The Smith Family

Halloween Weekend:

2008-11-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we had our Church Fall Fest. It went well because there were 14 people that helped me serve all of the food and grill hotdogs. We also had cotton candy, chips, soft drinks, candy apples, popcorn and carmel apples. The kids played many games and loved the double party jumper slide. On Friday Mary Kate and I went to Martin to see family. We also went Friday night to the Fall Fest at First Baptist Martin. We had a great time there. Mary Kate loved the little Tikes party jumper because it had a little slide for just her size. She also got to see her cousins Maggie the Mermaid and Mollie Superwoman. She loves her uncle Bryan's girlfriend's dog Hank.

The Pumpkin Patch at Circle Y in Corinth, MS:

2008-10-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

The children from our church First Baptist Adamsville, TN went to the pumpkin patch today. The Circle Y place also had a petting zoo area, a big playground, party jumpers, catfish pond, ducks, and a resturant. It was so great! Mary Kate loved it all and enjoyed spending time with her friend Isaac Estes. Mary Kate was not afraid to pet the animals and talk to them. It was cute because she would bend over and talk to them.

Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-10-08T16:10:00.001-07:00

Simply Saucy Caesar Chicken
4 small boneless chicken breast
1 Tbsp. of oil
1 red pepper sliced in pieces
1 package of spaghetti noodles
Seasoning Mix:
2 Tbsp. of dried crushed parsley
1 tsp. of dried crushed basil
1/4 cup of chicken broth
2 Tbsp. of Real Bacon bits
Put Chicken and the oil in a skillet. Cook over medium high heat until chicken is brown. Add red pepper and pour the seasoning mix over the chicken. Put a lid on the skillet and cook on medium low until the peppers are tender.
Serve over a bed of spaghetti noodles.

Mary Kate and her friend Issac Estes:

2008-09-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate had a play date with her friend Isaac on Monday. They had a great time playing together. They are both such great kids!

River Run Worship Service:

2008-09-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday night I was able to sing in the Tennessee River Run worship choir. We sang back up for The Revival Crabb Family (The younger ones of the Crabb's), Point Of Grace, and Geron Davis and Kindred Soul. It was such a wonderful worshipful experience! I loved to hear Point of Grace sing. I guess its been since college since I have been to one of their concerts. They are just as good as they have always been. They even sang the old songs like "Circle of Friends". We sang with Geron Davis when he sang "Holy Ground" that he wrote. The service started at 5:00 and we sang until 8:30 p.m. I will never forget that experience and how God gave me stregth to sing all 3 and a half hours. Country music star Darrel Worley is from Savannah, TN and he was the one who allowed the groups to come and sing. He is the one that has the River Run to raise money for the Cancer Treatment Center that they are building in Savannah, TN. Darrel says he is a Christian that fell away from the Lord and says he is coming back to Him and making a lot of changes in his life and music. I pray he does and starts singing for the Lord and not worldly music.
Pray for Him to repent and change the way he has been living his life. Pray for him to be strong against the worldy influences he has in his life.

Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Fresh Apple Cake:
1 1/2 cup of oil
2 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. of baking powder
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of soda
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
3 cups of pealed grated apples
Mix all ingredients. Spray the pan with non-stick spray first. Pour into a 9 by 13 or a large bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
You can grate extra apples and put in the freezer for other cakes. These cakes can also be frozen to use later to take to other families.

Labor Day Weekend:

2008-09-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad came up Labor Day weekend and brought Maggie and Mollie. Mary Kate and I went camping in their camper with them on Friday night. Saturday night we all went to Florence Alabama to the Children's Museum and to Chuck E Cheese. The girls had so much fun! We then came back to take naps at our house. The girls then played outside in Mary Kate's new play area. I also got out the sprinkler and they played in the water. On Sunday we all went to Church and then out to eat at Hagy's Catfish resturant near the river in Shiloh.

Weekend in Chicago:

2008-09-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Chicago for the weekend because Tim had a book signing. It was a great trip. We stayed with a couple who has a very nice home downtown near the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Birthday and vacation

2008-07-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

A late Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-07-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Three Bean Salad
1 can of green beans drained
1 can of wax beans drained
1 can of red kidney beans drained
1 can of garbanzo beans drained
1 can of black beans drained
1/2 red onion chopped
3/4 cup of red wine vinegar
3/4 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon of ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried cilantro
In a large bowl put in drained cans of all the beans. Add chopped red onion and spices. Mix together the vinegar, oil, sugar, dry mustard, oregano, and cilantro. Put the dressing into the microwave for about 2 minutes to melt the sugar. Stir and pour over the bean mixture. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for about six hours before you eat it.
I made this for 4th of July for my family. They loved this bean salad!

