Our Menu

What will be on our table this Thanksgiving:

Stuffed Mushrooms

18 lb Turkey

5 lbs stuffing

10 lbs Potatoes

Corn

Green bean casserole

Gravy

cranberry sauce

Bread

Dessert:

Apple Pie

Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pecan coffee cake

Apple pie

2 chocolate pudding pies

jello

What's on your table?

The Patriot

Something To Chew On...

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

[Ronald Reagan]

He's NO King Xerxes...

I have been finding out that my bad school girl habits have somehow lingered and found me in my adult years. Back in my college days, I spent my classes half listening, waiting for the last minute to do my work (except for my art classes) and then spending one night cramming a semesters worth of learning during an all nighter.

Fastforward time about (gulp) 13 years and here I am, in a great bible Study in my church, behind on my work. Last night, after a very compelling dvd lesson in my sunday school class, I decided it was time to play catch up! I sat on the couch with book and bible in hand and dug in. The information was amazing, and I realized I was the one who was gypping myself for letting this study slip thru my fingers.

I studied The Book of Esther and the contest for queen. My thoughts came to the show The Bachelor and how similar it was!

Hundreds of girls competing for one man, sharing one man and being nothing more than a pretty face.

Once she was chosen Queen, she went months without being in the Kings presence. How horrible.

We ended our lesson yesterday chatting about how empty their relationship was. She had to be called to him and often went months without seeing him... knowing full well, he was with other women.

It made me so thankful for the relationships of today. For MY relationship. For my Gapboy who loves me and actually wants to spend his days with me. I can go to him whenever I want. I don't need an invitation.

Many years ago, I received an Emilie Barnes book called "more hours in my day..." as a Christmas gift. At first, I tossed it aside. I hate organization and cleaning books. But this one caught my attention. I picked it up and read it straight thru in 3 days. It was amazing. Emilie touched my heart in many of her stories.

In one chapter, she talks about how to welcome husbands home. She recommends dropping everything and giving him a welcome home hug, kiss and cheers from the kids... every day! Most women would scoff at this advice. But not me! As Emilie said, He comes home to YOU every day after working hard. He doesn't have to. There are many other places he can go and other women who would be happy to welcome him into their arms, but he chooses YOU! So welcome him and show him you love him.

That is something I have been doing since my Emma was little. When hubby pulls down the block, cheers erupt in our home. The pitter patter of little feet echo thru our foyer and our front yard is flooded with kids of all ages. Daddy waves and smiles and the babies pound on his work truck until the door opens. The whole house breathes a relaxing sigh... Daddy is home!

Yesterday, I spent my day reflecting on the fact that my husband was NO King Xerxes. I thank God, I am no Queen.

I am simply me, with my Gapboy and together we are Thankful for each other.

Week-end What Nots....

Next week is Thanksgiving!!! My Little Red House has been just buzzing with activity. Not only are we getting ready for our favorite holiday but we will be welcoming company that will be arriving sometime wednesday! The great news was just found out 2 days ago and there is so much to do, cleaning the dusty corners and washing all the bed linens. Next week will be busy busy busy! But as all you know, Im happiest when my Little Red House is busting at the seams.

I have also had a lot of time to reflect on this past year. It seems that as each year passes, the time speeds up just a bit more. We will end the year healthy, happy and with a job! Always a great thing. Not all goals were met, no all expectations were fulfilled and we even had a surprise or two along the way.

This weekend, as we prepare our home for the Holiday, I will give Thanks. I have so much to be Thankful for. I will pray that I will not let the Martha in me take over and pray that the Mary stays at the forefront. This coming week as I prepare our huge Turkey, I will give Thanks for the food that we are so blessed to have... and never take one bite for granted.

There is a lot to do this weekend, but most importantly, I will give Thanks!

YesterYear

Yesterday we packed up our big black van and headed far away to yesteryear. We visited an awesome southern plantation with some other homeschool friends. Before embarking on our journey we turned to the internet to supply all of our history needs.

Walnut Grove Plantation was the home of Charles and Mary Moore c.1765. They owned over 3000 acres and was a complete self sufficient farm. They raised their 10 children on the land and are buried on the property in the family cemetery.

