Refreshment Around the House

November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

pillow-cover

To keep a home inviting, clean and fresh, it takes attention to details. Not only does the house need a good cleaning each week, but the decor needs to be freshened up, and things that aren’t working and/or functioning well need a solution.

I have three words today to help you do that:

Slipcovers

Paint

Salt

Yes, salt! Let’s start first with…

Slipcovers – We have a chair in our living room that requires my husband to put a pillow behind his back when he sits in it. He has often grabbed one from his office (totally different decor! Ahhh!) and brought it in when we have guests. Recently, I decided I must find a permanent pillow for that seat.

Pillows can be so expensive, and I hadn’t found what I was looking for UNTIL I went to the Hobby Lobby sewing area! I was in the clearance section and found the cutest slipcover for a pillow marked down to $4! I didn’t even have to buy a form for it because I had an ugly velvet pillow with hideous fringe that I had tucked away, and it was the perfect size and shape to slip inside!

pillow-cover-2

I was so pleased with my find! So, if you want to refresh your pillows on your sofa or bed, don’t buy new ones; go looking for slipcovers. You can change them out seasonally for a fraction of the cost!

Paint – Earlier this summer I dried some of my herbs. They continue to produce, so I’ve dried a lot more and stored them in little herb jars I found on clearance at TJ Maxx. Every time I reach into the cabinet for one of them, I have to look carefully before adding it to my food to determine which herb it is. I decided it was time to label the jars so it would make this task easier.

Using scotch tape, I made a square on each jar. Then I painted on several coats of chalkboard paint. When it was dry, I peeled off the tape and used chalk to write the name of the herb on the jar. Not only will I find the herb I need much quicker, the paint adds a cute little bit of charm! What do you need to label? Consider chalkboard paint to do the job!

Salt – We had one bathroom sink that had gotten backed up. Not wanting to purchase a drain cleaner at the store, I researched for a simple solution. The answer was as easy as hot water and salt.

sink clog.jpg

Using a straightened out coat hanger and gloves on my hands, I got rid of any thing that was under the drain.
I poured 1/2 cup of salt slowly into the drain. I added boiling water slowly.
I added more salt (about 1/2 cup) and more hot water.
Immediately the drain opened up and the everything gurgled right down the pipes!

It just makes me smile when things are more organized and function well around my house! Do you need to refresh your home with one of these three tips?

Stay refreshed,

Dinner · dinner in 30 minutes · Fall · home · main dish

My Three Go-To Meals

October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 RefreshHer6 Comments

Three Go-To Meals.jpg

There are always busy fall/winter days that demand a fast supper meal. For those days, I try to keep the ingredients on hand for the entree’s listed above because they are:

Done in under 30 minutes
Filling
Delicious!!!

To make White Castle Sliders, Cheese Ravioli with Tomatoes, and Sausage Corn Chowder, all I need to keep on hand is:

2 pounds hamburger
Hawaiian Rolls – I freeze these
Frozen Cheese Ravioli – I recently tried Aldi’s brand and it was very good!
Tomatoes (I freeze the cherry tomatoes and use them for this dish if I don’t have fresh on hand)
Red Onion
Parmesan Cheese
Canned Corn
Cream Corn
Evaporated milk
Potatoes
1 pound Sausage

These are all very basic staple items to keep. Having them on hand allows me to put a great meal together so quickly!

White castle sliders.jpg

White Castle Sliders

2# hamburger (80/20)

Dried Onion Flakes

Seasoned Salt

Sister Shubert Rolls

Sprinkle dried onion flakes in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish.

Press beef over onion flakes, make a one huge patty.

Sprinkle with Seasoned salt.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until done.

Drain and Pat grease off.

Top with cheese slices. Place back in oven for 2 minutes to melt.

Remove and slice into hamburger patties, the size of your buns.

Pasta dishes are great for quick meals, but this one isn’t your normal Spaghetti and pasta meal! This is one of our favorites – in a hurry or not! Add some toasted French Bread and a salad and your meal is complete!

