Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Today's Post is a bit random but it will hopefully help you to be better equipped when you cut your finger in the kitchen.

For many years I have kept a first aid kit in my car. It is not fancy and I did not run out and purchase one with all the bells and whistles, I mean, who needs snake bite stuff when you are driving down the freeway? My kit most likely should include more than what it has in it but for the most part it has the most important things in it. I use an empty baby wipes box, it is a good way to recycle. It is also sturdy and has a good latch on it. every so often I will restock and throw out the bad stuff.

Here is what I keep in my kit:

assorted size bandaids

gauze

an emergency blanket ( metallic foil one)

hand sanitizer

tampons

pads

antibiotic ointment

antidiahreal pills

benadryl

To explain the pads and tampons they are for major wounds, they are absorbent and would work better that a bandage, and I just don't wear anything that I think I would be able to tear a strip from to bind the would. This was also recommended when I took a CPR class.

The Antidiahreal pills have come in handy when someone in the car gets sick and we are on a road trip or on a long sunday drive. Benadryl is a no brainer for our family we all have some sort of allergy and it is just much better to have that on hand.

This is the photo of my kit not all there but most of it.

This is the kit I keep in my home. It has all the same basic stuff with a few minor differences. I do have antibiotic ointment in mine but it is not pictured. I also use a salve in my kit. It is Grampa's Salve and I know that you can find it online. I don't know where I purchased mine but it was the best thing I ever bought. My kids use it for every thing from chapped lips to splinters and blisters, my husband uses it on cuts and scrapes. It has wonderful all natural pain relievers in it (Birch bark extract). Also in my kit is the bee and wasp sting ease, peroxide, and some other pain relievers. I keep the kit in the linen closet. I am going to make a small one for my kitchen drawer, I am always cutting myself, and need a bandaid.

Now on to the kitchen...

2 weeks ago I made some homemade vanilla. It is very easy to make and I do it all the time.

you will need a clean bottle with a tight lid or a cork.

vodka

3-5 vanilla beans

Split the vanilla beans down the middle and drop into the bottle, pour in the vodka over the top with enough to cover them. Seal the bottle and give it a good shake. Next place the bottle in a nice dark cupboard and wait for it to steep about six weeks giving it a good shake once a week. And before you know it you will have premium homemade vanilla!
I found my vanilla beans at costco during Christmas. They were 10 for $11.99. That is a huge bargain! You can also get a really good deal on vanilla beans at penzy's spices. www.penzeys.com

They sell 15 madagascar or mexican vanilla beans for $28.65 or 3 vanilla beans for $7.25.

You can drop your split vanilla beans directly into the bottle of vodka to save time and transfer to another bottle for gift giving at a later date.

That's it for today.

So until next week blessing to all of you,

Sstacey

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Happy Wednesday!

Today I am sharing a recipe that I came up with to incorporate more healthy eating into our diets.

This recipe was something I just threw together at the last minute but we all loved it so I wrote it down. Then I went to my computer to check some emails etc... I found and email from Taste of Home and saw that they were looking for recipes that used spinach. SO I promptly sent in this recipe. It has been published in the Country Woman Magazine Feb/Mar 2010 issue.

Popeye Corn

1 pkg. frozen corn (16oz.)

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach

(thawed and squeezed dry)

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

In a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe dish, combine all ingredients.

Microwave uncovered, on high for 5 minutes. Stir; cook 2 -3 minutes

longer or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Each 2/3 cup serving has 138 calories, 6 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein.

You can really save yourself some fat and calories here

if you use light sour cream or plain lowfat yogurt.

I use plain yogurt interchangeably with sour cream.

Another way I have been getting my veggies in is to eat broccoli.

I steam it lightly and then I use a sprinkling of lemon juice

and a bit of Parmesan cheese. It is so yummy that sometimes

I find that it is all I want for my lunch.

This past weekend I participated at church in a program we call "Meals To Go".

About every 4-6 months we get together at the church in the kitchen and we prepare a ton of meals. They then go into the freezer portioned out so that they will feed a family of four. Any time there is a need for a meal whether it be some one is sick or has had surgery or a family member is in the hospital. Or frankly in this economy if they just plain old need a few meals to get them through the week. The meals are there in the freezer for the taking. The idea came about while we were struggling to figure out who would do the calling and organize some one to put a meal together and to deliver it to the family in need. It was not so much of a problem getting someone to do it but it was a struggle to get a meal prepared and have it to them at a decent time by the time most of our women got home from work.

