Creating your own Holiday Scents

Some of the homemaking ideas I read about on other blogs
are so wonderful. Here is one that came across my reading
this morning. Visit The American Home and learn
how to make your own holiday scent. Imagine having this
simmering on your stove in a tea kettle when your guests arrive
for a time of fellowship in your home.
Mmmm, yummy, I can smell it now!

Thanks American Home!

~ Christa ~

Tea and Cookies for Surprise Visitors

Being new to Tennessee and living out in the country, we don't have many surprise visitors. But when we are blessed to have someone drop by, we like to have tea and a sweet treat to offer our guests.

Making chocolate chip cookies and freezing them is one way we like to prepare for these occasions.

We like to make our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Then Shape the cookie dough into the desired size and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. After the dough is frozen, we place the ready to bake cookies in a freezer bag, making sure to remove the extra air in the bag. The cookies are now ready to store in the freezer.

Allow cookie dough to thaw out for 15 -30 minutes before baking.

Enjoy your drop in guests

They are a blessing from the Lord!

(and the cookies too)

~ Christa ~

A Time to Celebrate - with Waffles

July 25th, was our one year anniversary of being here in Tennessee. One year ago, we left California and thought we were headed to North Carolina. A few days before we left, the Pine family handed over the keys to their house in Tennessee and offered for our family to stay awhile. To make a very long story short, we stopped in Tennessee only to stay a day or so. We soon realized the Lord had different plans for us. He landed us in Tennessee!

Back up a year before we left sunny Southern California. We went to North Carolina to check out an area we thought we wanted to live in. We attended a wonderful church we had been researching for some time. After church, fellowship continued until late in the afternoon. The young ladies of the church fired up the waffle iron and served delicious waffles with homemade blueberry sauce. We were so amazed at the hospitality that was shown that day.

Now, back to a year later, 2008. We had shared with the Pine family how hospitable the folks in North Carolina were. They got on the phone/e-mail with the Burton family in Tennessee and told them they just had to make waffles for us. Well, they made the most delicious waffles. Not only waffles, but homemade blueberry sauce, chocolate chips, whip cream, fruit, sausage...! Yum!!!

That did it, we decided Tennessee was the place for us. :)

Actually, the Lord had already made that decision for us but the hospitality that the Pines and Burtons graced us with made the change of plans that much sweeter.

July 25th, 2009 was a time to celebrate God's providence in our lives. We invited the Pines and the Burtons over for? You guessed it. WAFFLES!

The young ladies kicked us moms out of the kitchen and they went to work preparing the waffles.

Waffles keeping warm in the oven

The day before our waffle fest, we went blueberry picking and made homemade blueberry sauce. Yum.

We added a tossed green salad, quiche and fruit salad.

We didn't forget the whip cream, berries and chocolate chips.

Oh, and don't for get the Sweet Tea!

Something that was new to us westerners.

We ate and ate and ate...

...and ate...

...and talked, laughed and ate.

Then later that evening, we topped it all off with homemade apple dumplings and icecream.
Finally, at 1:30 in the morning, our celebration ended.

Until next year!

Thanks Pine and Burton families for welcoming us to Tennessee!

~ The Smiths ~

I Love This Hostess Gift

These homegrown flowers came from our friends who joined us last weekend to celebrate our one year anniversary of being here in Tennessee. The flowers are straight from their flower garden. Attached with raffia, is a cute little gift tag with a verse.

I just love it!

~ Christa ~