Whats Love got to do with it?

Remember Tina Turner's song "Whats love got to do with it"?Hubby and I are sitting here on our couch's looking a little well undone, in our sweat pants feeling a little larger than life right now and realizing, that love has everything to do with it. Love is commitment. He committed to the good the bad and well today the ugly, hahahha.
In all seriousness though the everyday life of marriage is not always the pretty little package you see on television. There are squabbles, arguments, good hair days, bad hair days and plain old life, sticking together can be tough and its all about love.

So Tina Turner was wrong, Love has everything to do with it.


Blessings dear readers, may you find that Love and commitment you deserve.

What it is I love to do

You may wonder what it is I love to do. Well its not cookin, no siree, cooking is not my favorite sport. Cooking makes you ugly I have decided, hahahah. My favorite thing to do is be Artsy Fartsy, otherwise known as Artistic. Whether it is sewing, painting, writing poetry or expressing myself through the use of varied media like pastels crafting is a wonderful way of expressing your own God given talent.
Everybody has talent even my sissy over at Leslie Loves veggies. She is bloggie fiend meaning she loves to blog. You can find her blogging away most hours of the day. You can find me painting, crafting, decorating and conjuring up stuff in my mind most hours of the day.

My newest toy is the cricut personal cutter, I cannot wait to figure this baby out. Well I have to get it out of the box first, then figue it out.

Well gotta run craft

"Walk like you have somewhere to Go" Book review by Lucille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal is a blessed man. He is not blessed because he is famous or even rich. He is blessed because he has a Godly Mama who loves the Lord.
Lucille O'Neal was a single Mother for some time, she tells her story of poverty and pain. The pain of explaining to her grandparents of her pregnancy with Shaquille. It was 1972, not a good time to be young and Black.
Lucille eloquently tells her journey of hope and faith. Lucille's own mom had various trials in her own life and subsequently divorced Lucille's dad.
The Book was a little bit difficult to get into I will admit. Some of the pages were quite dull, however the story is an inspiration. Lucille determined to make it in life and raise her kids, digs her heels in and does what she needs to do. You will be inspired and awed by her difficult journey and the ultimate story of success. She went through difficulties and the Lord has been glorified through them.
I would recommend this book.

Say Yes to cookies review and giveaway!!!

Yes! To Cookies

I am excited!!! This is big, really big. The inventor at "Yes to Cookies" has generously agreed to allow me to do a review and giveway for their cookies. These are not just any kind of cookie. This is a cookie that can be enjoyed, sans GUILT. Thats right folks, no guilt. There is zero gluten, zero sugar, zero starch. Now everybody can enjoy cookies. Diabetics don't need to worry about these cookies impacting blood sugar, if you have a sensitive tummy and cannot tolerate gluten you can enjoy these cookies. If you have autistic children and they need to avoid gluten, you can put these cookies on the menu. These cookies are a healthy addition to your diet. They are high in fiber and won't impact blood sugar and can even help you to lose weight. In fact the inventors of this cookie each lost 100 pounds while perfecting the " Yes to cookies" recipe.
These cookies are great for kids too, in fact they are perfect for the whole family. You can feel good giving your kids a healthy delicious alternative to calorie laden treats. Each serving of this great cookie has zero grams of starch, zero grams of sugar, zero net carbs, zero glycemic index.
One final thing- TASTE!!!! They are really delicious!!!!! You will have no problem serving these because they are simply delish! WINNER WILL GET ONE CONTAINER OF STRAWBERRY BANANNA BLITZ AND ONE CONTAINER OF COCOA-lICIOUS!!!! LUCKY WINNER GETS A TOTAL OF TWO CONTAINERS OF COOKIES, YUMMMMMMMMMMMM.




Contest will end on and is OPEN TO UNITED STATES RESIDENTS ONLY.
Rules for Contest -I am making this super easy so please follow all the rules.
1. Go visit
http://yestocookies.com/ and come back and post one thing you learned about yes to cookies
2.For extra entries follow me on Twitter
3. Facebook yes to cookies and become a fan
4.retweet this contest daily for one extra entry daily.
5.Follow Yestocookies for an additional entry.
6. Contest will end on Friday April 2nd
7. grab my button for an additional entry
PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL WITH YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN REACH YOU WHEN YOU WIN!!!!!!!

