Saturday, February 28, 2009

First Movie at a Theatre

DS and I took the Princess to see her first movie in a theatre. She had a great time watching Bolt. The theatre was perfect because there was room for her to roam in our row of seats when she felt like dancing to the music, room to set her drink and popcorn on the table in front of our seats and she was even able to keep the seat down when she actually sat in it. ;0) I am sad that Daddy missed the event. Our baby girl is growing up so quickly!

Blessings,

Lisa



Friday, February 27, 2009

Show and Tell Friday, February 27, 2009

This week, I'm going to show more of the china that was passed down to me from our aunt and uncle. Last week I shared the tea pot, sugar, creamer and tea cup. This week I'm sharing three more pieces. The pattern is Rosemont by Thomas Ivory. They were manufactured in Germany in the early 1900s.
I love the shape of the dishes and the marks in the gold on the plates. The marks show that they were well used and well loved to last all these years.

Dinner Plate

Salad Plate atop the Dinner Plate

Soup Bowl atop the Dinner Plate

Thank you for stopping by my show and tell.

Visit Kelli's House to view more treasures!

Blessings,

Lisa






Thursday, February 26, 2009

Paper Crafting Thursday

Each Thursday, Kelli at There is no place like home hosts Paper Crafting Thursday. She is a very talented paper crafter and has inspired me to start making my own cards, tags and paper crafts. This week I'm sharing the gift bag I made for my student teacher's going away gift. I used a kraft bag, scrapbooking paper and stickers that I had on hand.
Blessings,
Lisa




Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Family Math Night Baskets

An email went out at school requesting donations of prizes for an upcoming Family Math night. I decided to donate two "basksets" for door prizes. The first, pictured below, is a Summer Fun bucket. I used a sand bucket as the container and filled it with wiffle balls, a kite, a splash bomb slingshot, a jump rope, a ball catch game and a bubble blowing kit. I purchased everything at the Dollar Tree. I think this bucket would make a great Easter gift for a niece or nephew.

The second basket is filled with Math related items including flash cards, a workbook, a football math game, small tablet, calculator, dice and a ruler. I also purchased most of the items at the Dollar Tree. I bought the flash cards at Wal-mart for 97 cents each.


I'm pleased with how they turned out. I spent just under 20 dollars on everything for both baskets.

Blessings,

Lisa

Monday, February 23, 2009

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 23, 2009



FOR TODAY February 23, 2009


Outside my window...I see the new fallen snow.



I am thinking...that I don't want to be sick again. My throat is tickly.


I am thankful for... my husband and children.



From the kitchen...will be Quick Chicken Soup, Ham and Cheese Loaf and Lemon Creme Bars for dessert.



I am wearing...my robe and snowflake slippers.



I am creating...a card for a bridal shower. My cousin is getting married.


I am going...to clean out my closets, one at a time to declutter.



I am reading...Simple Abundance and A Busy Mom's Guide to Prayers daily.



I am hoping...for sunshine and warmer temperatures.


I am hearing...dh in the shower, "Every Man" by Casting Crowns from my playlist.


Around the house...cleaning, laundry, scrapbooking and decluttering.


One of my favorite things...is chocolate caramels.


A few plans for the rest of the week...We have hockey practice two nights this week. I want to take the kids to the movies and out to dinner on Saturday. We have a fundraiser pick up on Saturday morning too. It's the student teacher's last week, so I have a lot of paper work to complete and narrative evaluations to write at school.




A picture thought:




Our Cinderella was "dancing" with her "Prince Charming". lol

Read more daybooks at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed day!

Lisa


Sunday, February 22, 2009

Menu Plan Monday, February 23, 2009

Greetings fellow menu planners! This week is going to be packed with evening activities, so the menu is pretty easy for me.

Sunday~ Spaghetti with Slow Cooker Meat Sauce, Veal Parmesan, Salad and Rolls

Monday~ Quick Chicken Soup with Ham and Cheese Loaf

Tuesday~Bisquick Oven Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Country Gravy and Green Beans

Ash Wednesday~Zesty Potato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Thursday~Grilled Ham Steaks, Pierogies with Butter and Onions, Salad

Friday~Cheese Pizza and Salad

Saturday~Movie Night for the Kids and me...dinner out


For more menus and dinner ideas visit Laura at http://orgjunkie.com

For some Lenten Meatless Meal ideas visit this post.

Have a week full of blessings,

Lisa


Lemon Creme Bars


This recipe is from Betty Crocker. I first saw it on an email newsletter I receive and thought it would be something a bit different. DD and I made the bars last night. There were lots of things a little chef can do and help mom with while making these bars. Our little chef liked to spin, I mean mix ;0), the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest together. She was able to pour the lemon juice into the bowl as well. She helped to pat the crust into the pan, too.
The bars tasted good. The creme layer adds a nice texture to the bar after the crunch of the oatmeal layer. The bars did not have as much lemon flavor as I thought, but the creme is still yummy! Here's the recipe:
Lemon Creme Bars

1/2 cup cold butter
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix
1 egg
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice ( I used one large lemon to get 1/4 cup of juice.)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.


