Wednesday, January 30, 2013

♥ Most Annoying Songs ♥

There’s a joke around our house about annoying songs. My kids know if they really want to aggravate me, to start singing these most annoying songs (at the top of their lungs).

So I thought I’d share a few that make my “most annoying songs” list.


1) “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time”

In my book, it wins the award for most annyoing song!    It's just SO repetitious!  And it just doesn't seem Christmasy to me.  Christmas songs are supposed to be peaceful!  :)



2) “I Was Raised on Country Sunshine”

Jason likes to tease us with this one in the car. He has it downloaded and likes it and plays it alot.  I like country, but it’s just too twangy for me.



3)   “Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow”

This one is so repetitious too.  I like snow, but I don't even know how many times they say that one word in the song.  lol!



AND, I have to say that most Justin Bieber songs are close runner-ups, especially that one called "Boyfriend".  Joy isn't a fan either.  Luke likes to tease Joy with one of Justin's songs....I think it's called, "Never Say Never".   (I really hope I don't offend you Justin Bieber fans).    :)




Okay, now I know you must have at least one song that annoys you too……so tell me what YOURS is/are!

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

♥ For Sale ♥

I’ve never done this before on my blog, but I guess there’s always a first time for everything. I figure someone might be interested. :)

Since we just completed our new staircase right before time to decorate for Christmas, the “everyday” Americana decorations that graced the staircase, were put away in a Rubbermaid box during the Christmas season. Well, after we took down all the Christmas décor earlier this month, I realized that the staircase now just needs a different look. I still have the Americana in my living room, but I’d like to create more of a rustic cabin look with a touch of primitive in that area. That decision left me with a few Americana items that I have no room to store. So, I thought I’d show them here and see if anyone is interested.

I'm still without my camera, so these were taken with a phone camera....so not the best quality.  And please excuse the dust.  :)


SOLD

SOLD





All SOLD

SOLD


SOLD




SOLD


SOLD



SOLD


Still available....$6 plus shipping.


If you see something you’d like, just email me at countrygirlathome@att.net make me an offer.  Give me your address, and I’ll get a shipping price for you too.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy Tuesday!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 25 ~

It’s time for Pinned it, Made it! Monday again already!

 
This week I tried out a couple different recipes from Pinterest for dinner. I’m going to share them with you and give you my honest opinions of both. Both of these pins came from my What’s For Dinner Pinterest board.

The first one was Jalapenos' Spinach Enchiladas. This recipe is a spin-off of a dish that is served at a well known Mexican restaurant, Jalapenos, in Texas.

Here’s the original pin:

Original Source:  Food.com


And the recipe:


Enchiladas

4 (10 oz) pkgs frozen chopped spinach or 4 bunches fresh spinach, cooked
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. fresh muschrooms, halved
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
2 cups grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, divided
10-12 flour tortillas



     Cilantro Cream Sauce

3 cups half and half
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
3 cupts chopped cilantro

    Directions:
 
 
  1. For enchiladas, cook the spinach according to the package directions, if using frozen.
  2. While spinach is cooking, combine garlic, onion and mushrooms in food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
  3. Melt butter in sauté pan, and sauté onion mixture until onion is translucent.
  4. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
  5. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess water.
  6. Make bread crumbs in food processor from sliced bread.
  7. Add spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili powder and eggs.
  8. Process until blended thoroughly.
  9. Transfer to mixing bowl, and stir in onion mixture and 6 tablespoons cheese.
  10. Preheat broiler.
  11. Spoon a portion of filling onto each tortilla and roll it up.
  12. Place each enchilada in casserole dish, seam side down.
  13. Repeat until you've used up filling.
  14. For cream sauce, mix half-and-half, cayenne, salt and a little of the dissolved corn starch in medium saucepan, and heat until thickened.
  15. The sauce should be creamy, not runny; add more cornstarch mixture as necessary.
  16. Off the heat, stir in cilantro.
  17. Pour Cilantro Cream Sauce over tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  18. Broil until cheese melts and turns golden color.
 
**NOTE FROM TAMMY**  I used the frozen spinach and used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. I also left off the mushrooms because I don't care for them. 

