Wordless Wednesday

Actually, that would be

diet coke.

Tasty Tuesday

Last week was a soup kind of week.

I made two new different recipes.

Both were wonderful and if you are looking

for easy, good soup, try one of these.

Over on "Our Best Bites"

last week they posted this great

recipe for Black Bean Soup.

It was really good.

Black Bean Soup
1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C diced carrots
(about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery
(about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion
(about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1 dash black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
(if you use ground oregano, use 1/4 t)
1 bay leaf
Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese
Add olive oil to a large stock pot on med-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are soft.Remove from heat. Find that bay leaf and pull it out.
Place all the soup in a blender. Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the middle like the picture below. Place a paper towel over the hole though to avoid getting black bean soup burns all over your face.
Puree soup until completely smooth. I leave it in for several minutes. Return to pan and make sure it's heated through completely. Squeeze in the juice from one big lime.Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, tortilla chips, etc. Serve with extra lime wedges.
Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber2 Weight Watchers pointsSouth Beach Diet Phase 2 (eat carrots sparingly)

From Prudence Pennywise

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth or stock
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk, or 4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving
In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add oniion and carrots and saute for five minutes. Stir in garlic and saute an additional minute. Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. For a creamy soup, transfer to blender and blend, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. (Immersion blenders are a must have for soup lovers!) Soup can be made up to 2 days ahead of time to this point. Just before serving, add evaporated skim milk (or cream cheese of half and half) to pot. Warm through, but do not boil. Serve immediately with basil or parsley, and hopefully some warm focaccia.

Love Note

Some body loves me!

Sunday Sunday

No Real Reason

Youngstown Steel Kitchens by Mullins, 1949

Photo Friday

Why don't men wear hats like

this anymore? These are

just so handsome looking.

Rump Roast

Have you ever canned meat?
This is Rump Roast.
It was on sale this week so I decided
to can it instead of freezing it.
The up side is that it will last several
years in the jar and it is fully cooked.

Easily opened and added to soups or

stew or casseroles or what ever you plan for dinner.
I've canned chicken, ground round,
hamburger and beef.

Quarts should be cooked for at least 90 minutes, and this is true whether you are canning cooked or raw meats. You will gauge your processing time from the point when your pressure cooker reaches 10 pounds of pressure (or 11 pounds if you are using a dial gauge canner). The time and pressure used should be adjusted for your altitude.

Easy enough! Just preparing for busy times ahead.

Happy Birthday Shelby

Today is Shelby's birthday, January 21. I can't believe my first grand daughter is 4 already! Here's a look at her through the last 4 birthdays! Boy has she grown.

These 4-D Real Time sonograms are un-real. I couldn't believe how clear they are. This is our Shelby's first picture.

This picture was taken at the hospital few hours after she was born. Such a head full of black hair. Even in this picture you can see those little eyebrows. That is one thing that every one always noticed about the child was her eyebrows!

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

She is so funny, in December she was telling us that in January she was going to be 8 years old and she was going to lose a tooth. She is fascinated by losing a tooth and keeps showing us the back of mouth and pointing to where she has lost a tooth. We tell her she hasn't lost a tooth there she hasn't even grown one yet. We were watching a Kids song DVD the other day and one of the kids were snaggled toothed and she notice right away and wanted to keep looking to see if anyone else on the movie had lost one. She can't wait but I sure can and she doesn't even know about Papa pulling all the teeth he can find that are loose. He loves it and best don't even let him know it's loose because before you know it you are holding it in your hand!

Happy Birthday Precious!

Tasty Tuesday

My Brother taught me how to make bread last week. First time I've ever used yeast and waited on it to rise. It was exciting to learn and not so hard. He will also teach a class tonight at our R/S Supper at 7:00. He's not been doing it for long, he just learned how back in the fall. It's really good. I'm excited to see if I can do it again with out his help. Should be interesting.

Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Salt

Mix together then add
1 Tablespoon Yeast

Let sit 15 minutes

Add 1/3 cup of oil
7 cups of flour

Knead for 15 minutes

Let rise until double (about 1 hour)

Form loaves, put in greased pans.

