The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, September 11, 2012...

Outside my window...it's sunny now, but I see some grey clouds peeking in the distance.  We're expecting rain again this afternoon.

I am thinking...of 9/11, and what it means to our country.  Just writing the date on my post brings a heaviness to my heart as I remember that fateful day.

I am thankful for...my life, my health, my family, my home.  So much to be thankful for.

I am going...to finish making lunch/dinner before I pick up my son from school.

I am wearing...a BarlowGirl t-shirt, jean capris and flip-flops.  It's 89 degrees out but with the high heat index it feels like 96 degrees.  The humidity is only 59% right now but that'll change soon enough.

I am noticing...the wind picking up.  I'm sure the rain won't be long in coming.

In the kitchen...I've got a meatloaf in the oven, potatoes on the stove waiting to be mashed, and I'll be getting some green beans warmed up soon.

I am creating...a Christmas stash.  The first present has been purchased and is already wrapped.

I am reading...Knowing the Truth About Jesus the Messiah.  I haven't got much left to read so I'll be looking for something new soon.  The book I mentioned is an ebook that is free on Barnes and Noble.  I recommend it.

I am hoping...the rain lets up while I'm picking my son up from school.  He didn't want to take his umbrella with him.

I am looking forward to...that meatloaf.  It smells delicious!

I am hearing...my daughter on the phone.  She's calling folks who've signed up to volunteer at church.

Around the house...I vacuumed up lots of dog hair this morning, and dusted, so the house is looking good.

A favorite quote of the day... "We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding." - Billy Graham.

One of my favorite things...watching our dog Molly take a nap.  She looks so comfy!

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow is my son's school open house.  We get to meet the teachers and find out what the curriculum will consist of this year.  It's my turn to bring breakfast to our Sunday school class this week, so I'm thinking whether to buy or bake.

Wanna join in the fun?  Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook.  God bless.

Pocket Pies

My sister has asked that I reveal the recipe to make what Alton Brown calls pocket pies, mini pies that can be held in the hand, similar to Hostess Fruit Pies.  I could simply explain how to make them, but it's so extremely easy that I'd be embarrassed to post just the how-to.  Instead, I'll give some pictures along with step-by-step instructions for everyone's enjoyment.

For starters, here's what you'll need:  pastry discs (found in the frozen food section of your supermarket), fillings (I use fruit pie filling from Winn-Dixie, like apple pie filling and blueberry filling, or Nutella for chocolatey pies), and oil for frying.  I use corn or canola oil, and add a little olive oil because I love the flavor.

I separate the discs, and have a small bowl of water nearby for moistening the edges.

I moisten the edges on both sides with my fingers.  This is so there is a good seal on the pies before frying.

I put the filling on top of the disc.  In this picture I've used apple pie filling.  About a tablespoon should be good; don't overfill or they won't seal properly and will leak.

Fold the pie pastry in half, then press on the edges with a fork to seal the edges tight.  Flip the pie over and do the same on the other side.

Set them in a frying pan filled with about 1/4" of oil and fry on medium heat till browned.  It'll take about a minute, minute and a half.

Flip and brown on the other side.  Once both sides are browned, remove from the pan and put on a rack or on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

These were made with blueberry pie filling.

And these are my "chocolate" pies, made with Nutella.  The process is the same; you can use any filling you like:  peach, pineapple, lemon, blackberry, raspberry, etc.

And that's it.  I know, super simple!  If you like your pies extra sweet, you can sprinkle some confectioner's sugar over the finished product, but my family likes them just like this.  They can also be baked in a 350 degree oven; don't know how long it takes but I would calculate about 15 - 20 minutes.  I'd do an egg wash on the top to keep the dough moist.  We like these because in my house everyone has a different flavor preference.  I absolutely love apple pie but my kids don't care for it.  My two older kids love blueberries but because of my allergies I can't have them :P.  My youngest son is all about chocolate.  This way I can please all palates without having to bake 3 entire pies.

As a side note:  I like my apple pocket pie warm, but my kids say the blueberry pies are better chilled.  You try them out and decide what you like best.  Enjoy!

