"Sex Sells"

While watching a show on TBS yesterday, a commercial came on stating "SEX SELLS" over and over again. This was an advertisement for a couple of movies that were going to be showing in the near future on TBS. This commercial really bothered me for several reasons. I thought, what if a child was watching TV when this commercial came on; what lesson is he/she learning from this type of advertisement? What about teenagers who are trying to find "their place" and fit in with the "popular crowd"? Another disturbing thought is that, unfortunately, the commercial was actually smart advertising, at least for a great percentage of this world. I have found myself wondering "what do the parents of these individuals think of their children"? When commercials from companies such as Victoria's Secret come across the screen, I think, each of those ladies, at one time, was someone's little girl. Did their parents ever imagine they would see their innocent child grow up to be nearly naked in front of the entire nation on television? Are they proud of their daughters or ashamed? Did they raise them differently, do they even keep in touch? Their earthly parents may not care, but I know our Heavenly Father does care and is ashamed by these actions. (1 Timothy 2:9-10) I also wonder: Do these women have husbands? If so, how do their husbands feel about their wife's body being displayed on national TV? What about children. Are these ladies mothers? What kind of example are they for their kids, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends' kids? As ladies, we are instructed to teach younger ladies ways to live a Godly life. (Titus 2:4-5) I hope that this commercial has sparked a concern in homes that will lead to better instruction and example for the younger generations.

Weekly Supper Scene

Between camping and cleaning up left overs, I have not made any meal plans the past two weeks. Due to work again this week, we only have three nights planned for supper. 

Tuesday:     Ribs (on the grill by Jordan or cooked in foil in the oven)

Wednesday:     BBQ Beef Cups

 1 lb hamburger meat, shredded cheese, Grands flaky biscuits, 1/2 c bbq sauce, 1 TBS brown sugar

-Preheat oven to 400. Brown meat, drain grease, remove from heat. Stir in BBq sauce and brown sugar. Grease muffin pan. Put one biscuit in each section of a jumbo muffin pan. Stretch dough up the sides of the cups. Divide meat mixture among biscuit cups, sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden brown (10-12 min)

Thursday:       Tacos

Weekly Supper Scene

This past Sunday we purchased a Sunday paper the check out the coupons....this is my new weekly practice! My coupon savings was $12 for this week! I even planned a few of our purchases/meals around the coupons and was able to combine newspaper coupons with HEB coupons. This is actually turning out to be fun!

Monday:            Jordan worked so we did not have a big meal.

Tuesday:            Jamaican Seasoned Pork and Mashed Potatoes
                       I used jerk sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and vinegar to season the pork and cooked it on the griddle.

Wednesday:      Ranch Cheeseburgers
                         1 lb hamburger meat, 1 package Original Ranch Salad Dressing Seasoning Mix, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Hamburger buns

                        Mix meat, seasoning mix, and cheese. Make patties and cook!

Thursday:           Pizza Rolls
                         (did not get to make last week)

Friday:                 Jordan works!

