Special Friends

While in Mullins, we were able to go and visit some special friends...

Greer, Sage, and Walker

Greer and Walker

Walker thinks Greer's shirt is fun to touch!

Baby Caroline (our friend, Rita's daughter), Wyatt (Sage's oldest son), and Greer

Isn't it sweet how Wyatt and Greer want to hold a baby in honor of Baby Caroline.

Thanks ladies and kiddos for a fun day!

More Recipes

Bran Muffins

6 c. all-bran cereal
2 c. boiling water
1 c. oil
4 eggs, beaten
3 c. sugar
1 qt. buttermilk
5 c. plain flour
5 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
24 ounces apple butter
2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
2 c. raisins (optional)

Pour the boiling water over 2 cups of bran cereal. Add oil. Mix and let stand while assembling the other ingredients. Mix together the beaten eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and the rest of the bran in that order. Sift flour with soda and salt. Combine all ingredients, stirring in apple butter, walnuts, and raisins last. Bake in greased muffin tins at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. This mixture will keep up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator. I prefer to make all the muffins, and then freeze those for future use in Ziploc bags. Yield: 6 dozen

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

I made this soup tonight and we all loved it. Greer even got seconds. I think it is perfect for those of us who get to stay at home with our kids. It was very easy (thanks to the timer on my oven)! I made it in the morning, and reheated it for dinner. Of course, we had it with grilled cheese sandwiches! Prepare the soup up to two days ahead; reheat over medium heat before serving.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half-and-half

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.


Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. (I omitted this step.)

A New Recipe

You knew it woulnd't be long before I started adding recipes on here, did you? Chad and I made this pizza earlier in the week, and it sure is a lot healthier and better tasting than ordering pizza in! It even makes 2 pizzas!

Roasted Pepper Pesto-Tomato Pizza

Ingredients
½ c. prepared pesto
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (5.2-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained
2 whole wheat pizza crusts
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2-3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°.
Add pesto and next 4 ingredients to a food processor (pesto through bell peppers), and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.
Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread pepper mixture over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; sprinkle with mozzarella. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Sprinkle pizza with oregano.
Repeat for additional pizza crust.

Getting Some Thoughts Down

These days if I am not caring for my family, I have found myself reading. The Lexington library has a section of books by South Carolina authors. If you were unaware, I am a BIG fan of my home state and I love to read SC Fiction. In many ways it is like a free vacation for me- most of my favorites take place on or around the beach.

I just finished The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. It is a great story, and I highly recommend it. She has a beautiful way with words, and seems to put the feminine plight in such a delicate way that it transcends the differences you may feel from the characters. This book seemed to hit home for me in a couple of ways. The main charachter is in the empty next stage of life, and she is confronted by her lack of vitality and life. She recaptures her "life" through an affair with a monk (which I don't recommend), but I did enjoy the fruit of that new energy. She is also an artist (something I would like to be when I grow up), and she and her monk have a discussion that really captured some things that I am growing to embrace.

Brother Thomas: "This is just my own opinion, but I think the real jolt [of art] doesn't come because the art is objectionable or because it evokes social critique but because the viewer becomes lost in the sheer beauty of it. It gives a person an experience of the eternal."

I struggle with the connection between creating and The Creator. My thought goes something like this...How can I pretend to have something to offer than can compare with what He has given us? In my life that has led to passivity and fear to create art. The opposite should be true, and should motivate us even more. I can look at myself as a mirror of the creativity of God. My art can expose the world to the beauty that they have yet to experience. Amy Free's photography (see Blue Buckle blog) has greatly inspired me to appreciate the world around me, and has led me to worship Christ AND prod my heart for the sin of neglecting that worship.

With a child, I have little time to paint or draw. Hopefully the time will grow, but I have been trying to pick up the camera more. Here are a couple of shots that I hope will help you to worship The Creator, God, and His Son, Jesus the Christ.

Undisclosed Location on James Island

Along the Virginia Creeper Trail

Fall Trip

Here are some photos of our trip to Abingdon, Virginia. We enjoyed the beautiful fall leaves and hiking the Virginia Creeper Trail. If you haven't had the chance to visit, it comes highly recommended by the whole Tidd family.

Walking in historic Abingdon.
Just starting the hike. Will Greer enjoy it?
She is already happier. It is breathtakingly beautiful!
Greer can't stop with one candy corn. Who was the crazy parent that let her hold the bag?
A family picture when the big hike is all over. From the smiles I can assure you that we were living off of endorphins, and our feet were not yet aching. We walked about 10 miles that day.

If you would like to see all of our pictures, click on "Fall Trip" above. I have linked it to our Shutterfly webpage.

Everything is better with...

Ketchup! Notice how Greer is dipping her broccoli in it.

More House Pictures

A new picture of the house.
Our side yard- a retention pond
Looking into the living room.
The backyard- I hope Scout will like it!
My future bedroom closet. Maybe I will get some suggestions from my favorite California Closets rep. :)

The sheetrock is going up this week (Oct. 13) and outside they are putting up the siding, so I hope to have some new pictures soon!