What caught my interest the most was their eldest daughter Kate. At 15 years old she married a patriot soldier and lived very close to her childhood home. She worked as a spy! She was a heroine of the American Revolution. One famous story includes her tying her infant to the bed while she ran off into the night to warn her husband and his troops that the british were coming... saving them.

As we toured the upstairs of her childhood bedroom, we learned how the upstairs beds housed more patriot soldiers until a small battle took place right on the property. Bloody Bill Cunningham and his Tories came, hunted and killed those soldiers down. They were buried where they fell which later became the cemetery. It was Kate, who rode fearlessly, to warn the soldiers that the tories were coming. Greatly outnumbered, they succumbed to defeat.

As I strolled the property with my kids, I was amazed my the peace that surrounded us. It was a perfect fall day. A perfect mix of chill and sun with leaves coming down like snow. We walked the actual wagon trail and strolled thru the family herb garden. The afternoon was humbling. A place so filled with history and American pride, lost between subdivisions and shopping centers.

I chatted with another mom that was there. I was amazed that this family, Irish immigrants, held such fierce loyalty to their new country. If only we, as Americans, held that much pride and passion for freedom... How great our country could be. The South is full of history. Stories that you will never find in school books. Stories that would be lost unless you went and searched them out. Stories Like Kate Barry and her bravery. A love for God and Country is an amazing combination. Back during yesteryear, men and women risked everything they lived for, to protect what our ForeFathers started. Today, sadly, things are quite different.

I've always said, its a good thing our patriotic heros are dead, or they would see that what they dies for was in vain....

Our day in the 1700's was amazing. I think I enjoyed it a bit more than the kids. My camera died right away(thank God for cell phones) and many bathroom trips were needed but the day will go down in our history!!

This is only the beginning of many plantation visits. In the gift shop, we bought a map of every historical site and one by one we will go. We will visit, we will learn and we will remember.

Y'all

I attempted to make buttermilk biscuits y'all. just like any other good southern mama. You would have been proud... until they came out of the oven...

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, I am a Yankee after all....=)"

XoxoGapGirl

My Little Red Kitchen Pt 2

Ahhh, my kitchen table, which in the above picture is a bit messy. I purposely did not shine and polish my kitchen before my photo shoot. My kitchen is lived in. I try to keep it as clean as can be but it remains far from perfect... so why should the pictures be? We bought this table out of a magazine. It was perfect! Double the size of our former table (now outside in the back-porch) and held a couple of extra chairs for guests! Everything is done at this table!! Homeschooling, meals, planning... some of our most colorful and exciting moments as a family happened right here... with great food in the middle of coarse! Our wipe off board changes almost daily but we try to keep our prayer and praise list updated frequently. As a matter of fact, I will update it tonight as I have many new things to pray about ;)
This is a close -up view of our screen porch I wrote you about in PART 1. Did I mention how much we love it??? On nice days the kids are often found hanging out in the back and running in and out. This room is a wonderful extension to our home. This is another MUST HAVE!! Another feature I would have to have if and when we ever decided to move. If any one of you all are thinking about getting one... don't hesitate. On summer nights, we put the kids to bed and close the sliding door, light up the bbq and indulge in rib-eyes cooked by the best grill master in the state. We put our outdoor party lights on and listen to the crickets and bullfrogs.
To the right of my stove are my dishes. All shapes and sizes, colors and patterns can be found here. This comes from many years of buying and breaking dear dishes. I actually need some more. Sometimes when we have company, this one shelf gets empty!! I kid you not! The one red dish is our special dish. It comes out on special occasions. Its a very coveted item and has a long story behind it. We have been using it for many years and the kids are thrilled when the red plate is served to them!
My pantry! I love my pantry. I would love it even more if it were a walk in pantry as one of my friends have but thats ok, this will do for now! Its stocked to the brim with our pantry items, canned goods, mixes, pasta, cereal... you name it. By the end of a payday... its quite empty until I refill it. I know where everything is and even though it looks a bit organized... its not! The categories in my head make perfect sense and since its my kitchen, thats all that matters!
Last but not least, my utensil draw. I have been meaning to switch this draw with my larger cooking utensil draw so I have more space. I plan on doubling up the holders sideways so every spot has a home instead of the forks overflowing into the spoons and such. That drives me CRAZY! But each fork and knife is needed. Actually more is needed. So off to my favorite supply store I go where they have aisles and aisles of utensils and cookware and plates galore. Bins of serving spoons for .50 a piece. Pure heaven!! Once its done Im sure i'll post a proud picture.

