Gratituesday: Thankful for Family

Easter is a day of celebration. Celebrating our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Celebrating our families. Thank you Lord for my wonderful family.

This Gratituesday I'm thankful for my family. Easter is one of those special days families get together to enjoy food, love, laughter and to make special memories.

Each year my sisters in-laws have an Easter lunch. They have egg toss, egg hunts, egg race, pinatas and lots of great food. My brother-in-law, James and his brother, David are the egg toss champs.

Winners of the egg toss!

Even the big kids love a good egg hunt.

My baby, she's growing up to fast.

Thanks Wanda and Roger for such a great time. We really enjoyed everything.

Thank you Jesus for such a wonderful family :)


Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. God is good :)

Win a green your town makeover from Seventh Generation

Enter for a chance to win a green your town makeover from Lorax and Seventh Generation. You can enter daily. Ends July 31, 2012.

Homemade Deodorant: So Far So Good

Deodorants???? There are so many to choose from. Which ones work, which ones won't break the bank and which ones are "better" for you. That is the million dollar question.

I think every body's body is different. The deodorant that works for me might not work for you. I can work out in the yard all day and not sweat very much. I get very thirsty and my face gets really red, but I don't perspire that much at all. Don't get me wrong, I will smell like sweat, I just don't have beads of it dropping off my forehead.

About a year ago I switched my deodorant to Tom's of Maine. I've only tried the lavender deodorant, it works o.k., but on those busy Friday nights at work or those long days in the garden, it doesn't hold up. This is just my opinion, I love Tom's of Maine toothpaste and other products, the deodorant just didn't work for me.

For a while now I've been thinking of making my own deodorant. I've found different recipes and it seemed pretty easy. Here's what I came up with.

Homemade Deodorant:
8 Tbsp. Coconut oil (from Tropical Traditions)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot
5 drops Lavender oil
5 drops Tea Tree oil

Mix the coconut oil with the baking soda and arrowroot until you get a nice deodorant consistency. Add in your oil and mix well. Spoon into an old deodorant container or a glass jar. I just really didn't want to have to apply it everyday with my hands.

The tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and the lavender is just for smelling good. Next I'll try the Rose. That smells wonderful :)


Have been using it for about 3 weeks now and will never go back to the store bought brands. I worked out in the yard for 4 hours straight, two days this week and the homemade deodorant worked great. No smell, no clumps, no mess!!

Giveaway coming soon: Tropical Traditions

Do you love getting FREE stuff? I sure do. Stay tuned for a giveaway from Tropical Traditions.

If you can't wait or just want a really good deal, check out some of Tropical Traditions Sales:

One sale now is their pint size Gold label virgin coconut oil for Buy One Get One Free. $19.95 for TWO pints. Sale end April 12th.

Also on sale is their lip moisturizer, Buy One Get One Free. Retails for $7.00-sale price $3.50, hurry this one ends April 8th.

Kickin Black Bean Dip

This easy and delicious dip is a big hit at my house. Just a little kick of spice. Add your favorite veggies or even meat to make it your families favorite dip.

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. cajun bayou
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup cooked black beans
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup shredded cheese (use your favorite)
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 small tomato diced

In small bowl mix cream cheese, sour cream, garlic and cajun bayou. In another small bowl mash black beans with potato masher, just a few times to make them mushy, add cumin and mix. Spread black beans into small baking dish, approx. 3 x 5. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of beans. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Top with black olives and tomatoes.

My daughter is not a big fan of olives or tomatoes, so on her side I shred some lettuce. I like to serve with homemade guacamole and blue chips. Oh so yummy.

Spaghetti leftovers turned into Pizza snacks

Do you have leftovers after spaghetti night? If your family is like mine, we always have leftover bread and spaghetti sauce. You can only eat left over spaghetti so many times before enough is enough. Why not make french bread pizza?? Well, that's exactly what I did.

Slice your french bread in half, spoon on some sauce and top with cheese. Add your favorite toppings like olives, bacon or mushrooms. My daughter just likes cheese, so cheese it is.

Cook them in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. This is to help hold everything in place and makes for faster reheating. (Pre-baking). After they cool down, wrap them individually with saran wrap and put in freezer bag. To reheat pull out of freezer and cook at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

These are great for after school snacks. Add a salad or fresh fruit and bam, you now have lunch!