Saturdate with Southern Plate: {lemon meringue pie}

It is finally feeling like spring around here. I heard spring started a month ago, but I think Maryland just got the memo.

Good bye, sweaters. Good bye snow. Good bye Winter B. Good bye shoes Good bye socks (at least for a few months). Hello yard sales. Hello capris. Hello flip flops. Hello happy dirt covered boy. Hello fresh fruit and veggies!

Yes, I'm just a little excited about spring and all the things that comes with it. So this week, I decided to make a "springy" dessert. I looked in the spring section of Southern Plate and found Lemon Meringue pie. Bingo! You can find the recipe here.



I really liked how this pie tasted. Next time, I'll put the cookies in the food processor and get them ground up even finer. I made one pie for our family and one to give to someone else. (Something that would make Christy Jordan the author of Southern Plate very proud.) This is a very easy recipe to double.

Before I started making Southern Plate recipes, I had never made meringue. One thing I have learned about meringue is how fickle it is. The recipe may say one thing, but your oven may be different, and next thing you know instead of "golden brown" meringue, you've got "burnt toast" meringue. In all my cooking mishaps, I have not burnt a meringue yet, but I look like a crazy woman when I cook meringue obsessively checking on it every couple of minutes. The good news is even burnt meringue tastes good, and you can always just scrape it off and try again.

If you are not a fan of lemon meringue, you can still welcome spring with some with these lemony Southern Plate recipes, lemon chess pie, lemon bars, or lemon blossoms.

Give me five Friday: {five nicknames for my boys}

When I was in college, I would called my dad, and every phone conversation started the same way...

Steph: Hey Pop!

Dad: Hey Bubba!

After, several months of this, I realized that my dad called me "Bubba." So one day I asked my dad if he even realized he called me "Bubba." He had no idea he was doing it. I guess it's just one of those nicknames.

Now, as a mother, I do the same thing to my boys. I call them some pretty crazy nicknames.

five nicknames for my boys

1. B- If you've read the blog or my facebook at all, you may notice that I use this nickname interchangeably with his name. Brandon is not a name you can shorten very well. Bran...too much like a cereal! Ban...I used this for a year, but it didn't stick. Too many letters! B...just right!

2. sweet pea- This is the one "normal" nickname that I'll call my boys, but I probably only have a few years left with that nickname. I doubt they will want me yelling, "Bye sweet pea," out the window, when I drop them off for middle school.

3. hambone - I didn't realize I used this name so much, until a few months ago. I usually say, "Good morning, Hambone!"

4. stink - I don't know how it began. I think it one may have been little stinker, and it just got shortened to "Stink." Used in a sentence: "Come here Stink." If I say that in a store, I get some strange looks, so sometimes I catch myself and say, "Come here stink.....erdoodle!"

5. you lil' varmit - This one...I have no clue about. I think it's from vermin or varmint, a word for rats. (Wow, what a sweet term of endearment!) I think my mom may have used this, because I have no idea where this came from. I can just picture it now, when I drop the boys off at middle school

Steph: "Bye, you lil' varmits."

Boys Friend: Dude, what is a varmit, and what is up with your mom?

B and Collin: She's southern.

Blessing #48 - Learning Something New about Shad

I've known Shad just a few months shy of a whole decade, and in that decade I have learned many things about him. He's not very good with directions on the road, but when he is on a boat he knows exactly how to get back. He looks through all the purses at Goodwill to see if they have any change in them. He loves jackets like women love shoes, and owns about 15 of them. Yes, I consider myself an expert in all things "Shad," but every so often I get to learn something new about my husband.

Sunday, after the Easter church service, we started to head home. Shad had Collin's stroller (I would explain why he had the stroller, but it's a long unnecessary story.) Since, we had so much stuff, I suggested that we take the elevator instead of using the stairs.

We loaded our family up into the small elevator that is mainly used for people that can't handle the stairs. This elevator is slightly different than a normal elevator. It has a folding door that you open, and then you push open a metal door.

