I have been on a cooking frenzy ever since I bought my Instant Pot a few months ago.  There are many different Instant Pots to choose from but I settled on the 6 quart Lux V3 model.  It has 12 pre-programmed cooking modules and a delayed start feature and it was on sale at Amazon. For those not familiar with the Instant Pot it is a countertop electric pressure cooker.  The Instant Pot replaces 6 common kitchen appliances including: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, and Warmer. This pressure cooker can be used for everything from boiling eggs to roasting chicken and so much more.  Now that Amazon has free shipping for EVERYONE now is a great time to buy an Instant Pot. Now that the weather is getting colder I am looking forward to preparing beans, stews, chili and more using our Instant Pot. Last weekend, I tried a new recipe for Great Northern Beans.  Great Northern are my absolute favorite bean.  They have a mil...

It's been a while since our last Bedtime for Babies Book Reviews segment but we're back.  This time we have the perfect picture book to share to help the little ones wind down at the end of a busy day. Book Description: From Grammy Award-winning artist Michael W Smith and the co-creator of Veggietales Mike Nawrocki comes Let's Get Ready for Bed , the second in a series of bedtime books in the Nurturing Steps line. This sweet and sleepy picture book will lull your little one to sleep with their favorite stuffed animal characters the Nighty Nights. As an added bonus, this book includes a link that allows readers to listen to Michael W. Smith singing the lullaby from the story. Founded by Michael W Smith, Nurturing Steps is an infant and toddler series of children’s music and books with a simple mission to enliven a child’s journey with hope and faith through music and storytelling. This picture book features a cover that shines with foil. Our Thoughts: The w...

This is a sponsored post. Many thanks to USFG and Package from Santa It's that time of year again, time when kids who believe in Santa Claus are on their best behavior and parents try to hold onto that last little bit of the magic of Santa Claus. I remember when I had the talk with out kids.  One of their friends was a naysayer and my middle kid came home and asked the question.  You know the question... Mommy, is Santa Claus real? I was ready for it.  I had been rehearsing what I was going to say since last Christmas and without hesitation I blurted out "Yes!" That was the end of that.  The elves must have been on my side because the following week on Christmas Eve we had the worst winter windstorm ever. The kids had gone to bed early as they typically did on Christmas Eve and Hubby, myself and a few of Santa's helpers worked a little Christmas magic and off to sleep we went. In the middle of the night, lightning flashed and winds whipped again...

MamatheFox's Annual Holiday Kids Gift Giveaway Each year MamatheFox collects the coolest and most exciting kids gift ideas for her gift guide. Check out over 100 gift ideas over at MamatheFox's 2018 Gift Guide This year MamatheFox has a wonderful collection of prizes that one winner will receive from some amazing sponsors! Enter for your chance to win over $300 in kid gifts! Open to US residents only Prize will contain: Funrise’s Tonka Steel Excavator $35 to StickerKid Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret To the Moon and Back: My Apollo 11 Adventure Ultimate Secrets Revealed: A Closer look at the Weirdest, Wildest Facts on Earth Ultimate Predatorpedia: The Most Complete Predator Reference Ever N ational Geographic Kids Why Not?: Over 1,111 Answers to Everything Dog Science Unleashed: Fun Activities to do with your Canine Companion Just Joking: Jumbo 2 Fly With Me: A Celebration of Birds through Pictures, Poems, and Stories (1) Pair of ...

Devotionals: What a Great Word! by Karen Moore The Confident Woman Devotional by Joyce Meyer (Leather Edition) For your daughter, sister, or friend: Healing the Soul of a Woman by Joyce Meyer Pull It Off by Julianna Zobrist The Sparkle Effect by Kristen Dalton Wolfe For those who love to be inspired: Next Level Thinking by Joel Osteen Win from Within by John Gray People I Met at the Gates of Heaven by Don Piper For the creative in your life: Here’s Some Happy by Gina Graham Get Weird by CJ Casciotta For the Christian fiction reader: Jacob’s Bell by John Snyder For those interested in Biblical prophecy: Story in the Stars by Joe Amaral This Season of Angels by Perry Stone

2018 has definitely been a year of extreme ups and downs. Writing my thoughts has always been a place of solace for me since I was a kid and this year writing was more therapeutic than ever before. In June, just as I was gearing up to celebrate my kid’s 18th birthday I received a phone call that one of my best friends had suddenly taken ill. She passed away a few hours later. Reconciling with the sudden loss and the realization I wouldn’t be able to attend the services as we were gearing up to send our kid to college and saving for our Summer vacation. The day before my friend’s memorial service I received a phone call saying another one of my best friends was in ICU and the prognosis was not good. Without hesitation, I was on the road the very next day. There wasn’t a question of whether I was making the 8.5-hour drive or not. I had to be there. I knew she had been sick but I didn’t realize the how ill she was until I arrived at the hospital and spoke with the nursin...

One of my favorite recipes is Traditional Pound Cake.  It's my go to recipe as I always have the ingredients on hand and the base recipe can be modified to your personal tastes. This recipe, similar to that of one my mother in law's dear friend, Mrs. Liza Ashley, except she uses milk in hers but no milk in mine.  Mrs. Ashley worked at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion for over 30 years.  Her sweet potato pie and pound cake desserts were often featured desserts and when we moved to Arkansas she welcomed us with a homemade pound cake. I remember my great grandmother baking cakes from scratch and Mrs. Ashley's cakes reminded me of those delicious cakes my great grandma made.  You could smell the rich vanilla, watch you fork glide through the moist cake and taste the buttery goodness in each bite.  Each slice was just the perfect touch of sweetness. Some pound cakes have a pound of a few ingredients and then a few extra things but a traditional pound cake i...