Menu Plan Monday

We have some cooler weather this week so I am pulling out a few soup recipes, some for the crock pot and some for the stove.

Monday chicken salad and fruit
Dinner Chili Verde with warm tortillas Recipe Below Great recipe for freezing!

Tuesday Sandwiches and soup
Dinner Greek Chicken and Rice Recipe below

Wednesday Lunch Quesadillas
Dinner Crockpot Beef and Barley Stew Recipe Below

Thursday Lunch pitas and fruit
Dinner Quick Lemon Pasta with Chicken using left over chicken from Tuesday

Friday Lunch
Dinner Pizza and salad

Saturday Lunch
Dinner Bavarian pork chops, scallop potatoes and, salad

Sunday Lunch Baked Potatoes
Dinner



Chili Verde

Ingredients
8 ounces Dry pinto beans ( 1 1/4 cups)
1 pound Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 4-ounce Can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon Ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
3 cups Chicken broth (homemade)
1 teaspoon Minced garlic (1 clove)
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Finely chopped onion
1 cup Grated low-fat Monterrey jack cheese
1 11 1/2-ounce Jar salsa
1 dozen Corn tortillas

Preparation
Rinse pinto beans, soak them in cold water overnight, then drain them, Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes; cook in a small amount of water until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Combine chicken with chilies and seasonings; refrigerate until needed. At the same time, combine beans, chicken broth, garlic, salt, and onion in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.


Combine chicken mixture with beans; simmer 10 more minutes. Cool and freeze. Grate cheese, put in a 1-quart bag, and attach it to the freezer container with the chili.


To serve, thaw chili and cheese. Simmer chili 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top chili with salsa and grated cheese; serve on warmed corn tortillas.

Greek Chicken and Rice

4 boneless (6 ounces each) skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (14-ounce) drained
1 can artichoke quarters (13.75-ounce) drained, rinsed
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10-ounce) cooked, well-drained
1 cup converted rice
1 cup frozen onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 package crumbled feta with garlic and herbs (4-ounce)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Season chicken breasts with Greek seasoning and garlic salt. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and add chicken. Cook chicken for 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, uncooked rice, onions and lemon juice. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Push chicken breasts down into rice mixture.
3. Pour broth over top of chicken and top with olives and sprinkle with feta. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed.



CrockPot Beef and Barley Soup

Cubed beef, leftover
2 cups carrots, sliced thin
1 cup celery, thin sliced
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup barley
1/4 chopped parsley
beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons catsup

Layer in crock pot:

1.Vegetables and meat
2.Barley and spices
3.Cover with 5 cups water.

DO NOT STIR. Cook on low 10 hours; high 6 hours, or combination of
above.


Be sure to stop by Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas

Following God, Not Momma

I have debated several weeks now on rather or not to write this post and last night decided I would in hopes of maybe helping / encouraging someone else who may be facing this same issue.

You see, a month or so ago Sydney and I were talking casually about clothes, hair and stuff. You know casual girl talk. Then out of the blue she said "what do you think about head coverings?" What do I think about head coverings? Yeah, head coverings. I laughed a little and said you mean like Amish type things? I guess I have never taught about them, why? Then it came..."do you think we should wear them?" Well... obviously I don't think we should or we would.

Then I go for it and ask "why, do you think we should"? All is silent and finally after what seemed like an eternity she says she does. How could this be? We have never discussed the need for them, I had never worn them, and no one we know wears them except for one family at church. I have to admit I was a little stunned that this had even been going through her mind. The more we talked that night the deeper the conversation got and the more I could see she had really been studying this out. Now most of the time I take great pride in the fact that I have taught my children to dig deep, find out what they need to know and to always seek the truth via the Bible but that night seemed different. How could she be going into this on her own? How could she be developing convictions like this....without me?

Let me be clear I have never had an issue with head coverings but all of a sudden I felt like I did. For days Syd and I talked about why I did not think they were needed and why she felt they were; I must say the whole time she stayed open minded and very sweet spirited about it. I could truly tell she wanted to do what God wanted. We used the Bible and concordance as our first source for information since as Christians that is our authority. After about a week we both agreed to study it out, pray about it and talk again after a week or so. We also both agreed to try and keep an open mind and see the issue from all aspects. I began searching the web, talking to our pastor’s wife and even bought a sermon on head coverings. I prayed constantly for God to show Syd why I was right and she was wrong and to allow her to be persuaded by what I had found.

