It's Beginning to Taste a lot like Christmas!

Yesterday was candy-making day for me.  The flavors of fudge and seafoam (divinity) sailed me back in time to Christmases of yon when Mom made them.  And using one of her bowls to mix the seafoam made it feel like she was right here with me.  A few tips about making candy before I share those recipes with you:

* Plan candy-making on a clear day.  I thought this was just an old wives' tale, but it is true.  Humidity affects the recipe, because sugar tends to absorb moisture.  It can make a big difference in the success of your candy.

*Use a wooden spoon.  You are working with very hot syrup!

* Make sure all utensils and bowls are VERY clean.

*Follow candy recipes exactly.  Use correct measurements of correct ingredients.  Substitutions will cause candy-making failure.

*Use pure cane sugar.  Other cheaper varieties may be derived from beets.  The results will not be the same.  All ingredients should be of good quality for best results.


SEA FOAM

2/3 cup white syrup (I use Karo brand...generics may be too diluted)
1/3 cup hot water
2 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
chopped nuts (don't skimp!)

Boil sugar, syrup, and water together until it forms a hard mass when tested in cool water.  While mixture boils, beat egg whites very stiff.  Pour hot syrup over bean egg whites, beating constantly.  Add vanilla and nuts when mixture stands alone; spread in buttered square casserole pan or drop by teaspoonful onto buttered plate or waxed paper to cool.


FANTASY FUDGE

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk
1 (12 oz) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, margarine, and milk in heavy 2-qt. saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Add marshmallow creme, nuts, and vanilla; beat until well-blended.  Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan.  Cool at room temperature.  Cut into squares.  Makes 3 lbs.


Remember, the best Christmas memories you will make will not be about elaborate gifts under the tree, but time spent with families and friends.  Have yourself a very, Merry Christmas!

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Consumer Buying Cycles

Consumer Buying Cycles

A good article about when online consumers make purchases after initial online contact with a seller.

Italian Sausage & Cornbread Stuffing

Andrew was my biggest fan for my new stuffing recipe.  I hope y'all enjoy it as well.  If you don't look forward to turkey for Christmas (we usually have the turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas), it would be just as good with chicken.

Italian Sausage & Cornbread Stuffing

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
8 oz. mild Italian sausage
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned is fine)
1 tbsp. sage
1 pkg. seasoned croutons
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Bake cornbread according to package directions.  In skillet cook sausage, skin removed, till slightly browned, stirring to crumble.  Transfer to large bowl.  Melt butter in skillet; saute onions, celery, and mushrooms until tender.  Stir in sage.  Mix in with sausage.  Add crumbled cornbread, along with croutons and stock, tossing lightly.  Pour mixture into 13x9x2-inch baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Greetings!

Just wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday with loved ones around them and plenty of good food!  Blessings!

Thanksgiving is around the Corner!

Ah,  my favorite time of the year!  The holidays are here!  Now, don't get me wrong:  I really wish the business sector would back off starting the commerical end of it so soon.  It really seems earlier this year with the "Black Friday" deals already starting up to snatch up the consumer's dollar.  I understand that a major toy chain announced that they will have 'Black Friday" deals on Thanksgiving Day!  That is ridiculous!  If the recession taught us one thing, it is what the important things are.  We were made to love.  Families are too important to waddle away from the Thanksgivng dinner table to snatch up the bargains that companies dangle in front of us.  Let's keep up the trend the recession started of "buying experiences."  Take the kids out to look at Christmas lights, splurge on the holiday dinners.  Check out some of the amusement attractions that are planning holiday themes.  Book a flight to see your mom over the holidays, or pack the minivan and make it a road trip!  I know my age may have a factor in this, but the things I remember from when I was younger are times when my family was doing something together, whether it was a trip in the stationwagon to Texas to visit grandparents or being a young adult just sitting at Mom & Dad's watching Dad flip the boneless pork chops on the grill and having a cold beer with him.  Those are memories I am thankful for this season, and that I hope to build on for my kids so they have their own as well.

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Business Update

Today I got the DBA for Down Home Design & Glass.  We are still waiting for the sales tax permit to come in, but I'm inclined to think it will be any day now, as today I have received calls from sales reps claiming to be with Texas...blah blah blah, wanting me to sign up to accept credit cards!!  There were about four calls in the past hour and a half, and they all mentioned that I had recently "registered" my business with the state of Texas.  I am guessing they keep tabs on new businesses via the open records act.  Oh well!

