Vegetarian Tacos… SO yummy!

This recipe is not my own creation, but a mix up of two recipe that were shared with me by my precious “almost” daughter-in-law, Christina.

She made these for my son and he raved about them, so I had to try.  The original version used Garbanzo beans instead of Black Beans (I am not a garbanzo fan).  In addition, she made the corn salsa to put on the tacos, I decided to go the quick route and just add the corn salsa ingredients to the taco recipe.

Go HERE to print “my version” of the recipe.

Homemade Face Cleanser

I have finally gotten it down to a “recipe”.  My face has never felt fresher, more vibrant and healthy.  Happy skin…I like.
I cannot vouch for this having the most simple ingredients, but if you happen to grow your own herbs or have access to fresh ones, you may be in luck.
Here is the printable recipe…right HERE.
Here is the step-by-step tutorial…
Gather your ingredients….

Here’s the fun part…scraping out the Aloe gel.  This stuff ain’t purty…it smells weird too.  But your face cleanser will smell lovely, so keep going. 
Scrape out Aloe gel, add to saucepan with oil and honey, heat on med-low, whisk until smooth.

Add the oats, leaves and flowers to the food process and grind well.

Once your “dry” ingredients look like this, you can drizzle the Aloe mixture into the processor while it’s on low (make sure the lid is on!!!). 

Add the witch hazel (if using for oilier type skin) and essential oil.  Process well.  It will be like putty.

I store my face cleanser in a small tub in the fridge….

I keep a smaller jar in the shower for a weeks worth of cleansing.

Sweet Valentines Idea…or maybe not

Valentines is coming!

Valentines is coming!

I love Valentines Day.  You know why?  Because that is the day that my precious husband was born.  He is my true Valentine.

I like to do special things for him, little notes, or cards, or gifts for each day the week prior to his birthday.  This year I was excited because Pinterest has so many fun ideas. 

I saw this… isn’t it just cute?!!!

…and thought “What a great idea!”. 

Yesterday I was out and I purchased a box of candy hearts so I could make my own sweet love note…

I sat down today and opened the box, spreading out the sweet hearts onto my table…all ready to read the cute words and plan out my sweet love letter…

Um here are the cute words???

True what?… What up?  Who you?

Seriously.  I’m not quite sure what kind of love note or poem I am going to be able to write with this selection.

What shall I put aside the “nothing” heart?

Soul Ate…It?

Smile or Simile?

My personal favorite…

You make me feel like a…. big glob of sweet mush inside?  Or, you have taken a chunk out of my heart?

Too?  And is that Booger or Boogie?

Oogie?  Right.  This is definitely going to be an interesting Valentine note.   uh huh…

ABC’s About Me…

Well, since my dear friend Lisa did this on her blog, and my bestest, Kim joined in as well.  I MIGHT as well go ahead and do it too.

It is highly possible they will be the only ones reading it! LOL  …. hello?  Is anyone out there?

The ABC’s about ME!

Age: 43 and proud of it!  I don’t ever want to be ashamed to say my age, it is an honor to know that God continues to give me breath to breathe!

Yes, this means I wore bell bottoms as a young child…my favorite pair were dark blue knit with little white kitty faces all over them…yup.

Bed size: King cuz I like to hog be comfortable.

Chore you dislike: You asked… picking up my dogs poop.  Ewwwww.

Dogs: The most adorable, spoiled, well behaved (sometimes), loving, precious little boxer you have ever seen!  Stormie.   We love her.

Essential start to your day: Smiles exchanged between my Lover and me.

Favorite color: I’m somewhere between pink and blue right now… lol

Gold or silver: Definitely Silver!

Height: 5 foot 5 inches.

Instruments you play(ed): I sadly have not learned an instrument “yet”.  I do like to sing, so I guess I can play my voice a little.

Job title: Home Enhancement Specialist ~ AKA Housewife

Kids: 1 very handsome, smart, funny, athletic, nutty, and very loved son…AND an absolutely lovely “almost” daughter-in-law.

Live: The Sunshine State: Florida!