Beautiful Things Happen WHEN A WOMAN TRUSTS GOD by SHEILA WALSH

I was so blessed to have received this book. Apparently God knew it would speak to my heart and it did. Sheila Walsh's candid talk of how her life was in ruins and how the Lord took her step by step and restored her really touched me.She tells of how the Lord used the trials in her life to draw her closer to himself.
Sheila outlines in each chapter how God uses circumstances in the lives of Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Saul. She uses biblical truths and shows the reader how a seemingly chaotic situation can ultimately be used for God's glory. This is the story of her life but it also is a Bible study as well. She illustrates how pain works in the life of a believer, being used to prune and shape the believer, if she will choose to trust Him.
I highly recommend this book, it is doctrinally sound, beautifully written and is the story of how the Lord takes a broken woman and faithfully restores her for his own glory. I thought I was alone in my struggles and reading this book has reminded me to begin to trust God again. I firmly believe Sheila wrote this book for me and for every other woman who may be struggling. Included with this book is an in depth bible study which is suitable for individuals or small groups.

Sissys insomniac pillow torture

I grew up being a twin. It is who I am, it is "me". My twin and I are as different as night and day. Oh we do have similarities; we are both hysterically funny. Get us together and we are like Lucy and Ethel, the antics never cease. We can find humor in the dregs. Our humor has sustained us during the difficult times we both have experienced. In the next few weeks I will be tell ya'll about our various tales. While we are alike in our sense of humor we do have alot of differences.
The biggest differenece between us is our sleeping patterns, since day one my sissy has been a late night owl. Up past midnight since newborn and always looking for an adventure. Leave it to her to be shopping at walmart at 2 am. Thats a bunch of malarkey for me. I will NOT shop at walmart at 2 am, most likely I will be sleeping while she is wide awake. I am becoming a somewhat night owl. I can stay up if I force myself, and I MEAN FORCE myself. I was up till 3am only because I wanted to wait up for hubby to return from work so I could cook him breakfast. Well anyway, Sissys late night antics have irritated me since BIRTH.
Sissy and I grew up in a modest family, we were not rich we were not poor. We had just enough and I do praise God for that. One thing we did not have was our own beds till we were about 7. We had to share a double bed ( I believe it was a double bed, we were so small and the bed looked so big). Many of you might think how wonderful. It was torture for me, sheer unadulterated TORTURE. Yes folks, my sweet sissy over at http://www.leslielovesveggies.net/ tortured my heart out. Do you want to know how? It was her pillow antics, if you remember me saying she could stay up till wee hours of the morning, what does a 3 year old want at 3 am?? She wants a playmate. She wants some fun, some entertainment, and there was no TV back in those days to turn on to amuse her. What does an energetic little snot nosed 3 year old do, she turns the pillow into a human torture machine. She takes her chubby little paws and quickly slides them under my pillow continously all night. She wants to wake me up, she wants to play. Her hands goes under my pillow and her little fingers tap tap tap all night, BIDDING me to wake up and talk or play. I would beg, I would plead, I would cry please, please Sissy leave me alone I want to sleep.
Many times I had to wake up to appease this little monster. This went on year in and year out, day in and day out. Bedtime became a torture because Sissy had insomnia. Finally we got our own beds at about 7 and life was good, No more pillow torture.

Sissy if you are reading this, I am still waiting for revenge, ahhahahhahahah

Brain Thumping and squeezing.

I tell ya'll what, this adding buttons and bars to my blog is downright WELL dangerous.
I am about to have a brain attack, honestly this stuff is really, really brain teasing.
I consider myself a fairly, reasonably intelligent adult. I have just spent almost 6 hours on this blog and to tell ya the truth, I could not begin to even tell you what I have accomplished.

I have accomplished a brain attack today. These HTML codes are enough to wear a person slap out.
Somebody anybody, help.

Popcorn, popcorn, WHERE where is the popcorn

Okay heres a giveaway that this gal really wants to spout off about.

My sissy over at http://www.leslielovesveggies.net/ is hosting a giveaway.