Here’s mine before going into the oven:



And ready to eat:



Well, my honest take on these is that they were just ok. I wasn’t that thrilled about them. My parents came over for dinner and my dad seemed to like them pretty well. But Jason and I held the same opinion, that they were just ok.  (My mom didn't try them because she doesn't do spicy).  We had some left over for the next night and we ate them because we had them, but they’re just not something that I will probably make again. And they were a little time consuming to make. BUT, if you really like spinach and you don’t mind dishes that take a little extra prep time, then you should try them and decide for yourself!

As far as enchiladas go, this one, 3 Cheese Enchiladas, is still our favorite!  And it's easy to make!  I like fast and easy!  :)


The second dish I tried this week didn’t really have a name other than Sausage/Potatoes.

 Here’s the original pin:

Original Source:  Recipe Select
  Sausage/Potatoes

Since I couldn't find the exact instructions on the link,  I just improvised. I cut up a 10 lb bag of red potatoes and spread them out over a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. I then cut up 1 package of polka kiebalsa and one package of smoked sausages and browned them a little first, then mixed them in with the potatoes. I cut up an onion and sprinkled them over the potatoes and sausages, as well as some banana peppers and a little juice from the jar of banana peppers. Then finally, I sprinkled some Italian seasoning over all of that. I covered this with foil and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or so. Just watch for your potatoes to soften since every oven is different. (I think I actually began with my oven higher but ended up turning it down).

Here's ours:



This one gets two thumbs up especially from Jason and me!  Joy is our picky eater, but Luke liked it.  :)  Every bite was eaten between two meals! Yummy! I will definitely be making this one again.

Now come on..... share with us what you’ve been trying out from Pinterest……we’d love to see!


To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Thanks for joining me today for Pinned it, Made it! Monday. Have a great week!

  ♥ Tammy ♥

Friday, January 25, 2013

Faithful Friday - "Last Ounce of Courage"

I couldn’t wait until today to share a wonderful must-see movie with you that’s perfect for Faithful Friday.

 
It’s called Last Ounce of Courage. It’s a great family movie and it’s an eye opener! We used our 40% off coupon and purchased ours this past Monday from Family Christian.



Here’s the synopsis:

A patriotic veteran rallies the citizens of his small town to fight back against tyranny as their rights are slowly stripped away in this politically-charged family drama. Bob Revere (Marshall Teague) knows what it's like to fight for freedom. A small-town war hero, he's heartbroken when his own son Tom loses his life defending America abroad. But Tom left behind a son of his own named Christian, and 14 years later, the young boy and his mother move back to Mount Colombus to be with their family for the holidays. Meanwhile, Christian's grandfather Bob, now the mayor of Mount Columbus, begins to notice that his country is heading in a dangerous direction, and that freedom itself is on the line. As Bob rallies the locals to awaken from their comfortable stupor and fight back against the powers that be, Christian learns that sometimes the battle for liberty begins at home.


If you too see and are concerned about the moral and cultural downhill spiral that America is on, and the way our freedoms are being taken away one by one, you’ll want to see this movie. You’ll be aware of what happens when we do nothing, and what a difference one can make.  And hey, it gets the Chuck Norris seal of approval!  He says its message is consistent with his life principles and core values. (Mine too)!   It also comes recommended by soldiers and it gets the Dove symbol as well, which is always a good thing!  :)

The movie opens with these words spoken by Ronald Reagan:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream.  The only way they inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with the well fought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same.  And if you and I don't do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free."


And the movie closes with the following words spoken again by Ronald Reagan:

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.  We can preserve for our children, this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we can sentence this generation of young people to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness.  If we are destined to fail, if this way of ours is to be lost, then at least, let our children and our children's children say of us that it didn't fall because we failed to try.  Let them say that at least, we did all that could be done in the one moment allotted us here on earth."

Wow, huh?

If you’d like to read more Faithful Friday posts, or participate, you can click on the Faithful Friday button above.

Thank you for stopping by for Faithful Friday! Have a wonderful weekend! :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Thursday, January 24, 2013

♥ Warm and Cozy ♥

On a cold (and snowy if we’re lucky) wintry day, it just doesn’t get any better than being snugly nestled in our home, all warm and cozy, right?

So I thought we would do just that today……get all warm and cozy (thanks to my Warm and Cozy Pinterest board). :)

So come on......grab yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and imagine yourself here – curled up with a good book or magazine.

Enjoy! :)

Source:  logcabinprimitive.blogspost.com


Source:  stockfarm.com
 
Source:  The Little Hermitage
 
Source:  Houzz
 
Source:  KittycatCymbaline
 
Source:  e-restores.com
 
Source unknown
 
Source unknown
 
Source:  A Northern Cabin
 


Now, aren’t you relaxed?   So which one is your favorite?

