
1 lemon
1orange
3/4 C. butter, melted
2 C. sugar
1/2 C. orange juice
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

Peel potatoes; cut potatoes, lemon & orange into 1/4 inch slices.
Place potato slices in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish; arrange lemon and orange slices over potatoes.
Combine butter and next 4 ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 1 hour.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, basting often with pan juices.

Thanksgiving recipe #1

2008-12-01T14:53:00.002-06:00

Ok, I have been struggling with ideas of things to post and was asked to post some of my recipes used for Thanksgiving. I was so glad to have something to post! Ok, today I will be posting the first thing I prepared on Thanksgiving morning. That is Cranberry Relish. I got this recipe from Bootsie (my sister-in-laws, mother-in-law). Well here it is.

Cranberry Relish
Bag of fresh Cranberries
2 apples
2 oranges
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 C. chopped celery
cherry jello, small box
1 C. sugar

Wash and look through cranberries. Place in blender and chop. Place in a bowl. Cut apples & oranges into fine pieces. Add to cranberries. Add ramaining ingredients and stir together. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve cold.

Sunday

2008-11-10T13:40:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a full day. We went to baby Madelyn's dedication, then to her brother Caden's 2nd birthday lunch and party. Later that afternoon we were off to OU for a choir concert. Riley's school chorale were invited to perform with OU's chorale. It was wonderful.

I can't believe I did the whole thing!!!

2008-10-20T09:56:00.013-05:00

Well, yesterday my daughter and I completed a duathlon. She has done several of these but for me it was the first. Yes, I had done the running leg of a sprint tri but I did ALL of this! Wow, I am still taking it all in. I finished under 2 hours so that made me very happy and I wasn't the last one to come in. It was very windy but beautiful. Thank goodness for the biking portion. I have only been running for 6 weeks so that was very sad on times but my biking made up for it. I passed somewhere between 10 and 20 people on the bike. I thank God for allowing me to do this as it is something I have longed to do ever since Abbie and Terry did their first last year. Oh, also Abbie took first in her age group (as always)!

You might be right, I might be crazy

2008-10-15T08:48:00.002-05:00

Well, today is my last training run before my first ever duathlon (all by myself!!!!). I was supposed to run at my usual 5am but it was raining and a cold front had come through. I will run later today. Since the event is at 1:30pm it might be good that I run later. I am excited and nervous. I did a 15 mile bike ride yesterday in 58 minutes. Not great but it will do. My running will be iffy. I will fill you in on Monday. I could really use your prayers.

We did it!!!!

2008-10-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

Well my hubby, son and I competed in our first sprint triathlon on Sunday. We came in 3rd in the coed teams and got some really neat towels. My hubby did the swimming, our son did the cycling, and I did the running. I am so glad we didn't go over the course before we did it as the running was uphill for the first half. I just started running 4 weeks ago and I have NOT run hills. I thought I was going to die. But this is just the beginning in 2 weeks I am going to do a duathlon. What was I thinking!!!! Oh well. Here are some pictures. The fat one is me.

Riley's cake

2008-09-19T14:52:00.004-05:00

Well, I just finished Riley's birthday cake. I am very pleased with it. There is a story behind it. Riley is in a choir at school that made a trip to NYC last school year for a contest. They were there 5 days and only one was for the contest so they had lots of sight seeing time. He and his 3 best friends went to M&M World and bought different colored M&M t-shirts and wore them home on the plane. The rest of the school year they wore them on the same days. Riley's was the orange M&M so I have made him an M&M cake. What do you think?

Riley's 18!!!

2008-09-17T10:13:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday Riley!!! I remember the day you were born. They wrapped you in a blanket & handed you to me. You were crying but the minute you heard my voice you stopped crying and listened to my voice. My heart was melted that very second I realized you recognized me. As long as I spoke to you you were quiet but if I stopped talking to you you would start whimpering. Wow!!! That was a mom moment!!!

Time Flies....

2008-09-11T09:15:00.020-05:00

I'm sure I have said this before. But I cannot believe that Riley is going to be 18!!! Within the week we will have another voter in the house. I have a women's group from church that meets at my house once a month and the other day I pulled out some photos to show a couple of moms with soon to be one year olds. One was feeling badly that she couldn't get her baby to sleep at a certain time. It brought back memories of when my boys were little and we didn't have set bedtimes as I enjoyed rocking them to sleep and knew that this time would pass all to quickly. And it has. I love being a wife and mother!!! I have been blessed with the chance to stay home with my children and wouldn't want anything different. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to the day when Terry and I will get to spend more time together. But for now I thought I would share pictures of my babies when they were babies. Since I don't know how to put captions under my photos I will give them to you here. The first pic is Travis, second is Riley (the one in my previous post with the beard), third is Abbie, fourth is me rocking Travis (under my arm) and Riley to sleep, fifth is Terry with the kids, sixth is Terry and kids playing a game (Riley is upset that Abbie got on the board) & the last is after Abbie's first birthday.

