Hands Helping Children

Well farmfunnies non techie mom TRIED to add the button to help Colby...

I am late with my morning critter care..I can't linger over a cup or coffee with you this morning

so I will work on adding the button for Colby later..

Meantime I encourage you to visit a blog I follow and click on her hands helping children.

Just THINK... if everyone who reads this skipped only one lattee and made an instant coffee instead , how much help our brave little trooper Colby would benefit...JUST 1 Lattee, that's pretty easy isn't it?

OK... here is where to vist and send the Lattee money...your heart will be warmed as well as your tummy...

( HEY...how about once a week,month or ???)

http://www.inthelifeofachild.com/

Spring fever? Give 'em chocolate covered strawberries

I love strawberries...

LINK for recipie below story...
-- my photo is of what I call a wood violets(johnny jump up)
I was "fresh out" of strawberry pics :-) --

My artistic side loves the  vision  of a field of strawberries
covered with dew.
It glistens in the early morning sun
with it's  vibrant color of RUBIES and EMERALDS,beset with
dazzling ,dancing diamonds...

My soul grasps the glorious promise the field hold out to us..
Spring is here, ,there is new life, love, abundance, hope...
the very  air is alive with these promises,as the wind whispers across the fields,making the diamond dew drops sparkle.
The birds burst into  happy exuburance  " winter is over".

I even  love to pick strawberries, although my crawing on the ground days are long gone...
I love to look at them, smell them, eat them AND......
what else dip them in chocolate YUM.....

Berries hand picked in an Oregon field near you is the BEST
(although my hubby says ALL his berries are picked by hand??
--Farm funnies hubby--
(once the owner of a strawberry field...yep ...I met him in that field...
why  come to think of it...I married the bosses son !  )
Now  hubby proudly points to the boxes he wants  to purchase,in  a local fruit stand
VIOLA' "hand picked" strawberries...hmmmm

Chocolate covered strawberries...

Of course if you are currently on our 5&1 program for safe,fast weight loss...you will need to wait for
the REAL DEAL until next year...umm ask me for a fun recipie substitue...
Remember this is only temporary.
When  you reach your weight loss goal, a few temporary "sacrifices" will be greatly worth it..I KNOW :-)

I have dipped chocolates , many times over the years..I have never returned with "leftovers" ...
I have heard many ,many ,oohs , ahhs... yummm... and ...HOW ???..did you do that?
Really they are very easy...

I follow  Chocohaly and I just visited their website , to see what they had to say about chocolate covered strawberries.
The article was so good and they had such great ideas and "recipies" as well as supplies
I just had to share this with you...

ENJOY...
http://chocoley.com/chocolate-covered-strawberries.html?1


p.s........
What is 5 & 1 ?

Our program is for either for nutrition,handy healthy snacks or for weight loss.
I am YOUR personal coach, who is there for you, but you need to ask for me :-)
Not only does our company provide my  complimentary services  .free to you,to assit you.

With my farm funnies savvy ways ,I know ways to save  you $ $, get  you over challenges,
I share fun ideas , recipies , encouragements along your journey and  ways to keep you THERE :-)

Q:  So...how do you want to spend this summer?
Think it is HOT  in August...(hot and heavy is not fun..I KNOW...
So...where would 2-5 lbs lost per week "put" you THEN  , if  you start NOW ?
 ..guess what?.....I am here for you all along the way  :-)
p.s.p.s.  not to worry if you started ,but didn't finish your 5&1..it happens..
NO MAN"S LAND is NOT fun..
(I KNOW..been there done that..)
It can be hard to refocus and finish...BUT you can do it ..
the main trick is start NOW..not "tomorrow"
...next years fresh dipped chocolate covered strawberry "season " will be here before you know it
Then you can have your chocolate berries and be SKINNY too!  :-)

WOW..I'm on a WOW liberty "roll"..who is SUPER DENNIS?

Speaking with  SUPER DENNIS early this a.m.  then listening to him as a presenter
on  our WOW webinar  this afternoon ,where he shared tips on how to use our i7500 Samsung Galaxy phones ... I was thinking of his SUPER qualities...he is quickly surfacing  as a leader to "watch"!
I will be able to smugly say..I "knew" him "way back" when he was just another Ren Pro CC coach in training !

After our WOW webinar..ummm...I of course had to check out some more phone features..
HA...I got "stuck" in airplane OFF mode...
I am a painter,artsy,critter gal not a cool GADGETS gal..
although "when" I figure this "rig" out I am sure I will love it... I REALLY,REALLY want to use the video
and tethering  modes...so far  I haven't figured  them out...makes me envy our sons techie brain!

