Sweet Adeleine

          After our Christmas celebration was over, my family and I had some work to do. We needed to prepare for a 4 day trip to see Braden at his new home in Dallas. The packing was a little difficult, as we were not sure of the weather because it keeps changing from the forecast. We decided to pack heavy with layers of clothing that could be removed as needed. The second issue was the dogs. We planned to take the 12 passenger white van we have so there would be plenty of room, but we needed to protect the seats from dirt and dog hair. To do so, we put a few old sheets across the benches so they would catch the dog hair; unfortunately, these sheets did not protect our clothes when the dogs decided to cuddle! Bo takes a nap with Mom in the back bench seat. Click the image to enlarge. Click the image to enlarge.           Haha! They loved to snuggle up close; especially Argos, who would leave his half of the

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So, we have a couple of unique plants in our backyard that seem to be fitted perfectly to the Christmas season. Click the image to enlarge. These little chile peppers start to bloom around November and will have their spicy result ready in December. We have been told by various people that these chilies are extremely spicy, though maybe not as much as the local habañero peppers. However, there is a member of our

Today is another warm recipe that is actually very similar tasting to chili, but also easy to make. Click the image to enlarge. This is a very basic with many ingredients, but they don't require much work. Here is the ingredient list. 1 pound ground meat 1 large onion 1 package Hidden Valley ranch mix 1 package taco spice 1 can pinto beans 1 can corn 1 can chili beans 2 cans Mexican flavor tomatoes (stewed or diced) 1 pint sour cream (optional) tortilla or frito chips (optional) 8 oz shredded cheddar (optional) Now, here is the first step.

With Christmas carols coming out of everything with a speaker this month, you are bound to get a few stuck in you head. Well, for me, I have a the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in my head for some reason. Maybe it's because the song is so true at the moment. Argos protesting the cold weather, but refusing to use his blanket. Click to enlarge Now, I know that for everyone in the northern or eastern part of the United States, you would love to have my weather. Our average at the moment is around 45-50 degrees, but it will get

With the Christmas season starting now, I thought it would be interesting to have a little pop quiz.  I found an online quiz about the Christmas story that I thought I would share to see what you know. Once you have taken the quiz, feel free to leave a comment below with the result or comment on Facebook.  http://www.religionresourcesonline.org/bible-quiz/12-christmas-bible-quiz

Today I have a simple recipe great for the cold weather that is simple, too! Click the image to enlarge. This recipe only has four ingredients, if you don't count the water, and only requires bake time in the oven. The ingredients needed are:

As many of you probably know from Facebook, we have had ten students from a local Bible college staying with us since Wednesday. This is the second group we have had, the last group having come at Easter this year. The common factor between these groups is language; most of the students speak very little English. Now, admittedly, this should not really be a problem because I should know the language a little better than I do after living here for 5 years; however, I still do not speak fluently. Really, my extent of Spanish knowledge is understanding what they are saying, but not being able to respond in Spanish. However, even my parents, who can speak Spanish very well, occasionally forget a word or

Today I have a simple recipe great for cold weather days. Click the image to enlarge. This is a sweet and salty dish that reminded my Mom of Chinese food, like sweet and sour. Also, despite its numerous ingredients, it is actually pretty simple to make. Here is what you

If you'll remember back to about three weeks ago, I had a post about my birthday. In my description of my gifts, I said August gave me a white shirt for which I could choose a design, and that I chose this design, but with different colors.  If you missed that post, look here.  Well, here we are three weeks later and he finished my shirt now! It took some work on his part, tracing the photo and embroidering it, but I really love the shirt. A far shot so you can see the size. Click the image to enlarge. A close shot so you  can see detail. Click the image to enlarge. What is even better about this shirt is that it is college approved! At PCC, the only emblems or logos allowed have to be a certain size. So, we figured out that size and made this according to it. I really like my new shirt and look forward to wearing it soon; thanks for the gift August!

Today I have a family favorite that can be a cold-weather treat or a simple-to-make snack for anytime. Now, it is debatable as to whether these are a cookie or a candy. Since they have no flour or leavening, they might be a candy; but I have always heard of these as "No Bake Cookies" or

Today I want to share with you a report I had to write for my American Government class. I was told to read a specific section of the book, and then answer the following question:  How does Russell Kirk reveal the truth that, "For every right, there is a corresponding responsibility; for every privilege, there is a corresponding duty"? Here is my report on the subject.        A segment of my history book contains a portion of Russel Kirk's book, The American Cause. This portion talks of the Founders' decision to form a Bill of Rights and other freedom-

