Food Friday: Recipe for Chicken in Pesto Cream Sauce with Pasta

Hi! Let me know you're following through New Friend Friday, Friendly Friday, or Quality Time!  I'll be back to visit you!  To find out about these bloghops and participate, or learn more about Faith's Firm Foundation and get suggestions of some past posts you would enjoy reading, click on the link! To learn more about my guest poster, Kate, go to Dancing About Architecture!

Friendly Friday

Quality Time

We are Passionate about Pasta!  Nuts about Noodles! So what could be better than a Series about this Sensational Subject on Food Friday?! (Can you tell I love aliteration? ok, enough already:)

Seriously, though, I have been thrilled to have Kate share her wonderful pasta recipes with us these last few weeks! I have loved not only the recipes, but her descriptions which transport me to charming corners of the world which I have only dreamt about!  (I do so love to travel:)  If you have not read her other guest posts, make sure you go back and check them out when you're done reading today's recipe.

Also, if you have a great recipe that you'd like to share here, please type it into an email (see "Contact Me" above), and include your contact information, so I can get back to you.  I would love to have recipes from all around the country and the world!  Wouldn't that be fun? (It's ok if it's in a different language; we can most likely get it translated.)

Also, if you would like to Guest Post on something other than a recipe, please let me know! I'm still going to be needing more time away from posting this next month, and for a couple of weeks in October, so I will need a bunch of people willing to write a Guest Post!  This is a great way to gain more exposure, visitors to your blog and followers!  (I would also be happy to trade off with you for a post at a future date.)  If you're willing to write one or more posts, let me know!  Maybe a series?  Thanks! And now, here's Kate (Thank you again!) with another of her fabulous pasta recipes!

Hello everyone,
I feel truly blessed that Wendy has allowed me to share another one of my recipes with you today.  As I have said before, I love fresh ingredients and there is nothing simpler than pesto when it comes to Italian food.  The combination of fresh basil and pine nuts is just absolutely amazing.  Fresh basil, or fresh pesto for that matter, always reminds me of small herb gardens tucked away behind small stone walls next to old houses, full of herbs and wonderful smells.  I always think it is sad that in today's big cities no one has an herb garden anymore.  I am not very talented at gardening myself, though.  I keep my basil and other fresh herbs on my kitchen window sill and they just keep on dying on me, but nothing changes a dish more than switching from dried herbs to using fresh herbs.  (I just keep buying new plants and hope that the next time around they will not die on me again.)  Fresh, homemade pesto always tastes like spring or summer to me.  It just has a really rich flavor.

Pasta with pesto is a simple and quick meal and a bit too simple and quick to share, in my opinion.  So instead I want to share a very simple chicken recipe with you:  Chicken in Pesto Cream Sauce with Pasta.  (Please note that the homemade pesto as described in the recipe can also be used with pasta to give you a full meal.  It can be stored in the fridge for about a week, longer if you freeze it).

Chicken in Pesto Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 to 1.2lb chicken breasts
1/2 lb tomatoes
6 ounces (1/2 a big package) cream or half-and-half
1/2 - 1 vegetable bouillon cube (depending on personal preference)
3 Tbsp Pesto (homemade: see recipe below; or store bought)
pepper
salt
fresh basil to garnish with
one package pasta (long would be best like spaghetti or tagiatelle)

Pesto--if you want to make it yourself, otherwise any green pesto from the supermarket will do.
Ingredients:
.2 lb Basil, fresh
2 Tbs pine nuts
one garlic clove
1/2 Tbsp salt
5.7 ounces olive oil
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, fresh if possible

Directions for Pesto:

Add one ingredient after another (not the parmesan cheese) in a bowl you can use with your handmixer.
Mix with your handmixer until everything is well mixed and one paste.
Add parmesan cheese and slowly stir.
Whatever you do not need you can refrigerate or freeze.

