Wendy's Wonderings

2009-06-27T22:14:00.004-05:00

It was a lazy week...

"Little Mark" was at church camp this week. :-) He really enjoyed himself, and came up with a couple of new CDs. It seems a young lady named Yancy was the singer for the week, and "Little Mark" likes her VERY much. ;-)

His birthday was on Thursday. I still can't believe he is 13. The Children's Director arranged to have a cake brought to camp for him, and they had a "surprise" party for him. ;-) That was so sweet. We didn't know they were going to do that.

"Little Mark" also showed his bravery by going down the Zip Line. I believe it is 4 stories high, and most of the people in our household are afraid of heights, including "Little Mark." But, he did it. ;-) We're very proud of him.

While he was away I got a few things done around the house, but mostly I stayed on facebook, and caught up on the TV show "Harper's Island." Now, I'm hooked!! ;-) I did do my weigh-in yesterday, and I have lost another 2 lbs. That's 11 in all.

It's going slowly, but it is indeed going. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-20T23:10:00.001-05:00

Great day/ iPod cake...

We had a really great day today. We had the "family" party for "Little Mark's" 13th birthday today. He got the Wii he has been wanting, and we have all had a ball playing on it. ;-) I think bowling, tennis, and golf are my favorite. :-)

I made him another iPod cake, but I think this one came out so much better than the last one. "Little Mark" requested a blue one this time, so we made it blue. ;-) Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-19T09:11:00.003-05:00

Weigh-In #3 and Friday Recipe Swap

Well, this has been a busy week. :-) I am baking the nephew's birthday cake for tomorrow. I am going to make a few changes from the one I did last week. We'll see what happens. :-)

Tomorrow is the family party, and the day he gets all of his presents from us. :-)

"Little Mark" leaves for camp on Monday morning, so I have spent all week making sure he has everything he needs, and getting it together. I will spend Sunday afternoon helping him pack, and writing his name on EVERYTHING. :-) I plan to include a few "we love you" and "have a great day" notes hidden among his clothing. He has requested that I pack each days outfits as a set, so he can just "grab and dress". I am going to mark the set he wears on Thursday, so I can hide a birthday card in there, as well as $5. That way he gets a little surprise on his actual birthday. :-)

I know, it's corny; but I'm corny like that. ;-)

OK, the weigh-in for today is: I lost 3 lbs. this week. :-) It's moving slow, but at least it is moving in the right direction. :-)

Now for the recipe. :-) Remember, you can find more recipes by going to Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe. Gayle is so great about hosting this each week. If you want to participate, just post a recipe and link it to "Mr. Linky." :-)

Sassy Southwest Egg Rolls (From the Hungry Girl Cook Book)

3 Original (not large) Low Carb/High Fiber Tortillos (she recommends La Tortilla Factory)
1 oz of cooked, skinless, lean chicken breast; shredded (I used 98% Fat Free canned chicken)
3/4 C frozen, chopped spinach; thawed and thoroughly drained.
2 T canned black beans
2 T canned sweet corn, drained
1 oz fat free jalepeno jack cheese, shredded (I used the sandwich slices)
1 T diced red chili pepper

For sauce
2 T fat free sour cream
1 T mashed avocado
1 T diced tomato
1/2 t dry ranch dressing mix/dip mix
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.In a small bowl combine chicken, spinach, beans, corn, cheese and chili pepper. Microwave for 30 seconds.

Warm tortillas for 15 seconds. Place 1/3 of mixture in center of tortilla. Fold sides in and roll from bottom to top.

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray, and place wraps seam side down on pan.

Bake 12 minutes flipping half-way through the cooking process. Egg rolls will be crispy when done.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients for the sauce. Let egg rolls cool a few minutes and enjoy with the sauce. :-)

This makes 2 servings. Each serving is 181 calories, and 4.5 g of fat. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

VBS, weigh-in, and cakes...

That pretty much sums up my last week. :-)

We did VBS all last week, so we never made it to the gym. I knew this would have an adverse affect on my weigh-in, and although it was a set back, it was not devastating. On Friday I weighed-in and I had gained 1 lb.

Yeah, I was upset too.

HOWEVER, I went ahead and weighed this morning and saw I have lost 2 lbs. over the weekend, so I am not feeling bad anymore. ;-) Hopefully, the "official" weigh-in this Friday will show even more loss. ;-)

VBS was great. This is the first year I have done "Missions", and our project is putting together "Lifeboxes" for soldiers. The kids really came through with the donations, and it was all great. The lessons were great, and I think I would really like to do it again next year.