Blessed Beyond Measure

Well, I have missed my weekly Bible Class blog, and haven't made but one meal that was prepared for this week. I have been sick with a terrible sinus infection since early Wednesday morning. Thankfully, my mom took over my Bible class and taught the kids about the resurrection of Christ. Although I have spent nearly every minute of the past 2 days either in bed or on the couch asleep, I have been "awake" enough to realize how blessed I really am to have such a wonderful husband. He was really looking forward to the meals I had planned to prepare this week with some of his favorite ingredients: pepperoni, mozarella cheese, crescent rolls, and others. Rather than being upset that I was not feeling up to cooking, he has taken charge and served me with several "meals" and snacks on the couch and in bed :) I have had Ramen noodles, grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, cookies, and bowls of strawberries all prepared by my sweet husband in between classes, studying, work, and Wednesday night Bible class. One thing that really made my day was him going to pick up my medicine from the pharmacy. Although it seems like a simple task, it was very much appreciated. As I am writing this, I am realizing how little I have done in the past two days due to a sinus infection. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely felt terrible, but when I look at others around me, my little sinus infection pales in comparison to others problems. Just got off the phone with my mom and found out that my Aunt Gladys and Uncle George (who are both in their late 80s) are visiting my Nanaw and Pawpaw today. Gladys and George drove about 1-1.5 hours to visit them for the afternoon. Not only did they come to visit, but they brought home cooked food. If you know anything about my Aunt Gladys, you know that she loves to cook, cooks a LOT and cooks good! I am sure the meals she has prepared will last several days so that Nanaw does not have to struggle to cook. (she has just completed two weeks of radiation treatment and is extremely weak) They have spent several summers at church camps with Gladys cooking for 100s of kids and have even spent weeks at "Old Timers church camp" cooking there as well. If Gladys is cooking and traveling so much, one would think she is in good health...WRONG. She just shared today that she fell again a few days ago and now has a blue and swollen leg. The dr. told her that the leg was not swollen and blue as a result from the fall but as a result from kidneys that are not working. Her husband's heart is failing and the two of them can barely walk. Yet, these two people are smiling, serving others, and praising God. I hope Gladys and George are aware of the impact they have had on my life and what good Christian examples they are. There are so many lessons we can learn from the elderly, especially elderly Christians. Even when they are feeling pretty low themselves, they are still serving others above self. Definitely something I needed to see.

Weekly Supper Scene

All new recipes (for me) this week! I had a Monday meal planned, but Jordan went in to work so I will save it for next week. No Friday meal this week either, because of work! But, we are thankful for the days he gets to work this week because Cabela's is cutting hours...AGAIN! (insert angry face here)

Tuesday:     Crescent Lasagna


1.5 lb hamburger meat, 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce, 2 packages crescent rolls, 1 package dry spaghetti sauce mix, melted butter, Parmesan cheese

-Brown meat, add dry sauce mix and hunts sauce, simmer 10 min. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Unroll crescent rolls and lay on top (try to seal edges). Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.


Wednesday:       Ham and Cheese, Shells and Trees


2 TBS butter, 1 package PASTA RONI shells and white cheddar, 2 c fresh or frozen chopped broccoli, 2/3 c milk, 1 1/2 cups ham or cooked turkey cut into thin strips (about 6 oz)


Thursday:       Pizza Rolls


Carla Moore Recipe :)

Jesus is Crucified

This week I will be teaching about the crucifixion of Christ. I struggle a little bit in trying to figure out how to explain the magnitude of this sacrifice to first and second graders. We will be reading from Luke 22 and 23. We will discuss that the crucifixion is found in all four gospels, and review which books are the "gospel books". I will use pictures to help "paint a picture" of the events for the kids. I will also have the kids stand up and hold their arms out horizontally for as long as they can to have them feel how tired their arms get. I will use this demonstration to help relate the story to the kids. We will also discuss emotions that may have been felt by Jesus, Mary, and God while Christ was on the cross and will review different aspects of the story. (who carried Jesus' cross part of the way, miracles that occurred as Jesus died, etc)
Application questions:
    -If Jesus asked God to forgive those who killed him, how should I treat those who hurt me?
    -Since Jesus died for our sins, how serious is sin?
    -Is there anything I can suffer that Jesus won't understand?

At the end of class we will complete a "Missing Words ABC's" worksheet with a review question about the story for each letter of the alphabet.

example:

L_ _ _ They cast_____________ (vs. 24)



Memory Verse:
    Luke 23:34: "And Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do..."

Weekly Supper Scene

This week we did even better on the budget! This is getting to be like a game; how inexpensive can a week of meals be!? One meal this week is a "freebe" from a "combo loco" thing at HEB last week. Today is Valentine's Day, but Jordan and I are not fans of waiting and waiting at a restaurant, so we decided to splurge a little bit on steaks for supper tonight. He is going to grill the steaks and I am making mashed potatoes and green beans. The meals are fairly easy this week; no new recipes.

