Remember the Savior

"The spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or she commemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, Jesus Christ. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave.

"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps.

It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours."

Thomas S. Monson, "What Is Christmas?" Ensign, Dec. 1998, 5

the highchair {reclaimed}

so....many of you know my affinity for all things {used} recycled,

well i was recently in the market for a highchair because of well

*click here*

...so i hunted craigslist..the goodwill.. othermothers(storename)

..then value village delivered a perfectly wonderful piece of retro heaven

complete with stainless tray, folding action and completely recoverable cushions

and this morning it became

one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the home

Family Scripture Study

Reading scriptures with young children is quite a challenge. My husband and I have recently found a way to make it work for our family and I thought I would pass it on.

First we had to pick a time in the day that the family is all together. We chose dinnertime.

Whichever parent is not holding the baby grabs the scriptures and thumbs through to a loved verse. We set up the story for the kids, read the verse, then summarise.

Keeping it short is important.

I love reading the direct words of the scriptures because the spirit can be felt as those sacred words are read aloud. Soon the children will understand the language of the scriptures.

I know that as the children grow we will have to adjust the way we study together. But this is working for now and it is such a joy to teach our children about our Savior through the scriptures.

Best of Luck to the other moms and dads out there!

fall has aRriVed

and with it

LAYERING

i love layering

and i am really into tying a funky ribbon around my waist

remenicent of

Penelope

a movie i adore

because they fought.........

today women voted

Recipes:

Baked Pumpkins:

Hollow pumpkins

rub inside with olive oil

salt & pepper

bake at 350

30min open side up

30min open side down

fill with your favorite soup or chili & enjoy

White Chili

1 TBLS olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped (one cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cps chicken broth

2 TBLS chopped fresh cilantro

2 TBLS lime juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano (fresh if you've got it, my herb garden provided)

1/4 tsp red pepper sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 can white corn (drained)

1 can great northern beans (drained)

1 can butter beans (drained)

2 cups chopped chicken (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium heat cook onions & garlic until tender

2. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce heat simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Stir in chicken, simmer until hot.

ENJOY!

Homemade ROOT BEER

6 cups white sugar
3 1/3 gallons cold water
1 (2 ounce) bottle root beer extract
4 pounds dry ice

DIRECTIONS
In a large cooler, mix together the sugar and water, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Stir in the root beer extract. Carefully place the dry ice into the cooler, and cover loosely with the lid. Do not secure the lid, as pressure may build up.
Let the mixture brew for about an hour before serving. Leftover root beer can be stored in one gallon milk jugs.

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Pastry

One egg whisked with 1 tsp of water

Prepared pie crust

cookie cutter

filling choose:

mint choco-chips & choco-chips

peanut butter chips & choco chips

carmel

marsh mellow & choco-chips

chicken saute with garlic, onion, carrots, bell pepper

directions:

Roll out pie crust until its about 1/8 " thick.

Make as many dough pairs as possible with cookie cutter. For pockets spread filling leaving a margin around the perimeter for closer. Use egg wash around edges then place top on and pinch to close. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar ( for sweet filling) or coarse sea salt (for savory filling).

Bake at 375 for 12 minutes

ENJOY !

Carmel-Apple-Cider

1 bottle of sparkling cider

2 gallons apple cider

4 TBLS Carmel sauce

Maraschino cherries

Cinnamon sticks

cinnamon sugar for edges of cups

add sparkling cider, apple cider, carmel sauce, & ice

wet each glass with lemon juice then dip into cinnamon sugar

pour cider mixture into prepared glasses add cherries and cinnamon stick

ENJOY !

I just HAD to SAY

i LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

colored tights

i just got

fuchsia

&

funky green

HOpe YoUr MONday

brings fun

(and fun tights if you wish)

to self portrait or not to self portrait

i have always

HATED

how i look in pictures i would say that i am one of the least photogenic people i know

that being said, i have been experimenting in self portraiting.......why

because i would like my children...and their children for that matter to know how i look

or at least how i see myself
i have this great photo of my mother when she was around my age...she is fixing her earring

and it is just so

HER

so i am trying to get past my insecurities to become comfortable with

how i REALLY look

try it..your kids will one day appreciate it

in fact

email your SELF portraits to me

here

so they can be featured

on this site

think of it as a little Christmas present
look if these guys thought it was important to self portrait..it can't be that bad

Van GoghDa Vinci

Picasso

Degas

*feel free to BE CREATIVE*

for your consideration

quick meal/ beautiful meal

{Tuna Salad}

I have been thinking alot recently about the connection between our body & spirit.