I have a nice warm recipe to share with you as we get into the cold part of the year. This is a personal favorite of mine, and is super easy to make, too! Click the image to enlarge. Now, my Mom recently told me that many people consider this a very hard dish to make, which I never knew because my Mom always used this recipe. It only has four ingredients and

Today I have a thought-provoking article from  answersingenesis  written by Tony Perkins. This article talked about the importance of voting, and other responsibilities you have in the government. I read through the article and copied what I thought were the most important points to put here. If you want to simply read the whole, original article, click here. (Begin Perkins) First let’s define what we mean by “politics.” Politics is the process by which our government and the policies that govern us are shaped. Unfortunately, when the word politics is used, too many people limit the

About a week ago, I wrote a post containing a description of the presents I received for my birthday. Among them was a tablet that lets me draw on the computer much easier. For an example, here is my handwriting using a mouse versus using the tablet pen. As you can see, I find it much easier to write with the tablet, and my handwriting is pretty atrocious with the mouse. When I described this tablet, I also said that I could copy peoples handwriting. So today I want to show you this as well. For this, what I did was I had each of my

It's been a while since I have put a recipe here for you guys. I have been super busy with all sorts of stuff, and am going to be busy still next week with the first exams of the year (for me).   :'(   I do not really look forward the studying and exams taking, but if I get an A then I get a prize, so there is that. However, today I have a new yet simple recipe to share with you. This is yet another Alton Brown recipe, and this time, I think I'll let him explain it. Click the image to enlarge. The reason I am going to let the words of Alton's book guide you in this recipe is because: 1 . it is a short recipe, and I would be copying most of what he said anyways and 2 . it contains vital

As most of you probably know, my birthday was last week. We had to rearrange the celebration a little for certain activities that could not be re-planned, but everything still went very well, and I had a lot of fun. For my birthday, I got three gifts. The first was a red tablet case from Braden for my Kindle Fire tablet. This will help if I ever drop it, since before, I had no case and could have easily cracked it with just a small fall. Here are a few pics of the tablet with its case. Click the image to enlarge. The second gift was a white shirt from August. For this gift, August said I could pick a

I don't have a recipe for you this week, sorry! :( I've stayed really busy with school and other big projects going, so I have not had a chance to photo-record any new recipes for you. Instead, I have a thought provoking type post for you. I have copied a blog post written by Paul Asay from the  pluggedin.focusonthefamily  blog site. The original article is just below, and then there will be a short summary of my thoughts on the subject. Hope you enjoy!             Last week I ruminated on the joys of  unplugging  for a bit. But truth is, it didn’t take me long to reconnect.

So, today our church took our annual trip to the zoo. Rather than simply post pictures of people and animals, I thought I would share a poem specifically about birds and use pictures I took from the zoo. Make sure to click the images to enlarge them. Click the image to enlarge. The poem's title is:

Back to the Alton recipes for a minute, we have another cold weather recipe. In his introduction for the recipe, Alton states "Pozole can be prepared exactly 6,483 different ways," but this is his personal favorite. Click Image to Enlarge The ingredients he lists and the ingredients we used are a little different. Here are his ingredients needed:

Everyone on the East coast of the United States has been watching with apprehension as Hurricane Matthew moves steadily toward the eastern seaboard. I thought, to stay on the hurricane topic, that I would share a post on how hurricanes get their name. I did not know how hurricanes were named before I did some searching, and the results were very interesting to me. The following article is from the Weather Channel website; you can find the original post here: https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/hurricanes-named-20120330 What's in a name? Naming of tropical storms and hurricanes has been going on for

As the leaves start to fall, and the weather starts to turn colder, we start to pick recipes that are warm and filling to fight the cold. This is a perfect cold-weather recipe. Besides this recipe being a nice hot meal, it is also very easy to fix, and not really expensive. Here are the ingredients.

So, a few days ago I was wrestling with one of my dogs, Argos. He loves to play tug-of-war with a knotted rope, so I decided to indulge him for a few minutes before heading back to school. After a few minutes, I was going to leave him and head back, but then I noticed August was not up and about yet. He goes to work at 8:30, but he had not gotten moving yet. Thus, I transferred dog-duty to August by running into his room and tossing the rope on August's back. (He was lying on his bed.) Following his toy, Argos came charging into the room and started sniffing around August's bed. He knows he is not allowed on it, but his toy is up there! So, he joined August for a little nap. Soon, the rope is forgotten and Argos finds a comfortable spot to settle down in. When August

As some of you may know, last Thursday, September 22, was the Fall equinox. That means that autumn is here, and with it come all the pumpkins, leaves, and cinnamon-filled recipes. Click image to enlarge. This is a very short and sweet recipe great as a side to pork chops in lieu of applesauce. Here

