Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This recipe smells delicious while cooking all day long. I love to make homemade biscuits with it & have him in the evening after dinner. I store the leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge!

5 pounds Gala or Granny Smith Apples, peeled cored & quartered
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup orange juice or water
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground cloves
1 tbsp butter

{1} in a 5 quart slow cooker, combine apples, sugar, orange juice or water, cinnamon, & cloves. cook on low for 8 hours or until apples are very tender. drain well. cool. in the work bowl of a food processor , add apple mixture ; process until smooth or desired consistency. stir in butter. I haven't tried this in a mixture, but I think this will work too.  makes about 4 cups!

Banana Foster Fritters with Warm Banana Rum Sauce

One of my Husbands favorite desserts!!

1 (17.5oz) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped banana
1 tbsp banana liqueur (or banana extract can be substituted)
veggie oil for frying
warm banana rum sauce (recipe follows)

{1}  prepare cookie mix according to package directions, omitting butter. stir in egg, banana, & liqueur. Mix. (This is easier to mix up using a mixer)

{2}  in a heavy skillet, pour oil to depth of 1 inch. heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking. drop batter by tbsp into oil & fry each batch until golden brown. about 2 minutes. remove with slotted spoon, & drain on to paper towel. serve hot with sauce!

Warm Banana Rum Sauce:
5 tbsp of butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp banana liqueur (can be substituted as above)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp light rum (optional)

{1} In a saucepan, melt butter, add rest of ingredients until dissolved. keep warm.

This is a delicious & very simple recipe that looks & tastes delicious!!

In Regards To My "We're Expecting" Post

Just to clear up some confusion: Adam & I talked about it & we decided that it's best for me to stay home for now, & then I decided that's where Id like to stay. He was concerned about me working too hard or stressing out while being pregnant & brought up the fact that anytime I get a job (I usually work in childcare facilities) that I get reallyyy sick & that wasn't good for me right now. So I decided to nanny part time @ home. That way, I can still be @ home, have children in my home (which I love) & help out with any bills that I can. Im so happy that I prayed about it...I was feeling as though what I was doing wasnt enough. Just goes to show, God will always show you your path! I do enjoy working & making money to help my family out...but if I can do it at home, then that is where Id like to do it. Even in Proverbs 31 it says that the wife sees her trading is profitable! Therefore, I think if you can contribute in making money for your family through something that you can do at home, then by all means, go for it!

"Do you think your some kind of Stepford Wife or something?"

While speaking to a group of people recently about my beliefs on marriage & the roles of husband & wife someone asked me "so...what? do you think you're some kind of stepford wife or something?" I stopped talking for a moment & thought. Then, told them that I did not think that & that I believed that was a stereotype of stay-at-home wives & mothers that society has put in our minds. If a woman is happy at home & loves cooking, honoring her husband & keeping her home beautiful, she must be some kind of mindless robot. I let them know that I was certainly no robot! I had feelings, opinions of my own & I was intelligent & educated. That I believe in Gods word & the plan he set out for marriage. I told them that I was not a Stepford Wife...but rather a Proverbs 31 Wife. And that if they had a problem with how I conduct myself in my marriage, then their problem didn't lie with me, but with God.

That person didn't have much to say after that. Women who stay at home & are happy there, should not let others make them believe that they are less than "working" wives (quotes because a stay at home wife/mother work PLENTY!). I have felt before that I wasn't contributing like I should...I started praying about it, & asking God was He thought I should do. I started reading my Bible & I re-read Proverbs 31 & remembered that this is Gods plan. We are a shining light of traditional values in a dark world. And if my belief wasn't rooted in the Lord, then thats all they would be, traditions of another time. However, this is the blueprint that God has set out for marriage. If you walk with the King & follow his instructions, your marriaage will be blessed!! 

The Good Wifes Guide: 1955

I have found a few websites showing these "guidelines" in a condescending way that shows that whoever was contributing them didn't really care about the values that they stood for. Then I came across this one on a Christian Wife blog & decided to share them in my own. I think that these "guidelines" are a good way to show your appreciation to your husband when he gets home from a long, hard day at work. And knowing how hard my husband works, I want his home to be as comfortable & warm with love as possible! So here they are!