Directions for Chicken in Pesto Cream Sauce:

Roast pine nuts, without any oil, in a pan.
When they are golden brown, take them out of the pan and set them aside for cooling.
Wash the chicken breast.
Heat up a pan and add some oil.
Add chicken and roast all around on medium heat for about 10 minutes (until it is done).  Add some pepper and salt.
When the chicken is done take it out of the pan (DON'T wash the pan, we need the meat juice :) and set it aside, but keep it warm.
Wash and chop up tomatoes.
Use the same pan and add the tomatoes.
Stir until warm and set aside, but keep the meat/tomato juice in the pan.
Start boiling water for the pasta.
Now use the same pan again and add 8 ounces of water and the cream.
Slowly heat small pieces of the vegetable bouillon cube and make sure it dissolves properly.
Cook until boiling, then turn the heat down to medium heat and let it cook for 10 minutes.
While the sauce cooks, you can cook the pasta according to directions on the package.  It usually takes between 8 and 12 minutes.
When the sauce has cooked for 10 minutes, add the pesto and some salt and pepper according to taste.
Cut the chicken breasts in long slices.
Add one portion of pasta to a plate, top with slices of chicken breast, tomatoes and pine nuts, then top with sauce.  Use basil as garnish.
Enjoy your meal!

Food Friday: Recipe for Lemon Sheet Cake and My 32-year-old GE Handmixer Is Still Going Strong!

The Trendy Treehouse

Thanks, Mail Carrier!

Lots happening here today! Bloghops, Food Friday...Check out some of my posts and leave a comment and let me get to meet you!

 Today I just want to basically rave about my General Electric hand mixer which has faithfully gone through my married life with me!  32 years old!  I received it as a shower gift!!  You know the old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to."  Well, that's so true.  They don't make things to last anymore!  I really love my hand mixer, and use it often.  Many times when I am going to bake something, I don't want to dirty my big Bosch mixer, and I choose to use my hand mixer instead.  When I'm finished, I put the bowl in the sink, fill it with soapy water, and drop the beaters, mixing cup(s) and spatulas into it to soak. Sometimes I need a bigger bowl to hold the measuring cups, but basically it's, "No muss, no fuss." Easy!

Last Thursday, my lovely hand mixer helped me make three sheet cakes, including frosting, for a baby shower I was co-hosting, and I couldn't help musing on all the years that it has faithfully served me!  Through the new bride "flops" (not its fault:) and the busy days of cupcakes and specially decorated birthday cakes for my small children, into the season of much hospitality serving many desserts to grateful guests, and finally into a season of potlucks, showers and luncheons, it has served me very well!  I could always count on it.  I always washed it off after using it, and carefully stored it in its original box (which looks a little worse for wear), and my husband did have to mend the cord once, but basically, it has not asked for anything, but just faithfully did everything I asked of it!  By the way, no one's paying me to say this!  I have just been thinking about how important faithful service is, and how rare it is these days!!  It makes me think of the character quality of servanthood, and how I need to work on this character quality more, and be ever grateful for it in others.  It's such an important character quality, that Jesus was willing to be called a Servant.  And to call us to serve one another in love.  I hope I never stop seeing lessons in the little things. So, today I'm grateful for the faithful service of a small appliance, which has reminded me to pray that I might be a better server, and a more faithful one, and stand the test of time, like my little GE Hand mixer.

Lemon Sheet Cake

Serves:  30-35 servings

Ingredients:

1 pkg lemon cake mix

4 eggs

1 can (15-3/4 ounces) lemon pie filling

1 pkg (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a large bowl, beat the cake mix and eggs until well blended.  Fold in pie filling.
• Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar until smoothe.  Stir in vanilla.  Spread over cake.  Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 171 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 51 mg cholesterol, 145 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.
Enjoy! 

Hello! I Might Be A Friend You Haven't Met Yet

Hi and Welcome, New Friends!  

In the weeks of Friendly Friday and New Friend Friday, and this last week I joined in with Quality Time --I've met some great new friends, and gained new followers--I hope you have, too!

Friendly Friday's hostesses are: 

 Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier! Christi at The Frugal Novice and Charla at  Healthy Home Blog

New Friend Friday's Hostesses are

  The Girl Creative and The Trendy Treehouse!

Click on their links to go to their blogs.  Thanks, so much, ladies!

Please go over, meet them, and read all the details of how to get in on

this wonderful way to meet new friends, and gain followers!

Welcome, if you are new!  Please get a cup of coffee and sit down for a while!  There's a lot here for you to read and check out!  This has been a wonderful week of Guest Posts (not the whole week, but three days!)  I hope you'll check out my daughter Kelsey's guest post--"Making Wise Choices (Part 1)"--I'm very proud of her, I admit, and it will challenge you!  Part two of Making Wise Choices comes on Monday!  Please don't be shy--it is such an encouragement to read your comments!  (And my lurker friends, it's time to follow--you know who you are:)  Your comments make my day!  I hope you'll follow me or subscribe and that you'll visit often, 'cuz that's how good friendships happen! And good friendships are one of the greatest blessings of blogging!