Its a biggie, if you win you get your choice of flavors of popcorn to fill a 3.5 gallon tin.
Can you imagine??? Take a look at the flavors. I could not believe the choices
Here is the link to the giveaway
I am posting the link because it is simply a fabulous giveaway and you don't want to miss this.
http://www.leslielovesveggies.net/2010/02/popcorn-palace-35-gallon-create-your.html

Here are some of the flavors
Chocolate drizzle, cookies and cream, pecan praline, oh Yummmmmmmm

Go over and take a look and enter, you DON'T want to miss this one. I love to share and this is too good not to share

Momma, you were a piece of work

Frankly My dear I have had a very ,very stressful life, there is no doubt about it, but with the stress there have been some absolutley hysterical moments during those times. I have shared my life with my twin sister(shes calls us "womb mates".)
We have been the best of friends and the absolute worst of enemies. We have developed a friendship that has stood the test of time. No doubt because we had no choice, hahah.
Many of you know that my sissy and I were given the dubious task of taking care of my elderly mother till she passed away in 2007. Oh how we miss her and yet we look back on the shenanigans she pulled and they were hysterical. She pitted my sissy and I against each other for about 7 years and neither one of us was the wiser.
Honestly we were both dumb, dumb as dirt in this matter. She would get me aside and start nonchalantly talking about sissy and keep it up till my blood was boiling, then ever so sneaky this little chubby bandit would get my sissy aside and start talking smack about me. Sissys blood pressure would rise and she would either call me or we would see each other. Invariably my mom would come along for the ride as I went to my sisters house or she would eavesdrop on the conversation. It was not my intention to go over and pick a fight with her but sure enough, we would start the fisticuffs. While this was going on, where was our Mom? She was sitting at my sisters kitchen table, having her coffee quietly and dunking her glazed donut in the coffee, watching, silently watching.
Now mind you this went on for years. How could we not see that our sweet innocent little mother was stirring the pot????, hahahhaah, we were both so blinded toward our cute little old lady mama that neither of us could figure out this was her entertainment.
The Aha moment came from my brilliant sister ( she was ALWAYS much much smarter than me, I was the gorgeous one, she had the smarts, ahahha) About 6 months before my mother passed. The lightbulb went on and she saw what mommy was doing. We spoke and compared numerous years worth of notes, and realized what she had been doing. She needed the drama and craved it. Well once we found out what she was doing we confronted her. We told her we knew exactly what she had been up to and that we were no longer going to allow her to get away with this. I don't remember exactly what she said but it was something like you finally figured it out?
Mommy had gotten away with her shenanigans for about 7 years, undetected by either of us.

Mama Helen's famous Poundcake

I have been hungering for a pound cake for several days. My friend Sylvia at CHK network posted a black walnut pound cake that looked to die for, but I don't have any black walnuts or shortening so I decided to go through my recipes and I found one I had made several years back. It is just a classic pound cake, very simple not alot of ingredients and very very tasty, very rich though as it has real butter and eggs.

Hang on though, it has BUTTER in it, YUP REAL BUTTER, SHHHH DON'T TELL.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 CUPS BUTTER, ALLOW TO SOFTEN TO ROOM TEMP
• 3 CUPS WHITE SUGAR
• 6 EGGS
• 1 CUP MILK
• 3 1/2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
• 1 SLIGHTLY ROUNDED TSP SALT
• 3 TSP REAL VANILLA EXTRACT
  

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES,GREASE AND FLOUR 2 LOAF PANS. THOROUGHLY CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR TO A SOFT FLUFFY CONSISTENCY, AFTER SUGAR AND BUTTER IS COMBINED ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME, CONTINUE BEATING. IN ANOTHER BOWL COMBINE FLOUR AND SALT. SLOWLY COMBINE THE FLOUR INTO THE BUTTER, SUGAR AND EGG MIXTURE AND SLOWLY ADD THE MILK, ALTERNATING FLOUR AND MILK.
AFTER FLOUR IS COMBINED ADD THE VANILLA EXTRACT. POUR INTO GREASED AND FLOURED LOAF PAN, BAKE FOR APPROXIMATELY 55 MINUTES UNTIL KNIFE COMES OUT CLEAN.

Weebles and Thorns

I wonder as I sit here and listen to the state of the Union address will I ever feel better?