Monday Quiz About Me

Here's a fun blog hop that can be personalized to each person's taste.  There are four questions for everyone to answer, then the option to add a fifth question for visitors to answer.  If it peaks your interest, Heather at Acting Balanced would love to have you give it a try.


1. What is your favorite memory you made while on walk?
I usually go on walks early in the morning with my son, I leave the car at our local Winn-Dixie and walk the rest of the way to his school.  We have some of the funniest conversations during those walks!  I also have the memories of walking our dog Tobey who is gone, and now of walking Molly.  It's fun to see her curiosity as she sniffs every spot on our walk through the neighborhood.

2. Do you prefer to live in the city, suburbs or country?  Why?
I would love to live in the country, with all the wide open spaces and fresh air!  I've lived in the city and I hated it.  I now live in the suburbs and I do like our little town a lot, but it's still too many houses close to each other.  I'd love to have some land, a nice big piece to plant stuff.

3. Post the cutest kid/pet/whatever picture you have taken lately?

This is Froggy.  Froggy got on our patio door during Tropical Storm Isaac.  I guess the rain was too much for him ;)

4. What is your favorite recipe made with apples?
Apple pie.  I've made it, I love it, and I could eat it everyday, but my stubborn family doesn't care for it. :P

And for my question:

5.  When do you start your Christmas shopping (remember, it's only 3 months away!)?
I start Christmas shopping now, in September.  I like having all or most of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, and anything that's left to be bought I try to do online.  I hate going to the mall in December.  It's too crowded for my taste.

Move It Mondays

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope the weekend was a good one.  I had a pretty relaxing weekend.  Both my older kids worked on Saturday, and my youngest spent the day with his dad, so for a good chunk of the day I had the home to myself.  I used that time to watch some Poirot on Netflix :).  I love Agatha Christie's books, especially Poirot, so that was fun.  I also watched Witness for the Prosecution, an old murder mystery, and enjoyed it a lot!  We've been watching more and more Netflix and less network television because we hate some of the commercials on TV.  So annoying!  But last night we watched The Great American Bible Challenge with Jeff Foxworthy as host.  It was lots of fun!  The questions started off easy but they got harder as the game progressed, and it was cool to see if we could figure out the answers!

I actually don't have that much to do today, since I got pretty caught up on a lot of stuff on Saturday.  Laundry is as caught up as it's gonna get; there's less than a load of anything except towels, maybe I'll wash those.  I do need to make a run to Costco for detergent, but I might leave that for after lunch.  I found turkey cutlets at Publix which I intend to make with gravy and stuffing.  I like making healthy foods that the family will like, and we do like turkey, but my oh my it's pricey!  We'll have to wait till closer to Thanksgiving to get some good deals.  I wish I had a freezer to stock up when meats are on sale, but I've got no place to put one right now :P.  I have some items in the garage that need to get sold, and if that happens I can get a freezer and put it out there.

There's another thing I want to start doing, and that's Christmas shopping.  Oh, don't look so surprised; Christmas is only 3 months away, and if I can find some good deals now you better be sure I'll take advantage of them.  I always do my Christmas shopping early because I hate being in the stores in December.  Folks can get vicious.  I want to remember what it is I'm celebrating, not getting into fights over some video game that'll be forgotten just days after the wrapping paper comes off.

The weather might be improving slightly, though today it's pretty hot and muggy out.  There is a breeze, though, and now that the sun is rising later and setting earlier the days should start to cool down a tad.  I'm thankful that TS Leslie and Hurricane Michael pose no threat to the US, but we're not out of the woods yet. Today marks the peak of hurricane season, and September is known for being the busiest month in the Atlantic, so I'm keeping an eye on the storm activity.

I hope your week is a pleasant one.  Enjoy this Monday, it's a gift.

Observing My Senses

For Today, September 8, 2012...

I am seeing...clear blue skies and not a hint of the thunderstorm we got yesterday afternoon, where the parking lot at our Winn-Dixie flooded.  I'm hoping it'll be a beautiful day.