Let rise again until double.

(about 1/2 hour)

Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

I used my Kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook. Every thing is done in it except when you pull it out to put it into the pans for baking. I never touched it until then. The machine does all the kneading. Yea!

There is a bloggy anniversary giveaway, over at Scrappy Sue's click here to check it out!

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes...

Last week I got new glasses.
No one really noticed, which is fine with me.
I really don't like a lot of attention.


No one that is except this little one!

She doesn't miss much.

I picked her and Rea up from school

walked out to the truck and

buckled them in. Got in the front

and cranked up. From the back seat

comes, "Gigi, did you get

new glasses?" Awe, someone noticed!

How sweet it was my first born

grand daughter who loves me soooo

much! I say, "I sure did!

Do you like them?"

From the back seat comes,

"NO!" very matter of fact tone.

I'm like "What!? You don't like

my new glasses??"

"Um, NO!

I like your other ones"

These are the ones she likes.

I tell her that's okay that she doesn't

like them. I kept the other ones too

and had new lens put in them.

I was just looking for something

lighter weight on my face. The

others get heavy by the end of the day.

Why didn't I just take her with

me to pick them out in the first

place. She'll tell me the truth.

One thing I noticed was how green my eyes are these days. They use to be so blue and as I have aged they have turn so green.

I Feel My Savior's Love

I Feel My Savior's Love
Artist: Greg Olsen

I feel my Savior’s love

In all the world around me.

His Spirit warms my soul

Through ev’rything I see.

I feel my Savior's love;

Its gentleness enfolds me,

And when I kneel to pray,

My heart is filled with peace.

I feel my Savior's love

And know that he will bless me.

I offer him my heart;

My shepherd he will be.

Chorus:

He knows I will follow him,

Give all my life to him.

I feel my Savior’s love,

The love He freely gives me.

By K. Newell Dayley

Party Weekend

Not one but two Party's!

These girls share the same

birthday. January 21!

These are Great Grandpa and

Great Grandma Griffis's first two great

grand daughters born two years

apart on the same day.

Shelby Bailey Griffis

4 years old

(Harrison and Christon's daughter)

Gracie Irene Daley

2 years old

(Rachael Jacobs Daley daughter)

Oh The Weather Outside Is...

COLD!

Coldest night of the year for us. The high today is 48 and the low tonight is forecasted to be 19!!

Stay warm and have a great weekend!

Clackers

Does any one remember these?

Clackers are the toy with a jillion names. It was essentially two large marbles attached by a sturdy string with a ring in the center. You would put your finger in the ring allowing the marbles or balls to hang below. Here is where the fun starts. The idea was to get the two balls tapping (or clacking if you prefer) against each other by pulling up on the ring lightly. Once you got the hang of it, you could get them going faster and faster until they were smacking each other above and below your hand in a stunning arc.
These toys are now legendary. They started finding their way into the schoolyards in the early seventies and in 1971 were yanked from shelves because kids were suffering eye injuries when the fragile, glass-like balls were shattering from the violence of contact with their mates. I loved this toy and I don't remember ever hitting myself in the eye, head or chest. I think I'd like to have another pair just to show the kids.

Below is a guy demonstrating clackers on you-tube. Enjoy

Happy Birthday Jordan

Shelby, her Aunt Jor Jor and Big Baby, Travis

We celebrated early by having a birthday dinner after church on Sunday. Life is busy and sometimes early is better than not at all.

Aunt Jor Jor had a little help in blowing out her candles. Of course we didn't put all 26 on there but we put enough so that she could blow some out. Wonder if Shelby will let Aunt Jor Jor help her blow hers out on Saturday, I bet not!

Happy Birthday

Jordan Kay Bain Griffis

we love you very much.

(Now what about some grand children from you and Trav???)