After a week or so we got back together on the issue, I just knew she would see my points, did she? NO! We finally agreed to talk to Scott and that as the head of the house if he was ok with it I would not say any thing else about it. I just knew he would see MY point of view. Did he? NO! I was shocked, how could he say it was a choice she had to make? I was so frustrated and could not understand why God had not answered my prayer. Why had he not made her see MY point of view and now Scott too?

Scott agrees with me that the Bible teaches a woman's covering is her hair but could see from Syd studying why she thought it could be interrupted as a covering of cloth not hair and that if Syd truly felt like God was calling her to wear them we should not stop her. He felt as if we would do more harm in trying to make her agree on something that is truly a non issue in his eyes. Later he asked me why I was so bothered when this was really nothing that could injure her, it was not unscriptural or bad for her to wear them and he could find no reason to stop her and I truly didn't have a reason either other than it was not needed, that was what her hair was for. I could not answer him with anything reasonable and his question left me feeling puzzled with myself.

Well a few days later I was reading my Bible and started praying to See God's will in a another situation and was suddenly hit with the fact that I never sought Gods Will in the head covering, only MY point of view. When praying about it I wanted what I wanted, not what God wanted for her. After a lot of prayer I realized I was not bothered by the head coverings I was bothered that Sydney is growing up and seeking God's will and that God's will for her may not always be mine. She sought God before me and that is what I want but it was hard to deal with it actually happening. More than anything I have always wanted my kids to seek God, to have a relationship with him and to strive to do His will in their lives. I honestly felt like a failure when I realized how bad I had blown it over something as simple as a head covering, and then I remembered that Gods grace is for the big and small failures in my life and that God brings these things about often to teach us things and make us more CHrist like.

What I learned: First and foremost to humble myself and seek God's will not my own in all things! I still do not feel that I need wear a cloth covering but I am truly at peace with the fact that Sydney does, I have even helped her choose some fabric, find patterns and sew some.

Please note this post is not meant to convince anyone to or not to wear coverings. You can find lots of info on the web about them including outlines that you can cross reference with your Bible. This post is simply to share my experience. If you are struggling with rather or not to wear them and are under your parents authority go to them. I can not stress this enough. Through out this Sydney kept a very humble, meek and obedient heart about the issue. She continuously shared what she had found but always said I will do what ever you and dad decided is best for me. If you are struggling with different convictions from your child seek God humbly and ask him what He wants for your child and be ready to accept it.

Lastly, just to be clear Scott and I would never give in on something that would harm our children or was clearly unbiblical.

Fall Has Arrived In Texas!

I think fall is finally here! I enjoy fall and spring the most in Texas, not too hot, not too cold. When trying to pick a picture for this post I thought about some pretty leaves turning colors but if you have been to Texas you know we have green leaves or dead leaves for the most part so I settled on the gourds and pumpkins.

The temp is in the mid to low 70's, I am able to leave our patio door open,I can actually wear a light jacket and the dog is getting frisky. It's weird when ever the seasons change he gets playful; maybe because he was a winter pup.

A cold front is suppose to come through tonight and drop us down into the upper 60's, of course that will only last a day or so but it will feel good.

Kitty Duty

I am still alive, I promise. These kittens are just a lot of work and suck up more than just my free time; it is like having three newborn babies! Honestly, I have no idea how moms of twins or triplets do it.

Here are two pictures I snapped this morning while they were sleeping.

These two are so plump! Sydney calls the black one Gus-Gus after the mouse in Cinderella, the other one remains nameless.


This is Treky, Vince named him. Treky is by himself this morning because the other two would not let him sleep. Little Treky is the runt and having problems staying warm and eating regularly. The other two try nursing on him every chance they get so this morning we separated him so that he could get some rest.

This is definitely turning into a learning experience for us all!

Well I better try getting some stuff done before they start crying again.

Death and New Life

This week-end has been one filled with life and death. Friday my mom called to let me know she had spoken with my dad. This in itself is unusual, my parents divorced when I was around 10 and after I was about 15 as far as I know they have had very little contact.

He had called her to let her know his mother, my grandmother had died. My brother and I have no contact with him so he asked her to let us know. At first I was unsure how to feel; I never really knew her. I have no pictures of her and I do not think that I ever had my picture taken with her. The thought of that saddened me and then the realization that she would never know my kids or see the woman I have become filled me with some regret. Maybe I should have tried to contact her, despite the fact as a child she seemed to care very little about me. The worst part is that I do remember attending church with her one summer when visiting but have no idea if she was saved. She was raised and raised her children to be Episcopal. They do not put an emphasis on salvation. It is hard to think that I never tried to witness to her. Part of me justifies it with the fact for my safety I have to keep my distance from my father but I have allowed my fear of him to keep me from ever knowing my grandmother and worst of all it has kept me from witnessing to her.

