Smore's Snack Mix

I found a wonderful little snack recipe on the internet the other day, so had to share it with everyone. Smore's is known as a tasty summer treat, but with Smore's snack mix you can get that same tasty treat any time of the year. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

4 cups of golden grahams cereal
3 cups of mini marshmellows
1 cup of milk choc. chips

Directions

In large bowl, combine cereal and marshmallows; toss to mix. Spread mixture on sheet of waxed paper.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips on Medium (50%) 1 minute. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. If needed, microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer on Medium.

Using spoon or fork, drizzle melted chocolate over cereal-marshmallow mixture. Let stand about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

 

Notes: If you don't want to melt down the choc. chips just mix the unmelted chips in with the marshmellows and cereal. Make sure to store in an airtight container so that the marshmellows don't get hard. This is a very simple snack mix to make and the kids will love it.

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 frozen veggies
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of milk
• small bag of tater tots
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar

Instructions

1. Brown the hamburger and boil frozen veggies until done. Drain both and set aside.
2. Dump can of cream of mushroom soup in a large mixing bowl and fill the soup can with milk and dump the milk in the bowl too. Mix well.
3. Add the meat and veggies to the bowl of cream of mushroom soup. Mix well.
4. Dump the mixture into a large baking pan.
5. Top with a single layer of tater tots. Put in oven and cook at 425* for 25-35 minutes or until the tater tots are a golden brown.
6. Take out and top casserole with shredded cheddar. Place back in oven at 425* for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Notes: You can use any kind of frozen veggies, cheese, ground meat, or condensed soup that you like. Dinner rolls go great with this meal. I had to double the recipe because I have a larger family.

End of October, Beginning of November

I haven't done a post on here in over a month so I thought that I would share what I have been doing lately. I'm going to start with Halloween. The night before Halloween we carved the huge pumpkins that we had bought from Walmart. I cleaned them out and Glenn did the carving. The pumpkins turned out pretty good. The kids had a blast on Halloween. We went to Glenn's dad's house and ate supper, got the kiddos ready, and took them trick or treating. Brendan was a dragon, Landon was a skeleton, Brianne was a witch, and Hailey was the wicked queen from Snow White.

Glenn and I applied for early voting this year. We filled out the cards and sent them in and then got our ballots in the mail. We filled them out, but instead of mailing them we took them in just to make sure they didn't get lost any where. We are Democrats living in a Republican state so we don't really trust people. Both of us vote to re-elect Barack Obama as President, Joe Biden for Vice President, and Bob Kerrey to replace Ben Nelson in the Senate. Bob Kerrey lost to a Teabagger named Deb Fischer who I believe to be looney tunes. Obama & Biden did win and will remain President & Vice President and I was super thrilled that they had won that I posted a ton of posts about it for several days on facebook. I lost about 15 or more facebook friends, but also made some new ones. Politics seems to bring out the crazy in some people.

 

 

I've been trying to get some of my Twisted Witches items sold. I have my website up and running again and I have about 2/3 of my products posted on there. Things are going very slow. I've hardly sold anything and there are days were I want to break down and cry, because I feel like a failure. I just need to remember that everything is not going to be sold over night and it's going to take a while to spread the word about my business. I would like to get more products to sell, but I have to sell some of the stuff that I have so that I can have money to order more items. Holding out hope because I really want this to work. http://www.twistedwitches.com/

 

This week we had to go to parent/teacher conferences. McPhee was also having their book fair. I walked around the school with the kiddos to visit all their teachers. Hailey is doing really good. Brianne is doing well, but still having trouble with spelling and reading. I have to take here in and get her checked for epilepsy. She's showing signs of having mini seizures. We are having problems with her lying and stealing like most ADHD kids do. Landon is doing better this year, but never wants to do his homework. He's still struggling with his speech and following directions. Brendan is doing pretty good in preschool. He's not used to going to school so sometimes he doesn't want to participate in learning activities. He's getting better though, but he also has a speech problem, but not nearly as bad as Landon's. All the kiddos are amazing at Math, so that's awesome. After visiting with the teachers we went to the library and let each of the kiddos pick out a book and pencil. I saw a book that I might like so got myself one as well. When I paid for the books I got $5.05 back in change which I donated to the library to help raise money for new books.

 





October Update!

