Reflections . . .

Cooking 101: Mexican Vanilla by Terri

2011-08-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

2 bottles of Vodka

You will need 7 Bourbon Vanilla Beans

& 15-16 Tahitian Vanilla Beans per bottle of Vodka.

Slice open with a new razor blade.

Split open the beans to expose the seeds.

Drop beans into the Vodka.

Tightly close and label the bottles with the date you began the process.

Place the bottles in a brown paper sack.

Place the sack in a dark, cool pantry.

The next step is to leave the sack in a dark, cool, pantry without peeking for 3-6 months. Note: When I made the first batch of Mexican Vanilla, I checked the bottles after 3 months, decided the vanilla wasn't as dark as I liked and put it back in the pantry and checked it again once a month. After 6 months my vanilla was still a little lighter in color than I was used to, but after opening the bottle I could tell from the smell that it was perfect.

Also, the website where I purchased my first batch of vanilla beans was "out of stock" of all vanilla beans this time around, so I did a little research online and found another website that carried organic vanilla beans. This time I purchased my beans from http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/.

Celebrating Your Senior's Life...Reflections by Terri

2011-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last week's mail brought an invitation to my nephew's graduation celebration. It seems like just yesterday Lori was teaching Corbin to play the French Horn...where has time gone?

Graduation is a major milestone in every child's life. It is the first opportunity they have to spread their wings. It is a time of anticipation for both you and your child. You are both counting the days until they move off on their own to college or to their first apartment. It is also the perfect time to prepare an album of memories for them to take with them on their journey.

There are so many ways to capture memories for a graduate that many parents feel overwhelmed and don't even try. Others have photos scattered all over their house or in various files on their hard drive. I hope to share with you some suggestions that will make this process a simple project that will be profoundly appreciated by your child. It will be even more special if both parents participate in the selection of photos and the telling of stories.

First of all I must tell you that there is no right or wrong way to create a graduation album. The options are limitless. You don't have to spend lots of money or be terribly creative. You do need to include as many photos as you can and tell the story that goes with the photos. By this I mean you need to tell why it was important to you to take that photo.

You can start at your child's birth or you can start with their school days or maybe even just their Senior Year. It all depends on you and how much time you have to spend on the project. It is possible to make a complete graduation album in the time left before your child graduates. I have known some parents to sit down at their computer, and in just 3 or 4 hours complete an incredible digital album. Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus Software is so user friendly that you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. With a little additional time you can even use some of the special tools that make this software unique. Just go to my website at http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville and download the free Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Software. You will find everything you need to create a basic album. Take a few minutes to watch the tutorial and you are all set to create a digital album. Or if you want a more elaborate album you can purchase and download StoryBook Creator Plus also available on my website. If you choose to create a traditional album you will need a little more time, perhaps a complete weekend. However, you do need to be reasonable about how much you will include in the album.

Shortly before my oldest child, David, graduated I read an article in a scrapbooking magazine about how a woman had created a "tribute" album for her husband's 50th birthday. This article inspired me to create a similar "tribute" album for David's graduation album.

I secretly sent out a letter asking David's friends and family to take a few minutes to "ponder" about David. I invited them to write a message to him telling him something they admired about him, what trait or characteristic they liked most about him, something he had done that had uplifted or inspired them, how he had positively influenced their life, or just wishes for him in the future. The response was overwhelming. I knew that David was an incredible person, what pleased me was that everyone else felt the same way about him. I scattered these letters through the entire album.

In David's book the first few pages included the Graduation details including...

Official Invitation

Beautiful photo taken by Mrs. Fogelin...

After that I told the story of his life including...

Birth Announcement...

and Hospital photos...

welcome home poster from a young friend...

Photos and memorabilia from...

Toddler Days...

Preschool Days...

First Day of Kindergarten...

Since Davy started kindergarten each year we took pictures of

the kids leaving for school on the first day of school.

cub scout activities...

Davy's first art contest submission at age 7...

family reunions...

Birthday cards drawn by Uncle Mark...

Uncle Earl and Aunt Karen's wedding...

followed by trip to the Ozarks...

Projects from "PEAK" class..."PEAK" class for gifted and talented kids was Davy's favorite class in elementary...

As David got older I also included:

Photos of David Playing football at Bedford Jr. High...

Dave's first drivers license

Dave's First Job KMart...

Photos from Church work camp...

Photos from Church Camp...

More first day of school photos...

Dave's Senior Project at 6 Flags...

induction into National Honor Society...

induction into National Art Honor Society...

church activities such as LTC...

Give Away Day...

and TREK Wilderness Camp...

visiting ACU for scholarship interview...

L D Bell Prom...

Lamar Prom...

Church Senior Banquet...

Baccalaureate

Graduation...

Graduation picnic ...

My favorite part of his album had to be the messages from his friends and family. After reading these notes I knew David's book would be a special treasure to him always. Dave's album was a gift of love a reminder of the wonderful times he had growing up. I hope you will consider creating a graduation album for your child. Terri

Easter Memories...Reflections by Terri

2011-04-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Easter Memories...

This Easter photo of my mom as a little girl is so precious to me...

I love the opportunities that special holidays afford us. As an avid photographer and genealogist I appreciate the wonderful times of the past that can be seen in the color slides my dad so carefully used to photograph my life. Some of my memories include:

Matching Easter dresses...

My sister Kathy and I loved dressing alike...

We always took Family Photos...

My Mom, Dad, sister and I...

Aunt Delpha and Uncle Bob's family...

Aunt Norma and Uncle Kent's family...

Aunt Darlene and Uncle Jim's family...

My Cousins Kenny and Becky with Kathy and I...
I'm the one escaping from the quilt...

An Easter egg hunt at a park in Dallas close to
where Grandmother and Granddad lived...

Easter Egg hunts with cousins...

Dashing for Easter Eggs...
I can't get over the ladies wearing dresses at a picnic...

And Best of all...special photos like this one of my sister escaping...

Following my dad's example I have avidly photographed my own children each Easter. From an early age Davy and Lori became accustomed to Mom, Dad and Aunt Kathy always having a camera in our hands.

Lori playing with the Easter baskets...most likely my little girl was shopping with them since from an early age she has loved shopping...

Lori and Davy had Easter cans in 1984...

Davy's can filled quickly...I think I like baskets better...

and it's hard to believe that this sweet baby cousin...

is now a marine serving his country...

One year our church had an Easter Egg hunt in a park nearby...my kids were more interested in checking out the mama duck and her eggs...

I baked several Easter bunny cakes over the years...

Now that my children are grown we continue to enjoy the Easter holiday together. Since Mom died in January I especially treasure the photos we have taken the last few years...how she loved our family gatherings...

Mom's favorite flowers were pink roses and tulips, so we often created special bouquets for her for Easter...

Mom and Lori loved spending time together...

Dave will always be Memaw's precious grandson...

After church we always gather for a delicious meal...brisket...homemade bar-b-q sauce...hashbrown casserole...green bean casserole...deviled eggs...pistachio salad...yeast rolls...coconut cake...yummy!

After Lunch is family time...

Papaw and Lori celebrate Lori's Yahtzee!!!

My guys playing a game while enjoying dessert...

Lori and Rose spending some time together...

Our Easter baskets have now become family Easter baskets...

Filled with movies...aprons...games...books...and of course a little candy...

As you see my photos tell the story of my life. I am so glad that Creative Memories has provided me with awesome organizational tools, both digital and traditional, so that I can have such easy access to my memories. If someone asked you to share your Easter memories would you be able to get your hands on your photos or would you struggle to find them? I hope you will take time soon to get your photos in order for they truly do tell the story of your life.

With Creative Memories Memory Manager you can

easily access all the photos on your computer.

And with Creative Memories Power Sort Boxes you can begin organizing all your printed photos.

If you are ready to get started tackling your photos just visit my website @ www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville and invest in these two invaluable tools. You spend so much time and money on your memories don't you think you should invest in the tools that will allow you to preserve and organize them so that you can get your hands on them the next time you want them. Please don't let your babies grow up to be jpgs! Terri

Treasure Trunk of Memories...Reflections by Terri

2011-04-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Robert B. and Louetta McKinney Fonville (Jerry's Granny and Grandpa)
on their honeymoon in 1915 in Ft. Worth, TX.

Over the past several years I have spent quite a lot of time working with hundreds of photos stored in Granny Fonville's Treasure Trunk of Memories. Also stored in this trunk were newspaper clippings, letters and greeting cards. Unfortunately paper products give off gases that are highly damaging to photos. I am often amazed that these photos have survived over the decades. Fortunately many of them were black and white photos which don't seem to deteriorate as quickly as the "new, improved" color photos.

This photo discovered in Granny Fonville's Treasure Trunk of Memories is of Jerry's
Grandparents riding in a surrey during their "courting days" in the Spring of 1915. Unfortunately a portion of the photo has ripped off.

Luckily Aunt Helen had a better preserved copy of the same photo.

Most people tend to store their photos, slides and negatives in trunks or shoe boxes scattered throughout their home. Some people actually store these trunks in the attic, storage shed or garage which is probably the worst place for photos.

For safe storage of your photos I recommend using either a Creative Memories Power Sort box or a 11X14 Expandable PicFolio (slide-in) Photo album. Power Sort boxes will hold up to 1200 of your photos up to 5x7 in size. For larger photos I recommend using a 11x14 expandable PicFolio Photo album. These albums hold up to 40 pages and are available in both 11x14 pocket pages and pages with 5 4x6 photo pockets. Just stop by my website: http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville to check out some of these photo safe organizing and storing tools.

John Franklin Fonville in 1915 photo. He was Robert B. Fonville's little brother. I am so glad they photographed him in front of the horse drawn carriage. Little details like this help us age the photo in case our ancestors have not taken the time to identify them for us.

Photo Tip: Photos survive best in environments similar to where we flourish. Heat, light and humidity are three of the worst enemies of your photos. So protect them for future generations.