Our 4th Wedding Anniversary!

2008-07-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary. God has blessed us both in so
many ways. He has blessed us with a wonderful marriage, church, family, friends, and our precious little girl Mary Kate. We pray that we continue to grow together even more over this next year. Most of all we pray that we grow more in our relationship to Christ.

Mary Kate's Best Friend Isaac Estes

2008-06-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate enjoyed the morning that she got to play with her buddy Isaac Estes. He is the son of Erin and Marty Estes. Marty is our Youth Minister at Church. Isaac is only a couple months older than Mary Kate. He is the only baby around her age that she has to play with in Adamsville right now. Here are a few pictures of Isaac and Mary Kate playing. The first are of last week when we kept Isaac while his mommy was having another baby. This time it's a girl!

Mary Kate having a fun day!

2008-06-26T11:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Mary Kate decided it was time to stand in the back of her fire engine that she got for her birthday. She has been loading her toys in it for a while. I guess she discovered there was more that she could do to have fun with it. She also likes to play around in the kitchen while mommy cooks. She discovered my Pampered Chef tray and decided to sit in it. What a silly girl we have!

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Brownie Trifle
1 box a brownie mix cooked as directed on box
1 box of instant vanilla (do not make as directed on the box)
1 can of eagle brand milk
1/2 cup of water
1 container of cool whip
1 container of strawberries
Bake a 9 by 13 pan of brownies. Let cool and cut into bite size pieces.
Mix pudding, 1/2 cup of water, and the can of eagle brand milk together. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Fold in 1 container of cool whip.
Cut up 1 container of strawberries. Layer the following: brownies, cream mixture, strawberries. Layer these ingredients again ending with the starwberries on top.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-06-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Southwestern Chicken Dip
1 pound of Velveeta Cheese cut up
1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 package of Southwestern seasoned or grilled chicken breast strips in a package already cooked- chop them up into bite size pieces
1/4 cup of chopped green onions
1 tsp. of ground cumin
1. Mix all ingredients in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 6 to 7 minutes or until Velveeta is melted, stirring every three minutes.
2. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mary Kate's Birthday Party!

2008-06-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday June 7th Mary Kate had her first birthday party. She had many family and friends that joined her for her party. She opened many presents, went swimming, and had cake and ice cream. Mommy made her a princess birthday cake.
Mary Kate decided to put her toys in the back of her fire engine that aunt Claire gave her for her birthday.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-06-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

Fruity Lemonade Slush
Country Time Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix or Country Time Lemon and Berry Sippers Drink Mix (Will use 1 quart line amount on cap)
1 Cup of cold water
2 Cups of ice cubes
1/2 cup of fresh strawberries or frozen peach slices
1. Measure the drink mix into the cap to the 1 quart line.
2. Place the drink mix, water, and 1 cup of the ice cubes into a blender container and cover. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add remaining ice cubes and fruit. Cover and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Store leftover slush in the freezer. Makes 4 servings.

Our little princess Mary Kate is 1 today!

2008-06-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate got a Learning Kitchen for her birthday from us. It makes many sounds and is just right for her age. She has enjoyed playing with it. She also had cupcakes at V.B.S. today with her friend Isaac.
After Vacation Bible School Mary Kate decided to play with her baby. I sang patty cake with her and she clapped her baby's hands together.
Saturday she will have a birthday party with family and friends. Her friends and cousins will get to swim in the new pool her uncle Bryan gave her for her birthday.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-06-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

European Salad
1 bag of European blend lettuce
Broccoli (1 cup of chopped broccoli, the tops only)
Green Onions (cut 2 into small pieces)
Mandarin Oranges
Strawberries (optional)
Grilled Chicken Strips (1 package)
Ramen Noodles (The dry noodles only)
Walnuts or almonds (A small package of one of them.)
Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup of oil
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tsp. of soy sauce
Mix all the salad ingredients together. Mix the salad dressing ingredients together in a seperate small microwave safe bowl. Put the bowl into the microwave for 2 minutes to heat up the dressing so the sugar will dissolve. Pour dressing over the salad an hour before you serve it. Put the salad back into the refrigerator to chill it until you serve it.
You can double the recipe to feed more people. This is a great summer salad!