I've been busy lately. It's an election year so I've been busy with that. I can't wait until the election and yes I will be voting for Obama again. Things have been going well for President Obama and I believe he will be re-elected despite a rough first debate. He doing very well in the polls and Mitt Romney may have taken charge in the first debate, but he hung himself with his own lies. I never set out to dislike Romney so much! However, as time has gone by, the more he talks the more I can't stand him. Obama/Biden 2012!

I've been busy doing stuff around the house. We fixed up a bunch of things around the house and have been boxing up clothes and stuff that we don't need. I'm hoping that we can have a yard sale soon. We need the money really bad. Glenn missed 1 1/2 weeks of work when he had an infection in his leg and he missed all this week due to a lack of work to do. So now we are broke, behind on a few bills and we still haven't had a party for our boys whose birthdays were on September 15th & September 25th. It breaks my heart that we have nothing to give them. I'm going to buy them stuff they need when Glenn gets back to work and we still can have a party for them. Just going to take another week or two.

Times are tough and I'm trying to get some of my products sold, but it's difficult trying to do this on facebook. I need to get my website back up and running, so that people can order from my site. I've made a few sales, but need a lot more especially now. Glenn is going to start looking for more work tomorrow and I hope he finds something, because we are in a tough spot right now. I made up some more soaps and I have to get them bagged up and labeled than they will be ready to go. The soaps I made are in Fall scents. They smell amazing. I have talked to Glenn about putting some products out for the garage/yard sale and to see if we can sell some stuff. It's hard watching facebook friends selling out of items they have made while you have only made a few sales. It sucks and at times I just want to give up and break down and cry. I'm just starting out so I'm sticking with it and hopefully things will turn around for me.

Samhain is coming up at the end of the month. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. I know that I need to get back into doing some witchy things. I'm actually thinking about having a Dead Dinner, but I'm not sure. I do know I'm going to burn some candles for friends and family that I and my hubby have lost. There has been a lot of death in both families and a few we are still trying to deal with, so I think it's important to do something in their memory. Going to take my kiddos Trick or Treating and I'm hoping we can come up with some costumes before then.

The kiddos are doing well in school. The governor of Nebraska's wife, Sally, went to my children's school today and read them all a book. Each child got a copy of the book, so now we have 4 of the same book. It was great of her to take time to visit the kids, talk to them, and read to them. She's a smart and wonderful woman, but I can't stand her hubby because he has bigoted conservative views. My kiddos said they had a great time and enjoyed talking to her and hearing her read and that's all that matters.

I know I've taken several weeks off from blogging, but there are many more blog posts to come in the next few weeks.

Democratic National Convention

This week is the Democratic National Convention. Yay! I'm a Progressive Democrat so this is a big deal to me. I watched the speeches for the first night of the convention and it was amazing. The speakers laid out a great case to re-elect President Obama. They also let everyone know the difference between the parties and candidates. Lilly Ledbetter spoke about her struggle to help all women get fair and equal pay. She spoke about how the first bill President Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I found her speech very moving. You can read her speech at the following link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/lilly-ledbetter-speech-text_n_1852687.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro gave a speech that highlighted his mother's struggle working low paying jobs while raising two boys. He spoke about his mother and grandmother being immigrants and the struggles they went through. He was introduced by his brother Joaquin, who is running for congress. His speech was heartwarming and he thanked his mother for her love and hard work raising him. You can read  his speech at the following link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/julian-castro-convention-speech_n_1856340.html

Harry Reid's speech was more about policy and why Mitt Romney would not make a good president and why we should re-elect Barack Obama. He also hit Romney on his taxes again.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dnc-2012-senator-harry-reids-speech-to-democratic-convention-full-speech/2012/09/04/69571634-f6f2-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_story.html

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley speech was about Maryland and some of the states history. He spoke about jobs and how President Obama is moving our country forward. Read his speech at the following link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dnc-2012-maryland-governor-martin-omalleys-speech-full-text/2012/09/04/71a527a8-f6f8-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_story.html

Another truly amazing speech was given by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. His speech included Romney's failed policies while governor of the dame state. He told of his policies that turned the state around.He spoke about how Barack Obama helped his state and how Democrats need to grow a backbone and stand up for what they believe in. It was truly an amazing and motivating speech. Read his speech at the following link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/deval-patrick-speech-text_n_1852774.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

The highlight of the night was First Lady Michelle Obama's speech. It was so heart warming and moving that I cried listening to her talk about her family. Her drees was beautiful too. She talked about her life, being a mother, and being first lady. She spoke about how the last few years have changed her and her husband's lives. Our first lady spoke of her husband quite a bit and the tough choices he has to make as President of the United States. She also talked about military families. You can read her amazing speech at the following link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/09/04/dnc-2012-michelle-obamas-speech-at-the-democratic-national-convention-full-text/?tid=pm_politics_pop