Cheese Ravioli with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound cherry tomatoes
2 shallots, cut into wedges (I use red onion instead)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces frozen cheese ravioli

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Halve half of tomatoes. Arrange cut tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and shallots on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss.
Bake at 425° for 35 minutes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to pan. Bake 10 minutes.
4. Cook ravioli according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain ravioli, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add ravioli to tomatoes; toss. Add cooking liquid, if needed. Garnish with chopped basil.Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to pan. Bake 10 minutes.
4. Cook ravioli according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain ravioli, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add ravioli to tomatoes; toss. Add cooking liquid, if needed. Garnish with chopped basil.

This chowder is so hearty and comforting! It’s been a favorite of our family for years! You could add some quick biscuits or just crackers and a salad to round it out.

corn-choweder

Sausage Corn Chowder

1 LB Bulk Pork Sausage
1 med onion
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 cubes
2 cps water
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp salt
crushed 1/2 tsp pepper
1 15 1/4 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 3/4 oz can cream style corn
1 12oz can evaporated milk

Preparation:
Crumble pork sausage into 4 qt dutch oven; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. add onion; cook about 5 minutes more or until sausage is brown. Add cubed potatoes, water, seasonings, bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the whole kernel corn, cream style corn and evaporated milk. heat chowder through.
6 Main dish servings

There are other meal ingredients that I have kept ready for those busy days and I’ll share some of those next week. In the meantime, tell me what ingredients do you keep in your pantry and freezer and what meal do you make with them?

With love from my country kitchen,

Fall · outfits · Uncategorized

What the Preacher’s Wife wore

October 28, 2016October 27, 2016 RefreshHer3 Comments

When you open the weather app on your phone and this is what is says – how do you dress?!

screen-shot

Here’s what I try to do:

Layers is the answer for me. When it’s cool in the morning and evening I can leave on the top layer, when it warms up I can take off a layer. This outfit consisted of olive green jeans, a cotton blouse, leopard flats and a denim vest.

Dressier outfit:

Last year I found this winter white skirt at the Dillard’s outlet. I love the versatility it gives me! Here are two ways I’ve found to wear it. The one on the right is another idea of layering.

Now, for a whole different kind of outfit… Brace yourself!

With Trick or Treat coming up, maybe you’re looking for a simple DIY costume? Let me show you the funny ones my husband and I did last Wednesday for our church’s Trunk or Treat. I was a Rain Cloud, he was a Nerd. Oh, did he nail it or what? Yikes!

costumes 1.jpg

Along with my rain cloud hat, the picture below will show you that I also wore a black top and pants, with rain boots to complete the outfit.

I went to the Dollar Tree and bought

a child’s cowboy hat
four bags of cotton balls
Blue foam squares
Blue ribbon
Gray paint
You’ll also need a glue gun, which I already had.

costume-instructions Take the cotton balls and kind of pull them out to fluff them up a bit, then begin gluing them to the hat to create the cloud. Cover the hat, using more than one layer. This takes a while, just be patient.

Then cut rain drop shapes from the foam, I did about 20. Glue two together with the ribbon in-between. Attach the ribbons to the hat. I tried to stick it up on that hat, between the cotton balls so it would stick a little better. I dabbed a little bit of acrylic gray paint on the white cotton balls. You could also use gray spray paint to add a touch to your cloud.

That’s it! This costume cost me under $10!

Do you ever dress up for Halloween? It was fun to “join the party” and have fun with the kids at church!

What are you wearing during these cool/warm fall days?

Stay refreshed by going to a Bible preaching church this weekend!

Christian Life · Marriage · Refreshment in marriage

Marriage Matters Recap

October 26, 2016October 25, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

October Marriage matters.jpg

It’s time for a recap of #MondayMarriageMatters. I’ve encouraged women to post on Instagram a picture each Monday of something that shows them putting thought and effort into their marriage, and that Marriage really does Matter! I love seeing what each lady posts! There are now about 175 posts! Go to Instagram and search #Mondaymarriagematters and you’ll be able to see all the fun photos and explanations.

This month of October had some fun dates and some special times to share as a couple. Here’s how I sought, with God’s help, to build my marriage.

If I understand that my marriage matters, and my marriage matters to God, I will daily be seeking out how I can obey my role as a wife. I read this verse today and was reminded that I am doing one of two things: I’m either building up my home, or I am tearing it down. These are my “Pink verses” that I remind myself of over and over.

