The Things We Do When We Don't Have Time

Only four more days till company's coming (Hip hip hooray-I'm super excited) and I decide to make them some privacy curtains for my french doors which shows into our living room! No funny business while you are at my house :)


and put up some more curtains


and touch up paint the room where they will be staying


and make a goody basket for parent teacher conferences - to ensure that my gal gets all A's! Just kidding!Oh, and make some curtains for the bathroom. Yuck, it looks like camo in my bathroom-never mind the curtains. . . .how about table napkins.


I am getting ready to head out the door for our Ladies Retreat for my church. I am in charge of food. . .yikes. . .and decor so I better hop off and cook! :) and go to Wal Mart! Happy Weekend to everyone.

Awesome Opportunity and Almost FREE Rent!!

Now I know this post is a little out of the ordinary, but let me tell you it REALLY WORKED for My Prince and me!!! In 2003, my kids were one and three. My husband was a youth pastor for a small church when he really "felt called" to go to seminary (through some hard stuff) and get his Masters of Theology. He had been taking online classes through a seminary, but he really thought that we needed to move in closer to a seminary to just buckle down and get through it.

No, I did not agree initially, but God can work miracles, you know. It was approximately one month until classes started when we decided to move and we had just bought our first house the previous year and both of our families lived very near (and I am a momma's girl). Ugh! Ok, Lord what are we going to do?

Prince JM started talking to people he knew who went to the seminary that he chose and someone mentioned a thing called CARES. The guy that Prince JM talked with said that CARES Teams were like event coordinators who built relationships with the residents as well as planned events to get the community together. You can imagine that we had a lot of opportunity to love on the residents as well as our neighbors. We did have to pay a $250 CARES fee, but that was it! They supplied a two bedroom, two bath apartment in return for our service there. So we applied and got accepted and it was one of the best experiences we have ever had. We served as a "CARES Team" for almost three years and now Prince JM is a pastor at a small church in Arkansas. We still have pancake breakfasts in honor of our time there flipping pancakes.

Let me tell you, if you are interested in serving the Lord in an apartment (i.e. moving) and you have a few hospitality/administrative skills then this is the thing for you. It is awesome. Email me or check out their website if you have questions.

I do have to say that I work for them as an admin/applications gal, but I felt like this was a little secret that needed to be shared. It is in nine major cities and you might just move to one of them one day so you need to know about this. Also, I do not get a "bonus" for this, but I just love CARES! Had to share! Hope this is a blessing to you or someone you know.

To ck out more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

Tackle It Tuesday

I had a little motivation other than wanting to get organized! :( My motivation was a little black bug that I kept finding in my cupboards. I guess they were wanting me to clean things up a bit! They kept running around saying, "Use high powered cleaner on me and kill me!" Ok, so maybe not. I found the source, the organic flour that I was always too scared to use in my recipes. Make sure you check out the link if you see the pests wandering around your cabinets.

The Before:

The After:

Check out Tackle It Tuesday if you are looking for inspiration to tackle the jobs around your house. Or you can just invite some bugs into your cupboards!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, Monday Monday. . . here it comes faster than you ever expect it. My house is still a wreck and there are plenty of thing that I have not accomplished as a Motivated Mom, but I will not have an unplanned Menu of Eats for the Week! No way, no how!

So here she blows:

Sunday: We had taco salad after church and this wonderful dip that we have been making for several years. Some call it "Texas Trash" which I take offense to since I lived there for a couple of years! But here is the pic and the recipe. Every place that my Prince and I have taken this to makes us their "Instant Recipe Winners for the Day!" If you want to be an instant recipe winner then take this to the next event. The both healthy and tasty ingredients are as follows (from Southern Living Ultimate Cookbook- a few ingredients we always add ourselves)

1 can rotel
1 avocado (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (toasted)
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 red onion (minced, 1 c)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup parsley (optional, really)
1/3 cup lime juice (have substituted with lemon or without)
1/4 lime juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Cover and store tight in fridge for up to 1 week.

Now this dip is the best with chips or on chicken quesadillas or even egg burritos! Yummo!

Monday: Chicken Quesadillas with Black Bean Salsa or "Texas Trash" if you are not worried about being pc.

Tuesday: Chili in the crockpot, crackers and cheese

Wednesday: Pancakes, Bacon

Thursday: Normal Chicken (one thing that might be normal in our house :) ), Saffron Rice and Broccoli

Friday: Spaghetti (Dad knows how to cook this. . . I am going to a Ladies Retreat)

I'm in charge of food at the Ladies Retreat. . .we are having hot soup/Salad/bread

Saturday: Sandwiches. . .I'm going to be tired and already picking up these ingredients for lunch for the ladies retreat

Pancakes and sausage for the ladies with blueberries or chocolate chips as ingredients! Yay!

Sunday: Taco Salad-I know again, but it was such a hit today with my fam!
"Preparing for the Holidays Baking":

Pumpkin pie to freeze
crock pot candy-possibly making for the retreat and for Christmas gifts
peppermint chocolate and candy
Pumpkin Roll
Chocolate Revel Bars

Update from Last Week's Menu Plan Monday: Everything I made last week was fabulous. I especially loved the Monterey Chicken. We had saffron rice and green beans with brown sugar and worstershire. My whole family loved it and I think my Prince was especially delighted to come home to this dinner after a hard week of work. Enjoy your week's worth of Cooking with Love!