Thursday, May 16, 2013

Shake and Bake Potatoes

Shake and Bake Potatoes
  • 5 -10 regular size potatoes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¾ cup Italian style bread crumbs
  • 1 package dry ranch dressing mix or dry Italian dressing mix (I used ranch)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  1. Preheat oven to 450F.
  2. Wash  and dry potatoes.  Cut potatoes int 1 inch cubes.
  3. Place potatoes in a large bowl or gallon-size bag and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss or stir well until potatoes are coated with the oil.
  4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir together.
  5. Add dry ingredients to potatoes. Shake in the bag or stir in the bowl until all potatoes are coated with the seasoning mix.
  6. Place on a baking sheet (at least a 10×15 sized) 45 minutes at 450, stirring and flipping potatoes halfway through.
  7. Remove from oven, salt to taste and serve.  Potatoes should be light and golden brown when they are finished. Bake time may vary depending on the size of potatoes.  Makes 10 servings.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Classic Macaroni Salad
  • 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp honey dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 cup celery, minced
  • 2 green onion, diced
  • sprinkle of  paprika
  1. Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Do not over cook you noodles.  It needs to be al a dente.  Also be sure to rinse with cold water.
  2. In a large serving bowl, combine  the mayonnaise, honey dijon mustard,  whisk until smooth.  Mix in the garlic salt, onion, and celery.  Fold in the cooked macaroni.  Chill for at least an hour before serving.  Sprinkle with paprika before serving

Healthy snacks...

I struggle with it. I am sure I am not the only parent (step parent) that struggles with it... trying to get your children to eat healthier!! I have done it all.. snuck it in this... blended it.. you name it. Brody and Zach though are not too bad. if its covered in ranch sauce or cheese they will eat it!!  but here are some tips from eMeals to help you!!

http://blog.emeals.com/quick-healthy-snacks-on-the-go/


Quick-Healthy-Snacks-on-the-go-by-eMeals

God is Love

Ok..... so this entry is kinda interesting. Its about the LOVE God has for us.
What we have come to call love is teh yearning inside each of us to be enjoyed by someone else and that same joy returned. well you see.... this is the very nature of Gods Love. God's incomprehensible love allows Him to love sinful people...... for example..... you and me!!
This love from Gid us meant for you me. Thats why He sent His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. Remember John 3:16 " For God so LOVED the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life"
He has invited us to dance in His arms just because of his mercy, grace and Love. There is no experience required, 2 left feet are allowed, you don't have to dress up, He will give free dancing lessons to eveyone who would believe He is true. The music has started, just follow His lead.

I think as a woman one thing we want is deep unfailing love. We want the Cinderella story. We want the prince to dance with us and live happily ever after. Some of us have tasted it and want more. Some of us have never known it and yet desire so intensley. Some of us have it right now but are not completely happy. The rest just give up on it.
Did you realize that God's Unfailing love is the love your soul was made for. You and I were made with an empty place that can only be filled bt the unfalling love of God. Sometimes we loose our way and sometimes we put God on the shelf. Man I do that so many times. Maybe you need to ask God to give you a craving for His love. A fresh desire ofr His filling, a yearnig for fullness that comes from Him. Pray and ask Him for that yearning again.
Ok so I have been talking about dancing, wallflowers and God's love. I have told yu that God sees you across the room and thinks that you are the most beautiful woman there. He is inviting you to dance in His arms. Guess what, its safe there, you can whisper in His ear all the questions your heart longs to ask. This is the dance of your life. The one HE has invisioned when HE dreamed of YOU!!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Strawberry Pineapple Daiquiris


Strawberry-Pineapple Daiquiris
 
Saw this on eMeals blog... Doesn't  it look delish cant wait to make it at home!
Strawberry-Pineapple-Daiquiris-from-eMeals
Ingrediants:
  • 2 (16-oz) bags frozen strawberries
  • 12 oz frozen limeade concentrate, undiluted
  • 2 (6-oz) cans pineapple juice
  • Garnish: lime juice and sugar
Instructions
  1. Combine strawberries, limeade concentrate and pineapple juice in a blender.
  2. Cover and process until smooth.
  3. Coat rims of glasses with lime juice, and dip in sugar, if desired

Grammy Hambrooks Pineapple Squares

I have been re writing my grammy Hambrooks cookbooks. So that I can have them and pass them on to my children some day. The other day I found this recipe. I realized I had everything in my pantry and thought I would give it a try... and oh so glad I did!!