This badly deteriorating envelope sent to Great Grandpa James Dill Fonville was stamped July 5, 1893 Ardmore, Indian Territory. I would love to know what was inside the envelope since only the envelope survived to make it into Granny's Treasure Trunk of Memories. I imagine it must have been important since Granny took the time to place the envelope in the trunk.

Photo Tip: Remember you do not want your photos to be stored in the same container as newspapers, greeting cards and letters since paper products give off gasses dangerous to photos.

This photo found in Granny's Treasure Trunk of Memories is of Alma Leona McKinney
sister of Grandpa J. E. McKinney taken on July 4, 1902. As you can see it
was professionally attached to a cardboard backing which is badly deteriorating.

Recently, I was asked what to do with photos that have been professionally attached to cardboard backings. I have tried unsuccessfully in the past to take the backing off of other old photos, so I recommend to just leave the backing on, but scan the photo now before it deteriorates further. Since the cardboard will continue to give off gasses be sure to store this photo separate from other photos. If you have several of this type of photo you may want to designate one entire Power Sort box for photos with cardboard backings.

This badly deteriorating photo was in a cardboard sleeve. It is of Steven Alexander Fonville who was born June 1, 1913 in Seymour, Baylor County, TX and died Sept. 3, 1914.

Using Creative Memories Memory Manager 3.0 much of the damage on your heritage photos can be corrected. This software can be downloaded from my website @ http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville. It is amazing what you can do to restore your priceless heritage photos.

Stephen Alexander Fonville photo after I have restored it
using CM's Memory Manager software.

Great Grandpa James D. Fonville before his 1893 Marriage
(front of photo).

Photo Tip: When scanning old photos be sure to scan both the front and back of the photos. Sometimes some very important details can be found on the back of photos.

Back of the photo of James D. Fonville before
his 1893 wedding to Mary Jane Winton.

I love that I can scan all of Granny's old documents from her Treasure Trunk of Memories directly into Memory Manager 3.0. This software is an incredible organizational tool as well as a great storage tool for your family's heritage items. Once the items have been scanned into Memory Manager 3.0 any family member can have either a digital or paper copy of all of your family's special treasures. I love that Memory Manager 3.0 allows me to write the story that goes with the photos and memorabilia.

As a history buff I love exploring all the treasures in Granny's trunk...it's almost as if history comes back to life. In school I learned that US citizens were required to pay a "Poll Tax" in order to vote...since Granny Fonville kept everything...including their "Poll Tax" receipts I now know that Granny and Grandpa paid $3.50 in 1929 just to have the privilege of voting! Amazing! Can you imagine having to have to pay to VOTE??? Oh how far our country has come!

Another thing I've learned while working with Granny's photos is that sometimes you need more than one photo to tell the entire story! I was so excited when I uncovered this old photo with Grandpa Fonville in front of an old automobile which appeared to have a flat tire.

When I came across the next photo I was so excited because Grandpa was actually changing the tire. I love that someone actually thought this was an important activity to photograph.

Herschel, Helen, Elaine, Jesse, James and Brantley with Granny holding Marcus in photo taken in 1935.

But the story was not complete until I found the negatives showing the progression of events that day which included this photo of the family waiting for the tire to be changed. Yes...that's two sets of twins you see...for Granny Fonville had twins in 1923 and in 1926. Can you imagine driving that old car with 7 kids and your wife on board??? How did they all fit?

Twins Helen and Herschel munching down on Baby Ruth candy bars in 1924.

When I discovered this photo I wondered about the story behind it. I actually thought maybe they were posing for a commercial for Baby Ruth Candy Bars. After asking several older family members I discovered that at the time this photo was taken Grandpa Fonville was actually a wholesale candy salesman. I knew he was truly an entrepreneur since during his lifetime he had owned the City Garage, Fonville Cleaners and several farms I just didn't realize how diversified he truly was. I guess with 10 kids he had to be resourceful to keep his family fed.

I love the stories told by old photos. I hope that the information I have shared in this post will encourage you to take care of your family photos so that they will be around to share with generations to come. Terri

Photo Dilemma 101 Reflections by Terri

2011-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

"I have so many photos I'm overwhelmed! I don't have any idea how to get started organizing our family photos!" I have heard statements like these hundreds of times. I thought today's post would give you some ideas on how to get started...let's call it Photo dilemma 101.

Some consultants would tell you to go through your home and gather all the photos you have taken through the years. I personally don't use that approach because I think you could easily be overwhelmed when faced with tackling hundreds of photos at one time.

Instead I suggest you start by purchasing one or two Creative Memories Power Sort Boxes. Just go to my website http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville order yours and they will be shipped to your home usually within the week. These wonderful boxes meet ISO 18902 the International Standard for photo preservation. Best of all they hold 1200 4x6 or 5x7 photos. At $28.50 these boxes are a great investment.

I suggest you start with sorting and organizing your most recent photos. Events that have happened so far in 2011 would be the best place to start. For me that would have to include photos of the Hwy 183 expansion tree destruction.

Photo Tip: Ideally you should take time to print your photos once a month. You choose when - but I suggest pick a date that's easy to remember like the 1st, 15th or the last day of the month and try to get in the habit of printing a few photos from each event that you photographed. Many people make the mistake of storing all their photos on their hard drives or external hard drives, which unfortunately have a tendency to crash periodically. If you've not yet tried Creative Memories Digital don't hesitate to go to http://www.creativememories.com/digital, create an account using your e-mail address and a password you choose, enter my CM ID # 46487817, then upload your pictures, order your first 20 prints FREE (my gift to you) and they will be shipped right to your door. All you have to do is pay for the shipping.

With digital cameras - families are taking so many more photos, so it's OK to be picky and print only your favorite photos. Also, don't hesitate to delete fuzzy or bad photos like this over exposed photo I took through my glass front door.

When your photos and Power Sort Boxes arrive you will be all set to get started. Take a few minutes to put the boxes together. CM's Power Sort Box comes with 6 compartments, six compartment dividers and 2 compartment covers. Also, you can purchase additional compartment dividers if you choose. 12-pack dividers are available for $4.00.

As soon as the photos arrive take them out of the unsafe store photo envelopes and place them, several pieces of acid free/lignin free paper and a photo pen in one of the Power Sort compartments with a cover on it. Stick the compartment in your bag and carry it around with you so that when you're waiting at the airport, Dr's office or waiting on the kids at practice pull it out and spend a few minutes journaling the details that you might want to remember for the photos. I've learned the hard way that I won't remember all the details I will later want when sharing the photos with my friends and family. Be sure to include "why" you took the photo if it had a special significance to you.

Photo Tip: Creative Memories Storyboxes make the perfect journaling boxes for telling your stories. These pre-cut papers available in a variety of colors and designs come in packs of 96 pieces for $11.00. Storyboxes are a great time saver for busy moms.

After you have had a chance to journal your thoughts about the photos in your "travel" Power Sort compartment you will need to decide how you want to sort your photos. There are a variety of ways to sort. You may choose to sort: by date, by event or perhaps by person. There is no right or wrong way to sort your photos! I personally sort chronologically by event. Just use a pencil to label your Power Sort dividers. I always purchase an extra set of dividers for each Power Sort box I buy because I tend to go through quite a few dividers.

That's all there is to it. After you have your chosen 2011 photos labeled and sorted and stored in your Power Sort Compartment you can begin working on your 2010 photos and then the 2009 going back. As you become more and more comfortable with journaling and labeling your photos you will find that your remaining photos will become easier and easier to sort and label. Before you know it you will have a major portion of your photos organized.

Photo Tip: I try to take a Power Sort compartment of my older un-sorted photos with me to family gatherings. I especially try to include any "mystery" photos. At Jerry's Surprise 50th Birthday Party I was amazed at how many forgotten details his older siblings remembered. Many of my mystery photos are no longer mysteries thanks to taking them with us his party.

I hope these suggestions help you tackle one of the most common photo dilemmas. Terri

Scrapbooking Trends...Reflections by Terri

2011-03-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past 9 years as a Creative Memories Consultant, I have been amazed at the changes in the scrapbooking industry. I have seen scrapbook stores come and go, but throughout this time Creative Memories has always been there for us! Many of today's scrapbooking trends have been started by Creative Memories.

Even I have experienced many changes in my life. When I became a consultant in 2001 I was a 6th grade teacher who worked Creative Memories part time, primarily on Saturdays. Many of you attended my monthly crops at Legacy Church of Christ.

Some of you traveled to Hobby House Hill with me for a Scrapbooking Retreat.

Others came with me to Arlington Convention Center to attend Celebrate Dallas.

Today I am a full time consultant holding events in my home. My formal living/dining room has been converted into Terri's Scrappin' Spot with 6 individual scrapbooking nooks just for you with room for 6 more in the den.

Creative Memories is no longer just for scrapbookers! Our mission is to help families organize, store and display their digital and traditonal photos. We provide acid-free, lignin-free, buffered and bleed resistant products. From scrapbook albums to decorative papers, we meet or exceed ISO 18902, the international standard for photo preservation and storage.

What good are great photos if you can't find the one you want? Imagine your child asking for that photo of the first time he went fishing with Grandpa for a project at scouts. Do you know where that photo is? Is chaos a word that describes your photos? Imagine being so organized you could find that photo in no time. Power Sort Boxes and Memory Manager 3.0 Software makes it possible.

Our Power Sort Boxes hold 1,200 4x6 or 5x7 photos. The box is divided into 6 compartments that make it easy to sort on the spot. The pocket inside the lid holds flat memorabilia up to 12.75 x 7. Included with each box are 6 compartment box dividers and 2 compartment lids.

How many of you have hundred or thousands of photos sitting on a hard drive or on your camera's memory card? Memory Manager 3.0 Software is the answer to photo overload.

It offers you an easy way to organize, cross-reference and fine-tune all the photos you have trapped on your computer. In no time you and your photos will be ready for your next project.

If traditional scrapbooking is not for you, you may love Creative Memories StoryBook Creator. You simply download the free software from my website, install it on your computer, then drag your digital photos into our predesigned pages, tell your story and we print the book and ship it to you. After a short time creating digital books you will want to invest in Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus to be able to create incredible pages like the globe I did for a recent book.