Final Score

2008-09-09T09:11:00.002-05:00

Sorry I kept you hanging. I forgot to post the final score of the "big game". We won 58 to 0.

The Big Game

2008-09-04T15:14:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the hometown rivalry game between the 2 high schools. They play in a neutral stadium and have different lunch hours to cut down on problems between the kids. It is the one football game I will be attending this year as we are not a big football family. We prefer other sports (can you say viva la tour?) Yes, 21 days in July our tv is on every night for that days tour coverage. We actually record Cyclism Sunday on Versus. If all goes as the papers are saying we will be victorious. Go _-____'s!!!

Welcome Madelyn!

2008-08-21T08:15:00.009-05:00

Well, as promised I have pictures of Madelyn. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and has more hair than I have ever seen on a baby. I didn't get any pictures showing her hair but there is plenty of time for that. Here is Madelyn.... I have also included pics of Mom, big sister and big brother. Congratulations Jason and Lindsey! She is beautiful.

Happy Birthday Abbie!!!

2008-08-20T13:32:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Abbie's birthday. I love the fact that even though she is going to high school she still enjoys kiddish things. (notice the cakes, by the way if you can't tell, they are giraffes) We had a dinner with some of the family and on the actual day we went out to dinner and then for ice cream.

First Day of School

2008-08-20T13:24:00.004-05:00

Well, as Abbie put it, today is Riley last first day of high school. Hard to believe he is a senior. Today is also my baby's first day of school. Today is also my new great-niece's birthday. She was born early this morning and I am waiting to go see her until Abbie gets out of school. I will post pics then. For now I am posting the first day of school pics of 2 of our 3 children. Our oldest son starts next week.

First and Last Year

2008-08-08T15:59:00.003-05:00

I definitely don't feel old enough but time is fling and I registered our younger son, Riley,(see left) for his senior year on Wednesday. Our baby will be starting her first year of high school this year. I still feel like I should have toddlers walking with me instead of children that are taller than me. Our oldest son will be turning 20 in December. WOW!!!

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider???

2008-08-07T10:38:00.005-05:00

Look what we have in our flower bed. It has doubled in size since it set up residence. Yesterday I took 2 of our kids out to see how big it had gotten and we were there to see it capture a butterfly in its web. I have never seen a spider move so quickly!!!

Back to School Shopping

2008-08-04T11:00:00.002-05:00

Well, we hit the mall this weekend. It was tax-free weekend and with 3 kids to buy for it really saves on school clothes and shoes. I got to shop with each child individually as some had work schedules. I was exhausted by Sunday night. We still have some supplies to buy but that won't take long.

How long has it been????

2008-07-04T08:11:00.007-05:00

Well, Wednesday we entertained friends from Colorado that we used to go to church with. I was shocked when they told us they had been gone for 10 years!!! I knew there kids were young when they left but wow. They will now get to know the other friends we said goodbye to last week. They will all be in the same town! How wonderful is that. We had a nice visit and the kids enjoyed themselves also. Isn't it funny that you can keep up with friends through e-mail and Christmas cards for that long, then get together and you still click. We have stayed in the same town for 21 years this August and have watched as so many have come and gone. It can be hard to say goodbye but it has made for some great visits and I suppose many more to come. Our kids are all growing up and soon will be out on their own but what memories we will have and what fun we will have visiting!

Sister Visit

2008-06-25T15:05:00.013-05:00

My sister just younger than me & family are coming for a visit this weekend. I ran across a picture of the first visit we had of my family after moving into this house. (that was almost 13 years ago) We moved in on Monday and had my family come in on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. For some that would be unthinkable. But if you knew me you would know that I love to entertain and cook. Needless to say there were 2 things that got unpacked and set up....the kitchen and sleeping quarters. We had very little furniture at the time as we had ordered some and it had not come in yet. It was a wonderful visit and I loved every minute of it. Well, 4 kids have graduated high school, one even college. One is married with a baby and my then 2 year old is going to high school this fall. Wow!!! The kitchen has been redone twice also. The first 3 photos are the kitchen now, the next 2 are the first redo and the last 2 are the kitchen that first Thanksgiving.