Have a warm and cozy day!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥  

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

♥ Mother/Daughter Sunporch Chat ♥ with Angela of Thru Nana's Window and Holly of Holly's Hobbies and Darbee Days ♥

Hi and welcome to my sunporch!  I'm serving some of those chocolate chip brownies that I shared a couple of weeks ago.  I've got coffee on because Angela is a coffee drinker and I've also got hot chocolate because that's what Holly and I prefer.  :)  You're in good company today and in you're in for a double treat!  These two ladies have a special place in my heart.  I've always been close to my mom and Joy and I are close as well.  These two bloggers are mother and daughter and they share a very sweet close relationship.  I picked up on that right away as I visited both of their blogs.  I know you'll enjoy them!  So grab yourself some coffee or hot chocolate and a chooclate chip brownie (or two) and make yourself comfortable and enjoy!

We're going to start with mom,  Angela of Thru Nana's Window..........


 



Meet Angela...


 
 
1) How long have you been blogging and what/who gave you the desire to blog?

Thanks Tammy for having us over to visit with you on the sun porch. It is such an honor to be here. I started blogging 2 years ago this month. Holly, my daughter, had been blogging for a while and kept on at me to jump in and have my own blog. With her help and guidance, blogging has been a rewarding experience for me.

2) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

When I began blogging my granddaughter, Darbee Rae, was 3 years old. We would sit on the front porch and swing and peek into the windows of the great room. The same swing where I swung her Mama many years before. Thus the name, “Thru Nana’s Window” was created.

 

3) What variety of topics do you post on your blog (examples - home decorating, family, gardening, recipes, adoption, homeschooling, crafting, etc....)

The blog was created for me to share my love of country and prim decorating and to become friends with those with the same interest. As it has progressed, I tend to share a variety of topics. Sometime nothing more than what has gone on in the life of a Mother, Wife, and Nana. My love however will always be my home and decorating.

4) Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I have been married to my best friend and childhood sweetheart for 39 years. God blessed us with a daughter, Holly, after 9 years of marriage. She was born two months early and weighed in at 3lbs. 7 oz. The day I found out I was pregnant in the doctor’s office, I said a prayer and gave her to God. I fully believe to this day, God heard my prayers and after 1 month in the hospital, we brought home a tiny but healthy 3lb. 15 oz. baby girl. Holly and her husband have blessed us with a wonderful granddaughter, Darbee Rae.

Here is Mr. P. The love of my life.




Here are my two girls, Holly and Darbee Rae.

 

 
 
5) How would you describe your decorating style?

I don’t guess there is a name to my style of decorating. I love primitives and have prim accents throughout my home. I have a few antiques and several family pieces that have been handed down that are priceless to me. I would love more antiques. I also love the country farmhouse style. If I see something that speaks to me, I buy it and worry about how to display it later.



6) What's your favorite color and why?

My favorite color is red. It is a bright and happy color to me. I want something red that I can see in every room. Red makes me smile!!

 
 
7) Tell us a few of your favorite things (collections, things that make you happy, etc.).

When my feet touch the floor in the morning, I am happy and thankful God has given me another day. I try to start each day as a new beginning with a smile on my face. A favorite day is one that I have spent with my girls and/or friends shopping and junking. I love collecting redware, old boxes, whisk brooms and country/prim coffee mugs. The latter being so hard for me to find.




8) What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, crafts, etc..)?

I spend so much time during the week with my girls while Mr. P is working. So, when he is off, I love doing things with him. A day trip out of town junking and ending the day with a quiet supper is so much fun. A night at home snuggling in front of the fireplace and just sharing the day’s events is comforting. He also has a woodshop here at home. Love it when he makes me something and brings it in for me to use in my décor. I love making bowl fillers, stitcheries, and am learning punch needle. Here are Darbee Rae and Papa working on a project together.



9) What does your dream house look like? (Describe and/or include photo)

This one might surprise you. Here is a picture of my dream home. It is on the national register of historic homes here in town.
 
 
No, you don’t have to go back and make sure I said I love prims and country. Ha! This is totally Victorian. There is a long story behind my love for this house. It might be a good post on my blog one day. Although it is a private residence, at one time it was a bed and breakfast. Mr. P surprised me and took me there for the night for an anniversary getaway. We had the whole house to ourselves. My dream would be to own it, return it to the bed and breakfast and Holly and I run it. There is a cute cottage behind it that Holly and her family could live in. Sounds perfect don’t ya think?