When the elevator reached the bottom, Shad opened the folding door, and pushed on the metal door, but it didn't budge. He hit the button for our floor again, but the door still wouldn't budge. He asked me, "Stephanie, you rode this before. How do we get out of here?" Being the helpful wife I am, I replied, "I have no clue. I rode with a friend and she hit all the buttons."

I think it was at this moment that I noticed it, the nervousness in him. He then pulled back the other folding door on the other side of the elevator to reveal...a brick wall. I saw the nervousness grow into a mild panic. "I can't take being trapped," he said to me. This was the moment Brandon caught on to what was going on and said, "Are we trapped?" in a nervous voice.

Shad called someone, but who wants to answer their phone on Easter Sunday right after church? Did I mention we were one of the last people at the church. At this point Shad started to bang on the big metal door and yell, "Hey!!!" Brandon asked for the fifth time, "Are we trapped?"

Fortunately, Shad's friend, who at that moment became his all time best friend, heard Shad and came to check on us. Shad trying to seem calm said, "We are trapped." Shad's new best friend, completely unalarmed said, "Just close the folding door."

When Shad opened the folding door, he opened it too soon, and shut the elevator down. So Shad closed the folding door, and magically the elevator clicked and we opened both the folding door and the metal door with no trouble.

After our five minute ordeal, Shad emerged with a new lease on life. Shad kept saying over and over, "I don't like being trapped," and B kept saying over and over, "Mommy, were we trapped?"

Surprisingly, after a decade together, on Sunday, I learned that Shad does not like to feel trapped.

I also learned that it might be a good idea for me to start carrying large amounts of Benadryl with me, just in case I need to sedate Shad and Brandon.

***Note: In order to be fair, I have to quote Shad about the situation. "I did not panic. I saw a problem, and I became consumed with finding a solution."

Sure, Shad, sure.

Project LIfe: April 18 - 24

If you want to see more Project Life posts, click on the badge at the top of the post to go to The Mom Creative.


My camera broke this week!!! Actually, it broke when I was trespassing...taking pictures in this field of goldenrod, with the boys dressed in their Easter best. It acted crazy and then stopped working. I did get just a few pictures before it stopped working. But never fear! An oh so thoughtful friend is letting me borrow a camera while we find us one.

Here's the last pictures, my camera took. I just love these boys. They have me wrapped around their fingers.

Blessing # 47- Our little Referee

Over the past few years, the arguments in our marriage have greatly changed because it is difficult to have an argument when we have a built in referee in our house. All of the experts, and our own instincts say, "Don't fight in front of your child," and Brandon has made sure that we abide by that principle.

The reason why I mention this today is I saw a great example of that dynamic on Friday. Shad went out to start the car before we left for his family's Easter dinner. Someone left the key turned slightly in the ignition and ran the battery dead. Here is what happened next...

Shad walks into the living room where Brandon (a.k.a our referee) and I were.



Shad (smiling with gritted teeth): Stephanie, how in the world do you forget and leave the key in the ignition!

Steph (smiling even bigger): I did not drive the car today, and you were the last one to drive it last night.

Shad: ohhhhhhhhh! Why in the world would I have left the key in the ignition?

Steph(still smiling): I don't know, but you did.




Here's how the same scene would have gone if our referee had not been there.


Shad (not smiling): Stephanie! How in the world do you forget and leave the key in the ignition!!!

Steph (smiling sarcastically): I didn't drive the car today, and you were the last one to drive it last night....ah check...and ah mate!

Shad (not smiling): Why in the world would you make this up about me!

Steph (doing my happy dance): You left the key in the ignition! You left the key in the ignition! You left the key in the ignitions!

Fortunately, our little referee was in the room, and we kept it nice just for him. Why are we so careful around him? Because if we slip up, he will call us out for it. About a year ago, Shad and I got into an argument in the car...in front of Brandon. (I know Dr. Phil and Dr. Dobson would not be happy)

Later that day, I was cooking with B, when he started in on me. "Mommy, that wasn't very nice of you today. You were not nice to my daddy. Mommy, we do not argue." I couldn't believe it. God used this then three year old boy to make me fell like a dog. He even used my own, "We don't argue," line on me. I wanted to tell Brandon, "But B, daddy did not use the right tone with mommy, and I really think Daddy started it." However, all that matters to the three year old is that you argued. Little did I know B had had the same conversation with Shad. I told B he was right and that I needed to apologize to Shad, and then Shad and I apologized to each other in front of Brandon.