Saying Goodbye (again)

2008-06-23T10:10:00.001-05:00

Well, Saturday we had a get-together with 2 families we have been friends with for years. One of those families is military and will be moving on to their next tour later this week. The kids even get along and have gone to school together on and off. It is hard to say goodbye but we plan to visit as we did on their last tour in Hawaii. They will be closer this time so hopefully there will be many more visits.

2 more quilts

2008-06-22T18:58:00.011-05:00

Well the girls have completed their quilts for the year, with Nana's help. I think they are beautiful. We had a great visit and a lot of fun and food. Bobby and Nana know how to entertain us.

Quilting with Nana

2008-06-17T17:56:00.006-05:00

Well it's that time of year again. The last 2 years my daughter and niece the first year, all of the above and my sister-in-law the second, have gone to my in-laws house for a quilting spree. We have our fabric and are now getting ready for the trip. We go from dawn to dusk for and in a couple of days have some pretty cute quilts. The above are last years fruits. So on go the thimbles and watch out for the iron this year Abbie. This year we have some new additions to our group. My other neice and her 2 small children will be coming. She will be making a baby blanket for the new arrival due later this year.

Nationals!!!

2008-06-08T17:51:00.004-05:00

Our younger son is headed to NFL Nationals (that's National Forensics League, not football) the end of the week so I will be busy starching shirts and packing. Even though he will be a senior this coming year I still enjoy doing those things for him. I know it is only a matter of time until I will no longer be able to do these things for him. We are so proud. When the kids were young I thought it would be so much easier once we got out of diapers and everyone could dress themselves. Now it is just a different set of things to think about. Once he gets back from Nationals it will be just a couple of weeks until he and his younger sister head off to church camp. It is so hard to realize that our baby is going to be in high school. She finished her first sprint triathlon just a couple of weeks ago. She took first in her age group.

2 cakes in 2 days

2008-06-07T16:47:00.009-05:00

Wow, this week we celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday & hosted a bridal shower for someone in our church. I used a Paula Deen recipe for my sister-in-law's cake and the tried and true wilton method for the shower. Both turned out nice and I had so much fun pulling it all off. I had help with the chocolate curls from my daughter and help with the shower from some lovely ladies at church (thanks to all of you!). I love having girl parties when you bring out the china and silver. Also, the party food. The shower was a kitchen theme so we used some of the brides kitchen colors and kitchen gadgets to decorate. What do you think?

Summertime treat

2008-06-01T20:41:00.003-05:00

Ok, it's time to get out the ice cream freezer. I have made homemade ice cream the last 2 days. Yesterday I made vanilla and today strawberry. Here is the recipe:
3 eggs
2 C. sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 can eagle brand milk
1 pint whipping cream

Mix well and add enough whole milk go fill container. If you want to add fruit, cut it up or puree your fruit.

It is wonderful! Summer vacation is a week old what are you waiting for?

Life

2008-05-27T08:17:00.006-05:00

Well this weekend was busy indeed. Friday was the last day of school which meant finals for one of our kids and a field trip for another. After everyone arrived home and changed we headed out of town for my nephew's high school graduation 3 hours away. I was shocked to see one of my own fellow graduates from high school. I didn't even recognize him!!! It made me wonder just how much different I must look after 25 years. After celebrating with my family we were off for home. I was up early delivering the cake for my nieces graduation party. Then it was off to her graduation that morning. By the time it was all over we were all exhausted but my garden was begging to be watered. Where was the usual Memorial Day Weekend thunderstorms that seem to hit our part of the country? Sunday brought church and a youth party that evening. Fortunately, it was for the family so everyone was fed. Monday we were up early, as the weekend drunks were going to bed, to get our 20 mile cycling ride in. But we were rewarded with a trip to IHOP. Terry grilled that afternoon. We had chicken, corn on the cob, zucchini, and oriental salad (the cabbage was from my garden!!!). My sister-in-law and family came with the dessert....her wonderful bread pudding!!! While Terry was grilling I took one of the little ones to my garden to pick a carrot. After dinner we walked to the park and let the little ones play. What a weekend. Well if that is not life to its fullest I'm not sure I could handle it. It is so much fun spending time with family and friends.

Today's Harvest!!!