Hey, there!  You will soon realize that the author of this post is

So, on Saturday I gave you a simple baked potato recipe that goes great with a lot of dishes. One recipe that we tried it with was Alton's meatloaf recipe. Click the image to enlarge. There are so many types of meatloaf recipes out there, handed down from generations, that there is no "right way" to make a meatloaf. This is the recipe Alton Brown gave in his cooking guide in the roasting section. Here are the ingredients you will need:

Another of Alton's recipes for you again. This one is probably one of his simplest recipes, as it has three ingredients only. The only ingredients you will need to bake this are a potato, oil, and salt. Once it is baked, you

In remembrance of 9/11, or Patriots Day, I thought I would share a Christian history book's opinion on both the attacks and some legislation following the attacks made for defense against terrorism. My history book this year is on American government, not on specific historical events; however, I took an American history class last year. The book was called United States History: Heritage of Freedom , and you may remember me sharing parts of the book with you through Facebook. This time, I want to share a section of the chapter "America Enters the New Millennium," specifically called "Terrorism Strikes America."   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- September 11, 2001      On September 11, 2001, terrorists carried out the deadliest attack on American soil since

     I know a few weeks ago I said I would be putting out another post on the horse poster I am coloring, but I did not get as far along as I would have liked, and will thus wait to post more pictures of it until that point.      As everyone probably knows, school started in the last few weeks. Although I started later than most other school students, I did start school last Tuesday. Click Image to Enlarge.            And I do say "I," because sadly I am no longer joined in my studies by August or Braden. I am alone in my last year of high school, 12th grade. Even sadder than the fact that

With the weekend here, especially a holiday weekend, I thought it would be good to share an easy recipe great for picnics and get-togethers. Click image to enlarge. This is a very simple recipe open to change depending on preferences. For instance here is

Last September I made a post on a new crosstitching design I had received and started working on. Here is a picture to help you remember: At that time I was working on the crosstitch only once every week or so.  This summer, however, I had more time free and I started to work on this cute boxer a few times a week. I have finished the black, gray, blue (I know, weird that there is blue in a dog design), and

I have a second broiler recipe from Alton Brown today. This recipe, he says in the book, was developed by him in college with some "borrowed" ingredients from the pizza place where he worked. Click the image to enlarge. We changed some of the ingredients in this recipe, for instance we changed mozzarella cheese to sliced cheese and did not put chili flakes. However, you can decide how you

I made a post at the beginning of summer showing you a poster I was working on. I stated in the post that at the end of summer I would share a picture of the finished poster. Well, school starts (for me) in two weeks. I realize it is not the end of summer yet, then, and also that I have not finished the poster. However, I thought I would give you a sneak peak of what has been accomplished so far. Enjoy! Click the image to enlarge. Click the image to enlarge. The bottom of the neck and a third portion of mane. Click the image to enlarge.  I hope you can tell from the photos, but if you can't, I am getting close to the end of the poster. I have a chunk of the mane to fill in at the bottom, then I have to decide whether to fill in the background or leave it white. So, there is a sneak peek of the poster I have worked on little by little all summer. I'll show you it again in two weeks!

Continuing in my study of the Alton Brown cooking guide, I entered the section of roasting. Thus, today's recipe is a roasting recipe, which means some time is required to make it. Sorry about the flash; it was hard to get a good pic. Click the image to enlarge. This recipe requires time of maybe two hours the first day, then sits overnight to be eaten the next day. Here are the ingredients required for the slaw:

Considering it has been almost half a year since the last Minecraft post, I thought it was time for another one. Click the image to enlarge. The first update is that I found a new skin for my character that matches building castles perfectly. It is pictured above, and is a knight in armour. Now, to help jog your memories of

I have another of Alton Brown's recipes for you today, with an odd name to accompany it. Click image to enlarge. This interesting-sounding recipe was in the grilling/broiler section of the Alton Brown cooking guide from which I am learning. The entire process of the recipe takes two days, since

I know I have been putting a lot of recipes on my blog lately. So, to stick with the theme, I thought I would put a Cooking quiz link for you to test your knowledge of cooking. Some of the terms I did not know, and thus guessed on two or three questions. However, when I finished the quiz, it said I had all 16 of 16 right! So, if you want to take the test, here is the link. http://www.allthetests.com/quiz31/quiz/1421158370/Cooking-terms  Try it out, and when you are done, feel free to share the results with me on Facebook or in the comment section of the blog. Good luck!