I'm so thankful that Brandon is so vocal about no arguing, because it really keeps us accountable. So now Shad and I mind our Ps and Qs because we don't want to be called out by our little referee.

Saturdate with Southern Plate: Daddy's Rise and Shine Biscuits

In all my years, I have never...ever made biscuits from scratch. I haven't felt the need to make biscuits from scratch because I am a master chef of Pillsbury's frozen biscuits.

Yesterday, I set out to make biscuits from scratch for the first time. You can find the recipe I used here. As I have been cooking through Southern Plate, I have burnt chicken fingers, made oozy chocolate chip pie, and tea cakes that did not taste like Ms. Hooper's, but my biscuits were heavenly! I could not believe it! They were the perfect shade of brown and gorgeous, the perfect biscuit. Somewhere in Savannah, Paula Deen felt a shiver run up her spine. When someone asked her what was wrong, she said, "Someone just pulled the perfect biscuit out of the oven."

Here's the irony though. On Monday, my camera broke. I had no camera to document my perfect biscuits. I believe these will be the prettiest biscuits I will ever make, and I have no picture of them!!! So to help out, I drew a picture of the biscuit.



Note: I may have taken some artistic license, and I may have seen the Lion King recently.

Five Minute Friday: the hard love...

I'm joining Five Minute Friday over at the Gypsy Mama. The rules for the post are that it only has to take you five minutes to write. This week's topic is...

the hard love...

It's Good Friday, and my mind has been thinking today about what Christ did for me on the cross. Truly, Christ experienced "hard love" becuase He did a hard thing for a hard person.

He gave Himself, for me. Me, the girl that found Him early in life, but often takes Him for granted. Me, the woman that likes to take credit for things He gave me. Me, the woman who is "so busy," I struggle to find time for Him. With all my failures, I truly was "the hard love," but still, He loved me.

Blessing #46- The Meltdown

I knew it was going to happen. I called it in Blessing #28 {shedding}. I said, "This may be petty to some, but at some point I will end up in tears over this issue." Well, yesterday was the day of reckoning, and I had...the meltdown.

The shedding hasn't stopped, and I am definitely seeing it affects in my bangs and other thinning spots over my head. So I thought if I got my hair cut maybe that would help out. I always have unrealistic expectations. I seriously thought if I just cut my hair, it would magically spring back to life, and it would look like the Pantene commercials. (Cursed Pantene commercials!)

Shockingly, that didn't happen. It wasn't the stylist's fault. He really couldn't do much with my hair. The stylist only cut of the dead ends, and when the cut was done, my hair still looked and felt the same.

After seeing my still thin hair in the mirror looking nothing like the Pantene commercials (Cursed Pantene commercials!), I could feel it creeping up on me. It was that lump in my throat, that knot in my stomach. I salvaged my pride and made it out to the car before it happened...the meltdown.

I've always been a not-so-emotional, glass half full kind of girl, but sometimes about every three months or so, I have a meltdown. It could be about anything, but it follows a similar pattern.

Stage 1: Feeling like an idiot for even getting upset about such a petty issue.
Really, who gets this upset over their hair. Am I really that shallow?

Stage 2: Thinking of people that have it worse than you.
There are so many people with problems soOoOo much worse than their hair. Even the pelican from last years Gulf oil spill has it worse than I do.


Stage 3: Ugly crying.
Enough said.

Stage 4: Calling spouse on the phone.
This is a volatile stage in which things can go terribly wrong. Fortunately, after 8 years of marriage, Shad has learned how to deal with me in these situations. Here is my guess at what he was thinking yesterday when I called him.

Red alert! Red alert! This is a stage four meltdown. This is not a drill. Repeat this is not a drill. Be advised: Do not say lines like, "It's just hair," or she will turn on you. Remember the "I don't have anything to wear" meltdown, and how it blew up in your face. Why does she keep mentioning Pantene commercials? Just say what we've practiced,the magic lines..."Uh huh....Really.....I'm so sorry honey....Uh huh....Really....I'm so sorry
honey....Uh huh.... Really.....I'm so sorry honey."