They had other speakers as well like a mother of a little girl with a heart condition who spoke about her daughter and why they need Obamacare. The military mom who introduced Michelle Obama spoke of her 5 kids, 4 of them are in the military. Michelle's older brother and Barack's younger sister spoke about the family and why their siblings should stay in the White House. It was a great night of moving and heartwarming speeches that outlined Democratic policies and President Barack Obama's achievements. I can't wait to see night 2 were people like Sandra Fluke, Barney Frank, and Bill Clinton are going to give speeches, as well as many others. See the speakers at the following link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Democratic_National_Convention

For more information and to watch the convention live click the following link.

http://www.demconvention.com/

Harvest Moon Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• dash salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• bag of almond splinters
• bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Stir together flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt; set aside.In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar at medium speed of electric hand held mixer. Beat in egg and almond & vanilla extracts. Stir flour and ground almond mixture into the creamed mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for about 2 hours. Shape dough into small balls, about 3/4-inch. Place balls 2 inches apart; flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes, or until set but not browned. Melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a saucepan on low heat. Dip cookies in melted chocolate so 1/3-1/2 of the sides of the cookies are covered. Place a few pieces of almond splinters on the chocolate part of the cookies and let cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen almond cookies. I put brown baking parchment on the bottom of my cookie sheets so the cookies don't stick. They peel right off the paper and the paper keeps the bottom of the cookies from browning too much.

 

New Twisted Witches Website

 

I've had quite a few people wanting to purchase products I've been making. At first I thought of creating an Ebay or Etsy store, but those sights charge too much in fees for me. So with some good advice from a friend on facebook, I decided to check out Weebly. I had already checked out GoDaddy for building my own website, but they are a little pricey when you have limited funds. Weebly is so much cheaper and easier to use. So, here in a few days I will have my Twisted Witches website up and running. Still trying to figure out some details to make sure people are able to purchase items from the website, the shipping, and if this is all going to work correctly. I have part of the website done. I still have to post products and the info. & prices. I also need to type up a paragraph about Twisted Witches on the Home page. I can't wait to get this done and get things going. Also, I will have new products that I can add soon. I'm so excited.

Pizza Pasta

Last night I wanted to make pasta, but do it in a way that was different than what I usually make. So, I came up with the following recipe and it was pretty good. I served garlic cheese bread with the pasta. I just buy garlic Texas Toast and put shredded mozzarella on it. Than cook it at 425* for 10-15 minutes. The following is the pasta recipe.

Pizza Pasta

1 1/2 lb. of ground beef
1 bag of mini pepperonis
1 box of wheat penne noodles
2 cans spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's)
1 small can of mushroom bits & pieces

Brown the ground beef and cook noodles as directed on box. Drain both when done. Add ground beef to the noodles in a big pot. Add mini pepperonis (make sure to remove the moisture pack and throw away) and spaghetti sauce. Mix well and serve.

If you want you can add peppers, shredded cheese, sausage, Canadian bacon, and etc. I used what I had in the house at the time. Salad would be a great side dish to add to this meal as well.

New Favorite Laundry Products!

As a mother of 4 kiddos (5 if you count the hubby) I'm constantly doing laundry. Over the years I've used all different types of laundry detergents, softeners, and dryer sheets. For the last several years I've been using Gain products and they smell amazing. In the last few months when money was tight we had to use cheaper brands that I don't like to use. Well recently I ran across some newer laundry products that I've been wanting to try and now that I have they are by far my faves.

Tide Laundry Detergent Pods

Tide pods are the new trend in laundry cleaning. They are a detergent, stain fighter, and brightener all in one. They are easy and convenient to use. I use one pod for small and medium loads of clothes and two pods for larger and extra large loads. There has been a problem with little children thinking they are candy and trying to eat them so I have mine put up and a locking bathroom door to keep my children out. They are a little expensive, but hopefully in the future they will come down in price. They do a great job of leaving clothes clean and smelling great. I use the Spring Meadow scent.

