the harlem glooooobbbeeetrrrooottteerrrrsssss

I really hope you read the title of this post like Oprah says things....like when she's really excited about something.  That's how I thought it should go when I was typing it.

That's because I'm excited about this post!

I wish I could record my sister saying this.  She does a fabulous Oprah impression.   It's hilarious and will almost make you have an accident in your pants because it is so funny!  Ha!

This past weekend was fantastic!

I took Preacher Man to see the Harlem Globetrotters for his birthday.

And yes, he will be 27!  :)

I think we are both reverting back to childhood.  We went to the Circus last month with a bunch of kiddies, and this month we went to see the Globetrotters where there were way more "hood-lums" running around than there were adults.  What can I say, we like feeling like we're kids again!

AND let's not forget that seeing the Harlem Globetrotters in person was on Preacher Man's bucket list....and well, I got to help him check it off!  Yay!!!

Here are some pictures from our fun weekend...

A picture of our ticket....Why yes, I did give the gift of entertainment!  :)

The RBC Center where the Trotters were and where NC State plays basketball...

Can you guess who just had to go look at the merchandise for sale!?  He was calling me to tell me all of the prices...

And you know what he wanted?!

These!!!!

(photo from their website)

You know how much they were?! 

 $45!!!!

He didn't buy them, but he sure came close to.

Wouldn't he just be so cute inthese?!  I'm not sure if the would look like a basketball player or if he looked like he should be somewhere else?!  What to you think?

Killing time before it started...we kinda got there an hour early.  :)

We sometimes have a hard time taking normal pictures.

Look, Mom!  The lady gave us a FREE cup of ice to share our 20 oz. Diet Mt. Dew!  Ha!

A somewhat normal picture...except I look a bit excited!  :)

Here was our host for the game...

Our pre-game show was musical chairs!

Are you ready for the Globetrotters???!!!???!!!!

Warming up...

showing off...

Ready for the tip-off...

playing hard!

They also had a penalty box!  Haha....I thought it was a basketball game!

They decided to act like they were playing football on the basketball court....pretty funny!

and they also just slide all around on the floor and play basketball....it was amazing to watch!

And this guy...his name is "Big Easy"!  He got put in the penalty box.  :(

And guess what?!

He's on the Amazing Race...how fun!

And the Globetrotters win against the Generals!

That's a ballgame!

We had so much fun at the game and I would definitely recommend going to see them if you ever get the chance!

And here's a few other pictures from the weekend...

This is a picture of Preacher Man's biscuits.  I make the dough and he pats them out.  He is the best biscuit patter-outer that I know.  I think they are just perfect!  Take a look...

I also got a bit crafty this weekend and made this wreath!  I just LOVE it!

No worries, I'll be sure to post a step-by-step tutorial on how to make them!  :)

And we topped the weekend off with a yummy pizza from a local pizza joint!  Yum, yum, YUM!

It was a great weekend and we're looking forward to a great week ahead celebrating Preacher Man's birthday!  Yay!

Happy Monday!

Love,

The Preacher's Wife

the little things in life...

I don't know about you, but I sure do get excited about the smallest things in life...

like the things that help make every day tasks more simple.

Here's the deal...I probably use flour 2-4 times a week.  I switch between All-Purpose Flour and Self-Rising Flour depending on what I am making.  As you know, flour comes in those annoying, pesky, little paper bags that aren't user-friendly!  About 99.9% of the time when I am baking and using flour, I end up making a bigger mess with the flour than anything else.  It never fails, I will have flour all over the counter, the floor, my clothes, even in my hair just because of those bags.  And here lately, it's one of the most frustrating things when I'm cooking.  And yes, I fully understand that it could be the scooper of flour's fault for getting things so messy.

Well, not anymore. 

After a trip to Wally-World yesterday, I decided that I wasn't going to scoop flour out of those awful paper bags anymore.  I was determined to make life easier for myself when I need some of that white, fluffy stuff called flour.  So after a trip down the container ailse, this is what I came up with...

These are the perfect size containers to hold exactly one-5 pound bag of flour.  The lids to these things are AWESOME too.....I don't think flour could get out of there if I dropped it.  :)

I did creep into my craft box and found some handy-dandy little stickers to put on there so I would know which flour is which.  I think it's kidna cute.

And I'm sure that most of you who know me really well are surprised that I haven't tried to be-jewel the containers.  :)  Don't worry, I've only had them for a day!  Haha!

And look...I even bought some cheap measuring scoops to keep in there for easy access scooping!  :)

Ahhhhh.....the little things in life that make you happy!