Tasty Tuesday

Creamy Chicken Divian
10 oz frozen broccoli spears cooked and drained
1 c. cooked chicken
10-3/4 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Arrange cooked broccoli in a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Place cooked chicken over top of broccoli. Combine soup, curry, Mayo, and lemon juice and pour over top of chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese. Combine bread crumbs and butter sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until heated through. Serves 4. Double and put in 9x13 pan.
Lois Bivens
Gooseberry Patch cookbook

This recipe came from the recipe book that I won off Katherine site, Smokey Mountain Cafe. It was really good. I think it was the hint of Curry that made this so good to me and Harry. I used the 98% Fat Free soup and light mayo and wheat Ritz rackers crumbled and no butter. Just saving a few calories. It was really good.

Old Age

Most of you have probably seen this one but it's kind of how I'm feeling today. Monday Maddness! Ugh!!

Designer Lunch Tote Giveaway

Over at 5$ Dinner.com

you can enter to win

one of these cute

lunch bags!

click here

Sunday

Weekend

National Champs!!

Congratulations

University of Florida!!

And Gator Fans!

That was one good game,

tough till the very end!

Sorry Oklahoma but Florida's #1!!

74 Years

Elvis was born January 8, 1935.

"Happy Birthday Elvis"

I used Christon's SUV the other day and she has Sirius Radio. I changed the country station for something else and I came across the "Elvis channel." I was so excited! I listened to it the whole time I had her vehicle. I just loved it. I don't think that I could pick

a favorite song. I just love to many of them.

Some of my favorites are, " Are You Lonesome Tonight", "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Crying In the Chapel", "I Did It My Way", "Suspicious Minds", "Unchained Melody", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Don't Be Cruel", "Fools Rush In", "Love Me Tender", "See See Rider", "Shake, Rattle And Roll", "Viva Las Vegas".

Do you have a favorite?

Just Need A Smile?

This should do it!

Tasty Tuesday

I won this cookbook from Katherine of Smoky Mountain Cafe. I was excited to get this cookbook. It is filled with over 200 quick and easy dinner recipes. By the end of the day I'm always looking for something fast and easy. So this was perfect for me. Thanks, Katherine!

Over on Candy's blog she gave this helpful hint about Chicken. Since chicken is on sale this week she suggested a Bulk Cooked Chicken.

Easy recipe for bulk cooked chicken

3- 5 pounds chicken pieces

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 stalks celery

1 small onion

Place all ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about one hour. Remove from heat and let cool. Shred chicken (discard skin and bones) and place in freezer safe plastic bags. Will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Chicken Stock

Candy also suggested, packaging the meat in quart size freezer bags for an easy addition to your recipes. They are great for those “throw together” dishes calling for cooked chicken . Much cheaper than rotisserie and tastier than canned chicken! Oh and the stock is wonderful for soups and stews.

3 Things

GPS

What a wonderful little thing this is!

Thanks to Travis for teaching me how to use this on our trip to Missouri. I was a little intimidated by it at first but WOW, once I learned how to use it I can find any Wal-mart, Holiday Inn Express or Olive Garden in the country or in Missouri! I love it!

Immersion hand blender
Thanks to Amanda for suggesting this thru the comments section on my blog. I was showing yall how to make Broccoli soup by putting it in my blender and she suggested using this handy little tool. It makes making soups so easy. I love it!



White Noise

And this little thing just might have saved our marriage, kidding of course. I have slept with a box fan running for I know 45 years of my life if not my whole life. Winter, summer, spring, fall, year round. A lot of the time it was just for the noise. I use to even pack a small fan in my suitcase when I traveled. Now that Harry takes so many medications he is so cold natured. He can't stand the fan. We were forever trying to compromise like me throwing a few more blankets on his side of the bed. But thanks to Courtney I've learned about White Noise! This little machine works wonders and does the trick! It's so much easier to pack in my suitcase! So you are never to old to learn new tricks and I just love these latest things I've learned. Thanks!

Heard Any Good Ones Lately?

Shelby was cracking Rea up.

Can't remember now what was so funny.

Ride'em Cowgirl!

It's a lot of fun with Uncle Travis!