2. In large bowl, cut butter into cookie mix, using fork or pastry blender. Stir in egg until mixture is crumbly. Press half of cookie mixture into bottom of pan; bake 15 minutes.

3. In small bowl, stir condensed milk, lemon peel and lemon juice until thick. Spread over baked crust. Crumble remaining cookie mixture over top. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 5 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Lisa

Friday, February 20, 2009

Show and Tell Friday, February 20, 2009

Today for Show and Tell Friday, I want to share one pattern of several china collections I own. This Rosemont by Thomas Ivory was made in Germany. It originally was owned by our uncle's aunt. They were her good dishes used for Sunday dinners and holidays. When she passed, our aunt and uncle inherited them. They then passed them on to me. She was an elementary school teacher just like me. The service for 16 is antique. From my research, it seems that the markings on this china set mean that the dishes were manufactured in the early 1900's.
The above photo shows the tea pot, tea cup and saucer and one of the serving plates.


This picture shows the tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl. I love to use it for tea parties.




The tea cup and saucer and trimmed in gold with a pink floral pattern. So dainty!

Thank you for checking out my show and tell! Visit Kelli's House for some more wonderful treasures.

Blessings,

Lisa

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Meatless Meals

The bloggers at Faith and Family Live are compiling lists of meatless meals for the upcoming Lenten season. I am not a seafood lover, therefore Lent is especially challenging for me. Lunches are a struggle as well.

Here are some of our favorite meatless Lenten Meals:

~Cheese or Vegetable topped pizza
~Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Zesty Potato Soup
~Pierogies with Onions and Butter
~Baked Macaroni and Cheese
~4-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Sauce
~Pasta with Marinara
~Homemade Gnocchi with Marinara Sauce
~Breakfast for dinner...pancakes, eggs, cheese omelets
~Eggplant or Zucchini Parmesan
~Cheese Enchiladas
~Quesadillas

Have a blessed Lenten season!

Blessings,
Lisa


Monday, February 16, 2009

Menu Plan Monday, February 16, 2009


Last week was a busy week, but we only had minor changes to the menu. On Monday, instead of June's Chicken Casserole, we had BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to grill on a warm day in February.
Here's the plan for this week:
Sunday~Heart Shaped Pizza, Molten Chocolate Cakes for Dessert (see this post)
Monday~Chicken Taco Salads and Garlic Toast
Tuesday~Kielbassi and Kraut, Mashed Potatoes, Hard Rolls
Wednesday~Breakfast for Dinner~Pancakes and Bacon
Thursday~Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes (Carry over from last week)
Friday~BBQ or Hot Wings with Homemade Fries, Celery and Carrot Sticks with Ranch Dip
Saturday~To be determined
Check out more weekly menus at http://orgjunkie.com
Have a week full of blessings,
Lisa

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Valentine's Day Family Dinner


Valentine's Day started on Friday morning at our house. I gave our kids their heart shaped baskets filled with a Valentine, books and one candy treat. The fun continued at school with a party for the students in my class. The kids had a fabulous time and shared cards and treats with each other. When dh arrived home, he greeted me with a half dozen of long stem red roses. Then we left for our romantic getaway. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed being a couple. It was so nice to have nothing to do, no time limits and no distractions.
I can't forget to send thanks to my in-laws, Barb and Gene, for taking the kids for the weekend.



We returned home today. This evening dd and I made dinner and dessert. We had heart shaped pizzas with heart shaped pepperoni on top for dinner. For dessert, we had Molten Chocolate Cakes . They were delicious! We had a lot of fun cooking together. Then we had family movie night and watched Madagascar 2 together.
Blessings,
Lisa

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Best Ever Cheesecake

As mentioned in my MPM post, I made a cheesecake for my student teacher's birthday. I wanted to share the recipe (again!) because it was, by far, the best cheesecake I've ever made. It was creamy and smooth, but not overly rich. It had a good balance of flavors and wasn't overly sweet. It was easy to make, but looks like it took all day and night. I wish I had taken a picture.

Best Cheesecake
3/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Light Sour Cream
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Sliced Strawberries in Syrup for topping

PREHEAT oven to 350°F if using a silver 8- or 9-inch springform pan (or to 325°F if using a dark nonstick 8- or 9-inch springform pan. I used this Pampered Chef pan with a glass bottom and baked it at 325 degrees). Mix graham cracker crumbs, margarine and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Press firmly onto bottom and 2-1/2 inches up side of pan; set aside.

BEAT cream cheese and the remaining 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Turn oven off. Open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake set in oven 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Loosen cheesecake from rim of pan; remove rim. Top cheesecake with strawberries just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.