Stage 5: Drying up the tears, and readjusting focus.
After twenty minutes, I usually start feeling better and then I think of a verse or quote that helps me.

Stage 6: Plan of attack.
In the last stage of the meltdown, I start looking at ways to fix my problem, or making it easier on myself.

That was yesterday, but today I'm calculating my meltdown as a blessing. One thing I have learned about myself in the last five years is when I try to just toughen up and overlook my feelings they always come back and bite me on the rear end. Always! So as silly as I feel having a meltdown, it helps me process through some tough or even silly feelings that get me down. It may seem weak to some, but I know that in the long run, I'll be better because of...the meltdown.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering....

Still worth it!

Project Life: April 11- 17

If you want to see more Project Life posts, click on the badge at the top of the post to go to The Mom Creative. I love this weeks pictures! In all the outdoor pictures there is so much green!


Monday, April 11- my niece: "Ummm...Aunt Stephanie, could you put down your camera and help me get my kite."


Monday, April 11- This was Collin's first time in a pair of shorts! Also, this shot shows him sticking out his tongue. He did that for about three days. I love watching him discover new things.


Wednesday, April 13- On this day, he found his foot, and he thought it was very tasty.


Saturday, April 16- We met in Virginia to pick up Brandon. My Aunt Ruthie came with my mom. This was the first time she met Collin. I love this picture!


Sunday, April 17- Shad was showing the boundaries for the church Easter egg hunt, but he had a shadow.


Sunday, April 17- This was right after the egg hunt, and we are all looking at the camera!!!! Let me tell you what each one of us is thinking in this picture.

Shad: Easter egg hunt done. Time for lunch, lunch, lunch, lunch, lunch, lunch....


Brandon: I'm going to smile, but as soon as this picture is done, I'm tearing into my Easter egg candy.


Stephanie: Bangs and a windy day...they just don't go together.


Collin: I look ridiculous in this baby carrier.

Curse #16- Easter Outfits

I have never been a big fan of the Easter outfit. Growing up, my mom would always take me to Hamricks, a department store, or as I remember it, "Torturicks." Inevitably, she would always pick out a pastel colored dress with a big floral print, and in the worst cases a matching hat. Inevitably, I would make fake throwing up noises, and inevitably, it would all end in an argument.

As a teenager, I got smarter and moved from fake throwing up noises to a logical argument about how Easter was too commercialized. The focus of Easter should be on what Christ has done for us and not my new outfit. A completely valid argument, and it would have completely worked had it not been for my weakness for Peeps and Cadberry eggs. The "Easter is too commercialized" argument loses its affect when you are shoving peeps and cadberry eggs in your mouth as you say it.

As an adult, I have come to terms with getting my own Easter outfit, but now I have two boys that need Easter outfits. The main problem with shopping for boys is there are no options!

The main Easter choice for boys is the argyle sweater vest. If you go into unsaid children's store, most years you can choose a blue version or a green version. If you want to be creative and go to a different children's clothing store, you will walk in and find more...ArGyLe SwEaTeR VeSts that look strangely similar to the argyle sweater vests from last year, and you realize that every Easter picture is of your boys in argyle sweater vests!

The most frustrating part of the whole experience is as I hold my two choices of sweater vest, and decide, "Hmmm...blue or green," I look to the other side of the store...the girls section. In the girls section, mother's hold up multiple options in all the colors of an Easter basket, but then I see a little girl with her mom, and as her mom holds up a pastel nightmare the little girl makes a fake throwing up noise, and I guess life comes full circle.

Give me Five Friday: {five things I have missed about Brandon}

I know I've mentioned it, but I'll say it again, Brandon has been gone all week visiting my parents. He has had a blast! I called last night, and he was having a snack of peanut butter ritz, peanut butter grahm crackers, cheese, and a pickle, only at Mimi's. While he has been having a blast, we have definitely missed our little guy. So today's five is...