When starting a business, the DBA registered with the county you are working in should probably be first.  I already had one for Down Home Designs and felt this would be a shoo-in.  Do your research regarding local and state sales tax for where you live as well.  And be sure to register with the Internal Revenue Service.  You will need to know if you will be opening as a Sole Proprietorship, Corporation, etc.  You also need to know what type of fiscal year you will be keeping.  The website for the I.R.S. and the Small Business Administration  can give you tons of information on business start up.

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Business Start-up

Tony and I are in the planning stage of reopening Down Home Designs as Down Home Design & Glass.  We decided to incorporate the practical aspect of flat glass installation....windows, glass shelves and table tops, and mirrors.  I contacted the Internal Revenue Service last week about changing the name of the business, and also contacted the state of Texas for the Sales Tax Permit, which we have to wait for.  After that, I'll get the banking set up.  I've already given notice to Walmart that I am quitting effective November 3.  That was the scariest part!!  The thought of actually giving up stable income to try entrepreneurship once more  was like jumping into cold water for a swim.  Clarification:  icy, cold water.  Butt-naked! lol  I guess I could go back and rescind that, but today I feel braver and look forward to the next few weeks as we get everything in order.

Aging

I am sure others feel this way.  I am not accustomed to being 40 something.  I'm not used to slowing down, dealing with aches and pains, watching silver hair slowly replace the auburn.  Why is this particularly so right now?  It is affecting my work performance.  I am standing/walking 8 hours on a cement floor, and my feet are nearly on strike.  This week has been especially painful.  I have bought different shoes...Dr. Scholl's in fact.  Yesterday, I came home with extra cushion inserts and some peppermint-flavored epson salts to soak in, as a last ditch effort.  I have to admit that soaking them felt very nice.  It did absolutely nothing for the pain or swelling, but my feet were softer and it was quite a diversion watching Nacho watch my toes wiggle in the water he was wishing to play in!  I am open for suggestions.  If this doesn't work, I'm guessing a doctor visit may be in order.  God, you know I hate doctors!  Ok, yes.  There is the issue of not exercising as I should.  And, yes, I probably could do without the chocolate breaks at work, and eat healthier.  But here I am.  This is the me I have grown to be.  I'd sure love to gain back some years.

Puppy Power!

I am so proud of our dogs today!  They let me out of the house to run errands for two hours!  Sounds funny, doesn't it?  Nacho, our Black Lab, has separation anxiety issues.  When Andrew lived at home, we pretty much had someone at the house all the time.  Now, I'm trying to ween him, primarily.  Scamp, who appears to be Great Dane, with perhaps some St. Bernard, isn't quite as attached.  Oh, he loves us alright.  He's just more laid back.

We found Nacho about a week after we lost our beloved dog Reba, who had lived with us for years.  Reba was like a grandmother to the kids.  She stayed near them, and if she thought I was scolding a little too long or a little too loud, she would give me that look.  She was a big part of our family.  Tony and I were going to get groceries and saw a man on the side of the road with a "free puppies" sign.  Tony wanted to look.  We stopped, and the man had one sad, little puppy left.  This poor thing laid in the back of his pickup like he had just lost his whole family, and maybe he did.  We both fell in love, loaded him up and turned around to go home.  He was so scared and sad.  When we got him inside, Kelcie dropped to the floor crying, in part because Reba's death was still so fresh for us, but also because here was another dog that she could love.  Nacho immediately went to her and they both fell in love.  It was absolutely beautiful!

The anxiety issues soon surfaced.  We came home from church one Sunday and Nacho had tore up our livingroom sofa.  That's when someone started staying home with him and Scamp.  It wasn't a good idea either as we are still trying to teach him that we do come home when we leave.  Even mornings, when Tony's getting ready for work and Kelcie's getting ready for school, Nacho is apt to run off with a jacket or pillow, acting out because he knows someone is getting ready to leave.

Today, however, I came home after running errands in town, and there was nothing tore up!!  No accidents on the floor.  Just two extremely happy dogs greeting me at the front door.  I think our little puppy is finally growing up!

Shooting At UT Austin

Yesterday, my son text me about a shooter on the University of Texas campus in Austin, wanting me to know that he and his roommates were okay in case I turned on the news.  He was still at the apartment, thankfully.  Some of his friends were on campus and in lockdown at the business building. The shooter was Colton Tooley, a 19-year-old student.  The authorities are still trying to find out a motive.

