HELLO!!!!

yes... i have not forgot about you..just been busy..will blog later.

Mums the word..

Well, my Mums finaly bloomed. I was begining to thing they never would. They stayed at bud for like two weeks! Hardy big buds to! Did u know Mums and Daiseys are from the same family?? I didnt until I started researching alaska daisys. I planted some frme seed this year and even though they wont bloom until next year... I wanted to know about them. These mums look like daiseys I think..

Well, I have sick kiddos in my house, My daughter was sick last night and I thought id have to stay home with her today. But, she felt well enough tpo go to school. Around 11:30 today I got a call from the school that not my daughter, but my son was sick..So needless to say, I got off early. Happy about that.. (not my son being sick though :( . Hes laying down watching football...ECK!!! IM SO SICK OF FOOTBALL!!!!! Yesturday was our last day of midget football, *th grade will finish in a week and how dare I think we would be done with it??? My daughter got chose to cheer for the traveling team. They play all the way through Thanksgiving... YEAP___E!!!! Just what I wanted.. extended football season..lol.. Not realy! I like things busy but..WOW!! REALLY?? Oh well, I will just suck it up and go with ity.. Well, Im gonna go do something so I better go.... God Bless You!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

STRESS!!!!

I found this pic and had to share with you.. How cute!! Well, I guess I never knew that.. and now that I do, I will have a reason to bake more :)

Realy though, Football season has realy took a lot out of me and im just tired! So im stressed and gonna have dessert!!! God Bless!!!~~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

pumpkin bread

well, it's raining and football practice got canceled so, I canceled cheerleading.. Hip Hurry!!! a free evening!!! Im prob. gonna bake something. Im not sure what though. I have some pumpkins so maybe I will make some bread. Pumpkin bread is easy. Here is the recipe.

~~ Pumpkin bread~~~

1/3c. butter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 2/3c. flour

1 1/3c. sugar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1c. pumpkin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1/4 tsp. cloves

1/3c. cold water~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1/2c, raisins (if u like)

1/2 c. walnuts (if u like)

mix first 6 ingredients. Stir in raisins ans walnuts. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake 1 hour at 325'~~~~~~~~makes 1 loaf.

Well im gonna go put one in the oven for myself, God Bless you!! ~~~Amy Jo

Well, I 'thought' I was gonna get a break after work today......um....no. I guess it was nice thinking it.lol.

My thought was that seens there was no practice tonight, we would stay home from church and just be home.. well, my middle daughter had a project due tmw and she needed foil to make a sun and mercery..my son needed a hair cut any way so off to town we went...:)

when we got home I helped with the science project, spray painted the sun. I had to cook dinner (mind u I didnt get off work until 5:00 pm today) as I was in the middle of cooking dinner I heard. (Momma, u said u would make us choc. chip cookies tonight) WHAT???? so, I just said with a smile.. I am working on those right now! So, I made cookies, and dinner. got the dishes done and just know, here I finaly get to sit..Im tired! So much for the evening off, huh??..

I turned the heater on last night, I couldnt take it anymore. It is so cold! I love fall but I realy think we r gonna skip it this year. The pic is a leaf rubbing that was done in my art class yest. I have a local artist that comes and helps me teach that class and he done this rubbing. His first one by the way.. Really pretty. I was drinking pumpkin spice capp. and doing rubbing, trying to get in the fall mood.. I've just been so busy, Im realy not in the mood for much..

welp, im gonna go watch a little t.v. and then call it a day...then do it all again tmw... God Bless ~~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuits

I was asked not that long ago what my fav. thing to make was. I realy didnt have to think hard about it, its sausage gravy and biscuits.. I make it for dinner at least three times a mth.. maybe even more at times. I learned how to make gravy a long time ago.. right after my husband and I was married. My father-in -law taught me. He was living with us and he said.. we will not leave this kitchen until u learn.. with a cast iron skillet, oil, flour and water and awhile in the kitchen.. I got it. I was a gravy maker!!! I love gravy! I make gravy every week with potatos or dressing, chicken gravy, beef gravy, pork gravy, milk gravy started with butter (yes I said butter! not the fake stuff ) and my fav.. sausage gravy. I will give u a recipe for it but I will warn you, I dont go by one, Its my own way and measuring is judged by me. As for the biscuits<>

Amy's sausage gravy.....