 

 

Snuggle Exhilarations Fabric Softener & Dryer Sheets

 

Snuggle makes some great smelling fabric softeners and dryer sheets. I came across some of their newer ones called Snuggle Exhilarations. The White Lavender and Sandalwood Twist was the one that caught my eye and I had to try it. The scent is wonderful and leaves clothes smelling amazing. This is the best smelling fabric softener and dryer sheets I have ever used. It's main scent is lavender and sandalwood mixed with vanilla and musk. It also has hints of almond and violet. I would recommend this to anyone. They have several other scents to choose from if lavender isn't the scent for you.

 



School Time Again!

Time for my kiddos to start school again. Tomorrow will be their first day for the 2012-2013 school year. I was going to keep Brendan home for another year, but everyone talked me into letting him go and he wants to go. He will have to take 2 years of Pre-school because of the new age change that says a child had to turn 5 by July 31st to start school in August. Brendan's birthday is September 25. I'm actually happy he has to wait another year, because we started landed when he was 4 and he turned 5 on September 15, which was just weeks after he started Kindergarten. But because he was so much younger then the other students he struggled last year and will be in Kindergarten again this year. Landon is still struggling with his speech problem and will be in Special Ed. again also to help him with his struggle with reading and writing. Brianne will be in 2nd grade and will have a few different teachers this year. She has ADHD so she struggles in school also, mostly with reading and writing. Hailey is doing great as usual. She's a very smart girl and doesn't have any learning disabilities like her younger siblings. She was in a class for gifted kids last year. I'm hoping she will be in that same class again this year. Hailey will be in 3rd grade this year. I hope they all do well this year and I know I need to make a better effort at helping them at home. I'm really happy that the remodeling in the school is done and that they are back in the McPhee building. Now if they are late, I can afford to drive them to school because I won't have to drive clear to the south side of the city. I need to make sure they have their flu shots this year also. I spaced it off last year and they were sick more then usual.

Sending 4 children to school isn't cheap at all. I'm lucky enough to have my kids going to a elementary school that gives them all the school supplies that they will need to use in school. I don't have to buy their supplies so that saves us some money. My kiddos are approved for free lunches and breakfasts due to our low family income, so that helps us as well. Glenn and I are still responsible for buying their backpacks, clothes, and shoes. It's not cheap when you have 4 kiddos and that's even when you buy items on clearance and cheaper brands. We bought all the kiddos a backpack, a new pair of shoes, socks, underwear for Landon, bras for Hailey, and 4 outfits per kid and spent almost $400. That's a lot of money when your family income is around $2,200 a month for six people. I'm hoping that we can afford pics this year because they are so expensive too. I might just buy a couple of cheap backgrounds and do the pics myself again this year. I already have the photography equipment to do it. I can get backgrounds and order copies of the pics from Mpix for half the price it would cost to just pay for the pros to do the pics. I have a month or two to decide. I will still pay for the class pics. I think it's important for the kids to remember who they went to school with and they can look back at the pics and remember what a great time they had in school. Anyway, looking forward to a great school year!

Fabric Refresher Recipe

I have both pets and kids, so I'm always worried about our house not smelling good. I don't like to have to buy febreeze all the time because it is so expensive and we go through it fast. I like to try and use earth friendly products also. So, I started looking around on the internet for recipes to make my own fabric refresher. After a lot of looking, I finally found one I like and had to share. Enjoy!

Fabric Refresher Recipe

*1 cup Vodka (80 proof works well)
*1 cup water
*1/2 tsp. Essential Oils (I used rose & jasmine)
*1/2 tsp. Glycerin
*Spray Bottle

Mix all the ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake well and spray.

