Pumpkin Cookies

1. 3 1/2 cups flour
2. 2 1/3 cups quick oats
3. 1 3/4 tsp.baking soda
4. 2 tsp.cinnamon
5. 1 1/2 tsp.salt
6. 3 1/2 sticks softened butter
7. 1 3/4 cups sugar
8. 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
9. 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
10. 2 large eggs
11. 1 3/4 tsp. vanilla
12. 1 1/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
13. 1 1/3 cups raisins
14. Mix flour,oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter,sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla, mix well, gradually add flour mixture,mix well, stir in nuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, bake at 350 for 14 to 16 Min's. or until firm and lightly browned, makes 40 large cookies.
15.  These cookies are SO GOOD, and they are soft so every age can enjoy them, and its a good way to get you're children to eat pumpkin and raisins:)

Easy Monday Meal

Salmon Loaf

1. 1-15 1/2oz. can of Salmon, (I take out the big bones and skin) but save the juice
2. 1 or 2 eggs
3. 1 sleeve of crackers, crumbled
4. 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh chopped onion
5. salt and pepper
6. Mix all ingredients together well, spray a loaf pan with oil, put salmon in pan, bake at 350 for 45 Min's. We love Salmon Loaf and its so good for you:) I usually make Mashed potatoes and a salad, I hope you will like it too:)

Simple Saturdays

I consider myself to be a very simple woman,and I have always said I was born in the wrong century. I just enjoy simple things. I love to take drives and just look around and see all the beauty that the Lord has created, the mountains, the trees, the rivers and streams, small wild flowers, all animals, I love animals, its all just amazing to me, I try not to take nothing for granted, I think about people who cant see or cant hear and how sad that would be, I am truly blessed to be able to see and hear. I really love watching and listening to the birds, its such a simple pleasure,  I even tell our dog, Scooby,"Do you hear the birdies" and he will stand there and listen, no lie. Life is short, really take the time to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the simple things that are for free for all to enjoy. Be Blessed:)

Finally Friday

Wow its been a busy week, my sons been practicing for track everyday, so Ive had to run him back and forth, and hes been playing basketball with friends and on top of that we've had Internet problems too, and I hope its fixed now. So its time to sleep in tomorrow. But it really has been a good week and I am thankful that the Lord allowed me to help some friends with food and I was able to take another friend to the food bank, I really enjoy helping others when ever I can, Life is good, theres just one person I'm missing so much, but all I can do is pray that the Lord brings him back into my sons and my life, but only if its His will. I'm praying you all have a blessed weekend.

Sorry for not blogging

I just want to say I'm sorry I haven't blogged since Monday, we were having problems with our Internet, so hopefully its fixed now and I will be back to blogging later today:) Thanks for being patient:) Have a great weekend all:)

Easy Monday Meal

Hoagie Sandwiches

1. 1- 6 or 8 package of buns, we use hot dog buns
2. any kind of lunch meats you like, we use ham, turkey, bologna, pepperoni
3. any kind of cheese you like, we use provolone, swiss, cheddar
4. lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, mayo,mustard
5. What I do is, for ever how many sandwiches you re making, I cut sheets of foil and lay them on the counter, place a open bun on each sheet, place as much meat on each sandwich as you like, then the cheese and another layer of meat, so the cheese doesn't stick to the bun, its easier when there done so you can put on the mayo or whatever dressing you like. Roll up the sandwiches in the foil, and bake at 350 for about 10 Min's. These are one of our families favorite easy dinners:) Serve with chips or potato salad or whatever you like, Enjoy:)

Money Saving Tip #4

Happy Monday to all:) Today I wanted to share another money saving tip that we have done for years, well depending on how many children you have and if you don't mind, what we've done is my sons moms and I have traded clothing, if her son out grew something that my son could still wear, we would trade and and she would do the same with me, that also goes for shoes. It sure does save money and we both get good use of the clothing, and being a single parent, saving money is a great thing. If you have any money saving ideas let me know so we can share them with other single moms. Have a blessed week all.:)

I love the weekend:)

My favorite time of the week, the weekend, cause we get to sleep in instead of rushing around. Just a time to relax and enjoy the days without worrying about school and all. We like to go to the thrift stores and go on drives, especially now that the weathers warming up. What do you and your families do on weekends?? And on Sundays we go to church and if were lucky we go to our friends house, she likes to play Scrabble, and my son usually wins.:) Enjoy your weekend and be blessed.