Creative Memories has recently teamed up with acclaimed entertainment host, proud mother and avid scrapbooker Nancy O'Dell on a book aimed at making scrapbooking quicker, easier and more fun for busy moms. She also introduced our Hummingbird Series. Nancy states "The hummingbird is the perfect symbol for the moments I capture in my albums. They're moments that hover silently, linger for a beautiful instant, and then disappear. This collection was designed to help you reach out and hold onto those moments." This beautiful collection was what I used to create a thank you note for all those who had been such a comfort when my mom died in January.

We've even changed the format of our classes. Now we offer 30 minute Photo Solution Parties. At these parties you will: Reminisce with friends and celebrate your life, stories and photos. Join us for: 1. Tips for taking better photos. 2. Solutions for organizing your printed photos or digital images. 3. Quick and easy ways to celebrate the special people and moments in your life. You love your friends - they love their photos. I have simple, beautiful solutions that will help them celebrate the photos and stories of their lives. I hope you will decide to host a Photo Solution Party this spring to introduce the new, improved Creative Memories to your friends. I would love to meet your friends and share these incredible changes with them. Contact me today if you would like to host a fun afternoon or evening for your photo taking friends. I hope you will take time to visit my website @ http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville.

I am also excited to introduce to you my new Facebook Page where I hope to share photo solution tips, links to other sites and have special offers just for my Facebook Page fans.

Just go to http://www.facebook.com/terrifonvillefamilyhistorian. If you like what you see click on the "Like" button for easy access to these tips.

I hope you will let me know how I can help you complete your scrapbooking projects.

Terri

Creative Memories Album of Hope Movement...Reflections by Terri

2011-03-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

For many years my Mission as a Creative Memories consultant has been to convince parents to create albums for their children to show them how much they are loved and how much their parents anticipated their birth. I have observed how children (of all ages) love having an album made especially for them. It is so encouraging today that so many private high schools now "require" parents to create an album for their graduating seniors. My wish is that public high schools would "require" the same.

As parents, we all have hopes and dreams for our children. Dr. Kenneth Condrell states "I believe photos and scrapbooks might be a parent's secret weapon. There are few tools out there that are more powerful or effective in helping to raise confident, happy, well-adjusted kids."

Over the past few monthes Creative Memories and their consultants have actually started an Album of Hope Movement which basically inspires families to not delay but to start working on these albums now! They have set up some fairly basic guidelines including some HOPE statements to help you get started. Since few of you will take the time to go to the Album of Hope facebook page I couldn't resist sharing with you some HOPE statements to inspire you to start working on your child's album today. Use these statements or do as I did and create some of your own. Then just add your photos!

Inspiration:

Use these HOPE statements to get started creating your album...I have added a few favorite photos to help inspire you!

I HOPE family is always most important to you...

I HOPE you will find strength in your faith...

I HOPE you find the love of your life...

I HOPE you will know that you can count on your mother and father to be there for you...

I HOPE you will forever have a special bond with each other...

I HOPE you will take time each day to read God's word...

I HOPE that you will always love reading and learning...

I HOPE you will find beauty in the world God created for you...

I HOPE you explore your creative spirit and are never afraid to color outside the lines...

I HOPE you treasure your friendships and choose friends that bring out the best in you...

I HOPE you always remember how you felt after 9/11...

I HOPE your humor will surface when you are faced with difficult situations in life...

I HOPE you remember when you need a place of comfort, a hand to hold, and a heart that cares about your happiness...you will come home...

Although my kids are grown I'm joining the Album of Hope Movement to encourage you to become a part of this effort to raise the next generation of happy, healthy, confident kids! I hope you will join me today!

Check out the Album of Hope Fan Page on Facebook then visit my website http://www.mycmsite.com/terrifonville to download FREE predesigned templates or shop for traditonal or quick solutions to help you create your own Album of Hope.

If you have not had a chance yet, please stop by my Creative Memories page www.facebook.com/TerriFonvilleFamilyHistorian on facebook. If you like what you see I hope you will check "Like" and come back often for easy solutions to your photo dilemmas. Terri

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...Reflections by Terri

2011-03-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...these words bring back such fun memories to me. When my children were small we started a family tradition...every Sunday afternoon after church & lunch we would put a movie into the player, pop some popcorn and watch one of our favorite movies. As you might guess The Sound of Music was one of our favorites. Many of these family traditions I was able to capture on our small point and shoot camera. I faithfully had them developed (as funds would allow) and like many of you put them in shoe boxes in my closet. Unfortunately many of my photos began deteriorating badly from the acid and lignen given off by these boxes.

Luckily for my photos, in 1994 a dear friend introduced me to Creative Memories. I learned how much damage shoe boxes could do to my treasured family memories. So I began moving my photos into safe albums as quickly as I could.

A few years later, Creative Memories started offering Power Sort Boxes. I must say that if I had to choose my very favorite thing Creative Memories produces it would be Power Sort Boxes! These wonderful boxes enable me to properly store my photos. As soon as I finish sharing my latest photos I place them in these boxes. The dividers that come with the boxes allow me to easily organize them. I try to take time right then to write down a few details including the reason I chose to take these photos as well as where and when I took them. The Power Sort Box holds 1200 4x6 or 5x7 photos divided into 6 compartments. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes.

Photo Tip: Don't leave your photos in the envelopes and boxes that your developer puts them in! Your photos will begin to deteriorate much faster left in them. Instead invest in a couple Power Sort Boxes.

My second favorite thing from Creative Memories has to be Memory Manager 3.0. Memory Manager 3.0 Software is the answer to photo overload. It offers you an easy way to organize, cross reference and fine-tune all the photos you have trapped on your computer! It's incredible how quickly you can have your photos ready for your next project. It is especially user friendly. I have used several other digital organization software programs and none compare to Creative Memories Memory Manager 3.0.

This software came in especially useful a few years ago when one of Jerry's aunts offered to share Granny Fonville's family photos. In exchange for allowing me to borrow them and scan them onto my computer I agreed to make a heritage album for her. I had no idea what an incredible task this would become! She shared with me hundreds of photos., some dating back to the 1800's.

Thankfully I had Memory Manager 3.0 Software to help with this immense task. Using this software I can scan the photos, record the story that Granny faithfully wrote on the backs of each photo and then restore much of the damage time has done to them, while still keeping a digital copy of the photo in it's initial state. I can not imagine attempting to tackle this task without Memory Manager 3.0!

I could write on and on about the wonderful products that Creative Memories has made available to help us preserve and protect those precious photos that record the memories of our lives. Instead I would like to share a list of my top 12 favorite "things" and a few photo tips to help solve some of your photo dilemmas. I hope these will prove useful to you. Terri

Terri's Top 12 Favorite Creative Memories Products:

Power Sort Boxes
Memory Manager 3.0
12x12 Coversets
12x12 Spargo photo-safe pages
12x12 photo safe polypropylene page protectors
Hummingbird Personal Trimmer
Frosted Photo Splits
Multi-Purpose Tool & Clips
Custom Cutting System
12-inch Rotary trimmer
PicFolio Photo Albums
Power Palettes

Terri's Photo Tips:

Get closer to your subject!
Now get a little closer...either physically or using your zoom lens!
Turn off your flash and take some indoor shots using natural light!
Take lots of photos...the more photos you take the more likely you are to get some really good shots!
Trash the photos that don't turn out or are blurry! It's OK you've taken lots more!
Regularly print the photos you take, don't just store them on your computer.
Remove the photos from the store photo packages as soon as you get them.
Take the photos with you when you go to the Dr.'s office, or when you plan to wait for your kids at a sporting event or music class and take a few minutes to identify the important details about these photos. I promise you in ten years you will have forgotten why you took this photo!
Invest in a couple Power Sort Boxes and begin organizing those photos. You choose how to organize them...there's no right or wrong way...organize them by child...date...event...whatever works for you!

If you decide to put your photos in an album...keep it simple...the most important thing is your photo and the story that goes with the photo...you really don't need a lot of extra stickers and bling...it's about the photo and the story that goes with it not the decorations!

Quick & Easy Apple Crunch Cake by Terri

2010-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Recently I came across a blog that had a delicious looking Peach Crunch Cake. I printed the recipe and then searched my pantry to see if I had the ingredients to make it. Of course, I did not have the exact ingredients but I found enough substitutions to give it a try. The resulting ooey, gooey apple crunch cake was not only delicious but relatively figure friendly, made primarily with low sugar or sugar free ingredients. I have discovered numerous variations online since finding the original recipe. I hope you'll give it a try using whatever ingredients you have in your pantry!

Quick & Easy Apple Crunch Cake

From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

Ingredients from first attempt at this recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour 1 can No Sugar Added Apple Pie Filling into the bottom of a large Pyrex pan.

Cut the apples into small pieces.

(Last time I made it I used a jar of Kroger Sliced Peaches ...they are sweetened with Splenda.)

Sprinkle box of Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Butter Cake Mix on top of apples

Shave one stick of Light Butter on top of the cake mix.

Sprinkle 1 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend on top of light butter.

Sprinkle 1/2 chopped Walnuts on top of Brown Sugar Blend.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Serve hot with cold ice cream.

(I serve with Blue Bell's No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream.)

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Soup making 101 - Old Fashioned Beef Stew by Terri

2010-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

No one can resist a steaming bowl of beef stew on these cold winter evenings. This weekend I made a big pot of old fashioned beef stew. Each time I make this recipe it turns out a little different depending on what I have in my pantry & freezer. I thought I 'd give you the basic recipe and hope you will feel free to substitute your family's favorite veggies & meat when you make it. This time I am using some 1/2 inch thick steak that I found in the clearance section of Kroger's meat dept. since it was $3.00 a pound cheaper than stew meat. I frequently use roast as the meat in my soup & stews. I also forgot to buy the angel hair Cole slaw so I left it out this time.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

2 - 3 lbs. beef (your choice of cuts)

3/4 cup flour (for drenching meat)

lime pepper

1/2 cup Crisco (or whatever oil you prefer)

1 large chopped onion

2-3 chopped sweet peppers

1/2 stick light butter

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can fire roasted tomatoes with chilies and peppers

1 can fire roasted tomatoes with Italian seasonings

1-2 cans Campbell's tomato bisque soup

2 - 3 bags frozen veggies

1 can black beans

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 bag angel hair Cole slaw (optional)

Trim off fat and cut into small cubes. Generously season with Lime Pepper.

