Something New for Dinner

I finally made this recipe. It seems to be a favorite among big families and teenagers. We loved it.
Cheeseburger Soup

½ lb. Lean ground beef
4 C. diced potatoes
¾ C. chopped onion
¼ C. flour
¾ C. shredded carrots
8 ox. American cheese, cubed (2 C.)
¾ C. diced celery
1 ½ C. milk
1 tsp. Basil
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp. Dried parsley flakes
¼ to ½ tsp. Pepper
4 T. margarine, divided
¼ C. sour cream
3 C. chicken broth
In a 3-quart saucepan brown beef; drain and set aside. In same saucepan, sauté onion, carrots, celery basil and parsley in 1-tablespoon margarine until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining margarine. Add flour; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly, add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend sour cream into mixture.

Show and Tell Friday

It's Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's blog.

This week I have worked on a display of pictures in the stairway. I have never decorated this area of our home, so it was time. I got the picture/plaque for Christmas. I says, "All Because Two People Fell in Love." Then I placed family photos under it. Now I know why people put family pictures up the stairway or in the hallway. It is a joy to pass by these memories as I trudge up and down the stairs with laundry or the vacuum cleaner!

Hallelujah! It's a January Thaw!

The snowman disrobed.The snow fort walls caved in. 65 degree weather in New York. We're grilling out tonight!

We Were Just Going to Paint the Wall......

....but when we took down a piece of paneling, there was some nasty black glue that would not come down unless the wall came down. So......And while we're at it, we should go ahead and take down the closet too.....

...and look what was behind the paneling in the closet- pink flowered wallpaper covering up cowboys and horses. How sweet!!!!! Wrong. That's out of here too.
So far we have not found any hidden boxes full of cash or GE stocks. We'll let you know if we discover any treasure. If so, this house will be up for sale!

Would You Call This An Obsession?

We love tote bags and use them a lot! We have all 3 sizes from Land's End. The large ones are for overnight stays, homeschool conferences, book sales, co-op lessons and days at the lake. I own the middle-sized tote and Abby and I both have the smallest one. Abby uses her small tote a lot but it is just a little too small for me. My coupons fit in it just fine but it is too small for my Bible and notebook to take to church. I wanted something in between. So we made the switch to LLBean to buy the small tote with long handles. Four of them came in the mail today. They are just the right size for church items!

Yep, I think we're obsessed.

Happy New Year!!!

We had a nice evening with people at church on New Years Eve, with a meal, sharing time, dessert and games. Carissa and Abigail played piano pieces which we refer to as their winter recital. There was a fun group game of Pictionary and then a ROUSING game of Dutch Blitz. Due to being so wound up from Dutch Blitz, Tom and I actually stayed up until midnight!

New Years Day was truly beautiful. We had one of those snows with big flakes that stick to the trees. But the roads were clear and the family was able to get to Panera Bread and enjoy soup and sandwiches thanks to a gift card from a friend. Oh, and a trip to Michaels gave us an opportunity to pick up $1 scrapbooking clearance items. (Have I mentioned that the scrapbooking obsession continues?)

Later that evening after the family spent time in God's Word and in prayer, I was reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." This is the verse I will claim for the new year.