Thankful day 5

Day 5: What I am thankful for

Yesterday, my friend wrote that she was thankful for coupons. Well, I would have to agree!

I am very thankful for coupons! They have saved my family alot of money!  I am by no means an expert couponer, but I have some very gracious friends who have taught me alot about couponing! If it wasn't for them, I would not have a nice stockpile going!

This is my coupon binder!  I take this with me everywhere I go!  You never know when you might find a great deal! ;)

These are my Extra Care bucks from CVS!  

They may look like paper to the average person, but that is money to spend at CVS!

Thankful day 4

Day 4: What I am thankful for

My church!

For those of you who don't know, I am a PK. I am a pastor's kid.  My parents have always been involved in the church.  My dad is an associate pastor at his church.  I grew up in the church.  I am very grateful for being raised the way that I was. Granted, there were times that I hated it, what kid didn't, but I look back at my childhood with fond memories and am grateful for the way that my mom and dad raised my sister and I!

In 2009, my sister's best friend invited me to come visit their church.   I had always wanted to raise my kids in the church, but had not found the one that I could call home yet!   Shianne was not quite yet 3 and I was pregnant with Jacob. I went and visited Church 212 and I fell in love! Not only was it an awesome church, but I had grown up with several of the families that attend our church!   I have been attending ever since!  Church 212 was a fairly new church when I started attending and Jacob had the honor of being the first baby born of our church!!!  

I am so happy when I see my kids excited to go to church every Sunday!  Shianne loves her Sunday school class and Jacob loves to go to his "school" as he calls it! 

So, I am super blessed and thankful to have a wonderful church that I am a part of!

Meat and cheese crescent roll calzone

Meat and cheese crescent calzone

Honey Ham & Baby Swiss Crescent Calzone
1 Refrigerated Pillsbury Recipe Creations Crescent Dough or Crescent Roll Dough with Perforations Sealed
1/2 Pound Honey Ham or Any Lunch Meat or Thinly Sliced Cooked Meat (Steak, Chicken or Pork)
1/2 Pound Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese or Your Favorite Sliced Cheese, you can also used Shredded Cheese.
For dipping, any spread like Ranch Dressing, Mustard, Honey Mustard, Thousand Island Dressing, Italian Dressing

Preheat Oven to 350'F.

Line a Baking/Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper.

1. Unroll your crescent dough and stretch it out a little but do not tear it.  Just to get it out of it's tight form from being in the can. Seal the perforations.
2. Lay your cheese down in a single layer on top of the rolled out crescent rolls.
3. Lay your lunch meat down on top of the cheese. Leave about a half inch space so that you can pinch it  
    closed.
4. Start at the long end and begin rolling to the end.  Pinch all opening together.  Snip with a scissors or poke top with a fork to do some venting.  
5. Cook until a Golden Brown, it varies depending on temperature.  I cooked it for around 30 minutes. 

I used Havarti cheese and turkey and ham.  I am sure that you could use any meat or cheese of your choosing and it works! 

the ingredients

Roll the crescent rolls out and seal the seams

Put the cheese on top

Then put the meat on top

Roll it up and seal the ends, and cut some slits in the top

All done! I don't think that I sealed the seams very well, because it burst open with ooey gooey cheesy yumminess! 

A warm meat sandwich

Second time around, it turned out much nicer! 

Thanks to Annamaria and her blog for this quick and easy dinner!

Feeding an army, well not really ;)

Last week, my friend had her beautiful baby girl.  I told her that I would make her some meals and then come and visit her and get to see her new baby! On Thursday, I spent almost 5 hours in the kitchen making a huge variety of things!  And then, on Friday, after my daughter got out of school, the whole family and I went up to her house and spent the evening with her and her family! We had such a great time and I got to snuggle with a precious baby!  And yes, it gave me baby fever, but I am keeping it in check! LOL! ;)

I started off with my normal triple batch of banana bread. Well, while I was mixing the sugar and butter together, I accidentally added an extra cup of sugar.  So, my triple batch turned into a quadruple batch! ;)

 I made 8 mini loaves of banana bread

and 2 regular loaves of banana bread (these both went to my friend)

Next, I made two packages of snickerdoodle cookies.

I forgot how yummy those are! 

 

Chili Cheese Casserole

1 can of chili
1 can of cream of chicken (I was out, so I used cream of mushroom and it works too)
1 12 ounce package of penne pasta (or whichever you prefer - it is very hearty, so I like to use a smaller pasta)
8 ounces monterrey jack cheese, grated

In a casserole dish, mix well the chili, soup and cheese. Add in the cooked noodles, stirring in gently. Cover with some more cheese. Bake for 30 minutes (or until it is warmed through) uncovered at 350 degrees.

 

I ended up making two double batches of this, so the recipe was everything times 4!

The noodles all cooked and in the pan

Mix the chili, soup and cheese all together

 Then blend the noodles and the chili mix together

 Add some more cheese on top (you can never have TOO much cheese)

Both pans ready to go (I covered them with foil and put them in the fridge, so I could take them to my friend's house and she could bake them there)

 Next, I made some corn bread, per my friend's request ;)

All done!

Then, I made BBQ chicken for both my friend's family and ours!

So for dinner on Thursday night, we had BBQ chicken, Bush's Grillin beans southern bit BBQ style, corn and some corn bread. Yummy! 

I was very tired from my day in the kitchen, but it was totally worth it when we were able to bless our friend and her family with lots of food!

Thankful day 3

Day 3:  What I am thankful for!

My kids!

Of course, I would say that! 

5/21/2006: the day we brought Shianne home from the hospital

My big girl's 1st grade picture!

6/18/2009: the day we brought Jacob home from the hospital

 

My adorable 3 year old!

My kids are my world! They have made helped make me into the person that I am today!  They test me and make me grow as a person! There are no manuals for being a parent, so I learned as I went.  I always tell Shianne that she made me a mom! If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't be a mom! Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to a be mom! 

 

It is the hardest job in the world, but it is also the most fulfilling and I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!

Thankful day 2

Day 2:  What I am thankful for

My husband! 

I love my husband, Eric!  He works hard to provide for our family.  He is an awesome father! 

This summer, my dear hubby really stepped up to the plate.  I broke my right arm and I am right handed. I was very dependent on Eric to help me out and he did!  Thank you so much! Makes me love you more and more!

November

Today, I was reading through my Facebook feed and saw a really cool idea on one of the blogs (It's Gravy, Baby) that I follow.    Day one giving thanks in November

Every day in November, yes, every day, I am going to post about what I am thankful for! And boy, do I have a lot!  As Thanksgiving approaches, yippee says me doing the happy dance, it is nice to be reminded of whatever we are thankful for!

Day 1:  What I am thankful for

MY FRIENDS!!!

I am so blessed to have some awesome friends!   Some I have known for a long time, others I grew up with and others I have just gotten to know over the last year or so.  But either way, I am blessed with the friends that I have!