Melt Crisco in a large heavy stew pot.

Drench in flour.

Drop meat carefully into hot Crisco.

Cook until meat turns a dark brown.

Drain excess fat onto a plate covered with 3 squares of folded paper towels.

Return meat to stew pot and cover with tomatoes.

Add beans.

Chop a large onion and a couple sweet peppers on a clean cutting board with a clean knife.

Chop into small pieces.

Melt light butter in small nonstick pan.

Saute onions & peppers in light butter.

Cook until onion & peppers are tender.

Add the onions and peppers to the stew.

Add mixed veggies. (This time I used summer 1 bag of summer blend)

And 1 bag of store brand mixed veggies.

Mix carefully.

Prop lid on top and cook at low/medium temp. for 1-2 hours stirring every 20 minutes..

Stew is done with carrots are done and meat is tender.

Serve with crackers. Yummy!

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Casseroles 101 - Pork & Noodle Casserole by Terri

2010-01-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

Lori made a quick trip home this weekend to attend a bridal shower for Jon's sister. Whenever she comes home we try to plan a family night at mom's. This weekend was no exception. For our family night I decided to fix another old family favorite called pork & noodle casserole. Somewhere in the past mom substituted lean hamburger meat for the ground pork the original recipe called for so I guess we really should rename it beef & noodle casserole. I thought you might like to try this quick and easy recipe. In the past when I was working full time I would always double the recipe and divide it up into several casserole dishes and freeze them for a quick weekday meal. For our family night I doubled the recipe so all the photos will show a double recipe.

Pork & Noodle Casserole

From the kitchen of: Loriece Roberts

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 can Campbell Tomato Soup (I use Campbell's Tomato Bisque Soup)

1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup

1 can water

1 pkg. wide egg noodles

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. lime pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

2 cups grated cheese

Chop 1 large onion.

Brown onions with lean ground beef.

Cook egg noodles 8 minutes.

Drain off water and return to pot.

Gently mix in tomato soup.

Gently stir in Cheddar Cheese soup.

Add browned meat & onions to noodles.

Mix thoroughly and pour into large casserole dish.

Top with all but 1/2 cup grated cheese. Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove foil, top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese,

return to oven until cheese is melted.

Serve with tossed salad and French bread.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Pumpkin Bread by Terri

2010-01-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

This holiday season was so busy that I never got around to baking any pumpkin bread. So now that the holidays are over and life is somewhat calmer I decided to whip up a batch. This recipe is another old family favorite. Tastes delicious served warm with butter.

Pumpkin Bread

From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

3 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup Crisco

1 large can Pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together pumpkin & sugar.

Mix in Crisco. (You can substitute equal amounts of no sugar added applesauce for Crisco.)

Mix until Crisco is thoroughly blended.

Mix in flour.

Mix well.

Blend in eggs.

Measure all spices into a small bowl and mix well.

Carefully mix spices into batter.

Chop nuts and blend into batter.

Grease & flour 2 large or 3 small bread pans.

Pour evenly into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

When toothpick inserted into center comes out clean,

remove from oven and cool on a wire rack in pans for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Candy Making 101 - Marshmallow Cream Fudge by Terri

2009-12-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks I have written several posts sharing our "family traditions". This year Lori really got busy making candy for their friends and co-workers so I truly feel I am succeeding in passing down these traditions.

Today's family tradition I would like to share with you is one of my very favorite recipes. This recipe is for Marshmallow Cream Fudge. This is one of those "back of the bottle" discoveries, for I actually discovered it on the back of a Marshmallow Cream jar many, many years ago. This is one recipe I make every year during the holidays, even those years when our funds are stretched to the limit I manage to make a double batch of fudge. I am giving you the recipe as it was written on the back of the bottle, however, I have never made just a single batch. I always make a double batch probably because for years you could only get Marshmallow Cream in large jars and I wasn't about to waste any of it! I think you'll discover that this fudge recipe is truly the best fudge recipe out there!

Marshmallow Cream Fudge

From the kitchens of: Terri Fonville

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 - 12oz. pkg. mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 - 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Cream

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. vanilla

Line 9x13x2 inch pan with parchment paper leaving sides long & loose to enable easily removing fudge from pan. Set aside.

Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan.

Melt this butter mixture at medium high stirring constantly.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on a medium high setting, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips stirring until melted.

Add marshmallow cream.

Stir until well mixed.

Add chopped nuts.

Beat well.

Add vanilla. (Note: I'm using my homemade vanilla!!!) Beat until smooth.

Spoon into two 9x13 pans being carefully not to displace parchment paper.

Smooth the tops of the pans until your fudge is level.

Allow to cool on cake racks until bottom of pan is cool to touch.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night.

Remove from pan and cut into small pieces.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Candy Making 101 - Carmel Corn by Terri

2009-12-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Another family holiday favorite is homemade Carmel Corn. My recipe comes from Jerry's mom and is hard to beat. We've made a few modifications to the candy making process and I will share these with you as I describe it.

Carmel Corn
From the kitchen of: Leta Fonville

2 gallons popped popcorn ( I buy mine already popped at the Poppin' Place.)

Pour popcorn evenly in one giant aluminum disposable baking container or 2 9x13x2 inch metal cake pans. Set aside.

Mix following ingredients in heavy saucepan. I use my aluminum pressure cooker:

2 cups light brown sugar or Splenda Brown sugar blend

1 cup light Karo Syrup

2 sticks butter

2 cups broken pecans or walnuts

Boil at medium temperature for 5 minutes stirring frequently:

Remove caramel mixture from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon soda and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir thoroughly.

Pour over popped popcorn.

Stir carefully.

Place in oven and bake at 250degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir.

Note: Jerry cut up a box for me to place on top of the baking dish to keep the popcorn in the pan.

Remove the cut box and return popcorn to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Take out and stir. Repeat process until popcorn has cooked 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn yourself!

After one hour remove from the oven and dump out onto waxed paper or parchment paper until cool.

Let completely cool before breaking into chunks.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!
Terri

Pretzel Jell-o Salad by Terri

2009-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

One Christmas dinner, not long after Jerry & I were married, Mark's girlfriend (later to be his bride), Kim, made her mom's Pretzel Jell-o Salad as her donation to our meal. She generously shared this delicious recipe and it became another family favorite for each special holiday.

Thanksgiving morning Pretzel Jell-o Salad was the first dish I started preparing even before I put the turkey in the oven. I thought you might like to try this yummy unusual salad.

Pretzel Jell-o Salad

From the kitchen of: Kim Roberson Fonville

Crust:

2 cups broken or crushed pretzels

3/4 cup melted lite butter

3 T Baking Mix Splenda

Pam the bottom of a large rectangle Pyrex dish. Cover bottom of dish with pretzels. Sprinkle Splenda on top. Drizzle lite butter over top. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fourth layer:

1 6oz. box Sugar Free Strawberry Jell-o

2 cups boiling water

Mix Jell-o and water. Set mixture in refrigerator until almost congealed. (Do not pour onto top of strawberries until totally cool or your crust will get soggy!)

Second layer:

8 oz. softened fat free cream cheese

1 cup baking mix Splenda

8 oz. Fat free Cool Whip

Cream together these 3 ingredients.

Spread over top of cooled pretzel mixture.

Third layer:

1 10oz. pkg frozen strawberries

Slice frozen strawberries in half (Do not thaw first!)

Place on top of cream cheese layer.

Spoon Jell-o over strawberry halves. Place in refrigerator and let Jell-o continue to set.

I think once you give this recipe a try it will soon become a family favorite for your family too. Enjoy!

Walk with God.

Terri

Pie Making 101 - Pecan Pie by Terri

2009-11-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Lori and I began our holiday baking today. We started by making 2 pecan pies. Pecan pies are so easy as long as you have a great recipe. Several years ago Martha, a friend from church, shared her Pecan pie recipe. It was so delicious that it quickly became a family favorite. I thought you might like to try it for yourself.

Pecan Pie
From the kitchen of: Martha Wright

3 eggs, the fresher the eggs the better the pie
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 tablespoon lite butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1 1/2 cups broken pecans, completely cover bottom of pie crust
1 9 inch unbaked pie crust

Roll out pie crust into pie pan. Crimp edges.

Pour broken pecan pieces into bottom of pie crust.

Mix together all the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Pour egg mixture over top of pecans.

Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes then turn oven down to 325 degrees. Continue baking for 10 minutes. Cover pie crust with pieces of aluminum foil and continue to bake for 15 more minutes. Check at the end of 35 minutes. Some ovens cook hotter than other. Pie is done when egg mixture firms and appears a golden brown. Be careful not to overcook!

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Walk with God!
Terri

Candy Making - Oreo Truffles by Terri

2009-11-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite traditions of the holidays is candy making. Each year Jerry & I try to make candy for our family and friends. This year Aunt Delpha asked me to make candy for her Sunday School Class Christmas party so we are beginning our candy making a little early. She asked us to make Butterfingers, Texas Millionaires and Oreo Truffles. As soon as mom heard we were making candy she asked us to make Carmel Popcorn - her favorite - so looks like we'll be busy this holiday season.

On Sunday we began making Aunt Delpha's candy. The first candy we made was Oreo Truffles. We made a triple batch in order to get the 80 pieces of each type of candy Aunt Delpha needed. This is a new recipe for us. I first saw this recipe in the Kraft Food & Family magazine last December. Not long after I saw it in the magazine Kim, a friend from church made it for our Lifegroup Progressive Dinner. It was delicious! Each time I try a new recipe there is a little trial and error that goes with it and invariably I usually make a few changes when I make it the second time. This is one of those recipes. I followed the recipe fairly closely the first time but wasn't really happy with the way they looked once we had dipped them in the vanilla almond bark (the Oreo center shows through the Almond Bark). They tasted incredible - but looked a little messy. For the next batch we plan to try the double stuff Oreos and use chocolate almond bark to dip them in. I'll let you know which we like best.