As Elder L. Tom Perry remarked in this months General Conference

"As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we possess sacred knowledge from revealed truth about the relationship between the body and the spirit. Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 states, “The spirit and the body are the soul of man.”

If our body & spirit together make up our SOUL

then our task isn't limited to simply preparing ourselves for eternity spiritually.....

......and how does our physical body effect our ability to prepare our spirit

....i truly believe the way in which we present ourselves effects our behavior

if this is true

then i believe the way in which we present the food that we eat can effect our relationship with that food

in short

if you present your food as a delightful meal to be consumed so as to uplift your body, feed your mind, and lighten your weariness

..then it stands to reason that your relationship with food will be appropriate

then as the word of wisdom assures

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall

receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

And shall arun and not be bweary, and shall walk and not faint."

just something to chew on

This Tuna Salad

is the easiest meal

that is also full of great nutrients

Cooked Rice ( i prefer brown long grain, the Mr. wins out alot with short white)

diced tomatoes

rinsed patted dry lettuce

Solid white tuna and a bit of salt

pepper

&

paprika

place lettuce in a bowl

top with rice ( use measuring cup to get a ball effect)

add tuna

tomatoes

sprinkle with a bit more pepper

Enjoy

all the kids in my home are delighted to see this meal on the table for dinner

Asian Soup

***full dis closer***

Okay like all of my recipes

I just throw things in until it tastes good

so the amounts are my best guess

use your discretion to add more if necessary

Asian Soup

bring 8 cups of water to a boil

add 8 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 a sauteed onion

2 large carrots coarsely chopped

6 garlic cloves crushed

2tsp salt

pepper to taste

Chinese red pepper sauce as much as you want ( i like it hot)

continue to boil for at least 45min

(the longer it boils the better stock)

while it is boiling

* brown tofu

*beat 2 eggs in separate container

* chop a 1/4 bunch of cilantro

take stock off the oven run through a cheese cloth and into another pot

save carrots discard the rest

put the remaining stock back on the stove

add in tofu

carrots

and cilantro

once stock is boiling

slowly pour in eggs mixture

the water will cook it upon entry

EAT UP

this meal was a big hit

some in the family added rice while eating

Tofu...what do i do with that

i always press my tofu

before I cook it

this way it holds up & doesn't crumble when stir fried or just browned

star by cutting strips

place strips in between napkins on a plate

place another plate on top

add cans from your pantry for weight

then I just leave it pressing on it every once and a while for about an hour

when it has been pressed you can cut into whatever sizes work best for what you are making

then brown in a bit of olive oil

{ did you know } Cooking Version

Milled flax seed may be used as a fat substitue in most recipes. Generally 3 Tbsp/ milled flax seed can replace 1Tbsp fat or oil. Likewise, 1 Tbsp. milled flax seed plus 3 Tbsp of water can replace 1 egg.

Don't give up if your results aren't perfect the first time

all you need is love

amid the ever worsening world

with it's pornography

less than chase standard

and simply amoral beliefs

I have been struck by the need I feel to keep my marriage 

healthy

physically speaking

regular dates with my husband are a must

but since we have moved away from family

& 

friends

who we allowed to watch our precious little ones

the need has arisen to be creative in our dating

here are some suggestions 

for

DATING IN

idea #1:

 Dine...in

 

get the kids REALLY tired during the day, parks, races, and with hold a nap if the need arises

make the kids a simple dinner

while cooking a Divine, delectable dinner for you and your spouse

put the kids to bed an hour early

and 

DINE IN

behave as you are on a date..no cells...no text...no email..no phone calls...no bills

idea #2

Dinner & a Movie

if you don't already have a TV in your room ( which is actually better for your marriage)

move on in for the evening

Do idea #1

except put a table cloth on you bed & eat while watching you favorite movie 

idea #3

Find the Element of Fun

you remember the song...in every job that must be done find the element of fun

and snap the job becomes a game

If you must iron for the next day

after the babes are sleeping

Iron in your skivies

this can maybe help set a mood......if not it can at least help you not to take your self so serious

idea #4

Couples Yoga

rent a couples yoga video or read a book

idea # 5

Spouse Book Club

have a book club for just the two of you

pick a book that both will enjoy

discuss it with each other weekly

idea #6

the note

write love notes and place in pockets of you husbands jacket/shirt/pants

Please add any suggestions you may have

Fool Me Once...

