My New (ad)Venture

I have been a stay at home mom for almost 5 years. I love it and never want to return to the "working world". So I am totally flumoxed at my latest decision. I have signed up to be a "jewelry lady" with Premier Designs. Okay, so it's not a full time job (unless I want it to be) but it will provide some extra income which is always nice. I got this idea in my head when I went to a jewelry show at a friends house a few months ago. At the show, she passes out a little questionaire that asks if you would be interested in hearing more about the opportunity that is available through Premier. I checked "yes". Why? No clue. I just did. I really had no interest in doing it. Hubby provides for us just fine and I like to be home. Actually, I love being at home and the thought of having to leave and go anywhere irks me.  Also, I am soooooo not a people person. I tend to be very shy and never feel very confident in front of people. Anyway, I got a phone call and email a few days later and something just started to push me in this direction. Hmmm, can any of you guess what (or who) that something is????

Over the last few months, I have been talking to the "jewelry lady" and researching this company and I finally decided to take the plunge. I attended the Regional Rally in Atlanta (Lord Bless those people who have to drive in Atlanta on a daily basis!) over the weekend. The more I hear about this company and the more I talk to people who have been dealing with them for several years, the more I like and admire them. The company was founded by a husband and wife back in 1985 and is based on biblical principals. They require all who are working with them to have good character, integrity, great work ethic and a servant's heart. In return we are provided the same treatment and help from the home office. The wife has since passed away and her son is now the President of the company. Her husband, who is 89 years old, is still involved with the company. A video was played showing Mr. Horner giving a wonderful speech to all Rally participants. What spirit that man still has at 89 years old! Needless to say, I am proud to be a part of the Premier family. They sell a beautiful line of fashion jewelry at very reasonable prices. But that is only half of the business. The other half is becoming a Jeweler and making an income from the sales. What could be more fun than spending an evening with your best girlfriends, playing in jewelry?

I have my training show in just a few weeks and then I will be holding home shows on my own and having a ball all while earning some extra cash. How cool is that? Now, about that whole not-a-people-person problem? Well, it's funny when you listen to what God is telling you to do, He "fixes" whatever has been holding you back. I probably will never be the life of the party and that's fine with me. However, I am no longer scared of being in front people selling this beautiful jewelry and telling about the wonderful opportunity that has been given to me. I can't wait for this all to begin!

Posts may be a little scattered for the next month or so but I will still be here. I mean, we gotta eat so that means I will still be cooking. The farm animals aren't going anywhere so they will still have to be taken care of and posted about. And garden season is just around the corner. What??? Geez, I better get to ordering some seeds!!!

The Pastor's Tradition

My Pastor's wife has a blog and I, occasionally, pop over to it to check out the cute pictures she posts of their 2 kids, Hannah and Joseph. They are always up to something fun and the kids are absolutely adorable!
Yesterday, I read this post and thought what a wonderful little tradition for a (sometimes) forgotten about event. Epiphany. It kind of gets lost in all the Christmas hub bub but it should have importance in the lives of Christians, too.

I love their idea of putting out "hay" for the camels who are carrying the Wisemen to the baby Jesus.
I think this idea does a wonderful job of relating this event into something that a 3 and almost 2 year old can start comprehending.

I love these little traditions and wish that I had thought of this to do with my kids when they were younger. Unfortunately, my "walk" hadn't really started at that time and I was too caught up in the "societal idea of Christmas" to pay any attention to what came next. Another one of those live and learn moments!

Hope you enjoy!

Duluth Trading Company-A Review

My husband is hard on clothes. Really hard. Not that he tries to be, he just is. Even though he has an office job during the day, nights and weekends are spent building stuff. His 2 current projects are putting a railing around our deck and remodeling the back of our house. He sticks nails, hammers, pliers, pencils and anything else he walks around with in his pants pockets. This is not so great on the pants (not to mention my washing machine!) Plus he has to do a lot of squatting and bending over and, for a guy, sometimes things get, well, pinched. Please don't make me go into more detail on the pinching!
We were watching tv a few months ago and a commercial came on for Duluth Trading Ballroom Jeans...They aren't talking about dressy jeans you wear dancing. Nope, they are referring to testicle room. Not being a guy, I didn't get why this subject is so important. Jeans are jeans, right? Well, hubby needed more jeans so I decided to buy him some Ballroom Jeans just because it makes me giggle every time I say it. Let me just tell you that they were his favorite present under the Christmas tree. He loves them. He says that he can squat down without having to "reposition" anything and there is no pain involved. They are also made in what seems to me to be a very sturdy way. The seams are nice and strong and the material is of a good strong weight. The sizing seems to be pretty true also. These jeans are highly recommended by me but, most importantly, by the hubby who now has...ballroom. Yep, I had to go there. Sorry...