Depression has ripped my life apart, literally. I am left in tatters, physically and emotionally. My weight is up again ( perhaps due to the medications)

I just want to feel better, I want to be better. I woke up this morning and was literally a roly poly, yes I was a real life weeble. You remember the weebles wobble but they don't fall down? Well I am now a FULL BLOWN WEEBLE, YES I am a WEEBLE. These medications have just about done a number on me, but its not a number
10, hahahahha ( Remember Bo Derek from the movie 10?)


If you have Never had fibro you cannot possibly understand; that is a bad enough diagnosis but if you add to the mixture a recent nervous breakdown that makes it even better doesn't it? Throw in some depression and that really makes the mixture tasty. If I could pull myself up by my bootstraps I would but alas I can't even find my own bootstraps.

and Tomorrow is another day. I pray for strength and I wonder ( I am human) why was I not blessed like other ladies my age who don't have those malodies.
The apostle Paul had a thorn in his side and when it was never removed the Lord said to him My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

So perhaps that thorn is perfecting me for his glory? Couldn't the result of that thorn be prettier than a weeble? Well I guess we don't get to pick our own thorns.

Life is About Two Questions
Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Life boils down to two questions:

Should I get a dog?

Or should I have children?

Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom
I know you would never come back to this earth for your eyes have seen our Lord.
I miss you so much mom ,and everyday brings a new set of fresh tears. You would think after
three years it would not hurt so much. Remember when you said you wanted us to just miss you a little? I wish I could only miss you a little, it might not hurt so much.
Life goes on its true, I cannot stop the world from spinning, or keep the sun from shining.
But there are many days I just want to step off for a brief moment and see you, just to say Hello and give you a kiss.
I always thought I was old enough to lose my mother and that I had my time with her and it would all be okay. I was wrong. Your never ready to lose your precious mother.

OHHHHHH baby, Bananna pudding to make your mouth water

This is the bananna pudding to bring to all the summer barbecues, Heck its great in the winter too.

This is the Dish everyone will beg you for, but if your smart, well sharing is an option perhaps.

2 boxes instant vanilla pudding
1 box of vanilla wafers
1 large tub of cool whip
1 container of sour cream 16 oz
3-4 banannas

Mix up the vanilla pudding according to package directions, use a hand mixer. After throughly mixed add in the tub of cool whip and continue to mix on low speed, then add in the sour cream and continue to mix.

Once mixed Layer the cookies, pudding and bannanas.

Garnish with cookies around the outside of the bowl.

Trust me this recipe is AWESOME, easy wonderful and Delish

yum yum yum

I am trying out a new recipe that I got from a friend of mine. I had generously given her my famous Bananna pudding recipe ( well I really had to think hard before I gave it up ) But I did and now its payback time. I saw her post on her facebook that she was making this dish for her son and it sounded wonderful. I messaged her and asked her if she would share and she did.

It is for Potatoe and Peas, I am going to change it up just a wee tad and add some stewing beef to it.

POTATOE AND PEAS WITH BEEF


4 LARGE POTATOES, CUP UP INTO CHUNKS
2 CANS OF SWEET PEAS ( DO NOT DRAIN)
1 CAN OF EVAPORATED MILK
1 CUP OF 2 PERCENT MILK
1 CAN OF BUTTERMILK BISCUITS, CUP UP INTO SMALL CHUNKS
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE ( I THINK THE PEPPER IS MOST IMPORTANT HERE AS THE CANNED PEAS ARE LOADED WITH SALT)

Cut up the potatoes and put in large pot, cover with water
While the potatoes boil cook the stew beef in skillet with small amount of oil
when potatoes are done, do not drain, add the canned peas, add the evaporated milke and the 2 percent milk and the beef, bring to medium simmer and then add the cut up biscuits and cook till the biscuits are done.

I am crossing my fingers and hoping this is good, I will write more later and let ya all know if this is a hit or a flop, ahhahhaha

The steps of a good man

Oh how I love the song the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

SO this means that even though I may not know where I am going,my steps are being ordered by the Lord right now.

Thank you to God for his mercies, because frankly I don't always know where I am going.
Just like a proud daddy holds the hand of his tottering infant taking his first steps so My Lord will hold my hand while I teeter totter along too.

