I Surprised My Husband!

I started planning this months ago. His fortieth birthday was approaching and I wanted to throw a party. But honestly, the logistics of getting several people over to the house or another location without him knowing was going to be a real obstacle.

Then he suggested that we have a cook-out for friends around Memorial Day. He suggested! I all too willingly agreed! The very people I would have invited to a surprise party were invited to join us for burgers and hot dogs. And of course, I told them all this would also serve as a surprise party. Everyone delightedly joined in the fun!

There was a minor glitch when he walked in while we were decorating with black balloons and over-the-hill banners. But he hadn't seen the best part - the cake! Made by my friend Paige, it has a red Prevost bus on the front, the exact same bus hubby used to drive for our church! He was thrilled with it!


The way his face lit up when he saw the cake made my whole evening! I love that man and am so glad God's given him forty years on this earth, thirteen of them with me.

Easy Freezer Jam

I remember the days when my grandma canned homemade jams and jellies. She'd boil jars and lids, cook down the fruit, add sugar, and use wax to seal the jars. It was a long, long process. And a hot one, too! Her kitchen was not air-conditioned and the heat from the stove made it almost unbearable. But still I look back on those days fondly.

When Ball came out with their BPA-free freezer containers along with a recipe for no-cook jam, I was in heaven! It couldn't be easier now to get the goodness of homemade jam without sweltering in the kitchen. The most difficult part is hulling the strawberries. No kidding.

Here's what you need:

4 cups of crushed berries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 envelope of instant fruit pectin (sold right beside the containers)
5 (8 oz) freezer jars (or you could use glass jars that have been sterilized)

Mash up enough berries to equal four cups. You can make this chunky or smooth. I like mine a little chunky.


Mix the sugar and instant pectin together in a bowl.


Add the crushed berries and combine thoroughly.


Ladle the mixture into the jars, leaving a little room at the top.

Screw on the lids and you're done! Oh, don't forget to freeze. The jam will be good for up to three weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer. I wouldn't know, because it never lasts that long around my house, but that's what the back of the pectin package says.


I love how these jars stack up nicely. Save so much room in the freezer! And you can use this same recipe for any kind of soft, crushable fruit. I can't wait for peach season!

Strawberry Picking!

This is how I spent my morning - picking delectable, juicy strawberries! The Princess and Mr. Lego ate as many as they put in their buckets, I think. And we still ended up with three full buckets!

Freshly picked berries are so sweet and delicious. I'll be sharing some yummy recipes as I use up these wonderful red delights - strawberry cobbler, strawberry pie, and freezer jam, too!

I love this time of year!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up

We like cheeseburgers around here. Especially with bacon. Doesn't bacon make everything better? Except for your cholesterol! This recipe combines everything you like about cheeseburgers and wraps it up neatly into a yummy sandwich.

Here's what you need:

Dough for one pizza - I use my own homemade version or you could buy refrigerated dough like Pillsbury
1 lb ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
2 TBSP ketchup
1 teas prepared mustard
1 teas pickle relish
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 teas onion powder
1/2 teas garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the cooked beef or turkey with the ketchup, mustard, relish, bacon and seasonings.


Roll the pizza dough out onto a greased jelly roll pan. Spread the meat mixture over the dough, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.



Starting with a long side, roll the dough up, tucking the sides in as you go.


Pinch the seams closed. Carefully turn the entire roll over so the seam side is down.


Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


Slice diagonally into 8-10 slices.

Menu Plan May 22-28

We finished our fourth year of homeschooling last week and now it's on to a busy summer! We're going to kick it off by hosting a cook-out with friends on Saturday, kind of a pre-Memorial Day get together. Lots of grilling, laughing and enjoying each other's company!

Here's the plan for the week:

Sunday
Ham and white bean soup - recipe to come

Monday
Taco casserole, cheesy fiesta potatoes

Tuesday
Spaghetti, salad

Wednesday
Po-boy sandwiches, lemon pepper broccoli

Thursday
Indian butter chicken, rice

Friday
Chicken stuffed shells, mashed potatoes

Saturday
Cook out

Head over to Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Faith Renewed

I'm generally a cheerful person. Cup half full kind of gal. But last week was difficult for me. Just one thing after another.

My cousin lost her only child on Mother's Day and all week my heart was so burdened for her and her family. I just can't even imagine. Still I pray for her as she learns to cope with the unthinkable.

I received some other news I'm not at liberty to share. Though it wasn't unexpected - in fact, it was a relief in some ways - it still hurt my heart. I wondered why it had to be this way. And realized that maybe I'll never know.

Then Wednesday night I taught a lesson at our kids' Bible club and felt like I was hitting a brick wall with the kids. After the prayer and preparation I put into it, I felt like a failure.

What I really wanted to do was jump into bed and stay there, covers pulled up. Shut out the world and just cry. What I did was what I always do - get up, go about my daily tasks and paste a smile on my face.

Then on Sunday came a bigger blessing than I was expecting. A reminder of what I already knew to be true - God can do anything. His grace is amazing! One of the kids from Bible club who has given me a lot of trouble these last months (and specifically this past Wednesday) accepted Christ as his Savior!

I was humbled and rebuked by my lack of faith. But renewed at the same time. God took my discouragement and turned it in to joy. To Him be the glory! And I know that in these other situations that test my faith, He will prove Himself. Like He always does.

Menu Plan May 15-21

Another busy week is upon us. We're hoping to finish up our schoolwork, I'm administering achievement tests to the child of a friend, one of my old 7th grade classes graduates from high school and wants me to be there, and we're having a children's worker appreciation banquet at church! Whew! That's a lot going on!

I'm using my crockpot to relieve some of the stress, as well as relying on favorite recipes that I can throw together quickly.

Here's the plan:

Sunday
Honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday
Beef burritos (using leftover roast from last week), Mexican rice

Tuesday
Homemade pizza

Wednesday
Ham and white bean soup, homemade bread

Thursday
Bacon Cheeseburger roll-up, fries

Friday
Grilled chicken, mac and cheese

Saturday
Banquet at church

For more menu plan ideas, head over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.