So the brain storming began...

And before long we came up with the idea of having a cooking day and freezing the meals and having them available on an as needed basis.

We always make Homemade Chicken noodle soup. And I must say it is the best soup I have ever had. I think it is because we have so many beautiful loving women come by to stir the pot! Then we make 2 -3 other dishes. At first we were making lasagna. We soon realized that it was costly and very time consuming, then we decided to do a chicken and rice casserole that was a great choice. We have made meatloaf, we just mix it all up and throw the mixture in the individual meat loaf pans and freeze it. Then it can be baked fresh at home. We make Chili, and this time we decided to make Spaghetti and meatballs.

The spaghetti and meatballs was so easy. We prepared the noodles as usual, made a huge pot of marinara and used frozen meatballs. I am seriously thinking about doing some for my house and throwing them in the freezer for busy nights.

This past weekend was the best we have ever done. We feel like we were efficient and got a ton of meals made up. We started at 10 am and were done by 3 pm. Usually we are just dragging by the time we leave but this time we were feeling just fine.

The menu this time included chicken noodle soup, chili and spaghetti and meatballs.

we froze 19 spaghetti and meatball dinners,

15 bowls of chili

and 29 bowls of chicken noodle soup.

This is generally a womens event at church, however we had our first man join us this weekend and he said it was more fun than the men's breakfasts! We are starting to have more interest and we generally have about 10 women join us, for the day. I have to tell you it is more than just making meals for people in need it is a time to build relationships and get to know one another better. We have sooo much fun!

Well, I hope I have left you with a recipe to try and some inspiration this week.

Until next week, blessings to you and yours,

Stacey

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Today I will be sharing a recipe for

Turkey Tetrazzini

This is a something I was really craving and it was an easy casserole to make. I made it for Sunday lunch. I prepared it Saturday afternoon and then I pulled it out of the fridge to come to room temp before we left for church in the morning. I wanted it to heat through quickly when we got home!

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil (You can use vegetable oil if you want to)

6 stalks of celery diced

1 large onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 pkg. fettucini, linguini, or spaghetti noodles

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk

4 oz. cream cheese

2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used monterey Jack but parmesan would be delicious)

4 cups cooked chicken or turkey breast chopped

1 bag frozen peas and carrots thawed

2 cups bread crumbs

In a large pot bring some water to boil, stir in your noodles and cook until done. Drain, rinse, set aside. Mean while in a pan heat oil and stir in the celery, onion, and garlic, saute until tender.

set aside.

In the pot you used for the pasta, melt the butter stir in the flour and cook until browned. Stir in the broth, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Reduce the heat to low and Stir in the cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Melt completely. Stir in the chopped chicken or turkey and bag of peas and carrots. Turn off heat.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 375* F. Place a good layer of the cheesy mixture in the bottom of the dish, layer the pasta on top, and then cover in the remaining sauce.

NOTE:This made enough for me to use a 9x13 inch dish and a 9x9 inch dish.

Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.

I served this with a nice green salad. The kids loved it, the kids' friends loved it. Even the picky ones and my hubby loved it. IT WAS YUMMY! And a great way to use up left over chicken or turkey. I used turkey. Most of the recipes I came across used mushrooms but knowing that I was having guests I left out the mushrooms. People can be funny about mushrooms you know! Especially kids.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did and let me know if you decide to try it!

Until next week blessings to you and yours,

Stacey

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Hello Everyone!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Life has just barely started to slow down for us, Praise the Lord!

I have to tell you that through the busy season I have a few foods that I fall back on when I am in a hurry. The first is an incredibly tasty, hot sandwich. And it is super quick to make.

Hot Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich

8 oz. deli sliced roast beef

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French's French fried onions

hamburger buns

1. chop up the roast beef into small pieces, place in a bowl.

2. toss in the cheese and the onions

3. mix well.

4. microwave until the cheese is melted, you might need to stir half way through.

5. place a scoop of the mixture on a bun and serve immediately.

this will make about 4-6 sandwiches depending on the size.

I really like these with mustard!

I Have decided to go healthy!