Oh wait! My road to tacky isn't over yet. Nope. Hubby got Buck Naked Underwear from Duluth Trading too! If you haven't seen this commercial, you are truly missing out. I hate commercials and always fast forward through them but this caught my eye. It shows a man in "regular underwear" with his crotch in a vise (I really never thought I would ever use the word "crotch" on my blog!) The announcer tells us that this is how wearing regular underwear feels. The next scene shows the same man running wild and free (and by free, I mean naked but he has a little flag over the "parts") while the announcer tells us this is how it feels to wear Duluth Trading's Buck Naked Underwear. The tagline is "No Sweat, No Stink, No Pinch". Honestly, how can you NOT laugh at that??? Well, hubby got some for Christmas (yes, we are practical gift givers) and he adores them. He probably would not want me to express that here but we're all friends, right? Like his jeans, hubby is tough on underwear. I don't how he does it but he is always ripping the waist band off. Poor thing has no rear end to hold up his pants so he is constantly tugging them upward. Hence, the waist band gets a workout. This Buck Naked Underwear has a reinforced waistband to handle all that tugging and apparently the fit is really good. Hubby does not get excited about much but good fitting underwear makes him real happy. I will warn you, they are a bit pricey. But isn't anything of quality? I paid $22.50 for a pair before Christmas. He loved them so I bought more while they were on sale for $15 each if you bought 2 or more. I will wait for another sale and stock up.
The orders were sent out quickly and I received everything in good condition. The website is super easy to navigate and it's funny, too. I am a sucker for humor. I would highly recommend this company and the 2 products we have tried so far. Plus, some of the customer testimonials are hilarious! I actually went to different products just to read what other people wrote. I found one from a guy in the same city I do my grocery shopping. How's that for a small world?

Pioneer Woman Fettuccine Alfredo

I love the Pioneer Woman....I told my husband that I would approve of him moving her into our house. I would share him as long as she would cook for me! (and she could bring Marlboro Man, too. I'm fine with that). Now, back to reality. If I can't have her cook for me, then I will have to be content with cooking her recipes myself.

Yesterday was monthly shopping. It is an all day event because the store I love is and hour away from my house. There is also lunch out at Pickle Barrel. My kids love that place and it is on the way to the store. Can't shop on an empty stomach! We didn't get home until after 5pm and, of course, I didn't premake anything for dinner because we had no food! So, Pioneer Woman's fettuccini alfredo to the rescue! This is, by far, the simplest, tastiest alfredo recipe I have ever made.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. Fettuccini Noodles
• 1 Stick Butter (this is Pioneer Woman after all!!)
• 1 C. Heavy Cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 C. freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (Please don't use that Kraft stuff. It is NOT the same)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, heat butter and cream in a saucepan over medium heat, until butter is melted. Salt and pepper to your liking.
When pasta is done, drain it and set aside for just a second. Take 1/2 the cheese and put it in the pot you cooked the pasta in. Pour the cream and butter mixture over it and stir it to combine. Dump the pasta on top of that and mix it up very well. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the pasta. Serve immediately.

Because I forgot to get any veggies prepped beforehand, I added a bag of frozen peas to the boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. We would have had homemade french bread but hubby ate every.single.piece! Anyway, it really hit the spot. If you really want to add a new dimension to it, add a few drops of hot sauce to it. I don't know why it works but it really makes it taste even better, and I don't even like hot sauce!

I did have a picture of the finished product but apparently Blogger knows how bad a photographer I am and they have caused my picture insert button to not work.

Spicy Chicken Pinwheels

Here is another one of those finger foods from Christmas Eve. You can make these as spicy (or not!) as you want.

