Fun in the Kitchen

Kathy bought 3 pumpkins for us to cook up and use while we were out here visiting. Today was pumpkin day!

As Paul headed out the door to go to work; Kathy, Mom and I headed into the kitchen to get to work. It is so nice to be able to be in the kitchen working along side Kathy and Mom. They are great cooks and we really work well together.

Here is what we made:
These delicious muffins are called Chocolate Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins and you can find the recipe on Lynn's Kitchen Adventure. These muffins are extra chocolaty and super moist.I recently found this awesome blog called Home Joys and I suggest you check it out and make these really easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars.This Spiced Pumpkin Butter smelled so wonderful! I want to make some when I get home and I want to can them in little jars. Last year I made apple butter but I think this is my new favorite! We used the Better Homes and Garden Banana Bread recipe and added some pumpkin to make it even more moist. I didn't try any of this today but maybe I will get a slice for breakfast tomorrow.

I think the Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins are my favorite. I will definitely be making these again and again. These Roasted Pumpkin Seeds were so delicious. I snacked on way to many of them today. This Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie I think Mike would totally love. I liked it but it was too much chocolate for me. That is not a problem for Mike :-)

We got so much accomplished today. It was a great day of cooking, laughing and making memories!

Project 365 ~ Week 45

Week 45 was a busy week for me and I didn't end up getting pictures taken every day. So I am going to share the pictures from my card class. We made 2 Christmas cards and a little Christmas goody bag. I forgot to take pictures of the finished products so those will have to come when I get back home. Until then, enjoy these pictures!

Be sure to check out Sara's blog and all the other Project 365 participants!

Project 365 ~ Week 44

I can't believe today is November 1st. From now until the end of the year things are going to get hectic for me. I have 3 trips planned, 1 surgery and lots of projects to complete.

I am very happy to be able to mark this huge project off my list. Monday I spend the day putting the church recipe books together. This project has taught me so much. It was a much bigger project than I ever imagined and even though as soon as the recipes went to the printers I said I would never do it again, I am now realizing that it is possible to do another huge project like this in the future but Lord willing put to action the many lessons learned. Thank you Lord for helping me through this project and making a recipe book that many will be blessed by! Another project I needed to work on is a Recipe tin for my SIL. Roz ordered this last month and since I will be seeing her for Thanksgiving I thought it would be good to focus on completing it. The outside of the tin is done but now I need to make some dividers. Roz I hope you like this tin!

A good friend of mine from South Florida collects owls. I saw this owl stamp at Michael's craft store and I had to buy it. Of course after I bought it the stamp sat on my craft table for a few months but November 10 is Fran's birthday so I finally used it to make some cards. I ended up making about 20 cards because I can always use Birthday cards but this card was specially made for Fran. Happy Birthday Fran... you will be getting this in the mail next week!

I am trying to build an inventory on my Etsy store. I am just starting and still not sure what I am doing but I have some supplies in my craft room that I have been needing to use so from those supplies I made this tin. I think it turned out cute and it can be used for so many things. I haven't actually posted it on my Etsy store yet but hope to tomorrow. I think a perfect way to use this tin is for someone who loves going to Disney World, takes lots of pictures but doesn't have the time to put pictures in a photo album. With a photo safe pen you could write on the back of the picture to you don't forget important things like dates, names, funny stories and so on.

Let's just say it was a very crafty week for me. This is another tin I had been wanting to make to post on Etsy and just never got around to it until this week. This tin could be used to put toys in and store in the car to play while on the road or it could just be a tin to hold little boy treasures. I know several kids that have loved Thomas so I hope this tin will sell as soon as I post it on my Etsy store.

We had a few days of rain this week which I am thankful for since it waters my raspberry and blueberry plants. One night when I took Betsy outside I saw this spider web. I think it looked much cooler in real life with the rain drops on the web. The spider to me looked more like a little frog. The web was up high so I couldn't take a real close look at the spider but I hope it isn't poisonous since I didn't kill it.

Mike is working outside getting some lumber cut up for our expanded chicken house area. We are expanding because our little chicks aren't so little anymore and they will soon be introduced to the rest of our chickens. This means that they need a bigger hen house so that is what we will be doing this week. I am outside trying to enjoy the beautiful weather and help Mike out when I can. I decided to also bring the laptop outside and work on posting my blog entry but the reflection on the monitor made things really hard to read. It was really neat how I could see the trees and all but it didn't allow for me to get much accomplished.