Summer Is Ending

July is ending and so is my kids' summer break. In a 2 & 1/2 weeks they will back in school again. It's been a long, very hot and stressful summer. I picked the wrong summer to try and plant a garden. With record breaking temps, it was so hot that all my fruit, veggie, and herb plants died. I also had flowers that I had planted last year that started the summer off well and then they all died as well. Living in the Heartland of the U.S. you get to see just how bad things can get. Most of the local farmers crops are completely destroyed thanks to the hot weather. Now they are saying that prices on meat, eggs, & milk are going to go up. With having four kids and only one income that is really going to effect us when it happens. Food prices are all read outrageous so it's nerve wracking to know they are going to sky rocket even more due to an overly hot summer. We wanted to take the kids to the zoo this summer, but it's just been way too hot to go. We have a yearly pass that we got from the zoo for free and is good up until next spring, so when the weather cools a little we will find the time to go. With summer coming to an end, so is Glenn's job at the jail. They will be done with it in the next few weeks. I'm hoping they keep Glenn working and put him on another job, but we're not sure what's going to happen. It's been nice to have a steady income coming into the house. We have stayed caught up with the bills, I have been able to make more of my products and order more, and we will have the money to buy clothes and bags for the kids for school. I'm sad that Brendan (my youngest) will be starting school this year. He's my baby and I'm not sure if I'm ready to let him go. I know when my kids grow up and move out on their own, I'm going to be a wreck. I'm making Glenn take him on his first day so that I don't have to break down and cry in front of everyone. I know, I'm a big baby and it's only for 3 1/2 hours a day. It's hard letting the youngest go when you are a stay at home mom and have always had one or more kiddos at home. I know he needs to go, not only for him but for me as well. I can use that kid free time to focus more on getting my business started. I've been working hard and I've never been more determined in my life to do something then I have been with starting Twisted Witches. It's going slow right now due to the kids being on summer break and financial reasons. I want to do everything right too, because I want this to be a family business and I want it to last. I don't want it to fizzle out before I even get it up and going. So, that's what has been going on lately. I'm trying to get ready to celebrate Lammas and get the kiddos ready to start school. I'm so ready for the weather to cool and for fall to come.

My 30th Birthday!

My 30th birthday was on Saturday, July 14th, 2012! I got $20 from some of my hubby's family and bought a desktop Serenity water fountain, charcoal tabs, and frankincense resin with it. I also bought a Pagan oil kit. My hubby is going to buy me the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. I've heard the books are pretty good, so I want to read them. I figure I night as well buy the trilogy to save a few bucks. I had another Twilight cake this year. There isn't much to choose from at Walmart for adults. I had a pretty good birthday. I don't need a ton of expensive presents to make me happy. My kids and hubby singing Happy Birthday to me was the highlight of the day. Also, all my kiddos giving me hugs and kisses and yelling Happy Birthday was pretty great also. Can't wait until next year!

The good and the bad!

A lot has been going on lately so I thought I'd share all, the good and the bad.

Summer Fun

We've been grilling out a lot lately. It's a lot of fun getting everyone together to grill, play Frisbee and horseshoes, and go swimming. My hubby's dad and his girlfriend has a big pool in their backyard. My kiddos love going swimming there. We have a sprinkler that they also love playing in. The big pool, sprinkler, and kids pool have been coming in handy for cooling off, because this summer has been unusually hot. This summer is the first one that I've made kabobs and they are delicious and very addictive. Everyone loves them so I plan on making them a lot more often. We also have a family pass for the Children's Zoo here in Lincoln so we plan on visiting there as soon as the weather isn't so hot. We go a few times every year and with having a family pass that is good for a year, it makes it easier and less expensive to go. My kids love feeding and petting the goats. My favorite animal is the leopard. The kids have been getting bored because it's been too hot to go outside lately and we've been stuck in the house, so I think a trip to the zoo would be good for them as soon as the weather cools a little.

4th of July

We had a good time on the 4th. We all went to Glenn's dad's house to celebrate. They live by Air Park on a hill over looking Lincoln so you get a great view of the fireworks. We got mostly fireworks for the kids like we do every year so they had fun. We did the usual. Grilling food, swimming in the big pool, the guys played horseshoes, and we set of fireworks. I tried to get some good pics of the fireworks, but it's hard to do without the proper lens to do so. The kids were a little cranky and weren't listening very well, but overall it was a great night. It was nice to get out of the house and have a convo with adults instead of little kiddos.

July's Full Moon-Blessing Moon

July's full moon is also known as the Blessing Moon. I've been devoting a lot more of my time to the Craft so I decided to do a Blessing Moon ritual. I also decided to make more Blessing (Holy) Water too. Just one of the things I like doing now that I'm an Ordained Minister. I need to get more bottles to put the Blessing Water in. My Blessing Moon ritual went great and I enjoyed being outside under the full moon. It was a little windy, so I had to sit in the front of the garage with the door open so I could do my ritual under the full moon, but to shield my candles from blowing out. It was a good night and with my birthday being the 14th, I felt that it was important to do a ritual on this full moon. Now I will spend my time making products to sell and getting ready for Lammas which is August 1st and the same day of the next full moon, also known as the Corn Moon.