Pineapple Squares

 

2 ½ cups graham crackers

½ cup melted butter

 

Press into pan cook for 15 mins at 350

 

Then mix:

½ cup soft butter

1 ½ cup icing sugar

2 eggs unbeaten

Mix well spread over crumbs

 

Then Mix:

Drain pineapple very well

Fold in 1 pkg of dream whip

Beat and spread over the rest

 

Put in fridge

 

 

Optional filling:

2 cups icing sugar

½ cup butter

1 tbsp cocoa

Beat in 2 eggs one at a time

1 tsp vanilla and some nuts

Spread over bottom

Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Power of the Question

if there is one thing I want you to get out of these blog posts it is permission to ask "Do you think I am beautiful?" Good grief I know how hard this is! We are suppose to ask this stuff out loud.

I realize how difficult it is to cut through your busy life and all the demands you try and juggle. now a girl in a blog is asking you to try and find your real heart. It probably feels easier just to go to another website and not think about it. But wait... don't do that yet. I am afraid you might keep living the same way you've been living for another thirty years if you don't at least try.

There is a women inside of you who was designed by God. she was made to long for passion and romance and love. she came here with a set of gifts and talents that look like no other. she was made for beauty to long to be known as beautiful. she has gotten lost somewhere in the journey of your life and I want you to find her. I want you to become reacquainted with the woman God thought of when He thought of you.

It may be easier for you to believe this question belongs to every other woman but you. but it is truly yours. it came attached to your soul. God wants you to ask Him because He loves to answer you... remember? The King is enthralled by your beauty (Psalm 45:11)

I imagine that God has been trying to speak into your heart for a very long time, but maybe you are just beginning to wake up to His great joy over you. Could you possibly learn to believe that God likes you and wants to pamper you? Maybe you have intellectual knowledge. you believe the Bible verse in your head. To make the transfer from your head to your heart is work of the Holy Spirit.

Ask God that, by the power of the Holy Spirit you would begin to believe in your heart that the King is enthralled by your beauty!

God is captivated by my beauty
Can you say that out loud?
God is captivated by my beauty!


I sought the Lord and He heard me.
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.  (Psalm 34: 4-5)

No More Pretending....

Some women live an entire lifetime, die and go to heaven, pretending and smiling politely. I can barely stand the thought of it. in some very profound ways, I am thankful that one day it finally came undone for me. Every prop was knocked down. Every place to hide revealed. For the first time, my soul was ripped open and the truth came pouring out. Alone and empty, my heart begged to know " Oh, God do You think I am beautiful?"

Now its your turn. Ask God if He thinks you're beautiful. And then boldly request an answer. Ask God to be loud and lavish when He answers  Ask him to speak to you in ways that are unmistakable and in your own love language. ... in ways that you would understand and that would help you realize its Him. 

Your job is to pray and then look and listen for God's answer.He will answer! Do you understand that the question " Do you think I am beautiful?" is really yours to ask? Truly. God wants you to ask and then hear what He has to say about you. So pray. Wait. Listen.

When the pretending stops we are left with the truth.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" ~ John 8:32

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Psalm 51:6
When pretending ends and truth begins... it can actually turn out to be kind of scary. Pretending women have become pleaser just to find some sense of acceptance. when the props fall away, then we're left with ourselves. I realized that I did not have any idea who I was or what my true heart desired. I didnt know if i liked blueberries better than strawberries or vice versa. I liked whatever was going to please most of the people in the room. I still don't have all the answers, but I am learning to embrace the truth of my likes and longings.

its time do a little heart work. who are you really? what do you like? and what do you long for? 

Many of us have become shut down to the things we might have wanted or we dreamed of doing in our lives. you could possibly remain shut down and numb.
Get a piece of paper and answer these questions....
if you could redecorate any room in your house the way you wanted to which room would it be? how would you decorate it?
Plan a perfect evening for yourself from dusk to sunrise. 
If you went back to school what is the first course you would take?
Do the important people in your life think your ideas are important or do they mock your opinions?


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

No Bake Orange Creamsicle Pie

No Bake Orange Creamsicle Pie

No Bake Orange Creamsicle Pie from www.atthepicketfence.com

Cleaning Sunglasses?

I have never really thought about cleaning my sunglasses... but got an email today about tips on cleaning them... food for thought maybe?

  1. Use an eyeglass lens spray. Lenses collect dust and dirt throughout the day, and although your inclination may be to wipe them with a soft cloth or your shirt, this method tends to smear oil and dirt across the glass instead of removing it. In order to effectively clean glasses, and help eliminate oils from lenses, use a specialty spray made for eyeglasses.
  1. Use a mild liquid dish soap and warm water. Sound simple? It is! Wet the lenses and apply a small amount of mild dish soap to your fingers. Gently massage across the front and back of the lenses, then rinse well with warm water.
  1. Dry with a microfiber cloth. Don't reach for paper products, no matter how soft they are. Most are made with a percentage of recycled paper fibers, which can leave lint behind and scratch lenses over time. Instead, always use the microfiber cloth that came with your eyeglasses, or purchase one from your local store.
Tip: Keep your microfiber cloth in good condition by washing it once a week, but avoid fabric softener, as this will cause the cloth to lose its absorbency.
  1. Mind the nose pads. Once the nose pads start to discolor, they need to be changed. To prolong their life, wash them a few times a week. Just make it a practice when you are cleaning your lenses to rub the nose pads as well.

bathroom cleaning?