My first concern was the welfare of my son and his friends.  It was scary when they thought there was a second suspect involved and authorities were closing streets close to the apartment trying to find him.  Authorities later announced that they believed Tooley acted alone.

Looking back in retrospect at the incident, my lament is over a young person who appears to believe he is out of options.  At nineteen, I was just graduating high school and felt the world was my oyster.  The possibilities seemed endless to me.  I can understand the isolation and how a person can feel like suicide is his only option.  I have been there once.  However, for me, the thought left as quickly as it came when a friend banged on my car window.  Were there any signs Colton's family or friends could detect indicating something may have been wrong for this young man?  I feel for them as well.  Sometimes those signs are so subtle or may not even show.  A person experiencing suicidal thoughts may become withdrawn, quiet, or uninterested in those things that once captivated them.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please please please get help.  I promise you that tomorrow can be brighter for you.  There are options.  Talk someone.  There is hope.  There is another way.  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK.  Please call, or talk to a trusted friend or clergyperson.

If you know someone who may be suicidal. above all listen.  Ask them directly if they are contemplating suicide.  Do not leave them alone.  Call 911 and get them help.  You may save a life.


"What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  Matthew 18:12-14

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Angel Food Test

This week I made a grocery list from this month's Angel Food menu to see what kind of value it is.  I shopped my local Walmart, and also substituted items that my family would enjoy more.  As you can conclude from the chart below, the menu mainly provides suppers for a week.  Angel Food's standard package costing $31.00 is definitely a bargain worth checking into, if your family eats the items in the package. The chart also does not include the cost of additional items I bought in order to make meals my family would really enjoy--another factor to consider when deciding to purchase the standard package.  Obviously, some monthly menus will be more beneficial to specific families than others.  It is good if you can balance the need for value with choices that please your family.

Sept. Angel Food Menu	What I bought	Price	My menu
3 lbs. Split chicken breast	5.24 lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breasts	$9.33	1) Chicken salad sandwiches, chips, cantelope & 2) Chicken taco stew
8 ct. bean and cheese burrito	8 ct. chimichangas	$2.98	Burritos Supreme, Spanish rice
1.5 lb. (6 ct.) brg. patties	1 can chili	$1.00	-
1.5 lb. (6 ct.) boneless pork chops	1.01 lb. (4 ct.) boneless pork chops	$4.63	Fried pork chops Pasta Roni, veggie or salad
1.5 lb. Breaded chik nuggets	1.59 lb. Breaded chik nuggets	$4.98	Chicken nuggets mac n chez, veggie
1 lb. gr. beef	1 lb. gr. Beef	$2.58	Emergency steaks mashed potatoes, gravy, veggie
1 lb. Smoked sausage	1 lb. Skinless smoked sausage	$2.50	Smoked sausage and fried potatoes, pinto beans
1 lb. French-cut green beans	14 oz. Green beans	$1.00	-
1 lb. Green peas	1 lb. Frozen black-eyed peas	$0.98	-
1 lb. corn	1 lb. corn	$0.98	-
24 oz. French fries	5# bag potatoes	$1.77
1 lb. Kidney beans	1 lb. Pinto beans	$1.08	-
1 lb. rice	Spanish rice packet	$1.00	-
6 oz. Stuffing mix	1 pkt. Pasta-roni White Cheddar and Shells	$1.12	-
32 oz. Shelf-stable milk	1 gal. Whole milk	$1.67
1 doz. eggs
6 ct. fried apple pie sticks	8 ct. apple cinnamon breakfast bar	$1.97
TOTAL GROCERY BILL		39.57

Angel Food Ministries

Angel Food Ministries is a wonderful service that helps with the grocery bill. They have various packages available that are ordered at various locations across the United States or online, then picked up at a nearby location.  You may visit their website at www.angelfoodministries.com for locations, menus, and dates for ordering and pickup.

The website states that the standard Angel Food package--called the Bread of Life standard box--feeds a family of four for approximately one week.  I think that it is safer to say that the package will supply food for suppers for approximately one week for a family of four.  When I have purchased it before, I liked to supplement it with additional groceries for the week and still found it helpful for my budget.  I have run across some websites that sell a weekly menu that gives recipes built around the standard package offered at the time for a nominal fee.  Somehow, to me, that detracts from the goal of Angel Food Ministries of helping families who are financially struggling.  I am going to post some recipes in the next few weeks that use ingredients that are in September 2010's standard Angel Food box.  If you have recipes that would work, you may send them to me or post them on the Angel Food website as they have some recipes as well.  Here are a few ideas for starters.