Then later that night while talking to my SIL outside I heard a whimpering sound, I went to check it out but found nothing. A few hours later I could still hear it. The sound was coming from the yard next to us which is a vacant house. I went over the fence and found two abandoned kittens cold and wondering around the best they could. We looked around and did not see a momma cat. We took them in, warmed them up and went to Petco to get kitten formula and bottles. By the time we got home about 4 hours had passed. While feeding them we heard more crying and went back out and found two more; they were cold and pitiful looking. The poor little things were so cold and limp-like. We took them in got everyone warmed up and then the not so easy task of feeding them began.

Friday and Saturday they ate almost every two hours, today (Sunday) they are going about 4 hours between meals. They still have their cords and eyes are shut tight but they sure can cry! For the most part after some rooting around, taking the bottle in and out a few times they latch on and suck away. They are going potty fine and gaining weight. One sad note however is that one of the last ones to be found died today after morning church service. He had never really eaten like the others but we still had hope he would make it. The other three seem very healthy and I think they will be fine.


I know the next few weeks will be a lot of work but seeing them fall asleep with full bellies feels good!

Senior T-Shirt Giveaway

I am so excited about this giveaway that A Pondering Heart is holding. You see last week Syd told be about these shirts, then she e-mailed me a link and then she asked me about a trillion times if I had looked at them. I had but was not really ready to purchase one.

Then today she came out squealing and hopping around asking if I had seen Miss Jocelyns giveaway? OK, maybe she wasn't hopping but she was pretty close to it.

Sydney had been playing around with the idea of making her own but getting a decent transfer that will last is so expensive. These shirts seem almost too good to be true, low cost, high quality and on top of that by purchasing from The Homeschool Boutique you are supporting a homeschool family, now can you beat that? I think not!

So click on over to A Pondering Heart and sign up!

Cheap Date and Lots of Fun!

Scott has had this past week off and for the most part we have spent it working on the house... but not today! Today we took a cheap almost free date. It could have been free but we stopped and ate lunch out.

Armed with our cameras we started off our date with a stop at our local library. They offer passes for a few museums and the log cabin village that can be checked out for a week. The pass gives you unlimited visits during that week to participating museums for you and up to five people. I heart free!!!

Next we went to the botanical gardens and spent about two hours walking around talking and taking pictures.


These turtles looked as if they were really enjoying their sunbathing. No matter how close I got they stayed on their perch.


By the time we finished at the Botanical Gardens we were both ready for lunch. So off to Whataburger it was. Not the healthiest meal but it was GOOD!

Our last stop was The Log Cabin Village

This is a picture leading into the old water mill. The mill actually still runs and they grind flour there for use by the docents. I could not have timed things any better if I had tried, as we were leaving two school buses were unloading to go into the village! Scott and I both looked at each other, smiled and said "just in time".

I know my pictures are not great but I had fun with my hubby!

When A Mother's Heart Aches Part Two

This is part two so if you have not read the first part you may want to do so here.

In the first part I shared with you some of the heart aches I have shared with my children, in this post I hope to give you some ideas on how to deal with some of these issues. I know I am not the only mother out there with kids who have been hurt.

1. The most important one is praying. I can not stress this enough. Without the strength of Jesus Christ I could not survive the heart ache this world gives out!

2. Next encourage your children to pray. God hears their prayers just as much as he hears yours.

3. Allow them live and learn from life. I have sheltered my children from many things but I have not tried to solve all their problems for them. I believe some problems we bring on ourselves, some are from God to grow us and some just happen because of this sin cursed world. No matter the cause we can learn something from them and so can our kids if we let them.

4. Be your child's cheerleader. I can always get Ray to smile after a bad night by simple reminding him I love him and I think he is special! For Vince a glass of cocoa makes the day melt away. Syd, just a few minutes of sitting on her bed with her and chit chatting and she forgets how awful those customers treated her. Did I actually solve anything, no not really but they knew I cared and somehow knowing mom is on their side and cheering for them can erase much of the days negativity.

5. Encourage your children to pray for the people causing the problem, this is not easy but it is Biblical and it works. It is pretty hard to resent someone you are sincerely praying for. Trust me, been there, done that!