10) If you could visit anywhere, anytime, where would it be and why?

Traveling is definitely an interest of mine. I would love to say I had visited every state in the U.S. I would start on the eastern side and my first choice would be to visit New England in the fall.


11) Would you share with us a favorite homemaking/organizing tip or recipe, etc..?

I love changing and playing house. But…as most, I have to be in the mood. My advice to anyone, make your home comfortable for you and your family. Surround yourselves with things you love. The best compliment I ever received was when a visitor said, “I could stay here forever. It’s like going to my grandmother’s home years ago.”


12) Tell us something about yourself that we might not already know from reading your blog. (something unusual, etc..)

I have a terrible fear of flying. I have never flown in a plane and have no desire to do so.


13) Tell me a little bit about the special bond you share between you and your daughter, Holly. (You can tell us this from any angle…..special memories, etc…. anyway you want to do this, Angela!)

Holly and I have always had a wonderful relationship. I think her being an only child, growing up and surrounded by adults made her more mature for her age. Our relationship was never one we had to work on. As she grew older, our love and companionship grew closer and closer. We were always honest and open with her and let her see the good and bad in all situations. I thank God daily for the relationship I have with her and she shares with me and her daddy.

 


14) Tell us a way God has blessed you and/or your family.

God has truly blessed me and my family in more ways than I could express. There have been many rough times during our 39 years of marriage. One time that comes to mind was during the building of our home. Our contractor went bankrupt and left us with nothing. God provided and we struggled, but finished our home with the help of family and friends. I can’t imagine a day in my life without God by my side.


15) Share any words of wisdom and/or a favorite quote you'd like to leave with us.

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” –Abraham Lincoln


I have so enjoyed my visit with you on the sunporch, Tammy.   Thanks again for the invite.


♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 
 
Words from Tammy:  Thank you so much for joining me today, Angela.  We have so many things in common.  I can tell that we're both very sentimental and have deep love for family.  I'm looking forward to being a grandma one day....love your relationship with Darbee Rae and Holly.  :)  You know I'm with you on the red....in my book, it just can't be beat!  I have red in just about every room also!  You already know it, but you are truly blessed!  :)
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 
 

Now meet daughter, Holly.......of Holly's Hobbies and Darbee Days.....



 
 



1) How long have you been blogging and what/who gave you the desire to blog?


I have been blogging for 3 years. I started blogging as more of a journal to document my days at home with Darbee. I wanted a way to remember all of the “little” things we did and all of our fun adventures. I use a site called Blog 2 Print each year and have my blog posts and pictures for the year published into a hard bound book. These are priceless keepsakes to me. They will be something that Darbee Rae will treasure one day.



2) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

I do not claim to be a crafter. I “piddle.” I like to try and learn how to do new things. Therefore, I have many hobbies. I also write about my days with Darbee who also likes to “make things.” I wanted something catchy and cute. Thus the title… “Holly’s Hobbies and Darbee Days.”



3) What variety of topics do you post on your blog (examples - home decorating, family, gardening, recipes, adoption, homeschooling, crafting, etc....)

My blog is pretty much a hodge podge of everything. I do some posts about my home. Some of my decorating, yummy recipes, and my craft adventures. I also share our adventures and the fun times we share as a family.


4) Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I am an only child. I have always strived to do good and serve the Lord. I am a quiet person until I get to know you. Then watch out. I will sit and chat for hours! I have always been a people pleaser. I have been married to my hubby, Stacy for 9 years. He is my perfect match. Here is one of hubby hard at work. Notice his little helper in the background. Ha! Our family is small, but we are all close and I cherish that.

 
 

5) How would you describe your decorating style?

My decorating style is whatever I like and whatever makes me happy. I have some prim items in my home and some things that I just like. I don’t have one style throughout my entire home.


6) What's your favorite color and why?

I guess it would be black. LOL. Nothing gothic or anything. I just like it. When you wear it, it goes with anything and makes you looks slimmer right?  My car is black. Black is a good prim color also! I am trying to convince myself to paint my kitchen cabinets black! Hehe. See this hall tree? It has been passed down through our family and I am so proud to have it.