Monday:     Steaks, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday:     Frito Pie

Wednesday:     Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Chips and Salsa

Thursday:     Grilled Chicken and Green Beans

     We like to use Italian dressing, lemon pepper, Season All, and garlic & herbs seasoning on our chicken. I use chicken tenders and cook them on our griddle.

Friday:     Breakfast for supper!

    We will probably have pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

This Week's Meals

I tried out a couple of new dishes this week: hamburger steak and broccoli cheese soup. This was my second time to make hamburger steak...let's just say I wish I could find the recipe I used last time :) Definitely not one of our favorite or my best dishes ever! I am not sure if it was the recipe itself, or the fact that I was talking on the phone while preparing the meat and accidentally poured the whole can of evaporated milk into the meat rather than 1/2 cup :) Unfortunately, scooping the milk out of the bowl of meat did not work as I had wished. The flavor of the meat was okay, but it was almost like the recipe was making chicken fried steak out of hamburger meat and adding mushroom soup. Needless to say, it was very different. I hope others have better luck if they try that recipe! On the other hand, the broccoli cheese soup was amazing! I have never really attempted to make soup before; I have always been a little intimidated by the task. To my surprise, the recipe was very easy, and we absolutely loved it! It also made a LOT of soup! Any suggestions on what to do with too much soup? Anyway, I highly recommend this soup recipe to anyone! :)

Weekly Supper Scene

I am really excited this week! We budget biweekly, and because I have started planning our meals by the week, we were $12 UNDER budget on our grocery bill for last week and this week! I am definitely a huge fan of planning meals ahead of time! We even splurged a little bit and bought some extra snacks because we knew we had a little extra in our budget :)

Monday:           Chicken Spaghetti
spaghetti noodles, 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese, 1 can cheddar cheese soup, 1 can rotel, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 large cans chicken breast

-boil the noodles, add in remaining ingredients, bake covered in foil until cheese melts (350 for 25 min)

Tuesday:         Hamburger Steak and green beans (new recipe we are trying)
1 lb hamburger meat, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tbsp butter, 1 cup flour, 1 can mushroom soup

Mix meat, milk, salt, pepper. Make four patties and flour each side. Brown in butter in skillet. Drain grease, add mushroom soup and 1 can of water. Cover skillet and boil until well blended. Add brown gravy, onion soup, or chili sauce.

Wednesday:         Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
1 lb hamburger meat, Manwich, hamburger buns

Thursday:           Broccoli Cheese Soup (also new recipe)
1/2 c butter, 1 chopped onion, 16 oz chopped, frozen broccoli, 4 cans chicken broth, 1 pound Velveeta, 2 cups milk, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 2/3 cup cornstarch, 1 cup water

In stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in cheese cubes (chopped Velveeta). Mix in milk and garlic powder. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup, cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Friday:          Leftovers from last week! We froze single portions of leftovers from last week, and since Jordan will be working Friday night, I will be eating leftovers :)

Peter Denies Christ

This quarter I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach the 1st and 2nd grade class on Wednesday nights. I have a great group of kids! I have really enjoyed getting to know each of the kids a little better and have come to realize that I am not only teaching the kids, but they are teaching me as well. I have been encouraged by their knowledge, enthusiasm, kindness, and happy faces. One of my favorite parts of class is when I ask who would like to lead the prayer at the begining of class. I usually have 8-9 kids on Wednesdays, and on average I have 4-5 wanting to lead the prayer. These sweet, considerate kids even ask the class (out of their own initiaive) if there are any prayer requests! It comforts me knowing that the parents of these kids are obviously teaching them to be considerate of others and showing them how to pray. My advice is, if you ever have the opportunity to teach, especially young children, go for it!

This week we are learning about Peter Denying Christ.
I always start out with attendance, did you bring your Bible chart, and memory verse. We then sing 4 songs, chosen by the kids. By this time, everyone has usually come into class. We then have our prayer(s).
The kids love reading out of the Bible so I let them go around the table reading one verse each from our selection. Either as we are reading, or after we read, I retell and explain the story so that they can understand it better. We then move on to the activity and new memory verse. I always end with review questions from the night's lesson as well as previous lessons.