And check out these little guys, too!  These are a great little addition to the kitchen:

They are the perfect little glasses for when you need just a little shot of water in something.  Even better, I think they were only $1!  :)

Now I'm hoping that I will be less frustrated in the kitchen with flour and hopefully my clothes will stay a bit cleaner while cooking now!  :)

Everyone have a great weekend!

And while you're at it, you should get your flour some containers too.  You won't regret it!

Lots-o-Love,

The Preacher's Wife



my big fat stack of greek note cards :)

It's not My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Not even close.

It's My Big Fat Stack of Greek Note Cards.

It's mid-terms for Preacher Man this week.  And since he's taking Greek, guess who helps him make notecards?

You're right, it's me!  :)

Would you just look at the stack of notecards that I did this week?

And would you look at the writing on these things?!  Do you know what these words mean?

I don't!  But I sure am getting good at writing in Greek!  Just look at those letters!!  Oooooooooo, Ahhhhhhhhh! 

Ok, here is a hint (or maybe the answers) as to what they mean...

Isn't that what you thought they meant?  I know it is!!  I knew it too! ;)

I sure don't miss school right now.

I like this side of the card the best...that is the English!  :)

Here, let me make you a Greek sentence and you can guess what it means...

Any guesses?!

Come on....

I'm sure you know what this means!!

Ok, ok....I'll give you the answer..

Get ready and tilt your head to the right....

Is it what you thought it would be?!

Now I understand that due to conjugating verbs, etc this line up is probably all wrong, but it's still fun to line them up and act like I know what I'm doing....speaking this Greek and all!  :)  Haha!
Here's another.  It might be easier...

Hint:  You have said this word before.  Maybe even today.

It's two letters!

:)

You know it?

And the answer is....

Haha!  That's a fun one!

Thanks for playing!

Everyone wins today!! 

Congratulalations!!!

It's almost Spring Break and Midterms are almost over!

Thank goodness!

Everyone have a wonderful day and tell someone you know that you learned some Greek words today!  :)

Love,

The Preacher's Wife

Fluffy Biscuits

 Who loves a yummy, warm, homemade, fluffy biscuit?

Preferably made by your Mom?

Ok, even Hardee's?

Please raise your hand if you do!

I have both hands raised!

I love biscuits!

I love biscuits with gravy, with honey, with apple butter, with jam, with sausage, with bacon and eggs, you name it, I'd probably like it with a biscuit.

I'm very partial to my Mom's biscuits though.  Don't get me wrong, I like other people's biscuits too and canned biscuits are pretty delicious as well, but I think she makes the best.

Growing up I can remember her making them in the kitchen.  She never measured a single thing when she made them either.  It was always just a little of this and that and wah-lah...homemade biscuits!  She could do it in no time flat.  I even think she could probably make them blind-folded too!

Since I'm married now, I decided that I should make homemade biscuits for my honey.  After all, isn't that what domestic, newly married women do?

I haven't bought the canned biscuits in a while....even though I'm sure I will start it up again soon,  but for now I'm liking this making the biscuits kick that I'm on.  And honestly, I think my Preacher Man loves it as well.  He loves to pat out the biscuit dough and eat whatever dough is leftover.

So let's get started on making these things already...

Mom's Biscuits
(She has always used the recipe from back of White Lily's Self Rising Flour, but she has never, ever measured the ingredients out and her's turn out great every time.  If you get really good at this then maybe you won't have to measure things out either!)
Source:  Mom and White Lily Flour

Here's the recipe from the back of White Lily Self-Rising Flour:

2 cups White Lily Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup Crisco All-Vegetable shortening, chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk or milk (definitely use buttermilk!)

Now let's get to this...

Just so we are clear...here are the ingredients:

Measure out your flour into a bowl and add your shortening.  Use a fork or pastry blender to bind the shortening into the flour...just like this:

Next, add in your buttermilk and stir together...

Now it's time to plop your dough out on a floured surface.  Here's what I do...(Mom never did this.  I happened to invent this trick myself, thank you!)  I use Lysol wipes to clean my counter really well so that the germies are gone (even if they aren't they will all be gone in the hot oven so no worries, people!).  Next, I will take a damp paper towel and go back over the surface that I just cleaned so that the counter top is just damp but not soaking wet. (I do this because some part of me thinks that if I don't go back over it with a damp paper towel that my biscuits will taste like the Lysol wipes smell and I just don't think that would be a very yummy tasting biscuit).  After that, I will take my flour and sprinkle it over the damp surface and rub my hand over the flour to make/create a good flour-y foundataion to roll my dough out on.  The dampness of the counter-top really helps the flour stick to the counter well so your dough isn't the one sticking.  Here is my dough after being plopped out of the bowl:

Next, just pat it out into a round shape.  I like my biscuits to be super-fluffy so I pat out the dough a bit thicker...