Mom’s name: Dorothy, Dotty, Dot, Grandma, Dot-Dot, Gramma Dot, Mom.

Nicknames: My Dad and olders siblings tend to call me “Kath”.  When I was a baby my Dad called me Butterball…I’m sure you can figure out why, lol.  He also called me “Kathaleenie-bidga-bageenie” ~ that’s my favorite name…I would dance down the hall to the sound of that name.   I also answer to Mom, Mother, Momma, and Honey Bunches.

Overnight hospital stays: Birth, and I stayed overnight at the hospital with my son when he broke his leg.

Pet Peeves:  That feeling you get when you realize that no one is listening to you and just letting you talk, then expecting you to repeat yourself.  That’s just rude.  Or finding out that even though you have talked about something numerous times with someone, they never “heard” you.

Quote from a movie: “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day forward”….. sigh.

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Siblings:  3 older sisters and 2 older brothers.

Time you wake up: On hubby’s work days 5:00 a.m….days off, probably around 8:30

Underwear: You will be happy to know that YES, I do own underwear.

Vegetables you don’t like: Eggplant and squash.

What makes you run late: Me.

X-Rays you’ve had: Dental X-rays.  Knee X-rays.  Mammo ~ Oh yeah, that’s fun!!!

Yummy food you make: Yes.    I love food, love to cook, don’t usually cook things that I don’t think are yummy.  Hubby says everything I cook is yummy, he’s good like that, lol.  HE would say his favorite thing I cook is “Chicken n’ Dumplings”.  Our son would say a million things all at once, but I would probably hear “Shaw Tacos. 

Zoo animal favorite: Ardvark.

What?  Why not?    hee hee

Valentine Décor…

When hubby put the Christmas boxes in the attic, he also pulled down my one little Valentines box.

I looked at that 12x12x12 box and wondered what could be in there.  I love Valentines, why do I not have more “stuff”? LOL

Valentines is extra special for me because that is my precious hubby’s Birthday…so I get all all Valenbirthday on him.

However, when I opened the box, I didn’t really find much that I liked anymore.  There was the cute little hand embroidered streamer that I made last year, I like that.

However, most of the other stuff was store bought “ick”.  My homes color palate has been becoming must softer, whiter, calmer and I wanted my décor to go along with that feeling.

So first I headed to Pinterest, to see what I have pinned.  Don’t TELL me you don’t know what Pinterest is!  Oh my.   Another post all together.

After I got a little inspiration, I headed to my craft room…

I put together this little heart to hang in my “wall window”.  I’ve decided that a ‘wreath’ for every season shall hang here.

Then I rummaged around until I found the Pride and Prejudice book that I tore apart to make my decoupage table…I used some of the pages to make these cute hearts I saw on Pinterest.

I’m not done yet sisters!  I’ll come up with more as the week progresses…we shall see.

 

Ruth…

The other morning, during my Bible reading time, I took a small detour and read through the book of Ruth.  I’ve read it before, and I will read it again, it’s such a precious nugget tucked into God’s Word.

It’s a small book and doesn’t take long to read, but the best way to read it is to take your time, slowly savoring each precious part as it unfolds.

As I look toward the future, acquiring a daughter-in-law later this year, I think of Ruth and her devotion to Naomi.

I think of what kind of a woman, Naomi must have been for Ruth to have cared so much for her, and loved her so deeply.  Naomi must have been an amazing mother-in-law, devoted to God, kind, patient, passionate.

I pray that with each passing year, the Lord will help me to be like Naomi.  That He will give me words to speak, an understanding heart and an unwavering faith that will speak volumes to my own Ruth,…Christina.

I pray that she too will come to know God, as Ruth did, and that her love for Him will be strong and unwavering.

What a sweet story.  I am thankful to God for little nuggets like this in His Word.  Small stories that pack so much power. 

I don’t have a daughter, but I have an obligation to be a godly mother-in-law, an example to Christina of what it means for a woman to serve Christ.  What an awesome responsibility.  I’m thankful that He has entrusted me with this, and I pray that I will be faithful to follow His leading…

“And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

Ruth 1:14-16