Kind of like the verse where it says 'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
I was meditating on this verse last night and thinking that it is not a floodlight but rather a small flashlight,and one step at a time is lit, not the entire length of the journey just one small step. I can take one small step at a time can you?

Summertime and Baked oatmeal

This past summer we drove up to Long Island. We had several things on our agenda to do. The first was go to the dreaded family wedding, okay you all KNOW exactly what I am talking about. The inevitable so and so is getting married and we HAVE to attend. We packed up and drove 18 long hours to get to the Island. Getting over the cross bronx, finding Brooklyn, looking at the dreary buildings we sure were glad we MOVED OUT, the graffiti alone is enough to bring you into a tailspin of depression. What are these people thinking? How can they LIVE in such a place.
Well this was our "vacation" ( if ya wanna call it that, cause lets face it, a family wedding is no vacaction) so we were determined to make the best of it.
Long Island is known for its beaches, its seafood, the north shore, the south shore and DINERS, yes folks ya got it right DINERS. Well in my mind I am on vacation and if foods a cookin, Helen's a lookin. So first and foremost on vacation to do list is drum roll please ...............
Diner. The second day into our beloved vacay I told hubby we were going to the Diner for breakfast. Yup its been awhile since my lips have been wrapped around a hot cuppa joe from the nearby diner and my tastebuds were ready. We showed up at the break of dawn and slid ourselves into the booth. I look at the menu and something called "BAKED OATMEAL" it sounded different, not something you would order in the summertime but I thought why not. I went ahead and gave my order to the gal. When this steaming bowl of brown yumm yumm arrived with its side of luscious warm cream, I grabbed my spoon, poured the cream on and began eating.
Never in my WILD imagination did I ever expect to experience this perfect combo of pure deliciousness to envelope my mouth. This bowl was chock full of toasty nuts, raisins, cranberries, oatmeal, just a variety of textures to tantalize me. Halfway into my gourmet feast the realization that this bliss would end hit me straight on. I thought I am going HOME in a few days. How in the world am I going to satisfy my new found craving for baked oatmeal. HEHEHHEHEHEHEHE I concocted my plan. I would call the waitress over and ask for it. She arrived at our table and I ever so sweetly began asking for the recipe. She said I'll see what my manager Joe has to say. She came back and said ( IMAGINE a GUM SMACKING YANKEE) Joe said to tell ya he's real sorry he can't give it out. Wait what do you mean he can't give it out, you mean HE'S not going to give it out. Okay folks although I have been southernized for over 11 years I still have enough yankee left to pull out all the stops, I said sweety go get Joe for me whileya? Joe comes over and I begin my best yet effort to finagle this recipe from him, I told him I don't even LIVE around here, I am not in competition with you , please please please can't you share? I batted my lashes and did my everloving best to get it. Do you think I succeeded?
Nope, I could not break Joe.
For the Last 7 months I have tried my best to do without that baked oatmeal. Finally I caved ,I had to at least try to replicate it. I searched high and low and remembered what that warm creamy bowl of deliciousness had in it and I finally found a recipe that I could tweak and here it is
HERE IS THIS BEAUTY
3 c rolled oats
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinammon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c milk
2 eggs
1/2 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c dried cranberries
1/2 raisin
1/2 c chopped pecans/

Mix all dry ingredients first, add eggs and butter and mix well. Spray a nonstick loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Serve hot with warm milk.

This is simply Delicious.

Oh don't ask how the wedding was, the oatmeal was much better

Test

test

Roadblocks of life

Throughout Life there are going to be roadblocks. This is inevitable. We cannot go through this life and expect every day will be full of roses. What we choose to do when these roadblocks come display our character. The last few months have been very difficult for me, the shadows are looming and darkness has been ever present in my life. BUT God knows this, he is ever present in the darkness with me. He has been holding my hand and enveloping me in his arms of love. He has made himself known through his word, through his people and through my family. These special friends have prayed for me when I could not pray for myself. The Lord has brought new people into my life and he is using me now for his honor and glory. Roadblocks are inevitable, right now I cannot jump over these roadblocks. I just cannot physically do it. But I can move this roadblock piece by piece with God's help and slowly get through it. Only the Lord knows why he allows trials to blanket us. This dark period has been difficult I am not going to lie. But after I emerge from this darkness the sunshine will be present and I pray I will be able to lift someone else up.