This week we will be reading Luke 22:31-35, 39-40, 54-62.
We will discuss the consquences of lying and not being ashamed to live a life for Christ. The kids will make a rooster with memory verse attached. http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mpaperrooster.htm
Then, if time allows, we will use dominoes to show the effect of lying. (make a line of standing dominoes, knock the first one down, it affects the rest)

Memory Verse:   Luke 22:34
"And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me"

Weekly Supper Scene

Thank you Lisa Kennedy for sharing your idea of planning meals by the week! This has helped our grocery bill, time management, and diets! I absolutely love having the entire week's meals planned out ahead of time. I try to plan our meals on Saturday or Sunday, make my grocery list, and get the needed items before the week begins. It is so nice to walk into the grocery store with a list of every ingredient needed for the week. It makes grocery shopping much quicker and cheaper! Planning meals also helps with finding useful coupons and taking advantage of "combo deals" at HEB. For example, last week I knew we needed three pounds of hamburger meat. HEB had a special running where I could buy two pounds of hamburger meat and get taco shells, 2 pounds of grated cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning package, and taco bell taco sauce all free! I needed cheese and taco seasoning for last week's meals anyway, so finding this deal helped us get free items we needed last week and free items we could use this week! Planning our meals has also helped with packing lunches for work and school. Jordan is working overnight and going to school during the day (in Austin and San Marcos) right now so his eating schedule is a little strange. :) I now think ahead of things he and I can pack and eat at work, school, or on the road. This practice is healthier and much much cheaper than driving through for fast food.

Monday:     Taco Puffs and chips. 
                   Two cans of Grands Flaky Biscuits, one lb hamburger meat, one package taco seasoning, cheese

Preheat oven to 400, Brown meat, drain grease, add taco seasoning, slightly cool meat. Flatten  half of the biscuits into 4 inch circles. Spoon meat unto each circle, add cheese. Flatten the rest of the biscuits. Place flattened biscuit on top of the cheese. Pinch top and bottom biscuit together. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Tuesday:    Shepherd's Pie.
                  3-4 potatoes, 1-2 pounds hamburger meat, tomato sauce, 6-8 slices of cheese (or 1-2 pounds of shredded cheese)

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat, drain grease. Peal, slice, boil, and mash potatoes. Add tomato sauce to meat. Pour meat and sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread potatoes over the meat and sauce. Top with cheese. Place in oven until cheese is melted.

Wednesday:     Jerk Chicken and beans.
                        Chicken tenders, jerk sauce, 2 Tbs brown sugar, jerk seasoning, 2 Tbs vinegar, juice of one lime, 3/4 tsp salt

(I always try to do a crockpot meal on Wednesdays because neither of us get home until a little after six and it is always a rush to make it to Bible class on time)
Mix brown sugar, vinegar, jerk sauce, jerk seasoning, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Spray the inside of the crockpot with non stick spray. Place the chicken tenders in the crockpot. Pour mixture over tenders. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Thursday:     Hamburgers or Tacos
                
Friday:      (breakfast) Strawberry Crepes and Bacon (we will be leaving at lunch to spend the weekend in Yoakum)
                 Fresh, sliced strawberries, 1/4 c sugar, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 c powdered sugar, 3 eggs, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/4 c milk, 1 c flour, 1/4 c melted butter.

Crepe: Beat eggs, add milk and butter. Mix flour and salt, add to egg mixture. Beat until batter is smooth. Let batter rest at room temperature for 2 hours or sit in the refrigerator overnight. Grease skillet, cook crepe until light brown. (similar to pancake) Filling: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in half of strawberries. Spread about 1 Tbs of strawberry and cream cheese mixture over crepe. Roll crepe. Top with remaining strawberries (and whipped cream if  preferred) :)


Taco Puffs