Oreo Truffles
From the kitchen of Kim Crawford & Kraft Kitchens

2 pkg. Oreo Cookies, finely crushed, divided

3 pkg. (8oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

3 pkgs. Vanilla Almond Bark

Crush 2 pkgs. of Oreos, measure out 9 cups and place in mixing bowl.

Add 3 pkgs. cream cheese.

Mix until well blended.

Using a small cookie scoop form 80 balls place on waxed paper - covered baking sheet.

Place in refrigerator for 1-3 hours.

Dip balls in melted Almond Bark.

Place in an air tight container with parchment paper between layers and store in refrigerator.

Any leftover melted almond bark can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.

I hope you take a little time out of this busy season to start some new traditions for your family. Candy making has truly been a fun tradition that Jerry and I started on our first Christmas together 32 years ago. You can find my butterfinger recipe by looking at my earlier post about family traditions. Happy Holidays!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Rice Cooker Jambalaya by Terri

2009-11-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

Several months ago Kim,a friend at church introduced me to Jambalaya. Kim is from Louisiana and fixed her grandmother's Jambalaya for our Lifegroup. The first time she fixed it I must admit I took a very small portion since I'm not crazy about spicy Cajun seasoning. Needless to say I went back for more after tasting this delicious dish. She generously shared her recipe with me and I have already made it twice. It is quickly becoming one of our favorite dishes. With the cold weather we've been experiencing lately, I thought it would be the perfect recipe to share with you.

Rice Cooker Jambalaya

From the kitchen of: Kim Crawford

2 cups raw rice

1 can beef bouillon (beef broth)

1 can beef consommé

1 stick butter or margarine

1 lb. smoked sausage (I prefer skinless smoked sausage)

1 lb. raw shrimp (optional)

1 can mushrooms

1 medium chopped onion

1 bell pepper (chopped) (I use mini orange and yellow peppers)

1 bunch green onions (chopped)

Place rice, beef broth, beef consommé & mushrooms into rice cooker.

Thinly slice the smoked sausage.

Add sausage to rice cooker.

Thinly slice a stick of butter & a green onions and stir into rice cooker.

Finely chop bell peppers and stir into rice mixture.

Top with Cajun seasoning. (I added about one and a half teaspoons.)

Add Worcestershire Sauce. (I added a couple tablespoons.)

Mix all ingredients together.

Press Cook. (On my cooker you have to choose white or brown rice.)

Cook until buzzer goes off.

Serve straight out of cooker or spoon into serving dish.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Sweet and Sour Meatloaf by Terri

2009-11-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

For our 6 month anniversary, Jerry & I took a trip to visit Jerry's sister Aleta & her family. While we were there Aleta fixed Sweet & Sour Meatloaf. Although Jerry & I don't usually care for meatloaf this recipe has become one of our family favorites. I think you'll enjoy it also!

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf
From the kitchen of: Aleta Fonville Tittle

Sauce:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon French's mustard

Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 small finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup crushed crackers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce mixture

Mix meat ingredients together. Shape into a ring and place in a shallow dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top of ring. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 400 degrees, basting occasionally.

Oops! I forgot to take photos of this while I was making it on Tuesday night! I'll try to remember next time I cook it and add them later.

Walk with God!
Terri

M&M Pumpkin Cake by Terri

2009-11-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

On the cover of the November 1, 2009 Family Circle magazine was the cutest m&m pumpkin cake I've ever seen. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make one for my October Crop. On Thursday night before the crop I made the cake - baking it in my Pyrex mixing bowls. After both layers had cooled I put them in the freezer to firm up before decorating it. (A former neighbor who is a professional cake decorating instructor for Kroger Stores told me she always freezes her cake before decorating them, so I thought I'd give that a try.) On Friday night, after letting the cake thaw a bit, I iced and decorated it. It didn't look quite like the one on the magazine cover, but it was still quite a hit with my scrapbooking friends. I couldn't resist sharing the process with you.

M & M Pumpkin Cake
From the kitchen of: Family Circle Magazine

Cake Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15oz.) pumpkin puree
1/2 can milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 eggs

Decorations:
1 can (16oz.) vanilla frosting (Next time I'll use Cream Cheese flavored frosting)
Orange gel food coloring
2 bags(7oz. each) orange m&m's candies (about 2 cups)
34 yellow or brown m&m's
1 chocolate-covered candy bar (such as Snickers)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 1.5-liter Pyrex bowls; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon & salt. Mix the pumpkin, milk and vanilla in a small bowl to blend.

Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the pumpkin mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth.

Note: I was tired on Thursday after work when I was making my cake so I just dumped all ingredients in my Kitchen Aid mixer and blended at relatively high speed until light and fluffy. The cake was delicious despite my laziness!

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared bowls. Bake at 350 degrees in the center of the oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of cakes comes out clean.

Decoration:

Trim the top of the cakes with a serrated knife to make level. Tint the frosting orange with the food coloring. Place one cake layer, cut-side up, on a serving platter. Spread the cut side with 1/2 cup of the frosting. Place the other cake layer on top, cut-side-down. Trim any excess to make round.

Place a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Gently press orange m&m's onto frosting. Use yellow or brown m&m's to form eyes, nose and mouth. Continue covering the pumpkin with orange m&m's until the entire cake is covered.

Cut the candy bar in half crosswise on the diagonal to fashion a stem. Make a small hole in the top of the cake and press the candy bar half, cut-side down, into the top of the cake, for the stem. Refrigerate to firm the frosting.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Grandmother's Peanut Butter Cookies by Terri

2009-10-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I subbed at Medlin Middle School. Down the hall one of the classes was baking peanut butter cookies. All day I smelled the delicious smell of cookies baking. So I couldn't resist pulling out my Grandmother's peanut butter cookie recipe and baking a batch for next week's Crop. This is a fun recipe to make with kids. They love squishing down the balls with a fork. I hope your family enjoys this very old family favorite as much as mine does.

Peanut Butter Cookies

From the kitchen of: Edith Boatright
Makes approximately 9 dozen cookies

5 eggs
4 cups sugar
2 cups Crisco
2 cups smooth Peanut Putter
5 teaspoons vanilla
5 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
3 1/2 teaspoons salt

Cream together sugar and Crisco.

Add eggs and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix well.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Scoop cookie dough with a cookie scoop.

Roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet.

Smash balls using fork or cookie press.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie rack.

Note: I doubled and tweaked this recipe. The original recipe makes only about 4 1/2 dozen cookies. The photo of the ingredients is a single batch - for the crop I baked a double batch.

Walk with God!

Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Beef Enchiladas

2009-10-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday we celebrated Dad's 78th Birthday so for our family gathering I decided to make a huge batch of Beef Enchiladas. This recipe came to me from the mom of a fellow teacher at Shady Brook Elementary. It is a delicious Tex Mex Recipe that you can make as spicy as you choose.

Beef Enchiladas
From the kitchen of Kristi Verrett Mueller's Mom

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 finely chopped onion
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. lime pepper
1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
1 (10 oz.) can low fat cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
6 oz. Picante sauce (choose the heat you desire mild or hot)
8 oz. carton fat free sour cream
1 lb. grated low fat cheddar cheese
1 lb. grated low fat Monterey Jack cheese
2-3 dozen corn tortillas

Brown ground beef, onion, garlic, chili powder & lime pepper. Drain off excess fat. Add green enchilada sauce, mushroom soup (do not add water), green chilies, Picante sauce & sour cream. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Pam the bottom of large casserole dish.

Put aside 2 cups meat mixture and 1/2 cup of each cheese for topping.

Place 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in bottom of casserole dish. (If you are in a hurry - just layer tortillas, meat sauce and cheese. This works just as well.)

After pan is full, pour remaining 2 cups of meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve with Spanish Rice and your favorite chips and salsa.

This is a great recipe for a crisp fall day. Enjoy!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Mississippi Mud Cake by Terri

2009-10-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge is for my favorite category - Chocolate. I really think it needs it's own food group! Since I have already blogged my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, my irresistible Butterthumbs Recipe, my yummy Milk Chocolate Pie Recipe, and my low calorie Chocolate Eclaire Recipe this week I decided to prepare Mississippi Mud Cake - a recipe that I only recently came across in an old family cookbook. I haven't made it in years so a couple weeks ago I made it for Life Groups and it was a huge success so I thought I'd prepare it again. As luck would have it - I took a flu shot on Friday - and started feeling the first symptoms of the flu at Give Away Day on Saturday. So I will have to share the photos from the Mississippi Mud Cake I made a couple weeks ago. They aren't quite as good as I would like but I better not cook for anyone until I'm over this junk. I hope you will try this incredible ooey, gooey, chocolate cake. It is so decadent! If you are a true chocoholic like I am you will add it to your collection of favorite recipes.

Mississippi Mud Cake

From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup coconut

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (opt.)

2 sticks butter (melted)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa

7 oz. jar Marshmallow Cream

Memaw's Fudge Frosting

Combine eggs and sugar in mixing bowl. Mix at high speed for 5 minutes. Add butter, flour, cocoa, vanilla and coconut to mixture and mix well. Pour into 13"x9" floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream over top of hot cake. Let set a couple of minutes and frost while still warm.

Memaw's Fudge Frosting:

1 stick butter (melted)

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 T. milk

4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients in a microwaveable bowl. Original recipe calls for heating on stove top until bubbly. This time I cooked in microwave for about 3 minutes on high. Stir. Spoon over cake and swirl with marshmallow cream.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Taco Soup by Terri

2009-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

This week our challenge was to share a favorite soup recipe. When I asked Jerry what he would like me to fix he immediately chose Taco Soup. I decided to make enough to share with Mom and Dad. I waited until Wednesday to fix the soup and luck would have it, Wednesday was perfect cold, rainy soup weather. I am sharing my basic recipe but feel free to use your favorite tomatoes and beans. This is the first time I have added hominy to this recipe and it really added a nice touch. I hope several of you will join us each Thursday and share your favorite recipes. Just click on the Love to Cook Thursday button and follow Kipi's directions. This is a great way to share your recipes with your friends.