The newest thing we are doing around the house is a lot of dried fruit! Cranberries, Figs, Apricots, served with cheese is a great snack. The kids love the figs and apricots as much as anything else and there is no prep involved. If you happen to have a WINCO foods near you they have a wonderful selection of these items as well as nuts.

We are also using a lot more WHOLE grains. I made up a large batch of waffles for the kids and put them in ziplock bags in the freezer. They can then get them out on their own and pop them in the toaster. What I did different this time was to mix in some 10 grain pancake mix with the regular. I did about a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture. The kids loved the flavor. I serve them with a little bit of buttermilk syrup and small dollop of low fat sour cream. I intend on eventually using 100%, 10 grain pancake mix. If you want to make French toast and freeze it that works just as well.

My crockpot is one of the best appliances I own! I make homemade refried beans, and then we use the beans to make burritos all week long. AND you absolutely can not beat the taste! If you are having a Mexican dinner and you want to impress your guests these are the beans you want to serve!

Refried BEANS

In a crock pot

place 2 cups of dried pinto beans that have been sorted and rinsed (this should take less than 5 minutes)

next you can add 1 onion rough chopped. you can add bacon if you want to, or left over ham.

Season with a little bit of garlic powder 1 tsp., 1tbsp. of salt, and I use the knorr brand tomato and chicken bullion 1/8 cup.

fill the crock pot with water and let cook on low for 6-8 hours.

THIS LAST STEP IS IMPORTANT!

during the last hour of cooking in a small frying pan or sauce pan, combine 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup flour and cook over medium heat until browned. Pour into the bean mixture and let thicken. (It will spatter a bit so stand back and stir it in right away. Make sure it is completely mixed in.)

I serve this with rice, or with a pork roast that I have cooked until it falls apart and we make it into tacos with corn tortillas and pineapple salsa.

If you decide to use corn tortillas they need to be softened with a bit of cooking spray on a griddle, over low heat. They only need to be heated for about 30 seconds.

If you ever have any questions about the items I have posted please feel free to contact me and I will make sure to answer your questions.

Well until next time,

I hope you all have a blessed Week!

Stacey

Nose in a Book Tuesday -

I've been wanting to read Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin ever since it was released in October, and I finally got a chance to read it at the end of November. One of the first things that drew me to the book was the cover--it's gorgeous. The story inside the book is beautiful as well.

When Harriet Sherwood finds herself cooling her heels in jail during Prohibition, she can't help but reflect on the time her Grandma Bebe landed in jail during her crusade for Temperance. Her Grandma Bebe had greatly influenced her life, and thinking about Grandma Bebe's stint in jail expands to explain how the events of her life got her in that position. In the process, Harriet retraces how her own quest to make a difference in the world put her behind bars. In the end, she understands that her grandmother's example is rooted in compassion for people as exemplified by God, an example she yearns to follow as well.

This was a very good book. I really liked Grandma Bebe's advice to Harriet: when you realize that your efforts to help yourself are only making matters worse, you need to call on the Lord for help. There was also a theme of understanding what your underlying motives are--are they for your own good, or are they for God's good? Grandma Bebe's life is full of purpose, but much of that purpose was influenced by a lot of hardship and sadness. One of the things I really liked about this book was that the characters were strong Christian women who ventured into volunteer work, reform organizations, and political activism to further what they felt was a call from God to help people. I also enjoyed the location (Pennsylvania) and time period (pre-Civil War through 1920) of the story. The organization of the story is unusual--it is told in a series of flashbacks--which can be confusing at times. But I still think it was pretty effective.

★★★★1/2  This was a really good read. I'm giving it 4.5 of 5 stars.

**This book was provided for review through the Bethany House Book Reviewers program.**

I hope you have a lovely Christmas this week!

Katy

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Hello ya'll,

I hope everyone is having a sweet Christmas season!