Moving on.... let me give a positive testament to "Coppertone Spray". We took "Little Mark" and a friend to a local amusement park on Saturday. I sprayed everyone down with the Coppertone before we went in. The guys even did their faces and the backs of their necks. I did my arms, but didn't do my face because of my makeup, and forgot the back of my neck/top of my back. NO ONE got burned except for me...... and guess where? Yep, a little on the face, and the back of my neck/back. Moral of the story: Coppertone works if you use it. :-)

The reason we took the boys to the amusement park was for "Little Mark's" birthday. It really isn't for a couple of more weeks, but this was his "party" with the friends. He opted for something more exciting and just take one friend. It was fun. :-) Well, except for the whole "sunburn" thing. :-) I made his cake again this year. This is a picture of it. :-)

I plan to do another one this coming weekend for the family party. He will be at church camp on his actual birthday, so we are having the parties a little early. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-05T07:27:00.001-05:00

Friday weigh-in.

Down 7 lbs. Not a bad start. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-04T23:43:00.003-05:00

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap...

Tonight we had "Pizza Pockets" from the Hungry Girl Cook Book. (She called them something else, but I don't have the book in front of me, and I am too tired to go get it. So, we are just going to name it 'The Pocket.') :-)

They were wonderful. The were filling, they tasted great and they were MUCH cheaper than the real thing, or ordering calzones from a pizza place. I'm posting the recipe here. Please, go to Gayle's for more great recipes. :-)

"The Pocket"

1 large low-carb tortilla
1 triangle of Laughing Cow, Low-Fat Swiss Cheese
1/4 C tomato sauce with Italian Seasonings
3 T FF Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T onions, diced
2 T bell peppers, diced
Mushrooms, sliced
about 4 or 5 slices of Turkey pepperoni (the original recipe did not call for this, but we used it and it is tasty!)

Microwave your tortilla for about 10 seconds. Spread the Swiss cheese down the center, and spread your sauce on top. Top with other toppings and cheese. Fold like a burrito,and place on pan with folded side down. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy! :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-03T20:08:00.008-05:00

So far, so good. ;-)

So far things are going well with our diet. We have been using recipes from The Hungry Girl. We checked out the following two cookbooks from the library:

And...

I have to say the first couple of days were very difficult, but the food had nothing to do with it. Let's just say that when your body (digestive tract) is not "normal" due to a horrible diet, and you suddenly change to a high fiber diet, but you are also dehydrated, because you do not drink enough water; this causes a severe stomach ache.

The stomach ache/problem is still here, but not as bad. I am trying to rectify the problem, and it is getting better. Just takes time. :-)

We have changed the time we go to gym, so we can be more consistent. This morning we were in the pool at 6:30 am. :-) I think this will work better for us. :-)

"Little Mark" has really liked the recipes we have used so far, and is even looking through the books to pick out others to try. Let me share one of the recipes we tried this week.

Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie

8 oz of boneless, skinless chicken (baked or boiled.) I used 98% fat free, canned white meat chicken.
98% fat free Cream of Celery Soup
3 C of frozen mixed vegetables
Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls

Combine chicken, soup and veggies in a 9 inch round dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir. Remove 3 crescent rolls from the package. Form into a small dough ball and roll into a thin circle. Lay on top of mixture and replace in oven for 15-20 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serves 4. Enjoy! :-)

It was quick, inexpensive, and tasted wonderful. We served it with a spinach salad. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-31T20:08:00.003-05:00

I'm a Loser...

At least, I hope to be.

I am sorry I have been M.I.A. for awhile. Things have been busy here. Our school will be wrapping up in a few weeks. My target date is July 15th. This allows "Little Mark" time for camp, Boys with Courage, and both of us time for VBS. ;-) I love the flexibility of homeschooling. ;-)

I did something on Wednesday I didn't think I would ever do. I became a "Loser." I hope to be anyway. For those of you who remember I was dieting, and losing weight, awhile back. I actually lost 45 lbs. in about 6 months.

Well, it has taken me 1 1/2 years to gain back that 45 lbs. No more, but exactly the same 45 lbs. (for me that is a miracle. I usually gain back the lost weight and more.)

How did I come to this decision, you ask? I was TRICKED, tricked I tell you!!

OK, maybe not "tricked", but it was definitely not my initial idea. :-) Here is how it happened: A couple of weeks ago "Little Mark" and I were doing Health, and he was learning how to figure up the daily calorie intake, and how many of the calories should be fat, etc; he mentioned how he really needed/wanted to eat healthier and get back on his diet. We discussed it for awhile and then he made the comment, "I wish they would have Biggest Loser for kids, I would join that."

The very next day we attended the closing day of "Walk Across Texas." Our 4-H club won first place in the state. :-) Then, the Extension Agent said, "Beginning June 1st we will have a 'Biggest Loser Contest' for the entire county."

You should have seen the look on "Little Mark's" face. ;-) He said, "Can we do it?"

Did you catch that "we" part? Yeah, me too. So, I said, "Let me look into it."

I checked into it and you have to be 18 to participate. He was disappointed. HOWEVER, the Extension Agent likes "Little Mark" and said "if you do it then we can weigh him 'unofficially', and he can still participate. He won't have to pay the $20 entrance fee, and he can't win any money, but he can participate unofficially."