Taco Soup
From the Kitchen of: Terri Fonville
Serves: 8

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. lean ground beef, browned
1 large chopped onion
1 Tablespoon Chili powder
1 pkg. taco seasoning (mild or hot - your choice)
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (I prefer the low sodium recipe)
2 cans Ranch Style Chili Beans
1 can Ranch Style Pinto Beans with Jalapeños
1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with garlic
1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with chili peppers
1 can Mexicorn
1 can Hominy
2 cups Beef Broth
1 banana pepper, chopped
3-4 small yellow & or orange chili peppers, chopped

Chop onions, set aside.

Brown lean ground beef. Add chopped onions. Cook until tender.

Add chopped peppers. Cook until tender. Dump into bottom of 6 Qt. Crock Pot.

Add tomatoes, corn & hominy. Add beef broth, chili & Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix. Stir gently.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high about 3 hours.

Place a scoop of freetos in bottom of bowl and pour soup on top.

Top with grated cheese, sour cream and chives.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Angel Biscuits

2009-10-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

This week we celebrated Dave's 30th birthday. As a special treat I decided to bake another old family favorite - Angel Biscuits. This is another recipe that I have not made in years. I was reminded of it when we attended a family shower for Casey Hall. They served Sister Schubert's Dinner rolls with our barbecue. This recipe is a homemade version of these rolls. They truly melt in your mouth. No one can eat just one!

Angel Biscuits
From the kitchen of: Loriece Roberts
5 1/2 cups flour - reserve 1 cup flour for rolling out
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup Crisco
1 pkg. dry yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water & 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve 1 pkg. dry yeast in 1/4 cup very warm water.
Stir in 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda & salt.

Cut in Crisco until mixture looks like small pellots.

Add buttermilk & dissolved yeast to dry ingredients. Mix well.

Sprinkle flour onto board. Knead dough 10 times.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter.

Melt 1 stick of butter. Spread melted butter over biscuits and fold in half.

Place on cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Recipe makes about 2 dozen nice sized rolls.

Note: Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or place uncooked rolls on cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen remove rolls from cookie sheet and store in air tight plastic container placing parchment paper on bottom of container and between rows of rolls. Store in freezer.

Note 2: Because I was expecting 11 for lunch, I doubled the recipe this time so all the photos show double the amount of the above recipe. I made this on Saturday night and stored in the refrigerator over night. When I put the rest of lunch in the oven I checked on the refrigerated rolls and noticed how they had spread out in the container and looked like they might be difficult to remove from the container, so I popped the containers in the freezer for about one hour before getting them out and onto the cookie sheets.
Note 3: Next time I make them ahead I will just go ahead and freeze the rolls and get out what I need when I am ready to bake them. I will probably lightly brush the tops with melted butter since these rolls don't brown much on top. When cooked from frozen you will need to cook an additional 5 minutes. Done when brown on bottom.
Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Experiencing Texas visits Cookies-in-bloom by Terri

2009-09-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.experiencingtexas.com/2009/09/24/cookies-in-bloom/

Check out the latest Experiencing Texas article featuring Cookies-in-Bloom, a great specialty shop found in downtown Grapevine on Main Street. Just another reason to take a leisurely stroll down the streets of downtown Grapevine, TX. The revitalization going on there is amazing. I still remember walking down Main Street not long after Jerry and I married 32 years ago. It was a like visiting a Ghost Town. The changes they have made are truly incredible!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - French Apple Pie by Terri

2009-09-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

This week our challenge was to share a new or old favorite using apples. I chose Mom's French Apple Pie since it just can't be beat. I haven't made it in years and I had forgotten how easy it is to make and how delicious it tastes! I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

French Apple Pie
From the kitchen of: Loriece Roberts

Ingredients:
1 uncooked deep-dish pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 sliced, peeled apples
1 1/2 Tablespoon light butter
Crumb topping:
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
Directions:

Prepare pie crust as directed on the box.

Peel and thinly slice 3 apples. Set aside.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon.

Toss cinnamon sugar lightly through the sliced apples.

Heap the apples onto the pie crust.

Dot the top of the apples with light butter.

Mix crumb topping.

Pat the topping over the top of the apple filling.

Bake at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Note: My oven runs warm so I cooked my pies at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Also I gently covered the pie crust with aluminum foil the last 20 minutes, next time I think I'll cover it sooner.

Options: This time I used Splenda Sugar blend and Splenda brown sugar instead of regular sugar and brown sugar. Jerry couldn't tell the difference in the taste.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursday - Anytime Muffins by Terri

2009-09-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

For several years I have given family cookbooks to the young brides in the family. I try to include a variety of recipes from each cook in the family. Recently my aunt shared a recipe that she makes each year before school starts for her granddaughters. This recipe has several options. It can be made as directed, and the muffins baked all at one time, then frozen and removed as needed from the freezer and microwaved or it can be made, then stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks, then baked freshly as needed. Feel free to try some of the options listed at the bottom of the recipe, or try your own variety!

Anytime Muffins

From the Kitchen of Delpha Herndon

Modifications by Terri

Ingredients:

4 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 can Apricot or Peach Nectar

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup Splenda sugar blend

1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend

1 cup natural applesauce

1 qt low fat buttermilk

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

4 cups All Bran Cereal

1 pkg Craisins

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

2 pkgs. white chocolate chips

1 tsp. salt

5 tsp. soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T vanilla

Combine Rice Krispies and Nectar. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow cereal to absorb juice. Set aside. Mix together in extra large mixing bowl eggs, sugar, applesauce and buttermilk. Stir in cereal. Mix well. Add flour and spices. Mix well. Add Craisins, walnuts and chocolate chips. Stir well. Place in air tight container and allow to chill over night.

"Pam" muffin tins and scoop a level scoopful of dough into each cup(about 2/3 cup). These muffins will be very dense and do not rise much. In above photo I used the paper liners for the muffin tin...I have decided that the paper is not needed and the muffins freeze better without them. These muffins are best when made fresh.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you decide to make ahead - I freeze 4 each in quart size freezer baggies.

Recipe options - feel free to substitute:

2 cups sugar for the Splenda white and brown sugar blends

2 cups dates instead of the chocolate chips

2 cups raisins instead of the craisins

2 cups pecans instead of walnuts

1 cup of canola oil for applesauce

Original recipe called for 2 cups of rolled oats and 2 cups of boiling water instead of Rice Krispies and Nectar. When baked with Oats, dates and raisins the original recipe has 94.8 calories per muffins.

Also, several spices may be added: 1 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. nutmeg and or 1 tsp ground cloves.

Enjoy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Taco Cups by Terri

2009-09-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to share a fairly new recipe with you - Taco Cups. This delicious recipe is quickly becoming a family favorite. I found it in Kraft Food & Family the free quarterly magazine from http://kraftfoodscompany.com. The first time I made this for one of my crops. It was a big hit with my scrapbookers!

Taco Cups
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
1 tsp. Lime Pepper
1 pkg. reduced sodium Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can Campbell's Tomato Bisque Soup
2 cans 8 count refrigerated flaky buttermilk biscuits (not Grands)
1 cup grated colby jack cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Coarsely chop onions.

Brown ground beef and onion. Season with Lime Pepper.

Add taco mix and tomato soup.

Press biscuits onto bottoms and up sides of 16 muffin cups.

Fill with meat mixture.

Sprinkle cheese on top of meat.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve with Salsa & sour cream.

Note: Store brand biscuits work great. Last time I used "Grands" biscuits. Jerry & I both felt that there was too much bread and not enough meat mixture using the "Grands". This time I used reduced fat crescent rolls. This formed a very thin pastry crust which worked well. Jerry especially liked these as "leftovers" for lunch at work. Enjoy!

Walk with God!
Terri

Love to Cook Thursdays - Chocolate Eclairs by Terri

2009-09-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Éclairs

From the Kitchen of: Terri Fonville

Ingredients:

1 box low fat graham crackers

12 oz. container sugar free Cool Whip

2 1.4oz pkgs. Jello sugar free/fat free White Chocolate Instant pudding

15oz. container Chocolate Frosting

3 cups 2% milk

Combine pudding with milk. Mix on low until well combined. Let set a few minutes. Gently fold in Cool Whip.

Layer 8 graham crackers in bottom of 9x13 pan (all the way to the edges). Spread half of the pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers. Layer another 8 graham crackers on top of pudding. Spread the remaining pudding on top of crackers. Layer remaining 8 graham crackers on top of pudding.

Microwave frosting for 30-45 seconds until melted. Pour on top of graham crackers. Cover and refrigerate a few hours to allow graham crackers to soften.

Note: You can substitute 1 small box of sugar free/ fat free instant chocolate pudding mixed with 1 1/2 cup 2% milk for the frosting.

Using frosting 1 serving is 2 Weight Watchers points, using pudding 1 serving is 1 Weight Watcher point.

I got this recipe from a co-worker while working at Texas Oncology. Despite the low fat/ low sugar ingredients it has become a family favorite. It is so light and yummy! A perfect ending to a delicious dinner.

Walk with God!

Terri

Treasures Shared by Terri

2009-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Where's yours?

When Jerry asked for a "pie" instead of the traditional birthday cake this year I had a hard time deciding what to bake. Over the years I have had so much fun collecting recipes from friends. Each recipe is a special treasure. Each time I use it I can't help thinking about the cook who shared it with me.