{five things I've missed about Brandon}

1. "Hey Collin!" - To get the full affect, you need to say that in a low voice like a monster. As I was talking to B on the phone last night, he asked to speak to Collin. As soon as he had Collin on the phone he said, "Hey Collin (in monster voice)" Suddenly, I realized Brandon says that at least five times a day, and I missed hearing it.

2. His mischievious little smile.

3. Hearing "Mommy I know I love you," and seeing him flash the I love you sign in sign language at me. Those two things melt my heart (and he knows it).

4. I have this conversation with B everyday, I promise, everyday. I have missed it.

B - What are we going to do today, Mommy?
me - Probably, clean and go the post office.
B- What are we going to do after that?
me- eat lunch
B- And after that?
me- take a nap
B- And what are we going to do after nap?
me- Mommy has to go to Sylvan.
B- And what am I doing?
me- Hanging out with daddy.
B- And what am I doing after that.
me- going to bed.
B- For a short nap?
me- no for a long time.
B - How long?
me- a long time
B - And what am I doing after that?
me - waking up. Now, that's it. That's all you need to know.

5. I have missed that piece of my heart that Brandon holds in his hand. I love that boy hook line and sinker.

Curse #15- A "Quick and Easy" Project

I should have known this wasn't going to be easy. I jinxed it from the start when I said, "Oh this is going to be a quick and easy project." With Brandon in Georgia, I decided that this week would be a great week to make new curtains for our living room. A simple panel...*bada boom bada bing*...quick and easy. Right!?!

Wrong.

Tuesday, I got this great fabric at a great local fabric outlet for $6.50 a yard! (For those of you that don't know that's a great price for Waverly home decor fabric.) I came home with my fabric find, sewed the panels, and it really was a quick and easy project.



Then I got to looking at my panels, and they just didn't look right. As I walked in and out of the living room that afternoon, the panels kept bothering me. Finally at 10:00 at night, I told Shad, "I think I'm going to take the panels down and make them into toppers for the kitchen. It should be quick and easy."

Well, I started working on the first topper, and it just looked plain, and then I realized what it needed. Burlap!!! I googled "how to make a ruffle" (That's why google is Blessing #1), made the ruffle, and added it to the curtain. Here's the finished curtain. (I'm not sure if I like the rosettes. They may be right over the line of too cute for me. So they are just pinned on in case I decide I don't like them.)


A Quick Project? No, I finally went to bed at 2:00 AM.

An Easy Project? No, I gouged my finger from a push pin, broke 2 needles on my sewing machine before I remembered I needed to use a more heavy duty needle (I hadn't sewn in a while), and scratched our tv when I hit it with the drapery rod when I was trying to take the panels down.

Now, I look at my topper and do I think, "Job well done, Steph!"? No, I look at my topper and see all the other projects I need to start: the curtain rod needs to be raised, the gallery wall made out of plates, painting my favorite green dresser blue, and, oh yeah, I still need curtains in my living room!

I still have to sew the other topper for the kitchen. Currently, I have one panel in my living room, and one topper in my kitchen. I need to start on that other topper, but I have already made one, so this one should be quick and easy...right?


**Note: Shad told me that the correct phrase is bada bing bada boom, but I like my way better so I'm keeping it!...bada boom bada bing!

Blessing #45- A Childhood Trip

Brandon is visiting my mom and dad in Georgia all week, and although I miss him terribly, and although we have to drive long hours to pick him up, it's worth it all so that he can go.

One reason I wanted Brandon to visit his grandparents is I had a similar trip when I was young. When I was 9 years old, I visited my aunts in North Carolina with my brother for two weeks, and I still remember all the fun we had on that trip.

My dad's mother passed away before I was born, and I never got a chance to meet her. Knowing I wouldn't have my grandmother growing up, God gave me five amazing aunts and one incredibly sweet uncle to spoil me rotten. (I will calculate them as a blessing in another post, but for now, trust me, they are awesome.)

My parent's were from North Carolina, and we lived in Georgia so we visited North Carolina often. However, the visit I remember most is the time my brother and I visited North Carolina by ourselves. We spent a few days with each aunt. We went fishing with my Aunt Peggy, slept on my Aunt Ruthie's pull out couch, hung out in my Aunt Shirley's auto parts store (I told you. She was awesome!), shared stories about our dad with my Aunt Elsie, and terrorized my Aunt Juanita's evil chihuahua, Moochie.

