WFMW: 2 for 1

I had previously posted on winter storage then checked and saw that today was a themed WFMW so I did a fast edit. The result: 2 for 1! Yeah! Here's the recipe we use in my family for the quick- an-easy-any-night dinner: Tuna Casserole

This is super easy:

2 cans of tuna (whatever you have on hand; white, albacore no
matter)
2 cups of rice
1 super-size can of mushroom soup (not sure the oz-it's the
biggy)
1 can of small (10 oz I think) of cream of celery soup
frozen mixed veggies (as much as you'd like)
salt and pepper

After cooking the rice, mix all the ingredients in a pam sprayed Pirex (9x13) and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Its hot, comfort food with usually enough for some left-overs. This is also great as a pot-luck meal for churches and recipe can be adjusted by adding more of each ingredient to serve a crowd.
That's what works for us...check out below for winter storage!!


Winter Storage-
Where can you store all those hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and have easy access and storage at the same time? Hat boxes! Depending on the numbers in your family, you may be able to use one big box or you could use stackable numerous boxes. Each box can be organized by content (mittens in one, scarves in another) or by child. Whatever way you choose, hat boxes not only serve the storage purpose I need, but the kids can also help to put those little things away by themselves and the boxes can be attractive in the corner of your room too. This also helps for ease in accessing the items as needed since they usually sit on the floor.

Well, that what works for me and our family...hope it will work for you too!!

Happy Thanksgiving

It's such a wonderful, memory making day and I am wishing all the bloggers a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving Day!!

I have enjoyed wandering and perusing the various sites seeking out new and familiar recipes to prepare for our family. The very next day begins our house decorating for Christmas. I so love that as well!! We don't have a tree yet, but I love looking over all the hand-made ornaments made by my children throughout the year and remembering Christmas' gone by when they were just little kids. It's all such a magical time of year. This year I started listening to Christmas music right after Halloween. I haven't yet been able to find a radio station for my car, but we are set at home. Michael W. Smith has his new CD out for the season and can be found at:

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Have a wonderful day and don't forget to give thanks for the many blessings we have been given!

Older we get

My mom used to say that as we get older the years pass like months and the months pass like days and time just goes by quicker. I think I must be getting old cause that's exactly what seems to be happening. I just look away and we are not only in a new month, but almost the first week of the new month has passed and I haven't even changed my calendar yet!!

This Saturday is the day. I'll have to change my profile because as of Saturday I will officially be 40. I've been preparing for that number for the past 6 months and truly I can live with it, but it does seem to be a milestone number for me. I see the number on my face, but I definitely don't feel it in my heart. I still feel somewhere aroung 28. I've set up my mammagram for Monday (first one) and now I feel like I belong to some new club. I'm glad to be getting this and know how many women benenfit from these screenings.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, or in my case, 2 blinks away. Starting to get the menu ready and planning ahead to decrease stress levels later. Working moms always plan ahead (as much as possible). Hope everyone else is planning a wonderful time with family and friends. My kids and I always bake goodies and make up dishes for our neighbors to say we're thankful for them. It's a traditions we've done for the last 5 years and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year. Enjoy the holiday everyone!! It won't be long before we start talking about Christmas!!

Finally Fall!!

After an indian summer with temps in the 90's, it was nice to wake up feeling a bit chilly and realize that fall has finally arrived. Dh and I will celebrate our anniversary tomorrow-14 years and we had a northern wedding and honeymooned in the Pocono Mtn. of PA. The beauty of the leaves is something I will never forget. It seems the foliage was at its peak then and I'm so glad we took so many pictures to remember our time there. This mornngs temperatures just kinda brought all that back for me.

Things haven't turned out as I had planned from that day 14 years ago, but I wouldn't change the life we've been blessed with and the struggles, triumphs, and disappointments have been ours alone to share and have brought us closer together to each other and to our God. So many things good and bad have helped to make us who we are today and I'm so glad to be the person I am now and not the niave girl I was then; but I don't ever want to lose the girl either. I think she'll always be there somewhere and I'll keep a spot for her in my heart.

Enjoy the day and know Jesus has a plan for you today and he loves you no matter what season you're in right now. Be a blessing to someone today and love your family as if it's your last day on earth!!

Something to think about

Have you ever noticed how many things are available to do with the family when you have no extra funds to do them? And if you happen to have the funds, there doesn't seem to be as much to do in the community? Kinda Murphy's law of finances. That's the situation my family and I find ourselves in now. I should be looking on the positive side and recognizing that if we used credit cards then we would probably be tempted to pay dor outings we couldn't truly afford and digging a hole of debt that sinks so many. We don't use credit cards (debit only) and so we pay as we go and if we don't have it, then we don't go. I'm glad that dh and I have made the choices we have because I am a weakling and would probably use the cards and give into temptations. Not having the option removes the choice. Thanks Lord!

So, what a poor family to do for fun? How about some family game time or movie time! Popcorn and snuggling sounds good!! We won't make the fashionable events in town this week but we will make some valuable family time none the less and hopefully some good memories along the way!! Enjoy the family and your weekend!!

So Fast!

Where is the time going? I can't believe we are half-way through September! School is in full bloom and we have stopped using the A/C for about 2 days now. At first it was just at night, but now we have 2 full days without usage. Looking forward to those lower bills in Sept. & Oct. After that, the heat usually is needed.

The kids are now in 3rd & 4th grades and although they should be into their routines by now, we are still struggling with forgetting notebooks at school, forgetting study guides, etc. As a teacher, you'd think I would have been able to instill better organizational skills within them, but somewhere, things haven't worked quite as expected and items are getting lost. My solution, pull out the good old restrictions. Video and TV time will be lost if their memory fails to help them recall which books and assignments need to come home nightly. Hopefully, this will help them to get into the swing of things and decrease the "forgetfuls".

If anyone else has battled this issue, let me know what solutions worked best for you and I'll try to implement those as well. Moms: united we stand, divided we fall. LOL.

Have a blessed day and try to see some of the beauty aroung you that God is sharing for you today!

The Summer's Over

School has begun and things are in full swing. Labor Day weekend has come and gone and now I feel the aching for fall colors, apples, and the sweet scents of cinnamon and spice. The fall is always a magical and welcoming time of year. Although the things in nature seem to come to an end, they share such brillance to observe and to be thankful to the Creator of All!! I love the fall and everything about it! I'm looking forward to crisp, cool morinings and sweaters and cool nights.

Good bye to summer 2007. I've enjoyed you and all you brought. Thanks for the new memories I've had with my children. I feel a new dawn has arrived and I now look forward to our next season.

See ya soon!!