Spring Fever

Ever since my son and I moved to Arizona the seasons got a little confusing for us. I lived in Colorado off and on for 40 yrs. so Ive been around snow for a long time, but its such a blessing to be here in Arizona, with NO snow. It was a little strange in December we has some days that it was in the 70s here and back in Colorado they were getting dumped on with snow and here it is in February and it seems like spring. Well any ways I love it, and I pray where ever you are you re enjoying the weather. Have a blessed week:)

Family Fridays

Sorry it has taken me a few days to get this post written, we were having trouble finding a car, but Thank you Lord, He provided us with one yesterday. So I'm catching up with my Fridays post:) Family Fridays is something we had started with ex boy friends family and we have continued it. Its something fun, we either go out to dinner, or stay in and cook one of the kids favorite meals, and watch a movie and have popcorn and just have some great family time together. If you would like, you could share some of your family Friday ideas too. Have a great weekend all.

Tasty Thursdays

For Tasty Thursdays what I thought would be fun is, I would post my favorite recipes or one of your favorite recipes every Thursday.Yes it is nice to eat out once in a while, but I do enjoy cooking and you and I know that we always eat better and healthier at home. So for my recipe for today,  its one of our favorites Homemade Pizza, I have been making it for as long as I can remember.

1. 1 lb.or more of ground beef or ground turkey, or what ever kind of meat you prefer
2. 2 or more packages of pizza crust mix,( I use Great Value brand from Wal Mart)
3. 1 large can of black olives,sliced
4. 1 package of fresh mushrooms,sliced
5. 1 or more jars of pizza sauce
6. 2 or 3 cups of grated cheese, we use mozzarella
7. I preheat the oven to 400, cook the meat, mix up the pizza dough as directed, spray the pan, press dough into the pan and Ive always pre baked the crust for about 10 to 15 mins. so that the dough is cooked and not doughy in the middle, while that's baking I slice up all the olives and mushrooms and grate the cheese, after the crust is cooked, remove from the oven, spread the sauce on the crust, then the meat, and the olives and mushrooms and cheese and bake till the cheese is melted, about another 15 mins. There are so many ways to make this pizza its basically any way you like it. Enjoy:)

Worry Free Wednesdays

Well yes it would be nice if we all did have Worry Free Wednesdays, or worry free any days, but we don't, but one thing we do have if we are Christians is to give all our worries over to the Lord, and as humans it is very hard no to try and hang on to all of our worries and problems, but that's not what the Lord wants. He wants to give us peace and rest and to let us know that He is in control. And as a single mom I am trying so hard to allow Him all of my worries, am I being the best Christian mom I can be? Am I using His money to the best of my ability and to His will, of what He wants for my son and my lives? And now my biggest worry is we don't have a car, and yes, I am stressed and I am praying and giving my worries and stress to Him, knowing He will provide. So if we, as single moms, work together to give each other support and ideas on how to make our lives Worry Free, we can live better lives for us and our children. May God Bless you all from day to day.

Thankful Tuesdays

Being a single mom is very hard some days, but I am very thankful that God made me a  simple woman, I live simply, I do not keep up with the Jones, I really think I was born in the wrong century. I would of loved living back in the days of  "The Walton's" or "Little House on The Prairie". I'm thankful that I learned to cook, sew,and can foods at a young age, I just feel it helps so much in life. I really try not to take nothing for granted, I see and hear people around me complaining about things, and if they would just take a second and look around at all they do have, they would really see how blessed they are. P.S. I would of loved to have a house like this:)

Meaningful Mondays

Hello all, I want to try something new, with each new day of the week, I would like to start with a positive idea. So for today, my first meaningful Monday, I wanted to talk about things that mean the most to me. The most important thing in the world to me is, being saved and loved by the Lord. Other things that mean the world to me are, my son, my family, the beauty that surrounds me, my sight, my hearing, my gifts that the Lord has given me, compassion for others and trying to be the best person I can be, as the Lord wants us to be. Have a Blessed week :)

Time Saving Tip

Now that my son is in high school, Ive been running him around alot, to basketball games, practice for baseball, and back and forth to his friends house, so I need to find ways to save time in getting our house cleaned and laundry done, and what Ive been doing lately is deep cleaning 1 room at a time, for example, when I clean the kitchen, I do the dishes, we don't have a dish washer, and I move all the canisters and everything off the counters and wash everything down, I clean out the fridge and sweep and mop, so that room gets all done at once, and then the next day I can get to another room. And with our laundry, since I only have 1 child, I do our laundry on Sundays after church and lunch. Be Blessed and have a great weekend.

Sorry I havent blogged lately:(

The weather here in Arizona was so beautiful and warm, but 2 days ago, it got very cold here and my allergies got really bad, sneezing and itchy eyes,GRRRRR so now hopefully, I can get back on track.Please bare with me, theres more blogging to be done.:)