Matthew 6:33

Week 40 - Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

White Sauce

When I was growing up, any time we had waffles - we had white sauce.  I guess it's also called "waffle sauce" but I don't remember ever hearing that.  It was always just white sauce, and it was delicious on waffles.  Now that I'm an adult, I don't make waffles very often.  I love waffles, don't get me wrong, but they just seem like too much work.  I usually wait until I'm with my dad or sister and let them make waffles for me.  Luckily, today, it happened...my dad made me waffles!  So, of course, we made white sauce.  It's a creamy, vanilla-y, sauce that makes waffles even more delicious.  I usually add white sauce AND maple syrup, but the white sauce is perfectly tasty without the syrup.  And, the beauty of this recipe is that it's so simple!  Next time you have waffles (or even pancakes), try making white sauce!  (It's the first "perfect" score I've given using the scoring system at the bottom!)

The ingredients - so simple! 
(The sugar and flour are in the fancy canisters.)

 

Combine flour, sugar, and boiling water...stir until it thickens.

Serve it in a pretty pitcher.

 

Pour it on your waffle and ENJOY!  I added some maple syrup too!

White Sauce (or Waffle Sauce)

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
-Mix sugar and flour together (you can sift to prevent lumping, but I'm usually too lazy to do that).
-Slowly add boiling water.
-Bring to a boil and continue boiling until thickened.
-Add margarine and vanilla.

Dirty dishes...again, so simple!

White Sauce

Taste: 5 out of 5

Dirty Dishes: 5 out of 5

Time/Effort: 5 out of 5

TOTAL: 15 out of 15

The first PERFECT score!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Week 39 - Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

5 Things From Our Shipment

One of the perks of working for the government is that they ship your personal belongings all over the world for you.  So, back in July, I packed up most of what we own and it was sent on a boat to Oregon.  This week, it finally arrived!!!  However, because my parents are currently living with us, and have most of their furniture moved in already, we decided to leave our stuff in boxes.  At least, most of it.  We have opened a few boxes to get out necessary items, or just to use different clothes (it's starting to get chilly here).  I thought it would be fun to make a short list of some of the items we decided were essential...some of them are rather strange.

5 Things From Our Shipment
1. Cake Decorating Kit.  Normally, I don't think decorating a cake is essential, but since my mom's birthday is this week, I want to make a special cake for her.  So, I need my decorating bag and tips.  Luckily, the kit was easy to find because I kept such a detailed packing list!

2. Clippers.  Because Bill's hair grows so fast, he's been spending lots of money to get it cut regularly.  It's not his fault that they charge so much for a simple haircut.  But, since we own clippers, and I'm here now, it's time for Bill to get FREE haircuts.  We found the clippers easily and I've already given Bill a haircut.  And, since he sat out on the deck for the trim, the clean-up was easy!

3. Desk and Chair.  This one seems obvious, but it's been really nice.  Like I said, my parents have their furniture in our house so they each have a desk.  However, I didn't have a good place to use my laptop and cluttering up the kitchen island all the time wasn't very convenient.  So, we had the movers unpack my desk and desk chair and now I have a little office space set up.  I love it and it makes it easier to waste time on my computer all day!

4. Alarm Clock.  You might assume that since I'm not working, I wouldn't need an alarm clock to wake me up each morning...and that's true.  But, I do like my illuminated alarm clock (with the over-sized numbers) so I know what time it is in the middle of the night.  And, the big numbers are especially helpful when I have my contacts out.  So, I unpacked it and plugged it in and now I always know what time it is.

5. Bread Machine.  Again, this isn't often considered "essential" for most people, but I decided I needed it.  Now that I'm not working, I want to make wonderful dinners every night.  That means we're reviving our traditional pizza night each week.  And, since I use the bread machine to make my pizza dough, I had to unpack it.  I plan to make some delicious pizzas each week...I'm really looking forward to it!

II Timothy 1:7

Week 38 - II Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

September 14 - A Day In My Life

Well, we bought an RV.  We're a little crazy, but it should be fun.  We've decided we must be old people at heart because we like to vacation like old people.  That's ok, we'll enjoy it while we're young AND old!!  We actually bought the RV before I returned to Oregon, so I hadn't even seen it...but, I love it.  And, last weekend we took it out for our first trip.

Our family has a tradition of camping on Anderson Island, WA.  We go every year and stay in the tiny campground.  The last two years we have been unable to go so the tradition was starting to fade.  But, we have come to save the day and the tradition lives on.  Although we didn't camp in a tent this time, my parents did!  It was a wonderful trip and I look forward to doing it again next year. 

Time to wake up...earlier than normal for a day off, but we're going camping!

Packing up the RV and the van.

The cat was very unsure about riding in the RV.

So, she rode on the dash for a while, but she didn't like that either.

Stopping for gas...that's probably the worst part of owning an RV - it takes SO much gas.

Time check...still enjoying the drive!

We stopped for lunch at a rest stop along the way.

Listening to some great tunes!  Yes, the RV plays cassettes and we inherited some great road trip music from my grandparents!

Waiting in line for the ferry to Anderson Island.

Our RV on the ferry.

We finally made it to the campground!!

The camp fire is ready.

Dinner = BBQ Beef Sandwiches.

And, of course, brownies for dessert!

Enjoying the camp fire.

Keeping my toes warm!

Time for bed...the first night in our very own RV!  Good night!

Acts 1:8

Week 37 - Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Oregon Ducks

One of the things I was most looking forward to in Oregon was cheering for the Oregon Ducks (University of Oregon).  Bill knew this about me and when I arrived in Oregon, he gave me tickets to our first Ducks football game.  So, on Saturday, we headed south with my parents to Eugene to enjoy the game.  It was a really fun experience and I know it won't be our last game (if we could afford it, we would have season tickets!).  Here is a short video about the game.  Enjoy and GO DUCKS!!

As always, click on the HD button to watch the video on Vimeo's website with better quality.

Psalms 121:1-2

Week 36 - Psalms 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.