But, thats about it my dear friends. The heart of my home in a nutshell. Where I spend most of my days, where Im the happiest, where I have the best conversations with my kids, where I smile and laugh the most... my kitchen!

Not Me!

I did not take a relaxing two hour nap Sunday while hubby and all the kids were outside working hard painting our fence. No, not me!

I did not buy cute organization folders and then just tossed them on the pile of papers and bills to be filed...and left them there... No, not me.

I did not go off on a political tangent while talking to a friend, in the middle of teaching the 3 year olds at church. NEVER... No, Not me!

I did not let the dishes pile and pile and pile up in my sink because I didn't have any Cascade for the dishwasher left.... I had a cut on my hand I didn't want to get wet by hand washing =p..No, not me!

Whew, I sure was busy NOT doing any of these things this weekend....

My Little Red Kitchen Pt 1

I decided to share the little details of the heart of my Little Red Home... my kitchen! I just love taking a peek at the insides of peoples homes so I know you all will enjoy! Most of my days are spent here cooking, drinking coffee, schooling the kids and puttering away. All pictures can be clicked to enlarge. This picture is my main counter. On it, I do most of my prep work. Today, I have a rotisserie chicken that I will pluck and make chicken salad from. Then I will turn the leftovers into homemade stock=) Yum! My beloved coffee pot is also near me. It usually contains leftover coffee from my last brew... when its not full of fresh brew!! My kids made peanut butter cookies and they reside to the left in a Christmas tin (they insisted) and my newly purchased bananas are waiting next to the kids vitamins. A constant reminder that both must be eaten daily.

Back in 2006 hubby insisted that we buy new cookware. Ours was OLD and falling apart and frankly, they did not hold enough food. I was pregnant with #4 and lived very close to family... most nights we never knew who or how many extra people we would be feeding. We wandered into The Le Creuset store and walked out with 3 HUGE enameled cast iron pots and pans and were $450 lighter. Most people will never understand why we dropped that much on cookware and those that tell us that #1) never cooked for a larger crew daily and #2 never used Le Creuset cookware. We did buy the color of the month and received a 20% discount! It was the best kitchen purchase ever made (besides Joe... more on Joe later...) Both pots were bought in the biggest size possible (for family expansion) and I use both almost daily. The one on the left is called the brasier and I use it EVERY day. It hold the dozen+ scrambled eggs I need for breakfast and boils my 4 lbs of red new potatoes in chicken stock that I need with dinner and sautes all veggies to perfection! Its always dirty and filled with my latest kitchen creations. We outgrew the normal skillet 2 kids ago and this beauty is perfect!

My other beauty is in the oven ( its hiding place) its the 13 1/4 quart French oven in red!!! Perfect for my yummy SUnday Sauces that I make, my soups and my spanish beans. Most families of 4 or 5 would get the much smaller oven, but for us the bigger the better. This is the pot I will use for family dinners, for feeding my children-in law and my grandbabies... a very full home!

We also have an awesome stockpot which is put away. Jason wanted the really big one. I refused, stating "we will never need something that big..." well, its too small for us now and it collects dust. I eat my words whenever I try and use it.