I enjoy a good read. A lot. I decided a couple of years ago that I would begin to read what most of the world deems "Classic" books. It went very well until I decided to read Jane Eyre, most of the world has already read it. Most of the world has it on their best loved books list on their blog, Facebook profile, or Match.com. Wonderful. I'll read it.

HOWEVER, first I read the introduction. By some fancy shmancy professor, I'm sure. I don't even recall. What I do remember is reading the first half of the book with such disdane for our heroine that I never finished it. It was ruined. Completely ruined. I won't spoil it for you by revealing what this imbosil felt for Ms. Eyre. Just know it wasn't good. I'll have to wait a few years and try again.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is next on my list. Opened the book, started reading. OOOOH buddy, you almost got me again Mr. Pompous, Know-It-All professor man. Who says you get to introduce (review), this book before I even know what it's about? I always thought an introduction would be an historical reference to the author and the subject. Maybe there are some out there, but you almost got me again, you sly little devil. As my daughter would say, "Mama, you're so silly." Since when did they start subjectively analyzing characters? Ickhh.

I'm no fancy professor lady, but I figure that if Ms. Bronte were alive she'd want us to read the words she placed on the pages of that book. She'd probably be really ticked off that some academic read into her characters like Dr. Laura.

RECIPE***TACOS****RECIPE

CELEBRATE COSTA RICA TACO's

mince 4 chicken thighs ( sub tofu, I would)

4 cloves of garlic

place in a frying pan with a little olive oil

when browned

add

minced black beans

minced garbanzo beans

minced spinach

and 

rice

very low heat

stir until its all cooked

add paprika just a bit

little salt

little pepper

place corn tortillas in a bit of olive oil

heat both sides

fill

and 

ENJOY !

Attenton Target Shoppers

I love finding a good deal at Target.

Shoes for $5, a necklace for $3, and jeans for $6! Well, I had been wondering what day was the best for finding those clearance items and my internet research informed me that most stores follow this simple mark-down schedule for clearance items:

Monday - Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, GiftWrap, etc.)
Tuesday - Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
Wednesday - Men's Clothing, Toys, Lawn & Garden, Health and Beauty
Thursday - House Ware, Lingerie, Sporting Goods, Shoes, Music / Movies, Books, Decor and Luggage
Friday - Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

Happy Shopping! Don't forget to share this secret with your friends.

attitude

"If you chance to meet a frown... do not let it stay..."

Our church's old nursery song teaches us that we can control our attitude.

I have a hard time going from grumpy Momzilla back to my regular self, but believing that I have control over my attitude is the first step. As Momzilla, my relationship with my family members suffers. I find myself yelling out commands left and right.

"Get that towel." "Come downstairs." "Leave me alone."

This negative attitude is usually contagious. Which is why we say:

If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Consequently, the reverse is true as well. Taking steps to see the good in myself, my family and my situation leads me back to my regular self. Want a list of simple ways to get rid of Momzilla?

• go for a walk. It increases oxygen to the brain and settles the mind.

• write down things you are grateful for. From the simple to the grand, you probably have a lot of things going right in your life.

• sing your favorite song. Church hymns can bring a great spirit into your day. If you don't sing well, hearing yourself will give you something to laugh at.

• focus on someone else. There are so many people in our lives that need our help. By simply putting our worries aside and doing good, we will feel better.