New Pagan Tattoos

My brother-in-law recently started doing tattoos. He bought several tattoo guns, ink, lots of needles, and etc. I've been wanting a couple Pagan symbols tattooed on my arms so I payed him to do them for me. He did a great job. A few lines on the pentacle need to be fixed after they heal and the triquetra looks great. I took pics (not good ones) right after they were done. I'll have to take better ones when the tattoos heal. I'm happy that I have them now. I'm hoping to get more tattoos later on. I want something with Glenn and the kid's names. I would also like to get one in remembrance of Glenn's little sister, Charity. She was my best friend and like a little sis to me. I miss her so much. But for now waiting for my Pagan tattoos to heal.

Conrad Grove
Glenn's cousin Conrad passed away at the age of 31. I don't know all the details. My hubby is devastated especially since it was a sudden death just like his little sister's. No one saw it coming and it was a shock to everyone. I wasn't close to Conrad, but the few times I talked to him, he was really nice and respectful to me. We found out about Conrad on July 3rd which would have been Charity's 27th birthday. He had died on July 2nd. It brought back a lot of painful memories from losing Charity. I feel bad for my husband's family. They have now lost 2 family members at young ages less then 8 years apart. I hope they never have to feel that pain again. 2 tragic deaths within one family is horrible. They cremated Conrad and are holding a memorial for him on July 14th, my birthday. He left behind a girlfriend and a son who is still a toddler. My husband is out in Maryland with his father right now visiting family. I hope he is catching up with everyone and they are happy to see him.

 http://www.herald-mail.com/obituaries/hm-conrad-g-grove-31-20120704,0,6684647.story

Kids With Attitudes
I love my kiddos, but they are driving me crazy. They are still very young (8, 7, 5, & 3) so they like to throw temper tantrums. It doesn't help that 2 of my kiddos have ADHD, my toddler is probably the most destructive kiddo I've ever seen, and my 8 year old is a smart ass like me. I don't know whether they are bored, sick of me and Glenn, or both. I think they may be sick of each other too. I don't know. I'm just trying to be the best mom I can be and trying to cope with all the chaos around my house. I seriously think teachers should get payed double then what they do now. I really love my kiddos and want to spend time with them, but I can't wait until school starts again. I think most of the problem is they bored and because we are poor, we don't have the money to dish out to entertain them all the time. I live in the city and our yard isn't fenced in, so it's not like I can just send them outside to play like my mother did with my siblings and I. We live in a much more dangerous world now. Not only does there seem to be more child predators, violence, gun violence, and so on, but CPS seems to want to take people's kids away for anything. Parents don't have the rights they used to have and CPS sees every little thing as neglect now in days. I'm trying to stay patient and I know my kiddos get sick of me bossing them around, but I hope that someday they will look back and realize everything that I do is for their benefit and to protect them.

My Non Garden

This was the first year that I have tried to start my own garden. I had a lot of different fruits, veggies, and herbs planted. Sadly, I only have 2 pumpkin plants left. It's been really hot this summer all across the U.S. 56% of the U.S. is in a drought which tells you how bad it is. Because of the heat and crappy soil in our yard everything we plant dies on us. It sucks and I might try growing them inside next time were I can keep a better eye on them. I don't think it would be too hard and maybe they just might survive next time. I think the heat is was what killed them. There have been many days here lately were I won't let my kids go outside, because it's just way too hot. Hopefully, next summer won't be so bad.  I was really looking forward to harvesting everything, but I'll try again next year.

Recycling Old Furniture

I have an older dresser that had a couple of broken drawers and an end table with drawers so I decided to use it for extra storage space in my office. They both had scuffs and other imperfections so I decided that I should paint them took look nicer and that way they match also. I went to Walmart and found a really nice green paint called Field of Greens. For the past several nights I've been painting the dresser and finally have it done. I'm going to let it sit and dry over the next few days before moving it to my office. The newly painted old dresser and soon to be painted end table with drawers will provide extra storage space for my herbs, tinctures, wound wash, blessing water, candles, bath salts, and etc. As for the dresser drawers, I plan on making signs out of the wood pieces and selling them. I'm going to get a few more colors of paint for that and I found a woman on ebay who lives in Kearney, Ne and she has some stencils that I like. So, those are my plans. I wanted to recycle everything instead of throwing the stuff out. My office isn't very big and I need the storage space too. I will post pics when I'm done with everything. I plan on changing my curtians and lamp shade also. Right now they are both a burgundy color, so going to try and find something close to the green I'm painting the furniture.

To Attract Money

With the economy and lack of jobs a lot of people are hurting for money. I decided that it's a good time to put together a blog post on spells and other magical ways to attract money. I hope that this helps my Pagan friends and that money comes their way.