Mary Kate's Fun In The Puddles

2008-05-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate enjoyed her time playing in the puddles on Tuesday. It rained about 6 inches during the day so she had lots of puddles to play in Tuesday afternoon.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-05-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Swanson Pork With Red Peppers and Potatoes
4 boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 can of white potatoes sliced
1 medium onion sliced
1 teaspoon of dried crushed oregano leaves
1 cup of Swanson Chicken Broth
1/2 cup of diced sweet red peppers
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook for 10 min. or until well browned. Remove chops.
Add potatoes, onion, sweet red pepper and oregano. Cook for 5 min. or until browned. stirring occasionally.
Add chops and broth. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 min. or until done.

Our Little Memorial Day Babe!

2008-05-26T13:21:00.001-07:00

Mary Kate is enjoying her first Memorial Day. She has been playing at home inside with her toys. She also has been outside some to play in the rainwater that has collected on a white tarp covering our new patio. Mary Kate is growing up so fast! In 10 days she will be 1!
This afternoon it was raining a lot and storming. Mary Kate could not go outside so daddy built something for her to destroy. Tim decided to make Mary Kate a tall book building with some of her books for her to push over. She seemed to love destroying the building.

The Early Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-05-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Tim and I are going out of town to a Braves game so I wanted to post a recipe early.
Here is a great recipe my sister in law sent me. I have not made the recipe, but my sister in law says it great!
Mexican Sundae Dessert
30 Oreo cookies (crushed)
1/2 can of Hersey's Syrup
12 oz. can of salted peanuts
1/2 gallon of vanilla or chocolate ice cream
3/4 stick of melted butter
1 8 oz. container of cool whip
Mix cookies, peanuts, 1/2 syrup and butter and put into a 9 by 13 lightly greased dish. Melt the icecream on defrost in the microwave. Pour on top of cookie mixture. Top it with cool whip and then drizzle the rest of the chocolate syrup on top. Freeze over night. Serve directly from the freezer. It is easier to cut if you leave it out a few minutes before you cut it to serve it.

50 things we have learned about Mary Kate this year!

2008-05-17T13:59:00.001-07:00

1. She loves to talk!
2. She knows how to say the words kitty cat, cat, bottle, quack-quack, mommy, daddy, bubba,hot dog hot dog hot diggy dog (off of the Mickey Mouse cartoon)and backpack (from Dora The Explorer).
3. She loves her pink walker.
4. She likes taking baths and playing with her bath tub toys.
5. She likes canned English peas, carrots, french style green beans, cream corn, mandarine oranges, pears, peaches, applesauce, bananas, bread, cheese, ham, and sweet potatoes.
6. She loves whole wheat waffles for breakfast.
7. She is a daddy's girl.
8. She loves to play with the cat (named Cat by Tim).
9. When she goes to her Papaw's and Mamaw's she loves to swing with her Papaw and watch T.V. with Mamaw.
10. She loves to play with her cousins Mollie, Maggie, Gracie, Olivia, and Rachel.
11. When she is in Martin she loves to ride in the red wagon at Gran and Maw's.
12. She likes to ring the bell on the toy fire engine at Gran's shoe store in Martin.
13. She likes to spin around in circles standing up and when she gets dizzy she falls down on the floor.
14. She does not like to wear any kind of shoes.
15. She has hazel eyes and brown hair.
16. She loves her pacificer.
17. She does not want to give up her bottle.
18. She does not want to learn to drink from a sippy cup.
19. She likes playing with her friend Issac at church.
20. She likes to sleep on her stomach.
21. She likes to watch Dora The Explorer, Diego, and the Backyardagians.
22. She likes to look at books.
23. She brings us books to read to her.
24. She falls asleep in the porch swing when her daddy swings her.
25. She picks up anything she can on the ground outside and tries to put it into her mouth.
26. She has put some dirt into her mouth and swallowed it before mom caught her.
27. She rides great in the stroller for 6 hours when you go to the mall shopping.
28. She plays with her stick horse that her great aunt and uncle gave her.
29. She talks out during business meetings at church.
30. She knows how to give her daddy some sugar on the cheek when he asks her to.
31. She likes to ride with daddy in his truck.
32. She has already had a bite of chocolate cake. A lady at a church picnic gave her some.
33. She is good when she gets her professional pictures taken.
34. She cries when she is sleepy, hungry, or mad.
35. She now takes one afternoon nap every day.
36. She goes to bed at around 10:00 pm.
37. She sleeps until about 8:00 every morning.
38. She travels well for long distances ( has been in the car for 6 hours for one day).
39. She does not like the doctor looking at her ears with his light.
40. She has had a friend sleep over in her room already (Amanda Lamberth).
41. She cries when we start to wash her hair in the bath tub.
42. She does not like to drink fruit juices yet.
43. She eats her food and picks up most toys with her right hand.
44. She is not shy around people.
45. She likes to eat anytime you give her food.
46. She can clap her hands and claps when you sing the Patty Cake song.
47. She likes to get into the bed with mom and dad when she first wakes up in the morning and watch cartoons.
48. She does not like to eat fresh cooked black eyed peas or squash.
49. She has a double wide size 4 1/2 foot.
50. She was born with a high palate in her mouth. (They say many famous singers have high palates in their mouths.)

