These!!
Both are so delicious and satisfying (especially Planet Smoothie) on a hot summer day!
Enjoy!
Patty
Summer Snacks I LOVE
Both are so delicious and satisfying (especially Planet Smoothie) on a hot summer day!
Enjoy!
Patty
Memorial Weekend Daybook Post
Outside my window ~
We did a little yard work early Friday morning to beat the heat.
And before a nasty storm blew in (from nowhere)
David and Miss Ester went up to the Red River to fish once the storm passed.
I am thankful for ~
(Always) grateful for my husband's wood working skills.
Before ::
On Saturday, he replaced the corner trim on the shed (he built 9 years ago).
The Texas sun is b.r.u.t.a.l.
Afresh coat of paint was needed as well.
After ::
The shed door still needs a coat of paint, but that is for another weekend.
From the school room ~
The end of the school year came in waves this year with Sarah finishing and arriving home the first week of May.
Miss Clementine finished the second week and we celebrated with a new fish, Theodore.
Miss Ester and Miss Mabel finished up the third week of May.
Stan the man went out with a bang. Last Wednesday, the poor boy ended up needing emergency surgery in the middle of the night. Needless to say, he missed the last three days of school. He is doing better each day, but the stir-craziness is setting in.
From the kitchen ~
A new recipe (mini egg frittata) that I'll post this week. Yum!
What I am reading ~
I finished this last week and wow! wow! wow! If you are a high school student, college student, young adult, or parent, you need to read this. I wish it had been available when I was in high school. I like to believe I would have avoided so MANY mistakes. However, it is a double-edge sword because those mistakes are helping me guide my own children.
Around our house ~
Pretending that the water squirting out are laser beams ;)
Sarah and I took Miss Clementine to her first baseball (minors) game.
Frisco's Rough Riders are the minors for Texas Rangers. It is a wonderful family-friendly organization.
There's actually a lazy river out in right field where adults can float and watch the game. I wanna try that next time! Ha ha!
That night was Friday night fireworks!
I am praying for ~
* All those who have asked me to pray for them
* Stan the Man's continued recovery
Coming down the pike ~
We are working on our summer bucket list. Everyone has a few things they want to add or are thinking about adding. I just need to piece it all together!
A last photo to share ~
David and Stan had their annual canoe trip last weekend. They canoed 12 miles to an island (through an outfitter). They had terrible headwinds the entire way, and it stormed in the middle of the night. Yikes!
But they came out a bit tougher then what they went in.
What is the saying? What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
Final thoughts are on what Memorial Day is about.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day.
Prayers for the souls of the faithful departed.
Prayers for the families who will always mourn their loss.
Patty
reade more...
We did a little yard work early Friday morning to beat the heat.
And before a nasty storm blew in (from nowhere)
David and Miss Ester went up to the Red River to fish once the storm passed.
Catch and release!
I am thankful for ~
(Always) grateful for my husband's wood working skills.
Before ::
On Saturday, he replaced the corner trim on the shed (he built 9 years ago).
The Texas sun is b.r.u.t.a.l.
Afresh coat of paint was needed as well.
After ::
The shed door still needs a coat of paint, but that is for another weekend.
From the school room ~
The end of the school year came in waves this year with Sarah finishing and arriving home the first week of May.
Miss Clementine finished the second week and we celebrated with a new fish, Theodore.
Miss Ester and Miss Mabel finished up the third week of May.
Stan the man went out with a bang. Last Wednesday, the poor boy ended up needing emergency surgery in the middle of the night. Needless to say, he missed the last three days of school. He is doing better each day, but the stir-craziness is setting in.
From the kitchen ~
A new recipe (mini egg frittata) that I'll post this week. Yum!
What I am reading ~
I finished this last week and wow! wow! wow! If you are a high school student, college student, young adult, or parent, you need to read this. I wish it had been available when I was in high school. I like to believe I would have avoided so MANY mistakes. However, it is a double-edge sword because those mistakes are helping me guide my own children.
Around our house ~
Pretending that the water squirting out are laser beams ;)
Sarah and I took Miss Clementine to her first baseball (minors) game.
Frisco's Rough Riders are the minors for Texas Rangers. It is a wonderful family-friendly organization.
There's actually a lazy river out in right field where adults can float and watch the game. I wanna try that next time! Ha ha!
That night was Friday night fireworks!