Did I mention there was a monetary prize? Yes, the top 3 losers split the money. :-)

SO, I paid my $20 and did my weigh-in. I am right back where I started 2 years ago. So, I am considering this a "clean slate." I really had a hard time weighing in front of someone else, but I "sucked it up" and did it. "Little Mark" weighed in, and was promised that after the final weigh-in, in September, if he ties, or beats, any of the top three slots we will buy him a really nice prize, or give him cash. We'll see which.

SO, "Little Mark" and I are aiming to be "Losers."

Weigh-in days are on Friday. Since we did our initial weigh-in on Wednesday, we went ahead and weighed on Friday. As of that time I have lost 2 lbs, and "Little Mark" has lost 1 lb.

It's a start. :-)

"Little Mark" and I sat down and discussed how we wanted to approach this new endeavor. We have decided NOT to do the Fat Smash Diet again. Instead, we have decided to be realistic, and just admit "We like to eat!" We want real food, and to not be denied.

So, game plan is the following: We have cut our portions. We eat on small, salad plates, and keep it at one serving. We have increased our water intake, and cut out sodas. No eating after 8:00 pm. We also checked out the "Hungry Girl" cookbooks, and we are choosing recipes and making a menu. I believe "Hungry Girl" may become my new best friend. :-) Have you seen her recipes? They sound YUMMY. ;-)

The rest of the family has said they will also be participating "unofficially", so it will help. "Little Mark" and I have agreed to be each others "accountability" partners, and he is TOUGH. I have decided to post my results here each Friday, as I did before. That really helped. I will also post or link to any recipes we use that we really like, just in case you might like to try it. :-)

We are still going to the gym, which I think is one reason I haven't gained back more than the initial 45 lbs. We enjoy that. :-) So, between our game plan and exercise, I think we will be okay.

Please, pray for us. :-) We're going to need it. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-30T20:18:00.003-05:00

Take a listen! ;-)

Hi, everyone :-) I know it's been awhile since I posted. Sorry about that. I DO have a blog post in the works. Hopefully, it will be ready tomorrow. (I did something on Wednesday you aren't going to believe.) ;-)

I would like for you to take a look at my sidebar. See that big ol' tape player? This is my friend, Eric Dodge, singing a song he wrote called "Last Real Cowboy." Please, listen to the song. Each time you listen to it, it gives him a "vote", and he could win a much deserved recording contract.

This guy is truly amazing. :-) If you like it, please "grab it" and post it on your blog, facebook account, myspace page; anywhere you can. The more people who listen the better it will be for Eric.

Just a little back story on the song; Eric wrote this song right after his Grandfather died. He got up in the middle of the night, wrote it down and put it in a drawer for 2 years. Then, he had a friend help him "clean it up", he recorded and .... boom... here it is. The song is wonderful, and I truly believe you will be hearing it on mainstream radio very soon. He is already seeing success on Sirius Radio, and independent stations. :-) Give him a listen. Oh, and it is a country song, not rock. ;-)

Thank you. ;-)
Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-05T10:03:00.007-05:00

Easy Caramel Pie

I will be leaving town on Thursday. We are going to the Creation Museum in Glen Rose, and then to the Homeschool Book Fair in Arlington on Friday. So, I will miss the Grocery Cart Challenge. I wanted to go ahead and post one now. :-) I am very excited about the book fair, because we will get to meet John Erikson, author of the "Hank the Cowdog" series. :-)

This recipe is super easy, and very good. It was given to me by a lady I used to work with at the school cafeteria. You want to be sure to have good ventilation in your kitchen, because of all of the steam. :-)

INGREDIENTS

1 graham cracker pie crust
2 cans of condensed milk
Cool Whip

Place the two cans of milk in the a large pot; the kind you make large quantities of soup in, and fill it with water. You want to let the cans boil for 3 hours. (check the water level, and make sure the tops of the cans are always well covered with water) After 3 hours pour off the water and let the cans completely cool. Preferably overnight, but at least for several hours. (If you try to open them too soon they will explode, so make sure they are cool.)

After removing the lid you will have two cans of very sweet caramel. Spread both cans of caramel into the pie crust, and then refrigerate until you are ready to eat. Before eating, spread the top with Cool Whip.

This is a VERY sweet, easy dessert. :-) For more wonderful recipes, be sure to visit Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge on Friday. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-04T21:45:00.002-05:00

Helping the Homeless

Hi, Everyone :-) It's been a few days, but I wanted to expand on what our Singles Dept. is doing to help the homeless in our area.

It was really an idea one of the ladies in class came up with when she was approached by a man coming out of a store in our town. Our town isn't really that big, just over 13,000 people. She said the man approached her, and was very nice. He asked if she had a couple of dollars she could give him for something to eat.