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Chicken Spaghetti
6 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1 7 oz. spaghetti noodles cooked as directed on the package
2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of canned chicken broth
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
2 tsp. of onion powder
2 tsp. of salt
Mix all of the above ingredients together except for 1 cup of the cheese. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 backing dish and cover with foil. Put the remaining 1 cup of cheese on the top of the dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

2008-05-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-05-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a great dressing recipe to put on top of cucumbers and onions. It is also good on any salad.
Dill Vinaigrette
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of onion powder
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
Directions:
In a blender combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a jar and put it into the refrigerator. The longer it stays in the refrigerator the better it tastes.

Mary Kate is 11 Months old!

2008-05-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate turned 11 months old yesterday. I had bad sinus problems
and had to get the sinus shot. Mary Kate is growing up so fast! She got to see her Maw and her cousin Mollie last week at her Uncle's birthday party in Memphis.

Tim's New Civil War Book:

2008-05-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

Tim just got the first copy of his new Civil War book that has just been released. It was published by the University of Tennessee Press. It is about the establishment of the National Military Parks. He dedicated the book to our little baby girl Mary Kate. I am so proud of my wonderful husband.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-04-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Family Size Baked Burrito
2 Plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 cups of diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 lime
3/4 cup of thick and chunky salsa
1 tablespoon of taco seasoning
1 garlic clove pressed
1 1/2 cups of shredded colby and monterey jack cheese blend
4 burrito flour tortilla shells (the big ones)
1 can of refried bean dip
Can top with lettuce, black olives, fresh cilantro, or any other toppings after its cooked.
Over lap the four flour tortillas over onto a round cookie sheet or stone forming a cross pattern. Layer all of the ingredients listed except for toppings. Cook in the oven on 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown. Cut into rectangles and serve.
This is a Pampered Chef Recipe

Fun In The Toy Box!

2008-04-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

Mary Kate loves throwing out all her toys from her toy box so we decided to let her play in it. She had so much fun for about 15 minutes and then wanted out.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Fruit Topped Triple Chocolate Pizza
1 package of chocolate chip cookie dough
2 oz. of white chocolate chips
2 oz. of milk chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. of butter
2 Tbsp. of milk
8 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 small container of cool whip
Fresh strawberries
Mandarin Oranges
Bake cookie dough on a round pizza stone or pizza pan at 350 degrees for 15 min. Cool completely. Melt white chocolate chips with milk in the microwave just about 1 minute until smooth. Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl and then stir in the white chocolate mixture. Fold in 1 cup of cool whip and then spread onto the crust. Arrange fruit on top. Melt chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. of butter and then drizzle forming lines over the top of the fruit.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-04-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ike Cake
This is a wonderful pound cake! My mom always had it to eat with strawberries for strawberry shortcake.
6 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of plain flour
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 quart of sliced strawberries for topping the cake
1 cup of solid crisco shortening
Mix all ingredients together with a mixer. The mixture will be thick. Spray a bundt pan with Pam and pour the cake mix into the pan evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes. Check the cake with a tooth pick and if it is still not cooked cook it a little longer.

Mary Kate is 10 months old!

2008-04-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate turned 10 months old last Saturday April 5th. Mary Kate is starting to walk by herself everywhere. She started walking on Tuesday April 8th. She loves to walk now all over the house. She also enjoys tackling the cat on the floor.