Being married to a pastor often means I wait and wait and wait. I wait after services for him to meet with an individual who is hurting. I wait during his ministry meetings. And I wait while he listens to complaints and criticisms, and I pray. Then we ride home and I listen, encourage, and remind him (and myself) of Truth. He has told me many times that he can take anything as long as he knows I’m behind him. Sometimes I’m sure that’s the best gift I can give him.

Marriage usually attracts opposites. That is certainly true of us. Instead of trying to make him be like me, I’ve learned to let him be the man (or pirate!) God made him to be and be thankful for our differences. He’s outgoing, a strong leader, the entertainer of the crowd, and I’m none of those. God put us together for a reason. He is my completer and I’m so thankful!

He baked cookies. I pulled out an OLD game. Family Game Night followed. It’s nights like these that allow us to laugh, act like we did when we were young, and forget the pressures of the day. We NEED it. Our marriage needs it. We love it!

If you’re on Instagram, you can follow me at denisec_refreshher so you won’t miss any Monday marriage posts.

What have you done recently to show that YOUR marriage matters?

Life, · Refreshment

God’s Word About Pets

October 25, 2016October 24, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

I recently purchased the little journal pictured here. Why? Because I have always been a cat lover. How about you? Are dogs your best friend?

Dog, cat, hamster, rabbit or horse – whatever your pet is, they can sure get inside our hearts, can’t they?

I’ll never forget the day we had to take our nearly 20 year-old Fluffy to the vet because her life was no longer livable. Arthritis had taken her ability to stand up, and we knew at that moment that her life was at its end.

We loved her. Our girls had grown up with her, and even though she had the typical snooty Persian cat personality, she had endeared herself to all of us.

We kissed her. We cried. We said our goodbyes, and then we buried her in our back yard on the hill. We missed her much in the days to follow, but we had to remind ourselves that she had been treated well, and lived the best kind of life for a cat! Trust me!

I’ve recently seen and heard so many comments about pets that die, that I just had to write a post about dealing with the death of a pet. I can do it because:

I’m a cat LOVER
I’ve had a pet that I loved die – (Several)

I know what it’s like to hurt and cry over their death.

Better than either one of the two reasons above, I also know who Created my pets. He is also my Creator and yours. It’s the God of this universe. He made the animals on Day 6 and we read that in Genesis 1:25

And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

In Genesis 2:7 we read:

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

You could also read Matthew 16:26 or Mark 8:36.

God gave man something that He did not give the animals – a living soul – a soul that would live forever. Nowhere in the Bible do you read that animals live forever. When an animal dies, its life is over. It isn’t reincarnated as a new pet. Its spirit doesn’t come back to be with you. We have no further contact with a dead animal.

What do we have, then?

We do have the memories, thanks to a God who allows us to remember!
We do have the knowledge that we cared for them and treated them with the best love and care.
We do have a God who cares for the animals.
- Consider Matthew 6:26 – Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
  Who, but a loving God would provide for the animals of the wild? He made them, He cares for them, and He feeds them!
We do have a God who cares even more for us!
- Matt. 6:26b – Are ye not much better than they? Christ came to die for people because He loves us even more than the animals.
- God cares when your heart is sorrowful. Take your grief to Him in prayer and allow Him to comfort you. I say this lovingly – there’s no use to pray to your animal or talk to them. We never read in Scripture that they can send us messages or come back as another animal. They’re gone, but God loves you and is there to hear your prayer. I Peter 5:7

God loves you so much, in fact, that He sent Christ to die for you! He gave man dominion over the animals, and He says that we are even better than them. We have more value because we have an eternal soul that will live forever somewhere, and Christ died so that you and I could have a relationship with Him and live in heaven with Him forever.

The Truth of God’s Word is refreshing, isn’t it? It reminds me that pets were God’s creation and idea! How kind!

It also reminds me that God cares when I hurt, but He will comfort. How loving!

I also learn that He sacrificed His Son for me! How gracious!

Let’s keep our focus on eternal things and make people more important than pets, and when our hearts are missing them, let’s remind ourselves of these truths that will comfort us.

Then be looking for another pet to come into your home and give it the cozy spot on your bed, just like your other kitty had…you’ll end up loving him, too. Just give yourself a little time.

Thankful for Truth,