She only had $5 in cash on her, but gave it to him. She apologized that it couldn't be more. He thanked her and said, "I will be able to eat twice off of this. I go to Jack-in-the-Box and get a kids meal. I can do that today and tomorrow and be able to eat twice.

She stood and talked with the man for quite awhile. She asked his name, and if he had shelter. He told her that he had only been homeless a couple of months. He had worked construction for many years, and had been with the same company for 17 years, but was laid off. Once savings ran out he and his wife split up, and now he is homeless. Just one of those things that could happen to anyone.
He was very humble, and this really opened my friend's eyes.

In our town we do have a ministry that gives away clothes to anyone who comes in and asks. They take the old ones, and give a new set to those in need. There is also a shower on the premises where someone can take a shower. My friend asked if the gentleman knew of this service, and he did not. He was grateful for the information.

My friend then asked something I would not have thought to. She asked the man, if she were to encounter him, again, what could she have in her car that would be helpful to him. His answer? Socks and water. This truly humbled my friend, and she couldn't believe that something we take for granted, like socks, would be the one thing a homeless man would ask for.

So, she came to us with the following idea. We put together gallon size Ziploc bags. In each bag is 1 pair of new socks, a bottle of water, a can of beanie/weenies, a McDonald's gift card, a plastic fork, a toothbrush, toothpaste, handy wipes, and deodorant. Each bag costs about $4 to put together.

Also included is information about resources in the area. The address of the local clothing ministry mentioned earlier, with a contact number/name and a map to the location. All information regarding our local food pantry, and a schedule of the days and times they serve meals. Unfortunately, the nearest shelter is 25 miles away, but the contact information for that is there too, as well as a map to get there. Also, they have a van that will come pick someone up from our area if they call.

Each week we take up a donation for the bags. Even if it is just $1 it helps. We now carry these bags in our cars, and the next time we are approached by someone in need, we can do more for them than just hand them a couple of dollars. We can pray for them, and give them the tools for them to get a new start. After all, in today's economy and hard times, this gentleman could have represented anyone of us.

I thank God everyday for His blessings, and I pray for all of those who have fallen on hard times. Perhaps you may be able to begin carrying a bag in your car to help someone in need. It isn't much, but to them it is everything.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-24T08:21:00.003-05:00

Catch Up and Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged, sorry. Every day I sit at the computer with an idea in mind, and then it never gets written and posted. I must do better about that. ;-)

I guess I'll just give you a run down of what has been happening lately and then get to the recipe. (For those of you who have come from Gayle's Recipe Swap, "Welcome" and "Thank you for your patience." ;-)

1. "Little Mark" got braces about a month ago. I was going to post several things about this, but never made it. The poor guy lived on Jell-O and Ensure for the first 3 days. His Orthodontist is a former Pro Baseball player, and he has a "3 strikes and your out" rule. If you break your brackets because you are eating things you are not supposed to be eating, or you are not cleaning properly you will get a strike. After 3 strikes you have proven to him that you are not serious about taking care of your teeth and he will pull the braces off. The kids even have to sign a contract. Harsh? I don't think so. I like the idea of making the kids responsible for taking care of their braces, and they know ahead of time what the consequences will be. So far "Little Mark" is doing great. ;-)

2. "Little Mark" won 2nd place in the 4-H District Fashion show. He was the only 4-Her from our county to participate. He missed a perfect score by 3 points. :-) He was so happy, and we are very proud. ;-)

3. Just one more "meeting" for 4-H and I am done. ;-) We are taking the kids on a field trip, and then I turn in my Manager's book. I'm looking forward to it.

4. Our Singles Dept. has begun a ministry to help the Homeless. This is too involved to get into here, so I will post about it another time. Please, remind me to do so. ;-)

There is more, but I think those who have waited for the recipe have been patient enough, so let's move on. :-)

Last week I was in a small library in a surrounding area. I found this book there, and just fell in love with it.
I LOVE vintage magazines. I think the ads, recipes, etc. from magazines from the 20's -50s are amazing. This book is actually comprised of articles submitted to the "Good Old Days" magazine, and this particular one is all about favorite recipes from the past. Each one has a story by the submitter about why they love it, or their special childhood memory concerning that particular recipe.

I have truly enjoyed reading it, and have found MANY wonderful recipes I intend to try. Here is one of the first ones I plan on trying. I do encourage you to check your local public library for the book. If they don't have it, try Inter Library Loan or, if nothing else go to Amazon.com :-) You won't be sorry.

Original Girl Scout Cookies
This 1930s recipe was used for cookies sold in the Newton and Lexington area of Massachusetts.

1 C Butter
1 C Sugar
2 C Flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, beaten well
2 Tbl. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter an sugar together. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture along with the eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheet; flatten with bottom of drinking glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

You just knew I had to start with a dessert recipe. :-) LOL.... Being a former Girl Scout I figured I had to start with this one. :-) For more GREAT recipes be sure to check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, and feel free to participate. We can all use more great recipes. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-15T14:18:00.002-05:00

I must think BEFORE I speak...