*Money Spell Bottle*

5 pennies
5 dimes
5 quarters
5 kernels of dried corn
5 kernels of dried wheat (or 5 tsp. of wheat flour)
5 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
5 whole allspice
5 pecans

Place each item into a thin, tall bottle, such as a spice bottle. Cap it tightly. Shake the bottle with your projective hand for five minutes while chanting these or similar words:

Herbs and silver
Copper and grain;
Work to increase
My money gain.

Place the money spell bottle on a table somewhere in your house. Leave your purse, pocketbook, wallet and/or checkbook near the bottle when at home. Allow money to come into your life.

*Money Mojo Bag*

This very basic money-attraction bag works on the theory that like attracts like -- to put it simply, money attracts more money. Feel free to change the wording of the spell to suit your own needs if necessary. You will need the following items:

•A silver candle and a gold candle
•A small cloth pouch with a drawstring
•A handful of play money (like Monopoly) of different denominations
•A taglock for yourself (hair, nail clippings, etc)
•Ginger (for power and success)
•Nutmeg (for prosperity)

Prepare your workspace as you normally do - if you wish to cast a circle, go ahead. Light the two silver candles on either side of your space, so that you are working between them. As you light them say:

"Gold and silver, silver and gold, make money come and dollars unfold."

Place your play money and the taglock into the bag. As you do this, think about yourself and the money being together. You might even rub the taglock and the money against each other as you place them in the mojo bag. Say:

"Cast from necessity, not from greed, all I'm asking is for what I need."

Place the ginger and the nutmeg in the bag, and focus on success and prosperity coming your way. Hold the bag in your hands and say:

"Tens and twenties, fives and ones, as I will, it shall be done."

Now, take a moment to think about what you will do with the money that comes your way. Will you use it to get out debt? Pay a bill? Have a little bit of extra grocery money? Allow the candles to burn out on their own. Place the bag in a safe place where it will be undisturbed, and out of sight.


*Basic Money Spell*

This very basic money spell is an easy one -- although it was originally created years ago with kids in mind, I've found that adults have some degree of success with it as well. Like the Money Mojo Bag, this works on the theory that like attracts like -- money attracts more money. Feel free to change the wording to better suit your needs if you wish to do so. You will need the following:

•A square of green paper
•Nine pennies
•An envelope

Do this spell outside, under a tree. Take the piece of paper and write on it how much money you would like to have come your way -- although you can put any amount there, be realistic and reasonable. Fold the paper three times, and then place it in the envelope. Add the pennies. Say:

"Nine cents to make prosperity flow. Nine pennies to multiply, nine pennies to grow."

Seal the envelope, and draw a dollar sign on the outside. Bury the envelope under the tree (be careful not to get too close to the roots!), and cover up the hole. Ask the tree to keep watch over your pennies. Money should start coming your way soon.


*Money Incense Recipe #1*

1 part Nutmeg
1 part Pepperwort
1 pinch Saffron

*Money Incense Recipe #2*

2 parts Pine needles or resin
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Galangal
a few drops Patchouly oil

*Fast Money Oil*

7 drops Patchouly
5 drops Cedarwood
4 drops Vetivert
2 drops Ginger

*Money Bath*

3 parts Patchouly
2 parts Basil
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Cedar

Put herbs in sachet and let your bath water run over them. Let the sachet float in your bath water as you bath.

*Money Brew*

3 parts Sassafras
2 parts Cedar
1 part Allspice
1 part Clove
1 part Dill
1 part Vetivert
1 part Calamus

Half fill a green glass bottle with fresh water. Add about a handful or so of the mixed herbs. Cap tightly and leave in full sunlight all day. At dusk, sniff the water. If scent is strong, strain and add to baths, wash hands, anoint money charms, and etc. If it isn't strong enough, chill overnight and return to the sun the following day.

*Money Soap*

3 parts Patchouly
2 parts Peppermint
1 part Basil
1 part Pine
1 part Cinnamon

Add oils to a melted soap base of your choice. Dye green with bath product dye. Pour in molds and let cool. Wash your hands daily with the soap to attract money.

*Money Candles*

2 pounds of Soy wax
green candle dye
tabbed wicks
glass jars of your choice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Patchouly essential oil

Use a glue gun to hot glue your tabbed wicks to the bottom of your jars. Secure top of wick to a popsicle stick to help keep wick centered during and after pouring wax. Set aside. Using a double boiler, melt your wax completely. Remove from heat and add your green candle dye and 10-20 drops of Patchouly oil (depending on how strong you want the scent), stir in well. Then add your ground herbs to the wax and mix well. Carefully pour your wax into your jars and let cool. When cool, trim your wick down to 1/4 inch. Burn candle or candle for a few hours a day to bring money your way. Do not burn candle for more then 3-4 hours at a time and never leave candle unattended. Keep away from animals, children, and flammable objects.

