Friday, October 24, 2008

Netta's Niche- FINGER FOOD FRIDAY

Many years ago... when we only had 2 girls
and lived in Y-town Ohio... we started a weekly
tradition...
FINGER FOOD FRIDAY!

Not any old finger-food, however...
our favorite is Homemade Pizza!
I started making the dough, then
the kids shape it and add their own
ingredients. Or sometimes we just
make two big pizzas!

Over the last 10 years I've changed the
recipe to suit us.

Here's it is... mmmm.. .and Heathly, too!


Netta's PIZZA DOUGH

(you'll need a "dough" beater on your
mixer... or you can use this in a bread
machine, too!)

2 ¼ C warm water
3 T olive oil
3 1/3 C whole wheat flour
3 1/3 C flour
1 tsp. salt
oregano, basil, garlic powder
3 tsp. dry yeast (approx. 2 pkg)

Add the ingredients to the mixing
bowl in the order they're listed above.
Mix with dough beater until well
blended. Cover with a clean dish towel
and let it raise for about 1 1/2 hour.

Pinch dough into 2 parts and spread
onto 2 pizza pans
(or even a cookie
sheets with work).
Add toppings & bake for 10-15 minutes
on 425 degrees.

Our favorite topping:
-olive oil (no tomato sauce)
-pizza & pasta seasoning (Aldi)
-sliced black olives
-diced green peppers
-fresh spinach
-sliced tomatoes
-tiny bits of broccoli
-diced onion
-TONS of mozzarella cheese

Give it a try... add the toppings you like..
or experiment with new ones!

I'd love to hear how it goes!




Currently Listening
Juice Box Heroes
By Imagination Movers

later tonight...

Later tonight I'll be posting my own
recipe for homemade pizza dough
and the toppings, too.
But... I have to go eat it first!

mmm, can you smell it?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Apple, Donuts & Peddle Tractors!

Apples, Donuts & Peddle Tractors!

Yesterday we enjoyed our annual trip to the orchard!
Here's a few pics.
Later this week I plan to post a few of the autumn
crafts/decorations that we've been making!

I LOVE FALL!!!!









Currently Reading
My Name Is Russell Fink
By Michael Snyder

Friday, October 17, 2008

Somebody's getting a new book!

Thank you to all of you for reading my blog!
and THANK YOU to those of you who honor
me by responding!

The winner of "The Shape of Mercy" is
Lyndsay O'Brien of Vermont!
YIPPEE!!!!


The Shape of Mercy: A Novel
By Susan Meissner

I’ve contacted you, Lyndsay, and will
await your response so you can receive
the book soon! (Your comments were
so great… I, too, am always open and
excited to let Jesus rearrange my heart
and deepen my relationship with Him.)

Have a great weekend....

(and, "Sista"
thanks for your catchy POEM!
LOVED IT!)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

"WeeeeeeRRRRRe good, We're GREAT!!!"

(If you're looking for the chance to win
a free book... scroll down to Tuesday's post)


"WeeeeRRRRE good, We're GREAT!"

Yeah, it was a cheer...

"We're good, we're great!
Yeah we're the team that really rates.
We're awesome.
We're tops!
Oh yeah, we got what they don't got!"

(Nice English, huh? It makes me cringe, but
I can still remember the moves to this cheer!)

But this morning in between the times I was
hitting my snooze (NOT the topic of this blog, today)
God gently whispered to me...
"Don't be consumed with doing what's good
and neglect what's GREAT!"

Not a new statement for any of us... and .... yet...
how often do we actually make a point to
DO the things in our lives that God has
deemed "of GREAT IMPORTANCE?"

(Hint... these are usually the things that no one else
really sees... we know what they are!)

I'm doing what's GREAT!
and that makes me wanna CHEER!

Oh... you can cheer too, if you win the wonderful novel
that I'm giving away! Free. You can read the review below
and leave a comment about why you'd like to win the book!
Fun! Free!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Keep Thinkin' ('bout that book)

Lauren has the "normal" American stuff:
ipod, car, college dorm room, part-time job,
a roommate who works at a coffee shop, etc...

She also has a bizarre connection to Mercy, an 18 yr. old
girl from the Boston area who was accused of being
a witch... who lived in the seventeenth century!
And her unusual tie to an aging relative of Mercy's
has brought Lauren perplexing dreams and self-examination.

The book has done similar things to me!

In "The Shape of Mercy" by Susan Meissner, my viewpoints
were rattled as God began to reveal the
preconceived ideas that often dictate my
thoughts, actions and conversations.
Prejudice notions extend far beyond
what you may expect. A willingness to
address these incorrect mindsets and
choose instead a life of trust, honesty
and the joy of real friendship are the
rewards of being real and really loving.

It's a novel, yes, but a spiritual learning tool
that God used to dig around in my head and heart.
Hey, Jesus used stories to teach His truth....
and my brain connects with stories!

The publishers have given me two copies-
one for me and one to give away... FREE!!!

INTERESTED in FREE?
Please leave a comment about WHY you'd like to have this book.
A winner will be selected on FRIDAY, Oct. 17th.

I wanna give you this gift!

(and here's a link if you'd just like to purchase it NOW!)

FREE stuff!

Later today I'll be posting my
review of a GREAT book I just
finished....
and YOU may win a free copy
of it, too!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Readin' the WORD




It was FOUR years that the amazing
ministry at Real Church began.
And this was the fourth year that we
all read the Bible through, cover to cover
out loud, all-day, all night until the end!