Our Vacation Out West

2008-04-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Tim and I went on a vacation and work related trip. Tim was asked to speak to a civil war roundtable group in Denver, Colorado. It was a hard decision to make about going on the trip, because we knew it would be hard to take Mary Kate. We decided to let her stay with Tim's parents who are retired. Tim and I left last Thursday and did not return until this Tuesday. We went and took Mary Kate to her grandparents in Mississippi and then flew from Jackson, MS to Las Vegas, Nevada. We drove from Las Vegas across Utah to Denver, Colorado. The scenery was beautiful. There were lots of beautiful snow covered mountains, trains, ski resorts, and canyons. We stayed in Denver, Colorado for two nights and then drove through New Mexico to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The Grand Canyon was a wonderful God created work of art. I have never seen anything on earth more beautiful or big as the Grand Canyon. We left the Grand Canyon and drove through Nevada over the Hoover Dam. It is a really big dam and has lots of tourist visiting it often. We stayed our last night in Las Vegas and then flew back home on Tuesday. It was a great trip and one I will never forget.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-04-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

Paula Dean's Santa Fe Wraps
Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sour cream
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can of chopped green chiles drained
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can of chopped black olives
1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese mixture
2 tablespoons of salsa, plus salsa for dipping
1/2 cup of green onions sliced
2 packages of flour tortillas
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Then add sour cream, green chiles, black olives, cheese, salsa, and green onions. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer. Spread mixture evenly over the surface of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas tightly. Place in the refrigerator for about two hours and then take them out and cut them into 6 slices crosswise.(The refrigerator makes them chill and easier to cut into pieces.)

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-04-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Potato Casserole
1 large bag of shredded hash brown potatoes
1/2 stick of butter melted
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of pepper
2 cups of sour cream (16 ounces)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 2 ounce jar of pimientos drained
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup of crushed cornflakes for the top of the casserole
Mix all of the above ingredients together and put into a greased 9 by 13 pan.
Place cornflake topping on top (can buy cornflake crumbs in a box at Wal-Mart).
Cook in the oven on 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
A great easy potato casserole!

Our Great Day!

2008-03-30T17:22:00.001-07:00

Today was Tim's deacon ordination service at First Baptist Church Adamsville. Tim's family and my family came for the service. It was a wonderful day to have all the family down for lunch and the service. It is such a blessing to have such a wonderful Goldy husband.
After the service we took mom, dad, and granddaddy to see the bald eagles at Shiloh National Military Park. It was such a beautiful sight to see one of the eagles out perched up on a branch.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-03-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Chicken
6 boneless chicken breast
one 16 ounce can of cranberry sauce (can use whole canberry sauce if you want the berries in it.)
1 package of onion soup mix
1 cup of French or Catalina dressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken is a 9 by 13 baking dish. Mix all the indredients above together and pour over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Great served with white rice.

Easter Weekend

2008-03-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate spent her first Easter in Martin at her Maw and Gran's.
She made an Easter Cake, hunted Easter Eggs, and painted Easter eggs with her cousins Maggie and Mollie. She seemed to especially enjoy the Easter egg hunt. I thought these were cute pictures!

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe:

2008-03-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:
2 (10 ounces) cans of chicken, drained
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese
1 cup of ranch dressing
1/4 cup of hot pepper sauce such as red hot brand
2 cups od shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all of the ingredients except for one cup of the cheddar cheese. Put all of the mixed ingredients into a 9*13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cover with foil and cook in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble. Take out and serve with tortilla chips as a dip.
This is a great dip! If you want to make it even hotter add more pepper sauce. 1/4 of does not make it too spicy.

Happy St.Patrick's Day:

2008-03-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate got this shirt from a friend and I think she makes a cute St.Patrick's Day girl. Mary Kate also watched me while I made the Easter cupcakes for Tim's work.

My Cake Decorating Class:

2008-03-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to learn how to decorate cakes, cookies, and other treats. There was a class being offered near by so I decided to give it a try. It was so fun and I enjoyed it so much. My loving husband was great and kept our 9 month old for 3 1/2 hours four nights this week so I could take the class. Below is the first decorated cake that I have ever done. It is for my dad's birthday and he will be 65!

Mary Kate is 9 Months Old

2008-03-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Our little baby is nine months old today!
She is growing up so fast! Here are some recent pictures of her.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-03-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Crescent Chicken
1 cup of sour cream
2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of crescent rolls
4 boneless chicken breast (cooked by boiling in water first)
Mix together sour cream, 1 cup of cheese, and 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Wrap each piece of cooked chicken breast with two crescent rolls. Place in a 9 by 13 greased cooking dish. Place cream of chicken mixture on top of the chicken and crescent rolls. Place remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Cook covered for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
This is a very good recipe and one of my favorites!