I do love the money it has already brought my way...how cool is it for a "phone" to not only save money
but to earn money...hey.. I may be computer challenged..but money???
I  sure can figure out what to do with that :-)....go SH-O-OP-P-Ping  ...
(just kidding..but I do like to shop some...ummm  ever true to my  farm funnies ...
my hunter mentality kicks in..I am a bargain HUNTER :-)

That is one reason I loved the WOW phone...bargains galore... refer 3 and FREE ??
SUPER DENNIS ..beat me on this...he has  not and probably never will pay a service bill..
I was "almost" there...umm like Migdalia and Wendy said on the webinar...what a testimony
and WOW..we are 'envious" of it , since we almost made it too...

Another reason? 
Odd as it may seem...the teamwork...WOW..I am loving it
What is not to love?  A team of real.. honest... true to life ... go GIVERS..
hey... REALLY.... I KNOW these people, I knew many of them before WOW...

Teamwork..do you know how wonderful it is to be a member of a team..when you never had that opportunity as a child? 
we moved so often ..I never seemed to "fit"  plus ...
I was the little overweight gal always chosen last for any  game
(think Rudolph...a heart of gold..but what happened? BUT he "saved" the day...just like many on our team are doing for those they love, each of us on the team have a passion for helping others )

Coach Curt is such a go giver..just to think of all the benefits he is giving each of his WOW team is amazing...
I can barely keep up...but it is FUN FUN FUN...so rewarding..and WOW..the possibilities...exciting
anyways below is a link to a video that cause me to write this WOW about SUPER DENNIS.
watch it if you want to save and or earn $$ call me...
If you are interested in being a team leader,let me know..you need to qualify...
my team link is above...( hit back arrow to return after watching the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlK5Q1BIA-4

p.s. the blog spell checker still not working so forgive mispelled words..
while I do look for them,I occassionally miss them ..with my fast flying writing :-)

things are never as they seem

 One of our kids showed me this song  earlier today

I have watched it about 15 times now.

I've laughed and  I've cried...One might ask why...

It reminds me of so many things,

memories tucked so safely away...

Warm summer nights, as a girl catching fireflies in a jar....

Our children not wanting to go to sleep,

or rooms strewn with toys,

A wind up monkey with  my Dad,when he was in a fun mood.

Of how fast time has gone, of so many goodbyes,

uncertainties

Of dreams, of fun, of exiliration and imagination..

I've remembered the creative inventions ,

 elaborate games ,our kids set up.

Strings corralls wound around  dining room chair "fence post

holding herds of   toy horses

finding escaped pet hermit crabs, in various locations..

Let this song remind you of your own  childhood,

of your children long grown,

or remind you to enjoy these times

with your  young children,

times that  are gone before you know it...

to take joy in the daily things,now

things that  may seem insignificant at the time

but are the stuff dreams and memories are made of

 to take time to dream,to  make more memories

even if there is only one of you

let yourself be a kid at heart

 why not travel to where there are fireflies this summer...

spend at least one night catching some in a jar...

then let them go 

but hold them in your heart forever. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4

Easter..Ideas for dinner,Easter basket "goodies" and FUN...

Easter at FarmFunnies

(recipies and ideas below story/thots)

I love celebrating everything...

When our children were little , I made it a practice to look for ways to celebrate life..

I still do

We all remember,with fondness, our  very merry unbirthday parties....

None of us know the days we as individuals have  left, to yet celebrate,

nor are we "privy" with  that info about our  loved ones.

be they two footed,four footed or like my beloved (albeit expired)  koi.."no" footed ...

That is why I seek every opportunity to enjoy what we have,while we can...

I encourage you to do the same..each breath ,truly is a blessing...

Today...

What can you do NOW ?

It is NEVER to late to do something,no matter how small..

I enjoy following through on promptings,I am often the one most blessed..

Right now..who comes to mind?

The neighbor across the hall? Your dog snuggled by the fire,like my Kate?

ahhh she is also now  warmed by a loving tummy rub....

****reach out in someway****

I personally believe in prayer and viola' prayers can  always be available to share..

I am 'giving" one to each person reading this post...may you be encouraged,right now, in doing well.

So now it's time to make the rubber meet the road...

AHEM

Below are some of my Easter ideas..past, present and future....

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(one little side p.s. .. if you like my ideas,or others blogs/sites  that you visit,

if I/they share something  and you like what is offered,

remember them &  return ,to purchase/follow from  us.

many people nowdays are

working  to make some additional income online, 

 they often give incredible value ,sharing things, with you

...some  do so with the hopes you either follow them,or become involved

with things they support..

so please, check out their sites and side areas..

I do

*************

MEAL Time:      

Personally, I love lamb and would only serve lamb for Easter..

  However,amidst "anti" lamb  protests &and bring home the 'bacon clamoring ", I ---endulge our   family. .