Fry a pound of bulk sausage in a soup pot. med high heat

after pork is all the way cooked, leave grease, add flour.. if i had to guess..about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. make sure all the pork is covered with a coding of flour.med HEAT,. when the grease starts to bubble, add milk.. about two cups. then stir and when gravy thickins..add more mil;k about a cup.. do this over until the gravy is the thickness u like. If its to thin..cook it down a little. it will thickin. If that dont work.. mix a tbs. corn starch to 1/4 cup cold water and then add to gravy. this will do the job for ya. The sausage i get is from a country market and the owner makes the sausage himself so all spices are added. if you want to spice up the gravy.. add salt and pepper. maybe a little sage.

Amy's buttermilk biscuits~~~~

2c. all purpose flour~~~~ 1/3c. shortening or lard

1 tbsp. baking powder~~~~~~ 1 full cup butermilk

1 tsp. salt

heat oven 425. combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. cot in shortening to make crumbs. add butermilk. mix with fork until dough is moist. knead dough on slightly floured surface. do not roll dough! kinda rub it on the surface..cut with small mouth jelly jar. place on ungrease cookie sheet.bake for about 15 min. after taking them out of oven, brush melted butter on them.

there you have it.. my most fav, thing to cook and eat. Making gravy is like riding a bike..once u learn, u never forget. God Bless you! i hope my recipe is easy to follow.. ~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

Sweet Aunt Josie and Uncle Bob

This is a picture of my husbands great aunt and uncle. How cute are they??? :)

Uncle Bob went to be with the Lord about a month ago. But, his life was filled with so much joy! Believe it or not, he was a heavy weight boxer back in his day, you should have heard all his storys, the famous boxers he went rounds with.. the fight he lost, the owns he won. Its funny because even though it was back in his spring chicken years, u couldnt walk upon him without him jumping and ready to swing on you..lol. He was a wonderful man! I will miss him.

Aunt Josie.... she is the most sweetest woman I have ever been blessed enough to met! She is 88 a only about 5 foot tall. Boy now she has some storys! My husband and I will go to visit her and just liston... She grow up in the hills of VA. She tells the story of the first radio she ever heard.. oh how she wanted to hear the music come out of it.. shed tell of a time where you only slaughterd your hogs around fall and salt them because there was no freezers around.. How on Sundays after church her and her family would go for a walk in the woods and explore. How a girl was raised to never let a man see passed your knee.. she says that even when she was a mother herself when shed take her kids swimming in the creek, shed wear biboveralls so her boys wouldnt see her knees. How differant was that?? I could liston for hours all her wonderful memorys on growing up. I didnt grow up in that time but.. even though things was rough and times was hard, familys stuck together and values was taught. People wasn't afraid to talk about God or Jesus.. They made him dwell in their hearts. Maybe more people need to get back to the basics and back to the book.. :) anyhow,, aunt Josie has realy been taking the lost of her husband hard. You see the pain in her eyes. She just keeps saying.. it was Gods will and Bob isn't in pain anymore.

I love her and im so glad we are a part of her life.. she always tell me.. Amy, I love you like your my own.. I am blessed to be able to see her so much, she goes to our church and is a faithful woman of God.. strong in faith! A prayer warrior. I sit beside her twice on sunday and then again on wed. If church is open.. shes there. Her brother was a preacher and even though I never got to hear him preach I heared he was wonderful. He passed away about 16 years ago.. got hit by a car while walking to church.