The girls & I signed up for reading time slots..
they did so well... but good 'ol Mom had the challenge
of reading "Shemaziaiah son of Hezeriah"... for an hour straight!
(fortunately no one else was in the room!)



Keep checking this blog... I'll be giving away a
FREE BOOK this week. (NOT the same one as Chilly).

Happy Monday!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Service With a Smile!

Worship?
SERVICE WITH A SMILE!

Everything I do today is to be with a
SMILE and JOYFUL heart ...
Cuz everything I'm doing today (and always)
is as worship to Jesus!


What are your "worship" instructions for today?

(anyone can comment on this post-
hit comments, and type your thoughts
then select anonymous if you don't have
a blogsite of your own.... but it would
cool if you at least signed your name!)

Happy Friday... and I typed that with a SMILE!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Netta's Niche- Chicken Gumbo


  • Netta Niche'- Chicken Gumbo

    Several years ago my wonderful friend, Denise, gave me
    a MOST needed gift... a huge crock pot with a
    "Fix it and Forget it" cookbook.
    (It's her b-day today... I'm so grateful
    for you, Denise! Happy Birthday!)
    It's a gift ALL ladies,
    moms,
    people-in-ministry,
    single guys,
    well, basically everyone should have!

    All those years ago I started making a dish from that
    cook book... but as time went on I changed it, adapted it
    and have "perfected" it for OUR family.
    It's quick,
    it's easy,
    it's not expensive,
    it's good for you!

    CHICKEN GUMBO (Chilton Style)
    1 onion chopped
    1-2 Tbl minced garlic
    1 lb. pkg frozen sliced okra
    2 cans diced tomates
    2 cans water
    3 or 4 chicken bullion cubes
    5-6 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
    2 or more Tbl of cajun seasoning

    Crock Pot instructions: put everything
    in the slow cooker & cook on low for
    approx. 6 hrs.
    Serve over cooked rice.

    Stove Top instructions:
    In a stock pot cook thawed chicken, onion
    and garlic on high for several minutes.
    Add all other ingredients and cook on low
    for approx. 2 hrs.
    Serve over cooked rice.

    Thanks, Denise, for the gift of SLOW COOKING!
    Love you and miss you, My Friend!



    Currently Reading
    Fix-it And Forget-it Recipes For Entertaining
    By Phyllis Pellman Good



messin' with it

Hey, I'm messin' with my blogsite
and the colors, pics, etc...
I'm not happy with it right now,
but I have to go to bed now...

so, sorry it looks mismatched.

(but it is a cool pic of the city, huh?
I took it while standing across the street
from Hart Plaza one day before my kids
and I played in the fountains!)

Happy Day!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

He's TWO!

  • He's TWO


    Little Chase is TWO.
    Every kid's dream:
    Enjoying a treat & some playland
    time at "McDonnOs"... thanks for the
    gift card P. Steve & Mary Beth!


    He LOVES to play the "gudar"
    and he got two of them... and
    hasn't stopped jammin' since then!



    I love this kid! What an honor to be his Momma!





    Currently Reading
    The Shape of Mercy: A Novel
    By Susan Meissner

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Dinner for a Dollar!

Ok, I told you earlier that I'd read an article in Newsweek, Oct. 6th
issue, entitled "Flowers from Uncle Sam." The author,
from Baltimore, stated that her family of four (2 adults, 2 kids)
wasw now exceeding $1,000 a month for groceries!
WHAT???
That means that each person was eating $3 per meal 3x a day.

As a stay-home-Mom it's my job to save money, and slashing the
grocery bills without killing the palate while still making
healthy choices makes for FUN and challenge!

I've been tracking our family's food budget for years, but in the
springtime of this year I decided to experiment by boycotting the
large, mega-mart grocery stores
(weekly sales ads & time-consuming coupon cutting)
in favor of Aldi and Save-a-Lot and an
occasional trip to the amazing farmer's market.
GOOD CHOICE!

We have SEVEN in our family:
High Schooler,
Jr. Higher,
Elementary-aged,
Preschooler, Toddler
and Mom & Dad.
(and pretty often there's a friend or two at the table, also
but I didn't count that in my figures.)

Careful examination & calculations of my "Aldi Experiment"
have revealed that in our family,
seven people eat 3 daily meals for an average of...
dun, dun, dun...
$1 per meal!

It's actually even less than that because our weekly
grocery bill also includes diapers, pull-ups, most cleaning
supplies, laundry supplies and about 1/3 of our toiletries.
(but I didn't wanna figure all that out!)

"Thank You, Jesus, for helping us in the daily, ordinary
parts of our lives!"

In future blogs-entitled "Netta's Niche"- I'd love to share
my menus, recipes & ideas so that you won't be blaming
Uncle Sam for your crazy-high grocery bills.

Here's a recipe that was used in ALL YOU Magazine
in September. Taco Bowls

THAT'S INSANE!!!

I just read in Newsweek Magazine about an average family
of 4 (2 kids 2 adults) spends $1000 a month on groceries!
(and she was blaming the economy!)

WHAT?

THAT'S INSANE!

Stay tuned.... I have quite a lot to say about that.
My JOB is saving money... and since groceries
are a HUGE part of that...
well, yeah...
I have QUITE a lot to say.

Stay tuned.

Currently Reading
The Shape of Mercy: A Novel
By Susan Meissner