"Little Mark" just yelled from the school room... "Guess what my next assignment is about; WWI. I don't want to do it."

My response: "It is important to learn about it, so we don't repeat it."

After a moment it hit me; wasn't it repeated with WWII?!

This will be filed as stupid response #3, 482.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-13T21:11:00.004-05:00

Fantastic Movie!!!

Little Mark and I saw this movie today at a nearby theater. It was really great, and I highly recommend it to everyone. The cast/creators are very talented. :-) For more info, go here: http://widowsmightthemovie.com/ OH, and the creators of the movie were there and we got to talk to them. They were VERY nice, and a delight to talk to. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-08T19:56:00.003-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

In need of a vacation....

Yes, it's me, and I am alive. Things have been really busy here, and I think it finally caught up with me today.

Have you ever had those days when you just feel "blah"? You're tired, everything ticks you off for no real reason and then the things you do have a reason to get mad about just make you want to crawl in bed and put the covers of your head?

Yep, I've been in a "funk." :-( Then, to top it off, I woke up before 5:00 am (not intentionally) and left the house at 7:10 am to take "Little Mark" to his Orthodontist appt, which is about 1 hour away. Problem? His appt. isn't until TOMORROW morning. He was the one that realized it, when we were 10 miles outside of town.

Yes, I desperately need a vacation. I'm not talking about a huge vacation to another country or the mountains or anything.... at this point my DREAM vacation would be JUST ME for 2 nights at a Holiday Inn Express (Or a Hawthorn Suite) and nothing to do except watch TV and sleep. Maybe I would bring a book. Then, I would not leave the hotel for anything. I'd enjoy the free breakfast, order pizza or chinese food to be delivered, and sit in a jaccuzi. Did I mention I want a jacuzzi in the room? I do. Oh, and the fridge must be stocked with sodas and chocolate.

I do not want to hear the words, laundry, school, dishes, cooking, cleaning, meetings, or responsibility the entire time I am away. Yeah.... it's a nice dream anyway....

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-12T11:17:00.005-05:00

I'm laughing all the way to the bank... :-)

Over a year ago my family and I decided to make some cleaning products ourselves. We wanted to do this for a couple of reasons: 1) to save money, and 2) so we wouldn't have so many harsh, stinky chemicals to deal with. We found all kinds of things to clean with just vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. :-) We LOVED it.

Then, I began looking for other ways we save $ and make things ourselves. Several months ago I read a blog that talked about making your own laundry detergent. I immediately thought, "not for me. It sounds like too much work." So, I dismissed it.

Then, I found Gayle's blog, and she told how to make several things like fabric softener, window cleaner, etc. So, I tried the fabric softener. I loved it. :-) You will also recall that I made my own "detangler" using hair conditioner. I was hooked on the "make your own" thing.

One day I was watching the show "17 Kids and Counting" with the Duggar family, and I was once again introduced with the idea to make my own laundry detergent. I watched them do it on the show, and I thought, "That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought." So, I went to the internet and found this recipe on their site.

I purchased the ingredients, with a little grumbling of doubt from my family, and made my first batch. That was 2 months ago. Today I, finally, ran out and had to make a second batch of laundry detergent. I am now ready to report to you my findings. :-)

OK, overall cost for 1 batch (10 gallons) of soap was $1.86

A&H laundry soap - 10 cents
Borax 1 cent
Fels Naptha soap $1.75 I did not include shipping and tax

Regular soap approximately $3 a bottle. I did not include tax

This soap lasted us approximately 2 months, which means we would have spent $33 on regular laundry soap, because we filled the bottle 11 times. If we did that every two months for 1 year we would spend $198 on regular soap, and $11.16 on homemade soap, for a savings of .....

$186.84 a year!!

And, we don't have 11 plastic bottles to throw into the landfill. :-) Can you just imagine putting an extra $33 into your savings account every 2 months? It adds up! The detergent works GREAT, and is VERY economical. Oh, and my family is no longer grumbling. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-09T19:15:00.004-05:00

I'm Back :-)

I'm back from the Singles Leadership Conference. To say, "I had a good time and learned a lot" would be an understatement. It was that good. ;-) Grab a drink, sit back and let me tell you all about it. This could take awhile... :-)

First, 6 of us rode to Georgetown in a mini van together. That in itself was a lot of fun. I have only been a member of this church/Singles Dept. for about 2 years, so I am still really getting to know everyone. I had a wonderful time getting to know them better, and in turn they getting to know me. It was non stop laughing for the most part. :-)

We stopped and ate Mexican Food before registering at the church, and then going to the hotel. The food was amazing. ;-)

After reaching the hotel we all unloaded the van, helped everyone get their things to their room and decided we would play Farkle before going to bed. We all exclaimed, "just let us shower and get on our pj's and we'll be right there." My roommate and I showered, changed and got our things prepared for the next day. By that time, we were ready to just go to sleep. We went to the leader's room to let her know that we had changed our mind about playing the game, only to be told everyone else had the same idea.