I know that this is not a cure-all for everyone, but it sure is a place to start when you are just having one of those days.

fashion......what's that

a friend asked me to post some fashion advice

I generaly don't buy anything "new" 

{I do most of my shopping at Goodwill or DI 

if you shop at second hand stores the thing to remember is don't buy it if it doesn't fit

pass it up if it too big or just doesn't lay right

you may have to look for a long time to get something great

I find the best stuff when I have gone searching for something else

just be flexible}

I have thought of some things that make me feel like am at least a little 

"with it"

For me the outfit that suits my day best is

Jeans & T-shirts

here are some hints that will make you look like you are not just a 

boring MOM

don't wear your hubbies shirts 

get shirts that fit you

those shirts you get for free you know the ones those make GREAT shopping bags

so don't wear them.....shop with them

I like to have a great pair of trouser jeans

these are not just comfortable they look like you thought about your outfit

get some great ballet flats 

get a couple of colors that maybe you wouldn't normally wear 

leave the sneakers/running shoes for the gym

you can wear any color flat with jeans and a white t

wear ballet flats every day if you must.....I do

I also buy a few accessories that go with the colors of my flats

go with = color that look great together not necessarily the same color

that way I can have an outfit put together in minutes

you can be wearing just jeans and  a t-shirt but it looks like a thought out outfit

It will help your mood as well as your day if you take the time to get ready in the morning.  Jump in the shower, use a little mascara & lip gloss, get ready for your day.

Even if you aren't going anywhere it will make you feel like you are worth while.

We want our kids to take care of themselves, so lets show the way

Wish I'd Known

5 cleaning tips I wish I'd known forever ago

1. to clean a microwave:

boil water in the microwave, then simply wipe it out

2. to keep mirrors from fogging

rub with shaving cream

3. keep laundry from piling up

do one small load each day, put yesterdays into dryer, and fold dried clothes

this way you don't feel overwhelmed

4. bed making

make your bed & have your children make their beds each morning as soon as they awake

this starts your day RIGHT

you & your children feel as though you have already accomplished something each time you see your beautifully made bed ( I promise just try it)

5. carpet

sprinkle baking soda on your carpet throughout your home before you vacuum

it really freshens up your carpet & vacuum

You are Cordially Invited

Honestly, my husband considers me somewhat of a sourpuss. I can see his point, also somewhat. Here's what I've decided. I haven't taken the time, in my past, to celebrate all of the little joys that make life good. My husband loves to take the kids to Cracker Barrel to eat just so he can buy them some type of super-fancy lollipop with a spinny-thing attached to the top when we walk out to pay the check. What do I do? Worry that they'll be spoiled or that it will result in another $2500 dentist bill. At one point I did take time to honestly ponder what I do celebrate. Birthdays, major holidays...hmmm, that's about it. There's nothing wrong with those well-thought-out, highly anticipated occasions, but my goodness, what we have to celebrate!

This month we'll highlight my baby daughters First Laugh with a feast. Who'd have thought? Well, the Navajos did and still do! What in the world is more reason to celebrate than a precious new child's first expression of the joy of being alive. Why didn't I think of that (don't answer that, Jason)?

My husband was raised in North Carolina. When our Church's Bi-annual General Conference is held, this joyous southern congregation finishes off the night in a celebration of faith, unity, and food glorious food. Hey, why didn't we think of that? We don't cook anything that could even compare to chicken and pastry, but heck, 7 layer dip and funeral potatoes are always good among friends, right?

It all boils down to gratitude. We celebrate when we recognize blessings or in dedication to someone or something special. Life is full of those things and those people, I'm tellin' you!

I have a goal to find at least 2 things a week to celebrate. Could be we celebrate the fact that I finally got to the yard work after an extended holiday followed by rain, so we pull out a blanket and have dinner in the yard-clipping-scented evening with a vista of trimmed plants and swept walks. Could be that my son remembered to throw his dirty socks down the stairs to the laundry (instead of putting them back in his drawer). We'll parade around the house singing his praises (I may even put a rag in everyone's hand so we can dust as we go).

My husband has taught me that it's the little things that build up to a wonderful life. So, you are cordially invited to stop and smell the grass clippings and show thanksgiving.

Welcome

Welcome to WIFERIE

this blog has been set aside for the uplifting of both wives & mothers

our group consist of

together we hope to inspire you to create, read, think, cook

There will be a different topic each day of the week

the topics will include:

Cooking & Recipes

Home Decor

Family Home Evening Ideas

Fashion Advice

Reading & Book Reviews

Positive Discipline

and

any other tidbits we find that may help you in your endeavor to be the best

Wife

& Mother

you can be

We have named this Blog wiferie because we believe being a wife is all encompassing.

Whether you are a wife or wife & mother

we have something here for you

"Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own." -- Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons