Thursday, April 30, 2009

Homemade Pizza: Now & Later

My pizza dough makes really thick crust and since we prefer a thinner crust, lately I have been making 2 pizza crusts out of one batch of dough. This weekend I made 2 pizzas, one for dinner & one to freeze for later! (I used whole wheat flour.)

One for now & one for later!

Yummy pepperoni & sausage pizza!!

Delicious!

Frozen Pizza:

I have made a homemade frozen pizza only once before but it turned out great. I roll out the dough and put it on a piece of aluminum foil & put sauce, cheese, & toppings on it. Then I covered the top of the pizza with plastic wrap and stuck it in the freezer. Once it was completely frozen I took it back out and completely wrapped it with aluminum foil.


I labeled the pizza & wrote the cooking directions on it!

Now I have a very frugal (& yummy) convenience meal ready for a busy night!!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Under the Sink

When we moved into our home the under the sink cabinet was icky!! We pulled out as much of the damp wood, fixed the leak, & purchased white board to slide under there! My husband cut it to fit under there perfectly. This is a perfect solution, the white board does not absorb water in case of a spill and it is easy to wipe up any spills from cleaning products!

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook-April 27

For today...

Outside My Window...the sun is shining, it is a beautiful day!!

I am thinking...about things to do this afternoon!

I am thankful for...finding Manager's Special's at Kroger $1.49 for 1# sausage & $.89 for 1# bacon...that helps the budget!!

From the kitchen...nothing for the moment but getting ready to start dinner & bake a pie!

I am wearing...my Wranglers with a light blue top & brown sweater with brown flip-flops!!

I am creating...a pinwheel quilt!

I am going...nowhere today since I am already home from the grocery store.

I am reading...Christy by Catherine Marshall!

I am hoping...to have a good week despite having things to do every evening!

I am hearing...our loud washer! (Of course my loud washer is MUCH better than the laundromat so I am thankful!)

Around the house...it looks lived in! (Oh my...time to straighten up a bit!)

One of my favorite things...watching my plants grow from seeds!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Work on the garden, finish pinwheel patches, & get a new episode of Life:Frugal and Simple edited

Menu Plan Monday


This week is an unusual week because I am working on Tuesday and we are going out of town Thursday & Friday so a little more structure is best so that is why I have planned with the days of the week!

Dinners:
Monday: Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Tuesday: Fajitas
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff
Thursday: Out of Town
Friday: Dinner with Friends
Saturday: BBQ Pork Chops with Mac-n-Cheese & Sweet Potatoes
Sunday: Popcorn Chicken Salad


Lunches:
Leftovers
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Cheese Quesadilla

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Waffles
BLTs

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The First 50

I am an avid reader! As a child I was constantly reading but through high school and college I was only able to read during summer breaks and then I stayed busy and would only read a few books! Lately I have rediscovered my passion of reading and have been doing a lot of reading! Now since I have read 50 books already this year you probably think I must be neglecting my house and my husband but that is not the case! I read fast! So my home is clean and when my hubby is home I only read when he is on the computer, reading a magazine, or on the phone/conference chat!! Oh, and I was sick for an entire week in February, I couldn't get out of the bed and do anything so I read my week of church library books & the entire Little House on the Prairie series!

Here are the first 50 books I have read in 2009:

1. Fame by Karen Kingsbury
2. Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury
3. Found by Karen Kingsbury
4. Family by Karen Kingsbury
5. Forever by Karen Kingsbury
6. Divine by Karen Kingsbury
7. A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury
8. The Debt by Angela Hunt
9. The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
10. Janette Oke A Heart for the Prairie by Laurel Oke Logan
11. Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
12. Women Who Do Too Much by Patricia Sprinkle
13. Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey
14. Dear Lady by Robin Lee Hatcher
15. Patterns of Love by Robin Lee Hatcher
16. In His Arms by Robin Lee Hatcher
17. Promised to Me by Robin Lee Hatcher
18. More than Enough by Dave Ramsey
19. The Shunning by Beverly Lewis
20. The Confession by Beverly Lewis
21. The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis
22. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
23. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
24. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
25. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
26. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
27. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
28. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
29. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
30. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
31. One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
32. Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
33. Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury
34. Summer by Karen Kingsbury
35. Where Yesterday Lives by Karen Kingsbury
36. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
37. The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rives
38. What a Girl Wants by Kristen Billerbeck
39. With this Ring I'm Confused by Kristen Billerbeck
40. Someday by Karen Kingsbury
41. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
42. Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy
43. Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers
44. Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy
45. Gingham Mountain by Mary Connealy
46. The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey
47. Emma's Gift by Leisha Kelly
48. Changes of Heart by Paige Lee Elliston
49. Front Page Love by Paige Lee Elliston
50. Chasing the Dream by Paige Lee Elliston

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Pillowcase Dress

I am sewing more and trying new things! The most recent creation of mine was intended to be a pillowcase dress for an infant, however I am not the best judge of size and it turned out way to small! However, it makes a lovely doll dress! It was really simple to make and these dresses are so cute! Eventually I will attempt (and hopefully succeed) in making a child a pillowcase dress!