Blessings,
Lisa

Monday, February 9, 2009

Valentine Treat Bag Toppers


A bag topper is my latest Valentine's Day project. For the 4" x 6" cellophane bag pictured here, I cut a 4" x 4" square, folded it in half, and attached my stamped image to the front. I added ribbon through two holes that I punched on the topper. I hid the staples with the stamped images. Cute and simple.
Blessings,
Lisa

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Menu Plan Monday, February 9, 2009



We did a very good job of following last week's menu. This week will be filled with birthday and Valentine's Day prep, as well as hockey practice two nights this week.



Here's our menu plan:



Sunday~ Rigatoni with Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce, Garlic Toast



Monday~June's Chicken Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans


Tuesday~Montana Paninis, Homemade Fries, Pickle




Wednesday~Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas


Thursday~Meatloaf, Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes, Glazed Carrots





Friday~Dinner Out

For more great menus, visit Laura at http://orgjunkie.com/

Have a week full of blessings,

Lisa








Valentines and More....

I spent this afternoon practicing my card making. I am pleased with most of the ones I completed today. I used a variety of materials including papers from Michaels (that I bought for 14 cents a piece!), a stampin' up card kit and stickers from the Dollar Tree.


A Valentine for a Friend

Another Valentine


From the Stampin' Up Kit for a friend


My favorite Valentines


Birthday Card


My next project will be another altered notebook and an altered clipboard for my student teacher.
Have a blessed day!
Lisa









Disney on Ice Pictures

Click to play Disney on Ice
Create your own postcard - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox postcard

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Handmade Card~Paper Crafting Thursday

Every Thursday is Paper Crafting Day at Kelli's House. Above is a photo of the birthday card I made tonight for my husband's brother's birthday. I received my first Stampin' Up Card Kit today and just had to try out my new stamps and inks.



Be sure to visit Kelli's for more handmade card ideas!

Blessings,

Lisa






Chewy Butterscotch Brownies


Yesterday I found a bag of butterscotch morsels in my cupboard. Being in the mood to bake, I visited http://www.verybestbaking.com/ looking for inspiration. I decided to try the following recipe, minus the nuts and bake Butterscotch Brownies. I was a bit skeptical, but was pleasantly suprised by the tenderness of the brownie. I also used margarine for the batter. (I only had one stick of butter in the fridge.)

Chewy Butterscotch Brownies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels, divided
1 cup chopped nuts
Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.



Enjoy!

Blessings,

Lisa

Monday, February 2, 2009

Simple Woman's Daybook, February 2, 2009



FOR TODAY February 2, 2009


Outside my window...I see a tiny snowman that the kids made yesterday.


I am thinking...how blessed I truly am. God deserves all the gratitude.



I am thankful for... hot oatmeal on cold mornings.



From the kitchen...will be Chicken Cutlets in Cream Sauce over Linguine. I'll bake something for dessert today, but I'm not sure what yet.



I am wearing...my leopard print flannel pjs and slippers.



I am creating...a variety of Valentines for friends and family.



I am going...to Disney on Ice on Saturday with dh and dd. It will be her first ice show. I think she'll love it!



I am reading...Simple Abundance and A Busy Mom's Guide to Prayers daily. I'm also working my way through the Jan/Feb issues of Taste of Home and Simple and Delicious magazines.



I am hoping...to get an appointment with my dr. quickly.



I am hearing...dd reading books in the next room.



Around the house...cleaning, laundry, scrapbooking and decluttering.



One of my favorite things...is sunshine.



A few plans for the rest of the week: We have hockey on Thursday evening. The guys are heading to see the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. This is a short week at school. I hope to get some more filing and cleaning done there.


A picture thought:




Read more daybooks at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/



Blessings,


Lisa

Menu Plan Monday, February 2, 2009


Good morning! Last week's menu was followed pretty closely. We did not have Chicken in Cream Sauce over Linguine, but I will put it on this week's menu since I have all the ingredients. We only have hockey practice one evening. Dh and ds are going to see the Pittsburgh Penguins play on Friday night. We're taking dd to Disney on Ice on Saturday.
Sunday~HOORAY for the Steelers! Cheeseburger Sliders, Potato Skins and Salad
Monday~Groundhog's Day~ Six more weeks of Winter!
Tuesday~Sloppy Joes, Oven Fries, Corn
Wednesday~Grilled Steak, Twice Baked Potatoes, Steamed Brocolli
Thursday~ Freezer Meal~Quick Chicken Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Friday~Girls Night~Dinner out
Saturday~Saucy Beef Patties (from Simple and Delicious Jan/Feb 09),
Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
I'll post the recipe after we try it on Saturday.
For more menu ideas, visit Laura at http://orgjunkie.com/
Have a week full of blessings,
Lisa