Another recipe for you today, this time a simple chocolate and pudding dessert. Click Image to Enlarge This recipe is very short and sweet, with only a handful of ingredients in all. Here they are:

I have another simple recipe for you today that can be in a variety of flavors. Click to enlarge. I have called this recipe the strawberry cool whip pie, but it can actually be any flavor you want, as long as there is a jello flavor for it. Today, I can tell you how to make the 5 ingredient pie, and also the three ingredient pie crust. For the pie:

Today's recipe is another of Alton Brown's inventions, and probably is not for everyone. I will show you the step by step process to making tofu with a barbecue sauce, also known as: Click image to enlarge. Although this recipe was interesting to try, as I have never had tofu, I now am certain I much prefer meat to tofu. So does the rest of my family. However, you can try this recipe for yourself and determine whether you like it or not. To start the recipe, here is a list of

I have another recipe for you guys, but this one is very simple, which is why I decided to use it for this Monday post, rather than a Saturday Sweetly post. Click to Enlarge This is a super moist, delicious recipe Mom found on the back of a brand name box of cake mix. We tried this cake just yesterday, and loved it, so I thought I would share it with

Well, today I have for you a nice, complicated recipe. I know, I usually say the opposite: a nice, simple recipe; but today's recipe is far from simple. Click Image to Enlarge. It looks pretty simple, right? For all you southern folks, it might look like a tasty fried potato recipe, with a twist. However, there are many steps in between pulling out the ingredients

Finally! I'm sorry I could not get this post out yesterday, but I simply ran out of time in the day. Today, the recipe is skirt steak. This is a piece of meat that I am sure can be cooked a variety of ways, but we will focused on cast iron skillet searing it, because that is how I know to cook it. Click image to enlarge. Now, just to warn you right now: you might need to disconnect your smoke alarm for this recipe. A combination of high heat and oil on a cast iron pan means lots of smoke! Here

Sorry for the inconvenience, but it got too late today to make the post. Check back tomorrow for that recipe I promised you! Thanks, Addie

I am currently studying a cooking guide written by Alton Brown. Now, I don't mean a cook book, which contains recipes for you to preform; but instead I mean a cooking guide, which teaches you how to cook well and with the correct techniques. I happen to love Alton Brown as a chef, and so this book is perfect for me. Currently, I am in the section for "searing." This gives the definition of searing, how to properly sear, and also some searing dishes to try out. One of the requirements for a good sear given in the book is to use a cast iron skillet.      Some of you out there might own a cast iron skillet, and thus know what this entails with it. I have never seen a cast iron skillet, that I remember, and thus some of the upkeep requirements of one surprised me. This blog post will share with you the secrets of owning

After a month of no recipes, I finally have a new recipe for you to try! This is a common recipe down here in the valley, and we have eaten it at a few meals at church. One time when it was brought to church, it was very spicy. However, the next time it was a very mild heat. Depending on how you balance the ingredients of this recipe, it can be tongue burning, or very mild. The recipe today has some very simple ingredients, and is really not all that hard to prepare. Only the poblano pepper could prove a slight challenge, but more on that in a minute. This recipe gets its name "Green Spaghetti" from the sauce, which, when blended, takes on a

You remember that on Saturday I shared a post with you containing the poem The Flag Goes By, and I told you I would have another poem for you today? Well, here I am, on the Fourth of July, with my second poem. What is its name? The Fourth of July Ode, by James Russell Lowell.   I thought this would be a fitting poem, since it is the Fourth of July. I have read Lowell's poems in my literature book, and I really like his works. My literature book also gave me an

The Fourth of July is an important holiday in American history. This is the day when our Founding Fathers accepted the Declaration of Independence, and declared America free from England's rule. So, even though the Fourth of July is still two days away, I thought I would share a patriotic poem about our country with you.  The Flag Goes By is written by Henry Holcomb Bennett.   I did a small amount of searching and found the history of Bennett and the poem The Flag Goes By on whatsoproudlywehail.org . This is what it said:

     As most of you probably know, I live in a desert-like area here in Rio Grande Valley. So, we have the stereotypical cactus plants scattered around, occasionally see snakes, and yes, we have even had a tumbleweed roll down the street. We also have many other unique wildlife in our area, including roadrunners. It is usually not considered a good thing when a roadrunner hangs around your house, however, because, as the article I am about to share with you says, they eat snakes. So, if this bird likes your house, you might have some snakes around. Anyways, I have seen a roadrunner only a few times, but have heard its unforgettable call in our trees before. This bird does not go "Beep, beep!" A roadrunner, best I can tell, sound like a pterodactyl screeching and clicking. His call is just another example of God's imagination, and I thought I would share with you this magazine article talking about roadrunners. A picture I drew for my Mom of the Road Runner charact...