I am feeling...grateful because God is so good.  I have my children at home with me, what could be better?

I am hearing...silence.  My boys are awake but still in the bedrooms, which gives Mama some time to enjoy the quiet.

I am tasting...my breakfast, which consists of two slices of bacon, a pumpkin spice Eggo waffle, and coffee.

I am smelling...the fall candles on my dining room table.  I think they're a pumpkin spice scent too.  Whatever it is, it smells like fall.

It just takes a moment to observe your surroundings.  Won't you join me?

Getting a Great Bargain

A couple of weeks ago I posted about some furniture rearranging I'd done, putting the family room furniture in the living room and moving the furniture we'd bought for the kids into the family room.  This was the end result of the family room:

I like the furniture itself, the microfiber fabric, the neutral tan color, and the red pillows my daughter picked for them from Costco.  But there was something missing.  Can you see it?  Or rather, can you not see it?  Or rather still, can you see too much of one thing because of what's missing?  Yeah, too much floor and nothing to break it up.  It needed an area rug.

Problem is, those things can get quite expensive.  I wasn't about to shell out $250 or more on a 5'X7' rug that would be trampled on and laid on and filled with dog hair and crumbs, but I couldn't leave it looking unfinished either.  So I went online to see what I could find.

I knew I wanted something modern, contemporary.  I knew it had to have red, and any of the other colors on my curtains in the family room so that it would work well.  I also knew I didn't want blue.  I'm just not a fan of blue.  I don't like it, and I don't want it.

I looked at rugs at Target first, because I love their styles, but the prices were still a bit on the steep side at $130.  Since I'd found my previous living room rug at Lowe's, I decided to see what they had to offer.  Nothing I liked.  Same with Home Depot.  There were a couple of nice looking ones at Walmart (of all places) going for $90, but I wondered how they'd look once I saw them in person.  I realized I didn't want to shop for rugs online; I wanted to see them, touch them, and appreciate them firsthand, so off I went with my daughter to Target, since it was her day off.

I saw one rug at Target that was just what I was looking for.  There were 2 problems.  One, it was only available in a picture; I'd have to go to another Target to actually see it, or have them order it.  Two, the price was still $130 and I couldn't see myself ordering it and then deciding it was over my budget, so I walked away, wondering if I'd made the right choice.

I had to go to Walmart to do some grocery shopping today, so I figured I'd take a look at the rugs and see if there wasn't something I liked.  Well, wouldn't you know it, they had rugs on clearance!  There were 2 rugs in particular that I liked, one was a better quality with a price of $64, but the color looked more orangey than red.  I could make it work; it would mean buying new pillows for the sofas, but it wasn't what I wanted.  The second rug had the reds, greens and browns I wanted, but it also had blue.  Well, not exactly blue, more like teal, but still in the blue family.  It didn't have a price tag on it so I decided to scan it and see what the damage would be.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  $49.96!  Well, I think I can live with some blues at that price!  Here's how it looks now:

What made me even happier, was seeing some stripes on the curtain that are blue, though they are few and far between.  What I like best is that it gives the room a warmth that was lacking before.  I love a cozy room!

Here's another bargain, if you live in the South and have Publix Supermarkets in your area.  They have Duncan Hines cake mixes buy one get one free!  If you're like me and bake lots of cakes in the fall and winter months, you will want to take advantage of this sale.  At $1.99 each, they end up costing less than $1.00 a box - better than Walmart which sells them for $1.25 - $1.50 a box.  This baker/bargain hunter will be enjoying a new look in my family room and delightful smells from my kitchen!

Follow Friday Four Fill In Fun

It's Friday, and Friday is Fill-In day.  Let's join Hilary over at Feeling Beachie for some fill-in fun.


1. I wish I had ___ to ___
I wish I had time and money to travel.

2. I stopped wearing ____
I stopped wearing dress pants when I stopped working.  Now it's all skirts and capris.

3. My favorite song right now is_________because________.
My favorite song right now is Forgiveness because it speaks to my situation and heart.

4. I always sing while________.
I always sing while I'm driving.  Which must amuse the other drivers on the road.