Felicity modeling the dress. I am going to cut a little length off of the ribbons because they look way to long!


The cute little dress!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Line Dried Laundry

I am enjoying my clothesline! I just love hanging the clothes on the line and watching them drying! They are so fresh smelling & I love that we are saving money!

My laundry basket full of line dried clothes!

My sheets on the line!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Banana Bread

I have never been a fan of Banana Nut Bread because I am not a fan of nuts! A few weeks ago I was given a small loaf of Banana Bread and boy was it yummy!! I liked it so much I wanted to try to make my own! It was really easy to make and they turned out wonderful!

My prettiest little loaf!

Yummy Banana Bread!!

I really like this little loaf pan, my wonderful father-in-law gave it to me a couple years ago and it is perfect for making these cute little Banana Bread loaves!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Cooking Day

Today I spent about an hour and a half in the kitchen and made meals for a couple days! I used 2 pounds of ground meat to make these 3 meals!

Mexican Casserole for dinner tonight! Yum!

Taco Soup for lunches tomorrow. I used 2 cans of tomatoes, a can of corn, 1/2 can red beans (the other half in the Mexican casserole), 1/2 red bell pepper that needed to be used, meat, & 1/2 packet of taco seasoning!

Meatloaf for dinner tomorrow night, I cooked the meatloaf & mixed up the sweet and sour sauce to go over it. Tomorrow after work I will heat the meatloaf up in the oven, heat the sauce up & then pour it over the meatloaf to finish it and all I will have to worry about is mashed potatoes!

Homemade brownies...yum!!

Everything I fixed in an hour and a half (cooking & washing dishes!!)

So now I have the entire afternoon to answer e-mails, blog, listen to Dave Ramsey, and maybe read!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook-April 20


For today...
Outside My Window... the sun is shining & my clothes are drying on the line!

I am thinking... of getting the house thoroughly cleaned before hubby gets home!

I am thankful for...a wonderful husband to takes care of me & loves me!

From the kitchen...nothing yummy is cooking yet but I am heading in there to fix lunch!

I am wearing... blue jeans & red 3/4 sweater.

I am creating...nothing at the moment but plan to work on quilt patches & try sewing another dress!

I am going..nowhere today, just focusing on cleaning the house so John David can come home to a clean home & a yummy dinner!

I am reading... Changes of Heart by Paige Lee Elliston.

I am hoping... to finish cleaning the house, get some Co-op work done, have dinner finished, and start working on quilt patches by the time John David arrives home.

I am hearing...birds chirping outside.

Around the house...it is quiet, Mac is napping on the couch in his new favorite spot!

One of my favorite things...Sunday afternoon naps!!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: work in the garden, start a new quilt, make a dress, cook dinner every night!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
My Bell Peppers!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

A New Dress

This past week my mom was on her Spring Break so she and my dad came to visit! The main purpose of this visit was teaching me how to read a pattern! Mom taught me how to use the machine and sewing basics but we have never made anything together. The aprons and skirt that I have made I have figured out on my own (& with the help of my amazing hubby who can do anything!!) We decided that we would make a dress, last month I went to Hobby Lobby when McCall's Patterns were on sale for $.99! The pattern I chose was the only one I found with a modest neckline!

So Monday we went to Hobby Lobby looking for the perfect fabric to make a cute dress. It was a hard decision but we were both pleased with the fabric we decided to go with!! We spent Monday evening working on the dress. She showed me marking the fabric and I followed along with the steps and tried to see what the illustrations meant. I sewed quite a bit on the dress and even helped with the gathering (somewhat challenging for me)!! It turned out beautiful!!



Me in my new favorite modest dress...how exciting that I don't have to wear an undershirt under this!!

The back view!

The full skirt makes it fun...I was even spinning around like a little girl!! :)

Soon I am going to make another dress on my own and see if I can make it look like this one...hopefully it will turn out good!