My most favorite memory from that trip was seeing Problem Child 2 with my Aunt Peggy and Juanita. It was the first movie I had been too. I can clearly picture my Aunt Peggy's purse filled with coca-colas and candy as we went into the movie.

That trip gave me a relationship with my aunts apart from my parents. It helped me get to know them better, and make some of the best memories of my childhood. I miss Brandon, but I'm so glad he gets to make some memories this week.

Project Life: April 4 - 10

If you want to see more Project Life posts, click on the badge at the top of the post to go to The Mom Creative.

Wednesday, April 6- My parents came to visit, for a few days! I did not get many pictures, but I did get this one at the Waffle House.


Thursday, April 7- This is a miraculous picture. We are all looking at the camera and smiling!


Thursday, April 7- Brandon went back with my parents to spend a week in Georgia. They took this picture at a stop on their way home. I think that is his model pose.



Friday, April 8- This is my Mamaw (she's not big on pictures). I guess she would be Brandon's great-Mamaw, but he calls her Mamaw too. His face in this picture is so sweet.


Sunday, April 10- One of my friends in Georgia gave B a hair cut for me. My mom got him a new outfit that included a belt. Brandon told my mom he was a big boy because he wore a belt.

Blessing #44- Sonic Friday

I love having little traditions, and one tradition that I started with Brandon a few months ago is "Sonic Friday."

On Friday, while we are running errands, Brandon and I always stop and get a drink at Sonic. It sounds simple, but it is one of my favorite times of the week.

On Sonic Friday, we both randomly break out into yelling, "Sonic Friday!!!" all throughout the day. When we get to Sonic, Brandon knows that he can pick any small drink he wants without caffeine. (No one wants to see Brandon on caffeine.) On the way to Sonic, Brandon and I discuss what drink he is going to pick, a sprite with bubble gum flavor in it, a green apple slushi, or an apple juice with watermelon mixed in it (sometimes he gets a little crazy).

Brandon loves Sonic Friday, but I think I love it more. As Brandon's mom, I have to tell him no, several times a day, just to keep him safe and well behaved. Last week I had to tell him, "No, you cannot dig up the yard with a snow shovel, and also, hand me the snow shovel, it's as big as you are." He was highly disappointed because he wanted to make our entire yard a construction zone, but I knew that we need to have grass in our front yard instead of mud. However, on Sonic Friday, I get to say the words I rarely get to say, "Whatever you want Brandon....(without caffeine!)"

Psst linked to Works for me Wednesday.

Five Minute Friday: If you met me...

I'm joining Five Minute Friday over at the Gypsy Mama. The rules for the post are that it only has to take you five minutes to write. This week's topic is...


If you met me...


If you met me, you would probably be surprised at how different I sound in real life. Recently, Shad and I were having a serious conversation and when I couldn't get my thoughts together, he said, "I want to talk to internet Stephanie!" It's not that I am any different on my blog,(I try to be very genuine in my writings), but it's just that I suffer from a 15 minute delay brain.


I've talked about this before on facebook, but 15 minute brain is a condition that causes me to think of the perfect thing to say 15 minutes after a conversation ends. I always think of the perfect example or comeback 15 minutes too late, and by that time my insights are useless.


On Calculating Blessings or facebook, I get the chance to take time and put my thoughts together, and my 15 minute delay brain thrives. I guess I'm witty, but not QUICK witted. If only five minute Friday were twenty Minute Friday.

Curse #14- My Sneeze

Around this time of year, thanks to my good friend Mr. Pollen, my allergies start acting up, and I start sneezing. This wouldn't be so bad if my parents had taken the time to teach me how to sneeze, but for some reason they thought that would come naturally.

I have a very unique, multiple machine gun style sneeze, that sounds like I'm having some kind of fit. It started when I was a toddler. I'm sure my parents thought, "That's cute, but she'll probably grow out of it." Well, 20 plus years later and I never grew out of it, and it's not cute anymore.