2008-05-21T10:21:00.002-05:00

Today I harvested my first carrots! I also got a couple of strawberries, about 20 sugar snap peas and my lettuce need to be trimmed. I think I will be harvesting my first cabbage today also so that it doesn't split. Can you tell this is my first vegetable garden?

Pammie, Pammie, Quite Contrary........

2008-05-17T08:21:00.004-05:00

Wow my garden is taking off. We have been getting strawberries, sugar snap peas, lettuce, radishes and even one onion. Soon the carrots will be ready and cabbages. My garlic is starting to lay over which is a sign it is about ready for harvest. I am really learning alot. It doesn't matter how many books you buy some of the learning (especially when things are ready to harvest) is just trial and error. I can't tell you how many radishes I pulled up to soon. I'm restraining myself from pulling up a carrot at least until next Wednesday. Everything but one corn plant is growing nicely. I will be replanting that today if I don't see signs of a plant. OH!!! I finally finished Abbie's knee socks I was knitting!!! I started them in December for Christmas and was up to the leg part well before Christmas but that was the slowest most boring part of the sock. It didn't help that she wanted knees socks and the yarn is like twine. I am including a picture of the socks.

End of the School Year Craziness

2008-05-07T16:57:00.004-05:00

Is it just me or does the end of the school year always get crazy? Awards ceremonies, concerts, plays, etc., etc......We have two graduations in our family this year. This weekend we have a birthday party for my great-niece. Next weekend a duathlon my daughter is participating in. Then the two graduations the next weekend in two different cities one Friday and the other Saturday morning. This weekend our oldest son moves home from college. Where to put all of the stuff. It will be nice to have him home.

Guess what I've been doing

2008-05-05T17:34:00.010-05:00

Ok, I have been working very hard to get my gardens in order for summer. We have already had a couple of salads and lettuce for our burgers. The only thing that hasn't come up yet is the okra and last set of corn plants. I finished the flower beds today and will be including photos.

I'm Back!

2008-04-25T19:28:00.003-05:00

Wow, my house is clean. I am finished painting the furniture and the last piece will be taken over tonight. I starched shirts, packed & said goodbye to my dear husband. Thursday I got to welcome him back from his triumphant victory. I am exhausted! Yesterday my mom arrived to attend her grandson (our younger son) perform as Romeo. We went over to water for a friend who was out of town then to dinner at my sister-in-laws house. My mom, Abbie and I went to save seats early as there are no reserved seats for the spring play. Today mama went home and we took naps after church and lunch. Wow, do I feel better. I love watching Riley perform. He loves acting. Abbie has a drive for running and sports. Travis love playing and writing music. Ashley loves being around family, but they all seem to.

Wonderful Cookie Recipe

2008-04-17T17:43:00.005-05:00

My mother-in-law sent me this recipe from the Pillsbury Bake-off contest. This is the million dollar winner.

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
1/4 C. Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. Jif creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 roll Pillsbury Create n' Bake refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In another small bowl stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls. Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/4 inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough. Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Abbie and I made these this afternoon since she didn't have track practice. They are wonderful!

2008-04-12T21:25:00.004-05:00

Today I finished sanding the furniture I have been working on and got the primer on the bookshelf and nightstand. The nightstand is going to be so cute when it is finished. All of this furniture was black and red. The lady I am doing this for wants it all white except for the back wall of the bookshelf which will be the same color as the walls of the room they will be in. Terry grilled tonight and I made baked beans, deviled eggs and mac & cheese. For dessert I made lemon angel food cake w/ raspberries and cool whip. It is a very easy and light dessert. Here is the recipe.
LEMON ANGEL FOOD W/RASPBERRIES & COOL WHIP
1 angel food cake mix
2 lemons
2 C. powdered sugar
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed
light cool whip

Mix and bake angel food according to recipe but pour into a 9x13 pan. When you remove it from the oven invert onto a cooling rack. Once cooled turn over and poke holes in cake with a fork. Mix together powdered sugar, 1/3 C. lemon juice, and zest of one lemon. Pour over cake. Cut cake spoon raspberries and cool whip over cake.

It's Friday!!!

2008-04-11T10:57:00.005-05:00

Wow, where did the week go. I was just checking out one of the blogs that I keep up with and she had a link for a free giveaway at Live Laugh Blog
Check it out for free note cards or bow pad. I am working on the furniture I am repainting today. I hope to start the priming today.

I'm singing in the rain....