Well even though shes not my aunt shes my husbands.. I love her like my grandma. She will alway have a place in my heart...

well I better go to bed.. its late and im tired!
God Bless....Amy Jo

A blustery day......

Im not looking forward to winter! It has been just so cold, wet, and windy here! All I wanted to do was add a extra blanket to my bed and stay there all day..In my dreams..lol.
After work :( I had cheer practice and just got home a little while ago. I had a late dinner and was gonna just call it a day but thought about how I could blog for a minute.. do something I wanted to today! I realy think today has been more like winter.. Its been in the low 50's and with the wind chill..40's.. I love fall but I realy think we r gonna skip fall and go straight into winter. I heard on the news it's gonna freeze tmw night... NO!!! Im not ready!! I dont want to give my garden up yet.!! If that happens, my pumpkin patch is gonna b kaputt! My celery and bro. spouts will like it but the other stuff.. Im sad :(.
i've been working on a yo-yo quilt and I was hoping to have it done in time for the first snow to fall... im not so sure about that now! Well, i better get my darling little kiddos ready for bed! Momma is going right behind them!! ~~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

Green tomato pie

As with the dandelin jelly recipe, here is one that also came out of that book. I hope u like it.


Green Tomato Pie


Pastry for 2-crust pie~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 cups sliced green tomatos

6 1/2 cups sugar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 tbs. flour

1/4 teaspoon salt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 tbs. lemon juice

4 teaspoon grated lemon rind~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tbs. butter




Preheat oven to 450 degrees, line pie pan with pastry.
combine green tomatos with sugar,flour,salt,lemon juice and rind. Pour filling into pastry-lined pan ;dot with butter and cinnamon. cover with top crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer, or until tomatoes are tender.

boy oh boy, mouth watering goodness! hope u enjoy it! May God Bless you today!``````````````````Amy jo

yellow squash bread

I found this recipe a few years ago and i have used it a lot. It has been a hit any and everywhere ive takin it. Its a little differant than zuccini bread and if ur just wanting to use up all those yellow squash u have laying around ur garden.. u have to give this a try. My family loves it and it smells so good baking in the oven. as a matter of fact, I have one in my oven right now!!
Yellow squash bread

3eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 tbs. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups coarsely grated yellow squash

1 cup pecans

preheat oven 350` degrees. grease 2 bread pans, i make a mix of sugar and cin to dust on the bottom of pans.

beat eggs in a large bowl. add sugar, oil, and vanilla to eggs. sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Fold in squash and nuts and stir until just mixed. Pour into loaf pans filling half full. sprinkle top with a cinnamon/sugar mix. Bake for appr. 40 to 55 min.. after 40 min i check it and then again until its done. I dont know why but I never can get a perfect time for it. I guess its from the moisture from the squash. after its cooled, slice and eat.. Its realy, realy good and im sure u will add it to ur recipe book!! may God bless you!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amy Jo

Good old days in the kitchen

If u have never read this book.. u have to! its by Ken and Janice Tate. Its a book about the good old days. its goes back to the time where people brought fresh veggies in from the garden and they r canned, to when saying thank u Lord for all the things you provide for us. It will take u back to the yesturyear.

I found this book looking for a recipe for dandelion jelly. I found way more than that! This book is a wonderful example of the old way. I wasnt around for that time but for some reason or another i feel i should have been.

I never had a chance to make the jelly but God's will I will next year. for those whom thought it sounded interesting.. here is how its done................................


Dandelion jelly:

Pick 1 quart of fresh dandelion blossems. (none that have been exposed to pesticides, etc.) Quickly rinse blossoms with cool waterto remove any insects. Snip off green collars.

Combine cleaned bloosoms in a saucepan with 2 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 min. set aside to cool.

Srain liquid, pressing petals with fingers to extract juice.

Measure 3 cups dandelion liquid into a saucepan; add 2 tbs lemon juice and 1 package (13/4 oz) sure jell. Bring to a boil.