When I first started dating Shad, my friends asked me, "Has he heard you sneeze yet?" I knew it would come up at some point, but I forgot to mention it to him. Then one day, we were studying in the library (that's right a nice quiet library) when I had a sneezing fit. When I finished, I looked up to see Shad looking at me, totally stunned, and then I said a line I've said hundreds of times in my life, "Oh, by the way, I sneeze weird." Surprisingly, he did not run out the door, and married me anyway.

Once, in eighth grade, a substitute threatened to kick me out of class when he thought I was faking my sneeze to draw attention to myself. Just a few weeks ago, I had a sneezing fit while I was substituting in an eighth grade math class. When I finished, the kids looked frightened, but I just looked up and said, "Oh, by the way, I sneeze weird." So I guess in that instance my sneeze came full circle.

One of my favorite Bible stories is when Elisha raised the Shudamite woman's son from the dead. The Bible says the boy opened his eyes and sneezed seven times. The Bible doesn't say this, but I totally know what happened next. I think the boy looked at Elisha and said, "Oh, by the way, I sneeze weird."

Project Life- March 28 - April 3

If you want to see more Project Life posts, click on the badge at the top of the post to go to The Mom Creative.

Monday, March 28- I could not get a good picture of this, but this week Collin discovered he had hair. He would rub his hair all week. It was too cute!

Tuesday, March 29- Brandon was playing the air drums in our car. When I came to a stop, I turned around and snapped a picture of him. I love this picture so much. It really shows my little guys personality...pure joy.

Sunday, April 3- This is one of Collin's favorite things to do right now. He just loves to be in the floor rolling around.

Blessing #43- New Lamps

I have been wanting to change the look of our house for a few months. Our house is full of warm toned colors, and I'd like to change it to cool toned colors. Friday, I was looking over the living room, and deciding what needed to change, and my eyes got stuck on our lamps. I knew exactly the type of lamp I wanted to have, but I did not think I could find it in our price range.

Saturday morning, I hit a few yard sales, and at the first house I stopped at, I saw the EXACT lamp I had thought about the day before, even the print of the shade was what I had in mind. The seller wanted $30, but I asked her if she'd take $19.50 (I only had $20 and I had to spend 50 cents on a Transformer for B). She agreed, and I got to go home with my lamps.

{before}

{after} I still cannot believe I found the EXACT lamp I wanted. It may be silly to you, but it's just another of God's handfuls to me.

Saturdate with Southern Plate- {banana crumb cake}&{chicken poulet}

In case you don't know what Saturdate with Southern Plate is, you can check it out here.

This week for Saturdate with southern plate, I made chicken poulet and banana crumb cake. (to get the recipes on Southern Plate just click on the words)

Banana Crumb Cake (click on title for recipe)

Saturday night, Shad asked me if I could make something to bring for Sunday school the next morning. I looked through Southern Plate, and realized I had all the ingredients for Banana Crumb Cake in my house, even the old bananas. (I keep old bananas in my freezer.) Even though I had all the ingredients, I broke my #1 rule of cooking...

Always...Always make a test run of a new recipe before you take it anywhere.

Although I broke Rule #1 of cooking, I found a compromise. After it came out of the oven, I cut the cake, and tried a piece. There was no way I was sending it to Sunday School without trying it, and much to my delight it turned out really good! This is a very moist crumb cake (could be all the butter). I made mine the morning of, but it would be safe to make this the night before.

Chicken Poulet(click on the title for recipe)

You can see a picture of this over at Southern Plate if you check the recipe out. Five years ago at a function at the school I was teaching at, I had something similar to this. I fell in love, and it didn't help that I was pregnant at the time. The dish was sooo good I started to crave it. I searched for recipes for "chicken and dressin' " but every recipe had HARD BOILED EGGS in it. (I think I gagged just typing the word) I hate hard boiled eggs so much. It freaks me out just to look at them. Anyway, chicken poulet is exactly what I fell in love with 5 years ago. I'm so excited I have a recipe for it now!

By the way, I'm saving cooking "deviled eggs" in Southern Plate towards the end.