stone work

This is the stone design we selected for our new house. Check that step off the list of things to do.

house update

Not very attractive at this point, but the house is taking shape. Hopefully that rip is just construction type paper and not a screen. That is my future "thinking spot" window.

By the way, we would appreciate your prayers that we will find a buyer for our home.

Blessings related to food

In this photo are stemware and china given to me by my Grandma Waldron. The china was purchased for her by my Dad while he was in the Navy. He would send home his money for her to purchase this china. The pattern is called Roberta. The stemware is also from my Grandma Waldron.

The pitcher belonged to my Grandma Ensign who is my Mother's mom. Grandma Ensign died at age 27 of consumption. My mom was about two years old when her mother died. It is always a joy for me to set my holiday and special occasion dinner table with these pieces because I feel honored to have them.

The flowers in the background were given to me yesterday by two sweet sisters that were dinner guests for Easter Dinner.

Now for more explanation. One of the sisters began to explain why she was pushing aside the noodles in the manicotti (yes not a traditional Easter feast) and also the red and orange peppers in the green salad - she has food allergies. I don't have any allergy to any food....other than the bloating up of fat on my body, but that is another subject. Though secretly I wish for allergies so I would be forced to stop eating certain foods that contribute to my soft body makeup....I also felt such gratitude that I don't have allergies. Many people really have to work at food preparation and awareness of what is in the food we eat. Wow am I thankful that I am blessed to eat freely of all the wonderful food we enjoy in this life on the earth. Of course, I honestly am mindful of my food selections each day and have a lot of work in front of me to continue to try and change bad eating habits or cut back on them, but what a blessing I have to be healthy in all other ways.

Yes I'm a bit whacked when it comes to my emotional keel, but all the things I feel I struggle with are manageable. I have been blessed with good health and a mind that I can use for good to learn more and make better choices with.

Bacon-and Egg Muffins recipe

4 slices bacon, cut in thirds
5 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 TBSP sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or butter, melted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400. In large skillet cook bacon just until it begins to crisp. Drain and reserve drippings. Return 2 tsp. drippings to skillet. For scrambled eggs, in small bowl beat three of the eggs, 2 TBSP water, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Cook eggs in hot skillet over medium heat without sitrring until eggs begin to set on bottom and around edges. With a spatula, lift and fold for uncooked portion to flow underneath. Cook until set but still moist. Transfer to bowl; set aside.
2. Brush twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with some remaining bacon drippings. In medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Combine milk, oil, and remaining two eggs in bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Fold in scrambled eggs and cheese. Spoon into muffin cups. (cups will be full).
3. Place one bacon piece on each muffin. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan on rack. Run a table knife around edges of muffins to loosen; remove from pans. Serve with syrup if desired. Makes 12 servings. 202 cal, 12 g fat, 89 mg chol, 356 mg sodium, 16 g car, 1 t fiber, 7 g pro.

General Conference weekend

I tried a new recipe for our Conference morning breakfast Bacon-and-Egg Muffins.
step one: cut four pieces of bacon into thirds. Save bacon grease for eggs and for greasing the muffin tin.Soft scramble three eggs.

Mix cornmeal, eggs, oil, cheddar cheese, sugar, flour mixture in a bowl.

Bacon grease up that tin.

Pour in the batter & top with a piece of bacon. Your breakfast sir. Absolutely need to serve it with a little puddle of syrup! It was pretty yummy!

Then after breakfast it was Conference watching time.

Ever since we have had the ability to watch conference at home, I have THE worst time staying awake. This time I had a couple projects to work on while sitting in front of the TV. It really helped.

My first project was organizing our DVD collection. We have taken our DVDs out of the cases and put them in holders. I finished that long ago, but I went back and pulled out the covers and cut them to fit inside the DVD sleeve. Alphabetized and all. That lasted through both sessions on Saturday.

Today I organized photos. Since we started using digital pictures we no longer print them to put in photo albums. What a BLESSING. I was the one who had that job and I did hate it because Fred wanted dates & descriptions. I did pretty good at doing that and now I am very thankful that I did. Well over the years we have pulled out pictures for different events, received pictures that we hung up places or put in pocket size holders. I gathered them all together, organized them by child, grandchild and put them in the best chronological date I could figure and put them in photo albums. To be honest the last three albums are not exact chronological. I resorted to just putting pictures in the books to get them put somewhere. BUT it feels great.

I enjoyed looking at old pictures. It made me realize how much we enjoyed our children and that we were able to provide a positive environment for our children to grow up in and that we all really did enjoy being together. We were not perfect at FHE or scripture study, but we did eat dinner together every day and had good family time doing things. Our children were able to gain a testimony and study the scriptures on their own. They are examples to Fred and I. We are grateful that we at least were able to lay the ground work of providing a home where the Spirit was present.

Improved upon heirloom

Corinne crossstitched this "Cats" project when she was probably in her very early teens. I was able to find a second hand frame for it back then and it has been hanging downstairs in the bathroom that Corinne used growing up. Somehow it got knocked off the wall about a year ago and the frame fell apart so it has been laying around downstairs. Well to prove that I do have a heart, rather than snap a photo of it, blog about it and throw it away.......... I took it to Joanns and had it framed in honor of my daughter Corinne who still to this day does beautiful crossstitching projects. This will go with us to our new home. The colors will fit right in. Thank you Corinne!

homemade cookies - the devil

This is not a picture of the actual cookies I made on Sunday, but I like to include pictures when I post something.

I baked 5 dozen homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on Sunday afternoon. The eating style of Fred and I differ. I graze. Take one or two cookies (actually probably four at a time) and then go back later and have about the same. Maybe three times each day. Fred sits down with the ziploc bag of cookies and eats them like crackers.

There are three cookies left and I'm letting Fred eat them tomorrow. If he doesn't eat them tonight after I've gone to bed.