We're a wild bunch I'm telling you. ;-)

So, we went back to the room and finished watching Twister on TV and fell asleep.

The next morning we all got up early and headed to the church. The theme for the weekend was "Extreme Makeover: Singles Edition", and to go with the theme of the weekend we were given a ministry opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity. It was a fantastic experience. There were about 30 volunteers, including the future homeowner. We got to learn all about the program of H4H, and work on her house.

I was able to help paint her shed and then help put up siding. I learned to use a nail gun. :-) Talk about POWER! :-) We were there for about 6 hours, and with all of the volunteers we were able to get A LOT accomplished. ;-) The homeowner was so sweet, and we were all truly blessed by the experience. The only drawback....

.... no one brought sunscreen, and I am a walking testimony to that fact. The arms? they are RED. Not quite as hot though and, surprisingly, I have not blistered. ;-)

We then drove back to the hotel where everyone had less than 1 hour to shower and change for the first session on Friday night. I still can't believe I showered, washed my hair TWICE, scrubbed the paint off of my hands, arms, body, hair, etc; dried and curled my hair, put on my makeup and changed my clothes in less than 40 minutes. And I looked presentable. I count that a miracle in itself. ;-)

H4H fed us pizza for lunch that day, and we later had Mexican food at the church during the Friday session. For that session we first met our speaker, Dave Edwards. They man is an amazing speaker, y'all. If you ever get a chance to hear him, watch one of his DVDs, or read one of his books, I strongly encourage you to do so. ;-) He is funny, yet is a strong speaker at the same time. :-)

On Friday night we were all still a little jazzed up enough to play a couple of games of Farkle before bed, although I have no idea how since we were all so tired from the day of physical labor. ;-)

I lost both games BTW... ;-)

Saturday was really the full day for the conference, and my cup was so full by the end of the day I am still processing everything that I learned.

We had two more sessions with Dave Edwards throughout the day, which were heart changing to say the least.

We also had a very talented Christian Comedian, Robert Burkhart, perform for us. He was hilarious, and I would LOVE to have him come to our church some time. You can hear samples of what he does HERE.

We also had a chance to choose some "Break Out" sessions to go to. I chose the following 3:

Living the Transformed Life by Michael Perron. Yep, the "ESPN/Abs of Steel" guy. He has an awesome testimony, and his entire session was about WHY it is important to tell your testimony, "your story." It was very inspiring.

The next session I attended was "Vacation with a Purpose", which told you how to plan a mission trip that was both productive and relaxing for your Singles group. The leader, David Nobles, was very inspiring, informative and motivating. I left that class wanting to plan a mission trip in the worst way.

The last session I attended was the "icing on the proverbial cake." It was the "Five Love Languages" of leaders, based on the "Five Love Language" books by Dr. Gary Chapman. The class was taught by Rev. Marcus D. King, and he was so down to earth, entertaining, and eye opening. I had read several of the book in the "Five Love Language" series, and learned so much. I had even mentioned it just a couple of weeks ago in our Bible Study about.... what else.... LEADERSHIP. Coincidence? I think not. ;-)

If I had to sum up the entire weekend in one word I would have to say "Motivating."

For several months our Singles Dept. has been discussing how we could better serve/reach out to our community, especially to the singles/single parent families. We have had a collective "burning" in our souls to do this, but, we had no game plan. Now, after this weekend, we have a game plan, and we ALL have such a desire to run with it. :-)

I even made the difficult decision to NOT continue my role as Club Manager of our 4-H club next year. We will still participate, because "Little Mark" loves it so, and I enjoy it as well. But, it will be as a participant rather than a leadership position. (Perhaps even another family member might take on the role of being involved in the 4-H part.) ;-) I want to be available for whatever position God wants me to have in our Singles Ministry. I am so excited about this I can't even describe it to you. ;-) When God gives you even a glimpse of what He has planned it is exciting. ;-)

That was my weekend. I hope I didn't bore you with it, but honestly words cannot describe just how awesome it was for me, and still is. ;-) Sorry it was so long, and please forgive any grammatical/punctuation errors. I honestly do not have the energy to go back and correct them. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-05T09:50:00.002-06:00

I'm off for the weekend. ;-)

This afternoon I will be headed to Georgetown for a Singles Retreat. ;-) It is the first one I have ever attended, and I am excited. Tomorrow we will be helping with Habitat for Humanity, and then the actual retreat begins tomorrow night. I'm not even sure what seminars/classes will be offered, but I am already expecting to learn a lot. ;-)

I am also looking forward to getting to know the others from the Singles class who will be attending. We have become a pretty close group, and we love to study the Bible and fellowship together; and of course have FUN. I have only spit something out from laughing once, honest. ;-)

Dave Edwards will be our speaker. I've never heard him before, but I am looking forward to it. I'll tell you all about when I get back. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-27T08:55:00.002-06:00

Recipe Swap Friday...