ABOUT ME:

I am a stay-at-home-mom,  and a Homeschooler, though my teaching days are completed, as my "children" are now 24 and 21.  We are blessed to have them still living at home with my wonderful husband and me.  My passion is to help and encourage young women, wives and moms to fulfill their God-given role, and I love to write, so this blog is my way of doing it all.
Specific themes that I have written on which you might enjoy (click on the links):

•  Hospitality Series: Click on Hospitality on the linkbar above for all the series or start out with "The Ghastly Guest"  and "The Goldens"

• Love and Marriage Series (Now on Wednesdays): "Meanings of Wedding Traditions (Part 2)", "Belittling and Henpecking", and "Doing Those Little Things Around the House", and "Bitterness by any other name" are some of the posts; also, you'll find interviews; How and Why the subject of Courtship applies to you as a mom of little ones; Ways to teach young children about Godly love and marriage and great resources to use.   (Grab my button on the sidebar to let people know about this series!)

• Timely Tips on Tuesday (Everything helpful: from organization, to scheduling your prayer time, to child-training, to running a home, to tips for you as a mom to littlees)

• Food Friday (Clicking here will take you to all my Recipes: Every Most Fridays I share a tried-and-true recipe that you'll love! Today I'm very excited to introduce you to Kate, who is Guest Posting a great recipe for Quick and Easy Fresh Pasta Sauce!  And don't miss Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads"--you'll love his cooking show, and recipes--here!) 

So, get a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of lemon water, and click and check out what all there is here. 

1.  Please let me know you came by and introduce yourself!
2.  And, last but not least, please Follow, but only if you really value what you read here. Put my button on your sidebar and tell your friends--Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by!  I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you!
Please leave me a comment and let me know you were here!  And follow, if you like what you see!

Guess Who's Guest Posting?!

Welcome

While you're here, check out some of my posts on topics such as marriage, child-training, hospitality, Homeschooling, and more!  I write to encourage (sometimes I receive more than I give:) a lot of times, actually! Thank you for all the outpouring of support and great ideas in the last couple of days about our upcoming trip to Washington, DC!  If you live in that area or have been there, I'd love more advice and tips!

Guest Posts

I am excited about the upcoming week(s) as I will be having some "guests" posting!!  One of them is my daughter, Kelsey, who, by the way, is turning 21 tomorrow!  She will be sharing some amazing teaching with you on subjects such as "Contentment," "Genuine Love," "The Awe Factor," "Choices," and more!  She shared these with some younger girls in a study about a year ago, but what she writes is amazingly applicable to all ages--wisdom beyond her years (from the Lord, no question)--I know you'll be blessed!


I'm also excited to have Sharon Kirby here on Monday from Sharon Sharing God, so be sure to come back Monday for that, and Kate from Thoughts on Dancing About Architecture will be sharing an easy recipe for Pasta Sauce here on Friday!  All of that is lined up for the coming weeks, and that is just the beginning, so come back and check it out!

Please Follow!

Please also follow if you like what you see here!  And, don't forget to go down and leave me a comment, telling me that you're a new follower with your url so I can find you!

Meeting New Friends on Fridays

Fridays are wonderful for many reasons!  One of them is I get to meet new friends and gain new followers! If that sounds good to you, too, please join in!


I've made some friends who are gems through these bloghops!
And, I am joining a new one today, hosted by Nan, from Quality Time (you may also know her blog with great Thai Recipes: Healthy Choices Recipes

Quality Time

Nan writes in a very real, touching way, and you'll want to join up with her Quality Time Bloghop!

The Girl Creative or Trendy Treehouse

Thanks, Mail Carrier or Frugal Novice or Healthy Home Blog

Friendly Friday Bloghop is hosted by three hostesses, and you can see all the rules and the three blogs they're featuring this week (there're three new ones every week!) by clicking on one of the links above.  At the bottom of this post you can click on as many blogs as you want, (of course, always being discerning) and follow and meet some new friends!


Which is the theme of New Friend Fridays from Trendy Treehouse! Check them out, too!  Here are the rules, as they've explained them:

The Rules are Simple:
PLEASE READ BEFORE LINKING UP! Thanks!

• Add a link to your main blog
• Visit the blog of the person whose name is above and below your name in the list and leave a meaningful comment on their blog.
• Visit as many blogs as you can and leave comments telling them you are visiting from New Friend Fridays at The Girl Creative or The Trendy Treehouse.
• There is no obligation and no pressure to follow everyone who follows you. Please just follow the blogs that are of interest to you. :)
• Family Friendly Blogs ONLY please. Explicit sites will be removed.