You all know It has been incredibly busy for me since October. However I see a light at the end of the tunnel! My husband and I just renewed our wedding vows on our 15th Anniversay. You can check out my personal blog for more details there.

www.holeykneesanddragonflies.blogspot.com

The week before that we had our church Christmas party. It was a blast! We had a sign up sheet for people to bring soups, chili, and stews. I believe we had 20 crockpots of food. I made 2 soups and they were both a huge hit. I have had so many requests for the recipes. Unfortunately I am a dump and pour kinda gal so alot of times my recipes are just expiramental creations. I am going to go ahead and try to put down the recipes here for you. I have tried to adjust all of the amounts, and I did fortunately write down everything I used in each soup.

so here goes

Butternut Squash Soup

8 cups winter squash ( butternut, banana, hubbard, pumpkin) peeled and cubed

2 cans chicken broth

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

1 onion diced

1 stick butter divided

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cup milk

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. sea salt

2 chicken bullion cubes

1/4 cup brown sugar

in the crock pot combine the squash, chicken broth, salt and pepper, cook on high 4 hours or until soft.

in a skillet saute the onion in 1/2 stick butter until browned.

next stir the onions into the squash and then start to puree the mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth. setting aside each batch into another bowl. When all of the squash is pureed put it back into the crockpot then stir in the remaining 1/2 stick of butter, sour cream, milk, nutmeg, sea salt, chicken bullion, and brown sugar.

Cook on high another hour or so.

serve hot.

My husband liked this soup and he is very picky!

I thought that it had the most comforting taste ever!

my kids refused to try it because they said it looked like baby food.

I had so many wonderful compliments on this from other people.

The other soup I want to share with you is

Sausage Tortellini Soup

1 pkg. frozen veggies (carrots, green beans and peas)

3 celery stalks diced

1 can tomato paste

2 tbsp. knorr brand tomato bullion with chicken flavor. (see note)

1 can diced tomatoes

water enough to fill up crock pot about 8 to 10 cups

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

sea salt to taste

1 pkg. frozen cheese tortellini, thawed

1 pkg. sausage links like brats etc. (I used cheesy italian sausages) sliced

In a crock pot place veggies, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato bullion, water italian seasonings, garlic, let cook on high 3-4 hours or until veggies are tender. 1 hour before serving pour in the thawed cheese tortellini, and the sliced sausages. let cook until tortellini is cooked through. Season with sea salt. serve immediately with French bread. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

*** Note: You can fry up ground italian sausage such as jimmy dean and add it at the last minute if desired. In place of the other sausage.

****Note: The knorr brand tomato bullion with chicken flavor is usually found in the mexican foods aisle. It is not spicy at all and does not contain chilie. It has a picture of a tomato and a chicken on it.

This soup had rave reviews!!! I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did.

So until next time blessings to you and yours!

I hope your CHRISTmas is Special, because of the ONE who we celebrate!

Stacey

Nose in a Book Tuesdays - The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann

I ordered The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann to review from Bethany House on accident, but I am SO glad I did! I picked it up the night before Thanksgiving and started reading, and was really pulled in by the story. I had to force myself to put it down that night, and then finished it on Thursday in the car on the way home from our Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws' house.

Carina Maria DiGratia ran away from her family and home in Sonoma, California, to heal her broken heart. She naively chooses Crystal, Colorado, a rough-and-tumble mining town, to start over. Her hopes for a new and better life are crushed by the reality of men hoping to strike it rich and women with few options. As she struggles to adjust to her new life, she also struggles with her relationship with God. Slowly she develops friendships and roots, but when increasing violence threatens the town she finds herself in a dangerous position that could help bring the violence to an end. In the end she learns that she must forgive and let go if she wants to move forward.

I absolutely loved this book. Carina is a spitfire--independent, funny, friendly, and with a quick temper. Just the kind of heroine I adore. The story is suspenseful and heartfelt. It is heartbreaking to watch Quillan, the freighter, work through the ghosts of his own past and his grudge with God while trying to stop the violence in town and deal with those who think he is the prime suspect. This is the first book in a series, so the story isn't really finished at the end of this book. There is still unfinished business for Carina and Quillan, which disappointed me. But this is an older series that is being reissued, so I don't have to wait for the next book to be published. I can just order it! And I will be ordering it--I just have to know what happens next!

★★★★★ This is one of my favorite books this year. I definitely recommend it. 5/5 stars.

**This book was provided for review through the Bethany House Book Reviewers program.**

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Time to catch up....

So much has happened in the last few weeks. It has been a really busy season for us and we are hoping that with Christmas right around the corner it will start to slow down.

