Lucas Corner Farmhouse

So it's been a while since I've posted on here.... figure it's time for an update, because quite a bit has changed!! :) Source:  Redefining C My last post was July 22. Since then, we have... ...moved back to our hometown... Source:  love-the-day ...started teaching a fitness class at our new church (which we love)... Source:  Reasons to be Fit ...both started new jobs (against our cat's better wishes)... Source:  25 media Tumbler ...and found out that our family is growing!... The little guy or girl is due May 9, and we'll find out what it is in December!

Are you like me, and you're craving something cold and sweet (aka ice cream) this summer? But.....you want to eat healthy? (and maybe you've had too much Ben&Jerry's lately because it was on sale at Publix recently....) Well...throw this in the blender... *Handful of frozen fruit (I had a mix of strawberries, mangoes, pineapples, and peaches from Wal-Mart plus some frozen raspberries from Publix on hand). *1 teaspoon of flax seed (to help fill you up with just a little extra protein and fiber in the mix) *Milk (a little at a time) ((or yogurt)) Blend, and gradually add milk so that the consistency is just like a frosty....so you can eat it with a spoon! If you make extra, you can put some in a freezer-safe container for next time you're craving a healthy ice cream alternative! :)

I found the inspiration for this recipe on Pinterest (of course!) and made a few changes based on what we have in our cabinets. ((Since we're moving next week, we're trying not to buy lots of new food...so we don't have to pack it haha!)) Also, I decided to give my new toaster oven a shot at cooking a batch of these. The original recipe was posted at... watching-what-I-eat.blogspot.com/2012/06/peanut-butter-banana-oat-breakfast.html. Her recipe included butter extract, vanilla extract, and applesauce. I omitted those three ingredients, and the cookies still came out great! My oven cooks pretty quickly so the cookies had crispy edges right at 23 minutes....but 25 minutes in the toaster oven made them perfect! Here's my revised recipe (simply called Protein-Packed Banana Cookies since that's pretty much all that's in these...protein and bananas and oatmeal!) PROTEIN-PACKED BANANA COOKIES 3 ripe bananas 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 1 Tbs vanilla protein p...

We got a basket of veggies from a garden shop near us that operates a program similar to a CSA. There was a LOT of cabbage in there (among other veggies)...so we had to find a recipe to use it in! Adam came across this recipe for Country Cabbage Soup , which was DELICIOUS (and a lot meatier than we expected...but that could be due to the fact that we think we inadvertently doubled the amount of meat in the recipe)! We used some of the ground venison we have...and we're pretty sure it's packaged in two-pound packs instead of one-pound packs.  We agree with several of the reviews that it is a good base soup that needed some seasoning to liven it up.  Adam added just a little onion powder, peppercorn garlic seasoning, sage, and cumin (just to give you an idea). If you give it a try, let me know what seasoning you use, so we can change it up from time to time!

These are good. So good! I got the recipe from my great aunt several years ago after I tried some she made for a tailgate. They're also QUITE inexpensive! I like to buy the ranch seasoning in the big jar at Sam's (we sprinkle it over chicken before baking....so having it packets isn't always convenient) anywho, that cuts the price down some too because it's cheaper in bulk! Here's the recipe!! Thanks Blanche!!! 1 cup Canola Oil 1 package dry Ranch Dressing (3Tbsp) 2-3 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes Mix ingredients together. Place 3 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers in a Ziploc bag and pour mixture over the crackers. Zip lock the bag and rotate several times over a ten minute time period. I usually place in a clean bag or two or three smaller bags. Enjoy!!!

Today I'm linking up to show my progress in the BedCraftOffice room! :) Hopefully, you'll notice the improvement, and maybe get some organizing ideas in the process! :) Go here to see my before pictures... Spare Room Before And here is how it's looking now! :) This is a good ol' cell phone picture I sent a friend of mine to show progress while I was cleaning...so....take a look around...now check out the next picture! Yay! You can sorta see my make-shift ribbon holder hanging from the curtain rod. Well, I sorta liked the idea, but def wanted something different, or a way to improve it (you can see it better in the picture of the other side of the room)...and I found the perfect thing a the thrift store...it'll be in my next update! (Unless it sneaks its way into a post before then!) See the Yellow Boxes in the top left cubby of my desk? Nesquick containers! I spray painted the bottoms green (like the trays just above them) and kept...

This month, I'm participating in the 29 Day Organizational Challenge over at I'm an Organizing Junkie !  I started to brainstorm how to make this room a better place before I knew about this challenge...but luckily, I didn't do anything other than shred a few papers and hang up some earrings before the challenge started!! This room is our spare room/office/sewing room.  There are who-knows-how-many books, half of my sewing supplies, all of my craft supplies, a TV, a bed, and some random boxes hiding behind the bed (and more books...). So, I'm going to show you the before picture....don't judge me! The room is perfectly sized for a spare room OR and office OR a sewing room...so the before picture is quite cluttered. Hence, the plan to organize! :) Let's see here...from left to right...a cat, an empty box, a box of random Christmas things to store, a notebook, some things I found at the Target dollar aisle to organize with, a chair with a mi...