Litha Fire Ritual

It's Summer Solstice (Litha) time again. The longest day of the year. It's when the sun is most powerful and after today the days will be shorter and nights longer. The following is a Fire Ritual that can be done on Litha.

1. If you want to cast a circle before the ritual do so. This ritual is best done outside, but if that isn't possible you can still do it inside.

2.Begin the ritual by preparing the wood for the fire, without lighting it. If you are doing the ritual inside, use a table top brazier or fire safe pot.

3. Say either to yourself or out loud:
"Today, to celebrate Midsummer, I honor the Earth itself. I'm surrounded by all trees. There is a clear sky above me and cool dirt beneath me, and I am connected to all three. I light this fire as the Ancients did so long ago."

At this point start your fire.

Say:
"The wheel of the year has turned once more. The light has grown for six long months until today.

4. Say:
"Today is Litha, called Alban Heruin by my ancestors. A time for celebration. Tomorrow the light will begin to fade as the wheel of the year turns ever on and on.

5. Turn to the East, and say:
"From the East comes the wind, cool and clear. It brings new seeds to the garden, bees to the pollen, and birds to the trees."

6. Turn to the South, and say:
"The sun rises high in the summer sky and lights our way even into the night. Today the sun casts three rays. The light of fire upon the land, sea, and the heavens."

7. Turn to the West, and say:
"From the West, the mist rolls in bringing rain and fog. The life-giving water, without which we would cease to be."

8. Turn to the North, and say:
"Beneath my feet is the Earth, soils dark and fertile. The womb in which all life begins and will later die, then return anew."

Build up the fire even more, so that you have a good strong blaze going.

9. If you wish to make an offering to the Gods and Goddesses, now is the time to do so. This is optional.

Say:
"Alban Heruin is a time of re dedication to the gods. The triple goddess watches over me. She is known by many names. She is Morrighan, Brighid, and Cerridwen. She is the washer at the ford. She is the guardian of the hearth. She is the one who stirs the cauldron of inspiration."

"I give honor to you, o mighty ones, by all your names known and unknown. Bless me with your wisdom and give life and abundance to me, as the sun gives life and abundance to the Earth."

10. Say:
"I make this offering to you to show my allegiance, to show my honor, and to show my dedication to you."

Cast your offering into the fire.

11. Conclude the ritual by saying:
"Today, at Litha, I celebrate the life and love of the gods/goddesses and of the Earth and sun."

Take a few minutes to reflect upon what you have offered, and what the gifts of the gods/goddesses mean to you. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, dismantle it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Allow your fire to burn out on it's own.

Father's Day 2012

Glenn had a good Father's Day. He got up early and went fishing with a friend. He and that same friend watched the kids while they played in the pool and sprinkler. After the kids got tired of playing in the water, they changed clothes, and all went to the park. When everyone came home, some of Glenn's friends and family showed up. The guys of course had to play horseshoes as usual. Glenn's dad took over the grill and cooked the food. He always seems to get the meat done just right. He's a grill master. I made kabobs for the first time. They were super yummy and everyone loved them. Glenn didn't get much for Father's Day, but he bought some fishing stuff that he needed. I think he enjoyed the time with everyone more.

                                                Glenn & Hailey
                                                           

                                          My yummy kabobs.

Pizza Casserole

This recipe is great for large families or parties.

Ingredients

1 pound of Penne noodles (I use Barilla)
1 pound of ground beef (browned)
1 pound of ground sausage (browned)
1 package of Canadian bacon (cut in fourths)
1 package mini pepperoni
2, 24 oz. cans of spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Chunky Vegetable)
2-3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Brown sausage and hamburger in a pan. Strain off grease and set aside.

2. Cook noodles as directed on package. Strain and put back in pan.

3. Add spaghetti sauce to noodle and mix well.

5. Add browned ground sausage & hamburger, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon. Mix well.

6. Pour into a baking dish (or two) and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425* for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

7. Let cool for about 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy.

Notes: You can use pizza sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. I use spaghetti sauce, because I think it adds more flavor.

For a sides for the casserole you can add garlic Texas toast and salad with Italian dressing.