After spending several days going through my recipes I finally decided to bake 3 different types: Milk Chocolate Cream, Coconut Meringue and Fresh Strawberry. The chocolate & coconut pie recipes came from a dear widow we met while attending a church close to Carswell Air Force Base as newlyweds. Although we haven't seen them in years I will always treasure the friends Jerry & I made at this church. These two recipes I have baked numerous times since receiving them. They truly have become part of our "Family Favorites" for special occasions. The strawberry pie recipe is a new recipe for our family. I found it on a friend's blog. Kipi is a fabulous photographer and a fellow "foodie" and I couldn't resist trying it after seeing the photo she had attached to the recipe on her blog. I have tried a number of her recipes and have found all of them to be delicious. She has even inspired me to photograph more of the dishes I cook. Cooking & Baking is such an important part of who I am that I love having the photos to include in my scrapbooks to hand down to my grandchildren.

I am including all three recipes for you to try. Although I usually make my pie pastry from scratch this time I actually used the prepackaged refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Pastry. It turned out light and flaky and almost as good as homemade.

Coconut Meringue Pie

From the kitchen of: Ruth Edwards

Pie filling: Meringue:

1 cup sugar 4 fresh large egg whites

4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar

4 fresh large egg yolks 4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup coconut for top of pie

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup coconut

1 - 9" deep dish pie pastry, cooked

Mix flour and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add a little of the milk, enough to moisten the flour and sugar. Beat well. Then add the rest of the milk and the butter. Then add the slightly beaten egg yolk. Put mixture on the stove and cook slowly at low/medium temperature until mixture thickens, stirring with whisk constantly. This usually take 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut and vanilla. Pour into cooked pie pastry.

In clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites with sugar and cream of tarter. Beat until peaks form. Gently scoop whites onto pie. Sprinkle with coconut over top of meringue and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature until cool, then place in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly. Flavor improves as pie chills. Serve Cold!

Meringue tip: Make sure there is no oil or grease of any kind on your mixing bowl and beaters. Always use fresh eggs when baking cream pies. I try to buy the eggs the day I plan to make the pie. Eggs whites will be runny if old.

Milk Chocolate Pie

From the kitchen of: Ruth Edwards

Pie Filling:

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoon Cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 fresh large egg yolks

1 - 9" deep dish pie pastry, cooked

Mix sugar, flour and cocoa together in a heavy saucepan. Add a little of the milk, enough to moisten the flour and sugar. Beat well. Then add the rest of the milk. Then add the slightly beaten egg yolks and vanilla. Put mixture on the stove and cook slowly at low/medium temperature until mixture thickens, stirring with whisk constantly. This usually take 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a 9" cooked pie pastry crust.

Note: If you choose to make this a chocolate meringue pie use the meringue ingredients and directions from above. Because Dave doesn't like meringue I usually just mound cool whip on top of the cooled pie. Then place in the refrigerator until chilled thoroughly.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

From the kitchen of: Kipi Ward

1 quart fresh or frozen strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 - 9" deep dish pie pastry, cooked

Slice strawberries. Add sugar, stir and set aside. Combine milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir until mixture becomes very thick. Mash strawberries with potato masher and drain thoroughly. Add to milk mixture and pour into baked pie pastry. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Add strawberry fans for garnish and enjoy!

Note: The pie was delicious but never truly set. Maybe I didn't drain the strawberries enough. Next time I think I'll try using just one can of milk. I also piled Cool Whip on top. Delicious! Since the pie was so runny we ate it with a spoon the first day then put it in the freezer over night and turned it into an ice cream pie. Yummy!

Walk with God!

Terri

Summer Traditions by Terri

2009-07-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

My sister Kathy helping make homemade ice cream in 1958.

It wouldn't be summer without fixing my homemade "Butterfinger Ice Cream". This year I made it for our July 4th family gathering. I thought you might want to try it. If your would like to try using homemade "Butterfingers" in this recipe check out the "Butterthumbs" recipe in my earlier post "Family Traditions."

Butterfinger Ice Cream

From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

5 fresh large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

1 quart whipping cream (not Cool Whip!)

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1 pinch salt

6 large fresh butterfingers (chopped)

Whole milk to fill 4 - 6 quart Ice Cream Freezer

Beat eggs thoroughly. Add all remaining ingredients except milk and butterfingers. Mix thoroughly. Pour into ice cream freezer canister. Add 3 large chopped butterfingers (saving last 3 for adding after ice cream has finished churning. Top off canister with whole milk.

Place canister in the ice cream freezer tub. Pour ice and rock salt around the canister in a 5 to 1 ratio. Add 5 cups ice to 1 cup rock salt. Continue adding ice and salt following the same ratio until you reach the top of the canister. Run the freezer 5 minutes, then add more ice and salt in 5 to 1 ratio. Continue churning the ice cream for an additional 20-30 minutes until the paddle will no longer turn adding ice and salt as needed using same ice/salt ratio.

Remove the paddle from the canister scraping ice cream from paddle back into canister. Fold in the remaining 3 chopped butterfingers. Cover the top with Saran then place the top back on the canister. Drain off the brine water and plug the drain with a cork. Next repack the tub with ice and rock salt using the same 5 to 1 ratio. Cover the freezer with a heavy quilt or burlap bag and allow to set in a shady cool spot until the desired consistency.

Note: When making Ice Cream it is very important to use "whole" milk and freshly purchased large or extra large eggs. Also, do not substitute Cool Whip for the Whipping Cream!

Magazine Review by Terri . . . Sandra lee Semi-Homemade

2009-05-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

With summer just around the corner, I was delighted to open my mailbox this week to find my June/July issue of my favorite new magazine . . . Sandra lee Semi-Homemade. This beautiful magazine was full of creative ideas for decorating and organizing your home, delicious, quick and easy recipes, beautiful photos, clever suggestions and helpful tips.

This month’s issue includes unique storage suggestions such as a hospitality basket for summer guests and an “ouch” jar and an “ache” jar created from repurposed kitchen canisters. There are also articles celebrating summer gatherings between friends, ideas for a Fabulous Father’s Day and a Patriotic Picnic that includes recipes for Homemade Marshmallows and Chocolate S’mores cooked in the oven.

I can’t wait to gather my girlfriends for a “crafty” afternoon creating gift bottles of “infused” oils made from the basil growing on my porch and other fresh ingredients found at the Bedford Farmer’s Market. The complete instructions for making “infused” oil – that golden oil that smells and tastes of the freshest herbs, perfect for dipping hot, crusty bread are found in this month’s issue.

You’ll also find directions for turning a brightly colored birdbath into a small herb garden to add a dash of freshness to all our summer meals. I’m already searching for the perfect birdbath to use to create my own herb garden.

If I’ve peeked your interest in my new favorite magazine Sandra lee Semi-Homemade just go to www.semihomemademag.com and check it out.

This and That . . .
I recently discovered a fabulous banana nut bread recipe in an old Southern Living magazine I found in my magazine basket. I have now fixed it twice and it is a huge success with my family. I thought you might like to try it for your family. Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut-Topped Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread
From: Southern Living Magazine - 2005

¾ cup butter, softened
1 (8oz.) pkg. fat free cream cheese, softened
2 cups Splenda sugar blend
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter & cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light & fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each egg.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Mash bananas. Stir in bananas, pecans & vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased & floured 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Then place a piece of aluminum foil on top of bread to prevent browning and return to oven and cook 20 more minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

While bread is cooking the last 20 minutes mix coconut topping as directed.

Topping:

Stir together in a small saucepan:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup Splenda sugar blend
¼ cup packed Splenda brown sugar blend
¼ cup milk

Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in:
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Mix well.

When bread is done remove from oven. Spread toping evenly over each loaf. Place a piece of aluminum foil on lower rack to catch any drippings. Raise upper rack close to elements. Return bread to oven on top rack and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pans on wire racks for 20 minutes. Using knife loosen bread from sides of pan. Turn loaf upside down in your hand and gently remove from pans. Cool topping side up on wire rack an additional 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with a glass of cold milk.

Walk with God,

Terri

Life is fragile . . . handle with prayer . . . by Terri

2009-05-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Memories. . . of a huge smile . . . a deep southern accent . . . a charming southern gentleman. That's how I'll remember my sweet cousin Jimmy who was laid to rest yesterday just days before his 50th birthday. Jimmy died early Saturday morning in a freak accident when he fell from the 7th floor walkway at a San Antonio Hotel. He was loved by so many and will be missed by all who knew him. Life is so fragile. Never miss an opportunity to give an extra hug to those you love, for only God knows how long they will be with us.

Walk with God,
Terri

Traditional Scrapbooking to Faithbooking

2009-04-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe how much scrapbooking has changed since I picked up my first camera in third grade and began recording the days of my life. That same year I created my first scrapbook album on a newsprint album bought at the dime store. I decorated the pages with photos, cartoons from the newspaper and acid-filled stickers. Now over 40 years later I am still an avid photographer/ scrapbooker. Over the years I have taken thousands of photos and created over 100 scrapbook albums for my family and friends. During this same time photo preservation has evolved into a multi-million dollar industry of which Creative Memories is the leader.

Today we actually have 3 types of albums to choose from. The first, and still my favorite is the Traditional Scrapbooking album using photos, memorabilia, stickers & lots of journaling from the heart. The second type consists of a PicFolio album into which you just slide your photos and journaling boxes for a quick & easy way to display your most recent photos. The last style, and quickly growing to be the most popular for Creative Memories customers is the Digital album. With Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus Software, you don’t need much more than your photos, a computer and your favorite chair to create the perfect photo book. These books make great gifts for any event including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Graduation.

But the latest trend in scrapbooking called Faithbooking is what has me the most excited. Faithbooks can be created using the Traditional, PicFolio or the Digital album. Faithbooking is a way for Christians to record their beliefs. Through the use of favorite Bible passages, journaling, & photos you can create a serene layout that can help you in your daily meditation. It has been said, “that the true tests of faith come not when life is easy but when challenges abound.” Use your Faithbook to reflect on the struggles you and your family encounter and how your belief in God gives you peace during these troubled times. What a great gift to pass down to future generations!

Walk with God!
Terri

Crop 'Til You Drop by Terri

2009-04-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

My Easter Crop starts in just 30 minutes and I can’t wait! I am really looking forward to 7 un-interrupted hours of scrapbooking! I’m still debating which scrapbooking project to work on, but I think it will be Aunt Juanita’s heritage album. I have so many projects in progress – sometimes it’s a little overwhelming!