The last most loved piece in my home is my black skillet which is right under my Brasier. We have since outgrown it but I still use it to fry 5-6 eggs at a time and try to squeeze at least 9 pancakes on it. I have seen bigger ones in magazines... one will soon be ours...
Ahhh, theres Joe. See him??? Look closely.... now can you see him?? We LOVE our Joe and you can read all about him HERE! This corner of my kitchen is not used wisely. Overflow from my pantry sits here, my breads and bag of chips sit here and all mixing and baking are done here. My huge corner lazy susan contains all my baking supplies and Joe sits nearby, so this place automatically got chosen! ( also my dirty pots and pans that I have yet to clean get pushed over here.shhh)
Ok, this view is much much better. My paper products are over here ( um, I ran out...oopps) along with our house phone and some fresh french bread I bought from Costco. It was a double loaf that I bought along with fresh spinach dip... 2 very big loaves... but once I got home and everyone "tasted", this is what was left. I won't even begin to show you what the dip looks like. Sheesh. In the background on my bartop sits my latest (cutest) purchase. A recipe box!!! I found one at Homegoods. Gosh I LOVVEE Homegoods... its red and green and CHERRIES!!! I plan on squeezing 10 minutes out of each day to write some of my recipes down in our new family box (and laminate) so I have a one-stop reference source and my kids will too. Isn't it darling? I will be going to Hobby Lobby soon to buy some embellishments and make it a bit more Gapgirl-y. This new recipe box will also go with that new apron I blogged about HERE. How nice will that be?? Coordination at its finest. I also bought some other organization "tools" (cute of coarse) but thats to be saved for another post coming soon! Anyway, all my prepping for cooking happens right here. That way I can keep an eye on all happenings in the living Room...
Which I overlook while I clean dishes or unload my heavenly dishwasher (who gets quite a workout and needs a vacation!) I have an open floor plan so I can see almost my whole downstairs from my sink. I really love the open floor plan. I watch House Hunters alot and most people put OFP on their list of must haves. From experience, I can also tell you most that request this DO NOT have 5 children. As convenient as this may be, the noise volume can be very very high. The luxury of watching TV while I cook fizzles away when all I can do is read lips because of all the buzz in the home. . We have surround sound wiring and I have been asking hubby to price some speakers so my days of squinting and lip reading can end!! But 99% of the time I do love it. fights and squabbles can be fixed as I clean and wash. The bartop has 2 stools (ugly) which we will be upgrading shortly(and adding 2-3 more and get used more than any other seat in the home. We upgraded and got the extended top so we can eat on it and have plenty of room for whatever it is we are doing. My kids and houseguests always find their way on my stool. They chat, watch me clean and have the first taste of whatever it is im cooking! I will never ever get another kitchen unless it has a feature like this! Its just a must!!! I can also see thru to my 2 story foyer (which needs to be painted a different color!!!) and keep an eye on what kid is going up/down and who is coming in and out of my home. A powder room is tucked off of the foyer along with my laundry room and a hall closet!!!
There she is, the beating heart of this home. The place where we gather and where most decisions are made. We have lived here only 2 short years and already we have so many memories of wonderful moments taking place right here... countless, priceless moments. We have had housefuls of friends and family.

Our Master Suite ( yes, it is a suite!) is located right to the left. Not far off the living space. The rest of the bedrooms (and our 3rd bathroom) is upstairs. I don't mind being here, my room is slowly getting decorated. I have a great view from my bed to our Little backyard. I lay in bed and watch our beautiful Yoshino sway. I watch the kids run and play in the yard and am still close to the action. Right thru the kitchen sliding door is our screen porch. Oh how excited we were to get one!!! We have a table and chairs and party lights out there. Many nights have been spent out there as well. The kids do schoolwork in it, the babies play play doh and on those perfect southern evenings, we enjoy our dinners out there as well. One day we will convert that as an extension onto our kitchen. As our family grows, we will need the space, but until then... oh how we will enjoy our little screen porch. We have a patio right outside the porch which in just a few weeks will contain a fire pit. Can you see me jumping around for joy??? I can't wait! The excitement is killing me. I love the smell of fires. Roasting marshmallows and just spending time with my kids, in the dark, letting them share their hearts with us. How perfect!

Once the kids grow older and eventually leave the nest, our home will be worn and tattered. Many homes around me are much bigger and grander than mine. Many contain more rooms and square footage but to me, my little red house has it all. Every time I clean my bathrooms and wipe down my counters, im reminded of the blessings God has given my family. A home like this was beyond any dream I could ever imagine. You might get tired of me chatting about my little red house, but I won't apologize. Im not sorry that I still thank God every day for the blessings He has given me!