1. Take a look in the mirror  an hour before he gets home. Put yourself back together after your long day. An hour leaves time to hop in the shower if needed.
2. Go light on the perfume, but use sweet smelling soaps & lotions to not be overbearing ( this is a good rule of thumb in any situation! lol)
3. Put a little makeup on if you wear it before he comes home. You want to look refreshed & radiant not overdone!
4. Dress in feminine clothing. Get out of those sweatpants & oversized t-shirt & put on something that looks nice on you.
5. Have housework done when he comes home & try to have noisy appliances such as the dishwasher & washing machine off by the time he gets there.
6. Put aside your problems & be cheerful when he comes through the door. He is probably looking forward to seeing your smile, so give it to him!
7. Make sure the bedroom is neat. This is his haven & should be treated as such.
8. Ensure the TV is turned down so that your home is peaceful for his arrival.
9. Prepare dinner before he arrives-nothing like the smell of a homemade meal after a weary day.
10. Have pots & pans washed (or at least in the dishwasher) before dinner is served so that the kitchen is just as presentable as the meal.
11. If you have a problem that needs his tending, wait until after dinner.
12. Greet him @ the door with a hug & a kiss
13. Look at him while he is talking to you so that he knows you are listening. Put away the computer & end the phone call & texting.
14. Do your best to have the house picked up at all times (at least when he is there to see it!)
15. Dont be angry if he is working late-appreciate the long hours he is putting in for you.
16. Dont nag his bad habits, instead spend too much time refining your own so that you do not have time to criticize his.

The dishes will not be done every day, you will not look neat & put together every day. But greeting him at the door with a kiss & hug with flour all in your hair from cooking is just as endearing. The point is to show him that you love him. Treat him with respect & kindness. Show your husband every day that he means the world to you & your marriage will be blessed!

We're Expecting!!

Adam & I would like to officially announce that we are expecting a Lil Bean in June!!  We are so excited!  We have been talking about having babies for the past year now & now that we are pregnant we couldn't be happier. I am 12 weeks now, & my risk for anything happening has decreased dramatically so I figured it was safe to announce it. I have been incredibly sick however, pretty much the whole 3 months but Im feeling much better now. I have more energy & Im honestly bored with sitting at home. I have decided Im going to try getting a job to help Adam out. I can do my "nesting" on the weekends, & if I feel too overwhelmed, I can always decide to just stay home instead. However, the baby isnt here yet, and I WANT to work. There's only so much cleaning & cooking that can be done...then Im just sitting...or on Facebook...the rest of the day. I want to feel like Im contributing, & although Adam says I contribute plenty...I don't feel like I am. So I have decided to work until the baby comes & help save for our little bundle! I am def already showing which is both scary & exciting! Im in that awkward "is she fat or pregnant" stage. But soon enough I will be out of that, Im getting bigger every day!!!  Although I havent gained a single pound, everything must just be shifting. lol   But we are so excited, & God has blessed us so much. I have so many hopes & dreams for this child...this child could be anything & thats such an amazing thing to think about! I want to raise this baby with values, putting God first & more love then he/she knows what to do with
!

How I Organized My Grocery Bags

This worked out so well for all those grocery bags that I knew once I threw away...Id need. The objective: take your grocery bags & roll them together & put them into a container so they come out like wipes. Here's how:

What you will need:
-used coffee can
-used grocery bags

Step 1:  Take one grocery bag, and lay it flat on the floor & push all the air out. Fold it in half "hotdog style" & pull the handles to one side so they poke out. This will be your middle bag in your roll of "wipes" so you want to be able to see them poking out from the roll.

Step 2: Do the same with about 15 more bags-but you dont have to pull out the handles on these, just on the first one. Overlap the bags a bit so that when you roll them, they roll up together.

Step 3: Roll the bags from the first bag (the one with the handles out) to the last bag. Youre going to want your bag with the handles out in the middle.

Step 4: Place the rolled grocery bags inside a coffee can & cut an X in the lid. Pull the handles of the middle bag through the X.

Step 5: Peel off the paper & decorate as you wish!  Ta-Dahhh! Awesomness in a can!

You can also do a mini version of this one with an old wipes container to keep in your car!