I am praying for ~
* All those who have asked me to pray for them
* Stan the Man's continued recovery
Coming down the pike ~
We are working on our summer bucket list. Everyone has a few things they want to add or are thinking about adding. I just need to piece it all together!
A last photo to share ~
David and Stan had their annual canoe trip last weekend. They canoed 12 miles to an island (through an outfitter). They had terrible headwinds the entire way, and it stormed in the middle of the night. Yikes!
(Photo credit goes to one of the dads in Troops of St. George.)
But they came out a bit tougher then what they went in.
What is the saying? What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
Final thoughts are on what Memorial Day is about.
(Google photo credit)
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day.
Prayers for the souls of the faithful departed.
Prayers for the families who will always mourn their loss.
Patty
What's for Sunday Dinner?
Last Sunday, my boys were due home from an overnight canoe trip, and two of my young ladies had plans to head out that evening to a graduation party. So I thought it would be best to go crock pot style :)
I made this crock pot Pot Roast recipe ::
Fail-proof and always delicious!
Then Miss Mabel made this scrumptious (from scratch) vanilla cake topped off with home made butter cream frosting.
Isn't it pretty?!
So yummy!
This Sunday falls on Memorial Day weekend, so I we will have the grill going.
What are your holiday meal plans?
Patty
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I made this crock pot Pot Roast recipe ::
Fail-proof and always delicious!
Then Miss Mabel made this scrumptious (from scratch) vanilla cake topped off with home made butter cream frosting.
Isn't it pretty?!
So yummy!
This Sunday falls on Memorial Day weekend, so I we will have the grill going.
What are your holiday meal plans?
Patty
Slovenian Heritage on Pentecost Sunday
My mother bought this on one of her trips to Slovenia (where she visits family that still live there). It's beautiful and made out of one piece of wood!
She gifted it to my family a few years ago, and we hang it every Pentecost Sunday.
I love having this little piece to remind me of my heritage (in which I pray I can visit someday).
Com, Holy Spirit!
Patty
Theodore
World, meet Theodore.
Theodore, meet World.
Miss Clementine's first pet (of her own) in honor of finishing Kindergarten :)
Patty
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Theodore, meet World.
Miss Clementine's first pet (of her own) in honor of finishing Kindergarten :)
Patty
New (to us) Camper Trial Run
This is the kitchen on the back end of the camper ::
I love having instant hot water!
And my word, a fridge. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our cute, little, tear drop camper, but a fridge!!
The pantry on the left is broken into two spaces (so MUCH wasted space in the pantry). I already had my hubby place an order for roll outs. I'll turn two spaces into four. The opening to that pantry faces the sink.
The drawer that is pulled out from under the fridge area is actually a double, gas burner cook top. And when traveling, you just close the drawer and close up the back hatch.
The inside has a 4-person dinette which breaks down into a full size bed (kinda - maybe a bit smaller).
There's also a full bathroom and an L-shaped bunk that sleeps 1.5 people (.5 since Clementine is so little and we can put her up there with a big kid ;)
The trial run was more frustrating for my hubby because even though we purchased this two year old camper from a dealer, the previous owner did not fix some issues.
I'm so grateful David is mechanically inclined and was able to take care of the more serious issues until the dealer fixes the remaining ones.
Beach Break!
With temps in the 90's and tired from checking out the camper, we found this little gem of a beach area. (Eisenhower State Park)
This is Lake Texoma, a 90,000 acre lake that borders Texas and Oklahoma.
And after a couple of hours in the hot sun, we went into town for something cold to snack on.
After catching up on some schooling and cleaning up after dinner, we couldn't forget the S'mores.
Aren't they the grossest?? But almost everyone eats them at a camp out. Ha ha.
David dropped the camper off at the dealer's today for the repairs that he found were needed. Other than that, our summer camping plans are good to go!
What are your summer plans? Anyone have a summer bucket list started?
Patty
reade more...
I love having instant hot water!
And my word, a fridge. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our cute, little, tear drop camper, but a fridge!!
The pantry on the left is broken into two spaces (so MUCH wasted space in the pantry). I already had my hubby place an order for roll outs. I'll turn two spaces into four. The opening to that pantry faces the sink.
The drawer that is pulled out from under the fridge area is actually a double, gas burner cook top. And when traveling, you just close the drawer and close up the back hatch.
The inside has a 4-person dinette which breaks down into a full size bed (kinda - maybe a bit smaller).