I catered a wedding! It was a great success! Very stressful as there are soooomany details to be looked after. In all everything went very smoothly, and we pulled it off without a hitch. I had an organized team of 10 ladies to help me. It was a grueling 4 days. But I could not have done it

with out their hard work. I also catered the rehearsal dinner.

here is the menu for these 2 events

Rehearsal dinner:

Spaghetti marinara

Spaghetti sausage marinara

spaghetti Alfredo

grilled chicken

Caesar salad

garlic bread

Ice cream with hot fudge and a cookie

Reception:

appetizers~

mini pigs in blanket

cheese skewers

fruit skewers

shrimp cocktail

caprese sticks

baby dill pickles

mini quiches

Dinner buffet:

harvest salad with Dried cranberries, pears, candied pecans, and citrus vinaigrette

wild rice pilaf

roasted red potatoes with rosemary and olive oil

green beans with almonds and bacon

cider glazed pork medallions

chicken cordon bleu

bread rolls

herbed butter

cinnamon butter

Dessert buffet:

Brownie bites with butter cream icing

chocolate dipped strawberries

mini cheesecakes

fruit skewers

wedding cake

wedding favors:

my homemade peanut butter cups

Here is how to make the peanut butter cups they are super simple!

Use the mini cupcake liners, foil ones work great.

Although it takes a while to take them apart, so use the paper ones if you are in a hurry. In all this recipe is very quick and makes alot.

Put your liners on a cookie sheet, Set aside.

Take 2-3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips and put into a ziplock bag, quart size. Microwave for 1 minute. Squish. Microwave up to 1 more minute checking every 20 seconds until melted. Set aside.

Next fill a ziplock bag half full with creamy peanut butter. Microwave for 10 to 20 seconds until warm and gooey. Be careful it has a higher oil content and you can easily heat it way to hot in a very short amount of time. Set aside.

Next cut a small corner off of the chocolate and squeeze into the liners a small amount of chocolate, enough to cover the bottoms. After all of the bottoms of the liners are covered, set aside the chocolate.

Pick up your peanut butter. Cut off the tip of one corner and start to squeeze a mound of peanut butter into the paper liners. Not too much. After all of the liners have peanut butter, Set that aside.

Pick up the chocolate again. Make sure it is still warm and then cover the mound of peanut butter in chocolate.

Set the whole cookie tray into the fridge to cool, for 10 minutes.

Remove and let sit at room temp until completely hardened.

For extra pizazz you can get luster dust in your favorite color and with a soft brush dust the tops of the peanut butter cups. You might need to practice the technique a little but I assure you this is a super simple candy and you will get rave reviews.

Until next time, Blessings,

Stacey

Nose in a Book Tuesday: Holiday Slowdown

We're approaching the busy holiday season and for that reason we're all slowing down on posting. I'm planning to continue posting here, but probably not every week. I'm still posting over at A Few More Pages if you are interested in getting more frequent book news. My book blog is pretty eclectic and it doesn't focus on any one genre. But I am also a bit of a blog addict, and I love browsing through book blogs to see what others have been reading and enjoying. If you're interested in reading some book blogs that focus mostly on Christian fiction and non-fiction, I can recommend a few really great blogs that I enjoy:

Margaret at Creative Madness has a lovely blog where she posts reviews of all kinds of books in the Christian genre, as well as occasional product reviews.



Deena at A Peek at my Bookshelf is another greally great blogger that focuses mostly on Christian fiction and non-fiction, but she also has recommendations for secular adult and children's fiction that don't "have that 'ick' factor."

Deborah at Books, Movies, and Chinese Food reviews books and movies, but focuses mostly on Christian fiction, Young Adult, and chick lit. I discovered The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen through her blog.


One of my favorite things about Nora's blog, Finding Hope Through Fiction, is that it features interviews with authors as well as reviewing books and hosting book tours of new releases.


Those are just a few of the glorious blogs out there that bring inspirational Christian literature to the forefront. I hope you enjoy them!

I hope the coming weeks bring you joy and peace in the Lord, and that we all take the time to pause in the busy holiday rush to enjoy His blessings.

Katy

Stirrin' it up with Stacey

Hey y'all,

I will be taking a break this week and possibly next. I am in the thick of it with catering a wedding on the 21 of November. Things have gotten a bit crazy around here! I am trying to keep everything in order and posting a recipe at this point does not fit into the plans. When I next post it will be pics of the event I am catering. Last night I made over 200 peanut butter cups as favors for the wedding. I am also doing the rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow I will be boxing up all of those pb cups. I have a few more trays of pb cups to make.

So until next week I wish you all a very wonderful rest of the week and a blessed day!