So, grab a button, post it somewhere on your blog and get ready to make some new friends!

Finally, my words of wisdom for you today:
Consider God today, be moved by what He has made, look up, stand in awe, and reach out beyond yourself to someone else--and have a great weekend!

Food Friday, Friendly Friday, New Friend Fridays

It's Friday!  That means there are bloghops to join in, and meeting new friends!
It also means it's Food Friday! I (almost) always post a recipe on Food Friday, so check it out!
If this is your first time visiting, here's a rundown of what you'll find here:

• Monday is "Manage It (Victorious in Christ) Monday".
• Tuesday I frequently post some "Timely Tips on Tuesday". You might also see me on Tuesday Tag-Along!
• Wednesdays you can come over and read about "Love and Marriage", a favorite topic!
• Thursdays are a day to be thankful (well, isn't every day?) as I participate in the meme "Thankful Thursday".
• And then it's Friday again!   Friendly Friday, New Friend Friday and Food Friday!

I blog to encourage, and help, challenge, inform and sometimes inspire.
There's a lot here, so take a look!

I want to say Hi and welcome you here!

Whether you're an old or new friend,

this is a great time to take a look around, read some posts and 

if you haven't already, I invite you to follow,

if you like what you see!

Please let me know you were here
and I will come and visit you! 

What's happening here:
The weeks are flying by, it's August already, which I can't believe, and though it's been hot and humid here in Minnesota, there's a "back-to-school" feeling in the air.  A "quiet before the storm" of behind-the-scenes activity (I think everyone's shopping!)  Everyone seems to be preparing, doing those last things-I-want-to-do-before-the-summer's-over activities, also buying school supplies and clothes, planning and scheduling those special things that we can only do in summer! (We wait a long time for summer here in Minnesota, so we have to make the most of it!)  The corn in the fields is unbelievably high this year, the summer fruit and vegetable stands are in full swing, and the county fairs are popping up left and right.  (I personally can't wait for the Minnesota State Fair, a yearly tradition for our family!)

This weekend there's a small town festival, an extended family get-together, we're serving at church, and after church there's Family Fellowship (200-300 people gathering at an 80-acre family farm for a potluck, preaching, praising God in a hymn-sing, and some games and fellowshipping thrown in for good measure)!  A busy weekend ahead!  What's up in your "neck of the woods" for the weekend?

Click here for the
"Recipe for Lund's Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini". 

Meeting New Friends on Friday!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I haven't felt like I've talked to all of you this week, so I'm looking forward to getting back here and connecting again--It's been a crazy week, but it's Friday!!

 So, Welcome, Dear Friends and New Visitors!

Before I post my Food Friday Recipe of the Week, (Look here later today!) I thought I'd link up to hopefully meet some new friends! Please take some time and read a few posts before you leave and become a follower or subscriber, if you like what you see here! And don't forget to leave me a comment, so I can come by and visit you!  I love meeting new friends!

Update on our week:

We have had company staying with us for a week now: my brother and nephew came two weeks ago tomorrow, and then friends (a young couple with their 3-month-old baby) arrived on the following Wednesday and left Tuesday.  My brother and nephew will be leaving to go back home to Florida tomorrow. Needless to say, it's been a little busy around here! So, this past week I've been re-posting some favorite articles which I wrote a year or so ago, which you may have not read, or if you have, contain messages which we need to be reminded of (me included!)  Also, I posted my 4th of July/Independence Day Photos! Which I'm sure you will enjoy! 

Today, my kids are working, my brother's with my mom, my nephew is here with me, and it's a little quieter, so I thought I'd try and participate in the bloghops, and post my recipe of the week!

 

For those of you who are new here, please go here, to find out more about me and this site, or you can click on the topics on the linkbar above or on the Topics on the Sidebar which especially interest you!

There's something for everyone!

Favorite Subjects of mine are:

Hospitality

Love and Marriage

Child-Training

Faith and Living for the Lord

 Oh...and, I hope you'll be blessed!

Friendly Friday and What We're Going To Be Doing

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

I am so happy you came by!

Please leave me a comment and follow or subscribe--

I'll come by and visit you, too!

This BlogHop is hosted by Thanks, Mail Carrier, The Frugal Novice, and Healthy Home Blog, and is a great way to meet new friends and gain new followers!  Click on the McLinky code below to participate, and go on over and follow the three hostesses.  I hope you'll follow or subscribe me, too!