Today is Friday, and that means Gayle is hosting the Grocery Cart Recipe Swap. Be sure to head over there after you finish here. There are always lots of great recipes to be shared. She even has a very easy Rocky Road recipe there, and it looks fantastic. ;-) Join in the fun, if you are so inclined. :-)

I first learned today's recipe WAAAAYYYY back in Jr. High. It was one of the things we made in Home Ec. I always remembered it, because it was so easy, and very good. ;-) I don't remember the exact measurements, though, so I kind of wing that. Feel free to "tweak" it as you wish. ;-)

Biscuit Bubble Rings

1 can of 10 ct biscuits
1/4 - 1/2 C butter or margarine
3/4 C brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/2 C pecans

Melt butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and pour into the bottom of a pie tin. Sprinkle the pecans in the tin. Once the butter is melted dip the entire biscuit into the melted butter and layer all of them into the pie tin. They will touch, but that is okay. Bake according to the directions on the biscuit can. Most are 400 for 10 min. or so. You want the biscuits to be golden brown, and done. As soon as they come out of the oven put a plate on the tin, upside down, and turn the whole thing over onto a plate. It'll be gooey, just like sticky buns. ;-)

This is great for a fun, quick breakfast on a Saturday or for a Sunday brunch. ;-) Heck, I think it's great anytime. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-26T17:27:00.003-06:00

Yeah, it's a "hodge podge" of a post...

I really have had a lot of things I've meant to post. I could make a list, seriously. Then, there are the things I would make comments about, but it's not worthy of an entire post. So, we'll just call this one a "hodge podge"; sit back and enjoy the ride. ;-)

1. It is amazing how much a person can get done when they are extremely busy and overwhelmed, but when one has the time to "get caught up" very little gets done. "Little Mark" has been visiting in Dallas for almost 2 weeks. On any normal day I can teach, make lesson plans, work on 4-H stuff, church stuff, personal stuff.... the list goes on. However, since he has been gone I haven't been motivated to do too much. I have a list of things I have wanted to accomplish, and I have done some, but not everything I wanted. Why is that?

2. This last Sunday I taught a Sunday School lesson for the first time in YEARS . It was the first time I have ever taught my peers, much less a co-ed class. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I worked on it for a couple of days, and then felt the need to change everything late Saturday night. I stayed up until 2:00 am and rewrote the entire thing. God did a great work, and even convicted me AS I WAS TEACHING. Don't you hate it when that happens? ;-)

3. I have a lot I could say about the state of our country, economy, etc., but I'm not going to turn this into a political blog, so let's just say I am praying A LOT!

4. Speaking of praying, our church started a prayer room at church. It is open for the entire community to call in prayer requests. I am in the room 1 hour every week. I have been so blessed by this ministry that I cannot even describe it to you. ;-) God is good.

5. I am LOVING the Bible Study on Esther by Beth Moore. It's definitely NOT the story you learn in Sunday school as a child. I have had a real blessing being the facilitator on this one. I hope I can do it again, sometime.

6. I have really enjoyed catching up with old friends and family on facebook. I am still addicted, and someone might need to start a 12 step program for this. I heard on Fox and Friends this morning that people are even giving up facebook and myspace for Lent.

7. I made this cake today, and it is PHENOMENAL!!

8. VBS is only a little over 4 months away. I am helping to get it organized this year, rather than teaching. We are doing this one. Should be fun. :-)

9. "Little Mark" has been doing a wonderful job in 4-H and has even made it to the district level in the fashion show. :-)

10. I have decided that I would REALLY love to take a photography class, and perhaps turn it into more than a hobby. After all, once "Little Mark" graduates High School I'll need to get a "real" job. ;-)

I think I have bored you enough. Tomorrow is GCC recipe swap, so I need to find a recipe for that. Stop back by tomorrow. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-25T11:36:00.001-06:00

Grab Your Kleenex and Go Here:

http://virtuealert.blogspot.com/2009/02/tissue-alert-timely-message-for-us-all.html

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-20T08:29:00.004-06:00

GCC Recipe Swap....

It's hard to believe it is Friday already. ;-) Be sure to visit Gayle over Grocery Cart Recipe Swap for more great ideas. She has a great recipe for making your own Ranch Dressing Mix, rather than buying the envelope of dry mix. ;-)

I guess this one could actually be considered a "third installment" post. ;-) I'm giving your the recipe for the puppy face cookies I have been posting about. ;-) It is really pretty easy, but they make amazing cookies.

