Please Pray...

The huge tornadoes that have swept across Alabama have left many people homeless, and grieving for loved ones.
Please pray for all who are affected by these tornadoes, including the Crawford and Lee family's.

Bria Crawford's blog.

and

Mrs. Crawford's blog.

I thought this was a great post...

By Miss Jen, From Blessed Femina

LOVE...

"Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, so I can understand all mysteries and have all knowledge, and thought I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not; Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in apart.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with.
When I was a child, I spake like a child, I understood like a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is Charity."
~1 Corinthians 13~

Happy birthday Tori and Andrew!!!

Happy birthday to my Sweet Sister who turned nine today, and to my Little Brother, who turned four on the last of September!
Things have been a little busy lately, since my loved Grandpa's death, but I still want to say, I wouldn't give you away for anything in the world!!!
I love you Tori!!!
I love you Andrew!!!

Happy birthday, Abbi!!!

Dear Abbi,
You are such a Joy! Since the day we found out about you, on that Christmas almost three years ago, I have loved you. When I first saw you, I couldn't believe you were ours... our very own, right here. The only disappointment at your birth was that you came three days after Mommy and Daddy's birthday instead of on their birthday!
I love the way you snuggle up to me at night, crying if I ever dare try to make you stay on your side of the bed.
I love the way your hair took so long to grow at all, and now it is growing more in a month then it did for the first 18 months of your life. The wait makes it even more enjoyable to work with now.
I love the way that you sing, even though you can only say five words letter-perfect (Oh, and "want copy" is too cute.*)
Abbi, we love you! I can't wait to see the great things you will do for the LORD. Happy 2nd Birthday!!!
Love,
Sister Bri
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*(Don't know what "copy" is? Mommy let her taste coffee. Now she knows that it tastes good. Oops!)

You might come from a big family if...

1. ... Your Mother knows that your 2-year old sister ate watermelon and brownies by looking at the kiss marks on your head.


2. ... You want a big family yourself.


3. ... You can't believe that people buy that small of a jar of something.


4. ... You don't know why someone wants a two seat car. (From Tori.)


5. ... Every time the Baby isn't eating Mother loses her to the arms of a child.


6. ... Children out number the grown-ups 3 to 1.


7. ... You use a whole loaf of bread at one meal.


8. ... You make 24 cookies and they are gone in two days.


9. ... You don't need to invite any friends to you birthday party, you have so many people there already.


10. ... You meet a little boy and he goes "No way! We have three, but this many...WOW!!" In an awed tone ;).


11. ... Making a casserole is quicker then making sandwiches. (From Mother.)

~ Have Fun!

Books

Do any of you remember the post I had of the books I was going to write? Well, most of those did not work, but I am trying to get a few more started. "The Fruit of the Spirit Is.." series, a nine book series, and the "Dillons". I do plan to keep working on the 'My Knifty Knitter Lessons' book though!

"What's for lunch? We have bananas..."

Bethi:" So we can have 'nana bread?!".
Me: "Sure. If Mom says so."
Bethi: "Yummy!!!"
Me:"Can I make banana bread Mom?" "Sure."

Off the little one runs to tell the others and I have to fly around the kitchen for about twenty minutes. I just made this recipe for lunch last week:
Banana Bread
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Half a cup butter
One cup sugar
Two eggs
Two bananas
Two cups flour
One teaspoon baking soda
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Preheat  oven to 350 degrees.
Soften butter.
Beat butter and the sugar together.
Beat in eggs.
Beat bananas until light and fluffy.
Mix together flour and baking soda.
Put all mixtures together.
Bake for an hour.
Enjoy!
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This is a good breakfast, lunch or snack!

O.k., who votes that I don't make Maple Twist again?

First, one time when I was helping Mommy make this yummy breakfast treat, Mommy went to do something and I got bored of waiting. Mommy was surprised when she came and found a pan of circles! These should be a circle in the middle and triangular twisty things around . That's one circle in the middle. Not all over the pan.
Then, one day I made them myself. I put in vanilla. Not maple. This recipe calls for maple. Oh well just add maple and see what it does. It's tradition now. Daddy couldn't tell the difference, so now every Fathers Day I make the *Maple* Twists- with vanilla.
Then- the day before Thanksgiving- I did it again. I didn't mean to. But I put the oven 100 degrees higher than it needed!
That's it. If mom wants me to make them again then I need to do it the day before I should need to start them.
Here's the recipe. And don't think that no mistakes can happen.

Maple Nut Coffee Twist
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Dough:

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 egg
2 3/4 to 3 cups flour*
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast





*Self-rising flour is NOT recommended
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Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
1 1/2 cinnamon
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Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
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In the order above, put the ingredients in the bread maker, on the dough setting.
When the cycle is almost done, mix filling together.
Take the dough out and dump on a floured area.
Divide into three balls.
Roll one out, spread melted butter on top, and then sprinkle a 1/4 of a cup of the mixture on top.
Repeat, putting all the extra mixture on the last time.
Let rise 30 to 40 minutes.
Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes while you make the Glaze (just beat glaze ingredients together)
Spread glaze on Maple twist.

Three recipes in one!

We have found the perfect recipe for pizza - or three recipes - or four... Just three of them get used at one time though! Pizza is Tori's favorite food so that is what she wants for supper....and lunch.....if we ever have it for breakfast  then we will never have a break  from Tori's answer of, "ummmmmmmmmm..... pizza " when we ask what she would like to eat. "We'll see" says whoever asked in the first place. "What do you want to watch tonight?"  "Anne"." What do you want to play tonight?"  "Candy land." We've stopped asking her except when we want those things! So we have pizza a lot and I've learned the recipe all the way. Can come in handy when you can't  find the recipe (like the time we lost it at Granny's. We found it the next day...........in my sister's play pizza kit! The crust is one recipe, the first sauce recipe is my Aunt's, the second sauce recipe is mine, and the topping is from a different recipe. Here it is:

Three Recipe Pizza!
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Butter
One tablespoons corn meal
One cup warm water
One tablespoon yeast
One teaspoon sugar
One teaspoon salt
Two tablespoons oil
Two and a half cups flour
A  cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes*
Half a teaspoon oregano *
Half a teaspoon basil *
Forth Teaspoon garlic powder*
1/8 teaspoon pepper*
Half a block sharp cheese
Half a block mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Two tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Forth teaspoon oregano
1/8 Teaspoon basil
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Butter a pizza pan and dust it with cornmeal.**
Dissolve yeast in water and add sugar.
Add the salt, oil and flour.
Dump on a floured surface.
Knead for five minutes.
Roll out to fit your pan.
Put on pan.
Mix sauce,oregano,basil,garlic powder, and pepper together.
Spread on pizza.
Grate cheeses and sprinkle over the top.
Put on pepperoni.
Mix last three things.
Sprinkle on Pizza.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
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*You could also use this recipe:

1/2 Teaspoon basil
1/4 Teaspoon oregano
1/8 Teaspoon pepper
1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

Mix and spread!
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**This recipe can make one small and one medium pizza without doubling though you must double the sauce and topping.
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And here you have Three Recipe Pizza!