 
 
7) Tell us a few of your favorite things (collections, things that make you happy, etc.).

I don’t really collect anything. If I did, it would be old jars. I like old mason jars and neat old bottles. I have a purse/bag fetish and could probably open my own department store with all of my bags.  I like cute ink pens and funky socks too! This is just a sampling of purses and bags. Trust me….there is LOTS more!

 
 
8) What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, crafts, etc..)?

In my spare time, I mainly like to shop! LOL. I am a Pinterest and Facebook addict. I enjoy making stitcheries and have been trying to learn to sew a bit. I am by no means an expert. One of my favorite hobbies is photography. I would dream of one day owning my own photography business. I keep a camera with me wherever I go. Here is a picture of a sunset I took near our home.

 
 

9) What does your dream house look like? (Describe and/or include photo)

Oh wow. Let me see. My dream house would be a big white two story house with a wrap around front porch. It would have a full finished basement and my mom and dad would live with us. It would sit on many acres of land and have a huge workshop out back for my dad. I would have a dream craft room too! It would look something like this…



10) If you could visit anywhere, anytime, where would it be and why?

This is hard. I have never been on a plane and have no intentions to, so I don’t know… I would love to visit heaven. I would love to have just a glimpse. Just a peek to be able to answer all of Darbee’s questions about the afterlife. Let me explain…by visiting, I mean like we would go and visit with a friend. The purpose being to answer all of Darbee’s questions. When God sees fit, my goal is not to visit but to live there eternally.


11) Would you share with us a favorite homemaking/organizing tip or recipe, etc..?

Make it yours. Do what you like with what you have. Don’t worry about having a perfectly clean house all the time. Enjoy it. Live in it. Be proud of it. Here is a pic. of our home.

 
 
12) Tell us something about yourself that we might not already know from reading your blog. (something unusual, etc..)

My hubby is 20 years older than I am. It’s a funny story how we met. I worked at Chick-fil-A. He came in alone all the time and I felt sorry for him. After getting to know him, I had a bright idea to set him up with a lady from my church. Well…without going into all the details, it backfired and turned out he liked me instead. We dated for 2 years and were married in December of 2003. He had never been married and is a perfect match for me. God knew what he was doing when he put us together.

 
 
13) Tell me a little bit about the special bond you share between you and your mother, Angela. (You can tell us this from any angle…..special memories, etc…. anyway you want to do this, Holly.)

My parents and I are extremely close. BUT..besides my hubby, my mom is my best friend. People often laugh at me for the relationship I share with my mom. I am so thankful and proud of it. I can only hope one day Darbee Rae and I are as close as she and I are. She is my shopping partner, crafting buddy, listening ear, advice giver, shoulder to cry on, and so much more. I love her to death.


14) Tell us a way God has blessed you and/or your family.

This is a hard one because God has blessed me and my family beyond measure. I could write forever. One way is with Darbee Rae. Hubby and I had tried for two years to get pregnant. I had just about given up. I had been to fertility doctors and nothing had worked. Finally, I gave up on all the medicines and put it in God’s hands. I knew if he wanted me to have a child, he would give one to me. During that time, my grandmother’s condition got worse and she was no longer able to stay alone. She was put in a nursing home. This was a very difficult time for our family, especially my mom. Right after all of this, Darbee Rae was born. Boy does God like to teach us lessons? I learned that things will happen in HIS time, not mine.

 
 
Here is a picture of Darbee Rae with “Nanny.” Darbee met her when she was 3 days old and didn’t miss many weeks in her life visiting her each week at the nursing home. Nanny was blind and was never able to see Darbee. One of her favorite things was for Darbee to sing Jesus Loves Me to her. Darbee Rae sang it one last time for her at her funeral. How special.

15) Share any words of wisdom and/or a favorite quote you'd like to leave with us.


 
 
Words from Tammy:  We also have several things in common.  I loved reading how you and your hubby ended up married.....that's so sweet and I just love your deep love of family!  Darbee Rae is a little sweetheart and love her RED hair!  You are truly blessed.  Thank you for joining me.  I sure did enjoy your visit, Holly!
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 
Thank you, to faithful blogging friends and new ones alike!  I'm so glad you joined us on the sunporch today!  Of course, I love reading your comments here too, but be sure and stop by for a visit with Angela on her blog here, and with Holly on her blog here.  They would love to "meet" you and have you follow along too!  And have a great day!  :)
 
♥ Tammy ♥