Well it is time for me to go check eggs and then get ready to head back to church. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! I know mine will be busy with a doctor's appointment, card class, and packing for my trip to Las Vegas. I am so excited my Mom and I are flying out on Saturday to go visit my sister! Woohoo!!!

Be sure to check out Sara's blog and all the other Project 365 participants!

Philippians 2

Imitating Christ's Humility

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

TO BE EDUCATED

By Carolyn Caines

August 16, 1997

If I learn my ABC's, can read 600 words per minute, and can write with perfect penmanship, but have not been shown how to communicate with the Designer of all language,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can deliver an eloquent speech and persuade you with my stunning logic, but have not been instructed in God's wisdom,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I have read Shakespeare and John Locke and can discuss their writings with keen insight, but have not read the greatest of all books - the Bible - and have knowledge of its personal importance,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I have memorized addition facts, multiplication tables, and chemical formulas, but have never been disciplined to hide God's Word in my heart,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can explain the law of gravity and Einstein's theory of relativity, but have never been instructed in the unchangeable laws of the One Who orders our universe,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can classify animals by their family, genus and species, and can write a lengthy scientific paper that wins an award, but have not been introduced to the Maker's purpose for all creation,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can recite the Gettysburg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution, but have not been informed of the hand of God in the history of our country,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can play the piano, the violin, six other instruments, and can write music that moves men to tears, but have not been taught to listen to the Director of the universe and worship Him,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can run cross-country races, start in basketball and do 100 push-ups without stopping, but have never been shown how to bend my spirit to do God's will,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can identify a Picasso, describe the style of da Vinci, and even paint a portrait that earns an A+, but have not learned that all harmony and beauty comes from a relationship with God,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I graduate with a perfect 4.0 and am accepted at the best university with a full scholarship, but have not been guided into a career of God's choosing for me,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I become a good citizen, voting at each election and fighting for what is normal and right, but have not been told of the sinfulness of man and his hopelessness without Christ,
I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

However, if one day I see the world as God sees it, and come to know Him, Who to know is life eternal, and glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for me,
I HAVE BEEN EDUCATED.

Project 365 ~ Week 43

What an awesome week we had. The week started with me having an outpatient procedure at the hospital which by God's grace went well. I came home and slept the afternoon away. When I woke up I was feeling good so I got some soup and went to sit at the couch. One thing led to another and I somehow ended up dropping Mike's iPhone in my soup. Let me give y'all some friendly advice, don't let your loved ones get an iPhone because if anything ever happens to it the world falls apart. Google search and AT&T both said to put the phone in a bag of rice and the rice will absorb the moisture. We tried that but no luck for us.This was the growing pile of presents and cards on the table. To see more details of everything Mike got for his birthday you can check out this post.Wednesday was Mike's birthday so I made this delicious but very rich chocolate cake. Check out the recipe here.Thursday we went to the Whispering Hope banquet. We have been supporting Whispering Hope for the past 5 years and this has been the largest turnout ever. Praise the Lord! I made some little cards to be used in some goody bags. Maureen - we got them in the mail on Friday, let me know when you get them. Hope the kids like them.Saturday was a great day of getting so much accomplished so to celebrate we headed to Krispy Kreme. We don't have one near our house which is probably a really good thing. Guess what I got at church today? Yes, the cookbooks are in from the printers and now I will be punching holes and making them into books. I can't wait to try some more of these delicious recipes. Be sure to check out Sara's blog and all the other Project 365 participants!

Reminiscing

Today we spent the day driving around, running errands and reminiscing. During our outing today we drove by the first apartment we lived in when we moved to GA. We saw the building we use to work at, our favorite Chinese restaurant and many other places.

If you have ever lived in GA you know this famous landmark ~ the big chicken.

Whenever we went to Sam's Club on this side of town we tried to make it a point to stop and enjoy a "hot now" donut.

So of course we stopped for a morning snack :-)

We love looking through the window and watching the donuts frying, flipping and getting their glaze.

In case your mouth wasn't watering yet, here is a close up picture :-) After we accomplished everything we needed to accomplish today we went for some lunch. This place may not look like much when you first drive up...
and there may not be a sign anywhere that tells you what it's called...but the food is superb! I ordered chopped beef, fried green tomatoes, and Brunswick stew.

If you aren't familiar with Restaurants.com you should really go check it out. They are currently having a 70% off sale, just use the code "PUMPKIN" when you check out and you will pay $3 for $25 certificate. If you live in or near the Atlanta area the restaurant I have pictured above is called "Swallow at the Hollow"