Add 5 1/2 cups sugar, stiring well. Boil for 2 1/2 min, stiring well. put in jars and seal.

Sounds easy!! If u r anything like me u cant wait to see those lions in ur backyard again so u can make jelly. well, i better go.. Have a wonderful day and may God bless you!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amy Jo

flowering around

the cat was a surprise, about three mths ago she just showed up out of no where. she is a doll.. lovable and all. We feed her and she lives outside. I didnt give her a name. She would b ours if I did that.. :)she is so sweet, she will wait for us to get home at night, as soon as u open the van door and take a step out she is there to rub her body on u. in the mornings when i go out to sut on the porch to drink my coffee... she is right there. she will jump up and lay on me puring.. so sweet. My cat Grim passed away a few mths ago and I said then that I will never have another cat.. well right about that time is when she came. She is trying to prove me wrong. :)

















This is the first year I realy got into [erennials and man they r rewarding!! I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH MY FLOWERS!!! these r batchalor buttons. well, they r about to b done for the season but, when they r at there best they r beautiful!!
























Down here is my super mum.. I say that because its HUGE!!!! I had to move a few plants around it b/c it was just growing over them. I think they r gonna b white.. im not sure but I will try to take a pic when they do bloom and show ya.





this is a coneflower.. its a beaut! It just bloomed for the first time about three days ago.

I have so many perennials now I realy dont know what im gonna do when they all spread. i guess make room :) I plinted hollyhocks and they wont bloom this year. the will next and I cant wait! they r prob my fav. I was reading about hocks and found out that back in the day, the old-timers would plant hocks by the out houses. to b proper, the ladies would ask.. "wheres your hollyhocks" and thats how they would ask about the rr. ok.. well I have dishes to do and kiddos to put to bed.. My God Bless You. have a wonderful day!! ~~~Amy Jo

The Breaks tri state gospel singing

This year my family and I went to the breaks for the holiday weekend.. how much fun!! It was truly a blessing. i will try hard to upload my pics. "i still dont have the comp thing down" lol. anyhow. this is the Jackson brothers singing. if u have never been there. u can hear the singing echo through the mountains. just a great blessing. see every year labor day weekend, there is gospel singing the whole weekend. groups like.. the Jacksons, the singing Crawfords, Crawford crossing, Mike Upright, Ronnie Spriggs and a ton of other wonderful singers.

the pic at the top..(sorry, I told u i wasnt good at this) was the place we stayed. im not sure if u can see it but on the top porch there r chairs and a table. at night, the guests all met there,set up mikes and insterments and we just have a jamburee.. its great. well there is so much more i want to tell u about it but,,,, but of time. Until next time.. may God bless u. . ~~~~~Amy Jo

just a hello.

so..... here I am.. and oh boy I can't wait for football season to be over. Coaching the cheerleaders is fun but, boy oh boy is it stressfull. Im not even sure its the girls. Its the parents that realy make things hard for ya. oh well, pray for me that I get through it.. :)
Canning season has been going great this year. my second year and I realy feel good about it. The Lord has realy been good to me this year. My garden did so good, Im canning my heart out. To be honest with u though... I love it! I love everything about it! ive done pickles.. kraut, tomatos, relish..jams. To me its a stress relief when I can go into my kitchen.. turn on some great gospel music and can. sometimes I get Blessed and next thing u know I got my hand in the air, crying, praising the Lord and about to shout.
well, my family and I went to The Breaks in VA this past Labor day weekend.. Man that was good. im gonna put some pics up next time and tell ya all about it.. I cant wait until next year..
Well,, got to go to cheer prac.. blog ya later!!! Amy Phillips

How have ya'll been?

