The Blog :)

Just a brief post to let y'all know that I have decided to stop blogging. I'm sure some might wonder why. I suppose I am just blogged out. I really don't feel like I have much more to contribute. (Doesn't take much to deplete some people, does it? LOL!) :)

I appreciate all your comments. I've "met" some really great people...one of whom I actually got to meet in person. I've learned a lot from bunches of you. And I've had fun. :) I still casually browse other blogs but just am not spending a lot of time on the computer anymore.

I do plan to leave the blog up...just in case there's a recipe you want, or there might even be something you could use now and again. And who knows...at a different season in life, I may very well be back. :)

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to stop by. I wish you all well. :)

Bloggy Break

Just letting y'all know I'm taking a bit of a bloggy break for a while. I'm feeling sorta blogged out right now...does that make sense? :) I'll be back...just not quite sure when yet...whenever I'm feeling more bloggable. :) I'll see y'all soon!!!

I Love the Old Hymns

I have been a true lover of hymns since I first became a Christian more than 20 years ago. It seems to me that the old hymn writers knew just how to express how I felt about things such as worship, the majesty of God, the sinfulness of man, etc... I've even written some posts about a few particular hymns that have meant alot to me over the years.

Much to my delight, Robert Cottrill left a comment on one such post I wrote about the hymn Close to Thee. I was thrilled to find he had a website dedicated to the hymns called Wordwise Hymns. He writes a lot of "today in history" about hymns and hymn writers. In the header of his blog you'll find these words..."Discussing the History and Biblical themes of the Hymns of the Church." That is precisely what he blogs about. You'll find topics like:

• What makes a good hymn
• Suffering hymn writers
• Historical issues
• Edification and entertainment
• and lots more!

If you love the old hymns like I do, I really believe you'll enjoy this blog! I found it fascinating and it will definitely be a place I frequent! :)

Texas Hash

Fall is definitely here in East Tennessee and I am loving it!! Nice, crispy days and really cooooool nights! My kind of weather. :) The leaves are just beginning to turn now. Here's a picture of the small Dogwood tree in our front yard....With the coming of cooler weather, our meals begin to change. We go from lighter meals in the summertime to cooler, heartier casseroles or soups and stews in the fall and winter. Texas Hash is just that...a hearty meal. It's a good ol' standby in our home because it takes very few ingredients that are almost always in my pantry or freezer.

I made this today for dinner. The recipe calls for cheddar cheese on top, but I substituted just plain ol' sliced cheese because I was out of cheddar. Here's the recipe:

Texas Hash

• 1 lb ground beef, cooked & drained
• 1 quart tomatoes
• 3 TBSP chili powder, or to taste
• 3/4 cup rice
• diced onions
• diced green peppers (optional)

Brown ground beef and drain. Combine all ingredients together and place in a lightly greased 2 qt. baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven until cheese has melted. That's it.

You can even add a few veggies like corn and peas if you like. Just be sure to drain them first! :)

Love This Quick & Easy Craft

So I was browsing DollarStoreCrafts this morning when I came across this one using a bottle of hand sanitizer!! This would make quite an appropriate little gift right now when you consider all the FLU that's running rampant these days! It'd be ideal for a school teacher or really for anyone whose job involves dealing with the public. Go over to MoneywiseMoms for instructions on how to make it in just a few minutes!

$3 Snuggle Coupon = FREE at Family Dollar

According to DealSeekingMom, you can use the $3 coupon that was in yesterday's RedPlum insert at Family Dollar this week and get a FREE 70-ct box of Snuggle dryer sheets! If you prefer the liquid, pick up the 32-load bottle and pay just $0.75! I love that stuff...smells soooo good. :)

A Few Printable Coupons

Walgreens has Nabisco Cookies and Crackers on sale 3 for $3. Grab a box of Wheat Thins and get them free with THIS coupon...you can print it twice. click HERE for Firefox users.

CVS has Tone soap (2-3pk) for $1.88. You earn a $1 ECB. Using this coupon makes it free! Firefox users click HERE.

Click HERE for a $1 coupon on Coffeemate Creamers. :)

A 4 pk of Musselman's Total Fruit Applesauce is $1.48 at Walmart. This coupon makes it just $0.48!

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Like almost every other family in America, we love pizza. :) I've been wanting to try my hand at making Pizza Pockets for some time now, so this week, I finally just put it on the menu. They're very easy to make and everybody loved them.

I started by making my regular pizza dough in my bread machine. (I'll post the recipe for that at the end.) Once it was finished, I divided my dough into pieces and rolled them out flat.

I put some pizza sauce in the center of the dough, then topped it with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. You can just add whatever pizza ingredients your family likes...
I then folded the dough over and sealed it as tightly as I could so that it wouldn't "leak" during baking. I popped it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so. The result was probably not the most beautiful pizza pocket you've ever seen, but in this case, it was the taste that counted. :)
I had little bitty scraps of dough left over. While the pockets were in the oven, I squished all the dough scraps together, rolled it out into a circle and made a small pizza. :)
Here's the recipe for the pizza dough in the bread machine if you're interested.

Pizza Dough

• 1 cup plus 2 TBSP water
• 2 TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast

Just use your dough cycle and let the bread machine do most of the work for ya! :)

B1G1 Coupon - John Morrell Off the Bone Lunchmeat

Click HERE for a printable buy-one-get-one free tub of John Morrell Off the Bone lunchmeat. You can print it twice! :)

Peanut Butter Brownies

I made these brownies the other day when I was in a baking mood. :) They make a gooey, chewy brownie and are very peanut buttery. :) Wish I had taken a picture to share with you, but I forgot to take one! I think pictures of recipes really help you decide if it's something you think you'll like. Without a picture of these brownies, you'll just have to trust me on this one...if you like peanut butter and you like brownies...I think you'll like this one.

Peanut Butter Brownies

• 1/2 cup peanut butter


• 1/3 cup butter, softened


• 2/3 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar


• 2 eggs


• 1/2 tsp. vanilla


• 1 cup all purpose flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.


2. In medium bowl, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Gradually blend in the brown and white sugars, eggs, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.


3. Bake 30-35 minutes.

**I baked mine just under 30 minutes because my kiddos like brownies ooey-gooey-chewy. :)

***EDITED: My good ol' blogging buddy Sandra made these brownies and took a picture for me! :) Don't they look ooey-gooey-chewy good?? Thanks Sandra!