Please click on About Me on the linkbar at the top of my blog, and click on the links there to find out about my passions!  I love meeting new people, so introduce yourself, let me know you were here, and I will come by and visit you, as well!  It sometimes takes me a little while, but I always come by!

Take time to check out and read a few

past posts and especially my

recipe today for Raspberry Smoothies on Food Friday!

This weekend and next couple of weeks will be especially crazy, as we're going to have my brother and nephew here from Florida for 2 weeks!  We try to do a lot of special things with them, so it's a lot of fun, but I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be able to do!  So, this would be a great time to catch up on past posts!

Now, you can quit reading here and go and check out the rest of my site, or you can read on if you're interested in catching up on what's been going on with me that hasn't made it into my blog!
 

What I'm Reading:

"Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (My first free book from Thomas Nelson Publishers--look for a review of this amazing, powerful story here soon!) 

What I've Been Doing:

• Began attending a Writing Group
• Hosted out of town/state relatives the last four weeks from Alaska and from northern Minnesota and tomorrow relatives come from Florida, and Wednesday friends come from Missouri!
• "Enjoyed" (endured) very hot, and very windy, weather and a lot of rain
• Searched for 3 hours in a storm with pouring rain for our neighbor's sweet little dog that Kelsey was dogsitting, which had gotten scared by the storm we think.  God miraculously protected it as it ran a mile and a half and was picked up walking down the middle of a busy County road in a blinding storm! Rescued and found after much prayer! (A story in itself!)
• Garden produce is being thoroughly enjoyed! The first beans from our garden were eaten last night! Also have raspberries, a lot of lettuce, onions, a few strawberries--and a lot of herbs Kelsey's been harvesting (cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc.)! Beautiful flowers blooming:  lilies and dahlias are especially beautiful right now!
• Blessed to attend special events like Betsy's birthday gathering, 4th of July event.  My son attended an Air Show and got some wonderful photos, too--felt almost like being there when he showed his slideshow and to hear his descriptions (photos from many of these events, I hope, will be forthcoming!)

What I'm Planning to Eat While Company's Here:

• Wild Chicken, Salad from garden, watermelon, DQ Ice Cream Cake
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Grilled Chicken, Cilantro Grilled Corn
• Hobos (cooked on an open fire by the lake)
• Fried (or baked) Fish (hopefully bass caught in our lake!)
• Crab legs which only my nephew and I like (we'll get these at a restaurant)
•  Mexican Lasagna, Garlic Cheesy Bread
• and lots of Root Beer Floats, Ice Cream treats, Freezies, and
• tons of fresh fruits and vegetables from garden and roadside stands!

Thanks for coming by and don't forget to check out my Recipe today on Food Friday!

Friendly Friday: Subscribers are Super and Followers are Fabulous!

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

I am so happy you came by!

Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here!

This BlogHop is hosted by Thanks, Mail Carrier, The Frugal Novice, and Healthy Home Blog, and is a great way to meet new friends and gain new followers! I have been really enjoying this BlogHop and meeting so many of you! Every week they highlight three blogs from all those who enter, so go on over and read about them! If you want to join in, get their instructions--it's really simple--& make some friends!

(Thanks, so much for hosting, ladies!) 

Welcome Everyone!
(Old and New Friends! I can't say that without thinking of the song, "Make new friends, but k-e-e-eep the o-o-ld, one is silver, but the other's gold" Ok, I digress.)

1. Get yourself a cup of coffee and sit down for a while! There's a lot here for you to read and check out! Read some now--and then come back later for another dose.
2. Do you know how much I enjoy when you tell me about yourself, and comment?! Well, I love it.  So, please don't be shy--it is such an encouragement to read your comments!
3. I post every day--I hope you'll follow me or subscribe and that you'll visit often,
4.  'Cuz that's how good friendships happen!

About Me:

I am a stay-at-home wife, and a Homeschooler, though my teaching days are completed, as my "children" are now 24 and 20. We are blessed to have them still living at home with my wonderful husband and me. My passion is to help and encourage young women, wives and moms to fulfill their God-given role, (but there's something here for everyone) and I love to write, so this blog is my way of doing it all.

• Please let me know you came by and tell me about yourself.
• Follow or Subscribe, but only if you really value what you read here.
• And, Grab my button on the sidebar (If you still have the old one, please grab the code and exchange it in your layout, please) And tell your friends and fellow bloggers about my blog, if you think they would find it helpful--Thank you so much!