SPICY CHICKEN PINWHEELS

• 1 1/2 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Can Ro-tel, drained
• 12 oz. Softened Cream Cheese
• 1 Cup. Shredded Cheese
• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tsp. Chili Powder (I used half this amount cuz I am a wuss)
• 1 Tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt (I used Powdered Garlic instead)
• 1/4 C. Cilantro, Chopped (optional)
• 6 Scallions, White and Green Parts, Sliced
• 6-8 Large Flour Tortillas, room temperature

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, half the cumin and 1/3 the chili powder. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. (You could also cook them in a skillet). Cool chicken slightly. Once cool enough to handle, shred with 2 forks.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, drained tomatoes, shredded cheese, remaining spices, garlic, cilantro (if using) and scallions. Mix until it is very well combined. Add in shredded chicken and mix.

Lay out tortillas and spread some of the mixture all over the tortillas, up to 1 inch from the edges. You don't want to use too much mixture as your pinwheels will be to bulky. I think we used about an 1/8 to 1/4 C for each one. Make sure mixture is evenly distributed. Roll each tortilla tightly (it helps to press down as you roll so it sticks to itself), like a burrito, but don't fold in the sides like a burrito. Using a sharp knife, cut each tortilla roll into 1 inch slices and place on a serving tray. Keep these cold until you are ready to serve.
There are no pictures of these because I have a 13 year old boy who ate most of them BEFORE we went to church. It was too hard to hold the camera with one hand and fight him off with the other!

Mini Taco Bites

For Christmas Eve, we usually just have a bunch of finger foods because we don't get home from church until 7:30-8 pm and cooking a full meal is just taking time away from...PRESENTS!!!!
No, really we just need something quick to throw together to get everyone fed and finger food fits the bill.

This little recipe comes from Pinterest. Yes, I am a Pinterest junkie. I will not even try to hide it anymore!

These little bites go together quickly and you can feed a crowd with them!

MINI TACO BITES

• Wonton Wrappers
• Taco meat (brown some ground meat and add your favorite taco seasoning)
• Shredded Cheese
• Taco toppers such as salsa, lettuce, sour cream, whatever you like.

Place wonton wrappers in a small muffin tin. You could use a big one if that's all you have but my mini one worked better for me. Put a small amount of (warmed) meat into the wrapper and cover with
a bit of shredded cheese.

Looks like someone forgot the cheese???

Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes until wrappers are browned and crispy and cheese is melted.
Remove from muffin pan and fill with your favorite toppings.

Hot Dog Buns

I have been making all of our bread products for almost a year now. All, that is, except hot dog buns. For some reason, I just could never get them to turn out right so I continued to buy them. We don't eat hot dogs a whole lot but I still hated buying them. The last time we had them, hubby took one bite and said they were just too disgusting and could I please find a way to make them homemade. Well of course I can, dear. And I did!

The following recipe can be used for either hamburger or hot dog buns. They only change is in how you shape them.

Love these Applegate Farm Beef Hotdogs!

HOMEMADE BUNS

• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 4 1/2 Cups Flour (you can mix and match but I used all wheat)
• 2 1/4 Tsp. Yeast (or one envelope)
• 1 Tbsp. Raw Honey
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Egg, beaten well

Heat milk, water, honey and butter in a saucepan until butter is melted. Check temperature and let cool to 120F. If it is hotter than that, it will kill the yeast when you add it. Temper the beaten egg with a little of the heated mixture (so you don't get scrambled eggs. Yuck!) and then mix egg into the liquid. Mix 2 cups flour into the liquid. Keep adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls together. I mixed this in my stand mixer and waited for the dough to clean the sides of the bowl. I also kneaded it in the mixer but if you are doing it by hand, dump out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Hamburger buns
Divide the dough evenly into 12-16 pieces, depending on how big or small you want your buns.
Shape into smooth balls and place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Flatten the balls a bit.
Hot dog buns
Roll dough into a long, narrow rectangle. Divide dough into bun sections and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Leave sides touching.

Cover and let dough rise for about 30-35 minutes until they are about doubled in size.
Bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes.
If you would like "stuff" on your buns to flavor them, brush beaten egg on the top and sprinkle with minced onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, whatever you like, just before you put them into the oven.
These are very tasty buns and infinitely better than store bought!
I found that the hot dog buns are easier to stuff if you split them on the top instead of down the side.
Just one more thing I can cross off my "buy at the store" list!