6. Surround them with good Godly examples, starting with making sure you are one.

7. Know your child's heart. It is very easy to pick up on their feelings when you know their heart. Each of my children reacts differently to hurt and I can often, not always, but often can spot it before they tell me. A great book on this subject is Romancing Your Child's Heart.

8. Do not allow them to run from problems unless there is a real danger. I have always tried to ask my kids to give a situation at least 30 days of trying it out and praying before quiting an activity.

9. Remind them that not everyone is saved and even those who are, may not have a strong walk with Christ. This is where they can let their light shine.

10. Remind them everyone has bad days and maybe that person was just having one and they happened to be available.

11. When able point out how others may feel about their actions. When I catch one of my kids teasing the other I remind them of how they feel when teased. Even teasing in jest amongst siblings can lead to hurt feelings.

12. Be ready to listen and slow to answer. Sometimes they just want to vent; however do not allow them to depreciate the others involved or allow it to become gossip. Gossip is damaging.

13. Always have open arms; sometimes even for teens a hug can fix a lot!

14. Encourage them to read books on problem solving and dealing with teen issues. A great book to start with is Do Hard Things. Ray was quick to say it helped when thinking about how other kids act and the importance of him doing what is right.

15. Be creative when solving problems. I will not give any examples here to avoid embarrassment but I am sure you can come up with creative solutions. Remember there is always more than one way to solve a problem.

16. Do not underestimate or down grade their problems. What is going on in their life if just as difficult to them as our problems are to us.

17. Love you child for who they are while encouraging them to be all that God wants them to be.


I would love to hear how your family deals with teasing and such. How do help your child deal with the heart aches the world throws out, how do you deal with it?

When A Mother's Heart Aches

"Dare to be different", Stand Strong", "Stand in the Gap", "Stand out for Jesus", "Stand up for Jesus" and many other catchy phrases inundated my children's early / mid childhood. They were quick to want to please their family, church and God so they took these challenges to heart and started applying them. Now let me start by saying they are not perfect and they are not sinless but they do desire to please God and strive to do so.

I have tried to always encourage them to stand up for those who were teased, make friends with the friendless kids, try to include everyone in group activities and most of all be who God made you to be; conformity is overrated! I have never wanted kids who looked like everyone else and acted like everyone else; little did I know my desires to raise them this way would also bring heart ache for them and myself.

Even within the Christian and homeschool society that we function in kids can and are cruel to each other. My kids have been pushed to change their hair, wear different clothes, talk different, pile on the make-up, listen to different music and reject the uncool kids. Most of the time they refused to give in but sometimes like most kids I saw they conform and it hurt; my heart truly ached. Not because they were doing what their friends wanted but because it seamed as if they could not see the value got had created them with. They seemed to loose sight of the fact they were fearfully and wonderfully made with a unique purpose.

I gave subtle hints and gently guided them back to where I felt God wanted them and by the Grace of God they followed and found greater joys.


Sydney has chosen to wear skirts and dresses only, headcoverings, little to no make-up, does not date, enjoys cooking, sewing, knitting and serving God and Her Family. Not to mention she spends time with her brothers, even in public. Not the typical teen girl. It has taken Sydney 17 years to get the where she is and it was not easy. She went through the straighten your curly hair, wear make-up and fashionable clothes stage, flirt, want a boyfriend, don't hang out with your brothers and all the other "cool" stuff but in the end came back to wanting to please God not so called friends. If you ever get time you can read about many of the journeys my oldest has taken to get to where she is, embracing God's desires for her life over the worlds on her blog.

Next is Ray, my oldest son. He was premature and until recently was always pretty small, nothing seems to say easy target as a small boy, why is that? His stance on guarding his eyes has also been a source of ridicule, he has tried to guard his eyes like no boy I know. He has refused to play video games or watch things that seem even remotely immodest. He turns over any magazine that has a bra ad on the back and in our past church refused to look at immodest pictures and told on the "cool kids" who were. You can imagine what that got him. Then once we changed churches he seemed to find a group to hang out with that didn't even mind his kid brother hanging around. I was truly overjoyed to see him with a group of guys that I knew had the same values he did and like him just how he was. However lately he has had issues with being picked on at work. He is working at a reelection campaign headquarters for a State Rep making and planting signs, calling people to remind them to sign up to vote, filling out questionnaires and such. He is enjoying it and is excited to be helping with campaign for a Godly man who has made changes in our state and pray continues to be able to serve. The down side, many other teens are there and they find Ray an easy target. He doesn't wear the right jeans or shoes; his hair isn't perfect and sometimes they just pick to pick. He has talked to one of the older guys and to my relief he has been a great help in reminding Ray that some people are just mean and pick on others to feel better. Somehow hearing that from someone besides mom and dad is reassuring when you are 15. Despite the fact that I know this is a learning experience and that God will continue to give Ray the ability to work through it my heart aches each night that he comes home and says they were at it again.

