Saturday, December 23, 2017

Mary Did You Know?


Can you only imagine how Mary must have felt
anticipating the birth of her son?
I can't wrap my head around it really.
I remember awaiting the birth of my first child, Jake.
I was excited, anxious, tired, nervous, and happy.
Yes I was carrying and growing the most precious gift
I could ever imagine inside of me but my son
is not Jesus. My child would not be the son of God.
It really is too much for our brains to comprehend.
Knowing the God picked her to carry His precious 
son and our savior. It really is something to behold.
So as today marks the last Sunday in advent, I want to reflect
on our Mother Mary. I want to honor her and praise her for
her willingness to accept the unknown and to trust in God.
What a brave and courageous woman. What a completely 
unconditional mother to Jesus and to all of us.
My heart is full of gratitude for you beautiful Mary.
My heart is full of love for you.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen


Saturday, November 25, 2017

Charcuterie Board 101


No we did not invent the charcuterie 
board but we sure do own it!
We love making up these fun and yummy boards
whenever we are all together. My kids especially
love taking turns whipping up creative new items 
to slap on the board just to get a reaction! 


It really could not be easier and yet it looks so impressive!
Pick up some special cheese and crackers and then add
anything from fruit, nuts, olives, breads, mustards, salami, 
olive oils, fresh sea salt, veggies, pate or pickles.
We like to serve it before dinner with a 
glass of wine or sparkling water.
It gives me a littel extra time in the kitchen before 
I am bombarded with HANGRY people 
standing over me forging for food.









If you don't have a board use a tray or a big bowl.
There are NO rules and NO recipe to follow.
Just have fun!


My girls are oh so proud!
Good mama training for sure!

OH I almost forgot!
Don't worry about how to pronounce charcuterie.
I NEVER ever get it right!
Happy Boarding!
We put these puppies on the board too!
Go HERE for this amazing 
Sausage & Cheese Crescent recipe!
One more board to check out!

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Kid-Friendly Meal - Mac and Cheeseburger



Dish it out!
Serve it up!
Line em up!
Suppers ready, 
come and get it!

I'm not gonna lie to another mama.
This is not a healthy, kid-friendly meal all
wrapped up with an organic, gluten free bow.
It is a survival meal.
One of those meals that requires no
fancy ingredients and no brainpower.
It is a kiddie crowd pleaser and it tastes 
like a cheeseburger!
Yep, I said a cheeseburger!
You've got your protein and carbs.
Serve it with a big old sip cup of milk
and you are good to go!
Add a side of fruit in a cup and you are golden!



How do you like these special bowls?
I found these beauties while Goodwill hunting and 
I snatched them up for 49 cents a piece.
My Granny had these same bowls!
They literally make everything taste better.



And yes I am a hoarder. I am not proud of it but
it does make me really giddy to pull out 
these old toddler utensils!
Oh the days are long gone where these tools
were washed multiple times a day but
I get to dust them off when B and Finn come to play!
I am still a grandma wannabe but that's ok for now.

Here is the easy recipe!

Mac and Cheeseburger

1 box of Annie's macaroni and cheese
1 pound of Laura's Lean Beef
1/2 cup of chopped onion (use white if you need to hide it)
1 tsp of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of yellow mustard

Make the macaroni and cheese according to the directions on the box.
Cook the hamburger with the onions and garlic powder until it is good and browned. Drain any fat from the pan. Add salt, pepper, ketchup and mustard and let it simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
Add the prepared macaroni and cheese to the hamburger and mix well. That's it! Taste it and see if you need a little more ketchup and or mustard. I sometimes add a little more for a bigger kick but I like my cheeseburgers dripping in sauce so that is just me being messy. 
Serve it up and call in the troops! Set a bowl of sliced dill pickles on the table and double dare the
children to add it to their bowl! Easy, fast and not super healthy but good for a mama's brain after a long summer day! Enjoy!


Here is another kid-friendly recipe!

Potato Chip Chicken Tenders!


Go HERE to get it!

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Mother Teresa of Calcutta



I believe that God has bestowed each us with the gifts 
needed to do His work. Each person is unique as is our gifts.
He allows us the free will to do as we wish with our lives.
Sometimes we answer His calls and other times we may 
choose to take a pass for whatever reason. He will quietly present opportunities to us throughout our lives. Sometimes those opportunities come with just the perfect timing and other times it can be the most inconvenient and awkward timing possible but He still comes asking 
quietly and softly never begging nor demanding. 
It is always our choice, our will, and our decision.
As we go forward marching though this sometimes very crazy, and often scary world may we try to remember the simple and beautiful words form Mother Teresa below.
And in the back of your mind listen to that voice that tugs at you from time to time asking you, 
never begging you to take the opportunity to give 
extraordinary love in the most ordinary ways.

Do ordinary things with extraordinary love. 
                                          ~Mother Teresa


What I can do you cannot.
What you can do I cannot.
But together we can do something 
beautiful for God.
                                            ~Mother Teresa

Holiness is not the luxury of the few,
it is a simple duty, for you and for me.
                                             ~Mother Teresa

God has created us to love and be loved,
and this is the beginning of prayer, to
know that He loves me, that I have 
been created for greater things.
                                              ~Mother Teresa

The child is the beauty of God present in the world.
The greatest gift to a family.
                                              ~Mother Teresa

To learn more about the beautiful life and work 
of Mother Teresa please visit the site below.