Pretty thick, huh?

Next, grab a paper towel and dip it into your Crisco to grab a little shortenin' to grease your pan with.  (I learned this from my Mom.)  :) 

Now it's time to cut out the biscuits and put them on your pan...

And save the leftover dough for my hubby...

Bake your biscuits at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden brown:

And after they come out...

You should brush them with some melted butter.  YUM!

Fluffy biscuits ready to be eaten!

Slab on some apple butter...

or some Strawberry Jam!

I promise you will love these!  They are super easy to make and are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  You can also make these into Garlic Cheese biscuits by adding 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese into the biscuit mixture and then topping it off with a little melted butter and garlic powder.  Very tasty!

I hope you will make these soon.  Enjoy your fluffy biscuits!

Love,
The Preacher's Wife

P.S.  Here is a picture of Preacher Man's biscuits that he patted out one night for dinner a few weeks ago.  

Super fluffy biscuits!!
I totally think he could get a job at Hardee's being a biscuit maker!  Haha! 



the tales of canoes, cake plates, coke bottles, and HOME--Part 2

Picking right back up from yesterday....

So we got to Knoxville around lunch time.  The first stop we made was Ma's House.

The look on her face was priceless.  She was really surprised and it was so much fun seeing the look on her face when we walked through the door.

Next stop was to Preacher Man's Mom and Dad's House.

When we got there we pulled right in behind our little nephew.  The look on his face was again, priceless when he saw us.  He had no idea that we were coming.  It took him no time to get in play mode.

The rest of the day consisted of playing basketball with Ethan, going to ZUMA Fun Center and of course, Mexican food!  :)

But first, we had to give the little guy his birthday present:

I think he liked it!

Then it was off to ZUMA Fun Center to celebrate his birthday!

Here the boys are super excited for putt-putt and go-karts!

Look at his form! 

and this precious little thing that looked on...

Oh how I miss her already!!  Next it was off to go-karts....

Here is little Addie Mae trying to figure out what her Daddy is doing.

I think her Daddy's car is quite fashionable for him.  Don't you think so?  :)

Here's the other boys...

Please look at how their hats are.

Too cute.

And here's the other little cutie looking on...

Stiff competition at ZUMA!!!  Preacher Man and Ethan are in the lead by a nose!

All finished and feelin' good!

I love that Ethan threw up the peace sign too!

Next we went in and played a few games...

He's pretty awesome at skee ball!

After a fun day of playing, it was time for dinner.  We wanted to try out a new restaurant in town, but that didn't work out because the wait was forever long.  So we decided to go to our trusty, favorite Mexican restaurant. (even though we ate Mexican food the night before!)

And remember it was Ethan's birthday weekend, too.

So as we are riding down the road, one of us mentioned something about the staff at the Mexican restaurant singing to Ethan for his birthday.  And that maybe, just maybe they could give him dessert and maybe even put a sombrero on his head while they sing.

Ethan heard all of this conversation and insisted that he needed all of that done for him.

The singing and the sombrero.

That's definitely what he got!!

Here he is...

It was hilarious!  I don't know many five year olds who raise their hand at a restaurant and tell everyone that it's their birthday!!  So funny and cute!

After dinner, I may have asked to go to Hobby Lobby to see if we could find a replacement for my beautiful cake plate that I had shattered the day before.

This is what I was left with after the tragedy occurred:

I may be able to still do something with it...maybe some type of mosaic on a plate if I can figure out how to do that with all of the broken pieces.

So we went to Hobby Lobby and would you believe they had the same cake plate?!

They had the exact same one with the cute little bird in the middle.

I was beyond ecstatic. 

And would you believe that they had another cake plate sitting beside it that was a bit bigger and just as pretty?!

I decided to get the bigger cake plate since the smaller one of the two had a chip in it.

Here is my cute little thing...

I just love it and can't wait to put some king of yummy baked good on top of it!

Thanks, Mom for my cake plate!  :)  I once was sad about the old one, but am now happy about my upgrade!

Our weekend home was fantastic aside from missing Preacher Man's Dad.  :(  He was away on a mission trip and we didn't get to see him.

It was so much fun surprising people in our family, circle of friends, and people at church. 

It kinda makes me not want to tell people when we are coming home because of the fun factor in surprising others.

I just love it.

Now I get to go call the maintenance people here because it's a bit windy here and we have something outside hanging down from the top of our little townhouse.  And it is quite rackity when the wind is blowing.

Get excited about a "fluffy" post tomorrow!  You will love it!

Hoping Not to Get Blown Away Today,

The Preacher's Wife