There's also a full bathroom and an L-shaped bunk that sleeps 1.5 people (.5 since Clementine is so little and we can put her up there with a big kid ;)
The trial run was more frustrating for my hubby because even though we purchased this two year old camper from a dealer, the previous owner did not fix some issues.
I'm so grateful David is mechanically inclined and was able to take care of the more serious issues until the dealer fixes the remaining ones.
Beach Break!
With temps in the 90's and tired from checking out the camper, we found this little gem of a beach area. (Eisenhower State Park)
This is Lake Texoma, a 90,000 acre lake that borders Texas and Oklahoma.
And after a couple of hours in the hot sun, we went into town for something cold to snack on.
After catching up on some schooling and cleaning up after dinner, we couldn't forget the S'mores.
Aren't they the grossest?? But almost everyone eats them at a camp out. Ha ha.
David dropped the camper off at the dealer's today for the repairs that he found were needed. Other than that, our summer camping plans are good to go!
What are your summer plans? Anyone have a summer bucket list started?
Patty
(The BEST Chewy) Sugar Cookies
For our sweet, little, Marian tea party we recently had, I served a new-to-us sugar cookie recipe. These cookies were so chewy and scrumptious!
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients::
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Directions ::
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
2. Cream together butter and granulated sugar (about 1 minute). *Do not over beat your butter and sugar as you prepare the dough. Over beating puts too much air into the dough which rises when baking but then falls flat.*
3. Add egg and mix until well-combined.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
5. Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball. Coat each ball of dough with sugar. Place cookie dough onto baking sheet, spacing about 2" apart. Lightly press each cookie down slightly.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. *If putting in multiple cookie sheets at once, be careful of the bottom sheet since the sugar will burn quickly since it is so close to the heating element.*
Prep Time - 5 minutes
Cook Time - 10 minutes
Yields - 36 cookies
Recipe found here.
Enjoy!
Patty
reade more...
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients::
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Directions ::
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
2. Cream together butter and granulated sugar (about 1 minute). *Do not over beat your butter and sugar as you prepare the dough. Over beating puts too much air into the dough which rises when baking but then falls flat.*
3. Add egg and mix until well-combined.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
5. Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball. Coat each ball of dough with sugar. Place cookie dough onto baking sheet, spacing about 2" apart. Lightly press each cookie down slightly.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. *If putting in multiple cookie sheets at once, be careful of the bottom sheet since the sugar will burn quickly since it is so close to the heating element.*
Prep Time - 5 minutes
Cook Time - 10 minutes
Yields - 36 cookies
Recipe found here.
Enjoy!
Patty
Mother's Day Decadence
When my kids asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day, I mentioned a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory ::
Mother's Day was Soooo delicious!
The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother. –St. Therese of Lisieux
Patty
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Mother's Day was Soooo delicious!
Happy Mother's Day to you!
The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother. –St. Therese of Lisieux
Patty
Homeschool Field Trips - Spring 2018
I never forget how blessed we are to have a wealth of opportunity for additional hands-on learning here in the DFW area. There is so much to take advantage of.
In March, I posted about our home school field trip to Texas Tulips.
Then in April, our group went to the newly-opened, Crayola Experience. Oh my goodness! This was really fun.
This past week, our group had a field trip to learn about miniature therapeutic horses and how much they help people, especially residents in nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities and children with special needs. (I think this has been her favorite field trip ALL year!)
The kids were able to have quite the hands-on experience by grooming the sweet little horses...
walking them through an obstacle course...
and feeding each little mini a treat afterward.
The school year is coming to an end (next Friday), and it has been filled with so many fun adventures. I'm always looking for new places to take field trips to for the next school year.
Would you believe I have something planned for fall already?! Trains, swamps, and feeding the gators :0
Patty
reade more...
In March, I posted about our home school field trip to Texas Tulips.
Then in April, our group went to the newly-opened, Crayola Experience. Oh my goodness! This was really fun.
This past week, our group had a field trip to learn about miniature therapeutic horses and how much they help people, especially residents in nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities and children with special needs. (I think this has been her favorite field trip ALL year!)
The kids were able to have quite the hands-on experience by grooming the sweet little horses...
walking them through an obstacle course...
and feeding each little mini a treat afterward.
The school year is coming to an end (next Friday), and it has been filled with so many fun adventures. I'm always looking for new places to take field trips to for the next school year.
Would you believe I have something planned for fall already?! Trains, swamps, and feeding the gators :0
Patty