Wow...

Well, my granddaughter has gone home.  It is entirely too quiet around here!  She is a hoot - Miss Drama Queen - and kept us entertained all weekend.   She also gives the best hugs and has a tender heart.  I am so thankful for Face Time and Oovoo.

Wow!  Do you ever wonder what is going on in the Middle East?  It seems like a different country joins in the fray every day.  And what about all the super storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes? Hmmm...

A really good place to find out some answers is Joel Rosenberg's weblog.  He has an understanding of Islam and the politics of the Middle East and what it all has to do with Israel.  There are links to major newspaper articles from that region, as well.  Interesting reading!

Decor

Phase two of the craft room project has been completed with another table, table skirts and floating shelves put up.  I got to work on some crafts with one of my daughters - fun! - and my granddaughter enjoyed a movie while sitting in the fabulous pink chair.  I found a six foot table at Walmart for $40 that folds in half.  So, that completed the work surface.  (It is wonderful for Bible study as there is plenty of room to lay out resource materials.)  I was going to buy fabric to make table skirts, but decided to get a white plastic table skirt instead, cutting it in half so the tables can be separated easily.  And if it gets stained or torn it will be cheap to replace.  It came with peel and stick tape already on the skirt so it was a breeze to attach to the tables.  I did tear off the two inch ruffle at the top of the skirt to get a cleaner look.  I love the shelves and will be doing some more decorating there as I get ideas.  Fun!

Tomorrow, I will show you a couple of the craft projects we worked on to decorate the shelves...

Today's Recipe - Beef with Macaroni
(This is a combination of several similar recipes)

1 pound grass-fed beef or buffalo
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 medium onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups water
2 cups elbow macaroni
 1 cup slivered spinach leaves
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Brown the meat in a large skillet.  Add the onion, pepper, and carrot, cooking until vegetables are tender.  Add the zucchini, BBQ sauce, water and macaroni.  Cover the skillet and simmer for approximately 8 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked.  Add the spinach and stir.  Pour into a serving bowl and top with the Parmesan cheese.