Another book for my collection!

Wow…the Lutheran-Church Missouri Synod just keeps coming out with more books I just have to add to my library!  First it was the revised version of the Book of Concord.

Then, Synod came out with the new hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book.  I really love this hymnal!  It contains the OLD traditional liturgy that I was raised on, and great, traditional hymns!  YAY!

One of my favorite books is the Treasury of Daily Prayer.  From the website: “Scripture readings, prayers, psalms, hymnody, writings from the Church fathers appointed for each day work together to deepen reflection, and encourage personal devotion. Enliven your practice of prayer with the most comprehensive, single-volume Lutheran devotional resource ever published.”  It has several orders of service, including Matins, Vespers, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline. 

The really cool thing is that I downloaded this book on my kindle app for my iPod touch.  I have a CD imported onto my iPod touch, where the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantori sings the liturgy from the different services included in the Treasury of Daily Prayer.  So for my daily devotions, I can read it on my kindle app, while listening to it!  So cool!  (Now…to get the Kantori and CPH to work together to make a CD with the Orders of Service from the Lutheran Service Book…now that would be more than the icing on the cake!!!)

On my wishlist is the Lutheran Book of Prayer.  I have wanted it for a while, just haven’t gotten around to purchasing it.  Guess I should have asked for it for Mother’s Day, huh?

And lots of Lutherans have switched over to the Lutheran Study Bible.  BUT, I just don’t like the English Standard Version as well as I like the NIV (I’m a traditionalist and I was raised on the NIV…I can’t help it! I have a difficult time when the lessons are read from the ESV in church on Sundays…just give me my NIV!)  I would like to own the Lutheran Study Bible for all the extras included…distinctly Lutheran notes, etc.  But…I’m just not willing to give up my NIV just yet, or pay the price of the Bible, just for the notes.

And NOW I see that CPH is putting out a new version of CFW Walther’s Law and Gospel!  Oh, I already want it!  And it isn’t coming out til June or July!  It just sounds like a perfect addition to my library. 

OK..so…anyone notice the “theme” of these books?  Won’t they look sharp on a shelf together with all the matching burgandy color?  :-)

My Sister’s Crockpot Lasagna

is a HUGE hit with my family.  I get a big “YIPPEE” when it is discovered that I am making this recipe for supper!  And dang…it is SO easy!

• 1 big jars of spaghetti sauce
• 1 pound browned ground beef
• 1 box of bow tie pasta
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2-3 cups mozzarella cheese
• parmesan cheese

Mix sauce and ground beef.  In separate bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese.  Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of crock pot.  Top with part of the noodles.  Top with half the cottage cheese/cream cheese mix.  Add mozzarella.  (Pepperoni/mushrooms/onions/green peppers are all optional additions).  Repeat layers, ending with cheese.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION!!

disclaimer: I get NOTHING for saying this!)

BUY THESE!

Seriously!  These things ROCK!  No more scrubbing/soaking for the crock pot!  Just put one in your crock pot (one size fits most all crock pots) layer the lasagna, or crock pot mac and cheese or…whatever you are cooking.  Cook, serve and TOSS THE BAG.  That is it for cleanup.  Wow..I LOVE these things!

A Simple Mom...

is having a giveaway on her blog.  She's (with the assistance of Epson and One2One Network giving an AWESOME Epson Artisan 800 printer away.  One way to get an entry into the giveaway is to blog about it.  You can go HERE  to see this really cool looking printer, and read what all it can do.  It is WIRELESS, and it is a printer/scanner/fax and a whole lot more.  Stop by her blog and check it out!

 

Painting Fun

I promised Ethan that while his dad was in Russia, I'd paint his room.  Since Ronnie flies into Cedar Rapids late tomorrow night...I thought it was about time to get this project started.

It is LONG overdue.  He's been asking for it to be painted for about a year.  Last fall, he said "MOM!  I don't even care WHAT color you paint it.  Just PLEASE get Winnie the Pooh off of my walls!"  (He's 9...yeah...it's about time, isn't it?)  He chose "Cougar Colors" our school colors. 

When we got home from Missouri last night, Rachel, E and I started cleaning out his room of all of his STUFF.  I was finished with the primer coat by 2 am.  Today I had errands to run in the morning, picked up the paint  and was home by 11:30.  I started trimming at around 12:15, and the trim (ceiling, floors, windows and doors) was done and we started rolling the walls at around 1:15 (there was a lunch break in there, too)  It was ALL painted by 1:45!  Talk about speedy!  I invested in a paint stick! Oh my goodness is that thing SOOOO cool!  You just suction up paint into the handle and you don't have to keep stopping to refill your roller brush!  You just push the handle in some more, when you are ready for it to have more paint on it.  I'm wishing Ethan's room were a bit bigger, as this was FUN to use!  It is WELL worth the $25 (I got it at our local hardware store).  Reviewers comment that it is a pain to clean, but honestly...it wasn't that bad.  I can't recommend it highly enough!

Anyway...here are some pictures.

Teaching Ethan.  He was a big help, and SO excited to get this job done!

This is the part of the job that I REALLY dislike...it just takes SO long!  But it does really speed up the process!

The paint stick, filled with paint.  WAY cool tool!!!

Hee, hee...check out the paint on the back of his head! 

Are we having fun yet?

The final step was stamping paw prints on the wall in blue and green.  Go Cougars!

all done!

Whew...what a 24 hours!

Now, to let it dry and get the room put back together! 

 

Fun Web Site!

Lisa introduced me to a really fun web site!  http://www.dumpr.net/ will let you put in your digital photo, and play with all kinds of cool effects!  Here are a couple of fun things I did there...

Cool rubix cube effect, huh?

And here, Ethan's picture is on the wall of an art museum!  Isn't that cool?  Lots of fun things to play with at the site. 

A New Favorite Web site

A friend on my pastor's wives yahoo list recommended this new web site today. It's called Pandora Radio You basically create your own favorite radio station(s) and can listen for free. When you get to the site, it will ask you for the name of an artist. I chose Queen. Then it names your radio station "Queen Radio", which is easily changed later. It then begins to play a song by Queen. You can give that song a thumbs up (I really like this song) or a thumbs down (never play this song again!) It then continues to generate and pay songs based on what you've said you like! You can create up to 100 of your own radio stations...country, oldies, Christian...

I've been listening to Styx, Foreigner, Journey, Queen, some Elton John and even a bit of AC/DC on my "80's" radio station (formerly known as Queen Radio).

I think I'm going to have lots of fun with this!

Product Review!!

I purchased the Reynolds Handi Vac vacuum sealer a month or so ago, and man...that thing is AWESOME! I've always wanted one of those big foodsaver things, but the price, and size has prevented me from purchasing. I'm SO glad I waited. This little gadget is much smaller, much, MUCH cheaper and works beautifully!

You just put your food in one of the resealable bags (and yes, you have to purchase the specially made bags), zip it shut, cover the hole with the vacuum sealer and push the button. In just seconds, all the air is sucked out! So COOL! My meat comes out of the freezer looking as fresh as when it went in, and it has more than doubled the length of time we can keep salad in the fridge. I HIGHLY recommend this handy little gadget. (And no...I'm not being paid to say that :-) )