Specific themes that I have written on which you might enjoy:
(click on the links) 
Manage It (Victorious in Christ) Monday: 

• Is Your Blogging Out of (His) Control? 
• Managing Me
• How To Endure Trials

Love and Marriage Series (Now on Wednesdays): 

• "Ready for Some Major Conviction?"

• "Meaning of Wedding Traditions"

• "Showing Unconditional Respect to your Husband"

• "Belittling and Henpecking"

• "Doing Those Little Things Around the House"

• "Bitterness by any other name"

You'll also find Interviews; How and Why the subject of Courtship applies to you as a mom of little ones; Ways to teach young children about Godly love and marriage (our view of marriage starts when we're young and at home) and great books and resources to help you accomplish this goal. (Grab my button on the sidebar to let people know about this series!)

* Timely Tips on Tuesday: (Hopefully, everything helpful: Home organization, scheduling your prayer time, child-training, running a home in general, tips for you as a mom to littlees)

Food Friday:  Every Most Fridays (I try to make it every Friday:) I share a tried-and-true recipe that you'll love! And don't miss my posts of Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads"--you'll love his cooking show, and recipes!)

So, get a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of lemon water (one of my favorites), sit back and have a good read.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to meeting and getting to know you!

Friendly Friday: So Much Has Happened This Week!

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

(Wow!  Is it Friday already?!  How does that happen?!)

Anyway, I'm really, really glad that you stopped by!

This BlogHop is hosted by Thanks, Mail Carrier, The Frugal Novice, and Healthy Home Blog, and is a great way to meet new friends and gain new followers! I have been really enjoying this BlogHop and meeting so many of you! Every week they highlight three blogs from all those who enter, so go on over and read about them!

(Thanks, so much for hosting, ladies!) 

How It Works

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your link in the list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment. Then follow them (if you feel so led) through Google Friend Connect - this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to one another!

When people comment on your blog and let you know they're a part of Friendly Friday, please return the favor and visit them (and consider following them) back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it's a win-win situation.

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just click "Get the code here..." at the bottom of the list. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

• Please let me know you came by and tell me about yourself.
• Follow or Subscribe, but only if you really value what you read here.
• And, Grab my button on the sidebar (oh, I redesigned it, so you'll want to update yours, if you have the old one!) And tell your friends about my blog, if you think they would find it helpful--Thanks!

Welcome to All of you! (Old and New Friends!)

1. Ok, now go get a cup of coffee and sit down for a while! There's a lot here for you to read and check out!
2. Do you know how much I enjoy when you tell me about yourself, and comment?! Well, I love it.  So, please don't be shy--it is such an encouragement to read your comments!
3. I post every day--I hope you'll follow me or subscribe and that you'll visit often,
4.  'Cuz that's how good friendships happen!

About Me:

I am a stay-at-home wife, and a Homeschooler, though my teaching days are completed, as my "children" are now 24 and 20. We are blessed to have them still living at home with my wonderful husband and me. My passion is to help and encourage young women, wives and moms to fulfill their God-given role, (but there's something here for everyone) and I love to write, so this blog is my way of doing it all.

Specific themes that I have written on which you might enjoy (click on the links): 
Manage It (Victorious in Christ) Monday: 

• Is Your Blogging Out of (His) Control? 
• Managing Me
• How To Endure Trials

* Love and Marriage Series: (We celebrated 32 years of marriage on June 3!) (Mondays Now on Wednesdays)

Recent post titles:

• "Meaning of Wedding Traditions"
• "Showing Unconditional Respect to your Husband"
• "Belittling and Henpecking"
• "Doing Those Little Things Around the House"
• and, "Bitterness by any other name". 

You'll also find Interviews; How and Why the subject of Courtship applies to you as a mom of little ones; Ways to teach young children about Godly love and marriage (our view of marriage starts when we're young and at home) and great books and resources to help you accomplish this goal. (Grab my button on the sidebar to let people know about this series!)

* Timely Tips on Tuesday: (Hopefully, everything helpful: Home organization, scheduling your prayer time, child-training, running a home in general, tips for you as a mom to littlees)

* Food Friday:  Every Most Fridays (I try to make it every Friday:) I share a tried-and-true recipe that you'll love! And don't miss my posts of Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads"--you'll love his cooking show, and recipes!)

So, get a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of lemon water (one of my favorites), sit back and have a good read.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to meeting and getting to know you!