Burritos Supreme - Use the frozen burritos, heated per instruction.  Make a salad of lettuce, chopped tomato, and green onion.  Heat canned chili.  Spoon chili over heated burrito, top with salad, sliced black olive, shredded cheese, and sour cream.  Serve with spanish rice (using the packets are convenient but you may make it from the rice that comes in the standard box) and pinto beans.

Do you have to taxi kids to after school events?  Simply use the breaded chicken nuggets and french fries that night.  Maybe serve fruit for a quick dessert.

Smoked sausage with fried potatoes.  Fry potatoes till nearly done.  Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and diced smoked sausage.  Season with table salt or garlic salt and black pepper.

Watch for recipes in the appropriate tabs later.  Until next time, know that you are loved.

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This economy is tough, isn't it?  I started working at Wal-Mart last October.  They were the only ones out of many applications and resumes that even offered me an interview.  This week my schedule changed to overnights.  The lack of sleep is really making me goofy.   I feel fortunate to have a job.  I hear that Texas is doing economically better than the rest of the United States.  All I can say about that is I'm glad I don't live somewhere else.  My heart goes out to all of you who are stuggling to make ends met.  These are certainly not easy times.

The Prayer of St. Francis

If we could place this prayer in our hearts and through God's grace, live them...

Changes

My mind is in a whirlwind over upcoming changes this week.  My son will be spreading his wings and flying from the nest.  He is moving to Austin, approximately five hours away, which may as well, in my mind, be around the globe.  It is time for him to go.  He will be sharing an apartment with friends, and his plans when he gets there are all good.  My heart tears, knowing that my parenting job with him will be finished when he successfully flies into the sunset.  Oh, I know that we will still talk, and that he will be home for holidays and maybe some weekends.  He may even call to ask for advice.  And he is leaving a lot of stuff in his room, because he may be coming back for the summer.  So it's not like this is a permanent move...yet.

I have been getting the house ready for visitors.  My youngest sister, Christie, will be coming Friday to stay with Kelcie over the weekend while Tony and I drive to Austin with Andrew.  At first, I wasn't going to go...mainly because I don't want to say goodbye.  But he wanted me to go, so I have to suck it up and act like I'm mature and wise, knowing that he will be alright and that this is how it's supposed to be.  Christie is bringing her daughter, whose about 1 year old, and our two youngest nephews.  They'll stay till Tuesday, so we have a little time when I get home from Austin to catch up with her and probably run myself ragged with the extra kids!  That should be totally exhausting and fun! lol  My mind is racing with the details of the trip and our visitors.  Probably keeping busy will be the best thing to keep me focused on meeting these changes with my chin up, along with a whole lot of prayer.                                                                                                                                              

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A Little Bit about Home

Welcome Home! We moved to this area in 2008. The economy was already in decline, and my job was not stable. We found a mobile home on about an acre of land to purchase. It's been quite a ride since. The economy continued to deteriorate and there has been times that we've considered, like many others, throwing in the towel. Two years after purchasing this place, we find that its value today is considerably less than what we owe. Yet, Tony and I chose to stick it out, because this is home and what we owe on it is worth it to us to try to keep it. God has been good...somehow when things get tight, something always comes up and we're able to keep going. Tony and I live here with our two kids, Kelcie (twelve years old) and Andrew (twenty years old). We are currently preparing for Andrew's first apartment. He is moving about 5 hours away (oh my!!). Our dogs are Nacho, a black lab, and Scamp, a great dane. We also live with a rabbit named Crystal, and have 4 hens and a rooster named Tweety Bird. He's the leghorn in the picture. Their pen is what I call the chicken garden. The hens, which are Black Stars. They like to sleep in the wisteria vine that grows over the white bench.

Our first year here, I homeschooled Kelcie, so the transition to a new home would be easier for her. The next year, she wanted to go back to public school. We were blessed with a very excellent school system, called Northwest I.S.D. She had some wonderful teachers. With her in school, I decided to go back to work, and found a part-time job cashiering at the local Wal-Mart, in Roanoke, Texas. Tony installs flat glass for businesses and homes, through a shop in Grapevine. Taking a cashier's job has been a bit humbling. I used to work as a caseworker for Section 8 housing assistance before the move. However, I've met some wonderful people where I work, and, other than pushing credit card applications, it's been a good job for part-time employment.

I hope to share stories here, probably many you can relate to. I'll have some recipes for you too. Thanks for reading and I hope you will come down home often!