Thanks mom for your patience in showing me how to read a pattern and for answering my questions!! I love you!!

*I have had several questions about the cost of this dress. Here is the breakdown:
Fabric: (2 yards @ $3.60/yard) $7.20
Lining Fabric: (2 yards @$1.87/yard) $3.74
Zipper: $1.99
Interfacing: (not sure the price...I am going to guess $2)

Total: $14.93

The fabric was $.99 but I am not counting that because I will use it again & of course I used thread!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Bird Trinket Box


This bird trinket box was my great grandmothers (my dad's mom's mother). It has been at my parents house since she passed away in 2004 and I recently got it back. I thought it was pretty but knew it would be beautiful painted white.It turned out wonderful after a few coats of spray paint!!


It now sits on my nightstand & is a daily reminder of my great grandma!!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Resurrection Sunday



Our Easter Sunday began bright and early at 5:30! Waking up this early was quite the feat for us (we went to bed at 10 Saturday night to help!) I dropped John David off at church at 6:00 and then parked in our overflow lot and rode the shuttle back to church! I taught Sunday School (Older Three's) at 8 and 9:30 and then went to worship at 11. John David worked all three of the services and had no major technical issues which is a blessing! Our service was a combination of choir singing, drama, and a message. It was a wonderful service.

After service we came home to an amazing meal cooked by Jill and her friend Kristina who were visiting for the weekend. They made us Lemon Pepper Chicken with Rice, Oven Baked Diced Potatoes, and Salad! It was a very yummy meal and I felt so spoiled since I didn't have to prepare lunch!

Jill and Kristina left around 2:30 and John David and I had a realxing afternoon, he read MacWorld and I read a book! Around 8:00 my parents arrived. My mom is on her Spring Break this week and they are visiting and mom is teaching me how to read a pattern! Hopefully soon I will post pictures of the dress we are going to make!!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Storm

We had two big storms come through this Friday, the first was early Friday morning around 3:30. The wind was so loud that it woke me up & I am a deep sleeper! Since I am from West Tennessee and am used to big storms and possible tornados I checked the weather and saw that it was a "Severe Thunderstorm," if it had said "Tornado Watch" or "Tornado Warning" I would have drug my sleeping hubby out of bed & to the basement! It really was a very severe thunderstorm, several of our neighbors had trees knocked down, one neighbor had about 6 Bradford Pears snapped, one house had siding missing, and another had a large part of their shingles off! We were so blessed to have no damage whatsoever to our property and we are so thankful for our brick home with a safe basement!

The second storm came through around noon and was pretty bad, although the wind wasn't anything like the earlier storm. It hailed twice during this storm.

The hail on our back porch

The hail was marble sized!

We are so thankful for our safety through these storms. The second storm tore through Murfreesboro, killing a mother and her baby and destroying several homes.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Cuteness

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Mule Day Parade

This past Saturday was our first Mule Day! We had a great time at the parade & had lunch at the Breeden's home with some of the church staff.

Isn't this too cute?

The Maupin kids enjoying the parade! (Our neighbors & friends!!)

Phillip Fulmer was the grand marshall of the parade!

A wagon pulled by a team of mules!

The parade & lunch outside were too much for this fair-skinned girl...my hubby has been calling me "raccoon" thanks to my sunglasses! I will have my SPF 50 with me at all times from now on this spring/summer!

We had a fun time at Mule Day & plan to participate in this fun tradition!!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

81st Tennessee FFA Convention

Last week we attended the 81st Tennessee FFA State Convention in Gatlinburg. We were both very involved in the FFA and met through the FFA so we love it and love the opportunity to help out! At convention John David is the production director (communicating between media people & backstage director) since his job at church is Media Director this is the perfect fit for him. I create all the slides for the convention that coordinate with the sessions & then run them! It is stressful & busy but it is a lot of fun!

John David hard at work keeping the show going!

Me & Sarah keeping the slides going! (Sarah was the state officer candidate assigned to help John David & me & she is now the 2009-2010 East Tennessee Vice President!! Yay Sarah!!)


A view of the convention hall...I just love seeing all of the blue jackets!!

The 2008-2009 State Officer team ending a session! They did such a good job at the convention!

John David & me...the only photo we have together...there was no time for fun, games & pictures in Gatlinburg this trip but we did have a great time!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Long Little Dog


We are so amazed how long Mac is when he stretches out. He is such a small dog with short little legs but he has the ability to stretch out and look like he has the body of a Daschund! It is so funny to see when he is all stretched out!
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