2008-04-10T11:37:00.004-05:00

Wow!!! What a rain we had yesterday. I set my little bell pepper plants out in my garden to harden them yesterday morning and had to leave them there overnight. We got so much rain that the backyard was flooded and I couldn't get to my garden. I have flowers and seeds I need to get in the ground but that will have to wait a day or two. This weekend I will post pictures of my garden. It is really beginning to grow. If I can keep the cabbage worms under control we will be good. The reason the water is red is we live in central Oklahoma where the dirt is red. That is a raised bed of cinder blocks with 4 inch capstones on top. That is how deep it was.

Busy!!!

2008-04-09T13:59:00.006-05:00

Wow, it has been sooo busy around here. I made 192 cupcakes for a wedding and sent and retrieved one of our son's from NYC. He had a blast! He and his friends saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and a lot of other major NYC sites. The cupcakes consisted of making fondant/gum paste daisies (half yellow w/ white centers and half white w/ yellow centers). These were put on white cupcakes w/ yellow icing and yellow cupcakes w/ white icing. I am trying to finish up some furniture that I have sanded/striped and repainting for a lady at church. The weather and my schedule have not been cooperating.

Here's one for you sis

2008-03-21T09:26:00.005-05:00

At the request of my "baby" sister I am posting a new recipe. My choice come from reading her latest entry on her blog "the chatters block". She mentioned how much her son enjoys chicken and finding new ways to make it. Sooooo...I will be posting my Parmesan Chicken recipe. So here goes.

Parmesan Chicken

4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless (this is the quantity for my family yours may differ)
1/2 C. margarine, melted
1 C. fresh parmesan cheese,
1/2 dry bread crumbs
2 t. oregano
2 t. parsley
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

First thing I do is pound chicken breasts in a gallon ziploc bag to make them thin. Then I cut them in half lengthwise. Melt your margarine in a bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl together. Now dip chicken in margarine then in bread crumb mixture and place in a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with my favorite cooking spray "Pam" :-). Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. I also serve this with cubed seasoned potatoes. I put canned parmesan, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, oregano, salt & pepper in a bowl that has a lid and will fit the potatoes I have cut up. I mix up the seasoning, put in the potatoes, put on the lid and shake. Pour this into a 9x13 that has 2 or 3 T. of cooking oil. I put these in before I start the chicken as they take longer to cook. Then I select a green veggie. Broccoli, green beans or asparagus. Enjoy.

Spring Break

2008-03-19T16:42:00.003-05:00

Well the weather hasn't been the best for spring break but since we didn't have plans that is ok. The kids have been staying busy and I have been busy around the house. My garden is beginning to takeoff. The lettuce, spinach, and now my potatoes are beginning to break though the dirt. I now have 2 pea plants. Also, I have made some progress on my daughter's socks that I am knitting. Hope to have them finished this week.

Dinner and a Movie

2008-03-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

Last night my sister-in-law and her husband came over for Chicken Enchiladas (recipe below), salsa and chips. Kim brought over a coconut cream pie for dessert. The movie we watched was "The Brave One" with Jodie Foster. To see a movie review go to Frame This Blog. Now for the recipe.
Chicken Enchiladas
2-13oz. cans of Member's Mark Premium Chicken Breast, drained and shredded
1/2 C. sour cream
1 can Enchilada sauce
1-4oz. can green chiles
2 1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 C. Shredded Colby Jack cheese
10-8 inch flour tortillas

Combine first 4 ingredients. Place mixture in tortillas and roll. Place in 9x13 pan seam side down. Pour whipping cream over top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas when there is 10 minutes remaining on the cook time. Enjoy.

Garden Turning Green

2008-03-15T14:31:00.000-05:00

Well after a week of nice weather I am starting to see sprouts popping through the dirt. I now have my first sugar snap pea plant and my carrots are coming up also. My radishes continue to get bigger. The broccoli has me stumped. I planted 5 plants and they one by one have started dying. The cabbage plants are questionable. Maybe next year I will have learned what I did wrong. I think I will start the plants from seed indoors with the varieties I wanted. I started bell pepper plants indoors and they are thriving in my bathroom window which has southern exposure. I will keep you posted.

Healthy homemade dog food recipes

2008-03-11T14:05:00.000-05:00

Looking for healthy ways of cooking for our yorkie. She has bad teeth and no matter how many times I have had them cleaned, or brushed them myself they are beginning to get loose. She is older but I want her to be around a lot longer. Any ideas?

First Post

2008-03-10T09:54:00.000-05:00

I'm new to this and plan on sharing recipes, and updates on my gardening (my first attempt at square foot vegetable gardening).