The best thing about my crops is the time spent catching up on the lives of my customers who have become dear friends over the last 8 years. Besides working on our albums & visiting our time will be spent sharing ideas, learning the newest scrapbooking techniques, eating yummy treats and watching great movies. Most of us find that the only time we have dedicated exclusively to scrapbooking is crop time. We will be working in Terri’s Scrappin’ Spot (named by Lori), otherwise known as our formal living room/dining room.

Jerry & I created Terri’s Scrappin’ Spot two years ago when I was told by the Legacy church staff that my ladies could no longer crop at the building. The Legacy Elders had decided that only activities directly connected to a specific ministry could be held on a regular basis in the building. Strangely enough several members & non-members still have regularly scheduled events at the building. I know of two other Creative Memories Consultants that currently hold their meetings at the building. It saddens me to know that the “rules” only apply to some people.

To create Terri’s Scrappin’ Spot we removed all the traditional furniture from the room. Next we bought 6 drafting centers complete with drafting tables, comfy chairs & project lights and placed them around the room. Then we brought in Dad’s old Light Table, and a couple cabinets to hold my stock and our supplies. Last of all we mounted a TV on the wall and brought in a DVD player and VCR. Then we were all set to open our home to my customers.

The second best thing about my monthly crop is being able to cook yummy treats for my “ladies”. This month I am baking a delicious semi-homemade Coffee Cake. It’s hard to believe such a simple recipe could turn out so delicious. For lunch I am serving my version of Taco Salad. It is a favorite of my family, friends & customers! Last of all, for dessert I made Chocolate Éclairs. Besides tasting great this light dessert is “legal” only 3 pts on Weight Watchers. I thought I’d include the coffee cake recipe for you to bake for your family. It is perfect for a special Sunday morning treat. Just toss all the ingredients in a Bundt pan right before going to bed. Cover with a damp towel and head to bed. In the morning just stick it in the oven and you’ll have a gooey treat that tastes like you’ve been slaving over it for hours! Enjoy!

Christmas Day Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls

1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Directions:

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Walk with God,
Terri

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies by Terri

2009-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

This photo is of some of my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

that we served in the "Sweet Buffet" at Lori & Jon's wedding.

When I was in High School my mom began working as a bookkeeper for Kimball Oil Company in Ft Worth. While mom was working there she and her fellow co-workers would occasionally exchange recipes. My Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie started as one of these recipes. Mom worked with a young woman who grew up in a "Carny" - one of those carnivals that traveled from shopping center to shopping center across the country. Patti shared the "carny" version of Chocolate Chip Cookies. Over the last 35 years I have altered the recipe so much that I'm not sure Patti would even recognize it if she saw it. Jerry claims I just like to make each recipe my own, changing ingredients to accommodate our family's likes and dislikes. Mom says that no one makes chocolate chip cookies as good as mine. I just like to say that it’s all in the recipe. One that has been perfected over time. I really think the final change I made was the best. I switched one bag of regular Toll House Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips for a bag of Tollhouse Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. Now you get chocolate chips in every bite. Yum-o!

I love watching the reaction people have when they try this cookie for the first time! I'll never forget the first time Jerry's brother Dale tried one. He slipped the first cookie from the container hoping no one was watching, bit into it, and then grabbed a handful. Almost as if he couldn't believe they were so delicious! His reaction is a common one. The cookie has just the perfect blend of gooey chocolate chips & nuts.

I thought you might like to try making this treat for your family. But first I must warn you - once they've tried it - you'll be making it often.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the kitchen of: Terri Fonville

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups softened butter
1 1/3 cups Crisco
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs (Fresh eggs work best!)
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
6 cups flour
1 - 12 oz pkg. Toll House Mini-morsels semi sweet chocolate chips
1 - 6 oz. pkg. Toll House Semi sweet chocolate chips
1 - 6 oz. pkg. Toll House Premier white morsels
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:
Mix shortening, butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt. Stir well. Gently fold in chips and nuts.

Place dough in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly approximately 2 hours before baking. (I try to make dough a day ahead to allow it to chill thoroughly.) Drop by ice cream scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven).
Note: I place mixing bowl back into refrigerator to keep extra dough chilled while waiting for cookies in the oven to bake. I always double this recipe – these cookies disappear so quickly!

Walk with God!

Terri

Awesome God! by Terri

2009-04-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately what an Awesome God we have?

It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the the little trials

That satan throws into our path

To distract us from our daily walk with God.

My knees grow sore from time spent in prayer.

Then when I am ready to give up -

The unexpected happens.

It's almost as if God is saying H - E - L - L - O !

Did you forget something?

I am always here for you!

That's when I am reminded

What an Awesome God we have!

It reminds me of my favorite verse: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you" declairs the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Walk with God!

Terri

GOTCHA! by Terri

2009-03-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

On August 17th, 2006 Jerry turned 50. In the spring of that year the kids & I began plotting the Ultimate Surprise Birthday Bash for him. It all started when we were looking through Lori & Jon's wedding photos. We came across a photo that we have nicknamed "the missing man formation." At each family gathering Jerry & his siblings always take a "sibling" photo in age order. In the missing man formation a space is left for the missing sibling. Seeing that photo made me realize that the Ultimate Surprise Birthday Bash would not be complete unless all of Jerry's siblings were present. Jerry was the third of six children and they had not been all together in 13 years! With this is mind the kids and I began plotting our big surprise. As soon as I mentioned our plans to Jerry's youngest brother Earl and his wife Karen they volunteered their home as setting for the day. I sent out a save the date letter to each of his siblings asking them to come to Texas at the end of August to help Jerry celebrate his big 5-0 at a Texas Style Bar-B-Q Picnic. One by one I began hearing from each family until all had agreed to come.

As we got closer to August we realized that Jerry was starting to get suspicious! So Dave decided that the only way to throw him off was to plan a second smaller party closer to his birthday at Mom & Dad's home. It too would be a surprise. We would invite friends and family that were not invited to the family Bar-B-Q. I e-mailed his siblings and asked them to call Jerry on the evening of August 14th with their regrets for missing his birthday party. This party was a huge success and totally fooled Jerry! He didn't have a clue that a second party was in the works. Several of his siblings called on the 14th with their regrets for missing this special birthday party. It was so hard to keep a straight face while I listened to their calls.

As the last week before the party arrived, I began buying the food & decorations for the big day and hiding them at Earl & Karen's house. Several family members generously helped me cook the food we would need for the day. On Friday after cooking all day, Kathy & I made a quick last minute trip to Costcos for all the stuff that couldn't be bought til the last minute and delivered those items and the food to Karen's. Burning a "stinky" candle helped hide the yummy smells of all the food I had cooked.

The biggest concern I now had was how to get Jerry to Karen & Earl's in the middle of the day on a Saturday. Earl came up with the solution. On Friday night Earl called & asked Jerry to come over on Saturday to help with a project for Karen. He needed to drill a hole in Karen's marble desk to hide the computer chords. He suggested that I come along and we'd eat lunch & then swim afterwards.

We arrived at the party right on time. Jerry immediately walked over to the desk to get started on their drilling project. One family at a time came strolling out of their hiding spot in Karen & Earl's bedroom saying "I hear you need some help drilling a hole." They came out in order of distance from Colleyville. Those living closest came out first. Only when Aleta & Larry who live in New Mexico came out of the bedroom did Jerry finally realise that something was up! The expression on his face was priceless when Dale & Carolyn who live in Florida came walking out of the bedroom. That's when I said "GOTCHA". It made all the plotting and hard work worth while. We had pulled off the Ultimate Surprise Birthday Bash!

Walk with God!

Terri

Family Traditions . . . by Terri

2009-03-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

Over 20 years ago I taught at Young Children's World, a mother's day out program in our community. One Christmas a fellow teacher gave each of her coworkers a tiny box of the most delicious candy I have ever eaten. She called it "Butterthumbs." It was a homemade version of Butterfingers. She generously shared her recipe with me. Since that Christmas it has become a family tradition of ours to make "Butterthumbs". Some years our Christmas season is too busy to make this special treat, but whenever possible we make it.

"Butterthumbs" has very few ingredients. However, it is rather complicated and you must have at least 2 people to make it. Always in the past Jerry & I have made this candy together without any help. That changed in December 2004. Our daughter Lori was getting married on December 31st and she had decided in honor of her new last name - Sweet, she would have a Sweets Buffet at their wedding reception.

So, on the Saturday before the wedding Jerry & I passed that tradition on to our children. Just as we were getting started Dave's best friend Caleb arrived and couldn't resist pitching in to help. For the first time ever Jerry & I had help making this special treat!

I thought you might like to try making our favorite family candy . . .

Butterthumbs
In Heavy Saucepan Combine:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup Light Karo Syrup
1cup water

Mix above ingredients together and boil to 300 degrees ”Hard Crack”.

Remove quickly from heat.

Butter iron skillet completely.

While Karo mixture is heating: Place 2 cups of “smooth” Peter Pan peanut butter in the center of a well buttered extra large iron skillet.

When candy reaches Hard Crack pour it out onto peanut butter. Stir with wooden spoon quickly and thoroughly before it cools down.

Dump peanut butter mixture out onto aluminum foil and pat into a ½” to ¼” thick form (be sure to butter your hands to keep them from burning).

Using very sharp cooking scissors, cut into ¾” strips then cut strips into 1” pieces. After pieces have cooled, set out on wax paper. (This step works best if done by 4 or 5 people since the mixture hardens before one person can get the whole mixture cut. In the past we have tried cutting with knives - but you just can't work fast enough using knives).

Chocolate Mixture:
Melt 4 or 5 pkgs. High Quality Almond Bark in double boiler. Dip candy using candy dippers into chocolate mixture, allow excess to drip off, place on wax paper and let chocolate harden. Best if left undisturbed for 24 hours. Store in cool but not cold airtight containers.

Candy dips best if placed in layers in air tight container and allowed to rest overnight before dipping. Use wax paper to separate the layers.

Walk with God!
Terri