WOW!!!!!!!!!
i've been so crazy busy... i offen wonder (will I ever get to blog again). well, im working on it... my kiddos have my husband and I running around like chics with there heads cut off! and, football season is here so guess what? one more thing! I took over the cheer squad this year so...big coach job i have know!! any how.. summer has been wonderful. we had a great year. the kids went back to school yest. boy summer flies by! any how.. i will b blogging and catching up.. but I am here. everything is good and God Bless!!! -amy

yes, im still here!

ya, i know, i kinda sliped away for awhile. I've just been so busy. this is the first and only saturday i have free. We have been so busy with the kiddos and church and friends, I havent had time to do anything.
Well, spring has come, even though it don't feel like it outside. Mty husbands birthday was yesturday. The kids and I took him out to the movies. We go to a town about 30 miles away from us where you get into the movies for $2.00 a person. $0.50 on mondays.they show movies that are new but, not as new. We watched Marley and me.>>>> I CRIED!!! My girls cried. so sad.
Soccar will be starting in a couple of weeks as if i needed more to do.. my youngest daughter broke her toe a couple weeks ago and she goes to the doc. tue. to get it x-rayed again to see if its healed. if not, no soccar season for her. She would be so upset. We how ever pray its good to go. I dont want her to be upset and have to watch her other sisters and brother play and not her.
I was planning on starting spring cleaning today. lol.. see what in doing right now?
Anyway, Just wanted everyone to know, things r good here in ohio and I will post when I get a free minute> May God Bless You!! Amy Jo

how do ya'll have time????

Im so sorry I have not had time to blog!! I have been so busy! If im not busy being busy< im tired! I'd love to blog everyday, share my life with ya'll, I find it a blessing to just be able to watch a half hour of tv before I go to bed. Well, my hat off to all you amazing ladies who get to blog everyday!!!
I hope ya'll had a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful New Year!! My family and I did. We spent New Years at church. We didnt get home until around 2 AM. We have a chruch service that is just a blessing on New Years. We do a foot washing and everything. How great is it that you can wash a great sisters feet? Im so glad That my Year was brought in while my self, husband, and children was at church worshiping God.
As for now, Well, things have got better for me at work, thank you to all who said a prayer for me. Things have changed there a lot and the Lord has blessed my heart there. I fell in love again with my job. I work with mentaly retarded people. I just love them~! I truly believe this is what God had in store for me. This is where he wants me. My job is hard, challenging, and stressful. It's hard sometimes haveing a full time job, four kids, a house, sports,all the momma stuff, wife stuff, church stuff, you know im a multi working. Im sure I have hundreds of titles. Any how because I get so tired at work, Im so tired at home! Im sure im ramping on and probably have spelling mistakes all over the screen<>lol
Anyway, I rely have been feeling good. I realy think I had a little of a depression for the past few weeks. My husband and I have had family probs with my sister and his brother. My sister just got the big D from her husband and has went down the wrong road, she once was a church going woman, a sunday school teacher. Then, this happend ( i didn't want to happen). She has turned around. Tatoos, cussing, just not her. I love her and I don't want to see her waste her life as she is. I don't understand. WHY is she doing this to herself?? She said she feels God turned his back on her I know she has turned her back on him!! I have fight with her and fight. I finally decided not to speak with her for awhile. I'm not sure if thats what im suppose to do but, I know she's draining me emotionaly. My husbands brother?? I don't have all night. Pray for all of us.
I've got the weather on and we are going to be getting a big storm tonight. 4-6 in tonight. 6-9 mors during the day tomarrow. Well, as my best girl friend teresa say's, im gonna have a love affair with my sofa!! It's movie day for the kiddo's and momma!!
I made chilli the other day and opened up some jars of tomatos I canned over the fall, oh boy! They smelled just like my garden. They was so good! last year was my first year. I can't wait until next.
Well, im just mumbloging so I better get off to bed. I hope I get more time to blog! Pray for me blog world and I will you!!! May God bless you a million times 10 this week!!!!
hugs and kisses, Amy Jo