I have a new bathroom which I love so very much. Do remember my before and after pics? yeah it was nasty wasn't it? You don't have to butter it up. I know it was nasty!!
So now that I have a beautiful bathroom I want to keep it clean! shiny... I found these wonderful bathroom cleaning tips!

http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/Cleaning/Pages/must-have-cleaning-tools-bathroom.aspx#sht=313de0c3fd30d4d1d7d5a88077790e2b

enjoy
Paige

a little about me... a personal post

Hello Readers,

I wanted to say thank you very much for reading my blog. I have been averaging about 10-20 visits per post. Kind of exciting. I don't know any of you... at all. So thank you for stopping by :) I hope my tips, tricks, recipes, and ranting's are helping you out is some way shape or form lol.

So my name is Paige. I am a soon to be wife of a wonderful man, Jonathan. He has 2 amazing children, Brody and Zachary. Whom in a few months I will officially be there step mom. I am a photographer. I love taking photos. I work a full time job as a Maternal Child Health Worker. I work with new moms and babies all day. Kind of fun! I love it. I am learning how to be a wife, a step mom, a home maker?, and trying to find myself all in this crazy world. I love to cook and bake (obviously). I am no Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray however I would like to meet them some day. I am trying to figure it all out. thank you again for following me on this crazy ride!!

I moved to a small village called Doaktown NB its between Miramichi and Fredericton. Why did I move here you ask... for a boy.. I guess boys in this case. I am starting to like it here. I am starting to make friends. I use to hide in my house. Yes I bought a house and we are renovating... I am thinking this is a real test of our relationship.

I have 2 step sons. Whom I adore... but even though I teach parents how to be parents I am learning to be a parent. I have noticed the same problems new moms have, I have them too. So its kind of nice to be able to relate to my clients.

I am learning to be on a budget and pay bills. I always had bills but now I have more bills. Remember when you were a kid and wanted to be an adult and all the adults said no stay a kid. I should have stayed a kid. but it will all work out. I am certain!

Still wanna be here? there's more to come much more... I am going to try and make this more personal able and share more things. I am sure you will love it!

ps I like to ramble lol

Paige

a few ideas....

I get emails all the time from different food websites. One of my favorites is Thriftyfun. I love getting their emails they are always full of fun and interesting stuff. Today my email was full of tips that I thought I would pass on to my fellow readers!

Sugar in Fruit Pies: When making fruit pies sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. The juice will boil up through the fruit and not out and over the top

When cutting cream pies dip the knife in warm water and none of the filling will stick to the knife.  Meringue will always stand up high and perfect if a generous pinch of baking soda is added to beaten whites.  Coat raisins in flour before stirring them into a cake to prevent them from going to the bottom.  2 Tbsp. of lemon juice added to 1 cup of milk will sour immediately. Add several drops of vinegar to icing while beating and it will be soft and seldom grainy.

Cut the whole loaf into serving sized pieces.  Cut each slice in half and fold over (if buttered), butter sides in. Wrap each one in Saran Wrap then put the entire sliced loaf into a freezer container. Or freeze until solid on a cookie sheet then pop into a freezer bag.

No More Messy Sloppy Joes! Cut a hot dog bun in half and fill with Sloppy Joe mixture. The Sloppy Joe stay in and not all over. Children love it because it's small and easy to eat. Plus for parents the children waste less when eating it.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Wallflowers?


Are you a wallflower??

Oh I was and I still am. I think at one time we were all wall flowers. You may see people and they may not seem like a wallflower because they are always dancing with the boy. But they had to start somewhere. Our stories maybe different but the way God sees us is the same. He sees you and you see him. You have captured his attention. He is the boy you see across the hall the has seen how beautiful you are. a little scary.... oh it is!





So you have caputred Gods eye.... so He thinks you are the most beautiful woman in the room. In Psalm 45:10 it says " He is enthralled by your beauty" Remember that enthralled means "capitvated, smitten, spellbound, delighted.... " all those fun words. isn't that cool. God thinks that you are beautiful. He is so stunned by your beauty... that he is coming to talk to you...... ibet he's going to ask you to dance!

He comes over and asks you to dance. Dancing means being fully alive and in step with the movement and plans for my Father.


So are you dancing with Him? Remember He has chosen you ..... He wants to dance with you.