( I find it somewhat humorous, of all the critters we have shared our lives with over the years

farmfunnies pop has planted a firm NO foot against swine "pets'

personally I think a little teacup porker would be just "swill" :-)

however... it is the meat of his  choice? go figure,

so farmfunnies mom "packs" home the bacon ...amidst 'squeals  of delight!

Perhaps when farmfunnies mom gets "old" and set in her ways... lamb will "rule" :-)

until then here ,is our typical Easter menu

===================================================

Ham (pagan) unless I prepare a turkey ham :-)...

 peas&and potatoes in a cream sauce

fresh spring asparagus, 

green salad,,with  chopped nuts, sliced strawberries ,grated cheddar ; sour cream dressing.

green jello   ,  veggie relish and dips.

Better than Robert Redford ? Lemon lush creamcheese  dreamcake.

Lamb cake...(yep ..I bake one in our "heirloom" lamb cake pan,cocount fleece and all)..kids love this..

and YES..I make horizantal cuts to layer and "fill" it first...

==============================================================.

(recipie for my cream cheese dreamcake....) 

crust: 1 cup flour,1cube of butter softened,1/2cup of toasted nuts..chpd

mix together pat in 9x13 pan. bake 375o 15 min cool

blend 1 cup whipped cream(or cool whip) 8oz soft creamcheese,1cup pwd sug(or splenda)

spread on cooled crust

blend 2 3oz pkts of instant lemon pudding (or choc) 3 3/4 cups milk spread over whpd cream

spread additional whipped cream over the top sprinkle with nuts chill....YUMMM...

=============================

dinner started,table set..

.Now for  some "fun"

(in real time ) this is premeditated fun...perhaps weeks in advance)

EVERYONE has  rather large baskets ,saved year to year. TRADITION...

when all could afford the extra calories... I use to  make a huge solid choc bunnies for them,

now I find a very large hollow bunny,in a box..to make the basket look LOADED..

I arrange the basket "treasures" around this

THEN  I encase the entire basket inside one of those clear gift bags

(2 for $1 at the $1 store)

AND

I hide the baskets

THEN I give each basket "hunter" a treasure map complete with a homemade rhyming clues

 one well remembered "stumper" clue

find clue # 7 where Alice stores her "treasure"...

hmm the clue was where we had a hidden key...no one connected the "dots" sigh...

weather permitting the basket hunt can be over an acre of trails...

hmm one would think after such  a robust hunt they may be hungry enough to eat lamb?

THINK again..NOT,

lamb & fish seem to go together for  this "clans" uncultured  palates.

=======================================

Basket "saver" ideas..

akka how to fill many baskets w/o breaking the bank!

I use this same "system" to  make large goodie trays for over 25 people at farmfunnies "pop's work

Brownies...they can fill up a rather large area and make a substantial "base"

that everyone love..akka no leftovers...

(muffins or cupcakes , also work well for my  tray of plenty "ploy")

I don't put the  squishy items  in kid  baskets however.. for adult baskets this would work ok

more super "fluffers"rice crispies marshmallow treats,these can be wrapped

(with plenty of chow hounds, akka fourfooted basket looters...everything has to be individually wrapped)

poptart pkts,individual cereal boxes, fruit leather rolls, fruit "gummy pkts

I wish our "clan" loved nuts, these would be good fillers,and good for you)

some jelly beans,peeps or whatever each placed inside plastic eggs to "hide"

(akka... no unfound eggs, to later  spoil in the yard, if some "hound" hasn't found it, either)

It is fun to insert  a lollipop stick into a snickers bar, add a dab of royal icing

and "glue" on one of those little sugar decorations(found in cake decorating supply stores)

or your own piped flower ,etc.

 wrap  the bar with clear plastic ,securing it with a  pretty a ribbon

decorated cookies or even store bought  cookies "jazzed" up can help fill a basket

ohhh, how about  fig newtons dipped in melted  vanilla chocolate& sprinkled with pastel sprinkles.

how about strawberries dipped in chocolate?

although most strawberries you find now. taste like cardboard in my opinion.

(to jazz up a treat ,dip "it"  in melted  white or dk chocolate..

sprinkle  with cake deco , while  it is still gooey,etc..

just get DOWN and let yourself be creative.

have a cookie deco &  exchange with  your neigbors

ready set  GO-O

hey while you are at it ,think about taking  a tray of goodies to a senior center,the armory or ?

=================================

p.s. p.s. the photo above...

this was a handcrafted item donated to a fundraiser raffel, for habitat

the "chocolate" bunnie is a $1 store plastic item

the flowers,& plastic eggs,also came from the $1 store

the nest is handcrafted  by ...TaDa... moi

the eggs are handmade using  fimo clay ,baked and painted by ..again by ...moi :-)

...