Then my youngest Vincent, he is skinny, has red hair, is very smart and has a wonderful vocabulary that he uses every chance he gets. He also has a desire to do right no matter what and always follows the rules. Well, when you are 13 all of those things make you stick out and other boys think he is just begging to be picked on.

Nothing breaks as mom's heart like her child's tears!

So what's a mother to when trying to raise children who want to bring honor to God in a world that doesn't? First and foremost I pray... a lot. I pray through out the day for them to have strength and the ability to do what's right by God's standard, not mine, not their dad's, not the cool kids and surely not the world's.

I have another post almost done that I plan to put up Thursday that is a part two to this one. It will give some simple things I have done and encouraged my kids to do to face these problems, and allow them to be building blocks not stumbling stones so... stayed tuned.

It Rained On My Parade

It rained on my parade today! Everyone is healthy, my husband is off and we were ready to head for the State Fair; that was until it started pouring last night, this morning and is still drizzling on and off.


So... so much for my turkey leg, cotton candy and funnel cake. Well there is always next week.

Menu Plan Monday

I can hardly believe it's that time again, another new week and more meals to plan.

Monday If everyone is feeling well we are going to the State Fair!!!!
Dinner turkey legs, funnel cake, corn dogs and who knows what else!

Tuesday Sandwiches and soup
Dinner Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff served with french bread recipe below

Wednesday Lunch Quesadillas
Dinner Vegetable soup in the crock pot, tossed salad and rolls if I get time to make them before church.

Thursday Lunch chicken salad and fruit
Dinner Chicken Fajitas, Spanish rice, guacamole and chips with salsa recipe below

Friday Lunch homemade nuggets and oven fries
Dinner Pizza and salad

Saturday Lunch Baked potatoes with all the fixins
Dinner grilled fish, salad, corn on the cob

Sunday Lunch
Dinner Sticky chicken, mashed taters, green beans and rolls (we skipped this last week)

Chicken Fajitas

Leftover chicken can be substituted for the uncooked chicken. Stir it in after all the other ingredients are cooked and then heat through before serving.

Ingredients:

8 to 12 corn or flour tortillas
2 Tbs. canola or safflower oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 jalapeño or Anaheim chili, seeded, if desired, and finely chopped
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. plus 3/4 cup tomato salsa
1/2 cup water
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven to warm, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and sauté until opaque and firm, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and red and green bell peppers to the oil remaining in the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chili, oregano, cumin and garlic and sauté until the garlic is softened, about 20 seconds. Stir in the 2 Tbs. salsa and the water and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, mix well and heat to serving temperature. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.

To serve, remove the tortillas from the oven and place the remaining 3/4 cup salsa in a small bowl. Set the chicken, tortillas, guacamole and salsa on the table and let diners assemble their own filled tortillas.


Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster and cremini, thinly
sliced
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. wide egg noodles or pappardelle


Directions:
Make the sauce
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have softened and released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Stir in the wine and broth and cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the sour cream and the 2 Tbs. parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Add as much of the cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Be sure to check out what others are having this week at Organizing Junkie

And The Winners Are.....

I was so excited to see how many people participated in my giveaway, thank you to everyone who took the time to visit my blog and leave a comment.


To ensure fairness I used Random integer

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

18 11 Timestamp: 2008-10-04 01:28:33 UTC

That would be Christy And Paige


Congrats to both of you, I will be contacting you shortly!

What Not To Share

I guess while I busy teaching my kids to share I should have explained to them that there are some things you never share.

Sure I taught them never share: combs, toothbrushes, pillows, hats, cups you know the usual. What I failed to teach them not to share was sick cooties.

First Vince was sick, he shared with Sydney and she so graciously shared it with me. That's right I now have it and I didn't want it!

I am taken extra vitamins, drinking lots of fluids and downing medication as often as I can. Fortunately I do not seem to have it as bad as they did but my nose is still running like a faucet.

The one good thing is so far neither my husband nor Ray has it. I am praying that they stay healthy. Ray has asthma so when he gets sick with any type of nasal or respiratory thing it is not good.

Anyways, I will try to get promised recipes up in the next day or so assuming I do not get worse.