Stacey

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

Well it's time to get your crockpot out and let it work for you!
Today I am going to post my Mother in-law's Beef Stroganoff. This is a tasty treat, and my kids absolutely love it. It is one of my most favorite comfort foods. The best part is, how easy it is to prepare!!!! That makes me happy.
I serve this with a green salad, and a loaf of french bread, and call it good. Prep time is less than 10 minutes in the morning, and then you have about 10-15 minutes of prep before serving.


Easy Beef Stroganoff
1 package beef stew meat (fresh or frozen)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper
8 oz. sour cream
egg noodles cooked


Turn crockpot on low setting if you will be gone all day and then load in the meat and soup, no need to stir....add about 1/2 cup water, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook all day long. Before serving cook egg noodles and drain, set aside. Stir sour cream into the mixture in the crockpot, serve over hot noodles.

Don't forget the salad and the french bread to round out this meal.
I love the rich wonderful taste this recipe delivers...perfect for a busy fall evening!
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stacey

Nose in a Book Tuesdays - The Centurion's Wife

This week, our nose is in biblical fiction. It has been a few years since I have read a book by Janette Oke or Davis Bunn, but I enjoyed the last books I read by them and hoped this joint effort by these two authors would be equally enjoyable.

The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke is a book of biblical fiction that takes place during the days and weeks following Jesus's crucifixion.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but once I realized who the characters in the story were, I became quite interested. Leah is the niece of Pontius Pilate, who is working as a servant in his household until he arranges a favorable marriage for her. She learns she is to be betrothed to a Roman centurion named Alban, a natural leader with strong ambitions. Alban also turns out to be the Roman soldier who had sought out Jesus to heal his dying servant (from Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10). I found these choices for main characters to be very creative and interesting.

After Jesus's crucifiction Pilate thought he had washed his hands of the whole affair. But when he learns that Jesus's grave has been unsealed and the body is missing, he begins to worry that the Jews are planning a revolt. He decides to use Alban, who has a good relationship with the Jews in the area, to try and find out what is going on, requiring him to learn what happened to Jesus's body before he can marry Leah. Leah is not thrilled about the idea of marrying, but she has little choice as Pilate chose to use her marriage to his advantage. Pilate's wife, Procula, is also worried about what the Jews are planning and sends Leah to find Jesus's disciples to try to learn what she can. So, both Leah and Alban are trying to learn the same information, unaware of what the other is doing until near the end of the book. In the process, they begin to question all they thought they knew and come to believe that what Jesus's followers are saying is true.

The book really impressed me. I was impressed with the creative storyline, even though I already knew the biblical version. I really enjoyed the imagery and descriptive talents of the authors. I often felt like I was right there, standing on the top of a hill with Alban, or browsing through the marketplace with Leah. I was moved to tears in a few places as the main characters came to realize what was going on, and to see them come to the same conclusion, regardless of the danger to themselves and their futures.

I thought it was interesting to see this time period and these events through the eyes of Romans. Things were turbulent and confusing, there were rumors and gossip flying around, and there were dangerous people trying to prevent the truth from getting out. It was also interesting to see the questions that Jesus's followers had during the time. They all agreed that He had risen, but they didn't quite understand what it meant or what they needed to do yet. It really was a fascinating time to read about. I am familiar with the biblical accounts of this time, but this book (even if it is fiction) gave me a bit of a better understanding of what people were like in that time. The book personalized the events for me, pushing me to consider what it might have been like for the people living through those events.

I enjoyed the book, and am glad it was my first experience with biblical fiction. The one drawback that I found was the existence several typographical errors in the book--errors that were a bit distracting. Hopefully they do a better job in editing the second book of the series, The Hidden Flame, which is set to be released January 1, 2010. I am looking forward to its release. The Centurion's Wife leaves the reader hanging, wondering what Alban's fate with Pilate will be. I expect that it will be explained in The Hidden Flame. This book gets 4.5 of 5 stars, losing half a star for lackluster editing.

Book Details:

Davis Bunn and Janette Oke. The Centurion's Wife. Bethany House Publishers, 2009. 378 pp. $13.99. ISBN 978-0-7642-0514-9

Until next week, many blessings to you and yours!