Mary Kate's First Snow

2008-03-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

Mary Kate loved the snow that we had last Wednesday Feb. 27th. I sat her by the front door and she watched the big snow flakes fall throughout the morning.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-02-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

Cheesy Bacon Dip
1 package of 8 oz. of cream cheese softened
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 cup of 4 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
1 package of real bacon bits
1 large tomato diced up
1/2 cup of sliced green onions
Small round bread pieces from Walmart $1.00 a bag in the Deli area.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder. Stir until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, bacon bits, the diced tomato, and green onions. Stir and mix together.
2. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and then spoon onto the warm round pieces of bread.
A great Pampered Chef recipe.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-02-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

Crazy Chocolate Cake No Eggs or butter in cake mix!
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups of sugar
1 tsp. of salt
6 Tablespoons of Cocoa
2 tsp. of soda
3/4 cup of oil
2 tsp. of vinegar
2 tsp. od vanilla
2 cups of cold water
Mix the above ingredients together and pour into a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. While cake is cooling you can make the icing below or use any other icing that you would like.
Icing
Mix together in a saucepan over low heat:
3/4 stick of margerine
4 Tablespoons of cocoa
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Cool and then you can add half a bag of mini-marshmellows. Stir into chocolate until marshmellows are coated. Pour of cake that has cooled down.

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-02-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Crescent Chicken
6 boneless chicken breast
1 can of crescent rolls
1 can of cream of chicken
1 8 oz. container of sour cream
2 cups of colby jack cheese mix
1 package of real bacon bit pieces
Wrap crescent rolls around each piece of chicken. Place in a greased 9 by 13 baking pan. Stir together sour cream, cream of chicken, and cheese in a bowl. Next pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with some 1 bag of real bacon bit pieces. Bake covered with foil at 375 degrees for one hour.
This is so good! Happy Valentine's Day!

The Wednesday Weekly Recipe

2008-02-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

Before I give you all a great recipe, I want to ask you all to pray for a Church and people in the area near the Church. I had several school teachers that I taught with in Savannah Tennesssee affected by the tornado that demolished Sharon Baptist Church last night. They had roofs torn off of their homes and other damage to thier property. Here is Sharon Baptist Church's website. http://www.sbcsavannah.org/
Here is a great recipe that I have cooked and love it.
Beef Lombardi
Beef Mixture
1 pound of ground beef
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can of rotel (optional, can use more diced tomoatoes instead of rotel)
1 8 oz. can of tomato paste
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp and salt and pepper
Combine all of these ingredients and cook on medium on stovetop until warm.
Next cook 1 package of medium egg noodles and drain them
mix noodles with 1 cup of sour cream
Place noodles mixture on bottom of a 13*9 greased baking pan. Top mixture with beef mixture from the stove top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of parmesan cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

A little about the Smiths

2008-02-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

Where did Kelly go to college? University of Tennessee at Martin
What degree did she earn? A bachlors degree in Education
What is her job? She taught 5th grade for one year, then got married and moved and taught 3rd grade for 3 years. Now she is a stay at home mom.
Where did her husband Tim go to college? He went to Ole Miss for his undergraduate and masters, He went to Mississippi State for his Doctrate in History.
What does Tim do? He works teaching History at The University of Tennessee Selmer site in Selmer, TN. He also teaches for UT Martin on-line. Tim also is a Civil War author and speaker. His books can be found on Amazon and through the History book club.
What are Kelly's hobbies? Cooking, working out at the local gym, scrapbooking with creative memories, and making hair bows.
What are Tim's hobbies? Tim enjoys reading and writing books. He also loves baseball season and cheers for the Atlanta Braves. He also likes Nascar season.
Do you have any children? Mary Kate Smith who is almost 8 months old. She was born on June 5th 2007.
What do you and Tim enjoy doing together? We love going to Church together and being involved in sharing Jesus with others. We also enjoy going on many trips together. Tim and Kelly also go to a Atlanta Braves and a Tennessee Vols football game together once a year. Now we enjoy spending time with our precious little girl Mary Kate.

New Year News!

2008-02-03T11:49:00.002-08:00

Hello everyone! Sorry its been so long since I have posted. I will do better this year. We have good news to share. Tim is now full time with U.T.M. at the Selmer Center and on-line teaching History. It is such a praise and will allow both of us to be home some with Mary Kate. We will as well get to travel more with Tim's new book coming out in March. It is on all the Civil War parks.
Our little girl is growing up so fast! This is her at 8 months old.

Mary Kate's New Toy

2007-11-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

Mary Kate loves her new toy! She got a walker for an early
Christmas present. It is a 2 in 1 walker. It can be used as a push
toy after she grows out of the walker. She will be 6 months old
Wednesday Dec. 5th, so she really is enjoying the walker.