Monday, May 8, 2017

Dorm Room Decor



I found this little wooden nugget at Goodwill.
I bought it for $3.99!
I found an old rag and a leftover bottle 
of white acrylic paint in my craft cabinet.
I just rubbed the white paint on 
in a messy kind of way. 
This was easy for me as it required 
no talent whatsoever!
That's it!
DONE!
Very easy and very cute little shelf to stash in 
Baby Girl # 2's dorm room!


Here it is with some PINK thingamgiggies!


I know you are saying, "Wow, that is so cute!"


And you are also saying, "Mama Holli is just so clever!"


Now this is a great little bit of history!
The gorgeous brooch belonged to my husband's great grandmother!
The hanky we bought in Italy on our honeymoon.


The cute little rose dish was part of my china tea set
when I was a little girl. It was given to me by my Granny and Popeye.


The BEST part of the post!
Here is the sweet baby girl #2 who now has this
treasure in her dorm room far away from home in Texas!
How stinking cute is she!!!
I miss you Mooshka!

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Spring Has Sprung!




I truly do love to see the season change.
It is the one thing that we can know will come to pass.
With each season brings new life and hope.
We can start anew even in the smallest of ways.
Plant some seeds.
Pick up a new book.
Start a long awaited project.
Visit an old friend.
Try a new recipe.
Help someone in need.
Share a smile.


Just as the birds come back to their homes after 
migrating from the cold we too can come back home.


This spring I will walk more.
When I walk I will listen and look around me.
I will take it all in.
I love to pray when I walk alone especially 
when I am walking in the mountains.
I feel so blessed to live in Colorado and 
be able to witness God's handiwork.
I never want to take this for granted.

One of my favorite prayers is one that my 
Granny always prayed.
In this prayer it announces.....
I fly unto thee

We may always fly to our mother Mary.
She will always greet us with open arms and wrap us in her
complete and unconditional love.

The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate,despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. 
Amen.


How will you start anew this spring?
I would love to know!

Monday, January 16, 2017

Shut Your Ears


 

I would like to offer some beautiful advice during 
what has played out to be a very
 turbulent time in our country as of late.
I have chosen to follow the advice of this 
intelligent and insightful young lady.
She just happens to be my daughter! 
She is the baby of the family by birth order 
but wise beyond her years.
She has a magical way of loving and 
serving others on a daily basis.
She loves unconditionally, wholeheartedly and completely.
She is my Mooshka and I could not possibly love her more.
So sip your tea and soak these words of wisdom into your heart and mind.

I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, and I’d hope you would too.






I choose to shut my ears a bit these days. There is a lot going on, a lot to feel, to decide, to side with, to criticize. And what does it all amount to? A lot of negativity and a bit of sadness, maybe even a touch of fear. It’s heartbreaking to see people feeling forced to state opinions that they deep down don’t know if they are qualified to make. So I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, but note that my eyes are still open. I’m not looking away from the mayhem around me but I’m also not listening to it. I’m not choosing ignorance by refusing to listen but I am also not choosing blind obedience. All of the words flying out of the mouths of others can pollute a head that deserves to be free, to be free of criticism and instead be spacious, making room for creativity and growth.
All of those words can be screamed so loud that they drown out the words that used to fly off the shelf rather than slinking off the web. The words that would leap from pages and spark life to a story, give life to an image. But now, these days those words on those pages belong to dusted shelves that remain stagnant rather than flying, their wings have been clipped at the price of refreshing our feed and click-clacking on our keys. The scary people of our storybooks have become the people who hide behind screens that shout words and opinions louder than the songs in the choir.
People are rallying behind causes they didn’t know they should believe in but only assume they are supposed to believe in, they kept their ears open too long and everything else was drowned out but the sound of screams, negative screams. So I look on, I see it all, I see it all fall, but I keep my ears shut. I let the negativity drown amidst other things and be careful that it doesn’t drown my own thoughts. Because all too quickly if you keep your ears open the thoughts of others can infiltrate that pretty little mind of yours. So keep your ears shut I beg so that your thoughts can remain yours and yours only while you look on. You will see it all, you may see it fall, but the ideas that spring up in your head, the thoughts the rise from the ashes, you can promise to be your own, and not a product of the screams but rather a response. By looking instead of listening your thoughts can spark change just like the words on the pages used to. I choose to shut my ears a bit these days, and I’d hope you would too.  Isabella Nucci
If you would like to read more from this amazing and beautiful author of this article please go here!


Mama's Guacamole






This Texas Mama loves her some good tortilla chips.
What she loves more is a good batch of fresh 
guacamole!
guac!
avocado mash!
avocado mush!
YUM!
However you mash this combo up it will 
always come up tasting delicious!
This is an easy, fresh and delicious recipe.

2 avocados
juice of 1 lime
sea salt to taste
2 Tbls finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup chopped cilantro

In your favorite bowl, mash up 2 ripe avocados.
Mix in all the other ingredients.
Add one avocado pit to the dip, cover and chill 
for about 30 minutes before serving.

I love my Guac all by itself or with some 
really good tortilla chips.
Serve it up with your tacos, fajitas, sandwich, burrito,
salad, and or grilled protein. You can not go wrong
serving it up with any of the above.
Share your favorite guacamole sidekick with me!
Adios Mamas! 




Don't mind me. I'm just in my kitchen
doing my guacamole dance!
Next up......
the SALSA!



Go HERE!



or HERE!