Katy

Fridays are for Families

FAMILY TIME THEME SONG IDEAS! Sit back and relax! Here are a handful of ideas to kick off the fun each Family time. You can either download the itune and sing along, memorize it and teach it to everyone to sing as a family band (rock on!) or maybe even play the video each time you celebrate your family time. However you choose to do it, just make sure you get out your singing voice and put on your dancing shoes!

Take some time to watch them all! I am sure there is one that will fit your FAMILY!

Family Song - Laurie Berkner Band


We are Family - Jordan Pruitt


Big House- Audio Adrenaline


Creed - Rich Mullins


Family Time - Ziggy Marley

Thursday Give Away!

This weeks give away is by BibBon! Yea! One lucky winner receives this Little Birds and Blossoms eye mask made out of Bamboo materials! Isn't that just the pictures of serenity?! Now I have to put in a plug that I use a mask by BibBon and cant sleep without it! There have been many nights when DH has helped me search for the missing mask looking in any corners one of our toddlers may have placed it. This isn't just because I feel its deeply important to sleep like absolute Diva (said in a low, slow, old time movie star voice), its also because its a must now that I am accustom to the deeper sleep I get when I wear mine.

Now, you may think eye masks aren't for you, I say give it a shot! You maybe surprised! . If you still think its not for you, why not enter the contest and win it to keep for that friend down the road who just had a baby, or surgery and needs to sleep during the day or with a light on at night? I'm telling you girls, if you don't fall in love with using it someone else you know will!

Little Birds and Blossoms eye mask made out of Bamboo INFO:

The top fabric is a stylish cotton print but the rest is bamboo! Made with 100% bamboo batting and Bamboo fabric plus 2 FULLY ADJUSTABLE straps this eye mask has it all! Measurements are 9" by 3 1/2" or 23cm by 10cm.

RULES - To enter please visit BibBon on Etsy at www.bibbon.etsy.com and come on back to Hey Rachie Kae! with a comment of your favorite item in her shop. Add your name, email address and blog address if you have one and you will be entered!

Why should you were a sleep mask? Sleep masks have been proven to improve quality of sleep, even cure some insomnia in some, the more light that is blocked (even from alarm clocks) the more melatonin your body will produce and amazingly studies show that women that sleep in darker states are less likely to develop certain cancers!

Stirrin' It Up With Stacey

I am back to stir somethin' up are y'all ready?

Today I decided to share some pics of the cookies, I just made for a bridal shower, that I helped to host last weekend. It was a lingerie shower and it was fabulous. My friend, the maid of honor, brought me some pics she found on a website and asked if we could recreate them. I said absolutely, and here is our version below. They were super simple to make, they just took a bit of time.

They are made using heart shaped cookies, decorated with a royal icing. Make sure you get some meringue powder at your local craft store before starting these cookies. It runs about $4 a can at Michael's. The icing recipes are included in the can. You will need powdered sugar and food coloring as well. I used the gel neon colors for these cookies. If you go to Sally beauty supply you can get the hair color applicator bottles for about $1.89 each. They have a fine tip for decorating your cookies. Some of the walmarts carry decorating bottles in the wilton section I saw them yesterday for $2/2 pack. Fill your bottles with icing and get ready to have some fun. If you use the meringue powder your icing will set up dry and hard so you can bag them up. add a sweet tag and use them as favors....

We had a blast making these cookies! When we handed them out the Ladies had just as much fun choosing the ones they wanted to take home. We even had a few of the ladies request to take a set to their husbands. Wouldn't that have been a sweet addition to someones lunch box? LOL!

I use this method for decorating all of our christmas cookies. You might want to try out a recipe for this kind of icing before you start on your cookies this year. Maybe practice for Thanksgiving, write some messages on some leaf shaped cookies or something along those lines. Practice getting your icing to the right consistency for flooding and outlining. Or something inbetween that you are comfortable with.

This is considered the cookie that started it all.... Last year my friend and I were making sugar cookies for Christmas and I came up with this design. After that it was nothing more than a friendly competion to see who could make the most outlandish design to impress the other! We had so much fun, and the memories I will cherish for a very long time.

The kids had a great time helping with these as well! The decorating bottles help to make this a very kid friendly project!!!!

The cookie above in the middle does not say "mercy" it says "merry" we just carried away with the tail on our "y". We still laugh about the cookie that says Mercy....

I hope you enjoy this project! Now get out there and make some memories!!!

Until next week,

Blessings to you and yours,

Stacey