I have to give credit where credit is due. I got this from the Disney Family Cookbook. I bought this back in '96 or so, and it has served me VERY well with the kids. If you find a copy I encourage you to pick it up. It is a great investment. ;-)

Anyway, here is the recipe.

Sugar Cookies
1 C butter, softened (use REAL butter)
3/4 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 oz unsweetened Bakers chocolate

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix the 3 dry ingredients together in a bowl and then add to the creamed mixture in 3 installments, mixing well between each installment.

Dived the dough in half. Place the "plain" dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll into a disc, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then add to the remaining dough. Mix well. Place that between two pieces of wax paper, roll out. Refrigerate both discs for 2/3 hours.

Using a heart shaped cookie cutter cut out one "plain" heart and one chocolate heart. Place the "plain" heart upside down on your cookie sheet, creating the "face". Cut the chocolate heart in half and place one piece on each side of the "face", pointed tip at the top of the "head." Decorate the "face" however you would like. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

You could even wait until after they have baked and cooled and decorate with icing and candy. ;-) Be creative!

** Tip - be sure to keep the dough chilled. If it gets to warm to work with just put it back in the fridge for a bit. You could also just make pinwheel cookies by rolling the two pieces into a log and slice and bake. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-19T11:57:00.002-06:00

Puppy Cookie :-)

I found ONE, lone cookie in the bag, so I snapped a picture of it for you. "Angel" decorated this one. The main thing with this cookie is the recipe, and using the two heart cutters to make the face. The decorating could be done many ways. We used what we had.

If I were in the "perfectionist" mood I would have used 3 SMALL chocolate chips on each cheek, a black jelly bean for the nose, and a glob of white frosting for the eyes before placing the M&M. ;-)

But, we were going for fun, not perfection. And they taste amazing. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-18T21:54:00.002-06:00

I am still here... ;-)

Sorry that I haven't posted much lately. We have been busy, and then the last couple of days I have been lazy. No excuse. "Little Mark" is in Dallas, so I am trying to take some time to just relax. So far it isn't working well, but I'm hoping tomorrow I can be a little lazy.

Then, there's that whole "addicted to facebook thing." ;-)

However, I did have a sweet visitor today that I thought I would tell you about. :-) I woke up about 7:30 this morning. I slept in a couple of hours. ;-) Before my eyes could even adjust the doorbell rang, and I heard my mother answer it with these words, "Well, hello darling..." and her voice went up a couple of octaves. That tone of voice is reserved for 3 people, and two of them are in Big D, so I knew that "Angel" was paying us a visit on her way to school. ;-)

I went to the front door and there she was holding out two pictures she had colored for us, and written at the top of mine was "I love Aunt Wendy because we make the best cookies together." ;-) And she signed her name.

Yes, I was touched. ;-)

She then asked if she could PLEASE come and visit us after school today. We said, "Yes" and I prepared some cookie dough later this morning. I thought she might like to make some puppy face cookies. I saw it in a magazine a couple of weeks ago. I have tried to find a picture of it, but I can't, and they have been eaten. Sorry.

Anyway, she had a great time cutting out the dough with heart shaped cookie cutters, and cutting the chocolate heart in half with the pizza cutter to make the ears. In her own words "I'm a good cook, because I can use this and not cut myself." ;-) She did a great job.

Then, we watched some TV, played on the computer, and listened as she enthusiastically told us about the dream she had in which she went to Heaven and a little girl made a fire and took care of her. And then the very big cross was there (and here she interjects very dramatic, broad movements with her face and arms to show just how big this cross was) and she just looked at it forever and ever. And then she woke up. ;-)

So, I didn't get my day of relaxation, but I got a day of affirmation. I think that's better. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-13T10:31:00.003-06:00

GCC Recipe Swap...

Happy day before Valentine's Day; or for those of you who are single (like me) and will not be celebrating (like me) "Have a great Saturday." ;-)

Today is Recipe Swap Friday over a Grocery Cart Challenge. Please, check them out for more great recipes. ;-)

Anyway, with tomorrow being Valentine's Day I thought perhaps you might like to make this little gem of a dessert for your romantic dinner. I believe when I made this the word used to describe it was "sensual." You might remember when I posted about it HERE.

So, if it can be "sensual" for a bunch of women sitting around scrapbooking, just imagine what it could do for you and your spouse on a romantic day like Valentine's Day. I bet you might even score some jewelery with this one. :-) Enjoy :-)

Chocolate Truffle Pie

1 1/4 pkg. (10 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 C whipping Cream
4 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 C Cool Whip , thawed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place chocolate in large microwaveable bowl. Add whipping cream. Microwave on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; cool slightly. Add egg, sugar and flour; beat with wire whisk until well blended.Pour into lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 35 min. or until outer half of pie is puffed but center is still slightly soft; cool. Serve topped with the whipped topping. Makes 10servings. May also dust with powdered sugar for decoration.

Love,
Wendy Darling